Monday, February 28, 2011

Mike Gundy Video: Watch OSU Coach Explain His New Justin Bieber Ringtone


Apparently even Mike Gundy can't contain his love for Justin Bieber. The pop sensation has infiltrated the hearts and minds of teen and preteen girls from coast to coast, but now he has the Oklahoma State head coach in his grasp too.

At a press conference Gundy was answering your run of the mill concerns when his phone went off, as well as the complete press room was treated to the delightful sounds of Justin Bieber. Gandy attempted to not make a problem of it or say anything more. Even so, when questioned, Gundy admitted to changing the ringtone since Bieber had him as his ringtone. Seems like there's mutual admiration in between both of these grown males (a minimum of 1 is). Still, you have to wonder if Gundy had JB on his telephone prior to finding out in regards to the Bieber's ringtone.

Appear, you can say what you want, but the reality is that whole globe has Bieber fever. ESPN is referring to his new movie, and also the WWE lately signed the young star for an entertainment deal for WrestleMania. The truth is that he is actually a bona fide star. View it this way: If Gundy had other people as his ringtone, would he be getting a dedicated video? I assume not.

We all have been going to must come to grips using the fact that the globe has gone crazy in love with the boy, his haircut and his music. Gundy's even provided Bieber the opportunity to come and carry out at an OSU game. We'll find out if he obliges. If so, it will be a dream come genuine for Gundy.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Can E.J. Manuel Possess a Cam Newton Impact For the Florida State Seminoles?

An unproven redshirt freshman quarterback named E.J. Manuel hijacks the game and puts on an MVP performance much to the chagrin of West Virginia fans like myself, have been left asking yourself why they just traveled all of the way down to Jacksonville to view a 6-6 team with a backup quarterback dominate their beloved Mountaineers. As I sat in the far-too-cold-for-Florida stands of EverBank Field on that damp New Year's Day, I watched and discovered just a little about this young man named Manuel and came away supremely impressed.

Walking from the stadium that day and hearing the Seminole faithful sing the praises of departing coach Bobby Bowden, I couldn't aid but believe it was in fact Manuel who deserved to be hoisted onto shoulders and heaped with praise instead of the old coach. Because unlike Bowden, who represented the Florida State past, it had been Manuel who was holding the important thing to the plan's bright future. You could call it a coming-out party or whatever trendy phrase they have for events as such, but in its purest form exactly what it was, was a young star in the making stepping onto the huge stage and thriving in ways only the accurate fantastic ones can.

Sadly, with senior quarterback Christian Ponder returning from injury for his senior season, we'd be forced to wait before the Manuel party could really kick into full swing. At times though, a little patience only enhances the ultimate end result. With Ponder off to the NFL and with coach Jimbo Fisher bringing back a 90's era attitude to this Seminole crew, the stage is once again set for E.J. Manuel to shine. The first kind five-star recruit out of Virginia Beach presently has the chance to carve out a name for himself about the national college football scene.

Is the junior a household name at this time? No, but at this time last year, precisely how a lot of of you college football enthusiasts had incoming Auburn QB Cam Newton pegged like a Heisman hopeful? If my recollection serves me well, precisely zero. We'd be getting a bit ahead of ourselves if we plain stated E.J. Manuel may be the next Cam Newton, but if you look at some of the parallels between the two?afirst year as a starter, playing for fringe national title contenders and overall just eerily related types of players it's challenging not to draw comparisons.

What we saw from Manuel in modest spot duty last year was encouraging. He completed 70 percent of his passes on the year and looked actual solid within the Chick-fil A Bowl. E.J. Manuel Sophomore Highlights So let's, at the minimum, be encouraged and intrigued in what E.J. Manuel and also the rest of this Florida State team have available for us in 2011. I could be getting a bit ahead of myself. Bear in mind, this is coming from the same guy who watched highlights of Xavier Lee at Seabreeze Senior high school and thought, "Wow, that kid's got All-American written all over him." So take out the salt-shaker and pour a few grains on the laptop or computer screen if so desired.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Siena Vs. Manhattan: George Beamon's Career-High 35 Give Jaspers Conquer Saints

It really is rather embarrassing when there are more Siena fans at a game becoming played at Manhattan. Even so, the embarrassment pays off once you get to watch all of them leave in disappointment. Manhattan upped the lead to 33-26 on George Beamon's three-point play within the final seconds of the 1st half. Manhattan arrived on the scene strong to start the second half. A in demand Beamon scored 11 points in a 16-7 run by the Jaspers. The Jaspers continued to push charge all the way up to 18 points on a pair of Beamon totally free throws with just over six minutes remaining.

Nonetheless, trailing 70-55 with under five minutes left, Siena produced its move. A 6-0 Saints run cut the lead down to nine points. After a few possessions of trading baskets, Siena cut the lead down to 3 points on the Kyle Downey three-pointer with 35 seconds residing in the game. Manhattan junior Kidani Brutus then split a set of no cost throws. Trailing by 4 points, Jackson's third and final three-pointer from the game cut the Jasper lead to 82-81. How far will Manhattan use the MAAC Tournament? Manhattan left the door wide open with Demetrius Jemison missing a set of totally free throws. However, sophomore O.D. Anosike grabbed the rebound and sought out Downey for the outlet pass. Anosike's pass discontinued of Downey's hands and to the hands of Manhattan's Mohamed Koita.

Taking benefit of a large break, Brutus went back towards the line making a pair of totally free throws. Looking for a defensive stand, Manhattan came by means of. Although poor rebounding gave Siena 3 chances at a game-winning shot, the Saints never ever got off a clean look to tie the game, giving Manhattan the 84-81 victory. In the of Manhattan's games this year, this one showed probably the most positives. Not just did the Jaspers put up excellent numbers, but they also played a intelligent game. The Jaspers had their finest offensive showing of the game, beating the team's previous a lot of 80 points. They also shot an extremely powerful 50.9 % from the field.

Brutus place up very good numbers. The junior scored a career-high 20 points and tied a career-high of five three-pointers. Brutus got towards the line and created his shots count, making 5-of-6 no cost throws. Demetrius Jemison and Rhamel Brown come up with solid performances. Jemison had eight points and nine rebounds while also dishing out four assists. Vbfmlqptojbylif Beamon isn't any. five in the MAAC in scoring with no. ten within the MAAC in rebounding. Brown spent the main game in foul difficulty, but the made his 23 minutes count. He scored 4 points on 2-for-2 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. The freshman, who entered the day at No. 35 in the nation in blocked shots, swatted two of Siena's shots. Beamon was clearly the best part of Sunday's game. Having a career-high 35 points, Beamon accompanied a powerful performance against Fairfield on Friday when he posted a career-high seven assists. Beamon shot 12-for-19 from the field and hit his first three-pointer given that December 11 against Binghamton.

