Price, Rays Sweep Sox

David Price continues his Cy Young-like season by downing the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night allowing 8 hits, 2 earned runs, and striking out 10 in 7.2 innings pitched as the Rays completed the 3-game sweep 6-4. Price earned his 12th win of the season and is currently the front-runner to start for the A.L. in this Tuesday’s (7/13) All-Star game in Anaheim. This is such an unbelievable feat for a Rays pitcher and further gives the team and organization much deserved notoriety.

Hopefully Longo’s bomb in the 4th inning on the 1st pitch he saw from Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield helps snap him out of this mini slump that he’s currently fighting off. The team went 3 for 12 with men in scoring position, which isn’t great, but it got the job done. Leaving Sean Rodriquez stranded on 3rd base with no one out during the bottom of the 2nd inning could have been a major blow, but with Price in the zone the Sox didn’t sniff a run until the 6th inning and Tampa had a solid lead by then.

Things did get hairy during the top of the 9th when Boston put up two more runs making it 6-4. Randy Choate gave up a single to J.D. Drew and Matt Garza came in to try and close the game out. Drew stole 2nd on indifference and Garza gave up a huge double to Darnell McDonald scoring Drew. Garza then walked Big Papi. With men on 1st and 2nd, 2 outs, and Garza clearly struggling, Kevin Youkilis had a chance to be a hero, but popped out to B.J. Upton to end the game. The Trop was truly electric and it felt good to see Sox fans leave with their heads down and mouths shut. If I had to hear, “Let’s go, Red Sox!” one more time, my head was going to explode.

The controversy of the night came in the top of the 9th when Rays skipper Joe Maddon decided to go with Matt Garza as his closer. I had no problem with this. Garza struggled during Monday night’s game and was benched early. He was probably the freshest pitcher in the bullpen and the pen, especially closer Rafael Soriano, had been overworked since the Minnesota series during the holiday weekend. The knock on Garza is he’s a slow starter and it was too important of a situation to gamble on the hard-throwing righty, but he got the job done and that’s all that matters. No point second-guessing something that worked. Matt should be good to go for his slated start Saturday night.

Tampa Bay goes up against Cleveland in a 4-game set. Taking 3 of 4 against the Indians would carry huge momentum over through the All-Star break and it’s not something that’s out of the question. Hopefully the true Rays fans that showed up throughout the Red Sox series continue to show their support over the next few days.

Ponder's Heisman Campaign

I want to preface this with I’m a huge Christian Ponder fan. The senior quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles is an exemplary student-athlete and I believe he deserves all of the accolades in the world. He graduated with his Bachelor’s in two years and will have his MBA by the end of the college football season. He gets little to no recognition even though he has partaken in many community service outings within the state of Florida as well as his home state of Texas. The young man wasn’t highly recruited at all, but former FSU offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden saw something in the young signal-caller to give him a scholarship offer during one of the Seminoles’ high school camps. He went from an average quarterback as a sophomore to a star the following season and he is beloved by ‘Nole Nation. Depending on how well he does this season, many publications have Ponder as a late 1st to early 2nd round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. His Heisman Trophy campaign went viral (here) at midnight, July 7th and I think this is a horrible idea. Here’s why…

Florida State has been borderline mediocre for the past six seasons with only a handful of bright spots during this time. Obviously, one of these bright spots is Christian Ponder. With a bevy of weapons and an experienced offensive line, there’s no reason to believe Ponder can’t win the Heisman. Before his ‘09 season was ended early due to a shoulder injury, statistically he was one of the top QB’s in the nation. Well, now the Florida State Athletic Department has put a huge bulls-eye on Ponder’s back and teams will surely be gunning for him even more.

