Tony La Russa Walks Off Into the Sunset

Last week, the Cardinals won their 11th World Series Title and capped off an amazing season with Tony La Russa guiding the team. Who knew it would be the last time for Tony. Earlier today, Tony La Russa announced his retirement from the game of baseball, just 3 days after winning a third World Series ring. He's the first manager ever to retire immediately after winning a World Series title. La Russa stated that he felt like it was time for the end and that he would've been coming back for the wrong reasons.

This ends his 33 year managerial career which started with the White Sox in 1979. Most Bay Area natives remember Tony as the manager of the Oakland A's from 1986-1995 with his bright spot winning the World Series with the A's in 1989 in the famous "Battle of the Bay" series against the Giants. In 1996, he took over the job in St. Louis and it would take him until 2006 to win a World Series with the Cards and then another one capped off just last week. La Russa's regular season record is impressive being 2,728-2,365, being behind only Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) in wins. He has 70 postseason wins being behind only Joe Torre who has 84.

La Russa would always be known as one of the best managers of all time if not a unusual manager. You could tell much about La Russa's style by simply watching him manage a season or even just a postseason. La Russa made a ton of pitching changes this last postseason, all for the better pitching match ups. His unusual tactics, however, got him results over the long term, that's for sure. Congrats to Tony for one last ring and to be able to retire as a champion. I'm sure he'll be riding off into the Hall of Fame in no time.

Steelers Beat Pats, Eagles Soar Way Past Cowboys, Ravens Barely Beat Cardinals and More

Week 8 had plenty of good match ups but none better than the Patriots vs. the Steelers. The Steelers got out to an early lead with Mewelde Moore catching a TD from Big Ben. This lead would never be lost. The Steelers made sure to stay out in front and seemed to stall Brady. Brady was 24/35 with 198 Yards and 2 TD passes. The Pats barely made it over 200 yards of total offense. It wasn't until within the final minutes that the Pats got back within 6 points since the 2nd quarter. Steelers would win this showdown, 25-17. Looks like the Steelers are the main cause for concern in the AFC. Better luck next time, Pats.

Another good game to watch was the Sunday Night Football game... or at least it seemed that way going in. The Cowboys and the Eagles were looking for wins to get back on track in the playoff race with both of these teams under performing so far. It was just the Cowboys who were under performing tonight. The difference for the Eagles was LeSean McCoy who ran the ball for 185 yards and 2 TDs on 30 carries. Meanwhile, Vick was 21/28 with 279 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, and 2 TD passes. The Cowboys didn't score anything until a TD in the 4th quarter, way too late for this kind of game. Eagles shame the Cowboys on national TV, 34-7.

As for some other games, the Cardinals gave the Ravens another scare within a weeks time. It was 27 all for the majority of the 4th quarter until Billy Cundiff kicked in the game winning FG for the Ravens as time expired. Ravens escape with a win, 30-27. Starting to have doubts about them. In a battle of rookie QBs, Christian Ponder and the Vikings out did Cam Newton and the Panthers, 24-21. It looked like it was heading into OT but Olindo Mare couldn't score the tying FG with less than 30 seconds to go. The Dolphins' Andrew Luck sweepstakes hopes seemed doomed with them winning their game over the Giants, 17-10 entering the 4th. Luckily for them, the Giants made a comeback thanks to Eli Manning and won, 20-17. They are still in the race for Luck. With injured Sam Bradford out, the Rams somehow beat the Saints, 31-21, with AJ Feeley as their QB. Stephen Jackson seemed to be a big reason for that with 159 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs.

Sunday ends with some more surprises and disappointments. Week 8 ends with the Chargers playing the Chiefs tonight on Halloween.

P.S. Don't forget to tune into the Sports Khan Radio Show, every Thursday at 4 PM on KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

49ers Beat Browns After Bye Week

One thing I worried about for the 49ers is how will they look after a bye week, especially riding a 4 game winning streak. They seemed to do fine.

The 49ers played the Cleveland Browns yesterday in San Francisco. Seeing how the schedule could be a bit rougher ahead, a win would be a real nice thing for the team. That seemed to be the focus. The 49ers got ahead early and stayed in front. A quick TD was scored by Frank Gore just a few minutes into the game thanks to Browns fumble. Later in the quarter, David Akers scored a FG. After a drive was halted inside the 1 repeatedly by the Browns, the 49ers were able to score a TD near the end of the 1st half via an Alex Smith pass to Michael Crabtree. The Browns were able to kick a FG just before the half ended making it 17-3 game in favor of the 49ers.

The 2nd half seemed quiet overall. No more scoring until the 4th quarter when Colt McCoy threw a 45 yard TD pass to Joshua Cribbs. Akers would kick another FG within the 2 minute mark to help put the game out of reach. 49ers win, 20-10.

A solid win for the 49ers with defense being the main cause for the victory. 2 turnovers caused via a fumble and INT. You also have to give credit to the 49ers offense not committing any turnovers, especially Smith. I've been saying that a lot recently. They seem to using Alex Smith the right way as he has a 95.7 QB rating with 9 TD passes and only 2 INTs. Don't forget the main reason for not putting everything on Alex's shoulders, the running game. Frank Gore had over 100 yards before the half, finsihing with 134 yards in 31 carries.

