Must See Sports – Second Weekend of August 2012

Last week's advantage/disadvantage record: 13-2

Must See Sports 2012 record (excluding series): 68-39

Advantage/disadvantage record in series, 2012: 8-7-1 

Pennant races are heating up, the Olympics are winding to a close, and we have the return of FOOTBALL!!!

Friday, August 10

Games of the XXX Olympiad

Men’s Basketball – Semifinal Round

USA vs Argentina

Manu Ginobli and Luis Scola get another chance to show their American NBA counterparts what they’re made of. Argentina was spanked pretty badly (29 points) in Group A play. I expect no different this afternoon.

Advantage: USA

Russell Westbrook: "there's more where this came from!" 2

Sunday, August 12

Games of the XXX Olympiad

Men’s Basketball – Final

USA vs Spain

“But wait? The U.S. hasn’t even played Argentina yet. How can you be so sure they’ll win?” Psst…child please!

Spain has some ballers, including Team USA guard Kobe Bryant’s teammate Pau Gasol. Other Spanish NBA players include Pau’s brother, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon, Portland Trailblazers forward Victor Claver, and forward Serge Ibaka of the defending Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Guard Rudy Fernandez played for the Denver Nuggets last season.

This, essentially, is a matchup of NBA All-Stars and future Hall of Famers against NBA All-Stars and future All-Stars. I expect team USA to win, but in professional sports, anyone can beat anyone on a given day if one team plays its best and the more talented team is not prepared. The odds of Mike Krzyzewski not having Team USA prepared for a gold medal game are almost…ZERO, but much stranger things have happened in sports.

Advantage: USA



BOOM, BOOM, PAU! 1

MLB
Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox
Jarrod Parker (7-6, 3.55 ERA) – Athletics vs Chris Sale (13-3, 2.59 ERA, 121 Ks) – White Sox

The A’s have a razor-thin lead in the Wild Card race while the White Sox are clinging to a one game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the A.L. Central division race. Jarrod Parker has been a solid, quality starter this season, but Chris Sale has been lights out and he’s facing an Oakland team that struggles to flip the lights on at the plate.

Oakland could still win this series if Gavin Floyd goes “Gavin Floyd” tonight and the Jekyll and Hyde Francisco Liriano goes “Hyde” tomorrow. But the ChiSox are at home and their bats are sturdy.

Advantages: Game – White Sox, Series – White Sox


Atlanta Braves at New York Mets
Ben Sheets (4-1, 1.41 ERA, 23 Ks, 32.0 IP) – Braves vs Jonathon Niese (8-6, 3.82 ERA, 116 Ks)

Ben Sheets has been in beast mode since returning to the rotation in mid July. The Mets have been in choke mode since the same time. The biggest problem for the Mets? The pop in their bats has vanished. That doesn’t bode well when facing a red hot pitcher.

Advantages: Game – Braves, Series – Braves


Monday, August 13

Texas Rangers at New York Yankees
Ryan Dempster (6-5, 2.65 ERA, 95 Ks) – Rangers vs C.C. Sabathina (12-3, 3.56 ERA, 140 Ks) – Yankees

Four words: “Game of the Week”. The two best teams in the American League and two of the best pitchers in the major leagues face off. If you like baseball, you wait and wait and wait for a game like this.

On paper, this game and this series are a toss up. There are a couple of factors that tip the scales in the Yankees’ favor. First, the Yankees are at home. Second, Dempster appears to be having a little discomfort adjusting to American League hitting, which is often more powerful and more emphasized in a manager’s gameplan than National League batting.

This is probably a preview of the American League Championship Series, so get your popcorn ready!

Advantages: Game – Yankees, Series – Yankees

Note: Sabathia was placed on the 15 day disabled list with elbow inflammation after the publication of this Must See Sports. Rookie relief pitcher David Phelps (2-3, 2.42 ERA, 56 Ks, 52.0 IP) will make his fourth start of the season in place of Sabathia. The Hat Trick is not changing its advantage/disadvantage projection for this game or series.

Ryan Dempster vs C.C. Sabathia: It's on like Donkey Kong! I mean the game is like Donkey Kong, not C.C. 3

NFL

Monday Night Football – Preseason Special

Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders

If you aren’t into Major League Baseball, your alternative offering is as good as it gets for a game that doesn’t count. The NFL’s renegade franchise against America’s Team…. Tony Romo vs Carson Palmer…. Sit back, crack open a cold one and enjoy! Only four weeks until the start of the regular season!

Cue the Monday Night Football Theme!!!

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1) Image from http://eurosport.yahoo.com
2) Image from www.mysanantonio.com
3) Image from http://joyofsox.blogspot.com
4) Image from www.sfgate.com