A New Era

I don't think I can picture modern-day WWE without CM Punk. This guy has it all. He is the first real badass in the league and now he's gone. If you haven't heard already, CM Punk quit the WWE this week. In an interview from about a week ago, Punk spoke about his chance of leaving and said he didn't want to make a decision until his contract expires in two months. He has toyed around with the idea of leaving before, and has trained with legendary Brazilian jiu jitzu competitor and instructor Rener Gracie. All of the speculation surrounding Punk's leaving comes down to two main ideas: poor story lines, and barely any sniff at a championship.

When the New Age Outlaws teamed up with CM Punk for match with The Shield, Triple H was helping out some buddies. By letting them walk out on the match and letting Punk get triple power bombed by the Hounds of Justice, the N.A.O. got a shot at the tag-team title and won against the Rhodes Brothers, who look to be fizzling out at this point.

Boom. Right there is a key stage in the decline of Punk's interest to stay with World Wrestling Entertainment. What I think to be the final straw in his participation in the WWE was the Royal Rumble this past Sunday on pay-per-view. (To check out my predictions and take on the RR, click here.) When Kane announced that The Straight Edge Superstar was going to enter the match at #1, he wasn't too entertained. His chances of winning were around 1%. Being the badass he is, he stayed in the match for almost 50 minutes, before being eliminated by Director of Operations Kane, who, by the way, was already eliminated in the match. Kane would proceed to choke slam CM Punk through the announcer's table. Insert sarcastic cheer here.

pictured from the left: (front row) Jimmy Uso, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan (back row) Jey Uso and Goldust stand together after Punk and Bryan teamed up for a two v. two tag team mtch vs the Wyatt family. Luckily for The Best and The Beard, they recieved help from the Uso's, and The Rhodes Brothers. 

The Best and The Beard was a short-lived tag team that consisted of Punk and Daniel Bryan. They fought for a few months against their various enemies such as the Wyatt Family and The Shield. Since the two superstars have had conflicts with both the Shield and the Family, it only seemed right for the two to tag up. Phillip Brooks and Bryan Danielson (the two real names of Punk and DB) have had a sincere friendship in their years together in the WWE, so when Daniel Bryan wasn't entered in the Royal Rumble, Punk had an issue with that. When the 30th contestant Rey Mysterio entered, the crowd was in shock. Everyone thought Daniel Bryan was going to be the 30th contestant and win the Royal Rumble to get a main event at Wrestle Mania, with all due respect to Rey, Bryan should've been in that spot. CM Punk didn't like that Daniel Bryan was treated unfairly, and he shouldn't; Daniel Bryan is Superstar of the Year as voted by the fans! Even WWE Hall-of-Famer Mick Foley had some interesting things to say on the Rumble and Punk's departure (Foley's tweet on Punk Foley hits tv with baseball bat as promised. Foley's tweet on Bryan not winning the Rumble).

With all of that in mind, CM Punk will still be my favorite Superstar of all time. He is a role model to many as well as a great wrestler. I wish him the best of luck in MMA and hope to see him back in the WWE soon.

My "Super" Review

Ladies and gentleman, I would like to start off this post by congratulating the Seattle Seahawks on winning their first Super Bowl and the first championship in the city of Seattle since the the 1979 Supersonics. I was pulling for Seattle the whole time. No I'm not a bandwagon fan, I just wanted to have Seattle win the Super Bowl after the Eagles got eliminated by New Orleans. Plus I have always found an interest in the Seahawks, whether its their logo, or Marshawn Lynch, I just like to see the Seahawks succeed.

I will have to give a thumbs down to the commercials this year, I wasn't impressed by many, except the Beats by Dre commercial featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar, I am a fan of his so seeing him was pretty cool, but that was followed up by a Beats by Dre Beats Music commerical with Ellen DeGeneres as that one bored me a tad. So there is my two cents on that, and with that aside lets get to the game.

GAME TIME!
You knew it wasn't going to be good from the start for Denver with the botched snap to Peyton Manning on the first play of the game. Knowshawn Moreno was tackled in the end zone for the safety. But with that in mind, Peyton Manning needed to step up and be the MAN (see what I did there?) and get his team back on top. It doesn't help when your star quarterback throws two picks. But the Denver D did a solid job through the first half of the first quarter but that doesn't mean much when the other team drops 29 points in the first half to your none. Here is a fun fact: this year's Broncos are the first team to not score a TD in the first half of the Super Bowl.

