Baseball Hall Of Fame Nominees

It rolls around every year, the nominees for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The list has come out for people that are going to be on the ballot for 2018. In order to get into the hall, one needs to get 75% of the votes in order for induction and more then 5% to stay on the ballot. The official announcement won't be made until January 2018, but because the list has been announced now, lets get the debate going as to who should be in and who will miss out.

There are 19 new names on the ballots and 14 holdovers from previous years, including Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez. The entire ballot is listed below, including how many years holdovers have been on the ballot and their percentage of votes received last year. Some other notable names that are still held over for this years ballot, including Roger Clemens, Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Jeff Kent, Edgar Martínez, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Billy Wagner, and Larry Walker.

Here's the list of the new names on the ballot (a lot I know but stick with us): Rod Barajas, Miguel Batista, Geoff Blum, Miguel Cairo, Chris Carpenter, Aaron Cook, Francisco Cordero, Juan Cruz, Johnny Damon, Brian Fuentes, Bill Hall, Willie Harris, Liván Hernández, Orlando Hudson, Aubrey Huff, Jason Isringhausen, Nick Johnson, Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, Adam Kennedy, Carlos Lee, Brad Lidge, Rodrigo López, Mike MacDougal, Hideki Matsui, Kevin Millwood, Guillermo Mota, Jamie Moyer, Will Ohman, Vicente Padilla, Carl Pavano, Scott Podsednik, Juan Rivera, Scott Rolen, J. C. Romero, Johan Santana, Brian Schneider, Ben Sheets, Jeff Suppan, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, Kip Wells, Dan Wheeler, Jack Wilson, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano.

Quickly, lets look at the guys who are back on the ballot. Vlad and Hoffman have the best chance to get in. Hoffman, who's second on the all time saves list, was one percentage point away from getting into the Hall last year and should not have a problem getting in this year. Same thing, too can be said for Vlad. He hit 449 home runs and drove in 1459 runs, all while hitting. 318 for his career. He was the best bad ball hitter I've ever seen and was one of the more consistent hitters I've ever seen.

For the new guys on the list, I can really only see two getting in on their first shot, Chipper Jones and Jim Thome. Chipper hit .303 over his career with 468 home runs and drove in 1,623 runs. He won MVP once and an eight time all-star.  He was one of the best overall hitters and all around 3rd baseman to ever play the game. Jim Thome is the other guy I can see making the hall this year. He was a .276 lifetime hitter, as he cracked 612 home runs, all while driving in 1,699 runs. He was one of the top power hitters in the game, and the numbers reflect that.

The official announcement will be made in early January as to who gets into the Hall!

MLB Awards Winners

Ah yes awards season has arrived in Major League Baseball. Its the time of the year when the best in baseball are honored as such for the year that was. 2017 was a good year for the game, with some outstanding performances during the regular season. So here's how this is going to work. We already gave out the list of gold glove winners, so for this one, we will unveil the silver slugger winners as well as the big ones: Manager of the Year, Rookie Of the Year, Cy Young and MVP awards. So lets not waste any more time, here's the award winners for this year.

Silver Slugger
American League 
Catcher: Gary Sanchez, Yankees
1st Base: Eric Hosmer, Royals
2nd Base: Jose Altuve, Astros
3rd Base: Jose Ramirez, indians
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, Indians
Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Outfield: George Springer, Astros
Outfield: Justin Upton, Angels
Designated Hitter: Nelson Cruz, Mariners

National League
Catcher: Buster Posey, Giants
1st Base: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks
2nd Base: Daniel Murphy, Nationals
3rd Base: Nolan Arenado, Rockies
Shortstop: Corey Seager, Dodgers
Outfielder: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
Outfielder: Marcell Ozuna, Marlins
Outfielder: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies
Pitcher: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals

Manager Of The Year:
AL: Paul Molitor, Twins
NL: Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks

There should be almost no surprise for Molitor winning manager of the year in the American League. He took a team that had lost 100 games last season, to this year winning 85 games, finishing 2nd in the AL Central and making the playoffs as a wild card team. Molitor, who just completed his third season and was also a finalist in 2015, edged out the Indians' Terry Francona and the Astros' A.J. Hinch for the honors. He has also become the 4th Twins manager to snag the award, the others being Tom Kelly in 1991, Buck Showalter in 1994 and Ron Gardenhire in 2010. And to be able to go from 103 losses to 85 wins and the playoffs is a lot to speak of for an outstanding manager.

As for the National League, Arizona finished 69-93 in 2016 but improved to 93-69 and captured the top NL Wild Card spot in Lovullo's first season. Lovullos becomes the 3rd Diamondback manager to claim the award in the NL, joining Bob Melvin in 2007 and Kirk Gibson in 2011. to claim the award this year, he edged out Dave Roberts and Bud Black to walk away with the title. He's had control and support from his players since he was hired in Arizona last November

Rookie Of The Year:
AL: Aaron Judge, Yankees
NL: Cody Bellinger, Dodgers

It was almost a lock that Aaron Judge was going to run away with the American league Rookie Of The Year. Jusge is the 9th Yankee to win the Rookie of the Year and the first to do it since Derek Jeter in 1996. The other Yankees to win the award were Gil McDougald (1951), Bob Grim ('54), Tony Kubek ('57), Tom Tresh ('62), Stan Bahnsen ('68), Thurman Munson ('70) and Dave Righetti ('81). Judge also became the 22nd unanimous Rookie of the Year in Major League history, coming off a season in which he shattered Mark McGwire's 30-year-old record by belting a league-leading 52 home runs in his first full campaign. While Andrew Benintendi of the Red Sox and Trey Mancini of the Orioles enjoyed fine first seasons, what Aaron Judge managed to do was something that was almost other worldly. Judge finished the year hitting .284, the 52 home runs, and managed to lead the AL in runs (128) and walks (127), while ranking second in RBIs (114), on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Yes he had 208 Strikeouts but still I think the rest of his numbers more than make up for it.

As for the National League, Cody Bellinger is the 2nd straight Dodger to win the award, as Corey Seagur won it last year. As a matter of fact, this now marks the 18th time that a Dodgers player has walked away with the top rookie honors. Cody finished the year with a .267 batting average, 39 home runs and 97 runs batted in. The Cardinals' Paul DeJong finished second, with Pittsburgh's Josh Bell coming in third. Bellinger is the third straight unanimous NL winner, after Cory Seagur last year and Kris Bryant in 2015. Bellinger made an impact on this team as soon as he got called up in April and really helped power the Dodgers  to one of the best records in the entire league from wire to wire. There was no rookie in the NL who had as much of an impact on their team as he did.

