Sunday, February 26, 2012

NCAA Basketball - 2012 NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 UNC-Asheville/Savannah St.
8 Iowa St. 9 St. Louis
at Albuquerque
5 Indiana 12 Oregon/Miami
4 UNLV 13 Middle Tennessee St.
at Albuquerque
6 Cal 11 West Virginia
3 Baylor 14 Drexel
at Greensboro
7 Creighton 10 Cincinnati
2 North Carolina 15 Bucknell

South Regional - Atlanta

at Greensboro
1 Duke 16 Texas-Arlington
8 Vanderbilt 9 Memphis
at Nashville
5 Notre Dame 12 Northwestern/NC State
4 Michigan 13 Iona
at Louisville
6 Murray St. 11 BYU
3 Georgetown 14 Nevada
at Omaha
7 New Mexico 10 Alabama
2 Missouri 15 Davidson

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 Mississippi Valley St./Stony Brook
8 Kansas St. 9 Purdue
at Portland
5 Florida St. 12 Seton Hall
4 Wichita St. 13 Long Beach St.
at Columbus
6 Temple 11 Arizona
3 Marquette 14 Belmont
at Pittsburgh
7 St. Mary's 10 Harvard
2 Ohio St. 15 Long Island

West Regional - Phoenix

at Omaha
1 Kansas 16 Valparaiso
8 Virginia 9 Southern Miss
at Portland
5 Wisconsin 12 Texas
4 Louisville 13 Oral Roberts
at Nashville
6 San Diego St. 11 Washington
3 Florida 14 Akron
at Columbus
7 Gonzaga 10 UConn
2 Michigan St. 15 Weber St.

Last Four In: Northwestern, Oregon, Miami, NC State
First Four Out: South Florida, Xavier, Mississippi St., VCU
Next Four Out: Colorado St., Colorado, Central Florida, St. Joseph's

** The Final Four matchups would be East vs. South and Midwest vs. West

NBA - 2012 All-Star Game



Eastern Conference -3.5 vs. Western Conference

The brightest stars in the NBA transcend on Orlando tonight for the 61st NBA All-Star Game. There is sure to be plenty of entertainment in what I consider to be the best All-Star Game sports has to offer. Sure there won't be much defense played, but rest assured that if the game is close in the 4th Quarter these guys will want to win. Let's take a look at this year's All-Star rosters.

East Starters
G Derrick Rose (Chi) 21.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 7.7 APG
G Dwayne Wade (Mia) 22.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.4 APG
F Carmelo Anthony  (NY) 21.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.1 APG
F LeBron James (Mia) 27.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 6.8 APG
C Dwight Howard (Orl) 20.1 PPG, 15.3 RPG, 2.1 APG
East Reserves
G Rajon Rondo (Bos) 14.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 9.5 APG
G Deron Williams (NJ) 22.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 8.2 APG
F Andre Iguodala (Phil) 12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.3 APG
F Luol Deng (Chi) 15.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.3 APG
F Paul Pierce (Bos) 17.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.3 APG
F Chris Bosh (Mia) 18.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.0 APG
C Roy Hibbert (Ind) 13.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.6 APG

West Starters
G Chris Paul (LAC) 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 8.6 APG
G Kobe Bryant (LAL) 28.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.9 APG
F Kevin Durant (OKC) 27.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.4 APG
F Blake Griffin (LAC) 21.4 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 3.0 APG
C Andrew Bynum (LAL) 16.3 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 1.3 APG
West Reserves
G Steve Nash (Phx) 13.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 10.9 APG
G Tony Parker (SA) 19.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 8.1 APG
G Russell Westbrook (OKC) 23.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.5 APG
F LaMarcus Aldridge (Port) 22.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.7 APG
F Kevin Love (Minn) 25.0 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 1.9 APG
F Dirk Nowitzki (Dall) 19.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.3 APG
C Marc Gasol (Mem) 15.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.1 APG

There is an enormous amount of talent on both sides of the court tonight. In looking at the rosters, I think that the West will have a little bit more cohesiveness amongst them and blend together better. The East has players in Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, and Roy Hibbert who are making their 1st All-Star appearances and are doing so without eye-popping numbers. Every player on the West squad other than Marc Gasol, is capable of going off. Give me the West in the 2012 edition of the NBA All-Star Game.

