National League West Update (Breaking News!)

The National League West has been one of the most tightly contested divisions among the top 2 teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, for much of the year.  The standings currently reflect both the Dodgers and Giants being tied with record of 64-53 with Diamondbacks in third at 58-58.  The San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies round up the bottom of the division with records of 52-66 & 43-71.  The Dodgers had been in control of the division for much of the 2012 season however for the better part of the last month San Francisco was leading the division due to their dominant pitching rotation, although with the breaking news today this could all change rapidly.  The Giants best and most consistent hitter this season was with no doubt Melky Cabrera who had thus far posted 11 home runs with 60 RBI’s and a .346 batting average in his first season with San Francisco.  However, Cabrera has no been suspended 50 games for violating the leagues substance abuse policy.

This is highly disappointing in a sport that has been ripe with controversies very similar to this for the past decade.  What is even more disheartening is the fact that it is usually the best players who get caught using performance enhancing drugs, like last years NL MVP Award winner Ryan Braun.  Cabrera will miss the last 45 games of the season and will serve the next 5 either at the beginning of next season or during the Giants potential post-season run.  Taking a bat like that out of the Giants order will most likely be incredibly detrimental to the Giants success and hopes of winning the NL crown as the Dodgers now have the far better offensive team.  Though the Giants have relied on their pitching for much of the season they will have to place an even greater emphasis on those 5 players even more now as their run production will surely decrease.

The Colorado Rockies have been a team in search of their identity, which without their two best players, has been difficult to say the least.  Both Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton have suffered serious injuries this year, which has put almost the entire offenses weight on the shoulder of outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.  Gonzalez has had a great season, but one man cannot carry a baseball team and with the high volume of runs being allowed by the Colorado pitching staff they may already be planning for the 2013 MLB season and draft. 

Ultimately, with this devastating news to the city by the bay do not be surprised to see Arizona make a run at the top spot in the NL West, while the LA Dodgers appear to be the clear favorites at this point.

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3 Greatest Ole Miss Football Players of All Time

With an all time record of 621-486-35 the Ole Miss Rebels are one of the gems in the SEC with 6 conference titles.  Furthermore, the Rebels have 3 claimed National Championships and are 21-12-0 in the postseason.  Here are 3 of their greatest football players of all time.

3. Patrick Willis

Without a doubt the most decorated defensive player in the history of the school, Patrick Willis is now considered the best linebacker in football as he currently anchors the defense for the San Francisco 49ers.  He was a 2-time All-American in 2005 and 2006 while also being named the SEC Defensive Player of the year in ’06 along with winning the Butkus and Jack Lambert Awards.  He as well won the Lombardi award in 2006 and all of these accolades led him to be the 11^th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.

2. Eli Manning

The youngest man from football royalty, Eli Manning is perhaps the most successful NFL player of any Rebel to ever come through the program.  He is a 2-time Super Bowl champion as well as 2-time Super Bowl MVP.  He also holds several NFL records including most 4^th quarter touchdown passes in a regular season (15) most road playoff wins by a quarterback (5) and most passing yards in a single postseason (1,219 yards) as well as sharing many others.  While playing for the Rebels Eli had a career 138.1 passer rating with 10,286 total passing yards and threw 84 touchdowns to only 36 interceptions.  He also earned several collegiate awards including both the Cotton and Independence Bowl(s) MVP’s, the SEC MVP and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, among many others.

1. Archie Manning

Despite not being quite as successful in the NFL as his two sons, Archie Manning is without a doubt one of the most successful quarterbacks in SEC history.  He held the records for most career passing yards and touchdowns, which stood until being eclipsed by his son, Eli, almost 30 years later.  In the first national broadcast of a college football game, Archie threw for a ridiculous 436 yards while also rushing for 104 and tossing 3 touchdowns in a 33-32 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.  The 540 yard performance is still tied for the SEC all-time single game yards record and is one of many examples of why Archie Manning is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

For more information, updates and unbeatable deals on Ole Miss Football tickets, visit www.BigWillTickets.com today!