Gronk's butterfingers analysed in detail by former porn-star

Where would we be without the Internet? Where else could you get expert opinion on the NFL from a former porn-star than said Internet? Former adult entertainment star Bibi Jones (Now Britney Maclin, in the ‘real’ world) might be, for all we know, trying her absolute best to keep quiet about her ‘did they, didn’t they?’ relationship from the off-season with the Patriots Rob Gronkowski. The Gronk has been told in no uncertain terms by his New England Patriots employers to ‘tone it down a notch’, in reference to his myriad of shirtless photo shoots, nightclub exploits and dalliances with adult movie stars. With that in  mind, no doubt all his friends, normal and or pornographic movie star, have been told to stay off the social networks, and otherwise stay incognito as much as possible.

Who are we to know, maybe Ms Maclin is trying her very hardest not to explode forth with gratuitous Gronk updates, thus embarrassing her Tight End buddy. However, none of us are perfect, and neither is she, clearly, and well, this happened over the weekend.

The Gronk dropped a few passes from Brady, and Maclin decided to take to Twitter to explain why. Or, did she? You decide.

 

We took out the naughty word to protect your innocent eyes and minds, however, we could do nothing about the horrific grammar. Her predictable 'OMG' excuse would be more believable if it wasn't delivered with the exact same disdain for the English language as the previous three messages.

Either way, and joking aside, this rubbish is not going to go down well with the Patriots after Sunday's bitter loss to Arizona.

 Rare shot of Gronk playing football

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ESPN goes out of its way to skewer Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine

So apparently a part of sports journalism is now to get your size elevens on someone's throat and keep it there until they are done, finished, kaput, finito. ESPN, the self anointed World leader, nay, the Universe leader in sports reporting has taken an apparent grim satisfaction in keeping the hammer down on embattled Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine. As Bobby has fought to keep his job, and as his team have fought off journalistic attacks that would make the carpet bombing of Vietnam in the 70s look tame by comparison, ESPN has gleefully taken any shred of drama and exploded it nine fold in a British tabloid like attempt to stretch the most out of any stories.

Last night Valentine made a comment about the state of his team. Here is how ESPN translated it.

So, judging by that, Valentine is basically throwing his team under the bus, absolving himself of all blame, acting like some kind of selfish son of a gun, right?

Not so fast.

ESPN has gone wildly out of its way, like some kind of Chinese government official chopping and changing headlines on decadent Western newspapers to make them Communist friendly. What Bobby Valentine actually said was the following;

“Are you kidding? This is the weakest roster we’ve ever had in September in the history of baseball,” Valentine said before last night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. “We could use help everywhere.”

Can you see the subtle yet vital difference? By chopping and hacking at the quote and turning it into a dramatic couple of words, ESPN has left Valentine out in the wind, open to yet more attacks from angry fans who don't understand or read the full comment.

Obviously ESPN can do what it wants, and it is their prerogative to 'sell papers' as it were, however the ugly thing about this is the manipulative way ESPN is trying to manipulate us, the readers.

It's sad, tacky and, you know what, pretty juvenile on their part.

Surely you are better than this level of shoddy, shock tactic journalism, ESPN?



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Fight Club - vicious brawl during Raiders v Chargers on NFL Monday Night Football - VIDEO

There is nothing quite like a fan base living up to it's stereotype, and last night in Oakland, the natives were restless. With the Chargers playing the Raiders on Monday night football, a pretty scary brawl broke out in the stands. Oddly enough, it would appear it was knuckle-head Oakland fans fighting amongst themselves.

Perhaps they were unhappy at the shallacking they were taking from the Chargers, and decided to punish themselves, or something along those lines.

The pictures are pretty intense, but the video footage is downright scary. Whilst it will not remind anyone of the hairier days of Leeds United and Millwall fans practically killing each other in England in the 80s, it's still scary enough. Kind of looks like something Paul Greengrass would shoot, shaky hand held camera, throbbing score in the background, lots of action.




Let's have a look at the pictures. If you click on them you get them in high definition, frankly, odd as it sounds, it is well worth doing. They are very dramatic pictures, with an almost arty feel about them. If we find out who took them we will be sure to credit them, for now they are appearing freely in the public domain. Jumping right in....

