2012 Ryder Cup Review: The Miracle at Medinah

The 2012 Ryder Cup Flag on the 18th Hole
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The 39th Ryder Cup just wrapped up at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. The US team had 25 Ryder Cup victories going in. However, ever since all of Europe has been included in the Cup, the US has only seven wins and one tie, compared to eight wins for Europe. Europe has won four of the last five tournaments, including winning by nine points in 2004 and 2006.

The Medinah County Club has been around since 1924 and has hosted three US Opens (1949,  1975, and 1990) and two PGA Championships (1999 and 2006). This is the Club's first Ryder Cup. The tournament will be held on Medinah's Course 3. The course's 15th hole was changed in 2010. The tee was moved 100 yards closer to the pin and a lake was also added. At the same time, eleven of the eighteen greens were improved.

Team Europe is led by Capitan Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain. He has a career Ryder Cup record of 18-8-5. His team's twelve members are; Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium), Luke Donald (England), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Peter Hanson (Sweeden), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Paul Lawrie (Scotland), Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Francesco Molinari (Italy), Ian Poulter (England), Justin Rose (England) and Lee Westwood (England).

The US Team's Captain is Davis Love III. Love III played in six Ryder Cup's and was an assistant captain in 2010. His select twelve are Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, and Tiger Woods.

Day One of the Cup had four Foursome matches in the morning and then four Four-Ball matches. Foursomes feature two players per team, with each team getting one ball per team. Partners alternate tee off shots and regular shots. Four-Ball also has four competitors, two from each team, but every player has their own ball. Whichever player gets the low score wins the hole for their team.

Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley
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In the first Foursome match, the Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker of the US faced Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy of Europe. The two Northern Irishmen toped the American's 1UP. Eurrope won six holes, while the US had five, and seven even. In the next match-up Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia of Europe went up against the US's Keegen Bradley and Phil Mickelson. Through eleven holes, the match was tied. Then, Bradley and Mickelson got four straight holes to win the game 4&3. Match number three featured Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson for the US and Francesco Molinari and Lee Westwood representing Europe. The Americans won the match 3&2. The last Foursome pitted Europe's Ian Poulter and Justin Rose vs. the US's Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods. The US couldn't gain a lead in the match, as they could tied the score for two holes. Europe won 2&1.

The Four-Ball matches were next on the card. The first match of the Four-Ball's were between Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson of the US and Peter Hanson and Paul Lawrie of Europe. The US dominated the game, going 1UP after the first hole and never giving Europe any advantage as the Americans won the game 5&4. The next game had Europe's McDowell and  McIlroy against the US' Bradley and  Mickelson. Like the previous match, Europe never had a lead or was even tied with the US. The US won 2&1. Then, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar of the US faced off against Matt Kaymer and Rose of Europe. The US was ahead for most of the match and didn't choke under pressure, winning 3&2. In the final match of Day One, Nicolas Colsaerts and Westwood represented Europe while Stricker and Tiger did the same for the Americans. The US took an early lead, but Europe tied the match,took the lead and never let  up. Europe won 1UP.

Ian Poulter
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Day Two had the same schedule as Day One, four Foursomes in the morning and four Four-Ball in the afternoon. Going into the day, the US was leading 5-3. The first match of the day had Rose and Poulter face Simpson and Watson. Rose and Poulter held off the Americans to win the match 1UP. The next match featured Donald and Westwood vs. Bradley and Mickelson. This match wasn't even close as the Americans embarrassed the Europeans with a 7&6 victory. Dufner and Zach Johnson faced Colsaerts and Garcia in the next match. The Americans were up for the most of the match and didn't let it slip away as the they beat the Europeans 2&1. The last foursome match was between the team of Furyk and Snedeker and the grouping of McDowell and McIlroy. The Americans were up for all 18 holes, but never pulled away. However, a win is a win, as the US wins 1UP.

The first of the four Four-Ball matches of Day Two featured Dustin Johnson and Kuchar up against Colsaerts and Lawrie. The Americans had the lead for most of the match and won 1UP. Up next was Simpson and Watson vs. Molinari and Rose. The Americans won the match easily, 5&4. Stricker and Woods faced Donald and Garcia in another match. The Europeans were up for all of the match. However, the Americans came close, cutting the defect by three stokes, but it was not enough. Europe won 1UP. The last match up of Day Two and of all doubles play had McIlroy and Poulter vs. Dufner and Zach Johnson. The Americans were up for most of the match, but Poulter won hole 15 to tie it and then the 16th to take the lead. The Europeans didn't let the lead up as they won 1UP.

Day Three, the final day of the tournament, had all twelve golfers on each team going mano-a-mano with a member of the other team. The US were up 10-6 at the start of the day. The first match had Watson pitted against Donald. Donald had control for most of the match, but Watson won back-top-back holes to bring it within two, but Donald held him off to win 2&1. The next match had Simpson and Poulter going head-to-head. The match was all square through 16 holes. Poulter won the 17th hole to take the 1Up lead. On the 18th hole, he got insure by winning that hole and the match, 2UP. Next up was the match-up of McIlroy vs. Bradley. McIlroy was in control of most of the match and ended up with the the 2&1 victory. Mickelson and Rose battled their mastch all the way to the end. After 16 holes, Mickelson had the slight lead over Rose. Rose equalized on the 17th hole. He won the game on the 18th hole, taking only three shots to get it in the hole compared to four for Mickelson.

