2012 - Page 18 of 114 - Last Word On Sports

Hammer Radio: Interview with TJ Dillashaw

Posted on October 31, 2012December 27, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Its Wednesday Night, so the Hammer Radio show is back, and available in Hamilton on 93.3 CMFU FM.

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA.

“UFC fighter and The Ultimate Fighter alumni TJ Dillashaw is on the show this week to talk about his career. Then with no UFC cards this weekend and the Strikeforce show being cancelled, we preview some of the smaller MMA shows including The World Series Of Fighting, Resurrection Fighting Alliance, and Bellator shows coming up on Friday and Saturday night.

We also hit up all the week’s news such as Stephan Bonnar’s retirement, The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 2, the current TUF season, and what’s going on in Bellator”

The Hammer features lastwordonsports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, Rory MacDonald, Brendan Schaub, and others. They continue to bring unparallelled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

The Tradition of Sports and Hallowe'en Costumes

Posted on October 31, 2012November 5, 2021 by Jack Stone

photo credit: San Diego Shooter via photopin cc

Tonight is All Hallow’s Eve. It’s a special night for the kids, as they get to dress up as their favourite villain or hero and collect enough candy to keep them hyper until Christmas. It’s also special for teenagers and younger adults that get to attend parties wearing a funny costume for a night. But for the parents out their like myself it becomes a sentimental rite, as we get to dress our kids up, and one of the parents will take the little goblin out to collect candy, while the other will stay home and give out candy to all the other neighbourhood goblins.

Today, I remember my youth and it brings emotions. Being a young sports fanatic I would always want to dress up as a football or hockey player. But as I became older, and probably too old to warrant knocking on doors for my “fair share” of candy, my good friend and I would still continue to throw on football jerseys. The costume was simple enough not to give appearance that I really cared about Hallowe’en, though in fact I secretly did. Caesar would always don his Mercury Morris Giants jersey year after year, while I would either wear Ben Zambiasi (Hamilton Ti-Cats) or in desperation, even my dad’s old touch football jersey that only slightly resembled the Denver Broncos. We thought we were so smart just throwing on a football jersey and getting free candy for it, but now that I have learned the art of handing out candy, only the little kids or impressive costumes would get the good stuff – rockets and caramels for the unimpressive.

As a young adult I continued the tradition of wearing football jerseys, though it was now to costume parties. I would throw on my Randy Moss and walk around mooning people, pretending to talk Randy “straight cash homie”. I would simulate touchdown catches with beer cans and run around spiking other objects around the room as if they were footballs. Ahhh, to be young and stupid again.

Tonight things are different because I am handing out the candy. People may think it sounds rather boring, however I am finding myself so excited to see all the wee ones in their costumes having the time of their young lives. But more than that, I am hoping to see some of the older kids dressed up as a lousy sports player costume. I want to see what athlete they have chosen, because let me tell you, if a kid shows up at my house wearing a Wayne Rooney shirt or a Randy Moss jersey, I will have to fork out my entire bowl of candy.

photo credit: Kristin Brenemen via photopin cc

What I am trying to say in this little diatribe is that obviously if you’re reading this you’re a sports fan, so I like to point out the impact sports has on Halloween. When we were young, many of us showed our appreciation for the awesome nature of sports and its athletes by wearing our favourite teams’ colours and in return we were rewarded with candy.

Now that we are older not much has changed. We still show our appreciation for sports and its awesome nature, as we don our jerseys, hoodies, caps, toques. But now, instead of going for candies, we head to our local watering hole for a pint. So long as we wear them, our colours and numbers are part of our identities – they make up who we are. For just that little bit, we reap the same benefits as we did when wore our Gretzky, Jordan, Montana, Rice, Lemieux, Jackson, Griffey Jr. and Bird jerseys when we were eight.

And you know things have gone full circle on the first Hallowe’en you, as a proud mom or dad, get to dress your little on in their (or your) favourite team’s uniform. And if you’re like me, at home handing out candy, don’t be ashamed to dole out candy based on which uniforms show up at your door.

Happy Hallowe’en, sports fans!

Riding the NFL Fantasy Waiver Wire Week 9

Posted on October 31, 2012November 10, 2022 by Bobby Scott

Last week I took a different spin on the waiver wire by exposing poor value on some of last week’s top waiver pick-ups. This week there are some players available that are worth adding to your roster not only for the playoff push, but also worth considering in dynasty league formats. Let’s take a look at this week’s waiver wire pick-ups.

