RealScore - Philippine Basketball | PBA Philippine Basketball Association

2008 Formula 1 World Championship

2008-10-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Formula 1 World Championship will be decided at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, venue for the Brazilian Grand Prix Thursday October 30 - Sunday November 2.

After a compelling win in China McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton holds a seven point lead over his title rival Felipe Massa, who is right behind by seven points. Right at the third spot is BMW- Sauber Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica with 75 points. Taking the fourth position is Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen with 69 driver points. Nick Heiddfeld of BMW Sauber rounds up the top five race drivers with 60 points.

Despite this, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa will be confident of winning on home soil. He won the Brazilian grand Prix in 2006 and dominated last year’s race until allowing his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen past. The gesture allowed Raikkonen to take a surprise championship victory as Hamilton and McLaren faltered.

While Massa and Ferrari are underdogs in the battle for the driver’s championship the Maranello team are strong favorites to clinch the constructor’s title in Brazil; Massa and Raikkonen finished second and third respectively at the recent Chinese Grand Prix.

McLaren is right behind with 145 points for the solo second spot BMW-Sauber, Renault and Toyota closes the group with 135, 72 and 52 points, respectively. Although Hamilton won the other McLaren, driven by Heikki Kovalainen, retired. This means that Ferrari require just seven points at Interlagos to secure the crown.

Robert Kubica saw his world championship dream ended in China with a disappointing sixth place finish but he will be determined to hold onto his third position in the points table, where Raikkonen is only six points behind. Kubica’s BMW Sauber team still has an outside chance of depriving McLaren second place in the constructor’s table. McLaren hold a 10 point advantage going into the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix will provide an exciting climax to a controversial and unpredictable season. Hamilton will be hoping for better luck than he experienced at the same race last year, and trying not to stress his Mercedes engine, which will be used for its second Grand Prix. Massa, meanwhile, can only win the race and hope that something unexpected happens to his rival.

The Interlagos circuit is one of the oldest on the Formula 1 calendar and unusual as it runs anti-clockwise, providing a stern test of driver fitness and endurance. The circuit hosted the first world championship Brazilian Grand Prix in 1973, a race which was won by local here Emerson Fittipaldi in a John Player Special Lotus.

It wasn’t until 1990 that Interlagos became the permanent venue for the race. In recent years it has hosted the final Grand Prix of the year but, for a long time, it was one of the early championship rounds. Alain Prost holds the record for most wins in the race, notching up six between 1982 and 1990. Prost’s great rival, Ayrton Senna, scored an emotional home victory in 1991, despite his car suffering from severe gearbox problems. He expended so much effort that he had to be helped from his McLaren.

Preview Week 8 2008 NFL Regular Season

2008-10-23T05:27:00.000-07:00

The Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders halted their respective three-game losing streaks last weekend. Now each club will be looking to improve their positioning in their tightly bunched division races.

The Ravens and Raiders look to make it two wins in a row Sunday when they meet at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore Ravens (3-3) opened the season with back-to-back victories for the first time since starting 4-0 in 2006, but was unable to continue that success and went on to lose three straight - a stretch capped by a miserable 31-3 defeat at Indianapolis in Week 5, during which it allowed 334 yards. Ravens defense - which has held opponents to a league-low 257.0 yards per game - had another rough performance when it surrendered a season-high 359 yards last Sunday, but the team managed to come away with a 27-13 victory at Miami.

Baltimore has won three of its four meetings with Oakland. The teams haven’t played since the Ravens’ 28-6 home victory Sept. 17, 2006.

Arizona Cardinals look to win their third straight game and get off to their best start in 32 years on Sunday when they visit the Carolina Panthers, who are tied atop the NFC South. Arizona (4-2) franchise has been a member of the NFL since 1920, but its recent history hasn’t been pretty. Arizona Cardinals, who won their only championship while playing in Chicago in 1947, have not been to the playoffs since 1998—their first trip since 1982.

Arizona’s offense might have a big piece return Sunday, as standout receiver Anquan Boldin could be back.

Panthers have been led by a defense that is third in the NFL in scoring (14.9 points per game), third in total defense (286.3 yards per game) and held the high-powered Saints to a season low in scoring.

Delhomme and Warner are both off to solid seasons this year. Delhomme is 10th in the NFL with 1,533 passing yards, while Warner is third in passing yards (1,708) and tied for fifth in touchdowns (12).

Dallas Cowboys will again be without Tony Romo Sunday when they try to get their season back on track against the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Texas Stadium.

Coming off a 13-win season, Dallas (4-3) had high expectations for 2008. It opened with wins over Cleveland, Philadelphia and Green Bay, but has since lost three of four.

After an impressive 27-3 win over division rival Carolina in Week 6, Tampa Bay defeated Seattle 20-10 last Sunday night.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a 402-176 advantage over the Seahawks in total yards, and limited Seattle to seven first downs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn, who has rushed for 226 yards in his last three games, left last week’s win with a back injury, but Gruden said he expects him to play against the Cowboys.

Washington Redskins look to improve to 6-2 for the first time in eight years when they visit the winless Detroit Lions on Sunday. After a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, Washington went on a four-game win streak, defeating New Orleans and Arizona before notching impressive road victories over NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia.

However, the run was snapped Oct. 12 with a 19-17 home loss to St. Louis, which had lost its first four contests.

Detroit Lions are in the midst of their longest winless start since they opened 0-12 in 2001, but have reason to believe they’re headed in the right direction.
After losing their first four games by an average of 20.3 points, their last two defeats have come down to the final possession. Detroit fell 12-10 at Minnesota on a last-second field goal Oct. 12, and outscored Houston 11-0 in the fourth quarter before its rally fell short in a 28-21 road defeat last Sunday.

Detroit Lions won consecutive games against Washington in 1999 and 2000, but the Redskins have taken the last two meetings to improve to 18-2 against the Lions since the start of the 1968 season. Campbell was 23-for-29 for 248 yards and two touchdowns and Portis ran 18 times for 72 yards in Washington’s 34-3 rout last Oct. 7.

Washington Redskins hope to continue their dominance of the Lions for first-year coach Jim Zorn, an assistant with Detroit from 1999-00

Buffalo Bills’ best start in 13 years has the team atop the AFC East, but they haven’t proven yet that they’re the division’s best. In their first game against an AFC East rival, the Bills look to improve to 6-1 Sunday as they visit the last-place Miami Dolphins.

Buffalo has won five of its first six games for the first time since 1995, and is in position to open 6-1 for the first time since 1993, when the team made the last of four straight trips to the Super Bowl. Buffalo is one game ahead of five-time defending division champion New England.

Miami Dolphins recent struggles have overshadowed the strong play of Chad Pennington, who went 24-for-35 for a season-high 295 yards, a touchdown and an interception last weekend. He ranks fourth in the NFL with a 68.6 completion percentage, and his 108.8 passer rating since Sept. 21 leads all quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts in that span.

Pennington hopes to help Miami end its recent struggles against Buffalo. The Dolphins have lost seven of the last eight meetings in the series, including four straight. Edwards threw a career-high four touchdown passes as the Bills cruised to a 38-17 victory the last time these teams met, Dec. 9 at Buffalo.

New England Patriots seek to follow up a convincing victory Sunday when they host the revitalized Rams, who look for their third consecutive upset under new coach Jim Haslett.

New England (4-2) had been struggling on offense ever since losing Tom Brady to a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of its opener, scoring fewer than 20 points in four of its first five games. However, the Patriots busted out Monday night in a 41-7 rout of Denver as Matt Cassel was an efficient 18-of-24 for 185 yards and a career-high three touchdowns—two of them to Randy Moss.
Rams (2-4) looked like a historically bad team under coach Scott Linehan in the season’s first four weeks, losing all of their games by 17 points or more. Since replacing Linehan with Haslett during the bye week, though, St. Louis has pulled off a pair of shocking upsets of NFC East contenders.

After eking out a 19-17 win at Washington on Oct. 12, the Rams dominated Dallas in a 34-14 victory last Sunday.

This is the first visit to Gillette Stadium for the Rams, who were 3-1 in the old Foxboro Stadium.

New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers each had high expectations heading into this season, but both teams are playing sub-.500 football. New Orleans and San Diego both look to bounce back from discouraging losses and avoid the distractions of playing overseas when they meet at Wembley Stadium.
Neither the Saints (3-4) nor the Chargers (3-4) have managed to get in rhythm this year, but New Orleans’ season may have taken a turn for the worst last Sunday as Bush sustained cartilage damage in his knee in a 30-7 loss to Carolina.

Brett Favre will extend his record streak of consecutive starts to 260 games on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs would simply like their quarterback to stay on the field. A troubled Chiefs team featuring a third-string quarterback, an inactive starting running back and the second-worst rated defense in the league must deal with Favre and the New York Jets on Sunday at Giants Stadium. .
After losing their top two quarterbacks to injury last Sunday, the Chiefs will send out third-stringer Tyler Thigpen for his second career start.
In his first start since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 1 at New England, Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle completed 9 of 10 passes for 63 yards before sustaining ACL and MCL injuries to his left knee in the first half of Sunday’s 34-10 loss to Tennessee.

Fourth-stringer Ingle Martin will back up Thigpen on Sunday after being inactive all season. Martin appeared briefly in one game for Green Bay in 2006, but has never thrown a pass in the NFL. The Chiefs hold a 15-16-1 edge in the all-time series between these original AFL franchises. Favre faced Kansas City four times while a member of the Packers, losing three of those starts.

A pair of teams coming off byes will face off Sunday in Philadelphia, Atlanta Falcons will try for their third straight victory while the hometown Philadelphia Eagles look to climb back into the NFC East race.

Eagles are 9-0 following a bye, they also should be aided by a healthier roster, as both Westbrook and wide receiver Kevin Curtis, who hasn’t played this season due to sports hernia surgery, hope to return Sunday.

Philadelphia hopes its tenacious pass rush is also on display. The Eagles are tied for second in the NFL with 21 sacks, including 14 in three home games, and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson doesn’t figure to hold anything back against Ryan.

Cincinnati Bengals head to Reliant Stadium looking for their fourth consecutive victory over the Houston Texans. With a 38-10 loss to Pittsburgh last week, Cincinnati (0-7) remained winless through seven games for the fifth time since 1991. No other team has experienced that kind of futility more than twice in that span.

Bengals will be playing their first game without rookie linebacker Keith Rivers, selected ninth overall from Southern California. He was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday with a broken jaw suffered after a hit from the Steelers’ Hines Ward. Rivers was second on the team in tackles and had one interception.

Houston Texans (2-4) is in last place in its division, but will try to take advantage of its second straight winless opponent and win its third straight after an 0-4 start. Last Sunday, the Texans jumped out to an early three-touchdown lead before holding on for a 28-21 victory over Detroit.

Cleveland Browns will head to Jacksonville on Sunday for the first time since 2002 to face the rejuvenated Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cleveland (2-4) has the second-worst offense in the NFL (263.8 yards per game), and the Browns totaled just 236 yards in a 14-11 loss at Washington on Sunday. Winslow, their Pro Bowl tight end, had just two catches for 17 yards in his return to the field after sitting out the team’s 35-14 win over the New York Giants a week earlier with an undisclosed injury.

Jacksonville (3-3) couldn’t get anything going offensively in an 0-2 start, but has looked much better in winning three of its last four games. The Jaguars came through with perhaps their best win of the season before their bye, piling up a season-high 416 yards in a 24-17 win at Denver.

Cleveland (2-4) played easily its best game that same weekend, racking up 454 yards in a 35-14 thrashing of the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants on Oct. 13. But the Browns, who had been held to under 210 yards of offense in each of their first three losses, struggled again to maintain their offensive consistency in Washington.

The Jaguars lead the all-time series 8-2, but those two losses have come in the Browns’ last two visits to Jacksonville, in 2001 and 2002.

New York Giants travel to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup of 5-1 teams Sunday.

New York’s Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw combined to run for 118 yards last week.

Ben Roethlisberger, the 11th pick in the 2004 draft, got the best of Manning, the top choice that year, on Dec. 18, 2004. The Steelers quarterback recorded his first career 300-yard game, throwing for 316 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in Pittsburgh’s 33-30 win at Giants Stadium.

Pittsburgh, first in the league in total defense (228.3 yards per game) and pass defense (158.7), is coming off a 38-10 rout of woeful Cincinnati last week. The Steelers held an opponent to less than 100 yards rushing for the fifth time this season, surrendered a season-low 128 passing yards and forced a turnover for the fifth time in six games.

Pittsburgh has other injury problems, as cornerback Bryant McFadden will miss the next month with a broken right arm. Safety Troy Polamalu suffered the seventh concussion of his career on the same play during which McFadden was hurt, but he hasn’t been ruled out against New York.

San Francisco 49ers host Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in a match up of NFC West rivals looking for their first wins in more than a month.

The 49ers (2-5) fired coach Mike Nolan on Tuesday after he went 18-37 in nearly 3 1/2 seasons at the helm to post the worst winning percentage (.327) of any San Francisco coach that made it through more than one season with the team.
San Francisco was limited to 253 total yards in a 29-17 loss to the New York Giants last Sunday, and have turned the ball over three times in each loss during a four-game skid. They have 17 total turnovers in their five losses, compared to one in two victories.

Part of the problem is the absence of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who has missed the last two games with a bulging disk in his back that’s pressing on a nerve that runs down to his hyperextended right knee, weakening the joint. There’s a chance he returns on Sunday. Hasselbeck was 18-for-36 for 189 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in the Seahawks’ 33-30 overtime loss to the 49ers on Sept. 14. San Francisco kicker Joe Nedney won the game with a 40-yard field goal.

Tennessee Titans aim to extend their unbeaten run as they match up against the visiting Indianapolis Colts, winners of five straight division titles.

Tennessee (6-0) rolled to a 34-10 victory at Kansas City last Sunday, stretching its NFL-best winning streak to nine games dating to last season. It is the Titans’ lengthiest winning streak since reeling off a franchise-record 11 straight from Oct. 17, 1993-Jan. 2, 1994, when the team was the Houston Oilers.

Indianapolis lost 34-14 at Green Bay last Sunday. Dominic Rhodes was a bright spot, rushing 20 times for 73 yards and both Colts touchdowns.

The Colts committed a season-high 12 penalties - tied for their most since 2005 - for 110 yards. They have been whistled for 46 infractions - third-most in the AFC - after being one of the least-penalized clubs during the first six years of coach Tony Dungy’s tenure.

Colts, who are also yielding 153.5 yards per game versus the run, could struggle to contain a Titans ground game that ranks fourth in the NFL with 154.5 ypg.

Preview of Week 7 2008-09 NFL Regular Season

2008-10-17T04:20:00.000-07:00

Dallas Cowboys looks to avenge their two straight setbacks when they face the St. Louis Rams on Week 7 of the 2008-09 NFL Regular Season.

After losing two of the last three games, the Cowboys have yet another bad news. They found out Monday that quarterback Tony Romo will be out four to six weeks with a broken right pinky finger on his throwing hand. He suffered the injury on the first play of the overtime loss to the Cardinals last Sunday. Veteran quarterback Brad Johnson will start in his place.

Cowboys have been playing below expectations lately and seem like the players we’re just not putting their best foot forward. The Cowboys have not played well for a few weeks. Now maybe they will address problems they had all along and not let wins over bad teams mask lingering issues.

In just two weeks as Rams Coach, Jim Haslett has delivered one consistent message and it was witnessed last Sunday’s 19-17 victory over the Washington Redskins. The adversity started early. The Rams had 12 players on the field on Washington’s first third-down attempt. It gave the Redskins a first down.

St. Louis Rams had squandered a 16-7 fourth-quarter lead and were trailing 17-16 with 1:13 remaining and the ball on their own 41-yard line.

LG Jacob Bell suffered a sprained foot against the Redskins and is considered day-to-day. QB Marc Bulger has a jammed finger on his throwing hand that was swollen Monday, but he is expected to be able to play Sunday against the Cowboys.

New Orleans Saints 3-3 look to continue their winning streak when they face the Carolina Panthers on week 7 of 2008 NFL Regular Season. The New Orleans Saints might have had their best effort less than six days later in a complete win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
The Saints played 24 consecutive games, a streak that dated to the end of the 2006 season, with at least one giveaway before it finally ended Sunday. They had no turnovers against the Raiders, the first time that had happened since a 30-7 beating of the New York Giants in Giants Stadium on Dec. 24, 2006.

