Hot Takes House 6: Hue Jackson, Oklahoma Football, World Series, Cavs Stink

Hot Takes House 6

The Hot Takes House 6 is open for business. These are hot takes and fun from the weekend. Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com, and they may make the next week piece. Do not read any further if you are easily offended.

The HTH now has the “Winner of the Weekend” at the bottom.

Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com, and they may make the next week post.

FUN FACT: Nearly 3% of the ice in Antarctic Glaciers is penguin urine.

NFL

1. The Browns stuck with Hugh Jackson for two seasons of 1 win football, but fire him at 2-5-1. How does that make sense?

They would be 4-4 if not for some horrendous officiating. The Browns had a culture of losing. That does not change overnight. The team is much improved, but now ownership loses patience? Did the fans expect a team who has won 1 game in the past two seasons to instantly figure out how to win games?

The Browns offense has struggled. That means you replace the offensive coordinator mid-season, not the head coach that all the players love. You cannot get another head coach mid-season. Even if you could, he can’t install a system, gameplan,  change the culture to his own during the season.

Another botched move by the Cleveland Browns.

2. FitzMagic is back. The Buccaneers have a huge math problem.

Football math is different than real life math. 1+1=2 in math and more is usually better than less. However, in football two quarterbacks are not better than one. Shuffling quarterbacks around only confuses the team, causes locker room division, and prevents winning.

We thought FitzMagic was dead, but thanks to Jameis Winston’s four interceptions last week he rises from the ashes. Neither option is good for the Buccaneers. Ryan Fitzpatrick only plays well when he is not named the starting quarterback. When his job is in jeopardy, he plays extremely well. And Jameis Winston has just not lived up to the hype that surrounded him in college and after his rookie year.

The moral of the story is that the Bucs season is finished and they need to plan for their future at quarterback.

3. How is the NFL going to figure out the possible 4-way tie for worst team in the NFL?

The Giants, Raiders, 49ers, and Cardinals are all awful. It is mathematically possible for all of them to finish with the with a tie for the worst record in the NFL. There should be a Super Bowl for the worst teams in the NFL called the Toilet Bowl. The worst team in the league should be determined on the field, and not with tiebreakers.

Imagine a world where during Pro Bowl weekend, the two worst teams played and the winner got the #1 pick. You would have great television ratings and interest.

The good news for the league is that even though the teams are bad, they still put up a good fight for tv ratings.

4. Seahawks performed the greatest team touchdown celebrations of all time.

College Football

5. If I’m Lincoln Riley, there is no way I leave Oklahoma and take the Job. He can make way more money as a college head coach, has the opportunity to be a legend, and NFL longevity is rare. He can coach at Oklahoma for 20+ years with the way he is recruiting.

There is value in stability. Most coaches don’t learn that until they have job hopped one too many times. A lot of college coaches have NFL dreams, but more and more of them are starting to realize the benefit of running a successful college program. Riley will make much more money being the coach at Oklahoma. He won’t have to move his family around, and he will have longevity.

Lincoln Riley can stay at Oklahoma, which is a top 5 college football job and be a legend. Coaching legends are made in college, not the NFL. Think about how many legendary college coaches you can casually name compared to NFL coaches. College football has, Bear Bryant, Pop Warner, Woody Hayes, Eddie Robinson, Nick Saban, Knute Rockne, Bobby Bowden, Chip Kelly, David Shaw, Dabo Swinney and 20+ more. The NFL has Lombardi, Belichick, Parcells, Noll, and Landry; then you start to slow down and use Google.

It would be a terrible decision to leave Oklahoma where he can compete for National Championships every year for the Cleveland Browns who have won three games in the last three season. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

6. I love the arrogance of Alabama fans who believe they should be unquestionably the #1 team in any poll despite planing NOBODY.

Up to this point, Alabama has only played one team within the top 40 teams in college football. I admit Bama’s dominance has been unprecedented, but their schedule has been soft. They get their first real test this week as they head to Baton Rouge to play LSU. I have had them #1 in the Unafraid Show College Football Top 10 until this past week. Clemson has displayed the exact dominance against better competition over the last few weeks.

I will admit that if Alabama will be returned to the #1 spot if they take care of business this weekend. But if they do happen to lose, I suspect Bama fans would still expect them to be #1.

