2012 - Page 30 of 114 - Last Word On Sports

The Biggest Surprises of the 2012 MLB Season – NL Edition

Posted on October 1, 2012November 5, 2021 by Mark Modeski

A few weeks ago we talked about some of the biggest surprises that we have seen in the MLB this year within the American League. While there have been many stories that have captivated us in the AL this year (e.g. the Orioles, Mike Trout), no one can deny that there have been some interesting and unexpected happenings in the National League thus far, too. Here is our list of the biggest surprises in the National League thus far in 2012:

1. The Washington Nationals: In a division that was meant to be fought over by the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, having already locked up the NL East, the Nationals have been a surprise to everyone this season. Currently, they sit with the most wins in the majors (96) and the best W-L % in both leagues (.608). Players like Ian Desmond, Adam LaRoche and Gio Gonzalez have made this team the one to watch moving into the post-season.

2. What happened to Tim Lincecum?: Last season Lincecum was the pitcher everyone was talking about in the post-season; he was a crucial piece to the Giants post-season run. This season he seems to have lost his groove. Currently, he sits with a 10-15 record and a 5.15 ERA and has been unreliable at best. At this point all we can ask: is whether or not Lincecum can rebound in the 2013 season?

3. Cole Hamels – really?!: Last season Cole Hamels was sitting on the trading block and really unsure about where his future would be. The Phillies had a solid one-two punch in Cliff Lee and Roy Halliday moving into the 2012 season and Hamels was a piece that didn’t necessarily fit into the puzzle. When Lee and Halliday went down, Hamels got the call to arms and has since been outstanding, posting a 16-6 record and 3.08 ERA. Hamels has been a core cog in the late season run of the Phillies. With a massive $144 million contract backing him up, I am sure his confidence is through the roof.

4. R.A. Dickey is looking to lock-up the Cy Young: In what has been an otherwise disappointing season for the New York Mets, R.A. Dickey has been a shining a beacon. With a knuckleball that appears at times unhittable, Dickey has emerged one of the top pitching talents in the MLB. He currently looks poised to bring home the Cy Young this year with a 20-6 record and 2.69 ERA.

5. Andrew McCutchen: While the Pirates have fallen off from what was an outstanding start to the season, Andrew McCuthen has made this team still very fun to watch. McCutchen currently hangs onto one of the top batting averages in the league (.329), and holds onto one of the top home run counts in NL (31). He also sports a ridiculously high slugging percentage (.559) and sits at the tops in terms of runs in the NL (107). My early season prediction of a potential MVP award coming McCutchen’s way is still very possible in my eyes.

With the season winding there is little room for any major surprises in the rest of the regular season. However, with the post-season right around the corner, I have no doubt that there will be plenty more surprises coming our way.

Stay tuned as the “surprises watch” continues!

… and that is the last word.

Gamechangers: Big Plays You Won't See on the Highlights, Week 4

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

Momentum is huge in football, and often effects the outcome of games. There are key plays that change momentum that are very subtle and may not make the highlight package on your favorite sports show. Sure, these shows do a great job of showing incredible catches, hits, and runs, or of showing you the scoring plays in a game, but do they really tell the whole story?

While a drive might end in a 5-yard TD pass or a 10-yard TD run, is that really the key play in a 7, 8, 9 or 10 play drive? Would the scoring play even be possible without the key completion on third and long earlier in the drive? Or that receiver who made a key block freeing up the running back to get to the outside to pick up a first down?

The purpose of this column is to highlight some key plays that greatly effected the outcome of their games, yet they might not have made highlight reels. This isn’t to take away from the importance of a big scoring play or turnover, but without these plays the highlight reel play would not have happened.

Carolina @ Atlanta (Cam Newton Fumble)

With 1:45 to play, Carolina having the advantage on the scoreboard for most of the afternoon, the Panthers had the ball, 3rd and 2 on Atlanta 46. They were only up by a single point, leading 28-27. Newton looked like he had the first down on a designed QB draw, but he was tackled by Stephen Nicholas and fumbled. The Panthers kept the ball as Mike Tolbert recovered, but the damage was done. The problem is that he fumbled backwards and what should have been a 1st down thereby clinching the game, became 4th and 1 instead. Atlanta got the ball back after a punt, way back at their own 1-yard line. This set up a phenomenal Matt Ryan 59-yard bomb to Roddy White.
A few plays later Matt Bryant set up for the game winning FG, which was right down the pipe. Atlanta wins.

Vikings @ Lions (Big Vikings D)

In the first quarter the Vikings opened up a seven-point lead off the opening kick-off, and extended it to 14-3. Detroit had the lion’s share of red zone opportunities, however. On the first drive, Jared Allen sacked Matt Stafford to stall the drive and force a FG. Next, when it looked like Stafford had Calvin Johnson hit for a TD in the Endzone, a great hit by safety and corner, who converged for a bone-jarring hit, made it incomplete.

