BCS Shakedown: Upsets Bring Big Changes to the Championship Race

Posted on November 23, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

Upset City: Just when Kansas State and Oregon thought it was safe to drive on their roads to the National Championship game, Baylor and Stanford threw up road blocks and hard.

By now we all know The Wildcats (upset by Baylor 52-24) and the Ducks (upset by Stanford 17-14) have been taken on a detour to their new BCS destinations…one of the four other BCS Bowls. So, with that said, here’s a look at the new top four in the BCS Standings:

BCS Top 4: As of November 18th: 1. Notre Dame 2. Alabama 3. Georgia 4.Florida

Both Kansas State and Oregon fell out of the top four and are now sitting and sulking in their new BCS spots. Oregon is now ranked fifth with K-State ranked sixth. As mentioned in my last BCS article, this is exactly what Alabama and Notre Dame wanted to and needed to happen, in order for a shot at the title game.

With the upsets to K-state and Oregon, Notre Dame simply has to beat USC and their a lock for the title game. Bama meanwhile, just needs to beat Auburn and defeat either Georgia/Florida in the SEC championship game at seasons end. If Notre Dame and Bama win out, they will finish as the number one and number two ranked teams in the country and will play for all the marbles in Miami.

BCS Bowl Breakdown: With such a seismic shift in the BCS Standings, here’s a look at the new BCS Bowl Series Projections as predicted by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Brad Edwards:

1. Discover BCS National Championship: Georgia vs Notre Dame (Schlabach’ pick) Alabama vs Notre Dame (Edwards’ pick)

2. The Rose Bowl: Nebraska vs Stanford (picked by both)

3. Allstate Sugar Bowl:LSU vs Clemson (Schlabach’ pick) Florida vs Oklahoma (Edwards’ pick)

4. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs Oregon (Schlabach’ pick) Kansas State vs Oregon (Edwards’ pick)

5. Discover Orange Bowl: Florida State vs Rutgers (picked by both)

Here’s a link to the other bowl projections: http://espn.go.com/college-football/bowls/projections?season=2012

Final Thoughts: Seeing as I’m now 0-2 in calling the BCS National Championship outcome, I’m just going to leave it up to the fans on this one. What do you think will happen? Who do you have winning it all? Leave a comment below.

Red Sox Could Sign Outfielder Jonny Gomes Soon

Posted on November 22, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

Shipping Up to Boston: The Boston Red Sox continue to stay busy this off-season as recent reports indicate the Sox and free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes are close to finalizing a two year contract. Financial terms have not yet been disclosed.

Gomes would certainly offer depth to the outfield and is regarded as a leader throughout the MLB, both on the field and in the clubhouse. Gomes would also provide needed experience back in the warning track as he’s a 10 year veteran. He played well for the Oakland Athletics last season batting .262 with 18HR and 47RBI. Gomes is a career .244 hitter with 136 HR, and 411 RBI.

Fun Fact: Jonny Gomes has similar career numbers against lefties to that of 2012 Red Sox outfielder/ current free agent Cody Ross.

Gomes against left handed pitchers: .284AVG, .382 OBP, and .512OPS

Ross against left handed pitchers: 284, 353OBP, 575OPS

If nothing else signing Gomes for cheap (much like the Sox did with cather David Ross) will provide needed flexibility to the outfield for little cost. Also to be noted, the BoSox are still working to try and resign Ross. If the Sox could get Gomes and Ross, the outfield would be in good, possibly even great, shape for next season.

Final Thoughts: I want to hear from the Fenway Faithul. Who do you think the Red Sox should go after next? Should the Red Sox take a stab at a high-dollar free agent this off-season? Leave a comment below.

UFC 154: Condit vs. St-Pierre

Posted on November 16, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

UFC 154 will be held this Saturday November 17th in Montreal, Canada and will feature one of MMA’s most recognized fighters. Welterweight champion George “Rush” St-Pierre will be making his highly anticipated return to the octagon to face welterweight interim champion Carlos “Natural Born Killer” Condit in an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

Tale of the Tape:

St-Pierre: Country: Canada, Age: 31, MMA Record: 22-2, Height: 5-11, Weight: 170lbs, Reach: 76 inches, Stance: Orthodox, Strength: Brazilian Jui-Jitsu and Muay Thai, Last 5 Fights: 5-0.

