Athlete Alliteration

Spring Strides

2011-03-15T05:29:00.000-04:00

Beware the strides of March
Where Mo Rivera begins his arch
Mo Rivera knows his foe
He can fan them all
Amateur to Murderer’s Row
Mo Rivera takes his stride
The short leg kick left
Beauty even age can’t hide
The biting steam of his cut fastball
Splitting atoms in the air
Worthy of a curtain call
Rivera is in the Mo zone
A familiar layer of land
Where every batter stands alone
Rivera is called on in the clutch
With his unprecedented track record
No one this lifetime will ever touch
Beware the strides of March
Where Mo Rivera begins his arch

Parting Points: Song for the day- “Good” by Better Than Ezra

Leonard’s Last

2011-03-06T07:23:00.001-05:00

Thursday March 3rd, Wes Leonard took his last shot. He made a basket no one will ever forget and paid dearly for the game he loved to play.
I’m sure you’ve heard by now the story of the 16 year old Michigan high school basketball player who collapsed and died after hitting the game winning shot for his team. Wes Leonard’s death is tragic, scary and sad. It’s frightening when any young person loses their life inexplicably. It’s especially horrific when death occurs following one shining moment in an athlete’s lively existence. Leonard was a high school junior with a gift. He participated in both basketball and football for Fennville High School. An enlarged heart causes Leonard to go into cardiac arrest immediately after nailing the game winning shot in overtime Thursday night. The American Heart Association advises children with dilated cardiomyopathy not to participate in sports. The risk of heart failure increases during competition for people with this condition. The symptoms are never really apparent if you are unaware of your diagnosis. Those who knew Leonard said he took excellent care of his body. It is truly scary as an athlete to imagine having your life taken away by a health condition. It’s become too familiar a situation for many athletes. It makes you wonder if preventative measures are being taken seriously. It makes you wonder what you would do if you found out you couldn’t compete because of a heart condition. Personally, I’m not sure I would be able to handle that news. I’m accustomed, like many athletes, to pushing myself beyond my limits. It would make me think twice if I knew I couldn’t push myself hard. It’s a shame what happened to Wes Leonard. It would be an even bigger shame if nothing were done to prevent other young athletes from a similar fate.

Tar Heels Take Tallahassee

2011-03-03T15:03:00.001-05:00

There were plenty of great games Wednesday in college basketball. Pittsburgh knocked off South Florida, Duke defeated Clemson and West Virginia took it to 16th ranked UConn. Then there were the Tar Heels, who harassed ACC opponent, Florida State 72-70 in Tallahassee. Freshman, Harrison Barnes, hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with three ticks on the clock to lift NC over the Seminoles. The 18 year old silenced the boisterous FSU home crowd after the Seminoles rallied from seven down in the second half. The Tar Heels now lead the ACC by a half-game over Duke. John Henson turned in 19 points and 12 rebounds in the win as the Heels locked up a number two seed in the ACC tournament. The men in powdered blue jerseys can clinch a top seed with a win over the Blue Devils on Saturday.
Florida State fell short of their bid to complete an undefeated conference record at home. The first half saw nine lead changes and nine ties. Derwin Kitchen had 13 points overall for FSU, who led by seven midway through the first half. Backup, Ian Miller, had a big first half and finished the game with seven points and four assists for the home team. North Carolina earned the rebounding edge and shot 47.2 during the contest. Henson took over the first half with three blocked shots and six rebounds. The towering sophomore tapped in 10 first half buckets but the visitors still trailed by a point at the break. Florida State’s bench outscored NC’s reserves 20-5.
FSU guard, Michael Snaer added 11 points as the ‘Noles played without top shooter, Chris Singleton. FSU’s tremendous defense has kept them ahead of the pack in the ACC. Last night the Tar Heels trumped that tenacious defense, forcing the ‘Noles to scramble off balance in the end. North Carolina took the lead midway through the second half. . Leslie McDonald contributed 10 points for the Tar Heels, including a pair of treys that gave NC a five point lead with just over fourteen minutes remaining. Kendall Marshall knotted a three-pointer with four minutes to go to lift the Tar Heels to a seven point advantage. North Carolina won their fifth straight game on FSU’s court after fighting off the ‘Noles one point lead with 18 seconds left. Kitchen’s free throws gave the Seminoles a 70-69 advantage but the home team turned the ball over and Barnes sealed the deal with the game winning basket.

Parting points: The NFL is considering extending the collective bargaining agreement talks. I just hope they settle because a year without football would be devastating.

March Mad-less

2011-03-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

Going, Going Gone

Soft kisses on stormy nights
That it what you are to me.
The thought of touching you,
Sets my smile in motion
As far as the eye can see.
I can’t hide the way I feel
As you move into me.
The reassuring breath of you,
Is like the sun that breaks the clouds
Between the offing and the sea.
Now that you’re gone,
You’re afraid we went too far
And I’m afraid of what we are.
But we’re not children anymore,
Responsibility is more than a chore.
Because you are gone,
I’m alone behind this shield
Neglectful of how your body feels
Hurtful from the things you said
As tired as the time that fled.
What remains are broken strings,
Empty hands wrapped in tears.
The separation from you,
Not unlike the shoulders strong
Burdened and beaten by years.

March Mad-less

At cliff’s edge,
What holds you back
When all the others slip through the crack?
What prevents the poison
From pushing you tolling
As if you were a pebble rolling?
Devoid of glory,
What drives your reason
When you enter your darkest season?
What begins the rise
From dejected to determined
As if you caught hold of the screaming wind?

Brooklyn's Best

2011-02-27T17:18:00.002-05:00

R.I.P. Duke Snider--Brooklyn's finest centerfielder, New York's other #4.

Missing: Melo Meshing

2011-02-26T06:55:00.001-05:00

Carmelo Anthony and the new-look Knicks were crushed by Cleveland 115-109 at Quicken Loans Arena Friday. The dreadful but diligent Cavaliers bested New York in Anthony’s second game since being traded from Denver. The Cavs won for just the 11th time this season behind five double digit scorers. Veteran forward, Antawn Jamison, led the way with 28 points and 13 rebounds and J.J. Hickson scored 24 to go along with a game-high 15 boards in the win. Anthony tallied 27 points, shooting 9-for-22 from the field. New York’s A’mare Stoudemire led all scorers with 31 points and contributed five blocks. The 6’10” Stoudemire is still adjusting to life with Anthony on his side. Both players undeniably excel at succeeding individually, but are unfamiliar with playing together. It could take a while before the Knicks begin to mesh. Last night, New York took Cleveland too lightly and paid for it.
Baron Davis was sidelined during the second half for Cleveland, but the Cavs still scored 62 in his absence. Cleveland took advantage of New York’s confused defense and utilized their scrappy roster to put up 115 points overall. Anthony scored 14 first quarter points as the Knicks led 30-28 heading into the second stanza. The home team rebounded to post a 25 point second quarter that tied the game at the break. Jamison’s offensive rebounds proved the difference in the second half. Ramon Sessions added 12 buckets, including nine free throws for the Cavs, who shot 70% from the foul line. New York quickly fell behind, scoring just 22 to Cleveland’s 30 in the third quarter.
Chauncy Billips pocketed 20 fourth quarter points for the Knicks and finished the game with 26. Billips’ jumper with two minutes to play cut the Cavs’ edge to 103-101. The short-handed Cavs would not be denied. Instead, they canned the Knicks by working the shot clock down and relying on swift shooting Daniel Gibson to hit a late three. Gibson’s launch made it a five point Cleveland lead with thirty ticks and was the real dagger for New York’s comeback hopes. Anthony came through with a layup to trim the lead to three, but missed a free throw and was fouled out on the next play. Anthony notched just 11 points through the last three quarters and left with a numb elbow. Stoudemire ironically seemed to do his best scoring with Anthony on the bench. Cleveland held the edge on the boards 62-42 and was able to outwork New York for their second win against the Knicks this season.

Parting Points: Yankees’ Spring Training opener today!

Steeltown Sizzle

2011-02-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

Lamar Patterson scored the first five points of the second half as the Pitt Panthers easily dispatched the visiting Mountaineers 71-58 last night. The reserve finished with a career high 11 points for fourth ranked Pittsburgh. Patterson replaced the injured Talib Zanna and sparked the Panthers’ second half home comeback against Big East rival, West Virginia. Nasir Robinson led Pitt with 15 points, while Casey Mitchell knocked down 22 for the Mountaineers. Pittsburgh has a two game edge in the conference. West Virginia sits at a three-way tie for ninth place. The Panthers beat WVU for the tenth time in their last 11 tries.
Gilbert Brown poured in 11 points during the first half but the Panthers quickly found themselves in a 7-0 hole. The Panthers stormed back to even the score against the hard charging team from the Mountain State. Pitt fell behind to trail 31-30 at the break but the Mountaineers couldn’t maintain their advantage after halftime. West Virginia’s second half collapse began early. The Mountaineers missed five of their first seven attempts and were crippled by cold shooting. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, shot 65% in the final 20 minutes and finished with 57.4% for the game.
Patterson and the Panthers built a 47-36 lead with just under 12 minutes left. Brad Wanamaker put up 11 points, eight assists and added seven rebounds in the win. Pittsburgh’s transition defense hobbled Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers and WVU never threatened again. Gary McGhee was a force on defense with two blocks as Jamie Dixon won for the 213th time as Pitt’s head coach. Joe Mazzulla scored nine and pulled down six rebounds for the Mountaineers, who were outscored 41-27 in the second half. The Panthers also bested the Mountaineers in rebounding by three. The win pushes Pitt’s record to 25-3 overall, including a staggering 9-2 road record. There are three conference games remaining before the Big East tournament. Pitt looks like a top seeded team who can pummel just about any opponent.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “I’ve Got My Mind Set on You” by George Harrison

Controlling the Conference in Columbus

2011-02-23T15:06:00.001-05:00

Ohio State was in top form at home last night in cruising past conference rival, Illinois. The Buckeyes bounced the Illini 89-70 at Value Center Arena behind a remarkable David Lighty performance. Lighty scored 21 points, including 13 consecutive buckets to lead second ranked Ohio State to their 26th victory. Lighty added four rebounds and a pair of assists in 39 court time minutes. The Buckeyes turned the ball over just three times and stole the ball nine times in an impressive win. Illinois committed 16 turnovers and fell to 17-11 overall on the year. Ohio State maintains a one game lead over Purdue in the Big Ten.
William Buford carried the Buckeyes in the first half with 17 points. Jared Sullinger pitched in 11 points and dominated the boards with 11 rebounds. The game was close in the first half until the Buckeyes pulled away late. Mike Tisdale led the unranked Illini with 12 points in the first half and finished the game with 14. Ohio State took a 15 point advantage into the break and expanded it to 17 early in the second half. But Illinois cut the deficit to six points five minutes later. Senior Mike Davis tallied a team high 18 for Illinois.
The Illini kept pace with the home team, shooting 52 percent to OSU’s 53. The Bucks’ loose second half defense allowed Illinois back into the game. Illinois got to the charity stripe just three times, and struggled to stop the speedy Buckeyes in the paint. The visitors rallied to within nine points with just over ten minutes in regulation. The Illini scored on five of their first eight possessions in the second stanza, but Lighty helped the Buckeyes seize control with a personal 10-0 run. OSU held a comfortable lead for the remainder of the contest. They never dipped below double figures again. Freshman Aaron Craft pulled had six assists and 12 points for Ohio State. Conference leading shooter, Demetri McCamey, did not start but punched through 15 buckets for the losing team.

Parting Points: Band of the day- The White Stripes

The Nets are trying to match the Knicks. New Jersey acquired All-Star, Deron Williams, from the Jazz.

The Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright will be sidelined with an injured elbow.

Enduring the East

2011-02-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

The West withstood the Eastern storm in Sunday night’s annual NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles. Staples Center favorite, Kobe Bryant, poured in 37 points and grabbed 14rebounds in the Western Conference’s high scoring 148-143 victory over the Eastern Conference. Bryant was named MVP for a record-tying fourth time in his career. The intensely competitive Lakers’ star threatened Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star game record 42 points in stopping LeBron James and the East. James finished with a triple-double, the second one in All-Star game history (Michael Jordan, 1997). James had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss.
Amar’e Stoudemire shined for the East, tallying 29 points and Kevin Durant chipped in 34 for the winning West. Bryant’s L.A. teammate, Pau Gasol, added 17 points in 24 minutes as the West carved out a ten point advantage after the first quarters. Bryant bucketed 21 points and Gasol was a perfect 6-for-6 in the first half. The Heat’s Chris Bosh kept the East in the contest with 12 first half points off the bench. The West led 76-64 at the break. Blake Griffin, Saturday’s winner of the slam dunk contest, contributed just 8 points and 5 assists for the Western All-Stars.
The West registered 16 steals against a sloppy Eastern squad through three quarters. A Bryant three pointer put the West ahead 90-79 late in the third. The East trailed by 17 points entering the final stanza, where reigning MVP James led a late comeback to cut the deficit to five by the final margin. Miami’s Dwyane Wade scored 14 points before exiting in the third quarter with an ankle ailment. Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer, clinched the game with a pair of free throws after the East got back within three points. Ray Allen had 12 points and Derrick Rose and Joe Johnson added 11 apiece for the East. New Orleans’ Chris Paul picked up five steals and trade target, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, finished with seven assist for the West.

Parting Points: Providence handed Ohio State their second loss of the season.

I’m excited for the Don Mattingly biography coming out in March.

Addicting song of the moment- “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People

Dwight’s Dandy Drama

2011-02-20T07:23:00.000-05:00

Dwight Hardy secured a last second lay-in with 1.2 seconds left to lift St. John’s over fourth-ranked Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Hardy’s winning scoop shot provided the Red Storm a 60-59 clipping of the Panthers before a raucous crowd of over 14,000. Saturday’s victory was the fifth time this season St. John’s has toppled a top ten team. It was only the third loss for the Panthers, who still shine in first place in the Big East at 12-2. The Red Storm, currently unranked, have beaten Duke, UConn and Pitt this season. On Saturday, they thrilled the home fans with a heart-stopping one point win to improve to 17-9 overall.
The Panthers went into halftime ahead 27-26 in Ashton Gibbs’ return to the hardwood after missing two weeks due to an injured knee. Gibbs scored a career and game high 26 in the loss on 8-of-14 from the field. The sixth leading scorer in the Big East, Gibbs tallied 15 points in as many minutes during the opening half. Hardy totaled 19 points and added three steals to lead the Johnnies. St. John’s senior forward, Justin Burrell, contributed a quiet 15 points in the win. Pittsburgh, winners of their last six conference road games, was poised to make it seven in New York. The Red Storm had other plans in attempting to snap their own five game losing streak. There were eight lead changes during the second half until Hardy put an end to it all with a spectacular layup. Pitt led by as many as five after Brad Wanamaker’s jumper with 3:20 remaining. Wanamaker was held to just six points, as only Gibbs scored in double figures for the Panthers.
Pitt had a three point lead and the basketball with less than two minutes to go in the second half. Junior, Travon Woodall committed a turnover on an errant pass that led to a pair of D.J. Kennedy free throws to trim the lead 56-55. Gary McGhee pulled in a pass under the basket but fumbled to give St. John’s the ball back on Pitt’s next possession. Hardy’s jumper was off the mark, but Kennedy grabbed the rebound to keep the ball in the hands of the Red Storm. Following a foul, Hardy tied the game on a basket from the line. He missed his second free throw but the Storm again collected the rebound against one of the best rebounding team in the game. Hardy knocked down a pair of free throws after being fouled again to add to the late game drama. Woodall’s trey gave Pitt a one point edge with 11 seconds left before Hardy dribbled past Gilbert Brown for the deciding bucket.

Parting Points: More college hoops action from Saturday--WVU toppled Notre Dame, Texas fell to Nebraska and Kansas owned Colorado.

Career Conquest

2011-02-18T15:05:00.001-05:00

The Los Angeles Kings were the unwanted beneficiaries of Henrik Lundqvist’s 200th career win behind net in a shootout loss to the Rangers. New York defeated the Kings 4-3 and Marian Gaborik snapped a seven game drought in an extra session triumph. The Rangers have won two in a row following a six game slide. Mats Zuccarello netted the deciding goal at the Garden on Thursday in a milestone game for goalie Lundqvist. The Rangers’ netminder made 25 saves as New York improved to 31-24-4. Los Angeles fell to a nearly identical 32-22-4 on the season.
New York allowed the Kings to score first on Dustin Brown’s turnaround shot 5:25 into the first period. Brown beat Lundqvist with a spin move during an LA power play to put the Kings on top 1-0. Ryan Callahan produced the equalizer for the Rangers four minutes into the second period. He planted Derek Stepan’s rebound into the net beyond the reach of Jonathan Bernier. Callahan finished with a goal and an assist in the victory. New York took a 2-1 lead at 6:10 in the final stanza on Gaborik’s 17th goal this season. Rookie defensemen, Michael Sauer, added an assist on the goal.
Matt Greene’s blast past Lundqvist at 7:50 knotted the game at 2-2, but the Rangers retook the lead again with just over three minutes to play. Artem Anisimov gave New York a 3-2 advantage on a wraparound goal credited to Brandon Dubinsky. Los Angeles needed just 47 seconds to tie the game for the third time of the evening. Brown’s second goal of the night and 20th of the season sent the contest into overtime. The Rangers began overtime with a four minute power play, but could not break through with the winning goal and were instead penalized to wipe out the advantage. The Rangers finally prevailed with their 16th one-goal win of the season in the shootout round. Zuccarello slapped a score in the shootout and Lundqvist thwarted Anze Kopitar’s third round attempt to preserve his 200th career victory. Bernier made 34 stops in defeat. The Kings are in a five way tie for fifth in the crowded Western Conference, while the Rangers are seventh in the East.

Parting Points: Miguel Cabrera charged with DUI. Nice job.

Derrick Rose scores a career high 42 in the Bulls win over San Antonio on Michael Jordan’s birthday.

Buckeyes Bounce Back Beautifully

2011-02-16T15:16:00.000-05:00

February frenzy is the pre-cursor to March Madness. Ohio State bounced back in a big way after their loss in Wisconsin on Sunday. The second ranked Buckeyes fought past the Spartans 71-61 on Tuesday. The win lends credibility to why Ohio State still deserves a number one seed in the NCAA tournament next month. William Buford helped get the Bucks back on track with 23 points. Ohio State forced 19 turnovers and pulled away in the second half at Value City Arena for their 12th conference win. Michigan State fell to 6-7 and is log jammed in fifth place in the Big 10. Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with 14 points and five assists in MSU’s sixth straight loss on the road.
Ohio State and Michigan State traded leads eight times throughout the tight first half. Ohio State took a one point edge into the break despite being out-rebounded by MSU. The Buckeyes capitalized on Michigan State’s early foul shooting. Ohio State’s eleven buckets from the stripe secured their first half advantage and made up for poor shooting by a few of Thad Matta’s starters. The Spartans pieced together an impressive first half by shooting over 50%, but couldn’t complete the game in Columbus. MSU opened the second half with a 36-35 lead on Garrick’s Sherman’s layup. OSU answered on back-to-back Spartan turnovers and regained the lead. The Spartans countered again to keep the seesaw second half swinging before David Lighty completed a three-point play for a 45-44 OSU edge.
Tom Izzo’s team was doomed by turnovers as Ohio State widened their lead heading into the final twelve minutes. Jon Diebler and Lighty finished with 12 points each, while Jared Sullinger was held to just 11 points. Draymond Green’s desperation three from the top of the key was followed by a Lucas drive down the lane to narrow OSU’s lead to two. Buford drained a downtown shot from the left wing for a 56-51 Buckeye advantage with just over nine minutes on the clock. Green and Adreian Payne contributed ten points for Izzo’s Spartans. Michigan State rallied to get within four points at the four minute mark, but Ohio State knocked down eight free throws to surge ahead. Ohio State made 23-of-29 from the charity stripe. Michigan had only six attempts from the line. Aaron Craft was pivotal down the stretch for OSU, adding four steals and five free throws on the night. The Buckeyes have won 18 consecutive contests in Columbus.

Parting Points: Albert Pujols is officially a free agent. Where will he land?

On the bookshelf- “Irretrievable” by Theodor Fontane

Love Is Baseball

2011-02-14T23:29:00.001-05:00

Love is taking slides,
Making strides.
In a nutshell,
Love is baseball.
Love if lifting,
Watching whiffing,
Women, men and all,
Love is baseball.
Love is a victory,
Witnessing history.
A game to tell,
Love is baseball.
Love is a diamond,
Reoccurring trend.
A peak in Fall,
Love is baseball.

Victory at Villanova

2011-02-13T06:57:00.001-05:00

The Panthers are breathing a sigh of relief after an anxious final second play on Saturday. Fourth ranked Pittsburgh escaped The Pavilion in Pennsylvania with a 57-54 victory over the Villanova Wildcats. The Panthers quieted the Cats in snapping Villanova’s 43-game home winning streak. Villanova rallied to make it a one possession game with one minute to go, but Pittsburgh survived down the stretch to squeeze out the three point win in a Big East battle. The Panthers proved they remain the team to beat in the rugged conference. Pittsburgh owns a 23-2 overall record and is 11-1 in the Big East. Pittsburgh has won six consecutive road games and is poised for a riveting run in the conference finals. ‘Nova dropped to 7-5 after falling at home for the first time since January 2007.
Brad Wanamaker, a Philadelphia native playing for Pittsburgh, led all scorers with 21 points. The Panthers played without Ashton Gibbs, but Pitt’s counter-punchers came up with big baskets in his absence. The Wildcats led 27-24 after the low scoring first half. The home team was also playing without their top starter in Corey Stokes. Villanova’s Mouphtaou Yarou collected eight points and five rebounds in the first eight minutes of the game. Yarou blocked four shots and made Pitt think twice about driving the lane. The Panthers went 0-5 beyond the arc to open the game and finished just 10% from the rainbow. Nasir Robinson had a team high seven buckets for Pitt in the first half while Antonio Pena and Corey Fisher paced the Cats with seven points apiece.
Villanova slowed down to begin second half play. The Cats made just three baskets in fourtheen minutes. Wanamaker gave Pitt their first lead midway through the first half with a three point play at 14:23. The Pittsburgh senior guard converted another three point play with 2:46 after the Wildcats scored eight unanswered points. The Panthers’ offense improved after the intermission, shooting 50% from the field. The game also became more physical, as Fisher and Robinson were called for technicals. The Pittsburgh starters carried the bulk of the load. Jamie Dixon’s bench provided just three points in the victory. Pena hit a three-pointer with 58 seconds left to make it a three point affair.
Wanamaker scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half but committed a key turnover with 27 ticks on the clock. Maalik Wayns was stopped on his way to the basket following a ‘Nova timeout and the home team were forced to attempt a three-pointer with four seconds remaining. Dominick Cheek’s trey caromed off the rim and Maurice Sutton hauled in the rebound. Sutton relayed the ball back to Wayns for one last shot. Wayns sank the three but it was after the buzzer as the Panthers held on to win. Wayns finished with 13 points (obviously not including the key three after time expired).

Parting Points: Ohio State has fallen as many suspected. Wisconsin beat the Buckeyes in Madison to hand the last unbeaten college team their first loss of the season.

Champs Climbing

2011-02-12T07:06:00.000-05:00

My lack of blogging can be attributed to entering the most boring period in professional sports. There really isn’t much going on outside the hardwood and NHL. Pitchers and catchers report on Monday, but until baseball season officially opens, the next few weeks are going to be tough save for the tremendousness that is March Madness. The LA Lakers’ treachery is starting to show. Los Angeles collected wins in Boston and New York this week, establishing the World Champs as “back”. LA has won the first four games of a seven game road trip. The defenseless New York Knicks were beaten at home last night 113-96 in Phil Jackson’s last appearance at the Garden. LA’s head coach announced he is retiring after the season. Kobe Bryant put up 33 points against the Knicks, who seem to have gradually fallen off the playoff radar. The Knicks slipped to 26-26, twelve games behind Atlantic-leading Boston. The Lakers, meanwhile, improved to 38-16. That’s good for a ten and a half game edge in the Pacific division.
Bryant drained 19 of Los Angeles’ 30 first quarter points but the Knicks scored 28 to make it a two point contest after the opening stanza. The Knicks looked mediocre in trying to keep pace with LA. Bryant knocked down 3-of-4 3-point attempts in the first quarter and exploded on nearly every opportunity he was afforded. Amar’e Stoudemire shined for Mike D’Antoni’s team. Stoudemire finished with a double-double and made 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Raymond Felton was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field for New York during the first quarter. Felton scored 20 points in the loss, while Stoudemire bested him by four. The Knicks’ Danilo Gallinari missed 11 of 15 shots but finished in double figures. His rookie teammate made just six shots. LA’s strong defense was too much for the flailing, fumbling Knicks.
Pau Gasol tallied 20 points in 32 minutes for the visiting Lakers. Andrum Bynum added 12 points and nine rebounds. LA’s bench stepped up to give them a 62-48 halftime advantage. Shannon Brown went 6-of-10 from the field with 12 points as reserve guard. Brown’s aerobatic dunk highlighted a second quarter spurt for LA. The Knicks played sloppy basketball and Stoudemire was called for a technical foul in the third quarter. For the All-Star Stoudemire, it was his 14th technical, two shy of a one game suspension. The Lakers were able to breeze down the stretch with a comfortable lead as New York never threatened. Bryant’s jumper early in the third quarter gave the Lakers an 18 point edge. Phil Jackson’s team extended their lead with Bryant on the bench. The Lakers held the lead for the game’s final 35 minutes, eventually ballooning to 22 at one point in the final stanza.

Parting Points: Song for Saturday- “Follow You Follow Me” by Genesis

The Cavs finally won a game---over the fruitless Clippers.

Breakpoint

2011-02-10T16:37:00.001-05:00

It’s not about the game on the court,
But the tricks of the brain
At breakpoint.
It’s not the gait or the stroll,
But the mind’s eye
With control.
When you see through square holes,
The shuffling shoes,
Thoughtlessness roles.
When you see it distort,
The swings and serves,
Sorrowful joints.
You’ve reached the nerve
With each critical point,
Holding serve.
You’ve reached approbation
With no falling back,
Breaking fixation.

Cheeseheads Conquer

2011-02-07T15:09:00.001-05:00

Steelers’ Scorched on Super Sunday
National Anthem goofs and dreadful halftime shows aside, Superbowl XVL turned out to be an intriguing gala. I was bracing for the unequivocal Pittsburgh comeback, but it never did come to fruition. The persistent Green Bay Packers were too good; their gifted quarterback too efficient. Green Bay won a 31-25 decision in Dallas to earn another trophy for the franchise that brought us Vince Lombardi. Their champion signal caller, Aaron Rodgers, was awarded the game’s MVP. The Steelers fell short of their seventh title due to costly turnovers and an ineffective passing game.
Rodgers capped an incredible post-season run to give the Packers their first championship trophy in 14 years. The quarterback for Green Bay threw three touchdowns and completed 24-of-39 passes for 304 yards in the win. Ben Roethlisberger, meanwhile, tossed a pair of interceptions into double coverage and finished with 263 passing yards. Roethlisberger recorded two touchdown strikes but the Steelers’ offense was kept in check by a resilient Green Bay attacking scheme. The Packers put up 14 first quarter points, making the AFC Champion Steelers look like the more inexperienced team on the field. Pittsburgh went three-and-out on the opening possession after Green Bay won the coin toss and deferred the ball to the second half.
The Packers showed off why they were able to win three playoff games on the road late in the first quarter. Rodgers orchestrated an 80 yard drive on nine plays to give the green and yellow the first points of Superbowl XVL. Jordy Nelson hauled in a 29 yard pass with 3:44 remaining in the opening stanza. The touchdown reception was just one of Nelson’s nine on the day. Nelson led all players with 140 yards receiving. The Packers wasted no time in increasing their advantage to two scores by capitalizing on Roethlisberger’s first interception. Safety, Nick Collins got the pick-six for Green Bay when he stole Big Ben’s pass and raced 37 yards into the end zone. The Steelers followed their turnover with a seven minute, 13 play drive culminating in a field goal. Shaun Suisham’s 33 yard kick through the uprights cut the Packers’ lead to 14-3.
Green Bay’s solid secondary struck again in the second quarter, despite Pittsburgh moving the ball well offensively. Roethlisberger was hit while releasing the football. The ball bounced between various players before Green Bay’s Jarrett Bush came up with it to set the Pack up at midfield. The mobile, strong-armed quarterback, Rodgers, fired frozen ropes and managed just four plays before hitting Greg Jennings from 21 yards out. Green Bay pummeled Pittsburgh’s defense with a five-wide set and overcame some hard hits from the Steelers’ secondary. With the end of the first half approaching, Pittsburgh responded with an impressive drive. Roethlisberger moved the chains 77 yards before finding his old reliable receiver, Hines Ward. Ward was wide open for the eight yard touchdown catch with 39 ticks on the clock. The Steelers trailed 21-10 at the half.
Both teams exchanged punts to begin second half play. The Steelers were the first to score five minutes into the third quarter. Rashard Mendenhall rushed eight yards on a five play Steelers drive to trim the Pittsburgh deficit to four points. Mendenhall had a strong day in the backfield, with 63 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Pittsburgh’s rugged defense found its footing in the second half and kep the Packers off the scoreboard until early in the final stanza. The Steelers were poised to finally take the lead in the fourth quarter when Mendenhall fumbled. Rodgers flicked a second touchdown pass to Jennings on the ensuing drive to put the Packers up by eleven with just under twelve minutes to play.
Pittsburgh did not let up. Roethlisberger kept it coming with an aerial attack. Mike Wallace’s over-the-shoulder touchdown reception from Big Ben was followed by a successful two-point conversion to make it a three point game. Green Bay knocked home a field goal with 2:07 left, allowing the Steelers one final possession and a chance at the win. Roethlisberger ordered the hurry-up mode on offense and quickly completed a pass for first down. He overthrew Wallace deep down field to set up a fourth down with one minute remaining. The drive stalled 69 yards short when Wallace dropped a very catchable pass, and the Steelers were forced to turn the ball over on downs. Pittsburgh’s comeback in Dallas was stunted as the Packers prevailed to their fourth title in franchise history. Wallace finished with 89 yards receiving and Ward was credited with 79. The Packers ran for just 50 yards but it didn’t seem to matter last night. Rodgers was simply the best player on the field, and that’s what mattered in the end.

