I Don’t Care and There Isn’t A Goddamn Thing You Can Do About It !!!! ..
Now that idiots seem to be in an uproar over the fact that sport’s apparel company Nike will make Colin Kaepernick the face of their thirtieth anniversary celebrations . It continues to speak volumes as to what it is inherently wrong with America in general. On the one hand you have the player’s detractors , many of whom are clearly right-wing Conservative fanatics , loyal to Donald Trump . On the other hand , we have supporters of the now disenfranchised quarterback no longer allowed to play in the NFL , because essentially the league hierarchy and franchise owners combined , have seen fit to blackball Kaepernick. Are these same vociferous supporters who call themselves patriots, who were recently parading along the streets of downtown Charlottesville , Virginia and in the nation’s capital , Washington , DC ,with the American flag in one hand and a Swastika in the other ? Suffice to say, there’s an idiot born every minute and they come no brighter than those claiming to proud American patriots, especially the ones who took part in the protests in Charlottesville and Washington.
Slide show.
In light of that fact, Colin Kaepernick has won the first round in what is likely to be long and hard-fought legal case. In an arbitration hearing , the player and his legal team won the first round, when it was decided by an arbitrator that there was enough evidence to proceed ahead with a legal case against the NFL , with their having colluded to stop Kaepernick with the continuation of his playing career in the league. It has been over two years since the quarterback lasted suited up in a regular season game for his now former team , the San Francisco Forty-Niners . His last game for the team took place in 2016 and since then the franchise has seen their fair share of ups and downs. Niners’ GM Jon Lynch might have found the franchise’s savior when they acquired Jimmy Garopollo from the New England Patriots , in a trade that some believe the Patriots are likely to regret. The Forty-Niners have instantly become a credible threat in the NFC and real favorite to win the NFC West this upcoming season . Over the final five games of the 2017 NFL season , there was not a better starting quarterback in the league as Garopollo led San Francisco to five consecutive wins . That win streak was also the best in the league to end the regular season, even if the team did fail to make the postseason .
Colin Kaepernick’s future might well be impaired, as the league (NFL) will do their utmost to stymie any effort of the player to make a successful return to the NFL . How things now play out will be predicated upon the judgment rendered in US Federal District Court .
There’s less than a month left in the regular season for Major League Baseball and all things look to their being a major disappointment for several teams thought to have been top contenders for the World Series . The Washington Nationals have essentially seen their hopes dashed , having been subjected to another loss , this one at home to the Chicago Cubs , when the two teams met at Nationals’ Ballpark in Washington DC . Led by their two Big League All Stars , Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper , the team succumbed to a Cubs’ team intent on winning their second title in the last three years. The Cubs will be in action over the weekend as they begin a schedule which sees them facing the the Nationals once again as part of their regular season meetings .
With the Chicago Cubs on route to the postseason, the Washington Nationals are left to ponder what might have been . Injuries asides , this team has failed on so many levels and it gives cause for concern as to whether or not they can afford to retain the services of Bryce Harper . The former NLMVP is not due to become a free agent until until 2019, when it is believed he will seek to become the
highest paid player baseball history. Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins is currently afforded that luxury and he’s also the highest paid player at his position in baseball .
The Miami Marlins’ own plight this season has been horrendous with the new ownership group not yet scampering away, making for the hills. Suffice to say, this has been another miserable season for the ball-club. Team manager Don Mattingly will be preparing his players for their weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates . Game one of the series begins tonight on the road with the opposing pitchers being Dan Straily of the Marlins against Chris Archer of the Pirates. There is likely to be a major organizational shake-up within the Marlins, with several players likely to be on their way , solely for economic reasons.
With the announcement that this is to be the last season with Mike Scioscia in charge of the managerial staff of the Los Angeles Angels , it will be interesting to see who will succeed the veteran manager. Team GM Billy Eppler and their billionaire owner Arte Moreno ,will be looking for someone with experience and winning ability . The talent is there on the field with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout leading the fray . Trout has long been considered the best player in baseball over the last six seasons.Over the weekend the Los Angeles Angels were in a weekend series against the Chicago White Sox on the road . All three games were won by the visiting team , which as such aided the Angels’ position among the wildcard aspirants . But this will not be the year where the Los Angeles Angels make a return to the MLB postseason . The team will next be in action when they face the Texas Rangers at home , with in a game being played on Monday 10th September at Angels Ballpark , in Anaheim, California ,. Monday will bring about a series of games as part of the regular season schedule . At this point last season things were very much in full swing as the schedule
wound down .
Serena Williams created something of a furor in Women’s Final at the US Open as she succumbed to a surprisingly lopsided two-set loss to her Japanese counterpart Naomi Osaka . What brought the crowd’s attention to the contest was not the thrilling entertainment provided by these two players , but the out of character behavior by Serena Williams, with her truculent verbal attack on the umpire. At the end of it all , Williams came away as the villain of the piece as Osaka made history as the first Japanese female player to capture a Grand Slam singles’ title in over a decade. Unfortunately, what comes out of this all , now comes down to the fact how much will this hurt the legacy of Serena Williams moving forward and how she’s viewed in the eyes of her fans and contemporaries
What do you believe has been the most troubling scenario to have been raised within the sports’ world in the past seven days ?
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Tophatal …..
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NFL week one regular season schedule
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MLB payroll 2018 and the
top earning players of 2018 .
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Picture gallery with accompanying narrative.
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Tophatal's Blog 
So the NFL season has began in earnest with the week one results . It is becoming abundantly clear that the NFL in spite of their loss in an arbitration hearing they have no wish to see Colin Kaepernick return to the league.
