Last week there were a lot of exciting games in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs, but now we are going into a few games where there are some heavy hitters just starting their postseason and things could get a little interesting. However, this round has the makings of just as exciting, if not more exciting, games as we dig a little deeper into the football postseason. With that being said, let’s look at the matchups.

American Football Conference

Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts

Colts

The Colts showed why they deserved to be in the playoffs as they didn’t make anything easy against the Houston Texans with their defense dominating and quarterback Andrew Luck having an outstanding game as he threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns to lead Indianapolis to a 21-7 victory in Houston. However, they will need everything to go right if they want to beat Kansas City. The Chiefs are a high octane powerhouse and Colts may be in for a rude awakening, but defense wins championships and their hope is that their defense can continue to help them as much as possible.

Chiefs

Kansas City has a very exciting quarterback leading their offense in Patrick Mahomes who threw a staggering 50 touchdowns this season and this is coming in his first full year as a starter in the league. The kid can play, however, he’s going to have to show some maturity as the playoffs are a whole different scenario and any mistake made could be costly. That being said, the offense is incredible as they boast so many key players like running backs Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West, wide receivers Chris Conley, Sammy Watkins, Kelvin Benjamin, and Tyreek Hill, and arguably the best tight end in the game Travis Kelce. However, they lost an awesome player in running back Kareem Hunt as they released him because of allegations due to abusing a woman, and there are questions as to whether that will hurt the offense. The biggest problem for the Chiefs is that their defense isn’t exactly all that strong. The defense was one of the bigger reasons why the team was successful in the past, but this unit has struggled all season. That being said, they still have some key players like cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Orlando Scandrick, safety Eric Berry, and linebackers Reggie Ragland and Justin Houston. If the Chiefs will want to win this game, their defense will need to have to step up big time. Also, they will have to hope some key players like Berry, Ware, and Watkins are healthy.

Matchup notes

Colts: Since Week Seven, the Colts offense has averaged 28 points.

Chiefs: The defense ranked 31st in total defense and 24th in points allowed with 26.3.

Predictions

James Rowe: Chiefs. While I think the Colts have a legitimate chance, the Chiefs offense is just too good beat. The offense will make up for how much their defense gives up as this will come down to the wire.

Tabari McCoy: Chiefs. The luck runs out for Andrew & Co. as the Chiefs d-line pressures Andrew Luck to force to T. Y. Hilton too much in a game that is not the shoot out everyone hopes it will be & is much closer in a grinder.

Boomer Dangel: Chiefs.

Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots

Chargers

While they held on to dear life last week against Baltimore 23-17 in the final minutes, Los Angeles was not very impressive despite winning the contest. The Chargers have a lot of weapons like running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler, wide receivers Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, and Mike Williams, and the ageless wonder in tight end Antonio Gates with quarterback Philip Rivers leads the charge. That being said, the offense wasn’t that impressive against the Ravens as they weren’t as efficient as usual. That needs to change if they want to play the Patriots who know how to win. However, good news on the offensive front is that tight end Hunter Henry has been activated and might be able to play as he is a huge weapon. Also, the defense is one of the bigger reasons why the team won as they shut down Baltimore’s offense who employ an exciting young quarterback in Lamar Jackson. The defensive line is underrated as they have a great defensive end in Joey Bosa and helping him out is defensive end in Melvin Ingram. The Chargers also has some great players in their secondary with safety Derwin James and cornerback Casey Heyward. The defense will have to continue that same success if they want to win against New England.

Patriots

New England was once a beacon of consistency. While they did make the Super Bowl last season, there’s something different about this team the past two season. One is that the defense has significantly struggled the past two years despite having some quality players on their team. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower, cornerback Stephon Gimore, and safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung headline the defense, but this has been a very inconsistent unit this season. The offense though, is always productive as they are led by the most successful quarterback in NFL history in Tom Brady who, despite playing in his 40s with a declining skill set, manages to find ways to win games especially in the clutch. He lost his biggest weapon in wide receiver Josh Gordon to suspension, but he does boast key players in tight end Rob Gronkowski, arguably the best tight end in the league, running backs Rex Burkhead, Sony Michel, and James White, and wide receivers Julian Edelmann, Phillip Dorsett, and Chris Hogan. The offense will have to outperform the Chargers if they want win this game.

Matchup notes

Chargers: 7-1 on the road during regular season.

Patriots: 8-0 at home during regular season.

Predictions

James: Chargers. It’s always tough to pick against the Patriots, especially with them playing at home, but the New England defense has been subpar this year and Los Angeles’ offense has been great.

Tabari: Patriots. Brady eeks out a win in Foxboro over the gunslinger in his last hurrah playoff-wise as Bill Belichick gets one more win before the wheels fall off

Boomer: Patriots.

