Six Nations Championship

The Six Nations Championship is 1 of the best rugby tournaments, and 1 of the oldest, in the world. Originally, the tournament was called the Home International Championship and had only 4 countries competing, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The 1st Home International Championship was held in 1883. France joined in 1910 and the tournament was renamed the Five Nations Championship. Italy joined just 12 years ago and it has been called the Six Nations Championship ever since. 


England was victorious in last years tournament but France and Wales had the advantage coming in as they finished 2nd and 4th respectively in the Rugby World Cup last year. Ireland and England lost in the Quarters of the tournament. Ireland to Wales and England to France. Scotland and Italy failed to get past the 1st round. At the start of the tournament, France was 3rd in the IRB's (International Rugby Board) Rankings, England was 5th, Ireland 6th, Wales 8th, Scotland 10th, and Italy 12th.


Wales started off well with a 23-21 victory over Ireland in Ireland when Leigh Halfpenny kicked a penalty in the last minute to win. England won 13-6 vs Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. With the victory, England won the Calcutta Cup. The Cup is given to the winner of England-Scotland game. France dominated Italy 30-12  to get the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy. This award is given to the winner of the France-Italy game. 

Italy vs England in the snow
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In Week 2, England defeated Italy 19-15 and Wales beat Scotland 27-12. The other match-up between France and Ireland at Stade de France was postponed for the 1st time since 1985. It was called off 10 minutes before kick-off because of parts of the pitch were icy. Fans at the game were furious and were jeering. Nothing the players could do, including applauding the crowd, could help. 


The clubs had a week off and then resumed on February 25th. In the 1st game of Week 3, Ireland blew out Italy 42-10. Wales defeated England 19-12 to win the Triple crown. The Triple Crown is awarded given out to 1 of the British Isles teams that beats each of the other teams. France beat  Scotland 23-17. 


The game between France and Ireland was made up in the 2nd off week of the tournament. France came back from 11 points down to tie it at 17 and thats how it ended, in a 17-17 tie.


Week 4 had a match-up of England and France in which England upset France 24-22. Wales won against Italy 24-3. Ireland beat Scotland 32-14 to get the Centenary Quatch, an award given to the winner of Ireland-Scotland.

Wales celebrates as Champs
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The Wooden Spoon award for the worst team of the tournament. For the last 4 years the "honor" went to Italy. This year, the game between Scotland and Italy during Week 5 would decide who got the spoon. Italy beat Scotland 13-6 as Scotland got the Wooden Spoon. England beat Ireland 30-9 to get the Millennium Trophy, a trophy given to the winner of the England-Ireland match-up. Wales defeated France 16-9 to win not only the Championship, but another award, the Grand Slam. The Grand Slam is the award that is given to the team that wins all of it's games in the tournament. 

NBA Trade Deadline

Here is a report on some trades (and non trades) that when down on the day of the NBA Trade Deadline.

Dwight Howard Decided To Stay In Orlando
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Dwight Howard To Stay in Orlando


Dwight Howard announced that he will stay in Orlando for at least the 2012-13 season. Even though it was not a trade, the 6 time All-Star's announcement was the biggest story of the season's Trade Deadline. For the whole season he was on the Trading Block and was non-committal on wanting to stay. Howard was rumored to want to head to New Jersey and help the franchise with their move to Brooklyn, but at the moment, it is not meant to be.


Nets Acquire Gerald Wallace From Portland


F Gerald Wallace was traded to Portland from Charlotte last year at the deadline. Again, he's moving midseason from 1 coast to another coast. Gerald Wallace was sent to New Jersey for Memhet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a 1st Round Pick. In my mind, Wallace is a very good player who will help a defense that is ranked 25th in league in points allowed. The 1st Round Pick is a very interesting part of this trade. If the pick is not in the top 3, it is Portland's. Portland also traded C Marcus Camby to Houston for Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, and a 2nd Rounder. 


Stephen Jackson Gets Traded... and Then Traded Again


On Tuesday, Stephen Jackson went to Golden State with Andrew Bogut in the trade that brought Monta Ellis, Kwame Brown, and Ekpe Udoh to the Bucks. Then, after not even playing in 1 game for the Warriors, he was traded to San Antonio for Richard Jefferson and a 2012 1st Rounder. Jackson had previously played for both Golden State, from 2007-10, and San Antonio from 2001-03 season. He won an NBA Championship with San Antonio in the 2002-03 season.

