2014 MLB Preview: Players To Look Out For

Xander Bogaerts, SS, #2, Boston Red Sox

Xander Bogaerts
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Bogaerts made a name for himself during the 2013 World Series when he took over as the starting third baseman and played well. Now, Bogaerts, a shortstop by trade, has been given the starting job at short. Bogaerts has the potential to be great both offensively and defensively. When with a bat in his hands, Bogaerts can hit the ball. Once he gets comfortable in the big leagues, Bogaerts will hit 20-25 home runs and hit at least .300. Bogaerts has struggled defensively at points in the minors. However, he is only 21 years old and has time to keep working and improving. Bogaerts is a star in the making. I would expect Bogaerts to play well and be a favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year.

Domonic Brown, LF, #9, Philadelphia Phillies

Brown was a top five prospect a few years ago but did not play like it until last year. He made the All-Star Game and hit 27 homers. However, only six of the 27 round trippers came after July 1. That drop-off in production makes many people, including myself, wonder if the first three months of the season were a fluke for Brown. As of this moment, I am skeptical and will remain in that disposition until Brown consistently hits for power. 

Michael Pineda, SP, #35, New York Yankees

Michael Pineda
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The Yankees traded for Pineda before the 2012 season after making the All-Star Game, and ERA of, and WHIP of 1.099 in his rookie campaign in 2011. However, he has not pitched for New York due to shoulder injuries. After rehabbing for two years including stints in the minors, Pineda is back in the starting rotation. Pineda is the wild card for the Yankees. If he pitches well, the Yankees are much more likely to make the playoffs, while if Pineda struggles and cannot find his grove, not only are the Yankees less likely to be successful, it may be time to start labeling Pineda as a "one-hit wonder."

Yan Gomes, C, #10, Cleveland Indians  and Carlos Santana, 3B, #, Cleveland Indians

Gomes, the first ever MLB player from Brazil, had a very good 2013 season. He played so well that the Indians have decided to move last year's starting catcher, Carlos Santana, to 3B. The success of the Indians will depend on how well these two do their new jobs. Both are going to be middle of the order players who will need to hit for power. If they can drive in runs and Santana plays decent defense, Cleveland will have a very good opportunity for a wild card spot.

Mike Moustakas, 3B, #8, Kansas City Royals

Mike Moustakas
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Moustakas was highly touted when he came into the majors in 2011. He has given the potential to be one of the best power hitters in the game Since coming to the majors, Moustakas has hit .244, has an on-base percentage of .296, and OPS of .681, and has only 37 home runs. Not only that, he led the AL in errors by a 3B. However, he has looked great this spring, especially in his plate discipline. This is the year for him to break out. This is a big year for Moustakas. He needs to establish himself as a player who contribute positively day in and day out. If he cannot prove he can play as an above average third baseman, it will be time for the Royals to move on.

Christian Yelich, LF, #21, Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins do not have much hope for a winning season this year, but they have a lot of young talent to look at and no one is more interesting to me then Yelich. Yelich was called up midseason and performed well. Yelich has the potential to be a game changer in the future for the Marlins. He has speed, is a very good defender, and can hit. While Giancarlo Stanton will get most of the headlines, Yelich may end up being the better outfielder. 

Billy Hamilton, CF, #6, Cincinnati Reds

Billy Hamilton
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When the Reds called up Hamilton in September, he immediately made an impact. In his first game in the big show, he came on as a pinch runner, stole a base and scored the game's only run. Hamilton, who has the professional record for most stolen bases in a season (155 in 2012 with the Reds's Advanced A and AA teams), stole 13 bases in 13 games last year and is now the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter for Cincinnati. The one area he needs to improve on is his ability to get on base. If he can get on base, things are going to happen. Hamilton is an enigma and, if he plays very well, he may be the best table-setter in baseball by the end of the year.

Carlos Gomez, CF, #27, Milwaukee Brewers

Gomez had a breakout year in 2013, winning a Gold Glove, making the All-Star Team, and leading the league in rWAR. The question now is can he repeat this success? He was never close to being in a top five center fielder in the league before last year. Gomez needs to prove that he is a top center fielder in the game and this is the year he is going to need to prove it. 

Jose Abreu, 1B, #79, Chicago White Sox

Jose Abreu
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Abreu is this year's Cuban prospect to watch. He put up great numbers in the Cuba's Serie Nacional and in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. His success is going to depend on how well he can adapt to major league pitching. There is a big difference between the level he had been playing at in Cuba and the level the MLB is on. So far this spring, Abreu has hit .286 with an OPS of .780 plus three home runs and ten strikeouts to one walk. He will need to adapt like other recent Cuban stars have and keep his confidence up. I expect Abreu will do a lot of learning this year. Very soon, Abreu could be a 30 home run/ 100 RBI player. This year will not be that year.

Jim Johnson, RP, #45, Oakland Athletics

The last two years, Jim Johnson led the AL in saves with the Orioles with 51 and 50 respectively. Yet, the O's traded him to Oakland because they were worried about the money he would cost. This move was arguably the best move of the offseason. Oakland lost their 2013 closer, Grant Balfour, and replaced him with an even better closer. Johnson has the potential to be one of the best closers in the game this year.

Mark Trumbo, LF, #15, Arizona Diamondbacks

Mark Trumbo
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Trumbo was traded to the Diamondbacks in December from the Angles in a three year deal. The Diamondbacks no doubt got the better end of the deal and it may have been the best move of any team during the offseason. Trumbo is one of the best power hitters in the game. He has hit 29, 32, and 34 home runs is his three full years in the majors. However, he has trouble getting on base and putting the ball in play. Over the past three years, he has an on-base percentage of .300 and 457 strikeouts. Trumbo does have two overlooked qualities: durability and utility. Trumbo can play both corner outfield spots and first base (and has played a little third in the majors) and has averaged 151 games the last three years. Trumbo is bound for a breakout year, as long as he cuts down on his strikeouts.