Then, Lawrie faced Snedeker. Lawrie was in control for most of the match and won the match 5&3. Dustin Johnson went up against Colsaerts in another match. Johnson was up 1UP or tied for most of the match. Johnson then won three straight holes to put Colsaerts away with a 3&2 win. In another match, Zach Johnson went up against Graeme McDowell. Johnson was ahead for every hole the two played. The American won 2&1. Furyk and Garcia's match went down to the wire. Furyk was up 1UP after the 16th hole. Garcia won the 17th hole and then the 18th to win this match. Dufner and Hanson then went up against each other. Dufner lead for sixteen out of the eighteen holes and won the matchup 1UP. Next came the match-up between Westwood and Kuchar. Westwood won three of the last five holes the two played to win 3&2. 

Matin Kaymer
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With ten of the twelve matches finished, Team Europe came back to tie the whole Cup at 13. Stricker and Kaymer were all square through 16 holes. Kaymer then won the 17th hole to put himself up 1UP. Then on the 18th hole, both players were on the green, with Woods and Molinari waiting to see the results. If Kaymer won or tied the hole, he'd win the match and the Cup would go to the Europeans. If Stricker won the hole, the Cup would be tied at 13½ and it would come down to Woods and Molinari. Stricker made it in four shots. After Stricker finished up, Kaymer was on his fourth shot, too. His shot was a short putt. He made it in to keep the Cup in Europe. Woods and Molinari halved to make the score 14½-Europe, 13½-US. Europe completed an unbelievable comeback.

2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers 1 and 2

World Baseball Classic Qualifier
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The World Baseball Classic is back for it's 3rd  tournament in 2013. This time around, some teams will  have to fight their way into the tournament through a qualifying round. For the last two WBC's, 16 teams played in the tournament. The 4 teams that didn't win a game in the 2009 WBC will now to go through qualifying round. These teams are Canada, Chinese Taipei, Panama, and South Africa. Each team will play in one of the four qualifiers. The first two qualifiers were held in Jupiter, Florida from September 19-23 and Regensberg, Germany from the 20th-24th. 

The format for the qualifiers is a double-elimination. There are six games per qualifier. The winners of the first two game will face off in the next round as the losers face off in an elimination game. The winner of the elimination game faces the loser of the round one winner's game. The winner of the winner's game is automatically in the finals. The winner of the other elimination game plays in the finals. 

The first qualifier in Jupiter, Florida at Roger Dean Stadium had France, Israel, Spain, and South Africa. South Africa never won a game at the 2006 and 2009 WBC's. The IBAF World Rankings for all teams are Spain at 18th, 35th is South Africa, France placed at 37th, and Israel at 54th.

In the first round, Israel played South Africa. Israel won the game 7-3. After scoring one run in the top of the first off a Nate Freiman solo shot, no one scored until the seventh inning. Israel scored one run in the seventh, three in the eighth, and two in the ninth. South Africa staged a come back in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs, but it wasn't enough. Freiman hit another homer in the ninth. In the other first round match-up, Spain shutout France 8-0. Spain, led by 2B Paco Figueroa who went 3 for 4 with two ribbies and 2 runs scored, put 2 runs across in the 1st, 3 more in the 2nd, and an additional 2 in the third. That sealed the deal for the Spaniards. Spain's starting pitcher, Nick Schumacher, went 6.1 innings giving up only four hits and had four strikeouts.

Nate Freiman
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Israel and Spain then faced off for an automatic spot in finals. It was scoreless through five innings. Freiman hit his third round-tripper of the tournament in the top of the sixth to put Israel up 2-0. In the bottom of the inning, Spain decreased the deficit to one. Two innings later, Freiman hit a two-run homer to make the score 4-1. Spain made up a run in the bottom of the ninth, but could only muster across one run. Israel clinched a spot in the finals, while Spain had to play in  another game to try to get to the finals. In an elimination game, South Africa defeated France, 5-2. France scored their two runs in the first inning and couldn't score for the rest of the game. South Africa got two runs across in the fifth. Nine innings wasn't enough for this match-up. South Africa got three runs in the 11th to win the game. France was eliminated. South Africa finalized a game vs. Spain for a spot in the finals.

The elimination game between Spain and South Africa was a blowout. After a scoreless first, Spain had back-to-back four run innings. That put the game out of reach. Spain added five more runs to pad the lead. All South Africa could get was three runs. Spain's domination put them in the finals, while South Africa's run is over. 

Yunesky Sanchez
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The finals was an intense match-up that would end up going into extras. Israel got started early, having two runners cross home in the first inning. Both teams scored one run in the third inning, and then three in the fourth. Spain got one more in the fifth to bring the deficit to one. Spain equalized in the seventh on a groundout. Spain took the lead in the eighth. Israel tied it up in the bottom of the inning. At the end of the nine, the score was tied at 7. In the tenth, Yunesky Sanchez brought in two runners on his fourth hit of the day. Israel could not get the two runs needed to continue the game. Spain got the 9-7 victory and will be playing the World Baseball Classic.

Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, and Great Britain participated in the second qualifier in Regensberg, Germany at Armin-Wolf Baseball Arena. Canada was 2-1 at the 2006 tournament and missed making the second round by a tiebreaker. At the 09' WBC, Canada lost to the US and Italy to put them in this situation. In the IBAF World Rankings, Canada placed at 5th on the rankings, hosts Germany are ranked 17th, Great Britain is in the 24th spot, and the 25th spot is filled by the Czech Republic.

The first game of the qualifier in Germany, between Canada and Great Britain, was close to start, but by the end it wasn't even close. The game was tight for six innings. At the end of six, the score was 3-1. At the bottom of the seventh, Canada went off and scored eight runs. That put into effect the ten run mercy rule and Canada got the win. The ten run mercy rule can be used in the seventh inning or later, while the fifteen run mercy rule can come into effect after the fifth inning. In the other game of the first round, Germany embarrassed the Czech Republic. Germany scored three runs in the first. The Czech Republic scored one in the fifth to cut the deficit to two. Then, Germany went on a roll, scoring eight runs in the fifth and then five runs in the sixth before the fifteen run mercy rule came into effect. 

