November 2011 - Page 3 of 6 - Last Word On Sports

Phantom Picks November 19, 2011

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Grant Alexander

I know you’ve been waiting all week for this… And the wait is finally over! Saturday night hockey and Phantom Picks are back!

It looks to be a tough week, with a full docket, some interesting matchups. Only 3 teams of the 20 are playing on the second of back-to-back nights. But its not fatigue, as much as it is injury, that might factor in tonight. With several starting goalies still out for there respective clubs. Lets take a look…

Phoenix @ Buffalo

Buffalo is the better team here, and they have been playing great hockey despite losing their starting goalie. But I like the upset. Phoenix has played well on the road, and Buffalo has to be a little worn out from that nail-bitter last night. I’ll take the road dog at 1.90.

Washington @ Toronto

Toronto is forced to dress a handful of Marlies for this, “Which team can stop the bleeding?” matchup. And it’s hard not to take Washington here; especially considering Toronto’s starting goalie is on the IR. Washington at 1.65.

New York Rangers @ Montreal

New York is one of two teams going for their 8th straight win tonight, and unbelievable they’re not favoured! Montreal has been playing better as of late, but this is a no-brainer for me. I’ll take the incredibly hot Rangers, with the road dog odds of 1.85.

Boston @ New York Islanders

Boston is the other team going for their 8th straight. And like the Rangers, I see them getting it as well. Let the battle of the streaks continue! And give me Boston at 1.45.

New Jersey @ Tampa Bay

Both teams have similar records, and both have been mediocre over their last ten. However, Tampa is 6-1-0 at home. I will take Tampa at 1.50. But I do like Jersey’s odds at 2.10 for the upset.

Pittsburgh @ Florida

I think these days, as TSN has pointed out, the only real deal is the “real deal James Neal”. I’m not buying the Florida hype, and I’m not picking them to win tonight. Pittsburgh at 1.55.

Columbus @ Nashville

If Columbus can’t score on other teams around the league, how the hell are they gonna score against Nashville? Nashville has the best goalie in the league, and one of the best defense corps. They are also 7-1-2 over their last 10, and Columbus hasn’t won on the road at all this season. Columbus does have nice odds at 2.50. But I’ll take Nashville at 1.35.

St. Louis @ Minnesota

This game is tricky. Both teams have won 3 straight, and both have been good over their last 10, with Minny being a little better. Minny gets the edge here, especially considering the Blues record on the road. But the odds have Minny as a huge home favourite at 1.50, and St. Louis at 2.10. I think this is a big miss-match, and I’m going to take St. Louis at 2.10.

San Jose @ Dallas

Again, I think there is a big miss-match of odds here. Dallas, who has lost 4 straight, is favoured at 1.70. And San Jose, who is hot right now going 7-2-1 over their last 10, is the underdog at 1.80. Now, I do think Dallas is due for a win, they are way to good a team to lose 5 straight. But San Jose is 5-2-0 on the road, they just smoked Detroit 5-2 on Thursday, and it would be an insult not to take them as the underdog here at 1.80.

Chicago @ Edmonton

Edmonton’s home record stacks up nicely against Chicago’s road record. But I honestly think Chicago is the best team in the league right now, and for some reason Toews is out to prove it. Chicago at 1.60.

Favorites

Washington
Boston
Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh
Nashville
Chicago

Pick ‘ems

Minnesota
Dallas

Long shots

Phoenix
New York Rangers
St. Louis
San Jose

OWC (Odds Worth Considering)

New Jersey 2.10
Columbus 2.50

That’s it for this week. Look for more Phantom picks coming next week. And as always, good luck, and let me know how you did!

Review of week 11 and week 12

Posted on November 19, 2011November 4, 2021 by Frank Giuliano

Serie A Review of Week 11

Due to the tragic occurrence of flash floods in Genova (which also killed several civilians) and in Naples, two matches were postponed: Genoa v Internazionale FC and the scudetto showdown between SSC Napoli v Juventus FC.

