After Baltimore Ravens Kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32 yard game tying field goal at the end of regulation in the AFC Championship Game, will the Ravens look at signing Canadian Football League Hamilton Tiger Cats kicker Justin Medlock to take on the job.
With his strong, consistent boot, it would be a mistake for teams not to bring him in. Routinely kicking 50 plus yards with accuracy Medlock deserves a very close look by many NFL teams.
What do you think?
…and that’s the Last Word
Serie A Review of Week 18
Week 18 housed some good results. The match between Catania Calcio and AS Roma was postponed due to heavy rainfall in Sicily. Udinese Calcio fell to a 3-2 loss to hosts Genoa at the Marassi Stadium. Juventus FC put in a sub-par performance tieing Cagliari Calcio 1-1 in Turin. Bianconeri winger Milos Krasic could have had the winner but missed a sitter in front of the net scuffing his shot well wide. The derby of Milan goes to Internazionale FC as they came out winners, 1-0. Diego Milito pounced on an Ignazio Abate miss cue to put the Nerazzurri back in the hunt for another Scudetto. The Rossoneri dominated this encounter from start to finish, but could not capitalize on their chances.
Serie A Preview of Week 19
Welcome to the end of the first round in the Serie A where the three top teams – Juventus FC, AC Milan, and Udinese Calcio – will be tussling for the Winter Champions title! Records show that in the past 7 years, the side that is leading at the half way mark of the Seria A season goes on to become the Scudetto champions. Who will it be?
First, we preview Atalanta v Juventus. Bianconeri boss, Antonio Conte, returns to Bergamo with nothing but the 3 points in mind as the Old Lady are a win away from being crowned winter champions. Juventus is still undefeated in the Serie A. Atalanta boasts a solid home record having only lost to AC Milan.
Parma FC v Bologna FC – the Derby of Emilia Romagna. Parma star Sebastian Giovinco is looking to bounce back to the form he was in before the Christmas break.
Cagliari Calcio will host ACF Fiorentina at the Stadio Sant’Elia. The Sardinians are coming off a hard fought tie against Juventus and will be aiming to obtain four points in two matches. The Viola fell to a shocking defeat at the hands of lowly US Lecce and will want to rebound immediately.
Speaking of Lecce, they will aim to secure their first home win of the season against Chievo Verona.
AC Milan travels to Novara. The Rossoneri are in the middle of an injury crisis at the moment. Kevin Prince Boetang and Alexandre Pato add to the long list of injured players which has caused the Diavoli to ask Genoa to send back midfield player Alexander Merkel who was on loan. AC Milan’s new signing Djamel Mesbah will most likely get the nod to start in this fixture. It will be slim pickings for coach, Max Allegri.
Next, Internazionale FC is involved with yet another top of the table clash as they will host SS Lazio at the San Siro in Milan. The Nerazzurri kept their winning streak alive to 6 games with a big win against cross-city rivals AC Milan. They will be seeking to close the gap at the top of the table. It will not be easy though, as the Biancocelesti usually do very well against Inter. Miroslav Klose is in fine form. Lazio also has one of the best road records in the Serie A.
Udinese Calcio is looking to return to winning ways against visiting side Catania Calcio. Udinese is very strong on home turf, while the Sicilians tend to struggle on their travels. With an Udinese win, a Juve loss, and a Milan tie or loss, the bianconeri of Udine will be crowned Winter Champions for the first time in the club’s history. It is a long a shot though. Personally as a Milan fan, I would love to see Udinese be crowned as winter champs.
…and that is the last word.