Jimmy Van Ostrand
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The winner's game between Canada and Germany was also a high-scoring affair. Canada scored three runs in the first, but Germany countered quickly with three of their own in the second. Both got one across in the third, and then went scoreless for the next three innings. Canada broke the game wide open with five in the seventh. Germany could only counter with two. Canada added on with two in the eighth and five in the ninth. Canada's Jimm Van Ostrand hit two homers in the game. Van Ostrand was the best player of the first two qualifiers. He was tied for first with the most home runs (4) and hits (7). He also was number one RBI's (10), runs (9) total bases (20), Slugging Percentage (1.538), and OPS (2.138). The elimination game between Great Britain and the Czech Republic wasn't that close. Great Britain scored three in the first and three more in the third. The Czech Republic got two runs in their half of the third. Czech Republic go one more in the fourth. After a few innings of scoreless ball, Great Britain scored three more in the seventh and two in the eighth. The Czech Republic scored a few more runs, but not enough to make it close as Great Britain eliminated the Czech Republic, 12-5.

In the elimination game to see who will face Canada in the finals, Germany destroyed Great Britain. Germany scored three runs in the first and two in the second. After two innings of failing to have runners cross the plate, Germany scored four in the fifth, one in the sixth, and six in the seventh. The only runs Great Britain could score was one run in the seventh. Germany made it to the finals, while Great Britain was sent packing. 

The finals between Canada and Germany, like many games in the tournament, didn't end after nine innings due to a mercy rule. Canada started off hot, getting four runs in the first and three in the second. One more run came in the fourth for Canada. Germany got one back in the fifth. After staying 8-1 for a few innings, Canada scored 3 runs in the eighth to end the game early due to the ten run mercy rule. The win means that Canada will be back at the World Baseball Classic for the third straight year.

NHL Lockout

NHL Lockout
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For the 2nd time in 8 years there is an NHL Lockout. It is also the 4th time in 20 years there is a labor dispute. The last lockout lasted an entire season. That doesn't give many people much hope that this lockout will be any different. The 1992 strike lasted 10 days during the middle of the season. The 1994-95 lockout lasted a little more than 3 months and cut the season from 84 games to 48. History isn't in the NHL's favor. The NHL is not the only league that has had labor issues in recent years. The NFL had a lockout last year but didn't miss any regular season games.  The NBA had a shortened 2011 - 12 season due to a lockout. Let's not forget the NFL Referees that are currently in a lockout. Recently the MLB, however, has not trouble getting a deal done.

The big issue looks like the revenue split. The players got 57% of the Hockey Related Revenue in the last agreement. The league's 1st offer had that percentage decreased by 14% to 43%. They have since moved that offer up to 49% in year one, then 47% for each of the final four years. 

If the NHL Lockout ends up going into the regular season, like the NBA Lockout, the best time resume the season would be on New Year's with the Winter Classic. It would be great timing, like the NBA coming back on Christmas last year. It is one of the league's main days and would  pump up the fans. Since it will be played in Michigan with two Original Six teams will face off.  Toronto will face Detroit. That will make it even better because both teams have loyal fan bases that will be excited for the game. With that said,the owners and the players should resolve the differences quick and try to start play as soon as possible.

Evgeni Malkin with Metallurg
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Players are already making plans to play overseas. The 2011-12 Hart Trophy (MVP) Winner Evgeni Malkin has already agreed to play with his former team in Russia, the Metallurg Magnitogorsk.  They play in the Kontiental Hockey League (KHL). Joining him on team are former Penguins' teammate defenseman Sergei Gonchar and forward Nikolai Kulemin. Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk is joining AK Bars Kazan, also of the KHL. Ilya Kovalchuk will sign with the KHL's SKA (Saint Peterburg) soon. KHL's HC Dombass of Ukraine signed forwards Ruslan Fedotenko and Alexei Ponikarovski. The KHL is a top hockey league in Europe, with most of it's team's in Russia, but the countries of Belarus, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine have 1 team in the league.  During the lockout, each team in the KHL is allowed to have a maximum of 3 players that are currently signed with NHL teams. Jaromir Jagr will play for the team he owns in Czech Extraliga, HC Klado. Forward Tomas Plekanec will join Jagr in Czech Republic. This is just the start of what is expected to be many players from the NHL moving to play this year in Europe.

If I am the NHL, I would be the most worried about losing fans and their support. The 2012 - 13 season is planned to start October 11th. This probably won't happen based on how little the sides are talking. The NHL had a great postseason last year, that definitely got the league more fans. Those new fans aren't going to wait around for the lockout to end. They may go back to watching what they did before coming to hockey. Then, there are the die-hard fans and they don't deserve this. They stayed loyal to the NHL through the 2004-05 lockout. These fans are being shoved out of the way because of money issues. If there are no fans, there will be no money.

NFL Preview 2012

AFC EAST

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, best TE
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This division is the New England Patriots to lose. The Pats have a great receiving core, even though it is a little thin. They have Tom Brady running the offense. Most importantly, they have an improved defense. In the draft, they picked up DE Chandler Jones and LB Dont'a Hightower. The Buffalo Bills might turn out to be this year's Detroit Lions.  The team that may people prediction to have a breakout season, and they do. They have a superb D-Line that will lead the team to a good season. The J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets are an interesting team. Their season will be based on QB play. They have a very good defense led by shutdown CB Darrelle Revis and the LB's David Harris, Calvin Pace, and Bart Scott. I really liked the pick-up of hard-hitting safety LaRon Landry to help the safety core, which just loss it's playmaker in Jim Leonard. Back to the QB's, if either Tebow or Sanchez can win games, this is a team to look out for. Then, there is the Miami Dolphins. They have little chance of winning the division, let alone making the playoffs.