NFL news
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You reap what you sow as they and the MLB season is now reaching it’s climax point .
MLB news
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Sorry , but Serena Williams has now sank to an all-time low as a player . Though many believe her to be the greatest female player in the history of tennis , she doesn’t not carry the grace of an Evonne Goolagong , Chris Evert or Althea Gibson .
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Two points of disagreement.
#1 Naomi Osaka is an American…….sans Japanese.
#2 Serena is the greatest female tennis player in history. Both on and off the court. The prejudice her and sister endured world wide is something most ppl couldn’t handle.
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Ronbets
Naomi Osaka was born in Japan , in the Osaka prefecture of Chuo Kuo , of a Haitian father and Japanese mother. Osaka’s family essentially disowned the mother when they found out she’d married a Gaijin , making Osaka a Haifu (biracial) . Something which the Japanese still frown upon today.
Serena Williams might well be the greatest female player in the history of women’s tennis, but she’s not Althea Gibson or Evonne Goolagong Cawly when it comes to decorum and acting with dignity. You’re wrong on the count of racism because , Goolagong is an Australian aborigine, was refused acceptance entrance as a child to play in clubs across Australia . It wasn’t until she found success as a teenager playing against others at high school level, when the media started to take her seriously . And anyone with an ounce of common sense knows the Aborigines in Australia have been treated with just as much contempt as black people here in America and elsewhere. If you’re going to come at me with facts on tennis , you better come with both barrels blazing and be on point .
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So week one of the NFL regular season has come to a close . There were some interesting results and some really abysmal performances among several players to close out week one .
Somehow led by Ryan Fitzpatrick the Tampa Bay Buccaneers(1-0) were able to manhandle and maul the New Orleans Saints (0-1) , putting up forty-eight points for their biggest victory over their NFC South rivals during the meetings between these two franchises. With Jameis Winston , out due to a mandatory three-game suspension imposed by the league hierarchy , it will be interesting to see what Ryan Fitzpatrick is capable of doing in week two when the Buccaneers are due to face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road .
Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold had an inauspicious start to his NFL career as the New York Jets began their season . Darnold and the Jets blew out the Detroit Lions on their way to a lopsided 48-17 victory over the NFC franchise.
NFL news
NFL standings (division)
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Well the weekend results in baseball shifted the momentum for some of the teams , but with less than a month to go in the regular season schedule , it will be interesting to see the ball clubs are able to do. There are several interesting contests taking place today as the nation commemorates the tragedy of ” 11th September , 2001 . All across the nation wherever games are due to be played , Major League Baseball will honor those who lost their lives from those incidents which took place on that fateful day.
One of the most intriguing games of the day pits Hyun Jin Ryu pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they look to face off against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark , in Cincinnati , Ohio. For the Dodgers this is a must-win situation as they try and increase their chance of an NL wildcard berth .
MLB news ..
MLB standings
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Tophat,
Forget about all that family turmoil. Osaka was raised in the US with dual citizenship. She considers herself an American that speaks fluent English and very little Japanese.
Your reaction to the Serena episode is just what it is……….over reaction. You mention the Aussie Goolagong? Compare her to either Williams’ sister? Class or persona? Serena is ultra-competitive and unafraid to express her feelings when wronged. Is this a joke? Goolagong a mere 6 grand slam winners. Because of her Aborigine blood she was a ‘hate’ victim? True, but racist feelings continue today against the Williams sisters. Check out the latest cartoon mocking Serena in recent Aussie media. ‘Down Under” resembles US 60’s.
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Ronbets
Naomi Osaka got the dual citizenship, because the family sought to bring her to get the best training facilities available. Until she chooses to play and represent America in the Fed Cup , I won’t class her as American. Her native birth to me remains Japanese.
Evonne Goolagong was a victim of racism long before the Williams’ sisters can lay claim that they were victims of it and so too was Althea Gibson , the first African-American female to win a Grand Slam singles’ title . As to Serena , let me ask you this , she was accused of cheating , which she angrily denied , but her behavior towards the official was uncalled for. It’s the political climate now driving this all and not the fact that her behavior was out of character. The cartoon depicting her was racist , but isn’t this very same country that believes in freedom of expression , believing it a right of all ?
America doesn’t seem to have a problem mocking other races or religious elements across the globe does it , because Serena Williams is mocked the whole world should feel aggrieved ? Oh damn , how aggrieved has this country really been when Billy Thorpe was being mocked . America has long been a hotbed of racism and this issue that whoa is the little black athlete who’s now being demeaned . Where was the outrage when when the likes of the Wilma Rudolph and Althea Gibson were being subjected to racist taunts ? America doesn’t seem to have a problem mocking other races or religious elements across the globe does it , because Serena Williams is mocked the whole world should feel aggrieved ? Oh damn , how aggrieved has this country really been when Jim Thorpe was being mocked .
Look at the idiocy of these @ssholes now looking to denigrate Colin Kaepernick even more so because Nike Inc he still has an endorsement deal with the company ? When it comes to social activism and this country seeking to be a moral compass they really need to look at their shyt once and for all. Donald Trump seeks to address both the UN General Assembly and Security Council , but yet they eschew the UN Human Rights Council , having withdrawn from it altogether , with US UN Ambassador Nikki Haley now claiming that the Iranian people are now seeking their freedom ? Haley can overlook the atrocities now taking place in Lebanon , Syria , Myanmar (Burma) and Israel . Both this President and Haley couldn’t identify with any issue of relevance if it were written in bright colored Crayola .