JUKEBOX AND BOOP BOPS
The halftime show this year was good. Better than expected. Bruno Mars isn't one of my favorite singers but he did a good job with the live band and the drums in the beginning were inviting and fun. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have always been a favorite of mine. When my mom was pregnant with me, she went to a RHCP concert, so you can say I have liked them for a while. They were bouncy and energetic and provided the rock edge to Bruno's clean pop style. The fireworks at the end was a good way to level the slow ballad Just the Way You Are. All in all thumbs up for you Bruno.

AND WE'RE BACK!
Luckily for the sake of saving Colorado's sanity, during the 4th quarter Peyton Manning set up a 14 yard pass for a TD and completes the 2-point conversion. During the season, Denver only set up one 2-point conversion and succeeded. This was a smart play because if DEN could score three quick touchdowns off a pick or something of the sort, they would have a point to spare from the 2 points.

The confetti pours down on Russell Wilson and the champion Seattle Seahawks. A surreal moment for the second-year quarterback and the face of the franchise. Keeping his cool, when asked how does he feel, he says, "Amazing." Way to put it my friend.

Tonight is the Night

Tonight is the Royal Rumble in Pittsburgh. Randy Orton looks to retain his title vs John Cena in a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match. Tonight's Royal Rumble main event features 30 men including all three members of the tag team known as The Shield. Will tonight be the night where Roman Reigns emerges as the top dog of the group and win the RR? Or will the returning Batista make an epic entrance by wining the first Pay-Per-View of 2014. As highly anticipated as his return is, my focus is on the Best In The World: CM Punk. In my opinion, he's the best on the roster without a doubt and can go up with any superstar of all time. I think he has a huge chance of winning this event even though he is the first competitor to be selected, as announced by Director of Operations Kane. In previous RR matches, the number 1 entry has won it twice. 20 contestants have been announced, so that leaves 10 spots to be filled by secret entries. One major change is Wade Barrett announced he gave up his spot in the match for a "secret Hall-of-Famer" so be prepared for a surprises or two.

As for my predictions. 

Final 4: CM Punk, Batista, Roman Reigns, and Big E Langston

Winner: CM Punk (eliminates Roman Reigns for victory)

First out: Alberto Del Rio

Most eliminations in the match: Kofi Kingston

Biggest surprise: Chris Jericho comes back

I love these types of matches and on WWE 2k14 I play them all the time. Personally, this is one of the better PPVs of the WWE season. 

Catch the Royal Rumble pay-per-view at 8 tonight, January 26th.

Are The New York Rangers Stanley Cup Contenders?

 Are the New York Rangers Stanley Cup Contenders?

We are about halfway through the NHL season, and it is safe to say this New York Rangers’ season has been a roller coaster ride. Ups and downs, good games and bad games, but now it’s crunch time in hockey. We need to find out what kind of team this is; a contender or a bust.

To win a Stanley Cup, there are a few things that you NEED as a team. If you have scoring, good goaltending, and a strong and solid defense usually you can contend. There is also another thing that past cup winners have had, consistency.

This is something the Rangers have not shown us in the 2014 season, and they’d better learn about it quick if they want this to be their year. You never know what you will get out of this team. For example, they beat a strong Toronto Maple Leafs team 7-1 on the road, then two nights later lost to a weak Columbus Blue Jackets team at home. You need to win 16 games to be able to hoist the Stanley Cup, but you can’t lose too many on the pathway to the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Rangers developed some consistency in the second half of the season I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a good playoff run. They are a good team with boatloads of good players, they just need to gel together and win big games.

Chemistry has also been an issue, ever since giving up a lot of young talent and sandpaper guys to get Rick Nash, the locker room hasn’t been the same. Notably losing Brandon Prust to Montreal and Brandon Dubinsky in the Nash trade to the Jackets these Rangers have not played as one team with one dream. Nash is an incredible talent, but it seems that they gave up too many important players to get him. The Rangers had an incredible 2011 run to the Eastern Conference Finals, but came up short. Everyone said they did not have enough scoring, so they got Nash. Now it seems they’ve lost some toughness and do not have any great 3rd line grinders. They got their scorer, but lost great teammates. Also, this team has a ton of big name dynamic players that are not performing to their maximum. Nothing against Mats Zuccarello, but he is not as talented as some Ranger players, yet he leads the team in points. They aren’t molding together enough and letting their big time players take their role. It is great that Zuccarello is playing well, but he is not the guy you want to rely on. Overall, it seems that they can’t find their perfect well rounded lineup that will help them make their mark on the Stanley Cup.

