November 11, 2012

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 17 comments

What I want to have happen:

AL MVP: Trout
NL MVP: Posey
AL ROY: Trout
NL ROY: Harper
AL CY: Verlander
NL CY: Dickey

What I think will happen:

AL MVP: Cabrera
NL MVP: Posey
AL ROY: Trout
NL ROY: Harper
AL CY: Price
NL CY: Gonzalez

posted by grum@work at 11:00 AM on November 11, 2012

I'm still not convinced Trout should be the MVP when the Angels didn't even make the playoffs and I think WAR wildly overvalues by position (it double dips, basically), but if Dickey doesn't win the NL Cy Young simply because he's a knuckleballer, I will be righteously pissed.

But I think he'll get it- in the waning days of the season, even the people on the teevee were saying he was the most deserving- including former pitchers- so I think the hurdle of being a knuckleball pitcher and the historical lack of respect for those types won't be too high this year.

posted by hincandenza at 04:34 PM on November 11, 2012

A tie! A tie! O frabjous joy, the Niners and the Rams have tied!

posted by Etrigan at 08:22 PM on November 11, 2012

I'm still not convinced Trout should be the MVP when the Angels didn't even make the playoffs

Trout's team won more games than Cabrera's team. Detroit's only in the playoffs because of the division they were stuck in.

posted by grum@work at 10:02 PM on November 11, 2012

Speaking of overtime, earlier in the season, I decided to track the record of teams playing one week after going to overtime. This tie doesn't exactly jive with my spreadsheet (although it doesn't really cause a problem as long as one of them doesn't tie again next week), but I do have a mid-season update. Overtime teams have improved a little bit from their 0-8 start, but they are still only 4-15 the week after playing in overtime (the Eagles had a bye after their OT game, thus the odd number). I would not bet on the Niners (vs. Bears, MNF) or the Rams (vs. NY Jets) next week.

posted by bender at 10:19 PM on November 11, 2012

What if the Bears and Texans go to OT?

posted by MeatSaber at 10:52 PM on November 11, 2012

[I was going to put a joke here, but I decided it may be in poor taste.]

More seriously, though, if the factor is that this is really a contribution of having to play extra time and accruing more wear and tear, then certainly playing the full 15 minutes of OT is the worst case scenario for the regular season, so I would still put SF at a disadvantage, unless we get another tie, which would be AMAZING!

posted by bender at 11:37 PM on November 11, 2012

Guess we'll never know now...stupid Bears...

posted by MeatSaber at 11:48 PM on November 11, 2012

A tie! A tie! O frabjous joy, the Niners and the Rams have tied!

I love the tension of a draw in football. No, wait, I'm thinking of football.

posted by rcade at 08:57 AM on November 12, 2012

The Niners/Rams game was exciting, and as a Rams fan, watching them become (for the most part) competitive again is fun. Danny Amendola was amazing coming back from injury.

My problem, though, continues to be with the "veteran" officials, who were ridiculously incompetent throughout that game. The let a full 1:12 run off the game clock without catching it, which is inexcusable. Then, towards the end of overtime with the Rams trying to hurry up and ground the ball, they mis-spot the ball, have to interrupt the action, and move it to the correct place.

Some mistakes made by officials regarding judgment calls is understandable, but these two examples are just sloppy errors that shouldn't happen.

posted by dyams at 09:41 AM on November 12, 2012

And speaking of officiating (and attempting to get calls right), what the heck was with the punt return for a TD by Denver's Trindon Holliday? They reviewed the play to see if he stayed in bounds, but they neglect to call the fact he let go of the ball prior to crossing the goal line? An on-field official missing this is one thhing, but the fact all scoring plays are reviewed now makes this situation ridiculous. The play should have been ruled a touchback with Carolina taking over possession, thus taking away a Denver score.

How this can be missed in the booth review, when every human watching on TV can plainly see it, is concerning and embarrassing for the NFL.

posted by dyams at 10:03 AM on November 12, 2012

Is there history of Trindon's letting go of the football being ruled a fumble upon booth review? I mean on obvious touchdowns, where the player stupidly lets go of the ball to show off.

posted by jmd82 at 10:10 AM on November 12, 2012

Is there history of Trindon's letting go of the football being ruled a fumble upon booth review? I mean on obvious touchdowns, where the player stupidly lets go of the ball to show off.

Must be something they are coached to do at LSU. Tyrann Mathieu did the same thing against your Bulldogs on a punt return in last year's SEC Championship Game. Similarly went uncalled.

posted by holden at 10:29 AM on November 12, 2012

Is there history of Trindon's letting go of the football being ruled a fumble upon booth review?

Happened to Desean Jackson a couple of years ago. Think it was a Monday Night game.

posted by yerfatma at 11:53 AM on November 12, 2012

I think because Holliday tightroped the sideline the officials were more focused on that. The brodcast replayed his footing on the sideline before the extra point and didn't get to him releasing the ball until after the commercial break. I'm guessing his dropping of the ball was the secondary concern, it certainly was for this Bronco fan, and therefore didn't get reviewed before they got out there and banged in the extra point.

posted by tron7 at 12:23 PM on November 12, 2012

Reviewing scoring plays in the booth should include when the player actually crosses the goal line though shouldn't it?

Again, lazy, sloppy, amatuer performance of duties.

posted by dyams at 02:18 PM on November 12, 2012

I agree. I'm giving an explanation for why I think the play didn't get reviewed more thoroughly.

posted by tron7 at 02:49 PM on November 12, 2012

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