National Football Conference

Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams

Cowboys

Dallas executed a great game plan as their defense showed how good they really are and why the Cowboys deserved to be in the playoffs as they defeated Seattle 24-22. Running back Ezekiel Elliot was a big part of that success as he rushed for 137 yards and scored a touchdown as he helped Dallas win. While the defense played well against Seattle’s offense, facing the Rams will be no easy task. While the Cowboys boast a very talented running back in Elliot, Los Angeles might boast the best running back in the league and that will be very tough for the Dallas defense. Another key to win the game is how will the offensive line hold a very explosive Rams defensive line that can always give any offensive line problems, but the Cowboys have one of the best in the league. If their offensive line can hold up Los Angeles’ defensive line, Elliot should have no problems. That being said, it will be a very difficult game as they are seen as the underdogs. Other key players that will need to be on their game is quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Rams

Los Angeles might be the most complete team in the league as they are awesome offensively and have a very stout defense. They boast Todd Gurley, one of the best running backs in the league if not the best, and a very tough defensive line with such players as Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. But their defense also boasts some key players at linebacker such as Dante Fowler and Mark Barron, cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, and safety Lamarcus Joyner. With quarterback Jared Goff leading the charge on offense, this will be a very tough team to beat no matter how good their opponent and they might be the best in the league. They will pressure the Cowboys offensive line a lot and their offense will keep Dallas on their toes at all times. No wonder they are seen as the favorites here.

Matchup notes

Cowboys: Defense allowed 20.3 points per game during regular season. Against playoff teams, they allowed just 19.8 points per game.

Rams: Offense averaged 28.5 points per game during the regular season.

Predictions

James: Rams. While I think the Dallas defense will do their best to keep them in the game, the Los Angeles defense is so disruptive that they will wreak havoc on the Cowboys offense.

Tabari: Rams. It will be a CLOSE game.

Boomer: Cowboys.

Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints

Eagles

Philadelphia’s defense managed to shut down an Bears offense which has a lot of weapons and won 16-15. That being said, the offense was not very good as the running game was essentially shut down and the Eagles had to turn to the passing game, which while is always risky, turned out to be it’s saving grace. The defense was outstanding and was the big reason why they won, but Philadelphia will be facing probably the best offense in the league in which have put so many points against many teams during the season. That offense belongs to the New Orleans Saints as the Saints beat them 48-7 in Week 11. While he didn’t play his best game, quarterback Nick Foles will have to be on his game in this contest in order to have any success, plus the defense, lead by Fletcher Cox and Michael Bennett. Those two can wreak havoc on any offensive line and will have to put a lot of pressure on the Saints. The Eagles will have to play an almost perfect game for them to win as they are clearly the underdogs in this contest.

Saints

New Orleans is a very dangerous side as they have no problem racking up points as if it was with ease and the root of their success is their quarterback Drew Brees who may be having the best season of his career. He also boasts some incredible weapons like wide receiver Michael Thomas and running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. The defense isn’t half bad as they have some key players like defensive end Cameron Jordan and cornerback Marshon Lattimore. That being said, the Saints defense will have to matchup or outperform Philadelphia as much they possibly can as their offense should have no problem scoring points in this game. They are after all the favorite to win this contest.

Matchup notes

Eagles: Finished 30th in league in Team Opponent Passing Yards per Game with 270.5.

Saints: In Team Points per Game, New Orleans finished third with 31.5. Won only matchup this season.

Predictions

James: Saints. Eagles got lucky last week and the defense is about to face a juggernaut offense that will be too much to handle.

Tabari: Saints. Can Nick Foles keep up with his magic? Nope.

Boomer: Saints.

Once again, for the third time in four years, there will be an Alabama-Clemson National Championship and for the fourth year in a row they face each other in the playoffs. This seems to have the makings of a rivalry. But it has all led up to this moment as this will be the final game of the 2018 season. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide steamed rolled over a very productive Oklahoma team 45-34, but now they are playing a very good Clemson side. What they will need is to have their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa match Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence score for score if they want any chance of staying in the game. Jalen Hurts does provide Alabama with a strong backup just in case Tagavailoa struggles or gets hurt, but they could utilize Hurts with how dynamic he is with his legs in a way to throw off the Clemson defense. That being said, their defense is very good, however Lawrence will throw the ball a lot and the secondary will need to stay on their toes. They also will need Damien Lewis, Josh Jacobs, and Najee Harris to continue their production from the backfield like they did against Oklahoma, but Clemson’s defense is much better than the Sooners’. Their backfield will have to attack the defensive line as much as possible as Clemson is missing a big piece of their defensive line. And another big deal is whether Alabama’s defense can shut down wide receiver Tee Higgins who is 6’4″ which means he’s a big frame. The hope is that Jerry Jeudy can be as productive as Higgins, but the other hope is that Jaylen Waddle can be a secret weapon as well as tight end Irv Smith to spread out the offense. Higgins will be a point of emphasis for the Crimson Tide defense as it will likely be cornerback Patrick Surtain’s job to defend him (or even Trayvon Mullen’s), but don’t be surprised if there is some double teaming there as their secondary, with the help of safety Deionte Thompson, will need to shut Clemson’s offense down. Lastly, the defensive line, led by stud defensive ends Raekwon Davis and Quinnen Williams, will need to hold the Clemson running game at bay and will hope to get some pass rush help from linebacker Mack Wilson. Never count out the Crimson Tide as they always find ways to win games.

