Roger Goddell, the man ruining the NFL

(Photo from NFL.com)

This is the man that’s F***ing up the NFL

When I played football as a child in the backyard, my mom would always tell me to be careful. When I signed up for Pop Warner Football, my grandmother and mom were worried. They knew about the violence of the game, but they allowed me to sign up. People all around the world know that football is a tough and violent game. If that’s the case, why is NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell trying to turn the sport we know and love into touch football?

Money! That’s the number one reason Goddell proposed the rule change which now makes it illegal for a ball-carrier to lower the crown of their helmet outside the tackle box.

“You run with your chin up, you run with your eyes up, you are going to get hurt,” NFL Network’s Marshall Faulk said Wednesday.” I completely agree wilt Faulk. Running backs will my prone to getting injured if they can’t protect themselves at certain times during games.

Owners of course approved the rule change it because it keeps the league and the owners from facing lawsuits in the future.  Goddell says he wants to do this for the safety of the league, but it is total BS and everyone knows it.

You have a bunch of men in suits, who have never played a down of football, making football decisions. That’s the problem with the NFL today. There’s such a disconnection from the owners and players, that they are making decisions that aren’t good for the sport.

About 4,000 former NFL players are currently suing the league over head injuries. The NFL is accused of failing to give information linking football-related head injuries to brain damage, permanent memory loss and other long-term health issues related to concussions. So of course the game’s commissioner wants to limit the amount of lawsuits he and the league will be faced with in the future. He also wants to pretend to show the former players that he is making the game safety. Goodell is a hypocrite.

This is the same commissioner that proposed an 18 game regular season. If the game is this violence, why are we going to play two more extra regular season games? Money! That’s why he wants to play two more regular season games.  If the sport is so violent, how about we have 14 regular season games like we use to?

Goodell has even talked about placing an expansion team in London, England. Teams from the United States would have to have a long travel over to London just to play a game.  Does Goodell care about that? Does he care that teams would be tired from the flight and it may mess up their timing and sleep patterns?

Thursday Night Football games are another money making profit for the NFL. Does Goodell care that the product is water down, or the players are tired because they are playing on a short week? Our good ole boy commissioner cares how much money he makes. Goddell’s 2012 salary was 29 million dollars.

I try to vision what the NFL may look like in 20 years but I can’t. When I was growing up, you didn’t have to worry about getting a flag for hitting the quarterback. Now defenders have to worry about penalties for just breathing on a quarterback. Goodell and owners are changing so many rules in the league in just a short amount of time. My question to everyone is, if the game is so violent then why continue to play it?

2013 Boston Red Sox Preview

The 2012 Boston Red Sox  struggled throughout last season due to injuries, inconsistent play, and off-field headlines. After finishing  69–93 the Red Sox fired Manager Bobby Valentine and hired former Red Sox Pitching Coach and Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Farrell to manage in 2013. The Red Sox look to recover from their first losing season since 1997, and their worst season since 1965. So I answered some of the team’s questions marks heading into the 2013 season.

 1. What Do you think went wrong last season?

 Apart from the terrible managing we had, the starting rotation didn’t play well. I hope new manager John Farrell can resurrect Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz’s career. If the Red Sox can get 14 wins at least out of Ryan Dempster and John Lackey, they should be in good shape.

2. Are you concerned about David Ortiz? Do you think he will be back at 100 percent?

I’m worried about David Ortiz. He is the heart and soul of the Red Sox lineup and we need that bat in the middle of the order. While they’ve been questions about the Sox pitching staff, there haven’t been any about their offense. They need Ortiz in their lineup.

 3. Which free agent moves do you like and dislike during the off-season?

I loved the Victorino signing. He will help fill in the gap to when Jackie Bradley and  Bryce Brentz are ready to come up from the minor leagues. The money was a bit much, but Victorino is an excellent fielder and is a good character guy in the locker room.

