Thursday: Slow starts, big finishes
HOKIES
-Andy examines the slow starts — how bad they really are and what can be done about them. “The only thing I can think of right now is we’ve got to come out and make it a point of emphasis right from the get-go,” quarterback Logan Thomas says. “Come out and play as hard as possible, physical and just take care of the small things. Because those are the ones, the small things, that will pick up those first downs. Once you pick up first downs, it builds the confidence and gets things going.”
-Andy will have a live chat at 12:30 p.m. today. Join in here.
CAVS
-Phillip Sims talks about taking over the starting QB job at Virginia.
“It does help that you know you’re going to be the guy who takes the first snap,” Sims says. “Anything can happen after that. You’ve got to prepare the same every week, whether you’re the starter or not.
“It allows me to get a couple extra reps in practice. That’s pretty much all that’s guaranteed. It doesn’t mean very much to say you’re the starter, other than a title beside your name.”
That actually ought to be a pretty interesting game at Duke on Saturday. Devils a 2-point favorite.
ACC
-As mentioned here yesterday afternoon, the league is sticking with an eight-game football schedule and not the nine-gamer originally planned.
BASEBALL
-With a .330 average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI, Miguel Cabrera becomes the first player in 45 years to achieve the Triple Crown. “I don’t believe this happened right now,” the Tigers star says. “I didn’t believe three weeks ago it was going to happen. I didn’t believe this was possible. But you always dream. Thank God I got an opportunity for this dream to come true.”
-The A’s complete their remarkable rally from 13 games back in the AL West, beating the Rangers 12-5 to win the crown by one game.
-Yankees maul the Red Sox 14-2 to win the AL East crown by two games over the O’s, who fall at Tampa Bay 4-1. The loss is costly for Baltimore, which now will have to travel to Texas for Friday’s Wild Card game (8:37 p.m., TBS)
-Cardinals and Braves will kick off the postseason with their Wild Card game at 5:07 p.m. Friday on TBS.
-The Nationals lock up the top seed in the NL with a win over the Phillies. They await the Braves-Cardinals winner.
-Teddy Roosevelt wins the presidents race for the first time at Nats Park.
-A’s and Tigers will open their division series at 6 p.m. Saturday on TBS. The Yankees will face the Orioles-Rangers winner.
-The Reds and Giants start their series at 9:37 p.m. Saturday on TBS.
-Red Sox will fire skipper Bobby Valentine.
NBA
-The league will now fine players for flopping. “Flops have no place in our game – they either fool referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into thinking the referees missed a foul call,” NBA exec Stu Jackson says.
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL
-Al Groh’s defense at Georgia Tech has been getting roasted. “You walk [a] line,” head coach Paul Johnson says. “When you hire somebody to do something, you want to give them the opportunity to do it. I don’t want them to feel like I’m handcuffing them. If you’re going to hold him accountable, you’ve got to give him some leeway to do it how he wants to do it.”
-Berman breaks down the ACC matchups and games involving local teams here.
-Star Georgia wideout Michael Bennett tore his ACL in practice Tuesday and will miss the rest of the season.
NAME THAT TUNE
She give me her monkey hand
And a Rambler sedan
I’m the king of Milwaukee
Her juju beads are so nice
She kissed my third cousin twice
I’m the king of Pomona
October 4, 2012 - 6:19 AM
Honey Bee by Tom Petty
We’ll learn a lot about the Hokies this weekend. I think it will be close but they will pull out a win.
I hope the Sox get rid of Valentine. What a bombastic man. I’m a little prejudiced because I have never liked the guy. Always seemed like he thought he was the smartest guy in whatever room he was in.
Congrats to the A’s. They seemed to sneak up on everyone. GO O’s!!!!!!!!
Might be the earliest score ever. Well done, justafan.
I once thought no way the Texas Rangers would let Josh Hamilton get away but now I am pretty sure they will let him go. Since he came back from his energy drink episode he has cost the Rangers a chance to win at least three games with his fielding. Not sure what is up with him this time but the time comes when a guy wears out his welcome with all his baggage. Seeing his reaction when Ron Washington was asking him about his latest miscue seemed like he had some Jay Cutler in him. Have to give credit to the A’s though what a great season they have had!
