tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51121061276635140232024-02-19T23:21:47.054-08:00Sports are FishyA Biased Opinion on Everything SportsMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-71332344275306263592016-03-30T16:32:00.000-07:002016-03-30T16:32:01.785-07:00Professional Basketball - The NBA All-Cancer TeamHello Sports Fans!<br />
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Before I begin receiving hate mail, let me go ahead and clarify the subject of this blog post. No, I am not advocating for the wide spread death of professional basketball players. I'm not wishing for them to have cancer, I'm not talking about players who might have cancer, I'm not even looking at the patient charts of family members who may have previously had cancer indicating a higher risk in athletes due to genetics and the proximity to sweaty towels. This post has absolutely nothing to do with real-life serious illness.<br />
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So then, what in the world AM I talking about? Well, for those of you not aware, an athlete who's referred to as a cancer is simply a player who destroys the organization for which he/she is working. Like actual cancer, this player infiltrates a previously healthy "body," spreads negativity like wild fire, has no true cure, and eventually causes the team to shut down into complete sucktitude (credit: Edge and Christian for their masterful use of the English language).<br />
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In order to identify players that classify as cancers, I've decided to break down the athletes into three specific groups:<br />
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First Team All-Cancer: These players are individuals who are currently active in the NBA, have played for a minimum of two teams in their career, and have never won an NBA Championship. They are also generally classified as "Superstars" for their sometimes gaudy statistics, ridiculous salaries, and that one time you saw them in a shoe, car, or soup commercial.<br />
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Second Team All-Cancer: This group consists of active players who may not meet all (or any) of the previously mentioned criteria for First Team status.<br />
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Third Team All-Cancer: Third Team has no rules! This is pretty much any person who may or may not have ever played basketball but it certainly NOT an active player in the Association.<br />
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In order to seem like an actual All-Whatever Team, I will select 5 individuals to complete the "lineup" in each category. While the positions of the players don't matter for Second or Third Team, I'll go ahead and put together a realistic starting lineup representing all five positions for the First Team. Shall we begin?<br />
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<u>First Team All-Cancer</u><br />
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<b>Center - Dwight Howard</b>: If there was an MVP award for the All-Cancer Team, Dwight Howard would be a co-winner. Early in his career, Dwight seemed like a budding superstar with unlimited potential. He started off with the Orlando Magic and almost immediately elevated that squad to championship-contenders. After quite a few good years in Orlando, Howard became unusually ornery and was not-so-secretive about his desire to leave the city. The fan base that previously adored him were quickly soured and Superman (as he calls himself) was finally moved to the LA Lakers. Do you remember when Howard played for the Lakers? No? That's because the filmmakers of Men in Black from Hollywood hit you with that little flashy thingy and removed it from your mind. Unfortunately they never flashed me and I was stuck watching #12 destroy the Lakers from the inside, including completely refusing to co-exist with Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest players and winners of all time. Dwight is now in Houston playing for the Rockets where ... he is doing the exact same thing. Again. Different city, same jerk. Now, apparently, he is interested in moving back to Orlando!? He's going to be the first person in history that Disney refuses to take money from just so that nobody accidentally riots against him in line for Space Mountain. Bad PR.<br />
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<b>Power Forward - Amar'e Stoudemire</b>: First of all, who the heck puts an apostrophe there, seriously?! But I digress. Remember like 25 years ago when Amar'e was one of the most dominant big men in the NBA and if you used him in video games he could dunk on King Kong? When he first started with the Suns (Phoenix people, Phoenix) this man-beast was a stud. He was a leader on the court, contributed great things towards team success, and appeared to be the face of the organization. I don't really remember where it all went wrong, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with an injury, starting to wear glasses while he played, and sand in his, umm, lady parts. Long story short, the Suns started playing like crap, Amar'e moved to New York where he was paid way too much by a dumb office staff, and he's been little more than a bench player since. "When the moon meets your eye like a big pizza pie, that's Amar'e!"<br />
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<b>Small Forward - Carmelo Anthony</b>: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your team captain and co-winner of the MVP award. There's a rumor that Grey's Anatomy will be placing a picture of Carmelo Anthony in it's fairly large volume on cancer information. That's how bad this individual is for your team. If it wasn't for the fact that he won a National Championship in college (I'll admit, star players can do such things on that level), Carmelo would probably go down as the biggest sports cancer of all time, in any game! Yes, even more than that guy that once played for that team in that city that you're thinking of when he did that thing that will never be forgotten by that commentator who brings it up everytime that show is on. As an NBA player, Anthony has always been one of the faces of the league and a guy who is viewed as a figurehead of the sport. However, on the court, he's a lazy ball hog that rarely plays defense and shoots more than the Confederate Army in the Civil War. Each year he seems to have a nice stat-line because he takes so many stinking shots. As a result, not one but two franchises have failed to meet their perceived potential with him as the leader and he's never been anywhere close to an NBA Championship. They won't even let him take a picture with the one in the Hall of Fame. It's pretty sad that he's not even the best Melo playing basketball! That honor goes to the guy at the University of Maryland who was supposed to compete for national player of the year but instead led his team to an early tournament exit because he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn since December.<br />
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<b>Shooting Guard - James Harden</b>: For those of you who are hardcore into sports, you know James Harden as the guy who plays crazy-hard on offense, has a great but inconsistent jump shot, and takes a nap for 24 seconds anytime his group is on the defensive end of the floor. For those of you not into sports as much, you know James Harden as the dude with the beard that keeps showing up for no reason in all of those commercials that have absolutely nothing to do with sports. Harden has now played with two teams, and while he doesn't completely sink the ship like some of the other guys on this team, he is hardly a winner. He has no rings to his credit and doesn't seem to be closing in on one anytime soon. The best teams he was a part of were consistently the annual Thunder squads and he wasn't even good enough to be a starter. Then he moved to Houston, became the star of the franchise (which really pisses Dwight Howard off) and they've never gone to the NBA Finals under his leadership. Now listen, I get the superstition that athletes have where they don't shave when their team is playing well. I'll even admit that I'm doing the same thing as long as my Tar Heels are still in the NCAA Tournament. But what's Harden's excuse, his team sucks?!? Maybe he just needs a new razor ...<br />
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<b>Point Guard - Chris Paul</b>: I really can't believe I'm even going here. This one even surprises me and I'm the guy who is making all of the decisions! Ever since CP3 started at Wake Forest, he seemed to be one of the good guys in the sport. He plays smart, he works hard, and he has excellent performance to show for it. Year in and year out, Paul is selected as an NBA All Star and his skill on the court just can't be denied. The only problem is, he doesn't win. I mean, yeah, his teams are usually pretty good and he's the guy who makes them pretty good. But he's also had the opportunity to play with other stars on both the Hornets and Clippers without it making a difference. For a guy who has been making a boat load of money for over 10 years now in the NBA, he really should have a championship to show for it. But he doesn't. And that's why he's on this list. I don't have a whole lot bad to say about Paul and honestly he's the only guy on this list that has any chance of being a future champion. He's going to turn 31 this year and his professional clock is ticking, so we'll have to see what happens to him the remainder of this decade. PS - For those of you who don't know who Chris Paul is, yes you do. He's the dude with the twin brother who sells insurance on the TV commercials. Or is it real estate? I don't really know, I just remember seeing him dressed up like a preppy with glasses and quietly laugh to myself.<br />
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<u>Second Team All-Cancer</u><br />
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<b>Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook</b>: So, I'm going to cheat a little bit here and count two people as one player on the All-Cancer Team. Why am I doing this you ask? Well, at this point, I'm convinced that at least one of these two guys is a cancer on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The only problem is, I don't know which one it is or if it's actually both of them. Without a doubt both players are incredibly talented and can be the star of the game on any given night. They're All-Stars, league MVP contenders, and their team is always one of the better ones in the Western Conference. Better, but not best. They have never won a league championship and quite frankly I don't see it happening as long as they're together. Both individuals have shown flashes of arrogance, have been not-so-great to the media, and don't seem to elevate the performance of others around them. Multiple rumors have been swirling about Durant leaving OKC for another team and then we may finally find out who the bad egg is in this duo. My guess ... both.<br />
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<b>Derrick Rose</b>: If it wasn't for the fact that he's spent his entire career on the same team, Rose would be a First Teamer without any question. Here's a guy that came out of college with all of the talent (and expectations) in the world. Physically gifted, hard-working, high basketball IQ ... but no ability to be a team player and winner. Derrick is always going to be one of two things in Chicago: the star player who shines brightly without actually winning anything or the second fiddle who's almost invisible on the court and does more damage than good. Over the last few years Rose has suffered repetitive serious injuries yet continues to demand max contracts and star treatment. Even though he's done nothing to help his club the last couple of years, a few months ago he was threatening to leave Chicago for more money because he needs to take care of his family. Really? Can't do that on $20,000,000 a year? Must be rough.<br />
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<b>John Wall</b>: I debated for a bit whether Wall deserved to be on this list but then committed to it when I heard last night that this is his sixth season in the league. Holy crap time flies when you're having fun. It wasn't that long ago that Wall was a star player at Kentucky going number 1 in the draft with expectations of being the next great point guard. And, while he's done fairly well in terms of individual performance, there is no indication that he is ever going to be a consistent winner in the game. A point guard's primary purpose is to make the people around him better and I really can't see where he's doing that. I couldn't name another player on his team right now (the Washington Bullets ... err ... the Washington Wizards) and that just tells me that he's not sharing the ball the way he's supposed to be. He's kinda like the food at your favorite Mexican restaurant ... sounds great on paper, looks pretty decent when it's in front of you, but you don't want to see what happens after the initial deliciousness!<br />
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<b>Anthony Davis</b>: OK, I admit, maybe I'm being a little harsh on this one because the dude has only been in the league for three years. For that reason, you can consider this a projection more than a statement on current and past performance. Davis is a young stud (again, another Kentucky guy) who appears to have an incredibly high ceiling. In college all he could really do was block shots and dunk the ball but since getting drafted (again, first overall) he has really improved his ball handling and outside shooting. He's a much more well rounded player than a couple of years ago and before this season started the NBA owners voted that he would be league MVP this year. Guess what, they were wrong. Despite all of the praise being thrown his way and the anticipation that the Pelicans would compete for the Eastern Conference this year, Davis ended up calling it quits on the season early due to injuries and his team is a whopping 27-46 this year. Not only will they miss the playoffs, but who the hell names a professional sports team the Pelicans??? Of all the things New Orleans is known for, this was the best they could come up with? How about the New Orleans Voodoo? The New Orleans Beignets? The New Orleans Our Houses Are Under Water (too soon?)?<br />
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<b>M. Plumlee</b>: Every ... damn ... one ... of ... them. No explanation required.<br />
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<b>Sixth Man - Anderson Varejao</b>: I'm not going to put Varejao on the starting lineup because for the last month or two he's been on the Warriors team that is looking to break every record in NBA history. But still, he deserves at least an honorable mention. For a guy who's 7 feet tall and looks to be athletic, he's got to be the biggest [nickname for a cat] that I've ever seen in pro sports. He also needs to clean the sand out of his [squint at the name of the state located just above North Carolina] because he complains so much on the court. He's lucky to be surrounded by amazing talent now because his negative attitude might be the biggest reason Lebron has yet to win a ring in Cleveland.<br />
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<u>Third Team All-Cancer</u><br />
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<b>Shaq</b>: Yeah, I said it, and I'm not taking it back. I honestly don't care how many rings he has, I don't care that he's going to be in the Hall of Fame, and I don't care that he shattered a backboard at LSU. Shaq was a product of great players around him and would not have won a single championship if it wasn't for Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade. Picture this if you will ... instead of a basketball court looking the way it does right now, let me propose an alternate layout. While looking at the court from above, find the point in which the baskets are directly above the hardwood. Now, draw a circle with a radius of 5 feet around that center point on both ends of the court. Following me? I know it's been awhile since some of you took high school geometry. Anyway, go ahead and completely cut out those circles and replace the spots where the wood used to be with holes 25 feet deep. I don't want anyone to die, so you can put a mattress at the bottom of the holes with a ladder to climb out. If this is what the NBA court looked like, here would be Shaq's career numbers: 0.0 Points Per Game, 0.0 Rebounds Per Game, 1.2 Assists Per Game (he was a decent-ish passer), and 0.1 Blocks Per Game. My point? The guy had success because he was enormous and forced his body on smaller men. He had zero actual skill. That's why he never won a title in Orlando, never won in Phoenix, couldn't get it done in Cleveland. No Kobe and Dwayne, no rings.<br />
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<b>Allen Iverson</b>: Without question, Iverson is one of the most skilled players the game of basketball has ever seen. He revolutionized the crossover, left his guts on the court every night, and proved that a small guy could be successful in a tall person's league. However, you likely noticed he never won a championship. The reason for that was his attitude. Yes, I'm talking about practice. Practice. I'm talking about practice. That press conference alone demonstrates why Iverson was a team cancer. The focus was always on him and it was about him being a star, not acting like a great teammate. He clearly didn't care about what happened before or after games and he was just as well known for his poor demeanor as he was for his outstanding ball skills. Go ahead and name a single player that Iverson was ever teammates with. You can't do it, can you? That's because it was always "The Answer" all the time. Practice.<br />
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<b>Buddy Hield</b>: I'm giving Buddy Hield the nod as my official futures-prediction for All-Cancer status. As many of you know, particularly right now, Buddy has evolved into one of the most dominant players in college basketball this season. His effort is tremendous, his shooting is exceptional, and he might very well win a National Championship in less than a week (though I'm clearly hoping my Heels take that honor). The problem is, he likes to showboat and be the center of attention and I don't really see his success translating to the next level. Hield will likely be named the Wooden Award Winner this year as College Basketball's MVP. While that says a lot about his skills at Oklahoma, it doesn't necessarily translate into success in the NBA. The last Wooden winner to go on to be a star for an NBA Championship winning team was Tim Duncan who won the award in 1997. A couple of guys like Andrew Bogut have won championships, but they did so as role players and not franchise centerpieces. Buddy plays like Steph Curry and acts like Carmelo Anthony. I don't see great things ahead for him.<br />
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<b>Reggie Miller</b>: This one is actually a little tough for me. I know I'm biased because I grew up a Knicks fan and Reggie was one of our most hated rivals. I recognize that he was one of the great shooters of all time and probably the only reason his Pacers teams were ever any good. But then I think deeper about his attitude, on and off the court antics, and the general celebrity he became while playing the game. When you think of Reggie's career (aside from shooting threes), the first accomplishments that come to mind were feuding with Spike Lee, fighting with John Starks, and attempting to climb out of his sister's shadow. With all of these considerations in mind, perhaps Reggie was actually his own worst enemy. There is no doubt that each of these things was a distraction for his club and provided ammunition for his opponents to want to grind his smug little face into the floor. He didn't really grow up until late in his career and by that time he was no longer athletic enough to carry the team on his back without help. At the end of the day, Reggie may very well be the cancer that prevented the Pacers from winning a title. Kind of ironic considering he's also the greatest player in franchise history. Maybe they should have drafted what's his name from Indiana after all (go watch the 30 For 30 ESPN produced about Reggie, you'll see what I'm talking about).<br />
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<b>Lane Kiffin</b>: Yes, I'm aware that Lane Kiffin is not a basketball player. But, if you recall the rules of the Third Team, there are no rules! I'm going to ignore the fact that Kiffin was the Offensive Coordinator for this year's national champions because he was operating under Nick Saban who I'm sure kept him in check. What I'm focusing on is how he single handedly destroyed the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers, and USC Trojans. I can't remember ever seeing a coach before who continued to receive great opportunity after great opportunity without having any success in their career. No really, he had zero! Sure, I'll give him some credit for being a decent assistant coach early in his career at USC. But once he received his first head coaching job in Oakland, he did absolutely nothing. He was a front office nightmare, a loose cannon in his decision making, and pretty much lost anywhere he went. It would be like the CEO of Ruth's Chris calling up the guy who one time put the right amount of salt on the fries at McDonalds and said "Hey there, how would you like to be the executive chef at one of our most prestigious locations in the middle of Manhattan?" Then, after he got fired because he thought filet mignon was ten Jewish guys sitting around eating flounder, he receives a call from the CEO of the Ritz Carlton asking him to be the new Catering Director in Hollywood. It just makes absolutely no sense.<br />
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<b>Sixth Man - </b><b>M. Plumlee</b>: Every ... damn ... one ... of ... them.<br />
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So there you have it, my First, Second and Third Team All-Cancer squad! If you don't agree with any of my choices, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Go ahead and email me at YourOpinionDoesn'tMatter@IDontGiveADamn.org.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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- Fishy<br />
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<br />Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-13861086703698850622015-12-24T15:05:00.000-08:002015-12-24T15:05:48.938-08:00Professional Football - An Open Letter to the NFL<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Dear NFL Teams,</div>
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Congratulations, we are only two weeks away from
completing yet another successful regular season of professional football!
Well, I suppose successful is a relative term ... It is true that we have made
it through the fall with some exciting games, intriguing storylines, and a
fairly open look at who might be the eventual winner of the big game on the
first Sunday in February. Then again, it feels like half the NFL roster has
been hurt at one point or another, concussions are more controversial than ever,
and Tom Brady's balls are not lacking for air (or playing time). Whichever side
of the coin you're on, one thing has remained true ... we both love your game
and hate your game all at the same time (curse you fantasy football!).</div>
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Since this is the holiday season and a time to once again
reflect on the months that have passed us by, I have decided to give you all a
very special gift this year. For your Christmas treat, I am writing this open
letter to give each and every one of you a piece of my mind! Some of you will
receives presents of praise and others will receive condescension of coal. So
sit back, relax, and enjoy a little truth-telling as we discuss my feelings on
each and every one of the 32 franchises comprising our beloved fraternity ...</div>
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<b><u>Arizona
Cardinals</u></b> - Oh how I wish I had written this letter just one week ago.
Had I done so, I would have told you how impressed I was by the season you were
having, how you've avoided the injury bug plaguing the NFL, and how you had a
first class ticket to this year's Super Bowl. But then, Sunday happened.
Specifically, "beware of the Honeybadger" turned into "the tear
of the Honeybadger." While I still believe you have enough weapons to make
it all the way to the top, the road just got a lot more treacherous. Hopefully
you have a secret replacement just waiting in the wings who can pick up where
#32 left off ...</div>
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<b><u>Atlanta Falcons</u></b>
- What the hell?! No really ... I have no clue what the hell is going on here.
A couple of weeks ago I was in the car with my brother listening to Dan
Lebatard on ESPN Radio. During the broadcast, the ever sarcastic one offered up
this piece of brilliance: "I have a question for our audience that is
going to blow your mind. I want you to really think about this for a minute.
Are you sure ... Matt Ryan is ACTUALLY good?" I might have slightly
paraphrased that a bit, but you get the idea. Ever since he came out of Boston
College, I've believed that Matty Ice is one of the elite QB's in the league.
But now, I'm not so sure. You have Julio Jones (one of the best receivers in
football), Devonta Freeman (one of the best young running backs in football),
and a new head coach who used to run the tenacious defense in Seattle. I hate
to say it, but all signs of this year's lackluster play point to one guy, and
I'm not really sure if he's good or not!</div>
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<b><u>Baltimore
Ravens</u></b> - I think I just broke a finger typing this introduction. Can
you refer me to a good surgeon? Oh, you can?! Well that's probably because 2/3
of your roster are in the doctor's office right now for evaluation and
treatment! Here's my Christmas tip for you ... invest in a better strength and
conditioning coach! You've lost every significant player on your team this year
to a major injury. If you can't find a way to stay healthy in 2016 perhaps I
can enroll you in an outstanding insurance plan ...</div>
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<b><u>Buffalo Bills</u></b>
- Hey, remember back when people thought you were good?! No really, those were
the days. I remember it like it was just September ... Week 1 of the NFL
season. After a training camp where nobody knew who would be starting under
center for your franchise, you all came out and whipped the Indianapolis Colts
on national television and made Tyrod Taylor look like Joe Montana. Heck, I
even put you in the playoffs in my one-week-too-late season predictions! Oops.
I guess it was fun while it lasted. Maybe next year, right Rex?</div>
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<b><u>Carolina
Panthers</u></b> - Cam Newton, I'm looking at you. I DON'T LIKE YOU. And I
don't mean in the same way I hate the Patriots because they're stupid good
looking and stupid successful and stupid winners and stupid stupid stupid. No,
I don't like you because I think you're a fraud. Ever since you're little
"Suggestion Box" press conference a couple of years ago I've thought
you were an immature *insert adult word here* who was lucky as heck to be
athletically gifted. Now I see all the charitable work they talk about you
doing on TV and I don't buy a second of it because of your unnecessary
celebrations everytime you get a first down. A FIRST DOWN!!! Yeah, I'm glad you
give a football to a little kid each time your team reaches the endzone, real
sweet. However, it doesn't make up for your smug smile, egotistical
celebrations, and early 4th quarter team photographs when you're beating up a
crappy Falcons team. I hate to tell you this Cam, but your Panthers are just
not that good. I'll give you props for winning your first 14 games because
that's just plain difficult. But really, let's take a deeper look at those
games ...</div>
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Teams You Beat With a Winning Record: Seattle, Green Bay</div>
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Teams You Beat With a Tied or Losing Record:
Jacksonville, Houston, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Indianapolis,
Tennessee, Washington, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, NY Giants</div>
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Congratulations, you've beat a whopping two teams with a
winning record! And by the way, both of those two wins came while your opponent
was in the midst of their longest losing streaks of the season! Way to catch
them while they're down. Why am I pointing this out? Because I'm sick and tired
of hearing everyone praise how great your team is. 14-0 is an accomplishment
that nobody can take away from you and there's even an outside chance you
survive your last two games and make it a perfect regular season. Luckily for
you though Cam, 9 of your teammates can be shoulders to cry on when you're all
hanging out in the Pro Bowl on January 31st wondering what went wrong and why
you won't be playing in Levi's Stadium the following Sunday. Enjoy your trip to
Hawaii and don't forget to dust off the big screen TV at home for your Super
Bowl party. You won't be there in person.</div>
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<b><u>Chicago Bears</u></b>
- Sorry Mr. Cutler, my hands are tired after my Cam Newton rant. You get off
lucky this year. Don't worry, you'll disappoint us just as much next season
too.</div>
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<b><u>Cincinnati
Bengals</u></b> - If the NFL was a Hollywood movie, the Cincinnati Bengals
would be the "To Be Continued" at the end of the heart-racing action
sequence. As good as this team was to begin the season, this was finally the
year where we as fans were going to find out if Andy Dalton could win the big
one. Everything was setup perfectly ... the team was rolling through their competition,
the squad was healthy, and Cincinnati was even going to host a game or two in
the post-season! And then ... Andy Dalton breaks his hand making a tackle.
