Sports Hype 101

NL East Preview

2009-04-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Phillies

2008 Record: (92-70)

Key Arrivals: Raul Ibanez, Chan Ho Park,

Key Departures: Pat Burrell, Tom Gordon, Geoff Jenkins

Strength: The Phillies strength lies with their offense and with their closer. With a line up that has Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley runs with come early and often. Even with the likes of Jason Werth, Matt Stairs and Raul Ibanez the big guns don’t have to perform on a nightly basis to give the pitching staff support. Brad Lidge returned to form recording 41 saves and if that keeps up you can count on the Phillies taking their fair share of close ball games.

Weakness: The pitching staff has a lot of potential but is not that intimidating. Plus after a long championship run last season fatigue might catch up with the defending champs.

It’s going to be another interesting season in for the defending NL East champs. With the Braves beefing up there pitching staff and the Mets determined to reclaim the division, Philadelphia is going to be in tough to Repeat. Raul Ibanez helps fill the void of Pat Burrell and with Ryan Howard slimming down 20 pounds and rejecting to play in the World Baseball Classic the offence should stay ahead of the class. If the Phillies can get from starter to closer without any major hiccups from the relievers than they can re-capture their form from a year ago.

2009 Projection: (88-74) 2nd in the NL East

New York Mets

2008 Record: (89-73)

Key Arrivals: Francisco Rodriguez, J.J Putz , Tim Redding

Key Departures: Endy Chavez, Aaron Heilman

Strength: The Mets are a well balanced team, but the one strong thing about them THIS YEAR is, their Bullpen. Not only did they sign single season saves leader Francisco Rodriguez but they acquired J.J Putz from the Seattle Mariners. That gives them a deadly one, two punch in the late stages of ball games. They also added Ron Villone from St. Louis Cardinals to strengthen the middle rotation.

Weakness: It’s hard to focus on one thing to be a weakness for the Mets. What they need to do is win in September. Period.

There is going to be a lot of excitement this year for the Mets, they will open a new stadium and hopefully that will bring the Mets some luck. The last 2 seasons the Mets have choked late in the season and than missed the playoffs. Additions like K-Rod and Putz, help the bullpen dramatically. They have an offense that gives pitchers fits. With Jose Reyes bouncing around on the base pads and David Wright and Carlos Delgado taking pitchers deep into the New York night this could be a memorable year for Mets faithful.

2009 Projection: (91-71) NL East Champions

Florida Marlins

2008 Record: (83-79)

Key Arrivals: Scott Proctor

Key Departures: Kevin Gregg, Mike Jacobs

Strength: The Marlins Pitching Staff is Young and Talented. Rickey Nolasco, Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad showed flashes of greatness last year. If they can build on that then the Marlins will steal some games in the NL East

Weakness: After sending Kevin Gregg to Chicago the Fish have handed the closers job to Matt Lidstrom, who looked good in that roll late last season. If he doesn’t perform look for Royal Leo Nunez to pick up the slack.

They’re young, they’re the lowest payroll in the Majors but the Marlins are fun to watch. There are still tons of questions surrounding this team, Can they perform at high level all season? Will the young pitchers wear down late and Can the Marlins close out games consistently? , but they should still make the NL East an interesting race.

2009 Projection: 80-82

Atlanta Braves

2008 Record: (72-90)

Key Arrivals: Garret Anderson, Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami

Key Departures: John Smoltz, Scott Thorman

Strength: Pitching, what was once a rich tradition in Atlanta seems to be back. The Braves improved their starting rotation this off-season by adding Derek Lowe, Javier Vasquez and Kenshin Kawakami. Also, the in-field should help keep a couple runs off the board of the opposition, Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are a deadly combination up the middle and with Chipper and Casey Kotchman patrolling the corners should make for some highlights in Hotlanta.
Weakness: Consistancy is going ot be the biggest problem for the Braves this season, its gonna take some time for the team to come together but they're on th right track to compete in sucha competative division.

2009 Projection: (82-80)

Washington Nationals

2008 Record: (59-102)

Key Arrivals: Adam Dunn, Kip Wells, Daniel Cabrera

Key Departures: Tim Redding, Chad Cordero

Strength: The Nationals need help but there pitching staff has improved, even though they lost Tim Redding, they added the likes of Daniel Cabrera, Kip Wells and Scott Olsen. This should help them win more than 59 games this season

Weakness: The Nationals need a lot more help than Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham to compete this season. Even though Dunn and Willingham are great pick ups the line-up is still looking weak.

The Nationals did a lot of upgrading over the off-season adding Adam Dunn , Josh Willingham, Daniel Cabrera and Scott Olsen. However, this will not translate in to a winning season. The Nationals will improve on the 59 win total they tallied from a year ago but they will not get out of the basement of NL East.

2009 Projection: 71-91

The NL East is going to be very competitive this year . Almost every team tried to upgrade their rosters so they can compete against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves and Marlins should keep the division close all year but the two real contenders if the division are the Mets and the Phillies. Judging by the last 2 seasons this should be one of the more interesting division races in the Majors.

NL East Standings

New York Mets 91-71
Philadelphia Phillies 88-74
Atlanta Braves 82-80
Florida Marlins 80-82
Washington Nationals 71-91

Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

Madness 101: Day 2 Sweet 16

2009-03-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

Just another day in the life of March Madness. Missouri absolutely ran all over Memphis, what was suppose to be a track meet turned out to be a one sided affair. The Tigers from Missouri ran up and down the floor on a Memphis team who looked like they had no idea who there Go to Guy was. They did however make it close at the end but a 24 point deficit will getcha ya everytime. Duke shot themselves into a deep hole against Villanova and just kept trying to dig themselves out by the jumpshot and it didn’t work. What was supposed to be a tight affair ended up being a thumping in favour of the Wildcats. As for the two number one seeds, UCONN looked like championship material, Purdue was in it early but UCONN pulled away late. As for Pittsburgh they really like to make things interesting don’t they? But they came thru for the, which has a shot for an all Big East Final Four.

Now on to today’s action, if it’s anything like yesterdays games we are in for a great night. Louisville and UNC look to advance and keep all 4 number ones hopes alive to repeat the all Number One seed Final Four. Also the best player in the country, Blake Griffin, looks to take on the Country’s hottest team in Syracuse.

Arizona vs. Louisville

Well for the Wildcats of Arizona this is better than anyone expected. Selection Sunday they were said to be lucky to make it, Round one they were seeded up against Utah, and Round 2 well who would of thought a 12 would face a 13 but it happened and Arizona has the toughest task of the 2009 Tourny, the Big East Champions Louisville Cardinals. The Cardinals had a tough time against upstart Sienna but eventually pulled away late. They might be in tough early against Arizona but I expect the Cardinals to win by 10 or more

My Final Prediction- Louisville wins big

Syracuse vs. Oklahoma

The best player in the Country takes on the hottest team in the Nation. This game could be the game of the night. Syracuse 2-3 zone has been giving fits to offences over the last 2 or 3 weeks and well Blake griffin has been giving fits to coaches around the Nation all season. Against Michigan he had a ridiculous 33 and 17 and he was getting elbowed and undercut all game. As for the ‘Cuse, well they have been shooting the lights out from beyond the 3 point line thanks to Devendorf and Rautins. Plus the way that this team is coming together the last couple of weeks it looks like a tough match up for the Sooners.

My Final Prediction- Oklahoma wins thanks to Blake Griffin

Kansas vs. Michigan st

The Defending National Champions are back in the sweet 16 and they are in tough against MichiganS. The Spartans and Jayhawks played earlier this season with the Spartans beating Kansas by 15. But that was before Kansas had an identity. The Jayhawks now know what it is they have to do to win and the last 3 weeks proves that. They are playing like the defending National Champions and that’s not good for Michigan St. Who had trouble against the surprising Pac 10 champions USC Trojans. If anything, Michigan St. has the power down low to contain Cole Aldrich and the speed at guard to stop Sherron Collins. Michigan St. Should get one step closer to the Final Four in their own back yard.

My Final Prediction- Michigan St in OT

UNC vs. Gonzaga

In the last game of the night you have the WCC Champions Gonzaga Bulldogs going up against pre-season favourite to win the National Title North Carolina Tar Heels. The Tar Heels seem to be running on all cylinders getting Ty Lawson back for the LSU game and Ellington and Green finding there scoring touch again. As for Gonzaga, they have spent the last 10 years trying to prove they can bang with the best and after receiving a number 4 seed in this years tourney it’s time to show it. I am hoping for an upset here just cause of where my heart lies in the ACC but with all the talent on North Carolina that might be hard to do

My Final Prediction- UNC wins big

Gotta Love the Madness

Nelson “Demon Seed” Swan

Madness 101: Sweet 16, How Sweet It Is!

2009-03-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

What a first weekend it was for college basketball fans. The first round had everything you could possible ask for, and more. We had upsets, we had surprisingly close games, we had games that came down to the last shot and we had blowouts, pretty much everything you could have expected. So what is in store for this weekend? Well.......let me try to predict what will happen.

Purdue vs. UCONN

UCONN is playing some of their best basketball of the season. The Huskies haven’t really been tested this tournament having two easy wins against Chattanooga and than in the second round against Texas A &M but none the less they have looked like a championship calibre team. Stanley Robinson has come to play and has shined as well as the known stars in Thabeet and Price. For Purdue, they’re going to need everyone on the roster to beat the Huskies. Coming of two close games in the first 2 rounds, the Boilermakers and Hummel are going to have to have the game of their lives just to have a chance against the number one seeded Huskies. If they can get Thabeet into foul trouble early than the Boilermakers have a chance to open the middle of the floor and attack the basket.

My final prediction- UCONN wins easily

Xavier vs. Pittsburgh

This Sweet 16 tilt is an interesting one. The Panthers have an arsenal of talent on their squad with the likes of Sam Young, Dejuan Blair, and Levance Fields and that alone should help them past the Xavier Musketeers. But Xavier isn’t going down so easily. They have a ton of talent on their team and can’t wait to show the world that this ``Mid Major`` team can beat a big school like Pittsburgh.

My Final Prediction- Pitt advances in a close affair

Missouri vs. Memphis

This game should be one of the more interesting games of the night. Not only does the teams share nicknames (Tigers), but they also share the same playing style. Both teams play with speed and intensity and this just makes for a great matchup. The interesting thing about this tilt is the last time the Memphis tigers lost a C-USA game to UAB about 62 games ago, the coach of that team was Mike Anderson, who just so happens to be the Coach of the Missouri team that plays Memphis tonight.

My Final Prediction- Memphis wins in a thrilling Victory

Villanova vs. Duke

What a way to cap off the night, NOVA and Duke. This game is unpredictable, the way that both teams have played , not only in this tournament but in the regular season as well, who knows what is going to happen in this game. Duke all year has had let downs in the second half of games and if that happens against the wildcats than Duke will be looking at a short visit to Boston. However Gereld Henderson dad`s won Championships with the Celtics in so I am sure he is going to want to show daddy he can ball in Boston too. Than again, Villanova is going to want to show the rest of the Nation that they can win in places other than Philadelphia and that they deserve to be mentioned with the likes of Pittsburgh, UCONN, Louisville and Syracuse. This one should be a doozy

My Final Prediction- Duke wins in a shocker

Now take what you want from my predictions and less than stellar blurbs of info. I don’t claim to be an expert just a long time fan but judging by my Brackets I might know a think or 2 about this tourny . Enjoy another wicked night and this weekend ill be on top of my game and preview every day this weekend

Nelson “Demon Seed” Swan

Madness 101: Breaking down (Day 1) of the Dribble

2009-03-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Sooo, after months of waiting, days of bracketololgy, it finally came. March Madness, one of the best times of the year. Now, people are probably wondering why i didn’t come out with a March Madness preview piece. Let’s be serious though, previewing or predicting the March Madness tournament is one of the hardest things to do. However, I will break down the first day and recap the best moments.