 I also like the signing of David Ross as well. While offensively, he
 doesn’t give you a lot with his bat, he knows how to run a pitching
 rotation. He is a good backup to have at catcher and someone who can
 tutor Jarrod Saltalamacchia on how to become a better defensive
 catcher. As I wrote about, I like the Dempster signing as well. You
 can read about that here:
 http://www.baseballhotcorner.com/why-ryan-dempster-was-a-good-signing-for-the-boston-red-sox/

4. Can Salty hit 25 home runs again? How stable is the catching situation?

I certainly think Jarrod Saltalamacchia can hit 25 plus homeruns again provided he can stay healthy. His offense has never been a question,
even when he was with the Braves and Rangers organization. His defense
and not being able to throw the baseball accurately has always been the
reason he couldn’t get on the field. David Ross is a solid veteran to
have as the backup, but he doesn’t provide the offense Salty does. If
Saltalamacchia is out for an extended period, that will hurt
the Red Sox offensively.

 5. Is having both Bailey and Hanrahan at the end of the bullpen a strong point?

Absolutely! Anytime you can have two former All-Star closers in your bullpen, it makes it that much stronger. If an injury happens to Hanrahan, then Bailey can step right in and become your closer. This has been a weakness for the Red Sox the past few seasons, but now the
set-up man and closer is now one of the team’s strengths.

6.  Would it be better having Jackie Bradley up to start the season or in AAA?

Bradley should start in AAA. He needs to get active at bats and he can do that in Pawtucket. If he starts on the 25 man roster, he will be sitting the bench and won’t have as many opportunities to hit. If an injury happens to one of the Red Sox outfielders, you can easily call
him up and insert him in the lineup. With Jacoby Ellsbury’s history,
you can expect to see Bradley a few times this season in Fenway Park.

7. What are your projections for the team this year?

I think the Boston Red Sox will finish with at least 85 wins. John
Farrell knows what it takes to coach in Boston, so the pressure won’t
get to him like it did with previous manager Bobby Valentine. Farrell
instantly bring creditability to the locker room, as he was the pitching
coach for the Sox for a few years.

 The offense is hardly ever the problem in Boston. If they can keep the
 hot bats going, the pitching will be much improved. I also like the
 back-end of the bullpen with Andrew Bailey and  new closer Joel
 Hanrahan.

 A lot of people will count this team out because of the division they
 play in. I believe the American League East is up for grabs. Toronto,
 everyone’s pick has questions about chemistry and can they gel
 together quickly. Remember, a lot of these same players played in
 Miami last year and they were a losing team, so I wouldn’t be so quick
 to hand the division to them. Yankees are getting older and will be
 without A-Rod for a while. Orioles won a lot of close games and I
 believe will have trouble recreating that same magic. Even
 Tampa, the team I like to win the East, has questions about their rotations and
 replacing James Shields. Anyone can win this division.

You can  find Antwan Staley @blackredsoxfan on Twitter

Why Ryan Dempster was a Good Signing for the Boston

Photo by Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY

Some fans of Red Sox Nation had a problem with General Manager Ben Cherington signing Ryan Dempster to a two-year contract worth $26.5 million. While it was a lot of money for career .500 pitcher, I think the deal will pay dividends for the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

Dempster has been a solid pitcher in his career, most notably with the Chicago Cubs. Ever since Dempster has converted back into a full-time starter in 2008, he has had an ERA of 3.73. He also had four straight seasons of at least 200 innings for the Cubs, with whom he had a 2.25 ERA in 16 starts last season before being traded to the Texas Rangers mid-season 2012. Detractors will point to his win-loss record with the Chicago Cubs, but remember Dempster played for some not so good Cub teams with very to little run support at times.

Those not in favor of the signing by Cherington will also point to the ERA (5.09) after the trade to the Texas Rangers mid-season. While Dempster started slow, he played better down the stretch. He went 5-0 with a 1.91 ERA in his last five starts, striking out 36 in 33 innings.

Dempster is expected to be the third starter behind Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox could use a solid number three starter. Dempster bring something other than just wins and loss, he brings leadership and experience.

Dempster could help bring that calming presence in the locker room, that the Red Sox needed the last couple of seasons. Dempster will also lighten up the locker room with his jokes and comedy.

