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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Month: September 2011

Wind at Back In Football Also Helps Off-field

Posted on by Carl Mostacci

The great Chris Schultz, former NFL and CFL player, and current TSN football analyst quite often mentions the importance of momentum within a football game. Momentum in football is everything and can often change very quickly, resulting in a surprising change in a game score.

The most recent example I can think of this occuring, comes from the NFL this past Sunday. The Oakland Raiders had a 21 point lead over the Buffalo Bills at halftime, only to see it evaporate and the Bills comeback in the second half and win the game. The Raiders had all the momentum in the first half, however Buffalo’s second half momentum helped them secure the victory.

Not only does momentum change within a game, but it can change over a series of games too. For example, my Hamilton Tiger Cats started the season losing two consecutive games, winning three games in a row, losing one, winning one, losing another, winning another, and have been blown out the last two consecutive games. Both the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders started the 2011 CFL season slow at 1-6. But BC has won four straight games and the Roughriders, since replacing Head Coach Greg Marshall with Ken Miller, three to pull back into contention.

So who know’s at this point who will win the 2011 Grey Cup. All seven teams (sorry argos, you suck anyway) in contention for the Grey Cup at one point this season have looked unbeatable or easily beatable. I think it’s safe to say the winning Grey Cup team will have all the wind at their back and momentum totally on their side.

For the Last Word On Sports, I’m CM!!!!

Wild "Cards"?

Posted on by Grant Alexander

With the Divisions all but won in the National League, And the wild card all but locked up, it’s time to look at probable matchups and predictions for the postseason. Wait, that would have been last weeks article. Or the article I would have written before the Braves, who seemed to take a cue from their AL (wild card holding) counterparts, started faltering down the home stretch. And before the Cards and Giants started smelling blood in the water and playing the best baseball of their seasons. As every game is now crucial, brace yourself for some exciting baseball! Here’s how it breaks down…

Atlanta Braves- 8 games remaining (currently holding the wild card spot)

2- Away games against the Marlins
3- Away games against the Nationals
3- Home games against the Phillies

They should be able to come out of the series with the Marlins with a win or two, seeing as how they have owned the season series 11-4, but they did just lose the first game. The series against the Nationals could be tough. They are on the road, they arn’t playing very well, and the season series is pretty much even. Providing things havn’t completely fallen apart for the woodchucks by then, they finish the season with a three game home stand against the Phillies. If you could pick anytime to play the most dominate team in baseball, that would be the time. With everything clinched, and home field advantage wrapped up, the Phillies won’t be taking any chances. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t want to go into the postseason on a losing streak. But they definitely won’t be mortgaging the health of any of their starters to win either. So as I see it, it’s still Atlanta’s spot to lose.

St. Louis Cardinals- 9 games remaining (2.5 back of the wild card spot)

3- Home games against the Mets
3- Home games against the Cubs
3- Away games against the Astros

The Cards are rolling right now, and no opponent should be to formidable. And these three teams are no exception. Of the three, the Mets are the only team with a winning record against the Cards, winning their only series 2-1. The other two teams have faired far worse putting up 4-8 records respectively. This is a relitively easy home stretch, especially for a team playing so well. Atlanta has no room for error.

San Francisco Giants- 9 games remaining (3.5 back of the wild card spot)

3- Away games against the Dodgers
3- Away games against the Diamondbacks
3- Home games against the Rockies

San Fran will pretty much have to run the table here. But that is a very likely possibility. The former champs are on fire! Winning 8 straight games and looking hungry for more. If they continue to play the way they are the Dodgers shouldn’t be much of a challenge. Their big test will be the three games against Arizona. The Diamondbacks might need those games to clinch the division over the Giants. But if they can get through those 6 games still in contention, the Rockies should be easy prey to close out the season.

Looking at the three teams schedules, and the way they have been playing lately, it’s almost a dead heat. But winning games is easier said then done, and I think it’s still Atlanta’s spot to lose. But if they can’t right the ship, then it’s wide open for the other two teams that are both streaking at the right time. Should be an exciting race right down to the last game.

