The 2012 Frozen Four

Tampa is hosting the 65th Frozen Four. This year's Frozen Four looks like it will have some really good final games. Here are reports on the 4 teams in the Frozen Four, Union, Ferris State, Boston College, and Minnesota. 


Union Dutchman


This is the Dutchman's 1st ever appearance in the Frozen Four. They are in the ECAC and also won their 1st ECAC Tournament in Atlantic City this year. The team is captioned by D Nolan Julseth-White. F Jeremy Welsh scored a team-leading 27 goals and 16 assists. Senior F Kelly Zajac leads the team in 34 assists. G Troy Grosenick has a great save percentage at .936 and a .783 win percentage. They have the best defensive team.  They gave up an average of 1.67 goals per game. Union beat Michigan State 3-1 in the 1st round and U Mass-Lowell 4-2 in the next. 


Ferris State Bulldogs


Ferris State had the best regular season in their conference, the CCHA. The Bulldogs head coach is Bob Daniels. He has coached Ferris for 20 years. This is his 2nd time leading a team to the Tournament. The team is led by Senior C Jordie Johnston who had 20 goals and 16 assists this season. Fellow Senior and Co-Captain, D Chad Billins had 22 goals. Ferris State defeated Denver and Cornell, both by the same score of 2-1, in the 1st 2 rounds of the tourney. 


Boston College Eagles

Chris Kreider
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The Eagles are on 17 game winning streak and are ranked number 1 in the USCHO Poll. They were a number 1 seed in the tournament and were champs in the Hockey East tournament for the 3rd straight year. They have best record in the Division 1 with 31-10-1 and the 2nd winningest coach in college hockey history, Jerry York. Parker Milner has a great goalie winning percentage of .844. Chris Kreider has 23 goals and 21 assists which adds up to 44 points. Johnny Gaudreau has 20 goals and 22 assists. BC shutout their 2 opponents they faced in the tournament to this point, 2-0 vs Air Force and 4-0 against Minnesota-Duluth.


Minnesota Golden Gophers


The Golden Gophers are led by Don Lucia, who is in the top 10 in career wins by a college hockey head coach. They have a two really good sophomore forwards, Erik Haula (20 goals, 28 assists) and Nick Bjugstad (25 goals, 17 assists). D Nate Schmidt may only have 3 goals, but he has 38 assists on the year. They have the best goals per game average with 3.67. Minnesota blew out the opposition in their 2 games to this point in the tournament. They beat Boston University 7-3 and North Dakota 5-2.


All of these teams have a chance to win. Boston College is the favorite but that doesn't mean anything. Union is a team that I think can make a run at the championship because of their good D. If we are looking at patterns in deciding the winner, Minnesota, last years champs have a good chance to win it all. Another pattern can be found in Ferris State's nickname and school colors, the bulldogs and red and yellow which are the same as last year's winners, Minnesota-Duluth. But, check out the games between Union and Ferris State and BC and Minnesota.

9 Innings of MLB Preview

Even though the MLB had it's 1st games in Japan between Oakland and Seattle, I decided to do my season preview before most of the other teams start their seasons.


Inning 1: Kansas City Royals

Billy Butler and Alex Gordon are key players
on the Royals
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For the last couple of years, Kansas City has been described as a team that is a few years away from success. This year might be the year for success. The Royals have 5 of their 6 1st Round Draft Picks from 2005-2009 on the team (Alex Gordon, Luke Hochevar, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Aaron Crow). Alex Gordon led the team in WAR with 5.9. That also put the 2nd pick in 2005 Draft at 7th in the WAR category. Both Hosmer and Butler had 19 home runs. Moustakas had 89 hits in 89 games. 


Pitching might keep them from being in the playoffs for the 1st time since 1985 (They won their only World Series in '85). Closer Joakim Soria is out for the year. Aaron Crow was an All-Star as a reliever. They signed a good starter in Jonathan Sanchez. Hochevar was 11-11 last year and is likely to improve on that. They have Jonathan Broxton and Greg Holland. This Royals team might not make the playoffs but it may be a big year for their development. I think that they might have their 1st winning season since 2003. The improvement of the record, team and  hosting the All-Star Game, means success for Kansas City.


