Fire from the Hip: Thoughts on Sports & Real Life

With little to do on this Saturday morning, I racked my brain for interesting topics worth exploring on the blog. Then it hit me: Big Red. Was there ever a more appropriate story to offer readers insight into my life besides the tale of the gorgeous 1997 Town and Country with leather interior? With that as a lead-in, I begin the true story of Big Red.

As I waited for my mother to pick me up from the Arbor Hills gymnasium, I sat depressed on the curb. Having just been cut during junior high basketball squad tryouts, I wondered whether life could be any worse. I was an awkward kid during those years, hard to believe I know. As I sat on that lonely curb, I contemplated what life had in store for me, now that I wasn't going to be a professional basketball player and professional football player. Suddenly, entering the parking lot, my eyes were drawn to a dazzling red mini-van, making its way towards me with mediocre acceleration. But we had a '87 Chrysler Grand Voyager, it couldn't be my chariot. But alas, it was my mother, and so Big Red entered my life. Buoyed by her appearence, I accepted my fate as an intramural basketball all-star for life.

In my pre-license years, my mother chaperoned most of the outings that Big Red and I shared. Being a big Indians fan, some of my fonder memories come from making the trek to Cleveland for October baseball. On our way to a playoff game, I decided that an Indians sticker ought to be put on the van to let others know about our allegiance to the Tribe. And so it was. Well conceived but poorly executed, the decal failed to show through the tinted windows, but there it stayed. Thus, the bond was cemented: Chief Wahoo, an emblem, of Big Red and I's relationship.

So there appears to be a new fad in baseball: play spectacular baseball from April to July, winning games at a record pace; then, coast to the finish, stumbling into the playoffs. Last year, the White Sox were the trend-setters. This year, the Tigers have topped the White Sox, having wasted their entire division lead and are tied with the Twins atop the AL Central with two games left. Not to be outdone, the St. Louis Cardinals have attempted to match the Tigers by losing 8 of 9 during the second half of September, turning their surefire division title into an interesting race with the Houston Astros in pursuit.

Spurred by an 18-7 record in June, the 2005 White Sox led the second-place Cleveland Indians by 15 games on August 1st. A 12-16 August and a blistering hot Indians team pared the comfortable division lead to two games by September 26th. Chicago's sportswriters and national media heightened the pressure, meticulously documenting the team's travails and predicting the total collapse of the team. Fiery manager Ozzy Guillen refocused the team and Chicago responded with five straight wins to end the season. Having overcome the late-season adversity, the White Sox used their season-ending surge to propel themselves through the 2005 playoffs. Chicago went 11-1 in the playoffs, sweeping the Houston Astros for their first World Series in 88 years.

Let's take a look at this year's version of the 2005 White Sox: the Detroit Tigers. With dominant pitching and timely hitting, Detroit was even more impressive in the first half of the season than Chicago the previous year. A 20-7 June put the Tigers in the record books for one of the strongest first halfs ever: 59-28, 31 games over .500 at the All Star Break! My, how they have come crashing back to Earth. With a record of 36-37 since the All Star Break, Detroit has squandered an 8.5 game lead since mid-August. Unlike the 2005 White Sox, the Tigers have continued their freefall in the final week of the season, dropping 2 out of 3 to Toronto before losing tonight against the lowly Royals at home in extra innings. Though Detroit has clinched a playoff spot, the team's pitching has tailed off in the past month. Justin Verlander, the young ace, has worn down in his first full season in the majors, and the bullpen has been a culprit as well, giving up late inning leads during this, the final homestand. Backpedaling into the playoffs in this manner, the Tigers will have their hands full in the Division Series matchup with either Oakland or the Yankees.