Seriously?!?! Steven Spielberg couldn't have done it better himself! If somehow
Dalton recovers in time to make a "miraculous" comeback and lead the
Bengals to the Super Bowl, he's the hero everyone was hoping for. If he can't
come back or he attempts to and just plain sucks ... aww, it's his poor hand
and he'll show everyone next year that he can do it. In other words, To Be
Continued.</div>
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<b><u>Cleveland
Browns</u></b> - Hahahahahaha. Oh wait, that's mean. Especially because I'm not
laughing with you, I'm laughing at you. Can we all please agree that even
though Johnny Football puts tails in seats he also puts himself in slammers? I
usually don't like characters like this but I really wanted to see him success.
At this point though, it doesn't matter what he does on the field because he's
a ticking time bomb off it. Enjoy another first or second pick in next year's
NFL Draft.</div>
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<b><u>Dallas Cowboys</u></b>
- Part of me really wants to feel bad for you this season. No truly, my
Giants-loving heart for once has a tiny bit of sympathy for you. Your star
quarterback goes down not once but twice with serious shoulder injuries. Your star
receiver misses a big chunk of games due to a flukey Week 1 injury. Your
potential breakout running back turns out to be a dud before getting himself in
trouble off the field. It kinda stinks what happened to you. But then I look at
Greg Hardy. And suddenly, you deserve it. Jerry Jones, let me give you some
free advice for the future. You want to win the Super Bowl again? Fire
yourself.</div>
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<b><u>Denver Broncos</u></b>
- Wow. I shouldn't really be saying wow because it's unrealistic to have
expected Peyton to continue playing at the level he was while also staying
healthy, but still. Coming in to this season I expected a small drop off in
quarterback performance en route to a solid record and decent showing in the
playoffs. Instead what I got was an offense that looked like a bunch of
chickens with their head cut off, the Peyton of old quickly transforming into
an old Peyton, and a defense that started the year unstoppable and finished
unstable. If there's any positive that came out of this campaign it's that
Brock Osweiler proved he could potentially be the QB of the future in Denver.
Unfortunately, John Elway may have screwed this up because Brock is an
unrestricted free agent in a few weeks and will definitely be drawing interest
from teams around the country. While the Broncos are technically still in Super
Bowl contention, I'll be stunned if they put together a run to San Francisco.
Mathematically, there's actually a chance they miss the playoffs completely.
Someone give Peyton a hug please ... just not too hard.</div>
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<b><u>Detroit Lions</u></b>
- And the award for "Disappointment of the Year" goes to ... drum
roll please ... the Lions! Again! For the 10th time in 7 years! Seriously guys,
what the heck happened to you this season? If you'll recall, not only did I
pick you to win the division but I had you as my 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs!
Boy was I wrong. Somehow one of the most talented rosters in the NFL found ways
to squander games and look totally incompetent in epic proportions. You're
finally starting to put the pieces together but now it's too little, too late.
Do yourselves a favor and get some rest this off-season, maybe bang your head
against a car frame to forget 2015 ever happened, and prepare to be the force
you can be in 2016. The talent is there, now you just have to want it.</div>
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<b><u>Green Bay
Packers</u></b> - Who would have thought your team would fall apart just from
losing a white guy? Ok, that's not fair, the team didn't really fall apart as
many franchises would love to be in your position. As it turns out you have a
pretty decent record and could make some noise in the playoffs. But still,
doesn't it just feel like one big letdown ever since Jordy Nelson got hurt?
Over the last few seasons Aaron Rodgers has looked like Superman but there's a
much more human element to his play this season. Maybe it's the lack of snow in
Green Bay? Yeah, let's blame it on global warming. I will say this though
("ok say") ... watch out for the Packers in the playoffs. Nobody is
really considering them a contender and #12 has a tendency to play really well
with a chip on his shoulder. I won't be surprised if the Packers make it to the
Super Bowl after all.</div>
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<b><u>Houston Texans</u></b>
- I'd like to start off here by telling you how much I love your team. For a
guy that has no particular reason to like or dislike your franchise, I really
enjoy the Texans. I'm pretty sure it's the logo and uniforms. That and the fact
that you realize how good TJ Yates can be, even as a backup. Unfortunately, the
Hard Knocks curse has followed you a bit this season and once again Arian
Foster couldn't stay healthy. Fortunately for you, you're in the worst division
in football right now and that could mean a surprising home playoff game for a
team that doesn't really deserve one. Good for you for playing hard and never
giving up. Like John Cena.</div>
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<b><u>Indianapolis
Colts</u></b> - If there's one thing you needed more of this season, it was
Luck. In every sense of the word. When the star quarterback went down early in
the year though and never completed recovered, you were forced to turn to the
Shady Pines retirement home to fill out your roster. I mean seriously, you were
relying on Matt Hasselback, Andre Johnson, and Frank Gore to bring you to the
promised land this season. I'm pretty sure their average age is roughly George
Clooney. There's only so much you can do with over-the-hill talent and a weak
defense. Yet somehow you could sneak into the playoffs if the Texans fold the
last two weeks of the season. Either way, your whole squad could use a nice big
ice bath about now followed by a comfy bathrobe and slippers.</div>
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<b><u>Jacksonville
Jaguars</u></b> - You are by far the most impressive crappy team in the league
this season. Looking at your record (5-9) you'd think this was just another
typical Jacksonville team. But for those of us who watched your games, you can
start to see something special happening in northern Florida. You're the
highest scoring offense in the division and the combination of Blake Bortles
plus the Allen brothers could be really good for a long time. You have a very
young team and I will not be at all surprised if in the next few years you grow
into an AFC powerhouse. Draft some talented defensive players to take the
pressure off the offense and there may be something good brewing here. Yeah,
that's right, my review of the Jaguars is actually positive!</div>
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<b><u>Kansas City
Chiefs</u></b> - Funny thing about this team ... they have very quietly become
one of only 11 squads in the NFL this season with a winning record. Not too
shabby for a team that started off the year 1-5 while losing its best player to
a season-ending injury. If you had told me in Week 6 that the Chiefs were going
to cruise into the playoffs I would have laughed at you. But that appears to be
what's going to happen provided they avoid an epic collapse. Points to Andy
Reid for keeping this team on track and making Alex Smith realize that Jeremy
Maclin is one of the best receivers in football. It's still weird to me that
they do the tomahawk chop though.</div>
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<b><u>Miami Dolphins</u></b>
- Lamar Miller. Lamar Miller. Lamar Miller. Has it sunk in yet? Your best
player and one of the most dynamic young players in the league should be
getting the ball WAY more than he already does. And he's told you that but
nobody's listening. The 'Phins already lost their head coach to the pink slip
earlier this season (about time) and I don't see the interim guy working out
very well either. The Dolphins need to hire Pat Riley to come into the front
office and make some moves to put this club back on the map. They're in one of
the most popular cities in the country, you never have to worry about snow
during a game, and The Rock has a hit show on HBO focused on South Florida
football. I mean seriously, what else do you need to recruit talent to this
club? You have a few building blocks already on the roster, now just keep them
happy (aka give Miller like 50 carries a game the next two weeks so he doesn't
go into free agency) and start creating a winner.</div>
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<b><u>Minnesota
Vikings</u></b> - Ever since he was at Louisville, I've been saying Teddy
Bridgewater is not a winner. He may have decent athletic ability, but his size
is a detriment to the team and I don't see the football IQ of Russell Wilson to
help make up for it. Adrian Peterson came back this year after a year in the
doghouse and immediately looked like himself as he's at the top of the league
in rush yards and has stayed relatively healthy all season (until last week
when he tweaked his ankle). The problem is, AP can't do it all and Bridgewater
isn't good enough to pick up the slack. Stefon Diggs is showing flashes of
being a brilliant young receiver but I don't see anyone on the roster who's
going to show him the ropes right now and bring him to the next level. That
includes Mike Wallace. Get some talent around Peterson before he's forced to
retire without a Super Bowl ring. Or make Teddy play in high heels so he can
see over the offensive line.</div>
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<b><u>New England
Patriots</u></b> - For the last ten years, I have absolutely detested this
franchise and the quarterback who leads them. Coming in to this season,
deflategate gave me every reason to hate them even more than before as their
antics showed the cheating cowards they actually are. Yet, somehow, for some
reason, I find myself respecting this team and Tom Brady more than I ever have
before. Let's face it, given the injuries this team has suffered over the year
they had every reason to crumble and die. Heck, at one point they only had 6
offensive linemen dressing for the game because all of the others were on the
shelf. Yet, somehow the duo of Brady and Belichek has found a way to persevere yet
again while leading the team to a 12-2 start. I mean seriously, they're 12-2?!
You can say all you want about team sports and how one person doesn't make up a
whole team, but I think this year the Patriots have proven that theory wrong. I
still don't like them, and I still want to watch little Tom crying on the
sidelines like a baby who just dropped its lollipop, but for the first time
ever they have my respect. No matter how big their balls are.</div>
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<b><u>New Orleans
Saints</u></b> - Who dat? EVERYBODY! That's right, every single person in the
NFL thinks they can beat them Saints in 2015. I'm pretty sure I even threw for
12 touchdowns against them this season and I've never played organized football
in my life! The Saints defense has given up a staggering 432 points through the
first 14 games of their season ... that's over 30 points everytime they touch
the field! I don't care how solid they play on the opposite side of the ball,
it's just not fair to expect that kind of production out of Drew Brees week in
and week out. But it's ok, I have a solution that is sure to help the Saints.
In order to motivate your players on defense to really amp up their enthusiasm,
why don't you put together a payment plan to offer them a little something
extra on the side for big hits ...</div>
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<b><u>NY Giants</u></b>
- FIRE TOM COUGHLIN. The end. Ok, not really the end because this is my team
and I feel it's only right to say something else. But for dramatic effect,
pretend "The end" was actually the end to show how much I want Tom
Coughlin fired. Once again, the Giants have done exactly what I expected of
them and led me to another disappointing campaign. It's the same thing every
season ... win a few games, convince people that we might actually be good, go
on a long losing streak, find ways to choke that were previously never thought
possible, and win just enough to get a crappy draft pick who won't do anything
to elevate the level of the franchise. It's remarkable how similar every single
season has been since Coughlin took over as head coach. Sure, some of the parts
have been interchanged, but at the end of the day we're going to be right on
the fringe of making the playoffs and more often than not will fall just short
of doing so. The sad part is, if the Giants sneak in to the post-season I fully
expect that they'll win the Super Bowl! So, for yet another year, the Giants
come into Week 16 still mathematically in contention and will find a way to
blow it in the most heart-breaking way possible. I can't wait to see how they
pull it off this year! FIRE TOM COUGHLIN. The end.</div>
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<b><u>NY Jets</u></b>
- Aww, look at the Jets. Aren't they cute with their little uniforms, and their
little helmets, and their little green logo? I just want to pinch their cheeks
and tell them how adorable they are. They even went out and won a few games
this season! Who's a big boy huh, who's a big boy? That's right, you are,
you're a big boy!</div>
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<b><u>Oakland Raiders</u></b>
- If the Detroit Lions and the Jacksonville Jaguars had a baby, and then they
painted that baby silver and black and handed it to a bunch or motorcycle gangs
to care for, you'd have the Oakland Raiders. Like the Jaguars, this team has
been quietly stockpiling talent for the last couple of years and I really
thought they were poised to strike from out of nowhere this season. However,
similar to the Lions, they failed to live up to the expectations I had set in
my mind. Maybe I'm still a year or two too early for this franchise, but the
Raiders are not to be handled lightly in the near future. Derek Carr has shown
he knows how to lead an offense and Amari Cooper is poised to be the next Jerry
Rice if put in a position to succeed. This team is like a nice piece of meat
... let them marinate for a little while to get the juices flowing in harmony
and get ready to be hit by a wave of excitement when it's time to cook.</div>
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<b><u>Philadelphia
Eagles</u></b> - Where do I even start? What should have been a relaxing ride
along the Jungle Cruise has somehow turned into the turbulent roller coaster
that is Space Mountain. Several months before the season began, Chip Kelly got
rid of every good player on the roster and I thought he was crazy. Then he
somehow brings in both Sam Bradford and Demarco Murray so I think the guy is
unquestionably brilliant. The Eagles proceed to lose 3 of their first 4 games
and Chip Kelly looks crazy again. Then they win 3 of the next 4 and he's
brilliant. Three straight losses and he's crazy. Wins two of the last three and
he's brilliant. When will the madness stop?!?!?! I don't know what to even
think anymore but somehow my man-crush on Chip Kelly has withstood the test of
time and he's one big win this weekend against Washington away from putting
himself in playoff contention. He's so crazy ... he just might be brilliant ...</div>
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<b><u>Pittsburgh
Steelers</u></b> - For the love of all things holy, find a way to keep Big Ben
healthy! I'm going to keep this very short and simple for you ... if the team
stays healthy for the next month and a half, you'll be raising the Lombardi
Trophy on February 7th. You're the best team in the NFL this season when you
have your players on the field. Now you just need to keep them there.</div>
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<b><u>San Diego
Chargers</u></b> - Remember when you used to play in San Diego? Yeah, that was
fun. For the sake of your city and your fans, I hope the franchise finds a way
to avoid moving to LA so that you can continue footballing it up in one of the
most beautiful cities in the country. I know this was a crappy season, but
unfortunately injuries took their toll and the running game never got started
with Melvin Gordon like you hope it would. There's a lot of uncertainty in your
future but I genuinely wish you the best of luck. But of course, I am biased
because your alternate uniforms are Carolina Blue.</div>
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<b><u>San Francisco
49ers</u></b> - I hate to say it, but this team was doomed before the first
game even kicked off this year. When the Niners lost half of their
award-winning defense during the pre-season, the rest of the roster didn't
really have much of a chance in succeeding. Oh yeah, you lost your head coach
too who ran off to the Big House in Michigan to coach his alma mater. What that
left you with was an athletic quarterback without confidence, and old receiving
corps without consistency, an inexperienced backfield without a line to block
for it, and a bunch of guys on defense without names that anyone could
recognize. I'm surprised they even managed to win 4 games this season and I'll
be even more surprised if they are good anytime in the near future.</div>
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<b><u>Seattle
Seahawks</u></b> - For years now I've had all the respect in the world for
Russell Wilson but still couldn't stand this team. I didn't complete understand
why until this season ... Marshawn Lynch! This team is SO much more likeable
without Beast Mode on the field. He's one of the few players where I really
don't care about their talent because the attitude they have is so unbelievably
poor. That was never more evident than earlier this year when his Mommy went on
a social media rant because baby boy wasn't getting the ball enough. At least
now we know where he gets it. Since Lynch got hurt, Wilson has looked like the
league MVP and has set a record for the most touchdown passes over a 4 game
span without an interception. Even though the season looked lost after the
dysfunction in the first couple of weeks, Pete Carroll has quickly corrected
the direction of this ship and Seattle will be going into the post-season as
one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for them, the
Cardinals have had such a stellar season that the Seahawks will have to prove
they can win on the road if they want a shot at another NFL Championship. Sorry
guys, I don't think you have quite the defense this year to make it happen, but
for the first time in years I won't mind watching you try. That is of course,
until Lynch returns to the field.</div>
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<b><u>St. Louis Rams</u></b>
- Is it baseball season yet? St. Louis is one of the greatest baseball towns in
the country and I hope that gives them the love they'll need in their heart
when they lose the Rams. It's a shame too, because they've had a great time
watching Todd Gurley quickly become one of the best running backs in the NFL. I
hope they enjoyed the short time they had together because it will take more
than a Christmas miracle to keep this franchise where they are. But hey, how
'bout them Cardinals?! No, not the ones who actually made the playoffs from the
NFC West, I'm talking about the ones who begin spring training in just a couple
short months. On the bright side, losing the Rams automatically brings up the
winning percentage of the city's professional sports teams, so that's
something.</div>
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<b><u>Tampa Bay
Buccaneers</u></b> - Tampa Bay ranks up there with one of the most confusing
franchises I've seen in the NFL this season. There were games when the team
looked absolutely brilliant and Famous Jameis earned the number one pick that
he was in last year's NFL draft. Then, there were weeks where the Bucs looked
like they had never played football before and could barely score on the Saints
(yep, THOSE Saints). I'm not really sure what to make of this team because I
think the likelihood of them being a playoff contender next year is about the
same as them having another 5 win season. One thing's for sure ... I don't plan
on putting money on them anytime soon!</div>
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<b><u>Tennessee Titans</u></b>
- Oh yeah, you're still in the league too! I almost forgot about you
considering how irrelevant you seem to have been this season. Which is a shame
too considering you went out and drafted one of the most prolific winners in
the history of college football. Marcus Mariota does no good for you though
when he's injured on the sidelines and your terrible offensive line made that
happen multiple times this season. It also doesn't help that I'm a daily
fantasy player (yay Draft Kings) yet I still struggle to name even a single
running back or wide receiver on your entire roster. Do yourselves a favor ...
tank the last two games of the season, secure the number one overall pick in
next year's draft, and find a couple of players that can help Marcus look like
the stud that he is.</div>
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<b><u>Washington
Redskins</u></b> - Excuse my language, but how the hell is this team leading
the NFC East? I mean seriously, come on! The Deadskins were the joke of the NFL
before the season began with all of the RG3 shenanigans and questions about who
would be playing quarterback. Yet somehow Washington has clawed its way to a
7-7 record which is good enough for the division lead and in the driver's seat
to represent the division in the post-season. When you watch these guys play,
you almost want to poke your eyes out because it's just such an ugly brand of
football. They make mistakes, they can't decided on a running back to save
their lives, and let's not even get into how hideous their uniforms are. I
don't care if I'm a Giants fan or not, but I'm hoping the Eagles destroy the
Skins this weekend to keep this team out of the playoffs. Then again, as a
Giants fan, that would be great for us because we'd have a chance to sneak in!