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Tophat,
Serena is currently dealing with emotional issues and berating Ramos was an unfortunate release. She has profusely apologized and ponied up 17K. Look, she’s dealing with the anniversary of the murder of her sister and mentor. How many women at her age can pop a child at 36 and return in a relatively short period of time and play championship tennis? Of all the athletes I’ve seen in multi-decades, Serena and Rick Monday get my vote for admiration.
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There’ve been other athletes who’ve suffered far worse traumas than that. Serena Williams’ behavior was uncalled for. The $17,000 dropped on he as a fine was a drop in the bucket . Here’s what does need to be done and that is for the ITF (International Tennis Federation) and the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) make sure that their players and officials are completely attuned to the rules. Also beyond the presiding umpire , the line judges are also observant as to what the coaches are doing. Serena cried sexism when the umpire accused her of cheating ? Oh my , that’s another joke to say the very least. Tennis tries to set itself up as a sport which prides itself on a great deal of virtue and fairness , but let’s be real , they’ve done little to address the issue of gambling or players using banned substances . Fines or suspensions levied remain a joke , even Maria Sharapova’s suspension was laughable as was her original excuse and claims that she was being made a scapegoat. She knew the substance taken was banned by WTA as well as the USADA (US Anti Doping Agency), but somehow she wanted to make it about something else.
Tennis while remaining popular , is still something of an elitist sport and does very little to make itself relevant to the masses. Other than Richard Williams having taught his daughters from a tender age, it remains a sport beyond the reach of most.
tophatal………
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This roster of the Washington Nationals is one , which to my mind is overpaid , unproductive on so many levels and has proven to be a major disappointment to their fans this season . The team’s biggest win streak this season, has been five games during the month of May . The managerial staff of the Nationals will likely be broken up with manager Dave Martinez being shown the door . It has become abundantly clear that those within the Nationals’ front office are not tolerant of the ball-club’s lack of success. Over the past five seasons , the Washington Nationals when making the postseason they have yet to advance beyond the divisional round of the MLB postseason . In 2017 they fell to the Chicago Cubs with lackadaisical performances in each of the games played.
Dave Martinez will prepare the team for their next five games knowing that there’s not a great deal to play for other than pride . Their next game will see the Washington Nationals facing the Philadelphia Phillies on the road . Nationals’ All Star and former NLMVP outfielder Bryce Harper is set to become a free agent in 2019 and it seems the player is looking to parlay this season as well as his career into a multi-year , multi-million dollar contract . Harper’s record against the Phillies while impressive the thought remains is he a player worth a contract of $400 million and $30 million a year ? My thoughts are the ownership group might well be prepared to listen to offers for Bryce Harper at the end of the season rather than start to negotiate a long-term contract.
Washington National news
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So one week into the NFL season and already one team is set to make changes . It would appear that the coaching staff and front office of the Buffalo Bills are already in awry at the lack of productivity from the players as well as their starting quarterback Nathan Peterman and his backup Josh Allen . These two players were so bad during week one that their statistics were among the worst in the league . In spite of having lost their opening game of the regular season by the score of 47-3 , the Buffalo Bills did little to impress anyone including their fans .
Courtesy of CBS Sports
With the Buffalo Bills already at the bottom of the pile within the AFC East , it is hard to see how the team can rebound from such a disastrous loss heading into week two where they will face the Los Angeles Chargers on the road this upcoming Sunday afternoon . The last meeting between these two teams took place during week eleven of the 2017 NFL season , with the Chargers winning the contest 54-24 .
From my own perspective I believe that the Buffalo Bills should be looking to acquire a free agent quarterback or because clearly other than Josh Allen there isn’t much that the team can do ,.
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So let’s get a clear perspective concerning the start of this NFL season and through week one , though it’s still early in the regular season schedule we can see that several teams came to play while others simply are just not that good . The Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) are off too a 2-0 start having won their Thursday Night Game with a decisive victory over the Baltimore Ravens (1-1) at home . Bengals’ quarterback Andy Dalton seems to be back to his very best as Cincinnati triumphed in this AFC contest. In week three the Cincinnati Bengals are due to face the Carolina Panthers in a non-conference match-up.
NFL news ….
NFL standings (division)
NFL schedule week two
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With less than twenty-games to be played before the end of the regular season in Major League Baseball several teams are struggling to fight their way into a wildcard berth position . The Boston Red Sox continues to be the best team in baseball and need only four more wins to officially clinch the AL East divisional crown . This will be the ball-club’s third consecutive divisional crown and the first for manager Alex Cora in his first season as the teams’ manager . He has seen the players excel in just about every aspect of the game with some players putting up huge numbers .
This weekend the Boston Red Sox will be in action against the New York Mets a three-game weekend contest . Opposing pitchers for Friday’s opening game of the series will pit Noah Syndergaard of the Mets will face off against Hector Velazquez of the Red Sox.
Terry Francona and the Cleveland Indians are in action this weekend when they match-up against the Detroit Tigers where Tigers’ front-man Miguel Cabrera will be looking to produce against another AL franchise . The first of those games this Friday , where the Indians will have Josh Tomlin up against Matt Boyd . The last ten meetings between these two teams have been very exceptional by way of their productivity. Cleveland will be back in the postseason for the first time in two seasons with their last appearance coming in 2016 , when the team made the World Series of that year . Assured of a place this postseason it looks as if the Cleveland Indians could be matched up against either the New York Yankees or the Oakland A’s in the wildcard round of the postseason schedule.
The Atlanta Braves have ran away with the NL East divisional crown , their first in almost a decade . That year current Hall of Famer and outfielder Chipper Jones had retired from the organization for just over a year with his last appearance coming in 2012.