The Lions left 8 points on the board due to good stops by Vikings Defence and eventually lost by 7 when Stafford was sacked again on the last play of the game. The Vikes D persevered with their backs to the wall, and we now know the Vikings might just be for real

Patriots @ Bills

Early in the second half, the Bills’ first drive was in jeopardy as they were pinned deep in own end with a 3rd and 15. On a seemingly high percentage screen pass, Fitzpatrick choked on a bad throw to Fred Jackson. Jackson, however, reached back, and with one hand made the catch, turned it up-field and got the first down. Instead of a three and out, a punt, and good field position for the Pats, Jackson kept the drive alive.
Two plays later Fitz hit Donald Jones over the middle, who made a great run (which you likely will see on highlights) for the TD. 21-7 Bills. The Patriots would come back and win the game on the strength of their running game (yup, you read that right, the Patriots running game). That said, for a brief moment, that Jackson grab changed the outlook of the game…it was just a fleeting moment, however.

Oakland @ Denver (blocked punt)

The Broncos were up, 17-6 right after they scored on their first possession of the 2nd half. Oakland had the ball, with an opportunity to answer back, but Denver’s D shut them down to a three and out. But the next play was the one that completely sealed the game. Shane Lechtler’s punt was blocked by David Bruton. This set up Denver with a first down at the 17 yard-line of the Raiders. Shortly thereafter a Willis McGahee TD put the Broncos up 24-6 and Oakland’s night was done.

New Orleans @ Green Bay

Green Bay was up 21-17 and driving down the field, looking for a TD. A face mask penalty against the Saints gave the Pack the ball 1st and goal at the 4-yard line. But the significance of the play was that Aaron Rogers was poked in the eye and had to come out of the game. Backup Graham Harrold came in. He tried a handoff to Benson, tripped over Jeff Saturday’s feet and couldn’t hand it off properly. He fumbled and New Orleans recovered. What should have been a TD, was instead a turnover. Four plays later had Joseph Morgan on the right end of an 80-yard TD pass from Drew Brees and the Saints took the lead. Luckily Rogers is okay, but seeing Harrold’s first play in the NFL, the Cheeseheads have to worry if he’s ever hurt. Certainly we can’t judge completely based on Harrold coming in short-term, but this 14-point swing is at least worth a second glance.

Miami at Arizona

The Dolphins had taken a 13-0 lead but Arizona came back in a big way. Kolb looked hot, particularly in the second half. It was 14-13 Cardinals and he was driving, had them down to the 2-yard line. Kolb was intercepted in endzone by Greg Toler. On the next play Tannehill hit Brian Hartline for 80 yards and the go-ahead TD. The Dolphins went for two, made it, and had the seven-point lead. Once again a turnover resulted in a 14-point swing. Turnovers will get you every time! Of course you know that Arizona though would later tie the game and win in OT, but this wouldn’t be so close without the great play by Toler, which kept the Fish in the game.

Stefan Struve: Contender or Gate Keeper?

Posted on September 30, 2012November 5, 2021 by Mark Modeski

Stefan Struve has been one of those fighters that a lot of people have been watching for some time. Ever since the recent renaissance of the heavyweight division Struve has been one of those fighters who has built a reputation as a guy who, win or lose, will put in a solid performance. With his win last night over up-and-comer Stipe Miocic, the question now becomes: Can Struve put up a case for top-level contender status in the division?

To say Struve hasn’t faced any real contenders to-date would be ignorant for any MMA sports fan to say. Struve was born into the UFC in a baptism of fire, when he was put up against current champion Junior Dos Santos (who at that time was still just a contender); Struve lost the fight, but his overwhelming size and presence in the octagon definitely left an impression. There’s no shame in being put down by one of the top fighters in your first fight on the big stage either.

Struve wouldn’t stay quiet for long, after his loss to Dos Santos he would go on to string together three solid wins – two by submissions finishes. After a brief setback against Roy Nelson, Struve would go on to finish his next two fights by TKO. It’s at this point that a lot of people became aware of how well-rounded the “Skyscraper’s” game was – he can finish you on the ground or on your feet. You can take him to the brink of near defeat and he will comeback and put you down in spectacular style.

With all of this being noted, in my personal belief, I really do not see Struve moving much beyond the status of gate-keeper. Struve has shown that he can bang with the up-and-comers and in most cases put them down – as he did with Stipe Miocic last night. However, where Struve tends to fall short is his inability to close the deal against high-level competition, like Roy Nelson and Junior Dos Santos. Some people might disagree with my assertion here, especially given that he is still rather young (only 24 years old) and has a lot of time to grow, however watching him fight tells shows me a lot of things.

One key reason for my belief that he won’t grow beyond gate-keeper, is that Struve does not appear to use his most effective tool to his advantage on the feet that often – his height. When on the ground those long legs of his have been his greatest asset; however, watching him fight Miocic the other night I was taken aback by how easily Miocic was able to get inside Struve’s massive range. I am not sure if it’s because Struve is still young, or that he gets jitters, but when you have a tool like this you have to take advantage of it!

Another reason for my belief, is that Struve seems to have a hard time covering up and avoiding damage. One of his trademarks to-date has been his ability to come back in fights after he has been beaten down in a fight, and while this might make for a great drama, damage like this over a long period of time can be a major setback for any fighter. Look at guys like Marcus Davis or Chris Lytle, both fighters were bangers who liked to take a lot of damage, both fighters had to have surgery to remove scar tissue because a stiff breeze would cause their faces to burst open. Over the long-term, this could hinder Struve and cause him to suffer from a very similar issue.

Gate-keeper or contender, I still like watching Struve fight. He’s one of the few fighters out there today that I feel goes out and tries to win. Every time I see him enter the octagon I can say with confidence: “This one ain’t going the distance”. Despite the fact that I don’t ever see him being a top-level contender, I still think there we will see him around for a long time!

