The card might not have been stacked with the top fighters in the UFC, but why complain? It was free… and for a free card it was action-packed the whole ride! It has been my experience in watching MMA over the years, that often those events that appear to have a weak line-up end up being the best to watch. You often get young hungry guys out there who want to make a name for themselves – and they are desperate to do so. Dana White has never been discreet about his love for fighters who put on exciting fights, and many of the young guns are happy to oblige.
I liken these types of events to watching the NCAA Basketball Championships. You don’t have guys out there who are playing for the sake of playing – with a sense of entitlement. You have guys out there who want to get noticed, and show the world during their moment – potentially the only moment they will ever have in the spotlight -to show that they deserve to be there.
Usually a card like this will be headlined with a couple well-knowns. This is done as bait, to attract the less hardcore MMA fans, and get them to watch these lesser knowns and fodder their interest. In this case, Chris Leben and Mark Munoz were given top billing. Leben is a perpetual grinder, and Munoz has been on the rise for a while now. Anyone who has seen either of these guys in the cage knew they were in for a war. In this case the main card was a constant back and forth battle, with Munoz getting the better of the exchanges and the ground game – which eventually led to a between round stoppage.
Despite a great main fight, what really made this event so much fun to watch was the performance of the young stars: Terry Etim, Che Mills, Renan Pegado and Anthony Perosh. Each of these fighters put on a display that will help them to achieve their goal – stardom. The only question is, for those who do eventually reach higher teir in the organization – will they still fight for glory or a paycheque? Only time will tell.
On July 1st of this year the big news around the NHL was that Jaromir Jagr was returning to the league as a Philadelphia Flyer. I remember what I was thinking that day. Here comes another hyped-up comeback that goes sour fast. Yeah, he was the best player in the league for a while but he’s 39 years old and apparently is 240lbs. Not the best combination if you plan on lighting it up and turning heads.
Naturally, preparing for this years numerous pools I looked up his stats in the KHL. While it would seem impressive, posting around a point per game over three seasons, it is not NHL. Even when he last played as a Ranger he had a pattern of deteriorating point production. In four drafts I couldn’t help but smile when he was drafted, in my opinion, a little early. I had even considered writing a blog about how he would be surely over valued on draft day in your fantasy pools, with warnings to avoid him like the plague. I must confess that it looks like I was showing a lack of respect to the lethal skill the mullet posseses.
No, he’s not the fastest guy on the ice but it’s still impossible to get the puck off of him. He can find the holes and open ice, pick the corners and make great passes. He has enough youth around him that the lack of speed and energy doesn’t seem to matter as much, and Philly doesn’t need to play him over 20 minutes a game. In fact he’s only broke 20 once. The Flyers bought him for the powerplay, and as a mentor, and the move is definitely paying dividends already. Jagr is one of the hottest players in the league right now with 11 points in his last 7 games. The only question in my mind is if he can keep up the pace for the whole 82 game season. A player of his age and size can have endurance problems as the year progresses.
So far he shows only signs of improvement rather than fatigue. Maybe he can show us all that we should never have forgotten about the wonders he achieved during his time in the NHL. He sits 9th upon the all-time NHL point leaders list. Could he overtake Sakic, Lemieux and Yzerman? If he plays after this season he surely could. Maybe he will show us that he’s back to add some more trophies and rings to his collection. Whatever is to come, Jaromir has my attention now. The skill still shows, and the show must go on.
The Tar Heels may have cause to celebrate come March. (image via desrunyan, Flickr)
“Misery loves company.” – Proverb
When my wife and I first started dating, one of the first things I warned her about was that I disappear in March.
The days after Selection Sunday are spent agonizing over my brackets, wondering why I am picking VCU to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. The first weekend, I watch with pain as my brackets disintegrate before my eyes and spend the rest of the month swearing that next year will be different. The remainder of the month is spent glued to the TV, for any and all scraps of information about my beloved Tar Heels and who they are playing. This happens every year. For all of March.
I have since dragged my wife into this little crazy world of mine – you might say “Madness”… no? Too soon? – and she hitched her wagon to the Ohio State Buckeyes a few years ago. She picked them the year they lost to Florida in the National Championship (2007). Two years before they had some schmuck named Evan Turner become the AP Player of the Year. And three years before they has consecutive #1 seeds in the tournament.
March Madness and the pains of watching it all fall apart, is now a family affair. Misery loves company.