Jedd Gyorko, 2B, #9, San Diego Padres

Gyorko had a very good rookie season for the Padres. However, there is a lot for him to improve on in his sophomore year. The one area the Gyorko lacked in last season was hit ability to get on base. His on-base percentage was .301. That is dreadful for a second baseman. He needs to not only draw more walks, but also get more base hits. Gyorko has the power and defense prowlless to be a great second baseman. However, he needs to get on base more for him to reach that level.

Brad Miller
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Brad Miller, SS, #5, Seattle Mariners

Miller's play during Spring Training has been spectacular. He has a batting average of .439, an on-base percentage of .500, slugging percentage .895, hit six doubles, four triples, and four home runs. Miller spent most of the spring battling with who with Nick Franklin for the starting shortstop spot and he earned the job. Miller was promoted to the Mariners in late June last year and played well for his first time in the big show. While the Mariners will have a tough time making the playoffs in a very competitive, a good season from Miller would give them a lot of confidence in keeping him at short. 

Rants, Rumblings, Raves, and Such on this year's NCAA Tournament

First Round Games To Watch

• #4 San Diego State vs #13 New Mexico State: New Mexico State has the potential to pull off the upset of the first round.
• #5 Cincinnati vs #12 Harvard: This is Harvard's third consecutive tournament and this may be their best team. Last year, they upset New Mexico, then a three seed. Sean Killpatrick and Cincinnati will have a tough time with the Crimson.
• #5 VCU vs #12 Stephen F. Austin: Stephen F. Austin hasn't lost since late November (Another way to put it: They have not lost in 28 games). This matchup was the toughest for me to make in my bracket.
• #6 Baylor vs #11 Nebraska: I really want to see how well Baylor plays. If they dominate, they will be a team to watch for though out the tourney.
• #6 UNC vs #11 Providence: Providence has the chance to shock a lot of people by upsetting the Tar Heels. This should be a good game.
• #8 Gonzaga vs #9 Oklahoma State: A great matchup that has two teams that have the prestige and talent to make ti deep into the tournament.

Great 1 vs. 8/9 Matchups for Round of 32

Shaq Goodwin
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This year features the strongest eight and nine seeds in a long time. Kentucky, the #8 seed in the Midwest, was the preseason number one. Oklahoma State, the #9 seed in the West, was once ranked in the top six teams in the country. Gonzaga, the #8 seed in the West, won the WCC Regular Season and Tournament and was ranked for more then half of the season. Memphis, the #8 seed in the East, was never fell out of the rankings an beat Louisville twice and Oklahoma State once. Colorado, George Washington, Kansas State, and Pittsburgh are also good teams. Off all these teams, Oklahoma State is being considered the most likely to upset a one seed in the Round of 32. However, I think that Memphis has a great chance of upsetting Virginia in their possible match-up. Memphis is a good team that has a lot of upset potential. If they beat Virginia, Joe Jackson or Shaq Goodwin will have had a fantastic game. Oklahoma State has a chance to beat Arizona, but that chance is not as good as people are making it out to be. 

Sim Bhullar and New Mexico State

Sim Bhullar may be the most intriguing player (and prospect) playing in the NCAA Tournament. Bhullar is a sophomore and is 7'5", 360 pounds. There is no one who can compare to his presence on the court. Bhullar does not put up astronomical numbers (He averages 10.3 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 3.4 blocks per game), but when he is given shots, he usually makes them. When Bhullar plays 25+ minutes and gets over eight shot attempts, the Aggies are 5-1. They need Bhullar to play well to win and I think they will pull off the upset.

Why Kansas Won't Win The Tournament

Andrew Wiggins
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Kansas will not cut down the nets in Arlington, Texas on April 7th. They would be lucky to even play in the Final Four. While they have a lot of talent, they are missing a lot of qualities of a champ. First, is their lack of upperclassman that produce. They have only two players who are upperclassman that will play in meaningful minutes during the tournament. The one senior, Tarik Black, doesn't even average 15 minutes a game. Even the Kentucky team with the five fabulous freshman during the 2011-12 season had Darius Miller, a senior, who was arguably their most important player. Not only that, their defense is mediocre, especially without Joel Embiid. Andrew Wiggins cannot cary the Jayhawks to the title, let alone the Final Four.

Ohio State and Aaron Craft

Aaron Craft is a great player. It seems like he has been a Buckeye forever. Sadly, this is going to be his final season in the college ranks. Craft is not a scorer, but there is no point guard who can run the offense and play outstanding defense better than him. If he can get his team to score and play solid defense, Ohio State could make a run.

The Sic 'Em Bears

Cory Jefferson
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The Baylor Bears have a lot of upset potential. Led by Brady Hesslip (11.8 points per game) and Cory Jefferson (13.8 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game), the Bears offense is one of the best in the nation. However, their defense is mediocre. For them to be successful, they need Hesslip, Jefferson, Isaiah Austin, Kenny Chery, Hesslip, and Jefferson all need to play at their best and each need to get close to double-digit points.

The Cyclones

Iowa State may surprise people as a three seed this is their correct placement. The Cyclones have had outstanding year that includes winning the Big 12 Tournament. Even with one of the toughest schedule in the country, Iowa State's averages 82.9 points per game, which is sixth in the country. They have three players that average over 16 points per game. They are Melvin Ejim, DeAndre Kane, and Georges Niang. If they can get at least two of those scorers hot and can play some solid defense, the Cyclones will be hard to stop. 

