SB Nation User Blog: SBakerTheTouchdownMaker

Cowboys at Giants - 2nd half thread

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:50:07 -0000

Giants lead 14-10,

THREAD FAST FACT: Dallas has not won a posteason game since December 27, 1996. That was two months before Mario Kart was released for Nintendo 64.

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ALCS Game 1: Yanks/Angels Overflow Thread

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:48:16 -0000

Entering the 6th, 3-1 Yankees.

Go Yanks.

Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels Yanks/Angels

Mauer's "Foul" Ball

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:26:25 -0000

Let me preface by saying that last night's 4-3 comeback win was epic. Like CYC said, it had all the makings of a classic Yankees' comeback win of Octobers past.

However, as great as it was, I felt the need to talk about the blown call in the top-half of the inning.

What should've been a double for Joe Mauer was called a foul ball by Phil Cuzzi, who was standing right on the line. I understand that human error is part of the game, but there are blown calls and then there are BLOWN calls (if you catch my drift).

It's inexcusable for a professional umpire to miss a call like that. I've seen missed calls on baseballs that hit the line or that were inches fair, but not five or six feet fair. I don't know what Cuzzi was watching, but it couldn't have been the ball. I watched the replay again about a dozen times and there's not even a logical explanation for what he could've seen.

We can say all we want that "oh well, the Twins left 17 runners on base" or "oh well, the Twins had three chances with bases-loaded nobody out" or just "cry me a river Twinkies." But, the fact remains is that blown call was the worst I've seen in years - maybe ever. It made Jeter's homerun on Jeffrey Maier's catch in the 1996 ALCS look feasible. If Mauer's ball was foul, then so was Tex's walk-off homer in the 11th.

Suddenly, this now seems totally legit...

If it's a double, Mauer comes around to score on one of the singles that followed him reaching base. Tex's homer only ties it in the 11th, and we're back to where we started. People are chalking it up to "human error" and being "part of the game", yet if the same thing happened to the Yankees, all of us would be screaming bloody murder.

Had Mauer's hit been properly called a double, would the Twins have necessarily won the game? No. Are the Yankees the better team? Yes. Will they win the series? Probably.

But that call by Phil Cuzzi warrants three things:

1) A fine

2) An apology

3) A suspension for the rest of the playoffs

Go Yanks.

ALDS Game 2: Yanks/Twins Overthread II

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:10:51 -0000

Tied at 3 going into the 11th.

Go Yanks.

Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins Yanks/Twins

ALDS Game 2: Yanks/Twins Overflow Thread

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:26:42 -0000

Tied up at 1 into the 8th inning.

Go Yanks.

Replacing Marvin Harrison

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:21:46 -0000

We all know that the national media often times looks on the surface instead of going in-depth (i.e. OMG no Marvin Harrison! = Colts struggle to make playoffs) with their analysis. In reality, I think Colts fans know that the team has essentially been without Marvin Harrison - at least the sure-fire Hall of Fame version of Marvin Harrison - ever since his knee injury early in the 2007 season.

This is not a knock on Marvin, or a proclamation that Anthony Gonzalez is the second-coming of Jerry Rice. It's just that if I was making a list of the potential question-marks and issues for the Colts entering the 2009 season, "how will they replace Marvin Harrison?" wouldn't crack the top ten. However, that topic seems to be all the national media wants to talk about, outside of Jim Caldwell's new job responsibilities.

In the 2007 Draft, the Colts may have taken the heir-apparent to Harrison in Anthony Gonzalez. A possession receiver that has deceptive speed is an attribute that both Marvin and Gonzalez share. With Harrison's departure, Gonzalez is now the #2 wideout, a spot that was taken by Harrison over the past two seasons. Here are their stats over that time:

Marvin Harrison

2007: 5 games, 20 rec, 247 yds, 12.4 avg, TD

2008: 15 games, 60 rec, 636 yds, 10.6 avg, 5 TD

Totals: 20 games, 80 rec, 883 yds, 11.0 avg, 6 TD

Anthony Gonzalez

2007: 13 games, 37 rec, 576 yds, 15.6 avg, 3 TD

2008: 16 games, 57 rec, 664 yds, 11.6 avg, 4 TD

Totals: 29 games, 94 rec, 1,240 yds, 13.2 avg, 7 TD

Obviously, you may have to take some of Marvin's numbers (or lack thereof) with a grain of salt because of the injury. However, at least from a production standpoint, it doesn't appear that the Colts will be losing a whole heck of a lot. Throw in the fact that Dallas Clark will often line up in the slot, and the Colts 1-2-3 receiving corps of Reggie/Gonzo/Clark shouldn't skip a beat with the absence of Marvin.

