They use a 23-4 second half run
to pull away from Nittany Lions
By Justin Albers
Bloomington, Ind.- The Penn State Nittany Lions had Indiana right where they wanted them. With 11:55 left in the game they were shooting 8-of-11 from 3-point range, held an 18-10 advantage on the boards and 52-51 on the scoreboard.
And they still lost the game.
The Hoosiers (16-1, 5-0) went on a 23-4 second half run en route to an 81-65 victory on Saturday afternoon at Assembly Hall before a crowd of x,xxx.
"The second half offensively was probably as good as we've played all year," IU coach Kelvin Sampson said. "They (Penn State) were hitting big shots in the first half, especially the 3. They came out and played with a lot of emotion, but we kind of expected that."
Eric Gordon hit a 3 with 11:40 to play to give the Hoosiers a lead they would never relinquish. After Penn State's Jamelle Cornley scored on a layup, D.J. White scored seven successive Indiana points to gain separation. White finished with 22 points and seven rebounds.
"It was a stretch where we needed to pick it up," White said. "The guards did a good job of finding me. That is what good guards do and I think we have good guards that just find me at the right time."
The Nittany Lions (10-7, 2-3) were playing in their first full game without leading-scorer Geary Claxton. Claxton was injured in the first half of a game against Wisconsin and will not play again this season. He was averaging 17 points and eight rebounds, both good for second in the Big Ten.
"This is the first time without him, and that is our third scorer," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "We need to find another guy and we have to get somebody else some shots. Hopefully that is going to be a different guy on any given night."
After IU built up a 22-15 first half lead and seemed to be pulling away, Penn State went on a 10-0 run, six by Stanley Pringle, to regain the lead. The Hoosiers led 37-34 at halftime.
For the first time this season, IU went the entire second half without making a single substitution. Sampson went with Jamarcus Ellis, Gordon, White, Armon Bassett, and Lance Stemler. Sampson said it was not an unusual coaching decision for him.
"I've done that a lot of times over the years," he said. "It was a slow-paced game; they were zoning us. I liked the way the team was playing that was in there and I saw no reason to make a change."
With the victory, the Hoosiers improved their overall and home winning streaks to 12 and 28 games respectively. Sampson is now 26-0 at Assembly Hall, breaking Branch McCracken's record for consecutive home wins to start a career.
"The winning is because of our fans and the players," Sampson said. "They (the fans) expect us to win."
Gordon led the Hoosiers with 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting and a career-high six rebounds. He was 5-of-11 from beyond the arc and didn't attempt a two-point shot until the 3:48 mark of the first half. Gordon had just one turnover in 39 minutes after turning it over seven times at Minnesota on Thursday night.
"I always have good confidence in my shots; I just need to relax and let it flow," Gordon said. "All we worked on in practice today was creating without making the turnover and it definitely showed tonight."
Bassett came off the bench and provided a necessary lift for his team. He scored 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 5-of-6 from the arc in 33 minutes. The Hoosiers were 29-of-51 (57 percent) from the field including a blistering 63 percent (17-of-27) in the second half.
Ellis added 12 points, eight assists, and five rebounds for IU while Talor Battle paced the Nittany Lions with 20 points. Cornley had 19 points and seven rebounds.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Conference championship predictions
Nobody saw this coming: the NFC championship is more anticipated then that of the AFC. With the Colts getting ousted by the Chargers a week earlier than expected, people just don't expect San Diego to compete with the Patriots- and I don't blame them.
(3) Chargers @ (1) Patriots- 3:00 p.m. Sunday
Phillip Rivers, Ladanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates- the faces of the Chargers franchise are trying to get over injuries, and this is the defining week of their season. They are going up against one of the greatest teams of all time and their core guys are hurt, go figure. Tom Brady is going to lead his offense early before San Diego gets discouraged and is blown out in Foxsborough. Win number 18 is imminent. New England 34, San Diego 13
(6) Giants @ (2) Packers
If you've watched any of the ESPN TV shows this week, you've heard how bad the weather conditions are going to be on Sunday. The latest forecast is calling for 4 degrees above, but that's without the wind chill factored in. I like the Giants and I'm definitely pulling for them, but the fact of the matter is Eli Manning is not strong enough to win this game. Not mentally strong enough. Green Bay will win this one and head onto Phoenix for Super Bowl XLII. Green Bay 17, New York 13
(3) Chargers @ (1) Patriots- 3:00 p.m. Sunday
Phillip Rivers, Ladanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates- the faces of the Chargers franchise are trying to get over injuries, and this is the defining week of their season. They are going up against one of the greatest teams of all time and their core guys are hurt, go figure. Tom Brady is going to lead his offense early before San Diego gets discouraged and is blown out in Foxsborough. Win number 18 is imminent. New England 34, San Diego 13
(6) Giants @ (2) Packers
If you've watched any of the ESPN TV shows this week, you've heard how bad the weather conditions are going to be on Sunday. The latest forecast is calling for 4 degrees above, but that's without the wind chill factored in. I like the Giants and I'm definitely pulling for them, but the fact of the matter is Eli Manning is not strong enough to win this game. Not mentally strong enough. Green Bay will win this one and head onto Phoenix for Super Bowl XLII. Green Bay 17, New York 13
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Bulldogs stay hot, knock off UW-Milwaukee
No. 14 Butler wasn't perfect on Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse, but the Bulldogs did enough to get a 72-56 victory over UW-Milwaukee before an announced crowd of 4698.
Everybody has heard about college basketball's "Fab Freshmen"- Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, Derek Rose. But it's time to add a new name to that list: Butler's Matt Howard.
Howard controlled the Panthers' defense all afternoon, scoring 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds.
"He really puts the defense and the officials in a tough position because he throws himself at the rim," Panthers coach Rob Jeter said. "When he does that there is going to be contact, and it forces the official to make a call. He's a terrific player."
Howard's presence was pivotal during a first half run that drew separation from the streaking Panthers. Butler outscored the Panthers 14-0 during a 5 and half minute stretch where Howard scored eight of his points. The Bulldogs went into the locker room with a comfortable 37-19 advantage.