Some of the Rangers’ players have not met their usual standards either. A player that is known for being inconsistent in his career is Michael Del Zotto. A bad year, a couple good ones, then this year has been a joke. Just watching him skate makes me want to vomit. He doesn't play as hard as he used to, make the plays he used to, and he never seems to be in the right position. He is an automatic trade, but once again, Glen Sather (General manager) feels otherwise. Sather is known for his bad moves, but one great thing he did for the organization is trade Scott Gomez for the then prospect Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh is turning into a star, he has been the Rangers MVP thus far, and is a legitimate contender for the Norris Trophy (MVP of defenseman). He has been a huge bright spot in the Rangers team, and looks great for the future.

On the bright side of this Rangers team, they are young and fast, but still have great playoff experience. Guys like Carl Hagelin and Co. are extremely young but have played their fair share of playoff hockey. This is one thing I think that will work to the Rangers’ advantage. With those young guns they also have Great veteran players who make big plays, notably Brad Richards. He won the cup in 2004 via Tampa Bay Lightning and has been there and done that.

If this team can develop consistency, and their big name players can fulfill their role then they will be a contender. After seeing their sort of bipolar way of playing, that seems like a lot to ask for, but we will see.

Rex Ryan Returning, and Rightfully So

The Jets and Woody Johnson absolutely made the right decision keeping Rex Ryan. An 8-8 record for this team should be considered a success. ESPN picked the Jets to finish 32nd in the NFL, which is dead last. The fact that Rex led this team to a .500 record is admirable and says a lot about one of the most brilliant defensive minds in football.

Not only did Rex do a great job getting the most out of his players, working with a team that was supposed to be horrible. Rex did a great job motivating his players, and they clearly played their hearts out for their coach. All the players on this team love him, and their reaction to Woody Johnson announcing his return is just awesome.

http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Jets-Locker-Room-Exclusive---Rex-Retained-as-Coach/ac9d869a-d78d-410a-b819-055f06ccf75c

The Jets are headed in the right direction. They have the best defensive line in the NFL, and they are all young guys with Damon "Snacks" Harrison, Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, and Quinton Coples at the OLB spot. It looks like they have found their running back for the next several seasons in Chris Ivory, with Bilal Powell being a very good change-of-pace back. Dee Milliner really played much better towards the end of the season, even though he had his struggles early in the season. Geno Smith showed that he can play QB at this level, he just needs more weapons at the WR and TE position. The Jets will certainly look to improve those positions in the offseason whether through a trade, free agency, or the draft.

The Jets should give Rex Ryan the extension he so badly wants. He led the team to wins over the Saints, Patriots, and Dolphins to keep them out of the playoffs in week 17. The players absolutely love him. This Jets team is only going to get better, and Rex should be the coach to lead them. The players played their hearts out for him the last 2 games against the Browns and Dolphins , after Rex told them the night before the Browns game that he thought he was going to get fired. Rex does a great job motivating his players and deserves an extension. The future is not looking too bad for the Jets.

AFC and NFC Playoff Scenarios

In Week 17, several playoff spots will be determined. Some teams are playing to get in, some are playing to win their division, and some are playing to secure byes and home field advantage. Here are the playoff scenarios for both the AFC and NFC.

AFC:

Denver Broncos(Home Field Advantage throughout playoffs):

1.DEN win

OR

2. NE Loss

New England Patriots(First Round Bye and Home Field Advantage)

            First Round Bye-

1.    NE win OR

2.   CIN loss + IND loss

Home Field Advantage-

1.    NE win + DEN loss

Cincinnati Bengals(First Round Bye)

1.    CIN win + NE loss

Indianapolis Colts(First Round Bye)

1.    IND win + NE loss + CIN loss

Baltimore Ravens(Playoff Spot)

1.    BAL win + SD loss OR

2.   BAL win + MIA loss OR

3.   PIT loss + SD loss + MIA loss

Miami Dolphins(Playoff Spot)

1.    MIA win + BAL loss OR

2.   MIA win + SD win

Pittsburgh Steelers(Playoff Spot)

1.    PIT win + BAL loss + MIA loss + SD loss

San Diego Chargers(Playoff Spot)

1.    SD win + BAL loss + MIA loss

NFC:

Seattle Seahawks(NFC West Title and Home Field Advantage)

1.    SEA win OR

2.   SF loss

New Orleans Saints(Playoff Spot and NFC South Title + First Round Bye)

PLAYOFF SPOT

1.    NO win OR

2.   ARI loss

NFC SOUTH TITLE + FIRST ROUND BYE

1.    NO win + CAR loss

Carolina Panthers(NFC South, First Round Bye, Home Field Advantage)

