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It’s been four days since the last action was seen in major league baseball. Be sure to take a look at today’s premium play between Tampa Bay and Toronto. For a total to score a win on, I focus on the Nationals and Dodgers total. Ricky Nolasco is heading to the mound for his third outing. He had a great start against the Diamondbacks but got down with three early runs in his last start against Colorado. Stephen Strasburg had an even rougher outing in his last start giving up the most runs he has ever allowed of seven in just two innings. Even though the Dodgers have struggled to score runs, I expect them to continue to pelt the balls Strasburg pitches today.

The total runs today of 7.5 is a generous number considering the woes of Strasburg. Let the questions raise about his arm, as the Nationals ponder if he needs rest again

The 2000’s in the AFC have been dictated 100 percent by the New England Patriots. Many have tabbed it the Bill Belicheck era. Others like myself have shifted focus to the other teams within the division. Miami, Buffalo, and the New York Jets have been the worst competitive teams for a total division, and are at the peak of that label currently. It boils down to the front office, and Buffalo has been one of the worst at making solid decisions.

This season the Bills are in yet again another quarterback battle that 75 percent of teams in the NFL would never be in. For the Bills to consider Kevin Kolb as a starter is laughable. He lost his job several times in Arizona. Once to an undrafted rookie in Max Hall, and countless times to Matt Leinart checkdown duplicator John Skelton.

He has no value as a starter and in a few years will be buried on a teams depth chart as a third string quarterback. For Kolb to be labeled a veteran is a joke in of itself. He was a backup second year quarterback when he had his two successful starts in place of Donovan McNabb. His time in Arizona was filled with injuries, miscues, and defenses making a joke of his pocket presence. In my book Kolb has as much of a resume as Matt Flynn.

To make matters worse the Bills reached high in the first round when they drafted EJ Manuel. New head coach, Doug Marrone, was figured to reach for Ryan Nassib by many draft analysts, and he fell all the way until the second day. For Manuel to go as the first drafted quarterback already adds to the pressure Manuel will face this season.

Lets shift back to the quarterback battles the Bills have had since the early 2000’s.

Rob Johnson vs Doug Flutie
Drew Bledsoe vs JP Losman
JP Losman vs Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards vs Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick vs Vince Young
and now……..this

Talk about a perfect blueprint for non-success. The mid 1990’s for the Buffalo Bills have been evaporated and kept in boxes as old VHS tapes in Bills fans garages. Commemorating ceremonies of the old Bills teams is the only thing the Bills fans have to look forward to every year.

2013……Call up Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Don Beebe, Andre Reed, and Bruce Smith once again mid-season in a torture game of mistakes by either Kevin Kolb or EJ Manuel.

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In the off-season of the NFL, off the wall remarks usually happen frequently and get fed to the media for hot topics. Surprisingly, this off-season has been quiet from an active players stand point. On the air though, Donovan McNabb has not been quiet on voicing his frustrations over player contracts. Both Tony Romo and Matthew Stafford inked extension deals with their respective teams.

In a league filled with an inordinate amount of young starting quarterbacks and an endless cycle of six to eight teams that are ever-changing the name of their starting quarterback, why wouldn’t those two teams ensure Romo and Stafford are kept aboard?

Syracuse fans are probably some of the most die-hard collegiate fans you will find across the country. I’m one myself. Donovan McNabb had a great career as a collegiate that extended until the age of roughly 33 in the NFL. His remarks and the way his career ended do not bode well with me. McNabb only 36 was basically forced into retirement as no other team took a chance on him after a botched last season with the Eagles, then the Redskins, and the awful ending in Minnesota.

Not to discredit McNabb’s entire career, but he got out of shape in the latter part of his career, when he should have been working to have somewhat of an edge on the field. Tom Brady is only a year younger than him, and Peyton Manning a year older. Neither has had their performance drop off as drastically as McNabb’s.

I hope McNabb’s bitterness of his football exit does not carry over to the booth. We’ll all see once the pre-season and regular season start in the NFL.

Contracts for mid-tier quarterbacks are not going to go away. They are the cornerstones of a franchise, even if an analyst such as McNabb does not agree. Sure, Romo and Stafford are not top tier quarterbacks but they both have more than enough capabilities of leading their teams without a running game. A balanced effort for both quarterbacks could pay dividends to success in terms of wins and losses, as well as cutting back their turnovers.

When Donovan McNabb is voicing proper feedback and analysis he can be a great asset to the NFL network. There will not be any other quarterbacks signing long term extensions in the preseason or regular season, so the next six months Donovan should be fine behind the microphone.

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Todays free play comes in a matchup of the Reds vs Braves. Both teams are in the thick of things yet again, and that can be traced to their balance offensively and with solid pitching staffs. A tricky half run is given in todays total with the line being set at 7.5. That is largely due to the fact that both teams have quality averages with RISP, and hit the home run ball very well.

The total would likely be higher if it were not for Tim Hudson’s solid career ERA against Cincinnati. Lately, Hudson has been all over the place. Facing a lineup as potent as the Reds, I’d be leery to see Hudson extend beyond five innings.

With that being said, take the over of 7.5 as the Braves will head to their bullpen earlier than expected, and the Braves should also be a quality play for three to four runs themselves.

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Last night, the Dodgers gained a game in the race to catch the Diamondbacks in the NL West. It came from an important decision from the front office to make a trade for veteran pitcher Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco’s record on the year has looked inconsistent, but his ERA of barely above three, shows that he has been pitching above average this season. His run support was lacking on a poor Marlins team. The trade that sent him to LA, gave him a sense of being revived at the right time. He came out and only allowed four hits, while getting two himself, sparking a 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

That type of strong play gives the Dodgers assurance that they made the right decision, and can spark a clubhouse overall. Look for the Dodgers to carry yesterday’s momentum into tonight as they try to take another win on the road.

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TODAY’S FREE PLAY IS THE UNDER ON THE DODGERS AND ROCKIES. ENJOY