This season the Atlanta Braves have been exemplary in their play winning a number of their games with ease. Brian Snitker and his managerial staff have a team that appears to be playing well within their comfort zone. Snitker and the team will prepare for their weekend schedule as the Braves face the Washington Nationals at home for their three-game series . Game a one of the three-set series will have opposing pitchers will have Max Scherzer of the Nationals facing Kevin Gausman of the Braves .
MLB news
MLB standings
MLB weekend schedule 14th September
MLB schedule weekend schedule
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To understand how bad an eyesore the Miami Marlins have become would be an understatement under what appears to be a rapidly declining fan-base of support for this current team playing at Marlins Ballpark , in Miami , Florida. Any optimism hoped for by their fans will not be seen this season as they continue to spiral continuously downwards and out of control As a face saving exercise Derek Jeter as Head of Baseball Operations for the franchise saw fit to drastically cut the payroll from last season down to what he believes was a manageable sum of under $95 million , which is among the lowest in the league .
Over their last ten games dating back to 3rd September the Miami Marlins have posted a 3-7 record which is among the worst in the league. In their last outing the Marlins <a href=http://mlb.com/r/game?giodwere on the wrong side of a lopsided 14-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies who they will meet once again on
Saturday afternoon.
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Week two of the NFL season hasn’t yet come to a close , but there were some rather surprising results over the weekend . The New England Patriots (1-1) fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-0) who were led by the play of quarterback Blake Bortles , in what was the signature win of his professional career to date. Bortles and the Jaguars had the better of the Patriots on their way to a 31-20 victory in a game between conference rivals .
Next up for the New England Patriots as they head into week three will be a game against the Detroit Lions on the road this upcoming Sunday , 23rd September , 2018. The Jacksonville Jaguars for their part will be facing the Tennessee Titans at home
NFL news …
Week two results
NFL standings (division)
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Some of the teams came through their weekend schedule unscathed within Major League Baseball as the season winds down just over a handful of games to be played. The Boston Red Sox already within the best record within the game have also notched over 100 victories for the season , looking to surpass a franchise record . Over the weekend the Red Sox took two of three over the New York Mets whose season continues to spiral completely out of control . On Tuesday the Boston Red Sox will be back on the field when they face their arch and divisional rivals the New York Yankees who will be looking to bolster their wildcard position within the AL .
Elsewhere around the league , things are breaking pretty unevenly for the Los Angeles Dodgers . They remain a 1/2 game behind the Colorado Rockies within the NL West , a division it was thought they’d be able to win with ease this season. With just over a dozen games left on their schedule , it will be interesting to see what the Dodgers are able to achieve in those remaining contests. Beginning today the Los Angeles Dodgers will set about their task of trying to repeat as divisional champions when they face the Colorado Rockies at home in a pivotal divisional game between these two teams .
MLB news …
Monday’s scheduled games
MLB standings (divisional) and MLB divisional standings wildcard
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With the first fight ending in a controversial draw when many believed middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin had done enough to win the fight . On Saturday night , Golovkin met challenger Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in a rematch , to decide who indeed is the best middleweight in the world . With the sport of boxing yearning for a charismatic and dominant fighter to seen as the face of the sport. It could be argued that at this moment in time Golovkin and Alvarez are the most recognized names in the sport. Granted, there are constant rumors that the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather might be considering a return to the ring after his so called retirement. There was a great deal at stake on Saturday night when both Gennady Golovkin and Saul Alvarez entered the ring for bragging rights beyond the bout being for a title match.
Courtesy of The Independent
From my own perspective the result was preordained with it being given to Saul Alvarez , ensuring that there would be a trilogy and thereby guaranteeing an even bigger payday for both fighters in a bout likely to be scheduled for early next year. Many might well have felt that Alvarez did enough to have won the fight decisively , but this was not borne out by the judges’ scorecards. The narrow margin of victory for the new champion was a very close one indeed. With an anticipated third part to the chapter , both of these fighters, Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin are guaranteed at least $15 million apiece in their rematch for a third time. Then again there could be an intervention by the WBA with their forcing Alvarez to meet the mandatory challenger based on the organization’s own rankings within the division.
Yahoo Sports Boxing news
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Performances of the quarterbacks during week two of the NFL season. Kansas Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for a single-game record six touchdowns as the Chiefs demolished the Pittsburgh Steelers by the score 42-37 with their being a combined 1100 plus yards of total offense during the game.
NFL stats teams (defense)
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At this point of the season , I’m looking at players’ stats as the regular season winds down. The titular awards are now up for grabs and it will be very interesting to see which players are named Rookie of The Year within the AL and NL , Comeback Player of Year as well as the top honors for NLMVP and ALMVP . I do believe that based on merit Alex Cora should win AL Manager of the Year , while Brian Snitker should take it the same award in the NL . Both teams are in action today with the Boston Red Sox facing the New York Yankees on the road in a game between the top-two teams in the AL East , while the Atlanta Braves are in action against the St Louis Cardinals .
It is hard to believe that Tampa Bay Rays’ starting pitcher Blake Snell would be leading all starting pitchers in terms of wins’ total for this season . Snell has been by far the best pitcher on the Rays’ roster this season. He has been outstanding in terms of his performances . Whether or not he will be rewarded when his contract expires remains to be seen . Snell is being paid a paltry $558,000 for 2018 and when compared to many of his contemporaries within the game today, it is simply laughable . Blake Snell’s next projected start is set to take place on Tuesday , 18th September when the Tampa Bay Rays face the Texas Rangers on the road in a game between two failing AL teams .
Rays’ starting pitcher Blake Snell seen here during a game.
