1. If the Rangers lose the World Series (God forbid), what should and will Cliff Lee do? What if they win?

Oh. My. Goodness. Cliff Lee will only stay with my Rangers if (and when) they win the World Series. I'm sure of that. If I were him, I would stay with Texas regardless because I the Rangers.

2. If both the Yankees and the Rangers offered the same amount of money, which one should Cliff Lee choose? What if the Rangers win the World Series? What if they lose?

I think that Cliff Lee does not do too well in the supreme heat of Texas (that would be one of the reasons he would leave), and New York is a "superior" market. If money were no object, and the Rangers lost to the Giants, he would and should choose New York.

3. If both the Yankees and the Royals offered contacts to Zack Greinke, and the Yankees deal was slightly less than the Royals, which one should/would he take?

Yankees, without any doubt.

4. If you were Royals management, do you try to trade Zack Greinke, or risk keeping him?

The same thing goes for Carmelo Anthony... don't take such a big risk with such a big talent. I would trade him now, because he's going to leave town anyway.

Oh, and now a modest side note in the smallest font possible... I have a new blog that I wanted to promote. It is called Larry King Jive, and on it, I interview sports show hosts, mascots, coaches, and players. Enjoy.

CCR #7: Zack Greinke and Cliff Lee

Zack Greinke and Cliff Lee are supremely talented pitchers who will face decisions very soon. Roundtable: time to take action.

1. If the Rangers lose the World Series (God forbid), what should and will Cliff Lee do? What if they win?

2. If both the Yankees and the Rangers offered the same amount of money, which one should Cliff Lee choose? What if the Rangers win the World Series? What if they lose?

3. If both the Yankees and the Royals offered contacts to Zack Greinke, and the Yankees deal was slightly less than the Royals, which one should/would he take?

4. If you were Royals management, do you try to trade Zack Greinke, or risk keeping him?

CCR #6: NBA Season Predictions by sanjosefuji

Western Conference

1^st – Lakers

2^nd – Thunder

3^rd – Mavericks

4^th – Jazz

5^th – Spurs

6^th – Blazers

7^th – Nuggets

8^th – Suns

1^st round

Lakers vs. Suns (Lakers in 6)

Thunder vs. Nuggets (Thunder in 4)

Mavericks vs. Blazers (Blazers in 7)

Jazz vs. Spurs (Spurs in 6)

2^nd round

Lakers vs. Spurs (Lakers in 5)

Thunder vs. Blazers (Thunder in 6)

Conference Finals: Lakers vs. Thunder (Lakers in 7)

Eastern Conference

1^st – Celtics

2^nd – Heat

3^rd – Magic

4^th – Bulls

5^th – Hawks

6^th – Bucks

7^th – Knicks

8^th – Bobcats

1^st round

Celtics vs. Bobcats (Celtics in 4)

Heat vs. Knicks (Heat in 4)

Magic vs. Bucks (Magic in 5)

Bulls vs. Hawks (Bulls in 6)

2^nd round

Celtics vs. Bulls (Celtics in 6)

Heat vs. Magic (Magic in 7)

Conference Finals: Celtics vs. Magic (Celtics in 6)

NBA Champtionship: Lakers vs. Celtics (Celtics in 7)

Individual Awards:

Rookie of the Year: John Wall (Can I change my vote to Blake Griffin? This guy was a beast in his debut.)

MVP: Kevin Durant

Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks

Defensive POY: Dwight Howard

6^th Man: Lamar Odom

NBA Predictions

NOTE: I AM ASSUMING THAT CARMELO ANTHONY WILL BE TRADED BY THE TRADE DEADLINE. I REMOVE 1/2 OF HIS IMPACT FROM THE NUGGETS. I DO NOT ADD HIS IMPACT TO ANY TEAM.

The Standings!