Cy Young Award:
AL: Corey Kluber, Indians
NL: Max Scherzer, Nationals

Twice in four seasons now Corey Kluber has walked away with the AL Cy Young Award. When he won in 2014, Kluber showed a little emotion, but this year it seemed like just another day at the office. Kluber, Cliff Lee (2008), CC Sabathia (2007) and Gaylord Perry (1972) are the only AL Cy Young Award winners in Indians history. This year, Kluber had to beat out Chris Sal, Luis Severino, and Carlos Carrasco to claim the award, but he did it in pretty convincing fashion. Kluber had himself an outstanding year, going 18-4 with an MLB-leading 2.25 ERA. In 29 starts over 203 2/3 innings, Kluber piled up 265 strikeouts compared to 36 walks, and he posted those totals despite missing most of May with a back injury. This marks the fourth straight season in which the right-hander eclipsed 200 strikeouts and 200 innings. Once he came back from his injury on June 1st, the Indians took off and ran away with the division, which shows how much of an impact and a leader he was for this team.

For Max Scherzer, this marks the 2nd year in a row he's walked away with the Cy Young Award, making him and Kluber among the 19 pitchers in baseball history who have earned the award multiple times. this marks the 3rd Cy win for the Expos/Nationals, as Max won it last year and Pedro Martinez before him in 1997. Scherzer won the award by receiving 27 of the 30 first-place votes. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw finished second and Scherzer's Nationals teammate, Stephen Strasburg, finished third. Out of the three of them, Scherzer was the only one who three more then 200 innings. Mad Max went on to finish the year going 16–6, with a 2.51 ERA and 268 strikeouts. Max, at times willed the Nationals to victory.

Most Valuable Player
AL: Jose Altuve, Astros
NL: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

The National League saw the first Marlins player to ever win league MVP. Yes I know the Marlins missed the playoffs, but there was nobody better in the NL this year then Giancarlo Stanton. In the final tallies, Stanton won the fourth-closest vote in MVP history. With 302 points, the slugger finished just two ahead of Cincinnati's Joey Votto, with Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt placing third with 239. Stanton had himself a year, leading the Majors with 59 home runs, becoming the eighth player in history to hit at least that many in a season. It's a total that hadn't been reached since Bonds set the MLB record with 73 in 2001. Sammy Sosa finished with 64 in the same year. Stanton also finished with 132 RBIs and .631 slugging percentage also topped the Majors. There's no denying that Stanton had a fantastic season, but the Marlins missed the playoffs, which I think takes a little bit out of the award. There's no doubt he was the best player in the National League this year, I'm not knocking that by any means. I'm just knocking the rest of the Marlins for not playing up to his level and making the playoffs. I think if Miami had made the post season, then the award would have been a bit more of a separation in the voting for the award.

As far as the American League award is concerned, it was a right choice giving it to Altuve, although it could have gone to either him or Aaron Judge of the Yankees. Altuve joins Jeff Bagwell as the only two Astros players to win the award. Altuve beat out Judge and Jose Ramirez of the Indians. The vote for MVP was 27-2 in favor of Altuve over Judge. We talked about Judge's numbers before when he won Rookie Of The Year. Altuve lead the league with a .346 average and 204 hits. He also finished with 24 homers and 86 RBI's. Some could argue that the award could have gone to Judge because he was more of a boost to the Yankees lineup. If you take Judge out of the lineup then there's probably a good chance that the Yankees miss the playoffs. With Altuve out of the Astros lineup, there's probably a chance that the Houston still makes the post season. The fact that Altuve was steady and consistent all season, and Judge had that slump late in the year may have hurt his chances to claim the award. Either way, MVP could have gone to either guy, bud Altuve had a more consistent season and was a little more deserving of MVP.

Congratulations to all the award winners this season!

Best And Worst NFL Week Ten

Week ten has come and gone in the National Football League. A week ago, we started to see teams separate themselves from the pack, but that wasn't as much of the case here in week ten. Look at what the Saints did to Buffalo this week, which was a whooping beyond proportions. Then you have the Los Angeles Rams, who scored over 30 points for the sixth time this year. Robert Woods had himself a day as well. Then you had teams at the other end of the spectrum. Like the Giants, who couldn't pick up a win against a previously winless team. Or Vontaze Burfict, who continues to do boneheaded things. So here's some of the best and worst from week ten in the NFL.

Best:
Robert Woods, Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams
Some people around the league scratched their heads when the Rams paid Robert Woods like a low end #1 receiver, the man had never had more then 700 receiving yards in a season while in Buffalo. Now it looks like he could hit it by early December. In the Rams 33-7 win over Houston on Sunday, Woods was the guy powering the offense for LA. He had eight catches for a league best 171 yards and two touchdowns. He's been the teams best receiver all year, and had the best game of his career Sunday. Look no further then the 94-yard touchdown catch he had that broke the game open. Sure the Rams traded to get Sammy Watkins from Buffalo, but there's no doubt in anybody's mind that this is Woods team, as far as the receiving core goes. Sunday he went out and proved it further.

Worst:
Vontaze Burfict, Linebacker Cincinnati Bengals
Some things never change around the league. Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict continues to make boneheaded plays time and time again. Don't get me wrong he's one of the better linebackers in the game. But he still has his boneheaded moments. This week, in the Bengals 24-20 loss to the Titans, Burfict was making a scene and the ref tried to calm him down./ So what does he do, he shoves the are of the official out of the way, something that is frowned apon by the league. Burfict has been fined upwards of $800,000 in his career and still hasn’t learned how to behave. He’s cost his team wins, including in the playoffs, because of his inability to stay on the right side of the fine line that separates players who are aggressive to those who are just plain dirty.

Best:
Adrian Clayborn, Defensive End Atlanta Falcons
He had himself a feast against Dallas on Sunday. Atlanta won 27-7 and he was a big reason why. Calyborn took full advantage of the weak spot at left tackle for the Cowboys. Clayborn racked up six sacks on the day, which broke the team record previously held by Hall of Famers Claude Humphrey and Chuck Smith. to make this day even more impressive was that Clayborn had only had two sacks all year going into this game. And that he’s only ever had more than six in an entire season one time, back in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Worst:
Adrian Peterson Running Back Arizona Cardinals
Ever since the trade from the Saints to the Cards, Adrian Peterson has had a Jekyll and Hyde four game stretch. He has two games where he's amazing, and then two games where he's below average. Now a week after setting a new career mark for carries in a game while gaining 159 yards, Peterson managed just 29 yards on 21 carries against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle did a very effective job of being able to shut down the veteran back after what he did last week. Peterson has got to find a way to be able to try and keep his game at a highi level

Best:
Case Keenum, Quarterback Minnesota Vikings
reports started coming down that Teddy Bridgewater was going to be the starting QB for the Vikings next week, his first start in over a year after a horrible knee injury. Minnesota sits at 6-2 and atop the division in the North. Case Keenum was still under center and played like a man with his job security on the line on Sunday, as he had the Vikings offense playing on fire. He went 21 of 29 for 304 yards and four touchdowns. A very impressive day, yes. He also threw two awful interceptions that helped get the Redskins back in the game, but overall it was a good day for Keenum, as Minnesota walked away with a 38-30 victory, getting the Vikings up to 7-2 on the year. As much fun as it would be to see Teddy under center again, if Keenum has more games like he did Sunday, Teddy will keep him on the bench.

