matt weighs in

Throughout this NBA season, I have not been as hard on LeBron James as most other people – my friends and those in the media included. From the moment he chose Miami over staying in Cleveland, I could see that he did it for one reason only: to win the NBA championship and put the first ring on his finger.

I think LeBron and Chris Bosh join Dwyane Wade as NBA champions. The Miami Heat will beat the Dallas Mavericks to win this year’s title.

LeBron could have made his announcement in another way. I think that if he would have chosen Cleveland in The Decision, it barely would have been a blip on the NBA radar this year, mostly because he would have had another floundering year with mediocre teammates.

The Cavaliers organization was successful over the past five years, despite front office ineptitude in bringing in premier players to play with LeBron. He chose the Heat, because the Cavs had another summer in 2010 where no free agents signed there. Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire, and others chose elsewhere. LeBron saw this and he moved on, too.

The Celtics and Lakers teams of the 1980s were stacked, and no one batted an eye. Shaq and Kobe won with the Lakers at the turn of the century, and people said, “Good for them and their hall of fame coach.” In 2008, the Celtics got their version of the Big 3 and won the NBA title.

But the Heat get LeBron and Bosh to join Wade, and it’s open season, complete with a great big target on their backs. People said they only did it to win a ring and that it wouldn’t mean as much as if they would have brought a title to their cities on their own, especially LeBron.

I’ve called people on this argument all year. NBA history has shown that players have not been judged by how they’ve won rings, only in how many they have. Everyone knows that Bill Russell has 11 rings, Michael Jordan has six, and that Kobe Bryant needs one more to catch MJ.

We don’t care how a team wins the ring, as long as they win the ring. Tim Duncan with the Spurs and Dirk Nowitzki with this Mavs team would be the only superstars in the last 20 years to win the title without another big superstar on the team.

The Heat, by beating the Mavs, would defy some pretty long odds and many skeptics, to win this year’s NBA title. LeBron and Bosh should get their first ring and Wade his second.

In a seven game series, the teams know each other too well and in this series, there are too many veterans for schemes to be the difference. One-on-one play will be the difference, especially late in the games.

LeBron and Wade are too good, will make all the difference, and the Heat will win the title this year.

And America, except for me and a few others, will collectively yell, “Noooo!” at the top of it’s lungs.

This reluctant Super Bowl XLV preview is brought to you by the colors black and yellow (Pittsburgh Steelers) and the failing franchise known as the Minnesota Vikings.

As a fan of the purple and gold, the last couple weeks of football have been ridiculous to watch. Bears vs. Packers in the NFC Championship? Come on, now. And the Green Bay Packers making the Super Bowl? Oh my…why, God, why?

I successfully predicted this Super Bowl matchup before the Conference Championship games, but I would have rather had the Bears meet the Steelers. I know the Steelers would have beaten the Bears for the championship. I am not so sure about them beating the Packers, though.

We have heard a lot about both teams’ defenses and both teams’ quarterbacks. Ben Roethlisberger just finds a way to win big games, even though he’s rarely mentioned on the same level as Brady, Manning, and Brees. And Aaron Rodgers, who is sometimes mentioned on the same level as those guys, would be the first QB taken by many if they were starting a brand new team today.

I don’t think this game will end up as high-scoring as their 2009 instant classic (37-36 Steelers on the last play of the game), but I think both teams get into the 20s. The Steelers are a very balanced team, where they can run and throw the ball down the field. It’s a great recipe for success in a game of this magnitude and might be enough to keep the Packers defense off-balance.

The Packers offense isn’t as balanced, even though their running game showed up a little bit in the playoffs. It’ll be hard-going against the Pitt front 7, however, so I think the Packers come out passing four out of every five downs. By spreading the Steelers talented defensive players out, Rodgers can try to find the one matchup to exploit on each play, which he is one of the best at doing.

