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

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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
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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

Notes to Prepare You for the 2013 NFL Playoffs

Denver Broncos 

• NFL Records Peyton Manning Broke Include...
• Touchdowns in a Single Season with 55
• Passing Yards in a Single Season with 5,477
• Tied for Touchdowns in a Game with 7 against Baltimore on 9/5
• NFL Team Records Include...
• Scoring in a Single Season with 606
• First Team to Score over 600 points in a Season
• More Peyton Manning's Stats this Year
• 68.3 completion percentage
• 342.3 passing yards per game
• 8.3 TD percentage
• 10 INTs
• 111.1 Passer Rating
• Kicker Matt Prater season...
• 25/26 on Field Goals
• 6/7 on 50+ yard Field Goals  
• 75/75 on PATs
• The Missed FG was from 52 yards out vs KC on 11/17
• Set record by hitting a 64 yard FG against Tennessee on 12/8

New England Patriots

• Season Highlighted By Comebacks
• 9/8 vs. Buffalo: Down 21-20 with 4:31 left, Won 23-21 on GW Field Goal
• 10/13 vs. New Orleans: Down 27-23 with 2:24 left, Won 30-27 on GW TD Pass with 5 seconds left
• 10/20 vs. New York Jets: Down 27-24 with 2:10 left, Game-Tying FG with 16 seconds left
• 11/24 vs. Denver: Down 24-0, Won 34-31
• 12/8 vs. Cleveland: Down 26-14 with less then 65 seconds left, won 27-26
• LeGarrette Blount had a career day against Buffalo in the last week of the season (189 yards, 7.9 per carry, 2 Rushing TDs, 145 kickoff return yards, and 72.5 yards per kickoff return)
• The Patriots have arguably the most depth at running back with Blount, Steven Ridley, Shane Vereen, and Brandon Bolden
• Only one player has over 60 catches of the Pats: Julian Edelman
• Edelman had 21 catches in 2012, 4 in 2011, and 7 in 2010
• To compare, he had 18 total tackles in 2011 and ended up playing defensive back due to injuries
• It's been a rough year for Brady, having to play with inexperienced and off-injured wide receivers and tight ends, however, I still trust him with a game on the line

Cincinnati Bengals

• Andy Dalton:
• 61.9% Completion Percentage
• 4296 Passing Yards
• 33 TDs
• 20 INT
• 88.8 QB Rating
• Dalton to AJ Green: 
• 98 completions
• 180 targets
• 1426 yards
• 14.6 average yards
• 18 20+ Yard Plays
• RB Giovani Bernard can run and catch the ball
• 170 rushing attempts
• 695 rushing yards
• 4.1 yards per carry
• 5 rushing touchdowns
• 56 receptions (second on team)
• 514 receiving yards
• 422 yards after catch
• 3 receiving touchdowns
• Vontaze Burfict is the league leader in combined tackles with 171
• Missing defense stalwart Geno Atkins (torn ACL)

Indianapolis Colts

• Three large improvements in Andrew Luck's game this year
1. Completion Percentage: 60.2% compared to 54.1% last year
2. Interceptions: 9 this year compared to 18 last year
3. Fumbles: 5 this year compared to 9 last year
• 23 of Luck's 63 rushing attempts have resulted in first downs
• Without Reggie Wayne, Luck has relied on TY Hilton
• Hilton is the only member of the team with 55+ receptions and 610+ receiving yards
• Hilton and Coby Fleener are the only with receivers with 40+ receptions
• Trent Richardson has been a let down
• 2.9 yards per attempt
• 32.7 yards per game
• 1 20+ yard carry
• Robert Mathis is having his best season of his career
• 19.5 sacks
• 8 forced fumbles
• Number one in the league for both
• Jarrell Freeman is one of the most underrated linebackers in the game
• 126 combined tackles
• 5.5 sacks
• 6 forced fumbles
• 6 passes deflected

Kansas City Chiefs 

• Jamaal Charles led the team in rushing and receiving and was second in scoring (DNP in Week 17)
• His 114 points scored this season is the most by a non-kicker
• He rushed for...
• 1,287 yards
• 5 yards per carry
• 12 touchdowns
• 72 first downs 
• His receiving stats are 
• 70 receptions
• 104 targets
• 693 receiving yards
• 630 yards after catch
• 7 touchdowns
• 32 first downs
• Outside Linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali both had 11 sacks on the season
• Fellow linebacker Derrick Johnson had 107 tackles
• For the Chiefs to be successful, they need to
• Establish the run
• Put the offense in 3rd and Long
• Win on Special Teams