Condit: Country: USA, Age: 28, MMA Record: 28-5, Height: 6-2, Weight: 170lbs, Reach: 76 inches, Stance: Orthodox, Strength: Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Last 5 Fights: 5-0.

Just at a glance it appears on paper that these two men are surprisingly similar, almost carbon copies of one another stat-wise (Condit does have St-Pierre on Height by 3 inches and MMA Record 28-5 to GSP’s 22-2). However, these next numbers will separate these two prime fighters a bit more.

Title Tabs:

St-Pierre: UFC Title Bouts: 11, Championship Event Fight Record: 9-2 and currently the 6 time defending welterweight champ.

Condit: UFC Title Bouts: 1, WEC Title Bouts: 4, Championship Event Fight Record: 5-0 and interim welterweight champ after defeating Nick Diaz in a 5 round unanimous decision in UFC 143.

While Condit is technically undefeated in title fights, he’s only had one UFC title bout, and has only fought in six UFC contests going 5-1. Compare those numbers to GSP’ 9 and 2 UFC title bout record and his 16-2 UFC contest record, and it is clear that St-Pierre is the more decorated fighter in this one.

Breakdown of the Brawl: George St-Pierre is highly regarded as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the MMA across the boards. He is a technician in the octagon and always gives opposing fighters fits with his balanced approach. He can beat you at every angle, whether it’s leg kicks to the head, or a counter jab to the face and his takedown defense is nearly flawless. However, there’s one weakness, his ground game. GSP can be vulnerable to ground-and-pound guys like UFC Legend Matt Hughes, who defeated GSP in his first UFC title match (Hughes won by submission with an arm bar).

Condit on the other hand focuses more on utilizing his deadly leg kicks and flying knee attacks to wreak havoc on his opponents. Condit also has a solid ground game, using a mixture of submissions and ground-and-pound techniques to finish his opponents. Condit will have to try and throw GSP off of his normally well balanced fighting rhythm to have a chance at the title.

Unanimous Decision: I predict this fight to be “as good as advertised” for UFC fans and MMA fans alike. This fight brings a lot to the table for both fighters, as GSP is coming back from an ACL injury that prevented this fight from happening earlier last year. St-Pierre will look to prove he’s back and better than ever. While Condit will try and use this fight as proof that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the welterweight division and propel himself into a piece of UFC history.

I see this bout going about 4 rounds with George St-Pierre defeating Condit by way of knockout as GSP successfully defends his title for a 7th time and becomes the undisputed welterweight champion of the world.

BCS Shakedown: Ducks and Wildcats and Leprechauns Oh My

Posted on November 16, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

Computer Crash: By now we all know 9th ranked Texas A&M (15th ranked during the upset) and “Johnny Football” Manziel, sent shock waves down the spine of the BCS computer ranking system, as the Aggies knocked off Alabama last Saturday 29-24 in Tuscaloosa.

With that said, here’s a check up on the new top 4 BCS Standings and Projected Bowl Predictions according to ESPN.com:

BCS Standings: Top 4 as of November 11th: 1. Kansas State 2. Oregon 3. Notre Dame 4. Alabama

With the Crimson Tide rolling to 4th in the BCS polls it is likely that they will be on the outside looking in for this year’s national championship contest. Alabama would have to win out (including the SEC championship game) and hope Kansas State, Oregon, or Notre Dame loses, to even have a chance at the title.

This means Kansas State and Oregon will likely be on a crash course to meet up in Miami for the title game. The Wildcats remaining opponents include Baylor and newly ranked number 15 Texas, while the Ducks will face number 13 Stanford and number 11 Oregon State.

Both programs could see upsets coming their way, ( K-State falling to Baylor or Texas, Oregon dropping either Stanford or Oregon State) but both are projected to play in the championship game for now. While we can’t count out Notre Dame, with games left against Wake Forest and USC, they simply would not outrank the Wildcats or Ducks if all were to win out. Dame, much like Bama, would need K-State or Oregon to lose.