First up, Big shout out to the Boys from Ann Arbor , who haven’t been in the tournament for 11 years and still came up with an upset win against 7th ranked Clemson. Michigan seemed to run away with the game earlier, but Clemson didn’t go down without a fight and made it close, but not close enough. The Wolverines came away with a 3 point victory.

Congrats to VCU for coming 2 seconds away from another Eric Maynor Miracle. What a game that was. UCLA kept wanting to pull away but VCU kept hanging around, until finally it came down to Eric Maynor and the last shot of the game, unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be this year and UCLA squeezed by with a victory.

Memphis survived a scare from Cal St Northridge, if it wasn’t for Roburt Sallie the Tigers would have got bounced from the first round and we all know that most peoples brackets depend on Memphis going deep. Even Villanova had trouble with there first round match up on there home court no less, which is a blunder from the selection committee. Other than that all the top seeds advanced in convincing fashion. Yes even Duke did...no seriously they did.

What was with the brutal refing in the Western Kentucky game? The refs almost gave the game away to Illinois with a brutal call late in the game. With 32.6 seconds left Western Kentucky has to inbound the ball and as the player is doing so it bounces of the hand of the Illinois defender and bounces off the ground out of bounds and an Illinois player picks it up while standing out of bounds. The guys in stripes even looked back at the replays and still gave the ball to the Fighting Illini. Thank god Western Kentucky held on for the win and more importantly the win for my perfect round 1 bracket.

Blake Griffin was throwing over a Morgan State players’ back near the end of a blow out win. Watch to see how many times that will happen as 2 players this year have already been suspended for taking cheap shots at the National Player of the Year.

Well that’s day one in a nutshell, be sure to stay tuned for the daily updates from yours truly.

Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

Madness 101: The Battle of Tobacco Road

2009-03-05T02:14:00.000-08:00

This Sunday will renew one of the biggest rivalries in College sports. Duke vs North Carolina. It’s a rivalry that is 89 years in the making. The schools are separated by roughly 8 miles and every time these two powerhouses meet it’s a game for the ages and Sunday will be no different. With a win on Sunday UNC can capture the ACC regular season title, with a loss they will share the title with The Blue devils. Of course this is just the calm before the storm.

These two teams will close out the ACC regular season playing each other and most of the time it will determine who will win the ACC regular season title. Combined these two North Carolina based teams have 79% of the conference's regular season titles and 58% of the tournament titles since the ACC's founding in 1953. With the ACC being one of the toughest in Men’s College basketball it’s amazing that the percentages are so huge. Both Schools are in the top 5 for most victories programs (UNC 2nd, Duke 4th) and both schools are in the top 5 for national Championship (UNC 4, 4th all time, Duke 3 tied for 5th).

The Tar Heels are coming of a win over Virginia Tech, as for the Dukies there coming off a close win over no. 25 Florida State. Both have been ranked in the top 25 for the whole season and whoever wins on Sunday will help cement there number one spot for the ACC tournament.

Head to Head

W-L PF PA HOME ROAD STK
DUKE 25-5 79.0 65.2 16-1 6-4 W5

UNC 26-3 91.7 72.7 13-1 10-2 W2

Leading Scorers:

Gerald Henderson 16.7 Tyler Hansbrough 21.3

Leading Rebounder:

Kyle Singlar 7.7 Tyler Hansbrough 7.8

Leading Assits:

Jon Sheyer 2.8 Ty Lawson 6.5

All signs point to a North Carolina Tar Heels win, however in sports you just never know and Sunday at 4pm we shall get our answer.

Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

Madness 101: 57 and Counting

2009-03-05T01:29:00.001-08:00

As we get closer to the Madness, there is an outstanding story that is getting no recognition. Has anybody noticed that the Memphis Tigers have reeled off 57 straight Conference USA wins? Anybody? They stand 15-0 in the conference after their 69-60 win in Houston on Wednesday night. If they win their last game against Tulane and at least 2 more times in the C-USA tournament-which is on the home floor no doubt- than the Memphis Tigers will own the 2nd best conference winning streak in NCAA Division 1 history. To add to that if they win with 3 more wins this season they will have put together the best four year stretch of victories with 134. And now one seems to care

Coming into the year the Tigers were not expected to be in the position they are in today. By Monday the Tigers could end up being ranked number one in the Country. After losing Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey and eventual number one pick Derrick Rose to the NBA draft; everyone thought that Memphis would take a step back. That is the furthest thing from the truth. The Tigers are almost exactly where they were last season sitting at 27-3 and one win away from another perfect regular season. Yet there are still people that doubt them, having only played one other team ranked in the top 25 in their conference (UAB #25 2006) during this streak I can see why people think the Memphis Tigers are “Paper Tigers”. But let’s not forget those same people last year who thought that Memphis was over rated were shocked when they up 50-20 on Michigan State, or even whey they beat Texas by 18 in Houston. They even beat UCLA by 15. And how could we forget they were one game away from a National Championship and if it wasn’t for Mario Chalmers hitting a huge 3 in the late stages of that game, or Coach John Calipari forgetting to call a time out, who knows what would have happened.

Even though the Tigers are not in on of the Major Six Conferences in Division 1 its still amazing to me what that School has done in the last 4 years. So when it comes to bracket time and your thinking of having Memphis bow out in the early rounds…..I suggest you think better of it.

Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

Madness 101: The Curse of Number One

2009-02-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be number one, in whatever I was doing. Whether it is in sports or in academics I always wanted to be ranked number 1. It’s just in human nature to strive to be the best. Or is it? If we take a look at what has taken place atop the polls throughout this current NCAA Men’s Basketball season it looks like there is a Curse of the Number One Seed.

At the start of the season the pre-season polls had North Carolina ranked number one, and rightfully so. On paper they had the best talent in the country and they had senior Tyler Hansbrough returning for his final season and coming of a year were he accepted numerous awards, including Player of the Year. They also had Ty Lawson coming back after he decided to stay for his junior season. UNC rolled through the first half of there schedule romping teams by 10, 20 and even 30 points a game. Than when Conference play started the Curse of the Number One seed hit. North Carolina had what was thought to be an easy match up against Boston College in their conference play opener and it was far from it. UNC ended up losing there game to BC and to follow that up their next game against a conference opponent was against undefeated Wake Forest and the next thing the tar heels knew they were 0-2 in ACC play and bounced from the number one spot.

For the next 2 weeks the number one spot was held by Pittsburgh from the Big East. They, like UNC, were rolling through there non conference schedule and even had a 4-0 record in Big East play. One of those wins coming against Georgetown who for the last couple of years seemed to rule the Big East and seemed to be in for a good season even this year. But all those wins did not matter to Louisville. They didn’t care about Pitts 4-0 conference record or the fact they handed Georgetown a big loss on Georgetown’s own court. All Louisville knew was they had a date with the current number one ranked team in Pittsburgh and they wanted to prove to the world they should be considered a contender. And they did, after they beat Pitt at home in an entertaining game 69-63. 1 day after being ranked # 1 for the second straight week.

Wake Forest didn’t mind that Pittsburgh was bit by the Curse because after surprising the world and beating UNC wake went on to beat up on Boston College and than went into Clemson and beat the undefeated Tigers on their home court. Then the Curse struck again. Wake had what was thought to be a walk in the park game against Virginia Tech, but that was far from the case. The Hoakies went in to Wake Forest and stunned the freshly crowned # 1 seed 78-71. But Wake Forest would get its revenge on the curse

Duke who as a whole seemed to be cursed for one reason or another, had its date with the number one seed in the country and boy was it short lived. Coming a massive thrashing of Maryland, Duke was looking at a road game against Wake the team that they just over took in the Polls as the number one seed. The Blue Devils, which has had much luck in recent years, looked sluggish all game and even trailed by double digits late in the game. But Duke made a push late and ended up tying the game and it almost looked like they looked the curse in the face and said “Not This Week”, but the curse proved to be more powerful than the great wizard Dumbledore for the harry Potter novels and Wake ended up scoring on an easy inbound play with 2 seconds left.

UConn who is currently ranked number one has the longest ranked streak after UNC with 3 weeks atop the polls but after their loss on Monday to Pittsburgh at home, Connecticut looks to be dethroned by the Curse. They had a nice run at the top beating some big teams and having a 13 game win streak going into the game against Pittsburgh. This game was huge not only for the polls but also the Big East in general. Sophomore Dejaun Blair was tired of hearing about how good Hasheem Thabeet was and decided to use this game to show the world he was the big man in the Big East. Blair held Thabeet to 5 points and 4 rebounds while collecting 22 points and an outstanding 23 rebounds against the Big East rivals. Not to mention the Huskies lost Jerome Dyson in a game against Syracuse while being ranked number one.

But the most surprising case of The Curse of the Number One Seed is how badly it hit Oklahoma. After UConn lost to Pittsburgh all Oklahoma had to do was win its only game of the week against Big 12 rival Texas and the Number one seed was all Oklahoma’s. But the Curse struck them in the middle of the game against Texas before the new polls were even released. Right before the half Blake Griffin was hit in the nose by Texas Centre Dexter Pittman accidently and Blake griffin sat out the rest of the half. Trailing 34-29 the doctors on the Oklahoma bench decided to keep Griffin out with what appeared to be a concussion. Talk about your bad luck. The Sooners tried to make a run for it but the loss of Griffin was too much even behind Freshman Willie Warren’s 27 point performance.

Believe what you want, bit from what I have seen with my own eyes its apparent there is a Curse of the Number One Seed. If you don’t believe me see what happens to the team who gets the ranking for week 15 of the NCAA season. Or just watch the March Madness and see how well number one seeds will fair.

Nelson “Demon Seed” Swan

Crabtree To Have Surgery

2009-02-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree has learned he has a stress fracture in his left foot that requires surgery and the timetable for his return will now be 10 weeks. Even before this news, Crabtree said he wasn’t going to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week, instead was going to in Lubbock, Texas because he was nursing an injury to his right ankle.

This latest injury on Crabtree should raise a red flag to G.M’s around the league but don’t expect his draft stock to now plummet. Crabtree was a lock to be a top five pick by many draft experts, including myself but shouldn’t drop out of the top ten. My original spot for him was at pick #4 to the Seattle Seahawks because they had a huge problem with keeping receivers healthy in 2008. If they decide to pass on Crabtree look for him to fall to either the Bengals at #6 or the Raiders at #7.

Cincinnati may lose both T.J Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson this off-season so replacing them with Michael Crabtree makes a lot of sense. If he falls to Oakland, we could be seeing the next great trio in the NFL with Crabtree joining JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden in the silver and black.

