Monthly Archives: February 2012

A Tough Article to Write

Posted on by
4

Listen, I hate the Lakers just as much as anyone, but this was an article that deserves to be written. Kobe Bryant, you know, that guy with 5 championship rings, has passed Shaq, you know, that guy with 4, on the all time scoring list. He is now in 5th place all-time. He now only trails Kareem, Karl Malone, Jordan, and Chamberlain. He did this in 80 less games than Shaq. However, he has been able to knock down 1,452 3-pointers in his career. Shaq has 1. He has also hit 2,000 more free throws than 20120207-100804.jpgShaq who is statistically one of the worst shooters of all time from the line.

“He told me when he was 18 years old that he’d go down as the greatest Laker ever, and one of the greatest players of all time. And he wasn’t lying.” – Shaq said

He truly is one of the best players to ever wear the yellow and purple, and will go down as one of the best scorers of all time. 81 points in a game? Unheard of in this day and age. Of course he averages like .2 assists per season but still. Congrats to Kobe and may you never win another championship.

 

College Weekend Review

Posted on by
Reply

Since we are pretending Sunday didn’t happen, I decided to take Monday off as well. Let’s call it a “personal day”.  Scores are a bit late but seeing as everyone was focused on the game that didn’t happen Sunday evening, I figured none of you would care.

Just as predicted, Kentucky & Syracuse both won with ease.  #3 Ohio State beat #20 Wisconsin by 6 points in a tough battle where Sullinger had to drop 24 points and grab 10 boards in order to hold on.  Unfortunately, my other prediction was wrong… barely. #8 Kansas was unable to upset #4 Missouri because they decided to heave up a contested 3 pointer with 3 seconds left rather than kicking it to the wide open 3 man for a clear shot.

Anyways, there was some good in the weekend (on the basketball court, not football field).  #5 Duke was upset by Miami. HA. #10 Michigan State was able to beat #22 Michigan by 10 points in an in-state rivalry game.  If only I could pick my bets as well as I pick these games.

Since it’s a day late, we also know this week’s rankings so here is the top 5.

  1. Kentucky
  2. Syracuse
  3. Ohio State
  4. Missouri
  5. North Carolina*

*Denotes overrated team

A Slight Cure to the Super Bowl Hangover: Beanpot ’12

Posted on by
1

While all of New England feels like they got ran over by a bus, four local college hockey teams take the ice today in the first round of the Beanpot. Although nothing will fix the feelings every Patriots fan has, the Beanpot provides classic New England hockey. BU matches up against Harvard in the first game, while BC goes against Northeastern in the second game. BU took down Harvard in an overtime thriller in their only matchup this year, while BC has beaten Northeastern in all three games played this year, all by one goal a piece. I’m expecting more of the same in the Beanpot. I expect some good, close games, but I’m predicting a BC vs BU final here, going with the 1st and 2nd place teams in Hockey East. Although BC is 2nd in the Hockey East this year, they have won the last two Beanpots. Despite this, BU is the hot team heading into the tournament and is my favorite to pull through and win it.

 

Weekend Recap

Posted on by
Reply

Is there really anything to say about this weekend? Yesterday was turning out to be a great day. Celtics won, Bruins won…only one more win left and the day was complete. Then our hearts and dreams were shattered, again. Toughest Monday in a long time. I think 90% of New England is in depression. The other 10% have already jumped off the Zakim bridge. Not a great way to start the week.

 

Patriots vs. Giants: The Quarterbacks

Posted on by
Reply

Alright so here goes the hottest topic of discussion over the past two weeks, other than Gronkowski’s ankle. The battle of two great quarterbacks in Sundays Super Bowl. Eli vs. Brady. Who has the edge?

Eli Manning is a great quarterback and that isn’t something up for debate. He has proven in the recent years that he can win the big games when it matters. His bold statement he made prior to the start of this season doesn’t look as crazy as it did before. This season has completely changed Eli’s career as far as I see it. Everyone questioned his ability to make the accurate decisions on the field. Eli has been often criticized for his mistakes and it’s been well deserved. Eli has the tendency to make that great play, then follow that great play up with a rookie-like mistake. It showed last season when he threw 25 interceptions, and although that number dropped this season he still ended up throwing 16 this year. Yes Eli is a quality quarterback, but the recent comparisons between him and Tom Brady just are not warranted. What separates quarterbacks like Eli, Romo, and Rivers from Brady, Peyton, Rodgers and Brees isn’t the amount of yards or touchdowns they throw. It’s keeping the mistakes to a minimum. So unlike most people my opinion differs. Eli Manning is not a top tier quarterback.

