View My Seats

At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

Photo Credit for Header: Alex Foucre-Stimes

Monday Musings: A Quick Transition from Baseball to Football

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Can’t promise many more baseball centric Monday Musings now that the NFL is here. I’ll probably end up making it a few more weeks before taking the leap over to football. Until then, you’ll have to look elsewhere for some good old fashioned Cam Newton day after fawning.

A Quick Trip Around the Bases

1B – Someone mind telling me why MLB wouldn’t allow the Mets to play in FDNY & NYPD commemorative caps in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11? On the surface, this decision strikes me as totally out of touch with the spirit of remembrance and the healing power of baseball. Commisioner Selig has some serious explaining to do.

2B – Unbelievably, the Tampa Bay Rays have climbed all the way back into the wild card race and are poised to overtake the bruised and battle weary Boston Red Sox? With  the injuries piling up in Fenway, it’s a good thing Massachusetts requires all of its citizens to have health care. You can thank Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for that, although, if you were to ask him now about the program he created, he would probably either deny it or say it was a mistake.

3B – As of this morning, the Detroit Tigers are only 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees for best record in the AL and home field throughout the playoffs. If the Tigers do end up with the best record in the AL, file that under the category of reasons Justin Verlander should win both the Cy Young Award and MVP.

HR – For all that has gone wrong in Dodgertown this season – see the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt – some credit needs to be given to manager Don Mattingly for keeping things together both on and off the field. LA has an outside chance of overtaking the SF Giants for second place in the NL West, a feat deemed inconceivable at the start of the season. It also helps that the Dodgers have a leading MVP candidate – Matt Kemp – and Cy Young frontrunner – Clayton Kershaw.

Extra Bases – Here are a couple of clips that I enjoy revisiting on and around 9/11. Use the memory of those we lost that day as yet another reason to appreciate each and every day of your life.

view from “The Trop” courtesy of @BradGlovrr 

A Weekend of Watching

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On the occasional Friday I like to share with the viewing audience a list of sporting events that I’ll be watching over the weekend. Of course, my list isn’t all that different from what most of you will be watching so if you are looking for something a little more “alterna”, may I suggest you try the Speed and Fuel channels instead.

US Open Tennis: The rainy weather has added an extra element of patience, physical hardship to the already grueling fortnight of tennis. Looking forward to the Serena/Woz women’s semifinal on Sat night along with the Fed/Nole & Nadal/Roddick vs Murray/Isner men’s semi’s earlier that afternoon. Although, I’m not sure how I feel about the men’s final being moved to Monday afternoon at 4pm. Wouldn’t it make more sense to move the final to 7pm and put it up against MNF rather than have it run during the end of a long work day when most people are busy with a final round of emails before getting in the car for the evening commute? I guess this decision to air the final during the afternoon shows us the true influence of the NFL.

College Football: Saturday night is date night in the View My Seats household as husband, wife, and hopefully a sleeping son prepare to watch Notre Dame/Michigan in the first ever night game to be played at Michigan Stadium. Not sure why we need to build an entire evening around this game other than the fact that my wife is Catholic and she believes Notre Dame would eventually be an excellent choice for our 7 month old son. Never too early to start saving!

NFL Football: Opening weekend and tons of great games to watch. The matchup I am most excited for is the Ravens/Steelers heavyweight bought which, to be honest I’m surprised is being played in week 1. This is the type of heavy hitting rivalry best served in the colder months when the frost is on the pumpkin and both teams are fighting for a first round bye.

view from Arthur Ashe stadium courtesy of @hodakotb

View My Picks: NFL Week 1

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Nothing gets me jazzed up quite like the start of another NFL season and the weekly picks post. As usual, it’s probably best if these picks are taken with a grain of salt for I’m dealing with a severe lack of insight and insider knowledge.

Week 1 (home team in CAPS)

New Orleans (+4) over GREEN BAY – This is a three point game either way. Also can’t remember a better Thursday night opener than this matchup between the last two Super Bowl champs. You think Lambeau Field is ready for this game? In honor of the opener, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has offered extended furloughs to all state employees. Oh wait, that’s NOT just because of the start of the NFL season? My bad.

Pittsburgh (+2.5) over BALTIMORE – What if I told you that the Ravens may not even finish second in their division? Or that David Garrard finishes the year as the Baltimore starting QB. And what if I told you that I just finished Season 2 of The Wire? I’m a little late to the party I understand, but I’m trying to catch up in a shallow attempt to regain some sort of street cred and also to help me understand what in the hell Jason Whitlock and Bill Simmons are talking about.

TAMPA BAY (-1.5) over Detroit – Just let your soul glow!!! (Yes, I know, I’ve used this Josh Freeman looks like Eriq La Salle from Coming to America before but when something works it works.)

Atlanta (-3) over CHICAGO – Some of you may remember that earlier this summer I made a pledge to not make fun of Jay Cutler and the “knee injury” that occurred during the NFC Championship game against the Packers. However, in the absence of anything really interesting to say about the Bears or this game, let me just point out that the Bears have in fact installed 4 new exercises bikes on the 40 yard line.

Buffalo (+5.5) over KANSAS CITY – I smell a revival for the Bills and the entire city of Buffalo. If Pittsburgh can turn itself into an affordable hipster alternative to Brooklyn/San Fran, what’s stopping Buffalo from emerging as the next trendy haunt? I’m also riding these sweet new Bills uniforms until the first Fitzpatrick interception returned for a touchdown.

Indianapolis (+8.5) over HOUSTON – Texas, we’ve had our differences before but if I could, I would bottle up all the rain we’re getting here in the northeast and ship it down to the parts of your state hardest hit by the ongoing drought/fires.