NFC South and first-round bye

1) CAR win OR 
2) NO loss 
NFC South and home-field advantage

1) CAR win + SEA loss + SF win

San Francisco 49ers(NFC West, First Round Bye, Home Field Advantage)

NFC West and first-round bye

1) SF win + SEA loss 

NFC West and home-field advantage

1) SF win + SEA loss + CAR loss 

Arizona Cardinals(Playoff Spot)

1.    ARI win + NO loss

Philadelphia Eagles(NFC East Title)

1.    PHI win/tie

Dallas Cowboys(NFC East Title)

1.    DAL win

Chicago Bears(NFC North Title)

1.    CHI win/tie

Green Bay Packers(NFC North Title)

1.    GB win

Maui Invitational Dayton vs. Gonzaga

Dayton vs. Gonzaga
Head coach Archie Miller was asked after the game if he thinks he can go to the finals of this tournament. He responded with the usual, "It's one step at a time. We'll figure it out here. ... If we play together hopefully we'll give ourselves a chance." Luckily for him, his Dayton Flyers shocked even their own fans after they beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs. While losing at halftime 37-28, they came out with this passion that wasn't highly presented in the first half, despite anything being said by coach Miler.
The Zags and head coach Mark Few put stress on teamwork. In the game, "team player" David Stockton, son of John Stockton, passed frequently around the perimeter to set up guys for threes. By the end of the game he racked up 7 assists. After the game Mark Few appeared to be quite angry, losing to a non-conference, non-ranked opponent. Dayton isn't a bad team and looking in their conference, only LaSalle, Saint Louis, and VCU are worthy opponents. Hey ESPN, keep an eye out for Khari Price and the Flyers from Dayton University this year. I think we could see these guys make big damage in March.

Maui Invitational Chaminade vs. Baylor

Chaminade vs Baylor

For everyone's information, Chaminade is not a Division 1 school, but they are playing Division 1 teams in this tournament. They were faced with a big challenge in the Baylor Bears, the 2012 NIT Champions. With that in mind, the Chaminade Silver Swords put forth their best lineup. Just because they are DII doesn't mean that they can't be good. These guys were undefeated coming into the tournament with two wins over quality DII teams: Western Oregon and Saint Martin's. Since Chaminade is hosting the tournament, it was no surprise that the CUH fans showed up in numbers. The crowd gave Chaminade a quick boost of intensity and Christophe Varidel started to get hot scoring wise. Vardiel is a transfer from Florida Gulf Coast. He made his mark in FGCU history by becoming the third leading scorer in team history. Last night he showed his scoring ability by tossing up 42 points, the most in the tournament for any player in a single game. Along with the points record, he accomplished the most 3-pointers in a game with 11. So if you don't think that's enough, he also scored the second most points against any D1 opponent all season. While Chaminade stayed competitive, I have two words for you: Christophe. Varidel. Baylor knew who they were playing but they didn't expect the intensity brought by them. Baylor countered this with the size and power of Center Isaiah Austin. The 7-footer was grabbing boards and using his height to get put back points. I think that he can be a great NCAA player if he continues to stay tough in the lane on defense and get a little more comfortable around the three point line. I noticed when he got the ball passed to him, he immediately pivots around and looks for a teammate to pass to. A player Isaiah Austin had good chemistry with was Gary Franklin. Franklin hit threes and grabbed steals and rebounds. The Baylor Bears broke away from what was a three point lead at half time to a 16 point lead at the end of the game. Bears Siced 'Em this time.

Maui Invitational Minnesota vs. Syracuse

Minnesota vs Syracuse

CJ Fair and the Orange Men have been looked upon as one of the best in the country. Today, they lived up to that expectation. While Syracuse had some fans, Minnesota traveled well to the LCC. Before the game started, Golden Gopher fans were yelling and shouting, rooting for their team. I think some of those good vibes carried over into the start of the game as coach Richard Pitino and his Minnesota squad provided some instant energy. Syracuse has had a consistent idea of winning, so they know how to deal in these situations. CJ Fair showed that SYR came to play by jamming a major one. This made up for a few plays previous when Syracuse mishandled the ball and had a turnover. Minnesota definitely showed up to play by starting Elliott Eliason. This kid is a beast. He is 6'11" and a rebounding machine. He plowed his way through DaJuan Coleman and Rakeem Christmas, two of Syracuse's top big men. To help eliminate Elliott's success on defense, The Orange used a fast-paced offense to keep everyone on their feet. Minnesota knew what they were getting into by occasionally bringing up a second man to double team the ball carrier. Tyler Cooney helped out Syracuse with his three point shot and quick hands by recording a key steal in the 75-67 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Maui Invitational Arkansas vs. Cal

Today was Day 1 of a four-day college basketball tournament. Today Arkansas, California, Minnesota, Syracuse, Chaminade, Baylor, Dayton, and Gonzaga all hit the court at the Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina on the island of Maui. This year's Maui Invitational featured Arkansas vs Cal early in the morning at 10am Hawaii time, Syracuse vs. Minnesota at 12:30, Chaminade took on Baylor at 4:30, and Dayton vs. Gonzaga at 7.

