The Sports Age

Featured on College Football Zealots!

2010-08-23T20:04:00.001-04:00

The Sports Age has once again been featured on the College Football Zealots, this time about the ACC Football Preview.

Go check out who I and other bloggers around the web thought would win the ACC this season, and be sure to check out their other stories as well!

http://collegefootballzealots.blogspot.com/2010/08/acc-preview.html

Players to Watch: Big 12 Conference

2010-08-16T13:30:00.005-04:00

Here is the fifth installment of the "Players to Watch" series, featuring the Big 12 Conference. The players from the Big 12 were fairly hard to choose because there is so much young talent and also so many players who either graduated or chose to go to the NBA.

With that said, this installment is slightly different. The first two players are those who I expect to have a breakout season that may not have been that great last season. The next two players are those who should put on a show every game this season, and finally, there is the "freshman to watch."

With that, here are the players to watch from the Big 12.

Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas Jayhawks

Tyshawn Taylor has immense talent but hasn't really needed to show it with all the talent Kansas has. However, with Sherron Collins, Xavier Henry, and Cole Aldrich gone, the Jayhawks need someone to step up.

Look for Taylor to be that player to put up much bigger numbers than he did last season. Taylor showed he has the shooting touch in some games last season, such as a game against Colorado where Taylor scored 17 points in just 24 minutes.

Taylor is a solid passer and a great three-point shooter and should get more opportunities this season to showcase his talents. Taylor and the Morris twins should keep Kansas as strong as ever in the Big 12.

Marcus Denmon, Missouri Tigers

Marcus Denmon averaged around 10 points last season as a sophomore. Sure, it's not extremely impressive, but he added staggering 40 percent shooting from three on 167 attempts.

Denmon may not keep that percentage this season, but if he can, look for him to become one of the best scorers and players in the Big 12 this season. He has had great games, such as sinking five of seven from three against Nebraska.

Still a young player, Denmon should improve and really help this Missouri team become one of the best in the country, as they already have a strong core mixed with experience and young players such as Kim English, Laurence Bowers, and an on-the-rise Michael Dixon.

LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor Bears

LaceDarius Dunn was fairly unheard of last season unless you followed the Big 12. However, he entered the national spotlight with both his and Baylor's fantastic NCAA Tournament run.

Dunn was spectacular in every game, including a 22-point performance in Baylor's final game against Duke. With Dunn returning for his senior season, Baylor should once again be a threat in the Big 12, as he is the best returning scorer, along with a top-10 finisher in steals.

Vital to the attitude and swagger of the Baylor team, Dunn will once again give the Bears the confidence and performances necessary to win games in an increasingly difficult Big 12.

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State Wildcats

Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente were the heart and soul of a very successful Kansas State team last season. Unfortunately, only Pullen will be returning to the team next season.

Fortunately, Pullen is a superb player, capable of leading this team to bigger and better things.

For Kansas State, when Clemente wasn't hot, Pullen was, and vice versa. When both were, it was a very scary sight for the opposing team. However, Pullen will be without his "Robin" and will need to become more consistent.

However, Pullen showed last season how dominant he is, returning as the second highest scorer and also finishing top-10 in assists and top-three in steals.

Absolutely fantastic in the NCAA Tournament, Pullen poured in 34 and 28 points against BYU and Xavier respectively. Hopefully he can continue that dominance throughout this upcoming season, simply because it is entertaining.

Freshman to Watch: Tristan Thompson, Texas Longhorns

Both Damion James and Dexter Pittman graduated from Texas at the end of this year, so the Longhorns are a little thin at the power forward position.

Luckily, they have Tristan Thompson coming in. Essentially a combination of Pittman and James, Thompson is both strong and athletic and is an absolute beast on offense and on the boards.

Very active on defense, Thompson is noted for his blocking ability and his knack for racking up steals. He could be an immediate boost to a now young Texas team and perhaps give them some consistency, which is something the Longhorns lacked last season.

(Photo of Jacob Pullen credit to the Associated Press)

Previous Players to Watch segments:

Players to Watch: Atlantic Sun Conference

2010-08-13T12:21:00.006-04:00

The fourth installment of the "Players to Watch" series, this time featuring the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Junard Hartley, Campbell Fighting Camels

Campell finished in a four way tie for first in conference record last season, but lost in the first round of the conference tournament to eventual champion East Tennessee State University.

Entering his senior season, Junard Hartley will be the leader of this Fighting Camels team (how awesome a name is that?) and the one calling the shots from the point guard position.

Held to three assists or fewer in only four games last season, Hartley finished with the best assists per game in the A-Sun, and accumulated 10 or more assists in three games (to put this in perspective, John Wall did it four times last season). Add his conference leading 2.6 steals per game to his accomplishments, and you get a pretty impressive resume.

It is probably worth mentioning that both of those stats are also top 20 in the nation, making it all the more impressive. If Hartley can continue churning out strong numbers, Campbell just might be dancing next season.

Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State Owls

Markeith Cummings may only be entering his sophomore season, but he has already established himself as a force in the Atlantic Sun.

An explosive scorer from almost anywhere on the court, Cummings finished top five in the conference in scoring, and also added a top 10 finish in rebounding.

While his rebounding numbers are decent, his scoring ability is unbelievable. Held to single digits only once last season, Cummings once scored 30 points on only 20 shots (also finishing four of nine from three).

The Owls may not have had a great season last year, but it will be exciting to see what Cummings can do as his game develops and to see he can take this Kennesaw State team.

Tommy Hubbard, East Tennessee State Buccaneers

Tommy Hubbard's all-around contributions to East Tennessee State landed them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Returning for his senior season, Hubbard hopes to carry the Buccaneers to the Big Dance one more time.

Hubbard is the kind of player who fills up stat-lines, and fills them up pretty nicely. In the Atlantic Sun last season, Hubbard finished top three in rebounding, top ten in scoring, and top ten in steals.

Whether on the glass, from his jump shot, or on defense, Hubbard's contributions were seen in every game, and he is a vital player to East Tennessee's success.

The Atlantic Sun should be pretty competitive again this season, and the Buccaneers will be relying on Hubbard to carry them to the top once again.

Adnan Hodzic, Lipscomb Bisons

Adnan Hodzic withdrew from the NBA Draft earlier this year, much to the chagrin of the 10 other teams in the Atlantic Sun. Hodzic is probably the best player in college basketball that nobody's heard of.

Finishing second in scoring in the country last season, Hodzic finish first in scoring in conference and second in rebounding. He is an absolute offensive machine, never once scoring in single digits and recording 20 or more points in the final 12 games of the season last year.

A center at only 6-9, Hodzic gives teams problems all game long because of his ridiculous ability to get the basket. However, Lipscomb finished tied for the best conference record and bowed out early in the conference tournament.

Look for Hodzic to do better in his senior season.

Freshman to Watch: Luis Jacobo, Stetson Hatters

Stetson may have had the worst conference record last season, but that doesn't mean they won't have one of the best freshman in the Atlantic Sun.

Luis Jacobo could be the key to turning around the Hatters' program, as he is an excellent all around player.

Noted for his rebounding and defensive ability, Jacobo is also an explosive slasher who should greatly help Stetson on the offensive end. He could be the immediate answer to help the Hatters have a stronger finish in the Atlantic Sun this year.

(Photo of Tommy Hubbard credit to Getty Images)

Players to Watch: Atlantic Coast Conference

2010-08-12T00:13:00.003-04:00

The third installment of the "Players to Watch" segment, this time featuring the Atlantic Coast Conference. No light introduction this time, just right to the players.

Jordan Williams, Maryland Terrapins

Most people probably did not notice the eight double-doubles that Jordan Williams had last season, due to the nightly shows Greivis Vasquez put on.

With Vasquez having graduated and moved on to the NBA, it's time for this rising sophomore to step up and lead the Terps in the ACC.

Williams enters the season as the best returning rebounder in the ACC, and could easily retain that title for next year. At 260 pounds, Williams is a commanding physical presence who essentially can do whatever he wants in the paint.

With Vasquez's huge offensive presence missing now, Williams offensive game should blossom this season as well, and should create a scary front court.

Nolan Smith, Duke Blue Devils

Nolan Smith has always been a solid player for Duke, but really broke out out in conference play last year. Though never averaging more than 10 points per game before last season, Smith finished in the top five points per game, as well as top 10 steals per game.

Duke relied upon Smith for offense in almost every game, and two of their five losses came when Smith was held to 13 or fewer points (although, it helps that Smith was only held to single digits twice all season).

With the departure of Jon Scheyer, Smith needs to continue the consistency on offense, but he should have plenty of help from Seth Curry as well as "diaper dandy" Kyrie Irving.

Larry Drew II, North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina did not have a notable season last year whatsoever. However, Larry Drew, only a sophomore, led the conference in assists and had an outstanding assist-turnover ratio.

There were and are plenty of things the Tar Heels need to work on to improve, and Drew is by no means perfect, but he can be their leader to get better.

Though not a great scorer, Drew is an excellent passer with great vision, and should have a new target to look for next season. This potential combination could bring back the North Carolina that most of the country is used to seeing.

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech Hokies

Malcolm Delaney is the ultimate combo guard in the ACC, finishing first in points per game and top five in assists per game.

That feat alone in any conference should make you a "player to watch," but it helps that he did it in an extremely competitive ACC.

Delaney threw down 30 or more points five times last season, and in one of those games, he even had nine assists.

Truly a remarkable scorer, Delaney is perhaps the biggest offensive threat in the ACC, and the Hokies should be even better this season after losing only two players (maybe the NCAA will take notice when March rolls around as well).

Freshman to Watch: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina may not have had a good year on the court, but they had a great year off the court.

Leading their strong (as always) recruiting class this season is Harrison Barnes. The highest ranked small forward in 2010's recruiting class, Barnes is noted as an excellent scorer, a solid rebounder, a smart defender, and a more than capable passer.

Barnes is what some may call "the total package." Yes, you guessed it if you realized that this is the potentially scary combination involving Larry Drew, along with still developing John Henson, a sophomore.

(Photo of Malcolm Delaney credit to the Associated Press)

Players to Watch: Atlantic 10 Conference

2010-08-09T22:02:00.004-04:00

Continuing the "Players to Watch" series, this is the second installation featuring the Atlantic 10 conference (which is incorrectly named, like most other conferences with a number in it, since the A-10 actually has 14 teams).

And so, without further ado, these are the players to watch in the Atlantic 10.

Terrell Holloway, Xavier Musketeers

Terrell Holloway may not have the most stellar statistics, but he really is a "do-it-all" guy for Xavier. An excellent free-throw shooter and a decent shooter from three, Holloway is most noted for his passing ability. Last season, Holloway notched up enough assists to land him in the top 10 in the Atlantic 10.

Averaging almost 32 minutes a game, Holloway did not miss a game all of last season, and was quite durable for the Musketeers finishing in the top 10 in minutes.

Holloway's most impressive performance last season probably came in a losing effort versus Kansas State, in which he finished with 26 points, six assists, and two steals.

With the departure of Jordan Crawford, Holloway will be relied upon much more this season to make plays for Xavier.

Kevin Anderson, Richmond Spiders

Kevin Anderson initially declared for the NBA Draft at the end of last season, but withdrew his name days before the draft deadline.

Hearing that Anderson is returning thrilled Richmond, as he is essentially irreplaceable for the Spiders. Anderson is an excellent scorer and player, finishing in the top five in points per game in the A-10 last season, as well as the top five in steals.

Richmond had a great season last year and ended up as a seventh seed in the NCAA Tournament, largely due to Anderson's efforts.

Anderson was held to single digits in only three games last season, and scored 20 or more points 13 times as well. His most impressive game of the season came against Wake Forest, where Anderson dropped 31 points and also added three steals.

An exciting and skilled scorer, Anderson should lead a strong Richmond squad to another NCAA Tournament berth this season.

Chris Gaston, Fordham Rams

Fordham only won two games all of last season, and really had a pretty dismal season. The only bright spots for the team, however, were Jio Fontan and Chris Gaston, a sophomore.

Unfortunately for the Rams, Fontan transferred to the University of Southern California. Fordham will now look to Gaston to lead them to new heights, as they can really only get better from last season.

As a freshman, Gaston was absolutely electric, averaging a double-double for the entire season. Gaston finished top five in the A-10 in points per game, second in offensive and overall rebounds per game, as well as top five in blocks per game.

Gaston only had nine games where he did not have a double-double and had a premier game against St. John's, finishing with 32 points and 15 rebounds.

Fordham cannot really do much worse than they did last season, but Gaston certainly may be the catalyst to improving this program.

Damian Saunders, Duquesne Dukes

Damian Saunders is probably one of the best players that nobody has heard of. Saunders puts up huge numbers consistently, while filling up stat-lines as well.

Though Duquesne only had an average season last year, Saunders was certainly dominant. In the Atlantic 10, Saunders had the best rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, the most blocks, the most steals, as well as being top 10 in points per game.

Like Gaston, Saunders averaged a double-double as well, though he's not as superb a scorer. His numbers for the season are just ridiculous, averaging 15 points per game, more than 11 rebounds per game, and very close to three steals and three blocks a game.

Saunders is a force on both sides of the floor and has the skill set to lead Duquesne to even better things this season.

Freshman to Watch: Justin Martin, Xavier Musketeers

Though Justin Martin is another player from Xavier, he has so much potential that he must be mentioned.

Martin is a top 100 player in his recruiting class and is highly touted for his excellent perimeter shooting. Though he clearly has to work on other facets of his game, specifically rebounding and defense, his offense is there.