Predictions

• Florida cuts down the nets inside AT&T Stadium
• Arizona, Michigan State, and Duke make the Final Four
• Oregon beats Wisconsin in the round of 32
• New Mexico State reaches the Sweet 16
• Memphis and New Mexico come close, but both lose in the final minute to Virginia and Kansas respectively
• There will be early round upsets, but the later rounds will have a lot of upper seeds

2014 Winter Paralympics Recap

The USA Ice Sledge Hockey team celebrates winning gold
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An American Hockey Gold

Unlike at the Olympics last month, the USA won a gold medal in hockey at the Paralympics. The USA ice sledge hockey team defeated Russia in the gold medal game, 1-0 with the lone goal being scored by Joshua Sweeney. This after losing to Russia in the group stages, 2-1. The USA got to the gold medal game by playing Canada. The men's US team could not beat Canada in the same situation in the Olympics and the US women lost in OT to the Canadians in the gold medal game last month as well. This time around, it was a different result. The US won 3-0 to make the gold medal game. Canada won the bronze medal with a win over Norway. USA Goalie Steve Cash, the 2010 Paralympics Goaltender of the Tournament, was outstanding. He allowed only two goals on 45 shots. 16 year-old Declan Farmer scored three goals and had two assists and Nikko Landeros had five assists and a +/- rating of 7 for the Americans. 

Wheelchair Curling

Ten teams competed in the Wheelchair Curling competition. Only four made the playoffs, Canada, China, Great Britain  and Russia. In the first semifinal, Russia annihilated Great Britain, 13-4. The Russians scored seven points in the 4th end. Canada pulled out a 5-4 victory in the the second semi against China. Great Britain defeated China 7-3 in the bronze medal game. In the gold medal game, Canada took home the gold with a 8-3 win over the home country. With the win, the Canadian team completed a sweep of the curling events during the 2014 Winter Olympics/Paralympics. Skipper Jim Armstrong, a former able-body curler who competed in six Canadian national championships and won the Ross Harstone Trophy three times, led the the team to their second consecutive gold medal after having a difficult few years. 

Roman Petushkov

Roman Petushkov
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Roman Petushkov won the most medals of any competitor at the Paralympics with six and all of them were gold. Three of the medals were in biathlon events, while the other three were in cross-country skiing events. The biathlon events he won were the Men's 7.5k -Sitting, Men's 12.5k - Sitting, and the Men's 15k -Sitting. Men's 15k - Sitting, Men's 1k Sprint, and the 4x2.5k Open Relay were he cross-country events he won. He was one medal away from tying the most overall medals at a Winter Paralympics. However, he came in fourth in the Men's 10k - Sitting cross-country race. The Russian's six gold at the Games is the second most by a Winter Paralympian ever. 

Anna Schaffelhuber

German Anna Schaffelhuber won five gold medals in all five of the Women's Alpine Skiing - Sitting events. In the Slalom event, Schaffelhuber came in first. The Austrian Team appealed the win because Schaffelhuber's outriggers were not in the correct position at the start of the first run. The Austrian Team won the appeal, which resulted in her gold medal being taken away. The German Team then appealed to the International Paralympic Committee, who then overturned the appealed decision, saying she did not gain advantage. Schaffelhuber got her medal back.

Medalists

Bibian Mentel-Spee
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Russia dominated the Games, winning 30 gold, 28 silver, and 22 bronze medals for 80 overall. The next highest country in overall medals is the Ukraine with 25 medals. Germany has the second most gold medals with nine. Both the Netherlands and Switzerland won only one medal at the Games, but they were gold. For the Netherlands, Bibian Mentel-Spee won their only gold in the Women's Snowboard Cross - Standing. It was the first ever medal handed out for a snowboarding event at a Paralympic Winter Games. The one medalist from Switzerland was Christoph Kunz, who won gold in the Men's Giant Slalom - Sitting. Both Kunz and Mentel-Spee were the flag bearers for their respective countries at the Opening Ceremony.

Multi-Sport Athletes' Current Baseball Endeavors

Wilson visits Rangers Spring Training

Russell Wilson
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On Monday, Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson visited and worked out with the Texas Rangers. Wilson played baseball at NC State from 2007-2010 and was drafted by the Rockies with the 25th pick in the 4th round of the 2010 Draft. He played two summers in the Rockies farm system and then focused on football. Wilson was unimpressive in the minors. A second baseman, Wilson has a career batting average of .229 and .354 on-base percentage.

Wilson was drafted by the Rangers in the Rule 5 Draft in December, hoping he could visit and speak to the team during Spring Training and, if he ever wants to return to baseball, Russell will play pro ball for the Rangers. Wilson has fulfilled the first part of their hopes when he went to Spring Training in Arizona. He fielded ground balls at second base during infield workouts and talked to players of all status. Sadly, Wilson did not take an at-bat in the Rangers game vs. Cleveland.  Hw did stay to watch the game. This is great for the Rangers. Not only do they get great media coverage, but they also get Wilson, known as a great leader, to motivate the team. 

Winston playing well on #2 Florida State

The Florida State Seminoles are currently #2 in the Baseball America Top 25 Rankings after winning two and losing one game in Tallahassee. Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston has played in seven of the Seminoles nine games so far (not including game vs. New York Yankees). In four of those games, Winston has come on as a reliever in the final inning or two and in the other three, Winston came off the bench as a pinch hitter and played the outfield. On the mound, Winston already has a save and has given up only one hit against sixteen batters in five innings. At the plate, he has two singles in two at-bats and a walk. His fielding percentage is 1.000, and he also has an assist. 

Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady

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Former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady is practicing in a Houston suburb, hoping to return to a game he loves. No, it's not basketball. The 6'8" 34 year old is hoping to pitch for the Atlantic League's Sugar Land Skeeters. The Skeeters are most famous for signing Roger Clemons, who pitched one game for the team in 2012. McGrady last played organized baseball in 1996, his junior year of high school. He transferred to Mount Zion Christian Academy, a school with no baseball team, after his junior year and gave-up baseball as a result.

McGrady has insisted this is no gimmick. He says he really wants to play baseball and I applaud him for it. It seems that he has always had a love of baseball and wanted to play the game professionally when he was a kid. I give him props for venturing out into a whole new world and doing his best to make it. I think he will make the team. According to reports, he has some good pitches and his tall frame will help him a lot. Also, he will be a revenue booster for the Skeeters, who are about 40 minutes outside of Houston, where McGrady played some of his best basketball.

2014 Winter Olympics Wrap-Up

The Most Decorated 

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen
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Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen became the most decorated Winter Olympian by winning two gold medals during his final Olympics. The biathlete came in first in the Men's 10 km Sprint and the Mixed Relay. The gold medal in the Sprint tied him with Bjorn Daehile (also of Norway) for most medals by a Winter Olympian with 12. The win in the mixed relay gave him the record with 13. Of Bjoerndalen's 13 medals, eight have been gold, four have been silver, and only one has been bronze. On the combined Summer/Winter Olympics medalist chart, Bjoerndalen is now fourth. Fellow Norwegian Marit Bjoergen, a Cross-Country skier, is now the most decorated female Winter Olympian with ten medals. Bjoergen won three gold medals in Sochi, the Ladies' 30 km Mass Start Sprint, Ladies' Skiathlon, and the Ladies' Team Sprint Classic. Six of her ten overall medals are gold, with the others being three silvers and one bronze. 

Netherlands and Speed Skating

The Netherlands dominated all the Speed Skating events. The Dutch won 23 of the 36 medals given out in the 12 events. Overall, the medals are broken down into eight golds, seven silvers, and eight bronze medals. Ireen Wust won five medals, the most by one Olympian at this year's Olympics. Wust medals were two gold and three silver. Sven Kramer won two golds and a silver medal. Three of the events were a Dutch sweep, while five Olympics records were set by a member of Team Netherlands. The 23 medals won by Dutch skaters is more then every country competing but four. The Netherlands ended up with 24 medals. The one medal not won by a speed skater was won by a short track skater.

Bobsleigh 

Alexander Zubkov
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The two-women bobsled competition was close. Canada 1 (Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse) defeated United States 1 (Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams) by a tenth of a second to win gold. The bronze medalist were United States 2 (Aja Evans and Jamie Greubel). The two-men competition was won by Russia 1 (Alexey Voevoda and Alexander Zubkov), with Switzerland 1 (Alex Baumann and Beat Hefti) winning silver and United States 1 (Steve Holcomb and Steven Langton). Pilot Zubkov, the flag bearer for Canada at the Opening Ceremonies, won his first ever gold medal. But he was not done winning gold. Russia won the four-man competition as well. The United States came in third, unable to repeat as gold medalists. 

Russian Athletes' Success and Failure

The host country's athletes represented their homeland well. They were the leaders in overall medals with 33 and gold medals with 13. Of the the 15 sports, Russia medaled in ten of them. Viktor Ahn, a South Korean born Short Track Skater who moved and became a citizen of Russia to continue his skating career, won three golds and one bronze. The figure skating team of Maxim Trankov and Tatiana Volosozhar won two gold medals. 
However, not every story had a happy ending. Famous figure skater Evgeny Plyushchenko won a gold in the team event, but withdrew from the men's short program. The Russian men's hockey team had the weight of the world on their shoulders. Before and during the Games, it was said the success of the Team Russia would be dependent on the hockey team. The only thing that mattered for many fans was a gold medal. The hockey team disappointed many fans. They lost to the US in a shootout in the group stage and then lost 3-1 to Finland in a lackluster performance. There were more successes then failures for the Russians, but the failures almost outweighed the successes.  

The Failure of the United States' Stars

Meryl Davis and Charlie White
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The high-profile athletes for the US did not live up to expectations. Snowboarder Shawn White dropped out of the slopestyle event and then finished fourth in the halfpipe, which he was the two-time defending gold medalist. Alpine skiers Ted Ligety and Bode Miller won only one medal each. No American won a medal in a Speed Skating event, while the only one Short Track Skating medal was won. Figure skater Gracie Gold finished fourth in the women's free skating event. The men's hockey team were great going into the semi-finals, headlined by the heroics of TJ Oshie in a shootout win vs. Russia, but then lost 1-0 to Canada and then 5-0 to Finland in the bronze medal game. Meryl Davis and Charlie White were one of the few stars that lived up to the billing. They won gold in the ice dance and helped the US win third in the team figure skating event. 

One Medal Countries

Only two counties won only one medal in Sochi. They were Croatia and Kazakhstan. Croatia's Alpine Skier Ivica Kostelic won the countries only medal, silver, in men's super combined. In Vanocuver, Kostelic also won the silver in the men's super combined, as well as silver in the slalom. Figurer Skater Denis Ten of Kazakhstan won bronze in the men free program.

Looking Ahead to 2018

2018 Winter Olympics Logo
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The 2018 Winter Olympics are gong to be in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Pyeongchang is 14 hours ahead of EST, which is going to make watching events live just as difficult as this Olympics. The main events occurring during prime-time Pyeongchang time at about 8pm will be on 6am. The event that start at noon Pyeongchang time is going to start at and events 10pm EST. 

