Friday, January 16, 2009
shocker!
The Buccaneers just fired Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen. I wonder who they are going to sign as their new coach and gm? Also, I personally think the Raiders HAVE to go after Gruden. This is their shot to get back to being a winner. I also would love it if Chucky became the new Cowboys coach. Thank god we fired Brian Stewart and our special teams coach, hopefully Garrett gets the Rams gig and leaves us too. Now get rid of FAT PHILLIPS!
Time for a great weekend
First off, last night had a couple of awesome NBA games. The Cavaliers/Bulls game was a really entertaining game. I'm happy the Bulls won because now the Lakers again have the top record in the NBA. Lebron James had a bad game, at least by his standards (28 points, but on 8-28 shooting and missed like 10 straight shots at one point) which was the main reason the Cavs lost. It also hurt them that Delonte West got hurt. We'll see how they come back from this loss, they've now lost 3 of their last 4 road games.
The Nuggets game against the Suns was just as entertaining. That Kenyon Martin three pointer at the end of the game was shocking to say the least. As the commentators were saying, this game was a roller coaster. Doug Collins described it perfectly when he said the winning team (in this case the Nuggets) did not win, but survived. Chauncey Billups has really changed the culture in Denver, I think he should be considered an MVP candidate, along with Kobe and Lebron.
As for this weekend, it should be amazing. Texas Tech takes on Texas in basketball tomorrow at 3:00 central time (4:00 eastern) and I'll be attending the game. Also, Masar's number one ranked Pitt Panthers take on #20 Louisville. Should be an exciting game, I'll try to get some first hand analysis from Masar tomorrow (if he watches the game).
Tonight we've got Magic at the Lakers, and Hornets at the Cavs. Spurs at Sixers should also be interesting. If you are thinking about upsets, I see the Timberwolves beating the Suns tonight in Phoenix. It's a trap game for the Suns (losing a tough game and playing at home after a back to back).
Here's the playoff analysis:
Eagles at Cardinals
I am changing my Eagles and Cardinals pick. I had the Eagles winning, but now I can't believe I'm doing this but I think the Cardinals win. The Cardinals defense is playing so well, Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald are on fire, and the Cardinals are a really good home team. Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid are 1-3 in NFC Championship games. They've also lost to Kurt Warner and a pass-happy offense before, when they lost to the Rams in 2001.
It helps the Cardinals a lot that they will have Anquan Boldin back. I see the Cardinals protecting Warner and giving him time. Fitzgerald will have at least two touchdowns. The Cardinals defense has been playing amazing, Brian Westbrook and Buckhalter will continue to struggle, and the secondary will stop McNabb and his receivers. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been playing his butt off during the playoffs, he'll have a pick tomorrow. Bertrand Berry has been playing awesome, leading that defensive line. The Cardinals win this game 31-24.
Ravens at Steelers
This is going to be a tough, physical battle. The Ravens should have won the last game, Santonio Holmes DID NOT get that touchdown. The ball NEVER crossed the plane. I think the difference in this game will be which defense forces more turnovers. The Ravens defense has been doing that a lot during the playoffs, and had the most takeaways during the regular season as well.
Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger are both good quarterbacks, but Roethlisberger is banged up and Flacco is a rookie. I actually think Flacco will do better than Big Ben because the coaches will not set him up to fail. They will run the ball a lot and pick their spots as to when to throw the ball. The Ravens will win this game and go to the Super Bowl because this just looks like the year of the Raven....they win 16-14.
In the next few days I'll try and do a report on baseball free agent signings this offseason. I'll also start preparing a mock draft. Check back for these things in the days to come.
The Nuggets game against the Suns was just as entertaining. That Kenyon Martin three pointer at the end of the game was shocking to say the least. As the commentators were saying, this game was a roller coaster. Doug Collins described it perfectly when he said the winning team (in this case the Nuggets) did not win, but survived. Chauncey Billups has really changed the culture in Denver, I think he should be considered an MVP candidate, along with Kobe and Lebron.
