2010 Year in Review

I am back again with a look back at my 2010, one of the greatest years in my life in so many ways. This year has been full of some lows and many highs as well as many life changing, once in a lifetime experiences.

The year started out rather uneventfully until my 20th birthday where I got to spend times with my close friends and kick off the semester. Then came the infamous Snopocalypse where I spent time with my friends and got closer to them. In the beginning of March I went to Koach Kallah at Pearlstone which allowed me to meet and become friends with Jewish college kids from all across the nation as well as reconnect with some old friends.

Then I had Spring Break Miami where we renovated a local park and worked at an after school program at a local elementary school. We each had a kid to be a friend and mentor to and my kid was full of energy and truly made my experience memorable. On top of this I had the opportunity to meet more college kids from different schools all over the country as well as strengthen the relationship I had with people from Towson. The highlight of the trip for me was successfully running a trip to a Miami Heat-San Antonio Spurs (my favorite team) game at which everyone had fun, that made me feel amazing.

All the while I was planning to run for Vice President of Towson Hillel, I found out one of my friends was running against me. I ended up losing the first election and later was told my best friend voted against me. After some constitutional issues there was a 2nd election which I won and my fraternity brother won President. The spring semester ended on a high when I won the Emerging Student Leader Award for Towson University, I was really looking forward to the summer and working at my local camp (milldale) for the 9th straight summer.

My Summer lived up to and surpassed my expectations, for only the 2nd time in 9 years I got the age I wanted (the same kids I had the year before) I was also a bus counselor in the afternoon and a late stay counselor. My kids were awesome each in their own way, I made some new friends, and reconnected with some old ones. The best part was getting a hand written note from one of my campers which said I was his favorite counselor. There were so many memorable moments (CTC, SZH, swimming, sleepover, O's Game and much more) and I will never forget the summer of 2010 or the children in Bunk 4D, bus 12, or OM JCC late stay.

When my fall 2010 semester started I was very nervous about moving into my new apartment, being VP of Towson Hillel, and balancing that with my fraternity and academics. Although I had the roommate from hell it was a tremendous semester for a number of reasons. I had an extremly successful first semester as VP, I kept my grades up, and my fraternity had an amazing semester which was topped off with a extremly strong new group of brothers and a super successful crush party. The best part of the semester was that I started to feel more comfortable in my own skin, became more outspoken and outgoing, as well as made many new friends and became closer with my older friends.

In general this blog post is just the tip of the iceberg of what was a truly special and amazing year for me. I would like to thank all my friends, family, and anyone who had an effect on my 2010, I aboslutly can't wait for what 2011 has in store for me.

NFL Home stretch report

Sorry for the delay, I have been really busy but here is my take on the NFL with 4 games left including my predictions for the regular season standings, postseason awards, and playoff predictions. (Editors note these standings are accurate for only teams 2 games out of their division and wild card races, the standings are tiebreaker accurate)

Standings

NFC EAST
1. Philly 11-5 (#3)
2. Giants 10-6
3. Cowboys
4. Redskins

NFC NORTH
1. Packers 11-5 (#2)
2. Chicago 11-5 (WC # 6- lose divisional record tie breaker)
3. Vikings
4. Lions

NFC SOUTH
1. Falcons 13-3 (#1)
2. Saints 11-5 (#WC #5)
3. Bucs 10-6
4. Carolina

NFC WEST
1. Seattle 9-7 (#4)
2. St Louis 8-8
3. San Fran
4. Arizona

AFC EAST
1. Pats 13-3 (#1)
2. Jets 11-5
3. Dolphins
4. Bills

AFC NORTH
1. Pittsburgh 12-4 (#2-Win strength of victory tiebreaker, which they currently have so I gave it to them)
2. Ravens 12-4
3. Browns
4. Bengals

AFC SOUTH:
1. Jags 10-6
2. Colts 9-7
3. Texans
4. Titans

AFC WEST
1. KC 11-5
2. SD 9-7
3. Oak 8-8
4. Den

For you Ravens fans out there here is how the Ravens Win the division: Win 2 more games then Pittsburgh over the next 4 (Ravens- @Hou, Vs. NO, @CLE, Vs. Cin, Pit-vs. Cin, vs. Jets, Vs. Car, @ CLE) OR

win out and Have Pittsburgh lose to the Browns and have Houston finished ahead of Tennessee and have Denver finish within 4 Games of Oakland (Source: ESPN's playoff machine)

Postseason Awards:
NFL MVP: Tom Brady, QB NE
NFL OPOY: Philip Rivers QB SD
NFL DPOY: Clay Matthews LB GB
NFL OROY: Sam Bradford QB Rams
NFL DROY: Ndamukong Suh DL Lions
NFL COY: Todd Hayley Chiefs
Comeback Player: Mike Vick QB Eagles
Suprise: BUCS
Disappointment: Cowboys/Vikings

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

WILD CARD ROUND

Bal over Jax 27-17 (Ravens control MJD win 4th road playoff game in 3 years)

KC over Jets 24-17 (Charles and Jones lead KC to victory over Jones' old team)

Chi over Phi 20-17 (Bears control Vick, Win on the road)

Saints over Seahawks 34-24 (Brees and Saints Offense too much for Seattle)

DIVISIONAL ROUND

Pittsburgh over KC 24-13 (Steelers Defense dominates Leads Steelers to victory)

Bal over Patriots 31-27 (Ravens take advantage of Pats' suspect D, avenge Regular season loss)

ATL over Chicago 20-17 (Ryan leads another late game winning drive to beat Bears)

GB over NO 34-27 (Matthews, Rodgers overwhelm Saints ending repeat bid)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

GB over ATL 27-24 (Rodgers leads Packers into Atlanta, win rematch, to Super Bowl)

Baltimore over PIT 17-13 (Classic Ravens-Steelers game ends with Ravens winning Round 3)

SUPER BOWL
RAVENS over PACKERS 24-20 (Rice, Flacco, Lewis lead Ravens to 2nd super bowl title)
MVP: FLACCO

NFL Half way report

Well it is that time of year, the calendar has turned to November and every team in the NFL has completed at least half of their schedule (4 teams: Oakland, NO, SD, Green Bay have played 9 games). This is a perfect time to give you my midseason award winners, who i expect to win the awards at the end of the year, and my postseason predictions. (Not tiebreaker accurate except head to head wins)
Midseason Awards
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers QB Green Bay
NFL OPOY: Philip Rivers QB San Diego Chargers
NFL DPOY: Ray Lewis LB Baltimore Ravens
NFL OROY: Sam Bradford QB Rams
NFL DROY: Ndamukong Suh DL Lions
NFL COY: Steve Spagnuolo Rams
Comeback Player: Wes Welker WR Patriots
Suprise: Oakland Raiders
Disappointment: Dallas Cowboys
End of Year Awards
NFL MVP: Rodgers
NFL OPOY: Rivers
NFL DPOY: Lewis
NFL OROY: Mike Williams WR Tampa Bay
NFL DROY: Suh
NFL COY: Todd Hayley Chiefs
Comeback: Welker
Suprise: Chiefs
Disappointment: Cowboys
Final Standings
AFC East
1. Patriots 11-5 (#2)
2. Jets 11-5 (#6)
3. Dolphins 8-8
4. Bills 2-14
AFC North
1. Ravens 12-4 (#1)
2. Steelers 11-5 (#5)
3. Bengals 6-10
4. Browns 6-10
AFC South
1. Colts 10-6 (#3)
2. Titans 9-7
3. Texans 9-7
4. Jags 7-9
AFC West
1. Chiefs 9-7 (#4)
2. Raiders 8-8
3. Chargers 8-8
4. Broncos 5-11
NFC East
1. Giants 11-5 (#2)
2.Eagles 10-6 (#6)
3. Redskins 7-9
4. Cowboys 3-13
NFC North
1. Packers 11-5 (#1)
2. Bears 8-8
3.Vikings 7-9
4. Lions 5-11
NFC South
1. Falcons 11-5 (#3)
2. Saints 10-6 (#5)
3. Bucs 9-7
4. Panthers 3-13
NFC West
1. Seahawks 9-7 (#4)
2. Rams 8-8
3. Cardinals 7-9
4. Niners 6-10
Playoff predictions
WILD CARD ROUND
Saints over Seahawks 31-20
Falcons over Eagles 31-27
Steelers over Chiefs 20-17
Colts over Jets 34-24
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Ravens over Steelers 17-13
Colts over Pats 37-34
Packers over Saints 31-24
Giants over Falcons 27-24
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Packers over Giants 27-20
Ravens over Colts 37-31
SUPER BOWL 45
Ravens over Packers 24-20 MVP: Flacco

NBA 2010-2011 Season Preview

We are only a few days away from the start of the most anticipated NBA season in recent memory. From the Lakers pursuing another three-peat (Kobe and Fisher's 2nd, Phil's 4th), the summer of free agency, the formation of the super team in Miami, Kevin Durant announcing his presence in leading the US to a world championship this season is shaping up to be great and I will preview it. I will give you my predictions for the regular season standings, postseason awards, and Playoff predictions. (Note: these picks are assuming Melo does not get traded because there is no way I can predict where he will go)
Standings
Atlantic
1. Celtics (#3 seed)
2. Knicks
3. Sixers
4. Nets
5. Raptors
Central
1. Bulls (#4 seed)
2. Bucks (#6 seed)
3.Pistons
4. Pacers
5. Cavs
Southeast
1. Heat (#1 Seed)- Win total 62
2. Magic (#2 seed)
3. Hawks (#5 seed)
4. Bobcats (#7 seed)
5. Wizards (#8 seed)
Southwest
1. Spurs (#3 seed)
2. Mavs (#4 seed)
3. Rockets (#8 seed)
4. Grizzlies
5. Hornets
Northwest
1. Thunder (#2 seed)
2. Blazers (#5 seed)
3. Nuggets (#6 seed)
4. Jazz (#7 seed)
5.TWolves
Pacific
1. Lakers (#1 seed)
2. Suns
3. Clippers
4. Kings
5. Warriors
Awards
NBA MVP: Kevin Durant F, Thunder
Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin F, Clippers
Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich Spurs
Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard C, Magic
Most Improved Player: George Hill G, Spurs
Sixth Man: Lamar Odom F, Lakers
Playoff Predictions
Lakers over Rockets in 5
Thunder over Jazz in 6
Spurs over Nuggets in 6
Blazers over Mavs in 7
Heat over Wizards in 4
Magic over Bobcats in 5
Celtics over Bucks in 6
Bulls over Hawks in 7
2nd round
Lakers over Blazers in 7
Spurs over Thunder in 7
Heat over Bulls in 6
Magic over Celtics in 7
3rd Round: Conference Finals
Lakers over Spurs in 7
Magic over Heat in 7
NBA Finals
Magic over Lakers in 7 MVP: Dwight Howard