Go Eagles! Continue the epic collapse that will be the Giants' season as they
once again dangle the carrot of hope in front of my eyes just so they can
snatch it away at the last possible second ... For goodness sakes FIRE TOM
COUGHLIN!!!!!!!</div>
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Well NFL, there you have it. It took me over two hours to
let you know how I feel so I hope you take my thoughts into consideration as we
move into the final two weeks of our regular season. I'm sure you'll find
another 125 ways to turn everything I thought about the league upside down, but
for now, can we at least agree to laugh our butts off when the Carolina
Panthers' season implodes into a glorious pile of inexplicable waste? Merry
Christmas to all, and to all, a goodnight.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Fishy</div>
Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-71481052923191772192015-10-26T15:24:00.000-07:002015-10-26T15:24:25.023-07:00Pro Wrestling - Designing the Crystal BallDear Loyal Follower(s) ...<br />
<br />
Indulge me if you will (and you will) for I have seen the future! OK, not really, but I have imagined it! Well kinda ... you see, I have been inspired by one of my favorite YouTube channels to think about the wonderful world of professional wrestling and how things would work if I ran the joint. Yes, I know, this blog is supposed to be all about sports and my opinions on things in the competitive world. However, I thought it would be relatively harmless if just for today I meandered back into the arena of sports entertainment. Because, even though it's outcomes are predetermined, the athleticism and competitive nature of the WWE is not that far off from any of my other favorite sports leagues. Plus, wrestling has pyro! In order to explain where I'm going with this, you may want to take a quick glance at the YouTube channel mentioned above (or not, completely up to you): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq8jp0E99ELBvmBxjJ-JLgA" target="_blank">WhatCulture WWE</a><br />
<br />
For those of you who were too lazy to click the link, here's the summary of what you missed: This dude Adam runs a YouTube channel all about WWE and has an ongoing series of shows of how he would go back in time and re-write major wrestling storylines as he feels they would have been better told. Given the benefit of reflecting on the past, he takes "angles" (wrastlin term for stories) that were only so-so and tells a brand new story with the same characters in that same time period. Basically, every new history he writes is better than the original because you're able to erase the mistakes and pieces that the fans didn't like. But, that got me thinking, what if you couldn't erase the mistakes? And by that I mean, what if instead of fixing the past he tells a golden story of the future? Well, he has hinted that he might do that one day but it hasn't happened yet. So, I get to do it first. And thus, my vision for the future begins! (Ok, technically Adam started doing this over the weekend but since I haven't watched the videos yet it doesn't count)<br />
<br />
So, before the future starts, I should probably mention that I'm making a couple of broad assumptions that will greatly impact my story. These assumptions are big enough that any one of them being false could (and would) completely change what happens in the future. However, they are also based on enough credible information that though they aren't guaranteed, they could very well all come true. With that said, here are the "truths" that I am assuming in putting together my ideal future storylines (in no particular order):<br />
<br />
1. The Rock is indeed in talks with WWE about a potential return to the company and that will happen at some point.<br />
2. Daniel Bryan will not be cleared by the WWE medical staff and thus his in-ring career is over.<br />
3. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has no desire to return to action and will not be strapping on the boots again at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas.<br />
4. Like it or not, Roman Reigns is walking out of WrestleMania next April as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. (Note: I toss this in because it seems to be an inevitable truth right now. Rather than ignoring what will come, I'll write a story that makes it more palatable.)<br />
<br />
One more thing ... I'm putting together this view of the future based on how I would "book" (another wrastlin term for story) things, not based on what I think will happen. Naturally, I anticipate the actual WWE version will end up being quite different (and probably not nearly as awesome) than my version of things. Now that we've got THAT out of the way ...<br />
<br />
<b><u>Main Event Picture</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
For anyone that watched the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view (PPV) last night, you already know that Seth Rollins won the match and retained his WWE World Heavyweight Championship (to make this easier moving forward, we're just calling it the Championship). This was not a surprise finish and the way he thoroughly thumped Kane it makes it clear that a new challenger is waiting in the wings. Now, WWE has strongly hinted that the new challenger for the belt will be Roman Reigns. However, since this is my story and not Vince's, I'm changing this up. Right now ratings for Monday Night Raw are at an all time low and the company is struggling to maintain viewership against Monday Night Football. Unless of course you're like me and you have two TV's going at a time in your living room. But I digress. Since ratings are down and Roman Reigns is not the most "over" (wrastlin term for popular) character right now, I think WWE needs someone to quickly grab viewers. Enter the most electrifying man in all of entertainment ... The Rock. That's right, if up to me, the Rock would return tonight and immediately challenge Seth Rollins for the Championship. Not only would it be a huge ratings boost for the upcoming few weeks, but the next PPV is Survivor Series which is one of the biggest events the company hosts each year. The Rock is a big event draw and putting Rollins versus The Rock on the marquee would certainly draw attention and probably sell more subscriptions to the WWE Network. Plus, the event is in Atlanta and I really want to see the Great One in person.<br />
<br />
Over the next few weeks, use TV time to really build this match. The story would basically take the angle that The Rock is sick of watching this brash young hotshot running his mouth and telling everyone how he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. In turn, Seth will go running to the Authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) claiming how outrageous this challenge is and complaining that he shouldn't have to face The Rock. Triple H, being the big softy that he is, will acknowledge that this could potentially be trouble for Rollins but it's also best for business. He will make the Championship Match for Survivor Series but in order to be fair to Rollins, he will insert himself as the special guest referee for the match. This is key. WWE has already hinted at a Rock/Triple H fight building and Rollins will love the position he's been put in. However, WWE has already hinted at some tension between Triple H and Rollins which naturally Seth will completely forget about. Triple H will promise to call the match down the middle but Rollins knows where his allegiance really lies, wink.<br />
<br />
Survivor Series - Besides the fact that this story would be great, there's no doubt that Rollins could carry the aging Rock to a tremendous match. It would likely be an instant-classic between Seth's athleticism and The Rock's charisma and fans would probably be going crazy. Throughout the contest, there would be building tension among all three men in the ring because the biggest title in the company will be on the line. Towards the end of the match we will reach a point where Rollins puts a strong move on The Rock, goes for the pin, and The Rock kicks out at two. Infuriated that Triple H wasn't counting faster, Rollins will attack the referee who will respond by hitting the Pedigree on Rollins. Now out cold, Rollins just lays there ready to be pinned. The Rock revives himself, sees Rollins in the middle of the ring, and confronts Triple H for not letting the match play out fairly (after all, The Rock is a face, aka good guy). Triple H will take exception to this and deliver his finisher again, the time to the Brahma Bull. Yeah, I get it, Dwayne has a lot of nicknames. Now that both guys are out thanks to Triple H, he stands back and waits for the two competitors to finally return to their feet. The match continues and eventually The Rock wins cleanly following a Rock Bottom and People's Elbow. The Rock is your new champ and he is immediately attacked by Triple H after being declared the winner.<br />
<br />
At this point, Seth Rollins "disappears" from TV (enjoy your vacation) and we'll get back to him later. The match at Survivor Series clearly sets the stage for a showdown between Triple H and The Rock. Keep in mind that the tension in this feud has been building for close to two years now. Since The Rock likely won't compete in whatever crappy PPV the WWE puts together in December (it's not a major enough one) this gives them two months to build the excitement for a title match at Royal Rumble. Not only will this be anticipated around the world, but the Rumble is being held in Orlando next January which also happens to be the home location of NXT. Who is the man running NXT in the real world? Oh yeah, Triple H, happy coincidence. Now, I don't believe NXT will have anything to do with the main event on the "card" (wrastlin term for match lineup) that night, but there should be a stronger crowd reaction due to The Game's involvement in that area of the country. Ultimately the bad blood should result in this being some type of a gimmicky match, but even now these two guys could pull off a really strong straight forward contest.<br />
<br />
Royal Rumble - Very important ... the Championship Match needs to be on the card before the actual Royal Rumble match. For this story to work, the title needs to be on the line first. Sometimes WWE does this, sometimes they have the title match at the end of the card. Why is this important you ask? Well ... as predicted Triple H and The Rock go head to head for the Championship in an epic battle. All of the key spots are hit during the match and it's looking like anyone could win. And, for the heck of it, let's throw in a good knocked out referee for fun. Just as it appears Triple H is going to finish off The Rock with a Pedigree ... here comes Seth Rollins! Rollins charges down to ringside, hops on the ring apron, and distracts Triple H long enough to get his attention and prevent the finisher. Triple H confronts Rollins who immediately threatens to get physical with both the challenger and the champion. Just as chaos begins ... here comes Roman Reigns! Reigns, the real-life cousin of The Rock, jumps into the ring and immediate goes after Rollins to prevent any further interference in the match. While they fight on the outside, The Rock refocuses and hits Triple H with the Rock Bottom and People's Elbow. Reigns wakes the referee, throws him in the ring, and The Rock gets the 3 count and retains the title. Reigns comes back into the ring, big hug for his cousin, raises The Rock's hand, and back-stab! From out of nowhere Roman attacks Dwayne and absolutely beats him to a bloody pulp. He leaves the ring smirking as the crowd is livid and shouting all sorts of mean things towards Reigns. "You big poopie head!" "I don't like your hair cut!" "You're hot, can I get your phone number?!" Later in the night Reigns goes on to absolutely destroy the competition in the actual Royal Rumble match. He will break his own record for the number of eliminations in a single contest, he will eliminate John Cena from the match (welcome back from your long vacation sir) when they are the last two men and fans will be hating it the entire way knowing for the second year in a row Reigns was going to win and there's nothing they can do about it. The "heat" (wrastlin term for hatred) on Reigns will be greater than ever and Roman will move forward as a full blown "heel" (wrastlin term for bad guy).<br />
<br />
That, of course, brings us to WrestleMania 32 in Dallas ... Jerry's House. You have one of the biggest stars in company history defending the title against the most hated man in the company, and his own cousin, Roman Reigns. As you already know from my assumptions above, Reigns will go on to defeat The Rock and take over the Championship. Since at this point he will be detested by fans, he'll probably find a way to cheat during the match so the win over The Rock will be slightly tainted (a very heel thing to do). Instead of giving The Rock a hug after the match in the typical display of appreciation, he will instead slap his cousin in the face and walk up the entrance ramp leaving a defeated Dwayne in the ring to close out the show. Queue the fireworks.<br />
<br />
Why does this script make sense? Well, there's several reasons:<br />
<br />
1. Right now, nobody wants Roman Reigns to win the Championship. Wrestling fans feel like this future has been forced upon them for the last year and a half so you may as well make the guy a heel since the fans are going to boo him anyway.<br />
2. Beating The Rock at WrestleMania adds legitimacy to his resume. He needs a big win, and beating the Great One at WrestleMania is as big as it gets.<br />
3. This allows The Rock to help his cousin out in real life. Reigns his struggling for fan approval right now and The Rock can use his celebratory and status to put over family. Hatred sells in wrestling.<br />
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<b><u>What About Everything Else?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
So, there you have your Championship picture. But, there's still quite a few pieces of the story to be told. I'm not going to go into nearly as much detail as I did above, but ...<br />
<br />
- Remember how Rollins interfered in the Royal Rumble Championship Match above? Well, that's exactly what WWE needed to setup the anticipated Triple H versus Seth Rollins match for WrestleMania. You're welcome.<br />
<br />
- The next big thing in WWE is Bray Wyatt. So, it would only be fitting for the former "Next Big Thing" to be the one to put him over and build a strong case for Wyatt to be champion. I would expect that during the actual Royal Rumble match, a sneak attack by Wyatt and his family ruins the hopes of Brock Lesnar to win the coveted main event spot at WrestleMania. The Wyatt family would illegally enter the Rumble, gang attack Lesnar, and throw him over the top rope. That would setup a match at WrestleMania featuring Lesnar and Wyatt where Wyatt would come out the victor. Lesnar is inching closer to retirement (based on comments he made on the recent Stone Cold podcast) and this would give him a chance to allow a budding superstar to leap off his massive reputation.<br />
<br />
- Undertaker versus Sting at WrestleMania. If you follow wrestling, you know what I'm talking about.<br />
<br />
- The return of Alberto Del Rio last night was a huge wrinkle in the story that I did not see coming. He is a big name that has been gone for over a year and his defeat of John Cena to win the US Title will play a huge part of the company's booking moving forward. Between now and the end of the Royal Rumble, Del Rio needs to feud with Dean Ambrose without ever dropping the belt (I'd love to say Cesaro but WWE clearly has him on an inexplicable collision course with Stardust). Del Rio should drop the title back to Cena in the WrestleMania return match and THEN allow Cena to drop the belt to Dean Ambrose in the coming months. Big moment for Cena at WrestleMania, then let him put over Ambrose to build more credibility.<br />
<br />
- I love Kevin Owens as the Intercontinental Champion. I think he's just a stronger character with a belt on his shoulder than he is without one. However, eventually he's going to lose the title and I think it should happen before WrestleMania so that someone can retain a belt at that event. The guy that I would have beat him? Samoa Joe.<br />
<br />
- At some point Sheamus needs to cash in his Money in the Bank Contract on the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Pick one of the smaller PPV's in between Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and WrestleMania. Whenever you book it, have him lose to The Rock. There's no need for Sheamus around here.<br />
<br />
- Speaking of Money in the Bank, the Money in the Bank PPV next year needs to feature TWO of these specialty matches. The first match will be filled with a bunch of active superstars and should ultimately be won by Seth Rollins. He's just too good not to have him in the title picture. The next match will be contested by only NXT roster members who are being given the chance of a lifetime to prove themselves. This will be the chance that Finn Balor needs to make a name for himself on the main roster. Having two MITB holders will create a very cool dynamic as well as you can have Rollins and Balor creating all sorts of havoc when tripping over each other to cash in on Roman Reigns at the opportune time. It will be the foundation for an incredible rivalry moving forward, one that the company can rally around for years to come.<br />
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- In the Divas division ... for goodness sake get the title to Sasha Banks! I think there needs to be a dramatic build to this happening though as the fans desperately want Sasha to be the focus of the women. I'd have her lose in controversial fashion once or twice as they build to a WrestleMania Championship Match featuring the horsewomen in a Fatal Four Way. This match would have so much hype that they could open the show with it (first time ever for the Divas) and give them a nice long time slot to work with. Sasha would walk away with the belt just like she did when these ladies met in a similar match down in NXT.<br />
<br />So there you have it, the wrestling world according to me! Of course, I mentioned that my assumptions could be wrong ...<br />
<br />
1. If The Rock doesn't return right away, the chances of him facing Reigns for the title at WrestleMania are virtually non-existent. Much more likely that he would face Triple H at WrestleMania.<br />
2. If Daniel Bryan is able to make a return, he figures to be a prominent addition to the US Title picture in the short term before making his return to the main event scene in about a year.<br />
3. If Stone Cold agrees to wrestle in Dallas next April, it's going to be against Brock Lesnar, no questions asked.<br />
4. Who are we kidding, there's no way that Reigns doesn't win the main event in Jerry's World unless he's injured and unable to compete. Even if I don't like the guy, I would never wish that upon him.<br />
<br />
Now that the fantasy has been written, let's see how the reality plays out ...<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-7342902679060769522015-09-17T13:35:00.000-07:002015-09-17T13:35:11.523-07:00Pro Football - 1 Week Too Late Season PreviewGoooooooooood Afternoon Sports Fans,<br />
<br />
I would like to begin this post with an apology. I am one week too late putting together my official season preview and therefore have 16 games under my belt to complete additional analysis and predictions. I would like to continue by retracting my apology because I'm currently in the process of healing from multiple concussions and have been instructed to minimize my time in front of a computer screen. With that said, the world is clearly thirsty for my insight and I'm like a tall glass of Coke to quench your desires. Not the crappy Coke that they released in the 80's though, I'm the real deal Coca-Cola.<br />
<br />
Before continuing, I'd also like to mention that due to my concussion recovery I will likely look at the keyboard while typing instead of the monitor (or keep my eyes closed) so I apologize for any typos, grammatical errors, or references to the over-sexualization of Miley Cyrus. Why? Because thinking about Miley makes my head hurt.<br />
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OK, now let's get down to business. In order to be fair about my predictions, I'm going to give you my original forecasts for the season along with a few revisions that I've made now that Week 1 is in my back pocket. To be fair, my brother and I had a thorough discussion on the phone about a week and a half ago to discussion the [then] upcoming season so he can verify these were my actual thoughts. Don't believe me? You can call him to verify: 1-800-NAKED-MILEY. If he's not home, please leave a voicemail after the twerk.<br />
<br />
Per usual, we're going to break this down by division and then get to my Super Bowl Fifty prediction (I typed out 50 because using one Roman numeral is weird and some may get confused by Super Bowl L).<br />
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<b><u>AFC North</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - 4 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Pittsburgh)<br />
Revised Prediction - 3 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Cincinnati)<br />
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For my money, the AFC North is once again the most competitive division in the NFL. When the season started, I could make an argument for any of the 4 teams to ultimately win the division with either a 9 or 10 win record. Each team has strengths (Baltimore and Cleveland have outstanding defenses, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati potent offenses) and each team has weaknesses (Baltimore has no wide receivers, Johnny Football spends too much time partying with Miley, half the Pittsburgh defense left town, and Andy Dalton can't decide if he's good or not). It really was a toss up for me and I expected that the second place team in the division would be neck and neck with the third place team from the AFC West for the last Wild Card spot (more on that later). After watching Week 1, I'm going to go ahead and say that the Browns suck more than Miley in a ... err ... I don't think the Browns can score enough points to win games. Still a toss up among the other three, but the Bengals looked really solid against a weak Raiders team in Oakland.<br />
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<b><u>AFC East</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - New England Patriots<br />
Revised Prediction - New England Patriots<br />
<br />
Even though the Patriots' balls are more deflated than Miley's ex-boyfriend's, somehow Tom got out of jail free and was able to make the Week 1 roster. And that, by itself, was enough to give the Patriots the division. Even though my brother disagrees, I think the off season issues of Brady and crew will help motivate the team rather than distract them. Anyone else remember the 2007 campaign after Spygate? The Patriots scored more during those 17 weeks than Miley did in 17 months. At this point, I can't expect the Patriots to have a bad season unless #12's leg breaks again and that's just not the type of thing you can predict. The Belichek/Brady combination is just too potent to stop during the regular season and I see another 12-4 regular season in their future. On top of that, I still think the AFC Least is the worst division in football because at least 2 teams are incredibly underwhelming. After watching Week 1, I'm not ready to jump on the Buffalo bandwagon quite yet. Even if the Bills can pull off the win against the Pats this weekend, I'm just not sure that a team used to losing can sustain dominance for an entire season. BUT, it might be enough to get them into the Wild Card ...<br />
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<b><u>AFC South</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - Indianapolis Colts<br />
Revised Prediction - Indianapolis Colts<br />
<br />
First, let me start off by saying I love Marcus Mariota. And no, I'm not one of the millions of people in America who are just figuring out who this kid is after a ridiculous first half performance against the Bucs in Week 1. Go ahead and read my College Football posts from last year ... I've been loving on Mariota the same way that Miley loves on ... well, everything. I am incredibly excited by the performance I saw last week (Marcus, not Miley) and am hopeful that he continues to grow into the future Hall of Famer I believe he can be. With that said, I just don't think the Titans have nearly enough talent around him to keep the blowouts coming. This division belongs to the Colts and their superstar offense. Provided the team can stay relatively healthy, I don't see anyone else in the division even having a chance. And yes, I still believe that after the Colts lost an ugly game in Buffalo last week. I'll take the Colts, a 13-3 record, and wishes for Hannah Montana to return from the depths of Miley's trashy heart.<br />
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<b><u>AFC West</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - Denver Broncos<br />
Revised Prediction - Kansas City Chiefs<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
For my money, top to bottom the AFC West is the best division in the AFC (if not all of football). Even though the Raiders are cute in their little silver and black costumes (no wait, that was Miley), the other three teams in the division are among the best in the NFL. Last year the Chiefs came out of nowhere to show that they are a serious franchise again and they have only added to their depth by signing Jeremy Maclin and addressing the one glaring weakness they had in 2014. The Chargers have been one of the NFL's most consistent teams over the last 10 years and you just know that Phillip Rivers is going to have them on the cusp of the playoffs once again this season. The only problem their is they can't seem to get over the hump (not a problem Miley has) to become a serious championship contender year in and year out. And then you have the Broncos led by ole faithful, Peyton Manning. I'm not going to lie, Week 1 concerned me a little as ole Peyton was looking a little too much like an old Peyton. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now and credit the poor offensive performance to a new Coordinator, but I think a couple of early season losses from "working out the kinks" will ultimately cost the Broncos the division come December.<br />
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<b><u>AFC Playoffs</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Seed - Original Prediction - Revised Prediction<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
1 Seed - Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts<br />
2 Seed - New England Patriots - New England Patriots<br />
3 Seed - Denver Broncos - Kansas City Chiefs<br />
4 Seed - Pittsburgh Steelers - Cincinnati Bengals<br />
5 Seed - Kansas City Chiefs - Denver Broncos<br />
6 Seed - San Diego Chargers - Buffalo Bills<br />
<br />
Yep, that's right, I'm going to buy in enough to Buffalo to allow them to sneak into the playoffs with a 6 seed. I'm still a little worried about Tyrod Taylor at QB because he wasn't a dominant winner in college (like the similarly sized Russell Wilson) but if he can just game-manage I think Buffalo's defense can lead them to a pretty solid record. Looking at the 6 teams above, I don't think Buffalo will have enough juice to win on the road in Kansas City during the Wild Card round of the playoffs and similarly I think the experience of Peyton Manning can get him past the Bengals where Cincinnati always tends to flop in the playoffs. That would leave Peyton and company heading to Indy for a very intriguing match up with Manning's former employer. Could it be that Peyton's last game as a pro is in Indy after all? If he retires after this year I think this statement will be true because I see the Colts winning the battle of the Ponies while the Patriots handle their business in BBQ country. That should setup a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game and this time the Luck will be on the other horse shoe (see what I did there?). Colts go Super Bowling this coming February.<br />
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*Editor's Note - Insert Miley Comment Here*<br />
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<b><u>NFC North</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - Detroit Lions<br />
Revised Prediction - Detroit Lions<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
There must be something about cold weather that makes a division competitive, because I think the NFC North is just as tight as <strike>Miley's</strike> the AFC North. In all seriousness, I do believe the chilly conditions up North make a difference because anything can happen on a given day. The variances in field conditions and expected precipitation can really swing the strategy a coach will use and give a definitive advantage to the team that can best adapt. We've seen a couple of occasions in just the last 10 years where the Packers lost at home to the Giants in freezing temperatures because the Giants adjusted to the conditions better. With that said, there's enough talent in this division to go around and I could sensibly make an argument for any of the 4 teams in this group. Ultimately, I ruled out the Vikings because I just don't think Teddy Bridgewater can cut it in the NFL (Week 1 helps to support this theory), the Packers lost their top receiving threat which will have more impact on Aaron Rodgers' productivity than most realize, and Jay Cutler is, well, let's just say if he had Miley's passion things could be a little different. The Lions are a complete team, and oh by the way, they play inside. Take out the unpredictability of the winter and they have a significant advantage over their division rivals.<br />
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<b><u>NFC East</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - 2 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Dallas)<br />
Revised Prediction - 2 Team Coin Flip (If forced to pick, I'd take Philly)<br />
<br />
I'm a Giants fan. There, I said it. I'm not proud, I'm not happy, I'm not excited, and my Fantasy Football team name for the last three years has been "Fire Tom Coughlin." If you watched the Week 1 game against Dallas on Sunday night, you should fully understand how I'm feeling. The Giants truly grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory and choked worse than Miley on her first date with her new girlfriend. However, it did reaffirm my belief that the Giants are going to have another sub-par, 7 win, just barely miss the playoffs but not so bad that Tom Coughlin gets canned, crappy draft pick both in pick number and talent, season. And if you didn't know it already, the Deadskins don't really even deserve a spot in the NFL and might want to consider moving the franchise to Canada where they might stand a chance against the Toronto Argonauts. Now even though the bottom half of the NFC East is pathetic, the top half is stacked with talent and the greatest coach since sliced bread (Chip Kelly). Both the Cowboys and Eagles could prove to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season and the only reason I flipped by pick is because of the injury to Dez Bryant last week. I think the Cowboys will still win 10 games but not having Dez could cost them somewhere during the season.<br />
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<b><u>NFC South</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - New Orleans Saints<br />
Revised Prediction - Atlanta Falcons<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Yip yip yip yip. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.<br />