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NFL week two picks

Just like that, NFL week two is upon us. This new ‘game every Thursday’ gimmick means that basically the NFL is never, ever going to be more than a couple of seconds outside of our collective awareness. If that was the NFL’s plan all along, well played, Sirs. Tuesday everyone is talking about the Monday night game(s) and Wednesday, it’s time to preview the Thursday night game. Friday? Time to review the weekend games! Basically the NFL is now with us on a 24 hour basis. Is this good? Is this bad? Who know, and who cares, all I know is I went 8-8 against the spread last week, with my three top picks (Patriots, Dallas and Arizona) all winners. Now, about that week two…

Season to date

• Last week against the spread: 8-8
• Overall record against the spread: 8-8
• Winning percentage: 50%
• The finest four percentage: 100%

The finest four. 
Four picks to boost your bankroll

The Game:  Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins
Current line: Oakland -1
The Science:  The Dolphins created a huge issue for themselves by starting Ryan Tannerhill last week, basically, they have to give him another chance this week. Carson Palmer and Darren McFadden are frothing at the mouth for a chance to get at that pitiful Miami defence, while the Raiders should have their way with poor Tannerhill.
The Score:  Oakland 35 Miami 17
The Pick:  Oakland -1

The Game:  Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots
Current line:  New England -13.5
The Science: There is a reason for that relatively big line this early in the season. Something special is brewing in New England. The Patriots barely broke a sweat last week and hammered the home town Titans easily. On top of that, Arizona face a long trip for this game and have traditionally really struggled against the Patriots. Brady and his bevvy of passing options are a tough proposition for anyone, but add to that the effective running of RB Steven Ridley, and the talented, young, enthusiastic defence, and this score could get ugly early.
The Score:  Arizona 16 New England 38
The Pick:  New England -13.5

The Game: Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks
Current line:  Dallas -3
The Science:  For another while yet, Dallas will continue to look like Superbowl possibilities. Way too early for their annual collapse as yet. Seattle? Me thinks some have over rated rookie QB Russell Wilson.
The Score: Dallas 35 Seattle 24
The Pick: Dallas -3

The Game:  Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers
Current line:  San Diego -6
The Science:  At first glance that line looks hefty. Then you remember the Titans were basically murdered by a somewhat rusty Patriots last week. Then you remember San Diego looked pretty damn good on the road at Oakland. Then you remember Chris Johnson carrying for 11 yards. Then you remember Jake ‘Hurt’ Locker is, well, hurt. Then you know exactly what to do.
The Score:  Tennessee 16 San Diego 32
The Pick:  San Diego -6

The best of the rest. 
Have fun with these, but don’t put the house on them

The Game:  Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Current line:  Green Bay -6
The Science:  Let’s ask Bears receiver Brandon Marshall how he feels about this Thursday night matchup: ‘’ "I'm 6-5 (listed at 6-foot-4), 230, and there aren't too many DBs walking around that big. "If they want to get physical, I do welcome that.’’ Mr Marshall touches on a subject that Green Bay fans have to be concerned about, the Packers defence, in particular their secondary, stank worse than some fine Wisconsin cheese against San Francisco in week one. Meanwhile, General Cutler has everything he needs, Marshall, Matt Forte and a stable of big, fast receivers, to really attack the Green Bay backfield. Aaron Rodgers will of course collect points, as always, my feeling is the Bears just might make the bigger plays on both sides of the ball.
The Score:  Chicago 30 Green Bay 27
The Pick: Chicago +6

The Game: Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts
Current line: Indianapolis -1
The Science:  Andrew Luck was anything but lucky last week, he was exceptionally accurate in his first NFL start, however his receivers did him absolutely no favours, dropping passes for fun. Luck played far better than the stats show, as did the Colts in general. Meanwhile the Vikings barely beat what could be a pretty bad Jacksonville team. Adrian Peterson played his heart out, but at what cost, on those balky knees?
The Score: Minnesota 20 Indianapolis 24
The Pick: Indianapolis -1

The Game: Tamps Buccaneers at New York Giants
Current line:  New York -9
The Science: Worship not Yee false Gods! The NYG are false Gods, and we should not be worshipping them with minus 9 points! Was anyone watching week one?! Tampa are back to their scrappy, feisty selves, whilst the Giants are nowhere near 9 point favourites.
The Score:  Tampa 23 New York 27
The Pick:  Tampa +9

The Game:  Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles
Current line: Philadelphia -1
The Science: The Eagles struggled to beat the brutal Browns, and lost wide out Jeremy Maclin in the process. The Ravens announced themselves as potential Superbowl Champions. That’s all you need really on this one.
The Score:  Baltimore 30 Philadelphia 26
The Pick:  Baltimore +1

The Game: Washington Redskins at St Louis Rams
Current line:  Washington -3
The Science: It didn’t take long for RG3 to become a road favourite, by 3 points here. The thing is, the Rams were only close to Detroit last week because Mathew Stafford handed them the ball three times. If RG3 plays even 70% as well as he did against New Orleans, the ‘Skins should be able to beat a pretty weak Rams side.
The Score:  Washington 27 St Louis 23
The Pick: Washington -3

The Game:  Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons
Current line: Atlanta -3
The Science: A win over Pittsburgh is still more impressive than a win over Kansas. Peyton Manning is pretty comfortable indoors, also.
The Score:  Denver 30 Atlanta 27
The Pick:  Denver +3

The rest. 
Definitely. Probably. Maybe.

