tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23229403442852780822024-03-05T08:06:38.201-08:00Sports FeverJoe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-13819357671961753362012-02-15T10:22:00.000-08:002012-02-15T10:22:33.059-08:00Linsanity: Can it Continue?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/files/2012/02/Jeremy-Lin-Layup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/files/2012/02/Jeremy-Lin-Layup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I figured it was finally time to write a blog about how Jeremy Lin has managed to sweep the country with his performance over the past week and a half. Lin scored more points in his first 4 starts than any other player since the NBA-ABA merger. Certainly an unbelievable performance from a guy who is still sleeping on his brother's couch, not exactly the typical lifestyle for an NBA star. Although if Lin keeps repeating these performances, he won't be sleeping on his brother's couch much longer.<br />
<br />
Over the course of this run, the biggest question that people have asked is if whether or not this can keep up? It's not an easy task to come out and score 20-25 points per game while also dishing out roughly 7 or 8 assists per game. Those are the types of numbers you see from the elite point guards in this league, such as Derrick Rose or Chris Paul. The only real answer to the question that so many people want to know the answer to is to simply wait and see. Lin just played his first game with Amar'e Stoudemire and has yet to play a game with Carmelo Anthony. The funny part is, the Knicks don't even need Lin to keep scoring 20-25 points per game. That's why they have Stoudemire and Anthony, both proven scorers in this league who can score 25 points on any given night. What the Knicks need Lin to be is a legitimate, play-making point guard who can score between 10 and 15 points per game.<br />
<br />
Lin has become the equivalent of a cult hero during this run, drawing comparisons to the Tebow Mania that we saw just a couple months ago. He is the most popular player in the Big Apple right now, despite the fact Eli Manning won a Super Bowl just 10 days ago. #17 Lin jerseys are flying off the shelves everywhere in the Metro area, people want to become a part of the sensation that is sweeping the nation. The excitement in the Garden hasn't been at this level, since the mid 1990s when Patrick Ewing and John Starks were still playing in New York.<br />
<br />
This run has been absolutely fantastic for Lin and Knicks fans alike, but can he co-exist once 'Melo returns to the lineup? Lin must have that certain understanding that he might not be the main guy anymore when Anthony returns. Personally, I think Lin will continue to be a solid point guard in this league, but not one who puts up 20-25 on a given night. It is the best-case scenario for the Knicks, as previously mentioned with Carmelo and Amar'e already in town. With that said, I also believe the Knicks have found their answer at point guard, the one they have been searching for.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-25584115541137811312012-02-04T08:57:00.000-08:002012-02-04T08:57:56.828-08:00Super Bowl XLVI Prediction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://social.quintevents.com/Portals/126354/images/super-bowl-xlvi-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://social.quintevents.com/Portals/126354/images/super-bowl-xlvi-logo.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>Here is my breakdown, position-by-position for Sunday's big game. After 2 long weeks of waiting, it is finally time for the rematch between the Patriots and Giants. Without further ado, let's get to the breakdown of the game.<br />
<br />
Quarterbacks: This one is pretty simple, Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning. Both have been here before and know how to play in the spotlight. Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, with this being his 5th trip to the Super Bowl and if Eli continues to play like he did this year, he is well on his way to being elite. Both of them will have their moments in this game and whichever one plays better in crunch time could be what decides the outcome of this game. EDGE: Patriots, Brady has been better for far longer. Simple as that.<br />
<br />
Running Backs: Yes, there are actually running backs in this game. It seems as if the likes of Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have gotten zero coverage leading up to the game due to all of the other big storylines. However, the ground attacks for each team could turn out to play a huge role in the game. The Pats will look to use the run to open up the pass, especially if Brady is constantly being hounded by the pass rush of the Giants. Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and rookie Stevan Ridley have had flashes of success and will try to get going early on Sunday to make life easier for Brady and the rest of the offense. As for the Giants, Bradshaw and Jacobs have split carries pretty much all season and into the playoffs. Both have been solid and could find space to work with against a mediocre front 7 of the Patriots. EDGE: Giants, the Pats have more depth, but the Giants have more talented backs.<br />
<br />
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: It's all about Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham for the Giants, with Jake Ballard getting throws from time to time. Manning will look to Nicks and Cruz the majority of the time, but could use the potential mismatch on Manningham to his advantage. The much-maligned Patriots secondary has been under fire all year, but has improved as of late and played well against the Broncos and Ravens with Sterling Moore saving the season with his strip of the ball from Lee Evans in the end zone. Nicks and Cruz will each probably hit on at least one big play, but the Patriots have the weapons to match that. Wes Welker will be his usual dynamic self in the slot and Brady also won't be afraid to call Deion Branch's number a few times as well. Mix in the best 1-2 punch of tight ends in the NFL, despite the fact Rob Gronkowski may not be 100%. He may not be as effective as usual, but Hernandez should find space to work with against an average at best Giants linebacking corps and Gronk will still find a way to make some plays. He is one tough kid who will barely even feel the pain in his ankle once the adrenaline starts to set in. EDGE: Even, the Patriots make up for the Giants' edge in the receiving corps with the lethal combination of Gronk and Hernandez.<br />
<br />
Offensive Line: This should play a huge role in the game, especially on the Patriots side. Their line desperately needs to protect Tom Brady and give him time to throw.That was the biggest downfall in the 2007 game, Brady was constantly pressured all night and barely had time to throw at all. The Giants front line will come after him just as fiercely this time around. As for the Giants, Eli Manning was battered and bruised all night long against the 49ers and the O-line must do a better job of protecting their signal caller. The Patriots have a few guys, namely Mark Anderson and Rob Ninkovich who can apply constant pressure to the QB and attempt to force him to make some mistakes. EDGE: Patriots, Brian Waters, Logan Mankins and Matt Light make the difference over a mediocre Giants unit.<br />
<br />
Defensive Line: Welcome to the Giants' specialty. Big Blue feeds off of their front line, led by Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck. Those three have the ability to make a difference in this game if they can get to Brady. They have been at the forefront of a number of stories during Media week and have not exactly shied away from the cameras, as evidenced by the feud between Umenyiora and Brady's blindside protector, Matt Light. As for the Patriots, Vince Wilfork is playing some of the best football of his career right now while Mark Anderson and Brandon Deaderick have both played well in the playoffs thus far. Wilfork was a one-man wrecking crew in the Ravens backfield during the AFC Championship game and will look to do the same thing again on Sunday. EDGE: Giants, their pass rush is one of the best in the league.<br />
<br />
Linebackers: Unlike a number of the other key areas in this matchup, neither team's linebacking corps particularly stands out. Although Brandon Spikes and Rob Ninkovich have played extremely well for the Pats in the playoffs, including a key interception by Spikes in the AFC Championship game. Ninkovich has looked unstoppable at times coming off the edge and should have few problems doing the same against the Giants. As for the Giants, Michael Boley, Chase Blackburn and Mathias Kiwanuka represent nothing more than an average group. Kiwanuka is the best pass rusher of the bunch and could line up at defensive end in certain packages on Sunday. Meanwhile, Blackburn is a special teams ace, filling in for the injured Jonathan Goff who missed the entire season with an Achilles injury. EDGE: Patriots, they have the better pure talent and the solid play of Spikes and Ninkovich in addition to the steady Jerod Mayo puts them over the Giants linebackers.<br />
<br />
Secondary: Both teams feature oft-criticized secondaries who have been through more than their fair share of ups and downs over the course of the season. The Patriots battled injuries all season long to key secondary guys, forcing them to play Julian Edelman there at various points throughout the 2nd half of the campaign. Devin McCourty and Pat Chung each missed games with injuries, but have rebounded nicely to have a strong finish to the year. That is where the going gets rough, James Ihedigbo is an average safety at best, one who got beat in coverage more than once against the Ravens. Meanwhile, Kyle Arrington, despite leading the league in interceptions, is not great in coverage and will have his hands full against Nicks, Cruz and Manningham on Sunday. We also can't talk about the Pats secondary without mentioning Sterling Moore who saved the season and has received more and more playing time from Coach Bill Belichick. As for the Giants, their secondary, as previously mentioned has been up and down all year, led by the outspoken Antrel Rolle who always seems to have something to say to the media. Corey Webster and Aaron Ross are comparable to McCourty and Arrington while Kenny Phillips and Rolle are decent at safety. EDGE: Patriots, Chung is the best player in either secondary right now which gives New England the slight advantage.<br />
<br />
Special Teams: Let's start with the kickers for each team, ones who could find the game in their hands on Sunday night. Stephen Gostkowski, while having very few chances at clutch kicks over the course of his career has always been solid and will not be afraid of the spotlight if called upon Sunday night. As for the Giants, Lawrence Tynes is not necessarily automatic from beyond about 40 yards, but remains a decent option for New York. He has made a number of clutch kicks before, most recently against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. When it comes to the punters, Zoltan Mesko and Steve Weatherford each have booming legs and matching ability to pin the other team deep in their own end of the field. Field position might not play a huge role with an elite QB on each sideline, but nobody wants to start every drive from their own 10-yard line so you never can tell. For the return specialists, Danny Woodhead, Wes Welker, Will Blackmon and Jerel Jernigan are serviceable, but none of them are a particularly huge threat to break one for a touchdown. EDGE: Giants, these are extremely similar units, but Tynes with his number of clutch kicks gives New York the slight edge..<br />
<br />
Head Coaches: Bill Belichick will go down as one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history. He is making his 5th trip to the Super Bowl and always finds a way to have continued success from year to year. He says very little, but gets the job done and uses any smack talk from opposing teams as motivation for the Patriots to feed off of. Giving him two weeks to prepare for any opponent is a scary thought as he is one of the true masterminds in the NFL. For the Giants, Tom Coughlin is similar in some ways in terms of mannerisms and has his team making their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in 5 years, despite having fans call for his head seemingly every year. He has battled through tons of adversity with this team and knows how to be a successful head coach in the league. EDGE: Patriots, Belichick is one of the all-time greats and has had success for much longer.<br />
<br />
