Langston and Craig Aron recap the major sporting events since Episode 11. They also tackle the NBA Playoffs and the NFL Draft.
Category: Sports
10 Thoughts on Game 1 Weekend
After a great weekend of Game 1’s, I decided to write a little something about what jumped out to me about the games.
- The Raptors finally broke their Game 1 losing streak. It took a record three-point performance, but they got that monkey off their back.
- Outside of the Warriors and Thunder, I am hoping for upsets in every series of the 1st round.
- The Warriors are too much for the Spurs without Kawhi, who has just been ruled out for the playoffs.
- The way the Sixers played on Saturday, the Process may be complete. The entire city of Philiadelphia owed Sam Hinkie a big apology.
- Playoff Rondo is a real thing. The guy has ten triple-doubles in less than 100 playoff games.
- Can Terry Rozier channel his inner Kyrie Irving for an entire playoff series.
- Playoff Lebron cannot carry the defensively retarded Cavs over the Pacers.
- The OKC Three plus Melo made a big splash in Game 1.
- Derrick Rose balled out for the Wolves in Game 1. Too bad Jimmy Butler and KAT didn’t get enough touches.
- James Harden had to put in an MVP performance in order to carry the Rockets through Game 1.
10 Thoughts Preview of the 1st Round of the NBA Playoffs.
The NBA Playoffs start tomorrow and I had 10 things I am thinking about as they are getting started. These are not predictions or what others have written getting ready for the playoffs. Just thoughts that popped in my head when I thought of each matchup.
- I always have to remind myself that Chris Paul is a future Hall of Famer. I always thought he was a good little point guard, but I guess I have never seen a game that makes me think this guys is the best point guard in the NBA.
- I have heard that Andrew Wiggins is scared of the moment and I want to see if he will shrink or step-up in the playoffs. If Minnesota has any hope of upsetting the Rockets, Wiggins has to rise to the moment.
- When it comes to Golden State vs. San Antonio, Klay Thompson is going to be the X-factor for this series. I don’t think KD will be enough. The Warriors are going to need Thompson to drop bombs on the Spurs.
- Will Playoff Rondo make an appearance in the series between the Blazers and the Pelicans. Rondo has the uncanny habit of taking his game up four and five levels in the playoffs. I remember when Rondo was the best player for the Celtics during the playoffs even with the Big Three on the court. He made an appearance last year for Chicago; who may have upset the Celtics if Rondo didn’t get injured. I would love to see Rondo outplay Dame Lillard and Anthony Davis and lead his team to the 2nd round.
- Carmelo Anthony is going to be the difference between whether OKC wins their first round series with the Jazz or not. Much as he has been the X-factor all season, Melo will be attacked by the Jazz on defense and OKC will need him to hit the open three pointers the Jazz are going to give him.
- Will the Raptors continue their streak of losing Game 1’s? They have lost 10 straight Game 1’s. Washington has enough talent to stretch the streaak to 11 if they can put things together for a couple of games.
- Do the Wizards like John Wall? I am not sure the rest of his team like him right now. A great series from Wall could help his teammates warm up to him.
- The best match-up in the Eastern Conference is The Greek Freak against Brad Stevens.
- I know Playoff Lebron will show up and try to make another appearance in the Finals. I just wonder if the Cavs can play enough defense to get him there. They are 29th in the league in defense.
- I wonder if Tristan Thompson’s infidelities brought bad ju-ju to the Cavs. However he left his then pregnant girlfriend for Khloe in 2015 and the Cavs won the Finals that season. So maybe this is good for the Cavs.
10 Thoughts on USC v. Notre Dame:
USC got smoked by Notre Dame 49-14. It was an overall despicable game. I was looking forward to a battle between highly ranked teams. It was super discouraging to see USC shot the bed.
- In the beginning of the game, the Notre Dame offense was nothing but sweeps and fades. They had so much success that they were able to pound it up the middle for the rest of the game.
- Listening to Mike Tirico and Doug Flutie suck on the tit of Notre Dame made me sick to my stomach.
- Sam Darnold is schizophrenic. He is brilliant and incompetent all in the same drives. He is so talented it is maddening. Then he has two more turnovers.
- USC needed a big game from RoJo. He had been the bellcow the last couple of weeks. Notre Dame shut him down. USC had -4 yard rushing in the first half.
- USC had so many mistakes, I am not sure whether Notre Dame beat them or they beat themselves.
- The Jack Jones punt flub was a punch in the belly.
- Brandon Winbush looked like Vince Young in the Rose Bowl in 2006.
- The receiving corps showed up big; but it was not enough. Steven Mitchell had some big plays. Deontay Burnett had the touchdowns.
- Uchenno Nwosu didn’t make the impact he normally does. He didn’t have a sack or even a batted pass.
- I am not sure why the defense never changed their game plan. They looked like they did not plan to face a running quarterback. Maybe they were too worn out by the turnovers and offensive inefficiency to fight back.