In Milan, the Diavoli thumped the so-called “giant killers” Catania Calcio 4-0. AC Milan dominated the match from beginning to end. The Etnei had difficulties stopping the on-form Robinho who scored two goals, while Ibrahimovic and surprisingly Zambrotta finished the pounding. The Rossoneri are currently riding high on a 5 game winning streak. Udinese Calcio continue to lead the pack with a 2 -1 win over Siena. It was the first goal Udinese conceded at home this season. The inconsistent AS Roma defeated lowly Navara 2-0 away. SS Lazio defeated Parma 1-0 with a last-gasp winner by Giuseppe Sculli. The Biancocelesti are now tied for first place accompanied by Udinese with 21 points while AC Milan sits 1 point behind with 20 and Juventus following closesly with 19 points and has a game in hand. Seria A has never experienced such a tight gap!

Preview of Week 12

In the first encounter on Saturday afternoon, struggling Inter hosts Cagliari. The Nerazzurri have scored only one goal at home and sit in the final third of the table. It is expected that Inter will their season around before it’s too late. First-placed SS Lazio travels to Napoli to take on Walter Mazzari’s men who have been struggling recently. The Partenopei will be looking for a big win ahead of this week’s Champions League encounter with Manchester City. Lazio’s key pick-up and partnership of Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse seems to be working out better than expected. Sebastian Giovinco’s Parma is up against the other first-placed team Udinese. This will be Udinese head coach, Francesco Guidolin’s first time confronting his old squad and will looking to stay ahead of the pack. Good news for Parma is that Sebastian Giovinco will be in the line up. Juventus FC v Palermo will provide exciting action. The Sicilians have always had a hard time playing away and will be up against a hungry Bianconeri side. Playing away in the English-style Juventus Stadium will be even harder. The Old Lady will be aiming to keep her momentum running after not playing for 22 days. One of the key match-ups of this week features AC Milan travelling to Florence to play ACF Fiorentina. The Viola has terminated their contract with Sinisa Mihajlovic and have appointed new boss Delio Rossi and will debut against probably the hottest team in the Serie A at the moment. The Rossoneri will welcome Alexandre Pato back for this game. The Diavoli have been in excellent form recently. Ibrahimovic and Robinho have been clicking very well even with the absence of Antonio Cassano. Milan will look for a morale-boosting victory in Florence, ahead of their very important encounter against the Blaugrana juggernaughts and currently champions- Barcelona FC- in mid-week Champions league action at the San Siro.

Here are the fixtures for week 12…

Week 12 20 Nov 2011

Bologna Preview Cesena

Catania Preview Chievo

Fiorentina Preview Milan

Genoa Preview Novara

Inter Preview Cagliari

Juventus Preview Palermo

Napoli Preview Lazio

Parma Preview Udinese

Roma Preview Lecce

Siena Preview Atalanta

That is the last word on the Serie A

College Football Picks, Week 12

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Lindsay Higgins

: Michigan Football Saturday © by missycaulk

After a full week with no electricity following a freak fall snowstorm, and a week on vacation, I’m back with my picks.

#16 Nebraska @ #18 Michigan: Neither team is great in the passing game, so stopping the run is key. I’m giving the edge to the Huskers in a fairly close game.

Citadel @ #12 South Carolina: Homecoming for the Gamecocks, I assume. They’ll give the crowd a win to cheer about.

Indiana @ #15 Michigan State: Sparty is the stronger team in all phases of the game and should win by at least a TD.

#17 Wisconsin @ Illinois: The Illini got off to a good start this season before stumbling down the stretch. They have talent, but not enough to beat Wisconsin, especially at a time when their confidence must be low.

Kentucky @ #14 Georgia: Kentucky is in the same tier of the SEC as Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Georgia’s no Bama, but they should beat the Wildcats with no trouble.

Samford @ #24 Auburn: Must be homecoming at Auburn too. War Eagle.

Georgia Southern @ #3 Alabama: Is it me, or do the SEC schools have homecoming later than most schools? I thought homecoming was usually in mid-October. Roll Tide.

Mississippi State @ #6 Arkansas: The Hawgs will get in a relatively easy win before what should be a really good game against LSU next week.

#7 Clemson @ NC State: Dabo Swinney has done a really good job with the Tigers this year. They’ll thump the .500 Wolfpack

SMU @ #11 Houston: The last time I was able to write this column I’m not sure Houston was even ranked. I’m looking forward watching this game, since I haven’t seen Houston play yet. SMU is a respectable 6-4, but I’m going to take the easy way out and pick the unbeaten Cougars.