He’s always doing his great impression of legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, and has performed stand-up comedy at Boston’s Comedy Connection. Too many times the past couple of seasons, the Red Sox locker room has been uptight. Dempster could prevent that tension that this team has had and keep it relaxed.

All I ask Red Sox fans to do is give this signing a chance. Dempster is an upgrade to a pitching staff last year that was just wasn’t good. He has had a good spring as he held the Yankees to just one infield single, no walks and two strikeouts in his three innings in the 5-2 Sox loss on March 3. Dempster will surprise his doubters in Red Sox Nation with how good will be in 2013.

Why Red Sox fans should be excited in 2013 season

The Boston Red Sox have had so much pressure and expectations the past decade or so that city of Boston has become a media circus at times. I have heard fans on Twitter and other social media that they aren’t looking forward to the 2013 season. I know the Red Sox finished 63-93 last season but as a long time fan of the Sox, I am very excited for the 2013 season.

This is the first season since maybe 2001 that the fans don’t have heighted expectations for this team. The Red Sox are expected to finish in either fourth or fifth place in the American League East by most media experts.

 The Toronto Blue Jays, much like the 2011 Boston Red Sox will have all the pressure. Not only are the   Blue Jays expected to win the AL East, they are picked to win the American League Pennant by some. With all of their trades and signings over the off-season, they are the favorites by Las Vegas to win the World Series. So this is great because the Red Sox can fly under the radar a bit and not have the attention they’ve had the past couple of seasons or so. This team could benefit from being out of the spotlight a little bit after the 2011 collapse and the horrible 2012 season.

I don’t believe the Red Sox will be as bad as experts suggest. They do have some holes with the starting pitching staff and possibly at first base. Mike Napoli depending on his health will either be an excellent signing or a complete bust. At least the Sox didn’t sign him to that three-year, $39 million deal that was first reported. If Napoli gets hurt, the Red Sox signed Lyle Overbay, who can offer spot duty at first base. Napoli has traditionally been a great hitter at Fenway Park. If he can give the Sox over 100 games at first base, that will provide a spark for the offense.

Fans have implied that the Red Sox need an ace in their starting staff since Josh Beckett is no longer on the roster.  I disagree, because I have full confidence that Jon Lester can regain his form from the 2008-2011 seasons. During those four seasons, Lester averaged 16.25 victories a season for the Red Sox and was even a more reliable starter than Beckett.  With former Red Sox Pitching Coach John Farrell now the manager of the Red Sox, I believe one of his many projects will be to help Lester regain his form. If Farrell can improve the pitching of Lester, Clay Buchholz and even John Lackey, the Sox will finish at least over .500.

Say what you will about the pitching staff, but the Red Sox offense hasn’t been the reason for their struggles the past two seasons. Before getting hurt last season, David Ortiz was having an excellent season. Ortiz hit .318 with 23 homeruns in only 90 games. He returns as well as the player who should have won the 2011 MVP, Jacoby Ellsbury.

I’m not expecting the 2011 Ellsbury to return but I do believe he will have a better season than .271 with four homeruns and 26 RBIs. He never seem to find his groove last season, but it should return provided he can stay healthy. If Ellsbury can have numbers similar to 2009 when he hit .301 with eight homeruns and 70 stolen bases that would be a plus.

The free agent the Red Sox signed weren’t the sexy names the fans were hoping for, but I believe they will be a welcome addition to this ballclub. David Ross isn’t going to have the big numbers offensively, but he provides great leadership and knowledge as a backup catcher. Jonny Gomes is an outfielder that is always good for 18 to 20 homeruns a season. Stephen Drew can do a serviceable job holding down the shortstop position until Jose Iglesias is ready to take over full-time.

Some Red Sox fans didn’t like the Shane Victorino signing. Yes maybe the Sox overpaid, but I think Victorino will be good defensively in right field. Offensively Victorino maybe be only be a .260-.265 hitter but you will get very good defense and good base-stealing.

Ryan Dempster could be the difference in the Red Sox making the playoffs or not. I heard a lot of complaining about this deal when it was made by Sox fans, but Red Sox could have done a lot worse. Critics point at his 5.09 ERA after being traded to the Rangers last season, but he did improve in last few starts in Texas. While Dempster isn’t the ace some were looking for, he is a very good number three or fourth starter for this rotation.