World Series Preview

After two upsets in the ALCS and NLCS we have the Rangers vs. Giants World Series. While, I think this will have low ratings, I will preview the World Series. I expect to this be a great series and I will breakdown position by position
Catcher- Buster Posey vs. Bengie Molina (Molina started the year as a Giant and was traded to the Rangers to make room for Posey) Edge-Giants
1st Base- Aubrey Huff vs. Mitch Moreland (I expect Travis Ishikawa to play 1st when the games are in Texas with Huff at DH) Edge-Giants
2nd Base- Ian Kinsler vs. Freddy Sanchez Edge Rangers
Shortstop- Elvis Andrus vs. Juan Uribe Edge Giants
3rd Base- Michael Young vs. Pablo Sandoval Edge Rangers
Left Field- David Murphy vs. Pat Burrell (you could see Vlad here when games are in San Fran) Edge Rangers
Center Field- Josh Hamilton vs. Andres Torres Edge Rangers
Right Field- Nelson Cruz vs. Jose Guillen Edge Rangers
DH: Cody Ross/Huff vs. Vlad Guerrero Edge Rangers
Bench Ross, Renteria, Fontenot, Ishikawa vs. Cantu, Treanor, Borbon, Blanco Edge Giants
Starting Pitching: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner vs. Cliff Lee, CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter (Lincecum and Lee cancel out, same for Cain and Wilson, Sanchez+Bumgarner are better then Lewis and Hunter) Edge Giants
Relief Pitching: Affeldt, Romo, Ramirez, Lopez vs. Oliver, O'Day, Feldman, Nippert Edge Giants
Closer: Brian Wilson vs. Neftali Feliz Edge Rangers
Manager Ron Washington vs. Bruce Bochy Edge Giants
Intangibles Both teams are hot Giants have homefield Edge Giants
Prediction: Giants in 7 MVP: BUSTER POSEY

LCS Preview

After Cliff Lee, Tim Lincecum, and Roy Halladay among others made the ALDS a contiuation of the year the pitcher that the 2010 season has been, we are now down to the ALCS and NLCS. I will break down both series position by position and give you my prediction for each series.
NLCS
Catcher Buster Posey vs. Carlos Ruiz: Edge- Giants
1st Base: Aubrey Huff vs. Ryan Howard Edge- Phillies
2nd Base: Freddy Sanchez vs. Chase Utley Edge- Phillies
Shortstop: Juan Uribe vs. Jimmy Rollins Edge- Phillies
3rd Base: Pablo Sandoval vs. Placido Polanco Edge- Giants
Right Field: Jose Guillen vs. Jayson Werth Edge-Phillies
Center Field: Andres Torres vs. Shane Victorino Edge-Push
Left Field: Pat Burrell vs. Raul Ibanez Edge Phillies
Bench: Renteria, Ishikawa, Ross vs. Brown, Valdez, Sweeney Edge- Giants
Starting Pitching: Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Bumgarner vs. Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, Blanton Edge- Giants
Relief Pitching: Roma, Affeldt, Ramirez vs. Madsen, Contreas, Romero Edge- Push
Closer: Brian Wilson vs. Brad Lidge Edge- Giants
Manager: Bruce Bochy vs. Charlie Manual Edge- Push
Intangibles: Streaking vs. Experience/Homefield Edge- Phillies
Prediction Giants in 7 MVP Posey: Lincecum or Cain steal 1 in Philly, Giants win 2 of 3 in San Fran, Philly comes back to Win Game 6, Giants do whatever it takes (even throwing Lincecum in relief) to win Game 7
ALCS
Catcher Bengie Molina vs. Jorge Posada- Edge- Rangers
1st Base: Mitch Moreland vs. Mark Teixera Edge Yankees
2nd Base: Ian Kinsler vs. Robinson Cano Edge Push
Shortstop: Elvis Andrus vs. Derek Jeter Edge Yankees
3rd Base: Michael Young vs. A-Rod Edge Yankees
Right Field: Nelson Cruz vs. Nick Swisher Edge Rangers
Center Field: Julio Borbon vs. Curtis Granderson Edge Yankees
Left Field: Josh Hamilton vs. Brett Gardner Edge Rangers
DH: Vlad Guerrero vs. Lance Berkman Edge Rangers
Bench: Cantu, Blanco, Murphy vs. Cervelli, Golson, Thames Edge Rangers
Starting Pitching: Wilson, Lewis, Lee, Hunter vs. CC, Pettitte, Hughes, AJ Edge Rangers
Relief Pitching: Oliver, O Day, Feldman vs. Chamberlin, Wood, Robertson Edge Yankees
Closer: Neftali Feliz vs. Mariano Rivera Edge Yankees
Manager: Ron Washington vs. Joe Girardi Edge Yankees
Intangibles: Streaking/Homefield vs. Experience Edge Rangers
Prediction: Rangers in 7 MVP Cliff Lee Rangers finally win at least 1 game at Home, Lee wins Game 3, Sabathia forced to comeback on Short Rest to win game 4, Pettitte wins game 5, Rangers win Game 6, Lee comes back to win Game 7 and the series.

NFL Quarter of the Way done

With the trades of Marshawn Lynch to Seattle and Randy Moss back to Minnesota this NFL season is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory. With no dominate team, there is only 1 unbeaten team, the Chiefs, and no one expects that to last almost any team can make the playoffs except for Buffalo, San Fran, Carolina, and Detroit. I will give you my quarterly awards and my predictions for the end of year awards and postseason.
Quarterly Awards
MVP: Aaron Rodgers QB Packers
OPOY: Arian Foster RB Texans
DPOY: Clay Matthews LB Packers
OROY: Sam Bradford QB Rams
DROY: Ndomakung Suh DT Lions
Coach: Todd Hayley Chiefs
END OF Year Awards
MVP: Rodgers
OPOY: Rodgers
DPOY: Ray Lewis, LB Ravens
OROY: Bradford
DROY: Suh
Coach: Hayley
End of year of standings
AFC EAST
1. Jets (11-5 #3)
2. Dolphins 10-6
3. Patriots 10-6
4. Bills 2-14
AFC North
1. Ravens (12-4 #1)
2. Steelers (11-5 WC #5)
3. Bengals 9-7
4. Browns 5-11
AFC South
1. Colts (12-4 #2)
2. Texans (11-5 WC #6)
3. Titans 10-6
4. Jags 7-9
AFC West
1. Chiefs (10-6 #4)
2. Chargers 8-8
3. Broncos 6-10
4. Raiders 5-11
NFC East
1. Cowboys (11-5 #3)
2. Eagles 10-6
3. Giants 9-7
4. Redskins 8-8
NFC North
1. Packers (13-3 #1)
2. Vikings (11-5 #6)
3. Bears 8-8
4.Lions 4-12
NFC South
1. Falcons (12-4 #2)
2. Saints (11-5 #5)
3. Bucs 6-10
4. Panthers 4-12
NFC West
1. Seattle (9-7 #4)
2. Cardinals 8-8
3. Rams 6-10
4. Niners 6-10
Playoffs
Wild Card Round
Saints over Seahawks 31-17
Cowboys over Vikings 27-20
Texans over Jets 31-27
Steelers over Chiefs 20-13
Divisional Round
Packers over Saints 34-31
Cowboys over Falcons 24-17
Ravens over Texans 31-24
Colts over Steelers 20-17
Conference Championships
Packers over Cowboys 31-20
Ravens over Colts 24-20
Super Bowl 45
Ravens over Packers 27-24 MVP Joe Flacco

2010 MLB Postseason Preview

Well I am back once again, sorry about the delay but I just have not have anything that I really wanted to write about but now with the MLB playoffs upon us; I will give you my awards predictions as well as break down every series culminating in my world series prediction.
AWARDS
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, 1B Tigers (Hamilton's injury cost him)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, 1B Cardinals (won 2 of 3 triple crown categories 1 of 2 actual hitters on 85 win team)
AL CY Young: Felix Hernandez, Mariners (Dominates every category except wins, not his fault his team sucked)
NL CY Young: Roy Halladay, Phillies (Wainwright falls just short because Halladay made the playoffs Wainwright did not)
AL Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz Rangers' closer (Dominating closer on playoff team)
NL Rookie of the Year: Buster Posey C Giants (Helped carry Giants to playoffs while playing toughest defensive position in baseball edges out Heyward and Garcia)
AL Manager of the Year: Ron Washington Rangers (Made the playoffs for 1st time in a decade)
NL Manager of the Year: Bud Black Padres (Kept the low payroll Padres in it until the final day with only 1 good hitter)
POSTSEASON PREDICTION:
ALDS: Rays over Rangers in 5 (Lee wins 1, Rangers steal another, Rays just too good all around)
Yankees over Twins in 5 (Experience and Psychological edge leads to Yanks win)
NLDS: Phillies over Reds in 3 (Big 3 dominate young Reds in sweep)
Giants over Braves in 5 (Lincecum and Cain too much for Braves ending Cox's great career)
ALCS: Rays over Yanks in 6 (Rays depth of pitching overmatches Mauer and the Twins)
NLCS: Giants over Phillies in 6 (Giants pitching cancels out big 3, Giants hot bats carry them)
WORLD SERIES (2-3-2 with NL Homefield)
Rays over Giants in 6 (Rays depth of pitching, lineup and experience lead them to their 1st title) MVP: Longoria.

2010-2011 NFL Preview

I know the season does not start for four days buut I decided to get my preview out now. Included in my preview will be record predictions for all 32 teams, awards predictions, as well as playoff and super bowl predictions.
REGULAR SEASON PREDICTIONS (tiebreaker accurate)
AFC East
1. Patriots 11-5 (#3)
2. Jets 11-5 ( WC #5)
3. Dolphins 9-7
4. Bills 2-14
AFC North
1. Ravens 12-4 (#1)
2. Steelers 9-7
3. Cincy 9-7
4. Browns 3-13
AFC South
1. Colts 12-4 (#2)
2. Houston 10-6 (#6)
3. Titans 7-9
4. Jags 5-11
AFC West
1. San Diego 11-5
2. KC 8-8
3. Oakland 7-9
4. Denver 6-10
NFC East
1.Dallas 10-6 (#3)
2. Philly 9-7
3.Giants 7-9
4. Skins 5-11
NFC North
1. Packers 13-3 (#1)
2. Vikes 11-5 (#5)
3. Chicago 4-12
4. Lions 4-12
NFC South
1. Saints 11-5 (#2)
2. Falcons 11-5 (#6)
3. Panthers 9-7
4. Bucs 5-11
NFC West
1. Niners 10-6 (#4)
2.Arizona 7-9
3. Seattle 7-9
4. Rame 2-14
AWARDS
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB Packers
OPOY: Rodgers
DPOY: Patrick Willis, LB Niners
OROY: Ryan Matthews, RB Chargers
DROY: Relando McClain, LB Raiders
Coach: Gary Kubiak, Texans
Comeback: Wes Welker, WR Patriots
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
Wild Card
Pats over Houston 31-27
Jets over Chargers20-17
Dallas over Atlanta 27-17
Niners over Vikes 27-20
Divisional Round
Colts over Pats 31-24
Ravens over Jets 24-17
Packers over Niners 24-13
Dallas over NO 34-31
Conference Championships
Ravens over Colts 27-24
Packers over Cowboys 34-27
SUPER BOWL 45
Ravens over Packers 24-20 MVP Ray Rice.
(Writers note- these projections are assuming Vincent Jackson and Marcus Mcneil sit out 10 games)