With Blake Snell not due to become a free agent until 2023 and the Tampa Bay Rays always seeking to pare down payroll. If the player were to win this season’s AL Cy Young , it would certainly raise his market value and his becoming a desirable commodity to several interested parties .
Courtesy of MLB.com
From my own perspective I’ve never had any implicit faith in anything the Tampa Rays have sought to do . The front office of this organization lacks real leadership and by way of economic value , this is a ball club which is on a steady decline , in more ways than one including competitively.
MLB news
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Ryan Fitzpatrick has now led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 2-0 lead within the NFC South , tops among the conference and with the Buccaneers being one of the few unbeaten teams in the league , heading into week three , which begins as of Thursday Night. Having opened up with two consecutive victories the Buccaneers’ coaching staff find themselves in an enviable position, but at the same time Dirk Koetter has to be mulling over whether or not it would be wise to reinstall Jameis Winston back into the lineup at the start of week four , with the player having served out his mandatory three-game suspension ?
In week three the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game to be played at home between these two intra-conference teams. It will be very interesting to see how Ryan Fitzpatrick fares against the Steelers . The Buccaneers’ last meeting against the Steelers took place in during the 2014 NFL season in week four of that season with Tampa eking out a 27-24 victory .
NFL news
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Tophat,
MLB laughed at KCash and his rogue “bullpen by committee”. Minnesota has gone the copycat route and I’m sure next year others will follow. The over achieving Rays are unfortunate to be placed in the AL East.
How about posting a formal picture of Serena? You know nightgown et al. The one you posted doesn’t do her justice. The caption should read “I wanna kick Ramos’ ass.”
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Ronbets
Serena Williams will be back better than ever , I’ve no doubt about that at all. Unfortunately, once Serena and Venus Williams step away from playing competitively Women’s Tennis and specifically their females won’t seen as a main draw. Naomi Osaka will be representing Japan in the Federation Cup , believe that. She represented them this year in the Team Competition .
If the Tampa Bay Rays were playing in any of the AL divisions , they’d still be mediocre. The front office led by lead managing partner , Stuart Sterberg is reluctant to spend money to really make this team competitive. Their top pitcher Blake Snell is my personal favorite to win AL Cy Young Award . His stats this season have been impressive and bear in mind he’s only earning $558,000 this season and when by comparison many of his contemporaries are earning far more . I can tell you this , before Snell becomes a free agent in 2023 , he will be traded to a top contender.
Tophatal ……..
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LeBron James will make his long-awaited return to NBA this time in a Los Angeles Lakers playing alongside his new teammates . Among those players are Rajon Rondo , Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball . Already the odds-makers in Las Vegas are of the belief the Lakers will be one of the presumptive favorites in the Western Conference for this season’s NBA title .
Last season the Los Angeles Lakers ended the year with a 35-47 record within the league . In order for the Lakers to be considered a legitimate contender for the championship , I truly believe that LeBron James will have to raise not only the level of his game but also that of the players around him this season . There is now way that I can see this team raising their play where they will increase their points’ productivity by at twelve to fifteen points a game to merely be competitive against their conference rivals as well as the rest of the NBA .
The Los Angeles Lakers will begin their preseason schedule with a game against the Denver Nuggets in a home game on the 30th September , 2018. Their opening game of their regular season schedule will see the Lakers tip off on opening night against the Portland Trailblazers on the road .
NBA news
Los Angeles Lakers news
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Tophat,
If LBJ raised the level of his play the Lakers logo on his jersey would have to be replaced with a big S for Superman.
You might be a tennis aficionado, but when it comes the Las Vegas odds please check with me first.
tophat quote: “Already the odds-makers in Las Vegas are of the belief the Lakers will be one of the presumptive favorites in the Western Conference for this season’s NBA title.”
Average Odds to win NBA Western Conference(largest bookmakers)
Golden State -275
Houston +550
Lakers +750
Utah +3000
NOrlns +4800
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I’ve had people say to me , that LeBron James won with less while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers . Those very same protagonists don’t seem to be of the belief however the opponents faced are going to get better. The Golden State Warriors have certainly done that by acquiring DeMarcus Cousins and you can’t count out the Houston Rockets now that they have Carmelo Anthony and do you honestly believe that the San Antonio Spurs won’t be able to factor into the NBA Playoffs given their track record over the past twenty-two years ?
Tophatal …….
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NBA veteran Dwyane Wade will return to the Miami Heat for the upcoming season in what is likely to be his final year in the league. Wade entered the NBA professional drafted by the Heat in the 2003 NBA Draft where the number one pick was former teammate LeBron James . That Draft is considered to be one of the richest by way of talent in NBA history .
It will be interesting to see what type of impact Dwyane Wade can have on a team which has some veteran experience , but there’s also a youth factor to be taken into account. Team President & defacto GM Pat Riley and the coaching staff headed by Erik Spoelstra will be hoping that the players can be competitive this upcoming season . The challenge within the Eastern Conference is to see where within the pecking order there’s meant to be a place for the Miami Heat. All of that will be predicated upon the play of Wade specifically and his teammates. Miami will begin it’s season with the customary exhibition schedule , before the regular season begins with the official Opening Night being 16th October , 2018 . The first of those exhibition games will be against the San Antonio Spurs on the 30th September . To open up the regular season action, the Heat will tip off against the Orlando Magic .
Based on the off season movements , I believe that the Miami Heat are in a good position to be possibly considered the fifth best team in the Eastern Conference. With Dwyane Wade only signed to a one-year deal with the Heat , it will be interesting to see how he bows out from the NBA .
NBA news
Miami Heat news
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Tophat,
What the SanAntonio Spurs did yesterday means very little today with a stripped down roster. They could use another Admiral and another IceMan Gervin. Their odds to win the West is almost 47-1. Coach Pop is good but he can’t win with D league graduates.