The New Orleans Saints are now 8-0 under Sean Payton when they have no turnovers—going 7-0 in 2006 and 1-0 so far this season.

On the other hand, Carolina Panthers came into the league ranked fourth on defense, but allowed the Bucs to rush for 142 yards and one of them is Warrick Dunn had 115 of those. That’s largely because the offense couldn’t get anything established, going three-and-out seven times. The defense spent more than 21 minutes on the field in the second half.

Against New Orleans, Panthers need to get their defense work to have a chance in winning this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers 4-1 has a two-game lead in the AFC North Division as they head to winless Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

The Bengals and Steelers were developing one of the more hotly contested rivalries in the league in 2005 and there’s plenty of animosity left. The most important thing confronting the Steelers this week is not to look beyond the Bengals.

After they play at Cincinnati, where they have won seven straight, they play a grueling four-game stretch that starts with the New York Giants on Oct. 26. Then it’s off to Washington before home dates against Indianapolis and San Diego.

The good news for the Steelers is they play four of five at home after their trip to Cincinnati. The Steelers won their past two games without some key injured starters who should return this Sunday—halfback Willie Parker, defensive end Brett Keisel, nose tackle Casey Hampton and fullback Carey Davis.

Without Carson Palmer, who was ruled out of the game Sunday at home against the Steelers, The Bengals’ will have to continue their efforts on week 7 of the 2008 NFL Regular Season on Sunday. Palmer did not play because of an inflamed throwing elbow.

The Bengals is No. 31 in total offense (227.8) and rush offense (72.2) and 26th in pass offense (155.7). They are No. 29 in scoring (14.67), and two of their nine touchdowns have been scored by the defense.

San Diego Chargers hopes to kick-start a victory against Buffalo Bills on week 7 of 2008 NFL Regular Season.

San Diego Chargers’ triumph over the New England Patriots last Sunday night meant more than a usual victory. It got them to 3-3 and revived their postseason hopes.

FS Eric Weddle has a banged-up right shoulder, and it’s worth watching as the week progresses. RB Darren Sproles is nursing a sprained ankle that could limit him this week in practice. Although, pound-for-pound, he may be among the toughest Chargers. WR Chris Chambers could test his sprained ankle later in the week and has a chance of playing Sunday.

One of the biggest keys to success against the rejuvenated Chargers will be whether Buffalo can get its running game in gear now that Trent Edwards will be able to return to action and play against San Diego on Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills rank 23rd heading to week 7 rushing at 98.4 yards a game. One of the bigger problems has been a lack of push up front from what is, on paper, the heaviest line in the NFL, as backs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson haven’t had much room to run.

Minnesotta Vikings look to extend their winning streak to two when they are pitted against Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The Vikings last-second victory over the Lions was the team’s second in a row and put them in a first-place tie with Chicago and Green Bay in the NFC North. The Vikings will face the Bears in Chicago on Sunday before having a bye week.

The Vikings have a piece of first place in the division but six games this early into the season doesn’t mean much. The team still has a lot of work to do and continue to get better.

RB Adrian Peterson received treatment following the victory over the Lions on Sunday because of a banged up left wrist but was said to be fine on Monday. MLB David Herron suffered what appeared to be ankle and neck/head injuries in Sunday’s game but his status is not clear.

Meanwhile, good news for the Chicago Bears is that they are at home against the 3-3 Vikings on Sunday and have a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the mediocre NFC North.

Kansas Chiefs hopes to get a 2-4 win against the unbeaten Tennessee Titans when they face each other on week 7 of 2008 NFL Regular Season.

The Kansas Chiefs are getting nothing from the passing game. They went into their bye week ranked 30th, averaging only 136.6 passing yards a game. Three quarterbacks have combined for an awful 53.7 passer rating based on 52 percent accuracy with only four touchdowns against eight interceptions.

Coach Herm Edwards knew things would be tough at this point for a team with 15 rookies on the 53-man roster after the first quarter of the season. Five rookies are starting, and four more are playing extensively. They seemed intent on shopping around any number of veterans who could bring them draft picks.

The victorious Tennessee Titans turn their attention to the struggling Kansas City Chiefs, whom they face Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. Struggle or not for the rebuilding Chiefs, Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Monday his 5-0 club will not overlook Kansas City, despite what appears to be a mismatch on paper. The Titans needed the bye week to heal up one of the most important elements of the club in the unbeaten start - the defensive line.

Baltimore Ravens will continue to rely on the services of quarterback Joe Flacco. Ravens coach John Harbaugh reaffirmed a day after the Ravens were routed 31-3 by the Indianapolis Colts.

Ravens will slug it out against Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon. According to Harbaugh, offensive tackle Adam Terry could replace Marshal Yanda at right guard if Terry recovers from an ankle injury. Backups Chris Chester and Oniel Cousins are “in the mix,” Harbaugh said.

Miami Dolphins will try to get a 3-3 standing coming of a stiff match last game against Houston. Coach Tony Sparano is preaching “resilience” to his resurgent squad after it took a step backward Sunday. The Dolphins should be resilient with a friendly schedule coming up in which three of their next five opponents have a combined record of 4-11 (Baltimore, Oakland and Seattle).

Winless Detroit Lions will have to wait on the status of their quarterback Jon Kitna when they face the Houston Texans.

The Lions aren’t saying anything about his back injury, though Kitna told the Associated Press: “I’ll eventually be able to play. I don’t know if it will be this week.” Asked if the lack of information about injuries - Kitna’s in particular - had anything to do with the trade deadline, coach Rod Marinelli referred the question to general manager Martin Mayhew.

Adding more trouble to Detroit, the Lions put safety Gerald Alexander on injured reserve Monday because of a neck injury he suffered late in Sunday’s 12-10 loss at Minnesota.
For Houston, two straight losses against Jacksonville and Indianapolis still hunts them but they look to bounce back when they face to lowly Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon.
The passing game eventually won the game for the Texans, but it came very close to costing them the game. Matt Schaub opened the game by throwing two interceptions before settling down, and his receivers helped bail him out of a couple of near interceptions. He finished by completing 22 of 42 passes for a franchise-record 379 passing yards. He was sacked only once and threw one touchdown pass. WR Andre Johnson had 10 catches for 178 yards and one touchdown.

The 3rd rank team in the 2008 NFL New York Jets will face the Oakland Raiders this Sunday. Jets 3-2 allowing only 69 yards per game and that aspect of the defense could get its stiffest test yet Sunday when the Jets visit Oakland, currently fourth in the NFL in rushing offense with 141 yards per game. While the Raiders look to get their offense going after they were drubbed by New Orleans last week 3-34. JaMarcus Russell poor performance of 13-for-35 from the field and 159-yard performance that led to only three points, plus he committed two turnovers that led to only 14 points for the Saints. Russell’s 40.1 passer rating was the worst of his starts, and the second worst of his career, better only than the 17.4 he had in his first extended playing time last season against Jacksonville (7-for-23, three interceptions, one touchdown).

San Francisco 49ers team defense continue to hunt them and against the tough New York Giants this will be tested again in Week 7 of 2008 NFL Regular Season.
The 49ers are ranked 26th in the league in total defense through six games. They have surrendered 30 points or more in each of the past three games. But no changes are going to be made head Coach Mike Nolan said.

While the New York Giants will try to get back on track after a jolting loss they suffered at the expense of the Cleveland Browns. The defeat signaled the end of the Giants’ eight-game winning streak and their 12-game road winning streak. There is a missing link in the road-game string, as the NFL does not count the Super Bowl as either a home or away game for the participants.

Indianapolis Colts defense finally showed up last Sunday against Baltimore Ravens and Colts look to continue their winning ways versus Green Bay Packers Sunday afternoon.
Indianapolis held the Ravens without a touchdown and limited Baltimore’s offense to 260 total yards. The run defense, in particular, stepped up its play and allowed just 51 total yards. Not a bad day’s work for a unit that had been ranked near the bottom of the NFL in stopping the run.

WR Marvin Harrison has caught 109 touchdown passes from QB Peyton Manning. WR Reggie Wayne has 50 TD receptions from Manning. Manning has now joined former Dolphins QB Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw at least 50 touchdown passes to two receivers
Green Bay Packers who won their last game against Seattle will most likely play without Ryan Pickett who was injured as he tried to reach out to tackle the Seahawks’ Julius Jones on a running play.

The loss of Pickett, their mammoth run stopper, left the Packers with only fellow starter Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole as their healthy natural tackles.

Green Bay lost versatile, productive lineman Cullen Jenkins to a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in Week 4. His replacement, Michael Montgomery, also has played on the edge and moved inside but suffered a sprained ankle in Week 5 that sidelined him Sunday.
Cleveland Browns will try for back to back wins against Washington Redskins after beating the Super Bowl Champions Neww York Giants last week.

The Browns won by 21 and accomplished something that has not been done against the Giants in 72 years—beat them in a game in which the victor did not punt or commit a turnover.
For Washington Red Skins, Durant Brooks might well have booted his last punt for the Redskins. The rookie from Georgia Tech, who won a close competition with three-year incumbent Derrick Frost this summer, could be cut as soon as Tuesday if the Redskins like any of the punters they bring in to try out for his job.

With a 39.6-yard gross average, Brooks is last in the league by 4.1 yards. His 32.1 net average is also the NFL’s worst.

The Seattle Seahawks will be missing quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for one more week, meaning they will be playing with a backup when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night.

Hasselbeck had not sufficiently recovered from a hyperextended knee he suffered against the New York Giants on Oct. 5, so he went to see a specialist in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

The specialist, according to Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, said that Hasselbeck is experiencing weakness in the knee because of a bulging disc in his back, a topic that was derided by the team as overblown earlier in the season.

For Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fullback Byron Storer suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while covering a kickoff in Sunday’s 27-3 win over Carolina. He is expected to be placed on injured reserve, ending his season. In addition, starting fullback B.J. Askew has missed the last three games with a torn hamstring and is likely at least a week away from returning to the lineup.

The NFC South may turn out to be a better division than most thought before the season. Three teams - the Bucs, Falcons and Panthers - are tied at 4-2. New Orleans is 3-3.
In the last game of Week 7 of 2008 NFL Regular Season will feature the game of New England Patriots battling Denver Broncos.

New England looks to find some answers after suffering two losses in three games, Patriots got blown out by a substantial margin, this time suffering a 30-10 loss Sunday to the slumping San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

Three weeks after getting walloped at home by Miami’s gimmick offense, the Patriots were beaten by a much simpler attack Sunday—long, deep passes against one-on-one coverage.
The Broncos will have to decide how they’ll use Selvin Young when he returns from his injury, or how rookie Ryan Torain fits in the plans when he is ready to play. For now, the 33-year-old Pittman is just happy to be a major contributor.

“I always knew I could still run the ball,” Pittman said. “I showed a lot (Sunday), I believe.”

Preview of Week 6 2008 NFL Regular Season

2008-10-11T22:14:00.001-07:00

Chicago Bears look to continue their winning streak when they face the Atlanta Falcons on Week 6 of 2008 NFL Regular Season.

Bears won both games and find themselves atop the NFC North at 3-2, as other players took up the fight in the Week 4 victory over the Eagles and again Sunday in rout at Detroit.

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris has missed the past two games, first with a knee injury and then because of a team suspension.

NFC South leader Atlanta Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers 27-24 in a tightly contested game. RB Michael Turner ran for 121 yards on 26 carries and scored one rushing touchdown against Green Bay. He has six rushing touchdowns.

Baltimore Ravens looked energized as the two injured starters offensive tackle Adam Terry and cornerback Fabian Washington—will play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Terry sprained his right knee late in the second quarter and was replaced by Willie Anderson, a four-time Pro Bowl player while Washington sprained his right shoulder late in the third quarter and was replaced by Frank Walker.

Indianapolis Colts are trying to find some consistency in their offensive lines despite injuries and medical problems. Over the first four games of the 2008 NFL Regular Season Offensive line coach Howard Mudd has been forced to mix and match his starters on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis. In the win over Houston on Sunday, the Colts started a different offensive line combination for a third straight game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Brian Griese will sit out in Sunday’s game against Carolina Panthers and will be replaced by back up Jeff Garcia. Garcia, 38, had been the inactive third quarterback since getting benched following the Sept. 7 season opener at New Orleans. He was the backup Sunday at Denver and entered the game in the second half to lead the Bucs on a 90-yard touchdown drive. Griese and Garcia only managed to average five yards per completion.
The Carolina Panthers are ecstatic with the progress of second-year defensive end Charles Johnson, who has really elevated his game facing the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Johnson, who backs up left defensive end Tyler Brayton and plays primarily on passing downs, had one sack and was robbed of another when officials ruled one play an incompletion in Carolina’s 34-0 win over Kansas City on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals might have a new coach until Marvin Lewis step down from his throne. Lewis and his Bengals are 7-14 in their last 21 games. He also was rumored to be fired last week. Bengals 0-5 will face New York Jets 2-2 who will welcome the return of RB Jesse Chatman who practiced Monday. He has returned to the Jets after not being allowed to practice or attend team meetings during a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on steroids and related substances. Chatman is eligible to play against the Bengals and currently has replaced Smith on the roster. If Smith is reinstated by the NFL, the Jets will have to make another roster move to keep Chatman active

Dallas Cowboys 4-1 goes up against Arizona Cardinals 3-2 Sunday afternoon. Quarterback Tony Romo threw three touchdown passes, but the passing game was hit or miss much of the day. Romo threw for just 176 yards. He threw an interception, extending his streak to eight games. Terrell Owens only saw three passes come his way. Injured CB Terence Newman missed the Bengals game because he remains bothered by a torn groin he suffered in training camp. He might not play the game on Sunday.

Three Arizona Cardinals made their season debuts last Sunday. Nose tackle Gabe Watson played after missing the first four games while recovering from a fractured kneecap. Receiver Early Doucet was active because of the injury to Anquan Boldin. And running back J.J. Arrington was active for the first time in order to return kicks and play in the spread offense.

Winless Detroit Lions faces another tough challenge when they meet Minnesota Vikings 2-3. Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli is under fire and he is 0-4 this season and has been outscored by 81 points - the most through four games in franchise history.

Quarterback Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky left Sunday’s game at halftime because of back spasms and high ankle sprain and sore knee, respectively. Both players will be evaluated as the week progresses to determine if they can play Sunday at Minnesota.

Green Bay Packers are pitted against Seattle Seahawks in week 6 of 2008 NFL Regular Season.
Green Bay Packers 2-3, tries to regain some momentum after a loss against Atlanta on week 4. Packers will be bannered by Quarterback Aaron Rodgers who had one of his better performances this season, completing 25 of 37 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the Packers’ 27-24 loss.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch suffered a bruised heel and is likely to miss the game against Green Bay on Sunday. On a positive note, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck should be able to practice and play this week after suffering a hyper extended knee.

Jacksonville Jaguars 2-3 are slated to play against Denver Broncos 4-1 on Sunday. Wide receiver Mike Walker, playing his first season, caught six passes for 107 yards against the Steelers. He also suffered a sprained MCL. While wide receiver Matt Jones who caught at least five passes in every game, was held to two catches for 25 yards, although one of them got a first down on the Jaguars’ final drive.

The Broncos passing game might not be completely healthy for a tough match up against Jacksonville this week. Receiver Eddie Royal and tight end Tony Scheffler both suffered injuries against Tampa Bay. Royal suffered a sprained ankle, and Scheffler injured his groin.

Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins go or back to back wins Sunday on week 6 of the 2008 NFL Regular Season. Quarterback Chad Pennington, directed a near-flawless passing attack for the second consecutive game. He used a no-huddle shotgun for large chunks of the game. He also completed 22 of 29 passes for 228 with no picks for the third straight game.

Matt Schaub will be ready to play this Sunday against Miami Dolphins after missing the game in week 5 due to a viral infection.

New England Patriots squares off San Diego Chargers. New England Patriots got back on track Sunday with a critical 30-21 win over San Francisco, two weeks after suffering a loss against Miami.

