The Sports Insanity Network

End Of An Era?

By Mike Rifkin

On Monday night, the Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros 11-4 in Game seven of the ALCS. The Astros had been the AL Champs the last two seasons and have been in the ALCS every year since 2017. During this span, the Astros have been to four World Series, winning two. The last time we saw such a run of dominance in Baseball was in the 1990s when the Braves and Yankees coasted their way to the playoffs. The Yankees are the last team to repeat as World Series Champions (1998-2000). This Astros run over the last six years has done several things, including cementing the legacies of Dusty Baker and Justin Verlander. It could also be why Jose Altuve gets a plaque in Cooperstown one day.

On Thursday, Manager Dusty Baker announced his retirement from managing. Baker, who took over after the 2017 sign-stealing scandal was revealed. All Baker did was restore the franchise from the off-field distraction to have them win three consecutive AL West titles and appear in three consecutive World Series. Baker ranks seventh all-time in wins, and the only thing that was missing on his resume was a World Series Championship, which he was able to obtain last season. My guess on who replaces Dusty would be his bench coach, Joe Espada, who has been the Bench coach since 2018. Espada has interviewed for several managerial openings but has yet to get the job. Now, if the Astros are looking for someone with experience, someone like Buck Showalter or Joe Maddon intrigues them. I lean toward Espada and would give him an experienced bench coach.

2024 is the final year on the contracts of Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, who are in the top ten in several categories, including WAR, runs scored, Home Runs, Doubles, total bases, and RBIs. Altuve has a regular season MVP, three Batting Titles, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger on his mantle. Both guys have been significant factors in the Astros World Series championships. Altuve, 33, and Bregman, 29, are both represented by Scott Boras, and it will be interesting to see how the Astros handle both as both will also have their 34th and 30th birthdays during the season, which might be a factor in the negotiations. 2024 is also the final year of the contract for Justin Verlander, although there is a vesting option for 2025. The future Hall of Famer is at 257 wins, so depending on how many he gets next season, he’d come back and try for 300, and he could be the last guy to ever achieve that number even at 40 years old, he still was solid for the Astros after being re-acquired from the Mets.

While those guys deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Astro icons Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman, etc… and will be honored like those guys. There are guys for the future as well. Yordan Alvarez, who signed a six-year 115 million dollar contract ( which right now looks like a robbery for the organization), is a guy who has hit 30-plus homers each of the last three seasons and is just 26 years old. Kyle Tucker, who struggled during the playoffs, is one of the most underrated players in Baseball. He drove over 100 runs for the second consecutive season and the third straight season of at least 90 RBI. He was also one homer away from his third straight 30-home-run season. But unlike Alvarez, Tucker is not signed long term yet and is arbitration eligible through 2025, as is stud pitcher Framber Valdez. The Astros pitching staff could be getting significant boosts next season with the returns of Lance McCullers Jr and Luis Garica, both of whom missed this season with injuries. Now, even if they don’t win spots in the rotation, they could help fill out the bullpen.

After the trade deadline, MLB Pipeline has the Astros as the worst-ranked farm system in the sport with zero top 100 prospects. So here’s the question for Astros GM Dana Brown? How do I build for the future and keep this team as competitive as possible? Last Winter, they made a big-time move for first baseman Jose Abreu, who struggled most of the year but came alive in September and into the playoffs. So what they do this Winter might be something worth watching.

The Astros should remain competitive because it is in their DNA. But if they decide to head in the other direction based on the age of certain players, this run was very historic, and whether you like them or not, you have to respect them because we have not seen this kind of dominance in a long time, but is it the end of an era in Houston.

TIME TO ROUND UP THE RAMS

By Mark Halpern

The Dallas Cowboys will host the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday at AT&T stadium early Sunday afternoon. This will be the first matchup of actual top receivers in Nacua and Kupp (Sorry, 49er fans) this season.

The first thing Cowboys fans have to cheer for is the current ten-at-home win streak that the Cowboys have. The Defense, if they want to turn any nay-sayers (SMITH CALLING YOU OUT) analysts out there, this is the game to do it. The Defense for the Cowboys is outstanding and needs to be respected as such. Time of possession is everything in football, and with the trickle of the offense we have seen, the Defense needs to shut down 2 of the finest #1 and #2 WRs on a team for now and in the future. Kupp, returning from the knee injury, has only played in two games, and he has made his present felt quickly by grabbing 17 receptions for 295 yards and 1 TD. Kupp is the NFC version of Tyrek Hill in that he is everywhere and anywhere he is needed and can burn you underneath or over the top; if Kupp wasn’t enough, how about the explosive start to the season for the young rookie with hauling in 58 (yes 58) receptions for a ridiculous 752 yards but unbelievably only 2 TD’s. I expect Matt Stafford to test second-year Corner Back Deron Bland early, too, to see if the second-year sophomore can play man-to-man with either one of these accomplished players. Stephon Gilmore will be shadowing Kupp early and will have some nickel or safety help and try to slow down the great route running they have. I have said from the last few games that the trench fights between the Offensive line of the Rams and the fast and quick movements of this Dallas defense, and if Stafford is under pressure early and the Defense can force a turnover and get points from it to give the offense a cushion.