Eastern Conference

1. Miami Heat
2. Orlando Magic
3. Boston Celtics
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Chicago Bulls
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. New Jersey Nets
8. New York Knicks
9. Washington Wizards
10. Philadelphia 76ers
11. Indiana Pacers
12. Detroit Pistons
13. Charlotte Bobcats
14. Toronto Raptors
15. Cleveland Cavaliers

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Portland Trail Blazers
5. Utah Jazz
6. San Antonio Spurs
7. New Orleans Hornets
8. Memphis Grizzlies
9. Denver Nuggets
10. Houston Rockets
11. Sacramento Kings
12. Golden State Warriors
13. Phoenix Suns
14. Los Angeles Clippers
15. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Awards!

Rookie of the Year - John Wall (G, Wizards)
Coach of the Year - Scott Skiles (Bucks)
Defensive Player of the Year - Dwight Howard (C, Magic)
Most Improved Player of the Year - Mario Chalmers (G, Heat)
Sixth Man of the Year - Tyson Chandler (C, Mavericks)
Most Valuable Player - Kobe Bryant (G, Lakers)

The Playoffs!

1st Round:
(1) Heat def. (8) Knicks
(2) Magic def. (7) Nets
(3) Celtics def. (6) Hawks*
(5) Bulls def. (4) Bucks

(1) Lakers def. (8) Grizzlies
(2) Mavericks def. (7) Hornets
(3) Thunder def. (6) Spurs*
(4) Trail Blazers def. (5) Jazz*

2nd Round:
(1) Heat def. (5) Bulls
(2) Magic def. (3) Celtics*

(1) Lakers def. (4) Trail Blazers*
(2) Mavericks def. (3) Thunder*

Conference Finals:
(1) Heat def. (2) Magic*

(1) Lakers def. (2) Mavericks*

The NBA Finals!
(1) Lakers def. (1) Heat*

*denotes a 7-game series

Now for some notes!

• Jim O'Brien, Pacers coach, will be fired
• Jay Triano, Raptors coach, will be fired
• Joe Dumars, Pistons GM, will (and really really should) be fired
• Carmelo Anthony will be traded to the Rockets
• The Heat will win only two more games than the Lakers, and four more games than the Magic, at 67 wins.
• Greg Oden and his penis will play in 65 games.
• Andrew Bynum will only play in 50 games.
• This will be the last year during the next 10 in which a team not named the Heat or the Thunder will win the Championship.
  

CCR #6: NBA Season

There is more anticipation for this season than any other I can remember. We have the Three Kings ganging up on the rest of the innocent East. We have the Celtics' resurgence, including adding two aging O'Neals. We have Kobe bolstering his team by adding yet another rival.

There are many characters playing major roles in this season. We have two crazy-as-hell owners in Cuban and Gilbert. We have a past superhero called Agent Zero who, in my opinion, should play zero minutes. We have the assassin, who can knock down any shot... even that last second one in Game 7 against the Heat in the Finals next year.

Now, bloggers. Make your NBA predictions in 4 parts:

1. Standings - Rank all 15 teams per conference by regular season record

2. Awards - MVP, Defensive, ROY, Coach, 6th Man

3. Playoffs - If you have a bracket, use it.

4. Thoughts - Any thoughts you have on the season and what will happen during the season (including trades and firings)

If the heat gets to you, jump into the lake(rs). - Some dude on some forum somewhere

CCR #5: Best Part of October

Usually, the Dallas Mavericks excite me the most in October. But this year, they aren't even the best thing in the NBA in October. I can't wait to see the Heat! But not even THAT can get me to watch the NBA over baseball THIS SEASON.

Usually, the Rangers are out of it by July. I don't know WHAT happened this year, but somehow, we are now in the World Series. How can I skip that? I will be watching every single one of those 4 games against the Giants (yeah, I said it... bring it on).



October, to me, is the best month for sports fans. I hereby declare the Major League Baseball Playoffs the best part of this wonderful month. Only because my team is playing in it.

CCR #4 and 5: MLB Post Season and Best of October by 82Redbirds

Well, it's about time I get off my lazy duff and start contributing to this project. I'm going to fudge a little and combine the last two subjects into one post.