San Diego Chargers, a trendy pick to be a Super Bowl participant, are already two games behind the first-place Broncos and can’t trail by much more with a demanding slate of games awaiting: New England, at Buffalo, against the Saints in London.

OLB Jyles Tucker will be out several more weeks with a hamstring injury while Marques Harris is on back up. RB LaDainian Tomlinson’s toe injury would need three weeks to heal to get right.
Unbeaten New York Giants 4-0 is set to face the lowly Cleveland Browns.

New York Giants look to continue their winning streak to 9 after a blowout win versus Seattle Seahawks 44-6. They now go to Cleveland for a Monday night game and return home to face San Francisco, which means in the next two weeks they should be able to boost their record to 6-0. They haven’t won that many games to start a season since 1990, when they won 10 in a row.

The Browns will be a very happy team if wide receiver Donte Stallworth is finally able to play when they return from a bye for a Monday night game against the Giants.

Stallworth has not played this season due to a pulled quad injured in pre-game warm-ups prior to the opener against Dallas. That injury came from nowhere, and surprised many on the team. It kept Stallworth from even practicing for three weeks, and affected the offense significantly.

Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints will be facing each other Sunday. Tom Cable, preparing for his first game as head coach of the Raiders, thinks his team will be the better for it. Nnamdi Asomugha was limited in practice with a fractured elbow, but the hope is he will be ready to go this week and resume his role as a starter after playing on third downs against New Orleans. G Cooper Carlisle is back to nearly full strength after missing the San Diego game with an ankle injury.

Saints coach Sean Payton thought he’d ironed out his mistake-prone team’s penalty problems after they were flagged 13 times. Prior to the game, the Saints released new players to help fill in on their lengthy injury list namely third-string quarterback Joey Harrington and defensive end Josh Savage and signed two players from their practice squad—tight end Buck Ortega and defensive tackle Remi Ayodele.

Philadelphia Eagles set to battle against San Francisco 49ers.The Eagles are facing the prospect of being without running back Brian Westbrook for Sunday’s important game against the San Francisco 49ers. RB Brian Westbrook fractured two ribs in Sunday’s loss to the Washington Redskins. He hasn’t been ruled out of this week’s game against San Francisco yet. But it seems unlikely he’ll play at this point.

These are turning into anxious times for the 49ers. They have lost two consecutive games and have difficult upcoming tests against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. One of the 49ers’ weaknesses has been its rushing defense.

Winless St. Louis Rams squares with Washington Redskins 4-1 on Sunday. After a tumultuous week that began with the firing of head coach Scott Linehan and ended with their scheduled bye week, the Rams are looking forward to a win this Sunday versus Redskins. Unfortunately, the Rams’ next three games are against Washington, Dallas and New England, teams that have a current combined record of 11-3.

Washington Redskins offense is sixth in the league after five games, the last four of which have been victories, including impressive triumphs over NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia on the road.

Preview of 2008 MLB American and National League Championship Series

2008-10-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

2008 MLB National League Championship Series (NLCS) kicks off Thursday between NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-seven series match.

Philadelphia will have home field advantage for this series due to their better regular-season record.

This series marks the first postseason meeting for the Phillies and Dodgers since the 1983 NLCS, which Philadelphia won 3-1 en route to a loss to Baltimore in the World Series. It also marks the first NLCS for both teams since the Division Series was instituted in 1994. Overall, this is the fourth time these two teams have met in the postseason. In addition to the 1983 NLCS, the Dodgers defeated the Phillies 3-1 in the NLCS in both 1977 and 1978.

Going on to the 2008 MLB American League Championship Series (ALCS) features the match up of Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL championship series Friday night.

Tampa Bay was worst in the majors last year, but they have turned things around and will play for a spot in the World Series.

Tampa Bay, which never won more than 70 games during its 10 previous seasons, went from 96 losses last year to 97 wins and passed the big-spending Red Sox and New York Yankees in the AL East.

No longer bedeviled, the Rays won all year with young talent and improved pitching. Andy Sonnanstine, who pitched a three-hit shutout against the White Sox at Tropicana Field in April, reversed a late-season slide that saw him go winless in his final seven starts.

Tampa Bay will have home field advantage, since by rule a wild card qualifier cannot have home field advantage in an LDS or LCS.

2008 NFL Week 4 Preview, Picks and Odds

2008-09-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Cardinals meets New York Jets Sunday night to open week 4 festivities of the 2008-09 NFL Season.

Cardinals blew a chance to go 3-0 for the first time since 1974, but they didn’t seem too fret about it. If they beat the Jets, they will be 3-1 for the first time since 1985, three years before they moved to Arizona. WR Larry Fitzgerald’s 62-yard touchdown catch was the longest scoring play of his career. Fitzgerald had 109 yards receiving, the 15th time in his career that he’s passed the 100-yard mark.

For the New York, one concern would be if Brett Favre will play on Sunday after rolling his ankle during the third quarter of the Jets’ 48-29 loss at San Diego on Monday. But coach Eric Mangini said that Favre is expected to play against Arizona. Favre has started NFL-record 256 straight regular-season games. Mangini said Favre received some treatment on the ankle when the team arrived home early Tuesday morning, and the quarterback was scheduled for more later in the evening. Favre was inconsistent against the Chargers, going 30-of-42 for 271 yards and three touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions, including one returned 52 yards for a score by defensive back Antonio Cromartie. He and some of his receivers appeared out of sync at times, something Favre has warned would take some time to perfect after playing in Green Bay’s offensive system for the past 16 seasons.

Pick the Cardinals to win by two touchdowns.

Tampa Bay faces another tough, NFC North opponent when the Bucs host the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium.

Bucs believe they can grab some momentum from their 27-24 overtime win over the Chicago Bears Sunday. The victory improved the Bucs to 2-1 and left them in a three-way logjam atop the NFC South with Carolina and Atlanta while New Orleans is 1-2. Griese, who threw three interceptions in the Bucs’ 27-24 overtime win over the Bears, attempted a club record 67-passes Sunday, completing 38 for 407 yards and two touchdowns in his second straight start.

For the Green Bay Packers, they look to bounce back after suffering a 27-16 defeat to the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Green Bay’s season average against the run swelled to 151 yards per game. Head coach Mike McCarthy announced Monday that No. 3 halfback Kregg Lumpkin suffered a strained hamstring in the Packers’ 27-16 setback to Dallas on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

Pick Tampa to win by 10.

Tennessee Titans look to make it four in a row with a victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Titans/Oilers franchise has never been 4-0 in its 49-year history. The Titans are aiming to fill that power void as one of four unbeaten teams in the conference so far, say it is far too early to begin checking the standings or scoreboard watching.

Vikings Gus Frerotte got a positive feedback from coach Brad Childress after the veteran quarterback made his first start of the season. Frerotte, who replaced second-year starter Tarvaris Jackson after the Vikings fell to 0-2, completed 16 of 28 passes for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Vikings’ 20-10 victory over Carolina at the Metrodome.
Titans to route the Vikings early in the first half.

Two winless teams – Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns slug it out on Sunday and would like to earn their first taste of victory in 2008 NFL Season.

Coach Marvin Lewis pleased with the improvement in the pass offense, despite the six sacks. Carson Palmer was 27-for-39 passing for 286 yards and his first touchdown of the season. T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught the touchdown and 11 other passes for 146 yards.

“We still have to work it and make sure we’re being exact and give (Palmer) the opportunity to deliver the ball where he thinks it ought to be delivered and make sure we’re always in the right spots with everyone,” Lewis said.

The question still continues on quarterback Derek Anderson who had his third consecutive poor game in Cleveland’s 28-10 loss to Baltimore, throwing for 125 yards with three interceptions. Anderson completed 14-of-37 passes, and now has completed just 46 percent of his throws, with two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Coach Romeo Crennel said he would evaluate every position on the team in an effort to save the Browns’ season.

Jacksonville Jaguars showed everyone they can and avoided a 0-3 start. Can they make it two in a row against the Houston Texans Sunday? Another question for them is whether they can duplicate their 236-yard effort on other teams besides the Colts. Or even get 150 yards after they got a total of 131 while losing their first two games. The questions will be answered versus Texans, who will solely rely on Mario Williams plays in the backfield. Houston will need to keep up the defensive momentum to have a fighting chance against the Jags.

Atlanta Falcons will depend on the performance of quarterback Matt Ryan when they face the Carolina Panthers. Ryan stepped up in the pocket and launched a pass 57 yards in the air to a streaking Roddy White, who scored on a 70-yard touchdown. Ryan tossed a 62-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins in the season opener against Detroit after setting up the play with Turner’s runs. Look for the Panthers to win this game against the rebuilding Falcons.

Denver Broncos tries to make it four in a row against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. Coch Mike Shanahan is unlikely to change from the three-headed running back approach that he has used in the first three games. Selvin Young starts but rotates every five plays with Andre Hall. Michael Pittman has been effective near the goal line and in short-yardage situations. Denver has averaged 4.8 yards per carry so far this year. Kansas City Chiefs wants to end their woeful season with a win. They must regroup and make things happen if they want to snap their 12 game losing streak dating back to last season.

The Saints are having a tough season so far and they will be playing home against the San Francisco 49ers, which 49ers were equally bad on offense and defense. But with their 31-13 victory over Detroit Lions on Sunday at Candlestick Park, the 49ers find themselves around the top third of the league in both offense and defense. Good news for the Saints is that Saints cornerback Mike McKenzie played in his first regular-season game since Dec. 23, 2007 in Sunday’s matchup with the Denver Broncos.

San Diego Chargers have started to look better each week and this time they will face the struggling Oakland Raiders. Chargers finally played up to their lofty expectations by dismantling the Jets, 48-29. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers added another solid performance to what has been a terrific start to the season. He was 19-for-25 passing for 250 yards and three touchdowns Monday and is the NFL’s leader in TD passes. Rivers has nine, while Denver’s Jay Cutler (eight) and Arizona’s Kurt Warner (six) follow behind. Pick the Chargers to win over the Oakland Raiders.
Unbeaten Buffalo Bills (3-0) takes on the winless St. Louis Rams (0-3) Sunday. Trent Edwards is a having a career start. He has only 12 NFL starts to his credit, but he already has three fourth-quarter comeback victories. His first came against Washington last year, and now he has back-to-back wins against Jacksonville and Oakland. In beating the Raiders he set new career highs for attempts (39), completions (24) and yards passing (279) and was particularly sharp in the fourth quarter when he went 13 of 18 for 177 yards which resulted in 17 points. On the other hand, Rams’ owner Chip Rosenbloom said changes would be made if the poor performances continued. Going back to the final three games of the 2007 season, the Rams have now allowed 33, 41, 48, 38, 41 and 37 points in six consecutive losses and been outscored, 238-86.

Pick the Bills to have an easy win over the Rams.

The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants are the teams in the NFC to beat. The Washington Redskins might be able to hang around with them for a quarter or two, but eventually the Cowboys will pull away in this NFC East match up. WR Antwaan Randle El has 14 catches and 149 yards, putting him on pace to surpass the career-high 51 and 728 yards he set last season.

The Chicago Bears gave away the game last weekend. While the Philadelphia Eagles, beat a very tough Pittsburgh team. The Eagles have looked good even when they’ve lost this year, and this week Kyle Orton will be having nightmares about defensive coordinator Jim Johnson and his exotic blitzes. WR Hank Baskett had a career-high eight catches against the Steelers. Baskett was in the game for 41 of 64 offensive snaps, the most of any of the team’s wideouts, including rookie DeSean Jackson.

Baltimore Ravens' defense looks like it’s back while the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense hasn’t gone anywhere, so look for this game to go down to the wire. This is going to be a good old-fashioned grind-it-out football game. Two very good running teams even without Willie Parker who are also two of the best in the league at stuffing the run. Big Ben is going to have to make a play with his arm to win this game in the fourth quarter. Good news for Ravens strong safety Dawan Landry is expected to return this season after sustaining a spinal cord concussion in Sunday's 28-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Latest College Football Rankings

2008-09-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

College Football fans here's the latest AP and USA Today Polls and Rankings.

AP Top 25
1. USC (61) 2-0 1,596
2. Oklahoma 3-0 1,485
3. Georgia (2) 3-0 1,437
4. Florida (1) 2-0 1,414
5. Missouri 3-0 1,389
6. LSU 2-0 1,274
7. Texas 2-0 1,140
8. Wisconsin 3-0 1,076
9. Alabama 3-0 982
10. Auburn 3-0 958
11. Texas Tech 3-0 904
12. South Florida 3-0 801
13. Ohio State 2-1 800
14. Brigham Young 3-0 788
15. East Carolina 3-0 781
16. Penn State 3-0 779
17. Oregon 3-0 679
18. Wake Forest 2-0 482
19. Kansas 2-1 445
20. Utah 3-0 428
21. West Virginia 1-1 179
22. Illinois 2-1 163
23. Clemson 2-1 160
24. Florida State 2-0 146
25. Fresno State 1-1 121

Others Receiving Votes
Vanderbilt 63, Oklahoma State 62, TCU 45, Boise State 38, Arizona State 36, North Carolina 31, Virginia Tech 28, Nebraska 21, Tennessee 15, Connecticut 13, Iowa 12, Kentucky 6, Tulsa 6, Northwestern 4, Notre Dame 4, Minnesota 4, Arizona 2, UCF 1, Ball State 1, South Carolina 1.

Dropped From Rankings
Arizona State 15, California 23.

USA Today Poll
1. USC (57) 2-0 1,518
2. Oklahoma (1) 3-0 1,423
3. Georgia (2) 3-0 1,393
4. Florida (1) 2-0 1,335
5. Missouri 3-0 1,294
6. LSU 2-0 1,233
7. Texas 2-0 1,128
8. Wisconsin 3-0 1,027
9. Auburn 3-0 955
10. Texas Tech 3-0 887
11. Brigham Young 3-0 846
12. Oregon 3-0 783
13. Alabama 3-0 771
14. Ohio State 2-1 736
15. Penn State 3-0 724
16. South Florida 3-0 685
17. East Carolina 3-0 508
18. Wake Forest 2-0 498
19. Kansas 2-1 416
20. Utah 3-0 400
21. Clemson 2-1 233
22. West Virginia 1-1 159
23. Illinois 2-1 127
24. Arizona State 2-1 113
25. Florida State 2-0 110

Others Receiving Votes
Fresno State 93, TCU 76, Nebraska 49, Boise State 43, Kentucky 40, Oklahoma State 39, Tennessee 34, Virginia Tech 31, Connecticut 27, Vanderbilt 20, North Carolina 19, Iowa 14, Northwestern 10, California 7, Notre Dame 5, Michigan State 5, Colorado 3, Boston College 2, Ball State 2, Georgia Tech 2, Tulsa 2.

Dropped From Rankings
Fresno State 21, California 25.

source: USA Today.com

Tom Brady suffers season-ending injury

2008-09-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will likely be out of action at least six to nine months after suffering a season-ending knee injury in week of the 2008-09 NFL Regular Season, according to orthopedic surgeons, but the good news is that quarterbacks typically return to pre-injury form more quickly than other athletes.

The Patriots announced yesterday that Tom Brady will miss the rest of the season because of the the injury to his left knee. Coach Bill Belichick declined to release any further information about the injury, but Brady is believed to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, because of the angle of the tackle and the amount of time the team said he would miss.

The ACL is a fibrous band of tissue that runs from the thigh bone to the shin bone and provides stability for the knee during jumping, cutting and pivoting maneuvers. It is one of four major ligaments in the knee, and an ACL tear is one of the most common knee injuries suffered by athletes. It's possible Brady also suffered other damage to his knee, which could lengthen his recovery.

Orthopedic surgeons who routinely work with athletes say quarterbacks generally place less strain on their knees than athletes whose positions require more explosive, side-to-side movement. "Quarterbacks, in my experience, return more quickly then running backs and wide receivers, the guys who have to do the quick cutting and planting maneuvers," said Dr.Paul Weitzel, an orthopedic surgeon at the Boston Sports & Shoulder Center, which is affiliated with New England Baptist Hospital.

Weitzel, who has viewed the video of the tackle that ended Brady's season and is not involved in his care, said the injury also likely includes damage to his medial collateral ligament, or MCL, which also connects the thigh bone to the shin bone.

