Jeff Goldstein: O'Malley & Goldstein

Back to the Bungals?

2010-11-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

I had such high expectations for this team with this season with what I thought was a tough defense, a great back field, a solid QB, and of course the great T-Ocho combo. I really thought they could give the Ravens and Steelers a fight for a play-off spot but that doesn't seem like its happening anymore. This season could have easily went the other way but too many losses in close games killed them. They could easily be 5-4 if they could play a complete game on both sides of the ball. You can see the frustration from Ochocinco because theres nothing he can do against double coverage anymore. When he is open Carson Palmer hasnt been the most accurate cat and he's been hampered by a hip injury all year. The only pleasant surprise obviously is Terrell Owens who's has been loving the single coverage he gets because of his sidekick Robin getting doubled. Batman is having his best season since he had McNabb tossing him the ball. If he can keep this up maybe it will finally open up the field for Ocho to finally do something since week 1. I just hope T.O get re-signed so we can all see another season of the best show on TV the T-Ocho show. Why did it take so long for them to be on the same show?
Last year it didn't matter who was in the back field they were gonna run that football and move down the field to open up the pass game. It seems like this year the pass game has to open up then run. Last year the Bengals backs averaged 4.3 yds per carry. This year Cedric Benson is getting 3.7 yds a carry. They went from a top 10 rushing teams to a bottom 10 rushing team and that's not gonna get you in the playoffs. The defense is helping much either. Their run D is in the bottom half of the league and I'm sure their pass D will be there too after Peytons done with them this week. If they were gonna turn around the season it should have been last week and they missed their chance. They basically have to win out and that's not easy when they have to play Indy this week and still have to play the Ravens and Steelers again. Unfortunately this season is probably lost and it's time to take out the paper bags because the Bengals are back to the Bungals.

Big Disappointment in Dallas

2010-10-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Can it really get any worse for the Cowgirls this year? With Romo down for atleast 2 months the Cowboys can't do much worse with Kitna. This team is such a disaster and with so much talent I don't see how you can only win 1 game. Apparently people thought Dallas had a defense coming into the season and they were dead wrong. They got abused by the Giants last week and I have to admit it was pretty damn funny. Without any defense it doesn't matter how many times Kitna can hit Dez Bryant for a touchdown. Im surprised it took this long to really get him in the passing game. The problem with the Cowboys offense is that if they throw it to one guy they leave the other ones out completely. Miles Austin and Roy Williams the 1 and 2 receivers combined for 3 catches 36 yards against the Giants all of which were actually to Austin. Jason Witten on the other hand had 9 catches 96 yards and a td and Dez Bryant had 2 tds reciving too. Austin has a big game Williams and Bryant aren't heard of along with the run game. Williams has a big game Witten and Austin don't do anything. The defense plays well and the offense doesnt show up. This team can't get on the same page and I think that starts with the head coach. I think Wade Phillips should be fired and they should give the job to Jason Garrett. What do they have to lose? They're already last in a division they were predicted to win by almost everyone and they've been grooming him ever since he got his offensive coordinator position. I know Jerry Jones said he wouldn't fire Phillips during the season but who really believes him? If Dallas can't get it done vs. Jacksonville on Sunday then he should be gone no doubt. Worst passing D in league should be a walk in the park for Dallas but who knows.
If anyone can win with a 1-5 team it's Jon Kitna. He got the bumbling Seahawks to the playoffs in 1999, Got the Bengals to 8-8 after being a disaster for so many years, and even though he started the season with the 07 Lions 6-2 and ended 7-9 he still got 7 wins and 4000 passing yards with the Lions and thats a tough task. It's gonna be tough for Dallas because their aschedule isn't too easy. I don't see how Wade Phillips keeps his job and I see 10 losses for Big Disapointment this year.

Kolb is Back, Vick is Out

2010-10-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mike Vick is sidelined with a rib cartiledge injury and Kolb is back as the starting quarterback this week against the 49ers. I dont think the starting job is Kolbs but what if he plays well? What if Vick is out two games and he puts up the same kind of numbers he did last year filling in for McNabb? Do you then start Kolb or go back to Vick? Thats gonna be a huge dilemma for Andy Reid because he loves Kevin Kolb, he was the starter to begin the season and he lost his job because of injury which sucks. It's not right to do the same to Vick but if Kolb plays really well Andy is in a hard place. Maybe he'll end up playing both depending on the defense who knows. I would like to see Kevin Kolb play a full game this season to see if he is the same quarterback he was last year passing for over 300 yards in two games. Kolb better keep his head up and out of the turf because right guard Nick Cole is questionable. If he gets hurt again they're down to Mike Kafka and he doesnt need to be playing for another couple years.

2010-2011 NHL Preview

2010-10-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

The East:
It's gonna be between the Capitals and the Penguins. Both teams are way better then anyone else the east has to offer. Even though the Flyers made it to the finals last year that was only because they caught lightning in a bottle with Michael Leighton. If he plays most of a season he wont be as durable in the playoffs and he just hasn't proven he's a top goalie. There are a few other teams that could give the Caps and Pens a run for the east crown. The Devils have Ilya for a whole season now but does Brodeur have enough left in the tank? The Rangers could have a Vezina trophy winner in Lundqvist and if they can just figure out how to score on a consistent basis they could be a really good team. On the downside Glen Sather is still the GM and is bound to make a bad move. Then there is the Canadiens who have an American captain(Brian Gionta go figure) and a big question mark at goalie. Is Carey Price going to go back to All-Star form? Or is Alex Auld going to outplay him like Halak did last year. Their whole season hinges on that. The Bruins may have the best team other then Pitt and Washington but after losing like they did in last years playoffs I just don't see how you can comeback from that. I think the Pens will end up winning the east but it wont be easy.

The West:
Unlike the east, the west is full of cup contenders but no team stands out more than the Vancouver Canucks. I think they'll end up coming out of the west because they have everything a team needs to win a Stanley Cup. They have the scoring with Henrik Sedin(Hart Trophy winner) and his brother Daniel along with Ryan Kessler. They have one of the best two way defenses in the league and one of the best goalies in Robby Luongo. Even with a really good team they were very injured last year and that could kill this run. Plus with the depth in the west its going to be difficult but i think they'll get over the hump and finally beat the Blackhawks in the playoffs en route to their Stanley Cup appearance. The Red Wings will be give them a run for the best record in the west. Lidstrom making his final run and Datsyuk and Zetterberg at the top of their games they could go far but that may all depends on how good Jimmy Howard plays. San Jose is always a good team and always seem like they can make a cup run but they always hit a road block somewhere in the playoffs which i expect yet again. The Blackhawks are missing half their cup winning team. Can they really return with this one? I don't think so. I'm not a believer in Marty Turco who has been a shell of himself for the past two years. Then that leaves the L.A Kings. A team that could be 1 forward away from a cup. Look for them to make a move before the March deadline to add the immense young talent on this team. They have 2 great defensemen in Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, An awesome 1st line of Kopitar, Brown and Ryan Smyth, and a great young goalie in Jonathan Quick. If the Kings couldve gotten Kovalchuk I'd probably have them going to the cup but theyre still one guy away. I'm anxious to see if they'll pull the trigger on something but I think the Kings will be the most exciting team to watch this year. It'd be a great thing for L.A to finally have a hockey team again.

