Strictly Sports

2011–12 AFC/NFC Championship Preview

2012-01-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

The road to Indianapolis in the AFC runs through Foxboro, where the Baltimore Ravens will take on the New England Patriots in the 2012 AFC Championship for the right to play in Super Bowl XLVI.

The Ravens held down the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium, 20-13, to grant head coach John Harbaugh his second trip to the conference title game in four years. The Pats, on the other hand, find themselves back at Gillette Stadium after demolishing Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos, 45-10, behind a record-tying six touchdown passes by Tom Brady.

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts

When: Sunday, January 2nd at 3 p.m. EST

Watch: CBS

Spread: Patriots -7.5 (according to sportsbook.com)

Take the Patriots here. New England has won eight of its nine home games this season if you count Saturday's annihilation of the Broncos, including the last five in a row by an average of 20.4 points per game

Keys to Ravens Win

We all know Baltimore is going to bring the heat on defense, but if the Ravens are really intent to advance to their first Super Bowl since 2001, they'll need their offense to do a much better job of killing clock and controlling tempo.

That's not to say that Joe Flacco needs to be Tom Brady or anything. Rather, the onus will be on Flacco to manage the game and complete the occasional play-action pass, if only to keep the Pats' paltry defense honest and open things up for Ray Rice in the process. More touches for Rice ultimately means fewer possessions for New England's offense and a better shot at keeping the score right where the Ravens would like it.

Key to Patriots Win

Let Tom Brady do his thing. Sounds easy, but against Baltimore's pass rush, nothing's as simple as it seems. Brady had a tough time operating against a similarly structured Pittsburgh Steelers defense earlier this season, throwing for an un-Brady-like 198 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-17 loss at Heinz Field.

Now, the Pats won't have to worry about Terrible Towels or choppy turf at Gillette Stadium, but they will have to concern themselves with keeping Brady clean when under pressure from Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs, among others. If New England's offensive line can do to Baltimore's rush what it did to Denver's, then Brady will be in for another fine day and have the Pats on their way to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Prediction: Patriots 28, Ravens 20

Forget about favoring defense over offense.

Not that the old adage isn't still true, but rather that Baltimore's D, while still far better than average, isn't nearly as dominant as it once was.

Another wildly unpredictable year has provided us with a matchup that nobody could have predicted four weeks ago.

After missing the playoffs every season since 2002, the San Francisco 49ers will be hosting the New York Giants with a berth to the Super Bowl on the line.

The 49ers are here because of a defense that allowed the second fewest points in the league and a rejuvenated offense led by QB Alex Smith. Rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh infused a energy that had been missing since they last made the playoffs in 2002.

On the other side, the Giants have crashed the playoff party by winning four straight do-or-die games. The pass rush has become deadly, and QB Eli Manning isn’t turning the ball over. He has two interceptions and zero fumbles in the last month. Tom Coughlin went from the hot seat to in the mix for one of the top coaching performances of the season.

So now an Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees-less NFC Championship is set. So who wins?

The 49ers won 27-20 in Week 10 this season, but the Giants still outgained the 49ers by 90 total yards. The G-Men lost largely because the Ahmad Bradshaw-less running game was only able to churn out 3.2 YPC. Now the Giants are as balanced of a team as any remaining in the postseason.

The biggest matchup will be the Giants' fifth-rated pass offense against a 49ers defense that surrendered the second-fewest points in the league during the regular season.

If Hakeen Nicks continues to produce like he has in his first two playoff games of 2012 (280 yards, four TDs), the pressure will be squarely on the 49ers offense to keep up. They proved capable of doing so against the Saints, but now the 49ers have to deal with the incredibly dangerous defensive line of the Giants.

Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora and the rest of this deep and talented group sacked Rodgers four times, deflected eight of his passes and registered five QB hits. They were the big difference in the game for the second consecutive week.

Smith has to adjust to the pressure and ensure he has the quick dump-off option at all times. Smith only has five interceptions this season, which is one of the main reasons the 49ers have been successful.

I expect the Giants pass rush to pressure Smith early and rattle his confidence to the point of no-return. Once the turnovers start occurring, the Giants' opportunistic offense will cash in on the mistakes.

While the 49ers defense will keep them within striking defense, the Giants are the more balanced team sporting more confidence and more playoff experience and a better quarterback.

Prediction: Giants 24, 49ers 16

Australian Open: Roger Federer to Meet Rafael Nadal—Preview of the Men's Draw

2012-01-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

The draw for the Australian Open is finally out and some will feel luckier than others. First the shocker: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semifinals of a slam for the first time since French Open 2005.

Fans have been speculating that the draws are rigged as Novak Djokovic and Federer always end up in the same half (something like 13 or 14 times out of the last 16) and Rafa and Andy Murray in the other.

This Australian Open is the exception to that rule.

And now to each quarter.

Novak Djokovic's quarter

Djokovic has a very manageable schedule for the first three rounds with Pablo Lorenzi in the first, Santiago Giraldo or a qualifier in the second and most likely 29th-seeded Radek Stepanek in the third.

Things get more interesting in the fourth, where he will most likely get to prove why he's the best returner on tour. He could meet either upcoming Milos Raonic, crowd favourite and veteran Lleyton Hewitt (not likely), big-serving Robin Haase or another big server, veteran Andy Roddick.

My guess is we see the Djokovic-Raonic in the fourth and that Raonic will push him and take a set, but not beat him.

In the other half of the draw, fellow Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, ever-talented Richard Gasquet and Spanish marathon-runner and 5th-seeded David Ferrer will be the favourites to meet the Djoker in the semis.

Ferrer has a semifinal spot from last year to defend, but Tipsarevic is not a man who goes down easily.

Pick: Novak Djokovic

Dark horses: Milos Raonic, Janko Tipsarevic and David Ferrer.

Andy Murray's quarter

Murray will have to be ready for the get-go, when he meets talented teenager Ryan Harrison in the first and always tricky Xaxier Malisse in the second.

In the third, he could either meet Ernesto Gulbis, Michael Llodra or the most improved ATP player in 2011, Alex Bogomolov Jr. Not impossible, but also not the easiest first three rounds.

The fourth doesn't get much better as in-form Gael Monfils, who just got the better of Nadal in Doha, could be waiting.

And if that wasn't enough for Murray, who's trying to win the first British slam in 150.000 years—or just since Fred Perry—he's drawn the consensus dark horse outside the Big Four in the quarters in the form of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Tsonga's powerful forehand, imposing net game and supersonic serves can beat any player in the draw if he's in the zone. Murray will have to return well and keep his focus while serving if he is to negotiate his way to the semis.

Murray has a 5-1 head-to-head lead to rely on though.

If Tsonga doesn't make it that far, a weaker version of Murray, alias Gilles Simon, or Kei Nishikori could be waiting.

Pick: Andy Murray

Dark horses: Primarily Tsonga who's got a more than decent chance followed by Monfils and Simon.

Roger Federer's quarter

Federer can't be too unhappy with his draw in the early matches, but could have wished for better luck at the business end of his quarter.

He gets a qualifier to begin with, followed by either Andreas Beck or Eric Prodon, both ranked just inside top-100. Next up is either big-serving Ivo Karlovic, who Federer leads 9-1, or dangerous floater Jurgen Melzer.

In the fourth round, it gets really interesting as Federer may face the future of men's tennis either in the form of Bernard Tomic (my pick) or Alexandr Dolgopolov. Both are dangerous, but the veteran should have enough tools in his arsenal to stave the young generation for now.

Don't underestimate Tomic, though, who pushed Djokovic in four close sets at Wimbledon and took Federer to four sets in the Davis Cup a few months later.

If that wasn't enough, he's beaten both Monfils and seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych this week in Kooyong. Tomic is looking more and more ready and not afraid of the big stage.

If he wins, it could be a symbolic passing of the torch just like when Federer beat an aging Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001.

Should Federer keep his quarterfinal streak going, he will probably face either eighth-seeded Mardy Fish or 11th-seeded Tandil tower Juan Martin del Potro.

There are still some questions surrounding Delpo's game and stamina, but if he's playing well, he's every bit as dangerous as Tsonga and can upset any player in the draw, including Federer.

Fish played Federer close at the World Tour Finals, but Federer had nothing to play for and usually gets the better of Fish, who probably would be his preferred quarterfinal opponent if it comes down to Delpo or Fish.

Pick: Roger Federer

Dark Horses: Primarily Delpo, but Tomic could do some serious damage.

Rafael Nadal's quarter

Nadal also has an easy start to the tournament as he faces a qualifier, followed by a qualifier or former world No. 2 Tommy Haas (now 190th). Third up is American hope Donald Young or veteran Ivan Ljubicic, who can trouble Rafa but probably not in best of five at this stage in his career.

In the fourth, we could see a repeat of the first round of the French Open last year, when Rafa is paired up with the man with the serve, John Isner, who had a great finish to the 2011 season.

Other possible fourth-round opponents include David Nalbandian, Nikolay Davydenko or Feliciano Lopez. While the two former both have everything it takes to trouble Rafa and has done so in the past, it is more than questionable whether they still have what it takes to compete with and beat Rafa at this level.

Still, if any of them get to the fourth round, it means they are playing well and Rafa should watch out then. As for Lopez? Rafa leads him 8-1. All in all, Isner or a Davydenko in form are probably the biggest upstacles to Rafa's trip to the quarters.

Here, it is very open who he meets. Tomas Berdych is the highest seed, but Marcus Baghdatis and Grigor Dimitrov have both been showing good form the last few weeks.

Also in contention are Kevin Andersson, Stanislas Wawrinka and Nicolas Almagro, none of whom should scare Rafa too much.

Berdych and Isner are the dangerous floaters, but it could have been worse as Rafa has solid head to head over both of them despite not liking to play a type like Isner Perhaps the most dangerous for Rafa would be if either Nalby or Davy returns to greatness for a week or so.

Pick: Rafael Nadal

Dark horses: Tomas Berdych and John Isner

All in all, I would say Murray has the worst draw followed by Federer in a fairly close race with Nadal and world No. 1 gets the 'easiest' draw. Then again, Raonic wouldn't be as "easy" for some of the other Big Four players.

Blockbuster Semis:

Novak Djokovic versus Andy Murray.

Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal.

More on those if they all make it there. Personally, I could see one of them being knocked out before the semis, but it's not clear to me, where the damage will come from, hence the safe picks.

Novak is, surprise, surprise, the safest pick to the semis and my clear-cut favourite to the title.

Then again, Isner, Roddick or Fish may suddenly run with it.

NFL Playoff Picks: Predictions for Every Divisional Round Game

2012-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

When Denver Has the Ball

The game plan is simple: Get Tim Tebow the ball and let him make plays. Tebow singlehandedly exposed the Pittsburgh Steeler defense suffering from injury. Tebow will be the man again in Foxborough this weekend.

The big play for Denver is the belly-option it loves to run with Tebow and Willis McGahee. This play sets the stage for Denver to use play-action passing, which is what led to its win in overtime last week. New England will need to step up to shut down the option, but it must also keep an eye deep and play true Cover 3 to defend the pass.

If the Patriots hope to win, they have to give Tebow looks to make him give the ball up. Then they have to shut down the run.

What the Patriots can't do is get Tebow corralled and forget to tackle him. Or just flat-out miss.

When New England Has the Ball

Clearing out the middle of the field and protecting Tom Brady are the keys this week. They were the keys when the Patriots beat the Broncos in Week 15.

You'll see here that when Brady has time and can step into his throw, he'll find targets across the middle. The play call does a great job crossing the defense and clearing out the middle. With great run-after-catch options, Brady will pick apart the Denver defense if he gets looks like this.

The Broncos simply have to pressure Brady. If he gets a pocket that looks like the one shown here, Denver will lose.

Prediction: New England 38, Denver 17

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens

When Houston Has the Ball

The Houston Texans lost their first matchup with the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season despite a healthy Matt Schaub. Arian Foster wasn't as healthy, but Schaub makes a big difference.

What Houston didn't do the first time around was generate a run game that would throw off the hard-charging Baltimore linebackers. That will be the key this time. Foster will be a key player in the Houston game plan this week.

Baltimore will need a very sound game defensively to shut down Foster as both a runner and a receiver. He's deceptively fast and picks up yards in 12-yard gains that look like small runs. Getting penetration, as shown here, is the key.

When Baltimore Has the Ball

Ray Rice has been the focal point of the Baltimore defense all season. Why would that change now?

Rice will get the bulk of the responsibility on offense this week, but it is worth noting that Anquan Boldin went over 100 yards receiving the last time these two met. If Boldin can get separation on Johnathan Joseph—and if Joe Flacco has time to work—the passing game could be a key for Baltimore when working the underneath routes.

Houston has to get after Flacco in the backfield. The Texans know Rice can pick up yards, but flustering Flacco early will be the best ticket to a possible victory.

Prediction: Baltimore 20, Houston 13

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers

When New York Has the Ball

The New York Giants' game plan has become almost completely centered on the passing game. With three great wide receivers, it makes sense.

New York will once again put the ball in Eli Manning's hands, but it'll ask him to attack a defense that can be dangerous when rushing the passer—especially off the edge. That's where New York struggles the most. If the tackle play isn't exceptional, the Giants will have trouble protecting Manning long enough to get the ball downfield.

Manning attacked Green Bay vertically last time around, and it worked pretty well.

Green Bay knows its strength lies in rushing the quarterback and forcing him into mistakes. Manning is good for an interception per game, which should give the playmakers in the Packer secondary hope for making something happy this weekend.

When Green Bay Has the Ball

This should be no secret. Aaron Rodgers will be the key. But so will the offensive line.

The key for both teams will be Jordy Nelson. How do the Giants cover him, and do they commit their safeties to deep coverage? How do the Packers use him to find mismatches in the defense? When the two teams met before, Nelson was a key player thanks to his speed off the line.

The Packers' passing attack is good enough to cause problems all night for New York, and a healthy Green Bay offensive line will give the Giants pass rush all it can handle. Keeping Rodgers clean is a key, but he's a dangerous enough scrambler to hurt the Giant pass rush. And no matter how hard the Giants play, they have to keep the ball away from Aaron Rodgers late. Unlike last time.

Prediction: Green Bay 35, New York 31

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers

When New Orleans Has the Ball

Drew Brees has been nearly unstoppable this year, but he's not faced a defense as good as the one in San Francisco either. This should be an epic showdown between two elite units.

The player to watch isn't just Brees, but tight end Jimmy Graham. The 49ers match up well with Graham if they commit safety Donte Whitner to coverage. Whitner is a hard hitter, but he's also good when locked up in zero coverage.

Brees is the best in the game at quickly getting back in his drop steps, shuffling up in the pocket and throwing deep. His deep accuracy is as good as any in the NFL—when he has time to throw. When Brees is pressured from the middle of the defense, he reverts to a normal quarterback.

The 49ers will set out to pressure Brees from all over the pocket by moving around Aldon Smith and trying to overwhelm Jermon Bushrod and Zach Strief at offensive tackle.

When San Francisco Has the Ball

Expect Frank Gore to see his share of the workload this weekend. The New Orleans Saints rank 12th in the NFL in yards per game allowed on the ground. Gore will be the focal point for an offense that will hope to come out of this game alive.

The Saints won't expect many points from the 49ers, and they shouldn't, but San Francisco is dangerous thanks to field-goal kicker David Akers. If Akers gets in range, he's nearly automatic. You can say the Saints will keep Smith and the offense out of the end zone, but keeping Akers off the scoreboard won't happen.

The Saints defense lives on playing with a lead. When faced with a deficit, it is not good enough to force turnovers or create havoc. If New Orleans falls behind, it's in trouble.

Prediction: San Francisco 24, New Orleans 20

2011 NFL Wild-Card Round Predictions

2012-01-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

No. 6 Detroit Lions at No. 3 New Orleans Saints January 7th 8:00 P.M. on NBC

The Detroit Lions' reward for falling to the JV Green Bay Packers, 45-41, Sunday is a trip to meet the New Orleans Saints next week, who performed another Superdome slicejob in Week 17, carving up the Carolina Panthers, 45-17.

These two teams met in New Orleans in Week 13, with the Saints prevailing 31-17 despite 408 passing yards from Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, and given how Saints signal-caller, Drew Brees, is carving up defenses right now, it's hard to see the outcome being any different here.

Prediction: New Orleans 38, Detroit 20

No. 6 Cincinnati Bengals at No. 3 Houston Texans January 7th 4:30 P.M. on NBC

This game features two teams headed in the wrong direction as the playoffs begin, with the Houston Texans riding a three-game losing streak while the Cincinnati Bengals needed an Oakland Raiders loss to back into the postseason.

