Domination Station

Chase for the Triple Crown

Miguel Cabrera vs. Chris Davis

By Ryan Frisco

Last year, Miguel Cabrera became the first MLB player since 1967 to win the Triple Crown.  Usually, we don't see anyone really in the running for this award, as it involves leading the league in three somewhat diverse categories, Homeruns, RBIs and Batting Average.  If you lead the league in Homeruns, you probably lead in RBIs as well, but it's tough to keep a high batting average when you're more of a power hitter.  On the other hand, when you lead the league in Batting Average, you usually aren't hitting for a lot of power, more spreading out singles and doubles.

This year, we've got two guys who are in a legitimate battle for the Crown.  The Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera again, and a newcomer, Baltimore Orioles First Basemen Chris Davis.  To give you a picture of how dominant these two are, I'm going to show you where these two rank in all of the MLB offensive statistics.

Photo Cred www.usatoday.com

Batting Average:

1. Cabrera, DET .364

4. Davis, BAL .326

Homeruns:

1. Davis, Bal 32

2. Cabrera, DET 26

RBIs:

1. Cabrera, DET 85

2. Davis, BAL 83

OPS:

1. Cabrera, DET 1.124

2. Davis, BAL 1.121

Photo Cred www.zimbio.com

OBP: 

1. Cabrera, DET .454

6. Davis, BAL .402

SLG:

1. Davis, BAL .719

2. Cabrera, DET .670

Runs: 

1. Cabrera, DET 65

4. Davis, BAL 62

So there you have it.  Between the two of them, neither one is further down the list than 6th.  Cabrera clearly has a bit of an edge overall, being in the Top 2 in every category.  But still, Davis isn't the superstar that people have known Miguel Cabrera to be.  This is his breakout season, the first time he's ever had numbers like this even in a full season!  If Chris Davis doesn't have these kinds of numbers, the Baltimore Orioles aren't in the running in the AL East.  Similarly, if Miguel Cabrera doesn't dominate the way he does, the Tigers most likely aren't winning their division.  It's rare for one guy to threaten for the Triple Crown.  It's unheard of for two guys to be in the running together.  This is going to be exciting down the stretch, as each of these guys leads their team most likely into the playoffs, and beyond!

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder and MLB Analyst for Sports Eye View. He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com.

Domination Station

Sports: America's Answer to Tragedy

By Ryan Frisco

America endured a tragedy last week.  A bombing at one of the country's most prestigious sporting events, the Boston Marathon.  Three people were killed, and close to 200 others were injured.  We've seen the live footage of what happened, and the countless graphic pictures of the chaos that ensued.  America has been here before, and far too often the last 15 years.

Photo Cred www.espn.com

In the days following, American Pride came out in all sorts of ways.  Through this attack, the USA has banded together as one, rallying behind the cry 'Boston Strong' and 'U-S-A.'  In this week's Domination Station segment, I want to feature professional sports in general, for their response to events like these and the ways they bring the country together.

September 9, 2011, the United States endured by far the worst terrorist attack in history.  Thousands of civilians were killed.  Hundreds of first responders were killed.  Countless are still dealing with lasting effects both physically and emotionally from this event.  Life stopped for a week after that.

When sports started up again, I had the honor of attending two huge events.  The second Saturday after the attacks, I was present for the Orioles home game at Camden Yards, as they took on the New York Yankees in a return to baseball.  Being in attendance for that game was unforgettable.  The pre game ceremonies saw the baseball diamond lined with firefighters and policemen, honoring them and their selfless service.  There were cheers echoing around that stadium for 10 minutes.  Cheers of 'USA' were heard the entire time.  I was only 13, but I know those who understood what was going on were crying.  This was a step in the healing process.

Photo Cred www.facebook.com

The next day, my family attended the race at Dover, the first race since the attacks.  It was just more of the same, as tens of thousands of fans came together in one place to not only cheer on the drivers, but show everyone else that life can go on, that America is strong, that we weren't afraid.  A teary rendition of the National Anthem.  Hours of the chant 'USA.'  A flurry of American Flags flying all over the grandstands.  Not only did these events help heal the wounds, it sent a statement to the world.

