NFL and NBA Lockouts

Well NFL and NBA fans, do you think there will be a season for either league? Personally I think they need to get together and get both deals done. Obviously the NFL deal is much closer than the NBA deal but both need to happen. Seasons simply cannot be missed. The NFL training camp and Preseason are right around the corner. On July 22nd the first training camps are suppose to start. Will there be a deal by then? Probably. Let us hope at least. Missing any football this season will be a huge hit to the league. Nobody wants to lose football, players and fans included.

Thoughts and opinions? Let me know.

Heat vs. Mavs Game 6 Tonight

What an awesome series this has been so far. Many story lines and many more to come I think. Needless to say this is a must win for Lebron, Wade, and the Heat.  It is now or never to back up their talk. Dirk has proven he's a clutch player, now it is time for Lebron to do the same. Expect Lebron to have atleast 35 with 10 or more points in the 4th quarter. Also expect the Heat to win. This series has been too good to not go 7 games.  As a fan game 7 is the best thing in sports. We definitely need to see one this series.

Heat and Mavs, Game 3

The Heat play the Mavs tonight in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.  Miami blew game 2 at home and will look to bounce back. This will be a hard fought battle.

Prediction:

Heat will play tough but I feel this is the Mavs Game.
Mavs take 2-1 series lead.

Let me know what you think.

Heat and Mavs Game 2

Heat and Mavericks Game 2. Heat lead the series 1-0. Lebron led the way in game 1.  Predictions??

Game Predictions:

Lebron dominates and Heat win.


Series Predictions:

Heat in 5. Mavs will get one but that's it. Lebron will win NBA. Lebron finally gets the ring, Dirk doesnt.

NBA Scheduling

Wow. All I can say is the NBA has it wrong. The Mavericks/Thunder series will have had played 2 games before the Bulls/Heat play another game Sunday. That is absolutely ridiculous in my opinions or as Charles Barkley puts it, "That's Stupid." The NBA playoff schedule should be just like that of the NHL. Games should be played every other day. The players want it that way and the fans most certainly do too. What is the league thinking?

Opinions, Comments? Let me know.

Dominant Dirk

Dirk Nowitzki currently has 34 points with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. This is Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Dirk's Dallas Mavericks lead the Oklahoma City Thunder 75-64.  Kevin Durant leads the way for the Thunder with 24 points.

Dirk's Line:
---FGM-A: 10/11, FTM-A: 14/14, 34 pts, 6 rb, 2 ast, 3 blk

What a game by Dirk.

Prediction:

Mavericks finish this one out handily. Look for the Thunder to rebound in Game 2. Expect big things from Durant and a much calmer, passer friendly Russell Westbrook. Thunder win Game 2 but Dallas wins in 6.

2011 NBA Draft Lottery

Cavs win 2011 NBA Draft Lottery. They will now most likely select Kyrie Irving number 1 in the draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves will pick number 2. Cleveland also holds the number 4 pick in the draft.  Not a bad way to start the second year of the post Lebron Era in Cleveland.

Post opinions!

NFL Toaster Power Rankings

Today I saw on ESPN.com that they had an article about the Top 10 Power Rankings for NFL Helmets. The list was as follows.

     1. Pittsburgh Steelers
     2. Indianapolis Colts
     3. Oakland Raiders
     4. Green Bay Packers
     5. San Diego Chargers
     6. Dallas Cowboys
     7. Minnesota Vikings
     8. Cleveland Browns
     9. Chicago Bears
     10. Miami Dolphins

This gave me an idea to rank my top 5 NFL Toasters. Yes that is right, NFL Toasters! They are toasters that toast the logo of your favorite NFL team onto the bread.  They can all be found at NFL Toaster. The list is as follows:

     1. Pittsburgh Steelers Toaster --- Check out a Steelers Toaster now.
     2. Green Bay Packers Toaster --- Check out a Green Bay Packers Toaster now.
     3. Dallas Cowboys Toaster --- Check out a Dallas Cowboys Toaster now.
     4. Chicago Bears Toaster --- Check out a Chicago Bears Toaster now.
     5. New England Patriots Toaster --- Check out a Patriots Toaster now.

Disagree with my list let me know! Also comment on what you think of these toasters!