The ‘Noles were prime for a breakout season with a new, and fiery, head coach in Jimbo Fisher and a brand new defensive coordinator in Mark Stoops, who’ll be implementing a unique Cover-2 scheme that has never been utilized at FSU. This was supposed to be the year they got back on track and it was by flying under the radar that was going to help the Seminoles succeed. Teams already know how good Ponder is. No need to assist them and pump them up by showcasing this campaign. Now, there’s pressure on a kid when there wasn’t pressure before on a team that is still developing talent and trying to climb back in the right direction. Who actually thought this was a good idea?

I understand this is supposed to help recruiting because there’s a player in the spotlight that’ll be featured on ESPN daily and it’ll make the program more appealing, but this is a new age where highly touted recruits don’t care about that anymore. They’re in it for themselves. I’d say the majority of them want the spotlight, serve their three years, and go on to the NFL. If they happen to win a National Title during their college career then that’s a bonus.

Heisman campaigns are for Top-5 talent teams that actually have a shot at winning a National Championship, something the ‘Noles will not be playing in this season. The element of surprise has officially been exposed and FSU doesn’t have the defensive talent capable of taking some of the pressure off of Christian. He has what it takes between the ears and his physical attributes are clearly there, but a Heisman is truly won by a team and not just the individual. I honestly wish the young man luck and I hope that he proves me wrong, but this was a bad idea for FSU’s 2010 season.

tampaknucklehead@gmail.com

Rays Fans: Let's Support These Boys!

It’s embarrassing for a 1st place team to be welcomed home to an empty stadium. As of this last home stand, the Tampa Bay Rays are averaging 23,065 per home game--83 less attendees’ than last season’s final average. I’m certainly not going to complain about 83 people, but I will throw my arms up in the air at how the community isn’t banding together by going to the Trop to support the Rays. Last season’s team was a good ball club, and the ‘08 Rays were simply jaw-dropping, but this squad is shaping up to be much better than the ALCS Champs of ‘08 and the brass still can’t get fans to come to the games. Why is that?

The Rays have a superstar athlete and an all-star 3rd baseman in Evan Longoria who is easily the most recognizable face of the franchise. He’s on the cover of the MLB 2K10 video game, has nationally televised commercials, and is talked about on ESPN daily. He’s a good-looking young man that treats the media well and will be the Rays poster boy for years. Carl Crawford is just as recognizable as Longo. CC has been in commercials (Dick’s Sporting Goods commercial with Griffey Jr. and Torii Hunter) and has represented Tampa Bay in multiple all-star games, including winning the MVP trophy in last season’s all-star game. You’d think that would get fans excited to drive to the park and witness future greatness, but it’s not enough.

Andrew Friedman, the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Rays, is a regular guest on the nationally syndicated Jim Rome radio show and receives excellent feedback as well as glowing remarks from a host that won’t invite a guest again unless it’s a great interview. The conversation is always compelling and Friedman is an outstanding businessman that sees much potential in a once meager franchise. He’s done such an outstanding job and this organization has evolved light-years to the crap that it used to be before Friedman arrived.

As previously mentioned, the Baseball Tonight crew on ESPN geeks out and talks about the Rays being the best team in baseball nightly. All of this nationally positive pub and we can’t get a near sell out on a Wednesday night against the Oakland A’s? There’s something clearly wrong with this picture. There are hundreds of cities that would trade places with us in a heartbeat. So what’re the excuses?

The economy is horrific and I’m not going to dispute that in any way, but how is it that the Boston Red Sox sell out every game and the Los Angeles Dodgers have a near sell out? Both teams, as of this blog, are below .500. Is it because these teams have more tradition than the Rays? Probably, but we can’t build a tradition by sitting at home and not supporting the team. Are these cities recession proof? The economy is hammering the city of Detroit, but the Tiger’s attendance is still better than the Rays.

“The drive’s too far” is hilarious to me. I don’t even want to waste my time jotting down how dumb an argument that is because I’m sure we’ve heard the discussion ad naseum and rehashing it doesn’t help. Depending on where you are in Pinellas or Hillsborough County, the drive is anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. That is seriously nothing compared to what other fan’s franchises have to go through. I digress…

“This is a football town” is a great one too because there is so much football being played right now. Going to Rays games helps the summer fly by, especially with them winning. You’ll be watching the Bucs, Bulls, Gators, whoever in no time, so enjoy baseball while you can. What’s football even have to do with anything? It’s the off-season!