Parting Points: Tom Brady was the first unanimous MVP.

Take Twenty-four

2011-02-06T16:55:00.001-05:00

Undefeated Ohio State manhandled Minnesota 82-69 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis Sunday. The top-ranked Buckeyes basketball team collected their 24th consecutive win in their latest victory over the 18th ranked Gophers. David Lighty sparked the Buckeyes with 19 points and all five starters for Thad Matta finished with double figure games. Ohio State’s unbeaten season still stands, despite a physical, foul-filled conference contest on the road.
Jared Sullinger scored 18 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the Buckeyes’ 11th Big Ten win. William Buford added 15 in Ohio State’s second win in Minnesota in the last six tries. The Bucks’ hot hand began the game by building a 28-16 lead. The Gophers trailed by eight at the half as the balanced and athletic Buckeyes controlled the pace. Dallas Lauderdale helped the Buckeyes pull away early in the second half with solid inside shooting. Lauderdale scored the first six points of the second half. Lauderdale and Jon Diebler finished with ten points apiece and combined for 13 rebounds against the conference’s leading rebounding squad. Ohio State’s free throw shooting was anything but stellar. Sullinger made just two of his eight attempts from the line and the team averaged just 50% in the game.
The Gophers were led by Blake Hoffarber’s 16 buckets, followed by Ralph Sampson III’s 14. Freshman reserve, Chip Armelin chipped in 14 points as Minnesota lost for the fourth straight game. Minnesota didn’t have enough firepower, although they kept the contest a competitive one. They would only get as close as ten points, keyed by a couple of clutch three pointers. The Gophers stuck with a zone defense in the final period and succeeded in limiting the Bucks to ten points in the last four minutes. The Gophers Achilles heel seemed to be turnovers, as they matched their season high 19 in the defeat. Next up for the nation’s number one team is a Saturday visit to Wisconsin.

Parting Points: GO STEELERS! Happy Superbowl Sunday.

Crippled Cavs

2011-02-05T06:53:00.001-05:00

Questions frequently asked: Is Brett Favre really retired? Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame? Can the Cavs really win without LeBron James? The answer to all three should be a resounding YES. I believe Favre is done. I think Rose should be in the Hall no matter how many times he placed bets on the game. And, yes Cleveland can most certainly win a championship without James…it might just take an enormous effort and colossal changes. One man does not make a team. However, one man’s absence does impair one.
If Cleveland excels at anything, it’s losing. The crippled Cavs are on the verge of breaking a single season record for consecutive losses. Memphis handed the Cavs their 23rd straight loss in a Friday night 112-105 drubbing at FedEx Forum. The Grizzlies turned a one point fourth quarter deficit into a 13-0 run to seal the deal. It seems only fitting that the Cavs lost 23 a year after #23 exited for sunny skies in Miami. Zach Randolph propelled the Grizzlies with 29 points and 13 rebounds against the league’s worst team. The Cavs are now just 8-42 on the season. Cleveland hasn’t won a game since beating the Knicks in overtime on December 19th. Friday’s win gave Memphis a season best five in a row and eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Grizzlies roared back after Cleveland controlled the game for most of the first three quarters. J.J. Hickson tied a career high with 31 points for the visiting team. Hickson had a hard time handling Memphis’ monster front line. The 6’9” Cavalier brought down nine defensive rebounds and finished with a total of 15, but his team failed to close it out in the end. The Cavs forced eight first quarter turnovers and held the Grizzlies in check for most of the half. Rudy Gay drained 26 points and Mike Conley added 21 in the win. Ramon Sessions had a big game, with 20 points, for Cleveland. Antwan Jamison tallied 19 in the loss, but made just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Cleveland took advantage of the Grizzlies’ 2-3 zone and the absence of Marc Gasol. Gasol sat out with three fouls as he watched his team fall behind by ten points midway through the first period.
The Cavs closed out half number one with a 6-2 run despite the Grizzlies hitting their first ten shots of the night. Cleveland led 59-52 at halftime and carried a 12 point advantage into the third quarter before allowing it to slip away. The Cavs committed 10 turnovers that proved costly and cost them the lead. Meanwhile, Memphis out-rebounded the visitors and dominated the free throw line. The Grizzlies shot 90% from the charity stripe. The home team rallied to take an 83-80 edge late in the third stanza. The Cavs fought back fiercely to maintain the lead and succeeded in re-taking it heading into the fourth quarter on Jamison’s layup. Cleveland crumbled from there, allowing the Grizzlies to put up 13 straight points. Randolph collected 11 fourth quarter buckets to help Memphis coast to their eighth win in nine tries.

Parting Points: Kevin Love is replacing Yao Ming on the All-star team. Wow, really? Ming can’t play?

Congrats to the NFL Rookies of the Year- Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh.

Seamless in Scarlet

2011-02-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

Four days into February and Ohio State basketball remains undefeated. If you’re not a dubious Buckeye fan, you’re enticed, euphoric and excited. Others may be waiting for the ball to drop on OSU’s unblemished 23-0 season. Last night in Columbus, Ohio State collected a win against rival Michigan. The Buckeyes notched a 62-53 victory over the Wolverines, looking like a team that could definitely win a national title. Textbook-skilled freshman, Jared Sullinger hammered in 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead everybody else who saw minutes on the court, on either team. Sullinger turned the ball over four times but otherwise was outstanding. The Wolverines enjoyed a three point lead at the half, but their archrivals rallied to improve to 9-0 in the Big 10. OSU is the only unbeaten team remaining in college basketball. That’s definitely something to cheer about. With Sullinger at the helm, there’s no telling how far this team can ride their unbeaten streak.
The Buckeyes faced Michigan for the second time in less than a month on Thursday night. In January, OSU squeezed out a four-point triumph over the Wolverines. Ohio State took control early on in the game last night. OSU carved out a 7-0 advantage in the first two minutes of the contest. Following a timeout, Michigan slowly climbed back into the game. The Buckeyes were outplayed by Michigan and trailed 26-23 at halftime. Darius Morris fired 10 shots and added five rebounds to lead the blue and maize in the first half. Michigan forced ten first half turnovers and limited the home team to 36% shooting.
Ohio State mopped up the damage of the first half as Michigan struggled to grab takeaways after the break. David Lighty led the OSU charge in the second half. Lighty’s jumper six minutes into the second half gave the Buckeyes the lead, and Ohio State never trailed again. Michigan did tie the score momentarily at 36, but Aaron Craft’s defense started an 8-0 Buckeye run. Michigan fought hard to stay in the game. Evan Smotrycz and Hardaway traded threes to cut the Michigan deficit to two. But Ohio State was clearly up for the test. The Wolverines lost the second half rebounding battle as the Buckeyes’ defense stepped up. Tim Hardaway led the 13-9 visitors with 15 points on 3-of-7 from downtown. William Buford had a strong game for Ohio State, finishing with 13 points and hitting three timely 3-pointers. The 6’9” Sullinger wore out Michigan defenders. The Wolverines were called for 23 fouls on the night and shot just four three throws of their own. Lighty and stupendous senior, John Diebler contributed 9 points in the win.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “Starting Today” by Natalie Imbruglia

Not a whole lot going on. The Mets’ owners are in hot water, Andy Pettitte’s days on the diamond are done, LeBron scored 51 points and the debate for NBA All-star snubs is on.

Saluting the Southpaw

2011-02-03T15:54:00.001-05:00

His pickoff move came second to none
That southpaw arm a flame-throwing one
Come playoff time, he was the man
Number one in the clutch, painting the corners like a crayon
He had CY Young material, a stellar career
His stare down scowl something to fear
The rings on his fingers the dynastic symbols
Of an incredible pitcher who warmed our souls
Farewell to dandy Andy Pettitte
Number forty-six, we won’t forget it

Nets Notch Nuggets

2011-02-01T07:47:00.001-05:00

Winning basketball games is usually a mere laborious task for the New Jersey Nets. The fourteen win ballclub who calls Newark’s Prudential Center home has become a blip on many an NBA opponent’s schedule. But last night the Nets had little trouble against a Carmelo Anthony-led visiting Nuggets squad. New Jersey dropped Denver 115-90 to pick up their 15th win of another losing season. The Nets scored the most first half points they have all year, connecting on 25-of-40 in a vehement victory at home. The Melo sweepstakes may have ended, and the Nets proved last night why they just might not need Anthony’s services after all. New Jersey stopped a two game skid while the Nuggets suffered their 20th loss this season.
Anthony scored a game high 37 points in 40 minutes but his Denver teammates were virtual no-shows on the hardwood. The Nuggets made just 35% of their 3-pointers and found themselves in a 19-7 hole halfway through the first stanza. Denver ripped off nine consecutive points but New Jersey rushed ahead to a ten point advantage on Travis Outlaw’s 13 point first quarter. Devon Harris was an assist assailant, compiling an aggressive career high 18 in the New Jersey win. The Nets sailed ahead by as many as 18 points for a 63-50 advantage at the intermission. Anthony kept the visitors in the game with 23 first half points and nine of ten from the charity stripe. Brook Lopez led New Jersey with 27 points. The center from Stanford made 11-of-18 from the field and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the line. Despite Anthony’s offensive dominance, the hosts were ferocious in forcing 16 turnovers and outrebounding the Nuggets by 11.
The Nets hit 9-of-15 from downtown and were led by Kris Humphries’ big second half off the bench. Chauncey Billups supplied 19 points (16 in the second half) and Brazilian, Nene Hilario, sunk 16 for Denver, who mounted a slight comeback after the break. J.R. Smith drained a pair of foul shots to trim the Nuggets’ deficit to just four with less than a minute on the clock. The Nets continued their clutch shooting and never allowed Denver to take the lead. New Jersey outscored the Nuggets 30-21 in the final quarter to finish over the 100 point mark. Monday was the 15th straight road game Denver has allowed an opponent 100-or-more points. Anthony Morrow poured in 18 in the win, including four 3-pointers.

Parting Points: Snowy Tuesday tune- “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” by Backstreet Boys

Georgetown knocked off Louisville last night as the Big East seeding continue to shuffle.

Blazing, Burying the Blue

2011-01-31T15:14:00.000-05:00

The defending national champs were curtailed by a rising Red Storm squad at Madison Square Garden Sunday. Third-ranked Duke was throttled by St. John’s 93-78 in an upset loss on the road. Sunday was only the second loss of the season for the Blue Devils, who trailed 46-25 at halftime. The Johnnies overpowered Duke in front of a sellout crowd. St. John’s defeated the top-ranked Devils after losing five of their last six contests going into Sunday’s showdown. The Storm has taken some heavy punches and double digit losses to top 25 teams, but not this time. Duke’s poor shooting combined with the Storms’ Dwight Hardy’s big game made winners of the home team. St. John’s improved to 12-8 on the season in what could be considered Steve Lavin’s biggest high profile win so far as the Red Storm’s head coach.
Hardy shot 9-of-13 from the field and finished with 26 points to lead the Johnnies. Duke struggled from the arc, missing on 21 three-point attempts during the game. The Devils made just one 3-pointer in the first half and missed ten consecutive attempts. Nolan Smith tallied a game high 32 points and drained a pair from downtown for Duke. Kyle Singler put up 20 points for the Blue Devils, who turned the ball over 17 times and were limited to inside shooting. St. John’s played conservatively in the second half, clinging to a sizable lead at the break. The rumbling Red Storm shot 12 percentage points above their season average in the first half.
Justin Brownlee tallied 20 points and had nine rebounds for the Storm. Brownlee and Paris Horne’s six assists tied for the team lead. Sean Evans played his best game as a Johnnie, burying ten buckets off the bench in 11 minutes. The Storm took advantage of every Duke turnover, turning them into points of their own. The Johnnies stormed out of the halftime break to take their stunning largest lead of the day. D.J. Kennedy’s dunk was followed by a Hardy layup as the defending Devils looked uncomfortable at the Garden. The Devils did come back to score 53 points to the Storm’s 47 in the second half. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a dismal start. The Storm attacked Duke and found the open shots to erupt on the floor.

Parting Points: Happy Birthday to The Ryan Express

Trouble in the Third

2011-01-29T07:06:00.001-05:00

The Chicago Bulls improved to 22-4 at the United Center with Friday’s 99-90 victory over Orlando. The Magic’s Dwight Howard had a monster performance, scoring 40 points in the loss, but it wasn’t enough to snap the surging Bulls’ three game winning streak. Chicago is tied with Miami for second in the conference. Three Chicago players scored in double figures. The Bulls limited Orlando’s three point shooting and outrebounded the visitors 54-40. Luol Deng led Chicago with 26 points and MVP candidate, Derrick Rose, finished with a double-double.
Jameer Nelson, the Magic’s point guard who burned the Bulls in the last meeting between the teams, played just eight minutes. Nelson exited with an injury in the first quarter as Chicago pulled ahead 24-23 at the end of one. Howard was strong from the field and nearly impeccable from the line but received little help from his teammates. The Magic managed to hold a 51-46 advantage at the half courtesy of Howard’s rebounding and dominant offense. The rusty Bulls made just five of their first twenty field goal attempts but rallied after the half to trim the Orlando lead.
Deng scored 14 third quarter points to pace Chicago’s comeback. Rose scored 26 points and added 12 rebounds as the Bulls hit their stride heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulls held Orlando to just 4-of-14 shooting in the third. Chicago hit the 34 point mark in the third quarter, doubling up Orlando, who scored just 17. The Bulls made 13-of-21 shots in the table-turning third. Carlos Boozer contributed a massive 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls, who maintained their lead throughout the final quarter. Gilbert Arenas pocketed 11 buckets off the Magic bench, but Rose put the game away on a pair of free throws in the final minute to hold off a late push by Orlando. The Central-division leading Bulls knocked down 8-of-18 from the arc in the win. Howard finished just five points shy of a career high in scoring.

Parting Points: Congrats to Kim Clijsters in her three set comeback triumph over Li Na.

Finish without a Fuss

2011-01-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

You see the world through salty eyes,
The weight of it all heavy on your brow
With sweat that stains and sustains your flesh,
You soak it up without a fuss.
The sun will always shine through here
The start of rallies end to end,
Tosses teeming low will haunt your heart,
Your back will fear the baseline’s hand.
While in the troughs you’ll find the strength,
A whistling rocket buried deep away
The running forehand collapsing in place,
Riling a world submerged in pride.

Parting Points: Song for Friday-Tony Rich Project “Missin’ You”

Columbus’ Cool Customers Continue Creaming Competition

2011-01-26T15:04:00.002-05:00

Buckeyes Blast Boilermakers
William Buford drained 19 points and was one of six Buckeyes scoring in double figures as top-ranked Ohio State pasted Purdue in Columbus 87-64 Tuesday. Ohio State won for the 21st consecutive time and remains unbeaten after dismantling the 12th ranked Boilermakers. The streak marks the fourth longest in Buckeye basketball history. The red hot Buckeyes have been tearing up the hardwood since day one of this season. The fever pitch remains on the rise and the Bucks continue to add credibility to their number one ranking with solid defensive rebounding and stellar inside shooting. OSU shot 52% from the field in Tuesday’s Value City Arena victory. The Buckeyes outrebounded the Boilermakers by 14 and led by as many as 31 points against their Big 10 opponents. Purdue fell to 17-4 with the loss.
Ohio State made 6-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half. The Bucks took a commanding halftime edge and shot 56.7% in the opening session. Jon Diebler poured in 10 points during the first half and finished with 19 on the night. The defense held Purdue without a second-chance point in the first half. Freshman Aaron Craft contributed nine points off Thad Matta’s deep bench as the Buckeyes spread the ball around throughout the game. Buford, David Lighty and Deshaun Thomas all had seven buckets by the break. JaJuan Johnson was the only Purdue shooter able to get anything going offensively. Johnson had 11 points by the half for a Boilermaker team that struggled to hit their three-point shots. Johnson finished with a game high 22 points and led Purdue with seven rebounds. the Buckeyes snatched any momentum back with runs of 14-2 and 13-5 to swell their lead to 35-13 with roughly six minutes left in the half. Purdue trailed 46-26 at halftime.
Jared Sullinger, the hard-to-guard rookie, made his mark in the second half for the dazzling Buckeyes. Sullinger knocked down 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win. He also added seven from the charity stripe. Purdue played a better second half and trimmed their deficit to 17 three times. The lethargic Boilermakers, relying on Johnson and E’Twaun Moore as their only offensive sources, couldn’t piece together a rally. Purdue scored 38 second half points to OSU’s 41 as Buford and Sullinger exchanged late treys to seal the deal for the home team. OSU carved out a 30 point advantage, aided by Thomas’ rebound with 4:19 on the clock. Thomas finished with 13 points, while Lighty scored 11. OSU hit 11-of-19 from the rainbow and now reside two games in front in the Big 10.

Parting Points: The Big East is stacked.

A quote from the epitome of cool- “I never planned anything in my life”- Cool Hand Luke

Steelers Shine, Sail to Superbowl

2011-01-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

The Jets’ joyride season ended in a 24-19 defeat at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field Sunday night. New York fell into an insurmountable 24-3 halftime hole before rallying to make a game of it in the second half. Pittsburgh held on to win, the prize being a trip to the Superbowl to face the Green Bay Packers. The Steelers are headed for Dallas after grabbing their third AFC Championship in six years last night.
Pittsburgh quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, scrambled on the Steelers’ opening drive in single digit temperatures to chew off nine minutes on the clock. Roethlisberger orchestrated a 15 play drive capped by Rashard Mendenhall’s one yard touchdown lunge to put the Steelers up by seven. The Jets struggled to get first downs and Pittsburgh maintained excellent field position throughout the first quarter. Roethlisberger was intercepted for the first time in 200 attempts on the Steelers’ second drive, but the Jets’ offense could not capitalize. Shaun Suisham booted a 20 yard field goal to put Pittsburgh out in front by ten points midway through the second session. The Steelers thundered into the end zone again with two minutes left in the half. Roethlisberger charged from two yards out to complete a 66 yard Pittsburgh drive for the 17 point advantage. Rex Ryan’s bombastic third ranked defense could do little to prevent the Steelers from adding another touchdown or slowing down Mendenhall.
Ike Taylor hit Jets’ signal caller, Mark Sanchez, to force a fumble with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter. Cornerback William Gay scooped up the loose ball and rushed 19 yards the opposite way for a third Pittsburgh touchdown. The Steelers outgained the Jets 231-50 in yards during the first half. The Jets scooted 44 yards to reach field goal territory near the end of the second quarter. All New York could muster was a Nick Folk 42 yard field goal as time expired on the AFC Championship game’s first half. Pittsburgh dominated time of possession, leaving the trash-talking Gang Green offense down four scores heading into the locker room. The Steelers held an absurd 135-1 advantage on the ground in the first half. Mendenhall finished with 121 rushing yards (95 in the first half), only the second time a back has accumulated over 100 against Gang Green all season.
The Jets awoke from a slumber to score 16 unanswered points in the second half. Pittsburgh failed to score again after the break. In the first drive of the half, Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 45 yard touchdown strike to cut the deficit to 24-10. Sanchez had two touchdown passes on the night and threw for 233 yards in the loss. Mike Devito recovered a safety in the fourth quarter following a Roethlisberger bobbled snap to miraculously make it a two possession game. New York had a chance to score again midway through the fourth, but the Steel Curtain’s goal-line stance made them come up empty. Previously injured Jets’ wideout, Jericho Cotchery caught a four yard touchdown pass from Sanchez with three minutes left in regulation. The Jets trailed by five and took the lead in yardage during the second half, but it was too little too late. Pittsburgh had too much of a first half cushion to forego the lead. Mendenhall was handed the ball three times before rookie, Antonio Brown secured a Pittsburgh first down on a 14 yard reception with two minutes to go. The Jets didn’t have any timeouts left with 1:48 left. The Steelers ran out the clock and improved to 14-4 on rout for a chance at their seventh Superbowl in franchise history. A date with Green Bay is set for February 6th at 6:30pm.

Parting Points: It should be a good Superbowl. The Pack are a 2 ½ point favorite.

Who the heck is Caleb Hanie?

Inhibiting Illinois

2011-01-22T09:12:00.001-05:00

Ohio State brings their number one ranking to Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois this afternoon. The Buckeyes tipoff at noon against the 23rd ranked Illini hoping to extend their undefeated season another day and improve to 20-0 on the year. Ohio State faces a tough test at hostile Assembly Hall in what should be the first of a series of challenging contests in the coming weeks. The Buckeyes will face seven teams ranked in the top 25 in their next nine games.
Today, their 14-5 Big Ten opponents boast an admirable crew in defensive-minded Illinois. The Illini lead the conference in three-point shooting and three-point shooting defense. Assist man, Demetri McCamey, will be a catalyst for the home team. Last season, Evan Turner and the Buckeyes held McCamey to just nine points in a 72-53 victory on the road. The pressure will be heavier for this season’s matchup. Illinois have immense front-court size, solid shooting from beyond the arc and are savvy in the back-court. Starting guard, D.J. Richardson and forward, Bill Cole both shoot well from a distance and will be a tricky test for OSU’s outside guards. Senior Mike Davis leads the Illini in shooting and center Mike Tisdale is more than accurate from the line. The Buckeyes are capable of disposing any team in college basketball, but they must contain the high scoring Illini. Illinois is so effective in creating opportunities for their shooters. The Buckeyes must be careful not to turn the ball over.
Illinois already toppled Michigan State at home this season. The Illini are a team that struggles on the road so should be prepared for a number one ranked OSU squad. Bruce Weber will have them equipped to handle the likes of Jared Sullinger’s outside looks and David Lighty’s diligent drives to the basket. The Bucks had a difficult time defending Penn State in their win over the Lions last weekend, but rebounded to suffocate the Hawkeyes 70-48 on Wednesday. Which OSU team will show up in Champaign this afternoon?

Parting Points: Song of the day-“6, 8, 12” by Brian Mcknight

Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon reunite in Tampa. Interesting pick-ups for the Rays.

Augustin Attacks

2011-01-21T15:21:00.001-05:00

The Bobcats nixed the Sixers by three on Thursday night after Philadelphia rallied from an eight point deficit in the final quarter. Charlotte pulled out a 100-97 victory at Time Warner Cable Arena to snap a two game skid. The Bobcats rode D.J. Augustin’s career high 31 point performance in slipping past less- than-mediocre Philadelphia. The 76ers and Bobcats are both owners of 17 wins, with Philly possessing one more loss than the 24 loss Charlotte club. The Sixers sit in third place in the Atlantic behind Boston and New York with little hope of reaching the post-season. Ailing Charlotte is all but out of the playoff hunt, clinging to fourth place in the Southeast.
Charlotte scored 30 first quarter points in a commandeering opening session. Augustin paced the home team with 14 first quarter points, including three from beyond the arc. The diminutive point guard added 11 buckets in the second quarter, hitting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field on uncontested drives through the lane. Augustin dished out a game high eight assists in handing the Sixers their fourth lost in six games. Thaddeus Young contributed 21 points off the bench and Andre Iguodala added 19 for Philly, who trailed by six at halftime.
Iguodala had five rebounds and five assists in the loss but missed a shot off the rim in the final 11 seconds as the Bobcats held on to win. Philadelphia took the lead twice during the second half. Philly scored a quick six to open the third quarter, aided by a pair of Elton Brand jumpers. Brand finished with a game high, 10 rebounds and poured in a dozen points. Young gave the visitors a one-point edge off his own rebound with 1:52 left in the fourth. The Bobcats answered back with two of Gerald Henderson’s 11 points. Henderson then drained a 19-footer with 26 seconds to increase the Bobcat lead to three. Brand’s tip-in with just over seven ticks remaining cut the deficit to 98-95 after Iguodala’s miss. But Augustin sunk both shots from the line to put Charlotte on top by five. Nazr Mohammed played 20 minutes for Charlotte and scored 15 points. Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with seven assists and finished with 13 points in defeat.

Parting Points: The Yankees signed Andruw Jones. Seriously, Yankees?

Andre Agassi was elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame.

Capitals Cede Control

2011-01-19T15:17:00.001-05:00

The Philadelphia Flyers blew a 2-0 third period lead but were bailed out in overtime by Andrej Meszaros. The Czech native’s wrist shot at 1:07 in the extra session propelled the Flyers to a 3-2 home victory over their Eastern Conference nemesis. Washington came up on the short end after posting a pair of goals by Mike Knuble and Alexander Ovechkin to force overtime. Meszaros punched the winning goal through to beat Semyon Varlamov. It was just the second goal of the season for the first year Flyer skater. Meszaros split time in Ottawa and Tampa Bay before coming to the City of Brotherly Love. Tuesday marked the sixth straight overtime loss for the visiting Capitals.
The Capitals controlled play for most of the first 20 minutes but East-leading Philadelphia held a 1-0 edge after the opening period. Jeff Carter scored on a wraparound goal for his 20th of the season to give Philly the early lead. Michal Neuvirth started the game in net for the Caps, but was replaced after the first period due to injury. Carter fed the puck to All-Star Claude Giroux, who snuck the puck through the posts, with 6:22 left in the second period. The Capitals trailed 2-0 after two periods and were limited to less than 30 shots on goal for the 11th straight game. Washington managed just 12 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes. Sergei Bobrovsky was brilliant as the Philly netminder through two sessions. Bobrovsky finished with 23 saves.
Washington’s first goal came at 7:58 in the final frame. Rookie center for Washington, Marcus Johansson stripped the puck and tried to score. Johansson’s shot missed the goal. Knuble recovered the puck and slung his 11th goal through the net to put the Caps on board against his former team. Less than a minute later, Ovechkin fired a shot that scooted behind Bobrovsky and tied the game at 2-2. It was Ovechkin’s 16th goal and it erased the Flyers’ advantage. Washington went without a power play opportunity during Tuesday’s contest and failed to score the go-ahead goal before suffering defeat in overtime. The Flyers benefited from just one power play chance but the extra-man opportunity passed without a Philly goal. Instead, the teams battled against each other into an extra period for the third time this season. The Capitals now sit fifth in the East, seven points behind the front-running Flyers. Head coach, Paul Holmgren, earned a three year contract extension with the Flyers yesterday.

Parting Points: Federer over Simon in a five set second round thriller.

I’m tired of the Carmelo Anthony rumors already.