The team is 6-1 so far this season and now heads to DC to take on the Redskins who have lost their way losing a 3rd straight game, this time to the Buffalo Bills. Feel a bit bad for them but not enough to not want to crush them.

CARDINALS CLAIM 11TH WORLD SERIES TITLE!!!

At the beginning of the season, it seemed that the St. Louis Cardinals were already having a year to forget. Adam Wainwright had to get Tommy John Surgery which sidelined him for the entire season and the team failed to get a contract extension with Albert Pujols. Yet somehow it still became memorable.

Game 7 of the 2011 World Series was last night in St. Louis and both the Rangers and the Cardinals came in ready to go. The Rangers needed some early runs to kill that momentum that the Cardinals had gained in game 6. The Rangers were able to put up 2 early runs in the first inning to get on top of the Cardinals. That would've worked if the Cardinals didn't strike back immediately. With two men on base, David Freese, the hero of game 6, hit a double to left center and was able to score in 2 RBI's to tie the game. From then on out, it was all Cardinals.

Chris Carpenter was able to start and settled down after a rough first inning. He pitched 6 innings in the game allowing only the 2 runs, struck out 5, and walked only 2 batters. Meanwhile, the Cardinals offense picked up the hint starting with an Allen Craig home run in the 3rd inning to give them the lead. A couple more runs scored in the 5th thanks to a bases loaded walk and then a bases loaded hit by pitch. Yadier Molina would later get an RBI single in the 7th. The Cardinals bullpen was solid and held the Rangers in check. The 9th inning came with Motte (not anyone else) coming in and getting the outs. David Murphy was the last one up, flying out to Allen Craig in LF for the final out. Cardinals win game 7, 6-2, and the 2011 World Series.

One of the most unlikely World Series runs has ended with the Cardinals claiming their 11th World Series title. This series will no doubt be remembered for a miraculous game 6 in which the Cardinals were able to survive a couple of two strike elimination scenarios. David Freese was named MVP, no doubt for his heroics in game 6 and last night. A St. Louis native is the MVP for the Cardinals. Cool, huh?

As for the runners up, the Rangers go back to Texas failing to claim the title in the World Series for the second straight year. This time around had to have hurt even more. They had multiple chances to put away the Cards in game 6 and failed to do so. They now enter the off season with a much greater insult to injury.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, get to enter the off season as World Series Champions. What a season they had. Rough start with Wainwright gone and Pujols' future uncertain. The Cards didn't really look like World Series favorites throughout the season being 10 1/2 games out of the Wild Card in late August. Somehow, they got hot and the Braves got cold allowing the Cards to pull through. Being down two runs with your final ABs coming up in game 6... twice, and still were able to win it. Nothing was keeping this team down. Congratulations to the Cardinals on their Championship win. These birds flew above it all.

FREESE!!! THIS SERIES AIN'T OVER YET!!!

It doesn't get any better than this. After a rain delay and phone gate in game 5, the World Series resumed earlier tonight and it was one for the ages. A close game throughout with the bats coming alive in this one. The Rangers were able to gain some separation in the 7th inning thanks to a couple of home runs and an Kinsler RBI single. The Cards would get one back in the 8th with an Allen Craig homer but were still down 7-5 heading into the bottom of the 9th. The Cardinals were able to get a couple men on base thanks to Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman. David Freese was up with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and came through with 2 strikes against him hitting a triple over the head of Nelson Cruz. Pujols and Berkman would both score on the triple and tie the game. Yadier Molina would get out next but the Cardinals were alive.

In extra innings, the Rangers did not let the shift in momentum disturb them. Instead, in the 10th inning with a man on base, Josh Hamilton hit a home run and gave the Rangers a 9-7 lead. Another 2 run deficit for the Cardinals. Yet, somehow, it too was overcome. Descalso would score thanks to Theriot grounding out for the 2nd out of the inning. With John Jay on 2nd and after walking Albert Pujols, the Rangers pitched to Lance Berkman. Berkman makes them regret not pitching to Pujols as he singles to center to score in John Jay. Unfortunately, they wouldn't get anything else in that inning.

The 11th came next and this time the Rangers were held in check. The Cardinals didn't have to come back. Now they just need to get some hits together and... DAVID FREESE ENDS IT WITH A WALK OFF HOME RUN TO CENTER!!! The Home Town Hero known as David Freese gives the Cardinals the win, 10-9, and forces both teams to come back for a game 7 tomorrow night.

An unbelievable game. The Cardinals manage to come back from a couple of 2 run deficits in the 9th and 10th innings. Twice the Cardinals had their backs to the wall with 2 outs and a strike away from being runner ups. Both times they escaped it and then managed to win it. This was without a doubt an instant classic.

No One Goes to T.O. Camp

A story of the off season was the fact that no one grabbed Terrell Owens from free agency. A reason for that was perhaps the fact that he had knee surgery during the off season. Another reason might be that he is 37 years old and is near retirement in many analysts minds. T.O. wasn't depressed that much as he figured that he would be eventually be signed during the season. That seems like sound logic considering that some WRs do get injured during the season and might need a veteran to come in and fill a gap right away. Or a unexpected contender might need a WR to help give them a better chance. It's a pity that Marvin Harrison thought the same way.

