> Recent Entries
> Archive
> Friends
> User Info
> previous 10 entries

March 28th, 2012

(Leave a comment)

March 11th, 2012

(Leave a comment)

March 2nd, 2012

(Leave a comment)

February 20th, 2012

(Leave a comment)

February 16th, 2012

(Leave a comment)

January 17th, 2012

(Leave a comment)

October 6th, 2011

06:32 pm - 2011-12 NHL Preview NHL Rk Atlantic Comments 4 Philadelphia Nobody has been as active this offseason as the Broad Street Bullies. The Flyers lost a big scoring threat in Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets in the biggest trade of the summer. However, they acquired Ilya Bryzaglov from Phoenix in the second biggest trade of the summer, shoring up their goaltender situation. Even with all the personnel changes, don't expect the Flyers to fall off any this coming season. 7 Pittsburgh Despite losing Sidney Crosby to a concussion and Evgeni Malkin to a knee injury, the Penguins finished the season with the same number of points as the Flyers on top of the Atlantic. Malkin will be back in 2011-12, but no one knows when Sid the Kid will return. The sooner he returns, the better his team's chances are of winning the Atlantic. It's simple, but truer words have never been spoken. 13 New Jersey The tale of two halves in Newark has given hope to many fans that their team will never be out of playoff contention until they are mathematically out of playoff contention. But which Devils team will show up this year? Scoring will be a problem, no doubt. However, by adding 1st round pick Adam Larsson to an already outstanding core of defensemen, it'll be very difficult for opposing teams to score on Brodeur and company. 14 N.Y. Rangers In New York fashion, the Rangers will try to spend their way back into the playoffs in 2012. Brad Richards to Gaborik could be one of the best lines in the East by the end of the season. However, the Rangers have a very young core of defensemen who will create plenty of work for Henrik Lundqvist. The only question is: can Lundqvist and his legendary durability survive another 70-game season without fatigue? 27 N.Y. Islanders In 2007, Garth Snow was named the Sports Illustrated NHL Executive of the Year. Since then, the Islanders have been buried under their Atlantic rivals, finishing in last each season. This season will be no different. The goaltender situation is a mess, their biggest acquisition was an over-the-hill Brian Rolston, and the defensemen, aside from Mark Streit, have much to be desired. Just another typical season on Long Island. NHL Rk Northeast Comments 1 Boston Boston fans have quickly forgotten about their baseball team's historic collapse in September and are now ready for their Bruins to defend their Cup. Peter Chiarelli took a "if it's not broke, don't fix it" approach to offseason moves this summer. Yes, the Bruins do give up a lot of shots on goal, but Tim Thomas is as proven as any netminder in hockey and is more than capable of leading this team to a Cup repeat. 6 Buffalo However, there's a team in upstate New York that cannot be ignored when talking about Northeast favorites. The Sabres signed talented defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and a very underrated forward in Ville Leino on back-to-back days this summer. Plus with Ryan Miller between the pipes, the sky is the limit for this team. But, the predicted regular season success will mean nothing if the Sabres can't find their way out of the first round of the playoffs this year. 17 Montreal To be competitive in the Northeast, a team needs an all-world netminder. The Habs definitely have that in Carey Price. The talented workhorse put up a .923 save percentage while starting 72 regular season games last year. But around him, the Habs simply don't measure up to their top tier competition. Gionta leads an above average first line, Andrei Markov is a great offensive defenseman, but the depth issues in Montreal will be difficult to overcome. 25 Toronto The Leafs are one of two teams who have not made the playoffs since the lockout, the other being the lowly Panthers. After a hot finish last season, there is some hope that Ron Wilson's team will change that. Tim Connolly was a great sign after the Leafs failed to ink Brad Richards. But does Connolly have enough talent around him to make a run at the playoffs? That is the $64,000 question. 