7. Can Washington State win out? If they do, can they make the College Football Playoffs?

Since the beginning of the season, I have said Washington State was on the verge of a special season. I am hesitant to believe they will finish the last four games without a hiccup. They play Cal, Colorado, Arizona, and Washington. The good news is three of the four games are in Pullman. However, if they do they can absolutely make the College Football Playoffs.

Assuming Alabama and Clemson win out, Wazzu would need Notre Dame, Oklahoma, or the Big Ten Winner to lose one game. If any of those things happen, the Cougars will be a lock for the College Football Playoffs.

8. Which four teams will make the College Football Playoffs after week 10?

Right now, I have the four playoff teams as Clemson, Alabama, Notre Dame, and LSU. However, I believe the four best teams are Alabama, Oklahoma, Clemson, and Notre Dame.

The eye test leads me to believe Oklahoma is the second best team in the country. They have the best offense in the country. And if Oklahoma can play even a little defense, they will give Alabama fits. But, you get the rankings that you earn.

MLB

9. David Price got robbed out of the MVP.

He started two games and got two wins in a five-game series on short rest and came out of the bullpen in two other games. We have NEVER seen a starting pitcher pitch in four consecutive playoff games. And we didn’t even talk about the fact that Price did it in a five-day space. He only had one rest day.

At least David Price finally shut up all the naysayers who have talked trash about his postseason play throughout his career.

10.  offense was awful in the World Series and has been awful since the NLCS. They got virtually no production from either catcher, Bellinger, Hernandez, Machado, and Taylor. Did I miss anyone?

To call the Dodgers offense anemic during the world series would be an understatement. I believe in the quote that says, “A man’s strengths flow from the same well as his weaknesses.” This quote applied to the Dodgers. The lived by the homerun swing to win their 6th straight NL West title, and they died by the homerun swing in the World Series.

The list of Dodgers hitters who hit well during the world series is David Freese, Puig with a small side of Justin Turner. As a Dodgers fan, it was so frustrating to see the number of popups and easy flyballs. As good as this team is, I am unsure if homerun ball can win a World Series.

At this point, Dodgers fans would be much happier with homegrown Corey Seager at SS than paying Machado $300 mill.

11. Dave Roberts might as well let the computer manage the games.

I think Dave Roberts is a good manager until the playoffs. Data and analytics are an important part of sports. Roberts relies on the computers and the baseball “book” way too much. Managers need to use analytics to make their lineups and set their defense. However, it is always important to remember that analytics are the predicted outcomes of hundreds or thousands of scenarios. The reality is analytics are always right in the long term. But, in the short term of one playoff series, the numbers can skew. It is extremely important for managers to use intuition, feel, momentum, and gut feelings to win playoff games.

Dave Roberts took Rich Hill out too early in the 2017 and 2018 World Series. He also put Madsen in three times for relief pitching during the World Series. Each of those times he got beat up. Everyone in the stands and at home watching on television knew what was going to happen the second and third time.

12. The Boston Red Sox had to win the World Series or their season was a complete failure.

The Red Sox had 108 wins, the best hitting team in baseball, set the single-season strikeout record for pitching and were healthy. Let’s not forget they had the highest payroll in all of baseball. Anything besides a World Series would have been an abject failure. You only get so many opportunities at championships. If Boston lost the series, this team would have been the most disappointing team in baseball history.

NBA

13. Cleveland Cavaliers proved they are the worst run franchise in sports when they fired Tyronn Lue 11 days into the season.

Bad companies run off their best talent (LeBron), let successful leaders leave (Griffin), are constantly over budget/salary yet understaffed (talented roster). The Cavs have hit the trifecta.

How on earth did you believe Ty Lue was good enough to keep as your coach when you have a championship caliber team, but somehow not good enough to coach your non-playoff roster? You have to assume that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert thinks Lue is a bad coach if he fired him 11 games into the season. So my question is, why would you let a bad coach lead your championship level team. It makes no sense and only proves the incompetence on Dan Gilbert as an NBA owner.