The Jaspers' coaching was also far better than typical, although nothing special. The Manhattan offense was much more lively and Rohrssen actually ran some plays for his players. For Siena, Jonathan Breeden led with 20 points. In the final two games, the freshman has scored a total of 44 points. Ryan Rossiter and O.D. Anosike each and every had double-doubles for the Saints. Rossiter had 19 points, with 13 arriving the second half, and 15 rebounds. Anosike had 11 points and ten rebounds. The Jaspers is going to be back in action on Wednesday against Iona for senior night. Following the game against Iona, they will play 3 road games prior to heading to Connecticut for the MAAC Tournament.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Marquette's Second Half Struggles Maintain Them on NCAA Tournament Bubble

Should you watch a Marquette basketball game, it sometimes feels as in case you're watching two various teams inside the game. Within the 1st 20 to 30 minutes, Marquette looks like a legitimate Top 20 team. They leave the impression that they'll beat anybody within the Massive East, and therefore, just about any person within the country. In the remaining minutes, they appear very mediocre?aa team that wouldn't be worthy of inclusion within the NCAA tournament. This team typically erases all of the tough work and excellent impressions left by the team of the initial 20 to Half an hour.

Due to the latter, Marquette at present finds themselves a lot more on the tournament bubble than they should probably be. The game on Sunday against Georgetown provided an additional illustration of the Marquette team (or teams, if you will) we've grown accustomed to seeing this season. The Golden Eagles lost 69-60 in Washington, DC. Once again, they led at halftime (by four), and held a slim lead before 12 minute mark from the second half. They then hit their seemingly inevitable cold spell, where time the Hoyas pushed in front to remain. Using the loss, Marquette drops to 15 overall, and 6-6 within the Massive East. That puts these questions tie with Cincinnati for 10th devote the conference. That's not exactly in which you need to be in mid-February in the event you want to be described as a legitimate NCAA tournament team.

That's record could be easily 8??ìC4?aor even if not for some late game letdowns in the last handful of weeks. A couple weeks back, Marquette took a lead to the final eight minutes against then-No. 5 Connecticut. The Golden Eagles led 60-55 with 7:55 left, but allowed UConn to outscore them 21-8 within the remaining stretch of game, losing 76-68. The Eagles demise was their inability to knock down shots late?athey created just two field targets over the game's final 10 minutes. One game just before losing to UConn, Marquette took on Notre Dame in South Bend. The Eagles rode a late-first half charge to guide by nine at halftime. They then took a 12 point lead a minute into the second half.

From there, however, Marquette went right into a significant prolonged shooting drought from which they could not recover. Over a 16 minute span, the Eagles produced just three field targets. Notre Dame outscored them 33-14 over that period and ultimately won the overall game 80-75. However, that was not the worst of it for Marquette. A single week prior to the Notre Dame loss, the Eagles were built with a game effectively inside their control at Louisville. After top by five at halftime, they went on a 25-12 run to take a 63-45 lead with just 6:31 to experience. From there, the Eagles produced just two field targets the rest of the game. Louisville's Preston Knowles caught fire from outside, hitting four three-pointers to find the Cardinals back inside the game. A Kyle Kuric layup with just 4 seconds left completed the Cardinals amazing late game run. The 71-70 final score left Marquette stunned with a loss that did not seem feasible.

Despite these late game struggles, Marquette has closed the offer against a few Top 20 teams from the Large East. The Eagles defeated Syracuse (then No. 10) at home prior to their current three game journey. They also notched an impressive 22-point win in your own home over the very same Notre Dame team that originated from behind to beat them more recently. The win over the Irish?awho are currently ranked within the Top 10 as well as in second spot in the Big East?astands since the Eagles marquee win. The question remains: How much more work does Marquette must do to secure a spot in the tournament?

With two-thirds from the Large East schedule now total, the Eagles do not have an infinite quantity of opportunities remaining for high-quality wins. Their schedule is actually favorable from a win standpoint, although not so a lot from a top quality win standpoint. This Tuesday, Marquette plays host to St. John's, who's also fighting to secure a NCAA berth. The Red Storm appear to be in a little much better position than the Eagles in the moment. A win for Buzz Williams team may well alter that perception. A likely must-win game for Marquette will be on March 2, when they host Cincinnati. That might serve as a de-facto play-in game, using the winner earning possibly the Huge East tenth and final tournament bid.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

March Madness Begins Now: Your Early Guide To the Men's NCAA Basketball Bracket

I'll go out on a limb and call myself your typical fan of sports. I really like the NFL. I consume a couple preferred teams one of the other sports. I in no way miss the planet Series, NBA Finals or Super Bowl. And that i appear forward to the month of March with such Madness that it ought to be a national vacation. The first (extended!) weekend of the NCAA tournament might as well be my high holy days. But till I get that March Madness bracket, I know my Men's NCAA basketball like I know the Winnipeg Jets' checking line. The Winnipeg Jets, they remain, proper? Didn't they shed towards the Hartford Whalers in the playoffs final year? Basically, if you're like me, let's get educated on some basketball.

They are not crap but no less than they're not No. 1. You should have ample opportunity to cheer against them because they may even slip into a No. 1 seed. Hopefully, though, they get upset in the ACC Tournament and draw an individual like Pitt within the East Regional Finals. If you get your bracket, you're going to look down and say "San Diego what?" Do not question it--it's not really a misprint. They're like the Boise State of men's college basketball. Their coach is Steve Fisher of Michigan Fab 5 fame and he's had the North park State Aztecs winning 20 plus games for some years now even though they hadn't broken the Top 20 prior to this season. DJ Gay is their important guard whilst Kawhi Leonard provides a nice inside presence. It is their year. Just ride them to the Sweet Sixteen.

This is the final year Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Georgetown and Syracuse finished the regular season in the Top 20. The large East is freaking awesome. They very own half the Top 15 (alright seven of 15) and when the Big East Conference Tournament started out nowadays, the thirteenth ranked team in the united kingdom (Syracuse) would draw only a No. 9 seed. Some people think eleven teams from the Huge East could make the NCAA Tournament. That could shatter the prior record of eight, held through the Massive East.

Kansas, Pitt, Texas and Duke can give them a run for his or her money but The Ohio State Buckeyes happen to be ridiculously dominant. They're no Fab 5 or Tarkenian's Runnin' Rebels but will anybody ever be once again? Believe more along the lines of Melo's Syracuse as freshman phenom Jared Sullinger's 18 points and 10 rebounds per game plow with the NCAA. A single road loss to some Top 15 conference rival is but a blip on the journey for this top ranked team of destiny.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Late Collapse Proves to Be Manageable As St Johns Beats Cincinnati in Sloppy Win

Road wins have not come easy for St. Johns this season, and their victory against Cincinnati was no exception. They began off and finished like a roller coaster ride, with their intensity going up and down as the game progressed. Within the very first few minutes they had been up 9-4 but allowed the Bearcats to take a 10-0 run to take the lead. St. Johns travelled on their very own run and never ever looked back until Cincinnati stormed back late in the second half when the Bearcats came back from a 12-point deficit.