The triple crown is a huge thing and one I didn’t think I would see to be honest. It doesn’t seem to be getting as much notice from the media right now thow. Is that because Cabrera isn’t a household name or because there is so much going on right now? Even on this blog, ran by one of the biggest baseball fans I know, Cabrera isn’t mentioned until the 8th paragraph.
How did Al Groh become known as a defensive genius? Is it because he was always defensive when asked questions? I haven’t seen anything out of his teams that would qualify him as a genius.
Perhaps Al Groh and Bryan Stinespring should join together as coaches who are the most lampooned coaches in the ACC. I can’t think of any other coaches who comes under fire every years from fans and media alike. With Groh’s penchant for quoting poetry and Stinespring for sounding like a buffoon, they would be a match made in heaven (or hell, depending on how one look at it).
Ugh, ugh, the Yanks won their division. The free world mourns.
OG, the Triple Crown isn’t getting the DAP it deserves because of the current fascination with sabermetrics, and WAR. That’s the hyped stat these days. It’s the debbil, I tell ya, the debbil.
Congrats to Miguel Cabrera for his outstanding achievement. He deserves the MVP, clearly.
As for AlGroh, Paul Johnson’s statement sure sounded to me like- ‘If Al doesn’t turn the defense around by the end of the season, he’s headed into an early retirement…’
Cabrera’s triple crown is without a doubt the best baseball story of the year. Only the second time in my life that it’s happened. I was 1 in ’67 when Yaz did it, so I don’t really remember it. The second best story is the A’s. Holy crap! The’ve won more than 60% of their games since the break. Unbelievable. Third best story-the Os. But for the A’s improbable comback, Baltimore would be THE STORY. Of course, the Os have a worst case scenario now; playing Texas on the road. Other than the Rays, the Rangers are the one team Baltimore struggled against in every series. I’m concerned. A win on Friday means the Yankees in Baltimore on Saturday. I actually like the Os over NY in a short series. To do that the Os pitchers will need to be on.
Blog comment of the week goes to O.G. for the Al Groh comment. Awesome.
I’m shocked about the Bobby Valentine decision. Guy wrecks one bike in Central Park, and his career is ruined.
Sounds like the NBA just legislated Duke basketball players out of post graduate opportunities. I guess now Coach K’s guys will have to actually fall back on all those classes they took at NC A&T, and get a normal job.
It was pretty cool to see Cabrera lock up the Triple Crown, a great achievement for him and the Tigers, especially given the flaws in the supporting cast around him all season. To hit for power and a high average, that’s usually unheard of…see Adam Dunn (41, .204), Edwin Encarnacion (42, .280), Josh Hamilton (43, .285), and Curtis Granderson (43, .232). The only power hitter in remote territory was Ryan Braun out of the NL, hitting 41 with a .319 average. I’m still thinking, after really digging into the back stories behind Miggy and Trout, that Cabrera should be the MVP, but it will be close. Trout, if he stays healthy and productive, will probably land one in his career…be it this year or in the future. He’s got a ton of talent and has put it to good use, living up to the hype.
But, that all said, I’m not sure I like the Tigers’ matchup with the A’s…who are simply on fire. The Tigers took 2 of 3 from the A’s in Comerica in September, and split a 4-game set in Oakland back in early May. Having Scherzer and Verlander potentially available to pitch 4 of the 5 games should be a major boost though…but the A’s are feisty, hot, and getting it done with a real team effort without any real standout, similar to how the Pistons won the 2004 NBA Championship (which seems like forever ago, they really stink now and have since 2009).
For the VT game Saturday, I just don’t have a strong feeling of confidence. I think it’s low-scoring, UNC 20, VT 17.
Oops, I ruined it. As soon as I hit enter, I realized. It’s NC Central, not NC A&T. My apologies for being geographically blind. Dangit, that would have been funny, too.
Justafan, I hope what we learn of the Hokies this weekend turns out to be a positive…I can’t help but be concerned given what they’ve shown so far this season. Though it’s been against cup cakes, NC has shown it can put up a bunch of points and the slow starting Tech offense won’t be able to keep up if the Tarheels jump out to an early lead. How long will the Hokie’s defense have to hold the Tarheels in check before the offense gets up to speed? It’s hard not to be skeptical about the chances of the Tech offense fixing the sluggish starts in just a week of practice.