The Texans prevailed 20-19 when these two teams met in Week 14 in what was Houston quarterback T.J. Yates' coming out party, but with Yates backsliding, the Bengals will be able to do just enough to prevail in the first "upset" of the postseason.

Prediction: Cincinnati 20, Houston 13

No. 5 Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 4 Denver Broncos January 8th 4:30 P.M. on CBS

Although the Denver Broncos advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2005, the bloom may have come off the rose for second year quarterback Tim Tebow, who was a pathetic 6-of-22 for 70 yards with an interception in a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The rose is going to be torn to shreds and set on fire next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the last time Tebow and the Broncos played a defense anywhere near as good as Pittsburgh's, they were annihilated by the Detroit Lions.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 31, Denver 6

No. 5 Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 New York Giants January 8th 1:00 P.M. on Fox

The Atlanta Falcons capitalized on the Detroit Lions loss by defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to slide into the fifth seed in the NFC, where they appear to be headed towards a matchup with the New York Giants at New Meadowlands Stadium.

Given how good the erratic Giants have looked so far in Sunday night's winner-take-all game with the Dallas Cowboys, they'll probably look somewhere between average and lousy next week, opening the door for a balanced Atlanta squad to eke out a close victory and advance.

Prediction: Atlanta 27, New York 24

NBA 2011-2012 Western Conference Predictions

2011-12-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Without further adu here are my Western Conference predictions for the upcoming NBA season

No. 15: Minnesota Timberwolves: The Minnesota Timberwolves aren't going to be a terrible team this season. They just have the misfortune of playing in the Western Conference, as almost every team in the conference is going to be at least decent. Minnesota has an insane amount of talent on their squad. It just won't all come together this season. Kevin Love is an established star, but Michael Beasley, Derrick Williams and the rest of the forwards have a long ways to go to realize their true potential. Ricky Rubio is the other big addition to the team, but he's basically going to be a much worse version of Rajon Rondo this season. He can't shoot at all and his passing is magical. He's just not as developed and his defense is much worse. The Timberwolves are going to be fun to watch for brief spurts, but they won't win many games.

2011-2012 Prediction: 17-49

No. 14: Sacramento Kings: The Sacramento Kings are much like the Minnesota Timberwolves. They have a lot of young talent that hasn't reached its full potential quite yet. But the Kings are just a little bit further along than the Wolves. DeMarcus Cousins could turn into a star this season. I'm fully expecting for him to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game if he can keep his head on straight. The former Kentucky Wildcat has a ridiculous amount of skill. At the point guard position, Tyreke Evans is going to be looking to rebound from a disappointing sophomore campaign, one plagued by injury. If he regains his 20-point, five-rebound, five-assist form from his rookie season, the Kings could exceed these expectations. Marcus Thornton is an underrated scorer, J.J. Hickson and Donte Greene are intriguing young pieces and Jimmer Fredette could be a terrific rookie. He could also be a huge bust. We're just not sure yet.

2011-2012 Prediction: 21-45

No. 13: Phoenix Suns: It's a shame that Steve Nash is too good a person to demand a trade. Instead, he'll suffer through his last productive season with an untalented Phoenix Suns team. Sure, Grant Hill is returning, but the 39-year-old is no longer an impact player. Marcin Gortat is going to break out in terms of national recognition this year and average a double-double, but he's not a true difference maker. The biggest additions of the offseason were...wait for it...Shannon Brown, Sebastian Telfair and Ronnie Price. It's safe to say that the Suns are on the decline.

2011-2012 Prediction: 23-43

No. 12: Denver Nuggets: The Denver Nuggets may have been just fine without Carmelo Anthony for the end of last season, but it's going to be tougher to survive a full season with the services of one of the premier players in the NBA. This is especially true when half of last year's roster will be playing in China. If Arron Afflalo re-signs with the team, they'll be in better shape. That's just not a guarantee quite yet. Somewhat surprisingly, Nene Hilario will be returning to the Mile High City and he's a player that the Nuggets couldn't afford to have lost. Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari are also brimming over with potential. There no true alpha dog in Denver this season and that's going to come back to bite them.

2011-2012 Prediction: 24-42

No. 11: Utah Jazz: The Utah Jazz are finally going to feel the repercussions of no Deron Williams for an entire season. They'll have to make do with a backcourt of Devin Harris and C.J. Miles with Raja Bells and talented rookie Alec Burks coming off the bench. It's the frontcourt that makes the Jazz. Gordon Hayward is going to break out this season, and Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are already established big men for the team. If Derrick Favors improves dramatically and Enes Kanter makes good on his draft position, there could be a big competition for playing time in Utah. I have to find one negative here though and that's the loss of Andrei Kirilenko. AK47 is going to show just how valuable he was to the team as the Jazz struggle in his absence.

2011-2012 Prediction: 27-39

No. 10: Golden State Warriors: I have a lot of confidence in Mark Jackson, the new head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He should finally be able to bring some sort of defensive attitude to a team that has previously struggled to understand what the concept actually means. There isn't a single player in the fourth decade of his life, making Kwame Brown and Louis Almundson the two oldest players on the roster. As expected, the offense is going to be stellar once more. Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis form one of the premier backcourts in the NBA and Dorell Wright can knock down any and all three-point shots. A healthy David Lee only adds to the versatility of this offense. They'll win games thanks to their offense and young legs, an invaluable asset as the condensed season proceeds.

2011-2012 Prediction: 30-36

No. 9: New Orleans Hornets: There's going to be a drop-off in New Orleans after the loss of Chris Paul, the best point guard in the NBA. But the Hornets are still going to be a sneakily good team in the Western Conference, hallenging for a playoff spot all season long. They'll also get to wait and have a high pick in the loaded 2012 NBA Draft, thanks to the unprotected Minnesota Timberwolves pick they got from the Los Angeles Clippers. Jarret Jack will take over from CP3 and show once more why he's one of the more underrated floor generals in the league. Without David West, Eric Gordon will have to shoulder the scoring load, and he'll have an even easier time breaking out to the extent that people were expecting even when he was still in L.A.
Al-Farouq Aminu has a lot of potential and Chris Kaman will be a solid, although unspectacular center for the Hornets. If anything, the Hornets got better than they would have been without trading away Paul.

2011-2012 Prediction: 31-35

No. 8: Houston Rockets: Even without Yao Ming on the squad, the Houston Rockets are going to be a solid team that should back its way into the postseason. Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic are going to form a great rotation at point guard, a job made much simpler by the presence of the incredible scoring talent known as Kevin Martin. Luis Scola is a top-notch player as well, and will likely perform well in obscurity for yet another season. With the addition of Chandler Parsons and Marcus Morris, as well as the expected breakout of Chase Budinger, the Rockets could be quite good. They won't be fun to watch and there won't be any All-Stars on this squad, but they'll win games.

2011-2012 Prediction: 32-34

No. 7: Memphis Grizzlies: The Memphis Grizzlies were a force to be reckoned with in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, even without the services of their injured best player, small forward Rudy Gay. Gay is back in business and ready to pick up where he left off as one of the elite young players in the NBA. Other than that, the Grizzlies didn't really lose or pick up anyone worth mentioning.

2011-2012 Prediction: 34-32

No. 6: Portland Trail Blazers: The recent addition of Jamal Crawford was the good news that the Portland Trail Blazers so sorely needed. Other than that, this offseason was terrible for the Blazers. They had to deal with the unexpectedly early retirement of Brandon Roy and his degenerate knees. That had to get excited about the possibility of a healthy Greg Oden before learning that he had suffered a setback and would miss the entire season. They even had to learn that LaMarcus Aldridge had health problems and would need to miss training camp until the start of the regular season. Despite all of those problems, the Blazers are going to be a very solid team. Aldridge is a legitimate star, and Gerald Wallace is not too far behind. Wesley Matthews is going to be absolutely incredible without Roy blocking his path. Raymond Felton and Nicolas Batum are going to be solid players, and Nolan Smith will contribute during his rookie season. The Blazers are going to be contenders in the West all season long.

2011-2012 Prediction: 38-28

No. 5: Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin is really good. DeAndre Jordan could be really good. Chauncey Billups could remain really good. And oh yeah, the Los Angeles Clippers got Chris Paul. I'll be honest here, I'm just guessing at this record. The Clippers could be way better than the fifth-best team in the Western Conference but they could also fail to make the playoffs yet again.

2011-2012 Prediction: 39-27

No. 4: Los Angeles Lakers: The discontent in Los Angeles after the failed Chris Paul trade may end up causing the Lakers not to have quite as much chemistry and not win as many games.
Besides Kobe Bryant and the rest of the starting lineup, there's no one good on the Lakers. Do you really want to count on Josh McRoberts as your best bench player? Yikes.

2011-2012 Prediction: 43-23

No. 3: Dallas Mavericks: The Dallas Mavericks may be the reigning world champions, but Mark Cuban is going to have to deal with a few depressing realities. First of all, the Mavs are old. Every member of the starting lineup is over 30 years old and that's going to hurt them as the games start to pile up. There's no telling how long Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, and Brendan Haywood can continue to play at the same level. I'm excluding Dirk Nowitzki from that because he's still going to be absolutely incredible. The acquisition of Lamar Odom is going to help, but it won't mitigate the effects of age and the losses of Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea.

2011-2012 Prediction: 44-22

No. 2: San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are almost to the AARP point of their careers, but they're still going to be productive players. The same can be said about Tony Parker (the productive part, not the AARP part). Kawhi Leonard is going to have to play at an All-Star level though if the San Antonio Spurs are going to remain at the top of the Western Conference. No offense to the former San Diego State standout, but that's probably not going to happen during his rookie season. There are quite a few young players on this squad, but they won't be making enough of an impact to give the Spurs a No. 1 seed.

2011-2012 Prediction: 45-21

No. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder: With the duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant lining up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, this squad has to be the favorite in the Western Conference. Westbrook is one of the top point guards in the NBA, and Durant is one of the top contenders for a third straight scoring title. As good as this team was last season, just imagine how incredible they're going to be if Serge Ibaka and his new mid-range jump shot breaks out and becomes as good on offense as defense. Just imagine how incredible they will be if James Harden's on-court greatness can match his beard. This team, complete with the new slim-n-trim Kendrick Perkins, is not only going to be fun to watch, but they're also going to be incredibly good.

2011-2012 Prediction: 49-17 with this team representating the Western Conference in the 2012 NBA finals.

Boston Bruins: Does the NHL Watch the Champs' Physical Play Too Closely?

2011-12-21T20:27:00.000-08:00

Boston Bruins: Does the NHL Watch the Champs' Physical Play Too Closely?
By Nicholas Goss (Featured Columnist) on December 20, 2011 700 reads 34
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Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
The NHL suspended Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic one game on Monday for his second period hit on Philadelphia Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo during Saturday's game between the two teams, and it was a poor decision by the league.

The Bruins' physical play has been talked about quite a bit since the playoffs last season, when their toughness was one of the primary reasons they defeated the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup.

With Lucic's recent suspension, plus the fact that he escaped a suspension for a much more egregious hit on Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller earlier in the year, are the Bruins being closely watched by the league?

"Our team is watched very closely," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli before Monday's game against Montreal.

"We’ve got a lot of physical players, and I know our team is watched very closely, so he’s part of the team, and he’s one of the physical players. Our guys are smart, generally, so it’s not a concern. It’s just something we have to keep our eye on."

Boston has built their team on a style of physical play and being aggressive in their own end, and not only is it the style of hockey the Bruins have used throughout their history, it has given them great results over the past few seasons.

What I don't like is how the NHL is still inconsistent in these rulings. How does the Miller hit receive no fine or suspension but this Rinaldo hit, which wasn't even that bad, gets a one game ban?

League disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan has done a nice job this season in giving out proper rulings on disciplinary matters, but this situation with Lucic was handled poorly.

Sure, Lucic's past history of these hits was taken into account in deciding his punishment Monday, but he's not a dirty player, and this Rinaldo hit was not a big deal.

"Again, standing alone, I don’t think that [Rinaldo] hit is a suspendable offense," Chiarelli said. "Really, I don’t. There’s been a lot worse—there was a lot worse yesterday—and there’s some that don’t even get called..."

The league needs to look at each individual case differently, and although I believe that previous history is important because it can show if a player has learned his lesson or not, past finesand suspensions should not way too heavily in the decision to suspend these players.

Especially in the case of Lucic, where he is just a physical power forward who is not a dirty player at all, and never goes out to injure people. He does have a record of some incidents, but it is not one filled with egregious hits.

"If you go back and see what Milan has done, to me, it’s pretty unremarkable, but they obviously look at everything," said Chiarelli. "I think he got a suspension against [Maxim] Lapierre, he got the fine against Freddy Meyer, he got a warning on [Ryan] Miller, and this. I might have been missing one, but he didn’t get any other warnings."

Here is the video explaining the decision by Shanahan. (http://bigbadblog.weei.com/sports/boston/hockey/bruins/2011/12/19/video-brendan-shanahan-explains-milan-lucic-suspension-says-history-influenced-decision/)

Shanahan explains in the video that “the overriding factor in elevating this check from behind from a penalty on the ice to a suspension is his history of similar infractions, warnings and a fine."

Lucic certainly has a prior history, but I wouldn't call him a "repeat offender," and neither would Chiarelli.

"I agree with the global objective of addressing player safety," Chiarelli said, "and if the body of work means that now he’s in that, again, not 'repeat offender,' but the 'repeat concerns,' I guess, however you want to characterize it, then if that’s what it is, that’s what it is."

The NHL has to work toward being consistent in their decisions and knowing how much to weigh a player's record in making decisions to suspend them or not.

Shanahan has done a fine job of making the game safer but this Lucic suspension just does not make sense.

He isn't a dirty player, but because the Bruins' physical play is so discussed it becomes a larger issue than it really is.

When asked if he thinks general managers around the NHL think the Bruins get away with stuff Chiarelli said, "No, I don't think so," but my feeling is that some other teams do sometimes think the Bruins get away with stuff.

Regardless, the Bruins will not change their style of play because it's what works best for them, and quite honestly, it is the way the game should should be played; tough, physical and hard.

NBA 2011-2012 Season Preview Eastern Conference

2011-12-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

Without further adu here is my NBA Eastern Conference preview for the 2011-2012 NBA season.

Eastern Conference:

No. 15: Charlotte Bobcats. It's going to be difficult to be a Charlotte Bobcats fan this season. Reggie Williams should earn a starting nod over Gerald Henderson by the end of the season and the sooner that happens, the better for the Bobcats. Regardless, it's going to be a tough season, and the Bobcats will have to entertain themselves with the exploits of Kemba Walker during his rookie season. Walker is a bona fide stud and will be fully capable of winning a few games by himself as a rookie. Unfortunately, top pick Bismack Biyombo will not be joining the Bobcats this season. With Corey Maggette, Boris Diaw and Tyrus Thomas joining the cause, there isn't any hope for the playoffs whatsoever.

2011-2012 Prediction: 13-53

No. 14: Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cleveland Cavaliers may have landed Kyrie Iriving with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, and then added Tristan Thompson just a few picks later, but that's not going to keep them from being the NBA's cellar-dwellers this season. A lineup of Irving, Anthony Parker, Omri Casspi, Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varejao to start the season is anything but inspiring. This team could be worth watching just to catch the two talented rookies, but it could also be worth watching to see the highlights that their opponents will inevitably produce. With Christian Eyenga and Manny Harris coming of the bench, there is still potential in Cleveland. There just isn't enough talent for Dan Gilbert to be satisfied yet.

2011-2012 Prediction: 13-53

No. 13: Toronto Raptors: I may be a little bit higher on the Toronto Raptors this season than most people, but that's primarily because I'm a believer in some of their young talent. DeMar DeRozan is in line for a breakout year after adding some scoring punch to his game last season. The athletic guard is going to have a number of highlight plays and help the Raptors cause quite often this year. Another player who's going to become a much bigger name is Ed Davis. Lining up at center for the Raptors this season, Davis is a name you want to remember. Linas Kleiza is likewise going to improve and Jose Calderon is an underrated point guard. The Raptors won't be good, but they won't be the worst team in the league anymore.

2011-2012 Prediction: 15-51

No. 12: Detroit Pistons: It's a true testament to the futility at the bottom of the Eastern Conference that the Detroit Pistons are only the third-worst team in this half of the league. But that said, there is a lot of potential in Detroit. Brandon Knight could make a huge impact for the Pistons during his rookie season and he'll join Rodney Stuckey (when he signs with the Pistons as I expect him to eventually do) in a talented but unpredictable backcourt. Greg Monroe is in line for a huge season and will prove to be one of the more valuable centers in the NBA this season.

