Preview of the 130th US Open By Landon Komishane
The 130th US Open is set to begin on August 29th at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY. It will end of the ten year anniversary of 9/11. Rafael Nadal will the tournament’s #2 seed after the world’s #1 tennis player Novak Djokovic, who is coming off a win at Wimbledon and is looking for back-to-back grand slam titles. Nadal, however, is the defending US Open champion. Last year in Flushing, Nadal won the US Open to become the 7th man to complete a Career Grand Slam, meaning that he has all the four major grand slam titles at least once. On the women’s side of the US Open, two-time defending champion Kim Clijsters will not be able to go for a three-peat as she is out for the tournament with an abdominal strain. Serena Williams has said she will participate in the US Open but will not participate in the warm-up events due to an illness that has set her back for a few weeks. The draw will be announced on Thursday and we will update you on all the first round matchups. According to the Bleacher Report, the total purse for this year's US Open has increased to a record total of $23.7 million. The winners of the men's and women's singles will take home $1.8 million in prize money for their effort, while those eliminated in the first round will bring home $19,000.Predictions: Rafael Nadal will win the US Open on the men’s side. Although he lost to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, Djokovic has been the only one who has been standing in the way of Nadal’s success. Djokovic, however, has a lingering shoulder injury that could affect his success in the US Open. He had to concede to Andy Murray in the finals of the Western and Southern Open for his second loss of this year. He has an astounding record of 57-2. Although Roger Federer was the man who ended Djokovic’s incredible streak at the French Open this past year, he’s showing signs of age with all of these early exits at tournaments that have been below his expectations, including losing in the Cincinnati Masters quarter finals last weekend. The two best Americans in the tournament, Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick have a chance at making a run, but Roddick has a habit of taking early exits at tournaments lately and this could continue into the US Open. Fish, on the other hand, has had an excellent year. Fish is coming off a recent win at the ATP Atlanta Tennis Championships and has runner-up finishes at the ATP Famers Classic and the ATP Rogers Cup. He just beat Nadal last week in straight sets. He will make the semifinals and possibly even the finals. On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova will finally end her drought of not winning a major since the 2008 Australian Open. She just won her second tournament of the year at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinati so she is coming off some momentum. She had a great runner-up performance at Wimbledon so it looks like she is playing good tennis. Serena Williams is still coming off that illness so she should be a little rusty and shaky, so she probably won’t be able to get that far in the tournament. The women’s #1, Caroline Wozniacki is a great tennis player, but she hasn’t done anything sufficient. She is the world #1 tennis player for women and she hasn’t won any majors. She hasn’t proved anything and this will continue in the US Open. She may get far, but she will not win.
We will give you updates throughout the US Open on all matches.
College Football’s Greatest Rivalries By Tim Sorota (August 20, 2011)
Boy, I am so excited for college football. It starts in two weeks and I can’t wait. The best thing about college football is rivalries. When two rivals play, you better watch the game. School spirit is on display 100%. So here’s a list of the 20 best college football rivalries.
20. “The Backyard Brawl”- Pitt vs. West Virginia. The game is typically played the Friday after Thanksgiving. Pitt leads the all time series 61-39-3
19. Tennessee vs. Florida- Whatever each team’s record is they always play a great game. Florida leads the series 21-19
18. “The Border War”- Missouri vs. Kansas. The game is typically played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Missouri leads the series 56-54-9
17. “The Holy War”- BYU vs. Utah. It’s one of the best rivalries because of its name. Utah leads the series 54-34-4
16. “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry”- Georgia vs. Auburn- The Georgia Bulldog has gotten in on this rivalry in the past. He has been known to bite Auburn players. Auburn leads the series 54-52-8.
15. “The Big Game”- Stanford vs. California. In the 1982 installment of “The Game”, with no time remaining on the clock, Kevin Moen ran over a trombone player and scored a game winning TD. It’s now known as “The Play”. Stanford leads the series 56-46-11
14. “The Civil War”- Oregon vs. Oregon St. They meet in the last week of the season, and on many occasions a BCS bowl is on the line. Oregon leads the series 58-46-10. 13. Michigan vs. Notre Dame- The teams play in the early season and it always brings a good game. Michigan leads the series 22-15-1
12. “The Rivalry” Leigh vs. Lafayette. The schools are just 17 miles apart and they have the longest rivalry in college football. Lafayette leads the series 76-65-4
11. Florida St. vs. Miami- The game typically decides which team wins the ACC coastal. Miami leads the series 31-24
10. “The Little Big Game in America”- Amherst vs. Williams- A rivalry that is so big in New England. CollegeGameday went there in 2007. Williams leads the series 71-49-5
9. “Jeweled Shillelagh” USC vs. Notre Dame- Both these teams have been so good in the past, it’s often their biggest test on the schedule. Notre Dame leads the series 43-33-5
8. “The Lone Star Showdown” Texas A&M vs. Texas. This game is played on Thanksgiving night and it’s a battle to see who the best team is Texas is.
