Blog Posts For: October 2008

Can you imagine the horror on the faces of the NFL executives when they realized that their marquee Sunday Night match up during the middle of the season will be Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. It looked great before Tom Brady went down and the Colts offense self destructed.

Instead the match up of the week is the Monday night game (the former weekly game of the week) between the Steelers and the Redskins. This will be the game to decide if the Redskins are for real in many peoples eyes (including mine). The Steelers look retro-tough. Roethlisberger looks like an old time quarterback (as in rugged and not sleek) and the team can weather injuries beyond compare in the league. Still I like the Steelers with Troy Polamalu knocking Jason Campbell, celebrating, and then sulking when he realizes a fine will be mailed to house the next week for making an NFL quarterback cry.

There are probably about $4,000,000 in hits in this highlight reel.

There is not a real battle for last place this week, but the ugliest game to watch this time around is going to be the Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens game. Both teams have offenses that inspire much less than confidence. The fun and gun game should be the Arizona Cardinals – St. Louis Rams game. A pass happy Cardinals team will win, but a Rams offense that has a few weapons will find that the Cards D will give them the appearance of respectability.

Basically I expect to see a lot of this…

NFL Tickets

While the young Rays were trying to go from worst to first in just a season, the worst team ever in Major League Baseball was trying to start finish a new era they began after the turn of the century. The Phillies have had just one losing season since 2001 after collecting the most losses over the course of the 19th and 20th century.

This century has proved to be a time to start anew for teams like the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. Phillies were sure that their time was next, but the postponement of the potential series-ending game on Monday after a storm system that seemed to be sent by the gods came to stop Philadelphia from celebrating at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

Surely it must have seemed like some omnipotent force that would not allow the Phillies to defeat the Rays was delivering the storms. For 50 hours Phillies sports fanatics must had time to truly contemplate the consequences of their potential victory. Would the Earth split open and the end of days descend? Did some McCain supporter conjure the front as a misguided attempt to aid the beleaguered Republican? Was it Obama’s witchcraft? Or was it simply a classic Philadelphia move to make the worst of a possible great sports memory?

In the end the front passed and the Phillies took the field for three innings, scoring two more runs and allowing one more to clinch their first World Series title since Mike Schmidt and the 1980 Phillies and bring home the first major sports title since the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers.

In a series that found Philadelphia toothless with runners in scoring position (they posted a .201 average through the five games), the two runs came off singles to center by Jayson Werth in the sixth inning and Pedro Feliz in the seventh to score two runners who were actually in scoring position. Brad Lidge close the game out for his 48th save of the season in 48 tries.

The Rays could only manage to score on a solo shot by Rocco Baldelli in the seventh. Philadelphia starting pitcher Cole Hamels won the MVP for his 2-0 record and 2.77 ERA. This was a truly memorable World Series that will be remembered by baseball historians who will hopefully gloss over the fact that the series had low ratings (as is the case in any World Series without a New York or Boston team).

Hopefully the city of Brotherly Love will loosen up and show its teams across the board some slack. The Philadelphia Eagles may be able to play with the fear of frozen beer bottles being thrown at them. The 76ers will be able to play without having every loss questioned after the signing of Elton Brand. This series could usher in a new era of sports etiquette for Philadelphia…or it could make fans wonder what is freakin’ wrong with the rest of their teams.

I know recycling is a major movement to save the environment, but I did not know that the music industry was so serious about the cause. How else could you explain the recent rash of concerts announced for the remainder of this year and the beginning of next year?

Tina Turner, AC/DC, Elton John, and Billy Joel are making the rounds and fans are excited to see them. These artists have seemed to age like fine wine or classic cars. I never thought I’d see AC/DC back in concert, or with another number one album, but here they are.

The latest news is the return of the piano super duo Elton John and Billy Joel. Elton John has been busy in Las Vegas and Billy Joel has just finished his world tour. I suspect he is trying to make people forget “We Didn’t Start the Fire” or his divorce from Christine Brinkley. Those are two things fans of the Piano Man have to find difficult to justify. Elton John has the respect of the music world, but probably needed to get out of Las Vegas before he became one with the stale tourists to so him in a nice shiny jacket.

If anything, this reinstatement of the year 1975 has shown how much our parents have not resisted growing up. They are going to buy tickets to see a 68-year-old woman vigorously shake her hips and a grown man in a private school uniform with short shorts not scene since the ‘80s in the NBA.

The Jonas Brothers have hit the music scene as the newest group to capture the heart teenage girls (or more accurately tween girls) that want their rock stars to sing up beat, romantic bubble gum lyrics.

This is far from a new phenomenon. This has been a “discovered” market since music became mass produced and available across the nation and the globe. As soon as a song could be recorded and sent to stores and homes around the world, gaggles of girls have been able to dream of innocent romantic relationships with the lead singer or the guitarist (the drummer is probably a more adult dream and the bassist never gets any adoration).

The Jonas Brothers-Kevin, Joe, and Nick- are following in the footsteps of the groups like the Beattles, the Monkeys, and Herman’s Hermits. This group brings back images of a group that had its hey day not to long ago and is trying to make a new life for themselves now. That group is Hanson.

Hanson was also comprised of three brothers –Isaac, Taylor, and Zac. They also had the pseudo-rock style hair of the generation. Hanson had long, straight blond hair while the Jonas Brothers are rocking curly black mops. Hanson similarly produced pseudo rock music that was a more family friendly version of the scary grunge music of the times.

They sang about being happy and longing for the girl with an upbeat catalogue of songs like “MMMBop.” This was before the gut-wrenching realization that their lives were pointless and would end up like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Once again, similarly, the Jonas Brothers are the cute, adorable not-so-suicidal version of Emo. Their music is driven by the packaged emotions. Instead of those emotions being about hating your life and regret and longing because of a broken heart or “difficult” life in middle class suburbia, the Jonas Brothers write the emotions at the beginning of a relationship or the longing for the pretty girl from afar. Both emotions come from the same place, just from the pre-decimated stage.

Hanson and the Jonas Brothers also came along at a similar time within the musical landscape. Hanson came at the end of grunge when the boy bands and girl groups were taking hold. The Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, and Brittney Spears were dominating MTV while they were breaking into the TRL top ten.