2011-2012 Prediction: 23-43

No. 11: New Jersey Nets: If the New Jersey Nets manage to land Dwight Howard, they'll shoot up the standings. But now that Superman looks likely to remain with the Orlando Magic until the trading deadline, it's all about Deron Williams this season. Williams is an absolutely incredible point guard and he's single-handedly capable of carrying this team for some of the season. But with a condensed, brutal schedule, even Williams is going to wear down. Marshon Brooks is also going to be a high impact rookie for the Nets. The shooting guard will likely start the season out backing up Anthony Morrow, but he may be starting by the end of the season.
This team doesn't have much upside, but they aren't going to be the 12-70 Nets of old.

2011-2012 Prediction: 27-39

No. 10: Washington Wizards: The Washington Wizards are going to be a playoff team in the future. We just aren't far enough into the future quite yet. John Wall is insanely good, and he very well could be an All-Star as soon as this season. With JaVale McGee, Jordan Crawford and Jan Vesely lining up alongside Wall, this team is all about upside and athleticism. They're going to be quite fun to watch, even when they're not winning games.

2011-2012 Prediction: 32-34

No. 9: Milwaukee Bucks: You might not need to Fear the Deer as much this season as you used to.
I'm still not convinced that Brandon Jennings is ever going to maximize his potential. He's just not a good enough shooter quite yet to make too much of an impact in a positive way. Andrew Bogut is another great talent at the center position, but is anyone ready to bet on his health yet? If you are, seek help for your gambling problems. The acquisition of Stephen Jackson is going to help this defensively-oriented team win games with their offense, but they'll end up falling just short of the playoffs.

2011-2012 Prediction: 33-33

No. 8: Philadelphia 76ers: The Philadelphia 76ers have to play in a tough division now that the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks have both improved, but they will join the aforementioned two squads among the plethora of teams expected to improve during the 2011-2012 season. I'm not afraid to admit that I love almost every player on this squad. Nikola Vucevic is one of my favorite sleepers in the rookie class and the underrated seven-footer should be able to help mitigate the detrimental impact that the incredibly soft Spencer Hawes sometimes has during games. Jrue Holiday is going to continue to improve and should be one of the better point guards in the Eastern Conference this season. He's joined by Thaddeus Young, another player who's going to break out in a big way this year. And of course, you can never forget about Andre Iguodala.

2011-2012 Prediction: 36-30

No. 7: Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger is back. Roy Hibbert is primed to become one of the best centers in the NBA. David West signed with the team during the free agency period and should perform remarkably better than last year's combination of Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts. Paul George and George Hill are also only going to get better. It's safe to say that the Pacers are ready to be considered fringe contenders.

2011-2012 Prediction: 37-29

No. 6: Atlanta Hawks: The Atlanta Hawks' biggest loss of the offseason was Jamal Crawford, a player capable of either winning a game or losing a contest single-handedly on any given night. To make up for the loss, the Hawks signed veteran shooting guards Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse. They also added Vladimir Radmanovic to space the floor and drafted underrated big man Keith Benson in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft. Al Horford is only going to get better. Joe Johnson can't possibly play as badly as he did last year and will be fully healthy this season. Josh Smith showed up to training camp lighter than ever and should be an All-Star this season. But the biggest improvement in Atlanta is going to be that of Jeff Teague. The young point guard was sensational during the playoffs and should play a featured role in the Atlanta offense during the upcoming campaign.

2011-2012 Prediction: 38-28

No. 5: Orlando Magic: I guess the Orlando Magic have had a successful offseason since Dwight Howard is still going to be lining up for them when the regular season starts. But other than that, the Magic haven't done much to make their team better. The biggest upgrade the team made was swapping Brandon Bass with the Boston Celtics for Glen Davis. They also re-signed Jason Richardson. Exciting, I know. The Magic are going to be good because of the greatness of Dwight Howard, but they aren't going to be able to make a push into the elite group of teams in the Eastern Conference.

2011-2012 Prediction: 39-27

No. 4: Boston Celtics: A lot of people are ready to write off the Boston Celtics this year because of the brutal 66-game schedule and the advancing ages of the team's core, but I'm still feeling this season as their last hurrah. The only moves the Celtics made this offseason of any significance were trading Glen Davis for Brandon Bass and drafting two Purdue Boilermakers in E'twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. But none of the three new players will make much of a difference this season. It's still all about Rajon Rondo and his ability to distribute the ball effectively to Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. They're no longer a truly elite team, but they'll still be competitive in the Eastern Conference, especially in their weak division.

2011-2012 Prediction: 41-25

No. 3: New York Knicks: The New York Knicks may have made the best free agent signing of any team in the NBA this offseason when they inked Tyson Chandler to a big deal. Chandler is the perfect center for the New York Knicks: a defensively-oriented rebounding stud who doesn't need to score a lot to be happy. He'll blend in perfectly with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire and make the Knicks remarkably better on the defensive end of the court. Iman Shumpert has a high ceiling but probably won't contribute much during his rookie season. Toney Douglas and Landry Fields will likely be big contributors during the 2011-2012 season though.

2011-2012 Prediction: 42-24

No. 2: Chicago Bulls: The Chicago Bulls had the top record in the Eastern Conference last season, and they're not going to get worse this year. They just won't improve quite as much as the Miami Heat. Derrick Rose is the NBA's reigning MVP and he's poised to back up that award with another sensational season alongside the Bulls' plethora of young talents, namely Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Omer Asik. If Carlos Boozer stays healthy this year, a big if, the Bulls will reap the benefits. Additionally, the signing of Rip Hamilton will finally give this team the shooting guard it was lacking.

2011-2012 Prediction: 50-16

No. 1: Miami Heat: Remember how poorly the Miami Heat started out last season? That won't happen again. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are all used to playing with each other now. They're more motivated than ever to win a title and end the ridiculous amount of hatred spewed in their general direction. After re-signing Mario Chalmers and drafting Norris Cole, the Heat have a solid albeit unspectacular rotation at the point guard position. Plus, the addition of Shane Battier will do wonders both on the court and in the locker room as Battier is a top-notch defender and one of the most cerebral players in the league. With everyone in better shape than ever before, including Eddy Curry, who dropped 70 pounds, the Heat are on a mission this year. If anything, I'm worried that this prediction may be too conservative.

2011-2012 Prediction: 56-10. My pick to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals in June

Thank you for reading this blog and I will be back tomorrow with my Season Preview in the Western Conference.

2011 World Series Preview

2011-10-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

It's time to make my 2011 World Series predictions and picks. Who will take the title as the Cardinals and Rangers prepare to meet for game one on Wednesday?

Before you count out wild card entry St. Louis, let's think about how the Cardinals entered the postseason and how they are playing now.

The Cardinals will undoubtedly be a long shot to win the 2011 World Series despite having home field advantage.
Many think the Rangers are so prolific on offense that the Cardinals will stand little chance. I have some food for thought for those critics as the World Series inches closer. I think the 2011 World Series schedule favors St. Louis thanks to the home field advantage and pitching matchups.

Texas may have a tough time winning in Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Historically, the Cardinals have been a tough out at home in front of the fans wearing red. The Cardinals also have a very underrated pitching staff. Sure, on paper it might appear that Texas would be an overwhelming favorite.
My predictions and picks say that might not be the case in the 2011 World Series.

So who will win? I want to break it down on a game by game basis. There might always be different variables to consider as the Series progresses-but I think the Cardinals have a slight edge regardless of those possible scenarios. But before I get into each individual game-I have some food for thought as to why the Cardinals should emerge as the 2011 World Champs.

Here are five reasons why I my predictions and picks say the Cardinals will win the 2011 World Series.

1) Home Field Advantage
The Cardinals get to play at home thanks to the NL winning the All Star game. That means the fans at Busch Stadium will be going bonkers as the Redbirds hit the field. I think this will almost guarantee the Cards can win 3 out of 4. The most pivotal games though will be in Texas where St. Louis will need to win at least one contest. That might be the biggest telling point of this series.

2) Red Hot Momentum
Maybe the Cardinals are a team of destiny. The players have to be thinking among those lines after edging out the Braves in come from behind fashion just to make the playoffs. The Cardinals also dispatched of Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the playoffs. The Phillies, much like the Rangers, sport a terrific offense with plenty of pop. The Phillies probably also had the best pitching staff in baseball.

3) The Albert Pujols factor
Love him or hate him, St. Louis has the Albert Pujols factor. He's the best player in baseball. Pitching staffs have to decide whether to put him on base or subtly pitch around him. Either way, Pujols is a huge thorn in the sides of opposing pitching staffs. The horrible news for teams who face the Cardinals is that if you elect to pitch around Pujols, you'll have to face guys like Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday and David Freese. That didn't work out too well for the NL teams down the stretch.

4) Tony LaRussa Knows How To Win
LaRussa might not be the best media or public relations guy out there-but he certainly is a proven winner.
I'll take LaRussa in a game of X's and O's any day of the week in a competitive contest. He may tinker with the batting lineup and put position players after his pitcher in the lineup-but the guy knows how to get the most of his players and their individual abilities.

5) The Cardinals Finally Found a Reliever
Some may have argued the largest weak point of St. Louis early this season was the bullpen. The Cardinals have certainly resolved those issues. Jason Motte is performing like an All Star and the rest of the Cardinals bullpen is chipping in as needed. The Cardinals were missing one huge piece to the puzzle and the switch to closer for Motte has solidified this team.

So what happens according to my predictions and picks for the 2011 World Series?
Here's a look at the 2011 World Series schedule and my predictions and picks for each individual game.

Game 1: Chris Carpenter pitches well enough to earn the victory and slows the Rangers offense down. The Cardinals offense takes advantage of left hander C.J. Wilson and puts up 5 runs in the first four innings. Cardinals win game one 7-2.

Game 2: Jaime Garcia struggles against the Rangers but the Cardinals also put up enough runs to stay competitive. I think the Redbirds win a slugfest 8-6.

Game 3: Things move to Texas and the Rangers are ready to explode against St. Louis at home. The Rangers win the third game of the series 5-2.

Game 4: This pivotal game is where I believe the Cardinals can make the difference. Kyle Lohse has pitched much better than a number 4 and he could put the Cardinals on top with an outstanding effort. I think this one is the closest thing resembling a pitcher's duel in the opening four games as the Cards win 3-2 in 10.

Game 5: Texas bounces back with a 6-3 victory to close to within 3 games to 2 in the Series.

Game 6: The Cardinals close it out with a 11-6 slugfest. St. Louis wins the World Series 4-2.

That's it for my 2011 World Series picks and predictions. Can the Rangers possibly steal this one away? Absolutely. Anytime you have great offense and stellar pitching you have an opportunity to win. My gut just tells me that you shouldn't count out the Cardinals at home--particularly when they are playing the best offense of the season at the right time. Texas is going to have a tough time slowing down this offense and vice versa. But in the end, I believe the Cardinals will be the team putting up the most runs on the majority of nights.

WWE Monday Night RAW Review for 10/17/2011

2011-10-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Without further adu here is my review of Monday Night RAW which was taped in Mexico City this weekend

In Ring segment with Johnny Ace and Jim Ross

It's nice to see Jim Ross back on the show, but does anyone else find it odd that they would book the American broadcasters in a match in a show that was taped in Mexico? Laurinaitis is still painful to listen to, but I did get a kick out of the hug he forced on Ross and the way he put his arm around him.

1 -- RANDY ORTON & SHEAMUS & JOHN MORRISON vs. World Hvt. champion MARK HENRY & IC champion CODY RHODES & CHRISTIAN -- six-man tag match

WINNERS: Team Henry at 11:20. Although more attention was spent on outside-the-ring happenings, a good six-man tag match to promote a handful of items for the PPV. It was nice to see a hot crowd invested in the action, as well.

2 -- EVE (w/Kelly Kelly) vs. NATALYA (w/Divas champion BETH PHOENIX)

Winner: Eve at 2:10. Although this match was your typical short divas wrestling match it's still told a good story to set up Eve vs Beth Phoenix at the Pay Per View this Sunday Night.

In Ring Segment with C.M Punk which was interrupted by R-Truth/Miz, and Triple H

WWE appears to be pumping in some canned heat for the promo segments. The Truth and Miz really lost something with the way they returned last week. They just don't seem like threats to the Punk and Triple H team in a fair fight. For that matter, that's an ongoing problem for a lot of heels when they work with top talent.

3 -- C.M. PUNK (w/Triple H) vs. THE MIZ (w/R-Truth)

WINNER: No Contest at 8:46. This show was going just fine until they re-visited and replayed everything that went wrong on last week's show in this segment. Is this whole conspiracy angle still in-play with someone still trying to sabotage Hunter, this week via immigration issues?

3b -- C.M. PUNK vs. THE MIZ (w/R-Truth)

WINNER: Punk at 1:55. So I'm supposed to see The Miz and R-Truth as threats when they face C.M. Punk and the almighty Triple H on Sunday when Punk just got the better of them on his own until the post-match beatdown? This would be more effective if Punk didn't take this much punishment on a regular basis. Call me crazy, but if they want to position Triple H as such a big deal, then he should also be the one on the receiving end of a beatdown designed to put heat on the heels.

4 -- JACK SWAGGER (w/Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero) vs. ZACK RYDER

WINNER: Ryder at 0:32. I just hate squash matches. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

5 -- U.S. champion DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/Jack Swagger and Vickie Guerrero) vs. MASON RYAN (w/Zack Ryder) -- non-title match

WINNER: Ziggler via DQ at 2:36.

Yes, they're building up Ryan, but they are doing so at the expense of mid-card heels who should be moving up the ladder themselves. If this were an isolated incident than I wouldn't complain. Why can't WWE put some legit heat on anyone other than announcers and general managers?

6 -- WWE champion ALBERTO DEL RIO & MICHAEL COLE vs. JOHN CENA & JIM ROSS -- Winner chooses stipulation at Vengeance

WINNERS: Cena & Ross at 11:37. The hot crowd made this an acceptable main event, even though WWE gave away too much Cena-Del Rio before the PPV, and Ross and Cole played their roles well. As for the purpose of the match, it came across like a last-ditch effort to get some PPV buys to avoid a disastrous domestic buy total. It seems like Cena won't be winning the title after getting a "visual victory" with Del Rio counted down for a ten count and no verbal proclamation to re-take the title. Then again, McMahon could change his mind on Sunday. By the way the match between John Cena and Alberto Del Rio will be a last man standing match this Sunday at the PPV.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This was one of those Raws that lacked spontaneity and energy - despite a very good crowd throughout and a big-arena setting - because it clearly came across like a taped show and WWE blew their top storyline last week. Add in a bland, basic, attempt to sell a PPV with no juice, even more ridiculousness with a top storyline that (a) makes zero sense and (b) no one cares about anymore, and this wasn't a good rebound show. There was definitely a residual effect from last week's bizarreness. The problem is last week's show was supposed to be a definitive "break in the case" with Hunter removed from power and order restored to avoid an extended "walk-out." However, with Hunter still in the exact same authority figure position he was in during the chaos, nothing has technically changed, even though WWE is acting like it has. It wasn't as bad as last week, but WWE has to get away from this storyline as quickly as possible.

TNA BOUND FOR GLORY PPV RESULTS 10/16

2011-10-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

1 -- X Division champion AUSTIN ARIES vs. BRIAN KENDRICK -- X Division Title match

WINNER: Aries at 10:28. Very good match to start the PPV. Nice finishing sequence and the crowd was fully invested, not just because of Aries, but the good action. (**3/4)

2 -- ROB VAN DAM vs. JERRY LYNN -- Full Metal Mayhem match

WINNER: RVD at 13:15. The presentation from TNA was this was "fun to go back in time," but this set the wrestling industry back two decades. Too many dangerous spots around the head/neck region for comfort. It wasn't entertaining at all in that respect. Just shaking my head at a replay showing all of the dangerous spots. It would be like ESPN still glorifying head shots on defenseless NFL receivers because it "gets a reaction." (n/a)

3 -- SAMOA JOE vs. MATT MORGAN vs. CRIMSON -- three-way match

WINNER: Crimson at 7:14. Fine execution of the story with Joe trying to pit the faces against each other, then Joe getting his comeuppance by taking the loss. Noteworthy was Joe getting that Austin Aries reaction from the vocal males. (*1/2)

4 -- BULLY RAY vs. MR. ANDERSON -- Philadelphia Street Fight -- Falls Count Anywhere

WINNER: Anderson at 14:33. The story carried the contest, which still had one too many head/neck blows for comfort, but it delivered on what was advertised. Anderson needed an impressive, decisive win to reverse course on his TNA career, and this accomplished the goal. (**)

5 -- Knockouts champion WINTER (w/Angelina Love) vs. VELVET SKY vs. MADISON RAYNE vs. MICKIE JAMES -- four-way Knockouts Title match -- Karen Jarrett special referee

WINNER: Velvet at 8:31 to capture the KO Title. That was a complete and utter mess with an over-complicated situation. The crowd did respond to the title change, though, after wanting the match to end about 30 seconds in.

