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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Month: March 2012

Coppa Italia Semi-Final Review

Posted on by Frank Giuliano

The Coppa Italia semi-finals were played in midweek and, if anyone managed to livestream this game, then you would know that it is definitely worth a mention.

What an unbelievable return leg between the two top contenders for the Serie A crown: Juventus took on AC Milan at the Juventus Stadium in Turin. It was a phenomenal game with free flowing play and stunning goals!

Heading into this match with a 2-1 away win in the first fixture, Juventus took the lead through a wonderful Alessandro Del Piero effort. Midfield mastermind, Andrea Pirlo, lobbed the ball over the Rossoneri defence on the right flank for Stephan Lichtsteiner who then centred the ball to Del Piero who fooled Milan ‘keeper Marco Amelia, before sending it to the back of the net! At this point it was 3-1 on aggregate for the Old Lady.

However, in the second half, the Diavoli equalised the match in style with a Philippe Mexes beautiful through ball over the Bianconeri defence for an unmarked Djanel Mesbah diving header! Spectacular!

With 10 minutes remaining, the Diavoli needed another goal to send the game into extra time. Maxi Lopez shrugged off Giorgio Chiellini, powered through Leonardo Bonucci, and then beat Juve reserve goalkeeper, Marco Storari, sending the sphere into the top right corner! Amazing!

But, in the opening 6 minutes of extra time, Mirko Vucinic equalised the encounter 2-2, putting the Bianconeri in front 4-3 on aggregate with an impressive solo effort. Vucinic blasted the Old Lady into the semi-finals with a screamer of shot from a good 24 yards out into the top right corner of the net! Unbelievable!

The Bianconeri are heading to the Coppa Italia finals in which they have not competed since 1995. Having already won 9 titles, a silver star might be awarded for their 10th should Juve win. SSC Napoli won the other semifinal tie against Siena which sets up a Juventus-Napoli Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico di Roma on May 20.

Honour and respect to AC Milan for playing such an extraordinary match. This was a fantastic and entertaining match to watch. Both sides gave it their all for the Coppa Italia which all Italians hope will transpire next year in Europe as well.

As for AC Milan, Massimiliano Allegri’s men welcome Barcelona FC to the San Siro on Wednesday, March 28 for the first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinals. It is a crucial match for the Rossoneri who must take advantage of playing at home. Good luck to the Rossoneri players and faithful! Forza Milan!

…and that is the last word.

2012 MLB Preview: NL East

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Pitching, pitching, pitching.  The NL East will be won by the team with the best pitching, and it’s hard to argue with our choice.  But, let’s do this in reverse order starting with the team who will finish in the basement and work our way to the top.

5. New York Mets

Actually, the East is a pretty balanced division, and I think four of the top five could finish with winning records.  The New York Mets though, will not.  The Mets had a pretty good last year before they were hunted down and maimed by the Phillies.  This year Lucas Duda will lead a pretty uninspired group into thy good night, bowing out to most teams in the NL.  Do they have some talent to work with? I suppose.  Duda is legit, and Niese will be respectable, but look for a flop from Santana.  A big, huge, gigantic belly flop, which will have Mets fans praising the arrival of Tebow before you know it.  Sorry.

4.  Atlanta Braves

Sorry, the swan song for Chipper Jones will be anything but chipper.  Sorry, horrible pun.  The Braves are just not deep enough, and their relatively young pitching corps is suspect.  Can they handle the big show in a pretty deep division?  I’d love to think they can, but sadly, I doubt it.  Look for them to finish a shade above .500.

3.  Washington Nationals

Why do I like them so much to have them third in this division?  That was rhetorical.  Seriously though, I like the Nationals and think they might overachieve this year.  I like Werth to have a bounce back year, though I wonder if the team can produce the starting rotation to compete in this division.  Time will tell I suppose.  The Nationals are a young team who I feel is hungry enough to want it. There is talent there, and if the right chips fall into place they can turn heads.