After the Boston Marathon, events in Boston were postponed for a few days.  When they came back, it was evident how the attack had once again brought us together.  If you haven't seen this yet, watch the video of the National Anthem during the first Boston Bruins hockey game last week.

            

That's enough to make you tear up.  I've never witnessed a National Anthem like that, where the entire stadium joins in.

There were plenty of other gestures around sports.  The Yankees played 'Sweet Caroline' after the third inning of one of their games to honor the victims.  The Red Sox held some pre game ceremonies this weekend (where David Ortiz used some questionable language) that were passionate and moving.

So much of America revolves around sports, and when something like this happens, sports play a major role in bringing us all back together.  I've witnessed this first hand.  After something terrible happens, it's freeing to sit down and watch a sporting event, whether it's a baseball game, football game, NASCAR race or anything else.  Sports are American, and somehow have that healing touch.  Sports know how important they are at a time like this, and do a fantastic job at living up to expectations.  Thank you sports for your impact this past week.

Domination Station

From Portugal with Love

by Ben Makin




Photo cred https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com

 

Just about everyone and their mother knows of the pretty boy Cristiano Ronaldo. Sure he’s good, but isn’t that Messi character better? NOT SO FAST. Sure, Messi has won the last couple Player of the Year Awards (Ballon d’OR), but who has finished second the last two years? Cristiano. Who won the award in 2008? Cristiano. Who is hungry to leave the shadow of Messi (albeit generally small shadow as Messi is 5’7”) and take center stage? You got that right, CRISTIANO.

Photo cred http://www.ronaldo7.net

The man is on a tear this season. Since the New Year he has scored 17 goals in 15 games. Not even Messi has that many goals. That’s not an easy feat, and to top it all off he’s been playing against some of the best teams in the world!! Manchester United- 2 goals, Barcelona- 2 goals, and Valencia- 2 goals. (LOOK AT HOW ATHLETIC HE IS! ) So its not like he is grabbing goals against SmileyHappyTown Elementary School, these are some of the toughest teams in the WORLD.

Photo cred http://img2.timeinc.net

 




In the last two Champions League games against Manchester United, Ronaldo put his team through to the next round by stepping up when needed. There are very few players that when the game is on the line and a goal is desperately needed, they can consistently come through in the clutch. Ronaldo is one of these players (Along with about 4 others*). When you watch him play, you expect him to score. I would compare him to LeBron James- if he doesn't have a 25-7-7 night,  you say he’s off his game. If Cristiano isn’t making spectacular passes and slotting one into the back of the net, you wonder what his deal is.  When you’ve come to that point in your career, you know you deserve a spot in the DOMINATION STATION!!! 

*Messi, Van Persie, Falcao, Garreth Bale.

 

Domination Station

Hot Team in the Old Town

By Caleb Musselman



Photo Cred www.thehistoryblog.com



“Late one night when we were all in bed,

Old Mrs. Leary left a lantern in the shed,

And when the cow kicked it over she turned around and said,

There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight.”

Photo Cred www.cdn.nhle.com

During the lockout, the Chicago Blackhawks must have had this old Children’s song about the Great Chicago Fire on repeat in the locker room. Since the drop of the first puck in January, Chicago has been in flames. Not a fire that burns the city to the ground, but a fireball that rolls around the country and demolishes anything and everything in its way.

On Tuesday night the Blackhawks tied the modern day record for the most games without a regulation loss to begin a season. Their 13-0-3 record gives them their best start in franchise history and an unbelievably hot start to the 2013 campaign. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, Chicago has been in a bit of a rut. With a young, dynamic roster from top to bottom, much of the hockey world feared that a dynasty was being formed in Chicago. After 2 years of moderate success, it seems Toews, Kane and Keith are ready to take the next step.

Photo Cred www.blogcdn.com

Ranked barely in the top ten of preseason rankings, the Blackhawks have very quickly put themselves at the top of the cup favorites list in just a few weeks. Led by Patrick Kane’s 22 points and Corey Crawford’s 1.65 GGA between the pipes, Chicago has been simply dynamic. Friday night, with the chance of making history, the Hawks have a tough matchup against a San Jose team who isn’t far behind. A monster Western Conference matchup between two teams who had no lockout hangover, the United Center is going to be an absolute mad house.

