All Star Mustaches and The World Series.

Welcome to the final non-Angels related post on Angels Nation. For too long I've been sullying the good name of Angels Baseball with garbage relating to Bret Favre, Basketball and The Kardashian girls. Good news! All that stuff (and other miscellaneous garbage) will no longer be here. Don't worry, when the Angels get back in the news (for something other than Brandon Wood going 2-3 in the Arizona Fall League) I'll post it here, but the site will likely be quiet through the end of the World Series.

For those worried you will no longer be able to read my musings, fear not! I have decided to take my talents to AllStarMustaches.com (which, for the time being, is currently located at http://allstarmustaches.blogspot.com, but will likely be getting its own url, like Angels Nation). All Star Mustaches will be your one stop shopping for news and reports on the four major sports, and Mustache love, especially when it pertains to the world of sports.

Speaking of Facial Hair, Brian Wilson and his fantastic beard (and the rest of the Giants, too, I guess) beat the Rangers last night in Game 1 of the World Series. I wouldn't write the Rangers off yet, though. I still think this Series is going to go 7 games, and its either teams' championship for the taking at that point.

See you in a few weeks for the MLB Hot Stove reports!

Angels Nation 2010 World Series Preview

With Game 1 tomorrow, and the first game of the NBA season not for a few hours, I decided to take this lull in the sports world as an opportunity to preview the World Series. Lets dive right in with position matchups:

Catcher - Buster Posey, SF vs. Bengie Molina, TEX: There was a time when the two were splitting time behind the plate, but Posey exploded at the plate, and Molina was considered expendable, so he was traded to the Rangers. In the playoffs, however, I've gotta give the edge to the guy with World Series experience (with the 2002 Angels) in Molina. Edge: Texas

First Base - Aubrey Huff, SF vs. Mitch Moreland, TEX: Only positive for Texas, its not Huff vs. Chris Davis anymore. Edge: San Francisco

Second Base - Freddy Sanchez, SF vs. Ian Kinsler, TEX: Ian Kinsler had pretty rough go of it in the regular season, but still had a better season offensively than Sanchez. Sanchez is a nice piece, but Kinsler will likely be a perennial All-Star the rest of his career. Edge: Texas

Third Base - Juan Uribe, SF vs. Micheal Young, TEX: I love Mike Young, but again, the edge has to go to the guy with World Series experience in Uribe (in 2005 with the White Sox). Edge: San Francisco

Shortstop - Edgar Renteria, SF vs. Elvis Andrus, TEX: I know I've given the advantage to the guys with WS experience before, but what Andrus brings to the table outweighs what Renteria did with the Marlins 14 years ago. His combination of hitting to contact and speed can really give the Giants fits at the top of that lineup, not to mention that in AT&T Park in San Francisco, a well hit ball in a gap would be an easy Triple for a guy like Andrus. Edge: Texas

Outfield - Pat Burrell, Cody Ross and Andres Torres, SF vs. Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Julio Borbon, TEX: Although Cody Ross and Josh Hamilton both won their respective LCS MVP awards, they are not created equal. Hamilton and Cruz lead a power-charged outfield that drive the Giants pitchers crazy, not to mention the speed advantage the Rangers have over the Giants when playing at massive AT&T Park. Edge: Texas

Designated Hitter - Pablo Sandoval, SF vs. Vladimir Guerrero, TEX: I like the Panda, but Vlad has postseason experience, and has finally reached the World Series. I know both of these guys will get some playing time in NL parks, but I gotta think Vlad will actually start games in San Francisco, and that give Texas a huge edge. Edge: Texas

Bench: The guys on San Francisco's bench are used to coming in to games for one at bat on a nightly basis, while Texas' bench consists of guys like David Murphy and Matt Treanor, who are solid role guys, they also have Jorge Cantu, who could either shock the world, or do what he has done all season, and fail to hit with RISP. Edge: Tie

Ace - Tim Lincecum, SF vs. Cliff Lee, TEX: The best pitcher in the National League versus the best pitcher in the postseason the last two years. Without a doubt, game 1 will be one of the best displays of dominating pitcher the World Series has seen in a long time, but I have to give this to the guy in his home park, Big Time Timmy Jim. Edge: San Francisco

2, 3 & 4 Rotation Guys - Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner, SF vs. CJ Wilson, Tommy Hunter and Colby Lewis, TEX: I think CJ is a great story, and Tommy Hunter has come up big during the season (not so much in the postseason) but Matt Cain would be an Ace on most teams, and Sanchez has amazing, if somewhat inconsistent, stuff. Edge: San Francisco

Bullpen: I love the guys in Texas' pen, like Oliver and O'Day, but there are members of the Giants pen who are downright scary, and Javier Lopez, who has done nothing but make Left-handers look silly this postseason. Edge: San Francisco

Closer - Brian Wilson, SF vs. Neftali Feliz, TEX: You've got Wilson, who is more guts than stuff, and Feliz, who can throw 100 MPH. I think Feliz could be the MVP of the Rangers this season, because without him, who knows what Frank Francisco would have done to all those 9th inning leads. Edge: Texas

Coach - Bruce Bochy, SF vs. Ron Washington, TEX: Ron Washinton is a crazy guy, and fun to watch, but Bochy has been here before, granted it was a sweep at the hands of the Yankees in the 1998 World Series, but with his overwhelming amount of postseason experience, and some of the crazy shit he pulled in the NCLS against the Phillies, that worked, I gotta go with Bochy. Edge: San Francisco.