2.  Miami Marlins

Here’s the deal – IF the Marlins hede my words and spend whatever it takes to get the world’s best psychologist and hire him or her to work with the club full-time, exclusively, then perhaps they win this division.  So far my calls have been unanswered, thus I give them second in the division.  Seriously, this has the potential to be the biggest disaster in sports history.  As a Cubs fan, I can tell you Zambrano is a ticking time bomb ready to explode, quite literally.  Throw Ramirez and Reyes into the mix and it’s a recipe for disaster.  Hey, even add a dash of Guillen in for good measure, just for fun.  Enough cooking chatter.  Florida is a great team on paper, but I’m not taking the gamble on too many loose cannons, Mike Stanton or not!

1.  Surprise, surprise! I am taking the not-so-bold stance that Phili will win the East – again!  Sorry, but argue against Halladay, Lee, Johnson et al.  Go ahead, I dare you!  Seriously, facing any of them is enough to make most grown men soil themselves.  Argue against that, too!  The Phillies are getting a bit aged, or “well-seasoned” as their fans will argue, and there must come a time where their reign will cease, but it’s not this year.  Cole Hamels will dominate, again, and the team is just too deep in general not to have them being the class of the East.  That said, there are two factors that might change this:

a. The aforementioned Marlins hire said psychologist, or

b. The Phillies’ suffer from any number of injuries that plague the older player.

There you have it, ladies (Sorry, just a figure of speech. Take no offence), my predictions for the NL East for 2012.  Disagree? Fantastic! Step up to the plate and take your own swing below. Also, take a look at the MLB Blog and see my previews for the other divisions.

…and that is the last word.

A Return to the Good Ole Days

Posted on by Dwayne Edwards

Racetracks in Ontario, and across North America, are facing tough challenges as the government is pulling the ripcord on the long time arrangement known as the Race Track & Slots programme. Slots joined in with race tracks years ago when the race tracks were having difficult times; money was an issue and the slots were the answer! Now that the slots are going to be abolished and the race tracks will not be receiving their cut anymore, these race tracks are going to have difficulty remaining open.

Over the past fifteen or so years it’s been a strategy to have the slots take on centre stage, and all advertising has been focused on the casino part of the race tracks. It’s time to go back to the good ole days, where the race horse was the product, and the reason why people came to the track; the beautiful and powerful equine athlete!

Speaking of which, Creative Cause pulled off the victory in the San Felipe Stakes. He is once again going around two turns and seems ready to peak at the right time. Bodemeister ran a game second, Midnight Transfer third. With only 6 weeks until the Kentucky Derby, most hopefuls likely have one more race to prep and to increase their Graded Stakes earnings to become one of the twenty starters.

The Canadian combo of Casse and Contreas teamed up for a big win in the Tampa Bay Derby with Prospective! With a great stocking trip, Contreas decided to let the horse run what seemed a little early as he took the lead in the middle of the turn. As they straightened out for the home stretch the announcer even called Golden Ticket as the likely winner with a big move up the rail. With some determination Prospective fought off Golden Ticket all the way down the stretch and beat him to the wire by almost a length. Looks like Casse has himself a derby horse!

In the Palm Beach stakes on the turf, Howe Great went off as the favorite and Dullahan second choice and that’s just how they ended up. The pair likely to run on the turf again will have to switch to the dirt for the Derby.
Other hopefuls hitting the board and increasing those ever-so-important Graded Stakes earnings were Trinniberg winning the Swale, then Hello Prince and the heavy favorite Ever So Lucky. These horses need to stretch out from 7/8 of a mile to 1 ¼ if they want to wear the roses in May.

Arkansas hosted the Rebel Stakes over the last weekend to see Baffert win another races with his horse and the favorite Secret Circle. Optimizer run on to catch Scatman for second. Scatman is a horse that peaks my interests as he run a very good race on the lead off of a few months rest.