6 -- A.J. STYLES vs. DANIELS -- I Quit match

WINNER: Styles at 13:42. This had potential to be a stand-out match, but the mid-match promo took this from a heated, competitive battle to an unrealistic, unentertaining situation with the vow to kill someone. (Of note: A.J. Styles was trending on Twitter following this match.) (**)

7 -- HULK HOGAN vs. STING -- No DQ match for control of TNA

WINNER: Sting at 9:43 to win control of the company. They tried to deliver an acceptable match considering the physical limitations in the ring. Add in a few bells & whistles and it went about as well as anyone could reasonably expect.

8 -- TNA World Hvt. champion KURT ANGLE vs. ROBERT ROODE -- TNA World Title match

WINNER: Angle at 14:15 to retain the TNA World Title. This was certainly Hogan's TNA dream night. TNA dropped the ball only allotting 15 minutes to the match and not going all the way with Roode after the build-up. If they were going to do this finish, the match needed to be about 25 minutes so Roode was legitimized as being able to "hang with Angle." Instead, he looked like another typical TNA babyface unable to win the big one. Even if Roode gets a re-match due to the non-clean finish, they can't get back to the position they were in leading to BFG. (***)

TNA Wrestling Bound For Glory 2011 Preview

2011-10-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

We are just hours away from TNA's largest show of the year, Bound for Glory. With the final card in place and the go-home episode of Impact Wrestling in the books, all we have left to do now is kill time arguing about how Hulk Hogan will manage to mess up tonight's event. There are a few things we should get out of the way before talking about the matches and getting down to predictions.

The Curious Case of Jeff Hardy
First of all, Jeff Hardy is scheduled to make an appearance at Bound for Glory. After rescuing Beer Money and clearing the ring of Immortal, Jeff Hardy confronted a very angry “King of the Mountain” and declared that he will be live and on-hand for this huge event. While he's not booked in any sort of match, it's almost guaranteed that he'll interfere in something. Personally, I've loved the way TNA has handled Jeff Hardy's return. There are a lot of fans that are just flat-out done with the Hardys. For them, he's wasted too much of their time, money, and energy. Others might be sick of Jeff getting pushed into main event spots despite still struggling with the same demons that have plagued him for years. As a fan of good entertainment and even better professional wrestling, I don't much care about Hardy's personal issues. If he's able to compete in a healthy manor, I'd prefer him get back to work, both for his sake and that of the fans that want him around. Bringing him back slowly, getting him involved over time, and most importantly apologizing about the issue directly carried a lot of weight in my decision to give the Charismatic Enigma a 3rd (or 4th...) chance. But sooner or later Hardy had to get back into the fray, and tonight he may just insert himself into one of the matches. While both the Hogan/Sting and Angle/Roode matches have been advertised to ban Immortal and Fortune from ringside, TNA is notorious for going back on that promise. It's safe to say Jeff will be making the save at some point during Bound for Glory, but I wouldn't put a heel swerve past them either. It's a bad move in my opinion, as Hardy's reputation is balancing that fragile line between in-ring character and real-life integrity, but it's been done before...

Didn't Quite Make the Cut...
According to ImpactWrestling.com, this match was pushed to the internet-only preshow, meaning the paying customers won't witness it unless they log on to TNA's Facebook page and check it out. I'm not too upset about this, because while I like Ink Inc and their newest female member Christina Von Eerie, I'm not a fan of Mexican America. I feel it's a huge waste of Hernandez' talent, and an annoying Mexican stereotype put on two guys from Texas and L.A. The fact that the match is for Tag Team gold means very little to me, as TNA has lost a lot of momentum in that division since taking the belts off of Beer Money and the Guns to focus on the Bound for Glory tournament. It sounds bad, but I'm hoping that Jessie Neal and Shannon Moore can pull out the victory just so we can see less of Mexican America...

X-Division Championship
Austin Aries vs. Brian Kendrick
As much as I appreciate that Kendrick has been trying to do his own thing on Impact and separate himself from the rest of the X-Division, I don't think it's working. The guy has had a dozen different gimmicks throughout his career, and if he wasn't such a skilled in-ring worker he couldn't find a job wrestling that broom Triple H put on the map last week. Lack of promo ability aside, Kendrick looked strong (finally) with his win over the champion on Impact this week, and at the very least we're going to get some classic X-Division action. Austin Aries is a wrestling god according to the internet and his legion of fans that have followed him all around the independents, so I expect nothing short of a 5 star match between these two veterans of the ring.
Prediction: Austin Aries retains the X-Division Championship. The former champion has put up a good fight, but I don't see him going much further in TNA. Aries on the other hand has a lot more opportunity, fan support (TNA fans rarely care about heel/face orientation), and is fresh since returning to the company.

TNA Women's Knockout Championship
Winter vs. Madison Rayne vs. Mickie James vs. Velvet Sky
Unfortunately, being a WWE fan for most of my life, I am very jaded when it comes to women's wrestling. I understand that the Knockout's used to draw some of the best numbers on TNA programming, and that there have been close to five star match-ups between women wrestlers. But in 2011, I'm not convinced that the KO division is that much better than the WWE's Diva divison. Mickie James was slowed down by the WWE machine and hasn't performed at the level we expected her to since coming to TNA. Madison Rayne is good, but who isn't sick of her on top of the KO's? Winter is again, good, but she's still relatively new and most people just lost interest after they turned her into some sort of witch... And the general consensus online is that if Velvet Sky wins the title, everyone is just going to hang themselves. So my pick to win is of course...
Prediction: Velvet Sky. It's actually quite simple. The event is Bound for Glory and she's the only women in the match never to have held the prize. You do the math...

Samoa Joe vs. Crimson vs. Matt Morgan
This match is really simple. Three large, main event level guys did not win the Bound for Glory tournament, and have decided to destroy each other because there's nothing better to do in TNA's upper-midcard. Joe is technically the heel here, while Crimson and Morgan share a sort of alliance, so we'll likely see a bit of double teaming until the inevitable Morgon/Crimson face-off. Like I said, this is a really simple feud, and I'm glad to see them keeping it that way. They didn't try to over-extend the story into anything ridiculous, they just kept it short, made it personal, and allowed the heat between Joe and Crimson to carry it all the way to tonight.
Prediction: Crimson has to win. The time for his streak to be legitimately broken has not yet come. That's a match you want to book well in advance, and advertise the heck out of it. Joe hasn't done much in quite some time, Morgan seems to have reached a plateau in his work, but Crimson has yet to hit any sort of barriers. The future is still very bright for the undefeated kid...

Full Metal Mayhem
Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn
Amidst a card of great technical matches, there always has to be a chaotic blood-bath. Who better to offer us extreme wrestling than the kings of ECW Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn. Once again we're looking at a very simple feud, but unlike most of the other matches on the card, this one probably has the least build. Oddly enough, that's fine for two reasons. One, because RVD and Lynn have enough history that they can pick up their feud at any time and have it make perfect sense. They're both hardcore and they hate each other. How hard is that to work with? The second reason is that RVD really only shines in a hardcore setting. He's an average wrestler, but he can't speak coherently to save his life and he's not putting on any clinics with the likes of Kurt Angle or AJ Styles. The kept this simple and saved time for other feuds that really needed the television time. The hardcore TNA fans aren't going to care about anything these two have to say. We just want to see them tear each other to pieces in one of the industry's most brutal matches.
Prediction: Rob Van Dam

Falls Count Anywhere
Bully Ray vs. Mr. Anderson
If you had advertised this match to me about six months ago I would have said it could main event the show. But now that Anderson has literally changed face/hell orientation a half dozen times since then, it's really hard to invest in anything his character does. One minute he's Jeff Hardy's mortal enemy, the next he's his best friend and tag partner. One minute he's fighting the evils of Immortal, the next he's selling out to them, and a quick second after that he's facing their best heel at Bound for Glory... All creative failures aside, these guys are still two of TNA's best workers at the moment and I'm looking forward to this match. Ray used to be one of my least favorite wrestlers in the business, but he has really shocked everyone with how well his singles push into the main event has gone over. If Kurt Angle wasn't going to take Bobby Roode to the top of the mountain, I'd say that Ray should have already been World champion by this point. And Anderson is...well he's Anderson. He's not the “Stone Cold” that many heralded him as back when he first came to TNA, but he's solid enough in the ring to make me excited to see these two go at it. Add to that the likely home-town atmosphere for the former Tag Team god (even though he basically told them to go to hell...) and I think we have quite a hot match on our hands.
Prediction: Bully Ray should win this match. They're going to want to send the fans home happy with the Sting/Hogan and main event segments, so I wouldn't doubt if this right here is the big heel victory. Not only that but Ray is the consistently solid character in this match that deserves the big Bound for Glory victory. I honestly can't believe I wrote that...

I Quit Match
AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels
These two are probably the most athletic men to ever go into an “I Quit” stipulation. Normally you see this brutal match given to your bigger guys to disguise the fact that they can't actual wrestle. In fact, the last time I was this excited for the stipulation it was the Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo feud after the death of Eddie Guerrero. That being said, who doesn't love a good Styles/Daniels match? It doesn't really matter who plays the heel or who is the face, because they're the two TNA originals that have a legitimate claim to the title of “best in the world”. And they have so much history that they really can just pop this match into whatever big event they choose; cue Bound for Glory. I love the slow, arrogant turn of Daniels. The jokes about beating Styles started as a fun poke at the Phenomenal One, but after weeks of torment it was great to see the two finally snap. Even without a great feud leading up to it, this match has the potential to take pro wrestling match of the year with only Cena/Punk in Chicago as legitimate competition. And that is very high praise indeed...
Prediction: AJ Styles will force Daniels to say “I Quit”. This match has to go on in the mid-card, because you don't want to kill the crowd right before the main event. People will be exhausted after this, and they're going to need something like Anderson/Bully Ray to wash it down with before the big World title match finish. You also don't want this to go before Hogan and Sting, because no matter what kind of swerve they pull, this match will overshadow it. That means there's virtually no harm to the face winning, and since Daniels has had all sorts of bragging rights it only seems natural to bring it all full-circle.

TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode
The last time a title match was built this well going into a huge event, Chris Benoit won the World Heavyweight title at Wrestlemania 20. Kurt Angle, despite his recent bad publicity, is still the greatest pure wrestler the sport has ever seen. He is one of the only guys that can still hold a title and bring it instant prestige and value. Given his heavy involvement with Immortal, Kurt is a huge heel that can't even get the support of the marks in the Impact Zone. This entire angle was perfectly crafted for the young, incredibly talented Bobby Roode to step in and claim his place atop the world of professional wrestling. Or, as close as you can get being a champion in TNA... Putting him up against his Fortune brothers was brilliant. Not only did it put AJ, Kazarian, and James Storm in a much-needed spotlight, it gave us three fantastic Impact matches leading up to this title bout. The message is clear: Bobby Roode has beaten the best Impact Wrestling has to offer, and the only thing he has left to do is climb the final step and dethrone the reigning World Champion Kurt Angle. The only way they could possibly screw this up is to have Angle somehow retain the title. For once, I'm actually not against a run-in or swerve here, as long as it's done with creativity, tact, and adds to the match. Some of the best matches of all time have had climactic moments where factions hit the ring, only to be cleared out. I don't want Roode to get a cheap win, but if Fortune and Immortal have to brawl and take each other other leading to the conclusion, than let it happen. I'm not sure why, but I have faith in TNA creative to pull this match off. May god help us all...
Prediction: Bobby Roode to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

The Immortal vs. The Icon
This year's Bound for Glory has a stacked card of technically sound matches, intense rivalries, and a well-placed blood-bath. It has shaped up to be one of TNA's best events in a very long time. And yet...this is the one thing that could ruin it all. Despite all the careful planning and the payout from the rest of the night, here is the blemish that could leave a bad taste in every fan's mouth. One fight, not even a match, that could bring down a whole PPV card... I've been trying to remember that Hulk Hogan has defined professional wrestling, and that I need to stay positive going into this event to be able to fully enjoy myself. But after mulling it over for what seems like hours, I just can't think of a single situation that could make this segment turn out for the better. I just don't understand how TNA could responsibly let something like this happen... Hulk Hogan cannot wrestle a match, and he shouldn't be anywhere near the ring. This is a nostalgia play, pure and simple, and it's put out there more for Hogan's ego than anything else. I haven't heard from a single fan excited about this “fight”, especially after the wonderful news that Hogan will not be taking any “bumps” from Sting. I can remain hopeful that TNA pulls something random out of their ass and shocks me with a fantastic conclusion to Bound for Glory, but I have braced myself to forget this segment even happened if it goes as expected... It's just sad that something like this could potentially bring down a PPV that so many guys have worked to turn into a great event. If I were AJ Styles or Bobby Roode I would be having a serious conversation with my loved ones about whether it was worth it to stick around now that Hogan has resigned for another two years. At the very least this should have been the Ric Flair vs. Sting match that flopped on Impact several weeks ago. At this point I've come to terms with the likely quality of the angle. As more than a fan, as a human being I'm genuinely concerned with the health of a guy I spent my childhood admiring.
Prediction: Nobody wins. Sting may have his armed raised when all is said and done, but I can't predict a scenario in which anybody really wins from all of this.

So that's Bound for Glory in a nutshell. A slightly jaded, but still rather anticipated nutshell. AJ Styles and Daniels will steal the show, Roode's win will be a great moment in wrestling history, the X-Division will do their thing, the Mayhem match will be fun, and the rest of the card is solid enough to hold momentum throughout the PPV. For once I can say I am legitimately excited for a TNA event, and with Jeff Hardy scheduled to make an appearance and guys like Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Ric Flair, and Kazarian not on the card I'm predicting some swerves and run-ins that will hopefully add to the night rather than take away from it.
Overall Bound for Glory prediction: B

Andy Reid's Last Stand?

2011-10-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Is this Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins the last stand for Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid? History shows that it just might be.

Only five NFL teams have ever started a season 1-4 and qualified for the playoffs since the current 12-team playoff format was implemented in 1990. All five of those teams won their sixth game to improve their record to 2-4.

Reid's 1-4 Eagles will face the NFC East division-leading Redskins (3-1) in what has to be considered a must win game. That's because no team has started the season 1-5 and made the playoff under the current format. Only the Cincinnati Bengals made the playoffs after a 1-5 start and that was all the way back in 1970. Again, this is a must-win game for Reid.

The problem is, this Eagles team has shown no signs of being able to win games. Their lone win was in Week 1 against the winless St. Louis Rams.

The Eagles have many problems and they all reflect poorly on the head coach. They lead the NFL in turnovers with 15 and have a minus-10 turnover ratio. In Reid's previous 12 seasons, the Eagles have had a negative turnover ratio only twice, in 2005 and 2007. Besides his first season in Philadelphia, those are the only two years that Reid has missed the playoffs.

Quarterback Michael Vick is the main culprit with the turnovers. He has thrown seven interceptions and lost three of his seven fumbles this year. And he has thrown at least one interception in 10 of his last 11 games dating back to last season.

While you might think that Vick's inability to protect the football isn't Reid's fault, you obviously forget that Reid brought Vick to the team and just insisted that the team sign him to a huge contract. It's Reid's fault that Vick is being paid as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, even though anybody who has access to the statistics and a functioning pair of eyes, knows that Vick is vastly overrated.

Reid has a wide array of offensive weapons, yet he neglected to build even a decent offensive line. The rookie center gets physically over-matched on every snap. The rookie first round draft pick at guard couldn't even get on the field until a journeyman was so inadequate the team decided they had nothing to lose. The right tackle never played the position before this season. And the group can't get a single yard in short yardage situations, which has led to their futility in the red zone.

That brings us to the defensive side of the ball, where most of the real problems reside on this 1-4 team that many predicted to win the NFC East.

It was destined to be a disaster from the start when Reid hired his offensive line coach to be the defensive coordinator, even though Juan Castillo had never coached on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL. But the worst part about that hiring is that Reid forced himself into that corner.

You see, Reid hired defensive line coach Jim Washburn before he started interviewing defensive coordinators. While Washburn is a highly respected NFL coach, he also runs a very unique defensive line set, called the "wide nine". The "wide nine" sets the ends out wide and has all four down linemen go after the quarterback on every play, almost ignoring the run. It works in theory by producing big sack numbers, which the Eagles have actually generated this year. The problem is that it leaves huge gaps for opposing running backs to run through and allows offensive linemen to get right on the linebackers.