Arkansas vs Cal

Coming into this game, the Cal Bears looked to get to play Syracuse in a revenge game from this past year's NCAA tournament. Much like I expected, there was going to be a fast paced offense. To no avail, Cal came out of the gate scoring the first bucket of the game. To me, scoring the first bucket of the game early is something you want to do because you can immediately impose yourself on the other team. Shortly after the start of the game, the crowd was greeted with a Sports Center Top 10 Nominee in my opinion: Justin Cobbs of Cal drives into the lane for a reverse layup, but misses and teammate Jabari Bird grabs the board and jams it in for a powerful dunk. Arkansas had little to say in the first half, allowing Cal to guide the game. One reason to the lack of intensity was on defense. #22 Jacorey Williams goes hard down the court, but fails to stick tight to his man. He tends to shade away into the paint and give his guy a little more room to shoot. Halftime ends and the 2nd half of the game starts. Obviously Coach Mike Anderson had something to say to the Razorbacks about their energy (or lack thereof) as there was a lot of pressure and quickness added to the game. One instance occurred where there were two players (one from each team) and a timeout was needed to be called. Justin Cobbs made the decision to call the timeout on the court. I spoke to him after the game about that play and he said, "It's just a basketball play. They had the ball, and I wasn't sure what the possession was there so I called a timeout to make sure we had the possesion. But the possession arrow was our way.

So in that case, you just let it go. But you see a guy dive on the floor and another guy dive on the floor, call a timeout just to secure the ball."

So with Arkansas' added energy, it forced The Golden Bears to make quick, on their feet decisions. I have to give credit where credit is due here, Cal did do a good job at that today. Head coach Mike Montgomery for Cal used a different style of offense than one I have ever seen before to counter the swiftness of Arkansas. On offense, Cal players were constantly rotating around to different areas of the court and setting off ball and on ball screens. It was guerilla warfare for basketball. A key player in this style of play was Richard Soloman. #35 was everywhere grabbing rebounds and dunking. Soloman unfortunately got into foul trouble and had to be taken out of the game, but he was a key contributor in Cal's 85-77 win over Arkansas to open the 2013 Maui Invitational basketball tournament.

Sox Dynasty Or Farrell's Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Sox Dynasty or Farrell’s Fifteen Minutes of Fame?

 

            This past season, Boston Red Sox Manager John Farrell facilitated one of the boldest turn-arounds in Major League Baseball history. For those of you who may have slept through the 2013 baseball season, the Red Sox are world champions. Yes, the team that just one season ago pathetically claimed last place in the American League East is now “King of the Hill” and not looking to relinquish this title for quite some time. But exactly how long can this “Battalion of Beards” stay atop the mountain?  Much to the distaste of Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington and his staff, the degradation of the Boston Red Sox is not only probable, but imminent.

            The first blow to the organization is the fact that most of the 2013 championship team has “Free Agent” stamped on their forehead. Stephen Drew, Joel Hanrahan, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mike Napoli and Jacoby Ellsbury are all on the market right now. Though few of the aforementioned names are expendable, Ellsbury is a widely valued prize. The quick-footed center fielder is fresh off a .298 season with 52 stolen bases. It is likely that bids for this young star will reach nine digits, a number that the Boston Red Sox cannot budget. If the Sox do not resign Ellsbury, that will leave a little surplus change to bring Napoli and “Salty” back for a season or two,  but that may leave Stephen Drew in the unemployment line, as Farrell is banking on the blossoming Xander Bogaerts.

            If you do not believe the loss of Ellsbury is a significant blow to the Sox Dynasty, then recent projections of a serious decline in the Boston offense may sway you. Polls foretell Victorino, Pedroia and Ortiz, to name a few, taking steps back and/or showing no signs of improvement for the 2014 season. Though these numbers are not hard facts, it is fair to say that if Major League Baseball was a pendulum, the Red Sox are preparing for a downswing.  

