MLB Predictions

It is that time of the season again when people are just ready for baseball which means I will make some pre-season predictions.

• AL East
1. Yankees
2. Rays
3. Red Sox
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays
• AL Central
1. Royals
2. Indians
3. Tigers
4. White Sox
5. Twins
• AL West
1. Angles
2. Rangers
3. Mariners
4. Athletics
5. Astros
• Wild Card
• Rays and Red Sox

• NL East
1. Braves
2. Phillies
3. Nationals
4. Mets
5. Marlins
• NL Central
1. Pirates
2. Brewers
3. Cardinals
4. Reds
5. Cubs 
• NL West
1. Giants
2. Dodgers
3. Diamondbacks
4. Padres
5. Rockies
• Wild Card
• Dodgers and Phillies

Thoughts for the week

It has been a while since I have published a meaningful post so here is goes. This week I would just like to do a couple of quick hitters thoughts.

• A big win for the Badgers on Sunday over Michigan State. A couple of things I noticed with the victory.
• Traevon Jackson did come up with the big shot, but did do plenty along the way to shoot the team in the foot. When Traevon does not think about the shot is when he comes through.
• Sam Decker comes out with another below average game. He was only 3-8 from the field with all 3 pointers along with 2 free throws. Decker, who claims that he was going to be more aggressive inside took only 3 shots inside. It appears that Decker let the NBA 1st round pick status go to his head.
• Bo Ryan has shown that he is unable to learn from his past mistake and truly understand how good coaches play certain situations. The other night Bo did not understand that in a last shot situation with under ten seconds. You should get the ball in the front court and either take the shot or make one quick pass and then shot. Traevon hesitates and the game is lost. Tom Izzo being down 3 at the end of the game, inbounds the ball, makes one quick pass and buries the three. Only the three ball hurts you, but yet he seemed not ready to cover it.
• Bo Ryan as has the trend to put the final play in the hands of the point guard. This is generally countered by the double team, but this did not occur Sunday. Any team that plays the Badgers should understand this and exploit it in the future.
• I have been doing a lot Olympic watching and have noticed a couple of things.
• NBC has to be thanking the television gods for the location of this Olympics and the location in 2018. This time difference between Russia and the United States allows NBC to cut the broadcast/sport down and insert as many additional commercials. There should be no reason that NBC loses money this year. I think that is why some people do not watch, or do not watch as much as they should.
• On the lighter side of news, I was crowed 1st division champion on Saturday on Smallball.com on the football side.
• I see that the Brewers are having another go around with K-Rod, any guesses to who will he be traded to?
• Flappy Birds is a really addictive gam.

House of Cards coming soon!

To go a little off topic than the usual sports.... Only 7 more days until House of Cards!

Let the 24/7 Football Continue...

With another season in the books for the NFL, this will lead tomorrow into the non-stop over-analysis for the 2014 season. What I expect starting tomorrow:

• Power Ranking every team 1 to 32 for 2014 (if you watch ESPN, it will be in the exact same record finishing order for 2013)
• Power Ranking Top 10 for every position including a special ranking for free agents
• Top 10 ranking of every draft position
• Breakdown of the strengths of each player including how one offensive linemen is better than another because his range of motion is 0.01% better. Each breakdown will finish with the comment that this guy is the best person and will play in NFL for many years for all 200+ picks
• Breakdown of every Quarterback including how one QB is better than another because his arm slot is 3/8th of an inch higher than another.
• Projected post draft power ranking
• The projected teams that Tim Tebow will play for

This is the problem with the NFL today is that there is no "off season" on television, what makes it look like one season goes into another. I don't feel like I miss football like Baseball, Hockey, Basketball.

TJMG: Traevon Jackson must go!

The reoccurring theme during this post will be about, after another loss this time to Ohio State, how Wisconsin point guard Traevon Jackson is the reason for the recent Wisconsin struggles on both ends of the floor.

In addition to his recent flub up on the final shot against Ohio State, the Wisconsin offense seems to go or no go based on the fact if Traevon Jackson is on the floor. Whenever Bronson Koenig, take over, the offense seems to take over. For example in the first half when Bronson came into the game, the Badgers, there was a six minute stretch where we were able to move the ball freely inside and outside, but for the final five minutes, when Jackson when back into the game, we went on one of our patiented loooooong field goal droughts that have plagued us the last two seasons.

This is due to Traevon Jackson inability to move the ball or run the offense. Traevon is unable to direct people to move the ball around and run a play. Traevon is only capable of doing a couple of unnecessary cross leg dribbles with a covered shot. This leads to many misses and lower shooting percentage from a position that should be solid. Along with today's game, Traevon is shooting 27%.... 27%.

Treavon Jackson is not a point guard, per 40 minutes, Treavon averages 3 turnovers which by and far leads the team and something that should not be allowed out of your point guard. This is almost a full turnover more per 40 minutes that Jordon Taylor while playing less minutes than Taylor did. This is an area that should be improving but has not.

While most of this is on Treavon Jackson, a small part of this is on Bo Ryan for not noticing this issue and making the needed changes and allowing Bronson to play more minutes. Bo should know that Jackson was going to be incapable of running the final play.

It is time to send Traevon packing, if he wants to play the dribble through 3 defenders every play, then maybe he should transfer to UW-Superior where they like to do that kind of stuff... or maybe transfer to Ohio State, that way we might have a chance when he is cleared to play.