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Ronbets
The West in
the NBA Playoffs is like The Art of War . All it takes is to know your enemy and keeping a calm head. I’d rather have DeMar DeRozan than a petulant self absorbed piece of shit like Kawhi Leonard who lied to the Spurs’ coaching staff concerning the full extent and depth of his injury.
I personally don’t believe the Los Angeles Lakers will have what it takes to win it all. They’re no better than a fourth or fifth seed in the West. Given LeBron James’ age as he enters his sixteenth season , it’ll be now or never for him and the Lakers. Next year , among the free agents , who do you believe will join them ?
http://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/2019
Tophatal ..
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Their loss streak went back to nineteen games over the last two seasons , but last night the Cleveland Browns shocked the entire NFL world as they defeated the lowly New York Jets . Browns’ starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor went down injured during the game and he was replaced by their rookie Baker Mayfield who made use of that start to lead Cleveland to an improbable victory and their first of this season. It will be interesting to see if Mayfield will get the start in week four when the Browns are due to meet the Oakland Raiders . For Oakland their season has been filled with false starts and with Head Coach Jon Gruden having traded away one the team’s best players in Khalil Mack , saying the player no longer had his heart in playing for the franchise.
While the Cleveland Browns can take heart from their victory , it remains to be seen how the rest of the year will play out . For Baker Mayfield this will be the chance to justify why he was the number one overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and to the top quarterback taken.
For Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders their task becomes all the more difficult , given the fact they’re now languishing within the AFC West . In week three Gruden and the Raiders are due to face the Miami Dolphins on the road . If they are to have any chance of having a successful season then the Raiders will certainly have to rely on the leadership and play of quarterback Derek Carr .
NFL news …….
NFL schedule week three
NFL standings divisional record
Tophatal ………
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So after almost a year’s absence from the octagon UFC fighter Conor McGregor will reenter the sport looking place his name back on the map within the world of MMA. McGregor will challenge UFC Lightweight Champion , unbeaten Russian Khabib Nurmagomodev , as Nurmagomodev defends his title at UFC 229 , on the 6th October, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada . This bout has all the makings of becoming an instantaneous classic with the Russian fighter looking to take over the mantel that Conor McGregor chose to walk away from in pursuit of his big pay day when he fought Floyd Mayweather .
UFC news and UFC schedule
UFC 229
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So as we enter week four of the College Football Season , there has already been some truly shocking results within the game. The current rankings are a reflection of that. Sitting pretty at the top of the heap are Alabama and Clemson , with both teams proving themselves worthy of the challenge .
Both Alabama and Clemson are not the field this weekend but they will return in week five . The Clemson Tigers will be facing Syracuse at home .
NCAA Football news
Week four FBS schedule
NCAA FBS rankings
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Some great weekend scheduling in the world of baseball with just over a week to go before the end of the regular season schedule. It all points to hectic final week of the season.
MLB news
MLB divisional standings and wildcard standings
MLB weekend schedule
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Tiger Woods is looking to make good on his recent performances, with the player having been an early first round leader in Players’s Tour Championship , the final event of the PGA Tour season , encompassing their Playoff Format. Woods has an outside chance of taking the Fedex Cup top prize and along with the $10 million that goes with the achievement. Woods was an early leader in the first round of the tournament but has fell back as the second round is underway . It remains to be seen what he can achieve over the final two rounds of the Tour Championship , an event he was won on more than one occasion .
PGA Tour news
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Tophat,
Let’s both man-up and admit we were wrong on Tiger Woods.
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Ronbets
I didn’t expect Tiger Woods to be so dominant and overpowering in the last round of the Tour Championship . He’s going to make that US Ryder Cup Team far more intimidating now that he’s got his Mojo back . Woods played like the player of old and he wasn’t intimidated by the likes of either Dustin Johnson , Rory McIlroy or even Billy Horschel .
PGA Tour news
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Ronbets
I don’t know the hell happened in the NFL over the weekend (week three), but the football being played was frigging mediocre at worst and crap at best. The New England Patriots (1-2) must seem to love wallowing in mediocrity and playing down to the lesser level of an opponent. That loss suffered against the Detroit Lions was as embarrassing as they come , with Tom Brady and his teammates , looking as if they didn’t give a shit at all. Then we had that farce of a game between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars that could only muster fifteen points in that contest . I can’t believe that fans are spending their hard-earned cash on this bullshit.
Is there any chance that the Virginia Tech Hokies will be able to find their nutsacks back , as well as their balls ? Old Dominion basically bent them over and fucked them in the ass repeatedly .
NFL news and results from week three
NFL standings division
NCAA Football news and week four results
NCAA Football Conference Standings
NCAA Rankings D1 Football
Tophatal …………..
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Ronbets
Another disgruntled player in the NBA ? The season hasn’t even started yet and it looks as if Jimmy Butler has outlived his welcome in Minnesota . It would appear that he and Tom Thibodeau just can’t get along . How ironic ? LOL,LOL !!!!! Thibodeau was coaching Butler when the two were together in Chicago during the 2016-17 season .
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Some thrilling weekend results in the world of baseball as the league enters its final week of play for 2018. Jeff Banister was dismissed as the manager of the Texas Rangers after another abysmal season by the team . In their weekend series against the Seattle Mariners the Rangers were only able to take
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Tophat,
I’ve never seen anything like the crowd response @Tour Championship. It was comparable to a walk-off in a World Series game. Surprised at all the love Tiger commands. Maybe now McIlroy will revise his assessment on Woods’ game.