            In my opinion, the 2014 Red Sox are going to closely resemble the 2013 Red Sox. Some may argue that this is beneficial to the club, but consistency may not prevail in this case. For the years following 2014, we can say “goodbye” to the Red Sox as we know them. The only current players who are contractually obligated to stick around until 2016 are Dustin Pedroia and Clay Buchholz. And by the end of the 2014 season it is likely we will be saying “goodbye” to Ortiz, Uehara, Lester, and Gomes. The Boston Red Sox may want to savor their World Series victory while they can, before their possible demise becomes an even more pressing issue. 

 

Are the 76ers a Title Contender?

      Michael Carter-Williams the 6 foot 6 22 year old out of Syracuse University. In Michael Carter-Williams first game as a rookie he had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 9 steals, and 12 assits. Going into the season the 76ers weren't even expected to win 10 games with record projections as low as 9-73. Michael Carter-Williams wasn't even expected 10 points and 5 assits and now 4 games into the season Carter-Williams is averaging 19.8 points per game 7.6 assits 3 steals per game and a great three point percentage of 35.7%. Carter Williams says that every time he steps onto the floor he wants to prove he should've been the first overall pick and he's done just that. Carter-Williams set a record with 9 steals in his first game as a rookie and became the first rookie since Shaquille O'Neal in 1992 to win Eastern Conference Player of the week.
      On the draft day trading up for Nerlens Noel the 6th pick from the New Orleans Pelicans the inexperienced rookies Noel and Carter-Williams were expected to do nothing in the NBA. Nerlens Noel had just come off of an ACL injury and Michael Carter-Williams only upside was his outstanding defense. Before the start off the season the 76ers decided to sit out Nerlens Noel which made it seem like it was going to be a nightmare of a season for the 76ers. Now for the 76ers lineup you have a Rookie point guard with barely and upside, a former number 2 overall pick who had never been able do anything with his career in Evan Turner and other medi-oker players you hear of only if you follow all teams in the NBA.
      Everything started to change for the 76ers as soon as they stepped onto the floor against the defending champions the Miami Heat. Evan Turner formerly known as one of the biggest busts in NBA history is now averaging All Star numbers with 22.2 points 5.4 rebounds 3.4 assits and 1.6 steals. Is there any explanation as to how the 76ers are playing so well? The 76ers are now 3-2 losing their last two games but the 76ers are still contenders in the Eastern Conference.

       If the 76ers make the Playoffs they will be successful. Yes they are inexperienced but i have faith in this young 76ers team. They won't make the NBA finals but I know they will make it to the Conference Semi-Finals. This may sound crazy but this is clearly a breakout year for Evan Turner and Carter-Williams is playing like on of the best point guards in the league right now. This puts him up there with the great point guards in the league such as Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry and other great point guards in the league.
                                                

     The 76ers will not only be good this year but for the years as this era of a young team will continue. The 76ers sat out one of their top picks in the year and are still doing great for where they should be. The 76ers although inexperienced can make strides in the playoffs almost as if they are a younger version of the Golden State Warriors a young team that was doubted in the Playoffs but took the outstanding San Antonio Spurs to 6 games in the Conference Semi-Finals. The 76ers are great and as I see them grow Philadelphias fan base for this will as well, to say the least, I'm excited to see this team for now and beyond.  

Wait, I Thought We Were Tanking

ANDREW WHO?

FLASHBACK TO JULY 10th 2013
The Sixers stunned a the world by trading all-star point guard Jrue Holliday to the New Orleans Pelicans for the rights to number 6 overall draft pick Nerlens Noel. After this trade was made, the city of Philadelphia was in shock. Minutes after the trade went down, the sports world exploded saying that the Sixers would be the worst team in the league. The upside to this trade was that we would be the chance to have a top 5 protected pick. This means that if the Sixers do worse than the Pelicans, they would have a top 3 pick no matter what.
Everyone is talking about the chance to get Andrew Wiggins as the number one overall. While Wiggins is getting comparisons to LeBron James, the Kansas freshman will most likely get scooped up by someone who isn't starting the season off 3-0. I know it sounds odd, but if the Sixers keep playing the way they are now (not necessarily undefeated, but competitive and strong) they could get a 6 or 7 seed in the Playoffs.

FLASH FORWARD TO NOW
Game 1: vs. Miami Heat
The Sixers stunned the Heat in the first game in the season with a 114-110 win at home to open the season. The defeat of the defending champion Miami Heat was started off with a 20-0 run. Now when I got the alert on my phone that the Sixers were beating the Heat 20-0 in the start of the game, I was really surprised because before the game I posted the image below on my personal Facebook page before the game. Michael Carter-Williams and Evan Turner led the way for the Sixers with a combined 48 points. Philadelphia snapped Miami's 15-game regular season winning streak. This game proved to be a real statement to the league saying that there is a do-or-die attitude in the Wells Fargo Center surrounding this Sixers team.