Can Rodgers do it enough though, especially with an improved, but still somewhat unreliable, offensive line in front of him. The Bears hit Rodgers a lot after the opening drive of their game (he even got crushed on his TD run), and he was nowhere near as effective.

Pittsburgh is one of the hardest hitting teams in the league, so if they can get to Rodgers early – say, three times in the first quarter – I like Pitt’s chances. Rodgers will get happy feet, won’t progress through his reads as well as he can, and Green Bay won’t pick up huge chunks of yardage we all know they can get.

The Steelers move more methodically down the field, even though they have big play receivers in Mike Wallace, and even Hines Ward on his aging legs. And with Clay Matthews breathing down his neck, Big Ben won’t be able to sit back in the pocket and find his guys. But he’s one of the best QBs after the pocket has collapsed. He makes play after play moving his feet, since he is so big and hard to bring down. His receivers know to keep moving if they are initially covered, and if they find open space, Ben will find them.

Last year, I was convinced before the playoffs started that the winner of the NFC would win the Super Bowl, and the Saints did. This year, I was convinced the winner of the AFC would win the Super Bowl. I really dislike that Green Bay is playing so well the last five games, when they have had to win each one or have their season over.

Not this time. The Steelers win Super Bowl XLV mostly due to their talent on both sides of the ball, and because they have been there before. As I said, Big Ben finds ways to win the big games.

Also, I won’t stand for watching the team I root against the most hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. It’s petty, but I don’t care. Green Bay can not win this game. So they won’t. Go Vikings.

Steelers win 27-23.

As a Minnesota Vikings fan, the NFC Championship game puts the final nail in the coffin of the Vikings 2010 season. I have to watch…well, don’t have to, but probably will…the Green Bay Packers travel to Soldier Field to play the Chicago Bears for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

I dislike both teams, so seeing either have success is terrible, but knowing one and their fan base will be insanely happy at the end of the day is almost too much to bear. But bear it I will, but it will only be tolerable if the Bears come out victorious. See, I dislike the Packers many times more than the Bears, so watching them suffer defeat will provide just a little bit of consolation.

It is no consolation for what we endured this year watching the Vikings. A year after playing in this very game, and feeling very confident they would win in New Orleans, we are stuck watching our rivals, knowing how far away the Vikings were to getting back for another chance with basically the same team. But they couldn’t get out of their own way right from the beginning.

A list for you: Favre being Favre in the off-season (when I thought he was going to declare coming back by the 2010 NFL draft), Sidney Rice’s injury and poor decision-making on timing of the surgery, Cedric Griffin had another knee injury, Percy’s migraines and extended training camp absence after the death in his family, Head Coach Brad Childress fired, and Favre’s consecutive games played streak ends due to injury. And that’s before we even bring up their play on the field.

I argued all season with Childress haters that the play on the field, and, therefore, the Vikings players, was the reason the team finished so poorly. Missed throws by the QB, missed open holes by the RB (AP was awesome, but missed two TDs at the goal line in losses this year), dropped passes by WRs, dropped INTs by the defense, defensive line disappearance in September and October, and finally, too many times allowing the opponent to convert a first down on third and long.

The job of all coaches is to put their players in position to make plays, which, in turn, will usually lead to wins. The Vikings players were in more than enough positions to make plays, but failed. In 2009, they made those plays and ended with 12 wins and were within one play of the Super Bowl. In 2010, they just didn’t make the plays, which led to loss after loss, and eventually, at 3-7, the coach getting fired (had to be done only to rid the team of the public relations nightmare it had turned into).

Favre wasn’t the same as 2009, when he was awesome and exceeded everyone’s expectations. He missed open receivers, couldn’t move around, was out of shape, and looked…old. The Vikings defense could not get off the field and give the offense a short field to work with early in the season, especially in the two road losses to the Patriots and Jets. They needed a stop in the 4th quarter after the offense scored to make it close, but in both games, the opponent held the ball to end the game.