Prediction - West 142 East 134

Saturday, February 25, 2012

NBA - All-Star Saturday Slam Dunk Contest



A new man will add his name to the record books as a Slam Dunk Champion tonight in Orlando. Blake Griffin decided to sit out of the contest this year. Griffin played in last night's Rising Stars Game and was selected as a starter for tomorrow's All-Star Game. Combine his busy weekend, with a jam packed schedule of regular season games, and the fact that his Clippers look like a lock for the playoffs, and it is easy to see why he chose to sit this one out. That leaves the door open for a fresh face to win this year. 4 relatively unknown men will try to make a name for themselves. Houston's Chase Budinger, Indiana's Paul George, Utah's Jeremy Evans, and Minnesota's Derrick Williams make up the field.

Paul George (1.5 to 1)
Chase Budinger (2 to 1)
Jeremy Evans (2.5 to 1)
Derrick Williams (3 to 1)

And the winner is: Paul George. George is an athletic freak. All of these men have supreme athletic ability, but George stands out a little more. He has shown to be quite a high riser throughout this regular season, and if he can bring some creativity to the contest, he should have the best chance to win. Don;t sleep on Derrick Williams, but ultimately George will be the winner.

NBA - All-Star Saturday 3-Point Contest



The best shooters the NBA has to offer take aim at the Three-Point Shootout tonight in Orlando. One man will reign as the top shooter in the league. The current champion, James Jones of the Heat, will defend his title tonight against the likes of Minnesota's Kevin Love, Orlando's Ryan Anderson, New Jersey's Anthony Morrow, Jones' Miami teammate Mario Chalmers, and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. Jones will be looking to become the 7th player to defend his title.

Kevin Durant (2.25 to 1)
- 37% 3P
- 58 3PM

James Jones (2.5 to 1)
- 2011 3-Point Shootout Champion
- 42% 3P
- 28 3PM

Ryan Anderson (3 to 1)
- 43% 3P
- 99 3PM

Anthony Morrow (3 to 1)
- 40% 3P
- 69 3PM

Mario Chalmers (3.5 to 1)
- 46% 3P
- 69 3PM

Kevin Love (5 to 1)
- 35% 3P
- 48 3PM

And the winner is: Mario Chalmers. The 3-Point Shootout Championship Trophy will return to South Beach. It won't be in James Jones' hands this time around though. Mario Chalmers has flat out stroked the ball this year. He doesn't take the nightly grind that other competitors like Durant and Love do, so he should be fairly fresh. Surprisingly, Chalmers's odds are the 5th lowest out of 6 contestants. This gives me even more reason to like him as you can get more for your dollar. His shooting abilities are part of the reason that the Heat are wrecking their competition right now. Those abilities will be on display tonight.

NBA - At the All-Star Break

We have now reached the NBA All-Star Break in this condensed season. Every team in the league is about half way through their schedule and gearing up for the stretch run. Over the next month we will start to see who will be in contention for an NBA title this year. The NBA is the one league that generally crowns the best team champion. This could be a year unlike any other though (besides 1999). The last time the NBA had a shortened season, an 8-seed (New York Knicks) made it to the NBA Finals. Could we see something similar this year? There are some talented teams that aren't having stellar regular seasons that could make a splash in the playoffs (Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, Grizzlies). But time will tell. Here is how the remainder of the season projects based off of current standings and simulations of the remaining games.

Eastern Conference
1. Miami 52-14
2. Chicago 49-17
3. Orlando 40-26
4. Philadelphia 39-27
5. Indiana 39-27
6. Atlanta 36-30
7. New York 35-31
8. Boston 34-32
9. Milwaukee 28-38
10. Cleveland 24-42
11. Detroit 21-45
12. New Jersey 20-46
13. Toronto 20-46
14. Washington 19-47
15. Charlotte 11-55

Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City 49-17
2. San Antonio 43-23
3. LA Clippers 43-23
4. Dallas 42-24
5. LA Lakers 40-26
6. Memphis 38-28
7. Portland 35-31
8. Houston 34-32
9. Denver 33-33
10. Minnesota 30-36
11. Golden St. 30-36
12. Utah 29-37
13. Phoenix 28-38
14. Sacramento 22-44
15. New Orleans 20-46

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
1 Miami over 8 Boston 4-1
4 Philadelphia over 5 Indiana 4-2
3 Orlando over 6 Atlanta 4-3
2 Chicago over 7 New York 4-2

Western Conference Quarterfinals
1 Oklahoma City over 8 Houston 4-1
4 Dallas over 5 LA Lakers 4-3
3 LA Clippers over 6 Memphis 4-3
2 San Antonio over 7 Portland 4-2

Eastern Conference Semifinals
1 Miami over 4 Philadelphia 4-0
2 Chicago over 3 Orlando 4-1

Western Conference Semifinals
1 Oklahoma City over 4 Dallas 4-2
2 San Antonio over 3 LA Clippers 4-2