The Jonas Brothers are coming along as Emo is being called out and openly mocked by just about everyone. While no real boy bands have emerged, there are plenty of girl pop stars to choose from to replace Brittney’s teen-targeting lyrics. The very savior of their career, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, is such a pop star.

The ultimate forward looking question is whether the Jonas Brothers will be able to make the move from a Disney Channel-channel approved group with a target audience that stops listening once they become more aware of their sexuality and want heir music to reflect their more risqué dreams or if they are able to change with the times and tie themselves to a “dangerous” label that keeps the girls who had innocent dreams of make out sessions dreaming about them as they want to do more than be seen holding hands.

And now, for your listening pleasure, a trip to a nostalgic place.

You can purchase Jonas Brothers tickets for their upcoming tour here or you can get Hanson tickets as they make their comeback.

In this new political atmosphere in the midst of an economy that appears to be on the brink of disaster because of shady business practices and a ground breaking presidential election the new trend is for transparency. This trend is slowly creeping into every aspect of our American lives, including sports.

Yesterday, for the second time in two days, the umpires calling the World Series admitted that they missed a key play. This time it was in the first inning of Game 4 when Jimmy Rollins got caught in a run down and was called safe on his retreat back to third base. Replays, seen nation wide by the largest audience to watch this World Series so far, showed that Rollins was tagged clearly on the bum by Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. The play ended up being significant because Pat Burrell walked with the bases loaded, scoring Rollins.

The question is, is this a good thing? It has been an American tradition to openly mock umpires for missing calls and hypothesize that the league has a vendetta against our team. It almost helps the “us against the world” mentality that sports fans have with regards for their team. By publicly admitting that the human element in sports (a genre like I think is simply politics without all that pesky national socio-economic fall out) is faulty it takes away from that traditional separation of the game on the field and destroying that fourth wall that separated the fan from the game.

The fans should not have sympathy for the ump or really any kind of personal relationship with the man (or woman) wearing the chest protector, leaning over the catchers shoulder. Fans should only have hopeless devotion for their team. They should think that each game is some sort of chapter in a grand story of destiny with a clear three act structure.

Bad calls are part of the game, simply put. Instant replay is already being used for home runs and it is slowly becoming justified as part of the every aspect of the game. Fairness and sports have never truly been one and the same, that is part of the beauty of sports.

I would much rather see this…

Than this…

And to end this post on a non sequitur, perhaps the most amazing pitch ever thrown…

World Series Tickets

Dallas Cowboys 13 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9

The Cowboys somehow managed to win the dullest game of the weekend. Very little offense for both sides, one turnover, and a penalty-filled afternoon ended in a surprise and exhausting Dallas victory


Washington Redskins 25 – Detroit Lions 17

The Lions surprised everybody by putting up a fight according to the score, but, in all reality, the Redskins controlled the game. They won the time of possession battle (35:45 to 24:150 and they won the total yards battle (439 to 274). Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis shined in this contest and once again brought a victory home of the Redskins.

Miami Dolphins 25 – Buffalo Bills 16

Fresh off a contract extension, Bills Head Coach Dick Jauron came away with a loss to the confounding Dolphins. Trent Edwards looked like he was feeling the delayed after effects from the concussion and Chad Pennington looked like the white knight. Miami scored the final 18 points to pull off the upset victory.

New England Patriots 23 – St. Louis Rams 16

The Patriots won another gimmee to inflate their record. Bulger showed some life of the Rams in the pocket, but a huge game from Patriots kicker Stephen Gostowski and a alopy performance by the St. Louis (nine penalties for 63 yards) ended their hopes of a second consecutive shocking victory.

New Orleans Saints 37 – San Diego Chargers 32

The Saints and Chargers brought American football to London in the hopeless attempt to establish the sport in Europe. It is too bad the NFL needlessly exported a high-octane game to Wembley Stadium. Drew Brees and Philip Rivers matched each other’s performance and LaDainian Tomlinson had 170 total yards in this exciting contest.

New York Jets 28 – Kansas City Chiefs 24

Brett Favre delivered the victory, but hardly looked like less of a chump to Jets fans after throwing three picks. The Chiefs were very much so in this game when they should never have been given a chance. Tyler Thigpen was the dominant number four (minus the victory) in the battle of quarterbacks. Why the Jets threw so much and avoided the run against the awful Chiefs front seven is beyond everybody’s comprehension.

 Philadelphia Eagles 27 – Atlanta Falcons 14

The Eagles kicked off the euphoric day for Philadelphia with a 27-14 win over the dangerous Falcons. They contained Michael Turner and made Matt Ryan try and beat them. Meanwhile McNabb had a so-so day (19/34 for 253 yards) and Brian Westbrook had over 200 yards of total offense (167 rushing and 42 passing) and two touchdowns. The win kept the Eagles in the NFC East contention.

Carolina Panthers 27 – Arizona Cardinals 23

The Cardinals proved that their passing offense is among the leagues best, but still could not come away with a win against the NFC South leading Panthers. Kurt Warner enjoyed having Anquan Boldin back, getting the ball to him twice in the end zone and Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston rounded out the deadly performance by the dangerous trio of receivers. The Panthers were able to play great run defense and let the Cardinals shoot themselves in the foot while putting on a offensive performance with a balanced attack for the win.

Baltimore Ravens 29 – Oakland Raiders 10

The Ravens ran unimpeded over the Raiders, gaining 192 yards on the ground, in this victory. The game was complete with a trick play that had backup quarterback Troy Smith find starting quarterback Joe Flacco with a 43 yard touchdown pass.

Houston Texans 35 – Cincinnati Bengals 6

The Texans beat the NFL Europe team known as the Bengals in a game that once again solidified Matt Schaub’s place as the starting quarterback. Schaub threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns, completing 24 of 28 passes. The entire Bengals offense seemed to come through Ryan Fitzpatrick who threw for 155 yards (but two picks) and nearly led the team in rushing with 42 yards.

Cleveland Browns 23 – Jacksonville Jaguars 17

The Browns won this past Sunday with big receptions and lots of luck. The Jaguars bobbled key passes and kick off returns to give the Browns every chance to walk away with a win. David Garrard did all he could, but his 283 yards passing, two touchdown passes, and 59 rushing yards were to avail.

