WORLD SERIES PREVIEW AND PREDICTION

The Tampa Bay Rays opened up the season in Las Vegas as a 200-to-1 long shot to win the World Series and here we are today and they are the 5-to-7 favorite to win the whole thing over the Philadelphia Phightin Phillies. The Rays are attempting to become the first team in Major League history to go from last place to winning the World Series (Braves almost accomplished the feat in 1991 but lost to the Twins in 7 games because Lonnie Smith is a dumb fuck who can't run the bases). The Phillies are attempting to become the first Philadelphia franchise in the 4 major market sports to win a Championship since the 1983 Sixers. It is a span of 100 combined seasons since any team among the Sixers, Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers won a championship.

Let's take a look at position by position breakdown and see who it favors if anybody...

FIRST BASE
I know I'm going to get a lot of shit from my Philly friends but I think Ryan Howard and Carlos Pena are even in this matchup. Howard carried the Phillies the last month of the season into the playoffs with a hot stick but hasn't done much in the actual playoffs. Carlos Pena might not put up the power numbers that Howard does but he plays better defense and he has come up huge for the Rays so far this postseason.

EDGE: EVEN

SECOND BASE
This one isn't even worth arguing about. Chase Utley is the premiere second baseman in the game right now and is a legitimate MVP candidate every year. Iwamura isn't too shabby himself but Utley is just head and shoulders above him in every facet of the game.

EDGE: PHILLIES

SHORTSTOP
Jimmy Rollins is the returning MVP winner in the National League and is the spark plug for the Phillies lineup at the top of the order. Despite having somewhat of a down season this past year he has come up huge in the postseason with big homeruns in both the NLDS and NLCS. Jason Bartlett was an excellent pickup by the Rays this season and has a glove that is worthy of gold. He has come through with his bat this postseason also but he isn't the threat that Rollins is whether on the bases or the ability to hit a big home run.

EDGE: PHILLIES

THIRD BASE
No contest whatsoever at third. Evan Longoria will win the Rookie of the Year and has hit 6 postseason homeruns already. He is already a great one and is yet to complete a full season of MLB ball. Pedro Feliz is average at best.

EDGE: RAYS

CATCHER
Rays catcher Dioner Navarro is an All-Star and throws out nearly 40% of baserunners. Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz is an underrated signal caller behind the plate and his bat is improving. Navarro is the better player but don't be surprised if Ruiz has a Mark Lemke-esque World Series.

EDGE: RAYS

RIGHT FIELD
Jayson Werth of the Phillies has been consistent all season having hit 24 HRs in his first full season as an everyday starter. The Rays don't have that consistency with Gabe Gross or Rocco Baldelli.

EDGE: PHILLIES

CENTER FIELD
Surprisingly this one was the toughest position for me to call even over first base. On the one hand you have up and coming superstar B.J. Upton who is one home run away from breaking Barry Bonds postseason record but on the other hand you have the Phillies Shane Victorino who has played like a MVP this postseason with his bat and his glove. I know I'm going to get some shit from Rays fans (all 8 of them) about this but I think they are pretty much even at this point in the season.

EDGE: EVEN

LEFT FIELD
I'm a big fan of Carl Crawford because he can do a little bit of everything unlike Pat Burrell. Crawford can steal bases, play excellent defense, and he can hit with the best of them. Burrell can hit towering home runs but I would pick Crawford over him in a heartbeat.

EDGE: RAYS

BENCH
The Phillies have Matt Stairs (big HR against Dodgers) and Geoff Jenkins as a legitimate left handed power hitters who can come in late in the game to pinch hit for a pitcher or play some DH along with right handed hitter Greg Dobbs who has been hot of late. The Rays have veteran Cliff Floyd who will DH and be available for late pinch hitting opportunities but I think the Phillies have more options.

EDGE: PHILLIES

BULLPEN
The Rays bullpen blew a 7 run lead against the Red Sox. The Phillies bullpen has been lights out all year with Brad Lidge who has yet to blow a save in a Phillies uniform. Rays rookie David Price looked awesome in Game 7 against the Sox so he could be closing out games for the Rays but I got to give the edge to the Phillies because of Lidge.

