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  • 2017 NFL Predictions | Ticket King Inc.

    NFL Preview

    The 2017 NFL season is finally upon us, so that can only mean one thing. It is time for our big NFL preview. Ticket King likes to turn to T.J. Bryce for his take on all things NFL.  We’re holding him to these predictions, and will revisit this exhaustive list in January 2018.

    Opening remarks from Mr. Bryce:
    “As I examine the landscape of the NFL just before the start of the 2017 season, I see a stark contrast compared to the past several seasons. In recent years, the NFL has been ruled by mediocrity. This year, I see a clear difference between the good and the bad. Let’s begin with the AFC East.”

    AFC

    AFC East

    New England Patriots (12-4) – Did anyone really think I was going to pick any other team here? The Patriots will win the AFC East based on the overall weakness of the division, but they may not be as strong of a team as they were a year ago. I don’t care what anyone says or how well he takes care of himself, “Father Time” is undefeated, and he’s coming for Tom Brady. The Patriots will also be without their top receiver Julian Edelman, for the entire season. Guys may step up, but that’s a huge loss for New England. 

    Miami Dolphins (9-7) – Yes, Jay Cutler is a better quarterback than Colin Kaepernick, and yes, he fits this system better. However, the Dolphins Super Bowl aspirations will not come to be in 2017.

    Buffalo Bills (6-10) – Tyrod Taylor is not the long term answer in Buffalo, and I predict that he struggles mightily through the 2017 season. The longest playoff drought in North American professional sports marches on.

    New York Jets (0-16) – Yes, you see that right. 0-16. This may be the worst NFL team I have ever seen in my (young) life. The Jets won’t just lose every game. They are going to get blown out of the freaking building in at least twelve of them. Why? Their QB is 38 years old, and can claim just two victories in the last twenty-two starts. His best wideout has been on the team for about five minutes, and that guy’s biggest weapon (his speed) won’t be utilized by a QB that’s too old to throw it that far. If the Bills can manage to lose the opener, against these Jets, that will be the only victory for this hapless franchise.  

    AFC North

    Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) – The best offense in the AFC currently resides in Pittsburgh. All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell has ended his holdout and reported to the team. For what it’s worth, Some fans may hope that James Connor runs for 1,500 yards as the Steelers kick Bell out the front door. But Bell is still a Steeler, and he will play a part in this season for the team. My guess is he’ll play at least the first six weeks. Don’t be surprised if the team tries to move him before the trade deadline.

    Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) – Okay, maybe we overreacted saying this was the best roster in the league a year ago. Still, they are not as bad as their 2016 record indicates.  But is the team good enough to make the playoffs in 2017?

    Baltimore Ravens (7-9) – The Ravens are going to struggle through another injury-plagued season, highlighted by Joe Flacco and his knee. They really need to focus on getting him healthy and making sure he stays that way.

    Cleveland Browns (2-14)- Sorry, I think DeShone Kizer is going to be a terrible NFL quarterback, and that will show this season as the Browns struggle through yet another bad year.

    AFC South

    Tennessee Titans (11-5)- The rise of Marcus Mariota is coming, if it didn’t start already. Mariota is healthy, and ready to lead the Titans back to the playoffs. This team plays classic smash-mouth football, a throwback to the days of yesteryear.

    Houston Texans (8-8)- Yes the Texans defense may be Super Bowl ready, but their quarterback position isn’t. Tom Savage is just a placeholder, and I don’t think Deshaun Watson is going to be anything more than a below-average NFL starter.

    Indianapolis Colts (8-8)- This will be a strange season for the Colts. They will dig themselves into an early hole while Andrew Luck gets healthy. The hole will become too deep to dig out of, but they will try. I think if they find themselves in too deep a hole, they should just send Luck home and concentrate on him being fully healthy for a return to the lineup in 2018.

    Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13)- The Jaguars are just bad, and Blake Bortles is on his way out the door. Moving along.

