The Dugout - November 5
San Fran Geezies
The San Francisco Giants are the 2014 Baseball World Series Champions, beating the Kansas City Royals in 7 games, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Madison Bumgarner.
That makes it 3 World Series titles in 5 years for the Giants. They’ve never really felt like the runaway best team in baseball during that stretch, yet have consistently put up great seasons. 92 wins in 2010, 94 in 2012 and 88 this year. Famously they did it from a wildcard spot this season, which just goes to show that all you have to do is get into the playoffs by whatever means and anything can happen. Especially with this kind of postseason experience. Before winning in 2010, this storied team had gone since 1954 without a title (back then they were still known as the New York Giants), and now they seem to win it every second year.
The New York Yankees were the last team this successful in such a stretch of time. They won 4 in 5 years back in the glory days of the late 1990s. Oakland won 3 in a row between 1972-74, and if you go back far enough you reach the unprecedented success that the Yankees had in the 1930s, 40s, 50s and early 60s, claiming 16 World Series in the span of 27 years (1936-1962).
Fair to say this is a ridiculously tough competition to find repeat success in. This San Francisco Giants side is a legitimate dynasty.
These are the nine players that won rings with all three SFG championship sides:
- Pablo Sandoval
- Buster Posey
- Sergio Romo
- Madison Bumgarner
- Tim Lincecum
- Jeremy Affeldt
- Santiago Casilla
- Javier Lopez
- Matt Cain
Stuff That Happened: NFL Week 9
It started late last week when the New Orleans Saints finally won an away game. I’d given up on them in my NFL picks a couple weeks back coz I just couldn’t figure them out. After wins against Green Bay and Carolina sending them top of their division (albeit with a 4-4 record) it turns out they’re sorta decent after all.
Tampa Bay is a terrible team but it took a fourth quarter TD from Brian Hoyer to get the Browns past them. The Jaguars are also terrible, but at least Blake Bortles is a solid prospect, he threw a couple TDs to keep things dignified in their 33-23 loss to the Bengals, who were buoyed by the return of AJ Green. The KC Chiefs had zero problems in taking care of the NY Jets, who had Mike Vick injured and finished the game with their third string QB. This Anthony Fasano TD is the sort of thing that could only happen against the Jets. He scores from his ass! Haha.
In case you didn’t hear, Ryan Tannehill is good now. His Dolphins routed the Chargers 37-0. This is a Chargers team that put 30 on Seattle earlier this year, they’ve now lost 3 in a row with a bye on the horizon. Phil Rivers barely got above 50% completion, throwing just 138 yards for 0 TDs and 3 INTs and a strip-sack lost.
Tony Romo was hurt and therefore so were the Cowboys. Brandon Weeden started and was generally awful as the Cardinals ran away with a close game late on to improve to 7-1, the only 1 loss team remaining. Philadelphia got a win in Houston thanks to Mark Sanchez. Yeah, truly. He came in for the injured Nick Foles and guided the Eagles past Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Texans. Arian Foster got hurt in that one too. Teddy Bridgewater held off RG3 in his return, the Vikes taking that one by 3 while Seattle were far too good for Oakland and San Francisco blew one against St Louis, getting sacked about a thousand times then fumbling the game winner as time ticked over. The Colts were too good for the woeful Giants, while Big Ben Roethlisberger continued his recent dominance with 6 TDs against Baltimore.
And of course…
Brady vs Manning XVII
The two greatest quarterbacks of their generation, a rivalry defined not only by their separate successes but also their comparative differences. A flashy natural versus a determined perfectionist. In their head to head history it actually hasn’t been that close, Brady winning 12 of the 16 clashes, though most recently Manning’s Broncos beat the Pats in the AFC Championship game last season. The Patriots were on a resurgence yet it was the Broncos favoured despite playing in Foxborough… just the fourth away favourite from the bookies in New England since 2002!
