Superbowl Week T-Minus 7 Days

Super Bowl Week is officially here! Today I am going to break down the QB and Wide Receiver match ups.

QB

This is a hard on for me because I look at both of their styles of play and I see almost the same thing. Both Big Ben and Aaron Rodgers can both stand in the pocket and make the big throws. They can also feel the pressure, escape it, and then make a throw down field. Plus they both can make big runs outside the pocket. How am I supposed to pick one?!?! Well let’s look at the numbers. In only 14 games this season, (he was suspended for four games) Ben Roethlisberger was able to rack up 3,200 yards passing and 17 touchdowns. He did have an off game in the AFC Championship game with 0 touchdowns and two interceptions, but I don’t expect this to matter too much. Aaron Rodgers had a great season as well throwing for 3,922 yards and 28 touchdowns. Well, the numbers don’t lie. Given that Ben had fewer games; these two are truly very equal. There is one thing that Ben that has: Rings. I think that his experience will out do Aaron Rodgers.

Advantage: Steelers-1

Wide Receivers

Well the Quarterbacks need someone to throw to don’t they? Unlike the quarterbacks, I believe these two teams have a gap in this department. Sure, the Steelers have good wide outs such as Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El, and Antonio Brown. But the Packers have Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones! Both Wallace and Jennings had 1,250+ yard seasons, but Jennings has two more touchdowns and less drops. The four Steelers I have listed have a combined 2,432, but the four Packers have 3091! Don’t even get me started on yards after catch because the Packers might as well be called the YACkers.

Advantage: Packers-1

So today’s advantages look like this

Packers (1) Steelers (1)

Super Bowl Week!

As you all may know, we are just about a week from the Super Bowl. If you don't please come out from whatever rock you have been hiding under and introduce yourself to the rest of the world! Anyway, I plan on breaking down every key part of this game. This includes contrasting both teams offensive lines, QB's, linebackers, ect. and the official game pick on Sunday! I will also be breaking down some fun things as well! I'm going to be kicking it off this Sunday! Sorry for the lack of actual sports today, but I am in planning mode for what I will be writing this week. So until tomorrow, this is Neil signing off.

My, My College Basketball!

Good day sports fans! There has been a lot over the past few days in the world of sports! From Rafa’s early exit from the Aussie open, to the hype of the Super Bowl (If you haven’t heard its February 6^th!). What is still standing out to me the most is still College Basketball. Lots of storylines this year!

The Big East is a Beast. We all knew this coming into the season. This year it’s harder than anyone could have imagined! Just a few nights ago Seton Hall dropped 90 on Syracuse! When has that last happened? Last night Providence beat Villanova as well! Watch out whoever wins this conference. They will be in a good spot to win it all! Though if the season is too tough on the teams in the Big East, there could a draining effect on the teams. We will have to see about this in March!

Korie Lucious was dismissed from the MSU basketball team on Tuesday. This is just another blow to an underachieving Spartans team (12-7). They have been so close to the pinnacle the past two years. This year they were anticipated to beat everyone. After key loses to Syracuse and Duke they slowly fell in 5 other games. When you look at the numbers, MSU looks like a team destined for the bubble. A closer look reveals that the games they have lost have been on the road and close. They are a good team! They just haven’t been getting those wins that they usually can. By no means does this mean that they can just cruse through the rest of this season. They need to dig in and go win this game tonight. It could be the difference between a chance at an NCAA title or an NIT birth.

One last thing that has been interesting me is good ol’ Jimmer Fredette. No other player in college basketball is more talked about then this kid! It’s well deserved! When he can go out on any night and drop 40 on a team and shoot threes from anywhere but the hotdog stand! And I love how the how nation goes crazy for SDSU vs. BYU game. I hope that BYU can go far! Maybe Jimmer can lead them to a NCAA Championship!

Game picks

NCAAB

Vanderbilt @ Mississippi State – Vandy fights on the road!

Boston College @ Duke – Dukieeeeeessss

Illinois @ Indiana – Ill. Wins a key game on the road!

That’s it for tonight! More posts upcoming!

Monday Big Five

Once again it has been a very busy weekend in sports! Of course the headlines are about football, but look closely, there is some tennis!