The Preseason Polls
The season begins this week: the weekly polls; the “pffft, their non-conference schedule is too easy” arguments; the “how did they lose to THEM!?” debates; arguments over who has the hardest conference; and of course: how Coach K has taken a group of misfits and somehow turned them into a contender.
The first polls are out – aptly labeled the “Preseason Poll”- and my Tar Heels are sitting where they belong, at #1.
Rank
School
Points
1
North Carolina (62)
1,620
2
Kentucky
1,501
3
Ohio State (1)
1,482
4
Connecticut (2)
1,433
5
Syracuse
1,338
6
Duke
1,301
7
Vanderbilt
1,120
8
Florida
1,086
9
Louisville
1,055
10
Pittsburgh
1,027
11
Memphis
997
12
Baylor
892
13
Kansas
755
14
Xavier
747
15
Wisconsin
720
16
Arizona
616
17
UCLA
404
18
Michigan
401
19
Alabama
395
20
Texas A&M
357
21
Cincinnati
353
22
Marquette
335
23
Gonzaga
283
24
California
230
25
Missouri
139
First place votes in parentheses.
For those new to the polls, the Associated Press poll is the de-facto standard. The AP Poll is run across football and basketball and Wikipedia provides a quick explanation of its system: “The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the [United States]. Each voter provides his own ranking of the top 25 teams, and the individual rankings are then combined to produce the national ranking by giving a team 25 points for a first place vote, 24 for a second place vote, and so on down to 1 point for a twenty-fifth place vote.”
The Big Conferences
ACC
With six returning players, including potential National Player of the Year Harrison Barnes, North Carolina (1) looks to be the team to beat in the ACC. Although they started slow last year – they actually fell out of the Top 25 for a few months – Kendall Marshall is now given a full season as the starting point guard for the Heels, a change that last year marked their turning point. Duke (6), as always, will be a contender, simply because of the man at the helm. A friend once told me that “you could give Coach K a band of clowns and he will turn them into a Final Four team” and as much as I bleed UNC blue, after watching NCAA basketball for the last decade, I have to admit this is true. It looks to be a UNC-Duke kinda year in the ACC, with a few quality games from Florida State, Virginia Tech and NC State. Ok, not NC State. Just seeing if you’re paying attention.
Big East
Shaping up to be the hardest conference in the country, the Big East sports six teams in the preseason top 25: UConn (4), Syracuse (5), Louisville (9), Pittsburgh (10), Cincinnati (21) and Marquette (22). Not to diminish quality teams like Villanova, Georgetown and Notre Dame, this conference rightfully has defending National Champion UConn at its top. In case you forget, UConn made a huge run last March as a #6 seed, one which blew up many Madness brackets. (In the eleven years I have run a March Madness pool, this is only the second time that out of 100+ brackets, no one picked the eventual Champion). It would not be surprising to see two or even three Final Four teams come out of this conference and maybe even the 2012 National Champion.
Big 12
Always a competitive conference, this year the top contenders looks to be the emerging powerhouses, pushing out the traditional ones. Top preseason seed Baylor (12) looks to be the team to beat, but with a rejuvenated Texas A&M (20) and an always scrappy Missouri (25) team, this conference is really anyone’s to steal. With perpetual powerhouses like Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Kansas (13) all a part of the mix, this conference schedule could be one of the most interesting to watch this season.
Big 10
To my wife’s joy, Ohio State (3) is the highest-ranked team in this conference and the clear favourite to win. With four returnees, including the dominant Jared Sullinger, Ohio State will need to either have an off-game or their opponent will need a great one to lose this conference. Although the Big Ten has two others in the Top 25 – Wisconsin (15) and Michigan (18) – the Buckeye veterans from last year’s disappointing tournament run will have the rest of the team hungry for not only a conference championship, but a deeper finish than their Sweet Sixteen exit in 2010.
PAC 12
With three teams in the Top 25 – Arizona (16), UCLA (17) and California (24) – the PAC 12 could be just as interesting or better than the Big 12. With their entire team returning, the Arizona Wildcats look to better their Elite Eight run of 2010, and just have to hope that this time around, they don’t run into a very-hot, eventual national champion. UCLA continues to build on their rich history and looks to be poised to make a run at the conference title this year. Come January, this will be one exciting conference to watch.