As for this weekend, it should be amazing. Texas Tech takes on Texas in basketball tomorrow at 3:00 central time (4:00 eastern) and I'll be attending the game. Also, Masar's number one ranked Pitt Panthers take on #20 Louisville. Should be an exciting game, I'll try to get some first hand analysis from Masar tomorrow (if he watches the game).
Tonight we've got Magic at the Lakers, and Hornets at the Cavs. Spurs at Sixers should also be interesting. If you are thinking about upsets, I see the Timberwolves beating the Suns tonight in Phoenix. It's a trap game for the Suns (losing a tough game and playing at home after a back to back).
Here's the playoff analysis:
Eagles at Cardinals
I am changing my Eagles and Cardinals pick. I had the Eagles winning, but now I can't believe I'm doing this but I think the Cardinals win. The Cardinals defense is playing so well, Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald are on fire, and the Cardinals are a really good home team. Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid are 1-3 in NFC Championship games. They've also lost to Kurt Warner and a pass-happy offense before, when they lost to the Rams in 2001.
It helps the Cardinals a lot that they will have Anquan Boldin back. I see the Cardinals protecting Warner and giving him time. Fitzgerald will have at least two touchdowns. The Cardinals defense has been playing amazing, Brian Westbrook and Buckhalter will continue to struggle, and the secondary will stop McNabb and his receivers. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been playing his butt off during the playoffs, he'll have a pick tomorrow. Bertrand Berry has been playing awesome, leading that defensive line. The Cardinals win this game 31-24.
Ravens at Steelers
This is going to be a tough, physical battle. The Ravens should have won the last game, Santonio Holmes DID NOT get that touchdown. The ball NEVER crossed the plane. I think the difference in this game will be which defense forces more turnovers. The Ravens defense has been doing that a lot during the playoffs, and had the most takeaways during the regular season as well.
Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger are both good quarterbacks, but Roethlisberger is banged up and Flacco is a rookie. I actually think Flacco will do better than Big Ben because the coaches will not set him up to fail. They will run the ball a lot and pick their spots as to when to throw the ball. The Ravens will win this game and go to the Super Bowl because this just looks like the year of the Raven....they win 16-14.
In the next few days I'll try and do a report on baseball free agent signings this offseason. I'll also start preparing a mock draft. Check back for these things in the days to come.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
What else is new
The Lakers lost to the Spurs in a painful way. What else is new? At least it wasn't a 40 point blowout loss again. What I want to know is why did Kobe pass to Ariza? There's a point where you have to be selfish and take the last shot yourself. Kobe Bryant is the most clutch player in the NBA, I want him taking the last shot, not passing it up. Also, Phil Jackson is a moron. Why is Sun Yue playing against the Spurs? Why is Gasol coming in for a red-hot Josh Powell with 3 minutes left? Take out Ariza or somebody and put in Gasol, but leave Powell out there. Also, why did Kobe not come into the game in the 4th quarter until there was about 7:45 left in the game? I don't know but it might have been helpful had he played a little bit more in the most important moments of the game.
Along with the poor lineups and decision making, the defense was not good. Yes the Spurs were playing really well, but Ariza had so many stupid plays it's unbelievable. He gave the Spurs 5-6 points due to stupid fouls on 3 point shots. Also, STAY IN FRONT OF TONY PARKER! When they did that, they stopped the Spurs. Roger Mason is good, but he shouldn't be nailing shots on the Lakers at the end of games. The Lakers aren't the Suns, or at least I hope they aren't.
Anyways, I'll be doing analysis later, but my predictions right now are the Ravens beat the Steelers and the Eagles beat the Cardinals. Stay tuned for the analysis in a little bit.
Along with the poor lineups and decision making, the defense was not good. Yes the Spurs were playing really well, but Ariza had so many stupid plays it's unbelievable. He gave the Spurs 5-6 points due to stupid fouls on 3 point shots. Also, STAY IN FRONT OF TONY PARKER! When they did that, they stopped the Spurs. Roger Mason is good, but he shouldn't be nailing shots on the Lakers at the end of games. The Lakers aren't the Suns, or at least I hope they aren't.
Anyways, I'll be doing analysis later, but my predictions right now are the Ravens beat the Steelers and the Eagles beat the Cardinals. Stay tuned for the analysis in a little bit.
