So today is the Superbowl and it is time for the predicitons for today's game. This post is going to be a little short, it has been a long weekend. Also, many of you know that I am a die hard Giants fan and likely can predict my pick for today.
This game hinges on a few key factors. The main factor in this game is if the Giants defensive line can get to Tom Brady, as almost everyone has said in the past two weeks. With that being said, I think that Giants have a solid enough pass rush to get past the Patriots O-Line and get to Tom Brady because of pass rushers such as Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.
Another big factor is going to be Gronkowski ankle and how well it will hold up, I believe that his ankle will be just fin. This will make the Patriots a very dangerous team and making the Giants pass rush even more important.
With that being said, I think that the Giants win this game in a thriller 24-20.
Sorry the post is so short! But enjoy the day and the be proud that you are eating some of the 1.25 billion wings that will be ate today!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Lets Talk X-Games
So over the weekend the Winter X-games took place. A special sporting event that I look forward to every year. Although, this year I was unable to watch the first two nights, but overall I did see a lot of this year’s X-Games. Also, as everyone knows the two favorite events take place on the closing night of the X-Games, which are Snowmobile best trick and Men’s Snowboarding half pipe. Both these events were especially incredible this year, but it is not like either of them ever really disappoint. In this year’s snowmobile best trick there was the potential of two never before landed in competition tricks, a double back flip and a front flip. In the half pipe Shaun White was looking to go for his 5th gold medal in a row for the half pipe, all to be done on a very sore ankle.
First on Sunday night was the snowmobile best trick. The first few guys were impressive but everyone was waiting for those two guys with the two tricks that had never been landed in competition. Justin Hoyer with his double back flip and Heath Frisby with his front flip.
Hoyer was first to go in the competition, everyone knew what was about to come. ESPN showed shots of his fiancé and family, the viewers could see the nerves on their faces, and everyone knew how serious this trick was and the injury that it could cause. Hoyer pumped himself up multiple times before attempting the double back flip. Finally, he took off and headed for the ramp and began his double back flip. Unfortunately, Hoyer would not be able to land his trick and crashed very hard. Hoyer would then have to be carted away and taken to X-games medical to be over looked; Hoyer had to withdraw from the competition. This meant that the chance for the double back flip to be landed was gone from the competition, but the possibility for the front flip still remained.
(Here is the video)
Next up was Heath Frisby who was ready to attempt the front flip. Frisby could no doubtably be any more nervous after watching such a hard slam. Frisby, whose nerves must have continued to mount as he waited longer than normal for the X-Games medical to return to the jump area, finally it was time. Frisby began psyching himself up much like Hoyer, and suddenly he took off towards the jump and began his front flip. While Frisby was just over halfway through this trick the viewer knew that he was going to land this front flip. And without a doubt Frisby landed his front flip. Frisby went on to be the gold medalist in this round without a problem.
(Here is the video)
The real amazing part about this whole story is really how this kid managed to front flip, not back flip, front flip a roughly 400 pound machine in the air. It really is something extraordinary. Yes, they are weighted out to help the rider flip it, but overall the whole idea of this is crazy. To get the entire machine back around and upright by the time that it hit the landing is impressive. It makes one wonder what will they come with next year, a double front flip? Will someone finally land a double back flip? How many people will have a front flip by the next Winter X? What variations to the front flip can they do? All these questions will be answered at next year’s Winter X games.
This was not the only amazing story that came out of the Winter X-games on the final night. Another story, which I am sure that more people heard about was Shaun Whites incredible half pipe run.
White came into competition with a very sore ankle. In fact so sore that White pulled himself out of the Slope style event the day before. A disappointing blow to his fans, but as many knew White's real success is in the Half pipe where he would be going for a 5-peat. Yes, 5 years in a row he has won the half pipe event at Winter X. Whites first run was pretty much what you would expect out of him, it was great. It was a solid run to get him the top place, which he held through the entire competition. Whites second run appeared to be great, as good as the first if not better, until the end when White took a hard fall. White got up, disappointed and headed back up the mountain seeking revenge on his third and final run. When it was finally White's turn again it was realized that he had won the gold, Shaun White had got his 5-peat. Like most athletes you would expect a simple victory run, nothing flashy nothing special, but this is where Shaun White is different. White knows that people are there to see him, he knows how popular he is, and so Shaun White being Shaun White put his all into his third and final run. White not only was looking to appease the crowd but seek revenge from his previous run when he had crashed. Shaun Whites run was literally flawless. He did nothing wrong, he did better tricks than anyone else; he had more amplitude every time he took off than anyone else. His run was an impeccable run. The fans loved it, White loved it, and everyone saw how good it was. In fact, White's run was so good that he received a perfect 100 on it. Yes, White scored the first ever perfect score in men’s half pipe at the X-games on a victory run.
By White throwing this run shows how dedicated this kid is to this sport. It also shows why he should be seen as an idol. Many athletes in his or comparable situations would have simply done a nothing fancy victory run just to make the competition complete, even knowing that fans were missing out. White knew he could not do that and went out there and threw maybe the best run in his life. This kid is a legacy and we are lucky he is only 25 years old and we likely have a few more years of watching similar runs to this one.