Anyway, it's almost November and the trade deadline has just passed last week and T.O. is still available. In order to drum up some attention and prove that he was fit for an NFL season, T.O. held a mini camp that displayed his skills for anyone or team that was willing to come. He held the camp and even managed to get it televised. At the camp itself, no NFL team showed up to watch T.O. OUCH!!! Now to be fair teams might be preoccupied with their current rosters to go out there and evaluate someone else but no one showed up? For T.O.'s sake, I hope they were all watching from the comfort of their own facilities.

Now T.O. might get signed by a playoff contender for this season or he may not. But seeing how this is going, it's hard not to think this might be one of the few remaining moments we here from T.O.

Lions Lose 2nd Game, Tebow Leads Comeback, Burress Big for Jets and More

Last week I was giddy that the 49ers were able to hand the Detroit Lions their first loss of the season. All due respect, I actually root for the Lions when they are not playing San Francisco. I love underdog teams, for the most part. So it saddened me that the Lions were unable to rebound from their loss to the Niners. This week, the Lions played the Falcons and boy did Stafford under perform. He was 15/32, for 183 yards, and 1 TD pass. At the end, he was unable to make a comeback drive for a second week in a row. To make things worse, he got hurt on the last Lions offensive play. Lions lose, 23-16, and might have lost their QB for some time. Meanwhile, the Falcons have won 2 in a row and are contenders again in the NFC South.

You know who did manage to make an impressive comeback? The Broncos lead by Tim Tebow. Tebow did not have a good game at all leading up to the final minutes. He missed open receivers and just couldn't get anything going for the offense. But in the final three minutes, a minor miracle happened: a comeback was achieved. Down by 15, Tebow threw a TD pass to Demaryius Thomas with 2:44 left. After a successful onside kick by the Broncos, Tebow lead them down field again and threw another TD pass, this time to Daniel Fells on a screen play. Then Tebow ran in a two point conversion to tie the game at 15. OT came and the Dolphins fumbled it to give Matt Prater a winning FG shot which he made 52 yards out. Broncos win, 18-15. Need better results from Tebow earlier in the game but you got to love that will to win.

Other games included the Jets defeating the Chargers, 27-21. A major aid to Mark Sanchez was Plaxico Burress who caught 3 TDs in this game. Huge game for the Jets to win. Packers manage to defeat the Vikings and debuting, Christian Ponder, 33-27. Rodgers was the man again but the Vikings did scare the Pack a little. The annual London game, which could become much more, was won by the Bears, 24-18, over the Bucs. Two TD passes by Freeman is good but not 4 INTs. Don't get caught up in a INT competition with Cutler. Last, the Raiders did not start Palmer but he did play later in the game. He was no better than the starter, Kyle Boller, as they threw 3 INTs apiece. Of course the Raiders lose with 6 INTs to the Chiefs, 28-0, with 2 INTs returned for Chief TDs.

Week 7 ends tonight with the Ravens vs. the Jaguars. Sounds like a no contest like the Colts-Saints game.

So Far in the World Series...

Been a bit behind in my World Series coverage so let's try to catch up.

Games 1 and 2 in St. Louis were close between the Cardinals and the Rangers with one run being the difference in the final score. The Cards took game 1 at 3-2 and the Rangers took game 2, 2-1. The controversy going into Texas was Albert Pujols not talking to the media after making a costly error in the 9th inning of game 2. His silence was broken in game 3 with his bat as he went 5/6 with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs in the game as the Cards won, 16-7. Some of that offense might've been needed for the next game, however, as the Rangers took game 4, 4-0, thanks to a great pitching performance by Derek Holland and a 3 run Home Run by Mike Napoli to create some distance in the 6th.

So far the series is tied at 2-2. The crucial game 5 is tomorrow with Chris Carpenter and CJ Wilson taking the mound for their respective teams. One thing is for sure and that's the series will go back to St. Louis. Better win, Texas.

P.S. Be sure to tune into the Sports Khan Radio Show, every Thursday at 4 PM on KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

10 Suspended Due to a Streaker?

It's annoying when an jerk comes from out of the stands and runs across the field of play during a game. We do get a few laughs every now and then because of these a**holes like the tazered fan in Philadelphia, but for the most part they are just a nuisance. This incident at the UCLA-Arizona game was just plain weird.

Near the end of the 1st half of this blowout game that ended in a Arizona win, 48-12, a fan came out of the stands in a referee's uniform, blew a whistle, and actually managed to call a play dead. He then started to take off his clothes and streak. This isn't the big story, however, as after the dead play, the players on both teams on the field started to exchange some words and then some fists. A brawl ensued and it wasn't pretty. Ultimately, both sides were calmed down and they were able to finish the game.

Yesterday, the Pac-12 handed out suspensions to 10 players involved in the brawl: 6 UCLA Players and 4 Arizona players. The funny thing is that this brawl probably wouldn't have happened if the streaker hadn't have come out on the field. The players probably wouldn't have exchanged words then and no one would be suspended. Now of course the streaker didn't cause the two sides to fight but he did create the window of opportunity, so to speak.

Be Careful What You Wish For, Palmer

Last Sunday, the Oakland Raiders lost their QB, Jason Campbell, due to a broken collarbone sustained during the game. The report is that they will have to go on without him for six weeks. The thought now was to try and find a suitable replacement for Campbell until he returned from injury. Free agents didn't seem like the best route so a trade needed to be considered and fast what with the trade deadline being today. He Raiders beat the deadline and found the ultimate replacement for Jason Campbell: Carson Palmer.