American League: The Race is ON!

Posted on by Grant Alexander

The most exciting division in baseball will once again prove why it’s the most exciting division in baseball. The Yanks, the Sox, and the Rays, 3 teams playing musical chairs for 2 spots. Who will have a spot when the music stops?

The Yankees seem to be in control of the division right now, and you might be asking yourself why I’m including them instead of just writing about the two horse race that is the wild card spot. While the Yankees do have a 5 game lead over Boston, and a 7 game lead over Tampa, their last 10 games are no walk in the park. And by the end of it, they might just find themselves in the fight of their lives.

Here’s how the Yankees schedule breaks down:

4- Home games in 3 days against the Rays (including a double header)
3- Home games against the Red Sox
3- Away games against the Rays

The Rays are red-hot right now and hungry for a playoff spot. That 4 game series is not gonna be easy. Then the Bo Sox come to town. Based on the way their playing right now (streaky run production, bad defense) that wouldn’t be a bad thing. But lets not forget the Red Sox have owned the season series this year 11-4. And if those games go badly for the Bronx Bombers, a three game series in Tampa to end the season could be disastrous.

Boston’s schedule should prove a little easier:

2- Home games against the Orioles (last 2 of a 4 game series)
3- Away games against the Yankees
3- Away games against the Orioles

Boston lost the first game of the 4 game series against the Orioles by 1 run, then exploded for 18 runs winning the second game. They should be able to carry that momentum into the final two. The real test will be that 3 game series against the Yanks in Yankee Stadium. If they can get through that series, they should have a relatively easy last three against Baltimore.

Tampa Bay’s schedule:

4- Away games against the Yankees
3- Home games against the Jays
3- Home games against the Yankees

Tampa Bay is the wild card here (n.p.i). They are playing great baseball, and have their fate in their hands. If they can win that 4 game series in New York things get really interesting. They then have 3 against the Jays who they’ve owned this season 10-5 (although the Jays are playing good ball right now). And then they could have a 3 game home stand against the Yankees that could possibly be for a playoff spot.

If you are a New York or Boston fan, you’re hoping the Yankees go out and sweep the Rays, crushing their postseason dreams, and solidifying the two playoff spots. If you’re a Jays fan, you don’t want to give the games to Tampa, but at the same time it would be nice to watch the Yankees and Red Sox sweat. If you’re a Rays fan, or just a fan of baseball in general, you want the Rays to sweep that first series against the Yankees. And watch 3 of the best teams in baseball, fight for their lives down to the last game of the season…

Battle on the Bayou – Fight Review

Posted on by Mark Modeski

Well, one thing is clear from last nights fights – don’t listen to my picks! That is part of the beauty of MMA… you never really can be 100% sure who is going to win at any given time! Let’s look at the main card as an example:

Belcher v. MacDonald: I was really disappointed to see MacDonald lose this fight! His win in Toronto earlier this year was a great comeback into the organization, and I had high hopes that he would re-entrench himself into the MW rankings. Belcher really had all of the tools needed to make a short night of MacDonald, though. MacDonald has never done that well against strong strikers; and ring rust was definitely no issue for the striker, Belcher, after a long lay off. Good for Belcher, though – the guy is a solid fighter and always puts on a good show.

Brookins v. Koch: I don’t really care what anyone says, this fight: it was slow. In all honesty, I don’t know what I expected. Brookins proved that he needs to work on his takedowns if he wants to win fights… if you’re going to classify yourself as a ground fighter, make sure that you’re sharp in all aspects of that game – especially the takedowns! GSP is the classic example of what a fighter should strive to be on the ground (i.e. solid wrestling, BJJ and takedowns). Koch moves up the rankings for now with the win, but we’ll see if he can be anymore than a gatekeeper.

McGee v. Yang: This fight started off interesting, but got boring as things moved along… so much so, that I actually fell asleep during a good chunk of this fight. With that said, I really don’t have much to say. Glad McGee got the decision, but let’s ramp up the excitement factor next time (not really sure who that comment is directed at).