Worst:
Ben McAdoo, Head Coach New York Giants
Talk about a guy who's pretty much a dead man walking at this point with this Giants team. They fell to 1-8 after getting beaten by the previously winless San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco walked away with a 31-21 victory. This was a bad meeting, because it was the first time in 33 years that two teams faced off this late in the season with one combined win. And now this loss may have been the end of Ben McAdoo it appears to have lost his team, because nobody on the defense seems to really care anymore. They were missing tackles left and right it was an embarrassing game to watch really, especially if you're a Giants fan. The Giants have not fired a coach during the season since 1976 when Bill Arnsparger was let go after a 0-7 start and replaced by John McVay, who had more success as an executive who helped build the 49ers dynasty in the 1980s. That won't happen here as it appears his job is safe, but by the end of the season who knows.

Best:
Brett Hundley, Quarterback Green Bay Packers
He wasn't show stealing, but he was good enough to help out Green Bay. The Packers came away with a 23-16 win over the Bears, and Hundley had a hand in that. He was 18 of 25 for 212 yards and a touchdown. He made a couple nice throws downfield, which wasn’t the case in his first two starts.  There was a lot that Packers fans were worried about, because they didn't know how the team going to perform without Aaron Rogers. But Hundley showed that he can at least hold down the fort and keep the Pack relevant in the division until Rogers gets healthy and is ready to play again.

Worst:
John Fox, Head Coach Chicago Bears
Tough going for the Bears on Sunday in the 38-30 loss to the Pack and Mitchell Trubisky had them lined up for a possible chance to win, but John Fox made one big blunder. Fox won a challenge in which he believed his player reached for the pylon on a play, which would have resulted in a touchdown. Unfortunately for Fox, it was determined that Benny Cunningham actually lost control of the football before he touched the pylon, resulting in a fumble and a touch back for the Packers. It cost them the game. Only the Bears.

Best:
New Orleans Saints
They may not be the best team in football right now, that's still the Eagles, but the New Orleans Saints are one of the hottest teams in football. New Orleans dominated Buffalo by a score of 47-10, pulling up to a 7-2 record. With this dominating win over Buffalo, the Saints have now won seven straight games. All told, New Orleans rushed for six touchdowns, which is just an embarrassing thing to happen to any defense. But this isn’t a brand-new development. Ever since the Saints traded Adrian Peterson to the Arizona Cardinals, they’ve been unstoppable on the ground. Mark Ingram ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Alvin Kamara was once again brilliant, totaling 138 yards and a touchdown. New Orleans is starting to really heat up at the right time and are going to make things very interesting down the stretch this season.

Worst:
Los Angeles Chargers
Talk about a bad way to lose a football game. The Chargers had two possessions begin in the final two minutes of regulation, and held a lead at the start of both possessions, yet still lost the game. Think about that. Here's what went down. A crazy sequence of events followed. A Jaguars recovery for a touchdown was overturned, a 15-yard taunting penalty on Marqise Lee knocked Jacksonville out of field-goal range and Blake Bortles threw a desperate interception. Los Angeles got the ball back with 1:24 left, but turned the ball right back over again. The Jaguars had all three timeouts left. The Chargers went three-and-out, punted, a Joey Bosa roughing the passer penalty got the Jaguars good field position, and Jacksonville tied it. Then Philip Rivers threw an interception in overtime and the Jaguars won on a field goal. Incredible.

Beltran Calls It A Career

One of the last players to begin his career in the 1990's has hung up the spikes. Starting his career in 1998 and spanning twenty years, Carlos Beltran has left quite a mark on the baseball world. His last official act as a Major League Baseball player was hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy over his head as a World Champion. He did so much more then that during a fine career.

Carlos spent a career that spanned twenty seasons and seven different teams, the Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees Rangers and Astros again. During that time, Carlos hit .279 with 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, 1,587 RBIs and 1,582 runs scored. His mops productive years where his years with the Royals and Mets where he averaged 25 home runs and 100 RBI's a season. After leaving the Mets, he bounced around a bit, becoming a solid role player, but not really being the lead force in the lineup that he once was. What really brought Beltran to the forefront for most baseball fans was the trade from Kansas City to Houston, and thus going off in the 2004 playoffs with the Astros.

Whenever you needed a big hit (game seven of the 2006 NLCS against the Cardinals not withstanding) Beltran was there to provide it. His eight home runs and fourtenn RBI in the 2004 playoffs are what got him really on the map as a slugger and what landed him a nice contract here in New York with the Mets. Once in the Big Apple, he really had his full skillset on display. He could crush a baseball like it was nobody's business and he made it look so easy at times too. Carlos was a good ballplayer who could do a little bit of everything well. He could field, run, throw and boy could he hit.

"I'm satisfied with my career," Beltran said. "I can see myself back in my hometown of Manati [Puerto Rico], walking to the ballpark when I was a kid, trying to become a professional ballplayer. Seeing the things that I have accomplished in the game, not a lot of guys have accomplished that. That God chose me to be one of those guys, I'm extremely blessed."

One play sticks out to me that I will never forget about Beltran in his time here in New York. It was during the 2006 season and it was a bit of an early birthday present to me. It was August 22nd in a game at Shea Stadium against the Cardinals. Albert Pujols dominated that day driving in all seven of the Cardinal runs that night, but the Mets never gave up and hung in it till the very end. Beltran came up in the 9th with a runner on and nobody out. First pitch Carlos saw he cracked into the Mets bullpen and gave them a walk off 8-7 victory and gave me an early birthday present, so I forever thank Carlos for that early birthday gift.

So thanks for the memories Carlos. You'ree talent will surely land you into Cooperstown and you were really a joy to watch patroling center field!