Senior Mike Green leads Butler in scoring (15.6 ppg), but he made sure to get everybody else involved on Saturday. Green scored just 10 points, but he added a team-high four assists and seven rebounds.
Butler now heads to Cleveland State on Thursday where it will battle for the Horizon League lead. Cleveland State is 4-0 in conference play.
OTHER NOTES:
- Butler set season-highs in field goals made (28), field goals attempted (62), rebounds (41) and fewest turnovers (5)
- A.J. Graves got out of his shooting slump a little bit by connecting on three 3-point field goals. Graves had hit just 2 from beyond-the-arc in the previous five Horizon League games. He scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting in the game.
-Pete Campbell made good use of his 20 minutes but hitting 6-of-8 field goals including 3-of-5 from the 3-point line, scoring 15 points in the process.
-Butler played everybody on its roster and 10 players scored.
-UW-Milwaukee's Marcus Skinner saw limited minutes because of foul trouble. He played just 13 minutes and scored only 2 points.
-Paige Paulson led the Panthers with 14 points on 4-of-7 3-pointers (12 of his points came in the second half)
-Milwaukee was coming off a comeback victory over Valparaiso on Thursday night. Butler was also in action on Thursday, defeating Wisconsin-Green Bay at home.
Everybody has heard about college basketball's "Fab Freshmen"- Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, Derek Rose. But it's time to add a new name to that list: Butler's Matt Howard.
Howard controlled the Panthers' defense all afternoon, scoring 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds.
"He really puts the defense and the officials in a tough position because he throws himself at the rim," Panthers coach Rob Jeter said. "When he does that there is going to be contact, and it forces the official to make a call. He's a terrific player."
Howard's presence was pivotal during a first half run that drew separation from the streaking Panthers. Butler outscored the Panthers 14-0 during a 5 and half minute stretch where Howard scored eight of his points. The Bulldogs went into the locker room with a comfortable 37-19 advantage.
Senior Mike Green leads Butler in scoring (15.6 ppg), but he made sure to get everybody else involved on Saturday. Green scored just 10 points, but he added a team-high four assists and seven rebounds.
Butler now heads to Cleveland State on Thursday where it will battle for the Horizon League lead. Cleveland State is 4-0 in conference play.
OTHER NOTES:
- Butler set season-highs in field goals made (28), field goals attempted (62), rebounds (41) and fewest turnovers (5)
- A.J. Graves got out of his shooting slump a little bit by connecting on three 3-point field goals. Graves had hit just 2 from beyond-the-arc in the previous five Horizon League games. He scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting in the game.
-Pete Campbell made good use of his 20 minutes but hitting 6-of-8 field goals including 3-of-5 from the 3-point line, scoring 15 points in the process.
-Butler played everybody on its roster and 10 players scored.
-UW-Milwaukee's Marcus Skinner saw limited minutes because of foul trouble. He played just 13 minutes and scored only 2 points.
-Paige Paulson led the Panthers with 14 points on 4-of-7 3-pointers (12 of his points came in the second half)
-Milwaukee was coming off a comeback victory over Valparaiso on Thursday night. Butler was also in action on Thursday, defeating Wisconsin-Green Bay at home.
Another week, more predictions
I hate to say it, but last week's wild card games were rather boring. I watched the Steelers, and I hoped, and I prayed, but all for not. They got me all excited for no reason at all. It's just been kind of disappointing for me- they have a great coach- they have a great quarterback- they have a great defense- and yet they can't get out of wild card weekend. All I can hope now is that Willie Parker heals up and is ready to go in '08.
Now for the teams that did make it.....
(3) San Diego @ (2) Indianapolis
Norv Turner and the Chargers did a good thing last week by getting a playoff win, but let's be realistic- they have no shot in this game. Yeah, yeah, yeah they beat them once this season, but could that game have been any more of a fluke? Manning threw 6 interceptions, the Colts were missing half of their starters, and Adam Vinitieri missed a 29 yard game-winning field goal. And oh yeah, Antonio Gates isn't playing. Maybe somebody will start talking about the Colts after they pick apart San Diego on Sunday afternoon. Colts 34, Chargers 13
(5) Jacksonville @ (1) New England
All season long people talked about the Jaguars knocking off the Patriots, and I bought into it. The problem is, you better believe the Patriots heard some of that talk along the way and started preparing to stop the Jacksonville style. I'm not saying this is going to be a blowout, but David Garrad is not a good enough quarterback to get his team past New England. Get ready for a Colts-Patriots rematch in Foxsborough. Patriots 31, Jaguars 27
(5) New York Giants @ (1) Dallas
Eli Manning has become a much better quarterback in the last two weeks, but can he sustain it heading into Big "D"? With all the Tony Romo drama and the T.O. injury, it's hard for me to believe that the Cowboys can win this game. Goodbye, Jessica, goodbye "Boys". Giants 24, Cowboys 21
(3) Seattle @ (2) Green Bay
When I looked at all of this week's matchups, this one was the most difficult for me to pick. Both of these teams utilize the same offensive gameplan, and they both are led by old, but solid quarterbacks. I look for this one to come down the the final minutes, and eventually overtime, but the Packers prevail. Packers 27, Seahawks 24- OT
Now for the teams that did make it.....