… and that is the last word.

Top Shelf Prospects: 2012-13 WHL Preview, US Division

Posted on September 30, 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 we are now reaching the end of our CHL previews. If you missed any of my previous articles you can find a complete listing of my them here. You can also find my extensive 2012 NHL Draft preview here.

We are one week into the new hockey season in the CHL, and I have been giving my thought on this season on a division by division basis. We only have two articles left, on the two WHL Western Conference divisions, so today I move on to the WHL U.S. Division, home to the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft and top one to the most highly touted prospects for the 2013 Draft.

Top Contenders

Portland Winterhawks: The Winterhawks made it to the WHL final last year, however its been an offseason of change for the club. Gone are Sven Bartschi, Joe Morrow, Brad Ross, and Mac Carruth. This was a major blow to the Winterhawks, but instead of rebuilding the team reloaded instead. The Winterhawks big move was a late season trade last year that brought them the rights to defenceman Seth Jones. They then convinced the USNTDP sensation to skip out on college and play his draft year in the WHL. They have also added highly touted Danish import Oliver Bjorkstrand to pick up some slack up front. Add those two young players to a lineup that sees stars Derrick Pouliot, and Ty Rattie return. And a good group of veterans with Tyler Wotherspoon, Brendan Leipsic, Taylor Leier, and Troy Rutkowski, and the Winterhawks are still the favorites in the U.S. Divison. The only question is in goal where 17 year old Brendan Burke is expected to be the starter.

Spokane Chiefs: This pick is based on the assumption that Brendan Kichton will be returning for his overage year. The New York Islanders draft pick has a chance to play for the club’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, but I think we’ll see him spend one more year in Spokane. He’s dynamic offensively and has scored a total of 154 points in the last two seasons. Last season Kichton was named the Western Conference’s best defenceman. If Kichton is there, the Chiefs have a formidable veteran group of defenders on the blueline with Davis Vandane, Tanner Mort, and Reid Gow. Up front the Chiefs are lacking an elite go-to forward, but Mitch Holmberg, Marek Kalus, Blake Gal, Dylan Walchuk, and Liam Stewart should give the team a very balanced group. In goal, the Chiefs have Eric Williams and Mac Engel as two veteran returnees who split duties last season. However 17 year old Garret Hughson is looking for a spot (and seen as next in line for the starter job when the vets leave). As such don’t be surprised to see one of the goalies moved to give room for Hughson to be the backup.

Players to Watch:

Ryan Murray, Defence, Everett Silvertips: The Silvertips are lucky to have Murray around this season. He is NHL ready, and if it wasn’t for the lockout, he’d probably be playing for Columbus this year. If the lockout ends, expect to see him up in the NHL, but in the meantime he’ll be a great help for Everett. Murray is a superb skating two-way defenceman with a ton of positives to his game. He’s a really smart defender and is a great top pairing shutdown player in thw WHL. He clears the zone quickly with a smart first pass, and his excellent skating. He has the ability, size, physicality, and willingness to handle big physical forwards and play against strong forwards. Murray also has extremely good hockey sense and seems to always make smart decisions with the puck. Murray hasn’t put up the offensive numbers that some of the other top prospect defencemen in the WHL have managed, but the reality is that has less to do with Murray and more to do with the lack of scoring forwards that Everett has iced the last two seasons. The team is a little bit better this year so we can expect Murray’s numbers to improve somewhat. Still I think it will be a bit surprising if Murray finishes the year in Everett. The team isn’t a contender, and even if the NHL doesn’t come calling for him, I think he may become trade bait come the deadline.

Derrick Pouliot, Defence, Portland Winterhawks: Pouliot is a dynamic offensive defencemen. The 8th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft, Pouliot is a smooth skater who is also very skilled with the puck. He loves to rush the puck and can create scoring chances by doing so. Pouliot’s shot doesn’t have the power of some of the other top offensive defencemen, but he has a good release and his wrist shots are very accurate. He’s able to keep his slap shot low and get it on net, which is essential for any power play quarterback. He does need some work at the defensive end of the ice as he needs to add muscle to his frame in order to be able to handle the bigger stronger forwards at the next level.

Ty Rattie, Wing, Portland Winterhawks: Ty Rattie’s offensive production exploded last season as his 57 goals were the 2nd most in the WHL, and his 121 points had him finish third. He continued to be a productive player in the WHL playoffs, helping the Portland Winterhawks to the WHL final. This skill set was noticed by the brass at Hockey Canada who had Rattie on the top line at the recent Canada/Russia challenge. He would impress in the four game tournament, and it looks like he will have a good chance to be a key player for Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championships. Rattie is a talented offensive player, and pure sniper off the wing. He has very good hockey sense and a knack for finding open ice in the offensive zone. He seems to elude defenders and find free patches of ice from which he can unleash a deadly accurate wrist shot. His release is deceptively quick and eludes goaltenders and he has a great one timer. Rattie is also not afraid to go to the front of the net despite his size and works to score rebounds tip ins and deflections. More than just a one trick pony though, Rattie is also talented playmaker and good in his own zone. He’ll be the key cog for the Winterhawks and might challenge for the WHL scoring title and MVP.

