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Well if I’m right, the Phillies need to win the next 3 games.  As I predicted the Phils took the first game under Cole Hamels.  It was hard to say how Myers would fare but his knack for getting sloppy early sure did him in.  Unfortunately, this time around the offense couldn’t supply the needed runs to offset Myers’ early sloppiness.  I game two, the Rays worked the scoring like a seasoned ball club.  The Phils will do better on their own turf as we saw a few examples of that last night.  Not anticipating the hops a few times allowed for a few unearned base runners.  In addition, what was with some of the umpire’s calls?  Since when does the first base ump override a called strike that would have retired the batter?  I think Jamie Moyer will step up on Saturday.  Let’s hope we don’t get rained out!

October baseball is coming down to the wire.  Now that the Rays have settled the score with Boston we can get on with the big show.

The keys to victory are going to lie with the turf, the pitching and the mindset. The Phils aren’t used to playing on the hard turf at Tropicana Field.  If it was a more veteran team this might pose a problem but I think this still young team will adapt quite quickly to the faster surface.  The Rays get enough play on grass fields throughout the season, so they may have a slight advantage here.

Hamels has been outstanding!  After having lost the first game of the NLCS in ’07 he came back to dominate both payoff games he pitched this year. Throw in the rest of the bullpen and add to that the closers backing them up and I think on balance they’ve got it over the Rays in this department.  Kazmir and Garza are good but they both looked a little shakey at times. In addition, the Rays are a fast ball bullpen and the Phils love a fast ball.  (Look for Ryan Howard to turn on…)  I do see Lidge giving up one of his nail-biters though.

This is where the manager comes into play and this may be the tipping point.  For my money Charlie Manuel is the better manager and strategist. His ‘working’ of the game in at least two of the playoff games gave the Phils the pennant.  His players are very comfortable with him & his decisions.

Otherwise the similarities in the two teams are interesting.  This may end up being one of the best match-ups we’ve seen in many years.  Both teams get contributions across the lineup and both are young teams.  I see more leadership from Rollins, Howard and Burrell however than with the Rays and without any overbearing nature.  The added   hustle with players like Victorino and Werth is the spark that’ll help get it done.

The Phils need to win one in Rays territory.  I see them winning game 1 and taking the series in 5.

Baseball season is heating up!  With 35 games left before the Playoffs, the division leaders are starting to come forward.  The Cubs lead the entire league with 80 wins and 50 losses.  Tampa Bay and the Angels are tied for second in the league.  And the best part…the Phillies are closing in on the Mets!  Less than a game behind! 

On a different note, the US men’s basketball team won the Gold in the 2008 Olympics!  The last game was soooo incredibly close, but the US pulled ahead at the last minute.   The team was very exciting to watch and their shots were accurate and true.  Talk about a Dream Team!

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One might think so after I predicted that Brett Favre would come out of retirement AGAIN, but alas, no.  I am not psychic even if I was right.  Ok, seriously…why?  Why even go into retirement if you are already thinking of coming back out…AGAIN?  Weren’t the Packers willing to give him 20 Million bucks to stay retired?  Doesn’t that SAY something?

Please pardon the short rant.  I know people love him and all, but come on.  He’s getting old and honestly, he could get seriously hurt and ruin the rest of his life.  He’s had his time in the sun and even came out of retirement before, so why does he feel the need to do it again? 

Anywho…I guess we’ll see what he does now. 

I’ve gotta say though, this Favre news has got me thinking about the upcoming NFL season!  I’m getting ready for a fun season.  Get your NFL gear at The Sports Collectibles Store.  Check out our NFL tailgating supplies for your next BBQ!  We also have added NFL Rear Window Film for your car, truck or SUV.  Get ready for some football!

Well, some changes.  The NBA exploded with activity and the Clippers turn out to be very angry.  Well, who wouldn’t be?  They lost Elton Brand…but guess who got him?  That’s right!  The 76ers finally got someone that they wanted.  I almost feel badly for the Clippers, but then I think…forget that!  The Sixers finally have a chance to do something with themselves. 

Other than trading and getting players, the NBA is seeing a change of scenery.   The Seattle SuperSonics are picking up stakes and moving to…Oklahoma City?  I’m sure that Oklahoma residents are happy but what about Seattle?  They get to keep the team’s colors and name, and 75 million bucks. 