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<b><u>NFC West</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - Arizona Cardinals<br />
Revised Prediction - Arizona Cardinals<br />
<br />
Some might call me crazier than Miley on this one, but I think the Seahawks' years of dominance and Super Bowl runs are over. And yes, I PROMISE that I made this prediction before their sloppy loss against the Rams this past Sunday. Unfortunately for the birds, they are starting to experience some dysfunction in their organization and history has shown that the Super Bowl loser tends to struggle the following year. Between the botched call to end last year's big game, the hold out of Kam Chancellor, and the strengthening of both the Rams and Cardinals, I just don't see Seattle making it into the post-season. And how bout them Rams? I'll admit, I have my questions about Nick Foles and how successful he can be outside of Chip Kelly. However, once Todd Gurley gets healthy they have enough speed on offense to keep up with their very under-rated defense and make some noise in the league. I think it's enough to cause trouble out West but not quite enough to get the 9 or 10 wins they'll need to make the playoffs. Unfortunately the 49ers were decimated on defense this off-season and the addition of Torrey Smith isn't enough to fix a really struggling passing game. With Carson Palmer returning to health and the Cardinals bringing one of the best receiving corps and defenses into the season, I expect them to be legitimate contenders in the NFL this season.<br />
<br />
<b><u>NFC Playoffs</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Seed - Original Prediction - Revised Prediction<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
1 Seed - Detroit Lions - Detroit Lions<br />
2 Seed - Dallas Cowboys - Arizona Cardinals<br />
3 Seed - Arizona Cardinals - Philadelphia Eagles<br />
4 Seed - New Orleans Saints - Atlanta Falcons<br />
5 Seed - Green Bay Packers - Dallas Cowboys<br />
6 Seed - Philadelphia Eagles - Green Bay Packers<br />
<br />
Doesn't the Eagles vs. the Packers in Philly just sound like a playoff match made in heaven? I don't know why, but when you close your eyes and picture what post-season football is all about, this game just feels right. And I think it could be an instant classic if it actually happens the way I predict it will. This game is in Philly though and the Philly fans have been craving a dominant team for quite some time. Watch for the Cheesesteaks to pull out a win in the Wild Card round along with the Cowboys who will dismantle an over-matched Falcons team. In the divisional round, the Cowboys will travel to Detroit for another potential showdown of high powered offenses. This time I think Tony Romo finally shakes off the post-season blues and advances to the NFC Championship game where the Eagles will be waiting for him after taking down the Cardinals in the Big Toaster. I love the Cardinals, but I wouldn't bet against Chip Kelly here. That gives us an all-NFC East conference title game and I'm taking the home team on the second biggest Sunday of the season ... and that's the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are either going to be dynamite this season or fall unbelievably flat on their faces, and I think their performance in Atlanta last week could be the only signs of mediocrity we see from this team all year. If Sam Bradford stays healthy, this team is going to take the NFC by storm.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Super Bowl 50</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Original Prediction - Indianapolis Colts over the Philadelphia Eagles<br />
Revised Prediction - Indianapolis Colts over the Philadelphia Eagles<br />
<br />
I say it every year ... once you get to the Super Bowl talent will win out over coaching. I don't expect this year to be any different in my philosophy and I believe that the Colts are top to bottom the most talented team in the NFL. Even though I love me some Chip Kelly, the Eagles are going to win this year on scheme more than raw talent and I just think it's time for Andrew Luck to take over as the face of the National Football League. This game shouldn't be lopsided by any means but I would give Indy the edge in what would be a very fast paced, high scoring game. Wouldn't it be fitting if Miley was the performer of the halftime show? I agree ... nope.<br />
<br />
So, there you have it! Another season (minus one week) of football to be played and countless fantasy football points to be won. We'll see how everything plays out but I know that I'm excited to see what happens! In the NFL, not with Miley ...<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-39413285694934773872015-09-02T15:44:00.000-07:002015-09-02T15:44:44.028-07:00College Football - 2015 Season PreviewGood Afternoon Sports Fans!<br />
<br />
Can you feel it? Well, can you? We are LESS THAN 24 HOURS AWAY from the start of the 2015 College Football season! Tomorrow night the first two teams will lace up their cleats, strap on their helmets, and take the field to show that they are the most dominant squad in all of the NCAA. And this year, it just so happens that my North Carolina Tar Heels are one of those two teams leading the country into our favorite 4 months of the year.<br />
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Still not excited?! Here, try this: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utCoYeAxzzU" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utCoYeAxzzU</a><br />
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No really, watch that video. Stop reading, click the link above, and GET HYPE!<br />
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Ok, you good now? The blood is flowing? The juice is running through your veins? No, not in the Alex Rodriguez juice kinda way, in the "Heck yeah, 24 hours until kickoff" kinda way!<br />
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Alright, now that we're all pumped up, let's get in to this season. Usually I would sit down and spend two hours telling you what you need to know about every major conference, big time program, and who is going to make the College Football Playoffs. Unfortunately, I can't do that this year. And there's two main reasons for it:<br />
<br />
1. Somehow, I feel like I don't really know that much about any given team going into the 2015 season. Perhaps I've been spending too much time focusing on my 4 NFL fantasy football drafts or maybe there's just not been a lot of talk on ESPN speculating who will be the best team in the country.<br />
<br />
2. I do know enough to know that there is a LOT of balance in College Football last year. When we started last season there were a number of big name players in big name programs expected to have big time season. We don't have that this year ... in fact I would be hard pressed to name 10 total football players in the entire country outside of UNC.<br />
<br />
What does this all mean? It means that this year could prove to be one of the most exciting in the history of college football. There is one clear favorite to win it all (we'll talk about that in a moment) but outside of that anything can happen. There are no locks for the playoffs, there are no clear conference winners that are just better than everyone else they're playing, and sadly there's no indication that Tim Tebow is returning to the Florida Gators for his fifth season. So, instead of the usual speculation on what will happen in each conference, I'm just going to hit some high points on what to look out for this season. And maybe at the end of this post, if you ask nicely, I'll toss out a prediction and see if I get lucky. Oh, who are we kidding, it's been a very long time since I got lucky ... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway ...<br />
<br />
- This year, Urban Meyer is going to REALLY earn his paycheck. The Ohio State Buckeyes are the first ever undisputed pre-season #1 in the AP poll and the clear front runners to win it all and repeat as National Champions. In fact, most analysts believe the Buckeyes only have 2 games on their entire regular season schedule that could even possibly be a challenge. So, why would I say Urban Meyer is going to earn his paycheck? You'd think that any slick-haired coach off the street could win the title with this team. Here's the issue ... there IS such a problem as having too much of a good thing. And Ohio State's good thing comes at the most critical position in the game, Quarterback. Usually a team would love to have just one solid QB they can rely on, but OSU has 3 ... count them THREE ... of them. Last year the Bucks started the season with Braxton Miller under center and many predicted he would be the Heisman Trophy winner. However, an unfortunate early season injury knocked Miller out for the year and this season he decided to come back as a back/receiver. That's right, a Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback is now moving to a new position because there's so much talent on the team. So, after Miller gets knocked out, JT Barrett takes over the team. All he does is lead the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship Game while also becoming a Heisman favorite and almost winning the trophy. BUT, then he gets hurt right before the Big 10 title clash and they go to third stringer Cardale Jones. How did Jones do? He won them the National Championship and projected as a first round draft pick if he left school! All in 3 games! So now, you have three big time QB's returning to Columbus and all of them want to be future NFL stars. So, Urban Meyer, how do you keep everyone happy? THIS is his conundrum. Nobody will doubt that OSU is more talented than almost any team they'll play this season, but can they keep the peace in the locker room and stay focused on the prize? If OSU can repeat this season as Champs, I will consider this to be Urban Meyer's greatest coaching achievement and put him in the discussion for greatest college coach of all time. But, will they even pass Week 1 ...<br />
<br />
- Take a look at the Week 1 lineup. Usually the first couple of games during the season are "garbage" games where big programs play cupcakes (slang for easy teams to beat, not a delicious icing-covered dessert) just to get in the groove of things. But, with the playoffs here and the BCS finally good and dead, all of a sudden the quality of non-conference opponent actually matters for something. And I think this weekend it could count for a whole heck of a lot. I'm looking at the top 15 teams in the pre-season rankings and I think there are 5 very intriguing games to watch this Labor Day Weekend ...<br />
<br />
Louisville @ #6 Auburn<br />
<br />
#15 Arizona State @ Texas A&M (led by Kyle Allen, product of Scottsdale, AZ high school, and my alma mater, Desert Mountain ... Go Wolves!)<br />
<br />
Texas @ #11 Notre Dame<br />
<br />
#20 Wisconsin @ #3 Alabama (Played in Jerry's House ... Arlington, TX)<br />
<br />
#1 Ohio State @ Virginia Tech<br />
<br />
Keep an eye on these ball games. My prediction is that AT LEAST 2 of these top 15 teams are going down this weekend before the season even really gets rolling. And, if I'm a betting man, I like Texas A&M, Texas, and Wisconsin to all win. Suck on that Bama. Don't forget, Virginia Tech beat Ohio State early last year and Ohio State has four Wide Receivers out this week with injuries or suspension, not to mention their top defensive player who might be the eventual #1 pick in the NFL Draft ...<br />
<br />
- I am predicting that for the first time in forever, a non-major school will contend for the National Championship. And by that I mean either a non-power conference school or TCU will make the 4 team playoff at the end of the year. Technically TCU is now part of the Big 12 and considered a power conference school, but for my money they are still lil ole Texas Christian whom nobody respects. Maybe the chip on their shoulder from getting left out of the playoffs last year will finally work in their favor. But watch out for another team off the radar right now ... I have no clue which one but watch out anyway! Last year all 4 playoff teams started the season in the Top 5 of the pre-season AP poll. This year I think the trend changes. I'm banking on at least 2 teams coming from OUTSIDE of the current AP Top 10. Suck on that Bama.<br />
<br />
- My Tar Heels will keep the bell in Chapel Hill where it belongs when we beat Dook later this season. No further explanation needed. Suck on that Bama. Yeah, just because.<br />
<br />
- Call me biased ("Hey Fishy, you're biased) but I think this year could mark the return to the national scene for the Miami Hurricanes. Miami has not truly been in the championship hunt since they were screwed over ... err, lost ... the 2002 title game to Ohio State, but I think Al Golden may finally be figuring this team out. He has an excellent young QB in Brad Kaaya and seems to be doing a much better job of recruiting top talent away from the Gators and Noles in recent years. Miami may not be ranked right now, but don't be surprised if they finish the year somewhere between 10 and 15 in the AP poll including a trip to the "Big 6 Bowl Games" as the ACC Champions.<br />
<br />
- If Steve Sarkisian can stay sober and keep his football team focused, USC is back. Watch out.<br />
<br />
Alright, so those are my big picture thoughts on what to expect for this upcoming college football season. Obviously, a lot can and will happen between now and the second week of January. I'm guessing we're going to see a ton of upsets this year, some remarkable stories we wouldn't have expected, and another season full of memories, moments, and highlights. To conclude, I might as well make a guess at who our playoff teams and National Champion will be. I'm not confident in this at all, but here goes nothing:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Playoffs</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (yes, I believe in Urban Meyer) vs. #4 Boise State Broncos (because, why not?)<br />
<br />
#2 USC Trojans vs. #3 Oklahoma Sooners (I pick them every year, why stop now?)<br />
<br />
<b><u>National Championship</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #2 USC Trojans<br />
<br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">Winner</u>: USC Trojans<br />
<br />
There's only one thing I know for sure ... football season starts tomorrow and I can't wait. Let the games begin!!!<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-89098314539359794982015-07-16T14:31:00.000-07:002015-07-16T14:31:02.474-07:002015 ESPY Awards - Arthur Ashe's Memory Deserves BetterGood Afternoon Loyal Follower! (Yes, I intentionally made that singular)<br />
<br />
Before beginning my post, I feel as though this is only appropriate:<br />
<br />
DISCLAIMER - The below post might be offensive if:<br />
<br />
1. Pieces are taken out of context.<br />
2. Not read in it's entirety.<br />
3. Is misunderstood or the intention questioned.<br />
4. You don't like pizza.<br />
<br />
When I started this blog a couple of years ago, the intent behind it was to provide myself a forum to discuss my thoughts on anything sports related, and possibly engage some conversation along the way. Through my blogging journey, I have learned to take a bit of a humorous/satirical approach to my writing because it's a lot of fun and my brother seems to enjoy it. However, what I have to say below is going to lean a bit more to the original intent of my blog. I'm going to minimize the jokes (though I might toss one or two in) and really focus on how I'm feeling about the topic. As I emphasized above, if you're going to read this post, please read it to the very end so you have a full understanding of where I'm coming from.<br />
<br />
Without further delay ...<br />
<br />
Last night was the 2015 ESPY Awards ... the night where ESPN holds an awards show to recognize everything sports related from the last year. Think Oscars but fewer performances and more buff people who can run really fast. Unfortunately I was not home to watch it live, so I've been watching my DVR recording this afternoon to see what I missed. I'm only about two hours into the show and already I've spent at least 45 minutes with tears in my eyes. No, that's not a joke, it's legit. For those who have never seen the show, the human interest stories about athletes and their lives are as much the focus as accomplishments on the field of play. And that's what I'm here today to discuss ... the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.<br />
<br />
Each year for the last 22 years, ESPN has selected one individual who has somehow demonstrated unbelievable courage in their lives with some type of tie-in to sports. Past winners have included active athletes (last year Michael Sam won the award for his bravery in coming out as gay while actively competing for an NFL roster sport), sports personalities (in 2013, sports reporter Robin Roberts received the award for her very public battle with cancer), and public figures (in 2009 the award went to Nelson Mandela who used soccer as a way to bring peace and understanding to his home country of South Africa). The award has been given to some of the most notable and inspiring faces of the sports world over the last 22 years including Pat Summit, Billie Jean King, Dean Smith, Jim Valvano, and Muhammed Ali. Last night the annual award was presented to Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner. And I, for one, couldn't have been more disappointed in this choice of recipient. That's why I'm writing this post.<br />
<br />
Let me be very clear in my stance here ... I don't trust Caitlyn Jenner. My disapproval in who won this award has nothing to do with my feelings about the transgender community, the meaning behind why this award was given to Caitlyn, or my hopes for tolerance and understanding in the Unites State and greater community. My feelings are based on the premise that Bruce/Caitlyn is an attention whore (please excuse my language) who puts his/her own stardom before anything else.<br />
<br />
Back in the 70's, Bruce Jenner became a sporting icon in the Unites States when he won Olympic gold in the decathlon in Montreal. As the winner of this event, he became the official Greatest Athlete in the World and a face for the American people. He was known around the country as a hero and a representative of our athletic achievements in the world of sports. And then, he disappeared from the world of sports. That's not to say that he wasn't present in media, but truthfully it had very little to do with noble causes or athletic achievements. Jenner may have competed before I was born, but then again so did Ali, Mays, and Jabbar. The difference is those three individuals stayed close to their sport AND found ways to make the world a better place. I never even heard of Bruce Jenner until much later in life. That's my first reason for believing Caitlyn did not deserve this award ... she has had nothing to do with sports in the last 40 years and her contributions to the sporting community have been negligible.<br />
<br />
My second, and more pressing reason, for being against this honor comes down to 5 words ... Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Over the last 10 years, Bruce Jenner has been a part of (and in many ways encouraged) the upbringing of one of the most dangerous families in American culture. This show, and the success that the daughters have had from it, highlight some of the most disturbing issues that we're experiencing in our society. In a time where women are doing AMAZING things across the globe (heck, we're a year away from potentially electing our first female President) the Kardashian sisters have become famous for nothing more than their appearances, clothes, and outlandish lifestyle. They have placed vanity above character and Bruce helped to support the mockery that these ladies have become. Ladies who are "role models" for millions of young girls around the country. And that's where the problem comes from ... all of a sudden, Bruce is no longer the most famous person in his family. His slut-tastic daughters have become media icons and the former Olympic champion was just becoming a footnote. So what did he do? He brought the spotlight back to himself. Over the last six months, she has once again become the shining star of the family, shining brighter than her ridiculous children. It's all about Caitlyn.<br />
<br />
Please understand, I'm not going to sit here and claim that Bruce didn't believe he was a woman all along and only changed genders to be famous. While I am skeptical of Jenner's intentions, I will not deny that this could very well have been a lifelong battle that finally culminated in her becoming herself. However, don't you find the timing of all this a bit ... curious? Why did Bruce wait until his late 60's, when his family was incredibly famous beyond his wildest imagination, before making this decision or telling ANYONE how he felt? Why couldn't this have been done in his 30's? 40's? 50's? According to the story told during the ESPY's telecast, Caitlyn didn't want to bring any pain to her family and thus decided to wait before changing her life. She isolated herself over the last couple of years while transforming into the person we see today. I'm sorry Bruce, I'm sorry Caitlyn, I'm sorry Jenner ... I just don't buy it. Your entire life has been about fame and fortune, and I don't trust you. From the bottom of my heart, I hope I'm wrong. But since I feel the way I do, I truly wish this award had been given to someone that epitomizes courage in every facet of their life. I can think of several individuals that were recognized in just the first 2 hours of the show who would have been more deserving of this most prestigious honor: Lauren Hill, Stuart Scott, or even the person who presented the award, Abby Wambach.<br />
<br />
Here is why it's important that you read this entire post ... it is very important that you know that I am completely in support of any individual who identifies with a gender different than what they were born with. I believe each person is born as a special and unique human being and we are not always dealt the hand we believe we deserve. If you feel you were meant to be someone different than who you are, then by all means, explore that side of you and live life as who you want to be. It doesn't matter to me if you are white, black, straight, gay, male, female, or transgender. What counts to me is who you are as a person, what you bring to the world and those around you, and how you treat other people. You be you and I'll be me.<br />
<br />
If there is anything positive that comes out of Caitlyn Jenner receiving this award, it's the hope that there are individuals out there who will truly benefit from the spirit of the message behind the award. Abuse and mistreatment of the transgender community is a legitimate issue and if even one teenager keeps the will to live because they are inspired by Caitlyn, it will have been worth it. While I may question the individual and the motives behind the recipient, there is potentially something much bigger happening here, and that is a beautiful thing. For that reason, and that reason alone, I applaud the choice of Caitlyn Jenner as the Arthur Ashe award winner. I hope she fully understands the responsibility that has been placed on her shoulders with this honor and will use the power to make a positive change in this world, not just another reality show. Now's your chance Caitlyn ... prove me wrong.<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-29502820566614615122015-07-08T14:51:00.000-07:002015-07-08T14:51:27.036-07:00Sports in General - The Week in ReviewGood Afternoon Sports Fans!<br />
<br />
It's been almost 9 months since I lasted posted anything sports related to this blog so I figured it was about time to get back at it. Back in November I discovered I was pregnant and my physician advised me of the complications to pregnancy from blogging, thus leading me to abandon my followers for awhile. OK, just kidding, blogging cannot impact your pregnancy and will have no effect on your future children. I've just been busy/lazy. And oh yeah, I'm not pregnant because I'm a guy.<br />
<br />
Now that you've gotten over not hearing from me in three trimesters, let's get to the good stuff ...<br />
<br />
<u>Win it for Wambach!?!</u><br />
<br />
Congratulations to the USWNT (Unites States Women's National Team for those of you not "in the know") for winning the FIFA Women's World Cup on Sunday evening! The US women pulled off an incredible, if not shocking, 5-2 victory over defending champion Japan in the final game of the tournament. The highlight of the game was the US' 4 goals before the end of the 16th minute including this beauty by MVP (or whatever soccer people call it) Carli Lloyd: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN596P7xqJw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN596P7xqJw</a><br />
<br />
Throughout the tournament, the rallying cry for the American women was "Win it for Wambach" as though she was a three legged pony with a bad case of malaria that had to be carried onto the field using a lawnmower because the stadium misplaced the parade float. Seriously, I did not get it for most of the tournament. Abby has scored more goals than any American soccer player in international history (yes, that includes the boys) and has a trophy case of accomplishments at home to brag about. Yes, I understand that this is likely her last WWC (Women's World Cup ... follow me people) but she's hardly had a lackluster career. Adding this last trophy would have been nice, not mandatory to give her legend-type status in the realm of Mia (Tar Heel) Hamm. However, during the Championship Game, it finally clicked for me. Wambach, realizing that she is not the spring chicken she used to be, graciously gave up her starting role on the team to allow for younger, more talented players, to bring home the trophy. She didn't whine, she didn't make a scene, she didn't call TMZ to release the video of Alex Morgan peeing in a urinal after a couple too many drinks ... she's did what was best for the team. And for once, an athlete put winning ahead of ego ... and now I get it. The team wanted to win this for Wambach because she's the ultimate teammate and deserved it. Abby could have demanded a starting role and has earned the right to request that position, but instead she played the game with her head and realized that she had more value starting the game on the bench.<br />
<br />
In return for this unusual display of humility in sports? Star of the game Carli Lloyd had an amazing moment when Wambach was subbed in and, in front of the world, presented her with the prestigious Captain's Band to finish out the tournament. I cried almost as much as I did when King Triton finally let Ariel have permanent legs. Way to go Abby, and Carli, and the USWNT, and pizza. What? I like pizza.<br />
<br />
PS: Of the 23 members of the USWNT, 6 of them played their collegiate years at UNC. No other school has more than 2 representatives. Suck on that Dook. Go America, Go Heels!<br />
<br />
<u>Ouchy</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
Dear athletes of the world ... STOP BEING STUPID. Love, Matthew.<br />
<br />
Two big name sports stars this week suffered major off-the-field injuries by doing things that, well, they just knew better than to do.<br />
<br />
The first one is still kind of shady ... Jason Pierre-Paul (defensive lineman for my NY Giants) managed to blow up his hand playing with fireworks on the 4th of July. The actual extent of the injury has yet to be released, but it's bad enough that the Giants decided to rescind his $60 million contract offer. Let me repeat that ... he gave up a $60,000,000 (that's a lot of bleeping zeros!) contract to play with fireworks on Independence Day! Doesn't he have like a 3 year old niece or something that could have handled the fireworks? Her hands are a lot less valuable than his.<br />
<br />
The second one ... not shady, not as stupid, but still kinda dumb. The #1 golfer in the world (by stats, not by Tigertude) Rory McIlroy ruptured a tendon in his ankle this week playing soccer with some buddies. While I understand that professional athletes enjoy other sports and hobbies (playing with fireworks is NOT a hobby JPP, sorry), this injury came less than 2 weeks away from the British Open at St. Andrews. For those that don't follow golf, The Open Championship ... that's what the funny looking people on the other side of the pond call it ... is one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year and this month it's being played on the original golf course of the world. Like, first one. Ever. None before it.<br />
<br />
Couldn't Rory, who btw is the defending champion of the tournament, have kicked around the black and white globe later this year when it's cold out and he's wearing long underwear by his $2 million fire place?<br />
<br />
*Editor's Note: Here is a glossary of terms for this last section:<br />
<br />
Tigertude - The Tiger Woods awesomeness factor by which all other golfers will be measured against.<br />
JPP - Jason Pierre-Paul (seriously, you couldn't figure that one out on your own?)<br />
The Pond - The Atlantic Ocean<br />
BTW - Stands for "by the way". You're welcome Dad. PS: Happy Birthday.<br />
<br />
<u>What a Jerk</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
Earlier this week, Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper decided he didn't feel like participating in the Home Run Derby during next week's All Star Game festivities. Dude's just going to sit this one out. But, that's cool, I mean why would you participate in one of the most popular sporting exhibitions in the country to please millions of fans who drool over strong baseball players hitting small balls a really long way? It's not like they pay your salary or anything and allow you to lead the National League in home runs at the All Star Break. Oh wait ... THEY DO! If you haven't seen the signs already (just watch some of his previous interviews), Bryce Harper is well on his way to winning the "Barry Bonds Most Hated Player in Baseball Lifetime Achievement Award." Way to go Bryce.<br />
<br />
On another ASG (All Star Game ... gees, pay attention) note, Alex Rodriguez did NOT make the roster for the American League this year. Despite putting up incredible numbers after missing the last year plus of baseball for doing the juice, the guy is 41 years old (ancient for a baseball player) and one of the best players in the league in recent memory. And what was the reason for his missing the team? It's not that he used to cheat. It's not that people don't like it. It's not that he hasn't washed his jock strap in 12 years for good luck. It's because the American League team manager wanted another infielder instead of a player who can hit. You ever watch the ASG? How many times does the no-name guy at the end of the bench who can't hit but catches nicely actually get on the field? Here's a hint ... I have the same number of appearances as that guy. Do you know that player's name this year? Exactly.<br />
<br />
<u>In Other News</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
Free Agency opened up in the NBA this week and there were a LOT of big names on the move and in the news. In the first 24 hours of free agency, NBA owners spent a combined $1.4 billion on new NBA contracts. The next day, they woke up and realized that still, nobody cares about the NBA.<br />
<br />
Until next time ...<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-22734008975817123082014-11-26T16:31:00.000-08:002014-11-26T16:31:05.654-08:00College Football - The System is Still BrokenHello loyal readers! Almost 3 months ago I gave all of you my rundown on the upcoming college football season. I was excited and energized by the crumbling of the BCS and the arrival of a playoff system. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, college football found new life and all would be well in the world!<br />