Prediction: It's a shame these teams don't play more than once every 4 years because they always seem to produce classics. This one should be no different from the previous games and will be decided on the final possession. I'm giving the slight edge to the Patriots, Belichick and Brady won't be defeated by the same opponent twice on the same exact stage. Gostkowski kicks the game winner and the Patriots take home the title in memory of Myra Kraft. Patriots 24, Giants 21.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-6483256942188530032012-01-28T14:23:00.000-08:002012-01-28T14:23:30.452-08:00Celtics Finally Turning the Corner?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8f/Boston_Celtics.svg/200px-Boston_Celtics.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8f/Boston_Celtics.svg/200px-Boston_Celtics.svg.png" /></a></div>Just over a week ago, there was talk of deconstructing the entire team and starting from square one. That was before one of the best weeks in recent memory, one that featured a home-and-home sweep of the Magic and a solid win over a talented Pacers team. The Celtics, in the midst of the 4 game winning streak now sit at 9-9 on the season. While not spectacular by any means, it is certainly a heck of a lot better than it was just a week ago. Keep in mind, the winning streak has come with Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen out with injuries. Avery Bradley has played the best basketball of his young career and Mickael Pietrus and Brandon Bass have emerged as solid scoring options off the bench.<br />
<br />
Granted, there are still 46 games remaining in the lockout-shortened season and this winning streak may turn out to mean nothing, but it is at least promising to Celtics fans considering how the team played over roughly the first month of the season. Now is the time for Boston to make up some ground in the standings with 5 of their next 6 opponents currently sitting under the .500 mark.<br />
<br />
Another impressive part of the winning streak has been Doc Rivers' fearlessness to play anyone on the roster at any time as evidenced by the fact that Sasha Pavlovic and Chris Wilcox have both received some serious minutes this week. While partly out of necessity, the bench unit seems to have finally found a level of chemistry that can only help an ever-aging team. Kevin Garnett is as fragile as ever and the team needs Wilcox to continue to play at a high level when #5 heads to the bench every 5 minutes or so.<br />
<br />
Also, with the injury to Rondo, Avery Bradley has shown he is at least an NBA capable player, especially on defense where he never seems to slow down. The former Texas guard constantly hounds the opponent's point guard and may be the best on-ball defender the Celtics have had off the bench since the departure of Tony Allen a few years ago. If Bradley's game can continue to develop over the next couple years, he could make the Celtics look brilliant for selecting him with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.<br />
<br />
As previously mentioned, this winning streak may turn out to not mean a whole lot, but the return of Rondo and Allen, along with Jermaine O'Neal will only help an improving team that is slowly climbing up the Eastern Conference standings. For now, let's hope the team truly is beginning to turn the corner and will play up to their capabilities on a nightly basis.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-62329141489943819482012-01-19T11:38:00.000-08:002012-01-19T11:38:21.474-08:00The Tuck Rule: 10 Years Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.6magazineonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/brady-woodson-tuck-rule-vinatieri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.6magazineonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/brady-woodson-tuck-rule-vinatieri.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Depending on who you ask, the night of January 19, 2002 was either an extremely memorable night or just a frustrating night. One could argue that "The Tuck Rule Game" as it is famously known, sent the Patriots and Raiders in opposite directions and changed the course of their franchise forever. What if it was ruled that Tom Brady had fumbled on the play and it was not ruled incomplete? The Patriots would have never advanced to play the Rams in the Super Bowl and there would have been no 3 titles in 4 years. It could be argued that that game would have propelled the Raiders to the Super Bowl, pitting them against the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf. Maybe the Silver and Black would not have endured hard times ever since that game,with the exception of a Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers the following season. Would Tom Brady still have been the starting QB for the Patriots at the start of the 2002 season? Either way, it certainly makes for an interesting debate.<br />
<br />
As previously mentioned, the play was ruled an incomplete pass and Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning field goal to send the Patriots on the way to their 1st Super Bowl title. Little did people know at the time, that the win would essentially mark the start of a dynasty, as New England went on to win 3 titles in 4 years. The Patriots have amassed a record of 137-42 since that game, led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick the whole way. The duo has more wins than any other Head Coach and QB combination in NFL history. At the time, Brady was a young gun filling in for the injured Drew Bledsoe. Now a days, he is an elite QB in football and has booked himself a place in Canton for when his playing days are over. He has become the equivalent of a cult hero in New England, someone adored by Patriots fans of all ages. #12 represents the link to the greatest era in franchise history.<br />
<br />
On the other sideline in that game was the Oakland Raiders, a once-proud franchise that as mentioned before, has fallen on hard time. The regular season record of the Raiders since that game? 56-104. Not exactly the same good fortune as the Patriots. 14 different signal callers have lined up under center for Oakland since "The Tuck Rule Game". The list includes perennial busts JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Walter and Charlie Frye. There have also been 6 different head coaches, including the rather forgettable Lane Kiffin and Norv Turner eras. Vastly different from what the game meant to the Patriots, Raiders fans could think of a million different curse words when asked about the game. "The Tuck Rule Game" to them represents the beginning of one of the worst stretches in team history.<br />
<br />
For those of us who are Pats fans, take a second to remember one of the best games in franchise and NFL history as we eagerly await the AFC Championship game on Sunday. For the Raiders fans out there, the team has looked better the past couple of seasons and seems to be on the way up.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-50886351053555456482012-01-14T09:21:00.000-08:002012-01-14T09:21:16.763-08:00NFL Divisional Round Predictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ewnm00AWg3iNNSPKnmPOC_A4DIQWv8Z8MBVHSlxByocmIXN8ebpPZAsLBMbLpjbfuf2kAyz2Tq5936iMaTD9V9qQtB8kZ4f5CJlkvDHtCx1aEwqH8D8DSicF_J7pcWcfHspOi6n4A4c/s1600/389px-NFL_playoffs_logo_new.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ewnm00AWg3iNNSPKnmPOC_A4DIQWv8Z8MBVHSlxByocmIXN8ebpPZAsLBMbLpjbfuf2kAyz2Tq5936iMaTD9V9qQtB8kZ4f5CJlkvDHtCx1aEwqH8D8DSicF_J7pcWcfHspOi6n4A4c/s320/389px-NFL_playoffs_logo_new.svg.png" width="320" /></a></div>As promised, here are my predictions for the NFL Divisional playoffs. I'll get it started with the AFC.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 3px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 3px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 3px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 3px;">Patriots-Broncos: Following a thrilling overtime win in Pittsburgh last week, the Tim Tebow train will come to a screeching halt in Foxboro. The Patriots offense, led by Tom Brady is simply too much for the Broncos, despite an above-average defense. Denver will keep it interesting for about a half, before the Patriots offense starts to impose their will. The much-maligned Patriots defense that has been under fire all season will come up with a few turnovers, just like the first meeting which New England won 41-23. If the Broncos hope to keep this close and potentially pull off the upset, Tebow may need to be even better than he was last week when he threw for 316 yards against the Steelers. It won't happen.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 3px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 3px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Pick: Patriots 35-17<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Ravens-Texans: Can T.J. Yates continue the magic for another week? After a surprising 31-10 win over the Bengals last week, Yates and the Texans continue to prove critics wrong. However, facing Ray Lewis and company will prove to be a test at a whole other level. This is the game Joe Flacco finally plays like he is capable of playing in the playoffs. His nemesis, the Steelers are no longer alive. Flacco will lead 2 long scoring drives and a long TD by Ray Rice will put the game out of reach for the Texans offense, who can't keep up. Look for a bit of a blowout in this one. The Ravens will be making plans for their trip to Foxboro by early in the 4th quarter. <br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Pick: Ravens 24-7<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Saints-49ers: Can Drew Brees and company continue to produce yards and points at an alarming rate? Not so much, the 49ers have played like the best defense in the league all season and will show that this week. Alex Smith will stick with what has been working, quick, short throws on timing routes. Brees will have a hard time moving up and down the field on a defense, led by Pat Willis in the middle and a unit that features playmakers at each level. I'm going with the 49ers in this one, but it will be close throughout. David Akers kicks a last-second field goal for a San Francisco win and send them to their first NFC Championship game since Steve Young called the Bay Area home in the mid 90s.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Pick: 49ers 24-21<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Packers-Giants: The Giants have the ability on a peaking defense to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the Pack Attack. What will prove crucial to hopes of an upset is the ability of the defensive line to get some pressure on Rodgers, after recording just 2 sacks in the 1st meeting. The biggest question for Green Bay revolves around whether or not the defense returns to its playoff form of last season or struggles like it did at the end of this season. As Greg Jennings referred to on Twitter, the Packers haven't forgotten about the 2007 NFC title game. It won't matter, the Giants are playing their best football of the season and the defense will do just enough to disrupt Rodgers' timing and force a few turnovers. This will set up Eli Manning and the offense with a short field that will lead to scoring drives. I like the upset in this one. <br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Pick: Giants 31-28</span></span>Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-48993326204637491122012-01-09T12:08:00.000-08:002012-01-09T12:08:19.861-08:00BCS National Championship Game Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/cajunradio.net/files/2011/12/LSU-Alabama-National-Championship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/cajunradio.net/files/2011/12/LSU-Alabama-National-Championship.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>After a month of constant debate over whether or not Alabama belonged in the National title game, the night has finally come when they get to prove to the entire nation they deserved a spot in the game from the beginning. However, LSU has other things on their mind, which include beating Alabama for the 2nd time this year and taking home its 3rd National Championship in 8 seasons. Putting the numbers aside, here is my analysis of tonight's game featuring 2 SEC schools that love some defense.<br />
<br />
Offense- LSU: The Tigers don't feature a true playmaker on this side of the ball. With all due respect to WR Rueben Randle, there is not enough consistent play at QB to consider him among the elite playmakers in college football. For the better part of the season, the Tigers have lived off of a big play by their special teams or defense in order to set up short fields for the offense. Jordan Jefferson has once again firmly entrenched himself as the starter, but if LSU gets down early can he make the necessary throws to get them back in the game? Les Miles won't be afraid to go to Jarrett Lee off the bench if Jefferson struggles early. As for the rest of the offense, Spencer Ware and Michael Ford are a pair of 700-yard rushers who could have a hard time finding holes in an Alabama defense that held this unit to 9 points in the 1st meeting and kept them out of the end zone. However, an interesting thing to watch could be that LSU may try an option look early on to try to gain some yards on the ground. Its worth nothing that the Tide allowed 302 yards on the ground to Georgia Southern, an FCS school who runs triple option. The success of the triple option could turn out to be an X-factor in this game.<br />