Check out this amazing dunk Evan Turner had on LeBron against the Heat and Thaddeus Young's grind-it-out block on Norris Cole.

Game 2: at Washington Wizards
The Sixers took to the paint to beat the Wizards, scoring 74 of their 109 points in the paint. MCW was a solid defender against John Wall by limiting him to 26 points. The Sixers were losing after three-quarters but Michael Carter-Williams hit a pivotal trey at 6:28 to give the Sixers their first lead. PHI kept a fast pace to them much like the offense of their fellow sports team the Eagles. One thing to improve on from this Game #2 would be try and fight more on offense for rebounds. Against the Wizards they only had 9, so when these two teams meet again on Wednesday the 6th, Philadelphia can try to build on the Wazzerds' weaknesses.

Game 3: vs. Chicago Bulls
Another big challenge approached the Sixers in the early part of this young NBA season was the Chicago Bulls, one of the league's most feared teams. The 76ers wearing their "True Blue" uniforms got an amazing victory over the Bulls 107-104. The Bulls' star Derrick Rose scored a surprisingly low 13 points. Another streak was snapped by the 76ers as the Bulls had a 5 game winning streak dating back to the 2011-2012 season. Another positive for the Sixers was that Spencer Hawes had a double-double, first on the season for himself and the team.

The Sixers play again Monday night against the Golden State Warriors as Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala come into the City of Brotherly Love and try and stop the red-hot Sixers.

Red Sox vs Cardinals

The Red Sox and Cardinals have won their respective conferences, which brings them to the World Series. These teams squared off in the 2004 World Series, where the Sox won in four games. But, I don't see that happening this year.

Dominant pitchers like Michael Wacha and Adam Wainwright were not on the roster for the 2004 Cardinals. Both pitchers have the potential to shut down explosive Red sox hitters like Ortiz, Elsbury, and Victorino. The Cardinals rotation has been able to control great hitting lineups this postseason, including the Dodgers and Pirates. Those teams are some of the best hitting teams in the MLB. But, keep in mind that the Red Sox have beaten Verlander, Scherzer, Price, and Moore. Those guys are four of the best, if not the four best pitchers in the AL. In this series, there will be some high-scoring games, and some low scoring games, due to the strong pitching of the Cardinals.

Speaking of high-scoring games, both teams have big play potential, with stacked lineups. The Cards don't have Pujols and Renteria like in '04, but they do have some other players. Guys like Beltran, Carpenter, Freese and many more have showed they have the talent to take down a Red Sox rotation comprised of Bucholz, Lester, and Dempster. This rotation has been stellar, and in the ALCS, they were able to shut down Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera batted under .200 against the Sox, which is .150 points under his regular season average. If the cardinals hitters can get the Sox pitchers a bit rattled, then they can take this World Series in a minimum of five games.

All in all, I think the Cards will take this series. The emergence of Michael Wacha has shown baseball fans that he can help this team. With a strong rotation, and a starting lineup stacked with talent, they have a great chance to win this series.

What is wrong with the New York Giants?

Everyone can agree that the New York Giants have not reached any sort of expectation this season. With their 0-6 start, the question everyone is asking  is… Why? With quite a few injuries and multiple mistakes in every game, this hasn’t been what the Giants thought would happen. Everyone has a different opinion on the 2013 team, and some simply say, “They suck.” While I do agree that they are not playing well, I feel like I need good reasons for why that is. Explanations need to be given of why they are one of the NFL’s worst teams.

Eli Manning is not playing well, but it is not ALL his fault. With his league leading 15 interceptions, he is costing the team. But I think if he just goes back to the basics and doesn’t try to do too much, he will eventually return to his 2011 self. If he can get more touchdown passes than interceptions (has 9 TD’s and 15 picks) and can move the football, they will have more of a chance to win games. The two-time Super Bowl MVP shouldn’t be getting all the blame for the disappointing start. With a subpar offensive line, and a secondary with nothing but inexperience, you can’t just go straight to the QB.