So, forget how the Colts will replace Marvin Harrison - they're already been moving in that direction for almost two full seasons. I'd be much more occupied with the real questions like how the offensive line is going to bounce back after a forgettable and injury-plagued 2008, how the new big bodies at defensive tackle will perform, where Joseph Addai goes from here, can Clint Session and Phillip Wheeler usher in a new, more aggressive Tampa-2 scheme under Larry Coyer, will the Special Teams finally be an asset instead of a detriment, etc.

Smoltz DFAed

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:05:50 -0000

Smoltz DFAed

It's sad to see because I've always liked Smoltz. I couldn't understand why the Sox kept trotting him out there to get pounded, so it looks like they finally had enough.

I hope he somehow catches on with somebody, so he doesn't end his career on last night's outing (as fun as it was to watch). Smoltz deserves a better final chapter than that.

Colts sign Ed Johnson

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:39:21 -0000

In a surprise move, the Colts have decided to re-sign DT Ed Johnson according to a release from the team today.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ANNOUNCE ROSTER MOVE

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts have re-signed defensive tackle Ed Johnson, the club announced today.

Johnson (6-2, 296) joins the Colts after starting 16 games in 2007 and one game in 2008 for the club. Johnson, who has 73 career tackles, originally was signed as a free agent by the Colts on May 5, 2007. He had 63 stops, 49 solo, with one sack and one forced fumble in 2007, filling in for injured defensive tackle Booger McFarland. Johnson had 10 tackles against Chicago in the 2008 season opener. He was waived September 11, 2008.

“We are giving Ed Johnson another opportunity to play for the Indianapolis Colts. We

dismissed Ed last year because he knowingly violated a team rule in the area of personal conduct.

We consider every violation of a team rule or NFL policy on an individual case-by-case basis,

and we evaluate a possible return to the team on that same basis. Ed understands our team rules

and our mandate that players represent themselves as professionals at all times. We feel the

lessons Ed has learned will allow him to be what we demand from our players,” said Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell.

“I would like to thank the Colts, especially Jim Irsay, for this second privilege to join the team. I apologize to everyone for the situation I created last year. I have learned valuable lessons from my mistake, and I want to re-gain the trust of the organization, my teammates and our fans,” said Johnson.

Meeks has resigned

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:59:53 -0000

Colts released a statement at about 3:30 this afternoon that Ron Meeks has officially resigned. Here is the official statement from the team:

January 20, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS ANNOUNCE STAFF CHANGE

Ron Meeks has resigned as defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, the club announced today.

Meeks served in this capacity with the club since 2002.

Unfortunately, no other outlets have picked it up yet, and I couldn't find another link.

2008 Season Thank Yous

SBakerTheTouchdownMaker — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:37:30 -0000

I'm trying to get my mind off of today's loss, and instead I'm in here making a new post. Though this season didn't end the way anyone wanted it to, I just wanted to hand out a few thank yous:

Thanks JRS - for the wings.

Thanks queler for your undying optimism.

Thanks bluegonz for putting everything in the historical perspective, and for reminding us why football was just as sweet in the non-HDTV days.

Thanks cjmulrain for your number-crunching and stats research.

Thanks potroast for reminding us why Kevin Gilbride is the worst human being on earth.

Thanks Simms-McConkey for defending us against rival fanbases. Good luck with John Smoltz - he was really awesome in World Series Baseball '95 for Sega Genesis, and when I had braces.

Thanks Proud Yankee - every site needs their own troll. You handled your responsibility well. Though I didn't like you flaming on other sites, some of the shit you said was pretty funny.

Thanks Woogie, DoctorK, Cody, and anybody else I'm forgetting. It was good talking Jints with you guys.

Finally thanks Ed for running the best Giants' blog on the net.

Go Knicks and Yankees (and I guess Mets, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils or whatever team keeps you occupied until training camp).

I'll leave you all with the obliglatory Tony Romo "EPIC FAIL" picture gallery...