It's Baseball Playoff Time

Now that TBS no longer carries the Braves, I have not watched a total of 10 games all season.
I am just not fired up for the baseball playoffs.

Here's my predictions:

National League

Philadelphia in three games over Milwaukee. I'm glad a small market team made the playoffs, but Philly is better.

I know Joe Torre will get a lot of credit for this, but I am taking the Dodgers in four games. Without Manny, the Dodgers don't make the playoffs and Torre would be home with his Yankee buddies.

Dodgers over the Phillies in seven games .

American League:

The Chi-Sox will beat Tampa in four games just because this is Tampa's first time.

In four games, the Angels beat the Red Sox. This is probably the best playoff matchup of the entire playoffs.

Angels beat the Red Sox in six games.

This will set up a Freeway Series Angels and Dodgers. I like the Halos in six games.

For the first time in 108 years, both Chicago teams are in the playoffs at the same time. Sorry, no Northside against Southside World Series.

Now that baseball season is almost over, it is time to think back to the best thing that happened in baseball this year - The Home Run Derby at the All-Star game.

Raleigh's Josh Hamilton put on a show even though he did not win it. Who cares?

Hamilton was steady after the All-Star break, but no where near as good as his first half. But he still put up MVP numbers: .304 batting average; 32 home runs; 130 RBI. Not bad for a player who just three years ago was in the gutter because of drugs.

Terrell Owens is on the verge of tearing the Dallas Cowboys apart. Owens is complaining of not getting the ball enough in the loss to the Redskins.

He had 17 throws his way caught seven and dropped five. Good defense stopped the other five. If Owens repeats his history Dallas will have to dump him by next year.

All of this football talk about the Rocky Mount Gryphons, we seemed to have overlooked the boys soccer team. They are now 11-2-1. New head coach Drew Nick has really got this team playing well.

High school football at Northern Vance Thursday night. Can the Gryphon Express stay in high gear and the "D" Block shut down the another offense?

The answer is an hour away in Henderson Thursday night.

I can remember high school football all the way back to 1961. If this Gryphon team keeps up this pace they are at now both on offense and defense, this could be the best team I've ever seen.

In order to be considered that high up the ladder, there can't be a stumble rest of the way. A full season of 11 games remain for this team to be classified one of the greatest ever.

Come see for yourself. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Wes Bradshaw and I will tell you everything you didn't need to know about the Gryphons starting at 6.30 on the AM 1390's Batts, Batts and Bell Pregame Show.

A Little Bit of Everything

Let's start tonight in baseball. I am just having a hard time thinking about a White Sox-Twins playoff game.

I told you several weeks back that Joey Devine of the Oakland A's was having an outstanding season.

Devine set the all-time lowest ERA of any pitcher who has pitched a minimum of 40 innings. Major League Baseball, however, states that to be the official winner on this list, a pitcher must pitch at least 50 innings.

Devine allowed just three earned runs all season. He probably would have gotten in more than 50 innings, but he missed the middle of the summer with a sore elbow. When he got off the disabled list in early August, he did not allow a run for the remainder of the season.

Not bad for a pitcher who gave up two grand slam home runs in his first two appearances in the Majors a couple of years ago for Atlanta.

The final stats on Devine were a 6-1 record, one save and an ERA of 0.59.

Richard Collier, the Jacksonville Jags player who was shot several weeks ago in Jacksonville ,has lost a leg. Doctors had to remove the leg after Collier was shot 15 times. There is even more bad news for Collier one of those shots hit his spine and he will never walk again.

I have just listened to the news conference of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis explaining why he fired Lane Kiffin. Can someone explain to me why Al Davis doesn't reside in the loony bin?

Matt Bryant, the kicker for the Tampa Bay Bucs, buried his infant son on Saturday. He then flew to Tampa Saturday night for a team meeting. Sunday, he went 3-for-3 on field goals - including the game-winning kick in overtime.

Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden was asked why Bryant played and he responded, "Matt needed football, his teammates and the fans to get over his tragedy."

It is amazing what people can do when they're at their lowest point.

I just got back this afternoon from doing a Faith Christian School volleyball game. It's the first time that I have been in their new gym at the Beechwood Dr. campus.

After 14 years of hopping from one school to another to find a place to play its indoor sports, the people at Faith have really kept the faith and they have a prize. It will not be too many more years until their entire school is at one location.