EDGE: PHILLIES

ROTATION
The Rays have a shitload of depth in the rotation unlike the Phillies. Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir should cancel each other out in game 1 as both are wonderful young leftys. Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine are both better starters than Jamie "old man river" Moyer and Brett "smack my bitch" Myers so this isn't really close.

EDGE: RAYS

COACHES
Coaching in baseball has always been overrated especially at the major league level. Maddon and Manuel both know what they are doing and know their team better than even the most fanatical of fans on both sides. And both of them beat out managers who supposedly had more playoff experience to get here so unless one guy makes a bone head move don't believe what the announcers are telling you. Players make great coaches.

EDGE: EVEN

FANS
Phillies fans are crazy and die hard and Rays fans have mohawks and love to ride the bandwagon. Fear alone you have to go with Phillies fans because they can make a trip up there intimidating for any visitor.

EDGE: PHILLIES

So by my inexact calculations I have the Phillies with the edge in 6 positions against the Rays 4. They are even at 3 positions so this should be a very close series. I think the biggest edge has to be starting rotation though and I love the Rays starters over the Phillies. Good pitching usually beats good hitting but then again I love the Phillies bullpen more than the Rays. This is honestly just too tough to call so I'm going with my gut and saying....

TAMPA BAY RAYS IN 7 GAMES

Ten NCAA Football picks for this Weekend

Andrew Cheese Whistle Mcstink's Picks-

1. Oklahoma St. @ Texas: Texas is a well oiled machine right now and will win this game.

2. Alabama @ Tennessee: The Vols suck this year and will get killed.

3. Penn State @ Ohio State: Penn State will win this one.

4. Oklahoma @ Kansas State: I think the Spooners will destroy K-State.

5. USC @ Arizona: I’m going with the upset on this one. I still think USC is overrated.

6. UGA @ LSU: Go Dawgs!! This game is do or die for Georgia.

7. Texas Tech @ Kansas: Texas Tech is the real deal this year.

8. Kentucky @ Florida: Kentucky has been tough this year, but Florida will squeak by.

9. Auburn @ West Virginia: Both teams are pretty bad, but I have to go with the SEC.

10. Virginia @ Georgia Tech: Should be a close game, but Georgia Tech will continue to pick up steam.



Matt Fairchild's Picks-

1. Oklahoma St. @ Texas: The Longhorns are just too good for Okie State.

2. Alabama @ Tennessee: If the Vols had two Eric Berry's then I would take them but they don't so I got to go with Bama in a close game.

3. Penn State @ Ohio State: I'm 50/50 on this one. Penn State has been playing lights out and the Buckeyes look like they finally hit their stride last week against Michigan State. Buckeyes win home games especially with a healthy Beanie Wells so I'm going with them.

4. Oklahoma @ Kansas State: Oklahoma will score at will.

5. USC @ Arizona: USC is just too loaded but I think the game will be a lot closer than what people think.

6. UGA @ LSU: Mark Richt and the Dawgs have to win this game to stay in the SEC and BCS Title talk.

7. Texas Tech @ Kansas: I'm going homefield with this matchup. It should be a close one decided in the final minutes.

8. Kentucky @ Florida: The popular thought is the Gators might be caught looking ahead to next week's matchup with Georgia and slip up. Tim Tebow will have a big game and the Gators will roll by double digits.

9. Auburn @ West Virginia: Auburn has not played well at all this season but I think they turn it on in the second half with a big win in Morgantown.

10. Virginia @ Georgia Tech: I will be at this game getting my full tailgate on. The Yellow Jackets defense gets better every week and should dominate this game.

Top 10 Funniest Athlete Names

First off I’d like to say that this has probably been done several times already online, but I came across some funny names this morning while surfing the net, and I had the idea of creating a top ten list of funny sports star names. I could have made a top 50, or even a list of 100 names, but I narrowed it down to my personal favorites. Feel free to reply to this and leave some of your favorite names.

10. Dick Butkus: (Da Bears) When I was a kid I really thought his name was Dick Buttkiss. I’m sure he took shit from nearly all his opponents, but I’m also sure he probably leveled their ass two seconds later.

9. Skeets Quinlan: (RB LA Rams) According to Urbandictionary.com, the word skeet means, “ To shoot your man juice up on your bitch.” Looks like Papa Quinlan forgot to skeet all over Mama Quinlan.