"Fifty percent of ACL tears have a secondary injury at the same time," Weitzel said. Dr. Frederick Azar, an orthopedic surgeon at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tenn., said that the MCL tends to be the first ligament damaged, either strained or torn, when an athlete's knee sustains a tackle or sudden blow. He said such injuries typically also include some damage to the rubbery cartilage that cushions the bones inside the knee, known as meniscus. Recovery can be more difficult and take longer if cartilage is torn, he said.

"Sometimes you can repair (meniscus), if you can't, you tear out the torn part and leave the rest," said Azar, who is the team physician for the NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies, and is also on the board of directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Brady's injury summons up images of the knee damage suffered by another NFL quarterback, Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals. He had a successful comeback.

Palmer tore his ACL and MCL back in 2006, during a playoff game. He underwent surgery two days later and was back in uniform to start the season opener exactly nine months later.

"He played very sparingly in the pre-season leading up to the (opening) game," said Bengals team spokesman Jack Brennan. "But he has been fully healthy since the rehab and the recovery He played every game of the 2006 and 2007 season."

Suffering the same injury was Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb tore his ACL back in November 2006 and was able to return to action in a preseason game in August 2007.
When Tom Brady will undergo surgery is not clear, but some specialists prefer to wait several days and perhaps a week to perform ACL surgery, to allow the swelling from the injury to subside. In some cases, professional athletes perform exercises, known as prehabilitation, even before surgery.

"Studies have suggested that patients that do prehabilitation do better because they don’t lose as much strength and range of motion and you can control the swelling," said Dr. Julio Martinez-Silvestrini, a rehabilitation specialist known as a physiatrist who works at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Silvestrini is the team doctor for the New England Mutiny, a professional women's soccer team.

"Athletes tend to recover faster from surgery if they do prehabilitation, but the end result after a year will be exactly the same" if you don’t have prehabilitation, Silvestrini said. "But if you have an athlete who wants to play immediately, prehabilitation may get them back closer to six months rather than nine."

Preview of New York Yankees - Chicago White Sox three game season series

2008-09-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

With just over two weeks left in the 2008-09 MLB Season, the New York Yankees are still searching for answers on what seems to be a disappointing year for them in the American League East. Yankees have a 78-70 (win-loss) slate and if things continue to go downwards they might not play in the playoffs.

Monday night they battle the American League Central leader Chicago White Sox 81-65 mark. Pitching coach Don Cooper has been juggling his rotation every way he can so that it lines up how the club wants it to, and that means that the club is prepared to bring LHP Mark Buehrle, RHP Gavin Floyd and RHP Lance Broadway each back on short rest to pitch in against New York Yankees in their three-game season series starting Monday night at the Yankee Stadium.

Starting off of the match up between Chicago White Sox’s Mark Buehrle, a left handed pitcher who has a (13-11, 3.88) and New York Yankees’ Alfredo Aceves. Buehrle stepped up when the White Sox needed a victory to end a three-game losing skid on Wednesday, pitched like an ace against Toronto and Roy Halladay. The left-hander allowed seven hits and two walks over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out six. He improved his record to 10-3 at U.S. Cellular and made his 30th start for a club-record eighth consecutive season. Buehrle has not faced the Yankees this season but has a dismal 1-5 career mark, with a 6.58 ERA, against the Bronx Bombers. Buehrle is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA at Yankee Stadium, making his final start at the historic ballpark.

One thing is for sure for this 25-year-old right-hander is that he can draw some early consideration for next year's rotation mix if he's able to keep the same level of confidence and composure as he opens New York's series with the White Sox. Alfredo Aceves threw 63 of his 89 pitches for strikes, walking none and striking out two, and turned a nifty double play to help his cause. The Mexican League product is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA through his first 14 big league innings.

For the second encounter between these two struggling teams vying for a spot in the playoffs, White Sox Gavin Floyd was flawless for seven innings against Toronto but as one of baseball’s hottest teams in the 2008-09 MLB Season, , Blue Jays caught Floyd four times in the eighth, as part of a six-run rally, ending Floyd's five-game winning streak and a stretch of nine straight starts without a loss. Floyd struck out two and walked one over 7 1/3 innings, giving him 125 strikeouts and 67 walks over 181 1/3 innings this season. Floyd received a no-decision against the Yankees this season, having allowed five runs in six innings during his lone start, and has no lifetime mark against New York either. Tuesday marks his second appearance and first start at Yankee Stadium.

Meanwhile, Andy Pettitte's struggles on the mound continued on Wednesday as he gave up four runs on nine hits to make an early exit after just 4 2/3 innings. He delivered a solid performance until the fifth inning, when he got into trouble and found himself in a bases-loaded jam. It marked Pettitte's fourth straight losing decision. While he is traditionally successful in the second half of the season, the veteran has posted a 3-6 record with a 5.43 ERA since the All-Star break. He has not faced the White Sox this season and looking forward to bring his A-game against Gavin Floyd.

As for the final day of their three-game season series White Sox’s Ozzie Guillen was going to use Lance Broadway on Sunday against the Tigers, but a series of rainouts made the right-hander unnecessary. Since no other starter will be available on Wednesday, Broadway is the likely to go. He has made one previous start this season, getting the win over Kansas City by allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings on Aug. 14, but he has not been nearly as effective pitching out of the bullpen, as his 8.49 ERA indicates.

Phil Hughes is likely to get the call on Wednesday as the Yankees play the third of four games with the White Sox of the MLB 2008 Season. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday after helping to pitch his club to an International League championship, going 1-0 with an 0.69 ERA in postseason play. Hughes has not pitched in the big leagues since April 29 in Detroit, where he suffered a stress fracture in his ninth rib on the right side. He started against the White Sox on April 24 in Chicago but left after two innings due to rain.

source: MLB.com

Week 2 Preview NFL Regular Season 2008

2008-09-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

Week 2 of the 2008-09 NFL Regular Season resumes Sunday afternoon starting off with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Detroit Lions. QB Aaron Rodgers filled in the spot of Brett Favre as they trounced the Minnesota Vikings 24-19 in their first game. Aaron Rodgers did a solid job scrambling for first downs and plunging into the end zone.

Rodgers—who spent most of the past three seasons backing up Favre after the Packers drafted him in the first round in 2005—passed his first real test Monday, going 18-of-22 for 178 yards with passing and rushing touchdowns. For the Detroit Lions, even though they lost their game 34-21 against Atlanta, the team is still confident and declared that they just had a bad game. “We had a bad day - a bad day at the office, no doubt about it,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “But this is a group I saw Saturday night. It’s the same group, and I like them. I like them a lot. It’s a group I feel good about, and they will respond.”

Tennessee Titans looks for a 2-0 start when they clash Cincinnati Bengals. With QB Vince Young possibly on the shelf for a while, the Titans now turn their attention to backup QB Kerry Collins, who came off the bench Sunday and completed both of his passes for 65 yards, leading to the clinching touchdown.

Collins, a 14-year veteran, is eager to get a chance to contribute over the next few weeks.
“One of the problems with being a backup is that the team wins, and you don’t really get to be a part of it,” the former first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers said.

Cincinnati Bengals T.J. Houshmandzadeh said the offense “sucked” in the Bengals’ season-opening loss. He was asked Monday if his assessment held up after watching film—and it did. The Bengals ranked dead last in NFL rankings in total offense and pass offense, 27th in rush defense and 23rd in rush offense and total defense.

After the first week into the 2008 season the Bills are pretty happy with the trade that cost them third- and fifth-round picks in 2008. Marcus Stroud played a key role in Buffalo’s dismantling of the Seattle offense as the Bills held the Seahawks to 252 yards and won in a romp, 34-10 and will be ready when they face his former team Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jaguars will be shorthanded in this game as they lost their two starting guards, Vince Manuwai and Mo Williams, for the season with injuries suffered Sunday in Tennessee. Coach Jack Del Rio announced Monday that Manuwai suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, will undergo reconstructive surgery and will be lost for the season. The Jaguars couldn’t find any running room and gave up on it quickly. Fred Taylor had 18 yards in nine carries and Maurice Jones-Drew had 13 yards in five carries. The tone was set on the first play when Taylor was thrown for a two-yard loss.

The goal for the Indiana Colts heading into Sunday’s road trip versus Minnesota Vikings is continue to improve. Indianapolis failed to stop Chicago rookie Matt Forte in the Colts’ 29-13 loss to the Bears Sunday night. Their task will get a lot tougher this week with the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson. Indianapolis’ defense has struggled in stopping the run in recent years, but there has been a sharp improvement in that category over the last two seasons. But not so in the Chicago game. For the Vikings’ side, although they lost their season opener Vikings coach Brad Childress is optimistic about Tarvaris Jackson’s improvement several times during the off season. But the only problem was Jackson did not show any real progress as the Vikings opened the season with a 24-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday night at Lambeau Field. Adding insult to their loss, Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen had no tackles in his first game as a member of the Vikings on Monday after being acquired from Kansas City in the offseason. “This is one of the least productive games I’ve had in my life,” said Allen, who had 15.5 sacks last season. “I’m not going to let that happen again. They did some things to take me out of my rhythm, but there’s ways I’m going to make plays. I’m just going to work harder.”

New Orleans Saints had a stellar start as they battered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-20. The four-point win for the Saints means 14 of the last 19 matchups between the teams since 1992 have been decided by a touchdown or less—with the Saints holding a 9-5 edge in those close contests. For their opponent this Sunday, Washington Redskins would like to bounce back from a loss they suffered against New York Giants in their season opener. WR Santana Moss didn’t have big numbers on Thursday (five catches, 37 yards), but he did score Washington’s only touchdown. Moss has 29 catches for 530 yards and five touchdowns in seven games as a Redskin against the Giants.

Things are looking good for the Atlanta Falcons as Falcons running backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood rushed for a team-record 318 yards behind a revamped offensive line and they will try to carry on when they meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team that lost their season opener. And their woes continue to pile up as Quarterback Jeff Garcia has an ankle sprain and is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. If Garcia is fails to play, veteran Brian Griese would likely start against the Falcons. And third quarterback Luke McCown might be back after he was the inactive against the Saints Sunday.

San Diego Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers would like to translate his words into actions when they play Denver Broncos Sunday. The loquacious quarterback Rivers said he plans on speaking with Cutler, just like he has every other time in the pregame warm-ups. Rivers has long said Cutler has among the most upside among quarterbacks in the league. Also Chargers are hoping that LaDainian Tomlinson’s toe is fine. Tomlinson was seen limping slightly after the game and X-rays were taken just to make sure the two-time defending NFL rushing leader will be OK Sunday. Broncos Eddie Royal was superb in the last game; the rookie second-round pick had nine catches for 146 yards against Oakland.

The focus for Houston Texans is how to rebound from a stifling defense just like the Pittsburgh Steelers and their next opponent will be the Baltimore Ravens who dominated in their season opener, thanks to an outstanding defense that gave up just 154 total yards.

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub must focus on taking care of the ball. He threw two interceptions and lost one fumble against the Steelers. He has a tendency to force throws instead of just throwing the ball away.

Oakland Raiders try to regroup after being mobbed in their last game 41-14 loss to Denver. Oakland Raiders’ receivers struggled to get open for JaMarcus Russell until the game was well out of hand and the line often did not give the young quarterback ample time to throw.

Chicago Bears battle the Carolina Panthers as both teams are coming from wins and would like to carry the momentum in the early start of the 2008 NFL Season. Carolina are fresh of a win with the help of f DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined to out-gain San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson 139-97 on the ground in Carolina’s 26-24 win at Qualcomm Stadium. While the Bears saw a bright future in the name of rookie running back Matt Forte made a great impression on his coaches and veteran teammates with a 50-yard TD run.

New York Giants will still rely on Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Buress. The duo of Jacobs and Buress gave offense to the Giants as running back Brandon Jacobs 21 for 116 yards for the game and wide receiver Plaxico Burress who was 10 for 133 for the game), but perhaps more impressive was the fact that Jacobs had 74 yards in 11 carries in the first half and Burress while seven catches for 98 yards.

While the St. Louis Rams try to recover from their blow out loss to the Philadelphia Eagles 38-3. The Eagles had just two third-down plays that needed 10 yards or more. The Rams had six, including distances of 15, 16, 18 and 21 yards.

Tom Brady’s season ending loss is definitely a huge blow for the campaign of the New England Patriots but his teammates need to step up for another a successful season and a potential return to the Super Bowl. Their opponent this Sunday is the New York Jets, the Brett Favre will continue but Coach Eric Mangini doesn’t want his team giving the Patriots any bulletin-board material as they prepare to start untested Matt Cassel at quarterback against the Jets on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals collide Sunday. Things need to improve on both teams as the Cardinals must improve their red-zone offense. Last year, the Cardinals finished third in the league, scoring touchdowns 68 percent of the time they were inside an opponent’s 20. For the Dolphins side, twenty of quarterback Chad Pennington’s 26 completions weren’t to the receivers. However, tight ends Anthony Fasano and David Martin combined for 12 receptions for 137 yards and two scores. It’s the first time that two different Dolphins tight ends have had a touchdown catch in the same game since Oct. 29, 2005 at Buffalo when Randy McMichael and Will Heller both accounted for scoring catches.

Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Cleveland Browns Sunday with the Steelers entering the season with questions in their offensive line, where they have two new starters and weren’t very good at protecting Roethlisberger the past two seasons (93 sacks). Roethlisberger was sacked twice by Mario Williams, but otherwise the line played a strong game. The Steelers had 183 yards rushing and Roethlisberger had plenty of time to throw, for the most part. For the Browns, they played dismally in a 28-10 loss to Dallas, giving up nearly 500 yards in offense and allowing the Cowboys to hold the ball for almost 38 minutes.

There were two main problems: A noticeable lack of a pass rush and poor coverage in the secondary. Terrell Owens, Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton all had strong games and got open almost at will.

And Monday Night Football in the NFL Season 2008 continues as the Philadelphia Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia Eagles Donovan McNabb had one of the best season-opening performances of his career Sunday, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles’ 38-3 win over the St. Louis Rams. McNabb completed passes to eight different receivers, including wideouts DeSean Jackson, Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett. All three finished with 100-plus receiving yards. Area of concern for the Cowboys is RB Marion Barber who left the Browns game in the third quarter with bruised ribs. X-rays taken after the game were negative. Coach Wade Phillips announced at his Monday afternoon press conference that Barber should be fine and ready to go for the Eagles game on Monday night.

Ohio State Buckeyes and USC Trojans renew their rivalry

2008-09-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Arguably two of the top programs ever seen in college football history collide in week 3 of the 2008-09 NCAA College Football Season as the Ohio State Buckeyes visit the USC Trojans.

Ohio State Buckeyes are on a roll starting the season with a 2-0 (win-loss) slate, beating Ohio 26-14 and Youngstown State 43-0, respectively. They come to Trojan’s territory gunning for their third straight win and prove that their win against Ohio was not a fluke.

The only area of concern for the visiting Buckeyes is the status of tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells who was sidelined with an injured foot in their last game. On the season-opener Wells ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in a season-opening 43-0 win over Youngstown State before getting hurt, and he was ninth in the nation last season with 1,609 rushing yards.

Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday he expects Wells will be able to play. The junior told Tressel on Monday that he’s “ready to carry 45 times on Saturday.” “The only way we can be successful on the road at Southern Cal is be at our best, I mean, there’s no way that we can do it if we’re not at our best,” Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. “So I think all of us in the whole locker room recognized after the (Ohio) game that we weren’t at our best.”

For the home team, USC will be led by quarterback Mark Sanchez, who is hoping to get USC back into the national title game this 2008-09 NCAA College Football Season after quarterback John David Booty was unable to do so the past two years. The Trojans have played in the last three Rose Bowls, including a loss to Texas for the 2006 national championship after beating Oklahoma for the BCS title the previous year.

Both teams have met in the Rose Bowl seven times and are squaring off for the first time in 18 years in the first game of the 2008-09 NCAA College Football Season between a pair of top-10 teams. USC has won 11 national championships, the Buckeyes have claimed seven. They played for one each of the last two years, but lopsided losses in both games - not to mention last week’s lackluster effort - have left the program with something to prove.

.