7. “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”- Florida vs. Georgia- The game that is always played in Jacksonville has a tendency to be a party. But on the field, the teams hate each other. Georgia leads the series 47-40-2 (according to Georgia) and 46-40-2 (According to Florida)
6. UCLA vs. USC- It’s a classic game. The two teams were their home jerseys whether they’re the home team or the away team. USC leads 42-28-7
5. “The Iron Bowl”- Auburn vs. Alabama. A battle of the state of Alabama. Last year may be the best game in the rivalry. Cam Newton led his team to win 28-27 over Alabama. Bama leads the series 40-34-1
4. “The Red River Rivalry”- Texas vs. Oklahoma. The game is played every year at the cotton bowl in Dallas during the Texas state fair. It’s always an event. Texas leads the series 59-41-5. 3. “The Game” Harvard vs. Yale- The battle of two ivy league schools and they are bitter rivals. They have been playing each other since 1975 and Yale leads 65-54-8.
2. Army vs. Navy- The last game of the college football season is Army vs. Navy. It is a battle between two of our countries service schools. The game is played every year in Philadelphia. Navy leads 55-49-7
1. Ohio State- Michigan. The greatest rivalry in the history of college football. Its Woody Hayes vs Bo Schembechler. Lloyd Carr vs. Jim Tressel. It’s Desmond Howard striking the Heisman Pose. It’s the #1 Buckeyes beating the #2 Wolverines in 2006. It’s the greatest rivalry and Michigan leads 57-44-6.
Miami is in Hot Water (To Say Lightly) By Tim Sorota (August 17, 2011)
In 1987, the NCAA gave Southern Methodist University “the death penalty”. SMU committed numerous recruiting violations in the 1980’s. They were put on probation many times, but still continued with their illegal recruiting. Finally, their cheating caught up to them when the NCAA suspended its program for the 1987 and 1988 seasons. It was the first and the last time the NCAA has given such a punishment. No one had really even thought of giving any other program the death penalty. Until today. One of the most storied programs in college football, the University of Miami, is in deep doo-doo with the NCAA. If the SMU violations were bad, I don’t know what to call Miami’s. The news of Miami’s infractions came yesterday. Yahoo! Spots writer Charles Robinson wrote an article describing an 11 month investigation Yahoo! Sports did involving the Hurricane’s program. What they found may sink the program forever. All of the problems the university now face is because of one man. That one man is convicted felon Nevin Shapiro. Shapiro is serving a 20 year prison sentence for his role in a $930,000,000 Ponzi scheme. Before he was sent to jail, he worked as a booster for the university. It is reported that he gave football players and other athletes from Miami, millions and millions of dollars. He gave players cars and jewelry, took them to night clubs, bought prostitutes, and gave them access to his yacht and his home. He gave people gifts or cash if they hurt opposing players! Notable players who were involved with Shapiro were Frank Gore, Jacoby Harris (current QB), Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Antrel Rolle, Jonathan Vilma, Willis McGahee, Jon Beason, Kellen Winslow Jr., and Vince Wilfork. It was reported that Wilfork got $50,000. Shapiro says that throughout all this, six coaches knew about what was going on, and didn’t say anything. The NCAA comes down harder on a program when coaches don’t report rule breaks.
Will they get “the death penalty”? If everything Shapiro says is true, “the death penalty is a legitimate possibility. However, many feel that the NCAA will never give out that penalty ever again. It completely destroyed SMU and the South-West Conference. Since Clemson and Florida State are reportedly looking at leaving the ACC, could the conference afford Miami getting the “death penalty”. The answer is no. The ACC can’t survive with only 9 teams. Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech can’t carry a whole conference. But, what punishment would be suitable? 73 players were involved with this man. Is losing a few scholarships and not going to an unimportant bowl game really a worthy punishment? That was the punishment that USC got for illegally recruiting one player. Many argue that the Hurricanes did more than SMU did. It’s up to the NCAA at this point to make a decision now.
Boosters are really bad for college football. What do they even do? All you hear is them being bad and hurting programs. SMU lost two full seasons because of boosters. Now Miami may lose a season too. They pay players and put programs on probation? Why is that good for football teams? Many boosters end up in prison just like Nevin Shapiro. Isn’t it just a little fishy how much time players spend with “innocent” boosters? I certainly think it is. It seems like a monthly thing in college football that a school is being punished because of the actions by their boosters. Now because of one booster, Nevin Shapiro, a whole program is in serious jeopardy.
2011-2012 College Football Bowl Predictions
by James Conway Orange Bowl:
Florida State vs. Texas A & M
The Seminoles will completely dominate the ACC because EJ Manuel knows how to run this offense. No other team will come close because last year’s champ Virginia Tech lost many of its core players.
Texas A & M was not thought of as a contender because of the loss of Von Miller but with their new defensive strategy and a great recruiting class playing this year, replacing Miller may be easier than it sounded. Also, Mike Sherman is a fantastic coach.
The Fiesta Bowl:
Louisiana State vs. Oklahoma State
Even though LSU plays in the same division as Alabama they will still be able to get a great amount of wins. They can coast right under the Crimson Tides’ wing but their record and great talent with take them to the Fiesta Bowl.
Oklahoma State has a great team returning. Brandon Weeden was phenomenal last year and the 6 foot 1, 211 pound Justin Blackmon will be able to haunt secondaries all around the league.
Sugar Bowl:
Stanford vs. Boise State All I have to say for Stanford is one name: Andrew Luck. He is a favorite to be a Heisman contender and he has been nothing less than a dominant force while playing with Stanford. This is a case where one player has the power to carry a team the whole way. Boise State has consistently been a powerful team the past few years and with Kellen Moore still at QB, I don’t see that changing just yet.