Nene
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Nene Heads to DC, McGee to Mile High City, Young to Lob City


This 3 team trade is highlighted by Nene, who signed a 6 year, 67 million dollar contact with Denver in the offseason, being traded to the Washington Wizards. Washington also got Brain Cook and a Draft Pick. Denver recieved JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf, while Nick Young went to the Clippers. Young will help a team that needs a explosive shooting guard to imporve a backcourt with mostly PG's. McGee is very athletic more a man his size and Nene is going to give John Wall a partner-in-crime. 


Lakers Trade A PG in 1 Trade, Get 1 In Another


The Lakers got rid of Derek Fisher today, with a 1st Round Draft Pick, by sending him to the Houston Rockets. In return, they got C Jordan Hill. That wasn't all the Lakers did. They gained G Ramon Sessions, G Christian Eyenga, and the right to swap drat picks with the Heat's 1st Rounder in an acquisition with Cleveland for Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and a 1st Round Pick. Los Angeles didn't get a superstar point guard, but they did get younger overall, which is what this team needs.


Barbosa Heads To Indiana


Leandro Barbosa has been traded to Indiana for a 2nd Round Pick. G Anthony Carter was reported to be in the deal but that rumor was false. This gives Indiana more experience and a good back-up guard that can work his way into the system.

Arena & Indoor Football Preview & Review of 1st Couple Weeks

It's the time of year when arena and indoor football start their seasons. A couple leagues have already started their seasons, but most of the leagues are starting soon. Below are reports on the arena/indoor football leagues playing this spring.


Arena Football League


The Arena Football League is the premier arena football league and is in it's 25th season. It has its first game tomorrow with the Pittsburgh Power facing off against Orlando Predators at 8 pm on NFL Network.  The game is being called the Hall of Fame Game because the Arena Football League Hall of Fame class of 2011 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Members of the class include QB Kurt Warner, WR Eddie Brown, and WR/DB Barry Wagner.

Aaron Garcia is one of the best in AFL History
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The defending champions are the Jacksonville Sharks. The Sharks won ArenaBowl XXIV over the Arizona Rattlers 73-70. They were lead by QB Aaron Garcia. Garcia had a career year with 116 TDs, 4933 passing yards, and 402 completions on 562 attempts for a 71.5 completion percentage The 41 year old Garcia left in the offseason and signed the San Antonio Talons, who just relocated from Tulsa. Jomo Wilson caught 43 of Garcia's 116 TD's and joined him San Antonio. 


The Tampa Bay Storm are the only team that has played in every season of the Arena Football League. Originally, the Storm were in Pittsburgh and played as the Gladiators. Pittsburgh beat the Washington Commanders in the 1st official AFL game, 48-46. They moved to the Tampa area after the 1990 season and became the Storm.  They played in the Florida Suncoast Dome (now Tropicana Field). They moved to Ice Palace, now the Tampa Bay Times Forum in 1997.  Since their move to the Tampa, the Storm have won 5 ArenaBowls, ArenaBowl V, ArenaBowl VII, ArenaBowl IX, ArenaBowl X, and ArenaBowl XVII. After missing the playoffs last year, Tampa Bay really wants to get back into the playoffs for their 25th season. 


Indoor Football League 


The Indoor Football League started a couple weeks before every league, with their 1st game on February 19th between the Bloomington Edge and Chicago Slaughter in the Kick Off Classic. The Sioux Falls Storm won last years United Bowl over the Tri-Cities Fever. Sioux Falls' QB Chris Dixon is a 2 time IFL MVP and had 74 passing TD's and 21 TD's on the ground. They look  are looking to make their 3rd straight United Bowl and win their 2nd. 

Terrell Owens with the Allen Wranglers
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The biggest news in the offseason of arena/indoor football was 6 time Pro Bowler and 5 time All Pro WR Terrell Owens signing with the IFL's Allen Wranglers. TO also got a stake in the ownership of the Wranglers. Throwing to Owens is dual threat Bryan Randell. Randell, the 2010 IFL MVP, joined the Wranglers after spending his 2011 season with the Richmond Raiders of the SIFL. In the team's first game, Owens caught 3 passes for 53 yards. All of his catches were for TD's. He didn't catch 1 ball in the 2nd game against the Everest Raptors.


American Indoor Football 


The American Indoor Football is having it's first season as the American Indoor Football. From 2006-2010 the league was called the American Indoor Football Association. Last year, the teams from AIFA East Division merged with the SIFL. After a season of the merger, the AIF CEO decided to leave the SIFL and reestablished the AIFA as the AIF. This year, the AIF is having it's All-Star Game in Cancun, Mexico. I think this is a great idea by trying to globalize the game. I don't know if it will be successful or not but I hope it is. That is probably the biggest part of their season. 