First of all, let's take a look at the MLB post season. It's a little late to be making predictions about the LDS since we could be deciding who wins the pennants in the next two nights. But I just wanted to get a quick comment in about the NLCS. Even though the Giants are up 3-2, I still have a feeling the Phillies are going to the World Series again this year. In the AL, I am rooting for the Rangers. To be quite honest, it's not that I'm a huge Rangers fan. I just love to see an underdog come out on top, and considering this is the first year the Rangers have ever won a post season series, I would be very happy if they sent the Yanks home to watch the WS on TV.

Second of all, without question, the best part of October (for me) is the MLB playoffs. But this year it's bittersweet. The Cardinals failed to make it into the post season so that stings a little (especially since the Reds did make it). October also means that baseball season will soon be over (another deeply depressing annual event). But October brings with it the promise of the soon-to-come World Series, which just the mention of it makes me smile.

So have fun carving pumpkins and making plans for family get-togethers for Thanksgiving. I'll be glued to the TV set watching the Rangers and the Phillies in the World Series, my favorite part of the year.

CCR #5: Best Part of October by sanjosefuji

First up... thanks G for coming up with this week's topic. Now... let's get on with the question.

October is usually the worst month of the year for me. Why? Because it's from mid-September through the end of November there aren't any major holidays that teachers get off.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those teachers who hate my job. In fact, I no doubt have one of the best jobs in the world and actually look forward to going into work about 95% of the time. But the fact is... two months straight without a break is kind of a bummer.

At least I have Thanksgiving break, Christmas break, Winter break, Spring break, and Summer break to look forward to.

But Gmoses is right... there's a bunch of stuff going on in the world of sports during this month. And if I had to choose one that I'm most excited about... I'd have to go hockey.

Why? Well San Jose doesn't have many major sports teams... there's the Earthquakes... the Sabercats... the (SJ) Giants... and then of course... there's the Sharks. Since I'm not a major soccer fan, I don't really follow the Earthquakes. The Sabercats took the year off from the AFL. And the San Jose Giants are done for the season.

So in San Jose, the Sharks are #1 (well the SF Giants are pretty popular too... but I'm not a Giants fan). It's one of those things that brings a city together. In fact... it's one of the few things that students and teachers actually agree on (just kidding).

Plus... the Sharks have one of the most talented teams in the league, so they're always fun to watch.

Anyways... it's WAY, WAY, WAY, past my bedtime. So goodnight y'all.

CCR 5 - What's the best part of October? G Moses' post

So it's Sunday and that means it's time for another Card Collector's Roundtable discussion.  And for this topic, I've chosen something close to my heart - the month of October.  I was born in October - but aside from that, there's a lot of cool things going on this month.

Need help getting started?  Let me lay it out for you...

1)  We got the baseball playoffs going on.  And this year has been pretty phenomenal.  We got the best pitchers in the game all going at their peak.  Seriously.  We got Cliff Lee, Lincecum, Halladay and Sabathia all pitching their hearts out.  What the hell else could you ask for for the LCS series?  It's crazy how stacked these series have become.

2)  The NFL season is in full swing.  No more preseason.  No more combines or draft class predicitons.  It's just football.  And right about Week 5, it starts to get real.

3)  The soccer world is in full bloom.  England has the EPL going.  The MLS is nearing the playoffs.  Oh yeah, the UEFA cup is just warming up.  If you're a fan of beautiful moves and round balls (boy does that sound weird), it's right about the time of the year you live for.

4)  The NBA season tips off on October 26th.  My God, how I've longed to watch the Blazers play.  I can't wait for this season to get going.

5)  If you're into hockey - well, you got hockey too.

6)  The new TV shows are back!  Going through the summer time with re-runs just isn't the same.  I've got a ton of shows that I watch.  From Smallville to How I Met Your Mother, from Mike and Molly to Dexter there really is something for everyone on the TV now.  And thanks to DVR's, the studios are putting out more quality product because we're no longer tied to having to watch whatever the hell they give us.