Friday, January 9, 2009
NBA Summary
It was a really interesting night in the NBA tonight. The big game, as I wrote earlier, was the Cavs/Celtics game. The Cavs took it really hard to the Celtics and won the game 98-83. Watching the game, Lebron James has officially become one of the top defenders in the game today. He completely shut down Paul Pierce all game long. He also scored at will and distributed the ball nicely. The Cavs looked really, really good. They are definitely a contender for the NBA championship, and right now look like the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics are officially in shambles. They looked terrible tonight. They need to figure things out fast before they completely let the ship sink. Not only is their offense struggling, but the defense is struggling. The Celtics win games because of their defense. They are nothing if their strategy for winning continues to fail.
In the other games, the Magic completely dismantled the Hawks, the Pistons squeeked by the Nuggets, and the Suns destroyed the Mavs. In the Magic game, Jameer Nelson had an amazing game with nine assists and zero turnovers, talk about efficiency from your point guard. Hedo Turkoglu was 5-5 from three point range. In my opinion he is an All-Star lock, but we shall see.
In the Pistons/Nuggets game, the Nuggets blew a 30 point lead, and Iverson had 23 points. With 20 seconds left, Tayshaun Prince hit a shot to give the Pistons the lead, their first of the game. What a great comeback, and what a collapse by the Nuggets.
The game of the night might have been the Nets taking on the Bucks in Milwaukee. It was Richard Jefferson's first game against the Nets since they traded him to the Bucks during the summer. The Bucks won the game with .5 seconds left when Luke Ridnour made a floater. Sounds like it was a great finish to an exciting game.
Can't wait until tomorrow for another great day of sports, including many NCAA basketball games.
The Celtics are officially in shambles. They looked terrible tonight. They need to figure things out fast before they completely let the ship sink. Not only is their offense struggling, but the defense is struggling. The Celtics win games because of their defense. They are nothing if their strategy for winning continues to fail.
In the other games, the Magic completely dismantled the Hawks, the Pistons squeeked by the Nuggets, and the Suns destroyed the Mavs. In the Magic game, Jameer Nelson had an amazing game with nine assists and zero turnovers, talk about efficiency from your point guard. Hedo Turkoglu was 5-5 from three point range. In my opinion he is an All-Star lock, but we shall see.
In the Pistons/Nuggets game, the Nuggets blew a 30 point lead, and Iverson had 23 points. With 20 seconds left, Tayshaun Prince hit a shot to give the Pistons the lead, their first of the game. What a great comeback, and what a collapse by the Nuggets.
The game of the night might have been the Nets taking on the Bucks in Milwaukee. It was Richard Jefferson's first game against the Nets since they traded him to the Bucks during the summer. The Bucks won the game with .5 seconds left when Luke Ridnour made a floater. Sounds like it was a great finish to an exciting game.
Can't wait until tomorrow for another great day of sports, including many NCAA basketball games.
Big Game Tonight
There is a huge game in the NBA tonight. The Boston Celtics take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8:00 et on ESPN. The Celtics are 29-8, and have been struggling since losing to my Lakers on Christmas. The Cavs are 28-6, and 19-0 at home. This is the biggest game of the season so far, it has playoff implications because of how it affects the race for home-court advantage.
Both teams are really good on defense, so it could be low scoring. On the same token, there are four superstars in this game (KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Lebron), plus they are two of the top ten highest scoring teams, so there could be some scoring in this game too.
The Cavaliers want to send a message that they are the best team in the Eastern Conference, by defeating the defending league champs. They also want to send the message that the road to the Finals goes through Cleveland. The Celtics want to send a message that they are still here, and dominant. It would completely turn things around for them if they were able to hand the Cavs their first home loss of the season. I can't wait to watch this game later tonight. Go Cavs! Lebron is on my fantasy team, and I hate the Celtics (Boston sports in general).
Other games to watch out for: Hawks @ Magic, Mavs @ Suns, and Pistons @ Nuggets. Allen Iverson will be making his first appearance in Denver since being traded to the Pistons earlier this season. The Hawks/Magic game is a matchup of two of the East's best teams. The Mavs/Suns game is a matchup of two playoff hopefuls who aren't playing as well as they would have hoped.