Stanley Cup:
Canucks over Penguins. It only took 40 years but I think Vancouver will raise the cup behind stellar goal tending and the twins.

Award Winners:
Vezina- Henrik Lundqvist
Hart-Alex Ovechkin
Selke-Pavel Datsyuk
Norris-Shea Weber
Calder-Tyler Ennis
Jack Adams-Alain Vigneault

Moss back to Min

2010-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Randys back in purple and the Patriots got a 3rd rounder so they're happy. The system that Belichick runs won't go in flames without Moss. Gives Belichick and Brady a couple towel boys and cheerleaders and he'd still throw for 3500yds and 25tds. The Patriots will be fine and theyre only looking towards the future, now with 2 picks in each of the first 3 rounds of next years draft.
Hopefully Moss could be the spark that Favre needs to get out of his slump. The Vikings need a number 1 wide reciever for Favre because Greg Camarillo just doesnt cut it. With Moss, Harvin, Rice(when he comes back) and Shiancoe Favre has all the weapons he needs along with AP and a great defense theres no reason they cant make a serious Superbowl run. I think Randy is going to have a great attitude going into this and his impact is going to be dramatic. I have a feeling Favre and Moss might be hooking up a lot in the end zone and they just might give the Packers a run for the NFC North crown. (Bears aren't gonna be there)

Can the Eagles be Vicktorious?

2010-09-24T12:00:00.001-07:00

Are the Eagles a Superbowl contender with Vick? Probably not. They lack an offensive line and have already lost Jamaal Jackson for the year. Mike Mcglynn is already having trouble filling in for him and the Eagles line is notorious for getting injured. Who's the better QB for getting away from pressure? Obviously Mike Vick but does that mean he should be starting? I'm not trying to take anything away from Vick because he has played very well(even though he should have ran that 3rd and goal in for a td week 1 but that's old news). He is a good quarterback worthy of a starting job but what is the point of starting him over Kolb? The Eagles got rid of one of the best QBs in their long history because Kevin Kolb was ready. He was prepared to be the number 1, to lead this team to the playoffs, and do what Donovan could not... Win a Superbowl. So now he's benched for the year. That's one more year he has to wait to start and he loses all that experience he could have gained. It wouldnt matter if he won 10 games or lost 10 games it's the learing he needed for next season(if there is one) where the Eagles probably would have had a better shot. I know a coaches number one goal is to win games but i'd take an 8-8 season with Kolb over a 10-6 out in 1st round with Vick to see the Eagles potentially go on a serious run next year. The Eagles very young team needs to mature a year or two. With so many young starters they don't have the experince needed to get to advance in the playoffs. Kolb now misses out on that and if he's not starting this year the Eagles best chance to win was with Donovan McNabb. Andy Reid said "Donovan is our quarterback" he gets traded. "Kolb is our quarterback" he gets benched. Are we gonna see Mike Kafka this year? I know Vick is back but can he sustain this level of play and take the Eagles to the playoffs and beyond?

NCAA Final 4 Preview

2010-04-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Talk about March Madness this year, damn. More emphasis on the Madness mainly because WTF and its April. Seriously wtf this year seemed to be crazier then ever and I'm sure everyones brackets are filled with red lines, lots of them. Butler in the Final 4 who wouldve thunk it. Thats why this is the greatest championship in all sports. I would not be surprised if any of these teams won it all. The way they have all played so well this year they are all deserving of being the National Champion.

What a bunch of great stories this year for all 4 teams. Butler gets to play at home and they're on a 24 game winning streak and a mid major in the Final 4. You have Tom Izzo making it for I think the 6th time in 12 years and doing it the last 2 games without the best player on the team Kalin Lucas. Then you have West Virginia making it for the first time since 1959 and Duke is finally back after being beaten for the last couple years in some very undukelike games(Nova destroying them last year, WVU a #7 in 08 beating them as a #2).

We have 2 very intriguing games tomorrow. Michigan St vs. Butler will be a very close game and should come down to the wire. These 2 teams know how to win these types of games but you have to give the edge to Michigan State and its solely based on the coaching of Tom Izzo. Butler is an odd opponent, they make you play their type of basketball with the great D they play. They force a lot of turnovers and that's something Michigan has to avoid or they will lose. That's how they beat Syracuse, Kansas State and Murray State along with rebounding. I think Tom Izzo can formulate some type of offense that can counter that amazing Butler D and beat it. That's what he does best, he makes his team play whatever style is necessary and it works. Butler is home and had an amazing run but I just don't think they can do it again. The Spartans have to handle that ball carefully and avoid the turnovers or they WILL lose. If they do that they win but it won't be by that much. My early lean is Mich St. wins 59-57.

Now for the big game of the night. Duke vs. West Virginia. Coach K vs. Bob Huggins. WVU won the last game they played against each other in the tourny but that was 2 years ago and both teams are very different. WVU will play their type of ball and try to own the boards and dish it to the cutting Kevin Jones or Desean Butler who is probably the best all around player in the final 4. Duke has the potential to be really good or just a disaster area. If they cant hit outside shots or come down with some o boards West Virginia clearly has the upper hand. But the great thing about Duke is they have 3 of the best shooters in the country in Scheyer, Singler, and Smith. If Zoubek, Plumlee and Thomas can out-rebound Butler, Jones and Ebanks and dish the ball out to those 3 shooters and if they can hit their shots Duke wins this game. If they don't hit shots and can't get those rebounds they're in trouble and the game will go the other way. This will be a high scoring game. In my heart(and in my bracket) I want to see the Mountaineers go on to face Michigan State but those Duke shooters scare the piss outta me. If they miss, WVU wins, but my early lean is Duke wins 77-69 and Richard O'Malley wins the Bracket contest :(

National Championship Michigan State-Duke.
This might sound repetetive but Duke will win if they hit their shots. If Butler somehow beats Mich State that would make it more interesting. But Duke will be the National Champs.

I just have to mention if I see a team lose a game on missed foul shots that player(s) deserve to get their hands cut off. Nothing pisses me off more then missing foul shots. There is NO EXCUSE for missing them in the final minutes and I cannot imagine how a coach feels if he loses that kind of game. Uncontrollable nausea and diarrhea? That's how I felt after Memphis choked, f****** CDR.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com
Where The Bookies Don't Stand A Chance!
Get ALL of our picks for the NCAA Mens Basketball Championship game, and every other Championship game for a full year with our "Championship Pass"

NL East Preview

2010-03-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

This years NL East will look like it did last year. The Phillies will win the division with their great pitching staff and awesome middle of the line up. They are a step above all the teams in the national league. What I'm looking forward to is how the Braves will play in Bobby Cox's last year, if the Marlins can somehow improve on their stellar season last year (which I did predict. see last years nl east blog) and Steven Strasburg pitching for the Nats. The Mets are a sorry excuse for a big market team and they'll be joining the Nationals at the bottom of the division.

