Vegan, Vrbata and Vince McMahon

Is that enough "V's" in the title for you? In today's blog I will talk about Prince Fielder signing in Detroit, Radim Vrbata's all star snub and the Royal Rumble. Bet you never thought you would see all of that in one blog....
 
As baseball free agency is coming to a close and spring training is about to be upon us, I had to wonder if Prince Fielder was ever going to sign. Anywhere. Today, we got that answer, as he agreed to sign with the Detroit Tigers. Yes, the Tigers. Not the Nationals, not the Rangers and not the Brewers. The Tigers, who seemingly came out of nowhere, are going to sign Fielder to a nine year, 214 million dollar deal. I had written about Prince a couple weeks ago and a comment was made about Prince's weight, and why that could be a factor in getting him signed to such a long deal. While I agreed with the commenter, the Tigers didn't. There had been plenty of speculation about Prince signing a shorter deal and trying the free agency market again. I have to say in regards to thay, it would have been awful for Prince. If he was ever going to get this much money and this many years, he would have had to have gotten it now. And he did.

Now the Tigers have more power than before. With the loss of Victor Martinez for the season, this was their answer. It is unknown if the Tigers had any intentions of going after Prince before V-Mart's injury, but in the age of the "mystery team", who knows? They now have a first baseman for years to come, and now have the problem of figuring out where to play Miguel Cabrera. Not a terrible problem to have, but i can only guess that they will swap DH and 1st base from time to time. Congratulations to the Tigers for the huge signing, and I wish the best for your team.

Now I will switch gears to over to the National Hockey League, and discuss the 2012 NHL All Star Game. With any all star game in any sport, it unfortunately turns into a popularity contest and there are snubs. There always is and always will be. While the NHL has there game scheduled for Sunday and things could change, I would like to point out one of the biggest all star snubs.

Call me a homer all you want, but I feel that Radim Vrbata, of the Phoenix Coyotes, should have been a part of the original roster selections. He is second in goals in the Western Conference, and is absolutely having a great season, and by definition, should be an all star. I feel that he is not there because of where and who he plays for. Put a Penguins Jersey on him and I bet he is one of the first ones chosen. Now, I could sit here all night and talk about bias, but I'll save that for another day. With the talk of Vrbata, I would like to ask, what is the main purpose of hockey? My answer is, to score goals. Radim sits at number eight overall, and second in the western conference, with 23 of them. I certainly hope to see him get the call next week as a replacement for an injured player, but feel that it shouldn't have required that to get him there. As a fan, I'll take it.

Vince McMahon has had struggles as of late getting the ratings that I feel the WWE deserves, and I have noticed him trying different things. He is capitalizing on the "hatred" of John Cena, giving others opportunity for success, and has even brought Mick Foley back. Their next pay-per-view starts the road to Wrestlemania and I am hoping this will draw more people in as it has to be one of the more exciting matches that the WWE has to offer. They are having their 25th Royal Rumble this coming Sunday, and I am pumped for it. I am hoping to see surprise returns, storylines begin and end. While I have a few thoughts of who could win the rumble, I will try to make a solid prediction right now. My prediction for the winner of the Royal Rumble will be Wade Barrett. The guy has great mic skills and does very well in the ring, so I think he could be the one to win the rumble and go on to Wrestlemania to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Here are some links from folks I recommend:

@CJNezra gives us a look at the funniest tweets from Twitter about the Prince Fielder signing on Idiot Sports Talk.

@FuckFordDenny looks at why chanting "Cena Sucks" doesn't carry the weight it used to at Smart Marks Unite.

@baseblogjj recaps the Ryan Braun MVP acceptance speech and how he was received over at BaseBlog.

Until Next Time.....
Carl Farris

Follow Me on Twitter @Farris08

UFC 142 in RDJ

Will be a short one today, but I wanted to give my thoughts on last nights UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro. I wasn't able to tune in until right before the Eric Sliva/Carlo Prater fight. Silva came out blazing against Prater and referee Mario Yamasaki called the bout at 29 seconds in what looked like a TKO for Silva. Yamasaki chose to disqualify Silva because of blows to the head. Looking at the replay, He may have had one shot actually hit Prater in the back of the head, but Silva looked like he was making a point not to do that. Joe Rogan gave Yamasaki some grief about it, and I have to agree with Rogan on this one. I understand the ref has to make a quick decision, but I did not agree with it.