College Football 2010 preview

Well College football kicks off tonight with Ohio State, Pittsburgh, and Towson in action among others so I will preview each BCS and major non BCS Conference and give my predictions for the Heisman and BCS bowls.
ACC- Sleeper Miami, Best Player Jacory Harris QB Miami, Best Coach Frank Spazziani BC Atlantic champion Boston College, Coastal Champion Virginia Tech, Conference Champion: VT,

Big East- Sleeper- Connecticut, Best player- Dion Lewis, Best Coach Randy Edsel UCONN Champion-Pittsburgh

Big Ten- Sleeeper- Wisconsin, Best player- Terelle Pryor QB Ohio State, Best Coach Kirk Farentz Iowa, Champion Ohio State

Big 12- Sleeper-Missouri, Best Player- Ryan Broyles WR Oklahoma, Best Coach- Bob Stoops OU North champion- Nebraska, South Champion Oklahoma, Conference Champion OU

PAC 10- Sleeper- Stanford, Best Player Jake Locker QB Washington, Best Coach Jim Harbaugh Stanford, Champion Oregon

SEC- Sleeper- Georgia, Best Player Mark Ingram RB Alabama, Best Coach Nick Saban Alabama, East Champion: Florida West Champion: Alabama Conference Champion: Alabama

NON BCS Teams: Sleeper- Navy, Best Player Kellan Moore QB Boise State, Best Coach- Chris Petersen Boise State BCS Busters: Boise State and TCU

Unbeaten Teams- TCU, Boise State, Ohio State

HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER: Terell Pryor Quarterback Ohio State

BCS BOWLS:
Orange Bowl - VT over Pitt
Sugar Bowl - Alabama over Nebraska
Rose Bowl -Iowa over Oregon
Fiesta Bowl- TCU over Oklahoma
National Championship: Boise State over Ohio State

Summers Over, School starts tomorrow (really wednesday)

After a fun, relaxing, unforgettable summer I am going back to school tomorrow and classes start on wednesday. This summer was so great because of my old friends, the new ones I made this summer, All the kids I met and watched after while working at Camp Milldale this summer (mainly my bunk 4D) and I would like to thank all of them for making this summer so special and amazing. The group of people most responsible for making this summer so great is my family (my mom, my dad, my bubby, my brothers, my uncle, and the rest of my family members) they are the greatest family anyone can have and I am very thankful for everything they do for me, I will miss them so much while at school.
That being said I am looking forward to my junior year of college and seeing all my towson friends again for what should be another tremendous school year both academically and socially. However while I am excited I am still nervous because this year I am Hillel vice president and will need to carefully and smartly balance the duties that go along with that role, my academics, my fraternity, and everything else that goes into being a college kid. Also this year is going to be critical when it comes to determining my future when it comes to my career choice as I will be searching for internships to do next summer or at another point in the not to distant future.
There are a few goals that I hope to accomplish this semester and year in a variety of areas (academic, social, career). First of all, I want to maintain my high GPA by excelling academically in courses that interest me. Also, I hope to use my position as Vice President to make Hillel as strong and united as it has ever been. Similarly, I want to help my franternity (AEPI) grow and reach new levels of success. Furthermore, I want to strengthen the friendships I currently have while forming new ones throughout the year. Another goal of mine is to gain a better grasp of the options that my major presents me in terms of careers especially in the area of youth sports and recreation, which is where I want to work. One more goal of mine is to find an internship that allows me to use and improve my skills while giving me experience in the sports industry hopefully in the area of youth sports and recreation. Lastly I want to make myself and my family proud each and everyday through my actions while becoming a better person each and everyday.

Major League Baseball (4 months down 2 to go)

Well the trade deadline has passed and some teams like the Yankees, Rangers, Cardinals, and Dodgers made moves to improve their teams while others like the Giants, Reds, Rays, and Twins for the most part stayed pat. The trade deadline passing and the calendar turning to August means the season is 2./3 over. I will give my predictions for division and wild card winners, awards, and the entire playoffs.
Standings
AL East
1. Rays (1)
2. Yanks (WC #4)
3.Red Sox
4. Jays
5. O's
AL Central
1. Twins (#3)
2. White Sox
3. Tigers
4.KC
5. Indians
AL West
1. Rangers (#2)
2. Angels
3. A's
4. Mariners
NL East
1. Atlanta (2)
2. Phillies
3. Marlins
4. Mets
5. Nats
NL Central
1. Cards (3)
2. Reds
3. Brewers
4. Cubs
5. Astros
6. Pirates
NL West
1. Padres (1)
2. Giants (WC 4)
3. Dodgers
4. Rockies
5. D-Backs
Awards
AL MVP- Josh Hamilton OF Texas
NL MVP- Albert Pujols 1B Cardinals
AL Cy Young- David Price Rays
NL Cy Young- Josh Johnson Marlins
AL Manager of the year- Ron Washington Rangers
NL Manager of the year- Bud Black Padres
AL ROY- Neftali Feliz Closer Rangers
NL ROY- Jason Heyward OF Braves
Playoff predictions
Wild Card
AL
Rangers over Yanks in 5- Cliff Lee's two wins lead Texas to 1st ever ALCS
Rays over Twins in 4- Rays depth of pitching key to series win
NL
Cards over Padres in 4- Cardinals starting pitching ends Padres cinderella season
Braves over Giants in 5-Braves use offensive edge and homefield to win a great series
LCS
Cards over Braves in 6- Carp and Wainwright dominate, Cards make 3rd WS in 7 years
Rays over Rangers in 6- Rays pitching depth overcomes Cliff Lee to reach 2nd world series in 3 years
World Series (NL Homefield)
Cards over Rays in 6- Cards ride two aces, homefield, and Pujols-Holliday combo to 11th World title in franchise history MVP- Pujols.

NBA Free Agency recap

After Lebron, Bosh, and Wade announced they are joining forces in Miami for the next 6 years there are two thoughts that come to my mind. First why couldnt I have gone to Miami this year and see them and two the big summer of 2010 is complete. While the Knicks and Bulls improved and the Mavs and Celts retained their superstars this summer we will focus on the new look Miami Heat.
Looking at this Heat team I do see them being a top 3 team in the east with boston and orlando I cant see them beating either of those teams in a 7 game series for one reason DEPTH. This team only has 4 players under contract and 3 2nd round picks they could sign meaning they need to sign 5 key guys for the league minimum. Also Lebron and Bosh have won a combined 0 finals games so It should be Wade's team but I see Lebron having an issue with that. So unless they can add guys like Derek Fisher and Mike Miller for the minimum no more championship banners will be hung in Miami for a while. As far as that special Lebron put on to announce his decision i thought, despite the fact that money went to charity, it was classless and self-absorbed but Dan Gilbert's reaction was just as classless and disgusting. In fact the team that I thought really did well is the Bulls who added Boozer, Korver, and maybe another lights out shooter in JJ Reddick.

Now looking at the NBA landscape the West appears to be the Lakers and everyone else, with teams like the Suns and Jazz taking a step back. The next best teams out west are the Nuggets, Blazers, Thunder, and Yes the Spurs. In the East I see their being six playoff locks (Heat, Magic, Celtics, Bulls, Hawks, Bucks) and teams like the Bobcats, Wizards, Cavs, and Knicks fighting for the last two spots. All in all this summer has proved the NBA is the #2 league in the US and it is just getting more wide open.

USA World Cup Review

Well it has been about 30 minutes since the US was eliminated by Ghana again by a score of 2-1 just like in 2006 in Germany and I will look back on their performance over the past 2 weeks.
While it was exciting especially Landon Donovan's game winning and group winning goal in the 91st minute against Algeria and controversial, just look at Maurice Edu's game winner against slovenia being disallowed. I think the US, who showed some positive signs, may have just missed out on their best chance to make a deep run in this World Cup. From a group with lightweights like Algeria and Slovenia. To a quadrant in the knockout stage with South Korea, Uruguay, and Ghana in which the US was the highest ranked team the US should have made the semi-finals.



The main person I blame for this loss and disappointment is coach Bob Bradley. First of all he stuck with Robby Findley at striker instead of either Hercules Gomez and Edson Buddle, who a week before the cup began scored 2 goals against Australia and was the leading goal scorer in the MLS. Also instead of putting Edu or Feilhaber in this game vs. Ghana goes with Ricardo Clark who struggled against England and made the big mistake which led to an early goal and had to be subsituted in the 30th minute leaving a tired US team to play in extra time without a needed sub.

Then there is their struggles in the 1st half where they were outscored 4-1 in this tournament with the one goal being a gift against England. That says something about the players inability to get up for these games right off the bat and the coach's inability to get them up to start the game. The last major issue for this team is the scoring, or lack there of, from strikers (8 world cup games without a goal from a striker), this could have been solved by inserting Buddle into the starting 11.

Now the US is looking at 2014 in Brazil with great uncertainty as key players like Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Oguchi Onyewu are among the 13 men on the 23 man roster that are 27 or older meaning that they may not be at their peak and the US may need guys like Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore to lead the next wave of US players into Brazil in 4 years.

MLB (2 Months down 4 to go)

As promised I am back again to reflect on the baseball season thus far and give my predictions for the rest of the way, and examine the controversy that occured two nights ago in Detroit.
I will start with the controversy involving Tigers Pitcher Armando Galarraga losing a perfect game on a blown call by 1st base umpire Jim Joyce with 2 outs in the ninth. In my opinion, people need to calm down Joyce made a mistake, he is only human, and has shown great class, regret, and frustration after the fact and is one of the most well respected and best umps in all of baseball. Those of you who are calling for Joyce to be fired need to calm down and realize we all make mistakes, he regrets making the mistake, and the pitcher and manager involved have forgiven him. I would also like to comend Galarraga, his manager Jim Leyland, and the Tigers organization for the classy way in which they have handled the issue.
In terms of Selig's decision to over turn the call I can see both sides, it was the last out so there are no what ifs but if he does this and overturns a call that had no impact on the outcome of the game he will have to do this for every call in the playoffs that does impact the outcome of a game. However, instant replay must be expanded to include everything except balls and strikes and should be run by a 5th umpire in the booth who buzzes the home plate ump when a review is needed, after all getting the call right is the most important thing.
FIRST 2 MONTHS IN REVIEW
Biggest suprises (teams): San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds
Biggest Disappointments (teams): Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox
Biggest Suprises (players): Umbaldo Jimenez, Martin Prado
Biggest Disappointments (players): Zach Greinke, Javier Vazquez
Best Moment: Armando Galarraga delivering Lineup card to Joyce yesterday
Biggest Storyline: The revival and dominance of pitchers over hitters
PREDICTIONS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON
Awards
AL MVP: Justin Mourneau, Twins
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
AL Cy Young: David Price, Rays
NL Cy Young: Umbaldo Jimenez, Rockies
AL Rookie of the Year: Austin Jackson, Tigers
NL Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward, Braves
AL Manager of the Year: Ron Washington, Rangers
NL Manager of the Year: Dusty Baker, Reds
STANDINGS
AL EAST
1. Rays (#1 Seed)
2. Yanks (WC)
3. Sox
4. Jays
5. O's (MAN THEY SUCK)
AL Central
1. Twins (2 seed)
2. Tigers
3. White Sox
4. KC
5. Indians
AL West:
1. Rangers (3 seed)
2. Angels
3.A's
4. Mariners
NL EAST
1. Phillies (2 seed)
2. Braves (WC)
3. Marlins
4. Nats
5. Mets
NL Central
1. Cards (1 seed)
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Pirates
6. Astros
NL West:
1. Dodgers (3 seed)
2. Giants
3. Rockies
4. Padres
5. D-Backs
POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS
Divisional Round
Rays over Rangers in 4
Twins over Yanks in 5
Cards over Braves in 4
Phillies over Dodgers in 5
LCS
Rays over Yanks in 6
Cards over Phillies in 6
WORLD SERIES
Cards over Rays in 7, Both teams have great starting pitching depth Cards win based on managerial edge and the fact that they have the 2 best hitters in the series MVP: Pujols