The Phillies are the best team in the National League and there is no doubt about it. Their staff is so much better than everyone else even with the early injuries to Blanton, Lidge and Romero. With Halladay who will probably win the NL CY Young followed by Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton(when healthy), and Jamie Moyer who somehow still has something left. Kyle Kendrick should fill in for Blanton while he's out and he can be a solid 5. Meanwhile Ryan Madsen will fill in for Lidge and he does have experience closing and is a great guy in the pen. Their bullpen is injured but still above average. Brad Lidge is still an elite closer when healthy despite all the blown saves last year. The Phillies line up is very deadly. They have the ability to play small ball and use their speed to hit and run around the bases or they can belt homers left and right. This team is going to be very difficult to beat. You can't outscore them with Ryan Howard who will probably go for 50 homers and the combination of Jason Werth, Chase Utley, and Raul Ibanez will hit 20-40 home runs with around 100 RBIs each. They have the ability as a team to steal around 100 bases with the fast feet of Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Werth and Utley. They have the pitching, the bats, the speed and the defense. How do they not win the division?

Coming in second will be the Atlanta Braves in Cox's last year. They have 5 good starters and a decent line up but that bullpen worries me. I'm not sure Billy Wagner is the same closer he was 4 years ago so I hope they have a backup plan. Tommy Hanson needs a big year if he's gonna be the ace. It's good that he has some veterans to rely on with Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson(due for a comeback year?) if he gets in trouble. They also have the other young arms in Jair Jurrjens and Kenshin Kawakami to finish out the staff. (nothing related to baseball but I just think it's funny or at least semi-odd that they have a J name with 2 J syllables in the last named followed by a K name with 2 K syllables in the last name) Ok back to baseball now if Jason Heyward is as good as everyone says he is and I think he is this team has some great potential. Along with Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, and Nate McLouth, they could pose a big threat to a lot of pitchers in the NL. Yunel Escobar is going to become one of the premier short stops in the MLB this year so watch out for him. There are some questions that need to be answered which can decide this teams fate for the wild card. Do Chipper Jones and Troy Glaus still have enough in the tank to help this team make a playoff run? Can Tommy Hanson pitch as well as he did last year and become the teams ace? Can the Melkman deliver in Hotlanta without all that protection in the line up? Does the fact that this is Bobby Cox's last year will this team into the playoffs? I think Chipper can perform well but Glaus will only be good for a .250 avg with 20 homers and 100+ strike outs and that's if he stays healthy. I believe in Tommy Hanson, maybe 16-17 wins and I think he'll only get better this year. The Melkman will deliver, but not the way he did in New York. If you had to pick a manager to make the playoffs Bobby Cox would be in the top 3 no doubt (Joe Torre, Tony La Russa would be the other 2) but this division is tough and there are so many other teams in the NL that have a chance that I'm just not sure.This is a good team but in the wrong division. They have a bright future if they can find an adequate replacement for Cox but they'll have to fight for a wild card spot with the Marlins and the other teams in the NL for it.

Josh Johnson, CY Young contender. Hanley Ramirez, MVP contender. Both are among the best at their positions but is it enough to improve on last year? Not quite sure with the players around them and the Braves getting better. They have a great left side of the infield with Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, and Jorge Cantu and that right there makes a solid middle of the line up. I really like the outfield too with Chris Coghlan who is great at getting on base, Cody Ross who could become another dangerous bat and I'd like to see what Cameron Maybin can do starting all year. The starting pitching is where a lot of games need to be won though. Johnson can hold his own and I really like the acquisition of Nate Robertson. Those 2 along with Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez could be a formidable foursome. I'm not sure who the 5th will be but I love these four and their 5th will probably be better then the Mets 3rd. They're bullpen also worries me. Leo Nunez as a closer actually scares me and just like Atl I hope they have someone else that can come in. That's why they need the SP's to be great and I expect them to be neck and neck with the Braves all year and will be a fun team to watch.

The New York Metropolitans...... I mean Medicalpolitans. This team is a joke it really is. How can you spend so much money on great talent to see half of it injured(Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Murphy all start season on DL). If Johan Santana could pitch every single game to the 8th inning and have Francisco Rodriguez pitch the 9th they might have a chance but obviously that's not the case. Those two are the only bright spots on that pitching staff. There may be one more if the Mets decide to keep Jennry Mijia on the roster. He is a great arm in that bullpen and that is very badly needed. It's sad to see a Cy Young contender like Johan get grouped with these useless #4 starters. John Maine belongs in the bullpen. Mike Pelfry will never be as good as he should've been. Oliver Perez...just thinking about his 12 million dollar a year contract makes me laugh. I guess when you can get through spring training with just under a 9 era gives you the nod as the 5th starter on this mess of a team. Jon Niese might be the only one with any kind of potential but I doubt it. You'll probably see Bobby Parnell and Fil Nieve get thrown into the fire, and get burnt. Bad. If they bring Nelson Figueroa up from the bullpen to pitch a game send him right back there. He's 36 with 49 career starts there's a reason why he spent his whole life in the minors, He just not good enough but I guess that's the trend for all the Mets starters not named Johan. They'd be better off picking up Chad Gaudin who is better than those four scrubs. This team needs a big change and that should start with Minaya getting fired. This guy deserves the Glen Sather Award (NY Rangers president and GM, and professional team wrecker) for completely fucking up a team with stupid moves but somehow overshadowed because they made 1 or 2 great moves. This guy did get Johan which I give him credit for that it was a great move but to see the lack of pitching on this team is just disgusting. Mets fans have to be sick when they see games get killed by the pen and you see Heath Bell and Matt Lindstrom saving games left and right for other teams(great Omar trades for nada). Everyone knew the Mets needed help on the pitching staff and needed an everyday catcher. Do they get either one? Of course not. They should've got Bengie Molina but they wouldn't give him 2 years and he stayed in San Fran for less money.They got Henri Blanco and Chris Coste who isn't even on the team anymore. They shouldve got John Lackey. Nope. Take a chance on Wang? Nah. Jason Marquis. No. Then there was Joel Piniero. Negatory. I know the last three aren't that good but come on they're way better then what they have. They did get Kelvim Escobar though woo. He'll start the season on the DL what a surprise there. Jason Bay was a good pick up but what is that gonna do? Not a lot. Frank Catalanoto, Gary Matthews Jr. Henri Blanco. Why? Seriously Why? The Mets front office must've had a meeting trying to come up with some kind of plan to get players they don't need at all and piss their fans off more then they already have. It's tough enough to compete with the greatest team in sports with the Yankees but they really let their fans down this off season. On the good side David Wright should rebound and have a better year than last and when Beltran comes back he'll be good. Those two along with Johan, K Rod and maybe Mijia but those are the only bright spots in my eyes. If they ever all get healthy the medicals could have a good line up with Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Bay and Francouer but I don't think Reyes really cares since he knows this team won't make the playoffs and from what I hear is a big baby in the clubhouse. If you do for some strange reason go see a Met game don't worry about the heat because they'll be striking out so much it will feel like A/C. With 3 back up catchers, no power at 1st base, lack of a pitching staff and a slew of injuries, watch out Nationals you may be challenged for the worst team in the NL East. After the season I'd like to see a fire Minaya rally just like fed up Ranger fans did with Sather on March 7th of this year.

