This may be a post that steers away from sports. However, I need a bit of a break from talking about sports and talk about stuff that helps me when I'm in a bit of a dark place. I have a list of comedians that I personally love. Now keep in mind that your favorite comedian may not be on the list. That's okay! Your favorite comedian(s) differ from mine. Anyways, here is a list of my favorite comedians.

• Jim Norton: Of Opie and Anthony lore, Jim Norton has a wicked sense of humor. Known for his numerous characters (including Chip Chipperson), Norton makes sure his audience goes "FAWK YEEEEEEEEEEEAH!" after his routine.
  
• Gabriel Iglesias: He's not fat. He's FLUFFY! Iglesias is also known for his hysterical laugh and numerous voiceovers in his routine.
  
• Bill Burr: Burr doesn't just kill it on the comedy stage, where he offers some insightful takes. He also runs a hockey blog where talks about his favorite team, the Boston Bruins.
  
• Patrice O'Neal: Back in his heyday, O'Neal was one of the best comedians. His observational comedy about hot topics and pop culture were hilarious and thought-provoking.
  
• Andrew Dice Clay: Dice Clay had one routine that he went to back in his day and he always killed his routine. His routine was so good that it sold out the Madison Square Garden for two consecutive nights, making him the first stand-up comedian to do so.
  
• George Carlin: Carlin's humor was based around a mixture of observational humor and other topics such as politics and modern pop culture. Easily revered as one of the greatest of all time.
  
• Lewis Black: Mainly funny because how angry he got, his routines were outrageously funny. Black also has a good sense of what's going on in the political world.
  

We're heading into the last month of the regular season. Who will make that last push?

1. Boston Red Sox: With a tough series loss to the Rays, the Red Sox fell off their pace for 116 wins. Their schedule isn't getting easier: They will have to face the Astros, Yankees, and Braves in September.
2. New York Yankees: Believe it or not, the Yankees are 6.5 games back of the Red Sox. Considering New York's 8-2 in their last ten games while Boston's 4-6 in their last ten, the Yankees can gain some distance on the Red Sox with a favorable schedule before their West Coast trip.
   
3. Houston Astros: As promised, the Astros are on a six-game winning streak and are establishing themselves as the kings of the AL West. Alex Bregman (.458 BA, one homer, six RBIs, three doubles in past seven days) has been on a tear and a big part of Houston's resurgence.
   
4. Chicago Cubs: Like the Astros, the Cubs are in postseason form, riding a six-game winning streak. During their six-game winning streak, the Cubs are averaging 7.33 runs a game. Maybe getting a pure contact hitter like Daniel Murphy (8.5% K rate this season) helped Chicago find their groove.
   
5. Oakland Athletics: Just when the Athletics were rolling into October, they received some bad news. Sean Manaea could be out for the season with rotator cuff tendinitis. The A's also placed Brett Anderson on the disabled list, leaving the rotation in a bit of pinch. It doesn't help, especially in the middle of a tough series with the Astros.
   
6. Cleveland Indians: The Indians actually gave the Red Sox hell a week ago and are gearing up for October baseball with a runaway lead in the AL Central. Getting Edwin Encarnacion back (28 homers, 89 RBIs) adds an intimidating presence in the lineup for Cleveland.
   
7. St. Louis Cardinals: The other day, Matt Carpenter had four doubles in a game. Four doubles. That's video game material right there. Anyways, Mike Shildt is now the full-time manager for St. Louis. If Tyler O' Neill can fix his strikeout-to-walk rate (35 to 3), he can add another bat to an emerging Cardinal lineup.
   
8. Atlanta Braves: Ronald Acuna Jr. (.288 BA, 21 homers, .357 OBP) has cooled off in terms of home run power since his lead-off homer streak. However, he is batting .385 with two doubles in his last 13 at-bats.
   
9. Seattle Mariners: The run differential looks awful (-42), yet the Mariners are managing to hang around somewhat in the Wild Card race. They took the series against Arizona and nearly completed a comeback against Houston a couple days earlier. They have a critical series against Oakland coming up.
   
10. Milwaukee Brewers: A week ago, the Brewers appeared to be in free fall. The Brew Crew were especially fearful of the surging Cardinals, who were riding the flaming bat of Matt Carpenter. With the Phillies now in a bit of a funk, Milwaukee is back in the thick of things.
    

In the Hunt: Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones brought up an idea that has floated around for some time: an 18-game NFL regular season. Two preseason games would be cut and replaced with two regular season games. A bright idea by the NFL's most iconic owner, right?

