MLB
September is coming to a close, division crowns are all but wrapped up, but the NL and AL Wild Card races are getting tighter, thanks to slumps by the Red Sox and Braves. Boston is 3-7 over its last 10 while Atlanta is 4-6 over its last 10. The Rays and Angels are both 2.5 games behind the Red Sox.
Boston's struggles have been well documented but the Braves are actually in more trouble as the Cardinals now just sit 1.5 games behind the Braves for the final NL playoff spot. The bad part for the Braves is they have a tougher schedule than the Cardinals. The Braves face the Nats on the road in their next three games and they have had a notoriously tough time with a usually subpar Nats team in recent years. Then they finish up with three games at home -- against the MLB-leading Phillies. The Nationals have won four in row, including three over the Phillies and are 75-79. You better believe they will be trying hard against the Braves. They want to finish the season with a winning record, something they have never done. In 2005, their first year, they went 81-81. The good thing about playing the Phillies for both the Nats and Braves is the Phils have wrapped up the NL East division title and can coast into the playoffs if they so choose. St. Louis, meanwhile, finishes up a series Thursday with the Mets before hosting the Cubs for three games then traveling to the Astros for three games to finish up. The Cubs and Astros are two of the worst teams in baseball this year so Atlanta definitely has a tougher road to the wild card berth.
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STEWART TAKES FIRST RACE IN THE CHASE
After struggling all year to just stay in the top 10 in points and not winning a single race, Tony Stewart won at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday and now sits second in the standings, only seven points behind Kevin Harvick. The rest of the top 12, with points behind Harvick in parentheses is as follows: No. 3 Carl Edwards (10), No. 4 Kurt Busch (11), No. 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (13), No. 6 (tie) Ryan Newman (14) and Brad Keselowski (14), No. 8 Jimmie Johnson (16), No. 9 Kyle Busch (19), No. 10 Matt Kenseth (24), No. 11 Jeff Gordon (25), and No. 12 Denny Hamlin (41). Stewart has been known to complain about other drivers' tactics a lot this year, and in a notable moment during Sunday's race, he basically called the other drivers idiots and said he was going to be one, too, and made an agressive move to take a couple spots away near the front of the field. Perhaps 'Smoke' has been playing nice all year (Stewart has been notably calmer the past couple seasons) and now he is willing to be aggressive since the Chase has started and he is tired of the concessions he's made to other drivers in the name of 'racing etiquette.' It will be interesting to see if the other drivers woke up a sleeping giant over the next few races. The second race of the Chase is Sunday at New Hampshire.
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CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
Is there anything more prevalent in the sports news right now than conference realignment? It is weird and kind of intrusive. It is like hearing about the NFL labor situation back in the summer day after day after day. At least in the college football world right now, realignment is grabbing more headlines than the games. Pieces are still falling into place and this is definitely not over, but as of right now, the ACC is going to expand to 14 teams, with the two new members being Pittsburgh and Syracuse, from the Big East. Geographically, I think it is tough to argue that these teams belong, but then again, pretty soon, no conference's geography will make sense. The Big East, now that it has lost Pitt and 'Cuse, is reportedly looking into Navy (ok), Army (ok), and Air Force (what?). Air Force is located all the way out in Colorado and is part of the Mountain West Conference and it might join the Big East. And what about Notre Dame? Some rumors have it coming to the ACC. At least Pennsylvania and New York are states on the Eastern Seaboard. Some parts of the state of Indiana are in the Central Time Zone. There are plenty of other reasons why I don't like Notre Dame, but that is one reason why I don't want the Irish in the ACC--it makes no sense. The just don't scream ACC, or even East Coast, for that matter.
Conference expansion and greedy money-grabbing by higher-ups is not over. Beyond the ugly side of expansion as far as being all about money and casting the student-athletes and academics to the side, the geography is one thing that is going to come out of this thing completely screwy. No one is going to remember who is in what conference and the groupings won't be intuitive. The Big 12 is desperate for teams right now. I don't think I should be surprised if I wake up tomorrow and I hear the Big 12 has taken East Carolina.