Predicted Bowl Projections: While there are 35 bowl games in all, I will only focus on the BCS Bowl games. Here’s the projections as picked by ESPN’ Mark Schlabach and Brad Edwards:

1. Discover BCS National Championship: Kansas State vs Oregon (both projected the same pick)

2. Rose Bowl: Nebraska vs Notre Dame (both projected the same pick)

3. Allstate Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs Clemson (both projected the same pick)

4. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs LSU (Schlabach’ pick) or Oklahoma vs Texas A&M (Edwards’ pick)

5. Discover Orange Bowl: Florida State vs Rutgers (both projected the same pick)

Here’s a link to the other 30 bowl projections: http://espn.go.com/college-football/bowls/projections?season=2012

Final Thoughts: Seeing as how my last BCS article prediction (Oregon beating Bama in the title game) is shot out of the water now, I’d like to re-do my prediction. I whole-heatedly believe Oregon will win this year’s BCS National Championship against Kansas State, with the Ducks beating the Wildcats 30-24 in Miami.

Red Sox Sign Backup Catcher David Ross

Posted on November 15, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

Done Deal: The Boston Red Sox inked career backup catcher David Ross to a two-year 6.2 million dollar deal this Wednesday. Ross spent the last four seasons with the Atlanta Braves, backing up All-Star catcher Brian McCann, where he compiled 24 HR, 84 RBI, and a .268 batting average in that span. Ross is a career .238 hitter with 84 HR and 248 RBI. BoSox fans may not remember Ross, but he has played in Beantown before. He made 8 game appearances back in 2008.

Ross Can Be Resourceful: Ross gives the Red Sox a viable back up option to help give starter Jarrod Saltalamacchia a break during the regular season (pending the Sox don’t try to ship Salty elsewhere this offseason). Ross, a 10 year veteran, can also help give a few catching pointers to the Sox young catcher Ryan Lavarnway (1 year of MLB experience). This inexpensive move helps bolster the position and brings flexibility to the catching depth chart.

Your Thoughts: With the Red Sox recent off-season move, what do you think their next one should be? Leave a comment below.

The Boy Who De-Feet-ed the Odds: An Unbelievable Feat

Posted on November 12, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

Defying a Disability: 11-year-old Gabriel Muniz is considered to be one of the best young soccer players among his age group in the the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But this young talent isn’t making headlines across the world for what he can do “with his feet”, he’s making heads turn for what he can do “without them”.

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. No need to adjust your computer screen, 11-year-old Gabriel Muniz was born without feet but has been walking since age 1 and has played the game he loves persistently. Muniz’ birth defect is medically known as Meromelia, which is the lack of one or more limbs such as the hands, or in Gabriel’s case his feet.

Humbling Highlights: Videos have surfaced recently, via YouTube, YahooSports, MSN.com and other websites, showcasing Muniz’ talent’s and the tape is without question an amazing display of determination, courage, and inspiration. Here’s a clip of the highlights:

As mentioned in the video, Muniz has been invited to attend a Barcelona training camp in Saquarema, just outside of Rio, where he will meet some of his soccer idols. The youngster will also get to showcase his skills in Spain as the Barcelona coaching staff, intrigued by his skill and determination, invited him to train with the Catalan Side. Though Muniz may never make a professional team, it’s humbling to witness a youth overcoming obstacles, believing in himself, and disregarding his disability to chase his dreams.

Final Thoughts: This story is a breath of fresh air for me as a sports fan. It takes you away from all the high-profile-headlines, big dollar contract talks, rumor-mill trade stories, etc, and lets you view a different side of sports, the inspirational one. Stories like these remind us why we are sports fans.

The passion, love for the game, commitment and dedication to a sport, makes up the unwritten code we the fans live by. Hopefully one day, all of those things will help Gabriel Muniz achieve his dream of becoming a professional soccer player.

2012 NHL Lockout: Latest Update

Posted on November 9, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

Lockout Lingers On: After four straight days of negotiations, the NHL and NHLPA have resumed labor talks this week and are trying, desperately, to salvage what’s left of a dwindling season.

The two sides have been meeting at the round table in New York City to discuss a multitude of collective bargaining hot topics, including shared or league related revenue, limits to contract terms, free agency rule changes, and the elimination of salary arbitration.

