9/14 - MONDAY LEFTOVERS

        *BRONCOS @ CHIEFS, 5:15, ABC/ESPN: KC 2.5, 43.5

*WEEK 1 HAS BEEN ENTERTAINING: Prior to MNF, it was 42 points short of the highest scoring Week 1 since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

*THERE IS ONE OBVIOUS REASON FOR THE OFFENSE DOMINATION: Many, if not most, starting defensive players in Week 1 did not play during the preseason and had not tackled since last season.

*NEW YORK, NEW YORK: The Giants and Jets are BOTH 1-0 for the first time since 2009.

*HOW FEEBLE WERE THE COWBOYS? The 244 yards were their fewest against the Giants since 2008.

*SUNDAY INCLUDED A FIRST FOR JIM HARBAUGH: It was his first ever Week 1 loss as an NFL head coach.

CHECK BACK FOR NFL HERO AND ZERO TUESDAY

EMAIL BOB - bkempzail@aol.com

 9/13 - WEEK 1 ANALYSIS

       *THE CARDINALS DELIVERED THE UPSET OF THE DAY: Arizona, 9.5-point underdogs, shocked the Chargers and Jim Harbaugh 26-14. Arizona made key plays in all aspects, including a fourth quarter blocked punt inside the 10-yard line by Simi Fehoko that was quickly followed by Trey McBride’s 3-yard TD catch from Jacoby Brissett ... The Cardinals offense delivered 23 first downs and 393 yards while holding the ball for 36:59 while the defense forced the only 2 turnovers in the game. 

      *THE FIELD GOAL UNDERDOG GIANTS PHYSICALLY WHIPPED THE COWBOYS: John Harbaugh’s influence was obvious in New York’s 28-20 victory, especially in the second half the Dallas defense wilted. The Giants had lost 12 of the last 14 matchups between the NFC East rivals and Dak Prescott had won his last 10 starts in the series ... One thing that must change is that Jaxson Dart will not last the season unless he protects himself better avoiding big hits.

        *JOSH ALLEN AND THE BILLS WON IN THEIR PREVIOUS HAUNTED HOUSE: Allen connected with Joshua Palmer for the only time in the game on the game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:36 remaining in the Buffalo 36-31 win. The touchdown came 1 play after Texans corner Kamari Lassiter dropped what should have been a game-clinching interception ... Allen, previously 1-4 against the Texans, completed 20 of 29 passes for an impressive 334 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions plus added 2 rushing TDs, including a 21-yarder in the second quarter.

*HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS CALEB  WILLIAMS AND BRYCE YOUNG WERE PART OF THE HIGHEST SCORING WEEK 1 GAME IN LEAGUE HISTORY: The Bears outlasted the Panthers 59-37 in a game that produced 1,030 yards. Williams completed 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns plus rushing touchdowns of 9 and 29 yards while Young was 23 of 37 for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns plus a 7-yard rushing TD.  

       *THE NEW LOOK RAVENS ROLLED IN JESSE MINTER’S DEBUT: Minter directed the Ravens to 31 first half points before coasting in the second half to a 41-23 win at Indianapolis. Minter replaced John Harbaugh, the franchise all-time winningest coach before finishing 8-9 last season. Derrick Henry rushed for 144 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns to pass Marcus Allen and move to third on the NFL’s all-time rushing TD list.

        *PERSONNEL NOTES: Former Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray had a brief, yet eventful debut with the Vikings. His first pass was intercepted before we forced to leave in the first half (concussion) ... Also leaving because of injury were Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (chest), Jacksonville WR Bryan Thomas Jr. (shoulder), Baltimore WR Zay Flowers (hamstring) during his 150-yard first half and Chicago LT Braxton Jones (undisclosed) ... Steelers corner Joey Porter (contract dispute) was inactive and could be traded, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.

CHECK BACK MONDAY FOR BRONCOS @ CHIEFS AND WEEK 1 LEFTOVERS

EMAIL BOB - bkempzail@aol.com

9/12 - COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYSIS

        *ARIZONA STATE’S SPECIAL TEAMS GAVE IT ALMOST NO CHANCE TO WIN AT TEXAS A&M: The Sun Devils, a 14.5-point underdog, trailed just 24-20 entering the fourth quarter but a third massive special teams gaffe resulted in a quick TD in the eventual 48-20 Aggies victory ... ASU quarterback Cutter Boley was mostly impressive (21 of 34 for 254 yards and 2 touchdwns).

        *ARIZONA WAS PHYSICALLY MANHANDLED DURING THE SECOND HALF AFTER LEADING AT HALFTIME IN PROVO: BYU outscored the UA 14-0 and had a 185-87 total yards edge after halftime in the 28-17 victory. Last season, Arizona blew a second half lead to BYU during a double overtime loss in Tucson.     

         *STEVE SARKISIAN FINALLY GOT A WIN AGAINST OHIO STATE WHICH LED 20-3 AFTER DOMINATING THE FIRST HALF: Texas scored the game-winning TD with 25 seconds remaining in the 24-23 victory, It was the third  Longhorn TD in the FOURTH-QUARTER. Before Saturday, Sarkisian was 0-5 the last 2 seasons against Ohio State and Georgia. Ohio State’s recent history of missing big field goals in losses continued when Baylor transfer Connor Hawkins badly hooked an attempt that would have extended the lead to 26-10.   

        *MICHIGAN’S DEFENSE WAS DOMINANT AGAINST OKLAHOMA WHICH STILL HAS ISSUES AT QUARTERBACK AND ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE: The Wolverines, an absurd 4.5-point home underdog, did little on offense but excellent defense and special teams play was enough in the 17-10 victory. Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, overrated last season, threw an awful 4th quarter pick in OU territory with the game tied at 10 that led to a 5-yard Michigan touchdown drive.

‍ ‍*OREGON  WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSET LOSERS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY: The Ducks, 24.5 favorites, lost 39-31 at Oklahoma State which had lost 12 consecutive games. According to the ABC telecast, it was the first time EVER that a team with a losing streak of at least 10 games lost to a Top 10 opponent ... AND, it was NOT a fluke as the Cowboys outgained the Ducks 554-281.  