Colorado St @ #19 TCU: This has been a mediocre season for TCU compared to their last few, but I still expect them to beat the 3-6 Rams.

#21 Penn State @ Ohio State: This is a tough one to pick. The Penn State players, through no fault of their own, have had an emotional and stressful last few weeks. If Ohio State can take advantage of that, the game is theirs to win. At the same time, I could see the Nittany Lions coming out, playing hard, and putting a beatdown on the Buckeyes. I’m taking Penn State, but without much confidence.

#1 LSU @ Ole Miss: I can’t see the Tigers losing to Ole Miss at this point.

Virginia @ #25 Florida State: The Noles rank better in most statistical categories, and they’re at home. I’m picking that to be the difference between two 7-3 teams.

USC @ #4 Oregon: Robert Woods is most likely out, which makes this an easier pick. Oregon will win, but I see it as a close one.

#5 Oklahoma @ #22 Baylor: Tough choice. Baylor is a good team, but I have trouble envisioning another loss for Oklahoma. I’m taking the Sooners in what should be a fun game to watch.

#10 Boise State @ San Diego State: Boise will rebound from last week’s loss.

#13 Kansas State @ #23 Texas: Despite the rankings, I like Texas at home.

Cal @ #9 Stanford: Stanford will get back on track with a rout.

goalTender, Loving, Care – A problem facing NHL goalies

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Grant Alexander

The most important position on every team seems to be the most vulnerable these days. What happened to showing goalies a little TLC?

Good goaltending is essential for a team’s success. Look at a team like Pittsburgh. They have arguably the best player in the world in Sidney Crosby. But with a top net minder like Fleury, they don’t necessarily need Crosby in the lineup to win games. They sure as heck need Fleury though. Want more proof? Here are some examples of teams with current goaltending woes…

Vancouver– Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo hasn’t been 100% all year, and is now out with an upper body injury. This is really noticeable in the standings. The Canucks, who have been a perennial powerhouse, are currently sitting 11th in their Conference. This isn’t just on Lou’s shoulders; the whole team isn’t playing great. But a healthy number one goalie would have them well above .500.

Toronto– The Leafs were on a tear to start the season. They went 5-1-1 through their first 7, with number one goalie James Reimer going 4-0-1 over that period. But disaster struck as Reimer took a cheap shot from Habs forward Brian Gionta on October 22nd. He has been out with concussion like syndromes since that day, and there is no timetable for his return. Since then the Leafs have gone 5-6-1, and are desperately searching for an answer to their goaltending woes.

Buffalo– It’s a similar situation for the Sabres. They were on a roll to start the season, and their starting goaltender Ryan Miller was playing well, accompanied by rookie Jhonas Enroth. That was until this Saturday when Miller took a vicious hit from Bruins forward Milan Lucic. Miller, just like Reimer, is now out with concussion like syndromes. The Sabres have only played two games since then, one being a shoot-out win, the other a loss. So it’s a little early to tell how this will impact the team, and rookie sensation, Enroth. But we can all agree that it is a major loss.

The worst thing is, Luongo, Reimer, and Miller aren’t the only goalies getting hurt. Goalies are getting hit, bumped, and run over in the crease, on a nightly basis.

So what’s with all of the goalie contact these days? Why aren’t they protected better? And what is happening to the players that are hitting them?

Good questions. Well first, there are two reasons why they are getting hit. One is, teams like to use the “goalie screen” or “crash the net” methods for scoring goals. This usually results in goalies getting bumped or interfered with. And since the goalie interference rule isn’t enforced as often as it should be, and suspensions typically aren’t handed out for “bumping” the goaltender. Players are taking more and more liberties with opposing net minders (Gionta). The other reason is, goalies going out of their crease to play the puck. Goalies used to come out of their net and play the puck all of the time back in the day. They would come out, play the puck, and usually take a big hit for their efforts. They were also known to dish it out on occasion too (Ron Hextall comes to mind). But goalies were starting to get hurt on a more frequent basis. So a rule was put in place that said that goalies were off limits. The problem with that was, when the trap was popularized, and teams had to use the dump and chase method to fore-check, goalies would be waiting there to play the puck to safety with no consequences. So instead of putting the goaltenders at risk of injury again, the NHL instituted the trapezoid. Which was supposed to keep the goalie in his crease, and stop him from going out and playing the puck. Well it did. For a while anyway, until coaches found a way around it. All you have to do is send your goalie out to intercept the puck ahead of the trapezoid area. The problem with that is, your goalie is that much closer to the fore-checking winger coming into the zone, chasing the puck at top speed. Incidental contact is unavoidable. And so is contact-contact (Lucic). Especially when it doesn’t end in supplemental discipline.