8. Dick Trickle: (Stock Car Racer) Not only does this name bring about crude imagery, it is also a perfect name for a redneck’s sport, I mean, game.

7. Ben Gay: (RB NFL) This guy got screwed twice with his name. On one hand he is named after a popular sports medicine cream, and on the other hand his name is just plain gay. I am a firm believer that names have a big influence on how that person’s life ends up. This guy has been bogged down in crime, and had a very shitty 1 season career after being dubbed “The Legend.”

6. Craphonso Thorpe: (WR Colts etc…) What a crappy name!

5. Natalie Titcum: (Olympic Softballer) I had to have a woman make the list, and this name is an Australian classic.

4. Harry Colon: (DB Detroit Lions) I’ve heard of a hairy ass, but a hairy colon? Ugh!

3. Rusty Kuntz: (MLB player) A little known fact: Rusty Kuntz was on the 1984 World Series winning Detroit Tigers team. He was also the inventor of the popular sex act, “The Rusty Trombone.”

2. Johnny Dickshot: (MLB Player) Good ole Johnny Dickshot was a quick coming outfielder for several teams from 1936-1945. In the bedroom Johnny was infamous for his Dickshots! I hear he used to hang out with the Quinlan family quite a bit.

1. Ron Tugnutt (NHL Goalie) and Lucious Pusey (NCAA Football): Okay, Okay, I know this is supposed to be a top 10 list, but I couldn’t decide between these 2 classic names. You know Ron Tugnutt heard a lot of smack talk about his name on the ice, but it seems Pusey let it get to him, as he changed his name to Lucious Seymour. He should have changed his name to Seymour Pusey. At least then he could have gotten in to porn after his illustrious career at Eastern Illinois.

NEW GUNS N ROSES SONG: CHINESE DEMOCRACY

I like it! It's great to hear Axl Rose back with Guns N Roses and hearing his patented scream, or squeal if you want to call it, which has been gone for 17 fucking years. Can you believe that? It's been 17 long years since Guns N Roses put out their last album Use Your Illusions. Today they released their first single, Chinese Democracy, which is also the title of their new album which will be available for download and in Best Buy stores exclusively starting on November 25th.

So what do you guys think? I like it a lot. I use to jam GNR all the time when I was in middle school and high school and this song kind of brings back childhood memories. I haven't heard any rumors of them touring but if they do you know their concerts would sell out almost immediately. Hell, I'm almost 30 and I would wait in line to get tickets. Oh yeah, it's 2008! Wait on the computer I guess.

MY HEISMAN TROPHY TOP 5

1. COLT MCCOY, Texas-Does this really need an explanation? He is on pace to throw for 31 touchdowns while rushing for 9 more with only 5 turnovers. His accuracy is over 81% right now and he is the starting QB for the #1 team in the country. Oh yeah, Colt's girlfriend Rachel Glandorf looks pretty good next to Mike Tyson...


2. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma-Bradford has played exceptionally well all season but couldn't get his team to beat Texas. Granted he can't play defense for the Sooners so it shouldn't be held against him.

3. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia-Special K is coming off a dominating performance against Vandy by ripping through defenders for over 170 yards rushing. He will get his chance to shine the next two weeks with games against LSU and Florida especially if he can rip off a highlight run like this...


4. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech-Crabtree is on pace to haul in over 20 TD passes for the second year in a row which would be a NCAA record. NCAA records get you noticed with Heisman voters and Crabtree has a chance to prove himself worthy with 4 straight ranked opponents, 3 of them top 10, on the schedule.

5. Tim Tebow, Florida-Tebow's stats are not as impressive as last year but he still has a 10-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio and has a chance to get the Gators back to a BCS Title game if they win out.

Just missed the cut: Darryl Clark, Penn State; Shonn Greene, Iowa; Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State; Graham Harrell, Texas Tech; Mark Sanchez, USC

KELLY RIPA LOVES PHILLIES HALL OF FAME 3B MIKE SHIT

Poor Kelly Ripa. First she has a freudian slip and calls Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt by the wrong name and then she has to deal with Regis yelling in her ear. Don't worry, I can comfort you Kelly. No one has to know.