<br />
Now, here we are, only 3 days before the final Saturday of the regular season ... and the damn thing is still broken. How in the world could a group of independent, sometimes insignificant, men and women possibly make this many mistakes? It would be like fumbling the snap on the first play of the Super Bowl to force a safety and go down 2-0. Oh wait ...<br />
<br />
So here's the deal, I'm pissed. Why am I pissed you ask? Thanks for asking. I'm pissed because this whole 4 team playoff seems like a no-brainer and yet it's getting mucked up as bad as the BCS. For those of you living under a rock, the Playoff Committee has been releasing their rankings each of the last several weeks to project where teams will stand at the end of the season. As of this week, here are their top 4 (who would make the playoff bracket):<br />
<br />
1. Alabama<br />
2. Oregon<br />
3. Florida State<br />
4. Mississippi State<br />
<br />
Now on the surface, I guess you could argue that this isn't horrible. All of these teams have had decent seasons in and big time schedules. However, the committee is clearly omitting one big piece of the puzzle when making their rankings ... WHO WINS THE STINKING GAMES!!! If you didn't know, 3 of the 4 teams above have one loss (the only undefeated being Florida State) yet there's another undefeated team in the country and they are ranked 24th! Yes, that's right, with a 2 in front of it! How can this possibly be? The committee is making a statement that goes as follows:<br />
<br />
"If you aren't from a Power 5 Conference, you are not eligible to play for the National Championship."<br />
<br />
What makes this statement completely ridiculous/unfair/stupid is that the whole point of this committee and playoff system was to give the little guy a chance in the fight! You can't have David vs. Goliath if every game is Goliath vs. Goliath. So, what would be different if I ran the world? I'm glad you'd like to know ...<br />
<br />
#1 - Florida State. They are the defending National Champion from a Power 5 Conference and they are undefeated. Enough said. But I'll keep talking anyway. One of the biggest criticisms against FSU this season is that they haven't looked great and they're only winning close games. The difference between them and the other teams? They ARE winning the close games. No slip ups, no 4th quarters crushing fumbles ... they just win.<br />
<br />
#2 - Oregon. Honestly, it's a coin flip between the Ducks and the Tide. You can make an argument here for either team and you really wouldn't be wrong. I'm picking Oregon because their uniforms are pretty. Yeah, I said it, whatcha gonna do about it?<br />
<br />
#3 - Alabama. See #2.<br />
<br />
#4 - Marshall. Yes, I'm aware half of you don't know who Marshall is except for the movie where they all die in a plane crash. Well guess what ... they still have a football team, Randy Moss went there a bunch of years ago, and they are the only other undefeated team in the country. Just like FSU, they've won all the games they've played and you can't ask them to do any more than that. I'm giving them a slight penalty for not being in a Power 5 Conference (that's why they are at 4 and not 2) BUT at least I'm giving them a shot in the fight.<br />
<br />
This weekend there are going to be several big games that will undoubtedly shake up what the final playoff picture looks like. While we don't know yet what will happen, I can tell you what I want to happen and what I think will happen ...<br />
<br />
My dream scenario:<br />
<br />
Alabama loses to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, thus knocking them to #4 at best. Mississippi State loses to Mississippi in the Egg Bowl (what the hell is an Egg Bowl?) knocking them completely out of the running. Alabama goes on to lose to Missouri in the SEC Championship Game giving them 3 losses and ensuring that there is no SEC team of significance. Final rankings for the playoffs:<br />
<br />
1. Not an SEC Team<br />
2. Not an SEC Team<br />
3. Not an SEC Team<br />
4. Not an SEC Team<br />
<br />
The SEC is shut out and the world rejoices! Don't care who fills the top 4, as long as it's not the SEC. For what it's worth, Florida State, Oregon, TCU, and Ohio State would make for a very entertaining January.<br />
<br />
Here's how I think it will play out:<br />
<br />
Alabama wins the Iron Bowl. Auburn isn't very good. I said it to start the season, and I'm sticking with it. Mississippi beats Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss is at home, so I'm taking them. Florida beats Florida State and the luck of the Seminoles finally runs out. In the biggest upset of the weekend, TCU loses at Texas in a stunner. Yes, I know I'm creating craziness here, but stick with it because it's not that far-fetched. Final rankings for the playoffs:<br />
<br />
1. Alabama<br />
2. Oregon<br />
3. Ohio State<br />
4. Baylor<br />
<br />
There you have it. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-54492446753475683212014-09-06T11:46:00.003-07:002014-09-06T11:46:58.212-07:00Pro Football - 2014 Season Preview
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can you feel it? Can you feel that warm fuzzy feeling,
the beautiful smell in the air, the twinkling lights, the merriment, the
cheer?! No, I'm not talking about Christmas. Well, in a way I am, because
tomorrow is kinda like my Christmas. It's the first Sunday of the NFL Season!!!
Even though we already watched the Packers get waxed at the hands of the
Seahawks on Thursday night, Sunday is the REAL start to the season.</span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, it's time to put on our pads, lace up our cleats, and
get ready for 17+ weeks of action, emotion, mayhem, and the greatest sport
known to man that doesn't rhyme with hurling! Here is my official predictions
for the 2014-15 NFL Season ...</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>AFC East</u></b>
- Believe me when I say, this division is bad. And I mean "The Buffalo
Bills just signed a retired quarterback to take over for the first round draft
pick from last year" kind of bad. If I had to take a guess, and that's
what I do, 3 of the 4 teams in this division will have a losing record. In
fact, I'll even go so far to say that the division winner will have more wins
than all of the other 3 teams in the division COMBINED! Division Winner - New
England Patriots</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>AFC North</u></b>
- The AFC North is like that annoying family member that you know is going to
do 1 good thing all year but you have no idea where and when it will take
place. This is a group of mediocre teams who are all good enough to stay in
football games but weak enough to potentially lose to a team in the AFC East on
a freaky Sunday afternoon. While I think there are 3 squads here that could
potentially put together a run (sorry Browns) I'm expecting a clear winner at
the end of the season. Division Winner - Cincinnati Bengals</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>AFC West</u></b>
- There's a lot of talent in this group of 4 teams that not-too-long-ago was
the laughing stock of the AFC. However, bring in a healthy Peyton Manning and
rejuvenated Andy Reid and all of a sudden this is actually the class of the
conference. Despite the suspensions, the Broncos are easily the face of the AFC
right now and deserve to keep that podium as long as Peyton's neck isn't
removed from the rest of his body. What might surprise you is that I have BOTH
of the conference Wild Card births coming from this division. Division Winner -
Denver Broncos; Wild Cards - Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>AFC South</u></b>
- One horse race, no pun intended. Ok, I lie, pun COMPLETELY intended. The only
way this division becomes competitive is if the Texans bench Ryan Fitzpatrick
and give a much deserved chance to the best backup quarterback in the NFL, Ryan
Mallett. Division Winner - Indianapolis Colts</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>AFC Playoffs</u></b>
- Based on the predictions above, I'm going with the following seedings:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 - Broncos</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 - Patriots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 - Colts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4 - Bengals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">5 - Chargers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6 - Chiefs</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How do I see it playing out? In the Wild Card round I
think the Colts take out the Chiefs and the Chargers upset the Bengals. In the
Divisional round the Broncos will have a hard fought win over their division
rival Chargers and the Colts will upset the Patriots in Foxboro. That will
setup yet another Peyton-versus-his-former-team game in the AFC Championship
with the Broncos heading back to the Super Bowl for the second straight year.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>NFC East</u></b>
- As a lifelong fan of the NY Giants, I really want to brag about our division
this season. I want to tell you all of the reasons why we're the dominant force
in the NFL and we're going to steamroll the competition this year.
Unfortunately, my Mom taught me that the worst thing I can do in life is lie.
Stupid life lessons. In reality, the NFC East is kind of like the NFC Least in
the NFL. The Deadskins are run by a quarterback who will be lucky to stay out
of the hospital, the Cowboys have the most under-rated pass tosser in the
league but only one legitimate WR to throw it to, and the Giants are the worst
team in the history of football to go 5-0 in the pre-season. In fact, I would
bet money that the Giants win more pre-season games this year than regular
season. On second thought, my G-men will likely win 8 games again ... just
enough to miss the playoffs and still get the crappiest draft pick possible.
Division Winner - Philadelphia Eagles</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>NFC North</u></b>
- Now HERE is a division with some talented football players. I'm going to
pretend I didn't see the Packers lay an egg on Thursday night (well, maybe
partially pretend) and give credit to the Vikings simply for having the best
Running Back in the world right now. As much as I absolutely hate his guts, I
think Jay Cutler will lead the Bears to their best season in years and Matthew
Stafford has more weapons in Detroit than President "W" thought Iraq
had about 10 years ago. Watch out for my boy Eric Ebron (Go Heels!) to climb up
the depth chart and make a real impact this season alongside Megatron and the
Golden One. Division Winner - Chicago Bears; Wild Card - Detroit Lions</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>NFC West</u></b>
- If I thought the North was talented, that would have to make the West
exceptional. Remember a couple of years ago when the winner of the NFC West had
a losing record? That seems like generations away right now. Top to bottom,
this is easily the best division in all of football and I think 3 of the 4
teams in this group could win any other division this season if they were in
them. Ironically, the worst team in the NFL lives in the basement here and
could easily find themselves 0-16 come January. This is easily the toughest
division to pick and the only thing I'm confident in is that 2 teams from the
West will make the playoffs. I'm making this pick with my pre-Thursday night
mindset to remain fair for my loyal reading audience. Division Winner - San
Francisco 49ers; Wild Card - Arizona Cardinals (Yup, no Seahawks)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>NFC South</u></b>
- This division race could potentially be interesting if the Falcons are
willing to invest in a fleet of Hummers to replace their offense line and
protect Matt Ryan. Between Julio, Roddy, and Harry, Matty Ice has a plethora
(you like that SAT word don't you?) of receivers to choose from. He should
throw for a lot of yards as long as he stays off his back and doesn't get hurt.
He better do that too because his running game will be a joke. Outside of
Atlanta, the Bucs would struggle in the SEC and Cam Newton is the most
overrated big-shot in the league. Which leaves me one team to win the division
by default. Division Winner - New Orleans Saints</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>NFC Playoffs</u></b>
- This is a tougher puzzle than the AFC, but I see the breakdown as follows:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 - 49ers</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 - Saints</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 - Bears</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4 - Eagles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">5 - Lions</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6 - Cardinals</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So who's going to the Super Bowl? Again, I'm playing this
out as if I never saw the Seahawks blow up the Pack earlier in the week. In the
Wild Card, I like Jay Cutler to finally crumble (as he does and will be traded
because of) to the incredible Cardinals defense (beware the Honey Badger) with
the Lions overpowering my coach-crush Chip Kelly and his Eagles. That would
leave me a rematch between the Niners and Cardinals with the Saints hosting the
Lions. I think San Fran will be just a little too powerful for the Cardinals
once their offense comes together and I there's something special about this
year's Lions team. However, the run for Detroit will end in the Bay when
"Kaep" takes the Niners to the Super Bowl after a high scoring NFC
Championship game.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Super Bowl</u></b>
- If this thing actually ends up being Denver versus San Fran like I projected
above, it could be one of the greatest games ever played. You would have Peyton
Manning, likely in his final season with a HUGE chip on his shoulder, taking on
a Niners team that is aggressive and hungry to avenge two straight heart
breaking playoff losses. When you get to the big game, I truly believe talent
wins out, which means my Super Bowl Champion is the San Francisco 49ers.
Barely. By a point. Maybe a half a point.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>League MVP</u></b>
- It doesn't matter how bad his team is, Adrian Peterson is going to have the
best statistical year of any running back in the history of the NFL. Look for
him to break the single season rush record by at least 100 yards and prove that
he truly is the top guy in the game. There's a couple of guys who can stay in
the conversation early (expect Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford
to get consideration) but ultimately none of them will touch "All
Day."</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Comeback Player
of the Year</u></b> - Tim Tebow. As if anyone else was even an option.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let's get this thing started ...</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">- Fishy</span></div>
Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-9468146009875078442014-08-30T08:01:00.000-07:002014-08-30T08:01:24.007-07:00College Football - 2014 Season PreviewCongratulations Sports Fans! After a 5 and a half month hiatus, I'm back on my blog and sharing my insights. You're welcome.<br />
<br />
It's time once again for my annual College Football preview. Yeah, I know I'm cheating just a little bit because technically the season started a few days ago. But let's be realistic ... until opening Saturday it's not REALLY football season. The last few nights have been more like the potato skins appetizer to our upcoming prime rib entree. And for dessert? Well that comes in about 5 months when we FINALLY get a playoff system in Division 1 of College Football (yes, I said Division 1 ... real fans don't use the letter FBS).<br />
<br />
So, this is what you've all been waiting for ... my top 10 predictions for the upcoming College Football season. Whether you think these previews are right on, a little off, or totally loopy, there's no doubt they are all ... brilliant.<br />
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10. <strong>Big 12 Preview:</strong> There's a reason I'm starting this list with the Big 12 ... you save the best for last and this conference is NOT the best. Easily the weakest of the power conferences, I see the Big 12 with only one serious threat to compete for a national championship: the Oklahoma Sooners. Even though the Bell-dozer is being moved to tight end in 2014, I still think Oklahoma is the class of the conference and has an outside shot to make the Final Four. Keep an eye on Texas though as I think they will start rebuilding this season under Charlie Strong after a couple of weak final years with Mack Brown. And yes, I know that people are loving them some Baylor and Kansas State but I'm not one of them. Bryce Petty can score 300 points a game if he likes but it doesn't matter as long as they keep giving up 301.<br />
<br />
9. <strong>Big 10 Preview:</strong> There must be something with the word "Big" this year ... I think the College Football definition of "Big" should be changed to "Crappy." Now, I'll admit, if you asked me a month ago how I felt about this conference I would have had a slightly different story. I had Ohio State cruising into the playoffs before Braxton Miller managed to blow up his arm again. Now that he's gone, I think the door is open for several sub-par teams to make a run at the roses and a trip to Pasadena later this year. It will likely still be Ohio State coming out alive, but this is definitely not the big scary conference that Maryland and Rutgers thought they were going in to. When I found out Maryland was leaving the ACC I was convinced they would go 0-12 this season. Now that we're about to kick off the games, I bet they can go at least 3-9! Of course one of those is James Madison this afternoon ...<br />
<br />
8. <strong>ACC Preview:</strong> I really, really, really, really, really, really, really wish I could say my beloved ACC would be an elite group of football squads this season. If I did, I'd be lying. Coming in to Week 1, we (yes I can say we) have only 3 teams in the Top 25 and probably just a couple more who will be competitive in non-conference settings. I mean come on, Wake Forest lost their season opener on Thursday to Louisiana-Monroe! The bright side is that we return the defending National Champion and Heisman favorite. The bad part is they won't even win the conference title thanks to my North Carolina Tar Heels. Ok ... even I don't believe that. BUT, if Larry Fedora gets smart and benches Marqise Williams in favor of any other QB on the team, don't be surprised if this bold prediction becomes a bold reality. Miami is the only team in our division that I see standing in the way but they're starting a true freshman QB which could be a tough hurdle to overcome.<br />
<br />
7. While starting his new career as an analyst on the SEC Network, Tim Tebow is going to come across a little known rule while studying for the upcoming season. According to the Official College Football Rule Book, rule UF-15 reads: "Any former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who is not given at least 5 years to prove himself in the NFL will be entitled to 1 additional year of eligibility at the University of his choice. There will be no waiting period necessary and the player can be activated immediately." Given this information, Tebow will call up his buddy and former coach Urban Meyer at Ohio State. Knowing he has no other talented signal caller on his team, Meyer will immediately bring Tebow in to Columbus where he will lead the Buckeyes to an undefeated season, National Championship, and 2nd Heisman Trophy. The state of Ohio will instantly forget that Archie Griffin, Lebron James, or sweater vests ever existed.<br />
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6. <strong>SEC Preview:</strong> I'm going to be the first one to say it ... the SEC as a whole is not going to be very good this year. While they will somehow sneak a team who doesn't deserve it into the Final Four, the SEC will NOT win the National Championship this year. About a month ago I thought it was a coin flip between LSU and Bama to come out of the SEC West with 2 losses and a conference title. After watching TAMU beat up on the Gamecocks this week though, there could be a few more ponies in this race than I originally thought. As far as the East ... they are terrible. And no, I don't mean "down year" terrible ... I mean 2 week old meatloaf that's starting to grow that green stuff kind of terrible. Sure, the Bulldawgs are the favorites to take the division but don't be stunned if all of a sudden the Gators aren't as terrible as they've been the last couple of seasons. Oh, and how's this for a prediction: Auburn will finish the season OUTSIDE the Top 25. Boom, mind blown.<br />
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5. <strong>PAC Whatever Preview:</strong> First, an explanation. When the PAC-10 decided to expand a couple of years ago, my brother and I agreed that the number in the conference name no longer mattered. So, that's why they are officially the PAC Whatever. With that said, the conference from out west actually looks really strong this year. Call it my West Coast bias, but I think there's a couple of teams in this group that could embarrass some of the other power conferences if they just took a big crane and moved their schools east of the Mississippi. The head of the class though is the Oregon Ducks led by QB Marcus Mariota. More on them in just a bit. Between the Ducks, UCLA, USC, ASU, U of A, and Stanford, this group could provide a lot of very fun football games to watch in 2014 (and 2015?).<br />
<br />
4. The country will quickly forget about the recent antics of a certain USC defensive player (seriously, jumping off a balcony to save a kid in the pool is the story you're gonna go with as a lie?) when they hear the tale of Richie Baskets, a little known freshman out of the University of Southern Utah - Cape King (better known as USUCK). Baskets, a 4'5" 385 pound place kicker has a huge heart but a bit of a mischievous side. Earlier this week while walking his pet weasel, Coach K, Richie walked by what appeared to be an abandoned mansion. While attempting to catch his breath after the long 37 foot walk, Baskets watched in horror as Coach K broke off his leash and daintily skipped into the home formerly owned by JJ Redick. In an act of true heroism, Richie summoned all of his strength to leap over the tennis ball standing between him and the house so that he could pursue his furry little sidekick. While the number of witnesses were minimal, on-lookers state that when Richie made his away into the home he was immediately love struck at the sight of a gorgeous woman. Nobody knows for sure what happened inside the mansion, but we do know that Richie has not been seen since entering the home while Coach K was discovered drinking Avian in a ski lodge outside Salt Lake City. Rumor has it that the beautiful woman was Manti Teo''s ex-girlfriend.<br />
<br />
3. <strong>Heisman Trophy Preview:</strong> I will be stunned if the Heisman Trophy winner this season is NOT a quarterback, and likely one from a championship contending school. Coming in to 2014 many have the defending champion Jameis Winston as the favorite but recent history has suggested that repeating as Heisman winner is a nearly impossible task. Winston can play just as well this year as he did in 2013, and I think he will, but it won't be enough in the voters' minds to give him the award for a second time. My Heisman winner is the guy who I thought was going to win it last year, Marcus Mariota from the University of Oregon. Besides being a dynamite athlete, Mariota is a true field general and knows how to get the most out of the other 10 guys he's playing with. Oregon doesn't have a history of recruiting top players like some other schools (come on, would you want to live in Oregon) yet they always have guys like Mariota who are stars under the radar. I'll take Winston as my runner up with Bryce Petty (Baylor) coming in 3rd.<br />
<br />
2. <strong>Playoff Preview:</strong> This is the first year of the College Football Playoffs so I think there is a lot of mystery in how the "Committee" will make their picks for the 4 most deserving teams to compete for the championship. This could be a year where quite a few different schools have a legitimate claim that they're one of the top 4 in the country. While I think there is a clear #1 and #2 (see more below) the rest of the water gets to be a little murky. With that said, it's my job to tell you what's going to happen so that's exactly what I'll do! I believe the Final Four this year will be the Oregon Ducks, Florida State Seminoles, Oklahoma Sooners, and whatever comes out of the SEC. I refuse to actually pick a team from the SEC though because I don't believe any of those teams will be worthy of this spot. They are going to end up stealing the position from a squad that actually deserves it, likely an undefeated team from outside the power conferences. Which team will get "screwed" only time will tell.<br />
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1. <strong>National Championship Preview:</strong> I'm going to start this off by saying anything can happen in College Football. One injury can completely change the landscape of the entire country and you never know where the surprises will come from. With that said, I'm making my prediction under the assumption that injuries will be relatively equal across all teams and the most talented units will actually prevail. So ... drum roll please ... this year's National Championship in Dallas will feature the Oregon Ducks defeating the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 34-28. I believe both of these schools will have unbelievable years but the Ducks get the edge in Jerry's House because they will be better battle tested heading in to January. There's very little resistance for FSU on their march to perfection and that's going to bite them when they play a team who had to navigate through some of the best talent in the country. Oregon may not go undefeated, but these PAC Whatever Champions will be your first ever winner of the College Football Playoffs.<br />
<br />
Oh, as a little bonus ... remember how the Dookies had that amazing story-book season last year? Well enough of that crap ... 2014 will see the Blue Devils return to the ACC basement where they belong as the Victory Bell makes its way back to its true home in Chapel Hill. Have a great season and most importantly, Go Heels!<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-41477811843248976582014-03-19T16:36:00.002-07:002014-03-19T16:36:45.072-07:00College Basketball - March Madness About to Begin!Alrighty Sports Fans! It's March, the Big Dance is starting in less than 20 hours, and my Dad requested a new blog post because it's been awhile.<br />
<br />
But, I also worked late, I'm hungry for dinner, and I just finished working out. Soooooo, we're going to make this short, sweet, and to the point. Kinda like a night on the town with Justin Bieber.<br />
<br />
Here we go with my predictions for this year's NCAA tournament (just to clarify, these are my predictions for the MEN'S bracket ... if you're into the women's bracket then you probably live in Connecticut ...)<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Biggest Upsets of the First Round</u></strong><br />
<br />
South Region: Stephen F Austin over VCU. Even though VCU has been a very trendy pick over the last few years, the guys on CBS convinced me during the Selection Show that there's something to this 31-2 SFA team. Plus, it's a 5-12 game so you never know what could happen.<br />
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East Region: Harvard over Cincinnati. See the exact same explanation as the South Region. Plus, those Harvard people are smart, so that's something.<br />
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Midwest Region: NC State over Saint Louis. Are we seeing a trend here? Another 5-12 matchup. This time I feel like I actually know something though. TJ Warren is the 3rd highest scorer in the country (NC State) and Saint Louis has had a shaky couple of weeks. I like the Pack in the upset.<br />
<br />
West Region: New Mexico St over San Diego St. I'll be honest, I don't know anything about either of these teams. But I know that usually there are upsets somewhere in the bracket so I might as well go here and try out my luck. It's only for a billion dollars you know ...<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Final Four</u></strong><br />
<br />
South Region: Florida Gators. They are the number 1 team in the country for a reason and I think their senior leadership guides them through a VERY difficult region. Watch out for the Buckeyes in the Elite 8 though ...<br />
<br />
East Region: North Carolina Tar Heels. Yeah, I'm not going to lie, their is a little alumni bias in this pick. The Heels have been up and down all season and I don't feel good about the 1st round matchup against Providence coming off a two game losing streak. But, we seemed to find our groove a little bit in the last few minutes of our ACC tournament game and there's no doubt we have the talent to get us there ... if we play up to our potential. Look for a second round upset in this region with Memphis taking out Virginia.<br />
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Midwest Region: Louisville Cardinals. If my billion dollar bracket pans out, the best game you'll see in this year's tournament is Dook vs. Michigan in the Sweet 16. Unfortunately for those two teams, Louisville should be waiting for the winner and right now they're the best team in the country. Rick Pitino has his boys clicking at the right time of the season. Just ask Rutgers who lost to this team 91-32 only a week ago.<br />
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West Region: Oklahoma State Cowboys. Everyone and their mother has either Arizona or Wisconsin coming out of this bracket. Wisconsin is one of the trendiest picks among all television sportscasters right now. Well I have bad news for everyone ... BOTH of these teams get bounced in the Round of 32. Marcus Smart is the best player in the country and he's going to show everyone why as he takes the Pokes to the Final Four.<br />
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<strong><u>Final Four ... err ... Again</u></strong><br />
<br />
Florida over North Carolina. Yeah, it pains me to say that, but I don't think we get past Billy D and his Gators.<br />
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Louisville over Oklahoma State. Best team in the country beats the best player in the country.<br />
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<strong><u>National Championship Game</u></strong><br />
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Florida Gators over Louisville Cardinals. But Matthew, you just said Louisville is the best team in the country?! In fact, you said it twice!!! Yeah, you're right. BUT, I picked Florida to win it all before the season even started and I'm superstitious like that. I wouldn't put money on Florida to win this game but I would put a billion dollars on the line because I had a hunch several months ago. After all, I did pick Louisville pre-season last year ...<br />
<br />
As my best friend said to me in a text today: Let the Games Begin!<br />
<br />
- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-55751320554234221302014-02-13T15:53:00.002-08:002014-02-13T15:53:40.463-08:002014 Winter Olympics - What Americans?