Cavs firing Ty Lue makes me believe Gilbert believes the same nonsense Tristan Thompson said: ‘ they should be the favored in the East. Lue was dealing with maybe the worst roster in the league and figuring out how to play without one of the best players of all time on his team.

Lue is 128-83 in his head coaching career and 41-20 in the playoffs. He has three trips to the Finals, an NBA title. He has multiple Game 7 wins. One on the road in the ECF & a Game 7 on the road in the NBA Finals.

WINNER OF THE WEEKEND

The Warriors response to Fergie’s ex-husband Josh Duhamel saying Draymond Green should apologize to Fergie for laughing at her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner was Classic.

[yotuwp type=”videos” id=”JFvvEloObCE” pagination=”off” title=”off” thumbratio=”169″ player=”modestbranding=0&showinfo=0&rel=0″]

Why your Favorite MLB Team Won’t Win the World Series!!

World Series

Heck with the positive feeling going into the playoffs, it is important you know why your MLB team won’t win the World Series! The playoffs begin for real today. Sorry Wildcard games we are not including you. It’s all about the Great Eight! You may not like it, but here is why your team will leave you shaking your head at the television! Let the Heartbreak begin.

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS:

1 Boston Red Sox (108-54)

The Red Sox will not win the 2018 World Series because the starting pitching turns into a pumpkin when it counts the most. When its October this current starting staff has an ERA well over 5, In fact, David Price acts as if he is the New York Yankees pitching coach (ERA over eight as a member of the Boston Red Sox vs. N.Y. Yankees). Don’t believe me? Watch this montage!  The bullpen is also very shaky before Craig Kimbrel with a lot of red flags as the Yankees come to town. Who is Ryan Brasier and when will that bubble burst!  Other than that, the Red Sox are deep and have the MVP on it (take your pick, Mookie Betts or J.D. Martinez). They set all kinds of team records (108 wins).  The pressure is entirely on Boston who if they don’t win it all, like Seattle in 2001 (116 regular season wins), the season would be considered an epic failure!  J.A. Happ a Red Sox Killer?  Yup, he has a 1.78 ERA against the BoSox since 2015. Ouch, he starts in game one! Sorry, Beantown this hurts me, but the pitching will break those Dirty Water hearts.

2 Houston Astros (103-59)

It’s pretty simple; it’s tough to repeat. The 2018 MLB playoffs have many stacked teams, and unfortunately for the Stros, they are all in the American League. You want proof look at these additions by those sharing the playoff spotlight with Houston (Red Sox got J.D. Martinez, Yankees got Stanton, Britton, and Happ, and the Indians added a ton of bullpen arms and Josh Donaldson). The bullpen is still a significant concern for me. Closer Roberto Osuna (2-2 2.37 ERA 21 Saves) is better than Giles but this team has to find a way to get to him.  Also, the line-up does not seem as scary as it was last year when the Astros won it all. Carlos Correa is just not the same this year end of story. Look, if I were to put money on a team, this is who I’d take but Houston, we have a problem! They are not going to make it two in a row.

3. New York Yankees (100-62)

The Bronx Bombers will not win because those record-breaking Home Runs get neutralized by great pitching in October. The A’s didn’t offer excellent starting pitching; they turned to some reliever from Australia to start. Who do the Yankees get to open up the series versus the Red Sox at Fenway? Not a reliever but certified Yankee killer Chris Sale.  New York also has some concerns with the starting pitching.  J.A. Happ, Servino, and Tanaka do not match-up to the other four teams rotations in the AL playoffs.  If you were to rank the four AL teams and the starting staffs, the Yankees would be last!  The bullpen is the best in baseball so who knows maybe the Yankees should start David Robertson!  Sorry, Frank Sinatra, your song will not be played with World Championship implications for the Bronx Bombers.

4. Cleveland Indians (91-71)

The Cleveland Indians will not win the World Series because they are the Cleveland Indians. It’s been 70 years since they last won and this teams bullpen scares nobody late in games. Sure they added 100 arms at the deadline but Andrew Miller is not Andrew Miller (2-4 4.24 ERA), and Cody Allen has been a pinata the whole year (4-6 4.70 ERA). The starters are excellent, and strikeout bandits but they are going up against an Astros team whose rotation is deeper.  The Tribe is destined to let its faithful down probably in heartbreaking dramatic fashion so no, in 2018 they will not rock! Sorry, Drew Carey maybe next year.