The main reason I can’t see Crabtree falling out of the top ten is because he’s just that much better than the second best receiver in the 2009 draft class. The next best receiver may be Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin, Maryland’s Darrius Heyward Bey, or Florida’s Percy Harvin. While all three of these will be first round picks, non can make an early impact in the league like Crabtree will.

So surely this news of Crabtree’s foot could seem as a big deal, but it’s nothing G.M’s should lose sleep over. Michael Crabtree is a big-time, play-making receiver who will shine in the NFL. I expect him to have a similar career to Calvin Johnson early on. And the biggest reason I have so much faith in his abilities, he’s clutch when the game’s on the line.

Bad News In Montreal

2009-02-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

Written By: Joe Bacanovic

A newspaper out of Montréal is reporting that two Montreal Canadiens players have been linked to a suspected mobster.

Canadiens forwards and brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn are good friends with Pasquale Magiola, an alleged member of organized crime who was recently arrested in police operations. It has been reported that Magiola provided the brothers with luxury cars, Vodka and Women. Defenseman Roman Hamirlik has also been linked to the story, as he’s been seen in various bars with Magiola.

Police apparently have recorded conversations between the brothers and Magiola, but are not commenting on the alleged links between the two.

Well to cap off a week, where the Habs sent home there best player before a road trip, this happens. The shit is hitting the fan in a big way in Montreal. High hopes for the team entering the season, along with their 100th year celebration, the Canadiens are about to hit rock bottom. I will be very surprised if the team makes they playoffs the way they are going, and my guess is the coach and maybe the GM could be gone at the end of the year.

Madness 101: Player of the Year Preview

2009-02-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Written By: Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

It has been another wild year in college basketball and it is still far from over. So with the year winding down to Conference Tournaments and the Final Four Tournament I want to take a look at who should be considered as Player of the Year for the 2008-2009 season.

Tyler Hansbrough: What a year this senior is having, he has had 6 games with a double-double, he is averaging 21.1 points per game, he is shooting 83.9 percent from the charity strip, all this and he missed 4 games due to a leg injury. Now his numbers have dipped a little bit this season but with the depth of the Tar Heels and emergence of Ty Lawson, Hansbrough doesn’t need to be putting up outrageous numbers to defeat teams. However, when he does the Tar Heels usually end up winning in a route just ask Harangody and Fighting Irish. In an early season match up Hansbrough dropped 34 and grabbed 5 boards on Notre Dame and UNC won by 15. Now Tyler Hansbrough deserves consideration for P.O.Y but this is not his year.

Luke Harangody: This 6’8 Junior out of Notre Dame is having an outstanding season for the Fighting Irish. In 23 games this season Harangody has scored in double digits 22 times. The only game he didn’t score in double digits came in a loss @ UCLA when he only mustard 5 points in 25 minutes. If you think that is impressive he has only had 4 games this season without double digits in rebounds. To plainly put Luke Harangody is a beast. He definitely has the makings to be P.O.Y but will fall short because of the next 3 players your about to read about.

Stephen Curry: In his sophomore season we all fell in love with the quick release of Stephen Curry. He led Davidson to the NCAA tournament and got them to the Elite 8 where the eventually lost to Kansas in a nail bitter. This year he has added to that resume. Curry leads the country in PPG with 29.0, which is up 3.1 from last year. He is also averaging 2.9 more assists per game as well. The transition from shooting guard to point guard this season was mainly for his NBA future cause of his size, but it seems that Curry was always ment to run the offense. He has had 3 40+ games and 3 games with 10 assists or more. His best game of the season came against the Duke Blue Devils on the National stage where aftera slow first half and Davidson down by double digits at half Curry took the team on his shoulders and finished the game with 29 pts, 6 ast, and 8 rebounds. All that being said he will still fall short for the P.O.Y award.

Jodie Meeks: A year ago people were probably saying Jodie Meeks? Who? But not this year, with a clean bill of health Jodie Meeks is making a huge run for Player of the Year. This junior guard is averaging 25.8 ppg, which is 3rd in the country and he is lights out from the charity strip. In 10 games this season he has gone perfect from the line and one of those games came against the Tennessee Volunteers where Meeks had 54 pts, 8 rebounds, 14 /14 from the line and 10 made 3 pointers. That was just one of his many 30+ point performances of the year. He also just as recent as last weekend dropped 45 against Arkansas. This kid is a scoring machine in 7 games this year Jodie Meeks has had 7 or more made 3 pointers. Give this kid some open room and its lights out. He is one of the main reasons Kentucky looks like there finally back on the right track to winning. It will be close to see who will win between Meeks and this next guy.

Blake Griffin: I don’t know where to start with this guy, he is the nations top rebounder grabbing an average of 14.2 a game which is up 5.1 from last year, he is averaging 22.8 pts a game which also is up (8.1) from last year and his field goal percentage is up 70 points from a year ago. I think staying one more year instead of going to the pros definitely helped Blake Griffin out. He has had some monster games this year, the same night Meeks dropped 45, Griffin had a huge performance against Texas Tech where he had 40 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, also had games of 35pts 21rebs against Gardner Web, 25pts and 21 rebs against Stephen Curry and Davidson and against Oklahoma State he had 26pts and 19rebs. He has only had 4 games this season where he hasn’t grabbed 10 or more rebounds. He is the main reason the Sooners 25-1 and 11-0 in Conference play. Not only will Oklahoma be number 1 in the polls next week But Blake Griffin is hands down going to be the 2008-2009 Player of the year.

The Bryce Brown Show: Part 2

2009-02-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

Written By:
Ronny Dhillon

The Bryce Brown recruiting saga just keeps getting more interesting. Like I said last week, Brown, who’s the #1 prospect in the nation, didn’t sign his letter of intent on National Signing Day and will now wait until March 16th to make up his mind. Now this is fine because players have until April 1st to sign. But one thing people don’t realize is that a scholarship mush be re-issued every 14 days after NSD. So what’s interesting about that? Well a source close to the University of Miami has said the school won’t re-issue a scholarship to Brown unless he signed it before midnight of last night.

Bryce Brown has played games with Miami for quite some time. After committing to the ‘Canes more than a year ago, he’s now been listening to his mentor Brian Butler on what to do. And it looks like Miami’s head coach Randy Shannon is done playing this chess match. At Miami you’re either with The U, or you’re not. Randy Shannon is all about recruiting kids with a “team first” attitude. Don’t think for one second that if Brown doesn’t end up signing with the ‘Canes that they’ll be losing sleep over this. The 2010 recruiting class is loaded with stud running backs and the top four, Eduardo Clements, Brandon Gainer, Giovanna Bernard, and Jakhari Gore (Frank Gore’s cousin) have all listed Miami has their top choice.

To say the recruiting game has gotten out of control is an understatement. High school football players seem to have control over big time universities. But if the rumor out of Miami is true, I think everyone should applaud Randy Shannon for what he’s doing. It’s time for coaches to show these kids who’s really in control.

I feel sorry for Bryce because he’s being brain washed by Brian Butler, a money hunger guy who shouldn’t be influencing a high school kid and quite possibly wrecking his future. Bryce’s father, Arthur Brown Sr. said earlier this week that if it were up to him, he would’ve had Bryce sign with Miami back on Feb. 4th, playing alongside his brother Arthur at The U.

So what’s the next move? We’ll have to wait and see if Miami doesn’t offer Bryce again or if it’s their time to play mind games like him.

Stay tuned for the next scene in this show.

A Texas Size Problem?

2009-02-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

Recently there have been rumors from Dallas that Terrell Owens may be released by the team over the next week. Now this isn’t Jerry Jones saying this. If it were up to him, he’d keep T.O around however Jerry’s son Stephen thinks it’s time for a change. But would the Cowboys really be better off without T.O? I don’t think so.

Love him or hate him, 81 is still one of the best receivers in the game. In his three years in Big D, Owens has 3,587 yards and 38 TD grabs so clearly he isn’t slowing down anytime soon. If they were to let him go, the Cowboys would be stuck with Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, Isaiah Stanback, and Austin Miles at the receiver position. Now that’s not the kind of receiving core that can win a Super Bowl. When Roy Williams was dealt to Dallas the expectations were high. But the dream marriage of this former Longhorn to his childhood team didn’t quite pan out. In ten games with Big D, Williams had just 19 receptions, 198 yards, and one TD. The other three remaining receivers for Dallas combined for a dismal 853 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2008.

But maybe Dallas is thinking of a plan B, after all this is the most historic and economically stout franchise in the NFL and they would have a plan B. Perhaps Jerry Jones is thinking of bringing in Anquan Boldin, T.J Houshmanzadeh, Chad Johnson, or even the Giants troubled wideout Plaxico Burress. Now all of these names are just speculation but the ‘Boys would have to give up a lot of young talent or high draft picks to get them. And we know how well bringing in high profile characters has been for Jerry Jones lately (i.e Adam Jones).

Another reason Jones should keep T.O around is to sell tickets. In 2009 the Cowboys will be moving into a brand new billion dollar stadium and they’ll need the publicity of Owens to sell tickets and create publicity.

And how could I forget about the #1 reason why the Cowboys should keep Owens around, Tony Romo. It’s clear Terrell Owens has single handedly made Romo’s career. Remember, it was 81 who wanted Romo to start over Drew Bledsoe a few years back, and I’m sure Romo would stick up for his receiver in a press conference like Owens did for his quarterback.

The Week That Was: MMA News and Notes

2009-02-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Written By: Joe Bacanovic

UFC 97 could be in serious jeopardy. Due to recent events in Quebec at smaller MMA show, the Quebec Athletic commission is reconsidering their views on MMA in the province. Some rule changes that could take place include requiring cages to be smaller, that is smaller than the octagon the UFC uses. Other potential rule changes include making knee and elbow strikes illegal, and when a fighter is knocked down the referee must halt the bout to make sure the fighter is okay. The commissions representatives informed various media outlets that if the UFC wants to hold UFC 97 in Montreal, they must adhere to the rules, though UFC's Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner remains hopeful that the UFC's discussions with the commission will keep UFC 97 in Montreal. This is a really weird situation, due to tickets being all but gone for the event. If 97 is cancelled, the UFC will be forced to find a new venue really quickly, and refund a ton of people. If this does happen, may I suggest Calgary?

In the wake of UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan testing positive for multiple pain killers, the Nevada State Athletic Commission executive Keith Kizer informed Fighters Only Magazine that Parisyan's win over Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94 may be ruled a no contest. Parisyan claims he informed the commission about his use of pain killers, to which he says the commission reacted as if it wouldn't be a problem as long as he had a prescription. Kizer is said to have stated that even if Parisyan has a prescription for the drugs, that fact is unlikely to lessen the punishment he receives. Parisyan was scheduled to fight Josh Koscheck at UFC 98, if Koscheck gets by Paulo Thiago at UFC 95, but these plans could all be scrapped if a suspension is handed down.

Ultimate Fighter 7 winner Amir Sadollah has revealed to MMA Junkie that he is planning to cut the weight and move to the welterweight division. Sadollah has not fought since he defeated C.B. Dollaway in June, a win which awarded him champion of the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter. The 28-year-old was forced to withdraw from two bouts due to injury, once in November, then a dislocated clavicle caused him to drop out a few weeks before UFC Fight Night 17, both times his opponent was scheduled to be Nick Catone.