Shields v. Ellenberger: Glad I woke up just in time for this – because, there wasn’t much fight to watch! I am actually surprised that Shields got TKO’d – one of his most endearing attributes is his chin. I can’t say I don’t take some guilty pleasure in how this fight played out. I always thought Shields was overrated and was shocked he did as well as he did against GSP. It will be good watching him and his whole camp eat humble pie for awhile (re: Diaz brothers, Melendez, etc…). I’m calling BJ v. Ellenberger for his next fight!

That’s my take on last night. I’ll take it for what it was – a shot of adrenaline before the BIG fight next weekend (re: Jones v. Jackson). Sorry, I don’t have more rhetoric to spew on this one… but, be patient.

… and that is the last word.

10 Things We Learned In College, Week 3

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

1. Oklahoma is the best team in the country.

2. LSU’s defense is good. Like, really good.

3. Ohio State confirmed that they are not going to be the dominant force they have been for the last decade. 2 field goals are all the offense they can muster against a decent-but-not-great Miami team?

4. Stanford doesn’t have to inflict a blowout on someone every week. They will find ways to win games.

5. Notre Dame is neither as good as their preseason rankings indicated, nor as awful as their first two games indicated.

6. Welcome back to earth, Auburn.

7. Florida State may have lost to Oklahoma, but that’s nothing to hang their heads about. The ‘Noles are good.

8. Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges has done a really nice job tailoring his pro-style offense to spread-style QB Denard Robinson.

9. I’m not half bad at this picks thing. (Yes, I’m reaching here). https://lastwordonsports.com/?p=745 18-3. ESPN should get me a TV show and some mascot heads to wear.

10. Tomato-can games suck. I understand why teams schedule cupcakes early in the season, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the games. Plus, it’s really hard to come up with intelligent internet chatter about South Florida beating Florida A&M 70-17.

Marc Staal ruled out of Rangers Pre-Season games… Concussion last season.

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Post concussion syndrome has struck again in the NHL, taking out another star player.

John Tortorella, coach of the New York Rangers, announced today that All-Star Defenceman Marc Staal suffered a concussion on February 22nd of last year after a hit from his brother.  He missed 3 games back then but passed his baseline tests and returned to the lineup.

In the tradition of true NHL Injury Secrecy, the Rangers reported that Staal’s absence at the time was due to the flu.

Now we have Staal suffering post concussion symptoms in summer training and he is being listed as out for the Preseason, but hopeful to play in the Rangers first preseason game on October 7.

However, given the uncertainty with concussion recovery… this is optomistic speculation at best.

It would be a big blow if the Rangers lose their number 1 dman for a significant stretch.  In general the Rangers D is talented but really lacks significant experience if Staal is not  healthy.

Brown's NFL Week 2 Quick Picks

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Tune in each week for picks against the spread for every game.  Until we get more information however I will just discuss a handful of games I feel best about.

Before we get to the picks lets recap some things we should have learned from week 1:

Taking a poor team as a -6.5 home favorite is never a good idea – Cleveland was not that good, and everyone knew it.  So why was everyone so eager to pick them against the spread and even consider them as a suicide pick?  Because of the lowly Bengals. Week 1 reminded us why bad teams are bad teams.  The Browns run game got taken away and they had no answers. Even with several chances to ice the game near the end they came up empty and it was the Bengals who made the plays to win the game.  Which reminds me…

Cincy Bengals, not that terrible – I picked them to have one win this year because of their QB situation, this was a mistake.  In reality Marvin Lewis has a talented roster in some important areas.  Their o-line is strong and allows them to run the ball all day long without putting pressure on their QB.  But the highlight of the team is their front 7.  They are physical against the run and they collapse the pocket againt the pass.  This front 7 allows them to keep the game close while trying to win the field position battle.