Well, this one went the way most of the others went. In fact it was one of Brady’s biggest wins over Peyton ever, 43-21. Both QBs threw for plenty, though Peyton was picked off twice. New England shut down Denver’s run and did some nice things on special teams, most notably Julian Edelman’s 84 yard punt return TD. The Broncos are still the team to beat, having adapted their team to cover all the weaknesses exposed by the Seahawks in the Superbowl last season. Whereas the Patriots have built a team specifically to take down the Broncos and then ride their luck/Brady’s talent against whoever else.
Also, Rob Gronkowski made one of the catches of the season.
NFL Week 9 Power Rankings:
- Denver Broncos
- Arizona Cardinals
- New England Patriots
- Dallas Cowboys
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Indianapolis Colts
- Detroit Lions
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Seattle Seahawks
- San Diego Chargers
Kneejerk NBA Reactions
- With Durant hurt and LeBron sharing the load, Blake Griffin is a genuine MVP candidate
- Dallas are gonna score 110 points a game
- The OKC Thunder need a better physio or an exorcist
- Having said that, Perry Jones can ball
- Kobe Bryant is back
- 90% of people wouldn’t know the difference between the names on the Philadelphia 76ers and the cast of The Wire
- Derrick Rose’s salary still doesn’t match his cost to the Bulls with their constant restocking of cotton wool supplies
- The Grizzlies are legit. Marc Gasol & Z-Bo are putting up, like, 40/20 between them every night
- Chris Bosh is a better player without LeBron – worse team but better player
- DeMarcus Cousins is ready
Run DMC: Dirk, Monta & Chandler
Lance Stephenson is a Walking, Talking Meme
You Know When You’re A Kid And You Momentarily Forget Which Way You’re Playing?
Goran Dragic is a Fiend
This Guy Played Against the NZ Breakers Last Season
Don’t Really Blame Them
Vince Wilfork, Spherical Being, Swanging That Chain
Quote of the Week:
"I think there is a nice proverb in English, don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord has split you"
That’s Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who is always immensely quotable, talking about the franchise’s split with former coach Jason Kidd. So, read it again in a Russian accent. He also had this to offer:
Good Week:
Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) – In another week this would be all about him. I’ll admit I had some scepticism over GSW basically cancelling a trade for Kevin Love because they wanted to keep KT so desperately. They gave him a US$70m extension to his rookie contract this week and he responded with a career high 41 against the Lakers, then 29 against Portland including this go-ahead shot with 8.7 seconds remaining.
Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – The only man to ever throw 12 TDs in 2 games, after he followed up his 6 against the Colts with another half dozen against the Ravens. To quote some immortal words, “I hate you Ben Roethlisberger. From deep down in my stomach, with every inch of me, I pure, straight hate you. But goddammit, do I respect you!”
Ryan Tannehill (Miami Dolphins) – After three weeks of mediocrity, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin flirted with dumping Tannehill. Ever since the MD QB has passed at over 68% completion with 10 TDs and 4 INTs. Tell ya what, he’s a sneaky good runner too.
Bad Week:
Kansas City Royals Fans – Just remember the good, fellas. A single base away from tying that final game, it was a near perfect postseason yet they came up just short. A single base. That’s all the difference between the teams, you can’t come any closer than that. But it’s better to lose like that than by a soul-crushing choke. Trust me, I’m a Rangers fan.
Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers) – More like Crap-ernick, amiright? With victory in sights for the 49ers, Kap fumbles at the goal-line trying for the old QB sneak-a-roo. Granted it was inconclusive whether or not he crossed the plane first, but still. Shoulda been bread and butter. He’ll learn from it.
The Dallas Cowboys PR Team – Whoever came up with this hashtag should start looking for new employment.
Player of the Week:
Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco Giants) – As dominating a Playoff stretch as I have ever seen. It’s not just that he was completely on point for the entire postseason, it’s that he was SO on point that it was a genuine shock whenever he gave up a single hit. For a whole MONTH! He only gave up one run in his 21 WS innings pitched, and it came with a massive lead already in tow. Here are his incredible postseason numbers in 2014, as well as his career World Series stats.
Upcoming Dates (NZ Time):
January 4 - NFL Playoffs Begin
February 2 - Superbowl XLIX
February 16 - NBA All Star Game