Titus Young WR DET – If you follow me you know I’ve dropped his name a couple of times as I’ve watched tons of game tape on him in College and in the Pros. My biggest knock on him up to this point has been his snaps. It’s hard to have a player on your roster that is only in for a third of the offensive possessions. Now, with Nate Burleson out for the season with a broken leg, this is the time for Titus Young to shine. Against the Jaguars, he had 9 receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns (including the game winner with 20 seconds left) and did a very good job of putting faith in the coaching staff that he’s for real. This should lead to more playing time and will help to make Young a viable fantasy option down the stretch. The fact that Matt Stafford showed improved play this week only helps Young’s cause as well.

Ronnie Hillman RB DEN – Hillman is having a solid year as Willis McGahee’s back up. With 4.4 YPC he is slowly cutting into McGahee’s carries, not to mention that the veteran back just turned 31. Hillman possesses great speed and vision finding the hole and turning up field. Who knows what the Denver front office will do once the 2013 NFL Draft comes but if Hillman can keep up grinding out yards this will allow them to spend higher draft picks on other positions rather than picking up another RB. Hillman ADP in 2013 will be much higher so if you can pick him up now he should pay off for you into next season

Cecil Shorts WR JAC – I was pretty impressed with Shorts’ game play on the weekend. Towards the end of the match against Green Bay I actually was wondering who this guy was and had to check him out on the web. Shorts is out of Mount Union University, the same university Pierre Garcon attended. He has great speed and good agility. In his two last games starting across from Justin Blackmon he has put up 12 receptions for 195 yards and one score. With MJD out of the line up the Jaguars might look to go to the air more often with their new weapon. Shorts is in his second year and could be a huge addition to your dynasty team depending on how his production is down the stretch.

Jason Witten TE DAL – I must say “wow”, what a breakout game for Witten against the Giants, and what a return to form for him. Witten had so many dropped balls at the beginning of the season and it started to cut into his targets, making his production very poor. Witten’s fantasy owners had no choice but to start looking elsewhere trying to add a half decent Tight End to their roster, and Witten was dropped and is on the waiver wire in many leagues. With Tony Romo starting to look for the easy check down pass to the Tight End the Cowboys have added wrinkle back into their offence and are starting to march the ball down the field. Watch for DeMarco Murray to return to the lineup this week or next. His return will help the Cowboys be a more balanced attack and could lead to increased offensive production for someone like Witten who will feed off the play action.

Riding under the Fantasy Waiver wire
Kenny Britt WR TEN – Many of Britt’s owners still believe that Britt should be a top 10 receiver in the league but with being plagued by injuries and being off for a year there starting to lose hope. Whenever players are off for a whole season it usually takes them a full season to get back into “Football Shape”. Britt’s snaps have been limited this season and he isn’t in there red zone package. If Britt can get through the season with re-injuring himself he’ll be a nice sleeper heading into the 2013 fantasy season. If you’re at the bottom of your league and hurting at the WR position this is a good time to buy low on Britt and start rebuilding for next year. This all comes down to low production

Thanks again for reading and I hope some of my picks have helped you in your Fantasy Leagues. Good Luck this Week!

Don’t forget to tune into Sunday NFL Blitz Package every Sunday at 7:30pm EST on Last Word Radio. Also, we highly recommend Beyond the Field, the flagship show for Tailgate Radio, which is on Mondays through Fridays, from 8-10pm.

Last Word Week 8 NFL Top and Bottom Power Rankings

Posted on October 31, 2012November 5, 2021 by Jack Stone

Its Just about halfway through the NFL season and the teams are starting to settle into their spots. As such, there aren’t wholesale changes from my rankings last week, but certainly some tinkering is needed. Let’s first look at the Bottom 5.

28 . Tennessee Titans – They’re back in my bottom 5 after the loss to Indianapolis. That’s no knock on the Colts, I just think they’re a very bad team and their league worst – 95 net points and league worst 257 points against definitely help my case.

credit: Erik Daniel Drost via photopin cc

29. Cleveland Browns – Big win against San Diego! Still, for whatever reason they seem to want to win football games. Puzzling. I hope they keep up the good work and win some more – at least they have heart (unlike some others upcoming)! They also have Trent Richardson who is a huge bright spot for the Browns this season.

30. Carolina Panthers – The Panthers are in shoddy shape! That said, they almost took down the mighty Bears, and more importantly put up some points on that stingy defense. If they can score 20 on Chicago maybe they have some offense brewing! Nah. Get a new coach and we’ll talk.

31. Kansas City – This was their chance. Coming off the bye, and playing a very beatable Raiders squad, they still managed to blow it! If it weren’t for Jacksonville being so horrible they would be at the bottom.

Did I foreshadow the 32nd team in my last statement? Nope.

32. Alabama Crimson Tide – The NCAA’s top-ranked team would probably be a -2.5 spread playing the Jags on neutral ground. I’d go with Roll Tide!

Having Tennessee at #28 was a tough call, considering other candidates like St.Louis and the Jets. Who knows, next week there could definitely be a shake-up at the bottom (maybe Alabama will climb my rankings with a dominant win against LSU…never know). Oh, sorry about the #32 joke, Jags fans. Wait, are there Jags’ fans?

