Geppi’s NFL Predictions

With the NFL season returning in less than two weeks, many prognosticators have offered their picks for the upcoming year. Here are my picks and later this week a breakdown of the AFC North; home of the 2010 division champions the Baltimore Ravens?

American Football Conference
East
* New York Jets
# Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills

North
* Baltimore Ravens
# Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns

South
* Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars

West
* San Diego Chargers
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders

National Football Conference
East
* Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles

North
* Green Bay Packers
# Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears

South
* New Orleans Saints
# Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

West
* San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals
St. Louis Rams

* denotes division winner
# denotes wild card

AFC Championship
Baltimore vs. New York Jets

NFC Championship
Green Bay vs. Minnesota

Super Bowl XLV
Baltimore vs. Green Bay

Golf Fundraiser

On Friday August 6th the Baltimore Touchdown Club is holding a Charity Golf Tournament to benefit Chris Mason-Hale. Chris is an extraordinary young man who is a 2009 graduate of Western Tech in Baltimore County. In his last scrimmage prior to the start of his senior football season he sustained a spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed. The lack of proper transportation has been a challenge for Chris and his family. The proceeds from this tournament have been earmarked for the purchase of a specially designed van.

Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Arrange a golf foursome for the tournament. The cost is 150 dollars per man (600 dollars per team) This includes greens fees and cart, curbside bag pick-up, practice range in morning, food and beverage all day, buffet dinner and awards.
2. If you can’t attend become a hole sponsor (150 dollars). Donations in any amount are welcomed.
3. Consider donating an item that can be used as a prize for the event.
4. Forward this email to others that are willing to support cause.

The tournament will take place at the beautiful Woodlands Golf Course in Windsor Mill, MD on Friday August 6th. Registration and breakfast will start at 6:45 a.m. Shotgun start at 8 a.m. and lunch at 1 p.m. A silent auction, raffle, dinner and awards will follow.

Checks can be made out to Baltimore Touchdown Club and mailed to:
c/o Scott Ripley
4419 Linden Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21227

Samuel Ready for the Challenge

Juan Samuel was officially announced as the Orioles’ interim manager at a press conference at Oriole Park at Camden Yards this afternoon.

Samuel said that while he did not want to become a big league manager at the expense of Dave Trembley, he is thankful for everything the ousted Orioles skipper taught him.

“I spoke to Dave [Trembley] and thanked him for keeping me here during so many changes,” Samuel said. “I appreciate everything he did [for me].”

Samuel, 49, started his major league career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980. He played for 16 years and also spent time with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays.

In 1984, Samuel was named the National League Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News and voted second by the Baseball Writers Association of America. That season he batted .272, led the NL with 19 triples and finished with 72 stolen bases.

Samuel is the only player in major league history to have double digits in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases in each of his first four years.

After ending his career with the Tigers following the 1998 season, Samuel was named first base coach for the club the following season. In 2002, he became the Tigers’ third base coach six games into the season.

Prior to joining the Orioles in 2007, Samuel managed the Binghamton Mets at the Double-A level. He led them to a 70-69 second place finish.

Samuel said that during today’s player meeting he told the team that they have to turn things around.

“I let them know we have to change this thing,” Samuel said. “Let’s go out and compete for 90 [plus] games.”

Competing is something this year’s Orioles have not been able to accomplish. They are 15-39 a third of the way into the season and have scored three runs or less in more than 30 percent of their games.

Samuel said that he does not feel pressured in his new role. He also stated that the team must be accountable at all times.

“They know it,” Samuel said. “If they don’t give 100 percent I have no problem approaching them.”

Samuel will begin his major league managing career against the Boston Redsox tonight.

Trembley out, Samuel named Interim Manager

The Orioles officially announced today that Dave Trembley has been relieved as manager of the club, effective immediately.

Trembley is two weeks shy of his three-year anniversary as Orioles manager. He led the club to 187-283 record during that time.

Juan Samuel, who previously coached third base, will serve as interim manager.

Gary Allenson will take over as third base coach, after being called up from Triple-A Norfolk where he managed the Tides since 2007.

Orioles’ President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail said that Samuel is the most qualified internal candidate, but he does not expect the move to automatically make the team better.

“Nobody believes that the reason we have the record we have is some how Dave Trembley’s fault or that making this change is going to magically solve all the problems,” MacPhail said today’s press conference. “But we did reach a point where we thought this was the appropriate thing to do.”