    AFC West

    Oakland Raiders (14-2)- The Oakland Raiders are the best team in the AFC. Just let that sink in for a minute. The Raiders have some elite high impact players, and their depth is vastly improved from two years ago. Could this be the year the Raiders return to the Super Bowl?

    Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)- The Chiefs had a very unstable off season, but things appear to have calmed down. Alex Smith is just buying time for Pat Mahomes to learn the system, and the Chiefs will be good enough that he will sit the entire season.

    Denver Broncos (6-10)- Towards the end of 2016, the fabled luck this franchise has enjoyed the last several seasons began to run out. With the luck gone, the holes in this roster, specifically at the quarterback position, will be exposed.

    Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)- Another year, another good statistical season for Phillip Rivers, another missed playoff year for the franchise. Phillip Rivers is the Dan Marino of this generation.

    AFC Playoffs
    Seeds: 1. Raiders 2. Steelers 3. Patriots 4. Titans 5. Chiefs 6. Dolphins

    Wild Ward Weekend
    Patriots vs. Dolphins- This is an “interesting” game, but one the Patriots win, 34-20.
    Titans vs. Chiefs- Marcus Mariota makes his NFL playoff debut as the Titans roll on, 24-10.

    Divisional Playoff Weekend
    Steelers vs. Patriots- Big Ben gets one last crack at the Patriots, and it ends well for him. Steelers win 34-24.
    Raiders vs. Titans- The new look Raiders make their debut as the big boys on the block in convincing fashion. One of the big blowouts of the playoffs. 38-17 Raiders.

    Raiders vs. Steelers- This will be a very high scoring game as Derek Carr throws for five touchdowns and the Raiders win 38-31.

    NFC

    NFC East

    New York Giants (13-3) – Three years back I predicted the rise of the Giants. The Giants will get back to being the Giants, and win the NFC East with an elite pass rush and top rated passing game. This is Manning’s 14h season, and the clock it ticking. He may not put up 2015 numbers this season, but he won’t need to.

    Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)  – Carson Wentz is the real deal, and he’s part of a collection of elite young quarterbacks in this league. The Eagles continue to add pieces to support him, and it could get them back to the playoffs in 2017. 

    Dallas Cowboys (8-8) – There may be a number of Cowboys fans screaming at me through their computers right now. I’m just not sold on Dak Prescott. There was an element to his success in 2016 that a lot of people do not take into consideration. It’s called “shock value” and later on this season, I will explain further. Nobody expected Prescott to play a year ago, and nobody had any tape of him in a pro-style offense. The nature and style of his play came from his college years, just like all other QB’s that come into the league. Every team will be ready for him now. The Cowboys are about to find out that they have bet the house on a mediocre quarterback. 

    Washington Redskins (6-10) – Boy, what a mess this team made of themselves during the offseason. They were finally finding their way out of the wilderness. Daniel Snyder didn’t like the fact that he wasn’t the reason why. All I can say is “Yikes!” The drama will carry over into the regular season, as Cousins forces his way out the door. It’s “All Aboard” for a one-way trip to San Francisco for “Team Cousins.”

    NFC North

    Green Bay Packers (13-3) – Aaron Rodgers enters the 2017 smoking hot, unlike a year ago, and is recommitted to his work ethic. This could very well be the year Aaron Rodgers finally goes an entire season without turning the ball over. Crazy as that sounds, Rodgers is prepped and ready, with lots of targets to throw to. 

    Minnesota Vikings (9-7) – It is no secret the Vikings brass has put Spielman and Zimmer on the hot seat. Based on how this team looks at the moment, the chances of Spielman and Zimmer still being there in 2018 are not great. The rumors are something like “Make the Super Bowl or you’re fired” for Spielman.

    Detroit Lions (8-8) – Matthew Stafford is now the highest paid player in the NFL. Too bad it’s still the same old Lions. This team may be a spoiler for a game or two, but not much else will come from paying Stafford top dollar. 