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My friends, those of you who loyally follow my blog know
how much I love sports. You know I adore athletic competition the same way a
500 pound man looks at a cheesecake. Generally, my posts are positive, upbeat,
and optimistic. So, you’ll forgive me if today is … shall we say … a little
different.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why so blue you ask? Well it’s pretty simple really: the
American delegation at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Yes, I realize we’re only
halfway through the games. Yes, I realize we’re still second in the medal count
with plenty of events to go. Yes, I realize that the female athletes from
Norway are RIDICULOUSLY hot this year. However, all of this cannot overshadow
the disappointment I have in our “top” stars and how they’ve absolutely flopped
in Sochi. Let’s begin with the biggest name:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snowboarding – Shaun White? Shaun White? Has anyone seen
Shaun White? Let me answer that for you: the only one who has seen Shaun White
is the wall of the half pipe that still has his a$$ imprint in it! Easily the
biggest American name in the Winter Games, Mr. White failed to impress on
almost every level you can think of. First, the greatest snowboarder in the
world pulls out of a brand new event because “it looks scary” and “my wrist got
an ouchy when I fell.” Give me a break. Then in his signature discipline, the
event where he won back to back gold medals, he absolutely choked on pretty
much every run he had. The only clean run he put down the entire competition
was when he did a whole lot of nothing and the judges gave him a 95 because
they remembered he used to have really cool hair. If you ask me, the Flying
Tomato is starting to look a lot more like the Falling Potato. Stick a fork in
this spud, he’s done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, and don’t think I forgot about the women. The “pioneer
of women’s snowboarding” Kelly Clark and the former World Champion Hannah
Teter, they’ll get it done! Right? Right? What do you mean only one of them
medaled? What do you mean it was a bronze? What do you mean that the hot chick
from Australia who’s participating in every event in the Olympics and admitted
before her final run that she’s super tired beat them both? Seriously? Good
thing that other American girl who nobody has ever heard of decided to show up
and save the day. What was her name again? Exactly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Skiing – Bode Miller. I literally shudder when I hear the
name. You want to talk about choking … I can’t even eat a bagel while this guy
is on TV for fear that the choke will penetrate through my screen, into my
bagel, and down my throat. What’s worse is, I actually fooled myself into thinking
he could win this time. “Oh, Bode destroyed the competition in pretty much
every day of training?! Maybe this is finally his year to step up and not
disappoint!!!” Yeah … about that …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And how about Lindsey Vonn? I don’t care that she’s
injured, she still should have won!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speed Skating – Ever since Apollo retired, I’ve felt a sense
of loss when it came to Speed Skating. How were we going to compete on the
world’s biggest stage without the only speed skater to ever perform on Dancing
With the Stars? But then, I was reminded that Shani Davis is a two time
defending gold medalist in the long track 1000 meters. And JR Celski as a 4
year old took Bronze in the short track event in Vancouver. This is going to be
great!!! But wait … we’re Americans … and this year that means we suck. What
did Davis do in his shining moment? He finished 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>. EIGHTH PLACE!!!
A 74 year old midget gardener from the Netherlands who entered when his cousin
got a splinter making wooden shoes beat Davis! Ok, not really, but they
probably could have. What if I told you that Davis lost to a guy from South
Korea who used to be a stud but then started to get old, slow, and injured so
he was shunned by the Koreans and ended up moving to Russia who paid him a lot
of money to get back in shape and change his name just so he could pretend to
skate well under their flag on their home turf? Sound far-fetched? Like the
midget? Ok, you got me, that guy didn’t beat Davis. HE BEAT CELSKI!!! Our
youngest up-and-coming hero to be! Where’s Apollo when you need him? Oh wait …
he’s too busy dancing with a cute little 20 year old Russian ballroom dancer
who’s half naked and grinding up on him to the sounds of “Shake You Bon Bon” by
Ricky Martin. Ok, not gonna lie, I’d probably do the same thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To summarize: if you had to list out the big names in
American winter sports coming in to the Olympics, they’ve all lost. Not only
lost, but many of them have lost in epic fashion and without any hope of even
competing for a gold medal. There is still over a week left in the games and
some of our most impressive athletes have yet to take the court/ice/fronton.
Unfortunately, the pattern suggests that they’re just going to fall into the
abyss with a choke performance like the rest of them. So, as Bill Goldberg
might ask: “Who’s Next?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fishy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-56308224166928708952014-01-04T12:06:00.000-08:002014-01-04T12:53:03.979-08:00Pro Football - Playoff PredictionsSo, I just received a voicemail from my best friend/"wife" and she wanted to know my Super Bowl predictions since I hadn't posted them in my blog. She thought she was being funny by teasing me for the lack of blogging, but sometimes you get what you ask for. This one is for you Jenny!<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Philly defeats New Orleans - There are two main reasons I'm going with the Eagles in this matchup: 1. Drew Brees just doesn't seem to play well on the road and in the cold. 2. The Eagles, right now, are the best team in football. It took a few weeks (and a Michael Vick injury) for the Cheesesteak Crew to understand Chip Kelly's schemes, but once they did the Eagles took flight (haha) and are clicking on all cylinders. Eagles win 31-17.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">San Francisco defeats Green
Bay - As some of you may recall, the 49ers were my pre-season pick to win the whole thing. They brought the best team back from 2012-2013 and looked good enough to conquer the mountain. I'm not thrilled that they'll be playing this game in temperatures suitable for an 800 pound Eskimo, but I still like them to come out on top of the Frozen Tundra. San Fran wins 24-13.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Philly defeats Carolina - Sorry wifey, I hate to tell you this, but the Panthers suck. Ok, not as bad as they've sucked the last few years, but still enough that they are nowhere near as good as their record indicates. Cam and company have been hot the last couple of months but I don't give them much of a chance against some real competition. I won't be surprised if Philly wins this game by 3-4 ... touchdowns that is. Give me the Eagles by a final of 34-10.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">San Francisco defeats Seattle - Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to figure out how in the world to keep my pre-season prediction intact and have the Niners get past the Seahawks in Seattle. But then, the Cardinals happened. Not only does Seattle now know they can get beat at home, but so does Coach Harbaugh. With a brilliant defensive effort and a low scoring game, "Kap" leads his team to the NFC Championship. Niners take this one 17-16 on a 4th quarter field goal.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Philly defeats San Francisco - I want to say that this will be the greatest NFC Championship Game of all time. I want to say that my pre-season pick will prove me right and defeat the Eagles to advance to the Super Bowl. I want to say that I won the $600+ million Mega Millions jackpot a few weeks ago. But none of these are true. Philly is going to show up with their best performance of the year and embarrass the kids from California. Eagles - 41, Niners - 6.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Kansas City defeats Indy - This is a really tough game to pick. So tough that earlier this week I had Indy in the winner's spot and just erased it to flip the order and give the Chiefs the win. I've been wrong on the Chiefs most of this season, and I'm putting my trust in Andy Reid to get the job done. At the end of the day, I just can't bet on a Colts team with no rushing attack and suspect Wide Receivers. Kansas City in a game that's closer than the final score, 34-21.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Cincy defeats San Diego - If the game above is hard to choose, this one is even harder! If they were playing in San Diego I would hands down choose the Chargers (once again I had them penciled in earlier this week). Unfortunately they're playing in Ohio which complicates things because they're undefeated at home this season. Since I'm a Tar Heel born and bred, I'm looking to my boy Gio to persevere in the cold and bring home the W. Another incredibly close finish, but I'll take the Bengals by a field goal, 27-24.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Denver defeats Kansas City - This one is a little easier for me since the two teams at the top of the AFC are clearly leaps and bounds better than 3-6. A lot of people are expecting the Broncos to win it all this year and Peyton is going to continue that illusion in the divisional matchup (foreshadowing!). The Chiefs will put up a solid showing because they've seen the Broncos twice already this season, but it won't be enough to overcome the AFC's most explosive offensive. Broncos 45-31.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">New England defeats Cincy - Don't bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichek in the playoffs. Patriots win 31-20.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">New England defeats Denver - Don't bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichek in the playoffs. But wait ... there's more!!! All season I've been telling my brother, a HUGE Peyton Manning fan, that the Broncos can't win the Super Bowl. He doesn't believe me when I tell him the BRONCOS CAN'T CATCH. Sure they've managed to all season, but there have been a lot of hidden drops that people are forgetting about since #18 has been that damn good all year. But, just like last year, it's going to catch up to them at the worst possible time. I'll take the Patriots to go to the Super Bowl, 27-24. Don't be surprised if this one ends in a Peyton Manning interception either ...</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Philly defeats New England - Yes, I know, I said twice "Don't bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichek in the playoffs." But this time it's different. I don't care if it's his first year, Chip Kelly is the best coach in football. Period. He was the best coach in football when he was at Oregon and he's now the best coach in football while in Philly. The difference between college and the pros ... now he has talent. The Eagles are the most physically gifted squad in the NFL and it's going to show when it counts most. Eagles are your Champions with the final score of 37-27.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">Game on ...</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">- Fishy</span></div>
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Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-14688405001131298662013-12-25T14:46:00.004-08:002013-12-25T14:46:59.484-08:00College Football - Bowl Game Preview ... SortaOk, I admit it ... I've been lazy. I haven't really touched my blog in awhile (several months actually) and I'm sure my <strike>millions thousands hundreds </strike>ones of fans out there are missing my wit, humor, and incredible sports insights. But, have no fear, I am here to treat you to my College Bowl Game Preview!<br />
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Kinda. I mean yeah, I'm going to preview the games that are left, but I'll also give you my prediction/analysis of the games that have already been completed (yes, I promise I will tell you who I honestly picked to win those games even though I couldn't get up off the couch to write my thoughts down on "paper").<br />
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Let's start with what I've already missed:<br />
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<strong>Gildan New Mexico Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Washington State over Colorado State</strong><br />
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Alright, I was wrong in the first game of the bowl season. But, in my defense, the Cougars led by like 80 points in the second half before choking in the 2013 bowl opener. So my pick was almost correct.<br />
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<strong>Famous Idaho Potato Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: San Diego State over Buffalo</strong><br />
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Personally, I'd like to know which potato in Idaho is considered the famous one. From a state that exports millions of taters a year, they all look pretty similar to me. Or are they trying to say that Idaho is famous? Because it's not. Unless you really like French fries. Either way, I got the pick right.<br />
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<strong>R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Tulane over ULaLa</strong><br />
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Nothing like making a team from Louisiana play a bowl game against another team from Louisiana ... in the state of Louisiana. Really stretching our markets here, aren't we fellas? I picked Tulane for my friend Ariel because she went to Tulane and reminds me every week that so did Matt Forte. But she beat me in our Fantasy Football Championship Game, so I'm glad the Ragin Cajuns won (for the record, best nickname in all of collegiate athletics ... except maybe the Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes ... no I'm not making that up).<br />
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<strong>Beef O Brady's Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: East Carolina over Ohio</strong><br />
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The name alone makes me want some wings. No, not steak. For anyone who didn't live in Central Florida like myself, this is actually a sports bar and not a competitor of Outback. Go figure. But congrats to the Pirates for capping off an impressive season. So far I'm 2-2.<br />
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<strong>Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: USC over Fresno State</strong><br />
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I think this was the first game of the bowl season where I actually knew something about one of the teams playing. After the turmoil at head coach this season, the Trojan players had something to prove and they definitely took it out on a team that almost busted the BCS this year. Oh, and I hear they were also pissed off because the buffet at the Mirage ran out of shrimp. What a shame. USC showed they'll be a contender again next year.<br />
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<strong>Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Boise State over Oregon State</strong><br />
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When I made my pick for this game, I forgot that Coach Peterson was leaving the program and wouldn't be leading the team onto the field in Honolulu. Plus, this game was played on a GREEN field and that probably confused the Broncos. Oh well, even with this swing-and-a-miss I'm batting .500 through the first few days of bowl season.<br />
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Ok, enough reminiscing about the past. Let's take a look at all the action yet to come this December and January:<br />
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<strong>Little Caesars Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Pittsburgh over Bowling Green</strong><br />
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The Little Caesars Bowl, where the winning team receives a one year supply of crazy bread! I think Pittsburgh was better than their record indicated this year (6-6) and quite frankly I don't know a thing about Bowling Green. If I was a fan of irrelevant football games, I'd be really excited for this one.<br />
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<strong>S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Northern Illinois over Utah State</strong><br />
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This is one of those rare occurrences where the name of the game is more interesting than the matchup itself. How in the world do you put the name of a bank and a flower in the same bowl title?! Either way, I'm not terribly familiar with these teams. I do remember last year when Utah State had an exciting early season game when they may or may not have beaten a national powerhouse. Unfortunately I couldn't tell you if they won the game or who the team was they were playing, so that tells me they've done nothing special since then.<br />
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<strong>Military Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Maryland over Marshall</strong><br />
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My brother is a proud graduate of the University of Maryland, so that's pretty much the only reason I'm picking them. Well that and the fact that this season they were able to make it through their schedule with 5 fewer starting quarterbacks than last year. Sadly for them, they come into this game without their top 2 WR's and could be in a battle against a school that had a movie made about their football program's airplane crash 30 or so years ago. So that's something. Good luck to the Terps in their last game before bolting to the Big Ten ... traitors ...<br />
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<strong>Texas Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Syracuse over Minnesota</strong><br />
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Syracuse is in the ACC. I went to a school in the ACC. That's all I got.<br />
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<strong>Fight Hunger Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Washington over BYU</strong><br />
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I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the athletes and staff members who attend bowl games get showered in gifts by the host committee of the bowl's sponsors. The NCAA allows participants to receive up to $600 in giveaways and most individuals walk away with luxury watches, electronics, sunglasses, bags, and other assorted goodies (a couple of games are even giving away leather recliners ... no really, Google it). Each team is allowed roughly 100 representatives, so all together that represents over $100,000 in stuff. Wouldn't it make more sense if they took that money and used it to actually FIGHT HUNGER?!?!<br />
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<strong>New Era Pinstripe Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Notre Dame over Rutgers</strong><br />
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Naturally, the gimmick of turning Yankee Stadium into a cramped football facility must continue. I think this was the stadium where every time the possession arrow changed the teams switched sides of the field because one end zone was too small so everyone had to drive the same direction. Or I could be confusing this with the game played on the White House lawn because that makes as much sense as this. I expect the Irish to win easily against a disappointing Rutgers squad.<br />
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<strong>Belk Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: North Carolina over Cincinnati</strong><br />
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As a proud alumni of UNC, I am obligated to pick my Heels in this year's bowl game. Unfortunately, I don't have the highest confidence in our team pulling out the W. Our star QB is out for the season, our star TE is already counting the millions he'll be making in the NFL next year, and our defense isn't quite as solid as it has been the last couple of years. If we show up ready to play, we'll win by 3 touchdowns. If we don't, it could be another poor performance in Charlotte like season's past.<br />
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<strong>Russell Athletic Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Miami over Louisville</strong><br />
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I would like to call this game the Irony Bowl. When Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater was considering schools, he committed to Miami before turning his back on "The U" and moving to Kentucky. Isn't it appropriate then that his last collegiate game will be against the team he ditched? Don't think this situation will be lost on the Hurricanes .... I expect Teddy to spend considerable time with his back on the ground in Orlando. I'll take the Canes by a bunch.<br />
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<strong>Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Michigan over Kansas State</strong><br />
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This game earns HUGE bonus points if they find a way to interrupt the action the same way they do in the BW's commercials. Pulling off pranks like those could earn this game a place in bowl game immortality. On the off chance that doesn't actually happen, expect an athletic Michigan team to take out the Wildcats and their aging head coach.<br />
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<strong>Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Navy over Middle Tennessee</strong><br />
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I'm pretty sure it's illegal for Navy to lose a game called the Armed Forces Bowl. If Middle Tennessee jumps out to an early lead, watch out for the game changers from the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl mentioned above.<br />
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<strong>Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Ole Miss over Georgia Tech</strong><br />
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Once again, a financial institution and something completely unrelated to money are marriaged in the title of a football contest. So, basically, the winner gets to mortgage a house and then apply that money to buying some songs on iTunes in the city? I don't get it. What I do get is that Ole Miss should be athletic enough to stop the Yellow Jackets' triple option offense. Tech has no passing threat and this single dimension approach shouldn't work against a middle-of-the-road SEC team.<br />
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<strong>Valero Alamo Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Oregon over Texas</strong><br />
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I don't care where this game is being played. Mack Brown knew what was about to hit San Antonio and that's the real reason he quit his job when he did. At least this way it's understandable when he doesn't show his face again after meeting the Ducks. Now that Oregon has had a few weeks to heal some lingering injuries, this one is going to be ugly. Like, a pretty girl crying ugly. I'll take the "O" by at least 30.<br />
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<strong>National University Holiday Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Arizona State over Texas Tech</strong><br />
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This could legitimately be a very entertaining game. Both of these teams feature high powered offenses and I would expect it'll take at least 40 points for one side to win this game. I'm taking the Sun Devils because I lived in Arizona for 7 years and I think Sparky is a super cool mascot.<br />
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<strong>AdvoCare V100 Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Boston College over Arizona</strong><br />
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I wanted to pick the Wildcats, I really did. In fact, I almost typed their name in the winner's spot above. But I've watched a lot of Arizona football this season and one thing was clear: Arizona plays really well against good teams. Unfortunately for them, Boston College sucks (other than their Heisman candidate running back). For that reason, I think the Eagles soar over a lethargic Tucson squad,<br />
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<strong>Hyundai Sun Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Tie</strong><br />
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Yes, I know a college football game can't end in a tie. But this is a really difficult game to choose a winner because it really could go either way. If forced to pick a side, I'll take the Hokies in Logan Thomas' last game, but I don't feel great about it.<br />
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<strong>AutoZone Liberty Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Mississippi State over Rice</strong><br />
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I'm a noodles guys.<br />
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<strong>Chick-fil-a Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Texas A&M over Dook</strong><br />
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ok, sorry, had to get that out of the way first. Genuinely speaking, if this game was played about a month ago I think it could have been close. At least for the first half. But after the spanking that Dook took by the (SPOILER ALERT) soon-to-be National Champions (SPOILER ALERT OVER) in the ACC Championship Game, I think the Blue Devils are coming back down to Earth. They have to come to an SEC city and face Johnny Football in what will likely be his last college game, and quite frankly they don't have a chance (unless Manziel shows up drunk from his New Years Eve party). The Aggies should bring home the biggest blowout of the bowl season and end 2013 in style.<br />
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<strong>Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Nebraska over Georgia</strong><br />
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I live in Georgia. Many of my friends are Georgia fans and/or graduates. This game is being played only a few hours from UGA's campus. So naturally ... I'm taking Nebraska. Some of you may remember that Georgia was one of my two pre-season picks to play for the National Championship this year. Unfortunately, injuries have decimated the 'Dawgs and they never really stood a chance. They come into January without Aaron Murray and I'm just not sure they have enough decent healthy players to beat the Cornhuskers. I won't be surprised with a Georgia victory, but I'm certainly not putting money on it. Did I mention this is a rematch from the bowl season last year? Who can say rubber-match in 2014?!<br />
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<strong>Heart of Dallas Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: North Texas over UNLV</strong><br />
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Who cares? No really ... who cares? Anyone ... anyone ... anyone? Crickets? Ok then.<br />
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<strong>Outback Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: LSU over Iowa</strong><br />
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I like the Tigers here in the battle for the Bloomin' Onion. LSU wasn't as good as usual, but they should still have no problem handling a mediocre Big Ten team. Maryland should be taking notes ... Iowa might be the only team they stand a chance against next season.<br />
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<strong>Capital One Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: South Carolina over Wisconsin</strong><br />
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The lasting image from the 2012-2013 football season was Jadeveon Clowney knocking the teeth out of the Michigan QB in his first bowl appearance. Since then Clowney has been largely non-existent as many believe he's been playing it safe while waiting to hear his name called in April's NFL Draft in New York. I suspect that #7 will come out of hiding in Orlando on New Years Day just to put his name back at the top of the draft board. Expect a big performance from the 'Cocks defense in a relatively low scoring game.<br />