Eastern Conference Finals
2 Chicago over 1 Miami 4-3

Western Conference Finals
1 Oklahoma City over 2 San Antonio 4-2

NBA Finals
2 Chicago over 1 Oklahoma City 4-2

The Miami Heat appear to be the best team in basketball at the moment. They have been beating the brakes off of teams over the last couple weeks. But can they do it in the playoffs? I do think they can. But I am stubborn so I am sticking with my preseason picks and taking the Bulls to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Here are my midseason awards:

NBA MVP - LeBron James
Defensive POY - Dwight Howard
Rookie of the Year - Kyrie Irving
Coach of the Year - Frank Vogel
6th Man of the Year - Lou Williams

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

2012 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

1.  Indianapolis - Andrew Luck  QB/Stanford
2. Washington (via trade w/ StL) - Robert Griffin III  QB/Baylor
3. Minnesota - Matt Kalil  OT/USC
4. Cleveland - Justin Blackmon  WR/Oklahoma St.
5. Tampa Bay - Morris Claiborne  CB/LSU
6. St. Louis (via trade w/ Wash) - Riley Reiff  OT/Iowa
7. Jacksonville - Quinton Coples  DE/North Carolina
8. Miami - Johnathan Martin  OT/Stanford
9. Carolina - Michael Brockers  DT/LSU
10. Buffalo - Melvin Ingram  DE/South Carolina
11. Kansas City - Trent Richardson  RB/Alabama
12. Seattle - Dre Kirkpatrick  CB/Alabama
13. Arizona - David DeCastro  G/Stanford
14. Dallas - Luke Kuechly  ILB/Boston College
15. Philadelphia - Kendall Wright  WR/Baylor
16. NY Jets - Courtney Upshaw  OLB/Alabama
17. Cincinnati - Janoris Jenkins  CB/North Alabama
18. San Diego - Mark Barron  SS/Alabama
19. Chicago - Michael Floyd  WR/Notre Dame
20. Tennessee - Dontari Poe  DT/Memphis
21. Cincinnati - Lamar Miller  RB/Miami
22. Cleveland - Mike Adams  OT/Ohio St.
23. Detroit - Cordy Glenn  G/Georgia
24. Pittsburgh - Devon Still  DT/Penn St.
25. Denver - Jerel Worthy  DT/Michigan St.
26. Houston - Alshon Jeffery  WR/South Carolina
27. New England - Whitney Mercilus  OLB/Illinois
28. Green Bay - Peter Konz  C/Wisconsin
29. Baltimore - Donta Hightower  LB/Alabama
30. San Francisco - Mohamed Sanu  WR/Rutgers
31. New England - Alfonzo Dennard  CB/Nebraska
32. NY Giants - Vontaze Burfict  LB/Arizona St.

http://extra-point.net/

Sunday, February 19, 2012

NCAA Basketball - 2012 NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 UNC-Asheville/Savannah St.
8 Cal 9 Memphis
at Portland
5 Temple 12 Texas
4 Florida St. 13 Iona
at Albuquerque
6 Wichita St. 11 BYU
3 Baylor 14 Drexel
at Columbus
7 Mississippi St. 10 Cincinnati
2 Michigan St. 15 Weber St.

South Regional - Atlanta

at Omaha
1 Missouri 16 Texas-Arlington
8 Vanderbilt 9 St. Louis
at Nashville
5 Notre Dame 12 NC State/Oregon
4 Michigan 13 Oral Roberts
at Nashville
6 New Mexico 11 Northwestern
3 Florida 14 Akron
at Greensboro
7 Creighton 10 UConn
2 North Carolina 15 Bucknell

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 Mississippi Valley St./Stony Brook
8 Iowa St. 9 West Virginia
at Portland
5 Wisconsin 12 Seton Hall/Miami
4 UNLV 13 Middle Tennessee St.
at Columbus
6 Virginia 11 Kansas St.
3 Georgetown 14 Nevada
at Pittsburgh
7 St. Mary's 10 Harvard
2 Ohio St. 15 Long Island

West Regional - Phoenix

at Greenboro
1 Duke 16 Valparaiso
8 Gonzaga 9 Southern Miss
at Albuquerque
5 Louisville 12 Arizona
4 Indiana 13 Long Beach St.
at Louisville
6 Murray St. 11 Washington
3 Marquette 14 Belmont
at Omaha
7 San Diego St. 10 Purdue
2 Kansas 15 Davidson

Last Four In: Seton Hall, NC State, Oregon, Miami
First Four Out: Xavier, Alabama, South Florida, Colorado
Next Four Out: Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado St., Central Florida