The Giants offensive line has been a huge issue in 2013. With the hip injury of veteran and security blanket Chris Snee, they turn to guys like inexperienced rookie Justin Pugh to pick up the slack. Also, one of the Giants’ biggest mistakes was signing Will Beatty to a five-year, 38 million dollar deal. Beatty has been one of Eli’s worst pieces of protection, and in the spotlight he is not providing quality blocking. He has allowed a preposterous amount of sacks this season, and I often question how he gets paid all that money for doing a poor job. At 319 lbs with nothing but some slow feet and bad footwork, he has been one of the Giants’ biggest disappointments. The unsolved running back issue has also been an x-factor in the 0-6 start. With both Andre Brown and David Wilson injured, the Giants look to Brandon Jacobs to be their guy. Fresh off a 2012 campaign of sitting on the 49ers bench with a torn ACL, Jacobs actually has been doing alright. He seems to be getting those tough yards and running hard, but let’s be serious, he is not an every down NFL back anymore.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants’ struggles have been very similar to the offense. Again with injuries, their inexperienced players haven’t been doing well. In the secondary, coverage has been a disaster. Corner Stevie Brown is out for the season. Also, veterans Aaron Ross and Corey Webster have been nicked up this year. Having Prince Amukamara, Will Hill, and Ryan Mundy back there, I would not feel too comfortable as the head coach, as those guys are extremely risky to have starting.

The linebackers also can’t make a tackle for their lives. Dan Connor had all sorts of hopes going into 2013, but guess what? He is on IR with a neck injury! I don’t think that Mark Herzlich and newly acquired Jon Beason will be able to do too much, since they simply are not that good. These are not the days of Lawrence Taylor anymore.

The defensive line has not been bad, but it could be better. Old age is very visible with Justin Tuck, along with interior lineman Linval Joseph. Jason Pierre-Paul is the future of this D-line, but his back has been giving him problems. If they can keep doing a pretty good job of getting to the quarterback, they will be fine. But they are not doing great. Everything could be better, especially since they haven’t won a single game!

I would like to go into the positives of this season, but I can’t. There isn’t much brightness coming out of an 0-6 start. The Giants just need to start playing football, to MAYBE mount some sort of a comeback this year. But don’t get your hopes up, there’s work to do.

Pats Need to Sign Seymour

The loss of Vince Wilfork hits the already weak Pats defense hard. Wilfork is the center piece of this defense. Not only that, but he is their best defensive lineman. They need to find someone, and fast. There is one star that stands out that I(as a pats fan) would love to see on the line. Former Patriot Richard Seymour. Seymour recently played for the Oakland Raiders. In eight games, he recorded 12 tackles and 3 sacks. Not bad for an aging defensive lineman. If some sort of deal like this goes through, it should be something short term. A one year, quarter of a million or a million dollar contract would be suitable for anyone the Pats bring in

Eli’s Giant Problem

       If any New York Giants fans were fortunate enough to miss the “Manning Bowl” this past Sunday, consider yourself lucky; Eli Manning wishes he missed it too. In a classic brother pitted against brother matchup, Peyton, the elder Manning, walked out of the Big Apple with the big win. Thankfully, for the now 0-2 New York Giants, Sunday was the first and last time they would have to cross paths with red hot Denver Broncos. After suffering a surprising loss to the Dallas Cowboys on September 8^th, one can only wonder how the 2012 Superbowl champions have fallen so far from prominence. With a long season ahead of them and an insatiable New York fan base, what do the G-men need to improve upon to ensure any success throughout the next 14 weeks?

            First and foremost, the Giants running game is non-existent. In 33 rushes they have picked up 73 yards averaging 1.2 yards per carry. Eli’s woes continued against the dastardly Denver defense as seven of their 19 rush attempts resulted in zero or negative yards. This is especially embarrassing for a veteran team under the direction of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who has been with New York for the last seven years. On the bright side, there is nowhere to go but up for the Giants’ running game, and as time progresses, perhaps the holes in their offense will police themselves.

            Equally as tolling to the New York Giants are Eli Manning’s aerial errors. In Sunday’s loss, Manning threw three fourth-quarter interceptions; placing him as the league leader for picks with an astounding seven in only two weeks of play. Albeit Manning has never been the most consistent quarterback, but he has facilitated four picks in his last 29 passes, reaching a new all-time low. Unfortunately, the consequences of not having a running game places additional pressure on the Giants’ receivers, but all-in-all, Eli Manning needs to stop making poor decisions if this offense is to turn around.

            Is it time to panic? Not quite; the New York Giants started their 2007 campaign with a 0-2 record as well. So there is the factor of resiliency that should not be underestimated. If Manning begins to hit his spots and nurture some type of running game, then this season is still salvageable. The New York Giants are one game out of first in the NFC East and at least have a favorable schedule for the upcoming two weeks. The Giants’ performance against Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles on October 6^th will better indicate how the remainder of the season will play out. For now, we can only sit back and watch the spectacle that is the New York Giants.