Palmer, earlier this year, said he wanted a trade from the Bengals organization or he would retire from the game. He wasn't budging all. Up until now, the Bengals weren't budging either basically saying they would rather have Palmer stay retire than have him force his way out of Cincy. It seems that the Bengals blinked first. The Bengals folded and traded Palmer away to the Oakland Raiders for a 1st round pick in the 2012 Draft and a 2nd round pick (conditional) in the 2013 Draft. Palmer got his wish.

Now the Raiders don't need to wait for Jason Campbell. Actually, they would still like him back anyway considering he knows the offense unlike Carson Palmer. Palmer will no doubt be a bit sloppy and will need some time to get to know the Raiders offense. Also, he is going to a rather unstable organization. It seemed unstable during Al Davis' reign but now that the team is in a bit of flux due to the passing of their late great owner, who knows how the team will be run. It might be even more chaotic.

In the end , the trade works out for all parties involved. The Raiders get a great QB though a bit rusty and the Bengals get a couple of high round draft picks to build around their team which is actually doing well at 4-2. Good luck, Palmer.

Dan Wheldon: 1978-2011

Motorsports are exciting, gripping, and dangerous, all because of the high speeds that their sports are involved in. The danger aspect sometimes can be overlooked and ignored. It's at these times when we are reminded of how fatal it can actually be.

It was the Season Finale for the IndyCar season as the racers came to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Attention was given as to who the champion was going to be and also to how well Danica Patrick would do in presumably her last IndyCar race. To others, it was for one last prize before the season ended. In lap 11 of the event, a horrific crash involving 15 cars unfolded that would claim a driver's life. Dan Wheldon, Indy 500 Winner from Emberton, England, was airlifted to a hospital nearby but to no avail. He passed away due to "unsurvivable injuries." He was 33 years young.

The race was offically called off due to the tragedy but the racers had a 5 lap salute in Dan Wheldon's honor. Most of the drivers around the track were very emotional afterword like Dario Franchitti who said of Dan "I lost, we lost, a good friend. Everybody in the IndyCar series considered him a friend. He was such a good guy. He was a charmer." Wheldon, himself, became a racer at an early age and would move to the US to further that dream. He started to race in IndyCar in 2002 nearly ten years ago. The highlights of his IndyCar career were winning the Indy 500 twice; once in 2005 and then again just this last spring.

Dan Wheldon's death now plagues the IndyCar world as a reminder that the worst can happen at anytime at any race. No doubt the racing world has lost a great driver, a great star, a great friend.

Cardinals Headed to the World Series

Hard to believe that the Cardinals are going to the World Series considering how far behind they were of the Braves in the NL Wild Card entering September. Well believe it.

Game 6 of the NLCS was last night and it was a must win for the Brewers. Good news was that they were at home where they played their best. Bad news was it didn't make any difference to the Cardinals. After a home run derby through the first couple of innings, the Cardinals got some breathing room by the end of the third, 9-4. After 7 innings of pitching from their bullpen, the Cardinals won the game quite handily, 12-6, and won the series 4-2. They are now going to the World Series for the first time since 2006 when they won it all then.

The unbelievable Cardinals keep rolling as they beat the Brewers. Impressive that they won 2 of these games in Milwaukee. Even more impressive that they had to beat the Phillies to get there. It's just remarkable that this team had made it so far in this roller coaster season of theirs. Attention now sort of turns to the Prince Fielder of the Brewers as this was most likely his last game as a Brewer. Speculation now begins on where he'll end up.

But for now, Congratulations to the Cardinals. Maybe this will help keep their own slugger in town.

P.S. Game 1 of the World Series between the Rangers and the Cardinals is Wednesday in St. Louis.

Giants Pull Off Win Against Bills, Nightmare Ends for Eagles, Pats Late Drive Beats Cowboys and More

Other than the 49ers beating the Lions, there were plenty of other great games around the NFL. One such game was the Bills vs. the Giants. A close one throughout as each team look to remain atop their own division. This back and forth game was tied in the 4th quarter thanks a Ryan Fitzpatrick TD pass to Stevie Johnson with just under 9 minutes to go. Fitzpatrick, however, might've led to their loss as Ryan threw a pick to Corey Webster with under 5 minutes to go. A Giants drive highlighted by a Ahmad Bradshaw 30 yard run lead to a FG by Lawrence Tynes. It turned out to be the game winner as the Giants beat the Bills, 27-24. Both teams are 4-2 but the Giants are the one that remains atop their own division.

Why aren't the Bills still leading the AFC East? This loss mixed with a Patriots win, that's why. The Pats faced the Cowboys at Foxboro with the Cowboys coming off their bye week and looking to rebound from their loss to the Lions in Week 4. A close game throughout and it looked like Cowboys were going to pull off the upset as they lead, 16-13, going into the final minute. Tom Brady, however, cannot be underrated. Brady threw a 8 yard TD pass to Aaron Hernandez with 22 seconds left. Pats win it, 20-16. So much for a Cowboys rebound. The Pats now solely control the AFC East at 5-1.