Brendan Kichton, Defence, Spokane Chiefs: Kichton is an absolute star in Spokane. He was the only defencemen in the entire league to lead his team in points last year, as Kichton put up 74. This was down from 2010-11 when he put up 80 points. He’s a dynamic offensive forcer on the blueline with his outstanding vision, and great passing ability. He controls the puck well, eluding defenders with his strong skating and good stickhandling, and his ability to extend offensive plays creates opportunities for team mate. Kichton also has very good shot. His wrister is quick and accurate, and he also has a very good slapshot and one timer. Many will look at the stats and think that Kichton is a defensive liability. He isn’t, in fact he’s also very good in his own zone. He may not be the most physical defender but he has good positioning, hockey sense and anticipation which alllows him to create turnovers and start the transition game for the Chiefs. In particular Kichton is very good at stick checking, and poke checking opponents. Kichton is great in the WHL, but may need to improve his strength before graduating to the pro game in order to handle bigger and stronger forwards.

Top 2013 NHL Draft Prospects:

Seth Jones, Defence, Portland Winterhawks: Jones is the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones. He is an outstanding skater who glides all over the ice. This skating ability allows him to join the rush or to play shut down defence. Already 6’4″ at the age of 17, and with his pedigree, he may end up an absolute monster on the back end. Offensively talented he is cool and calm with the puck on his stick and makes smart passes leading to a strong breakout. His passing and huge shot also make him a natural in the offensive zone and on the PP. Jones will be highly sought after, and we may have ourselves a very close race between him and Nathan MacKinnon to be the #1 pick in the NHL draft. Jones is a good defender due to his strong skating and good positional play, but he could really take another step forward if he developed a mean streak.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, Right Wing, Portland Winterhawks: A highly touted Danish import, Bjorkstrand was Portland’s first round selection in the CHL import draft, and he takes one of the import slots vacated by Sven Bartschi moving up to the AHL level. He came in and had a great preseason for the Winterhawks leading the team in scoring, and has already put up 3 goals and 5 points in his first 4 regular season games. Bjorkstrand may be undersized, but he is a quick skater, and a shifty playmaker who has great skill with the puck on his stick. He is very elusive in the offensive zone and when he gets the opportunity he can unleash a heavy wrister. Expect to see Bjorkstrand rise up draft boards if he continues to put up points at this pace all season.

Eric Comrie, Goalie, Tri-City Americans: Comrie faced trial by fire as a 16 year old, starting 31 games for the Tri-City Americans last year. Tri-City had such faith in Comrie that they traded away veteran starter Ty Rimmer, in order to give him the goal. Things have started out well for Comrie this season as he was part of Team Canada’s Gold Medal winning squad at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament splitting time with Zachary Fucale in the net. Comrie plays an agressive style and comes out far to cut down angles and take away net from shooters. He has very good lateral movement and his quick legs do a great job of taking away the bottom of the net. Comrie is the son of “The Brick” founder Bill Comrie, and the brother of former NHLer Mike Comrie.

Shea Theodore, Defence, Seattle Thunderbirds: Theodore scored 35 points last season as a 16 year old for Seattle. In August, he joined Comrie on Team Canada’s Ivan Hlinka roster and also brought home a gold medal. He is an excellent skater who loves to rush the puck and has great puck protection and stickhandling ability. He also has great vision and passing abilities and is a natural power play quarterback, and will play that key role for Seattle this season. At 6’2″ and 180 lbs, Theodore has plenty of size, but he needs to learn how to use it in his own end of the rink. He needs to be more assertive in winning board battles and clearing the front of the Seattle net. Theodore could be a first rounder if he can work on his defensive game this season. Bulking up and adding some more muscle to his frame would also help. The offense, size and skating ability are certainly all there, and we know that NHL teams just love defencemen who can move the puck the way Theodore can.

Feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter @LastWordBKerr

Boom or Bust NBA – Atlanta Hawks

Posted on September 30, 2012November 5, 2021 by Jordan Leung

I now cover the Southeast division, home of the reigning champs the Miami Heat. I will go in alphabetical order again, so first team up is the Hawks. For those new to the Boom or Bust series, an FYI on the methodology of the prospect scores is available if you click here.

Atlanta Hawks

2011-2012 Record – 40-26

The Hawks have been in the playoffs for the last five seasons, and although they have been a pretty good team, no one ever expected the Hawks to be title contenders behind the Celtics, Magic and Cavaliers. They have good, but not great players, and they have never been able to make much noise in the offseason.

The Hawks finally shook it up this year, cutting ties with Joe Johnson and letting the focus of the team shift towards Josh Smith and Al Horford. They are still miles away from title contention, but the Hawks were never going to be close to contenders with Joe Johnson as their lead guy, so they made a risk worth taking. Aside from Horford, Smith and Teague, the Hawks don’t have that many prospects to be excited about, but at least the Hawks are taking steps in the right direciton.

Al Horford
Age – 26, Previous Season Stats – 12.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG

Horford missed most of last season due to injury, but made it back for the playoffs. For the first time in his career Horford will have to carry the main offensive burden, and I think he can do it. He’s still trying to find his true position, but unless the Hawks can find a decent center (highly doubtful), Horford will be starting games at the 5.

Al has a good midrange jumpshot and is very efficient offensively. He isn’t exactly an enforcer on the rebounding and shot-blocking end, but he definitely isn’t a slouch. He is capable of being a player of Pau Gasol’s caliber, and this season could very well be his break out year.