1. The Pack Are Back

It was a frigid day in the Mid-West, but I'm sure that after the NFC Championship game that it felt just a bit colder in Chicago. The Bears and Packers came in to this game knowing that they could beat each other. Each had prevailed against the other earlier this season. The freshest memory was the vision of the Packers beating the Bears at Soldier Field in week 17, but that’s why they play the game! After the first and most impressive drive, the Packers looked to be flying high. Rodgers looked to be just as good as he was in Atlanta completing all of his passes on his first drive. The defense also looked very stout containing the Bears offense and pressuring Jay Cutler. The Packers would go up 14-0 with James Stark’s first NFL touchdown. At this point I thought the game was in the bag! A great man once said, "Not so fast my friend!". Over the rest of the game, we saw a stagnant Packers offense, a Bears team that would go though three quarterbacks, and maybe the funniest event I've ever witnessed in the NFL Playoffs. B.J. Raji's interception for a touchdown may go down as a land speed record of a man over 300 pounds! It was so slow I thought for sure he would get caught by the 10 yard line! Sure enough, he would make it to the end zone and do a hula dance I would never like to see again! Anyway, back to the game. The second half showed an improved Bears Defense and a surprising young Bears Quarterback by the name of Caleb Hanie. Hanie was in due to the fact the Jay Cutler had a knee injury and that Todd Collins couldn’t hit anything. Sadly, this was the best thing that the Packers could do for the Bears. Hanie would make all the big passes including a 35 yard strike to Earl Bennett. He was able to put a scare in the Packers, but not salvage a win. The night would end with Sam Shields’ second interception and the Packers with the NFC Championship Trophy. The true MVP of this game had to be Green Bay’s special teams. They didn’t let any of Devin Hester’s returns get out of hand! This game finally gives the Packers the respect they deserve. More importantly, it shows that Aaron Rodgers is an elite QB and that Brett Favre’s hold on Green Bay is finally over.  Enjoy the championship Packers fans, you can now 4get about number 4!

2. Steelers Ground the J!E!T!S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Either the AFC Championship would see the moment of Rex Ryan’s accomplishment or the new dynasty of the conference. Early in the game, it was ugly. The Steelers looked to be unstoppable and the Jets helpless. All last week I couldn’t help but think that the Jets had used all of their energy in the Patriots game (Not counting the celebratory back-flips and running around like a G6 jet) and were going to be easy prey for Pittsburgh. The first drive was reassuring when the Steelers took almost 10 minutes off the clock. Then owning the Jets until the lead was 24. The game was ov—“NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!”. The Jets would respond with 19 of their own points including what looked to be a back breaking safety on a botched snap. Just like the first game, the half time lead was too much to overcome and the Steelers were off to the Super bowl. This season just how I thought it would end for the Jets. All of the hype, the HBO shows, the smack talk, it just lead to no ring. I am personally not a big fan of the Jets or Rex Ryan. They just create a circus atmosphere that works for a bit but then sputters out in the AFC title game. Until your able to get your foot out of your mouth (ha ha see what I did there?) you’re going to be watching the Super bowl from your couch every year! You never saw Vince Lombardi doing your antics and look how many rings he has! So shut up, sit down, and lead your team like a champion which you may never be!

3. Super Bowl XLV

Oh boy! This one is going to be great! Finally, two of the most famous teams in the NFL finally clash. From a neutral stand point there is no way you can’t be pumped up by this game! You are going to have two of the best QBs in the NFL facing off as well as two of the best defenses. I think that this Super Bowl will have one of the highest ratings in Super Bowl history! These are two of the most dedicated fan bases on the face of the earth! There is no way that any of them are going to miss this game. Then you have the millions of others that watch it to have a party. On the week before the Super Bowl I will break down this match up and all the hype! Plus I will pick the winner and the MVP! It’s time America! It’s time to get pumped up!!!

4. The College Basketball Landscape Changes Once Again!

Thank God that College Basketball doesn’t use the BCS because almost all the teams would be screwed! Now only Ohio State and San Diego State remain undefeated! This article isn’t about them, it’s about all the teams behind them. Don’t get me wrong, these teams are great, but there is some interesting stuff with the other teams. The first thing that jumps to my mind is how the Pitt Panthers have ascended to the #2 ranking and are nipping at the heels of the #1 Buckeyes. They have taken on some of the Big East’s Beasts and made them look like fools. Duke looked poised after their tumble and were been rewarded by making it to the #3 ranking. Uconn looks great with sitting at #6. Kansas and Texas are both right there as well. Syracuse has taking a bit of a hit and Michigan State are barely hanging on at #25. Basketball rankings don’t mean nearly as much as football’s because in a few weeks we could have a complete new top five. All I know is that this year will have a great lead up to the Final Four. With so many good teams and storylines, it’s going to be a very memorable season!