(Here is Shaun Whites perfect score run)
First on Sunday night was the snowmobile best trick. The first few guys were impressive but everyone was waiting for those two guys with the two tricks that had never been landed in competition. Justin Hoyer with his double back flip and Heath Frisby with his front flip.
Hoyer was first to go in the competition, everyone knew what was about to come. ESPN showed shots of his fiancé and family, the viewers could see the nerves on their faces, and everyone knew how serious this trick was and the injury that it could cause. Hoyer pumped himself up multiple times before attempting the double back flip. Finally, he took off and headed for the ramp and began his double back flip. Unfortunately, Hoyer would not be able to land his trick and crashed very hard. Hoyer would then have to be carted away and taken to X-games medical to be over looked; Hoyer had to withdraw from the competition. This meant that the chance for the double back flip to be landed was gone from the competition, but the possibility for the front flip still remained.
(Here is the video)
(Here is the video)
This was not the only amazing story that came out of the Winter X-games on the final night. Another story, which I am sure that more people heard about was Shaun Whites incredible half pipe run.
White came into competition with a very sore ankle. In fact so sore that White pulled himself out of the Slope style event the day before. A disappointing blow to his fans, but as many knew White's real success is in the Half pipe where he would be going for a 5-peat. Yes, 5 years in a row he has won the half pipe event at Winter X. Whites first run was pretty much what you would expect out of him, it was great. It was a solid run to get him the top place, which he held through the entire competition. Whites second run appeared to be great, as good as the first if not better, until the end when White took a hard fall. White got up, disappointed and headed back up the mountain seeking revenge on his third and final run. When it was finally White's turn again it was realized that he had won the gold, Shaun White had got his 5-peat. Like most athletes you would expect a simple victory run, nothing flashy nothing special, but this is where Shaun White is different. White knows that people are there to see him, he knows how popular he is, and so Shaun White being Shaun White put his all into his third and final run. White not only was looking to appease the crowd but seek revenge from his previous run when he had crashed. Shaun Whites run was literally flawless. He did nothing wrong, he did better tricks than anyone else; he had more amplitude every time he took off than anyone else. His run was an impeccable run. The fans loved it, White loved it, and everyone saw how good it was. In fact, White's run was so good that he received a perfect 100 on it. Yes, White scored the first ever perfect score in men’s half pipe at the X-games on a victory run.
By White throwing this run shows how dedicated this kid is to this sport. It also shows why he should be seen as an idol. Many athletes in his or comparable situations would have simply done a nothing fancy victory run just to make the competition complete, even knowing that fans were missing out. White knew he could not do that and went out there and threw maybe the best run in his life. This kid is a legacy and we are lucky he is only 25 years old and we likely have a few more years of watching similar runs to this one.
(Here is Shaun Whites perfect score run)
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Joe Paterno, The Legend
The legendary coach of Penn State football, Joe Paterno, has passed away at the age of 85. Paterno was the head coach of the Nittany Lions for 46 years. Unfortunately, Paterno was fired in the middle of this season amidst a crazy child sex scandal; soon after, Paterno was dismissed as head coach of Penn State. Just days later his son Scott Paterno released that Joe Paterno had a treatable form of Lung Cancer. This is where the question comes in, did Joe Paterno know he was not going to make it through the season and inform Penn State of this and volunteered to be fired to help Penn State look better in his most masterful coaching moves, ever?
I have this theory and maybe many of you will think that I am totally crazy, but maybe some of you may think that I have a point. In my perhaps, crazy theory I think that Joe Paterno volunteered to be fired. As crazy as it sounds listen to why I think it may be a plausible theory. ESPN and many other media outlets were calling for Joe Paterno to get fired and they were very vocal about it. While these major media outlets were calling for his firing much of America, besides Penn State Nation, began thinking he should be fired as well. At this time Joe Paterno knew that he was beginning to get sick. In fact I think he may have known weeks maybe even months before this whole scandal that he had lung cancer, knowing that there was a possibility he might not make it through the rest of the season alive. Joe Paterno, being the guy that he is knew that if he were to die sometime during the season, while coaching the team it would absolutely crush them. So, Joe Paterno knowing this talked to the high powers at Penn State and told them to "fire" him. This way it would quiet the media outlets down that were calling for him to be fired. The football team would still be hurt if he died during the season, but would already have their replacement coach with no need to scramble around. Paterno may have also known that physically he was not going to be capable of coaching his team the rest of the way.
Of course everyone knew that Joe Paterno was getting old and that his days were numbered, but honestly people likely did not realize how close the end was. If Joe Paterno really did think this through and told Penn State to fire him it may be the greatest coaching move he ever made. Joe Paterno loved Penn State and literally would have done anything to help them and with this in mind is why I think Joe Paterno easily could have played out this whole scenario in his head.
