The NFL Season is halfway over already?

Even though I didn't provide preseason predictions as I did for baseball, I love the NFL and spend far too much of my life following scores, watching games, and comparing fantasy matchups. Unfortunately, I have to wait 5 days for more football, and my fantasy team's playoff aspirations went down in flames (thanks in large part to the Cowboys, whose entire team is as inconsistent as Tony Romo when it comes to fantasy projections).

"Hey Dez Bryant, Could you try to suck a little less this week? I'd be nice to at least have a .500 record in fantasy football."

Anyway, seeing as how I have exhausted all other means of enjoying the NFL, and clinging stubbornly to the belief that my many college papers will write themselves if left alone long enough, I've decided to blog about some of the key story lines that I love or hate halfway through the season.

"So apparently term papers don't write themselves. Fffff..."

Things I Love

1. We Have a Season!

A few years ago, the reality of the NFL may have seemed like a given. However, entering this season, a labor dispute and lockout threatened to shorten/cancel the 2011-2012 season. Ultimately, there was too much revenue to be lost for the players and owners to not form a new labor agreement, and America's favorite sport was saved. NFL fans should consider themselves lucky; the NBA is currently locked into a similar labor dispute. The NBA lockout has erupted into an all out war characterized by an already shortened season and allegations that Commissioner Stern is a racist. And what lofty goals are the players vehemently fighting for? An additional 2% of revenue sharing.

America, as you grab an absurd amount of food and plop down on your various couches and recliners this Thanksgiving, take a moment to savor the reality that we were "this close" to having to watch parades over the NFL.

If there ever was a first-world problem...

2. Bad Teams are Magically Good this Year

Although the company line of all major sports leagues is that every franchise is just a few good draft picks/ free agent signings from becoming competitive, a few teams usually dominate the majority of a league's playoff spots. Of course there are always some exceptions, but generally teams like the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, Chargers, Colts, Packers, Saints dominate. The Bills, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, 49ers, Texans or Lions? Not so much. Yet this year, every single one of these teams except the Browns would make the playoffs if the season ended today.

"Let's not get carried away. They are still the Browns."

Parity in the NFL is a good thing; as a Jets fan, I appreciate the hope these normally cursed franchises are bringing their newly energized fan bases. Someday, maybe...

"Lets not get carried away. They are still the Jets."

3. The Once-in-a-Lifetime Moments Sports Provide

Although this point doesn't just apply to the NFL, its worth bringing up. From Super Bowl III to the Giants upset of the Patriots, the NFL has given its fans many moments to nervously stare at the tv and make threats ("They'd better freakin convert this." or "He better make this damn field goal."), to shout with victory and assert their respective team's greatness, or, heaven forbid, to collapse in agony and throw things.

Ultimately, however, its not the big wins or big losses that most fans remember best. Rather, its the moments that transcend the sport that best stick with us. This year, I will have the opportunity to travel to Metlife Stadium with two of my oldest friends to watch the Jets take on the Giants. There will be friends, football, utter chaos, and beer. I would never ask for anything more, although a win would be awesome.

"Oh...right. Never mind."

Things I Hate

1. The Incessant Tim Tebow Bashing

I fully understand that Tim Tebow is a controversial figure and an unpolished quarterback at best, but sports analysts really need to find someone else to talk about. Every day, I log onto nfl.com or tune into ESPN to find some new "expert" discussing how Tebow will never be even an average quarterback and is a horrible person for being drafted and trying to play professional football. From Merril Hoge's initial attacks to declarations that he is the worst quarterback in the NFL to an arrogant assertion that no possible NFL offense could be customized enough for Tebow to succeed, the Tebow criticism is getting rather absurd.

First of all, as much as everyone can think Tebow will not succeed in the NFL, no one can be positively certain that Tebow will not someday be a passable or even a good NFL quarterback.

Humor me and compare the following numbers...

QB #1: 56.7 % completion percentage/ 26 TD/ 28 INT/ 71.2 Rating

QB#2: 48.1% completion percentage/ 9 TD/ 4 INT/ 78.7 Rating

Quarterback #1 was Peyton Manning through his first 16 games; Quarterback #2 is Tim Tebow through his 14 games. Obviously I'm not arguing that Tim Tebow will be the next Peyton Manning or that he will even be a good quarterback; I'm just saying that critics were just as convinced that Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russel were can't-miss prospects as they are that Tebow is destined to fail.