9/10 NFL SEASON LONG PREDICTIONS

DIVISION PICKS

*NFC EAST: Phil, Dall, NYG, Wash

        *NFC NORTH: Chic, Minn, Det, GB

        *NFC SOUTH: TB, Car, Norl, Atl

        *NFC WEST: LAR, Sea, SF, Az

        *AFC EAST: Buff, NE, NYJ, Mia

        *AFC NORTH: Balt, Cincy, Pitt, Cle

        *AFC SOUTH: Hou, Jax, Indy, Tenn

        *AFC WEST: Den, LAC, KC, LV

        *NFC CHAMP: Los Angeles

        *AFC CHAMP: Houston

        *SUPER BOWL CHAMP: LA Rams

9/9 THE NFL IS BACK

‍ ‍ *THE SEAHAWKS STOLE THE OPENING NIGHT 13-10 VICTORY WHEN DRAKE MAY THREW HIS THIRD INTERCEPTION WITH 26 SECONDS REMAINING AND THE PATRIOTS IN POSIITON TO AT LEAST TIE THE GAME WITH A CHIP SHOT FIELD GOAL: The Seahawks won their 11th consecutive game going back to lace season after losing Sam Darnold to a hip injury on the 5th snap ... The Patriots were 9-0 on the road last season and lost new addition A.J. Brown (hip) to a third quarter injury.  

*AARON DONALD WILL NOT BE ACTIVE IN THURSDAY’S RAMS SEASON OPENER IN AUSTRALIA VERSUS THE 49ERS: He is coming out of retirement but did not take the 15-hour flight.

*PATRICK MAHOMES WILL PLAY ON MONDAY NIGHT IN THE CHIEFS SEASON OPENER AGAINST THE BRONCOS: This is hardly breaking news, but Andy Reid confirmed on Tuesday that his quarterback’s 2025 season ending knee injury is healed.

        *TUA TAGOVAILOA WILL START WEEK 1 FOR THE FALCONS: Michael Penix Jr. has yet to be cleared to return from his 2025 season-ending injury.

*THE COWBOYS WILL BEGIN THE SEASON SHORTHANDED: Starting guard Tyler Smith will miss at least 4 games with a thumb injury.  

        *GOOD MORNING AMERICA HYPED WEDNESDAY’S FERNANDO MENDOZA APPEARANCE FOR WEEKS: ABC was obviously not anticipating Mendoza totally sucking during the pre-season, except when he had some success against the awful Arizona Cardinals backups.

9/7

*SMU CONTINUALLY LACKED ATTENTION TO DETAIL BUT STILL WON AT FLORIDA STATE: SMU overcame 4 turnovers and multiple IGNORANT penalties to escape with a 27-24 win at Florida State. The Mustangs won because they had 585 yards.

        MANY FSU FANS ARE MORE INTERESTED IN MIKE NORVELL BEING FIRED THAN THE SEMINOLES WINNING: The Tallahassee fan base LOUDLY booed with frequency even when the Seminoles were playing well, including when the score was tied at 24.

*BLOWBACK FROM MICHIGAN’S LUCKY SEASON OPENING VICTORY: First-year Michigan coach Kyle Willingham spent much of his weekly MONDAY press conference answering questions about starting quarterback Bryce Underwood who did NOT receive a ringing endorsement from his new head coach who did NOT recruit him ... FYI - Michigan is a 5.5-point home underdog this Saturday against Oklahoma.  

9/6 MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL

‍ ‍*WASHINGTON’S OFFENSIVE LINE NEEDS TO IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY: Washington, 24-point favorites, overcame 12 penalties to win 24-10 in the 18th edition of The Apple Cup.  The Huskies led by 1 score before adding a touchdown with 2:18 remaining.

*NOTRE DAME WILL MISS THE NOW NFL ROOKIE SKILL TRIO OF JEREMIYAH LOVE, JADARIAN PRICE AND MALACHI FIELDS: Notre Dame, favored by 22.5, scored touchdowns on offense and defense during the first 6:00 of the second half after leading only 13-10 at halftime in the eventual 41-13 win over now good Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.

*OLE MISS QUARTERBACK TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS OUTDUELED LOUISVILLE COUNTERPART LINCOLN KIENHOLZ IN THE LONE WEEK 1 GAME BETWEEN RANKED OPPONENTS: Both quarterbacks were bad in the first half but excellent after intermission in the 41-38 shootout that was decided on a final play field goal. Ole Miss lost 3 key players (running back Kewan Lacy (quad), right tackle Tommy Kinsler (knee) and defensive lineman Cam Franklin to injuries during the second half.  

        *UCLA APPARENTLY AVOIDED A SERIOUS INJURY: Nico Iamaleava left Saturday night’s 45-24 win over California in the fourth quarter.

        *AUBURN RECORDED A RARE 1-POINT WIN: The Tigers 17-16 win on Saturday was their first 1-point victory in 16 seasons. Auburn last season LOST six one-score games.

        *DABO SWINNEY WAS UNDEFEATED IN BATON ROUGE: Before Saturday’s embarrassing 51-10 loss at LSU, the Clemson coach bragged that he was 6-1 all-time, all as an assistant for Alabama. It was Dabo’s worst loss in 241 games as a head coach.

CHECK BACK WEDNESDAY FOR SEAHAWKS-PATRIOTS AND MORE - EMAIL BOB @bkempzail.aol.com

9/5 - COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1

        *THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE HANDED MICHIGAN AN UNDESERVED VICTORY: The conference officiating crew inexplicably allowed the Wolverines to run 1 final play after the stadium clock IN ANN ARBOR clearly hit 0:00. The extra play resulted in a Hail Mary touchdown pass and Michigan 13-12 win  in a game in which THE VICTORS had 10 penalties and 3 turnovers. The home crowd spent the majority of the second half booing.  

*FROM THE HERE WE GO AGAIN CATERGORY - THE BIG 12 LOST ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE MATCHUP: Baylor turned it over 3 times and allowed 436 yards in a 17-16 loss to Auburn at Atlanta.

       *FORMER ARIZONA STATE QUARTERBACK SAM LEAVITT LED LSU TO AN EASY WIN OVER CLEMSON: Leavitt completed 16 of 28 passes for 230 yards with 1 touchdown plus 12 carries for yards and another score in the 51-10 rout.