The biggest question heading into the 2018 Winter Olympics is whether NHL players will participate in the Games. Since 1998, the NHL has taken a three-week hiatus to allow their top players to play for their countries at the Games. The NHL was been non committal to allowing their players to go to South Korea. The NHL has legitimate reasons for not going, which include injured players, NHL teams not getting compensated for their injuries, and the loss of revenue during the hiatus. I hope that the NHL allows its players to continue to compete in the Olympics. Hockey during the Olympics is on par or above any NHL event, including the Stanley Cup. With that being said, I don't have high hopes for NHL players to be making an appearance in Pyeongchang. 

2014 Winter Olympics Top Stories and Competitors Through One Week

Two Gold In One Event

Dominique Gisin and Tina Maze
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The women's downhill alpine skiing event had an unprecedented ending. The first time in an alpine skiing event ended two gold medals were awarded.  Four other times in Olympic history events ended in a tie for either silver or bronze. Switzerland's Dominique Gisin and Slovenia's Tina Maze tied for first, both with a time of 1:47.57. Both skiers have been involved in ties before in World Cup events. This is Maze's first gold medal. She won two silver medals in Vancouver in the giant slalom and Super-G. Maze finished 18th in the downhill. Gisin competed in the downhill in 2010, but did not finish. Lara Gut finished in third and got the bronze medal, giving Switzerland two medals in the event.

Skiathlon


The skiathlon is a really tough event. After the finish, the competitors drop like flies. For the first half of the event, the skiers ski on classic skis using classic technique and then for the second half switch for skating skis and use a free technique. The clock does not stop when the skiers switch skis. The men's biathlon was 30 km (15 km on classic skis and 15 on skating skis) and the women's is for 15 km (7.5 on classic and 7.5 on skating). For the women's skiathlon, the defending gold medalist Marit Bjoergen of Norway repeated as champion. Sweden's Charlotte Kalla and Norway's Heidi Weng finished with the silver and bronze medals respectively. Six of the top seven skiers were from Scandinavian countries. The men's skiathlon went down to the wire. Switzerland's Dario Cologna edged Sweden's Marcus Hellner for gold. Cologna finished just a four tenths of a second ahead of Hellner. Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway captured bronze and finished a tenth ahead of Russia's Maxim Vylegzhanin. Russia, however, protested the result, saying that when Sundby crossed into Vylegzhanin's lane a few meters before the finish line and that affected the finish. A race jury ruled that crossing had no effect on the finish. Russia planned on appealing to the Court of Arbitration of Sport, but has decided not to.

Women's Hockey Playoffs

The women's hockey playoffs start on Saturday with Switzerland facing Russia and Finland taking on rivals Sweden. The United States and Canada both have byes into the semi-finals.  Both quarter-final match-ups look to be very good. Russia is ranked fourth in the world, while Switzerland is right behind them at fifth. The player to watch in this game is Russian Olga Sosina. The 21 year-old is already in her second Olympics and has scored two goals and has also had an assist so far. The most interesting fact about Sosina is she was once a member of the Russian women's national floorball team. 

Sweden-Finland should be a great match-up. The two have been rivals forever due to being neighbors and the history of Finland being apart of Sweden. Finland is led by Captain Jenni Hiirikoski, a defensewomen. Hiirikoski was a part of the bronze medal team in 2010. She won Best Defender at the 2009, 2012, and 2013 IIHF World Championships. The 2010 Player of the Year in Finland and 2012-13 were also awarded to Hiirikoski. So far, she has two goals and an assist in the tournament. One of those goals was an overtime game-winner. She will be a game changer on Saturday.

Germany's Domination of Luge

Geisenberger, Loch, Arlt, and Wendt celebrate winning
the team relay gold medal
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Luge this year has been dominated by Germany. They won the gold medal in all four events, men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and the team relay, and also won a silver medal in women's singles. Felix Loch, 24, won his second career gold medal in the men's singles. His total time of 3:27.526 was almost half a second better then runner-up Albert Demchenko of Russia. He also set a men's singles track record with a run of 51.613. Natalie Geisenberger won the gold in the women's singles with a time of 3:19.768, more then a second better then fellow countrywomen and silver medalist Tatjana Hufner. Tobias Arlt and Tobias Wendl, born fourteen days apart, took home the gold medal in the doubles. Then in the team competition, the Artl, Geisenberger, Loch, and Wendl dominated the event, winning by over a second. It was truly a wonderful showing for the Germans.

Favorite Quote So Far

"He will make a fool of himself. He has played so poorly," Niklas Backstorm's grandmother when asked about her grandson, a hockey player for Sweden. 

2014 Winter Olympics Preview

Men's Ice Hockey

Semyon Varlamov
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There are three groups for men's ice hockey, Group A, Group B, and Group C. Group A features host country Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United States. Russia and the US are the two favorites of Group A. Russia's possible front line of Pavel Datsyuk, Evegni Malkin, and Alexander Ovechkin could be deadly for defenses. A big question for Russia is who will start in goal for them, Sergei Bobrovsky or Semyon Varlamov. Varlamov has been outstanding this year, while Bobrovsky has struggled after winning the Vezima Trophy. The right choice is to go with the hot glove of Varlamov. After winning silver in 2010, the US are looking to win their first gold medal since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. The Americans are strong in net with Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, and Jonathan Quick. Even though all three have struggled at one point this year, the expectations for all three are high. I think Miller and Quick will both play in the first few games and whoever plays the best will be the starter for the playoffs. Slovakia is no team to sleep on. Led by Zdeno Chara and Marian Hossa, they can be a surprise team. Slovenia, which only has one NHL player (Anze Kopitar) on it's team, will have a tough time against more talented teams. 