A terrific spot-up three shooter, Martin could immediately be Jordan Crawford's replacement on the offensive end for the Musketeers.

(Photo of Kevin Anderson credit to Richmond)

Players to Watch: America East Conference

2010-08-07T21:57:00.003-04:00

Last college basketball season, I tried to do a series highlighting a few players to watch from each conference for the season. While I completed the first few conferences alphabetically, I started on the process too late into the season to actually finish. At a certain point, highlighting players to watch 20 games in to a 30 game season became pretty pointless.

Therefore, I have decided to restart the same series for the 2010 season, just quite a bit earlier. Essentially, I give a few players from every conference to keep an eye on during the season.

With that said, let's start with the America East Conference.

Tommy Brenton, Stony Brook Seawolves

Tommy Brenton is entering his junior season with Stony Brook, and really can do it all on the basketball court. Brenton is only 6'5" yet he led the America East in rebounding and in defensive rebounds last season, and also was second in total offensive rebounds in the conference.

Brenton really is an all purpose guard (even playing forward occasionally) as he also finished top 10 in assists per game, and second in the conference in steals per game. Stony Brook held the best conference record in the America East, largely to Brenton's efforts, though lost in the conference tournament to Boston University.

Throughout the season, Brenton had seven double-doubles, and filled up his stat line nearly every game. Though he never had an outstanding game in one stat, he consistently added rebounds, assists, steals, and even blocks.

Joe Zeglinski, Hartford Hawks

Joe Zeglinski enters his senior season, after red-shirting two years ago due to injury. Hartford was not a great team last year, however, Zeglinski was a bright spot, especially in the conference.

Zeglinski really can do it all for the Hawks, as he finished top 10 in points scored, top five in points per game, and top 10 in defensive rebounds per game in the America East.

Unlike Brenton, Zeglinski could put up prolific scoring numbers in some games. He led Hartford with 23 points in a two point loss to Baylor, probably one of Hartford's best games all season. Compiling two double-doubles throughout the season, Zeglinski also scored 20 or more points seven times in the season.

A streaky three point shooter, Zeglinski can really light up the scoreboard when he gets hot, like in a game against UMBC, in which he finished with 29 points.

Chris De La Rosa, UMBC Retrievers

Chris De La Rosa transferred to UMBC in 2008 from Siena and is entering his second season with the Retrievers. Though UMBC won only four games last season, De La Rosa was a huge boost for the team.

Both his defensive and offensive presence helped UMBC, as De La Rosa finished with the most assists in the America East, as well as being top 10 in steals.

De La Rosa is not much of a scorer (averaging just over 11 points per game), but did have five games where he exploded for more than 20 points. He clearly was a positive influence on the team, as two of those five games were wins.

John Holland, Boston University Terriers

John Holland has been one of the best America East players the past two seasons (and was a "player to watch" last season as well). He is an absolutely explosive scorer, but does even more on the court than that.

Holland was held to single digits only three times throughout all of last season, and put up 20 points on Kansas State, 21 on Indiana, 23 on Georgia Tech, and 23 on UConn. He can clearly score against any team, but just does not have much of a supporting cast from the Terriers.

The top scorer in the America East last season, Holland also was top 10 in rebounds, top five in steals, and number one in minutes. He's an extremely durable player, who does not often find himself in foul trouble, as he never played less than 25 minutes in a game.

Scoring 20 or more points 19 times last season, Holland also put on a show in a win against Delaware scoring 43 points. Holland is an extremely exciting player, and certainly is the best scorer returning to the America East this season, perhaps for the second straight season.

Freshman To Watch: Travis Robinson, Boston University Terriers

If Travis Robinson can score as well as scouts say he can, a combination of Robinson and Holland could be a scary one for Boston University's America East opponents.

Touted as an excellent mid-range jump shooter, as well as slasher, Robinson should be a great addition to an already decent Boston University squad.

Luckily, even if Holland still must bear most of the scoring load for the Terriers, Robinson is also a highly touted defender and rebounder. He truly is a "do-it-all" player, and could lead Boston University to a conference championship this season.

(Photo of John Holland credit to BU Athletics)

Featured on College Football Zealots!

2010-07-21T16:32:00.004-04:00

I was recently asked to answer a few questions about the upcoming season for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team.

You can check out the article at the College Football Zealots, and be sure to keep checking out their news throughout the NCAA football season!

http://collegefootballzealots.blogspot.com/2010/07/pre-season-preview-wake-forest-demon.html

Leave feedback there as well!

MLB Home Run Derby Chronicle: Volume 2

2010-07-13T01:55:00.007-04:00

Well, it's that time of year again, time for MLB All Star Weekend. This year, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, (do I really need to say that each time?) play host.

Following Josh Hamilton's monster performance two years ago (I bet you already forgot that Justin Morneau actually won that Derby), and Prince Fielder's upset of Albert Pujols and St. Louis native Ryan Howard last year on the footsteps of the Gateway Arch, what could be expected for the most installment of the contest?

All the excitement of the Home Run Derby and more are coming up. And just in case you forgot from last time, here's how this will work: there will be a time-stamp, followed by what happened at that time (and if it really matters to you, this is EST). The Derby is minutes away from starting, and when it does that's when the fun begins.

Before it all gets underway, I would just like to point out that there has already been a John Kruk spotting. But, with that, here comes tons of "back, back, back, back, backs" from Chris Berman, an infatuation with the term "bat-off" by Joe Morgan, and tons of long balls.

7:56PM: In a commercial going over the past few Home Run Derbies, 2008 simply mentioned Hamilton's monster show. Poor Morneau.

7:59PM: Kruk picks Chris Young, because he's skinny. OK.

8:00PM: A live concert of Train, singing "Hey, Soul Sister." Sounding, a little off pitch, to put it nicely.

8:05PM: And there's Berman.

8:07PM: After the introductions, guess who got booed the most? David Ortiz and Nick Swisher. I guess the fans hate the rivalry, not the teams.

8:08PM: Morgan just picked Miguel Cabrera because of the introduction he got. Bobby Valentine picked "Jose Ortiz."

8:10PM: Bo Jackson is throwing out the first pitch. He proceeds to the mound, and asks "Where is the catcher?" The problem is, there was no catcher!

8:11PM: After struggling reciting the rules of the Derby last season, I noticed Berman is now holding a note card to help him.

8:15PM: Valentine just figured out that he got Ortiz's name wrong. But, Young will be first to bat. Remember, he's Kruk's pick because he's skinny.

8:18PM: The kids in the outfield are mauling each other over just catching a fly ball. Young then hits his first home run to left field.

8:20PM: Young pulls a Tiger Woods. After lining one for an out, he responds by yelling "Ahh, Chris!" Young finishes the first round with only one home run. At least he knows he did better than Brandon Inge did last season.

8:22PM: Vernon Wells steps up to the plate and gets two quick outs in three pitches.

8:23PM: Wells gets some aid from a fan as he snags the ball at the left field wall. Luckily, no home run replay in the Derby.

8:24PM: Wells blasts a second home run, with only two outs left. However, more notably, Berman just gave us our first "back, back, back, back."

8:25PM: Wells finishes with two home runs. I'm waiting for the perfect game in the home run derby.

8:31PM: Corey Hart gets two home runs in the first three pitches. However, the crowd seems upset that Torii Hunter wants Ortiz to win.

8:32PM: Hart hits three more shots to center field, and has five home runs with only one out. This could be a big round for him.

8:33PM: Bobby Valentine: "Wow, just missed it." Two seconds later: "Wow, he got it!"

8:34PM: Hart hits a 464 foot blast, and now both Berman and Valentine are trying to say they picked him. Valentine: "I picked him on Sportscenter!" Oh, but we all know you picked Jos--David Ortiz, Bobby.

8:37PM: Hart finishes with 13 home runs, including a monstrous final home run to the rocks in centerfield. Up next: Nick Swisher.

8:40PM: Interview with Alex Rodriguez as Swish steps up. At least Swisher and Robinson Cano are having a good time out there.

8:44PM: A-Rod giving a lot of Teixeira love, as swisher has four home runs, with only two outs left.

8:47PM: Swisher finishes with only four home runs, but he is sitting in second place half way through.

8:51PM: Holliday steps up, and after racking up two outs, Berman rewards us with a "back, back, back" on a home run.

8:53PM: Holliday is really struggling. One out left, with only one home run. ESPN killed the time by interviewing Pujols.

8:54PM: Holliday jacks four straight "gold ball" home runs. State Farm is getting nervous.

8:56PM: Trivia break during commercials. Ken Griffey Jr. is the only player to have won the HR Derby multiple times. He did it three times: 1994, 1998, and 1999.

9:00PM: Ortiz steps up to the plate, and Morgan cannot stop raving about Ortiz's shoes.

9:02PM: Big Papi off to a fast start, with three home runs and only two outs.

9:04PM: Berman really ragging on Valentine for saying Jose Ortiz. Berman: "There isn't anyone who would say no way Jose to that, Bobby!"

9:05PM: Morgan returns to the shoes. Come on.

9:08PM: Ortiz has Rafael Soriano bring him some Gatorade. Morgan goes back to talking about how his shoes give him presence on the plate.

9:09PM: Ortiz finishes up with eight home runs, which is good enough to advance him to the next round. Must have been the shoes.

9:10PM: Rojo Johnson , aka Will Ferrell, is being interviewed now by the crew.

9:13PM: Hanley Ramirez is hitting absolute bombs! Five home runs, with only three outs! He's hitting them so fast, Berman can only get "back, ba-."

9:15PM: They actually asked Ferrell to announce a hit, unfortunately for him it was a bloop to second base.

9:17PM: Ramirez finishes a solid round, with nine extremely hard hit home runs.

9:22PM: How ESPN ever thinks they can finish this by 10PM is ridiculous. Why even lie like that? Cabrera is the final batter of the first round. He needs six to advance, or five for a swing off (formerly called "bat-off") with Holliday.

9:24PM: To quote Berman: "Could a triple cr--back, back, back, back, way gone!--own happen?"

9:26PM: Cabrera ties Holliday at five home runs, and then gets to six to advance. The second round will be Hart, Ramirez, Ortiz, and Cabrera.

9:30PM: Cabrera moves on to the semifinals with seven home runs. Pretty uneventful so far, and surprisingly quite a few empty seats at the stadium.

9:33PM: More commercial trivia! Ryne Sandburg is the only player to win the Home Run Derby in his home stadium. He did it with the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field in 1990.

9:35PM: Holliday hit a 497 foot home run, yet he's out after the first round. Ortiz will be the first to hit in the second round. Waiting for a reference to the shoes. C'mon Joe!

9:39PM: Papi is blasting one after the other. Eight home runs, with only two outs. 16 total!

9:41PM: Now they mention that Ortiz is Hunter's pick to win, and all of a sudden the crowd starts cheering.

9:44PM: Finally, Morgan mentions the shoes again! Now, Valentine, Morgan, and Howard begin to talk about the "best shoe." Meanwhile, Papi finishes with 21 home runs through two rounds.

9:46PM: Cabrera bats second, and hits a bomb to centerfield. Two home runs with one out.

9:49PM: Some of the mosh pits created by fans piling up to get a hit ball are pretty entertaining. There have to be some injuries tonight.

9:50PM: Is it bad when you see the fans yelling at the kids fielding the balls in the outfield?

9:52PM: Just noticed a back-up catcher was brought in. Cabrera finishes the second round with only 12 home runs though. Morgan says "he is worried about his guy," and yet fails to realize that Cabrera already did not advance since Papi and Hart are both ahead of him.

9:57PM: Morgan is now debating over whether Ramirez or Ortiz has better shoes. He goes with Papi. I guess after two hours, this is what happens.

10:00PM: Ramirez has three home runs this round so far, only 12 total. However, I notice ESPN's "Ball Track Technology" only lasted one year. I miss the ball being lit up bright green.

10:03PM: Ramirez has the line drive home run down. Now he has 17 total home runs.

10:05PM: Hanley has hit three straight home runs to get to 20, with only one out left. If he hits one more, he ties Ortiz!

10:06PM: Ramirez ties Ortiz, and needs one more to advance to the final round. This guarantees a "swing off," if Corey Hart can hit eight home runs. If he hits seven, there will be a three way swing off. If he hits six, Ortiz and Ramirez will advance.

10:09PM: Hart gets five quick outs without a home run. I think at this point the announcer's job is just to make excuses for the players.

10:11PM: Hart goose eggs the second round, and finishes with 13 home runs. The final round will be a battle between Ortiz and Ramirez.

10:18PM: Ortiz steps up for the final round and promptly blasts four home runs. While he's doing this, all Berman and Morgan can talk about is how many people wanted to release Ortiz before this season.

10:20PM: Ortiz is putting on a show. Eight home runs, and only two outs. This is a ridiculous showing for the veteran.

10:22PM: Papi's slowed down quite a bit. Four straight outs, but I think he's put up a difficult number for Hanley to beat.

10:23PM: Bounces back with a home run slicing past the foul pole. I'm sure Red Sox fans are drooling over this, if the form continues past the All Star Break.

10:25PM: Papi blasts a home run to the gap in right field. It looked like it hit one of the cars sitting back there. However, Ortiz finishes the final round with 11 home runs. Hanley Ramirez has a pretty big number to match, yet surprisingly Morgan did not attribute the strong round to the shoes!

10:31PM: Valentine says what a great start Ramirez had in the final round. He hit an out.

10:32PM: Ramirez is really struggling, just like Hart was. One home run, and four outs. Ortiz and Hunter are rooting him on, though Hunter is telling him he is choking.

