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Last Word On Sports

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Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

Top Shelf Prospects: 2012-13 NCAA Preview – CCHA

Posted on 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.

Over this past weekend many NCAA teams started their pre-conference schedules with various exhibition games against Canadian Universities, pre-season tournaments, or in other showcase games against teams from other NCAA conferences. With that in mind we turn our attention to previewing the NCAA season, and looking at conference play.

We start with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. This is the last year for the CCHA as we know it. Conference re-alignment will change the landscape of NCAA hockey next season as Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State will join the Big 10 Hockey Conference. Meanwhile Notre Dame heads to Hockey East, while Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan will join a number of WCHA clubs in creating  the brand new National Collegiate Hockey Conference.  Alaska-Fairbanks, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan and Bowling Green will jump ship to the WCHA.

That said, the big changes are a year away, so lets take a look at the teams and players to watch this year in the CCHA.

Top Contenders:

Michigan Wolverines: The Wolverines are returning a strong group from last year and are buoyed by one of the top freshman classes in all of college hockey.  Up front sophomores Alex Guptil and Phil DiGiuseppe look to build on strong freshman campaigns and are joined by new recruit and New York Ranger 2nd Rounder, Cristoval “Boo” Nieves. A.J. Treais is a senior who put up 15 goals last year and will be asked to provide leadership to the younger scorers.  The Blue line is led by puckmovers John Merrill and Mac Bennett, while the big defensive minutes going to Lee Moffie.  Star recruit Jacob Trouba adds to the defensive prowess of the top 4.  The biggest question mark is in goal as starter Shawn Hunwick has graduated.  Michigan will turn to Jared Rutledge, a recruit out of the US NTDP, as their number one.  Time will tell if the freshman goalie is up to the job.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish:  The Irish come into the season with big expectations thanks to the one-two punch of Anders Lee, and T.J. Tynan on the team’s first line.  The forwards were Notre Dame’s two leading scorers last season.  A trio of incoming freshmen are expected to add offensive punch.  They are Thomas DiPauli, Steven Fogarty and prize recruit Mario Lucia.  Unfortunately, Lucia broke his leg this summer and is expected to miss the first two months of the season, but should give the Irish a boost in December.  The Irish are set in goal where junior Steven Summerhays is expected to take the job and run with it.  Sam Calabrese and Robbie Russo are expected to lead a veteran defensive core in front of him, and should make Summerhays transition to full time starter an easy one.

Western Michigan Broncos: The strength of this club is at the back end where CCHA Tournament MVP Frank Slubowski again returns to the crease. He should be among the top goalies in the conference and will keep the Broncos in a lot of games. All last year rumors were that star defenceman Dan DeKeyser was highly coveted by NHL teams. There certainly were plenty of offers available to him once the college season ended, but Western Michigan fans are thrilled that he is back for one more year and leading a strong blue line. The Broncos top three scorers, and number 1 line of Chase Balisy, Shane Berschbach and Dane Walter are also all returning this year. Montreal Canadiens prospect Mike Cichy will join the Broncos after sitting out last season due to his transfer from North Dakota.  He is expected to add a spark of secondary scoring to the club.

While these three teams may be your best bets, the CCHA is wide open this year.  Don’t be surprised if a team like the Ferris State Bulldogs or Miami Redhawks jumps up and finishes in the top 3 spots at the end of the year.  Or as we have seen many times in the CCHA playoffs, if a team at the bottom of the regular season standings pulls a first round upset in the conference tournament.  There is a lot of parity in this conference and it could happen again, especially in the 2 out of 3 first round, or 1 game Semi -Final and Finals Scenarios.

Players to Watch:

Jacob Trouba, Defence, Michigan Wolverines:  An incoming Freshman, Trouba played for the US NTDP last season, and was the 9th overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft, selected by the Winnipeg Jets. He is yet another in a long line of good young American defence prospects.  At 6’2″ 194 lbs and still growing, Trouba possesses very good size and has shown himself to be willing to use it as an effective hitter who separates incoming forwards from the puck. Trouba has excellent defensive instincts and is solid in his own end. He was one of the better defencemen for Team USA in last years World Junior Championships despite playing in the tournament when he was only 17 years old.  Trouba is a willing shot-blocker, and has excellent hockey IQ.  He makes a good first pass in his own zone, and is very calm and poised with the puck on his stick.  He’s a polished defender who rarely makes a mistake.  Offensively Trouba has a great point shot and should grow into a Powerplay role for Michigan.  He is the prize recruit in the conference.

Mac Bennett, Defence, Michigan Wolverines: Don’t let his size fool you, Mac Bennett is one of the top defencemen in the CCHA.  He is a strong skater, and moves the puck very quickly for the Wolverines.  He possesses a good first pass as well as the ability to stickhandle and skate the puck up the ice.  On the powerplay Bennett’s good vision and passing skills make him dangerous from the point.  Bennett is also a solid defender, as his strong skating and excellent positioning allow him to keep most dangerous forwards at bay.  Last season Bennett teamed with Greg Pateryn on the number one shutdown unit for the Wolverines.  This season Pateryn is graduated and playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL.  Watch to see if a Bennett – Moffie, or Bennett – Trouba pairing is deployed for the Wolverines in key situations this season.

Phil DiGiuseppe, Left Wing, Michigan Wolverines: DiGiuseppe is more a playmaker than a goal scorer at this point in his career. He has extremely good hockey sense, excellent vision, and the ability to make difficult passes, threading the needle through opponents sticks and skates to give a teammate a great scoring chance. He is very good in board battles and in working the cycle in the offensive zone.  DiGiuseppe is gritty as he is  not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice and makes key plays in traffic. He is a tireless worker who is always forechecking hard, battling for loose pucks, and trying to create scoring chances out of nothing. While he is more a playmaker than scorer, Di Giuseppe does possess a good wrist shot and release.  Di Giuseppe could use some work on his top end speed and his acceleration as they are merely average.  He will also need to work on his defensive game.  Still expect the Carolina Hurricanes 2nd round pick to be a key cog in the Wolverine offence.