New York Giants 21 – Pittsburgh Steelers 14

The Giants and the Steelers gave a throwback performance in a game with Pittsburgh in retro uniforms. The defenses dominated. The Giants picked off Roethlisberger four times and the Steelers managed to hold the Giants to 282 yards despite New York having the ball for nearly 35 minutes. This game came down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Eli Manning found Kevin Boss in the end zone with 3:07 on the clock for the final score of the game.

Seattle Seahawks 34 – San Francisco 49ers 13

Mike Singletary’s debut as the 49ers head coach did little to change the team’s performance. The 49ers made Seneca Wallace look like a starting NFL quarterback and gave the game away with two turnovers and seven penalties for 65 yards.

NFL Tickets
 

Saturday: Phillies 5 – Rays 4

Saturday was a night of extremes. The game started at 10:06, the latest start time ever for a World Series game, and the Phillies sent Jamie Moyer to the mound, the second oldest player to ever start a World Series game at the age of 45. Moyer allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings, but left with a no decision as the game took a couple of crazy turns.

B.J. Upton stole three bases and proved that sometimes speed alone can score runs, taking home after a throwing error allowed him to jog to the plate after stealing third base. In the end it was a lucky infield nubber to down the third base line that won the game, letting Eric Bruntlett score as Evan Longoria made a desperate attempt to bare hand the floundering hit and catch him at home.

Here is the lucky winning hit

Sunday: Phillies 10 – Rays 2

Sunday ended the steak of three close games. The Tampa Bay Rays has escaped three games without facing the true power of the Phillies lineup. This time, in game four, Philadelphia finally broke out of its funk and let loose on all freakin’ cylinders. Ryan Howard proved that he is the big, bad bat that terrorized the National League for the past three seasons, smashing two home runs and driving in five of Philadelphia’s 10 runs. Even Joe Blanton, the starting pitcher, hit one out (with the help of the same luck that won game three I’m sure).

World Series Tickets

Here is Balton’s solo shot, you open your eyes now Joe

The Tampa Bay Rays are now against the wall with a 3 games to 1 deficit and a surging Phillies team. If the Phillies can end this series on Wednesday in Tampa, then finally the beleaguered sports fans in Philadelphia can celebrate instead of throwing beer bottles and beating up Santa Claus. Cole Hamels takes the mound with confidence (he is 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA in the postseason) and Scott Kazmir is the great hope for the Rays (though he will have to pitch better than his 4.15 playoff ERA to do so).

Here is an ode to the painful existence of Philadelphia sports fanatics

This next week in the NFL the big game, without question, is the New York Giants versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The match up will pit Eli Manning versus Ben Roethlisberger, The Giants D versus the Steelers D, and plenty of other storylines that will be played to death on the Sunday pre-game shows. It is early, but these are the two early favorites as the league and the sports nation finds it hard to swallow the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills.

A couple of the other games look interesting. The Arizona Cardinals are playing the Carolina Panthers in what I think could be the most under-rated game of the week. The Cardinals continue to be ignored by most of the nation and this game will not help (Carolina is far from the media capital of the world), but true football fans get to see two of the more pleasant surprises in action, trying to prove that the other is a farce. The game for last place is always interesting because it has the potential to turn into a circus quickly. This week that game is between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. The teams are awful. The 49ers play no defense and the Seahawks barely play football. I am thinking an interception happy game as both quarterbacks try and air it out in this meaningless affair.

NFL Tickets

And Now the Future Head Coach of the 49ers showing off his qualifications.

The Philadelphia Phillies won Tuesday night despite leaving 11 runners on base. On Tuesday the Phillies got the win though. On Wednesday night the Phillies again left 11 runners on base, this time they lost. Meanwhile the Tampa Bay Rays scored four runs on plays that produced an out in addition to a point.

The Rays evened up the World Series at a game a piece and James “Big Game” Shields proved true to his nickname, allowing zero runs in five and two-thirds innings, despite allowing seven hits and walking two. This series has been a weird one so far, but sometimes weird is better, especially for a series that people expected to be one of the least watched in history.

Now here are some funny videos that can make everybody smile, whether you are a Phillies fan, Rays fan, or even the mourning Cubs fans.

A much needed social commentary

Fun with retro video games, reliving history with history

Those issues would be putting the ball in play. The weakness every American League team was expecting to be the Tampa Bay Rays downfall on the way to the post season, in the divisional round, and in the ALCS has finally made an appearance in the first game of the World Series.

The Rays managed just five hits in the entire game and none of those hits came after the fifth inning when they needed them to come back from the 3-2 deficit. The Philadelphia Phillies were no picture perfect team themselves. The team stranded 11 base runners and Ryan Howard went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. The game wipes out the home field advantage the Rays were counting on. The team has had problems on the road this season and now are playing in an evenly split series.

World Series Tickets
 

In preparation for the Grammy Awards on February 8, 2009, the Grammy Nominations Concert Live! will feature Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters, B.B King, John Mayer, and Taylor Swift performing on December 3, 2008 in a television special. The special will hype the music industry for the award show and act as a celebration for the grand opening of the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live.

In our own celebration of the Grammy Awards below are just some our favorite performances from last year’s show.

Amy Winehouse before she lost complete control of mental functions. She’s crazy, but one great performer.
 

Alicia Keysand John Mayer in the standard cross genre duet. Really it’s a celebration of music and not just a ploy to try and attract non-traditional fans. Its magic only the music industry can produce. Although it is a wonderful contrast of one of the most glamorous live performers and one the most awkward.

Simply Foo, with the added distraction of a contest meant to make the world of rock stardom seem more accessible. Still, gotta love Jason Bateman. Still hilarious.

Yeah You Tube for these Blogger-ific moments
 

Buffalo Bills 23 – San Diego Chargers 14

The Bills are now the team to beat in the AFC East. They beat a Chargers squad that is facing serious questions after dropping to 3-4. Tomlinson is battling injuries and the Chargers defense really misses Merriman.