San Diego Chargers

• Phillip Rivers is having a great year
• 378/544 or a 69.5 completion percentage
• 4478 passing yards
• 32 TDs
• 11 INTs
• 60 20+ yard passes
• 105.5 passer rating
• Rivers has two great targets to throw to: Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates
• Allen's stats this year:
• 71 receptions
• 105 targets
• 1046 receiving yards
• 8 TDs
• 16 20+ yard catches
• Gates' stats this year:
• 77 receptions
• 116 targets
• 872 receiving yards
• 4 TDs
• Saftey Eric Weddle is total defender
• 115 combined tackles
• 10 pass deflections
• 2 picks
• 1 forced fumble
• 2 fumble recoveries

Seattle Seahawks

• 15-1 at home over the last two seasons
• Have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs
• The Seahawk defense is the best in the league
• They are first in the NFL in...
• Yards Allowed in 4378
• Yards Allowed per Game with 273.6
• Passing Yards with 2752
• Passing Yards per Game with 172.0
• Points Allowed with 231
• Points Allowed per Game with 14.4
• Richard Sherman is the best corner in the league
• 8 picks (#1 in the NFL)
• 16 pass deflections 
• 3 picks in the fourth quarter with the game within 7 points this year
• 20 picks last three years
• 57 pass deflections last three seasons
• Free Safety Earl Thomas may also be the best at his position
• 105 combined tackles
• 8 pass deflections
• 5 interceptions
• 2 forced fumbles
• Russell Wilson has been very efficient
• 63.1 completion percentage
• 26 TDs
• 9 INTs
• 101.2 passer rating

Carolina Panthers

• Cam Newton had Career Highs In...
• Competition Percentage with 61.7%
• Touchdowns with 24
• QB Rating with 88.8
• And Career Lows In...
• Fumbles with 3
• Luke Kuechly is fourth in the league with 156 combined tackles
• He also had 4 interceptions and 11 passes deflected
• His 320 tackles in his first two seasons is more then these players in their first two years...
• Patrick Willis (315)
• Ray Lewis (293)
• DeMeco Ryans (284)
• Jon Beason (278)
• Brian Urlacher (239)
• Derrick Brooks (210)
• NaVarro Bowman (189)
• Kuechly had 24 combined tackles vs. New Orleans on 12/22
• The 24 tackles was the most in a game this season
• Kuechly is the best linebacker in the league and the anchor of the defense
• DE Greg Hardy had 15.0 sacks on the season

Philadelphia Eagles

• Nick Foles is 8-2 in games he is the starting QB
• Foles since the start of November
• 151/227 or a 66.5 completion percentage
• 2269 passing yards
• 21 TDs
• 2 INTs
• 101 first downs
• 43 passes of 20+ yards
• 7 Wins
• 1 Loss
• LeSean McCoy is the leading rusher in the league with 1607 rushing yards
• McCoy since the start of November
• 158 rushing attempts
• 874 yards
• 5.5 rushing yards per carry
• 6 TDs
• 43 first downs
• 7 Wins
• 1 Loss
• CB Brandon Boykin
• 6 picks
• 17 pass deflections
• 2 forced fumbles
• 205 kick-off return yards
• Boykin is the x-factor for the Eagles, he is not only becoming a great corner, but he can also be deadly in the return game

Green Bay Packers

• With Aaron Rodgers playing the whole game, the Pack are 6-2
• Without the 2011 MVP, the Packers are 2-5-1
• In Rodgers' return from injury: 
• 25/39
• 318 yards
• 2 TDs
• 2 INTs
• 85.2 QB Rating 
• Not great, but not awful
• Eddie Lacy is the first 1,000 yard rusher for the Packers since Ryan Grant in 2009
• Lacy has...
• 1178 rushing yards
• 11 TDs
• 61 first downs
• All-Pro Clay Matthews is out for the playoffs
• However, they still have constamint pro, ILB AJ Hawk 
• 118 combined tackles
• 1 forced fumble
• Green Bay's defense gives up the most points of any team in the league with an average of 26.8 points allowed per game

San Fransisco 49ers

• The Best Linebacking Core In Football
• NaVarro Bowman
• 145 combined tackles
• 120 total tackles
• 5 sacks
• 4 forced fumbles
• 9 pass deflections
• 2 picks
• 2014 Pro Bowler
• Patrick Willis (In 14 games)
• 104 total tackles
• 3 sacks
• 7 tackles for loss
• 2 forced fumbles
• 2014 Pro Bowler
• Ahmad Brooks
• 8.5 sacks
• 6 tackles for loss
• 60 combined tackles
• 2014 Pro Bowler
• Aldon Smith (In 11 games)
• 8.5 sacks
• 34 tackles