Projected Major Conference Winners
ACC: North Carolina
Big East: Pittsburgh Big 12: Baylor Big 10: Ohio State Pac 12: Arizona
Projected Final Four
East Bracket: North Carolina West Bracket: Ohio State Midwest Bracket: Kentucky South Bracket: Pittsburgh
Projected National Champion
North Carolina over Pittsburgh
The thing I love about NCAA Basketball is that I know some, if not all, of the above will be wrong. Someone will choke in their conference tournament. A projected star will be no better than me in my Monday night Rec league. A #1 seed will get upset in the brackets. And of course, my fearless predictions will all come crashing down. And somehow, my wife’s Buckeyes will get the better of my Tar Heels. It never fails.
These last few years have been tough on Brodeur, his Devils were abysmal last year, and it was probably the worst season of his career. His early season 900 save percentage didn’t help as the Devils basically were out of playoff contention by December, and for the first time in over a decade they missed the playoffs. In the 2010 Olympics he started as Canada’s #1 Goalie but was replaced by Roberto Luongo. In 2008-09 he spent much of the season injured with one of the few major injuries of his career. Since the NHL lockout he has not been experiencing the same playoff success that was such a trademark of his pre-lockout days. Some good regular seasons have been in there, but the devils have been victims of first round losses, many of those involving guys like Cam Ward, Henrik Lundqvist, and Marty Biron, outplaying Brodeur.
As I watched the Devils game against the Leafs on Wednesday, I saw a goalie who is a shadow of his former self. He shows flashes (see the incredible save on Kessel), but its just that now, flashes. He can remind us of the old Brodeur, but the fact is that if you watch him for long stretches, he’s not the brilliant guy we remember. The reflexes are slower, more pucks find holes, and he just isn’t leading his team the same way as he used to.
Sure some might say, he’s Marty Brodeur, and he’s still one of the best 30 goalies in the world, and deserves to be an NHL starter. Thats probably true. He’s still one of the 30 best goalies in the league, but for Marty; thats not good enough IMO. Brodeur was a star, an elite goalie. A guy who was the world’s best goalie for a long time, and never outside the top 3. Being just an average to below average NHL starter isn’t good enough. Thats not the way he should go out, and thats not the way this sure fire 1st ballot Hall of Famer should be remembered.
So Marty, for the good of your legacy, for the good of your fans, for the good of the league, its time. Take your victory lap now, let us know this is your last year…. get your standing ovation in nearly every rink in the NHL (Philly and MSG might be tough) but let us salute you and give you a farewell party to remember. But please, retire now, before your skill goes even further and you end up as the backup of the Devils. No one wants to see you hang around for 2 or 3 more years and see you go out that way.
After a very rough week 8 I don’t feel muck like writing a big intro. I am just going to bang out the picks as quick as possible and hope for the best. I do feel alot better going into this week than last week though.
(Home team in Caps)
Atlanta +6.5 over INDY – The only concerning thing here is that Sam Baker the Atlanta LT is out and 80% of the public is taking Atlanta. But there isn’t a doubt in my mind that Atlanta is the right pick here. (If you are looking to lose lots of money then why not tease Atlanta down to .5 and put them in a 2-teamer with every other game you like this week. I can’t see Atlanta gagging this one away. They are a low variance team and don’t tend to turn the ball over.) With Julio Jones returning to the line-up it will be interesting to see if Atlanta has figured out a way to integrate him into the offense. Becuase Atlanta was better when he was out of the line-up and ther weren’t forcing the ball to him.
Tampa +8 over NEW ORLEANS – Earlier this season I wrote that Tampa is a different team when playing in their own division because their coaches know how to game plan for the likes of Atlanta and New Orleans. I stand by it, even if this will be a tough test to play in New Orleans pissed off coming off a big loss last weekend. The Bucs have won three of the past four against the Saints and I like this to be a close game also.
HOUSTON -10.5 ove r Cleveland – I am done picking Cleveland until further notice.
Jets +2.5 over BUFFALO – This game is rocketing up after opening at -1. It could even get to 3 by game time. And I understand it. The Jets just aren’t the same team they were the past 2 years. But there was alot of Buffalo news this week and I am having trouble reconciling all of it. First Ryan Fitzpatrick signed a lucartive new deal, then Buffalo announced they will be wearing their White jersey;s in this game for the first time in over a decade, then a bombshell landed on the newswire that Fitzpatrick wears his wedding ring at all times – even during games – just like David Carr used to! Now I don’t know what to think. I think the Jets are a slightly better team and their defense can match up against Buffalo. It pains me to take them in Ralph Wilson this weekend but I have to grab the points. Make sure you watch this game just to see how amped up the crowd is. This is my favorite one o’clock on the sched for that reason alone.