10 Thoughts on NLCS Game 4 – Los Angeles Dodgers v. Chicago Cubs:
Jake Arrietta is a scary pitcher. He is imposing on the mound and he owns the Dodgers. I was hoping the Dodgers would not give the Cubs a breath of life in this series. However with a 3-2 win tonight, the Cubs have shown they are a hard team to put away.
- Jake Arrietta came out throwing hard. Nasty hard! He was also a little erratic early. He dominated the Dodgers for the 6.2 innings.
- Yasiel Puig is still raking in this series. Puig went 1-3 and missed an opportunity to drive in some runs.
- Wilson Contreras and Javie Baez hit home runs in the bottom of the second inning. Contreras’ home run went 491 feet off the scoreboard in left field. Baez hit a low changeup down the left field line. The Cubs struck first again which didn’t seem to bother me because the Cubs had been ahead in all three of the prior games.
- The Dodgers bounced back in the top of the third inning when Cody Bellinger hit his second home run of the postseason.
- I am not sure what Dave Roberts did with his lineup for Game 4 but I was not a fan. After Yasiel Puig in the cleanup position, the lineup was a waste of time and was doing the Cubs a favor. Andre Ethier struck out twice. Curtis Granderson struck out four times. Yasmani Grandal walked three times; which was ok for him. Chase Utley struck out twice. That means batters 5 through 8 went 0 for 12 with strikeouts. Why not play Logan Forsythe who has been hitting? Why sit Austin Barnes?
- Justin Turner just hits. He went 2 for 4 with home run and two walks. He is seeing the ball so well, I am sure he doesn’t want an off-season.
- Javier Baez has two hits in the postseason and they are both home runs he hit in Game 4. The Dodgers have allowed this guy to get confident and it could be a series changer.
- The Dodger bullpen shut down the Cubs yet again. The part of the team that was the Achilles heel in past seasons has really put up some great appearances. They need to go to the World Series.
- Wade Davis pitched a two inning save; throwing 30 pitches in the first inning. I wonder how much he is going to have left for Game 5.
- Dodgers 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position. I am not sure what is more suprising: they didn’t drive in runs or they had such few opportunities to drive in the runs.
10 Thoughts on Game 3 of NLCS – Los Angeles Dodgers v. Chicago Cubs:
As the series shifted venues to Wrigley Field, I was worried the Cubs would be able to get some momentum that escaped them in Los Angeles. The Cubs are a resilient team and just needed the ball to bounce their way to get back in this series.
- Kyle Schwarber started the game off with a home run.
- After the homerun, my first thought was Yu Darvish may not have it tonight. However like I have said of Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill, we only need five good innings.
- Andre Ethier’s homerun in the top of the 2nd inning was a surprise that couldn’t have happened to a better person. Ethier had been recovering from injuries all season, and I am not sure how healthy he is right now, so stepping in at that time was a big contribution going 2 for 3 with some great verteran hitting.
- Chris Taylor hit another home run. As I have said before, he is my MVP for this team and maybe should be MVP of the NLCS. He followed up the home rune with a triple.
- Joc Pederson’s double was another big hit for a guy who really needed a big hit.
- More surprising was Yu Darvish drawing a walk off of Carl Edwards, Jr. I thought Edwards had exorcised his demons in Game 2. However walking the opposing team’s pitcher on four pitches with the bases loaded shows there are still some demons to be worked out.
- Scoring on a pass ball in the 7th was a sign to me that the Cubs were melting down. The frustration was kicking in as they had leads in all three games only to see them disappear.
- The bullpen was once again lights out. They have retired 29 of 31 Cub hitters they have faced in the NLCS.
- Ross Stripling came in and gave up the two black marks on the bullpen record.
- Kenley Jansen is un-hittable right now. It is not even worth trying when you are facing him.
10 Thoughts on NLCS Game 2 – Chicago Cubs v. Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 2 was a classic match-up of two teams bringing their A-game defensively. I was stressed out watching a game that felt like it could go either way. Going into the bottom of the 9th, it was a 1-1 game and then Justin Turner happened.
- Game 2 paired two left-handers who brought it for 5 five innings. As I discussed in the NLDS, you know what you are getting early with Rich Hill. John Lester will probably go down as one of the best post-season pitchers in baseball history.
- Yasiel Puig is seeing tons of pitches. He walked two times. I was entertained by all his dancing instead of swinging at bad pitches. It must be annoying to the other team or their fans. I am sure I would hate it if he were on the other teams as much as I don’t like some Javier Baez’s antics.
- Wilson Contreras has a canon for an arm. The Dodgers don’t appear as aggressive on the bases with Contreras behind the plate.
- Addison Russell is a Dodger-killer. He has four post-season home runs and three of them are against the Dodgers. He is the guy who scares me coming to the plate with the game on the line because he is a Dodger-killer.
- Rich Hill’s five innings was as good as you can get from him. He had 8 strikeout and one mistake. Just as I said about Kershaw, the Dodgers didn’t need Hill to do more.