I’m going to enjoy this season as a fan and I suggest other Red Sox fans should too. The Red Sox may play in the toughest division in baseball, but they are far from one of the worst teams in the American League. With Bobby Valentine gone, the Sox will improve by 10 wins alone in 2013. Without the weight of any expectations, just enjoy the season fans and take it game by game.

Remember, the Toronto Blue Jays have all the pressure, the Boston Red Sox do not.

Remembrance of Dr. Jerry Buss

Best Rivalries in Sports

Rivalries are part of sports just as much as the fans who watch them. Whenever you add player personalities, passionate fan bases and the element of competition, you will always have fierce and great rivalries like the list I’ve assembled. Here’s my list of the top 10 sports rivalries.  

10.  Army-Navy (college football)

Readers may already turn their nose at this pick, but this is a classic rivalry mostly for bragging rights. There’s so much history and tradition associated with both service academies. These teams started playing each other in 1890.

This isn’t a hated rivalry like Alabama/Auburn, but it’s a special one. These players don’t go on to play in the NFL like most big time programs, however, they go to serve in the nation’s armed forces.

However, some players that have played in the Army–Navy Game that have gone on to NFL careers. Quarterback Roger Staubach, (Navy, 1965) who was elected to a Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboys. Wide receiver and kickoff/punt returner Phil McConkey, (Navy, 1979) who played on the New York Giants’ team that won Super Bowl XXI.

9. Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a newer rivalry(started in 1996), but maybe the most fierce in the NFL today. These two teams have no love lost for one another, as they play at least twice a yea.  There’s usually AFC North implications on the line as well.

Years ago, Ravens Linebacker Terrell Suggs was quote as saying there was a bounty on of Steelers Wide Receiver Hines Ward. Suggs later suggested he was joking, but after what later came out with the Saints scandal, maybe he wasn’t.

The Ravens/Steelers have met in the postseason three times, all resulting in all Steeler wins and the Steelers hold a 21-15 advantage in their all-time meetings.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers- San Francisco Giants

This rivalry doesn’t get talked about as much because of the Red Sox and Yankees, but it is just as intense.

This rivalry began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based in New York City. The Dodgers playing in Brooklyn and the Giants playing in Manhattan.

Not many people know this, but after the 1956 season, Jackie Robinson was traded to the New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $35,000 cash, but the trade was never completed. Robinson retired instead after he thought the effects of his diabetes affected his play.

Dodgers and Giants fans are well known to fight one another during or after the game. 42-year-old Giants fan, Bryan Stow,  was injured when he was attacked by two Dodgers fans in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after the Dodgers and Giants opener in 2011. Stow luckily survived the attack and later attended Game 2 of the 2012 World Series at AT&T Park against the Detroit Tigers.

7. Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers

The NFL oldest rivalry which includes a combined 186 regular-season and post-season games. The two clubs have won a combined 22 championships in the league’s 92-year history.

48 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame have played in this game.

Bears currently leads the series 92–88–6.

6. Boston Bruins-Montreal Canadians

This is the NHL’s best and most hated rivalry. Bruins and Canadians were two of the orignal six teams in the NHL and been playing each other since 1924.

 Bruins/Canadians  have met in 33 series for a total of 170 games and in 10 playoff series.

This rivalry has been about fights and NHL supremacy.

In 1955, Richard Riot was high-sticked by the Bruins’  Hal Laycoe, who was a defensively for the Canadiens previously.  Richard required five stitches to close a cut that resulted from the incident. The referee allowed them to continue to play and then Richard struck Laycoe in the face and then broke a stick over Canadians  linesman Cliff Thompson and punched him twice in the face, leaving Thompson  unconscious.

5. Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtics

No disrespect to  fans other NBA teams, but these two teams are the NBA. Together, the Lakers and Celtics have accounted for 33 championships (Celtics 17 and Lakers 16) of the 66 championships in NBA history (50 percent of NBA Championships).

These teams have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals with the Celtics leading NBA Finals meetings 9-3.