Dan DeKeyser, Defence, Western Michigan Broncos: DeKeyser was the most sought after defenceman among undrafted college free agents last season.  He drew multiple NHL scouts and GMs to Western Michigan to watch him play and there were rumors of a number of Entry Level Contracts on the table following the end of last season.  DeKeyser ultimately decided to return for at least one more year with the Broncos but he should again be highly sought after next season.  He is an extremely good skater with good stickhandling skills and the ability to lead the rush offensively.  On the powerplay he has a powerful slaps shot and one timer.  It is extremely accurate and he keeps his shots low leading to rebounds and deflections for his teammates.  DeKeyser is also a top defencemen in his own end where he uses strong positioning and a long, active stick to break up plays.  He is also strong enough to win board battles, and to keep the front of the net clear.  DeKeyser is will be asked to play big minutes for the Broncos and will be used in all situations by the team.

Anders Lee, Centre, Nortre Dame Fighting Irish: Lee is the thunder in his thunder and lightning combination with T.J. Tynan.  A big and strong forward, Lee plays the prototypical power forward game, protecting the puck well, having great balance on his skates, and using his speed and acceleration to drive the net hard.  He is an excellent forechecker who opposing defenders always have to be aware of, or they can find themselves on the wrong end of a thunderous body check.  Lee is a natural goal scorer who has soft hands in tight and a powerful shot with an excellent release.  Now entering his junior season, the new Irish captain, and Islanders prospect might be playing his last year in the NCAA before going pro.  He could be in the running for both the CCHA MVP award and the Hobey Baker trophy this season.

T.J. Tynan, Right Wing, Notre Dame Fighting Irish:  Tynan is a very different player from Lee, but as the lightning end of the combination they compliment each other perfectly.  At just 5’9″ tall, Tynan is undersized, but he makes up for it with his great speed and playmaking ability.  He is one of the rare forwards with the ability to control the puck at top speed and this makes him very dangerous off the rush.  He has great hockey sense, fantastic vision, and is one of the best passers in college hockey.  He can thread the puck through the eye of a needle at times, and can be deadly accurate with a saucer pass.  Tynan should be the setup man for Lee this season, and if he can bulk up a little the Columbus Prospect could see himself playing pro hockey at this time next year.

Austin Czarnik, Centre, Miami (Ohio) RedHawks: An undersized playmaker, Czarnik proved his value by leading all CCHA rookies in points last season.  Czarnik is an excellent stickhandler who controls the puck and the play, while maintaining great poise.  He uses his vision and pin point passing skills to set up scoring chances for teammates and is especially lethal with extra time and space on the powerplay.  He’ll be a key returning player for the RedHawks and will need to play an even bigger role than he did last season.  Defensively responsible, don’t be surprised if the RedHawks match Czarnik’s line against the best players in the CCHA.

Matthew Kirzinger, Centre, Ferris State Bulldogs: The Saskatchewan Native is another undersized forward at just 5’10” tall.  He is an absolute speedster though, and may be one of the fastest players in the conference.  He combines that speed with excelletn stickhandling ability which makes him a big time threat off the rush.  He plays a much grittier game that you would think he’d be capable of at his size, as Kerzinger is not afraid to mix it up in the corners or in front of the net.  Kerzinger put up 34 points in 42 games for the National Runner-Up Bulldogs last season, and he will be asked to lead the Bulldogs offence this season as they attempt to avenge the loss to Boston College.  A senior, Kerzinger will also be looking to impress scouts as he looks for a pro contract after this season.

Willie Yankeff, Goalie, Michigan State Spartans: Yankeff lead the conference with a 0.927 save percentage as a freshman and followed it up with a solid 0.922 save percentage last season.  The junior goalie keeps the young Spartans in games, even when they are outmatched talent wise.  Yankeff is another tall butterfly goalie who uses his big frame, and quick legs to take away the shooters options, especially down low.  He also has an excellent glove hand which covers the top of the net.  If Yankeff can work on his rebound control he will surely find himself with pro contract offers.

Chris Crane, Right Wing, Ohio State Buckeyes: Crane was the Buckeyes top scorer last season tallying 14 goals for the club.  The San Jose Sahrks prospect is a force in board battles and loves to hang out in front of the net where he bangs in rebounds and looks for deflections.  He is extremely strong on his skates and very difficult to knock off the puck when he plays the cycle game.  He will need to work on his speed and acceleration before he thinks about making the jump to the next level.

Kyle Follmer, Defence, Northern Michigan Wildcats: Follmer is an extremely physical defenceman who has developed on offensive game for the Wildcats.  Always a threat to throw a big hit in his own end, and very good at clearing the front of the net, Follmer has recently developed more poise at the offensive end.  He is now comfortable with the puck on his stick and has become the Wildcats primary quarterback on the powerplay.  With some work on his acceleration, Follmer could find a pro contract waiting for him at the end of his senior year.

Andrew Hammond, Goalie, Bowling Green Falcons: Amazingly Hammond started all 44 games for Bowling Green last season.  The young goalie showed no ill effects, as he was at his best in the CCHA playoffs where he stood on his head leading the Falcons to an upset win over Ferris State in the first round, and forcing Michigan to a double overtime thriller in the Conference Semis.  Hammond is a solid butterfly goalie who has the ability to steal games for the young Falcons team. He returns for his senior season after attending a Chicago Blackhawks development camp this summer.  Another great season could net him pro offers next year.