In then end, St. Johns came out with the victory because of Cincinnati fouls since they could not make a single field objective within the last nine minutes of the game. St. Johns has become seventh within the Big East (behind West Virginia), and whilst they had been victorious, there is a great deal Steve Lavin must perform on. Lavin's press on inbound passes executed by the Red Storm defense was spectacular. With senior guard Malik Boothe leading the defensive attack, they were able to force turnovers top to simple points, a coaches dream. However, the initial half showed their full-court press nevertheless requirements some work. Once the ball crosses the half-court line, it seems as if their defense collapses.

The Bearcats would get the ball inside the 3 point line and also the Red Storm defense could crowd across the ball. Somehow the ball would make its way out and after a couple of swift passes, there's a Cincinnati player shooting an empty 3 point shot. Within the 1st half, Cincinnati's back up guard, Sean Kilpatrick went 4-7 from outside the arc. Though he missed three shots, the 3 attempts were uncontested. Had St. Johns been playing a team with greater shooters (i.e. Syracuse's Brandon Triche) who does make all of their open 3 point shots, they would've allowed a bench player to have 21 points.

Putting pressure with an offense is great, but when players cannot get back to the opponents they leave open, it must be acknowledged by the coaching staff and improved. Although they did not make a field goal in the last nine minutes of the game, there were vibrant spots in the St. Johns offense. One of these simple spots helped St. Johns through the game was ball movement. Just like their powerful press on inbound passes, their ability to move the ball around generates far better shots for one another.

An awesome instance of it was the ball movement among guards Dwight Hardy, Malik Boothe and forward Justin Brownlee. The three combined for 40 of St. Johns 59 points with Hardy top in points, Boothe in assists and Brownlee in rebounds. No matter which of the three had the ball, wise passes were followed by greater great shots which allowed St. Johns to construct the 12 point lead they had at 1 point. Against a team that's extremely considerably a mirror image of themselves, St. Johns was able to show their strengths but at the same time some important weaknesses that will be important to change when March rolls around.

If St. Johns continues to move the ball nicely during offense and stay away from turnovers, which will develop greater shot opportunities for his or her teammates, there's no limit to how many points they'll score later on. On defense, they should focus on their press and the way to return to open males or else they will have a difficult road ahead of them. All in most it was a good victory for the Red Storm as they moved up within the Massive East standings and appear to travel to Marquette on Tuesday for an additional tough Big East matchup.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels the ACC's Only Chance All over again

If you have ever been to that party in which a bunch of people RSVP'd, but just a few in fact showed up, you understand exactly what the ACC has felt like for the last few seasons. Heading into the final stretch of conference play, the Duke Blue Devils and New york Tar Heels are once more the only two teams within the conference with significantly of a opportunity to make any noise within the NCAA tournament. It's not precisely news to see Duke and North Carolina towards the top of the ACC?athe arch-rivals are the powerhouses of the conference, for sure. They combine for seven from the last eight NCAA titles owed towards the ACC (the other becoming Maryland in 2002) and 13 of the last 14 ACC tournament titles.

Still, the inability of the rest of the ACC schools to complement the Blue Devils and Tar Heels on the national stage is really a concerning trend that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon, and it's beginning to hurt the ACC's reputation as one of the most dominant conferences in college basketball. Apart from Duke and North Carolina, no ACC team has created it to the Sweet 16 since 2006 when Boston College lost to Villanova by one point in overtime?athat's a fairly sad stat. There have been many teams in that stretch, for example Wake Forest in 2009, have been expected to be legitimate tournament threats, but no one has delivered save for the rivals of Tobacco Road. This season was supposed to be diverse.

While everybody expected Duke to become the team to beat and North Carolina to be back as a conference contender (they took the scenic route but they're headed inside the right path), there have been a number of ACC squads who looked poised to make some noise inside the conference and beyond first of the season. Virginia Tech had a possibility to be a real force this year and a staple within the top 25 polls. Seth Greensberg returned all 5 of last season's starters which includes 2010 All-ACC members Malcolm Delaney (initial team) and Derenzo Hudson (third team). However, Hudson and returning starter JT Thompson suffered season-ending injuries at the start of the season along with the Hokies have suffered as a result.

North Carolina State was a team full of promise in the beginning of the season with Tracy Smith back and a trio of touted freshmen giving Sidney Lowe the most talented group in his tenure. An injured knee took Smith out for many of the non-conference season, nevertheless, and the talented freshmen struggled to carry the team in his absence. Smith is back now, but the Wolfpack haven't been in a position to construct significantly momentum in conference play. Florida State was starting to look like a very risky team just a couple weeks ago when they took down then No. 1 Duke. They happen to be inconsistent, even so, and the loss of their star junior, Chris Singleton, could spell disaster for that remainder of their season.

The rest of the ACC does not have significantly to show for the season so far, and it is seemingly once again as much as Duke and New york to represent the conference. There are undoubtedly some legitimate explanations why the conference has seen such a large letdown this year. 3 schools have new coaches. There is definitely going to be an adjustment period when that happens. The conference has been completely devastated by the injury bug. Kyrie Irving (Duke), Hudson (VT), Singleton (FSU), Thompson (VT) and Mike Scott (Virginia) could be easily a top 25 beginning lineup.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Centenary College Basketball: Saying Goodbye towards the Gentlemen in Divison I

February 6 isn't a date that rings out to many, and Fort Wayne might be more identified for its annual Johnny Appleseed Festival, but the two combined for an essential basketball event: the final time the Centenary College of Louisiana won a men's basketball game. On that fateful day, the Gentlemen defeated the IPFW Mastodons 80-78 behind 18 points and 10 rebounds by Maxx Nakwaasah.

Since then, the Gentlemen have lost 32 consecutively more than the past two seasons, while standing at 0-27 this season?adefinitely not the way Centenary would want to finish its time in Division I. Since the present team prepares to close out its Division I experience, it is time to take a single last appear. Presently, Centenary may be the smallest D-I school within the nation. It has been competing at the NCAA's highest level since 1960.

The Gentlemen started as an independent and then joined the Trans America Athletic Conference (the Atlantic Sun Conference) as a founding member in 1978. Centenary had some good results whilst playing in the TAAC, having eight winning seasons, 1 regular season title (in 1989-1990) and something tournament title (in 1979-1980) in 21 seasons. In 1999 they left the conference and spent 4 years as an independent before joining the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League) in 2003. This season will be their last season with the Summit League, as the Gentlemen will be joining the American Southwest Conference, a Division III conference, starting subsequent season. Centenary College president David Rowe stated inside a press release final spring, "Our transition to Division III is a move which will support and advance the mission and educational philosophy of the College."