I haven’t been a MLB fan at all in the last 20 years or so, but I have to say I’m intrigued by the prospect of the one game wildcard…talk about pressure. One game, you’re either in or you’re out, no best of 5 and no do overs. A situation where just one little mistake, an overthrown ball, a mishandled grounder, a misplaced pitch that gets rode out of the park can cost your team big time….now thats worth watching.
I’ve said for two weeks, this is the first game that mattered since the GaTech game. We’ll see just what happens. Let’s hope Logan Thomas can shake off whatever cobwebs he has from trying to be a future NFL pick, and just play like he did the end of last season. This game will mark the end of the first half of the season for the Hokies. It would be really swell if they could manage to focus for 4 quarters for the first time all season.
I don’t think he is a genius because if that was the case, the 2003 HOOS would have been in a major BCS bowl game. They had the talent; Schaub, Miller, etc. I do, however, really like the way he handled the media, especially the nemesis, Doug Doughty. If the Hokies can’t contain UNC’s run game on Saturday, they are in deep doo doo. That will be a huge factor because UNC has the talent to spread the field and pass effectively. Look for another out-of-control tirade by Bud Foster when it is all said and done.
Barry, seeing that VT is giving up about 170 ypg on the ground, to admittedly pretty paltry competition, it does not bode well if massive adjustments to tighten up the run defense are not made. They’ve been good against the pass, except against Cincy, giving up an average of less than 200 ypg…but again, against weaker competition.
The defense is not great…it’s good though, but not up to usual VT levels of the past. The real problem remains the offense. Against BCS defenses (again, not even great BCS defense..GT & Pitt rank lower than 50th in ppg), VT is scoring right smack at 20 ppg…shades of 2008 territory, but the defense that year was superb, and helped win games VT should have lost. Passing ypg VT is 70th,rRushing ypg 79th, and points per game 62nd. With a defense that isn’t top-10, that will result in a few extra losses. And with an offense like UNC that ranks 23rd in passing and 12th in scoring…well, it could be a long bus ride back from Chapel Hill.
But, for whatever reason, it seems that when I am feeling good about VT, they find ways to lose…and when I start to feel pessimistic, they pull out a win. So what will happen tomorrow? I haven’t a clue…but if they are going to win, they absolutely have to play better than in any of the previous 5 games…and play solid all around for the entire game. The easy part of the schedule is over, and they’re 3-2. Now comes the real meat of the schedule…and not only are they sputtering like an engine sucking air through a leaky fuel line, they still have no offensive identity, and experience and depth concerns in the defense. Not a good way to be entering the conference schedule…
The DB’s will be the ones everybody will be watching but the key to Tech’s win will be the pass rush. Stopping the run is paramount but the pass rush will be critical. The DE’s have been missing in action so far and need to step it up. They need to shed blocks, not hand fight the whole play, and get to the QB. Oh, and when they get to him, make the tackle, not run by. The pass rush will be the determining factor in this game.
O.G., I think groh got the genius tag from the NFL mainly because he attached himself to Bill Parcells. He’s like a remora.
CR, “If Al doesn’t turn the defense around by the end of the season, he’s headed into an early retirement…’” Groh’s pushing seventy, what’s early about that? I agree though, never been impressed with Al and I think that Johnson isn’t either.
Bring back Austin Peay!!!
So AM do you have any baseball predictions for the playoffs? I would love to see the Orioles and Nationals in the World Series. Heck I would even consider driving up for one of those games but I don’t think it’s going to happen.
I’m just wondering if this upcoming game against UNC is one that matters.
If the yellow jackets can’t figure out what the Tigers are doing this weekend, look for a blow out. Clemson may score 50 by half time. We’ll hear coach Johnson making more excuses than ever after that game. Thank goodness they drink the Kool-aid in Atlanta!
justafan, early in the sense that he’s evidently not ready to hang it up on his own terms. I think AlGroh has been fortunate to be in the right spot at the right time multiple times in his career.
Toughest thing for the O’s may have been the schedule–they closed with the Rays, who played to the last inning. Yankees played the Red Sox, named the Postal Service’s Mail-it-in Team of the Year. Now they may have a very short playoff season–like the first team to lose in the NCAA Tournament.