This weekend does not seem to have the cream of the crop horses running although there are three prep races. The Sunland Derby is being held at Sunland Park with a big purse of $800,000. Three of the biggest trainers are bringing horses to try and get a piece of the pie, Baffert has two, and Pletcher and Assmussen each have a horse running. Also at Turfway Park in Kentucky there are two prep races being held on Saturday and neither race seems to have a super star but this is also what was thought last year. This is where Animal Kingdom won his first stake race and then later ended up winning the Kentucky Derby last year.

With there being only one more prep race before the Derby, for most hopefuls this is their time to shine. These horses are in tip-top shape, trainers and owners hoping for the best, wanting their horse to pull off the victory. The excitement is really heating up in the Sport of Kings, and before we know it the first Saturday in May will be upon us.  Gamblers will have their bets in place and a new King will be crowned!!

…and that is the last word

2012 MLB Preview: NL Central

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

It seems only fitting to kick off my MLB predictions with arguably the toughest division in baseball last year – the NL Central.

Boasting not only the 2011 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, but also the Milwaukee Brewers, the Central Division was hotly contested down the stretch.  However, can we expect the same this year?  Simply, “NO”.

Okay, I get baseball is a team sport.  I also know that there are certain ingredients that are necessary to make bread rise.  Sorry, stupid comparison.  With two of the world’s best sluggers abandoning their respective teams, there is no doubt that these teams will be greatly affected.  The minute Albert Pujols, arguably the best baseballer on the planet, decided to leave St. Louis, the rest of the teams, but mostly Milwaukee, breathed a little easier.  That was until Prince Fielder joined Pujols in the American League by signing with Detroit. Suddenly Houston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati began dancing in the streets like idiots.  I mean that in a nice way.

So what can we expect?  First, I must say that the division became much more of a toss-up.  I think it will be an excellent race for the playoff spot (sorry, I don’t see a wildcard here).  Let’s take a look in reverse order at how I think the division will go:

6.  Houston Astros

This is Houston’s last year on this stage, as realignment will have them in another division next year.  For this reason, and also the fact that they just don’t have the talent, they will finish last.  Yes, they have Brett Wallace and the first overall draft pick, but these are pieces for the future…the distant future. Sorry Astros, even my Cubbies got ya!

5.  Pittsburgh Pirates

I was really debating whether to go with the Pirates or the Cubs here.  I believe more in the current management in Chicago so I will pick Pittsburgh to finish fifth.  Pittsburgh has had such a bad run over the past couple of decades, I really feel bad for the fans in the American Steel City.  They have made every attempt at building up the farm, and from what I understand they have done just that.  But the farm doesn’t always translate to victories, especially in the short-term.  Pirates fans: your time is near, but 2012 isn’t near enough.  Just be happy you have Andrew McCutchen.

4.  Chicago Cubs

Nothing would make me happier than to move Chicago to the top half of the division, but I just don’t see it this year.  I do like the current management situation, and believe Epstein will be a good man for the team.  With the addition of Chris Volstad and Travis Wood, the Cubs are obviously trying to stockpile pitchers, which is never a bad thing.  They haven’t done enough to make any run at post-season play, and expect another year without a championship.  Stupid billy-goat.

3.  Milwaukee Brewers

In all fairness, the Brewers did attempt to replace Fielder, but that is easier said than done.  Add to that Braun’s positive drug test, which will be a nuisance for the club despite what they say.  With Selig lifting the 50-game ban, pressure has eased a bit, but the team’s image, and especially Braun’s, is tarnished.  They just don’t have that “underdog mystique” about them.  I can’t see them competing with Cinci or the Cards.  I hate the Cards.

2.  St. Louis Cardinals

While I hate the Cards (I was told I have to, being a Cubs fan and all), I will concede that it is likely the centre of the baseball universe.  The fans are rabid, the team is successful, and they are coming off another World Series Championship.  So why aren’t they going to win the division?  I think you know the answer – Albert, or lack-there-of.  But also remember the guy who really lead the team down the stretch-run – Tony LaRussa!  Tony, like Albert (yes, we are on a first-name basis), is not so easy to replace.  St. Louis is still a legitimate team, and will make a push.  Adding Berkman and Beltran certainly helps a lot.