Since the college's endowment had decreased in recent years, with escalating travel costs, the proceed to Division III makes sense. The ASC will help cut down on costs, as six of the seven ASC East teams are within a three-hour drive of Shreveport, as compared to 347 miles towards the nearest Summit League team, Oral Roberts. The Gentlemen have never made "The Dance." In fact, only 5 schools have gone longer than Centenary with no trip to basketball's title chase (Army, The Citadel, Northwestern, St. Francis-NY and William & Mary). Since the season comes to a close, it's guaranteed that they will not make it this year, as their 0-15 conference record clinches that the Gentlemen will likely be home once the Summit Conference Tournament begins in Sioux Falls on March 5th.

There have been times that Centenary has been close to making "The Dance." In 1980, they won the TAAC tournament, but the league did not have an automatic bid until the following season. Four times they fell a single game short, losing the conference title game to Louisiana-Monroe in 1982 and falling to University of Arkansas-Little Rock 3 times (1986, 1989 and 1990). In addition to those close calls, there's the saddest incident of all, where the Gentlemen went 87-21 on the four-year span that didn't exist inside the NCAA's eyes.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Charles Woodson: How much Does The Green Bay Packers Star Have Left?

Charles Woodson was finally ready to get his 1st Super Bowl ring as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 Sunday. He got it even though he had to leave the game early as a result of broken collarbone. Following Woodson's absence, the Packers' defense moved up and rallied around its playmaker, and tried to fill the void playing his absence. When all was stated and carried out, the Packers had been just able to perform just sufficient and held on for that win, even though it surely wasn't easy right after his early exit.

Despite the fact that Woodson is obtaining up there in age (he turns 35 during subsequent season) he continues to have shown that he could be an impact player about the field, even though his key cornerback responsibilities are slowly being reduced. Woodson is really a force and is truly at the very top talent year in and year out. This is really a player with 809 career tackles, 13.5 sacks, 27 forced fumbles, and 47 interceptions over 13 NFL seasons. What's even more remarkable are the fantastic numbers he put up this year (92 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, two interceptions and 2 sacks) following up a NFL Defensive Player of the Year award last season.

Men and women keep thinking that the elite corner will require a step back with each year, but he continues to be a force and the undisputed leader of the Packers defense. Even though he may have lost a step, he is still one of the very best tacklers in the corner position in football and the versatility is some thing that nobody else in the complete league poses. He is able to be moved around the field, and is most effective covering the slot receiver and bringing pressure from the edge at this point of his profession. He is also fantastic in run assistance. Despite the fact that he only had two sacks this season, the pressure that he designed on blitzes and stunts gave quarterbacks fits because they were rushed into throws that they didn't wish to make. Woodson, who is a free agent right after this season, must be re-signed by the Packers. He is such a playmaker that's moved all around to give his defense the upper hand in matchups against practically any other team in the league. We all saw within the Super Bowl how the Packers defense struggled against the pass following Woodson left the overall game. He may be the most important component of the defense and it shows. To go along with being this type of great talent, he is also a challenging worker and excellent leader whose inspirational halftime speech helped lead his team to victory.

Woodson continues to have two years left of being an elite NFL player, as his versatility not only lets him continue to set up huge numbers and make plays but it also adds life to his career as he doesn't possess the speed to be a accurate shutdown cornerback anymore. Being they player that he is, he doesn't care exactly where he's lined up on the field so long as he can continue to produce plays and help his team win ball games. So long as the Packers are intelligent and re-sign their emotional defensive leader, the wins need to continue to pile up for the Packers for years to come.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Dwaine Caraway Provides Michael Vick The Crucial Towards the City Of Dallas, What's Subsequent?

For over the last 50 years, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles have played 104 occasions, Dallas winning 59 of these, the Eagles 45. It has been one of, if not the NFL's largest rivalry ever. In between the fans and the players, it's everywhere. We're referring to the guys that threw snow balls at Santa Claus. These sorts of items make a rivalry and it all starts with the fans. Whether or not you're walking down the street with an Eagles hoodie on along with a Dallas fan yells something like ???Hey Eagles suck! Or should you're wearing a Cowboys jersey at Lincoln Monetary Field?-God bless you. The thing is they just don't like one another. Even when their not playing one another you'll nonetheless see them rooting for that opposing team that the Eagles or Cowboys are playing.

Bear in mind 1989. The Bounty Bowl where head coach Buddy Ryan from the Eagles was accused by head coach from the Cowboys Jimmie Johnson for providing bounties to get Cowboys players. Or in 1992 The Eagles beat the Cowboys 31-7 within their first matchup of the season. The Cowboys not only went onto win the following game, but they ended up beating the Eagles that year in the playoffs and went on to win the Super Bowl. A treadmill of the most shocking events in 1999, following being hit hard, Michael Irvin lay motionless and helpless about the field although Eagles fans had been jumping down and up and cheering at the top of their lungs. That might be Irvin's final play as an NFL player.
Visit four:00 to see Vick obtain the crucial towards the city.

That's the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry, however for some cause this year it hasn't been exactly the same and it's sickening, ever because quarterback Mike Vick became the starter. Week 14, for the first time inside the new Cowboys Stadium the Cowboys and also the Eagles met. The Eagles won 30-27 and after the game some players shook hands, which is already bad adequate, but Cowboys running back Tashard Selection asked Michael vick for an autograph. An AUTOGRAPH?! Are you KIDDING ME?! You simply got beat by the Eagles within the very first meeting within your new stadium and you ask the guy that just beat you for an AUTOGRAPH?! Oh yes he did. That's like asking the guy who stole your girlfriend and took her to prom to come more than and hang out. It just doesn't take place. Though when he was inquired about it he stated it was for his nephew. Oh alright then that's fine then...NO! ABSOLUELTY NOT! I don't care if it was for his son or even the President of the United States. He should've went and told his nephew that he can't have it! If his nephew wanted it so negative, then Option could've given him the money to buy it off of ebay or something like that, though that makes me sick too. Then fast forward to today. The Mayor of Dallas, Dwaine Caraway provides Michael Vick, you realize the same guy that Choice asked for an autograph, the crucial to the city. Yes, the key to the city of Dallas, property of the Cowboys. IS HE Critical! He said that ???You deserve it, to Michael Vick. How does he deserve it? He killed innocent dogs and beat the Cowboys as the Eagles quarterback. None of that appearsdeserving of becoming rewarded a key towards the city of Dallas.