As for the rest of the NFL, the Eagles wake up from their 4 game nightmare with a win over the Redskins, 20-13. Story here for the Redskins, however, might be John Beck as he was put into the game after Rex Grossman threw 4 INTs. Beck actually ran for a TD. The Bucs rebound from their horrible loss to the 49ers last week as they beat the Saints at home, 26-20. Big game for the Bucs but the news here is that Sean Payton, head coach of the Saints, actually gets injured in the 1st quarter thanks to one of his TEs. He had a torn ligament and a broken bone as he coached from the booth for the 2nd half. Raiders win their first home game since the passing of their late owner, Al Davis. They beat the Browns, 24-17, but may have lost their QB, Jason Campbell, for the season as he suffered a Broken Collarbone. Last one I'll mention is the Bears destroying the Vikings on Sunday Night Football, 39-10. Story here, though, might be Christian Ponder who took over for a McNabb in this game. Ponder went 9/17 and threw for 99 yards.

Week 6 ends tonight with the Dolphins playing the Jets on Monday Night Football. An intense rivalry as the Jets play for relevancy and the Dolphins just play for a win.

Taming of the Lions

The 49ers had a hard test this week: the Lions in Detroit. To prepare for the game, Jim Harbaugh had brought in a ton of speakers thanks to connections at Stanford and blasted the noise on the practice field to try and prepare the 49ers for this game. The 49ers still had 15 penalties but it might've helped anyway.

The game had come and Detroit was riled up. Two teams that no one considered any good were in fact better than perceived and were fighting to see who was the most improved. The Lions owned the 1st quarter going up 10-0. The 49ers controlled the 2nd, however, thanks to Frank Gore's big run and TD run afterward, a safety on Stafford, and then a FG by David Akers at the end of the 1st half after Jason Hanson missed a FG for Detroit.

It remained tight throughout the 3rd quarter until Alex Smith threw a pick that led to a TD pass from Matthew Stafford to Nate Burleson in the early 4th. Lions ahead, 19-15. It seemed like an omen and any other year it would've been but not this one. The 49ers defense held on for the rest of the 4th while their offense found their rhythm. They would thanks to a great punt return by Ted Ginn Jr. with over 5 minutes left. Then the 49ers drove it within the 10 yard line giving them a 1st and goal opportunity. They failed to get in on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd down. However, 4th down, with just under 2 minutes to go, Alex Smith threw a pass to Delanie Walker who barely gets into the end zone. TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!!! They lead 22-19. A couple of bad drives by the Lions and a FG by David Akers afterword gives the 49ers the win, 25-19.

The 49ers go into loud Detroit and escape with a victory. Smith wasn't great all day but that throw to Walker was perfect and Walker's effort was just what we needed. A little tense at the end with handshakes between coaches, I'll admit, but you'd feel amped up too if your team just took down an undefeated 5-0 Lions. A great game for the 49ers as their 5-1 start is the best since 1998. While Smith and Walker get the glory at the end, it was the running game that got them inside the ten yard line and carried them all day previously. 203 total team rushing yards with Frank Gore getting 141 of those yards on 15 carries. As for the Lions, they played admirably but I honestly expected more out of them in those two drives at the end of the game. Not a horrible game by them just a great game by the 49ers defense.

49ers go into the bye week riding a 4 game winning streak in which 3 of those were on the road going back East. Impressive, Jim Harbaugh. After the bye, 49ers face the Browns at Candlestick. A winnable game indeed. Keep it up, 49ers.

P.S. I better start finding some crow.

Rangers Back for More

Looks like being runners up last year hasn't halted the Rangers a bit. Game 6 of the ALCS was last night and the Rangers were leading the series 3-2. The Tigers didn't want to go out quietly and it looked like they weren't going to. A couple of early solo home runs made it 2-0 for the Tigers early in the game. However this seemed like a minor beeping sound compared to what happened next. The Rangers blew the game open in the 3rd inning scoring 9 runs. The Tigers tried desperately to stop the bleeding that inning but by the time they did it was too late. Rangers win it, 15-5, and advance to the World Series for a second year in a row winning the ALCS, 4-2.

A phenomenal series by the Rangers and one highlighted by hitting, especially by Nelson Cruz. Who says they need Cliff Lee? A second straight World Series appearance. Good for the Rangers. Many teams tend to fall off the face of the earth when they fall in the Championship round or game the previous season. Not the Rangers. They bounce back ready for seconds. Hopefully for them this serving tastes a lot better.

Theo Leaves Red Sox for the Cursed Cubs

We lost Terry and now we've lost Theo. Theo Epstein, the General Manager of the Red Sox since 2003, is leaving the franchise in order to be the GM of the Chicago Cubs. He has apparently agreed to a five year deal with the team worth $15-20 million. Now this is no doubt big news for the Cubs as they get a star GM to run their cursed team of a 100 plus years. The reason this guy is a bigger deal than most GMs? He's coming from a team that just shook it's 86 year curse under his watch. No doubt Cubs fans will expect Theo to orchestrate another curse breaking team for them. It will be a lot of work for Theo and the Cubs organization, especially in dealing with players on the Cubs that aren't living up to contract standards (Soriano).

Anyway, I would like to thank Theo for his many years of service as GM of the Red Sox nation. I appreciate the two World Titles that you and Terry Francona led the team to. I sincerely hope you can do the same with the Cubs.

P.S. When did the Red Sox dugout start copying my regimen?