| Week 18 | 15 Jan 2012 | |
| Catania | P – P | Roma |
| Cesena | 3 – 1 | Novara |
| Chievo | 1 – 0 | Palermo |
| Fiorentina | 0 – 1 | Lecce |
| Genoa | 3 – 2 | Udinese |
| Juventus | 1 – 1 | Cagliari |
| Lazio | 2 – 0 | Atalanta |
| Milan | 0 – 1 | Inter |
| Napoli | 1 – 1 | Bologna |
| Parma | 3 – 1 | Siena |
| Week 19 22 Jan 2012 (14.00 UK) | ||
| Atalanta | Preview | Juventus(Sat 19.45) |
| Bologna | Preview | Parma(11.30) |
| Cagliari | Preview | Fiorentina |
| Inter | Preview | Lazio(19.45) |
| Lecce | Preview | Chievo |
| Novara | Preview | Milan |
| Palermo | Preview | Genoa |
| Roma | Preview | Cesena(Sat 17.00) |
| Siena | Preview | Napoli |
| Udinese | Preview | Catania |
| FIXTURES | ||
| Week 20 29 Jan 2012 | ||
| Catania | – | Parma |
| Cesena | – | Atalanta |
| Chievo | – | Lazio |
| Fiorentina | – | Siena |
| Genoa | – | Napoli |
| Juventus | – | Udinese |
| Lecce | – | Inter |
| Milan | – | Cagliari |
| Palermo | – | Novara |
| Roma | – | Bologna |
“With the 1st pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers, select Cam Newton, Quarterback, Auburn.” The legacy was born
A uniquely gifted quarterback, who possesses both passing and rushing skills was drafted into the league by its then bottom-dwellers, the Carolina Panthers.
Cam Newton was sensational during his only year at Auburn, which only some football fans may know about. Prior to Auburn, Cam Newton was a back-up quarterback at Florida. He was second string, to the eventual Heisman winner, and probably the most controversial quarterback known to man, Tim Tebow. After two years at Florida, and a short stint at Blinn Junior College, Mr. Newton made his way to Auburn where he would go on to win a National championship, and a Heisman trophy, just as Tim Tebow did. He ended the year passing for a total of 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns, all the while running for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns. As one can tell, he was quite the dynamic player.
But not all was swell for SuperCam. When he declared for the 2011 NFL draft, many critics believed that Cam was not accurate enough, and that he would be a bust-worthy candidate in the league. Many thought he would rely on his legs too often, and that it would get him into trouble at times. But Cam, just like his believers predicted, did not comply with these critics. Not one bit.
After relaxing his nerves during the preseason games, Cam began his regular season career with 422 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 18 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. What a start! And he wasn’t done there; the following week Cam broke his own rookie passing yards in a game record by accounting for 432 passing yards against Green Bay. At the end of the year, Cam amassed 4,051 passing yards (record-breaking), 21 passing touchdowns, 706 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns (record-breaking). He also holds the record for most total touchdowns by a rookie with 35, and is the first player in NFL history to record 4,000+ passing yards and 500+ rushing yards. Clearly, Cam Newton is quite the athlete.
Due to the fact that he reached the end zone on so many occasions, Cam released a touchdown dance that became quite famous (or infamous, depending where your loyalties lie) and caused him to receive the nickname “SuperCam”. After scoring a touchdown, he pretended to rip his shirt open just as Clark Kent does when he becomes Superman. This “dance” would reach the NBA level where Dwayne Wade and LeBron James would mimic the shirt rip, while Cam was in attendance as a sign of respect for all that Cam has done.
Unfortunately, Carolina finished with the sub-par record of 6-10 and finished third in the NFC South, below the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. Barring a few critical injuries, this team is composed of many great players that could make a Super Bowl run in the future. But do remember, the Panthers’ record does not take away from what Cam accomplished. His statistics could very well make him the Rookie of the Year. But is that all? I don’t believe so; I think Cam Newton is the best rookie of all-time.
…and that is the last word.
After a lengthy Christmas and mid-season holiday, Phantom Picks are back! So this Saturday, instead of tearing out what’s left of your hair, grab a pen and paper and get ready for the tips and predictions that will make your night a successful one. There are four afternoon games this Saturday, but I recommend just enjoying the unpredictability of Saturday afternoon hockey and saving your wagering for the evening lineup. Also all four afternoon games should be pretty intense, as three of them feature top contenders playing their division or conference rivals. So as good as the games will be to watch, they won’t be the easiest to predict. But I do recommend taking some mental notes, as there is a good chance these teams will meet again come April. Lets take a closer look at the ten remaining games…
Montreal @ Toronto
What hockey fan doesn’t love the Habs and the Leafs squaring off on Saturday night. This is the tradition HNIC was built on, and these teams never disappoint. I’m not going to say that this will be an exception, as it should still be an entertaining, high scoring affair. But right now these are two teams in different phases of their season. The Leafs are fighting hard to reclaim that 8th spot, and Montreal is going through a bit of an identity crisis. I’ll take the Leafs at 1.50.