Then after Vick was rewarded the key to the city, the two males up next to Vick started producing comments that were negative towards Romo, such as ???We may have a quarterback homie and saying Tony Romo because they pointed to Vick. Wow. I never thought that I would ever see this. An Eagles star quarterback obtaining the key of the city to Dallas.

Wow. What exactly are they going to give Vick subsequent, a street name correct alongside Cowboys Stadium? Or could they be going to alter the name of the stadium to Michael Vick Stadium? Or change the logo of a star to a dog? Whatever you do Caraway just don't give him a dog, trust me on this one. Man I hope Dallas fans bear in mind this around voting time. Bye bye Caraway.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Chicago Bears Insider: The way the CBA Impacts the Bears for 2011

This years NFL season has completed, and division rival Green Bay ended up being the Planet Champions. This implies that the Bears, combined with the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, possess a lot to do to try to overcome what is now a powerhouse up in Green Bay. Based on what takes place with the collective bargaining agreement, the Vikings and also the Lions are set for being able to go by means of free of charge agency and find some players. The Bears, on the other hand, will have their hands tied. Something which was put into location in the final collective bargaining agreement will come back to bit the Bears.

What exactly is it? It's named the final eight rule. The rule essentially says that any team that's part of the final eight teams left in the NFL playoffs can only sign one unrestricted totally free agent for each 1 of their very own players lost. This player would need to need to have six accrued seasons in the NFL. Teams may also only sign 1 unrestricted free agent lost and provide them a salary that could be much like what the player leaving would get. This one thing means that Chicago can only sign free of charge agents when they shed free of charge agents. This will definitely place a handicap on what they are able to do to help improve their team this year if indeed free of charge agency will be a implies that they would like to create from during the offseason.

Although the Bears aren't traditionally a team that builds through totally free agency (this past year, they went outside of their comfort zone a little and acquired three big named free agents), this could still come back to haunt them. Realizing their struggles with the NFL Draft, free of charge agency could have been a superb way for them to take care of a few of their needs this offseason. It appears like the value of winning can be expensive. Obviously, the entire free of charge agency period could be null and void depending on what occurs with the CBA.

One more problem that may hurt the Bears is how rookies are signed and developed following the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft. There will probably be a draft even if there isn't an agreement signed by then, but what happens to those rookies following the draft has been total? There wouldn't be any rookie mini-camps, and before CBA is signed, there could be no way to sign rookies. They would certainly hang in limbo till everything is completed. Chicago is known for signing players early and getting them into camp. If this thing drags out, it would have an effect on their ability to obtain these young guys into camp (there may well not even be a training camp) to build up them to make them capable of adding to the team in 2011. So, as you can tell, the rules imposed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement and also the lack of an agreement are going to put the Bears back somewhat bit in terms of their potential to acquire and produce talent.

Of those teams that had been part of the final eight plan last year (New Orleans, Indianapolis, Dallas, Minnesota, Arizona, Baltimore and the New York Jets), 3 of them failed to create the playoffs, while just one of them advanced to their respective conference title game (that becoming the New York Jets). With these restrictions placed on Chicago, it's going to be a rough road on their behalf in 2011 (to get back towards the playoffs), and it will be a rough road for the other final seven teams too. If ever there was a time where the Bears coaching staff and management had to be at their greatest in regards to player administration and also the draft, this will be the time.

The uncertainty for the future makes it difficult to predict it, and if the Bears can make it with the time between now so when the contract is signed, they will be nicely adequate to develop and prepare the team for the 2011 season. Granted, each and every team in the final eight may have exactly the same difficulties, but the Bears want this offseason to add those pieces that had been missing this year and make an additional run in the Super Bowl.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Scenes From a Cold, Dark Super Bowl Loss

I am quite sure I did not need a dramatic introduction to let you know what this write-up is about. I just like adding LOST bits. A minimum of let me have that. To say I was angry soon after the Steelers loss is really an understatement. I necessary a few days to write this column, as I am nonetheless fuming. Literally fuming. I'm nonetheless trying to maintain the smoke from coming out of my mouth. Individuals are telling me that's just the cold air, but I understand greater.

It just wasn't one play, it had been the complete game. Ben has never been a guy to raise his game in Super Bowls (30-51, 379 yards, 1-3 TD/INT ratio by 50 percent prior Super Bowls. He was dreadful in the very first 1, and before final drive of the second, he really didn't play nicely. Devoid of James Harrison's last-second touchdown at halftime, the Steelers win is really in doubt). I'm not positive why Ben doesn't play effectively for any full four quarters within the Super Bowl, but he just doesn't. And I have discovered to accept it. But he really got outplayed by Aaron Rodgers, which was the biggest difference in this game. I am not putting the full blame on Ben (the rest I will get to momentarily), but when the opposing quarterback is playing to his full possible, you need to raise your game too. Ben had two bad picks, and missed guys open all over the field. I'm not sure what the deal was, but Ben appeared to possess the peripheral vision of the 89-year-old bus driver at some points.

Assume about all of the drops Rodgers had. Without the six drops, Rodgers easily reaches 400 yards and possibly five touchdowns. Roethlisberger didn't have any excuses for his performance. The offensive line didn't play horribly. He'd time. He over/underthrew Mike Wallace on a few plays that could have gone for big yardage. Let's begin with Bryant McFadden, who played the game as if he had been John McFadden, my sixth grade football coach who had 3 fingers and was 250 pounds. He was an ass. McFadden got burned all night long, and proved that the Steelers need a cornerback as a draft choose in the early rounds. We saw William Gay play among the worst games of his illustrious career, which he would have played worse had Jordy Nelson not contracted dropitis during the game. Jordy Nelson should have had 15 catches for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns. He'll settle for 9,140 and 1, but he might have had among the greatest single games for any wide receiver in Super Bowl history.

Even the two safeties, Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu, played poorly. Clark was burned a few times, and Polamalu allowed the touchdown to Greg Jennings, which really clinched the overall game. On that exact same drive, Jennings could get completely open in the middle of the field on 3rd-and-5 on a decently deep slant, and caught it for a enormous game. I had Vietnam-esque flashbacks to the Larry Fitzgerald touchdown in Super Bowl 43 with four minutes left that put the Cardinals ahead. I might or may not have cried in anger on that play.

Obviously, the Steelers need a guy to replace the aging McFadden. The actual question is where to draft a corner within the draft. The seemingly obvious choice would be second round, simply because the Steelers require a first-round top quality lineman. That's fantastic, especially if we are able to draft Mike Pouncey and shift him to some guard position. What would become more enjoyable than seeing the Pouncey brothers together. As long as they don't kiss, the Steelers might have the first fun offensive line in NFL history.

