Author Archives: Conor Bizik

NFL Draft Blog

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Welcome Back!

It’s NFL Draft week which means a franchise could either find the next Tom Brady or the next Mitch Trubisky… we all know how that went. I don’t really have a favorite NFL team yet I grew up in a Chicago Bears house. My dad is a huge Bears fan. Got to love those sunday nights… trying to do a paper upstairs while my dad yells at Matt Nagy downstairs.

There are some really big names in this year’s draft. Trevor Lawerence ended up going first overall to the Jaguars. It’s so hard to predict the success of new players. I think Trevor Lawerence will help the Jags out a lot though. With one win last season I think my 65 year old neighbor could help that team.

Like any other blog, we will list and examine the first five draft picks from last night. Let’s get into it!

Trevor Lawerence (QB) – Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawerence put together an amazing college resume. He can ball out on the field. He can throw, he can run and he is perfect under pressure. Winning a National Championship as a true freshman… he’s good. It’s so weird to think when he was 18-19 he was winning a National Championship on the biggest college football stage, while I was drinking beer in a dorm room procrastinating homework. Overall great pick and will definitely help the Jags when healthy.

Zach Wilson (QB) – New York Jets

Another great quarterback coming out of BYU. The Jets stink. Of course Wilson will help but to what extent can he work his magic with a team like that. Watching the Jets on sunday night is an absolute snooze fest. Overall he will do much better than Sam Darnold could have ever done.

Trey Lance (QB) – San Francisco 49ers

Another QB. This was kind of shocking as the 49ers already have a decent quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. These guys are easy playoff contenders and with Trey Lances arm and speed I think they will have a great season. Can’t wait to see how Jimmy G reacts. Trey Lance was a great pick, shocking, but great pick. With Justin Fields and Mac Jones it was really surprising.

Kyle Pitts (TE) – Atlanta Falcons

Finally! Not another QB. Given the Falcons have a great arm in veteran Matt Ryan, this makes sense. They did lack at the TE spot. They have a very strong offense now with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. To add a huge TE in Kyle Pitts, Matt Ryan will be having a field day with defenses.

Ja’Marr Chase (WR) – Cincinnati Bengals

A little reunion for Joe Burrows as the LSU WR taken in the fifth overall spot heads to the Bengals. They needed this pick. Maybe could have taken an OL man but Joe Burrows can use all the help he can on that offense. I think next season will be a fresh start for the Bengals and they could win some more games than previously.

Those were the first 5! Overall great first day of draft picks. The Bears even got a new quarterback in Justin Fields. Let me know what you think. Do you agree with these first 5?

Another Baseball Blog

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Welcome Back!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Spring Break… I know I am.

Last week to recap we talked about my favorite vacations that were sports related. If I was playing a sport right now I think this would be one of the best vacations ever. This week though we are going to focus on the MLB. Since the season is now in full swing let’s look at the current standings and what to expect down the road.

In the AL East the Boston Red Sox sit in first with a record of 12-8. Behind the Red Sox we have…

  1. Tampa Bay Rays
  2. Toronto Blue Jays
  3. Baltimore Orioles
  4. New York Yankees

Pretty crazy. I think I had the Yankees finishing first in this division and right now they are looking more like a circus.

In the AL Central we have the Kansas City Royals in first with a record of 10-7. Followed by…

  1. Chicago White Sox
  2. Cleveland Indians
  3. Detroit Tigers
  4. Minnesota Twins

This division is a great one to watch. I used to think the teams were boring and the games as well but as of late they have been really great match ups. The White Sox almost had a perfect game the other night.

In the AL West the Oakland Athletics sit in first with a record of 12-7. Followed by…

  1. Seattle Mariners
  2. Los Angeles Angels
  3. Texas Rangers
  4. Houston Astros

Oakland has been on an 11 game win streak after starting 1-7. Pretty nuts.

In the NL East the New York Mets surprisingly hold the best record with 7 wins 7 loses. Followed by…

  1. Philadelphia Phillies
  2. Miami Marlins
  3. Atlanta Braves
  4. Washington Nationals

7-7 isn’t the greatest record as we’ve seen but hey they’re winning.