The rest of the night went quickly. Mike Massenzio fell victim to Rousimar Palhares heel hook. Very impressive. Vitor Belfort made good work of Anthony Johnson, who had been surrounded with controverse before the event. The main event looked like a struggle for Chad Mendes, because no matter how hard he tried, he could not take Jose Aldo down. So of all the fights that I was able to watch, they all ended in the first round. Crazy.

I will give my analysis on the NFL weekend after todays games. I didn't make a prediction in text before yesterday's games, but I will say that I didn't have the 49ers beating the Saints. As for the Broncos-Patriots, I did have the Pats. My predictions today are the Ravens and Packers.

Saga of Prince

The offseason has been quite a busy one in Major League Baseball. We have seen the Miami Marlins stretch open the wallet, the Chicago White Sox become indecisive, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim increase payroll and the New York Yankees stay silent. In October, the biggest stories of the offseason was supposed to be how much money, and how many years, Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were supposed to get. In a surprise move, the Angels jumped in last minute and laded big Albert. This should have opened the doors to a Prince Fielder signing soon after.

Fast forward to a month later and Fielder is still on the market. Teams have been balking at the fact that Prince wants 7-10 years and a ton of money for it. Why? Prince is 4 years younger than
Albert. Teams that have expressed the most interest are the Nationals, Rangers and Marlins. There was even a report that he could end up back in Milwaukee for one year and try the free agency thing once again. There have been plenty of reports that the Nationals were in on Fielder. There have been plenty of reports that the Nationals are out on Fielder. I am completely lost on this. They gave Jayson Werth a ton and are balking at Prince? I think the problem is his agent, Scott Boras, getting a bit too greedy. Yes, I believe that Prince needs to be paid but at the same time, I can't imagine what teams are offering for Prince, "isn't enough".

All in all, this need to come to an end soon. The fact that he still hasn't signed, is holding the rest of the league hostage. Once he signs with a team, there will be a flurry of moves that follow after him. Who do we have to thank in all of this? Scott Boras. Super Agent.

Tidbits from around the Sports World:

77 year old Bud Selig was signed to a two year extension. So much for retiring after 2012.

Hue Jackson was fired as the Oakland Raiders head coach. Apparently, ownership wants to go in a different direction. They seem to want to switch directions alot, but I don't blame them. If its not working, try something new.

Chris Jericho came out again on Monday night and still didn't say a word. Just started crying. Masterful work, but can't imagine that he will go speechless three weeks in a row, will he?

NHL has announced All Star Teams, check them out here: 2012 NHL Rosters on NHL.com

Until Next Time....

Hockey in the Desert

For those of you who don't know, there happens to be a Hockey team in the "Valley of the Sun". They are know as the Phoenix Coyotes. They have their own arena. They have a very talented roster. They have some very dedicated fans. They are owned by the NHL. While there are a few interested buyers in the team, it has been a marathon that has drug out for a few years now. Soon enough, the NHL is going to give up on keeping the team in Arizona and move them elsewhere. Seattle, Portland, Quebec City, Kansas City, or some other city. The NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, has made it public that he wants the team to stay in Arizona, but with poor attendance in Glendale, hope is being lost on this possibility. What was witnessed at Jobing.com Arena last night is exactly why this team belongs in this city.

In one of the most incredible moments I have witnessed in a hockey game happend last night. Shane Doan had went 1,160 games without ever recording a "hat trick" in a NHL Game. On Saturday, against the New York Islanders, it was his time. Now while hat tricks aren't too rare of an occurrence, it's hard to believe there has ever been a better one. Doan scored his first goal in the second minute of the first period, his second in the second minute of the second period. After that, every had "that feeling". They could sense it. The game continued and in one of the most remarkable acts of being a teammate, the Coyotes bonded together and passed the puck to Doan every chance they had. This continued throughout the second and third periods with Doan just missing chance after chance. I should note that, while the Coyotes were trying to give the Captain his well deserved reward, Talyor Pyatt and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had scored goals to make the score 4-1, so the rest of this game was dedicated to bringing Shane to the mountain top. Doan played extended shifts throughout the third period, and even stated after the game, was getting embarrassed that he couldn't sink the final goal. The clock read 0:09 in the third period and the Coyotes were on the other side of the rink. What they were trying so hard to do, was about to be for not. Just then, Ray Whitney got the puck and started driving down the ice. He was looking around for Doan and passed him the puck. Shane shoots, and like clockwork, you saw a puck in net and the final buzzer ring immediately following. Hollywood couldn't have written a better script. Check out the video of Doan's Incredible Night below:



So why aren't there more people at these games. Is it because they are a terrible team? They have made the playoffs two seasons in a row, so that can't be it. Is it because of High Ticket Prices? They have an average of $37.45, so I can't imagine that is stopping people. On Twitter.com, the hashtags, #Shane, #Doan and #Doaner rocked the top trends in the City of Phoenix. People are aware of the Coyotes. If the events of last night didn't give you the chills, nothing ever will. So this is my plea to get the folks in Arizona, to make a trip to Glendale and root on YOUR Phoenix Coyotes, before they are taken away from you.