Miami +4 over KANSAS CITY – Tough pick here. The line has come down over the week from as high as 5.5. Either way KC doesn’t have the talent to put up a ton of points and Miami has been playing teams tough. KC is coming off an emotional Monday night win which means a short week for them. Tony Sparano has his team playing hard and I think they are going to be a tough out every week until they final get a win.
San Fran -4 over WASHINGTON – I am going to go ahead and ignore all my own warnings about a) taking Alex Smith b) taking Alex Smith on the road and c) taking Alex Smith on the road against a good defense. Let’s see how that goes.
Seattle +11 over DALLAS – I just don’t know what to think about Dallas after that pathetic showing against the Eagles. I thought they were ready to step up and grab control of the division. This isn’t a pick for Seattle. This is a pick for the points.
Denver +7 over OAKLAND – Would have liked to have grabbed this earlier in the week at 8 or above. Either way, McFadden is out and this is huge. Now the game is in Carson Palmers hands. I repeat: The game is in Carson Palmer’s hands. I am never going to lay 7 with Palmer. The gamblers of the world really got screwed in this deal. Palmer game in for mop up duty in the KC game and let the “Carson Palmer is a terrible QB” cat out of the bag. Fortunatley the Raiders had a bye week so not everyone knows this yet. Unfortunately the Raiders are playing the Broncos this week instead of a real team and there is only so much you can trust the Broncos. Even if this is the wrong pick you have to trust me that it is not worth the heart attack to have to watch Palmer come through for you.
TENNESSEE -2.5 over Cincy – I hate Tennessee right now and I actually didn’t mind grabbing Cincy because I like how physical their defense is. But then the line came in at under 3. This is still the Bengals here, and their offense still stinks. Tennessee might have some ill will towards them because of big losses to Pittsburgh and Houston but those are really good teams. You can’t pick the Bengals getting less than 3 against a decent team on the road. You just can’t.
ARIZONA -2.5 over St. Louis – Arizona seems to be able to score at home usually, Kolb is out but the Cardinals get Wells back. This is the ugliest game of the week but I will take the home team at less than 3.
Giants +9 over NEW ENGLAND – I just don’t think New England should be favored by this many points over any team that can score points. The Giants can score, they have put up 25 or more in 5 of 7 games. Even if the competition the Giants have faced hasn’t been the best you can’t tell me the Patriots defense is any better than the teams that have faced.
SAN DIEGO +5.5 over Green Bay – San Diego is at home in need of a big game. They are facing a Green Bay defense that hasn’t been shutting down opposing offenses all that well this year. 5.5 is alot of points for a quality team to be getting at home.
Baltimore +3 over PITTSBURGH – I covered this game yesterday and my mind hasn’t changed since. This Ravens defense could be something special. If it is they shouldn’t have a problem shutting down the Steelers offense for most of the night. And if they do they have to be considered the #1 team in the AFC.
Chicago +8 over PHILLY – I don’t like this game. Jay Cutler on the road facing an attacking defense is always a bad match-up. On the other hand the Bears do have Forte who could have a big day. But more importantly I just don’t feel comfortable taking a Philly team to cover this many points when they still have shown much outside of last week.
New to the Last Word On Sports world is, Phantom Picks. Just like “tips from the tipster”, Phantom will be giving you the low-down on the best picks in the lineup of Saturday night hockey games. So look forward to his picks every Saturday, and feel free to comment, or send in your own picks for the evening.
Hey all! Looks like we have a bunch of Eastern Conference teams playing back to back this week. And there also looks to be some pretty good odds on some top road teams. So with 11 games on the docket, lets get started…
Boston @ Toronto
If I’m taking this game straight up, I’m taking the Leafs. They’ve been playing like the team to beat, and right now they are. Plus, they will be at home, with a sell-out crowd, for HNIC. However, in the betting world you rarely get straight up odds, and this game is no exception. With Proline, Toronto is getting fifty-five cents on the dollar (1.55), and Boston is getting two to one odds (2.00). Two to one on the Stanley Cup champs?! A team that historically plays tough against Toronto, and also manhandled them earlier in the season? Not to mention Kessel (the Leafs leading scorer), STILL seems to disappear when playing his former club? Anyway, I’ll settle down and take Boston on the long shot paying 2.00.