Now begins the waiting game of seeing how long Chicago can keep the streak. When will they lose? Will they ever lose? Maybe that is the better question. Can they break the record? Can they get the streak to 20, going nearly half the season without a loss? The young guns in Chicago don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.



Photo Cred www.committedindians.com



“Late one night, when the NHL was in bed,

Old Joel Quenneville lit a fire under his men,

And when Bettman dropped the puck he turned around and said,

There’ll be a hot team in the old town tonight. FIRE FIRE FIRE”

Domination Station

Joe Flacco
By Ryan Frisco

Photo Cred www.imageslides.com

I remember it clearly – I was a young Sports Editor on staff at the Quad, the West Chester University school newspaper.  It was early 2007, and the WCU Golden Rams were opening their season against the Delaware Blue Hens.  Remember who was quarterbacking the Blue Hens that day?  Joe Flacco.

West Chester lost the game 35-0.  But it wasn’t about the win.  This game didn’t matter to us, it didn’t affect our conference record or playoff hopes.  It was cool for us to watch, because we knew that we were witnessing something, someONE, special.  We knew Flacco was destined for greatness.  Just how great was left to be determined.

Joe was drafted by the Ravens in 2008 under rookie coach John Harbaugh.  That first season, the Ravens made the playoffs with an 11-5 record.  2009, 9-7, playoffs.  2010, 12-4, playoffs.  2011, 12-4, playoffs.  2012, 10-6, playoffs, Super Bowl. 

Photo Cred sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Joe Flacco has five complete seasons under his belt. He has made the playoffs in all five, culminating last week in an incredible 34-31 Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.  How can we categorize Joe Flacco as anything but dominant?

We know his career record has been impressive.  When you look at those stats, Flacco looks like a shoe in for the title of elite quarterback.  But, that’s the one thing he has been unable to obtain.  No matter how many years he makes playoffs in a row, Joe still seems to catch so much flak from the critics (I wonder if it’s because his last name is Flacco?). They critique his effectiveness as leader and quarterback, and blame the team’s success on the defense or the running back, or something else. 

I believe, as it looks like others do too, that Joe Flacco has firmly established himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in the league.  I’m not basing this off of his play in the Super Bowl alone.  He did play a great game there, and earned his MVP award.  I’m basing this off of his entire four game postseason, specifically three games against arguably the league’s three best teams that were heavily favored.

Let’s let his stats speak for themselves.

Photo Cred www.nydailynews.com

Wild Card Playoff: Indianapolis – 24-9 win.  282 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT.

Divisional Playoff: Denver – 38-35 OT win.  331 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT.

AFC Championship: New England 28-13 win.  240 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT.

Super Bowl: San Francisco – 34-31 win. 287 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT.

That’s over 1,000 yards, 14 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.  That is elite.  That is domination.  I dare you to disagree.

Domination Station

Tiger Woods

By Ryan Frisco

This segment is dedicated each week to an athlete who dominated their sport that week

The Old Tiger Woods.  The New Tiger Woods.  We've heard both of these terms thrown around the last couple years.  What do they mean?

Photo Cred www.thebiglead.com

The Old Tiger Woods was great.  He was an unstoppable force on the golf course.  Players shivered in their golf shoes when they saw his name on the sign-up sheet.  The Old Tiger Woods was going to break all the records.

Then there is the New Tiger Woods.  He was a broken man who had lost his swing, his fierceness and his dominance.  He couldn't putt.  His drives didn't find fairway.  Players looked over his name on the sign-up sheet, looking for real competition.  These are two very different people.

Last weekend, we saw the Old Tiger Woods again.  We saw a man that got inside the head of PGA greats.  We saw the man that won 14 majors in 10 years.

Photo Cred www.eurweb.com

In one of the greatest displays of dominance on the golf course, Tiger ran away from the competition at the Farmers Insurance Open.  No one came close.  At one point, he had a 9 shot lead in the tournament.  He was so far ahead that after going four over on the last five holes, he still finished a whole four shots ahead of the next closest competitor.

