Andy

I think playing in the AL helps ALOT. The AL is head and shoulders above the NL. False. Maybe not head and shoulders but.. yeah its not really that close. Of the really good teams in the AL besides the Angels (Rays, Red Sox, Twins and White Sox - if you want to call the last two really good), the Angels probably play 24-30 games against them, as opposed to like 60 against Oakland, Seattle and Texas.

If form holds from previous years, nothing but a really dominating performance will move them higher, unless one of the top 5 fails to destroy their opponents. Although there are the usual spate of ridiculously easy games by the big-timers, there are enough quality matchups to make week 1 plenty interesting.

Yeah, it's the men's When does Phelps go?

Can't win when you can't get any big hits and the ump's wearing the other team's colors.

That wasn't a strike either. BS loss.

Wasn't a strike. Ump's been giving the Marlins calls that he's been denying the Cubs all night.

The mind-blowing thing about the Cubs is that they have 47 losses, and I have no doubt that in almost half of them they've basically done this - largely outplay the other team but fail to get a big hit ever.

Aramis time!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's worth pointing out that Soto is one of the few Cubs who hasn't gotten a big game-winning hit yet this year.

6-4 groundout for Lee...shocker.

If Lindstrom really is ready, Fredi Gonzalez just got bailed out big-time.

Bob does not like the Marlins' mascot.

The 7th Heaven ads tonight would be really annoying if not for the hilariously random "I've smoked pot." line in the middle of what's supposed to be a funny ad.

BLANCO!!!

Hanley Ramirez doubles on strike 5. Thanks, blue.

1 hit, 4 stranded in scoring position...

Oh geez...that's embarrassing.

Misty May. Mr. Anti-Clutch comes through again...

I'm about as surprised as Alfonso that that ball went fair...looked like it was heading foul off the bat.

Replay was inconclusive, but I'd lean to saying that it was the correct call.

Ball State's run for an unbeaten regular season (@Central Michigan and @Indiana are really the only two games that the Cards should legitimately have a good chance of losing) begins with I-AA Northeastern. The fact that I graduated before this season, I have a feeling, will be eating at me down the line.

AP poll is out. Also, the week 1 thread is now posted. 1. Georgia (22) 0-0 1,528 2. Ohio State (21) 0-0 1,506 3. USC (12) 0-0 1,490 4. Oklahoma (4) 0-0 1,444 5. Florida (6) 0-0 1,415 6. Missouri 0-0 1,266 7. LSU 0-0 1,135 8. West Virginia 0-0 1,116 9. Clemson 0-0 1,105 10. Auburn 0-0 968 11. Texas 0-0 966 12. Texas Tech 0-0 786 13. Wisconsin 0-0 771 14. Kansas 0-0 707 15. Arizona State 0-0 631 16. Brigham Young 0-0 590 17. Virginia Tech 0-0 578 18. Tennessee 0-0 509 19. South Florida 0-0 496 20. Illinois 0-0 483 21. Oregon 0-0 366 22. Penn State 0-0 293 23. Wake Forest 0-0 227 24. Alabama 0-0 89 25. Pittsburgh 0-0 85

With the release of the AP poll, we are officially less than 2 weeks away from the college football season beginning. Time for the week 1 thread! This year, I've decided to get rid of the good/mismatch designation and just put all the top 25 games in one tab. Also, all nationally televised games that don't involve a team of interest have their own tab. And, as the Joker would say...here...we...go. Top 25 games ----------------- Georgia Southern at (1) Georgia (12:30 pm) Youngstown State at (2) Ohio State (12 pm, Big Ten - Regional) (3) USC at Virginia (3:30 pm, ABC – Regional) Chattanooga at (4) Oklahoma (7 pm) Hawaii at (5) Florida (12:30 pm) (20) Illinois vs (6) Missouri – in St. Louis (8:30 pm, ESPN) Appalachian State at (7) LSU (11 am, ESPN Classic) Villanova at (8) West Virginia (3:30 pm) (24) Alabama vs (9) Clemson - in Atlanta (8 pm, ABC - Regional) UL Monroe at (10) Auburn (7 pm) Florida Atlantic at (11) Texas (7 pm) Eastern Washington at (12) Texas Tech (7 pm) Akron at (13) Wisconsin (12 pm, Big Ten – Regional) Florida International at (14) Kansas (7 pm) Northern Arizona at (15) Arizona State (10 pm) Northern Iowa at (16) BYU (6 pm, The Mountain) (17) Virginia Tech at East Carolina (12 pm, ESPN) (18) Tennessee at UCLA (8 pm Monday, ESPN) UT-Martin at (19) South Florida (7 pm) Washington at (21) Oregon (10 pm, Comcast SportsNet) Coastal Carolina at (22) Penn State (12 pm, Big Ten - Regional) (23) Wake Forest at Baylor (8 pm Thursday, Comcast SportsNet) Bowling Green at (25) Pittsburgh (12 pm, ESPNU) Other games of interest ------------------------------ Northeastern at Ball State (7 pm Thursday) South Dakota State at Iowa State (8 pm Thursday) NC State at South Carolina (8 pm Thursday, ESPN) Syracuse at Northwestern (12 pm, ESPN2) Western Kentucky at Indiana (12 pm, Big Ten - Regional) Maine at Iowa (12 pm, Big Ten - Regional) Utah at Michigan (3:30 pm, ABC - Regional) Memphis at Ole Miss (6 pm) James Madison at Duke (7 pm) North Texas at Kansas State (7 pm) Western Illinois at Arkansas (7 pm) Northern Illinois at Minnesota (7 pm, Big Ten) UC Davis at San Jose State (8 pm) Michigan State at California (8 pm, ABC - Regional) Kentucky at Louisville (3:30 pm Sunday, ESPN) Other nationally televised games ----------------------------------------- Vanderbilt at Miami (OH) (7:30 pm Thursday, ESPNU) Oregon State at Stanford (9 pm Thursday, ESPN2) Temple at Army (7 pm Friday, ESPN Classic) SMU at Rice (8 pm Friday, ESPN) Oklahoma State at Washington State (3:30 pm, Comcast SportsNet) Delaware at Maryland (3:45 pm, ESPN) TCU at New Mexico (6:30 pm, Versus) Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech (6:45 pm, ESPN2) Boston College at Kent State (7:30 pm, ESPNU) Colorado State at Colorado (7:30 pm Sunday, Comcast SportsNet) Fresno State at Rutgers (4:30 pm Monday, ESPN)

Individual event competitions still remain for both genders. Also, ESPN reported the 100m results, I'll put it in spoiler tags for those who don't want to have it spoiled

What'd he say? The words "Michael", "greatness" and "epic" were used interchangeably for about 30 minutes in a row. He seemed happy to talk to Phelps.