First big snowstorm of the year, annual trip to the UPS Store to ship out presents, Christmas is coming, and thoughts naturally turn to... sports:
Three of the four things that had to happen yesterday for the Bills to be sitting pretty in the AFC playoff picture happened. Indianapolis beat Baltimore, and Kansas City not only beat Denver but made it clear the Broncos, without a very difficult turnaround, aren't really into this thing anymore. Plus, the Bills won, of course; not with 37 points or more, as in the last four games, but with 33.
But unaccountably Jacksonville went into Lambeau and beat the Pack. Jacksonville has to lose one of its next two, home to Houston or at Oakland, or even if the Bills win out they won't make the playoffs. Denver and Baltimore also each need to lost one of their next two games; Denver is in Tennessee and seems to be mailing it in (fingers crossed), and the Ravens play the Steelers, who are probably eager to avenge their only loss this year. The Bills will be in San Francisco.
All eyes, when not on the Bills, are on the Jags. The Jets ensured the Bills can't beat them out of a spot by winning their tenth game yesterday.
I lost in the playoffs in one fantasy league, the one I really want to win, and should probably advance in another (my opponent has a couple players going tonight trying to make up a 13.5-point deficit).
Dear Mr. Cosh: If they're not going to award a Stanley Cup this year, might I suggest they give it to the Sabres to make up for that debacle in 1999? The Stars dserved it that year, but it sure would be a nice gesture. Don't you think?
I've only been half on the lookout, but how long before someone writes that Billy Beane traded Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson because his ego couldn't handle the A's success of the last few years being attributed to the Big Three, and not Beane? If someone has already, it wouldn't surprise me; just let me know. We're already hearing that he's doomed the team to mediocrity.
Evaluating Beane's moves so far this offseason, which I think have been unequivocally good, doesn't mean much anyway. Jay Mariotti wrote this weekend that pennants are won in December; well, the AL West is usually won in July, when Beane trades for Jermaine Dye or Jose Guillen, or otherwise in-season. Say, Jay, you think the Red Sox won their championship in December, 2003, when they were busy botching the A-Rod trade? Or was it when they moved Nomar for infield defense and shored up their bullpen with guys like Terry Adams and Mike Myers?
I play in two NL-only fantasy leagues and two AL-only ones. Via The Transaction Guy, here's a list of what players have moved from league to league:
AL to NL
Alfredo Amezaga, Geoff Blum, Juan Castro, Nelson Cruz, Troy Glaus, Jose Guillen, Cristian Guzman, Felix Heredia, Tim Hudson, Matt Lawton, Carlos Lee, Justin Lehr, Jon Lieber, Kenny Lofton, Pedro Martinez, Damian Miller, Mark Mulder, Ramon Ortiz, Mark Redman, Denys Reyes, Benito Santiago, Omar Vizquel, Ben Weber, Eric Young
NL to AL
Adrian Beltre, Paul Byrd, Kiko Calero, Juan Cruz, Seth Etherton, Steve Finley, Keith Ginter, Dan Haren, Dustin Hermanson, Jose Hernandez, Richard Hidalgo, Jason Kendall, Terence Long, Matt Mantei, Eli Marrero, Scott Podsednik, Edgar Renteria, Juan Rivera, Felix Rodriguez, Richie Sexson, Mike Stanton, Charles Thomas, Luis Viacaino, Kevin Walker, David Wells
Mr. Guy adds this commentary: "One-league fantasy baseball leagues are going to be busy come draft day. Here’s a question: which of those two teams would you rather have? The NL gained some serious pitching, and enough bats to balance out the additions to the Junior Circuit, but the AL got some live arms as well. I’d take the new NLers in a seven-game series against the new ALers." Certainly plenty of people to (get others to) overspend for in auctions.
One of my leagues' online Winter Meetings are tonight, but we've made plans today to probably go shopping. My stepdaughter wants to shop for her friends, plus, got an iPod Mini from her dad at her birthday party this weekend and then left the charger at dad's, so it's out of juice. We said we'd buy her one for home and she could keep that one there.
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