Perfect Panthers Scratch Syracuse

2011-01-18T09:22:00.001-05:00

‘Cuse’s Claws Clipped

Jets-Steelers aren’t the only New York-Pittsburgh highlight matchup this week. Two teams with perfect slates converged in the Steel City last night. The zone-busting Pittsburgh Panthers are still undefeated after Monday’s stomping over smooth-sailing Syracuse at Petersen Events Center. The Panthers improved to 19-0 on the season with a 74-66 victory over the third-ranked Orange. Pitt scored the first 19 points of the game during an eight minute opening run against their Big East foes. The Orange missed their first ten shots of the night. Pitt’s Nasir Robinson unloaded nine consecutive points and finished with 21 as the Panthers took sole possession of first place in the conference at 6-0.
The Orange ripped off 17 straight points after the 19-0 Panther run in the first quarter. Pitt followed with seven more points only to be followed by seven from the Orange. Syracuse’s C.J. Fair pocketed 16 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Junior guard, Ashton Gibbs, knocked down a three-pointer with three seconds remaining in the first half to give the Panthers a 31-27 halftime edge. Syracuse had four fewer rebounds than the home team in the first half and the momentum appeared to shift the Orange way after the break. Syracuse tied the score at 41 on James Southerland’s trey but Pitt’s Travon Woodall responded with a downtown bucket as Pitt re-took the lead.
Syracuse’s usually strong shooting from the field stalled in the second half. The Orange had several opportunities to take the lead but failed to score each time. Rick Jackson had ten points to go along with 11 rebounds for the Orange, who played without top scorer, Kris Joseph. The visitors tried to hold their own on the road, but their 18-0 record would fall at the hands of the clawing cats. The Panthers’ defense, ignited by a Talib Zanna block in the second half, was too much for ‘Cuse. The Panthers were able to solve Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense as well. Pittsburgh went on a 9-1 run with 10:49 remaining to take a 53-44 lead. Robinson did not slow down in the second half. He made 8-of-12 shots from the floor and contributed eight rebounds. Senior Gary McGhee helped the Panthers gain the rebounding edge (44-30) against the conference’s best on the boards, Jackson. Brad Wanamaker finished with 15 points and Gilbert Brown added 12 for the fifth ranked Panthers. The 2003 national champion Orange fell for the first time this season and the home Panthers sifted through the second half unscathed.

Parting Points: OSU=number one in the polls

Boston beats Orlando on KG’s defensive heroics. Welcome back, Garnett.

Cutler, Chicago Catapult to Conference Contest

2011-01-17T15:25:00.001-05:00

Solider Field will host the NFC Conference Championship next week, pitting one of football’s oldest rivalries against each other for a chance to go to the Superbowl. The Bears will play division rival Green Bay on Sunday for the first time in an NFC Conference title game after walloping the Cinderella Seahawks 35-24 yesterday afternoon. Jay Cutler’s playoff debut went splendidly as the Bears built a 28-0 lead and never looked back. Cutler accounted for four touchdowns, including a pair of rushing touchdowns as the home team made easy work of stumbling Seattle.
Cutler connected with Greg Olsen for a 58 yard touchdown strike three minutes into the contest and Chester Taylor’s one yard run made it 14-0 in favor of Chicago after one quarter. Olsen finished with 113 yards, while Matt Forte rushed 80 yards on 25 carries. Chicago dominated both sides of the ball as the Seahawks couldn’t snap their eight game road playoff losing streak at a snowy Solider Field. Cutler continued to shred the Seattle defense by breaking tackles and finishing with 43 yards rushing on eight tries. The quarterback gave the Bears a three touchdown edge with a six yard hustle into the end zone in the second quarter. Cutler picked up where he left off after the break, scoring on a nine yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. The 70 yard scoring drive made it 28-0.
Seattle finally etched the scoreboard with just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Seahawks scored ten straight points to cut into the Chicago lead. Olindo Mare knocked home a 30 yard field goal in the third quarter and Mike Williams provided Seattle with their first touchdown in the fourth. Seahawk signalcaller, Matt Hasselbeck, tossed two Williams for the two yard touchdown reception following a Bears’ turnover. It was one of three touchdown passes by Hasselbeck on Sunday. Chicago recoverd an onside kick with eleven minutes left in the game and needed just three plays to reach the end zone again. Cutler and Kellen Davis made it a 35-10 contest after hooking up for a 39 yard touchdown with 4:40 remaining. Seattle capped off a 74 yard, seven play drive with another Williams’ touchdown and drove the field for another 55 yards culminating in a Brandon Stokley nine yard touchdown catch. Twenty seven second remained on the clock, however, with Chicago still in the driver’s seat, ahead by 11. Chicago piled up 437 yards in the win and now face the Packers for the NFC title. Green Bay is on a roll, having knocked off the Eagles and Falcons. Winning on the road is clearly not a problem for the Packers.

Parting Points: Monday’s tune- “The Kids Aren’t Alright” by the Offspring

Steel Strong

2011-01-16T07:07:00.001-05:00

Pittsburgh’s James Harrison says it best. The Steelers just go out there and do what they have to do. Harrison and the Steelers are moving on to the AFC Championship game after bashing Baltimore 31-24 at Heinz Field Saturday afternoon. It will be Pittsburgh’s fifth AFC Championship game in the past decade. Meanwhile, Ray Lewis and the Ravens can’t seem to overcome their playoff woes against their Pittsburgh foes. Despite a two touchdown lead at halftime, the Ravens’ Superbowl aspirations were shredded again by the men in gold and black. Lewis, the twelve time All-Star, has suffered three losses in the post-season to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is a win away from a return to their third Superbowl in six seasons.
The Ravens forced mistakes in the first half and made the Steelers pay for each one as the top-notch defense capitalized on Pittsburgh miscues. Baltimore jumped out to a 21-7 lead after scoring on two short touchdown drives. Turnovers, penalties and defense were the story of the game on both sides of the ball. The Ravens managed just 125 yards against Pitt’s vaunted defense. Baltimore committed three turnovers in the second half after an impressive thirty minutes of football. The Ravens pressured quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger all day. Big Ben was sacked six times yet went without an interception and threw for 226 yards in the win. Joe Flacco did not fare as well as his counterpart Big Ben. Flacco fumbled and was intercepted in the one-touchdown performance. Lawrence Timmons led the Pittsburgh defense with seven tackles and Harrison had three sacks. Lewis had six tackles for defensive-minded Baltimore, while Terrell Suggs matched Harrison in sacks.
Rashard Mendenhall got the Steelers rolling with a touchdown on Pittsburgh’s first possession of the game. The running back had two touchdowns despite rushing for just 46 yards. The one touchdown home lead evaporated quickly. Baltimore scored 21 unanswered points to close out the first half on top. Ray Rice ran 14 yards to cap off a Ravens’ drive with 1:20 left in the first quarter. The Ravens scored less than a minute later after Pittsburgh coughed up the ball on a Roethlisberger incompletion. Cory Redding scooped up the ball and ran it back for the Baltimore touchdown. In the second quarter, Mendenhall fumbled at the Steelers’ 16 yard line and on the next drive, Flacco found a wide open Todd Heap for a four yard touchdown grab. Tight end Heap led Baltimore with 43 receiving yards. The half ended with a missed field goal by Pittsburgh kicker, Shaun Suisham. The Ravens entered the locker room with the most points they scored against the Steelers since 2007.
Heath Miller hauled in a nine yard pass from Roethlisberger five minutes into the third quarter as the Steelers began their cutthroat comeback. The Steelers needed four plays to reach the end zone. Pittsburgh took over at the 23 yard line following a Rice fumble and Mendenhall scrambled for a 14 yard gain to set up Roethlisberger’s strike to Miller. The home team got the ball back after Flacco was picked off. Pittsburgh tied the score at 21-21 on Hines Ward’s eight yard touchdown reception. Safety Ryan Clark was credited with stripping the ball from Rice and intercepting an overthrowing Flacco for a 17 yard return the other way. Baltimore committed a third turnover in the third quarter on the next possession, much to the delight of the Heinz Field faithful. Matt Birk’s snap was too early for Flacco and Brett Keisel recovered for Pittsburgh. But the game was still knotted at 21 heading into the final stanza.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh traded fourth quarter field goals. Suisham hitt one from 35 yards and Billy Cunduff tied the game again with a 24 yard kick with 3:54 left on the clock. Pittsburgh executed a dramatic drive to finish off their comeback. The Steelers faced third-and-19 at their own 38 yard line when Roethlisberger uncorked a 58 yard pass to rookie Antonio Brown deep in Raven territory. It took Mendenhall three tries, but he managed to break through the Baltimore defense into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 1:33 left to play. The final was not secured until T.J. Houshmandzadeh dropped a Flacco pass that would have given Baltimore a first down on Pittsburgh terrain. Roethlisberger completed 19-of-32 passes for two touchdowns as the Steelers stymied their division rivals yet again.

Parting Points: Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind this post-season, much to nobody’s surprise I suspect.

Spurs Sprint in Standings

2011-01-15T07:02:00.001-05:00

The Dallas Mavericks have dropped four games in a row. San Antonio crushed the Dirk-less Mavs 101-89 at AT&T Center Friday night, making short work of their Southwest division foes. Tony Parker poured in 18 points to lift the Spurs to their fifth straight win and an NBA best 34-6 record. Parker sparked San Antonio in the first quarter and Richard Jefferson buried back-to-back three-pointers to highlight the second quarter. The visiting Mavs trailed 51-30 at the break in what has been a tailspin month for the 26-12 club. The Mavericks are just 2-7 without their big man, Nowitzki. Dallas couldn’t contain Parker or point guard,Tim Duncan during the first half. Neither Spurs’ shooter played in the fourth quarter as the Mavs were hammered on the boards all night. It was San Antonio’s 14th straight home win this season.
Shawn Marion scored 14 points to lead Dallas, who shot just 39.7 percent through three quarters. The Mavs’ Jason Terry added nine points on a 3-for-14 shooting effort. Dallas closed within 13 points on a Tyson Chandler dunk in the third quarter, put an 18-7 Spurs’ spree dismantled a Dallas comeback rally. Dallas’ bench could not surge in the fourth quarter to avoid defeat. Duncan paced the Spurs with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Former Pitt Panther standout, DeJuan Blair, collected 18 points and led San Antonio with 13 boards. Manu Ginobili contributed 11 buckets as four Spurs scored in double figures. San Antonio was a stellar 79% from the line as they carved out a 24 point lead heading into the final quarter.
Friday’s win marked the second time this season the Spurs have handed the Mavs a beat-down. The Spurs are headed for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs as long as they remain healthy and firing on all cylinders. Dallas still remains in the top three in the Western Conference (seven games behind the Spurs) but the injury-plagued Mavs must find a way to start reeling off victories instead of just reeling.

Parting Points: The Big 10 is sticking with Leaders & Legends and Cam Newton is heading to the NFL.

Thursday Take-Twos (Unbeaten Edition)

2011-01-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

Duke and Ohio State entered Wednesday night with unblemished records. The Blue Devils traveled to Tallahassee to face the11-5 Seminoles, while the Bucks played at Crisler Arena against 11-5 Michigan. Only one unbeaten would remain…
Florida State took down Duke in Tallahassee for the second time in five years to snap the Devils’ 25 game winning streak. The top ranked Blue Devils were defeated 66-61 at Donald Tucker Center on Wednesday for the first time this season. It was the national champ’s first setback since March 2010. FSU’s senior guard, Derwin Kitchen collected 22 points, including 17 in the second half, to carry the Seminoles to their 12th win. Chris Singleton added 18 points in the victory while Kyle Singler led Duke with 20. Duke is sure to be replaced at the top despite a strong comeback in the second half last night. The Devils struggled in the first half, missing ten 3-point attempts as the Seminoles took a 28-24 halftime lead. FSU surged to an eleven point advantage early in the second half but the Devils made it a tight game in the final minutes. Duke erased FSU’s 40-29 cushion and went on to tie the game at 42-42 with a 13-2. Singleton sunk two free throws with 33 seconds left to give the ‘Noles a five point edge. Nolan Smith’s trey cut Duke’s deficit to two with less than thirty ticks remaining but a pair of free throws and a bucket sealed the deal for the home team. Smith finished with 19 points for the number one Devils.
The Wolverines hosted rival OSU Wednesday on the day their football team announced the hiring of SDSU’s Brady Hoke. Michigan rallied from a 53-41 deficit but the Buckeyes held on to win the contest 68-64 to remain undefeated this season. Ohio State used a 12-0 second half run to put some distance between the one point halftime score. William Buford led the Bucks with 19 points and nine rebounds. David Lighty scored 12 points for the number two Buckeyes, who could be sitting pretty on the top of the college basketball world when the rankings come out this weekend. Lighty hit five free throws in the final five minutes of the game as OSU won for the 17th time this season. Darius Morgan had 18 points to carry the Wolverines, who shot over 50% from the field in a strong effort. Evan Smotrycz tied the game at 41with a shot from the arc shortly after halftime. Ohio State followed with a 12-0 run and used a barrage of defense and free throws to cling to their lead. Michigan held the Bucks without a field goal in the game’s final eight minutes. Ohio State hit 17-of-25 from the charity stripe. The Wolverines did a tremendous job containing fab freshman, Jared Sullinger. The 6’9” Sullinger has scored in double figures all but twice this season. Michigan limited him to just 12 and forced him to turn the ball over six times. Ohio State is off to the best start since 1990. That team began the season 17-0 too. The next game for the Bucks comes Saturday at Penn State. OSU looks to add to their ten game road winning streak.

Parting Points: Song for Thursday- “Hesitate” by Stone Sour

I don’t care what the Jets say off the field this week. If they don’t harass Tom Brady on Sunday, their weekly gabs really don’t matter.

Ducks Drown in Defensive Dual

2011-01-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

OreGONE!
The offense that took everybody to school in 2010 was slowed on Monday night. The Auburn Tigers outrushed and outlasted offensive-minded Oregon in the BCS National Championship in Glendale, Arizona last night. The Tigers improved to 14-0 with a 22-19 victory and brought the title home to Auburn for the first time in 52 years. Wes Byrum kicked his sixth career game-winning field goal as time expired to cap off the tussle between two unbeaten teams. Oregon was held 30 points below its number one nationally ranked scoring average. The Ducks’ star tailback, LaMichael James, was limited to 49 yards as the Tigers’ defense proved the difference in the game.
The first quarter was a scoreless battle as neither team could piece together sustaining drives. Rob Beard hooked a 26 yard field goal to begin the second quarter and give the Ducks an early 3-0 edge. Auburn started rolling offensively on the ensuing drive. Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newtom, recorded the first touchdown pass of the 2011 BCS championship game. Newton passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Tigers. Newton’s 35 yard gem to Kodi Burns with 12:00 left in the half gave the Tigers a 7-3 lead. Darron Thomas, who threw for a pair of touchdowns in the loss, orchestrated a 93 yard drive on just four plays to set up Oregon’s second quarter touchdown. Thomas hit Jeff Maehl in stride for 81 yards and followed the launch two plays later with an eight yard pass to James. The Ducks went ahead 11-7 on Beard’s two-point conversion. Maehl led all receivers with nine catches for 133 yards.
Safety Mike McNeil led the Tigers with 14 tackles and the Auburn defense picked off Thomas two times during the game. Defensive tackle, Nick Farley was dubbed the defensive MVP of the contest. Farley had one sack and a forced fumble. It was Mike Blanc who recorded a safety with 3:26 remaining the first half to cut the Ducks’ lead to two points. Emory Blake’s 30 yard catch after the two minute mark put the Tigers ahead 16-11 at the break. Blake finished with 54 yards, as did junior wideout, Darvin Adams. Auburn began the second half by running the ball on four straight plays as the Ducks plowed their way into the red zone again. The drive stalled after two incomplete passes by Newton. Auburn settled for three on Byrum’s 28 yard kick, to increase their lead to 19-11. Byrum’s kick was the only scoring by either side during the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a seesaw of possession changes until Thomas connected with Maehl for ten yards with just under five minutes in regulation. Thomas found D.J. Davis on fourth-and-five for another 29 yards as the Ducks’ quarterback came out firing late in the fourth quarter. David Paulson’s seven yard grab was followed by James’ second touchdown catch. James’ two yard reception and another two yard conversion tied the game at 19-19 with 2:33 left in the game. Auburn returned the kickoff to the 25 yard line, giving Newton three-quarters of a field to work with on the final drive of the night. Newton hit Blake with a 15 yard strike and Michael Dyer rushed 37 yards for another Auburn first down. Dyer chewed up another twenty yards on two carries to bring the Tigers into field goal range. The speedy running back was splendid in the final quarter as the Tigers raced against the clock, and against the Duck defense. Byrum lined up for a 19 yard field goal attempt with two ticks remaining on the clock, and nailed it, to complete the 73 yard drive for Auburn.

Parting Points: Nice job by Boise State’s Chris Petersen in shunning Stanford to stay with the Broncos. It’s good to see a coach stick with the same team.

Answers in the Aftermath

2011-01-10T18:57:00.000-05:00

Digging through the aftermath of 2010, I came across this poem I must have written one evening before (or during) an MBA class. It was in the back of a notebook, next to a pitiful scribble of a Yankee insignia. Luckily, I recovered the scribbling instead of tossing it in the trash. I'm not even entirely sure what this poem means, but it makes me sad and inspired at the same time. What if all I know about love is as good as it's going to get? I used to think this way about sports. What if I’ve reached my proverbial athletic peak? I figure I'm never going to be the same athlete I once was again. Regretfully, I am a self-admitted quitter. I've realized something strikingly similar about love and sports. Neither can be eroded from my memory. Both evoke feelings of sadness and inspiration, often simultaneously. I’ve resigned to give up on both. I’ve turned away. But just maybe turning back time, recalling the past, will keep me going in the present. Perhaps it will keep me striving for something better than as good as it once was. Sometimes the road back is long. I’ve since climbed back into competition and I’ve fallen harder in love than I thought was possible. I think when you come from a place that hurts, you’re apt to believe anything. So my question to this small band of blog readers is this: what answers can we derive from the aftermath? The answer, in my opinion, is to keep going. Believe anything can happen.

If I could turn back the clock for you,
I’d gladly suspend time to the day you were new.
It all seemed impossible until I tried,
Looking into your face I would not be denied.
If I could return to the moment we met,
I wouldn’t change a thing because I haven’t regret.
You were steady and sure with my shaky hand,
Your strength told me you were capable of command.
If I could go to our spot once again,
We’d sure pull off another incredible gem.
That initial advance we took without fear,
Fostered these feelings I hold so dear.
If I could capture the very second we touched,
I’d remember how the pure contact was hushed.
You with your colorful comments so plush,
Me with anticipation from the adrenaline rush.
If I could rewind time, this promise I’d renew,
The pledge to never turn my back on you.
You gave the intimation this is where we belong,
The silver lining I’d wanted too long.
If I could turn back the clock for you,
I’d take care not to ruin something unbelievably true.
It all comes back to me when I reflect,
How can anything else ever have the same effect?
And yet I know something will.

Parting Points: “And you close your eyes, he’s not coming back/so you work it out, overfeed the cat/and the plants are dry and they need to drink/so you do your best and you flood the sink/sit down in the kitchen and cry…and it makes you laugh it makes you cry”-from “Aftermath” by R.E.M.

Subpar Seahawks Silence Super Saints

2011-01-09T07:05:00.000-05:00

There will be a new Superbowl champion this year after the New Orleans Saints lost a 41-36 shootout duel to the Seahawks in Seattle. The defending champs were ousted from the playoffs by a team who finished the regular season with a losing record. For the first time in the history of the NFL playoffs, a team with a 7-9 record has recorded a playoff victory. Just how did the Superbowl champs fall at Quest Field to a Seattle team most people believed had no right to be in the post-season? Look no further than the quarterback. Thirty-five year old Matt Hasselbeck compiled 272 yards and four touchdowns as the seven-win Hawks topped the Saints and returned to top form. Marshawn Lynch, the dynamic running back for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks, scored on an electrifying 67 yard rush with three minutes left to clinch the first playoff win for a losing team. Lynch broke tackles all afternoon and rushed for 131 yards in establishing the Hawks’ ground game. Seattle’s defense took shots at MVP Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense down after down and now will face either Atlanta or Chicago next weekend.
Garrett Hartley went 3-for-3 on field goals Saturday afternoon. The New Orleans’ kicker posted the first points of the game three minutes into the first quarter as Seattle held the high-octane Saints to three points. Heath Evans’s one yard pass from Brees gave the defending champions a 10-0 lead following Hasselbeck’s lone interception of the day (to Jabari Greer) and a passer interference penalty against the Hawks’ Walter Thurmond. Seattle found a way to answer back after trailing 10-0. The Hawks benefited from good field possession on their second possession and Hasselbeck recovered to find the hands of John Carlson. Carlson’s 11 yard touchdown grab was one of two scores for the tight end on the day.
Former Seahawk, running back Julius Jones, padded the Saints’ edge to 17-7 with a second quarter rushing touchdown from five yards out. The Seattle offense answered back again, needing only six plays to drive 70 yards down the field for another score. Carlson caught a seven yard pass from the Seattle signal caller to cut the Saints’ lead to three points. The underdog Hawks added a 29 yard field goal by Olindo Mare and a Brandon Stokley 45 yard touchdown reception to take their first lead of the afternoon with 1:15 remaining in the half. Stokley led the Hawks with 73 receiving yards and picked up his first touchdown of the season. The Saints were able to manage a field goal before time expired in the half. Brees launched a 40 yard bomb to Devery Henderson to set up Hartley’s 22 yard kick for the 24-20 halftime score in the air-it-out affair at Quest.
Seattle’s championship caliber run continued after the break on third-and-two during the first home possession of the second half. Hasselbeck connected with Mike Williams on a 38 yard lob to put the Hawks ahead by eleven. Williams snagged five receptions for 68 yards in the win. Mare’s second field goal increased Seattle’s advantage to 34-20 with 5:27 to play in the third quarter. The Saints chipped into the two touchdown lead maintained by Seattle as the Hawks’ offense stalled slightly in the final stanza. Jones found the end zone for a four yard touchdown and Hartley added his third field goal to make it a four point game again. Hasselbeck completed 22-of-35 passes on Saturday but threw five consecutive incompletions in the fourth quarter with Seattle clinging to a slim lead. The Hawks tried to run out the clock with 4:20 remaining in the game. Lynch was handed the ball on second down and went on a power run to the end zone. Six different Saints attempted to tackle the speedy Lynch, but his 67 yards was the longest by a Seahawk in six years. Most importantly, his outburst gave the Hawks the cushion they needed to finish off New Orleans. Brees added a late touchdown pass to Henderson for the final margin, but an onside kick went Seattle’s way to complete one of the biggest upsets in playoff history. Brees finished with 404 yards and two touchdowns but will not be wearing another Superbowl ring this season.

Parting Points: An exciting weekend in sports- Jim Harbaugh is San Francisco bound (here’s hoping he can make Troy Smith into an elite passer), Pitt pummeled Kentucky on the gridiron, the Mountaineers master Georgetown on the hardwood, the Jets pull off another lucky win on the toes of Nick Folk, and Matt Garza is traded to the Cubs.

Durant Dumps Dirk-less Dallas

2011-01-07T09:03:00.001-05:00

Shawn Marion’s hook shot and 21 first half points weren’t enough for the short-handed Dallas Mavericks to drub the Oklahoma City Thunder. Marion finished with a season-high 25 points in the 99-95 loss to Kevin Durant and the top-shooting Thunder in Dallas. Durant carried Oklahoma City, scoring 28 points and adding three assists in the American Airlines Center win. Scott Brooks’ Thunder improved to 24-13 on the season following Thursday night’s road win.
Dallas played without All-Star Dirk Nowitzki for the sixth straight game, but clung to a 55-51 edge at the half. Jason Terry pocketed 19 points, while Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson contributed 14 a piece for the Mavs. Chandler was a menace on the boards, racking up 18 rebounds. Marion had 12 first quarter points to lead the charge but the Thunder roared back to trim the deficit after in the second half. The Mavericks endured poor shooting in the third quarter as the Thunder took a three point lead heading into the final frame. Cold shooting Dallas scored only 40 second half points and went just 5-for-16 in the third quarter. Jeff Green scored 16 points for the visitors to go along with nine rebounds. Russell Westbrook also had nine assists in the win and shot 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Westbrook finished with 15 points as the Thunder snapped a two game losing skid and rolled past depleted Dallas.
The Mavericks’ defense had trouble with the Thunder’s inside game during the final quarter. Jason Kidd was held without a point in 40 minutes on the hardwood. Kidd dished out seven assists and added 10 rebounds but the Thunder quickly pulled in front late in the game. Stevenson’s long trey in the final minute gave Oklahoma City a five point lead and Durant went to the line with half a minute remaining in the game. Durant banked both shots to account for the final margin and give the Thunder their first win over Rick Carlisle’s Mavs in three tries this season. Oklahoma City is just one-half a game behind Utah in the Northwest division. Dallas is also in second place, three back of the conference leading Spurs. The Mavs are just 2-4 in Nowitzki’s absence.

Parting Points: Song for Friday- “The Storm is Over Now” by R. Kelly

Fantastic Finish

2011-01-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

SEC Streak Snapped in Sweet Success
How sweet it is! The Big 10 is back, at least for a night. The conference that was demolished demoralized and destroyed New Year’s Day redeemed itself in Tuesday’s All-State Sugar Bowl. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Arkansas 31-26 and snapped a nine game losing streak against the SEC in bowl games. Terrelle Pryor led the six-ranked Buckeyes over the Razorbacks with a brilliant 336 yard performance at the Louisiana Superdome. The junior quarterback tossed two touchdowns, completed 14-of-25 passes and chewed up 115 yards on the ground. Pryor was named the Most Outstanding Player, but it was a team effort for Jim Tressel’s men in scarlet and gray last night. The defense shined in ending a 33 year drought and helping the Bucks improve to 12-1 this season. OSU held Arkansas to 11 points under their season average. The Hogs mustered a forceful comeback, but OSU’s defense was spot-on. Cam Heyward boosted the Buckeyes with beastly defense to add to his repertoire as the nation’s top lineman. Defensive lineman, Solomon Thomas, picked up his first career interception to seal the thrilling win.
Ohio State’s stud receiver, Dane Sanzenbacher scored the game’s first touchdown three minutes following kickoff. Pryor fumbled the football near the end zone, and Sanzenbacher recovered to complete the 8 play touchdown drive. Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks answered with a touchdown two minutes later. After D.J. Williams’ 35 yard catch and run was called back when the tight end was ruled down, Mallett completed a 17 yard pass to Joe Adams to tie the game at 7-7. Dan Herron’s nine yard run lifted the Buckeyes to a gaunt 14-7 first quarter lead with 7:17 remaining in the frame. Herron reeled off 87 yards on 24 carries in the victory.
The second quarter began much like the first for Ohio State. Sanzenbacher scored his second touchdown, a 15 yard reception that was reviewed before being ruled a touchdown. Speedy wideout, DeVier Posey, handed the Buckeyes a 28-7 cushion with just under two minutes before halftime. A six play, 68 yard drive culminated in Posey’s 43 yard catch from Pryor to widen the Bucks’ lead. Posey led OSU with 70 yards receiving. Zach Hocker trimmed the Hogs’ deficit to 18 with a 20 yard field goal as time expired on the Sugar Bowl’s first half.
Eighth-ranked Arkansas scored 11 third quarter points to make it a ten point game heading into the fourth quarter. Hocker added a 46 yard field goal and OSU kicker to begin the second half. After the Buckeyes and Hogs both went three-and-out, Devin Barclay matched Hocker from 46 yards to give OSU a 31-13 advantage. Jarius Wright and the Razorbacks showed some life near the end of the third quarter. Mallett orchestrated a 75 yard drive, hitting Wright in the end zone on the seventh play for the Hogs’ second touchdown. Williams caught the two point conversion to make it 31-21 in favor of the Bucks with 16 minutes left in the game.
Ohio State opened the fourth quarter with a punt and Herron was tackled by Anthony Leon in the Buckeye end zone for the Arkansas safety on the next possession. The rallying Razorbacks’ next drive resulted in another Hocker field goal to trim Ohio State’s lead to five. Pryor and the Buckeyes faced four-and-one from their own 37 on the ensuing drive. Pryor handed to Herron, who dropped and recovered the football. Ohio State punted the ball away with six minutes remaining, plenty of time for an Arkansas game-winning drive. But the Bucks’ defense got the stop and gave the offense another chance to store away the victory. From their own four yard line, Ohio State picked up a pair of first downs on three Herron rushes and two Pryor scurries. Both teams traded timeouts before Herron picked up two yards on second down from the OSU 34 yard line. The Hogs used another time out to stop the clock before Ohio State failed to convert on third down with two minutes to go. Ben Buchanan’s punt was blocked by Arkansas and you could feel the stomach of every OSU fan turn. Mallett had a final shot at the end zone. Fortunately for Buckeye backers, Mallett’s second down pass was picked off by Thomas on the ensuing drive. And so it goes, OSU wins the Sugar Bowl in electrifying fashion.