Tebow Will Start for the Broncos

The person that every QB analyst in the NFL has dissed will start for the Denver Broncos. Of course I'm talking about the popular Tim Tebow. Tebow was drafted in the 2010 draft in the 1st round with almost everyone saying that he went too high in the draft. That mixed with his popularity and the fact that team has struggled has lead to him starting for the team. While Tebow's numbers were not the best when he came into the game last Sunday vs. the Chargers, he provided a spark to that Denver offense and almost tied the game when they down by 16 points. He even scored a rushing TD and threw a TD even though it was a screen pass that teammate Moreno should get most of the credit for. Still, the fact that they were so close to pulling off the comeback has put pressure on John Fox and the franchise to start him.

A couple of good things about Tebow's first start. One is that it's in a couple of weeks. The Broncos have a bye this week and will be able to work with Tebow a bit more in the play calling and further preparation. The second thing is that it's against the Dolphins. All due respect to the city of Miami, the Dolphins are not a great team being 0-4. This a winnable game for Tebow and the Broncos. The drawback is that it's a winnable game if Kyle Orton was starting which means there is an expectation to win this game. Another problem is still Tebow's arm motion and lack of experience. While Tebow did make some nice throws, he also has much to improve upon.

I actually think this is the best move the Broncos. They are 1-4 and there season looks shot right now. Why not change the QB early and try to spark this team? Also, if their season is indeed lost, this might be a good time to close the Tim Tebow question on whether he is any good on the Pro level once and for all so you can move on with the franchise. Let's if Mr. Intangible can make it in the NFL.

P.S. Third plus: he's playing in Florida which means the crowd might actually be on his side.

Rangers Have 2-0 Lead while Cards and Brewers are Deadlocked

The Championship Series round has begun and the 1st two games of each series has gone by. In Texas, the Tigers and the Rangers played 2 games with each one going the Rangers' way. First game was a close one that got interrupted by rain a couple of rain delays but the Rangers persevered to win, 3-2. The second one would go into extras until Nelson Cruz unloaded the bases with a walk off Grand Slam in the 11th. Rangers won that, 7-3. Rangers now have a 2-0 lead over the Tigers as the series shifts to Detroit.

As for the NLCS, the Cardinals and Brewers played two games in Miller Park. First one had the Brewers coming back and winning, 9-6, thanks to a big 5th inning. The second game had Albert Pujols written all over it. Pujols was 4 for 5, hit 3 doubles, a home run, and had 5 RBI's in the game. Some one's playing for a big contract. Cardinals cause the Brewers to lose their first game at home this postseason, 12-3. This series is tied at 1-1 heading to St. Louis.

One series is even while the other looks like the beginnings of a sweep. Cheer up, Detroit. At least the Lions beat the Bears, 24-13, and are still undefeated.

TCU Saves the Big 12?

The Big 12 has had a lot of bad news in the past couple of months with Texas A&M leaving for the SEC, rumors of the conference folding and teams going to the Pac 12, and rumors that Missouri would leave the conference. Looks like there is some good news for them, however. TCU has decided not to join the Big East, as planned, but will join the Big 12 starting next school year. This bodes well for the Big 12 considering the geographic location of TCU and the fact that a team is replacing Texas A&M.

But does this move save the conference or just delay time of death? If Missouri does leave for the SEC like it hopes to then they're right back where they started. Also, what of the Big East, they lost three schools last month and have now said they want to add 6 more football programs to get to 12 in the conference. Is that a realistic goal for them? A lot of realignment is going on college football and it's too much count.

A Nightmare in Buffalo, Raiders Win for Late Owner, Is it Now Tebow Time? And More

It just keeps getting worse for the Eagles. Maybe Freddy Krueger is killing their Dream Team bit by bit. It would explain a lot. Anyway, their latest loss comes at the hands of the Bills. They went into Buffalo needing a win to help keep pace and gain some momentum or something. Things went bad and they went bad early. Pretty soon, it was 28-7 in favor of the Bills. Michael Vick and the Eagles did manage a comeback, however, bringing it within 7 with about 9 minutes left. However, a 4th INT thrown by Vick (not his fault, dropped ball) with less than 2 minutes to go sealed the Eagles fate. Bills win, 31-24, and are now 4-1 while the Eagles are 1-4. Just keeps getting worse for the Philly.

Though not a bad record like the Eagles, the Raiders faced a low this weekend with the passing of their great legendary owner, Al Davis, just a day before their game with the Texans. This was no doubt for Al. The Raiders would have a close bout with the Texans in Houston. They were winning the game while Matt Schaub looked for a go ahead TD only to be picked off by Michael Huff in the end zone on the final play of regulation. Raiders win an emotional game, 25-20. Not a great stat game for the Silver and Black but they did what Al Davis wanted: "Just Win, Baby."

As for the rest of the league, Tebow mania has seemingly struck Denver. Tebow came into the game and got his team within 2 points of the Chargers scoring 2 TD in the fourth; one by air (screen pass) and one by ground. However, the Chargers survived Tebow's 4th quarter rally and won anyway, 29-24. Is Tebow now the starter in Denver? The Sunday Night game featured the slow starting Packers finishing strong as they beat the Falcons, 25-14. Aaron Rodgers comes through in the 2nd half throwing 2 TD passes. The Seahawks stun the Giants, 36-25, as Charlie Whitehurst threw the go ahead TD pass with 2:37 left. Turnovers galore in this game but it was the last one that buried the Giants. Brandon Browner of the Seahawks picked off Eli Manning and took it 94 yards for a TD with 1:08 to go. Lastly, the Pats beat the Jets, 30-21. Nice even play calling for the Pats as BenJarvus Green-Ellis led the rushing attack with 27 carries, 136 yards, and 2 TDs.