Those quarters were the season. The Vikings failed, so the season failed. Which is too bad, because Adrian Peterson would have been in the MVP conversation had the team been winning. His season is overlooked, but he was running lights out early on. The offensive line struggled, but AP, stung by the criticism of 2009, ran like a beast.

He fought for yards, and most importantly, hung onto the ball – only one fumble in 2010, which happened in week 15 versus the Bears. He did miss those open holes on the goal line, which was disappointing, but he, along with Percy when he was healthy, were two bright spots on an otherwise underwhelming and underperforming team.

Which brings us back to the 2010 NFC Championship Game between the Packers and Bears. The Packers, despite also underwhelming for most of the year, turned it around at the right time (although only winning 10-3 in the final week over the Bears is still embarrassing). Aaron Rodgers is playing at a very high level, and the defense is giving up very little. Why it took so long is probably due to injuries, but their season didn’t seem to be as good as it is finishing. Whatever…good for them.

The Bears, on the other hand, just wouldn’t go away when everyone expected them to at some point. I made more than one comment in September to Bears fans that they need to enjoy 1st place, while they can, as it wouldn’t last long. Well, I was wrong. Their old defense kept playing well, and the offense, for the most part really bad, did enough to win ugly games.

They’re just an ugly team, with a QB who doesn’t show any enjoyment for playing his sport, but like the Packers, the team’s finish is better than their season seemed to be (I do count their opening game versus the Lions as a loss, but since they were given that one after the Calvin Johnson ruling in the end zone, we should have known they were possibly going to have a winning season).

I guess I hope the Bears win the game and advance to the Super Bowl. I don’t want the Packers to even have a chance to win the Super Bowl. So the Bears must win.

However, I predict a Green Bay victory in Chicago (puking now). They won’t run it up like they did against the Falcons in the climate-controlled atmosphere of the Georgia Dome, but they’ll win by at least a touchdown. The weather will be brutal, and shouldn’t favor either team. I’m taking the Packers, because I can’t predict the Bears will win after not believing in them at all this year.

No matter who wins, however, they need to get destroyed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. I do not want to listen to Rex Ryan for two weeks and do not think the Jets are that good, either (like the Bears). Watching Roethlisberger for the Steelers in the Super Bowl after the off-season he had last spring and summer isn’t great either, but I like Mike Tomlin, and since I’m a homer, I want to see the former Vikings coach win his second Super Bowl.

Since I can’t root for purple and gold, I’ll settle for black and yellow. Pass me a Terrible Towel, please.

I am going against my better judgement and picking the Vikings to win at Lambeau Field tonight in Brett Favre’s second visit back to Green Bay. The Vikings have not played a complete game yet in the 2010 NFL season, have a record of 2-3, and need a victory tonight to keep pace in what is turning out to be a very mediocre NFC.

If the Vikings win, they’ll even their record at .500, will be a half-game ahead of the Packers, and will only be a half-game behind the Bears for first place in the NFC North. The Bears are dropping back, record-wise, to where I thought they would be. There were not a good 3-0 team in September. And the Packers should probably be in a position where even a loss to the Vikings at home wouldn’t matter much. But it would. A lot.

The Packers, along with the Saints, have to be the most disappointing team in the NFC. They have tried to overcome some very important injuries, especially on defense, but have not had much success. They, like the Vikings, lost at home to the Dolphins, and their three losses have been by a combined nine points. The defense has held up pretty well, but the Packers’ offense, picked to be one of the best coming into the season, hasn’t looked the part. They have no running game behind a less-than-decent offensive line, which is important against the Vikings, as the purple should be able to consistently drop six or more defenders into coverage. I don’t think this is the night for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers receivers to turn their season around.

The Vikings have probably been even worse offensively than the Packers. Adrian Peterson has been running strong through the first one-third of the season and has been hanging onto the ball, which is what everyone wished him to do. He’s making defenders miss and is breaking tackles. After only scoring nine points in each of their opening two losses, the Vikings have scored 20+ in their last three games, going 2-1.

