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.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, March 15, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, March 1, 2010
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
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
Sunday, February 28, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
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)
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)
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