The UFC has recently shown they are not recession proof. Five ounces is also reporting that UFC fighters Rich Clementi and Luigi Fioravanti have been cut from the UFC after their losses at UFC Fight Night 17. Later in the week they also announced that they have released middleweight Derek Downey, heavyweight Eddie Sanchez, and light heavyweight Christian Wellisch. The UFC has been trimming it’s roster over the pas few months, and more roster cuts seem to be on the way.

Celebrate with Punch

2009-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

Written By: Mark Calaminici

Celebrations in any sport is always fun to watch, it helps when the game isn't as exciting as it should be. But to see some celebrations gets people talking the next day about it. Sometimes more then the game itself. If I had to pick which sport conducts the best celebrations it has to be soccer.

Below are a couple videos...

Borriello Out For Season

2009-02-14T13:53:00.001-08:00

Written By: Mark Calaminici

AC Milan confirmed that Marco Borriello has undergone surgery to remove a cyst in his thigh. He has been out for the majority of the season and now it has been confirmed he will be out for the remainder.

Borriello who rejoined AC Milan this summer from Genoa wanted to prove himself to the club he played for before that he was a starter in the league as well as a starter for a club like Milan. The speculation is that he will be out until April but that may not be enough time for recovery. Milan have dealt with a lot of injuries this season and coach Carlo Ancelotti is not happy he is losing another player. Ancelotti has been on the hot seat this season as there is big expectation for the club to succeed in UEFA and Serie A.

NBA All-Star Saturday Night Preview

2009-02-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

Slam Dunk Competition

This year’s NBA Slam Dunk Competition isn’t a star studded affair like previous years but still should steal the show on All-Star weekend. The four competitors are last years champ “Superman” Dwight Howard, the 2006 champ Nate Robinson, Denver’s J.R Smith, and Portland’s high flying rookie Rudy Fernandez. Why are these four your finalists? Here’s a reason for each:

Dwight’s Superman Dunk

Nate Robinson’s Retro Dunk

J.R Smith’s Behind The Back

Rudy Fernandez dunk’s on Superman

So how do I see winning this years Slam Dunk Competition? I’d have to go with J.R Smith. I can’t see D12 topping last year’s competition. That is unless he decides to dress up like Spiderman or The Incredible Hulk.

3 Point Shootout

The 3-Point Shootout is my favourite part of All-Star weekend and this year we could see Jason Kapono become only the third player in NBA history to capture the crown in three consecutive years. The others to do so: Craig Hodges and Larry Bird. Here’s a list of the six competitors in tonight’s 3- Point Shootout:

Mike Bibby (Hawks): 3p%= 41%
Daequan Cook (Heat): 3p%= 41%
Danny Granger (Pacers): 3p%= 39%
Jason Kapono (Raptors): 3p%= 42%
Rashard Lewis (Magic): 3p%= 41%
Roger Mason Jr. (Spurs): 3p%= 42%

My pick to win it is Indian’s Danny Granger. All year he’s proven he’s able to make the big shot when his team needs it.

Skills Challenge

This event debuted in the 2003 All-Star game in Atlanta and has now caught on as a fan favourite. In this challenge the players have to go make numerous shots and passes and the person with the fasted time is declared the winner. Last year Utah’s Deron Williams set a new record by completing the challenge in 25.5 seconds but this year he’s not even back to repeat.

Here are the guys competing in this years Skills Challenge:

Mo Williams (Cavaliers)
Derrick Rose (Bulls)
Tony Parker (Spurs)
Devin Harris (Nets)

My bold prediction is that Devin Harris will continue his breakout season and win the Skills Challenge.

Heat & Raptors make a deal

2009-02-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

After weeks of speculation, the trade is finally done. On Friday the Toronto Raptors sent Jermaine O’Neal, Jamario Moon, a 1st round draft pick and cash to Miami for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. So who wins this trade? In all honesty I think both teams came out on top. In Marion the Raptors acquire a pure scorer they desperately needed. They also received more depth at the guard position in Banks. For the Heat, although Shawn Marion played a key role in helping the team win 28 games, it’s clear they’ll need inside help come playoff time. Jermaine O’Neal should help tremendously in the post-season when trying to guard big men in the east such as KG, D12, and Rasheed.

When you look at this trade on an economical stand point it seems the Raptors are trying to clear cap space for the infamous 2010 free agent class. Shawn Marion’s contract of $17 Million will come off of the books after this season. Toronto GM Brian Colangelo knows if he wants to re-sign Chris Bosh in 2010, he’ll have to have great players around him to help the Raptors content for a title. Now whether that means going after David Lee in the ’09 off-season of just saving the money and trying to lure in Dwayne Wade the next year is still left to be seen.

But will Chris Bosh really be happy in Toronto right now?

Bosh was extremely happy when Colangelo brought in Jermaine O’Neal but that experiment only lasted a grand total of three months. The Raptors are 21-34 at the All-Star break and sit five games back of a playoff spot but now they don’t have any depth in the front court. I doubt the Raptors will make the playoffs even with a great shooter like Marion so Chris Bosh might just get fed up with life on a sub .500 team.

Raptors fans, get ready for an even longer 2nd half to the season.

2009 MLB Free Agent Leftovers

2009-02-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

Written By: Adam Sarson

Considering the slow start to the baseball off-season, we have been hit with an avalanche of news in the past few days. Bigger names such as Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu have finally been signed, and at bargain basement prices. With that said, there are still a number of free agents yet to be signed. Whether your team is looking for a power stick, a good contact hitter, a defensive whiz, or another pitcher for the rotation, there is something for everyone still left on the market. Let's take a look at the official Sports Hype 101 rankings, first with the position players. Tomorrow, we'll have a part two, looking at all the pitchers left on the market.

1. Manny Ramirez, LF
2008 Team: Boston Red Sox/Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Salary: $18,929,923
Key 2008 Stats: .332 avg/37 hr/121 rbi/.431 obp/.601 slg
Rumored Asking Price: $25 million per, for at least three years.
Rumored Teams of Interest: Dodgers, Giants

What We've Heard: By far the best hitter left on the market, Ramirez has not garnered the type of interest around the league that he and super-agent Scott Boras expected. They originally rejected a 2-year/$45 million offer by the Dodgers and more recently, rejected a 1-year offer at $25 million. The original rumor was that Boras was trying to negotiate a 6-year pact for the 36-year old Ramirez, but that clearly isn't happening. The Giants have dipped their toes in the Ramirez waters, but aren't expected to be serious threats.

What We Expect: With Manny, you never really know. He could potentially hold out until he gets what he thinks is fair, and with Boras leading the way, that is a very real possibility. But in the end, we expect that he'll sign with the Dodgers, on some sort of two-year deal.

2. Orlando Cabrera, SS
2008 Team: Chicago White Sox
2008 Salary: $10,000,000
Key 2008 Stats: .281 avg/8 hr/57 rbi/19 sb/.978 fp/
Rumored Asking Price: $5-$6 million
Rumored Teams of Interest: Oakland, Toronto

What We've Heard: It's been a tough off-season for Cabrera in terms of offers. The Giants were supposed to be interested, but they signed the overrated Edgar Renteria instead. The Jays were rumored a while ago to have interest in Cabrera, especially after Rafael Furcal turned them down to remain a Dodger, but that scenario doesn't seem likely. Oakland is an interesting fit, as it would give them somebody who doesn't swing for the fences everytime he steps to the plate. They currently have the China Doll, Bobby Crosby slated for the shortstop position, and with his injury situation, it seems like the perfect scenario.

What We Expect: Cabrera is a great fit with Oakland. He gives them more balance in their order, and good defence as well. With Crosby likely to go on the DL at some point, this is a move that could make things a lot more interesting in the AL West. Expect this deal to get done.

3. Orlando Hudson, 2B
2008 Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
2008 Salary: $6.25 million
Key 2008 Stats: .305 avg/8 hr/41 rbi/.982 fp
Rumored Asking Price: ???
Rumored Teams of Interest: Hudson has been linked to almost every team in the MLB.

What We've Heard: The market has been surprisingly quiet for Hudson, known as one of the best defensive second basemen in the league. His numbers fell off a little in the field last season, but he is a three time Gold Glove winner, and his offense appears to be rounding into form. Both New York teams would like to have him in their lineups, but they would need to swing trades for that to happen, which doesn't seem likely at this point. That could leave Hudson with the option of signing with a perpetual bottom feeder such as the Nationals or the Royals.

What We Expect: This is the toughest one of them all to call. Hudson should have a contract for next season already, but with teams apparently set at second base, Hudson appears to be in a holding pattern. Should the Mets be able to move Luis Castillo (good luck), or the Yankees with Robinson Cano, there seems to be a fit with those teams. The Dodgers are also interested on some level. As of right now, we expect him to sign with either the Dodgers or Nats, but that could change with any middle infield trades that happen in the next few days.

Other Big Names Without A Deal

Ivan Rodriguez, C: Another Scott Boras client, Rodriguez is planning to use the upcoming World Baseball Classic as a tryout for potential teams.

Nomar Garciaparra, INF: Garciaparra's injury plagued career continued last season, but there is some mild interest around the league. Expect him to take a deal which allows him to be primarily a bench player, with some spot starts here and there.

Richie Sexson, 1B: Once one of baseball's most feared sluggers, Sexson has fallen on hard times. There have been a few sniffs from all over, but nothing serious. Expect a minor-league deal, with a spring training invite for Sexson.

Ray Durham, 2B: Recently rejected an offer from the Nationals, and is said to be considering retirement.

Joe Crede, 3B: Trying to get back from an injury plagued season, the Giants and Twins have shown the most interest.

Moises Alou, LF: Haven't heard much about Alou all winter, but that's usually the case with him. Everybody writes him off for retirement, and then he makes a team out of spring training.

Garret Anderson, LF: Scott Boras is trying to find him a deal, but nothing as of yet. With Abreu in Anaheim, that door is officially closed. Seattle is said to be interested, but only if they can't get Ken Griffey Jr. signed. He will have a deal, just not sure where yet.

Luis Gonzalez, LF: Several teams have kicked the tires, most recently being the Atlanta Braves. Much like Alou, everyone is writing him off, but don't be so quick.

Jim Edmonds, CF: Had a mini-resurgence late last season with the Cubs, and will likely land a spring training invite. The Braves have shown recent interest.

Ken Griffey Jr., OF: According to several sources, Griffey will likely sign a deal with the Seattle Mariners, and will be announced next week.

Frank Thomas, DH: He can't play first base anymore, so that cuts his options in half. Retirement and a trip to Cooperstown are likely for the Big Hurt.

The Bryce Brown Show

2009-02-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

With National Signing Day now passed us we have to still wait and see when Bryce Brown, the nation’s top recruit will sign his letter of intent. Brown, a senior running back at Wichita East High School in Kansas originally verbally committed to the University of Miami in Feb. of ’08. On signing day Brown was in Nebraska on a vacation with his uncle and said he just had to get away from the madness which is the recruiting process. Some are criticizing him and already dubbing him the newest “prima donna” in college football before he’s even played a down of D1 Football.

So where does that leave Bryce? And where will he end up going?

While Oregon, Kansas State and USC have made a strong push for Brown late in the recruiting process, I ultimately believe he’ll end up a ‘Cane. Miami has one thing none of those other school’s have, Bryce’s older brother Arthur, a sophomore linebacker who was one of the Hurricanes jewel’s in their top ranked 2008 recruiting class.