        *OREGON MIGHT HAVE MISSED THEIR 2025 COORDINATORS WHO LEFT FOR HEAD COACHING JOBS: The Ducks, favored by 25.5 points, trailed 17-7 in the first half and needed a touchdown with 7:57 remaining to beat visiting Boise State 34-27.

*THE UPSET OF THE SEASON MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED ON THURSDAY NIGHT: Rutgers, favored by 29.5 points, lost AT HOME 37-21 to lowly UMasss, the lone winless FBS winless team in 2025.

        *HEISMAN TROPHY TALK IN SEPTEMBER IS STUPID: Don’t tell that to Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith who struck the Heisman pose after his second TD against Ball State, likely one of the worst teams on Planet Earth.

9/3 - DIAMONDBACKS/OTHER NL NOTES

‍ ‍ *I AM NOT ROOTING AGAINST THE DIAMONDBACKS, BUT I AM ROOTING AGAINST MR. SELFISH AND OUT OF EXCUSES KETEL MARTE: I hope he makes an out every at bat and makes an error every opportunity on defense. Marte returned to the lineup on Monday at home. Many of the hometown Arizona justifiably booed him but those who cheered in approval should be ashamed for supporting a selfish loser.

*THE DBACKS BAT WERE FORTUNATE TO WIN 1 OF 3 GAMES THIS WEEK VERSUS THE PHILLIES: Arizona scored 4 runs total in the 3 games, left 20 runners on base and went ZERO for 16 with runners in scoring position.

*IF CORBIN CARROLL DOES NOT START PRODUCING, THE DIAMONDBACKS WILL NOT REACH THE POST-SEASON: Carroll was 0 for 3 on Wednesday and is 3 for his last 36.

*PITCHING ADDITIONS MIGHT BE CLOSE: Zac Gallen (elbow) is scheduled to make a simulated start on Friday while Corbin Burnes (elbow) has started a minor league rehab assignment. Gallen has been out since July 7 and was mostly awful this season when he did pitch (3-9, 6.34). Byrnes has not pitched THIS SEASON.

*THE BREWERS ARE 2-1 AGAINST THE CUBS 3 GAMES INTO THEIR 7-GAME IN 10 DAY STRETCH: The rare 4 all night game series at Wrigley Series concludes on Thursday. The big headline thus far was the Wednesday night Milwaukee win after likely NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski allowed 5 runs in the first 2 innings. Milwaukee is the lone MLB team with at least 86 wins in the last 9 full schedule seasons.

*THE NL EAST WILL TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT THE NEXT 10 DAYS: The Braves lead the Phillies by 4 games. Beginning on Friday, they square off 7 times in 10 days.

CHECK BACK SATURDAY FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL

EMAIL BOB - bkempzail@aol.com

9/1 - NFL ROSTER MOVES

*THE CARDINALS, SITTING THIRD ON THE WAIVER WIRE CLAIM ORDER, SHOULD BE HIGHLY ACTIVE BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER 13TH OPENER: Among those cut over the weekend were cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting who was in the final season of a ridiculous at the time 3-year/$22.5 million deal, and Starling Thomas V, a former second round selection.   

*THE CARDINALS PLACED JAMES CONNOR ON INJURED RESERVE: Connor missed the final 14 games in 2025 after an ankle injury.

*MORE BAD NEWS FOR CARDINALS’ FANS - AARON DARNOLD WILL PLAY THIS SEASON FOR THE RAMS: After weeks of speculation, the future Hall of Famer made it official on Sunday.

*ALSO OFFICIAL, ASU ALUM JORDYN TYSON WILL MISS AT LEAST 2 MONTHS: His rookie season with the Saints will begin on injured reserve because of his long-time hamstring issues.

*OBJ IS PART OF THE GIANTS ROSTER: New coach John Harbaugh did NOT keep him for historic reasons. Beckham earned the spot during training camp and the preseason. 

*STICKING WITH THE GIANTS, THEY CUT A FORMER 7TH OVERALL PICK OF THE DRAFT: Offensive lineman Evan Neal was #7 in the 2022 draft but has significantly underperformed.

8/31 - RED SOX-YANKEES WEEKEND LEFTOVERS

        *THE YANKEES AND RED SOX ARE HIGHLY LIKELY TO BE THE TOP 2 AMERICAN LEAGUE: The Yankees are 4.5 games behind the first-place Rays in the East vyt New York, after winning 3 of 4 in the Bronx over the weekend, are 4 up over Boston in the Wild Card standings.

        *THE RED SOX HAVE LOST 10 OF THEIR LAST 22 GAMES: Boston did get some reinforcements back before Sunday’s 16-1 loss with top prospect Roman Anthony and badly needed starting shortstop Trevor Story activated.

*ADLEY RUTSCHMAN HAS NOT BEEN GOOD: Since being traded from Baltimore on deadline day, the catcher is 9 for 53 (.169) with 1 home run and only 4 runs batted in.

        *PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT HAS BEEN CLOSE TO WORTHLESS THIS SEASON VERSUS RIGHTHANDED PITCHERS: Thru Sunday, against righties he is barely hitting above the Mendoza Line (.201 with 7 home runs and 25 RBIs in 147 plate appearances).

        *THE YANKEES MADE A ROSTER MOVE BEFORE SUNDAY’S GAME: Luis Gil will pitch out of the bullpen, mostly in long relief. He has been oft sidelined with a variety of injuries since his impressive 15-7, 3.50 season in 2024.

*BOSTON’S BEST PITCHER MIGHT MISS HIS NEXT START: Sonny Gray (16-4, 2.82) has some issue that the Red Sox were vague about on Sunday. 

8/30 - RANDOM NOTES

*THE RAIDERS HAVE NO CHOICE OTHER THAN TO START KIRK COUSINS IN WEEK 1: First overall pick Fernando Mendoza was decent only against the pathetic Arizona backup defenders. He was mediocre too bad during the 2 other Las Vegas pre-season games.

*THE QB ROOM IN NEW ORLEANS BETWEEN PHOENIX AREA QUARTERBACKS  MAY BE OVER: Tyler Shough won the starting job for a second consecutive season and the weekend has been filled with Spencer Rattler trade rumors.