But we need a cornerback, and the Super Bowl really put this on display. The road was in a position to hold up, but the secondary got torn apart. You have to believe that you'll find several very good lineman within the second and third rounds, but there's a lack of shutdown corners. I have no clue what to do here. You can't fulfill each requirements. If I was forced to create a selection, I'd say lineman. Ben can't take a beating like he did this year. Nevertheless it is fairly effortless to create a case for getting a cornerback.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

、Giant Dilemmas: Why The G-Men Happen to be Playoff Pretenders


Given that the Giants won Super Bowl XLII, they've failed to produce the Playoffs in two of the past three seasons. They provided the Playoffs the season soon after winning Super Bowl XLII as the 1st seed within the NFC. However they had been one-and-done within the Playoffs thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles, their division rival. To not take away from the Giants' success, but even in their Super Bowl year, Eli did not have a stellar season. He threw 23 TD, 20 INT and had a 73.9 passer rating. Nevertheless, to his credit, Eli put the mediocre typical season behind him and continued to having a superhuman Playoff run that got the Giants to the massive game.

As expected against an undefeated Patriots team, Eli did not perform at the same time against their solid defense because he did against Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay (for the reason that order). But he did make THE throw to David Tyree, and the game winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress. The 2007 Playoffs defined Eli's career, and since then he has played much better throughout the typical season than he did in seasons just before winning the Super Bowl. A part of that's due to gaining encounter, and maybe he also got a monkey off his back and finally silenced several of his harsh critics.

The Giants continued to have a 12-4 record. Earth, Wind, and Fire was unstoppable and gave the Giants the best rushing attack inside the NFL. In 2008, Eli posted work very best completion percentage (60.three) and passer rating (86.four). The biggest sign of improvement was Eli's career low in INT (ten). The Giants looked great in most their games except the Monday Night game from the Browns plus a two game losing streak against the Cowboys and Eagles, both division rivals. Even so, both are excellent teams so the Giants shouldn't find any shame in splitting the season series with either team. Their final typical season game against the Vikings was meaningless, yet they only lost by a point.

Even though Panthers beat the Saints in the finale to also reach a 12-4 record, the Giants had the tie-breaker simply because they beat Carolina the week just before.The Giants looked as good as they've ever looked over an extended time frame. They looked like the very best team inside the NFL all season long, but it all broke down against the Eagles in the Playoffs. Eli did not have an excellent game. The Giants made errors at worst doable moments and place the defense in unfavorable circumstances against McNabb and also the Eagles. It seemed as if the Giants were saving all the errors they didn't have in the regular season for that Playoff game. The G-Men still had a chance to salvage the game late in the fourth quarter, but Steve Smith's unforced fumble sealed the deal for the Eagles. What made it worse was that the Giants already had the first down before the fumble. In 2008 the Giants blew a good chance to reach the Super Bowl for a second year in a row.

This season the Giants started out 5-0. Individuals are already claiming that the Giants are among the elite teams in the NFL and legitimate contenders in the NFC. Bill Sheridan looked great running the defense. The Giants defense looks like it has not missed a beat despite Steve Spagnuolo leaving for the Rams' head coaching job.

Friday, February 11, 2011

UNC Basketball: Are Tar Heels Wimpy or Is Roy Williams' Coaching Pathetic?

It truly is time to say it. Roy Williams is constantly on the blame his UNC Tar Heel basketball team, giving them a call wimps. But in reality, it looks more and more like Williams has no thought what he's performing or why. Williams mixes up lineups as if it makes a difference, removes players without the ability to obtain any tempo going and helps make the Tar Heels look like they are fully aware nothing about anything. At some point, we must say that there is nothing here but bad coaching. Williams started up just where he left off last season: blaming the team. His latest contention mirrors that of other coaches. He and other coaches now say that his team is wimpy.

But at every chance Williams has had to show he can coach, he fails to do so. He appears senselessly to substitute players, as if this is some panacea permanently coaching. An excellent view of this lack of coaching potential came during the Tar Heels' shellacking against Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets on Sunday night. Ultimately losing by nearly 20 points, the Tar Heels appeared so from it at instances that this alone could be what I am talking about. Nevertheless, two plays consecutively, and a number of over the course of the game demonstrate the issues more clearly. Much more than one player got stuck close to the basket at the left foul lane line. These were nearly immediately surrounded by Tech players. The players then sought to get the ball to the UNC player at the foul line, turning over the ball each time. Incredibly, it did not appear that Williams tried to get this to a coaching second even though he removed the players soon after their mistakes.

In fact, Williams seems never to take any game time to make any adjustments in play by his players. He hardly ever talks with players he will take off the court, looking away as if this gets him someplace using the player. There are other signs this Roy Williams, who appeared first last year, is absolutely nothing like what his reputation suggests or says. Williams' on-court attitude is the same as his press clippings make him. Insulting to his players, and poor-mouthing in words and actions toward his team. Sure, there are other items we can point to about this year that make us wonder when the players usually are not the dilemma. But Williams appears not capable of adjusting his coaching and playing style to his team. His approach is "Do it my way or get free from my way!"

Following 2 yrs of whining about his team, you need to begin to wonder why Williams by no means assumes any responsibility for his teams' play. Why it is usually the players' fault. Why he is never the larger person. And appears a lot more intemperate than ever. So it's time to start to question Williams and his motivation in usually blaming his players. Is it the players? Or is Williams to blame? Postscript: I realize that Williams admitted that he stunk up the location as a coach last night. I wrote this article during the game, and posted it prior to the comments occurred. It was late personally, and as far as I was concerned in line with the write-up I wrote this summer, Williams had blamed his players far too much. Some Williams supporters employed the press conference as proof that I did not research the subject matter. Frankly, following forty-five many years of following, going to Carolina games, and tracking our coaches (very few at that), I felt strongly that Williams' failure to train at game after game, and the following the same game program again and again, have been horrible weaknesses, and never his only ones. His failure to coach in the course of games can be a continuous, every-game event.

So as far as I'm concerned, what exactly if a couple of disagree simply because they seek to utilize my failure to watch Williams' press conference final evening, who apparently finally admitted he would be a negative coach in one of numerous games, and the one sentence that this covers within the write-up, as evidence which i know absolutely nothing about Williams, his coaching or something for instance. For me, his admission came way too late and is far too limited.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

IU Shuts Down Wolves: Pritchard Unsung Hero as Hoosiers Claim Very first Big Ten Win

Indiana's (10-8, 1-4) 80-61 residence victory over Michigan (11-7, 1-4) on Saturday allowed for several possible headlines: the Hoosiers are now in the Large Ten win column; Verdell Jones III missed just one of 10 field goals on his method to 24 points; Christian Watford posted a double-double with 17 and 10; and Jordan Hulls deflated the Wolverines with 3 clutch triples.