Carolina @ New York Islanders
Here’s a battle of two basement dwellers that are closer to draft picks than a playoff spots. But the Islanders have been playing better hockey as of late, and I would give them the nod in this bout. That being said, this is one of the only teams Carolina does have a shot at beating, even considering their road record. I will take New York at 1.55, but the 2.00 the Canes are getting is worth noting.
Columbus @ Detroit
Detroit has only lost 2, ya I said 2 games at home all year long. I don’t think the NHL’s worst team is going to give them their third. Take the measly 1.20, and move on.
Florida @ Winnipeg
These teams are both fighting for that 8th spot that Florida currently holds. If you look at the road record of Florida and the home record of Winnipeg, this should be a no-brainer in favour of the Jets. But the Panthers will be fighting a little harder to protect their spot, and I would give them the edge if it weren’t for the fact that they played a late game against Chicago last night. Look for this one to possibly go into overtime with the Jets continuing their winning ways at home. Winnipeg at 1.60.
Buffalo @ St. Louis
For the last decade I would give the clear advantage in goaltending to the Sabres. And to start this season I would have still given it to the Sabres. But as of right now, not so much. Miller is frustrated to say the least, and the tandem in St. Louis is now the best in the League. Look for that to be the difference again for the Blues as they continue to climb their way to the top of the standings. St. Louis at 1.35.
Chicago @ Nashville
This is one of those tight divisional games you love to watch on a Saturday night. Chicago is the better team, and Nashville is the hotter team. I was leaning towards Nashville at home, but I just can’t pick against “Captain Serious” when he is in the zone. This guy (Jonathon Toews) just loves to win big games. I do like the 1.85 Nashville is getting at home, but they are also down Suter. Chicago at 1.65.
Tampa Bay @ Phoenix
Tampa, for me, is probably the most disappointing story of the year. They have tremendous talent but for some reason cannot keep the puck out of their net. They have given up a league worst 159 goals! Stamkos does have the ability to win a game single handedly, and I love the 2.00 that they’re getting, but they also played last night in Dallas. It pains me to do it but give me Phoenix at home for 1.55.
Dallas @ Minnesota
Minnesota is on the biggest slide of the season, and I don’t see it stopping here with their captain still out. I’m also not a huge fan of Dallas right now either though, and they did play last night. Hmm, I guess in this battle of mediocrity I’ll have to take the bigger odds. Dallas at 1.90.
Calgary @ Edmonton
Calgary would be the clear favorite if they were hosting, but things the way they are Edmonton has the slight advantage at home. Calgary has been the better team lately especially with the big three being out for the Oilers, but the Oil did just get Eberle back. This is the West Coast equivalent of Toronto-Montreal and should be a good tilt. That being said I’ll take the slight edge of the hometown team who are actually getting underdog odds. Edmonton at 1.80.
Colorado @ Los Angeles
This is a tougher game to call than it looks. The obvious favorite is L.A as they should be the better team. But taking a closer look at the stats, L.A doesn’t score many goals. In fact they have scored the least amount of goals in the league with 106. But they have also only given up 107 goals with is the 5th least in the league. So based on these stats it’s safe to say that they play a tight checking, low scoring game that quite often ends in overtime or a shootout, where they happen to be a league worse in both categories. And Colorado on the other hand is 7 and 0 in shootouts, and has only 2 overtime losses. I will still take L.A to win (hopefully in regulation), mainly due to the fact Duchene is still out for Colorado, but I wouldn’t put the mortgage on it. Los Angeles at 1.45.
Favorites
Toronto
New York Islanders
Detroit
St. Louis
Phoenix
Pick ‘ems
Winnipeg
Chicago
Los Angeles
Long shots
Dallas
Edmonton
OWC (Odds Worth Considering)
Carolina 2.00
Nashville 1.85
Tampa Bay 2.00
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!
Pound-for-Pound who is the best? It’s one of the most resonate questions in MMA today. While typically the list of the people who are at the top of this ranking (re: Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre) is typically always the same across different sources, there has often been some difficulty in actually defining what the term “Pound-for-Pound” really means.