(3) San Diego @ (2) Indianapolis
Norv Turner and the Chargers did a good thing last week by getting a playoff win, but let's be realistic- they have no shot in this game. Yeah, yeah, yeah they beat them once this season, but could that game have been any more of a fluke? Manning threw 6 interceptions, the Colts were missing half of their starters, and Adam Vinitieri missed a 29 yard game-winning field goal. And oh yeah, Antonio Gates isn't playing. Maybe somebody will start talking about the Colts after they pick apart San Diego on Sunday afternoon. Colts 34, Chargers 13
(5) Jacksonville @ (1) New England
All season long people talked about the Jaguars knocking off the Patriots, and I bought into it. The problem is, you better believe the Patriots heard some of that talk along the way and started preparing to stop the Jacksonville style. I'm not saying this is going to be a blowout, but David Garrad is not a good enough quarterback to get his team past New England. Get ready for a Colts-Patriots rematch in Foxsborough. Patriots 31, Jaguars 27
(5) New York Giants @ (1) Dallas
Eli Manning has become a much better quarterback in the last two weeks, but can he sustain it heading into Big "D"? With all the Tony Romo drama and the T.O. injury, it's hard for me to believe that the Cowboys can win this game. Goodbye, Jessica, goodbye "Boys". Giants 24, Cowboys 21
(3) Seattle @ (2) Green Bay
When I looked at all of this week's matchups, this one was the most difficult for me to pick. Both of these teams utilize the same offensive gameplan, and they both are led by old, but solid quarterbacks. I look for this one to come down the the final minutes, and eventually overtime, but the Packers prevail. Packers 27, Seahawks 24- OT
Friday, January 04, 2008
Time for some predictions
Isn't it hard to believe that wild card weekend is already upon us? It seems like just yesterday I was listening to all the ESPN analysts babble about how much they despise the preseason. It should be a very entertaining, and perhaps surprising, weekend, so lets take a look.
(6) Redskins @ (3) Seahawks
Bravo to the Redskins for everything they have gone through this season and still emerged into the playoffs. These guys really banded together after the death of Sean Taylor, but let's face it, they are going nowhere. Sure it would be a great story if Todd Collins could lead his team to a Super Bowl after going 10 years in between starts, but it won't happen. Seattle is amongst the toughest venues to play in all of football, and the Seahawks have so much more experience. It will be close, but Washington's run stops here. Seattle 24, Washington 16
(5) Jaguars @ (4) Steelers
I'm not going to pretend that I am not strongly rooting for the Steelers, because I am. However, they have not looked good at all in the last month of the season. The defense isn't tackling, and the offense isn't running- both cornerstones of Steeler football. If they hope to avenge their 29-22 loss to the Jags, they are going to have to get back to what they do best, and rely on the play action at times. I'm taking Pittsburgh, but I am plenty worried. This one will be as good as advertised. Pittsburgh 31, Jacksonville 28
(6) Titans @ (3) Chargers
As much as I hate to say it, the Titans should not be playing in this game- the Browns should. Tennessee had a very difficult time securing a win over Jim Sorgi and the second-string Colts, so you better believe Jeff Fisher is plenty worried about his next opponent. These teams met just a few weeks ago in a very physical game that San Diego pulled out in the end. Look for the Chargers to win again, but this time it won't even be close. San Diego 35, Tennessee 13
(5) Giants @ (4) Buccaneers
Tampa Bay spent last week fooling around with its back-ups while New York gave the Patriots everything they could handle. Like ESPN's Sean Salisbury said, "Tampa is not good enough to turn it on and off like that." I couldn't have said it better myself. Jeff Garcia is a great player, one of my favorites, but I just don't think Jon Gruden spent enough time getting his players ready for the playoffs. Now they could very well surprise us, but I don't see it happening.
New York 24, Tampa Bay 17
(6) Redskins @ (3) Seahawks
Bravo to the Redskins for everything they have gone through this season and still emerged into the playoffs. These guys really banded together after the death of Sean Taylor, but let's face it, they are going nowhere. Sure it would be a great story if Todd Collins could lead his team to a Super Bowl after going 10 years in between starts, but it won't happen. Seattle is amongst the toughest venues to play in all of football, and the Seahawks have so much more experience. It will be close, but Washington's run stops here. Seattle 24, Washington 16
(5) Jaguars @ (4) Steelers
I'm not going to pretend that I am not strongly rooting for the Steelers, because I am. However, they have not looked good at all in the last month of the season. The defense isn't tackling, and the offense isn't running- both cornerstones of Steeler football. If they hope to avenge their 29-22 loss to the Jags, they are going to have to get back to what they do best, and rely on the play action at times. I'm taking Pittsburgh, but I am plenty worried. This one will be as good as advertised. Pittsburgh 31, Jacksonville 28
(6) Titans @ (3) Chargers
As much as I hate to say it, the Titans should not be playing in this game- the Browns should. Tennessee had a very difficult time securing a win over Jim Sorgi and the second-string Colts, so you better believe Jeff Fisher is plenty worried about his next opponent. These teams met just a few weeks ago in a very physical game that San Diego pulled out in the end. Look for the Chargers to win again, but this time it won't even be close. San Diego 35, Tennessee 13
(5) Giants @ (4) Buccaneers
Tampa Bay spent last week fooling around with its back-ups while New York gave the Patriots everything they could handle. Like ESPN's Sean Salisbury said, "Tampa is not good enough to turn it on and off like that." I couldn't have said it better myself. Jeff Garcia is a great player, one of my favorites, but I just don't think Jon Gruden spent enough time getting his players ready for the playoffs. Now they could very well surprise us, but I don't see it happening.
New York 24, Tampa Bay 17
Thursday, January 03, 2008
I'm Back
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the blog. After more than 3 months, I am finally ready to update this thing on a regular basis for your reading pleasure. I've been quite busy with school and covering games for The Herald Bulletin which is why I haven't published in some time.
ODDS
NBA
Odds of the Trail Blazers making the playoffs.
I don't think it's very likely that they get in this year, but the management has to be pretty excited with the future of this young team. When Brandon Roy came into this league I don't think anybody predicted he would be as successful as he has been to this point. The guy is a true leader and, once it gets Greg Oden back, Portland is going to be a force to be reckoned with. What a solid job by Nate McMillan to put the team back on the map. 40%
Odds of Kobe Bryant staying in L.A.
What happened to the Lakers? All of a sudden they look like one of the NBA's top teams and all of this after the Kobe saga in the summer. Andrew Bynum has reacted to Bryant's criticism in a positive manner and is finally showing that upside we've heard so much about. I think the Lakers will make the playoffs and Kobe stays put, for good. 98%
Odds of Isiah Thomas keeping his job.