28 Ottawa The Sens are in complete rebuilding mode, but unlike their intraprovince rival, they know this. Bobby Butler will be the cornerstone of this rebuilding project in Ottawa and hockey fans should take notice as he will be a future All-Star and a major contributor to the USA hockey team in 2014. Add new head coach Paul MacLean from Detroit, and you have a team who could be very dangerous come 2013-14. NHL Rk Southeast Comments 5 Washington Like their hated rivals in Philly, the Caps have had years of goalie issues since Olaf Kolzig's skills disappeared into thin air. Enter veteran Tomas Vokoun who disappeared in South Beach and could very likely see an resurgence in the nation's capital. Vokoun's postseason play is shady at best, but he's never had as much talent around him as he will in DC. 16 Carolina Cam Ward went from the most overrated goalie after the Hurricanes 2006 Stanley Cup Championship and is now one of the more underrated. Unfortunately for him, the poor play of his defensemen forced him to see over 33 shots-per-game last season. If the Hurricanes make the postseason, it'll be because of Ward and a great platoon of young forwards, led by Eric Staal, and featuring former Buckeye Zac Dalpe. 18 Tampa Bay Every 3 or 4 postseasons, Dwayne Roloson plays way above his skill level for a couple of weeks, then returns to earth the following season. So forget that magical playoff run, Roloson simply is not that good. Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, and a core of underrated defensemen on the other hand will keep the always exciting Lightning in the race for the postseason. 22 Winnipeg After 15 years of waiting, fans in Manitoba are ecstatic to have NHL hockey returning to Winnipeg. However, keep in mind, this is still the Atlanta Thrashers, repackaged and given a real fan base who will actually attend their games. Andrew Ladd and Manitoba-native Eric Fehr come to Winnipeg from Cup contenders. They will be the face of this franchise who is looking to find a new direction in their new home. 26 Florida The Panthers are the most unpredictable team in the East heading into this season. After 10 sasons without a playoff appearance, the Panthers cleaned house, Tomas Fleischmann being the biggest of many names signed. However, none of the names signed stand out as franchise-caliber players. So it looks like no matter the name on the back, it's still the same feline on the front of the jerseys. NHL Rk Central Comments 3 Chicago In 2010-11, the Blackhawks outscored their opponents by a stunning 33 goals, 3rd best in the West. However, losing a ton of one-goal games sent them to 8th place, pitting them against the eventual Western Conference Champs in the first round. This year, the same key players all return from last year including a healthy Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane, not to mention Jonathan Toews. The Hawks are simply the team to beat in the Central. 10 St. Louis How are the lowly Blues a top 10 team in the NHL? First, no team in the West gave up fewer shots on goal than the Blues last year. Second, Jaroslav Halak will be a strong asset between the pipes if he takes care of his consistency issues. Andy McDonald leads a solid group of forwards while the depth at every position is impressive. The Blues are a playoff team, without question. 11 Detroit Many experts were expecting the aging Red Wings to take a step back last year as the roster continues to grow older. The team from Motown proved them all wrong by winning the Central yet again. However, Lidstrom has very little help on the blue line and is aging poorly himself. Then there is Jimmy Howard, whose play would get him benched on many other teams. This year will be the year the Wings take a step back. 15 Nashville This ranking for Nashville is based of the belief that Pekka Rinne may have issues duplicating his career season. If Rinne can put together another Vezina worthy season, the Predators can ride him to and through the playoffs. However, if a major regression takes place, the Predators will struggle mightily in the most difficult division in hockey. 