Buffalo @ Ottawa
Both teams are coming off of a back-to-back here. Buffalo with a win and Ottawa with a loss. I think we are seeing the turning point here for both teams. Ottawa has been over-achieving, and I think they are starting to come back down to reality, especially without their captain. Buffalo is the opposite, and I think with Enroth proving himself as a viable option they are headed in the right direction. I’m happy to take Buffalo here, especially with the underdog odds of 1.85.
Winnipeg @ New Jersey
The Peg have won two in a row, and they should take pride in that because I don’t see a third coming. Give me Jersey at 1.50.
Washington @ New York Islanders
If there ever was a chance for the Islanders to take down the Caps this could be it. Washington is on a road trip, and they played last night. Also Washington hasn’t been the best on the road (although perfect at home), and the Islanders are .500 at home. So I don’t blame you if you want to take a chance on cashing in on their 2.20 odds. But it’s just not something I’m going to do. This is a battle of two offensive teams, and the Islanders are bringing a knife to a gunfight so to speak. Look for the best team in the NHL right now to keep on rolling. Caps at 1.45.
Montreal @ New York Rangers
This one is a little tricky. The Habs have won four straight, and have a winning record on the road. But they are playing back to back, and the Rangers are on a two game win streak of their own. Not to mention, Avery will do his best to pump up the team and the crowd in his return. I’m gonna take the rested home team here. Rangers at 1.70.
Columbus @ Philly
The Jackets definitely need to string some wins together to get back in the hunt. But playing the Flyers at home isn’t a way to do that. The odds aren’t great, but I’ll take em. Philly at 1.30.
Anaheim @ Detroit
Here are two of the biggest disappointments so far this season. Both teams are struggling and in need of a win. The “tale of the tape” has The Wings weighing in at 1.45, and the Ducks at 2.20. I don’t like any struggling team getting 1.45, even if that team is the Detroit Red Wings. Not only that, but Anaheim has the talent and ability to beat any team in the league. I’m gonna keep my Ducks in a row here, and take the road dog at 2.20.
St. Louis @ Minnesota
Looks like a little “Cards magic” rubbed off on the Blues, as the Championship winning Cardinals were honoured last night, resulting in a win over the Canucks. I’m gonna call traveling on the Blues, who come into Minny to take on a red-hot Wild team. They rocked Vanc themselves two nights ago, scoring 5 goals. And that was without their big guns hitting the score sheet. Look for them to factor in tonight, and look for Minny to win their 4th straight. Wild at 1.60.
Edmonton @ Phoenix
The kids are rolling right now, and look to be having fun doing it. They have won 6 straight, and are currently the hottest team in the NHL. I don’t see a stop in the desert slowing them down. The Yotes have been given home field advantage in the odds department, which is funny because they haven’t been very good at home. Give me the Oil at the away odds of 1.85.
Pittsburgh @ Los Angeles
This is a toss up for me. The records suggest that the Penguins should win this one, especially with Malkin finding his stride last game. But L.A. is a tougher team than their record indicates. And I don’t see them going on a big slide, having lost two in a row already. I think they right the ship here against the Guiners, in this possible Stanley Cup matchup. I’ll take the Kings paying only the slight “home field advantage odds” of 1.65.
Nashville @ San Jose
Taking in consideration the current goaltending situation (Rinne back on vezina form after signing his big contract, and Niemi looking like Swiss cheese in his last 2), as well as the home/away records (Preds- 4-2-1 on the road, Sharks- 2-2 at home), The Preds look like a steal at 2.10. But this is sports, and you have to know when to chase those big odds, and when to play it safe. The Sharks are the better team, and they’re playing at home on a Saturday night. Look for one of the “Joe’s” to lead this team to victory. San Jose at 1.30.
Favorites
New Jersey
Washington
Philly
San Jose
Pick ‘ems
New York R
Minny
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Long shots
Boston
Buffalo
Anaheim
That’s it for this week. Look for more Phantom picks coming next week. And of course good luck, and let me know how you did!