** The Final Four matchups would be East vs. South and Midwest vs. West

Sunday, February 12, 2012

NCAA Basketball - 2012 NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 UNC-Asheville/Stony Brook
8 Iowa St. 9 St. Louis
at Portland
5 Florida St. 12 Kansas St.
4 Indiana 13 Middle Tennessee St.
at Albuquerque
6 Mississippi St. 11 Northwestern
3 UNLV 14 Bucknell
at Omaha
7 Southern Miss 10 UConn
2 Kansas 15 Loyola (Md)

South Regional - Atlanta

at Omaha
1 Missouri 16 Long Island
8 Cal 9 West Virginia
at Portland
5 San Diego St. 12 Seton Hall
4 Wisconsin 13 Oral Roberts
at Columbus
6 St. Mary's 11 Purdue
3 Georgetown 14 Akron
at Greensboro
7 Temple 10 Harvard
2 North Carolina 15 Weber St.

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 Norfolk St./Mississippi Valley St.
8 Creighton 9 Murray St.
at Nashville
5 Michigan 12 BYU/Arizona
4 Louisville 13 Nevada
at Albuquerque
6 Notre Dame 11 Illinois
3 Baylor 14 Belmont
at Columbus
7 Vanderbilt 10 NC State
2 Michigan St. 15 Drexel

West Regional - Phoenix

at Pittsburgh
1 Ohio St. 16 Texas-Arlington
8 New Mexico 9 Nevada
at Nashville
5 Virginia 12 Minnesota/Oregon
4 Florida 13 Long Beach St.
at Louisville
6 Gonzaga 11 Texas
3 Marquette 14 Davidson
at Greensboro
7 Wichita St. 10 Cincinnati
2 Duke 15 Cleveland St.

Last Four In: BYU, Minnesota, Oregon, Arizona
First Four Out: Alabama, Miami, Xavier, Wyoming
Next Four Out: Colorado St., South Florida, Arkansas, Washington

** The Final Four matchups would be East vs. South and Midwest vs. West

Saturday, February 11, 2012

NFL - Look Ahead to 2012

It happened again. There were 6 teams that made the playoffs this year that did not last year. This is the 16th season in a row in which there were at least 5 new teams in the playoffs. That trend says that you can expect the same in 2012. The NFL landscape changes every season. Here is a look ahead at who the best and most improved teams could be in each division in 2012.

AFC East

Best: New England. Is there any question here? The Patriots made it to another Super Bowl in 2011, despite not having the best talent. Tom Brady was magnificent throughout the regular season, and Bill Belechick still knows which buttons to push. New England has 4 draft picks in Rounds 1 and 2 of the NFL Draft which means they should be able to stockpile more talent.

Most Improved: Miami. The Dolphins were a much better team in the 2nd half of the 2011 season. Miami began the year 0-7 before finishing 6-10. Their management team has made no secret about the fact that they want to upgrade at QB and won't be afraid to spend money. There have been whispers about Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn bringing their talents to South Beach. If they do land one of these men, look for it to make an immediate impact.

AFC North

Best: Baltimore. This is always a tough one call because Baltimore and Pittsburgh are so evenly matched. Well last year I said that I would go with Pittsburgh until Baltimore could prove that they could beat the Steelers. The Ravens beat them twice this year and advanced further in the playoffs. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are getting older but I think they have one more solid year ahead of them. And Terrell Suggs won Defensive Player of the Year, not Lewis or Reed.

Most Improved: Cleveland. There is really no choice here but the Browns. The only way Baltimore could improve is by going to the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh would have to win 12+ games, and Cincinnati would have to win a playoff game. I don't think any of that will happen. The Browns took a step back this year, so the only way to go is up. They have some solid pieces to build around on defense, but their offense was putrid. They draft 4th overall and should be able to get a playmaker such as Robert Griffin III, Justin Blackmon, or Trent Richardson.

AFC South

Best: Houston. The Texans finally got over the hump this season. They were 7-3 before Matt Schaub got hurt. Even without Schaub, Houston won the AFC South and won a playoff game for the 1st time in franchise history. They had a slew of injuries on top of Schaub's. Schaub, Mario Williams, and Andre Johnson should all be healthy next season. The Texans are solid on both sides of the ball and could be a heavy contender to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl next season.

Most Improved: Indianapolis. The Colts lost Peyton Manning for the year and were abysmal because of it. It looks like Peyton's days in Indy are numbered. All signs point towards Andrew Luck being the Colts selection with the 1st pick of the NFL Draft. Indianapolis still has some talent on their squad. Don't expect Luck to bring it out in them like Manning did for so many years. But there is enough in the cupboard for Indianapolis to move from 2-14 to 6-10 next season.