7)  If all of that isn't enough - the kids go back to school.  Those of you who have kids know just how great that can be sometimes.

So what's my answer?  What's the best part of October for me?  If I had to choose just one thing - and I expect everybody to look inside and pick just the one thing - I'd say that it's the Soccer Season.  Even though I really love watching the NBA tip-off, the NBA really gets good once Christmas is out of the way.  But soccer for me is something that I'll wake up at 4am for if need be.  Watching Everton takes precedence over EVERYTHING on my television.  Every goal is so important.  Every save takes your breath away.  It's too much to handle sometimes.

So what about you all?  What's your favorite part of October?  It really is the perfect storm of sports.  All sports are represented.  Whatever you're into, it's there for the taking in October.

CCR4: Postseason predictions from Tony Mc

I'm a little late to the party but I'll chip in my predictions anyway.

NLDS

San Francisco Giants Vs Atlanta Braves:



Giants win 3 games to 1. This depends heavily on the Giants hitting but with the likes of Posey, Burrell and Huff, I think the Giants can pull it off and send Cox into retirement.



Philadelphia Phillies Vs Cincinnati Reds:



Phillies win 3 games to 1. I can see the Reds making a comeback tonight but it wont do them much good.

ALDS

Texas Rangers Vs Tampa Bay Rays:

Rays win 3 games to 2. This has gone the distance and it looked like the Rangers were on the verge of swapping the Rays but thanks to steady bat work the Rays have fought back. I think they will keep the momentum going and pip the Rangers in the final game.

Minnesota Twins Vs New York Yankees:

Yeah the Yanks won, we know this now. But to be honest I thought the Twins could have done it, guess they forgot how to play ball.

NLCS

San Francisco Giants Vs Philadelphia Phillies:

San Francisco will win 4 games to 2. I can see the Phillies winning the first two games but Frisco will battle back to win 4 in a row and seal a trip to the World Series.

ALCS

New York Yankees Vs Tampa Bays Rays:

Tampa will sweep the Yankees! As long as the Rays remain injury free for their game against Texas they will pull off a shock sweep against everyones most hated team.

World Series

San Francisco Giants Vs Tampa Bay Rays:

This would be a great match up and a tough series to call. Being a Giants fan I would love to say the Giants will do it but the Rays out bat them by a lot. If the Giants can keep their pitching on top form and keep the Rays from getting 3 or more runs then they have a real shot at bringing the first ever World Series to San Francisco.

I'm going to say the Giants win 4 games to 3.

CCR 4: MLB Postseason from The Ranter

Thanks to Fuji for letting me steal his font!

American League Divisional Series:

Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays - Rangers in 4

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins - Yankees in 3 (I think it's fixed!)

National League Divisional Series:

Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies - Phillies in 4

Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants - Giants in 4

American League Championship Series:

Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees - Yankees in 7 (Cliff Lee will remain perfect in postseason play)

National League Championship Series:

Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Francisco Giants - Giants in 7

World Series:

New York Yankees vs. San Francisco Giants - Yankees in 6

(changed WS from 5 to 6 games)

CCR #4 MLB Post Season Predictions by Martyn @ Steal Second

Okay,
So The Phillies just took a 1-0 lead over the Reds, Giants are 1 up over the Braves, And Texas & New York have 2 games over the Rays, & Twins.

So,

Who wins?

Okay onto the league with home field advantage for the fall classic.

National league

Giants over Braves in 4.

Phillies over Reds in 3.

American League

Yankees over Twins in 4

Rangers over Rays in 4

So The Philles against Giants, (I have bets on both teams)
The Phillies in 5.

Yankees against Rangers
New York in 5

So the World Series will be NYY v PHI

A repeat of last years final however, The Phillies in 6.

CCR #4: MLB Playoff Predictions by sanjosefuji

I'm still pouting over the Padres loss to the Giants... so I'm going to keep this short and go sulk in my man-cave before I hit the sack.