<br />
Alabama: The Tide offense revolves around Trent Richardson, a Heisman finalist and surefire first round pick in April. Richardson, who ran for 1,583 yards and 20 TDs on the season was largely kept in check during the first meeting, running for just 89 yards on 23 carries. The biggest question for this unit remains how will A.J. McCarron fare against a secondary that features 2 All-Americans in Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne at corner? Marquis Maze is a future NFL receiver, but can he find space working against Claiborne? Alabama will have to have some success through the air in order to win this game. As talented as Trent Richardson is, he can't do everything himself, McCarron will need to complete some key passes on 3rd and long and late in the game. He can no longer be just an effective game manager, which has been the case for most of the season. Only problem is, if Maze cannot utilize his 4.4 speed, who do the Tide throw to? Richardson is the 2nd-leading receiver on this team with 27 catches and LSU won't be afraid to stack 8 guys in the box on some downs and focus most of their attention on #3. Someone, such as Brad Smelley, the senior TE may be the X-factor for this offense.<br />
EDGE: Alabama has the slight advantage in this case, thanks to Trent Richardson.<br />
<br />
Defense- LSU: It all starts in the secondary where Tyrann Mathieu, Morris Claiborne, Brandon Taylor and Eric Reid will all play on Sundays in the near future. Without a doubt, this is the best secondary in the nation and has a chance to completely shut down an inconsistent Alabama passing attack. As previously mentioned, the main focus of this defense will be Trent Richardson, who has excelled on this stage before, as a freshman in the National title game against Texas when he ran for 109 yards and 2 scores. John Chavis, the defensive coordinator won't be afraid to dial up some blitzes in an attempt to rattle McCarron. This unit recorded 37 sacks on the season, led by Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo, who had 9 and 8 sacks, respectively. As a whole, the Tigers allowed an average of just 10.5 points per game, good enough for 2nd in the nation. They already have the blueprint of how to stop the Alabama offense, the hardest part now is repeating the success from the 1st meeting when they held the Tide out of the end zone.<br />
<br />
Alabama: As good as the LSU defense has been at points this season, Alabama's may be even better. Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw lead a unit that allowed just 8.8 points per game this season. The unit can absolutely fly around the field and will give the LSU offense everything it can handle. They held the Tigers offense to just 239 yards in the 1st meeting, including a paltry 91 through the air. This unit has been the backbone of the team all season and certainly played a large part in getting them to this point. If they can shut down the backfield duo of Ware and Ford and keep the LSU offense off the board early it will force LSU's 109th ranked passing game to come up big, something it really hasn't been asked to do this season. Kirby Smart, the defensive coordinator will match his counterpart in terms of dialing up blitzes and attempting to force the other's QB into potentially game-changing mistakes.<br />
EDGE: Even, these are the top 2 defenses in the nation, bar none.<br />
<br />
Special Teams: LSU- Tyrann Mathieu should not and will not get a chance to return a punt in this game. He has been the engine that has jumpstarted LSU at so many points this season, especially with a big punt return, but he won't be able to do that in this game. If this turns into a battle of field position, give the edge to the Tigers and their punter, Brad Wing. Wing averaged 44.1 yards per boot and landed 23 punts inside the 20-yard line, including 4 of 6 in the 1st meeting of these 2 teams. He has the ability to pin Alabama deep in their own territory and as discussed before, the Tide offense doesn't typically go on long drives. As for the all important position of kicker, Drew Alleman has been Mr. Consistent for LSU, connecting on 16 of 18 field goal tries. He nailed all 3 of his attempts in the 1st game and Les Miles trusts him in crunch time.<br />
<br />
Alabama: That whole idea of trusting your kicker doesn't exactly apply to Nick Saban and Alabama. Everyone knows the stories of Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley who combined to miss 4 field goals in the 1st meeting, something that would end up costing the Tide the game. Let's just say, they cannot do that again if Alabama plans on hoisting the crystal trophy tonight. When it comes to punting, Cody Mandell is fine, but nothing special. He averaged a pedestrian 38.9 yards per kick, but is at least serviceable. Marquis Maze mans the punt return for Alabama returned 1 punt for a touchdown this season. However, he may find it difficult to find space against an LSU punt coverage team that allowed just 0.4 yards per return.<br />
EDGE: LSU, they are better in all 3 aspects of special teams.<br />
<br />
Coaches: LSU: Les Miles is on his way to being considered one of the greatest of all-time. Miles is an excellent recruiter who routinely gets the most of the talent he has to work with. Talent doesn't always ensure winning, given the struggles at Florida and Ohio St. this year. He is nicknamed "The Mad Hatter" and will not be afraid to pull out all the stops to defeat Alabama. Watch for LSU to mix in a few trick plays, here and there just to keep the Tide defense on their toes.<br />
<br />
Alabama: Nick Saban is built more in the mold of a quiet head coach who doesn't have much of a penchant for the trick plays and bold decisions. He is often called the Bill Belichick of college football and is widely considered the gold standard of head coaches at this level. Alabama churns out pro prospects each and every year, in large part thanks to Saban who provides an excellent training ground for these players. If Alabama wins tonight, it will be their 2nd national title in 3 years and Saban will be considered the mastermind behind what many would call a mini-dynasty of sorts.<br />
EDGE: Even, both coaches are extremely successful with entirely different approaches to the game.<br />
<br />
Final Prediction: LSU 20-17, the Special Teams unit of the Tigers is what will make a difference in this game. Both offenses will struggle to get in the end zone and the defenses are essentially even, but in the end, I give the edge to LSU based on their kicking game.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-17987201718124827152012-01-06T11:21:00.000-08:002012-01-06T11:21:43.028-08:00NFL Wildcard Weekend Predictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/39/NFL_playoffs_logo_new.svg/389px-NFL_playoffs_logo_new.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/39/NFL_playoffs_logo_new.svg/389px-NFL_playoffs_logo_new.svg.png" width="320" /></a></div>With the NFL playoffs starting this weekend, here are my picks for the games Saturday and Sunday. Without further ado, let's get right to the predictions. I'll start with the AFC.<br />
<br />
Bengals at Texans- Back in August, if you had said a first round playoff game would feature Andy Dalton and T.J. Yates as the starting QBs, most would have called you certifiably insane. People were openly wondering if the Bengals had the worst offense in the league and if they were bad enough to go 0-16. The Texans also battled their fair share of adversity with injuries to Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams. Nonetheless, the team won the AFC South and it will be a special scene on Saturday when the franchise plays their first ever playoff game in front of the game. The strength of these 2 teams lies with the defenses so look for a physical, low-scoring affair. Both teams allow under an average of 21 points per game, but I'll take the Texans in this case who simply have more talent. However, can Yates, a rookie 5th-round pick lead the offense on drives down the field? That is the biggest question, but I'll go with the better defense in this case. Arian Foster breaks off a big run late in the game to set up a game-winning field goal by Neil Rackers. Prediction: Texans 23, Bengals 20.<br />
<br />
Steelers at Broncos-The Tebow Train has reached its final stop, the Steelers will end the hype once and for all, well at least until training camp. A defense that features James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, LaMarr Woodley and James Farrior is too much for a guy who put up a stat line of 6/22, 60 yards and 1 interception last week. The Steelers have the top pass defense in football and will force Tebow into a number of mistakes setting up a short field, which the Pittsburgh offense could certainly use. With Ben Roethlisberger hobbling around and Rashard Mendenhall out with a torn ACL, the team may struggle to move the ball. We saw how they performed against the 49ers and Browns. Once again, an above-average Broncos defense is what will keep them in the game, until Big Ben, bum ankle and all delivers in the clutch one more time. Steelers win this one, but it will be closer than people think. Prediction: Steelers 17, Broncos 9.<br />
<br />
Falcons at Giants- Can Matt Ryan finally prove himself in a playoff game? The guy has gotten the Falcons to the playoffs twice, but has yet to get past the divisional round. This may be his toughest test yet, a finally healthy Giants defensive line, featuring soon-to-be superstar, Jason Pierre-Paul should be able to get tons of pressure on the Falcons QB. Atlanta is a team built for playing in domes, which isn't good news for Falcons fans considering the forecast for Sunday is calling for rain and snow showers. The Giants, a team that is eerily similar to the 2007 version that won the Super Bowl comes in with a record of 3-1 in their past 4 games and a quarterback enjoying a career year. Ryan has the ability to match Manning, but he will come up short as the Giants defense that has 11 sacks in the past 2 games forces a couple untimely turnovers. Manning won't play his best game, but he'll do just enough to get the win and advance to the divisional round. Prediction: Giants 27, Falcons 17.<br />
<br />
Lions at Saints- This game is the saving grace of wildcard weekend for those fans out there who love a good, old-fashioned shootout. With Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford running the offenses, the game will feature plenty of points. Brees is playing some of the best football of his career right now so the Lions must avoid key mistakes, such as turnovers and stupid penalties(See: Suh, Ndamukong) in order to have a chance to win this game. In the Week 13 meeting of these 2 teams, the Lions committed 11 penalties for 107 yards. Let's just say that cannot happen again if the Lions plan to extend their season past Saturday night. However, the Saints offense will prove to be too much for a Lions defense that just got finished getting torn apart by Matt Flynn who threw for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns last week. This one will stay close for a while before Stafford throws a game-changing interception and the Saints start to pull away. Prediction: Saints 38, Lions 21.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-45488646802957345092011-12-27T11:03:00.000-08:002011-12-27T11:07:53.166-08:00Drew Brees: A True Class Act<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Drew-Brees-and-his-baby-son-Baylen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Drew-Brees-and-his-baby-son-Baylen.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br />
"There may be only one name that goes in the record book, but it's all about you guys." Those were a few of the words spoken by Drew Brees, himself after he broke Dan Marino's 27-year old record for most passing yards in a season last night. He thanked everyone including the players, coaches, staff, owners and equipment managers. That alone shows the selflessness of the quarterback who made New Orleans a football town again with the Super Bowl victory in 2009. From watching his speech in the locker room, one gets the impression of Brees being someone who is a genuinely nice person, a guy who will give credit to everyone and try to take the spotlight off of himself. After all, how many guys would thank the equipment managers and staff workers after breaking a record many considered unbreakable once upon a time?<br />