Both teams are really good on defense, so it could be low scoring. On the same token, there are four superstars in this game (KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Lebron), plus they are two of the top ten highest scoring teams, so there could be some scoring in this game too.
The Cavaliers want to send a message that they are the best team in the Eastern Conference, by defeating the defending league champs. They also want to send the message that the road to the Finals goes through Cleveland. The Celtics want to send a message that they are still here, and dominant. It would completely turn things around for them if they were able to hand the Cavs their first home loss of the season. I can't wait to watch this game later tonight. Go Cavs! Lebron is on my fantasy team, and I hate the Celtics (Boston sports in general).
Other games to watch out for: Hawks @ Magic, Mavs @ Suns, and Pistons @ Nuggets. Allen Iverson will be making his first appearance in Denver since being traded to the Pistons earlier this season. The Hawks/Magic game is a matchup of two of the East's best teams. The Mavs/Suns game is a matchup of two playoff hopefuls who aren't playing as well as they would have hoped.
The True Champion
So last night Florida defeated Oklahoma, winning their second championship in three seasons. Of course I was wrong yet again with a prediction.
I do not agree that Florida really "won" a championship though. They are the champions because they benefitted from a flawed system in which biased pollsters and computers that can't think, decide who the champion is from a select few schools. Before the season starts, 110 teams, approximately, are automatically out of championship contention. Florida and Oklahoma can lose games and it doesn't even hurt them. Texas and USC lost one game each, being punished for it. Because of biases, USC was still able to remain ahead of other more deserving teams throughout the season (at the time though, now I fully feel they are deserving of possibly being national champion). Texas Tech lost to Oklahoma and their season was over. The whole system is a complete joke. Utah lost ZERO games this year, was undefeated, and does not even get serious championship consideration. Screw the BCS and get a freaking playoff system like any other real sport.
Texas, Florida, USC, and Utah all have legitimate arguments for being national champion (TOO BAD THEY AREN'T PLAYING IT OUT ON THE FIELD SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY KNOW WHO REALLY IS), but I think Utah really got shammed. I don't care if they play in a "lesser" conference. Who is anyone to determine what is a lesser conference, and what is a major conference? If a team is good, a team is good. Utah was UNDEFEATED. They beat Alabama, a team that was ranked number one for five weeks. They beat them by more points than Florida did. Utah also beat TCU. Also, I don't care what conference a team plays in, undefeated is undefeated. If it was so easy, more teams would do it and it would happen more often. I would really like to see the champion be decided on a field, but if I had to choose one team just from what they've shown this season, my vote goes to Utah as the NCAA football national champion.
Finally, here's my predictions for this weekend's playoff games:
Ravens @ Titans -
I totally disrespected the Ravens. That defense is amazing, especially since they have God, aka Ed Reed on their team. The Ravens will shut down the Titans running game (they have the longest streak in the NFL without allowing a 100 yard rusher at 36 games and counting) and Ed Reed will wreck havoc for Kerry Collins. Don't forget, this used to be one of the most bitter rivalries in the NFL before the divisions were re-aligned. The Titans defense is really good too, but I think the Ravens offense will do barely what it has to, to win the game. It also helps when the defense is scoring touchdowns for you. Also, the last time the Ravens played a playoff game in Tennessee, they beat the Titans on their way to winning the Super Bowl. My final score is Ravens win the game 10-7.
Cardinals @ Panthers -
I underestimated the Cardinals, and overestimated the Falcons. However, the Panthers are the real deal, and they are healthy. Also, the Cardinals are nowhere close to as good on the road as they are at home. This should be an easy win for the Panthers. Deangelo Williams will run the ball easily and Steve Smith will have a field day. The Cardinals will have to be one dimensional and pass the ball to keep up with the Panthers. Also, Anquan Boldin might not be healthy for this game. The final score for this game is Panthers win 38-17.