"How'd those predictions work out?"

2. The Lions

This year, the Lions have been quite the impressive team. After having yet another futile season last year, the Lions are currently 5-2 and in the position to make the playoffs as a wild card. Even more impressive than the Lions success on the field, however, is their incredible arrogant and obnoxious behavior both on and off the field. It all started with their head coach Jim Schwartz's near altercation with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh following a tough Lions loss. Of course, its tough to know who said what or who baited who, so I didn't give the incident that much thought.

Following the Lions-Falcons game, however, Falcons players claimed that Lions star defensive tackle Suh and fellow Lions d-lineman Avril were mocking injured Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan as he lay on the ground. Just in case some Lions fans might be inclined to question the reliability of Falcons players, Suh remarked after the game that Matt Ryan's injury was "karma" due to the dirty play of Falcons' players.

Want one final piece of evidence, Lions fans? During the Lions massacre of the Broncos, two gloating Lions players mocked Tim Tebow's prayer pose by "Tebowing" (striking a prayer pose) following a touchdown reception and a Tim Tebow sack. Whatever you think about Tebow's ability to play football or his personal beliefs, excessive celebrations centered around mocking someone's religious beliefs are crude and tasteless.

So there you have it, Lions. Your franchise somehow took all the good will that I felt for you and your underdog story and completely destroyed it in half a season. That level of dickishness is even more impressive than your accomplishments on the field this year. All I can say is I'm looking forward to the Lions-Packers matchup this Thanksgiving. If anyone can teach the Lions some humility, it will be Aaron Rodgers. He already did for Ben Roethlisberger in the last Super Bowl.

"You might even say he 'rapes' defenses, aye Steelers?"

So there you have it. It took longer than initially expected, but this concludes my discussion of the best and the worst of the first half of the NFL season. Hmmm...what time is it? After midnight? Fantastic, it looks like this night is shot as far as work goes. So yeah, ESPN, I'd love that fallback job offer now.

Learning to Throw More Snakes

"He was enjoying himself as much as he was able. It is youth's felicity as well as its insufficiency that it can never live in the present, but must always be measuring up the day against its own radiantly imagined future- flowers and gold, girls and stars, they are only prefigurations and prophecies of that incomparable, unattainable young dream."

"The life I think about is so much better than this..."

"There's more to living than being alive..."

Hi, blogosphere, sorry I haven't been around for a while. Since my last entry I have returned to college and...and...that's about it. Not all that much as happened. In fact, it was this very realization, coupled with a recent Cracked article, that has once again caused me to analyze my own life in light of my ideal life.

"Mixing the advice from a humor website and psychology is always a good idea, right?"

Anyway, the Cracked article, "How to reinvent yourself during your first week of college," ended with the author urging a new college student "to throw more snakes at things," aka take more risks and learn to step outside of your comfort zone.

Although it would seem that following Buchholtz's advice should come naturally for young people, this often isn't the case. So the question becomes, why would any college student choose to stubbornly stick to a routine and ignore chances to have fun adventures and meet new people?

"People including girls. Albeit probably not Emma Stone, unfortunately."

I'm hypothesizing that there are at least two major reasons as to why people choose not to be more adventurous and risk-taking. The first is quite simple, some people, many people that I've observed actually, are quite content with their relatively straightforward lives. And you know what? As long as they're not completely shunning social interactions, there's nothing wrong to appreciating a simple routine.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, as long as you don't start bragging to an imaginary Cortana about how many tickers you killed that one time."

Its the second reason that people choose to stick to bland routines that can become problematic. I think that almost everyone, at one point or another, shies away from adventure due to a fear of failure/ disappointment. Even though this fear can sometimes be rational and beneficial (you probably shouldn't just drop everything you're working on in college to travel the country and pursue your dream of being a sports/ video game/ sheep enthusiast), it often hinders us from living life to the fullest.

"Don't judge me man."