The Nationals had a GREAT offseason. Steven Strasburg looks like the real deal and with the moves they made should make them a lot more respectable then in years past. They got a decent closer in Matt Capps and picked up Miguel Batista and traded for Brian Bruney to buff up that bullpen. They picked up Chien-Ming Wang the toast of Taiwan who could be very good if he can get back to his old form. The Nats weren't done yet though because they signed Pudge Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy, Willy Taveras, Scott Olsen and Jason Marquis. All very good signings for this team and all will contribute to this team. With Marquis and John Lannan they have a pretty good one two combo and if Strasburg comes up thats a solid 3. My favorite part of this team is their line up. They have a nice mix of big bats and speed. If Ryan Zimmerman can give a repeat performance of last year and Adam Dunn and Pudge could try to hit above .250. Mix in some Josh Willingham who had a decent season last year and thats some big power for a team that used to be laughed at. Nyjer Morgan is very good defensively, very fast and very dangerous on the base path. He can steal at least 50 bases and their speedy shortstop Ian Desmond may be able to add some of his own. I really just can't wait til they call up Strasburg and give me a better reason to watch these guys other then when i bet against them. They do look promising in years to come but they're in the wrong division(just like every other team in this division). This team will deffinitely be better to watch this year and I'd love to see them top the Mets in the standings but that may be asking for too much. Im glad to see that they are making good moves to improve this team and make this team watchable other then on a blooper reel. Even if they finish in last National fans have something to be excited about with Strasburg and te fact that ownership cares and wants to improve the team.

Phillies 97-65
Braves 88-74
Marlins 86-76
Mets 78-84
Nationals 71-91

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com
Where The Bookies Don't Stand A Chance!
Get ALL of our MLB picks for the entire 2010 Season from Opening Day Thru the World Series, with our "MLB Pass"

Ladanian Tomlinson's a New York Jet

2010-03-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

If the Jets wanted a 30 year old running back why didn't they just keep Thomas Jones? This is the first dumb move they've made in a while. I like the Cromartie trade but letting TJ go was just dumb. He was such a huge presence in the locker room and has been a top five runner the last 3 seasons. He's a comfort runner and he found his comfort zone with the Jets and had his best seasons statistically. Thomas Jones last year had 1400 Yards and 14tds and that was with 2 other good backs. Ladanian had his worst season ever last year with only 730 yds rushing and 12tds is good but he was on one of the best offenses in the league. I know he's just going to be a 3rd down back behind Shonn Greene but it's only his 2nd year and who knows if he can handle a full season as the starter. Thomas Jones has been proven commodity for the Jets and probably their biggest leader in the locker room. The Jets were too cheap to give him his roster bonus and it's not even a capped year so it's not that big a deal. They're paying LT 2 years 5 million with a bunch of incentives but that's the same contract that the Chiefs gave Thomas Jones. This is like when the Eagles didn't give Brian Dawkins an extension that was for more then 2 years and he left for Denver for less money. The Eagles really missed him on and off the field this year and I think the Jets will be missing him a lot this year.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com
Where The Bookies Don't Stand A Chance!
Get ALL of our NFL picks for the 2010 Pre-Season and Regular Season + ALL our College Football picks for 2010 + Bowl Season for one low price, with our "Football Pass"

AL East Preview

2010-03-13T17:08:00.000-08:00

The AL East, It is hands down the best division in the Majors lead by the best team, the defending champions, the New York Yankees. Will they grab another American League East crown? Can they repeat and capture their 28th title? Will the Red Sox stand in their way? Yes, Yes, Hell No.
The Yanks lost Damon and Matsui but at least they got younger and better I think in the process. They signed Nick Johnson, Curtis Granderson and Randy Winn to replace those great clutch bats which is impossible but I'd rather see a player leave a year early as opposed to a year later. They have big shoes to fill but Johnson when not injured can be a great hitter and Winn is a good defensive player and has started for most of his career. Curtis Granderson is the best addition to the bats even though he cant hit left handed pitching with a tennis racket. He will replace Damons lack of defense and most likely produce more offensively. The question is where will he play? Brian Cashman said when he was signed that he was the starting center fielder but the Yankees might want to give Brett Gardener a chance which i think they should do. He doesn't have much of a bat but he makes up for it with his speed and that's all they really need considering 1-8 hitters will most likely hit 20+ home runs each with at least 75 runs batted in and that's not counting the bench. How do you pitch to that kind of line up? Very very carefully and a lot of luck.
On the pitching aspect the Yankees added Javier Vazquez and I hope it goes better then last time. I think this is a good situation for him considering he doesn't have the pressure of being the #2 and instead he'll be the #4 behind CC, AJ, and Andy. Who will follow him? My guess is Joba. Not based on performance but because they spent the last 2 years giving him stupid unnecessary rules on how many innings he can pitch so he doesn't get hurt. Pitchers have been converted from the pen without these rules for decades but apparently he's one of the special exceptions so they have to see what he is capable of or the last 2 years were for nothing. That leaves 4 potential starters that will go to the bullpen (Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, Sergio Mitre, and Chad Gaudin). I think Gaudin would be the best to fill the 5th spot but it's Joba's to lose. That leaves the Yanks with one hell of a pen and the best damn closer period in Mariano Rivera.