Tampa Bay Lighting Beats the Boston Bruins in Game 1

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals got off to a quick start.  Sean Bergenheim scored 85 seconds into the game for the Lightning.  The final score was 5-2 Tampa Bay. Dwayne Roloson played great in net for the Lightning as they now will have Home Ice Advantage.  Game 2 is Tuesday Night in Boston.

Prediction for Game 2:

--Boston wins 3-1 behind stellar play of Tim Thomas.

Post your comments and opinions.

Last Night's NHL Game

Last night the San Jose Sharks fought off a furious series come back by the Detroit Red Wings.  The Sharks won game 7 3-2.  They had previously led the series 3 games to 0 before losing the last 3.  San Jose will now move on to face the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Finals.

Prediction:

---Sharks in 6.

The Eastern Conference Finals pits the Boston Bruins vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Prediction:

---Bruins in 6.

Post opinions and comments.

Huge NHL Game Tonight

Huge NHL Game 7 tonight between the Sharks and the Red Wings. Detroit travels to San Jose for this match up.  Early in the series San Jose was cruising and took a commanding 3 games to 0 series lead.  Three wins in a row by Detroit has forced Game 7.  They look to do the same exact thing the Flyers did to Boston in Round 2 of last year's NHL Playoffs.

Prediction:

My preference would be for San Jose to win but logic tells me Detroit wins this contest.

Don't Agree? Let me know

NBA Scores from Last Night

Heat demolish Celtics in fourth quarter to win series at home 4-1.  They advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to play the winner of the Bulls and Hawks.  The Bulls currently lead the series 3 games to 2.

Oklahoma City wins in blowout fashion over the Memphis Grizzlies to take a 3-2 series lead.  Memphis seemed worn down and outmatched in this contest. If the Thunder can hold on to win the series they will face the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.  The Dallas Mavericks dispatched of the two time defending LA Lakers in the previous round 4 games to 0.
 

Prediction:

Chicago and Oklahoma City both close our their series with wins in their respective game sixes.

Anyone think otherwise, let me know.

Mavericks demolish Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks beat the LA Lakers today handily to sweep them out of the playoffs.  There will be no 3 peat for the Lakers. This may be the last time we ever see this group of guys together again as many people are predicting the team will be blown up in the off season.

Game Notes:

-Kobe Bryant only managed 17 points in the loss.
-Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum got carried away in the 4th quarter, both getting ejected for flagrant fails.
-Surprisingly, Ron Artest was not ejected.
-We may have witnessed Phil Jackson's last game behind the bench as a coach.
-The Mavericks move on to host the winner of Memphis and Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals

More to come!

Leave comments, predictions, whatever you want.

Heat vs Celtics

Celtics are leading 85-72. Looks like they will get their first game of the series.

Did anyone see Rondo's injury? Looked really bad. Apparently a dislocated elbow and he came back in the game after they popped it back in.  He's an NBA player after all...

In an earlier game, Memphis beat Oklahoma City in OT to take a 2-1 series lead.  The surprise number 8 seed Grizzlies are hot and very dangerous right now.  Look out for them.

More scores to come

Early MLB Action

Cincinnati Reds lead the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Garza on the mound for the Cubs and Volquez on the mound for the Reds.

One of many great baseball games today. 

More scores and analysis later tonight.

Post your predictions!

Big games in the NHL and NBA playoffs tonight

NHL:
----Sharks vs. Red Wings...Sharks look to close out the series
----Flyers vs. Bruins...Bruins look to close out the series

NBA:
----Bulls vs. Hawks...Series tied at 1
----Lakers vs. Mavericks...Mavericks lead series 2-0

Also don't miss a full slate of MLB games today.
Scores, Updates, and Predictions to come later.
Leave you're predictions in the comments.

Scores on the Day

In NHL action, the Canucks go to Nashville and beat the Predators 4-2 to take a 3-1 series lead.

No NBA playoff action tonight

MLB Scores:

at Cincinnati 10, Houston 4

at Detroit 6, NY Yankees 3

at NY Mets 5, San Francisco 2

at Tampa Bay 3, Toronto 1

LA Angels 11, at Boston 0

at St. Louis 6, Florida 3

at Kansas City 9, Baltimore 1

Cleveland 4, at Oakland 3

at Philadelphia 7, Washington 3

at Atlanta 2, Milwaukee 1

at Seattle 3, Texas 1

Bruins lead Flyers 4-1

Bruins are currently on top of the Flyers 4-1 with 7 minutes remaining in the third period. Boston jumped out 4-0 before the Flyers got on the board. Unless their is another epic come back by the Flyers, the Bruins will take this game and take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.  It is unlikely the Flyers can make another come back from three games down.