Inning 2: Houston's Last Year in the National League

The Astros were terrible last year. They got rid of their best players and won 56 games. Of their top 3 RBI producers, Carlos Lee led the team with 94, Hunter Pence had 62 before being traded, and Chris Johnson had 42. Carlos Lee is the only good hitter on this roster. Wandy Rodriguez is a good pitcher that will get them double-digit wins. The team gave up an average of 4.91 runs per game an had an a 4.51 ERA. 2011 is Houston's last season in the National League. It may be a season that will want to quickly forget.


Inning 3: The Twins


Last year, the Minnesota Twins dropped from 1st Place in the AL Central to last place in not only the their division, but in the entire AL. They were injury plagued. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, the Twins best players, were injured for a good part of the season. And it wasn't just those stars, Denard Span and Tsuyoshi Nishioka each played less then 70 games while Jason Kubel played less then 100. For the Twins to be successful, they must stay free from injury and play like they did when they made the playoffs in 2010 and 2009. 


Inning 4: The Washington Nationals

Gio Gonzalez was a big acqusititon for the Nationals
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The Nationals finished last season in 3rd place. This finish was their best in their 1st 7 seasons. It may not seem like a big jump but they came close to a winning record, 80-81. The Nationals gained 21 wins in the last 3 years. They upgraded their pitching staff in all type of ways. They will have 2 #1 starters in Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. Last year, Strasburg, the number 1 pick in the 2009 Draft, was recovering from Tommy John and Gio Gonzalez was received in a trade. Jordan Zimmerman, Edwin Jackson, and Chien-Ming Wang are all decent starters. They have a two good set-up in Tyler Clippard and Brad Lidge. The Nats closer, Drew Storen, had 43 saves last year.


The are also very powerful in the hitting department. DC's most consistent player, Ryan Zimmerman, signed on for 6 years over the winter. Last season, Jayson Werth had an off year and he continues to struggle, the Nationals will a tough year. 2B Danny Esponsa had a great rookie season and will look to prove it was no fluke. Micheal Morse was the team leader in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) last year. Ian Desmond led the team in steals with 25 in 2011. Phenom Bryce Harper is starting the season at Triple A and when he get's to the Big Show, everyone's expectations are going to be through the roof. The record of the Nationals will be not be a good example of how well they will play, because of their division. The Phillies, Braves, and Marlins are all top teams in the NL, while the Nationals are a middle of the pack team. 


Inning 5: The Wild, Wide Open West 


During the last 3 seasons, a different division champ has risen from the NL West. The Dodgers in 2009, the Giants in 2010, and the Diamondbacks in 2011. This year might be as crazy as it has ever been. The Diamondbacks are looking to prove that their 2011 campaign was no fluke. The Giants are healthy and with Buster Posey back behind the plate and in the line-up, they are looking to return to the World Series. The Dodgers have new ownership that could spark the team. The Rockies are like foxes. They sneak into the playoff hunt and then make a run. The Padres are not likely to do anything. 

Each team has a player that will be an x-factor. The Diamondbacks is Aaron Hill. He needs to bounce back from an off year and hit like he has in previous seasons. The Giants have Pablo Sandoval. If Sandoval can hit 25 home runs for the Giants, they will be in good position for a run at the title. Los Angeles needs a good year out a Andre Either to make him and Matt Kemp a great duo. Colorado's x-factor is Jhoulys Chacin who is going to be the team's number 1 starter. They need 12+ wins from him this year.

Inning 6: Uniform/Logo Differences 

The new Blue Jays uniforms with the new logo in the backround
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The big uniform/logo news of the offseason was the rebranding of the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins. With the city/state name change, they also got all new logos, uniforms, and color scheme. They new colors are yellow, blue, orange, white, and black. The Toronto Blue Jays also made a cool change to their logos and uniforms. Their new logos are like the original logo from 1977. San Diego also changed their logo and uniforms. The home plate logo is gone and has been changed to a circle which has an interlocked SD is inside. The Dodgers slightly changed their logo. The lines are larger and the font is slightly different. The Orioles went retro in their new cap with the smiling Oriole. The Diamondbacks took away the team name of their logo so it is just the big A. There were many other additions and changes but these were the more notable. 