10:33PM: After all the home runs hitting the rocks, Berman finally gives us our first "on the rocks" joke. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, back to the Derby.

10:37PM: Ramirez is down to his last out, with only five home runs. He grounds out the final pitch, and Ortiz is your 2010 Home Run Derby Champion!

So to sum up the night. Berman's lessened antics, Morgan's color commentary, and some powerful performances by Ortiz, Ramirez, and Hart.

ESPN managed to actually finish 30 minutes earlier than last year, but I don't know who they are kidding with a 10PM end time.

With no Angel in the Derby, Hunter's favorite wins, much to the chagrin of the Angels fans I'm sure. Ortiz shows he still has some power (understatement there) left in him, and maybe he will show it off a little more in the second half.

There may not have been a swing off or bat-off this Derby, but it still was pretty entertaining. All Star Weekend is already half over, but the best is yet to come! Hopefully, Ortiz does not change his shoes though.

Coming Up On The Sports Age!

2010-07-12T00:15:00.004-04:00

There may have been a lack of posts for the last few months, but expect Volume 2 of the Home Run Derby Chronicle tomorrow, as well as more posts about the All Star Game, the rest of the MLB Season, the NBA offseason and upcoming season, the upcoming college basketball season, and possibly articles about college football, the NFL, the NHL, and other sports!

Stay tuned!

The 10 All-Time Greatest NBA Finals Featuring Celtics and Lakers

2010-05-30T13:24:00.004-04:00

In light of the upcoming Lakers and Celtics Finals series, here is a list of the 10 greatest playoff series between the team teams. Luckily, they have met 11 times in the playoffs, not including this year.

Hopefully, this year will be good enough to top the list next time. The rivalry was renewed for the first time in 21 years in 2008, and has come around again, just two years later. With that, let's get to the top 10.

10. 1965 NBA Finals

This classic matchup featured players like Bill Russell and Jerry West. The amount of talent on the two teams was incredible, though the series was not as impressive as either teams.

The Celtics won the series fairly convincingly 4-1, losing to the Lakers once in LA, but blowing out the Lakers three times, including Game Five.

9. 1985 NBA Finals

The 1985 series featured the Memorial Day Massacre in Game One, where the Celtics defeated the Lakers by a whopping 34 points.

The Lakers battled back and won the series 4-2, but most of the games of the series were fairly lopsided. The two highlights of the series were Dennis Johnson's game winning jumper in Game Four for the Celtics and the outright dominating performance by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In Game Two, Abdul-Jabbar threw up 30 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks, and to close out the series, in Game Six, Abdul-Jabbar added 29 more points, and was subsequently named the MVP. The Lakers won the series 4-2, winning Game Six by 11 points.

8. 1987 NBA Finals

The 1987 Finals started with two fairly easy LA wins over the Celtics. However, Games Three and Four were some of the most memorable of the series.

Larry Bird and Dennis Johnson dominated Game Three to get a six-point win. However, the Lakers would get the last laugh when Magic Johnsn hit a game winning hook shot in Game Four, and then led the team to a 4-2 series win, with a 13-point victory in Game Six.

7. 1968 NBA Finals

The 1968 NBA Finals were extremely close, every game. No game was decided by a difference of more than 15 points, and three of the six games finished eight points or closer.

John Havlicek dominated the finals as well as the rest of the playoffs, leading all players in scoring, as the Celtics won the series 4-2, and Game Six with their biggest win in the whole series, defeating the Lakers 124-109.

6. 2008 NBA Finals

The Game Six blowout by the Celtics of the Lakers really dampened how great this series really was.

The Celtics won the first game by 10 points, and the next four games were all decided by six or less points, each highlighted by fantastic performances by Kobe Bryant or Paul Pierce.

However, the Celtics dominated Game Six, winning by 39 points, as Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett both had excellent games.

Paul Pierce was awarded the MVP award for the series, largely for his spectacular performance of 38 points and eight assists in a loss to Lakers.

5. 1963 NBA Finals

The 1963 NBA Finals was probably one of the closest six game series of all time. Five of the games were decided by seven points or fewer, and three by three points.

Elgin Baylor was amazing throughout the series, though the Celtics prevailed in the series winning Game Six by three points in Los Angeles, behind the great play of Bill Russell.

4. 1966 NBA Finals

The 1966 Finals between the Lakers and Celtics was only the second at the time to go to seven games.

The series was highlighted by fantastic play by Jerry West, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Elgin Baylor, and Bill Russell.

The Lakers won the first game in Boston by four points, and then were easily defeated in Game Two by 20. The next four games were all relatively close as the Lakers rallied to win two in a row to force a Game Seven.

However, the Celtics prevailed in an extremely close Game Seven, winning by just two points to give Red Auerbach a championship in his final season.

3. 1969 NBA Finals

The 1969 Finals was a thrilling seven-game series between the Celtics and Lakers.

Wilt Chamberlain won the first game for the Lakers by two points, and both Jerry West and Elgin Baylor were ridiculous in a Game Two, six-point win for the Lakers.

The Celtics won the next two games, featuring an awesome buzzer beater by Sam Jones (pictured) to win the fourth game by just a single point.

Tied at two games, the Lakers won the fifth game, to take a 3-2 lead. However, the Celtics won the next two games, winning Game Seven by two points with Don Nelson's clinching shot in the final minute.

The Celtics had won their eight straight Championship over the Lakers with this victory, a streak that would be snapped the next season in 1985 (No. 9 on this list).

2. 1984 NBA Finals

Perhaps one of the greatest finals series of all time, the 1984 Finals went to seven games, went back in forth in terms of victories, and featured two overtime games.

The Celtics tied the series in Game Two when Gerald Henderson tied the game to send it to overtime, and eventually won the game by three.

A blowout win by the Lakers in Game Three led to a four-point win in overtime by the Celtics in Game Four, tying the series at 2-2.

Game Five was won by the Celtics, and is famously known as the "Heat Game." Temperatures in the Boston Garden reached 97 degrees, as Larry Bird soared to score 34 points.

The Celtics eventually won the series in Game Seven, in 91 degree heat this time, as Dennis Johnson sealed the victory with two clutch free throws at the end of the game.

1. 1962 NBA Finals

This was only the second meeting between the Lakers and Celtics in the finals, but, again, perhaps one of the greatest series of NBA history . Four of the games were won by fewer than 10 points, and spectacular individual performances were seen in each game.

Sam Jones led the Celtics to victory in Game One, finishing with 24 points. The Celts won by 14, despite a 35-point performance by Elgin Baylor.

Jerry West and Elgin Baylor dominated Game Two of the series, combining for 76 points. Despite brilliant performances by Tommy Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, and Bill Russell, the Lakers pushed past the Celtics to win by seven, shooting an amazing 37-of-43 from the free throw line.

Despite a fantastic 26-point game by Bill Russell, the Lakers managed to defeat the Celtics by two points to take a one-game lead. Down by two, Jerry West scored the game tying basket, and stole the subsequent inbound pass, scoring again as time expired to give the Lakers the win. It was perhaps one of the greatest finishes of any NBA game, and outdid Baylor's 39 point performance (though West put up 36 himself).

Boston came out with an even attack in Game Four, as Bill Russell finished with 21 points and 22 rebounds, and five other Celtics finished with double figures. Despite 64 combined points by West and Baylor, the Lakers lost Game Four by 12, and returned to Boston tied at two.

Game Five was highlighted by the absolutely spectacular performance of Elgin Baylor. Baylor put up 61 points, a playoff number that would not be outdone for 24 years until Michael Jordan scored 63. Heinsohn and Russell were again amazing, though the Celtics fell short, as the Lakers took a five-point victory.

Sam Jones again led the Celtics to victory, scoring 35 points, and more than Jerry West or Elgin Baylor. The Celts won the game by 14 points, even though West and Baylor again combined for a ridiculous 68 points.

Game Seven of the 1962 Finals is one of the greatest NBA games ever. Baylor and West combined for 76 points, Bill Russell had 44 rebounds and "only" 30 points, but the game is highlighted by the infamous "miss" by Frank Selvy of the Lakers. With the game tied, Selvy missed a wide open short jump shot, that would have won the game for the Lakers, but instead went to overtime. The Celtics took advantage to win the final game by three points, capping an outstanding series with a magnificent game.

The Problem the AL East Could Have if the Baltimore Orioles Improve

2010-05-28T21:46:00.005-04:00

Ever since the Tampa Bay Rays became legitimate playoff contenders in 2008, there have been talks of division restructuring throughout the MLB (or at least in each league).

The A.L. Wild Card has gone to a team in the AL East in all but one season in the past seven.

The problem, however, is that for most of those years the Rays were not a contender.

Now that the Rays have an elite team, there will be, at least for the next few seasons, three teams in the AL East, all deserving of the playoffs: the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox.

The Rays have an extremely young squad with tremendous amounts of talent, and as long as the management does not make unintelligent trades, there is a mass exodus of players, they will have a solid lineup in the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, for all but Yankees and Red Sox fans, both teams have enough money that each team will be competitive every year because of their budget. They can afford upgrades every season, and even when struck by injuries, they can find a way to replace practically anyone to a reasonable level at any point in the season.

Why is this problem especially relevant now? Well, the Toronto Blue Jays have perhaps sounded the alarm.

The Blue Jays have veteran players, such as Vernon Wells and Alex Gonzalez, who have reemerged this season as excellent players and a strong regiment of young players, such as Fred Lewis, Adam Lind, and recently acquired John Buck (who has essentially come out of nowhere from Kansas City to have, so far, a breakout season).

Their pitching staff has been unusually strong, as Ricky Romero and Shaun Marcum have become aces on the team, Kevin Gregg has been surprisingly consistent as a closer, and the rest of the bullpen has held their own with their performances.

The Jays currently share the same record as the Boston Red Sox and through almost 50 games, all four teams in the AL East are within 6 games of each other.

The Baltimore Orioles, however, are stuck in the basement in the AL East and have been for a long time. They are already 18 games back, and this season is practically over for them already.

The O's have a lot of talented players, but just have not been able to piece anything together in the past few years.

Luckily for the MLB, the Orioles, Rays, and Blue Jays always seemed to rotate on bad seasons where two were fairly mediocre. This year, though, it looks like the Jays may be able to hold their own this season, which could mean that two playoff spots (the AL East guaranteed spot and the AL Wild Card) all would belong to the AL East, and the two spots would be sought by four teams.

That's not terrible, but it could be unfair to some of the teams if they miss the playoffs because of how good their division is, especially if they have a better record than another team that made it.

If the Orioles somehow improve (and very quickly) to become contenders for the playoffs, a serious problem emerges. Five talented teams would be competing for one guaranteed spot and a chance at a second.

While it is extremely unlikely that five top teams will be in one division, the possibility remains with four teams having successful teams so far this season.

Sure, this is jumping the gun a little since it is only a quarter into the season, but the debate over division restructuring may be just beginning, especially since it could hold some benefits.

Since the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry will not be split by the MLB, just for traditional and economic reasons, the only team to move would be the Rays.

If the AL teams were to remain AL, a swap between the Indians and Rays could make sense, but unless the Orioles can somehow improve soon, this debates seems rather unnecessary.

The Blue Jays and Rays all could for some reason have poor seasons in the near future, but it seems as if the Red Sox and Yankees, for the reasons noted previously, will almost never have a bad year, where they are not competitive in their division.

So, for now, the Orioles struggles could be a positive thing (except for Baltimore fans that is).

Gregg Zaun Is Making Highlights: Why Isn't It a Good Thing?

2010-05-17T18:43:00.008-04:00

"That play will be on SportsCenter tonight!" It's the phrase announcers love to use after extraordinary plays, and a saying players love to hear about their work...usually.

So why is Gregg Zaun making highlights? A 15 year veteran catcher, who has hit over .300 in a season only once, and has essentially been a decent fill-in player, on ten different teams over his career. Has he found a new beginning on the struggling Milwaukee Brewers?

Well, not really. Not only are the Brewers sitting just two games ahead of the lowly Houston Astros, but Zaun is also only hitting .260 with 2 home runs. So, what has he done to garner such attention?

Though Zaun may love to see his name out there, since even in good seasons he has largely gone unnoticed, he is getting media attention for all the wrong reasons.

Just yesterday, while catching for Carlos Villanueva, who was brought in for relief in a 1 run game, Zaun poorly blocked a pitch in the dirt that struck out Chase Utley. Unfortunately, his misplay got Utley to first on the wild pitch and poor play by Zaun, and allowed Shane Victorino to score, opening up a 2 run game for the Phillies, with only 2 innings left for a stagnant Brewers offense to come back.

Admittedly, that was a tough pitch for Zaun to handle, but since Utley chased on the pitch, which would have ended the inning, it's a play he needs to make. Just to add insult to injury, Zaun led off in the ninth inning with a chance to create some offense, and grounded out.

Okay, so Zaun messed up one time. What's the big deal? Well, this is the second time so far in this young season, that Zaun has made highlights, for something that's just downright embarrassing for a catcher.

When facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, Zaun ran into some troubles, that may seem unexpected for any catcher. He found difficult in throwing the ball, not to catch a runner stealing, but just to throw the ball back to the pitcher. And, it wasn't just once, or a couple times in a few games. He completely missed Brewers' pitcher Yovani Gallardo three straight times!

Zaun shouldn't feel terribly though. ESPN, and a number of other sports sites, reported that Texas Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (you know, the guy whose name wraps all the way around his shirt) was performing excellently on offense in his rehab in the minors. However, the problem for Saltalamacchia was throwing the ball back to the mound.