A big week 5 that raises many questions around the league. Are the Eagles going to recover from this 1-4 start? How will the Raiders organization do without Al Davis running the show? Is it time for Tebow in Denver? ARE THE 49ERS FOR REAL?!?!?!?!

49ers Sink the Bucs

I didn't see the first half of this game and even the first part of the third quarter. I rushed home to catch the rest of it and when I got there I saw that it was already over... so to speak. It was already 31-3, 49ers in front? The Bucs came to Candlestick to play the 49ers. Considering how well these two teams were playing, it seemed like it was going to be a close match up. I was wrong. The game started to get away from the Bucs when Josh Freeman threw a INT to Carlos Rogers which was returned for a 31 yard TD. It was all down hill from there as the 49ers cruise to a victory, 48-3.

I love it. The 49ers ran the ball effectively for 213 total rushing yards with Frank Gore getting 125 of those yards along with a TD. Alex Smith also had a pretty good game going 11/19 for 170 yards and 3 TD passes, two of which went to Vernon Davis. Again, Smith didn't do too much throwing it only 19 times but more importantly he didn't hurt us that much. As for the Bucs, I'm glad the 49ers walked all over you but you're making me look like a fool. Where were you guys, today?

Anyway, a great game for 49ers and they are now 4-1 on the season and are riding a 3 game winning streak. As for Harbaugh, good job so far. Show me what you can do against those Lions next week and then I might admit I was wrong about you.

Al Davis 1929-2011: The Raider Himself

Heartbreak has hit the Raider Nation as it's president has passed away. Al Davis, the majority owner of the Oakland Raiders, died yesterday at the age of 82. Mainly known today as the owner of the team, Al Davis has been involved with the Raiders in every conceivable way from Head Coach to owner. He has done so much for this franchise from orchestrating 3 Super Bowl titles to moving the team to LA and then back to Oakland. He has always been involved with this team and is thought to have been the most involved owner in the league, for better or for worse.

Al Davis is not only an icon to Raiders' fans but also to Pro Football. He was AFL Commissioner for a brief time in the 1960's and was also against the NFL-AFL Merger initially. He had also sought after NFL players aggressively during that time which may have indeed help lead to the merger. As Head Coach, he contributed to the game itself by implementing the "Vertical Game" to his offense. He had done so much for the sport, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Al Davis was unique. His appearance was different, the way he handled his team was different, and he always did business his way. He was also unpredictable and hard to read at times. All of these things made him and the team he controlled. Al Davis was a true Oakland Raider.

Brewers Walk Off at Home and Carpenter Shuts Down the Phillies

What a night for baseball. The last of the Divisional round was yesterday and it had some fireworks to it. No, there was literally fireworks inside Miller Park. The D'Backs and the Brewers went back to Milwaukee for game 5 of their series and it was tight throughout. It was 2-1 in favor of the Brew Crew in the 9th when the D'Backs managed to tie it with a suicide squeeze. The game went into extras but only one extra. The Brewers Carlos Gomez managed to get on with a base hit and then get over to second thanks to a steal and bad handling by Henry Blanco. Nyjer Morgan, who was still at bat at the time of the steal, hit a single up the middle and Gomez scored the winning run. Brewers win the game, 3-2, and the series, 3-2. "F**K YEAH, F**K YEAH!!!" was the quote from Nyjer Morgan.

As for the second game of the evening, it featured another decisive game 5 but with the Cardinals and the Phillies. Chris Carpenter was on the mound for the Cards and Roy Halladay was the mound for the Phillies. It was a pitchers duel throughout the entire game save for maybe the top of the 1st inning. Rafael Furcal hit a triple to lead off the game and then Skip Schumaker hit him home. Other than that, the two starters pitched a great game. Carpenter did better not having a rough start to the game and finished it with a complete game shut out as the Cardinals win it, 1-0, and the series, 3-2. Carpenter was focused tonight and nothing could distr... SQUIRREL!!!

Anyway, the Divisional round is indeed over. Let the two Championship Series' begin. The AL will feature the Rangers vs. the Tigers and the NL will have the Cardinals vs. the Brewers. Seems the NLCS has a bit more spice to it considering that both teams are from the NL Central. AWKWARD!!!

2011-12 NHL Season Preview: It Won't Be the Sharks

For my 800th posting, I will sound like a man who knows very little about hockey. I can play this part dead on.

The 2011-12 NHL season started last night and just like last year it snuck up on me. It keeps doing that. I always say I will be on top of it year after year but it never happens. Hockey gets so little coverage on the main stage that it's hard to follow what's happening. Every casual sports fan knows when the NFL season starts, hell, they know when the draft starts. But when it comes to hockey, they'll be lucky to know when opening day is. I barely caught on.

Anyway, Bruins played the Flyers after lifting up their Stanley Cup Title banner. They lost, 2-1. Not a great start for the Cup Holders. As for who will win it this year, I honestly can't say. I'm actually more concerned if Sid the Kid is coming back any time soon. The only prediction I can accurately give for the Cup is that the Sharks won't win it and you can take that to the Tank. Besides, I'm more of a Jets man myself.

