FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Finally, the MLB playoffs are here. I am a fan of tradition but the baseball season is so ungodly long. Personally I enjoy the beauty of the game, as well as the momentum that occurs in 9 innings. But I can definitely see someone's complaint about the boredom they experience. If the MLB even begins to consider a best of 9 series I will hunt down Bud Selig and shave his head. Here's a few quick hit thoughts (Peter King, I salute your term) about the MLB playoffs so far. Cubs vs. Diamondbacks (Arizona up 1 and leading in 2nd game)- Arizona After all the work it took to win the NL Central Chicago certainly looks like a team that is gripping, and the Diamondbacks look like the veteran team. Would it kill the Cubs' big 3 hitters to get a run in? Just one. Props go to Arizona, whose any one any time mentality seems to be paying off. (I will start the bids in Chicago for Arizona "****"backs shirt at 3 dollars.) Yankees vs. Indians (Indians 1-0) - This series is very fresh but the Indians looked powerful tonight. Travis Hafner was a bit of a disappointment in the regular season, but if he stays hot like he was tonight then the Yanks may be in trouble. Still, with a lineup like the Yankees have they are always in a series. (I will start the bid on the Yankees "Hang out with your Wang out" shirts at 5 dollars.) Rockies vs. Phillies (Rockies up 2-0) Colorado looks like the best team in the NL to me. They've won 15 of 16 and seem to love the Phillies' stadium. No shocker there since it may be the one stadium that is more hitter friendly than their own. Matt Holliday should be the NL MVP, in my opinion, and I look for the Rockies to give any team they face fits. Angels vs. Red Sox (Red Sox 1-0) Josh Beckett (From Spring, Texas, where I lived for a bit) is the best postseason pitcher in the MLB right now. Period. The guy just doesn't get startled. Now if only he could keep blisters off his fingers. I'm not ready to proclaim Boston the victor in this series (It is Boston after all, anything can happen) but the Angels' lineup looks anemic at best, and if Matsuzaka can pitch like he did in his last start (which is no guarantee) then the Sox should take this one. Whoever thought taking the MLB playoffs to TBS was a good idea is sorely mistaken. I like Dick Stockton but how hard is it to get the score right. My friends and I had to look up the score online to be sure that the D'backs were winning 8 to 2 because Stockton said it was still 6 to 2. Many fans hate Tim McCarver and Joe Buck but I would give a lot to hear them right now. A quick thought on the College Football season so far: LSU deserves to be number one right now. In fact, they should have been number one a few weeks ago. I'm not impressed by USC or any preseason poll. In fact, I would love to see all preseason polls thrown out the window. Where was Kentucky or South Florida on a anyone's ballot? Nowhere. Where were Michigan and Auburn ranked? Pretty dang high last time I checked. It just goes to show that the "experts" know just as little as us before the games are played. On to the NFL... Is it 1996 or 1997? Just checking because the Patriots, Packers, and Cowboys have looked very good going into Week 5. I can't wait for the Pats-Cowboys game. Then we will find out how good the Cowboys really are. I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not sold on any team in the NFC other than the Cowboys right now. Not even the Packers, who should have lost to the Eagles and possibly the Chargers. Memo to Matt Leinart: Shut up. The idea of a team sport is to win games AS A TEAM. If you have such a hard time "getting in your rhythm" because Kurt Warner comes in then here is my advice. Play well enough so that you don't get benched. Leave the crying to the diva wide receivers. You are supposed to be the leader of your team. Act like it. Warner has looked like a class act and clearly understand the game better than you, so maybe you should be the one holding the clipboard. Adrian Peterson looks good. Real good. Remind me to egg the Texans' practice facility for not choosing him. The AFC and NFC West are officially the most wide open divisions in the NFL now that Travis Henry may serve a one game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Am I on some hallucinogen or do the Raiders actually have a chance to steal the AFC West? The NFC West isn't any easier to predict. Everything we thought to be true isn't. The Rams offense is awful, the 49ers are hurting, and Seattle looks like the only team capable of putting together any scoring drive. Where are all the 49ers' bandwagon riders now? Anyone? Before I run I wanted to talk a little about the FanNation gossip going around. It's been a while so I thought I would get in on the action. A while ago the Throwdown Warriors (The original throwdown group of FanNation) was getting a little bloated with members, so they cut many members out of the group. It seems they have lost a few in their ranks and a friend BigBen 68 has decided to make "The Elites of FanNation." I wish both groups the best, but think the trash talk is a bit over the top, especially if it is from former members of the Warriors. There's no need to run our mouths at each other and speculate about who is "the best" on FanNation. Trust me, it is a debate I have been hearing for about six months, We all know after all that some random member of FanNation knows whether I am "deserving" of being a sports fan. Let's keep things fun and respect each other. Just because you say you're "elite" or a "warrior" doesn't give us any rank higher than that of the average fan, so let's not act that way. Time to study and crash out. Have a great weekend and see you all soon.