Feel free to leave your own comments below and to follow me on twitter @LastwordBKerr

Check out our new hockey radio show “Puckheads” every Wednesday at 10pm, available here.  Feel free to call in and ask our hockey experts the questions you want to know.  Podcasts of previous episodes are in the sidebar, and on blogtalkradio.

The Peculiar Side of Sports: Why is a Rouge Called a Rouge?

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Editor’s Note:  In The Peculiar Side of Sports, I aim to answer some of sport’s most interesting peculiarities and burning questions.  If you have any questions you would like answered simply send email to [email protected].

The CFL is peculiar in and of itself, especially for someone who hasn’t watched much of the Canadian brand of football with any regularity.  One of the most often criticized and misunderstood aspects of the game is the purpose of the single point.  And in an attempt to further confuse their fans, the CFL refers to this already unique play with a word that isn’t even English.

The Peculiar Side of Sports: Why is a Rouge Called a Rouge?

The single point is referred to as a “Rouge”.  Rouge, as any Canadian with elementary level French will already know, translates to “red”. So how is it that the CFL and its fans came to identify this single point with that particular colour?  Glad you asked.

There isn’t a definitive answer, though there are several theories that seem plausible.  A single point is scored when a ball travels through the endzone from a punt or kick-off, or when a receiving player maintains possession and “kneels” in the endzone. The  kicking team gains a point, thereby putting the receiving team into a one-point deficit.  And as many of us know, when you are in deficit you are “in the red”.  Of the several possible theories as to the origins of the rouge, this, for me, is least likely.

Another theory suggests that the rouge represents the red flags that were originally thrown when a team scored a point.  I suppose this isn’t far-fetched.

The third, and the most likely in my opinion, is that the rouge has its roots in 18th Century England.  In early forms of field hockey, a rouge is scored when a ball makes contact with a player and lands in the equivalent of an end zone.

So while we are not 100% sure as to why a rouge is a rouge, it is one of the many things that makes the CFL very unique.  This rule has been discussed ad nauseam as many question its legitimacy.  I think it’s a part of the league’s history, and I’m all for maintaining traditions.

 

Miguel Cabrera: Triple Crown Champion = All-Time Great?

Posted on by Mark Modeski

Miguel Cabrera was at the front of headlines moving into the 2012 MLB post-season as a man who had accomplished a feat that seem as difficult to accomplish as Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting-streak. As the first winner of the triple crown in almost 50-years the press surrounding him was probably well deserved. We know have two questions before us:

  1. Does this mean that Cabrera is all but assured the AL MVP?
  2. Where does this accomplishment situate him in the hall of MLB greats?

To answer question one first (re: Does this mean that Cabrera is all but assured the AL MVP?) I think anyone who knows anything about baseball would probably agree that most certainly does deserve the AL MVP award. Triple Crown or no Triple Crown, Cabrera’s regular seasons statistics were impressive to say the least and on their own would likely merit an MVP award: .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 Runs Batted In. If you look at who else you could make a case for MVP, maybe Josh Hamilton or Mike Trout? Realistically however, neither of these guys were really even close to Cabrera across all three categories.

The hype that has built around this accomplishment also won’t hurt his cause. Given that it is the Baseball Writers Association of America that decides who takes home the MVP award, I think most of those who are voting will have a hard time forgetting the biggest story at the end of the season.

So, Cabrera will win the AL MVP. We’ve established that. Great. Now I will try to answer question number 2: Where does this accomplishment situate him in the hall of MLB greats?

The answer to this question is: somewhere. Too ambiguous for you? Let me explain…

The triple crown is a huge feat to accomplish, and Cabrera did it in style in a very competitive league. As I mentioned before, it hasn’t been done in 45 years since last accomplished by Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, and not done in the same fashion as Cabrera (no ties in any of three categories) since Frank Robinson in 1966. That said, it is a feat that has been accomplished sixteen times prior to Cabrera doing it this season. Granted the game was a little different for those other sixteen winners, in fact up until this latest drought of triple crown winners there used to be one ever five-to-seven years or so. That said, I still have difficulty mentioning Cabrera’s name in the sentence as Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx and Rogers Hornsby.

So, let’s go beyond this past season and look at what Cabrera has accomplished as a player to-date. Career-wise he has a .318 batting average (impressive), 321 career home runs (good, but still pretty far back of the all-time leaders), 1,123 all-time RBIs (decent positioning on the all-time list). These points aside, he’s also accomplished the following: seven-time all-star, three-time sliver slugger, two-time AL home-run champion, two-time RBI champion, two-time AL batting champion. These are some pretty impressive statistics to say the least, and make him a player that can’t be ignored as someone who is well above-average in terms of their regular season play.

My biggest problem is that we live in the age steroids, so it’s really hard to believe that anyone has accomplished anything in baseball these days in the same way that players of yore did. So, can I put Miguel Cabrera in the all-time greats list for this? Maybe not. Does this mean that he shouldn’t be listed as one of the great players of this era of baseball – definitely not.

He has still accomplished a lot, and I don’t want to take anything away from what he has done. Cabrera can be mentioned with names like George Brett and Dave Winfield, but I can’t see him being ever seen in the same light as Ty Cobb and Mickey Mantle… well, his personal issues may put him close to Cobb on some levels, but that’s another story.

… and that is the last word.

What We Learned In College, Week 6

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

Where do I even begin this week?

-I cannot believe I’m saying this, but LSU’s offense looked better last year. I expected Mettenberger to be a much bigger upgrade at QB than he has been. It’s not all on him- the Tigers lost two experienced offensive linemen to graduation and another one to injury early this year, plus an excellent receiver in Rueben Randle to the NFL. They’ve got an excellent defense; if the offensive could step it up to “decent”, they’d be a pretty good team.

-Both LSU and Florida are still taking too many penalties, many of them of the stupid variety.  Florida may still be a year away but it will be intersting to see them play Georgia and South Carolina in the SEC East.