Prospect Score – 9/10

Ivan Johnson
Age – 28, Previous Season Stats – 6.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG

Ivan Johnson snuck into the basketball world last year, and for those that saw him play, it was easy to see why Hawks GM was willing to give Ivan a chance. He plays hard and with a lot of energy, finishes strong, and is a great big man to have come off the bench. He has decent size at 6’8 but would really benefit the Hawks if he had a couple more inches on his frame and could play the center next to Horford.

Johnson should still see some minutes off the bench on this new look Hawks team. As a 28-year-old energy/hustle rookie, there isn’t that much potential for Ivan. At this point of his career, he needs to continue to improve on what he already does well and cut down on fouls and turnovers.

Prospect Score – 3/10

Anthony Morrow
Age – 27, Previous Season Stats – 12.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 37.1 3P%

For those unfamiliar with the story of Anthony Morrow, Anthony Morrow was one bus ride away from not making the league. In his first start with the Warriors he came out of nowhere to score 37 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds, and since then has been a regular rotation NBA player with his deadly shooting.

Morrow’s shooting numbers dipped last season, but with a new focus his 3 point numbers should be back to at least 40%. At a professional level Anthony Morrow is a shooter and not much else. He does however, benefit from not being a complete stiff on defense that even the most average NBA players can take advantage of.

Prospect Score – 3/10

Jeff Teague

Age – 24, Previous Season Stats – 12.6 PPG, 4.9 APG, 47.6 FG%

Teague quietly had a breakout year in his first season as a full-time starter, more than doubling his scoring and assist averages. The Hawks bought in Devin Harris but they definitely want Teague starting moving forward.

Jeff Teague is no athletic freak but he’s got a good handle and is plenty of fun to watch. He scores well for a point guard and is a decent distributor. Teague will be in charge of getting everyone involved this upcoming season and getting the ball to Horford in positions where he can score. The Hawks could sneak into the playoffs due to how weak the competition is for the bottom playoff spots.

Prospect Score – 5/10

What We Learned In College, Week 5

Posted on September 30, 2012November 5, 2021 by Lindsay Higgins

It was yet another interesting week in College Football, lets run down the big stories for you.

-I can’t figure out if I overrated the West Virginia and Baylor defenses, or if I underrated their offenses. I did figure out that despite predicting a final score of 45-42, I underestimated the combined points in that game by nearly a third.

-I imagine Geno Smith greatly increased his Heisman votes last night, although at this point I still think Matt Barkley will win.

-The SEC East may not be the weakling it looked like last year. Georgia and South Carolina are still the class of the division, but Tennessee and Florida are both knocking at the door.

-Ohio State may be overlooked a bit this year because of their sanctions (no bowl game, no Big 10 Championship), but they’re better than most realized, going into East Lansing and getting the win.

-The ending to the Virginia Tech-Cincinnati game was everything I love about football. Logan Thomas leads the Hokies down the field late in the fourth quarter, in a drive ending with a beautiful 56-yard TD pass to Corey Fuller. But Munchie Legaux put together a drive of his own and threw a 39-yard TD pass to Damon Julian with 13 seconds left on the clock to win the game 27-24.

-How can you not love a quarterback named Munchie?

-Nice job by Boston College hanging in there with Clemson. Even without Sammy Watkins (stomach virus), the Tigers are a good team.

-LSU is making too many mental errors and taking far too many penalties. Les Miles looked ready to feed a couple of his players to Mike the Tiger last night. They’re too good to be beating themselves that way.

-Sports Media U, also known as Northwestern, has quietly put together a nice 5-0 start. The tough part of their schedule is yet to come, but with Penn State and Minnesota as their next two opponents, 7-0 is not unrealistic for the Wildcats.

-This week’s scares: South Carolina at one point trailed Kentucky, South Florida kept it close against Florida State, Washington State stayed with Oregon for a half, and Oklahoma State led Texas in the fourth quarter.

-It’s been overshadowed by the shootout in Morgantown, but Miami QB Stephen Morris threw for an ACC-record 566 yards in a 44-37 win over North Carolina State.

-Wisconsin seems to be having a bit of a letdown year after excelling last season. They blew a 17-point lead against Nebraska in their Big 10 opener.

-Big upset of the week: Washington beating Stanford Thursday night. The Pac 12 is back to being Oregon’s to lose.

NHLPA and NHL Resume Talks: Hope Rests on Reason and Responsibility

Posted on September 29, 2012November 5, 2021 by Maksim Vasilyev

The NHL and NHLPA resume talks in NYC on the status quo of the CBA and probably some other minor issues that will shape the world of hockey in North America for the next 7 or more years. The talks are encouraging all sort of optimism from the fans especially with the NFL and referees coming to an agreement. NHL has already cancelled all of the pre-season games and there seems to be, at least from the outside, immense pressure on both parties to put together a deal that can return hockey to the fans. Oktoberfest is not the same when you can’t spill some beer on your home team jersey after going crazy over a goal.

While the negotiations continue behind closed doors, with slight leaks here and there, we are left mostly to speculate on the progress of the discussions. Both Fehr and Bettman have not said much about making any progress or actually what they have been spewing into the mics seems to be more of a blame game. The words, from both sides, in my opinion are marketing ploys to put public pressure on each side to yield. The public opinion on the other hand is changing from the sympathy by the fans to both NHL and NHLPA to a straight up anger.