The aforementioned contributions are worth note, of course, but lost within the points, rebounds and three-pointers is Tom Pritchard. The 6'9" forward, creating his ninth start of the season, provided much-needed defensive energy and interior disruption inside a game the Hoosiers desperately needed. Apart from his seven rebounds, No. 25, on paper, wasn't overly impressive: one shot, two points, zero blocks. But powerful defense and right positioning are attributes that "don't always show up (inside the box score)," stated IU head coach Tom Crean.

In perhaps his finest efficiency in 2010-11, Pritchard "was an enormous element for this team tonight," Crean stated, noting the junior's status like a "smart defender" on more than one occasion. The defense, collectively, turn off UM, holding the team to 36.four percent shooting. Pritchard served as an integral aspect to IU's very best defensive effort given that Massive Ten play started?aand maybe prior?a offering an internal presence that Watford and Derek Elston, for those their skills, have yet to acquire, a minimum of beyond offense. Possibly the Michigan game served as Pritchard's transformation to his freshman type. "You actually can trust him," stated Crean. That statement was undoubtedly correct Saturday evening.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Syracuse Need to Play Massive Tonight Against Pitt With Kris Joseph Out

What a match up tonight in Pittsburgh between your fourth-ranked Panthers and No. three Syracuse. The Orange are 18-0 under head coach Jim Boeheim for the second time in 35 many can tie a school record having a rare win in the Peterson Events Center. Syracuse leads the all-time series 61-37 but has struggled lately against Jamie Dixon's Panthers. Pitt has won 12 of its last 15 games against the Orange, such as 4 straight. This is a massive week for Syracuse which plays at fourth-ranked Pitt nowadays then hosts seventh-ranked Villanova on Saturday.

The Orange picked up the plan's 1,800 victory last week over Saint John's and makes tonight's match up winning 48 of its last 53 games. Syracuse already has some good quality wins this season over teams like Michigan State and Notre Dame, but victory at Pittsburgh could be by far its very best win about the year. It won't come simple at the Pete, particularly with leading scorer Kris Joseph out for that Orange. Joseph was restricted to just 10 minutes Saturday against Cincinnati before leaving the overall game with a head injury. That's 15 points and 5 boards the Orange need to constitute against a really physical and stingy Pitt defense.

Guard play is going to be huge for the Orange, particularly with Joseph out of the lineup. The backcourt continues to be inconsistent up to this point but indicates large improvement lately with the increased scoring efforts of Brandon Triche. Right after having just one double-digit game by way of his very first nine contests, Triche has seven in his final nine.

If Triche and Scoop Jardine (13 ppg) can consistently hit shots from the outside then that ought to open things up for Rick Jackson. Jackson is emerging as 1 of the top forwards, not only in the Massive East, but also inside the country. He picked up his second straight double-double over the past weekend and at present has 11 on the season. His play on the interior is crucial to Syracuse's good results, specifically on the boards, where Pitt is plus 13 about the glass. If the 2-3 zone can force Ashton Gibbs (16 ppg) and Brad Wannamaker (13 ppg) into taking tough shots and at least break even within the rebound battle then Syracuse will certainly solidify itself as a true Final Four contender.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: four Keys towards the Game

For such a huge game, there's been little talk between your New York Jets and Gambling. New York has taken the "kill all of them with kindness" method, with Pittsburgh following suit. With so considerably focused on the lack of talking, there hasn't been enough talk on the only aspect that matters: the game itself. You will find obvious secrets of the game, including both defenses playing as well as they have all year, Ben Roethlisberger producing plays on offense and Darrelle Revis continuing to be the shutdown corner that he is. The deciding components of the game, even so, will lie using the unsung heroes.

Revis and Antonio Cromartie get a large amount of fanfare, deservedly so, but Coleman continues to be key as the team's nickel back. He played a sizable role within the team's earlier matchup, forcing a fumble how the Steelers recovered following a huge loss, forcing Pittsburgh to use its final timeout with very little time left in the game. Assuming Revis blankets Hines Ward, and the Jets give Cromartie safety help over the top to defend against Mike Wallace's speed, Coleman is going to be paired on rookie Emmanuel Sanders. Keep a close eye on this matchup on third downs, exactly where Sanders has recorded a lot of his catches.

Hunter, filling in for Damien Woody in Week 15, because he will probably be on Sunday, did an admirable job against Woodley within their first meeting. Woodley had just two tackles with no sacks. Hunter will must just do as good of a job in the rematch. Woodley has been a monster within the playoffs, even dating back to his rookie year. He's nine sacks in 5 games. When the Jets hope to establish any sort of a running game, Hunter will also have to hold his personal. As has been talked about, the Steelers unique teams has already established its fair share of struggles. Even historically, they has never excelled within the third facet of the game. Brad Smith is expected to experience this week and is a dangerous return man, some thing the Steelers experienced firsthand in Week 15. Smith returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. The whole kick coverage unit for Pittsburgh will have to show up, but Suisham is key. He or she must get adequate hangtime on his kicks to give his coverage unit lots of time to get downfield. I recorded his hangtime about the Smith touchdown at just 3.6 seconds. Ideally, the hangtime should be around 4.

Ellis designed havoc on Tom Brady last week, recording two sacks despite the Jets not bringing much as blitzes. Ellis certainly earned his sacks. He's a tough, hard-nosed player who's large sufficient to create Ben Roethlisberger down, as daunting of a activity as that can be sometimes. The Steelers line, that has been a M.A.S.H. unit for many of the year, ought to keep 92 in check. Roethlisberger was sacked six instances against the Ravens.

" NCAA Hoops: Tuesday's Huge East and Huge Ten Point Spread Analysis"

Should you be a fan of basketball and had nothing better to do than sit at residence, watch games, and handicap point spreads then Monday was made for you. There was a smorgasbord of hoops to option from either the entire slate of NBA action or even the quadruple-header of NCAA action on ESPN. I choose to focus on the college games, as through the years NCAA hoops has been a lot nicer in my experience than the skilled ranks.

We discovered several useful lessons on Monday, Jan.16, 2011 when attacking these point spreads. Lesson Number one: If you like a side and the quantity is correct pull the trigger immediately. This lesson was discovered in my initial selection of the day using the Villanova-UCONN game. Realizing this game would be tight and that every half point would be valuable, I suggested to drag the trigger on UCONN the night time prior to when the line was at UCONN (minus 1.five pts). I got extremely fortunate by doing so, as a

Kemba Walker floater in the lane with only two seconds remaining in the game sealed up the two point victory for UCONN. Nonetheless, not every UCONN supporter was as fortunate. In case you waited before day of the game to pull the trigger on UCONN you have stuck with the Huskies at (minus 2 points or even worse minus 2.5 pts). If you have stuck with the latter quantity with UCONN and took the loss, you can take enjoyment within the reality that a great deal of the sports-books got " middled" about the game. That merely means that alot of the early action came in on UCONN at (minus 1.five pts), but by game-time when the line had jumped as much as UCONN at (minus 2.five pts) the action then arrived on Villanova. Thus causing both sides to win and also the sports-books losing all the way around.