As far as protecting the goalies… well like I said, the NHL does have rules in place to protect the goaltenders from both forms of contact, they just aren’t enforced the way they should be. But it looks like that is going to change. Given the recent incidences, and the impact it is having on the teams themselves. The NHL, and the General Managers, thought it was a pressing issue that needed to be addressed at their latest meeting. They did talk about it, and they did agree that the rules needed to be enforced tenfold. And also, that suspensions needed be issued for malicious cases.

So the players that have been running, or knocking down goaltenders up until this point, will be safe. But as of now, penalties will be more frequent, and goaltenders will be protected like NFL quarterbacks. Oh, and for malicious or repeat offenders, Brendan Shannahan, will be breaking out his yardstick!

Thursday Night NFL Pick

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Ben Kerr

New York Jets vs Jacksonville Jaguars Military Ceremony © by NYCMarines

I got off work early today which couldn’t be sweeter with tonight’s Jets-Broncos match-up looming that is a real can’t miss game. So I get home and flip on NFL network to get my juices flowing. I turned it on just in time to see two things, Marshall Faulk looking positively O.J. like, and some reporter beating around the bush about how Mark Sanchez isn’t progressing as much as the team would like right now. What he really meant, I think, is that Sanchez stinks. Why is it that everyone is afraid (not allowed?) so say it? Does it have something to do with New York? This guy gets nothing but excuses made for him. He is in a great situation in New York and he doesn’t produce consistently. He isn’t so bad that I couldn’t see him eventually becoming a good QB, he just isn’t one right now. See, it’s not that hard to say.

One other thing I caught was this piece on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/10013/ease-up-tampa-haters-their-schedule-has-been-historically-tough#more Definitely some good research here, but the reason it caught my eye was because I was doing some research of my own this week on how bad the Bucs really are. My conclusion: Bad. In 2009 the Bucs were not a good team. They didn’t get their first win of the season until the 9th week of the season and only finished at 3-13. But they had one important victory. They beat the eventual Super Bowl champion Saints in week 16 of the season, it was only their second loss of the season, even if it was an OT victory this win put Tampa on the map. They obliged the young and improving team narrative the next season by taking their improvement all the way up to 10 wins, and they threw one big upset in there also, over the Saints again. This season they sit at 4-5m with two of their victories coming over Atlanta and New Orleans, beating them has become familiar. The Bucs are defenitely a competitive team when playing within their own division. But is this divisional success misleading us when it comes to how strong the Bucs really are overall as a team? I wanted to find out. I took all of their victories from this season and from 2010 and I just did one simple thing, I removed the fact they beat the Saints. After that I added up the combined records of every team they have beaten over 2 seasons. The results? An ugly 49-107. The average team they have beaten is about a 7-9 team. The only good team they have beaten over that time frame is Atlanta this season, another division game. Not a single other team even had a .500 record. Basically they had one of the easiest schedules around last season because their division got to play the NFC West. (Remember how Atlanta went 13-3, yeah they weren’t that good either) So their schedule got them to 10 wins and this season they are playing like it. There are parallels between them and this years Chiefs. They also went 10-6 last season because they got to play 4 games against the NFC West. They have fallen apart in more spectacular fashion this season, with a big part of it being due to injuries, so the perception between KC and Tampa is probably not that close right now. And Tampa is better than KC, but there is nothing wrong with Tampa this season, they just never were that good to begin with. It is pretty safe to assume they aren’t about to turn things around and go on a playoff push.