And of course, while most of us spend our time contemplating if we've succeeded in meeting our personal adventure quotas each weekend, we also have to deal with an exceptional few who seem fearless, even bored, when dealing with situations that would for the rest of us be very challenging.

"Hey, girl, can I have your number? I don't actually want it; I just want to burn it in front of all those awkward single guys at the bar."

There are few days that go by when I don't wonder if those guys (and girls too for that matter) realize how good they have it. Its not that I dislike my own life. I have been blessed with plenty of friends and hobbies with which to pass my time; it just would be nice to spend a day with the inherent boldness and confidence that comes so naturally to them. Come to think of it, this is probably the largest reason why many college students love to drink. It allows them to temporarily replace their fearful and timid selves with a swaggering Carpe Diem personality. And honestly, although drinking is often abused (there's a shocker), who's to blame anyone for wanting the chance to be a new, bolder, more fearless version of him or herself?

Alcohol

Making you think you are like this...

When you look this this.

Anyway, I guess the point of this post isn't to lament the fact that we can't all be confidant "Thor's" but rather to urge all of us to strive to "throw a few more snakes," even if it isn't easy. As a college senior, I would especially like to urge high school and college kids to go out there and really try to live life. No, this isn't giving you a free license to blow off responsibilities or act like idiots; rather, its a suggestion meant to free you to live up to your fullest potential as an adult/ becoming an adult human being.

I realize this post is already getting incredibly long-winded so I'll leave you with a brief story. I went to Pittsburgh yesterday to drop a friend off at the airport. Although I could have just left afterwards, another friend and I decided to stick around in the city for a while and go to a Pirates game. Unbeknownst to me at the time, two friends from high school (including one from the Navy who I hadn't seen in years) were in Pittsburgh. Because I stuck around, I happened to be in the right place at the right time to catch up with some good old friends. I don't want to come off as the old guy who tells random stories, but I thought this was a really cool experience that I wanted to share. And hey, you have to admit there's a lesson there. I had an adventure (a little one, but it still counts for me), and my life was better for it. Now if I could just gain a bit of that boldness around girls I'd be all set.

"Can I hav yo number? Can I hav it?"

And so begins a life of crime...

Hey readers, how is everyone doing? I ask because I know its been awhile since my last entry, and because I genuinely care about my fan base. In fact, I care about you so much I would like to issue the following warning...

Don't ever live in New York State, and for the love of all that is good, don't ever, ever, ever pass a stopped school bus. Seriously, if you're going to pass a stopped school bus in New York, just hit a kid while you're at it. The penalty won't be that much steeper.

"New York equates my life to a minor traffic violation"

I know what you're thinking. You suspect that I am bitter and unwilling to take responsibility for violating an essential traffic safety law. Fair enough, allow me to provide context.

1. If this law was reasonable and existed with the intent of actually protecting children (gasp), it would mainly apply to small neighborhood streets. Where was I ticketed, you ask? Please, readers, oblige me and enter "route 7 and mohawk road" into Google maps. What's that, you say, this is a 5-lane highway? Yes, yes it is a 5 lane highway. Any bus driver who would actually drop kids off on route 7 with the intent of having them cross the street is either an idiot, evil, or a huge fan of Frogger.

"You can make it, little guy. Oh, so close!"

"Still, Chris, you broke the law. You do the crime, you do the time. It's only fair, right?"

2. Okay, so would you like to know the "fair" penalty for my horrible crime of driving with the flow of traffic on a highway? Try a minimum fine of $250, and five points on my license.

Oh, and here's the best part, if I am pulled over and ticketed for anything, anything at all in the next 18 months, I will have to pay a $300 penalty in addition to the fine of the ticket. Thanks to New York's new tax disguised as the "Driver Responsibility Program," 6 points acquired in an 18 month span results in the additional fines of "100 a year for six points plus $25 a year for each additional point, for three years."

So do some math, shall we? Let's say, hypothetically, I get pulled over for going 5 mph over the speed limit sometime within the next 18 months. Even though motorists are seldom ticketed for this because everyone speeds a little bit, let's say the cop has had a slow month and needs to issue some tickets, so I'm ticketed.