Video HT: WWTDD via KissFM

SPORTSCRACK TOP 10 CFB POLL

1. Texas Longhorns-The Longhorns simply put on a clinic Saturday night in taking Mizzou to the woodshed 56-31. Colt McCoy looks like the clear front runner for the Heisman right now and without a doubt is playing the best ball of his life. The road to an undefeated season doesn't get any easier this week as an undefeated Okie State comes into Austin to face the Longhorns. The way the Longhorns are playing it would take an off day from McCoy for the Cowboys to have a chance at winning this game in Austin.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions-The Fighting JoePa's appear to be improving every week much like Texas has this season. Playing in the Weak 10 helps but you have to hand it to Penn State, they come out and destroy teams by playing great in all 3 facets of the game. If they manage to win this week in Columbus then they have a legitimate chance to go to the BCS Title game. I'm interested to see how Beanie Wells does against a Penn State defense that gave up over 200 yards rushing to Michigan this past week.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide-These Rammer Jammers are a Jekyl and Hyde team right now. First half they look great and get off to big leads but then in the second half they have a tendency to lay off the gas and struggle with their defense. Losing DT Terrence Cody to a knee injury is huge even if it is just for a few weeks. He is such a big presence and he dominates the line of scrimmage. This week the Tide travel to Knoxville for a big night game on ESPN. The Vols looked really impressive against Miss. State last week so don't be surprised if we have another close SEC game.

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys-For a guy who doesn't get much pub you have to hand it to QB Zac Robinson. A duel threat QB, Robinson has led the Cowboys to an undefeated record so far by completing over 70% of his passes while also rushing for 5 TDs. They travel to Austin this weekend with a chance to earn a ton of respect against the #1 team in the country.

5. Oklahoma Sooners-I think it's becoming obvious with these Big 12 teams that they don't know how to play much defense. Or maybe their offenses are that good. Sooners beat Kansas 45-31 in another game where their offense looked unstoppable at times with QB Sam Bradford but their defense looked paper thin. The Sooners have a shot at reaching a BCS Title game but unless the defense starts playing better then they could slip in the polls even with wins.

6. Texas Tech Red Raiders-They are still undefeated. I'm not totally convinced this team is all that great but they haven't lost yet and play in the Big 12 which says something. They have four straight ranked opponents on their schedule starting this week with a road trip to Lawrence. Win it and they could be top 5.

7. Georgia Bulldogs-I got them over USC because they have the more impressive loss. A blowout loss to Alabama right now looks a lot better than the beat down USC took from Oregon State. Pollsters tend to forget but Bama is a way better team than Oregon State. The next two games at LSU and in Jacksonville will make or break the Bulldogs season. Win them both and one could argue they are the best one loss team in the country. Lose one or both and the Bulldogs could be playing in the Chick Fil-A Bowl.

8. Florida Gators-Gators got an off week to prepare for Kentucky this week. They should win easily in what will set up for a huge game in Jacksonville against Georgia. If the Gators want to make it to a BCS game they have to win out and at least reach the SEC Championship game. This Gators team seems to clicking at the right moment and I think they could beat any top 10 team in the country.

9. Utah Utes-They are undefeated and beat a team in Oregon State which beat USC so how can anyone have them ranked below USC? Don't give me the bullshit well "USC has more talent crap" because it doesn't hold any water. Utah deserves some respect and we at Sportscrack will give it to them.

10. USC Trojans-Back-to-back shutouts is impressive. Unfortunately for the Trojans they are going to need blowout victories the rest of the season and hope others lose to reach a BCS Title game. Remember they lost to an average Oregon State team and play in a shitty conference with a schedule that is incredibly weak the rest of the way.

Feel free to leave comments or suggestions if you agree or disagree. I'm always willing to listen and change my rankings.

THIS SEC REFEREE HAD SERIOUS MONEY ON LSU

This is one of the most blatant forms of corrupting a game since Eric Gregg was calling strikes 3 feet off home plate. The clip is from the South Carolina-LSU game on Saturday night and the referee makes a great shoulder tackle on QB Stephen Garcia. He must have gotten lessons from the Columbia PD.