Introduction and NFL Playoff Predictions

This is my first contribution to Psycho Sports Talk and I hope it is the first of many. A big Thank You to Carl for the invitation to contribute my thoughts and opinions on the true passion in my life, sports!

To give you a little background on me, I was born and raised in Eastern Washington and my family are wheat and barley farmers in that area. My father is a third generation graduate of Washington State University, so I am a dyed in the wool Cougar, though my life trajectory did not send me to school in Pullman. My mother graduated from Eastern Washington University later in life, so it was fun to watch the Eagles come out of nowhere to win the 2010 FCS National Championship.

As a child living in Spokane, we would often get free tickets to see the Gonzaga men's basketball team play such "powerhouses" as Lewis & Clark State and exhibition matches against Brewster Packing, a group of union fruit packing employees from Central Washington. How far our Zags have come!

In middle school, I moved to Central California with my father where I have been since. Growing up a Seattle Mariner, Seahawks, and Supersonics fan, I had adopted the San Francisco Giants as my "National League Team" since the Mariners, though loveable, were typically horrendous, not posting a winning record until I had been three years removed from the state of Washington. I also became a quick Fresno State Bulldog supporter, though my frustrations with the mentality of sports fans and "supporters" of the Bulldogs in this area are well known to my friends and family, a topic I will get into at length at some point.

I married my best friend's sister in 2002 and believe it or not, he is still my best friend! With that marriage, I also inherited the San Francisco 49ers as she grew up pulling for Montana, Young and Rice. This creates a house-divided twice a season, but it gives me something to root for until the Seahawks find a quarterback!

I have two sons, now 6 and 2 1/2. The oldest plays soccer and baseball and is a huge sports nut. I have thoroughly brainwashed the child as the best motivation I can give him to keep his room clean or donate some of his mountain of toys, is to promise him a trip to see the Giants or to catch a Gonzaga away WCC game. Parenting is so much fun!

So, with all of this said, feel free to call me on any biases I may show in my writing and opinions. It is only fair for us all to admit that we have them. After all, we are human and is what makes us good sports fans. It nauseates me to hear sports talk show hosts and commentators like Jim Rome (who I am a fan of) and others claim to not care about who wins or loses. That is ridiculous and absolutely not true if you are a true fan of sports. While I often watch games that I do not have a direct rooting interest in, I always find myself pulling for one side to win, or at minimum, one player to have a good performance. It is just in our competitive nature to pull for one side or the other, whether it be the underdog, the home town hero, the struggling superstar, or whatever. Sports is about competition, scoring, and winning and losing. To say otherwise is simply dishonest.

NFL PLAYOFFS PREDICTIONS

This may not be the smartest of posts to be my first since I may reveal my poor track record of predicting results, but it is timely. This NFL season has been unlike any in recent history with the tumultuous offseason and not knowing if we would even have a season. Many teams took much longer to gel than they normally would due to the shortened preseason and the fact that OTAs were nonexistent. That being said, after 17 weeks of play, we now have 12 teams competing for the coveted Lombardi trophy. Here are my analyses of the matchups and the road to Indianapolis for two teams.

Wild Card Round

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans -
I think there has been too much emphasis put on the youth and inexperience of the Bengals. Considering both sides are being led by a rookie quarterback, I think we need to look at the depth and balance of the teams. Houston has the dominant running game, that is no secret. However, the Texans are not exactly playing their best football here at the end of the year, and they are one good hit on Yates away from Delhomme again. I think Andy Dalton leads this team to a low-scoring, narrow victory at Reliant Stadium. Bengals 17-13

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints
Steve Mariucci just predicted a Lions upset against the Saints. Really? Matt Flynn just went for 480 yards and 6 TD against the Lions defense OUTDOORS. What do you think Brees and the Saints will do in the Superdome? Saints 42-28

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants
As inconsistent as the Giants have been this season, I don't see the Falcons surviving this game. Eli has the much better track record in the postseason and kicking it in when it counts. That being said, if Matt Ryan can find the leadership and accuracy to lead Atlanta to a win, this Falcons team could be dangerous for years to come with White and Julio Jones being elite WR oprions. I think it is somewhat close, but the Giants get it done. Giants 27-21

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
Not to pile on, but can anybody still tell me with a straight face that Tim Tebow is an NFL quarterback capable of winning in the playoffs? I will own it if he does, but these Steelers are experienced, tough and disciplined. I would love to see Tebow prove everyone, including me, wrong once again, but even with Mendenhall out (may be a blessing in disguise) I think Isaac Redman will finally get a chance to shine and will be productive enough to open up the passing lanes for Wallace and Brown. Denver's defense keeps them in it, but ultimately Steelers win 24-10.