Lesson # 2: Baylor is officially on my listing of teams to never rely on once again! Following striking the UCONN game, I had suggested taking Missouri at (minus five.5 pts) over Kansas State. Whilst, there were a couple of nervous moments during the game, Mizzou for probably the most aspect cruised to a 16-point victory. Good 2-0 to start the day! The third game about the docket, was Syracuse at Pittsburgh. I listed Pitt as my selection at (minus four.five pts), and this game had to be bet the night before to obtain the best amount. Should you waited until the day of the overall game to bet Pitt (at its new number of minus 6 points or even as high as minus 6.five pts) you were still fortunate to win but you absolutely played with fire. When it was announced the evening just before that Syracuse's leading scorer Kris Joseph wasn't even generating the trip due to a head injury typical sense must have said to get the early amount on Pitt. Since once everyone got word of the news you knew the line was only going to go skyward. Should you waited until the day of the game to pull the trigger on this game, and Syracuse guard Dion Waiters hits that meaningless 3-pointer in the buzzer you only win by 5 points and you were a massive fat loser. Whereas should you got the early number of (minus 4.five pts) you would've cared less if he earned it or not. So following Pitt's 8-point victory, I had been now up to 3-0 on the day staring at the final game of the evening to really make it a excellent 4-0 on the day.

This is exactly where I now refer back to lesson # 2 that was discovered on the day. For some reason I suggested Baylor at (plus four.5 pts) against Kansas. That would be a total whitewash as Kansas pounced on the Bears early and frequently en route to a 20-point road victory. I finished 3-1 at the time, which gets the job performed, but I truly was coveting a excellent day. On to another crop of games, for Tuesday, Jan.18, 2011.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

NFC Championship Playoff Preview: Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers

The Chicago Bears 2010 season started out with an intriguing call that went their way and gave them their very first win of the season (against the Lions). They then opened the growing season having a three-game winning streak, took a huge pounding in the hands of the Giants and went into a two-game skid just before their bye week. The transformation that this team underwent throughout the bye week is beginning to grow to be somewhat of a legend. Following their bye week, the Bears racked up five straight wins just before heading into their game with Patriots. They lost that game massive, but recovered to win their next couple of games just before falling towards the team that they are going to face within the NFC Championship game.

It all comes down to this. The Chicago Bears, coming off of a 35-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks within the divisional playoff round on Sunday, will host the Green Bay Packers, 48-21 winners over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday evening. These two teams know each other perfectly, having played more games than any other two teams within the good reputation for the NFL and have played just one playoff game against the Packers and that would be a 33-14 Bears win in 1941. This promises to be 1 of the biggest and most challenging fought games in between both of these teams in their long history. It promises to bring some trash speaking between the players of each teams and, obviously, the fans of both teams and maybe the media, nevertheless it will be a spectacle, one that's welcome by both sides.

The Packers and the Bears have met twice before; the first game (at Soldier Field) was a 20-17 Bears win, although the Packers beat the Bears within the second game (at Lambeau Field) 10-3). The Bears have really be a a lot greater team than they were when these two teams met the very first time and played them extremely tough in that second game. The Packers are also another team and seem to be firing on all cylinders on sides of the ball. Green Bay is favored by numerous to win farmville, but the Bears have every bit as good of a possibility to win farmville as the Packers do. They have benefits over Green Bay and the Packers have advantages more than the Bears. Needless to say, it's going to be an intriguing game. So which team has the edge in this matchup? Can Chicago turn off quarterback Aaron Rodgers along with the rest of the Packers offense? Will the Packers defense be an excessive amount of for the Bears to take care of? Let's discover in this extended preview from the Bears versus the Packers within the NFC Championship game this Sunday at Soldier Field.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

2011 NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers and the 1 That Got Away

With Aaron Rodgers about to play inside the NFC Championship, probably the most significant game of his life so far, 1 cannot aid but wonder what could have been had the San Francisco 49ers selected homegrown Rodgers and never Alex Smith in the 2005 NFL draft. It pains the Bay Area to watch a local boy lead the "wrong team" into the playoffs and on to the cusp of the Super Bowl. Just why did Scot McCloughan do this to us? Why did he have to select the incorrect guy?

It's very straightforward to appear at items now practically six years later and make this determination. The Packers got themselves a franchise quarterback, and also the team that passed on him is headed into 2011 without any real quarterback selection. But what has been the distinction in between Rodgers and Smith? Was there a way 49ers management could have avoided all this? Start by looking at their college careers. Smith's college career really is easy to analyze. He was 24-1 as a starter at Utah. Bottom line, he was a winner. Smith's stats will also be extremely impressive. He threw 47 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in his career at Utah, including the 2004 season where he threw 32 touchdowns to only four interceptions.

When analyzing a college quarterback, accuracy is a huge element, and Smith were built with a 66.three % career completion percentage at Utah. Yes, it was below Urban Meyer's spread offense, but numbers do not lie. Rodgers, who hails from nearby Chico, Calif., was without a doubt the 49ers fan preferred before the 2005 draft, but let's take a glance at some of the factors that created him drop all the way towards the 24th spot. There was a cause Rodgers and Smith had been neck-and-neck within the battle of the 2005 general pick and their numbers reflect that. Rodgers had 42 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions while playing for that Golden Bears. His completion percentage seemed to be really impressive at 63.8 %, now what exactly produced the distinction?

They both had excellent mobility during college, and each had strong arms. Even ESPN think it is crazy Rodgers was still waiting to be chosen when the 24th choose arrived. Draft day was not the most beneficial day for him, but he sure is sticking it to every person now. The 49ers chose to start off Smith as a rookie, where he threw one touchdown to 11 interceptions, which the reality is, is horrible. The Packers, however, allowed Rodgers to learn from future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre for 3 years before declaring him their starter. The 49ers have hired six different offensive coordinators for Smith, whilst Rodgers continues to be playing for Mike McCarthy given that his starting days in 2008 and has had McCarthy there because 2006.

On a side note, McCarthy was also the offensive coordinator for that 49ers in 2005, the year Smith was chosen over Rodgers. Who do the 49ers need to blame? Could it be Smith, who simply does not have the talent level to really make it as an NFL quarterback? Or is Rodgers just that superior to him in talent level? If the 49ers had selected Rodgers, would the 49ers maintain the playoffs correct now? Perhaps the 49ers organization is simply toxic and incapable of appropriately grooming a quarterback. Just how much blame can we really place on McCloughan? I imply, we saw the same stats he was looking at when producing the decision. Obviously, both quarterbacks looked excellent on tape, and that i am positive that each of them passed the scout's eye test as well.