One thing other school’s will try to say to Bryce Brown to convince him to join their team is a chance to compete for a starting job. You see, the ‘Canes signed two great running backs in their 2009 class in Mike James, and South Florida’s top recruit Lamar Miller, which according to Rivals.com is the best running back combo in any ’09 class. So Bryce may be hesitant to ink with the ‘Canes seeing how they also have four other backs currently on the UM roster.

There’s no question Bryce is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson and maybe even Barry Sanders, but if he’s that good, why should he shy away from competing for a starting gig? If you’ve been following this saga you’ll know that Bryce and his mentor Brian Butler have done a good job of marketing him. Butler has started up his own website (www.potentialplayers.com) where people can pay $9.95 per month to get up to date info on his players including Bryce.

But is Bryce Brown worth this hype?

Some experts will say his numbers were flawed because he played in Kansas, a place not known for their powerhouse football programs or players and he may be a product from that. If you’re wondering what kind of numbers he put up in his last two seasons at Wichita East:

Jr. Year (2007): 1,825 yards, 23 TD’s
Sr. Year (2008): 1,873 yards, 29 TD’s

So it looks like Bryce Brown will be this year’s Terrell Pryor, waiting to sign either late in February or in early March. But who knows, if Bryce really wants some attention, he may wait and sign until April 1st, the last day a high school senior can sign his letter of intent.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble

2009-02-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

The UFC returned this past Saturday night with Fight Night 17 from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa Florida. It was nice that it was a free TV event, due to there being so many Pay-per-views in the last month and a half. There were four fights on the main card, with some very exciting match-ups, and some great action.

Welterweight Fight: Luigi Fiorvanti (13-4) vs. Anthony Johnson (6-2)

Winner: Johnson TKO at 4:39 of Round 1

Thoughts: It was a slow start to the fight, with neither fighter engaging much. Johnson throughout the fight was using kicks to keep distance from his opponents. Johnson getting hit in the nuts was painful to watch, but it seemed to wake him up. A big right drops Luigi. Luigi shoots in, Johnson answers with a head kick, Johnson rushes in and finishes the fight. I really like Anthony Johnson and I hope he steps up his competition in the coming months. I really think he could be a force to recon with in the Welterweight Division since he is so young (24) and he is getting better with each fight.

Lightweight Fight: Josh Neer (24-7-1) vs. Mac Danzig (19-5-1)

Winner: Neer by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:36 in Round 2

Thoughts: The fans don’t like Neer. I mean, they really don’t like Neer. This fight was really exciting to watch as both fighters were mostly standing up, but when they went to the ground it was also entertaining. Neer was throwing vicious combos all night, which prevented Danzig from using head kicks. Danzig takes Neer to the ground in Round 1, but Neer almost finishes him off with a Triangle Choke. In Round 2 Neer stuffs a Danzig takedown and gets on top of the fighter. Big elbows by Neer which led to him taking side control. Danzig for some stupid reason gave Neer his back but couldn’t finish. Neer gets him into guard and eventually finishes him off with the choke.

Heavyweight Fight: Denis Stognic (12-1) vs. Cain Valesquez (4-0)

Winner: Valesquez by TKO 2:34 Round 2

Thoughts: Cain dominated this fight, utterly dominated it. Cain used big punches, knees and kicks to dismantle Stognic. Stognic somehow survived the first round which is a credit to how tough he is. I was really disappointed with the finish due to how anti-climactic it was. Cain was pounding Stognic and the ref came in, but it looked like he was stopping it, to have them back on their feet again, but he just ended it. Cain looked disappointed with the finish also. I think it’s time for Cain to step up his opponents. He could be a challenger to the champ, but he needs to step up and fight the big boys of the division. Future challengers could be Heath Herring, Cheick Kongo and Gabriel Gonzaga.

The Main Event:

Lightweight Fight: Jeremy Stephens (16-3) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Winner: Lauzon by Submission (Arm bar) at 4:43 of Round 2

Thoughts: I really like Joe Lauzon. Enjoyed him on his Season of Ultimate Fighter. Stephens stepped in for injured team mate Hermes Franca, and did a respectable job. Lauzon wanted to keep the fight on the ground while Stephens wanted to keep it standing up. Lauzon jiu-jitsu’d his ass all night while going for leg-locks, using the butterfly guard, passing from side guard to mount, and eventually making Stephens tap by arm bar. I gotta give Stephens credit. His stand-up is nice and he was showing some good ground and pound. It was a good effort for taking the fight on short notice, and both fighters have a great future.

Overall it was a great night of fights. You have to love the level of talent on Free TV. The next UFC event is also going to be free and it takes place in 2 weeks from London, England. That card has a lot to live up to but I am not going to complain cause you got to love free fights, which saves money in my pocket for other things…Like the UFC videogame whenever that gets released.

Other Results from the Card:

Matt Riddle Wins by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 in the 3rd round .
Nick Catone Wins by Submission (Arm Lock) at 2:13 in the 2nd round by key lock.
Gleison Tibau Wins by Submission (Choke) at 4:35 in the 1st round by guillotine.
Matt Veach Wins by Technical Knock Out at 4:34 in the 1st round . D
Dan Miller Wins by Submission (Choke) at 1:03 in the 1st round by guillotine.
Kurt Pellegrino Wins by Submission (Choke) at 3:14 in the 2nd round by rear naked.

Top NFL Free Agents

2009-02-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

With the NFL season now over it’s time to take a look at some of the top free agents this off-season and their possible destinations.

Julius Peppers
Ever since being drafted in 2002, Peppers has been a model of consistency in Charlotte. In his first seven seasons he’s had 70.5 sacks and been named to the Pro Bowl four times. But after another disappointing season Julius Peppers made it clear he wanted to part ways with the Panthers.

Possible Destinations: Kansas City, Green Bay, Denver, New England, Arizona

Prediction: Denver Broncos
The Broncos ranked 29th in yards given up in 2008 and an instant fix to that would be Peppers. Elvis Dumervil has been okay at defensive end but the same can’t be said about 2007 first round pick Jarvis Moss. The Broncos haven’t had a lot of luck at drafting players on the defensive side of the ball of late so Peppers would be a great fit. Denver is $31.5 Million under the cap.

Albert Haynesworth
After a slow start to his career with 9.5 sacks in his first five years, Haynesworth has resurrected his career in ’07 & ’08 with a combined 14.5 sacks and coming close to winning the Defensive Player of the Year this past season. Now the big question is, will Tennessee fork up a lot of money for a player who could just be a “Contract Year” guy?

Possible Destinations: Tennessee, Indianapolis, New England, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay

Prediction: Indianapolis Colts
It’s been rumored that Peyton Manning has been recruiting Haynesworth to Indy. Can you blame him? The Colts run defence has been horrendous the past few years. If Big Al and Dwight Freeney are lined up side by side, they’ll be a deadly combo for years to come.

Ray Lewis
When his career is all said and done, Ray Lewis will go down as one of the greatest and most feared defender of all-time. But don’t tell this 34 year old he’s on a decline. In his past three season’s the kid from Miami had racked up 341 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 7 INT’s and three straight Pro Bowl appearances. Lewis still have a lot of good years in him and will want to go to a contender.

Possible Destinations: Baltimore, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins

Prediction: Dallas Cowboys
Although it would be tempting for Lewis to return home to Miami and play for the Dolphins, they’re still a few playmakers away from a serious title run. “Ray Ray” has said he’d be interested in the Jets because of former defensive coordinator and new head coach Rex Ryan but only if Brett Favre is along as his quarterback. Seeing how Favre likes to take his sweet time making decisions, we’ll rule this one out too. The there’s Baltimore, a place Lewis has called home since 1996. Personally, I think his tenure as a Raven is over because they’ll have to think about the future of their team and re-sign Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs. So that leaves “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has never shied away from signing big names with even bigger personalities. With Lewis, maybe the Cowboys locker room will have someone to shut up T.O.

T.J Houshmandzadeh
For year Houshmandzadeh was overshadowed by his flamboyant teammate Chad Johnson but for the last few seasons he’s emerged as a legitimate super star in Cincinnati. Even with back-up quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jordan Palmer, Housh put up great numbers: 92 receptions, 904 yards, and four TD’s.

Possible Destinations: Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Minnesota

Predication: Philadelphia
It’s pretty clear that T.J wants to play in Philly. He was on ESPN radio a few days ago and said when his Bengals played the Eagles and he said 12 receptions, it was actually an interview for Andy Reid. Now Philly has to address their o-line this offseason but with them being $36.5 Million under the cap, Houshmandzadeh seems like a great fit for the Eagles. Remember the last time McNabb had an actual #1 receiver? They went to the Super Bowl.

Nnamdi Asomugha
Here’s a guy that’s been the lone bright spot for the Oakland Raiders. Asomugha’s breakout year came back in 2006 when he has eight interceptions. Every since then, opposing QB’s have learned that he’s a premier corner who’s been buried in Oakland’s misery.

Possible Destinations: Oakland, Houston, Kansas City, Tampa Bay

Prediction: Oakland
There’s no way Al Davis won’t re-sign his best player. After picking up DeAngelo Hall late in ’08, the Raiders only ended up releasing him because Hall couldn’t live up to his billing. So keeping Asomugha is priority #1. Then again it’s Al Davis, the same guy who re-signed Tommy Kelly to a 7 year $50.5 Million contract.

Darren Sproles
We all knew the 5’6 Sproles was drafted by the Chargers back in 2005 because of his superb kick return skills but it was they he stepped in for LT in the backfield that has G.M’s buzzing about Sproles this offseason. In week 17 when San Diego had to beat Denver to clinch the division, Darren Sproles had a monster game, tallying up 115 yards on the ground and two TD’s. In the Wild Card game vs. Indy he impressed even more when he ran for 105 yards and had the game winning TD in overtime.

Possible Destinations: San Diego, Detroit, New York Giants, Cleveland, Cincinnati

Prediction: San Diego
Chargers General Manager A.J Smith is probably still losing sleep over not re-signing Michael Turner and watching him lead Atlanta to the playoffs, so you can image how important inking up Sproles will be. No one still knows how the saga between Smith and LaDanian Tomlinson will end but we do know that LT is on a bit of a decline. So many teams have gone with the 1-2 punch in the backfield and San Diego has a great tandem if they can keep Tomlinson and Sproles together for a few more years.

Some other key free agents:

Kurt Warner: Arizona is the only team he’ll go to if he decides to come back.
Devery Henderson: He’s coming off of a monster year where he racked up 793 yards.
Jordan Gross: A very reliable o-lineman who made the Pro Bowl this season.
Bertrand Berry: Played a key role in helping Arizona to their first Super Bowl.
Brian Dawkins: Can still be an elite safety for a few more years.
Terrell Suggs: One of the elite young linebackers in the NFL.