AFC West

Best: San Diego. Once again, there is no doubt that the Chargers have the most talented roster in the AFC West. Their season actually started out bright this year, but they had mid-season swoon in which they lost 6 straight games and ultimately cost them the AFC West. They decided to retain Norv Turner, which means he will get another crack at getting Phillip Rivers and the rest of this squad over the hump. If San Diego doesn't reach the playoffs again next year, it will be a disgrace.

Most Improved: Kansas City. The Chiefs were derailed by injuries from the very beginning of the season. Their All-Pro RB Jamaal Charles was lost for the year in Week 1. Matt Cassel was lost for the year about midway through the season. They could never generate any momentum. New coach, Romeo Crennel got the team playing well after he took over for the fired Todd Haley. Crennel lead Kansas City to a 2-1 record that included handing Green Bay their only loss. Rejuvenated by Crennel and their health, the Chiefs should be much better in 2012.

NFC East

Best: NY Giants. Though I'm not completely sold that the Eagles can't overtake this division in 2012, I have to go with the defending Super Bowl champs. The Giants exceeded all expectations this year, and Eli Manning had the best season of his career. They were outstanding from Christmas on, as they won their 2nd Super Bowl in 5 years. Last time they defended a title, they finished the year 12-4 but were bounced early in the playoffs. They know how difficult it is to repeat as it hasn't been done since 1998. They have the talent coming back to defend the NFC East title at the very least.

Most Improved: Philadelphia. This is a no-brainer. The Eagles have so much talent on their team that they should be ashamed of their 8-8 record in 2011. Philly came into the season dubbed as "The Dream Team" and never lived up to expectations. They never came close to contending at that level. They were 4-8 at one point before winning their last 4 games of the year to finish at .500. The Eagles have a ton of talent on their squad. In each of the last 4 seasons there has been a team in the Super Bowl that didn't qualify for the playoffs the previous season. The Eagles could help that trend continue.

NFC North

Best: Green Bay. It looked like the Packers were on their way to repeating as Super Bowl champs for much of the year. They were steamrolling the competition on their way to a 15-1 record. Aaron Rodgers had one of the best seasons a QB has ever had and won the NFL MVP. The defense let them down quite a bit this year, but Clay Matthews, BJ Raji, and Charles Woodson will all be returning to turn that around. Green Bay ran into a buzzsaw in the Giants in the postseason which derailed their dreams of repeating. They should be right back in the hunt in 2012.

Most Improved: Chicago. The Bears were playing very good football until they lost Jay Cutler to a season ending injury in Week 11. At the time of his injury, Chicago was 7-3 and looked like they were definitely headed towards the playoffs. Cutler was playing some of the best football of his career. If he can pick up where he left off the Bears will be on the right track. Lovie Smith's squad is no stranger to winning. The Bears will be back in the mix next season.

NFC South

Best: New Orleans. The Saints were as explosive as ever this year. Drew Brees set an NFL record for passing yards, breaking Dan Marino's 27-year old record with 5,476. If not for Aaron Rodgers' incredible year, Brees certainly would have won MVP. New Orleans won their final 8 games of the regular season in route to a 13-3 record. They were clicking on all cylinders and appeared to be a Super Bowl favorite, but lost in the final seconds in San Francisco during the Divisional round. They should be in contention for another possible Super Bowl run.

Most Improved: Carolina. Cam Newton surpassed all expectations this year. Despite, being taken with 1st overall pick of the NFL Draft the majority of analysts were skeptical on how his skills would translate to the NFL. All he did was pass for over 4,000 yards, run for 15 TDs, and make the Pro Bowl. By doing all this, the Panthers increased their win total by 4 from 2010. Steve Smith's career was rejuvenated as he reverted back to his All Pro days. If the defense continues to improve and the Panthers can get more consistency from the RB tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart, they will continue to be on the rise in 2012.

NFC West

Best: San Francisco. The 49ers came out of nowhere this year to become one of the best teams in the NFL. Nobody saw this coming. Jim Harbaugh came to the Bay Area and lead a renaissance of 49er football. Alex Smith played mistake free ball, and Frank Gore and a bruising defense lead the way to a 13-win season. This team lost in the NFC Championship in heartbreaking fashion. Poor Kyle Williams fumbled twice on punt returns, paving the way for the Giants to win the Super Bowl. Harbaugh will have his team as hungry as ever heading into next season.