    Chicago Bears (4-12) – The Bears are in the midst of a rebuild. They bet the house on Mitch Trubisky in the draft. That will pay off for them in the long run, but not in 2017.

    NFC South

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) – This is a hot young team. I believe that Derek Carr and Jameis Winston are on their way to being the two best quarterbacks in the game at some point in the future. 

    Carolina Panthers (10-6) – The Panthers have been up and down the last few years. 10-6 may be their happy medium.

    Atlanta Falcons (10-6) – The Falcons will still be a good team this year, but the biggest meltdown in sports history will affect them more than it won’t.  

    New Orleans Saints (7-9) – This team kind of frustrates me. They operate as if it still 2009. They need to let the bottom drop out, and start from zero.  Their schedule in 2017 is tough. They face the Patriots, Packers, Buccaneers, and Dolphins, all in the first half of the season. 

    NFC West

    Seattle Seahawks (10-6) – The Seahawks have really settled down as a solid, but not elite, team. That trend will continue in 2017. “Good, but not great.”

    Arizona Cardinals (8-8) – The Cardinals are an old team on their last legs in 2017. Too bad it won’t end with Palmer and Fitzgerald riding off into the sunset as Super Bowl champions. When you look at their schedule, they could possibly pick up a couple more wins and make the playoffs as a Wild Card opponent, but don’t count on it.

    Los Angeles Rams (5-11) – Jared Goff needs some stability, and now that they know who their head coach is going to be for the foreseeable future, perhaps he can get that stability. They won’t see the results this season, and I wonder how long until Todd Gurley wants out of Los Angeles, based on what we know about his personality.

    San Francisco 49ers (2-14) – I think John Lynch will make for a good NFL general manager. I listened to him when he did play by play, and his grasp of the game makes me think he would fit perfectly as a “front office” executive. The 49ers may be bad now, but they won’t be bad forever.

    NFC Playoffs

    Seeds: 1. Giants 2. Packers 3. Buccaneers 4. Seahawks 5. Panthers 6. Falcons

    Wild Card Weekend
    Buccaneers vs. Falcons – “Famous Jameis” makes his playoff debut in style, throwing for three touchdowns and leading the Buccaneers to 34-27 victory.

    Seahawks vs. Panthers – This is the type of team that can go into Seattle and win a road game. Newton and his Panthers advance 24-16.

    Divisional Playoff Weekend
    Packers vs. Buccaneers- This is going to be a very good game. Home field advantage is what wins this one, and the Packers advance 35-28.

    Giants vs. Panthers – One thing is for sure. These two teams are going to beat each other into oblivion in this one. We might see upwards of 10 penalties for late hits. 13-10 Giants.

    NFC Championship

    Giants vs. Packers – I don’t think these Packers and their fans could take another conference championship loss. But it is what it is. The Giants advance to the Super Bowl 31-24.

    Awards
    Rookie of the Year: Christian McCaffery/RB/Panthers- McCaffery will play a huge role in the Panthers return to the playoffs.

    Coach of the Year: Jack Del Rio/Raiders- Del Rio gets this award based on his ability to keep the Raiders focused despite all of the Las Vegas talk.

    Defensive Player of the Year: Khalil Mack/OLB/Raiders- Mack has his best season to date, leading the Raiders to the Super Bowl.

    MVP: Aaron Rodgers/QB/Packers- Rodgers adds a third MVP award to his shelf, and has the best season statistically, of his career.

    Super Bowl

    Giants vs. Raiders – The Super Bowl will be played in Minnesota this year. The hot young Raiders vs Eli and his band of angry Giants. I know the Raiders had a marvelous season, but this is the Super Bowl. Age and wisdom reign supreme in February. Prediction: 30-27 Giants.

  • Packers 53 Man Roster for 2017 | Ticket King Inc.