NFL Football? Losing it’s grip on America’s game. Inconsistency by the officials is rampant. Roughing the passer calls are hideous. They’ve put skirts on QBs. Next step qbs will have a flag in the shorts. Goodell has ruined this game both on and off the field.
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Ronbets …
The crowds were really vociferous at the Tour Championship and it proves by far why Tiger Woods still remains the most popular player on the PGA Tour by far. Rory McIlroy was naive to believe that Woods’ game wouldn’t rebound .
The NFL is having it’s very own wake-up call at present by way of the attendance levels since 2016 .
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Tophat,
Oh, btw. Zac Prescott better sharpen up his resume. Regression has set in big time. Partially with the departure of key personnel, but “America’s Team” needs better. Opponent defensive coordinators have caught up to his game big time.
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Ronbets
All I know is , Jerry Jones made a big mistake when he decided not to up the ante and resign Dez Bryant to a contract . The Dallas Cowboys are weak on offense and their defense is just as mediocre . As for Dak Prescott , you’re spot on with your assessment . He could end up being another Quincy Carter , for this franchise . Jason Garrett is on the hot seat as far as I’m concerned, He hasn’t proven to me that he can coach , much less lead with authority. In week four the Dallas Cowboys will be facing the Detroit Lions on at home in a conference match-up.
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The Tampa Bay Rays have essentially blown their chance of making the postseason because during the first half of the year they were so inconsistent. The only saving grace to the team’s season has been the play of their starting pitcher Blake Snell who leads the Majors in wins and is among the top-five starting pitchers in terms of ERA . Snell’s next projected start for the team will see him him up against the Toronto Blue Jays It will be interesting to see if the Rays’ pitcher can notch his twenty-second win of the season , a franchise record for a starting pitcher. Kevin Cash will lead the team when they head into action on Monday afternoon to face the New York Yankees at home .
MLB news
MLB schedule 24th September
MLB standings (divisional) and wildcard standings
Tophatal ……….
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Another bland and mediocre performance by Anthony Joshua as he made another successful defense of his world Heavyweight Title belts , facing Russian challenger Alexander Povetkin over the weekend . If Joshua is seeking to be come the next undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world in boxing, then his performance will have to be considerably better if he’s hoping to meet Deontay Wilder in order to settle that particular dispute . Wilder is due to make his defense of the belt he holds, when he faces Tyson Fury of Great Britain. Many believe that fight should be a walkover for the current champion , after Fury’s almost two-year layoff forced upon him by a mandatory suspension .
Yahoo Sports Boxing news
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Jimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota , but the Minnesota Timberwolves might not be willing to to acquiesce to the player’s demands to be traded. Clearly the front office head by Head Coach & President of Operations , Tom Thibodeau will be seeking something equitable in return for one of the league’s best point guards . A seasoned veteran Butler came into his own with the Chicago Bulls before the ownership sought to completely revamp their roster as a cost cutting exercise. There are likely to be at least eight teams showing interest in trading for Jimmy Butler , who’s not due to become a free agent until 2020 .
Courtesy of Yahoo Sports
With a roster built around Karl-Anthony Towns , the Minnesota Timberwolves will certainly have something to prove this upcoming season. It’s not known why Jimmy Butler no longer wants to be part of the organization, but I do believe the player doesn’t believe his relationship with Tom Thibodeau can really flourish. The Timberwolves will tip off their preseason with a game against defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors on the 29th September , 2018. Their opening game of the regular season will see the Minnesota Timberwolves face the San Antonio Spurs on the Official Opening Night of the NBA, October 17th , 2018 .
NBA news
Minnesota Timberwolves news
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Tophat,
Mr. Ivy Leaguer Jason Garrett could never coach at this level, or any other. He longevity is primarily based on his compatibility with Jerry Jones. IOW Jones couldn’t handle an alpha male to run his team. Notice his past relationship with Jimmy Johnson? That man could coach at any level. The owner wasn’t comfortable with just success.
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Ronbets
All we’re going to see from the Dallas Cowboys in the coming years is abject failure. Jason Garrett doesn’t inspire confidence on any level. Ellen DeGeneres or Ru Paul could come in and do a much better job than Garrett by any stretch of the imagination. Three games into the regular season and the Cowboys are proving to be what we already knew they were , simply overrated at every position imaginable .
In week four the Dallas Cowboys will be scheduled to meet the Detroit Lions in a home game between conference rivals .
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So after blowing out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on their way to a road win , the Pittsburgh Steelers might well have bigger fish to fry as they try and deal with the trade demands of receiver LeVeon Bell , a player who has been productive for the Steelers since becoming a first teamer with the franchise. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff would undoubtedly like to have Bell remain with the staff , as too would quarterback Ben Roethlisberger where the receiver was among his favorite targets. Bell remains on the roster and his salary is that of a player whose productivity arguable merits more .
LeVeon Bell is looking to get a long-term deal from the franchise , one which would make him among the highest paid running backs in the game . There would be several teams likely interested in LeVeon Bell should it be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wish to let him go , but it would be predicated on what the Steelers would be able to get for him in return , a player who was taken in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft .
In week four the Pittsburgh Steelers will be facing the Baltimore Ravens
MLB news
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Just a few more days and the season winds for the 2018 MLB season . There have been some major disappointment among a number of teams as well as players failing to meet expectations . By far the biggest disappointment has to be the joint failures of the New York Mets and Washington Nationals to come remotely close to challenging for a divisional crown let alone a wildcard berth . With both teams in action today , it will be interesting to how they fare over the remainder of their respective schedules .