Rose Bowl:
Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Wisconsin faced one off season challenge which was replacing JJ Watt, and believe me they did that. The defense is looking stellar and there new top 3 running backs could all potentially run for a 1000 yards. Also, looking back to last year they were all above physicality and power and they still have that this year.
Oregon will definitely have another wonderful season, that not a question but I cannot see them making another BCS Championship run. Yes they still have Darron Thomas and LaMichael James as well as the new back Lache Seastrunk BUT they lost way too much on defense and an elite team like that cannot just rely on offense.
BCS Championship Game:
Oklahoma vs. Alabama
Oklahoma has Landry Jones as their quarterback and he is truly magnificent and he has many targets for wide receivers especially Ryan Broyles. There defense did not lose many players and look to be molding into an impenetrable force.
Alabama has two great quarterbacks right now in camp in Phillip Sims and AJ McCarron and picking the starter is the hardest thing they have to do this offseason. Not many changes need to be made to the defense and Trent Richardson is returning as the starting back and his strength as well as size with help the Crimson Tide tremendously.
Sometimes Dreams Don’t Come True By Tim Sorota (August 7, 2011)
This was what was supposed to happen. The Pirates were supposed to hold off St. Louis and Milwaukee, and win the N.L. Central. Then, they were going to shock the Phillies in the first round. For an encore, they were going to beat San Francisco in the NLCS and go to the World Series. Then, in the A.L., Cleveland would win their division. Next, in the playoffs they would beat the Red Sox and the Yankees and go to the fall classic. It was supposed to be a Pirates-Indians World Series. The series would end with both teams winning 3 games and then they wouldn’t play game 7. Everyone wins and everyone is happy. That didn’t happen, nor will it happen. On July 19, both “miracle” teams were in first place. Pittsburgh had the best record they’d ever had at that point in the season since 1992. Both teams were in two of the worst teams in the majors last season. At the trade-line in past years, the Pirates and Indians trade away their best players to rebuild. This year, the teams were buyers. Cleveland acquired the top pitcher on the market, Ubaldo Jimenez. They outbid the New York Yankees! No team can outbid the New York Yankees! Pittsburgh acquired 1B Derek Lee and LF Ryan Ludwick. Right around the acquisitions of Lee and Ludwick, the team started their collapse. It started with a series against the best team in the N.L., the Philadelphia Phillies. Pittsburgh was swept. “Hey it was the Phillies” fans said “we will bounce back against the Cubs”. They didn’t. The Cubs beat the Pirates four straight games. They were swept by a team that is currently 16 games out of first. If it could get any worse for the Bucks, it did. They were swept by the San Diego Padres who are in last. July 19 they were 51-44 and had a ½ game lead in the N.L. Central. Today is August 7 and they are 54-59 and 10 games out. Can they still win the division? Yes, but it will take a miracle. The other “dream” team is in better shape.. They are not in first, but they are in spitting distance. The Indians are 4 games behind Detroit and still have a legitimate shot at going to the post season. If Jimenez and Fausto Carmona can pitch like they’re capable, they can potentially win their division. But both teams making the playoffs? Extremely unlikely. Hopefully, either the Pirates or Indians can make the playoffs because both of them won't.
THE SITUATION AT NOTRE DAME by James A. Conway Notre Dame Footballs’ Head Coach, Jim Kelly, is hoping to pick The Fighting Irish’s starting quarterback for the 2011-2012 season just 19 practices into training camp. This will leave 10 practices for the soon to be named starter to work with the offense exclusively. In the race for starting quarterback this year are four potentially great players. The favorites are Dayne Crist who started last year, going 8-5 before needing season ending knee surgery and Tommy Rees who started the last four games after Crist’s injury bringing the team four victories which included a win in the Sun Bowl over Miami. Sophomore Andrew Hendrix and freshman Everett Golson are the underdogs but Kelly claims to like everyone leaving the head coach just as uncertain as we all are. Notre Dame has faded the past few years from being an elite football program to becoming the victims of some surprising upsets. But when September comes they will be in the hunt for a BCS National Championship with one of these quarter backs hopefully leading them there. Notre Dame is currently seeded 18th in the USA Today Pre-Season Poll.
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE'S SITUATION by James Conway During the late weeks of May, the Ohio State Football program was all over the news, especially former Head Coach Jim Tressel. Now just over two months later Tressel’s name is in the news again but this time he was not actually involved. Two days ago several freshman on the school’s team this year were seen wearing wrist bands reading ‘JT’ in support of the missed coach. Ohio State athletic leaders have confiscated these wrist bands and refunded the player’s money. These wrist bands may or may not be a NCAA violation so OSU’s spokesman Jerry Emig said the University is taking a “cautionary” approach. One thing is for sure though, the last thing Ohio State’s football program needs is NCAA investigators once again looking for material that could hurt the school and its profound football team. Ohio State is currently ranked 16th in USA Today’s Pre-Season Poll but with a terrible offseason including the vacating all 2010’s victories, the 5 game suspension issued on Terrelle Pryor and 4 other teammates as well as the Tressel resignation, it will be interesting to see how the Buckeyes respond come September.