Breaking news: Hockey has very passionate fans.

But stop being Negative Nancy, let us put on our optimistic hat and ponder on the what needs to be done to save our hockey season.

There can be a reasonable solution at hand and one of those reasonable and sound solutions was presented very well by Adam Proteau (@Proteautype). It addreses the player safety, revenue sharing to support strugling clubs, pleases the wealthy clubs and lets them throw some extra cash around if they please to do so, really there seems to be no way this proposition cannot be liked by both parties.

The only problem with his 11 point plan is that it assumes one side is willing to bend and be reasonable.

The owners and Bettman are not such a type. They do not care to be reasonable in any shape or form. The business will not allow them to be, although, one would think otherwise, wouldn’t you?

Bettman said it before “We believe as a league we are paying out too much money” and the owners agree; the poor ones and the rich ones. They also have all the leverage here, even with KHL and Euro leagues providing playing time to the “locked out” players. Those leagues are not NHL and probably will not supply the same paycheck or other amnesties like massage therapists, private jets, and Pawn Stars is not available on cable.

What holds Adams agreement and his 11 point plan together is the bulletin point numero uno. “Players’ Hockey-Related Revenue split drops one percentage point in each season of the CBA.” This will simply not do for the owners. They will not take a discreet cut back over 7 year period and we know this because of ’05 lock out that lasted a year. You can argue that back then there was no CAP and there was no starting point to cut back from, but who cares, the players still took a 24% pay-cut. Owners want to pay less now and they won’t see that as a negotiable option.

As I imagine the thought process of the owners “Did you not see the contracts we just handed out? We expected those things to be cut by 20 or more percent starting the new season. Get it done Gary, get it done!”

To me this is the show stopper, the one issue that will prevent the deal from getting done this weekend. As Adam says “Rather than demanding drastic and immediate clawbacks that make the players’ association bristle, the NHL could allow players to slowly ease into a 50/50 split over the life of the labor deal. The bite of the reduction will sting NHLers less significantly, while still getting the owners their obsessed-over halfsies.” The responsible, the mature, the reasonable individual would conclude that the above is fair and realistic way to handle this dispute.

At this point, think about the past and recent comments made by the leagues top guns, can you really call owners responsible, mature, and reasonable individuals?

I cannot.

….and that is The Last Word.

Please have a look at other editions of “NHL Happy Hour“, and follow me on Twitter – @LastWordOnNHL

Top Shelf Prospects: 2012-13 WHL Preview, Central Division

Posted on September 29, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects”. My last project was a review of the prospects of all thirty NHL teams. If you missed those you can find a complete listing of my them here. You can also find my extensive NHL Draft preview here.

This past weekend, hockey started across the CHL, and now that the new hockey season is upon us I will be given my thoughts on this coming season. I’ll be breaking it down league by league, and conference by conference. I’ve already gone through the OHL, and the QMJHL; and started yesterday in the WHL East Division; so today I move on to the WHL Central Division, home of the 2011-12 WHL Champion, Edmonton Oil Kings.

Top Contenders

Edmonton Oil Kings: It should come as no surprise that the Oil Kings are favorites to once again win not only this division, but also challenge for the WHL title. With the exception of Mark Pysyk, the Oil Kings return most of the core of the team that had such a remarkable run down the stretch and through the WHL playoffs last season. Championship team’s always start in goal, and with the returning Laurent Brossoit, the Oil Kings might have the best goalie in the league. Don’t be fooled by Brossoit’s struggles in last year’s Memorial Cup, as he is an excellent goalie who led the club down the stretch and through the WHL playoffs. I think that tournament was an aberration, and his struggles were amplified by a small sample size. I expect he bounces back. On defence the club will be led by the 4th overall pick from this June’s NHL Entry Draft, Griffin Reinhart. He will be joined in the top four by returning offensive wizard Martin Gernat, and by veterans Keegan Lowe, and Cody Corbett. Upfront the team will score a ton of goals, and have a powerful attack. The Oli Kings should again be led by Michael St. Croix, but he has a ton of offensive support in Dylan Wruck, T.J. Foster, Travis Ewanyk, Henrik Samuelsson, Mitch Moroz, and a 2013 NHL Draft top prospect in Curtis Lazar. This team is stacked at every position, and is among the best squads in not just the WHL, but I think that right now they are the best team in the entire CHL. They have some injury issues (especially on Defence) right now. But this team will get healthy, and when they do, they will dominate.

Calgary Hitmen: Could it be, the famous Edmonton-Calgary rivalry spilling over to the WHL? Not really, the Oil Kings will dominate this division, but the Hitmen are a good bet to finish second. In goal, the Senators took Chris Driedger in the third round last spring and after platooning last season, he’s ready to take on the starting role this year. On the blueline the Hitmen return 5 regulars from last season’s squad and the depth and experience should certainly help the club. Up front the club has Cody Sylvester, Brady Brassart, and Brooks Macek who provide plenty of experience, while many are intrigued to see how Jake Virtanen improves this season after scoring 3 goals and 4 points in his brief 9 game debut with the club last year. The big wild card though is Victor Rask. The talented centre is currently in Charlotte, trying out for the Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. If he makes it in the AHL, the Hitmen are weakened and the race for second in the division is wide open. However, if returned to Calgary, he will lead the team’s offence and be a dynamic threat for the club; giving them the offence they need to nail down the number two spot.

