Division Series predictions…

After going 6-for-7 in my baseball post season series predictions last year, I’m sure loyal Orange Couch readers are on the edge of their seats to see what I think about this year (or not).

So…here we go…

Cubs vs Dodgers: Here’s all you need to know about the Dodgers – theyr’e starting Derek Lowe in game one.  That’s not a good sign.  Meanwhile, the Cubs pitching is really good and I’m a big fan of their lineup.  I think Chicago is the best team in the NL, so I’ll take the CUBS IN THREE.

Brewers vs Phillies: The Colorado Rockies totally swayed on the “hot team” theory last year.  I never really bought into that, and then the Rockies made the entire NL look pretty foolish in the playoffs.  So with that said – I think the Brewers are this year’s Rockies.  Sabathia is awesome – he’s worth two wins.  They only need one more, and I think they get it.  I like the BREWERS IN FIVE.

White Sox vs Rays: Nice job by the White Sox winning a GREAT playoff game tonight.  I hope they enjoy it, because that’s about all they’re going to win. I really like the Rays pitching – Kazmir, Shields, Garza – and the White Sox lineup didn’t impress me.  RAYS IN THREE.

Red Sox vs Angels: As if you didn’t know – I’m a Red Sox fan.  So am I biased?  You bet.  But with my head – not my heart – I think the Red Sox are winning this series.  I know the Angels won 100 games, but I’m not sold on them.  And – you may have noticed in my previous three previews – I think pitching is key in the playoffs.  The Angels have none – the Red Sox have a lot.  The lineups are a wash.  So I’ll take the RED SOX IN FOUR.

   kevin

arena football logos…

Bob found a site full of sports team logos – sportslogo.net – and I’m completely hooked on it.  The has logos, alternate logos, and even some jerseys.  Its not quite wikipedia-addictive, but its close.

I was looking up the old logo for the Albany Firebirds – the arena football team my dad and I had season tickets for when I was growing up – and quickly noticed the AFL had some ugly, ugly logos. 

Here’s proof:

The Memphis Pharaohs. Ugly colors, ugly logo.

 

 

The San Antonio Force and Sacamento Attack didn’t even have logos.  Just words.  Seems lazy to me.

 

The Minnesota Fighting Pike.  Its not as much the logo here, but the team name that’s so rough.  Fighting Pike?? 

And…the worst of the worst….

The Miami Vise.  Pretty much everything is wrong with this.  First: vise.  VISE?  That thing you use to clamp wood?  That’s a team name!?!?!  Second:  What is that thing?  The site says “black vise in a yellow circle”.  Really?  That’s a vise?  I might not have been the king of shop class, but I’m pretty sure that’s NOT what a vise looks like.  And really – would anyone buy a shirt with that logo on it?  WORST LOGO/TEAM NAME EVER. 

Anyways…I really like the site, so maybe we’ll do a logo post every now and then.  If you find one you like/hate – any sport – post it in the comments.

    kevin

he’s next…

After watching Hoggard grad Connor Barth just miss out on making the Kansas City Chiefs roster, I got to thinking…who will be the next local product to make it big.

I’m sold on Nate Irving.

High School Nate

He’s a beast.

The kid out of Wallace-Rose Hill high school is becoming a man-child right in front of our eyes.  Already this season he’s been the ACC’s defensive back of the week.  He’s leading the Wolfpack in tackles and interceptions.  He’s also among the best in the nation when it comes to picking off the pig, and he’s always throwing himself around the field.

Or other people.

If you didn’t see it, he stood up an East Carolina running back late in the first quarter of last weekend’s game, drove him backwards for a loss, then picked him up and flung him backward.  It was unreal.  (I’ll see if Kevin can attach it, I’m not web-savvy enough)

So if you’re watching an NCST game this fall, look out for number 56 (he’s injured right now, ankle) and you can join me later thinking, “I remember when…”

This just in….

Bridget from “The Girls Next Door” is not married.

the girls next door are moving out…

I’ll admit it - “The Girls Next Door” is one of my favorite TV shows.  I mean really – what’s not to like?  Its three girls running around the Playboy Mansion.  SOLD.  That’s enough for me.

But the show is falling apart right in front of our eyes.

• Kendra is dating some guy on the Philadelphia Eagles that I’ve never heard of
• Holly has moved out because she’s dating Criss Angel.  CRISS ANGEL???
• Bridget is married!!

Something tells me Hugh Hefner will survive all this.

Elsewhere…

* Good to see the Red Sox making the playoffs.  Looks like they’ll be the Wild Card and have to face off with the Angels first.  Even though LAofA has cruised through the Regular Season, I still think Boston can take them down – mainly because of pitching. 

* Topsail High is STILL not in the Top Ten of the AP Poll.  Obviously the problem is they’ve been so bad for so long, that voters who don’t see them don’t know how to vote.  One voter who was at this past Friday’s game was finally swayed.   One down – 13 voters to go.

Just remember – when Topsail is in the State Championship, I’ll be the guy with the big sign that reads “I saw this coming after the first week of the season”. 

* Criss Angel??  REALLY??

     kevin

the british are not happy…

This weekend confirmed that the Ryder Cup is my favorite sporting event.  The team aspect, the U.S. vs Europe angle, the passion the guys play with – its all awesome.  I just wish the next one wasn’t two years away.