Parting Points: Hump-day lyrics - “True to your school” by the Beach Boys

The Devils held the Wild to 18 shots on goal, but managed to lose 2-1 on a fluke goal.

Note-all five suspended Buckeyes pledged to return next season.

Bowl Blogging

2011-01-04T15:11:00.001-05:00

TCU is coming up roses
Stanford annihilates opponents
Army erases a drought
Michigan tries to forget their clout
Syracuse survives controversy
Notre Dame shows no mercy
Tulsa takes Hawaii by storm
Boise State wins with much scorn
Oklahoma State remembers the Alamo
Iowa’s Insight comeback is a great show
Louisville holds on in the B.O.B. Bowl
Alabama gives New Mexico plenty to mull
FIU kicks their way in the Little Ceasar
Oklahoma decimates in a Fiesta pleaser
Washington extends their Holiday against Nebraska
SDSU grabs a laugher at the Poinsettia
Troy defeats as Ohio falls again
Tonight is when the real bowls begin

Parting Points: Congrats to Jim Harbaugh, one of my favorite former football players, and the Stanford Cardinal.

Rich Rodriguez is out at Michigan…I think Pitt should hire him.

Swan Song

2011-01-02T07:13:00.000-05:00

Urban Meyer’s Florida farewell went something like this: Gators 37, Nittany Lions 24. The Florida head coach who announced he is stepping down after a six year reign with the Gators finished his career a winner in Tampa’s Outback Bowl. Penn State was represented by the all-time leader in bowl wins in legendary coach, Joe Paterno. The Nittany Lions couldn’t squeeze out a victory in a horrifying New Year’s Day for the Big 10 conference. Ahmad Black’s interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter helped send the 46 year old Meyer home with one final coaching victory. Despite the loss, Paterno expects to return for his 46th season in Happy Valley.
Jordan Reed and Josh Brantley shared time under center for the Gators, who finished the season 8-5 two years after winning a national championship. Trey Burton also saw time at the quarterback position for Meyer yesterday. Penn State’s Matt McGloin threw for 211 yards and a touchdown as the Lions dropped their sixth game of the season. Sophomore McGloin also tossed five interceptions into the chomping Florida defense at a Gator-backing Raymond James Stadium. The Lions’ signal caller completed just 17 of 41 passes on Saturday. Brantley was picked off once, during Florida’s first play from scrimmage. The Lions took advantage of the miscue, pulling ahead to an early 7-0 lead five minutes into the contest. McGloin found Derek Moye for the five yard touchdown to cap a ten play drive. Florida intercepted McGloin on Penn State’s next possession and went on to tie the game early in the second quarter off another McGloin turnover. Omarius Hines’ 16 yard run knotted the game at 7-7.
Later in the second frame, Justin Brown dropped a third down pass near midfield and Penn State was forced to punt. Alex Butterworth’s punt was blocked by the Gators and recovered by Lerentee McCray. McCray rushed down the field 27 yards for the second Florida touchdown, and the Gators’ first lead of the bowl. PSU’s Michael Zordich plunged into the end zone from one yard out to tie the game again at 14-14. The Lions tacked on a Collin Wagner field goal to lead 17-14 at the half.
The seesaw game continued after the break. Florida’s Chas Henry booted a field goal six minutes into the third quarter to give the Gators a three point edge. McGloin’s two yard touchdown run put the Lions back in the driver’s seat with 4:39 remaining in the third. Henry then nailed another field goal, from 47 yards, to finish the third quarter scoring. Mike Gillislee took the ball in from a yard out following a Penn State interference penalty on third down. Gillislee’s touchdown extended the Gator lead to three and Henry added a field goal to push the margin to six midway through the final quarter. Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, Evan Royster, moved the ball 30 yards on two plays as the Lions marched into Florida territory hoping for a comeback. Black’s interception up the sideline ended any PSU hopes, however. The 80 yard return clinched the Outback Bowl for Florida and was Black’s second interception of the game. Will Muschamp will replace Meyer next season, but the (Urban) legendacy of Meyer’s tenure will not soon be forgotten.

Parting Points: I’m not sure which loss was more embarrassing-Michigan State or Michigan.

Charlie Weis has accepted the offensive coordinator position at Florida.

Song of the day- “All I Have to do is Dream” by the Everly Brothers

Dome Dominators

2011-01-01T07:12:00.000-05:00

Florida State defeated South Carolina 26-17 at the Georgia Dome in Friday’s Chick-Fil-A-Bowl. The Seminoles never trailed against the 19th ranked Gamecocks in winning their first bowl game under head coach, Jimbo Fisher. South Carolina committed five turnovers, despite 400 yards of offense and a late fourth quarter rally. For FSU, it was program’s first ten win season since 2003. The Seminoles won for the tenth time this year behind backup quarterback, E.J. Manuel and defensive back, Greg Reid. Reid, the sophomore cornerback, forced two fumbles and Manuel was a solid and efficient passer throughout the game. Manuel finished 11-for-15 for 84 yards and a touchdown. Running back, Chris Thompson, gained 145 yards on 25 carries. Thompson scored one of two FSU touchdowns.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a pair of first quarter field goals to give the Seminoles a 6-0 lead. Thompson’s 27 yard rushing score increased the FSU advantage to 13-0 with 1:02 remaining in the first half. Manuel set up the touchdown with a 32 yard scramble on second down. It was a turnover-filled first half for the Gamecocks. South Carolina would not go into the break without scoring on Spencer Lanning’s 40 yard field goal as time expired. Junior signal-caller for the Gamecocks, Stephen Garcia, went 6-for-8 on the nine play scoring drive as South Carolina’s offense finally got into a rhythm.
Twenty-third ranked Florida State opened the second half with another field goal. Hopkins’ 35 yarder made it 16-3 in favor of the Seminoles. Stephon Gilmore picked off an FSU pass inside the Gamecock’s 10 yard line for Manuel’s only interception of the night. The Gamecocks used a Wildcat formation to mix things up on offense. Garcia keyed the attack, capitalizing on the pick by hitting Ace Sanders with a three yard touchdown catch to cut the Seminole lead to six. Florida State answered with Hopkins fourth field goal, a 45 yard kick with nine seconds left in the third quarter.
Brian Maddox found the end zone early in the fourth quarter to trim the FSU lead to 19-17. Maddox, filling in for the injured Marcus Lattimore, rushed seven yards for the score and finished with 53 on the day. FSU struggled on third down most of the game, but during their final touchdown drive, wouldn’t settle for three. Manuel went 7-for-7 during a 63 yard drive that set up Taiwan Easterling’s seven yard touchdown on third-and-goal. The 13 play drive also knocked about six and a half minutes off the clock as time began to run out on Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks. Reid deflected a fourth down Garcia pass with just over three minutes to finish off the turnover-plagued Gamecocks. The Seminoles celebrated, ringing in the New Year with a 26-17 Chick-fil-A-Bowl win.

Parting Points: Not a great way to start off 2011 for the Pitt Panthers. New hire, Mike Haywood, was charged with domestic violence. As if recruiting high school players from the Midwest wasn’t challenging enough…in the absence of a decent coach, it’s virtually impossible.

Other Friday bowl winners-Notre Dame, USF and UCF.

Pitt-Pocket

2010-12-28T15:35:00.001-05:00

The Pittsburgh Panthers stole a win against undefeated Connecticut Monday night in Petersen Events Center. The sixth ranked Panthers topped fourth ranked UConn 78-63 in a Big East battle of supremacy. Both teams have been ranked in the Big East’s top two for the past decade and another chapter was added to the rivalry last night. The Panthers improved to 13-1 in beating the Huskies for the fourth consecutive time in the series between the teams. Kemba Walker stole the show for the Huskies with 31 points, but it was the Panthers who were too much for Uconn’s defense. Walker added five steals and four rebounds. Junior Ashton Gibbs led Pitt with 21 points and senior Brad Wanamaker turned in 14 as the Panthers won their third straight game. Pittsburgh held the previously unbeaten Huskies to 32 percent shooting. Connecticut is now 10-1 on the season.
The Panthers showed last night why they remain an unblemished 8-0 against top five teams since 2002. Four players scored in double digits for Jamie Dixon’s Panthers. Pitt marched to a 37-28 halftime lead as the efficient offense and transition defense finally showed up on the same night for the home team. Nasir Robinson logged 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Pitt. Panthers’ center, Gary McGhee, also contributed 11 points while snagging 11 rebounds in the victory. McGhee and Robinson recorded double-doubles as Pitt held a commanding and comfortable lead throughout the conference’s first matchup of top ten teams.
The steamrolling Panthers shot 52 percent from the field and Gibbs was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Pittsburgh never trailed during the contest and even carried a 17 point lead at one point during the second half. The Huskies attempted a late comeback but Pitt’s balance and depth were too much to overcome. Connecticut shot the ball poorly and was clearly outplayed. Walker was a one-man wrecking crew, putting up nearly half of Connecticut’s 63 points. Walker finished with a game high in buckets, but he needed 27 shots to do so. The Connecticut junior shot just 10-for-27 from the field. Connecticut has lost five of their last six conference openers. Jim Calhoun is just 1-for-5 at Pitt’s arena.

Parting Points: Jerry Jones is searching for the next Cowboys’ coach. Dallas is 4-3 under interim coach, Jason Garrett. The “boys genius” seems to make the most sense for me (unless Bill Cowher suddenly becomes available).

The Saints clipped the Falcons in a meeting between two of the NFC’s best teams.

How good is Dustin Brown? I love this Ithaca, NY native for the Los Angeles Kings. If you take anything from the plus/minus statistic, Brown is in the top three. (Personally, I don’t think that’s a great measure of individual performance)

This is post #700 and the final one of 2010! Have a Happy New Year.

Frozen Fumble

2010-12-27T07:55:00.001-05:00

The Aaron Rodgers-led Packers romped the New York Giants in a playoff clash at Lambeau Field. Rodgers unleashed four touchdown passes and threw for 404 yards to keep Green Bay’s playoff hopes alive in a 45-17 New York thrashing. The Packers’ offense shredded New York’s defense for a season high 515 yards as the Giants fell to 9-6. New York has an outside chance of making the post-season but they will have to do so through the backdoor. Big Blue failed in their attempt for win-and-you’re-in Sunday afternoon at the frozen tundra. The Giants couldn’t stop Rodgers or hold on to the ball. Eli Manning threw four interceptions as his turnover numbers continue to climb to epic proportions. Green Bay entered Sunday’s game needing two games to make the playoffs. The Packers host Chicago in the final regular-season game next week. New York must beat the Redskins and hope the Packers lose next week or the Saints lose their final two games.
Green Bay raced out to a 14-0 lead and were the only team to score in the opening quarter. Jordy Nelson outran the Giants secondary for an 80 yard touchdown on the Pack’s second possession of the game. James Jones’ three yard reception from Rodgers gave Green Bay a two touchdown edge with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. The G men finally hit the end zone when Hakeem Nicks hauled in a 36 yard touchdown pass from Manning to cut the Green Bay lead in half. The Giants’ quarterback was 17-for-33 in the loss, with a pair of touchdown passes and 301 yards. After the Giants recovered a Nelson fumble in the red zone, Manning found Mario Manningham five minutes before halftime to tie the game at 14-14. The 85 yard play was the longest of Manning’s career, but the splendor would be thwarted on the next Packer drive. Green Bay fullback, John Kuhn, turned a 79 yard drive into a seven point Packers’ lead with an eight yard run up the middle. The Giants went into the locker room down by a touchdown.
Mason Crosby’s 31 yard field goal made it 24-14 in favor of the home team. Lawrence Tynes kicked a 38 yarder through the uprights as the Giants and Packers traded field goals to begin the second half. Rodgers tossed two more touchdown passes in the final two quarters to give Green Bay a sizable lead. Rodgers hit Donald Lee from one yard out and Kuhn with a five yard dish as the Pack overpowered Big Blue. Kuhn finished the Sunday scoring with another touchdown run with 4:20 left in regulation to lift the Packers 45-17. Green Bay scored 24 points off the Giants’ six turnovers. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs lost fumbles as New York added to their 36 turnovers this season. Greg Jennings caught seven passes for 142 yards for Green Bay. Manningham caught four passes for 132 yards to lead New York receivers.

Parting Points: Playoff clinchers so far-New England, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York (Jets), Chicago,& Atlanta

Boxing Bevy

2010-12-26T07:04:00.000-05:00

The term “box” is bountiful in sports. The word is used profusely in almost every athletic game we play. Since today is Boxing Day, let’s revisit the boxes we encounter in our favorite sports.
First, there’s the actual sport of boxing. The combative fist-fight competition is one dating back to ancient history. When I think of boxing, I think of red Everlast gloves, bloody noses and knockouts (KO’s). I think of jabs and uppercuts, Rocky movies and Ali’s rope-a-dope. Boxing was as American as any other sport in its heyday. Boxing developed an international following because fans embraced contenders like Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson and The Manassa Mauler, Jack Dempsey. The interest is waning in the sport today. Manny Pacquiao is the king of the sport in this 21st century society. I’d like to see boxing revived because it’s a true combat sport that requires physical skills, balance and good reflexes.
Box out is a term frequently used in basketball. Coaches team the proper technique of “boxing out” because defense and rebounding are imperative to the game. Boxing out requires a defensive player to make contact with the person they are guarding. Boxing out is protecting the hoop by drawing the player away from the basket. Good body positioning and pivoting are key to a successful box outs.
Most professional hockey players are familiar with the penalty box. It’s the area on the side of the rink where players who commit penalties must sit for a set number of minutes during a game. The infraction could be for hooking, tripping, cross-checking or interference. Nobody wants to be in the penalty box because it leaves your team short-handed on the ice unless both teams commit penalties.
The service box is of upmost importance in tennis. The left and right service boxes are divided by a center line and bounded off by the service line. Any serve landing within the box is playable. Players must aim their serve into the opposite diagonal box and avoid hitting the net. Service placement is so vital to being an effective tennis player.
Eight in the box defense is common in football. The alignment consists of eight of the eleven players near the line of scrimmage. Defensive lineman and linebackers are usually considered in the “box”, normally occupied by seven players. Coaches will call for an “eight in the box” defense against a strong running team to make a solid defensive front. It’s typical for a safety to leave his post and line up near the line of scrimmage in this formation.
The batter’s box is 36 inches wide. It’s the area where the batter must stand when receiving a pitch in a baseball game. When I played Little League, there were several kids who had trouble staying in the box. Many feared getting beaned, but stepping out of the box during a delivery is not permitted. As soon as a batter steps out of the box, the ball is dead and the batter is out. As you can see, the batter’s box has gigantic implications.

Parting Points: Cowboys lose a tight one on Christmas night…

Book for Sunday- “The Imperfectionists” by Tom Rachman

Greatest Gifts

2010-12-25T07:29:00.001-05:00

My heart still beats like crazy every Christmas morning. I still get excited seeing all the presents under the tree and watching my family as they open each gift. My sister and I used to have a Christmas Eve routine. We’d stay awake, indicated by coughing signals throughout the night. When the living room was dark and quiet, we’d meet in the hallway and tiptoe to the tree just to see the presents. That element of surprise and happiness may never go away, even as we become adults.
It’s probably very easy shopping for me. Anybody who has a sports fan on their Christmas gift list knows what to buy. It’s a pretty sure bet any present having to do with their favorite team will suffice. I’ve gotten sleigh-loads of sports gifts through the years. There’s the OSU toothbrush my sister bought me, the perfectly-folded white tennis shorts I received from my mother, and the World Series hardcover my dad got me one year. I’ve gotten baseball bats and caps, sports ornaments, and dozens of Yankee paraphernalia. Treasured gifts include the handheld Tiger baseball game I played hour after hour the year my Grandmother bought it for me. One Christmas, I opened, with much delight, a basketball shooting toy similar to a pinball machine. My two favorite sports-related gifts are a David Wells autographed ball cap from his perfect game and a Troy Aikman jersey. Another gift I still cherish is a leather Yankee bracelet given by a friend a few years back.
Every year, I look forward to at least one sports gift. It’s a sure bet I’ll get a few—after all, sports is what I do. It’s who I am. But I don’t think the greatest gifts come in tangible form. No, the greatest gifts are those you can’t put on a shelf or over your head. A parent’s love. Your sister’s comradery. The blessing from a friend. A co-worker’s acknowledgment. The smiling stranger. The greatest gifts come from the feeling you get when you exchange glances with a loved one on December 25th. Or when you think about a friend you lost this year before you go to bed on Christmas Eve. It’s the sight of a colorful Christmas tree and a beautiful life you’ve been blessed with. Or that sparkling person who somehow moves you to tears with the slightest gesture. Snazzy bats and signed baseballs can’t compare to the gift of a human heart. So here’s a big thank you to those people who have given me a piece of their heart on Christmas. Here’s to those who will always have a place in mine—the one that still beats like crazy every Christmas morning.

Parting Points: Song for Xmas-“Thank You” by Dido.

Thursday Take-Twos (Tattoo edition)

2010-12-23T15:44:00.002-05:00

Reports out of Columbus about a possible investigation into the Ohio State football team have Sugar Bowl implications. During last night’s game between Boise State and Utah, OSU alum and ESPN reporter, Kirk Herbstreit indicated the university is meeting with officials regarding allegations about players’ participation in receiving tattoos for autographs. According to the report, as many as nine football players are being charged with allegations of trading undocumented autographs and memorabilia for tattoos. Herbstreit reported the IRS raided a tattoo parlor, where the memorabilia was discovered. The investigations were apparently an offshoot of another probe by law enforcement agencies of unlawful behavior by the parlor owner, according to the Columbus Dispatch. The NCAA is looking into the charges of illegal benefits. All players remain eligible at this time for the upcoming Sugar Bowl against Alabama. Several starting players are being named in the tattoo allegations and their status for the bowl could be in jeopardy if the committee takes action. At the very least, the allegations are a distraction to the team as they prepare to beat an SEC school in a bowl game for the first time.
Speaking of tattoos and athletes, is Carmelo Anthony headed to the New York Knicks? Anthony has a “live now, die later” tat on his left arm. The Knicks should adopt that motto and go hard for the Denver superstar. Melo told the Nuggets he will not sign a three year contract extension unless he is traded to the Knicks. If Anthony remains in Denver for the rest of the season, he will become an unrestricted free agent. A trade to Manhattan would be ideal for the upstart Knicks, who added a top flight player in Amare Stoudemire this off-season. Danilo Gallinari and Landry Fields are among the players the Knicks could swap in exchange for Melo. The Nuggest have interest in rookie Fields, who has starred in every game and been a huge reason for New York’s surge this season. The NBA trade deadline is February 24th. Anthony, a former Syracuse standout, would be a nice fit for New York. Fans are split on adding Anthony to the lineup because the Knicks are so hot right now. Defensive-minded and one of the best pure scorers, Melo would boost the Knicks to serious title contenders if he was traded. Sympathy and prayers go out to the 26 year old Nuggets’ All-Star who recently lost his sister to a pre-existing medical condition.

Parting Points: I wrote this blog this morning…so here is the update. Five OSU players have been suspended for five games in 2011. Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and Devier Posey are among the players listed. Totally unfair, when you consider Cam Newton was able to suit up the entire season, win the Heisman and participate in the national championship game for doing FAR worse than the Buckeyes.

Final Exam

2010-12-22T15:02:00.001-05:00

You put into play all the images in your mind
The words and ways you memorize the lines
It’s like observing from the sidelines
The pusher who turns back the ball every time
She defends every shot as if spitting out terms
For a final exam she knew before she learned
But how do you beat a pusher this stern
When she scales the court with all her burn
Why, don’t play her game or lower your own
But move quickly to receive the fair volleys that drone
Take the dinks over net and break the rhythm and tone
By sending a passing shot to the backcourt alone
At that moment you’ll realize you’ve passed the test
You can settle in for all the rest
The answers lie not in the observers’ request
But in the one who questions her own bequest

Eagles’ Explosive Endeavor

2010-12-20T15:24:00.000-05:00

The New York Giants endured an incredulous debacle of a loss Sunday at the new Meadowlands Stadium. Big Blue lost a 38-31 decision to the NFC East rival Eagles on the final play of the game. DeSean Jackson, the speedster in green and white, raced a punt return back 65 yards for the winning touchdown with 13 seconds left in regulation. Jackson has burned teams with his speed all season, but none as electrifying and dramatic as the winning runback of yesterday’s 31-31 ball game. The Eagles scored 28 unanswered points to erase a 31-10 fourth quarter deficit. The Philadelphia victory puts the Eagles in sole possession of first place in the division. Philadelphia swept the two game season series against New York with yesterday’s comeback win. The Giants will have to settle for a wildcard if they hope to make the post-season. New York fell to 9-5 in one of the worst losses in franchise history.
Mario Manningham put the Giants on the scoreboard with his first of two touchdown catches with 3:36 to go in the opening quarter. Manningham caught a 35 yard pass from Eli Manning to complete a nine play, 71 yard drive for the G-Men. The Eagles scored their only points of the first half two minutes into the second quarter. David Akers sent a 34 yard field goal into the end zone to make it a 7-3 game. The Giants’ offense unloaded a pair of touchdowns and added a field goal to increase their lead to 24-3 at the break. Manningham hauled in his second touchdown, a 33 yard bomb from Manning. The receiver finished with 113 yards on eight catches as the Giants trounced Philadelphia during the first half. Lawrence Tynes’ 25 yard field goal was followed by Hakeem Nicks’ eight yard score. Jeremy Maclin’s fumble late in the half was picked up by Giants’ safety, Kenny Phillips to set up Nicks’ touchdown. The Giants outgained the top-ranked Eagles’ offense 222-74 in the first half. It looked like Big Blue was going to coast to the top of the NFC East.
Michael Vick ran for a game high 130 yards and threw 242 behind center for the Eagles. The Giants succeeded in slowing Vick with blitzes for most of the game. Big Blue’s defense sacked Vick twice and constantly applied pressure. Vick completed just six passes for 33 yards. His first touchdown came via a third quarter strike to Maclin to make it 24-10 Giants. Kevin Boss pulled in an eight yard pass from Manning early in the fourth quarter to negate Maclin’s touchdown. The Eagles, facing a huge fourth quarter deficit, shocked the Giants in the final seven and a half minutes. Vick made late work with his arm and the Giants couldn’t tackle or defend. New York’s first 53 minutes of strong play went for naught. Eagles’ tight end, Brent Celek, got the comeback started with a 65 yard touchdown off a missed Phillips tackle. Celek turned a 30-something yard gain into seven points. Vick’s four yard touchdown scramble cut a rejuvenated Philadelphia’s deficit to one score. Maclin avenged for his earlier fumble with a 13 yard touchdown grab with 1:13 left to tie the game at 31-31. Then, there was the final play. Rookie Matt Dodge punted to the Eagles’ elusive return man and Jackson responded accordingly to top off the 28 point rally.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “The Way to Your Heart” by Soulsister

Selby’s Shot Sinks S.C.

2010-12-19T06:55:00.000-05:00

There are dozens of things that make me happy. King crab legs, kisses on the cheek and Kansas basketball are just a few. That’s why when the latter occurred on Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas, I was rapturous. The Jayhawks defeated USC 70-68 to preserve their consecutive home game winning streak. Third –ranked Kansas has 65 straight wins at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. Yesterday, Bill Self’s squad upended Southern California with the help of freshman guard, Josh Selby. Selby made his KU debut, finishing with a game high 21 points in 27 minutes. The Baltimore native went 5-for-11 from the field and hit the go-ahead bucket with 24 seconds on the clock. Not bad for your first college game.
The 10-0 Jayhawks steadily built a 39-25 lead against the Trojans in the first half. Selby sunk five of eight three pointers, including his first two attempts. The visitors trailed by double digits most of the game but the Jayhawks struggled to generate offense after halftime. The well-schooled, scrappy USC shooters took the lead in the game’s final minutes. Donte Smith led USC on an 11-0 run and Jio Fontan hit a pair of free throws to put the Trojans up by two points with two minutes to play. USC’s quick guards found their way into the lane and pounded away at KU’s poor post-defense. Donte Smith led the Trojans with 20 points, including five baskets from downtown. USC outscored Kansas 48-39 in the second half.
The Jayhawks held the rebounding edge throughout the game against one of the best rebounding teams in college basketball. KU fought back with their gritty freshman leading the way. Marcus Morris threw the ball to Selby with the game on the line. The clutch Kansas guard unfurled another three-point attempt in the final minute to give Kansas the lead for good. The Trojans called time out, trailing 69-68. USC blew its chance to win the game in the last five seconds when Fontan turned the ball over on an inbounds pass. Kansas’ Tyrel Reed made a free throw for the final margin. The starting senior guard had a game high five assists in the Jayhawk’s victory.

Parting Points: The second-ranked Buckeyes remain poised—79-57 winners over South Carolina.

Gilbert Arenas to the Orlando Magic---good move?

Wishes & Wants

2010-12-18T07:04:00.001-05:00

All I want for Christmas is:
A J.R. Smith dunk
Cam Newton’s trophy case
And some Brett Favre spunk
I want Troy Polamalu’s hair
Yao Ming’s doctor’s job
And a little of Sid Crosby’s flair
I’ll take a chunk of Cliff Lee’s check
Along with Tom Brady’s fame
And Vincent Jackson’s hands just for the heck
I would like a Jared Sullinger three
Packaged with a Jonathan Quick stop
All of these I want under my Christmas tree

Team Talk Thursday

2010-12-16T15:07:00.000-05:00

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/frank_deford/12/15/uconn.streak/index.html

Frank Deford wrote an excellent article in his weekly column yesterday. The article focuses on bringing attention to women’s team sports. Deford applauds Connecticut’s women’s basketball team and writes how women are usually recognized for individual efforts instead of team efforts. I agree with Deford. Women tennis players, swimmers, runners and skiers grab the headlines in a male-dominated professional sports world. Seldom do we see headlines praising women’s basketball , softball or hockey teams. The only time women who participate in team sports make the news is when they take their shirts off or pull someone else’s hair during a soccer match. Controversy makes the news. I can’t remember the last time I heard any fan (male or female) say they snagged tickets to a women’s college volleyball game.
Women’s sports have never generated the interest men’s sports have enjoyed. They probably never will. Most girls don’t grow up with the idea of becoming a professional athlete. It’s just not a reality. If you are a woman athlete and you play a team sport, the highest achievement you can hope for is at the college level. Even Olympic women’s team sports don’t rate. The USA softball and hockey teams had rosters filled with incredibly talented athletes. Nobody seemed to care. It was the men’s team that was supposed to bring home the gold. Just look at Team USA men’s basketball, often called “The Dream Team”. People flock to men’s sports at the professional, and college, level. As Deford says, how often do sports commentators even reference women’s teams?
Nothing is going to change as long as women are prevented from participating in society’s elite sports. Football and baseball dominate American culture, and they are only played by men. Title IX helped women make tremendous strides, but only at the scholastic level. There is a glass ceiling in athletics much like there exists one in the business world. Women’s team sports cannot take over and the reason is this: professional sports will always be a male-dominated field. Women don’t draw headlines and they don’t draw other women fans. Even the NFL, possessors of the most women fans, will never become a women’s world. Girls don’t strive to play football because they are just not brought up that way. The same goes for baseball. Sure, there are women who can hit 100 mph fastballs and catch a football. But it’s a heck of a lot easier to be a women tennis player or a downhill skier in today’s society. Individually, you can’t disrupt or threaten an entire sport the way you could if you were a team. Perhaps women are fearful of becoming too dominant, too good. Perhaps men don’t think much of women’s teams because they insist men are stronger athletes. A number of reasons exist why women’s sports haven’t caught society’s eye and why fans fail to embellish women teams. The NFL is an established brand and the market is expanding every day. There is a market for women who play teams sports but it’s very difficult to sell something without a brand.

Parting Points: RIP Bob Feller.

Pittsburgh hired Miami of Ohio’ Michael Haywood…a good choice.