September is coming to a close, division crowns are all but wrapped up, but the NL and AL Wild Card races are getting tighter, thanks to slumps by the Red Sox and Braves. Boston is 3-7 over its last 10 while Atlanta is 4-6 over its last 10. The Rays and Angels are both 2.5 games behind the Red Sox.
Boston's struggles have been well documented but the Braves are actually in more trouble as the Cardinals now just sit 1.5 games behind the Braves for the final NL playoff spot. The bad part for the Braves is they have a tougher schedule than the Cardinals. The Braves face the Nats on the road in their next three games and they have had a notoriously tough time with a usually subpar Nats team in recent years. Then they finish up with three games at home -- against the MLB-leading Phillies. The Nationals have won four in row, including three over the Phillies and are 75-79. You better believe they will be trying hard against the Braves. They want to finish the season with a winning record, something they have never done. In 2005, their first year, they went 81-81. The good thing about playing the Phillies for both the Nats and Braves is the Phils have wrapped up the NL East division title and can coast into the playoffs if they so choose. St. Louis, meanwhile, finishes up a series Thursday with the Mets before hosting the Cubs for three games then traveling to the Astros for three games to finish up. The Cubs and Astros are two of the worst teams in baseball this year so Atlanta definitely has a tougher road to the wild card berth.
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STEWART TAKES FIRST RACE IN THE CHASE
After struggling all year to just stay in the top 10 in points and not winning a single race, Tony Stewart won at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday and now sits second in the standings, only seven points behind Kevin Harvick. The rest of the top 12, with points behind Harvick in parentheses is as follows: No. 3 Carl Edwards (10), No. 4 Kurt Busch (11), No. 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (13), No. 6 (tie) Ryan Newman (14) and Brad Keselowski (14), No. 8 Jimmie Johnson (16), No. 9 Kyle Busch (19), No. 10 Matt Kenseth (24), No. 11 Jeff Gordon (25), and No. 12 Denny Hamlin (41). Stewart has been known to complain about other drivers' tactics a lot this year, and in a notable moment during Sunday's race, he basically called the other drivers idiots and said he was going to be one, too, and made an agressive move to take a couple spots away near the front of the field. Perhaps 'Smoke' has been playing nice all year (Stewart has been notably calmer the past couple seasons) and now he is willing to be aggressive since the Chase has started and he is tired of the concessions he's made to other drivers in the name of 'racing etiquette.' It will be interesting to see if the other drivers woke up a sleeping giant over the next few races. The second race of the Chase is Sunday at New Hampshire.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
Is there anything more prevalent in the sports news right now than conference realignment? It is weird and kind of intrusive. It is like hearing about the NFL labor situation back in the summer day after day after day. At least in the college football world right now, realignment is grabbing more headlines than the games. Pieces are still falling into place and this is definitely not over, but as of right now, the ACC is going to expand to 14 teams, with the two new members being Pittsburgh and Syracuse, from the Big East. Geographically, I think it is tough to argue that these teams belong, but then again, pretty soon, no conference's geography will make sense. The Big East, now that it has lost Pitt and 'Cuse, is reportedly looking into Navy (ok), Army (ok), and Air Force (what?). Air Force is located all the way out in Colorado and is part of the Mountain West Conference and it might join the Big East. And what about Notre Dame? Some rumors have it coming to the ACC. At least Pennsylvania and New York are states on the Eastern Seaboard. Some parts of the state of Indiana are in the Central Time Zone. There are plenty of other reasons why I don't like Notre Dame, but that is one reason why I don't want the Irish in the ACC--it makes no sense. The just don't scream ACC, or even East Coast, for that matter.
Conference expansion and greedy money-grabbing by higher-ups is not over. Beyond the ugly side of expansion as far as being all about money and casting the student-athletes and academics to the side, the geography is one thing that is going to come out of this thing completely screwy. No one is going to remember who is in what conference and the groupings won't be intuitive. The Big 12 is desperate for teams right now. I don't think I should be surprised if I wake up tomorrow and I hear the Big 12 has taken East Carolina.
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