MacPhail also said that the team will continue their search for a permanent manager. He also stated the team is speaking to two men about filling the role, but did not give names.

“The process starts today,” MacPhail said about finding a manager. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to engage in that process while you have a manager. When you announce an interim that’s something different; you can go through that process.”

Samuel, 49, played 16 years in the majors and was a three-time National League All-Star. He has coached in the bigs with the Detroit Tigers and managed the New York Mets’ Double-A affiliate Binghamton Mets to a second place finish in 2006.

And that’s the game

There was no Orioles Magic to speak of this evening, as the Yankees held on to win the series finale 4-0.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi made sure the zeros stayed on the scoreboard for the Orioles when he brought in ace reliever Mariano Rivera to pitch the ninth.

But the story of this game was A.J. Burnett’s pitching and Robinson Cano’s hitting.

Burnett went eight innings (116 pitches) and surrendered only three hits, while striking out four and walking one. From beginning to end, Burnett had a strangle hold on the Orioles hitters, as ran his record to 3-0.

Cano ended the game 3-for-4 with two homers and a double. The left-handed hitting second baseman batted .615 (8-for-13) in the three game series in Baltimore.

Orioles starter Brian Matusz pitched well, but not good enough for his third win of the season. Instead, the young righty will have to settle for his first loss (2-1).

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Eighth not great for O’s

The Yankees Robinson Cano continues to brutalize Orioles pitching tonight.

With one out, Cano greeted the Orioles new reliever – Alberto Castillo – with a 370-foot homer to right-center. Cano is now 3-for-4 with two home runs and a double.

The Orioles will need a miracle to get back into this one.

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Matusz goes six; O’s continue to squander opportunities

Orioles manager Dave Trembley has lifted Brian Matusz after six innings of work. The southpaw gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out two, while throwing 96 pitches.

The Yankees may have forced Trembley’s hand after scoring another run in the sixth inning.

Robinson Cano led the inning off with a double to right-center field. Marcus Thamas followed with a double of his own to score Cano, increasing the pinstripes’ lead to 3-0.

Cano was 2-for-3 with a home run and a double off Matusz.

The Orioles missed another chance to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second and one down, Matt Wieters grounded into a fielder’s choice and Miguel Tejada flied out to deep left-center.

Matt Albers replaced Matusz and promptly retired the side in the seventh. Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira grounded back to Albers and Nick Swisher struck out in between.

As the game heads to the eighth inning, Yankees starter A.J. Burnett is still baffling Orioles hitters. Burnett has allowed just three hits and struck out three hitters, so far.

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And after four at the yard…

Matusz held the Yankees scoreless in the second and third, but his mates could not capitalize. The Orioles best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the third.

Adam Jones reached base on a two out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. But the inning ended when Markakis grounded out to Rodriguez.

In the top of the fourth, Robinson Cano connected for his seventh homer of the season, a 399-foot blast with one down. Despite two more hits, the Yankees failed to score again in the frame.

In the bottom half, the Orioles went down in order for the second time in four innings.

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O’s, Yankees series finale

The Yankees got to Orioles starter Brian Matusz in the first inning, but managed only one run after having men at second and third with one out.

Derek Jeter led the game off with a single. Mark Teixeira doubled with one out to move Jeter to third and Alex Rodriguez plated him with a sacrifice fly to right field.

In the home half of the first, the Orioles fell in order. Adam Jones grounded out to Jeter at short and Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters both lined out to left fielder Brett Gardner.

More to come as this one continues.

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A Real Student-Athlete

Today in college sports, the term student-athlete seems almost oxymoronic.

While it is true that the vast majority of students that play sports leave college to pursue a field other then professional athletics, mass media inundates the public with a different picture.

Think about how many times you turn on ESPN to a report that “John Doe” is forgoing his senior season to be a biotechnology manager.

Not many.

That is why former Florida State University safety Myron Rolle is a breath of fresh air.

Rolle, 22, put his football career on hold at the end of last season to pursue a one-year master’s degree as a Rhodes Scholar at world-renowned Oxford University.

Many reports predict he could be an early round pick in this year’s NFL draft.

As the FSU football program endured NCAA investigations, resulting in multiple sanctions, Rolle spent 2009 studying neurosurgery, a field he hopes to enter after his football career ends.

Rolle plans to open a clinic in the Bahamas for low-income families after he hangs up his spikes.

http://www.eurthisnthat.com/2009/05/28/our-modern-day-renaissance-man-is-here/

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