*THE STEELERS TRADED THEIR STARTING LEFT TACKLE OF THE LAST 2 SEASONS: The Cowboys, always looking for offensive linemen, added Broderick Jones who started 38 games for Pittsburgh.

*AARON JUDGE COULD BE ACTIKVATED THIS WEEK: He will not go a rehab assignment and will instead travel with the Yankees who begin a 3-city road trip Monday at Anaheim.

*THE NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP WILL BE DECIDED IN SEPTEMBER: Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered a 3-home run game on Saturday while Shohei Ohtani may pitch this week for the first time since July 3 (bicep soreness and knee issues). 

*AT LEAST 3 POSSIBLE DIFFERENCE MAKING PLAYERS WILL LIKELY BE ON NEW MLB TEAMS THIS WEEK: Geo Suarez, R.J. Friedl and Luis Robert were all placed on waivers last week.

8/29 - COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK ZERO

        *BIG 12 FOOTBALL WAS EMBARRASSED IMMEDIATELY: TCU, 9.5-point favorites, was physically defeated and significantly outcoached as North Carolina and Bill Belichick, picked to finish 15th in the ACC, defeated TCU and Sonny Dykes whose undisciplined team had 11 penalties during the 15-10 loss in the Dublin rain.

*USC WAS THE LONE RANKED TEAM PLAYING SATURDAY: The 14th ranked Trojans, unbeaten at home last season, were 37.5-point favorites today and won 42-26 over San Jose State. USC led 35-3 in the third quarter.

*VIRGINIA’S OFFENSIVE LINE IS A JOE MOORE AWARD CANDIDATE: The Cavaliers, anchored by the most experienced OL in college football, rushed for 258 yards and toyed with N.C. State throughout the 34-8 victory. Three-time portal transfer quarterback Beau Pribulla rushed 15 times for 110 yards. If he continues to get that many carries throughout the season, it is highly unlikely he will remain healthy.

*N.C. STATE WILL NEVER GET OVER THE HUMP WITH DAVE DOEREN: The Wolfpack have not won the ACC since 1979 and never won more than 9 games in any of his 13 seasons with their current head coach. Quarterback C.J. Bailey has NFL skills but made a massive mistake but NOT leaving via the transfer portal. On Saturday, he was 12 of 23 for a career low 84 yards throwing to one of the worst receiving groups in college football.

        *FLORIDA STATE MUST IMPROVE SIGNICANTLY BEFORE SEPTEMBER 7TH: Oft-criticized and vastly overpaid Mike Norvell ($10.3 million this season on a 8-year contract thru 2031) spent much of Saturday’s opener hearing boos from the sellout crowd before pulling away in the fourth quarter as 31.5-point favorites in the eventual 34-17 homefield win over New Mexico State. FSU wide receiver and NFL prospect 6-6 Duce Robinson from Phoenix Pinnacle High School caught 3 passes for 50 yards and drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone. The Seminoles next host ACC heavyweight SMU.

        *KEY COLLEGE FOOTBALL PERSONNEL NOTES: Stud Missouri running back Ahmed Hardy (gunshot wound) is out until at least mid-September ... All SEC Texas linebacker Anthony Smith has been removed from the program (detrimental conduct).

8/28 - PACKERS 42, CARDINALS 38

        *BOTH TEAMS RESTED THEIR PROJECTED STARTERS: The starters participated in Wednesday’s Cardinals-Packers joint scrimmage. By the way, not surprisingly, the Green Bay starters reportedly had the upper hand versus its Arizona counterparts.  

        *JEREMIYAH LOVE WORKED OUT ON THE FIELD BEFORE FRIDAY NIGHT’S GAME: The third pick of the draft has been sidelined with an ankle issue since he foolishly was used for 14 touches in his opening pre-season game.

        *IT WAS THIRD AND FINAL GARDNER MINSHEW TRADE SHOWCASE GAME: He finished the preseason completing 40 of 48 passes for 404 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.

*THE CARDINALS SHOULD TRADE AT LEAST 1 WIDE RECEIVER: Arizona has at least 6 NFL quality players at that position while they desperately need many even average defensive players.

        *ALL NFL TEAMS MUST CUT TO 53 PLAYERS BY SUNDAY: Arizona, because of its lack of even decent depth, should be among the NFL leaders in transactions before the September 13 season opener against the Chargers in Los Angeles.

827 - AROUND MLB

        *EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ IS SAVING THE DIAMONDBACKS:With the rest of the rotation struggling, Arizona moved to 21-6 this season in Rodriguez starts after he allowed just 2 hits in 7 shutout innings to ignite the 2-0 win over the Cubs.

        *THIS IS SPOTLIGHT WEEK FOR THE DODGERS: Thursday night’s series finale at Atlanta is Yoshinobu Yamamoto versus Chris Sale. Friday night, Tarik Skubal is the scheduled starting pitcher in his return to Detroit. Also Friday, Shohei Ohtani will hrow a bullpen, and it that goes well, he could start Sunday in Detroit.  

        *THE BREWERS HAVE AN MLB BEST 82 WINS: Milwaukee began a stretch this week of playing 16 consecutive days, including 7 games versus the Cubs.

*THE YANKEES AND RED SOX PLAY 4 THIS WEEKEND IN THE BRONX: The Yankees are 2 up on the Red Sox heading into the series, including Saturday’s split doubleheader.

        *BRYCE HARPER IS A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER: This season, Harper has 27 homers and 77 runs batted in and, amazingly, in 571 plate appearances, he has been hit by pitch ONCE!

        *JACOB DEGROM’S PATH TO COOPERSTOWN HAS BEEN DERAILED BY INJURY: Last weekend he became the second fastest pitcher ever to achieve 2,000 strikeouts.

NEXT UPDATE FRIDAY NIGHT - CARDINALS @ PACKERS

EMAIL BOB - bkempzail@aol.com

8/24 - RANDOM NOTES

*THE DIAMONDBACKS ARE STUCK WITH KETEL MARTE: After his selfish and classless actions of last week, once he is activated, they should make him the final man on the bench or hope he opts for a Roulette table. Unfortunately, they can NOT designate him for assignment because he would immediately be claimed on waivers by a contender that would not be scared off by his hefty contract status.