Austria, the defending gold medalist Canada, Finland, and Norway are the four teams in Group B. Canada has a high powered offense and defense. Their fourth line may feature Rick Nash and/or John Taveres, two former number one picks in the NHL Draft. The team has many pair of teammates who will most likely play on the same lines, which will help with chemistry. They should be favorites. Finland has outstanding net minders in Antti Nieni and Tuukka Rask. They will keep the opponents from scoring a lot of goals. The offense will need to score for them to succeed. 

Daniel Alfredsson
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The final group features the Czech Republic, Latvia, Switzerland, and Sweden, the number one ranked team in the world. Sweden are one of the favorites in the tournament. Their offense is led by Daniel Alfredsson, Daniel Sedin, Alexander Steen, and Henrik Zetterberg, while the defense is headlined by Erik Karlsson. With Henrik Lundqvist in net, they are strong in every phase of the game. The Czech Republic will also have a competitive team led by New Jersey Devil teammates, Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr. Latvia and Switzerland will have trouble against tough competition and will be lucky to make the quarterfinals. The four favorites to win gold are Canada, Russia, Sweden, and the United States, with the Czech Republic, Finland, and Slovakia being dark horses. 

Ski Jumping

There will be four ski jumping events in Sochi. They are men's individual normal hill, men's individual large hill, men's team large hill, and women's individual normal hill. The women's event is the first time women will be competing in ski jumping. The current World Champion is 19 year old American Sarah Hendrickson. Hendrickson is coming off a knee injury suffered in August and has only returned to skiing last month. If she can place, let alone win, she may become the star of the Olympics. The favorites for the men's events are Austrian's Thomas Morgenstern and Gregor Schlierenzauer, Slovenia's Robert Kranjec and Peter Prevc, and Poland's Kamil Stoch. The favorite for the team event is Austria. They won the last two gold medals at the Olympics and the last five gold medals at the World Championships.

Curling

Norway's Curling Team showing off their uniforms
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Sweden has won the last two gold medals in the women's event, but this year, they may be able to take home their first ever men's gold. The Swedish team is being skipped by Niklas Edin and includes Sebastian Kraupp, Fredrik Lindberg, Viktor Kjaell, and Oskar Eriksson. This group have curled together for years and are the current European and World Champs. The team from Norway will be vying for the gold medal as well after winning silver in 2010. Skipped by Thomas Ulsrud and vice-skipped by Torger Nergaard, four of the five curlers have Olympic and Olympic medal game experience. Nergaard is the only member of the 2002 gold medal winning team on this year's team. It would not be surprising if these teams meet in the gold medal match. Great Britian's women's team may be young, but they are favorites for the gold medals. All team members are less the 25 years old, yet they still won the World Championships last year. Skipper Eve Muirhead is a four time World Junior champion and is the youngest skipper ever to win a world championship. Now, she hopes to become the youngest skipper to win an Olympic gold medal. 

Bobsleigh

US Driver Steven Holcomb is looking to lead his two-man and four-man team to gold medals. In Vancouver, Holcomb and his team won the gold medal in the four-man, the first for the USA in the event since 1948. Now, he leads a four-man team of himself, Curt Tomasevicz, Steve Langton, and Chris Fogt to Sochi with hopes of winning the gold medal again. Some of the top competitors for the gold medal include a German team led by Maximilian Arndt, a team from Latvia piloted by Oskars Melbardis, a team led by Beat Hefti from Switzerland, and a Canadian team driven by Lyndon Rush. For the two-women's  Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse of Canada look to repeat as gold medal winners.

Luge

Felix Loch
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German Felix Loch is the favorite for the gold medal in men's singles event. Loch won the gold medal in Vancouver with a time of 3:13.085. He also won the men's singles gold medals in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013. His gold medal win in 2008 at the age of 18 made him the youngest winner in history. He also won the gold in the team relay in 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013. If Loch does not win the men's singles, it would be one of the biggest shocks of the Olympics. The defending gold medalist in women's singles is Tatjana Hufner. The German won gold in Vancouver and bronze in Torino. She won gold at the 2012 World Championships and silver in 2013. The current World Champ is fellow German Natalie Geisenberger. The two countrywomen should be the two main competitors for gold. 

There is a new event in luge this year, the Team Relay and an updated event, the doubles. The doubles is now only a men's event. It was a mixed event from 1964 to 2010. The Team Relay involves a men's luger, a women's luger, and a doubles team. All the sleds start at the beginning of the course. When one luger finishes, he or she will hit a touch pad that will inform the next luger to go. It is a relay race. In both events, Germany are the favorites and it will be shocking if they don't win.