-As long as we’re on the topic of bad SEC games, let’s talk Auburn-Arkansas. Arkansas is the Bizarro World LSU. Tyler Wilson is a good quarterback, and he looked like I expected him to look heading into the season. But Arkansas missed a 26-yard field goal, and while the defense held Auburn to 40 yards rushing, they allowed 281 passing yards. Auburn, for its part, committed five turnovers in the 24-7 loss. Pulling QB Kiehl Frazier and inserting Clint Moseley after halftime changed absolutely nothing. Through three-and-a-half quarters, the two had been sacked a total of seven times for -72 yards

-You’re slipping, Geno Smith. Only 268 yards and 4 TDs this week? Tsk, tsk. If I could rewind the weekend and watch a game I missed yesterday, Texas-West Virginia would be it; from what I’m seeing in the box scores, it sounds like a good one.

-Speaking of exciting games that I didn’t see, Florida State-NC State went right to the wire as well, with the Wolfpack winning 17-16. I don’t think many people saw that coming.

-I expected a close game between Georgia and South Carolina. I was wrong (although I did pick South Carolina to win). The Gamecocks defense held Georgia, a team with three good running backs, to a total of 115 yards rushing. An SEC Championship between South Carolina and Alabama has potential to be an epic game.

-Ace Sanders from South Carolina is a heck of a punt returner.

– Another weird weekend in the Big Ten: Michigan beat up on Purdue 44-13, Ohio State whomped Nebraska 63-38, and Wisconsin beat Illinois 31-14. On the other hand, Michigan State needed to overcome a 17-point deficit to beat Indiana. Northwestern, trying to go to 6-0 for the first time in eons, lost what was a very close game for about 58 minutes to Penn State.

-I’m not usually a fan of throwback jerseys, but I loved Northwestern’s.

-I guess having an offensive genius for a head coach can only help so much when your defense gives up 56 points. The Charlie Weis turnaround at Kansas is still a work in progress.

-On the topic of Charlie Weis, I think it’s time to admit that *gag* Notre Dame is for real.  Manti Te’o is really leading that defence to be a force this season, something that most didn’t anticipate.  The strong play of the front 7 has really helped the inexperienced secondary.

-Props to Stanford for battling back to force OT and beat Arizona. I love to see teams show that kind of character.

Can Carlos Condit Beat Georges St. Pierre?

Posted on by Mark Modeski

November 17th will hail a moment that many MMA fans have been waiting for. It has less to do with the welterweight championship belt being on the line as much as it does with the return of Georges St. Pierre to prove that he is still the top welterweight fighter in the world. His challenge? Carlos Condit.

Carlos Condit is a fighter that was written off months ago as a stepping stone for Nick Diaz at UFC 143. Nick Diaz was seen as the last interesting test for St. Pierre at 170 lbs, and pre-fight hype between the Stockton native and the French Canadian stalwart had already begun to build. To the dismay of many, including the UFC brass, Condit went on to fight a technically superior battle to defeat the scrappy former Strikeforce champion (Diaz). The spoils of war meant an interim welterweight championship belt for Condit, and a guaranteed title shot upon St. Pierre’s return.

With the title bout between St. Pierre and Condit quickly encroaching upon us (November 17th), people are taking a serious look at the interim champion to evaluate if he really has a chance to beat GSP.

To say that Condit stands no chance against St. Pierre before a single second on the fight clock has registered would be ignorant. In fact, in my opinion, Condit probably has a much better chance of beating St. Pierre than Diaz ever did (or does). Carlos has faced some stiff competition in the welterweight division; his losses have been close, his victories often decisive (even when they have gone to decision). Take a look at his record since entering the UFC alone: 6-1. I know what you’re thinking: “I could be 6-1 in the UFC depending on the level of competition I’ve faced”. Well, Condit has definitely faced some of the divisions finest, Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, Dyong Hyun Kim, Dan Hardy and of course let’s not forget Diaz. His arm has been raised against each of them – and not always in decision.

Condit has shown an impressive ability, at times, to be able to finish off his opponents. One  of the best examples I like to bring up is his impressive KO victory against a man GSP couldn’t finish, Dan Hardy. His comeback victory against Rory MacDonald was devastating display of how deep his tank is and how diverse his toolbox is. Prior to his recent fight against Nick Diaz, Condit clocked two “Knock-Out of the Night” honours.

Is that to say GSP could just take Condit to the ground and have his way with him, like he does everyone else? Not necessarily. In Carlos’ seven fights prior to joining the UFC, in Pancrase and the WEC, five of those fights ended in a submission victory for Condit (the other two fights ended in a KO victory for Condit).

Let’s not forget the coaching variable in this match-up; both fighters are products of Greg Jackson. Jackson fighters are not always known for the most exciting fights, but no one can deny that Jackson is a master tactician. Part of the reason Diaz was beaten by Condit, was that Carlos had a sound game plan that he followed to the letter the entire fight.

Now that we’ve established that Condit is a multi-disciplned fighter who always comes in with a solid game plan, we have to answer the question: Can Condit come out with his arm raised at UFC 154 in Montreal on November 17th?

The easy answer, and more importantly the right answer, is: no. Condit feels to me like an underdeveloped GSP; he has a lot of the same tools, they’re just not on the same level. Condit has faced stiff competition, but still not on the same consistent level as St. Pierre.

St. Pierre is coming off extensive rehab, but one thing any fan of GSP knows is that he trains like no other in the world. The only factor that could be a question mark for St. Pierre is whether or not his gas tank will still have the same depth after not having been used for so long. I am quite confident that GSP will come into this fight trained like no other; he learned after his loss to Serra that you can never take an opponent for granted, and I assume his attitude will be no less against Condit.