The Eagles didn't bother to sign even a decent linebacker and the results have led directly to that 1-4 record. The scheme worked well for Washburn in Tennessee because he had a good middle linebacker in Steven Tulloch. Tulloch was a free agent, but Reid decided he liked a rookie fourth-rounder in that spot instead. Tulloch signed with the 5-0 Detroit Lions, who run the same scheme, while the Eagles are at the bottom of the defensive rushing rankings.

Getting back to Castillo, the reason Reid hired him is that nobody else wanted the job. Other candidates didn't want to come in and be forced to run the "wide nine" scheme without a decent linebacker corps. So Reid essentially limited his options by hiring Washburn first. The reason Reid hired Washburn was because his offense always had so much trouble against those defensive fronts. The reason they had so much trouble is that Reid never runs the damn ball and since the "wide nine" is built to rush the passer, it's easy to see why it worked so well against Reid's offenses.

The rookie middle linebacker was moved to the outside and then moved to the bench. Yet teams are still running the ball straight down the Eagles throats. This was an obvious problem before the season even started to everyone with a clue, yet Reid didn't see it that way.

The team traded quarterback Kevin Kolb for a draft pick and a starting cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, then proceeded to sign the biggest name in free agency to a huge contract. That fact that Nnamdi Asomugha also played cornerback and the Eagles already had a Pro Bowl cornerback in Asante Samuel, didn't seem to matter to Reid. Bring in the big names and his new defensive coordinator will figure out how to use three players in two starting spots. Too bad it hasn't worked out that way.

Asomugha has surprisingly struggled in the zone coverages that the Eagles are using and Cromartie and Samuel shy away from tackles like Reid shies away from a salad bar. The subpar safeties aren't helping matters either. The team let safety Quintin Mikell go in free agency and never adequately replaced Brian Dawkins.

Speaking of Dawkins, another problem with Reid's hand-picked players is a complete and utter lack of heart. The team doesn't tackle well and other teams are not afraid to go over the middle since there isn't a single defensive player on the Eagles capable of laying a big hit on a receiver. When Dawkins was here, and even Mikell to a lesser extent, receivers didn't run across the middle without a care in the world like they do now. Intimidation is still a part of a good defense in spite of the NFL fining every borderline hit.

Another thing missing from this team is leadership.

When Dawkins was here he was the leader of the whole team. He led by example and by his words. He could fire up his teammates with a big speech and then go out on the field and wreak havoc on the opposing team. There isn't a single person on this current team with the credibility to be a leader.

Vick is considered the leader of the offense by default since he is the quarterback, but he is a turnover machine this season and doesn't have much pull with the defensive players. The offensive linemen are either young or quiet. LeSean McCoy is quiet and DeSean Jackson is more of a finger-pointing punk than a leader.

On the defensive side of the ball, there isn't even an option. Asomugha would normally be the best choice, but he's new to the team and still learning this horrible defense. Samuel is the defensive version of Jackson. The linebackers and safeties are all young and terrible. Trent Cole isn't a vocal leader and, like Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins is new to the team.

If you don't think strong leadership among the players is important, then think about the fact that Dawkins never allowed his defense to give up fourth quarter leads almost every week. Leadership matters and this team doesn't have any.

Since Reid picked every player on this roster that failing is on him. He assembled a bunch of stars and can't get them to gel as a team. Hey, what do you expect from a man who couldn't even keep his own sons out of trouble?

Speaking of the defense, it's now obvious that I was right all these years about the defense carrying Reid's teams during the early years of his tenure as head coach. Jim Johnson was a mastermind and Reid hasn't won a single game since his death. That is not a coincidence.

Then there is Reid's game-day failures.

I have long contended that Reid is the worst game-day coach in the NFL. He almost never runs the football in spite of the fact that McCoy is one of the most talented backs in the NFL. Reid never met a replay challenge he couldn't botch. He is simply the worst time-management coach in the NFL. And he is absolutely incapable of making any in-game adjustments. These are not my opinions, they are the facts of Reid's 12+ years of coaching the Eagles.

Then there is the matter of how bad Reid is at drafting players. There are actually those out there who disagree with me that Reid couldn't find a talented player in the NFL Hall of Fame. Those people would be wrong. The reason the team had to spend so much money on free agents this past offseason is that Reid's draft day mistakes have left this team woefully short on talent.

The Eagles front office is too cheap to fire Reid during the season though. Reid would have to not win another game for team president Joe Banner to fire him before the end of the season. This team values their public image almost as much as it values their money.

Unfortunately, Reid always manages to win a few games late in the season to make his record look better than it really is. I would say that stinks because it costs the team spots in the draft, but he is terrible at the draft remember? What's the difference?

Plus the Eagles have a bye after the Redskins game and Reid is a perfect 12-0 in games after the bye. His teams are also 65-27-1 in November and December, so there is a chance Reid could win enough games to actually get this team around .500 and save his job.

That is the doomsday scenario for any true Eagles fans. This team has fallen and it can't get up. That's because it's stuck under the weight of Reid's incompetence.

The more likely scenario is that this team continues to under-perform in spite of the fact that Banner declared that the team was "all in" after the free agent spending spree. In that scenario, the team would have no choice but to finally set Eagles fans free from the Andy Reid regime that has produced zero Lombardi Trophies.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was just put on notice by his GM and Manuel actually won a World Series. Reid has never won a thing and it's time for him to move on. All he needs to do is continue down the same path he has been following all year and he'll force the Eagles to make a move.

The next step down that path takes place on Sunday in Washington. That's when we'll get to see which way Reid takes the Eagles.

King Theo Epstein the Overrated?

2011-10-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

So Theo Epstein is going to the Chicago Cubs. I wish him luck. I think it would be great for baseball and the city of Chicago for the Cubbies to win a World Series. But how is it that the Brian Cashman of The New York Yankees gets so little credit as a GM because of his high payroll and Theo Epstein gets lauded and credited with being a great GM with the 2nd highest payroll? What? He was only outspending Tampa Bay by $120 million instead of $160 so he has to be smart? Yes I am a self-admitted Yankee fan and while there are likable qualities to both Cashman and Epstein, I think the correct analysis is to evaluate them in the framework of their unique situations.

Both have proven themselves in the context or running high payroll teams, standing up to ownership and adding a small measure of sanity as they both look to blend and develop a farm system in conjunction with overpaying free agents. However, does this translate to genius or to success with teams that don't have an absurd payroll?

In basketball if a team was on the brink of winning or competing for a championship, and Phil Jackson was available to coach, it is a no-brainer to hire him. But what about if you were in rebuilding mode? Would the Zen Master be your first choice? Maybe, maybe not.

Formerly of ESPN and now with the MLB Network, Peter Gammons referred to Epstein as "King Theo" for landing Curt Schilling in a trade prior to the 2004 season. What a brilliant move, trading for arguably the most clutch pitcher of his time in his prime. How did this trade come about? Lets see, Arizona could no longer afford Schilling and had to move him. Of the three teams that were capable of pulling off the trade, the Philadelphia Phillies did not have the money to pay him. Arizona still had their panties in a bunch with the Yankees over their signing David Wells after Zona thought they had a handshake agreement with Wells. As a result, the Diamondbacks were asking for a lot more/better players from the Yankees. That left the Red Sox all by themselves. Courting Schilling on Thanksgiving was a nice touch but really not necessary, nor proof of genius.

But lets not forget that many key pieces to the 04 team and breaking the curse of the Bambino were already in place prior to Epstein assuming his throne. Including world series MVP Manny Ramirez, the guy who broke open game seven in Yankee stadium with a grand slam, Johnny Damon, the still six inning dominant Pedro Martinez, the very solid Derek Lowe, catcher Jason Varitek and the list goes on.

In 2003 the Red Sox lost in part because of their bullpen. Who was the best closer available on the free agent market? Well any barroom fan could have told you it was Keith Folke of the Oakland A's. I don't know how he thought of this, but King Theo outbid the A's and signed him. (The Yankees had some reliever named Mariano Rivera so they weren't in on the bidding) Pure genius right?

Epstein also gets credited with acquiring the following players for the 04 team: David Ortiz and Kevin Millar. And lets give Theo some credit for over the years not trading players from his farm system such as Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsberry, Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon. Yes he got Josh Beckett in a trade but he had to give up Hanley Ramirez to get him. He may have overpaid for him in his last contract but on balance still a plus a move since Beckett was key in a second world series in a decade. However, like Adrian Gonzalez, Beckett was a known commodity with only a handful of teams having the assets to make the trade and the money to sign or pay the player. It is easier to be smart when you have greater resources and limited competition, no?

Here are other names added during the reign of Theo: Jeremy Giambi, Pedro Astocio, Pokey Reese, Byung-Hyun Kim, Ramiro Mendoza, Matt Clement (The Sox less ridiculed version of Carl Pavano), Wade Miller, Jose Cruz Jr., Coco Crisp, Wily Mo Pena, Daisuke Matsusaka, J.D Drew, Bartolo Colon, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Eric Gagne,Edgar Renteria, Mike Cameron, John Lackey and Carl Crawford. Epstein also made major efforts and failed to land Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira (lucky him).

There are plenty of mistakes that get overlooked when you win. Mistakes that teams with lesser payrolls can't afford to make or overcome.

The media loves to credit certain people. They love the story of Theo. With the Yankees they the loved story of Joe Torre. With one team it's the manager leading the team, with Boston it was the GM. In football, Bill Parcells could be a team's hot dog stand vendor, but if they win he is the one who lead them to victory.

Beware King Theo, unless he comes from your farm system in Chicago don't expect to sign the next Curt Shilling, or Keith Folke. You will be watching the Yankees, your new genius replacement in Boston, or perhaps another market with more money to spend then you sign him.

Fate may still smile upon Theo is Chicago, with the Yankees and Red Sox not likely to be bidders on Pujols. If the Cubs sign him (or Prince Fielder) it won't be because of genius it will be because they're the highest bidder…

2011-10-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

The NBA season is officially in jeopardy. For months basketball fans grasped on the feeble notion that maybe the two sides would come together and make a deal. Unfortunately, the owners and the players union according to reports via Yahoo! and ESPN NBA are still far apart in their negotiation. First it was the lock out.. Then came the cancelling of summer league, training camp, and pre-season games.

All okay according to fans like myself: 'Its all right.. they will get it together..its events that must be sacrifice in order to let these guys work things out'

But here we are deep into October and things have suddenly turned grim. The cancellation of the first two weeks of the season pretty much ensures that games will be cancelled. Despite comments by David Stern, its hard to believe that the games falling on those two weeks can be made up during the rest of the regular season. Not only does this create more back to backs or Stern forbid 3 games in a row.. but.. It would also be nearly impossible to book the stadiums, when many like The Staples Center have schedules planned out for months in advance.

So games will inevitably be cancelled.

And it definitely gets me mad as a die-hard fan of the NBA. Not only do I not get enough basketball (Im already going through considerable withdrawals) but it tarnishes a season of accomplishments. Giving us another asterisk season. The last time a lock out occurred (1999) every accomplishment was degraded by saying that it came in a year where it was easier to win, due to smaller amount of games. The Spurs became champions.. oh but as Phil Jackson said.. they should have an asterisk placed next to that stat since it happened in a shortened season.

For fans who place more attention to who is NBA regular season MVP and NBA Champion, than they do to who became president.. that means a lot.

Who will get the downgraded accomplishment this year?

If Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers wins a title.. it will be: oh he has 5 rings and that easy one he got because of the lock out..

If Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks wins a second title in a row.. it will be: Oh but his back-to-back doesnt compare to others.. he did it in a shortened season.

If LeBron James of the Miami Heat wins his very first ring, there will be an endless summer of: How about he wins one in a regular season, like the rest of the champs.. he had it easy.

And so on and so on... An endless continual rant of how this season meant nothing.

Now to most, it wouldn't seem like it would matter but to obsessive fans of the NBA , its a tragedy.

So I for one start mourning now, this NBA debacle.. Players wanting to keep a bigger piece of the pie and The Owner trying their best to control the pie. Honestly, I don't particularly care about who wins out in the end or who's demands are met.. I just want more freakin' basketball..

How many games will we get 70? 65? 50?

And dare I say it.. None?

Unfortunately as a rare a notion as it may be at this point, it is very possible that we may have a cancelled season. Which means ill finally have to submit to being admited into the John Wooden Rehab Clinic. A place to learn about how to cope with life after losing the NBA..

But for the moment I will keep hoping that things get worked out some how and that the fans don't continue to suffer, through what seems like greed of men. Millionaires fighting over collecting a few extra millions.

All I want is to get the season started.. Watch the NBA's greatest players in Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Derek Rose, Blake Griffin.. and so many other athletic freaks.. I want to see some crisp passes, some connecting alley oops, and some posterizing dunks.. I want to see a player that is husstling so much that he creates a turn over.. Or maybe a nasty block, a sick rejection, that makes the other player run back to the other end of the court with his head lowered in shame and new found humility..

I want to be able to forget my worries every night I turn on my local sports team.. and revel in the rivalry for 48 minutes..

I want to scream due to emotional turmoil when my team loses a game at the buzzer..

And I want to feel the euphoria and culminating collective satisfaction of sticking with my team trough highs and lows and seeing them win the NBA Championship..

But before that happens..

We need these Owners and Players to get their act together, make concessions, act like freakin' big boys.. and come to some kind of agreement.. so we can get this NBA season started.. with the least amount of games lost in the process.

Widespread respect for UFC Lightweight Champ Frankie Edgar more than overdue after UFC 136 performance

2011-10-11T20:41:00.001-07:00

UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar has struggled with getting the respect of the MMA world on a widespread basis throughout his career, but after an epic comeback performance against Gray Maynard at UFC 136 it's more than past time for him to get his due.

Edgar made his way up the ranks very much under the radar. While he scored impressive victories over Tyson Griffin, Mark Bocek, and Spencer Fisher in his first year with the UFC back in 2007, he didn't exactly light the division on fire. Then he lost for the first, and to date only, time in his first bout with Maynard to kick off 2008.

However, he bounced back with a win over Hermes Franca that earned him a shot at Sean Sherk, a shot that began to show just what type of potential there was in the New Jersey native.

His three round performance against Sherk was really the first time his boxing skills began to gain notice. He displayed excellent foot work, popping in and out with his strikes and keeping Sherk completely off his game for the entire 15 minute fight. He then dominated Matt Veach in his most impressive performance at the time, securing a rear naked choke win to punch his ticket to a title shot at B.J. Penn.

Edgar wasn't expected to beat Penn at UFC 112. There was no reason to believe that Edgar, despite showing some marked improvement over the previous year, had the tools to stop the man who had dominated the lightweight division for some time.

But Edgar hung with him for 25 minutes, flustering Penn with his speed and ability to get in and out with strikes. Though many felt he didn't do enough to take the fight, and felt Penn got robbed by the decision, Edgar still captured the belt and was forced to prove himself worthy in an immediate rematch.

Edgar more than accomplished that in their rematch last August, employing a similar gameplan to the first fight but to much greater effect, leaving no doubt he was the better fighter on that night at UFC 118.

That win set up the rematch with Maynard at UFC 125, and after Edgar displayed tremendous heart to make it to a draw in that fight, the UFC once again forced him to prove himself the better fighter than his opponent with the immediate rematch.

Saturday's fight began in almost identical fashion to their UFC 125 fight. Edgar set the pace early with his striking game, landing combinations and backing away from Maynard's counters, but then Maynard connected on an uppercut that hurt Edgar and began the assault. He had Edgar bloodied and on rubber legs, hitting him with big shots all across the cage as he chased him down.

Maynard stayed more patient than in the last fight, however, and appeared to have more energy to take the fight over after Edgar survived.

Then he failed to follow up.

Edgar recovered between rounds, and Maynard offered nothing in the way of offense in the second. Edgar slowly got himself back into a rhythm, and by the third round completely controlled the pace.

Due to some bad judging that failed to give Maynard a 10-8 first round on two judges' scorecards, Edgar entered the Championship rounds ahead after bouncing back from the first round. Instead of leaving things in the judges hands, however, Edgar found a way to put a stamp on this fight and rivalry.

Late in the fourth round, Edgar shot in for a takedown. As Maynard stopped it and scrambled, Edgar landed an uppercut on the way back up that rocked him. Maynard attempted to recover, but as he stumbled to his feet, Edgar accomplished what he couldn't, and followed up. He cracked him with consecutive overhand rights at the cage that sent him crashing to the ground, and landed a series of punches that forced the referee to stop the fight.

It was only Edgar's third stoppage by strikes, but once again showcased the incredible ability this Champion has to survive adversity and adapt his game. He's constantly improving, and has more heart than perhaps any fighter on the UFC's roster.

This was his breakout performance. Even after beating B.J. Penn twice, Edgar failed to quell the doubters. After coming back twice from hellacious first round beatings against the only man that holds a victory over him, there's no doubt he's one of the very best fighters in the world, and deserves to be seen by everyone in that regard.