AFC NORTH

This is going to be a very tough division. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Pittsburgh Steelers all have a chance to win the division. The Ravens are looking again like an AFC power. The defense is still top flight, even though Terrell Suggs may be lost for part or all of the season. More importantly, they have a chip on their shoulder. After coming so close to the Super Bowl last year, they want to go back even more. Pittsburgh, like Baltimore, has a top flight defense, but does have a few losses form last year. The key to the team's success will be based on how the offense performs with their new system. Cincinnati made the playoffs for the 1st time last year after a 4-12 record in 2010. To make it again, Andy Dalton will need to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. He has WR AJ Green who will look to help him by putting up another 1,000 yard season. The Browns are in another rebuilding year. Trent Richardson is going to get most of the play calls because he is the best playmaker and most explosive on offense. Their defense can't make up for the lackluster offense.

AFC SOUTH

Matt Schaub
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The Houston Texans won the AFC South for he 1st time ever last year. This year they are looking to repeat as champs of the AFC South. They did lose DE/LB Mario Williams and LB DeMeco Ryans to free agency. Their defense is still very good. They have a good corner in Jonathan Joseph leading the secondary and LB Brain Cushing leading the front 7. The Texans have a healthy Matt Schaub at QB to run a balanced offense that can beat opponents with the passing game or with rushing the ball with Arian Foster. They look like they are headed for another great season. Many people forget that the Tennessee Titans were tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the 6th seed, but didn't get in due to head-to-head record. This season, Jake Locker will be the starting QB instead of Matt Hasselbeck. Locker will have a good season, but he will turn the ball over too much. Chris Johnson will be a force running the ball. Like last year, Tennessee will be good, but not good enough. The Indianapolis Colts got the number 1 pick in the 2012 Draft and picked Andrew Luck. Luck is looking to make sure the fans don't lose hope in the post Peyton Manning era. I think he is going to have a great year. His biggest help will come from his 2 rookie TE's;  Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. Luck and Fleener both went to Stanford. All 3 are going to through the same rookie process, which may bond them closer. The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking at a terrible year. They have a very inexperienced and inconsistent QB in Blaine Gabbert, a decent defense, and a unhappy Maurice Jones-Drew. The only bright spot might be wideout Justin Blackman, if Gabbert can get the ball to him.

AFC WEST

The Denver Broncos have Peyton Manning as their new QB, which means passing is going to become a much bigger part of the offense. WR's Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas are going to have great seasons, becoming Peyton's top targets. The defense has one of the best D-Lineman in the game, DE Elvis Dumervil. LB Von Miller is destined to have another great year On D, they still have shutdown corner Champ Bailey, who may be getting up their in age, but still is a top corner. The Kansas City Chiefs are much healthier then last season, where 3 of their top players, HB Jamaal Charles, S Eric Berry, and TE Tony Moeaki, all who had their ACL's torn by Week 2. Charles is going to have a good bounce back year, gaining at least 1,100 yards . Berry is going to led the secondary that already has top CB Brandon Flowers. They have also have a good linebacker core. San Diego has missed the playoffs the last 2 years after being the favorite to make the playoffs. Their early season struggles have hurt them in both years. This year, the division isn't theirs to lose. That might put the pressure off the Bolts. Phillip Rivers will have a good year and so will Ryan Matthews. But, they will not make the playoffs. The Oakland Raiders are going to have a full season with Carson Palmer, who knows the offense system. 

NFC EAST

The New York Giants barely won the NFC East, but that didn't effect their playoff run that ended up in a victory in Super Bowl XLVI. They have Eli Manning along with his 2 top receivers back from last year, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Ahmad Bradshaw is going to be the featured HB with Brandon Jacobs leaving during the off season. The defensive line is still great anchored by  Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora. They will do well this season. The Philadelphia Eagles were called the Dream Team going into last year's season. That dream resulted in an 8-8 season and missing the playoffs. The Eagles are looking to go back to the playoffs, not just for their sake, but for Andy Reid's job. They have a top RB in LeSean McCoy, who can be a dominating runner or a force in the passing game. Philly's defense improved dramatically with the upgrade at LB. It is going to be tough to pass against them with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on one side and a top 3 CB Nnandi Asomugha on the other. Every year, is called the year the Cowboys.  They will go back to the playoffs and this year Romo will have a MVP season. What makes this year different? The offense is pretty much the same, other then the fact they have new additions on the O-Line. I did like improving up the CB position by picking up Brandon Carr in free agency and Morris Claiborne in the draft. I also like Rob Ryan as Defensive Coordinator. For them to make the playoffs, they need to complete every game. The Washington Redskins are excited to see their new QB, 2011 Heisman Trophy Winner Robert Griffin III in action. That's probably the one exciting aspect of the Redskins this year. There offense is not going to score points if RGIII is taken out of the line-up. The defense is decent, but they can't win ball games.

NFC NORTH

Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings
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The Green Bay Packers went 15-1 last year, but lost their 1st game in the playoffs. The Pack are out to win their 2nd Super Bowl Title in 3 seasons. They have reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers and a great receiving core led by Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. The defense is looking much better after being awful last year. They have moved Charles Woodson to Strong Safety. The corner position were not   depleted by the move. Clay Matthews will lead the front 7  to put more pressure on the QB. The Detroit Lions made the playoffs last year with Matthew Stafford played every game in an NFL season. Stafford has one of the best WR's in the game in Calvin Johnson who can catch pretty much anything throw near him. The defense can be great, as long as they keep their cool. The Chicago Bears were rolling, with a 7-3 record last year going into week 12. Then, they went 1-6 the rest of the way, missing out on the playoffs. This happened because Jay Cutler and Matt Forte went down with injuries. The Bears have a very good chance of making the playoffs. Their defense is getting up their in age, but is still very good. The offense can be great. The key will be if they can stay healthy. The Minnesota Vikings are looking to make improvements in Year 2 of rebuilding. Christian Ponder should make strides with his passing ability and decision making. He will have Adrian Peterson who will have another great year when he comes back from last year's ACL injury. 