Clemson

Clemson might be better than people might think as they defeated a Notre Dame side 30-3 easily especially against a very good Fighting Irish defense. These guys are scary good and well balanced. One of the biggest strengths for the Tigers is their defense, especially their defensive line. They employ Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, and Christian Wilkins on their defensive line, but with the suspension of Dexter Lawrence, it does leave a big gaping hole. The other three will need to make up for Lawrence’s absence, plus they will need help from Xavier Thomas and Albert Huggins. Their offense is awesome as they have Hunter Renfrow and Higgins at wide receiver, plus they boast an incredibly talented running back in Travis Etienne and their point of emphasis will have to attack Alabama’s defense as much as possible, but another weapon they have discovered recently that they could use against the Crimson Tide is wide receiver Justyn Ross who gives them more options, to spread out the offense, and another threat against a very good Alabama defense. If their defense can give Tagovailoa a lot of problems, then the Tigers will have a very good chance of winning. Clemson is definitely the more talented team, but Alabama always finds way to win games. It will be tough for the Tigers no matter what.

Predictions

James Rowe: Clemson. The more I analyzed both teams the more I realized that the Tigers are the actual better side. It will undoubtedly be a close game, but I think Clemson has more advantages this time around.

Some of you may remember me doing a hypothetical Football Hall of Fame vote last year. Pretty much I nailed my votes on the head though I missed on Brian Dawkins. Well, it’s that time of the year again to make my hypothetical votes if I was ever a voter. The vote will be right around the Super Bowl and the explanations of how the vote works is in the link above. With that being said, let’s take a look at my hypothetical votes.

Steve Atwater-Safety

The more research I did on this guy the more I realized he was one of the best safeties to play the game. He played a long time for the Broncos and was a big reason for their Super Bowl victories in the 1990s as some might argue that he anchored that secondary for Denver. That defense for Denver was pretty dang good.

Isaac Bruce-Wide Receiver

If it wasn’t for Jerry Rice and Randy Moss, Bruce might have been the best receiver in the game during his time in the league. Bruce was a part of a St. Louis Rams team dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf” as it is arguably the best offense to ever play. However, Bruce might have been the biggest reason for how good that offense was as he tallied touchdowns like crazy.

Tony Gonzalez-Tight End

Greatest player to play at the tight end position. Period. He was incredibly productive and was a big reason for some of those dangerous Kansas City Chiefs sides back in the 2000s. He could be credited for leading a trend for tight ends to be reliable receivers. He was also very big, so he could block well if needed. He was the real deal.

Ed Reed-Safety

Reed was on a defense for the Baltimore Ravens that was so good that it even had another Hall of Famer in linebacker Ray Lewis on it. Reed was arguably the best player at his position in the 2000s. He read offenses really well and it almost seemed like he could make an interception with ease. This is another no-brainer.

John Lynch-Safety

This one might be a little controversial, but he was a great safety. Read routes well and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He was also part of a dominant Buccaneers defense that won the Super Bowl.

Notable snubs:

Tony Boselli-Offensive Lineman

Talent wise he is a sure Hall of Famer, however injuries derailed what was certainly a Hall of Fame career. He is a huge debate as to whether he should be in or not.

Champ Bailey-Cornerback

One of the most athletic cornerbacks during the 2000s and was excellent at shutting down receivers. Great coverage guy.

Edgerrin James-Running Back

Was an outstanding running back and was part of an explosive offense with the Indianapolis Colts paired up with Peyton Manning.

Ty Law-Cornerback

Was an outstanding cornerback back in the days and was a big reason for why the New England Patriots were a dynasty in the early 2000s.

It’s that time of the year where all football fans crave, the postseason. 12 teams are in, but four have byes for the first round. What we will be looking into will be the Wild Card Round, which might actually be the most exciting round of the playoffs before the Super Bowl because of all the drama it has left us over the years. With that being said, let’s look at the matchups.

American Football Conference

Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans

Colts

Indianapolis started the season 1-5, but went 9-1 the rest of the season to make the playoffs in spectacular fashion. Led by quarterback Andrew Luck, he has been the main reason why the offense has succeeded, but their defense has been spectacular as they finished in the Top 15. The defense will be the main ingredient for a deep run if they want to go to the Super Bowl.

Texans

If you think the Colts have been hot then you’ve been missing out on what Houston had done this year as after starting 0-3 they rallied on nine straight wins to essentially secure the AFC South. They are led by quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on offense and a lot of spectacular things happen when the two of them are healthy. Like Indianapolis, their defense also finished in the Top 15 and will be a key to hopefully take them deep especially with the likes of defensive end J.J. Watt leading the charge.