2011 NFL Predictions Week 6

2011-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

The 2011 NFL season enters their sixth week and we are getting a better grasp of what each of the teams are made of. Pre-season favorites like the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets have faltered while teams like the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are at the top of their divisions.

While you look at the NFL Prediction for Week 6, you can take a look at my performance here with the NFL Pick'em contest. Do not let the 6-6 record dissuade you.

St. Louis Rams vs. Green Bay Packers

While the Rams may be rested from their bye week, they will be traveling up North to take on one of the hottest teams in the NFL, the Packers. The Rams defense is going to have their hands full as they try to stop Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who been picking defenses. The Packers will find themselves with another home win and a 6-0 record.

Packers 31 Rams 10

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants

The Bills bounced back against the Eagles last week and will take on another team from the NFC East. You can expect them to give the Giants' defense a heavy dose of Fred Jackson to help keep the potent Giants' passing game off the field. Giants' quarterback Eli Manning could be in for a bad day if the Bills duplicate the four interceptions they had against Michael Vick. Bills will put up enough points to win the game.

Bills 34 Giants 24

Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The winless Colts with travel to Cincinnati to take on a Bengals team that has performed better than expected this year under rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. The Bengals defense should be able to keep the Colts and their unproven quarterback, Curtis Painter, under control and make sure their offense does not lose the lead. The key to this game will be the ground attack of both units and who can control the time of possession.

Bengals 27 Colts 21

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Panthers continue to show some offensive life with the strong arm of rookie Cam Newton. They will be taking on a Falcons team that saw a golden chance slip away last week when the Packers came back to beat them. The Panthers are going to have their work cut out for them on the Falcon's home turf. Expect to see Falcons' running back Michael Turner go wild through the porous defense of the Panthers during this Week 6 game of the 2011 NFL Season.

Falcons 27 Panthers 24

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions

If you did not know about the success of the 49ers this season, you do know now, especially after the dominating performance they had over the Bucs. Their defense is going to be a test for the Lions' explosive offense led by quarterback Matt Stafford. If the Lions want to win, they are going to need to develop a running game to keep the 49ers defense honest. The game will be close but the Lions will lose the game in front of the home crowd.

49ers 24 Lions 21

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins

The Eagles have continued to slide after suffering another loss last week, giving them a 1-4 record. This is good news for the Redskins who will be eager to put another nail in the coffin of their playoff hopes. The Redskins will push to develop their running game and keep the pressure on Michael Vick to try and force the turnovers. While the game will be close, look for the Eagles to earn a close win.

Eagles 24 Redskins 21

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

After another loss, the Jaguars will need to travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers whose offense kicked it into high gear last week. The Steelers' defense is going to have a field day with rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbart and should have no issues keeping them under control. Big Ben should have another productive day at quarterback as the Steelers win one for the Home crowd.

Steelers 31 Jaguars 17

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Texans are still smarting from that close loss last week, but will need to push past that when they travel to the East Coast to take on the Ravens. The game is going to feature two of the top backs in the game, Ray Rice and Arian Foster. Rice will earn the edge in this matchup thanks to his ability to receive the ball out of the backfield. The Ravens are for real and are the best all-around team in the AFC.

Ravens 24 Texans 21

Cleveland Browns vs. Oakland Raiders

The Browns eager to be off their bye will be taking on a Raiders team that was emotionally spent after winning their last game in the memory of Al Davis. While this should be an easy game for the Raiders, the Browns are going to be rested and raring to go with a solid plan to contain Darren McFadden. This game is the reason why fans love the NFL since any team can win when the conditions are right.

Browns 17 Raiders 24

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints have a chance to open a two game lead in the NFC South when they take on the Buccaneers this week in Florida. The Saints' offense continues to hum along, scoring when needed. This week their defense will have the chance to step up against a Buccaneers' offense that struggled last week against the 49ers. The Bucs will look a little better but will find the road to victory difficult.

Saints 35 Buccaneers 24

Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots

The Cowboys had many questions arise after their meltdown during week 4 of the 2011 NFL season. Hopefully some of them are solved when they travel to the East and take on the Patriots, who are tied for first in the AFC East. The Patriots defense showed some signs of improvement last week but will need to maintain this against a Cowboys' offense that has the potential to put up points.

Patriots 28 Cowboy 27

Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

The Vikings won the first game of the 2011 NFL season thanks to relying upon their star, Adrian Peterson, who scored three touchdowns in the victory. They will be taking on a NFC North opponent, the Bears, who are still recovering from their Monday night game in Detroit. The Bears defense is still too much for the Vikings who have a vanilla passing game.

Bears 27 Vikings 20

Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets

The Dolphins find themselves traveling to New York at the worst possible time. Not only are they going to be heading into the contest with a backup quarterback, thanks to the shoulder injury to Chad Henne, they will be facing a desperate Jets team to turn things around. The Jets will have no problem moving the ball against the Dolphins and control this game from the beginning.

Jets 31 Dolphins 17

WWE Monday Night RAW Review for 10/10/2011

2011-10-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

Without further adu here is my recap from last night Monday Night Raw episode.

In Ring segment with Triple H interrupted by John Cena, Sheamus, and C.M. Punk

Last week on Monday Night RAW we had 55 wrestlers, staff, announcers walking out on the WWE after they gave a vote of confidence that Triple H wasn't the right man on the job. However, there were several wrestlers that did support Triple H as the COO of the WWE with John Cena, Sheamus, and C.M. Punk approving. With that Triple H announced John Cena vs Sheamus with Triple H as the special guest referee and C.M. Punk as guest play by play man.

John Cena vs Sheamus

No Decision at 5:05 when McMahon cut the match off

In Ring Segment with Triple H and Vince McMahon

So, how do they explain the BOD relieving McMahon of his duties in favor of Hunter, then the BOD going behind Hunter's back to inform McMahon of Hunter being relieved of his duties?

John Morrison vs Christian

Winner: Christian. Another match that John Morrison gets buried in and I have to wonder that WWE is pushing the door at John Morrison. If that is indeed so than John Morrison would be a perfect canadidate for TNA and for the X division because of his high flying arsenal moves he can use in the division.

Mark Henry vs Randy Orton

Winner: Randy Orton by DQ. This basically set up a feud with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. If this feud does indeed happen then it would be something to watch because Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton were part of a stable called legacy. However, I was disappointed with the Mark Henry and Big Show fallout. This past weekend WWE had promised that the Big Show would return to Monday Night Raw to explain what he did to Mark Henry after The Big Show came back to Smackdown and put Mark Henry through the announce table after the world strongest man took out The Big Show several months ago.

KELLY KELLY & EVE vs. ROSA MENDES & TAMINA

WINNERS: Eve & Kelly at 2:15. Apparently this puts Eve in position for the next Divas Title shot?

U.S. champion DOLPH ZIGGLER & JACK SWAGGER & DAVID OTUNGA (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. MASON RYAN & WWE tag champions AIR BOOM (KOFI KINGSTON & EVAN BOURNE)

Winners: Team Ryan. Another match that was poorly booked. Since WWE brought back Mason Ryan as a babyface WWE has destroyed Mason Ryan character I mean this was the guy that was going to be the next ass heel like Batista was when he left the WWE last year.

6 -- WWE champion ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. C.M. PUNK -- non-title match

WINNER: Match stopped at 4:18.

6b -- WWE champion ALBERTO DEL RIO & C.M. PUNK vs. THE MIZ & R-TRUTH

Winner: C.M Punk by DQ. This match ended when Alberto Del Rio decided to walk away from ringside, leaving Punk alone in the match. The crowd tried to rally with a "C-M-Punk" chant as the heels worked over Punk. Punk made a comeback on Miz with a Macho Man elbow drop before trying the G2S, but Truth broke it up. Miz and Truth then double-teamed Punk, so ref Charles Robinson threw out the match. Then Triple H, in street clothes, stormed the ring and destroyed Miz and Truth. Miz tried to escape through the crowd, but Hunter yanked him back to ringside and threw him into the ring steps. Punk then flung Truth over the announce table. Truth escaped through the crowd, though. Miz bailed, too. Hunter and Punk then re-assembled together in the ring. Cue up Hunter's theme music.

My final thoughts. This show was one of the worst WWE Monday Night Raw shows in history. Throughout the night every match on this show was poorly booked, and not to mention the first 35 minutes of the show with the Triple H/Vince Mcmahon segment. If WWE is going to continue to book these Monday Night Raw shows poorly then WWE ratings will decline.

UFC 136 Preview

2011-10-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon (Lightweight)

Guillard is in the midst of his most impressive career run, and finds himself perhaps a win or two away from finally earning a title shot in the UFC. Lauzon, on the other hand, has been in an up and down pattern in his last several fights, going 4-3 over the last three years but just 2-2 in his last four.

Lauzon wants this fight on the ground. Submissions have always been Guillard's weak point, and Lauzon has been able to roll through a few opponents with ease on the ground in his time in the Octagon. However, Guillard is not Gabe Ruediger or Curt Warburton.

Guillard has improved his takedown defense, and if he avoids a stupid mistake like the one he made against Nate Diaz two years ago, this is far and away his fight to lose.

PREDICTION: Guillard via TKO in the second round

Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia (Featherweight)

A rematch of a bout the two had back in December of last year, Phan and Garcia both come into this fight off of losses in their last bouts. Phan dropped a decision to Mike Brown, while Garcia was stopped in a rematch with Chan Sung Jung in March.

There's no reason to believe this fight goes any differently than the first meeting between the two. Phan is better at connecting on his strikes, while Garcia is excellent at giving the illusion of success with his winging, wild punches. What Phan needs to do is make sure it's clear that he's connecting on his punches and doing damage, because Garcia will continue to swing at him and it will score points with judges.

Still, Phan was completely robbed in the first fight, and hopefully for him if it looks like a similar fight to their first one the judges get it correct this time out.

PREDICTION: Phan via unanimous decision

Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann (Middleweight)

This middleweight matchup is quite likely to determine the next challenger to the UFC Middleweight Title. Sonnen had his shot last summer and came close to defeating Anderson Silva before getting submitted in the fifth round and then subsequently failing his drug test for the event.

The saga has told ad nauseum, but the end result is Sonnen returning to action for the first time in 14 months against one of the hot fighters in the division in Stann. The former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion has come on strong in the last year with a move to 185 lbs. and a rapidly improving overall game.

This is absolutely a striker vs. grappler fight, as Sonnen will attempt to bully Stann around and grind him out through three rounds, while Stann will try to finish this fight before that happens. The smart money is on Sonnen being able to implement his game because of what he's been able to do in the past and the fact that Stann has had troubles with grinders keeping him on his back in the past. However, Stann has been working on that weakness, and if he can keep himself standing, he may be able to hurt Sonnen on the feet.

Still, Sonnen hasn't been stopped by strikes in years, and his weakness has always been the submission game. Stann is no stranger to that, and locked on a triangle choke against Mike Massenzio in his middleweight debut. This is an extremely intriguing fight, and another where I'm going to go out on a limb with the underdog to keep his streak alive.

PREDICTION: Stann via submission in the third round

Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian (Featherweight Championship)

Aldo makes his second appearance in the Octagon after successfully defending his belt against Mark Hominick in April, while Florian gets his third shot at capturing gold in the UFC.

The 25-year-old Aldo has been a dynamo in the striking department, showing off a wide variety of attacks and finding ways to finish fights with his hands and his feet. What hasn't been seen during his time in the WEC and UFC is his ground game, because no one's really been able to test him there. However, he possesses a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, and there's been no reason to believe he can't handle himself on the ground.

Though Florian has come up short in some of his biggest fights, he's one of the most consistent finishers in the UFC. Florian has ten wins inside the Octagon, and only two of those fights have gone the distance.

What's fascinating about Florian's success in the sport is that his striking game is often overlooked. Because he's become so adept with his submission game, many forget his origins in Muay Thai. Where he's come up short has been his wrestling game, and he's had trouble at times dealing with fighters that were able to out-grapple him.

As crazy as it might sound, Florian is easily the most dangerous fighter Aldo has faced to date. Florian's got inches of height and reach on Aldo, his striking game is perhaps not quite as dangerous but easily effective enough to give him troubles, and his submission game is superb.

This is a desperation fight for Florian. A loss here may just take him out of title contention for the rest of his career, but a win gives him new life atop his latest division. For as fantastic as Aldo has been thus far, Florian's got the experience edge and has the physical tools to take this fight. I'm going out on a limb with this one, but I think Florian pulls off the upset on Saturday night.

PREDICTION: Florian via submission in the third round

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (Lightweight Championship)

Gray Maynard feels slighted coming into this third fight with Edgar. He holds the only victory over Edgar, and feels he should have been given the decision in their rematch at UFC 125. It's hard to blame him for that feeling, as he nearly finished Edgar in the first round of that fight and arguably should have gotten a 10-7 mark from the judges. One more round won with a 10-7 would have given him the win.

However, Edgar had his own argument for the fight with one of the greatest comebacks seen in the Octagon. He took one of the worst beatings given in the UFC without a finish in that first round; it was everything Maynard could do to him played out in that five minute round, and Edgar survived and thrived the rest of the way.

Edgar comes into this third matchup the favorite, despite the fact that he has yet to beat Maynard. But it's because he survived through such a hellacious beating and still came back strong that it's hard to see what Maynard could possibly do to put him away this time.

The Champ has shown a great ability to adapt and grow from fight to fight. After slightly edging out a decision over B.J. Penn to capture the belt, he came back in the immediate rematch and left no question that he was the better man that night. Even in the rematch with Maynard, Edgar showed off a massively improved wrestling game from when the two met the first time.

Maynard left everything in the cage on January 1 and wasn't able to finish the job. Unlike Edgar, Maynard's game hasn't really evolved at the same rate. He's still a fantastic wrestler and he hits really hard, but Edgar's ground game continues to improve, and his footwork and boxing technique is among the best in the division.

I think there's going to be a lot of this fight that resembles what we saw from these two in January, but I don't think it will be the first round that's repeated. Edgar knows what Maynard is bringing in this fight, and I think he'll be more ready for it this time around.

PREDICTION: Edgar via unanimous decision

UFC Live 6 Preview: The Main Card

2011-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Lightweights
Matt Wiman (13-6, 7-4 UFC) vs. Mac Danzig (20-8-1, 4-4 UFC)

The Matchup: This is a rematch of a June 2010 bout in which Wiman won by a guillotine choke that many thought did not warrant a stoppage. Since entering the UFC in 2006, Wiman has been a reliable-if-midlevel talent, offering a stout test with a mix of wrestling and willing standup, though his default plan is to take down opponents when the action gets too hot on the feet. His close decision loss to Dennis Siver in July was a controversial one, namely because Wiman won on some scorecards and secured more takedowns.

Danzig, meanwhile, has soldiered through his UFC career with mixed results since winning Season 6 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” With experience against world-class competition under his belt before he ever stepped into the Octagon, Danzig has found himself fighting like a “tweener” in certain bouts, as he was outwrestled by better grapplers and lacked the effective standup to dictate the range to deny opponents tie-ups and takedowns. He scored a nice one-punch knockout on the faded Joe Stevenson in his last outing in December, but given Stevenson’s careening stock of late, that does not look as impressive as it originally seemed. Danzig’s comfort zone is on the ground, where he uses good jiu-jitsu and a hard-boiled veteran’s savvy to outthink opponents.

A win here does not vault either guy into the Top 10 of the division, but any victory is critical in an especially stacked division where opportunities and tough fights are everywhere.

Wrestling will be key in this bout, and the critical battle will be for the first takedown in an attempt to win the opening round and do sufficient damage to impress judges and wear out the opponent. Expect plenty of scrambles back to the feet, as both are excellent at doing so. Wiman’s standup is decidedly better, and he hits with more power, so Danzig will probably want to turn this into a wall-and-brawl match against the cage if he cannot score takedowns easily.

One given with Wiman is that he will ground-and-pound opponents, instead of just laying in their guards. This can make a major difference with judges. His slightly better athleticism and punching power will tilt the scales his way in a back-and-forth battle.

The Pick: Wiman by decision.

Welterweights
Charlie Brenneman (14-2, 3-1 UFC) vs. Anthony Johnson (9-3, 6-3 UFC)

The Matchup: While the top tier of the welterweight division enjoys compelling matchups later in the month at UFC 137, Brenneman and Johnson square off for the right to jump up a notch in the rankings. An impressive win for either guy would make a statement. Vaulted into the welterweight conversation off the heels of his inspiring decision over Rick Story, Brenneman has limited standup and relies on quick takedowns and a fast pace to wear out opponents. With a solid but not great collegiate wrestling pedigree, Brenneman will have to bring more in the standup department for this fight than he has shown previously. Therein lies the tactical rub: Johnson is as offensively imposing and dangerous on the feet as anyone he has ever faced.