NFC SOUTH

The NFC South might be the most interesting division in football. With the New Orleans Saints losing head coach Sean Payton for the whole year, how will it effect their play? How will the Carolina Panthers perform in Cam Newton's 2nd year in the NFL. Will the Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons make a move in the playoffs? How will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do with new HC Greg Schiano? Atlanta made the playoffs for the 3rd time in Matt Ryan's 4th season. Each of the past 2 years they lost in the 1st playoff game they have played in. This might be their time to make a run in the playoffs. They are the top team in the division and can use it to their advantage. They have a team that can make it deep. They just need to perform. The Saints were embedded with controversy in the off-season. There was the bounty scandal, the eavesdropping scandal and Drew Brees' contract. Many are wondering if the season long suspensions of HC Sean Payton and LB Jonathan Vilma will effect the team's performance. I believe it depletes their win total by 1-3 games. Carolina is in the 2nd season of the Cam Newton era. The offense has 3 good backs, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and Mike Tolbert. The defense is very good, led by LB's Jon Beason and rookie Luke Kuechly. Both are tackle machines. They will have a good season an will be very close to the next step. The Buccaneers will do better then their 2011 season. They have a much better team. Mark Barron was a great pick-up in the draft. By drafting Doug Martin, him and LaGarrent Blount have one of the most powerful (in the way they run) RB duos in the league. I believe Josh Freeman can be a very good QB, he just needs to cut down on his INTs and be a better passer. 

NFC WEST

Patrick Willis
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The NFC West was won by the San Francisco 49ers last year. They had 5 more wins then the  2nd place team, the Arizona Cardinals. This year looks to be the same. The 49ers look like they have little competition in the division. Alex Smith is coming off a career with a good receiving core. Frank Gore is still a very productive back. The defense is stout, probably the best in the league. Their starting 4 linebackers, Ahmad Brooks, Navorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, and Patrick Willis, are outstanding. They are going to win the division. The Seahawks signed Matt Flynn in the offseason to be the starting QB. However, he was out played by Seattle's 2012 3rd round pick Russell Wilson and Wilson got the job. Wilson will be a dynamic  QB. He will need to be efficient for his team to win. The Seahawks have a very good defense that will keep the scoring low. Arizona has issues, especially at QB. Kevin Kolb or John Skelton will not bring a team to the playoffs. They are too inconsistent. The Cardinals have a good defense, led by 2nd year CB Patrick Peterson. The defense will play well, but the offense will not. The St. Louis Rams were 1 game away from a trip to the playoffs in 2010 in Sam Bradford's 1st season. Last year, they won 2 games. They have a new coach this year in Jeff Fisher. Fisher will improve the team, but the Rams are still a year or two away achieving prominence in the NFC West.

College Football Preview 2012

Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead
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The Big Ten Conference has 2 favorites, Michigan and Wisconsin. Both teams have explosive play makers, Michigan's Senior QB Denard Robinson and Senior RB Montee Ball. Robinson passed for 2,173 yards and rushed for 1,176 more. Ball ran for 1,923 yards and 33 TDs and caught 6 more for a total of 39. However, there are a few other teams that can make their way into the championship game. Nebraska has a great QB-RB combination of Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. Martinez is a great running QB and is decent at passing the ball. If Martinez improves his passing, Nebraska will be a force to be reckoned with. Michigan State just lost it's most successful QB in Kirk Cousins, but that doesn't mean they will struggle this year. They have a very good defense. Junior LB Denicos Allen was a monster with 18.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Junior DE William Gholston had 16.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. Senior DB Johnny Adams had 3 picks and had 147 INT return yards. Junior LB Max Bullough led the teams in tackles with 89, including 7.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. If the offense puts up some points, MSU will be a scary team to face.

Arkansas can be a top team in the nation, but it is not even ranked  a top 4 team in the their conference. The loss of head coach Bobby Petrino was big. However, the fact that they have an experienced QB in Tyler Wilson makes it less painful. Wilson threw for 3638 yards and 24 TDs last year, while throwing only 6 interceptions. He averaged 8.3 yards per attempt, 63.2 completion percentage, and a 148.4 passer rating. Vs. Texas A&M last season, he threw for 510 yards and 3 TDs. RB Knile Davis, who missed all of last season due to injury, is back and going to look to top the 1,322 rushing yards he put up in 2010. They have a tough schedule (All SEC teams do), but they get to face both Alabama and LSU at home. Even with their schedule, Arkansas has a chance to be a top team. 

Utah's transition from the MWC to the PAC-12 last year was good. They had a record of 8-5, came in 3rd in the South Division, and won the Sun Bowl against Georgia Tech. This happened with their starting QB missing the last 9 games of the season due to injury. The Utes can do even better this year if everyone stays healthy.  Starting RB John White is returning.  He rushed for 1,519 yards and 15 TDs. When Utah faced BYU, White sprinted for 174 years, averaging 7.9 yards per rush, and 3 TDs. They are going to need to run the offense around him. If they get him going, he will force extra defenders into the box, setting up play action. If they don't flood the box, keep giving him the ball, he will make plays and get the ball in the end zone. 