According to ESPN's report, Saltalamacchia missed the pitcher 12 times in one game! That's pretty amazing considering that he has been a catcher for his major league career, and how easy it is just to get the ball back to the pitcher.

Though, maybe it isn't as easy as it seems, which is why the kids and the veterans are having trouble doing it correctly. But, hey, at least Zaun and Saltalamacchia can enjoy a little more face-time on ESPN during this stretch.

Photo credit to Eric Risberg of the Associated Press.

Wake Forest vs. Kentucky: Second Round NCAA Basketball Coverage

2010-03-20T21:11:00.007-04:00

This is a live article about the Wake Forest and Kentucky game. Sure, I may be starting 17 minutes late, but it's okay. There hasn't been much missed. Both teams have come out trying to play extremely offensively. The Deacons kept up with Kentucky, until Chas McFarland and Al-Farouq Aminu got into foul trouble (questionable calls on at least two of the combined five fouls). Ish Smith missed a wide open dunk (regrettable), the Wildcats have been great from three, and the refs have missed at least one charge, one foul, and two travels on Kentucky, while calling nine fouls on Wake Forest.

But, regardless of that, let's get to the live game.

2:00 1st half: Kentucky may have gotten two really good shots to go down (one great dunk by DeMarcus Cousins), the refs apparently forgot what a jump ball is, choosing not to call that and instead grant a delayed call for a time out.

I'm pretty sure at this point the NCAA may have told the refs not to let another high profile team go down so early in the tournament.

:30 1st half: Wake is unable to make anything happen in their final possession, finishing four of eighteen since Aminu went to the bench in foul trouble.

:04 1st half: Very surprised no foul was called on Wake there given the way the refs have been calling this game.

Half time: A disappointing finish to a strong start for Wake Forest, as they finish down 16. Certainly not unable to be overcome, but against a great team like Kentucky (especially since, so far, they have a three man advantage, if you catch my drift), it will be a tough road for the Demon Deacons. Darius Miller of Kentucky has been spectacular so far with 16 points, though he was the benefactor of a questionable foul (it was pretty touchy, but hey, I'll give the benefit of the doubt on that play).

DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall have been pretty methodical, combing for 17 points, and Chas McFarland has had a surprising offensive burst, scoring eight points for the Demon Deacons.

In the meantime, CBS has switched to the BYU-Kansas State game. I'll give a little update here (not that it matters, you could just as easily check the box score by the time you read this).

If I told you that at halftime in this game, someone would have twenty points, who would you guess?

Jimmer Fredette? Nope, sorry.

Jacob Pullen has exploded for 20 points, not that this is surprising given his insane offensive ability, but with the ridiculous numbers Fredette has put up recently, finishing the half with only six points is a little disappointing (though he's only missed two shots, so cut him some slack).

But, with half time having arrived to both games, time for a little break from the blog (and just think, I started this with only five minutes to go in the Wake-Kentucky game).

The second half is about to start, and let's hope to see a rejuvenated Wake Forest team to make this a game again!

19:37 2nd half: John Wall start the half quickly with a 3 for Kentucky, but LD Williams responds with a monster jam. Hopefully, the back and forth continues for awhile.

18:50: Very touchy foul called on Ish Smith. Please don't continue (wait, what?).

16:43: Kentucky keeps rolling, with an Eric Bledsoe three, but Wake is playing sloppily.

15:30: And CBS just moved the game to BYU following an alley-oop by Kentucky. Hold on, need to find the online feed.

15:08: Got to "CBS Online," but the game is in a timeout. Wake is down by 27. Not looking good for the Deacs, they will need to turn it around quickly.

12:56: Wake can't keep up with Kentucky at this point, down 29.

12:20: The announcers finally begin to sing Kentucky's praises, deservedly so with this rout, but still, this gets a little ridiculous for people who are supposed to be "unbiased" (and I will admit that this article is written with some bias towards Wake, though realistically).

9:39: Intentional foul called on Chas McFarland for taking a "swing" at DeMarcus Cousins. At least that's what you'll hear on ESPN. Cousins pump faked, and didn't come up for a lay-up, and McFarland swung and got him in the face. It was an intentional given that he hit him in the face, but this is going to be blown out of proportion (probably already is) by the media. I mean, McFarland was trying to help Cousins up before Orton ran over and pushed him away (and then got a technical).

The CBS feed just died. Not sure what is going on at this point.

8:30: DeMarcus Cousins just practically tackled CJ Harris to get a steal. No foul called.

As Seth Myers might say: Really?

5:30: Game has devolved into a slower paced, back-and-forth battle (though given the score differential, not that entertaining), as Kentucky still holds a 27 point lead.

4:34: Calipari begins to send the bench in, as Wake is down 25.

End of second half.

Wake loses by 30 to a fantastic Kentucky team. This isn't exactly a surprising result, though I figured it would be closer. It's a shame that the refs practically took the Deacons out of the first half, but ultimately Wake is to blame for this loss.

Darius Miller and DeMarcus Cousins both had amazing games, finishing with 20 and 19 points respectively. Al-Farouq Aminu finished with 16 points as he was more effective in the second half (and only charged with one foul oddly). The Wildcats dance on to the Sweet Sixteen and will face the winner of the Wisconsin and Cornell game.

It was an up and down year for Wake Forest, where they crested into the top 25, though often sat around fourth in the ACC. Next year will probably see the same type of streaks happening, as the Demon Deacons enter a rebuilding stage and will have another extremely young lineup.

Prominent players departing the team due to graduation are Ishmael Smith, David Weaver, Chas McFarland, and LD Williams, and perhaps Al-Farouq Aminu, if he declares for the draft. Gary Clark will be the only senior on the squad next season who played a role this year, though coach Dino Gaudio will have a solid base to build from for the coming seasons with current sophomores Tony Woods, Ty Walker, and Aminu (again conditional on if he remains with the team), as well as freshmen Ari Stewart and CJ Harris.

However, Wake Forest also has one of the best freshman classes in the country joining the program with five top ranked high school players: J.T. Terrell, Travis McKie, Melvin Tabb, Tony Chennault, and Carson Desrosiers.

The future certainly seems very promising for the Demon Deacons, though unfortunately the present is rather glum.

Kentucky played like a one seed tonight, and Wake Forest just couldn't keep up. Good luck the rest of the way to this talented Wildcat team, and hopefully there will be even more impressive results from Wake Forest basketball next season.

Big Sky Conference Players to Watch

2010-01-02T01:54:00.001-05:00

The seventh installment of the "Players to Watch" segment features the Big Sky Conference.

Brandon Moore, Eastern Washington Eagles

Moore, a senior at Eastern Washington, is a bright spot for a team that is currently fifth in the Big Sky. Though his stats may not seem too impressive, he was second in rebounding in the conference last season. This season, he is leading the Eagles in rebounding, and is a 10th of a point and two rebounds away from averaging a double-double.

Moore lacks consistency, but has shown he has a lot of talent. In his worst game of the season— against Idaho—he scored zero points and only had five rebounds. However, he's shown his skill with several impressive performances, such as a game against Seattle University, in which he scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds.

Moore is certainly a valuable asset to Eastern Washington, but needs to work on his consistency. Another impressive aspect of his game is his shot-blocking ability, as he finished 10th in blocking the in the Big Sky last conference. Look for Moore to continue to improve in his final season as an Eagle.

Amorrow Morgan, Idaho State Bengals

Morgan, a senior at Idaho State, is one of the team's leaders, and is being asked to take on a different role this year. Last season, Morgan and fellow teammate Matt Stucki led the Big Sky in assists.

However, this season Morgan has been asked to become more of a scorer and is averaging 16 points per game. Morgan has scored in double digits in all but one of his team's 14 games this season—the lone exception was a loss to Notre Dame.

Against Oregon, Morgan put together a great stat line, including 21 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. With his scoring improved, Morgan would like to increase his number of assists to a level comparable to last year's numbers.

Morgan is an extremely consistent player, who also was fifth in scoring in the Big Sky last season. Unfortunately, he needs to play even better as the Bengals have already lost 10 games and are off to a disappointing start.

Damian Lillard, Weber State Wildcats

Lillard is only a sophomore, but he is already making his mark on the Big Sky Conference. Weber State is currently undefeated in conference play and leading the conference with two wins, and Lillard is a major reason for the team's success.

He is currently the top scorer in the Big Sky Conference, and is one of the most exciting young players in the league. He has put on several exciting performances, including a show against Utah in which he scored 28 points, pulled in five rebounds, and dished seven assists.

Lillard is the future for Weber State, and it is exciting to see such a talented player in a small conference. Look for Weber State to make some noise this season behind the stellar play of this guard.

Big East Conference: Players To Watch

2010-01-02T01:53:00.001-05:00

The sixth installment of the "Players to Watch" segment features the Big East Conference.

Luke Harangody—Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Harangody has been a dominant player for three years with the Irish, and enters this season with even higher expectations. His numbers have steadily increased from year to year with his development, and he is putting on a show again this season, averaging a double-double.

Harangody is the reigning rebounding leader and scoring leader of the Big East conference, both impressive feats. He has not scored less than 16 points so far this season and has not had less than seven rebounds in a game.

The Irish have not played many big games yet this season, and are coming off of a loss to Loyola-Marymount, but 'Gody did drop 29 points and gathered 15 rebounds in a win against Kennesaw.

Harangody's stats are a little inflated, though, as he took over 100 shots more than anyone in the Big East last season. But he has a great field-goal percentage.

Notre Dame may struggle this season, but keep an eye on Harangody to lead this team to another solid season.

Deonta Vaughn —Cincinnati Bearcats

Vaughn may not get the press that a player like Lance Stephenson gets, but don't let that fool you. Vaughn is a key piece to the Bearcats success, and is practically their Shane Battier.

Vaughn fills up stat lines easily, averaging around 11 points, four assists, four rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Last season, Vaughn finished seventh in the Big East for most assists and certainly was overlooked.

Cincinnati has had a fairly difficult schedule so far this season, but Vaughn's most impressive game came against Toledo, when he had 13 points, four rebounds, nine assists, and four steals. Against tougher opponents, such as Xavier and Maryland, Vaughn has been solid too.

One thing to note about Vaughn is his durability. He does not get himself in foul trouble and he certainly has stamina. He was sixth in minutes played in the Big East last season, playing almost 89 percent of all minutes.

Da'Sean Butler—West Virginia Mountaineers

Butler surged as the leader of West Virginia last season and, as a senior, improvement is only expected. He is a great scorer, but also adds rebounds and assists to his plethora of abilities.

When Butler plays well, West Virginia wins, and usually wins big. In the two games where Butler has scored 20 or more points, West Virginia has won by 22 or more. He is clearly the leader of this team and his best game came against Loyola Maryland. He scored 26 points, collected seven rebounds, and had five assists in a huge win.

Butler is the senior leader of this Mountaineer squad, and if they hope to compete this season, it will be behind the play of Butler as well as Devin Ebanks. Just to show how dominant Butler is, he finished in the top 10 in scoring last season in the very competitive Big East.

Jeremy Hazell—Seton Hall Pirates

Hazell became a household name last season as a sophomore when he surprised many in the Big East by averaging over 20 points per game. He finished second in scoring, behind only Harangody.

After a disappointing start against St. Peter's, scoring only two points, Hazell has been lights-out ever since, scoring no less than 15 points in each game. He has had two 30-plus-point games, and has led the Pirates to an 8-0 start.

Seton Hall has not faced anyone particularly challenging as of yet, but in a shootout with VMI, Hazell accounted for 33 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. He is the Pirates' leader this season, and after the strong start to the season, Hazell has many wondering if Seton Hall can make a return to March Madness. They have not made the NCAA Tournament since the 2005 season.

Just a sidenote on what makes Hazell even more impressive: he is among top 10 in the Big East in steals, showing how greatly he contributes on both sides of the ball.

Players to Watch: Big 12 Conference

2009-12-13T17:31:00.001-05:00

The fifth installment of the players to watch segment, this time featuring the Big 12 Conference.

Cole Aldrich—Kansas

Aldrich is the starting center for the No. 1 team in the nation, the Kansas Jayhawks. The Big 12 has a plethora of young talent, and Aldrich adds to that as he, and the rest of all the other players mentioned, are juniors.

With Blake Griffin gone, Aldrich is the leading rebounder from the Big 12 last season. He averages 12 points a game, and is 0.4 rebounds a game away from averaging a double double.

However, even with such a close number, he has only had three double-doubles this season, as his scoring tends to come when his rebounding is down, and vice versa. Against Alcorn State, Aldrich had his most impressive game with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

Aldrich has also been a huge contributor in bigger games against tougher teams. When playing UCLA, Aldrich had seven points and 12 rebounds, and had 18 points and 11 rebounds in an extremely tight game against rivals Memphis.

Aldrich enters the season with tons of hype surrounding him and teammate Sherron Collins, especially since Kansas is ranked No. 1 in the nation. Look for Aldrich to contribute greatly to this Kansas team, especially defensively where he is averaging 3.6 blocks a game, a stat he led all Big 12 players in last season.

John Roberson—Texas Tech

As a junior, Roberson is one of the best players in the Big 12 conference, who does not get as much press as he deserves. Texas Tech is undefeated so far this season, and it is largely due to Roberson's play.

Roberson led the Big 12 last season in assists, and is almost averaging six assists a game so far this season. He put on a show in his last game against Tulsa, scoring 21 points and dishing 10 assists, which is his lone double-double of the season.

Against a difficult Washington team, Roberson had 25 points and seven assists, and what makes him so difficult to cover is that he is a dual threat to pass or to score.

