Braves question
OK, we’re going to move quickly today.
Really quickly.
The Braves played. The Braves lost. It happens.
The lead in the East remained at 4.5 because the Phillies lost, too. The magic number is 15 with less than three weeks left.
That’s the good news.
As for the biggest dilemma facing this club, it has nothing to do with the playoffs or the push. (I think they get there, and then they are going to get bounced by the Giants or the Dodgers.)
The conversation centers on Freddie Freeman. Yes, he’s the reigning NL MVP. Yes, he’s the guts of this franchise. Yes, he’s downright lovable.
But he’s 32, and any deal longer than five years must be viewed and examined without emotion.
Think of all the long-term contracts given to guys in their 30s. Because as good as Freeman has been, he has not been as good as Albert Pujols, who fell off the planet when he left St. Louis and signed – at 32, mind you – with the Angels.
I want Freddie to be a lifetime Brave, but the club has to view the risk, too.
Upset alert
Of course the Mocs are thinking big this weekend.
As Weeds eloquently stated today, why not, right?
Is it a long shot? Of course. And in some ways, Saturday’s date with Kentucky is a worse matchup for the Mocs than a higher-profile FBS school.
First, Kentucky is built around its offensive line, and offensive lines rarely slump. It also counteracts UTC’s strength across the defensive front.
If UTC faced an Auburn or even a Penn State – teams that may be higher ranked but not necessarily better – I’d like the Mocs’ chances a whole lot more, to be honest.
These Wildcats, though, are salty.
Side note: Interesting odds for this one, as Vegas does not expect the Mocs offense to do much. The line is UK minus-30.5 with an over/under of 42.5. Which means the experts think the final will be UK 36.5, UTC 6.