Collin Klein
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Kansas State had a great year last year, going 10-3, and participating in the Cotton Bowl. That was their 1st 10 win season since 2003. Duel Threat Quarterback Collin Klein is looking to have another stellar season, after throwing for 1,918 yards and running for 1,141 yards. To be successful again, the defense needs to do better against elite offenses. In their 2 regular season losses, they gave up 58 points to Oklahoma and 52 points to Oklahoma State. They also gave up 50 points to Texas A&M. Senior's LB Arthur Brown (101 tackles last year, 9.5 for loss), DE Meshak Williams (7 sacks, 10 tackles for loss), and DB Nigel Malone (7 picks last year) need to lead the defense. Their return game is great. Sophomore WR/KR Tyler Lockett was a monster in the return game, averaging 35.2 yards per return. If the defense isn't more productive, their season will not be as successful as last year.

There are 4 new teams playing FBS football this year. South Alabama was a FCS Independent and is now a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst moved from the Colonial Athletic Association to the MAC. Both Texas State and Universiry of Texas-San Antonio moved from the Southland Conference to the WAC. None are expected to make a very big impact, as they are not eligible to play for a bowl game.

Notes on FCS, Division II, Division III

• North Dakota State (#2 in the The Sports Network Poll and #1 in Coaches Poll), the 2011 FCS Champs, will try to repeat as champions
• Division 2's Pittsburg State (#1 in AFCA Coaches Poll and D2Football.com Poll) and Northwest Missouri State (#3 in both polls) face off at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13th
• University of Wisconsin-Whiterwater (#1 in AFCA Coaches Poll and D3Football.com Poll) looking to win their 4th consecutive Division III chapionship and 5th in the last 6 years

MLL Championship Weekend Wrap-Up

Major League Lacrosse just finished up it's championship weekend. The weekend took place at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2 semi-final games took place on Saturday and then the championship on Sunday. 

The Denver Outlaws in a huddle
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In the 1st game of Semi-finals on Saturday, the Long Island Lizards faced the Denver Outlaws. However, the Outlaws' Brendan Mundorf, this seasons' MLL MVP, was out for the game due to an injury to his ankle. Denver was number 1 in the standings in the regular season, with a record of 11-3, while the Lizards were 4th at 8-6. The game started off  as all Long Island. After the 1st period, the Lizards were up 3-1. They added 5 goals to the Oulaws 1 to take a commanding 8-2 lead going into halftime. The Lizards added 4 more goals to 1 for the Outlaws at the start of the 3rd. Then, Denver's offense took off. They scored 9 unanswered goals to tie the game at 12. Then, Jeremy Sieverts, who won LL's Most Improved Player this season, broke the tie to give Denver a 13-12 lead. Chris Bocklet led the game with 6 goals.

Game 2 of the day featured the Chesapeake Bayhawks against the hometown team,the Boston Cannons. Boston took the early lead by scoring 5 goals in the 1st period compared to 2 by the Bayhawks. The Bayhawks responded well in the 2nd period, scoring 5 goals, including 2 two-pointers (from at-least 16 yards out) while the Cannons could only muster up 3. Going into halftime the score was close, after halftime was over, Chesapeake dominated. They scored 7 goals in the 2nd half to put the game out of reach. Chespeake won 16-10, led by Kyle Dixon who had 3 goals, 2 two-point goals, and an assist along with Ben Rubeor who had 6 goals.

Both participants in the championship game are not new to the stage. Chesapeake had 3 previous championships and 2 other appearances in the game. Denver had 4 previous appearances, all resulting in being  the runner-up. The Bayhawks were looking to make it their 2 championship in 3 seasons. The Outlaws looking to get their 1st championship.

The Chesapeake Bayhawks after winning the MLL Title
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Denver started off well by scoring the 1st 2 goals. However, the Bayhawks countered with scoring 5 consecutive goals to end the 1st period. Then, within the 1st minute of play in the 2nd period, Chesapeake's Ben Hunt scored a two-pointer to take a 7-2 lead. Denver scored 3 goals in the rest of the period, while Chesapeake scored 3 more. At the half, it was 10-5. The 3rd period was all Bayhawks, They shutout the Outlaws in the quarter, while adding 3 goals, including a two-pointer, to their lead. They added 2 goals in the 4th, while Denver could not come back as Chesapeake won 16-6. Hunt had 4 goals and 2 two-point goals. The Bayhawks' goalie, Kip Turner  had 12 saves in the game.  With  6 goals in the semi final game and 2 goals in the championship game, Rubeor was named the MLL Championship Weekend MVP. 

Uganda's Moment In The Sun

Uganda at the Opening Ceremonies
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This year's Little League's most inspiring and possibly best story just happened. It wasn't in an elimination game or a championship game. It didn't feature a powerhouse like a Japan or Chinese Taipei or a team from the US.  No, it featured a team from Lugazi, Uganda in a crossover game. 

This is the 1st ever team from Africa to compete at the Little League World Series. Last year, a team from Kampala, Uganda qualified for the tournament in Williamsport, PA. However, there were not allowed to play due to their visas being denied. In their spot, a team from Saudi Arabia represented the Middle East-Africa Region. 

To get to the Little League World Series, Uganda had to win the Middle East-Africa Regional Tournament. The tournament was held in Kutno, Poland. In the 1st game of the tournament, Uganda lost to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 1-2. That didn't faze them as the next day they defeated the team from Dubai, UAE, 6-0. On the 3rd day of the tournament, Uganda flattened Doha, Qatar, 13-1, and then beat the team from Kuwait City, Kuwait, 8-0. Their 3-1 record tied them with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for 1st place. Tie-breaking rules put Uganda and Kuwait in the finals. In the finals, Uganda defeated Kuwait, 5-2, 

In the 1st game in Williamsport vs. a team from Aguadulce, Panama representing Latin America, Uganda lost 9-3. Justine Makisimu got Africa's 1st hit in the 1st at-bat of the game. In the 6th inning, Daniel Alio hit a 2-run homer. The loss sent the team to face Mexico, who also lost their 1st game. In Game 2, Mexico 10 run-ruled Uganda 12-0. That eliminated Uganda from the tournament. But, teams that go 0-2 get to play in the a 3rd game that doesn't effect the tournament.