    Packers 53 man roster 2017

    The Green Bay Packers revealed their 53 man roster this past weekend, in preparation for the 2017 home opener at Lambeau Field. The Packers will take on the Seattle Seahawks on September 10th. Tickets for the game are still available. Are their any surprises in this new roster? Possibly. Let’s take a look at some key players that “made the cut” in 2017.

    Ty Montgomery needed a back up, and that job goes to Aaron Ripkowski, a fullback that was already on the roster in 2016.  Ripkowski will be backed up by Jamall Williams and Aaron Jones. As for wide receivers, it looks like Geronimo Allison and Jeff Janis will be the number five and six picks for the year.

    With the signing of Martellus Bennett, the back up position goes to Lance Kendricks and Richard Rodgers. Green Bay hopes to capitalize on the acquisition of Bennett, giving the Packers more options on plays and schemes. As for the offensive line, Justin McCray and Lucas Patrick were named as back ups for the year.

    Did the rookie Kevin King have a good camp? It looks like the young draft pick from Washington State will be getting some playing time, but hopefully learning quickly on the job. Josh Hawkins and Lenzy Pipkins also made the roster this season. Quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Joe Callahan will be looking for a roster spot on other teams this year.  

  • Packers Family Night Recap | Green Bay Preseason Starts on Thursday | Ticket King Inc.

    Packers Family Night
    NFL training camp is in full swing. On Saturday night, the Packers had their annual “Family Night” at Lambeau Field, which is basically a cross between a full practice and inter-squad scrimmage. It’s a great time for children and adults. Fireworks follow the event.  
    Aaron Rodgers looked sharp all night, hitting Malachi Dupree to DeAngelo Yancey to Randall Cobb right in the numbers. This might very well be the longest “look” we will get of Rodgers until week one of the regular season, as nobody is expecting him to play much during the preseason. He will not play the first preseason game on Thursday against the Eagles, we know that’s for sure. Speaking of those two rookie receivers, Yancey and Dupree, they both looked very good Saturday night. Dupree ran very good routes and Yancey caught several key third and fourth down conversion passes during live drills. Backup quarterback Brett Hundley looked solid as well. Late in simulated live play, he threw a touchdown pass during the two minute drill to tight end Aaron Peck, who is not expected to make this team. So it was nice to see Peck get in perhaps the lone Lambeau Leap of his career. 

    Joe Callahan Struggles on Family Night

    Third-string quarterback Joe Callahan did not look good, at all. He missed several open targets throughout live drills, and bobbled several snaps out of the shotgun. He also was way off during the drill where they throw the ball into the net. Joe Callahan’s roster spot is far from guaranteed, so stay tuned. No, it is not a competition between Callahan and undrafted free agent rookie quarterback Taysom Hill from BYU, Hill will be cut at some point this month. It’s a competition between Callahan and somebody else on the roster, say cornerback LaDarius Gunter. Kicker Mason Crosby did not look too great as well. He had several misses during kicking drills, including a very bad shank from about 45 yards away. Hopefully that is not a sign of things to come. Family night is good fun, but it’s just practice.

    Green Bay will get its first test on Thursday night against the Eagles. As stated before, Rodgers will not play, and we don’t expect Hill to play either. It will be Hundley and Callahan getting every snap, much like last preseason, with Hundley probably getting 60% of them. Hundley has been in this system for two years now, and it will be time to see how good he really is in year three. If he is the “real deal,” Ted Thompson (or whoever the Packers GM is next offseason,) could fetch several high ranking draft choices for Hundley in a trade. Callahan is going to have to shake off a rough family night and get back on track if he wants to make this roster.

  • MLB Trade Deadline Predictions | Ticket King Inc.