Most Improved: Arizona. The Cardinals continued to improve every week throughout the 2011 season. They began the year 1-6 and finished 8-8. It will be interesting to see what happens at the QB position. the Cards spent a lot of money on Kevin Kolb last offseason. Kolb struggled with injuries through most of the season and never lived up to the hype. Now there are whispers that Arizona could pursue Peyton Manning. If Manning came to the desert and was able to stay healthy, the Cardinals would immediately become a contender. There are a lot of ifs though. A couple things are certain. Larry Fitzgerald is a bona find star, and Beanie Wells is a star in the making.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI - Recap

NY GiantsNew England Patriots

NY Giants 21 New England 17

Super Bowl XLVI was another one for the ages. When it was all said and done, the 2011 NFL season ended with the New York Giants hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl for the 2nd time in 5 years, this time by a final score of 21-17. This made the G-Men just the 5th team in NFL history to win 4 or more Super Bowls.

Eli Manning completed the best season of his career by winning his 2nd Super Bowl and 2nd Super Bowl MVP. Eli officially moved outside of Peyton's shadow as he was 30-40 for 296 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INT. This included a beautiful 38-yard pass to Mario Manningham on the Giants' final drive that will go down in Super Bowl lore. Manning also received plenty of help from his defense. The Giants D made Tom Brady look uncomfortable throughout the game. On the Patriots 1st play from scrimmage Brady was called for intentional grounding in his own end zone, resulting in a safety. From that moment on you could sense that this could be the Giants' night.

The Giants lead 9-0 after the 1st Quarter. Following the safety, Eli Manning lead his team down the field and finished it off with a TD pass to Victor Cruz. Tom Brady promptly answered by putting 10 points on the board for New England to give them a 10-9 lead at the half. The Patriots opened up the 2nd Half with another TD drive to extend the lead to 17-9. Lawrence Tynes tacked on a couple FGs later in the 3rd Quarter to cut the deficit to 17-15 heading into the final 15 minutes. The Patriots had a chance to put the game away with about 5 minutes to play and the score still 17-15. With the ball already in Giants territory, Tom Brady had a wide open Wes Welker that would have got the ball down to the Giants 20. In atypical Brady fashion, the ball was thrown a bit high and behind Welker. And despite the ball hitting the sure-handed Welker in the hands, Welker dropped the ball giving the Giants life. Eli took over at his own 12-yard line and lead the G-Men on an 88-yard TD drive that included the miraculous pass to Manningham, and ultimately won the Super Bowl for the Giants.

Eli Manning made the comment before the season started that he was an elite NFL QB. Many snickered at that notion. Nobody is doubting that anymore. Eli is certainly among the NFL's top QBs. His coach, Tom Coughlin also won his 2nd Super Bowl, which possibly took him from the hot seat to the door step of the Hall of Fame. The Giants were 7-7 at one point in the season, and finished as Super Bowl Champs. Proving once again that you just have to get hot at the right time to earn a ring. The Lombardi Trophy is returning to the Big Apple for the 2nd time in 5 years, as the New York Giants are wold champions!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

NCAA Basketball - NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 Stony Brook / Mississippi Valley St.
8 New Mexico 9 Temple
at Portland
5 Indiana 12 Arkansas / Colorado St.
4 St. Mary's 13 Long Beach St.
at Nashville
6 Louisville 11 Washington
3 Florida 14 Nevada
at Greensboro
7 Harvard 10 Illinois
2 North Carolina 15 Drexel

South Regional - Atlanta

at Pittsburgh
1 Ohio St. 16 UNC-Asheville
8 Iowa St. 9 Southern Miss
at Louisville
5 Mississippi St. 12 BYU / Wyoming
4 Marquette 13 Akron
at Albuquerque
6 Michigan 11 Cincinnati
3 UNLV 14 Iona
at Albuquerque
7 Virginia 10 Alabama
2 Baylor 15 Weber St.

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 Norfolk St. / Northwestern St.
8 Wichita St. 9 Notre Dame
at Portland
5 Wisconsin 12 Kansas St.
4 Murray St. 13 Middle Tennessee St.
at Columbus
6 Florida St. 11 Xavier
3 Georgetown 14 Davidson
at Omaha
7 Gonzaga 10 Purdue
2 Kansas 15 Bucknell

West Regional - Phoenix

at Omaha
1 Missouri 16 Long Island
8 West Virginia 9 Cal
at Nashville
5 San Diego St. 12 NC State
4 Creighton 13 Oral Roberts
at Columbus
6 Vanderbilt 11 St. Louis
3 Michigan St. 14 Cleveland St.
at Greensboro
7 UConn 10 Memphis
2 Duke 15 Belmont

* The Final Four matchups would be East vs. South and Midwest vs. West

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI - Prediction

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England (-3) vs. NY Giants

The time has finally come to play Super Bowl XLVI. The New England Patriots and New York Giants are meeting on the biggest stage in football for the 2nd time in 5 years. New England enters the game as a 3-point favorite. This seems fair given the Patriots 13-3 record in the regular season versus the Giants 9-7 record, but the Giants have been playing lights out since Christmas. New England has won 10 straight games and New York has won 5 straight all while facing elimination. This should be an outstanding matchup and could provide just as much drama as we saw in Super Bowl XLII.