Daniel Alio tags out the runner trying to steal home
on a wild pitch
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In the crossover game, Uganda faced off against the representative from the Northwest Region of the US, Gresham, Oregon. Oregon lost their games to New Castle, Indiana from the Great Lakes Region, 0-4, and to the Mid-Atlantic's representative from Parsippany, NJ, 10-4. No one scored through the 3rd inning. Oregon broke that in the top of the 4th when they drove across 2 runs on a Hunter Hemenway triple. Uganda answered in their half of the inning when Alio scored on a wild pitch and then Felix Enzama scored on a passed ball. Oregon couldn't break the tie in their half of the inning. Uganda had runners on 1st and 2nd when Enzama hit a ground ball to 2nd base. The 2nd baseman threw the ball to the shortstop, who got the out at 2nd, and then made a wild throw to 1st. Due to the bad throw, the runner from 2nd scored. Uganda had the lead. Oregon rallied in the 6th, but they couldn't get a run across. Alio pitched a great game going 5.1 innings with 8 strikeouts. 

In my opinion, the play of the game happened in the top of the 6th with a runner on 1st. With a 3-1  count a strike was called on the batter. The batter tosses his bat, thinking that the pitch was ball four. The runner on 1st base was half way between bases, unsure of what happened. Uganda's catcher Makisimu was heads up and walked out to in front of the plate and then fired it to 2nd base who then threw it to 1st base where they got the runner. That play showed how far baseball has come in Africa. Not every player would know what to do in this game situation. 

This might be a sign of what is coming. Soon players from Uganda may be signed by major league clubs, maybe some will make it to the major leagues.  Uganda has never been a top sports country. At the 2012 Olympics, Uganda has won 2 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals. Stephen Kiprotich won the men's marathon at the 2012 Olympics. At the Commonwealth Games, they had 12 golds, 15 silvers, and 17 bronze medals. Their soccer team, the Cranes, has never been to a FIFA World Cup and the best they have done at the Africa Cup of Nations is 2nd. This is the start of something that might make Uganda more active. Every athlete would want to go play in front of the world in a world-class facility. Athletes, and others who want to be successful in life from Uganda can know believe that it is possible to be a factor in the world. This win might end up being bigger then baseball. 

2012 London Olympics Legacies

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt
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Bolt has put himself into the All-Time Greats category in both athletics and Olympics history. He is my MVP of the Games. After a great performance in Beijing where he won Gold in his only 3 events, the 100, 200 and 4x100 meters, many people were selecting fellow countryman and partner in workouts, Yohan Blake, to defeat him in the 100 meters and 200 meters. At the Jamaican trials, Blake beat Bolt in both events. His 1st event at Olympic Stadium was the 100 meters. In the final, he defeated Blake by .12 of a second and got the Olympic Record at 9.63. The 200 meters was much the same, defeating Blake by .12th of a second and was .02 seconds of an Olympic Record. His last event he partnered with Blake, the 4x100 meter relay. Bolt got the baton from Blake in the final and sprinted to the World Record and 1st time ever a relay team ran the 4x100 in go under 37 seconds. He is definitely one of the best of all-time.

Michael Phelps 

Michael Phelps was looking to become the most decorated Olympian. He did that, by getting 6 more medals to make his career total of 22. He has 18 gold medals, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals. But, the Olympics showed the Phelps isn't who he once was. He didn't medal n the 200 meter IM, no Olympic or World Records, and got his 1st 2 ever silver medals. But, he still got 4 golds to prove, he wasn't going to leave quietly. 

Ryan Lochte 

This was Ryan Lochte chance to prove he is, at the moment, better then Phelps and best in the world. However, he underachieved in London. He won 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. He went 1-1 when up against Phelps, winning the 200 meter IM and Phelps winning the 400 meter IM. He won his other gold in a relay. If he wanted to be better then Phelps, he needed to medal in every event and have more golds then silvers and bronze combined.

The Fab Five (US Women's Gymnastics Team)

The Fab Five: Wieber, Douglas, Maroney, Raisman,
and Ross
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The Fab Five is a tale of many different stories. We will start with the team in the team competition. That is the big success story, where the US win by more then 5 points and their 2nd ever gold. The most successful individual is, to many people's surprise, Aly Raisman. In addition to the team gold, she won floor gold, bronze in the balance beam, and tied for 3rd in the individual all-around, but was pushed back to 4th due to the tiebreaker. Jordyn Wieber was a favorite for the individual all-around. However, she did not even make the final, despite becoming 4th overall. Due to only one country being allowed 2 participants per gymnastics final, Wieber was bumped out because Raisman and Gabby Douglas got higher scores. She was devestaed. One of the biggest shock of the games. Douglas won the individual all-around gold, but didn't medal in uneven bars and balance beam. McKayla Maroney's silver medal in the vault might have been even more surprising then Wieber. She was the heavy favorite, especially after a fantastic vault in the team final. Kyla Ross only  final was the team final. 

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings

Misty and Kerri solidified themselves as the best beach volleyball team ever. They only lost one set on their way to gold, against sisters Doris and Stephanie Schwaiger of Austria. In the gold medal match, they defeated fellow countrywomen Jen Kessy and April Ross 21-16 and 21-16 to get their 3rd gold in 3 Olympics. They put beach volleyball on the map in the United States and made it one of the sports to watch every 4 years. 