Don’t even come at me with, “It’s too expensive.” The Rays are considered the most affordable franchise, not just in baseball, but in all sports.

And before you say, “Well, Knucklehead, where have you been? Have you been going to the games?” I’m not rubbing this is anyone’s face because I’m certainly not a hypocrite and I believe in practicing what I preach, so come have an adult beverage with me in section 145 because I do have season tickets. I’m not saying blow your wallet on season tickets, but try and make the effort to go to two or three games with some friends or family this season.

Aren’t you tired of having Sternberg and Friedman beg for us to go to the games? Aren’t you sick to your stomach walking into the Trop and seeing more Red Sox and Yankee fans than Ray’s fans? Don’t you want a product you can be proud of and call your own? This isn’t some rally cry nor is it a threat, but if we all don’t do our part and contribute this team will be gone and we will regret it. Let’s not let it get to that. It’s time to stand up and support the Rays.

I'm Back!

I'm sorry I haven't posted here in awhile. My blogs could be seen on the What's Hot Tampa Bay website, but there's a new site and it's still being tweaked, so you can catch up on my blogs with my beta, "old school" Knucklehead site.

Enjoy!

National Signing Day

National Signing Day has come and gone and four of the major universities in the state of Florida did an outstanding job of not only filling needs with talented prospects, but also receiving letters of intent from good character students who look to make their new destinations proud. I’m going to break down these schools and their prospects…

University of South Florida

The Bulls typically get FSU and UF’s leftovers, but the South Florida staff has gotten extremely aggressive the past few seasons, stealing top defensive end recruit Ryne Giddens from Florida last season and ripping top cornerback Terrance Mitchell this season from Florida State. Mitchell is the top recruit in this class for USF and I expect him to compete for immediate playing time. Todd Chandler, from Miami, Florida, was once a University of Miami commitment, but signed his letter of intent with the Bulls. If Skip Holtz can establish a relationship with in the south Florida region, he’ll continue to build solid recruiting classes. The talent down there is unbelievable. Jamius Gunsby from LaGrange, Georgia, didn’t have the biggest offer sheet, but this kid can no doubt play quarterback. Rivals has South Florida ranked 64th and Scout has them ranked 50th. Don’t let these rankings discourage. This is a good 1st class for Holtz and they’ll only get better.

University of Miami

The ‘Canes are known for bringing in top tier talent without even trying and this season is no different. They can recruit central and south Florida and easily compete in the ACC, but if they want to make a splash on the national level they have to be able to get the elite talent from both the state of Florida and the nation. Offensive lineman Brandon Linder is the top prospect in this seasons class. Linder is a physical specimen (6’6”, 290 lbs) and can play any position on the offensive line. His St. Thomas Aquinas teammate, Keion Payne, is a big cornerback and has the tools to face some of the taller wide outs in college. Running back Storm Johnson is a man among boys. This young athlete looks NFL ready now with his physical stature and speed. Expect him to be the opening day starter if Greg Cooper struggles rehabbing from his knee injury. Rivals ranks UM 24th and Scout has them at 17th. This’ll be the class critic’s look back at if Shannon fails a year or two from now.

Florida State University

The Seminoles seem to have a knack for recruiting incredible high school athletes that don’t pan out. Whether it’s coaching or the player, new head coach Jimbo Fisher is making it his mission to get these kids prepared for the collegiate level. Linebacker Christian Jones is the prized jewel of this seasons class. This kid is a beast of a football player. Size, speed, moves laterally with ease, and will absolutely lay the lumber on opposing running backs. Problem is he’s a big kid (6’4”, 220) and may grow into a defensive end. Regardless, it’s a good problem to have. Lamarcus Joyner from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, is considered to be one of the top 1 or 2 cornerbacks in the nation and is such a phenomenal athlete; most expect this young dynamo to play both sides of the ball. An intriguing prospect is defensive lineman Bjoern Werner. Werner hails from Germany and came to the United States three years ago as part of an international exchange program set up by USA Football. ‘Nole fans are excited to see what this young man will accomplish in the future. Rivals and Scout ranked FSU 10th and ESPN ranked them 6th. Jimbo Fisher put together a great 1st class and most of these kids will contribute in 2010.