<br />
You could not have asked for a better stage to break the record: Monday Night Football, national TV audience and the hated rival in town with a chance to wrap up the NFC South title. It doesn't get much better than that, especially for Saints fans who suffered through so many lean years prior to just a few years ago when the team made the jump to perennial contender. Brees is a cult hero in New Orleans, one who played a huge role in that transition from an also-ran to a contender. How could one forget the priceless image of Brees holding his son, Baylen following the Super Bowl victory over the Colts? Those are the memories that last a lifetime, not just for Saints fans, but for fans of football in general. People love to hear the feel-good stories, such as the Super Bowl run in 2009 which brought New Orleans out of the sadness that occurred in the aftermath of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The residents needed someone or something to be passionate about and something that would make them forget the devastation for at least 3 hours each and every Sunday. Drew Brees and the Saints fit that bill perfectly.<br />
<br />
The record could not have been broken by a classier guy, someone who will give credit to others and someone who is not afraid to shoulder the blame after a tough loss. Drew Brees defines class in every sense of the word, a guy who loves his teammates like they are family, thanks everyone for giving him the opportunity to break such a record and above all, helps out with charities around the City of New Orleans.<br />
<br />
I recommend everybody take a few minutes and watch the speech Brees gives in the locker room following last night's game. It will really show you how Drew Brees is a true class act.<br />
<br />
Here is the link to the speech:<br />
<b>http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/29504/drew-brees-still-more-to-be-done. </b><br />
Copy and paste this link into your address bar.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b><br />
</b>Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-28514759751940502552011-12-22T14:07:00.000-08:002011-12-22T14:07:24.409-08:00A Late Entrant in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2010/10/27/sp-stanford28_PH_0502443025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2010/10/27/sp-stanford28_PH_0502443025.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br />
Just 2 seasons ago, the Minnesota Vikings looked as if they were in prime position to advance to the Super Bowl and get yet another chance to win that ever-elusive first ring. You know the rest, Brett Favre makes one of the most boneheaded plays in NFL history and the Vikings have been in a slow tailspin ever since. 2010 featured the firing of Brad Childress, numerous injuries to Brett Favre and the roof collapsing on the Metrodome, culminating with a 6-10 overall record. In the offseason, Leslie Frazier was named full-time head coach and Donovan McNabb was acquired to fix the gaping hole at quarterback.<br />
<br />
The McNabb experiment turned out to be a disaster, he started just 6 games, was benched in favor of 1st round pick, Christian Ponder and later released. Since he took over, Ponder has shown some promise with 13 touchdowns, but has also thrown 12 picks and some of his throws have made it quite apparent that he may be not quite ready for the starting role just yet. The team as a whole has stumbled to a 2-12 record at this writing which puts them in the mix for a top 5 draft pick in April. There are a number of directions the Vikings could go with a top 5 pick, a receiver to put opposite Percy Harvin, a corner who isn't on IR and isn't old and slow(Antoine Winfield) or someone who does not get arrested for DUI(Chris Cook) or the craziest of all the scenarios, the Vikings slide into the #1 pick and select Andrew Luck. Until last week, the Colts receiving the #1 pick was a foregone conclusion and they still might, but if Indianapolis finds a way to pull another upset and get win #2 coupled with the Vikings losing their final 2 games, it comes down to a coin flip for Luck. The St. Louis Rams, who also currently sit at 2-12 could also end up with the first overall selection, but they would be better off taking a linemen to protect Sam Bradford.<br />
<br />
If the Vikings were to end up with the #1 pick, the biggest question is, do they essentially consider the selection of Ponder a waste and choose Andrew Luck? As I mentioned earlier, Ponder has shown flashes of brilliance, but he also has miles to go in terms of development into a legitimate NFL starting QB. Granted, you cannot expect a rookie to step in and immediately lead his team to victories, but is there enough progress being shown for the Vikings to pass on Luck? Personally, I would select Luck simply due to the fact, he is one of the most NFL-ready quarterback prospects we have seen in years. There are those who will argue that Justin Blackmon should be the pick, given his immense talent and the need for a legitimate deep threat to complement a slot receiver like Percy Harvin. Heck, Morris Claiborne, the corner out of LSU could be chosen to shore up the porous secondary that has struggled all season long.<br />
<br />
I understand that choosing Luck puts Ponder in a tough spot. However, the guy has shown enough promise where you could trade him to a team in need of a young QB and likely receive a decent amount of talent for him. Look at how the Kevin Kolb trade worked out for the Eagles, landing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd-round pick. There are receivers to be had later on in the draft, as talented as Blackmon is, he is not the be-all, end-all at the position and corner is typically a position with a number of top prospects that can be selected later on in the draft. Luck is widely considered a can't-miss prospect who may be ready to step into the starting job right away. Worst case, Luck sits behind Ponder for a year and learns on the job, getting him ready for success in 2013 and beyond.<br />
<br />
This is purely speculation for now, but let's root for the Colts to win at least one of their final two games and then, you never know what could happen.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-58931880694063692902011-11-29T17:42:00.000-08:002011-11-29T17:42:49.505-08:00Bobby Valentine: A Great Fit for Sox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/456/602/684287_crop_650x440.jpg?1321987714" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/456/602/684287_crop_650x440.jpg?1321987714" width="320" /></a></div><br />
From reports of beer drinking in the clubhouse to the September collapse, it was time for a change in Boston. Despite the fact that Terry Francona won 2 World Series with the team, it became quite evident that he had lost complete control of the team and chaos ensued. Ever since the announcement that Francona would not be returning, in early October, Red Sox Nation has openly wondered who would be the person to fill Francona's shoes. Well, that decision has been made and Bobby Valentine will be officially introduced as the newest manager of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. Personally, I am ecstatic about the hiring of Valentine and believe he will help turn things around with this team in 2012.<br />
<br />
Yes, I understand that he has not managed in the big leagues in 9 years, which may cause worry for some, but its not like the guy has forgotten how to manage. He knows how to handle the pressures of a big market where fans live and die with every win and loss. After all, he was the manager of the Mets when they made their most recent World Series appearance in 2000 and at the height of the Mets-Yankees rivalry. Granted, Valentine had a less than perfect relationship with Steve Phillips, the GM of the Mets at the time, but that does not automatically mean he will not have a great, working relationship with Ben Cherington. The guy has been through clubhouse drama and will not accept rule breaking or insubordination. That, more than ever is what might be most important for the Red Sox, an authoritative figure who will not deal with beer drinking in the clubhouse. The Red Sox need a manager who will have the attention and respect of the players.<br />
<br />
That is what they found themselves with the hire of Bobby Valentine. Valentine will immediately command the respect of a team that has a solid mix of veterans and young players. He will not shy away from the Boston media that will analyze his every move and will be watching him like a hawk. While it may seem like an underrated aspect, Valentine already hates the Yankees too from his days with the Mets. No matter what people say, it takes a short transition period to get a true taste of the nature of the rivalry. Someone who hates the Yankees is always welcomed with open arms in Boston and Valentine fits that description.<br />
<br />
Those are the main reasons why Bobby Valentine, I believe will have great success as the next manager of the Boston Red Sox. He loves the spotlight and will take to the bright lights of Boston as all eyes of Red Sox Nation will be on him. His dynamic personality and laid-back style will help return the Red Sox to glory.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-26075038422050322582011-11-24T16:40:00.000-08:002011-11-26T15:41:25.414-08:00No Place in Football: The Ndamukong Suh Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blacksportsonline.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ndamukong-Suh-2-245x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://blacksportsonline.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Ndamukong-Suh-2-245x300.jpg" /></a></div>Ever since he entered the league last season, people have always questioned whether or not the play of Ndamukong Suh was physical, or actually dirty? Suh has shown flashes of brilliance, but those same flashes have been covered up by mind-boggling signs of immaturity. Most of the time, those signs had to do with late hits on the QB or something of the sort. However, today, Suh took that immaturity to a whole new level with a play that got him kicked out of the game. In the 3rd quarter of today's tilt with the undefeated Packers, following a play, Suh slammed the head of Packers lineman, Evan Dietrich-Smith into the ground a few times along with kicking him in the arm.<br />
<br />
The latest example of Suh's immaturity will earn him a hefty fine and likely a suspension from "the man upstairs" as Suh referred to it in his press conference. As much of a fan as I was of the guy when he played at Nebraska, I am losing more and more respect for him with each passing day. Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz needs to get control of his most well-known defensive player and condemn this type of play at all costs, especially with the Lions in search of their first playoff berth in 12 years. While a 15 yard penalty may seem minuscule over the course of a game, 1 ill-advised play can lead to a 2 or 3 game suspension. Not to mention the fact that the Lions can ill afford the loss of their most imposing defensive presence with some of the biggest games of the season coming up.<br />
<br />
The question that many people are asking now is what type of of suspension Suh has earned himself with the afore mentioned actions. Well, the only other recent comparsion of something like this occurred in 2006 when Albert Haynesworth stomped on the head of Cowboys center, Andre Gurode. Without any previous disciplinary history, Haynesworth received a 5 game suspension. Given Suh's history with dirty plays, my guess would be a 5 game suspension to match the one that Haynesworth received. That is not the main issue at stake though, the latest incident has confirmed our suspicions that Ndamukong Suh is a dirty player, not just one that tends to play physical. The point is, there is no place for this type of play in the NFL. The league needs to send Suh a message with the suspension that should be handed down within the next few days. It is time to let him know that these type of plays have no place in the NFL, but can only hurt his image in the mind of the fans and his team. There was no intention on the play today other than to hurt Dietrich-Smith.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-38907612355036362202011-11-11T13:42:00.000-08:002011-11-11T13:42:26.867-08:00Jonathan Papelbon to the Phillies? He Will be Missed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mlblogszozone.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/papelbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://mlblogszozone.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/papelbon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For the past 6 years, hearing "Wild Thing" blaring over the Fenway Park speakers has meant that its time for Jonathan Papelbon to enter the game and slam the door shut. However, today, we learned that Papelbon has agreed to sign a 4 year, $50 million deal with the Phillies. The move is certainly interesting due to the fact that it appeared as if the Phillies were going to re-sign Ryan Madson earlier in the week. Then, the talks with Madson fell through and it was on to the free agent closers left on the market. The signing certainly solidifies a bullpen that many saw as the main weakness of the team last year. Papelbon is a 4-time All Star that has posted at least 30 saves in each of the last 6 seasons.<br />