The Packers get linebacker Clay Matthews back on the field, but I doubt he’s 100% after sitting out last week with a hamstring injury. Brett Favre, Randy Moss, and the rest of the Vikings passing game had another week to get in sync, so I expect them to be better tonight. Percy Harvin is just as explosive as last year and Visanthe Shiancoe should find some seams after disappearing the last couple games. The Packers’ secondary is still without two starters, and they haven’t faced an offensive unit as capable as the Vikings.

The Packers are at home, Favre has to overcome his slow start and off-the-field distractions, and the Vikings offensive line has to give some better protection, but I think the purple come out with a victory. They have the most upside, the most to prove, and cannot fall any further back in the NFC. It could be ugly, especially if Favre doesn’t play as well as he did last year against his former team, but the Vikings will get it done.

Vikings 24
Packers 20

Skol.

I have to admit that until recently, I didn’t have a great feeling about the Vikings chances in their Monday night game at the Jets tonight. They have not done many great things offensively in the first few weeks of the young NFL season to show that they can go into the Meadowlands and beat a very good Jets team with a very good defense.

Their embattled quarterback, Brett Favre, has not clicked with his receivers like he did in 2009, which can happen when a team loses its number one option, like Sidney Rice. No other wide receiver has stepped up, made consistent separation with the defensive back, and showed that he could carry the position for a few weeks. Bernard Berrian should have been this guy, but he has not proved up to the task through three games.

This all changed last week with the arrival of receiver Randy Moss from the Patriots. The Vikings, again, have a number one receiver that Favre can rely on throughout the game. Moss is a receiver that a defense has to pay close attention to and, on most plays, devote two-to-three guys to his side of the field. Even more importantly, it should open up lanes for Adrian Peterson and the Vikings very good running game.

Vikings QB Brett Favre

AP has been running very well so far through three weeks, running as though he knew the offense was a little off while not at full strength. I thought the Vikings went away from the run in the 2nd half of the Saints game in week one, but their commitment in weeks two and three proved that the line and Peterson are up to the task in carrying the offense. The Jets defense is stout, meaning the Vikings passing game has to be a factor tonight, so Favre, Moss, Harvin, Shiancoe, etc. have to be on the same page in order for the Vikings offense to stay on the field, put some nice drives together, and score touchdowns, not field goals.

But are four practices and some classroom time enough to make the difference and turn the season around against a Jets team who has Super Bowl visions once again. Favre and Moss are hall of fame players who have been around, played in some big games, and been on teams where they needed to get to know new teammates pretty quickly. But never have they needed to become one in less than a week. They will.

It’s Monday night, and we know that both Favre and Moss have had some of their biggest moments of their careers in primetime on Monday Night Football. They are both under pressure for different reasons this week, so they’ll need all their focus to be in the right place, in the game, blocking out the viciousness the Jets’ fans are sure to bring, in order for the Vikings to come out on top and improve their record to 2-2.

The Jets are playing very well. However, when they traveled to Miami a couple weeks ago, the Dolphins, not known for their offensive prowess, moved the ball up and down the field against the Jets’ defense. Chad Henne threw for 364 yards and two touchdowns, and the Dolphins controlled the ball for most of the game. The Jets ended up winning, due to a great performance from their quarterback Mark Sanchez and an interception in their red zone with under a minute left to seal the game. But they weren’t an unstoppable force, like they have been at times the last year or so.

If the Jets play defense like they did in Miami, the Vikings will score more than 23 points and win this game. On the other side, the Vikings defense has played very well, too, holding the Saints, Dolphins and Lions to 14, 14, and 10 points respectively (really, the defense has only given up three touchdowns, as the Vikings offense has two turnovers inside their five yard line, giving their oppponets 14 points).

The Jets can take control of a tough AFC East with a win, but this game means more to the Vikings. Expected top teams in the NFC have fallen (Saints, Cowboys & Packers), so a Vikings’ win puts them back in the NFC North race and keeps them in a decent place in the NFC. It won’t be easy, but I think the Vikings will win.