Eagles @ Giants -
Another matchup between two bitter NFC East rivals. They split the season series 1-1, with the Eagles winning the most recent matchup. This will be another physical battle. Brandon Jacobs should be back from his knee injury. However, Donovan McNabb is on fire. He'll lead the Eagles to the NFC Championship game yet again. Manning will do what he can to get the Giants the win, but he's going to really miss not having Plaxico Burress to get plays with. I also just don't see them moving the ball easily on the Eagles defense. Jim Johnson is one of the best in the game. Eagles win the game 24-21.
Chargers @ Steelers -
This might be the best game of them all. The Chargers are on fire, and the Steelers defense is still the best in the game. The Steelers won the last matchup between these teams 11-10 earlier this season. The Chargers are much, much better than they were at the time, but they will miss LT. Darren Sproles can't and won't run against the Steelers defense at all, they are just too good. Philip Rivers will do his best, but it won't be enough against such a great defense. Troy Palamalu will make plays, and James Harrison will continue to wreck havoc. The Chargers will find a way to score a couple of touchdowns, but the Steelers offense will do just enough to win. Hines Ward is the toughest receiver in the game, and Willie Parker will have a good game. I also expect Santonio Holmes to make a couple of big plays. The key for the Steelers is to protect Ben Roethlisberger. I believe they will, and they'll win the game 20-14.
I do not agree that Florida really "won" a championship though. They are the champions because they benefitted from a flawed system in which biased pollsters and computers that can't think, decide who the champion is from a select few schools. Before the season starts, 110 teams, approximately, are automatically out of championship contention. Florida and Oklahoma can lose games and it doesn't even hurt them. Texas and USC lost one game each, being punished for it. Because of biases, USC was still able to remain ahead of other more deserving teams throughout the season (at the time though, now I fully feel they are deserving of possibly being national champion). Texas Tech lost to Oklahoma and their season was over. The whole system is a complete joke. Utah lost ZERO games this year, was undefeated, and does not even get serious championship consideration. Screw the BCS and get a freaking playoff system like any other real sport.
Texas, Florida, USC, and Utah all have legitimate arguments for being national champion (TOO BAD THEY AREN'T PLAYING IT OUT ON THE FIELD SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY KNOW WHO REALLY IS), but I think Utah really got shammed. I don't care if they play in a "lesser" conference. Who is anyone to determine what is a lesser conference, and what is a major conference? If a team is good, a team is good. Utah was UNDEFEATED. They beat Alabama, a team that was ranked number one for five weeks. They beat them by more points than Florida did. Utah also beat TCU. Also, I don't care what conference a team plays in, undefeated is undefeated. If it was so easy, more teams would do it and it would happen more often. I would really like to see the champion be decided on a field, but if I had to choose one team just from what they've shown this season, my vote goes to Utah as the NCAA football national champion.
Finally, here's my predictions for this weekend's playoff games:
Ravens @ Titans -
I totally disrespected the Ravens. That defense is amazing, especially since they have God, aka Ed Reed on their team. The Ravens will shut down the Titans running game (they have the longest streak in the NFL without allowing a 100 yard rusher at 36 games and counting) and Ed Reed will wreck havoc for Kerry Collins. Don't forget, this used to be one of the most bitter rivalries in the NFL before the divisions were re-aligned. The Titans defense is really good too, but I think the Ravens offense will do barely what it has to, to win the game. It also helps when the defense is scoring touchdowns for you. Also, the last time the Ravens played a playoff game in Tennessee, they beat the Titans on their way to winning the Super Bowl. My final score is Ravens win the game 10-7.
Cardinals @ Panthers -
I underestimated the Cardinals, and overestimated the Falcons. However, the Panthers are the real deal, and they are healthy. Also, the Cardinals are nowhere close to as good on the road as they are at home. This should be an easy win for the Panthers. Deangelo Williams will run the ball easily and Steve Smith will have a field day. The Cardinals will have to be one dimensional and pass the ball to keep up with the Panthers. Also, Anquan Boldin might not be healthy for this game. The final score for this game is Panthers win 38-17.