I don't know what's going on in New York, but whatever it is, it's not good. Thomas continues to bring in pricey players that could care less about winning, and it shows on the court. The Knicks might be crazy enough to keep Isiah, but I see his butt out the door at season's end. 20%
NFL
Odds of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl.
You'd have to keep this number pretty high just because of what they've accomplished, but I don't see it happening. I think Jacksonville can take them out if they get by Pittsburgh this week, and if not, then the Colts. New England had a great season, but not a perfect one. 55%
Odds of Giants upset this week.
Most of the country would agree that this doesn't seem like much of an upset (over Tampa Bay), but it will happen. After the Giants great performance last week, it seems almost inevitable for them to come out of the NFC. But then again, it did last year as well. 80%
NCAA
Odds of a Buckeye thumping in BCS Championship.
Ohio State had a great, dominant regular season, but the Big Ten just doesn't compare to the SEC. Don't give me the garbage that Michigan beat Florida and Wisconsin hung win Tennessee, because I'm not buying it. LSU is faster, stronger, and better than the Buckeyes, and the Tigers will take this one. Forget the fact that they had so many close games in the regular season. All that tells me is they know how to close out games. LSU 31, Ohio State 10 65%
Odds of West Virginia in the title game next season.
First of all, let me just say that what the Mountaineers did to Oklahoma was extremely impressive. They were without their coach, without their star running back, and without a championship game, but they came to win. With Pat White and Steve Slaton possibly back next year, this team will run through the Big East. There's a good chance you see them playing in the big one in 2009. 70%
Odds of Butler in the Elite Eight.
The Bulldogs return most of their key players from last year's "Sweet Sixteen" run, and should make it deep into the tournament again this year. Butler loves the underdog role, but they are no longer the underdog. Watch for first-year coach Brad Stevens to lead his club into the dance as a 3 seed and advance to the "Elite Eight". 81%
Odds of North Carolina running the table.
As good as the Tar heels are, there is no chance they end the season undefeated. Because of its youth, UNC has lapses at some points, and doesn't always play its hardest on defense. The ACC will prove to be difficult, especially with two match ups with Coach K's Duke Blue Devils. The Tar heels will finish with three losses overall, but will maintain their one seed. .0001%
ODDS
NBA
Odds of the Trail Blazers making the playoffs.
I don't think it's very likely that they get in this year, but the management has to be pretty excited with the future of this young team. When Brandon Roy came into this league I don't think anybody predicted he would be as successful as he has been to this point. The guy is a true leader and, once it gets Greg Oden back, Portland is going to be a force to be reckoned with. What a solid job by Nate McMillan to put the team back on the map. 40%
Odds of Kobe Bryant staying in L.A.
What happened to the Lakers? All of a sudden they look like one of the NBA's top teams and all of this after the Kobe saga in the summer. Andrew Bynum has reacted to Bryant's criticism in a positive manner and is finally showing that upside we've heard so much about. I think the Lakers will make the playoffs and Kobe stays put, for good. 98%
Odds of Isiah Thomas keeping his job.
I don't know what's going on in New York, but whatever it is, it's not good. Thomas continues to bring in pricey players that could care less about winning, and it shows on the court. The Knicks might be crazy enough to keep Isiah, but I see his butt out the door at season's end. 20%
NFL
Odds of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl.
You'd have to keep this number pretty high just because of what they've accomplished, but I don't see it happening. I think Jacksonville can take them out if they get by Pittsburgh this week, and if not, then the Colts. New England had a great season, but not a perfect one. 55%
Odds of Giants upset this week.
Most of the country would agree that this doesn't seem like much of an upset (over Tampa Bay), but it will happen. After the Giants great performance last week, it seems almost inevitable for them to come out of the NFC. But then again, it did last year as well. 80%
NCAA
Odds of a Buckeye thumping in BCS Championship.
Ohio State had a great, dominant regular season, but the Big Ten just doesn't compare to the SEC. Don't give me the garbage that Michigan beat Florida and Wisconsin hung win Tennessee, because I'm not buying it. LSU is faster, stronger, and better than the Buckeyes, and the Tigers will take this one. Forget the fact that they had so many close games in the regular season. All that tells me is they know how to close out games. LSU 31, Ohio State 10 65%
Odds of West Virginia in the title game next season.
First of all, let me just say that what the Mountaineers did to Oklahoma was extremely impressive. They were without their coach, without their star running back, and without a championship game, but they came to win. With Pat White and Steve Slaton possibly back next year, this team will run through the Big East. There's a good chance you see them playing in the big one in 2009. 70%
Odds of Butler in the Elite Eight.
The Bulldogs return most of their key players from last year's "Sweet Sixteen" run, and should make it deep into the tournament again this year. Butler loves the underdog role, but they are no longer the underdog. Watch for first-year coach Brad Stevens to lead his club into the dance as a 3 seed and advance to the "Elite Eight". 81%
Odds of North Carolina running the table.
As good as the Tar heels are, there is no chance they end the season undefeated. Because of its youth, UNC has lapses at some points, and doesn't always play its hardest on defense. The ACC will prove to be difficult, especially with two match ups with Coach K's Duke Blue Devils. The Tar heels will finish with three losses overall, but will maintain their one seed. .0001%
Saturday, September 15, 2007
If given the time and resources
Hello again to everyone- I know it has been sometime since I last blogged, and for that I apologize. Below I have written about five topics that would have become columns if I had more time, and a faster internet connection. Also, for those of you involved in my College Pickem, those scores will be up here ASAP. Here we go.
5. "Frye"ing our brains
Of all the sports stories in the last month, this one has to be the most comical. I had the privelage of being in Cleveland last Sunday celebrating the family's annual clambake, and happened to read The Sunday Plain Dealer. On the front page was a massive photo of Browns QB Charlie Frye, and beside that was a feature story about him. The story included quotes from former coaches who thought Frye would be the Browns starting quarterback for the next three or four years. Try the next three or four hours. How wrong they were, and how stupid The Plain Dealer looks. Frye was traded to Seattle earlier this week for a sixth round draft pick in next year's draft. It's time to bring on Brady Quinn.