One other important factor playing in the French Canadians favour is hometown advantage. The first UFC event I saw live was UFC 83 in Montreal, and still have a hard time describing the electricity in the air when St. Pierre came out (let alone when he regained the title) – it surpasses any other live event that I have ever seen in terms of crowd engagement. Let’s also not forget that he still needs to prove to everyone that he is the best – the mental game will be a huge advantage for GSP. St. Pierre has danced on the championship stage many times before, this will really be Condit’s first time of the big stage. Never underestimate the mental game in MMA.

I know this fight will be an exciting one, despite the fact that it will go five rounds. St. Pierre will leave with his arm raised, and the Montreal fans will cheer like they never have. With the prospects of no Montreal Canadiens hockey in the foreseeable future they need something! My hat off to Condit for stepping in for execution, for in my opinion they should forgo an entrance song and just have Bruce Buffer yell: “Dead man walking!!!”

… and don’t forget to check me out on “Outside the Octagon” on Last Word Radio Friday nights at 9p.

Review: How Soccer Explains the World

Posted on by Mitchell Tierney

How Soccer Explains the World: an {unlikely} theory of globalization
Franklin Foer
Football (Association)

Synopsis:

While the title of Foer’s book makes it appear as though it will include pages of theoretical nonsense in reality it does not. The book itself is far more simplistic then the title suggests as it reads more like a travel log then anything else. Foer takes an incredible journey around the world of football and finds himself in some of the most intriguing situations imaginable. Foer, an American with what seems to be a reasonable yet not extensive knowledge of football, presents the perfect character to narrate this expedition.

His journey includes some telling insight into some historic football countries. Foer takes us through Serbia, a place at the time recovering from the effects of war. He tells us of Red Star Belgrade, the most storied club in the history of Serbian club football and of Arkan, a military general who bought victory in the league through intimidation. He then transitions expertly into chapters about hooligans at Chelsea, the Old Firm, Jewish Football, racism in football and Barcelona.

Critique:

As far as I can tell the theory explained in the title of this book is never truly exemplified or explained. Not that this at all deters from the quality nor the interest of the book. I have read football travel logs in the past but never have they had the objective view that this one contains. Usually football travel logs are filled with stories of heroic fan support and moments that changed the writers life. Instead this book is told through the eyes of a man who seems to have no supporting interest which makes it stronger in what it is trying to achieve.

The book is full of stories and facts that not only check up when researched but encourage further research from the reader. For example a chapter about a player named Edward Anyamkyegh who is trying to make a career for himself in Europe leads the reader to become curious about the direction that his career has taken today. Personal research indicates that Edward plays in the lower divisions of Finland football and never truly found his European dreams.

This book is written with the style of an obvious professional as it flows through a rather large range of content with ease. The manner in which it is written opens doors for readers who do not have any vested interest in the sport of football. To that end it includes several possible discussion points as this novel treads into some of the darker content present in the world of football. For both football supports and detractors this book will have plenty of intrigue.

Recommendation:

I have read plenty of books on the topic of association football and I would say only two can ever really compare with this novel. Going into reading I had very little hope for a book that looked every bit as boring as the color scheme on the front cover. Yet the content and the style of this book make it unique from any other that I have read and therefore incredibly interesting. As is the case when the best books are completed you almost wish the Foer could have explored and commented on more content from a more diverse series of countries.

Whether a fan of football or just a fan of sport Foer’s book is a page turner which you will be finished and want to read again in less time then it took you to read this review.

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Top Shelf Prospects: 2012-13 NCAA Preview – WCHA

Posted on 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.

Over this past weekend many NCAA teams started their pre-conference schedules with various exhibition games against Canadian Universities, or with pre-season tournaments, or other showcase games against teams from other NCAA conferences.  With that in mind we turn our attention to previewing the NCAA season, and looking at conference play.

We start with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.  This is the last year for the WCHA as we know it.  Conference re-alignment will change the landscape of NCAA hockey next season as Minnesota and Wisconsin will join the Big 10 Hockey Conference.  Meanwhile  Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, and St. Cloud State will join CCHA clubs Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan in creating the brand new National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

That leaves only Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech and Minnesota State-Mankato as the 4 remaining WCHA teams after this season. The conference will add CCHA clubs Alaska-Fairbanks, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan to continue as an 8 team conference as the CCHA will be no more (with their teams going to the Big 10 and NCHC as well, and Notre Dame joining Hockey East).

That said, the big changes are a year away, so lets take a look at the teams and players to watch this year in the WCHA.

Top Contenders

Minnesota Golden Gophers – The Gophers finished in first place in the conference last season.  However the annual conference playoffs did not go as well as the Gophers blew a 3 goal lead in the semi-final of the WCHA Frozen Five and lost to rivals North Dakota.  The Golden Gophers would get their revenge in the NCAA tournament, eliminating North Dakota in the Regional Finals and advancing to the NCAA Frozen Four.  Unfortunately they would go on to lose in the National Semifinal to eventual National Champion Boston College.  This season the Gophers are back and looking for more as they have a very strong club.  Nick Bjustad, Kyle Rau, Zach Budish and Erik Haula all return to the club, ensuring that Minnesota will have an extremely dangerous offence this season. Brady Skjei and Mike Reilly are highly touted recruits on the Gopher Blueline and will add to a team that returns most of last year’s defence core   The question mark for the Gophers is in goal where the team must replace last year’s starter Kent Patterson who has graduated. Michael Shibrowski is a junior who has only played 1 game so far in his career.  There are also three incoming freshmen goalies in Ryan Coyne, Matt LaPrade and Adam Wilcox.  If one of these four can emerge as a solid starter, then the Gophers can contend for a National Championship.  If they cannot find a goalie, it could break the team especially in one of the many one game elimination scenarios the team will face in the WCHA and NCAA playoffs.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux: After a long battle with the NCAA the University of North Dakota has dropped the “Fighting Sioux” nickname and logo, and will simply be known as North Dakota this season, as the team looks for a new nickname and logo.  The squad has won the conference tournament three years in a row, and looks to do damage on the national stage this year.  Brock Nelson and Ben Blood are key losses for the team, but a number of returnees should make North Dakota strong.  Up front Danny Kristo, Corbin Knight, Carter Rowney, and Mark MacMillan return to lead the offence, while the team will add Rocco Grimaldi who was hurt all last season.  On defense, Jordan Schmaltz is a highly touted recruit and will join a blueline featuring the returning Nick Mattson, Andrew MacWilliam, and Dillon Simpson.  Like their rivals from Minnesota, the former Fighting Sioux face questions in the crease as both of last year’s goalies are gone and Tate Maris, Clarke Saunders, and Zane Gothberg will battle for the job.  North Dakota must get their dressing room in order though, as a team party that involved underage drinking has resulted in suspensions to MacWilliam, Knight, Kristo and Rowney to start the season.