1.  Cincinnati Reds

Added to stalwarts Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Devin Mesoraco, the Reds brought in pitching help.  A LOT of pitching help.  Cordero out, Madson in.  Why only sign him for one year?  Maybe someone can help me understand that one?  Anyway, Madson will shut games down.  Mat Latos was a great acquisition also, and is sure to give the Reds many, many good innings.  I also like the team’s chemistry, which can’t be understated (For the record, I like the Cards chemistry also, but Pujols leaving just hurts too much).

 

There you have it ladies, my prediction for how the NL Central will go down.  I would welcome more in-depth discussion below, if you want to chime in.  Either add your list, or perhaps tell me more about a particular team.  How do you see it going down?

…and that is the last word.

Bills Add to an Already Impressive Defense

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

The Buffalo Bills have announced they have signed free agent defensive end Mark Anderson.  Anderson tallied 10 sacks last year to go along with 36 quarterback pressures.

It is assumed that Anderson, who also visited Miami, Tennessee and Baltimore, settled on Buffalo after the recent signing of Mario Williams.

For the Bills this means they may have catapulted New York Giants as the league’s best defensive line when you consider Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams and the aforementioned Mario Williams.  They have versatility, being able to go with a traditional 4-3 defense (which Gailey has hinted at), and a 3-4 with Dareus plugging the middle gap.

Earlier in the day the Bills also announced they have re-signed safety Bryan Scott, who has been with the club for the past five seasons.

Certainly Bills fans have much to look forward to, at least when the other team has the ball.

…and that is the last word.

 

Goddell Hands down Harsh Penalties in Bounty Gate

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Sean Payton (Saints head coach) – Suspended the entire season without pay.

Gregg Williams (former Saints defensive coordinator) – Suspended indefinitely (minimum 1 year) with Goddell to review any chance of reinstatement annually.

Joe Vitt (Saints LB coach/assistant head coach) – suspended 6 games without pay

Mickey Loomis (Saints GM) – suspended 8 games without pay

Saints Organization – $500,000 fine.  Forfeit 2nd round picks in 2012 and 2013

 

This still may not be the end of the story, any players injured by the Saints in the last 3 years could still sue the team, coaches, or players.

Tim Tebow Traded to New York Jets

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow on the same team?  I predict a circus like fiasco in New York this year.

I wonder how Tebow feels about getting a god-damn snack.

I wonder how the Jets fans will treat Sanchez at the first sign of poor play.

I wonder if there are more opposite personalties than Sanchez and Tebow?  or Tebow and Ryan?

I wonder how long it will take to divide the locker room.

But there is one thing I know, both those boys just became bait for the ravenous Mario Williams

Update:  It appears this trade has hit a snag, that there is an issue with Tebow’s contract where the Jets would owe the Broncos 5 million as part of the deal and this is complicating things.  We’ll keep you informed as the story develops.

Update 2:  The Jets will pay 2.5 mill and the deal is on again.

And thats the last word….

Great Time to Be a Sens Fan? Leafs and Habs Taking Over

Posted on by Grant Alexander

After a disappointing season last year in which they failed to make the playoffs, the Sens are riding high now with a firm grip on a playoff spot, and a shot at finishing second overall in the Conference. So with the great turnaround, and the team playing well, what’s not to be happy about? Well, if you think it’s a redundant question, try asking a resident of Kanata, or go straight to the source – Daniel Alfredsson.

I had the pleasure of traveling to our nation’s capital this weekend to partake in the Battle of Ontario first hand, and I was not properly prepared for what I saw. Let me start out by saying that if you stay in Ottawa and think you are going to be able to walk or cab down to the arena, you will be sadly mistaken. Scotiabank Place is located about 30 minutes down the highway in Kanata. It currently resides on farmland with nothing around it but swamps and parking lots. But besides the location, and the solitary road in and out (which bottlenecks traffic), the arena itself is pretty nice. And despite it’s location, the arena boasts packed houses, and sellout games. The big problem though is the majority of the fans that pack the place aren’t wearing the Sens ‘Red and White’.