Cy Young Predictions By Matthew Stolbof This year has been known as the year of the pitcher. Pitchers from both leagues have been dominating and, it doesn’t look like they’re going to stop now. C.C. Sabathia is just overpowering his opponents with a league leading 16 wins, and Justin Verlander is not far behind with 15 wins.
Jered Weaver has also been great with 14 wins and a league leading 1.88 ERA. Josh Beckett is also dominating batters with a 9-4 record with a 2.20 ERA and, let’s not forget the quiet but good Cleveland Indian pitcher Josh Tomlin who has 11 wins for the Tribe.
Moving on to the N.L., you got Roy Halladay, who’s doing great as usual with a N.L. leading 14 wins. The veteran Ryan Vogelsong, of the baseball Giants, is doing pretty good with a 2.19 ERA, which is leading the N.L., and is keeping the Giants tied for first in the N.L. West. Dodgers pitcher, yes I know a pitcher from the Dodgers is doing good. Anyway, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is the only good pitcher for the Dodgers with 13 wins which is 2nd in the N.L., and has a 3.05 ERA.
Lets not forget our relief pitchers too. Jose Valverde, of the Detroit Tigers, has 29 saves. leading the A.L., and the great Mariano Rivera is not far behind him with 28. Joel Hanrahan, of the surprising Pirates, has 30 saves, and how can we not forget the man who has the scariest beard in the majors: Brian Wilson, of the San Francisco Giants, is leading the N.L. with 33 saves.
So now that I talked about just a few of the great pitchers in the MLB, I will now give my Cy Young award predictions so far and, I will also give out a closer of the year award for both leagues.
AL Cy Young: Jered Weaver LAA NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, PHI Closer of the Year AL: Jose Valverde Det Closer of the Year NL: Brian Wilson SF
-Be sure to also check out my radio show on spreaker.com. It’s called “Sports Talk with Matt” and in the show I well obviously talk about sports. I am on everyday at 11:30 A.M.
THE REAL UFC MVP by Dennis Begley I LOVE UFC!!!!!!!! So I just want to take a few minutes to talk about the UFC, and how they have absolutely no TOP star. I mean basketball has Lebron , Golf has Tiger (or had should I say), football has Manning, hockey has Thomas, and baseball has Gonzalez, but I mean my main guys the lonely UFC has no top star. I mean of course it has stars, I mean you really can't pick the top star. There is of course great fighters, but no top star . So I mean I love UFC; they are great guys, but once they get in the cage they change and become complete basket cases. I mean I love UFC because that's where people like me that want to wrestle for a living go to. It's basically real pro wrestling, and I mean how can you not respect a guy who has the strength to get into a cage, and possibly beaten up real bad. So go UFC fighters. Applause to you. Anyway, though thats not the point. My point is how can this place not have a real star. I mean the whole industry does not have a MVP trophy (or MVF for most valauable fighter). Maybe it's because there's so much competion maybe it's because not enough competion. I mean there's a hall of fame and there's only four people in it. So I mean there's stars Chuck Lidell, may be old but he has a really hard punch, and my personal favorite, Brock Lesnar, is probably the best wrestler in all of UFC and also bulit like a car. So he will just pick you up and slam you the ground. He will either ground and pound you or put you in a submission and make you quit and tap out. Tito Ortiz might be getting a little old too, but has some beast ground and pound and makes the ref stop the match. Also, Anthony "The Spider" Silva has the best kick in the business, and with his kicks he can knock you with only one or a couple. So it's hard to say who is the best. I would have to say even though how much it kills me to say this and not say Brock Lesnar . Anthony "the spider" Silva, I mean if you have seen how fricken hard his kicks are; THEY ARE INSANE. So yes, that is who I believe is the UFC MVP but there still is no ultimate star like a lebron, Tiger or Manning . So I will be back with definitely more UFC coverage.
Deadline Recap by Shane Godek This year’s trade deadline has now come and passed, and teams have made additions to their roster to help get them prepared for a World Series run. Here are my winners and losers of the MLB trade deadline. Winners: From the AL-Cleveland Indians: The Indians got the crown jewel of the trade market when they acquired Ubaldo Jimenez. They gave up 4 top prospects, but their farm system is deep enough to recover. This deal bolsters their rotation and makes them a more formidable contender in the Central. By trading for Ubaldo, the Indians showed they are serious about winning right now, and having that mentality in your clubhouse is huge. They also dealt Orlando Cabrera, who does have playoff experience, but has seen a decrease in his numbers and no longer needed on the Indians with Astrubal Cabrera locked in at short and Jason Kipnis expected to finish the year at second. And finally, the Indians dealt for Kosuke Fukudome, who will give them outfield depth they desperately need after losing both Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore for most, if not all of the season. The Indians are no longer a team getting some lucky breaks. They are the real deal. From the NL- St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards were one of the more active teams on and around the trade deadlines, acquiring 4 players that will help them in the NL Central race. They added pitchers Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepcynzki, as well as shortstop Rafael Furcal. Jackson gives them a solid 1-2-3 punch with him, Chris Carpenter, and Jamie Garcia. Dotel is a power pitcher coming out of the pen that will be another arm at the disposal of manager Tony La Russa. Rzepcynzki will give there P.A announcer a nightmare every time he comes in to pitch, but he is a underrated talent. He has held lefties to just a .157 average this season, and will have the chance to start for the Cardinals in the future. Furcal boasts a horrendous .197 batting average, but is a defensive upgrade over Ryan Theriot, and will have the motivation of playing for a contender and a team that will actually pay him his paycheck. The Cardinals did lose Colby Rasmus, a young, talented center fielder who has struggled this season, but in terms of this year, they needed to add the players they did to make the playoffs. Now St. Louis looks like it is ready to catch Milwaukee and take the N.L Central crown. Other winner: The Pirates added Ryan Ludwick and Derrick Lee to help give their offense a boost that will help them reach the playoffs for the first time since 1992. Losers: From the AL- New York Yankees: The Yankees didn’t make any bad trades, they flat out didn’t make any trades at all. They lost out in the Jimenez sweepstakes, then they didn’t add Heath Bell or another elite pitcher. Fans of the Bronx Bombers have to have some doubts heading into the second half of the season with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia taking up the number 2 and 3 spots in the rotation. You can’t continue to expect them both to maintain their sub 4 ERA’s, and it’s not like A.J Burnett is going to be Superman. The offense will have no problem scoring runs, and the bullpen is solid with David Robertson and Mariano Rivera, but who on the starting rotation would you trust to start a playoff game after CC Sabathia? I don’t think the fans are going to be very confident trotting Bartolo Colon out there, or Phil Hughes and his 8.24 ERA. The Yankees will still make the playoffs, but I’m not sure if they can make a run with the team they have now.