Hamilton will avenge his loss in the 2008 Italian Grand Prix

2008-09-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton tries to bounce back after being stripped of his win in Belgium Grand Prix in the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, the 14th race of the Formula 1 that will happen on 12 – 14 September at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy.

The 53-lap race is staged at the 5.793km (3.600-mile) Autodromo Nazionale di Monza and marks the end of F1’s European season. Monza is the oldest and fastest track on this year’s calendar. The circuit was built in 1922 and since the inception of the World Championship in 1950 has staged the Italian Grand Prix every year with the exception of 1980.

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton with 76 points leads the Drivers' Championships ahead of Felipe Massa of Ferrari by 2 points with Robert Kubica following in third with 22 points behind.

Looking at the race track, emphasis at Monza is on engine power and aerodynamic efficiency. As a result, the team will run a special low downforce aero package, which produces 30 percent fewer grips than the high down force generated at the slowest circuits on the calendar.

From a set-up point of view, the most demanding aspects of the lap are slowing the cars from high speed and getting the power down at the exit of the corners.

In addition, temperature will certainly play an important role in 2008 Italian Grand Prix. The autumnal Italian weather can be expected to provide warm-to-hot conditions that will suit Ferrari. Only on odd occasions, such as in 2004, has it been cool, which would play into McLaren’s hands.

If the weather on the race day cooperates this will be beneficial for Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen to win the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, if Massa wins he would overtake Hamilton in the Driver’s Championship.

But on the other hand, reliability has been a problem for Ferrari. Massa lost a certain win at the Hungaroring with a con rod failure, a repeat of which eliminated Raikkonen at Valencia. Massa’s unit is also being inspected the by FIA in accordance with their random check rules. Lewis Hamilton had his engine inspected in similar circumstances earlier this year.

There was not much to choose between McLaren and Ferrari during the F1 test at Monza at the end of last month. Heikki Kovalainen and Felipe Massa tested on the first two days and were within a tenth of a second of each other on both days. On the third day Hamilton was 0.4s faster than Raikkonen. Nico Rosberg was half a second faster than Kovalainen on the second day.

Week 3 of 2008-09 NCAA College Football Season

2008-09-10T01:49:00.000-07:00

2008-09 NCAA College Football Season continues on Week 3 starting Thursday night when North Carolina Tar Heels visit the winless Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

North Carolina won their first game beating McNeese State 35-27; they will try to carry the momentum going up against the hungry Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Knights got clobbered in their first game against Fresno State losing 7-24.

Friday’s game features the game between 14th seed Kansas Jayhawks and the 17th seed South Florida Bulls. Both teams are starting 2008-09 NCAA College Football with a strong campaign winning both their two games. Kansas Jayhawks blanked the Lousiana Tech 29-0 while South Florida whipped UCF Knights 31-24.

This will be an exciting match and looking forward for the three game winning streaks our pick would go on the Kansas Jayhawks winning by at least seven points.

Week 3 of the 2008-09 NCAA College Football kicks off Saturday with Georgia Bulldogs visiting the South Carolina Gamecocks. Problems continue to arise on the side of the Bulldogs, aside from not being chosen as the No. 1 in the coaches’ poll, injury struck senior defensive tackle Jeff Owens. Depth has become the biggest issue for the Bulldogs, who face a brutal schedule as they will face the South Carolina Gamecock, who has a 1-1 win loss mark. Our pick for this game – Bulldogs by slimmest of margin.

UCLA Bruins led by their head coach Rick Neuheisel could not asked for more as the UCLA beat no. 18 Tennessee 27-24 in a wild season opener. They will face the BYU Cougars who also won their first two assignments with the last one against Washington.

Number one seed USC Trojans faces one of their toughest tasks early in the season as they battle 3rd seed Ohio State Buckeyes. USC’s 52-7 win over Virginia paved the way to experiment on his team. He got to use three different quarterbacks. Six different running backs carried the ball.And, more than a handful of Trojans were able to make their debuts.According to the participation reports, and eight different true freshmen took the field for the Trojans, getting their first taste of collegiate competition. But this won’t probably happen as they will face Ohio State Buckeyes, who has a 2-0 mark. Our pick for this game – USC Trojans cover the spread by a field goal.

Next up is the game between Wisconsin Badgers and Fresno State Bulldogs. Badgers dismantled their previous opponent Marshall 51-14 while Fresno State won over Rutgers 24-7. Our pick for this game would be the Badgers winning by three touchdowns.

Washington Huskies would like to join the winning column as they play the blazing Oklahoma Broyles who have all of their assignment in the early season of the 2008-09 NCAA College Football.

Pinoy Cager drops 82 points in a High School game

2008-09-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

A junior player from Jose Rizal University unleashed a record-breaking 82 points in a
high school game in the 84th NCAA Juniors basketball tournament as they clobbered Mapua University 127-49 at the Cuneta Astrodome Friday afternoon.

Keith Agovida, an 18-year-old, 6-foot-1 scoring machine made 36 of 50 from the field, 10 of 16 from the free throw line, collared 15 boards, added five steals and swatted five blocks. Just like that Keith Agovida had supplanted the previous record of 71 points by Letran Knights’ Erwin Bolabola in the late 1970’s and also he broke the highest single-game scoring output by a professional player in Philippine basketball 79 points made by Allan Caidic in the P hilippine Basketball Association (PBA) back in 1987.

According to NCAA officials Agovida is now NCAA’s highest scorer in over 80 years. Agovida scored on nearly every possession, tallying 23, 13, 20 and 26 in the first, second, third and fourth quarters respectively. He was the NCAA Rookie of the Year in 2007. His previous high was 57 points which he registered in the first-round meeting versus the same team Mapua University and coming to game he was averaging whopping 30.9 points per game.

Kobe What?

Agovida's spectacular feat erased the 81 points scored by Kobe Bryant on Jan. 22, 2006 when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 122-104. The 81 points scored by Bryant was the second highest single-game point total in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 over 40 years ago.

But despite the scoring barrage made by Agovida, his team JRU Light bombers remained third in the standings with an 8-4 card, behind four-peat seeking San Sebastian and Letran.

1972 Miami Dolphins benchmark of teams in NFL

2008-09-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

This 2008-09 NFL Season, one can expect that history will again be re-written and records to be broken but the biggest question remains in NFL history is that can an NFL team match the perfect mark set by the 1972 Miami Dolphins?

Everyone know that the New England Patriots almost did the impossible winning all 16 2007-08 NFL Regular Season games but only to falter in the Super Bowl against the mighty New York Giants.

Looking back, the 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to have a "Perfect season", and win the Super Bowl, following the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Their undefeated campaign was led by Coach Don Shula and notable teammates Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka among many others. This team went 14-0 in the regular season prior to the extension of the regular season by the NFL, and won all three playoff games, including Super Bowl VII against the Washington Redskins, for a season record of 17-0.

The only answer one can give is that this remarkable feat can be done with the right players on the team. In the case of the Patriots, The first half was on the Pats side, but that slipped away as a defensive line kill them all through the second half. It's all about mentality, who wants it more, and not letting it get too much in your head, or too far away to make it a reality. This year even though its still preseason Patriots can not run their ball, create some offense and with their defense. They are showing a very weak form compared to last year.

As far as other teams are concerned, we've seen so many other teams try to do that, the '85 Bears are the best example, and then the Bears that went to the Super Bowl against the Colts, Miami torched them 31-13, the Vikings lost at 13-0, the Colts at 13-0. And the Broncos at 13-0. Teams have lasted well into the season only to be "upset" by another team.

For the 1972 Miami Dolphins, they had the right players that fit their system, players on the ground during that time were running backs Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The offensive line included future Hall of Fame members Jim Langer and Larry Little and Pro Bowler Bob Kuechenberg. The 1972 Dolphins defensive unit, called the No-Name Defense because Miami’s impressive offense received much more publicity, was the league’s best that year. It was led by linebacker Nick Buoniconti, end Bill Stanfill, tackle Manny Fernandez, and safeties Dick Anderson and Jake Scott.

Will this be the year for the record of the 1972 Miami Dolphins to be broken? Let us all find out in this year’s 2008-09 NFL Regular Season.

Preview of Week 1 2008-09 NFL Regular Season

2008-09-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

2008-09 NFL Regular Season kick-starts with a 16-game schedule on Week 1 beginning on Thursday as the Washington Redskins tackle the New York Giants in the season opener.

New York Giants started an awful season with 0-2 and no one considered them to be a Super Bowl contender. But the Giants went 10-4 the rest of the way, then won four straight road games in the playoffs to capture their third Super Bowl championship. New York, which won 11 consecutive games away from Giants Stadium, ended New England’s bid for a perfect season with a 17-14 victory that is arguably the biggest upset in the Super Bowl history. However, the Redskins will be looking to do the same thing under new coach Jim Zorn, who replaces Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs.

Washington went 9-7 last season, winning its final four games following a four-game slide to make the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Redskins, though, lost 35-14 to Seattle in the wild-card round.

Football mania continues Sunday afternoon as 13 NFL teams of the 2008-09 NFL Regular Season will play beginning at 1pm. St. Louis Rams led by Steven Jackson could be more effective under new offensive coordinator Al Saunders as they battle Philadelphia Eagles. Cincinnati Bengals go up against the hard-nosed defense but at the same time questionable offense of Baltimore Ravens. As for the case of Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could be the weakest points at some position this start of the year as they take on New Orleans Saints, who has improved in terms of paper on defense but the question remains if the new pieces on the puzzle will fit together.

New York Jets new look team that consist new faces like Brett Favre, Alan Faneca, Kris Jenkins, and Calvin Pace will help make the Jets competitive against the Miami Dolphins. Kansas City will have their hands full with New England’s combination of Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Tennessee Titans has been a very solid team where it really counts; on both the offensive and defensive lines as this will be seen when they encounter Jacksonville Jaguars. Detroit Lions’ Rod Marinelli is overhauling this roster with players that fit his mold, and this is expected to show this season starting the game versus Atlanta Falcons.

Rounding up the 1pm of 2008 NFL game Week 1 are Seattle Seahawks taking on Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans visits Pittsburgh Steelers.

2008-09 NFL Regular Season resumes at 4:15 pm as Cleveland Browns are coming off a 10-6 season, the Browns defense, which was among the worst in the league in 2007, received a significant upgrade during the off season as their defense will be tested against the talent-laden squad of the Dallas Cowboys.

San Diego Chargers are one of the favorites to be a shoe in for the playoffs as they are one of the most talented teams in the league facing one of the easiest schedules pitted versus Carolina Panthers.

Arizona Cardinals engage season opener war versus San Francisco 49ers, while Chicago Bears takes on Indianapolis Colts led by superstar Peyton Manning.

2008-09 NFL Regular Season go on with games between Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers team of Brett Favre. Last game features Denver Broncos battling Oakland Raiders Justin Fargas and rookie Darren McFadden.

Felipe Massa poised to win 2008 Formula 1 World Championship

2008-09-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

Six Formula 1 World Championship remain to know who will be this year’s king of Formula One Racing. Will it back to back World Championship for Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari or will McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton snatch the most coveted crown in car racing or can Felipe Massa outrace Hamilton?

With the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix set at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium this coming 7 September, and the top three formula one racers will try to keep their momentum going to gain crucial much needed points.

Current leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren has 70 total points, he finished second right behind Felipe Massa of Ferrari of their last race at 2008 Formula 1 Telefonica Grand Prix of Europe. He leads Massa by six points. Ferrari teammates Felipe Massa of Brazil follows closely at second with 64 total points while Kimi Raikkonen of Finland is right behind at third with 57 points. Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen of McLaren round up the fourth and fifth spot with 55 and 43 total points respectively.

Now that Ferrari teammates are at the second and third spot of the 2008 Formula 1 Driver Standings, who will be the favorites to overtake and snatch the lead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton coming to the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix.

One expert says that 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen is out of the running for the 2008 Formula One World Championships.

Ferrari legend Niki Lauda believes that 2008 championship is set to be a down-to-the-wire battle of Ferrari versus McLaren. Although Massa has only slight edge in total points over teammate Raikkonen, the Austrian, who won the drivers' championship with the Scuderia in 1975 and 1977 has more trust in Massa rather than Raikkonen going in the 13th race of Formula One Season.
Up until now [the battle] has been [between] Massa and Hamilton because Raikkonen's performance has been going up and down all the time," the 59-year-old said.

"For the moment Massa has the edge over Raikkonen from a driver's point of view." Lauda added that Raikkonen is "clearly not" in the hunt to defend his crown while Massa did a "perfect job" in Hungary until his engine failed.

Denver Broncos preview in 2008-09 NFL Regular Season

2008-08-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

Three years without a playoff appearance for Mike Shanahan and the Denver Broncos is an absolute drought. Worse yet, there are good players on this roster but not many exciting names or potential stars.

The Denver Broncos averaged 24.7 points per game 12th in the league and allowed 26.6 points 24th against a schedule featuring five games against 2007 playoff teams.

But there good things that Denver Broncos fans have something to look forward in the 2008-09 NFL Regular Season with their infamous running game is still considered to be a successful formula. With the high altitude that improves conditioning, zone blocking and no nonsense cut and go style Denver will always produce great system runners.

Denver Broncos needs a little luck in terms of injury and a back that understands the one cut and go system. With key additions on the team like LB Boss Bailey – who can instantly provide productive minutes alongside D.J Williams in the 2008-09 NFL Regular Season.

But the team on the Mile High City will need some little luck with injury with some serious consideration to start the season with Center Tom Nalen, who is having a surgery on his knee. Add to that the disappointing season that Travis Henry had last year.

Running back Ryan Torain will be the key factor for the success of Denver Broncos’ running game. Running Back Selvin Young did pretty well as a back up last year did as he was able to get 700 hundred yards. An interesting question is how Denver Broncos will manage this team with Andre hall and Michael Pittman back in the lineup.

2008-09 NFL Regular Season is just around the corner and fans are all excited to see some football action.

NCAA College Football 2008

2008-08-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

As the NCAA College Football 2008 kicks off next week with a 14-game schedule, NCAA College Football teams have already geared up and made up the adjustments to win the coveted crown in College Football.

There are three exciting games that you should not miss next week, August 28 as the 23rd seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons visit the Baylor Bears to mark the start of the NCAA College Football 2008.

Last season proved that Wake Forest’s 2006 success was no fluke and that the program will continue to be a contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The success was not as substantial, but still the Demon Deacons put together a nine win season and hung in the Atlantic division race. With a host of defensive players returning and a majority of the skill players on offense, Coach Jim Grobe will look to take the next big step this year.

With 15 starters returning, Wake Forest doesn’t go into the season with a whole lot of questions, which is a major change from past seasons.

“We’ve been in the position before where we’ve come into August without a very good feel about our starters,” coach Jim Grobe says. “We’re in a pretty good situation now where we’re trying to develop our depth.”

Other key returnees for Wake Forest in this year's NCAA College Football 2008 are LB Stanley Arnoux, LB Aaron Curry, CB Brandon Ghee, OT Jeff Griffin, QB Brett Hodges, LB Chantz McClinic, G Barrett McMillin, S Kevin Patterson, DE Matt Robinson, K/P Sam Swank.

With Riley Skinner’s efficient quarterback play and a quality tight end like Ben Wooster, the offense just needs a decent running back to be effective. Enter Josh Adams. As a freshman Adams rushed for 953 yards and 11 touchdowns and is expected to become one of the top backs in the conference now that he has a year of experience under his belt.

For the home team of the Baylor Bears, there is more excitement in Waco for NCAA College Football 2008 right now than there has been for a long, long time. New head coach Art Briles will bring his high octane offense to the Bears, but does he have somebody who can run it?

The system’s glory days were at Houston under quarterback Kevin Kolb. Returning starter Blake Szymanski is not Kolb and neither is Miami transfer Kirby Freeman, but those two will battle it out for the starting job. Even if Szymanski or Freeman picks up the offense quickly and the defense can manage to stop somebody, the conference is loaded this year.

This should be a better team overall and at least there is excitement and hope with the new coaching staff, but the record will probably look about the same as it did last year.

Another exciting game College football fans should not miss is the game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The good news for the NC State Wolfpack is Jamelle Eugene is back after rushing for a team high 667 yards last season, but more importantly so are Andre Brown and Toney Baker after missing much of last season with injuries.