Tennessee Titans – Hasselbeck looked inaccurate on his deep throws all day and the new Head Coach did not show a commitment to running with Chris Johnson.  The o-line which I thought would be the strength of the team also got out played by the Jacksonville d-line.  Let’s put them on the watch list but I fear I may have over-rated them.

Denver Broncos – I thought with their O-Coordinator returning and most of their offense intact they could still look something like last year on offense while patching together a better defense.  There is still time for this to happen but I underestimated the lack of talent up front for this team.  They played the Raiders who are big on the O and D-lines and got pushed around all night.  Denver simply won’t have the talent on either line to compete with the best teams in the league, or even a physical team.  Look for the Bengals to play a similar style to Oakland this week.

Minnesota Vikings – Any time you pass for less than 50 yards you go immediately to the watch list for potentially crappy teams.  Is Mcnabb totally done?  If he doesn’t show me something this week at home against a Bucs defense that got lit up last week then I have to jump ship.

Buffallo Bills – Nice victory Buffalo Bills but I have seen this before.  You can’t fool me.  I think if they play this way for 15 or maybe 16 more weeks then I will believe.

Home team in CAPS

WASHINGTON -3.5 over Arizona – Carolina and Arizona played a close duel in week one.  Because it was a back and forth game with lots of passing yards everyone seems to be forgetting these are two really bad teams.  Washington on the other hand is a solid team with a defense that is playing fast.  I feel like if this game happens in week 6 the spread is -7.5.  Plus it is always fun to light money on fire by wagering on Rex Grossman.

Baltimore -5.5 over TENNESSEE – I have backed off of this pick a little bit because they seem to be a public favorite this week (meaning everyone is jumping on them).  But I can’t get the images of Matt Hasselbeck playing in week one out of my head.  Add in the fact that Baltimore always shows up on the road and I feel comfortable taking them.

Dallas -3 over SAN FRAN – I don’t get the line.  Dallas went on the road and outplayed a strong Jets team before gagging the victory away.  San Fran struggled to move the ball all day against Seattle.  And if you watched Alex Smith you realize that San Fran has about a 5% chance of getting a TD every time they are in the Red Zone.  I’m not saying Dallas can’t screw us all again, i’m just saying that at only 3 points there is no way you can take San Fran.

Chicago +6.5 over NEW ORLEANS – I don’t feel as solid about this pick as the others but I think you are getting good value here. Chicago plays ugly so they are very undervalued by everyone, but it is the Saints that have yet to prove they can play on both sides of the ball.  Chicago has a reputation as a poor road team but their defense usually likes to play on turf.  I admit I don’t know who this game will play out but I know 6.5 points is too much.

San Diego +7 over NEW ENGLAND – Beware of the Norv Turner on the road factor. Other than that 7 points is way too much.  These are two of the top 6 teams in the league and there is no way a TD seperates them.  They played last year and the Chargers shut down the Pats offense all day long even though the Pats were able to squeak out a victory.

… and thats the Last Word.

The Boston Red Sox: Down the Stretch in 2011

Posted on by Grant Alexander

Wow, what a season! And good thing for my blood pressure, It’s not over yet! Going into the 2011 campaign, The Boston Red Sox were dubbed the best Red Sox team of all time. Everybody was expecting big things this year after signing franchise players like, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez. But 12 games into the season, everything came crashing down.

The Red Sox started the 2011 season by going 2-10 in their first 12 games, and were the sole occupants of the AL East basement. Things were looking bleak, and skeptics were a’plently. When all of a sudden they broke out of their funk and started winning games. They won 8 of their next 9 and finished the month 11-15. They continued to roll winning 32 of their next 45 and climbed all the way up into first place in the division. Maybe this really was the team destined to restore greatness in beantown? Que the breakdown. Like the 5:45 to Union, the injury bug arrived right on time in Boston. And the surging Red Sox dropped 6 of the next 7, and found themselves in a battle for first with their biggest division rivals. They keep pace with the Yankees going 20-6 through the month of July despite the injuries. And while narrowly holding the top spot over New York in the beginning of August, the second wave of injuries hit. Suddenly their DL list looked like their starting line-up, and their starting line-up looked like a minor league team.