The rivalry grew to new heights during the 1960s as the Lakers and Celtics met in the finals six times. Celtics won every postseason meeting in the 1960s and won nine NBA titles during the 1960s.

The Lakers-Celtics rivalry was renewed in the 1980s, in large part due to the personal rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Lakers and Celtics combined for eight NBA Titles in the 1980s with the Lakers winning five of those.

The reason this rivalry can’t be any higher than five is because of the dead period from when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird retired. While the Lakers would go on to win three NBA titles 2000-2002, the Celtics never returned to the finals until 2008.

In 2008, the Celtics acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to team with Celtic superstar Paul Pierce to become the new “Big Three.” The Celtics returned to the top of the NBA in the 2007–2008 season by having the best record in the league and reaching the Finals to play the Lakers. Celtics would go on to win the 2008 NBA Finals four games to two and then started what I call the three-year war.

Lakers and Celtics most recent NBA Finals meeting was in 2010. Lakers won the series four game to three in a classic.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide-Auburn Tigers (College Football)

Out of all the rivalries on the list, this one has the most hatred out of all of them. This is a 365-days-a-year rivalry between Alabama and Auburn fans. There isn’t any professional teams in the state of Alabama, so this is what people live and die by.

One example of this (story reported by Athlon Sports) “When Bill Curry was coaching at Alabama, he went to a Birmingham elementary school one day to speak with children about football and life. Upon entering the classroom, he saw a boy standing in the corner, sobbing. Curry wondered what was going on, and a student told him, “Jason is an Auburn fan, and we took care of him.” Curry brought Jason out of the corner and told him it was all right to root for the Tigers, no doubt angering the young Crimson Tide supporters in the room.”

Curry never understood the rivalry and this was the reason he fired. Curry, a nice man, but he clearly didn’t understand how much this game meant to the people of Alabama. Curry went 26-10 in three seasons at Alabama, which is a good record for three years. But after losing to Auburn three straight times, Curry had bricks thrown through his windows and was fired.

Auburn or Alabama have claimed the last four College Football National Championships. There’s even a sign as you enter the state letting you know this is the state of the past four national championships.

3. North Carolina-Duke (college basketball)

This game is personal for me. I grew up in a household with nothing but Duke fans and I was the only UNC Tarheel basketball fan in the house. So you can imagine  what that was like growing up.

This rivalry is kind of like Alabama/Auburn but more intense because both UNC and Duke are separated by only eight miles. If you get off the I-40 exit going to Chapel Hill, N.C. you will see a sign that says Duke University and points to the left, University of North Carolina and it points to the right.

UNC has traditionally been good through history, but this rivarly really picked up once Duke hired coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K has won four NCAA titles for Duke, and gotten Duke to 11 Final Fours (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010).  

UNC and Duke have been the among the best programs in America the past 25-30 years. Since 1982, both the Tarheels and Blue Devils have both won four National Championships and have been in a number of Final Fours. Just imagine what it would be like if they ever played in a Final Four?

2. Michigan-Ohio State (College Football)

A lot of rivalry games have fancy nicknames like the “World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” or “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate,” but this game is just called “The Game.”

This game usually determines the Big Ten Championships and sometimes who plays for the National Championship.

Michigan/Ohio State game has been held at  the end of the regular season since 1935 (with exceptions in 1942, 1986, and 1998).

If it has been “The Ten Year War,” the John Cooper era when he only beat Michigan twice, or even today, this rivalry has been special and like no other in college sports.

What separates this rivalry from Duke/North Carolina is the longevity of it. Duke/North Carolina has been a big time national rivalry for 30 years or so. I could make the argument that NC State use to be UNC’s biggest rivalry until Coach K came to Duke. Ohio State/Michigan has been a big time rivalry since the 1930s.

Both of these teams have storied histories, and that’s why it is one of the best rivalries in sports.

1. Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees

Was it really a debate about what was number one?

Red Sox were the dominating team and the Yankees for the doormat of baseball until in 1919, when Harry Frazee, the  Red Sox owner, sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000 . No one, not even the Yankees could have thought they would be getting the best player in the history of baseball.