<br />
As for the Red Sox, Daniel Bard has served as Papelbon's apprentice over the last couple years and now, will get his shot to be a full-time closer in one of baseball's most highly scrutinized markets. The only part that may make Sox fans feel a bit uneasy about the move is the fact that Bard has not closed since college and closing in the major leagues is a whole different animal. We are about to find out a whole lot more about Bard's psyche and how he handles the pressure of being an everyday closer. How will he react when he blows his first key save and people are calling for his head? He must have seen how people reacted to Papelbon blowing a save in Game 3 of the 2009 ALDS and in game #162 of this season. My point is, closing in Boston is a whole lot different from closing in say, Kansas City where the fans have become accustomed to losing over the past 15 or 20 years. In Boston, winning the World Series is the goal year in and year out. If that goal is not accomplished, the season is largely considered a failure.<br />
<br />
Despite his blown saves over the years, a few of which have happened at critical junctures, Red Sox fans, such as myself may not realize quite yet how much we will actually miss Papelbon. Yeah sure, the guy blew a few important saves over the 6 years he served as the Red Sox closer, but he still managed to rack up 219 saves over those 6 years. The first save that Bard blows, some Red Sox fans who are jumping for joy right now will be wishing that Papelbon wasn't closing games in the City of Brotherly Love. The intensity and passion that Papelbon displayed on the mound each and every night may be seen as an underrated factor in this deal, but is something that can serve as an igniting factor for a team in search of a spark.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-46411289186536273032011-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:002011-11-08T19:39:50.987-08:00A Legend Lost: The Death of Joe Frazier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pauT-ZoSL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pauT-ZoSL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>The sports world lost a legend yesterday with the passing of Smokin' Joe Frazier at the age of 67. Frazier is remembered as one of the most recognizable names in Boxing history, along with those of Rocky Marcicano and Muhammad Ali. He was both an Olympic and World Heavyweight champion. A victim of liver cancer, Frazier is probably best remembered for his "contract" that he signed along with Muhammad Ali to have a rubber match in 1975. Little did people know at the time that the 3rd and final bout between the two legends would turn out to be even more vicious and brutal than their previous 2 fights. With the passing of Smokin' Joe, the boxing world has certainly taken a hit as it has lost a legend who survived what many consider to be the greatest boxing match of all-time.<br />
<br />
"The Thrilla in Manila", as it has come to be known over the years involved the two greatest boxers of their time dueling it out over the course of 15, 3 minute rounds. As previously mentioned, the bout turned out to be one of the most vicious boxing matches of all-time with each fighter matching the other one shot for shot until the 14th round when the fight finally had to be called. Frazier could see nothing out of either eye and looked like he was on the verge of dying. Upon the calling of fight, Ali simply sank to the ground, offering nothing in the way of a celebration. The actions of both men after the fight is what truly signifies "The Thrilla in Manila" as the greatest boxing match of all time, two men with mutual hatred for each brutally beating the other for 14 rounds.<br />
<br />
Boxing losing Joe Frazier is like basketball after the death of Wilt Chamberlain or the hockey world losing Wayne Gretzky. Whenever a sport loses a legend, the sport enters into a mourning period as they remember all the great memories provided by that person during the time they were involved with the sport. The boxing world will always be left with the lasting image of "The Thrilla in Manila", their 2 greatest icons coming together for one final bout in the ring.<br />
<br />
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Frazier family as they cope with the loss of a loved one.<br />
<br />
On a side note, if interested in learning more about "The Thrilla in Manila", I would recommend checking out the 2005 book titled "Ghosts of Manila" written by Mark Kram who is also remembered for writing one of the greatest sports journalism pieces of all time, a deep and thoughtful essay about "The Thrilla in Manila".Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-90846992944380698662011-11-02T19:59:00.000-07:002011-11-02T19:59:24.285-07:00A Changing of the Guard in the Windy City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/c/chicago_cubs_logo-9313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/c/chicago_cubs_logo-9313.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Well, that didn't take long, Theo Epstein has wasted no time in making his first move as President of Baseball Operations by firing manager Mike Quade today. Epstein told Quade that he would not be retained as manager of the Cubs and wished him well with his future endeavors. The move is not exactly surprising, given that Quade and the Cubs finished 21 games under .500 this season in their first full campaign under his watch. However, some of that can be attributed to the roster being largely the same as it was during the sometimes tumultuous era of Lou Piniella. Nonetheless, Epstein said that a "clean slate" was necessary for a team that is seemingly stuck in neutral in the rebuilding process.<br />
<br />
Face it, the team has not contended for a playoff spot in 2 years and needs to get rid of underperforming veterans such as Carlos Zambrano and Alfonso Soriano. Cubs fans have longed for the days of old when the team contended on a yearly basis. As we know, they have not won a World Series in 103 years and their best chance in recent years was wrecked by Steve Bartman, who instinctively reached over the left field wall for a foul ball that he did not think Moises Alou had a chance to catch. Since then, the team did manage to win back-to-back Central Division titles, but has never been mentioned as a serious threat to win the World Series. Whoever the new manager may be, he will certainly have his work cut out for him. The Cubs need to pretty much start from scratch and build around their young stars, Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney.<br />
<br />
However, while most fans agree with the idea of firing Mike Quade, Epstein may have made himself unpopular just as quickly by ruling out the possibility of hiring Ryne Sandberg, the former Cubs hero who has so desperately wanted a chance at his dream job for 4 or 5 years now. That's where I don't agree with Theo, why would you ever rule out the possibility of hiring one of the most popular players in franchise history who is interested in the job? Beats me, but Attention Theo Epstein: the vacant managerial position of the Chicago Cubs is not exactly the sexiest job in baseball right now. I can understand that he wants to hire someone with previous major league managerial experience, but don't completely pass on Sandberg. He has been a manager for a few years now in the Minors and understands what it would take to win with the Cubs. The decision to not even give Sandberg an interview is surprising to those who pulled for the former Cub hero to get a chance to turn around his old team. The decision may also resonate with fans more than Epstein thinks, he has created more of an uphill battle for himself by leaving a voicemail for a guy who was the face of the Cubs for so many years and simply saying that they were not interested in hiring him for his dream job. Not exactly the way Cubs fans envisioned Theo Epstein spending his first week in the Windy City.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-81792903014717534902011-10-27T22:46:00.000-07:002011-10-27T22:46:33.596-07:00An Unforgettable Night: World Series Game 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://answers.bettor.com/images/Articles/thumbs/extralarge/St-Louis-Cardinals-David-Freese-named-NLCS-Most-Valued-Player-MLB-Playoffs-105170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://answers.bettor.com/images/Articles/thumbs/extralarge/St-Louis-Cardinals-David-Freese-named-NLCS-Most-Valued-Player-MLB-Playoffs-105170.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>Just a short post to pay homage to the unbelievable Game 6 between the Rangers and Cardinals that we all witnessed tonight. Truth is, however, words may not be enough to describe the truly amazing baseball game that was played tonight, it will surely go down in history as one of the most memorable World Series games of all-time. When people started to notice in the Bottom of the 9th that the Cardinals still had a fighting chance, the game was no longer being watched along with another program. David Freese's 2-strike, 2-out, 2-run game tying triple is what woke up the country. All of the sudden, the World Series that had been an afterthought to most people thus far became relevant again and all eyes were fixed on the TV. The drama that would ensue in the 10th inning only increased interest in the game as Josh Hamilton put the Rangers on the brink of their 1st World Series title with a 2-run bomb. It was far from over though as the Cardinals magic struck again in the Bottom of the 10th with heroics from Lance Berkman who tied the game once again with 2 strikes. At that point, a number of baseball fans, such as myself who had no rooting interest in the game were just hoping beyond all hope for a Game 7.<br />
<br />
You all know how the rest of the story goes, David Freese hits a walk-off homer to dead center in the home half of the 11th and Cardinals fans went home happy. They'll go to sleep tonight knowing that the baseball season will extend for 1 more day. For those of you who had no clue who David Freese was at the beginning of the night now recognize him as a World Series hero, a title that should truly be cherished forever.<br />
<br />
That's all for now, folks. Enjoy Game 7 tomorrow night as we prepare to crown a World Series champion before heading into the long, dark winter months that are consumed by the baseball offseason.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-81476347972686670522011-10-25T08:50:00.000-07:002011-10-25T08:50:40.843-07:00An Epic World Series Continues: Rangers-Cardinals Game 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/rangers-cardinals.jpg?w=300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/rangers-cardinals.jpg?w=300" /></a></div>One of the main reasons so many people love October is due to the unforgettable moments it has provided over the years of playoff baseball. From Bill Mazeroski to Edgar Renteria to the newest member of the club, Mike Napoli, this World Series has given us a number of lasting images to remember the 2011 season by. Entering the series, people were questioning how great it would be. After all, there was no Red Sox, Yankees or Phillies present, just two teams with some of the most passionate fan bases in baseball. For those who doubted the potential of this match-up, well they have been proven quite wrong thus far with 5 back-and-forth games. Starting with chess master Tony La Russa in Game 1 to Mike Napoli hitting the tie-breaking double last night, these 5 games have been truly enjoyable for baseball fans to watch. The saga continued last night, as mentioned with Napoli's double that may have been set up by one of the most bizarre stories you will ever hear. The phone in the Cardinals bullpen was having issues working and the only name they could hear over the phone was "Rzepczynski". Granted, Marc Rzepczynski has played a huge role in getting the Cardinals to this point, but rest assured, he was not who La Russa wanted in the game to face the right-handed hitting, red-hot Napoli in a key situation with the game hanging in the balance.<br />