Matchup notes

Indianapolis and Houston split the season series 1-1, but Indianapolis won more recently in Week 14 with a 24-21 decision.

Indianapolis and Houston’s defenses are ranked 11th and 12th respectively.

Colts finished 10-6 while Texans finished 11-5

Predictions

James Rowe: Houston. This is a more of an evenly matched contest than people might think and it should be a good one. I expect this to be a great one, but both sides are banged up pretty bad according to their injury reports as that will be a key factor for the game. That being said, I am going with the Texans to win this one.

Tabari McCoy: Texans.

Baltimore Ravens vs Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers

The Chargers shocked the football world as they came out of nowhere to win 11 games, but once you saw how well they played, it’s not shocking to see why. In fact, there is an argument that with how good they are that it’s time to change the playoff format. Their offense is led by Philip Rivers and running back Melvin Gordon. The defense has been solid this year, but lost a key component to their pass-rush game with linebacker Jatavis Brown out for the year. The hope is that they can prove to everyone that they deserve to be in the running for AFC champion.

Ravens

Baltimore was lackluster and uninspiring for the longest time as they drug along this season, but with a change at quarterback mid-season, things became different as the offense suddenly got more dynamic to compliment their stout defense. Once Lamar Jackson took over the full-time quarterback role from Joe Flacco, they became a lot more efficient on offense and the team took off from there as they went 6-1 during that run. Jackson is incredibly dynamic with his rush and pass game as he changes the entire complexion of a contest with his ability to throw it and run it. Plus with how dominant of a defense they have, they are more dangerous than one might think.

Matchup notes

Baltimore won the only matchup this season with a 22-10 victory in Week 16.

Predictions

James: Chargers. While I like what I have seen from Baltimore of late, the Chargers are undoubtedly the better team. However they need to play up their absolute best to beat the Ravens. This will likely be a great game.

Tabari: Chargers. Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (look up the Dukes of Hazzard) aka Philip Rivers is going for his last glory run.

National Football Conference

Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears

Eagles

Philadelphia managed to get into the playoffs with some help with the team they are about to play in this matchup (Chicago defeating Minnesota) to even clinch a spot, but here they are with a chance to defend their Super Bowl crown. With their top quarterback Carson Wentz out with an injury, they will rely on Nick Foles again who went 4-1 to rally the Eagles to the playoffs. Their defense, while is very talented and was the biggest reason for as to why they won the Super Bowl last year, has been struggling this season with potent offenses, but have also been terrorizing others as they have tallied 44 sacks and have allowed 18 points per game. However, with how Chicago’s offense has been this year, this a good chance for Philadelphia to get the magic back again for a deep run.

Bears

They’re back!!! “Da Bears” are finally back in the postseason, but this time they are a fun squad to watch. The offense has been somewhat productive with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky leading the way along with a great tandem in the backfield with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, but their defense is what has been leading them all year. Once they picked up linebacker Khalil Mack via trade from Oakland, their defense has been awesome. The Bears are a very scary team and are built to go deep in the playoffs.

Matchup notes

Philadelphia has won five of last six games they have played. Chicago has won nine of last ten.

Predictions

James: Chicago. They really impressed me this year. The Bears are on their way to becoming a complete team, but fall just short with their inconsistencies on offense. But defense will be the biggest reason why they win.

Tabari: Eagles. Napoleon Dynamite aka Nick Foles is going to show why HE should be the permanent starter over Wentz.

Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas Cowboys

Seahawks

Seattle has been very consistent at making the playoffs, but they also are built to go deep in the playoffs too. The boast a very consistent and proven winning quarterback in Russell Wilson. They also rarely turn the ball over which will make it tough on any team. The biggest concern will be the offensive line as a good amount of their key players on the line are injured as protecting Wilson will be a difficult task. The defense is not as dominant as it once was back when they won the Super Bowl, but they still boast a very good player in linebacker Bobby Wagner leading the charge. Seattle might be a team to watch out for in the playoffs.

Cowboys

Having benefitted from a Redskins squad that got injury riddled (and did so in a very fast way), this team is much more dangerous than let on. Their offense is led on the ground by arguably the best running back in the league in Ezekiel Elliott and with Dak Prescott at quarterback who draws comparison to Wilson. However, they have a very dangerous and underrated defense led by Leighton Vander Esch, Sean Lee, and Jaylon Smith at the linebacking position. Plus with the addition of a talented wide receiver in Amari Cooper mid-season, Dallas is more dangerous than people may think.

Matchup notes

Seattle won the only matchup 24-13 in Week Three

Predictions

James: Seattle. I actually think this will be a close game, the Seahawks are more battle tested than the Cowboys. Each team could win this honestly, but the Seahawks are more complete of a side.

Tabari: Seattle. You cannot let Russell Wilson in the playoffs and not expect trouble.

It’s that time of the year again as the debate about whom should be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Outside of the season, this is a very exciting time to be a baseball fan. Now, I am not a voter, but if I was ever given the chance, this is how my ballot would look. Here was my ballot from last year and the rules are explained in the post as well.

