The AFC South looks like an extremely dangerous division to me this year. Every team has some big playmakers on both sides of the ball, but questions arrive via suspensions, holdouts, and other positions with more glaring holes. Still, every team looks solid as ever. Last season the last place team finished with a 7-9 record, the best among teams that finished last in their division. There's a tough road ahead for some of these teams and they're going to have to fight for the Wild Card this season, as every division in the AFC looks like they have at least one team capable of getting one. Though I wouldn't put money on it now, don't be surprised to see the South take one of the Wild Cards, and bet on the Colts making the playoffs by one method or another. This was a tough division to predict, especially for the bottom two, but here's how I think it will shape up.
Early Predictions:
Indianapolis Colts
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
I'm making an unpopular pick putting the Jaguars in third, but I think that they've done enough improvement to move up in their division. They acquired a couple of big defensive playmakers in Kirk Morrison and Aaron Kampman and have one of the most underrated offenses in the NFL. They still have holes, but they have played very hard against division opponents in the past and should get a couple of division wins this season. The Titans also show a lot of promise, but between losing some key players in the secondary and possibly being without their running back and quarterback early in the season I think they come up just short of the cats.
The White Sox came back from break with a win over the Twins. You never like to see your opponent score seven runs, but it's good to know the bats are still going strong. If we can keep up the solid hitting we should be in a good position to beat a lot of good teams. John Danks had a good-looking outing despite giving up six runs, though we might need some more consistency out of him down the stretch. Finally, I talked about playing well against division opponents being important, and we start out the second half by beating the Twins. We need to keep this up, and if we do we can make the playoffs.
In other baseball related news, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died. I hate to bring an argument about his tactics up so near to his death, but it's been a hot topic. Simply put, the Yankees and other teams like it are what is wrong with the NBA and MLB. The Lakers, the Celtics, the Heat, the Yanks, these are all teams that water down the professional experience by simply buying the best players on the market. What makes the NFL and NHL so good are the salary caps and the penalties that owners actually respect. The NFL is full of teams that have big names, but even the biggest spenders can't keep every position stocked with the largest salaries. Look at the Hawks in the NFL, they have to undergo dismantling after winning the Stanley Cup, and while it's sad to see players go it also keeps the league competitive. This is what the NBA and MLB are lacking, seeing the Yankees in the Series year in and year out is boring, same with seeing the Lakers and Celts always going at it. Leagues need to strive to keep their teams competitive, and Steinbrenner's mentality was exactly the opposite of that. All sports leagues should be striving to make sure there is never another George Steinbrenner within their ranks.
The Hawks will hang onto Niklas Hjalmarsson after all, but the deal might prevent them from hanging onto other big players. I still don't understand how they could dump the players they did and still not have the cap room they needed. Now they're talking about not re-signing goalie Antti Niemi, which I think would be a big mistake. Yes, he only started a small portion of the season, but he proved himself in the playoffs. Besides, who are we going to go back to, Cristobal Huet? Niemi might not be a long-term answer, but at the very least he's proven himself in the short term and deserves a chance to do so further this season. Good goalies are hard to come by, we shouldn't let Niemi get away.
You know what grinds my gears? People who think the NFL season is a forgone conclusion before the offseason has even started. The NFL is a competitive league, there are surprises every season. Furthermore, every team takes strides during the normal season, like the Browns and Raiders winning down the stretch. People act as if a bad record is an indication of the total failure of every aspect of the team, but losing teams like Jacksonville, Detroit, Oakland, and Cleveland field some very talented players, even Pro-Bowlers. Don't start counting teams out before you see what kinds of changes they've made and don't start acting like certain games are automatic wins, because I guarantee you the players on your favorite team don't. Also, Philly fans. There's being critical, and then there's being a jerk. When you slam a quarterback who consistently makes the Pro Bowl and is the leader of a team that goes to the playoffs eight out of his ten years in the league, then you're being jerks. Philly fans spout their mouths off and bash any scapegoat they can find, which usually happens to be the least worthy of criticism. Furthermore, incidents like pelting fans of the other team with snowballs and leaving the arena during the presentation of the Stanley Cup speak to the level of respect these fans have for anyone else. Philly fans, simply, are the worst fans in pro sports.
Finally, the Bulls might have missed out on Lebron, Bosh, and Wade, but they picked up three more big free agents in Kyle Korver, Carlos Boozer, and Ronnie Brewer. In doing so, the Bulls have upped their defense and perimeter shooting, and given Derrick Rose another threat on the court to compliment him. Though they may not be the Finals lock they would have been with Lebron, they definitely are now the new favorite to win the division and hopefully can go deep into the playoffs. Can they beat teams like Orlando, LA, Boston, or Miami? Who knows, but the Bulls have at least established a winning way in this town, and it looks like it will be a long while before they revert to the mediocrity that plagued them ever since the departure of MJ.
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