Divisional Playoffs
Assuming my scenarios playout, here are next week's matchups:

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
With a week off to prepare and the Steelers coming off a phyically tough MileHigh matchup, a rested Ravens squad should have their way with Pittsburgh for the third time this season. Big Ben is likely to be another week beat-up making this a bridge too far for the Steelers. Ravens win 24-17

Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots
The youthful Bengals have been a great story and may be building a dynamic powerhouse for the next decade. However, "The Hoodie" and Tom Brady are still just too much for a Bengals team that will be coming off a tough matchup at Houston. Cincy keeps it close in the first half, but the Patriots pull away in the second and move on, 34-21.

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers
This is where it has been the sexy pick to choose the Saints. In case you haven't noticed, the 49ers defense has been absolutely dominant this season. If not for a mistake in OT early against the Cowboys and a bit of a meltdown against the Cardinals who got hot late, this is a 15-1 team. Playing outdoors in a hostile Candlestick Park (assuming the lights stay on, but that's another subject) San Francisco with a confident Alex Smith and rested Frank Gore will score just enough to hold the Saints at bay (no pun intended) and move on the NFC Championship Game. 49ers win 23-21.

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers
I think this is the toughest matchup possible for the Packers this postseason. Manning's ability to hit Cruz, Nicks, and even Manningham against an often soft Packers secondary could prove too much for Green Bay to overcome. However, Aaron Rodgers or Matt Flynn or even Graham Harrell really will have to lay an egg to come up short with the weapons the Pack have in the air. Greg Jennings will be back and Ryan Grant is running better as of late. Starks should be healthy as well, and Green Bay will be more balanced than we have seen in weeks. Packers advance 38-31

Conference Championships
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
The last time these two met in the playoffs, Ray Rice took the first play from scrimmage 83 yards for a touchdown and the Ravens never looked back. Rice, Flacco and the Ravens are now two years more experienced while, in my opinion, the Patriots are simply two years older. The Ravens have been unstoppable since John Harbaugh has more properly utilized Ray Rice in the running game. In games where Rice carries the ball 14 or more times, the Ravens are 12-0. Under 14? 0-4. If they feed him, they will win! Ravens win 27-24.

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers
Ok so my brother-in-law is a diehard Packer and the rest of us pull for the 49ers (except me if they play the Seahawks.) Needless to say, he has been impossible to live with for the last 11 months, so I would love to see the 49ers pull this off and make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time without a QB named Montana or Young. Not going to happen. This Packers team is just too talented and Alex Smith is just not good enough to get them over the hump. Tremendous turnaround season for the 49ers, but Packers win 30-17.

Super Bowl XLVI - Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis
Green Bay Packers vs Baltimore Ravens
How the Packers perform the second time around with largely dictate this game. The Ravens have the superior defense, but the potency of the Packers offense is too much to handle. There will be plenty of points scored on both sides, but in the end, Rodgers will methodically break down the Ravens D with passes completed to at least 8 different receivers and TDs by 3 or 4 of them on their way to back-to-back Lombardi trophies. Ray Rice has the best statistical day by a player not named Rodgers, but it is too little as the Packers win 35-24.


Next article...NCAA Basketball midseason report.

Theo Keeps Winning, Sort Of.....

The Chicago Cubs have show aggressiveness this offseason when it comes to making trades. Now, these aren't win now moves, but moves that will help solidify them for a few years. The have been able to acquire young talent and given the Cubs future a glimmer of hope. New team president, Theo Epstein, and new general manager, Jed Hoyer, have been staying very busy in the Cubs front office. They have acquired Ian Stewart, Travis Wood and Anthony Rizzo. They have also acquired Chris Volstad in a deal that sent Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins. There is also rumors floating that there is as many as eight teams interested in dealing for Alfonso Soriano.