After all, it would generate more revenue for the NFL, especially the owners. More people would come to the games that actually mattered. You would get more people attending NFL games, spending more on concessions and apparel. There's a bit more incentive for teams to contend for the postseason. Nothing can go wrong, right?

While all this sounds good, there are a few caveats to extending the NFL regular season. One issue involves the boogeyman known as CTE, which doesn't appear to be going away any time soon. The NFL hasn't proposed any way to making the game safer while keeping the fun of the game. No advanced helmet technology, idiotic rule changes. Player safety would be further compromised with the NFL's stars. Roger Goodell and crew haven't thought of a way to change the game for the better despite sitting on more than a billion dollar enterprise.

Another issue that resides with an 18-game season is the extra two games themselves. The current NFL scheduling format is perfect, consisting of the following for the average NFL team:

• Two regular season games against each division rival
• Two road games against specific interconference teams from one division (NFC North vs. NFC South)
• Two home games against interconference teams from that same division
• Two road games against teams from a specific division in the opposing conference (NFC East vs. AFC East)
  
• Two home games against teams from the opposing conference in that same division
  
• One home game against a team from an interconference division not mentioned in the above criteria
  
• One road game against a team from an interconference division not mentioned in the above criteria
  

Why would the NFL want to tinker with that? Where would the other two games come from? One way would be an extra pair of games between two select division rivals (i.e. Dallas and Washington). These two would play games against each other, one in Dallas and one in Washington. That's the best solution and perhaps the only viable solution.

If the NFL is to expand the regular season by two games, it has to solve many problems it has at the moment. That starts with the issue of CTE and player safety, getting the solution to the issue correct without detracting the factor of excitement from the game. Otherwise, it's just two extra chances at risking a regular NFL player's health.

Seriously. Have you ever felt like you had no hope with a big life event coming up? This is currently the state that I'm in right now. This is my current mood right now.

I have an interview in Las Vegas for a recruiter position for a healthcare company next week. Part of me embraces the challenge of going about my business on my terms. Part of me is worried about what might happen. What if I don't get any of these jobs? What if I don't have the help needed to move? I've already had one of my parents tell me they aren't willing to help, which sucks. However, it is what it is and it hasn't deterred me. I want out of Michigan. I want to experience life somewhere else. Sure, there are four big lakes to explore. Michigan is also a great environment for owning a pet. There are plenty of nonprofits that take care of sheltered animals to go around. There's also a sports fan base that's passionate in Michigan, especially in Metro Detroit. However, I can't see myself having a life in Michigan. I hate winter, I hate the Michigan roads, and I don't like the notion of raising a family there. Granted, the family motif has a place in American lore (especially in Midwestern culture). However, I don't like the idea of being tied down to a child or two.

Now for those of you who manage to have a lifestyle where you're able to raise children, I salute you. You will be a better parent than I ever will. Honestly, I keep having horrid visions of me raising a family. I don't think I can ever aspire to this fairy tale marriage involving children and passing down a 'legacy' and my wisdom down to the next generation. If I get a job somewhere in Metro Detroit, I feel like I will be heading down that path of finding a woman, marrying her, heading to some Oakland/Macomb County suburb, and starting up a family. I don't want that. I hope to travel and explore the world one day. I want to learn about different cultures of the world. That's what I hope to achieve in life.

To my family and friends that are disheartened by my lack of desire to have my own family, I apologize. However, this is a part of why I can't stand Midwestern culture. It's too steeped in finding the "one", settling down, and starting a family. Yes, having a family or a unit to rely on is critical. However, the predictability of settling down scares me to death. I also would like to prove to myself that I can do this on my own. Nothing big ever came from 'playing it safe'.

Welcome to another edition of "Blending Buddy", where I showcase what I put in my blender every day! This edition is called the "Peach Queen".

• 1 peach, sliced, pitted
• Handful of raspberries
  
• Handful of blueberries
  

In time for the Labor Day festivities (Plus, it's National Peach Day), the Peach is a simple fruit with plenty of health benefits. A fruit low in calories, the peach contains no saturated fats. They also have a decent amount of antioxidants and Vitamin C. Peaches also contain Vitamin A and potassium to help regulate your heart rate.

Can the Red Sox hit the 116-win mark? Can the A's sustain their blazing play? Find out next week!

1. Boston Red Sox: The bad news for the Red Sox was that Chris Sale went back on the DL with shoulder issues. The good news is that Boston still has the best record in baseball by a long shot and is still chasing history.
   
2. New York Yankees: If key Yankees can cut back on the strikeouts, New York can be a World Series threat. Giancarlo Stanton (29.3 K%) and Aaron Judge (30.6 K%) can be even scarier to face in October if they stay patient, especially when Judge returns from the DL.
   