5. Down Under!

It’s nearing the end of the Aussie Open and it has really reminded me about how great of a sport tennis is! A few years ago, you could not find tennis on television. Now ESPN offers all four Majors. From the looks of it they are here to stay. It is hard to match the tension of the Finals of a Tennis major. With all the big stars shinning this year I encourage you to take a look. Hopefully you will be presently surprised or maybe even hooked!

With the Big Five over now for some game picks! I’m hovering above .500 so it’s time to kick it in to gear!

NCAAM

Notre Dame @ Pitt – ND has yet to win on the road in conference play.


NBA

Detroit @ Orlando- Magic keep rolling!

Washington @ New York – Washington can’t win on the road!

Oklahoma City @ New Orleans – Kevin Durant power through the hornets and nets a win.

Milwaukee @ Chicago – Rose and Bulls make road kill out of the Bucks!

San Antonio @ Golden State – Spurs are too much for the Warriors!

NHL

New York @ Washington – Different then the basketball game!

Dallas @ Vancouver – Vancouver is the best in the west! Can’t be stopped tonight!

Enjoy everyone! See you soon!

Championship Weekend

Well there is just a few more minutes until the first Championship Game is played. I have been debating the two match ups for quite some time now, but the answers are just to clear to me. I feel that the two teams that are going to move on are hitting on all cylinders and just wont be stopped until they meet in Dallas for Superbowl XLV. This is the match up that I have always wanted and it is also apparent that most of the nation wants this match up as well. This is what I think is going to happen tonight.

Packers 24 @ Bears 14

Jets 17 @ Steelers 26

Superbowl XLV

Steelers VS. Packers

Sorry Guys!

I'm going to be out for a bit due to travel! I'm sorry I have to leave! I will leave you with this though.

Saturday: Watch college basketball! There is a great slate of games including Syracuse and Villanova.

Sunday: Watch both AFC and NFC Championship games because both will be great!

Don't worry! When i come back I will have tons to talk about including the Superbowl! Sounds like fun huh?

Until then, have fun watching the games this weekend, because I know I will!

A Wierd Wednesday for me!

Well, usually I would make a bigger post today but i am without my computer so I have to make do with this little net book! I will give you a bit of content and some picks and hopefully I can be back on track by Saturday!

What has really caught my eye the past few days is the total dominance of Blake Griffin! He is really making himself one of my favorite players. Coming out of college I will admit that I was a bit sceptic. I didn't think he would really make an impact or at least not for a while. Behold his first season! He was stricken with an injury early in the season and started looking like a Greg Oden (Sorry Ol' buddy! OH-IO?). Well now I really thought we had seen the end of him. This season, he has made me eat all of my words and has me begging for seconds! 47 points?  My goodness! I thought that might be all he scored this year! Griffin has truly been the best part of this NBA season for me! If only he didn't play for the Clippers! So if anyone knows how we can get him out of there please share! So do what you do Blake and hopefully get out of that death trap of a team!

My picks have been pretty solid this season, but I need to pick it up! So here are a few just for all of you, that can maybe help my record!

NBA

Utah @ New Jersey - Jazz swing all over the Nets.

Detroit @ Boston - Celtics in an easy battle!

New York @ Houston - Knicks cause the Rockets to have a failure on the launching pad!

L.A. @ Dallas - Lake Show edge my Mavs!

Oklahoma City @ Denver - Durant finds a way to mello 'Mello and take the win!

NHL

Toronto @ New York - Rangers are just the better team!

Columbus @ Florida - Columbus keeps the rally going on the road!

Minnesota @ Calgary - Wild go wild on the flames!

NCAAM

Ohio State @ Iowa - Bucks roll on the road!

Duke @ North Carolina State - DUUUUUUUUKKKKIEEEEESSSSSSSS ( My Dickie V impersonation)

Penn State @ Purdue - Boiler Up! PSU can't be over looked after all their big wins!

Texas A&M @ Texas - Longhorns have a slight edge in my book!

Air Force @ San Diego State - SDSU keeps winning in a big game!

Enjoy the games tonight! I will personally watching that Texas, A&M Game!