Video HT: Deadspin

HINES WARD BREAKS KEITH RIVERS JAW

Hines must have heard the new BCS rankings were out and his Georgia Bulldogs are somehow ranked behind River's USC Trojans and wanted to take it out on the poor rookie. Keith Rivers left the game with a broken jaw. These are the kind of blocks that make you a Hall of Famer and there is no doubt Hines Ward will have a bust in Canton. This hit should be on his highlight reel during his introduction.

Video HT: FanIQ

2 CHASE'S 1 CUP PICTURE

Via TheWizofOdds comes this great picture from College GameDay in Austin. Bravo to the Texas Longhorns fans who came up with this great sign. The Longhorns made Mizzou and the Chase's their cup by completely destroying them in the first half similar to what Alabama did against Georgia a few weeks ago. Missouri has no shot of winning the National Title now and Texas is in the driver's seat with two tough teams in Oklahoma State and Texas Tech in the next two games. After watching Colt McCoy Saturday I'm not sure anybody can beat Texas at this moment.

By the way it looks like ESPN's Lee Corso made a great pick there with Michigan State. He must read this blog.

THE RAYS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES

You got to hand it to the Tampa Bay Rays for not completely choking and letting the series against the Red Sox slip through their fingers. The Rays were the better team all season and beat the Red Sox best pitcher in Jon Lester twice with great performances from ALCS MVP Matt Garza. I thought the Red Sox were going to win this series after coming back from a 7-0 deficit in game 5 to extend it and then winning game 6 in St. Petersburg kind of gave me that whole "destiny" bull shit feeling. But you have to love this Rays team. Their payroll is below 50 million and they have a bunch of kids who are playing their hearts out and for the first time this season are learning how to win at the major league level. If anything it gives this Orioles fan hope going into next season. If the fucking Rays can make the World Series then why not the O's?

I will have my World Series preview and prediction up tomorrow. I totally whiffed on my league championship predictions going 0-2 but I'm still up 4-2 overall this postseason. Both the Phillies and the Rays are playing great fundamental baseball right now so it will be difficult to pick a winner but right now I am leaning towards the Rays. I am an American League guy after all.

UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK

I'm taking Missouri over Texas in Austin. I think Chase Daniel outperforms Colt McCoy and Mizzou picks up their biggest win in the history of their program. The spread is -6.5 as we speak in favor of Texas so go ahead and bet your remaining beer and pizza money on Mizzou and thank me later. I'm going with the Mizzou Brew.

Prediction: Missouri 42 Texas 38

JAY CUTLER NOT A FAN OF PHILIP RIVERS

God I love this kind of shit. Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers are both young QB's on division rivals that obviously don't get along with one another and I love to see the animosity Cutler has for Rivers. The NFL has become too much buddy-buddy shit from opposing players doing prayers together to going out to dinner with each other's families after the game is over and stroking each other's cocks, er I mean egos. I like to see two guys who genuinely hate each other let it be known. It will make the games more interesting and competitive in my opinion. Soon the nation will be split on whether you are a Rivers guy or a Cutler guy. I think I'm a Cutler guy. Rivers seems like a mama's boy punk who talks shit and forces trades behind close doors. Oh wait, that was Elway and Eli Manning. Never mind.

Video HT: BroncoTalk

JAKE PEAVY A BRAVE? CAN WE DRINK TO IT?

As you have probably heard the San Diego Padres are actively shopping ace Jake Peavy to a number of National League teams. Peavy, an Alabama native, appears to favor a deal to the Atlanta Braves who were his favorite childhood team. But the question remains what would it take to land Peavy, a former Cy Young winner and a top 5 pitcher in the game, and would it be conducive to what the Braves as an organization are trying to accomplish?

The Padres and Braves were both horrible teams last year heading in similar paths in my opinion. They are not getting any better and the only way they will get better is if they load up on some young talent. The Braves have some young talent in the minors that are within a couple of years of making some impact. I'm talking about guys like Jason Heyward(future corner outfielder), Jordan Schafer(future CF), Gorkys Hernandez(CFer acquired in the Renteria trade), pitchers Tommy Hanson and Julio Teheran. The Braves would have to trade at least 2 of those guys along with a current MLB player like Yunel Escobar, Kelly Johnson, or Jair Jurrjens in order to wet Padres GM Kevin Tower's palate to even consider trading the young Peavy who is locked up for 4 more years at below market value.