Countries with One Athlete

Hubbertus von Hohenlohe
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There are seventeen countries that will be sending one athlete to compete in Sochi. They are Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tongo, Venezuela, US Virgin Islands, and Zimbabwe. Malta, Paraguay, Timor-Leste, Tongo, and Zimbabwe will be competing at their first Winter Olympics. The one Mexican athlete is alpine skier Hubbertus von Hohenlohe, the second oldest Olympian ever at 55. Hohenlohe is competing in his sixth Winter Olympics, his first being the 1984 Winter Olympics at Sarajevo. He is not only a skier, he is also a descendant of German royalty and a singer. He has never won a medal at a Winter Olympics and finished 78th in the men's giant slalom and 46th in the men's slalom in Vancouver. Tonga's only Winter Olympian this year is Bruno Banani. Banani's born name is Fuahea Semi, but he changed his name in 2008. He originally did not give a reason why he changed his name, which happens to be the same name as a German underwear company. However, it was later revealed to be a marketing ploy. Banani took up luge in 2008 when he was asked by the government to start competing in an attempt to send an Olympian to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Independent Olympic Athletes

The three Indian athletes who qualified for the Winter Olympics will not compete under India's flag. Instead, they compete under the Olympic flag and be Independent Olympic Participants. The Indian Olympic Association is currently suspended by the International Olympic Committee due to hiring tainted officials. The suspension is to be lifted when new elections are held on February 9th. Since the Olympics start on the 7th, India will still be suspended when the Games begin meaning they will be ineligible when the Olympics start. The athletes who qualified are still allowed to participate. The athletes are Luger Shiva Keshavan, Alpine Skier Himanshu Thakur, and Cross Country Skier Nadeem Iqbal.

Mascots

The 2014 Winter Olympics Mascots
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There are three mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics. They are the Hare, the Leopard, and the Polar Bear. The Ray of Light and the Snowflake are the Paralympic Mascots. With all the controversy surrounding the games, it is not surprising that there is controversy with the mascots as well. When the mascots were first announced, there were charges of vote-rigging. The Leopard, a favorite of then Russian Prime Minister (now President) Vladimir Putin, was said to have gotten more votes because of Putin's approval. Also, the Polar Bear was accused of being the same as the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics mascot. The mascots should not have a big part of the Olympics, so there should be no more controversy surrounding them. 

A Brief History of the San Fransisco Bulls

Logo
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The San Francisco Bulls were granted membership into the ECHL as an expansion team on September 20, 2011. They folded on January 27, 2014. That is a life span of about 860 days or two years, four months, and seven days. They had a record 40-58-6-8 (Wins-Losses-OT Losses-Shootout Losses) and lost their only playoff series four games to one. The Bulls were affiliated with the San Jose Sharks.

The Bulls played their first game on October 12, 2012 vs. Bakersfield at home and lost, 4-3, in front of 8,277 fans. Their first win was the next day, a 6-5 victory over Bakersfield Condors. Their last game was on January 19th against the Stockton Thunder. The Bulls won 3-2 in a shootout, with Sebastian Stalberg scoring the game-winning shootout goal. he final home game was four days earlier, where the Bulls defeated the Colorado Eagles in OT, in front of 1246 fans. The first ever goal was scored by Dean Ouellet during the first game. The first ever penalty was earned by Kris Belan, who got five minutes for fighting Erik Burgdoerfer. The last ever goal was scored by Stalberg in the third period to equalize the game. 

The Bulls played their home games at the Cow Palace, which is located about ten miles outside of San Francisco. The Cow Palace was finished in 1941 and was meant to hold cattle in doors. It was most recently updated before the Bulls began play. As the years have gone on, the Palace has held more diverse events, including the San Jose Sharks from 1991-93. During the 2012-13 season, 149,920 fans showed up to a Bulls game for an average of 4,164 per game. That placed 15th of the 23 teams in the ECHL. During the three playoffs games, 8,578 fans attended for an average of 2,853. San Francisco played 18 games at the Cow Palace this year, with 41,263 fans and an average of 2,292 attending. 

The inside of the Cow Palace
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The 2012-13 season was an interesting year for the Bulls. They finished the year 25-38-2-7 which equaled 59 points. They were the third worst team in he ECHL, yet, they made the playoffs. Eight teams from both conferences make the playoffs. The Western Conference has nine teams, and the Bulls were the eight best team in the conference, giving them the final playoff spot.

San Francisco made the playoffs in 2013 and faced the Alaska Aces in the first round. The Aces won the series four games to one. Their first playoff game was a let-down. They gave up five unanswered goals to start the game and lost 5-1. The won the next game, 1-0, on a Kory Falite goal. The first ever home game was a 4-1 loss. Then, in game four, the Bulls lost a nail bitter, 6-5. Game five was a 5-3 loss for the Bulls, which eliminated them from on the playoffs. 

Through 40 games this season, San Francisco were 15-20-4-1 and had 32 games left to play. Even though, they had a losing record, they were still a playoff team. The ECHL plans on re-scheduling games so all teams can play their 36 home games. The road games are not guaranteed so some teams may not play the normal 72 games.

Dean Ouellet
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Dean Ouellet is the best player in the Bulls history. A lefty forward, he was number 45 and was an alternate captain last season. He had 24 goals, 28 assists, 52 points in the 2012-13 season, with six more points in the playoffs. He was awarded the Bulls' MVP last year and was the only member of the team to make the All-Star Game. This season, Ouellet had 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points. Peter Sivak led the team in goals with 33 and points with 56 in the inaugural season. Scott Langdon is the team's best defenseman. He was named the team's top defenseman and was the captain to end the 2012-13 season and for the 2013-14 year. He had only 19 points in 107 games, but accumulated 250 penalty minutes in those games. The Bulls have never had a very good goalie. Tyler Beskorowany is the only net minder with a winning record as a Bull. His record was 14-13-2. 

The Bulls were owned by multiple investors. The leader of the investors was Pat and Elouise Curico. Pat Curico was also the team's head coach, general manager, and president. Curico, who played pro hockey in Europe and the ECHL for ten years, was 39 years old when the Bulls played their first game. About a week ago, it was reported that a deal for a new owner could not be found in time, so the Bulls ceased operations on Monday. According to Curico, the Bulls were in the red two million dollars after the 2012-13 season and were on pace for similar losses this year.