From what I’ve observed, writers and MMA aficionados alike tend to throw this the around the term “Pound-for-Pound” with a little too much reckless abandon. Every time we see a fighter in the top 10 of any weight class put together a streak of a few impressive fights, all of the sudden they’re one of the “pound-for-pound” for best. Stringing together a few victories, even if you’re the champ, does not put you in a place where you deserve to be classified as the “pound-for-pound” best.
What the term means to me? “Pound-for-Pound” best has to be someone who has cleaned out their respective weight class, and could feasibly do the same in a number of divisions given a weight gain or loss. The best example of this is Anderson Silva. Silva has run through every top competitor in the MW division, and has made the two fighters he has matched up against at LHW look like rank amateurs (which in all fairness, is not far from truth when it comes to James Irvin). Silva has even shown a desire to fight at HW, which given his size and frame wouldn’t be unfeasible. All of this being noted, Silva has shown a desire to not leave the MW division; and being 37 he’s probably not got too many more fights left in him.
Who do I put as the top 5 Pound-for-Pound fighters in the world?
#1 Anderson Silva: Anyone who doesn’t have Silva at the top of their list really doesn’t know MMA. The only time this guy has come close to losing was against Sonnen – and he was injured for the fight. Any other fight he has had, in any other division, he has looked dominant.
#2 Georges St-Pierre: Even being a huge GSP fan, I can’t put him at the top of this list. That said, GSP has cleaned out the WW division (twice over on some fighters), and has looked unchallenged in almost every one of his fights. The lone blemish that everyone holds against GSP is his loss to Serra. St-Pierre will have a chance to cement his legacy against either Condit or Diaz when he returns from injury – after which point I predict he will move up to MW.
#3 Jon Jones: Bones is young, strong and reminds me of a hybrid of the first two fighters on this list. I have no doubt that one day he will be the P4P best. There are still a lot of challenges to come at LHW, but he has already come out on top against some of the best in the division. Given his size, there’s a good chance that we’ll see him move-up to HW one day, where physically he could match up with almost anyone in that division.
#4 Jose Aldo: The only reason I put Aldo below Jones is that I feel Jones has faced tougher competition. That said, Aldo looks untouchable against almost every fighter faces. As I’ve said previously, I do believe he will be the first fighter to hold two different belts at the same time.
#5 Frankie Edgar: I really hate to put Edgar on this list, but he does deserve it. He’s the Rocky Balboa of the MMA world in my opinion – not the most talented, but tough as nails and always finds a way to win. I can’t see him ever going up to WW, but I could see him dropping down to FW and doing some damage there.
… and that is the last word.
A note to the change in format of the NCAA Basketball column: the weekly update will come on Mondays, with other columns thrown in-between these. Check back every Monday at 4PM for the latest weekly update. Follow our NCAA Basketball writer: @kevingamble, and don’t forget to follow our other writers as well.
The past week has been an interesting one: Baylor got embarrassed got Kansas, my Tar Heels got slapped in the mouth by Florida State and all the while, the Syracuse Orangemen cruise atop the AP Poll, comfortably perched at 20-0 (and counting).
Points of Interest
Games of Interest
As we continue the march through conference play, the best of the best should continue to rise to the top and the pretenders will fall. I took my shot at Projecting the Field last week. With all of the above going on, do you think my guesses are still on target? Sound off in the comments below.
… and that’s the last word.
Thursday November 24, 2011, and it’s American Thanksgiving. The San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens are both warming up inside the M&T Bank Stadium. This game pitted two teams against each other that were quite similar in many aspects of the game. Both teams have outstanding defences which are equipped with all-pro middle linebackers. Also, the offences for both teams live off the run, featuring the likes of Frank Gore, for the 49ers, and Ray Rice, for the Ravens. But most of the hype is not geared towards the players exactly, but more towards the coaches. Two coaches actually, the head coaches for the respective teams are brothers.
Jim and John Harbaugh, sons of college football coach Jack Harbaugh, coached against each other that Thursday night to mark the first time in NFL history that siblings have been on opposite sides of the field, both in head coaching positions (it also happened to be their parents’ anniversary the day after that game).
