Andy

Well sure, the scheduling shenanigans suck for the SEC teams(thanks for giving us 5 games against the Top 13 last year Uncle Mike!), but I'm not seeing the huge impact on the National Championship race here. If Georgia won against Bama they'd probably have a slightly lesser SOS than Florida, but have the best win and a win over Florida in Jacksonville. They would've been worthy of a title game spot. But they didn't win, and Florida was in the BCS and Georgia was not. Is it really of utmost importance which SEC schools are cycling through certain spots in the pecking order as long as they all are in the appropriate spots in the end? Not to me personally, of course. I'm just looking from the point of view of fans of the individual teams. Hell, I feel terrible for poor Tennessee, who if they ever actually do get good again still has to deal with Alabama annually on top of Florida, Georgia et al.

You're missing the point. The SEC stuff I'm talking about only applies to teams within that conference. Everyone knows Ohio State and their weak-ass B1G schedule gives them advantages over contenders from better leagues.

I never implied the SEC was on a similar plane in terms of quality. My argument was exactly the opposite - that the scheduling shenanigans in that league are a bigger deal than in other leagues because the SEC is better at the top than all the others, and therefore they directly affect the national title picture. Last year, Florida had a better resume than Georgia but missed the SEC title game because A) they picked the Georgia game as the game they were going to turn the ball over 200 times and B) they drew Bama as a cross-division game (on top of LSU being their fixed opponent, which they won) while Georgia played Ole Miss (and have Auburn as the fixed opponent). And going forward there's an excellent chance a similar scenario plays out annually, with South Carolina the most likely beneficiary this year. In sum, my point is 14-team leagues are stupid, and they're even stupider if the league sticks to an 8-game conference schedule.

The SEC is the only league in which those schedule inequalities dramatically affect the national title picture at the moment, however, due to the chasm separating the good and bad teams in that league, which doesn't exist in any other major conference right now. Divisional scheduling hijinks are not new to disrupting the BCS, I got to experience that fun first hand in 2007. As for the gap between the good and bad teams, looking at F/+ last year: SEC: 6 in the Top 15, 7 in the Top 45, 11 in the Top 60, 3 ranked 60+ You are arguing against my point (the SEC's top teams are far above the lower ones) by showing stats that completely support it (7 SEC teams outside the top 45 last year, more than any other league you listed, while 6 were in the top 15, also more than any other league you listed).

Without people like me, worshiping at the altar of the conference wouldn't be as much fun, would it?

In a nutshell, an extra conference game on the schedule means half the teams in the league get one more loss. That extra loss, depending on which teams take it, could make the difference between the SEC winning another title and not ever having the chance. If Bama had played in Athens last year instead of playing Western Kentucky, maybe they lose that game. All else being equal, that would've sent a 2-loss team from the West to the SEC title game, and that game would no longer have been a de facto semifinal, but an elimination game for Georgia. Those things aren't really unique to the SEC. 3 of the 5 power conferences play 8 game slates, and one of the conferences that does play 9 games doesn't have a conference title game. There are potentially inequalities there as well as a million other places, because it's a sport with a 12 game schedule and ~75 true competitors, but the 8 game schedule is hardly as conspiratorial as you're making it out to be. The SEC is the only league in which those schedule inequalities dramatically affect the national title picture at the moment, however, due to the chasm separating the good and bad teams in that league, which doesn't exist in any other major conference right now.

In a nutshell, an extra conference game on the schedule means half the teams in the league get one more loss. That extra loss, depending on which teams take it, could make the difference between the SEC winning another title and not ever having the chance. If Bama had played in Athens last year instead of playing Western Kentucky, maybe they lose that game. All else being equal, that would've sent a 2-loss team from the West to the SEC title game, and that game would no longer have been a de facto semifinal, but an elimination game for Georgia.