Cliff's Choice

2010-12-14T16:19:00.000-05:00

The pitching-rich Phillies just added another ace in lefthander, Cliff Lee. Philadelphia landed Lee Monday night after weeks of speculation. The free agent All-Star agreed to return to the Phillies for $120 million over five years. Lee’s choice surprised many around baseball, including the teams who courted him throughout the past few months. The Yankees and Rangers lost out on signing the southpaw, despite heftier contract offers. Jon Daniels and Brian Cashman couldn’t snag the pitcher, who chose comfort over dollars. Now the NL East champions have an added boost in an already stellar starting rotation for 2011. The addition of Lee gives the city the greatest quartet since Boyz II Men: Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt.
The Phillies traded Lee approximately a year ago. The free agent pitcher went to Seattle before being traded to Texas. Lee helped propel the upstart Rangers to the World Series after a spectacular division series against the Yankees. Lee suffered two difficult losses to the Giants in the Fall Classic, but his post-season dominance is proven. He was the best free agent pitcher on the market. The Rangers and Yankees went head-to-head in hopes of acquiring the lefty for next season, but it was Lee’s former club who signed the hurler. New York offered a seven year deal in excess of $160 million, while Lee’s current team offered a six year guarantee for an undetermined amount. The 32 year old signed a lucrative deal with the Phillies after the team came close to matching Lee’s other offers. Lee spurned those offers and now the Phillies have four bona fide aces. The agreement is the third biggest ever for a pitcher, and Lee is all too pleased to return to the City of Brotherly Love.

Parting Points: The Big Ten announced their new division names: Legends and Leaders.

Brett Favre’s streak is over.

Eagles’ Enormity

2010-12-13T15:08:00.000-05:00

Jason Garrett’s gritty Cowboys were bested by the Eagles 30-27 on Sunday night at Cowboys Stadium. Rival Philadelphia got an enormous lift from standout receiver, DeSean Jackson and running back, LeSean McCoy in improving to 9-4 on the year. Jackson finished with 210 yards and scored on a 91 yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick to snap a 20-20 tie in the fourth quarter. The former Pittsburgh rusher, McCoy, finished with 149 yards on the ground. Dallas, led my sure-handed tight end Jason Witten’s two scores, dropped their ninth decision in an otherwise disappointing season.
Dallas’ defense was overtaken by Vick’s play-action as the Eagles put seven points on the board three minutes into the contest. The Eagles made big plays all night, including during the first touchdown drive. Jackson hauled in a 60 yard pass and Vick capped the six-play drive with a one yard touchdown run. Cowboys’ signal-caller, Jon Kitna, strung together a touchdown drive midway through the first quarter to even the score at 7-7. Tashard Choice added some important gains with the run and Miles Austin got the ‘Boys into Phily territory. Kitna avoided the tenacious blitz from the Philly defense to hit Witten in the end zone from one yard out.
Vick’s two yard pass to Todd Herremans completed a 51 yard, three minute drive and put the Eagles back on top by seven in the second quarter. Vick and Kitna were both picked off during the second quarter. The Cowboys scored with eight seconds before halftime courtesy of David Buehler’s 50 yard field goal. Dallas scored the first ten points of the second half to take a 20-14 advantage. Buehler made a 43 yard field goal to narrow the gap, and took the lead on Felix Jones’ storming scurry off a screen pass into the end zone three minutes later.
David Akers kicked a pair of field goals to tie the game at 20-20 into the fourth quarter. Dallas was able to stall the Eagles and hold them to three until Jackson’s incredible 91 yard touchdown reception. The speedy receiver turned a ten yard pass into a huge gain and a Philadelphia lead. The Eagles held the momentum, adding an Akers’ field goal set up by Kitna’s second interception of the game. Kitna responded with an impressive 80 yard drive and another touchdown pass to Witten. The Cowboys pulled within three points but the Eagles ran out the clock with less than five minutes to earn the victory. Philadelphia hammered down the win despite the Cowboys’ comeback attempt. Dallas is 3-2 under interim coach Garrett. Jackson’s 210 yards were third most in franchise history.

Parting Points: The Patriots are in the playoffs…

Cliff Lee is still keeping everybody in suspense…

Song of the day- “I’d Lie” by Taylor Swift

Sports Short

2010-12-12T16:27:00.003-05:00

Sports recap: Pitt lost to the Vols; Giants-Vikes postponed to Monday night in Detroit; Will Muschamp signed on at Florida; Cam Newton drilled the other Heisman candidates by a landslide.

And now for a short poem:

I’m not over you
I hate that I think I am
I tell myself to give up
But my tears still hope for your hands
When was it that I didn’t feel this way
When the taste in my mouth wasn’t bitter from goodbye
When was it that I had room left in my heart
And the voice in my head didn’t hold your song
The hardest part of missing you
The hardest thing of letting go
Is that I know I never will
You are the memory I console
You are the bounce in my step
The love I still follow without regret

"I won't be idle with despair"- Jewel

Thursday Take-Twos (Coaching Vacancy Edition)

2010-12-09T15:19:00.001-05:00

It has been an eventful week on the coaching front. The 3-9 Denver Broncos canned head coach, Josh McDaniels, earlier this week. The infamous videographer was fired, ending a scandal that has plagued the team and slapped them with fines for not reporting the violations. McDaniels’ blunders included letting Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler go and firing defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan. The rebuilding project is underway now that 34 year old McDaniels is out. Eric Studesville was given the interim tag, and will finish out the season as head coach. Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher’s names have already popped up as replacements. Reports from Denver indicate the Broncos haven’t set a timetable on hiring a new coach. The Broncos are still paying part of Mike Shanahan’s contract in addition to the remaining two years of McDaniels’ due. Former Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow’s future is in question, but he could see more playing time down the stretch of the season.
And speaking of Florida, Urban Meyer dropped a bomb on the college football world (especially those in Gator Nation) when he announced his retirement after ten seasons. This is Meyer’s second retirement in two seasons. Last year, the two time national championship head coach cited health as his reason for stepping down. Yesterday, Meyer resigned due to family reasons. The 7-5 Gators endured a disappointing 2010 under Meyer, and the once renowned and prominent program is now an average team. Meyer attributed Florida’s slide to the stream of assistant coaches who left the program. The loss of one of the best college ballplayers this decade surely did not help Florida. Tebow’s departure left plenty of rebuilding for the spread option offense. Meyer’s ability to recruit will be missed, and his trio of 13-win seasons will be hard to top. Boise State’s Chris Peterson, Oregon’s Chip Kelly and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops are respectable candidates to fill the polarizing Meyer’s shoes. Personally, I’d like to see Skip Holtz or Greg Schiano take over in Gainesville. Neither coachhas a 95-18 record, but both have the ability to transform and lead. Both also have experience working for a major college programs (Holtz at Florida State and Schiano at Miami) in Florida. Schiano was the 2006 Big East Coach of the year at Rutgers. Holtz led the East Carolina Pirates to two C-USA titles before taking a position at USF. It’s likely Florida will go after a big name, but they should afford a lower-ranking coach an opportunity. The problem with all the above-named coaches is they have no experience with SEC football. There will probably never be another Tebow-Meyer tandem at Florida, but it shouldn’t stop the Gators from pursuing excellence.
Dave Wannstedt stepped down after six seasons with the Pittsburgh Panthers. Wannstedt’s resignation was a long time coming, with the final blow occurring after the Panthers were crushed by West Virginia on November 26th. The loss impacted the Big East-leading Panthers’ shot at the conference title. Talented and heavily favored Pittsburgh underperformed under Wannstedt, and many in the organization felt the head coach lost the team. Pitt won just one bowl game in Wannstedt’s tenure. Wannstedt never truly wanted to leave, but was forced out under pressure on Tuesday. The former Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears head coach will remain with Pittsburgh as a special assistant to the AD. The next Pitt coach will step into a decent position, with a solid team already in place. Standout running back, Dion Lewis, will return next season for the 7-5 Panthers. Pitt is an easy sell, with products such as Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, and Mike Ditka coming out of the organization. Gruden and Cowher are the big names being mentioned, but in my opinion, Pitt needs to promote from within. Offensive coordinator, Frank Cignetti, is a good place to start. Cignetti will coach the BBVA Compass Bowl game against Kentucky if Wannstedt chooses not to finish out the year. Cignetti began at Pitt just a year ago, but the Panthers’ offense got off to a 9-1 start in 2009 after his introduction. He is an offensive minded coach who has spent time with the NFL’s Saints, Chiefs and 49ers, as well as premiere college teams at California and upstart North Carolina. Miami of Ohio’s Michael Hayward is another solid candidate should the university look outside the program. Schiano and Holtz are also my picks to be considered for this job simply because they know Big East football. Schiano revamped Rutgers when there was very little there. I can only imagine what he would do with the Panthers’ squad.

Parting Points: Crosby scores two, Pens win again.

Song of the day- Madonna’s “Borderline”

Cream of the Crop

2010-12-07T15:07:00.000-05:00

Patriots by six touchdowns!
The Jets ran out of fuel in Foxboro. New England nuked New York, holding Gang Green to three measly points in Monday night’s AFC East division showdown. Last night helped separate the pretenders from the players, and it wasn’t pretty for Rex Ryan and the showy Jets. The Patriot’s dismantled the Jets to the tune of a 45-3 romp and improved to 10-2. The Jets, winners of five consecutive games on the road, fell to 9-3. Second year signal caller for Gang Green, Mark Sanchez, threw three interceptions and kicker, Nick Folk, missed a try from 53 yards. Brady embarrassed the Jets’ defense in prime time with 326 yards and four touchdowns. Ryan was outcoached, the defense was outmatched and the Jets were outclassed on the road.
The Jets looked off guard and unprepared most of the evening, but stopped New England on their opening drive. Brady tossed three incompletions before handing the ball back to the visiting team. New England didn’t come up short very often the rest of the way. Shayne Graham’s 41 yard field goal made it 3-0 Patriots. New England took over at the 43 yard line after Ryan unsuccessfully gambled on Folk’s 53 yard field goal attempt. Benjarvus Green-Ellis plowed into the end zone from one yard out to give the Patriots their first touchdown and a 10-0 edge. Deion Branch completed the first quarter scoring with a 25 yard touchdown reception with one minute remaining.
The Jets were shut out in every quarter but the second. Folk’s 39 yard kick at 12:14 into the second stanza were the only points New England would afford the humbled team from New York. The Jets’ secondary struggled badly without safety Jim Leonard. The defense allowed 405 total yards, including Danny Woodhead’s 102 receiving for New England. The running back chewed up a yardage on just four receptions and Green-Ellis added 72 yards on the ground. Brandon Tate four yard catch midway through the second quarter made it 24-3 in favor of the home team at the half.
Sanchez was out of sync with his offense and was picked off by on three consecutive drives in the second half. Wes Welker was Brady’s favorite target, hauling down four receptions for 80 yards and a score. Welker caught an 18 yard pass from his MVP quarterback, the only points of the third quarter for either team. Brady was 21-of-29 in another efficient effort behind center. His fourth touchdown pass of the game came seconds into the final quarter after Devin McCourty intercepted Sanchez at the New England 45 yard line. Brady hit Aaron Hernandez following an eight play, 94 yard New England drive. Brady sliced up the Jets’ secondary on rout to his 26th straight regular season home win. Green-Ellis hammered the final nail in the coffin with his second touchdown run, a five yard scurry with 9:20 left in regulation. The Patriots appear to be the elite team in the AFC, tied with Atlanta at the top. Brady is making a strong showing for another MVP award, while the Jets are simply winning close games and losing the big ones. The Jets have finally hit a road block.

Parting Points: RIP Don Meredith.

Tigers Take Title

2010-12-05T07:15:00.001-05:00

Cam Newton, Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers are headed to the BCS Championship game after winning the SEC title. The Tigers walloped 18th ranked South Carolina 52-17 in the Georgia Dome on Saturday to improve to 13-0 on the year. Auburn will face the Oregon Ducks, winners against Oregon State yesterday, in the national title game in Arizona. The Tigers’ controversial quarterback, Newton, fired six touchdown passes and raised his bid for the leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Newton pushed his season touchdown total to 28 passing and 20 rushing three days after the NCAA ruled him eligible to play. For Auburn, it was the seventh SEC title in school history. Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks finished with a 9-4 record.
The Tigers compiled 21 points and 227 yards on offense by the end of the first quarter. Onterio Mccalebb sealed a 12 yard pass from Newton to give Auburn a 7-0 lead two minutes into the contest. McCalebb returned the opening kickoff and Newton’s threw a 61 yard bomb to Darvin Adams that set up the touchdown two plays later. The Gamecocks evened the score 7-7 by taking their first possession into the end zone. Patrick DeMarco hauled down a Stephen Garcia pass over the middle for a 25 yard score. Auburn’s flashy junior quarterback kept making plays, shuffling into the end zone from five yards out midway through the first quarter to give the Tigers a 14-7 advantage. Newton ran for 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns in guiding the Tigers to victory. He hit Adams in stride for a 54 yard touchdown with 2:09 remaining in the opening quarter to provide the Tigers a 14 point lead.
Alshon Jeffrey’s one yard touchdown reception with sixteen seconds left in the first half was the first scoring of the second quarter. Newton lost his first fumble of his college career and Garcia was intercepted in a sloppy second quarter on both ends. Wes Bynum, the reliable field goal kicker for Auburn, missed a 36 yard attempt and South Carolina’s defense held the Tigers’ offense to zero points until Newton found Adams as time expired in the half. Adams caught a tipped pass by S.C.’s Devonte Holloman in the end zone to give the Tigers a 28-14 edge at the break. The receiver finished with 217 yards and a pair of scores on the day.
Newton’s one yard touchdown run, his second rushing score of the day, opened the second half scoring for Auburn. T’Sharvan Bell followed the Newton run with an interception return for a touchdown to pad the Auburn lead. The eight yard pick-six gave the Tigers a sizable 42-14 advantage with 7:23 to play in the third quarter. Emory Blake, who finished with 63 yards on five receptions, caught a seven yard pass from Newton three minutes into the fourth quarter. Trailing 49-14, the Gamecocks finally answered back with a 33 yard field goal by Spencer Lanning. Lanning missed from 42 yards out early in the half. Running back for Auburn, Michael Dyer, wore down the Gamecock defense and carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards. It was the senior back for Chizik that scored the final touchdown of the game. Mario Fannin scurried into the end zone for a six yard score with 2:22 to play. Newton finished his storybook season with a career best 335 yards and completed 17 of 28 passes. Garcia was intercepted twice in tossing 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Gamecocks are possibly headed to the Outback Bowl after being blown out in Atlanta yesterday.

Parting Points: Derek Jeter is signed- three years for $51 million and a fourth year option. The BoSox deal for Adrian Gonzalez.

Congrats to the Connecticut Huskies for clinching a BCS Bowl game. I’m disappointed in the Seminoles for losing to VT.

Everlasting

2010-12-04T07:05:00.001-05:00

I'm getting in the Christmas spirit. There are so many wonderful gifts in this life, but I think the most precious is the everlasting.

At the end of the day
All that really matters is how we make our own way
The sorrow and the weeping
Find their place to stay
Our Father in the heavens
He carries on His shoulders
All the borrowed burdens
Sent along by others
And when we kneel in silence
Falling like a sparrow
He hears and grips the heart
For an everlasting ‘morrow

Highlights in Houston

2010-12-02T06:56:00.000-05:00

The reeling Lakers have lost four straight after being dispatched by the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday night. L.A. was beaten 109-99 at Toyota Center as the pesky Rockets held off Kobe Bryant’s 27 and a season high 22 points from Lamor Odom. The Lakers haven’t lost four consecutive games since April 2007. The struggling defending champions are now owners of a 5-4 road record and 13-6 overall. Houston improved their dismal season start to 6-12. Kevin Martin led the Rockets in points and Shane Battiers knocked down back-to-back three pointers to carry them to victory with less than three minutes in regulation.
Martin finished with 22 points and was a flawless 10-10 at the charity stripe. Luis Scola added 14 points for Houston, who shot just over 50% from the field. Odom bucketed 25 points and had 11 boards in the loss as L.A. snapped a three game winning streak over Houston. The Lakers outscored the Rockets in the first quarter and maintained a three point advantage into the break. Martin had 20 points, and Battier 11, in the second half to lift the Rockets. Houston trimmed their deficit to two points by the end of the third stanza. Kyle Lowry, the former Villanova point guard, contributed with a game high 10 assists.
The Lakers missed their last seven shots and were overpowered 33-21 in the final quarter. Lowry’s pass to Battier with 2:05 remaining resulted in a tie ball game. Battier sunk the downtown shot for a 97-97 score, and struck again on the next Rockets’ possession to pull Houston ahead by three. Battier was fouled inside a minute to play and drilled three free throws for a six point home advantage. The Lakers shot just 33% in the second half. They failed to score again after Bryant drained a pair of free throws in L.A.’s 22% shooting fourth quarter. Pau Gasol, the fluid power player, came down with a left hamstring pull and was limited to just eight points for the Lakers. Houston’s bench outscored L.A.’s in the first half, and the Rockets’ defense clamped down to taunt Gasol and Bryant the remainder of the contest to earn the win. For the ailing home team, Wednesday was finally a happy highlight.

Parting Points: Duke looks dominant with their flamboyant freshman, Kyrie Irving.

I like this athletic kid, Jordan Hill for the Rockets. For starters, he shares his name with a terrific singer.

Song of the day- “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana

Rival Romping

2010-11-28T07:09:00.001-05:00

Ohio State grabbed a share of their record-tying sixth straight Big Ten title with a 37-7 win over rival Michigan at the ‘Shoe. The 11-1 Buckeyes put up 24 second and 13 third quarter points, respectively on their rout of the visiting Wolverines. Michigan fell to 7-5 in their seventh consecutive loss to the Buckeyes. Ohio State shares the conference spotlight with Michigan State and Wisconsin.
The Wolverines put up a fight in the first quarter but never led during the contest. Michigan’s electric quarterback, Denard Robinson, was a one-man show. Robinson rushed for 105 yards and completed 8-of-18 passes. Rich Rodriguez’s kicking unit is unreliable at best, and the Wolverine offense was forced to go for it on fourth down situations. The Maize and Blue had little success against the persistent and pervasive Buckeyes’ defense. The Michigan offense came into Saturday’s showdown averaging 37 points per game. Yesterday, they had more than a little trouble reaching that average against some of the Big Ten’s best defenders.
Terrelle Pryor, the exciting signal caller for the home team, was just as phenomenal with the football as Robinson. Both quarterbacks slipped through the defenses and fended off tackles. Pryor threw for 220 yards and a pair of scores, while adding 49 yards on the ground. Michigan shut out Pryor and the Buckeyes during the first quarter and succeeded in keeping them out of the end zone until midway through the second. The Wolverines won the coin toss and opted to kick off despite having perhaps one of the conference’s more dismal defenses. But the Buckeyes went three-and-out on their first drive and Michigan responded by shaving five minutes off the clock with nothing to show for it on the ensuing drive. Ohio State punted again after Jake Stoneburner fumbled a pass and failed to convert a third down. Robinson headed another lengthy Michigan drive, but the lost the ball deep in the red zone. Ohio State recovered the ball and in the second quarter, Devin Barclay kicked a 33 yard field goal for the day’s first points.
The Buckeyes coasted to a 10-0 lead on Dane Sanzenbacher’s seven yard pass from Pryor with 12:29 remaining in the first half. Senior receiver Sanzenbacher scored the first touchdown of the game and finished with 71 receiving yards. Michael Shaw netted the only Michigan touchdown with a second quarter one yard run. Robinson set up the score with a diving try at the end zone, falling just short of the goal line. Shaw’s touchdown trimmed the OSU lead to three points, but the slim deficit wouldn’t last long. Jordan Hall returned the kickoff 85 yards for another Ohio State touchdown to put the Buckeyes up 17-7. The Buckeyes continued to romp Michigan, coordinating an impressive 60 yard drive on their next possession. Pryor propelled the Buckeyes with his legs and moved the chains with efficient, smart throws. The drive ended with DeVier Posey’s catch covering 33 yards that sent OSU into the locker room with a comfortable 24-7 advantage. Posey had an 82 yard day for the Buckeyes. Despite piling up 258 total yards, the Wolverines’ lone touchdown was all they had to show for it. Ohio State did pick up a pair of questionable celebration penalties for forming an “O” with their gloved hands.
Robinson exited the game for several stretches during the second half. Tate Forcier replaced the dynamic quarterback and began by being intercepted on his first play from scrimmage. Travis Howard’s leaping snag shifted the momentum even more the Buckeye way. Howard also recovered two fumbles. The Buckeyes declawed Michigan the rest of the game, with Dan Herron scoring on a 32 yard third quarter run and Barclay extending the lead with a pair of field goals. Herron had just five carries on the day but finished with 175 yards, including a school record 89 yard run. Forcier couldn’t complete anything, as Michigan gained just 93 yards after the break. The Wolverines’ closest chance at scoring occurred in the fourth quarter with the Jim Tressel’s team sitting on a 30 points lead. Forcier’s six yard pass was incomplete at the OSU six yard line, and OSU took over in their own territory. Ohio State had 478 yards on offense and converted 10 of 19 third downs in decking Michigan.

Parting Points: News from Miami- Randy Shannon is out at the “U” and the Heat continue to wilt.

Kudos to FSU for knocking off Florida and the Razorbacks for defeating LSU.

“All Americans come from Ohio originally, if only briefly”- Dawn Powell

Boise Black & Blue

2010-11-27T07:03:00.000-05:00

Black Friday in Reno was just that for the Boise State Broncos. The Broncos scored the first 17 points at Mackay Stadium only to see their lead evaporate in overtime. The nation’s longest winning streak, at 34, is over. Boise State fell 34-31 to Nevada, the Broncos first loss since 2007. The 10-1 Broncos’ BCS-busing hopes also vanished in defeat. Kyle Broztman, the normally efficient kicker for Boise State, missed a field goal in regulation and one in overtime as the Broncos suffered a heartbreaker against the 11-1 Wolf Pack. Nevada emerged victorious in a wild game when redshirt freshman, Anthony Martinez, kicked the game winning field goal from 34 yards out.
The Broncos leapt out to a 3-0 advantage in the first quarter on a Brotzman 33 yard kick. Doug Martin’s four yard touchdown run completed a 13 play, 87 yard drive for Boise State in the second quarter. Quarterback Kellen Moore added a passing touchdown to senior wideout, Titus Young, to give Boise State a commanding 17-0 lead with 5:47 remaining in the first half. Nevada cracked the scoreboard at 4:20 with a five yard rushing touchdown from Vai Taua. The Broncos responded with a 51 yard run by junior tailback Doug Martin, and headed into the break ahead by 17 points. The Boise State offense was almost unstoppable in the first half. Young made six catches on the night for 129 yards and a touchdown, and Martin rushed for 152 yards and a pair of scores. Moore passed for 348 yards in the crucial Friday night loss. Boise State’s defense also held the high-powered Nevada offense in check during the opening half. Wolf Pack passer, Colin Kaepernick was sacked on back-to-back plays and interecepted once. Nevada got two first downs against the Broncos, a first against Boise State, but George Iloka’s intercepted a tipped pass to extinguish the Pack’s promising drive. Nineteenth ranked Nevada would have the last word, however.
The Pack came back to tie the game at 24-24 after three straight scores in the second half. Nevada found their rhythm and punished the Broncos with their running attack. The Wolf Pack racked up 288 yards behind Kaepernick and Taua. Kaepernick scored on an 18 yard run to trim the Boise State edge to ten points in the third quarter. Defensive end, Tyrone Crawford, blocked Martinez’s 35 yard field goal attempt in the third quarter as Nevada settled for just three points during the frame. Rishard Matthews’s 44 yard scramble added another seven for Nevada, and Martinez bounced back by banging home a 24 yard field goal to knot the game in the fourth quarter. Nevada shut out the Boise State offense throughout most of the second half. Matthews picked up 172 yards on 10 receptions to lead all receivers. Martin scored his second touchdown of the night with just under five minutes in regulation to put the Broncos back on top. The spectacular 79 yard reception was followed by Nevada converting two key third downs. Matthews’ seven yard reception made it a 31-31 affair with thirteen seconds left in the game. The Broncos had one last chance to win the game in regulation, but Brotzman missed a 26 yarder to send the game into overtime.
Moore was stymied in the extra session and the Brotzman was ushered in to try a game winning kick. The 29 yard attempt was booted short to the right by a kicker who leads all active players in career scoring. On the ensuing Nevada possession, Martinez drove the winning field goal between the uprights to upset the darlings of the BCS.

Parting Points: Backyard Brawl 2010 goes to the Mountaineers.

OSU vs. Michigan today. Go Buckeyes!

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-25T07:03:00.000-05:00

Again For You

I love you as if I never
Have room to love another
Again
Living with you
Is like being stuck in a tree so high
You cannot see the ground
Life goes on all around you
But your head is in the clouds
You’re the hand that breaks my fall
And keeps me coming back for more
I’m thankful for the way
You crack a smile on my face
If I live to see tomorrow
I’ll be grateful to see you
Again
Every day without you
My heart breaks a little more
I may well be sentimental
But you’ve made me more than loved
I feel as though I’m gratified
Simply because my heart is alive
For you

Parting Points: Happy Thanksgiving!

Duke Defends, Delivers

2010-11-23T15:03:00.000-05:00

The Duke Blue Devils and Marquette Eagles clashed in the CBE Classic semifinal Monday night. The high-profile hoops programs squared off at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, with the top-ranked Devils squeezing out a 82-77 victory. Duke faces Kansas State in the championship game tonight. The reigning national champs have now won 14 consecutive games and are 4-0 this season. The Devils steamrolled their previous opponents by an average of 41 points.
Mason Plumlee poured in 25 points to lead the Blue Devils. The sophomore center contributed six rebounds and six blocks as he helped wear down the Golden Eagles. Duke took an early lead before Marquette rebounded to tie the game. The Devils bounced back with a 9-0 run to tear ahead by 14 points with 11:15 remaining in the half. Marquette lacked a perimeter player to keep up with Plumlee and countered with questionable shots against Mike Krzyzewski’s Devils. Jimmy Butler led the Eagles, who struggled from the arc, with 22 points. Darius Johnson-Odom missed all eight of his shots in the first half. The Big East powerhouse Eagles labored for points against the NCAA’s elite Devils. Marquette was able to tie the game three times but it was Duke who took a 41-30 advantage into the locker room.
The Devils were harassed for 19 turnovers during the contest as the Eagles outscored Duke 46-42 in the second half. The Eagles’ defense also stripped the ball 11 times and effectively disrupted the pass. The Marquette guards did a tremendous job in applying pressure and got a boost from bench player, Jae Crowder, in the second half. Crowder scored 15 points, including a baseline jumper to tie the game at 57-57. The Devils answered with nine straight points following Crowder’s chip-in. Plumlee was credited for four of the baskets in the late Duke run. Guard Nolan Smith put up an efficient 18 points in victory and grabbed nine rebounds, and Kyle Singler added 14. Quick-learning freshman, Kyle Irving, carried the Devils with seven assists, while Junior Cadougan matched Irving with seven assists for the 4-1 Eagles.

Parting Points: Philip Rivers sure looks sharp; Brad Childress not so much.