Add sophomore Curtis Underwood to that list and the Wolfpack suddenly have four quality runners. However, there are just so many holes to fill and none are more important than at quarterback. Daniel Evans took a majority of the snaps last year, but his 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions did not endear him to anybody.

South Carolina Gamecocks’ side - this is the supposed to be the year where everything comes together for Coach Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. After a few years of getting his players into the program, Coach Spurrier finally has some quality depth to work with. A couple upsets here and there is not good enough anymore and consistency will be the key if Coach Spurrier is ever going to make the Gamecocks a winner in the Southeastern Conference. The breakthrough season has not arrived yet, and 2008 might be the year for South Carolina Gamecocks.

South Carolina lost its last five games of 2007 and will be breaking in new starters at quarterback and tailback. There is also a new defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator this coming NCAA College Football 2008.

The third featured game of this season opener will be Oregon State Beavers battling Stanford Cardinal.

Oregon State Beavers have overcome the doubters and slow starts the past two seasons to finish third in the Pac-10 each year and record 19 total victories. Questions will be answered on the importance of Yvenson Bernard to Oregon State’s offense. His running back averaged over 110 yards per game during his senior season and reached the endzone a total of 14 times. Redshirt freshman Ryan McCants has the potential to be better than Bernard but he still has to prove it. Senior Patrick Fuller only carried the ball ten times last year and it seems like it is already McCants time to shine.

Carry over the momentum for the Standford Cardinal as they ended last year’s season with a resounding victory over California. Defense will be the goal for the Cardinal’s to reach a bowl game. And with nine starters returning to the unit, that should not be a problem. Linebacker Clinton Snyder is coming off a great year in which he tallied 96 tackles, eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. The junior is expected to become even more of a leader on the field now that he is an upperclassman. With Pat Maynor and Chike Amajoyi also back, the linebacker corps will be extremely strong. Safety Bo McNally will lead the secondary.

Indeed, this will be an exciting NCAA College Football 2008 as teams will slug it out to win the championship in NCAA College Football.

Rafael Nadal favorite to win the 2008 U.S Open

2008-08-27T01:40:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal, No. 1 seed is the favorite to win the 2008 U.S Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. from August 25 – September 7. Nadal, the Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles in Beijing, will now deal with the pressure of the being the prey. In his first match at the 2008 US Open he had a hard time dispatching German Bjorn Phau 7-6, 6-3, 7-6. The Spaniard player struggled more than expected to defeat an unseeded player who ranks 136 at the world ranking.

This marked his first win since he dethroned Roger Federer in the 2008 French Open Roland Garros, and at the All England Club, Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal has over matched Federer in an unprecedented way.

Now, Nadal will face the winner of the match between Belgian Olivier Rochus and American unseeded player Ryler De Heart.

Young Spaniard has never gone pass the quarterfinals in the U.S. Open. Nevertheless, Rafael Nadal likes his chances: “When you are playing well you feel comfortable on all courts… in the past when I was playing well, I did well on hard courts, too. I feel good for sure. I won two tournaments in Toronto and the Olympics, and I played semifinals in Cincinnati.”

Nadal, 22, has won eight titles this year including the 30th of his career at the ATP Masters Series event in Cincinnati. He will attempt to become the first man to win the French Open, Wimbledon and 2 008 US Open in the same year since Rod Laver in 1969.

NFL's Best Offensive Players

2008-08-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

The start of the 2008 NFL Regular Season brings hope to every team saying that this might be year they are waiting for. As the kickoff to the 2008-09 NFL Regular Season approaches, many rankings, predictions, and previews will emerge. Add to that the list of Top football players on the offensive side.

Let’s start of with the Quarterback position, as this will create a huge debate but Peyton Manning of Indiana Colts is the best if not the best quarterback in NFL right now. Manning holds NFL records for consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing and the most total seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career. Manning is second on the list for highest career passer rating. He is also the all-time career passing yards and passing touchdowns leader for the Colts franchise.

Going in the Wide Receiver slot that belongs to either Randy Moss of New England Patriots or Torry Holt of St. Louis Rams. Moss holds the NFL single season touchdown reception record (23, set in 2007), and the NFL single-season TD reception record for a rookie (17, in 1998). Randy Moss is the only player in NFL history to record 1,200+ receiving yards in his first six seasons. Add to that, he is the youngest player in NFL history to record his 120th receiving touchdown. (30 years, 313 days). While Torry Holt of the St. Louis Rams, has the same number of consecutive seasons (6) with at least 1,300 yards receiving and consecutive seasons with 90+ receptions.

Running back is owned by LaDainian Tomlison of San Diego Chargers. Tomlinson, frequently called "LT", set several records during the 2006 NFL season by scoring a league-leading 186 points. He received additional honors by winning the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award and the Associated Press’ Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Lorenzo Neal of Baltimore Ravens is the head honcho in the fullback position. Neal is best known as an exceptional blocking fullback, and has blocked for 1000 yard rushers in 11 straight seasons (Adrian Murrell in 1997, Warrick Dunn in 1998, Eddie George in 1999-2000, Corey Dillon from 2001-2002, and LaDainian Tomlinson from 2003 to 2007.) Lorenzo Neal is a journey man in the NFL having played with five different teams; Neal has had stints with the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, and Cincinnati Bengals.

There’s only one name to remember when you say Tight End in NFL – Tony Gonzalez. Playing for the Kansa City Chiefs, Gonzalez is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, currently holds the NFL records for most single season receptions with 102. He has a record of 66 career receiving touchdowns for a tight end, 816 career receptions for a tight end.

Indiana Colts Center Jeff Saturday has been a mainstay for his team for the longest time. Started his career back in 1999, Saturday has been voted onto three Pro Bowl teams in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and for those seasons he was named to the Associated Press NFL All-Pro First Team. Saturday also received the "Tuesday Morning Quarterback Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP Award" from ESPN columnist Gregg Easterbrook in January of 2007.

And finally, Guard Alan Faneca of New York Jets is an automatic shoo-in for this category. He is a five five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. In addition, Faneca won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.

Dennis Phillips is 4/1 to favorite to win the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event.

2008-08-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

November 9th is the date as nine poker players converge once again at the Rio to play in the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event final table. Out of the final nine the chip leader will be Dennis Phillips from St Louis, Missouri. He is 53 years of age and is currently single. He works as an account manager for a trucking firm in St Louis and has no plans on giving up the job.

Dennis Phillips battled some of the toughest professional poker players in the region when he joined the $200 buy-in to a Satellite tournament at Harrah’s finally taking down the 2006 WSOP Main Event final Dan Nassif in heads-up action to win a seat in this year’s WSOP Main Event.

In his previous World Series of Poker Tournaments Dennis Phillips had only cashed in two events, both being WSOP Circuits held in the nearby city of Robinsonville. On September 7, 2007, Phillips bought into a WSOP Circuit NL Hold’em tournament at the Grand Casino Tunica for $550, finishing in 9th place for $2,386. Only two days later, Dennis reinvested his winnings for another $550 buy-in, this time taking 7th place for $2,192.

Phillips now finds himself having the largest chip stack in the 2008 World Series of Poker. He said that he will just continue and be calm with his poker face and staring into the eyes of his strong-willed competitors while the final three tables took place.

According to Phillips, as he went ever deeper into the WSOP Main Event, he resisted numerous offers from online poker companies, making every effort to get him to don their logos. Full Tilt Poker offered a large sum to Phillips simply to wear a Full Tilt Poker cap backwards, but Phillips declined, preferring the bright red cap depicting his favorite St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. Another offer came for him to wear a logo T-shirt, but again, Phillips rejected, choosing to keep his own shirt displaying his employment company logo, Broadway Truck Centers. Finally, PokerStars was able to convince Dennis to wear a logo patch on his company shirt, as well as another on the side of his red baseball cap.

Dennis’ confident and modest approach to the game has earned him a place at one of most prestigious final tables of all time. Asked about what he's going to do with his guaranteed $900,000 he joked: “Im going to get the $9m. Im just here to have fun and play poker”

Dennis Phillips is 4/1 to favorite to win the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event.

Michael Phelps - the best Olympian in the History

2008-08-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

Sensational American swimmer Michael Phelps did the impossible winning all eight all gold medals, seven of them are world records in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Is he the greatest American Olympian ever to play?

The answer is Yes. He has beaten the 36 year old record of fellow American Mark Spitz, whose seven swimming golds at Munich in 1972 were the most at a single Games. His remarkable feat is considered to be one of the greatest accomplishments in Olympics’ history but the 23 year old cemented his name to Olympic greatness as he won all the gold medals in all the events in swimming and made history as being part of United States that included teammates Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, and Jason Lezak and Phelps.

Michael Phelps now has 14 gold and 2 bronze medals. He won 6 of the gold and the 2 bronze in Athens 4 years ago and the other 8 golds in the 2008 Beijing Olympics this year.

One reporter also believes that Michael Phelps is the best ever Olympian saying that Phelps has a wide variety of skills and is considered the Willie Mays of Swimming. He added that Phelps swims for distance, for sprints, for relays, in free, in butterfly. He is the ultimate five-tool athlete.

At a young age he has already made history and by the time he peak to his greatest form maybe two, three or four years from now he could end up winning a total of 20 to 22 gold medals, which is highly possible.

“I really wanted to do something that no one’s ever done before in this sport,” Phelps said.
“The term ‘Spitzian feat’ may be outdated,” teammate Aaron Peirsol said. “It may now be ‘Phelpsian feat.’ ”

“When someone says you can’t do something, it shows that anything is possible,” Phelps said. “When you put your mind to a certain thing, it can happen. The biggest thing is nothing is impossible. All it takes is an imagination.” He added.

The question now is how many countries will have more gold medals than Michael Phelps?

2008 Beijing Olympics Day 11 Update Overall Medal Count

2008-08-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Day 11 of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the hunt for the overall Championship continues. The United States still leads the overall medal count with a total of 72 – 22 gold, 24 silver and 26 bronze medals. China holds the second spot with 39 golds and has 14 silver and bronze medals apiece. Following in the third spot is Russia with 36 overall medals while from the land down under Australia has 33 medals to take the fourth spot. France who has only four gold medals under their name follows right behind in the fifth spot with 11 silver and 13 bronze medals, respectively.

Great Britain and Germany are close in the sixth and seventh spot with 27 and 23 overall medals while South Korea and Japan have the same number of gold medals of eight to take eight and ninth spot. Italy rounds up the top ten countries as of Day 11 of the grandest sporting event in this year’s 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Most of the Gold Medals of the United States came from the sporting event of Swimming where amazing Michael Phelps dominated the event taking all eight gold medals in all events. Meanwhile, China, the host country expected to control the field of gymnastics, diving, and weightlifting has lived up to the expectations. China has won eight gold medals in gymnastics alone, while in the sport of diving China has topped the world with six gold medals. The country from Russia takes lead in track and field and wrestling with a total of eight Gold Medals.

There’s a long way to go before the exciting end of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Expect more world records to be broken, more drama and more excitement.

Three-game season series between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays

2008-08-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

With so much attention to the 2008 Beijing Olympics let us shift our gear to the America’s favorite past time – baseball. As one can not deny the fact that the 2008 MLB Regular Season is get every as every continue to make their push to the wild card phase and perhaps the playoffs.

Two teams slug it out starting Friday as the three-game season series between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays unfolds at Fenway Park in Boston. Toronto Blue Jays has 61-59 record while Boston Red Sox has 69-51.

The 2008 MLB game between Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays start at 7pm where Toronto’s Roy Halladay will be match-up against Boston’s Paul Byrd. The right handed pitcher from Blue Jays had a career-high 130 pitches in a loss at home to the Indians on Saturday. He has received just 3.8 runs of support from his offense this season. Halladay is 10-11 with a 4.66 ERA in 34 career games against Boston. For Boston, the right handed pitcher.

Paul Byrd, who was acquired from Cleveland on Tuesday, makes his Red Sox debut and lately has been pitching well. He needed just 94 pitches last time out to get through his first complete game in nearly a year, retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced and 20 of the last 22 in a victory over the Blue Jays. After leading the AL in homers allowed in the first half, Byrd hasn't served one up since a July 4 start in Minnesota. That's the biggest reason he has been able to go 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA over his past four starts.

The three-game season series between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays continue Saturday same time where Shaun Marcum of Toronto goes up versus Josh Becket of Boston.

Toronto Blue Jays’ Shaun Marcum has started to locate his fastball better, and that has allowed the right-hander to more effectively mix in his other pitches. In his last two outings, Marcum has looked much sharper, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA. In nine career appearances against the Red Sox, Marcum is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Meanwhile, Boston’s ace right-hander Josh Beckett is looking primed to go on his most dominant run of the season. Beckett won his past two starts, giving up three earned runs over 14 2/3 innings. For some reason, Beckett has struggled at Fenway Park this season, going 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA in nine starts. This will be Beckett's first start against the Blue Jays since April 6, when he gave up three hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings.

The final game of the three-game season series between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays ends Sunday afternoon.

Toronto’s A.J Burnett battles Boston’s right hand pitcher Charlie Zink. Toronto’s A.J Burnett has 4.67 ERA and goes with 15-9 win loss to his name while Boston’s Charlie Zink has an average of 16.6 Era

USA, China, and Russia are the top three countries to collect the most medals

2008-08-13T22:52:00.000-07:00

With the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in China is underway and the host country welcomes world class athletes from all over the world with a grand opening held on day one of the 2008 Beijing Olympics we see China as the biggest threat for United States to capture the overall championship and to win more gold medals.

USA, China, and Russia are the top three countries to collect the most medals. They have been the biggest powerhouses for the past years. In the 2004 Olympics, the medal count consisted of team USA winning 102 medals with 32 golds then followed by Russia with 92 medals then at the third spot is the now host country China with 63 medals. China had the fourth-highest medal total at Atlanta in 1996, third-best behind the U.S. and Russia in 2000 and third-best at Athens in 2004 -- although it was second to the U.S. in gold medals, 36-32.

China is expected to excel in gymnastics, diving, badminton and table tennis. As expected the Chinese and the American anthems will be heard often during the gymnastics competition. China's men won the team title at last year's world championships, led by all-around winner Yang Wei. Xiao Qin won on pommel horse and Chen Yibing won on still rings. The U.S. men were shut out in the event finals but had two fourth-place finishes.

The U.S. women defeated China for the 2007 world team title by nearly a point. Shawn Johnson won gold in the all-around and floor exercise, Nastia Liukin won gold on balance beam and silver on the uneven bars, and Alicia Sacramone won bronze on vault and silver on floor exercise. China's Cheng Fei won gold on vault, Yang Yilin won bronze on the uneven bars and Li Shanshan won bronze on the beam.

China won't face much competition from the U.S. China has a stranglehold on all four table tennis events and should dominate diving. At the 2007 world championships, Chinese athletes won gold in nine of 10 events and a medal in all 10.

China should also thrive in weightlifting, having led the medal table at last year's world championships, with seven gold medals and 12 overall. The U.S. won none. Rowing will also put Chinese athletes on the podium thanks to a $10-million, government-built training complex.

The U.S. will clean up in swimming. Michael Phelps could win eight gold medals and that's a fact.

Women's basketball could also end with a U.S.-China final, as hinted by China's victory over the U.S. in the final of a test event at the Olympic venue in April. On the other hand, the U.S. men won't have to worry about China, but the rest of the world will push them.

At the end of the both these countries need all those competitive instincts to win the medal race.

Craig Marquis - online generation of professional poker player at the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event

2008-08-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

Craig Marquis represents the online generation of professional poker player at the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event final table. Even with well known players like David Rheem and Scott Montgomery on the poker table, Craig Marquis makes a name for himself. Known as “CraigMarq” he has been tearing his opponents in the internet world for about a year now.

In 2007 he came 34th in the $5,000 PLH for $14,030 as well as 30th in the $1,000 NLH re-buys for $16,133 his biggest cash prize. This year he made the money in the $1,500 NLH Shoot-Out Event 17, ending up 18th for a relatively modest $5,596. The 23 year-old, from Arlington, Texas, has only been playing poker for about 18 months but has rocketed through the levels from $2/$4 to $200/$400 & beyond on Full Tilt.