Walking around at a muscled 210-plus pounds, Johnson represents the extreme envelope of the weight-cutting game that is a huge factor in MMA, yet barely understood by casual fans considering its vast effects. After hitting 170 on the scales, Johnson rehydrates north of 190 pounds and uses that size and strength to overpower opponents. However, it works both ways for Johnson, who was an accomplished college wrestler himself. It can leave him short of stamina and huffing for air, particularly if he finds himself in a fight where he cannot dictate the action and is forced to exert himself defending attacks.

Simply put, it is exceptionally hard to close the distance on Johnson when he is fresh, and Brenneman’s rush-and-attack style, devoid of technically sound standup, is going to be like hurling over-the-middle fastballs at a designated hitter. Brenneman cannot simply charge early and force a takedown, as Johnson’s sharp strikes and big-time power pose too much of a risk. “The Spaniard” will have to pick his spots, perhaps luring Johnson into unleashing a big combination through which he can secure a tie-up or takedown in the transition between blows.

It becomes an extremely dangerous fight for Brenneman if he cannot get the early takedown. However, after a round and a half or so -- provide he can secure a couple takedowns -- Johnson’s massive weight cut could begin to work against him. Will Brenneman be able to survive intact without getting nailed with a significant shot? Can he hold down Johnson and tire him enough to outwork him over the second half of the bout? Johnson maintains that he has taken a more disciplined approach to cutting weight, and he looked good in three one-sided, wrestling-heavy rounds against Dan Hardy at UFC Fight Night 24. The real test will be in seeing if he can do it with someone as capable and scrappy as Brenneman riding him.

This fight is pivotal for both men, with the winner vaulting into the “New School” of welterweight contenders that includes the likes of Carlos Condit, Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald. Since rounds start standing and Brenneman has shown little finishing ability against UFC competition, the only way he wins is by hitting key takedowns on Johnson and hoping he fatigues. That means too many chances for Johnson to land round-winning and fight-changing strikes. One key element missing in Brenneman’s decision over Story was the complete absence of viable ground-and-pound; he will need that as tool to wear out Johnson.

The Pick: There are too many factors that have to line up perfectly for Brenneman here. Johnson will definitely have a fight on his hands, but he will be too strong standing. Plus, he has the ability to take down Brenneman, as well. Johnson wins by third-round knockout.

Heavyweights
Stefan Struve (21-5, 5-3 UFC) vs. Pat Barry (6-3, 3-3 UFC)

The Matchup: Welcome to the freak show, and do not go to the fridge when it starts. In a match between the promotion’s tallest heavyweight -- the 6-foot-11 Struve -- and the diminutive, 5-foot-11 Barry, one can safely assume there will be a feeling-out process but probably for less than a minute before they start throwing bombs. Barry is a talented striker forever cursed by his lack of size and still-developing ground game. Thankfully, Struve has shown a willingness to mix it up and usually ends up on the mat because he is taken down himself.

Both have had exciting bouts in the UFC, win or lose. When Barry is in his groove, he harnesses ridiculous power in thudding leg kicks with impressive speed and dexterity. Despite being abnormally short for a heavyweight, he manages to handle himself in the pocket just fine with most of the opponents who want to trade with him. In his last bout, he had veteran Cheick Kongo seemingly out, only to get caught and knocked out himself. That is precisely why this match was made. It is one thing for a talented heavyweight striker like Barry to lose a second consecutive bout in an exciting brawl and a far less meaningful use of him to pit him against a grappler who will simply take him down and tell us what we already know.

Struve, like Barry, has engaged in thrilling fights with mixed results. His jiu-jitsu is excellent, and he uses his long frame and toughness to compensate for lack of heavyweight core strength in tie-ups and on the ground. He can stand and bang, too, and will certainly present a lanky, inviting target for Barry, who must drift off some nights wondering what it would be like to have an opponent that long to unload upon.

Barry probably has the better chin, but Struve has shown an ability to get bloodied up and rally back. However, despite what the fans want, Struve also needs to remember to get the win in this fight and look exciting in the next one, if it comes to that. He can always try for a trip takedown on the stout Barry, given their disparate frames, or even pull guard, which in pure visual terms would be a treat to see. It may be beneficial for Struve to use push kicks and similar distance-based attacks to frustrate Barry with his vast range advantage. Barry, meanwhile, will literally be chopping down a tree and will be best served by smashing at Struve’s legs and midsection with every shot that is available. Get in, get out and do it again, all while not getting caught by the longer but slower Struve.

This is not a fight one can feel confident in predicting. Barry has an enormous target on which to unload, and yet, the reach advantage for Struve means “HD” will have to close an enormous distance. On the feet, Barry has a slight edge because of consistent power and great combinations. However, this one will hit the mat at some point if Struve is getting whacked on, and that is where the tables turn. Struve can use his length and positioning to manhandle the relatively green Barry and wear him down with strikes. Plus, Struve’s underrated submissions are going to be very available in an extended ground battle, since his limbs are freakishly long and Barry’s compact torso and limbs will be that much easier to control.

The Pick: Look for some rollicking back-and-forth action, with Barry landing enough bone-jarring leg kicks to prompt the Dutchman to take it down to the ground and change the momentum of the bout. There, he will win via rear-naked choke in the second round of a bloody affair.

UFC Bantamweight Championship
Dominick Cruz (18-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Demetrious Johnson (9-1, 2-0 UFC)

The Matchup: In decisioning Urijah Faber at UFC 132, bantamweight champion Cruz scored the most significant win of his career and avenged his sole loss in the process. Utilizing the trademark movement and creative combinations that define his standup style, Cruz showed a technical mastery of range, timing and distance on the feet that few fighters come remotely close to possessing. However, the downside of a points-first, damage-second approach is that he almost always wins by decision, a fact which could create something of a marketing conundrum for the 26-year-old titleholder.

Johnson is a whirling dervish and an inspiring figure, namely because he is almost always the smallest guy in the fight and yet attacks opponents with a combination of pace and intensity that is hard to match. “Mighty Mouse,” a mere 5-foot-3, closes the gap on opponents in a manner reminiscent of fellow bantamweight Joseph Benavidez, exploding into them and consistently winning the exchanges and scrambles he creates. In his decision over former champion Miguel Torres at UFC 130, Johnson did not do a lot of damage and some felt Torres deserved the nod from the judges. However, it was an impressive showing against a far more experienced and dangerous opponent, and it vaulted Johnson into this title shot.

Against Cruz, he faces an opponent who is exceptionally difficult to get angles on and one who uses his length and timing with relentless precision. It remains uncertain if there is a perfect game plan to beat Cruz, but past performances indicate the way not to do it: standing around and letting him close the two-step distance, create striking angles and then skitter away while the opponent punches at air. Cruz does make some technical mistakes standing, the most common one being leaning low to his left while exiting a combination attack. Even so, the openings are so fleeting that nobody has yet to fully exploit them -- Faber did on a couple of occasions, hammering the champion with stout right hands.

If you are going to beat Cruz, you have to accept the fact that you are going to have to pressure him and negate his range advantage by making him move backward, pinning him against the cage and forcing an insane pace to take away his movement and legs. You are also going to have to do it against a champion whose takedown defense, conditioning and ability to scramble are top-notch.

Johnson does not have the standup power to hurt Cruz on the feet with one shot, but he has a relentless approach that might fit this blueprint. In a five-round fight, that makes conditioning especially important, particularly if Johnson can make Cruz move backward and constantly circle away, which is more tiring than coming forward and pressing the action. This bout has the potential to be surprisingly technical and entertaining if Johnson is competitive, but it could just as readily become dull, repetitive and bad for Cruz if he is not pushed.

Standing around and waiting to counter Cruz is a poor strategy and has failed for a virtual who’s-who of the 135-pound division during his nine-fight winning streak. Johnson does not necessarily have to come out like Brock Lesnar mauling Frank Mir at UFC 81, but he should take the center of the Octagon in the beginning of each round and use his shortness as an advantage by constantly changing levels and threatening to shoot, even when he has no intention of doing so. That could induce Cruz to defend against a takedown instead of the champion setting up for one of his step-fire-and-slide-away combinations. Johnson has to take the fight to the ground and probably will have to do so half a dozen times or more to win, as Cruz excels at popping up to his feet.

A lot of dominoes have to line up correctly here for Johnson to win, and Cruz’s experience against tough, dynamic guys like Faber and Benavidez does not bode well for the challenger; he lacks the standup ability and raw power both of those men possess. Cruz will pick, peck and poke in the early rounds, scoring points and winning on the cards. Expect him to put Johnson inside the tactical box he puts most opponents in, too vexed to land standing and too distant to unleash credible takedown attempts that he can finish.

The Pick: Cruz by decision.

Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders Emerge as 2011 NFL Playoff Contenders

2011-09-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

Three weeks into the NFL season, only one team remains undefeated in the AFC and, as expected, it is the Buffalo Bills.

Wait, What?

The Bills intercepted Tom Brady four times and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 369 yards and two scores as the Bills overcame a 21-0 first half deficit to defeat the Patriots 34-31.

With the upset victory over Brady and the Patriots, the Bills, along with the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders, have once again proven that if there is one thing we know about the NFL entering each season, it's that we have no idea what will happen.

2011 is no different.

The Buffalo Bills, behind the arm of former Harvard standout Fitzpatrick and the legs of running back Fred Jackson, have developed into a high-powered offense, averaging almost 38 points a game in its three victories over Kansas City, Oakland and New England.

While the defense hasn't been able to keep teams from scoring points and racking up yards, it has been able to force timely turnovers, currently ranking second in the NFL behind the Ravens with nine takeaways (6 INT, 3 FR).

The Bills have gone from obscurity to first in the AFC and have all the makings of a playoff team no one, except maybe its fans and people within the organization, saw coming.

And while the Bills are an impressive story, they aren't the only team that has emerged from the 2010 basement into the 2011 playoff hunt.

The Detroit Lions, after a comeback win of their own on Sunday, 23-20, over the Minnesota Vikings in overtime, have developed into one of the most talented young teams in the NFL. A team that no longer has the looks of a doormat, but instead a perennial playoff team, loaded with elite talent like Calvin Johson, Ndamukong Suh and Matthew Stafford.

The Oakland Raiders have proven to have plenty of talent in their own right, led by the NFL's leading rusher Darren McFadden (393 yards) and big play wide receiver Denarius Moore. The Raiders ran roughshod over the Jets on Sunday, leading to a 34-24 win. A win that, on any other Sunday that doesn't include a Patriots loss, would likely be the top story.

In addition the Bills, Lions and Raiders … the Texans, Buccaneers. The Texans and Bucs both appeared to be on the cusp last year.

Every year prognosticators make their pre-season playoff and Super Bowl picks, fans look over the schedule to determine wins and losses and everyone feels like they have a pretty good idea as to which teams will be playoff contenders.

… And then the season starts.

2011 NFL Predictions Week 3

2011-09-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

The third week of the 2011 NFL season is here and now is when the schedule really begins to pick up steam with several key divisional games. Not only do we have an explosive match in the AFC East with the New England Patriots, and the Buffalo Bills, the NFC North & East will keep their all of their games in the division.

These are the predictions for the game from Week 3 of the 2011 NFL Season

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have had one simple game plan since the start of the season, place the ball into quarterback Cam Newton's hands and see what happens. Meanwhile the Jaguars are still looking for answers and rumors have been circulating that a quarterback change will be made this week. Even if that does happen, don't expect the Jags to have much of a chance. If Newton tosses for more than 400 yards again, we will have to start thinking if he is on pace to have one of the better rookie seasons in NFL history.

Panthers 24 Jaguars 17

San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

If you are going to win in the NFL these days, your offense needs to be able to put up some points. The Bengals have been able to do this with some success under a rookie quarterback while the 49ers are still trying to find their way. The Bengals are going to ride the arm of Andy Dalton against a 49ers defense that is going to need to score some points on their own if they want to win.

Bengals 27 49ers 17

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Lions' offense has been explosive this season, scoring over 75 points in the first two games. This is bad news for the Vikings who will play host with the hopes of being able to contain the offense. The key to the game will be if the Lions can contain Adrian Peterson and make sure to limit his production when he touches the ball. The Lions defense will hold true and give them an unexpected 3-0 start.

Lions 27 Vikings 14

Denver Broncos vs. Tennessee Titans

The Broncos have continued to move on with Kyle Orton as their quarterback and earned their first win of the season last week. The Titans continue to play strong and earned an easy win over the Ravens last week. Even though the Broncos are moving in the right direction, their defense is going to be taken apart by the surprisingly efficient Titans offense. Expect Chris Johnson to have his breakout game.

Titans 24 Broncos 17

Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns

The Dolphins are going to travel up North with their revamped offense to take on a Browns team that had a solid win over the Colts. The Browns will be relying on their offense led by second year quarterback Colt McCoy as they try to earn their second win of the season. The question remains if the Dolphins are going to get Reggie Bush involved in the offense again or are they going to leave it in the hands of a rookie.

Dolphins 27 Browns 24

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles road to perfection was knocked off when Michael Vick went down with an injury last week. They will be taking on the Giants who will be playing on short notice from the Monday night game. The Giants will need their front seven to step up and put some pressure on whoever is taking the snaps for the Eagles. Watch for the Dream Team Eagles to bounce back with a narrow win at home, thanks to the turnover machine Eli Manning.

Eagles 23 Giants 20

Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints

The Texans who sit on a 2-0 record will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints who had a nice bounce back win over the Chicago Bears. The Texans' defense is going to be put to the test against quarterback Drew Brees and his slew of targets. The Saints will earn an easy win in front of the home crowd as running back Darren Sproles continues to do a better job than Bush.

Saints 34 Texans 24

New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills

In a battle for the top spot in the AFC East, the Patriots will travel to take on the Bills, one of the early surprises of the young NFL season. When it comes down to it, each side is going to be tossing the ball at will against the porous defenses. It would not be far fetch to see Tom Brady and Ryan Fitzpatrick combined for over 800 yards with 6 touchdowns.

Patriots 38 Bills 31

Baltimore Ravens vs. St. Louis Rams

Baltimore fans will be curious to see which football team shows up to take on the battered and bruised Rams on Sunday. The Ravens need to the ball in the hand of Ray Rice early and often against a Rams defense that has some open holes. The Ravens will have their work cut out for them when they try to contain Sam Bradford who looked solid in the Monday night loss.

Ravens 21 Rams 17

New York Jets vs. Oakland Raiders

The Jets will be riding high from their dominating performance last week when they travel to take on the Raiders. Jason Campbell actually looked like a solid quarterback in the loss last week, but will need the help of Darren McFadden to keep the pressure off of him. This will be the upset special of the week as the Raiders squeak out a close win over the East coast team.

Raiders 24 Jets 21

Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers

The Chiefs season could not get any worse after losing three key players for the year. Now they will be taking their exposed defense to San Diego to face a Chargers unit that knows how to throw the ball. Quarterback Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates are going to have a big day as they run up the score on one of their AFC West opponents.

Chargers 38 Chiefs 10

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

The Packers are looking to build upon their 2-0 record when they travel to Solider Field to take on the Bears who showed no signs of life against the Saints last week. The Bears defense will keep the Packers within reach but in the end; the Bears' offense is going to be able to do very little against one of the better secondaries in the NFL.

Packers 24 Bears 13

Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks

When it comes to this matchup of former NFC Super Bowl representatives, there is going to be little to keep the NFL fans turned in. The Cardinals have a lackluster defense that will be taking on a Seattle team that has too many holes to count on both sides of the ball. You can expect several turnovers in the game to make things exciting as the Cardinals earn a win in the race for the NFC West title.

Cardinals 20 Seahawks 17

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Even though it is early in the season, this is a key game between NFC South foes. The Falcons' offense will need to continue to find their groove against a susceptible Buccaneers' defense. Both running backs, Michael Turner and LeGarrette should have solid performance against run defenses that have looked less than stellar. The Bucs will keep the game close until the fourth quarter when Matt Ryan begins to outduel Josh Freeman.

Falcons 31 Buccaneers 21

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Steelers reminded NFL fans last week why they are still one of the premier teams in the AFC when they dominated the Seahawks. That is bad news for the Colts who seemed to be stuck in a rut without their field general, Peyton Manning. The Steel Curtain is going to close on the Colts as they continue their losing trend and a 0-3 start to the season.

Steelers 34 Colts 10

Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Monday Night Game will feature two teams that have no love for each other, the Cowboys and the Redskins. Even though the Cowboys are banged up with Tony Romo and Felix Jones, they still have plenty of weapons on the offensive side. The Redskins are going to counter with their own, in the form of Rex Grossman, who has led them to a 2-0 record. The Cowboys' defense will help shut down the Redskins attack and earn a home win.