Eagles @ Giants -
Another matchup between two bitter NFC East rivals. They split the season series 1-1, with the Eagles winning the most recent matchup. This will be another physical battle. Brandon Jacobs should be back from his knee injury. However, Donovan McNabb is on fire. He'll lead the Eagles to the NFC Championship game yet again. Manning will do what he can to get the Giants the win, but he's going to really miss not having Plaxico Burress to get plays with. I also just don't see them moving the ball easily on the Eagles defense. Jim Johnson is one of the best in the game. Eagles win the game 24-21.
Chargers @ Steelers -
This might be the best game of them all. The Chargers are on fire, and the Steelers defense is still the best in the game. The Steelers won the last matchup between these teams 11-10 earlier this season. The Chargers are much, much better than they were at the time, but they will miss LT. Darren Sproles can't and won't run against the Steelers defense at all, they are just too good. Philip Rivers will do his best, but it won't be enough against such a great defense. Troy Palamalu will make plays, and James Harrison will continue to wreck havoc. The Chargers will find a way to score a couple of touchdowns, but the Steelers offense will do just enough to win. Hines Ward is the toughest receiver in the game, and Willie Parker will have a good game. I also expect Santonio Holmes to make a couple of big plays. The key for the Steelers is to protect Ben Roethlisberger. I believe they will, and they'll win the game 20-14.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
BCS
It sure does suck when every single prediction you make is wrong. Thanks Masar for stressing just how poorly I did making predictions! Speaking of Masar, the conflict in the Middle East is reaching new heights; for updates and an interesting perspective of the conflict through the Palestinians' point of view, visit his blog, The Arab Renegade Blog.
Tonight is the BCS National Championship Game. I think the BCS is a load of crap and a complete joke. This goes farther than being a Texas Tech fan. This is what I think as a sports fan. Anyone in their right mind agrees that college football NEEDS a playoff system. It's truly ridiculous to have the champion determined by a bunch of selfish voters, and computers. Let the players prove they are the champion on the field. Even if it means the government getting involved, I want there to be a true playoff system. This would be one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports.
As for who I think will win, I honestly believe Oklahoma will win. They are truly unstoppable on offense, though I have to agree it hurts them that Demarco Murray isn't playing. I hope Oklahoma wins and earns the Big 12 the respect it deserves.
Tonight is the BCS National Championship Game. I think the BCS is a load of crap and a complete joke. This goes farther than being a Texas Tech fan. This is what I think as a sports fan. Anyone in their right mind agrees that college football NEEDS a playoff system. It's truly ridiculous to have the champion determined by a bunch of selfish voters, and computers. Let the players prove they are the champion on the field. Even if it means the government getting involved, I want there to be a true playoff system. This would be one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports.
As for who I think will win, I honestly believe Oklahoma will win. They are truly unstoppable on offense, though I have to agree it hurts them that Demarco Murray isn't playing. I hope Oklahoma wins and earns the Big 12 the respect it deserves.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Chargers/Colts
As promised, I will make my prediction for the Saturday night playoff game between the Colts and Chargers.
First of all, the game is in San Diego, but I do not see that being a major factor in the game because the Colts have the ability to play well on the road.
This game should be outstanding. Philip Rivers was the highest rated quarterback in the NFL this year, and Peyton Manning is the league MVP. Both teams are hot as can be, the Chargers have won four straight and the Colts have won their last nine.
The key factors in this game will be how the Colts' defense handles the San Diego offense, containing LT and Rivers. The other factor will be how the Chargers defense disrupts the Colts offense. The Chargers must get pressure on Manning, and the corners must cover their matchups. The Chargers must also shut down the Colts running game to make Indy one-dimensional.
The key players in this game will be Antonio Cromartie, Quentin Jammer, and Shaun Phillips for the Chargers, and the key players for the Colts will be Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, and Dwight Freeney. Cromartie and Jammer must cover their men one on one, and Phillips must make big plays. Also for the Chargers, they NEED LaDainian Tomlinson to play well. For the Colts, Dallas Clark has to be the guy that makes the plays for the Colts offense in the passing game, and Addai must be successful running the ball. Dwight Freeney has been quiet this year, but look for him to make some noise in this game and disrupt Philip Rivers' timing.
Finally, while I love Norv Turner as a coach, he is not close to being the coach that Tony Dungy is. Coaching always plays a big role in the playoffs and Dungy is one of the best in the history of the sport.