In the NL Central we have the Milwalkuee Brewers in first with a record of 11-7. Followed by…

  1. Chicago Cubs
  2. Cincinnati Reds
  3. Pittsburgh Pirates
  4. St. Louis Cardinals

Not surprised the Brewers have been very consistent. The Cardinals dropping to last was a little shocking. I think we will see a little transition in a few months.

In the NL West we have the Los Angeles Dodgers in first with a record of 14-5. Followed by…

  1. San Francisco Giants
  2. San Diego Padres
  3. Arizona Diamondbacks
  4. Colorado Rockies

The Dodgers are without a doubt the best team in the MLB and maybe the most dominant team we have seen in awhile. They no doubt will be back in the World Series this year but as of now I have no idea with who.

Overall the season has been looking good. The Dodgers v Padres game the other night was crazy. Felt like October baseball.

Let me know what you think. Who can beat the Dodgers?

The Spring Break Vlog

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Welcome Back!

Finally Spring Break is here. I hope everyone has the chance to get out and explore anywhere but Whitewater Wisconsin. I love this school and this humble little town but my god… between the weather the COVID testing it gets a little exhausting after a while.

I’m typing this in Georgia right now after sitting in a car for 12 hours. Heading to Florida and ready to catch some sun and good food. Though this is a Sports Blog. Instead of looking at professional sports, since I’ve been sitting in the car for so long traveling, it reminded me of travel baseball.

I’m gonna share some of the best memories of traveling for baseball.

I’ve been traveling since I was about 14 for baseball. I have had the opportunity to play for some pretty great teams and when you have a talented team you travel a lot. My first memory of traveling was eighth grade when I went down to Myrtle Beach. That drive was horrible. It was the beginning of summer. The air was dry and the sun was too much. I sat in my parents car sweating thinking to myself, “is this really worth it.” It ended up being one of the worst drives but best experiences.

Another good trip was not the furthest drive but one of the best times I’ve had with my team. We headed to Illinois State which we figured wouldn’t offer much off the field. Until we found Go-Karts. When 10-12 seventeen years olds come storming into your Go-Karts you might as well send them home. It was so fun but so reckless. Crashing into one another, hitting the guard rails, everything. The tournament itself wasn’t too bad. We didn’t even play at Illinois State’s field which stunk but it is what it is.

The last trip and maybe the best was our Senior Varsity baseball trip back down to South Carolina. Where I fell in love with what would eventually become my first college experience. We toured Coastal Carolina and I ended up deciding on attending Coastal my freshman year of college. It was a short lived “vacation” but having that opportunity to fall in love with a school like that was once in a lifetime.

Well this week was a little shorter but again I hope everyone has a great Spring Break.

Let me know your favorite traveling experiences. Sports related? See you next week!

The GOATs

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Welcome back to the Student Section!

If you’re new, we like to talk sports around here. We have covered the big three in my opinion. The MLB, the NFL, and the NBA. We even got around to some sports gambeling. Though what we haven’t done is spoke a word about any of the other sports in existence. I’m not saying we are gonna do that today. Though today we are going to talk about the top 3 athletes of all time. Spoiler alert not all 3 come from our big three (MLB, NFL, NBA). 

Before you comment I left someone out… I know. This is kind of my personalized list. An opinion piece. Ranking 3 of the best athletes is tough, especially when we have seen so many incredible professional athletes.

In no order we start with our first athlete. 

Michael Jordan. 

Do I really have to explain this one? His Royal Airness? The hardest part about this list is I haven’t even seen most of these athletes in their prime if at all. Though everyone who knows anything about sports… knows MJ. If you don’t know who Michael Jordan is I highly recommend watching “The Last Dance” on Netflix. An incredible documentary about MJ’s reign with the Chicago Bulls. Though what makes Michael one of the best athletes in the world? Lets see his resume.