Now on the other side of the ball, we have been waiting for the emergence of Brandin Cooks, and I know all Dallas fans have been thinking the same thing that this is the perfect week for it, and it is. The Ram’s defense, minus a few players, is far from what it once was as an actual shutdown defense. Teams have exploited the weakness in the secondary week after week, and it shows as the Rams have been dismantled by some of the top offenses in the league and the Colts, which says a lot about this club. This is a prime game for Dak Prescott to shove down all the critic’s throats with an impressive day, and for the first time this season, I am going to say, “Pass the damn ball all day long.” Of course, you have to run the ball, and Pollard and company have a huge problem to deal with, and that is the one beast, Aaron Donald. The guy is just outstanding, but better than 70% of NFL players would agree and are considered it by one critic or another. This is another game that could see Cee Dee Lamb have a big day as well. Lamb leads the Cowboys with 34 receptions for 475 yards and only two touchdowns. This is so un-Cee Dee, but the way the offense has been sputtering, it is not hard to read between the lines and see what has been transpiring in Dallas. This team had but still has the potential to go down as one of the best Cowboy squads over the past 20 years and should be 5-1 (ARZ just wowing us all week after week), but the loss to the 49ers was more gut-wrenching as it was a primetime showdown which still can be met again for the third time in three years in the playoffs.

The Cowboys organization is not going to have Jerry around forever, and Jerry knows this as well and would like one or five more trophies before he is done and being the highest-valued franchise in the entire NFL and pretty much all of the significant sports at an impressive 8 Billion dollars. Jerry is okay with spending money or trading players or picks if it makes sense. We will never see another Herschel Walker trade situation again, and Jerry and Jimmy orchestrated that together (JERRY PUT HIM IN THE RING OF FAME), and trades like that aren’t seen much anymore. Players have become expendable lately when franchises try and rebuild like the Rams are trying to do and are slowly succeeding, but Stafford’s time is almost up, and you can see it honestly. I expect nothing more than a Dallas blowout, and yeah, I’m going there 38-10 Cowboys with 100-yard games from Cooks and Lamb. Please sit back, get your Popcorn ready, throw a steak on the grill, and let’s watch the true one and only Americas team there is.

WHEN YOU’RE WRONG YOU’RE WRONG

By Mark Halpern

It takes a long, complex process to put your opinions on paper and put them out there for the world to read. However, it takes the class to write an apology article.

At the beginning of the MLB season, I was one of the sternest critics of Corey Seager and how I believed his contract to be a ridiculous notion and wasn’t worth it. Well, I’d like to think Mr. Seager saw that article and had his best season, thanks to me (your welcome Rangers fans.) That all being said, I hope I eat my words, and he wins a ring this year, and that is how the old man sees it.

“JACKSONED”

By Mark Halpern

If you were a Lions fan and missed Sunday’s Lions vs Ravens game, you didn’t miss much, as by the end of the first half, this game was all over for Detroit. Let’s be fair. By the end of the first quarter, the Lions were back in the den.

What is an impossible task for many teams is stopping or controlling star Quarterback Lamar Jackson. Since coming to the NFL at the end of the first round by the Ravens, Jackson was the steal. Jackson has been controlled by so few teams because, in recent years, you could stop him if you shut down the run game (which was him). Now, with receivers Beckham Jr, Zay Flowers, and Mark Andrews on this team, his passing accuracy has gotten so much better over the last two years that running is the only trick the Ravens had. In the first quarter, Jackson not only ran one in from 7 yards, he completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to veteran Nelson Agholor, giving him 2 TDs (1 pass, one run) just in the first quarter. In the second quarter, he hit Andrews for an 11-yard score. Then, after that, it was time to let others in on the fun, and Gus Edwards ran a short one in, which made it 28-0 at the half (Jackson 2 pass one rush TD). In the third, the Ravens let Jackson get back to work and hit Andrews from 11 yards out, giving him four total TDs on the day. Overall, Jackson was 31-37 for 353 yards, three TDs, and nine rushes for 36 yards and 1 TD. The Ravens’ Defense was in a good position and could play layback football. They stopped hot QB Jared Goff from having a TD pass but intercepted him and sacked him five times.

What went well for the Lions wasn’t much, but if anything, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a great day with 11 carries for 68 yards and a TD but chipped in 9 receptions for 58 yards and the only other real offensive note for the Lions was the 12 receptions 102-yard day that St. Brown had. The Lions’ defense had their hands full from the moment the Ravens had the ball, and with the day that Jackson had, there was only one word, and the Lions had been “Jacksoned.”