Julie Harshbarger with the Chicago Cardinals in 2010
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Continental Indoor Football League 


The Continental Indoor Football League is in their 6th season and also have 6 teams. One of their teams is the Chicago Vipers. The Vipers kicker is Julie Harshbarger, She played with the Chicago Cardinals in 2010 and the Chicago Knights in 2011, both teams are in the CIFL. Last year she was 8 for 14 on Field Goals and 19-26 on PATs giving her 43 points scored on the year. The 43 points was the most scored on the team and she was 2nd in the league in PAT percentage.


Lone Star Football League 


The Lone Star Football League is having it 1st season, starting March 24th. All the teams are in Texas. The teams are Abilene Ruff Riders, Amarillo Venom, Corpus Christi Hammerheads, Houston Stallions, Laredo Rattlesnakes, Rio Grande Valley Magic, and West Texas Roughnecks. I really like the idea of the Lone Star Football League because Texas loves football and this can fill their need for it in he spring. I believe this league can be very successful.


Professional Indoor Football League


The Professional Indoor Football League is also having it's inaugural season too. They are going to have 6 teams for the first season from the Old Dominion to the Pelican State. The teams are Alabama Hammers, Albany Panthers, Columbus Lions, Knoxville NightHawks, Louisiana Swashbucklers, and Richmond Raiders. Richmond and Columbus are facing off in the season opener on March 10th. They league is looking to start off well.

Jared Lorenzen last year playing for the River Monsters
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United Indoor Football League


The United Indoor Football League is in it's sophomore season. The commissioner is former NFL QB Jared Lorenzen, who played in the league last year for the North Kentucky River Monsters (Now not in the league). Many teams in the league are new to the league. The had their 1st games last week. One of the games, between the Erie Explosion and the Western Pennsylvania Sting, was a blowout, 81-7. For Erie, D-Lineman Mike Robinson had 5 sacks and returned a fumble for a TD.


American Professional Football League


Like many other leagues, the American Professional Football League is having a monumental year. The APFL's 10th season starts on March 24th with a game between the Mid Missouri Outlaws and the Springfield Wolfpack and a match-up of the Oklahoma Defenders and the defending champions, Sioux City Bandits. The league has added 3 new teams this year, Cheyenne Warriors Colorado Lightning, and Oklahoma. It looks like it will be one of the best seasons of the APFL.

The Iditarod's Route

The Iditarod is one of the coolest sporting events and is the best event for sled dog racing. Formed to help remember the 1925 serum run to Nome and other memorable dog sledding organizations in 1973, the competition is having it's 40th race this year, starting tomorrow. Last year, John Baker won his 1st Iditarod with a record time of 8 days, 18 hours, 46 minutes, and 39 seconds, stopping Lance Mackey's 4 race winning streak. 

The Iditarod alternates the route for each year

Every year, the Iditarod alternates courses. For even years, they use a northern route and for odd years, a southern route is in place. The only difference in the routes is that the route from Ophir to Kaltag is different. For southern route, the checkpoints of Iditarod, Shageluk, Anvik, Grayling, and Eagle Island. The northern route incorporates Cripple, Ruby, Galena, and Nulato. The northern route is 975 miles. Below are reports on the 4 checkpoints that complete the even year's trail.




Cripple


Cripple is 73 miles from the previous checkpoint, Ophir, the longest distance between checkpoints on the trail. Cripple has a population of 0. It is the official midway point of the northern route, 495 miles from Anchorage and 480 from Nome. The first person get a halfway trophy and $3,000 in gold nuggets. 

Ruby, Alaska in 1917
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Ruby


Ruby, once called the "Gem of the Yukon", is the first checkpoint on the Yukon River and has a population of 187. Ruby once rivaled Fairbanks as the center of civilization in Mid Alaska. The Millennium Alaskan Hotel Anchorage awards the 1st person to Ruby a gourmet dinner and a cash prize. 




Galena


Galenta, also on the Yukon River, has the biggest population of the checkpoint only during northern routes with 527. The town is named after the lead sulfate ore found in the area whose chemical name is Galenta. The route from Ruby is all near the Yukon River. 


Nulato


Nulato is the last checkpoint of the 4 that is only part of the route during even years.  It has a population of 359 and of the 4 checkpoint it is the oldest town, founded in 1838. The route from Galena and the route to Katleg from Nulato are on the Yukon River. 


This year's Iditarod looks to be a good one. There are former winners of the event participating, including Baker, Mackey, Jeff King, and more. There are many newcomers to the event, too. It looks to be one of the best ever.