And after losing – its safe to say the British are not handling this well.  Nick Faldo is getting killed by “The Sun”, a newspaper in London.  There is even an article – “Six Cock-Ups by captain Faldo“.  I’m not sure what a “cock-up” is, but I’m pretty sure its not a compliment. 

And – of course – it wouldn’t be a Ryder Cup without the Euros crying about the American fans.  Said Lee Westwood:  “I have been abused from start to finish. Some of the stuff that’s been said to me this week is shameful.”    What a loser.

   kevin

Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

great week ahead…

I love the Ryder Cup.  I wish it started on Thursday since I have that day off, but I’ll take to watching it Friday morning before work – and then I’m sure it will be on in the office all weekend.  Hopefully the US can at least keep it close this year – 2006 was a bit of a joke.

*Topsail High STILL isn’t in the top 10 in the High School AP Poll.  And Wallace-Rose Hill IS still there.  I just don’t get it.  How do I get a vote??  Who do I need to talk to about this??

*A new restaurant is opening down the street from me and – THANK GOD – its going to be a Mexican Restaurant.  Its just what Wilmington needs – bringing the grand total of Mexican restaurants in this city to about 236,000.  I have no idea how all these survive.

    kevin

Ryder Cup: AP Photo/Ed Reinke

this just got interesting…

Greg Biffle?!?!?  Where did that come from?

Add to that Kyle Busch’s meltdown midway through the race – and suddenly “The Chase” is wide open.  

I still like Jimmie Johnson - but suddenly Biffle is a serious contender.  Don’t forget he’s a former Busch and Truck series champ, so maybe this is his year to make “the leap.”

   kevin

AP Photo/Josh Gibney

i’ll take jimmie.

I don’t have some magic spreadsheet that tells me who is going to win every NASCAR race, but when the Chase begins on Sunday – count me among the guys that thinks Jimmie Johnson is going to walk away with the title again.

I can’t see how you could possibly bet against him.  I’ll admit Kyle Busch’s year has been amazing so far, its cool when Carl Edwards does the back flips, and lots of people are rooting for Dale Jr (not me – in fact ANYONE but Dale Jr for me).  But I’ll take Jimmie Johnson.  He’s proven he can win “The Chase” – and not only that - he’s proven it two years in a row.  Until someone beats him and Chad Knaus, I don’t see how he’s not the favorite.

*Thank you to the Topsail High football team for not making me look like an idiot just a few days after my “they’re one of the best teams in the state” post.  The Pirates looked awesome again tonight, destroying Swansboro in the game I was at.  Not only that – they looked really good even while their best player – Shawn Sidbury - was out with a “foot injury”.  I’ve been on the Topsail bandwagon since I saw them in week one and I have a feeling its about to get very crowded on there.

*I have a small pet peeve with high school referees.  Here’s the deal – the rule is photographers have to be behind a certain white line on the sidelines and not in the coaching box.  But here’s the problem – about 2% of the refs enforce this rule.  So – basically – no photographers (including me) follow the rule because no one says anything and standing where we’re supposed to means we get a terrible angle of the action and our pictures/video look like we’re about a mile away.

At Topsail tonight – they decided it was a rule again.  Topsail got a “Sideline Warning” because of it – and then head coach Bryan Davis was furious and yelled to all of us to get out of the box (as he had every right to).  Sadly – its not really our fault because its rarely enforced.  So refs – either enforce the rule at every game – or drop it.  Its not fair to anyone.

*I think USC beats Ohio State by about 21 points on Saturday.

*If someone wants to order the Washington Redskins cheerleader calendar for Bob and I, I don’t think we’d refuse.

Only because we like football.  No other reason.

    kevin

NASCAR PHOTO: Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

cool???

We know that ladies love cool James, but apparently so do little kids. 

Well, at least the folks at Sears have been sold on the idea that they love how he dresses.  Sears has started selling LL Cool J clothing.  The good news for you ladies out there, LL’s got something for you too.

I can’t wait for the Vanilla Ice line to hit K-Mart.

about those picks…

*So remember those NFL predictions I gave last week?  Yeah – nevermind.  Something tells me the Patriots won’t be lifting the Lombardi Trophy.  That “something” is – of course – the photo above.

*What is Lance Armstrong doing?  Why would he come back and possibly ruin his legacy?  Its not like he needs the money.  He’s in all those Dick’s Sporting Goods ads and selling some sort of bizarre energy something-or-other on several internet pages. 

*Billy Wagner is out for all of this season and next season (my fantasy team crumbles) – but my favorite part of the AP Story was this line: ”Wagner, a 37-year-old left-hander, is owed $10.5 million next year.”   Good financial planning – Wagner will get paid that much to sit around and do nothing in 2009.

*I don’t get a vote in the AP High School football poll, but I’ve seen both Topsail and Wallace-Rose Hill and there is no way WRH is better than Topsail.  In fact – I’d say Topsail would beat them by about 35 points.  But WRH is 6th and Topsail is 19th in the poll just released today.  I’ll be curious to see those polls at the end of the year.

   kevin

Tom Brady photo: AP Photo/Winslow Townson