4. The Nature of the Game
If you saw the play on the Buffalo Bills' Everett last week, you couldn't help but cringe. That play and injury reminds us all how dangerous the game of football really is. The biggest, strongest guys in the world are running at each other full speed and making contact- an injury like this could happen more often. Let's just be thankful that there is a little hope of him walking out of the hospital- or at least walking again.
3. An Awkward Meeting
When Michigan and Notre Dame meet later on today it will be the first time in history that neither team has won a game. This matchup has made for some incredible games in the past- games that had National Championship implications- but this year the teams will battle for a chance to turn their seasons into something, anything. Granid Notre Dame has faced two tough opponents (Georgia Tech and Penn State), but they have not shown any signs of greatness in either game. Today's contest should be a good one, but Mike Hart's guarantee will only fire up Tom Zbikowski and the Irish.- Notre Dame 20, Michigan 14
2. Cheaters never win, do they?
No matter how much everybody in the nation is enjoying this story, it is terrible for the NFL. Bill Bilicheck and the New England Patriots were caught cheating in last week's game against the Jets and have been punished for their actions. We have seen cheating in baseball in the form of steroids- in basketball in the Tim Donaghy scandal- and now in football. As much as I hate the Patriots, I am not at all happy about this story. It just makes you wonder how long they have been doing this and if it is the reason they have been so good. I guess we will have to wait and see how they perform on their own, without the advantage of the other team's signals.
1. Take a moment for prayer
Earlier this week my Uncle Rich's father, Henry Yarborough, had a serious bypass surgery that took nine hours to complete. He is very important to our entire family and I ask you to take a moment to pray for his full recovery. Thank you.
5. "Frye"ing our brains
Of all the sports stories in the last month, this one has to be the most comical. I had the privelage of being in Cleveland last Sunday celebrating the family's annual clambake, and happened to read The Sunday Plain Dealer. On the front page was a massive photo of Browns QB Charlie Frye, and beside that was a feature story about him. The story included quotes from former coaches who thought Frye would be the Browns starting quarterback for the next three or four years. Try the next three or four hours. How wrong they were, and how stupid The Plain Dealer looks. Frye was traded to Seattle earlier this week for a sixth round draft pick in next year's draft. It's time to bring on Brady Quinn.
4. The Nature of the Game
If you saw the play on the Buffalo Bills' Everett last week, you couldn't help but cringe. That play and injury reminds us all how dangerous the game of football really is. The biggest, strongest guys in the world are running at each other full speed and making contact- an injury like this could happen more often. Let's just be thankful that there is a little hope of him walking out of the hospital- or at least walking again.
3. An Awkward Meeting
When Michigan and Notre Dame meet later on today it will be the first time in history that neither team has won a game. This matchup has made for some incredible games in the past- games that had National Championship implications- but this year the teams will battle for a chance to turn their seasons into something, anything. Granid Notre Dame has faced two tough opponents (Georgia Tech and Penn State), but they have not shown any signs of greatness in either game. Today's contest should be a good one, but Mike Hart's guarantee will only fire up Tom Zbikowski and the Irish.- Notre Dame 20, Michigan 14
2. Cheaters never win, do they?
No matter how much everybody in the nation is enjoying this story, it is terrible for the NFL. Bill Bilicheck and the New England Patriots were caught cheating in last week's game against the Jets and have been punished for their actions. We have seen cheating in baseball in the form of steroids- in basketball in the Tim Donaghy scandal- and now in football. As much as I hate the Patriots, I am not at all happy about this story. It just makes you wonder how long they have been doing this and if it is the reason they have been so good. I guess we will have to wait and see how they perform on their own, without the advantage of the other team's signals.
1. Take a moment for prayer
Earlier this week my Uncle Rich's father, Henry Yarborough, had a serious bypass surgery that took nine hours to complete. He is very important to our entire family and I ask you to take a moment to pray for his full recovery. Thank you.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
"Girls of Summer" need, deserve help
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
"Girls of Summer" need, deserve help
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
"Girls of Summer" need, deserve help
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
"Girls of Summer" need, deserve help
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
"Girls of Summer" need, deserve help
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
"Girls of Summer" need, deserve help
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Let's face it- all sports fans consider the summer to be a down time and find it difficult to make it through. I mean NFL training camps are getting as much publicity as anything else and ESPN weeknights are filled with repeat episodes of The World Series of Poker. All that fans have to hang their hats on is a bunch of meaningless games in the middle of a long MLB season. Oh yeah, and the WNBA.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I came out of the shower and was all dressed up and ready for the Fever game later on in the day. This prompted my little brother Patrick to ask the question "Why do you want to go see girls play basketball?"
I considered his question for a minute and could immediately come up with several legitimate answers. The WNBA players may be much shorter, (with the exception of Margo Dydek who is 7'2) they may be much less athletic, and they may play for a much shorter period of time, but boy do they make up for it. These players make in a year what Roger Clemens makes in a day and yet they go out and leave it on the floor each and every time they step on it. They have something that very few NBA players have nowadays- an intense passion for the game.
In Saturday afternoon's game I paid close attention to how the Fever played the game. I focused in on individual players, observed some actions on the bench, and listened to the talk back and forth on the court. From each aspect I was thoroughly impressed. Tamika Catchings is a professional and plays about as hard as any player I have ever seen. She is 6-1 and yet she seems to come up with almost every rebound. If you watched the triple overtime classic on Thursday night you saw Catchings put on a clinic by collecting a Fever record 20 rebounds- and that was on a sore foot. If you've never had a chance to see her play, I highly recommend it. Pay close attention to what she does when a shot goes up. She immediately finds somebody to put a body on and drives them out- a picture perfect example of a box out. Coaches stress it all the time, but how often do you actually see an NBA player push somebody out of the paint? I bet you could count them on one hand.
As the game went on and the Fever continued to roll, I really wished that more people in the state of Indiana could have seen basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Seven-thousand, two-hundred and ninety-eight have figured it out, but many more chose to see the Colts play in a preseason game in the RCA Dome.