        *THE BROWNS DO NOT HAVE A LEGITIMATE NFL QUARTERBACK: Monday’s announcement that Deshawn Watson will start ahead of Shedeur Sanders should NOT have been a surprise. Browns GM Andrew Berry has NEVER been a Sanders guy having drafted Dillon Gabriel before Sanders. Also consider this, the Browns offense will have 6-7 first year starters.

        *THANKS GOD ESPN AND FOX STARTED THEIR PRESEASON COVERAGE: It was refreshing to hear Joe Buck and Troy Aikman last Monday night and Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma on Sunday compared to the informercial local broadcasts proclaiming their teams will finish 16-0 ... More on Vilma and his playing days, he waving his arms to approximately 30,000 Jets fans orchestrating the Jets-Jets-Jets cheer in Sun Devil Stadium that might be the most hilarious thing I have ever witnessed in my 30+ years covering NFL games.  

        *THE TEXANS MADE A LIKELY DECISIVE TRADE ON MONDAY TO SOLVE THEIR WIDE RECEIVER ISSUE: Houston acquired Kayshon Boutte from the Patriots to replace and significantly upgrade from Jayden Higgins who suffered a season-ending torn ACL during training camp.

        *MY FAVORITE RUNNING BACK THIS CENTURY HAS RETIRED AFTER MANY INJURIES: Nick Chubb was the most instinctual running back in the NFL and University of Georgia. He’s also a smart dude which could land him, if he desires, on television.

        *THE COMMANDERS ARE DOWN MAYBE THEIR BEST PLAYER: Left tackle Laremy Tunsil (torn triceps) will miss a significant portion, if not all, of the 2026 season.

NEXT UPDATE THURSDAY - AROUND MLB

EMAIL BOB - bkempzail@aol.com

8/23 - COWBOYS 34, CARDINALS 13 (SATURDAY NIGHT)

*FIRST YEAR HEAD COACH MIKE LEFLEUR WAS PREDICTABLY DISGUSTED: Nearly all the starters did not play, but the backups were mostly awful with multiple pre-snap penalties, drops, pathetic tackling and non-existent pass defense that allowed 3 touchdown passes to NFL journeyman Joe Milton. Also, the Cardinals, predictably, were physically manhandled at the line of scrimmage on bot sides of the ball.

*THE LONE PRESEASON HOME GAME WAS A NEUTRAL SITE GAME AT BEST: Cowboys fans took over State Farm Stadium which has been the case in Arizona since Jerry Jones declared Arizona as “Cowboys Country” after a Dallas rout of Arizona in the 1990s at Sun Devil Stadiuim.

*CARDINALS RUNNING BACK JEREMIYAH LOVE WILL NOT PLAY UNTIL HOPEFULLY WEEK 1 ON THE ROAD VERSUS THE CHARGERS: He suffered an ankle injury after foolishly overused during a 14-touch preseason game at Las Vegas.

*IT WAS GARNDER MINSHEW TRADE SHOWCASE, PART 2: He completed 19 of 23 for 177 yards and 1 real bad red zone interception.

*FREE AGENT RECEIVER JALEN BROOKS APPEARS TO BE A LOCK TO MAKE THE 53-MAN ROSTER:A positive sign is he did not even play against Dallas, the team that drafted him in 2023.

*TWO PLAYERS FROM THE 2023 CARDINALS DRAFT CLASS ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE ON THE WEEK 1 ROSTER: Second round edge rusher BJ Ojulari and sixth rounder Kry’ Trel Clark played deep into the fourth quarter on Saturday.

8/20, 5 PM - NFL RANDOM NOTES

*THE CARDINALS ARE BY FAR THE BIGGEST WEEK 1 UNDERDOG: Arizona is a 10.5-point dog at LA against the Chargers. I have preferred NFL underdogs forever, but there is NO WAY I will bet on Arizona’s pathetic defense.

*ASU ALUM JORDYN TYSON IS INJURED AGAIN: The Saints rookie will miss AT LEAST 2 months with yet another hamstring injury.

        *CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY IS MISSING PRACTICES: There are many that believe he is not ailing physically but is sitting out in a contract dispute after Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs signed contract extensions.

        *THE BUCCANEERS HAVE ONE LESS CONCERN TODAY: Stud tackle Vita Vea ended his contract dispute, signing a 1-year, $30 million deal.

        *THE COWBOYS WISELY SIGNED VON MILLER: The future Hall Of Famer had 9 sacks last season in part-time duty with the Commanders.

        *TREY LANCE REMAINS A BACKUP QUARTERBACK AT BEST: It’s 5 years since he was surprisingly the third pick of the draft by quarterback guru Kyle Shanahan.

8/18 - AROUND MLB

*THE DIAMONDBACKS ARE LYING TO THEIR LOYAL FAN BASE: Ketel Marte is a problem, AGAIN. With his teammates fighting for the final wild card, Marte was MIA for hours. He flew to Boston WITH THE TEAM, then failed to show up for Monday’s game and landed on the seldom used restricted list. Torey Lovullo admitted he did not know where Marte was when interviewed after the game by Jody Jackson who asked all the right questions. Tuesday morning Marte was reportedly headed back to Phoenix for an MRI on his knee but Lovullo said prior to Tuesday night’s game that the Dbacks organization has still not heard from Marte.

        *THE MIGHTY DODGERS ARE CURRENTLY THIRD IN THE IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS:Milwaukee took a 3-game lead after winning 3 of 4 last weekend at Dodger Stadium with star second baseman Bryce Turang out because of injury. LA scored 10 runs in 4 games and desperately need a healthy Will Smith who has Beeb out since June 6 because of back issues.

*I ATTENDED THE FIRST EVER CUBS-WHITE SOX REGULAR SEASON GAME: That game June 16, 1997 (my 40th birthday) was fun, but neither team was any good. The Cubs-White Sox series this week is epic because both teams are very good. One thing I have not understood for years is how MANY Cubs SEASON TICKET HOLDERS sell their tickets to White Sox fans. 

*LOOKING AHEAD, THE BREWERS AND CUBS STILL SQUARE OFF 7 TIMES: Those 7 games are in a 10-game span (August 31-September 3 at Wrigley and September 7-9 at Milwaukee).

