A Competitive Edge

1/26 with runners in scoring position

5 runs in the last 11 games

2/15 for Adrian Gonzalez on the road trip

5/28 in the past 7 games for Hanley Ramirez

6-11 against Arizona who isnt even a playoff team!

I mean how much worse can it get.  I am so tired of seeing headline like, “Another maddening loss for the Dodgers” or “No Help” or even “Yet another shutout”.  Speaking on behalf of every Dodgers fan, lets light a fire in the clubhouse and play with a sense of urgency. I mean there’s ONLY 20 games left.

So the division  race is pretty much over with San Francisco taking a commanding 6 game lead in the NL West, but the wild card is wide open.  It looks like Atlanta is running away with the first wild card spot, but the 2nd spot is up for grabs whether it’s St. Louis, LA, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or Milwaukee.

The Dodgers are 1 game back to St. Louis with a big 4 game series this upcoming weekend.  Dodgers fans, don’t give up quite yet because I’m feeling a streak is going to breakout.  Mark my words…The Dodgers will make the playoffs!  

Matt Bonfiglio

Matt@acompetitivedge.com

Sizzling steaks on the grill, an ice cold beer in hand, and football.  If that doesn’t spell out A M E R I C A I don’t know what does.  Football is back ladies and gentlemen and it’s about to be one amazing season.  Let the speculation begin.

So in my short leave of absence alot has happened in the world of sports. The Dwightmare, OVER! Yes that means he’s a Laker.  The Dodgers pull off a historic trade with the Red Sox acquiring Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, and Carl Crawford…can you say mega-deal! Not to mention the Dodgers only gave up Loney and prospects.  In college football, Penn State doesn’t get the death penalty but nearly as bad, with fines reaching $60 Million, bowl bans, vacated wins, and the taking down of Joe Paternos statue.  In the NFL, the players involved in the bounty scandal win their appeal and are available to play this sunday.  Ya, in one months span that’s a lot. So College football has kicked off, the NFL has it’s first big weekend coming up, the race to October is in full swing, and the necessary countdown for the NBA has begun.  Man I love sports  

There’s just something different about this newly acquainted dodgers team.  Not a bad different but most certainly a good different.  For a team that is breathing down rival San Francisco for the NL West pennant, they seem pretty calm.  Could it be just plain and simple, confidence?  Could it be the new acquisitions(Ramirez, Victorino, Blanton, Choate, and League)?  Could it just be purely be having a good time?  I think it’s a little of everything because in theory they all correspond with one another.  When Hanley arrived in LA it had a Manny Ramirez like atmosphere…winning and having fun.  If you add that mentality to a team that has Matt Kemp, Dee Gordon, and Clayton Kershaw it’s a recipe for success.  Not to mention ownership thats willing to do whatever it take($$$) to bring a world series to LA again.  Entering August, the Dodgers have found a long lost sense of Swag that they have been missing for the past few years.  Every other MLB team out there should be scared of the Dodgers because they are on the brink of taking off and not looking back.

So thinking back to day 1 of the NBA just think of all the talented players that have came through.  Magic, Kareem, Wilt, Bird, Isiah Thomas, Kobe, Jordan, Stockton, both Malone’s, Ewing, Drexler, Barkley, Wilkins and so much more…and thats just a small sample.  Now try of think of the best backcourt duo, a little harder.

Here is mine…

5. West and Goodrich(LAL)

4. Johnson and Cooper(LAL)

3. Isiah Thomas, Dumars(DET)

2. Frazier and Monroe(NYK)

1. Kobe and Nash(LAL)

So this trade to send Nash to LA gives Kobe one last go at his sixth NBA championship.  Nash is a two time MVP arguably one of the best players to ever play point guard and Kobe Bryant is arguably the best player to ever play the game.  Now you tell me how that isn’t the best backcourt…Thats what I thought, no response.  The LA Lakers have a 5-1 odds to win the NBA championship next season, but I say there odds are a whole lot better…I guess only time will tell.  Send me your responses to the BEST BACKCOURT EVER TO PLAY IN THE NBA!