From the NL- Houston Astros: The Astros sent Hunter Pence and Michael Bourne packing, and in addition lost what little fan base they had. Sure, they landed the mother lode of prospects, but potential doesn’t sell tickets, current talent does. I understand they made the best moves for their organization in the long term, but in return they lost what little support the team had for the short term. The only deal I thought would help them was to dump Wandy Rodriguez and his giant contract, because the money they have locked up with him could really be better used on adding more players. He still may be moved if he clears waivers, which he is expected to do. Good luck, fans of the Astros. You will need it. A quick note on the hometown team the Red Sox: They added Erik Bedard. If he can stay off of the D.L, then the Sox could have a steal. They did give up two of their better prospects in pitcher Stephan Fife and outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang. Neither are elite, but they both have been showing promise this season. The Sox deal could be a real hit or miss. As a Red Sox fan, I hope Bedard turns out to be a stud, not Eric Gange.
WWE NEWS (7/31/11) by Andrew Simmons The latetest storyline in the WWE involves Cm Punk, one of the biggest stars in the WWE who has been the main focus of WWE most recent storyline. This storyline started 5 weeks ago, when Cm won the number 1 contendership for the wwe title and cut a promo about how he was going to leave the WWE after he wins the title. Then Cm won the title 3 weeks ago at money in the bank paper view and left the WWE. After that Vince McMahon was fired as the head of the WWE and they had a tournament for who the new champion is. John Cena won the tournament and Cm Punk came back so now at Sumerslam in 2 weeks Punk vs John Cena for who the real wwe championship. Every one in the wrestling community is looking very forward to that.
Lack of Deal May Cost Yankees in Playoffs By Tim Sorota (July 31, 2011)
When Cliff Lee was acquired by the Texas Rangers, members of the media said that he was being “rented” before the Yankees would sign him in the off-season. So going into the offseason, Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman and Owner Hal Steinbrenner had one goal: do everything in their power to sign Lee. On December 15, 2010, Cliff Lee was introduced as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Yankees’ fans everywhere were enraged with Cashman and Steinbrenner. They were so sure they were going to get Lee, they had no back-up plan when he didn’t sign. When veteran Andy Pettite retired, the rotation was C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, and Bartolo Colon. In the Sports Illustrated Baseball Preview, it said the team had to get a starter. Fast forward to this week of the trade deadline and the team is getting production from Nova, Colon, and Garcia, but Garcia and Colon are older and may be un-trustworthy in the post season. Hughes and Burnett have been inconsistent. So they still need a starter. Luckily for them, two proven pitchers, Felix Hernandez and Ubaldo Jimenez are both on the market. One of them must come to New York, doesn’t he? Well, none of them did. Jimenez was traded to Cleveland while Hernandez stayed with the Mariners. Here’s a proposed trade that the Yankees could’ve offered: Yankees send Catcher Jesus Montero (#7 prospect in MLB) and Pitcher Manny Banuelos (#17) to Seattle in return for Felix Hernandez. If you’re the Mariners, you have to accept the trade because you’re getting two ofthe top prospects in the game and if you’re the Yankees, it’s a great deal. You can afford to give up Montero because you already have three of the top catching prospects. Apparently neither Cashman nor Steinbrenner were willing to give up those players or Seattle wanted more. Well anyway, they didn’t get anyone. So they must move on. Assuming New York makes the playoffs, they must rely heavily on C.C. Sabathia. He has to win every single start or the team will go nowhere. Assuming Sabathia can win every start (which is a huge task to ask); they will still Nova, Hughes, Burnett, Colon, or Garcia to pitch well. I don’t see that happening. They will get to the ALCS and face the Red Sox. Then, Burnett will get hit hard and so will Hughes. They just don’t have the match ups against a team like Boston. They could’ve had the matchups had Cashman acquired someone.