Before the trade of Ruth, Red Sox had five World Series and the Yankees had none. After the trade, Yankees have 27  World Series Championships.

These two teams have the biggest and maybe the most passionate fan bases in all of baseball. This makes for great banter on Twitter, at the bar, no matter if you’re a Yankee, Sox fan or just a fan of baseball.

The rivalry really started to heat up in 1999, when the teams met in the postseason for the first time. Yankees won the series 4-1, but the lone win was by Pedro Martinez in a classic game for the ages. Martínez struck out 12 and did not allow a run through seven innings as the Red Sox won game 3, 13-1.

Then the Yankees-Red Sox met two more times after that in 2003 when Aaron Boone hit a crushing homerun to win the seven game series. Then in 2004, the Red Sox, after trailing the series 0-3, came back in historic fashion to win the series 4-3.

From Bucky’s blast to a bloody sock, the Yankees and Red Sox have epitomized sports rivalries for decades.

Even after 110 years of playing one another, it still doesn’t get old.

My Top Five Best Super Bowls of My Lifetime

Everyone has their favorite Super Bowls memories. Depending on how old you are, maybe it was the first one Green Bay vs Kansas City in 1967. Maybe it was Super Bowl XIII when the Steelers defeated the Cowboys  after easy touchdown pass bounced off the Hall of Famer tight end Jackie Smith’s hands. Whatever your memories of the Super Bowl are, they will be forever remembered by yourself. During my lifetime, I have my favorite memories of the Super Bowl and I have a list of my top five favorite Super Bowls I’ve ever seen (born in 1982).

5. Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20, Buffalo 19

Out of the four straight Buffalo Bills Super Bowl appearances, this was their best opportunity to win one. The Bills were 13-3 during the regular season and were led by the prolific offense of Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas The Giants were playing their backup quarterback in Jeff Hostetler after starting quarterback Phil Simms got injured.

The Bills were up in the fourth quarter after a Thomas touchdown, but the Giants regained the lead after a Matt Bahr 21 yard field goal.

 The game is best remembered for Bills placekicker Scott Norwood s last-second 47 yard field goal miss late in the 4th quarter to give the Giants the win.

MVP: Otis Anderson, Running Back Giants

4. Super Bowl XXXIV: St Louis 23, Tennessee 16

“The Greatest Show on Turf” got out to a 16-0 lead in the third quarter and the game was uneventful until Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair led a comeback and tied the game with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter, which is remembered by me as the most exciting 4th fourth quarter in Super Bowl History.

After the Titans tied the game, Kurt Warner threw a bomb to receiver Issac Bruce to give the Rams the 23-16 lead .

The Titans came within a half-yard of tying the game as Titans receiver Kevin Dyson caught a pass at the five yard line but was stopped as time expired.

MVP: Kurt Warner, Quarterback

After the Patriots took a 14-10 lead late in the fourth quarter, Giants quarterback Eli Manning led the Giants on a 12-play, 83-yard drive in the final minutes with a touchdown catch to receiver Plaxico Burress. The catch everyone remembers on that drive is by Giants receiver David Tyree, which was the best catch in Super Bowl history.Patriots had a last chance to win the game with one more possession, but turned the ball over on downs after a 4th and 20 incompletion.

 

MVP: Eli Manning, Quarterback

 

 

 

 

 

2. Super Bowl XXIII: San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16

 

I think people have kind of forgetten about this Super Bowl over the years. This was the first Super Bowl I’ve ever watched and what a way to be introduced to the “Big Game.”

 

This game started slow as the score was only 3-3 at halftime, but it was an entertaining second half. The Bengals took a 16-13 lead with 3:20 left in the fourth quarter on a Jim Breech 40-yard field goal.

This game was Joe Montana’s greatest comeback in his illustrious career. Montana drove the Niners 92 yards in 11 plays, ending with a 10-yard TD pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left.

This also might have been Jerry Rice’s greatest game as he caught 11 passes for a Super Bowl record 215 yards and a touchdown.