Players to Watch:

Michael St. Croix, Centre, Edmonton Oil Kings: A talented forward who finished 8th in WHL scoring last season with 105 points in 72 games. The Oil Kings centre also tied for the team lead in playoff scoring as he led the club to their first ever WHL Championship and a birth in the Memorial Cup. St. Croix has very good top end speed and acceleration. He has great agility and edgework, and his shifty and elusive moves make him a nightmare for defenders one on one. Blessed with great vision, and the ability to feather a pass through the tiniest of openings, St. Croix is a natural playmaker. He also has a tremendous wrist shot and a great release, and it was his willingness to be a little more selfish and use that wrist shot a little more instead of always looking to pass that led to his breakout season this year. Expect much of the same this season as St. Croix should lead the Oil Kings offence. If he stays healthy he should again put up over 100 points and challenge for the WHL scoring title.

Griffin Reinhart, Defence, Edmonton Oil Kings: Reinhart comes from good bloodlines as he is the son of former Calgary Flame Paul Reinhart. At 6’4 and over 200 lbs, he is a physically intimidating presence in the defensive zone. Reinhart is a true shut down defenceman, with excellent positioning in the his own zone, and his big frame and long stick allow him to block shots and cut down passing lanes. He also uses his great size and strength to keep the Oil Kings’ crease clear, and is effective in doing so. He also has offensive skill, with a booming slapshot and excellent wrist shot which he unleashes from the point. Reinhart makes quality passes both as part of his team’s breakout, and in the offensive zone. His excellent offensive instincts and hockey sense, allow Reinhart to quickly exploit gaps in the opponent’s defensive coverage and he often chooses the right moments to pinch in. Expect Reinhart to become the leader on the Oil Kings defence this season as the club seeks back to back WHL titles, and feel they have unfinished business in the Memorial Cup.

Matthew Dumba, Defence, Red Deer Rebels: A very talented, but very raw defenceman who was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in last year’s draft. Offensively talented, Dumba has great skating, a tremendous slapshot, smart offensive instincts, makes great passes, and is clearly not afraid to join the rush or take offensive chances. With 20 goals and 57 points last season, Dumba has shown that he can use these skills and translate them into being a huge offensive weapon in the WHL. Dumba is also known as a big hitter. He loves to see a forward coming down his side of the ice with his head down, and will not hesitate to throw a hard, heavy hit, if he gets the opportunity. He’s usually able to do so with great timing and deliver his big shots legally. Dumba will look to work on being less of a “riverboat gambler” this season and choose his spots to go for the big hit or offensive chance. He should lead the Red Deer Rebels; and is the key to their season.

Ty Rimmer, Goalie, Lethbridge Hurricanes: The Hurricanes acquired Rimmer in the offseason from the Tri-City Americans. Rimmer was excellent for Tri-City last season and put up some of the best numbers in the WHL. However, this year’s Lethbridge squad is not near as strong as last year’s Tri-City club so we should not be surprised if his numbers are not as good this season. However he will be relied upon to keep a young Lethbridge club in games, and even to steal games if the Hurricanes want to stay in the playoff chase. Don’t be surprised if the talented netminder is traded again at the WHL trade deadline, as he will be a prime candidate if any of the contenders is having goalie issues (either by way of injury or unexpected poor play by the teams starter). A move could certainly accelerate the Lethbridge rebuild.

Top 2013 NHL Draft Picks To Watch:

Hunter Shinkaruk, Left Wing, Medicine Hat Tigers: The talented winger has an outstanding shot and release leading to him scoring 49 goals last season. He is a shifty player who is always moving his feet and looking for open space to receive a pass and let his shot go. When carrying the puck, he protects it well and uses good vision and crisp passing skills to set up teammates with scoring opportunities. There is some question on how Shinkaruk will succeed as the go to guy in the Tigers offence this season, after the graduation of Emerson Etem. However, I expect that he will not miss a beat this year and will put himself in contention to be a top 5 pick in June’s NHL Entry Draft.

Curtis Lazar, Centre/Wing, Edmonton Oil Kings: Lazar was a huge part of the Oil Kings winning the WHL title and advancing to the Memorial Cup last season. Given time on a line with Henrik Samuelsson, Lazar scored 19 points in 20 playoff games. Lazar has great quickness and outstanding acceleration. He is able to use his quick and powerful stride to go wide on defence, and if he manages to get a step on them he puts it into another gear and drives the net hard. His powerful skating and excellent balance make him difficult to handle down low and he cycles the puck very well. He plays a rugged game and is willing to hit on the forecheck or battle along the boards. Lazar also possesses an excellent shot and pro-level release which he used to score 8 goals in the WHL playoffs. He will challenge Shinkaruk all year long as the top prospect in the division.