Edgar Martinez

This is a controversial pick just because Martinez was a designated hitter for the majority of his career. While I get the sentiment that not playing in the field, the man was a really good hitter. What also hurts him is that he didn’t become a good hitter until he was 27 and not a dominant hitter until he was 31, but he also helped Seattle keep the Mariners in town. Martinez was an MVP type hitter every single year it felt like. If he was putting up the numbers and was getting MVP recognition, he is no doubt a Hall of Famer. Heck, there’s even an award named after him for the best designated hitter in any season. Martinez hit .312 with 309 home runs and drove in 1,261 runs. He came dangerously close to being inducted into the Hall of Fame last year as he got 70.4% of the vote. He will probably get in this year.

Mike Mussina

Didn’t quite win 300 games and I wish he had stayed around to do that as he has 270 career wins, but he was really, really good. Even when the team he played for was not good, he still dominated. How he doesn’t have a no-hitter or a Cy Young award on his resume is beyond me, but if you watched him pitch, you know that he should be a hall of famer. He was also very close to getting into the Hall as he got 63.5%. He should get much higher this time around. Whether he gets elected this time around is more of a wait and see situation.

Roger Clemens

This is a very controversial pick because of steroids allegations, but Roger Clemens might be one of the best pitchers ever to play the game. 354 career wins certainly qualifies that and had 4,672 strikeouts is the nail on the coffin. Sure the allegations doesn’t help, but steroids wasn’t illegal during the time. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a Hall of Famer.

Barry Bonds

Probably one of the greatest players I had ever seen the game, but he is also the most controversial on this list because of the steroid allegations. However, he is the all-time home run leader (and single season with 73) and even has over 500 stolen bases. The man was such a good hitter, in fact the most dangerous I ever saw, that pitchers were legitimately scared to pitch to him. He was a five-tool player and an incredibly special talent. His 2002 season was probably the best season for any player in the history of the game and those numbers are so gaudy you would think they are video game type numbers. The allegations and also being accused for being a terrible teammate really help him here, but he is no doubt a Hall of Famer.

Fred McGriff

Just short of hitting 500 home runs (493) and he hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves?! This man was such a good hitter with tremendous power that he was so much fun to watch especially with the helicopter like swing he had. “Crime Dog” never hit more than 37 home runs, but he consistently hit lots of home runs year in and year out. Why he hasn’t gotten even serious consideration for the Hall is beyond my comprehension.

Mariano Rivera

The greatest closer of all-time. He should be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He had over 650 saves, but that isn’t even the most remarkable statistic for his Hall of Fame resume. His postseason ERA was mind-boggling at a 0.70 mark. When he entered any game, the Yankees literally had the game won. And what also is remarkable is that he threw one pitch, a cutter, which he discovered by mistake, and batters knew what he was throwing every time and yet they still could not hit it. That pitch was basically unhittable. There isn’t enough words to describe how good he was.

Todd Helton

Helton was one of the best left hitting batters I had ever seen and I would argue he was more valuable of a hitter than Larry Walker was. Plus his defense was awesome. I would argue that he was the closest thing to a Ted Williams like hitter than even Joey Votto is now as he once hit .370 in 2000. The man was productive as all get out too as he hit nearly 400 home runs albeit playing at Coors Field, plus he had over 2,500 hits. He was the real deal.

Billy Wagner

Had it not been for Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera, this man would have been the greatest closer to ever play the game. He threw electric stuff as a left hander and was very effective. He struck out many batters as in the minimum of 800 innings pitched of all pitchers of all time he had a 11.9 K/9 and 33.2% strikeout rate total batters faced which is the highest of all MLB pitchers ever played. Oh and he had 422 saves. The dude was a beast.

Andy Pettitte

There may be no other guy on this list who was the most underrated on here than Pettitte as he won over 250 games and was one of the best postseason pitchers of all-time as he has the most wins in the postseason for any other pitcher. Oh and that pick off move? Phenomenal as he probably had the best of all-time.

Larry Walker

This guy had power, he had speed, he hit for a high average, he had a great arm, and was a stout defender. This guy gets overlooked a bit, but if you look at his numbers you would think this guy probably should get serious Hall of Fame recognition if Edgar Martinez got as much as he did. Walker’s numbers were .313 with 383 home runs and 1,311 RBIs. He might not get in, but he certainly gets my vote.

Snubs

Roy Halladay

Halladay was a phenomenal pitcher in his prime as he could easily go seven or eight innings with no-hit ball. He was one of the hardest guys to leave out here.

Manny Ramirez

One of the best hitters I ever saw play the game as he had over 500 home runs. The PED situation hurts him.

Jeff Kent

Probably the greatest second baseman to play the game.

Omar Vizquel

Probably the best defensive shortstop ever to play.

Gary Sheffield

Has over 500 home runs, but has been accused of doing steroids.

Andruw Jones

Was one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game for a good long while and hit over 400 home runs. His steep decline is what hurts him here as he was on the trajectory to be one of the best of all-time.