No matter what case, Joe Paterno was one of the greatest football coaches and should always be remembered. Joe Paterno is a legend and should never ever be thought of as any less.
I have this theory and maybe many of you will think that I am totally crazy, but maybe some of you may think that I have a point. In my perhaps, crazy theory I think that Joe Paterno volunteered to be fired. As crazy as it sounds listen to why I think it may be a plausible theory. ESPN and many other media outlets were calling for Joe Paterno to get fired and they were very vocal about it. While these major media outlets were calling for his firing much of America, besides Penn State Nation, began thinking he should be fired as well. At this time Joe Paterno knew that he was beginning to get sick. In fact I think he may have known weeks maybe even months before this whole scandal that he had lung cancer, knowing that there was a possibility he might not make it through the rest of the season alive. Joe Paterno, being the guy that he is knew that if he were to die sometime during the season, while coaching the team it would absolutely crush them. So, Joe Paterno knowing this talked to the high powers at Penn State and told them to "fire" him. This way it would quiet the media outlets down that were calling for him to be fired. The football team would still be hurt if he died during the season, but would already have their replacement coach with no need to scramble around. Paterno may have also known that physically he was not going to be capable of coaching his team the rest of the way.
Of course everyone knew that Joe Paterno was getting old and that his days were numbered, but honestly people likely did not realize how close the end was. If Joe Paterno really did think this through and told Penn State to fire him it may be the greatest coaching move he ever made. Joe Paterno loved Penn State and literally would have done anything to help them and with this in mind is why I think Joe Paterno easily could have played out this whole scenario in his head.
No matter what case, Joe Paterno was one of the greatest football coaches and should always be remembered. Joe Paterno is a legend and should never ever be thought of as any less.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Terrell Owens Back in Dallas
Yes, Terrell Owens has signed a contract to play football in Dallas, but not with the Dallas Cowboys. Earlier last week Terrell Owens signed a contract to play with a team from Allen Texas with the Indoor Football League.
Owens will be playing for the Allen Wranglers which are in a 16 team league known as the Indoor Football League. Owens who thought that by this time he would have been playing for the NFL, has settled for something less prestigious. Owens held an open workout in October in hopes a few teams would come and pick him up. Unfortunately, for the player that is number two in the NFL for most all time receiving yards, no one showed up.
This season was a complete wash out for Owens who did not play in a single game after he tore his ACL, as well as the fact no one offered him a contract to play in the NFL. No reports have come out with how much Owens was expecting to receive for playing for the Wranglers, but Owens will get a partial stake in ownership with the team. Owens agent also declined to comment to any major media outlets.
Another question mark was if Owens at the age of 37 was going to play in all of the games or just the home games. Either way, the Wranglers will kick off their season on February 25th, which is a home game against Wichita.
At the very least Owens has brought into a lot of media attention to both the IFL and the Allen Wranglers.
Owens will be playing for the Allen Wranglers which are in a 16 team league known as the Indoor Football League. Owens who thought that by this time he would have been playing for the NFL, has settled for something less prestigious. Owens held an open workout in October in hopes a few teams would come and pick him up. Unfortunately, for the player that is number two in the NFL for most all time receiving yards, no one showed up.
This season was a complete wash out for Owens who did not play in a single game after he tore his ACL, as well as the fact no one offered him a contract to play in the NFL. No reports have come out with how much Owens was expecting to receive for playing for the Wranglers, but Owens will get a partial stake in ownership with the team. Owens agent also declined to comment to any major media outlets.
Another question mark was if Owens at the age of 37 was going to play in all of the games or just the home games. Either way, the Wranglers will kick off their season on February 25th, which is a home game against Wichita.
At the very least Owens has brought into a lot of media attention to both the IFL and the Allen Wranglers.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
NFL Confrence Championship Predictions
So these predictions are a bit late, but they will still be in time for tomorrow’s game. Featured in the AFC Championship will be the Baltimore Ravens at the New England Patriots. In the NFC Championship game will showcase the New York Giants at the San Francisco 49ers. Both games should be great battles for the win and will feature some of the best defenses in the league.