3. Oakland A's: Standing toe-to-toe with the defending champs has shown the A's are legitimate. Khris Davis (36 homers, 98 RBIs, .898 OBP) has been a beast at the plate in the second half. He will make serious money in the offseason if he keeps up his torrid pace. Oakland will have a crucial three-game series with Houston in a week to determine AL West supremacy.
   
4. Houston Astros: The Astros will go on a long winning streak after their series with the A's to re-establish themselves as a World Series contender. Book it.
   
5. Chicago Cubs: In his four starts as a Cub, Cole Hamels has an ERA of 0.72, a WHIP of 0.88, and a WAR of 1.2. Hamels has helped shore up a rotation that has seen Jon Lester go south quickly in the second half. Hamels will be key for a Cubs' World Series run.
   
6. Cleveland Indians: Losing Trevor Bauer (right fibula fracture) will hurt the rotation a bit for Cleveland's World Series run. Bauer (2.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 214 SO) has been a key member of Cleveland's run, providing the Indians with another arm for the postseason.
   
7. Atlanta Braves: Losers of four straight, the Braves somehow remain on top of the NL East. That's a good thing, considering they have the rest of August to go on a good winning streak with matchups against Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Miami. Can the Braves hang on to make the postseason?
   
8. St. Louis Cardinals: Ever since firing Mike Matheny, the Cardinals have blazed all the way to contention for the second wild card spot, making the NL race even more interesting. Matt Carpenter (.303 ISO, 33 homers) has hit with so much power that it has catapulted St. Louis back into the NL race, making him a catalyst for the Cardinals' resurgence.
   
9. Arizona Diamondbacks: It's nice to see Clay Buchholz revive his career. What's unusual is that he revived it in a hitter's haven in Arizona. Buchholz (1.97 BB/9, .258 Opp. BABIP, 2.47 ERA) has not given his opponents much to work with with his pace, making him a tough pitcher to face.
   
10. Colorado Rockies: 8-2 in their last ten games, Colorado isn't just making the NL wild card race interesting. They're coming in hot in the race for the NL West. Nolan Arenado (.309 BA, 30 homers, 86 RBIs) is making a serious case for being the NL MVP.
    

In the Hunt: Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays

Football's back and, thank goodness, it's back. Between the seven-month hiatus and other sports, it can be a long, grueling wait for the average fan. Since football is pretty much back, who can steal the NFL MVP award by the end of the season?

• Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs): The NFL's leading rusher for last season, the Kansas City running back had 1,327 rushing yards on 272 carries and eight touchdowns to boot. Hunt averaged 4.9 yards per carry and only lost one fumble all season, showing he can be trusted to secure the football.
  
• Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers): Allen came back from a 2016 season that saw him miss most of that season with an injury by putting up solid numbers. 1,393 receiving yards, six touchdowns, and 102 receptions make for a solid stat line for an underrated receiver.
  
• Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers): As good as Brown is, nobody talks about him as a potential MVP. If Pittsburgh breaks through and dominates the AFC this year, expect Brown to play an integral role in Pittsburgh's dominance.
  
• Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers): The way this 49ers team rallied after starting 1-10 last year when Garoppolo was named the starter is impressive. If the Niners carry that moment into a playoff berth this season behind their new franchise quarterback, there should be some talk about Jimmy G winning the MVP.
  
• Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions): Stafford has gotten better over the years, cutting back on his interceptions (he had ten last season). Stafford also had 4,446 passing yards, a 99.3 rating, and 29 passing touchdowns to boot. If the Lions do well this season, Stafford should get some love in the MVP discussion.
  

The Boston Red Sox are having a historic season. They currently baseball's best record, sit at least 50 games over .500, and have three AL MVP candidates: Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and... Chris Sale. Betts's having an outstanding season, leading the majors in batting average (.350), while Martinez leads the league in homers (37) and RBIs (104). However, Sale is having an outstanding season in his own right.

Sale has the American League's best ERA for a starting pitcher (1.97) and has a ERA of 0.20 over his last seven starts. Sale's WHIP is 0.85 and opponents are batting .175 against him. Sale's projected to have 293 strikeouts, which is impressive considering he's been injured for a portion of the season. Sale's K/9 (13.50) leads the majors and his FIP is the lowest in MLB (1.95). Sale has been an imposing force on the mound, with his pitches having so much movement to them that he's been practically untouchable. As a result, the stats show how dominant he's been.