  • Rookie of the Year
  • Five-time NBA MVP
  • Six-time NBA Champion
  • Six-time NBA Finals MVP
  • Ten-time All-NBA First Team
  • Nine Time NBA All-Defensive First Team
  • Defensive Player of the Year
  • 14-Time NBA All-Star
  • Three-Time NBA All-Star MVP
  • Ten Scoring Titles

I probably missed even more but holy s***. This man ran basketball. Considered the GOAT in the basketball world Michael Jordan was one of the greatest athletes that’ll ever grace a sport. Again, watch the Netflix documentary and see for yourself. 

Serena Williams.

Tennis is something we haven’t covered or even hinted at on this blog. But without a doubt if you’re talking greatness you must speak on Serena Williams. I’m not the biggest tennis guy, but I did my research and she deserves a spot on this top 3 list. Like Jordan, let’s look at her significant resume. 

  • Named Sports Illustrated “Best Female Athlete of the Decade” in 2009
  • 4-time Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year
  • 2012 Olympics she won gold medals in singles and doubles
  • US Open Mixed Doubles champion (1998)
  • Wimbledon mixed doubles champion (1998)
  • 2012 Olympics singles gold medalist
  • 3-time Olympics doubles gold medalist (2000, 2008, 2012)
  • 2-time French Open doubles champion (1999, 2010)
  • 2-time US Open doubles champion (1999, 2009)
  • 4-time Australian Open doubles champion (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010)
  • 6-time Wimbledon doubles champion (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016)
  • 3-time French Open singles champion (2002, 2013, 2015)
  • 6-time Australian Open singles champion (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015)
  • 6-time US Open singles champion (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
  • 7-time Wimbledon singles champion (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016)

Yeah… you do the math. I feel like Serena Williams doesn’t get half the credit she deserves. I mean she won with a baby on board! She reeks of greatness. I don’t know if this is entirely true but I once heard someone offered 1 Million dollars for her and Lebron James to have a kid together. You could only imagine the athleticism that kid would have. Serena Williams is an incredible athlete. 

Tiger Woods.

The man, the myth, the legend… Tiger Woods. Making this list and researching these athletes resumes is incredible. They win win win. Tiger Woods has an incredible resume for himself. 

  • PGA Player of the Year a record eleven times
  • PGA Tour Player of the Year a record eleven times
  • PGA Tour Money Leader a record ten times
  • Vardon Trophy winner a record nine times
  • Byron Nelson Award a record nine times
  • Won 15 professional major golf championships
  • Won 82 PGA tour events  

Imagine that trophy room he has. 82 PGA tour events. 82. In debatetly one of the hardest sports in the world. He leads all-active golfers in career major wins and career PGA tour wins… I mean come on. We are talking about golf. Like Serena Williams I feel that Tiger is overwhelmingly an underrated athlete. 

That’s my top 3. Let me know who your top three greatest athletes of all time are. Simone Biles? Michael Phelps? Muhhamed Ali? So many great athletes. 

See you next Friday!

MLB Opening Day 2021

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The MLB is back!

We have some crazy scenarios to cover about MLB Opening Day 2021.

The Los Angeles Dodgers traveled to Colorado to play the Rockies and we got one of the weirdest plays in baseball. Cody Bellinger with a runner on hit a moonshot to left field. Justin Turner runner on first, headed towards second, but quickly turned around when he thought the ball was caught. The only problem… it wasn’t caught. Bellinger actually hit a homerun to which Turner misjudged. Turner ran back towards first passing his teammate which resulted in Bellinger being called out. A freak play for opening day.

The Detroit Tigers hosted the Cleveland Indians which was must watch baseball. By must watch I don’t mean both teams are amazing by any means. By must watch I mean it was freaking snowing in Detroit. Couldn’t tell you the last time I watched a baseball game while it was snowing. Made for a great story as Miguel Cabrera launched a home run in which he thought it was only a double as he slid into second base. The snow was so bad he couldn’t see if the ball went over the fence. I don’t know what it was with all the homeruns being misinterpreted. 