Denver Pioneers: Most analysts have the WCHA as a two horse race, but I’m going to go against the grain here and say that the Denver Pioneers are a strong contender to make this a 3 way battle.  The biggest advantage the Pioneers have is a strong and reliable goaltender, something neither Minnesota nor North Dakota can claim to have right now.  Sam Brittain should be the best goalie in the conference, and you can never discount the value of that, especially with the way the Conference Playoffs work.  The team lost Drew Shore and Jason Zucker up front and this is a big blow to the offence.  However Nick Shore, is back and is joined by the youngest shore brother Quinton on offence.  The Pioneers also feature Joey LaLeggia who will contribute points from the blue line, and be among the team’s leading scorers.  While the offence may not be as powerful as last year, it should still be enough to contend, and the defence will be improved with Brittain and most of the defenders returning and one year older.

Players to Watch

Nick Bjustad, Centre, Minnesota Golden Gophers: A Florida Panthers draft pick, the huge centre is listed at 6’5 and 212 lbs, and certainly looks the part as he towers over competitors on the ice.  Bjustad skates very well for a man his size, and with great balance and a powerful stride that helps him drive to the net. He protects the puck well, controlling the play on his stick, and buying time for teammates to find an opening. When they do, he has the vision and playmaking skill to find them. However Bjustad’s biggest asset is his NHL ready wrist shot. He is a pure sniper with a heavy, accurate shot and a deceptively quick release. Bjustad is also a good two way centre who is as efficient in the defensive end as he is in the offensive end of the ice.  The only criticism of Bjustad is that he could be more physical given his size.   He’s a legitimate Hobey Baker contender going into the season, and should be a dominant presence for the Gophers.

Danny Kristo, Right Wing, North Dakota: The suspension for being an assistant captain and holding a team party, was followed by Kristo getting an additional 1 game suspension for breaking another team rule in a seperate incident.  It is a difficult start for Kristo who was also disciplined for his own underage drinking as a freshman, and who lost games as a sophomore in a strange frostbite related incident.  Kristo is an excellent skater, he has great speed, acceleration and agility.  He also has a very good wrist shot and an excellent release.  Last year on a line with Brock Nelson, Kristo showed that he can also be a playmaker showing his good vision, and passing skills.  He plays a gritty two-way game, willing to get involved along the boards in both the offensive and defensive zone.  Kristo is slightly undersized though and could stand to put some more muscle on his frame.  As a senior he should be one of the top forwards in the conference, and could put together a run at the Hobey Baker if he can stay on the ice.  He had the opportunity to sign an Entry Level Contract with the Montreal Canadiens this summer, but decided to return for his senior season, saying that his dream is to win an NCAA title at North Dakota.

Caleb Herbert, Centre, University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs: The Washington Capitals prospect scored 33 points in 41 games as a freshman for the Bulldogs last season.  He’s an absolute speedster who creates plays simply by being the fastest player on the ice.  He’s also got good hockey sense and when you combine that with his skating he seems to be buzzing all over the ice in the offensive zone.  Herbert is a little undersized however and this can hurt him in board battles, and the defensive end. He’ll need to get stronger before looking to move on with the Caps and/or the Hershey Bears in the AHL.

Mark Zengerle, Centre, Wisconsin Badgers: Zengerle had 13 goals, 37 assists and 50 points in 37 games as a sophomore for the Badgers last season. With an assist per game last year its easy to see what Zengerle’s main strength is.  He’s a playmaker with great vision and the the ability to thread the puck through tight spaces.  He’s a good stickhandler, and protects the puck well extending plays in the offensive zone.  Zengerle’s wrist shot has good velocity and accuracy, but his release needs work and this is the primary reason why he’s a playmaker and not a goal scorer.  Zengerle is a little undersized, but makes up for that with excellent skating.  Another big season could see him getting NHL offers this spring.

Sam Brittain, Goalie, Denver Pioneers:  At 6’3″ Brittain is part of the new wave of goalies with great size.   A fourth round pick of the Florida Panthers, Brittain might be the best goalie in the WCHA this season, and given how much Denver will rely on him, might end up as the WCHA MVP.  He’s a classic butterfly goaltender with good technique, and plays his angles well, maximizing the amount of net his big frame takes up.  Brittain has excellent rebound control and a very good glove hand.  The key to the pioneers season rests on his shoulders.

Ben Hanowski, Left Wing, St. Cloud State Huskies: A third round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 Hanowski broke out in his junior season with St. Cloud State scoring 23 goal and 43 points in 39 games.  Hanowski is a natural goal scorer with a greatshot and outstanding release.  He uses good hockey sense to find openings in the oppositions zone and set up for a deadly one-timer.  Hanowski must continue his growth this season before turning pro and heading to Wilkes-Barre.