The first game on Sunday will be the AFC Championship game. The Patriots went 13-3 during this year’s regular season, but still managed to stay under the radar as the Green Bay Packers were drawing all of the attention for most of the year. The Pats had the number two passing offense during the season but fell off when it came to the ground game where they were ranked 20th in the league. Tom Brady has been having a pretty epic year as he seems to have every year. The Pats defense on the other hand statistically is one of the worst in the league. They are 31st in the league for passing yards given up averaging around 293.9 yards a game. And for rushing yards the Patriots are 17th in the league and giving up on average around 117.1 yards a game. On the flipside of the field the Ravens have one of the best defenses in the league. They are 2nd in the league for passing yards given up and they are 4th in the league for rushing yards. This game should be a close tight battle. Tom Brady will have to battle against one of the hardest defense's he has seen all year. The Patriots defense is going to have to step up and play hard against a middle of the pack rated offense. With that being said I think the home field advantage really plays a part this in this game and gives the Pats the motivation to win. I think the Patriots win this game 24-14. The game can be seen on CBS and will start at 3:00 pm
In the second game of the afternoon the New York Giants will travel to the west coast to take on the dangerous San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of week 10 were the 49ers won 27-20. San Francisco has the best rushing defense in the league and than a middle of the pack passing defense. But I think these numbers are skewed a bit. San Francisco is normally up and they are big so teams are forced to go to the pass allowing for them to be giving up more pass yards. Also, teams are rushing less against them which means they are giving up less rushing yards. Either way the San Francisco team still has a very solid defense despite the skewing in the numbers. The Giants defense is picking it up so far in the post season. They pitched a defensive shut out against the Atlanta Falcons and held a highly potent Packers offense to just 20 points. The Giants offense passing attack has been solid all year lead by Eli Manning who is having a career year. The Giants rushing game which has been struggling all game seems to be playing a bit better in the post season. The Giants are starting to pull it all together and are on a hot streak (Saying this from the most unbiased view possible). In their first match up the Giants played the 49ers tough but gave up an untimely interception in a last minute drive to force them to lose. With this in mind I think the Giants are coming back for revenge in this game and a look for a chance for a rematch of Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots. The Giants take this one in a hard fought battle 27-24. This game will be aired on FOX and will start around 6:30pm.
What do you guys think about this weekend’s games, what are your picks? Also, are there any stories or topics you guys are interested for me to touch on? Let me know and hopefully I can write something up about it!
The first game on Sunday will be the AFC Championship game. The Patriots went 13-3 during this year’s regular season, but still managed to stay under the radar as the Green Bay Packers were drawing all of the attention for most of the year. The Pats had the number two passing offense during the season but fell off when it came to the ground game where they were ranked 20th in the league. Tom Brady has been having a pretty epic year as he seems to have every year. The Pats defense on the other hand statistically is one of the worst in the league. They are 31st in the league for passing yards given up averaging around 293.9 yards a game. And for rushing yards the Patriots are 17th in the league and giving up on average around 117.1 yards a game. On the flipside of the field the Ravens have one of the best defenses in the league. They are 2nd in the league for passing yards given up and they are 4th in the league for rushing yards. This game should be a close tight battle. Tom Brady will have to battle against one of the hardest defense's he has seen all year. The Patriots defense is going to have to step up and play hard against a middle of the pack rated offense. With that being said I think the home field advantage really plays a part this in this game and gives the Pats the motivation to win. I think the Patriots win this game 24-14. The game can be seen on CBS and will start at 3:00 pm
In the second game of the afternoon the New York Giants will travel to the west coast to take on the dangerous San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of week 10 were the 49ers won 27-20. San Francisco has the best rushing defense in the league and than a middle of the pack passing defense. But I think these numbers are skewed a bit. San Francisco is normally up and they are big so teams are forced to go to the pass allowing for them to be giving up more pass yards. Also, teams are rushing less against them which means they are giving up less rushing yards. Either way the San Francisco team still has a very solid defense despite the skewing in the numbers. The Giants defense is picking it up so far in the post season. They pitched a defensive shut out against the Atlanta Falcons and held a highly potent Packers offense to just 20 points. The Giants offense passing attack has been solid all year lead by Eli Manning who is having a career year. The Giants rushing game which has been struggling all game seems to be playing a bit better in the post season. The Giants are starting to pull it all together and are on a hot streak (Saying this from the most unbiased view possible). In their first match up the Giants played the 49ers tough but gave up an untimely interception in a last minute drive to force them to lose. With this in mind I think the Giants are coming back for revenge in this game and a look for a chance for a rematch of Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots. The Giants take this one in a hard fought battle 27-24. This game will be aired on FOX and will start around 6:30pm.
What do you guys think about this weekend’s games, what are your picks? Also, are there any stories or topics you guys are interested for me to touch on? Let me know and hopefully I can write something up about it!
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Manning-Luck Drama
The Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck drama that seems to be unfolding in Indianapolis is almost fit for its own television show. The Indianapolis Colts will have the first pick in this year’s draft and they have publicly said that they will take top prospect Andrew Luck. The main question, is Peyton on board with this decision? Will Peyton ever play again? Does Archie Manning need to stay out of both Eli and Peyton's professional careers?
In my personal opinion I do not think that Peyton Manning will return to playing football. Peyton has had multiple neck surgeries now and for the first time he has missed a start since he became a starter. And not only did Peyton miss a start he missed an entire season. Peyton will also be 36 years old in the 2012-13 season. With this being said I think Peyton Manning will retire and I have been saying this for a few weeks now. Yesterday a rumor was sparked that Peyton was going to announce he was retiring and that he would announce it by the end of the day. This rumor was sparked by Hollywood actor Rob Lowe. Lowe is apparently close friends with Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts owner. Lowe stated later on NFL Network that his sources were a "darn good source." Later Irsay basically stated that Lowe had no clue what he was saying and the rumors are false. The question still arises; do we trust what this guy said? And why would he say something like this, to bring attention the team? I am not really sure and I guess we will not know unless Peyton retires or does not. Either way usually where there is smoke there is fire. I think this idea adds fuel to my fire that Peyton never plays again.