Nearing mid-season, who are our favourites for the ultimate prize in football? Again, the song remains the same to me…

5. Chicago Bears – Still awesome, but less awesome. They still have to give Cutler more protection, and they were lucky to beat the poor Panthers on a last second Robbie Gould field goal!

credit: Mike Morbeck via photopin cc

4. New York Giants – Still winning football games at the end, however the last two weeks were won in large in part due to opposition’s errors, or else things could have gone the other way. Take nothing away from them (wait, I just did?), this team is definately clutch, and just seems to always find a way to win. You really can’t argue with the results they’ve put up, not just this year, but throughout the recent past.

3. Houston Texans – Coming off the bye week they are hosting the Buffalo Bills and their terrible defense. The Texans should definitely win again and keep that stranglehold on homefield advantage right through to the Conference Championship game.

2. San Francisco 49ers – The Niners are running away with the division with no signs of being caught. Randy Moss was in the mix, which could make things more explosive, but more importantly did anyone see Alex Smith’s numbers??? 18-19 232 yds with 3 touchdowns. That jagged puzzle piece is looking more and more snug.

1. Atlanta Falcons – The Dirty Birds are 7-0 – ’nuff said. They beat Philadelphia in Philly, but for some stupid reason they were underdogs on the spread. I didn’t quite understand that, perhaps Vegas can’t tell the difference between birds. Anyway, the Falcons did what they have done all year – win football games.

It would take a couple slip-ups for one of these teams to drop out of the top 5, but Green Bay, New England and Baltimore are great teams that would challenge this elite group.

Don’t forget to tune into Sunday NFL Blitz Package on Last Word Radio every week from 7:30-8:30. Also, check out “Beyond the Field“, the flagship show of the Tailgate Radio Network, from Monday to Friday, 8-10pm.

Early Look: Team Canada World Juniors 2013

Posted on October 31, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects”. Previously I reviewed the prospects of all thirty NHL teams, and previewed the CHL season. If you missed any of my previous articles you can find a complete listing of my them here.

With the CHL seasons now well over a month old, I thought now would be a good time to look at the potential lineups for the World Junior Championships. Today I will start with Team Canada.

(Be patient Team USA fans, we’ll get to you too. I apologize to the European fans as I don’t see enough of your Junior Leagues to do a full team, but I have enough to give you the main players to watch for on each big club)

credit: sahlgoode via photopin cc

Based on the latest in the NHL lockout, I am going to assume that the NHL and NHLPA will not resolve their issues and that premium talent will be available. I’m also going to assume that AHL clubs who have some of these junior aged players will release them for the tournament.

So lets get started.

Forwards

Jonathan Huberdeau (C) – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Ty Rattie

My first line includes two players who played together in this summer’s Canada/Russia Super Series in Huberdeau and Rattie. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had an outstanding rookie season for the Oilers, will be the main man in the middle. With a year of NHL experience under his belt, he could be dominant in this tournament if released by the Oilers. Rattie is a pure goal scorer who had 57 goals last season, and has 8 in 12 games to start this season. He should be the recipient of great passes from his two linemates and will be expected to do what he does best – finish! Huberdeau will be a key returning player and the Captain of my roster. He has a ton of big game experience with 2 QMJHL championships and a Memorial Cup to his name, along with playing in last year’s World Junior Championships. He’ll be a guy counted on to lead the way for first year players on this team.

Boone Jenner – Mark Scheifele (A) – Ryan Strome

Here is a line comprised of three guys who all play centre on their respective OHL clubs. Scheifele is the main man here as he’ll be expected to use his long reach, excellent puck protection skills, and good vision and passing to create opportunities for his linemates. A returning player, Scheifele, will also be given the role of Alternate Captain and be expected to be a leader on the club. He’s had plenty of experience at the international level to draw upon. Jenner has 11 goals and 23 points in 16 OHL games this year and is showing his scoring touch. He’ll be expected to do a lot of dirty work on this line, both in the corners and in front of the net. Strome scored the overtime winner in the Canada/Russia Challenge Series and he’ll be expected to bring his highly skilled game and offensive punch on this line.

Charles Hudon – Nathan MacKinnon – Mark McNeill

Hudon is the lowest drafted player on my roster, but was one of Canada’s best players in the Canada/Russia Summer Series, and a key offensive force for that team. He’s carried that momentum and gotten off to a quick start with Chicoutimi in the QMJHL. The credit he earned with Team Canada coaches over the summer means he’s likely to be in a top-9 spot for the tournament. Mark McNeill has also been impressive in international play at the 2011 Under 18, and will provide a gritty, physical presence down low on this line. As for MacKinnon, he’s the new ‘wonder kid’ in Canadian hockey and the likely first overall pick in the 2013 Draft. He makes this team and will be given a scoring role after winning MVP in leading Canada to Gold at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Even though he’s on the third line, I’ve tried to surround him with some talented wingers. I see this year’s team Canada rolling three offensive lines, as the lines are all defensively responsible and can put the puck in the net.