So would it be worth the risk for the Braves to give up all that young talent to secure an ace?

No. The Braves need pitching in the worse way. Tim Hudson, John Smoltz, Tommy Traitor, and Mike Hampton are all either gone next season or can't pitch due to injuries. Adding one guy in Peavy and subtracting a pitcher like Jurrjens doesn't make you any better it just makes you the Padres. Personally I would love to see Peavy in a Braves uniform but I don't think he will make the Braves a contender in the NL East. The Phillies and the Mets will be as good if not better next season when they add some free agents this offseason and the Marlins have a better nucleus of young talent ready to make some noise much like the Tampa Bay Rays are doing this year. The Braves have a shitload of holes already including starting pitching, corner infielders(Chipper isn't getting any healthier or younger), and outfielders and when you factor in trading your future away for one player it just doesn't make much sense. Now if the Braves want to open up their checkbook and start signing some significant free agents along with trading for Peavy then I can understand it but it seems like the Braves have no set direction ever since Frank Wren took over as GM.

I'm wondering what the other Sportscrack heads out there think it would take to land Peavy and would it be worth the risk? I know we have Cardinals and Dodgers fans on here among many other teams and want to hear what kind of players you think you would have to give up in order to land a Peavy. This isn't just a rumor of Peavy possibly getting traded it pretty much is in the works as we speak and a deal could be done within the next few days so I want to hear some opinions out there. If you are a Cards fan do you think trading Rasmus and some other pieces is worth it? Should the Dodgers trade Kemp and Kershaw for Peavy?

Post your comments below and let's talk about it.

MARK WAHLBERG AND HIS FUNKY BUNCH CAN'T TAKE A JOKE

At first I thought Markie Mark was kidding around and merely acting like he wanted to kick Andy Samberg's ass(or his big nose) for publicity but then I realized...Wahlberg can't act. Plus when ever a guy gets real personal like Wahlberg does about Samberg's big Schnauzer you realize that there is some real deep down hatred for the guy. Look Markie Mark, you need to loosen up the Calvin Klein's and get off the whole acting like you're a tough guy because you are not. Your fucking shorter than I am Keebler so go make me some fucking cookies tough guy. C'mon C'mon, cook it, cook it, cook the soft batch! Now I realize that the little pain in the ass character named E on Entourage is based on the former Funky Bunch member.

Great impersonation by Samberg by the way. If you close your eyes and just listen to him it sounds just like Wahlberg.

Video HT: WWTDD

UPDATE: Apparently Wahlberg is a great actor and he can take a joke. Here is a SNL skit from this weekend where he makes a cameo that Cheesewhistle commented on...

GOOD SPORTS VIEWING TONIGHT

It's not too often we get a jam packed Thursday night full of sports viewing. Tonight we get it starting at 7:30 on ESPN with Florida State traveling to North Carolina State. As some of you may know I haven't been the biggest fan of Seminoles football and think they have been overrated for a while but this 2008 squad is different and has a legitimate shot at winning the ACC crown. The reason: running game. They finally have a fucking running game worth talking about averaging an impressive 231 rushing yards a game. Senior RB Antone Smith has been running for the first time in his career in Tallahassee behind a good line which actually is controlling the line of scrimmage. These Thursday night ESPN games have been full of upsets till last week when Wake Forest held on to beat Clemson and thus insured the exit of Baby Bowden. I think Papa Bowden will have FSU ready and the poon should be plentiful as both schools have attractive fan bases. The spread is -11.5 in favor of FSU and I think the Seminoles will win but I don't see them covering the spread.

At 8 PM we get two choices. We can either watch the Boston Red Sox and their huge payroll take on the Tampa Bay Rays and their minuscule payroll battle or we can watch a more entertaining College Football game on Versus. Yes, Versus has the undefeated and unproven BYU Cougars, the supposed BCS busters, traveling their Mormon asses to TCU to take on some rowdy Texans ready to prove that caffeine is okay to consume. This should be a great game and if BYU wants to prove to everybody that they deserve to be considered for a BCS game then they need to win. BYU QB Max Hall will get his chance to show off his Heisman credentials against a pretty good TCU defense. TCU is #1 in the nation in total defense allowing just over 207 total yards a game. BYU has been playing good defense too allowing only 17 points in their last 4 games combined. In what should be a low scoring game I think TCU pulls off the upset at home and thankfully we don't have to worry about BYU somehow sneaking into the BCS.