Chicago Bear 48 – Minnesota Vikings 41

Nobody had this game turning out like this. Gus Frerotte would have been a candidate for player of the week if did not throw four picks to go with his 298 yards. Peterson ran rampant, but the Bears managed to score in juts about everyway imaginable to escape with a win.

Pittsburgh Steelers 38 – Cincinnati Bengals 10

In a game that surprised no one, not even the most diehard Bengals fan, the Steelers dominated on the ground, through the air, and with penetration on defense. Roethlisberger appears to be at least close to last season’s form, albeit this game was against the Bengals.

Tennessee Titans 34 – Kansas City Chiefs 10

The Titans prefect record was never really in trouble in this game. They ran all over the Chiefs “defense” and the Chiefs “offense” included a carousal of three quarterbacks in a single game.

St. Louis Rams 34- Dallas Cowboys 14

This test against the Rams proved that the Cowboys really are in trouble. They not only lost to the Rams, they were decimated by the St. Louis. This is a cry for help. The Dallas “D” needs to collect itself after failing in a game in which they only needed to stop Stephen Jackson to really put up a respectable and victorious show.

Baltimore Ravens 27 – Miami Dolphins 13

The Ravens defense focused on the run and made the Dolphins actually put Chad Pennington behind the center in an attempt to beat them. Joe Flacco looked good picking up over 10 yards a pass and Willis McGahee had a strong game with 105 yards on 5.5 yards a carry.


New York Giants 29 – San Francisco 49ers 17
The New York Giants rebounded after an embarrassing loss in Week 6 with a solid effort against the 49ers. The loss sent Mike Nolan on his way, and opened the door for Mike Singletary to take on the coaching duties. The Giants looked good, but far from great in the effort.

Carolina Panthers 30 – New Orleans 7

In a game where many wondered what would happen when Brees took on the Panthers’ secondary, the Saints struggled and lost Reggie Bush for 2 to 4 weeks. The Panthers controlled the game with 143 yards rushing on 37 carries and timely passes.

Houston Texans 28 – Detroit Lions 21

The Texans won in the battle of last place. A balanced running attack by Steve Slaton and Ahman Green and another standout performance by Andre Johnson 9who continues to make Matt Schaub a great fantasy pick) controlled the time of possession for 40 minutes, leaving the Lions little chance.

Oakland Raiders 16 – New York Jets 13

Thomas Jones had a great game with 159 yards in a losing effort by the Jets. The Raiders won in overtime with the longest kick ever in the extra quarter (57 yards) by Sebastian Janikowski. Brett Favre looked pretty bad, throwing two picks and fumbling the ball three times (though her recovered two of those).

Green Bay Packers 34 – Indianapolis Colts 14

An offense determined to control the ball and two picks by Peyton Manning helped the Packers to its fourth victory and first place tie with the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. The Colts failed to reproduce the explosiveness they showed again against the Ravens. This season is turning out to be a dud for fans in Indianapolis.

Washington Redskins 14 – Cleveland Browns 11

Clinton Portis was spectacular with 175 yards on 27 carries in a game and Santana Moss had two incredible runs after catches in a game that was more exciting than one would expect from the score. The Redskins defense was dominant, allowing only 236 yards of offense by the Browns.

Tampa Bay 20 – Seattle Seahawks 10

Seneca Wallace needed to have a big game for the Seahawks to win this one, and 73 yards passing total is not a big game. The Bucs won the game, predictably, with defense, holding the Seahawks to 176 total yards. Jeff Garcia had a nice return with 310 passing yards and a touchdown while the running game struggled to even seem passable.

New England 41- Denver Broncos 7

The game started out badly for the Broncos and ended even worse. The team that is known for its offense could not muster a point until the fourth quarter. That was after the Patriots had scored 34 and Jay Cutler through two picks and injured his thumb on the helmet of the Patriots Richard Seymour. The Patriots passing game produced three touchdowns only 185 yards and the entire Patriots depth chart at running back had a fine day.

NFL Tickets
 

The World Series is the culmination of excellence for an entire season. The best teams with the best hitting, the best hitting, and the best fielding bring each season to a close in dramatic fashion. The Rays and the Phillies bring that this season, and though not many baseball fans though they would have an interest in seeing teams from Tampa and Philadelphia playing.

Most thought the Chicago Cubs would pick this season to give a story book ending to their century of bad luck. The team was as talented and as balanced as many of the great teams in history, but in the end the rest of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ batting lineup caught up with Manny Ramirez and swept the Cubbies. This broke plenty of people’s hearts, but inspired a hilarious SNL moment (the best comedy has its roots in tragedy, right).

Over in the American League everybody was sure that the Tampa Bay Rays playoff tickets would just be a fad. The team was less than compelling at the plate, relying on a couple of home run hitters to give their great pitching a thin lead all season long. The Chicago White Sox, the Boston Red Sox or the Los Angeles Angels (the team with the best record in baseball) were supposed to stop the Cinderella season.

Instead, the Rays found a groove and destroyed the White Sox and set the major league record for home runs in the ALCS while taking out the Red Sox (who were trying to become the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees in the late ‘90s).

At the end of this season of great storylines and greater surprises World Series tickets have landed in Philadelphia and Tampa. In celebration of the unexpected and the unappreciated, we are celebrating the top ten catches (sometimes truly unbelievable, with good reason) from every league that uses a ball and a leather glove. Enjoy, be amazed, and trick yourself into believing you could actually make some these plays with breaking something in the process.
 

Ten of the Best Catches in Baseball

The World Series this season is going to be interesting as the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Tampa Bay Rays. It is the battle of the have nots and the have not in a while.

The Rays have a team that has performed masterfully on the mound and at the plate in both postseason series so far. The inexperienced Rays managed to keep their team ERA down to 3.62. Starting pitchers Matt Garza and James Shields were able to survive the dangerous bats of the Boston Red Sox with relatively few runs allowed. Garza won the ALCS MVP for his 2-0 record and 1.38 ERA during the series.

The bats have been alive all postseason long for Tamp Bay. Rays tickets to Tropicana Field have seen a team that set an ALCS record with 16 home runs (the prior record was 13). B.J. Upton may not be known as a power hitter after this past regular season, but the bat that managed to hit 24 home runs out of the ball park in 2007 has made a comeback and leads the team with seven dingers in the series.

