Sports Thread #1- MLB and NFL Injury Report Review

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Despite sputtering down the stretch, the Tampa Bay Rays showed once again why they have been the total surprise of the baseball season with their gutsy 4-2 victory over the Red Sox last night. Amazingly, that sentence is written freely despite the fact that I'm currently am in and go to school in Boston (and being a Yankee fan I might add). The win gave the Rays the 2-1 series win along with a two and a half game advantage in the division over the defending World Series champions (and a three game lead in the lost column).

Carlos Pina's three-run homer off of "a shadow of his former self" reliever Mike Timlin in the 14th inning was the difference, despite another horror of a performance from Troy Percival that still leaves you questioning if the Rays can go far in the playoffs with him as closer?

In fact, that question needs to be answered now: Barring a total capitulation at the hands of not only the Red Sox, but also the Anaheim Angels and Chicago White Sox, there is no way the Rays will cause even a little stir in MLB's most important epoch, the postseason. And by the way, those three other teams that will most likely be apart of the America League playoffs roster won titles in this decade.

Even with a solid bullpen featuring impressive Mets cast offs Dan Wheeler and Chad Bradford, and strikeout artists J.P Howell (84 K's in 81 IP, with a 2.44 ERA) and Grant Balfour (71 K's in 49 IP, with 1.63 ERA), the 2008 version of Troy Percival can't magically revert back to the former closer of the Angels, who made throwing 100 mph look easier than spelling the word "OK."

To his credit, he has been integral for those team with his veteran knowledge and grit (28 saves for someone on the scrap heap in the offseason is amazing). But a great story like his, just like his team, the Rays, won't be enough to garner a title, let alone a single series win. Unless the beauty of sports fools those that doubt anything like that happening once again.

For more baseball stories and updates as the run to the post season continues to get shorter and shorter (though no one in the NL West even deserves to go), go here.

(Denis Poroy - AP)

Besides Tom Brady and Vince Young's physical (and in Young’s case, mental) woes, the biggest injury to come out of Week 1 in the NFL was already an injury.

Shawne Merriman had enough common sense to shut down his season rather than continuing to risk shutting down his career by announcing he'll have surgery on the two torn ligaments in his left knee. For the Chargers, it is a blow as second year linebacker Jyles Tucker will try and fill the void. But it is also another blow to the NFL, with so many injuries (Brady, Young, Marvin Harrison, and Osi Umenyiora) to so many star players so far early in the season.

By the way, the fact that Reebok is making the man formerly known as Chad Johnson buy all of his jerseys with the name "Chad Johnson" still on them in order for them to "legally" place "Ocho Cinco" on the back of his uniform gets the "Letting Stringent Stupidity override Common Sense" award of the day.

Yes, RBK (Reebox acronym for those who know don’t know) is trying to do business here, and their lawyers will probably show that they are technically doing the right and just thing. They need to make their money, and this just ruins all the assiduous process they put in making and marketing those jerseys (cough, for those who actually made them in atrocious conditions in foreign lands, but that was just a cough).

But that's the point though. Why do this when Chad "Ocho Cinco's" jersey could easily be the most top selling garment of not only this season, but of all time? The $4 million dollars they want reportedly from this man (via my "peoples" Colt Bozigian) just smacks of "When seriousness is stupidity." And it is yet another reason why the NFL truly most of the times stands for the "No-Fun League."