The game I attended this weekend was no exception. Right from the moment we parked our car we could see the waves of LeafsNation crashing up against Scotiabank Place. They arrived by the busload, and swallowed up the sporadic red shirts of Sens fans. It was even worse once we got inside. The booming voices of the various venders, was the only audible sound breaking through the seemingly endless chant of “Go Leafs Go!” We took our seats, and our section, like every other section, was predominantly Blue & White. I would go as far as to say it was about a 70-30 ratio. Meaning the Sens fans were out-numbered 70% to 30% in their own building!

The anthem was the only thing everybody agreed upon, as 20,000 people drowned out the loudspeaker, making the anthem performer look like a low-budget martial arts movie when he switched to French halfway through the song. The teams lined up, the puck dropped, and the chirping began. The Sens players, goalie, and fans took it hard in their home rink for a full 60 minutes, although a large majority of Sens fans left well before the 5-minute mark. It was relentless. Some of the more clever chants included; “Real teams have, arenas in the city, arenas in the city, arenas in the city, real teams have, arenas in the city, Spezza is a joke!” or, “I’d rather be a Hab than a Sen, I’d rather be a Hab than a Sen, I’d rather be a Hab, I’d rather be a Hab, I’d rather be a Hab than a Sen!”. But mostly you just heard the typical “Go Leafs Go!”, “Sens suck!”, Bbbbbbbbiiiiiiiisssssshhhhhhooooopppppp!” (heckling the goalie), and of course, constant boo’s every time Sens Captain Daniel Alfredsson touched the puck.

Can you imagine having your captain booed in your home rink?! It’s disgraceful! But this is the reality the Senators face 6 out of 41 home games every season. Three when the Leafs come to town, and three when, as you probably guessed, the Habs come to town. The Montreal fans overrun the rink with similar numbers, as “Ole, ole ole ole!” can be heard from the highway. It’s tough on the players, the owners and the fans in Ottawa. For the players, I’m amazed they have been able to perform as well as they have over the years. Getting booed and heckled while your playing in your own barn has to be disheartening. But they are professionals and seem to find a way to push past it. The owners hate the bad publicity and the drop in merchandise sales, but on the other hand they love the revenue from the ticket sales. So really I think it’s the fans that are the ones who seem to be close to their boiling point.

The ratio gets worse every year as more Sens fans turn to watching those games at home as opposed to going down to the rink and getting verbally harassed by opposing fans. It’s very evident if you happen to catch their local post-game call-in show, where the fans voice their displeasure. They go as far as to say things like, “We might as well just blow the goal horn for them when they score and admit we’re the away team”. And the season ticket holders call in from home revealing that they would rather sell their tickets for a profit to willing Leaf or Hab fans and enjoy the unthreatening comforts of their living rooms during those games. It really has gotten to that point.

The only real solution is to limit ticket sales to local residents the way most teams do in the playoffs, but then you risk losing a lot of potential revenue if the game doesn’t sell out. And that’s a risk owners just aren’t willing to take. So for now there will be two certainties when it comes to Senator rivalry home games. One, the Leafs and Habs will have free-reign when they come to town. And two, there will always be a packed house in Kanata on game night.

…and that is the last word.

Peyton Manning to sign with the Broncos

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Free Agent QB Peyton Manning has made his decision.  He’ll be joining the Denver Broncos.

This immediate upgrade at the QB position makes Denver very, very scary going into next season.  With that defence and running game, adding a guy like Peyton is really gonna solve their biggest issues in the passing game.

What does this mean for Alex Smith, the next big UFA QB, but a significant consolation prize to Manning?

What does this mean for Tim Tebow?  Will he be backup or traded?

What does this mean for the Dolphins, Titans, and 49ers who are left without QBs right now?

What does this mean for the rest of the AFC West?

What does this mean for your fantasy football team?

And lastly I hope ESPN tells us what does this mean for Brett Favre?

This signing raises a whole bunch of questions, so stay tuned while we dig for your answers.

And thats the last word….