Get the family together, grab a bite to eat, and give the Girls of Summer all of your support. They play as hard as any other athletes and rarely get the crowds they deserve. Give it some thought, and we'll see you on Monday night.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Cubs cannot buy a win
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- So much for the hottest team in baseball. In the matter of a couple of weeks the Cubs have gone back to their former ways, leaving fans wondering what to expect next.
Following the All-Star break the Cubs quickly closed the gap on division leading Milwaukee. They even overtook the Brewers for about 24 hours, but got scared and gave the lead right back. Since that point, the Cubs have gone 3-10 and still trail Milwaukee by 1.5 games.
Who wants to win this division? Both the Brewers and Cubs are playing like they are new to the top (which they are), and the Cardinals are once again getting hot. I think it's time for another Piniella outburst, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see one here in the next couple of days. It has to be very frustrating- one day they can't get a hit but do get great pitching. Outcome: Opponent 2 Cubs 0. Then they get a game like last night where they are getting five doubles in an inning and Jason Kendall is hitting home runs, but the pitching is awful. Outcome: Opponent 11 Cubs 9. Something has to happen to spark a run and motivate this team. Maybe that will happen when Alfonso Soriano comes back from his injury, but what are they to do in the meantime? The Cubs have finally reached an easy part of their schedule and they start losing? I guess they don't want to win the pennant- or maybe they just don't know
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- So much for the hottest team in baseball. In the matter of a couple of weeks the Cubs have gone back to their former ways, leaving fans wondering what to expect next.
Following the All-Star break the Cubs quickly closed the gap on division leading Milwaukee. They even overtook the Brewers for about 24 hours, but got scared and gave the lead right back. Since that point, the Cubs have gone 3-10 and still trail Milwaukee by 1.5 games.
Who wants to win this division? Both the Brewers and Cubs are playing like they are new to the top (which they are), and the Cardinals are once again getting hot. I think it's time for another Piniella outburst, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see one here in the next couple of days. It has to be very frustrating- one day they can't get a hit but do get great pitching. Outcome: Opponent 2 Cubs 0. Then they get a game like last night where they are getting five doubles in an inning and Jason Kendall is hitting home runs, but the pitching is awful. Outcome: Opponent 11 Cubs 9. Something has to happen to spark a run and motivate this team. Maybe that will happen when Alfonso Soriano comes back from his injury, but what are they to do in the meantime? The Cubs have finally reached an easy part of their schedule and they start losing? I guess they don't want to win the pennant- or maybe they just don't know
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Nice thought, poor result
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Whoever thought up the idea of the Big Ten Network had a decent idea, but failed to consider all of the angles.
Because of the new Big Ten Network, many fans will not have the opportunity to see their favorite teams in select games. Local cable companies will not carry the Network, so anybody without DirecTV will not even have to make the choice of whether or not to pay for the channel. Indiana basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson doesn't seem to think it is such a bad thing.
"I think the Big Ten Network is a cutting-edge idea to have one place where Indiana fans can go to follow the Hoosiers and the Big Ten on a daily basis," Sampson said in a release.
Sampson is free to think whatever he wants, but the Big Ten Network is going to receive many more complaints then it does praise. Local Big Ten games have always been shown, and that method always seemed to work. Why the change? It's obviously a money move, but I question how much money is actually being made when only DirecTV carries the channel. The only people that will welcome the change are the owners of sports bars that are lucky enough to carry the channel. More and more people are going to have to leave their homes to see games that they would normally watch in their comfy chair on their plasma TV. What's next, the ACC Channel?
After a misguided idea that seems like no more than an experiment, thousands of Big Ten fans across the country will suffer. If the Big Ten Network is really necessary make it a free channel. I guess this is just another example of how everything costs money in this country. Yuck!
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Whoever thought up the idea of the Big Ten Network had a decent idea, but failed to consider all of the angles.
Because of the new Big Ten Network, many fans will not have the opportunity to see their favorite teams in select games. Local cable companies will not carry the Network, so anybody without DirecTV will not even have to make the choice of whether or not to pay for the channel. Indiana basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson doesn't seem to think it is such a bad thing.
"I think the Big Ten Network is a cutting-edge idea to have one place where Indiana fans can go to follow the Hoosiers and the Big Ten on a daily basis," Sampson said in a release.
Sampson is free to think whatever he wants, but the Big Ten Network is going to receive many more complaints then it does praise. Local Big Ten games have always been shown, and that method always seemed to work. Why the change? It's obviously a money move, but I question how much money is actually being made when only DirecTV carries the channel. The only people that will welcome the change are the owners of sports bars that are lucky enough to carry the channel. More and more people are going to have to leave their homes to see games that they would normally watch in their comfy chair on their plasma TV. What's next, the ACC Channel?
After a misguided idea that seems like no more than an experiment, thousands of Big Ten fans across the country will suffer. If the Big Ten Network is really necessary make it a free channel. I guess this is just another example of how everything costs money in this country. Yuck!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Good News, Bad News
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- There hasn't been too much to be happy about this year for the St. Louis Cardinals, but they were subject to a feel-good story on Thursday night. Rick Ankiel, a former Major League pitcher, made his debut as an outfielder with the Cardinals on Thursday night. He did not disappoint. Ankiel took a 2-1 pitch from Doug Brocail and crushed it over the right field wall for a 3-run shot.
"Unbelievable," Ankiel said in an interview with the Associated Press. "You almost can't put it into words."
This is one of the best sports stories I have heard about in a long time. If you saw the highlights of this guy as a pitcher, you would really feel sorry for him. He couldn't even find the catcher's mitt- it was a horrible thing to watch. But for this guy to work his tail off and come back as a power hitter; it is truly a testament to his work ethic.
However, the Cardinals had also received more troubling news earlier in the day. OF Scott Spiezio left the team to seek voluntary help for drug and alcohol abuse. Spiezio played a large part in the Cardinals World Series win a year ago.
This is just a depressing story for Major League Baseball. For kids to look up and see professionals abusing drugs, using steroids, chewing tobacco, etc- it sends a horrible message that could lead to more problems in the future. The only positive that comes out of this story is that Spiezio is reportedly seeking treatment on his own and wants to fix his problem. But who knows how much of that is true.