Inning 7: The 2nd Wild Card


The 2nd Wild Card will be in place for the 1st time ever this season. The 2 Wild Card teams will play a winner take-all game at the end of the season to see who will make the next round of the playoffs.


The American League looks to have 6 great baseball teams, the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Angles, and Rangers. Not to mention the other 8 teams that could sneak up and take a spot away from these teams. Every team has a chance to make the playoffs. But, they have 1 game to really make it. Just imagine, a winner-take-all Rangers-Rays or Angles-Yankees, or even Red Sox-Yankees. There might not be a better game. Those are only a few of the great game options for the AL. 


Inning 8: Big Names, Big News

Both Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder left the NL to
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Ryan Braun won the NL MVP last year. But, he was given a 50 game suspension for PED usage. The suspension was later taken away due to the sample being mishandled. Braun is going to get a lot of media attention that could affect his season. Ichiro had a career low year last year. For the 1st time ever in his MLB career, he didn't get 200 hits or a .300 average. He also didn't make the All-Star Game and win a Gold Glove. He's getting up there in age (38) and wants to have one more good season. Yu Darvish is coming over from Japan and is looking to prove he is worth the big buck he is earning. Yoenis Cespedes is a Cuban defector looking to prove himself in Oakland. He hit is 1st 4 bagger in the 2nd game of the year in Japan. Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder both got big contracts and left the teams they were on your team last year. If they don't produce, they are going to get some heat.


Inning 9: Playoffs


Last season, 4 teams that missed the playoffs in 2010 made the playoffs. Those teams were the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. The teams that were replaced were the Atlanta Braves,  Cincinnati Reds,  Minnesota Twins, and San Francisco Giants. The teams that made it both years are the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers. All of these team and a few more, like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, and Miami Marlins, have a chance of making the playoffs. The extra wild card has made the race wide open. Thats means a great year of baseball. 

NCAA Tournament Final Four

The Final Four finished up last night in The Big Easy. Both games were very good games to watch. They were exciting and electrifying. The Superdome had it's green court that was bright to the eyes. Here's a Final Four report. 

LOUISVILLE vs KENTUCKY

Anthony Davis Slams It Home
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The 1st game of the doubleheader was between rivals Louisville and Kentucky. for most of the 1st half, Kentucky held a good lead over Louisville, even though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out for most of the period in foul trouble. At the start of the 2nd half, Louisville got on a role and tied the game at 49 with 9:31 left on the clock. Kentucky, however, couldn't be stopped as they won 69-61. Player of the Year Anthony Davis led the Wildcats with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. 






OHIO STATE vs KANSAS

Tyshawn Taylor steals the ball in the last minute
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In the 2nd Game, Ohio State started off hot while Kansas couldn't make a shot. For most of the last 8 minutes of the 1st half, Ohio State held a double digit lead over the Jayhawks. At half time, it was 34-25. Kansas came out of half time rolling. The Jayhawks tied the game a few times but they didn't take the lead until about 2 minutes were left. The lead wasn't long but they got it back retook the lead with 1:08 left in the game. With about 8 seconds left and Kansas up by 3, Ohio State passed the ball in and Tyshawn Taylor stole it but threw it away trying to pass the ball to teammate Elijah Johnson who was driving to the basket. Kansas fouled Aaron Craft. He made the 1st shot. He purposely missed the 2nd, got the rebound, and put up a shot. But, the referee called a lane violation. Kansas ran the clock out and won 64-62. Thomas Robinson had 19 points and Jeff Withey had 8 bounds and 7 blocks.


CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW


This is the 4th time in history that 2 teams with the same 1st letter in the college name are facing off in a NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final. The previous times were between Oregon and Ohio State in the 1st ever tourney in 1939, Wisconsin and Washington State in 1941, and Kentucky and Kansas State in 1951. 


Kentucky is the definite favorite being the number 1 overall seed in the Tournament and having defeated Kansas earlier in the year by 10. They have Davis, who is expected to be the number 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.  Davis averages 14.4 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game, and 4.6 blocks per game. Kidd-Gilchrist averages 11.9 and 7.5 rebounds per game. Terrence Jones averages 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Those 3 make up a great front court. The backcourt is just as good with Marquis Teague, Doron Lamb, and Darius Miller. This might be the team that gets John Calipari his 1st NCAA Tournament. 


Kansas's last championship game appearance was in 2008, where Bill Self's Kansas team defeated Calipari's Memphis team in OT. This year's Jayhawk team is lead by Thomas Robinson and Taylor. Robinson averages 17.7 points per game and 11.7 bounds per game. Taylor averages 16.8 points per game and 4.8 assists per game. Withey is having a great tournament. He had 10 blocks vs. NC State and 15 points vs UNC. In last night's game, Travis Releford played really well without much notoriety. He played 38 minutes, had 15 points and 6 rebounds. We can't forget Elijah Johnson, who has had 10+ points tin every game in the Tournament, and also had 10 rebounds vs. OSU.


I believe that Kentucky will beat Kansas tomorrow in the Mercedez-Benz Superdome. Kansas has played really bad in the 1st half in the Tournament and then go on to play a great 2nd half. Against Kentucky, you can't do that. That is a recipe for a loss. 

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. 

NBA All Star Weekend

The NBA All-Star Weekend is the best one in sports. It is exciting, fun, and a great watch. Here's a look at some of the events.

Slam Dunk Contest Part 1: The Changes

The Slam Dunk Contest has made major changes to its format this year. Last year there were 2 rounds. 4 players started the first round and got 2 dunks each. A panel of 5 judges graded the dunks. A panel of judges used to judge the finals, too, until 2008 when they decided to declare a winner by texting. I didn't like the move when it was made, but I have learned to except it. The new changes are something I'm not sure I can accept. The first move is reducing the competition to 1 round. In that 1 round each participant will have 3 dunks. The panel of judges is also eliminated from the competition. Fans will vote the winner through texting, Twitter, and NBA.com. I really dislike this idea. I think that the fans will pick the person they like best. For example, DeMar DeRozan and JaVale McGee have had been snubbed by this system before. That means it will happen again.

Slam Dunk Contest Part 2: The Contestants

Derrick Williams is a contestant for the Slam Dunk Contest
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The changes didn't include the number of contestants. There will still be 4. Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan, JaVale McGee, and Serge Ibaka, the 4 contestants from last year's great contest, will not compete again this year. The participants are Houston's Chase Budinger, Utah's Jeremy Evans,  Indiana's Paul George, and Minnesota's Derrick Williams. New York's Iman Shumpart was supposed to be in it but he had to drop out due to injury. This is not as star-studded as it has been, but it has potential. All of the players were drafted in the last 3 drafts and are all rising stars. One or more of them can make a name for themselves. If no one does, the contest might be a bore.

Three Point Contest

The three point contest is all about getting on a roll and not stopping. That is what happens with every winner. They get on fire and the rest is history. 6 players, 4 new to the contest, are looking to make history and take the title. They range from post men to runner of the offense. These players are Orlando's Ryan Anderson, Miami's Mario Chalmers, Atlanta's Joe Johnson, the defending champ, Miami's James Jones, Minnesota's  Kevin Love, and New Jersey's Anthony Morrow. All of them can knock down a 3 pointer, but it all depends on who can get on a roll. 

Skills Competition 

The Skills Competition isn't really a thriller but it's fun to watch. This year's competitors are Golden State's Stephan Curry, the defending champ, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, San Antonio's Tony Parker, Washington's John Wall, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, and New Jersey's Deron Williams. All these players have the skill set to win. Each one has to be on their A game. 