There will be, that is unavoidable, but at least the B1G is addressing that by moving to 9 league games, which will help defray the impact the schedule can have. (The ACC isn't, but until they get a title-contending team to come out of the league, who plays whom isn't really relevant nationally.) When teams can get to the conference title game playing 2 teams with a pulse all season (Georgia last year and Alabama and South Carolina this year), that's not a good thing - except for the SEC's title streak, of course, which is why it won't change until somebody makes them, whether that's ESPN for SEC Network reasons or the playoff selection committee for SOS reasons. Wow. Ok. I know some of you guys really, really dislike the SEC and there are a few very valid reasons for that, but that's just insane. To say teams like Vandy, Ole Miss, Clemson or even Va Tech are without a pulse is just letting your emotions get in the way of logic. I can't stand Ole Miss but that is going to be a damn good team this year. They may beat out LSU for 2nd in the West. And the SEC's run on national titles won't end until someone beats them in the title game. Vanderbilt's success relative to their history of late has been remarkable, but the fact of the matter is they beat 0 teams who were any good last year. I meant conference opponents when I was referring to 'without a pulse', so I omitted Clemson and Va Tech, and that was my fault.

There will be, that is unavoidable, but at least the B1G is addressing that by moving to 9 league games, which will help defray the impact the schedule can have. (The ACC isn't, but until they get a title-contending team to come out of the league, who plays whom isn't really relevant nationally.) When teams can get to the conference title game playing 2 teams with a pulse all season (Georgia last year and Alabama and South Carolina this year), that's not a good thing - except for the SEC's title streak, of course, which is why it won't change until somebody makes them, whether that's ESPN for SEC Network reasons or the playoff selection committee for SOS reasons.

If someone is signed up for YES on the cable package are they subject to blackouts? If not, then isn't that the perfect solution? They are still subject to blackouts. If the Yankees are being carried as a "national" game, right? I think you would need to have Extra Innings (or MLB.tv) to watch their games outside of their area even if you get the YES network. Correct, the same applies to any pro sports team. If you're out of market you have to get the out of market package.

Until the SEC knocks it off with this 6-1-1 schedule, there will always be at least a couple of top SEC teams that catch every scheduling break and ride it to a high ranking. Last year it was Georgia - this year Bama and South Carolina (dodges every decent SEC West team and gets Florida at home) are the winners of that honor. ETA: As West teams go, A&M doesn't have it very bad either - they get Bama at home and don't have to play any good SEC East team (and play 8 home games because they don't feel like playing anyone OOC). That conference's scheduling philosophy seems intentionally designed to ensure 5 or 6 teams get into the top 12

He may not be a good defensive outfielder, but damn if he won't run all over the place trying to be.

Nothing if not consistent

Aaand bullpen

Rizzo is sizzling right now

Of all the people to hate on for the stretches, at least he's an actual Cubs fan. A tool, but a Cubs fan.

Nice throw from DeJesus to get Puig

Blown save #23

I don't hate any other franchise besides STL and to a much lesser extent the Marlins. Individual players or managers (Dusty) might annoy me on other teams but not really enough for it to carry over to the whole team.

I still hate that 2012 and 2013 were essentially punted, but I have to give a thumbs-up to basically everything else. Hard to do much better than the FO did this last off-season and got a nice return for Garza.

Coaches poll: 1 Alabama (58) 2 Ohio St. (3) 3 Oregon 4 Stanford 5 Georgia 6 Texas A&M (1) 7 South Carolina 8 Clemson 9 Louisville 10 Florida 11 Notre Dame 12 Florida St. 13 LSU 14 Oklahoma St. 15 Texas 16 Oklahoma 17 Michigan 18 Nebraska 19 Boise St. 20 TCU 21 UCLA 22 Northwestern 23 Wisconsin 24 USC 25 Oregon St.

Rizzo should have 3 - he hit a rocket to left his last AB, just right at Bianchi Bianchi's playing SS... Gindl in LF And now you all know how closely I'm paying attention. :-)

Rizzo should have 3 - he hit a rocket to left his last AB, just right at Bianchi

No one's gonna jump on this? Also, why would the Cardinals have an interest in Navarro? Molina on the DL. But no deal. According to multiple reports, STL wouldn't meet the Cubs' asking price.

They do, but at the moment there's only one such channel. Wouldn't be enough for a full load of baseball. Aren't the Cubs and Sox typically on at different times? With all the night games Wrigley is adding, inasmuch as that's true now, it probably won't be much in the future (except for Fridays).