The Legend Grows

By: Mike Rifkin

In the top of the ninth inning, trailing by two runs, the Houston Astros had the right man up. With two runners on, Second Baseman Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead three-run home run to give the Astros a 5-4 victory and a 3-2 series lead in the ALCS. The home run gave Altuve another big-time moment in October.

In his career in the ALCS, Jose Altuve is hitting .288 with 11 home runs and 22 RBI in 40 games played. Altuve is a .270 hitter in the playoffs with 26 home runs and 54 RBIs. But the clutch hits like the one he had Friday night make Altuve a big-time postseason star. Yes, he catches flack from what happened in 2017, but the Astros have been to three World Series since, are on the verge of a fourth, and have won one World Series Championship. You can label Altuve whatever you’d like, but he’s a winning ball player and should be mentioned in the same breath as Derek Jeter and Reggie Jackson because Altuve is now the active Mr. October. When his career is all said and done, Jose Altuve should take his place in Cooperstown based on his postseason accolades. Whether you like Altuve or not, his postseason legend grew on Friday night.

Showdown Sunday

By Mike Rifkin

Cue up the Rocky music on Sunday night as the 5-1 Dolphins visit the 5-1 Eagles. The Dolphins are coming off a 42-21 win over the Panthers last week. The Dolphins started slow in that game, trailing 14-0 before scoring 35 unanswered points. Tua Tagovailoa was 21-31 for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Raheem Mostert continued his fantastic start to the season with 132 total yards and three touchdowns. Tyreek Hill had six receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown. Jaylen Waddle had 51 yards and a touchdown as well. The Dolphins defense had four sacks of Bryce Young.

The Eagles are coming off their first loss of the season, a 20-14 defeat at the Jets. Jalen Hurts went 28-45 for 280 yards, two touchdowns ( 1 rush, one pass), and three interceptions. AJ Brown had seven catches for 131 yards, and Devonta Smith had five catches for 44 yards. Smith also had a critical drop late in the game.

These two teams are in the top five in Yards per game (Dolphins 1, Eagles 2), Rushing yards per game ( Dolphins 1, Eagles 2), Sacks (Dolphins 3, Eagles 5), and Points per game (Dolphins 1, Eagles 5). One significant connection between these two teams is the talent selected from Alabama. Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts played with Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Landon Dickerson at Alabama. Tagovailoa replaced Hurts during the National Championship game during the 2018 National Championship Game.

Keys to the game ( Dolphins)

David Long and Jerome Baker – A massive key for the Dolphins is to limit Jalen Hurts’ mobility. If Vic Fangio decides to use one of these guys as a spy, it could help the defense.
Protecting Tua – In the Dolphins’ loss to the Bills, they generated pressure in Tua’s face from the interior, where Philly generates much of its pressure, so protecting Tua and getting the ball out quickly should help.
Kader Kohou – Yes, the Dolphins opened up the practice window for Jalen Ramsey this week, but he will not play. The last time the Dolphins played a big-time offense, Stefon Diggs torched Kohu; now, whether it’s Devonta Smith or AJ Brown, Kohu has to be better.

Keys to the game (Eagles)

Run the Ball – The Dolphins defense gives up 114 yards per game on the ground. What made the Eagles so effective last season was they ran the ball to tire out defenses and then used play action. Utilize that big offensive line.
Protect the ball – The Eagles lost last week because Jalen Hurts threw three interceptions. The Eagles need to protect the football.
Dallas Goedert and D’Andre Swift – A lot of attention will be paid to AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, so Goedert and Swift also have the potential to post big games.

This game should be fireworks between two of the NFL’s elite teams.

Bird Is The Word

By: Mike Rifkin

The Detroit Lions will face another test on Sunday as they visit the Baltimore Ravens. The Lions (5-1) are coming off their most impressive win on Sunday, a 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jared Goff continued to play at an MVP level, going 30-44 for 353 yards and two touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown returned to the lineup with 12 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. The Lions will get rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs back this week, but David Montgomery will be out. The Ravens are coming off a 24-16 win over the Titans in London last week. Lamar Jackson was 21-30 for 282 total yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Rookie receiver Zay Flowers had six catches for 50 yards and his first career touchdown. Mark Andrews chipped in with four catches for 69 yards. That vaunted Ravens defense had six sacks of Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis and had 10 QB hits. They also forced two turnovers.