Phillip Danault – Lukas Sutter – Tom Wilson

Danault, Sutter and Wilson form my checking line. All three players are defensively responsible and this line might just match up with some of the best offensive players in the tournament. They will also be extremely physical, and strong off the forecheck, playing with the physicality and edge that is always a staple of Canadian teams. Expect big hits and momentum changing plays. And if this line does get an offensive chance, these guys have been known to score a goal or two at the junior level.

Extra Forward: Sean Monahan

Monahan gets the role for his versatility. It’s important that the 13th forward can fill in on any line without causing disruption should there be injuries in the tournament, or if another player is underperforming. Capable of playing centre or either wing position, Monahan fits this role. His defensive game is the only issue that might keep him out of this role, but he has shown improvement this year.

Honourable Mentions: Hunter Shinkaruk, Lucas Lessio, Kevin Roy, Scott Laughton, Brendan Gaunce, Phil DiGiuseppe and even 15-year-old Connor McDavid.

I like all these players, I just didn’t have a spot for them. In a lockout year, Canada has good depth and making this team will be tough in training camp.

Defence

Credit: Fanny Schertzer via commons.wikimedia.org

Ryan Murray (A) – Dougie Hamilton (A)

These two players would likely be in the NHL if not for the lockout. Team Canada gains an outstanding top pairing and these two horses can play 25 plus minutes per game if it becomes necessary. We know all about Murray’s defence, but he also has offensive skills that don`t show up on the stat sheet due to playing for a weak Everett Silvertips squad. He was Canada’s leading scorer at the 2011 Under 18 World Championships. Meanwhile Hamilton is also a great two-way defencemen who controls the game and dominates for the Niagara Ice Dogs. This pairing can be used in all situations, against the other team’s top line, or to provide offence when needed. They will also likely be staples of the Canadian special teams units both on the powerplay and penalty kill. Both Hamilton and Murray are very well-rounded players and provide the coaching staff with a ton of options and versatility. The two returnees and Hockey Canada veterans will be given leadership roles as well.

Morgan Rielly – Scott Harrington

Harrington is one of the best shutdown defencemen in junior hockey. His stay at home presence will allow Rielly to do what he does best in creating offence for Team Canada. These two are the perfect yin and yang combination in my eyes, and Rielly will see big minutes on the powerplay while Harrington will get penalty killing duty when they are split up on special teams. Harrington was very effective in a shutdown role last season, and should be relied upon for the same quality defence this year. Both players are mobile, which will be a necessity on the Olympic sized ice.

Griffin Reinhart – Mathew Dumba

Our third pairing isn’t really a third pairing at all. Look at the talent here – it’s an illustration of how good this defensive core can be. Dumba set a record as the first defenceman to lead Team Canada and the entire tournament in scoring this spring at the Under 18 World Championships. He is also a guy who looks for the big hit at the defensive end. A dynamic player, expect fireworks out of Dumba when he puts on the Team Canada jersey again. Meanwhile Reinhart is just a big solid two-way defenceman who can do it all. He can play against top lines or be a key cog to a penalty kill. He can play the powerplay and provide offence from the backend and joining the rush. He will be expected to be more of a calming presence on this pairing though, as Dumba can be a riverboat gambler at times. Reinhart will rely on his good positioning and hockey sense, which should lead to good results.

Extra: Xavier Ouellet

There were obviously a number of great young defencemen to choose from for the 7th spot. I went with Xavier Ouellet because I think he is the most well-rounded of the remaining defencemen, and again, the player best suited to fill in at any of the other spots in case of injury. His skating will really help on the big ice in Russia.

Honourable Mentions: Ryan Murphy, Derrick Pouliot, Cody Ceci

Between Hamilton, Murray, Rielly, Reinhart, Dumba, and Ouellet, this team had the powerplay well covered. As a result, the three excellent puck-movers, Murphy, Pouliot and Ceci, were cut. Nothing against these defencemen, or any others who didn’t get picked, but this might be the most depth Team Canada has had on the blueline in quite some time; and that is saying something as the blueline is always good. I took Ouellet ahead of these players as I felt he had the best defensive game of the four.

credit: cerebusfangirl via photopin cc

Goaltenders:

Malcolm Subban
Laurent Brossoit

Recent years have seen goaltending be the Achilles heel for Team Canada at the World Juniors. For whatever reason, the position which has been a Canadian strength for years, has instead been a weakness. That should all change this year.