The Game:  Kansas Chiefs at Buffalo Bills
Current line:  Buffalo -3.5
The Science: Wait a second, the Bills are giving points after last week, and with Fragile Freddie Jackson out with an injury? Seriously? The Chiefs were beaten up too, but come in healthier. They showed distinct signs of life in their beat-down, Buffalo? Not so much.
The Score:  Kansas 24 Buffalo 20
The Pick:  Kansas +3.5

The Game:  Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Current line: Cincinnati -7
The Science:  Ah yes, those Brilliant Bengals! As Borat would say, ‘Not!’. Bengals minus a touchdown? Seriously? Look, at home, against a team as offensively putrid as the Brownies, yes, The Bungles should win, however that’s too many points. I fully expect a valiant Browns effort, particularly on ‘D’, only to come up short at the end.
The Score:  Cleveland 17 Cincinnati 20
The Pick:  Cleveland +7

The Game: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Current line:  New Orleans -2.5
The Science:  Last week the Saints were eviscerated by Luke Skywalker. This coming weekend they get to be ripped apart again, this time by Yoda. RG3 had his way with the Saints pitiful defence, and Cam Newton, at home, after a close, bitter road loss, should be able to basically top what RG3 did. There are serious warning signs the Saints will struggle without leadership. Carolina? Just a tough road loss. They can bounce back. New Orleans? Who knows. Doesn’t look good, though.
The Score:  New Orleans 26 Carolina 33
The Pick:  Carolina +2.5

The Game: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Current line:  Houston -9
The Science: This is not the Miami Dolphins. The Jags are an organised NFL team with a couple of decent parts. Houston might win, but it should not be Miami all over again.
The Score:  Houston 24 Jacksonville 23
The Pick:  Jacksonville +9

The Game: New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers
Current line: Pittsburgh -6
The Science: Too. Many. Points. The Steelers did not get healthy since last week! They have all sorts of injury problems. Meanwhile, the Jets are feeling pretty invincible right now. The relative shock of the week on the cards here.
The Score:  New York 23 Pittsburgh 20
The Pick:  New York +6

The Game: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
Current line:  Detroit +6.5
The Science: The Sports Karma Gods have been waiting for this one for a while. If you recall, Jim Harbaugh acted like a total Douchebag after his team beat Detroit last season, Trust me, the Sports Karma Gods do not look kindly on that kind of thing. Revenge time for the Lions.
The Score:  Detroit 27 San Francisco 20
The Pick:  Detroit +6.5

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Ireland U21 beat Italy in Casarano with a wonder goal from Conor Henderson - VIDEOS

Conor Henderson

It may have been 'only' under 21 level, however last night Irish soccer achieved one of its finest results ever, as our young guns pulled out a stunning European Championship qualifier win in Casarano, Italy. The hosts had already won the group and Ireland would have to settle for a non qualifying yet admirable third place. This doesn't take the gloss of what was a wonderful result against some of the best U-21 players in the world. Add to this the fact Ireland had not one but two players sent off, and you have to consider this as a fine achievement.

The goal of the night was scored by young Conor Henderson, on the books currently at Arsenal.

Check this cracker out:



No doubt senior side boss Gio Trapattoni will be ignoring him soon.

You can catch more highlights from the astonishing match below, a truly wonderful result for Noel King's side. The future looks bright for the Irish youngsters, with seven of the Irish players are eligible for the next Under-21 campaign so manager King will have more time to mould the lads into potential stars for Irish soccer's future.



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A guide for NFL fans through the game's fancy new schedule - juicy encounters kick off

The NFL is back. 'From the Bleachers' is here to lead you, the NFL fan, through the first week's action. NFL tipsters all over the States and indeed the world are grouchy today, as they realize they have to make their selections earlier than usual this year, as the NFL has scheduled a Thursday night game for every week of the season. This fancy new schedule starts tonight with the Superbowl Champion New York Giants facing the Dallas Cowboys. A pretty juicy encounter to kick things off. Let's have a look at that and all the other week one games.