Final prediction: Colts win the game 27-24.
First of all, the game is in San Diego, but I do not see that being a major factor in the game because the Colts have the ability to play well on the road.
This game should be outstanding. Philip Rivers was the highest rated quarterback in the NFL this year, and Peyton Manning is the league MVP. Both teams are hot as can be, the Chargers have won four straight and the Colts have won their last nine.
The key factors in this game will be how the Colts' defense handles the San Diego offense, containing LT and Rivers. The other factor will be how the Chargers defense disrupts the Colts offense. The Chargers must get pressure on Manning, and the corners must cover their matchups. The Chargers must also shut down the Colts running game to make Indy one-dimensional.
The key players in this game will be Antonio Cromartie, Quentin Jammer, and Shaun Phillips for the Chargers, and the key players for the Colts will be Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, and Dwight Freeney. Cromartie and Jammer must cover their men one on one, and Phillips must make big plays. Also for the Chargers, they NEED LaDainian Tomlinson to play well. For the Colts, Dallas Clark has to be the guy that makes the plays for the Colts offense in the passing game, and Addai must be successful running the ball. Dwight Freeney has been quiet this year, but look for him to make some noise in this game and disrupt Philip Rivers' timing.
Finally, while I love Norv Turner as a coach, he is not close to being the coach that Tony Dungy is. Coaching always plays a big role in the playoffs and Dungy is one of the best in the history of the sport.
Final prediction: Colts win the game 27-24.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Bitter sweet
For what is probably the greatest season in the history of Texas Tech football, the ending to the season could not have been more disappointing. Losing terribly to Oklahoma and then getting blown out of the Cotton Bowl by Ole Miss after having a 14-0 lead is not exactly the ending we were looking forward to.
After Darcel McBath's interception return touchdown, I was feeling pretty confident about the game. Boy did I feel dumb after that safety in the fourth quarter that put us down 40-28.
With Harrell graduating and Crabtree likely leaving for the NFL Draft, I'm not exactly sure what to think. This season was so memorable, but the ending was sour. Is this the best that Texas Tech football had to offer? Not much can be expected with so much talent leaving, as well as knowing that it is unlikely that Texas Tech could ever possibly put together a better team than this season's.
Besides Texas Tech, this was an interesting day in sports. The Sugar Bowl outcome was SHOCKING. I did not in the least bit expect Utah to beat Alabama, even less expecting them to beat them so badly.
In the NBA I am impressed that the Raptors beat the Rockets by 21. I was impressed by the Nets defeat of the Hawks, Devin Harris is a beast. The Blazers showed nothing against the Hornets, but not much can be taken out of that game because Brandon Roy did not play. As expected, the Celtics, Cavs, and Lakers all showed everyone how good they are by blowing out their opponents. Kobe went off for 40 just like I said he would.
Finally, rumor has it that the Giants are making an offer to Manny Ramirez, possibly for four years. I pray to god that this is true. As a Giants fan I would love nothing more than to have Manny in our lineup. Come on Brian Sabean!!!
After Darcel McBath's interception return touchdown, I was feeling pretty confident about the game. Boy did I feel dumb after that safety in the fourth quarter that put us down 40-28.
With Harrell graduating and Crabtree likely leaving for the NFL Draft, I'm not exactly sure what to think. This season was so memorable, but the ending was sour. Is this the best that Texas Tech football had to offer? Not much can be expected with so much talent leaving, as well as knowing that it is unlikely that Texas Tech could ever possibly put together a better team than this season's.
Besides Texas Tech, this was an interesting day in sports. The Sugar Bowl outcome was SHOCKING. I did not in the least bit expect Utah to beat Alabama, even less expecting them to beat them so badly.
In the NBA I am impressed that the Raptors beat the Rockets by 21. I was impressed by the Nets defeat of the Hawks, Devin Harris is a beast. The Blazers showed nothing against the Hornets, but not much can be taken out of that game because Brandon Roy did not play. As expected, the Celtics, Cavs, and Lakers all showed everyone how good they are by blowing out their opponents. Kobe went off for 40 just like I said he would.