Given his background on the internet it is hardly surprising that C raig Marquis has just $35,759 in live winnings to his name, with all 3 of his cashes coming in the WSOP.

Being a college student hailing from Texas it is hardly surprising that Marquis is good friends with online legends Tom Dwan & David Benefield.

When he plays live poker his signature Oakley sunglasses are firmly on his face to hide his eyes from competitors. During fifteen hour poker sessions, it’s not unusual to see a cup of coffee at his side every two hours. His style of play is much focused and he takes his time when the cards cause a situation that requires deep concentration.

Craig Marquis claims that live poker is too slow, making it easy for him to lose focus. One would have thought that he would have entered an online satellite tournament to earn his seat at the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event, but instead he bought directly into the $10,000 Texas Hold’Em Poker tournament. He quit his job selling cell phones after learning how to play poker, determined to go professional. He used his cash winnings to pay his bills and support himself while entering mid to high level staked cash games online.

Craig Marquis is a heads-up specialist so expect to see his 10.2million chips being used more regularly than some of his rivals. He wont be afraid to gamble and double-up his 12/1 price start at the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event.

Darus Suharto - World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event

2008-08-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

Does anyone recognize Darus Suharto in the world of poker? Maybe some and for those who does not know him Darus Suharto is one of the players of the November Nine group that will vie for the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event by first winning an $80 satellite on Poker Stars. He made his way with a victory in another Poker Stars satellite tournament; a $640 tournament for a Main Event package.

Suharto does not play poker on a consistent basis either. Born in Indonesia, his family relocated to Canada and he now lives in Toronto. He only plays poker on weekends, getting in around 15 hours online and with friends, and Suharto was introduced to the game while attending Indiana University to receive his MBA. He has only been playing poker for a little under three years. His first exposure to the WSOP was when he saw a PokerStars qualifier for the series. He took a chance and entered the tournament, winning a seat at the 2005 event and going on to the 2006 main event.

Darus Suharto admits that he started playing professional poker in order to pay off his mortgage. He has been compared to Chris Moneymaker who won the 2003 WSOP, and if Suharto should happen to win, with 9/1 odds, he’ll be able to pay off more than just his mortgage. Suharto, beat out over 6,000 other players that to make it to the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event. Suharto assessed the he plays the game of poker like a donkey saying that “It’s my second Main Event. I played in 2006; I was a donkey. I’m still a donkey. Hey, but the good thing is, I was a donkey in 2006 and I made the money!” He’s a very quiet and modest player and he has a chip stack of 12,520,000, placing 6 out of 9 at the table.

Darus Suharto is a smiler: ear to ear, beaming all of the time. He is possessed of that most endearing of qualities so often lost on many gnarled poker pros – gratitude. While no one will be installing Darus Suharto as a favorite to win the November 9 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event , with 1 WSOP cash to his name already - 448th in the 2006 Main Event don’t be too surprised to see Darus turn his 12,520,000 chips into 136,865,000 and a Main Event victory.

David “Chino” Rheem to win the 2008 WSOP Poker Tournament in November

2008-08-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

David “Chino” Rheem may not have the most chips going into the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament Main Event this November but he is arguably the most well-known professional poker player of the November Nine group at the final table.

The 28 year old professional poker player has won over $700,000 in live tournament earnings since he first hit the World Series of Poker circuit in 2005. He already has 5 WSOP cashes to his name and finished 2nd in the 2006 $1,000 No Limit Texas Hold’Em Re-Buy event. The World Series of Poker Tournament is not the only place Rheem has taken the prize. He has also won three Bellagio Cups and made it the final table of the 2005 EPT Grand Final finishing in 3rd place and earning $10,219. David Rheem qualified for the 2008 WSOP by playing at online poker site: PokerStars.

But David Rheem's stellar performance has been scrutinized heavily bout past criminal convictions that he was charged for. Allegedly, Rheem was charged with burglary, dealing in stolen property, larceny and marijuana possession and had to serve 4 months in prison and 30 months of probation.

Although Rheem has been defended by WSOP Communications Director Seth Palansky saying that “It's basically the odds of society. Not an unusual circumstance.”

“There's baseball, football players who do break the law, do their time, then return to the field. He has the same constitutional right as anyone else.”

Nevertheless, Rheem has been defended by the poker community and is widely regarded as one of the most cordial and humble players on the circuit.

His trademark sunglasses and hooded sweatshirt disguise will be seen in the the 2008 World Series of Poker Tournament 7th out of 9 with 10,230,000 chips given his proven ability there is sure to be interest in him at a best priced 10/1.

2008 Beijing Olympics Update

2008-08-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

Day three of the grandest sporting event this year continues in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with athletes bound to break new records for pride and honor representing their respective countries, powerhouse teams like China and USA begin their quest for Olympic glory.

Starting off with the event in 2008 Summer games of gymnastics where the Chinese women’s team survived a rare bout of nerves to come first in the qualifiers on Sunday thanks to an equally error-strewn outing from arch-rivals the United States. Head Chinese coach Lu Shanzhen wanted more from his charges, rating their performance at only 70 percent after a string of errors gave a glimpse of the immense pressure on the Chinese to win gold in Beijing.

World champion Americans came up short after vault specialist Samantha Peszek injured her ankle just 30 minutes before she was due to take the floor, failed to capitalize when they also served up a mistake-ridden performance.

In the sporting world of Archery, South Korea's archers set a new 24-arrow world record Sunday en-route to their sixth consecutive Olympic women's team gold medal. Double Olympic champion Park Sung-Hyun combined with teammates Yun Ok-Hee and Joo Hyun-Jung to fire eleven 10s and nine 9s in the 24-arrow women's elimination round for a 231 point total. The previous world record of 228 was set by South Korea's Yun Ok-Hee, Yun Mi-Jin and Lee Tuk-Young at the World Cup in Shanghai in 2006. It set them on the way to the final where they beat China while France took the bronze.

In swimming, the United States broke their own world record in the men's 4x100-metres freestyle relay with a time of three minutes 12.23 seconds in the heats at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday. The American team of Nathan Adrian, Cullen Jones, Ben Wildman-Tobriner and Matt Grevers beat the previous record of 3:12.46 held by the USA at the Pan Pacs in Victoria, Canada, in August 2006.

France qualified with the second fastest time and a new European record while Canada and Great Britain also reached the final with the seventh and eighth fastest times respectively.

In day one of the most popular sport in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – basketball Argentina's hopes of defending the Olympic men's basketball crown took a serious blow when Lithuania stunned a South American squad featuring five National Basketball Association standouts 79-75.

Linas Kleiza of team Lithiunia of the sank the game-winning three-pointer with just over two seconds remaining after Manu Ginobili, who scored 11 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, sparked an 11-0 run to level the game at 75-75.

Reigning world champion Spain opened by routing Greece 81-66 in a rematch of the 2006 World Championship final in a Group B clash.

USC Trojans favorites to win the2008-09 BCS National Championship

2008-08-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

The 2008-09 NCAA College Football season is fast approaching and with that said the same goes for the BCS National Championship Game.

Last year the LSU Tigers mauled the Ohio State Buckeyes in the National Championship game to claim another national title. Can the Tigers roar again, or will the Buckeyes make another run at the championship that has just eluded them the last two seasons?

Looking at the present roster these two teams have neither school will be the best in the nation this season. That honor goes to the USC Trojans, who have been anointed as the BCS National Championship favorites. The last time the USC Trojans captured the BCS National Championship was when Matthew Stephen Leinart played and led the Trojans to an AP national championship in 2003, a BCS national championship in 2004, and an appearance in the 2005 BCS national championship game.

USC Trojans favorites to win BCS National Championship

The Trojans may have lost starting quarterback John David Booty to the NFL, but backup Mark Sanchez looks primed and ready to take over after successfully filling in for Booty when he was injured last season. The USC defense has once again been given the moniker “best defense in the nation” by many observers, and if they can live up to the billing the offense should have plenty of time to gel behind Sanchez. It’s no surprise that USC is once again a heavy favorite to win the BCS National Championship Game given their immense talent and schedule. Playing the Pac 10 awards the Trojans arguably an easier road than those programs that have to battle the rigorous SEC. USC also boasts one of the best defenses, lead by defensive tackle Fili Moala and linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing.

If the Trojans don’t return to the top of the college football ranks there’s a good chance the Florida Gators will. The Gators clock in right behind the Trojans. Two years ago the Gators took home a national title and they could add another this season behind what should be a lethal offense. Led by Heisman Trophy-winning QB Tim Tebow and dangerous receiver Percy Harvin, the Gators should put a ton of points on the board. The Gators’ only problem could be their defense, which needs to come together quickly to pull their weight alongside Florida’s high-octane offense.

Taking the third spot is the Oklahoma Sooners. In his first season as starting quarterback Sam Bradford put up some solid numbers, and with an excellent offensive line in front of him and a year of experience under his belt he should be even better this year. Running back DeMarco Murray was also better than expected as a freshman last year, and if he continues to improve the Sooners’ offense should be hard to stop.

Rivalries renewed in 2008-09 NCAA College Football

2008-08-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

The 2008-09 NCAA College Football kicks of this August 28 with teams ready to slug it out and pull some surprises here and there. With the rankings released and knowing that the top dog in this 2008-09 NCAA College Football is Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs received 1,438 points and 22 first-place votes, edging No. 2 Southern Cal with1, 430 points, 14 first-place votes and No. 3 Ohio State 1,392, 14. Oklahoma was No. 4, Florida was No. 5 and defending national champion LSU checked in at No. 6.

You can opt to throw all these numbers and look for this 2008-09 NCAA College Football Season as bitter rivals clash again as they fight for pride and respect.

Starting of is the rivalry between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers who have played 116 times and listed as the most played rivalry in NCAA College Football history. They are set to tangle up on November 15 when the Golden Gophers visit the Badgers.

Next up is the contention of Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers. Both teams met 115 games in their rich history in the NCAA. They started playing dating back in 1891, and will continue their bitter rival on November 29.

Kansas Jayhawks have another rival in the team of Nebraska Cornhuskers. These teams have will meet for the 114th time on November 8. The rivalry of two Texas named teams follows when Texas Longhorns battle Texas A&M Aggies. One will prevail on November 27 as they lock horns in the 2008-09 NCAA College Football Season.

Rounding up the Rivalry Season are the Miami OH Redhawks and the Cincinnati Bearcats. Miami and Cincinnati have faced each other 111 games that dates back 1888. They will see each other again on September 20 when Redhawks visits the Bearcats.

Just like what we saw last season; surprises, challenges, and setbacks are about to happen in this year’s 2008-09 NCAA College Football Season.

2008-09 NFL Football Season

2008-08-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

As NFL training camps get ready to open up, protagonists are plentiful, but no one will really know this year’s Super Bowl champion will be. There are many possibilities; including three to four teams and another 3-4 other teams who could pull off a stunning playoff run.

Last year provided some intense moments, record breaking performances and an unlikely NFL champion in the New York Giants. With several teams fielding almost identical rosters from last year, it will be interesting to see how this year’s 2008-09 NFL Football Season develops.

Looking for the NFC Contenders are New York Giants- this team is an automatic choice since they are last year’s Super Bowl champs. New York Giants lost Michael Strahan to retirement, but Eli Manning’s confidence should be through the roof and the offense is virtually the same as last year. If the running backs can stay healthy and the defense can survive without Michael Strahan the Giants will be in the mix late in the season.

They will be followed by Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have Tony Romo and has another year of experience and is primed for a better season. Terrell Owens is a monster receiver. With the recent signing of Adam “Pacman” Jones is risky as well, considering he’s not been reinstated to play this season, but if he is allowed to play, the defense should be outstanding.

Not far behind is the Philadelphia Eagles. This year they would probably say another NFC East team - another contender. The Eagles have a strong offense and defense; much like the Giants. When healthy, they can compete with anyone. If Donovan McNabb can stay on the field all season, Philadelphia will make the playoffs and be in good position for the playoffs.

Running in fourth is the Minnesota Vikings. There has been a lot of chatter lately about the Minnesota Vikings coming on. While they look like they have formed a good young nucleus to build on, they also look like they are still an NFL season or two away from being a Superbowl caliber team. More experience at the quarterback position will put them a lot closer to that goal and be a much better bet to win the Superbowl.

The Minnesota Vikings are taking a vacation in 2008. Their destination: the top of the NFL. It should be a lot of fun. It’s a place they used to travel to fairly often; they maybe even had family over there. But they haven’t been back since 2000 (the last time they posted a double-digit win total).

They’re just getting set to leave. It will be good for them to get away. In recent years, the Vikings have stayed busy at home, bickering with the local government about a new stadium (have you seen the Metrodome? It’s a dump), putting out PR fires (remember the Love Boat scandal? Or the way the Randy Moss/Daunte Culpepper era ended?), and changing coaching staffs (Brad Childress replaced Mike Tice three years ago).

The Vikings pondered the idea of taking a trip last season but ultimately decided that they couldn’t get away (they were 8-6 but lost their last two and missed the postseason). Things have not completely eased up at home––they’re still haggling with the Twin Cities about a new stadium, despite being the lowest revenue-producing franchise in the NFL. And they’ve had an off-the-field problem or two––mainly left tackle Bryant McKinnie. But they feel good enough to sojourn out in 2008.

On the other side of the fence- the AFC Contenders

First of are the New England Patriots. After finishing the regular season undefeated and reaching the Super Bowl, only to lose to New York, the Patriots will be out for blood in 08-09. Randy Moss is on board, Tom Brady is still there and they still have their asshole coach, so you know they will perform well all season. Less focus will be paid this year on finishing with a “perfect record”, but they may still have one when all things are said and done.

Also the team to look out in this AFC Division is the Indianapolis Colts. Extremely strong & well-coached teams, the Colts are serious contenders for the NFL championship as well. With Peyton Manning at the helm and Tony Dungy on the sidelines, this team can beat anybody and could also challenge the Patriots for a perfect regular season record. They will have to figure out how to beat the Patriots and face extremely competitive challenges from the Jaguars, Chargers and/or Steelers if they want to try for their 2nd championship in the last 3 years.

The San Diego Chargers are also expected to make some noise in this year’s 2008-09 NFL Football. With LaDainian Tomlinson - One player who could almost single-handedly put his team in the playoffs. Add Phillip Rivers, add another year of experience, a decent wide receiving core and a solid defense, and you have a contender.

Next up are the Pittsburgh Steelers. Big Ben and Co. will be seeking their 2nd championship this decade, featuring a lineup of Willie Parker, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu. This team is explosive on offense, controls the clock well and punishes the opposition on defense. To be a serious contender, the Steelers will need to average at least 20-22 points per game - their defense will handle the rest.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are just going to have to win a Super Bowl. That’s the only way they’ll get people to like them. Nothing else seems to be working. The Jaguars made good use of the $30-plus million they had in cap space. They spent a lot of that money on locking up David Garrard. Then, they bought Garrard some receivers. Porter is an alright addition. His attitude is questionable, but he’s better than anyone they’ve had here since Jimmy Smith. Trading for Williamson shows wishful thinking, though Jacksonville only gave up a sixth-round pick to get him. Lemon is an upgrade over Gray, and Florence is an improvement over Cousin. It was a big move to trade Stroud––symbolic if nothing else. Naeole was let go because of injury. Knight hasn’t slowed down as much as they think, but they can live without him.

Super Bowl Preview

I see the Patriots vs. the Cowboys in the championship game, with the Cowboys taking it.

Chinese Names of Kobe Bryant and Lebron James

2008-07-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

With the 2008 Beijing Olympics just around the corner, Team USA is already in Macau, China preparing for the summer games and bound to redeem themselves after a woeful showing in international play for the past seven years. USA Basketball finished sixth place in 2002 World Championship. In addition, USA Basketball failed to win the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics as they lost lost three games on its way to a bronze medal, a record that represented more losses in a single year than the country's Olympic teams had suffered in all previous Olympiads combined.

Now things are looking good for the Men's National Basketball Team as they have added proven leaders with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Jason Kidd . On the lighter side, with team USA in China right now, let us take a look on two basketball superstars - Kobe Bryant and Lebron James and see and their Chinese names say. First off with Lebron James. Lebron's definition of Chinese name is Liu that means willow tree and pleasure while his surname James in Chinese stands for Jiang. This translates to Jiang Liu bo for Cleveland Superstar LeBron James.