Good luck, enjoy the games, and leave your picks in the comments section!    

The finest four.  
Four picks to boost your bankroll

The Game: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Current line: New York -4
The Science: -4 is the Vegas bookmakers way of putting their hands up in the air and saying, ‘We don’t know’. If you see a home team at -4, this means the Vegas wise-guys basically are as in the dark as you are. There are a couple of streaks in play here, The Cowboys are notorious fast starters, whilst the Giants are the opposite, slow starters who finish well. Add to that the fact New York will spend this coming season as the designated team everyone wants to take down. They, as Champions, have a big bulls-eye attached to their back. Their division rival will be absolutely desperate to attack them early and prove they are not an afterthought. Tony Romo actually had a much superior statistical season to Eli Manning, and is another fast-starter himself, along with the Cowboys in general. Streaks are there to be broken. The home team champion is 8-0 in this relatively new gimmick of starting the NFL season a few nights before Sunday. All elements considered, Dallas can buck that trend, and turn it into 8-1.
The Score: Dallas 27 New York 24
The Pick: Dallas +4
 

The Game: New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans
Current line: New England -5.5
The Science: A few years ago, this would have been a tough road trip for New England. The Titans had a great QB, a young stud RB, a great head coach and a seriously violent defence. Now, coach Jeff Fisher is gone, RB Chris Brown is out of football, poor Steve McNair is dead and the defence is a mess. Tennessee are starting a sophomore QB, and how long before we see our first Jake ‘Hurt’ Locker headline? Chris Johnson, the Titans sole ‘star’ to anyone outside Tennessee, is a pale shadow of his former self. New England? Tom Brady has a new box of toys to play with. Brandon Lloyd, Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski represent one of the most dynamic WR\TE groups in football. The last time these two teams met? 0-59, New England. No, seriously.
The Score: New England 34 Tennessee 20
The Pick: New England -5.5

 The Game: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Current line: Seattle -2.5
The Science: This, for me, is the line of the week. Seattle caused a stir by naming a rookie (Wilson) ahead of their high priced free agent (Flynn) at starting QB. Some people are saying Arizona did same (caused a stir), in naming John Skelton over Kevin Kolb, however those people aren’t paying attention to the fact Skelton has priors, whereas Wilson, decidedly, does not. Skelton went 6-2 at the helm last season, proving a very respectable NFL QB. Here’s the deciding factor for me anyway, on both wings Skelton has Larry Fitzgerald and rookie Michael Floyd to throw to. That’s vastly superior to the travelling ‘Hawks. Seattle are a good team at home, and a very, very average road team. All things considered, this line is a head scratcher.
The Score: Seattle 16 Arizona 24
The Pick: Arizona +2.5

   

The best of the rest.  
Have fun with these, but don’t put the house on them

The Game: St Louis Rams at Detroit Lions
Current line: Detroit -7
The Science: Interestingly this line started at Detroit -9, and has come all the way in to -7. Obviously the Lions had few friends at -9. It is important though to forget the line, consider the game itself, and imagine to yourself, ‘who is going to win this, and by what score?’ Then consider the line. In this case, Detroit, at home, with a healthy squad including a very above average QB (Stafford) throwing to perhaps the greatest living wide-out right now, who also has the coolest nickname in the sport (Calvin Johnson AKA Megatron) while a ferocious Lions defence attacks a relatively average Rams squad. This just smells like a 10 point (or more!) home win, doesn’t it?
The Score: St Louis 17 Detroit 33
The Pick: Detroit -7

The Game: Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints
Current line: New Orleans -7
The Science: Sure, there has been much change in New Orleans. Yes, their head coach is suspended, along with a number of key defensive players. Sure, their defensive coordinators was cast into the dark fires of Mordor, for life seemingly, for his part in the nefarious Saints ‘bounty’ scandal. However, they should still clobber Washington. The ‘Skins debut their shiny new QB, Robert Griffin the third, or RG3, as he is being called, for merchandising purposes! However, unless RG3 runs into a phone booth and comes out shooting lasers out of his eyes, the angry, pissed off Saints should handle them easily. One final note, Washington lost 10 of its last 12 games last season. No, seriously.
The Score: Washington 16 New Orleans 34
The Pick: New Orleans -7

 