Song of the day-“It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Duke Ellington

Idoneous Intensity In Iowa

2010-11-21T06:29:00.000-05:00

Dan Herron bulled into the endzone with 1:47 remaining in the final quarter as Ohio State survived Iowa on Senior Day at Kinnick Stadium. The Big 10 showdown pitted the eighth ranked Buckeyes and 21st ranked Hawkeyes with conference title implications on the line. Ohio State pulled out a 21-17 victory in the final minute to remain in contention for a share of the Big 10 championship. Ohio State has won the conference six straight seasons but Wisconsin and Michigan State are also vying for Big 10 primacy this year. The Hawkeyes fell to 7-4 while OSU bumped their record to 10-1. For the Buckeyes, it was the first fourth quarter comeback of the season.
Marvin McNutt’s 19 yard touchdown reception with one minute to go in the first quarter gave Iowa their first lead of the game. McNutt finished with 92 receiving yards. Hawkeye quarterback, Ricki Stanzi, was sharp and accurate. The Ohio native threw for 195 yards and a score in the Iowa loss. Iowa’s balanced attack caught the Buckeyes off guard and off the scoreboard until Devin Barclay’s 18 yard field goal in the second quarter. OSU quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, threw two interceptions and the Bucks’ offense was mistaken-prone throughout the first half. Pryor matched Stanzi in yardage but his receivers could not hold on to the ball and he made several ill-timed passes. Pryor did find Dane Sanzenbacher six times during the game. Sanzenbacher snagged 102 yards on the day, including two pretty passes for 42 yards on OSU’s first scoring drive. The Buckeyes couldn’t reach the end zone, however, and settled for their only points of the half on Barclay’s kick. The Buckeyes drove into Iowa territory late in the half, but Pryor was picked off in the end zone by Micah Hyde. Iowa took a 7-3 advantage into the locker room.
The second half was all about dual-threat Pryor. The OSU signal-caller came out of the break running on first downs and picking up yardage with his legs. Pryor led the team in rushing with 78 yards. The Buckeyes took their first lead of the game midway through the third stanza when Pryor connected with Reid Fragel from five yards out. Iowa tied it at 10-10 five minutes later. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos caught a 23 yard bomb from Stanzi and McNutt hauled in a 18 yard reception to put the Hawkeyes in position to score. The thrifty Buckeye defense held strong and stalled Stanzi’s effort to reach the endzone. Michael Meyer punched home a 31 yard field goal to even the score for 3:26 remaining in the third quarter. The Buckeyes would have to rely on the athletic Pryor to move the ball. It turns out, the quarterback was up for the challenge as he took over the game in the final quarter. Even after a costly miscue, Pryor responded well to the negative play. The Big 10 battle would come down to the final few minutes in nail-biting fashion.
Marcus Coker burst into the Iowa endzone after Shaun Prater intercepted Pryor at the OSU 27 yard line in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes answered with Jordan Hall’s 33 yard kick return, but Pryor’s targets failed to catch the ball and the Hawks sacked towering Terrelle. The clutch kicking Barclay booted a 48 yard field goal, a career long, to cut the deficit to four. Ohio State’s defense stepped up with a sack and a tipped pass on the next Iowa drive. Brian Rolle and Ross Homan led the charge on defense and the cornerbacks for OSU made the necessary tackles. The Hawkeyes went three and out on the ensuing kickoff and it was all Buckeyes from there. In dramatic fashion, OSU orchestrated a 76 yard drive culminating in Herron’s game winning leap into the endzone. DeVier Posey dropped what would have been a touchdown pass on third down for the visitors. On fourth down with 4:02 remaining, Pryor rushed for 14 yards and the first down. Pryor’s conversion on fourth and ten made all the difference. Sanzenbacher caught a 24 yard pass at the two yard line to keep the drive alive three plays later. OSU took the lead for good, leaving a stunned and bewildered Kinnick Stadium crowd. The Hawkeyes’ final attempt to tie or take the lead was thwarted when Cameron Hayward sacked Stanzi and McNutt was short of the first down on fourth-and-22.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “You Mean the World to Me” by Toni Braxton

Bears Blanking & Blitzing

2010-11-19T15:13:00.000-05:00

The Bears defense harassed Dolphins’ third-string quarterback, Tyler Thigpen, in Thursday’s shutout in Miami and improved to 7-3 on the season. Chicago swarmed Thigpen in the 16-0 victory in their first trip back to Miami since losing Superbowl 41. Julius Peppers led the defense with three of the six sacks, and Robbie Gould kicked three field goals to provide the majority of the offense. Chicago quarterback, Jay Cutler, completed 16-of-25 passes for 156 yards and was just impressive enough in the win. Matt Forte ran for 97 yards and finished the Bears’ scoring with a two yard touchdown plunge late in the third quarter. The Bears moved one-half game ahead of the Packers in the NFC North after winning their third straight contest. The Dolphins fell to 5-5 after a miserable home loss in which they did essentially nothing right and couldn’t catch any breaks.
Gould’s 46 yard field goal with 3:48 remaining in the opening quarter gave the visitors a 3-0 edge. Cameron Wake’s sack of Cutler forced the Bears to settle for three during the drive. The Chicago kicker planted a 24 yard field goal through the uprights midway through the second quarter to increase the Bears advantage to six. That was all the scoring in the first half. Chicago’s defense cracked down with tight coverage and Thigpen was ineffective in communicating with his receivers. The Dolphins running attack was non-existent against the league’s best team against the rush. Now their playoff chances are almost non-existent too. Miami failed to put up any points on the board for the second time in 40 seasons. For Chicago, it was the first shutout in four years.
Thigpen worked the ground with 27 rushing yards to lead all Dolphins, but the former Coastal Carolina player couldn’t keep the chains moving. Brian Hartline managed five receptions for 70 yards to lead all Miami receivers and Brandon Marshall caught three passes before leaving the game with an injury. Marshall was tagged for a taunting penalty after throwing the ball at Cutler when he was heading out of bounds. Cutler, Marshall’s former Denver teammate, pinpointed Johnny Knox as his favorite target on Thursday. Knox hauled in five receptions for 55 yards. The Bears scored twice after halftime on Gould’s third field goal and Forte’s scramble into the end zone. The Dolphins defense couldn’t get off the field as Chicago controlled the time of possession and was more efficient on third downs. Miami converted just one third down in eleven tries and Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 11 rushing yards. Cutler was intercepted by Benny Sapp and Charles Tillman recorded a pick for the Bears. The Dolphins finally got inside the Bears’ 35 yard line on the game’s final play, but for the most part was un-bearable to watch.

Parting Points: Congrats to Felix Hernandez and Roy Halladay on winning this year’s CY Young awards.

Hawaii is heading to the Mountain West Conference.

Notre Dame vs. Army at Yankee Stadium this Saturday.

“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.”- Vince Lombardi

Gator Gnashing

2010-11-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

The Buckeyes basketball team employed a similar strategy as the OSU football squad, erupting in the second half to take down the Florida Gators 93-75 last night. The closely contested season opener in Gainesville went the Buckeyes’ way as freshman, Jared Sullinger and senior, David Lighty scored 26 points each in the victory. Sullinger was 13-of-17 with ten rebounds as the Buckeyes outlasted number nine Florida. The youngest player on the floor at O’Connell Center, eighteen year old Sullinger had 16 of his points in the second half. Kenny Boynton led the Gators, hitting five of eight from beyond the arc and finishing with 21 points. OSU defeated Florida for the second time since the 2007 NCAA tournament. The Gators were the victors in that game three years ago.
Ohio State’s stifling defense was effective early but the Buckeyes trailed 41-38 at the half. Florida outscored the visitors in the paint and hit more second-chance points than the Bucks in the first half. Billy Donovan’s team scored on six of seven possessions to open up with a 15-14 edge. The Gators dominated the boards and their offensive rebounding outmatched the Buckeyes. Erik Murphy contributed eight points and grabbed three offensive rebounds off the bench for the Gators. Florida stretched their lead to seven before Ohio State broke back with four points to close in at the half. Dallas Lauderdale, the towering 6’8” center, played 18 minutes for Thad Matta’s Buckeyes. Lauderdale’s absence was advantageous for the Gator offense. Florida took advantage inside.
The lead changed 11 times in the opening of the second half. Ohio State didn’t pull ahead until midway through the half when Jon Diebler’s trey put them up for good. A seasoned shooter, Diebler poured in 14 points, including four from downtown. The Gators seemed to lose their composure on offense during the second half as number four Ohio State outscored them 55-34. Erving Walker had 15 points for Donovan’s Gators, but it was the Buckeyes’ defense that stood in the end. Sullinger finished with his second straight double-double. William Buford grabbed three of the team’s six steals and Florida’s turnovers ignited the OSU defense. Florida shot the ball well but couldn’t contain the Bucks’ second half tempo. Ohio State shot 62% from the field and won the turnover ratio by ten. The Buckeyes performed uncontested layups, dunks and premier perimeter shots, culminating in impressive come-from-behind win.

Parting Points: The UConn women continue to roll, now streaking at 80 straight wins.

Managers of the year honors to Ron Gardenhire and Bud Black.

It’s Splitsville for Eva Longoria and Tony Parker.

“Boom” Boosts Buckeyes, Sinks State at ‘Shoe

2010-11-14T06:55:00.000-05:00

A second half surge and a pair of key turnovers propelled the Buckeyes past the Nittany Lions in Columbus on Saturday. Ohio State scored 35 unanswered points after halftime to improve to 9-1 on the season. The scarlet and gray held Joe Paterno at 400 victories and his visiting Happy Valley squad scoreless in the second half to remain in the Big 10 title chase. The Buckeyes erased an 11 point deficit and outscored the Lions 21-0 in the final quarter to win decidedly, 38-14. Penn State remains winless at the Horseshoe under Paterno, despite scoring two touchdowns in Columbus for the first time in the legendary coach’s tenure.
Eighth-ranked OSU tallied the game’s first points with a first quarter 26 yard field goal by Devin Barclay. Lions’ quarterback Matt McGloin looked like a seasoned pro against the Buckeyes’ defense in the first half. The Scranton sensation passed for 159 yards and two touchdowns, while completing half of his 30 passes. McGloin tossed two picks in the second half that proved costly in preserving Penn State’s three game winning streak. Justin Brown hauled in a 23 yard sling from McGloin to make it 7-3 with just over four minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Derek Moye added a six yard touchdown catch three minutes into the second quarter to lift the Lions to a 14-3 edge. The 6-4 Lions made their lead stand as Paterno’s defense forced the Buckeyes to punt time and time again. Penn State sparkled in stringing together long drives with their aggressive receivers. OSU signal caller, Terrelle Pryor, finished with 139 yards passing and a pair of scores, but moving up the field in the first half proved problematic for perfectionist Pryor.
The Buckeyes came out of the locker room and entered the third quarter trailing by eleven. The hole was soon erased via a tremendous rushing effort. OSU accumulated 314 yards on the ground to Penn State’s 113. Dan “Boom” Herron ran for a career high 190 yards on 21 carries, including the first touchdown run of the third quarter. Herron amassed yardage with amazement during the 96 yard drive that set up the Buckeyes’ only rushing touchdown. Defensive back, Devon Torrence, was tormented by Penn State’s offense all day. Torrence got his revenge with a third quarter interception return for a touchdown to give the Bucks their first lead of the game. Ohio State continued to execute and run the ball well, while the defense cracked down against the roller coaster State offense with the brash quarterback. There wouldn’t be another score for the white-and-blue on this day.
Pryor found leg room to run in one of his best rushing games since last year’s Rose Bowl victory over the Oregon Ducks. He finished with 49 yards to match the Lions’ leading rusher, Evan Royster. The Buckeyes threatened to score early in the fourth quarter, but Pryor aired out an errant pass that was picked off by Malcom Williams at the two yard line. McGloin completed just 2 of his 12 passes in the second half and the Lions had little success getting first downs. Ohio State got the ball back following Pryor’s only miscue. After a penalty pushed them back to their own 42 yards line, the home team promptly found the end zone again. Dane Sanzenbacher pulled down a 58 yard bomb from Pryor to give the Buckeyes a 24-14 advantage with less than ten minutes in regulation. The pass was tipped by a Penn State defender but laned in the hands of the talented Bucks’ wideout. Penn State’s hopes of a comeback disappeared when Travis Howard intercepted McGloin and ran it 30 yards for the score. Pryor passed to Jake Stoneburner from three yards out to finish the Buckeyes’ scoring and a 7 play drive. DeVier Posey led the Buckeyes with three receptions for 63 yards, but it was Herron who keyed the second half surge.

Parting Points: The Cowboys are 14 point underdogs against the Giants today. Holy smoke…

Wisconsin whipping...enough said.

Rookies Rise at the Rock

2010-11-13T06:56:00.001-05:00

The floundering Devils finally found a way to eke out a victory. New Jersey capped a 4-3 win over Edmonton at the Prudential Center in overtime. Ilya Kovalchuk netted a power play goal in the extra session as the Devils skated to their first home decision. The $100million forward for New Jersey also snapped a personal seven game goal drought. Kovalchuk netted the game-winner at 3:27 in overtime to break the Devils’ seven game slide in Newark. New Jersey is 5-10-2 while Edmonton dropped to 4-6-4.
The Oilers were 0-for-2 on power play opportunities and continued their dismal penalty-killing. Edmonton’s Colin Fraser scored a pair for first period goals in Martin Brodeur’s return to goal for the Devils. Fraser found the back of the net after Jordan Eberle’s pass went through the legs of defender, David Clarkson. Five minutes later, Fraser beat Brodeur by skating ahead of the Devils’ defenders and taking advantage of New Jersey mistakes in the defensive zone. He send a screened shot into the net for a 2-0 Edmonton edge. Rookie Alexander Vasyunov scored his first NHL and the only for the Devils in the opening period. Vasyunov took a pass from Patrik Elias to cut the Oilers’ lead in half.
Sam Gagner buried the Oilers’ third goal of the game during a second period line change lapse by New Jersey. Brodeur made 21 saves on the night and the defense tightened up as the game went on. Brian Rolston, in his first game back from a hernia, zipped the Devils’ second goal by Devan Dubnyk with a rebound from the crease. Rolson’s goal turned the game into a 3-2 contest late in the second period. Dubnyk made 35 saves for Edmonton, but couldn’t persevre the one-goal lead in the third period. Another Devils’ rookie, Mattias Tedenby secured a third period goal to tie the game at 3-3. It was Tedenby’s first career goal and the first power play goal by New Jersey on Friday night. The equalizer would hold through regulation as the teams went to an overtime period. Both rookie forwards played their best games so far in Friday’s win. The Devils’ penalty killing was perfect in stopping all four power-play chances.
The Devils snatched a victory in overtime on Kovalchuk’s rifle shot from the left circle. New Jersey earned two points for the win, pulling them out of a tie with Edmonton and the Islanders for fewest in points in the league. Elias had six shots on goal followed by Tedenby’s five and Travis Zajac’s four. New Jersey outshot Edmonton 39-24 and escaped the Rock with their first win this season. The Devils play at 8-4 Boston on Monday night.

Parting Points: Minnesota’s Kevin Love has arrived. Mr. 30-30 for the first time since before I was born (1982)

Boise State is 9-0 after pummeling Idaho 52-14.

OSU vs. PSU!

Song for Saturday- Dion and the Belmonts’ “I Wonder Why”

Wall Works Wizardry in Win

2010-11-11T15:16:00.000-05:00

The Houston Rockets are still winless away from home after losing 98-91 to the John Wall and the Wizards at the Verizon Center. The Washington rookie helped his team top the Rockets by picking up his first career triple-double in his 42 minutes on the hardwood. The former Kentucky Wildcat finished with 19 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds as the Wizards improved to 2-5. The veteran-like 6’4” Wall looked polished for a phenom. The Rockets just looked awful. Houston is just 1-6 on the season despite leading midway through the fourth quarter in Wednesday’s loss. The oft-injured Yao Ming was sidelined with an ankle ailment and departed the game in the first quarter without scoring a point. The Rockets have lost six of their last seven contests.
Kevin Martin scored 31 points for Houston to lead all scorers. He also knocked down 13-of-15 from the charity stripe as the Rockets hit 89% from the line. Houston’s Luis Scola contributed 24 points before fouling out. The Wizards capitalized on Houston’s inferior interior defense in the first half. Andray Blatche grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with 20 points for the Wizards. Gilbert Arenas did not start for Washington, but played 23 minutes to add score five. Al Thornton chipped in 20 points for Washington, while the athletic Wall stole the show as the Wizards pulled ahead 53-46 at the half. Wall committed just one turnover and snagged five steals in an all-round veteran-like performance. Houston outscored the home team 26-20 in the third quarter behind Martin and Scola. The Rockets raced out to an 85-84 lead in the fourth before rupturing and surrendering a 10-0 Wizards’ run.The Wizards wrenched back their advantage after blowing an 11-point lead. Houston collapsed and crumbled down the stretch, committing five turnovers. The Wizards were the only team sinking buckets and the Rockets’ couldn’t keep them out of the paint late in the game. The number one draft picked secured his triple-double with five minutes to go in the final quarter.

Parting Points: Sad passing- Mariners’ announcer Dave Niehaus

Happy Veteran’s Day!

Soar & Sore

2010-11-08T15:07:00.000-05:00

Dallas’ debacle season continued against the Packers on Sunday night. The Eagles edged the Colts by two in an intriguing, firework-like contest at the Linc. The upstart Raiders and Chiefs played a thrilling overtime game with the black-and-gold pulling through in the end. But the 1pm game between the New York Jets and Detroit Lions is the focus of this post.
The Jets soared to an overtime victory over the Lions in Detroit. New York improved to 6-2 and benefited from poor coaching, a little bit of green luck and another Lions’ choke job. Detroit fell to 2-6 on the year after suffering a heartbreaking 23-20 home loss. Nick Folk’s 36 yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter sent the game into an extra session. The Jets’ place kicker nailed a 30-yarder in overtime to lift the Jets over a sore Detroit squad. New York sits in first place in the AFC East after the Patriots were topped by Colt McCoy’s Cleveland club.
Matthew Stafford, the gifted signal caller for Detroit threw for a pair of touchdowns and 246 yards before leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter. Stafford suffered a shoulder injury and was replaced by Drew Stanton. Detroit coasted to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Brandon Pettigrew’s 10 yard reception. The Oklahoma State product hauled in Stafford’s pass after an 11 play drive at 9:16 in the first. The Jets did not answer until the clock read 3:57 in the second stanza. Folk planted a 31 yard field goal to cut the Lions’ lead to four. After a Detroit punt, the sloppy Jets (five fumbles) got the ball back. Facing third-and-nine, quarterback Mark Sanchez lofted a bomb downfield to Braylon Edwards. The Gang Green receiver made the 74 yard catch and ran it to the end zone with a minute left before halftime.
The Jets’ 10-7 advantage didn’t last long after the break. Detroit threatened to score on their first drive out of the locker room. Stafford drove the Lions inside the five yard line, but Detroit would have to settle for a field goal opportunity against Rex Ryan’s stingy defense. Jason Hanson’s kick was good, but New York was charged with a roughing-the-kicker penalty. The Lions had new life, albeit at the cost of their kicker. Stafford ran the ball in from one yard out after faking a handoff to Jahvid Best in the backfield. Defensive tackle and top draft pick, Ndamukong Suh replaced Hanson, but booted the extra point, making it 13-10 in favor of the Lions.
Neither team executed the run very efficiently. LaDainian Tomlinson was held to 55 yards on 15 carries for New York. Best rushed for a mere 48 yards in the loss. Nate Burleson’s two yard pass from Stafford with 3:17 left to play gave the Lions a ten point cushion. The Jets would soon erase that protection. Sanchez orchestrated a 56 yard drive on six plays, culminating in a one-yard quarterback scramble. Stanton had little success completing passes and running out the clock. The Lions afforded New York too much time, and after a Detroit punt, Folk planted the game-tying kick. In overtime, the Jets needed just five plays to race down the field. Santonio Holmes charged down the field and grabbed a 52 yard pass from Sanchez to set up the winning field goal. Holmes, the dynamic receiver from Ohio State, finisihed with 114 yards. Burleson nearly matched him, with 113, for the Lions. Sanchez finished with a career-high 323 yards, which makes sense when you look at the two bombs he threw for completions. The Jets are riding a seven game road winning streak as they head to Cleveland next Sunday.

Parting Points: The Yankees are pursuing Cliff Lee. Really!?

The Giants absolutely destroyed the Seahawks yesterday. It’s been a rough year for Pete Carroll.

Stinging Style Sparks Smiles

2010-11-06T06:51:00.000-04:00

For all its glitz and glamour, basketball is still a game created for the fundamentally-sound. James Naismith, who was born on this day in 1861 would, at the very least, smile at that notion. The rest of the professional game is all together “cringe-worthy”, some might argue. But there’s still that elementary excellence about the game that keeps people interested. It’s exhibited just enough to overlook a sport entwined with rap stars, unprofessionalism and showy slam dunk contests. Basketball is still, at its core, a game of agility, touch and balance. It’s a game of defense (although it’s been downplayed this decade), anticipation and footwork. Passing is paramount because basketball is a team sport. Last night the New Orleans Hornets won a team game. In my opinion, Tim Duncan and Chris Paul represent what basketball is all about. Paul was on display last night against the Miami Heat. Here’s a recap:
All Star Paul is the epitome of a point guard. He spreads the ball around to the offense and engages him teammates. The Hornets are off to a sizzling start, due in part to Paul’s incredible scoring and defensive abilities. The other part of the story is how New Orleans is playing basketball how the game is meant to be played. The Hornets are coming off a season in which they missed the post-season and are under the direction of a rookie coach. New Orleans defeated Miami 96-93 at home last night to improve to a franchise best 5-0 start. Emeka Okafor scored a team high 26 points for the Hornets. Okafor contributed 13 rebounds as the former UConn star evoked memories of his dominant college days. The 6’10” center went 12-of-13 from the field. Paul’s unique ability to distract defenders and his speed during the dribble enabled Okafor a big night. Paul finished with 19 assists, bucketing 13 points along the way. Five New Orleans shooters finished in double digits, proving team ball is the name of the game.
The Heat, propelled by Dwayne Wade’s 28 points, did not lead until late in the final quarter when LeBron James’ free throw put them up 90-89. James poured in 20 points in 41 minutes and Chris Bosh completed the Big Three scoring with 15 points. Wade also pulled down 10 rebounds in the loss. James dominated the assists column for Miami, with ten. Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas added a dime in points for the 4-2 Heat, who tried in vain to take the sting out of New Orleans. The Big Three’s tremendous efforts couldn’t overwhelm the opponent on Friday night. Paul set the game’s tempo from the beginning with repeated drives to the basket. He slipped through screens and stayed ahead of the defense with crossover dribbles most of the game. Miami’s rebounding was inconsistent, and Okafor proved too much for the Heat’s defense. The Heat rallied from 14 down and had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Eddie House missed a shot off the rim, preserving the Hornets’ honorable unblemished record.
The outlook for the Hornets looks supreme, especially if New Orleans can lessen Paul’s burden. Paul is shooting nearly 52% this season and the offense behind him has been solid. But it’s the defense that has New Orleans thriving. The Hornets are among league leaders in defensive efficiency. They have discouraged opponents from shooting by protecting the paint. The team-wide commitment and strategy is effective and plays to Okafor’s strength and size. The Hornets are also cleaning up on the glass. Rebounding is so fundamental to basketball and Monty Williams’ team ranks as one of basketball’s best. Marco Belinelli, Paul and backups Marcus Thornton and Willie Green are rebounding well above their career averages at this point in the season. Paul’s presence causes opponents to be weary of passing, and that usually results in careless turnovers. Opponents are paying attention to the aggressive Paul and the protection on the outside discourages penetration down the baseline. New Orleans’ defense has vastly improved from a season ago. The Hornets are a force to be reckoned with and nobody should be smiling about their style more than Mr. Basketball himself. Happy Birthday, Naismith.

Parting Points: Dismal Devils, just dismal!

Add to Heisman hopeful players involved in scandals: Cam Newton

Who is more aggravating than Nick Saban? Perhaps Brad Childress…

Speaking of Nick’s: Congrats to Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo. Wedding bells will be ringing. But why does the media insist on referring to (my baby) Nick as “Jessica Simpson’s ex?” Give the guy the respect he deserves, please.

Rutgers’ Reign Ruptured

2010-11-04T15:03:00.001-04:00

The Scarlet Knights sure would have liked to inject some of Ray Rice’s legs into their offense on Wednesday night. South Florida upset Rutgers 28-27 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Big East battle featured a rusher just as prolific as Rice, but he belonged to the Bulls. Moise Plancher ran for a career high 135 yards to help USF upend the Knights and improve to 5-3 on the season. Plancher, however, also nearly cost the Bulls the game. Offensive lineman, Jacob Sims, recovered Plancher’s fourth quarter fumble and returned it for the winning touchdown. Fans know the Big East is the laughingstock of college football this year, but Rutgers has been the toughest foe for South Florida since their entrance into the conference. The Bulls finally got over the hurdle last night with a one-point home victory.
South Florida snapped a four game losing streak behind B.J. Daniels’ two touchdown passes, a pair of field goals, a safety, and a fumble recovery for a score. Daniels finished with 149 yards through the air and was picked off once. He was 10-of-17 on the night. The USF signal caller connected for two first half touchdowns as the teams went into the locker room knotted at 17-17. Evan Landi’s four yard reception midway through the first quarter gave the Bulls a 7-0 edge. The touchdown was set up by Terrence Mitchell’s 47 yard punt return. Rutgers came back to tie the game with .44 seconds remaining in the opening stanza. Mason Robinson returned a punt 60 yards for the Scarlet Knights’ first touchdown.
Chas Dodd completed 19-of-22 passes for 139 yards behind center for Rutgers. Mohamed Sanu snagged seven passes and threw the only touchdown pass for the Knights. Sanu’s toss came late in the second quarter, with South Florida ahead by four. Rutgers recorded a field goal to begin the second quarter. The Bulls bounced back with Daniels’ second touchdown pass, a six yard pitch to wideout, Dontavia Bogan. Sanu’s 21 yard pass to Mark Harrison gave Rutgers a three point lead with 6:28 left in the half. Maikon Bonani kicked a 47 yard field goal to tie the game with less than a minute before the break.
Joe Martinek, who finished with -6 yards rushing, managed a one yard touchdown run to begin the second half and give Rutgers their biggest lead of the night. The Bulls were whistled for 35 penalty yards during the momentum-swinging series. Bonani’s 21 yard field goal cut the Scarlet Knight lead back to four points and a safety to end the third quarter cut the advantage to two. Kordell Young caught a screen pass in the end zone, but was tackled before crossing the line to give the Bulls a pair of points. Daniels was intercepted on the first play of the fourth quarter. The home team still trailed by five after Rutgers’ San San Te booted a 30 yard field goal. The safety net wasn’t enough for the Knights as the Bulls scored the game’s final, and winning, touchdown. Rutgers is now 4-4 on the season.

Parting Points: Motor-mouth in the Motor City? That’s right, Randy Moss is a Titan. Oh, and Buffalo claimed Shawn Merriman.

Does it get any worse for the NJ Devils? Martin Brodeur will bounce back, but Zach Parise is out for three months.

Sources say the NCAA is going to drop charges against Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez.

RIP Sparky Anderson.

Choice Champions

2010-11-02T15:16:00.001-04:00

They’re a team rich in history and on this Election Day, they are world champions. Willie Mays, Dusty Rhodes, and Johnny Antonelli are just three names from the last time the Giants were world champions. Leo Durocher was the team’s skipper and “The Catch” was the talk of the nation. Fifty-six years later, it’s Buster Posey, Cody Ross and Freddy Sanchez. I had a healthy disdain for Barry Bonds’ San Fransico Giants. I have to admit, the 2010 World Series champions are an easy team to fall in love with. Texas’ tenacious lineup never threatened San Francisco pitching. The Giants toppled Texas four games to one with dominant arms and timely hitting. The Rangers, a team who had no problem putting up 30 plus runs against New York, were shut out twice in five games. Texas’ offense went from decimation to deficiency. San Francisco battled Cliff Lee twice in the series and came out on the upside both times. On Monday, San Francisco’s 3-1 game five victory propelled them to a world championship. Now Giants fans are enjoying their most gratifying moment since the team’s move from the Polo Grounds.
The only disappointing thing about the Giants winning the series (except for it not being the Yankees) is Barry Zito’s benching. It would have been great for the veteran southpaw to pitch during the series, but who am I to argue with Bruce Bochy’s decision to leave him off the roster. Zito doesn’t have that devastating curveball he once possessed and has since been replaced by the likes of hurlers, Tim “The Freak” Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner. There’s no guarantee Zito would have been helpful in delivering the Giants their first title since 1954.
What accolades haven’t been said about Edgar Renteria? Renteria delivered three hits in game four and had the tie-breaking homer off C.J. Wilson in game two. He went 7-for-17 with six RBIs in the series. The speedy World Series MVP is as proven a clutch hitter as anyone. The 34 year old slugger who slapped a game winning single in game seven of the Fall Classic 13 years ago for Florida showed up again last night. Renteria ripped Lee’s cut fastball to center in the seventh inning Monday to become the unlikely hero of the World Series. The shortstop’s three RBIs broke a tie game and were all Lincecum needed to shut the door on the Rangers’ promising season. Lincecum outdueled Lee, adding another glorious feat to his already awesome career. He allowed a single run in eight frames last night. The Giants scored 29 runs over five games but their pitching strength cannot be undermined. Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner kept the Rangers quiet at the plate with a batting average against of only .190. As the old adage goes: Good pitching beats good hitting any day. Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants!

Parting Points: Best San Francisco band? It’s close. There’s Third Eye Blind, Journey, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Chris Isaak, and Santana. But, my choice would be Green Day.