All this happened at Torrey Pines, where he had previously won 7 times.  As one writer put it, 'Tiger makes this prestigious public course look like his own private course.'  It's not home field advantage, but it may as well be.  He has won at Torrey Pines 8 times, and won the Farmers Insurance Open 7 times. 

Tiger Woods dominated the tournament.  He also dominated that course.  That was his 75th PGA tournament victory.  Eight more wins breaks Sam Snead's all-time record.  Four more majors to catch Jack Nicklaus.  It's on folks.  The Old Tiger Woods is back.

Domination Station

The Brothers' Grimm

By Caleb Musselman

This segment is dedicated each week to an athlete who dominated their sport that week

Photo Cred www.gamedayr.com

            A few times every decade, a pair of brothers make it to the professional level. In the NHL, the Staal family has defied the odds by taking the league by storm and placing four brothers at the highest level of competition. In the NBA, Marc and Pau Gasol made history by being the first pair of European brothers to not only play, but excel at the highest level. Now, all of these accomplishments are impressive, but in the NFL there stands a brother tandem that sets itself apart on the domination scale.

            Jim and John Harbaugh are the only logical choice for our first Domination Station. According to thesportsdigest.com, the odds of a high school senior varsity football player eventually being drafted into the NFL stands at .08%. A puny percentage compared to the plethora of self-identified all-stars across the nation who have dreams of professional stardom. Unfortunately for more than 99% of high school players, the varsity jacket and football will be traded for a suit jacket and desktop by the time they reach the age of RGIII.

Photo Cred www.fox59.com

             
          Now, try to get your mind around this. There are 53 players on each NFL team; however, each team has only one head coach. Thus, each high school varsity football player has roughly a 0.0015% chance of becoming a head coach. Obviously this is a rough calculation, however the point is not to be pin-point precise. The point is to show just how unbelievably unlikely it is for two brothers to become head coaches in the NFL.

            Now, you might be thinking, “what about the Ryan Brothers”? There is an enormous difference between two coaches making the league because of something their father did, and what the Harbaughs have done. Rex and Bobby have, in my opinion, displayed embarrassingly poor coaching skills in their respective jobs. On top of that, they have taken once thriving positions in NY and Dallas and made themselves the laughing stock of much of the league. This does not constitute brotherly domination. This constitutes two brothers who made it into the coaching sphere on the coattails of there father’s success.

Photo Cred www.facebook.com

            Now back to the Harbaughs. Check out some of these numbers...John Harbaugh (age 50), just 5 years into his first coaching stint in Baltimore has a career record of 54-26. He has captured the AFC North 3 out of those 5 years, and possibly more impressive, he has won at least 1 playoff game in each of these 5 years.

            Jim Harbaugh (age 49), just 2 years into the NFL coaching realm has taken the league by storm. After dominating at Stanford for 4 years, James Joseph Harbaugh decided to take his talents to Candlestick. His first year he posted an average 13-3 record (sarcasm noted), and fell just one game short of the Super Bowl with an average quarterback (sorry Alex Smith). His second year, with a major quarterback change and a more competitive NFC West, Harbaugh led the 49ers to an 11-4-1 season. In case you don’t have a calculator handy, that makes for an amazing .750 winning percentage in his first two seasons in San Francisco. That’s domination.

            Clearly with these two brothers, winning is first priority. Now, this titanic matchup between the Brothers’ Grimm on February 3rd in Super Bowl XLVII promises to be one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory.

Photo Cred www.mirror.co.uk

            Will John play the big brother role and beat up on little Jimmy just like the old days? Or will Jimmy show he’s all grown up and extend the undefeated Super Bowl streak to 6 for San Francisco? One thing is clear, we are in for a wild ride. The Harbaughs have established themselves as arguably the best 1-2 coaching tandem in the NFL, and in case you forgot, they are pretty new to this. With only 7 years total experience between the two of them, the wins will continue to pile up and the Super Bowl rings will likely multiply. Expect the domination to continue for many years to come. Bring on the Harbowl baby.