The Game: San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers
Current line: Green Bay -5
The Science: The Packers don’t ‘do’ losing at home. They have gone 12-4 at home against the spread too, dating back two seasons. Since 1996 they are 9-0 against the 49ers in the regular season. Ask yourself, can the 49ers keep up with Green Bay? Unless you are from San Francisco , or related to Alex Smith, or you had some bad cheese in Wisconsin once, you are going to answer with an empathic ‘no!’
The Score: San Francisco 17 Green Bay 28
The Pick: Green Bay -5

The Game: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Buccaneers
Current line: Carolina -1
The Science: Tell you what, this looks like a serious blow out on paper. Carolina walloped Tampa twice last season, and their running game is amongst the top in the league, whilst Tampa are the worst team in the NFL (statistically) at stopping the run. Hard to see why Vegas has given Carolina such a tiny hurdle to overcome.
The Score: Carolina 33 Tampa 24
The Pick: Carolina -1

The rest.  
Definitely. Probably. Maybe.

The Game: Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns
Current line: Philadelphia -9
The Science: There’s no getting away from it, the Browns are going to struggle. Rookie RB, rookie QB and a host of other players of little or no experience throughout the lineup. They are in the middle of the dreaded rebuilding process. Trent Richardson may turn out to be an NFL superstar down the road, however right now he just needs to get healthy, coming into this one with a lingering injury. These are not exactly the kind of things you want to be thinking about facing a dominant defence that led the way to the Eagles winning their last five in a row to end last season. The line is a little on the steep side, so this may not be the one you bet the proverbial house on, but the Eagles should still get the job done.
The Score: Philadelphia 24 Cleveland 13
The Pick: Philadelphia -9

The Game: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
Current line: New York -2.5
The Science: Let’s hang on one hot New York second here. The Jets didn’t turn into mush overnight. Admittedly they are a bit of a circus, and their head coach (Rex Ryan) can’t get out of the way of his own loud mouth often enough, however they are still a top defence, and a somewhat serviceable offence. The Bills will benefit from having a healthy Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm, and they are an improving side, however they are still absolutely rubbish in divisional matchups going 4-10 against the spread in their last 14. Can’t you see the Jets casting aside all doubts at home, Tebow barrelling in for a couple of score from the goal line, and Rex Ryan celebrating with an extra half dozen cheeseburgers and a good foot rub post game? They can collapse later in the season, for now, they can get the hopes of the city of New York and the assembled, frothing masses of media, up.
The Score: Buffalo 20 New York 24
The Pick: New York -2.5

 

The Game: Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs
Current line: Atlanta -3
The Science: Arrowhead stadium is no longer the intimidating fortress it once was. The Falcons are also a pretty decent road team, going 12-4 in their last 16 road games. The Falcons finished last season with a flourish, only to fizzle out against eventual Champions the Giants. The Chiefs are a bit of a mystery, so go with the sure thing, Matty Ryan and the Falcons.
The Score: Atlanta 27 Kansas 20
The Pick: Atlanta -3

The Game: Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings
Current line: Minnesota -4
The Science: We probably won’t see much of either the Vikings Adrian Peterson or the Jags Maurice Jones Drew here, so it will be up to young QBs Christian Ponder and Blane Gabbert respectively. The Jags might have given their young gunslinger the better options, Laurent Robinson was a great signing, and Justin Blackmon a potentially great young receiver. Remember, that -4 for a home team is Vegas sating ‘we just don’t know’, in that case, best to take the points and run. 
The Score: Jacksonville 20 Minnesota 17
The Pick: Jacksonville +4

The Game: Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears
Current line: Chicago -9.5
The Science: Too. Many. Points. The Bears lost 5 of their last 6 games last season! They are not the ’85 Bears! Andrew Luck might be the most NFL ready QB we have seen out of the draft since Peyton manning! I am running out of exclamation marks! Seriously, though, this is way too many points to entrust to a Chicago team that has not as yet won our trust. I fully expect them to win, however, not by that many points. They may have a 10 point lead and be knocking Luck around all day, but can’t you see the classy, accomplished rookie leading a meaningless drive in garbage time to get a late consolation TD?
The Score: Indianapolis 20 Chicago 24 
The Pick: Indianapolis +9.5

The Game: Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans
Current line: Houston -11.5
The Science: What is it with these enormous lines? Is it the end of the season and are teams out of contention mailing it in? This line is way too big. Yes, we understand Matt Schuab is back. Sure, Arian Foster is a beast. Yes, Miami are starting a guy that sounds like he just stepped off the set of Falcons Crest (Ryan Tannerhill). However, Miami went 8-2 down the stretch against the spread last season, and they have upgraded their offence by adding the talented Tannerhill. Sure, Houston should win, but that is an awful lot of points.
The Score: Miami 19 Houston 26
The Pick: Miami +11.5