MLB news
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As good a season as Mike Trout had with the Los Angeles Angels in conjunction with teammate Albert Pujols , the disappointment remains that the Angeles have failed badly once again this season , leading to the speculation Mike Scioscia will step down as the team’s manager at the end of this season. GM Billy Eppler and owner Arte Moreno must seek a replacement who’s clearly got a proven track record and who’s capable of leading the Angels back to the postseason . The ball-club’s sole triumph under Scioscia came in 2002 when the Los Angeles Angels triumphed over the San Francisco Giants .
Out of the wildcard berth and barely a handful of games left to round out their season , the Los Angeles Angels are now just playing for pride. Mike Trout and the Angels will be in action today when the team faces the Texas Rangers at home .
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OK, week four will begin with a Thursday Night Game featuring a contest between the Los Angeles Rams (3-0) playing host to the Minnesota Vikings (1-1-1) in a match-up of conference rivals . Opposing quarterbacks will be Kirk Cousins of the Vikings against Jared Goff of the Rams .
At this point last season as the teams headed into week four the divisional standings didn’t mirror much of what we would come to see over the rest of the season.
With their quarterback now lost to them for the rest of the season , the San Francisco Forty-Niners now find themselves in a very perplexing dilemma . The loss of Jimmy Garopollo has proved to be devastating , leaving the franchise without a credible alternative to the starter. GM Jon Lynch basically placed all of his eggs on one basket , leaving the coaching staff , basically without a meaningful alternative. Kyle Shanahan now has a tough decision to make , does he go with the experience of CJ Beathard or try Nick Mullens whose experience in the league stems from the Forty Niners’ preseason schedule and the opportunities provided to him by Head Coach Kyle Shanahan.
Courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle
With an upcoming game in week four where the San Francisco 49ers will meet the Los Angeles Chargers on the road , this contest should prove to be very interesting. The last meeting between these two teams took place during week sixteen of the 2014 regular season .
The fact that the San Francisco 49ers had contracted so much to signing Jimmy Garopollo to such a deal will certainly impact the team moving forward.
NFL news
NFL team injuries
NFL transactions
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Four days until the end of the regular season within Major League Baseball . Several interesting games on tap for Thursday , 27th September . Somehow the Tampa Bay Rays in spite of their so called great season were on the wrong side of a 12-l loss to the New York Yankees , one of the team’s worst losses of their schedule .
MLB news ……….
Tophatal ………
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The Atlanta Braves have assured themselves a position in the MLB Postseason for 2018 , having clinched the NL East divisional title with just three days left in regular season. Braves’ manager Brian Snitker and his coaching staff having reassured themselves of that position will have the team prepare for a weekend schedule against divisional rivals the Philadelphia Phillies in a three game series which begins on Friday , 28th September , 2018 . On the mound for the Braves in the first of these three games will be Mike Foltynewicz of the Braves against Jerad Eickhoff of the Phillies .
The Los Angeles Dodgers in spite of a multi-million dollar payroll could be on the verge of missing out on the postseason , unless they win their final four games while the rest of their wildcard aspirants and the Colorado Rockies come up short. Los Angeles has a weekend schedule against the San Francisco Giants on the road . In the first of those three games to be played the starting pitcher for the Dodgers will be Hy-Jin Ryu of the Dodgers against Madison Bumgarner of the Giants .
While the Boston Red Sox have the best record in all of baseball having topped 100 wins on the season, they may not be the best team as the month of September comes to an end . Over their last ten games the Red Sox have posted 5-5 record . Having clinched the AL East by a healthy margin they go into their final few game looking for a franchise record across the board . The Red Sox will round out their season with three games against the New York Yankees to end their regular season series against their most notorious rivals over the last decade .
Friday’s match-up on the mound between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will have starting pitchers J A Happ of the Yankees against Brian Johnson of the Red Sox .
MLB news
MLB weekend schedule
MLB standings and wildcard standings
Tophatal …………
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Week five of the College Football Season among the D1 programs . Last night the number sixteen ranked Miami Hurricanes completely demoralized the North Carolina Tar Heels on their way to a 47-10 victory .
The SEC still remains the top conference in all of College Football with several of their programs among the top-ten of the rankings . Alabama (Crimson Tide) and the Clemson (Tigers) are both in action this weekend , playing on Saturday afternoon with Alabama facing Louisiana Lafayette , while Clemson takes on
Syracuse (Orangemen) .
NCAA Football news
Week five of the NCAA Football Schedule (FBS)
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Another night in the NFL and it’s a night where once again Patrick Mahomes has pulled out all the stops for the Kansas City Chiefs as they take down the Denver Broncos in an AFC match-up of divisional rivals .
NFL news …
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Somehow within the space of twelve days the Chicago Cubs went from being a sure thing and a contender for the World Series to now being a misnomer and possibly bowing out of the MLB postseason altogether. The Cubs will face the Colorado Rockies in 2018 Wildcard Game with the winners going on the NLDS .
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So there you have it within the space of forty-eight hours the Chicago Cubs’ season has abruptly come to an end. First was their loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in one-game decider for the NL Central which placed the Cubs in a wild-card game against the Colorado Rockies . That contest would prove to be thrilling but only for Chicago to come up short in a fourteen-inning game , filled with a great deal of excitement . Now there are rumbling within the front office of the Cubs that there will be wholesale changes being made to the coaching staff and team roster . With the cupboard being bare within their farm system , there seems very little that the Chicago Cubs might be able to do with regard to improving the entire playing roster.
Chicago Cubs news
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Tonight the New York Yankees will play host to the Oakland Athletics (A’s) in the AL wildcard game . If their regular season series was anything to go by this one-off contest should prove to be very interesting.
MLB news ..
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