Rylan Schwartz, Centre/Wing, Colorado College Tigers: The older brother of St. Louis Blues prospect Jared Schwartz, played with him last year.  Rylan put up 23 goals and 40 points in 35 games for the Tigers.  Rylan has an excellent wrist shot and release.  Rylan has good speed and very good acceleration.  He could use some work on his defensive game.  If he puts up another good season he will attract interest from NHL clubs as an unsigned college free agent next spring.  He really doesn’t have the vision or playmaking to play centre at the next level though, and if he has a pro future its likely at wing.

Jujhar Khaira, Centre, Michigan Tech Huskies:  A third round pick for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012 Entry Draft, Khaira is an incoming freshman at Michigan Tech.  I haven’t had a chance to see him play yet but based on reports I’m certainly intrigued to do so.  At 6’3 and 200lbs, reports describe Khaira as a prototypical power forward.  He is said to be a hard worker, who skates very well and is quick to throw his weight around on the forecheck.  He’s also said to have some touch around the net.

Matt White, Centre, University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks: Matt White had 17 goals and 40 points as a Sophomore for the University of Nebraska-Omaha last season.  He’s a bit on the smallish side, but has great offensive skills including a good shot and release, excellent hands and puckhandling ability and good passing and vision.  White will look to build on last season, and get himself some NHL offers as an undrafted free agent.  He attended the Winnipeg Jets development camp this summer, but is returning to UNO

Teddy Blueger, Centre/Left Wing, Minnesota State – Mankato Mavericks: Blueger is an incoming freshman who was drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2012 Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.  He put up incredible states at Shattuck St. Mary’s famous hockey prep school, but the level of competition he faced should be questioned when looking at the 88 points in 51 games he put up.  Blueger is said to be an offensive minded player with great vision and passing ability in the middle of the ice or off the wing.  He represents Latvia in international competition.

Feel free to leave your own comments below and to follow me on twitter @LastwordBKerr

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NFL Week 5: Win, Spread and Over/Under Predictions

Posted on by Forrest Doran

Welcome to another week of The Sports Savant NFL Picks, Week 5 Edition!

With the return of the real referees, the games in Week 4 we’re a little easier to predict.  The replacement refs were adding an unknown element to every pick and causing a lot of perfectly good prediction analysis look bad with their sometimes erroneous penalty calls and ball spotting blunders.  The Savant is back to form though going 10-5 in last week’s games to win.  The spread still has much to be improved but there is still a lot of time left in the year to get it turned around.  It can be no coincidence also that last week I had four trifectas to two strikeouts where in the replacement ref games I was striking out at a rate I am not accustomed too, but everyone was for that matter with how unpredictable games were with the backup refs at the helm.

So with that comes NFL Week 5.  I’m looking to get back on track with the spread and continue my dominance in picking the winner and also continue a nice Over/Under record going forward.  Before we look at my Week 5 picks, lets take a look at my Week 4 results…

*WEEK 4 RESULTS*

Winner: 10-5   🙂
Winner w/ Spread: 6-9  🙁
Over/Under: 9-6 🙂
———————————————
Trifecta: 4
Strikeouts: 2
Perfect Team Score Predictions: 2 (Cleveland, Philadelphia)
Perfect Game Score Predictions: 0
___________
*2012 Overall Record*
Winner: 38-25 (.603)
Winner w/ Spread: 25-36-2 (.410)
Over/Under: 31-30-2 (.508)
——————————————–

 Trifecta: 11
Strikeouts: 14
Perfect Team Score Predictions: 8   [Week 1]: New England  [Week 2]: Indianapolis, San Francisco [Week 3]: Chicago, Washington, New York(A)  [Week 4]: Cleveland, Philadelphia
Perfect Game Score Predictions: 0
NOTE: The team with a negative number in parenthesis “(-3)” next to their name is the favorite to win the matchup and the number represents how many points the favorite has to score more than the underdog to count as a winning bet.  The over/under for the game is represented by a number in parenthesis with the letters o and u “(o/u 46)”.  The number represents the amount of points you are wagering whether or not the two team’s combined score will be in excess of or short of.  Official betting lines courtesy of www.footballlocks.comLOCKS: Games that have a “*LOCK*” logo next to the score are my spread lock picks of the week.  These are the games I feel strongest about the outcome of the game versus the spread.

Don’t forget to check therealsportssavant.blogspot.com every week to check my game picks and check the previous week’s picks for individual game pick results!  And now I present my Week 3, Sports Savant, NFL picks…

St. Louis v. Arizona(-2)  (o/u 39.5)
Savant Spread Pick: St. Louis to win ~ 19-16
Over/Under Pick: Under

Washington v. Atlanta(-3)  (o/u 51)
Savant Spread Pick: Atlanta and the points to win ~ 31-24
Over/Under Pick: Over

Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh(-3.5)  (o/u 43)
Savant Spread Pick: Philadelphia to win ~ 20-17
Over/Under Pick: Under

Indianapolis v. Green Bay(-7)  (o/u 48)
Savant Spread Pick: Green Bay and the points to win ~ 27-16 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Under

Cleveland @ New York(N)(-8.5)  (o/u 44)
Savant Spread Pick: Cleveland with the points; New York(N) to win ~ 23-17
Over/Under Pick: Under

Tennessee @ Minnesota(-5.5)  (o/u 44)
Savant Spread Pick: Minnesota and the points to win ~ 23-17
Over/Under Pick: Under

Miami @ Cincinnati(-3)  (o/u 45)
Savant Spread Pick: Miami to win ~ 19-17
Over/Under Pick: Under

Kansas City v. Baltimore(-6.5)  (o/u 46.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Baltimore and the points to win ~ 27-20 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Over

Seattle @ Carolina(-3)  (o/u 43.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Seattle to win ~ 16-14
Over/Under Pick: Under