On another note, the Tampa Bay Lightning lead the Washington Capitals 3-2. If they hold this lead they will complete the series sweep and head to the Eastern Conference Finals.

More to come later.

Heat top Celtics

The Miami Heat have topped the Boston Celtics tonight to take a 2 to 0 lead in the series.  They now head to Boston for the next game.  Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and company look to make this a series with a win in game 3.

Early Prediction - Boston beats Miami 93-84 to make this series interesting.

More on the NBA and NHL Playoffs tomorrow. Leave predictions or comments about any games.

Bruins top Flyers in OT

David Krejci scored 14 minutes into the first overtime to notch the win for the Bruins.  The Bruins now take a 2 to 0 lead in the series heading home to Boston for two games.  The Flyers are now in a must win.  There will be no Cinderella 3 games to 0 come from behind series win this year.

James Van Riemsdyk gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead early in the game with two goals in the first 10 minutes.  Chris Kelly and Brad Marchand answered back for the Bruins, knotting the game up at 2-2 not even 5 minutes later.  The game stayed deadlocked until Krejci's goal in overtime to give the Bruins a 3-2 victory.

Game Notes:
-Tim Thomas led the way with 52 saves.
-Brian Boucher left the game with an injury and came back a few minutes later.
-Adam McQuaid was injured for the Bruins in the first period.  He went to the hospital but is set to return to Boston with the Bruins later today.


Flyers head to Boston for Game 3 Wednesday.

Big Game 2 today in the NHL

Flyers vs. Bruins Tonight.  Game 2 of the Best of 7 series with the Bruins leading 1 game to 0.
---The Flyers got worked in game 1 of this series. Terrible goaltending and a poor offensive showing lead to the demise of the Philadelphia Flyers.  Look for Philly to come out much stronger in Game 2 and get the Win 3 to 1.

Game Notes:

-Brian Boucher gets to redeem himself as he gets the start for the Flyers.
-Bruins look to get further revenge after their humiliating loss in the playoffs after being up 3 games to 0 and 3-0 in game 7.

What to watch for:
-Can Chara will keep the Bruins strong defensively?
-Can Boucher go the distance and put up a solid performance for the Flyers?
-Can Tim Thomas keep up his strong playoff showing?

These questions and many more will be answered tonight.

Game 2 at 7:30 in Philly.  Don't Miss it!

Flyers Vs. Sabres

Great series came to an end last night and the favored Flyers take the Victory in Game 7.  Ryan Miller was finally solved and the Flyers move on to Round 2.  They will face Boston if they can beat Montreal in their Game 7.  If Montreal wins they will face top seeded Washington and the Flyers will face the winner of Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.

Predictions:  Boston over Montreal 3-1.
                   Tampa Bay over Pittsburgh 4-3

Stay tuned for more NHL playoff updates!

NHL ESPN Power Rankings vs. My Top 5

http://espn.go.com/nhl/powerrankings

What are your thoughts on the ranking so far?

In the East Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, and Boston look great.  Detroit and Vancouver are the class of the West.  Teams in both conferences that I wouldn't sleep on are the defending Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, and the Montreal Canadiens.  One last team further back in the rankings to keep an eye on is the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are a dangerous team and have been known to make long playoff runs from lower seeds.

My Top 5

1. Philadelphia Flyers
   ---This team is on fire and may be the deepest team in the league.  This year they have finally seemed to      solve their goaltending woes.  They will challenge for the top seed in the East with Pittsburgh and be a top contender in the East for their second straight Cup Final Appearance.

2. Detroit Red Wings
   ---Still playing well with injuries.  At full strength this team is always dangerous.  I expect a long playoff run from them.  Pavel Datsyuk's return will give life to an already striving team.

3. Pittsburgh Penquins
   ---The hottest player this season has been Sidney Crosby.  The best player in the league this season has been Sidney Crosby.  Sidney Crosby has missed the last 6 games.  The Pens are still 3-2-1 without him.  Look for Pittsburgh to challenge Philadelphia for the top spot in the East when Crosby returns.