The rest of the day went as follows… 

Toronto Blue Jays 3, New York Yankees 2

Milwaukee Brewers 6, Minnesota Twins 5

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Chicago Cubs 3

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Atlanta Braves 2

San Diego Padres 8, Arizona Diamondbacks 7

Kansas City Royals 14, Texas Rangers 10

St. Louis Cardinals 11, Cincinnati Reds 6

Tampa Bay Rays 1, Miami Marlins 0

Los Angeles Angels 4, Chicago White Sox 3

Houston Astros 8, Oakland Athletics 1

Seattle Mariners 8, San Francisco Giants 7

Solid Opening Day! A lot of great games and it was nice to see all the stars take the field again. Padres got their first win of the season and they looked great! Minus the last couple innings and Tatis striking out with bases loaded. Brewers looked nice as well. My roommate made a bet with another roommate of mine $100 whoever ends the season with more wins the Cubs or the Brewers. Can’t wait to see how that turns out. That’s all I got this week! I’ll see ya next Friday. 

Let me know what you think about Opening Day 2021. Who are you rooting for this season?

March Sadness…

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Welcome Back!

It’s finally here! March Madness!

*Alexa play March Madness by Future*

The most exciting time of the year for all college students. Well I guess everybody right? All I can remember from High School is March Madness. Everybody is using books to hide their phones. People storming the library (for once) to hop on a computer and watch their favorite college basketball team lose to Harvard. It really was March Madness. 

Today I am going to show you what I thought might be a promising bracket… yet we all know how that goes every year. Instead of starting with all 64 teams to save your time and mine as well I am going to start with my sweet sixteen. 

In the West I have…

#1 Gonzaga vs. #5 Creighton

#3 Kansas vs. #2 Iowa

I was 2/4 as of now. Both Kansas and Iowa lost. Instead it is #6 USC vs. #7 Oregon. Wow.

In the East I have…

#1 Michigan vs. #5 Colorado

#11 UCLA vs. #2 Alabama

Surprisingly I went ¾. Florida State beat Colorado sadly.

In the South I have…

#1 Baylor vs. #4 Purdue

#6 Texas Tech vs. #2 Ohio State

Yep… ¼ that’s more like it. Baylor survived yet Oral Roberts, Arkansas, and Villanova made it.

And finally in the Midwest I have…

#1 Illinois vs. #5 Tennessee

#6 San Diego State vs. #2 Houston

And again I went ¼. Houston survived and shockingly Illinois who I had winning lost. 

That was my sweet sixteen. I thought my bracket was decent yet It was a huge disaster. I had Illinois winning it all in my main bracket. A team and school I love is UCLA and I really hope they can hold on and make it to the final four. It’s March Madness… anything can happen. If Oral Roberts can beat Ohio State and Florida I think they can keep winning. I guess we will see!

Let me know who you had winning or even your final 4! 

See you next Friday!

To the Betting Man

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Welcome Back!

Here at The Student Section we really only care about a couple things…

Sports
Beer
Gambling

Yes I said it. Gambling.

We’re not just talking “I bet you $5 you wont make this shot.” We are talking about the kind of gambling you lose hair over. You lose sleep over… and inevitably lose money over. Thankfully for me I have put a stop to my losing streak. For once the Parlay hit. For those of you who don’t know what a parlay is… stop reading and forget you ever heard about betting. A parlay is when you think you have more than one bet that is going to win, and you decide you are going to bet them together. Could be two bets, maybe even three, though four or more and you’re biting those fingernails until they’re gone.

Unfortunately I live in a house full of what we like to call “degenerate gamblers.” This is a list of what to expect from a degenerate gambler…

Will sit for hours on end, staring at four TV screens, on an emotional rollercoaster, and expects to win his/her bets.
Is terrified of the word “Lock(ed)”
Will not speak to anyone for days after loosing
Will bet even more to make up for loses

You get the point? I even decided to do my own research on the matter and I found what might be some of the craziest ways to define someone who gambles. To the point this source even claimed someone who gambles a lot is suffering from alcohol abuse! What?! Ladies and gentlemen let me be the first to say if someone ever asks you to join their book, just say no. Run away. Betting is worse of a habit than a young kid eating his boogers. Not even to mention it’s illegal in most states. We were so desperate to bet one time we drove back to Illinois to put down a bet on the Super Bowl… just to lose.