Philadelphia (-5) over ST. LOUIS – Lots of “pickers” smell an upset brewing in STL this weekend which is usually enough of a reason to stay away from this game completely.

Cincinnati (+6.5) over CLEVELAND – Upset special!!!! Upset special!!!! Bengals 17 Browns 14. Andy Dalton becomes the most popular red headed athlete in Cincinnati since Bobby Brannen.

Tennessee (+2) over JACKSONVILLE – Put me with the group of people who don’t think the Titans will be as bad as everyone else is saying. Also, do you really want to put your faith and money in the trusted right arm of Luke McCown?

NY Giants (-3) over WASHINGTON – I’m making Rex Grossman earn it for at least the first week.

ARIZONA (-7) over Carolina – Tough position for the rookie Cam Newton. He will however be starting his first career NFL game in the spot where he won the BCS National Championship with the Auburn Tigers last January.

Seattle (+5) over SAN FRANCISCO – Let the battle for Andrew Luck begin!

Minnesota (+8.5) over SAN DIEGO – Philip Rivers use to be my least favorite QB in the NFL but now that he’s on my fantasy football team, I feel like I should probably root for the guy to put up some big numbers. But don’t expect me to like it.

NEW YORK JETS (-4.5) over Dallas – At a neutral site this game is probably Jets (-2.5) but since this game will be played in the Meadowlands on the 10 anniversary of 9/11, (-7) for the team from New York feels about right.

New England (-7) over MIAMI – Usually this game is played under much more adverse conditions when the South Florida sun is blazing and the Patriots defense gives up a late TD. But 7pm Monday night is an ideal time for the high powered NE offense to kick into gear.

DENVER (-3) over Oakland – It’s not often that a 4th string QB has one of the highest selling jersey’s in the NFL.

view from Lambeau Field courtesy of twittaholic @darrenrovell

The Fishbowl Known as Arthur Ashe Stadium

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All of this rain is starting to make the northeast look and feel like an episode of The Killing, minus the circular storylines and uninspiring character development. We shouldn’t complain however because the poor folks of Bastrop, Texas would certainly appreciate some of this precipitation down in their corner of the country.

In any case, the weather is once again altering the schedule of several major sporting events, namely the US Open in Flushing Meadows, NY. Today, weather pending, will bring one of the healthiest, most robust schedules ever rolled out at a major tournament with every player remaining in the men’s and women’s draws taking the court. For instance, on Arthur Ashe Stadium today you have in order: Rafa, Djokovic, Serena, and Federer. Not too shabby for a dreary Wednesday in early September.

This particular view comes from my buddy Brownie who was in Ashe Monday for Williams/Ivanovic and Tsonga/Fish. Seeing as it was his first experience at the US Open, he was amazed at the size of the stadium, which he said felt more like an arena than tennis court. On this particular day, there was a line of fans standing around the highest row of seats in Ashe, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Djokovic/Dolgopolov match taking place in the adjacent Louis Armstrong Stadium. No word as to whether or not Brownie was one of those onlookers, but judging from this view, and the apparent lack of leg room in the upper bowls of the arena, I’m guessing he took any and every opportunity to get up and stretch the legs. It’s like sitting coach on a JetBlue flight from JFK to San Juan. Just beware of the beverage cart!!!

 

Just Another Typical, Run of the Mill NFL Preview: AFC East

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Champs: New England Patriots (11-5)* – All you haters need to back off the criticism of Tom Brady for being the face of UGG for men. First of all, have you seen those things? They look like a really comfortable pair of cowboy boots. They look like the type of footwear Clint Eastwood would have really appreciated while filming a Sergio Leone spaghetti western in the Apennine mountains. And remember, according to your grandfather, no one has nor ever will ooze the same kind of rugged manliness as Dirty Harry.

On Deck: New York Jets (10-6)* – I just have this strange feeling that the Jets offense is going to miss WR Braylon Edwards much more than they realize. Plaxico Burress is a nice, redemptive story but after nearly two years in the clink, who knows how much he can actually contribute on the field. Of even greater concern, placing Greg McElroy on IR means the Jets will now have to find a different backup to hold the third string quarterback clipboard. I have always wondered what they are writing down on those things anyway. Could just be a couple of reserves playing a game of “hangman” or maybe doing the crossword puzzle.

Limbo: Buffalo Bills (7-9) – Ryan Fitzpatrick is the best quarterback to come out of the Ivy League since Jay Fiedler. Speaking of the former Dartmouth College great, did you know that Fiedler was close childhood friends with former New York Knicks enforcer Anthony Mason? That would be like Fitzy and Buffalo WR Stevie Johnson attending the same preschool.

Chumps: Miami Dolphins (5-11) – There’s a chance, repeat chance, that the Dolphins are in postion to take Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the 1st pick in the 2012 draft. Of course that would have to mean that the 2011 season is a complete disaster for a team that only a few years ago was considered one of the favorites to win the AFC East. Oh how the average have fallen.

Fantasy Sleepers – Brandon Marshall (WR, Miami), Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, Buffalo), BenJarvus Green-Ellis (RB, New England)

Ready for Primetime Games – 9/11: Dallas @ NY Jets, 9/12: New England @ Miami, 10/2: New York @ Baltimore, 10/17: Miami @ NY Jets, 11/13: New England @ NY Jets, 11/17: NY Jets @ Denver, 11/21: Kansas City @ New England, 12/4: Indianapolis @ New England

*denotes playoff team

view from Dolphins/Cowboys courtesy of @Rontina