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS:

1. Milwaukee Brewers (96-67)

The Brew Crew will not win the World Series because they never do. Look, I remember Harvey’s wall bangers (Yount, Cooper, Molitor, Thomas, Oglive) in 1982, what a team. They had good starting pitching as well but when you are starting the bullpen for game one, it just doesn’t sound right.  It didn’t work for Oakland versus the Yankees and it won’t work for Milwaukee. The starting rotation (Wade Miley really?) is just not good enough, but I will say this, Christian Yelich is out of his mind awesome right now. When you look at all these teams left in the playoffs, the Brewers starters just don’t match-up and why they won’t win it all! Hey Aaron Rodgers, Old Milwaukee Beer, and those cheese curds will keep you happy in late October!

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71)

Not since Kirk Gibson took Dennis Eckersley deep have we seen championship baseball in Dodgertown. I believe Ronald Reagan was the president and the year was 1988. LeBron is a Laker, Rams are undefeated at 4-0, and the Azul barely got into the playoffs. Kenley Jansen is not the same, Clayton Kershaw is 7-7 4.35 ERA in the post-season, Rich Hill will get a bad blister, this team is not clutch. Do you feel right about Ryu as your game one starter? Nope! The dream, “Hollywood” ending for the 2018 MLB Playoffs will once again slip away for the Doyers, but hey the Rams are good!

3. Colorado Rockies (91-72)

I’m Sorry, the Coors will not be chilling in championship mode this October. The Rockies barely got by the Cubs thanks to Tony Wolters (.170 AVG. got his first hit in like a month) dramatic single. You have to love baseball right, Tony Wolters the 3rd catcher are you serious? The Rockies made such an impressive run just to make the 2018 MLB playoffs. This team has power and some sneaky good players, but the pitching is not deep enough despite Kyle Freeland’s brilliance (17-7 2.85 ERA) to raise that championship banner. Getting closer but not there, have some Rocky Mountain Oysters next year is just a few months away.

4. Atlanta Braves (90-72)

No question the biggest surprise in the 2018 MLB Playoffs! Maybe the team with the best and most exciting young players in the postseason. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Youthful exuberance does not add up to a championship. Look, the Braves fans who show up are excited they forgot what playoff baseball was (It has been 5 years). Yes, we get to hear that annoying Braves chant for a week or so but that will be it. Like the Rockies, the Braves could be real contenders for years to come but not this year! When you read stories written, “Braves pin playoff hopes on rich history” I’m sorry Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux are not part of this rotation. Go ahead name me the four starting pitchers on this team right now? I didn’t think so!

The 2018 MLB playoffs are wide open.  MLB playoffs are drama filled and arguably the best of all four major sports. One pitch can change an entire series and one player possibly the last guy on the bench can be a hero. So you have compelling reasons why your team will not win the World Series. Who will win and why? Listen to the Unafraid Show (3 pm – 5 pm PST/ 6 pm – 8 pm EST on Friday evening/afternoon on Dash Talk Live), and we will tell you but realize that seven cities will be left counting the days until why your MLB team won’t win the World Series yet again! It’s a hard thing to do to win 11 or 12 games in October.

Boston Red Sox must win the World Series or this season is a failure!

Red Sox must win it all!

EVERYTHING IS PERFECT RIGHT?

2018 AL East Champions. Celebrating on Yankees field. If you are a Red Sox fan like me, this season has been a pure joy to watch! 100 wins for the first time since Ted Williams was knocking balls around in the forties. This team has a little bit of everything, speed, power, good pitching. What will happen when the New York Yankees roll into Fenway this Friday night? All of Red Sox nation will be biting their nails in anticipation. Does it get any better than this?

Alex Cora should be favored to be the manager of the year for sure (Kevin Cash a close 2nd in Tampa followed by Bob Melvin in Oakland), who has made a significant impact on what is happening right now. The offense is aggressive, which he demanded from his players whom he called passive in plate approach last year. He has had the Midas touch calling upon the right players at the right time. Most importantly, the players like him, unlike John Farrell and it shows.

MVP!