2017-18 NBA Season Preview

Yes its that time of year once again. The National Basketball Association is ready to rock and roll for their 72nd season as a league. There's a lot to look forward to this NBA season. It might be safe to say that most people feel that we will have a fourth straight finals between Cleveland and Golden State, both teams are that good. Over the next eight months, we are going to try and see if one of the other 28 teams are going to be able to knock one of those teams off the perch. There's plenty of things to also be able to look at around the league. Can Boston get back to the top and get revenge on Cleveland for last years East Finals? Can the Milwaukee Bucks make a leap and become a contending team again? Are the Philadelphia 76ers capable of staying healthy and contending for a playoff spot? Then there's stories out West. Can James Harden and Chris Paul can form a backcourt partnership that legitimately threatens the Warriors' reign? What about the Oklahoma City Thunder? Can they be a threat with Russell Westbrook and Paul George in the mix?

There was quite a bit of big names that got moved in the offseason as well. Carmelo Anthony (Knicks to Thunder), Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder (Boston to Cleveland), Kyrie Irving (Cleveland to Boston), DeMarre Carroll (Toronto to Brooklyn), Victor Oladipo (Thunder to Pacers), Paul George (Pacers to Thunder), Chris Paul (Clippers to Rockets), Zach LaVine (Timberwolves to Bulls), Jimmy Butler (Bulls to Timberwolves), Brook Lopez (Nets to Lakers), D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov (Lakers to Nets), and finally Dwight Howard (Hawks to Hornets) have all been traded to other teams. Oh but wait, there's more. Langston Galloway (Pistons), Rudy Gay (Spurs), J. J. Redick (76ers), Tim Hardaway Jr (Knicks), Vince Carter (Kings), Taj Gibson (Timberwolves), Jeff Teague (Timberwolves), Zach Randolph (Kings), George Hill (Kings), Paul Millsap (Nuggets), Derrick Rose (cavaliers) have all switched jerseys and gone elsewhere as free agents.

So lets get right into it, here's how things go down in the NBA this season.

Western Conference:
Northwest Division:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (56-26)*
This team may be the most fascinating one to watch during the regular season. With the big moves they made during the offseason, the Thunder have a chip on their shoulders and are expected to win like right now. Russel Westbrook to a new five year extension and wanted to get their best player more talent to surround him with. They did that in spades. They sent away Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indiana for Paul George. Adding Paul George gives the Thunder one of the most talented back courts in all of the game. Throw Carmelo Anthony into the mix, who they just acquired from the Knicks, and you got something to work with in OKC. Throw in Stephen Adams at center and Andre Roberson at Shooting Guard, and you got yourself a very solid starting five. They have some decent depth pieces in Andre Roberson, Patrick Patterson and Jerami Grant. There's plenty of talent here to make this work really really well in the West. At the same time there could be the potential for trouble. If one of those big names gets hurt, the depth could come into issues. Then there's the ego and talent of their big three, George, Westbrook and Anthony, all of whom are used to being THE guy. It could work and they could mesh very well, which leads to a division title.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33)*
Minnesota basketball fans have been waiting quite a long time for this. It has been thirteen years since the Timberwolves last made the playoffs. Minnesota has a good young core to work with, lead by Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Now here's where things get interesting. They add in Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson via the free agent market. Just to add a little more spice to things, they go out and make a deal with the Chicago Bulls that sent Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine to the East for Jimmy Butler. There still leaves a few questions to be answered in Minnesota, like trying to upgrade on being a bottom five defense last year, which looks a little strange now that Ricky Rubio is no longer in Minnesota. Bringing in guys like Butler and Gibson, who each played for head coach Tom Thibodeau in Chicago, should be a boost for this basketball team. They are a solid lock to finish in the top five in a very tough Western Conference. Don't relly think they have enough talent to really be able to hang in with the top four in the West, but they are still a fantastic basketball team.

3. Utah Jazz (45-37)*
Here we have a team that won the division, and 51 games to go along with it, a season ago. This year could be a step back for Utah, who lost both Gordon Hayward and George Hill to free agency in the offseason. Adding a guy like Ricky Rubio should be able to help Utah repeat as a top-five defense. The question is whether they can keep last season’s 12th-ranked offense from plummeting into the bottom five. Rudy Gobert will be up to his old tricks again and playing well, if he can maintain a level of health. What will really help out Utah is that outsdanding defensive play. Scoring depth might be a bit of an issue for this club, but there is enough talent with Rubio and Joe Johsnson leading the offensive charge to help them hold onto a playoff spot. Rodney Hood will also be counted on to try and step his game up if Utah wants to really go anywhere in this top heavy conference.

4. Denver Nuggets (43-39)*
Denver finished two games under .500 last season and just missed out on the playoffs. This year, Denver starts taking steps in the right direction. Denver stayed busy in its own right and nabbed Paul Millsap as Nikola Jokic's new frontcourt running mate, and his arrival figures to put the Nuggets in the thick of a crowded Western Conference race that will see roughly six teams, including the Jazz, duke it out for three playoff spots. Pairing Millsap with Nikola Jokic, who really is a magician with the ball, and one of the most pleasurable players to watch, will make for a fun one-two punch to run with in Denver this year. Denver has as much of an intriguing talent through the end of their roster as any team in the NBA, but here’s betting their chances at making a leap are dependent on their young backcourt rotation. It might be close on a playoff push for the boys in Denver.

5. Portland Trail Blazers (40-42)
They just snuck into the post season last year, then got promptly swept right out of the playoffs by the Warriors. This year, it might not be the same in Portland. They were quiet this offseason, not making any real noise in free agency. Consider this. Portland went 14-6 with Jusuf Nurkic in the middle after acquiring him from Denver last season. He is the superstud that Portland really wanted and they got him, which was a huge impact for this team down the stretch run last year. He adds frontcourt balance to one of the best, and splashiest backcourts in the league of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. What has me concerned in this team is that they didn't really bring any help for those three and they didn't really do anything to improve that defense that was near the bottom ten in the NBA. Doesn't look good for Portland and a playoff push this year.

Southwest Division
1. Houston Rockets (62-20)*
They were the 3rd best team in the West a season ago and this year, they'll be right back near the top of the conference again. Some around the sport say that super teams are starting to develop. Well there might be one taking shape right now here in Houston. You already have one of the best players in the game in James Harden. Now you add in another fantastic, top tier talent player in Chris Paul. In order to get Chris Paul, the Rockerts had to give up Sam Dekker, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, DeAndre Liggins, Darrun Hilliard, Kyle Wiltjer, Montrezl Harrell a draft pick and future considerations, but Houston felt it was worth it. This trade gave Houston one of the most unique and talented backcourts in recent memory. Head coach Mike D'Antoni has to find away to get the ball between those two guys, Trevor Ariza, Nene, and role players like PJ Tucker and Ryan Anderson. Knowing Mike D'Antoni, he'll have no problem coming up with a scheme to spread the ball around and keep Houston near the top of the league all season long.