$90+ ticket itself

+ $300 flat penalty under Driver Responsibility Program

+ $150 extra penalty under Driver Responsibility Program (5+3 points= 8, which makes 2 over 6; 2x$25x3 years= $150)

___________________

Poor and Completely Screwed College Student

3. Let's not forget the risk of increasing insurance rates. Oh, and if you want to try to reduce those pesky points or fines, you could also go talk to a lawyer. Because lawyers work for free due to their intrinsic concern for the betterment and protection of humanity.

I just don't get it; everyone one around me, pretty much the entire legal process can get away with rape, and I'm destroyed for passing a stopped school bus. Don't get me wrong; I understand the need for police, traffic laws and even the DMW. But would it kill them to exercise some common sense and discretion once in a while. Either that, or just stop pretending that you exist for my benefit.

"Sir, you see the bridge you just passed? Yeeaah, New York really needs to finish that, and f--- you."

Anyway, it was good to catch up with you readers. If you don't hear from me again soon, don't worry. I'll be in hiding, making sure I never get close to a steering wheel ever again.

Does Guilt Without Action Really Help Anyone?

For those of you who didn't know, yesterday shoe making company Toms held its One Day Without Shoes campaign, a movement designed to help raise awareness for the millions of impoverished children throughout the world that don't have shoes. At first glance, this seems like an awesome idea, right? After all, who would dare criticize a campaign designed to help poor children improve their health and quality of life? You would have to be a complete fool or just plain evil to question this campaign.

"I'm shocked at where this is going..."

But, this terror that springs up in people's minds whenever someone dares to question a "charitable" action prevents us from making good decisions and most importantly, actually helping other people.

Before I continue, I want to make a few things clear. First, I am not necessarily opposed to all "raise awareness" campaigns, and I definitely believe in supporting any campaign that genuinely helps others. I just believe that rather than blindly accepting whatever politically correct charitable action is being blindly spouted on Facebook or Twitter, people should actually take a moment to honestly consider who they are helping.

It seems to me that most "raise awareness" campaigns center around wealthy people from Western nations going without something for a short period of time, like food or shoes. We eagerly prepare ourselves for our collective "sacrifice," post on all our favorite social networking sites how important it is for absolutely everyone to participate in our particular campaign of choice and how everyone who doesn't enjoys watching children starve, and go for usually a day without one particular luxury. Then, after the 24 hour culmination of our pious commitment to a cause we learned about yesterday, we...move on with our lives, content that we have done our part to help save the world.

In light of this, while I don't always oppose "raise awareness" campaigns, I feel like many of them do just and only that, raising awareness. I don't want to sound too cold or blunt, but I already knew there were countless poor people throughout the world who can't afford food, clean water, or shoes. Its terrible; I realize that, but does simply taking one day a year to casually remind everyone of poverty really help anyone from an impoverished country?

Honestly, any campaign that simply raises awareness to an issue is probably causing more harm than good. Let me take a second to assure you that you did not read that wrong, nor am I evil personified. Nevertheless, ANY CAMPAIGN THAT SIMPLY RAISES AWARENESS TO AN ISSUE IS PROBABLY CAUSING MORE HARM THAN GOOD. But how, you ask, could raising awareness ever be considered a bad thing?

Raising awareness isn't a bad thing; raising awareness can truly be a great thing, as long as that awareness inspires people to actually take action to help those who are suffering. Too often, I feel, wealthy people are driven by guilt rather than by an actual desire to help others. And quite frankly, if guilt drives us to commit small meaningless actions that do nothing to fulfill our responsibility to help others, than we need to get over ourselves.That's what makes awareness campaigns so dangerous; too often we feel like raising awareness to major issues (issues that have plagued us from the beginning of mankind for that matter) for one day fulfills our guilt driven mandate.