New England enters this game on a 10-game winning streak. The last time they lost was November 6, against guess who? The Giants. But this is nothing new for the Patriots. This is the 5th time they have played in the Super Bowl in the past 11 seasons. Tom Brady is leading another high scoring offense, and the defense has played better in the postseason. This team is looking to add on to the dynasty developed last decade. Tom Brady can join Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as the only men to ever be the starting QB on 4 Super Bowl championship teams. Brady will need to get the ball out quickly and into the hands of his playmakers for the Patriots to win. They must also get a solid performance out of their defense, particularly their porous secondary.

The Giants enter the game playing outstanding football. They have faced 5 straight elimination games and won them all. Do they have one more in them? Eli Manning is one win away from outdoing older brother Peyton and winning his 2nd Super Bowl title. He will need to spread the ball around to the likes of Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks to etch his name as possibly the greatest Giants QB ever. If the Giants are going to win this game, Eli will most likely need to be the MVP. He is eager to break out of Peyton's shadow and become an elite QB of his own. He has the chance to further his own legacy on Sunday. Manning will also need to get a strong showing from his defense. The D-Line can be dominant. They will need to hit Tom Brady in the mouth a a few times. If they don't, then Eli will need to have some awfully broad shoulders to carry his team to victory.

This game seriously could go either way. Everyone seems to have jumped on the Giants bandwagon because they are the hot team. But New England has won 10 in a row so I'm not sure why the G-Men are considered the hot team. If you underestimate the Patriots you are bound to get burned. The Giants are the cocky team much like New England was back in Super Bowl XLII. Giving Belechick 2 weeks to prepare means he is sure to come up with something to give his team the advantage. Belechick and Brady will want to avenge their only Super Bowl loss together. The Giants dream run to end the season finishes with a loss. Tom Brady and Bill Belechick add one more Super Bowl title to their legacy.

Prediction - New England 27 NY Giants 23

Ringer's Record
ATS: 5-5
SU: 5-5

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Coaching

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England - Bill Belechick, Bill O'Brien
NY Giants - Tom Coughlin, Kevin Gilbride, Perry Fewell

Career Records
Bill Belechick 175-97, 17-6 playoffs, 3 Super Bowls
Tom Coughlin 142-114, 11-7 playoffs, 1 Super Bowl

There are only 6 Head Coaches in the NFL that have won a Super Bowl. 2 of them are coaching in this game. Bill Belechick has won 3, and could join Chuck Noll as the only men to win 4 as a Head Coach with a victory. Tom Coughlin could become the 13th man to lead his team to multiple title as a Head Coach. Both of these men have made the most of their 2nd stint as a Head Coach in the NFL. Belechick has been considered an all-time great for awhile now, while Coughlin is on the hot seat annually. A win here could permanently cool his seat down.

Bill Belechick is in his 12th season as New England's Head Coach. This will be his 5th appearance in the Super Bowl. He brought a great defensive background to the team and has since become the greatest strategist in the NFL on either side of the ball. Belechick has evolved with the league. Since the NFL has become an offensive league, Belechick has changed some of his philosophies. Though Belechick is largely responsible for the game plan on both sides of the ball, he is aided on offense by Bill O'Brien. O'Brien was recently named the Head Coach at Penn State which proves that he obviously has a great offensive mind. On the defensive side, the Patriots do not employ a Defensive Coordinator. Belechick calls the shots. This coaching staff will mix things up on both sides of the ball and try to keep the Giants off balance.

Tom Coughlin has had a roller coaster ride as Head Coach of the Giants. This is his 8th season in New York, and despite appearing in his 2nd Super Bowl in that time, he continually finds himself with low job security. With a win in Super Bowl XLVI he will have just as many Super Bowl victories as legendary Giants coach Bill Parcells, who just got inducted into the Hall of Fame today. He has great assistants too. Kevin Gilbride runs the offense. He has changed the Giants philosophy over the last couple years. The old school Giants won games by running the ball and playing solid defense. Now they can rely on the passing attack to lead them to victory. They are more explosive through the air than they have ever been. Defensively, Perry Fewell is the man in charge. Fewell has been a hot commodity in the coaching ranks because of his accomplishments as the Giants Defensive Coordinator.