The next question is what if Peyton does not retire? Do Andrew Luck and he co-exist? I think they can, as long as their egos do not get in the way of each other. It will also be imperative for Luck to realize that he is going to have to sit for a few years behind Peyton before he gets his chance to start. I think this would be a good thing for Luck. It will allow him to mature and get used to the NFL game pace. Hopefully Peyton realizes that he is getting older and that soon the Colts will need to begin to develop a quarterback to replace him. If he does realize this he will be a great mentor to Luck and Luck will become an elite quarterback after just a few years in the league once he starts playing.
Now on to Archie, I believe that Archie needs to learn to stay quiet about Peyton and Eli's careers. Throughout both of their careers Archie has consistently stuck his nose into their business. If any commentator criticizes Peyton or Eli, Archie jumps all over them. When the Colts were originally first thinking about taking Luck, Archie stated he did not think this was a good idea, only to later say that he thought they could work together. Archie also forced Eli to the Giants when he was first drafted saying that he would never allow his son to play San Diego and only would allow his son to play for the New York Giants. So of course, Archie got his wish and Eli was taken first pick by the Chargers and traded immediately to the New York Giants.
The bottom line is the Colts and Peyton are in a sticky situation. Peyton is getting older and will likely never be as solid of a quarterback as he was. And when/if he comes back he will be going back to a mildly okay team at best that is in the middle of re-building. Will Peyton mind losing perhaps many games in a season knowing he could be in his last few years? But there is a small loop hole in the hole situation. If the Colts cut Peyton before the final 5 days of the 2011-12 season (Late February) they can get out of his contract without any penalties and Peyton would become an unrestricted free agent.
Ultimately this should be an interesting situation to watch unfold. What do you think will happen with Peyton? Will he retire? Will he be released by the Colts? Or will he be the Mentor for Luck in the next few seasons? Let me know what you guys are thinking!
In my personal opinion I do not think that Peyton Manning will return to playing football. Peyton has had multiple neck surgeries now and for the first time he has missed a start since he became a starter. And not only did Peyton miss a start he missed an entire season. Peyton will also be 36 years old in the 2012-13 season. With this being said I think Peyton Manning will retire and I have been saying this for a few weeks now. Yesterday a rumor was sparked that Peyton was going to announce he was retiring and that he would announce it by the end of the day. This rumor was sparked by Hollywood actor Rob Lowe. Lowe is apparently close friends with Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts owner. Lowe stated later on NFL Network that his sources were a "darn good source." Later Irsay basically stated that Lowe had no clue what he was saying and the rumors are false. The question still arises; do we trust what this guy said? And why would he say something like this, to bring attention the team? I am not really sure and I guess we will not know unless Peyton retires or does not. Either way usually where there is smoke there is fire. I think this idea adds fuel to my fire that Peyton never plays again.
The next question is what if Peyton does not retire? Do Andrew Luck and he co-exist? I think they can, as long as their egos do not get in the way of each other. It will also be imperative for Luck to realize that he is going to have to sit for a few years behind Peyton before he gets his chance to start. I think this would be a good thing for Luck. It will allow him to mature and get used to the NFL game pace. Hopefully Peyton realizes that he is getting older and that soon the Colts will need to begin to develop a quarterback to replace him. If he does realize this he will be a great mentor to Luck and Luck will become an elite quarterback after just a few years in the league once he starts playing.
Now on to Archie, I believe that Archie needs to learn to stay quiet about Peyton and Eli's careers. Throughout both of their careers Archie has consistently stuck his nose into their business. If any commentator criticizes Peyton or Eli, Archie jumps all over them. When the Colts were originally first thinking about taking Luck, Archie stated he did not think this was a good idea, only to later say that he thought they could work together. Archie also forced Eli to the Giants when he was first drafted saying that he would never allow his son to play San Diego and only would allow his son to play for the New York Giants. So of course, Archie got his wish and Eli was taken first pick by the Chargers and traded immediately to the New York Giants.
The bottom line is the Colts and Peyton are in a sticky situation. Peyton is getting older and will likely never be as solid of a quarterback as he was. And when/if he comes back he will be going back to a mildly okay team at best that is in the middle of re-building. Will Peyton mind losing perhaps many games in a season knowing he could be in his last few years? But there is a small loop hole in the hole situation. If the Colts cut Peyton before the final 5 days of the 2011-12 season (Late February) they can get out of his contract without any penalties and Peyton would become an unrestricted free agent.
Ultimately this should be an interesting situation to watch unfold. What do you think will happen with Peyton? Will he retire? Will he be released by the Colts? Or will he be the Mentor for Luck in the next few seasons? Let me know what you guys are thinking!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Next Big Thing?
The next big thing to hit the NFL? The New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. Cruz, who is only in his second season in the NFL is already putting up records and insane numbers. In my personal opinion this kid is going to be one of the best receivers in the NFL within just a few years.
