54 games into the season, the Boston Red Sox have a lot to be happy about. They lead the American League East at 32-22, and boast arguably the best offense in baseball. Jackie Bradley Jr. has enjoyed a revival at the plate, courtesy of a 29-game hitting streak that propelled his batting average to near .350 at one point. Xander Bogaerts enters Friday’s game with a 26-game hitting streak, and…
Close, But No Cigar: Five Stanley Cup Finals Observations
After two straight one-goal games, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a 2-0 lead over the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Finals. Here are five observations based on what I’ve seen so far. This series reminds me of Bruins/Canucks in ’11 In the 2011 Finals, the Bruins lost the first two games in Vancouver, each by one goal. Like Pittsburgh is now, the Canucks were favored beforehand, which led many…
The Curious Case of Ryan Fitzpatrick – Josh Brown Introduction
Before we get started on my least favorite Harvard Graduate not named Barack Obama, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Josh Brown (@JoshBrownie7 -All Social Media). I will be a senior at Skidmore College and began my career at Check Down on WSPN 91.1. I play baseball at Skidmore and will also be playing all summer in the Perfect Game Collegiate League for the Glen’s Falls Dragons….
Chasing Jordan: Why This is the Watershed Moment of LeBron’s Career
There is more on the line for LeBron James in this year’s NBA Finals than ever before. That might seem odd because it’s not like he’s still searching for that elusive first championship. At this point, it seems like LeBron has cemented his status as an all-time great. He has now been to six straight Finals; he has won multiple MVP’s; he’s got two rings and he even has quieted many…
Time For the Yankees to Clean House
Yankees and tanking are two words you don’t usually hear in the same sentence. Hell, its been decades since the last time the Yankees didn’t think they were playing for a pennant through August. But right now, things need to change. They have won just one championship in the past 15 years and just two playoff series in the past six years. To any other franchise this is fairly normal, but…
Does DH-ing make hitters better?
While listening to Bill Simmons’s baseball podcast last week, I heard a guest on the show say something along the lines of, “Carlos Beltran has been a much better hitter as a DH, ever since Alex Rodriguez went on the Disabled List.” This guest is right. In 72 plate-appearances so far in 2016 as a designated hitter, Beltran is hitting .323 with a 1.100 OPS and a 189 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus —…
Ranking the Best Games in the NBA Finals since 2000
With Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals set to tip-off in a little under 24 hours, I have been feeling reminiscent. I mean, how can you not love the NBA Finals? For me, it’s chill city before the game even starts once the ABC introduction begins. And I know the NBA playoffs has its critics, but I mentioned yesterday how the NBA Finals is as epic as any sporting…
I Have a Few Gripes with this “Most Famous Athlete” List
ESPN come out with something called the “World Fame 100” today. Here’s an explanation of what it is: “It started off with a simple question: Who’s the most famous athlete in the world? Ben Alamar, ESPN’s director of sports analytics, devised a formula that combines salary and endorsements with social media following and Google search popularity to create the ESPN World Fame 100 rankings. The names might be familiar, but…
NBA Finals: Complete Preview and Predictions for Cavaliers vs Warriors
I’ve heard a lot of people knock the NBA, saying that its postseason is inferior to both the NFL and NHL playoffs. There is some validity to that sentiment, particularly given how anticlimactic the first and second rounds usually are in basketball. But admit this: at its best, when two heavyweights like the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers meet in the Finals, the NBA is absolutely epic. Just look…
An Exclusive Interview with Stuart Sternberg- Principal Owner of the Tampa Bay Rays
We here at Check Down were honored to be able to interview Stuart Sternberg, principal owner of the Tampa Bay Rays. After taking over the Rays in 2005, Stuart’s presence helped usher in an new era of success for the previously downtrodden franchise. Most notably, the Rays won the American League pennant in 2008 in one of the more stunning single-season turnarounds in MLB history. But another impressive feat that…