Thanks for reading!

A Double Dose of Game Picks!

I have decided to kick off my game picks by picking each game going on today! There aren't many big games, but im still going to pick every one!

NBA

Atlanta @ Miami- The Heat have dominated the Hawks recently and that will continue.

Charlotte @ Chicago- Chicago will dominate with Rose. Easy win.

NCAAM

TCU @ BYU - TCwho?

Kentucky @ Alabama- This would be diffrent if it was football!

Georgetown @ Seton  Hall- Its a blow out! Bam Bam bambambam!

MSU @ Illinois- Msu will win a close game, Tom Izzo will lose his voice.

NHL

Boston @ Carolina- Bruins > Hurricanes

Washington @ Philadephia-Philly is a beast at home.

Detroit @ Pittsburgh - Home ice wills the Pens to a win.

Montreal @ Buffalo- Fueled by wings, Ryan Miller dumps the spicy sauce on the Habs

Anaheim @ Ottawa- Quack Attack

Columbus @ Tampa bay- Lightning strikes the Jackets

Los Angeles @ St. Louis- Kings slip by

Vancouver @ Colorado- Vancouver wins an easy one on the road

Nashville @ Phoenix- Terrible game anyways so I'll go with the home team

Minnesota @ Edmonton- Wild beat the historic Oilers on the road

So there you go! I will bring you some new stuff tomorrow!

Bye!

Monday Big Five

What an eventful weekend in the world of sports! Naturally because its the NFL Playoffs is the focus of this week's Big Five.

1. The Trash Talking Jackas- I mean Jets Stomp Patriots.

Rex Ryan's mud slinging tactics seem to work their magic again. The Jets took down the heavily favored Pats in typical Jets fashion. If you were anywhere near sports media this week, you heard the all the hype before this game. From Antonio Cromartie's "Brady is a A**h****( let me give you a hint, it rhymes with glass bowl), *expletive* him!" to Wes Welkers press conference shots at Rex Ryan's foot fetish. This game was primed to be a hard hitting revenge game for both sides. Let's be honest, not many people didn't have the top seeded Patriots penciled in to beat these guys. Ever sense the Pats laided the lumber on the Jet's in that 45-3 victory, it was hard to believe they would ever beat them again. As the game started, it was clear that Gang Green came to play. Rex Ryan was able to confuse Tom Brady with many zone to man looks in the secondary (he dressed 10 defensive backs) and bringing pressure when it was needed. on the other side of the ball, Mark "The Sanchanator" Sanchez led the offence to an explosive game. It was apparent that the matchups that Braylon Edwards talked about were exploited. As good of a game that the Jets had, I saw more in the short comings of the Patriots. For the second straight year they were bounced in the early rounds of the playoffs. Tom Brady didn't stay mistake free like he did in the late part of the regular season. His wideouts didn't help much either. Crumpler and Branch dropped key passes that would have surely led to points. The defence looked flat and overall not their sharpest. I am starting to get the feeling that that the Patriot dynasty is over. The ghosts of Superbowl XLII hang over many of the players on this team. Sorry Tom, but I think your championship window has closed. This win undoubtedly gives a power shift to the Jets in the upcoming years in the AFC east and maybe the entire league.

2. Brown leads Steelers to Overwhelming Comeback

In the 4th quarter of this game, it seemed like we had seen this play out so many time. Another close Ravens-Steelers game. It's like the NFL put these two teams on Tivo and just showed a re-run. It was the 10th time in four years that these two teams battled it out. Don't think I'm sick of it though! This is great for the NFL! These two teams know each other so well it always makes for a good, physical game. It was shown right away when Hines Ward got a unnecessary roughness penalty on a rough block on the Raven's Ed Reed. From the begining it looked to be close, but that soon changed on a bizarre fumble that no Steeler or Raven player paid attention to. The fumble was scooped up by the Ravens and taken to the end zone to make the game 14-7. With the new found momentum, Joe Flacco led a strategic drive to up the lead to 21-7 late in the first half. The second half was a different story. Big Ben and the Steelers Defense took over the game. The Defense started to cause turnovers by the Raven's star players and Ben lit up the defence with the passes of a Superbowl Champion. One of the key plays of the comeback was Antonio Brown's 58 yard reception to bring it to the Raven's 3 yard line. This was maybe the biggest play of the young wide receiver's career. Mendenhall's 2 yard TD would seal the deal for the Steelers and a ticket to the AFC Championship game. The Steelers are not only primed for another AFC Championship, but another Superbowl ring. For the rest of the playoffs, they are truly the favorites to win it all.