Spartans Steamrolled on Saturday

2010-10-31T07:13:00.000-04:00

Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes massacred Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in Iowa City. The only undefeated team in the conference, MSU was crushed 37-6 in the Big 10 rivalry game at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa improved to 6-2 overall while the Spartans suffered their first loss of the season to drop to 8-1. Stanzi threw for 190 yards and three scores and Adam Robinson added a pair of touchdowns for the 18th ranked Hawkeyes.
The Spartans couldn’t get anything right in the first half. Michigan State quarterback, Kirk Cousins was picked off three times and the home team lead 30-0 by halftime. MSU struggled with the pass and with the run, while Iowa recorded 238 yards on offense during the first half. Iowa moved down the field 80 yards on their first drive and never looked back. Colin Sandeman snagged a three yard pass from Stanzi to tally the first Iowa touchdown. Michael Meyer legged a 37 yard field goal to give the Hawkeyes a 10-0 edge with 2:44 in the first stanza. Iowa completed their first quarter scoring with just ten seconds remaining to take a sizable 17-0 lead heading into the second. Micah Hyde pulled in a 66 yard interception return for a touchdown. Cousins’ short pitch to B.J. Cunningham was picked off by Iowa safety, Tyler Sash. Sash scrambled for six yards before relaying the ball to Hyde. The Hawkeye cornerback ran with a sense of purpose to the end zone as Iowa took advantage of the MSU turnover.
Shaun Prater intercepted another Cousins pass during the second quarter. Prater hustled to the Spartans’ 43 yard line, and three plays later the Hawkeyes were in the end zone again. Adam Robinson hauled in Stanzi’s 32 yard pass to put Iowa on top by 23 points. Robinson rushed for 69 yards in the win, including a third quarter touchdown from two yards out. Iowa kept pouring on the points after the half. Stanzi found an open Marvin McNutt for a 22 yard Iowa score to cap the third quarter. The Hawkeyes racked up 37 points before Mark Dantonio’s dismal squad even recorded one. But it would not be a shutout in Iowa City. The Spartans finally cracked the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter. Cousins hooked up with Cunningham after an 8 play drive to make it 37-6 in favor of the Kirk Ferentz’s team. Iowa held the Spartans to 31 yards passing and Cousins finished with 21-for-29before being replaced by Andrew Maxwell.

Parting Points: Another Buckeyes beatdown—this time against the hapless Minnesota Gophers.

It’s great to see the Texas Rangers finally making it a series with the Giants.

So, Alex Ovechkin scored two power play goals in 12 seconds. Is this really that surprising? He’s the most dangerous player in the NHL.

Happy Halloween!

Power at the Park

2010-10-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

Cliff Lee looked more out of place than like an ace last night in the opening game of the World Series. The Rangers’ stellar starter was battered by the Bay in Texas’ 11-7 drubbing by the Giants. San Francisco handed Lee his first career post-season loss as they attacked the lefty for six earned runs. Texas gave Lee a 2-0 lead early, but the Giants soon swung things in their favor to take game one at AT&T Park.
Freddy Sanchez doubled before Cody Ross and Aubrey Huff hammered two-out singles in the six run fifth frame to break a 2-2 tie and chase Lee from the game. Tim Lincecum pitched well after a shaky start for the Giants. The San Francisco starter botched a rundown in the first inning and was tagged for a run on a Vlad Guerrero base hit off his shin. The Rangers tallied a second run in the second off Lincecum on Elvis Andrus’ sacrifice fly, but the Giants forged a comeback in the third to tie the game. Michael Young booted a third base grounder by Edgar Renteria to begin the frame. Andres Torres was hit by a pitch following the error and Sanchez lined a double to put the NL champions on board. Buster Posey’s game tying single followed.
The Rangers committed four errors during the sloppy contest, including a one by Andrus in the bottom of the fifth as the Giant bats came alive. It was the biggest post-season inning for San Francisco since the 1937 World Series. Pat Burrell was the only hitter who did not record a hit for the home team. Lee fanned seven but the Giants were able to knock the ace around for eight hits. San Francisco also succeeded in keeping ALCS MVP, Josh Hamilton, hitless in four trips to the plate. Sanchez keyed San Francisco with four hits and contributed three RBIs. The powerful slugger stroked three doubles to set a World Series record. Huff accounted for three hits and a stolen base, and Juan Uribe added a solo homerun as the impressive Giants defeated the resolute Rangers.
Lincecum went 5 2/3 innings despite giving off little semblance of stardom to earn the win. He was effective enough and at one point retired 13 of 14 batters he faced. Lincecum left the game with an 8-4 advantage. Bruce Bochy used a harvest of relievers to retire the Rangers in the final four frames. Texas collected two runs in the sixth and three in the ninth to keep the score respectable. The Giants weren’t perfect on defense, committing three errors of their own. But the offense executed when it needed to, and the bullpen shut the door on a high scoring affair. The Giants send Matt Cain to the mound to oppose southpaw, C.J. Wilson in game two tonight in San Francisco.

Parting Points: Joe Girardi and the Yanks agreed on a three year contract.

San Francisco Snags Series in Sixth

2010-10-24T06:56:00.001-04:00

San Francisco is back in the World Series for the first time since 2002. The pitching-rich Giants topped the Philadelphia Phillies in game six last night 3-2 to win the National League Championship. San Francisco hosts the Rangers next Wednesday in game one of the World Series. The Giants are looking for their first world title since moving to the Bay Area. Philadelphia failed in their bid to become the first senior circuit team in 66 years to win three consecutive pennants. The Giants earned their 19th pennant in franchise history. Juan Uribe’s eighth inning homerun off Ryan Madson broke a 2-2 tie and the visiting Giants held on to become unlikely winners of the series.
The Phillies drew first blood in game six with a three hit first inning. San Francisco starter, Jonathan Sanchez, was pulled after two-plus innings. Sanchez walked Placido Polanco in the first inning and the speedy Philly advanced to second on a wild pitch. Chase Utley’s right field double send Polanco home before Jayson Werth made it a 2-0 Philadelphia edge later in the inning. Werth’s sacrifice fly scored Utley from third base to put the Giants in an early hole.
San Francisco scored a run in the third off 33 year old starter, Roy Oswalt. Oswalt yielded nine hits in six innings for the Phillies. He allowed back-to-back singles in the third and a sacrifice by Freddy Sanchez that put runners and second and third for the Giants. Aubrey Huff singled in one run before scoring himself on Polanco’s error at third base. The game remained tied even as Sanchez struggled on the mound. The Giants’ pitcher tossed six straight balls to begin the bottom of the third and then hit Utley in the back. Both benches and bullpens cleared during an altercation between pitcher and batter after the All-Star second baseman Utley flipped the ball back in Sanchez’s direction. No punches were thrown and nobody was ejected. The Giants managed to get out of the inning when Jeremy Affeldt buzzed through the Phillies’ order. Affeldt stayed perfect through the fourth and Madison Bumgardner took over in relief with similar success.
Madson relieved Oswalt beginning in the seventh. He fanned the first two Giants he faced before allowing a double by Freddy Sanchez. The Phillies escaped the inning but couldn’t do anything at the plate in their own half of the frame. Javier Lopez was solid in setting the defending NL champs down in order. In the eighth, Uribe pounced on Madson’s first pitch slider and the Giants were closer to bouncing the Phillies from contention. It was Uribe’s first long ball of the post-season but will forever be regarded as the one that sent the Giants to the 2010 Fall Classic. San Francisco’s Brian Wilson, who led the majors in saves this season, needed a line drive double play to end the bottom of the eighth. Wilson worked around two walks in the ninth before fanning struggling slugger, Ryan Howard, to end the game.

Parting Points: Mizzouri topped Oklahoma. Who will be number one in the BCS this week? My guess is Oregon.

The Devils benched Ilya Kovalchuk for undisclosed reasons. I already dislike John MacLean.

I’m so excited for the Sharapova-Vujacic engagement announcement. I think they should take Maria’s last name because Sasha Sharapova sounds terrific (and it’s alliteration)

Song of the day- “1983” by Neon Trees

Blasé Bombers Beaten

2010-10-23T06:40:00.000-04:00

Here’s a little irony: Former Texas slugger, Alex Rodriguez, struck out to end game six of the ALCS, sending the Rangers to their first ever World Series. Rodriguez was fanned by Neftali Feliz to seal the Rangers’ 6-1 victory over the defending champion New York Yankees. Texas begins their quest for a franchise-first title on Wednesday. They face the winner of the Philadelphia-San Francisco series. For New York and All-Star Rodriguez, it’s time to head home without back-to-back championships.
Yankees’ hurler, Phil Hughes, was charged with four runs in four 2/3 innings to take the loss. The beating started early for New York. Texas scored in the bottom of the first after Elvis Andrus led off with a double. ALCS MVP, Josh Hamilton, lined a single to left to advance the runner to third. Andrus came around to score on Vlad Guerrero’s infield groundout to put the Rangers up in the early going. Colby Lewis stunned New York’s offense, keeping the Yankees scoreless through four frames. Lewis spun a perfect second and third frame, and limited the defending champions to just three hits in eight innings. His only blemish was a fifth inning wild pitch that resulted in Rodriguez’s tally.
Hughes settled down to work around a couple base runners to keep it a one run game. He was blasted in the fifth. Mitch Moreland’s infield single was followed by a pair of groundouts. Hughes elected to issue an intentional pass to Hamilton with Moreland pacing the third base line, hungry to score. Guerrero stepped to the plate with two on and two outs, and promptly drove Hughes’ curveball to deep center. The outfielder’s two-run double signaled the end to Hughes’ evening. Dave Robertson replaced the rocked starter but didn’t offer any solace for the Yankees. Robertson allowed an inside fastball to Nelson Cruz to clear the centerfield wall. The Rangers were up 5-1 just like that.
Texas would add to their four run lead in the seventh, while the Yankees inept swings continued to plague the team. New York never threatened the rest of the game and were victims to nine strikeouts. Lance Berkman’s two out triple in the seventh was a mere waste after the first baseman was stranded in scoring position. Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera were summoned from the bullpen down the stretch, but it was New York’s starting pitching and offense that failed them this series. Rodriguez froze on a slider from Cruz to end any hope of a game seven for the Yankees. Texas outscored the Bombers 21-6 during the six games they played. Now the World Series is coming to Texas.

Parting Points: I’m happy for Nolan Ryan. Great pitcher, and deserving of seeing his team in the Fall Classic. Too bad it had to be at the Yankees’ expense. I’m also happy for ten-year Ranger, Michael Young. He seems like a great guy on and off the field.

In the words of Jakob Dylan- “Nothing is forever”

Fiery Phils Follow Flub with Fight

2010-10-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Phillies forced a game six in the NLCS after climbing out to an early lead and holding on against the hometown Giants. The defending NL champions defeated San Francisco 4-2 in a pitching rematch between game one starters, Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum. The Phillies escaped McCovey Cove by stealing a win from the Giants and ace Lincecum. The San Francisco hurler tossed seven innings of two run ball, but his defense arguably cost him the win in the third inning. Halladay was stellar in his second start of the NLCS, battling through six innings to keep the Phillies’ season alive. The Giants still have the edge 3-2 as the series heads back to the city of brotherly love.
The Giants scored first Thursday night, picking up a run in the first inning on Buster Posey’s fielder’s choice. In the top of the third, San Francisco’s infield handed the Phillies a 3-1 lead. Had it not been for the Giant giveaways, perhaps San Francisco would be headed to the World Series. But the home team’s sloppy defense and miscues gave the Phillies the drive they needed to kill the Giants’ momentum. Raul Ibanez singled off Lincecum and Carlos Ruiz was hit by an inside fastball to begin the frame. A questionable Halladay sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third for outfield slugger, Shane Victorino. The vicious Victorino was ruled safe at second on an error by Giants’ first baseman, Aubrey Huff. The ball bounced off Huff’s glove and skirted into the outfield to score a pair of runs. Victorino scored on a base hit by second baseman, Chase Utley, five pitches later.
San Francisco got one run back in the fourth. Back-to-back doubles by Pat Burrell and Cody Ross resulted in the Giants’ second tally of the game. Philadelphia got out of the jam by throwing out Ross, who tested Jayson Werth’s arm while attempting to tag up on Pablo Sandoval’s fly ball to right field. Halladay buckled down the rest of the game to keep the Giants off the scoreboard and the Phillies’ one run advantage intact. Philadelphia added an insurance run on Werth’s ninth inning homerun off Ramon Ramirez. Closer, Brad Lidge, was called upon to shut down the Giants in the bottom of the ninth. Lidge earned the three out save with just ten pitches. Lincecum suffered the loss for San Francisco, despite striking out seven batters.

Parting Points: Song for Friday- “I Alone” by Live

Texas Trounce 'Em

2010-10-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

The Bombers are on the brink of elimination. The defending world champion Yankees find themselves in grim position after losing game four of the ALCS to the Rangers last night at the stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees lost 10-3 and now face a must-win situation for the rest of the series. Texas grabbed a 3-1 lead in the seven game set and has the added advantage of throwing Cliff Lee should there be a game seven in Arlington. The Bombers, meanwhile, are just hoping the series goes back to Texas. Not only was New York defeated for the third straight game and second at home, but they also lost All-Star first baseman, Mark Teixeira for the remainder of the playoffs. The powerful switch-hitting slugger suffered a strained hamstring in the fifth inning on Tuesday.
Notoriously shaky starter, A.J. Burnett, turned in a decent performance for the pinstripes through six innings. He retired the first six batters he faced and looked sharp going perfect through two innings. Burnett was pitching on 17 days’ rest but held the Texas offense in check through the initial frames. The Yankees didn’t exactly help their struggling starter by lighting up the scoreboard. New York managed a measly three runs on seven hits against Texas pitching. Robinson Cano, seemingly the only Bomber who can actually blast bombs, belted a solo homerun in the second innings off Tommy Hunter. The Rangers got the run back in the top of the third, and tacked on another tally off the wild Burnett. Burnett’s wild pitch was followed by a hit batter to put runners at first and second for Elvis Andrus. The leadoff shortstop’s stroked an RBI grounder to first to tie the game. Michael Young’s infield single made it 2-1 Texas.
The Yankees got one run lead back in the bottom of the third. Curtis Granderson knocked in a run with a two-out single off Hunter. Brett Gardner’s grounder scored Alex Rodriguez to give the home team a 3-2 advantage in the fourth. Burnett preserved the lead in the fourth escaped a fifth frame jam before allowing the Rangers to take the lead for good on Molina’s sixth inning homerun. Texas’s three spot was followed by an annihilation of the Bombers’ bullpen the rest of the contest. The Rangers tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh on MVP-candidate, Josh Hamilton’s long ball. Hamilton homered off Boone Logan for a 6-3 Texas lead. Yankee reliever, Joba Chamberlain yielded a Vlad Guerrero double and walked Nelson Cruz on four pitches before Ian Kinsler’s RBI base hit.
Derek Holland gave Texas 3 2/3 innings of relief to earn the win. In the ninth, the Rangers continued to feast off the Yankee bullpen to win in convincing fashion. Hamilton hammered his second homerun off Sergio Mitre to lead off the frame. Cruz added a solo shot after driving a 0-2 offering from the 29 year old reliever. Former Bomber, Darren Oliver, closed out the game in the bottom of the ninth for visiting Texas. Oliver had little trouble in retiring the Yankees in order to wrap up the victory. The Yankees’ chances of winning three consecutive decisions is slight. They will have to do so without their first baseman. Eduardo Nunez is expected to replace Teixeira. Game five is today at 4pm. Yankee ace, C.C. Sabathia opposes Texas’ C.J. Wilson in a rematch of game one. If the wildcard-winning Yanks are going to return to the Fall Classic, they’ll have to do it on the road in seven games.

Parting Points: Will Melo be traded?

Lance Berkman is playing first base this afternoon for the Yanks.

Lincoln Logs Loss

2010-10-17T08:36:00.001-04:00

Legs Lift Longhorns at Lincoln

There were a few upsets in college football on Saturday. Notably, Nebraska fell 20-13 to unranked Texas at Memorial Stadium. Heisman hyped quarterback, Taylor Martinez and the number five Cornhuskers had 94 penalty yards and couldn’t stop the Texas rush in their bid to go 6-0 for the first time since 2001. The Longhorns were led by sophomore, Garrett Gilbert. Gilbert’s dazzling display behind center accounted for two rushing touchdowns as the visitors took a 17-3 advantage into the intermission. Garrett finished with 62 yards through the air and scampered for 71 more. Mack Brown’s Longhorns snapped a three game losing streak and improved to 4-2 overall in a rematch of last season’s Big 12 championship.
Justin Tucker’s 27 yard field goal five minutes into the first quarter put Texas on the board. The hosts couldn’t garner a first down on their first possession and fumbled the ball away on their second. Texas took full advantage of the Husker miscues. The Longhorns attacked with the run, unleashing their lanky quarterback to set up the first touchdown of the game. Gilbert raced three yards on the fifth play of a 21 yard drive to give the Longhorns a 10-0 lead midway through the opening quarter. The visitors’ dialed-up defense demolished the high octane, ambivalent Husker offense.
The Huskers scored early in the second quarter on Alex Henery’s 45 yard field goal, but the punted away their final two possessions of the quarter. The Longhorns’ defense smothered the mobile Martinez by employing two defenders on the freshman sensation. Martinez completed just 4-of-12 passes and was pulled from the game after rushing for a mere 21 yards. Texas’ passing game was nonexistent, but Gilbert did convert a crucial third down pass to set up a one yard touchdown run before the half. Gilbert found junior running back, Foswhitt Whittaker, for a 41 yard grab to extend the drive.
Tucker booted a second field goal to open the third quarter scoring and pad the visitor’s lead to 20-3. Nebraska, with Zac Lee replacing Martinez, managed a field goal late in the third to cut the deficit to two scores. Texas chewed up over three minutes of the clock and the Longhorn defense stopped Nebraska on fourth down with seven minutes to play. Eric Haag broke a school record with a 95 yard punt return for a touchdown. It was the Huskers’ only touchdown of the game and it occurred with 3:02 remaining in the contest. Texas recovered a key onside kick and were aided by a Nebraska penalty to snag a fresh set of downs. The nine point underdog Longhorns ran out the clock on a game they were never expected to win. Nebraska’s offense was held to 202 yards and Martinez was outrushed by Gilbert by 50 yards. You could argue Brown’s team beat the Huskers at their own game on Saturday.

Parting Points: Terrible day yesterday for this sports fan. First, the Yankees’ atrocious pitching continued as Phil Hughes was shelled in Texas. The Yankees couldn’t overcome a five run deficit for the second time in less than 24 hours. Then, the real heartache came after the Badgers from Wisconsin knocked out number one, Ohio State, in Madison. Bummer. Ever hear of a pass rush, Buckeyes?

Crazy Comeback

2010-10-16T06:52:00.000-04:00

It was an ALCS game one comeback no one will soon forget. Never underestimate the New York Yankees. The Bombers clipped the Texas Rangers 6-5 in Arlington on Friday night in the opening game of the ALCS. New York trailed 5-1 through seven innings before rallying in the eighth to take a one run advantage and a 1-0 lead in the seven game series.
C.C. Sabathia struggled mightily pitching on eight days’ rest. Texas bashed the lefty around in the first innings for three runs on three hits. The Rangers batted around and would have extended their remarkable first frame had it not been for a terrific tag at the plate by Sabathia. After tossing a wild pitch, Sabathia made an athletic play to nail a sliding Nelson Cruz for the inning’s final out. Josh Hamilton pounded a three run homerun to give the home team a 3-0 advantage in the first. The Rangers added a pair of runs in the third to jump off to a 5-0 edge against the defending champions. Michael Young’s opposite field double was drilled to right-center to expand the Texas lead.
C.J. Wilson pitched a gem through the early innings for Texas. Wilson did not allow a run as the sluggish Yankee offense was turned away at the plate. The Texas hurler worked out of several jams and looked in good position to earn the post-season victory after cruising through seven. But the Bombers were determined to drive the ball and overcome Sabathia's bleak beginning. Sabathia was pulled after just four frames and 93 pitches. He was replaced by Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain succeeded in preventing the game from getting any worse. Dustin Moseley was brought in during the sixth and seventh as the middle relievers combined for three scoreless innings.
New York finally put up a run in the top of the seventh. Second base All-Star, Robinson Cano, hammered a 1-1 offering to right for a homerun. In the eighth, things started to unravel for the Rangers as the Yankees sparked a come-from-behind rally in Texas. Wilson was knocked out of the game after allowing Derek Jeter’s run-scoring double. It was the third earned run by the Texas tosser, but the Rangers’ lead was still intact. Darren Oliver, former Yankee reliever, took over for Wilson. The southpaw slinger loaded the bases by walking the only two batters he faced before manager, Ron Washington, pulled him too. Side-arming right-hander, Darren O’Day, was summoned from the bullpen to face Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez ripped O’Day’s first pitch down the third base line for a two-run single. And just like that, the Rangers’ lead was narrowed to 5-4. Cano plated the tying run off Clay Rapada and ARod advanced to third on Hamilton’s error to set up the go-ahead tally. Rapada was replaced by young lefty, Derek Holland as Texas’ fifth pitcher of the frame. Holland failed to record an out before yielding a broken bat single by Marcus Thames that drove in Arod. Hollad retired the next three Yankees but the Bombers’ damage was already done. Cano led all hitters with three hits and two RBIs as New York spoiled Wilson’s seven serviceable innings.
Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera sealed the Yankee win with two scoreless innings. Wood worked around a leadoff walk in the eight and Rivera dusted off a base hit to strand the Texas base runners and earn the save. Mosley was credited with the win in front of the sellout crowd Friday. Moseley tossed two innings of middle relief and struck out four. Game two pits Colby Lewis against New York’s 18-game winner, Phil Hughes.

Parting Points: What a game last night. It reminded me a bit of the 2003 ALCS, but without the Aaron Boone walk off homer. This is why you never count out the Yanks, and why baseball is still the best game ever.

Buckeyes-Badgers today. Big road test for the Buckeyes.

Song of the day- “Love Song for No One” by John Mayer

“You wanted something beautiful…you wished for something true”- Foo Fighters

Thursday Take-Twos (Entropy Edition)

2010-10-14T15:29:00.001-04:00

I’m all over the place today…
Terrelle Pryor should most definitely be considered for the Heisman Trophy. The Ohio State quarterback went from a spastic slinging sophomore to an upstanding upperclassman. Pryor has been instrumental in paving the way for the Buckeyes’ number one ranking this season. His ability to scramble in the pocket and composure behind center are pivotal to Ohio State’s success. If the junior signal caller beats Wisconsin in Badger nation this Saturday, he should be the front-running Heisman candidate. Granted, Ohio State’s schedule prior to this weekend hasn’t been the most demanding slate in college football. But the Buckeyes are still winning all their games. I don’t side with those who say Pryor still has plenty to prove. He is already establishing himself as one of the game’s best quarterbacks. Pryor ranks sixth in passer efficiency and his dangerous legs are enough to diminish any defense in the Big 10. Pryor has matured into a legitimate and flourishing football player. He will be tested at Camp Randall this Saturday, where is reputation as a 19 year old rookie began. Pryor stole the show in a three point OSU victory two years ago in Madison. Now number two is a high performing player ready to be challenged by the redemption-seeking Badgers.
Have you heard of Josh Luchs? Well, you should pick up a copy of the latest Sports Illustrated. In the article, Luchs contends he paid many professional players while they were college stars. Former sports agent, Luchs, represented over 60 professional players and was a dogged recruiter during his career. Now the Brooklyn native is confessing and admitting to paying thousands of players. Luchs is leaving the agent business after years of treating prospects to free meals, lavish gifts and showing them a good time. Luchs is coming clean in part to save his reputation. He doesn’t want his daughter to know her father as a cheater who broke NCAA rules. Santonio Holmes is named in the article, not for taking money from Luchs, but for accepting money from another agent. Holmes has denied the allegations he was compensated during college. Stories such as this get to me because it makes college football look bad. Holmes is a former Ohio State player. He’s been to the Superbowl with the Steelers, I don’t like seeing players I root for conveyed in this manner. It’s one thing for Holmes to be disrespected following a substance abuse violation (which he was earlier this year). But it’s another for players to be singled out (ie Reggie Bush) for a widespread problem. Whether or not the allegations are true, the university is not to blame. The NCAA has a duty to protect their student athletes. Players are responsible for their own actions, and coaches and team personnel need to be aware of the impact of sports agents. It’s becoming more and more apparent that the violations are problematic to the sport.
Yankee manager, Joe Girardi, celebrates a birthday today. Perhaps A.J. Burnett will give him a belated gift by actually being effective during the ALCS against the Texas Rangers. The series begins Friday night in Texas, with the home team coming off their first ever post-season series win. New York ace, C.C. Sabathia, opposes Texas’ C.J. Wilson in a battle of the initial first names. Girardi altered the rotation, going with Phil Hughes in game two. Andy Pettitte will throw game three in New York, which leaves the door open for him to pitch the deciding game seven, if necessary. Burnett threw a simulated game yesterday and hit two batters. Yankee fans have miniscule confidence in the former World Series hurler, but Girardi made the correct decision in tagging Burnett as the game four starter. If Burnett was left out of the rotation, the other starters would have to throw on short rest. In the post-season, that is a risk. Here’s hoping Burnett can pull himself together for a credible performance. Texas’ CY Young ace, Cliff Lee, will be a tough match for the Bomber offense. The Rangers are a hungry team right now, and they did sweep the Yankees in New York less than a month ago. I expect a competitive series but I like New York in five or six games.

Parting Points: “Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry”- Brandy

Braves Bid Bobby (Good)Bye

2010-10-12T18:03:00.000-04:00

The drought is over for the celebratory champions of the National League West. The Giants won their first playoff series in eight seasons Monday after defeating the Braves in Bobby Cox’s last game as Atlanta’s skipper. Cox announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2010 season earlier in the year. Last night, the manager was hoping his legacy would last another day in the best-of-five series with San Francisco. The series was tense right up until the final out. Every game of the NLDS was decided by one run, culminating with the Giants’ 3-2 victory in Game 4 at Turner Field. The Braves were plagued by miscues during the thrilling series and couldn’t find a way to beat some of the league’s best pitchers in the post-season.
Derek Lowe pitched hitless baseball for the Braves through six solid innings. Lowe was pitching on just three days’ rest but showed no signs of sluggishness. He destroyed San Francisco hitters, fanning eight total batters. Depleted with injuries to standout players, Atlanta was unable extend Cox’s career however. It was the West coast Giants that quieted a packed stadium on the East coast. The Giants did just enough to advance to face the Phillies in the conference championship. After trailing 1-0 in the sixth, San Francisco tied the game when Cody Ross pasted a homerun off Lowe. The Braves plated a run in the bottom of the sixth to retake a one run lead. Brian McCann homered off second year hurler, Madison Bumgarner. The Giants’ flamethrower went six innings and allowed six hits. He struck out five and walked one batter during his post-season debut. Giants starters have stupefied the opposition, allowing just three earned runs during the NLDS’s 29 innings.
The Braves had their chances. They stranded nine men on base and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Giants overcame the Braves’ one run lead for the second time with Ross’ hitting heroics in the seventh. The 29 year old outfielder drove in the winning run on a punch to left field. Buster Posey scored on the base hit off Atlanta’s Jonny Venters. The Giants were helped by Atlanta errors for the third time in their three victories. Shortstop, Alex Gonzalez, was the guilty party for the Braves on Monday night. Gonzalez’s costly blunder in the decisive seventh allowed the tying run to score. Aided by shaky Atlanta defense and reliable relief pitching, San Francisco shut down the home team and seized the series. Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson combined to slam the door on the Braves’ promising season in Cox’s final game.

Parting Points: I’m disappointed in Favre’s behavior and the fact that the Jets are 4-1.

Why Do I Wait

2010-10-11T19:25:00.003-04:00

(A song I wrote)

Why do I wait
And think of your sweet face
Why do I hold on to the night
Like it was something that was mine
Is it enough to say goodbye
Or will you pull me back in time

I’m staying strong but I’m not moving on
I hear your voice, you’ve made your choice
Still I’m not sold with what you told
You look at me as if a dream
I’m in love and I’m sure you’re with me

Why do I still see your eyes
You are gone and I’m feeling sorry
But I know it’s you who worries
As we stay in our separate places
I swear to you, I know we’ll make it
Is it ever gonna be the same
Or am I a fool in a losing game

Hoping you Home

2010-10-11T18:42:00.001-04:00

I can’t erase the strain
The broken-hearted pain
The intensity of our plans
In the richness of your hands
Tumbling out of sight
When everything used to be right
I miss loving you
Counting on you too
I feel lost in disguise
Without your lovely eyes
The games we used to play
Meaning nothing if you don’t stay
As I sit here and I cry
I think I’d give another try
I know only of forgiveness
And remember only your kiss
The day you saved my heart
From dissembling to falling apart
The night you opened up inside
I couldn’t duplicate if I tried
All the deep affection
Immersed in your reflection
Still, you’re far away
To hear the words I say
So I write another poem
And hope you will come home

2010-10-06T03:22:00.000-04:00

On Blogcation...will return next week.