- The fifth inning was where all the action occurred until the 9th inning. Russell hit his blast in the top half. In the bottom half, Charlie Culbertson doubled. The Dodger decided to pinch hit instead of having Rich Hill lay down a bunt (which I thought and still think is a mistake). Fortuntately Justin Turner singled Culbertson home with two outs.
- In the 6th inning, Carl Edwards, Jr. and Brandon Morrow were lights out. Both handling the meaty parts of each team’s lineup. Morrow handled Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.
- Kenley Jansen once again handled Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo in the ninth. He struck out Bryant and hit Rizzo in the hand.
- I scratched my head when the Dodger sent Kyle Farmer to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. I guess Yasmani Grandal is really at the bottom of the Dodgers’ barrel when it comes to hitting.
- 29 years to the day of Kirk Gibson’s famous home run in 1988, Justin Turner hit a game-winning 3-run home run. I remember Gibbie’s home run and we all know teams need a little bit of luck to win the series.
10 Thoughts on Game 1 of the NLCS – Chicago Cubs v. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers dominated the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the NLCS. I was nervous coming into this game. The Dodgers have made it to the NLCS in three of the last five years. I have always felt they had what it takes but they came up short. I left the game quietly confident they are going to make a run.
- It was Kershaw Day, and while it was not vintage Kershaw, he pitched well enough to keep the Dodgers in the game. He pitched around Anthony Rizzo and he served up a meatball to Albert Almora, Jr. for a home run. He pitched five inning and it seemed weird to see him sitting in the sixth. Something you realize about this year’s version of the Dodgers is that they don’t need super-human Kershaw.
- Kris Bryant has a canon for an arm. Watching him throw from his position at third base to first base, I was more than impressed.
- Kike Hernandez hit in the clean-up spot for the missing Cory Seager. Kike was an interesting pick for clean-up. He hits left-handed pitching very well; but clean-up seemed presumptuous.
- Logan Forsythe is still hot from NLDS. His was a crucial part of the Dodger scoring innings.
- Albert Almora, Jr. smashed a home run which felt like a game-breaker. He mashes left-handed pitching.
- Home plate umpire Lance Barksdale had an interesting strike zone that was hard to figure out all game. All the players want is consistency…he was not.
- Yasiel Puig is poised to take over another series. His double and homerun were vintage Puig. I have never seen him play better. His bat-flip on a double was ridiculous; but it also makes a boring sport a little more entertaining.
- Chris Taylor, who should have gotten MVP consideration if you ask me, hit a bomb to put the Dodgers ahead 3-2 and they never looked back.
- The controversial play at the plate shows a change in baseball which is hard for a purist to swallow. I watched Culbertson be denied home-plate and it felt wronf that a guy who never touched the base should be safe.
- Kenley Jansen got a four out save to lock down the game. What is more impressive is that he struck out Bryant and Rizzo to get his save.
Episode 11 – Two Minute Rants, Obituaries, Week 5 NFL Wrap-Up & NBA Preview
Episode 11 features Two Minute Rants where Langston Aron rants about the Raiders defense and Craig Aron rants about the feeling sorry for the NY Giants. Then the boys wrap-up Week 5 of the NFL and preview Thursday Night Football. Finally they close the podcast out with a preview of the NBA season by talking about trades and going through the ESPN Top 100 players list and the new All-Star Game format.
10 Thoughts on Week 5 NFL Games:
- Aaron Rodgers beats the Cowboys again.
- The Giants are done. They are 0-5. They have no receivers. OBJ is done for the rest of the season. They play Denver this week and Seattle next week. They are looking at at least 0-7. They should tank for Sam Darnold.
- The Raiders are in a tailspin. They have no Derrek Carr. Marshawn Lynch is not what he was billed to be. The defense is worse than anyone expected. They have lost three in a row and they made Baltimore look like the best offense in the NFL.
- Ben Rothlesberger threw five interceptions including two pick-sixes. Pittsburgh has the talent to turn things around. I just don’t know if they have discipline and mental toughness to play ball.
- Super Cam Newton is back. For the second week in a row, Cam was the best player on the field. If he keeps this up, Carolina is very dangerous.
- The Chiefs are going to challenge for 16-0 as long as everyone stays healthy. No one can stop their offense and their defense is above average. Alex Smith is playing like an MVP and Kareem Hunt is leading the league in rushing by a 143 yards.
- DeShaun Watson threw five touchdowns. He continues to rise to the occasion. While the Texans did not beat the Chiefs, they put up a big fight and showed they can play with the best team in the NFL.
- Mike Pence’s political stunt ruined Peyton Manning’s statue ceremony in Indianapolis. I hope Trump’s golf-buddy gives him an ear-full.
- The Rams are not legit yet. They had a chance against the Seahawks; but they had five turnovers and didn’t look like the league’s best offense.
- The Buccaneers should have beaten the Patriots if they had a mediocre kicker. Doug Martin’s return makes them a legit team. The Buccaneers defensive line put a beating on Tom Brady.
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