3. Packers Dominate in the Georgia Dome

Coming into Saturday, Aaron Rodgers had only won one playoff game, Matt Ryan seemed to be unbeatable at home, and the result of the last game still hung in everyone's mind. Earlier in the season, the Falcons won on a field goal after a memorable drive by Rodgers that tied the game up. This was a new day though and a new day for the Packers to take advantage of. After a back and forth first half, the mistake free Matt Ryan  not only threw a pick 6 to Tramon Williams, but probably the game. The half time score was 28-14 Packers. The Packers came out in the second half on fire! Aaron Rodgers made all the throws and all the runs that he needed to make as he picked apart the strong Atlanta defense. The game would go on to become a blowout as the Pack rolled to a 48-21 victory. This win not only was a big win for the post Brett Favre Packer franchise, but a big win for Aaron Rodgers playoff legacy. In the three playoff games Rodgers has played in he is 2-1 with 10 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD, and only 1 interception. It seems every week that Rodgers is starting to look like one of the best playoff QBs in the NFL. I believe that Aaron Rodgers will one day get a ring. I don't know if its his time this year, but in the following years watch out for number 12! More importantly, this proves that many people just like me who were calling the Pack on of the best teams in the playoffs were right.

4. Bears Roast the Seahawks

After one of the best upsets playoff history, the Seahawks rolled in to Chicago hoping to keep their amazing run going. Many people believe that the Seahawks shouldn't be in the playoffs. I think you win the division, you have the right to host a playoff game no matter how bad your record is. In the first week, the Seahawks backed that up. The Bears had different plans. Jay Cutler had monster of a first playoff game as he delivered a great playoff win. The defense looked solid and they contained the explosive Mike Williams for most of the game. Maybe the least anticipated game of the weekend, it still had it's moments, most of them coming from the Bears. The interesting part of this game though was the ending. The Bears gave up a few touchdowns  late in the game. Was this giving up or a cause for concern? It is a concern in anticipation for next weeks game. A better team could easily take advantage of a Bear's defence that isn't quiet up to par. That's another story though. Until then the Bears look primed to take that final step and give the city of Chicago their second Superbowl.

5. The NBA Season so Far

What a season for the NBA! So many story lines to look at this year! The hot hot Heat, The Best of the West Spurs, and the lacking Lakers. One of the storys that interests me the most is how quiet the hype for the Spurs has been. Over the past few years, they have been a dominate force in the NBA. Many people forget they are just a few years removed from a championship. Once again, they are being over shadowed by the Lakers and other good teams. I don't think they mind being under the radar, so all I have to say to the Spurs is play on! Now for LA. Not just the Lakers but the Clippers. One of my new favorite players, Blake Griffin, is having a year in the NBA that I always wanted him to have. he has been getting more attention due to the fact that the Lakers are struggling. Coming in to this season, I assumed that it would be a two horse race for the West. The Lakers were the front runner. Now it seems all the Lakers do is lose to under .500 teams. Kobe is frustrated and the team seems to be in shambles. If you ask me, it looks as if the Lake Shows chances of a 3 peat might be getting canceled midway through this season. Don't worry LA Fans, your team still has a chance to right the ship but it still may not lead to an NBA Championship.

So this weeks big five has come to a close but its not over yet! There is a very nice slate of great college basketball games today! on the ESPN family of net works you will be able to see!

7 Villanova @ 8 Uconn 3:30 A great show of Big East basketball. A great show!
24 Kansas State @ 12 Missouri 5:30 K State tries to get back on track in a hostile environment.
3 Syracuse @ 4 Pitt 7:30 WATCH THIS GAME! This will be the best game of the night as Pitt tries to solve the mysterious 2-3 zone.
2 Kansas@ Baylor 9:30 Good game for the nightcap, The Big 12 is tough.

PICKS
Uconn
Missouri
Syracuse
Kansas

There you go! Have a happy MLK day and I'll see you Wednesday!

Welcome All!

Welcome to my brand spanking new sports blog! from now until I die, I will be writing all about the world of sports from how I see it. Hopefully one day this will become my job. (Fingers Crossed) Until then, enjoy my insanity!

New post later today! The Monday Big Five!