Baseball playoff time!

Buckeye Breather

2010-10-03T07:20:00.001-04:00

They can take a few deep breaths in Columbus after a close call in week five of college football. Second-ranked, Ohio State too their undefeated campaign to Champaign, Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Buckeyes’ Big 10 opener proved to be a battle, with the nation’s number two team prevailing 24-13. Ohio State overcame a rather grim melee during their first road trip of the season. The scrappy 2-2 Fighting Illini tested visiting OSU at Memorial Stadium, holding the Bucks to their fewest yards in 11 games. But the Buckeyes milked the clock, relying on a bonified defense and robust running game to stave off the Illini. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor completed 9-of-16 passes for just 76 yards. The Ohio State signal caller threw two touchdowns and was intercepted once in Jim Tressel’s 99th win as Buckeyes’ head coach. Pryor was also injured, missing chunks of the conference contest’s third quarter. The junior slinger suffered a strained thigh muscle, but returned to finish the game.
The Buckeyes went three-and-out to start the game in red-clad Memorial Stadium. Illinois quarterback, Nathan Scheelhaase’s three yard run gave the home team a 7-0 edge midway through the first stanza. Scheelhaase converted a 3rd-and-9 to Jarred Fayson to keep the chains moving for Illinois and scored on a third down scramble moments later for the game’s first touchdown. Ohio State’s defense uncharacteristically gave up a touchdown and five first downs in the first quarter, but found their rhythm the rest of the game. Scheelhaase was sacked three times and picked off once in the loss. He was held without a touchdown despite tossing over 100 yards and completing over half of his 22 passes.
Brandon Saine finished off a 74 yard Ohio State drive by hauling in an eight yard pass from Pryor on the fourth play of the drive. Saine’s touchdown tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter. Illinois took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter on Derek Dimke’s 27 yard field goal with 1:50 remaining. The Buckeyes were determined not to go into the break trialing the unranked Illini by three. The Illini dominated time of possession in the first half. Ohio State held the ball for just over 13 minutes, but it was the final 45 seconds that changed the game’s momentum in favor of the scarlet and gray. Pryor found Dane Sanzenbacher in the end zone for an 11 yard touchdown as the first half ended. Just like that OSU carried a four point lead into the locker room. Sanzenbacher finished with three receptions for 35 yards and a score. The Buckeyes would not trail again.
Ohio State still led 14-10 heading into the fourth quarter after neither team found the end zone in the third. The third quarter featured a trade of turnovers. Jermale Hines intercepted Scheelhaase to give OSU a first down at the Illini 44. Joe Bauserman, filling in for the injured Pryor, overthrew his receiver and gave the ball right back to the home team. Pryor returned before the start of the fourth quarter and threw the ball four times. The Buckeyes had 20 rushes after Pryor’s return. Dan Herron ran for 95 yards during the game. Pryor orchestrated a 59 yard drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes of the third and fourth quarter. The Buckeye defense was strong, holding 100-yard rusher, Mike Leshoure to 80 yards.
Devin Barclay created some breathing room for the Bucks with a 32-yarder through the uprights with 8:27 left on the clock. Dimke gave the Illini another three, pulling the home team within four points with less than five minutes remaining. The Illini were faced with a 4th-and-7 with four minutes remaining, but chose to punt instead of go for the first down. They never got another chance. Herron, with just six yards at halftime, pounded out 89 yards in the second half. The tailback stamped home the final touchdown of the day on a six yard run and an 11 point margin. OSU was helped by an offsides call on Illini cornerback, Justin Green. The Bucks were aided by an Illini penalty earlier in the game also. The extra point attempt following Saine’s touchdown was blocked, but a penalty against Ron Zook’s team gave Barclay a second kick.

Parting Points: The Yankees split the twinbill with the Sox. Now it’s time to win the division. At least Andy Pettitte looked solid.

Winning the West

2010-10-01T15:14:00.000-04:00

The San Francisco Giants are one win away from their first NL West division crown since 2003. San Francisco’s 4-1 triumph over the Diamondbacks coupled with the Padres’ slip-up to the Chicago Cubs pits the Giants in ideal position heading into this weekend’s series. The Giants play San Diego beginning tonight, and unless the Padres sweep the Giants at A T & T Park, Bruch Bochy’s club will be headed to the playoffs. The Giants have been on a tear as of late, winning eight of their last ten and sweeping the Diamondbacks in three games. Last night, Arizona slapped seven hits but crossed the plate just once. The Giants garnered six hits but tallied a more productive four runs.
Madison Bumgarner and Barry Enright battled in a pairing of rookie hurlers on Thursday night. Bumgarner, looking for his first ever victory at home for the Giants, pitched out of jams to earn the win. The San Francisco rookie southpaw surrendered one run through five frames. He struck out seven to stave off the Diamondbacks and give the Giants their 91st win this season. Enright struggled in his start, allowing three homeruns through five innings of work. Arizona’s offense didn’t help the rookie. The Diamondbacks stranded a runner on second base in each of the first four innings as Enright suffered his fifth loss in his last five tries. The Giants were the first team to light up the scoreboard when Pablo Sandoval deposited a fastball off Enright into McCovey Cove for a 1-0 lead. It was the third baseman’s 13th long ball of the season and 62nd RBI.
The Diamondbacks evened the contest in the fourth inning after loading the bases against Bumgarner. The Giants’ 21 year old hurler limited the damage to a single tally via Enright’s sacrifice fly. Bumgarner was bashed around in the fifth on back-to-back one out singles, but remained composed and got the final two outs to keep the ball game tied 1-1. In the San Francisco half of the fifth, Andres Torres gave the Giants a one-run advantage when he 16th homerun landed over the right-center field wall. The leadoff centerfielder had two hits Thursday night and also stole his 25th base of the year.
Rookie-of-the-year candidate, Buster Posey, pulled the Giants ahead by three with some sixth inning fireworks. Posey’s two run drive followed Aubrey Huff’s leadoff walk and was the 16th time the Giants have clubbed one out in their last seven games. San Francisco used a trio of relievers to pen down the DBacks the rest of the game. A three run cushion was all the bullpen needed to contain the ailing Arizona offense. Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo and Ramon Ramirez held Arizona hitless through four frames. Ramirez picked up the save in place of Bochy’s usual closer, Brian Wilson. Wilson will be well-rested for the upcoming series against San Diego. The Giants’ pitching staff leads the majors in strikeouts, and has already topped the single-season franchise record for K’s. San Francisco looks to pitching sensation, Matt Cain, when they try to win the West this evening.

Parting Points: October kickoff!

I guess the Mets will be hunting for a new manager next season. Joe Torre anyone?

No mock turtlenecks on the NBA sidelines? Hmm, I hope college football doesn’t follow suit and start banning sweater vests.

Talking Thoughts

2010-09-28T15:14:00.000-04:00

It’s time to pen a few of the impervious thoughts racing around in my head. I’ll begin with the good:
Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor’s profound performance last Saturday earned him the Big 10 Offensive Player of Week. The honor marks the first time since Beanie Wells in November 2008 a Buckeye has been awarded the accolade. Pryor’s six touchdown passes against Eastern Michigan gave him the weekly honor, something no other Buckeyes quarterback has ever received. Of course, who else would the Big 10 choose than the player who commandeered an 83 point slashing of an opponent? Ohio State’s 83 points was the highest total put up by the scarlet and gray since 1950—and the team the Buckeyes faced that day was Iowa. OSU pens up conference play against Illinois this Saturday.
It smells like Guillen spirit on the South Side (that’s a Nirvana reference for the musically-deficient readers) The colorful Chicago coach is set to return to the Whitesox for the 2011 season. This is a good thing for the Sox, and for baseball. Ozzie Guillen could be described as basically any “o” adjective in the dictionary. He’s outrageous, outlandish, obnoxious and outspoken. Ozzie’s over-the-top style of managing is also outstanding. He isn’t just a passionate observer of the game, like most of today’s skippers. Nope, Ozzie goes out of his way to be stubborn. Guillen over-manages at times, sitting his more talented players in place of experienced veterans. His crazy antics have often gotten Guillen into truckloads of trouble, unnecessarily. But still, the Venezuelan native has a tremendous heart when it comes to winning baseball games. Guillen is a two time World Series champion manager, including just five seasons ago with the pale hoes. That same 2005 season, he was dubbed the AL Manager of the Year. The Sox have a winning record since Guillen took over the team in 2004. The Whitesox will not be competing in the post-season under Guillen in 2010. Ozzie wasn’t the best manager in his division (Ron Gardenhire deserves that honor). But would Whitesox fans really want to see the offensive heart of the team leave? Certainly, the coach is culpable for a lousy season, but Ozzie knows the x’s and o’s of managing. I would trust him with my team. You might not like his demeanor, but you can appreciate his spirit.
I’m happy for Roy Halladay. Halladay has been one of the hottest hurlers this decade and has finally punched his ticket to the playoffs with the Phillies. If anyone deserves a World Series ring, it’s this CY Young pitcher. However, I do not care to see Philadelphia win the World Series….which leads me to
And now for the bad:
The Phillies are clearly the team to beat. Any club anticipating a World Series championship will likely go through the city of brotherly love. And with the NL earning home-field advantage, that’s a scary thought for this Yankees fan.
I’ve learned through the years not to lose sleep at night over my team losing. So when the Cowboys dropped their first two games, I didn’t cry or pout. I did, however, lose hope in them. Dallas damaged their colossal aspirations and are in a dire position despite winning their first game last Sunday. The Cowboys are not a great team. They will not win the NFC East in stomping style, like most analysts predicted in the preseason. Tony Romo continues to prove he’s a mediocre, mistake-prone thrower. The offensive line is unraveling and porous in pressure situations. Special teams is terrifyingly tainted and the defense is inconsistent at best. But the most harmful impairment are the glaring penalties. In the NFL, you cannot win games when you have flags called against you. Just ask the Packers , who last night suffered a woeful loss to the Bears because they were whistled one too many times. Dallas is the same way. The ‘Boys lost in week one when Alex Baron was tagged with a hold call at the end of the game. That type of carelessness is costly in the NFL. The Cowboys will not be competitive if they continue to be crippled with detrimental calls.
A.J. Burnett. Really, what else is there to say? Maybe I could ask why this guy is even given the ball in the first place. Awful A.J. has done zippo for the Bombers and deserves every rip against him. Burnett is a pitiful 1-7 with an inexcusable near 7.0 ERA since August. The Yankees’ lefty took the mound last night and was smacked around in a 7-5 loss to the Bluejays. His former team battered him for seven runs in just under three frames. If Joe Girardi kept Burnett out of the post-season rotation (assuming the Yankees do in fact clinch) I would not complain. Burnett has allowed a first-inning run in 21 of his 32 starts this season. Who is to say he won’t do the same in division series, where runs are at a premium and one run often is the difference between a win and a loss? You could argue Burnett is only partially to blame for last night’s loss because the inept offense was fanned nine times. I beg to differ. The Yankees still put up five runs. If it weren’t for Burnett’s second shortest outing of the season, they wouldn’t have had to dig out of such a large hole in the first place. Pitching counts in baseball because it sets the tone for the offense. I can see why the Yankees are underperforming at the plate. Why should they try when their pitcher is pounded in every one of his starts? And even with a legitimate lead, an incompetent bullpen isn’t going to cut it.

Parting Points: Check out the new Gin Blossoms album out today. It sounds great.

Dolphins Dumped in Division Draw

2010-09-27T15:01:00.000-04:00

The New York Jets joined the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots atop the AFC East. New York finished off the Dolphins in a 31-23 week three victory Sunday night in Miami. Dustin Keller grabbed a pair of touchdowns and Braylon Edwards had 87 receiving yards to pave the way for the 2-1 Jets, who forced Miami out of first place. Edwards hauled in a 67 yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to give New York the lead for good in the third quarter. Running back, Ladainian Tomlinson capped off the night with a one yard touchdown run with 1:55 remaining in the contest.
Chad Henne completed 26-of-44 passes for the Dolphins and had his best game of the season in Miami’s first loss. Henne spread the ball to seven different receivers and twice found the end zone for touchdowns. The Miami signal caller struggled through the first quarter against the Jets typically stout coverage in the red zone. He seemingly missed a touchdown when he overthrew former Ohio State wideout, Brian Hartline, on the game’s first drive. Former Dolphin, Jason Taylor, sacked Henne in the first quarter to damage the drive for Miami. Henne improved, going 9-of-10 through the air as the Dolphins got on the scoreboard late in the second quarter.
Sanchez was brilliant for the second week in a row for Gang Green. The USC alum tied a career-high with three touchdown passes and tossed for 256 yards in his third consecutive start without a pick. Sanchez hooked up with Keller on a 24 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put the Jets ahead 7-0. The Jets’ quarterback connected with Keller again in the second quarter on a 12 yard pass and 14-0 New York edge. The Dolphins answered with 17 straight points, including a three yard pass from Henne to Anthony Fasano and a Dan Carpenter 44 yard kick that cut the Jets’ lead to four points at the half. The Jets defense didn’t blitz Henne and the Dolphins’ offensive line protected the quarterback long enough for him to make plays.
Ricky Williams fumbled the football in the third quarter for Miami, but a replay challenged overturned the call and the Dolphins proceeded down the field to the end zone. Henne sparkled, converting three third downs before completing a 11 yard pass to Brandon Marshall. Marshall had his best game since arriving in Miami via Denver. The receiver led all players with 166 yards on ten receptions. With Miami clinging to a 17-14 advantage, the Jets launched a one-play drive midway through the third quarter to forge ahead. Sanchez hit his maligned receiver on an out route down the left sideline for his third touchdown of the game.
Carpenter footed a 20 yard field goal to end the third quarter scoring and pull Miami within a point of tying the game. After a Miami blocked punt, Jets’ placekicker, Nick Folk, planted a 30 yard field goal through the uprights with eight minutes remaining in the final stanza. The field goal exchanges continued with Carpenter’s third, a lengthy 50 yarder that again cut New York’s lead to one. But the defense from New York stopped Miami’s offense to fend off their last attempt. The Jets stopped the Dolphiins on four consecutive plays in the red zone, culminating with a Drew Coleman interception of Henne. Tomlinson pounded home the final touchdown of the night to seal the deal for Gang Green.

Parting Points: Song for Monday- “Green Grow the Rushes” by REM

Happy Birthday to Michael Jack Schmidt.

Fourth & Final

2010-09-24T15:02:00.000-04:00

It was the fourth game of the series, and final of the season, between the Yankees and Rays Thursday night. New York settled for a series split after dropping a 10-3 decision in the Bronx. The Rays’ seven run sixth inning overpowered the Bombers and trimmed Tampa to within a half-game of the division. The win also gave the wildcard-leading Rays a 10-8 season series edge against their AL East rivals. Yankee ace, C.C. Sabathia, allowed seven runs on ten hits while laboring through five innings. Sabathia was outdueled by Rays’ 18 game winner, David Price. Price yielded eight hits in six innings, limiting the Bombers to three runs while fanning seven.
Marcus Thames provided the Bombers with a 2-0 advantage with a second inning homerun, and the Yankees added a tally in the fifth on Nick Swisher’s single. Sabathia gave one run back in the third on Ben Zobrist’s single, before allowing a season high seven runs when the night was over. New York’s 3-1 lead vanished in the top of the sixth. Sabathia’s pitch count stood at 76 against the relentless Rays heading into the fateful frame. Carl Crawford helped rally the Rays with a single off Sabathia. Evan Longoria followed with a double to place runners in scoring position visiting Tampa. Rocco Baldelli plated Crawford with a soft grounder, and Willie Aybar pummeled the Yankee lefty with a base hit to tie the game. Kelly Shopach then walked to load the bases. Sean Rodriguez fought off a full count to draw a walk and bring in another Rays’ run against Sabathia. Joba Chamberlain, on his birthday, was summoned from the Bombers’ bullpen to replace the starter with Tampa ahead 4-3. B.J. Upton greeted Chamberlain by slugging a double off the reliever. Upton’s double increased Tampa’s lead to 6-3 as they batted around in the sixth. Crawford plated two more runs in the frame and finished the with three hits on the evening.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Yankees threatened by loading the bases. Mark Teixeria tried to help the Bombers grab a few runs back, but Price got the All-star switch-hitter to fly out to end the inning. Javier Vazquez worked the New York seventh, matching a major league record by hitting three straight batters. Shoppach was pegged to force in a run before pinch-hit sensation, Dan Johnson, lofted a sacrifice fly for a 10-3 Rays’ lead. Vazquez regained control to finish off the Rays in the eighth and ninth, but the Yankee offense couldn’t string anything together against Tampa’s bullpen. Joe Girardi, New York skipper, pulled most of his starters by the final innings. New York has six games remaining against Boston, and three with Toronto. The Rays’ schedule is a lighter one and includes contests with Baltimore, Kansas City and Seattle. It appears the Rays have a leg up in the division race, but there are still nearly two weeks of baseball remaining on the season.

Parting Points: “Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.”- F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Ails of Autumn

2010-09-22T17:08:00.003-04:00

I’ll never be able to tell you how I feel,
For even if I could break through the tears you brought,
I wouldn’t be able to show you the shedding of my heart.
Through the winds that wily whispered,
Wholly offering my love for your dear regard,
The frailty of my falling was stronger than the autumn brushing you beside.
It is not quite time to usher in our season,
For all I knew, I wish not to know again,
Because when it’s clear the wringing of my eyes begins.

Happy Fall all!

Super Saints Survive Sixth Straight

2010-09-21T15:02:00.001-04:00

New Orleans nipped the 49ers for the sixth straight time on Monday night at Candlestick Park. Drew Brees spoiled San Francisco’s bid for their first win when he connected with Marques Colston on a 30 yard play in the final minutes. Colston’s reception set up Garrett Hartley’s game winning 37 yard field goal as time expired to give the visiting Saints a 25-22 victory. New Orleans is 2-0 for the second consecutive season, while the Niners are 0-2 for the first time in six years.
Brees threw for 254 yards and a pair of scores. The 31 year old former Purdue signal caller completed 28 of 38 passes and orchestrated the game winning 51 yard drive. The Saints climbed out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter after a Reggie Bush touchdown followed up a two point safety on the game’s third play. New Orleans capitalized on San Francisco turnovers throughout the game. San Francisco finished with four turnovers on a night the franchise honored Hall-of-Fame receiver, Jerry Rice. Niners’ quarterback, Alex Smith, was picked off by Roman Harper in the first quarter, and Malcom Jenkins recovered a Niners’ fumble before the half. The 49ers outgained the Saints by nearly double in yards, and Smith showed glimpses of promise. Still, the Saints’ high-octane offense and tight defense was too much for Mike Singletary’s Niners. San Francisco didn’t help their cause either. Delanie Walker fumbled at the eight yard line in the second quarter, and two of Smith’s passes were deflected for interceptions deep in Saints territory. New Orleans, meanwhile, appeared in midseason form to keep the Niners winless.
Smith went 23-for-32 with 275 yards through the air. His only touchdown pass came in the second quarter, when he hit Frank Gore from 12 yards out to cut the Saints’ lead to 9-7. Gore, one of the league’s top rushers, ran for 112 yards on 20 carries. For Gore, it was the 21st time he raced for over 100 yard, breaking a franchise record. It was Anthony Dixon, the Niners backup rusher however, who scored the team’s second touchdown of the game. Dixon crossed the endzone in the third quarter to lift San Francisco to a 14-9 advantage. The Saints answered with Brees’ three-yard pass to David Thomas with less than two minutes in the third quarter to retake the lead.
Hartley notched a pair of field goals in the final quarter as New Orleans seized a 22-14 lead with 2:22 remaining in the game. Bush was carted off the field in the fourth with a leg injury after carrying the ball just five times for four yards. Smith needed just 53 seconds to move the Niners 82 yards. The eight play drive concluded with Gore’s 7 yard touchdown run with 1:19 left. The Niners went for two and Smith’s dart to Vernon Davis was overturned after an initial incompletion. At 22-22, the teams looked poised for overtime until Brees led the Saints on a 7 play drive down the field to set up the winning field goal. Hartley, who booted the game-winner against Minnesota to send the Saints to the Superbowl, barely made it through the uprights on Monday. But he did, and the Saints went on to win their second game of the season.

Parting Points: Gut feelings- The Phillies and Yankees will take their divisions.

Song of the day- “Yesterday’s Letter” by 98 degrees

2010-09-19T07:07:00.001-04:00

Athlete Alliteration is two years old today!

Braves Benefit from Blunder

2010-09-18T06:56:00.000-04:00

Jason Heyward’s three run homerun capped a six-run fourth inning on Friday for the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field in New York. The Atlanta rookie helped the Braves win 6-4 over the Mets, and stay three games behind the Phillies in the NL East race. The Braves still lead the NL Wildcard and pushed their advantage to a full game over the Padres. All six runs in the fourth frame were unearned after an error by Mets’ third baseman, David Wright. Tommy Hanson turned in six innings of five hit ball to get the win for Atlanta. Billy Wagner earned his 34th save with a perfect ninth frame.
The Mets led 1-0 in the second following an Ike Davis walk and a pair of base hits by Josh Thole and Lucas Duda. New York added two more runs in the frame off the Braves’ right-hander. Mets’ pitcher, Jon Niese added a single and Jose Reyes drove in the third run to give the home team a 3-0 edge. Atlanta would get all three runs back and then some during a four-hit fourth.
Wright misplayed a ground ball by leadoff man, Matt Diaz, to begin the inning. The Mets recorded two outs before Derrek Lee scored on a Melky Cabrera RBI single for the first Atlanta tally. After he withstood a shaky second inning, Hanson drew a full count walk to load the bases in the fourth. The Braves’ comeback rally was just starting. Omar Infante doubled off Niese to score a pair of runs, and Heyward followed with a three run blast. It was the 18th of the season for the young right-fielder.
Hanson allowed one run in the bottom of the fourth. Duda smacked a 2-0 offering for a solo homer, his first of the season. It provided the Mets some temporary life in a game that already saw Atlanta skipper, Bobby Cox, ejected during the second inning. But the Braves’ bullpen handled the rest, posting zeros through the final five frames. Hanson is now 10-11 as a starter. He won for the just the second time in his last 14 games and was previously 0-4 in his last six road starts. Niese fell to an even 9-9 on the season as the Mets’ four game winning streak was snapped.

Parting Points: A bunch of duds on the college football slate today…

Bearcats Bludgeoned

2010-09-17T15:41:00.001-04:00

The Bearcats sorely miss Brian Kelly, as evidenced by their sputtering offense and 1-2 record. First year head coach, Butch Jones’ Cincinnati football team gained some momentum in Thursday night’s second half, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the undefeated Wolfpack. North Carolina State crushed Cincinnati 30-19 to improve to 3-0 on the young season. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wolfpack to a non-conference win in Raleigh. NC State is 3-0 for the first time under Coach Tom O’Brien.
The Wolfpack offense was clicking on all cylinders Thursday night, but the five sack performance by the defense could also be attributed to the victory. Even special teams played into the stellar showing, with a blocked punt that set up another NC State touchdown. Jay Smith’s 16 yard touchdown catch in the first quarter riled the Carter-Finley Stadium crowd and put the Wolfpack on top 7-0. The home team scored again with 5:21 remaining in the opening quarter on a 31 yard run by Mustafa Greene. Greene scampered around the right end of to cross the goal line and hand the Bearcats a 14-0 deficit.
Wilson spread the ball to 11 different receivers throughout the contest, finishing with 26 completions on 40 attempts. UC quarterback, Zach Collaros, meanwhile, went 19-for-31. Collaros matched Wilson in touchdowns, with three scores. The Cincinnati signal caller also tossed for over 300 yards and carried the ball 22 times for 32 yards. D.J. Woods grabbed two touchdown passes and led the Bearcat receivers with 146 yards. Woods hauled in a 68 yard pass from Collaros in the second quarter to put Cincinnati on the board. The Bearcats wouldn’t score again until the final stanza, when Woods’ 20 yard catch closed the gap to 30-13. It was all Wolfpack sandwiched in between Woods’ touchdowns. NC State scored with one minute left in the first half to carry a 20-7 lead into the break. Curtis Underwood caught a 12 yard pass from Wilson to cap the first half scoring, but Josh Czajkowski missed the point after attempt. The touchdown drive was made possible by Jarvis Williams’ 33 yard set-up followed by a pair of Greene rushes. Williams logged a team high 111 yards on just four catches. The Wolfpack’s first half touchdowns both came on 93 yard drives as NC State continued to eat up yardage and control the clock.
Cincinnati ‘s defense held the Wolfpack to three points during the third quarter and the offense appeared to pick up steam heading into the final session. A blocked punt set up Taylor Gentry’s 8 yard score as NC State posted a 30-7 advantage to begin the fourth quarter. Cincinnati answered one minute late with Wood’s 20 yard touchdown pass. Marcus Barnett’s 13 yard reception added some Cincinnati credibility with less than a minute in the game. The Bearcats unsuccessfully attempted a two point conversion, however. The visitors lost the game, despite outscoring NC State 12-10 in the second half.

Parting Points: Just like that, the SF Giants are in first place. No surprise here.

I think San Fran will take the division easily.
Sources say Don Mattingly will replace Joe Torre as Dodgers’ manager at the end of the season.

Song for Friday- Toni Braxton’s “How Could an Angel Break my Heart”

Tight Tussle in Tampa

2010-09-16T15:05:00.001-04:00

The Yankees dropped a 4-3 decision to the Tampa Rays in the rubber match of a three game set at Tropicana Field Wednesday night. Phil Hughes allowed the go-ahead blast in the seventh inning with the Bombers clinging to a 3-2 lead. Dan Johnson’s two run shot lifted the Rays into first place in the AL East, handing New York the series loss in a crucial playoff-like series. Johnson highlighted the Rays’ offense with two long balls and all four Tampa RBIs.
The Yankee bats came up empty in clutch situations after the visitors belted three hits in the top of the first. Rays’ starter, James Shields scattered eight hits and fanned eight Bombers to earn the win. The Tampa hurler escaped first inning trouble to put up zeros against the Yankee offense the remainder of his solid outing. Shields pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed one run before handing the game over to his bullpen. The Rays didn’t score against Hughes until the bottom of the fifth. He was perfect until Tampa third baseman, Evan Longoria, lifted a single to center. Longoria scored on Johnson’s full count homerun.
Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning. The umpires awarded the Yankee captain a free base, but the decision stirred up controversy in the Tampa dugout. The result caused the ejection of Rays’ manager, Joe Maddon. Bombers’ centerfielder, Curtis Granderson, clubbed a two-run bomb off reliever, Chad Qualls following the ejection. Granderson’s 18th homerun of the year gave the Yankees a one-run lead. Matt Joyce worked the count against Hughes in the bottom of the seventh before notching a two-out base hit. Johnson drilled his second homerun to drive in Joyce and end Hughes’ night. The former Oakland prospect has four multi-homer games in his career. He has five homers since being called up last month.
Tampa’s Grant Balfour pitched out of trouble after relieving a Randy Choate in the eighth. Balfour retired Marcus Thames, Austin Kearns and Colin Curtis, leaving two runners stranded for the Yankees. Joba Chamberlain faced four batters and was effective in retiring the Rays in the bottom of the eighth frame. All-star first baseman, Mark Teixeira drew a two-out walk in the ninth off Tampa’s Rafael Soriano. Alex Rodriguez couldn’t muster a hit off the closer to keep the inning alive. Soriano fanned Arod for the game’s final out and picked up his 43rd save of the season for the first place Rays. Tampa has won four of their last six games, and faces the Yankees four more times beginning Monday.

Parting Points: The 2005 Heisman has been vacated. Thoughts?

Is this what it takes to be in first place?
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?affiliateId=facebook_share&content_id=12092851&topic_id&c_id=mlb

15-0

2010-09-15T15:55:00.001-04:00

I remember the moment I tried to forget him
They all looked at me
In my cyan/white on green
But what they couldn’t see
In the calm September scene
Past the brick-walled rooms
By the picnic table foods
Through the heavy bus fumes
Were my heart’s unstable moods
The longing for his touch
As the gentle wind’s gust
Brushed with every racquet clutch
Hoisting lonely shoestring dust
Captured the moment surreal
Where I thought I would prevail
Standing on the baseline to feel
Fifteen-love, without fail
But even my strongest serves
Whistling over the net unheard
The ones with bends and curves
Couldn’t shake my mind of that one word