Texas Tech has a very solid squad this season, and could make some noise in the Big 12 over teams like Texas and Kansas, so be prepared to start hearing about Roberson even more.

James Anderson—Oklahoma State University

Anderson is only a junior, but he is the leader of this Cowboys team. They will be competitive in the Big 12 this year, behind the play of Anderson, who has an unbelievable knack for scoring.

As a sophomore, he was one of the best scorers in the Big 12, and expect nothing different from him this season. Hopefully, he will remain at Oklahoma State for his senior season just to see him play more, but he is averaging 21 points and seven rebounds so far this season.

Conference play has not yet started, so Oklahoma State has not faced some of their tougher opponents yet, however, Anderson dropped 30 points on Southern University.

Against a more difficult opponent, he scored 26 points on Utah. He has scored in double digits in every game this season, and is an extremely consistent scorer.

Look for Anderson to continue to develop throughout the season, and lead the Oklahoma State Cowboys to a successful Big 12 conference run, where they could challenge some of the top teams.

Craig Brackins—Iowa State

Iowa State certainly may get overlooked frequently in the talented Big 12 conference, but they have one of the best players in Craig Brackins. With a Dirk Nowitzki-like style of play, Brackins is a 6'10'' forward, who finds success from three point range, as well as in the post.

After leading all scorers in the Big 12 conference in conference play last season (surprising given that he is not mentioned by many, though he outscored Blake Griffin and Sherron Collins), Brackins has picked up right where he left off this year.

He is only a junior, so he will be around again next season, but he is averaging 18 points and seven rebounds a game.

In 10 games, he has scored in single digits only once (in a game where he played fewer minutes than he averages), but has dropped 28 points on Mississippi Valley State (where has also had a double-double) and on in-state rival Iowa, both of which the Cyclones won.

Iowa State has not played many "big name" teams yet this season, but against California and Northwestern, Brackins scored 21 and 18 points respectively.

Brackins has started the season strong, and has already had two double-doubles. Keep an eye on Brackins throughout the season, even though Iowa State may not fair too well in conference play.

Players to Watch: Atlantic Sun

2009-11-29T21:34:00.000-05:00

The fourth installment of the Players to Watch series, this time featuring the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Ben Smith- Jacksonville

Senior Ben Smith is the clear leader of this Jacksonville team. He led the team in scoring and assists last season as a junior, and is doing the same thing so far as a senior. Smith has been playing 30 or more minutes per game since he was a freshman and has only been getting better.

He is the leader of the Dolphins, and his numbers certainly show why. Jacksonville has only played three games so far, but Smith has been stellar. He had a down game against California, scoring nine points, but the team only scored 47 total. However, against South Carolina, Smith exploded for 31 points, seven assists, and four steals.

Look for this kind of dominance to continue this season from Smith as Jacksonville with try to lead the Atlantic Sun again.

Tommy Hubbard- East Tennessee State

Hubbard is only a junior, but he along with fellow junior Justin Tubbs, are clearly the leaders of this East Tennessee team. Hubbard did not play as much last season because of stand out players Kevin Tiggs and Courtney Pigram, but he is seeing much more action this season and making the most of it.

Hubbard has already had four double doubles this season, and dropped 26 points and 13 rebounds on Chattanooga in a tight loss. However, he outdid himself a few games later against Arkansas, a much tougher opponent, where he scored 32 points and added 10 rebounds, in a win.

East Tennessee State should improve throughout the season behind the strong play of juniors Justin Tubbs and Tommy Hubbard.

Adnan Hodzic-Lipscomb

If Lipscomb wants to do anything this year, it will be behind the play of junior Adnan Hodzic. Hodzic was outstanding last season, and is continuing his dominance this season. Through five games, he has scored 18 or more points in each game, against formidable opponents such as Ohio State and Vanderbilt.

Hodzic has two double doubles already this season, and a 26 point performance against Elon. Look for the Bison to be strong again this season in conference play, where Hodzic should really start to take control of the team.

James Florence-Mercer

Florence, a senior at Mercer, can easily be argued as the best player in the Atlantic Sun Conference, and he is really starting to make a name for himself against big-time programs.

He is averaging 22 points per game this season, and had a 33 point game against Bucknell, and more notably, Florence dropped 40 points on Georgia Tech.

Florence is the returning lead scorer of the Atlantic Sun, and with one more year under his belt, should improve even more so upon that. Be sure to check out his stat-line after every game, as Florence is becoming the Stephen Curry of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Wake Forest Defeats Duke: A Look Back on the Disappointing Season

2009-11-29T16:22:00.001-05:00

This season has certainly been a disappointment for the Demon Deacons, but at least Riley Skinner and the Deacs won their final game of the season to end a season, career, and era on a positive note.

Faced with tough losses all season, Wake Forest could not catch a break anywhere. Five of their seven losses were by three points or less. They proved they could compete with anyone (except in a rough 38-3 loss to Clemson), they just couldn't hold on to the lead.

In a quick week by week summary:

Wake started shaky in week one against Baylor, and came within one final possession of winning, but just couldn't close it out.

They had solid wins against Stanford, a team who had not hit the national spotlight behind Toby Gerhart yet (and they kept Gerhart in check that game), and against Elon, admittedly not the toughest opponent.

They then suffered a tough loss in overtime to Boston College, where Riley Skinner was hit awkwardly causing a fumble on the three yard line as he was running for the end zone. A touchdown would have won the game as well.

The season looked like it was being turned around, after two nice wins against North Carolina State and Maryland, but then it all went downhill.

The Deacs were stomped by Clemson, losing by 35 points, where both the offense and defense seemed decimated. After this game, the losses just kept on coming, regardless of the circumstances.

In a rematch from their two games against the Midshipmen last season, where the Deacs lost in the regular season, but won the bowl game, once again Wake Forest lost by three points. Trailing the whole game, Wake could not stop the triple option as Navy attempted zero passes that game.

Wake then took on Miami, a game that looked like an automatic loss, given Miami's ranking and success this season. But the Deacons showed their skill, leading by 17 points at one time. But, they could not hold on to the lead, and lost by one point after a Miami touchdown with only a minute to go.

They then faced Georgia Tech, a team ranked higher, and most expected a worse loss. Exactly the opposite happened. The Deacs kept up with the Yellow Jackets the whole time in a tight game, and even led by seven at one point. But, they, again, could not hold on, losing by three in OT.

At this point, Wake needed to defeat both Florida State and Duke to become bowl eligible and it seemed possible given the struggles both teams have had.

However, the Deacs suffered an 11 point loss to the Seminoles, their second worst loss of the season. Yes, that's right. A team that finished with seven losses only had two losses of eleven or more points. The other five were all by three points or less.

Wake's "bowl" game came against the Duke Blue Devils with the final game of the season. The Deacons won the game convincingly by 11 points, but were leading the game from the second quarter.

Riley Skinner had a career day in his last game as a Demon Deacon, finishing with 372 passing yards and five touchdowns. The defense got back to their old ways by scoring off turnovers as Alex Frye had a "pick six" that sealed the 45-34 victory.

The season was certainly a disappointment for the Deacons and their fans. The defense was not as dominant as it had been in the past, showing how truly important players like Stanley Arnoux, Chip Vaughn, Alphonso Smith, and Aaron Curry were to the defense.

The Deacons can only wait for next season, but it will be the first time in four years that the offense is not led by quarterback Riley Skinner. It will be a rough change, but the Deacons will persist with talented backs Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass still around.

Grobe's defensive minded team should improve next year as the young defense will have more experience from this season. The defense was shaky this season, as they had good performances and some pretty terrible showings. They certainly developed as the season went on, but an offseason could be just what this team needs to get better.

For now, Deacon fans can only thank Riley Skinner for the great four years, enjoy this year's bowl season, and hope to get back to the winning ways next season.

Players to Watch: Atlantic Coast Conference

2009-11-28T17:48:00.001-05:00

This is the third volume of the "Players to Watch" segment, featuring players from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The ACC this season has so many promising young players and talented players this season, that it's extremely difficult to make a short list of players to watch, but I will do the best I can. If you have a player you feel should get some credit (really, for any of the conferences), feel free to comment and get your voice heard.

But, now, the players to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference:

Joe Trapani-Boston College

Trapani transferred to BC from Vermont two years ago, and saw his first year of action with the Eagles last season. He had a stellar shooting season and was the perfect scoring complement to Tyrese Rice. With Rice having graduated, BC is reeling on the offensive end, and will rely on Trapani to pick up the slack.

Trapani still has much room for improvement, but his scoring this season is already up from last season, as well as his rebounding. He has yet to really have a break out game, but has put up more than twenty points on two occasions this season.

If the BC Eagles hope to have any success this season, Trapani will lead them to that success with his scoring and rebounding, as they will certainly feel the ill effects of being without versatile scorer Tyrese Rice.

Nolan Smith- Duke

Smith certainly had a successful season last year, but with the transfer of Elliot Williams and departure of Gerald Henderson and Greg Paulus, he will be relied on heavily on the guard position. He certainly has responded so far this season, as he leads all Blue Devils in scoring, even Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer.

Smith has scored twenty or more points twice in only four games he has played in, and has been the "marathon man" for Duke so far, playing 40 minutes against Arizona State and against UConn.

Smith is critically important to Duke, as he can take a lot of the pressure off of Singler and Scheyer to score. He also has the team's best free throw percentage (which seems odd given how much Scheyer is praised for his free throws), making him a valuable asset at the end of games.

Deon Thompson- North Carolina

Thompson had a decent season last season, but he was not necessarily needed to be great much of the time. Overshadowed by Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, and Wayne Ellington, Thompson was not as crucial to their offense as he is this year, but still added ten points per game.

This year, with those four players gone, Thompson is being relied on as the offensive cornerstone for the Tar Heels, and he has certainly risen to the challenge. Thompson has almost doubled his scoring from last season, has already scored twenty or more points three times this season, and has had two double doubles (including one against Ohio State).

UNC has a fairly young team this season, and one could even call this year a rebuilding year (but a rebuilding year for UNC still carries extremely high expectations with it). Thompson and Marcus Ginyard are clearly the leaders of this team, and Thompson will be forced to step up as the leader of the team.

Al-Farouq Aminu-Wake Forest

Aminu had a stellar freshman season, but his game was held steady by the prolific scoring of sophomores Jeff Teague and James Johnson, both of whom declared for the NBA Draft at the end of the season.

Without Teague and Johnson around, the Deacons had a significant offensive gap that needed to be closed up, and with that space, Aminu's game has blossomed in his sophomore season. He is averaging over twenty points per game through four games, and has only scored less than twenty in one game against Winston-Salem State where he was in foul trouble for much of the contest.

Aminu has also been a hound on the glass, averaging nine rebounds per game, and doing much of it on the offensive end as well. Stunningly, this season Aminu has twenty defensive rebounds and sixteen offensive rebounds.

Aminu is the young leader of a rather experienced Demon Deacon team (the first one in a few years), who will be starting or at least giving significant minutes to four seniors. Given his inexperience, Aminu will certainly have some bumps in the road this season, but expect some surprising numbers from the "super sophomore."

Players to Watch: Atlantic 10

2009-11-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

This is the second volume of the conference players to watch, this time with the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Ryan Brooks- Temple

With the graduation of Dionte Christmas, the Owls needed someone to step up both offensively and defensively to fill Christmas’s shoes. Brooks has done just that as every single one of his statistics is up this season so far, and fairly drastically. Brooks has scored 17 or more points in all games except one, which was a game against Georgetown where only 91 total points were scored in the game. Other players also need to improve for Temple to have the kind of season they had last year, but Brooks showed what he can do in a game against Delaware where he finished with 23 points and nine rebounds.

Look for Brooks to have a big season in his senior year as the Temple Owls try to compete in the talented Atlantic 10 Conference.

Keith Cothran- Rhode Island

With the graduation of top scorers Jimmy Baron and Kahiem Seawright, Cothran is the most experienced player on this team and needs to pick up the scoring that left with Baron and Seawright. Coming off the bench last season, Cothran averaged 13 points per game, and as a starter this year he is only averaging 14 points. However, Cothright showed last season he is capable of putting up big numbers, scoring 19 points against Dayton, 26 points against Massachusetts, and over 20 points five times, all off the bench, even after missing five games.

Cothran may not appear to be a great player right now, but look for him to improve throughout the season as his minutes have increased from last season.

Chris Johnson- Dayton

As a freshman, Johnson’s numbers were fairly low, but he only saw 16 minutes per game. This season, Johnson’s minutes are up to 26 per game, and his production has drastically improved. Johnson has gone from six points per game to over 16, from five rebounds per game to over eight, and from half a steal per game to 1.3 steals. Johnson’s play should definitely help the Flyers this season, even though they have suffered two disappointing losses to Kansas State and Villanova (games where 16 and 13 points respectively).

Nevertheless, Chris Johnson has been huge in every single game, scoring 18 on Creighton and 19 on Georgia Tech in

Jordan Crawford (AP/Darron Cummings)

Dayton’s two other games so far this season. Clearly, Johnson is going to be very important to this team this year, but he will also rely on junior Chris Wright to carry some of the load.

Jordan Crawford-Xavier

Jordan Crawford, possibly more famous for being the “kid” who dunked on LeBron James, transferred from Indiana to Xavier two years ago, and therefore had to sit out last season. The sophomore has been stellar, averaging 21 points a game through four games, dropping 26 points on Sacred Heart, but finished disappointingly with only nine points against Marquette.