    MLB Trade Deadline - Ticket King
    One of the most notable deadlines on the yearly baseball calendar is fast approaching, it’s the in-season trade deadline, July 31. Now every general manager understands that the real deadline is August 31. That is the day 40-man rosters for the postseason must be finalized. But waiver wire deals are a little more tricky to do. The trade season has already gotten started with some big deals. Todd Frazier and Daniel Robertson went the Yankees. J.D. Martinez went to the Diamondbacks. Jamie Garcia went to the Twins. Jose Quintana was sent to the Cubs, and there are more names on the way.
    The first two players that come up are the big names from the Oakland Athletics roster that are on the trade block, starting pitcher Sonny Gray and first baseman Yonder Alonzo. Gray is having a decent season, as he currently sits with a record of 6-5 and an ERA of 3.43. Meanwhile, Yonder Alonzo is having one of the best seasons of his career. Alonzo currently sits with a .264 average, 21 home runs, and 45 RBI’s. The Yankees had interest in both before the Todd Frazier trade, but the team could still pull off a move for Gray if they wanted to. Also in on Gray could be the Twins, Astros(Although trades within the division rarely ever happen,) Brewers, and Rockies. Looking across the list of contenders, an Alonzo trade looks unlikely for now, but it’s still possible. Another name on the Athletics roster that could be moved is the 34-year-old relief pitcher John Axford. The former Brewers closer could help a lot of contending bullpens down the stretch.
    Next up we have the Phillies. They have a mix of smaller names that could be moved, and probably will be. Relief pitchers Pat Neshek and Joaquin Benoit could both help many a contending bullpen. Second basemen Andres Blanco could provide good spot starting and bench play for many teams as well. Veteran outfielders Daniel Nava and Howie Kendrick could both be on the move. Nava might have just a little more value because he is a left-handed hitter. I don’t list specific teams here because these are the types of players who would come cheap, and could end up with just about any contending team.
    Then we have the Reds. Over the last couple of years, the Reds have made a lot of moves as they have gone into a full blown rebuild. But, they still have a couple of contracts they would like to get out from under. Those two players would be starting pitcher Homer Bailey and first basemen Joey Votto. Bailey is not having a good season at all, so that one might be tricky to work out. Votto has, simply put, the worst contract in baseball. He would like to play for the Blue Jays, but they are not in contention this season, so that move may have to wait at least until the offseason.

    Finally we have the Giants. What a mess this team is in right now. They are old, overpaid, and underachieving. But, they do have a lot of big names they could move, including several pitchers, Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore comes to mind when we talk trades. They are both having bad seasons statistically, as many players on this team are, so we would have to rely on their past track record here. Moore could be affordable for smaller payroll teams like the Astros, Twins, and Brewers. Samardzija could be had by larger payroll teams like the Yankees. Another name on the move could be outfielder Hunter Pence, who could end up with the Red Sox, Indians, or Nationals among other teams. 

  • Packers Tickets Ready To Ship | Parking Available For Each Game | Ticket King

    Ticket King Green Bay
    Ticket King Green Bay –  Just yards from Lambeau Field

    The 2017 Green Bay Packers season has been out since April, and now Packers tickets have started to arrive at the doorsteps of season ticket holders across Wisconsin.  Ticket King is happy to make an offer on your Packers tickets, and we pay top dollar for seats in demand. Hundreds of families trust Ticket King to make sure that their coveted tickets are safely resold to other fans across the nation. Do you have tickets to sell? Give us a call, and we’ll take it from there.

    The Packers home opener is sure to be a huge game. They take on the Seattle Seahawks on September 10th, at Lambeau Field. This is an afternoon game. From there, they face the Atlanta Falcons, on the road. The Bengals come to Green Bay on September 24th, for another afternoon game. 

    Packers Parking and Tailgate Options

    Looking to park or tailgate before a Packers game? We have you covered. Ticket King has a limited number of Lambeau Field parking passes for each game, along with parking spaces at our Green Bay office, just yards from the stadium. We’re on Oneida Street, just south of the Don Hutson practice field. Tailgate in our lot, and walk to your seat at Lambeau. Tickets for all away games are also available. See you in Green Bay, Packers fans! 