Malcolm Subban is the best Canadian goalie prospect in several years. He is mature and playoff tested in the OHL and in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka tournament. Expect Subban to provide Canada with a similar level of netminding that has led the country to numerous World Junior gold medals over the years. He is an incredible athlete and his puck tracking, agility, and lateral movement will be great assets on the bigger ice. Plus he’s already used to the different angles that Olympic Sized Ice requires a goaltender to adjust to, as Malcolm plays on this surface in his home rink in Belleville as the starter for the Bulls.

Laurent Brossoit is the best goalie in the WHL. He led the Oil Kings on an incredible undefeated run last year and took the team all the way to the Memorial Cup. Unfortunately he did not look great in the tournament, but one bad week doesn’t change the fact that he is a very solid goalie. He’s had a good start to the year in Edmonton and I think he’d be an excellent choice as the number two guy.

Honourable Mention: Jordan Binnington

I like Binnington in Owen Sound, and he can push for a spot in training camp, but again tough cuts have to be made, and I’ve got him as the number 3.

How would you change the roster? Feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to join Max Vasilyev and I on Wednesday Nights at 10:00pm when we host the hockey radio show, “Puckheads”, on the Last Word Radio Network. You can listen in live or to our past podcasts by clicking here, or by searching for us on iTunes.

World Series History: Why isn’t it the North American Series?

Posted on October 30, 2012April 14, 2022 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Winning the World Series is one of the monumental feats in professional sports. After all, the winner of the seven-game series is crowned champion of the world, right? Is the team not considered the best team on the planet, hence “World” Series? Not so fast. Why wasn’t it first called “The American Series”? Let’s take a look at some World Series history, shall we?

How the World Series Was Named

I won’t argue that in all likelihood the winner of the baseball championships is most likely (but not definitely) the best team on Earth—if I had, you would likely no longer be reading my little diatribe as I would have lost any credibility I have mustered over the past year-plus. But the fact that the World Series winners will not be taking their roster to do battle with the champions from Cuba, Dominican Republic, China or Japan, gave me the idea to look into why the champion was considered world champions in the first place.

The reality is that until the Montreal Expos joined major league baseball in 1969, only American teams could win the trophy. And until the Toronto Blue Jays won the 1992 World Series, it had been an all-American affair for both the winners and runners-up. So where did the name “World” Series come from?

The short answer we often hear is that the “World” part of the name has nothing to do with designating the team as the best team on the planet. Rather, it was first coined based on a now defunct newspaper out of the Big Apple called, “New York World”—hence, “World” Series. So had the championships been sponsored by the New York Times, we’d be talking about the Times Series, or maybe the “Journal Series” after the Wall Street Journal.

Does that clear it all up? Okay, that theory is debated, and is not the only one.

The New York World Series?

The New York World (okay, now I’m off-topic a wee bit, forgive me) was published from the mid-19th century through 1931. It was a leading voice of the Democrats in the US, and was published by Joseph Pulitzer – yeah, that guy. In fact, I believe it to be the first newspaper to hit the one-million circulation mark. The problem is that there is no evidence that has come forward gives any actual connection between the newspaper and the naming of the championships. Even Cooperstown has not found any evidence in an official statement:

“There is no evidence suggesting it (the World Series) was ever sponsored by the New York World newspapers”.

Where the “New York World” myth started, we don’t know. But a look at the newspaper accounts from both the New York World and other contemporary papers of the time makes no mention of their sponsorship, not during the precursors to the World Series tht took place in the 1880s and certainly not in 1903 when the Pittsburgh Pirates faced Boston in the first official series as recognized by Major League baseball.

From World Championship Series

Going over the history we find that the first series of this kind were played in the in the 1880’s, and was called the World Championship Series (among other names). This was around 15 years after the first baseball games in 1869. They were played between the National League and the now defunct American Association, the two rival baseball leagues of the time. This series determined baseball’s champion between 1884-1890 and are considered by Major League Baseball to not be true World Series. The American Association folded in 1891 leaving a decade where the National League Champions were undisputed champions of baseball. The first official World Series took place in 1903, after the American League’s founding in 1901.

As stated the 1880s era series were called “the World Championship Series”. So logic says that the name was shortened to exclude “championships”, so we were left with “World Series”. See, at that time as best as I can determine, baseball was NOT yet a world game. Therefore, the team who won the United States Championship really was an undisputed World champion.

Unfortunately we don’t really know the true answer to this question, but the speculation seems to make sense that it was the only championship competed for in 1903. The one thing I do know is that millions tune in to watch two phenomenal teams battle it out in October and early November for some trophy with many flags on it, that looks like I would want it on my own mantle, yet only dozens have that privilege—for which I am not, and never will be, one.