American League Divisional Series:

Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays - Rangers in 5

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins - Yankees in 4

National League Divisional Series:

Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies - Phillies in 3

Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants - Braves in 5

American League Championship Series:

Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees - Yankees in 6

National League Championship Series:

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves - Phillies in 5

World Series:

New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies - Phillies in 6

Since both of my teams didn't make the playoffs... it's pretty simple for me. In the American League, I'm pulling for the Twins (since I hate the Yankees). And in the National League, I'm pulling for the San Francisco Giants, because they're local.

Go Giants!

Have a great week!

Card Collector's Roundtable - Topic 4: MLB Playoffs

It's October! Time for MLB Playoff predictions!!!

CCR #3 NHL Predictions by Martyn @ Steal Second

Okay so as the champions came from the western conference, let’s go there first.

I’ll go through the divisions with who’ll make the post season out of the teams.

Pacific

San Jose

Phoenix

Northwest

Vancouver

Colorado

Calgary

Central

Chicago

Detroit

Nashville

San Jose will have the best record in the West; The Northwest will be really tight and end up producing 3 play off teams, with the Canucks looking like the best team although I anticipate a very close division. & in the Central current champions Chicago & Detroit will battle it out to be the best in the division with Nashville locking the last play-off spot.

Onto the East,

Atlantic

New Jersey

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia

New York Rangers

Northeast

Buffalo

Ottawa

Southeast

Washington

Carolina

Okay so, the Atlantic will provide the playoffs 4 teams, The Devils & Penguins are always looking strong, the Flyers have a great team & I have a feeling the Rangers will make it this year. Buffalo & Ottawa will leave their Northeast rivals standing & the Capitals are one of Hockey’s best teams and the book maker’s favourites 6-1, & like the Rangers the Cane’s should make the postseason.

Just for fun I shall put a few £ on San Jose @ 14/1 & the Flyers @ 12/1 with Mr William Hill (other bookmakers are available).

Hope you enjoy reading & good luck to all the Baseball teams in post season.

CCR #3: NHL Predictions By Charles @ Hoopograph

Let me preface my pics by saying that I am by no means a hockey expert, but I do know a good team when I see one. Team cohesion and chemistry are a huge part of the teams which are successful in the NHL and those that are not. An NBA team can be carried by one superstar and an MLB team's lineup can be lifted by a bat or two, but an NHL team needs the stars, the glue guys, a solid goalie and a superstar or two to win The Cup. The team dynamic of an NHL team is complex. In order for a team to win it all, they need to be hitting on all cylinders. Although there are a few teams which seem to have the talent on paper to make a run deep into the playoffs, it always seems that one of those talented teams inevitably falters. We'll get to my pics later in the post, but I first what to give a little insight on a team that I'm rooting for to exceed expectations this year.

I usually go to one or two early Buffalo Sabres games to decide if they'll be contenders or not. I can generally tell whether they perform well as a team, have the drive and necessary components on the roster to be a good team. The last few years have been disappointing to say the least. Management refuses to put money back into the team year after year by letting proven assets get away (Chris Drury, Brian Campbell, J.P. Dumont, etc.). Although this is frustrating to many fans, the front office does draft and develop talent exceptionally well within the organization. It seems the last couple of years have been geared toward following that plan of building the team back up through development. This maybe wishful thinking, and I have not yet done my yearly before mentioned assessment, but I like what the Sabres have to offer.

It's still yet to be seen if the Sabres will be able to score on a consistent bases, but this is a team that'll be carried by its net minder and all-world defensive star. Ryan Miller has really been playing under the radar until the Winter Olympics last year, and he should have another solid season this year. Tyler Myers will be starting his second full season in the NHL this Friday night. I believe he's the Sabres most talented player and usually exhibits that talent night in and night out. The Sabres have a good amount of pieces on the roster to compete and make the playoff this year. How far they go in the playoffs will depend on who else can step up and take a leadership role for the Sabres on the ice.