20 Columbus After finishing 14th and 13rd in the West the last two seasons, the Blue Jackets are poised for a resurgence. The addition of Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski has brought hope once again to Ohio's capital city. But the inconsistency of Steve Mason is cause for concern, not to mention the fact the Jackets are still in the Central Division (for now). The playoffs aren't out of the question, but they'll have to overachieve to get it. NHL Rk Northwest Comments 2 Vancouver Forget about his collapse in the Cup Finals, Roberto Luongo is still one of the best goaltenders in the world right now. The Canucks still have the Sedin twins, former Buckeye Ryan Kesler, plenty of depth among their forwards, and the superb core of defensemen. These are the reasons the Canucks are the favorites in Vegas to win the Stanley Cup. 19 Calgary After the Canucks, the talent drops off greatly in the Northwest Division. Even at age 34, Jarome Iginla is still one of the premier forwards in the world, but that isn't the question. The question is the talent around him. The Flames are loaded with underachieving prospects, mid-level free agents, and a former Vezina Trophy winner Miikka Kiprusoff who stats are heading in the wrong direction. 24 Minnesota Niklas Backstrom took over as the #1 goaltender in St. Paul back in 2006 and his numbers have been sliding downhill ever since. Losing Andrew Brunette to free agency also does not help one of the worst offenses in hockey. The Wild have plenty of young talent, but how quickly they mature will determine their chances for a postseason appearance. 29 Colorado The good news in Denver is that Matt Duchene is as good as the Avs could've hoped when they drafted him 2 years ago. The bad news, the 20-year-old may be the best player on the roster this season. Not best prospect, best player. Fans in Denver will have another "rocky" season ahead. But thankfully, they're in the same division as... 30 Edmonton The Edmonton Oilers. Dead last in hockey the last two seasons and there is no reason to believe things will change any time soon. Optimistic fans will point to the amount of youth of their roster and proclaim the team is building for the future. But, the sad truth is that the youth on the Oilers NHL roster isn't as good as the youth on some franchise's AHL rosters. NHL Rk Pacific Comments 8 Los Angeles Is there really a better 1-2 punch between the pipes than Quick and Bernier? Absolutely not. But the talent extends past them. Mike Richards comes from Philly to join the most underrated forward in hockey, Anze Kopitar. And that's all without mentioning Simon Gagne, Dustin Penner, and a solid core of defensemen. Come April, LA fans will be saying, "Kobe who?" 9 Anaheim Did the idea of playing with Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry have a role in Teemu Selanne's decision to return to the Ducks? Most likely. Add in the NHL's best defensive line in Toni Lydman and Lubomir Visnovsky and you have a team that has as good of a chance as any to win the Pacific. 12 San Jose Are fans in the Bay area getting sick of the constant failure in the playoffs by their beloved Sharks? Absolutely. It's reminiscent of the Blues' impressive 25 playoff appearance streak that never resulted in a Cup. However, the Sharks are going to have to work to make the playoffs this year. The downturn can be blamed on, not the lack of stars, but the lack of depth at several key positions. 21 Dallas The Stars were much better than their last place finish suggested last year. However, there was a guy named Brad Richards on the team. Mike Ribeiro is very capable of replacing Richards as the team's top playmaker, but the Stars simply did not do enough this summer for anyone to believe they will improve, let alone make the postseason. 23 Phoenix If the Coyotes management was trying to use this summer to encourage fans to attend their regular season games, they did a terrible job. Exit Ilya Bryzgalov, enter Mike Smith. Exit Ed Jovanovski, enter Raffi Torres. It simply hasn't been a very promising offseason in Arizona, or Hamilton, or Quebec, or Kansas City, or wherever the Coyotes end up in 2012-13. Eastern Quarterfinals #1 Boston over #8 Carolina in 4 #2 Philadelphia over #7 N.Y. Rangers in 5 #3 Washington over #6 New Jersey in 6 #4 Buffalo over #5 Pittsburgh in 6 Western Quarterfinals #1 Vancouver over #8 Nashville in 5 #2 Chicago over #7 San Jose in 6 #3 Los Angeles over #6 Detroit in 7 #4 Anaheim over #5 St. Louis in 7 Eastern Semifinals #1 Boston over #4 Buffalo in 6 #2 Philadelphia over #3 Washington in 7 Western Semifinals #1 Vancouver over #4 Anaheim in 5 #2 Chicago over #3 Los Angeles in 6 Eastern Finals #1 Boston over #2 Philadelphia in 5 Western Finals #1 Vancouver over #2 Chicago in 7 Stanley Cup Finals Boston over Vancouver in 6