Sports update (other then Baseball)

Well I am back once again with a look at the goings on in the world of sports, because of all that is going on with baseball I will analyze that sport and give my predictions for the rest of the year in that sport tomorrow. Today I will look at all other sports including the NBA Finals which start tonight.
MMA- After two great cards this past month the UFC is currently building towards possibly its strongest summer ever headlined By Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, two freakish 265 pound plus athletes, on July 3rd and their debut in Boston in late August. While Boxing is still waiting for Pac Man and Mayweather to agree to fight, which may not even happen. so Pac Man can destroy Mayweather. More proof MMA is a better stronger sport.
Football- Recently there was some major news regarding the future of the league, no not the Ravens signing Shayne Graham although that is a big pickup for the ravens. I am talking about super bowl 48 being awarded to New York/New Jersey, which I feel is a huge mistake. First of all this one time waiver where the NFL ignored the requirement for a super bowl host to either have a dome or an average february temperature of 50 degrees makes no sense it was only waived because it is New York. Also do people in the mid-atlantic remember that 4 months ago the week of the super bowl we had two blizzards and 30 inches of snow now what if that happens in 2014 not only will the game suck and the fans not be able to get there but the week leading up to it, a major part of the super bowl, will suck. This is on top of the fact that 3 years ago when the Bears and Colts met in a rain storm people complained that the game was tainted and boring but it is ok if it snows in the 2014 super bowl because it is in New York and New York Jr.
NHL- These playoffs have been great as have these cup finals further proof why the NHL playoffs are the greatest in all of sports.
NBA- The NBA got its wish as the Lakers and Celtics will meet in the finals for the 12th time. This is also the 2nd time in the past 5 years that the last 2 champs meet in the finals (2005-Spurs beat Pistons in a 7 game classic). This is also rematch of the 2008 finals where the Celtics bullied the Lakers on the way to a 6 game victory. This series i see being a repeat of that as the Celtics are just too physical for the Lakers especially in the paint with Perkins, Davis, Garnett, and the X-factor Rasheed Wallace. Also Andrew Bynum, who did not play in 2008, is injured and wont make a big impact neither will Ron Artest who has for the most part struggled this series and struggles against Paul Pierce. The biggest mismatch in this series is not Kobe vs. Ray Allen it is Rajon Rondo vs. Derrick Fisher. I see the Celtics, who are very balanced and agreat road team, winning their 18th championship in 6 games with Rondo the MVP.

NBA/NHL Conference Finals- Finals Preview

Well after a wild and crazy first 2 rounds, especially in the NHL, both the NBA and NHL are down to the final four teams. In the NBA we have 4 teams, none of which are truly suprising (orlando, LAL, Suns, and celtics) but in the NHL we have 2 teams you expect to be there (Sharks and Blackhaws) and 2 that nobody expected to be there (Flyers and Habs). So I am going to break down each conference final in both sports and give my prediction for the champion in both sports.
NHL: Western Conference Finals- #2 blackhawks @ #1 Sharks.
This series is going to be a classic between the two best teams in the West all year. The Sharks, led by their big 4 (thorton, Heatly, Marleau, and Pavelski) have shaken off past playoff let downs to make it here by beating the team of the 2000's in the Red Wings last round. While the Blackhawks led by their 2 young guns (Jonathan Toewes and Patrick Kane) are in their second conference finals in a row seeking to end a 40+ year cup drought for the franchise. I see this series going 7 with Chicago continuing the trend by winning a game 7 on the road (5th time this playoffs) thanks to their defensemen like Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith containing the big 4.
Eastern Conference Finals- #8 Montreal @ #7 Flyers
This series involves two teams who had to struggle to get in the playoffs, the Flyers needed a shootout on the last day to get here. Then both teams defied the odds once they made the postseason, Montreal eliminating the two biggest stars in the NHL (Ovechkin and Crosby), the Presidents Cup winners (Capitals) and defending Cup champs (penguins) by overcoming 3-1 and 3-2 leads to win game 7s on the road. While the Flyers became only the 4th team in major north american pro sports to win a series after being down 3-0 beating the Bruins in game 7 in Boston. This series will come down to goaltending where Jaroslav Halak gives the Habs the edge and the series, Habs in 6.
Stanley Cup Finals- Habs at Blackhawks A matchup of 2 original 6 teams both trying to end cup droughts, in a david vs. goliath matchup. I see the Blackhawks fire power and defense being too much for the Habs and ending their cinderella run by winning in 6. Conn Smythe: Kane
NBA Conference Finals broken down position by position
Western Conference Finals #3 Suns at #1 Lakers (both teams coming off sweeps)
PG: Steve Nash vs. Derek Fisher- Edge: suns
SG: Jason Richardson vs. Kobe-Edge: Lakers
SF: Grant Hill vs. Ron Artest- Edge: Lakers
PF: Amare vs. Pau Gasol- Edge: Suns
C: Jarron collins vs. Andrew bynum- Edge: LA
Bench: Dragic, Dudley, Frye, Barbosa vs. Farmar, Odom, Walton, Brown- Edge: Suns
Coaching: Alvin Gentry vs. Phil Jackson- Edge: Lakers
Intangibles: Homecourt and experience give Lakers the Edge
Prediction: Kobe and company too much for Suns (lakers in 6)
Eastern Conference Finals: #4 Celtics at #2 Magic (rematch of 7 game thriller a year ago)
PG: Rajon Rondo vs. Jameer Nelson- Edge- push
SG: Ray Allen vs. Vince Carter- Edge: Magic
SF: Paul Pierce vs. Matt Barnes- Edge: Celtics
PF: Kevin Garnett vs. Rashard Lewis- Edge: push
C: Kendrick Perkins vs. Dwight Howard- Edge: Magic
Bench: Wallace, Robinson, T. Allen, Davis vs. Pietrus, Williams, Gortat, Anderson- Edge: Magic
Coach: Doc Rivers vs. Stan Van Gundy- Edge- Celtics
Intangibles: home court and momentum vs. experience- Edge- Magic
Prediction: homecourt, rest, momentum, depth carry the Magic (magic in 7)
NBA Finals: Lakers at Magic (magic have homecourt 2-3-2 format, rematch of last year)
PG: Edge- Magic, SG: Edge- Lakers, SF- Edge- Lakers, PF- Edge: Push, C- Edge- Magic, Bench- Edge: Magic, Coach- Edge: Lakers, Intangibles: Edge- magic (hunger, homecourt, depth) Prediction: Magic use homecourt, depth, new additions (vc), health of Nelson, to get revenge for last year Magic in 6 MVP Dwight Howard.

Reflections on Masculinity project

I am back once again but this time my blog will not be about sports, it will be instead about a project I have been working on for the past couple of weeks for my honors college seminar on Masculinity. For our final project we were asked to challenge a prevailing stereotype of Masculinity. I chose to examine the stereotype of the typical Frat boy as a arrogant and usually athletic guy who only cares about drinking, partying, and hooking up with as many girls as possible. I chose this stereotype for obvious reasons, I am currently in a fraternity (AEPI) and I was a little tired of hearing that certain actions or decisions were the typical frat boy thing to do. For my project I used 4 different 8 open ended question surveys each designed for a different group of people (Frat boy, sorority girl, non-fraternity boy, and non-sorority girl) which I sent out to my friends via Facebook.

This project has taught me a lot about myself, the stereotype of the frat boy, masculinity, and society in general. First of all, I have learned that pretty much everyone I interviewed felt like the media had a lot to do with the way fraternity men are stereotyped and that the stereotype is sometimes reinforced in real life and thus has some validity while not being entirely true. Also, my responses showed a clear divide between guys in fraternities and people not in fraternities, guys or girls. Fraternity men while acknowledging that the stereotype existed and that some frat boys do reinforce the stereotype focused more on the positive aspects of fraternity life such as friendship, brotherhood, and philanthropy work. While the rest of the respondants, while acknowledging that the stereotypical frat boy was not all encompassing and that there are some people in fraternities who completly go against that stereotype, seemed to say that most frat boys do fit the stereotype. This showed me that there are times where being a member of a specific group gives you a perspective and view point that people who are not part of that group don't have or can't understand.
Another thing I learned through this project is that in most cases people do buy into stereotypes but at the same time will take the time to get to know every member of the group being stereotyped and judge them on an individual basis rather then lump them as another member of the group. Furthermore I now see that the stereotypical fraternity boy does have some validity to it but I can't let it bother me and I just need to live my life and do my part to represent fraternity men in a positive way. Another thing I learned from this project and the class in general is that masculinity has a much wider definition and scope then most people, including myself before this class, think and I hope more people do what I did thanks to this class and expand their definition of what it means to be a masculine man instead of stereotyping and fitting men into categories. since this is part of a project I welcome comments on this topic and masculinity as a whole.

MMA vs. Boxing 2 and Caps Disappoint

It has been a while since I did my last blog on MMA vs. Boxing and I thought I would see how this issue has changed in the past 6 months or so. The reason I am doing this today is because Mayweather vs. Mosley is tonight and the UFC has 2 big events this month including one next week.

As I said in my previous blog about this topic I said that the major difference between MMA and Boxing is the depth of the sports boxing has 2 or 3 big cards a year that rely on 1 big fight with a weak undercard while the UFC has 10-15 big time cards every year with 3-4 great fights per card. Also boxing relies on a few stars like Mayweather Mosley and Pacquiao to make their sport while the UFC has tons of stars including BJ Penn, Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, Brock Lesnar, Anderson Silva, and 2 time Canadian athlete of the year and Under Armour spokesperson Georges St. Pierre. The UFC is also expanding itself to new markets where it is insanely popular, such as Australia, Abu Dhabi, Vancouver, and Boston, while Boxing is not expanding at all. In fact in Vancouver the UFC sold out a weak card by UFC standards in thirty minutes. Another difference between the two is that UFC puts great cards on free TV and is on TV weekly with the reality show the Ultimate Fighter, boxing rarely has any great fights on free TV. If you want to see how fast MMA is growing the most popular weekly chat on ESPN.com is MMA live host Jon Anik's chat. Also MMA Live in the less two years went from a experimental internet show to a weekly mega hit to a part of the ESPN 2 weekly line up starting this thursday.

