Teams of the Teens

In the same spirit of my other post series (which I've been slow to update), I have to do something similar but tangent.

I've been raving about various teams and saying "wait and see," similar to my "Arizona Cardinals will be in the playoffs in 4-5 years" prediction I accurately made in college. Therefore, I need to "put it on the board" because I see a few teams standing out as, in a sense, having NEXT. The Cowboys, Steelers, and Pats have "Team of the ____ " monikers tagged to their names and NFL Legacies. The same may be said for the Braves in the 90's, with their epic run of Division titles. The Red Wings are the team of the....well, possibly the millennium, though it sickens me to say that. And the Lakers are obviously the team of either the 90's or the 00's, with the three-peat and the recent re-load. (I know they haven't won a title with the new look, but the nucleus is solid, and they have a shot at the 2009 crown still.)

However...who will we be talking about next, in the 2010's? I don't think it's too early to answer this one.

MLB: Cincinnati Reds. This team is the reason for this list. Great young pitching, led by Volquez and Cueto. Excellent young position players, like Phillips and Votto. Decent leadership with a few veterans and some 'tweeners, like Encarnacion. And for power? Jay Bruce. If this team doesn't make a run at an NL pennant by the 2012 season, I will be stunned.

NFL: Atlanta Falcons. A lot of ways I could go with this one, like the Cards, Fins, or the retooled Chiefs. However, I liked what I saw a couple of years ago...and I like them more and more. Franchise QB? Check. Franchise WR, and a solid WR2? Check. Fanbase coming back? Check. Underrated defense? Check. Oh, and they just added some guy named Gonzalez. Dynastic.

NHL: Washington Capitals. It was almost a coin flip between the Caps and Pens, but first of all, Ovechkin is shining more individually right now, and Pitt is a bit more established as a contender right now. Washington is a bit of a sexy pick for the future right now, by comparison. The Caps have a solid core, a face of not only the franchise but of the entire league, and good goaltending. Watch out for the Pens and also the Sharks (if they can get younger)...but for now, the money is on DC.

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers. Although I almost forgot, here's my other seemingly can't-miss. They're solid and young in pretty much every aspect of the game, getting some playoff experience and getting healthier...and if they can add a little more to the roatation and get a little more swagger, this team will be downright scary.

NHL Favorite Players

First Line

• LW Jason Pomminville (BUF) [5th year], Byfuglien (CHI)
• C David Krejci, BOS: Solid fantasy performer. Candidate for the All "Sneezed While Typing" Name Team. No clue how to pronounce. Also Toews (CHI)
• RW Devin Setoguchi, SJ: The rookie's made a mark. It could be his scrappy play, or it could be the cool name (which sounds Japanese, to me)...maybe both. Still, he's a lock. Joel Ward (NSH)
• D Liles (COL), Tyutin (CBJ)
• D Letang (PIT), Oduya (NJD)
• G Peter Budaj (COL), Bryzgalov (PHX) [over 5 season limit, but few games in early seasons] or Rinne (NSH)

Favorite Player Lists: Ground Rules

I realized when listening to the Preds-Sharks game tonight that I'm getting a new generation of favorite players in the big sports. The tide is turning, and as veterans are aging and retiring, new kids are coming up to replace them. Gone are the days when my favorites like Patrick Roy and Frank Wycheck are active players...so I need to have new guys to replace them

Few sports can rival baseball in the "I like that guy, even if he is on another team," or "Cheer for a guy who used to be on your team" categories, so I should probably start with that sport. However, I'm going to start with the NHL, since one of the players in tonight's game has to make my list.

Here are my rules. I have to at least fill a starting lineup for a given sport. I can only use players with 5 or fewer years of experience. And there can only be a few players (approx 2) from my favorite teams on any given favorites list. I can add more than one player at a given position, but I can only go two deep at a given position, and I need to try to fill out both first and second teams if I go with backups.

With that in mind, I will make my next post with my late-millenial NHL Favorites list. Enjoy.