*side note: In 1903 the team was simply known as Boston, as they had no official team name until they were named the Red Sox in 1908. They were commonly called by names such as Boston Americans, Boston American Leaguers, Boston Pilgrims, and Boston Red Stockings in the newspapers at the time.

Hopefully I haven’t made it more confusing for you, and at the very least opened discussion so that some day there can be further research into the name and no more discrepancies. Ahhh, to be idealistic.

Main image credit:
Embed from Getty Images

NFL: Should he stay or should he go…

Posted on October 30, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

With eight full weeks under our belts it’s time for the best part of any analyst’s job – the cuts. Half the season is gone and everyone has had enough time to prove whether they should keep their job or not. Here is a list of everyone on the hot seat, both coaches and players.

Andy Reid – Everyone wants to see Reid get the boot at this point, but we have to examine the facts first. The Giants, Bears, Falcons, and 49ers are looking to run away with their respective divisions, and behind them are the dangerous Packers who are coming on strong at 5-3 – let’s call them the top 5 playoff teams. But after them who do you like to grab the final wild card spot? Seattle? Minnesota? Detroit? Dallas? Tampa Bay? The fact is at 3-4 Philly has just as good of a chance as any of those teams at making the playoffs. To hit the reset button at this moment wouldn’t make total sense. Reid has produced for this franchise in the past and he deserves a shot at turning this season around. Besides, who is Philly going to replace him with? Their offensive coordinator is the legendary Marty Mornhinweg. They just fired the defensive coordinator. It sure doesn’t sound pretty but Andy Reid is the best they’ve got right now. STAY

Michael Vick – The case for Vick looks a lot like the case for his head coach. It sounds great to say he needs to be replaced, but who do you go to? Their best option is rookie 3rd round pick Nick Foles and it would be a stretch to assume he can improve on Vick’s performance. The Eagles play three of their next five within the division and next week they are on MNF against the Saints where they will have to put up mega points to come away with a victory. With the Eagles still very much in the playoff hunt it would be a big mistake to bench Vick right now. If the season slips away these next five weeks then I would be in favor of finding out what kind of player they have with Foles. But for now Vick has to STAY.

Ron Rivera – Rivera is now a combined 7-16 in just a season and a half as the Carolina head coach. The record might not be pretty, but it is the lack of improvement from last year that is the real eye-sore. All of the tricks that Carolina utilized for the 2011 season are being re-run this year with poor results. The option offense that was a surprise to defenses last year is now predictable and often counter-productive. The results are in the stats, too, where the Panthers have fallen from 4th in the footballoutsiders.com offensive rating at the end of 2011 all the way to 23rd this season. The glaring lack of production from each of the teams high-priced running backs highlights this team’s lack of toughness more than anything. And that is why I think Rivera has to go. This team has taken a giant step backwards and it is because of their inability to control the line of scrimmage and that is inexcusable for a team that is supposed to be all about the run. The lack of toughness has shown up right from day one when they rushed for only 10 yards on opening day against the Buccaneers and it has continued into their late game collapses these last four weeks. At 1-6 all the hope is gone for Carolina and we have seen all we need to from Rivera. He has got to GO.

Norv Turner – Anyone who reads this column regularly already knows the answer to this one. Norv has got to GO. When he had one of the most talented teams in the league he made sure they were also one of the most inconsistent and ultimately never lived up to their ability. Now that he has an average team he has made sure to make them into one of the worst. “Lowered expectations” is the name of the game for Norv and it is shocking he continues to be employed as a head coach. This season Norv’s vintage offense, which is really his calling card, has fallen off the map and that’s how we know it is really time to move on. The offense has finished in the Football Outsiders top 5 each of the last four seasons, but this year they are all the way down to 25th. See ya.

Mark Sanchez – Sanchez seemed to get by just fine when the Jets sported a strong run game and a wrecking crew on defense. Now that the burden of winning has been placed on the passing game Sanchez has struggled. Even during the “good” years Sanchez amassed a record of only 26-20 with a great D behind him. This season alone the Jets have embarrassing home losses to San Fran and Miami where they have combined for only 9 points total – the offense simply isn’t working. With the bye week upon the Jets it is time to turn their attention to their back-up option, and you know what that means. Regardless of what your think of Tim Tebow it is hard to argue the Jets are better off with Sanchez under center. The Jets have a severe lack of passing options that even a strong QB would struggle playing with, and now only have one hope. What they need is to turn to the ground game to eat up clock and to help out their defense. There is no one better for that game plan than Tebow. The Jets can continue forcing Sanchez out there but we know what the results will be. Tebow deserves a chance. Sanchez has to GO.

Quick Hits…

Phillip Rivers – Stay – there is no one else to go to.

Cam Newton – Stay – the Panthers have other bigger worries.

AJ Smith (SD GM) – Go – he has as much to do with the collapse as Norv.