Rising Stars Challenge

Charles Barkley and Shaquelle O'Neal at the Rising Stars Draft
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Instead of the Rookie Challenge, which pitted a select group of rookies against a select group of sophomores, the NBA rebrand the game into a Rising Stars Challenge. The game will still have rookies and first year players, but on the same team. This year, legends and TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquelle O'Neal, picked teams from a group of pre-selected players. Before the draft, "commissioner" of the game, Kenny Smith, also a TNT analyst put rookie Norris Cole of Miami and Jeremy Lin of Knicks into the game. Shaq had the 1st pick and selected Blake Griffin. The Round Mound of Rebound took Kyrie Irving as his first pick When it all ended, Team Shaq's team had: F Blake Griffin, G Jeremy Lin, G Ricky Rubio, F Markieff Morris, C Greg Monroe, G Landry Fields, G Norris Cole, G Kemba Walker, G Brandon Knight, and F Tristin Thompson. Team Chuck had G Kyrie Irving, C DeMarcus Cousins, G/F Gordon Hayward, G/F Paul George, F Derrick Williams, G/F MarShon Brooks, G John Wall, F/C Tiago Splitter, G/F Evan Turner, and F Kawhi Leonard. Splitter is injured and has been replaced by F Derrick Favors. The roster was put in order of when they were drafted.

At first glance, Shaq looks like he got the better of the draft with the star power of Griffin, Lin and Rubio. But I like the look of Barkley's team. He got a steal by getting 2010 Draft's 1st overall pick, Wall, with his seventh pick. He also has the 2011 1st overall pick in Irving, Wall's college teammate in Cousins, and underrated swingmen in George and Brooks. This looks to be a good game with even teams.

Final Analysis

The NBA made changes to this years All Star Game are not going to ruin the weekend, but I find them risky moves. The rebranding of the Rookie Challenge came unexpectedly, but could become a hit. The changes to the Slam Dunk Contest are very surprising, considering it was at it's finest last year. You usually don't change something was recently given high praise. All in all, I am still looking excited to one of the best weekends in all of sports.

The Start of the 2012 College Baseball Season

With pitchers and catchers just starting, baseball seems like its weeks away from the start of the regular season in America. However, college baseball just finished up the first 3 days of their season. It had a lot of action for the 1st games of the year. Here are some of the top match-ups of the weekend.

Florida In Action With Cal Fullerton

Florida is ranked #1 in many of the preseason polls and was runner-up in last year's College World Series. Cal State Fullerton was ranked in the top 25. There was a lot riding on this series. 


The 1st game of the series was close through the 7th inning stretch. It was all tied up at 3. In the bottom of the 7th, Florida scored 4 runs and took a 7-3 lead. They held the Titans to no runs for the rest of the game and won. In the 2nd game, Cal State Fullerton took a 2-0 lead by scoring 1 run in the 1st and 3rd. In the 4th inning, Florida got some baserunners and brought them home, scoring 4 runs. They add an insurance run to make their lead 3 in the 8th and won 5-2. Gators 1B Preston Tucker and C Mike Zunino both had 2 hits, 1 RBI, and 1 run. In the last game of the series, Florida started off hot by scoring 3 runs in the 2nd. It looked like the sweep was in their hands. But, Cal State Fullerton scored 4 runs in both the 4th and the 5th. Florida tried coming back but could only score have 1 player cross the plate in the 7th and 8th. Cal State Fullerton won 8-5. Titan 1B Carlos Lopez and DH JD Davis both had 3 hits and 3 RBIs. 

Stanford and Vanderbilt 

This match-up was the most anticipated of the weekend. Vanderbilt made the College World Series for the 1st time last year and Stanford made the Super Regionals. Stanford is ranked inside the Top 5 and Vandy is ranked from 10th to 23rd. 