Vikings 27, Jets 23.

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This prediction totally goes against what I’ve been telling people the last few days. I know as recently as Saturday, I picked the Jets 23-20. But I need the Vikings to win, otherwise I need to change my Twitter avatar to a very bearded Braylan Edwards. If the Vikings can somehow win, however, my Twitter friend, @TheFirstD, has to change his avatar to a very bearded Randy Moss.

Skol!

On a gut feeling alone, I think this is the year the Minnesota Twins finally get past the New York Yankees in the MLB playoffs. The Twins were not as good a team the previous three times they have played in recent years. I’ll take the Twins to win in four games.

Even without Justin Morneau, the Twins lineup is much improved, as we saw throughout the season. They have hit for more power thanks to the addition of Jim Thome, and Delmon Young had a breakout year at the plate. Young gets the nod in the cleanup spot, partly due to the fact that the Twins will face two Yankees lefties in CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte the first two games at Target FIeld.

The key for the Twins, though, will be Denard Span, Orlando Hudson, and Joe Mauer getting on base. They need to combine to be on base six or more times per game in order for the Twins to win. I predict this happens, and once on-base, Span and Hudson should have a decent chance to steal some bases. If Mauer hits higher than .370 in the series, the Twins win.

As for pitching, I think Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano will step up and pitch very well in the two home games for the Twins. Frankie has a tendency to get fired up, which could be a problem in the spotlight, but if he gets through the first three to four innings with only giving up a run or less and throws less than 45 pitches, he’ll settle down in the middle innings and go at least seven. Pavano proved last year that he has what it takes to face his former team with confidence and hold them down.

The Twins bullpen has been very good throughout the year, with a few rough spots at times, but Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Matt Capps and company will get the job done. I don’t think we’ll see any late-game heroics from Alex Rodriguez this year.

As for the Yankees, they scored a ton of runs during the regular season and hit a ton of home runs. Looking at their lineup, there are a bunch of .270 hitters with 20-plus homeruns. They are a very dangerous lineup, but in the cool air at Target Field, in combination with Liriano and Pavano pitching, I think the ball stays in the park more than it might have in Metrodome.

Twins will sweep both games at Target Field versus the Yankees – I’ll say 4-2 in game one and 6-5 in game two – and then will win game four in New York. Just like the Bulls needed to get by the Pistons in the NBA to finally win their titles, the Twins need to exorcise the whooping the Yankees have put on them this last decade. This is the year.

Win Twins!

** Photo found here using Google image search. **

Well…are you ready for some football? I am, and I think the NFL got it right in sending the Vikings back to face the Saints to begin the 2010 season.

The Vikings and Saints played, in my mind, the Super Bowl game last year. I felt that whoever won that game would win the Lombardi trophy, which the Saints did by beating the Colts two weeks later. I was very confident the Vikings would win that game. I’m not as confident this year.

A week ago, I would have said that the Saints are going to beat the Vkings by 14 or more points tonight. The Saints have the emotion of opening up the season at home, are raising their championship banners, and Drew Brees leading an offense that led the NFL in scoring last year returning pretty much intact.

The Vikings, on the other hand, have had a training camp and preseason full of many more questions than answers. Will Brett Favre return (I never doubted it, but it took longer than I thought it would)? Will Sidney Rice’s hip and Percy Harvin’s migraines heal? Will Sage beat out TJack for the #2 quarterback position? Who will start at cornerback opposite Antoine Winfield? And how will the defensive secondary play without Cedric Griffin? And how will Adrian Peterson respond this year after his fumbles came in such crucial situations?

We will not know the answers to many of these until after the game (or first three games going into the bye week). We know Favre and Percy did return. We know Sage was traded last week, so TJack is the #2 QB, despite probably not earning it. We know the defensive secondary could get lit up and that veteran Lito Sheppard probably starts.