Here is a breakdown of cap space available for NFL teams in 2009:

Buccaneers: $55m
Chiefs: $45.75m
Cardinals: $37m
Eagles: $36.5m
Packers: $34.25m
Lions: $34m
Dolphins: $32m
Broncos: $31.5m
Titans: $29.75m
Bengals: $29.75m
Falcons: $27.25m
Ravens: $26m
Bills: $25m
Steelers: $23.5m
Texans: $23.5m
Patriots: $22.5m
Vikings: $21.5m
Chargers: $18.75m
Bears: $17.75m
Browns: $16.25m
49ers: $16m
Jaguars: $15.5m
Rams: $15m
Giants: $14.5m
Colts: $12m
Panthers: $10.5m
Seahawks: $9m
Raiders: $8.75m
Saints: $4.5m
Cowboys: $2.75m
Jets: $1.5m
Redskins: $0

Madness 101: Top 25 at a Glance and the Week Ahead

2009-01-20T01:19:00.000-08:00

So much has gone on this early season in mens basketball and there is still so much to come.

There has been some moving and shaking atop the polls and rankings all year, but it is quite shocking to see that Wake Forest is sitting #1. It comes well deserved after the Demon Decons knocked off power house North Carolina, surprise team Clemson at Clemson and Boston College to stay the only undefeated team in the country.

Pittsburgh who was at the number one spot dropped to 4 after their loss in Louisville to the red hot Cardinals who also beat Notre Dame and Villanova and now sit at number nine behind Syracuse.

Duke Moves up one spot to four after an undefeated week against Georgia Tech and Georgetown. But beware because on Saturday Duke travels to Winston Salem to take on those Demon Decons in a 1 vs 2 showdown.

UCLA drops 3 spots after a tough loss to Arizona st in overtime at Home.

This week ahead poses some big games for some teams, and this will forsure shake up the Rankings going into next week.

(8) Syracuse 60 @ (4) Pittsburgh 78

(2)Duke @ (1)Wake Forest -Saturday

(10) Clemson @ (5) North Carolina - Wednesday

(20)Villanova @ (3) UCONN -Wednesday

(3)UCONN @ (19) Notre Dame - Saturday

CHeck out next week where ill break down the new rankings and look at the week ahead

Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

Fighting On to the NFL

2009-01-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

USC Trojans QB Mark Sanchez made it official Thursday that he would declare for the NFL draft.

Did he make the right choice? While many criticized his decision, I for one think he made the right choice. The 2008 season was one to remember for Sanchez. He threw for over 3,200 yards, had a passer rating of 164.6, and threw 34 TD passes. Sure Sanchez never led his team to a National Championship like former Trojan QB and one-time high school teammate Matt Leinart, but Mark did win a Rose Bowl and had a record of 14-2 as a starter.

But perhaps the biggest reason why I think he made the right choice to leave SC was the fact that Sam Bradford decided to come back to Norman for another year. Many believed Bradford was the clear cut #1 pick in April’s NFL Draft, but now it looks like a two man race between Sanchez and Georgia’s Matthew Stafford. When looking at the teams among the top in the draft, it looks like Detroit at #1 and Kansas City at #3 are the most likely to take a QB.

So clearly you can see why Mark Sanchez decided to turn pro. But USC coach Pete Carroll doesn’t quite agree:

Really Carroll? If you ask me, I think Pete Carroll sounds a bit selfish here. No coach would publicly say they don’t think his player is NFL ready. NFL scouts were watching and that speech by Carroll surly won’t help Sanchez during the draft process.

Pete Carroll has a stable of quarterbacks to try to replace Sanchez next season:

Mitch Mustain: This former Gatorade and EA Sports National High School Football Player of the Year was the top QB recruit in 2005. After one year at Arkansas, Mustain had a falling out and left for sunny California.

Aaron Corp: He was the 3rd best QB in the 2007 class and a former 5-Star recruit. Corp saw action in 2 games this season completing 2 of 4 passes for 14 yards.

Matt Barkley: Some say he’s the best quarterback prospect this decade. In 2007 Barkley became the first junior to win the Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year Award.

So although USC can always reload at the quarterback position and succeed in the college game, the same can’t be said about how they perform at the next level. When looking at the last two QB’s to stay four years and then go pro, the number’s don’t lie.

Matt Leinart decided not to enter the NFL Draft back in 2005, even though he was a lock to the #1 pick. Instead the next year he fell to the 10th pick and some say lost about $40 Million. Leinart has still yet to do anything for Cardinals and sits on the sidelines while veteran Kurt Warner steals the spotlight in Arizona.

Another QB from Southern Cal who has yet to do anything in the NFL is John David Booty. After slipping in the draft to the 5th round to the Vikings, Booty couldn’t see time on the field even though the two men in front of him were Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte are not what you call studs under centre.

If you were to ask me whether I think Mark Sanchez will turn out more like Leinart and Booty or a Pro-Bowler like former Trojan Carson Palmer, I’d say Palmer. The main reason is his arm strength and ability to move around the pocket, something the two predecessors lacked.

I predict Sanchez will be drafted 3rd overall by the Kansas City Chiefs because of Scott Pioli, KC’s new GM. Remember it was Pioli who saw something in Matt Cassell, another Trojan QB with limited experience.

As your school song goes, “Fight On” Mark and start proving your critics and coach Pete Carroll wrong on Sundays.

NFL Playoff Picture: Going into Week 17

2008-12-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

The updated playoff picture: By Joe Bacanovic

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
If season ended today: First-round byes: 1. Tennessee, 2. Pittsburgh.

1st Round Match-ups
6. Baltimore at 3. Miami,
5. Indianapolis at 4. Denver.

1. Tennessee Titans (13-2) – Clinched No. 1 seed, AFC South title, first-round bye and home-field advantage through AFC playoffs.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) – Clinched No. 2 seed, AFC North title and first-round bye.

3. Miami Dolphins (10-5) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with:
a) win at NY Jets, OR
b) tie vs. NY Jets AND New England loss/tie at Buffalo.
Clinch No. 6 seed with tie AND Baltimore loss to Jacksonville (AND New England win).
Eliminated with loss.

4. Denver Broncos (8-7) – Clinch AFC West title, No. 4 seed and first-round playoff game vs. Indianapolis with win or tie at San Diego. Eliminated with loss.

5. Indianapolis Colts (11-4) – Clinched No. 5 seed and first-round playoff game at Denver/San Diego.

6. Baltimore Ravens (10-5) – Clinch playoff berth, No. 6 seed and first-round playoff game at AFC East champion with:
a) win over Jacksonville, OR
b) New England loss at Buffalo, OR
c) tie AND Miami and/or New England tie.

Still alive

New England Patriots (10-5) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with:
a) win AND Miami loss/tie at NY Jets, OR
b) tie AND Miami loss.

Clinch No. 6 seed with:
a) win at Buffalo AND Baltimore loss/tie vs. Jacksonville, OR
b) tie AND Baltimore loss.

New York Jets (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with: win over Miami AND New England loss at Buffalo.

Clinch No. 6 seed with: win AND Baltimore loss to Jacksonville (AND New England win/tie).

San Diego Chargers (7-8) – Can clinch AFC West title, No. 4 seed and first-round playoff game vs. Indianapolis with win vs. Denver.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
If season ended today: First-round byes: 1. NY Giants, 2. Carolina.

1st Round Match-ups
6. Tampa Bay* at 3. Minnesota,
5. Atlanta at 4. Arizona (* Dallas, not Tampa Bay, controls its own fate in Week 17).

1. New York Giants (12-3) – Clinched No. 1 seed, NFC East title, first-round bye and home-field advantage through NFC playoffs.

2. Carolina Panthers (11-4) – Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch No. 2 seed, NFC South title and first-round bye with:
a) win/tie at New Orleans OR
b) Atlanta loss/tie to St. Louis.
Will be No. 5 seed with: loss at New Orleans AND Atlanta win over St. Louis.

3. Minnesota Vikings (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and NFC North title with:
a) win vs. NY Giants, OR
b) Chicago loss at Houston, OR
c) tie AND Chicago tie.
Clinch No. 6 seed and first-round playoff game at Chicago with: tie AND Dallas loss at Philadelphia AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland (AND Chicago win).

4. Arizona Cardinals (8-7) – Clinched No. 4 seed and NFC West title.

5. Atlanta Falcons (10-5) – Clinched playoff berth. Clinch No. 2 seed, NFC South title and first-round bye with: win over St. Louis AND Carolina loss at New Orleans.
Clinch at worst No. 5 seed with: win/tie OR Dallas loss/tie.
Otherwise clinch No. 6 seed and open playoffs at NFC North champion.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) – Currently the No. 6 seed because of better conference record (8-4) than Dallas (7-4) and Chicago (7-5). However, Dallas will win the tiebreaker if teams finish 10-6 because both teams will have 8-4 conference record (eliminating Chicago), and Dallas beat Tampa Bay head to head.

Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with:
a) win over Oakland AND Dallas loss/tie at Philadelphia, OR
b) tie AND Dallas loss AND either Minnesota or Chicago loss, OR
c) tie AND Dallas tie AND either Minnesota or Chicago tie AND either Minnesota or Chicago loss Eliminated with loss OR Dallas win.

Still alive

Dallas Cowboys (9-6) – Clinch No. 5 seed with: win at Philadelphia AND Atlanta loss to St. Louis.

Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with:
a) win at Philadelphia (and Atlanta win/tie), OR
b) tie AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland AND either Minnesota loss/tie or Chicago loss/tie, OR
c) tie AND Tampa Bay tie AND either Chicago loss at Houston or Minnesota loss to NY Giants. Eliminated with loss.

Chicago Bears (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and NFC North title with:
a) win at Houston AND Minnesota loss/tie at NY Giants, OR
b) tie at Houston AND Minnesota loss at NY Giants.
Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at Minnesota with:
a) win AND Tampa Bay loss/tie at Oakland AND Dallas loss/tie at Philadelphia.
b) tie AND Tampa Bay loss AND Dallas loss.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-6-1) – Clinch playoff berth, No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with: win over Dallas AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland AND either Minnesota loss to NY Giants or Chicago loss at Houston.

Fantasy Land: Booking the BCS Part 2

2008-12-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

Written By Joe Bacanovic

**Warning the following blog is not to be taken seriously**

Sorry for the delay folks. After my computer decided to shit the bed, and the madness of the holiday season, I am back with round 2 of the BCS tournament. One major comment was brought to my attention after last weeks article. Reggie from Tulsa was not a fan of not including teams from the ACC and the Big East. My reply to Reggie is it depends on the year. Next year we could have teams from those 2 conferences, and not include the play-in teams, or less teams from other conferences. It all comes down to wins and losses. I am not going to include teams just because they are in BCS conference, with average win-loss records.

Anyways, onto the games. With a little help from NCAA 09 by EA Sports, I simulated the first round of games. There were some shocking results, as well as some expected blowouts.

Capital One Bowl

Tim Tebow was on fire as he threw for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also ran for 46 yards and 1 touchdown as the Florida Gators (1) routed Boise State (8) 47-22. Florida’s defense came up big with 4 turnovers and kept Boise State’s offence on their heels all day long.

Cotton Bowl

In what could be considered a huge upset Utah beat out a high-flying Texas 44-31. Utah got out to a 34-0 lead in the first half, while Texas offence struggled giving up 4 turnovers in all. With a huge deficit going into the 3rd quarter Texas came out gunning, putting up 31 points in the 2nd half. It was not enough though as Utah led by Brian Johnson threw for 294 yards and 3 TD’s in the upset victory.