*THE YANKEES BAD DEFENSE REMAINS AN ISSUE: New York below average gloves at first base and rightfield, both crucial positions in Yankee Stadium games.

        *NO DIVISION EVER HAS BEEN WORSE THE CURRENT AL WEST: The current combined winning percentage of the 5 teams in the division has the lowest winning percentage of any MLB division since division play started in 1969.

NEXT UPDATE THURSDAY - RANDOM STUFF

EMAIL BOB - bkempzail@aol.com

8/17 - AROUND THE NFL

        *THE BROWNS QUARTERBACK SITUATION REMAINS A MESS: Deshawn Watson was OK in the preseason opener which he started. Shedeur Sanders threw an awful second half interception and will start the second preseason game, according to Todd Modken, who has not named a regular season starter.

        *THE BEARS MAIN STORY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ON-FIELD PERFORMANCE: Instead, the Chicago franchise moving to northern Indiana is dominating the headlines.

*THE BEARS DO HAVE AN ON-FIELD ISSUE: Elite safety Coby Bryant, signed away from the Seahawks, will miss 4-6 MONTHS after left knee surgery.

*JAXSON DART STILL HAS NOT LEARNED TO TAKE A HIT: He somehow passed concussion protocol and foolishly returned to throw a touchdown pass in the preseason opener.

*RAMS ROOKIE FIRST ROUNDER TY SIMPSON IS A PERFECT FIT IN SEAN MCVAY’S SYSTEM: However, forget that if the Rams win the Super Bowl on Valentine Day in their home stadium. A championship would result in Matthew Stafford retiring and more likely Sean McVay leaving for television, most likely the CBS #1 analyst seat replacing the probably still intoxicated Tony Romo.  

*THE BILLS MIGHT TRADE KEON COLEMAN: The disappointing wide receiver had some second unit snaps during the first preseason game.

• 8/16 - A LOCAL FOOTBALL UPDATE

        *THE CARDINALS RECEIVED EXPECTED BAD NEWS: Projected starting rookie right guard Chase Bisontis will miss the entire regular season after going down with a torn ACL in his left knee during the third quarter of the second preseason game last Thursday night at Las Vegas.

*JEREMIYAH LOVE WILL ALSO MISS TIME: Love injured an ankle while getting an unnecessary 14 touches in the game at Las Vegas.

        *THERE IS NO TIMETABLE FOR A JAMES CONNER RETURN: The 2024 Cardinals leading rusher has not been available after the 2025 Week 3 season-ending ankle injury.O

        *KYLER MURRAY HAS BEEN NAMED MINNESOTA’S STARTING QUARTERBACK: He was declared the starter ahead of J.J. McCarthy before the first preseason game.

*ASU ALUM JORDYN TYSON CONTINUES TO HAVE HAMSTRING ISSUES: The wide receiver has been shutdown in Saints training camp. He had frequent issues at ASU and was unavailable at the NFL Scouting Combine last February.

        *THE SUPER BOWL FAVORED RAMS MIGHT GET EVEN BETTER: Aaron Donald seems ready to return from retirement, something Sean McVay would not officially confirm on Saturday.

‍8/13 - CARDINALS 27, RAIDERS 14

        *THIS WAS NOT HIGH-LEVEL FOOTBALL: Arizona and Las Vegas were 2 of the 3 worst teams in the NFL last season, and according to Bleacher Report, the Cardinals and Raiders have 2 of the 3 worst rosters this season, along with the the Jets.   

        *THE CARDINALS HAVE PLENTY OF SKILL PLAYERS: Jacoby Brissett was 5 of 5 for 44 yards and a touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr., who has struggled getting separation in training camp, a constant regular season issue in 2025.

        *TOP PICK JEREMIYIAH LOVE LOOKED GREAT: He had 14 FIRST-HALF touches (11 runs for 58 yards, 3 receptions for 15 yards). The third selection of the draft multiple times made the first man miss, something he did in excess during his first team All American final season at Notre Dame.

        *THE CARDIALS FIRST UNIT DEFENSE WAS PATHETIC: It resembled last season when Arizona led the NFL in missed tackles.

*CARSON BECK DID NOT PLAY: The third-round rookie (ribs) was apparently injured at some point in last week’s opener against the Panthers.

        *IN OTHER INJURY NEWS: Cardinals second round selection Chase Bisontis, competing for the starting tight guard spot, did not return after going down with an ugly looking knee injury.

8/11 - AROUND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

*PLAYERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROPER TIME TO USE AN ABS CHALLENGE: Counting spring training it has been more than 6 months, yet it seems at least once per game there is a foolish attempt by catchers and/or hitters.

*THE JAYS OFFENSE HAS NEARLY VANISHED: The World Series Game 7 group from last season scored the 4th most tuns per game in MLB. This season, with basically the same players, Toronto is 30th (dead last) in runs per game.

*THE PIRATES DECLINE IS DESERVED: Pittsburgh is 4 games below .500 with their season-long awful fundamentals on defense and poor situational hitting catching up.

*THE PADRES MAY GET AN UNEXPECTED ADDITION: Yu Darvish, believed to be out for the season after elbow surgery, has been throwing in recent days.

*JACK WILSON HAS THE BEST HANDS OF ANY SHORTSTOP EVER:He broke the all-time MLB record with 110 consecutive errorless games at the psotion.

*THE YANKEES HAVE RECEIVED MUCH NEEDED HELP FROM TOP PRSOPECT GEORGE LOMBARD: He is already an elite defender and massive upgrade over the erratic Anthony Volpe, plus Lombard has hit 2 homers in his first 5 MLB games.

8/8 - LARRY FITZGERALD LANDS IN CANTON

*I COVERED THE CARINALS FOR 22 SEASONS: Larry Fttzgerald was BY FAR the best player over that span and NO DOUBT a first ballot Hall of Famer.

*EASILY THE INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHT OF THOSE 22 SEASONS WAS A FITZ MOMENT: I was in Tampa covering the Cardinals Super Bowl. Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown with 2:47 remaining gave Arizona a 22-20 lead. Unfortunately, the Cardinals defense was unable to maintain the lead.

*ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT WAS FROM TRAINING CAMPS IN FLAGSTAFF: The highlight of nearly every practice were the 1 on 1 highly competitive battles between the still in his prime Patrick Peterson versus Fitz. Both of them took those drills very seriously,

*IT’S A SHAME LARRY FITZGERALD SR. WAS NOT IN CANTON TODAY: Unfortunately, Larry Sr. passed away just 2 months ago.

8/6 - CARDINALS PRE-SEASON GAME 1

        *NEW CARDINALS HEAD COACH MIKE LAFLEUR LOOKED COMFORTABLE: Most notably he is calling the offensive players, something he obviously did not do as an assistant coach for the Rams who have Sean McVay calling the plays.

*FIRST ROUND PICK JEREMIYAH LOVE DID NOT PLAY: It MIGHT be the new coaching staff waiting for the rookie to earn playing time or it MIGHT be a rookie struggling to adjust to the NFL?

        *ROOKIE CARSON BECK WAS IMPRESSIVE: Jacoby Brissett’s projected backup took advantage of the opportunity, completing 15 of 19 for188 yards with 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions.

        *THERE IS NO D IN ARIZONA: The Cardinals were 29th in points allowed last season and it Is shocking that LaFleur kept inept coordinator Nick Rollis.

        *ONE CARDINAL DEFENDER STOOD OUT: Tackle Andrew Billings, fighting for a roster spot, was dominant during one first quarter sequence.

        *IF ANYONE CARES: Panthers 33, Cardinals 30.

8/4 - MLB TRADE DEADLINE

*THE WILDEST TRADE DEADLINE IN MEMORY IS OVER: Some years it seemed like nothing was going to happen. Not 2026 when 37 trades were finalized ON MONDAY.

*THE DIAMONDBACKS MADE JUST 1 ADDITION: Outfielder Lars Nootbaar was no longer wanted by St. Louis. Arizona’s awful minor league system significantly limited the trade options.

*THE DODGERS ORGANIZATIONAL DEPTH, NOT MONEY, LANDED TARIK SKUBAL: He went to LA because it had the best group of prospects to land the top prize of this deadline. After the trade the Dodgers are +185 to win the World Series, -105 to win the National League.

*THE RED SOX ARE ALL ABOUT RIGHT NOW: Boston used 3 of its top 5 prospects to add catcher Adley Rutschman who shuts down the opposing running game and puts the ball in play.

*THE YANKEES DID NOT ADD A CATCHER AS WIDELY ANTICIPATED BUT AL EAST RIVALS TAMPA AND BOSTON DID: In addition to Boston trading for Rutschman, the Rays acquired offensive weapon Liam Hicks plus Joel Peralta perfectly fits the Tampa pitching philosophy.

*THE CUBS ADDED TWO STARTING PITCHERS: Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes could be pivotal in October, but what about the bullpen which THIS SEASON has at least 1 save from 13 DIFFERENT pitchers?

8/2 - NFL BACK TOGETHER WEEKEND

*THE CARDINALS ARE THE NEAR UNANIMOUS PICK TO FINISH LAST IN THE TOP SHELF NFC WEST: Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Indianapolis and the Jets were the lone teams not part of The NFL Network training camp updates Saturday or Sunday.   

*49ERS HEAD COACH KYLE SHANAHAN IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILALBLE TO START THE REGULAR SEASON: He has been an occasional training camp participant following a near fatal July car accident in  which he was at fault.

*PATRICK MAHOMES HAS NOT BEEN RULED OUT FOR THE REGULAR SEASON OPENER: He has been a limited practice participant coming off last December’s significant knee injury that required extensive surgery. KC begins the regular season at Denver in the first Monday night game.

*THE PRE-SEASON SUPER BOWL FAVORITE RAMS MIGHT BE STRONGER SOON: Future lock Hall of Famer Aaron Donald has been working out and is expected to end his retirement.

*CALEB WILLIAMS HAS SLIMMED DOWN: The third-year quarterback has lost 10-15 pounds, but he still needs to be better than the worst NFL on-target passer he was last season.

*CBS GOT LUCKY: Highly overrated game analyst Tony Romo has been placed on medical leave following a widely reported DUI incident. CBS reportedly will save a significant amount of the 10-year,$180 million deal he signed in 2020.

7-31 - BIG TEN MEDIA DAYS  

*INDIANA IS AN UNDERDOG, AGAIN: The Hoosiers are picked to finish third in the Big Ten even after their 16-0 National Championship 2025 season.

        *OHIO STATE HAS NOT WON THE BIG TEN SINCE THE 2020 COVID SEASON: Yet the Buckeyes whose 15-game winning streak ended against Indiana in last season’s Big Ten Championship Game are picked to win this season.

        *MICHIGAN HAS A KILLER SCHEDULE: Kyle Whittingham’s team welcomes Oklahoma in Week 2 and also hosts Indiana before November road games at Oregon and Ohio State.

        *OREGON LAST SEASON LOST TO ONLY INDIANA (TWICE): The 2026 Ducks final 6 games include road trips to Illinois and Ohio State plus home games versus Michigan and Washington.

        *PENN STATE IS ALMOST ALL NEW: New coach Matt Campbell has 40 new players, including 24 from Iowa State topped by All Big 12 quarterback Rocco Bechi.  

        *USC NEEDS TO BE BETTER ON THE ROAD: The Trojans were 7-0 in the rejuvenated LA Coliseum but 2-4 on the road. The 2026 road slate includes Penn State, Indiana and UCLA.

7/30 MLB TRADE DEADLINE PREVIEW

        *THE TIGERS WILL DEAL TARIK SKUBAL: The price tag increased with the Dodgers now interested because of Shohei Ohtani’s currently questionable pitching status.

*KEVIN GAUSMAN WILL ALSO LIKELY BE ON THE MOVE: The Jays have gone from Game 7 of the World Series to last place in the AL East.

*FREE AGENT ELIGIBLE LUIS ARRAEZ WILL BE DEALT BEFORE THE AUGUST 3RD DEADLINE: The base hit machine will be one of many Giants on the move.

 *THE ASTROS ARE EXPECTED TO DEAL JEREMY PENA: He hired Scott Boras recently as his new agent. There is close to zero chance the Astros will sign Pena to a long-term deal.

 *THE PADRES MIGHT MOVE STUD CLOSER MASON MILLER: There is no hurry contractually because he is signed thru 2029.