After everything that has happened this year, the Cardinals deserve some credit. They trail Milwaukee by just 5.5 games for the division lead, and are now just six games under .500. Their pitching rotation consists of five guys nobody has ever heard of, and besides Albert Pujols, nobody is hitting. And remember just before Spring Training, manger Tony La Russa was arrested for driving under the influence. What kind of a message does that send to your players? It was just a sign of bad things to come.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- There hasn't been too much to be happy about this year for the St. Louis Cardinals, but they were subject to a feel-good story on Thursday night. Rick Ankiel, a former Major League pitcher, made his debut as an outfielder with the Cardinals on Thursday night. He did not disappoint. Ankiel took a 2-1 pitch from Doug Brocail and crushed it over the right field wall for a 3-run shot.
"Unbelievable," Ankiel said in an interview with the Associated Press. "You almost can't put it into words."
This is one of the best sports stories I have heard about in a long time. If you saw the highlights of this guy as a pitcher, you would really feel sorry for him. He couldn't even find the catcher's mitt- it was a horrible thing to watch. But for this guy to work his tail off and come back as a power hitter; it is truly a testament to his work ethic.
However, the Cardinals had also received more troubling news earlier in the day. OF Scott Spiezio left the team to seek voluntary help for drug and alcohol abuse. Spiezio played a large part in the Cardinals World Series win a year ago.
This is just a depressing story for Major League Baseball. For kids to look up and see professionals abusing drugs, using steroids, chewing tobacco, etc- it sends a horrible message that could lead to more problems in the future. The only positive that comes out of this story is that Spiezio is reportedly seeking treatment on his own and wants to fix his problem. But who knows how much of that is true.
After everything that has happened this year, the Cardinals deserve some credit. They trail Milwaukee by just 5.5 games for the division lead, and are now just six games under .500. Their pitching rotation consists of five guys nobody has ever heard of, and besides Albert Pujols, nobody is hitting. And remember just before Spring Training, manger Tony La Russa was arrested for driving under the influence. What kind of a message does that send to your players? It was just a sign of bad things to come.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Will Reggie return?
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The latest from ESPN is that Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge contacted Reggie Miller about possibly returning to the NBA. Miller, currently an analyst for TNT, says he is seeking advice from his friends and peers before he makes his decision.
Would this be good for Miller or the NBA? Personally, I think Reggie has a little left in the tank. He has always kept himself in great shape, and is only going on 42. He can still shoot the basketball, and when you can do that, there is always room on an NBA team for you. And Miller coming back would be great for the NBA. Reggie played during a period where the NBA and its playoffs were very popular. Bringing Miller back would bring back some of the TV viewers that were lost with the Donagy crisis.
The only people that might be against this move are the fans of the Indiana Pacers. Miller played his entire career with the Pacers, and if he came back for a different team, it could ruin that. But let's make it very clear- Miller has paid his dues to the Pacers and he has every right to go for a ring. He made the Pacers a good team while he was there, and owes them absolutely nothing. However, Boston is not going to win a championship this year. Even after bringing in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, this team has no defense and will not be able to compete with the teams in the Western Conference.
This story is nice, but it is unrealistic. We heard the exact same thing a year ago about Miller coming back to play for the Mavericks. He is happy with his current position and will not be returning to the NBA. Period.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- The latest from ESPN is that Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge contacted Reggie Miller about possibly returning to the NBA. Miller, currently an analyst for TNT, says he is seeking advice from his friends and peers before he makes his decision.
Would this be good for Miller or the NBA? Personally, I think Reggie has a little left in the tank. He has always kept himself in great shape, and is only going on 42. He can still shoot the basketball, and when you can do that, there is always room on an NBA team for you. And Miller coming back would be great for the NBA. Reggie played during a period where the NBA and its playoffs were very popular. Bringing Miller back would bring back some of the TV viewers that were lost with the Donagy crisis.
The only people that might be against this move are the fans of the Indiana Pacers. Miller played his entire career with the Pacers, and if he came back for a different team, it could ruin that. But let's make it very clear- Miller has paid his dues to the Pacers and he has every right to go for a ring. He made the Pacers a good team while he was there, and owes them absolutely nothing. However, Boston is not going to win a championship this year. Even after bringing in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, this team has no defense and will not be able to compete with the teams in the Western Conference.
This story is nice, but it is unrealistic. We heard the exact same thing a year ago about Miller coming back to play for the Mavericks. He is happy with his current position and will not be returning to the NBA. Period.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Does Bonds deserve our praise?
By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Just before nine o'clock on the West Coast, Barry Bonds sent a 3-2 pitch into the right field bleachers. He stuck his arms up in the air with the weight of the record lifted off of his back. But, is the record forever tainted?
First of all it is not "forever" tainted because there is more than an outside chance that Alex Rodriguez catches Bonds before it is all said and done. Besides that, let me start by saying that Barry Bonds is a great player. Hitting 776 home runs off of Major League pitching is an incredible thing to accomplish; especially if you factor in all of the times he has been walked. However, Bonds is a clear steroids user and a cheater of the game. This is kind of like a kid entering a science fair. There might be that one really smart kid that always wins everything, but you are not dumb yourself. Maybe you use an illegal material in building your project and end up winning first prize. Are you a really smart kid? Yes. Do you deserve to be in first place and have everyone praise you? Probably not.
Bonds handled his situation about as well as he could have handled it. He rarely made a big scene with a reporter, and dealt with the constant criticism without a word. I respect Barry Bonds as much as any player in baseball, but I am not going to be one sitting around talking about how great it is that he broke the record. The home run record is tainted- for now anyway.
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Just before nine o'clock on the West Coast, Barry Bonds sent a 3-2 pitch into the right field bleachers. He stuck his arms up in the air with the weight of the record lifted off of his back. But, is the record forever tainted?