Now there has been a lot of discussion about MMA and how mainstream it can get after the Strikeforce: Nashville debacle where there was a melee after the main event. Let me make it clear to people this is not true MMA, Strikeforce is a second rate promotion that has maybe 10 fighters who could compete in the UFC and one of their best fighters, Jake Shields, is about to be in the UFC. They are just the next victim in a line of promotions that tried to challenge the UFC and failed (Elite XC, Affliction). While some of the fights on that card and fighters in that promotion are great they are mismanaged horribly. If you wanted to see true MMA you should try and watch the Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung fight from WEC 48 or the Jose Aldo performance from that same card. If the UFC ever gets a network TV deal with a network like CBS people will get a true feel for what MMA is actually like.

Also this week many people in this area had their hearts broken once again by the Washington Capitals who choked away a 3-1 lead and a President's Trophy winning regular season to lose to the 8 seed Montreal Canadians in 7 games, game 7 was at home. This marks this teams 3rd game 7 home loss in the past 3 years, in that time they have only one 1 series. This team needs to change they need get tougher, they need strengthen their defense, and they need to settle on a goaltender. My idea is to trade either Semin or Backstrom for a strong defensive defenseman and either get a top flight goalie or let Theodore walk and give Varlimov the reigns. Another option is a coaching change as the Habs wanted it a lot more then we did they blocked 4x as many shots in game 7, got to most of the loose pucks, and were more willing to get dirty and rough then the Caps. When the Caps finally showed some heart, passion, and urgency they scored an ugly goal, their 1st of the game. This team needs to make some big changes or they will become the Suns of the NHL. Now that the Caps are out my hope is anyone but Pittsburgh or Philly wins the Cup.

Random Updates

Hey guys I am back again with my opinions on the goings on in some of the major sports and a little bit about my life now.
NFL: Big Ben got suspended 4-6 games and while this may seem harsh I think it was appropriate as Goodell must send a message to the rest of the players in the NFL that this type of behavior is unacceptable. In terms of the Draft teams who I loved what they did so far are the Seattle Seahawks (Okung, Thomas, Tate) and the Baltimore Ravens (Kindle, Cody, Dickson) because both teams filled key needs with great values. Teams I did not like are the Jacksonville Jaguars who reached big time for Tyson Alualu out of California and the Denver Broncos who made so many trades wound up taking Demarius Thomas over Dez Bryant and Tim Tebow in the first round.
MLB: We are two weeks in and while it is still very early, All star Ballots are out so I decided to give a look at early suprises and Disappointments and at teams who are on the right path to the World Series. In terms of suprises you have the Blue Jays who are 10-7 without Roy Halladay and Aaron Hill, the A's who are 10-6 and leading the AL West, and most of all the San Diego Padres who are also 10-6 and tied for the best record in the NL and leading their division. Disappointments include the Texas Rangers who are 7-9 and last in their division, the LA Dodgers who have gone from baack to back NLCS to 7-9 and tied for last in their division as well as the Boston Red Sox who's lack of hitting has led them to a 7-10 record and 5 GB in the East. The top 5 teams right now are the Rays, Cards, Twins, Yankees, and Phillies with the Rays and Twins tied for the best record in Baseball, yes the Twins and Rays.
My Life: Well after a long roller-coaster ordeal I am now officially Towson Hillel Vice President for the 2010-2011 school year and it feels great. While I can't control how others on board perform and that does concern me I know that I will do everything in my power to make Hillel as strong as possible by working as hard as possible and hoping that effort is passed on to the rest of people on board. Also, the fact that I almost lost this position will make me more hungry and value this position even more. I would like to thank all my friends and family who supported me during this process, you do not know how much it means to me to have your support.

NBA Playoff Preview 2010

Yeah I know this is a day late but I was extremly busy yesterday and did not have the time to do an NBA playoff preview so here are my predictions for every round as well as major regular season awards.
AWARDS:
MVP-Lebron James
COY-Scott Brooks OKC
ROY-Tyreke Evans Kings
DPOY-Dwight Howard Magic
Sixth Man-Jamal Crawford Hawks
POSTSEASON
1st round (EAST)
1. Cavs over 8. Bulls in 4- Lebron, Jamison, and company too much for overmatched Bulls
2. Magic over 7. Bobcats in 6- Magic overcome challenge from young hungry Bobcats to win in 6
3. Hawks over 6. Bucks in 5- Without Bogut Bucks momentum stopped by Hawks
4. Celts over 5. Heat in 7- Wade does not get enough help to beat Celtics in Boston in Game 7
WEST
1. Lakers over Thunder in 5- Durant and young Thunder too inexperienced to beat the Lakers
7. Spurs over 2. Mavs in 7- A classic rivalry gets another chapter as Manu, Spurs shock Mavs
3. Suns over 6. Blazers in 6- Without Brandon Roy Blazers struggle against Suns
5. Jazz over 4. Nuggets in 7- Without Karl, Nuggets outcoached, eliminated by Jazz in 7
2nd round
1. Cavs over 4. Celtics in 5- Old Celtics Window Closed by Lebron and the younger faster Cavs
2. Magic over 3. Hawks in 6- Magic's size, depth, experience lead them to victory over Hawks
WEST
1. Lakers over 5. Jazz in 7- A classic Home dominated Series goes that way in Game 7
7. Spurs over 3. Suns in 6- Spurs eliminate the Suns from the Playoffs once again this time in 6
CONFERENCE FINALS
EAST
2. Magic over 1. Cavs in 6- A rematch of last year's finals goes the same way as Magic win again
1. Lakers over 7. Spurs in 7- Best Series of the Playoffs goes the Lakers way in 7
NBA FINALS
2. Magic over 1. Lakers in 6- Home Court, hunger, depth Help Magic get 1st title and revenge against the Lakers in a rematch of last year's NBA Finals, Finals MVP: Dwight Howard

Lessons of the past week

Hey guys I am back and instead of talking about sports for this blog I am going to talk about lessons I have learned over the past few months and weeks.
Over Spring Break I went down to Miami and did a community service project at a lower class school and park which taught me a lot. First of all I learned a greater appreciation of what I have and the opportunities I have been presented in my life as some of the kids that I worked with are in much worse situations then I have ever been. Going along with that I was able to put things in perspective and realize that my lows are nothing compared to how some people live 24-7 365. This is especially helpful now as I just lost in an election for Hillel Vice President to a person who has not put in about a 25th of the amount of time, effort, and hard work as I have and is no where near as qualified as I was. However after going to Miami I realize that I still have friends and family who love me and care for me, my health, a roof over my head, and the opportunity to get a college degree in a field that I want which I saw is not the case for many people in Miami and worldwide.
Another lesson Miami taught me is how quickly community service can bond you to complete strangers as I made 50 friends in Miami after only knowing them for a week. Furthermore, it reinforced the fact that community service is a great way to bring your spirits up and relieve stress and just get away. The next lesson I learned is how much impact you can make on a person and their life by spending a couple of hours with them for a few days, which we did at a local elementary school where we each mentored 1 or 2 kids. The last lesson I learned is how good it feels to work hard, plan, and execute a successful event from scratch after I planned and ran a trip to a Miami Heat Game for me and a couple of friends. These lessons came in handy this week when on wednesday we were without water which is a harsh reality for many people around the world on a daily basis, now I realize how much i take stuff for granted and how much I actually have.
As I mentioned earlier I lost the election for VP but from this I learned who my true friends are as there were people who consoled me and offered their support and to them I am extremly thankful for their friendship and kindness. After this election I felt like there was something wrong with me and how I carry myself which is in a very respectful, kind way in which I do what is right even if it inconviences me. However after reflecting on this I realize that I am fine just the way I am and I now have the chance to prove everyone who voted for me wrong and make them realize that they made a mistake and should have voted for me. In closing I have learned a lot of valuable lessons that I can use for the rest of my life and I am very thankful for that.

2010 MLB Season Preview

We are 9 hours away from the start of the 2010 baseball season So I have decided to give my predictions on each division, the major awards, and my postseason predictions. (Note: this is before the innevitable trading of Adrian Gonzalez by the San Diego Padres, he will greatly impact these standings especially if he comes to Boston)

AL EAST:
1. Yankees (#1 seed)
2. Red Sox (WC #4 seed)
3. Rays
4. O's (70 wins)
5. Jays

AL Central
1. Twins (#3 seed)
2. Tigers
3. White Sox
4. Royals
5. Indians

AL West
1. Seattle (# 2 seed)
2. Angels
3. Rangers
4. A's



NL EAST
1. Phillies (#2 seed)
2. Marlins (WC #4 seed)
3. Braves
4. Mets
5. Nats

NL CENTRAL
1. Cardinals (#1 seed, 1st to clinch)
2. Cubs
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL West
1. Giants (#3 seed)
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. D Backs
5. Padres

AWARDS

AL MVP: Joe Mauer (C, Twins)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols (1B, Cardinals)
AL CY: Felix Hernandez (Mariners)
NL CY: Roy Halladay (Phillies)
AL ROY: Austin Jackson (OF, Tigers)
NL ROY: Jason Heyward (OF, Braves)
AL MOY: Don Wakamatsu (Mariners)
NL MOY: Freddy Gonzalez (Marlins)

POSTSEASON

Divisional Round
AL: Yanks over Twins in 4- Yanks too much again for the Joe Nathanless Twins
Mariners over Red Sox in 5- Lee and Hernandez pitch 3 times, win 3 times

NL: Cards over Marlins in 4- Cards pitching and experience take down young Marlins
Phillies over Giants in 5- Phillies Manage to split 4 games Lincecum and Cain pitch and win game 5 at home.

LCS

AL: Mariners over Yanks in 6- Cliff Lee steals game 2 in Yankee, Mariners win games 3 and 5 in Seattle (thanks to Felix) and Lee wins Game 6 for Seattle sending them to their first world series
MVP: Cliff Lee (2 wins in Yankee Stadium)

NL: Cardinals over Phillies in 7- Halladay and Hamels vs. Wainwright and Carp is split 2-2 but Brad Penny wins games 3 and 7 over JA Happ ending the Phillies 2 year reign as NL Champs
MVP: Matt Holliday (Phillies wont let Pujols beat them Holliday does)

WORLD SERIES
Cardinals over Mariners in 6- The Cardinals experience and power in the middle of the order win the franchises 11th title in yet another series where each teams top two pitchers cancel each other out.
MVP: Albert Pujols

Final Four Preview/Expanding the Tournament?

Well it is that time of year again, Final Four time, and this year I did not do well (1 out of 4- WVU) but I am going to still preview these games and pick a national champion and then discuss the almost certain move to 96 teams from 65 teams.
Butler vs. Michigan State: This is a classic matchup of david vs. Goliath as Butler playing in their first final four faces a team who has been there 6 times in 12 years in Michigan State and Tom Izzo. Butler is playing six miles from their campus and is coming off of upsets of Syracuse and Kansas State while Michigan State has overcome the loss of Star and multi-time Big Ten Player of the Year to beat Giant Killer Northern Iowa and Tennessee. I see Tom Izzo's massive coaching experience edge 0ver Butler's Brad Stevens, who looks like he is 12, deciding the game as Michigan State wins 81-74.

West Virginia vs. Duke: The featured game of the national semi-finals features two conference tournament champs and top 8 teams as the only remaining 1 seed Duke faces the team that many people feel should have been a 1 seed in Big East Tournament Champion West Virginia. This game is filled with stars both on the sidelines as Coach K faces WVU's Bob Huggins and on the court as Duke's John Schyer faces West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler. West Virginia is playing so well right now and has seemed to have not missed a beat when their PG Truck Bryant went out with an injury so I see them continuing their run to the finals as the beat Duke 79-74.