Ryan Tannehill – Go – he looks good, but this Miami team is legit and Matt Moore can play. Not “Go” from the team, just from QB1 position to give Moore a shot.

Christian Ponder – Stay – but if they struggle their way out of the race then i wouldn’t hesitate.

Ken Whisenhunt (ARI Coach) – Stay – without him they don’t have the four wins they do.

Nnamdi Asomugha – Go – he gets burnt deep a minimum of once a game.

Top Shelf Prospects: Interview with Antoine Corbin, Hamilton Bulldogs

Posted on October 30, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

This Friday I had the opportunity to speak to Antoine Corbin, a 20 year old defenceman who is a member of the Hamilton Bulldogs. This was done as part of a “scrum” with a number of my fellow fans also getting questions in. I’d like to thank Gerald, (aka “HabinBurlington” or “Burly”) from HockeyInsideout.com and Greg Diamond from the Bulldogs front office for helping to make this possible.

Corbin was coming off a rough night against the Toronto Marlies, where he was victimized for a couple of goals against and he finished the game at -2. He was very hard on himself and you could tell he was upset with his performance. In assessing Corbin I didn’t think that he played as poorly as the stat sheet showed, or as Corbin said he did, but despite him being obviously upset at his own performance and a tough overtime loss for the team, Corbin was a gentleman who gave time to us the fans, and I’d like to thank him for that. Now on with the Interview.

Question: What is the biggest difference you are finding as a rookie in the AHL versus your time in the WHL?

Corbin stated that the speed of the game and the offensive ability of his opponents is a big adjustment. Things move a lot faster in the AHL and every little hiccup or oops (he clarified he didn’t use the word ‘mistake’ because they aren’t even really big enough gaffes to be called mistakes) but every little miscalculation out on the ice is capitalized on by your opponents. Every misstep with the puck, or with letting your man go for just a split second seems to result in a scoring chance or a goal. He specifically pointed to the Mike Zigomanis goal that gave the Marlies a 4-3 lead in the game on Friday, where he let his man get by him just a couple inches and the next thing he knew the puck was in the back of the Bulldogs net.

Question: What is the difference in media and fan attention like in the AHL versus Junior hockey?

Corbin mentioned that in Junior he rarely saw reporters, stating that there was usually 1, and at most 2 beat writers or reporters in the dressing room after a game. He stated that there is a lot more coverage of the AHL saying that there are 3 to 4 times the number of reporters and the amount of coverage in his short time in Hamilton. He also mentionned that while he enjoyed interacting with us, and other fans, this wasn’t something that players are expected to do in junior. They did appear at schools and at charity functions but they didn’t have to face fan questions on a regular basis like he does now. He wasn’t complaining, merely stating the differences that he noticed.

Question: You made the Bulldogs as one of four overage juniors who were trying out for the club, what do you think set you apart from the other three defencemen trying to make the team?

Corbin felt that a big advantage he had over the fellow tryouts in Bulldogs camp was his size. He is 6’3″ tall and thanks his parents for the good genes they have given him over the years. He felt that size and his ability to play physical due to that size was a big factor in the coaches decision.

Speaking further of size, he also noticed that in the AHL he felt that at 6’3″ tall he was “average size” for the league, and that there were more and more players his size than at any other level of hockey. Where he often towered over opponents in junior, that was no longer the case in the AHL and he needed to adjust by playing more fundamentally solid defence.

Corbin stated that his goal in camp was to play a calm and poised defensive game, and that he felt this was a big reason why he made the team. He stated that he believes the coaches kept him around for his ability in his own end of the rink, and sees himself as mainly a defence-first type of defenceman right now, though he does hope to develop some offence in the AHL in time. He stated that his mobility and skating was a good asset, and in my viewing, I can’t disagree with that assessment.

Question: What kind of Feedback did you get from your coaches moving forward?

He stated that Sylvain Lefebvre and all the Bulldogs coaches have been a great source of knowledge and information at the AHL level. He continues to work with the coaches daily on little things in his game, on becoming even more poised and confident in his own end of the rink, and in avoiding the little “oopsies or hiccups” he discussed earlier. He stated that there are a lot of rookies on the Bulldogs defence core and that the coaching staff has been great in helping them and working with them to prepare for AHL hockey.

Question; If you didn’t sign with the Bulldogs (the farm team of the Montreal Canadiens) what organization would you like to be a part of?

Corbin indicated that signing with the Montreal affiliate was always his first and only choice and he didn’t even consider any other organizations once the Habs made the call. He and his family grew up in Montreal and his parents were season ticket holders at the Montreal Forum, and the Bell Centre (when it was known as the Molson Centre). He indicated that even though his family moved out west when he was a teenager, he considered himself a Montrealer and a Canadiens Fan.

Question: What is it like playing with Brendan Gallagher, after playing against him in the WHL? Can you tell us what it was like to defend against him.