Mookie Betts's WAR (8.1) is the best in the majors, but Sale's (6.0) is up there. Still, Sale may not get as much consideration for the AL MVP race considering that he's a pitcher; the last AL MVP to be a starting pitcher was Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers in 2011. Still, Sale's dominance on the mound cannot be overlooked, especially with what he's done in his past seven starts. After all, people don't expect a starting pitcher to strike out at least ten batters every start they have. Sale may be the exception to that rule along with being the exception to the pitcher-as-the-MVP rule.

Can anybody stop the Red Sox?

1. Boston Red Sox: At 85-35, the Red Sox are chasing history. 116 wins isn't out of the realm of possibility. However, they start a tough stretch the rest of the way with a two-game set against the Phillies. They will play teams such as the Indians, Yankees, Astros, and Braves in the upcoming months, which will test them on if they will make it to the prestigious record. By the way, Chris Sale has an ERA of 0.20 in his last seven starts.
2. New York Yankees: Should the Yankees concede the AL East race? Boston continues to roll with no signs of slowing down and New York is 9.5 games back. Plus, the Yankees just lost C.C. Sabathia to the DL with knee inflammation, adding to the growing list of injured Yankees.
   
3. Chicago Cubs: David Bote's dramatic walk-off grand slam was the exclamation point on a roller coaster week for the Cubs. Cubs fans should be a bit concerned for Jon Lester, though; the ace has an ERA of 13.50 and a WHIP of 2.42 for the month of August.
4. Oakland Athletics: Winners of nine of their last 11 games, the Athletics are rolling again. They have the chance to shut the door on the AL Wild Card race with a commanding series win against Seattle this week. Mariners pitchers better be careful with Khris Davis, for he has been a hot bat for the A's lately.
5. Houston Astros: In a shocking turn of events, Houston has lost eight straight home games, leaving the Athletics 2.5 games back and the Mariners four games back in the AL West. Hampered by injuries all season, the Astros could use a pick-me-up. However, they will be going up against the Colorado Rockies, who have been playing better baseball in the second half.
6. Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez (.298 BA, 34 homers, 84 RBIs) has been a big topic for the AL MVP discussion. It hasn't just been his hitting, though. Ramirez is second in baseball only to Billy Hamilton in BsR with a score of 7.1, making him an effective baserunner.
   
7. Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers got walked off twice against the Rockies in a span of two days. On top of that, the Dodgers lost Kenley Jensen to an irregular heartbeat. They have a big week ahead of them, starting off with a series against their rival, San Francisco. The week ends with a road series in Seattle.
   
8. Seattle Mariners: In the middle of last week, Seattle's pitching looked extra dicey in a series loss to the Rangers. All of the sudden, they sweep the defending champion Houston Astros in Houston, with Edwin Diaz getting saves in all four games. Is this a sign for things to come. They demoted Felix Hernandez to the bullpen and have a critical series against the Athletics coming up.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt has flown under the radar in the NL MVP race. Goldschmidt (26 homers, 64 RBIs, 3.6 WAR, .919 OPS) has been a key part to the Arizona lineup and is a big reason for why the Diamondbacks are in first place in the NL West.
   
10. Atlanta Braves: Atlanta starts off an eight-game home stand with a series against Miami, so they have a chance to make up some ground in the NL playoff race. In fact, things won't pick up until early September. Therefore, the Braves have a chance to make a move in the NL playoff race until they face the Red Sox in early September.
    

In the Hunt: Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals

Punch-Out! for the NES is a fan favorite among sports gaming fans, especially of the Nintendo variety. The difficulty and the characters made for a memorable game, as did the prospect of an underdog boxer taking down big, burly boxers.

How did the sequel Super Punch-Out! do compared to its predecessor? Well, it wasn't as synonymous with being a Nintendo classic as its ancestor was. Many critics view the game as bland, with most of the characters lacking any personality (and speaking English on top of that). Only a few characters were retained from the NES version and the new characters were either from the arcade versions or were new altogether. Still, the new characters had little to set themselves apart from the other boxers. I mean, who's heard of a ballet dancer or an opera singer as a boxer? It also sounds like every boxer has the same rock-and-roll theme, only with different plays.

There are some redeeming qualities to the game. For starters, the new Time Attack mode in Super Punch-Out! gives speed runners incentive to practice their tactics. It also serves as a practice mode for players who want to sharpen their skills. A new element was also added in the form of the "super uppercut". Unlike the "star punch" in the NES game, you can use the "super uppercut" as much as you like as long as you don't get hit.

Overall, the game is a good game. However, it could've had a few improvements to it. If you're looking for a game to give a try, look at Super Punch-Out!