A Meeting of the Minds: Reportedly, NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, and members of the NHLPA Chris Campoli, Mathieu Darche, Ron Hainsey, George Parros, and Kevin Westgarth met up in the city that never sleeps. Needless to say, both sides are still restless on bringing an end to this lockout.

Cancellations Continue: As of November 9th, the 55-day lockout has caused the cancellation of 327 regular season games, including the highly anticipated Winter Classic game. Reports indicate playing a full season will be out of the question. The most Bruins, and hockey fans alike can hope for is a hybrid half season at this point. While it’s refreshing to see both sides talking, talk is cheap, and until they can finalize a new collective bargaining agreement, fans will continue to wait, watch, and wonder.

BCS Championship Breakdown: Ducks Quack Up The SEC 7-Peat, Beat Bama

Posted on November 7, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

As the college football regular season begins to wind down the BCS National Championship race is beginning to heat up. While there are 25 teams ranked in the BCS standings, and most will certainly make a trip to some kind of a bowl game in December or early January, I’m focusing on the top 4 rated teams for this post. (Georgia is ranked 5th, but I don’t see another all SEC BCS title game so I’m excluding them for now)

Here’s the top 4 as of November 4th: 1. Alabama 2. Kansas State 3. Oregon 4. Notre Dame

Now let’s look at the roads each team has left to travel in their quest to play for this year’s crystal football.

Alabama: Remaining Schedule: #15 Texas A&M (home), Western Carolina (home), and Auburn (home).

BCS Champ Chances: Alabama (much like last season) is as close to a championship lock as it gets. The Tide have been rolling all season long and look poised to return their third BCS National Championship in four years. With Play-makers like QB A.J. McCarron, T.J. Yeldon, and CB Dee Milliner, Bama seems unstoppable at this point and could very well earn the SEC it’s unprecedented 7th straight BCS title.

Potential Roadblock: The only road block I foresee is the Tide’ upcoming bout with A&M. The Aggies have played tough in their first year as an SEC newbie and could give Bama a fight early. But I believe the Tide will roll on and make it to the ship.

Kansas State: Remaining Schedule: TCU (away), Baylor (Away), and #17 Texas (home).

BCS Champ Chances: I think K-State actually has a chance to run the table and has a legitimate shot at making the championship game. The Wildcats should be able to handle a pair of Big-12 road games against the Horned Frogs and Bears and has home-field advantage against the Longhorns.

Potential Roadblock: The only pothole I see stopping Kansas State from running the table is no doubt their finale against Texas. The Longhorns are certainly good enough to upset K-State. That game will come down to how the Defense handles Wildcats QB Collin Klein (pending he’s back and healthy). Sadly even if they win out, I don’t see them outranking Oregon at seasons end.

Oregon: Remaining Schedule: California (away), #14 Stanford (home), and #11 Oregon State (away).

BCS Champ Chances: The Ducks can certainly dump on the points (as exampled against USC in a 62-51 W) and the USC game has been the closest contest they’ve had all year (11pts). Oregon has a tough finish with two ranked opponents to close out the season. But if the SEC has taught us anything, speed kills and the Ducks have lightning in a bottle with guys like RB De’Anthony “Black Mamba” Thomas. I see the Ducks quacking there way into the BCS National Championship game.

Potential Roadblock: Oregon should have no trouble with Cal or Stanford. The only thorn in their side I see is Oregon State at the end of the year. The Beavers could play BCS spoiler for the Ducks. They’ve upset USC and other Pac-12 company before in past seasons. However, as stated above, the Ducks should cruise to a championship.

Notre Dame: Remaining Schedule: Boston College (away), Wake Forest (Home), and USC (away).

BCS Champ Chances: While ND does have a good chance to go undefeated I don’t see them getting the at large bid and don’t see them outranking K-state or Oregon at seasons end. Basically a lot would have to happen for the Irish to make it to Miami. Both Oregon and Kansas State would have to lose and I just don’t see that happening.

Potential Roadblock: As mentioned above there are a few bumps that will keep the Irish out of this year’s BCS title game. Dame should beat BC, and Wake as USC would be the only potential loss that would certainly keep them out of the race. I see Notre Dame in one of the big four BCS bowls, just not “The Big One”.