West Virginia vs. Michigan State- A great matchup for the National Title as Michigan State gets the chance to avenge last year's embarassing loss to UNC in the national title game in their home state by facing WVU in this year's final. Again a great coaching matchup exists as Tom Izzo faces Bob Huggins in this matchup. I see Michigan States depth and desire not to repeat last year being the difference in this classic final which ends with Michigan State cutting down the nets in Indy for the 2nd time in 11 years as the beat West Virginia 84-80.

EXPANSION: As many of you know the tournament is likely going to expand to 96 teams which will lead to the top 8 teams in each region getting a first round bye. The NCAA will also try to fit this tournament, which will absorb the 32 team NIT, into the same 3 week time frame that the current tourney fits into. I think there are some things that Have to be done to make this work the first is the conference's regular season champion must be ensured a bid. Also I would say if you did not finish in the top 3/5 of your conference you should not be eligible because otherwise the Big East could get 11-12 teams in. In my opinion this expansion was going to happen at some point but I would have just expanded it to 68 and have 4 play in games for the final 4 at-large births rather then the current format where two conference tourney champs from small conferences play for the right to get absolutly destroyed by a #1 seed three days later.

NFL Offseason Report

The NFL offseason has been in full swing for a while now so I am going to take a look back on what has already happened and a look ahead to the Draft.
During the Free Agency Period there were clear winners and losers. A big winner was the Baltimore Ravens who got Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth to pair with Derek Mason to form a top 10 Wide Receiving Corps to help the development of 3rd year star QB Joe Flacco and to take the load of off Pro Bowl Running Back Ray Rice. Another Winner was the Chicago Bears who signed Julius Peppers, Brandon Manumaleuna, and Chester Taylor which was a must considering they dont draft until the 3rd round. One Loser was the Arizona Cardinals who not only saw Kurt Warner retire but also lost Boldin, Safety Antrelle Rolle and LB Karlos Dansby. Another loser is the San Diego Chargers who saw Nosetackle Jamal Williams, RB LT, and CB Antonio Cromartie all depart for other teams.

The NFL owners meetings also produced some major changes most notably Overtime changing for the playoffs. Now if the team who wins the coin toss kicks a FG then the other team gets a chance to match it (which leads to sudden death) or score a TD to win it but if the 1st team scores a TD or the defense scores the game is over. I like the change and see it as an improvement but in my opinion they did not go far enough I would either ensure both teams at least one possession before sudden death begins or play a regular 10 to 12 minute extra period. It also needs to apply to the regular season. Other changes include making it a penalty to hit any offensive player who is defensless in the head, moving the Umpire to the offensive backfield, and blowing a play dead when a ball carrier loses their helmet. The last rule I have a slight issue with as there are times when a players helmet accidentally comes off which would end the play but also the issue is now players may rip at the helmet to get it off as out to end the play.

As for the Draft the players I like are Ndomakung Suh, Gerald McCoy, Eric Berry, Golden Tate, Rolando McClain, Sergio Kindle, and Kyle Wilson. While all the QB's are good I dont think we have any true franchise QBs in the bunch since Bradford has shown to be fragile and with a true top 5 NFL quarterback in Washington's Jake Locker coming out next year I would Pass. The Ravens need to address the following needs DE, CB, WR, K in a somewhat similar order in the First round I would go after Brandon Graham DE/LB from Michigan or Kareem Jackson CB from Alabama if Boise State CB Kyle Wilson is gone.

Miami Review (Tuesday onward)

On Tuesday we went to the park and painted four square and hop scotch near the playground, I painted a four square court with Scott and Amanda and it turned out great. Then we went to the school and had a really fun field day with our kids and Blake and Ben got kicked out of a game for trying to cheat (No joke) we also bonded with our kids and learned a lot more about them. Even though 15 people said they were going to the Heat game six backed out due to concerns over the kosher food options available (or lack there of), which I completly understand. So after an interesting trip there the 9 of us really enjoyed the game including the seniors dancing, I got a picture with the NBA championship trophy and the Spurs won. Then we went to TGIF and faked Alison's birthday which was priceless.
Wednesday started early as we made lunch for the whole group and left for the park where we painted silohuettes in the fitness center and I got a work out at the same time. We also learned a lot about the City Year staff. At the school we helped our kids write both silly and serious poems, which was made difficult by the fact that my kid said he did not have feelings. They performed them and some of us including myself perfomed poems of our own. After a rather dull speaker we got back to the Hotel and I swam in the pool at 930 PM which I loved before playing a violent game of Egyptian Rat Screw.
Thursday, was a bittersweet day, as we were finishing our work at the park and the school. At the park, I became the 1st and only student to lead PT, before we painted the entire gym including on top of a 20 ft ladder. Then we had a great speaker tell us we are religious just for being there. After that we went to the school for an amazing game of Kick ball with our kids, My team won and before we departed Me and some of my tripmates gave our kids gifts. I gave my kid a foam finger from the heat game before saying a sad goodbye to the kids, the city year staff, there, and the school. Thursday night we hung out at Coconut Grove, an outdoor shopping area, and I enjoyed some more Ice cream.
Friday began with a scenic trip to a senior center where we met seniors from all over the world, including one who was 104 years old and still going strong. Then we had a fun workout and sung Kareoke with the seniors (I sang both YMCA and Viva Las Vegas). Next we went to the beach where we said goodbye to the City Year workers who we worked with at Gould's Park. After that I played in the Ocean, played a violent game of Lap tag, hung out with friends on the beach, and reflected on the trip. Then shabbat came and I went to the Orthodox service so they could have a minion and then we had a real fun shabbat dinner. Following Shabbat me and a few of my friends went to get some more Frozen Yogurt and I ate a STORE RECORD 19.1 oz of frozen yogurt before heading back to the hotel where my friends and I hung out in an fun way.
Saturday was a rather relaxed day as I closed out my shopping, getting a Miami Hurricanes football jersey, and went to lunch. Before hanging out with other tripmates and swimming in the pool which was followed by the close of shabbat and a reflection on the trip and how we can impact our communities at home. Lastly we headed to Coconut Grove again and went to Hooters where we faked another birthday (our 3rd of the trip) before going to an 18+ club for a great close to a fun trip. We left Sunday and I said a sad goodbye to all of my new friends from other schools.

Miami update #1

Well we are done two days for our Alternative Spring Break Trip to miami and they are some great moments to share with all of you. It started with me basically zooming through security to make our flight, blake creepily introducing himself to a guy in his row, and one of my dad's friends creeping my friends out and us landing in Miami in a timely manner. Sadly this was not the case for all of our trip mates as 4 of them got delayed for long periods of time (3 for 6 hours). While we were waiting for the bus Ben ended up learning Cribbage from an old lady (it was hilarious to watch) and we toured the Fort Lauderdale Airport. Then we met up with the rest of our group and were off to the hotel when we got there I was originally rooming with my old roomate from last year and another kid while one of my male friends, who has a girlfriend, was placed in a room with 3 girls so he moved in to our 4th spot in my room. The night was pretty uneventful except for faking a friends birthday at TGIF.
Then as Monday came around I worked on booking the Miami Heat tickets for tomorrow (15 people are going). Next we went to our community service project at a local park where towson built benches, which was mine and many of my tripmates first experience building anything. After Lunch and a quick game of soccer we were split off into our campuses to go different After care programs. Towson went to an arts magnet elementary school where we were paired off with different kid and I got paired with probably the most rambunctious yet awesome kid in the group. Following this time with our kids where we painted flower pots with them we were off to dinner and a panel discussion involving 3 people very closely tied to homlessness, which touched of all of us on the trip. On the way back to the hotel I found out that everyone is being giving $10 for tomorrow, which is the exact price of the ticket for tomorrows basketball game that I had to pay for upfront (FML). Lastly after a short discussion we went to a frozen yogurt place and for the second consecutive Alternative Spring Break I ate a whole pound of Ice Cream by myself and I feel fine.

This trip is awesome, glad I went, and I really looking forward to the next 6 days, I will try to keep you updated, but tomorrow is the highlight of the trip my first NBA game where I get to see Dwayne Wade play Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs , who are my favorite team.

Life Update/Random Stuff

Well it has been nearly two weeks since I last blogged so I decided to give you guys an update on my life as well as my thoughts on a couple of recent events in the world of sports. First of all I am currently on Spring Break and am heading to Miami in less then 12 hours for a Hillel sponsored community service trip and am really looking forward to hanging out with friends, meeting new friends and making a difference in the Miami community. School has been going well, classes are good, and I am having a lot of fun being involved in Hillel and AEPI and have made a lot of great friends who I hope I have for life. Also last week I went to Koach Kallah in Reisterstown where I met a lot of cool people and learned of new ways to improve Jewish life at Towson. I am really excited about the next two months of school but I realize I am going to have to work hard to keep my grades up to where they have been in the past.

Since I have last blogged a lot of newsworthy events have taken place in the world of sports. First of all my favorite football team, the Baltimore Ravens, finally have a receiving core as they stole Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals along with a 5th rounder for a 3rd and 4th rounder. This is on top of the fact that we signed Dante Stallworth and re-signed Derrick Mason. So now we have a first rounder and a 2nd rounder to spend on other needs such as Corner (Kyle Wilson, Kareem Jackson, Devin McCoutry) a Pass-Rusher (Jared Odrick and Everson Griffin). If we fill one or both of those needs we will be the favorite to make it to and hopefully win Super Bowl 45.

Also there have been a lot of reports regarding Tiger Woods and his return i say if he returns at the Masters ratings will be amazing but his play won't be because he will be rusty. That is why he should return at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill to shake the rust off. In any scenario golf needs him to return because the sport is irrelevant without him.

In college basketball the story should be the dominance of the UCONN women's team who makes top 10 and top 5 teams look like high school teams on their way to 72 straight wins and counting (all by double digits). On the Men's side of things without seeing the brackets, which come out tomorrow, I would have to make Kansas the clear cut favorite and my sleeper is Butler

In other sports both the NHL and NASCAR are dealing with safety issues that they must address. In NASCAR's case they did not punish Carl Edwards enough for his intentional wrecking of Brad Keslowski when he was 150 laps down last week. He should have been suspended at least 1 week and placed on a season long probation but their weak punishment and their let them police themselves will lead to either a driver or spectators either seriously injured or dying. The NHL needs to ban hits to the head like the one Matt Cooke delivered last sunday and should ban fighting in order to capitalize off the momentum they built at the Olympics.

The Overall Awards for 2000's

Now that I have touched on every sport in the decade in the 2000's, I have decided to look at the decade in sports as a whole and hand out awards for the entire decade.

