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!