2014 Draft Pick to Watch:

Sam Reinhart, Centre, Kootenay Ice: It will be a long season in Kootenay, but Ice fans can look forward to watching Sam Reinhart each and every night. Another son of Paul Reinhart, Sam will surely join brothers Max and Griffin as an NHL draftee in 2014. Its a little early to say exactly how high he will go, but right now he is considered amongst the very top prospects for 2014. Sam Reinhart is blessed with size and outstanding skill. As a 16 year old last season he had 28 goals and 62 points in 67 games. Reinhart has great hockey sense and outstanding vision. He slows the play down with the puck on his stick, buying time for teammates to get an opportunity. However Reinhart’s biggest strength is as a goalscorer. He has outstanding hands and puck control, as he is quite literally able to stick handle in a phone booth. Reinhart has a hard and accurate wrist shot, and a lightning quick release. There is a long way to go, but Reinhart could be the type of type of franchise centre who gets drafted 1st overall.

Feel free to leave comments below and follow me on Twitter @LastWordBKerr

NFL Week 4: Savant Picks to Win, Versus the Spread and the Over/Under

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Forrest Doran

Just when we thought the NFL couldn’t have gotten any more unpredictable the advent of the replacement referees gave us more unpredictability than we’ve ever seen in a single week in the NFL. The most notable of these completely unpredictable situations is the game that anyone reading this blog is familiar with, the Green bay interception on Seattle’s Hail Mary that was auspiciously called “simultaneous possession” and ruled a touchdown, erroneously. This all-time bad call cost Green bay a win and cost me a correct pick last week. Through it all, I equaled my worst week as an NFL picks prognosticator at 8-8, but relieved to keep my streak of having never finished worse than 8-8(or under .500) in any NFL week I have picked all of the games.

With the agreement between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association, there will be more consistency in picking NFL games and not having acts of randomness by replacement officials clouding good judgement and predictions. To no surprise, the very first game refereed by the “real” refs, resulted in my Baltimore v. Cleveland pick not only producing a trifecta but the game score of 23-16 was a Justin Tucker missed field away from exacting my 26-16 game score prediction, which would have been my 4th perfect game score prediction in since Week 1 of 2011. Picking a perfect game score has odds around 500 to 1(0.2%).

With the return of the referees, I expect to have the return of elite NFL picks. I’ve done my savant analysis of the Week 4 games you can see below, but first here is a recap of last week’s savant pick records and year-to-date records…

*WEEK 3 RESULTS*

Winner: 8-8 :-/

Winner w/ Spread: 6-10 🙁

Over/Under: 7-9 🙁

———————————————

Trifecta: 2

Strikeouts: 5

Perfect Team Score Predictions: 3 (Chicago, Washington, New York(A))

Perfect Game Score Predictions: 0

___________

*2012 Overall Record*

Winner: 28-20 (.583)

Winner w/ Spread: 19-27-2 (.413)

Over/Under: 22-24-2 (.478)

——————————————–

Trifecta: 7

Strikeouts: 12

Perfect Team Score Predictions: 6 [Week 1]: New England [Week 2]: Indianapolis, San Francisco [Week 3]: Chicago, Washington, New York(A)

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.com.

NOTE: Score predictions followed with a “*LOCK*” sign are my spread locks of the week. These are the games I am most certain of the spread pick and feel they should be wagered on if choosing four games to do so.

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…

Cleveland @ Baltimore(-12) (o/u 44)
Savant Spread Pick: Cleveland with the points; Baltimore to win ~ 26-16
Over/Under Pick: Under

—

Result: Cleveland 16 Baltimore 23 / Total Points 39 /
Winner: + Spread: + O/U: +
*Trifecta*

Buffalo v. New England(-4) (o/u 50.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Buffalo with the points; New England and the points to win ~ 24-21
Over/Under Pick: Under

Minnesota @ Detroit(-4.5) (o/u 47.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Minnesota with the points; Detroit to win ~ 27-23
Over/Under Pick: Over

Carolina @ Atlanta(-7) (o/u 48.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Atlanta and the points to win ~ 31-23
Over/Under Pick: Over

New York(A) v. San Francisco(-4) (o/u 41.5)
Savant Spread Pick: San Francisco and the points to win ~ 23-13 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Under

Kansas City v. San Diego(-1) (o/u 44.5)
Savant Spread Pick: San Diego and the points to win ~ 26-21 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Over

Tennessee @ Houston(-12) (o/u 44.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Tennessee with the points; Houston to win ~ 28-17
Over/Under Pick: Over

St. Louis v. Seattle(-3) (o/u 38.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Seattle and the points to win ~ 31-16 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Over

Miami @ Arizona(-5.5) (o/u 39)
Savant Spread Pick: Arizona and the points to win ~ 19-13
Over/Under Pick: Under

Oakland @ Denver(-7) (o/u 48.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Denver and the points to win ~ 31-20
Over/Under Pick: Over

Jacksonville v. Cincinnati(-2.5) (o/u 43.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Cincinnati and the points to win ~ 23-16
Over/Under Pick: Under

New Orleans v. Green Bay(-7.5) (o/u 53)
Savant Spread Pick: Green Bay and the points to win ~ 38-28
Over/Under Pick: Over

Washington @ Tampa Bay(-2.5) (o/u 47.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Tampa Bay and the points to win ~ 27-23
Over/Under Pick: Over

New York(N) v. Philadelphia(-2.5) (o/u 47)
Savant Spread Pick: New York(N) to win ~ 24-19 *LOCK*
Over/Under Pick: Under

Chicago @ Dallas(-3.5) (o/u 41.5)
Savant Spread Pick: Dallas and the points to win ~ 26-20
Over/Under Pick: Over

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012