Thursday night's game against Northern Vance (2-3) is the final non-conference game for Rocky Mount. The real games start Oct. 10.

I know it's Thursday night and this being an away game, it will be hard to get fans there. Guys, we need more fans there than NV!

I had forgotten to bring this up, but wasn't the field's paint job great Friday night?

The "RM" at mid-field was painted gold and the numbers on the yard lines were white with a navy blue shadow to them. We all need to thank one man for that work, but he was embarrassed and annoyed when I announced his name during a JV game a couple of weeks ago.

His name will go unnamed here, but I think most of you know who did it.

Great job, person who shall remain nameless!

Much To Do About Something

If you attended the Rose game a few weeks back. you paid $7 to get in the game.

There was a sign on the gate that the extra dollar was going into a fuel fund to help Rose pay for the expense it will incur next season when it starts playing all their conference games with the Wilmington 4-A schools.

I believe that is called a "Pitt County Tax."

Just maybe if Pitt County made all their schools approximately the same size like Nash County did, they wouldn't have that problem.

Every Monday I make a visit to one of the warehouses behind the football stadium on Barnum Rd. I have to check my company's inventory and as I rode by the football field it sure did look like there was a party there Saturday.

The trash was in bags piled up, but it looked like either the wind had either turned some of the piles over or an animal had gotten in several bags.

It looked like a tornado had come through the parking lot. By lunch time, the city had it looking like a parking lot again.

I think the Down East Viking Classic has become a big hit for Rocky Mount.

When Rocky Mount High School gets its new stadium on their new campus, there should be some kind of expansion done at RMAC. I don't see why if the stadium was big enough, 20,000 people would show up.

Somewhere in the future, N.C. Wesleyan might become a Div. III football power and large crowds might come see them play.

There will be no JV game this Wednesday night due to the fact that we have already played Northern Vance. Remember, that game was played on the Thursday night when the varsity should have been playing.

By the way, we won 34-zippo.

I know that the entire athletic department at Rocky Mount High was not very happy being about the only game that got postponed that Friday night against NV. All other high schools watched the weather forecasts and moved their Friday night games to Thursday and they played in dry conditions.

Apparently, no one in Vance County has a TV, radio, Internet or telephone. They had no idea a tropical storm was coming ..

I am just thinking to myself now, but if we have a chance to lay a hurting scoring wise on Northern Vance Thursday will Coach Holt get some revenge??

So far, no one has scored on the Gryphons in the first quarter. I have said this before ,but we need Northern Vance to give us a tussle. We don't need to start conference play with out having broken a sweat in any second half. I'm being serious when I say that.

Don't forget that the game is a 7 p.m kickoff. If you decide to stay close to home Thursday, we will begin the Gryphon chatter at 6.30.

The way this team is playing, they deserve your support.

NFL Week 4

Ever since college football went to 85 scholarships per team there has been an ever so slight slide to where unless a team is decimated with injuries scores are closer.

Very seldom do you see the 65-14 score any more - it is more like 38-24.

Since the NFL merger way back in the 60's when the old NFL decided to quit fighting with the upstart AFL, teams are getting ever so close. There is a fine line between winning and losing.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been the Duke Blue Devils of the NFL having lost nine games in a row.

One of the hottest teams, Denver, lost today to the coldest Kansas City to break the nine-game losing streak. KC 33, Denver 19

Oakland put up a monumental effort for their coach, who Al Davis wants to fire. I think the city needs to fire the owner of the Raiders. Oakland used to be one of the best NFL franchises. Now, it's a joke.

Time has left Al Davis behind. San Diego scores 25 points in the fourth quarter to escape from Oakland 28-18. Philip Rivers has lead his team to three leads in the fourth quarter this year, but the San Diego defense gave two back late in the fourth.

Rivers has now led San Diego to three 15 points or more deficit in his career and won. Brett Favre has never won a game trailing by 14.

Ever since Tennessee changed quarterbacks, its offense has started scoring points. They have the best defense in the league and it looks to me unless they put Vince Young back at quarterback, the AFC Championship will have to be won in Nashville.

Buffalo is 4-0. They will be hard to catch after the snow starts falling in the AFC East. I think the first coaching change in the NFL happens Monday in St. Louis.

Jacksonville like San Diego is 2-2 and had better not fall any further behind in their division or they will be playing for a wild card. Houston, I think, is still in a hurricane funk.