First of all it is not "forever" tainted because there is more than an outside chance that Alex Rodriguez catches Bonds before it is all said and done. Besides that, let me start by saying that Barry Bonds is a great player. Hitting 776 home runs off of Major League pitching is an incredible thing to accomplish; especially if you factor in all of the times he has been walked. However, Bonds is a clear steroids user and a cheater of the game. This is kind of like a kid entering a science fair. There might be that one really smart kid that always wins everything, but you are not dumb yourself. Maybe you use an illegal material in building your project and end up winning first prize. Are you a really smart kid? Yes. Do you deserve to be in first place and have everyone praise you? Probably not.
Bonds handled his situation about as well as he could have handled it. He rarely made a big scene with a reporter, and dealt with the constant criticism without a word. I respect Barry Bonds as much as any player in baseball, but I am not going to be one sitting around talking about how great it is that he broke the record. The home run record is tainted- for now anyway.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Carmona is special pitcher
By Justin Albers
Basketballss132002@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND- I don’t have any experience in the matter, but I would imagine living away from your native country would be difficult to do. Especially when you end up living away from home, in a place where they don’t speak your language.
Fausto Carmona came to the United States last year from the Dominican Republic and signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. Both sides probably thought they made a huge mistake. Carmona was placed into the closer role, but he never ended up with even a single save. He blew nine of them in nine opportunities, and ended the 2006 season with a record of 1-10.
I know that if I was in the same situation Carmona was in, I would have given up and gone back home. But that is what makes Carmona so special; he spent the off-season working as hard as he could to become a great pitcher. Then, when Cliff Lee got injured early in the season, he got his chance to become a starter. He has not disappointed.
Carmona (13-4) has an ERA of 3.31, and is tied for the most wins in the Major League. He has become a ground ball specialist; forcing three ground ball outs for every fly ball out. He is every manager’s dream pitcher with nasty enough stuff that he could become an eventual Cy Young winner. His turnaround is unbelievable and unprecedented, but it doesn’t appear to be a fluke.
The Indians got lucky in this case, finding the future ace of their pitching rotation. And oh yeah, they are only paying him $387,500. That is about three percent of what the Yankees are paying Andy Pettitte, and he has six wins. Go figure.
Basketballss132002@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND- I don’t have any experience in the matter, but I would imagine living away from your native country would be difficult to do. Especially when you end up living away from home, in a place where they don’t speak your language.
Fausto Carmona came to the United States last year from the Dominican Republic and signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. Both sides probably thought they made a huge mistake. Carmona was placed into the closer role, but he never ended up with even a single save. He blew nine of them in nine opportunities, and ended the 2006 season with a record of 1-10.
I know that if I was in the same situation Carmona was in, I would have given up and gone back home. But that is what makes Carmona so special; he spent the off-season working as hard as he could to become a great pitcher. Then, when Cliff Lee got injured early in the season, he got his chance to become a starter. He has not disappointed.
Carmona (13-4) has an ERA of 3.31, and is tied for the most wins in the Major League. He has become a ground ball specialist; forcing three ground ball outs for every fly ball out. He is every manager’s dream pitcher with nasty enough stuff that he could become an eventual Cy Young winner. His turnaround is unbelievable and unprecedented, but it doesn’t appear to be a fluke.
The Indians got lucky in this case, finding the future ace of their pitching rotation. And oh yeah, they are only paying him $387,500. That is about three percent of what the Yankees are paying Andy Pettitte, and he has six wins. Go figure.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Cubs continue unlikely run
By Justin Albers
Basketballss132002@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND- When the Chicago Cubs spent over $300 million during the busy off-season, many expected the Cubs to at least be better. But it didn’t start out that way.
On June 1st the Cubs were 22-30, and looked to be getting worse. On that day Carlos Zambrano, the ace of the pitching staff, got into a fist fight with catcher Michael Barrett. Zambrano then had a record of 5-5. On the very next day, manager Lou Pinellia came out to argue a call that was clearly correct; ending with him kicking dirt on the umpire and getting a three game suspension.
But things have since turned around. Michael Barrett was traded a little more than a week later, and Zambrano got hot. Since the fight with Barrett, Zambrano is 8-2 with an ERA under 2. He now has the most wins of any pitcher in the National League, and could make a run at the Cy Young.
Some other guys have turned it around as well. Pitcher Ted Lilly (10-4) has gone 6-1 since the Lou Pinellia outburst, and has become a very consistent second man in the rotation. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez has been as hot as any hitter in the game. Ramirez has upped his average from .299 on June 2nd to .321 as of this morning. The Cubs have finally found that third baseman they have been searching for years to find. They can thank the Pirates for that.
Was all of this success a direct result of Lou Pinellia’s outburst? Maybe not, but you better believe it had something to do with it. Many said Pinellia was not the right man for this job; many were wrong.
Basketballss132002@yahoo.com
CLEVELAND- When the Chicago Cubs spent over $300 million during the busy off-season, many expected the Cubs to at least be better. But it didn’t start out that way.
On June 1st the Cubs were 22-30, and looked to be getting worse. On that day Carlos Zambrano, the ace of the pitching staff, got into a fist fight with catcher Michael Barrett. Zambrano then had a record of 5-5. On the very next day, manager Lou Pinellia came out to argue a call that was clearly correct; ending with him kicking dirt on the umpire and getting a three game suspension.
But things have since turned around. Michael Barrett was traded a little more than a week later, and Zambrano got hot. Since the fight with Barrett, Zambrano is 8-2 with an ERA under 2. He now has the most wins of any pitcher in the National League, and could make a run at the Cy Young.
Some other guys have turned it around as well. Pitcher Ted Lilly (10-4) has gone 6-1 since the Lou Pinellia outburst, and has become a very consistent second man in the rotation. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez has been as hot as any hitter in the game. Ramirez has upped his average from .299 on June 2nd to .321 as of this morning. The Cubs have finally found that third baseman they have been searching for years to find. They can thank the Pirates for that.
Was all of this success a direct result of Lou Pinellia’s outburst? Maybe not, but you better believe it had something to do with it. Many said Pinellia was not the right man for this job; many were wrong.
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