2. San Antonio Spurs (53-29)*
Think its going to be tough for the Spurs to be able to contend with the high powered Houston Rockers, but knowing coach Gregg Popovich, he can always find a way to pull a few magic tricks out of his hat to keep this team fighting for the division all year long. They are getting a little bit older, still being lead by Manu Ginóbili, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Patty Mills. Throw in Rudy Gay and you got yourself a solid team. They are the team that relies on the sum greater then the individual parts. They have an outstanding coach, the top defense in the league last year and one of the best three point shooting teams in all of the league (they shot 39% from behind the arc last year). There's no denying how great this franchise has become, but I don't think they have the talent to rip off another 61 win season. Still, Pop has the horses to be able to at least get 53 wins again and another solid playoff spot

3. Memphis Grizzlies (42-40)
This team was a playoff team a season ago that had a lot of their core together. But there's a lot of changes between last year and this year's club. Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter are all gone. Chandler Parsons is playing well below expectations in the preseason. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are still expected to lead the team, and both guys are good enough and talented enough to be able to pull it off. They've made the playoffs for seven consecutive years now, but the big question mark is, can they do it again with a young supporting cast that they have around them? This could be the end of an era in Memphis, because of the lack of talent around the Grizzlies. They have the core guys to build around, just not the right supporting cast.

4. New Orleans Pelicans (39-43)
There maybe a smidge of hope for the Pelicans this season to improve off their 34 win year a season ago. New Orleans has some talent to really build around, with Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday but little else. Rajon Rondo was brought in on a one year deal to help bolster the lineup. He adds a weak-shooting starter to the backcourt of a team whose bigs need space. Lets face facts with this New Orleans club, they have a really bad support staff surrounding their best players. The Pelicans have a flat out atrocious bench, one that could spell trouble for a team that needs to be successful. They have talent on their main guys with Davis, Cousins and Holiday but without a supporting staff, they won't be getting very far this season.

5. Dallas Mavericks (34-48)
Things weren't very good for the Mavs last season, and it doesn't look like things are going to get much better this year. The biggest thing to really look at this season in Dallas is the development of Dennis Smith Jr., the team’s top rookie. He's got all the hype and talent around him coming out of NC State, so there's a lot of expectations to live up to. Now the question is can this kid live up to all the hype that comes along with him? If he does, they have a solid core to work around, with Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews, and Nerlens Noel. There's even a long shot that Dirk can still produce, but who knows how much longer the big man has left in him in this league.

Pacific Division:
1. Golden State Warriors (66-16)*
There's a reason these guys are the defending Champions. They are kinda good.The whole core is back together. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Shaun Livingston, David West, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant, Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee are all set with contracts through at least this seaason. There's really not a whole lot to try and really break down with this club. They're good and they know it. Shouldn't be really much of a stretch to say that this team has the talent to go back to the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row.

2. Los Angeles Clippers (45-37)*
This team won 51 games last year and finished 2nd in the division, but looks like its going to be a big step backwards this season. They still have talent in the form of Blake Griffin and Danilo Gallinari was brought in as part of a three team trade, but otherwise, it looks like a downgrade in Los Angeles. Chris Paul and JJ Reddick are both gone, which takes away some of the depth in Lob City. But one does have to wonder just how well the Griffin/Gallinari dynamic is going to work together. Throw those two guys in with DeAndre Jordan and it makes for a tough big three to try and deal with in LA. They still have the talent to be able to make it to the playoffs, but the Clippers don't have the depth overall to really be able to make it deep in the post season.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (31-51)
Rebuild mode has started in Los Angeles and it looks like they might start to head in the right direction. They got rid of D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to Brooklyn for Brook Lopez. They brought in Andrew Bogut, who adds some solid depth and experience to this team. Oh and there is that kid named Lonzo Ball, who has a lot of hype to live up to. He has the passing ability and talent to make this team somewhat respectable. Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma paired with Ball make this team watchable. They're still going to be one of the worst defensive teams in all of the league, but at least they won't be as bad as once thought. They are going to get better, but they aren't a playoff team.

4. Phoenix Suns (29-53)
This kid Devon Booker that the Suns have has the talent level to be a star in the NBA. That's about all they got in Phoenix to really build off. Phoenix has three top eight picks in the last two drafts, Dragan Bender, Josh Jackson, and Marquese Chriss. If the Suns really want to have any sense of respectability, the team really needs one of them to step up and help out their star player in Booker. The Suns do have Tyson Chandler and Eric Bledsoe, but by the time all is said and done, both guys could be on the move if the Suns are smart and want to build towards the future.

5. Sacramento Kings (26-56)
Sacramento is trying to rebuild by bringing in some outside talent in the form of Vince Carter, George Hill and Zach Randolph. All guys who are past their prime and aren't very good anymore. They have some young guns like Justin Jackson, Frank Mason and the biggest one being DeAndre Fox. These guys aren't really ready to be stars in this league yet, but Fox has the biggest upside on this basketball team. Lets face facts the Kings are going to suck this year.

Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division:
1. Boston Celtics (52-30)*
There's been a few changes that were made to the defending Atlantic Division champions. They made a big splash in the offseason by trading away Isiah Thomas and Jae Crowder to the Cavs for Kyrie Irving. The last time Kyrie Irving was the guy on a team, that club didn't fair so well. There is a difference between that go around and this one. He has a little more of a supporting cast here in Boston then he did in Cleveland. He's got Al Horrford, they had Gordon Hayward (before that horrible injury) and they brought in Jayson Tatum with their pick in the first round. One thing though to take away from this is that a lot of depth and heart and soul was taken away from this team. So since the depth has gone down, it is really going to test the coaching ability of Brad Stevens. He did a fantastic job last year with this team. They have the horses to really be able to compete in the East, but the big question is, can they finally get over the hump known as the Cleveland Cavaliers with the talent they now have?