<br />
Whatever the case may be, the Texas Rangers now sit just one game away from capturing the first World Series in franchise history. For a team that for so long, always had the bats, but never enough pitching is oh so close to champagne showers in the clubhouse. To get to this point, the Rangers have had their fair share of heroes deliver in the clutch this postseason. Raise your hand if you had Mike Napoli with 9 RBIs in 5 games this series. Okay, thought so, the point is, winning a World Series is truly a collective team effort. A team's star players, as good as they may be, are not capable of carrying the team over 162 games and to a World Series title. How many people had heard of Derek Holland prior to Game 4 when he came up big in the biggest start of his young career. Guys such as Napoli and Holland are who people will remember when the book is closed on the 2011 World Series. If the Cardinals win, people will remember unsung heroes such as David Freese and Jason Motte making their mark on this season and cementing their place in World Series lore forever.<br />
<br />
For now, it is time to sit back and enjoy potentially the last game of the baseball season tomorrow night before the countdown to pitchers and catchers begins.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-32516464926163878432011-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:002011-10-12T17:57:11.062-07:00The End of an Era: Bye Bye Theo Epstein<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bostinnovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/theo-epstein-gave-birth-to-baby-jack-this-morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://bostinnovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/theo-epstein-gave-birth-to-baby-jack-this-morning.jpg" /></a></div>For the better part of the past decade, two of the more well-known names in the Red Sox organization have been Theo Epstein and Terry Francona. However, in the span of just a couple short weeks, both Epstein and Francona have skipped town. The two departures by the former manager and general manager have truly signaled the end of an era in Boston. Amid all the player changing from year to year, Epstein and Francona were the 2 constants that have always been there. Now, both have left and a new GM and manager will call the shots for the 2012 version of the Boston Red Sox. Francona is expected to take a year off from managing, while Epstein agreed to a 5 year deal with the Cubs. The obvious question that so many fans are asking is who will be the new sheriffs in town. Rumors abound that Ben Cherington who served as Theo's top assistant for the past 9 years will be named the new General Manager. As for the managerial position, the only candidate that has been interviewed thus far is Pete Mackanin, the Phillies bench coach.<br />
<br />
Theo Epstein certainly had his share of ups and downs during his reign as the Red Sox GM, but the good outweighs the bad in this case. Upon getting hired in November 2002, Epstein immediately acquired Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller and David Ortiz. After a team that many had winning the World Series in 2003 fell short, Epstein filled the 2 biggest weaknesses by trading for Curt Schilling and signing Keith Foulke. Ultimately, those 2 would prove to be the missing pieces of the puzzle on a team that won the World Series in 2004. At the young age of 28, Epstein was on top of the baseball world and many saw him as one of the best, young GMs in baseball. He also played a huge role in the development of key players such as Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Kevin Youkilis, Daniel Bard, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jonathan Papelbon. A combination of the home-grown talent and key free agent signings netted the Red Sox another World Series in 2007. Once again, Epstein was on top of the baseball world and things only seemed to be getting better for a team that was absolutely loaded with talent. However, as some teams may know too well, with every good thing a GM does for his team, there is usually a few bad moves that can overshadow the good ones. In Theo's case, he is widely chastised for the signings of J.D. Drew, John Lackey and Carl Crawford. Drew was seemingly always hurt during his 5 years in Boston, Lackey has been both wildly inconsistent and downright terrible at points during his 2 years in Boston thus far and Crawford failed to live up to his $142 million contract with a disappointing 2011 season. Despite the poor signings, prior to the Red Sox collapse, Epstein and Francona were expected to remain in Boston. However, after the collapse of the team and departure of Francona, Theo may have felt it was time for a change and that could explain why he bolted for a team that hasn't won a World Series in 103 years.<br />
<br />
Now, the question that so many fans, especially Cubs ones are asking is if Theo Epstein can work the same magic that he did in Boston. Personally, I believe that he can indeed make it work, however the biggest difference is that the 2011 Cubs are a lot farther away from the World Series than the 2002 and 2003 Red Sox were. This Cubs team has a number of missing pieces to the puzzle, although they do have talented young players in Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney to build around. In the next couple years, the fat contracts of Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano will come off the books and give Epstein a chance to start building the future of the Cubs. His first major decision though will be whether or not to bring back Mike Quade as manager. Fans have been clamoring for the GM to hire Ryne Sandberg, the wildly popular former Cub so it will be interesting to see what Epstein decides to do with his first major move.<br />
<br />
Either way, the change signals the end of an era in Boston. There will be a new GM and manager in town with different philosophies. At this point, us Red Sox fans can hope for the best until next year when we see the beginning of a new chapter in the storied history of the Boston Red Sox.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-80764699861121848122011-10-06T19:36:00.000-07:002011-10-06T19:36:28.093-07:00Raising the Banner: Boston Bruins Opening Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sportslogos.net/images/logos/1/3/full/venf9fmhgnsawnxxvehf.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sportslogos.net/images/logos/1/3/full/venf9fmhgnsawnxxvehf.gif" width="319" /></a></div>Watching the banner get raised to the rafters of TD Garden brought back the memories of an unforgettable playoff run last spring. As everyone knows, the Boston Bruins captured their first Stanley Cup in 39 years last season. The run to that Stanley Cup remained fresh in the mind of every Bruins fans over the summer, nobody will ever forget the dominant Game 7 victory over the Canucks to seal the Stanley Cup. However, we cannot get caught up in the Stanley Cup as it is time for a new season now, with the Flyers in town for Opening Night. With that being said, a little remembrance never hurt anyone so this blog post will be dedicated to remembering the playoff run from last year and looking forward to this year's version of the Bruins.<br />
<br />
It all started on April 14, the hated Canadiens were in town for the start of a much anticipated playoff showdown. The Bruins lost Games 1 and 2 in front of the home crowd though and all of the sudden, a trendy pick to win it all before the playoffs turned into a team everyone left for dead. The team responded by posting back-to-back victories in Montreal and there was a series again, the Bruins weren't dead yet. The final 3 games of the series featured thrilling back and forth affairs with Nathan Horton cementing himself into Bruins lore forever with the game-winning goal in Game 7. As much energy that was exerted in the Canadiens series was equal to the amount saved in the Flyers series with a quick sweep of Philadelphia to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Lightning were the next opponent, the only thing standing between the Bruins and advancing to their first Stanley Cup finals in 20 years. A series that featured both high-scoring affairs and goaltender showdowns entered the 7th and deciding game with nobody knowing what to expect. The game remained scoreless for the first 53 minutes and had fans of each side on the edge of their seats with a number of close scoring chances. Finally, at long last with 7 1/2 minutes remaining in the final stanza, Nathan Horton struck again and netted what would turn out to be the only goal of the night. The party was on in Boston and immediate preparations were made for the Vancouver Canucks, the final road block between the Bruins and the Stanley Cup. As much as it felt like a dead weight was lifted off of the shoulders of the fans after the Lightning series, that same dead weight came back as soon as the puck was dropped for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup. Marred by the biting of Alexandre Burrows, the Bruins lost heartbreakers in Games 1 and 2. Heading back to Boston down 2-0 and just a mere two losses away from elimination, little did the team that know that a cheap hit by Aaron Rome on Nathan Horton would be the rallying point for the Bruins. The hit propelled them to a decisive 8-1 victory in Game 3 and a 4-0 shutout in Game 4 to even up the series heading back to Vancouver. Once again, the home team won in this series as the Canucks won Game 5 1-0. With their backs against the wall, the Bruins won Game 6 5-2 and you know the rest. 2 nights later, the Boston Bruins were Stanley Cup Champions for the first time in 39 years and fans could finally forget about all of the heartbreak endured recently.<br />
<br />
Going back to this season, the Bruins have as good as a chance as any of the other recent champions to repeat as Stanley Cup champs. Not done since the 1998 Red Wings, however should make people realize how hard it truly is to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. In order to have any chance at a repeat, the Bruins will need continued production from their core of young players such as Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin. The two-headed monster of Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask returns in goal with Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg leading the charge on defense. The change in role may also pkay a huge part this year as teams want nothing more than to dethrone the defending champion. Let's hope the Bruins don't suffer the Stanley Cup Hangover like so many recent champions.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-50289116639742158452011-10-01T08:42:00.000-07:002011-10-01T08:42:11.351-07:00NLDS Playoff Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.mwcradio.com/mimesis/2011-09/30/nlds_gif_475x310_q85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://media.mwcradio.com/mimesis/2011-09/30/nlds_gif_475x310_q85.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As promised, here are my NLDS playoff predictions for this year. Without further ado, let's get straight into the breakdown of each series.<br />
<br />
Diamondbacks-Brewers: I think its safe to say that many people wouldn't have predicted a playoff series between these two squads at the beginning of the year. Granted, the Brewers do have star power with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, but there were questions about the pitching staff going into this year. However, Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke have helped to shore up the rotation and John Axford has been lights out in the closer role. In the other dugout, the Diamondbacks have a roster full of names that most people have never heard of, outside of Justin Upton that is. Despite the lack of star power, this team won 92 games and has more than enough talent to win this series. Look for a relatively high-scoring series, with a lot of home runs given the power in each lineup. The Brewers led the NL with 185 home runs this year and the Diamondbacks finished 4th with 172 bombs.<br />
Prediction: Brewers in 5<br />
<br />
Phillies-Cardinals: The Cardinals have the same question as the Rays going into the playoffs, can they keep up the hot play after a September to remember that saw them propel past the Braves and into the playoffs. The Redbirds are rewarded with a visit to Philadelphia to take on the Four Aces and the rest of the league-leading Phillies. Featuring a dynamic offense with stars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins, along with the afore-mentioned Four Aces, it will be very difficult for the Cardinals to win this series. That could be made harder given the injuries to Rafael Furcal and Matt Holliday, although both are expected to play. Look for a series that will be closer than expected with lots of solid pitching from both teams. The Cardinals are also no stranger to the postseason and know how to play on the big stage.<br />