Cowboys 28 Redskins 21

UFC 135 Preview

2011-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Heavyweights
Ben Rothwell (31-7, 1-1 UFC) vs. Mark Hunt (6-7, 1-1 UFC)

The Matchup: Some heavyweight red meat is thrown to the fans in this one, as two reliable sluggers collide. Anybody who watched the International Fight League is familiar with Rothwell, who has good hands for a big man, spotty standup defense and likes to get into brawls. Hunt, one of the best combinations of striking and chin that MMA has ever known, was a legend in the salad days of Pride Fighting Championships and K-1. His transition to MMA has yielded mixed results, as his ground game is eminently suspect, but chin for chin and strike for strike, there have been few in the history of MMA that would ever want to test themselves against the fearsome New Zealander.

There are no matchmaking accidents in the UFC, and this is a solid candidate for “Fight of the Night” based on the styles of both men. Hunt loves to gauge the range, lure opponents into thinking they can hit him and then unload massive bombs that can end matters instantly. Rothwell could probably win this one by playing it smart and hitting a clinch-takedown combination, but he knows precisely why this match has been made, and playing it safe has never been his style. Rothwell will want to test himself against Hunt’s big punches.

The Pick: Hunt wins by second-round knockout in an epic brawl that sees both men hurt at times. Ultimately, Hunt’s power seals the deal.

Lightweights
Nate Diaz (13-7, 8-5 UFC) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-7, 1 NC, 1-2 UFC)

The Matchup: Diaz’s standup style is a masterpiece of range and relentless frustration for opponents. He is consistently just a little too far away to get hit cleanly and tosses punches out with varying intensity to lull his opponent before he drops a solid combination. The development of his standup mirrors that of his brother, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, and, in recent bouts, it has become an increasingly effective part of his game. His chin and conditioning are also top-notch.

Diaz is great at recovering when hurt, and nobody wants to follow him to the ground should they land a big one. Gomi’s better days are probably behind him; at his peak, he was a relentless slugger on the feet with a go-for-broke style and wicked ground-and-pound. He tended to fight with a bullying style but often could not adapt when skilled, unflappable opponents refused to break under the brunt of his initial assault. That is exactly the kind of fighter Diaz is and precisely why he gives more physically gifted opponents fits.

Diaz plays as much a mental game on opponents as he does extracting a physical toll. He likes to show them early on that he is the boss, and Gomi’s willingness to come forward and trade is a real wild card here. It is doubtful he can stand around and look to outpoint the bigger and technically sharper Diaz on the feet.

On the mat, if it goes there, Diaz’s defensive jiu-jitsu is comparable to any lightweight currently in the UFC. He simply stifles people. Diaz’s biggest challenge is that his lack of wrestling and takedown defense, coupled with being somewhere between 155 and 170 pounds in natural size, leaves him in a tough spot in terms of campaigning in either division. In this fight, he should be able to force Gomi into costly exchanges on the feet, all while wearing him down, whether it is in clinches, striking, on the ground or just yelling obscenities during the match.

The Pick: Diaz gets further inside Gomi’s head as the bout transpires, ultimately submitting him in the third round after dropping him with strikes.

Heavyweights
Travis Browne (11-0-1, 2-0-1 UFC) vs. Rob Broughton (15-5-1, 1-0 UFC)

The Matchup: This is a “one-sipper” fight -- a match where it takes one sip of coffee and the time to swallow it while watching film of a fighter to make a prediction. Broughton has poor wrestling, and he is not particularly sharp on the feet. In short, he is a limited plugger, so one can see what the excitement is about, at least for Browne’s manager.

For his part, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound Browne may not be Jerome LeBanner on the feet, but he is coming along nicely enough. You cannot teach that kind of size, and “Hapa” drilled Stefan Struve with a massive shot in his last outing that resulted in the kind of epic, larger-than-life knockout that only heavyweights can supply. Browne is also fairly tough, surviving a lengthy clinch-and-smash bout against reliable veteran Cheick Kongo. In the UFC’s heavyweight division, Browne finds himself in a good position as an unbeaten fighter. He can develop and get experience without trying to leap too many rungs up the ladder.

The Pick: This is an easy fight for Brown, as he will unload on Broughton at will, and the only way he gets taken down is if the Brit sneaks a taser into the cage. This should be equal parts brutal and bloody; Brown by first-round knockout.

Welterweights
Matt Hughes (45-8, 18-6 UFC) vs. Josh Koscheck (15-5, 13-5 UFC)

The Matchup: Koscheck looks to return from his humbling decision defeat to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 124, where the champion dominated over five one-sided rounds. Equipped with top-notch wrestling and takedowns, Koscheck remains one of the game’s elite welterweights. Former champion Hughes gets a tough break here; originally slated to face the now-injured Diego Sanchez, he draws a much more difficult style matchup in Koscheck.

Hughes does not figure to be able to take down Koscheck easily, if at all, but his standup in recent bouts has shown more commitment compared to the days of his title reign, when he mostly grounded-and-pounded opponents. However, the talent pool has expanded considerably since Hughes’ reign, and middling performances in recent outings for him are indicative of a once-great fighter well past his best days. Hughes’ best shot is getting into a clinch and hoping to create a scramble or takedown opening and work from there. Koscheck’s ability to land numbing strikes on the feet is often overlooked due to his wrestling credentials, but, style-wise, this bout could look a lot like his one-round blowout of Frank Trigg.

Koscheck’s right hand and sprawl will come into the fray early. Hughes will definitely be a sentimental favorite here for fans, but it is hard to see a way in which he could win. He does not have the standup to trouble his opponent too much, and Koscheck is going to be too athletic to take down and keep down.

The Pick: It is Koscheck’s fight to lose, and he will take a round to gauge the distance before turning up the pressure and putting Hughes on his back in the second, following up with a heavy ground-and-pound to win by knockout.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jon Jones (13-1, 7-1 UFC) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8, 7-2 UFC)

The Matchup: In his first defense, Jones faces a fighter who can truly hurt him with a single punch. The problem will be how Jackson negotiates the obvious problem at hand, namely Jones’ reach, far more diverse striking arsenal and the champion’s ability to hit takedowns in seemingly endless variation and type.

One big shot from Jackson, however, can neutralize all the hype that Jones has generated, and it is an important issue, because “Bones” has yet to really be tested in that department. In fact, he has barely spent a moment in a bad position in his UFC career, physically dominating foes while doing what he wants when he wants.

Jones has plenty of physical assets that make him a problem, but the biggest obstacle for opponents is his length. He employs it perfectly, whether standing, where he flicks out kicks and punches from seemingly across the cage, or on the ground, where the sheer distance encompassed by his limbs and torso skews everything the other guy wants to do. It provides openings for Jones to bang foes while he is too far away to attack.

Jackson’s approach to the mental game in this fight has already faltered, with accusations about “spies” in his camp working for Jones -- claims the champion has politely but firmly dismissed. Jackson’s outstanding wrestling is largely used to defend shots so he can headhunt, and Rampage still has not fixed his iffy defense against leg kicks, nor used takedown attempts to add another variable to his offense, which would open up strikes. In a way, he has become more one-dimensional than during his Pride Fighting Championships days. Poor game planning cost him against Rashad Evans, who simply used better tactics to get the decision at UFC 114.

At the end of the day, Jackson has the one-shot power and durability to beat Jones, provided all the dominoes line up correctly. That is assuming Jones does not have a host of options on which to feast, ranging from hassling Rampage with kicks and sticking takedowns to outboxing him on the feet.

What it boils down to is this: Jones is able to do things nobody else can. He will frustrate and pick apart Rampage while Jackson heaves the occasional counter, eating punches three-to-one and eventually getting weary of fighting through a thicket of counters. Jones is also going to be able to take down Rampage easier than many think; his ability to execute Greco-Roman and lower-leg shots is unreal, and Rampage will be victimized by the latter, since it is doubtful Jones wants to tie up, especially early.

The Pick: Ultimately, Jackson comes apart slowly but surely, with Jones dominating every phase of the game, even as he takes a couple of shots. He will punish the durable Jackson, finishing with a submission from the top in the fourth round.

If Independence is No Longer an Option for Notre Dame, Then the ACC is the Way to Go

2011-09-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

If the University of Notre Dame is forced to move to one of the super conferences, they have to go to the ACC. The ACC will allow Notre Dame to keep some semblance of a national football team. The ACC has teams from the Northeast all the way down to the South and Notre Dame resides in the Midwest. This would be the best choice for Notre Dame if it wants to keep from being considered a Midwest school.

The Big 10 would not be the way to go. I could tell you how academically ND does not fit and that would be true, but really this is about trying to stay as a national program and the BIG 10 would keep Notre Dame from having that distinction.

The BIG 10 is controlled by Ohio State and Michigan and I am sure one conversation with Northwestern would let Notre Dame know that this is not the conference for them.

However, the ACC has several schools that are in line with Notre Dame. They even have the only other Catholic school that is playing division-1 football. I believe that ND would find this conference best not only for its football team, but for its Olympic sports as well.

Notre Dame definitely prefers independence for football, but they will have a hard time maintaining independence for its football program with the way things are going. When the time comes, likely in less than 5 years, Notre Dame would be wise to join the ACC. This would put their football team as close to a national program as they can hope to get.

The football is at a higher level than the Big 10 and the basketball is better also. The baseball is tremendous. It would give the Olympic sports a chance to thrive to a level Notre Dame has always envisioned.

Notre Dame would be wise to join the ACC if they are indeed forced to join a conference. I believe this is an inevitable course that Notre Dame will have to navigate.

NHL 2011-2012 Season Preview

2011-09-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

Wlth NHL training camps now open, the 2011-12 season is quickly coming upon us. In fact, exibition games starts this week. For those hockey fans who wait with anticipation for the season to start, here is preview of what may happen during the season. This article will touch on three major off-ice issues that may crop up during the season and predictions on how some teams will may do on the ice this year.

1. The one major issue that will be on everybody's mind this year is head injuries. With Penguin's superstar, Sidney Crosby, still uncertain whether he be able to start the season or not, and Boston's Marc Savard leaning very close to retirement it seems the issue of head injuries will not go away soon. The question is whether another big star might go down with a bad concussion this season due to a nasty head shot and how it will impact the league? Will there be stiffer penalties for hitting from behind? There's been some debate over the past few years that bringing in the no touch icing rule could help prevent these types of injuries.

2. Fighting in hockey will probably be a another debate over the course of the season. Some people will say fighting doesn't belong in hockey no more. Others will say fighting needs to be in hockey to protect the star players like Steven Stamkos, Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin.

3. Will this be the last full season of NHL hockey for a while? The current collective bargaining agreement expires sometime next summer, which means the NHL Players Association and owners will have to come together to come up with a new CBA. The two sticking points most likely will be the salary cap and revenue sharing. The owners have not been in favour of revenue sharing the last few years and the players are not happy with the salary cap. If these issues are not resolve by next September, the 2012-13 season could be in jeopardy.

Teams to keep a eye on this season.

Washington Capitals- You can be sure that they will be a team to contend with. The Capitals have a fairly good offense with the likes of Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and newcomer Garrett Mitchell. The Caps also beefed up their defense a bit over the off-season by acquiring Roman Hamrlik from Montreal, who is 6 ft 2, 207 lbs. Mike Green will also be a scoring threat along the blueline. The only question for Washington is goaltending. Tomas Vokoun had a record of 22-28 last year with the Panthers last year, which could be a concern. The good news for Vokoun is that he had a 2.55 goals against average last year.

Pittsburgh Penguins- If Crosby comes back 100% healthy, the Pens will be a contender this season, if not, it may be a long winter for Pittsburgh.

Boston Bruins- Look for them to make another run for the cup this year. If goaltender,Tim Thomas plays the way he played last year in the play-offs, look out for Boston.

Philadelphia Flyers- They may not have the offense they've had over the past few years, but their defense and goaltending looks sharp on paper anyway.

Tampa Bay Lightning - With Steven Stamkos centering the first line and Vincent Levalier centering the second line, the Lightning could be a Stanley Cup contender by the end of the season.

New York Rangers- By getting Brad Richards in the off-season, the Rangers may have found the last piece of the puzzle to put them back into the play-offs this year.

Toronto Maple Leafs - The only way the Leafs will make the play-offs is if certain things happen.
- Goaltender, James Reimer must play the same way he played at the end last season.
- Phil Kessel has to score early in the season and keep going.
- Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin have to score 20 or more goals.
- Defenseman, Dion Phaneuf has to get more physical on the ice.
- Newcomer,Tim Connolly has to do what he does best, rack up points.
- Most importantly, the Leafs have to stay healthy. Injuries have plague them the last few years.

New Jersey Devils - They have no where to go, but up.

Winnipeg Jets - They probably won't make much of inpact in the standings, but to Jets fans they're number one.

Ottawa Senators - After missing the play-offs last year, they did some rebuilding this summer and may make a effort to get into the post season.

Vancouver Canucks - With the Sedin twins, Ryan Kessler providing the offense and Roberto Luongo between the pipes, the Canucks will most likely be a contender. Whether they will repeat the success they had last season remains to be seen.
San Jose Sharks - Despite losing Dany Heatley, the Sharks are still a scoring threat with Joe Thornton and Logan Couture.

Chicago Blackhawks - If Corey Crawford wins over 30 games like he did last season, if team captain, Jonathan Toews and the rest of the Blackhawks play like they did during the cup winning year in 2009-10, the may see themselves in the Western Conference Final this year.

Los Angeles Kings - Look out for this team to rise to the top this year with new additions like Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, along with last year`s King`s star, Anze Kopitar providing the offense and Jonathan Quick between the pipes.

Detroit Red Wings - On paper they don`t look much like a contender, but the Red Wings have a history of surprising people over the course of the season. Don`t count them out. If they do make the play-offs, it will be 21st straight year that the Red wings made it to the post season.

Minnesota Wild - In a article by the Associated Press this week, the Wild believe they have a good team this year. With two new addiitions to the squad (Heatley and Devin Setoguehi), they could be right.

Columbus Blue Jackets - Finally, this may be the dark horse of the NHL this season. Getting Jeff Carter and Vinny Prospal in the off-season was smart. It adds more offense and may take some of the pressure off Rick Nash. The only concern for the Blue Jackets in goaltending. Steve Mason must have a better season than he did last year in order for the team to be successful.

Here is my predictions of how the standings may look at the end of the regular season

Eastern Conference
1. Boston
2. Washington
3. Tampa Bay
4. New York Rangers
5. Philadelphia
6. Montreal
7. Pittsburgh
8. Toronto
9. Ottawa
10. Buffalo
11. New York Islanders
12. Carolina
13.New Jersey
14. Florida
15. Wiinnipeg

Western Conference
1. San Jose
2. Los Angeles
3. Vancouver
4. Chicago
5. Detroit
6. Calgary
7. Minnesota
8. Colorado
9. Columbus
10. Anaheim
11. St. Louis
12. Nashville
13. Dallas
14. Phoenix
15. Edmonton

Well, there you have it folks. Your NHL preview for this year. Enjoy the hockey.

Mariano Rivera Sets Baseball Saves Record

2011-09-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

At approximately 4:25 EDT on September 19, 2011, New York Yankee closer Mariano "Mo" Rivera set the all-time saves records with 602. The 41-year-old Rivera earned his 602 save following the strike out of infielder Chris Parmelee. Rivera used his famous "cutter" pitch to nail Parmelee. Many in baseball believe that Mo was the best reliever of all time. Now, statistically, he is. 40,045 were in attendance to see the Yankees beat the Twins 6-4. The now retired Trevor Hoffman, who spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres, was the current saves leader, with 601. In an interview with Yankee announcer Susan Waldman, Mariano said he was happy to break the saves record at home, at Yankee Stadium. The save was the Rivera's 43^rd of the 2011 season. Rivera struck out Parmelee with his now famous "cutter" pitch. Even Minnesota Twins players, after the third out, cheered the Panamanian-born Rivera. According to MLB.com's Joey Nowak, "the seventh time in Rivera's illustrious career that he has recorded at least 43 saves in a season (1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2009), as he continues to build on yet another 40-save year. Only Hoffman, who has done it nine times, has more than Rivera's eight 40-save seasons. It was the right-hander's 290th save at home and 32nd against the Twins." New York pitcher A.J. Burnett was the starting pitcher for the game. However, reliever Cory Wade was the winner of the game. And, with a few weeks of the 2011 season remaining, Rivera has a chance to build on his all-time saves lead. Also, who knows how many more years Rivera's arm will be effective? Mo achieved his first save during the 1996 season.