Franchise of the Decade- New England Patriots, while the 2000 Ravens was the NFL team of the decade, the Patriots were not only the NFL franchise of the decade but the overall franchise of the decade in all sports. They became the 2nd team in NFL history to win 3 super bowls in 4 years, were only the 4th NFL team to finish their regular season undefeated, and were the model for all other NFL franchises to follow. Their QB set the record for passing touchdowns in a season with 50 and their coach, although controversial, was the best coach of the entire decade. Runners Up: 2(tie). Spurs 2 (tie). Lakers 4. Red Wings 5. Colts

Team Player of the Decade- Albert Pujols 1B St. Louis Cardinals: While other guys like Kobe, Brady, Duncan, and Shaq have more rings no player has dominated his team sport more then Pujols. He won 3 MVPs and should have won more if Bonds did not inject, he also led the Majors in batting average (yes he beat Ichiro) while playing a gold glove 1st base. He is a great ambassador for the sport, as evidenced by the fact that he does not like the nickname "El Hombre" Spanish for the man because he sees it as disrespectful to Stan "the Man" Musial and he has no steroid connection. Runners Up: 2. Tim Duncan 3. Ray Lewis 4. Peyton Manning 5. Kobe Bryant



Individual Sport player of the Decade: Roger Federer Men's Tennis- A man who dominated the sport winning 16 grand slams, appearing in 23 straight grand slam semi-finals as well as 18 of the past 19 grand slam finals. Federer, who has won the career grand slam, has become a huge star in an American dominated marketplace where self-promotion runs rampant despite being a classy, humble, soft spoken, man from Switzerland. His rivalries and matches against guys Rafa Nadal and Andy Roddick are classic. Runners Up: 2. Tiger Woods 3. Jimmie Johnson 4. Serena Williams 5. Lance Armstrong



Olympic Athlete of the Decade (non-professional): Michael Phelps- A baltimore native who has dominated the past two olympics with 16 medals, 14 of those Gold including a record 8 Golds in 2008. His victories in 4x 100 freestyle relay and the 100 m butterfly in 2008 are classic. He has been the star of the past two summer games. Runners Up: 2. Usain Bolt 3. Apolo Anton Ohno 4. Bode Miller 5. Natalie Coughlin



Game of the Decade: 2001 World Series Game 7- A great game that topped off a classic series played with the backdrop of September 11th involving the Dynastic Yankees and the Upstart Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks, led by Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, won by scoring two runs off of the previously and pretty much since unhittable Mariano Rivera capped by Luis Gonzalez bloop single. Their victory and this game ended the Yankees' dyansty but more importantly brought the nation back and back together after the tragedy of 9-11. Runners Up: 2. 2003 Fiesta Bowl Ohio State vs. Miami 3. Superbowl 38 Patriots 32 Panthers 29 4. 2007 Fiesta Bowl Boise State-Oklahoma 5. 2005 NBA Finals Game 5 Spurs-Pistons

Moment of the Decade: The Saints return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: The city and the team went through one of the greatest natural disasters of all time forcing the team to be nomadic. They returned to the Superdome, a symbol of the devestation, on Monday Night Football against the division rival Falcons. Those who were there say it is one of the most chilling and exciting moments they have ever witnessed. This victory was the spark which led the Saints to their first NFC title game that year and 3 years later their First Super Bowl Championship. Runners Up: 2. Sports helps the country heal after 9-11 3. Dale Earnhardt JR wins the 1st race at Daytona since his dad died there 4. Brett Favre dominates Oakland a day after his father's death 5. Virginia Tech Athletics rebounds and get stronger after the mass shooting on their campus.


Story of the Decade: Steroids and Performance Enhancing Drugs: Across all Sports this story dominated and brought down stars from Marion Jones to Barry Bonds to Floyd Landis to Roger Clemens. All sports especially Baseball have had their credibility brought into question as records have fallen at an amazing pace and has made the public suspicous of all players even the ones that are clean. This story won't die as the admitted drug users are going to be up for the Hall of Fame and as chemists keep working to beat the testing through drugs like HGH. Runners Up: 2. The explosion of the Internet 3. The Rise and Fall of Tiger Woods 4. Globalization of American Sports 5. Rise of the UFC and MMA

the 2000's for all other sports

Now that I have looked back on the past decade for the big 4 pro sports and the big 3 college sports I have decided to look back at the decade in sports for all other sports.

Athlete of Decade: Roger Federer, The most dominant tennis player ever with 16 grand slam titles, a career grand slam, has appeared in 23 straight grand slam semi-finals, and has been 18 of the past 19 grand slam finals. He also has an Olympic Gold Medal from 2008 in doubles. Unlike his golfing counterpart Tiger Woods not only does he actually have the most grand slam/major titles in the history of the sport but he also has no off the court/course issues that we know of so is he better representative for the sport. Runner Up: 2. Tiger Woods 3. Jimmie Johnson 4. Lance Armstrong 5. Michael Phelps 6. Serena Williams 7. Randy Couture 8. Usain Bolt 9. Manny Pacquiao 10. Floyd Mayweather

Non-Athlete of the Decade: Dana White (UFC President): This man convinced two wealthy Vegas Casino owners, the Fertittas to help him invest in a dying sport and it to one of the biggest sports in the world. He is also responsible for the Ultimate Fighter reality show which was the launching pad for many stars in the sport and the sport itself. While he is controversial with his profantity laced tirades and Non-PC acts but he has steered the UFC through rough times and success while other promotions with more money and sometimes more exposure have died off due to bad leadership. 2. Chad Knauss (Crew Chief for Jimmie Johnson) 3. Steve Williams (Tiger's Caddy) 4. Jacques Rogge (IOC Director) 5. Richard Williams (Father and Manager of Serena and Venus).

Game/Match of the Decade: 2008 Wimbledon Men's Final: Rafael Nadal over Roger Federer in 5 sets. A classic that saw Nadal go up two sets to none on Roger's best surface. Then Roger came back to tie it up at 2 sets a piece setting up a classic 5th set which Nadal ended up winning 9-7. Nadal's victory in the greatest Tennis Match ever according to some led to him taking over the #1 ranking and was apparent passing of the torch in this great rivalry but Nadal's knees and Federer's resilence have changed this. Runners up: 2. 2008 Men's Golf US Open 3. 2007 Daytona 500 4. 2008 Olympic 100M men's fly (Phelps wins by a touch) 5. 2004 Masters

Fight of the Decade: Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar I April 9th, 2005- The fight that launched the UFC to the height it is at today, this 3 round war to determine the Light Heavyweight Winner of the Ultimate Fighter I was so good it had 10 million people watching Spike TV at 1 time. These two men went at it for 3 5 minute rounds which has been compared to Hagler- Hearns by some. The Ultimate Fighter season 1 which this capped off was a huge success for the UFC as it showed how far the UFC has come from it's no holds barred beginnings and showed that these guys are real athletes and real fighters. Griffin ended up winning via decision and went on to become the light heavyweight champ but this fight changed sports forever. 2. Guida-Sanchez TUF 9 Finale, 3. Ward-Gatti I, 4. Corrales-Castillo, 5. Vazquez- Marquez 3

Rivalry of the Decade: Federer-Nadal: While it only lasted for about 4 years this rivalry pushed Men's Tennis back to the forefront where Women's Tennis was, despite the fact that neither guy is American. The main crux of this rivalry is that Federer dominanted everywhere but Clay where Nadal always beat him while Nadal tried and later succeeded in becoming more then a clay court specialist. This rivalry brought the best out of both of these men and the sport. Runners Up: 2. Tiger-Phil 3. Serena-Venus 4. Couture-Liddell 5. Lance Armstrong- The French

Story of the Decade: The Rise of the UFC and MMA- A meteroic rise which started with TUF 1 and the Griffin-Bonnar classic and has continued to today, a week after the UFC debuted in Sydney. The UFC has set gate records in Pennsylvania, Sydney, England, Ireland and Canada. UFC 100 set the record not only for the highest gate but also the fastest sellout in the history of Las Vegas. The rise of this sport has coincided with the slow death of boxing, who's megafight that could have saved the sport being called off. The growth of MMA has created household names like Chuck Lidell, Forrest Griffin, Kimbo Slice (unfortunatly), and Randy Couture. Runners Up: 2. Drug Testing in these sports 3. Rise and "fall" of Tiger Woods 4. Michael Phelps 5. The Williams Sisters and their Father

College Football Decade in Review

Well there is no event that is actually going on that caused me to do this blog but it is the only major sport I have not covered so here is the decade in review for college football (D-IA (FBS)).

Program of the Decade- USC while Florida and LSU both won two BCS national titles it was USC who truly dominated the decade with one 1 BCS title, another split national title, and another BCS title game appearance in which Vince Young had to play the greatest game I have ever seen to beat them. This is on top of the fact that they produced 3 heisman trophy winners (Palmer, Bush, Leinart) and countless other NFL stars including Troy Polamalu and Lofa Tatupu among others. Runners Up: 2. LSU 3. Florida 4. Ohio State 5. Oklahoma 6. Texas 7. Miami 8. VT 9. Boise state 10. Utah

Team of the Decade: 2001 Miami Hurricanes- This team went undefeated dominating almost every team they played and destroyed Nebraska to win the National title. Some players on this team include Clinton Portis, Jeremy Shockey, Andre Johnson, Bryan Mckinnie, DJ Williams, Jonathan Vilma, Ed Reed, and Phillip Buchanon not to mention Reggie Wayne and Ken Dorsey. Runners Up: 2. 2004 USC 3. 2005 Texas 4. 2002 Ohio State 5. 2000 Oklahoma 6. 2004 Auburn 7. 2009 Boise State 8. 2004 Utah 9. 2006 Boise State 10. 2008 Utah

Player of the Decade: Tim Tebow- As much as this pains me and it does I can't deny him his due, he won 1 heisman was a finalist for two others, won two national titles and was the face of college football for 3 years. While he is not the second coming like some florida fans and the announcers of the 2008-09 national title game think he was amazing setting nearly every SEC record. Runners Up: 2. Matt Leinart 3. Ken Dorsey 4. Colt McCoy 5. Vince Young 6. Jason White 7. Reggie Bush 8. AJ Hawk 9. Roy Williams (OU) 10. Larry Fitzgerald

Coach of the Decade: Urban Meyer- He won two national titles and led Utah to an undefeated season which allowed them to become the first BCS buster. He is responsible for the growth of the spread in college football and shifted the balance of power in the state of Florida which was dominated by FSU and the University of Miami. Runners Up: 2. Nick Saban 3. Pete Carroll 4. Jim Tressel 5. Mack Brown 6. Bob Stoops 7. Les Miles 8. Joe Paterno 9. Chris Petersen 10. Frank Beamer

Game of the Decade-2003 Fiesta Bowl OSU over Miami- One of the few clashes of unbeaten teams in the BCS national title game and this game had it all: great plays: Maurice Clarett Stripping Sean Taylor of the ball after Taylor picked a ball off in the end zone, Memorable Moments: Willis McGahee's gruesome injury, Controversy: The Pass interference call in the first OT (Which was accurate) giving Ohio State new life, and drama: Ohio State stops the vaunted Miami offense at the 2 in the 2nd OT to pull the major upset for the schools first title in 4 decades. Runners up: 2. 2006 Rose Bowl (texas over USC) 3. 2007 Fiesta (Boise over Oklahoma) 4. 2005 USC-Notre Dame 5. 2007 App State- Michigan

Story of the Decade: BCS- What do all of these teams have in common: 2000 Miami, 2001 Colorado, 2001 Oregon, 2003 USC, 2004 Auburn, 2004 Utah, 2006 Boise State, 2007 Michigan, 2008 Utah, 2008 Texas, 2009 Boise State, 2009 TCU? the answer is they all had equal or better records to teams that the BCS put in the national title game some of these teams even finished the season without a loss and still had no chance to prove they were the best team in the nation because of this stupid system. The controversy this system has caused, which can easily be fixed by a playoff, has dominated the decade. The college presidents argue that a playoff will take the "student-athletes" away from their classes for too long. The problem with this is not only are they ok with basketball players going away for a month during march madness but they give BCS teams a month off before their bowl games most of which is during winter break, the perfect time to have a playoff. So until this sport adopts a playoff or at least a plus 1 system all its championships are mythical and the sport will never reach the level it should.
NEXT: The Decade in Review for all other sports (Coming Friday)

Greatest Moments in the History of Sports

After last night's upset of Canada by the American men. As well as the fact thattoday being the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice when a bunch of young Americans beat the heavily favored and dominant Soviets, in a slice of the cold war, and went on to win the gold, the last gold the US has won. I have decided to look at the 10 greatest moments in the history of sports, this is not the greatest games in sports, it is the most impactful and memorable moments in sports.