  • 2017 Wisconsin Badgers Roster and Schedule | Ticket King Inc.

    Badgers 2017 Schedule

    The summer is upon us, which means it is time to begin discussing the upcoming football season. For the Wisconsin Badgers, it should be another solid year. The first order of business for the Badgers will be replacing their departed players. The Badgers ended up with three players drafted into the NFL, and several others who signed as un-drafted free agents. The first to go was quarterback Bart Houston, who went un-drafted and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, departs. Alex Hornibrook now takes over full time. Hornibrook was inconsistent a year ago. He will need to shore that up. The Badgers ended up with two players being drafted in the first round this year. First to go was outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who went to the Steelers late in round one. The other was offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk, who went to the Saints with the last choice in round one. The other Badgers draftee is outside linebacker Vince Biegel, who was the Packers first choice in round four. They will also have to replace the departing running back Corey Clement, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after the draft.

    Badgers 2017 Schedule

    In 2017, the Badgers begin the season at home against Utah State on September 1. That game will will be broadcast on ESPN, so it’s a good chance to see the “new look” Badgers on national television. Eight days later, they take on Florida Atlantic at home. The following week, they hit the road for the first time, heading to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. The Badgers have an off week and then they come home for their Big Ten Conference opener, against Northwestern on Sept. 30. The Wildcats will be looking to build on their 7-6 record from a year ago. The following Saturday the Badgers hit the road for the first time in conference play, heading to Nebraska. The following week they come home to take on Purdue.

    The second half of the schedule is where it gets testy for Wisconsin. After a home game against Maryland on Oct. 21, they hit the road to take on Illinois. That is not always an easy game for this bunch. The following week they stay on the road to take on Indiana. The final three games of the season is where the Badgers could face their biggest challenges. The first of those three games is at home against Iowa. The second of those two games is also at home against Michigan. Their final game of the season, as always, is at Minnesota.

  • Who Will Win the NL Central in 2017? | Ticket King Inc.


    NL Central Ticket King
    Who’s Going To Win This Airtight NL Central? Four games. That is all that separates all five teams in the National League Central at the moment. The question must be asked, who’s going to win this airtight NL Central?
    Milwaukee Brewers
    Why they will: The Brewers are off to one of the most surprising starts in baseball so far this season. Milwaukee currently sits at 33-31, 1.5 games out in front. The Brewers have reached this point with a stunning season so far from Eric Thames, timely hitting, and a bullpen that is performing well above expectations. That will continue, and the Brewers will shock the world by winning the NL Central.
    Why they won’t: Every year we have a few teams that jump out to starts like this that aren’t supposed to. This one shouldn’t be any different. That bullpen will come back down to earth and Eric Thames will continue to fade.
    Chicago Cubs
    Why they will: The Cubs are the defending World Series champions, and have played above average baseball so far this season. That overpowering rotation of Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, and Kyle Hendricks have pitched, at best, below average to this point in 2017. They will get it going, and when they do, look out.
    Why they won’t: The Cubs may have won the World Series a year too early. When a team races to the top ahead of schedule like the Cubs did, they get a little too big for their own britches before they are ready for it. The Cubs ego as a team is through the roof right now, and they are paying for it on the field.
    St. Louis Cardinals
    Why they will: To get straight to the point, the Cardinals have played like garbage so far in 2017. That offense is stalled in the parking lot of Walmart and can’t get their car started. The bullpen has been bad, and that rotation has been spotty at best. They just lost seven in a row as well. Yet here they sit at 29-32, 2.5 games out of first place. You just wait.
    Why they won’t: That Yadier Molina contract extension was the worst decision this organization has made in goodness, nobody knows how long. It’s been a while. That is going to affect them for the rest of the season. Sorry Cardinals fans, their will be no second half surge in 2017.
    Cincinnati Reds
    Why they will: Raise your hand if you thought the Cincinnati Reds would be 29-33, three games out of first place on June 12. Liars. Our man T.J. Bryce had them pegged for less than 60 wins on the season. The clubhouse is real loose right now, and they are letting it all hang out.
    Why they won’t: Much like the Brewers, these kinds of starts from these kinds of teams don’t last. Expect a major second half fade from this bunch.
    Pittsburgh Pirates
    Why they will: The Pirates have not been the Pirates so far in 2017. Their offense has been miserable, even for their standards, that bullpen has been awful, and Gerrit Cole is pitching like a number five starter. They are also playing without Starling Marte, who was suspended 80 games for drugs. He will return soon, and provide a boost to this offense. The Pirates are about to get hot, and will climb to the top of this division at some point during the summer.
    Why they won’t: Sometimes, you just have these sorts of seasons, where no matter what you do, you can’t figure out what’s wrong, or how to fix it. The Pirates were about to start moving players anyways, so they might take this as an opportunity to begin trading players now instead of during the offseason.