Things went from bad to worse, as Josh Beckett, the Red Sox best pitcher, joined the rest of his team on the injured list. And since his departure, The Red Sox have dropped faster than a Randy Johnson slider. They fell out of the division race by dropping 9 of 11 and 5 straight. And are currently holding on to the wild card spot by only 4 games over the surging Rays. They finally got a day off to try and stop the bleeding, before a 10 game home stand. And of their remaining 16 games, 4 of them are against the Rays…

Can the Red Sox pull it together and solidify a playoff spot?

Can they get healthy enough to make that postseason spot count?

Can they become that team of destiny Red Sox Nation was anticipating in pre-season?

My faith has been beaten, but not broken.

And this Red Sox fan thinks they can.

What do you think?

College Football Week 3 Picks

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

I can’t wait until more teams are in conference play and more of these picks require thoughtful analysis on my part. Anyway…

#18 WVU @ Maryland: Maryland looked good but not great against Miami. West Virginia should handle them.

#21 Auburn @ Clemson: Auburn didn’t look like defending BCS champions against Utah State, and they barely held off Mississippi State. Then again, Clemson only beat Wofford by eight points. Regardless, I’m taking the Clemson Tigers over the Auburn Tigers.

LA-Monroe @ #23 TCU: Louisiana-Monroe has the best team name in college sports, but the Ragin’ Cajuns  aren’t going to beat the Horned Frogs

#7 Wisconsin vs. Northern Illinois: Wisconsin’s backups will see some garbage time late in this game with a convincing lead.

Washington @ #11 Nebraska: Washington has improved from their 0-11 season, but they’re not going to beat the Huskers.

Missouri St. @ #12 Oregon: Oregon will continue to atone for the LSU debacle.

#15 Mich. St. @ ND: They couldn’t beat the Wolverines, they’re not gonna beat Sparty.

Tennessee @ #16 Florida: Haven’t seen the Gators or Vols yet this season, but something tells me to take the upset here. Vols win.

#23 Texas @ UCLA: Even with platooning quarterbacks, Texas should take this one.

Arkansas St. @ #13: Virginia Tech: Hokies (what exactly is a Hokie?), easily.

Navy @ #10 S. Carolina: Georgia came closer to stopping Alshon Jeffery and Marcus Lattimore than Navy will.

Idaho @ #9 Texas A&M: A&M has looked strong, and Idaho is a non-AQ team. Draw your own conclusion. (For the record, I’m picking the Aggies).

S.F. Austin @ #19 Baylor: Baylor should be coming back down to earth after their upset of TCU in Week 1, but I still don’t see them losing to Stephen F. Austin.

Florida A&M @ #20 S. Florida: The Big East is wide open and I expect South Florida to stay in the race by winning here.

#22 Arizona St. @ Illinois: For some reason, my gut is telling me to take the upset. (Either that, or to cut back on the Taco Bell). Either way, I’m picking the Illini.

North Texas @ #2 Alabama: Do I really need to pick this one? The Crimson Tide will be a tsunami to the Mean Green.

Troy @ #14 Arkansas: The alma mater of three current NY Giants- DE Osi Umenyiora, WR Jerrel Jernigan and K Lawrence Tynes- won‘t be able to hold off the Razorbacks.

#8 Oklahoma State @ Tulsa: No upset here, I’m taking the ‘Pokes.

#6 Stanford @ Arizona: This may not be the rout many are probably expecting, but Stanford will prevail.

#17 Ohio St. @ Miami: Also known as the Impermissible Benefits Bowl. Winner- which will be Ohio State- gets a trophy shaped like a yacht and a coupon for a free tattoo.

And now, what you’ve skimmed the rest of this entry to get to…

#1 Oklahoma @ #5 Florida State: Chief Osceola versus Boomer Sooner. I like both of these teams offensively, but I think Oklahoma’s defense is the stronger of the two. Oklahoma in a close one.