The Philadelphia Phillies have not exactly struggled themselves. The team dispatched the Brewers easily in four games and the Dodgers in five. That 7-2 postseason record is quite impressive as the team that has been slowly gaining ground in the National League has made it to the championship series.

The Phillies tickets for their home games at Citizens Bank Park seem pretty safe, but Philadelphia will have to play better on the road, where they were 3-2 in the playoffs. Since the American League won the World Series, they get home field advantage.

The Phillies struggled offensively in the first two playoff series. This seems like an odd thing to say since the strength of the club is its batting lineup, but the team only managed to hit .259 in these first nine games. Those bats- specifically those of Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins-will need to be far more explosive to make sure that the new upstart Rays do not make this a short World Series.

World Series Tickets

The Philadelphia Phillies have the unfortunate honor of being the professional franchise with the most losses in every sport. This has come because of a few factors. One, even a great team will post a large number of losses because of the pure volume of baseball games played in a regular season. Two, the Phillies have been playing those high volume games since 1883. Three, they were awful for quite a few seasons from 1915 to 1950.
Anybody who ahs paid attention the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park will tell you that since the turn of the century, Philadelphia has bucked history and been building a loaded team that was just waiting for the Atlanta Braves to go away. The Braves are gone and now the Phillies have fought off the New York Mets and the Florida Marlins to reach their first World Series since 1993.

The competition at Tropicana Field used to be for the fans with Rays tickets that were trying to beat the rest of the crowd while the last place team finished the final two innings. This season, things magically turned around. The team inexplicably started the season hot and never slowed down. They went 97-65 and flirted with the best record in the league for a few months.

The Tampa Bay Rays took the crazy turn this season thanks to the youth. B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, and Carl Crawford have all been highly position touted prospects and this season they managed to find their way during the season and pave a road that led to a first place finish in the highly competitive American League East.

Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, and James Shields have been the three young aces for the team. These three and a stellar bullpen held opponents to just few enough runs to make up for the sometimes sputtering offense. That offense has not been sputtering in the postseason and will need to put on a show because the Phillies offense is powerful enough to score a few runs on the Rays great pitchers.

World Series Tickets
 

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies are meeting in a World Series that few would have predicted at the beginning of the season. The series may not be what television outlets wanted, but it should a very entertaining one.

The entertainment value will come from watching two very similar teams duke it out. From a historical perspective this is a series between one of the league’s oldest franchises (the Phillies at the ripe old age of 126) and one of the leagues youngest (the Rays at the age of 11). On the field this is a match up that pits powerful bats against good pitching.

Phillies tickets provided entry to the third most dangerous team in the National League. Philadelphia has watched all season long as Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utely have scared National League pitchers. Toward the end of the season Jimmy Rollins began to turn his bad season around and other players like Jayson Werth were dangerous enough to make teams suffer.

Rays tickets were not guarantees to a show with an onslaught of runs, but one with a lineup that lived and died with the home run ball. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria were the main culprits, but during the postseason B.J. Upton joined the duo to make a trio of power hitters. The long ball and the multiple steal threats led from a surprising start to what could be an unbelievable finish.

The pitching on both sides has been pretty solid. Matt Garza, James Shields, and Scott Kazmir were dinged up a little bit by the Red Sox, but most teams would have been roughed up. The young starters are all quality performers on the mound and need to be at their best to make it through the middle of the Phillies lineup.

The Phillies have had to rely on the performances by Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton to start the game and Ryan Madson, J.C. Romeo, and Brad Lidge to hold the game until victory. The Rays bats may not be as dangerous as the Phillies, but they are definitely more of a challenge than the Dodgers.

World Series Tickets

 

The Tampa Bay Rays have been pounding on postseason pitching with stifling swings of the bats. They have already set a record with 13 homeruns in the ALCS. Carlos Pena has been on fire with three home runs in the last three games and Evan Longoria is continuing his stellar rookie season with six postseason homeruns. The team showed it could score with scattered shots in the Wild Card series with the White Sox and is now flexing its muscles with long shots. This may be the most compete offensive team left in the playoffs.

The pitching has been pretty good this postseason as well. For the most par the bullpen has shown that they can hold any lead (despite last night’s breakdown) and the starters have done a solid job. To avoid extending the series against this dangerous Red Sox team the Rays need James Shields to deliver a gem. A win would set up an interesting World Series between two teams that share a struggling history, but more on that later (if the Rays can close this series).

MLB Playoffs Tickets
 

The New Beasts of the East, the Boston Red Sox, go into tonight with their season on the line. Down three games to two, the Boston faithful are hoping for the kind of play that toppled the Yankees in 2004. The team woke up after two painful games against the upstart Tampa Bay Rays.

Josh Beckett will take the mound and will need to shake off his first two postseason appearances, in which he was fortunate to avoid two losses, but not fortunate to leave the games with less than an 11.57 ERA. Beckett will need to beckon a performance like his starts in September when he was dominant on the mound. The offense, especially David Ortiz, will need to show that Thursday’s late game re-emergence was not just a last grasp.

MLB Playoffs
 

This weekend’s slate of games has a long list of match ups that experts have deemed foregone conclusions. Everybody expects the Steelers to pummel the Bengals, everybody expects the Giants to destroy the 49ers, and everybody thinks the Bucs are going to decimate the Hasselbeck-less Seahawks.

The short list of games that split hairs include the Ravens-Dolphins, Panthers-Saints, and Colts-Packers. The Ravens have the advantage on defense and the Dolphins have the advantage on offense, but that’s if the Ronnie Brown direct snap thing keeps working. The Panthers have the advantage at two of the skill positions (running backs and wide receiver), but the Saints have Drew Brees at quarterback and he seems to make any receiver work for him. The Colts are coming off what they hope to return to their previous form and the Packers hope to return to the beginning of the same.

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The Boston Red Sox were there in the seventh inning with two outs and a 7-0 deficit to the Tampa Bay Rays. All seemed lost, but the Red Sox rallied, scoring eight runs and taking the ALCS to Game 6. This is the franchise that loves to dig themselves out of a hole. They came into the game down three games to one and managed to win their eighth consecutive game when facing elimination.