  • Brewers Holding On to First Place, but Not For Long | Ticket King Inc.

    Brewers nl central
    The National League Central has experienced intense parity in 2017. Or, you could also say that the NL Central is just a very mediocre division. At least that is how the records show it to be. Let’s take a moment to run down three NL Central teams, and take a look at where they stand at this moment.  
    The Milwaukee Brewers currently sit on top of with a record of 27-25, but they are going through their worst stretch of the season, winning just two of their past nine games. Many experts are wondering if this is the beginning of the Brewers fade. After all, the Brewers record is one of the bigger surprises of the season so far, and the fact that they are in first place, heading into June is almost shocking. Specifically, it’s been the pitching that has let them down over the last nine games. In total, Milwaukee has given up a total of 48 runs in the last nine games, including 42 in those seven losses. Outside of one of the two wins, their offense sputtered, scoring just 21 runs in the seven losses, and six of those runs came in one game. Eric Thames, who was “The Story” early in the 2017 baseball season, has really cooled off. After hitting 11 home runs in April, he has really struggled in May, hitting just two home runs, both of which came earlier in the month. Thames last two runs were back on May 9. He has hit just .203 for the month as well, and his average overall has dropped from .345 at the start of the month to .278 as of the morning of May 31. He needs to pick it up if the Brewers are going to stay in first place. The Brewers schedule doesn’t get any easier either. After they finish up this series with the Mets, they have three at home this weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles is one of the hottest teams in baseball at the moment, having won six in a row, and have surged into first place in the National League West. After that, they Brew Crew has four more games at home against the San Francisco Giants, whose struggles so far in 2017 have been well documented. But, they are the Giants, and they could come to life at any moment. After that long home stand, they hit the road for seven games. The first three games are against the Diamondbacks, and the next four will be against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

    Cubs In Disarray

    Fortunately for the Brewers, the Chicago Cubs aren’t doing any better at the moment. The Cubs currently sit at 25-26, good for second place, and have lost five in a row. For the Cubs, that high-priced, overpaid starting rotation, has failed miserably to this date. Jon Lester is not what he once was, and Kyle Hendricks is not dominating like he did a year ago. Jake Arrieta is too focused on his upcoming free agent contract negotiations, led by the well known and highly criticized super agent Scott Boras. During their five-game losing streak, all of which have been on the road, the bats have gone dead silent for the Cubs. They have scored just eight runs in the last three games, and in their first two they were shut out. Kris Bryant, the reigning National League Most Valuable Player, is really struggling. He was batting just .130 over the last week. After they finish up their series in San Diego, the Cubs get to come home for 10 games. The first three are against the Miami Marlins, the next three are against the St. Louis Cardinals, and the last four against the Colorado Rockies.