But of course if we are going to talk about sports we have to mention betting and I thought I might as well get it out of the way now. I think movies like Uncut Gems were A. great movies but B. glamorized betting. Many movies do. It’s like this adrenaline rush only junkies have felt before. Barstool Sports, the major company that inspired this kind of blog I am trying to do, even though they are just one big company full of degenerate gamblers. Overall just don’t do it.

Let me know what you guys think! This isn’t a typical Student Section Blog so let me know if you enjoyed this more than the previous blogs! If you have a crazy betting story let me know in the comments! See ya next week.

Lets Talk Basketball… Yuck.

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Welcome back!

We have covered the MLB… we have covered the NFL… so it’s time to talk some basketball.If you’re like me I know what you’re thinking, yuck. Basketball just isn’t as exciting as it used to be. No offense to soccer players but basketball is becoming soccer 2.0. Flopping, bitching and whining. Don’t even start with the excessive use of reviews and replays. The last five minutes of an NBA game takes an hour. The perfect nap! Teams loaded with superstars (the Nets). It just stinks. But it’s my duty here in the Student Section to show the NBA some sort of love. What I want to talk about is the top 10 teams whose most likely will make the finals and who I think will take home the MVP this season. Let’s get into it!

Also I understand tomorrow is sunny and 60 degrees and everyone is celebrating St. Patrick’s day so of course I am going to say be safe. If you all drink yourselves to death who is going to read this blog? Also Guiness for the win, catch me downing those all day tomorrow.

Top 10 Teams in the NBA 

  1. Brooklyn Nets
  2. Utah Jazz
  3. Philadelphia 76ers 
  4. Los Angeles Lakers 
  5. Phoenix Suns
  6. Milwalkuee Bucks
  7. Denver Nuggets
  8. LA Clippers
  9. Portland Trailblazers
  10. Dallas Mavericks 

I think the Brooklyn Nets have already won the Finals especially after signing Blake Griffin. The team is just stacked. Shooters, high fly dunkers, defense weapons. It’s the kind of team you put together on a video game and just laugh at your opponents. Pretty ridiculous. Though if the NBA has taught me anything especially after the Miami Heats run last year… anything can happen in that league. 

Most Likely to Win MVP 

  1. Joel Embiid 
  2. Nikola Jokic
  3. Lebron James
  4. Damien Lillard

Joel Embiid is having a dominant year. I think as of now he is the number one contender for MVP. The guy is massive and plays great both offense and defense. I would love to see one more Lebron James MVP as I feel his years are starting to be limited. 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments! 

Ranking the Top 15 NFL Quarterbacks

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Welcome back!

We talked a lot about baseball but it’s time to show some love to another sport. What better sport to talk about than football. Coming off another Tom Brady superbowl victory you gotta wonder who are the top elite quarterbacks in the NFL? Today we will answer that. Today we are going to rank the top 15 quarterbacks in the NFL and list some honorable mentions. Let’s get into it. P.S. im writing this very hungover so I’m sorry for the lack of enthusiasm. 

  1. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay)
  2. Tom Brady (Tampa Bay)
  3. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City)
  4. Russell Wilson (Seattle)
  5. Deshaun Watson (Houston (for now))
  6. Josh Allen (Buffalo)
  7. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore)
  8. Justin Herbert (Los Angeles) 
  9. Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee) 
  10. Kyler Murray (Arizona)
  11. Baker Mayfield (Cleveland)
  12. Dak Prescott (Dallas)
  13. Derek Carr (Oakland)
  14. Matt Ryan (Atlanta)
  15. Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles)

Honorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, Joe Burrow

Right now, even though Tom Brady continues to win, It’s Aaron Rodgers’ world and we are living in it. The gunslinger himself, Mr. Discount Double check, he’s a bad man. I really thought this was the Packers year. With an MVP season under his belt after last season I would expect to see them right back to where they left off this upcoming season. 