A Quick Overview of the Founding of the WWE By Andrew Simmons Just to let you know all professional wrestling is fake, and has a predetermined winner and loser, but that does not mean it is not one of the most entertaining things on television.
The WWE was founded in 1952 by Vince J. McMahon. Then the WWWF (the World Wide Wrestling Federation), it was a territorial professional wrestling promotion in New York. Most of the big matches at the time were in Madison Square Garden. WWE did not become the international powerhouse it is today until Vince K McMahon took over after his father died in the 1980's. It was Vince who had the idea for Wrestlemania, which was the first ever Pay-Per-View in professional wrestling history. This event brought mainstream attention because of Muhammad Ali, Mr T, and Cyndi Lauper. The main star of the WWE during that time was Hulk Hogan, who revolutionized professional wrestling, and made it the way it is today. The WWE has turned into a billion dollar organization, and WWE episodes have had guest such as Mike Tyson, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, and other huge stars from the world of sports.
SPOTLIGHT ON: Brickhouse Wrestling Clinic by Dennis Begley Brickhouse Wrestling Clinic is a wrestling clinic. Not fake, terrible wrestling, but teaches real wrestling takedowns, reversals and pins for wins that brings out your real full potential in the sport led by probably the best coaches in all of New England. It is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and the head coach is Sean Harrington, a 2 time Massachusetts state champion and 2 time New England champion as well as a two time college All-American at UMASS-Lowell. Along with assistant coaching Harvard, he is the best youth coach and one of the best high school coaches of all time. His assistant coach is also Coach Gilbride, coach of Nashoba. This clinic is the best wrestling clinic around, and has made many good wrestlers into amazing wrestlers; changing losing season wrestlers into state champs, and will change any wrestler into a great wrestler. I give this place a five out of five stars, and I'm telling you wrestlers if you wanna get better come here. |
Almost Champions The U.S Women’s team suffers a crushing loss in the World Cup final to Japan.
By: Shane Godek While confetti rained down on them in Frankfurt, Germany, the U.S women’s national team was not the ones celebrating. That honor was reserved for the Japanese team, the victorious side in a heart-stopping match that ended with a penalty shootout. The U.S women’ national team came out of the gates on fire, firing shots from all angles and distances, but they couldn’t find the back of the net. Once Abby Wambach hit the crossbar in the 27’ minute, you got the feeling that the USWNT (United States Women’s National Team) needed to change something to score. That change came at half time, when Alex Morgan entered the game as substitution for the injured Lauren Cheney. In the 69th minute, Morgan used her speed to break loose on a great long pass from Megan Rapinoe, and then blasted a left foot shot that found the goal. The USA held the lead for 11 minutes, but Japanese team would not back down. Aya Miyama scored after the USA’s defense failed to clear a cross that landed on Hope Solo’s doorstep. After the ball is knocked around for a few seconds, Miyama stepped up and drove it home to even the score at 1-1. This would be the score heading into extra time, but after the quick break, the USWNT struck. In the 102nd minute, Abby Wambach did what she is the best in the world at, which is heading the ball into the net. She scores, and now the USWNT is just over 15 minutes away from being crowned champions. In the 115th minutes, U.S goalkeeper Hope Solo goes down with a knee injury. After walking it off and getting it looked at by medical staff she remains in the game. On the ensuing corner for Japan, team captain Homare Sawa flicked the corner on with an incredible maneuver, and the ball deflected off Abby Wambach and into the U.S net. With this crushing blow dealt to the U.S nationals, they make one final push to get the winner. Despite getting a free kick just outside the box on a red card for Japan, the USWNT can’t find the winner, so the game goes to penalty kicks. There isn’t a more nerve wracking, exciting event in all of sports than a penalty shootout to decide the World Cup. This one certainly didn’t disappoint. After Shannon Boxx gets her shot saved by Japanese keeper Kaihori, Japan takes the lead in the shootout on the shot of Aya Miyama. Down 1-0, Carli Lloyd tries to get the USA going, but her shot sails over the net. On the next PK for Japan, Hope Solo makes a clutch save to keep the PK score at 1-0 Japan. Needing a goal, the USWNT sends Tobin Heath to the spot. Heath, a sub for Megan Rapinoe who normally would take this shot, gets her try blocked by Kaihori. The pressure is once again on Hope Solo to make a save. She gets a piece of Sagakuchi’s shot, but it rolls in under her fingers. The USA is all but beat. They need a goal and a save to stay alive. Wambach gives them the goal, but Solo can’t make the save. The county of Japan has needed something to cheer about since they were crushed by the earthquake and tsunami that struck their country earlier this year. This certainly qualifies as something worth cheering for. They get to hoist the cup, and the USA gets to walk off the field empty handed. In this tournament, there was one big winner: women’s soccer as a whole. This year’s tournament has captivated the world and the USA in particular. There were a record 7,000 tweets per second during the final. This is a testament to how much of the world was watching the game, and how much support there was for these two teams. Even though it was only for a few weeks, the USA caught world cup fever. This team saw an out pour of support for them, and they rode that support to a final. For the first time since 1999, a large portion of the country actually cares about women’s soccer. This is a huge victory for women’s soccer. Japan won the game on heart and hustle. They deserve to walk away as champions after their showing in the final. The USA should also walk away from this tournament with their heads held high. They shouldn’t be ashamed of their efforts. This entire tournament has been one month of heart-stopping, drama filled, crazy soccer that has been a pleasure to watch and write about. Thanks to everyone who has been reading my articles and I hope to see you in 2015!