Eight game ACC season is a joke–same with SEC schedule. Fourteen teams with only eight games means 6 of 7 crossover teams will be on a 12 year cycle of home and road play–may as well be another conference.
After five games, it’s a little hard to hear “we need to do the little things right”. One game can be a fluke, two a trend, but FIVE is a statement of a team’s capabilities…the Bill Parcells corollary. This is not calling for a firing or a benching; merely stating what what the Hokies have proven so far this year.
UNC 27 Hokies 21. I’d be delighted to be proven wrong.
I think I’ve offended the RT writers at some point because I haven’t gotten any responses to my last several questions. Whatever I said I apologize.
To my Hokie friends heading to the game this weekend, be careful if you take 29 to 86. It’s the quickest way but 86 is a police hot spot. Drive safe and I’ll see ya there. I still think Tech has the edge but I hope my Heels make it a game.
VT’s game with UNC on Saturday is probably their most important of the season, more so than FSU, Clemson or Miami. It represents a major point in their overall program, i.e., can they bounce back? Do they have the necessary horses to pull the wagon for the long haul? We will know clearly very soon. Do they have the desire and proper focus? Yes, I think they do. But do they have the horses? Not sure about that one and I would lean more to saying they don’t; this is not last year and without a Biykin, Coale, Wilson and Hosely, I just can’t see it. My prediction is UNC 24 – VT 14. Look for a big upset in the GT-Clemson game, the Jackets are due to make a statement. On Saturday they will sting!!!!
Also, #15—I love seeing that Detroit logo. I am old enough to remember attending games in the old Tiger stadium and got to see Kaline, Horton, Freehan, Stanley, Fidyrich, McLain and Lolich, among others. One of the best weekend series I attended was against the Red Sox and got to see Carl Yastrzemski belt a few (last triple crown winner up until last night), some really great players of yesteryear. But for tomorrow it is also “Go Orioles.”
Stop the talk about play-scripting, who is in the booth or whatever as a source of slow starts. tell Logan Thomas to stop sailing passes, tell Holmes or Fuller to not fumble in the first quarter, tell the OL to block their butt off… the problem is on the field. VT’s slow start against Pitt? Caused by 3 interceptions and stop blaming pressure for LT’s issues. He is making bad throws. Slow start against Bowling Green, Dyrell Roberts goes one way, LT throws another way….. get it together on the field and the team will start faster.
Barry, I got to attend a couple games at Tiger Stadium in the 90′s, when Cecil Fielder, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Travis Fryman, and Kirk Gibson were there. The one game I remember most vividly, was against the Indians. We sat on the 3B side, about 5 or 6 rows back (tickets were cheap, and demand for tickets at the time wasn’t big), and my uncle said Fielder would belt a homerun to left-field before the game started. He went to the concession stand sometime around the 6th inning, and missed Fielder’s at-bat. He crushed a ball to left-field, helping the Tigers get the win that day.
I am pulling for the Orioles today though. Not only are they an awesome story this year, but the Rangers knocked the Tigers out last year…so I’m still miffed about that. Also pulling for the Braves today…not only because the Cardinals beat the Tigers in the 2006 World Series, but I’m a Georgia native, so I like pulling for the Atlanta teams, when they aren’t playing Detroit that is.
Oh, and Mickey Lolich is going to be throwing out the first pitch for Game 3 of the ALDS in Detroit this year, pretty cool. My dad went to many Tigers games back in the days of Lolich, Kaline, etc…before he went into military service for Vietnam, that is. He grew up about an hour west of Detroit.
Mike, you make a good point. When the Hokies have gone no-huddle, the offense has clicked. LT doesn’t have time to think with that pace, and they move the ball effectively. Why they don’t go no-huddle more, I don’t know. It’s not as if the ball-control style is really helping keep the D off the field as it is anyway. So, if you’re going to have short drives in terms of time off the clock, why not get some points out of them, rather than repeated 3-and-outs, or turnovers?
O.G. — No anger here — sorry, was running around quite a bit yesterday. Give me A’s and…I really want to say the Braves, but with that extra game that I’m not too sure about, I’ll say Giants. If the Braves get past tonight I’ll revise to A’s-Braves.