This being said, I don't entirely oppose the One Day Without Shoes campaign, and here's why. Although I feel that walking without shoes for one day is, by itself, a relatively meaningless action, some practical good has resulted from this campaign. For instance, Toms has stated that for every pair of shoes purchased, the company will donate one pair of shoes to a child who needs them. This is a truly awesome initiative that, provided the company plans to live up to its claims, will actually help suffering people.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about many other awareness campaigns. While I'm certain that there are many awareness campaigns more devoted to relieving Western guilt than actually helping others, the epitome of such a pointless exercise can be found in Facebook's Change Your Profile Picture to a Cartoon Day. This "awareness" campaign, which involves people liking a group (there are currently two so you'd better like both, lest you be accused of not caring about children) and changing their profile pictures to a favorite cartoon for a day in order to end child abuse. What? End child abuse? Just how, dare I ask, can anyone possibly expect a bunch of people spending hours Googling favorite cartoon characters to help anyone?

Oh, no, child abuse is still happening. Quick, look for more nostalgic animated images to post online!

Now, I don't want to question the intentions of everyone who participated in events like this. Making a real difference in the world can be hard, and sometimes seems impossible. I'm sure deep down we all like to believe that by manipulating a few images on the internet or going without shoes for a day, we could truly help suffering people. Unfortunately, our societal inability to question the effectiveness of "charitable" actions for fear of looking evil results in us blindly following any bland, vague and ineffectual method of charity that presents itself.

I'm going to be honest; I have no moral high ground here. I'm not really involved in any charities, and perhaps participating in an "awareness campaign" is better than nothing. But ultimately, the world doesn't need a bunch of wealthy and blessed people participating in one minuscule action a year in order to feel a little better about themselves. What the world does need, however, is determined individuals willing to make sacrifices (both of time and resources) in order to ensure a better tomorrow. I'm not trying to sound naive or idealistic. I'm not trying to inspire you to join the Peace Corps. I just want people to commit to charities that actually have a tangible, practical, and yes, financial benefit on those who are suffering. If you're in an awareness campaign that does that, then I support it wholeheartedly. If not, then maybe you and me both need to reconsider what we're doing to help the world.

Breaking Down the 2011 MLB Season- Part 6 NL West and Playoff Predictions

So here we are; its been a long journey and a fun ride, but its time for the last installment of my 2011 MLB predictions. So grab your peanuts and cracker jacks, its time to breakdown the National West.

Youngster Jhoulys Chacin will be a difference maker in the Rockies' starting rotation this year.

1. Colorado Rockies

OFFENSE- B

Surprise breakout player Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitski highlight a band of good hitters that also includes Ian Stewart, Seth Smith and Dexter Fowler. They should score enough runs to win, even when they're not playing in the friendly confines of Coors Field.

STARTING PITCHING- B-

Ubaldo Jimenez is a legitimate ace, and Jorge de la Rosa will keep the Rockies in most games. Unfortunately, the back end of the rotation doesn't inspire nearly as much confidence. Ultimately, the success of this rotation (and quite possibly the Rockies' playoff chances) will depend a lot on last year's star rookie Jhoulys Chacin.

BULLPEN- B+

Houston Street is a good and mostly reliable closer when healthy. Players like Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle should provide a solid bridge to Street.

2. San Fransisco Giants

OFFENSE- C+

Buster Posey, Aubrey Huff, Mark DeRosa, and Freddy Sanchez are solid hitters, but no starts stand out here. After that follow question marks, like whether or not veteran shortstop Tejada has anything left or if Pablo Sandoval will rebound from a poor offensive season. If everyone plays up to potential, they will repeat as division champs and maybe more.

STARTING ROTATION- A

The Giants' starting rotation singlehandedly carried them to a World Series title, and ace Tim Lincecum will once again lead one of the deepest and most talented starting staffs in the game. If they win the division this year, the starting rotation will be the reason why.

BULLPEN- A-

Brian Wilson is one of the most underrated closers in the game; Sergio Romo and Jeremy Affeldt are capable setup men.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

OFFENSE- C+

Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are solid sluggers from the outfield; unfortunately, the infield won't contribute nearly as much to the offense. James Loney can't even come close to matching the power of an average first baseman, and Rafael Furcal and Juan Uribe are aging middle infielders. Like the Giants, if they can score enough, then they have a solid shot at the division.

STARTING ROTATION- B+

Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley are a great one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Ted Lily, Hiroki Kuroda and Jon Garland provide a reliable veteran presence at the back end of the rotation.

