Sports Editor Hilarey Wojtowicz gets the chance to be “The Ref” in Week 9 of Around the Dorm. Staff Writers Krystal Spencer and Karissa Hearn, as well as Managing Editor Caroline Russomanno answer whether the San Francisco Giants or the Texas Rangers will win the 2010 World Series, will the Dallas Cowboys be able to turn their losing season around without Tony Romo, and are the Miami Heat really overrated as a team this year.
1. Who will win this year’s World Series, the Giants or the Rangers?
KS: Texas Rangers in 6. Cliff Lee is unstoppable in this postseason, and has a stellar record against the Giants. And don’t forget ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton. The center of the Rangers’ hitting power is going nowhere but up, so it’s only logical that he and the rest of their all-star hitters will capture their first World Series title.
CR: If you asked me this a week ago after the Rangers pulverized my poor Yankees in the ALCS, I would have laughed in your face. Josh Hamilton was hotter than he’s ever been. Cliff Lee was throwing some of the nastiest stuff I’ve ever seen. And the rest of the team wasn’t just sitting back and watching — they were doing the same thing! But geez, how much a tune can change in one week. I hate to be cliché, but the Giants have this one. I don’t think the Rangers will get swept (they’re too good a team for that), but the Giants came in on absolute fire. Hamilton’s bat went cold, and Lee was out pitched by Tim Lincecum (who I always knew would give him a run for his money). C.J. Wilson mounted a vali effort, but Matt Cain wouldn’t let his scoreless postseason end, and the Rangers bullpen is having an identity crisis. The Rangers have dropped 12 straight in San Francisco. That being said, I think the Rangers will mount a bit of a comeback at Rangers Ballpark, but if they make it back to Candlestick Park, they’re done. The Giants want it too badly, and they’ve proved they have the offense to rachet up the points to crazy levels (like 11-7 and 9-0) and Bruce Bochy is managing like a champ. The Giants will win this one.
KH: So far, the two wins by the Giants were in San Francisco, and on Saturday, the Rangers marked their first win at home. It’s hard to say who has the advantage at this point, because really, the series doesn’t begin until the road team wins a game. If I had to pick a champion at this point, I’d go with the Texas Rangers. Despite their first two series losses, Texas pitcher Cliff Lee is most recently accustomed to the pressure of the World Series and has a great post-season record. Lee won six postseason starts, and pitched 22 of 24 innings scoreless. With a solid pitcher like Lee, the Rangers are set.
HW: I have to give Caroline 3 points due to the fact that there is no arguing with the fact that the Giants started the series on fire. Karissa gets 2 points for pointing out that Cliff Lee won six post season starts and went 22 of 24 innings scoreless. Sorry, Krystal but you get 1 point for not really backing up your answer.
2. With Tony Romo out for six to eight weeks with a broken collarbone, is there any chance for the Cowboys to turn their losing season around?
KS: While not having Romo is a big setback, the rest of the team has no heart! Offensive players aren’t blocking, defense coverage is abysmal, and Wade Phillips is doing nothing to help. Regardless of how
Romo does, fixing the coaching problem is the first step to fixing the team.
CR: Cowboy fans might as well put away their number nine jerseys and pull on their Texas Ranger t-shirts because Dallas should focus all its attention on the struggling Rangers, because they have more hope. The Cowboys had already struggled to a pathetic 1-5 record, and now with Tony Romo gone, they have no hope. They will definitely not be the first team to play a Superbowl at home. The sub par Jon Kitna is Romo’s replacement — he’s been playing since the ’90s, and quarterbacks are one thing that do not get better with age. Even with Romo, the ’Boys offense was struggling (they only scored 13 points with three Giants turnovers and Miles Austin had two drops that were nothing short of critical). Marion Barber has lost his spark as well. There are too many factors against the Cowboys to turn this one around. I have a feeling they’ll fire half the coaching staff and call this one a loss. Wait and see.
KH: The Cowboys are done for this season. Thirty-eight-year-old backup quarterback Jon Kitna is a league veteran, but not one that Dallas is likely excited to be starting. In 2007, starting all sixteen games with the Detroit Lions, Kitna threw 20 interceptions. In 2008, Kitna kept the bench warm throughout the Lions’ sad 0-16 season, only playing in four games. Last season, then a Dallas Cowboy, Kitna didn’t hit the turf once. Then last week, against the New York Giants, Kitna was not able to hang on to the 13-point lead Romo had left him with. In the end, the Cowboys lost 41-35. If this is any indication of the rest of the season, the Cowboys are surely in trouble.
HW: Karissa gets 3 for bringing up Kitna’s bench warming abilities. Caroline gets 2 for mentioning that there are other factors bringing the Cowboys down this season besides the quarterback. Krystal gets 1 point.
3. Are the Miami Heat overrated after losing their season opener to the Boston Celtics?
KS: The Boston Celtics are nothing to mess with, as their bench is just as good as their starters. The Heat only have their trifecta, which can’t play the entire game; they need other players to help Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade. It’s not to say these players aren’t great, but it might take some egos getting broken to get the Heat to truly play well together.
CR: I’ve always said that the Heat’s new lineup wasn’t going to be the dream team everyone hoped. With three superstars like LeBron James Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all crowding the court, there are going to be breakdowns like the Celtics game. On the other hand, the Heat had back-to-back wins over the 76ers and the Magic after the loss. But here’s the rub — the Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA right now — they have team chemistry and a winning record behind them. Rajon Rondo walked all over the Heat on Tuesday. This begs the question — can they beat good teams with great chemistry? It’s always a challenge when three huge egos take the court all at once, and if James, Bosh and Wade aren’t willing to check those egos at the door and play like a team, they won’t be able to beat the great teams who are willing to do that. I won’t say they’re overrated yet, but I will say that they may be very soon, if they continue to lose against good teams. I hope they get their shit together. But hey, I was totally the one a few AtDs ago to say the Celtics were the team that would beat them...
KH: The Miami Heat is definitely overrated. Just because they have a potentially-dynamic trio of Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh — three of the 10 best players in the league right now — they’re not necessarily going to dominate. The three are all superstars, yet it’s a team sport and it takes chemistry to turn all-stars into an all-star team. To get them to work together without focusing on shining independently is going to take a few weeks for them to master. Eventually, they should have an unbeatable force, but for now, definitely overrated.
HW: Caroline gets 3 points for mentioning that the Heat did lose to the Celtics in game one of the season, but they came back for back-to-back wins despite their huge egos. Karissa gets 2 points for saying they are overrated even though they have three of the top 10 best players in the league on the team. Krystal gets 2 also for mentioning how good the Celtics are, thus allowing the Heat to still be everything its cracked up to be as long as the egos don’t get in the way.
Caroline wins this week’s AtD, 8 - 7 - 4