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<strong>Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Stanford over Michigan State</strong><br />
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I am going on record to say that this will be the most boring bowl game in the history of college football. When the matchup was finalized, I called my brother and told him I expect the final score of the game to be 3-0. He reminded me that such a score would require one team to get in scoring position, and that's not going to happen. So, we agreed that 4-2 would be a much more realistic outcome. Expect Stanford to win the game with a ground-rule double in the top of the seventh with men on second and third. Err ... a safety in the fourth quarter ... yeah ...<br />
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<strong>Tostitos Fiesta Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Baylor over UCF</strong><br />
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If anyone was wondering why I'm so excited that the BCS is going away, please see the fact that UCF is playing in the Fiesta Bowl. No disrespect to the team from my former hometown, but you have no business playing in a major January game. Ok, I suppose that WOULD be disrespect to them, but still. Baylor should roll in a high scoring performance against the Knights. I'm thinking 56-3 sounds about right. Oh wait, they'll have to play the second half too ...<br />
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<strong>Allstate Sugar Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Alabama over Oklahoma</strong><br />
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The "experts" are going to tell you that this game will be a blowout in favor of the Crimson Tide. As Lee Corso might say ... "Not so fast!" This could play out as the best BCS matchup of the season. Bob Stoops is no pushover and he'll have the Sooners ready for a fight on the Bayou. 'Bama pulls away in the 4th quarter but I won't be surprised if it's a single digit margin of victory.<br />
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<strong>AT&T Cotton Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Oklahoma State over Missouri</strong><br />
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Before the BCS came around this was one of the major bowl games in the country. And starting next year, the battle for Jerry's House will be on the national radar once again. I think the Tigers were a little over-hyped this season thanks to a relatively weak SEC East. Don't let the SEC Title game fool you ... they played a great game against another team who had no business being there and Missouri is not as good as you probably think they are. The high powered Cowboys offense will put up big points in the home of the ... wait for it ... Cowboys! Watch the big screen above the field if you don't believe me.<br />
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<strong>Discover Orange Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Ohio State over Clemson</strong><br />
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Ohio State was never ranked #1 this season in the BCS standings, but they should have been. I would have been drooling for a matchup between the Buckeyes and Seminoles in the title game. But I do have to say that this game in Miami should be a close second. Clemson has been one of the most impressive teams in the country for a couple of years and that should create a very exciting Orange Bowl. This game should bring big plays, trick plays, and a very close 4th quarter finale. Look for the poisonous nuts to win it in the final minute. Because that's how Clemson rolls.<br />
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<strong>BBVA Compass Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Houston over Vanderbilt</strong><br />
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I refuse to provide commentary on a January bowl game between two un-ranked teams that takes place AFTER all of the other BCS bowl games.<br />
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<strong>GoDaddy Bowl</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Ball State over Arkansas State</strong><br />
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See: BBVA Compass Bowl<br />
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<strong>Vizio BCS National Championship Game</strong><br />
<strong>My Pick: Florida State over Auburn</strong><br />
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If ever there was a team who wished the National Championship was played the week after the conference championships, it's the Auburn Tigers. Auburn may be the luckiest team ever to play for a national title and don't think they don't know it. If the miracle Hailmary against the Bulldogs wasn't enough, Auburn went on to produce the "Field Goal Return Heard Round the World" against the Tide. Now don't get me wrong, those may have been the two best moments of the entire 2013 season. But here's the funny thing about luck ... eventually it runs out. After a full month of not capturing the magic, this game is ultimately going to come down to actual skill and football abilities. Sadly for the SEC Champion, they just don't have enough to compete with Florida State. Jameis Winston is going to show that his rookie campaign was not a fluke and the Seminoles will easily win the final BCS National Championship. And, when the final whistle blows, we can all be glad that the BCS beast is finally dead! Bring on the playoffs!!!<br />
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There you have it, my entirely too-long analysis of this year's bowl program. I hope you enjoyed the thoughts, but more importantly, I hope we all enjoy the games!<br />
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- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-45972103906553192972013-08-24T11:20:00.001-07:002013-08-24T11:20:32.156-07:00College Football - 2013 Season PreviewRemember that feeling you had when you were in school and it was the last day before summer vacation? Sitting there with all of your friends, watching movies on the crappy classroom television, wondering why in the world you were wasting your time since tests were done and you wanted to go outside and play? Summer was so close you could taste it, yet you still had to agonize through a day that would have been a gift of gold 2 months earlier. Welcome to my world.<div>
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Today, my friends, is the last Saturday before the start of football season. And while it's amazing to say that, it is painful to sit here on my couch and long for the game I love oh so much but can't quite have yet. All I have to hang on to is the promise of what's to come ... 6 months of seclusion from the outside world every weekend with television romance as my heart melts with every touchdown, field goal, and bone breaking hit. As Forrest Gump might say: "Football is like a box of chocolates ... a delicious, gooey, sweet, silky, luscious ..." Wait, where was I going with that? Oh well, it wasn't that important anyway. What IS important is that 5 days from today my North Carolina Tar Heels officially kick off the College Football season in Columbia, SC and I cannot wait!!! I have never been so excited to see a group of grown men play with a bunch of 'Cocks ...</div>
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And with that, I give you my official predictions for the 2013 College Football campaign:</div>
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<b><u>BCS Conference Champions</u></b></div>
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<b>ACC</b> - North Carolina Tar Heels</div>
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<b>Big 10</b> - Ohio State Buckeyes</div>
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<b>Big 12</b> - Texas Longhorns</div>
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<b>Pac Insert Number Here</b> - Oregon Ducks</div>
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<b>SEC</b> - Georgia Bulldogs</div>
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<b>Big East</b> - I can't make a prediction here because I have no idea who's even in this conference anymore.</div>
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<b><u>Potential BCS Conference Upsets</u></b></div>
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<b>ACC </b>- None. It will either be Clemson, North Carolina, or Miami and none can be considered an "upset."</div>
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<b>Big 10</b> - Nebraska Cornhuskers</div>
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<b>Big 12</b> - Can you count Oklahoma as an upset? Don't count on seeing Kansas State at Number 1 again.</div>
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<b>Pac Insert Number Here</b> - UCLA Bruins</div>
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<b>SEC</b> - Florida Gators</div>
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<b>Big East</b> - Everyone</div>
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<b><u>National Championship</u></b></div>
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Ohio State Buckeyes over Georgia Bulldogs</div>
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<b><u>Other Honors and Dubious Distinctions</u></b></div>
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<b>Heisman Trophy</b> - Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State</div>
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<b>Heisman Trophy Runner-Up</b> - Jadeveon Clowney, DE/Beast, South Carolina</div>
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<b>Heisman Trophy Winner If He Survives Jadeveon Clowney in Week 1</b> - Bryn Renner, QB, North Carolina</div>
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<b>Disappointment of the Year</b> - Johnny "Football" Manziel (*If he plays)</div>
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<b>Most Likely to Crash the BCS</b> - Boise State Broncos</div>
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<b>Pre-Season Top 25 Most Likely to Finish Outside the Top 25</b> - Notre Dame Fighting Irish</div>
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<b>Pre-Season Unranked Most Likely to Make the BCS</b> - North Carolina Tar Heels</div>
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<b>Game of the Year</b> - Red River Shootout - Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners</div>
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<b>Worst Game of the Year</b> - Insert Alabama Cupcake Opponent Here</div>
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<b>Upset of the Year</b> - Army over Stanford - September 14th</div>
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<b>Surprise of the Year</b> - NCAA officials declare that Tim Tebow has not played enough games in the NFL to be considered a professional athlete. Urban Meyer convinces Tebow to enroll in a Masters program at Ohio State where Tebow proceeds to lead Ohio State to the National Championship.</div>
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<b>Wishful Thinking of the Year</b> - Florida over Ohio State in the National Championship Game</div>
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<b>First Overall Pick in the 2014 NFL Draft</b> - Jadeveon Clowney</div>
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<b>Alabama's Record on the Season</b> - 10-3, Winner of the SEC West, Loser of the SEC Championship Game</div>
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<b>Vegas "Prop Bet" of the Year</b> - Number of Colors on the Maryland Uniform vs. Number of Starting QB's at Maryland</div>
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<b>Over/Under in Alabama/LSU Game</b> - 5.5</div>
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<b>Over/Under in Oregon/USC Game </b>- 187</div>
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<b>Guarantee of the Year</b> - North Carolina will Defeat Dook - Victory Bell Returns to Chapel Hill</div>
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<b>Guarantee of the Year #2</b> - The student section of at least 10 schools will rush the field after defeating a school that most of the country has never heard of.</div>
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<b>Guarantee of the Year #3</b> - The SEC will NOT win the National Championship. Yep, I said it.</div>
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<b>Guarantee of the Year #4</b> - Nobody will miss the BCS when it's gone. Expect controversy in the final year.</div>
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<b>Guarantee of the Year #5</b> - Sometime in the next 6 months I will scream "I hate football" out of frustration, but it won't be true. I love football.</div>
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Hark the Sound ... Go Heels!</div>
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- Fishy</div>
Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-90035565644929122132013-08-04T13:11:00.004-07:002013-08-04T13:11:53.374-07:00Pro Football - 2013 NFL PredictionsIt's that time of the year once again friends! That magical time of the year that makes all of us feel warm inside, smile on the outside, and grab our loved ones. No, I'm not talking about the winter holidays ... it's football time!!!<div>
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This evening in Canton, Ohio, the Dallas Cowboys will be taking on the Miami Dolphins in the Hall of Fame Game ... the unofficial kickoff to the NFL season. This pre-season tradition signals the beginning of competition and gives guys like me an excuse to start thinking about America's most popular sport (curling excluded, of course).</div>
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With that said, what better way to kickoff the NFL campaign than with my "Official" predictions for the 2013 season? Here's a list of everything I expect to happen this season once the league officially begins in a little over a month ...</div>
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<b><u>Division Champions (And Projected Records)</u></b></div>
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<b>NFC East</b> - Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)</div>
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<b>NFC North</b> - Green Bay Packers (12-4)</div>
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<b>NFC West</b> - San Francisco 49ers (13-3)</div>
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<b>NFC South</b> - New Orleans Saints (11-5)</div>
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<b>Wildcard</b> - Dallas Cowboys (11-5)</div>
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<b>Wildcard</b> - Detroit Lions (11-5)</div>
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<b>AFC East</b> - New England Patriots (12-4)</div>
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<b>AFC North</b> - Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)</div>
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<b>AFC West</b> - San Diego Chargers (12-4)</div>
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<b>AFC South</b> - Houston Texans (13-3)</div>
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<b>Wildcard</b> - Cincinnati Bengals (11-5)</div>
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<b>Wildcard</b> - Denver Broncos (10-6)</div>
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<b><u>Super Bowl Prediction</u></b></div>
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San Francisco 49ers over Houston Texans</div>
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<b><u>Individual Player Accomplishments</u></b></div>
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<b>League MVP</b> - Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions</div>
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<b>Offensive Rookie of the Year</b> - Robert Woods, WR, Buffalo Bills</div>
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<b>Defensive Rookie of the Year</b> - Manti Te'o, LB, San Diego Chargers</div>
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<b>Comeback Player of the Year</b> - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars</div>
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<b><u>Bold Predictions and Ridiculous Distinctions</u></b></div>
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<b>Coach of the Year</b> - Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles</div>
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<b>Worst Team in the NFL</b> - Tampa Bay Bucs</div>
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<b>Star Player Most Likely to Disappoint</b> - Trent Richardson, RB, Cleveland Browns</div>
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<b>Team Most Likely to Go Winless</b> - Tennessee Titans</div>
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<b>Team Most Likely to Go Undefeated</b> - San Francisco 49ers</div>
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<b>Most Fun Team to Watch</b> - Philadelphia Eagles</div>
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<b>Player Most Likely to Die on the Field</b> - Tony Gonzalez</div>
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<b>Player Most Likely to Die off the Field</b> - Titus Young (Does he count as a player anymore?)</div>
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<b>Kicker of the Year</b> - Who Cares?</div>
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<b>Team With Most Starting QB's</b> - NY Jets</div>
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<b>Worst Rookie QB</b> - Geno Smith, NY Jets</div>
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<b>Surprise Moment of the Year</b> - Early Season Tom Brady Injury Leads to Ryan Mallett Becoming a Star</div>
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<b>Surprise Moment of the Year #2</b> - Ryan Mallett Injury Leads to Tim Tebow Bringing the Patriots in to the Playoffs with Back-to-Back Miracle Wins</div>
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<b>Feel-Good Moment of the Year</b> - After Second Miracle Win, Tim Tebow Jumps in to the Stands at Gillette Stadium and Delivers a Baby</div>
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<b>Longest Run of the Year</b> - Adrian Peterson, 99 Yards</div>
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<b>Shortest Run of the Year</b> - RGIII, -26 Yards</div>
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<b>Longest Reception of the Year</b> - Victor Cruz, 88 Yards</div>
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<b>Shortest Reception of the Year</b> - Chris Johnson, -11 Yards</div>
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<b>Aaron Hernandez Verdict</b> - Not Guilty, After the Trial he Signs with the Raiders and Gets OJ Simpson's Old Number</div>
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<b>Strangest Injury Off the Field</b> - Fred Jackson Breaks Both Legs After Fans Attack Him in the Parking Lot so CJ Spiller Can Finally Start</div>
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<b>Strangest Injury On the Field</b> - Mark Sanchez Sprains Neck in Whiplash From Running in to Center's Butt ... Again</div>
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<b>Biggest Fine</b> - Cam Newton, $100,000 for Wearing Full Superman Costume Instead of Team Uniform in Game Before Halloween</div>
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<b>Worst Average Attendance</b> - Jacksonville Jaguars, 17 People/Game</div>
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<b>Chad Johnson's Last Name at the End of the Season</b> - Abdul-Jabbar-World-Peace-Cena-Phelps-Bieber</div>
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<b>Funniest Moment of the Year</b> - Aaron Rodgers Attempts Lambeau Leap, Pants Fall Down on Way in to the Stands</div>
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<b>Odds That All Predictions Above Come True</b> - 17:1</div>
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Happy Football Season Everyone!</div>
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- Fishy</div>
Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-37173141034314600082013-06-09T08:30:00.000-07:002013-06-09T08:30:57.419-07:00Fantasy Sports - Who's Fantasy Is This?When was the last time you went into a hospital, looked through a list of nurses working in the ER, and said to yourself: "Wow, Melissa is 24 of 25 on catheters this week and she hasn't missed a shift since the ice storm of 2010 ... I'm taking her in the 5th round?!"<br />
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Let's face it ... you probably haven't. But, if you had statistics like that available to you, you'd probably pay a lot more attention when selecting your medical staff. Or at least have a lot more fun sitting in the waiting room while grandpa is going through a triple bypass surgery.<br />
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Today's Americans are living in a world where no information is too much information and it can't possibly get to us fast enough. We want to consume more and more and there's no way we'll be happy until our heads literally evolve into a 360 degree mega-sphere that can take in every little detail around us. Back in the day (aka when my parents were kids) the sports experience involved listening to a commentator on a small, static-filled radio and picturing the athletes and action in your mind. Can you imagine hearing Babe Ruth hit home run number 714 without ever seeing the ball leave the bat?<br />
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Now it's 2013. You have 80" high definition televisions with 3,487 channels (did you catch the underwater basket weaving medley on the knitting channel last night?) ... you have an internet that can pretty much stream any event in the world live, if you're willing to pay for it ... and in most cases you can watch sporting events right on your cell phone at the touch of a button (how different would Saved by the Bell have been if 20 minutes every episode was Zack Morris watching the collegiate sand volleyball championships on his handheld?). Yet with all this technology, it's still not enough! We need more interaction, more information, more stress!!!<br />
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Enter the world of Fantasy Sports. For those of you who are not familiar with this breed of game, it has nothing to do with a team of centaurs battling for victory with a gang of aliens on a floating island somewhere. Rather, fantasy sports allows real people to take fake ownership of their favorite athletes. In an effort to further enhance the sports experience, fanatical viewers (like myself) "draft" real sports stars on to an imaginary team in order to put together a squad with the most talent and production. Then, each week, owners compete against other owners to see who's group can compile the most impressive statistics. This goes on throughout the season until finally one person reigns victorious. Which sport you ask? Well, pretty much all of them when there's an interest ... the most popular are football, baseball, and basketball ... but go ahead and check out Fantasy Golf. I wish I could say I was making that up.<br />
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I'll be the first to admit, it can be a lot of fun to partake in the fantasy games. It's like Dungeons and Dragons for the kids who used to beat up anyone playing Dungeons and Dragons. It adds a unique aspect to watching sports and actually further engages the casual fan in the action on the field. I've got to imagine the real athletes and teams love it too because the more a fan knows about the game, the more likely they are to buy tickets, jerseys, and the used tissue Albert Pujols is selling on Ebay with proceeds going to at-risk youth at the corner of 4th street and Smith Avenue in downtown LA.<br />
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Here's my problem ... some people take this stuff WAY too seriously. And I'm not just talking about the people who play in leagues that actually collect and distribute money as a way of upping the anti. I'm referring to people who think that they really own these teams and make decisions as though their future is on the line. Let me give you an example ...<br />
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I'm currently in a fantasy baseball league with some friends and family who enjoy watching baseball but aren't spending $50,000/year for season tickets to the Braves. One person had to drop out of the league before the season even started and he was replaced by a friend of our league commissioner. The new guy comes in and immediately isn't thrilled with his team because we had already drafted our players. He decides he's going to make the best of it though and through the first 1/4 of the season he's in around 9th place out of 10 teams. Well, at this point he decides the season is lost (really, already?) and goes on a fire-sale with his roster. He tells the team owners in the league that all of his players are available for trading and he's looking for draft picks for next season.<br />
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Seriously??? Besides the fact it's a little early to be throwing in the towel, he's looking for draft picks for next season?! I can barely figure out what I'm going to have for lunch next HOUR and this guy wants fake draft picks to use in an imaginary game that won't start again until March 2014. Think about this for a minute. When was the last time you were sitting around playing a game of Monopoly with friends and after 20 minutes shout out "Well, I'm off to a crappy start. I'll trade you Boardwalk, Baltic, and the Reading Railround for a bite of your chicken sandwich, an extra rook in October's chess tournament, and 30 minutes of DVR space for the season premiere of American Idol in January."?!?!<br />
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What's my point? Fantasy Sports are intended to be fun. This isn't real life, we aren't actually playing for a world championship, and I promise you that victory in your league isn't going to land you the hot blonde that just moved in to the apartment next door. So, my fellow sports fans, take a deep breath and enjoy the game for exactly what it is ... a cool enhancement to something many of us love already.<br />
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Unless of course you're really into chess, in which case I'll trade you Mike Trout and Justin Verlander for a queen and two knights ...<br />
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- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-25069667499931044322013-06-09T07:52:00.001-07:002013-06-09T07:52:28.700-07:00Pro Baseball - I Love My Diamondbacks!Let me start off this post by clarifying ... I'm not exactly an Arizona Diamondbacks fan. I have nothing against them, but they're not my team of choice. So why title this entry as though they are my boys? Well ...<br />
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I lived in Phoenix for 7 years in my younger days, right around when the D-Backs began their inaugural season. In the Valley (that's what us Phoenix people call it), there was an ever-present media campaign to push the new team and ballpark. Everywhere you went, you could hear and see the catch phrase "I Love My Diamondbacks!" That's actually rather irrelevant to the nature of this post, but everyone likes a good back story.<br />
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The real reason I'm loving the D-Backs right now is for an incredible display of humanitarianism earlier this week. During the annual MLB Draft, Arizona selected outfielder Cory Hahn from Arizona State University in the 34th round. This, by itself, doesn't seem significant (other than asking yourself why in the world there are 34 rounds in a player draft). However, there is a big reason this selection is special: Hahn is paralyzed from the chest down. Hahn was, at one point, a top Major League prospect while in high school who likely could have gone straight into a contract after graduating. Instead, he chose to attend college, a rare decision for an 18 year old with outstanding potential. Unfortunately for him, he was injured in just his third collegiate game while sliding head first into second base and colliding with the defender. My point is obviously not that a budding sports star skip college ... rather I am impressed that a professional sports team actually took the time to do something good in a landscape of sports negativity.<br />