BULLPEN- A

Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo and Matt Guerrier will keep slamming the door shut on opposing offenses in the late innings.

4. San Diego Padres

OFFENSE- D-

There isn't much to be impressed with here; if veterans Hawpe, Ludwick, Orlando Hudson, and Jason Bartlett all have career years, then a few runs will be scored here and there. Overall, though, offense has historically been one of the Padres' greatest weaknesses, and losing superstar first baseman Adrian Gonzalez doesn't help matters.

STARTING ROTATION- D+

Tim Stauffer and Clayton Richard have some talent; not necessarily ace level talent, but some. After that its banking on has-been Aaron Harang to rebound and never-was Dustin Moseley to put together respectable seasons. Good luck.

BULLPEN- A+

The Padres, despite their many weaknesses, have arguably the best bullpen in baseball. Heath Bell, Mike Adams, and Luke Gregorson might not be household names, but they could easily lead the National League in saves, holds and bullpen ERA.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

OFFENSE- C

You know an offense is out of whack when your second baseman (Kelly Johnson) could easily hit more home runs than your first baseman (Russel Branyan). Justin Upton and Chris Young have talent and potential, but are also pretty flawed hitters to build a franchise around.

STARTING ROTATION- C-

The D-backs rotation has some depth, but lacks any elite talent. Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson have potential at the top end, and Joe Saunders, Barry Enright and Armando Galaraga should be able to keep Arizona in some games.

BULLPEN- D+

Even if Putz is able to rebound from some offyears and regain his elite closer form, the D'backs will be hard pressed to find anyone to pitch relief in the 7th and 8th innings.

MLB 2011 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

AL DIVISIONAL ROUND

BOSTON RED SOX OVER NEW YORK YANKEES (WC)

TEXAS RANGERS OVER CHICAGO WHITE SOX

AL CHAMPIONSHIP

BOSTON RED SOX OVER TEXAS RANGERS

NL DIVISIONAL ROUND

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES OVER CHICAGO CUBS (WC)

MILWAUKEE BREWERS OVER COLORADO ROCKIES

NL CHAMPIONSHIP

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES OVER MILWAUKEE BREWERS

WORLD SERIES

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES OVER BOSTON RED SOX (in 6 games)

Ultimately, the Phillies mind-blowing starting rotation will bring the 2nd title to Philadelphia in the past 4 years. Maybe, but its baseball so I'm probably wrong. The Phillies and Red Sox look like loaded favorites right now, but who knows what trades or injuries could alter the baseball landscape as early as a few months into the season? I mean, if my all encompassing knowledge of baseball isn't enough for me to always win my fantasy league, who am I to declare my baseball playoff predictions as final? Therefore, baseball fans, don't let my predictions rob the baseball season of all suspense and drama; anything can happen. Hold out hope, fans in Pittsburgh, Arizona, Baltimore, Washington, San Diego. Well, actually, maybe not Pittsburgh fans. But hey, at least you have the Steelers. Err, whoops, forgot about the lockout. Umm, never mind then, play ball!

Breaking Down the 2011 MLB Season- Part 5 NL Central

Next up on my baseball preview is the NL Central, aka the most convoluted and confusing division in baseball. I mean, the Reds won it last year, causing the GM's in Chicago (Carlos Pena, Matt Garza), St. Louis (Lance Berkman) and Milwaukee (Zack Greinke, Shawn Marcum) to all make important free agent signings. At this point, I can declare that the NL Central division winner will definitely be the Cardinals...or the Brewers...or the Reds...or the Cubs.

Yes, even the Cubs have a chance this year. That's how crazy the division is.

However, because picking 4 out of 6 teams to win the division would impress no one, allow me to make my best guess as to how the teams in the NL Central will finish.

1. Milwaukee Brewers

OFFENSE- A-

In addition to continual super sluggers Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart, and Casey McGehee have established themselves as solid power hitters. This team will have no problem scoring runs.

STARTING PITCHING- A-

Yovani Gallardo and newcomer Shawn Marcum are solid pitchers that will keep the Brewers in games against anyone. The real wild card though is new addition Zack Greinke; if he can get off the DL within a month into a regular season and pitch effectively, this rotation will be great.