Orange Bowl

By far the best match-up in the first round, (3) Oklahoma and (6) Penn State put on a game for the ages. Oklahoma got out to a 14-10 lead in the first quarter led by Sam Bradford’s 54 yard touch down run. Penn State bounced back in the 2nd led by Derrick Williams’ big 60 yard touchdown catch to make it 24-21 Penn State at the half. Oklahoma came back in the 3rd putting up 14 points led by Quentin Chaney’s 9 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. But Penn State came roaring back replying with 10 points in the final quarter to take the lead and beat Oklahoma 41-35. Despite the high scoring affair both offences turned the ball over 3+ times, which led to Oklahoma’s downfall in the end.

Sugar Bowl

(5) USC came out on fire and scored early and often as they defeat (4) Alabama 52-17. Everything was clicking for the Trojans as the defense caused 4 turnovers in the first half, leading to John Parker Wilson being pulled from the game. Mark Sanchez led the Trojans offence with 267 yards and 3 touchdowns in 3 quarters of work.

So there you have it. The first round match-ups are done, and before people start writing in to complain about some of the outcomes I will say it first. A video game did the simulation. I am sure if we did it all again we would probably get different results. I am shocked that Utah beat out Texas in such a convincing manner. I am surprised by the outcome of the Penn State game since I thought it would be close, but with Oklahoma coming out on top instead. As for USC beating Bama, no surprise there.

Our 2nd round match-ups look like this:

Rose Bowl
(1) Florida Gators vs. (7) Utah

Fiesta Bowl
(6) Penn State vs. (5) USC

If you have any comments, observations or concerns feel free to write to sportshype101@gmail.com, or leave a comment at the end of the page.

Bargnani or Bust

2008-12-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

Written By: Mark Calaminici

Wouldn’t you pick a 7 foot 250lb player who can shoot long-range, has the ability to drive and with so much potential upside first overall?

There is always blame after the fact, but being what it was that day in 2006, I know I would have followed in the steps of Bryan Colangelo and pick Andrea Bargnani. As a GM you have to make huge decisions and are limited to make mistakes. Many people feel to this day Bryan Colangelo made a mistake. I myself feel Bryan did not make a mistake and that there is still time for Andrea’s game to turn around. Many people like to say Bargnani is a bust, there is even a website promoting it http://www.bustnani.com/

You can’t help but feel the pressure that Andrea is facing, playing away from home, being forced to play a position you aren’t used to and getting heavily criticized for most of the things you do on the court. All because you are the number one pick. Some will say being number one overall you should automatically be an all star caliber type player. The flipside on that statement is Andrea didn’t ask to be number one. He was put into that position.

There is still time though for the 23yr old player who in off season prepared for the 2008-09 season with a vast arrangements of work outs, clinics and better understanding the fundamentals in the game.

The Raptors are not playing great thus far, and are under scrutiny from the media to make changes and changes have been made. Most noticeable is that being the firing of Sam Mitchell, but when you stear away from the media hoopla that Toronto is and look at Andrea Bargnani’s development this season. You have to be somewhat approved.

Antonio Cassano - I'll Tell You Everything

2008-12-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

Written By: Mark Calaminici

It was 1999 and only his second game for Bari. Inter were in town and out of nowhere a skinny kid goes on a great dribble which takes him past Laurent Blanc and Christian Panucci before sweeping the ball home for a last-minute winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwZn4vtIA7s&feature=related

“That was the moment that changed everything. If it had not been for that goal against Inter then I might have ended up a criminal.”

I don’t know what can be said about the talent of the Bari Brawler Antonio Cassano. Much is always discussed about how far he could go and what kind of player could be. Cassanato which was a neologism term coined by his former coach Fabio Capello, which meant short temper and uncontrollable. Cassano who is constantly praised by his skill and has always been touted as the saviour for Italy, ever since that goal against Inter, is always being put in the spot light but mainly for all the wrong reasons especially recently. Antonio Cassano though wants to fight back and maybe tell his side of the story and deservedly so he has come out with his autobiography entitled “Vi Dico Tutto” (I’ll Tell You Everything).

He discusses everything from childhood and his soccer career but mainly focuses on his soccer career and also talking a lot of truth and trashing former players, coaches, and fans.

Here are a few quotes from the book:

On Fabio Capello:

“At Madrid, he made me warm up for a whole half and then didn’t bring me on. I told him, you’re a piece of s**t and as fake as monopoly money.”

To Luciano Spalletti during a match against Udinese :

“Can’t you see your coaching a f**k’n star, not those useless [expletive] at Udinese. You’re in my house now.”

On Francesco Totti:

“We went on a talk show and he took 80 percent of the appearance and left me with 20.”

On Gabriel Di Batistuta:

“Stuck-up: he walked around as if he had a stink under his nose.”

On himself:

“I’ve slept with between 600 and 700 women,” he boasts, although that's a pretty low figure going by the claims of most Italian males. “At least 20 of them have been involved in the world of show business.”

“It was so easy in Madrid to get women, they would be brought to my room and then afterwards I would be so hungry that one of the staff had to bring me at least four croissants and I would give him the girl.”

"Many people I knew were recruited into gangs. That game and my talent took me away from a possible life of s***.

"I used to gamble on the streets, 10, 15 or even 20 thousand lire (up to about €3) on the team I used to play for. I wasn't stupid, as I wanted the money and I wanted a percentage too.

"There were usually shootings, police and ambulances. I was poor and I would like to make it clear that I have never worked in my life; it's because I don't know how to do anything.

"I have lived 17 years without any grace and then nine years as a millionaire. There are still eight years to go before it evens out."

Antonio Cassano was blessed with great ability and skill with the soccer ball but continues to put that on the back burner as he tends to always create controversy and put himself into the wrong situations. The only thing I can personally say with some sympathy is that much can’t be said about someone’s life until you walk in there shoes.

Bradford Wins Heisman

2008-12-13T18:28:00.000-08:00

Written By: Ronny Dhillon

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford became the fifth Sooner to win the Heisman as he edged out fellow Big 12 gun slinger Colt McCoy and the reigning winner Tim Tebow.

Here’s the breakdown of the voting:

Sam Bradford: 1,726 Points
Colt McCoy: 1,604 Points
Tim Tebow: 1,575 Points

Even though Bradford won this prestigious award, it was Florida’s Tim Tebow who had nine more first place votes (309).

In my opinion the voters got this one right. Sam Bradford was College Football’s Most Outstanding Player of 2008. His 48 TD passes were tops in the FBS, and he led his team to a Big 12 Championship, a conference many called the toughest since the days of Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne back when it was the Big 8.

In my opinion the main reason Sam Bradford won the Heisman was his performance against Texas in Big D. Although McCoy’s Longhorns won the game, it was Bradford who stole the show as he threw for 387 yards and five TD’s.

Bradford now joins Tim Tebow as only the second sophomore to win the Heisman but should beware of the trophy’s recent jinx. Six of the last eight Heisman winners went on to lose in their bowl game including fellow Sooner alum Jason White who lost to the Bayou Bengals 21-14 for the National Championship in the 2004 Sugar Bowl.

Terrell Owens' Legacy

2008-12-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

Written By: Adam Sarson

Before I get too far into this column, I want to make something clear. I am not calling Terrell Owens a liar, because this story could very well be true. Tony Romo and Jason Witten may be holding private meetings to discuss plays and the offense. But, does anyone really think they are doing it to minimize Owens’ role with the team?

As much as people despise Owens, nobody can deny his talent. He’s still one of the best receivers in the league, and one of the greatest of all-time. Romo and Witten may not like Owens, but they know how important he is to their team. He can be a huge difference maker in any offense. Not just because of what he does with the ball, but he is one of those rare players that open up opportunities for others, just by being on the field. Defenses need to adjust their coverage and schemes when Owens lines up. Just having him on the field has allowed mediocre receivers like J.J. Stokes, Tai Streets and Todd Pinkston to have career seasons.

I don’t claim to know Romo or Witten, but the impression that both of them give off is one of desire. They come across as players who want to win, and much like Owens, they aren’t stupid. They know that their chances to win the Super Bowl are greatly enhanced with a happy Owens in the lineup. With saying that, they know they can’t cater to him either. No one player is ever bigger than the team. This is the kind of tightrope that Wade Phillips and the Cowboys must walk everyday. Ultimately, they have nobody to blame but themselves. Management in San Francisco and Philadelphia tried to work with Owens, but we all know how those situations turned out. There’s always someone arrogant enough to think they can be the difference in turning a player’s attitude around. It certainly came as no surprise when Jerry Jones was that guy. But it’s also no surprise that the many inflated egos that Jones has put together has blown up the way it has, and Owens is by far the biggest reason why it has blown.

He has made highlight reel catches and had games where he has looked unstoppable. He has been one of the most charismatic individuals to ever set foot on an NFL field. But, ultimately, will anybody ever really remember that? People will look back and remember his driveway workout sessions, his constant abuse of his star quarterbacks and his complete lack of respect for the game that made him a star, the game that made him a household name. Unfortunately, that household name and legacy is a tarnished one, and he has nobody to blame but himself.

First Quater Report Card for the NBA

2008-12-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

Written By: Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

So, we are about a quarter of the way thru the NBA season and there is plenty to talk about. So I hear by give you the first Quarter Report Card

We all expected the Celtics and Lakers to be this good, but who would have thought the Cavs would be this dominant? Not only are they fighting atop the Eastern Conference with the likes of the Celtics, but it’s the Fashion that they are doing it in. They’re 13-0 at home, LeBron is only playing 35.1 minutes per game and they are blowing teams out on a nightly basis. My question for you is….is Mo Williams that much of a difference? I sure as hell didn’t think so, but apparently it was enough for the Cavs.

The slow start for the Hornets has surprised many. This team was pegged to challenge the Lakers for a spot to represent the West in the NBA finals, but with 2 losses to Portland and a narrow loss to Charlotte last month, have the Hornets sitting at 12-7. Chris Paul is certainly doing his part, starting the year of with 7 games of 20 or more points and 10 or more assists; however lack of depth is what is killing the Hornets. Players like James Posey, Tyson Chandler and Morris Peterson all averaging fewer than 9 points a game and besides that, there really isn’t and relevant names coming off the bench.

The lackluster performances from the Toronto Raptors have many people wondering if Jermaine O’Neal was the answer to all their problems. He has yet to find his groove in a Toronto uniform and it’s starting to show in the loss column for the Raps. They have already fired their Head Coach and their perimeter defense is the worst in the NBA. Bryan Colangelo has gone on record saying this is the best team he has put together in Toronto, but unless things turn around, people are going to start to wonder if the Raptors were over-hyped.

The Spurs got off to a slow start at 1 – 4 , with injuries sidelining 2 of their major players in Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. It was inevitable that it was going to be a tough start for the Spurs, but since November 28th with their top 3 players in the lineup, they are 6-2 and look to continue to rise atop the West.

There have been some major transactions in the early season so far.

-The New York Knicks have started cutting cap space by sending Jamal Crawford to the Golden State for disgruntled Warriors forward Al Harrington. They also sent Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobely.

-The Suns have acquired Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley for Boris Diaw, Raja Bell and Sean Singletary.

-The Wizards and Hornets pulled off a deal swapping guards. Wizards sending Antonio Daniels to the Hornets for guard Mike James

And just think, this is just the first quarter of the season. Just wait to see what happens next.

Fantasy Land: Booking The BCS

2008-12-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

First of all I think the BCS stinks. It’s the most confusing system in all of sports, and leaves the general viewer of college football confused at the end of the day.