Crawford might be a little shaky at the beginning of the year after sitting out for a whole season, but he should improve throughout the season and become the leader, along with Jason Love, of this Musketeer team and try to lead them again to an Atlantic 10 championship.

This article is also featured on www.thebracketbusters.com

Players to Watch: America East Conference

2009-11-26T15:34:00.001-05:00

With the college basketball season rolling back around, I thought it would be good to take a look at some players who have big roles this year, conference by conference. So this is the first of many for the “Players to Watch” segment, and, with that, let’s take a look at some players starting in the America East Conference this year who should be stellar.

Muhammad El-Amin- Stony Brook

As a junior, El-Amin was the leader of this Stony Brook team, and if the Seawolves want to compete in the America East this season, El-Amin will be the one to carry them. Leading the team in scoring last season, El-Amin has picked up where he left off as both his scoring and his rebounding are improving. Stony Brook is 3-1 this season, and El-Amin has scored eleven or more points in three of those games. The only game he didn’t was against the University of Rhode Island, which is their only loss.

Clearly, Stony Brook relies heavily on El-Amin offensively, and if they hope to finish better than fourth in the America East (where they finished last season), it will be behind the play of El-Amin.

John Holland- Boston University

Holland led the Terriers in scoring last season as a sophomore, so it is not surprising that he is even more important to their success this season. Holland and senior Corey Lowe are the leaders of this team, but Holland has been the one stepping up so far this season. In six games, Holland has scored 20 points or more four times, and against very tough opponents: George Washington University, Kansas State, Indiana, and Georgia Tech. Clearly Holland can run with the best teams, but unfortunately the rest of this team has not risen to the challenge yet.

Look for Holland to continue to get better this season where he is already averaging 21 points and six rebounds per game.

Marqus Blakely- Vermont

With stellar guard Mike Trimboli having graduated, Blakely will need to step up the lead the Catamounts, and he has done just that. Through four games this season, Blakely’s numbers are all up including good games against tough opponents such as Rutgers and Providence. Blakely and Trimboli were Vermont’s main scoring threats last season, but Blakely will have to do most of the work himself this year. After averaging 16 points a game last season, he is already averaging 21 a game this season, and his rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks are all way up.

Blakely has stepped up so far in the few games Vermont has played and Vermont will need him to continue to only get better in his senior season.

This article is also featured on http://www.thebracketbusters.com

What Can Lovie Smith Be Thinking?

2009-10-19T23:53:00.004-04:00

One year removed from his days with the Chicago Bears, where he was seen as worse than the infamous Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton has begun this season with a start that he may have never thought he had in him.

I realize it is only six games into the season, but the change Orton has had is not just improvement, it is a complete and utter turn around.

Last season, Orton appeared in 15 games and threw 12 interceptions, the season prior he only appeared in three games, and still threw for two interceptions. Then, in his worst season of all, four years ago, Orton threw 13 interceptions in 15 games and had a measly 59.7 passer rating in those appearances.

Now in his first six games, Orton has thrown for nine touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating is over 100 on the year in his six starts.

Surely, his numbers could go downhill as the season progresses, but the fact that Orton has been able to consistently put up these solid numbers as well as that the Denver Broncos are a rejuvenated football team behind the play of rookies such as Knowshon Moreno, a defense featuring eight new starters, and a new head coach Josh McDaniels.

Sure, the Broncos traded away potential superstar QB Jay Cutler, for a barely NFL-proven QB, but it seems like it is paying off.

Not only did they get a more consistent Kyle Orton, but they also received two first round draft picks and a third round draft pick, to add even more to the talented roster.

While Lovie Smith may be happy with Jay Cutler and the new offensive look the Bears have, you have to wonder about Orton. Is the dramatic change because of McDaniels coaching as opposed to Smith? Did Orton just become a better player? Are the Broncos simply a better suited team for Orton?

Obviously, it would appear that the answer to all of these questions is yes, even though it's a little too early to tell.

But, I'm sure McDaniels is thrilled.

The Year of the Sweep: The Wild Results of the MLB Division Series

2009-10-11T22:38:00.008-04:00

For only the second time in the division series era in the MLB, three out of four series ended in sweeps. The last time this happened was actually not too long ago.

In the 2007 playoffs, the Boston Red Sox swept the Los Angeles Angels (what a turn of events), the Colorado Rockies swept the Philadelphia Phillies (the similarities here are unreal), and the Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Chicago Cubs (well that ended).

The only other series involved the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees where the Yanks lost in four games.

This season the brooms were out again for three major league cities.

The first team to fall was the St. Louis Cardinals. Coming as a surprise to many, the Cards did not even put up a fight against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With their strong starting pitching and with an offense led by sluggers Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday, a World Series win did not seem far away.

But, the Dodgers pitching and offense proved to be too much, and the Cardinals season ended earlier than expected.

The trend continued as the Los Angeles Angels ended the season of the Boston Red Sox in straight games after Jonathan Papelbon blew the third game in the ninth inning (who clearly was not as jovial as shown).

The Yankees completed the sweeps of the series by defeating the Minnesota Twins. After falling behind in the sixth inning of the final game, the Yankees padded on runs in the seventh and ninth to sweep the Twins and finish the days of the MetroDome.

So, the brooms have been out early and in force this year, and the Yankees even picked an extra achievement up by going 10-0 against the Twins including both the regular season and the postseason.

While the Yankees await the Angels and the Dodgers await the winner of the Phillies and Rockies series, one can only wonder: will the brooms be out again in the Championship Series?

No seems like the reasonable answer here, but did anyone see three sweeps coming with the matchups in the division series?

A Hair Away: Andy Pettitte Comes Close to Perfection

2009-09-01T00:03:00.007-04:00

Oh, what could have been in Camden Yards on Monday night.

Andy Pettitte had gone six-and-two-thirds perfect innings, and it felt like there was something in the air.

Pettitte had only thrown 65 pitches at this time and was looking fresh, until misfortune struck.

A hard hit ground ball by Adam Jones was mis-fielded by third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr., who was playing tonight to allow starter Alex Rodriguez a night off.

Because the play was ruled an error, Pettitte still had a chance for a no-hitter. However, pitching from the stretch for the first time that night seemed to throw him off, as the next batter Nick Markakis recorded a single.

Pettitte closed the inning without giving up a run, and still had a shot at a shutout. Nevertheless, the shutout then disappeared when he gave up a solo home run to Melvin Mora.

But, the Yankees still finished with a win, the final score 5-1, and Mariano Rivera picked up his 37th save of the season, as Pettitte received his 12th win of the season.

Following the game, there is no doubt Pettitte would have said that the win is all that matters as they go down the stretch towards the playoffs, and that he is happy he pitched well enough to get the win.

But, everyone else knows what Andy Pettitte was actually thinking, and he knew something special could have happened.

With the win, the New York Yankees move to six-and-a-half games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, and they will play the Baltimore Orioles again tomorrow with AJ Burnett scheduled to face off against David Hernandez.

Oh, what could have been.

Red Bulls Outlast Crew in Win

2009-08-31T00:51:00.005-04:00

In a season where there has been hardly anything to be happy about, the New York Red Bulls seem to have a new look about them.

The first game after head coach Juan Carlos Osorio announced his resignation, interim head coach Richie Williams was put to the test against FC Dallas. The Red Bulls played a great match, and ended up earning their first win since May.

The team entered today having to play the Columbus Crew, who were "red" hot not having lost for eight MLS games (winning six and drawing two).

But, the Crew were faced with the challenge of playing this new look Red Bulls team. A team that entered the game with a new swagger behind captain and leading scorer Juan Pablo Angel.

Attended by 10,000 plus fans, the game was a defensive battle the whole way through. The two teams went back and forth throughout the game, finishing with practically the exact amount of shots, corner kicks, and possession percentage.

Given the defense, the game became extremely physical, at least enough to warrant the referee to issue six yellow cards (three to each team, another exact match).

But, the scoring drought for both teams ended in the 63rd minute when Dane Richards of the New York Red Bulls jolted away from the pack and put a break-away goal in behind Columbus goalie Andy Gruenebaum (who started tonight in place of usual starter Will Hesmer).

The rest of the game continued the defensive battle as, although there were chances, no other player was able to break through with a goal.

The New York Red Bulls now are riding a two game win streak for the first time in the season, and behind the leadership of interim coach Richie Williams, the team seems to have a new confidence and a rebirth in the season. The Red Bulls have only won four games in total this season, but all four have been at home.

They hope to finish out the season strongly after a very disappointing year, as the Columbus Crew will try to battle through the season to receive a better spot in the playoffs.

The Red Bulls will next take on the Kansas City Wizards on September 12 at home, and the Columbus Crew will return home to play the Houston Dynamo on September 13.

Ways to Keep Up With The Sports Age

2009-08-18T02:45:00.002-04:00

Well, I realize there has been a lack of articles lately, but I have been extremely busy and will still be. I will work on fixing it, but for now I can only say and ask three things:

1) Thanks for reading The Sports Age. I appreciate all the people who do come to read here and thank you for coming back.

2) Please send in more questions for our next MailTime segment via the contact form to the left of this post. They can be light, they can be serious, just keep them clean and relevant to sports or even entertainment (just don't overstep your bounds).

3) In the meantime while the blog goes sans articles, I still update the blog twitter daily with sports news, questions, and random happenings. So, I ask that you follow me there as well to keep the blog going.

And that's about it.

Again, thank you for reading, and I hope to have more up soon.

MailTime: Chapter 1

2009-08-09T23:50:00.006-04:00

I finally got around to answering the MailTime questions I've received. I plan to continue doing the whole segment, so please, continue sending in questions. They can be light, they can be serious, as long as they are relevant (and not obscene).

Enough of that, let's go.

I was wondering what your stance is on Mike Vick? Should he be allowed to come back to the NFL? Should he have to do community service hours?
-J

Well, this is an interesting situation. I feel Vick deserves a chance to play again, but should be held on a tight leash. If he does any other thing to tarnish his reputation, I think Commissioner Goodell needs to take the appropriate action, even going to the length of permanently removing him from the NFL.

As for service hours, or any other type of repayment, I think that Vick owes the fans a lot for all the trouble that was caused with his dog fighting case. Any court mandated community service should definitely be completed, and it would be a great sign if he did any more past that. Maybe even doing something with PETA would be appropriate, but I doubt they would even be interested in the opportunity.

Any team that wants to sign Vick certainly has to understand that there is a lot of potentially bad repercussions by signing him. This will be something to cope with for the entire season, and could outweigh the benefits of having him playing since who knows how he will perform. If Michael Vick is signed by someone, he brings a great amount of risk with an unknown amount of reward.

Who do you see as the top 3 teams in the East/West as rosters stand at the moment?
-Don

There has been a lot of action in the NBA so far, especially with the draft. However, most of the moves have not affected who I think will be the top teams.

In the West:

Of course the Lakers are going to be one of the top three. The only big loss was Trevor Ariza, but they signed Ron Artest, who could potentially be a huge upgrade, and resigned Lamar Odom. LA should remain atop the West, pending a big move by another team.

The San Antonio Spurs really only made two huge moves this offseason which make me think they will remain one of the top 3 teams. They gave up virtually very little to get Richard Jefferson who will help open up their offense, but will need to contribute defensively. They also picked up DeJuan Blair late in the draft, who could be a huge risk with the state of his knees, but also has a huge upside (especially as a steal at the 34th pick).

The third team I like from the West is the Portland Trailblazers. The only big move they made this offseason was signing Andre Miller, who will help the team. However, with the lack of change, they should put up similar numbers to last year, which left them tied for second place in the West. I also feel that Greg Oden should develop further (pending no injuries), and Brandon Roy will continue to become a better leader for this team.

In the East, I think it is a little more complicated, but here's my top three:

The Cleveland Cavaliers will definitely remain one of the top 3 teams in the East simply because of LeBron James. They do not really have much else to work with, but James is good enough to carry a team in the East to a top 3 seed. For even more success, Mo Williams and Zydrunas Ilgauskas will need to consistently perform. However, the addition of Shaquille O'Neal is huge for this team. Not only can he take over if "Z" is struggling, but he has worked with the Suns prior to this season to become a faster player, and the Cavs play a fast pace. However, Shaq is aging and could be a risk to the team.

The Orlando Magic are poised to remain a top team in the East, even after losing Hedo Turkoglu. Vince Carter should be an excellent fit for the team, and players like Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis (who is currently suspended for their first 10 games), and Mickael Pietrus will keep the Magic competitive.

My last team in the East is the Boston Celtics. They have kept virtually the same line-up, and avoiding injuries could lead them to a one seed in the NBA. Last season, injuries to Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett hurt the team greatly, and led to their early demise in the playoffs.

Past these top 3, I would put the New Orleans Hornets and Denver Nuggets as my two next best in the West, and the Toronto Raptors (a long shot, but with the addition of Hedo Turkoglu, I believe they can make some noise) and Miami Heat as the next best in the East.

Do you think the Cavs are a legitimate championship contender now with Shaq?
-Justin

As I said prior to this question, I think the addition of Shaq is a good one, but with unknown results. Everyone knows what Shaq can do when healthy, but he has gotten older and is trying to change to "ShaqLyte" since he started with the Phoenix Suns. I think only time will tell for the Cavaliers, but I certainly think that Shaq is an upgrade from Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao. Even before the signing of Shaq, the Cavaliers were championship contenders. They just haven't been able to finish off the season.

What is the name of the Quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs?
-Luke

I'm going to say Joe Cox, but it's probably still a toss-up at this point.