New Orleans Saints

• Cameron Jordan and Junior Galette are becoming one of the best 1-2 punches when rushing the quarterback
• Jordan this season:
• 12.5 sacks
• 47 combined tackles
• 2 forced fumbles
• 2014 Pro Bowler
• Galette this season:
• 12.0 sacks
• 40 combined tackles
• 6 tackles for loss
• The Saints can't run the ball (CHECK ALL)
• 1473 rushing yards (25th in the NFL)
• 391 rushing attempts (26th)
• 3.8 yards per attempt (26th)
• 92.1 rushing yards per game (25th)
• They can, however, pass the ball
• Drew Brees' stats:
• 5162 passing yards (2nd)
• 68.6 completion percentage (2nd)
• 39 TDs (2nd)
• 104.7 passer rating (6th)
• 70.5 QBR (4th)

The NBA Draft Wheel

The Draft Lottery has been around since 1985 and has always been filled with controversy. The newest controversy involves teams tanking to get a better chance at the number one pick. Many teams have been accused of doing, especially this year. Well, a proposal submitted by an NBA team official believes he has a way to stop tanking. According to Zach Lowe of Grantland, this proposal involves killing the lottery and using a wheel to determine the draft spot of each team, for the next 30 years.

Here is how the wheel would work: Each team would be given a pick every year for thirty years. They would not be able to pick in the same spot twice for thirty years. They follow a sequence, shown in the wheel below. So if a team drafts 1st in year one, they would draft 30th, 19th, 18th, and then 7th in the next four drafts. If they draft 28th, in the next four drafts they would draft 21st, 16th, 9th, and then 4th. Every five seasons, each team would have a top six pick and every four years, each team would have a top twelve pick. If this system is used, there is no upside, being being bad and tanking.

The Wheel
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The proposal has it's fans and adversaries. It has gained some traction among officials and may be discussed by the NBA owners in 2014. However, not all officials like the idea.
I believe the idea is interesting, but is way too flawed to ever be used in any capacity.

First, how does this give teams that are awful a chance to rebuild. Many of the best teams in sports build through the draft. This system makes it very difficult to do so. After getting a top five pick, most of the time it is followed up by three non-lottery picks. It is very unusual for one player to change the franchise from a loser to perennial title contender. For example, the Thunder (then the Supersonics) drafted Kevin Durant second in 2007. However, they didn't make the playoffs until they drafted Russell Westbrook fourth in 2008 and James Harden third in 2009. That would have been impossible for the Thunder to do with the wheel in place. 

Secondly, this gives college players too much power. If the best player in college is a freshman and he does not want to go to the team picking first, he can wait until next year or two years so he gets to go where he wants to. That not only is unfair to the "undesired" team who will get cheated out of getting an opportunity to pick the best player possible, it also gives the college players to much power and leverage in their decisions.

Thirdly, this is too predetermined in an dramatic, entertainment minded sports world. One of the best things about sports is that anything can happen. There are so many of examples of the greatness of unpredictability in sports. With this system, the suspense of the draft lottery and the seasons of bad teams will go away. Nothing in sports is predetermined and that  is a good thing. If the draft becomes predetermined, it will become less interesting.

Lets hope the Ping Pong balls do not go away
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Those are just three of the big reasons why the draft wheel should not be put in place. The wheel is a truly unique and interesting, but it is not a good idea. Bad teams need a chance to get better. For many teams, it's not through free agency or trades, but they get better through the draft. This new system will make it impossible for many bad teams to get good real quick. That would create an even bigger gap between good and bad. I don't think that the NBA will approve getting rid of the lottery system and replacing it with  the wheel. There would be too much controversy and questions surrounding it. The wheel is and would not be good for the league.

Book Review: Kiss 'Em Goodbye by Dennis Purdy

Kiss 'Em Goodbye: An ESPN Treasury of Failed, Forgotten, and Departed Teams by Dennis Purdy is a fascinating read.  As the title suggests, this book is about sports teams that were unsuccessful and either disbanded or moved away.  86 teams are talked about.

Book Cover
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Each chapter, which is only a couple pages, is about a team. The teams range from well-known and successful teams, such as the New York Giants and the New York Rens, to teams that played only one season, like the St. Louis Gunners and the Elizabeth Resolutes. The book not only features teams from the major four sports leagues, it also features teams from defunct leagues like the Union Association and the National Basketball League, and more obscure sports, such as roller derby.

What makes this book great is that the stories are interesting and many of the little-known teams have not gotten their due. Take for example, the Keokuk Westerns. The team from Iowa played in the National Association for one year in 1875. Their story is fascinating, as the reason for the team existing was that it in a ideal location on a railroad line between Chicago and St. Louis, and would not be found also anywhere. The Westerns are one of the many little-known teams that are featured throughout the book.

The Duluth Eskimos, the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Ironman are other notable team histories which had more to the story then expected. There was not one story that bored me or made me want to stop reading. I was engaged the whole time while reading this book.

This book is a must have for every sports history fan. It will not bore you with long, drawn-out histories of every team. It hits the highlights of each team and explains their demise. It also will surprise you, each team has a different story, different set of characters, different details, yet they all ended up disbanding or moving away. This is no doubt one of the best books I have read this year.