Stephen Piscotty drove in 7 runs in Game 3 of the series vs. Vandy
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In the 1st game, Stanford didn't look rusty at all, crossing the plate once in the 1st, once in the 2nd, 3 times in the 3rd, once in the 5th, once in 6th, and once in the 8th. 1B Brian Regina was 3 for 4 and 2 RBIs. Vanderbilt tried to to come back, but could only score 2 runs in the 9th to add to the 1 run they had before. Stanford won 8-3. Game 2 was much like Game 1 for Stanford. They were rolling to start the game. Scoring 1 run in the 1st, 4 in 3rd, 1 in the 4th, and 3 in the 5th. The Commodores scored more but couldn't catch up. Stanford won 9-5. The rubber game was a blow out. Stanford dominated 18-5. Stanford had a 8 and 7 run inning. Cardinal 3B Stephen Piscotty had 2 hits, 2 runs, and 7 RBIs from a 3 run double and a grand slam. 

Xavier- UNC Features Upset, Blowouts

University of North Carolina easily handled Xavier in the 1st game of a doubleheader with a 10-2 victory. Tar Heel SS Tommy Coyle scored 3 times and got 2 hits, including a 3 bagger and C Jacob Stallings had 2 runs, 2 hits, and 2 RBIs. Xavier was 30-27 last year and 14-10 in conference, which placed them 4th in the A-10. 


Game 2 of the doubleheader was much different. Xavier had a 5-0 lead at the end of the 5th. After the 7th, it was 5-4. Xavier scroed 3 in the 8th and then 2 in the 9th to close the game with a 10-4 win. C Derek Hasenbeck had 3 hits in 3 at bat with 3 RBIs and a run in his debut. Musketeers 2B Seth Willoughby was 3 for 4 and then came in to pitch in the 8th and got the save. 


In the rubber game of the series, UNC scored 6 runs in the 1st to take a 6-0. In the top of the 2nd, Xavier scored 8 runs to take a 8-6 lead. UNC scored 2 more runs to tie it up at 8 in the bottom of the 2nd. Xavier scored one run in the 4th to take the lead, but in the bottom of inning UNC scored 5 runs and the 2 in the 5th. By the time the final out was made, UNC won 16-10.

Back to Back Champ South Carolina Sweeps VMI

South Carolina has 2 College World Series victories. Both have been in the last two years. Their 2010 championship was last one ever played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium and the 2011 championship was first one ever played at the new TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. This year, they are trying to make it a 3-peat. They started their season against Virginia Military Academy.

South Carolina started the season at home at Carolina Stadium vs. VMI
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In the 1st game of the 3 game series on Friday, both teams had crossed home plate by the bottom of the 8th. 3B LB Dantlzer hit an RBI single to put South Carolina ahead 2-1. That's how the 1st game ended. The 1st game of Saturday's, South Carolina scored 1 run in the 1st and 1 in the 3rd. VMI tied it up in the 6th. In the bottom of the 6th, Gamecock C Dante Rosenberg, who went 2 for 4, hit a RBI double that scored the GWing run. In the 2nd game of the doubleheader and the last one of the series, South Carolina dominated with a 13-1 win. They blew the game open in the 3rd when the scored 4th runs. They never looked back.

Pink in Sports

Will pink ever make it into a logo?

The Miami Heat have started wearing retro uniforms of the non-related Miami Floridans of the ABA. On the uniforms there is a pink stripe running down the side. This got me wondering, can pink make it into the sports world successfully? For many years the answer was a clear cut no. The classic colors, blue, red, gray, black, and white were usually chosen in the early days. But as years went by the more colors were added into color schemes and logos. Here are uses of pink in logos.


When Breast Cancer Awareness month comes around, the NFL does a great job in spreading awareness. Many of the players were pink shoes, pink towels, and pink gloves. The color pink they use fits in well with the uniforms of the teams

The Miami Floridans (Called The Floridans from 1970-1972) played in the American Basketball Association from 1968-1972. From the 1970-71 season to the end of the next season, Miami wore uniforms that had a pink and bright orange stripe on the side. It was a style statement that made the ABA the ABA, but it wasn't a fab that lasted a while.