This time it all started with Jed Lowrie sitting on third and Coco Crisp on first. Dustin Pedroia hit a single that drove in Lowrie and David Ortiz followed with a three-run home run. The Red Sox scored three more runs in the eighth and won the game in the ninth when J.D. Drew hit a single to deep right that drove in Kevin Youklis.

Boston will have to win two more tough games to meet the Phillies in the World Series and despite the great comeback on Thursday the team is still in trouble. The Rays have been driving the ball all postseason long, with 13 home runs alone in the ALCS.

MLB Playoffs
 

The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League Pennant last night with a 5-1 victory in Game 5. In this new century the team that defined losing before has been slowly building into a champion. Now they will get a chance to win their first World Series since 1980 and their second in their 125 year history.

The game was a gem overall for the Philadelphia. Jimmy Rollins hit a home run off Chad Billingsley to start off the game. Cole Hamels continued his masterful performance this postseason with his second victory. The entire Phillies machine was in full swing. The only offensive contribution from the Dodgers came from, fittingly, Manny Ramirez, who hit a home run in the sixth to stop a shutout.

It looks like a foregone conclusion that the Rays are going to win the American League Pennant, with one game left until their first World Series birth.

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It seems weird, but the Smashing Pumpkins are about to embark on a 20th anniversary tour. I imagine bands like Journey or REO Speedwagon when I think of reunion tours, not the Pumpkins, not a band that was one of the biggest during the ‘90s.

There could be a whole section of the crowd at the concerts on the tour that starts on October that do not realize that Jeff Schroeder (guitar), Ginger Reyes (bass), and Lisa Harriton (keyboard) are not part of the original lineup.

Sure, the band’s success was always tied to Corgan, for his unique voice and his lyrics, but James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky are as tied to early images of this band as the thick layering of guitars that are impossible to reproduce in concert. It will still be good to hear the original Emo rocker without the pretense that some many of today’s bands are oozing.

The Los Angeles Lakers may be overwhelming favorites in Hollywood to repeat as Western Conference champions, but the Western Conference is so deep that to say anyone is an outright favorite is foolish. There is another problem too. That problem is height.

The Lakers are too tall. The court at the Staples Center is the same around the league and people who get excited about having Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol starting in the front court forget that they have to fit on the court. One of the basic principles of an offense is spacing. When the front court has two 7 footers and one guy who is 6 foot 10 the issue of court space becomes apparent.

If you still have a problem imagining why this situation would be a problem, just think about trying to play 5 on 5 basketball on a driveway when you were in high school. The game gets clunky because nobody can move and rebounds end becoming excuses to beat each other up.

The Lakers have a few options. They could put Odom on the bench or they could trade Odom. Gasol was never a center and his deficiencies were exposed no matter how many points he put up. Bynum is thus the only option to start. Odom may not be so keen to accept to a relegation to the bench to start the game though. The Lakers could probably swing some sort of a deal that could benefit both sides with Odom’s expiring contract and all around talent.
 

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This is far from a bold prediction. The only other team that anybody could argue would stand in the Celtics way is the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons play the ultimate five man game in the NBA. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Antonio McDyess are savvy veterans who know how to play the Detroit Way. That way has not made it back to the Finals in three seasons though.

Sure Kevin Garnett is no longer the Kid, Ray Allen is increasingly becoming one sided, and Paul Pierce is not as quick as he once was, but this team also dominated the Eastern and the Western Conferences last season. The Celtics won an NBA high 66 games and decimated a very talented Lakers team with a suffocating team defense.

Garnett will always be a team player and Allen and Pierce may be far enough from superstardom to revel in the role as teammates who are set to make a run at a dynasty. These are the last years of their careers and they already have all the money and accolades they need. Going out a champion, even after winning last season, is probably the only thing on their minds.

It is surely the only thing on the mind of those Boston fans who embraced the trio last season at TD Bankworth Garden. What’s more is that the Celtics got a draft day steal in Bill Walker. Walker was once a heralded prospect out of high school, but three knee injuries knocked him down into the second round. He is still full of talent and could be ready to blossom this season like Rajon Rondo did last year in the finals.

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So the question is what is going to happen with the New York Knicks this season. The team has a roster on the floor at Madison Square Garden that is nearly $40 million over the salary cap with nobody willing to take a pay cut and very few players willing to pass the ball.

Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh have inherited a mess left by Isiah Thomas and must figure out what to do. The first step was drafting Danillo Gallinari for the future once all the expensive contracts are traded away or expire. The second step was to sign Chris Duhon.

Duhon is not a scorer. The Knicks needed somebody to distribute the ball. That is Duhon. As for his defensive weaknesses, D’Antoni used to coach Steve Nash, another defensive mess, and still almost made the NBA Finals. He will allow Crawford to become the leading scorer without him worrying about Stephon Marbury stealing his shots.

Realistically, this will be probably be a throw away year as the team is stuck with the current roster. At the very least D’Antoni and Walsh will be able to see who can fit into the new system without many expectations from fans.

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The next few seasons will probably belong to the Celtics, Pistons, and Lakers, but what happens after the stars from the ‘90s finally call it quits?

The answer, sadly looks like the West will still in control. The Portland Trail Blazers have a bright future with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden. I cannot include Jerryd Bayless on that list until he proves something.

Just look at two of the teams in competition now to see who will likely be at the top of the West in three or four or five years. The Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Hornets have two of the league’s best point guards now, and they are still young. Deron Williams may run in Chris Paul’s shadow, but he knows how to get the most out of his teammates in Utah, just as Paul knows how to make everyone better in New Orleans.
This is an interesting developing rivalry because 1) the Jazz are originally from New Orleans and 2) Deron Williams and Chris Paul have been compared to each other since college. I think this is going to be the series to watch over the next few seasons. These guys do not hate each other as far as I know, but they will always be compared to each other as log as they play in the NBA.

Out East, the future comes from Florida and wherever LeBron James ends up. The Orlando Magic have a dominant center in Dwight Howard. Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, and Hedo Turkoglu will probably be around for a while and will give the team enough talent for the next few seasons. They can all shoot and are long enough to cover a lot of ground on the perimeter while Howard dominates the paint.