With Russell Wilson trade rumors I can’t wait to see what team he is going to help out next season and I’d love to see him go to the Bears. I think Russ has put together some really good seasons these past 2-3 seasons. Though I hate his fantasy value. Horrible.

Let me know what you think! Would you make any changes? Did I leave anyone out you think deserves the top 15?

2021-22 MLB Preseason Power Ranking

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Welcome back!

I read the comments on last week’s blog… I’m sorry to my Brewer fans but at the same time I am not. If you were offended about last week’s comments then you might want to click out of today’s blog. Today we are ranking MLB divisions and to my Brewer fans, it’s not looking good for y’all. 

Little side note I’d love to share my experience going to a Brewers game wearing a Kris Bryant jersey even when the crew wasn’t even playing them. Right when we got there as expected all I heard was shit-talk about the Cubs. Given they sucked, it was actually pretty funny. This was spring of 2019. This was about a month after Yelich went down with a knee injury. After about thirty minutes of standing outside of Miller Park and hearing some of the worst shit-talking, mainly from drunk 50 year olds, I thought I would chirp back. One man came strolling by and commented “Cubs season is over.” To which I responded, “so is Yelich’s.” The look on the man’s face was priceless. I will never forget his jaw dropping probably wondering why this Cubs fan was even attending the game. One of my favorite memories going to a professional game. I can’t wait for COVID to be over and get back into stadiums, enjoying a nice beer, and watching some baseball. Though we aren’t here to talk about me, we’re here to talk about MLB preseason rankings. So let’s get into it. 

Starting with the American League lets rank em…

AL East:

  1. Yankees (New York)
  2. Blue Jays (Toronto)
  3. Rays (Tampa Bay)
  4. Red Sox (Boston)
  5. Orioles (Baltimore)

The Yankees are a clear favorite as they’re every year. Given their great pitching rotation and stacked lineup. Expecting tons of homeruns. Though the playoffs haven’t been their strong suit lately I don’t expect them to go far. 

AL Central:

  1. White Sox (Chicago)
  2. Twins (Minnesota)
  3. Indians (Cleveland)
  4. Tigers (Detroit)
  5. Royals (Kansas City)

This division was tough. Both the Twins and White Sox have a great chance of winning the division. Though I like the young roster of White Sox with great prospects. After years and years of rebuilding I think they have the power to win the division this year. I expect a lot of buzz around them in the 2021-22 season. 

AL West:

  1. Angels (Los Angeles) 
  2. A’s (Oakland)
  3. Astros (Houston)
  4. Rangers (Texas)
  5. Mariners (Seattle)

With the best player in baseball and possibly the best player to ever bless a diamond in Mike Trout I think it’s finally his time to step up and take his team to the next level. Though the A’s are a tough series I think the Angels have the power to win the division. I pray for Mike Trout. 

Now let’s look at the National League.

NL East: 

  1. Braves (Atlanta)
  2. Mets (New York)
  3. Phillies (Philadelphia)
  4. Nationals (Washington)
  5. Marlins (Miami)

I love the Braves. I love Acuna and I love Dansby Swanson. Both very very young and promising. They have a very promising future. I don’t think they are yet World Series contenders but I could easily see that comment biting me in the ass later. I think it’s their division and will be for a while. 

NL Central: 

  1. Cardinals (St. Louis)
  2. Cubs (Chicago)
  3. Reds (Cincinnati) 
  4. Brewers (Milkwalkuee) 
  5. Pirates (Pittsburgh) 

With the addition of Nolan Arenado, the Cardinals are sitting pretty. All these teams are wishy-washy though. Cubs could easily suck, Brewers could easily have a great season. I think either way It’s the Cardinals year in the division. 

NL West:

  1. Dodgers (Los Angeles)
  2. Padres (San Diego)
  3. Rockies (Colorado)
  4. Diamondbacks (Arizona)
  5. Giants (San Francisco) 

Whoever wins this division is winning the World Series. No doubt. The Dodgers on paper should never lose a game. Though a young and exciting Padres team could and I’d love to see them take down the almighty Dodgers.

So there it is. Let me know what you think! Do you agree or disagree with me?