Around the Horn (6/20)

[General]

++++ but don't hate on Bulgaria.

Dam?

[Dam8610]

Sell again. Yes, they're the home team, but have you seen Brazil? They have the best player in the game according to anyone who watches soccer in Ronaldinho, the striker who will soon be the leading goal scorer in World Cup history in Ronaldo, and an all around dominant team. They're the clear favorites and I think they'll defend their title.

[General]

Shevchenko > Ronaldinho. But that's just my biased opinion.

+++

GoYanks?

[RockSports17]

Buy. Germany is the best soccer team in the world cup. I've watched every Germany game that has been played thus far and they look to be on the top of their game. Looking at the rest of the competition, not the greatest. Maybe England, Brazil, yada yada will give Germany some competition, but that's about it. Oh Brazil, they just haven't looked impressive thus far. I've come to love Germanys team and the way they play. Bringing up 94 and 98 as a reason that Germany isn't good is pointless and stupid. They're not the same team as they were 8-12 years ago. They're better this year. They're exciting. Germany is definitely going to win the world cup.

[General]

++++.


The Miami Heat have rallied from being down 2-0 to winning 3-2 in the NBA Finals. Buy the Heat winning the championship, being it in 6 or 7? Around the Horn to Dam.

[Dam8610]

Call me a retailer, because I'm selling everything today. The home team is 5-0 in this series, and since the Mavericks have the last two games at home, that bodes well for them winning. Add to that the fact that Miami has lost all 3 games they've played in Dallas this season by a combined 60 points, and it almost seems like a no brainer that the Mavs will be walking away with the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The Mavericks caught some very bad breaks at the end of Game 5 and pretty much gave away Game 3, and lost both by 1, so it's not like the Heat dominated them in Miami.Tonight, Nowitzki wakes up, and so do the refs' whistles on the Mavericks' side of the court. They win a close one tonight followed by a blowout for the title.

[General]

+++

NcSpWhatthe****ever, go!

[RockSports17]

I enjoy the taste of Marsellus Wallace's big...[MUTE]


Bad Rocksports. Major minus.

-General

[General]

Uh...

-----------------------------

Point is, you're gone!


Showdown is next...two men enter...one man leaves, one step closer to world domination.

HORN ME!

[General]

First up on the Showdown, we'll talk a little bit about A-Rod.

If you had the chance to get A-Rod to DH for your team in the World Series, for free, with the other option at DH being Adam LaRoche, would you do it?

Around the Horn to realmofotalk.

[realmofotalk]

Uh, yeah, because even if A-Rod is the master choke artist that haters make him out to be, I'd still take him over freakin Adam LaRoche, who's always been benched in favor of Julio Franco in the playoffs. Give me his brother Andy and maybe I'd think about it, but you just don't say no to who could've been the greatest hitting shortstop in the history of the game were it not for Jeter's presence in NY. People were saying Bonds was the ultimate choke artist before the Giants' run at the World Series in 2002, steroid allegations or not. Well, Bonds was almost unstoppable and had to be walked like 50 times during the series. I think A. Rod will get over the stigma like Bonds. The hating is just going to make him hungrier.

[General]

Dam?

[Dam8610]

Of course. A-Rod may not be the best in "clutch" situations, but he outproduces most hitters. You'd have to be a fool to take LaRoche as your DH.

[General]

I'll take Realmofotalk for 1.


Alright, who's your Cy Young winner for each league, at this moment? Dam?

[Dam8610]

I'm going with Jose Contreras in the AL, and Brandon Webb in the NL. Contreras has won 15 consecutive regular season decisions, including a 7-0 start this year, has an ERA under 3, and recently has developed a habit for striking batters out, having a combined 24 Ks over his past two starts, and he also has his usual low WHIP (1.05) and BAA (.214). The last 3 pitchers who have won 15 consecutive decisions (Johan Santana, Roy Halladay, Chris Carpenter) have won the Cy Young Award as well. Brandon Webb is flat out dominating the NL right now. He's 8-2 in his 15 starts, has a miniscule 2.37 ERA, a small 1.11 WHIP, and has struck out 80 batters in his 110+ innings of work. These two will both start the all star game as well.