Sammy Sosa

Over 600 home runs, but steroids allegations hurt him.

Curt Schilling

While a stellar pitcher in his time and was one of the best during his career, it’s going to be a while before he gets taken seriously and should be.

I remember in the 2014 season a player I used to work with and was also a fan of Ohio State, made a lot of statements on Facebook about how ESPN had the SEC as their baby and when Ohio State won the national championship how ESPN was overrating the SEC. Problem with this sentiment, he was wrong. Using one season to prove “your point” is not good enough. While the Big Ten is a lot of fun to watch and it’s more balanced, the SEC is hands down the best conference in the country.

There are statistics to back this up, but you can prove this even with just who is in the Top 25 the past decade (or even 15 for that matter). After the 2008 season ended, University of Florida had won another championship in back-to-back fashion and it started the dominance of SEC football. Alabama would go on to win in 2009 and Auburn in 2010. However, in 2011, it proved once again why the SEC was so dominant as the championship game consisted of two teams from the conference, LSU and Alabama. It was controversial at the time, but those were two best sides in College Football that season. Alabama won that season and then yet again in 2012.

While in 2013, the SEC did not win the championship, but Auburn advanced to the championship game and there were seven teams in the Top 25 from the conference. That suggests that despite not winning the championship, the SEC was strong enough that there could have been multiple teams in the playoffs had there been one.

2014 was the first year of the playoffs, but the SEC disappointed as only Alabama made it and they lost to Ohio State, the eventual champions, in the semi-finals. That was the year where that player proclaimed that SEC was overrated and that the Big Ten was better. Well 2015 secured the fact that his claim was a fluke because the Crimson Tide returned to the championship game to face Clemson and won. Clemson and Alabama would face each other again in the National Championship for the 2016 season with Clemson winning on a last second touchdown as the Crimson Tide were very close to winning it in back-to-back fashion again.

However, my point of this column is that the past two seasons the SEC keeps proving that they are the top dog in the College Football. I have lived in ACC, SEC, and Big Ten country as I’ve seen what the best of College Football brings. However, after living in SEC and Big Ten territories, it’s clear as much as that those are two best conferences. That being said, I’ve watched too much College Football the last decade to recognize that the SEC is clearly the best conference.

In 2017, there were two SEC sides in the National Championship, which will go down as a classic, with both Alabama and Georgia going head to head in an epic contest, plus five teams from the conference were in the Top 25. Then there is this season, as while I contest that Georgia should have been in the playoffs, there were eight (!) teams in the Top 25. That’s a lot of teams in the rankings.

The style the SEC plays emphasizes hard nosed football as the run game is always great and the defense is always outstanding. It’s fast paced and aggressive. Seriously, it’s the most fun you will watch when it comes to College Football. And the fans show it when watching the games.

People can argue all they want, but the SEC is undoubtedly the best conference in the entire country and the points I made prove that. To back up my claims, my favorite team isn’t even from the SEC. I go into these games with as much objectivity as I can. It’s as clear as day. Some people just have too much homerism in them to see that. But if you’re trying to engage yourself with best possible football to watch at the college level, then the SEC is the best one to watch. Hands. Down!

 

No matter what, there will always be debates as to who should be in the College Football Playoffs. However, as I was walking past a colleague the other day talking about the Playoffs before the selections were made, he made a great point “The four best teams should be in the playoffs, not whom people feel like should be in it.” And he was right. Three of the four best schools that played this year were rightfully selected, but the fourth spot is more controversial as it was given to University of Oklahoma who had one of the worst defenses in the country. There were many other teams that had much better defenses this season and were also great sides, however, Oklahoma got in. Is that fair?

Oklahoma got in with an incredibly productive offense, one of the best in history, and were led by Heisman winning quarterback Kyler Murray. However, the question is whether they would have been in the playoffs with that good of an offense had it not been for Murray. The offense was so good that they didn’t need to play all that great of defense to win games. But that leads to my next point, the Big 12. The conference had some strong sides like Texas, West Virginia, and Iowa State, but it’s a pretty weak conference of the Power Five. The SEC had eight sides in the Top 25 and it shows how great they are when Alabama obliterated Oklahoma last week in the first round of the playoffs. While it’s fun to watch Big 12 in terms of offense as there are shootouts in pretty much every game, it lacks defense. You can’t be considered an elite side if defense is not a strength.

And with the mention of the SEC, it leads to my next point: Georgia should have been the fourth side to make the playoffs. Georgia was undoubtedly the fourth best team in the country this season (maybe even third). Their offense was productive and their defense was outstanding. However, most people on the selection committee would have a hard time picking a school that had lost two games during the season. So let’s analyze that then. They lost one of their games to LSU on the road and LSU was ranked in the Top 15 and their last loss was in the SEC championship, at a neutral site, against Alabama, who is now playing in the Championship, and in that contest the Crimson Tide had to come back to win. That’s a pretty good resume, plus they won their contests in the best conference in the country including victories over three Top 25 opponents whom play in the same division. No bad losses eh? Sounds like a playoff team to me. One could argue a case that Alabama earned the right to not play Georgia after beating them in the SEC Championship, and that’s a great point, however, Georgia was clearly one of the four best in the country. Yes, they did lose to Texas in the Sugar Bowl (a Big 12 side no less), but they weren’t even playing at full strength and lost by only seven points. They didn’t play their best football in that game, but even then, they barely lost.