The Giants have a very solid coaching staff, but how do you go against Belechick? The man has won 3 rings already and is considered to be one of the best coaches in NFL history. He will have his team unbelievably prepared for this game. Coughlin will have his team prepared too, but Belechick has been masterful with 2 weeks to prepare for a game. Coughlin is a very good coach, but Belechick is a living legend.

Advantage - New England

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Special Teams

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England - Stephen Gostkowski, Zoltan Mesko, Danny Woodhead, Julian Edelman
NY Giants - Lawrence Tynes, Steve Weatherford, Will Blackmon

It is very possible that Special Teams will play a vital role in this game. Look at the NFC Championship. Special Teams blunders are exactly what got the Giants to the Super Bowl. The Ravens and 49ers both found out the hard way that Special Teams decides close ball games. This game appears like it will be close.

New England was solid in kick coverage this season, ranking 6th overall. Bill Belechick's teams are usually very disciplined and this one is no different. Their return game ranked in the bottom half of the NFL, but that doesn't mean that Danny Woodhead or Julian Edelman can;t take one to the house. Their kicking specialists have been solid but seldom used. Field Goals and punts are not in the vocabulary of the Patriots. Though when forced to use these two areas of the game, New England is solid there as well. Stephen Gostkowski is no Adam Vinatieri, but he is capable of making a big kick if needed.

New York was solid in Special Teams as well. They were opposite of New England though. The G-Men ranked 7th in return yards and 16th in return coverage. Will Blackmon has been a very good return man. Blackmon has not returned a TD as a member of the Giants, but has 4 in his career. Lawrence Tynes kicked the Giants into the Super Bowl for the 2nd time in 5 seasons. So we know he can make a pressure kick when called upon.

It could be a big play in Special Teams that decides this game. Both teams are solid in this area, if not spectacular. They are very evenly matched in this aspect of the game. I will give a slight edge to the Giants. I don't expect either team to come up with huge returns. I ultimately trust Lawrence Tynes to make a timely kick more than I do Stephen Gostkowski.

Advantage - NY Giants

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Secondary

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England - Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington, Julian Edelman, Patrick Chung, James Ihedigbo
NY Giants - Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Prince Amukamara, Antral Rolle, Kenny Phillips

2011 Leaders
Kyle Arrington 88 tackles, 7 INT
Corey Webster 51 tackles, 6 INT

These secondaries have definitely taken odd paths to the Super Bowl. New England's bunch consists of an undrafted player, a guy that nobody wanted, and a player whose actual position is on the offensive side of the ball. New York's secondary was thought to be a weak spot when their best DB, Terrell Thomas, went down with a season-ending injury in training camp. Some of this would explain why the Giants ranked 29th against the pass, and the Patriots 31st. Mix that with Tom Brady and Eli Manning throwing the ball, and there is potential for these units to get eaten up on Sunday.

New England's secondary has given up big chunks of yardage in the passing game this season. The holes in the secondary have been so large, that Bill Belechick has converted WR/KR Julian Edelman into his nickle back. Kyle Arrington has the best numbers of the group, finishing 2nd on the team in tackles and leading it in interceptions. Safeties, James Ihedigbo and Patrick Chung are solid against the run but are not very good in pass coverage. This has Eli Manning salivating. The Giants like their matchups. They feel like they will be able to get big plays downfield against the Pats. New England's DBs must step their game up if they want to win their 4th Super Bowl in the last 11 seasons.

Terrell Thomas was the top playmaker in the Giants secondary a year ago. Many in New York were rightfully concerned when he was lost for the year. The rest of the secondary was picked apart throughout the regular season, but they have stepped it up in the playoffs. The players in this group have been solid during their careers, and feel disrespected by the way they have been talked about this year. 3 of the 4 starters in New York's defensive backfield have Super Bowl experience (Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Antrell Rolle). These men should certainly be able earn respect back in the Super Bowl. Tom Brady will be gunning for them and someone will need to make a play.

It is very difficult to say the secondary that ranked 29th against the pass this season has an advantage, but remember the Patriots ranked 31st. I think that the experience of the Giants secondary gives them an edge. Webster, Ross, and Rolle have all been here before. Receivers will get open in this game, and yards will be had. But with all things considered, I think the G-Men are more capable of getting a big play out of their secondary than the Patriots are.

Advantage - NY Giants