So, for those keeping score at home, you should know that the final tally comes to 6-6-1. Yeah, this is probably going to be a good series.

Prediction: With the better pitching and coaching, the Giants overcome the least exciting offense in baseball to win the 2010 World Series in 7 Games.

Giants Shock Phillies While Bret Favre Struggles.

What a sports weekend.

Saturday, the Number One Ranked Team in College Football loses for the 3rd week in a row (Oklahoma upset by Missouri), and the Giants pull off the biggest NLCS upset in my lifetime.

The Phillies had the Pitching, the Hitting, and the Defense. The Giants really only had the Pitching. The Phillies have about 5 Future Hall-of-Famers, the Giants would be lucky to have more than one. The Phillies had home-field advantage, oh, and the guy who two weeks ago, threw only the second no-hitter in the history of postseason baseball.

The Phillies were EVERYONES pick. I'm pretty sure that before game one, even bay-area papers were selling the Giants. Even when the Giants went up 3-1, there were still experts and analysts who said the Phillies would come back and win the series. But the Giants pushed through all the adversity, including having a less talented team, and won the NL Pennant. Its just the fourth time since moving to San Francisco, and the first time since 2002, when they lost to the Angels.

They have another tough opponent in the Texas Rangers waiting for them in the World Series, but for right now, the little team that could continues to celebrate.

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After an amazing Saturday, there was no way Sunday could be any better, except it almost was.

Many of the televised football games went to the last minutes of action, one between the Ravens and Bills (thats right, the now 0-6 Bills) went to Overtime.

The Dolphins lost to the Steelers on a botched call by the officials, the Chargers fell to the Patriots by way of a missed field-goal that would have tied the game.

But maybe the most heartbreaking defeat was by the Minnesota Vikings and Bret Favre. Favre had a regular Bret Favre game. He threw three interceptions, but still kept Minnesota in the game, even on a gimpy leg. However, when Bret Favre threw the go-ahead touchdown with a minute left on the clock, it was reversed by instant replay. Clearly, the receiver, Percy Harvin, had his foot out of bounds, so it wasn't a catch, but ten years ago, before instant replay, that's the go-ahead touchdown and Bret Favre is the hero today, and not the goat.

I'm 100% behind instant replay, and especially in this case, where the evidence was pretty clear, and the right team won because of it. But you have got to feel for a guy who, 10 years ago, would have been a hero in this game. Instead, he will be ridiculed by the media, be begged to retire by the fans, and why? Because he threw 3 picks and had a passer rating (maybe the dumbest stat in all of professional sports) of 50?

Bret Favre will always either be praised or hated. There is no middle ground. Either he won the game, or he lost it. In Minnesota or around the country, it doesn't matter. Its unfortunate that for the next week, he will be a pariah in Vikings Country, because without him, the Vikings lose last night, not by 4, but by 20.

Angels Nation 2010 Postseason Preview

Just so we are all clear, Angels Nation is officially on the San Francisco Giants' and Texas Rangers' Bandwagons. If you are uncomfortable with this, please note that the rest of the league is evil, and should be treated as such. The Yankees, Rays, Braves and Phillies all come from the super evil East Coast, not to mention the Rays play in Florida (Voted most evil state by committee of voters), the Twins and Reds, well, they arent evil, but they are the two worst teams in the playoffs (fact), and no one wants to bandwagon a loser.

Lets start with the matchups in the National League:

Giants vs. Braves - Bobby Cox's last season as a manager, nothing would be a more fitting send off than a World.... boo hoo hoozle. Go cry about the loss of your manager some more Braves Fans. Oh wait, the Braves fans don't even like the Braves. The are probably all bandwagoning the Rays right now, considering they have a better shot at postseason glory. The Giants, on the other hand, have one of the best starting 4's in Baseball, Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Zito. They also have Buster Posey, who is maybe the greatest rookie catcher of all time.
Prediction: Giants in 4

Phillies vs. Reds - Lets get things straight, I dont like the Phillies, but I'll be damned if they dont have the best team in the playoffs. The hitting is amazing, the pitching is out of this world, and they have a coach who has taken this team to the World Series the past two years. I like the story of the Reds, but they dont have the pitching to keep up with the Phils.
Prediction: Phillies in 3


American League:

Rangers vs. Rays - I don't totally hate the Rays, but their unfortunate affiliation with the state of Florida, not to mention their lack of fans with enough income to actually attend their home games, makes me like them very little. Rangers have taken the last month and a half off. They should be the most rested team in baseball right now (the Reds might be just as rested, but they have a crappy team, so...), not to mention they have Cliff Lee, who was really the only bump in the Yankees road to glory last season. Sure, they have to get through a tough Rays team who won the best division in baseball, but they dont have enough starting pitching to keep up with the Rangers.
Prediction: Rangers in 5

Yankees vs. Twins - No Morneau, Mauer isn't at 100%, their best pitcher is probably Carl Pavano, oh, and they have Brian Fuentes. How on earth did the Twins get this far?
Prediction: Yankees in 3

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Angels Nation will continue to be your source for biting 2010 MLB Postseason coverage well into November (because that's when Game's 5-7 of the World Series will be, for some dumbass reason), then, we wont have anything to talk about for a while, except the hyjinks of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney (and all their Kardashian pals!)