I expect a slow start as usual but after the All-Star break the Yankees will start their drive to the World Series behind the excellent veteran leadership of Mark Teixera (who usually starts slow), Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and hip hip Jorge Posada. We'll see great 2nd half pitching from C.C Sabathia and of course Andy Pettite. There are many pies to come this year for the Yankees. Joe Girardi might need to change his number to 29 next year.
The Red Sox will be staring at pinstripes in front of them in the standings as they will finish 2nd in the AL East this year. Their starting staff is probably the best in baseball with 3 potential Aces in Beckett, Lester and Lackey. They round it out with a solid young pitcher in Clay Buchholz and the last pitcher could be the old knuckle baller Wakefield or Daisuke Matsuzaka if he's healthy for once. That combined with a great bullpen could give the Yankees some trouble but do they have the right guy behind home plate calling the games? Nope. Their captain's gonna be riding the pine because he can't hit himself out of a paper bag. Jason Varitek calls a great game but he's such an easy out. With Beltre at 3rd they can't move Kevin Youkilis from 1st which means catcher is the only place Martinex can go since Big Papi plays the kind of defense you expect from an elderly woman. Victor Martinez is terrible defensively but he's got a hell of a bat and that's one thing the Red Sox need since David Ortiz is off that HGH and they lost Jason Bay to free agency over a couple million dollars(Dumb). Granted they brought in Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro, and Mike Cameron their line up is not as good as in years past. Camerons 37 so he's not gonna be able to play every game and his .250 average doesn't help. Scutaro had his best season statistically last year but that was at age 33. I guess the Sox are hoping he can repeat that. Beltre had one of his worst seasons last year but still gets almost 14 million a year which baffles me but he should benefit from the green monster. They got older bats in the off season and it doesn't look promising for the future. Maybe they're eyeing Crawford next year but who isn't? I kinda think he'd look good in pinstripes.
The team to watch out for though is the Tampa Bay Rays and I would not be too surprised if they did better then the Red Sox. They have a great young team but their starting pitching is questionable at best. They are hoping David Price can be the pitcher they want him to be, an ace or at least a number 2. Along with James Shields, Jeff Niemann and Matt Garza. They have a formidable foursome but nowhere near as good as the Yanks or Sox. Tampa's bullpen is pretty good but when it's compared to the Yanks and Sox it doesn't look like much. Talk about great young talent, this team is full of it. Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena, Jason Bartlett, Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Ben Zobrist will try to propel this team to a wild card berth. I also like the signing of Kelly Shoppach who could end up replacing Dioner Navarro if he doesn't bring his average up this year. The sad part is they could really make a run for it if they were in any other division but the Yanks and Sox are here and they will be the teams to beat. If anything this will be an exciting team to watch, especially that line up.
The Baltimore Orioles will probably finish 4th and again that's only because they're in this division. Baltimore does have a better team then they usually do with some nice off season acquisitions like Garret Atkins and Mike Gonzalez. They also brought back Miguel Tejada and traded for Kevin Millwood but do they still have anything left in the tank? The O's need them to play like it's 2002 if they wanted to make any kind of run. As unlikely and as far fetched as it may sound Baltimore's not to be overlooked because they have some young bats that could give teams trouble. Adam Jones is going to be a great player and is one of the top all around center fielders in the game (best move Orioles have made in years getting rid of Eric Bedard for him). Matt Wieters at one point was one of the best catching prospects in the minors is now getting his chance to start the whole year. Nick Markakis is probably the scariest bat that not many people know about and he's only 26 and Brian Roberts is still one the premiere 2nd basemen in the league but the O's have to keep a close eye on his ailing back to make sure it doesn't affect his future. Other then Millwood the pitching staff is pretty young and has a lot to prove but this team really looks like it has a good future. They have great talent which could be hard to keep for a team like Baltimore but if it does the AL East is going to be 4 teams deep leaving the poor Toronto Blue Jays in last which won't be too surprising for them because that's where they will be this year.
There are very few reasons to watch the Blue Jays.
1. If they're playing the Yankees, Red Sox, or Rays.
2. The 2 stockbrokers that pose as umps.
That's about it. They have a couple good players in Adam Lind and Aaron Hill but that's about it. They have absolutely no chance of finishing anywhere but last. It's not like anyone in Toronto will care, mainly because they'll be paying attention to how the Maple Leafs mess up another off season.

AL East projected Standings:
New York Yankees 104-58
Boston Red Sox 89-73
Tampa Bay Rays 87-75
Baltimore Orioles 80-82
Toronto Blue Jays 66-96

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com
Where The Bookies Don't Stand A Chance!
Get ALL of our MLB picks for the entire 2010 Season from Opening Day Thru the World Series, with our "MLB Pass"

Will Donovan depart?

2010-01-25T11:34:00.001-08:00

With McNabb only having a year left on his contract and the Eagles front office in love with Korn on the Kolb will they get something for him or try to win it all with him for 1 more year. They really like what they saw out of Kolb while he was filling in for Donovan so they may want to promote him to the starter and trade Donovan because there are 2 teams that may need Qbs that can make the playoffs.
The Vikings may be the best place for Donovan so he can be reunited with Brad Childress and have basically the same weapons he has in Philly minus AP fumblemachine (Maclin, Jackson,Celek= Rice, Harvin, Shiancoe). The only thing is Favre may not make up his mind to stay or leave so the Vikes might not be willing to pull the trigger.
The Cardinals might also be a good fit for him. Its his offseason home and he's got a nice set weapons down in the desert. With Kurt Warner probably retiring I don't think they trust Matt Leinart with that team and would rather bring in a veteran like McNabb to stay in control of that weak division.
Other possible destinations:
The 49ers may not want to give Alex Smith the reins and they do have a great D and nice weapons for Donovan. They may just be a QB and healthy corners away from the playoffs.
The Cleveland Browns don't have anything on their team especially a QB but they do have draft picks and that could be something the Eagles are interested in.
The Carolina Panthers may be tired of Jake Delturnover and do they really want to start the season with Matt Moore. They finished the season strong why wouldn't they be able to rekindle that next season with a Probowl QB?
If the Eagles did want to keep Donovan it wouldn't be the end of the world. He's been to 6 Pro Bowls and had one of his best years last season. Its just that he hasn't won a Superbowl in 10 years and its great they're almost always in the playoffs every year but is it ever gonna happen ?Or should they just go in a different direction with Kolb?

The Red Sux should change their name to the Beaners of Beantown

2009-08-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

No I'm not talking about Mexicans I'm talking about how many batters they've hit this week. The beaners have hit 7 players in a span of 7 days. Ramon Ramirez has hit 3, Manny Delcarmen has hit 1, Junichi Tazawa hit 1, Brad Penny hit 1, and Fernando Cabrera hit 1. Ramirez hit Alex Rodriguez while the Red Sux were down 4-0 the day after he hit a game winning home run and today Ian Kinsler got plunked by Fernando Cabrera as the Red Sux were down and he was 2-3 with a homer. Seems like they're just hitting people because they are losing which is just wrong. Major League Baseball should be stepping in and warning the Red Sux especially Ramon Ramirez since he's hit 3 people in his last 4 appearances. You would think he'd get fined or suspended or some kind of penalty but no only pitchers trying to defend their batters like Rick Porcello get that. The fact that Boston is only hitting people because they're losing is just sad. I really hope the MLB steps in and does something but i doubt they will. I just feel bad for the batters who have to go up against Ramon Ramirez and the other Beaners of Beantown.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

Where the bookies don't stand a chance!