(4 comments | Leave a comment)

September 13th, 2011

(Leave a comment)

September 8th, 2011

05:32 pm - NFL Preview Quick note before we begin. The teams are listed in order of projected finish. The ranking is how they compare to other teams, strength of schedule ignored. Astericks are for the playoff teams. Enjoy :) NFL Rk AFC East Comments 4 New England* Tom Brady is back. Bill Belicheck is still running the defense. All in well in the state of Massachusetts. Add to that the best platoon of running backs in the Belicheck era, led by BenJarvus Green-Ellis. A division is almost a sure thing in New England. The playoffs are a lock. However, the goals are much, much higher than those. As they should be. 7 N.Y. Jets* The Jets will actually have a better defense in 2011 than division rival New England. However, their offense will prevent them from winning the AFC East this season. Mark Sanchez hasn't matured well and Shonn Greene is a one-trick pony out of the backfield. And without a pass-catching threat at tight end, Sanchez's options will be very limited. 22 Miami Speaking of offensive issues, the Dolphins enter 2011 with plenty of them. Chad Henne will have a rookie running back, Daniel Thomas, and a psuedo-bust, Reggie Bush, in his backfield. Brandon Marshall is the offense's biggest asset when he's not incurring delay-of-game penalties and being a locker room cancer. Sadly, this is a make-or-break year for a team whose progress is stuck in neutral. 32 Buffalo If the Bills are trying to disenfranchise their fan base in Buffalo, this upcoming season will be a step in the right direction. No sign of a defense. No sign of a quarterback. No running game, except for their quarterback. But they do have Stevie Johnson at wide receiver. NFL Rk AFC North Comments 2 Pittsburgh* As with years past, the play of Ben Roethlisberger will decide the feat of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense. The Steel Curtain defense is predictably superb, so let's look at Big Ben. His numbers were well above average last year in only 12 starts after his suspension. And with a wife now, his night life and off-field distractions may take a hit. This is great news for the defending AFC Champions. 6 Baltimore* The Ravens are the clear choice for 2nd in the North. Why? They don't have the offense to compete with the Steelers. The two teams from Ohio are embarrassments. And, they have the entire NFC West on their schedule. And with Joe Flacco getting better, slowly but surely, the Ravens are a safe bet for the playoffs in 2011. 23 Cleveland The Dawg Pound and Colt McCoy fantasy owners will have high hopes come November. The Browns' schedule for the first two months is the softest in the league. However, November and December will be their demise. Nonetheless, the Browns franchise is moving in the right direction. Unlike... 30 Cincinnati The Bengals franchise. Carson Palmer, Terrelle Owens, Chad Ochocinco. All gone. Enter rookie Andy Dalton, rookie A.J. Green, and Jerome Simpson. What's scary is that the rookie out of TCU will have to learn the NFL playing under these conditions, which are as much worse than what Cam Newton will have to deal with in Carolina. NFL Rk AFC South Comments 11 Houston* For the past 2 or 3 years, pundits have talked about how "this is the year for the Texans." Each year, they were wrong. They will not be wrong this year. Schaub is a reliable QB, Andre Johnson is the best wide out in the AFC. Arian Foster will be solid for years to come. Anything short of a division title is inexcuseable for the NFL's youngest franchise. 14 Indianapolis Peyton Manning's consecutive start streak will come to an end on Sunday. Plus, with news breaking that Peyton had surgery Thursday morning, the playoff hopes of Indy rest of the shoulders of Kerry Collins. Collins is a fantasy sleeper now, but #18 was the heart and soul of the Colts team. They won't fall below .500, but the playoffs may be out of reach for the first time in almost a decade. 20 Tennessee Chris Johnson getting a new contract was a big plus for the Titans in recent weeks. New QB Matt Hasselbeck has enough skill players around him to make him effective. Oh, and did we mention, the Titans have the best defense in the South? The playoffs are a long shot for Tennessee, but the grooming of Jake Locker should not be a total disaster in December. 31 Jacksonville What keeps the woeful Jaguars out of the bottom of the league is the presence of Maurice Jones-Drew. Luke McCown is the worst starting QB in the league. Add to that the fact that he has no one to throw to downfield, and it's just a horrid situation all around in Jacksonville. And that's all without mentioning the worst defense in the NFL. NFL Rk AFC West Comments 5 San Diego* In recent years, there has not be a better November/December team than the Chargers. Sadly for those in southern Cal, the Bolts' horrid start prevented a late season run from putting them in the playoffs. They won't make the same mistake this year. With Rivers, a maturing Ryan Mathews, and the rest of their Madden NFL 12 offense, the Bolts will be back on top. 19 Oakland Really? Who else are you going to put in 2nd in the West? The Chiefs? No. The Raiders have a respectable defense even without Nnamdi Asomugha. Jason Campbell is a smart QB who doesn't make many mistakes. The running game is solid with McFadden and Michael Bush. The Raiders are a very unrated team coming into the 2011 season. 18 Kansas City Yes, the Chiefs are a better team than the Raiders. However, they have a 1st place schedule while the Raiders get a 3rd place schedule after going 8-8 in 2010. The Chiefs are as good as they were last season, but they did overachieve last year. So, when they finish 6-10 or thereabouts, don't blame Todd Haley, blame statistical regression. 25 Denver Kyle Orton is a much better quarterback than Tim Tebow. That being said, there are very few quarterbacks who could win with the lack of supporting cast not named Lloyd that KO has to work with in 2011. Expect Tebow to get some starts late in the season as the Broncos franchise believes he is their future. Also, expect those starts to be a total disaster. NFL Rk NFC East Comments 8 Philadelphia* There's a major difference between the Miami Heat of the NBA and the "Miami Heat" of the NFL: this dream team has won numerous division titles under head coach Andy Reid. This season will be no different as Michael Vick has all the weapons a QB could ever want. The linebackers and special teams are major question marks on a team filled with attractive big name players. 