The Miami Heat looked lost last season, especially after trading Shaq. Now the team has Dwayne Wade and Michael Beasley are big enough talents to base a future on. I know I did not give Bayless the nod earlier, but rookie Beasley is guaranteed to be a beast. Add some three point threats and a point guard to bring the ball up and this team could be scary.

LeBron James could stay in Cleveland, he could move to New York and play for the Nets or the Knicks. Who knows? Wherever he ends up that team will be a contender. There several possibly great teams (the Bulls, the Thunder, the Raptors, etc.), but their future is not as clear yet as these teams.

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Perhaps I remember too fondly the days of Reggie Miller, Rick Smits, and Mark Jackson, but I think the Indiana Pacers could be ready to make some noise in the Eastern Conference. The team has Jim O’Brien as head coach. This is the same man who happily let Antoine Walker, Paul Pierce, and Walter McCarthy launch threes in Boston earlier this decade.

There are a number of differences between those Celtics teams and this team. The main one is that this team has much better shooters. Walker was simply a power forward who liked to shoot threes. He was not a bad or a good outside shooter, but he loved to launch them from 20 feet out.

This Pacers team has player like Troy Murphy, Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, and Mike Dunleavy (yes, Mike Dunleavy) can shoot it from outside. This team is now free of the promise of Jermaine O’Neal’s healthy return. Every season he was supposed to return to All Star form, but only spent half the season on the disabled list. This time the team can move forward mentally and find a new focus.

That focus appears to be Granger and Dunleavy. The players had nearly identical averages for points, boards, and steals. While Granger has the athleticism necessary to stand out in the NBA, Dunleavy is the pesky coach’s son who manages to annoy the other team. With T.J. Ford penetrating (he does not shoot threes) the defensive collapse is sure to get somebody open.

The other part of the team that I like is Jeff Foster. The man cannot score under any circumstance other than a put back, but he can rebound and with so many shooters on the court in O’Brien’s offense the team needs a pure rebounder. Foster is the best offensive rebounder in the league and his numbers should go up astronomically this year.

The bench is not too shabby either. Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush, and Eddie Jones are not going to win the sixth man of the year award, but they will keep the shots dropping in the basket while the starters rest.

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The World Series is coming, but before it arrives the championship series have to play out. This weekend the ALCS went 1-1 as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 on Friday and the Rays evened the series 9-8 on Saturday, winning in extra innings.

The Phillies took a commanding 2-0 lead after beating the Dodgers 8-5 on Friday, but Los Angeles struck back with five runs in the first inning Sunday on their way to a 7-2 win to remind Philadelphia that the Dodgers can be just as dangerous with Manny Ramirez in the lineup.

MLB Playoffs
 

As the economic times turn tough and the nation looks for hope and for those to blame, a new mood has overtaken Broadway. That mood has called for the return of David Mamet’s work. With star studded casts for Speed the Plow and American Buffalo, the playwright’s terse, cynical style is making a comeback after the years of fantasy and tongue in cheek have ruled the box office.

The runs are short as the stars (Jeremy Piven from Entourage, Elizabeth Moss from Mad Men, Cedric the Entertainer, Haley Joel Osment, and John Leguizamo) have a host of other projects to do. Still, the return of the plays doused with dark humor and backstabbing is a sign of the times and how the American people feel.

After the announcement of the AC/DC tour, fans have been wondering who would open for the legendary rock band. It was announced that The Answer, the hard rock group with a love for blues rock, would travel along for the first leg of the tour. The Answer will come to North America for the first time after getting their start in Northern Ireland. The group is hardly new to the touring scene though. After forming in 2000, the group has opened for the Rolling Stones, The Who, and Aerosmith in Europe.
 

Indianapolis Colts 31 – Baltimore Ravens 3

Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison woke up from a four game slump to light up a very good Ravens defense. The Colts defense woke up as well, stopping the run and pressuring rookie Joe Flacco into throwing three picks.

Minnesota Vikings 12 – Detroit Lions 10

A game that was supposed to feature an offensive by the Vikings was more about Minnesota’s defense than the Adrian Peterson and the offense. The ineptitude of the Vikes led to a raucous crowd to begin chanting “Fire Childress.”

New Orleans Saints 34 – Oakland Raiders 3

Drew Brees continues to burn teams despite having a less than stellar (and healthy) receiving core to throw to. The Raiders were easy prey as they tried to soldier through another disappointing season.

New York Jets 26 – Cincinnati 14

The Jets looked like they were playing with a hang over, but they still controlled the game leaving the Bengals winless after six painful weeks. Thomas Jones had a career day, scoring three times in a game for the first time.

Atlanta Falcons 22 – Chicago Bears 20

After three slow quarters the game came alive in the fourth quarter with each team making impressive drives toward the end, but the Falcons had the ball last and let Jason Elam make up for an earlier miss in the fourth with a 48 yarder.

Tampa Bay Bucs 27 – Carolina Panthers 3

Jeff Garcia made a strong statement to win the starting job back with a sold 15 of 20, 173 yards, 1 touchdown performance. The win ties them for the division lead with the Panthers.

St. Louis Rams 19 – Washington Redskins 17

The Redskins lose after four impressive consecutive wins that announced their arrival as a contender. The Rams give interim Head Coach Jim Haslett a victory in his first game that also ended St. Louis’s eight-game losing streak.

Houston Texans 29 – Miami Dolphins 28

The Texans and Dolphins tripped over themselves in an entertaining game that saw plenty of picks and fumbles. The game looked more like a neighborhood football game than an NFL affair.

Jacksonville Jaguars 24 – Denver Broncos 17

The Jaguars won a game with another strong running game, this time by Maurice Jones-Drew. The Broncos vaunted passing game only produced 192 yards and as Jay Cutler only completed 21 of 37 passes.

Philadelphia Eagles 40 – San Francisco 49ers 26

The shootout of the weekend took place in San Fran this week as neither team played very good defense. The 49ers actually won the battle of the clock, but with three turnovers to the Eagles one, the game was out of their control.