Check out our daily guaranteed pick only $15

F Youk and the Sux

2009-08-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Kevin Youkilis and Rick Porcello got suspended 5 games for the fight last night during the Tigers Red Sux game last night and Edwin Jackson got fined for what they call "aggressive actions" for hitting Youkilis the night before. What I don't understand is why the hell did Porcello get suspended and Jackson get fined when there were 3 other Red Sux pitchers who also hit batters and did not get penalized. Pitchers throw at batters all the time to protect their players and are rarely suspended especially if they get rushed by the batter and attempt to defend themselves.
On Monday the Tigers Miguel Cabrera got hit in the top half of the fourth by Brad Penny and then Edwin Jackson hit Youkilis in the bottom half to avenge that. Then for some odd reason Ramon Ramirez hits Brandon Inge in the 8th and nothing happens to him. To start the game the Red Sux starting pitcher Junichi Tazawa hits Miguel Cabrera in the hand for no apparent reason. I would call those two pitchers throwing at the Tigers aggressive actions, more so then Edwin Jackson hitting a batter after one of his teammates got hit. To make matters worse it was Miguel Cabrera who got hit yet again and didn't respond like Youk. Porcello threw inside to Victor Martinez but did not hit him in the bottom half of the first. Then he hit Youkilis in the 2nd inning and what ensued was madness. Youk charged the mound and Porcello tried to avoid him back pedalling towards 1st base and then Youk threw his helmet at him and tried to tackle him which failed miserably. Now how do you get suspended just 5 games for throwing your helmet, intentionally trying to hurt Rick Porcello by doing that and trying to tackle him.
Kevin Youkilis should get at least 10 games for trying to hurt another player. This is ridiculous because his reasoning for charging the mound was "you have to defend yourself if you get hit two days in a row." I guess that means throwing a helmet at someone? I didn't see Miguel Cabrera do anything like that even though he was hit twice. Rushing the mound is one thing but throwing your helmet, that's just wrong. Why don't you just bring the bat too. Youk couldn't even take down a Porcello who is like half his size which was pretty hilarious.
Porcello gets suspended 5 games for intentionally throwing at Martinez and Youkilis even though he did say he wasn't trying to hit Youkilis. That's probably bs but he was just defending his teammates who got hit the last game and in the first inning of this one. Even though the last two batters that were hit were Tigers none of the Red Sux pitchers were suspended or fined, only Tigers pitchers who were just defending their teammates. If your going to fine/suspend 2 Tigers pitchers you're going to have to do the same to the 3 Red Sux pitchers who also hit batters which attributed to the chaos. It's just not fair and Porcello and Jackson were penalized and I hope he wins his appeal. If any pitcher should be suspended for throwing at batters its Ramon Ramirez who also did it over the weekend.
The Red Sux have been throwing at players for the last couple of days, maybe they're just pissed at how bad they got swept by the Yankees this weekend. The Red Sux pitcher Clay Buchholz threw at Alex Rodriguez's head on Saturday because he beat them earlier that morning with an A-Bomb. Then in the 7th Arod got plunked by none other than Ramon Ramirez who did get thrown out of the game but not suspended or fined. The Yankees also never tried to hit any Red Sux players. The Red Sux shouldn't get away with this and i wish the MLB would look into this and at least punish all players involved in the beaming as opposed to just the Tigers pitchers.

http://www.omalleyandgoldstein.com/

Where the bookies don't stand a chance!

Check out our daily Guaranteed Pick only $15

6 years 97.5 million?!?! Are you kidding me!?!?

2009-08-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Eli Manning gets a 6 year extension worth $97.5 million with 35 of that guaranteed. Wow can this guy get any luckier. First this AVERAGE quarterback had one of the best D coordinators in the league in Steve Spagnuolo (now coach of the rams thank god) that figured out New England's offense week 17 and gets that D to play better then it already was. Then David Tyree makes the play of his life by pure luck. Then he lobs a ball up to Plax and he pulls it down with him being like 7 foot with his arms up. Insert any other top 10 QB in the NFL in his place and they can do that. That Superbowl was won by that Defense no doubt.
Eli Manning is only as good as his teammates. He doesn't make anyone better like the best QBs should like his brother Peyton (my favorite) Manning, Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger. Yes most of these guys have great teams but they can make the players around them play above and beyond their level. You can give these guys any wide receivers and they'll still throw for 3000 yards and probably get in the playoffs (unless your defense is as bad as the Saints). Eli without that big wide out kicks him out of the Top 10 QBs in the NFL but still gets this paycheck.
I know he's worth something but not anywhere near that. There is no way he can live up to those expectations unless he wins 2 more Super Bowls which would never ever happen. Did the Giants front office talk with the Lions about over paying for average players (Matthew Stafford 6 yr 78 mil, 42 guaranteed)? They should have used half of what they're giving Eli to hire Dante Stallworth's lawyer for Plax and to keep Spags around. Those 2 were the MVPs of that team and a big reason why the beat the Patriots, now they have neither. Before Plax shot himself the Giants were cruising to a Superbowl or at least the NFC Championship. After that they clearly were not the same. Giants record with Plax 9-1. Without Plax 3-4 including the Eagles dominating them in the playoffs. We'll see this year how "good" Eli is this year without his MVPs around him. Sure he can b a franchise QB but there is no way in hell he is worth that contract but congrats to him and his agent for getting that deal.

QBs that will be better than Eli this year(in no specific order): Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers, Drew Brees, Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Matt Ryan, Kurt Warner, Matt Hasselbeck, Aaron Rodgers, and Jake Delhomme. Maybe even Jay Cutler and Matt Cassel depending how they mesh with their new teams. Eli Manning is NOT a top ten Quarterback and everyone should stop drinking his kool-aid because even though he won a Superbowl he was just an interchangable part on a great team with a great coaching staff.

http://www.omalleyandgoldstein.com/

Where the bookies don't stand a chance!

Check out our daily Guaranteed Pick only $15

If I ever need a lawyer i want Dante Stallworth's

2009-06-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe this guy got 30 days in jail, that's a joke. Did Johnny Cochran reincarnate into one of his lawyers because no one has gotten off this easy since OJ. Whoever those lawyers are they are definitely earning their millions. For anyone that's ever watched OZ Beecher got like 10 years for killing someone drunk driving and this guy gets 30 days. Andrew Thomas Gallo, the guy who killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenart and 2 others is facing 55 years to life in prison. Obviously money talks becuase this guy is basically in the same position other then him killing 2 others but still he faces atleast 55 years which is roughly 1/669 the time Stallworth is doing. I don't understand why the family settled on this but i don't know their situation so i wont judge but it's crazy someone can get just 30 days in jail for killing another human while Mike Vick gets 2 years for training and fighting with dogs. The worst part is you don't even hear people outraged about this but with Michael Vick people made it seem like he was worse then Hitler. I actually feel bad for him because he took so much shit for dog fighting for years and now Dante basically a slap on the wrist. I hope he does feel remorse for what he did and that must do a toll on someone but still he isn't paying the price for what he did. 30 days of jail with probation for 8 years, house arrest, community service and no license. Big whoop i wouldn't mind being on house arrest when i live in a mansion with anything you want, sounds tough. No license, Oh no I'm rich i get a driver for life what a shame. Community service, damn i get to catch a football at schools. I just think it's ridiculous that if you have money you can get out of anything its just sad that's how it is.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