JD Martinez (43 HR’s 130 RBI’s 330 AVG.) has more than earned his big free agent salary.  He is battling his teammate, Mookie Betts (32 HR’s 80 RBI’s 30 SB .346 AVG.) for the coveted MVP title and had an outside shot at winning the triple crown for most of the year.  Mookie is the better all-around player (first player since Jacoby Ellsbury to get 30 Home Runs and 30 Stolen Bases), but JD has added that middle of the line-up bat that has made everybody better. The only significant difference from last year to this year has been his offensive production, hence why I lean towards giving him the MVP.

HISTORICAL

It’s been a historically fantastic year for the Boston Red Sox. They broke the team record for wins with 108.  The last team to get close to that won 105 games when some guy by the name of Babe Ruth was on the club back in 1912. That’s a long time ago.  They are AL East Champions for a third straight year which is very impressive. All that means nothing if they don’t win it all.

Ask the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won an astounding 116 games with Edgar Martinez, Bret Boone, and Ichiro Suzuki how they felt when they got beat by the Yankees in the playoffs. You forget about what that team accomplished. Let’s make this clear; the Houston Astros remain the team to beat as the playoffs begin. They are experienced, loaded, full of front-line starters like Justin Verlander, but if the Red Sox don’t win this year breaking all these vaunted team records, the season will be considered a major disappointment.

QUESTION MARKS?

David Price (16-7 3.58 ERA) is the key figure and needs to pitch the way he has in the 2nd half of the season come Saturday night.  His only kryptonite recently has been the Yankees. The playoffs have been a nightmare for him and he desperately needs a dominant post-season win.

Chris Sale must show that he is healthy.  He didn’t finish up the year strong so a lot of answers will come tomorrow night. Will his control and nasty slider be back or is the velocity dip going to rear its ugly head. Just don’t ask him about his success vs the Yankees this year (2-0 0.69 ERA with 19 strikeouts).  He looks mad and ready to go which is a good sign but his shoulder is the biggest story going into game one.

Rick Porcello (17-7 4.28 ERA)  has to find some October success or all this is for not. The talent is there and he had an amazing start versus the Yankees in early August, throwing a one-hitter. His issues against New York has come at Yankees Stadium. Porcello is currently penciled in to be the game three starter. The results in the playoffs for those three pitchers have not been. As good as the vibe that Red Sox Nation is feeling, it’s all about finishing for a team who has struggled in the playoffs lately.  Pitching will be key.

THE GOAL & PRESSURE!

This team has given its fans many an incredible moment, like in Atlanta a few weeks back, down 7-1 in the 8th inning coming from behind capped by a Brandon Phillips Home Run.  Every night it seemed like a new hero would pop up like Blake Swihart, Jackie Bradley Jr. or Mitch Moreland.  All those memories will be for not without an appearance in the Fall Classic.

With the biggest payroll, a stacked line-up, power, and speed, it’s the starting pitching that will determine the result. People are also very concerned with the bullpen, which has been for the most part strong all year. Joe Kelly has lost it (4-2 4.39 ERA). Matt Barnes, Has had some rough stretches due to a recent injury. Heath Hembree has given up the long ball a lot lately.

The key to the Bullpen success was little known, Ryan Brasier (2-0 1.60 ERA 0.77 WHIP) who has been the find of the year. He has been a solid bridge to Kimbrel. Craig Kimbrel is one of the best closers in all of baseball. He posted solid numbers, (5-1 42 Saves 2.74 ERA) and can be unhittable.

Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez will add serious velocity to the pen.  Whoever does not get the 4th starters job in the postseason will be that guy, and Steven Wright will add his nasty knuckleball to give the Red Sox depth and variety in the bullpen. It’s the big three starters Sale, Price, and Porcello (2-13 with an ERA over 5 in the post-season) who carry the burden of this teams success.

108 wins is a fantastic accomplishment, the regular season was a blast to watch but it is the 11 wins that come this October that will determine this team’s success and place in history. Evoke the spirits of Curt Schilling, David Roberts, Big Papi, Manny, Dustin Pedroia and figure out how to succeed in the playoffs. Since 2013, Boston is 1-6. If the BoSox don’t win it all, then the year will feel empty and considered a failure.