With Manny Acta out as the Nationals manager, and the team in complete disarray, what do you think the Nationals need to do in order to get back on the winning track next season?

-Andrew

Well, obviously, this question was sent in a little awhile ago, as the Nationals have turned it around so far in the second half (I say turned it around lightly, as putting together any string of wins for this team is an accomplishment). So, obviously, something is being done right.

But, for success next season, their main objective needs to be getting any good pitcher. It doesn't matter if they are in the bullpen or a starter, the Nationals pitching is just horrendous this year. Their offensive numbers have been pretty good this season, but pitching has kept them down.

If you had to make a baseball team with players from any time, who would they be? (Just the regular 9 in the field + a DH and manager.)

-James

This is tough, I'm going to need some time to think about this. Can I just pick this year's Yankee team?

All kidding aside, here is who I can put together quickly:

C: Mike Piazza (Although I'm eally not a big fan, he was probably one of the greatest catchers of the modern era)

1B: Bill Terry (hit .400 in one season, and was probably one of the greatest players of all time).

2B: Rogers Hornsby (One of the greatest of all time with a career .374 batting average).

3B: Wade Boggs (One of the members of the 3000 hit club, with a career .328 average)

SS: Derek Jeter (One of the best contact hitters in the game, and with another 4-6 years left in his career, is only 300 hits away from 3000).

OF: Ted Williams (Not much to be said here, he is one of the greatest)

OF: Kirby Puckett (See the above reasoning)

OF: Tony Gwynn (truly one of the best players ever in the Major Leagues, and his recent induction to the Hall of Fame is only proof of that)

DH: Edgar Martinez (Probably one of the best hitters in the modern era)

Manager: I think I would pick Joe Torre, just because I like what he's done with the teams he has been at.

I'd like to mention that I would pick Babe Ruth, but I'm not exactly sure what position to put him at given the many he was so great at. Other greats I would include are Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and so many more I don't feel like boring you with.

And just for fun:

SP: Nolan Ryan

I think I probably could have come up with something better, but there are far too many candidates out there.

I just wanted to know what you thought about the whole scandal involving USC (Bush and Mayo?) What and for how long will the NCAA penalize the Trojans? How long would you penalize them if you had a say in all of this?

-Carlos

Well, the USC basketball coach Tim Floyd recently resigned, in all likelihood because of the mess with Mayo, and there has been a lot of scandal at USC besides just with Bush. I really can't comment as most of the facts haven't been released, but if everything is true, the NCAA certainly has to do something. Whether it is probation or taking away the wins for those seasons (not sure what extreme they would go to), a statement has to be made that the NCAA's rules are rules and must be followed.

This concludes the first chapter of MailTime. Keep sending more questions, and the sooner I get them, the sooner the next edition comes.

Stay tuned for more articles and stories on The Sports Age.

MLB Home Run Derby Chronicle :Volume 1

2009-07-13T23:20:00.002-04:00

Well, I just turned on the Home Run Derby right at the beginning of ESPN's coverage, but I can't help to point out that Chris Berman announces the Derby. Why exactly? I think this is his only non-football broadcast in the entirety of ESPN. But, anyway, after Berman just introduced Albert Pujols, I think Ryan Howard's ovation was fairly similar (even though he is a native).

But, here's how this works. There will be a timestamp for each time something notable happens followed by what happened, and, yes, notable is pretty loose here.

8:09PM: I'm pretty sure Joe Morgan just said he won't pick Prince Fielder because his swing is too nice but too hard. Sure, fatigue can play a factor, but isn't that, well, what you want to hit home runs??

8:11PM: Chris Berman let's everyone know that they are probably familiar with the rules of the the Derby, but then struggles through them himself. Uh, Chris, how many times have you been doing this?

I just noticed John Kruk is not here. Is he usually not there??

8:12PM: Apparently, the home run derby is now like the Home Run Challenge in the Bigs. If you hit it to 3 targets around the field or hit the gold ball, money is raised. Interesting...

8:13PM: Call your shot contest. A tribute to Babe Ruth or an embarrassment to some of these players?
And they have a new Tahoe in the outfield, what happens if Pujols just lines one right into the truck? I mean with Chevy's current state economically, that could be pretty bad.

8:15PM: While waiting for his pitch, I'm pretty sure Pujols just screamed at the pitcher in Spanish. And he's taken about 5 pitches so far--make that 6--just for the call your shot.

8:17PM: Well, Pujols couldn't call his shot, hit one to the spot but way short, and a bloop to centerfield. That's why no one calls shots anymore, too risky.

8:18PM: Nice moment as Ozzie Smith throws out the first pitch of the HR Derby to Yadier Molina.

8:19PM: ESPN really must not have much to show, as within 15 minutes, they have showed the lineup twice, a new camera angle, and all the different prizes people can win. 21 minutes in, Nelson Cruz finally steps up.

8:21PM: Cruz hits two straight jacks, but the kids in the outfield are looking a little sparse. Is no one interested in being there?

8:22PM: One of the kids caught a routine fly ball, but lost his hat in the process. Odd.

8:24PM: Found my answer, all the kids are chilling in the bullpen. Wise choice, must be pretty hot.

8:25PM: First mention of Josh Hamilton comes 25 minutes in. I think the over wins on that.

8:26PM: Cruz just hit an absolute moon-shot for his ninth home run to the fourth deck of the stadium. Wow.

8:27PM: Everything is happening at once! First moon-shot, first Hamilton mention, first run-down of Chris Berman references!!! Ahh!

In other news, Cruz finishes his first round with 11 home runs as Josh Hamilton comes out to greet him.

8:28PM: Come on Joe Morgan. Are you really comparing Nelson Cruz's first round performance to Josh Hamilton's last season just because they are both Rangers? Really?

8:30PM: Wait, interviewing Albert Pujols already? Did he win, and Prince Fielder is just taking BP?

8:31PM: In the other bullpen there was a bunch of kids in blue (contrary to all of them in red so far). Now we know where they hide the Cubs fans!

8:33PM: Chris Berman is good with hyperbole. Apparently 4 first basemen from the NL equals all 15 in the home run derby.

8:37PM: Sorry, no updates for an astounding 4 minutes...You only missed 8 home runs by Prince Fielder, 7 outs, and 4 minutes of Pujols coaching/interviewing, couldn't tell.

8:38PM: Fielder signals the pitcher to throw it a little lower. Next pitch: 497 foot blast. At least he knows what works.

8:39PM: Why do they have to actually go out and make a ton of gold baseballs for this? It probably costs a lot more than you or I would expect, and signifies....well, a donation? At least Fielder hit one of them out though. The MLB must feel it was a good decision now.

8:40PM: Random, but they just showed a panoramic view of St. Louis after Fielder finished his round with 11 home runs too. St. Louis seems like a nice city. But, to commercials!

8:43PM: That was a really long commercial...mainly about having nightmares about global warming. Odd.

8:44PM: Hey, it's John Kruk! Too bad it's on a commercial. Aww.

8:46PM: Brandon Inge looks pretty uncomfortable out there. 4 straight outs. And Joe Morgan remains adamant about his man-crush----uhh, pick---of Ryan Howard.

8:48PM: Apparently ESPN got bored too with 9 straight outs by Inge, and cut to an interview with Derek Jeter...and Erin Andrews.

8:49PM: Inge thought he had his first home run on the "Gold Ball" but it cut foul quickly. Inge puts up a 'nil' in his first round.

8:50PM: Chris Berman just sounded like he had a little too much fun saying the first name of E. Slaughter. And then he said anyone will become a Cardinals fan just after reading a history of the Cardinals. Huh?

8:52PM: Did Joe Buck's HBO special get moved, or is it over already? I mean, it wouldn't really surprise me.

8:53PM: Hey, a Rays fan!

8:55PM: Well, Adrian Gonzalez only puts up a two-spot. The loudest cheer during his whole time up came when a girl in the outfield snagged one of his many line-drives, which unfortunately, won't usually win you a home run derby.

8:56PM: Commercials again...This isn't even out of the first round and ESPN says it will be over in an hour. They lie!

9:00PM: Carlos Pena hits his first home run, followed by another Josh Hamilton mention! Let's see, I think he's at three, and Morneau (last year's winner) has been seen once. Only expected though.

9:03PM: Hamilton just used the phrase "all juiced up" to describe the adrenaline rush of being in the Derby. Double entendre?

9:05PM: One thing about ESPN: when they get a new piece of technology they use it to death. They have mentioned their new "Ball Track" cam that simply lights up the ball green when it sense it has the distance to be a home run about three times an at bat.

9:08PM: I think Steve Phillips just tried to make a pun using Carlos Pena's name, but regardless, Pena is at 5 home runs on the "gold ball." Last hit is a liner to left field which starts a brawl between the kids in the outfield. Ron Artest is watching somewhere...smiling.

9:09PM: Now a montage of Hamilton's performance last year. It was truly amazing, but you have to feel bad for Morneau. I mean he won it, and no one will even know that come next year, but I can guarantee you they will still mention Hamilton's performance.

9:12PM: In one commercial break, Biba Golic was mentioned twice. Pretty cool huh.

9:13PM: Howard takes his turn to a fairly mediocre ovation compared to his first introduction...about an hour ago.

9:16PM: Joe Morgan supports his pick of Howard by explaining a different facet of Howard's game after each home run to show how good he actually is.

9:18PM: Howard is tied with Pena at 5 home runs with 3 outs left. Joe Morgan says "Well, he definitely needs one more I think."

9:26PM: Wow, long time no update. Sorry, got kind of boring, although Joe Mauer is at 3 home runs, pretty close to Howard's pace. Who would of guessed (not Joe Morgan!)?

9:28PM: ESPN's ball-track high-lighting system just lost Mauer's ball. Way to inform me if it was a home run or not. That's what happens when you use it on every pitch.

9:29PM: Mauer just hit, according to ESPN, a 417 foot line drive to right field that WASN'T a home run? Am I missing something? But, Mauer finishes with 5 home runs, as Albert Pujols is set to come up for the first time. You can feel the anticipation in the air, well, not really, but I think Steve Phillips is getting excited.

9:31PM: I just realized I missed the celebrities game! What a bummer. At least Biba Golic was mentioned again.

9:35PM: Tension already in St. Louis as Albert (the Machine!!!) had two outs, but then he belts one to left field (Why didn't you eliminate it Albert?).

9:37PM: Pujols has 5 outs and only 1 home run. Uh oh.

9:39PM: Get the replay going! Did that hit the top of the wall or was it gone?! Where's Bud Selig?!?

9:42PM: ESPN360 broke on me, so I have no idea what's going on. Great.

9:46PM: Well, Pujols apparently hit 2 more home runs in his last out to tie Pena and Mauer. So, we are into a 3-man swing off, and Pena currently is at 1 home run.

9:47PM: Attention all lexicographers: Chris Berman and Joe Morgan have added a new word to the dictionary: "bat-off." That is all.

9:49PM: Pena only gets one home run as Berman uses "bat-off" again. Joe Morgan gets confused about the "bat-off" thinking it was 5 outs, not 5 swings. Joe Mauer comes back up and sympathizes with the catcher who has been sitting there for about an hour now (Can you even call that sitting? Maybe we can call it "Bagwelling?").

9:52PM: Mauer finishes the "bat-off" that Chris Berman has become infatuated with saying without a home run. Albert Pujols steps up to the plate again, as Joe Morgan calls a "bat-off" round two. And just to prevent a further mishap, Berman explains to him that it's only 3 swings. All clear now for the next round.

9:54PM: Pujols goes Happy Gilmore-esque with the pre-leg-kick during the swing. Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly if you have watched the movie), he hits two straight home runs to get to the next round.

9:59PM: These commercial breaks get longer and longer. Tough economy, or does it take the make-up artists that long, even when the announcers are barely on camera?

10:01PM: I'm pretty sure the listing said this would be over already. Oh well. Not like there is any other sport that has any kind of chance of being televised that is on. Oh, and Pujols just hit his first home run of the second round.

10:06PM: Pujols rallying with only 2 outs remaining, but still needs two more home runs to even tie the leaders (and they still have to go). Looking gloomy for St. Louis.

10:08PM: Pujols was drenched in sweat as he hit his last out. He finishes with 11 home runs, which is what Cruz and Fielder are at. Seems like a long-shot at this point.

10:11PM: Howard hits his first home run after two outs and Joe Morgan explodes into a "Why do you think I chose him?" Okay Joe. We get it. You like him and you think he will win.

10:14PM: Howard is looking tired. Swing is getting weaker and he's taking more time in between pitches. Oh, I'm not kidding, he just said, "I'm tired man." But, then he hits his third home run of the round. Go figure. Followed by his fourth!

10:16PM: Joe Morgan stating the obvious. Howard hits his twelfth home run: "This makes him the leader in the [theoretical] clubhouse."

10:18PM: OK, this is becoming a diary of Joe Morgan. First of all, with one out left, Morgan says if Howard can get 4 more home runs, he will be in good shape. Then, he hits one, and Joe Morgan says it's gone, no it's not, yes it is, oh it's gone!

10:20PM: Well, Howard puts on a streak of 3 straight with only one out left. That pretty much eliminates Pujols pending a miracle.

10:26PM: Commercials finally end at 6 minutes. I'm pretty sure that's a record for the night.

10:27PM: I think Chris Berman and Joe Morgan are getting bored. Amidst Nelson Cruz's turn, they seem to be planning their next vacation.

10:30PM: Nelson Cruz clinches a spot in the final round by getting his sixteenth home run, and Albert Pujols is officially out of contention. Only Prince Fielder is left in the second round, and he will need 5 home runs to get to the final round.