Tampa Beats Green in the battle of the Bays. Aaron Rodgers has a hurt shoulder for Green Bay. I wonder if Brett Favre is available.

According to all the media expert ,Dallas had one foot in the Super Bowl, but they couldn't beat the lowly Redskins, who are tied with the Cowboys - Skins 26, 'Boys 24

Has any body noticed when Carolina runs the ball they win? Is the coach for Atlanta a brother of John Fox? They look just a like in different uniforms. Fox chews gum. Check these two guys out the next time each is on TV.

In the battle of who is the worse team in Ohio, the winner is Cincinnati.

Everyone wanted Farve to light up the scoreboard last Monday possibly his final appearance on Monday Night Football, but it took until today. Farve finally played in jeans today and slung six touchdown passes all over the pasture. His victim was the Cardinals.

If there is one point to be made about the NFL is you had better be ready every Sunday or hear the boos.

Another College Saturday

I want to see a show of hands who picked Duke to be the best D-I football team in North Carolina?

Duke breaks its almost four-year strangle hold of ACC football futility with a 31-3 stomping of Virginia. They had lost 25 straight conference games until today.

What in the world has happened to Virginia?

Wake Forest, after an impressive game at Florida State last weekend, lays an egg against Navy.

That was the worse performance I have seen from the Deacs since Jim Grobe has been in Winston Salem.

Carolina gets a good win in Miami. It may have found the quarterback it needs in Cam Sexton.

Just eight days ago, ECU was looking at a BCS bowl game. Now, it's humbled at home by Houston.

N.C. State looked like Southern Wayne against the Gryphons in the first half. The best thing that happened to the Wolfpack was the down pouring of rain which gave most of the fans a reason to leave before half time.

I was flipping the dial for most of Saturday night as I watched Virginia Tech beat Nebraska at Lincoln. It is only the 38th time the Cornhuskers have lost at home in the last 292 home games.

Former Gryphon great Stephan Virgil blocked a punt through the end zone in the first half,and sealed the deal for the Hokies by causing a Cornhusker fumble on the last play of the game.

Who is the best team in the ACC - Virginia Tech or Duke?

At least for this week.

The Down East Viking Classic goes to Elizabeth City State 24-13 over St Augustine's. A huge crowd tailgated for most of the day at the RMAC on Saturday afternoon.

Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU took giant steps toward moving to the front of the pack in major college football.

Southern Cal, Florida and Georgia took giants steps backwards.

Watching the N.C. State-South Florida football game, I am sure there was not one advertisement in which you could not buy something in three easy payments of $19.95. What happened to a good old car dealer ad? You know the now is the best time to buy ads. Not a one on the game.

Finally, I would like to close tonight by telling everyone of a wonderful movie that is must see.

"FireProof" hit Rocky Mount Friday night and the family took it in Saturday afternoon. The movie is made by the same church that made "Facing the Giants."

If you believe in the Lord, this one is must see - especially if you are married.

It's after midnight, which means it is T-minus 12 days to NEW 6 Conference opener against Northern Nash.

Homecoming Blowout

I don't think anyone expected this game with Southern Wayne to be close, and it wasn't.

Rocky Mount scored on every possession in the first half, EXCEPT for the one time that we felt bad for the Saints and let them score on a fumble recovery, which still means there was a score on every Rocky Mount possession.

It looked like a scrimmage of the varsity against the JVs.

Baseball has the 10-run rule to end games. High school football has the 40-point mercy of not stopping the clock in the second half.

I don't know who benefits the most from the mercy rule - those that are losing in the game or those watching.

It took over and hour to play the first half and 30 minutes to play the second. The halftime of crowning a homecoming queen took longer than the second half did. Our post game show on radio lasted longer than the second half.

I don't know whose idea it was to put the J.H Rose blue No. 23 in the end zone to honor Jequan Waller, the Rose player who died last week. But that was classy.

I'm glad that WNCT Channel 9 actually filmed the Gryphons standing in the end zone before they came on the field behind the number.

It made me proud to support the Gryphons the way they supported the Rose High team and the Waller family.

If you are a junior or less and play football at Rocky Mount, you have never lost a game on the field in the regular season.

I honestly think if we came out and threw 40 times in a game, we would still win by the scores we are winning by. Our passing game is really good. Our running game ain't bad either is it?

