Melrose Bitter; Lightning Struggles Continue

As it turns out the problems in Tampa Bay extend beyond Barry Melrose, what a surprise (sense my sarcasm). In the 16 games Melrose spent as coach the Lightning were 5-7-4 which is not good but was not a terrible start for a team with a new make up on ice and behind the bench. Since Melrose was fired, interim coach Rick Tocchet has lead the Lightning to a record of 1-6-4 resulting in only six points out of a possible 22. Recently on talk radio in Toronto, Melrose continued to voice his bitterness toward being fired by saying he was glad the team has struggled so much since he left and that he hopes they go winless the rest of the year; quite frankly who can blame him? Tamp Bay is in last place in a very poor Southeast Division leaving them in last place in the Eastern Conference and in prime position to duplicate last year’s 15^th place conference finish. John Tortorella was fired last year after bringing the franchise a Stanley Cup but perhaps he had overstayed his welcome and it was time to move on. To follow Tortorella they brought in Melrose who had not coached since 1993 but had a reputation for being more of a players’ coach which Tortorella certainly was not. And after only 16 games the team turned on him and now Tampa is on their third coach in less than a full season’s worth of games and they continue to struggle. Even Tocchet has already questioned the players’ work ethic and willingness to work hard every game. It sounds like the problem lies not within Tortorella, Melrose, or Tocchet but the players and the rest of the organization itself.

Monday Night Guarantee

This week we have the Panthers and the Bucs,  Coming back from vacation I feel like I have a renewed dedication to my picks.     The Bucs gave the Panthers the smackdown last time but this time it will be different.   Look for Steve Smith to come up big this week against the Bucs as the panthers try to win the division.

 

Point Spread (28-17) Panthers

DeAngelo Hall on the Market after being Waived by Raiders

 

I also feel that New England has been missing Asante Samuel, so I wouldn’t count them out of the picture. The other teams I would put in the mix would be the Carolina Panthers as they would like to become the top D in the NFC south with the Falcons and Buccaneers defenses playing well for the most part.

Finally, I would go with Arizona as a very strong possibility. The Cardinals by now have to know that they are pretty much a lock to win their division, barring an upset this Monday Night at home in the desert by the 49ers. If they wish to matchup better with the true contenders and upstarts of the league then a strong corner like DeAngelo Hall would help them tremendously.

How About them Tampa Bay Rays!

Of all the surprises this season in Major League Baseball, it is the Rays turn around and unexpected success and their continuation of proving every doubter wrong this entire season thus far. Some may argue that they should have put the Redsox away when they were up three games to one, but I guarantee you that Boston is thinking that they should have never even put themselves in a 1-3 hole to begin with.

The Rays deserve credit and respect. The whole reason they played so well throughout the regular season was to have that home field backdrop in case it came to this. For that reason alone, they are the better team. They earned their advantage and ultimately used it to get into the World Series.

Every time the Redsox were in position to score it was Matt Garza who staved them off gaining strike-outs and especially down the stretch of the game. In fact, the only run that the Redsox got came by the second man up at the top of the first inning when Dustin Pedroia scored a homer.

Other than that, it was all Tampa on their way to the World Series which begins on Wednesday October 22^nd at 8:00pm on Fox in Tampa.

What will we See in ALCS Game Six?

The Redsox are back to their old tricks again; coming back from huge playoff deficits. First the comeback to the Yankees after being down 0-3, and last year’s 1-3 deficit against Cleveland in the ALCS. Well, now they have brought back a 1-3 deficit to a 2-3 deficit.

The only difference from last year’s comeback is that Boston was at home for games six and seven. This year they’ll be on the road in T.B.

This is what the Rays earned all year. They played tough, enthusiastic baseball and earned home field advantage in the ALCS. However, if they want to avoid a game six, their pitching down the stretch is going to have to improve. Thursday night’s game was the second game of the series to feature both clubs scoring runs in bunches; game two ended 9-8 with Tampa Bay on top, and Friday’s game began 7-0 and ended 8-7.

This game is going to be a close one. It’s going to come down to the pitching staff of both teams. But what will we see? A high scoring affair like in games two and five, or defensive dominance like we saw in game 1 (BOS won 2-0), game 2 (TB won 9-1), and game four (TB wins 13-4).