The only other side that might have had a chance at the fourth slot in the playoffs is Ohio State. The Buckeyes should have been a stronger contender for the fourth spot as they had a very talented roster. While they were a strong side, they had a very bad loss to Purdue earlier in the season 49-20, whom then went on to lose 63-14 to Auburn, an SEC side. That loss hurts even more now for the Buckeyes. And you could make a case for Michigan who’s defense was very good, but even they lost big to Ohio State 62-39 and were also blown out by University of Florida, another SEC team, 41-15.

The argument will only continue more for an expanded playoff system which I am in favor of. I think that will give a better representation of who the best teams are is more fair. But as of right now, we can only argue the current system rather than suggest a new one.

However, the selection committee needs to make better selections and more fair. There is too much bias and it’s very flawed. There needs to be more of an objective look at who should be in it or not.

Harold Baines might have had a very quiet career as he was arguably one of the more underrated players in Major League Baseball history. That being said, he was never elected to the Hall of Fame by the writers despite putting up numbers that were undoubtedly good enough to make the Hall of Fame.

Baines got his career started in 1980 with the White Sox and played until 2001. That’s 22 seasons. While he played a long time, he spent the majority of his career as a designated hitter due to his knee problems. While it is a ridiculous reason, some of the voters for the Hall of Fame have an issue with players who played mostly as a designated hitter. It’s a total bias because some can’t wrap their heads around the progression of the sport and that baseball is not in the 1920s anymore. They need to get with the times as the rule for the American League to have a DH was implemented in 1973 which means there have been a few generations born where all they have known, including myself, that the AL had the DH (nearly 50 years). That’s why former Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez has had such difficulty even garnering the necessary votes to get in despite his Hall of Fame worthy numbers because there are some people who can’t accept the new rules and letting their own biases getting in the way. If the only bias was based off numbers, then that’s totally fine, but not liking the DH? That’s silly. The designated hitter is a position/job, plain and simple. Players get inducted into the Hall of Fame based off their hitting statistics or pitching numbers, plain and simple. If fielding statistics were incorporated into the voting process, then would a lot of now Hall of Famers be in it? Or pitchers and their hitting statistics? Probably not, which only solidifies my point. Yes, he did play a long time, but he was productive in almost every season he played.

Baines had an awesome career. He had 2,866 hits (just short of the coveted 3,000 that essentially makes you a lock to become a Hall of Famer), 384 home runs, and 1,628 RBIs. His 1,652 games as a DH are a major league record, and had the most career home runs as a DH (236) until Martinez passed it. He also had the most career hits as a DH (1,688) until David Ortiz passed that mark as well. Baines was a six time All-Star and even led the AL in slugging percentage in 1984. He was also known to be a clutch hitter, but he also hit 13 grand slams and is tied for seventh in major league history in walk off home runs with 10. He was one of the most productive players in baseball in 1980s to mid 90s and he was so valuable that even the White Sox retired his number, while he was still playing.

Yes, he did play some outfield, but once his knees started to hurt him, it limited his ability to play, and he still was productive. He was also regarded as one of the more clutch players during his time, which is valuable. A lot of sabermetricians will say that there is no way to quantify being clutch because there aren’t numbers to back it up. Well, there actually is, but you also had to watch them to play to understand what it means to be clutch. That’s another reason why some writers never voted for him and that’s silly too.

Look, Baines is not your typical Hall of Fame player, but when you look just at the statistics (or even the few I mentioned), you will understand why he should be one. It’s not even a debate. Yes, he was unorthodox, but he was consistently productive even for as long as he played and people saw that. I even heard many people talk about how he should be a Hall of Famer right around the time he was retiring. That alone suggests that he was good enough to be considered to be one. People need to stop it with their personal biases about the sport, let the numbers do all the talking. If one such voter felt his numbers weren’t good enough, that’s fine, but it shouldn’t be based off biases. That being said, he was undoubtedly good enough to be a Hall of Famer and the Veteran’s Committee, who saw him play, agree too. So put the debate to rest.

Alabama vs Oklahoma

Oklahoma

The Sooners cruised through the Big 12 to earn their trip to the College Football Playoffs. However, not without controversy as people felt like they were not the fourth best team in the nation as they don’t have a strong defense. However, making up for that is how potent their offense is. Led by Heisman winner Kyler Murray, they have been the most prolific offense in College Football history. They are now here to prove all the pundits wrong and show why they deserve to be in the playoffs.