So essentially there will be 3 entertaining games of some significance going on at the same time tonight which will mean a lot of channel flipping in between the burping and boozing. The Red Sox have to win tonight and I think they will. I believe they have won 7 straight elimination games in the playoffs so I got my money on the Sox extending the series to a 6th game.

MCCAIN'S BRAIN ON THE FINAL DEBATE

I'm going to miss John McCain if he doesn't get elected. The guy is a comics dream much like George Bush. Barack Obama is just boring. What is SNL going to make fun of for the next 4 years? Bush was a gold mine with his made up words and now McCain has all these peculiarities which tend to be hilarious. I could seriously watch McCain's Brain reactions to statements all day. Hopefully this series of McCain's Brain doesn't die as fast as...well..you know.

Now get off of my lawn.

Image HT: MacGsWorld

OKAY I PICKED THE WRONG NL TEAM

My apologies to all the Sportscrack heads out there who went and threw away their tiny left overs of a 401k and a shitty mortgage on the fact that I picked the Dodgers in the World Series over the Phillies. If I knew Rafael Furcal was going to spend more time picking cliffhangers than getting on base for Man Ram to knock him in then I would have never gone with the fucking Dodgers. Congratulations go out to the Phillies who will be making their first World Series appearance since Mitch Williams made his enduring impression on Joe Carter's bat. I somehow managed to get all 4 of my division series picks right but if the Rays win 1 of the next 3 games against the rather pathetic looking Sox then I will be 0 for 2 in league series picks. But you know like any true degenerate we are not going to let that Nancy Kerrigan us and question why things happen. Nope, we are going to ride this dwindling gravy train and put everything on the American League in the World Series. They are the better league right?

Image HT: Blogging via Typewriter

ANOTHER HOCKEY FIGHT

If the NHL wants to get higher ratings and more interest from non-mullet heads maybe they need to stage one of these every night. Similar to what ESPN and NASCAR does with their non-athletes and tells you about these so called "behind the doors" fights that take place between two rednecks and a car to drum up ratings at least the NHL has the balls to put it right in front of your face. There is a teabag reference in there some where, I will let you make it. I'm not exactly sure who the clear winner of the fight was between the Canadiens' George Laraque and the Bruins' Shawn Thornton but it is always fun to see two big guys go at it with so much force and bravado that it almost pushes them off the ice and onto the benches.

Last week I attended the season opener for the Atlanta Thrashers and got to see the good guys beat the Caps 7-4. All of the goal scoring was exciting of course but Philips Arena gets so much more energy when two competitors decide to drop the gloves and exchange haymakers. The NHL needs to embrace the fighting part of the game and market it because people like you and me love to watch it. I kind of miss the days when NHL Tonight was on ESPN2 and you could see the latest Tony Twist fight and/or Bob Probert mauling some rookie's face.

Video HT: FanIQ

MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAM

We have reached the midpoint of the 2008 College Football season and I figured why not take a look at some of the best players to perform on a campus near you. Here are my picks for the Sportscrack Midseason All-American College Football Team.

QUARTERBACK
Colt McCoy, Texas-For all intended purposes I had Chase Daniel as my top QB in the nation till last Saturday. McCoy passed him temporarily with a brilliant performance in the Red River Shootout to beat Oklahoma and claim the new #1 spot with Daniel struggling with those 3 huge picks in a loss to Oklahoma State. McCoy has been on top of his game all season and his numbers in both passing and rushing rank him among the best. This week's game in Austin will be a good barometer to see who might be the clear cut best QB in the nation.