BCS National Championship Bold Prediction: With all that said, I predict, well, a predictable title game this year. I have Alabama taking on Oregon for all the BCS marbles in Miami and will boldy choose the Oregon Ducks as your National Champions beating Bama 24-21.

Your Thoughts: What do you think will happen? Who do you have winning it all? Leave a comment below.

Boston Shouldn’t Need Any Magic Against Washington

Posted on November 7, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

After beating the Washington Wizards 89-86 last Saturday, the Boston Celtics will play the Wiz again tonight in the TD Garden at 7:30pm. The C’s will be looking to win their first home game of the regular season after dropping their home opener to the Milwaukee Bucks 99-88.

Player Previews: Right now the obvious trio of Pierce, Rondo, and Garnett have and will be there all season long for the C’s. However, look for rookie Jared Sullinger to make some more noise as he is being mixed into the starting lineup and playing well (4PPG and 5 RPG).

Normally for the Wizards I would say to keep your eyes locked on star point guard John Wall and the rest will fall into place for Washington. However, the Wiz will have to rely on others to step up in his absence. Look for their big men to shine in this one. Second year power forward Trevor Booker (7.5 PPG with 5.5 RPG) and veteran center Emeka Okafor (6.5 PPG with 7 RPG) will have to control the boards and the paint if they want to win at the Garden.

When 2 Watch: Again, tonight’ contest between the C’s and Wizards will tip off at 7:30pm in the Garden. If your attending the game remember to enjoy yourself, have fun, and be sure to check back here for a game recap.

Lakers at the Bottom of the Barrel Early: Nash Gets Hurt as L-A is 0-2

Posted on November 3, 2012 by tsmithbsb29

Well, the Celtics certainly didn’t get off to the start we had all hoped for, but on a brighter note our arch nemesis, the Los Angeles Lakers, are on the same page and find themselves at the bottom of the Pacific division standings. To make matters worse for L-A, one of the marquee players they brought in during the off-season, point guard Steve Nash, was injured in their recent loss to the Portland Trailblazers.

The 38-year-old Nash collided with Portland Trailblazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard in the 2nd quarter of Wednesday nights 116 to 106 loss. Nash suffered a lower left leg contusion and was only able to play one series of the second half before being sent to the sidelines for the rest of the night.

Nash was quoted on ESPN.com saying “I guess I wouldn’t want to say right now, but I’m definitely hopeful” on whether he’ll be game ready for this Fridays contest against the Los Angeles Clippers.

While Laker Nation should by no means hit the panic button this early in the season, it certainly brings up two main question to consider.

1. Can the Lakers keep everybody (especially Nash) healthy? Of the Lakers starting five, only Dwight Howard (26-years-old) is under the age of 30. Kobe Bryant (34), Metta World Peace (32), and Pau Gasol (32) are all above 30 years-of-age (including the aforementioned Nash, 38). Age could play a key role in whether this L-A squad can keep everyone out on the floor and not sidelined with injuries.This will also factor in to how many wins and losses the team will produce and whether or not a post-season will be in the picture.

2. Can this Lakers offense, filled with so many different personalities, actually co-exist? When you put this year’s Los Angeles Lakers team under a sports micro-scope, you’ll see a breeding ground for one of two contagious diseases. The first is success. This Lakers squad is no doubt loaded with talent. If they can build a solid team chemistry, they could find themselves edging out the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs for a trip to the NBA Finals when it’s all said and done.

However, the second is more deadly and could lead to the Lakers demise…failure. Can Steve Nash facilitate the rock and Kobe still get his shine? Will Dwight Howard be too big of a distraction on and off the court? Will Metta World Peace stay sane long enough to actually help the team this season? Is Pau Gasol still happy to be playing in the purple and gold after numerous trade talks swarmed his psyche last year?

Alright so that was obviously more than two questions, but the 2012-2013 Lakers have a lot of question marks and sadly there is no clear answer to any of them just yet. We will simply have to wait, watch and wonder what will become of L-A this season. Until then, let us rejoice in their recent shortcomings. The C’s might be 0-1, but it beats 0-2 and are guys are healthy.

Boston Sports Blog

Author Archives: tsmithbsb29