 *OTHER TRADE CANDIDATES: The Marlins Sandy Alcantara, the Angels Zach Zeto and Jose Soriano, the Rockies Hunter Goodwin, the Royals Seth Lugo and the Mets Luke Weaver.

7/26 -RANDOM NOTES

* THE DIAMONDBACKS SHOULD SELL PRIOR TO THE AUGUST 3RD DEADLINE: Eduardo Rodriguez and Paul Sewald could help a pathetic farm system which is ranked 26th by Baseball America. Unfortunately, Mike Hazen, responsible for the awful rank, remains the general manager.

*THE DODGERS PLAY THE GAME WITH FEW MISTAKES: In the field, they almost always make the routine play, and, at the plate, they put the ball in play. The results are 13 consecutive post-seasons and 12 straight NL West championships.

*THE TIGERS MUST TRADE TARIK SKUBAL: Splitting a 4-game home series versus the lowly Royals should end any doubt. There is ZERO chance they will re-sign Skubal. Also, Steve Phillips believes Detroit could also trade Casey Mize.

*AROLDIS CHAPMAN IS A CERTAIN HALL OF FAMER: He became the all-time MLB saves leader this week.

*THE MARINERS-RANGERS 4-GAME SERIES CONCLUDES ON MONDAY: Seattle has IS 6-4 this season versus Texas and just 1.5 games behind in the AL West.  

*CUBS-PIRATES GAMES COULD BE AN INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO: The Cubs are baseball’s best defensive team while the Pirates are the Bad News Bears.

7/24 - SEC MEDIA DAYS OBSEVATIONS

*SEC TALKING DAYS SEEMED TAME: I long for the “Talkin’ Time” days of Steve Spurrier and “Rat Poison” from Nick Saban who did use that term while a member of the of the media on SEC Network.

*THERE WAS 1 TALKING POINT MENTIONED BY NEARLY EVERY COACH: The SEC has opted for 9 conference games which means half the teams will play 5 road games.

*THE SEC HAS 6 DIFFERENT COACHES: including 3 from the ACC which is a massive jump in talent.  

*GEORGIA IS SEEKING A 3RD CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME VICTORY: One of the highlights over the 4 days in Tampa was Kirby Smart discussing him studying the Oklahoma City Thunder because of their recent season annual success.

*ALABAMA COACH KALEN DEBOER WAS NOT RECEIVED WELL: The Tide media, and especially the fan base, were critical of the third-year Tide coach after saying, “We are NOT thinking national championship.”

*LANE KIFFIN CLAIMS HE IS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA: What’s next, a hot dog without mustard?

NEXT THIS WEEKEND - MLB RANDOM NOTES

7/20 - DODGERS/YANKEES OBSEVATIONS

*The Dodgers not surprisingly outclassed the shorthanded Yankees.

*Loa Angeles won 2 of 3 before Dave Roberts wisely went bullpen game on Sunday night before the trip continues with series versus the Phillies and Mets.

*The Dodgers mostly have the same starting 9 every game but should add a catcher because catcher Will Smith may not return healthy even in September.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto solidified his standing as baseball’s biggest clutch pitcher with a Sunday morning’s complete game domination.
The Yankees lost 10 of 11 at home before Sunday night’s win.

*Even if Aaron Judge returns healthy after the August 3rd trade deadline,  the Yankees need offensive help at catcher and third base.

7/17 - END SEASON MLB PREDICTIONS

NL EAST

1. Philadelphia: The Phillies should remove the weak link of the rotation Aaron Nola who is owed $9 million over EACH OF THE next 4 seasons.  

2. Atlanta: General manager Alex Anthopoulos has a long history of adding before the trade deadline.

3. Miami: The organization is making a mistake if they are buyers between today and the August 3rd deadline.

4. Washington: Entertainment guaranteed because of an explosive offense, bad defense and the MLB’s worst bullpen.  

5. New York: Front office man David Stearns did a horrendous job assembling this mess which had just Juan Soto on the All-Star Game.

NL CENTRAL

1. Milwaukee: The Brewers have hit the third fewest homers in baseball but still have baseball’s second best road record behind the Dodgers. 

2. Chicago: The Cubs must do better than David Peterson on the starting pitcher market.

3. Pittsburgh: The talented young starting staff is constantly throwing unnecessary pitchers because of horrendous fundamental defense resulting in multiple errors.

4. St. Louis: The Cardinals losing ways in July is likely to continue if the starting pitching does not show significant improvement.   

5. Cincinnati: It’s gotten so bad that Terry Francona has been booed in his home stadium.

NL WEST

1.Los Angeles: Edgar Diaz and Blake Snell are scheduled pitch soon for the first time this season.

2. Arizona: Sweeping the disinterested Dodgers in LA should not mean the Diamondbacks become buyers. Paul Sewald would be a highhly sought after closer.

3. San Diego: MLB’s most underachieving team starting tih Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.

4. Colorado: Predictably bad but mostly unwatchable.

5. San Francisco: Would fall into last place if they are able to find new home for Willy Adames, Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers are traded.

AL EAST

1. Tampa Bay: Look for the Rays to trade for an effective mid-level starting pitcher,

2. New York; Will when healthy excellent offense and SP depth overcome blow average defense at multiple positions - also when will Aaron Judge return?

3. Boston: 9-game winning streak near end of first half quickly turned fortunes.

4. Baltimore: awful (7-14) in 1 run games.

5. Toronto: from Game 7 of the World Series at trade deadline sellers?

AL CENTRAL

1. Cleveland: will pull away when Jose Ramirez returns from injury.

2. Chicago: second half collapse coming because of fewest innings pitched from rotation.

3. Minnesota: Joe Ryan is the best starting pitcher who should be traded.

4. Detroit: Would be stupid if they do NOT trade Tarik Skubal who it had no chance to signing long term.

5. Kansas City: Salvador Perez needs to retire.

AL WEST

1. Seattle: Will all righthanded rotation backfire?

2. Texas: MLBs most boring team.

3. Houston: Yordan Alvarez baseball’s most feared hitter.

4. Oakland: last season’s fun was a fluke.

5. Los Angeles: Unfortunately, management said Mike Trout will not be traded.