The Stanley Cup

2009-05-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

A repeat of last years cup is exactly what i want to see, the two most talented teams battling it out for Lord Stanley's Cup. Detroit will win this series because they are all around the better team. From their 4th line to their defensemen to their goalie. During the playoffs the Penguins needed Crosby or Malkin to win virtually every game but the Red Wings get help from everywhere like Wednesday night when Darren Helm scored the series clincher in overtime and when Mikael Samuelsson scored the winner in Game 2. The Red Wings defense can shut those two down like they did last year and then all they have to do is score on Fleury which they have no problem doing. With great defense, amazing forwards, and a veteran goalie in Osgood who knows how to win with it all on the line Detroit is gonna win this series no doubt about it. This team is just too well rounded to lose to an offensively reliant team like the Penguins. They can win any way with anyone this year with all the weapons they have defensively and offensively I just don't see them losing. My prediction is Detroit in 6.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

Damn Yankees

2009-05-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

You would think after Alex Rodriguez's great 1st game and CC earning his millions the Yankees would build on that and get out of their normal April/May slump but no that didn't happen last night. It was embarrassing to watch them yesterday getting railed by Baltimore 12-5 and Phil Hughes couldn't even get out of the 2nd inning. It's just sad to see that 2 Yanks only come to play: an ex-red sock Johnny Damon and "number 2 in your program number 1 in your hearts" (Steve Somers) Derek Jeter. With a-rods return and CCs gem this team needs to build around that and win a few in a row. Mark Teixera has to step up now that the lighting rod is behind him. Maybe he can hit a home-run in a game that matters as opposed to all the ones he does hit when they're down too many runs that it matters. They need to step it up and make it look like they want to win. I just hope they're having the normal slow start and they can finish strong or Girardi will be gone and another year in which we'll be missing Joe Torre as he glides his way to an NL West division win and possibly the World Series.

I hope Brian Cashman is cutting his wrists because he didn't want to trade Ian Kennedy (0 wins in the Majors and out for season) and Phil cant pitch for shit Hughes for most likely the NL CY Young winner Johan Santana. What kind of moron doesn't trade unproven minor leaguers for one of the top lefties in the game? How does this guy still have a job after he got such great pitchers like Kei Igawa (56 Million) who cant pitch in the majors, Jaret Wright(21 Million) who isn't even in the Majors anymore, Carl Im always injured Pavano(40 million), Javier Vazquez (45 million) but he was decent but not worth it, Latroy Hawkins (4million) what a waste, Kyle Farnsworth who is the worst relief pitcher I've ever seen and who could forget Roger Million dollars a game Clemens which was a joke. But he got a 3 year extension which amazes me to this day. This idiot needs to be fired and maybe they should start watching what the Bosox do because everything they do is right and best for the team. Their farm system is amazing and everyone they pick up ends up doing very well (see Jason Bay beating the Yankees a couple weeks ago). They better right the ship or we're in for a long wait til football season.

http://www.omalleyandgoldstein.com/

NHL Playoff Preview Western Conference

2009-04-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

1st San Jose Sharks vs. 8th Anaheim Ducks
San Jose was drew one tough 8th seed in Anaheim and their amazing defensemen. With Beauchemin back from injury along with Pronger, Niedermeyer, and Whitney they easily have the best D corps in the league and they will need it against Thornton, Marleau&Co. This is going to be a tough hard fought series and it can go either way and may be won by San Jose being so good at home and I think they squeak by just barely.
San Jose in 7

2nd Detroit Red Wings vs. 7th Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus enters its first postseason against the Detroit and they couldnt ask for a worse opponent. This series depends on the rookie Steve Mason stopping the Detroit scoring attack led by Pavel Datsyuk and his sidekicks Marion Hossa and Henrik Zetterberg and anchored on defense by the best in the league in Nicklas Lidstrom. I just dont think the Jackets are good enough to beat this Detroit team that makes up its lack of goaltending with its ability to outscore anyone.
Detroit in 4

3rd Vancouver Canucks vs. 6th St. Louis Blues
The best 2 teams in the second half of the season square off in an extremely even series. Luongo and the Sedin twins will win this series over the inexperienced Blues but it wont be easy. Chris Mason has played some amazing goal as of late and has really kept this team in it. They just dont have enough to beat Luongo and the twins.
Vancouver in 6

4th Chicago Blackhawks vs. 5th Calgary Flames
This series will be one thing, high scoring. Toews and Kane, two of my favorite players to watch because they are so young but play like they've been in the league for so long and do it so well. They embark on their first playoff stint against a flat looking Calgary team that doesnt look as good as they did a couple months ago. These two teams combined have 11 20 goal scorers so there is no doubt they will score but can Kiprusoff stop the young guns of Chicago and can the Bulin wall stand up against the veteran experience of Olli Jokinen and Jarome Iginla? I think that the Blackhawks will keep playing amazing hockey and get put out the Flames.
Chicago in 5

http://www.omalleyandgoldstein.com/

NHL Playoff Preview-Eastern Conference

2009-04-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

1st-Boston Bruins vs 8th-Montreal Canadiens
In this hated Original 6 rivalry we see one hell of a match up. This series could go either way even though it's an 8 vs 1. Montreals terrible 2nd half confuses me because they were such a good team for the start of the season but I have high hopes for the Habs in the playoffs. If they can right the ship here and start playing some hockey with the veteran leadership of Kovalev and get some solid goaltending from Carey Price they can surprise the Bruins and send them to the golf course early. They just need to find a way to get past Tim Thomas who's 4-0-1 against them and learn how to control Zdeno Chara who has 3 goals and 3 assists and Marc Savard 3 goals and 2 helpers against them this year. If they can pull that off they can upset the B's and help out my Rangers.
Canadiens in 7 (wishful thinking)

2nd-Washington Capitals vs. 7th New York Rangers
Offense meets defense in this battle between Ovechkin and his merry bunch of scorers vs King Henrik. This game is decided by if the Rangers want to score or not which tends to be a big problem for them this year. If Washington starts scoring 3-4 goals it's going to be very difficult for the Rangers to keep up and it could end up like last year against the Penguins. As long as they play stellar defense, dont take dumb penalties and Lundquist plays his ass off the Rangers could somehow get by this offensive powerhouse.
Rangers in 6

3rd-New Jersey Devils vs. 6th Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina coming off a great playoff push going 9-2 in their last 11 games are playing a great Devil team with a healthy Brodeur. Can the Hurricanes beat the Devils yet again in the playoffs which they've done the last two times they met? And can the Devils finally win at the RBC Center where they can't seem to win at all? I think so with Brodeur and Zach Parise they hold a slight edge over Eric Staal and Cam Ward. I see a bunch of 2-1 and 3-2 games and the Devils taking the series.
Devils in 5