The Pick:

Jets -6 over DENVER – That is a lot of points to lay on the road I know but I can’t go any other way. I have to start with the Jets first because I don’t think I have that much to say about the Broncos. The Jets will always be a dangerous team because of their defense but I never understood all this talk about them being back because of their recent wins, and I did not understand them as a favorite over the Patriots. The Jets were sitting at 2-3 before they got to play a home game against Miami that they won easily, but not before the Dolphins had a bunch of redzone possessions they could not convert on (and turned one into a Jets TD). They followed that up with another home game, this time against San Diego. San Diego outplayed the Jets. This didn’t look so bad at the time but after the last 3 weeks of football since that game it looks really bad. The Jets won because their defense was able to create key turnovers and score late in the game. They followed this game up with a division match-up against Buffalo, a team they are tailor made to beat. The Bills throw short and have no power on the offensive or defensive lines. The Jets kill short passes and still have some power on offense. It was a predictably easy victory. I don’t see how these three wins combined added up to a Jets team that was suddenly back on top. It didn’t. They didn’t look good against the Patriots, but what’s worse is they couldn’t even move the ball consistently on the Pats D, even going as far as to have trouble blocking the Pats negative pass rush. (my term for their abhorrent lack of a pass rush) Does any of this matter against the Broncos? Absolutely not. The Jets are the team that never goes away and they always seem to win when at times when they are being talked about negatively. The Jets are still a good team with a defense that can be great and they aren’t about to let the Broncos knock them out of the playoff hunt. Not that I don’t believe in Tim Tebow. I couldn’t be more excited to watch him go up against the Jets D. But I don’t think it will be pretty. Playing the Jets D is a lot different from Oakland and Kansas City. If Denver lines up and makes it obvious they are running the same offense from the last two weeks the Jets are going to have a field day going big and stuffing runs. In my mind the Jets either crush this one out of the park or they let Denver hang on and the Broncos pull out a close one. The points don’t even matter.

One more thing I will say for the Broncos. You have to love John Fox’s ability to adapt in the middle of the season and keep his team competitive. But even more than that you have to appreciate how he has been able to bring this defense along even though they really don’t have the players to be good. Last season the Broncos were horrible at stopping the run, they didn’t even look like an NFL team while trying to do so. But this season they have had some success against the run. Enough success that they have been able to keep almost every game they have played close. This is something to build on because they have Champ Bailey in the secondary still and two really good pass rushers in Elvis Dumervil and 2nd overall pick Von Miller, and with a name like Von Miller how can he not succeed really? Granted two good QB’s (Rodgers and Stafford) totally blew them out. But John Fox is proving his value in season one in Denver. It will be interesting to see if Tebow remains the QB next season and what this defense can look like when they add a bunch of draft picks.

Kids and Sports: How Sports Have Changed Since We Were Kids

Posted on November 17, 2011November 4, 2021 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

As a teacher I know firsthand what can happen when children are overwhelmed with after-school activities, particularly sports. Don’t get me wrong, sports is a good thing, a very good thing. But what has happened over the past 20 years since I hung up my size nine Bauers and traded my cleats for a guitar? Sports are different. Parents are different. Kids are different. The factors going into each is so multi-faceted that it would require me to write multiple blog entries, just to keep you awake. I’ll try to do an abridged version. Wish me luck…

My memories of sports as a kid was waking up early Saturday morning for hockey practice. My father, occasionally my mother, would get a coffee and I would fall out of bed and put on my hockey equipment and head to the rink. After practice I would head home and forget about it until my game later in the week. The game was fun, practice, not so much. Our games were in three ten-minute periods. For the most part we changed lines evenly, things rarely getting out of control. Hockey was a lot of fun, not the serious business it seems to be now. I played hockey in the winter and baseball, and later soccer, in the summer. My commitment, even when I played all-star baseball, was two days per week at the most.

The first thing I want you to consider is your first hockey stick. Actually, consider every stick you ever owned as a kid. If you’re my age (30-something), likely you spent no more than $30 on a stick and it was likely wooden. I really don’t remember seeing a stick that wasn’t wooden until I picked the game back up as a twenty-something. Compare that to today. It is quite typical for kids to use sticks costing upwards of $100. Even $200 sticks are common. Whatever people want to spend money on is their business, not mine, but having the “it” stick is a great source of discussion amongst children. Actually, children are often judged by the type of stick they have, and that’s where I just can’t relate. Bobby Orr used a solid wood stick and he turned out pretty well, right? Let’s move on.

I find both kids and parents have become much more serious about sports in general. Consider how many sports clinics, camps, classes, tournaments and schools have popped up over the past decade. It seems there are so many and they are all competing for our money. I find it quite common for kids to have activities on four or five days of the week. With this increase in scheduling, when can they just “play” outside? Do kids have time to play street hockey? Wait, do kids actually play street hockey? What about shooting hoops? Does anyone have a basketball net anymore? How can they organize a game when most of their friends are busy with other organized activities? And, from a teacher’s perspective, when can they do homework?