10 N.Y. Giants* The battle for the two NFL wild card spots will be brutal in 2011. But, with the divisional rotation pitting the East vs the West, expect one of the wild cards to come out of the East. Tom Coughlin has been on the hot seat ever since Eli hit Burress to upset the 18-0 Patriots. But, if the Giants can't make the playoffs with this cupcake schedule, Coughlin won't have a leg to stand on. 21 Dallas Why all the talking heads of sports are calling the Cowboys Super Bowl contenders is beyond me. The team gave up 400+ points last year and have no running game (unless they convince Emmitt Smith to come out of retirement). The 'Boys will improve, but let's take this whole rebuilding thing one step at a time. 29 Washington Fans in DC are screaming, wondering how there are 3 teams in the NFL who are worse than the Redskins. The 'Skins are in Year 0 of their rebuilding project. I say that because they have nobody with whom you can build a championship team around. Old man Moss, Beck, Grossman, Hightower, Armstrong, none of them should be around in 2012: Year 1 of their rebuilding project. NFL Rk NFC North Comments 1 Green Bay* The Packers sure are garnering a lot of hype for a team who didn't even win their division last season. However, with Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley, and nearly a dozen other starters returning from IR, there is plenty to like about the Packers. In fact, anything short of back-to-back Super Bowl titles will be a disappointment in the Badger State. 12 Chicago The Bears defense is just that: The Bears defense. Anchored by Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers, offenses won't be moving the ball well on this team. However, questions surround the entire offense, all 11 positions. If Mike Martz can work the same magic in Chicago that he did in St. Louis though, the Bears will be a dangerous playoff team. 15 Detroit The Lions will improve on their 6-10 mark from 2010. Matthew Stafford is healthy and lit up defenses in his 4 preseason games. Jahvid Best is a strong running back. Calvin Johnson is the best WR in the NFC (sorry Larry). However, is the Lions' defense ready to support a solid offense in such a tough division? 24 Minnesota The Brett Favre experiment is over and ended with mixed results. The mixed results being 2009 Brett vs. 2010 Brett. Now, enter Donovan McNabb. But with Sidney Rice bolting for Seattle and a paper thin defense, this is a total rebuilding year for the Vikings. Expect Christian Ponder to be getting the starts by Thanksgiving. NFL Rk NFC South Comments 3 New Orleans* Sean Payton has turned the Aints franchise into the most respected team in the NFL South. And even with the loss of Reggie Bush to Miami, the Saints are in line to win another division crown. Not to be lost in the shadows of the Drew Brees video game offense is one of the most underrated defenses in all of football. It's a good time to be a Saints fan. 16 Tampa Bay* The Buccaneers were one game away from the playoffs last year. This year's team gets a soft 3rd place schedule and has a future Pro Bowler, Josh Freeman, leading their offense. However, the defense is mediocre at best in Tampa Bay, and with Drew Brees and Matt Ryan in your division, how much will Freeman have to mature and how quickly to put them in the playoffs? 9 Atlanta The Falcons, by winning their division in 2010, have earned the toughest schedule in football for 2011. They will play everyone from the AFC South and NFC North, as well as the Eagles and Seahawks. Plus, with Michael Turner getting up there in age for this run-first team, this may be a year where the Falcons step back. 26 Carolina The Panthers get the honor of being the minnows of the toughest division in football. Cam Newton will have his hands full as he learns how to play in the NFL. His biggest asset will be two very capable running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. That being said, this is a throwaway season in Charlotte as their Panthers rebuild. NFL Rk NFC West Comments 13 San Francisco* The 49ers are the division winners by default in the woeful NFC West. Alex Smith will never pan out to be the QB the franchise thought he would be. Frank Gore is getting older and his health is questionable. The wideouts are solid. And the defense is stellar compared to the rest of the West. Just pay more attention to their games against the Steelers and Eagles and not against the other West doormats. 17 St. Louis Sam Bradford is going to be a great QB someday. However, in only his 2nd year, we can't expect too much improvement from the Oklahoma product. Steven Jackson is getting older as well. Their wide out corps are arguably the worst in the NFC. And the Rams defense? Yeah. Rams. Defense. They can compete with the Niners, but look for a lot of the same as last year. 27 Seattle The Seahawks have taken a major step back, replacing Matt Hasselbeck with proven failure Taravis Jackson. The running backs are a laughing stock while the offensive line will insure that Jackson leads the NFL in sacks this year. It's going to be a long season for one of the best fan bases in the NFL. 28 Arizona I have no faith in Kevin Kolb. Hopefully, I'm making that clear by ranking the Cardinals dead last in the worst division in football. To make matters worse, the Cardinals defense didn't improve much at all in the offseason, ranking them at the bottom of the NFL. The Kurt Warner days are long gone and we welcome back the days of the good ol' Cards we know and love. Wild Card Playoffs Baltimore over Houston San Diego over N.Y. Jets San Francisco over N.Y. Giants Philadelphia over Tampa Bay Divisional Playoffs Pittsburgh over Baltimore New England over San Diego Green Bay over San Francisco New Orleans over Philadelphia Conference Championships Pittsburgh over New England Green Bay over New Orleans Super Bowl 46 Green Bay over Pittsburgh.

(11 comments | Leave a comment)

June 30th, 2011

(Leave a comment)