4th Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5th Philadelphia Flyers
The battle of Pennsylvania is here and Pittsburgh is ready to kill the Flyers. Their offense is too potent to be contained by the Flyers. Malkin and Crosby are gonna skate circles around the Flyers defense and make quick work of them.
Penguins in 4

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

NL East Preview

2009-04-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Marlins have great young pitching that goes unnoticed and so many young players that I wouldnt be surprised if they make a playoff push this year or next but they are not to be overlooked. This 4-0 start is no fluke and they will continue to perform this well as the season goes so they are my surprise pick this season.
Even though the Phillies have had a bad start their team is too good to not win the NL East unless the fish sneak up on them. I would throw the Marlins in second because they have great arms and great bats but will it be good enough to topple the defending World Series champs? The Mets will choke during September as usual even though they have K-rod and Putz to set him up but they still don't have a dominant lefty in the pen and that's something you need when playing the Phillies. I dont see them making the playoffs yet again even though they are lucky enough to not be playing Florida the last 3 games of the season. The Braves are a solid team but their pitching is just not good enough to do well in this division. The Nationals dont need to be mentioned because well they're the Nationals and who really cares about them?
So its obvious I'm drinking the Marlin Kool-aid and I hope they do well as the season progresses but we will just have to wait and see.
NL East Finish: Phillies 95-67, Marlins 87-75, Mets 85-77, Braves, 81-81, Nationals 60-102

http://www.omalleyandgoldstein.com/

The Rangers are in the Playoffs!

2009-04-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

I dont know how the most underachieving team in the NHL did it but they managed to hold on for a nice playoff spot. Excluding King Henrik the Rangers underperformed especially on offense and more importantly on the power play which looks more like a penalty kill at times. They need to pull it together and get ready for a playoff run which i know this team has in them under the veteran leadership of Chris Drury. Hopefully they can get a win on Sunday over the Flyers and get that 7th spot so they can play the Capitals and let the Habs play the Bruins. History tells us the Rangers like playing Washington in the playoffs (see 1994 Stanley Cup) and they stand a way better chance of beating them then the Bruins.
I see Montreal being able to beat the Bruins mainly because they have won a Stanley Cup in every decade except this one. Seeing as this is the last year to do so they cant lose plus they beat them a couple years ago in the playoffs when they met in opposite positions (Montreal now 8th seed was 1 and vice versa).
If somehow the 7th and 8th seeds upset the 1st and 2nd it would set the Rangers up for a cup push but its highly doubtful and i can only dream but you never know. Let's Go Rangers

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

Tiger Tiger Woods Y'all

2009-04-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend is what golf fans have been waiting nearly a year for, Tiger Woods in a major event. The Masters will be watched by millions including myself(if O'Malley allows it) solely because of his presence and greatness . I would like to see him down a couple strokes going into Sunday so we can see him do what he does best; scare the shit out of whoever is ahead of him to the point where they choke. Then all he has to do is put on his Sunday red shirt and make shot after shot after shot and win yet another major. If anyone is going to bet on golf now's the time Tiger Woods +170 to win The Masters

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

Eagles Upcoming Draft

2009-04-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

With 12 picks in this years draft what the hell are the Eagles going to do with all these picks. Here's 1 idea, TRADE SOME. As draft day approaches they need to trade for Boldin because they need a weapon other then Westbrook to carry the team. Boldin isn't too old and still has many good years left plus he's a number 1 receiver, something the eagles have lacked since the departure of terrible owens. I don't care what they give up for him but they need him more then jaguars wide receivers need their coke. Desean Jackson cant be a number 1 because of his height and Kevin Curtis is white so something needs to change because the window is closing for another chance at the Super Bowl. Drafting a wide receiver this year will help but they need someone tall with good hands and because of the depth of this years draft they don't need to waste a 1st round pick on one. We need a good tackle to replace Runyan and a nice running back to complement Westbrook. Someone like Donald Brown from Uconn would be a good fit but if the Eagles can't get a #1 receiver they have no chance. If they could package a 1st 3rd and 5th to get Boldin they can still address their needs to getting a tackle with their other 1st round pick and pick up a good rb with the 2nd round pick. If that's not possible I would settle for Ocho Cinco even though he is a bit older and his best years may be behind him but it's still a solid number 1 and a big improvement.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

The Tar Heels are #1

2009-04-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

As expected UNC beat Michigan State by outplaying them in every aspect of the game. After 3 minutes went by you kinda knew it was over. The same thing will probably happen tonight when UCONN spanks Louisville and goes undefeated for the womens title.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

Final Four Overview

2009-04-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come and we are up and running. Perfect timing because the Final 4 games are today. I like UNC to beat Villanova not sure if it will cover the 7 point spread but they are going to win it all. It comes down to the guard play with Lawson vs. Reynolds, whoever wins that battle wins the game.
Izzo Vs Calhoun: Michigan state basically home against UCONN is the game to watch today. Quick whistles could very well decide the game if Thabeet gets into foul trouble Michigan state will drive through them but if Thabeet stays out of trouble they MUST hit their outside shots or else the Huskies win. I think the Spartans will squeak by UCONN in an epic coaches battle.

www.omalleyandgoldstein.com

11/2 NFL Sunday

2008-11-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

Today it's all about the birds.

Philadelphia -7 @ Seattle
This is a joke. Bryan Westbrook and Donovan McNabb = Eagles put up points. Seattle is missing Hasselbeck Branch and Kerney probably their 3 best players other then Lofa Tatupu who is playing injured as it is. Seattle is not as good as they used to be and the Eagles know they need to win in order to stay in the mix in the tough NFC East. Philly 34 Seattle 7.

Atlanta -3 @ Oakland
The Falcons are going to run through the Raiders defense with Turner and the Atl defense will take care of the terrible Raiders offense. As long as those Raiders fans don't scare Matt Ryan into throwing any interceptions the Falcons will win easily. Atlanta 30 Oakland 13.

Arizona -3 @ St. Louis
The Cards need to separate themselves from the rest of the pitiful NFC West so this game is huge for them. The Arizona passing offense is deadly with the Boldin Breaston Fitzgerald trio and Kurt Warner throwing bombs to them over the horrid defense backs of the Rams. Jackson is playing hurt and St. Louis is playing better since their bye week but they wont be able to handle all that passing. Arizona 27 St. Louis 20.

10/25 College Football picks

2008-10-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Penn St. -2.5 @ The Ohio State University
Penn St. has yet to beat Ohio St. since joining the Big 10 and Ohio St. never loses a night game at home. That has nothing to do with this Penn St. team this year. This is the year of the Nittany Lions and they will win this game so they can go to the National Championship. They know they have to win and they will. They are just a better team all around this year which is a nice change. Terell Pryor has no idea what he is in for. He's too inexperienced and wont be able to pick up the different blitz schemes that Penn St. has and Aaron Maybin will be all over him considering he leads the nation in sacks. If you dont believe in Penn St. now after this game you will.