Prediction: Phillies in 4Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-41521721282853982862011-09-30T12:42:00.000-07:002011-09-30T12:42:08.737-07:00ALDS Playoff Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/2011_ALDS.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/2011_ALDS.gif" width="320" /></a></div>Now that I've had some time to for the events of Wednesday night to sink in, although I'd rather forget about it altogether, its time for my predictions for the ALDS, which begins tonight on TBS. Look for my NLDS predictions tomorrow when those series get underway.<br />
<br />
Tigers-Yankees: The postseason is starting the same way for these two teams as the regular season did, with C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander on the mound. Both pitchers enjoyed great seasons, especially Verlander who posted a 24-5 record with 250 strikeouts. Each teams comes in with a lineup loaded with stars, more so on the Yankees side with former Tiger, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, A-Rod and Mark Teixeira. However, the Tigers lineup is no slouch in itself with Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez leading the charge. Watch for a great series, featuring a solid mix of great pitching in Game 1 and maybe a few high-scoring affairs in Games 2 and 3.<br />
Prediction: Tigers in 5<br />
<br />
Rangers-Rays: Can the Rays keep the good mojo going following the September comeback? It may be a tough go in game 1 with unproven rookie Matt Moore taking the hill, opposed by C.J. Wilson who looks to lead the Rangers back to the World Series for the 2nd year in a row. The edge in lineups goes to Texas, which features Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli and Ian Kinsler among others. The Rays may have a hard time generating runs outside of Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist. Overall, this seems like the series that could end in a sweep, although last year's ALDS proved to be better than expected. The only question for the Rays is how will their young guns perform in the October spotlight, many of them making their 1st appearance in the playoffs.<br />
Prediction: Rangers in 3Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-32891079985412964702011-09-26T13:41:00.000-07:002011-09-26T13:41:38.924-07:002 Wildcard Teams? A Bad Idea for Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/files/2010/08/MLB-Logo-90.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/files/2010/08/MLB-Logo-90.gif" width="320" /></a></div>Late September drama is something that has become a common occurrence in baseball, almost as common as the Red Sox and Yankees being involved in the playoff race. From year to year, the wildcard and divisional races often come down to the final week, final series or even the final day. That is what makes baseball so exciting to watch at this time of the year as teams are either desperately clinging to a playoff spot or fighting tooth-and-nail to have a chance to compete for baseball's biggest prize, the World Series. However, if the potential new baseball CBA is completed in its current format, MLB could be sapped of all its late season drama. Major League Baseball wants to add a 2nd wildcard spot to the playoffs and have the 2 teams that finish in those wildcard spots play either a 1-game playoff or a best-of-3 series. I'm sorry, but who does that benefit other than the TV networks who would air those games? It would take away a lot of the drama and that is the stuff that fans love to see at this time of year, if you're not a Braves or Red Sox fan that is.<br />
<br />
If the 2 wildcard idea was in place for this season, Jacoby Ellsbury's season-saving home run for the Red Sox in the 14th inning last night really would not have meant much at all. Of course, those in support of the new playoff format will say that teams always want to win and will always put forth their finest effort, but that alone won't put fans on the couch in front of their television sets. Ellsbury's home run is another example of something that makes fans want to watch the game and reminds us why we contine to watch and to love baseball. For the better part of the past month, every pitch of every at-bat of every inning of every game has had potential to be the difference between life and death for the Red Sox, Rays and Angels. Despite how much stress the playoff races can put on fans of those teams, it certainly provides great theatrics for baseball and fans of the game. People love to see and hear about the races that end in dramatic fashion.<br />
<br />
Similar to the story in the American League, the Cardinals have gotten hot at the right time and find themselves just 1 game back of the Braves, after trailing by 8.5 games on September 1. When the Braves lost to the Nationals yesterday, if the new idea for the playoffs had been in place, it would have meant about as much as the result of the Reds-Pirates game. Thankfully, there is just 1 wildcard spot available and that loss now has the Braves on the brink of a potentially historic collapse. Other than Braves or Cardinals fans, the possibility of a 1-game playoff is very exciting to most baseball fans. Think about the drama that was provided in the most recent 1-game playoff, Alexi Casilla hitting a walk-off single to win the AL Central for the Twins in 2009. The point I am trying to make is that people enjoy watching games that have playoff implications and the difference between going to the playoffs and going home can come down to one pitch. If the 2 wildcard spot idea is adopted, a lot of the dramatic wins that we have seen over the years may be reduced to just another regular season game.<br />
<br />
For now, be thankful that we still have just 1 wildcard spot and enjoy the last series of the season with the 2 wildcard teams still to be determined. That is of course, unless you're a fan of one of the afore-mentioned teams which will be playing for their playoff lives in the coming days. In your case, calling in sick to work on Thursday will be perfectly acceptable, especially given the stress that you will endure between now and Wednesday.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-91271304325995228572011-09-23T12:00:00.000-07:002011-09-23T12:00:51.968-07:00A Sad State of Affairs: The NBA Lockout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOPTCqpQ2jfUs-ooEI3NV-B8nQbwtOpNFHlvpTrZmemBsCVuUWq36BULYWSNpX6Xe6UaP9lK0m8f3S2ACoOenuBR5cr-3FmKd-fsHY5sO8SpTumlFFDuonc06kBmpKQEkSjB4-Egd2rn-/s1600/lockout-6-22b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOPTCqpQ2jfUs-ooEI3NV-B8nQbwtOpNFHlvpTrZmemBsCVuUWq36BULYWSNpX6Xe6UaP9lK0m8f3S2ACoOenuBR5cr-3FmKd-fsHY5sO8SpTumlFFDuonc06kBmpKQEkSjB4-Egd2rn-/s1600/lockout-6-22b.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOPTCqpQ2jfUs-ooEI3NV-B8nQbwtOpNFHlvpTrZmemBsCVuUWq36BULYWSNpX6Xe6UaP9lK0m8f3S2ACoOenuBR5cr-3FmKd-fsHY5sO8SpTumlFFDuonc06kBmpKQEkSjB4-Egd2rn-/s1600/lockout-6-22b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<br />
This summer, the labor mess in the NFL consumed tons of air time on SportsCenter and captivated nearly every football fan in America with the breaking news that seemed to come daily. Any news that was positive in the slightest would give football fans hope as they just prayed for an end to the lockout. Each passing day meant that the season was closer and as dire as it may have seemed at some points, finally on July 25, the lockout came to a merciful end. This news made NFL fans rejoice all around the world as it was now assured that a season would take place, with the exception of only the Hall of Fame Game. A fall without NFL football on Sunday afternoons would not have been right, given that the NFL has grown into a national obsession.<br />
<br />
For all of the news waves that the NFL consumed, the NBA labor situation just does not seem to have the same following. To most, it would appear that the NBA is a lot worse off than the NFL was and people just may not care enough. All of the good feelings that were created after last summer's free agent frenzy seem to have been erased and nearly every sign points toward the whole season being potentially cancelled. Just once in history, during the 1998-99 season has the NBA experienced a work stoppage quite like this one. That lockout forced the cancellation of 50 regular season games. While not quite at that point, the NBA announced yesterday that training camps have been postponed and the first week of exhibition games has been cancelled. With no deal in sight for now, this can only be the beginning of bad news. If no progress is made over the next 2-3 weeks, look for the remainder of the preseason and the first regular season games to be cancelled.<br />
<br />
One of the negative effects of a potential cancellation of the season is the fan interest that could be lost over the course of the lockout. That would severely hurt the NBA on the business side of things if fans stop following the league which would mean less and less people going to the arena in the future. This all could come after an epic NBA finals matchup between the Heat and Mavericks that drew huge TV ratings, although many may have tuned in just to see the demise of LeBron James in the 4th quarter of each game.<br />
<br />
Another aspect of the lockout that has people worried is the possible mass exodus of players to Europe. All of the sudden, European basketball seems more and more attractive and with big-name players such as Deron Williams and possibly Kobe Bryant making the jump. If Kobe, an icon for the league over the last decade, decides to head to Europe to play, watch for more and more players to at least weigh their options and see what's out there. For some crazy reason, David Stern does not see this as an issue and still holds the belief that an agreement will magically appear on the negotiating table. I'm sorry Mr. Stern, but there are miles to go before a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached. If your top players begin playing in Europe and enjoy it so much over there, they might not want to come back to a league currently plagued by so much chaos and instability. Granted, the idea may seem far-fetched for now, but if the whole season actually is cancelled, look for European teams to suddenly be all over SportsCenter as they try to iron out deals with top NBA talent.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-13412158434960446672011-09-20T09:17:00.000-07:002011-09-20T09:17:06.277-07:00Get Ready Sox Fans... It's Time to Cheer for the Yankees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://firebrandal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Yankees-vs-Red-Sox-080610L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://firebrandal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Yankees-vs-Red-Sox-080610L.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>No, there's not a mistake in the title, you don't need to make an appointment with your eye doctor. For Red Sox fans, it is time indeed to cheer for the Yankees as they take on the Rays this week and next with tonight being the first of 7 games that will certainly play a huge role in deciding who wins the AL Wildcard. Back on September 2, life was good for Sox fans as their team held a seemingly insurmountable 9 game lead over the Rays and the playoffs seemed like a lock. Then, the bats went quiet, the pitching staff forgot how to pitch, injuries mounted and voila, here we are 18 days later, holding on for dear life. The deficit has been trimmed to 2 games with 8 games left to play for the Sox and 10 for the Rays. As I said before, the Rays play 7 of those final 10 against the Yankees and for Sox fans, that can mean one thing and one thing only, it is time to actually cheer for the Yankees. For something as rare as Sox fans cheering for the Bronx Bombers, there is a certain level of mental preparation that is necessary. You don't go from booing A-Rod all season to hoping that he all of the sudden hits a home run to send your team into the playoffs.<br />
<br />
For all Sox fans, hating the Yankees has always been a way of life. Watching them lose is always fun, especially when your team had won that same day. To most, there was nothing more gratifying than taking down the Evil Empire in the 2004 ALCS. The greatest comeback in sports history was completely necessary in order to erase the painful memory of 1 swing of the bat by Aaron Boone on a cold October night in 2003. There hasn't been a playoff meeting since the comeback, but the rivalry remains as strong as ever and won't be going away anytime soon. For most Sox fans, cheering for the hated Yankees is a foreign concept that should never be done, with the exception of your team being in a dire situation. Losing 7 games off your wildcard lead in 18 days certainly qualifies as a dire situation, despite how much you may hate the Yankees with a burning passion. Trust me, I still haven't fully grasped the whole idea of cheering for the team in pinstripes over the next week or so. I've never cheered for the Yankees in my life and don't plan on doing so ever again, unless it is a must in order for the Red Sox to make the playoffs.<br />