Green Bay Packers 27 – Seattle Seahawks 17

The Hasselbeck-less Seahawks sputtered on offense, only gaining 177 yards. Aaron Rodgers looked in control as the running game again was a disappointment. The Packers remain the in the middle of a muddled NFC North that could see anybody but the Lions advance.

Arizona Cardinals 30 – Dallas Cowboys 24 (OT)

The Arizona Cardinals are apparently for real. After years of being the Washington Generals to the Cowboys’ Harlem Globetrotters, the Cardinals won in overtime off a blocked punt return.

San Diego Chargers 30 – New England Patriots 10

The Chargers reasserted themselves after a shocking loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. Philip Rivers averages 11.3 yards a throw on route to his three touchdown night. The Patriots struggled against the first real opponents since Week 2.

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Janet Jackson’s recent illness has apparently subsided and she will be able to continue with the Rock Witchu Tour after canceling six shows. Jackson first fell ill in Montreal on September and has been under doctor’s care ever since. The singer has been touring in support of her new album, Discipline.

Fans of the singer since her Rhythm Nation days were disappointed to miss her first tour of North America in seven years. Several shows have been rescheduled, including the show at Madison Square Garden, which has been moved from October 16th to November 1st.
 

Last night the Philadelphia Phillies kicked off the NLCS with a dramatic 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers struck first in the first inning with a Manny Ramirez double to centerfield that was only a few feet from being a two-run home run. Los Angeles added a run in the fourth when Blake DeWitt hit a sacrifice to center to score Matt Kemp.

Down 2-0, the Phillies’ dangerous offense was held scoreless until the sixth inning. Derek Lowe had done a great job pitching around the middle of the lineup, but eventually they were able to hit him hard. Chase Utley drove a two-run home run to right field and Pat Burrell followed him with a solo shot that gave the Philadelphia a 3-2 lead. Both bullpens came in and shut the other team’s bats down, giving the Phillies a 3-2 win in the NLCS opener at Citizens Bank Park.

MLB Playoffs
 

Week 6 in the NFL brings the season one step closer to separating the truly surprising teams from the teams that are just pretending to matter. The Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons have surprised many an expert. The Bears and Falcons offenses were supposed to be stagnant. Instead Kyle Orton has led an entertaining passing attack as the season has worn on and Michael “The Burner” Turner has emerged from LaDainian Tomlinson’s shadow and become one of the most explosive runners in the league. The Falcons defense is as bad as advertised though, so the Falcons are likely just biding time before struggling under the leadership of rookie Matt Ryan.

Other interesting match ups include a potential fantasy football bonanza in Arizona as the explosive Cowboys take on the pass happy Cardinals. The San Diego Chargers and the New England Patriots is an interesting game because the Chargers have far from lived up to expectations and the Patriots have exceeded theirs. Of course the team has picked up three wins against struggling teams so the quality of the club is still in question. This week should be interesting again as this pleasant surprise of an NFL season continues.

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The National League Championship Series has a traditional match up that baseball fans can really grasp. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers are bringing the early ‘90s back. The series should be very interesting since the teams are yin and yang. The Phillies have an underestimated pitching staff and a lauded middle of the lineup and the Dodgers have a celebrated staff and an underestimated offense (minus the praise Manny Ramirez always receives).

This is an intriguing series that I think will go seven games, with each contest being very close. The teams are putting their best pitchers on the mound for game one. The Phillies Cole Hamels dominated in the first game of the divisional series against the Brewers. Many will argue over who is better on the Dodgers staff, Derek Lowe or Chad Billingsley. The ERA difference is negligible, so it is probably a draw. Lowe handled the dangerous lineup of the Cubs in game one of the divisional series and will face an equally daunting task with the Phillies 3-4-5 guys. I am looking forward to this series the most.

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South Pacific continues to be one of the most talked abut musicals on Broadway. Though the show may be overshadowed by productions like Wicked and Jersey Boys, the musical that has survived the ages and still find relevance today continues to run strong after winning several awards for the Lincoln Center’s revival. Paulo Szot and Kelli O’Hara shine under the direction of Bartlett Sher.

What’s more is that now, on the eve of one of the most important elections in our nation’s history, the story of tolerance is as needed as it was when it first debuted in 1948. Whether it be for tolerance on the domestic front, during the election, or in world politics, the appreciation that we all have the same basic feelings and needs as a people, a culture, and a nation is something we all need to be reminded of. South Pacific may have been written decades ago, but the same basic principles of prejudice remain, un-thwarted.

Wicked has stayed perched atop the musical theatre world since its 2003 debut. Many people, outside of Broadway, have been reacquainted with live theatre thanks to the show. Cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have found a renewed interest in the form of entertainment that seemed to be far past its prime and best set in a high school auditorium with its audience there out of obligation. Instead, Wicked proved that entertainment is a draw no matter the medium.

Sadly Wicked’s time in that medium seems to be coming to an end. The show will still tour and still be performed on Broadway, but it is leaving Chicago, Los Angeles, and several other cities as the next big show will take up the mantle and try to be as successful as the Stephen Schwartz/Winnie Holzman creation. The sign of the end is probably the serious consideration of finally turning the hit Broadway show into a movie. That transition from live stage to film and stage means that people should be in a hurry to get Wicked tickets for the production nearest them because it may not be there much longer.
 

The MLB Playoffs have moved beyond the divisional round of the playoffs, a round that seems kind of forced to be honest with you. Despite the advent of the wild card seasons ago, the League Championships Series always felt like the real beginning of the postseason for me. This time the American League gets to be all East Coast with the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. This series lacks the history or the compelling storylines, other than the upstart franchise (but it never feels right to have a team less than 20 years old in the playoffs, especially in their first postseason appearance).

The Red Sox have better hitting and more power in the lineup- even without Manny Ramirez. David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, and a host of others bring home run swings throughout the lineup. The Rays are far from a great offensive club The have speed, but the hitting is not always on. The series with the White Sox made them look like small ball pros, but the reality is that the Rays have struggled to score all season. Which batting lineup will show up - the small ball machine, the team that can barely support its pitching, or the team that can score in spurts with power? I think the series comes down to the Ray pitching staff. They have been excellent all season long and will need to keep it up to get through nine innnings with this dangerous Red Sox team.

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