P.S. I'm really lucky I did this preview more on time this year. As for my NBA Preview, here's hoping I won't have to do one. Cheers!!!

YANKEES ARE OUT!!!

Now it's a good October. The New York Yankees are out. They were tied with the Tigers 2-2 in their division series and had their game 5 last night. The Tigers needed to get off to fast start being in Yankee Stadium and did with two solo home runs in the 1st inning: one by Don Kelly and one by Delmon Young. Another run was added in the 5th for the Tigers and it was just enough for them as the game ended at 3-2. Jose Valverde struck out A-Rod in the 9th to end the series. The Tigers are now headed to the ALCS to face the Rangers.

Thank goodness the Yankees have been eliminated. I can now enjoy the rest of October. A bit surprising that Fister did better than Nova but the playoffs are unpredictable. The other game 5's are tomorrow night and then it's off to the Championship Series round.

Ding, Dong, the Rays are Gone

This is just what I need to feel better and that is the Rays being eliminated from the playoffs. They take the Red Sox spot and then are eliminated in the first round. After being down 2-1 in the series, the Rays looked to stay alive in a crucial game 4 at home in this ALDS match up against the Rangers. The Rangers had a rough start in this series losing game 1, 9-0, but they had come around and rallied. That rally continued last night as they were lead by Adrian Beltre's 3 solo home runs. Neftali Feliz comes in and manages to hold off a Rays rally in the 9th and sealed the victory for the Rangers, 4-3, and the series, 3-1.

The Rays are the first team out. I guess that Longoria walk off home run really meant something in Tampa Bay in the long run (HA HA HA). Truth be told I would rather have the Yankees out. Instead, Burnett pitches a good game and the Yanks even the series with a 10-1 victory. Crucial game 5 of that series is Thursday in the Bronx. Let's go Tigers.

Lions Win in Jerry's World, It's All About Defense in Baltimore, Brady and Pats Rebound and More

Nothing sums up this weird and wacky season more than the Lions-Cowboys game in Arlington. A true test for the Lions and they were failing that test for most of the game. That is "most of." They were down 27-3 and then two INT returns for TDs got the Lions back in the game. Then Calvin Johnson, after being mocked by Rob Ryan (AKA Composite Santa), scored two amazing TDs in the 4th quarter to put the Lions in front for good. The last one leaving 1:39 left. Lions win, 34-30, and stay undefeated at 4-0. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are 2-2 with a lot of today's loss being blamed on Tony Romo. Every bit of good that Romo had collected over the last couple of weeks seemingly vanished in this game.

Another exciting game in Week 4 was the Sunday Night match up featuring the Jets vs. the Ravens. I got to say this was the worst game to be passing the ball in and it showed. Both QB's threw under 50%, had one INT, and had QB ratings in the 30's for this one game featuring tough defenses. This game had only one offensive TD and that was scored by Ray Rice on the ground. Meanwhile, defenses score a combined 4 TDs in this game and Joe McKnight of the Jets had a 107 yard KO return for a TD. In the end, the Raven's defense put up more and won the game. Ravens win, 34-17.

As for the rest of the league, the Pats looked to rebound from their loss to the Bills with a win over the Raiders. The Pats actually ran the ball well for 183 combined yards and 2 TDs on the ground while Brady threw for 2 more TDs. Pats beat the Raiders, 31-19. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills take in their first loss at the hands of the Bengals. The Bengals managed to comeback from a 14 point deficit and win, 23-20. Not a great performance by Andy Dalton but one TD by air and ground seemed to do the trick. The Steelers would lose to the Texans, 17-10, but concerns now surround Big Ben as he was wearing a protective boot around his left foot afterwards. Giants scored 21 points in the 4th quarter to beat the Cardinals, 31-27. Eli Manning's 2 TD passes were both in that 4th quarter and got the Giants a victory.

More chaos around the NFL as these games just seem to get harder and harder to predict. Week 4 comes to an end tonight as the Colts go into Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers.

P.S. Don't forget to tune into the Sports Khan Radio Show every Thursday at 4 PM on KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

The 49ers Won?

The 49ers had stayed east all week to help better prepare for their Sunday match up with the Philadelphia Eagles. Whether it did or didn't really help is debatable but it sure didn't hurt them. The 49ers went into Lincoln field ready to play and quickly fell behind by 20 points by the 3rd quarter. Already horrible, right? Of all the teams in the NFL, the 49ers were not a team that could make a 20 point comeback with less than a full half to go. Right? WRONG!!! Believe or not, Alex Smith and that thing the 49ers call an offense did it. Smith threw 2 TDs before the end of the quarter and then with 3 minutes left in the game Frank Gore scored the game winning TD. 49ers hold back the Eagles thanks to a costly fumble and win the game, 24-23.

The 49ers actually beat the Eagles who still haven't woke up from their nightmare and are now 1-3. The 49ers, meanwhile, are 3-1 and are the only team in the NFC West at or above .500. A magnificent start for the 49ers. I guess this is where I admit that Jim Harbaugh has done a good job. Well...

As for the Eagles, they have lost 3 straight games despite a good performance by Michael Vick. No injury this week, though. That's an improvement.