10. The Play (Cal-Stanford 82) This play, which cost John Elway his final college game and the chance to play in his 1st bowl game, involving 2 rivals had it all. Many laterals, a controversy about if a Cal player was down or not, and then a what did I just see moment with Cal's Kevin Moen scoring and then running into a member of the Stanford band. Now anytime there is a kickoff with about 15 seconds or less everyone hopes for their team, if trailing, to pull a Cal-Stanford play.

9. 1966 NCAA Men's Basketball championship Texas Western over Kentucky- This game which saw a team with an all black starting five beating Kentucky led by their legendary coach Adolf Rupp, who was a strong racist, and signaled the true end of the good ole' boy network and opened college sports up to more teams then just the traditional powers.

8. 1981 The Catch- Dwight Clark's miraculous catch 2 years after ESPN was founded not only helped start the push of the NFL to the number one sport of America but also sparked the Niners Dynasty which lasted for about 15 years and sent the then dominant Cowboys into a ten year tailspin until Jimmy Johnson and the Triplets saved them.

7. Tiger Woods win the 1997 Masters- This took golf from an old white man's game to a game open to the masses and more specifically in the African American Community. It also marked the birth of the greatest star in the sports history and one of the biggest stars in sports today in Tiger Woods, who has not only increased golf's exposure but also the money earned by the golfers.

6. Joe Namath backs up his words upsetting the Colts in Super Bowl 3: Namath, who was charged as the face and savior of the upstart AFL, guaranteed that his AFL champion Jets would beat the heavily favored NFL champion Baltimore Colts and they did winning 16-7. This game along with the Cheifs upset of the Vikings the next year saved the AFL and forced the merger which has helped make the NFL what it is today, but it would not have happened without the moment #4.

5. 1979 NCAA Championship Game- A game that pitted Magic Johnson and Michigan State against Larry Bird and undefeated Indiana State was one of the most watched sporting events up to that point. In the end Magic led his Spartans to their first national title but this game introduced the world to Bird and Magic who's subsequent decade long rivalry with the Lakers and Celtics saved the NBA.

4. 1958 NFL Championship Greatest Game Ever Played- A game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts which ended being the first ever Overtime game in which the Colts won. This game put the NFL on the map and saw the birth of stars like Johnny Unitas and ideas like the 2 minute drill. Without this game the NFL would be nowhere near where it is today.

3. Shot Heard Round the World (1951: Bobby Thompson's Home run)- the Giants' Bobby Thomson's 9th inning home run off of Ralph Branca of the Dodgers gave the Giants the 3 game playoff to determine the NL champ. The Giants forced this playoff by overcoming a 13.5 game deficit in mid-August and this home run really helped make these two franchises big nationwide and eventually led to them both moving to California making Baseball Nationwide.

2. Miracle on Ice (1980 USA over USSR)- during the midst of the 4 decade long Cold War between capitalist US and the Communist USSR and 8 years after the USSR men's basketball team stealing the gold from the US this hockey game is remembered by everyone a live at the time and has taken on a life of it's own. This semi-final game saw the US team, a bunch of college kids led by Coach Herb Brooks, shock the heavily favored Soviet team, who had won 4 straight olympic golds and trounce the US 10-3 2 weeks earlier. The US went on to beat Finland to win the gold but it is this Semi-final game which is most remembered and like many moments on this list there is a call synonomous with this game (Do You Believe in Miracles...YES!)

1. Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Barrier 1947- In April 1947 when Jackie Robinson took the field for the then Brooklyn Dodgers at second base he made history he was the first black player in MLB history and major team sports history. Jackie Robinson's ability to keep his cool and play great in the face of horrible discrimination, racism, and death threats paved the way for many stars we see today like Kobe, Lebron, Albert Pujols, and Ray Lewis and changed sports forever.

College Basketball Decade In Review

With today being Bracketbusters and Selection Sunday on 3 weeks away I have decided to continue my look back on the past decade of sports with Mens and Womens College Basketball.

Program of the Decade: Mens- Florida Womens- UCONN: Well UCONN being named the women's program of the decade is self-explanatory so I will move on. Florida and North Carolina both won two national titles this decade but the difference to me is the fact that Florida at least made the NIT every year while Carolina finished with 8 wins in the 2002-2003 season.
Runner Up: Men: UNC, UCONN Women: TENN, STANFORD

Team of the decade: Mens: 2006-07 Florida Gators, Womens: 2001-2002 UCONN: That Gators team which had all 5 starters return from the 06 national champs and started the season as #1 and finished the season with their 2nd title in a row a first since Duke 1992-93. That UCONN team was one of the few to go unbeaten but stands out by producing WNBA stars Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, and Swin Cash. Runners Up: Men- 2005 UNC, 2002 MD, 2001 Duke Women- 2009 UCONN, 2008 Tenn, and 2007 Tenn

Player of the Decade Men: Tyler Hansbrough Women: Diana Taurasi, Hansbrough stayed at UNC 4 years and broke almost every record at the school and won a Player of the Year and a national title. Taurasi was a major part of two national championship teams including the great 2002 UCONN team she was also the face of Women's basketball for a while. Runner UP- Men- Joakim Noah, JJ Reddick Women- Candace Parker and Maya Moore.

Coach of the Decade: Mens: Roy Williams, Women: Geno Auriemma- Roy Williams led two schools to a combined 5 final fours and won 2 titles in Carolina, two of those final four losses were to the enventual national champs so he is clearly the coach of the decade. Auriemma won 5 national titles and had 2 undefeated season thus edging out Pat Summit for this award.
Runners Up: Men- Billy Donovan, Coach K Women: Pat Summitt, Brenda Freese

Game of the Decade: Men 2006 Mason vs. UCONN Elight Eight, Women 2006 Finals MD over Duke. The Mason game highlited the greatest cinderella run in the history of March Madness which included beating 2 final four teams from last year in Michigan State and UNC as well as the overwhelming favorite that year in UCONN. The MD-Duke women's game was the start of the women's version of a big men's rivalry and saw Kristi Tolliver hit a huge 3 pushing the game to OT where Maryland won. Runners Up: Men 2008 Final Memphis-Kansas, Women 2003- UCONN vs. Tenn

Rivalry of the Decade: Men- Duke vs UNC Women: UCONN vs. TENN: While this rivalry was pretty dormant in the early part of the decade as the MD-Duke rivalry dominated the ACC the Duke vs. UNC rivalry at the end of the decade was amazing and brought the rivalry back to life. When it comes to Women's rivalries UCONN vs. Tennessee is clearly the best. Runners UP: Duke- Maryland and Cuse-UCONN Women: UCONN-ND and LSU-Tenn

Story of the Decade- Men: One and Dones Women: Growing in competition and Popularity. One and Dones dominated the Men's game with guys like Kevin Durant and Mike Beasley winning at least one National player of the Year, Derrick Rose leading Memphis to the championship game (O wait that never happened according to Memphis thanks Coach Cal) and Carmelo Anthony leading Syracuse to the school's first title. The Women's game has grown thanks to stars like Candace Parker and Maya Moore and programs like UCONN and Tennessee as well as upstarts like Maryland and Baylor winning national titles, Baylor's came two years after the lowest point of the decade the Men's scandal involving a player's murder. Runners UP: Mens: Cinderellas Womens: UCONN-Tennessee.

MLB Decade in Review

Pitchers and Catchers report tomorrow for 12 teams so I decided to look back on the past 10 years of Major League Baseball. Let me clarify something Franchise of the Decade is the best team throughout the decade while Team of the decade is the best single year team of the entire decade.
Franchise of the Decade: Boston Red Sox- They finish just ahead of the Yankees because both teams won two titles during this decade but it comes down to the most memorable moment of the decade, coming back from 3-0 to beat the Yanks in the 2004 ALCS and then sweeping the Cardinals to win their first World Series in 86 years. Runners Up: 2. Yanks 3. Cards 4. Angels 5. Phillies

Team of the Decade: 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, what is the old saying in baseball great pitching beats great hitting and this team had great pitching with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling which would dominante any team's hitting. Throw in the hitting of Luis Gonzalez and Reggie Sanders and you are looking at the best team of the decade. Runners Up: 2004 Sox, 2006 Cards, 2009 Yanks, 2000 Yanks.

Player of the Decade: Albert Pujols 1B Cardinals: An amazing talent who could be on pace to become the greatest player of all time, in his 9 seasons he has hit .334, the highest average of the decade even higher then Ichiro, 366 Home runs and won 3 MVPs and if it were not for Bonds and his steroid use he would have won 7 of 9 MVP's (that is not including the robbery in 2006 when Ryan Howard won it). Throw in 2 world series appearances, 1 title, a rookie of the year, and basically ruining Brad Lidge's career in 2005 he is the clear cut winner and has no attachment to steroids. Runners Up: 2. Jeter 3. Ichiro 4. Santana 5. Halladay.

Manager of the Decade: Tony La Russa (and Dave Duncan) Cardinals He has led the Cardinals to a decade of success despite having pitchers like Kyle Lohse, Joel Pinero, Chris Carpetner (who got cut from the Jays), and many more as well as two tragedies (Darryl Kyle and Josh Hamilton). He won 1 title and is 3rd all time in wins as a manager. Runners Up: 2. Terry Francona 3. Mike Scosia 4. Joe Torre 5. Bobby Cox

Story of the Decade: Steroids- The revelations that stars like Big Mac, Sosa, Clemens, Bonds, Manny, Palmerio, and A-Roid all used steroids have shook MLB to its core bringing the magical summer of 1998 and some of its most hallowed marks into serious doubt. This has ruined baseball for many fans and has made clean players defend themselves daily. Runners up: Yankees vs. Red Sox bidding war, Small Market vs. Big Market, All-star Game, WBC

Moment of the Decade: Red Sox end the curse, this is a moment everyone will remember for what happened in the ALCS when they became the 1st MLB team and 3 Major pro team to come back from 3-0 defecit in the series to beat the Yankees. They also swept a 100 win Cards team to end the curse of the Bambino and win their first title in 86 years. Runners up: Congressional Hearings, Pujols homer off of Lidge, Bonds #73 and #756, Bartman.