University of Florida

Ever hear of the term, “The rich get richer?” Florida pulled in an unbelievable class. Basically, take all of the top talent at pretty much every position and place them at UF. That’s how astonishing this class is for the ’08 National Champs. I’d love to give you a few names like I have for every other school, but literally every prospect has superstar potential. Once Meyer comes back from his leave of absence, he can take his pick of who’ll play and who’ll redshirt, which is not a bad thing at all. The Gator’s depth with be something every school fears. Both ESPN and Rivals consider Ronald Powell out of Moreno Valley, California, the top overall prospect in the nation and he can play multiple positions, including defensive end, linebacker, or tight end. A “freak” sums this kid up. Matt Elam out of West Palm Beach is another athlete who can play many positions. He has been compared to FSU and Buccaneer legend Derrick Brooks, but linebacker is only one of many positions he excels at. Safety may be his final destination, but he is an established running back as well. Rivals has UF ranked 2nd and Scout and ESPN have the Gators as the top recruiting class in the nation. Like I said earlier, Meyer can redshirt all of these kids and it’ll not affect his program. The best athletes will get on the field though.

That’s about it. Check out the aforementioned sites and research your favorite team(s) to learn more about your incoming classes. Just think, only 6 more months until college football starts back up. Ugh…

Is The Pro Bowl Enjoyable?

No, really, is it? Is there anything more meaningless than seeing some of the best players in the NFL go half-speed and pretend to be enjoying themselves? Is it even really the best players in the NFL taking part of this game? Hasn’t the Pro Bowl become more of a popularity contest than anything? Manning and Brees weren’t participating. I know they’re playing in the Super Bowl, but then the NFL shouldn’t label the Pro Bowl as an “All-Star” game. Heck, some of the guys elected to the Pro Bowl didn’t even want to play in the game. How is that supposed make fans watch? Seeing superstars like Matt Schaub and Johnny Knox made the game so compelling and competitive, I didn’t want to switch to the Grammy’s at all. William Hung thought that some of the players weren’t talented.

Hasn’t the NFL gone too far with this Pro Bowl stuff? No one cares and they’re shoving it down our throats. I guess we should be grateful because it’s football and the season’s almost over and we should take what we can get, but no one even attempts to compete during the game. You’re trying to tell me Asante Samuel easily bit on a double-move by Andre Johnson. Samuel has seen that act a thousand times. I’m pretty sure he wanted to get in the game for a few series, do as little as possible, and bench himself before he could potentially get hurt.

If the NFL is that serious about having competitive football before the Super Bowl than here’s my advice: have a Pro Bowl team, but make it more of an honor than an actual game. Then, the week before the Super Bowl, have the collegiate Senior Bowl played at the location of the Super Bowl. I believe the NFL holds the rights to the Senior Bowl anyway. Fans will actually get a chance to see kids who WANT to compete for obvious reasons and it would be somewhat enjoyable. And before you say, “You can’t make money off of these kids. That’s an NCAA violation.” If you really think the NFL doesn’t exploit and make money off of these kids then you’re not exactly the brightest crayon in the box. Once a collegiate player’s eligibility is up, they’re fair game.

Maybe my idea’s stupid. I don’t know. The Pro Bowl is just as dumb of an idea. Get rid of it. No one cares. Now, I’m going back to watching the Grammy’s.

Sorry for the lack of blogs...

I'm now writing for "What's Hot Tampa Bay," so catch all of my blogs there as well!