Alex V’s NFL Week 7 Picks

S.D. at BUF-I’m sure by now everyone’s noticed the western teams don’t do too well when they travel to the far east. But I think San Diego’s got this.

N.O. at CAR-New Orleans is so inconsistent. But I think they’ll get it together in Carolina.

MIN at CHI-Both teams have good defense, good running games, and averaging passing games. I’ll take the team at home… Chicago.

PIT at CIN-Cincinnati is reeling and Big Ben is 5-0 all time in Cincinnati. Steelers win.

TEN at KC-Kansas City won’t even have Larry Johnson for this game. Titans win.

BAL at MIA-Miami is rolling too hard offensively for Joe Flacco to keep up with and pretty soon this Ravens’ defense will begin to slack since they have no offensive help.

S.F. at NYG-The giants blew it last week, but they can’t lose to this 2-4 trash at home. Giants win.

DAL at STL-Romo or Johnson? Who knows? The Cowboys are reeling losing two of their last three. I just have a feeling this is an upset in the making. Rams win. 

DET at HOU-Houston can at least play competitively and have shown offense. Detroit’s only close game was last week when they lost 10-12. Houston should shred them.

IND at G.B.-Even though Indianapolis seemed to hit its stride last week, Aaron Rodgers is playing pretty stellar and the Packer defense is better than the Colts’. I’ll go with Green Bay.

NYJ at OAK-Brett Favre is undefeated in Oakland all-time. That shall remain the same.

CLE at WAS-Both teams were complete opposites from one another last week. Washington was on the rise and lost to a bottom dweller, while Cleveland was a disappointment and beat a championship contender. Now that they’ve got their heads on straight, I’ll take Washington.

SEA at T.B.-Seattle is 1-4 and has been downright atrocious on both sides of the ball. Tampa wins.

DEN at N.E.-Denver has been inconsistent the last few weeks but the Patriots have been the same. I’ll take the Pats at home against Belichick’s football IQ.

Slugfest Down in Tampa Bay in ALCS Game 2

Last night’s game two between the Boston Redsox and Tampa Bay Rays was a shootout. Both teams kept trading momentum, and they did so until the end of the 9^th inning, where the two teams hit a stalemate that lasted until the bottom of the eleventh inning.

With the next two games being in Boston, the Rays better take what they used to attain a winning record against the Redsox in their regular season series, and try to at least come out 2-2 heading back to Tampa.

This is where the Rays really have to prove their not just a feel good story, but a team that was in it to win it from the beginning of the season. But they still face an uphill battle going into Boston. The Redsox are not the team searching for a title anymore. They’re the team that now knows how to win one.

The loaded rosters of both the Redsox and the Rays were shooting them out of the park like it was the Derby, and they provided a lot of entertainment last night. However, is this a sign of things to come? If so and the Rays have to match firepower, I would say that doesn’t bode well for them traveling to Boston for the next two games in the series and tied 1-1.

Big Games on Sunday in NFL Week 6

The first game that holds some bearing is the 3-2 Bears at the 3-2 Falcons. Both teams have a chance to be 4-2 and both surprises in the league. Kyle Orton looks a little better and his defense is strong as ever, while the Falcons play inspired football with solid play from a rookie QB, Matt Ryan, and a first time fulltime starter at RB, Michael Turner. The defense has John Abraham, but not much else. Huge game for the NFC playoff race! I will have to go with the Bears experience on this one.

 

 

 

 

Baltimore plays host to Indianapolis. Both are 2-2 and need to get above .500. The Ravens’ defense may be tight, but the Colts’ defense has not been too bad without Bob Sanders, and Peyton Manning is something else compared to Joe Flacco. Colts win.

 

Carolina will be in Tampa Bay where both teams at 4-1 battle to lead the NFC South. The Bucs offense has been trifle even though they still have a solid defense. The Panthers combine solid defense with above average offense. I’ll take the Panthers.

 

Finally, Dallas, 4-1, will meet Arizona, 3-2, on the road. Although the Cowboys have a stronger defense, I am going with the Cardinals to pull off the upset. The Cowboys may boast a powerful offense, but the Cardinal offense can be just as potent. I just have a feeling that Kurt Warner and his team are confident and excited to play the Cowboys who will be caught sleeping.

 

These are the best games between teams based on records of wins and losses.