Can someone explain to me how Texas was screwed out of the Big 12 championship game? Correct me if I am wrong but did Texas beat Oklahoma in a neutral site game? They did. Now I know Texas lost a few weeks later to Texas Tech, but it was a pretty tight game and it came down to the final seconds. Oklahoma lost by 10 to Texas. I don’t even like Texas, but it’s clear to see they should have played in the Big 12 championship game …but I digress.

On to bigger things. I don’t like how the bowl games lined up this year. Besides the omission of Texas in national championship game, there are a few teams that should not have received BCS bowl games, and a few teams who should have.

1. Boise State was the huge loser in all of this. I personally feel Boise State is paying for the massacre of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl last year. The loss last year by Hawaii undid so much for the smaller conferences, and probably has made the BCS committee a little hesitant.

2. USC has a case for the big game. Their biggest problem is they play in a weak Pac 10. Their loss early in the season to Oregon State seemed to hurt them more than Florida’s loss to Ole Miss. Once again USC is playing in the Rose Bowl, and this year they are actually complaining about it. There’s a good chance they are going to walk over Penn State.

3. I think the inclusion of Ohio State (2 losses to rank teams) and the teams representing the Orange Bowl (Virginia Tech-4 losses in a weak ACC, Cincinnati-winner of a poor Big East) should not be in this conversation at all.

Readers I have a solution to all this mayhem. What I bring to you is a solution to a problem that has been annoying NCAA coaches and fans for years now. What I bring to you is the Bowl Championship Tournament.

I feel NCAA football needs to copy what their brothers are doing over on the basketball side. No, we don’t need a 64 team tournament, that would be too big. What I am suggesting is an 8 team format, where the best teams compete no matter what conference they are a part of.

Now we would still get all our 5 big bowl games, with the inclusion of two other games into the tournament. The tournament would take place over 3 weeks, and we can still have all the pomp and pageantry that the big bowl games have now.

Teams that I would include in the Big dance and their rankings from 1-8

(1)Florida Gators-SEC champions, they play in one of the tougher conferences in Div 1A football.
(2)Texas-Reason for #2 ranking. They Beat Oklahoma.
(3)Oklahoma-winner of the Big 12, THE toughest conference in Football
(4)Alabama-held #1 for 5 weeks and was undefeated until the last week of the season.
(5)USC-Winner of the Pac 10 title. Entering the tourney with one early season loss.
(6)Penn State-winner of the Big 10, was undefeated until a late season loss to Iowa
(7)Utah-At large bid, due to not being in a BCS conference. Went undefeated with 2 wins over ranked teams.
(8) Boise State-second at large bid, Also undefeated.

On the bubble teams:

Texas Tech-has one loss, but it was in ugly fashion to Oklahoma on National Television.
Ohio State-two losses to ranked teams.

So our first round match-ups would be:

Capital One Bowl-(1)Florida vs. (8) Boise State

Cotton Bowl-(2)Texas vs. (7) Utah

Orange Bowl-(3)Oklahoma vs. (6) Penn State

Sugar Bowl-(4) Alabama vs. (5) USC

Next week we will determine the winners of the first round of bowl games and set up the second round of games.

Joe Bacanovic

The State of Toronto Sports

2008-12-04T02:13:00.000-08:00

Living in the Greater Toronto Area all my life, I have been known to bleed the colours of Toronto sports teams. It all started when I was a young lad watching the Maple Leafs with the likes of Clark, Gilmour and Potvin. Back in the early 90’s they made it to back to back conference finals against the kings, and the Canucks. While that was going on the Jays were winning Back to Back Championships with Joe Carter, Robbie Alomar and Juan Guzman, over the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Not to long after that the Toronto Raptors were introduced into the NBA as Canada’s first expansion team and landed Damon “Mighty Mouse” Stoudamire. It was an exciting time for the great city known as Toronto. Since than there has been its ups and downs. Mostly downs. The Leafs went threw some tough times missing the playoffs, the Blue Jays could never capture there swagger after the lock out and haven’t been to the playoffs since 93 and well the Raptors were an expansion team and didn’t find success until the late 90’s.

Looking at the Toronto sports market today things are starting to look rather grim. Here’s my break down team by team for what to look for in the future.

Toronto Blue Jays:

After so much promise at the beginning of last season the Blue Jays failed to live up to expectations and did not qualify for the playoffs for the 15th straight year. They have lost Shaun Marcum, a promising young stud, for all of next season, Dustin McGowan won’t be due back until May or June after a season ending shoulder injury and of course A.J. Burnett has opted out of his Contract and is testing the free agent market as we speak. A once promising pitching rotation, that was the best in the majors in 2008, looks rather slim for the 2009 season. It doesn’t help that the market is falling faster than a Roy Halladay curve ball and the jays don’t know which direction to go in. Cut salary and build within or raise payroll and compete for a World Series. With the 40 plus jobs that were lost at Rogers a day after Ted Rogers’ death it looks like the Jays are going to be on a downward spiral in the years to come.

Toronto Maple Leafs:

Heading into this season the Maple Leafs changed there Head Coach, lost there number one scorer from the season before in Mats Sundin and traded away the likes of Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft. All who were suppose to help get the Maple Leafs into the promise land. However since the start of the season it seems to be a smart move, the Leafs may not be the best team in the league but they are way more exciting than Leafs teams of the recent past. Pick-ups like Mikhail Grabovski, Niklas Hagman, Mike Van Ryn and Luke Schenn are proving to be smart moves by interm GM at the time Cliff Fletcher. And now that the Leafs have hired on Brian Burke as the full time GM and President of the Toronto Maple Leafs more moves are to come. Things may look bleak now and maybe next year but don’t worry Leaf fans were finally headed in the right direction.

Toronto Raptors

With the firing of Sam Mitchell, an 8-9 start to the season and a couple of bad loses to New Jersey, Boston and Denver, things don’t look to good for Canada only NBA franchise. After a 3-0 start, the Raptors are finding themselves sputtering to the basement of the NBA. They had a 15 point lead in Boston and lost by 7, they were beating the Nets by 7 going to the line only to have Vince drop 12 points in: 44 seconds force overtime and win it on an alley-oop and the Denver game, lost by 39 what more is there to say. As bad as that sounds its not all bad in raptor land. They still have early MVP candidate Chris Bosh playing at a high level and Jose Calderon is playing like a true NBA point guard. What the raptors need is Jermaine O’Neal to play like the JO we know and love and we need better perimeter offense and defense. It’s a long season so don’t push the panic button yet and as for down the road Colangelo is a genius and will figure out what to do.

Nelson “Demon Seed” Swan

Is Tyler Hansbrough the Greatest College Basketball Player Ever?

2008-12-04T00:12:00.000-08:00

Since his first game as a freshman, when he dropped 21 on Gardner Webb, to last year when he won Multiple Awards, most notably Naismith National Player of the year Award, speculation has surfaced that Tyler Hansbrough will go down as one of the greatest college basketball players of All-Time. He definitely has the numbers and Awards to prove it. He won 15 total awards last season as a junior, he had the highest scoring average at UNC with 26.9 since Charlie Scott had 27.1 in 1969-70 and broke a 51 year old school record held by Lennie Rosenbluth’s for made free throws. But personally to be dubbed the best player in the history of any sport I think you need to lead your team to a Championship, something Hansbrough has never done. With Hansbrough UNC doesn’t even have a Final Four appearance. They’ve had 2 # 1 seeds when he was a sophomore and a junior as well # 3 seed when he was just a freshman. But still there is nothing to show for it. If you look at the top 3 players in College basketball history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) – UCLA, Bill Walton – UCLA and Bill Russell - San Francisco, they all hold Multiple National Championships. So even if Tyler Hansbrough leads UNC to the title game at the beginning of April it still wont catapult him to the top of the list of greatest College Basketball Players.

So where does this leave him?

Depending on what UNC does this year in the March Madness tourney this year will better determine where Hansbrough will finish as greatest College players. A national Championship will give him a better shot of being in the top echelon of such a prestiges group. But if history repeats himself and UNC falters in late March and early April after starting the year as a # 1 seed (according to the Associated Press) than it would be hard for Hansbrough to crack the top 10 maybe even the top 20.

By Nelson "Demon Seed" Swan

2008-11-30T16:31:00.000-08:00

ABOUT US....

JOHN PAUL DEL MONTE
Favourite Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Favourite Athlete: Mats Sundin
Best Venue: The OLD Sault Memorial Gardens
Greatest Sports Moment: Italy winning World Cup, 2006

Favourite Jersey: Steve Air McNair, traditional blue

Favourite Quote: "Ask yourself this, Tom: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see it or hear it, would you still be such an asshole?" - Kenny Shea to Tommy Gavin, Rescue Me

NELSON SWAN
Favourite Team: Toronto Maple Leafs/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Favorite Athlete: "Neon" Deion Sanders
Best Venue: The Old Maple Leaf Gardens
Greatest Sports Moment: Joe Carter Parking the wild things heater over the left field fence in 93 for back to back Championships for the Jays. Also when Robbie Alomar hit the go ahead home run in Oakland in 92 and chopped around the bases. Go Jays
Favourite Jersey: Edmonton Oilers (late 80's) also Anaheim Mighty Ducks Circa-1993-2004
Favourite Quote: 1. It amazes me...the will of instinct (Kurt Cobain)2. if it doesn't matter if you win or lose, than why do they keep score. - Vince Lombardi

ADAM SARSON
Favorite Team: Toronto Maple Leafs/Green Bay Packers
Favorite Athlete: Brett Favre
Best Venue: Sitting in right-centre for Blue Jays @ Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Just being there for one of the last games ever played at such an iconic building is something that I will never forget.
Greatest Sports Moment: December 22nd, 2003. Packers @ Raiders. Brett Favre comes up with a great performance the day after the death of his father. Equally as important were his receivers because without them, a lot of those passes should have been picked. Greatest display of team unity I have witnessed on a football field.
Favorite Jersey: Toronto Maple Leafs third jersey.
Favorite Quote: “Sports do not build character. They reveal it." - John Wooden

RONNY DHILLON
Favourite Team: Miami Hurricanes Football
Favourite Athlete: Sean Taylor & Ed Reed
Best Venue: Air Canada Centre
Greatest Sports Moment: Ed Reed's INTERCEPTION for a TD vs. Boston College (2001)
Favourite Jersey: San Diego Chargers Third
Favourite Quote: "We don't care about nobody expect this U" - Kellen Winslow.

MARK CALAMINICI
Favourite Team: AC Milan
Favourite Athlete: Poalo Maldini
Best Venue: San Siro
Greatest Sports Moment: Italy winning the 2006 World Cup
Favourite Jersey: AC Milan
Favourite Quote: Look up in the sky... It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman

JOE BACANOVIC
Favourite Team: Buffalo Bills, Toronto Blue Jays & Montreal Canadians
Favourite Athlete: Reed Johnson (There's too many to name)
Best Venue: Ralph Wilson Stadium
Greatest Sports Moment: October 8th 2007. Buffalo’s first home Monday Night Football game in 13 years. They lost in heartbreaking fashion, but I had the time of my life and will never forget it.
Favourite Jersey: Buffalo Bills 3rd Jersey
Favourite Quote: To be the man, you have to beat the man - Ric Flair