NBA Season

I know that by living in Western Pennsylvania, the National Basketball Association doesn't get much fan support. However, I have been a fan my whole life. Growing up as probably most kids in the 90's, the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan was my favorite team and player to watch. Now a days, I cheer for the Cleveland Cavailars and Kyrie Irving. I believe that this is the year that the Cavs make the playoffs as they have some good players that is ready to step up and be a force in the Eastern Conference. Weather you like the Miami Heat and LeBron James or not, it will be hard to pick against them representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. As far as the Western Conference is concerned, I believe that it can be a number of teams such as the LA Clippers, SA Spurs, OKC Thunder or the Houston Rockets. However, if I have to choose one, I would choose the LA Clippers to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. If my prediction holds true with the Clippers vs Heat in the NBA Finals....I would have to say the Heat would win the NBA Championship based on Experience and Talent if healthy.

Football Icons

(Left: Bum Phillips, Right: Bud Adams)

Over the weekend, the football world lost two icons that will forever be linked to football. On Friday, October 18th, former Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints Head Coach, Bum Phillips passed away at the age on 90. On, Monday, October 21st, former Houston Oilers and current Tennessee Titans Owner, Bud Adams passed away at the age of 90. Bud Adams was the only owner the Houston Oilers ever had. Bud Adams hired Bum Phillips after the 1974 season and the hiring produced the greatest run in the 37 year history of the Houston Oilers in Houston.  The duo never made the Super Bowl because that was the time when the Pittsburgh Steelers were in the middle of a dynasty.  After not getting a new stadium built during the mid 90's, Adams moved the team to Nashville and they became the Tennessee Titans and was owner till his death in 2013. After leaving the Oilers, Phillips went on to coach the New Orleans Saints but didn't have much success and retired in 1985.

Here's a story explaining there career in depth on sportingnews.com: http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-10-21/bud-adams-dies-bum-phillips-houston-oilers-titans-legacies-afl

World Series

When the season began, 30 teams thought they could make the most important series of a baseball players lives. Fast forward to October and we are down to 2 teams. The St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox will play for the 2013 World Series Championship. These are two teams that had the best record in Major League Baseball over the course of the season. This the the first time since 1999 that two teams with the best record in MLB when the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves made the World Series. You could've made a case that the Cardinals would have been here at the beginging of the season but mostly no one had the Red Sox in this position after there 2012 season. I think this is a pretty even match up between the two teams that I could see going 7 games however, I have the Red Sox winning in 6 games.

Pittsburgh Pirates Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates season ended last night in the pivotal game 5 of the National League Divisional Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Gerrit Cole actually pitched a pretty good game except for the one mistake he made to cardinals third basemen, David Freese. Cole pitched 5.0 innings, allowed 3 hits, 2 earned runs and 5 strikeouts. The only problem was the opposing guy on the mound was even better. Cardinals ace, Adam Wainwright pitched a complete game, allowed 8 hits, 1 earned run and 6 strikeouts. One of the highlights of the game for the Pirates was when 3rd Basemen became the first major league player to score in RBI in its first 6 postseason games of there career. 

The Pirates season ended on a bad note but that does not make up the season the fans in the city of Pittsburgh experienced. The city of Pittsburgh has been starving for a competitive baseball season since Game 7 of the NLCS in 1992. They have seen Owners, General Managers, and Players come in and go throughout the last 20 years. This 2013 team is something that they will remember forever.

Pirates Turn to Rookie in Important Game

In the most important game since the 1992 NLCS game against the Atlanta Braves, the Pittsburgh Pirates head to St. Louis to face the Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLDS. The Pirates will have to figure out away to score some runs against one of the best pitchers in the National League in Adam Wainwright. The Pirates on the other hand are going with highly touted rookie, Gerrit Cole over experienced vetern, AJ Burnett. While I understand they should go with the hot hand and that would be Cole who is 6-0 with a little over a run per game in his last six starts. It is easy to say that you shouldn't pitch AJ Burnett due to his game one start however, I still think that you go with experience and AJ has the big game experience.  If AJ were to struggle again early... have Cole warming up in the bullpen ready to go.