I would be remiss to ignore the feats of the Tigers National League partner in crime: the St. Louis Cardinals. With five guys hitting under .200 in the month of September and closer Jason Isringhausen out for the season and playoffs, the Cardinals, like Detroit, have blown an 8.5 game lead. What symmetry. But just one moment, the Cardinals have one-upped the Tigers by blowing this lead in nine days! That's right: the Cardinals led the Houston Astros by 8.5 games on September 20 before losing eight of nine. A win earlier this evening coupled with an Astros loss can help the Cardinals breath a little easier tonight with a 1.5 game lead. However, this team has significant issues that are worth discussing. With only one solid starter (Chris Carpenter) entering the playoffs, and without their closer, how far can this team really go? The answer: as far as MVP Albert Pujols can carry them. A friend recently asked me who I had as my NL MVP and here it is: Pujols. What Ryan Howard has done this year for the Phillies is certainly comparable but the Cardinals first basemen is literally carrying the team into the playoffs. His 3-run homer on Thursday night may have saved the season for the Cardinals. I think the team holds off the Astros but I just don't think Pujols can carry them past the NLCS this year. I won't rule out a Championship Series' appearance though, thanks to Pujols and a mediocre opponent.

The art of the faux-collapse, the 2005 Chicago White Sox showed the way for the 2006 Tigers and Cardinals. Unfortunately, these teams have not responded to the adversity and are fighting for their respective divisions. Even though I believe both teams will make the playoffs, I think their struggles late in the season are a foreshadowing of the uphill battle each team will face in the postseason.

I find it necessary to address the Cleveland Browns heart-breaking loss yesterday to the Baltimore Ravens, thanks to Matt Stover's 52 yard-field goal with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. A familiar sight to die-hard Browns fans took place Sunday afternoon: the Browns fought hard, put forth a good team effort, and still managed to lose the game in the final minute. Bemoaning the loss and feeling cursed, as every Browns fan does, I took to the internet, seeking solace and comfort in group therapy (a Cleveland Plain Dealer's Browns chatroom). However, what I found was disgruntled fans blindly calling for Head Coach Romeo Crennel's head, and owner Randy Lerner's too. Non sensical, sure, but nonetheless disturbing. Crennel has overseen this program for a mere 19 games and one would be foolish to argue that Lerner isn't willing to spend money on the team.
No, the problem is a culture of losing; a malady that has affected this team since the Browns won the 1964 championship. It isn't hard to see why fans, the media, and even players see this team as accursed. Art Modell's firing of Paul Brown, the team's namesake, and Jim Brown's early retirement at age 29 could be seen as early warning signs that this team had bad karma. Due to the absolutely devastating playoff losses to Oakland and Denver (twice in a row!) in the 1980s, the team became famous for legendary meltdowns. Since the Browns return to the NFL in 1999, (I don't want to get into the move right now) the team has managed to disappoint their fans repeatedly. In the sole playoff game the team has played since 1994, the team blew a 17-point lead to archrival Pittsburgh in a 36-33 loss. Futility has been the one constant for the new Browns. Three coaches, nine starting quarterbacks, and a myriad of other bizarre events have made the Browns one of the most fascinating teams to follow. Over the last seven years, I have witnessed: a 325 pound offensive lineman, after nearly being blinded by a penalty flag, attack a game official; a game turned riotous when fans pelted the field with glass beer bottles after an officiating gaffe, and a UFO defensive scheme that had the Browns front seven milling about at the line of scrimmage before each play.
With all that addressed, I could make a stronger argument that the Red Sox until 2004 were more cursed than the Browns. They had some tangible reason for their curse," referring to the trade that sent Babe Ruth to archnemesis New York. 86 years, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone are just a few of Boston's cursed moments. So, trying to keep this succint, I will argue that the Browns are trying to build a team that refuses to accept this supposed jinx. Unfortunately, some players and fans are still struggling to shed that belief. Yesterday, every Browns fan, and I want to hear from those who didn’t feel this way, felt like the Browns would lose the game after Chris McAllister’s interception. Braylon Edwards has talked openly recently about the difficulty in turning around a team that has become famous for its losing ways. Phil Savage, the Browns GM, has refused to admit to any curse, despite the bad luck the Browns have endured, most recently with the spat of injuries at the center position. He has admitted publicly that his most important task in rebuilding the Browns is shedding the loser’s mentality. As a Browns fan, I simply continue to wait patiently for the day when I can celebrate a Browns championship, like Red Sox fans did in 2004.