<br />
The only soothing thing about this whole situation is that we know deep down that if the Yanks come through for us, the Red Sox will be playing October baseball. In the regular season, there is nothing more you can ask for from your team if they play well enough to make the postseason. When the playoffs start, everybody is once again 0-0 and the disastrous September will be forgotten if the Red Sox can find a way to make the playoffs.<br />
<br />
It's time to face it Sox fans, we must cheer for the Yankees to beat the Rays if you truly want to see your team in the playoffs, come October.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-72249851346996572182011-09-16T12:39:00.000-07:002011-09-16T12:39:25.677-07:00Viewer's Guide: Road Test Weekend<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKQswbKF5Qm-4eEgszWr2IVEvFbu1ivf5mTPvoQMBqu5R1ABJlXLkJ5ukt9A4dmwA0HfGYjTMuWY7m2yCyy8lrylLUJim81f4WBU47gynrKSh3V6jc8M0EeJ4963_813jH-9LMkC997C5/s1600/football.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKQswbKF5Qm-4eEgszWr2IVEvFbu1ivf5mTPvoQMBqu5R1ABJlXLkJ5ukt9A4dmwA0HfGYjTMuWY7m2yCyy8lrylLUJim81f4WBU47gynrKSh3V6jc8M0EeJ4963_813jH-9LMkC997C5/s320/football.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Non-conference games in college football are typically meant to prepare each team for their conference season, which represents the bulk of a team's schedule. The top teams tend to schedule some guarantee games, which means that the favorite will usually always come out with a win. For the big schools, those games are meant to fine tune any nuances or issues and also to keep the key players healthy. However, this weekend serves as a different sort of animal as many 8 of the Top 25 teams face quality opponents on the road. Here is a preview for those games, along with the times and networks where you can find them on TV.<div><br />
</div><div>#1 Oklahoma at #5 Florida St. (8:00 EST, ABC)- This game looms as a huge measuring stick for the Seminoles as they can mark their progress in the re-birth of the program, depending on the result. Many thought that FSU had a chance to pull the upset last year but instead, got rocked by the Sooners 47-17 in Norman. The top concern for the 'Noles defense this time around is to slow down the Oklahoma offense, led by Heisman Candidate Landry Jones and to better protect their own QB, E.J. Manuel. The Sooners aim solely to win this game and remain at the top of the polls, while FSU has other plans and if they pull out a win, can place themselves in the thick of the National title chase. The upset will happen as the Seminoles find a way to shut down Landry Jones and Manuel will lead the offense down the field for a late, game-winning field goal. </div><div><br />
</div><div># 6 Stanford at Arizona (10:45 EST, ESPN)- For the Wildcats, it's all about finding a way to slow down Andrew Luck and the rest of the Stanford attack. This game serves as the first real test for the Cardinal, as they have easily dispatched of San Jose St. and Duke thus far. Arizona may not be ranked and may not be the most name-brand team, but playing an in-conference road game is always tough, no matter the opponent. For 'Zona to pull this upset, they must somehow shut down Luck and the passing game, while also finding a way to make their own offense more effective. Their offense could be hurt by the injury to WR Juron Criner, who remains questionable for the game and the lack of a running threat for the Wildcats to rely on. Look for a tight game, but I believe Stanford will hold on and remain near the top of the polls.</div><div><br />
</div><div># 15 Michigan St. at Notre Dame (3:30 EST, NBC)- The Irish are painfully close to being 2-0, but their record lies at the other end of the spectrum, thanks to costly turnovers and an inability to close out games. Meanwhile, Michigan St. had little trouble with Youngstown St. and Florida Atlantic, outscoring them 72-6. The level of competition is about to get a whole lot better as they head to South Bend to take on the battle-tested Irish squad. A possibility for an upset is present without a doubt, but Notre Dame must find a way to cut the turnovers if they want to win this game and potentially go on a nice little run. Granted, it may be nearly impossible to top last year's "Little Giants" classic, but expect a tight, high-scoring game. Finally, Tommy Rees will lead a drive in the final minutes to win the game and put the Irish in the win column.</div><div><br />
</div><div>#17 Ohio St. at Miami (7:30 EST, ESPN)- Rewind 8 years and these 2 teams were the premier programs in College Football. They met in a National Championship game for the ages and looked as if they would remain as a couple of the top programs in the country. However, recent scandals have engulfed each program and taken some of the luster out of this matchup. The Buckeyes are now without Terrelle Pryor and have Joe Bauserman taking snaps under center. The senior struggled against Toledo last week and must now adapt to face a much faster defense in Miami. On the other sideline, inconsistent QB Jacory Harris hopes to avoid his trademark interceptions and lead the Hurricanes to their first win of the season in front of a National TV primetime audience. This is the night, that at least for 3 hours, the Miami team can forget about the scandal and focus solely on football as I think they will beat Ohio St. on Saturday night, in a close, low-scoring affair. </div><div><br />
</div><div>#18 West Virginia at Maryland (12:00 EST, ESPNU)- A rivalry that usually only draws interest in the 2 states involved, now garners attention on a national level as both teams enter the game undefeated. Maryland, led by new coach, Randy Edsall aims to show everyone that the Labor Day win over Miami wasn't a fluke. QB Danny O'Brien continues to emerge as a star and is complemented by veteran RB, Davin Meggett. The duo together is good enough to keep pace with a West Virginia attack that features dual-threat QB, Geno Smith and WR Devon Brown. The only concern for the Mountaineers is a slow start that could prove deadly against a talented team, such as Maryland. A halftime deficit may not have cost them vs. Norfolk St., but the level of competition has increased greatly. Look for a Terps win in impressive fashion as they establish themselves as a legitimate contender in the ACC.</div><div><br />
</div><div>#21 Auburn at Clemson (12:00 EST, ABC)- Clemson better figure out soon how to get off to a fast start or else they could be in a world of trouble. Coming back to win against Troy and Wofford, but doing so against Auburn is a whole different animal. Luckily for Clemson, the Auburn defense has been pretty kind to opposing offenses thus far, allowing 72 points, but they also managed to come up with a goal-line stand in the final seconds against Mississippi St. As bad as the defense has been at some points, the Auburn offense has more than made up for it by lighting up the scoreboard at a rate of 41.5 points per game. Barrett Trotter has played the part of Cam Newton quite well so far and looks to continue that trend in Death Valley. This has great potential to be a fun shootout with a whole lot of points being scored, but Auburn will come out on top as they go to 3-0 on the year.</div><div><br />
</div><div>#22 Arizona St. at Illinois (7:00 EST, Big 10 Network)- This game has potential to be a trap game for the Sun Devils as they could be looking ahead to the Pac-12 opener with USC next week. The team had better be fully focused or they could be caught in the middle of a landmine. The Fighting Illini certainly have the talent to pull the upset, led by QB Nathan Scheelhaase and WR A.J. Jenkins. However, it is also possible that we may be overestimating Illinois, given their wins over Arkansas St. and South Dakota St. We will know much more after the game Saturday night, but I'm predicting that Illinois will catch the Sun Devils looking ahead and will pull off this upset on a drive late in the game for the win. </div><div><br />
</div><div>#23 Texas at UCLA (3:30 EST, ABC/ESPN)- I think most of us know how Texas is treating this game. The Longhorns haven't forgotten about last year's debacle in Austin and will be looking to exact revenge on the Bruins in this game. After last week's come-from-behind win against BYU, it appears as if Texas has finally found their replacement for Colt McCoy, in the form of Colt's brother, Case and David Ash. On the other sideline, Rick Neuheisel has endured his share of criticism during his tenure as he continues to search for answers on the offensive side of the ball. He may get even more criticism after this game as Texas will pull away in the 2nd half and leave Pasadena with a win, heading into the conference opener at Iowa St. next week. </div>Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322940344285278082.post-41691210636253556132011-09-13T17:49:00.000-07:002011-09-13T18:01:05.412-07:00Cries for Tim Tebow: The State of the Denver Broncos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bloginsession.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/tim-tebow-kyle-orton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://bloginsession.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/tim-tebow-kyle-orton.jpg" /></a></div>Being an NFL quarterback is something that nearly every kid dreams about at one point or another. When one watches football on TV, it seems like the quarterback gets all the glory and the best-looking girls, all the attention in the world. However, the part that kids don't realize is that the quarterback also is the most scrutinized player and receives the bulk of the criticism after a loss. Just ask Kyle Orton how it feels to have the hometown fans calling for the 3rd-string QB to replace you as the starter. Granted, Tim Tebow isn't exactly your typical clipboard-carrying back up, but it certainly can't help Orton's already shattered confidence to hear the crowd chant Tebow's name at the end of the season and home opener when your biggest rival is in town on Monday Night.<br />
<br />
During the offseason, the Broncos organization flirted with the idea of trading Orton to the Dolphins and anointing Tim Tebow as their starting quarterback. Eventually, the team decided to keep Orton because they believed that he gave them the best chance to win. To me, it still seems like a wise choice despite Orton's less than stellar performance last night. His stats weren't as bad as some of the fans made them seem when they began chanting Tebow's name in the 4th quarter. After all, he still managed to throw for over 300 yards and a touchdown with only one pick, although we can't forget the ill-timed fumble when no defender was within 5 yards of him. Nonetheless, the Bronco fans need to realize that Tim Tebow isn't ready to be a full-time starter in the NFL.<br />
<br />
No, I'm not a Tim Tebow hater, I'm just trying to be a realist and try to make Bronco fans realize that naming Tebow the starter maybe isn't the best decision in the world. In fact, I was and remain one of the former Gator's biggest fans, I really do want to see him do well one day in the NFL, just not now. His accuracy and unorthodox throwing motion can only benefit from more development time on the practice field. There is no better way to become an NFL-ready QB than to learn from a guy who has at least established himself in the league. Kyle Orton is one of those guys and he really does give Denver the best chance to win this year. While it may be a trying season for John Fox in his 1st year, the team can easily still win a respectable amount of games, with the ceiling likely being 6 or 7. Fox is already making his presence felt in the Mile High City by announcing today that he will stick with Kyle Orton as the starter for Week 2 against the Bengals. For those Bronco fans that may disagree with myself and John Fox, sticking with Orton is the right decision for now. Tim Tebow will get his chance in a few years when he has furthered his development and represents the team's best chance to win. If they didn't plan on giving him a shot, the Broncos wouldn't have chosen him with the 25th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Just keep that in mind as you watch the team this season.Joe Fitzhenryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17345830998274773353noreply@blogger.com0