    Cardinals Need Spark

    Then we have the St. Louis Cardinals a team who’s offense has been stuck in park for the first two months.  As for pitching, their rotation has been spotty at best, and their bullpen has been on and off. Yet, here they are, sitting at 24-25, just 1.5 games out of first place. How do they manage that? If you look at their game by game record so far this season, they rarely lose close games. That is the mark of an organization that keeps the faith, as the innings run down. However, one can’t ignore that they are just 3-10 in their last 13 games. Nobody is hitting. Their best hitter, Matt Carpenter, is batting just .226 for the season, and Randall Grichuk, who they expected to take a big jump, is batting just .222 with four home runs and 19 RBI’s. They need to start hitting, or they will find themselves way behind the Cubs or Brewers. At the time of this post, they have two more games against the Dodgers, and then the Cardinals hit the road for seven. The first three are against the Cubs, and the next four are against the Reds. This “parity” is short lived. One of these teams will break from the pack. Most likely, the Cards and Cubs will be the two teams to rise above the rest of the NL Central. For now, Brewers fans should celebrate. Heck, we might even see them keep the pace until the All Star Break, but don’t bet on it. Two powerhouse teams can’t be held back for too long.  

  • NBA Finals | Round Three for Both Teams | Ticket King Inc.

    NBA Playoffs

    The NBA Finals have finally arrived, and as expected, it is the Cleveland Cavaliers vs the Golden State Warriors. Both teams rolled through what had been a rather uneventful NBA playoffs so far. Cleveland has only lost one game through their run to the finals, and the Warriors went undefeated. Game one is Thursday night at 7 p.m. on ABC.

    As we begin these Finals, the Warriors are the favorites according to the Las Vegas oddsmakers. The Warriors are seven point favorites in game one. According to the experts, the Warriors see Kevin Love as the “weak point” in the Cleveland machine. They intend to force the ball in Love’s direction, and make him beat them, not Kyrie Irving or Lebron James. Of course, this tactic has been tried many times by many different teams, although none of them are nearly as talented as the Warriors are. Cleveland intends to use the same formula they have used the entire playoffs. They manage Lebron James’ minutes before the fourth quarter, and rely on the likes of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to keep them in the game. The Cavs will then hope that Lebron James takes over in the fourth quarter. The league and its sponsors hope for a close and exciting Finals. As we have the same two teams for the third year in a row, it would probably take a seven game, “back and forth” series to keep fans glued to their televisions.  

  • Brewers Playing Great Baseball | Ticket King Inc.


    Brewers tickets
    The Milwaukee Brewers are off to one of the most surprising starts in baseball this season. Entering May 15th, the Brewers sit at 21-17, good for second place in the National League Central, one game back of the first place St. Louis Cardinals. Currently, the Brewers are winners of six of their last seven, against the Red Sox and Mets of all teams. The first win did come against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road 6-2. Zach Davies got the win and the Brewers bullpen did a great job for the final 3.2 innings. After that the Brewers came home for three against the Red Sox. In game one, Milwaukee won a slugfest 11-7, picking up 13 hits. The Brewers won game two 7-4, getting to Red Sox starter Kyle Kendrick early and often. The Brewers lost game three 4-1 as the bats fell silent. Interleague games are kind of neat because fans get to see players they don’t normally get to see, especially those who are Miller Park regulars.
    Milwaukee then welcomed the Mets for a three game series. In game one, the Brewers hit three home runs off of starting pitcher Matt Harvey, who is just not right in the head at this point time. Milwaukee got six solid innings from Matt Garza one the mound. Garza is building some value come the trade deadline. In game two the Brewers got 8 runs in the 5th inning on their way to an 11-4 victory. In game three the fans got quite the treat. The Brewers fell behind 9-0 after five innings. The bats the came to life in the 6th inning as Milwaukee came storming back, scoring 11 runs over the next three innings, winning 11-9.
    Now Milwaukee heads out on the road, beginning with a four game series in San Diego. Following that it is a three game series in Chicago against the Cubs, who have been very inconsistent so far in 2017. We will see how long this holds up. They can’t keep scoring 11 runs and/or winning close games. If they want to contend, they have to start showing the ability to pick up good solid 6-3 victories.