Cruz was an undrafted free agent that the Giants signed after he came out of college where he played for the University of Massachusetts. While in college, Cruz posted some decent numbers. He was fourth all time for receptions at UMass with 131 receptions. Over his entire college career he scored 11 touchdowns and had just less than 2,000 yards. This all came even though he sat out his entire junior season due to an injury. Then, in 2010 Cruz entered into the NFL draft, only to be completely overlooked and undrafted.
The Giants signed Victor Cruz in 2010. Unfortunately for Giants fans they would not get to realize the potential in Victor Cruz until this year. Mainly because he was placed on the injured reserve list last season for what the Giants deemed a major hamstring injury. Although, in the preseason of 2010 Cruz flashed his incredible abilities when the Giants played the Jets. In that game Cruz had 6 receptions for 145 yards, 3 touchdown receptions and one of his receptions was a 64 yard one handed catch.
In the 2011 season Cruz would grab the headlines for all of his incredible games. Cruz had seven games this season with over 100 yards and four of those games Cruz went for over 150 yards. Not only did Cruz have big games number wise but he also is making some spectacular plays. Two plays from this season come to mind immediately, Cruz's 99 yard reception against the New York Jets on Christmas Eve and his 68 yard reception against the Seattle Seahawks (Both plays can be seen in the videos below). With these great numbers and plays Cruz's jerseys are flying off the shelves at stores and his jerseys are currently retailing the most against any current Giant, as well as Jason Pierre Paul (More on him in a later blog post).
With Cruz's numbers in the preseason and his numbers from this season go to show that this season has not been a fluke for Cruz. He is genuine talent in the game. With his talent and amazing big play ability, Cruz is not only going to be around the NFL for awhile, but he is going to be one of the best receivers in the game.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Syracuse 20-0
For the first time in team history the Syracuse University Men's Basketball team has got off to a 20-0 start. The twentieth win of the season came tonight against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pitt, who seems to be struggling with Big East play this season, was able to keep the game fairly close throughout the night but the outcome of the game was never really in doubt.
Syracuse winning this game was a pretty big statement; Syracuse has not beaten Pitt at home since 2003 and has not beat Pitt at all since 2006. But the game means more than that, Jim Boeheim got his 876th win, this ties him with Adolph Rupp for the 4th most wins in NCAA Division 1 basketball. Boeheim also got his 34th 20 win season. That means out of the 36 seasons Boeheim has been head coach for Syracuse, 34 of them he has won 20 or more games and yes, that is a NCAA record.
Unfortunately, this post is not all good news about Syracuse. Many people I am sure are wondering will Syracuse go completely undefeated this season en route to win the National Championship? Sadly, I have to say that Syracuse will NOT go undefeated. As much as it pains me to say that, it is just nearly impossible to run the table in NCAA Division 1 basketball, let alone the fact that Syracuse plays in the Big East. Personally, I think it is possible for Syracuse to win their final 11 regular season games and finish the regular season undefeated. A pretty big feat I would say.
I think where Syracuse runs into trouble is in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The competition at this tournament is like none other. Every team picks up their game 10 times more. Syracuse will likely win their first game of the tournament, but look for Syracuse to lose (Kills me to say it) in the second game of the Big East tournament that they play in. This may be good for Syracuse as it will lead to rest for the team before they head into March Madness and try to win themselves a National Championship.
As far as Syracuse winning a national championship? I think they have a pretty good shot at it. The main key to winning the championship will be to not get ahead of themselves and to make sure they do not overlook any team that they come across in their march to a championship. Syracuse is going to have to watch out for teams like Baylor, Kentucky and Duke when they get late into the championship.
As with all other Syracuse fans, I sincerely hope that Syracuse can put a magical run together and go this entire season undefeated. Do I believe that Syracuse can do it? Yes. Do I realize its unlikely? Yes. But here is to hoping they can do it. So college basketball fans, get in, hold on, and get ready for the crazy ride of the final few months of NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Divisional Playoff Predictions
It is Thursday and it is time for me to give the predictions for this week’s NFL playoffs. Of course like any other playoff week in the NFL, there is the chance for some real good games in this weekend’s match ups. One interesting game will be the Denver Bronco's vs. the New England Patriots to see if Tim Tebow can pull off another miracle win like he has been doing all season. Another notable game will be between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. Can Houston get their second playoff win ever? The Giants look to pull off an upset against, record-wise the best team in the league. And the San Francisco 49ers look to slow down the high powered offense of the New Orleans Saints led by Drew Brees.
In the first game of this week’s playoff round the New Orleans Saints will visit the San Francisco 49ers. Drew Brees who has thrown for 5,476 yards this season and 46 touchdowns will look to dominate the San Francisco’s 4th ranked defense in the league. Even though San Francisco has a solid defense team, I do not think it will be any match for Drew Brees. The 49ers have given up 3,694 passing yards this season, which is 16th in the league. That being said, I think the Saints take this game 24-13. The 49ers will slow Brees down a little but it will not be enough; he has too many targets to throw to. This game will be the first game of the weekend and will start around 4:30 and can be seen on Fox.