After scoring three touchdowns last week, Nick Hahula got only two carries. Jordan Ford got only a couple of touches. One of the drawbacks of getting such a big lead early is you can't give everyone there regular touches or no telling what the score might be.

We desperately need someone to give us a test. No fooling. We need to find out how we will react when things don't go our way all the time.

Do you realize that no one has scored on us until we've had at least 28 point?. I don't know if that tells you how good our defense is or how good the offense is.

Enough of this! Gryphons 63, Southern Wayne 6

In Other scores......

What a comeback for Southern Nash - down 21-7, the Firebirds score twice and after the second score go for two and the win over North Johnston, 22-21

The Bunn at Nash Central game was postponed until next Thursday night because of a wet field.

Fike downs Hunt for the second time this year. Unlike the first game which went to overtime at Fike, the Golden Demons handled Hunt 38-9 at Hunt.

One of the best battles in a long time between SouthWest Edgecombe and Tarboro goes SouthWest's way, 13-7

Do you think after receiving a trashing from Rocky Mount last week, Hertford County may have had a Gryphon hangover? Probably: Northeastern 39, Hertford County 33

It has been over three years since Northern Nash has won a home football game, but Randy Langley and everyone who bleeds Northern green can celebrate tonight.

A defensive penalty gave Northern the ball for one last play after the clock has expired and Chad Smith's Knights took advantage of one more play and beat Southern Vance 20-15.

This is the first time that Chad has been able to walk off the field after a game and shake the other coach's hand as a winner in his short coaching career.

Northern has been improving as of late and almost got one at Bertie last week

We have made it through five games and the Gryphons are healthy.

Conference play starts in two weeks and the Gryphons will play a team on a winning streak -Northern Nash. They have this week off.

We will talk after the college games.

Time For The Kickoff

I doesn't matter how bad a day I may have on Fridays, I always have the kickoff to fall back on.

When my feet hit the floor right after I thank the Lord for giving me another day, my attention turns to football.

It doesn't matter how work goes on Fridays, it passes fast because I can put off any problem that needs to to taken care of until Monday.

Looks like the field conditions will not be very good Friday night from the rain we have already received and what is expected early Friday.

The weather man is promising clearing skies Friday afternoon and I'm holding them to that promise.

The Gryphons are almost forced to play Friday night rain or shine. Why?

First, it's Homecoming. There may be a class reunion or two planned around the football game.

Second, Saturday the field is being used for the Down East Viking Classic. There will be tailgating going on all day Saturday.

Finally, if the first two reasons weren't enough if the game is put off to Monday, then we only have three days until we play at Northern Vance next Thursday night.

I am sure Mike Gainey will do everything possible to play Friday night as long as there is no lightning. In fact, it has not rained today like I thought it was going to. It has rained a little bit then stop for a while and rained some more.

Here is a hard fact about not playing on Friday nights. The gate may will suffer for people may not go to sit in the rain or slosh through the mud on Friday, but they will not go any other night either. Friday is the largest possible night for the gate.

People have already made other plans for other nights.

I suspect we will kickoff at 7.30.

Can you imagine what the field and the parking lot will look like Sunday morning following two games in the slop.

Last year, Gryphon athletics had one of their best years ever.

The Lady Gryphon volleyball beat Northern Nash Tuesday to force a tie for first place. They have lost only once all season. They are 11-1 right now.

The boys soccer team beat Fike in a big match and they now stand at 10-1-1.

Not to be outdone The girls tennis team is 10-1

The JV boys football squad had a great comeback to keep its winning streak a live at 26 games. They are 5-0 this season.

The pressure is really on the varsity football team to keep pace with the other sports.

The word is out with SouthWest Edgecombe going back to 2-A next year and Hunt replacing it - the conference will be missing the "E" in the NEW 6.

The committee putting together the bylaws for the new conference has requested the Big East 3-A as the name of the new conference.

The new conference will be submitted to the NCHSAA and unless there is some objection ( kind of like when you get married they always say does any one here know of any reason? There never is ) the Big East is back in business as a 3-A league.

Don't forget in case you decide to stay home on Friday night, AM 1390 will be there to bring the game to you in your living room or car. Wes and I hit the airwaves at 7 p.m.

Wes tells me we have some new radio toys to play with tomorrow night. We have a new mixer to plug our microphones into ( that's radio lingo).

See you at the kickoff!