2. Toronto Raptors (48-34)*
Toronto has been one of the tougher draws in the Eastern Conference the last few years, and this year will be no different then the last two or three years. Credit must be given to Toronto GM Masai Ujiri, who managed to keep his biggest pieces in place. He gave a lucrative deal to Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, which was much needed, since those are the two best overall players on the team. Signing those two guys required serious cuts elsewhere. Because of those signings, DeMarre Carroll, Patrick Patterson, Cory Joseph, and P.J. Tucker will no longer be playing in Toronto, as coach Dwane Casey must turn to the bench unit, which isn't as deep as once previously thought. DeMar DezRozan will still play a very big role on this team, as will Jonas Valančiūnas, when he gets healthy again. The braekthrough luster on this Raptors club seems to be gone, but there is still plenty of talent to keep them in the hunt in the East.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (40-42)
Trust in the Process and things will work out. Joel Embiid has full control of this team and now has pieces around him to make things possibly work in Philly. There's a pretty good mix of youth and experience on this basketball team. To help out the young talent, Philly brought in JJ Redick and Amir Johnson to build around this talent. Along with Embiid, there's two other young guns, Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons, there's a lot of hope in Philly. Simmons has enough talent he could be a solid candidate for Rookie Of The Year in the league. With all the youth in Philly, if they can get things to click right, they could be a playoff team for quite some time. They may not quite be ready to be a playoff team just yet, but oh are they getting going in the right direction.

4. New York Knicks (37-45)
KP now has a good team to work with, and this is his team to lead finally. Carmelo Anthony is gone, which I know makes a lot of Knicks fans happy that he's finally gone. It wasn't the only problems that the Knicks have finally rid themselves of. Both Derrick Rose and Phil Jackson are gone as well. Rose wasn't much of anything for this Knicks team, and Phil Jackson had been running this team into the ground. So now that he's out, the Knicks can actually get players in here that fit whatever system they are trying to run. Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott were brought back in the Melo trade, which sent him to the Thunder. One move that the Knicks made that did leave me really scratching my head was forking over a TON of cash to Tim Hardaway Jr. Now this is no slight on Hardaway Jr, he's a very good basketball player, but he's not worth the $71 million that the Knicks are slated to pay him over the next four years. Kristaps Porzingas has the team all to himself, and he will be a very good player, but he can't hit that elite status until there's talent around him. That won't happen until Owner James Dolan stops being an impulsive owner and spend his money smarter.

5. Brooklyn Nets (30-52)
Man the Nets are going to suck this year, hate to say it Brooklyn. They got rid of Brook Lopez, shipping him out to Los Angeles, and in exchange they picked up D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov. Oh but the trades didn't stop there, as they brought in DeMarre Carroll from Toronto in exchange for Justin Hamilton. They had Jeremy Lin (before he got hurt), and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who were both expected to be leaders on this team. Russell brings a lot of intrigue to this club, it does make you kind of want to watch to see whats going to happen with this Nets team. That wow watch factor won't translate into wins because, lets face facts this team isn't very good. There's not really a chance to sell hope to this team because, lets face it, there is none.

Central Division:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32)*
Like there was really any doubt at all who was going to win this division. There's been a few changes made to this Cleveland team. The biggest one being Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder being brought in from Boston in exchange for Kyrie Irving. They've also gotten rid of Richard Jefferson in a deal with the Hawks for the rights to Sergiy Gladyr and the rights to Dimitrios Agravanis. getting Jae Crowder was a solid move to help out a defense that finished 22nd overall in the NBA a season ago. And yes while it does suck that they had to get rid of Kyrie, a guy who was looking for a trade anyway, they got back a pretty good basketball player in Isiah Thomas. They also brought in some familiar faces to the league, guys like Dwayne Wade and Derrick Rose. They are going to have some of their veteran players like Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith who are going to be playing some new roles. There may be a speed bump or two early in the season, but Cleveland still has some guy named LeBron James. LeBron is still easily the conference’s transcendent talent. Unless Thomas never gets right physically, Cleveland should make its fourth straight Finals with ease.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (49-33)*
The Bucks may very well have the best young player in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is going to put up off the chart numbers this year and really help push Milwaukee to the limits and beyond into the playoffs this season. They have a good complement of players around him in the form of Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Malcolm Brogdon, Matthew Dellavedova and Tony Snell. The core of this Bucs team is in tact and there's plenty of talent to go around between Middleton, Antetokoumpo and, when he's healthy, Parker. The biggesting thing is that all of their core players are under 30. If they can stay healthy long enough, then they will be a very tough team to beat in the years to come. The Greek Freak is going to be very very good.

3. Detroit Pistons (45-37)*
Stan Van Gundy is going to have his hands full trying to get this team back on track and it looks like it could work and get them moving in the right direction. Andre Drummond and Avery Bradly are going to be expected to carry the offensive load in Detroit this year. Picking up Bradley in the trade was a very wise move by Detroit. Having Reggie Jackson around is good for Detroit, but he hasn't been a dynamic player as he once was. He could be a great sixth man on a good team, but here he's just a step above solid. They drafted a good shooter in Luke Kennard and they brought in a well rounded ball player in Langston Galloway. With the talent on this team, it should be able to help bring Detroit back from a season ago, which was a disappointing one in the Motor City. now it looks like the Pistons will be back on the right track and be just good enough to get into the post season.

4. Indiana Pacers (30-52)
Indiana was the most average playoff team a season ago. They won 42 games and were in the middle of the pack in both offense and defense. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis were brought over from OKC in the Paul George trade. Oladipo is now going to be expected to carry this team and I think he should be OK in doing that. But that's about all they did to try and improve. They subsequently imported more mid-level vets at mid-level prices like Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Even so, the Pacers have taken a huge step backwards. They may not be able to recover. Forget about the playoffs this year Indy, its not happening.

5. Chicago Bulls (20-62)
Its going to be a bad year this year in the Windy City when it comes to Basketball. Jimmy Butler is gone, he was traded to Minnesota for Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine. Dwayne Wade left town after he knew what was coming with how bad this team was going to be. They have Justin Holiday, they have Robin Lopez and that's really all about it. Looks like its going to be a high shot for the first overall pick next season in Chicago.

Southeast Division
1. Washington Wizards (49-33)*
After winning the Southeast last season, the Wizards are looking to win another division title, which they should be able to get this year. John Wall and Bradley Beal are once again going to be counted on to lead this team into a decent playoff run. The two of them also got help with a career year last year from Otto Porter and all three are going to be counted on again this year in the heavy going. Markieff Morris is expecting to have a bit of a coming out party once he gets healthy and ready to go. With the starting five that the Wizards have, there's the potential to be a dark horse in the Western Conference. What has one wondering is how deep the bench is for this team to really be a force in the East, at least with the top tier teams. An awful lot could be riding on young Kelly Oubre, bounce-back hopes Ian Mahinmi and Jodie Meeks, and journeyman Tim Frazier. Still there's plenty of talent here to be able to keep them right in the think of things all season long.