BULLPEN- B+

John Axford has established himself as a solid closer after the departure of legend Trevor Hoffman. Latroy Hawkins often struggles to get outs, but Takashi Saito should serve as an effective setup man.

2. Chicago Cubs (Wild Card)

OFFENSE- B

Soriano, Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramirez and newcomer Carlos Pena could all hit 2o+ home runs. Starlin Castro is a promising youngster. Whether they are in the hitter friendly confines of Wrigley or on the road, the Cubs should have no problem hitting the ball.

STARTING PITCHING- B+

Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, and new arrival Matt Garza could all easily win 15 games. Randy Wells has shown promise, and Carlos Silva is a respectable number 5.

BULLPEN- A

Carlos Marmol is subject to the occasional flare of inconsistency, but at the same time is a strikeout machine who will slam the door shut for opposing offenses the vast majority of the time. Kerry Wood is a setup man good enough to close, and Sean Marshall gives the bullpen depth.

3. Cincinnati Reds

OFFENSE- A

Between NL MVP Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, Drew Stubbs, and a rejuvenated Scott Rolen, this team should finish near the top of the National League in runs scored.

STARTING PITCHING- C+

Ultimately, the starting rotation will make or break the Red's chances to make the playoffs this year. Bronson Arroyo provides a good veteran presence, but unless young talents like Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake and Travis Wood pitch to their potential, the big Red offense might lose its ability to keep the team in games.

BULLPEN-B-

Franscisco Cordero has dynamic stuff, but can be shaky. Look for him to have to battle with the young pitching sensation Aroldis Chapman for the closer role throughout the season.

4. St. Louis Cardinals

OFFENSE- B

Pujols and Holliday are hitting machines, but expecting Colby Rasmus and an aging Lance Berkman to make major contributions might be a little unrealistic for the red birds.

STARTING PITCHING- C

The loss of NL CY Young candidate Adam Wainwright could very well be the blow that keeps the Cardinals out of the playoffs this year. If Carpenter can stay healthy (and the Cardinals stay in contention and decide not to trade him), and if average veterans like Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse can have career years, they might have a chance to contend. But thats a lot of "ifs."

BULLPEN- B-

Ryan Franklin has established himself as a pretty solid closer. Guys like Jason Motte and Trevor Miller can be effective, but I don't see many guarantees here.

5. Houston Astros

OFFENSE- C+

Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence, and Micheal Bourn form a solid outfield. Apart from Bill Hall, don't expect much production from the other starters.

STARTING PITCHING- B

Not many big names here, but guys like Brett Myers, Wandy Rondriguez, and J.A. Happ find ways to get outs. The rotation should be good enough to keep the Astros in a lot of games.

BULLPEN- C

Brandon Lyon has had limited success as a closer, and I don't really see a clear setup man here. They'll probably be able to hold most leads, but the bullpen doesn't inspire a ton of confidence.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

OFFENSE- C-

Andrew McCutchen is a rising superstar. Lyle Overbay provides a good veteran presence, and young guys like Pedro Alvarez, Garrett Jones, and Jose Tabata provide glimmers of hope for the future here.

STARTING PITCHING- F

When you can barely tell your ace from your number five starter, you know you're in trouble. If the Pirates ever want to get out baseball's cellar, they're going to have to drastically improve their starting rotation.

BULLPEN- C-

The bullpen is one of the Pirates' strengths, not that that's saying much. Joel Hanrahan is a decent reliever, but he's had little experience closing and could lose his job to the young talent Evan Meek. Working in Hanrahan's favor is the fact that any Pirates closer won't get that many save opportunities anyway, so he'll only have to pitch about 60 good innings for the whole year.

Breaking Down the 2011 MLB Season- Part 4 NL East

Today I continue my detailed breakdown of the upcoming baseball season by moving to the National League. Now before you dismiss the National League as the lesser league that can't even win an All Star Game (except last year of course), let me point out that the National League yielded two of the last three World Series winners. It's very possible that this year could also see a team from the senior circuit hoisting a World Series trophy at season's end. Anyway, here's part 1 for the NL, predicting where teams will finish in the NL East.