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Now, other sports teams have done similar publicity stunts in the past with the idea of making money and generating positive press. But this time, I actually think there's a genuine intention behind the move. First off, the D-Backs spent enough time planning this pick to conveniently select Hahn in the 34th round ... the same number that he wore at Arizona State. Second, and more importantly, the Diamondbacks intend to actually employee the young man. While Hahn will not be able to pursue his dreams on the diamond, it looks like he'll still be wearing D-Backs colors in a "real job" working for the club.<br />
<br />Kudos to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a job well done. And best of luck to Cory Hahn as he begins his career in Major League Baseball, even if he's not wearing a glove and cap while he does it. Sometimes dreams do come true in the most unlikely ways possible ...<br />
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- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-76002454576589341682013-04-30T16:36:00.001-07:002013-04-30T16:36:37.269-07:00Pro Basketball - Jason Collins Likes MenIf you haven't heard yet, Jason Collins is gay. Ok, let me take a step back ... in an article released by Sports Illustrated yesterday, NBA player Jason Collins revealed that he is homosexual. With this proclamation, Collins becomes the first male athlete in major American sports to openly express that he is anything other than heterosexual.<br />
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Before we continue, I'm going to take this rare opportunity (thanks to the integration of sports and social norms) to express my stance on the "issue" of sexual preference. I will be very clear on this ... I 100% support Jason Collins. I support his right to be gay, I support his decision to be open about his sexuality, and I support his decision to be the first male athlete in major American sports to state that being gay doesn't change who he is on the court. I think Collins is brave and courageous (certainly more than most), I think he is admirable, and I think he's just another athlete regardless of who he is sleeping with. I'll even say that if he wants to get married one day to another guy, nothing trumps love and I hope he and his partner find a lifetime of happiness together.<br />
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With that said ...<br />
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- There is going to be backlash. Anyway you like it, we still live in a homophobic America where the majority (outspoken or not) are still against the idea of homosexuality. Most of the celebrities who share this point of view are going to stay quiet about it, but not all of them. In just the first couple of hours after the story was released, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace tweeted his thoughts on how he can't understand a guy being gay when there are so many beautiful women in the world. And let's face it, he's not the only person thinking that way (maybe just the most public right now). Think about it ... if Justin Bieber came out of the closet tonight, half the people in the world would say "No Sh*t" and the other half would say "Who Cares?!" But, Jason Collins is a professional athlete ... and everyone "knows" that pro athletes are incredibly masculine guys who couldn't possibly be in to dudes. Unfortunately, if/when Collins is signed to an NBA team (he's currently a free agent) there are going to be PLENTY of fans at road games that want to remind him just how "wrong" his lifestyle is.<br />
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- There is going to be support. We've seen it already, and most of those who are going to be [peacefully] outspoken will get behind Collins' decision to come out and live the way he chooses. Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Michael Strahan, even former president Bill Clinton ... all expressed their support yesterday for Collins in an overwhelmingly positive way. One can only hope that someone in the public eye coming out will help to advance gay rights, or at least the discussion that can one day lead to equality in this area. Homosexuality needed a spokesperson, and Jason Collins has proudly taken the podium.<br />
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- There are going to be more. Someone had to have the guts to be first, and now that it's out of the way, I suspect 2nd, 3rd, and 4th aren't too far away. But what will happen when the flood gates open? One can hope for support, love, and open debate. I'm not saying everyone is obligated to share my viewpoint on the topic. My concern is those who are radical about the "right" way to live making decisions that can severely harm others. With the abundance of gay pride events nationally in the United States, my biggest concern is for the safety of those involved. Let's keep our fingers crossed that we can rely on the protection of the men and women in uniform and the common sense of all to make sure things stay peaceful when those passionate about the topic choose to express themselves.<br />
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It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out moving forward. Sexuality is a very sensitive topic and one that almost everyone seems to have an opinion on. There might be some who read this post and don't want to have anything to do with me because of my stance ... and while I would certainly be disappointed, that is there right. But more important than anything, I believe Jason Collins just let one huge skeleton "out of the closet" ...<br />
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- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-34446065572536785972013-04-19T16:29:00.003-07:002013-04-19T16:29:36.181-07:00Running - Attack at the Boston MarathonI think it is fitting to say that I never expected to be writing a blog post about running. I don't enjoy running, I think long distance running is silly, and outside of Forrest Gump I believe running should be reserved as a form of exercise for those looking to improve their fitness.<br />
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However, I need to share a view thoughts on the events that took place earlier this week in Boston. As I am sure you know, 2 bombs were detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, one of the premier distance running events in the world. As we've since learned, the two suspects apparently responsible for the destruction were brothers of Russian decent who had been living in the US for many years but originally from an area tied to terrorist organizations overseas.<br />
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First of all, let me express how disappointed I am that any human could find this act of terror acceptable. I have taken ethics courses that suggest different cultures share the same values and just have different beliefs as a way of reaching those values. Unfortunately, I fail to see how anyone can justify mass murder or the attempted assault on innocent parties. It's sad, disgusting, and depressing.<br />
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With that said, the events of this week have brought to light a fear I have had since 9/11. Despite my love for sports and athleticism, sporting events are prime targets for terrorist attacks. As far as I can tell, those interested in killing for the sake of killing typically target large audiences where the impact will be as great as possible. And what better place than a giant gathering of people at a known time and location? I don't say this to discourage anyone from attending sporting events. I simply suggest taking caution when doing so and keeping your eyes open for anyone, or anything, that looks suspicious. I also recommend that security measures at these events continue to be tightened in order to keep out anyone looking to cause trouble and allow in those looking to truly enjoy themselves. I know that in the case of a marathon it is very difficult to patrol every inch of a 26.2 mile course, but hopefully this will serve as a reminder that we need to continue protecting those who are innocent and unsuspecting of such inappropriate acts.<br />
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So, the next time you're heading to a ball game and you get annoyed that a security officer asks you to turn out your pockets, just remember Boston, April 2013.<br />
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- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-61634882450149310052013-04-19T16:17:00.002-07:002013-04-19T16:17:34.541-07:00Golf - The [Next] Tiger Woods ScandalI knew that some people didn't like Tiger Woods. He cheated on his wife, he slept around with some random women, and he hid it from the world. He's made some really poor personal choices and that has undoubtedly affected his public image. I get it. But last week at the Masters, it was taken to a ridiculous new level. On the 15th hole of the second round of play, Tiger ran into an unfortunate circumstance where a stroke of bad luck landed his golf ball in a water hazard requiring him to drop a new ball to play his next shot. Well, several hours after this all happens we come to find out that a television viewer called in to the tournament officials to alert them that Tiger did not drop the ball exactly as rules specify he should have.<br />
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Really? I mean seriously? Someone at home actually took the time to find the phone number for a tournament official, call the official, explain the rule and complain that it wasn't followed, and request that an inquiry be made so that Tiger's tournament status and chances of winning could be questioned. First of all, who does that? Second, who has that kind of time? And third, why do you even care that much? Wouldn't your time be much better spent watching porn and dreaming of all the women Tiger's been with that you could never have (for any kids reading this post, porn is a type of adult documentary that old people like to watch without any type of real story line or car chases ... it's really boring, you wouldn't like it)?<br />
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Aside from the fact that the dropped ball was even investigated to begin with, I do have some thoughts on the outcome for those who are golf savvy and enjoy the sport:<br />
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- The rules were interpreted, and applied, correctly in this situation. Quit whining and complaining that Tiger wasn't kicked out of the tournament for signing an incorrect scorecard. Per the rules, any infraction that was discovered due to television will result in a 2 stroke penalty instead of disqualification. Like it or not, the only reason the mistake was discovered was because they could review it on TV. Don't hate the application, hate the rule.<br />
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- Tiger didn't cheat. You heard me. Yes, he did fail to properly adhere to a poorly written rule governing the dropping of the golf ball and he received the appropriate penalty for doing so. However, had Tiger intentionally broken the rule for the purposes of gaining an advantage, do you really think he would have openly admitted to it during a post-round interview? Unprompted mind you. Not even Tiger would make that kind of mistake.<br />
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Unfortunately, controversy or not, Tiger Woods did not win the Masters and we will never know how this "scandal" altered the outcome of the tournament. On the bright side, if/when he goes on to break Jack Nicklaus' record for most career majors, nobody can say that the victories were tainted.<br />
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I do have one piece of advice for Tiger though ... next time you're trying to figure out the appropriate place to lay down your balls, make sure you don't get caught putting them where they don't belong ...<br />
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- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-21149827356231248572013-04-07T13:43:00.001-07:002013-04-07T13:43:34.265-07:00College Basketball - March MadnessI need to apologize to all of my loyal followers out there (thank you Daniel and Jenny) ... this post has been a long time coming. We are now at the afternoon before the National Championship Game and I still have not written anything about the NCAA Tournament. Well, that's about to change.<br />
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Now that I have the benefit of hindsight, here are my feelings about this year's Big Dance:<br />
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- As expected, the tournament this year was completely up for grabs. In a season that featured an unbelievable number of top ranked teams losing (often to opponents outside the Top 25), you had to figure that brackets were going to look like Kevin Ware's leg when all was said and done ... mangled, ugly, and waiting for another chance next year. And we have not been disappointed. Georgetown (2 Seed) lost in the first round, FGCU (aka Dunk City) made it to the second weekend of the dance, and only 1 team ranked better than 4 made it to the Final Four. There have been upsets left and right and you never really knew who was going to win on any given night. Which makes it even more improbable that ...<br />
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- Both of the teams in the National Championship Game were ranked #1 in the country at some point during the regular season. Ironic isn't it? Sure, Michigan came into the tournament ice cold with a 4 seed, but only a couple of months ago they were at the top of the heap. After all the hype, the upsets, the mid majors, the matching basketball courts in 16 different cities ... we're left with 2 teams that have been near the top all season.<br />
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- Have you noticed that despite all the upsets, there have been an unusually SMALL number of buzzer beaters in this year's tournament? As I sit here typing, I can really only remember one game-winning shot being made, and I couldn't even tell you which game it came from. This has been one of the best tournaments in recent memory, yet there is a noticeable lack of heart-stopping moments to end games. Many of the contests came down to the last minute ... but barely any came down to the last second.<br />
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- I started thinking a couple weeks ago how I would make the tournament better. What rules would I change or what format adjustments would I make to improve March Madness? Here's a couple of things I came up with:<br />
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1. Get rid of teams 65-68. Seriously ... is this really necessary? I get that the tournament is all about revenue and these schools want a chance to shine on a national level, but isn't 64 teams enough? It was bad when they expanded to 65 and decided to have the "play-in game" (how do you really determine the 65th best team in the country) but now we're getting absurd. And what makes it even worse? It's not like the 8 worst teams play and then get stuck against the 1 seeds in the next round ... oh no, that would be too sensible. Instead, they randomly put the "first four" anywhere in the bracket they want! In one game it's a battle of 16 seeds, in another it's 12, 10 in another ... I mean come on. If you're going to do it, just make some sense. Which brings me to my next change ...<br />
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2. Stop calling the "first four" games Round 1! It's not Round 1! All it is is a chance for the NCAA to make some extra money with a gimicky tournament start. Call it what they are: Play-in Games!<br />
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3. No more ranking the Number 1 seeds or declaring that any one of them is the "Number 1 Overall Seed." What this implies (and sometimes is said directly) is that the region with the overall Number 1 seed will have the weakest of the 2 seeds. That's a lovely thought except for one small problem ... that's not how it works. This year, Louisville was the top seed, and deservedly so. Which means of all the 2 seeds, they should be playing the weakest in their bracket. The issue here is that Dook was the 2 seed in the Midwest. How is this possible? Up until the day before Selection Sunday, Dook was expected to be a 1 seed. Even on Selection Sunday many thought it would go to them instead of Gonzaga. So how in the world do they drop from a 1 seed to the worst 2 seed (which implies they are the 8th ranked team in the country). I could even see trying to make the argument that the 2 seeds are ranked geographically so they don't have to travel as far ... and that would be fine ... except that Dook isn't in the Midwest! So stop with the nonsense already ... declare your four 1 seeds and leave it at that. Everything else will play out on the court.<br />
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4. Stop favoring mid-majors with NCAA at-large tournament bids. Yes, I get that mid-majors make everything more interesting and everyone loves a good upset. And I know that over the last few years their overall tournament performance has been improving. But here's the problem ... when was the last time any team outside the BCS Conferences actually won March Madness? What, you can't remember? Here's your answer ... UNLV ... in 1990! That was 23 years ago. And before that? Texas Western (now known as UTEP) in 1966!!! Everyone needs to get a clue ... mid majors don't win championships! And it's not because they don't have the opportunities ... they just can't get it done. Yes, Butler was close to the miracle 2 years ago against Dook. But close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and my chances of hooking up with Mila Kunis the first time I meet her.<br />
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5. Luther Vandross sings One Shining Moment when the final buzzer sounds. No offense to Jennifer Hudson, stop messing with a good thing. Luther wasn't the first, but he was the best. Leave it alone.<br />
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Before this season started, I picked Louisville to win it all (don't believe me ... ask my Dad ... he's the 64 year old man living in South Florida ... you can't miss him). Tomorrow night, we find out if I was right. Don't be surprised if the game goes to overtime either ... Michigan is no push over. When the clock hits all zeroes though, I like my prediction to be cutting down the nets (even Kevin Ware, broken leg and all) ...<br />
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- FishyMatthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-80830391196335598102013-04-07T13:12:00.003-07:002013-04-07T13:12:53.739-07:00Professional Wrestling - Showcase of the ImmortalsBefore I get into the meat of this post, let me begin by saying that yes, I am aware professional wrestling is not "real." Yes, I am aware that the outcomes are scripted and very few of the performers are actually getting hurt during their show. And yes, I am aware how incredibly obnoxious it is that non-wrestling fans feel the need to continually point this out to those of us that love the entertainment. It's kinda like saying to a female fashionista "how do you walk in those 5 inch heels, it looks really painful?!" The answer is the same to both situations ... we don't care, we do it because we love it. Even though wrestling may not be pure competition, the athletes have real ability and that's why I have no issue discussing "Sports Entertainment" in a sports blog.<br />
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Ok, now on to business. The irony of my little rant above ... I'm here to actually complain about professional wrestling. Ok, maybe complain is the wrong word. Perhaps "express my disappointment" is a better way to put it. And why am I disappointed you might ask? I'm frustrated with the complete inability of the WWE (the business' top franchise) to grow and cultivate young talent. Ponder this for a moment ... who were the top sports stars 10-15 years ago? Ken Griffey Jr., Dan Marino, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky. All of these men have had great careers and are now happily retired watching the new breed of sports stars (Mike Trout, RG3, Lebron James, Sidney Crosby). Now let's take a look at professional wrestling ...<br />
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Tonight is Wrestlemania 29 (aka The Showcase of the Immortals) from Metlife Stadium in New York. That means ten years ago was Wrestlemania 19. Let's take a quick look at some of the big winners from the event that night ...<br />
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WWE Championship - Brock Lesnar (defeating Kurt Angle)<br />
World Championship - Triple H (defeating Booker T)<br />
Handicap Match - The Undertaker (defeating Big Show and A-Train)<br />
One on One Match - The Rock (defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin)<br />
One on One Match - Shawn Michaels (defeating Chris Jericho)<br />
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Now let's take a look at the 3 signature matches for tonight's card (the only 3 matches being promoted on various WWE advertising mediums):<br />
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WWE Championship - The Rock vs John Cena<br />
Career Match - Triple H (with Shawn Michaels in his corner) vs Brock Lesnar<br />
One on One Match - The Undertaker vs CM Punk<br />
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Do we see a pattern here? All of the stars are the same! In the last 10 years, the WWE has only developed 2 young performers to a level that is worthy of marketing promotion (Cena and Punk as mentioned above). As far as those "other guys" that lost their matches 10 years ago ... more than half of them will have a roll in tonight's show and only one has retired (Stone Cold, due to medical issues).<br />
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My point is this ... Vince McMahon, I know one night you're going to be home with the lady friend and you're going to be bored. You're going to be flipping through cable channels and Pawn Stars just isn't going to hit the spot. You'll grab your iPhone 78 and accidentally stumble upon my blog. You're going to read this post and here's the message I need you to take: please, for the love of wrestling's future, get some better writers that can actually create good new characters and turn them in to something. And if you don't have any writers on staff that can handle the job, I'm just a phone call away.<br />
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If you smell, what The Rock, is cookin ...Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-15769377708930659562013-03-09T14:51:00.000-08:002013-03-09T14:51:00.140-08:00Sports Drafts - 2013 is a Crazy YearRight now I am sitting on a train heading north through the New York wilderness to visit my brother in Saratoga Springs. And what better time than now to write a post on the topic he recommended? So, let's talk for a few minutes about the drafts of 2013.<br />
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Let's start with the NFL Draft, or as I like to call it, the year of the Niners. It was bad enough that San Francisco was 5 yards away from winning the Super Bowl. Bad enough that the Niners had already accumulated 14 draft picks for this upcoming annual spectacle. But then, San Fran went and traded it's now backup quarterback, Alex Smith, for yet another 2nd round draft pick (this one the first of the round as they sent Smith to the QB-needy Chiefs). Now, I can debate all day long who the better QB was for the California gold squad, but there's one thing I can't debate: the scariest team in the NFL is about to get a whole lot scarier. Talk about a holster full of bullets and no hesitation to fire. The Niners are already the favorite to win next year's big game and now they can either trade picks for an established player (cough Darrell Revis cough) or maybe they can just go hog wild on prospective talent. Like, how about Marcus Lattimore, the broken but still volatile running back from South Carolina. Here's a kid that many teams might be afrad to pickup because of the uncertain recovery in his second major knee injury. But how bout San Fran? If they grab him in the second round and he lives to his potential, you could be looking at a Hall of Fame back to bolster an already incredible backfield. If he's a bust ... oh well! Pretty good odds that one or two of the other FOURTEEN guys they pick up will turn out to be decent. Not bad for a team that could run the table this year without using a single pick, huh?<br />
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And speaking of the Alex Smith trade, let me tell you one person who is NOT happy: Geno Smith. The [overrated] star QB out of West Virginia was all set to be taken first overall by the Chiefs and then this bombshell hits. You know what that means? Geno is going to lose a lot of moolah over this trade. Not only will he not get #1 pick money, who knows when he'll actually be drafted? How many teams are going to roll the dice on a guy who fell flat the second half of his senior year. Geno could be going from a $40 million first contract to significantly lower than that.<br />
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But, enough football for now. Let's turn our heads to the NBA draft that will take place later this year. Depending on who wins the Draft Lottery (perhaps the most ridiculous concept in sports history), the chances are very good that the first overall pick will be Nerlens Noel out of Kentucky. Now, 2 months ago I might have agreed with the assessment. But a major ligament tear to his knee later, I really have to question this pick. But maybe that just goes to show how weak this year's draft class will be. Think about this ... right now both Mason Plumlee and Alex Len are projected as lottery picks. And why you ask? Probably because they both stand 7 feet tall and the NBA is starving for quality centers. Unfortunately, I don't think either of these guys will get the job done. Mason has simply benefitted from being taller than his peers in college and that has made him look much better than he actually is in Coach K's system. As for Len ... earlier this week against a North Carolina team that starts 4 midgets and a small forward, Len couldn't even manage double digit scoring. In a game where you have that kind of size advantage (let alone knowing a win likely secures an NCAA tournament birth for your school) I would have expected a much better performance out of the kid. He's what they call a "project" and in my opinion, this project won't work. Toss him in a stack with all the other International players who were supposed to be basketball geniuses just because they were tall. How's that working out for Darko Milicec?<br />
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All this goes to say ... it's going to be a very bizarre year in the world of sports drafts. I'm looking forward to surprises, drama, and a 49ers team that collectively can bench press Sleeping Beauty's Castle.<br />
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- Fishy<br />
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PS: If you were wondering how I felt about the MLB Draft ... ask me 45 rounds from now and we'll talk.Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112106127663514023.post-16793381579476679482013-02-17T15:03:00.000-08:002013-02-17T15:03:16.886-08:00Pro Basketball - MJ Turns 50I'm going to keep this short and sweet ... I don't like Michael Jordan. I've never met the guy, probably never will, and for all I know he's the greatest dude ever to walk the planet. But I grew up a Knicks fan, and even more a Patrick Ewing fan. And, thanks to MJ, Patrick never won an NBA Championship and also lost an NCAA Championship. For anyone else who has ever had a hero, it's really hard to like the person who prevented your idol from being successful. When was the last time you heard Iago singing a song about how much he loves Aladdin? It just doesn't happen.<br />
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With that said, I respect Jordan's accomplishments and what he did as a professional athlete. So instead of singing his praises myself, I refer you to an excellent article written by Michael Wilbon, sports writer and TV personality for ESPN. Enjoy ... <a href="http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/8947531/michael-jordan-birthday-recalls-greatness-not-surpassed-lebron-james-dominance" target="_blank">Wilbon on Jordan</a><br />
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He's still no Patrick ...<br />
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- Fishy<br />
Matthew Fishbein - Sports Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11656718689545721899noreply@blogger.com0