2. Miami Heat (45-37)*
Clearly the big three ear is long gone in Miami, but Pat Riley has done a good job of getting talent for Erik Spoelstra to be pretty competitive with in the Eastern Conference. Hassan Whiteside, Udonis Haslem, and Goran Dragic are going to be counted on to lead this team, and with their talent levels, it doesn't seem like they should have much of a problem doing that this year. They had a top five defense from last year that has everyone of consequence that was brought back again this year. Just to try and add more pieces to this puzzle is bringing in Kelly Olynyk. Plus if they can get Dion Waiters to play up to his potential and then some, watch out because there's a better then even chance that the Heat could really strike a little bit of fear into the hearts of teams in the East. The elite teams anyway.

3. Charlotte Hornets (43-39)*
This is a team that won 36 games last season, but based on talent level, they could have finished a lot closer to the .500 mark then they did. Now I think they have the right mix to get them over the hump to make it into the post season. Adding Dwight Howard is usually a red flag, because of his attitude as of late, but if he’s going to work anywhere in 2017 it might be here. Head coach Steve Clifford has worked with Howard before, so maybe he knows how to be able to get Howard to buy into this system and make it work out for him. Here’s betting Howard helps boost last year’s average defense back up into the Top 10, while Kemba Walker, stud rookie Malik Monk, and a rotating cast of stretchy forwards (Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky) helps craft an above-average offense. Losing Batum for 2-3 months to injury could cost them a few possible wins. In this conference it may not cost them any playoff seeding.

4. Orlando Magic (34-48)
Frank Vogal has a very mixed bag to work with in Orlando this year. This was a team that finished 29th in the NBA in scoring last year, something they are in desperate need to try and improve on this year. At the end of the day, they didn't really improve much, adding Jonathon Simmons, rookie Jonathan Isaac and little else to a somewhat weak team. Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon are set up to take steps forward this season, and it will be fascinating how and when a new front office molds an underwhelming roster. The Magic should be able to move up a little bit from last year, but that's only because, lets face it, some of the other lower level teams in the East are worse off then they are right now.

5. Chicago Bulls (21-61)
Its going to be a lottery watch kind of a year in Chicago this season. Yes they were able to get Kris Dunn and Zach LeVine for Jimmy Butler in that trade over the summer, which seems like it could be a decent return in the long run, maybe. They also brought in Justin Holiday from the Knicks. But otherwise to make a long story short, the Bulls don't have much in the way of competitive talent on the court this year. With how good the top heavy talent teams are in this conference, and with what little the Bulls did in the way of improvement, well there's not much to look forward to in the Windy City in terms of basketball this season,.

(Note: All predictions were made before the start of the 2017-18 NBA Season)

Best And Worst NFL Week Nine

So here we sit, nine weeks into the National Football League season and here is where we start to see some separation around this league. First there were the blowouts. Both the Eagles and Rams put up 51 points in their huge wins. There were stunners in Seattle, who for the 2nd week in a row didn't really look like itself. We also had quite a few fights pop up around the league as well this week, which seemed a tad high for this time of the year. Guess the players are starting to get a little more feisty.  But enough of the fluff, lets get straight into it. Here's some of the best and worst from week nine in the NFL.

Best:
Philadelphia Eagles
Talk about a team getting hot, look no further the the Philadelphia Eagles. They lost one game all year, that was back in week two (and only by a touchdown) to the Kansas City Chiefs. Since then, Philly has won seven straight games, some of which have come in blowout fashion. Look at this week's win, a 51-23 win over the Denver Broncos. Their offense exploded against Denver and the defense held the Broncos to almost nothing till the end of the ballgame. Carson Wentz is a legitimate MVP candidate. He had another four touchdown passes in this game, bumping his seasonal total up to 23. Newly acquired running back Jay Ajayi broke off a brilliant 46-yard touchdown run. Philly has turned itself into the top team in the NFC and they are firing on all the right cylinders at the right time.

Worst:
New York Giants
Things just seem to be going from bad to worse for the G-Men. Not only did they fall to 1-7 on the year, but they did so by giving up 51 points in the process, losing 51-17 to the Los Angeles Rams. Here's a sign of how bad things are for the Giants, they gave up a touchdown on third-and-33. Since 1994, there have been 293 plays of such instance in the NFL and there had never been a score on a play like that. Until Sunday. That was just a sign of the way things have gone this season to the Giants. Week after week, the Giants seem under-talented, unmotivated, and outcoached, and the team looked all three on that play.  It really seems like the players have started to give up on him, the defense showed signs of that on Sunday. Yes, having two of your best players go down with injury has killed a lot of hope around the Giants organization. Good teams find a way to overcome this kind of stuff and the Giants haven't been able to do that this year.

Best:
Jared Goff, Quarterback Los Angeles Rams
We talked a little bit about this game above, but here's more to add to it. Jared Goff went off in the Rams 51-17 win over the Giants. Goff completed 14 of 22 passes for 331 yards with four touchdowns. On some of the offensive plays for the Rams, the Giants defenders seemed almost allergic to tackling. Goff is showing signs as to why he was taken as high as he was in the NFL draft. Goff had himself a day, lighting up the Giants defense like a Christmas tree.

Worst:
Mike Evans, Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaniers
Talk about one of the biggest boneheaded moves a player can make, Evans has made it Sunday. Tampa bay fell to New Orleans 30-10 on Sunday, which is bad enough when you consider that Tampa has won only two games all season long. But what Evans did this week was a bit shocking for a guy of his talent level. NEw Orleans defensive back Marshon Lattimore and Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston were having words, there were two small shoves and Evans came flying in and blindsided Lattimore from behind, which lead to a huge fight on the sidelines. Evans is lucky Lattimore wasn’t hurt because he’d definitely be facing suspension. As is, the NFL would be entirely justified to suspend him. It’s another sign of the Buccaneers’ falling apart. Its been a down year for the Bucs and Mike Evans getting involved with this incident doesn't make things any easier. Now more then ever, considering the fact that Jameis Winston got hurt and they have to go with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter.

Best:
Adrian Peterson, Running Back Arizona Cardinals
He will go down in the books as one of the best running backs of his generation. After leaving New Orleans and heading out to Arizona, Peterson has shown flashes of his glory days in Minnesota. I think now that he's getting the touches, Peterson is starting to respond again. Look at what Arizona has, with Drew Stanton under center with Carson Plamer being hurt. Duke Johnson also going down proved to be big for Peterson, which now makes him the feature back in the Cardinals offense. He responded this week in Arizona's 20-10 win over the 49ers. On Sunday, Peterson carried the ball 37 times, which is a career high for him, and the highest number of rushing attempts by any player all year. There have been only three previous games where a running back has had 37 or more carries since the 2010 season. Those 37 carries went for 159 yards, the only running back to break 100 yards this week. He's showing signs of his old self again, which could be huge for the Cards.