The Home Stretch by Shane Godek
The women's national team is one win away from being champions Greatness isn't something that comes easy. It only comes to those who have the strength, skill, and resiliancy to rise above everybody else. This Sunday, the US women's national team has a chance to achieve greatness. They are one win away from etching themselves in the history of women's soccer forever. Their only obsticle now between them and their ultimate prize is the Japanese team. The Japanese nationals pulled off an upset of the host country Germany in the quaterfinals, and have fought tooth and nail to reach the USA in the final.Considered to be one of the best passing teams in all of soccer, Japan is playing with the support of a nation the was recently ravaged by the fatal earthquakes that occured in this past March. They want to bring the cup home with them, but I don't believe they will be able too. The USA is the more determined team that has already shown the world it won't quit. After pulling of the thrilling come from behind victory over Brazil, the US women's team isn't going to stop until they finish the task at hand. Abby Wambach has shown why she is considered one of the most dangerous players in the world, and has shown to be a clutch goal scorer. US keeper Hope Solo has also risen to the occasion of the World Cup, making critical saves when the team needs her the most. I predict the United States wins the final over Japan this Sunday, with the score 2-1. I hope that everybody tunes in to the game, because it is sure to be an exciting one, being played on the biggest platform possible. This entire tournament has been riveting, and I'm sure the final won't disappoint. Go team USA! Shane has covered the entire Women's World Cup for the Boston Hot Spot. You can follow Shane on twitter @segodek
Time to Finish the Job After a monumental win, Team USA needs to focus on the task at hand.
by Shane Godek After the exciting game that was played on Sunday, you want to believe that Team USA has won it all. The team showed courage and resiliency by coming back in overtime to tie it up, even though they only had 10 players on the field. Unfortunately, they are not yet the champions of women’s soccer. The team now has to face France in the semi-final. The French team is a formidable opponent, having beat England in the quarter-finals to advance to the semis. The French nationals are a young, skillful group that could exploit the United States midfield, which has shown some inconsistencies in this tournament. Team USA needs to come to play, and take charge of the game. To be honest, this is Team USA’s game to lose. They are the better squad, and are hands-down the best team left in this tournament. The only team good enough to beat Team USA is Team USA. As long as they focus on playing their game, and avoid stupid mistakes, they should be able to dominate the match. My Prediction: USA beats France 3-1 Make sure to tune in to the game at 11:30 on Wednesday, July 13th. Follow Shane Godek on Twitter @segodek.
Vrabel to Become Buckeyes’ Linebacker’s Coach By Tim Sorota (July 11, 2011) This summer hasn’t been the best for the Buckeyes. Well who I’m a kidding? It’s been awful! It’s one of the worst summers for a program in the history of division 1 football. It really couldn’t be much worse. Their beloved head coach, Jim Tressel, had to resign because of NCAA violations. Buckeye nation found out that a potential Heisman Trophy candidate is a liar and a cheater. Now there is a major quarterback battle between Senior Joe Bauserman, Red-shirt Freshman Ken Guiton, Freshman Braxton Miller, and Sophomore Justin Siems. With Coach Jim Tressel out the door and the program in turmoil, recruits started de-committing from Ohio State. Let’s face it, the new head coach, Luke Fickell, isn’t going to bring in anymore freshman. Fickell was the former linebackers coach from the Buckeyes. That leaves a position open on the defensive side of the ball. Who should fill it? Send in Fickell’s old teammate and former NFL star Mike Vrabel. Vrabel was an Outside Linebacker and played 14 seasons in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and won 3 super bowls with the New England Patriots. He graduated Ohio State in 1996. His former Patriot’s teammate, Tedy Bruschi said that Vrabel was one of the smartest guys he’s played with. Vrabel knew what plays offenses were calling. Since many high school recruits know the name Mike Vrabel, they may be more interested in playing for him and coming to Ohio State. Last season’s Buckeye’s defense was one of the best in the nation. This year’s expectations aren’t as high, but they will have a strong defense. Vrabel will have a firsthand experience of two good linebackers. The first is a 6-2 senior named Andrew Sweat. He is a middle linebacker who recorded 42 tackles last year. The next is a potentially great Outside Linebacker named Etienne Sabino. Sabino is a senior who didn’t play in his junior year. He will become a much better player with the addition of Mike Vrabel to the coaching staff. Vrabel will also help groom younger Buckeyes. Some football fans may wonder about Vrabel. Well his hire is a win-win. He isn’t the head coach, so if he is making mistakes, someone can fix it. If Luke Fickell makes a mistake, no one can correct him. Vrabel has a great upside being a player himself. Mike Vrabel was a great hire by Ohio State.