What a week it was in Week 10 starting off with a BANG! “Giant Killers” CataniaCalcio took down Scudetto favourites, SSC Napoli 2-1 in Sicily. The Sicilians have been stiff opponents at home this season defeating Internazionale FC 2-1 and holding Juventus FC to a 1-1 draw. AC Milan travelled to the Eternal City to take on the Giallorossi and defeated AS Roma 3-2. The diavoli are currently in fine form. The Roma players had their chances but Christian Abbiati was on the ball as he made some miraculous saves. The game of the weekend was the so-called DERBY d’ITALIA in which Inter Milan welcomed a motivated Juventus side. The Bianconeri obtained the victory 2-1 with goals from Mirko Vucinic and Claudio Marchisio. The Nerazzurri are on a freefall in the Seria A falling to 4th last in the table! Juve has been by far the surprise of the season. They played very hard showing their grit, speed, heart and intelligence. It would certainly help Serie A to bounce back in the UEFA League standings should Juventus return to European competition. ACF Fiorentina got back to winning ways by defeating a pretty goodGenoa side, 1-0.
Week 11 Preview
Week 11 kicks off with some negative news in Serie A. First, AC Milan and Italian international star Antonio Cassano is out for at least 6 months having to undergo heart surgery to adjust a minor issue. This is a big blow for the Rossoneri as the number 10 has been in great form this season, possibly the best of his career. Stephen El Shaarawy is looking to take over for Cassano. The Genoa-Internazionale match has been postponed due to flash floods and the death of seven civilians.
A Cassano-less AC Milan hosts the new “giant killers” of Serie A CataniaCalcio. The Etnei have defeated AS Roma, SS Lazio, Internazionale FC and tied Juventus FC at home, but have yet to show their strength on their travels. Massimilano Allegri’s men will have to be extremely focused and will use Antonio Cassano’s absence as extra motivation for this encounter. Chievo Verona plays host to the Viola of ACF Fiorentina. These two teams have provided classic games against each other in the past few years. The match of the weekend once again puts the Old Lady on stage against an SSC Napoli looking to get out of their slump at the San Paolo in Naples. This game is shaping up to be a major fixture as these two scudetto rivals are heading in different directions. The Bianconeri are currently on a hot streak while the Partenopei are certainly not! Napoli has been struggling recently with their form but will look to regain it in this match-up. Juventus is in good shape, defeating champions Milan and Inter this season and will look to benefit from playing in only the Serie A as Napoli played in mid-week in Champions League action against a very tough Bayern Munich side inGermany. Juventus will want to add to their tally and remain at the top of the league. The last time Juventus won inNapoli, Darko Kovacevic was on the scoresheet and Edwin Van Der Sar was in goal!
Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said earlier this week that when the Ravens play the Steelers this weekend “The world will stop.” With these teams set to kick-off Sunday Night there was no way I was going to let the game pass without previewing it. At first I was going to write about each team’s individual units, the stength of their o-lines, their WR’s etc. It never quite felt right. A match-up like this cannot be graded just on individual strengths or what these teams had done lately; this goes beyond that.
When these two teams meet it is more like when two great boxers get in the ring. It doesn’t matter who they just beat, it matters what each of them brings to the table and how they will feed off each other. So instead of a position breakdown let’s try to cover the main forces at work in this game.
Game #1: Ravens 35, Pittsburgh 7 – We’re not saving the biggest factor for last. On opening weekend the Steelers showed up in Baltimore and got their asses kicked. It probably would not have been a massive beat down if the Steelers could have just hung onto the ball. They were able to move the ball at times in the first half but went into half-time down 21-7 because of a big fumble. The Ravens were not about to blow back -to-back big leads against the Steelers (see 2010 Playoffs), and the Steelers pretty much handed Baltimore the game withive f second half turnovers.
My biggest memory of the game, aside from Haloti Ngata almost taking a hand-off from Ben Roethilisberger in the Steelers back-field, was how unstoppable Ray Rice seemed, and how helpless the Steelers looked when trying to tackle him. The Steelers had no answers that day, but when all the facts are considered maybe we should have seen a Ravens ‘W’ coming. Baltimore had just lost a heart-breaker to Pittsburgh in January – their hated arch rival ended their season. The coaches and players spent all off-season thinking about this single fact. Then they saw they got the Steelers at home on opening weekend and proceeded to spend the next three months devising a plan to attack their defense. It worked. Now it is the Steelers turn to counter and I don’t see Baltimore having the same emotional edge in this game.
By the way, I can’t tell you how dissapointed I was to see this game on the schedule for opening weekend. Not only did it seem like a waste since I was already going to be excited about whoever was playing in week one but I felt like both teams were being cheated. I want to watch these two slug it out in the middle of the season when they are both playing at their best and have a feel for the type of team they are. Or save a match for the final weeks when you can actually see the division title being decided in each game. But in week one? There is always a chance that someone shows up unprepared and that is what happened. Not that there is any excuse for being unprepared.