For the "Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant his Chinese translation is Bei Kuang bang - (Kuang - extensivel, wide and broad) while (bang - nation, country and state). Well, Kobe Bryant can carry this team all the way back to the international scene and win his first Olympic Medal.

Team USA is determined to put an end to these recent failures, USA Basketball has changed its philosophy and has looked to field complete teams instead of piecing together rosters of NBA All-Stars at the last minute. Team USA won their first seven games at the 2006 World Championships in Japan, losing against Greece in the semi-finals. After coming away with a bronze, Team USA is still striving to recapture international gold.

*image courtesy of Ball Don't Lie

2008 Hungarian Grand Prix

2008-07-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix is slated this August 1 to August 3 at the Hungaroring in Budapest in Hungary.

2008 Hungarian Grand Prix is becoming more interesting due to close fight for the Driver's Championship. Currently McLaren's Lewis Hamilton leading the championship with 58 points closely followed by two Ferrari Drivers Felippe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen with 54 and 51 points respectively. BMW's Robert Kubica is not far behind with 48 points.

Lewis Hamilton is the favorite to win this year’s 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix. With his last two stellar wins there is no doubt that Hamilton will win his third straight formula race and further extend his lead against Ferrari Drivers Felippe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari led the Constructors' Championship by 16 points from BMW Sauber. BMW are only 3 points clear of McLaren in 2nd place. In the battle for fourth, Toyota leads Red Bull by one point. Red Bull lead Renault by a further point after Nelsinho Piquet came 2nd in the 2008 German Grand Prix. Force India are the only team without a point after Super Aguri's withdrawal.

The last two Hungarian Grand Prix have been won by British drivers, with Lewis Hamilton winning the 2007 race ahead of Kimi Räikkönen for McLaren and Jenson Button winning the chaotic 2006 edition for Honda, his only F1 win to date.

There are three other former Hungarian Grand Prix winners in the field. Kimi Räikkönen won for McLaren in 2005; Fernando Alonso won his maiden Grand Prix for Renault in 2003, whilst Brazil's Rubens Barrichello won the 2002 race for Ferrari.

2008 Hungarian Grand Prix is 11th race of the season and 7 more races to go as total 18 races are scheduled in 2oo8. Hungarian Grand Prix consists of 70 laps with the circuit length of 3.81 KM covering total distance of 306.663 KM.

2008 World Series of Poker

2008-07-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

2008 World Series of Poker will resume play on November with nine remaining players vying for the penultimate crown and to be named the best poker player on earth. Dubbed as the November Nine who battled their way through a field of 6,844 entrants,and last Monday they rose to the top of the final 27 players to take their positions at the final table.

The cream of the crop in this year’s 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event are Dennis Phillips, Ivan Demidov, Scott Montgomery, Peter Eastgate, Ylon Schwartz, Darus Suharto, David Rheem, Craig Marquis and Kelly Kim.

Dennis Phillips, one of the oldest players of the “November Nine” group hails from St. Louis, Mo. and currently is the chip leader. Phillips has some poker success on his resume. He came in ninth place back in 2007 WSOP Circuit Grand Tunica $500 No-Limit Hold'em event.

He also won his way into the Main Event through a satellite at Harrah's Casino in St. Louis. Dennis Phillips has $26,295,000 over $2 million dollars difference from Ivan Demidov who has $24,400,000. Ivan Demidov is only a couple million behind Phillips in the chip count, but away from the poker table the two are worlds apart. The 27-year-old Demidov hails from Moscow, Russia, and is a professional poker player.

Running in third is Scott Montgomery who is another professional poker player at the final table. His poker resume looks pretty blank prior to 2008, but this has been a good year for the Canadian. In February he made the final table of the World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic, and he has already cashed in three other WSOP events as well. Scott Montgomery has $19,690,000.

2008 World Series of Poker

The youngest player at the table will be Peter Eastgate, who is the only other player aside from Ivan Demidov who had to travel from outside North America to be at the final table. He comes from Odense, Denmark, where he is a professional poker player. If Peter Eastgate wins the Main Event, he would take over Phil Hellmuth's record as the youngest-ever Main Event winner in Las Vegas.

Ylon Schwartz is from Brooklyn, N.Y. and is one of the five Americans at the final table this year. The 38-year-old is a former professional chess player who has been playing poker professionally for several years now and has 12 prior WSOP cashes to his name already, including a 15th-place finish in this year's $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event.

David "Chino" Rheem is probably the most well-known of the players at the final table this year. The 28-year-old professional player is from Los Angeles and has five prior cashes at the World Series. One of those is a final table in the 2008 $5,000 Limit/No-Limit Hold'em event, where he came in in fifth place.

Another contender for youngest Main Event winner on record is Craig Marquis, 23, from Arlington, Texas. Marquis is a college student who's only been playing poker for about 18 months.

Marquis had two cashes in the WSOP last year and cashed in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout this year, but nothing compares to the money he'll take home after making the final table of the Main Event.

The short stack at the final table will be Kelly Kim from Whittier, Calif. Kim is a business-analyst-turned-poker-pro.

Kim has a long list of cashes in events in the Los Angeles and Las Vegas area, but he has yet to post a major event win on his record. He'll now have four months to study up and practice ways to play his short stack to victory as the players take their break before play begins again in November

Can the New York Giants make it two in a row?

2008-07-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

The 2008-2009 NFL Regular Season kicks off this August and the team to watch this year is of course the defending Super Bowl Champions the New York Giants.

Many experts did not give credit for the Giants playoff run last year since they were not a championship caliber team. But fortunately for the Giants, things went their way and became the Super Bowl Champions. And now, the New York Giants are coming this season in full throttle and will be among the elite teams in the 2008 NFL Season.

2007 Super Bowl Champions New York Giants

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is now the leader of this team together with Wide Receiver Plaxico Burres. Giants’ fans expect him to be at full health at the start of the NFL Season. Giants’ Running Back team led by starters Brandon Jacobs and Madison Hedgecock are expected to deliver some offense as Brandon Jacobs the 260-pound battering ram who gained 1,009 yards last season in just slightly more than 10 games. He figures to be the starter and the heart and soul of the Giants’ smash-mouth running game. Madison Hedgecock on the other hand signed as a free agent after being waived by St. Louis in September, started all season and blocked with a fury. The Giants have a formidable backup at this position having Ahmad Bradshaw, Derrick Ward and Reuben Droughns. Bradshaw was a rookie phenom and should be used that way again. Ward was valuable when Jacobs was injured and then he, too, suffered an injury. Droughns filled a situational role on short yardage but will have to work hard to make the squad.

With the key addition of Mario Manningham out of Michigan who is considered to be the premier Wide Receiver in the draft. Although the Giants lost some key guys in Kiwika Mitchell, Reggie Tarbor, and Michael Strahan, but they are deep at almost every defensive position as proven in their Super bowl run, and this should not be too much of a problem to handle. The only question now remains the fate of Jeremy Shockey who is making some noise in the off season.

Overall, look for the Giants to have a solid regular season and the defense will be the focal point for the Giants this year but don't expect another Super Bowl appearance.

Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees rivalry continues

2008-07-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees collide once again in a three-game series of the 2008 MLB Regular Season at Fenway Park in Boston.

Touted as the one of the longest, most bitter and most storied rivalries in professional sports, for over 100 years, Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees of the American League have been chief rivals, compounded by their geographic proximity.

And these two teams will meet again with the second series between this American League East archival continues starting on Friday July 25 until July 27. In their previous season series, both teams were tied going 2-2, where Boston Red Sox took the first two games against the New York Yankees with a 7-0 and 6-4 win, respectively. But on the third and final game, the New York Yankees bounced back with a 2-1 and 5-4 victory.

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees

Boston Red Sox has a 58-43 win-loss mark just right behind American League East leader Tampa Bay Rays. The starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox against New York Yankees on Friday will be Josh Beckett, who has a 3.98 ERA, 9-6 Win-Loss card he will probably go up against Joba Chamberlain that has a 2.52 ERA.

New York Yankees will field in Andy Pettitte the following day also at Fenway Park. The left handed pitcher has a 3.86 ERA and 11-7 Win-Loss under his name and he will be match-up against the right handed Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox who has 3.69 ERA and 6-7 Win-Loss record.

In the third and final game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, Boston decided to use lefty Jon Lester, the 6-2 Lester has a 3.20 ERA together with a 8-3 Win-Loss card. Meanwhile, Yankees will be fielding in Sidney Ponson, the right handed pitcher has an 4.02 ERA with a 6-1 record.

New York Yankees currently holds the third spot in the American League East Standings followed by Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Cotto - Margarito WBA Welterweight Championship

2008-07-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

The date is set for two protagonists Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito who will make their way to the ring to fight for the WBA Welterweight Championship on July 26th at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Miguel Cotto’s astounding record of 32-0 and 25 by way of KO’s is listed as the favorite boxer to win the fight and that is not a big surprise for any boxing aficionado.

Miguel Cotto, who moved from the WBO in 2006, has reined the WBA Welterweight Title since December 2nd of 2006, when he challenged and defeated Carlos Quintana by TKO in the fifth round.

Going back last year of March 2007, Miguel Cotto was challenged by Oktay Urkal, but Urkal's corner threw in the towel in the 11th round. The Puerto Rican was challenged again in June of 2007 by Zab Judah, a fight Miguel Cotto won, but not without a controversy. He defended the title by TKO in the 11th round, but Zab Judah argued that two low blows - points deducted landed by Cotto were intentional and led to the TKO in the 11th.

If Cotto decided to go toe to toe with Margarito this might be a bad idea and might spell suicide for the Puerto Rican. Cotto can try and use Margarito’s arm reach against him by staying in the pocket, feinting and keeping Margarito off balance with fluid combination punching; alternating between the head and body. Margarito is one dimensional, so Cotto must take advantage of his versatility and follow his game plan. Margarito is pretty flat footed and prefers to plant his feet so he can throw straight punches and maximize his power. Cotto could perhaps make his punches a little more roundhouse rather than straight and give Margarito a degree of discomfort.

Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito at MGM Grand

On the other hand, Antonio Margarito has a record of 36-5, 27 courtesy of knock-out will be a though bite to swallow against Miguel Cotto. Margarito is a former WBO Welterweight champion and will make his WBA debut against Cotto.

Antonio Margarito decided to challenge Cotto after a successful defense of his IBF title on April 12th 2008 in New Jersey against Kermit Cintron, knocking him out in the sixth round. But instead of fighting with Joshua Clottey whom he has beaten before, Margarito decided to vacate the IBF and face Cotto instead.

Antonio Margarito hails from Tijuana Mexico and at five feet eleven inches tall is considered to be a tall boxer for a welterweight. He’s a brawler with sneaky power in both hands and has a damn good chin. Margarito is pure warrior—a “fighter.”

Margarito likes attacking the body and keeping up the kind of pressure that takes opponents out of their game plan and into his favorite fashion of fisticuffs; the brawl. Considering the way he is trained, with a high focus on endurance, Margarito’s main asset is his stamina and these factors could be the big difference in beating Miguel Cotto.

Lewis Hamilton wins the 2008 German Grand Prix

2008-07-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton wins the 2008 German Grand Prix with a magnificent display of performance beating Heikki Kovalainen, Felipe Massa and Nelson Piquet in the final stages to win a thrilling Formula One race at Hockenheim.

Mclaren’s Lewis Hamilton was leading all the way before dropping to the fifth place with 16 laps to go, he was able to grab back the lead with his masterful driving eight laps later.

With the victory, Lewis Hamilton does now have a four point cushion over Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and seven points ahead of Kimi Raikkonen also from Ferrari. This also marked Hamilton's second straight victory, his fourth of the season and the eighth of his career in 2008 Formula One Calendar.

In the current Championship Standings in Formula One, Lewis Hamilton now has 58 Championship points, followed by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa with 54 at second spot and Kimi Raikkonen has 51 to go in third.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton (middle) celebrates his 2008 German Grand Prix victory

A big crash involving Timo Glock brought the safety car out but Hamilton, who was leading, opted not to take a pit stop and as a consequence was relegated to fourth after he pitted later in the race.

However, Hamilton used his superior pace to overtake Heikki Kovalained, Massa and Piquet to score the victory. Robert Kubica's BMW team-mate Nick Heidfeld was fourth, while Sebastian Vettel took the final points position for Toro Rosso. David Coulthard had to settle for 13th following a collision with Honda's Rubens Barrichello, who retired after the incident. Jenson Button was the last finisher in 17th.

“Tour”mented de France

2008-07-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Tour de France was sacked once again by a third positive doping scandal Thursday following the news that Italian biker Riccardo Ricco tested positive for banned substances.

Riccardo Ricco, who won two climbing stages last week, was taken into custody by French police amid scenes of chaos outside his Saunier Duval team bus before the start of stage 12. Ricco was expelled from the race and detained by the dislike of the fans in the 2008 Tour de France while his team Saunier Duval team pulled of the Tour and paused all of its activities. His Spanish team initially took to the start line for the 12th stage from here to Narbonne, however the yellow-clad riders returned to the team bus.

"We've decided to suspend all cycling activities until we find out what has happened," team spokesman Matxin Fernandez said. "Ricco is not just any rider, he's a top rider. So for the sake of our team and the Tour de France we have made this decision. We can't act as though nothing has happened; we have to accept the reality."

Riccardo Ricco positive test for the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO) was confirmed by the French national anti-doping agency (AFLD), which is carrying out all tests on the race as the race is being held under the auspices of the French federation.

The 24-year-old Ricco provided a urine sample that contained the banned subtance CERA (Continuous Erythropietin Receptor Activator) after the fourth stage, a 29.5 km time-trial at Cholet.

Ricco becomes the third cyclist to be taken in for questioning by French police. On Wednesday Spaniard Moises Duenas of the Barloworld team was taken into custody after it was revealed he had also tested positive for EPO.

Riccardo Ricco of Saunier Duval team

Another Spaniard, Manuel Beltran, left the race under a cloud last week after he also tested positive for the banned hormone.

British rider David Millar, whose Garmin-Chipotle team is part of a movement to clean up pro cycling, was dismayed beyond belief when informed of the news before stage 12.

"It is amazing to me that someone could be so irresponsible and not have any love for the sport," said Millar, an admitted doper who served a two-year ban for drug use from 2004 until 2006. "(Dopers) have this culture embedded in them that they don't think they can compete without doping. It's sad."

Harrington captures 137th Open Championship

2008-07-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Padraig Harrington bagged the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England for the second straight year beating Greg Norman and Ian Poulter.

Two weeks ago, Padraig Harrington was at home practicing with an injured left wrist. As the 14th ranked player in the world, he was not 100% sure he can continue to play in the Open Championship and on the eve of the Open Championship Padraig Harrington tweaked the wrist again then said his chances of finishing the Open were just 50-50.

"If you ask, me my best trait over the years, it's always been my ability to learn, to look around, take the best of everything and try to put it together. I do enjoy that end of things. And I do believe I'm getting better with time.” said Harrington, 36, who now has 13 European Tour titles.

Padraig Harrington first had to take the lead from Norman, which he did on the par-3 12th when Norman missed a 10-foot par putt. Then came a late charge from Ian Poulter, who made a 15-foot birdie on the 16th and saved par with a 15-footer on the final hole for a 69 that looked like it might be good enough to win.

But the Irishman responded with clutch shots of his own. He hit a 3-wood into the wind to 40 feet on the par-5 15th and got down in two putts for birdie, giving him a two-shot lead. Standing in the 17th fairway, still aware that Norman could make eagle and stay in the game, Harrington hit a 5-wood that bounded onto the green and up the ridge, stopping 4 feet away for eagle.

That gave him a four-shot lead, and he knew it was over when his tee shot found the 18th fairway.

Padraig Harrington joined a long list of back-to-back champions at the Open, including Tiger Woods, who did it in 2005 and 2006. But it's been more than 100 years since a European golfer pulled off the double. You have to go back to Scotland's James Braid in 1905 and '06. Before that, it was the great Harry Vardon, who won a record six Opens and won consecutive titles in 1898 and '99.