Alabama

If you are shocked to see the Crimson Tide in the College Football playoffs then you haven’t been paying attention to the sport all that much of late as they are led by probably the best head coach of all-time Nick Saban. Alabama has been simply unbeatable the last decade it seems like and to win, yet, another championship this year. This might be one of the more talented teams the Crimson Tide have had as they have a great quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa and their defense is incredible and will always give opposing offenses fits. Many are likely to see them as the absolute favorites in this game.

Predictions

James Rowe: Alabama. The Crimson Tide are just so good that it will be hard to not pick them. Sure, Oklahoma will score some points, but they have never faced as good of a defense like Alabama does. It will be a reality check for the Sooners as the Crimson Tide move on.

Notre Dame vs Clemson

Notre Dame

Ever hear the term “Defense wins championships?” Well the hope from the Fighting Irish faithful is that their team does exactly that as this has been their best team since 2012 and the defense had a lot to say about that. Also, their offense has been clinical of late after making a change at quarterback as Ian Book has made the offense more productive and effective. Some questioned whether they should be in the playoffs as well, but the fans know that their team most deservedly should be in there and look to shock everyone.

Clemson

Dabo Swinney has taken a good program into becoming a powerhouse. However, Swinney’s ability to find quarterback talent keeps showing after having Deshaun Watson lead them to a championship in the 2016 season and now a five-star recruit in Trevor Lawrence. Clemson also made a change at quarterback in the middle of the season which made their offense even better. Their defensive line wreaks havoc on many offenses and that will be a key point in this game. However, the Tigers might actually have the most talented team in the playoffs and could use all their skilled players to good use.

Predictions

James: Notre Dame. I was skeptical of Notre Dame most of the year, but every time I saw them play they impressed me more and more and they should be taken more serious. Their defense is incredible and it could hurt Clemson’s chances of getting any sort of rhythm on offense. While I think Clemson has the more talented team and could win this game as well, I think the Fighting Irish actually have more of a chance of winning then people think, plus I think they have a lot to prove. They will look to avenge their loss against Alabama from the 2012 championship.

I got a chance to work with Jim Riggleman in 2016 and I have nothing, but high regards for the man. He was very personable, smart, and brought a laid back presence, but was very old school with other methods. Some might consider what I might say about him to be biased, but after the recent decision of the Cincinnati Reds hiring David Bell to be manager, I can’t help but think that it was such a slap in the face to Riggleman after the job he did for them.

Riggleman took over the job as Reds’ manager when Bryan Price was fired after a miserable 3-15 start to the season. Price didn’t deserve to be fired either as he was never dealt a good hand for a team as they were not very good, however I do think a change was needed as I don’t believe Price’s managerial approach fit the club’s well with the players he had. Riggleman, on the other hand, was perfect as the players really liked him, he rallied the players well after a bad start to the season, and he did a good job just in general. The record (64-80) wouldn’t suggest that, but in the middle of the season, the Reds played like as if they were one of the best teams in baseball before slumping towards the end.

This season should have been an indication to the organization that Riggleman was their guy. For someone who didn’t have an offseason to prepare for the season, Riggleman impressed me. I always thought he was a solid manager, but with the club he had, it was the perfect fit especially with the club being so young. He also has been in the organization for a while as he managed in the minor leagues so he knows what the players are like and how they tick, plus he knows what the front office wants. People will point to his managerial record as to why he shouldn’t be the manager, but those same individuals probably never saw him manage those teams are basing their opinions off assumptions not observations. From my observations, he has done a nice job with two different franchises (Washington being the other one).

The Reds hired David Bell to be the manager as they exclaimed that they “got their guy.” While Buddy Bell, David’s father, claimed to have recused himself from the interview, something doesn’t smell right about it. I got the sense that they never wanted Riggleman in the first place and I also feel like Buddy Bell was pushing them to give his son a chance to prove himself. David Bell might be a good choice, I’m not knocking on him for anything, and it might have seemed like going out and getting fresh blood was the path they wanted to take, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the right one. In fact, normally I would be behind that type of logic as I always like seeing a hire from someone outside of the organization is the best course of action. Will David Bell be a good manager? From everything I’ve heard about him, he probably will. Is a good hire for the Reds? If what I’m hearing is true, it’s a good choice. However, it’s not the right one. Yes, I understand hiring a guy who is from Cincinnati sounds like a good idea, but that is always a gamble. Yes, after Dusty Baker was going to leave, Baker wanted Bell to take over as manager as did the organization before they decided to hire Price. But that doesn’t mean Baker was right

My hope is that Riggleman does land a managerial gig somewhere after it was announced that he won’t come back. I feel like he would feel slighted by the Reds for picking someone else after the good job he did in 2018. He deserves a shot at it.

I just cannot understand nor agree with the decision to not hire Riggleman, however, I respect the organization and the people running it a lot and hope things work out for them. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

As for Riggleman, maybe he will finally get the chance to prove himself and I hope he does because he deserves it. I heard a few teams need new managers this offseason anyways. Maybe they should call him in.