It is easy for us to put our sons and daughters in extra-curricular activities because we are inundated with possibilities, each with its own set of promises. We see something in our kids, something which makes them special, and our first instinct is to hone that skill by signing them up for further lessons and instruction. Admittedly, I fell into this trap. My son has already completed a soccer camp before his second birthday. Why? He had fun, I think. He still talks about “Soccer Tots”. It was a good program, and I have no complaints about it specifically.

Ultimately, parents are pulling the strings. On an increasing basis, kids are being over-scheduled. When they are young, and other commitments are minimal, it is more manageable. The problem is when they reach adolesence, and have more responsibilities to school, that it can become dangerous. Again, sports is a very good thing. I am not suggesting that they should be removed from a child’s life, however, I think we as parents need to consider the possibility of over-scheduling our children.

…and that is the last word.

Keep Eating Them Raw

Posted on November 16, 2011November 4, 2021 by Carl Mostacci

WOW! One of the most exciting games in CFL history took place last Sunday in Montreal.

Finally, after three days of being in hibernation, I have recovered from the Sunday-induced cardiac arrest. The thrilling, entertaining and incredibly surprising Hamilton Tiger Cats victory over the Montreal Alouettes rendered me speechless. Both teams seemed to answer each other’s major scores throughout the game. The Cats also had to deal with a horrible video review call, preventing them from a very timely turnover. Add to that one of the worst special teams disasters, unless you are a Roughriders fan, of course.

Basically, Hamilton had the chance to win with no time on the clock with a “good” field goal. Justin has been lights out all season, and the kick’s success seemed inevitable. Unfortunately, the young placeholder, Jason Boltus, forgot to signal to the long snapper to hike the ball. The result: Time Count Violation. Ugh! Five yards further from the goal, Medlock missed a long kick, sending it to overtime.

A quick strike to Williams, along with back to back “facemasking” calls against Chip Cox, had Hamilton all but in the endzone. A play later and Hamilton was on top. After strong play from the defence, including a timely sack for a loss, the Cats earned their visit to Winter-peg, err, Winnipeg.

Out west, Calgary looked very shaky at the start and Edmonton was quick to take advantage. Drew Tate’s interception was returned for a touchdown seemed to be the turning point in the contest. Edmonton took the lead, and on the veteran shoulders of Ricky Ray, they head further west to battle the Lions of British Columbia.

I must say, I was surprised by the poor attendance (though high television ratings) in both contests. In each case the attendance was only around 30,000, barely higher than regular season tilts. Edmonton was a particular surprise because they haven’t been in the postseason in a few years and haven’t hosted a home game in even longer. I guess the Alouettes have developed the Red Wings/ Braves syndrome of only showing up in later rounds. Too bad for Montreal…better luck next year!

So, on with the predictions…

My record was 1-1 last week. Let’s see if I can move to 75% with two winners this Sunday.

HAMILTON @ WINNIPEG

The Cats are hot right now. I’m taking them to win this game, provided they can stay focused and limit the mistakes they made in Montreal (ie. Chris Williams’ touchdown drop, for instance). Winnipeg’s quarterback situation is up in the air. Buck Pierce is hurt, whether he plays or not, and Brink is an unproven quarterback. Either way, they don’t equal Hamilton’s offence right now. I do acknowledge the Bombers’ defence is strong, and they must avoid turning the ball over – no freebies! The Cats are due to beat Winnipeg (going 0-3 this season), and they haven’t beaten Winnipeg in the playoffs since the 1989 Eastern Final. That’s a span of four playoff games. Hamilton 35-Winnipeg 15.

EDMONTON @ BC

B.C. is on such a role right now, and with the home crowd behind them coupled with the opportunity to play at home for the Grey Cup, they will prevail. My predicion is B.C. 32- Edmonton 20.

WHAT DO YOU THINK???

…and that’s the last word.

Coach K Stands Alone

Posted on November 15, 2011 by taketheleap

“I hated to lose.” – Mike Krzyzewski

903.

That is how many wins Mike Krzyzewski has in his career, now the all-time leader, surpassing his mentor Bobby Knight, for winningest coach in NCAA Men’s Basketball Division I history.