Who is this guy? He looks good.
I kind of like him. In an effort to add more color to the blog, I am looking to add more photos. Or do something distracting and annoying...

In honor of the marketing gimmick the media created last Saturday when Notre Dame played Michigan, and a handful of other games that were mildly important, Separation Sunday, as opposed to Separation Saturday, has arrived. Week 3 in the NFL offers some intriguing and crucial early-season contests. From Cincinatti's visit to Pittsburgh to the Denver/New England game, this week has a boatload of importance. 0-2 teams are desperate for a win, knowing thanks to Len Pasquarelli, that only three teams since 1990 rebounded to make the playoffs after an 0-3 start. This week should certainly offer a glimpse at who the top teams are this season. So without further rambling, my haze is slowly wearing off this morning, I offer my picks for week 3. That Ryder Cup was a bust by the way. To all those receiving calls late in the evening last night, consider it a pleasant change of pace to your routine of sleeping at night.

Bengals at Steelers - Many people are excited about this matchup and ESPN has managed to overhype this game tremendously calling it the revenge match from last year's playoff game when the Steelers beat the Bengals in Cincinatti and knocked out franchise QB Carson Palmer with a gruesome knee injury. It is also the new trendy "big rivalry." I think this game belongs to the Bengals. The Bengals offer one of most dynamic offenses in the league, featuring equal doses of Rudi Johnson's legs and Palmer's arm. I think the Bengals win this game by ten points. The Steelers will try to recommit to Willie Parker and the running game this week after the fiasco in Jacksonville this past Monday night. However, I don't think the Steelers have enough big plays on either side of the ball to keep up with the Bengals.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis - You know that the week's slate is tough to pick when you can't remember who you were taking earlier this week. I think I picked Indy because they are playing at home and I sometimes just assume Peyton Manning will find a way to put up enough points to win. However, after watching Jacksonville on MNF, I believe that this team is vastly improved from last season and could challenge for the conference crown. I think Jacksonville will be able to run the football with Fred Taylor against the Colts smallish front seven. Also, the tall Jaguar receiving corps creates huge mismatches against the diminutive Colts secondary. Jaguars find a way to win in a very entertaining game.

Giants at Seahawks - In Seattle, the Giants do battle with the Seahawks in what could be a shootout. Neither defense has been all that impressive this season, (yes, I am aware that statistically, the Seahawk have a good defense) but they have yet to face an offense as balanced as the Giants. Eli Manning's play thus far has been superb and the rally the Giants pulled last week in Philadelphia was a real momentum builder. I think I will take the Giants in this game because I like the ability of the Giants to beat a team on the ground and through the air. In a very close contest, a Jay Feely field goal wins it for the Giants. Note: Feely missed three potential game-winning field goals on this same field just about a year ago. Cause for concern? Probably but I have one hell of a headache.

Carolina at Tampa Bay - The only reason I am choosing this game to talk about is because they are both 0-2 and most pundits had these two teams going to the playoffs. I think this matchup will be quite a defensive struggle but I am taking Carolina because I think Tampa Bay's defense is not the dominating, game changing force it once was. People, I think you should really appreciate the fact that I am predicting some of the toughest games this week. Impressed? Didn't think so, just thought I would start laying the groundwork for my excuses on why my picks were so off this week.

Denver at New England - Starting quarterback for the Broncos, number 16 Jake Plummer... so New England it is. Denver could be in real trouble this season. This pick makes me nervous though because I am used to watching the Patriots and I haven't seen any of their games yet this year.

Baltimore at Cleveland - Are you kidding me? I never ever pick the Browns game because it only ends up hurting my record, but I see it. This is the week that Chuck Frye becomes Bernie Kosar. I promise. In seriousness, the reason I like the Browns in this game is because I think the Ravens offense is a disaster, despite the acquisition of Steve McNair. I see the Browns winning this game as they did last January on the final week of the season: a big play on special teams. I keep telling myself that there is in fact a rationale behind this pick. Yes, there is: I like the Browns...Browns, Browns, Browns.