Overall Grade: B+

Like I stated above, there is no discussion when it comes to comparing Brady with Eli. Tom Brady is on another level. Brady has earned the right to be put in the same class as his idol Joe Montana along with the other greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Yes Brady struggled last week, but not too many QB’s don’t struggle against the Ravens defense. After the Broncos game the talk was all about how great Brady really is. How quickly things change huh? Now it’s all about how he’s not as great as he used to be and that Eli is better than him. Everyone looks at last week to quickly decide whom you would rather have as your quarterback this week. It’s not even a question. Tom Brady is a proven winner. Brady’s career high for interceptions in a season is 14. Eli Manning has thrown 14 interceptions in a season SIX times. I still see Brady as being the best in the league at what he does but if someone is in his rear-view its Brees or Rodgersk, not Eli Manning.

Overall Grade: A

Edge: Patriots

 

Talkin’ with Marchand

Posted on by
Reply

At the end of the Brad Marchand signing I got a chance to kick it with Brad for a little bit and ask him a few questions about last year’s cup run and this year’s B’s squad. Check it out:

AM: Going back to the playoffs last season, what was your favorite part of the Stanley Cup run?

BM: I think my favorite part would be after we scored our fourth goal (in game 7 a 4-0 win), we were all on the bench celeberating watching the clock count down and we knew we had it and we knew we won it. Everyone’s kind of running back and forth on the bench giving each other hugs.

AM: How is this team different from the team that won the cup a year ago?

BM: Well we have three different guys but it’s not a whole lot different. We want to play the same way, we play hard and want to be tough to play against. We have Pouliot who came in and is playing really good hockey and Joe’s (Corvo) has played great too. We still have a great team and hopefully make another good run.

AM: Speaking of Joe, last night after your goal (against the Senators, tied the game 3-3) I saw that you were real pumped with him, what did you say to him?

BM: I said great job getting the puck to the net for me in a position where I could get a rebound, I just had to let him know (wry smile)

AM: Your on pace for a 70+ point season, what has been the key from last year to this year that has caused the increased production?

BM: I think a lot of it is who I am playing with (The Bru-tang Clan). Seguin and Bergy, they are both great players who make a lot of great plays. I’m learning to be a consistent player and learning to play your best every night, that’s what they (Claude and his staff) expect of you.

Just as everyone would probably guess, I can personally tell you Brad is a real laid back guy that everyone one of us would be down to throw some beers back with. 23 and Stanley Cup champion, doesn’t get much better than that. Thanks again to Brad for his time and answering my questions.

PS: To see the video from the interview, hop on over the Boston Sports Blog Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/BostonSportsBlog) and be sure to like us while your checking it out.

Patriots vs. Giants: Running Backs

Posted on by
Reply

Up second today is the running back position for both teams. Usually I include stats in my comparison articles but when it comes to how both these teams use their running backs, and the depth they both have I just don’t think stats are a key factor in determining their talent.

The Giants have a great combination of size and speed in the backfield. Bradshaw is a hard runner with solid speed. A couple of years back he was second in line to Brandon Jacobs but that certainly is not the case anymore. Last season Bradshaw became more of the feature back with Jacobs coming in during goal line and short yardage situations. Brandon Jacobs possesses size that is a rarity at the running back position. Jacobs being stuffed behind the line of scrimmage for a loss is something that is difficult to achieve. He is bigger than your average linebacker and even if you are lucky enough to bring him down, he’s going to pick up the extra two yards almost every time. Although the Giants don’t rely on their running game too much, they certainly have the talent back there if they had to.

Overall Grade: B

20120203-131125.jpgThe Patriots running game this year is very similar to every other year. They use a combination of guys that each have certain strengths and use them to their abilities. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has good size and never fumbles the football, and when I say never I mean he has literally never fumbled the football during his pro career. Belichick trusts Green-Ellis in the red-zone because he knows the ball is safe in his hands. Rookie Stevan Ridley has shown flashes of greatness at times this year. He’s not huge, and doesn’t have Chris Johnson like speed but he is very elusive and not easy to bring down. Now on to Danny Woodhead…Minus the fumble on the kickoff last week this guy has been a great option for the Pats. He comes in primarily on passing downs, and that helps his yard per carry ratio out a lot because when he does run the ball the defense normally isn’t expecting it. Woodhead has been a solid replacement for the aging Kevin Faulk. Overall the Patriots have a solid backfield, but just like their opponents, they don’t use it to often. My prediction is that will change this week. I expect the Patriots to come out pounding the ball to keep those Giants pass-rushers on their toes.

Overall Grade: B-

Edge: Giants