The Game: Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
Current line: Denver -1
The Science: There is potentially something brewing in Denver. They are building around a former MVP superstar in Manning, who looks healthy and motivated if pre-season is anything to go by. The atmosphere should be absolutely electric for their home opener. The Steelers are missing some defensive key parts and their running game is in flux too. Denver should open with a statement.
The Score: Pittsburgh 24 Denver 30
The Pick: Denver -1

 

The Game: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Current line: Baltimore -6
The Science: Fully expect this line to grow closer to game time when everyone realises ‘hey, all the Bengals are injured’. Baltimore, at home, against a depleted Bengals is worthy of more than -6.
The Score: Cincinnati 17 Baltimore 28
The Pick: Baltimore -6

The Game: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders
Current line: Oakland -1
The Science: The Chargers go into this without their injured top RB and having sent Vincent Jackson off to purgatory (Tampa). Oakland come in healthy with Darren McFadden playing with the confidence of being named the Raiders go-to, top dog, big enchilada RB. Fully expect Oakland to feed off the home energy and beat a lacklustre Chargers side that is relying way, way too heavily on Phillip Rivers.
The Score: San Diego 20 Oakland 30 
The Pick: Oakland -1


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Whisper it quietly: The Yankees might miss the playoffs

To date, this had been an enjoyable summer for New York Yankee fans. Their team cruised through the early portion of the season, while their old rivals, the Red Sox, collapsed out of sight a number of weeks ago. Yankee fans celebrated wildly, like a pack of angry, learning challenged chimpanzees, taking great delight in Boston’s horrific demise.

Then, the party quietened, the storm clouds began to gather on the horizon.

Suddenly the mighty Yankees are facing something resembling a doomsday scenario, along the lines of their legendary 2004 ALCS collapse. After a complete snooze fest of a first two thirds of a season, the AL East is suddenly the front line, one of the most dramatic divisions in all of Major League Baseball. The Yankees are in a horrific tail-spin of a free fall, having lost six out of their last ten, while Baltimore and Tampa are coming round the bend faster than Seabiscuit.

After Robbie Cano whiffed horribly, lazily missing a ground ball to hand Tampa the win last night, The Yankees, who led by 10 games earlier this summer, had their edge cut to one game by Baltimore, which beat Toronto 4-0. The Rays moved within 2 1/2 games of New York. If New York were to continue their sloppy slide out of first place, they face a drove a bandits in the form of Oakland, Detroit and the Angels for the two Wild Card slots.  Not to mention whichever between Baltimore and Tampa doesn’t win the AL East, in the Yankees nightmare scenario.

The Orioles and Rays are playing good, solid, error free baseball, and look set to continue a good run through the remaining 26-28 games of the regular season, while New York, frankly, are reeling. There are no excuses. Their payroll is a gazillion dollars, they are stacked with superstars, and they daren’t start complaining about injuries, they would be deafened by the laughter that would come from Toronto and Boston if they tried to hide behind that. The Blue Jays and Red Sox have been absolutely decimated by injuries. The Yankees are downright healthy in comparison.

Take a look at the standings. The Yankees are a couple of bad weeks of baseball away from missing the 2012 playoffs entirely. That is absolutely shocking.

Perhaps more worrying for New York, their ageing, expensive lineup, may not recover in the next couple of seasons either. Jeter can only keep slapping singles to right for so long, and A-Rod would appear to be disintegrating before our eyes. The Yankees will no doubt enjoy having their gazillion dollar DH of the future come to the plate using a zimmer-frame in coming seasons, as his body ‘mysteriously’ falls apart. Their bullpen is a complete mess and their starting pitching rotation beyond their 400lb Ace CC Sabathia is about as scary as Mitt Romney.

The Rays and Orioles look set to embark on a productive, successful period of seasons to come, and Toronto are not as bad as their injuries have made them play this season. The Red Sox took a deep, deep breath and pressed the big shiny reset button a couple of weeks ago, and can re-tool (particularly in terms of pitching) in the offseason, to come back stronger in 2013. The Yankees? Right now they are an old, expensive team, with hundreds of millions concreted in on old players contracts, and right now, they look set to miss the playoffs.

Is the short term or long term the more depressing and scary for Yankee fans? Ask one today, and while you’re at it, give them a hug.

They need one.







 


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