US Men's Basketball Team

The US men's basketball team will be remembered for LeBron James triple-double, Kevin Durant's tournament scoring record, and Kobe Bryant and Coach K's final game. But, it was more of the role players that made the team successful. Kevin Love was the big man who played his heart out to win. Chris Paul was clutch in the last few minutes of the gold medal match vs Spain. Carmelo Anthony was a good 6th man coming off the bench. Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams provided good energy.

The Games of the XXX Olympiad 

2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony
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This Olympics' slogan fits how the Games turned out. The slogan was "Inspire A Generation". I think these games will inspire a generation. What will inspire people the most will be women participants from every country for the first time. That will inspire more women to do sports. Also, Oscar Pistorious, the 1st double amputee to participate in athletics, will inspire people to believe that anything is possible. This Olympics also has the 1st ever athlete from South Sudan. It's athlete, Guor Marial, participated as an Independent Olympian because South Sudan does not have an Olympic Committee yet. I think the biggest legacy of the 30th Olympics will be the beginning of the China-US rivalry. The medal race was very close until the US pulled away in the final days. China wants to beat the US and US always wants to be 1st. The next few Olympics will be intense.

Notable Names Through The Olympics 1st Week

Kim Ha Na, Meiliana Jauhari, Ha Jung En, Jung Kyung Eun, Kim Min Jung, Greysia Polii, Wang Xiaoli, and Yu Yang

Wang, Yu, Jung, and Kim hear it from Torsten Berg
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These 8 badminton participants were disqualified from the women's doubles tournament. Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang were the 2011 World Champs and number 1 seed from China. Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na of South Korea faced the Chinese duo in the last match of the Group A. Both were 2-0. The winner might have to face the number 2 seed of Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei, who lost a day earlier, in the semi-finals instead of the finals. So they wouldn't have to face the 2 seed until the finals, Wang and Yu deliberately tried to loose the match. They faltered on many serves and missed easy shots. The South Koreans also performed poorly. Later in the day, Ha Jung En and Kim Min Jung of South Korea faced Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii. All 4 players were told to play hard and after they were not, tournament referee and umpire Torsten Berg disqualified them all by giving them black cards. They were taken back after the players promised they would play harder. They Indonesia's ended up losing the match. The 2 other teams in their group made the quarters due to the DQ's.

Torsten Berg Talks To Ha, Kim, Jauhari, and Polii
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The defending men's singles gold medalist and number 2 seed in this years competition, China's Lin Dan said about the controversy that, "This situation really is not in the Olympic sporting spirt," and "I think it will definitely bring a negative impact." He also said that having a round-robin style preliminary round is also at blame, saying, "If they just had a knockout round it would all be fine. You lose and that's it," and "Why would the tournament rules people have (a format) like this?" This is the 1st time the competition has a preliminary round. In the past, it was just a regular single-elimination tournament.

Ruta Meilutyte

Ruta Meilutyte, the 15 year old swimmer from Lithuania, surprised many at the London Aquatics Centre. It all started when, in the 4th Heat for the women's 100 meter breaststroke, she came in 1st in not only the heat that include olympic record holder Leisel Jones from Australia, but also 1st of all participants. In the semi-finals, she set a European record in the event with a time of 1:05.21 and was, again, 1st overall. Swimming in Lane 4 in the finals, she won the gold medal with a time 1:05.47. In the 50 meter freestyle, she was 1st in her heat, but did not qualify for the semi's and in the 100 meter freestyle,she finished 5th in her heat and didn't make the semi's.

Natalia Partyka

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Natalia Partyka

Poland's Natalia Partyka is not your average table tennis player. She has no right forearm. That does not stop her from playing in not only the Paralympics, but the Olympics, too. The 68th ranked women's player is participating in both the women's singles and women team tournaments. For the women's singles, she had a preliminary round and 1st round byes. Partyka started play in round 2. She started by playing Mie Skov of Denmark. Partyka won 4 sets to 3. In the 3rd round, she lost to Jie Li of the Netherlands, 4-2 after being up by 2 sets. She will be playing on Denmark's women's team for the team competition. They will face Singapore in the 1st Round.

Mikkel Hanson and Aron Palmarson 

Mikkel Hanson and Aron Palmarson have been playing great in the men's handball tournament. Hanson, the 2011 Men's IHF World Handball Player of the Year, has been lighting it up for Denmark. He is tied for 6th in goals with 22 and 4th in assists with 17. The Left Back has led Denmark to a 3-1 record in Group B with 1 game to go, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. His best match so far was against Serbia when he scored 7 goals and dished out 5 assists. Palmarson has been a leader for 4-0 Iceland. He has 25 goals, which puts him 4th in goals, and 15 assists, which puts him at 6th for assists. When Iceland faced Tunsia, Palmarson scored 8 goals and had 4 assists. 

Elisa De Francisca, Arrianna Errigo, Valentina Vezzali

Ilara Salvatori, Errigo, Vezzali, and De Francisca celebrate
a gold medal in women's team foil
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Women's foil fencing was dominated this year by the Italians. Elisa De Francisca, Arriana Errigo, and Valentina Vezzali all won 2 medals and all only participated in 2 events. It all started on July 28th when the women's foil competition started. It started with a round of 64 and then dwindled down to 4. De Francisca made it to face South Korea's Nam Hyun Hee, who see defeated 11-10. Fellow countrywomen Errigo and Vezzali faced off in the other semi-finals. The 22 year old, Errigo, defeated the 3 time women's foil gold medalist (2000-2008) in Vezzali, 15-12. That set up a DeFrancisca-Errigo final. In the bronze medal match, Vezzali won to secure the bronze medal. In the final, DeFrancisca edged Errigo 12-11. In the women's team foil, Italy cruised to the final by blowing out Great Britain, 42-14, and France, 45-22. The final was better for Italy's opponent, Russia, as Italy won 45-32.