There are a few keys to this game. The first is the Lions’ offensive line. In six games played, Jared Goff has been sacked ten times; meanwhile, the Ravens are tied for first with 24 sacks. Another key is making the Ravens one-dimensional. The Ravens are fifth in the NFL, averaging 144.8 rushing yards per game, while the Lions give up just under 65 rushing yards per game. If the Lions stop the run and make the Ravens one-dimensional, that should undoubtedly benefit the Lions. A big part of that would have someone spy on Lamar Jackson; don’t let his legs beat you. The other thing for the defense is to take away Mark Andrews, one of the best tight ends in the league. If you take him away, you’re taking away Lamar’s safety net and will make Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham beat you.

Harden-ing His Stance

By: Mike Rifkin

Earlier this Summer, James Harden requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Yesterday, James Harden missed practice, and the team claimed the absence was “unexcused.” according to multiple reports, Harden has been in Houston. Harden did report when training camp opened last month.

Harden, last season, averaged 21.0 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 10.7 assists per game. But our lasting image of Harden in a 76er jersey was games 6 and 7 against the Boston Celtics, where Harden shot a combined 7-27 from the field and 1-11 from three and had a combined 22 points in a series that the 76ers lost in seven games to the rival Boston Celtics. After that series, the Sixers fired coach Doc Rivers and replaced him with 2019 NBA championship coach Nick Nurse.

James Harden had an option on his contract for this season, and he opted in because he was never walking away from 35 million dollars. But here’s the question for James Harden: he has made 300 million dollars over his career, and more with endorsements, so does he have to make more money, or does he want to win the elusive ring that every superstar desires? Everywhere Harden has been, he’s had other stars to share the spotlight. Despite not being what he is now in Oklahoma City, he had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. In Houston, he had Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. In Brooklyn, he had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and now in Philly, he has Joel Embiid, who won NBA MVP last season. What Houston, Brooklyn, and Philly all have in common is that Harden has requested a trade out of all of those places.

Over the summer, James Harden called Sixers GM Daryl Morey a “liar”. Harden said during a media event in China, “Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of the same organization that he’s a part of.” Here’s the thing: I have no idea what Morey lied to Harden about, and that hasn’t become public knowledge. But Morey was the GM of the Rockets when Harden was there, and when Morey took over in Philly made a point of acquiring Harden there. Harden has to realize that the Sixers will not give him away, and the one team heavily rumored has been the Los Angeles Clippers. The asking price from the Sixers has been draft picks and Terrence Mann, a non-starter for the Clippers. So maybe Harden has to think of other teams to go to, or the Clippers would have to get a third team involved. But here we are, less than a week away from the NBA season, and a Sixers team that everyone is waiting to get over the hump has another hurdle to climb.

Now Or Never

By Mike Rifkin

We are in the middle of another beautiful College Football season and two weeks away from the first College Football Playoff Rankings being unveiled for the first time. The biggest game of the week takes place in the Big Ten, where seventh-ranked Penn St. travels to Columbus to play the third-ranked Ohio St. While both teams have the same 6-0 record, this game is more significant for one of the teams.

This is a massive game for Penn St. Every year, we look at the Big Ten (especially after it split into two divisions) and ask ourselves, who will challenge Ohio State and Michigan? Well, recently, most years, people say Penn St., and we’re waiting for them to make that statement. Penn St. coach James Franklin is 1-8 in his career against the Buckeyes and 3-6 against the Wolverines. Penn St. can have very competitive teams every year, but at some point, Franklin has to be able to get his team over the hump. In 2021, he got a new 10-year contract from the University, making roughly 8.5 million dollars per season. That makes him the twelfth highest-paid coach in the country, but everyone in front of him, for the most part, has either won a National Championship or been to the Playoffs. If James Franklin wants to prove any doubters wrong, he has to win at Ohio State this week and, on November 11th, beat Michigan at home. If he does those things and Penn St. gets the Big Ten Championship game, he can change the narrative about him and his University.

LOUD WHISPER

By Mark Halpern

In a weekend filled with upsets, the Detroit Lions team and fans weren’t upset. The Lions pulled off a monstrous win, but with all the eyes on the Jets beating the Eagles, the Browns beating the 49ers, or even the way Miami dismembered the Panthers, the Lions win was not heavily discussed.

I have said how much I like Goff, whether he throws a pick or not. In this game, he was fantastic by going 20/44, 353 yards, and 2 TDs with no interceptions. The wide receivers were all targeted in this game, as Goff hit ten different receivers. St. Brown returned to fashion with a 12-reception game for 124 yards and a TD. The other good news was the return of Jameson Williams getting in the endzone on a nice 45-yard dime from Goff. The Biggest concern came out of the backfield as David Montgomery only ran the ball six times, and because Gibbs was out, Craig Reynolds got ten carries for 15 yards. The running game was the weakest it has been for the Lions since week 2.

On the Defensive side, you can’t criticize perfection. Not only did the Lions record three sacks and, picked off apprentice Baker and held the Buccaneers to no offensive touchdowns. The Defense is in the top echelon in the league and should be significantly feared going forward. The Lions will take on a formidable team in the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.