How does this translate on the football field, though? Unfortunately, the Vikings don’t have Cleveland and Detroit to ease Favre into the season again. He didn’t have to do much of anything in those two games, as the running game dominated, and Favre just had to make a couple easy plays. But with a bum ankle, he only played about two-and-a-half quarters of preseason football, plus a month of practices, to prepare to face the Super Bowl champs on their home field.

The Superdome will be rocking, and the Saints will come out with a ton of emotion. So will the Vikings. Besides Griffin being out, the Vikings defense is the same, and they had the Saints flummoxed for much of the NFC Championship. Saints gained less than 300 yards of offense and had to be helped out by a couple suspect defensive penalties on the Vikings in order to get in field goal range in overtime.

The Vikings offense obviously won’t be as polished as they were at the end of the last season, but Rice is the only man missing, and he was held to four catches. The Vikings will move Harvin into Rice’s spot (and move him around), with the new guy, Greg Camarillo, sliding into the slot. And don’t forget Shiancoe at tight end. The Vikings passing game is nearly the same. But with the limited game conditions in preseason, we’ll see how sharp they are.

Which is why the only way the Vikings beat the Saints is for Peterson to have a game like he did in the NFC Championship, minus the fumbles, of course. He ran for over 120 yards, including a nice 20+ yarder to open the scoring in the first quarter. The Vikings offensive line is intact, since John Sullivan is returning from a calf injury that limited him all preseason.

This game ends in one of two ways: either the Saints win in the blowout many expect or the Vikings win another close one. The Vikings offensive line will play well enough to control the clock, get AP over 100 yards again, and Favre won’t make the same mistake he did to end regulation last season. The Vikings are out to avenge how last season ended. They lost a game they definitely should have won after statistically dominating in almost all phases. And they are hungry.

Vikings win 27-20.

I am pretty excited, just like others, for the NBA Finals, which begin tonight. I watched the Celtics or the Lakers play in and win just about every Finals throughout the 1980s, before turning the keys to the championship parade over to a certain team from Chicago in the 1990s. Multiple Hall of Famers playing basketball, the game I like the most, at the highest level possible? Sign me up for a seven-game series, please.

My quick take is that the Celtics should win the NBA Championship over the Lakers in six or seven games. The Lakers are very good at home, so will win at least two games in Staple Center, but I think the Celtics steal either game one or two in LA, eventually clinching it at home in game six or somehow winning game seven on the road.

I know it isn’t a popular prediction, that the Celtics can win game seven on the road, with Kobe Bryant trying to cement his legacy as a top-10 player of all-time, but either Ray Allen or Paul Pierce will have just enough to get it done. Kevin Garnett will match up just fine with Lamar Odom or Pau Gasol in the post, and the Celtics need just enough solid defense from Perkins to make it difficult for the Lakers big men to get comfortable in the block.

I do think that the Lakers length can give the Celtics fits, especially when Rajon Rondo attempts to get to the basket or when they close out on Allen. However, Rondo has become a master at the floater in the lane or going up-and-under after getting the defender in the air. And Allen…well, you don’t become one of the top-five pure shooters in NBA history without knowing how to get your shot off. No matter the angle, he’s always squared up to shoot.

Game one will be a nice gauge to see if the Celtics old legs are fresh for a killer series. Rondo will have to be on top of his game to handle the multiple defenders Phil Jackson will throw at him throughout the game. I think Kobe gets his points, 26-32, but the Celtics defense should bother the other guys just enough to stay in it.

In the end, the Celtics certain Hall of Famers, Garnett and Allen, along with the probable HOFer Pierce, should raise their second NBA Championship banner in three years, defeating the Lakers certain HOFers, Kobe and Coach Jackson. And I will enjoy every trip down memory lane to those 1980’s series that ABC will throw at us over the next couple weeks.

I do love this game.