RUNNINGBACKS
Javon Ringer, Michigan State-Okay, yes, I know, I can already hear some people complaining about this pick. Look, Ringer's average yards per carry isn't the best in the nation at below 5 but the guy has personally carried Sparty all season. In fact I think without Ringer the Spartans would be lucky to have 3 wins right now. Defenses are loading up in the box and yet he still leads the nation with 14 rushing TDs.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia-He is averaging slightly more yards per carry over last season and is on pace for 20 plus total TDs while playing in the toughest conference with the toughest defenses. Special K has not disappointed one bit this season despite playing behind an offensive line that has had several key blockers go down with injuries.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Percy Harvin, Florida-Harvin's nickname should be Techmo Bowl. An amazing athlete, Harvin makes your jaw drop everytime he touches the ball. He simply glides past defenders which is no easy feat playing in the SEC.

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech-I haven't seen much of Crabtree this season but his numbers look solid again. He might not reach last year's ridiculous numbers but he is still on pace to catch over 20 TDs.

Jeremy Maclin, Missouri-Maclin has been incredible for the Tigers whether catching, running, or returning kicks this season. He is on pace to put up better numbers receiving this season and is becoming one of the best WRs in the game.

TIGHT END
Chase Coffman, Missouri-Big Chase already has 3 games over a 100 yards receiving and 2 games in which he has double digit catches. Honestly nobody is really close to him right now in terms of TE production and he is the heavy favorite for the Mackey Award.

OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Andre Smith, Alabama-Protects Wilson's blind side and completely devours defensive linemen and linebackers while controlling the line of scrimmage for Bama.

Michael Oher, Ole Miss-Another great SEC left tackle who helped lead the Rebels to an improbable win against Florida at the Swamp.

OFFENSIVE GUARDS
Duke Robinson, Oklahoma-Consistently dominates the line of scrimmage for one of the highest scoring offenses in the nation.

Rodney Hudson, Florida State-Hudson has come out of nowhere to dominate this year for the Seminoles. Literally a big reason why FSU has a legitimate shot of winning the ACC.

CENTER
Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas-Opens up holes for the Razorbacks and has been the #1 center in the college game 3 years now.

DEFENSIVE ENDS
Brian Orakpo, Texas-The incredibly agile Houston native had a couple of sacks against Oklahoma to give him 7.5 at midseason.

Aaron Maybin, Penn State-Has 9 sacks already and is a big reason why Penn State is the favorite now to win the Big Ten conference.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Terrence Cody, Alabama-The guy is a tank and literally needs 2-3 blockers because of his size.

Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma-Had 2 sacks against Texas and requires multiple blockers.

LINEBACKERS
Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri-A tackling machine with 65 total tackles with 7 for loss.

Brandon Spikes, Florida-He looks like the Predator and is known to kill Tigers with 2 interceptions on Saturday.

Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh-One of the more underrated players in the nation who is having a great season with 8 tackles for loss already.

CORNERBACKS
Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest-He knows how to talk the talk and walk the walk with 7 passes broken up and 3 INTs.

Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State-Not sure how I forgot this guy in the first place, Jenkins is playing great and already has 3 INTs.

STRONG SAFETY
Eric Berry, Tennessee-Only a sophomore, Berry leads the nation with 4 picks and has future NFL star written all over him.

FREE SAFETY
William Moore, Missouri-Has been a steady force along with Weatherspoon on the Mizzou defense.

KICKER
Matt Harmon, Navy-Got to give the Midshipmen some love. He has converted 14 of 15 field goal attempts.

PUNTER
Justin Brantly, Texas A&M-So far Brantly has been the best player on the Aggies team. He can boot the ball.

KICK RETURNER
Derrick Williams, Penn State-I dogged this kid before the season started for not living up to expectations but he has been magnificent for the JoePa's and has a great chance of earning All-American honors in his senior season.

PUNT RETURNER
Brandon James, Florida-This "little fucker" as I call him is the closest thing to Devin Hester in the college game. I would never kick it to him if given the choice.

MIDSEASON HEISMAN: Colt McCoy, Texas

MIDSEASON FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR: Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

MIDSEASON COACH OF THE YEAR: Nick Saban, Alabama

MIDSEASON GAME OF THE YEAR: USC at Oregon State

MIDSEASON SURPRISE TEAM OF THE YEAR: Penn State and Alabama

MIDSEASON DISAPPOINTING TEAM OF THE YEAR: Ohio State

Feel free to add any comments or possible omissions I might have left off this list.