In the second game on Saturday Denver will visit the New England Patriots. Denver has been on a miracle run all season with Tim Tebow as the starter. Last weekend Tebow pulled off a miracle win against the Steelers in a game that everyone thought the Steelers would dominate. In this rematch of week 15 I think that the Patriots put an end to Tebow's miracle run. Although many would assume this game to be a blow out, I think the Bronco's are able to keep this one close. New England wins 31-24. The game can be seen on CBS at 8:00 pm on Saturday night.
The first game on Sunday will feature the Houston Texans at the Baltimore Ravens where Houston tries to avenge their Week 6 loss to the Ravens. The Ravens are the team many people are predicting will go to the Super Bowl this year but I think they run into a wall this weekend when they face the Texans. The Houston Texans made it to their first playoffs ever and in their first playoff game they got a win. Because of this, I think the Texans win this game in an upset 21-17. Andre Johnson got his first taste of the playoffs last weekend and I know he is hungry for more. I think he makes sure that this team goes on to win, even with the young T.J. Yates playing quarterback. This game will be seen on CBS at 1:00 pm on Sunday.
In the final game of this week’s playoffs the New York Giants go on the road to Lambeau to face the defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers who only have one loss this season look to be the clear winner of this game. The only problem, the Giants are finally putting their team together. Most of their players have returned from injuries. They have two young up and coming superstars in Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul and a solid veteran quarterback in Eli Manning. In this week 13 rematch where the Giants lost 38-35 to a last minute field goal, I think the Giants surprise the world and edge the Packers this time 34-31. Although the Giants defense through the regular season looked shoddy at best, it is now playing like a whole new unit and I think it will be enough to edge out the Packers. This game will be on Fox and is slated to start at 4:30 pm.
These are my picks for this week’s divisional playoff round. Let me know what you think of my picks and let me know what your picks are!
In the first game of this week’s playoff round the New Orleans Saints will visit the San Francisco 49ers. Drew Brees who has thrown for 5,476 yards this season and 46 touchdowns will look to dominate the San Francisco’s 4th ranked defense in the league. Even though San Francisco has a solid defense team, I do not think it will be any match for Drew Brees. The 49ers have given up 3,694 passing yards this season, which is 16th in the league. That being said, I think the Saints take this game 24-13. The 49ers will slow Brees down a little but it will not be enough; he has too many targets to throw to. This game will be the first game of the weekend and will start around 4:30 and can be seen on Fox.
In the second game on Saturday Denver will visit the New England Patriots. Denver has been on a miracle run all season with Tim Tebow as the starter. Last weekend Tebow pulled off a miracle win against the Steelers in a game that everyone thought the Steelers would dominate. In this rematch of week 15 I think that the Patriots put an end to Tebow's miracle run. Although many would assume this game to be a blow out, I think the Bronco's are able to keep this one close. New England wins 31-24. The game can be seen on CBS at 8:00 pm on Saturday night.
The first game on Sunday will feature the Houston Texans at the Baltimore Ravens where Houston tries to avenge their Week 6 loss to the Ravens. The Ravens are the team many people are predicting will go to the Super Bowl this year but I think they run into a wall this weekend when they face the Texans. The Houston Texans made it to their first playoffs ever and in their first playoff game they got a win. Because of this, I think the Texans win this game in an upset 21-17. Andre Johnson got his first taste of the playoffs last weekend and I know he is hungry for more. I think he makes sure that this team goes on to win, even with the young T.J. Yates playing quarterback. This game will be seen on CBS at 1:00 pm on Sunday.
In the final game of this week’s playoffs the New York Giants go on the road to Lambeau to face the defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers who only have one loss this season look to be the clear winner of this game. The only problem, the Giants are finally putting their team together. Most of their players have returned from injuries. They have two young up and coming superstars in Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul and a solid veteran quarterback in Eli Manning. In this week 13 rematch where the Giants lost 38-35 to a last minute field goal, I think the Giants surprise the world and edge the Packers this time 34-31. Although the Giants defense through the regular season looked shoddy at best, it is now playing like a whole new unit and I think it will be enough to edge out the Packers. This game will be on Fox and is slated to start at 4:30 pm.
These are my picks for this week’s divisional playoff round. Let me know what you think of my picks and let me know what your picks are!
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Return of The Heet Zone
Hello readers,
After a long hiatus I have returned back to writing The Heet Zone. And honestly it could not have come at a better time for sports. The NFL just had one of the most exciting weeks that it plays during the season, Wildcard Weekend. Syracuse Men's Basketball is number one in the nation and off to a 17-0 start. The NHL is in mid season and the Rangers are playing like they have something to prove. And not mention the NBA is in full swing, although how many people really noticed the NBA was gone?
But my first topic to talk about since my long break from writing The Heet Zone is going to be something the NFL fan likely hears everyday, Tim Tebow. Tebow probably has more fans than any other player in the NFL and this is because of his seemingly miracle-like wins that the Bronco's and Tebow put together in the final moments of a game.