Finally, rumor has it that the Giants are making an offer to Manny Ramirez, possibly for four years. I pray to god that this is true. As a Giants fan I would love nothing more than to have Manny in our lineup. Come on Brian Sabean!!!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Exciting Weekend
Time for another great weekend of sports! We've got the Cotton Bowl, where hopefully as I predicted, my Red Raiders demolish Ole Miss. Also we've got the first NBA games of the new year as well as the NFL Wild Card round.
First off, my Showtime Lakers have a big game against the Jazz. Looking forward to seeing Kobe hopefully go off for 40, he has a history against Utah. There's a couple of other great NBA games to look forward to. The Hornets are in Portland to take on the Blazers, that should be an awesome game. Toronto against Houston should be good, as well as the all-Florida matchup of the Heat and Magic. One more interesting game should be the 76ers against the Mavs in a matchup of two mediocre teams that began the season with high playoff hopes. This could be a turning point in one of these two teams' seasons.
Finally, here is my first NFL Playoff matchup preview.
Our first game is the Atlanta Falcons versus the NFC West Champion Arizona Cardinals:
The Cardinals come in with their explosive passing offense, led by Kurt Warner and his two amazing receivers, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. The Falcons come in with one of the top running attacks in the NFL with Michael Turner. Of course they also have Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan.
What I think will be important in this game is how Atlanta's running game will allow them to keep the Cardinals' offense off the field. The Falcons will control time of possession. The Falcons also have a good defense that will shut down the poor Arizona running game, allowing them to concentrate on stopping the passing attack.
Arizona has a poor defense that will have a tough time stopping Atlanta's balanced offense. Also, the Cardinals have just plain out looked TERRIBLE in December. They are in the playoffs because they won a poor division.
A key factor could be that the game is in Arizona, but truth be known, the Cardinals do not have the strongest fan base. I love that Ken Whisenhunt has been able to lead them to the playoffs, and the fans are somewhat excited, but Atlanta's story is just too great. A rookie quarterback and head coach having the season they are having is just remarkable.
My final prediction: Falcons win the game 28-17.
First off, my Showtime Lakers have a big game against the Jazz. Looking forward to seeing Kobe hopefully go off for 40, he has a history against Utah. There's a couple of other great NBA games to look forward to. The Hornets are in Portland to take on the Blazers, that should be an awesome game. Toronto against Houston should be good, as well as the all-Florida matchup of the Heat and Magic. One more interesting game should be the 76ers against the Mavs in a matchup of two mediocre teams that began the season with high playoff hopes. This could be a turning point in one of these two teams' seasons.
Finally, here is my first NFL Playoff matchup preview.
Our first game is the Atlanta Falcons versus the NFC West Champion Arizona Cardinals:
The Cardinals come in with their explosive passing offense, led by Kurt Warner and his two amazing receivers, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. The Falcons come in with one of the top running attacks in the NFL with Michael Turner. Of course they also have Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan.
What I think will be important in this game is how Atlanta's running game will allow them to keep the Cardinals' offense off the field. The Falcons will control time of possession. The Falcons also have a good defense that will shut down the poor Arizona running game, allowing them to concentrate on stopping the passing attack.
Arizona has a poor defense that will have a tough time stopping Atlanta's balanced offense. Also, the Cardinals have just plain out looked TERRIBLE in December. They are in the playoffs because they won a poor division.
A key factor could be that the game is in Arizona, but truth be known, the Cardinals do not have the strongest fan base. I love that Ken Whisenhunt has been able to lead them to the playoffs, and the fans are somewhat excited, but Atlanta's story is just too great. A rookie quarterback and head coach having the season they are having is just remarkable.
My final prediction: Falcons win the game 28-17.
GO TECH!!!!
It's finally here: THE 2009 COTTON BOWL!!! WRECK EM TECH!!!
My prediction: Texas Tech destroys Ole Miss 51-21. Time for Graham and my boy Crabtree to show the nation that we were no fluke!
My prediction: Texas Tech destroys Ole Miss 51-21. Time for Graham and my boy Crabtree to show the nation that we were no fluke!
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