Let’s try and put that number into perspective.

If you coached a basketball game for every day, it would take you two and half years to reach that mark; and that’s assuming you won every single game.

And Coach K shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. With his Blue Devils ranked in the AP Top 10 for what feels like the 20th consecutive season, Duke is poised to add at least 20 more wins this year alone to Krzyzewski’s legacy. And his legacy is already a spectacular one: 4 NCAA Championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010), 11 Final Four appearances, 13 ACC Championships, Basketball Hall of Fame (2001), USA National Team Head Coach (1987, 1990, 2006-present) and Olympic Gold Medal (2008). There is a reason Duke signed him to a lifetime contract.

His ability to turn his players into winning teams is unparalleled: in his thirty years at Duke, Coach K is 830-225, an amazing winning percentage of 0.787. He has only has two losing seasons at Duke, in his second and third seasons at the helm. He has had twelve 30+ win seasons, including the last three. He has led his Blue Devils to twenty six 20+ win seasons; an amazing feat in a traditional powerhouse such as the ACC.

“You never want to be the guy that threw to Hank Aaron,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said, in the days prior to the matchup with Duke. “It’s an incredible feat he’s trying to get to. I hope he gets there. I just hope it’s not on our night.”

Unfortunately for Izzo and his Spartans, it was. Just another impressive addition to a career filled with milestones.

Coach K now stands alone and it couldn’t be more deserved.

… and that’s the last word.

Falcons Fall – A Questionable Decision Goes Awry!

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Ben Kerr

The decision Mike Smith made to “go for it” in overtime of the Atlanta – New Orleans game on 4th and inches from Atlanta’s own 29 has created a lot of buzz. Atlanta lined up and ran the ball – and failed, and now everyone has an opinion about whether this was the right call or not. Most people are of the opinion that it was a bad decision, but you know these are the same people who would be saying “great call” if it had worked. It was a very difficult call to make and a good argument could be made for both sides which is probably one of the reasons it is generating so much discussion. I don’t want to discuss the decision, but I do want to rip the play call, and I’m not quite sure why no one else is.

Atlanta lined up with every man in tight to the formation and no wide outs. A fullback and running back were in the backfield. At the snap, the play design was a ‘power run left’, and it called for the right guard to pull to lead through the hole. Falcons RB Michael Turner got the ball at the snap but by the time he hit the hole New Orleans had already penetrated through the gap and he was dead in the hole. There is so much wrong with this play I am going to have to break it down in stages.

First off, in this situation you QB sneak! Spread it out, and QB sneak. When does this play not work? Never, it always works. Fourth and inches you QB sneak – it’s that easy. Atlanta needs to watch a little more of the Patriots to see what a real team does when they need to gain 6 inches.

Secondly, Atlanta lined up with everyone in-tight to the formation to show power run. There were six linemen flanked by a TE and WR on the end of the line. This allowed New Orleans to stack all 11 defenders in the box. Aside from the formation I thought the Atlanta line itself lined up in peculiar fashion. Each of the linemen was behind the center, and the center lined up behind the ball too instead of over top of the ball. This made it so Atlanta had to gain a yard on the play instead of just a few inches. On the play Turner actually gained ground from where the O-line originally was lined up. They weren’t pushed back by New Orleans, they just gave them that yard. I will have to watch short yardage plays more closely in the future but it seems like Atlanta put themselves at a disadvantage before the play even started here.

Third, the power run with no misdirection is never the best play in a short yardage situation. The defense is amped up to drive forward and smash into the O-line. The Linebackers are set to get downhill and penetrate as soon as they see where the play is going. When you call a power run with no trickery you are running right into the teeth of the defense. When you fake the run the defense is almost always caught off guard in this situation.

Lastly, if you are choosing to run straight ahead then why do you pick a slow developing play with a guard pulling? This is like phoning the defense before the play and telling them what your call is.

I liked Mike Smith’s aggressive decisions all day long. It was a division game and he was pulling out all the stops to try to get a victory, something that is disturbingly absent from many coaches. But nothing about this play really makes sense. Atlanta is a good team but they often win in spite of their play calling and more so their offensive design. To see these problems show up at such a crucial moment is sad. Atlanta needs to go back to the drawing board.