I'm more excited for the NHL season to get started than I have been for a long time. I think the NHL season is the hardest to predict out of all the four major sports do to the team chemistry issues I sited earlier in the post, but I like the Capitals and Canucks to meet for Lord Stanley's Cup. In the end, I think the Canucks will make Mr. Ovechkin wait another year to taste team success. Either way, I'll be watching the first few Buffalo Sabres games intently to decide for myself just what type of team they will be out there on the ice.

Enjoy the NHL season Sports Jambalaya writers and readers!

CCR #3: NHL Predictions by sanjosefuji

Okay... it's time to come clean. I've been a San Jose Sharks fan since they became a franchise 18 years ago... and during that time I've gone to around 75 to 100 games. I've memorized most of the Sharks' jersey numbers. I can tell you that they've had one Calder Memorial Trophy winner (Evgeni Nabokov - 00/01 NHL ROY ), one Hart Memorial Trophy winner (Joe Thornton - 05/06 NHL MVP), one Art Ross Trophy winner (Joe Thornton again - 05/06 NHL point leader), one Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner (Tony Granato - 96/97... kind of like a sportmanship/dedication to hockey award), one Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner (Jonathan Cheechoo - 05/06 NHL top scorer), and one Presidents' Trophy (best record in the NHL in 08/09). I can even tell you that they'll be one of the top teams in the NHL again.

However, what I can't do is tell you that they'll win it all this year. Why not? Because... for the past four seasons, I've felt in my heart that they had a solid shot at bring home the Cup to my hometown of San Jose. And each time... I was wrong. Part of it is because I'm naive. I'm just a loyal fan with high hopes for his team. But... I'm also ignorant. I know the in's and out's of the Sharks... but I don't know squat about anyone else.

So... sit back and enjoy... while I ramble off my NHL picks for the upcoming season.

Let's start with the East:

1st Place: The Capitals (They had the best record last season by a landslide)

2nd Place: The Penguins (They have Crosby & Malkin)

3rd Place: The Sabres (They have Ryan Miller: my favorite non-Shark)

4th Place: The Canadiens (umm... they make card sets based on the franchise)

5th Place: The Bruins (My buddy loves the Bruins and he says they're good)

6th Place:The Lightning (They have St. Louis, Stamkos, and Lecavalier)

7th Place: The Rangers (because Gretzky and Messier played for them years ago)

8th Place: The Devils (No offense... but the red dude with horns is on their side)

Now let's turn to the West

1st Place: The Red Wings (because they always find a way to piss me off)

2nd Place: The Ducks (see what I wrote about the Red Wings)

3rd Place: The Sharks (They still have a great team... I just know it)

4th Place: The Canucks (looks like several sites have them ranked high)

5th Place: The Blackhawks (the Sharks get your sloppy seconds... but at least his name isn't Belfour)

6th Place: The Kings (see what I wrote about the Red Wings)

7th Place: The Oilers (because Gretzky and Messier played for them years ago)

8th Place: The Stars (see what I wrote about the Red Wings)

Alright... so here's how it's all going to pan out... in my little fantasy world:

The Sabres take the East... and the Sharks take the West. It's going to be a Miller vs. Niemi showdown and the Sharks will finally bring home the Cup.

vs.

Seriously... I have no idea... if I were a betting man... I wouldn't bet on hockey... or at least I wouldn't bet on the Sharks. Don't worry... my blood runs teal and black. I may be an NHL wannabe... but I know I'm a lifelong Sharks fan.

Have a great week!

Card Collector's Roundtable - Topic 3: NHL

Last hockey season was so interesting that even I became interested. The Canadiens shocked everyone by not only getting to the Eastern Finals, but beating Sid the Kid AND Alex Ovi in the process.

During the off-season, the Blackhawks dismantled themselves! It's as if they were the Marlins! And how about them Sharks? Are they the one constant in hockey?

Do I have any idea what I'm saying? Not really. But you do, so answer the call and make your NHL predictions!

NOTE: This topic will not last a full week, due to the MLB Postseason. Please have your predictions in by Wednesday, if you wish to make them.