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The first round of the NBA draft was yesterday and boy were there some surprises!  For one, I almost feel bad for OJ Mayo.  First Minnesota, then Memphis?  Sigh.  I was hoping for more for him.  I loved watching him play in his high school games.  Such an exciting player!

Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley made sense as the first and second picks for their respective teams.  I honestly thought that Kevin Love would have been a lower pick, but hey…it is all about strategy.  And to think, he was traded for Mayo. 

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So, the Lakers LOST to the Celtics.  Actually, more like the Celtics whooped the Lakers.  Also, the word “destroyed” comes to mind.  I mean…131-92???  They were behind by double digits for at least 3 quarters of the game.  Did they just give up?  I mean, how many offensive rebounds did they give up?  Like, a billion?  I can’t take credit from the Celts though.  They were awesome!

I’m sure Boston is just loving this.  The Red Sox even beat the Phillies last night.  What more do they want???  So, Boston fans…get your NBA merchandise at The Sports Collectibles Store. 

I know everyone is talking about the Mets, but I just can’t help myself.  What exactly are they trying to do?  I mean, three o’clock in the morning?  You don’t fire ANYONE at 3 am.  Let alone the General Manager!  It just don’t make any sense.  Why would they do something so disrespectful and, well…rash?  I mean, they have been talking about this for awhile now, so why suddenly fire him at 3 am?  You seriously can’t wait a few hours?  Weird.

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Who would have guessed that the Celtics would be OWNING the Lakers like this?  Certainly not me.  They are now 2-0 in the Finals!  Though the Lakers came back from a huge deficit in last night’s game, they still lost to the Celtics 108-102.  Talk about insanity!

In MLB news…the Phillies are destroying everyone!  Hahaha!  Between Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and good ole Brett Myers…they have the third best record in the entire league!  I have to say, as a Philly fan, I am excited.  Maybe, finally, at long last, we will have a winning team.  I really want to go to a Phillies game now, despite the 96 degree heat.  Ah, Summertime and Baseball.  What a winning combination.  My neighbor saw my awesome MLB Grill Cover and decided to get one of his own!  Now, that’s some team spirit.

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Wow, so the last two games of the Western and Eastern finals were ridiculously amazing!  I thought for sure the Pistons were going to take it, but the Celtics finished them off in game 5.  Don’t even get me started on the Lakers.  They were amazing…most notably, Kobe was amazing. 

So, we’ve got the Lakers vs Celtics…just like the old days!  This is going to be awesome, but I hope they skip the short shorts.  They just look silly in them.  Pick up your Lakers or Celtics NBA neon signs to show off your team spirit!

Moving on to baseball…
The Phillies have been totally awesome!  I’m so excited to be able to cheer on a Philly team!  Chase Utley has been destroying pitches and his home runs have been sick.  Just sick.  Ryan Howard finally came out of his hibernation and has been hitting well.  I actually want to go watch a Phillies game.  For the first time since their World Series loss to the Blue Jays, I actually want to spend money to watch them play.  Well, as long as Cole Hamels is pitching.  I even got an MLB rear window film for my car!  It’s awesome!

Keep checking back for more sports news and don’t forget to check out The Sports Collectibles Store for the best deals on sports logo merchandise!

Ok, so Detroit is really going crazy now.  The Pistons are tied with the Celtics and who could have imagined that?!?!  Not me, that’s for sure.  Not only are the Pistons bringing home the bacon, but so are the Red Wings!  They are destroying the Penguins.  I know some people who live in Detroit and they are just about losing their minds.  I told them to get a Detroit Red Wings tire cover to show off when they are driving.  They slapped their foreheads in disbelief that THEY hadn’t thought of that first.  I just laughed and laughed….

Other than Detroit, the Lakers are doing a good job of beating down the Spurs.  Kobe is unstoppable, as usual.  The offense of the Lakers is remarkable, but their defense is pretty solid too.  I would love to see Kobe win.  He’s working very hard and let’s face it…he’s amazing.  Support the Lakers with these Lakers Grilling Apron Sets!

MLB is really heating up.  Especially in Philly!  Yay!  I get to talk about the Phillies!  So, they destroyed the Rockies with a 20-5 win.  Chase Utley is my new hero, not that Ryan Howard isn’t awesome.  I’m so glad he finally decided to kick some butt again and smash some home runs.  It’s good to have you back, Howard. 

If you are half as excited as I am about baseball, you should totally support your team in any way that you can.  Pick up some MLB team logo merchandise for your car or office from The Sports Collectibles Store!