Can you see pink in this logo? I can
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The question is yes, pink can probably make it's way into sports. Uniquer colors have been used and have been successful. However, to succeed pink needs to head to a team that can work it in and fit well. Teams like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Green Bay Packers, New York Knicks, Pittsburgh Penguins are not ones that would fit.


What teams could add pink to the color scheme. Miami has two teams that could fit it in. The Miami Marlins just changed their logos, color scheme, and more. The new color scheme has a scheme that has a yellow, orange, and light blue pared with black and white. I believe a pink could work with the color scheme they have in place right now.

The Miami Heat are also a possibility. Their branding could have pink added into the red and black as a back round color. However, the Heat are not going to do this, especially since it doesn't fit their attitude. Red and black is where it is at for them.


The Toronto Raptors red can be mistaken as a dark, dark pink. So why not add a little pink flavor to the logo. It would add a little flash. What would make it even better would be to add a little purple to it. That would be a statement. 


The Houston Dynomo of the MLS might also consider putting a touch of pink in their scheme. However, just a slight amount would be a nice addition to the orange and black scheme they have in place.


All in all, I believe pink is heading into sports logos and schemes very soon.

Basketball Update: NBA, CBA, NBL of Canada, and more

DJ Augustine is the starting PG for Charlotte
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National Basketball Association


The Charlotte Bobcats have the worst record in the league at 3-20, which averages to a .130 winning percentage. They have lost 10 straight games. Why are they the worst? Well, when there best players are Corey Maggette, Gerald Henderson, and DJ Augustine in division where there are the Heatles (LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh), Atlanta (Jeff Teague, Josh Smith, and Joe Johnson), and Orlando (Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson). However, they do have Washington (2nd worst in the East) in the division, it doesn't make much of a position. 


Chinese Basketball Association 


Many players went overseas during the lockout. The players who went to China to play in the Chinese Basketball Association could not opt out of their contracts when the lockout ended. Kenyon Martin was cleared to leave and rejoin the NBA earlier this week. Here is how some of the more notable players have performed. Martin played in 12 games, averaging 13.9 ppg for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. Wilson Chandler has played in 27 games and is averaging 26.1 ppg and 11.4 rpg for the Zhejiang Lions. Playing for Guangdong Southern Tigers, Aaron Brooks is averaging 21 ppg. JR Smith is averaging 35.2 ppg for the Zhejianj Golden Bulls.


NBA Development League


The Canton Charge is the newest team in the D-League, moving from New Mexico to Canton. Their first season in the Canton Memorial Civic Center is going OK with a 13-15 record, placing them in 4th place in the Eastern Division. PG TJ Cambell has 10.8 ppg, F Tyrell Briggs is averaging 16.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg, and F Dante Milligan has 9.3 ppg and 8.9 rpg. 

Gabe Freeman is playing really well this year
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National Basketball League of Canada


The National Basketball League of Canada is in the swing of it's first season ever. The team leading the 7 team league is the London Lightning with a 21-6 record. Forward Gabe Freeman, is one of the league's top players. Freeman is averaging 12.429 rpg (1st in the league) and 18.25 ppg (2nd in the league). The worst team in the league at 7-20, the Moncton Miracles., who will need a miracle to make the playoffs.


Turkish Basketball League


Deron Williams played with Bestikas during the NBA Lockout for 7 games, and then retired his number 8. How has the team fared without D-Will? Pretty well. They are in 4th place in the TBL with a 12-4 record. They have other former NBA players in PG Carlos Arroyo and F Adam Morrison. Zoran Erceg is averaging 17.1 ppg. Other notables teams right now include the 0-16 Bandirma team. They still have 14 games left to win though.


Liga Nacional de Basquet 


The top team in the Argentina's top pro basketball league, the Liga Nacional de Basquet, is Obras from Buenos Aires. They have a 15-3 record. PF/C Juan Gutierrez is averaging 18.4 ppg (1st in the LNB), 9.0 rpg (Tied for 3rd), and 1.2 bpg (Tied for 3rd). F Tony Washam is averaging 14.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg. They shouldn't be feeling too conformable at 1st. Penoral is 15-4 and in 2nd place.