Well, it seems that their parents may have the difficult task of picking sides again. Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers have advanced their way to the NFC championship game, meanwhile John’s Ravens happen to be in the AFC championship. With a bit of luck, and a great amount of coaching, these two brothers could defy all odds and both advance to the Super Bowl.
The Baltimore Ravens play the New England Patriots on Sunday January 22, 2012 at 3:00 ET, and the 49ers play right after at 6:30 ET. Will the brothers advance to football’s biggest prize? Or will we have a repeat of Super Bowl XLII? Should be an exciting pair of games, and whoever emerges victorious will definitely help provide an entertaining Super Bowl.
And that is the last word.
While there have only been two UFC dates in Brazil (within the sport’s “modern-era”), I am starting to think that all events should be held there. UFC 142 lived up to the precedent that was set by UFC 134 in August last year – which this editor ranked as the “Event of the Year” in 2011. Fast and flashy finishes, there was a lot to talk about after the event. What I think was the biggest moment of the night, however, was Jose Aldo’s finish of Chad Mendes with seconds to go in the 1st round. Why do I think that Jose Aldo’s finish stands out as the most important moment of the night? I think it’s because UFC fans finally got to see what the hype about this fighter is all about.
Let’s be realistic about today’s UFC viewing audience – only a small group of hardcore fans are really familiar with non-UFC promotions, and their respective fighters. So, prior to the UFC’s merger with the WEC, very people were familiar with a young fighter named Jose Aldo who was tearing through the elite of the featherweight division with no regard for such high-profile names as Urijah Faber, Mike Brown and Cub Swanson. It wasn’t surprising that he was quickly ordained as a smaller Anderson Silva; in fact, Silva has claimed he would retire if he ever had to fight Aldo.
When it was announced that Aldo would be part of the WEC contingent coming to the UFC’s new Featherweight division, there was a lot of promise and hype built up around the young fighter. So, when Aldo was offered the UFC’s biggest stage ever at the Rogers Centre in Toronto at UFC 129, many felt that this would be his announcement to the world that he was one of the P4P elite. Unfortunately, while Aldo was victorious, that fight would go on to do more for Mark Hominick’s reputation than Aldo’s. His next fight against Kenny Florian, while dominant, was also somewhat lacklustre.
Building up a fighter is like launching a new product in market, you can hype it all you want – but, if you don’t deliver right away, people are going to to forget about you fast. Aldo was starting to look like the BlackBerry Playbook of the MMA world, a good enough product, but not that interesting.
Last night, Aldo showed everyone at last what he is capable of – a devastating knee and decisive KO. This was the Aldo we’ve all been waiting for! This was the Aldo that belongs on the P4P list! This was the Aldo that’s expected to dominate the division for years to come. The only questions now are: Is it too late for anyone to give credit where credit is due?And can Aldo keep the momentum going?
I think he can keep the momentum going, and I think he will be dominant for years to come. I am glad to see him come out and show everyone what he can do… and what he will continue to do! Mark my words, Aldo will be the first fighter in the UFC to hold two belts at the same time (FW and LW).
… and that is the last word.
Other notes from UFC 142:
The Raptors held the #1 ranked Bulls to their lowest point total of the season. The team played well in the first half and Casey made a great decision switching to the zone. REALITY check, the Bulls took it easy on the Raptors for three quarters and then laid the SMACK DOWN in the fourth. The score doesn’t matter, only the outcome!
The Raptors first FTM was with 7 minutes left in the second half – BRUTAL. James Johnson played way above his head tonight, which was great, but the dream ended when he twisted his ankle and exited stage left before the hard work had to be done.
Most entertaining moment tonight was Eric Smith posting his pregame conversation with the Chuck Swirsky on Twitter. The two discussed the Raptors and Chuck shared his reasons for leaving Toronto. As some of you know, or speculated, he cited his marriage falling apart and his sons illness as the two key factors.
Get out the salami and cheese mama! This ball game was over before it began.
Player of the game: James Johnson.
Rotten Tomato: Jamal Magloire.
Week 9 outlook: Four wins, 9 losses, with games against Atlanta, Boston, Portland, and the Clippers. Through four weeks of the regular season the Raptors are likely looking at 4 wins and 13 losses.
…and that is the last word
Skip McGee