After the Ravens took a huge chunk out of the Steelers in week one I think the Steelers will have narrowed the gap on the emotional advantage come Sunday.
Joe Flacco – I have never been a Flacco fan and he is pretty much the reason I end up siding with the Steelers in nearly every contest between the two. Back in week six someone wrote about Joe Flacco’s improvements this season right before the stinker against the Jets where neither offense could move the ball( 51 combined points – 1 offensive TD). http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/NFP-Sunday-Blitz-1909.html I didn’t have to wait until seeing the Jets game to get a kick out of the article and Joe Flacco’s knee flexion has been a running gag for me ever since (read the article). But last week facing a huge defecit against the Arizona Cardinals the Ravens offense opened it up and Flacco let it rip. He took over the game by finding Anquan Boldin everywhere on the field, finishing with 336 passing yards and earning a last second victory. Not too bad.
Now, can he prove himself in back-to-back weeks? When Baltimore defeated the Steelers in week one it was the only win Joe Flacco has earned against Ben Roethlisberger. But this Steelers defense might not be the same unit Flacco is used to facing. While still good, I hesitate to describe them with their usual adjectives like ferocious and devastating. In fact this Steelers D is forcing turnovers at a historically low rate. http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7101375/has-steel-curtain-gone-soft They are also banged up along the D-line so they can not force teams into 2nd or 3rd and long nearly as much as they used to in the past. If Flacco is looking to step up and become the player I never thought he could be, now is certainly a good time.
Trends – Since my friend, Joe, entered the league in 2008 these teams have squared off nine times. The Steelers own a 6-3 edge and have won both playoff games between the two. What is interesting is that so far the Ravens always seem to fare better in the early season match-up. All three Raven victory’s have come in the opening contest between the two (3-1 record) and they usually have been early season tilts as well (except 2009: November 29th). The only loss in the opening game was in Overtime, also. On top of this each regular season game since 2008 until week one was decided by four points or less.
The Steelers O-line – The truth is neither O-line is playing like a top of the league unit right now but I think the Steelers woes could be more exposed. Currently they start a unit comprised of a tackle they had no plans to be on the team this year due to the starter being lost for the season, a left tackle playing through injury, a back-up guard, and two other players who have appeared on the injury report as recently as week six. This was not a unit that was widely considered as even above average when totally healthy; not the best situation.
The troubles have shown up on the ground more than through the air. The Steelers lead back, Rashard Mendenhall, has put up one big game, other than that his second best rushing perfromance of the season is 70 yards – against the defenseless Patriots. Big Ben, or Berger as I like to call him, is at his best when scrambling and shaking tackles so the Oline has not bothered him as much. But against a truly elite defense the O-line needs to block because one player can not do it all himself. Combine these struggles with the fact that the Ravens have rediscovered their ability to get after the QB (2nd in the league in sacks) and you have a bad situation for Mr. Roethilisberger. This is before we even talk about one of the biggest forces this game has to offer.
Haloti Ngata – The human force. He changed the week one match-up by penetrating through the line and destroying Rashard Mendenhall before the play could develop, or Mendenhall could really even take the ball. Result: Fumble, ensuing TD and now the Ravens are up 14-0. With both Olines hurting it is the Steelers unit you worry for because no one on their defense is playing at the level of Ngata right now. He could single-handedly take over this game. How many players can you say that about?
Injuries – Beyond the O-line issues the Steelers are having they will be without star defensive player LaMarr Woodley. This loss is offset by the return of James Harrison (probable). But this still puts the Steelers key LB unit at less than full strength. Emmanuel Sanders one of the Steelers top WR will also miss the game. For the Ravens Ben Grubbs, offensive guard, may be back but nothing else is worth mentioning.
Hines Ward – He has missed the last few Steelers games, Terrell Suggs had this to say about him: “I’m looking right at you 86. I need you to play.” “Please put on that 86, that smile and all the things you do. We need all that for this game.” When I read this I am ready for the game to start right then and there. Ward is such an integral part of the Steelers and Ravens-Steelers history that Suggs is begging him to play just so he can compete against him. Or maybe so he can kick his ass? I don’t know, I just know I’m not going to miss it.
The Spread – Right now the Steelers are favored by 3. Is there another time in history where one team has been beaten by 28 points and then been favored over that same team eight weeks later? Seriously, I want to know. Can someone email me? Either way you have to be tempted to take the points in this match-up.