The Zambrano deal is one of two that Cubs fans have been wanting for a while. Carlos is hot headed, immature and a clubhouse cancer. He quit on his team and claimed he retired after being pulled from a game when he got shelled. He has thrown temper tantrums on the field by destroying a water cooler and even threw a baseball into the left field stands from home plate. In his defense, they have sent him to the one place, with the one person, that would be able to keep him in check. That is in Miami with their new skipper, Ozzie Guillen.

With the good there comes the bad. Miami gets a guy that has had his issues with controlling his temper. On the Chicago side, while they did get Chris Volstad in the exchange, they also had to send $15 million along with Zambrano. We will need to stand by and see how much money is involved in a potential Soriano deal to determine just how the Cubs have fared this offseason. All in all, the Cubs fans will call it a "win", because they have been crying for management to do what they can to get rid of those two. Even if it cost the team up over $25 million or so.

Other stories from around the sports world:

Penn State Football has found a new coach in Bill O'Brien. I wish him the best of luck in his recruiting efforts to gain new talent to the roster. With the schools current image, it won't be easy.

The NHLPA has rejected the proposed realignment plan that could have taken place next season. It very well could be leverage for the upcoming CBA negotiations. Stay tuned for that.

Houston Rockets guard, Kyle Lowry, has been charged with battery after throwing a basketball at an official during a game at a Las Vegas gym. Chill out man, its just a game.

Strikeforce's Cris Cyborg has been stripped of her title after testing positive for steroids. Shameful and embarrassing for the sport. Dana White says this could be the end of the Strikeforce Women's 145 lb division.

Oregon's LaMichael James had declared himself to the 2012 NFL Draft. Best of luck to him.

Until Next Time....

Carl
cfarris1985@gmail.com
Twitter: @Farris08

The Beginning

As I sit here and try to decide if I want to do anything today, I have been surfing Twitter all morning. I posed a question about the NFL Playoffs, asking "what team has the biggest chance to be upset this weekend?". The responses were unexpected to me, but they shouldn't have been. The Steelers could be in some trouble with Big Ben being injured. So "if" there was ever a time when the Broncos would want to face the Steelers, this might be it.
Then we look at a couple other games. With the exception of the Saints (-10) over the Lions, is there really a clear cut favorite in any of the other games this weekend. We can return to this topic on Monday and see how right or wrong I was. In all reality, everyone has a chance at the coin toss, then it is whatever you make of it after that point. Best of luck to all of those involved.

Yes, this is the beginning of what I hope to be many, many blogs. I even hope to turn it into a YouTube show or a podcast. That has yet to be determined, and very well could be a combination of both. I will range from just about any sport you can imagine. NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MMA, Wrestling, college sports and I'm sure I could list more. I will not claim to be an expert, nor do I have any experience in writing or broadcasting, but I am motivated. I may not blog everyday, but will try to get them posted as often as possible.

My inspiration for doing this is thanks to a couple if guys that I interact with on Twitter, @CJNezra and @FuckFordDenny. They have maintained successful podcasts and Internet shows, so make sure you follow them as well.

Please follow me on Twitter as well, @Farris08.

Some quick about me: I am 26, married and have twin 4 year old boys. I work full time and go to school. I am passionate about sports, with my major love being baseball. I am a fan of the Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, Coyotes and Suns.

Now, here are some quick tidbits and thoughts from around the sports world:

Athletics signed Coco Crisp because he wanted to play for a winner. Really?

Kings fired Paul Westphal because of a poor start. Bullshit. Check out @CJNezra IST Youtube Clip about the Firing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFBfMmaoKp0&feature=channel_video_title

Theo Epstien is doing the "unthinkable" in Chicago right now. He was able to trade away Carlos Zambrano, and is currently shopping Alfonso Soriano. Cubs fans should just be excited about that.

Starlin Castro, of the Chicago Cubs, has been accused of sexual assault. If this is true, shame on you Castro.

Daniel Carcillo, of the Chicago Blackhawks, has be suspended indefinitely by the NHL for his hit the other night. Good, he is gonna end up killing someone out there.

Chris Jericho made his return to the WWE last Monday and claims Brock Lesnar took a dive at UFC 141. Will Brock return to WWE TV? @FuckFordDenny breaks down the Jericho Return and why McMahon needs Lesnar here: http://smarksunite.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-vince-needs-brock.html

Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog on Psycho Sports Talk. Comments and criticism is very much welcome. Yes the name of the blog is generic, and Idiot Sports Talk gave me the basis to go off of. Thanks Ezra!

Until Next Time....

Carl
cfarris1985@gmail.com
Twitter: @Farris08