Honestly, I can not say that I am the biggest fan of Tebow but when someone is playing the way that Tebow is you have to give him credit. I am sure that there are many people out there saying that Tebow did not win that game yesterday for the Bronco's. And that his defense helped him or that his wide receivers did all the work on the field and were able to slip tackles and find small holes in the defense to slip through. While this may be true, Tebow won that game for the Denver Bronco's yesterday.
For people that say the defense won the game yesterday for Tebow, lets take a look at how the scoring was in yesterdays game. At halftime it was 20-6 in favor of the Bronco's. At this point of the game it is fair to say the defense was winning the game for Tebow. But by the time it was the end of the fourth quarter the Bronco's defense let a hobbled Ben Roethlisberger go down and tie the game at 23-23. The defense had begun to fail. If the defense had played the way that it had in the first half in the second half, it would have been acceptable to say that the defense won that game for Tebow. But for the nay-sayers, the defense did not hold up through the entire game.
Some people say that the Wide Receivers won the game for Tebow. And while this may be a fair thing to say, someone had to throw to them. Someone had to throw accurate passes to them for them to go and score the touchdowns. The person that threw those passes in this game was Tim Tebow. Tebow threw for over 300 yards against a very stingy Steelers defense, in fact one of the best defenses in the league this season. Not only did Tebow throw for 316 yards and two touchdowns, he ran for 50 yards and one touchdown against this tough defense.
Then there is others that say Demaryius Thomas won the game for the Bronco's because he took a 20 yard pass to the end zone for an 80 yard reception in overtime to win the game. But once again someone had to deliver that pass to him, someone had to throw an accurate pass to him, that person was none other than Tim Tebow. Tebow threw it to Thomas accurately. Tebow also likely noticed that Thomas was just about even with the safety. Because of the accurate well thrown ball from Tebow the rest was up to Thomas, a simple foot race to the end zone and Thomas won.
Love him or hate him, Tebow is a winner and always has been. When Tebow is given the chance to win, he will find a way to win. Whether its his skill or having some kind of spiritual power behind him Tebow is a winner and Tebow will likely be around the NFL for a long time.
After a long hiatus I have returned back to writing The Heet Zone. And honestly it could not have come at a better time for sports. The NFL just had one of the most exciting weeks that it plays during the season, Wildcard Weekend. Syracuse Men's Basketball is number one in the nation and off to a 17-0 start. The NHL is in mid season and the Rangers are playing like they have something to prove. And not mention the NBA is in full swing, although how many people really noticed the NBA was gone?
But my first topic to talk about since my long break from writing The Heet Zone is going to be something the NFL fan likely hears everyday, Tim Tebow. Tebow probably has more fans than any other player in the NFL and this is because of his seemingly miracle-like wins that the Bronco's and Tebow put together in the final moments of a game.
Honestly, I can not say that I am the biggest fan of Tebow but when someone is playing the way that Tebow is you have to give him credit. I am sure that there are many people out there saying that Tebow did not win that game yesterday for the Bronco's. And that his defense helped him or that his wide receivers did all the work on the field and were able to slip tackles and find small holes in the defense to slip through. While this may be true, Tebow won that game for the Denver Bronco's yesterday.
For people that say the defense won the game yesterday for Tebow, lets take a look at how the scoring was in yesterdays game. At halftime it was 20-6 in favor of the Bronco's. At this point of the game it is fair to say the defense was winning the game for Tebow. But by the time it was the end of the fourth quarter the Bronco's defense let a hobbled Ben Roethlisberger go down and tie the game at 23-23. The defense had begun to fail. If the defense had played the way that it had in the first half in the second half, it would have been acceptable to say that the defense won that game for Tebow. But for the nay-sayers, the defense did not hold up through the entire game.
Some people say that the Wide Receivers won the game for Tebow. And while this may be a fair thing to say, someone had to throw to them. Someone had to throw accurate passes to them for them to go and score the touchdowns. The person that threw those passes in this game was Tim Tebow. Tebow threw for over 300 yards against a very stingy Steelers defense, in fact one of the best defenses in the league this season. Not only did Tebow throw for 316 yards and two touchdowns, he ran for 50 yards and one touchdown against this tough defense.
Then there is others that say Demaryius Thomas won the game for the Bronco's because he took a 20 yard pass to the end zone for an 80 yard reception in overtime to win the game. But once again someone had to deliver that pass to him, someone had to throw an accurate pass to him, that person was none other than Tim Tebow. Tebow threw it to Thomas accurately. Tebow also likely noticed that Thomas was just about even with the safety. Because of the accurate well thrown ball from Tebow the rest was up to Thomas, a simple foot race to the end zone and Thomas won.
Love him or hate him, Tebow is a winner and always has been. When Tebow is given the chance to win, he will find a way to win. Whether its his skill or having some kind of spiritual power behind him Tebow is a winner and Tebow will likely be around the NFL for a long time.
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