Jacksonville v. Chicago(-5.5)  (o/u 41)
Savant Spread Pick: Chicago and the points to win ~ 24-13 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Under

Denver @ New England(-6.5)  (o/u 52)
Savant Spread Pick: Denver with the points; New England to win ~ 27-20
Over/Under Pick: Under

Buffalo @ San Francisco(-9.5)  (o/u 45)
Savant Spread Pick: San Francisco and the points to win ~ 34-20 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Over

San Diego @ New Orleans(-3.5)  (o/u 53)
Savant Spread Pick: New Orleans and the points to win ~ 29-24
Over/Under Pick: Over

New York(A) v. Houston(-8)  (o/u 41)
Savant Spread Pick: Houston and the points to win ~ 27-16
Over/Under Pick: Under

You can hear Forrest, and our other Football Analysts Saturday Mornings at 9am on our College Football Preview, and Sundays Nights at 7:30 on our NFL Review Show, available here.  Feel free to call in and ask our experts the questions you want to know.  Podcasts of previous episodes are in the sidebar, and on blogtalkradio.

Legal Stuff: Remember that these are predictions, not guarantees.  LWOS takes no responsibility for the success or failure of these picks.  Always bet with a reputable sports book, and bet responsibly, to wager more than you can afford to lose.  Have fun and remember that you are Gambling, and there are no true guarantees.

Light at the End of the Tunnel? NHL Lockout

Posted on by Grant Alexander

So what is the latest? Well, more talks, some minor progress, but same result. More cancelled games, more players in Europe, and no hockey in Canada. However, as much as I feel like I’m beating a dead horse by writing this, I do think there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

After the last failed attempt by both sides to come to an agreement on who’s getting what percent of the hockey generated revenue, both sides did agree to get together to hammer out the other minor issues that are involved in negotiating the new CBA. Now this isn’t anything major, because neither side is willing to budge on the revenue numbers, but it does mean that the two sides are working together and there that there is some progress being made. And the other bright spot is that they are way ahead of where they were back in 2004. That being said, the NHL did still pull the trigger on cancelling the first chunk of regular season games. We knew it was inevitable, but it still hurts hearing the news, and even more so, watching our beloved stars hit the ice in Europe. The silver lining in all of this is that they only cancelled 82 total games that were set to be played, which is approximately a month of hockey. It is a ton of revenue lost for both sides (The owners around 100 million, and the players around 150 million), but it could have been worse. The NHL easily could have cancelled half of the season instead of breaking it into small chunks, which gives both sides a chance to come to their senses and work things out before they both lose another 100 million or so.

The other “fail-safe” here is the part of the season that includes the Winter Classic, and the All-Star game. Both are huge revenue generating events, and both thrive on annual growth. Cancelling these events would be devastating to both sides. And it’s also about that time in the year where any chance of a condensed or shifted season goes out the window. The NHL is willing to play hockey well into June if necessary, but not into July as by that time it starts affecting next years season. So look for a deal to be in place around then, that would see a season similar to the ’94-’95 season.

The two sides did have a surprise meeting in Toronto yesterday and there was some positive things reported by Pierre Lebrun who felt that both sides are moving towards new offers and more compromise in this stalemate.  It should come as no surprise that the new meeting comes on the heels of a meeting between the NHL and their top sponsors and advertisers, so there may have been some added motivation coming out of those talks.

So whose side are you on? The owners? Or the players?

The players…

The players don’t want to give up the percentage of the revenue they fairly negotiated during the last CBA. And they feel like they were the ones that caved last time in agreeing to things like a salary cap. They are also trying to appeal to the fans by saying that they would be happy to continue to play hockey while they negotiate. But that is mainly due to the fact that they have the most to lose by not playing. The owners will win the waiting game 100 times out of 100. The players also believe that they deserve a higher percentage, because they are the ones putting their bodies on the line to showcase their talents. They are the ones that train and play hard all year-long, and they are the ones that the people come to see.

The owners…

The owners don’t want a lockout anymore than anyone else, especially the big 3 (Toronto, New York, and Montreal) who are losing megabucks during these proceedings. Even the next tier of top earners (Detroit, Boston, Philly, and Chicago) are all losing big money. But after that, it drops off, and then it drops off again, and then it drops off again. Where the top middle teams are barely profiting, the bottom middle teams are just treading water, and the basement teams are sinking. And it’s those basement teams that are the ones screaming: “Why am I paying my employees 57% of our revenue? I’m taking all of the risk!” Which does make sense, as there is no company in the world that would give their employees that kind of percentage. The owners are talking all of the risk, while the players salaries are protected by their contracts.

Me, I’m on nobody’s side, and wholeheartedly against both sides. I keep hearing people say how disgusted they are that were watching millionaires argue with billionaires. But quite frankly, that doesn’t bother me. That’s business. It happens everyday all around the world. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, you have to fight to get it, and fight to protect it. And there is always someone waiting to take it from you if you don’t. My problem is, whose money they are fighting over… mine!

I go to home games, I go to road games, I buy jerseys and merchandise, I order TSN 2, and Leafs TV, and Centre Ice. I’m one of the guys supporting this league, and I’m also part of the problem. After the last lockout people we were all pissed, but we still flocked back to the game, and we did it in record numbers. Since the last lockout the NHL has seen a 50% increase in revenues. Meaning not only did we forget about the year of no hockey, but we couldn’t wait to invest our hard-earned paycheques into the new product. And that is basically what they are fighting over now. Both sides want as big a piece of that inflated pie that they can get. So why wouldn’t they cancel part or all of the season to ensure a better percentage for themselves in the future? As soon as hockey resumes, whenever it resumes, we are going to be right there chomping at the bit, ready to empty our pockets for the game we love.

… And that is the last word.

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