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One paragraph on the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce at the end of the Tigers-Indians game Wednesday night, denying Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in MLB history:
I absolutely hate that this happened. Hate it for Galarraga, for Joyce, for the Tigers team and fans, and for baseball. It was a great story, turned sour. However, I don’t think Joyce should be suspended. He made the mistake, he’s owned up to it, shows he’s tearing himself up for it, and Galarraga has handled it with a class we do not often see from professional players. I’ll add my vote to expanding instant replay and will try to have more on this soon.

The Minnesota Twins open their new ballpark, Target Field, today for an exhibition game versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the past month, I have probably read and looked at 40-50 stories, reviews, Flickr photo streams or videos of the building, and I am insanely excited to make my first visit with the family. I estimate that the stories I’ve read represent one-fifth of the total I’ve come across, especially coming through my Twitter feed. There is a nice buzz about the Twins, which is well-deserved right now.

Here are just a few facts I have learned about Target Field:

* First Twins home game outdoors since September 30, 1981
* Target Field has a capacity of 39,504
* The infield is made up of 93% sand, allowing for quick drainage when it rains (up to an inch per hour) and is heated at or near 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Translation: the Twins will play through a lot of rain
* Main scoreboard (as of today) is the fourth largest in Major League Baseball

Two other construction notes that I find interesting are that the wood-backed seats located in select sections are the first wood seats to be added in a new ballpark since before World War II. Also, the Budweiser Roof Deck in left field is the only deck inside a MLB stadium – think Chicago & Baltimore, where decks are on top of buildings across the street.

I just can not get enough of the new field. When I was having trouble getting tickets online to a couple games when single-game tickets went on sale March 13th, I was more than happy to drive to the box office. I didn’t look around as much as I wanted to, as we had plans, but I look forward to a couple afternoon games in May.

As great as the ballpark is, the 2010 Twins team should be nearly as impressive. The front office has built a lineup to win now, and the offense should have no problem scoring runs. If they were still playing in Metrodome, I don’t think the team signs free agents Orlando Hudson or Jim Thome, and they might not have given lengthy contracts to OF Denard Span (5 years) and SP Nick Blackburn (4 years). Joe Mauer was always going to get his money.

The estimated payroll of $96 million (50% higher than opening day 2009) is a direct result of the expected revenue the team hopes to pull in from the new Target Field. That, and the owners are some of the richest people in Minnesota, so, yeah, they can spend some money in the coming years.

One of the Twins items I came across on Twitter within the last week was a Twins fan and blogger looking for 2010 Minnesota Twins predictions. I thought, “Hey, I can do that!” Without further delay, here are my Twins predictions for 2010:

Twins-Specific Predictions
- Twins MVP: Joe Mauer (best in the A.L. has to be best on the team, right?)
- Twins Top Pitcher: Scott Baker (expect big things from Big Spot Scott)
- Twins Best Rookie: Danny Valencia (when he makes it to Minneapolis)
- Twins Most Improved Player: Francisco Liriano (could average 12+ Ks per 9 innings)
- Bold Predictions (think of several if you’d like): Mauer, Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer finish with 15+ homeruns (I would say 20+, but not sure Thome gets enough at bats. Also, whoever becomes the closer will finish with 30+ saves.
- A.L. Central Prediction (Standings): Twins, White Sox, Tigers, Indians, Royals
- Three Keys to Success for the Twins: 1) someone emerging as primary closer 2) M & M boys’ health holds up through October 3) one starter getting 20 victories.

Rest of the League Predictions
- A.L. MVP: Mauer or Mark Teixeira
- N.L. MVP: Hanley Ramirez (the only one to supplant Pujols here)
- A.L. Cy Young: Felix Hernandez (his talent & team allow him to explode)
- N.L. Cy Young: Roy Halladay (move to NL will be very good
- A.L. Rookie of the Year: Michael Brantley
- N.L. Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward (this guy will be good for a long time)
- A.L. Breakout Player of the Year: Denard Span (nice lineup behind him & he will produce)
- N.L. Breakout Player of the Year: Stephen Strasburg (awesome pitching prospect)
- A.L. Comeback Player of the Year: Francisco Liriano
- N.L. Comeback Player of the Year: Chris Carpenter
- A.L. Playoff Predictions: Twins, Yankees, Rays & Mariners
- N.L. Playoff Predictions: Phillies, Cardinals, Braves & Dodgers
- World Series Prediction: Yankees beat Phillies (these teams might meet in W.S. for next five years)