10:33PM: Fielder looks gassed. Hit 3 quick outs. Maybe Joe Morgan was right? Nah, he just nailed one to straight center field.

10:35PM: Back, back, back, back, back, back! Name that announcer!

10:36PM: Prince Fielder advances to the final round against Nelson Cruz with a 488 foot home run, followed by a 503 foot home run. Did I say he was gassed? My mistake.

10:37PM: Joe Morgan trying to defend himself now. He says that Fielder puts so much into every swing, that he tires himself out, which is why he didn't think he will win, but he says he still looks pretty fresh. In other words, you were wrong, right?

10:39PM: 160 minutes in, and finally we arrive at the final round between Prince Fielder and Nelson Cruz. Man, I feel bad. This is a lot longer than it needs to be. But, off to more commercials. 7 minutes now?

10:44PM: Ah, well, we were close. But, back to the Derby! Now, can anyone explain to me why this is taking just as long as an actual game does? Not seeing the reasoning.

10:45PM: Joe Morgan just called Prince Fielder his pick. Am I missing something? And then he gives Cruz the edge. What? Pick a side Joe!

10:47PM: That was an inside pitch to Cruz. I wonder if anyone has been hit by a pitch during the Home Run Derby? How ironic would that be, but yet, oh so realistic?

10:48PM: One of the camera-men who was working the ESPN desk just got hit by a foul ball. Ouch. Why exactly is the ESPN booth on the field though?

10:51PM: Cruz finishes his final round with five home runs. Can Fielder match that even though he looks a little fatigued? But, to more commercials. Oh boy.

10:56PM: Commercials seem to average 5 minutes per. I think that's close to what the US Open does in an hour. I guess when nothing else is going on people will sit through this many commercials. Anyway, here comes Prince, who needs 6 home runs this round to win the Derby!

11:00PM: Prince Fielder just hit an absolute MOONSHOT to tie Nelson Cruz at 5 home runs with 6 outs left. Let's see what happens! Could it be-dare I say it- a "bat-off?" (I can see Chris Berman smiling from here).

11:02PM: Prince Fielder is the home run derby champion as he hits a long-shot straight to center-field. Ryan Braun runs out to congratulate him, as Nelson Cruz looks on gloomily.

So that happened. 182 minutes of Home Runs, Chris Berman's antics, and more. Congratulations to Prince Fielder on winning the Derby as he gets set for the All Star Game tomorrow.

I'm still shocked that Pujols struggled the way he did, and then the only other St. Louis favorite didn't make the finals either. Busch Stadium quieted down a lot after that, only until Fielder won though. Well, Brewers fans can rejoice in their derby victory, but I think I'm going to try to forget what a "bat-off" is and prepare for the All Star Game.

Oh, and here's a preview of our up and coming "MailTime" segment:

Who do you think will be the MLB All Star Game MVP?
-Garrett

Well, I'm usually pretty nervous when it comes to actually deciding a winner in the All Star Game, even though the AL has dominated for years now. It's virtually a toss-up for both sides with the great rosters, so I will give you an MVP from each team, and we will see what happens.

If the NL wins, I think the MVP will be Albert Pujols. Not only is the game in St. Louis so he gets a bit of home field advantage, but he is the best player in baseball right now, and if the NL produces in the game tomorrow, it will be because of Pujols. He is just that good.

If the AL wins, I think the MVP will be Ichiro Suziki. Now, I know this is kind of a longshot, but Ichiro is a do it all player, who can hit home runs, get hit hits, steal bases, and play extremely solid defense. No doubt will he produce in the game tomorrow, but I don't feel he will get the MVP if the AL does not win, simply because I think Pujols has the absolute advantage.

That concludes this whole wrap-up. Tune in to the All Star Game tomorrow night!

Coming Soon to the Sports Age

2009-07-12T16:46:00.004-04:00

There are a couple new features coming to the Sports Age, but we will need YOUR help.

The first new segment coming will be a "diary" of events such as drafts, all star games, or any important happenings in sports. It will be a minute by minute recap of what's going on, with a slight twist. It will be something to read, so be sure to check it out.

The second is something where user's help will be needed. Depending on how many emails we receive, there could be a "MailTime" segment weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. The emails can be anything about sports, whether asking my opinion on something, or it can be anything you want to send to us. You can contact us with these questions with the contact form on the left side of the page.

Expect to start seeing new articles sometime next week.

Short Hiatus Until 7/23

2009-07-05T01:45:00.002-04:00

The site will be under a short hiatus until on or about July 23. There may be some more articles posted between that time, but it is unlikely. The twitter feed will be updated periodically, so follow us there for all your sports updates.

Until then, have fun.

Spurs Land A Big 4 in Trade

2009-06-23T23:03:00.006-04:00

In what could be the biggest or most influential trade in the off-season, even with so much of it remaining, the Spurs have once again NBA Finals hype.

Richard Jefferson was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Spurs today. However, many thought the Spurs would have to pay the price for a star such as Jefferson, sending players like Manu Ginobili or Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill.

Instead, the Spurs only sent aging defender Bruce Bowen and forward Kurt Thomas. Luckily, Jefferson is a great defender as well, and will replace Bowen perfectly. Additionally, he becomes another scoring threat, who averaged over 20 points per game with the Bucks.

The Spurs now have a big four consisting of Jefferson, Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan. The Spurs struggled last season with injuries to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, which took them out of games for a considerable amount of time. Tim Duncan also struggled with a lingering knee injury that kept his minutes down and took him out of some games.

With this new lineup, the Spurs definitely have some holes that need to be filled, but are now in serious contention for a trip to the NBA Finals next season. But, if they hope to succeed, their bench must still perform, although without many significant changes to it, they should be solid.

However, the Spurs must add someone, whether it be from the draft, from a trade, or from free agency that can complement Tim Duncan besides Matt Bonner. Fabricio Oberto was also involved in this trade, even though he saw very limited minutes last season.

Without Oberto and Thomas, the Spurs are very thin when it comes to their forwards. Expect to see some other moves from the Spurs this off-season or in the draft for a forward.

Just this move has put the Spurs into serious contention to win the NBA Finals next year. The Spurs now have five players who average over 11 points per game, and will rely heavily on Drew Gooden to produce off the bench or as a starter, unless they get a replacement.

Jeff Teague: Departing From Wake Forest

2009-06-15T20:54:00.002-04:00

A disappointing decision for many Demon Deacon fans, and a relief for much of the rest of the ACC, Jeff Teague has decided to remain in the NBA Draft this year.

Teague's announcement comes after he had decided not to sign an agent, following teammate James Johnson's announcement that he was in fact entering the draft with an agent.

Teague led Wake Forest with 18.8 points per game and a staggering 44 percent shooting from three. He also added 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, as well as an impressive 82 percent from the line and 1.9 steals per game.

Wake Forest lost their top two players to this draft, but will return rising sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu, which gives hope to the program.

Along with Aminu, the Deacons will have their largest, and most experienced, senior class in some years.

Point guard Ishmael Smith, shooting guard L.D. Williams (although he would not be their main offensive production), power forward David Weaver and center Chas McFarland all will return to the Deacon lineup, along with highly touted rising sophomores Tony Woods and Ty Walker.

Wake Forest has high expectations for this team, especially with elite freshmen recruits Ari Stewart, C.J. Harris, and Konner Tucker.

The Deacons also appear to have one of the best recruiting classes in the ACC for 2010 with four highly ranked recruits verbally committed already.

Teague and Johnson will be tough players to replace, but the Deacons certainly have the talent present and coming in to remain as one of the best teams in the ACC.

Santana Rocked As The Mets Search For A New Beat

2009-06-15T01:05:00.007-04:00

In what many thought would be just another day of work for him, the New York Mets' pitcher Johan Santana had the worst start in his career.

It started as a normal outing for Santana, giving up a hit to Derek Jeter before retiring three straight in the Yankees' lineup. But things only got worse from there.

After giving up a lead-off double to Robinson Cano and walking Hideki Matsui, Santana looked a little off. Three straight singles later, and the Bronx Bombers were quickly up by four.

Four runs seems like that would be pretty bad for Santana, and he seemed unnerved after going three up, three down in his next inning.

Mets fans and the baseball world then witnessed Santana's worst start in his extremely successful career. Santana was shellacked for another five earned runs in only the fourth inning, to give him nine for the day, the most of his career. Luis Castillo must be looking pretty good right now.

To make matters worse, Brian Stokes would come in only to give up another four runs, and Jon Switzer gave up another two (the Switzer-Swisher at-bat made for some interesting announcing during the game).

The Mets seem frustrated the entire game, especially because they were shutout by A.J. Burnett who looked great on the mound.

However, the umpires weren't helping their cause by calling a very loose strike zone. So loose that it spurred an argument from David Wright after he was struck out looking and an ejection for Jerry Manuel when he proceeded with the argument.

However, the Yankees need to be given some credit, too. Scoring 15 runs, and most not off home runs (always a surprise when playing at the new Yankee Stadium), their offense really clicked today when it needed to.

A.J. Burnett, who had been struggling, received his third win in five games, and really seems to be turning it around. Against the Mets, he pitched seven scoreless innings, only giving up four hits, and earning eight strikeouts.

It was an impressive performance from the Yankees, but a beyond scary one for any Mets' fan. The Yankees just have to hope this isn't just another "phase" of offense, and that they can more continually produce, or maybe gain their first player with an On Base Percentage over .400.

Tiger Time: The US Open Returns

2009-06-14T12:17:00.001-04:00

The PGA Tour US Open returns for the 109th running this Thursday. It will be tough to follow the epic ending from last year's Open, as Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate went to a 19 hole playoff in a fifth round. Woods ended up winning the Open by one stroke, in breathtaking fashion.

Now, all the hype and excitement returns, and, who knows, maybe it will be better than last year's. But, there are whole new twists and turns the PGA tour has taken since then.

The defending champion Tiger Woods immediately had surgery on his leg following last year's Open. Looks like that was a little detail I forgot to mention, he was practically playing on one leg.

Woods returned to the tour only a couple months ago, and has played in a small number of tournaments. However, he won the Memorial Tournament just a week ago.

But coming into this, he is clearly the favorite to recapture Bethpage State Park golf course. Oh, did I mention that prior to last year, the last time Woods won the US Open was in 2002, at Bethpage. Really no shocker as to why he is the favorite.

Phil Mickelson also enters the tournament with a great amount of media attention, but not as much for his game. He left the tour for over a month after his wife was diagnosed with cancer.

"Lefty" returned to the tour only a week ago, and looked to be in shape for the Open. He appeared calm and collected, and even said after one round that playing forces him to get his mind off things.

Other players like Kenny Perry, Padraig Harrington, Angel Cabrera, and Chad Campbell enter the Open with hype surrounding them after gaining much of the national spotlight of late.

Harrington took advantage of the time when Woods was injured and became one of the best on the tour.

Campbell, Perry, and Cabrera were all part of the amazing three-player playoff at the Masters this year. Cabrera also won the US Open in 2007, beating Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a mere one stroke.

Even Rocco Mediate has been drawing a huge amount of press to himself just from the round he played last year. While there really is no expectation of anything similar from Mediate this year, there was no expectation last year either, so the unexpected will be expected in this tournament.

The US Open will be something to watch and starts and this Thursday, and barring a playoff, it will end on Sunday. It will be a great tournament to see top golfers duke it out with one another, and possibly another "Cinderella" story playing beyond the top of their game.

Be sure to tune in.

The New York Yankees: A Tale of Inconsistency

2009-06-13T02:01:00.000-04:00

The Yankees started this season with extremely high hopes after making blockbuster deals in signing Nick Swisher, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett, and C.C. Sabathia. The team would also have a healthy Chien-Ming Wang, a more experienced Joba Chamberlain, a better set bullpen, and returning studs such as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

However, this season has been more of the same for the Yankees. After starting slowly, the team heated up to take first place of the AL East.

But, then, the titled inconsistency begins to show. The team is 0-8 this season against the Red Sox, which is certainly not helping them in their chase to win the AL East. Their offense seems to fall apart in big situations, and their pitching looks uncontrollable from the starters to even closer Mariano Rivera.

Things are looking bright for the Yankees, but they are not on the road to a World Series yet, not even close. The return of A-Rod to the line-up has jolted Mark Teixeira, but made the rest of the lineup fairly stagnant.

Costly defensive errors and base-running missteps are costing the Yankees game in and game out. But, one of the biggest problems this season has been starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang.

Wang came into the season hoping to continue his winning ways after injuring his leg running the bases in an inter-league game during an absolutely stellar season.

The season hasn't exactly been ideal for Wang. Well, again, "not even close." He had the worst ERA in MLB history through five starts at slightly over 20.

Wang can be a great pitcher, but he seems to have lost some of his control, especially on his well-known sinker. It'd be great to see Wang back pitching like he used to, recording a 54-20 record prior to this season, but aside from his two decent outings from the bullpen, there is nothing to give anyone that kind of hope.

Because of his past, Wang deserves at least another three to four starts before something is done to the rotation.

The season's lack of stability can obviously not all be put onto Wang's shoulders. Each player on the Yankees must improve. AJ Burnett has struggled lately, and even CC Sabathia has been roughed up.

There are bright spots in the offense as Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, and Melky Cabrera have all looked very good lately, but Derek Jeter is the only player on the team hitting over .300 as of right now, and he is right at .300. Pretty disappointing.

However, until that something is chosen to be done, the Yankees have to hope their offense can more consistently produce and their pitchers will not give up any more huge blow outs. Either that or find themselves some more Luis Castillos.