The Bulls are not the only team to fail in "The City by the Bay". The California Golden Seals played in the NHL in the San Francisco-Oakland area from 1967-1976. The Seals moved to Cleveland in 1976 and merged with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978. The San Francisco Shamrocks and San Francisco Spiders failed as well in the Cow Palace. The legacy of the Bulls, at the moment, is that it is tough for hockey teams to succeed in the Bay Area when they are not playing in the city. And even then, success is anything but guaranteed.

NBA News

Milwaukee Bucks

Larry Sanders
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After making the playoffs as an eight seed last year, the Bucks have the worst record in the league at 7-33. Last year's team and this year's team are vastly different. Four of last year's five leading scorers no longer play in Milwaukee. One of the holdovers, the Center Larry Sanders, has been a major disappointment. During the 2012-13 season, Sanders averaged 9.8 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game, 2.8 blocks per game (lead the league), and was a leading candidate for NBA Defensive Player of the Year. This year, he has only played in 15 games, an averaged 6.7 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocks per game. However, John Henson has done well in his place. He averages 12.3 points a game, 8.3 bounds a game, and 2.2 block a game, as well as a 20.8 PER. No other player on Milwaukee is having a good season. The Bucks problem is scoring. They are last in the league in points per game with 91.4, field goal percentage with 42%, and points per shot with 1.1. While their defense is not outstanding either, the offense is atrocious and there is not much to improve it. OJ Mayo and Brandon Knight, their bester scorers, are way too inconsistent to be number one spot. I doubt they will go out and pick-up a high-profile shooter. They will be sellers if they make any moves. The good thing about being awful this year is the possibility to pick number one in the draft.

Anthony Davis

The number one pick in the 2012 Draft is having a terrific sophomore season. While his team is 8 games under .500, the Power Forward is averaging a double-double with 20.3 and 10.4, while leading the league with 3.0 blocks. His PER (26.8) is in the league's top five.
Against Golden State on the 18th of this month, Davis put together an incredible performance, albeit in a loss. He scored 31 points and had 17 rebounds  while going 11-17 from the field, and 9-12 for the charity stripe. Davis is truly developing into a All-Star Power Forward for the next ten years.

Trades involving the Nets

The Nets made two trades Monday. In a deal with Chicago, they would have sent Tornike Shengelia to the Windy City in exchange for Marquis Teague. In another deal, Tyshawn Taylor went to the Pelicans, while Brooklyn got the rights to Edin Bavcic. Bavcic was drafted by Toronto in 2006 in the second round and has never played the NBA. He is currently playing for KOAD in the Greek A1 Basketball League. While these deals were made to free up room under the salary cap, the pick up of Teague is an interesting move. Under the tutelage of Jason Kidd and Deron Williams at point guard, Teague may become a serviceable bench player. It is surprising that these moves have come during a strong stretch. 

All-Star Game Uniforms

The NBA All-Star Game Jerseys
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The 2014 NBA All-Star Game is being played at New Orleans Arena on February 16. The uniforms were released last week and they are ugly. The jerseys look nothing like a basketball uniform. It looks like a cheap t-shirt you can buy at a kiosk. The jersey looks unfinished with just a crest on the front. They need something more. The back of the uniforms looks normal and fine, there are no complaints here. And let's not forget those sleeves. Sleeves are fine when players want to wear sleeves under their uniforms, and they should make custom sleeved uniforms for those players. However, sleeves are being forced upon jerseys and they do not work. They were ugly last year, they ugly during March Madness, they were ugly on Christmas, and they will be ugly on February 16.

The Chicago Cubs New Mascot

Clark
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The Chicago Cubs were one of the four teams in Major League Baseball without a mascot. Now, there are only three. The Chicago Cubs introduced a new mascot Monday. His name is Clark. He is a cub who wears a backwards hat and a Chicago Cubs home jersey. While his name seems to be random, there is actually a reason for it. Clark is named after the intersection where Wrigley Field is located. The intersection is at Clark Street and Addison Street. 

When the gates open on April 4th at Wrigley Field for the Cubs season opener, there will be a new part of the stadium. Clark will have his own clubhouse, fittingly named Clark's Clubhouse, where he will be during a lot of the game. Also, Clark will not be a distraction to the game, which means no dancing or going on to the field. 

Clark is a true Cubs fan. His favorite vacation spot is Mesa, Arizona, the location of the Cubs spring training facility. His number will be 1. One has not be worn by many stars in the Cubs history. Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx and Richie Ashburn wore the number at the end of their careers. The last person to where the number was Cody Ransom, who wore the number in 2013.

From the June 20th, 1916 edition of Chicago Daily Tribune 

The Cubs last had a mascot in 1916. The mascot that year was a live bear named Joa. The man who presented the Cubs with Joa, J. Ogden Armour, is who he was named after. After the season, Joa was sent to the Lincoln Park Zoo, the local zoo. The Cubs say that Joa is Clark's great-grandfather. There has been a unofficial mascot, Billy Cub, since 2007. Billy Cub was started by a Cubs fan and has never been a affiliated with the franchise. He has been filled with controversy as he is not wanted by the Cubs and many fans. However, Billy Cub still plans to attend the games at Wrigley this year.

I was surprised that the Cubs decided they needed a mascot because I did not think that there was a need for a mascot. However, I understand their reasoning. It makes Wrigley Field more kid/family-friendly. They also hope that it will end of getting rid of Billy Cub, who they openly dislike. When first hearing about it, I was indifferent to the decision. While I am a fan of mascot, there was no need for a mascot. As time goes on, I fill become a fan of Clark, even if I will never like his name.

Some final tidbits about Clark:

• His birthday is in August
• His favorite color is Cubbie Blue
• He throws and hits righty