I really want to pick the Twins to win the World Series, but not having the number one starter like other teams and losing Joe Nathan as their closer costs them in the post-season once again. Nathan would have been better this October than last year. The Twins will score runs, challenging the Yankees for the MLB lead this year, but will just miss the World Series.

It will be a very successful year for the Minnesota Twins, and fans should enjoy the season. We have our Twins gear, thanks to a long trip to Target the other day, and we’re ready to watch outdoor baseball at Target Field for the first time in downtown Minneapolis.

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints play in Super Bowl XLIV (44) on Sunday and vie for the best team in the NFL for the 2009-2010 season. I think I am sufficiently over the Saints beating the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game, so I believe I am seeing the final game clearly enough to be confident in picking the winner.

The Saints will win the Super Bowl and be NFL champions. I have held the belief since November that the winner of the NFC would be the Super Bowl winner.

The Saints and Vikings were the class of the NFC and playing really good football, combining to post a record of 21-1 at one point. The Packers and Cowboys played better football over the last month, showing that they might have enough to compete in the playoffs, but they both flamed out eventually.

The Saints survived an epic game against the Vikings, and I think they have the players on both sides of the ball and on special teams to take down the Colts. Led by Drew Brees, the high scoring Saints will be able to put plenty of points on the board, as the Colts have not played an explosive offense like this in well over a month.

The Colts finished the season on cruise control, resting their starters for most of the last two games when they had the #1 seed wrapped up. They then played the Ravens and Jets in their first two playoff games, two teams who like to grind it out and take their shots downfield if the chance presents itself.

The Saints will go downfield first and look to dump it off as a last resort. And they have Reggie Bush, who plays up and down, but is still explosive, as their dump off back. He just needs a small hole to make a big play.

I do not expect the Saints offense to struggle this game, like they did against the Vikings. With two weeks to prepare, they should move the ball. We saw what they did against the Cardinals with two weeks off. Oh, and the Colts defense will have a gimpy Dwight Freeney on the line, which gives Brees a nice advantage.

If the Colts are going to win, though, it falls on the right shoulder of a pretty great quarterback. Peyton Manning has cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks of this generation, and some are arguing whether another Super Bowl victory pushes him into the discussion of Greatest if All Time (G.O.A.T.).

I think that discussion is for a few years down the road, but a Colts victory lies squarely with Manning. He is a master at the line of scrimmage reading where the defense will line up, getting his guys in position, and throwing a quick strike to move the ball downfield. He doesn’t have much of a running game to support him, and the Colts don’t change their scheme much, so he needs to be precise in his reads for it all to click.

Despite their 14-2 regular season record and methodical wins in their two playoff games (Manning was a surgeon in the last three quarters against the Jets), I can’t help but think that the Colts were good enough to win a weaker AFC, but have yet to play a team as good as the Saints (or Vikings, if they had made it). The Saints will get after Manning just enough to rattle him early.

With Manning trying to figure out the Saints defense, their offense will jump out to a lead, maybe by 10-14 points in the first half. The Colts, since they have Manning, will pull within one score in the second half, and perhaps hold a slim lead, but the Saints will finish strong, building a ten-point lead as tje clock winds down.

The Colts will score late to make it close, but the Saints will hold on for a 34-31 victory, winning their first Super Bowl title in their first try. It will be great for the players and the state of Louisiana.

I won’t go as far as some and say that New Orleans deserves the Super Bowl, but with their high-powered offense and opportunistic defense, the Saints will have definitely earned it. They have played the best this year and will prove it by holding up the Lombardi Trophy.