While he only played against Vancouver twice per year last season as he was in Prince Albert, he talked about facing Gallagher more in previous years when Corbin was a member of the Kelowna Rockets. He stated that Kelowna and the Vancouver Giants have a healthy rivalry and he always enjoyed those games.

Corbin praised Gallagher as a great player, but also called him a “pain in the butt” to defend against. He described Gallagher as a player who was quite the pest and quite relentless in creating offence. He has a non-stop motor and would spend the entire game in Corbin’s face (even if he had to jump to get there). Corbin stated that he was happy to be on the same team as Gallagher can be very annoying to match up with, but that he is a talented player who can produce offensively.

Question: Who has been your toughest opponent in the AHL?

Corbin mentionned that even though the Bulldogs have played 5 AHL games (to that point on Friday), three of those games, plus two exhibition games were all against the Toronto Marlies. He had also faced Grand Rapids and Rochester, but was looking forward to the coming weeks and playing some more variety in the AHL schedule.

Again I’d like to thank Corbin for sharing his time with us, and for being patient with our questions. He’s earned some extra fans, and hopefully he can beat the odds as an undrafted player and eventually develop into an NHL capable player. He’s certainly taken some good first steps in making the Bulldogs this season (a year in which he would have been back in Prince Albert as an overager if he didn’t make the club.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to join Max Vasilyev and I on Wednesday Nights at 10:00pm when we host the hockey radio show “Puckheads” on the Last Word Radio Network. You can listen in live or to our past podcasts by clicking here,

Not Even Luis Suarez Deserved That!

Posted on October 29, 2012November 5, 2021 by Jack Stone

This weekend was Everton’s turn to host the Merseyside derby- and what all-out war it was! Every season Everton and Liverpool face off at each other’s home field in a match that ends up to be more of a bloodbath than a soccer match.

During yesterday’s battle we witnessed seven yellow cards, four goals, and most importantly one goal taken-away!

Before, during and after this match it seemed to be all about Luis Suarez, beginning with Everton boss David Moyes accusing Suarez of being a “diver” and predicting some Suarez shenanigans in the match.

But the boss’ accusations didn’t slow down Suarez one bit as it took only 14 minutes for the villain to blast a ball off Everton defender Leighton Baines and into the goal making it 1-0 for the Liverpool side. Suarez celebrated the goal by running over to Moyes and diving to the ground in front of him, most certainly not converting any of the Goodison faithful.

A mere six minutes later, Suarez was making Everton pay again as he headed a ball past Tim Howard making it 2-0 for the away team just 20 minutes into the battle.

Despite being down a pair, the crowd noise was incredible; when the Everton players carried the ball you could hear the crowd roaring for them, and in the 22nd minute the team responded with Leon Osman responding to the Suarez finish just 2 minutes prior.

With the crowd still behind their Toffees, chances came and went, but you could feel they wouldn’t let their fans down, and they didn’t, with a 35th minute equalizer from Steven Naismith.

Now here we have the first controversial play. Replays show that Everton were rewarded a throw-in that set up the goal, which in fact should have been Liverpool’s throw had the ref noticed the ball last touching an Everton player! The goal remained.

Finally, it was half time, and I belive the fans needed a rest more than the players did!

The 2nd half didn’t prove to be quite as exciting as the first, but there were still many chances, and cards handed out along the way right up to the 93rd minute.

This was when Luis Suarez, the Devil himself, had appeared to slay the Toffees at their home and surely make David Moyes regret his words if he already hadn’t! Suarez scored a beautiful header for Liverpool.

Add Controversy #2 to our queue.

The offside flag waved in the air signalling that Suarez was offside and his dream winner wouldn’t count. After seeing the replay, the entire country knows that the man they hate so much had certainly been ripped off of what was his. The goal should have counted, unquestionably it was a goal, and Suarez and Liverpool were robbed.

We now bring up the topic that has been floating around the EPL for weeks now… Is Luis Suarez being treated unfairly by referees because of his arrogance and dramatic diving?

We know he now has trouble getting calls when he is clipped, but now are the referees taking goals away from the Liverpool star?

My thoughts: Suarez is a fantastic player – we all know that. We also know he is quicker than anyone to hit the ground. I don’t mind the refs turning their heads when he gets fouled because of his reputation, but to see him have that goal taken away made me feel bad for him. I mean, he has an entire country hating on him and he went out to show everyone that he is 1-up. I also noticed a couple of times where he appeared to get nicked and to my surprise he stayed on his feet! I really feel that having him score the last-minute winner in front of Everton fans made the thoughts of the linesman cringe and put the flag in the air, because there is no way at any point in time he was offside during that play. Nobody deserves that treatment, c’mon!

The referees are making it very hard on themselves, and us.

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Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012