The Phillies starting rotation will awe, dominate, and quite possibly bring a title back to Philly.

1. Philadelphia Phillies

OFFENSE- B-

Once one of the Phillies greatest strengths, it took a major blow with the losses of Jayson Werth (to free agency) and Chase Utley (injury, return date uncertain). Howard will continue to crush the ball, but unless Victorino and Rollins can post better OBP's, it might not matter.

STARTING PITCHING- A++

The Phillies have one of the best starting rotations the game of baseball has ever seen. Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Hamels all have ace potential, and will carry this team into the playoffs. If the offense can make a decent contribution look for the Phillies to go all the way this year.

BULLPEN- B

After a horrible 2009 season, Brad Lidge was able to reestablish himself as a valuable closer. With a repeat effort, he and Ryan Madson should head an effective bullpen.

2. Atlanta Braves

OFFENSE- B

McCann, Heyward, and new arrival Dan Uggla are all elite offensive players. However, the rest of the offense is comprised of uncertain veterans (Chipper Jones, Alex Gonzalez) and developing youngsters (Freddie Freeman). If all the pieces come together, this offense could be very good and help the Braves contend for the NL Wild Card.

STARTING PITCHING- B+

Atlanta's rotation might lack the flare and dominance of the Phillies' starters, but it nevertheless is a solid unit that will get the job done. Tim Hudson won 17 games last year, and Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hunters are talented youngsters. If Derek Lowe can rebound from recent struggles, the rotation will receive a huge boost.

BULLPEN- B-

Atlanta's bullpen is full of youth and potential; however, handing the reigns of closer to an unestablished young player (Craig Kimbrel) is always risky. The setup men (Venters and Moylan) look solid, so the success of the bullpen will ultimately depend entirely on Kimbrel's development.

3. Florida Marlins

OFFENSE- C+

Hanley Ramirez is one of the best offensive players in the game, second only to maybe Pujols. However, most of the team's other hitters (Omar Infante, John Buck, Gaby Sanchez) are contributing players at best. This team needs Mike Stanton to develop quickly if they're going to score enough runs to win ball games and even have an outside chance at a playoff spot.

STARTING ROTATION- B-

Josh Johnson is an ace when he's healthy. However, in order to really have a successful rotation, the Marlins will need Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez and newcomer Javier Vazquez to pitch to their potential.

BULLPEN- C-

Closer Leo Nunez is decent but does little to inspire confidence in the fans. Clay Hensley and Ryan Raburn were both effective in relief last year.

4. NY Mets

OFFENSE- B-

Angel Pagan is largely underrated as a leadoff man, and Wright and Reyes are superstars. If Carlos Beltran and Jason Bay can stay healthy and out of slumps, this offense will be very good. Right now, however, there are simply too many uncertainties.

STARTING ROTATION- C-

The injury to ace Johan Santana hurts a lot. Guys like Mike Pelfrey and R.A. Dickey can keep the Mets in games, but their rotation completely lacks elite star power. Look for the new additions of veterans Chris Young and Chris Capuano to fight to reestablish themselves as legitimate starters in New York.

BULLPEN- B+

Francisco Rodriguez, despite beginning to experience some decline, still has top 5 closer potential. The loss of lefty specialist Pedro Feliciano will hurt, but Manny Accosta and Bobby Parnell should succeed in the Mets bullpen.

5. Washington Nationals

OFFENSE- B-

There is reason for Nats fans to have hope here. Newcomer Jayson Werth, coupled with Adam LaRoche and Ryan Zimmerman, will drive in more than enough runs to keep the fans happy. This is far from a playoff team, but they have both the talented base and promising youngsters (like Byrce Harper and Stephen Strausberg) to give fans hope for the future.

STARTING PITCHING- D

Unfortunately, this team is still the Nationals, and the praise must stop with the offense. Every single one of their starters, with the possible exception of "ace" Livan Hernedez, will struggle to post an ERA below 4.

BULLPEN- D+

Drew Storen is largely an unknown at closer, and despite limited success by Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett, this unit be a question mark.