Worst:
Joe Flacco, Quarterback Baltimore Ravens
Things just can't really seem to go right for the Ravens. They almost came back against Tennessee, falling to the Titans 23-20. Almost is the key word in that sentence. One of the things that has been hurting the Ravens has been the play of quarterback Joe Flacco. Joe threw two interceptions in Sunday's loos, giving him ten for the season. It was also the fourth time this year he’s thrown multiple interceptions in a game. So this is a huge issue that has a lot to do with his team’s losing record. In a three-point game, Flacco’s two turnovers, which turned into seven points for Tennessee, were the big difference.

Best:
Matt Forte, Running Back New York Jets
New York got payback for their week one drubbing against Buffalo. The Jets actually managed to hold on to a lead late in a game, pulling out a 34-21 win at home over the Bills and Matt Forte was a big reason for that. The veteran back totaled nearly 100 yards and scored twice in a performance that hearkened back to his days with the Chicago Bears a few years back. Forte led a rushing attack that finished with 194 yards and three touchdowns against a Buffalo defense that features one of the best run-stopping units in the league. Between him and Bilal Powell, Buffalo was made to look like a joke. New York is still hanging around this thing, in a year when they were expected to really suck. Forte had himself a good day Sunday, showing flashes of his old self and helping the Jets walk away with a win.

Worst:
Blair Walsh, Kicker Seattle Seahawks
His name made headlines a few years ago when he missed a potential game winning field goal for the Vikings against the Seattle Seahawks. Then, he loses his starting job in Minnesota and ends up getting signed by the team he lost to in the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks. It looked like he might have started finding his old self again, connecting on 12 of his first 13 kicks. Seattle faced Washington on Sunday, falling in a heartbreaker 17-14, and Walsh is partially at fault in this game. He missed three kicks in the first half, all wide left. While all his teammates went back to the locker room for halftime, he stayed on the field practicing. It wouldn't help because Walsh wouldn't get a chance to kick again. Seattle never got back into range to make a kick and the Redskins came away with the win. If Walsh had been able to make a kick or two, it would have been way better for Seattle.

Best:
Christian McCaffrey, Running Back Carolina Panthers
Carolina had been struggling at times, but thanks to their win on Sunday, they are only a half game behind the Saints for first place in the division. Christian McCaffrey took over for Jonathan Stewart, who had himself a bad day and fumbling the ball twice. When McCaffrey came into the game, he took off. Christian touched the ball 20 times (15 runs, five receptions) for 94 yards and a touchdown. He’s been racking up catches all year long and already holds the franchise record for most receptions by a running back in a single season. But to see him garner the bulk of the carries shows he’s beginning his evolution as the do-it-all back we know he will become.

Worst:
Julio Jones Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons
Never, ever thought I would be throwing his name into this category. There's no doubt in anybody's mind how great a receiver Jones is. What happened on Sunday in the Falcons 20-17 loss to Carolina is truly surprising. It came with about eight minutes left in regulation and Atlanta down by ten points. The Falcons faced a 4th and 7 from the Carolina 40, Matt Ryan dropped back and made a perfect pass to a wide open Julio Jones. Its a play Jones has made a thousand times, except this one. Jones dropped the ball in the endzone for what would have been a sure score. There was nobody even remotely close to him and he simply dropped the ball. Yes Jones does have the 4th most receiving yards in the NFL this year, but its still shocking to see him drop a wide open pass in the endzone. Sad.

MLB Gold Glove Winners

Ah the Gold Glove Award. Handed out every year in Major League Baseball, to be given the award has a truly special meaning. By definition, winning a Gold Glove means that players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both leagues. Winners for the awards are selected by the managers and coaches in each league. The handing out of these trophies is the start of awards season in the Majors and the hardware has already started being handed out.

Here's the winners of the Gold Glove Award in 2017!

American League:
Catcher: Martin Maldonado, Angels (1st career Gold Glove)
1st Base: Eric Hosmer, Royals (4th career Gold Glove)
2nd Base: Brian Dozier, Twins (1st career Gold Glove)
3rd Base: Evan Longoria, Rays (3rd career Gold Glove)
Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons, Angels (3rd career Gold Glove)
Left Field: Alex Gordon, Royals (5th career Gold Glove)
Center Field: Byron Buxton, Twins (1st career Gold Glove)
Right Field: Mookie Betts, Red Sox (2nd career Gold Glove)
Pitcher: Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays (1st career Gold Glove)

The American League had four first time winners for the awards, Maldonado, Doizer, Buxton and Stroman. It came as a big surprise that Martin Maldonado won behind the plate in the American League, only because Salvador Pérez of the Royals has had the award on lockdown at catcher each of the last four years till now. Eric Hosmer got the award back at 1st base, after losing it out ti Mitch Moreland last year. And Hosmer had won it each of the three years prior to Moreland winning it last year. Brian Dozier committed only five errors in 674 total chances in 2017, which allowed him to be able to beat out Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia.

National League:
Catcher: Tucker Barnhart, Reds (1st career Gold Glove)
1st Base: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks (3rd career Gold Glove)
2nd Base: DJ LeMahieu, Rockies (2nd career Gold Glove)
3rd Base: Nolan Arenado, Rockies (5th career Gold Glove)
Shortstop: Brandon Crawford, Giants (3rd career Gold Glove)
Left Field: Marcell Ozuna, Marlins (1st career Gold Glove)
Center Field: Ender Inciarte, Braves (2nd career Gold Glove)
Right Field: Jason Heyward, Cubs (5th career Gold Glove)
Pitcher: Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks (4th career Gold Glove)

Zack Greinke of the Diamondbacks continued his recent run of domination at pitcher in the NL, beating out R.A. Dickey of the Braves and Zach Davies of the Brewers to become the first hurler since Hall of Famer Greg Maddux to win four straight Gold Gloves. A huge surprise in the NL is the fact that Tucker Barnhart won a gold glove behind the plate, beating out Yadier Molina, who's preactically owned the award over the last decade plus, and last year's winner, Buster Posey. Barnhart threw out 44 percent of runners attempting to steal. He also led the NL with 661 blocked pitches and committed one error in 926 1/3 innings. He became the first Reds catcher to win a Gold Glove since Hall of Famer Johnny Bench in 1977.

So what do you think........did they get the awards right?