Feel – All important feel. I am usually feeling the Steelers in this match-up. History favors the Steelers. Berger is a great QB, Flacco is still unknown. Both defense’s are usually very good, so I just side with the QB and it usually works. This year something doesn’t feel right about the Steelers offense. Even in their “dominanting” win over the Patriots last week the Steelers offense had a chance to ice the game by gaining one more first down against the Patriots defense and couldn’t do it. So they put themselves in the worst situation in football – leading by less than seven with under two minuts left and Brady with the ball in his hands. They escaped, but this is not a new problem for the Steelers.
And their defense is just not the same with all their injuries. While they have adapted admirably they lack the ability to dominate the line of scrimage on every down as in the past. The Ravens defense on the other hand is playing great. The 30 points they gave up last week was heavily turnover-assisted. Other than that their defense alone has given up an average of less than 12 points per game in 6 other games including only 6 TD’s. In FootballOutsiders.com advanced stats the Ravens defense ranks 1st against the Pass and 2nd against the run. Their overall ranking puts them so far ahead of the rest of the pack that the second place Jets are closer to 14th place than they are to the Ravens. In this match-up I am taking the unit that is playing the best right now. And that is the Ravens Defense.
It will be hard-hitting, emotional and desperate, and I don’t think it will be the last time the world stops this season.
THIS IS A RANT. But rant’s can be fun, right? Be warned, it’s one that I’ve been repeating since the post-lockout era started. My Saturday, Hockey Night in Canada buddies, are sick of hearing it, so I thought I’d bounce it off of you guys, our faithful Last Word readers, and see what you think…
It is occasionally discussed by sports panelists, but most often gets lost in the whole “remove fighting from the NHL” campaign. I’m talking of course about the necessity of a fight after a big hit. Why does a player have to defend himself after throwing a big, clean, body check? The answer is; He shouldn’t have to! And I’m sick of seeing it! Body checking is supposed to be part of the game. We used to see big hits all the time. But now, in the “new” NHL, there seems to be an unwritten, light contact rule. It started post-lockout, and has gradually been getting worse.
That first season back, players were a little more hesitant. The game was faster, clutching and grabbing was gone, and everything seemed to be a penalty. I understand the reservation there. You’re not sure what’s what, and you don’t want to penalize your team. But when players started to figure out the new rules, player safety was the hot topic. And as you already know the most paramount topic of discussion was “Concussions”.
Once we learned more about concussions, and their long-term effects, it was a major issue in sports, and still is today. So the league started cracking down harder, and the players started “laying up” a little more. Not only that, but when there was/is a big hit, people automatically considered whether the player might be concussed. So players feel they’re doing the right thing by “protecting” their teammates.
The problem is, there is a big difference between a clean check, and a headshot. And with players not discriminating between the two, and taking the “law” into their own hands, eventually they are going to wipe body checking right out of the game! Seriously, who wants to have to fight every time they throw a hit?
Fighting is a necessary “evil” in order for players to be held accountable for dirty play. This wasn’t the case a few nights ago when it was the topic of a brief discussion I had with a buddy of mine. Luke Schenn went after David Clarkson for no good reason after a hit, wasting our time, and leaving him with a broken nose for his troubles. I’m a Leafs fan, but I was glad with the end result. I think it is rediculous what he, and most of the other players are doing, by “over-protecting” each other.
My solution, well, it’s an easy one. Lets go back to the way it was in the good ol’ days. Well, not completely. We go back to the old system, but with our newfound knowledge. What I mean by that is, the NHL (and Shanahan) have identified headshots as a problem, and put a system in place to punish, and ultimately lessen or remove them. Great, fantastic, excellent. It may take a while, but like clutching and grabbing, people will eventually get the message.
With the players’ safety in good hands, I think we could save the body check, and the big hit, by going back to the old ways, which is; After a hit, it’s up to the player that got hit, or the ref, to decide whether the hit was clean or not, and not the players’ teammates. I repeat, the player that got hit, possibly the ref, but not his teammates!
The only exception is if the player is badly hurt on the play, then by all means clear the benches! But if he’s not hurt, and he thinks the hit was really dirty, and he wants to drop the gloves with the guy to let him know, that’s fine. Or, if he wants to take the hit, and make him pay on the power play, that’s ok too. And finally, if the hit was clean (or he’s used to playing a contact sport), and he wants to get back up, continue the game, and maybe give the guy a ride later, that’s even better!