 

MVP Jerry Rice, Wide Receiver

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Super Bowl XXXVI: New England 20, St. Louis 17

The thing I remember about this game is the media not giving the Patriots a chance to win the Super Bowl. All I heard on ESPN and other media outlets was how much the Rams would beat the Patriots by.

 As a Raider fan, I saw the Patriots throughout the playoffs and was the only one that thought they would win the game. The Patriots were 14-point underdogs playing the mighty Rams and “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

 

Kurt Warner and the favored Rams outgained Tom Brady and the Patriots 427 total yards to 267, but the Rams turned the ball over three times and that what kept the a young and talented Patriots team in the game.

 

This is the game that started the legend that Tom Brady would become in his career. With no timeouts Brady drove the Patriot offense down to the Rams’ 30 yard line, without the benefit of any timeouts. Brady then spiked the ball with seven seconds to go.

 

Kicker Adam Vinatieri then booted a 48-yard field goal to win the game and the win became the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. It was the first Super Bowl to be won on the final play.

2013 Australian Open Wrap-Up

The 2013 Australian Open championships ended the same way the 2012 Australian Open did. We had repeat championships in both the men’s (Novak Djokovic) and women’s draw (Victoria Azarenka). During the tournament, we also had other stories as well down under.

Sloane Stephens has arrived

Stephens from Plantation, FL is the future of women’s tennis. At age 19, she defeated future tennis hall of famer, Serena Williams and reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. Stephens was eventually defeated by the 2013 champion Azarenka, but there’s no shame in that. The question for Stephens is, will she have a career like Serena and Venus Williams or fall off the planet like 2009 U.S. Open darling Melanie Oudin?

More than three years ago, Oudin came out of nowhere and shocked the world. The then 17-year-old wild card defeated Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova in the same tournament. Today Oudin is just barely qualifying for grand slams. Currently, Oudin’s WTA singles ranking is 84 in the world.

While I do think Stephens is a future grand slam winner in the WTA, let’s hold off the Serena and Venus Williams comparisons.

The Bryan Brothers win a record 13th Grand Slam Title

Mike and Bob Bryan are now the most decorated doubles team in tennis history by winning their 13th major title at the Australian Open on Saturday.

Bryans have won each major tournament at least once, but they seem to favorite the hard courts of the Australian Open has they have six Australian Open titles. They also have four titles at the U.S. Open, two at Wimbledon and one at the French.

The brothers have also won the Olympic Slam as they won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics in doubles. Prior to that point, that was only major that alluded them.

Victoria Azarenka is the best women’s player in the world

Azarenka won the Australian Open for the second straight year by defeating fan favorite Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. While Azarenka had generated some bad press lately by taking a medical timeout during in her semifinal win over American teenager Sloane Stephens on Thursday, it’s hard to deny that she is playing the best out of any women’s player right now. Yes what she did was bush leagued, but it is a veteran move by the older Azarenka.

Venus Williams is past her prime, Serena while injured, hasn’t won an Australian Open since 2011 and only won one major last year. At age 31 Serena could be headed out of her prime as well.

Azarenka is a legitimate number one unlike when Carolina Wozniacki was ranked in the same position. Wozniacki was ranked number one but she has never won a major and everyone knew Serena Williams was the better player. Azarenka may only have two majors, but that total could double by year’s end.

I expect Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Serena to be in the running for all the majors in 2013.

Novak Djokovic solves the Andy Murray riddle.

Ever since Murray lost to Roger Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon last July, he has been unstoppable. After that lost, Murray went on to win the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal and the 2012 US Open. But Sunday, Djokovic reminded everyone why he is the best in the world.

Djokovic became the first man in the Open era to win three consecutive Australian titles by defeating Murray 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Djokovic has won four of his six majors in Melbourne, where he is now unbeaten in 21 matches. He joins two other men American Jack Crawford (1931-33) and Australian Roy Emerson (1963-67) as the only have won three or more consecutive Australian championships.

Since 2008, only Rafael Nadal has more Grand Slam titles than Novak Djokovic, when the current number one player in the world won the first of his four Australian Open championships.

Djokovic showed the world on Sunday that while Andy Murray as improved, he still has a way to go in order to claim the number one spot.