4. Vancouver Canucks
   ---The Sedin brothers are a deadly combination and a handful for even the best defensive minded teams to stop.  With Ryan Kesler having a career year this team looks to finally make a long playoff run.  Don't be surprised if they represent the West in the Stanley Cup Finals.

5. Washington Capitals
   ---Lost 5 of last 7 games but still sit only 1 point behind Tampa Bay in the Southeast Division standings.  This team is still in good position with their best player having a sub par season by his standards.  Look for Ovechkin to get hot and lead the Capitals to a Division Title and top 3 seed in the Conference.

Don't Agree with Me?  Let me know.  Post your own Top 5.

NFL Final Four - Predictions Included

NFC Championship - Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears - Sunday 3 PM EST
AFC Champiosnhip - New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Sunday 6:30 PM EST

How'd they get to their respective championships?

Green Bay went on the road to Philadelphia Wildcard Weekend and then went to Atlanta, where the Falcons have been unstoppable lately, and won impressively. 

Chicago received a bye Wildcard Weekend and then went played host to the surprising Seattle Seahawks.  Seattle was no match for Chicago's defense falling 35-24

NYJ beat the Indianapolis Colts 17-16 on a 32 yd FG by Nick Folk as time expired.  They followed up this impressive win by beating the heavily favored New England Patriots on the road 28-21.

Pittsburgh received a bye Wildcard Weekend.  They then erased a 21-7 deficit at home against the Baltimore Ravens to win 31-24.

In each conference we see the #2 seeded teams hosting the #6 seeded teams.

My Predictions

Green Bay over Chicago...20-17
NYJ over Pittsburgh...24-17

Disagree? Tell me what you think. 

I went 0-2 last predictions. We'll see how I do Sunday.

Jets Win

Jets will head to Pittsburgh next week and face the Steelers in the AFC Championship game.

This victory is a huge surprise for many.

More Updates and Opinions will follow tomorrow on both NFL games today.

WOW! New York Jets Lead Fighting Tom Bradys 14-3 at Half

Who saw this coming?

The New York Jets are putting up more than just a fight against the New England Patriots.  They are backing up all the chatter that made headlines the past week.

Despite their current deficit, New England should still be the favorite to win this game.  Look for Tom Brady to throw for 175 yards and at least 2 TDs during the second half.  I also like Danny Woodhead to find the end zone.

Speaking of Danny Woodhead...

I mean Danny WoodCock...

Jets halting New England's Prolific Offense So far

New York Jets are leading the New England Patriots 7-3 with 4 minutes left in the second quarter.

Tom Brady has yet to lead the Patriots into the end zone.  However, it is not if Brady will get the Patriots rolling, it is when.  Look for the Patriots to put more points on the board before half.

The Jets lined up in the wildcat a couple times this half.  With a decent QB behind center this is completely unnecessary.  They are very lucky Tomlinson's fumble was not recovered by the Patriots.

The winner will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

Bears to host Green Bay in NFC Championship Game

The Chicago Bears have defeated the Seattle Seahawks 35-24.

Chicago will host the NFC Championship Game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Up next: New York Jets @ New England Patriots

Bears Routing Seahawks at Half

The Chicago Bears take a 21-0 lead into half.

Greg Olsen is having a career game with 113 yards and a TD in the first half.

Seattle will have to get its offense going in the second half to have a chance for a come back. They only have 5 first downs and 98 total yards.  Chicago has 11 first down and 238 total yards.

The winner of this game will face Green Bay in the NFC Championship game.

Bears Strike First

The Chicago Bears lead the Seattle Seahawks 7-0 behind a 58 yard TD pass to TE Greg Olsen by QB Jay Cutler.

Game still in its beginning stages.

Look for the Seahawks to regroup and try to get past this stingy Bear defense.

NFL Playoffs

Some big games this weekend.

Pittsburgh rallies past Baltimore for a 31-24 victory.
Green Bay goes into Atlanta and leaves with a 48-21 blowout victory.

Two more big games today.

Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
New York Jets @ New England Patriots

Predictions:

Seahawks over Bears...27-23
Patriots over Jets...31-17

Don't Agree? Let me know.