Follow Tim Sorota on twitter @Sorota_HotSpot
You Have to Have Hope by Shane Godek The United States fell on Wednesday to Sweden in their final game of match play. Both teams had already clinched a spot in the next round, but the teams were battling it out to see who would advance as the higher seed. The women’s national team wasn’t victorious, so they were dealt the challenge of facing Brazil in the first game. Brazil has the best woman soccer player on the Earth in their superstar Marta, and she alone can change a game. Brazil has also assembled a squad around her that makes them very formidable foes. For the USA to pull off the upset, they are going to have to lean heavily on their keeper Hope Solo. Solo, whose right shoulder injury has had people questioning if she is at 100%, is considered to be the best goalkeeper in the world. She needs to rise to the occasion if the United States has any chance to win. My Prediction: The USA pulls off the upset on Brazil on a late goal by Abby Wambach. They win 3-2. If the United States can knock off the Brazilian team, I believe that the cup is there’s to take. A win will give them the confidence and momentum that they need to go all the way.
Fans Witnessing a Great Feat By Tim Sorota (July 7, 2011) Who would’ve thought that a kid from Kalamazoo, Michigan would become the face of the greatest organization in the history of baseball? That kid, now a man is Derek Jeter, and he is about to get his 3,000th hit. If you ask any little kid who their favorite baseball player is, the majority of the kids would say Derek Jeter. Jeter was called up in 1995, and in 1996 he won a Rookie of the Year award and a World Series championship. He won the World Series, again in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009. On June 3, 2003, he was named the captain of the New York Yankees. He is considered a member of the Yankees’ core 3 captains. The group consists of #4 First Baseman Lou Gerhig, #15 Catcher Thurman Munson, and, of course, Shortstop #2 Derek Jeter. Jeter is approaching a milestone that no Yankee has ever achieved. The Yankees have 15 Hall of Fame players. Such names include: Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Lou Gehrig. None of them have ever had 3,000 hits. How can you not root for a guy like Jeter? He says everything right and he only wins. When I think of Derek Jeter, I think of Game 4 of the 2001 World Series. The Yankees were “America’s Team” after the 911 terrorist attacks. They pulled an absolute miracle in the bottom of the 9th when Tino Martinez took Diamondback’s closer Byung-Hyun Kim deep to tie the game. The game started on October 31, but by the third batter in the bottom of the 10th it was already November 1. The clock struck midnight on the month of October and on the D-backs. The third batter was Derek Jeter. With the center field scoreboard saying “Welcome to November Baseball”, Jeter took a 3-2 pitch from Kim, and put it in the right field porch. At any other ball-park in baseball, it would’ve been a fly ball out. But not here. Jeter rounded the bases with his fist held high. This was the first home run ever hit in the month of November. There was already a Mr. October, so Jeter was nicknamed Mr. November. When he was heading home, he jumped into his mob of teammates at home plate. Behind home plate was the Yankee’s logo. The logo, instead of being all white, was red and white stripes and blue stars. It was one of the greatest moments in World Series history and the great history of Yankee Stadium. Derek Jeter is truly a great player and a player for the ages. In an era that has been caught up in steroids, he has stayed true to the game. He is a guy who you can root for no matter the age. An old-time Yankee fan will be proud to call Derek Jeter Yankees’ captain. When Jeter gets his 3,000 hit, many people will just stand and applaud for truly a great player. He’s a player for the ages and a sure first ballot Hall of Famer.
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Coaches and Officiating Ruining Baseball By Tim Sorota (July 6, 2011) In Little League, umpires make the call they see and the managers respect it. If an umpire makes a questionable call, the coaches and players don’t normally argue with the ump. When they do argue, no one is ever ejected. In the major leagues, however, managers feel that they can dispute any call they want. Because of this, ejection rates have sky-rocketed. Baseball is the only sport where this accurse. When a manager comes out of his dugout to argue, the game is stopped. You would never see Tom Brady completely stop his offense if Rex Ryan came out to argue. Instead Rex would throw a little thing called a challenge flag. The officials would look at the play to make sure they got the call right. In baseball, they spend time arguing over a call, and in football, they look at a replay. If the football coach is right, they get the call right on the field, and nothing else happens. If he is wrong, he is charged a timeout. In baseball, if a manager disputes and is wrong, he is kicked out of the game. If he argues and is right, he is still kicked out of the game! The coach could be completely right, and yet his team would be without a manager. What’s a simple solution to this? Managers agree with all the calls and umps don’t eject anyone? That won’t work. Many people would love that, but it won’t work. So we have to go to replay. That is the only way we can make sure that every call is correct. If not, baseball officiating will continue to go in a down-ward spiral. Players and coaches will argue absolutely everything and they will get ejected for every little thing. There have already been 13 ejections in the month of July. About 2 people everyday are being ejected! If this rate continues, 60 people would be ejected in the month of July. That is ridiculous! I don’t understand why Major League Baseball doesn’t try instant replay. Bomani Jones, host of the radio show “The Morning Jones” ,said today on ESPN’s Around the Horn, that managers come out for fun and for their own amusement. That statement is wrong. If a coach or player sees a call that they strongly disagree with, they will argue with an umpire. They will never argue if the play isn’t close. A lot of the time, the manager or player is right! So why doesn’t the umpire look at the replay. Then they can make sure they have the call right. If the umpire was right the whole time, the person who argued could be ejected. With the current system in place, if the skipper is right, he gets ejected! Why not go to instant replay? It will keep players and managers in the game and the calls will always be right!
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Everything That’s Wrong with the Major League All-Star Game By Tim Sorota (July 4, 2011) Happy Fourth of July everyone! And now I will do what American’s do best, complain. America’s pastime is baseball. I love baseball, but there is something in the middle of July that I don’t like. The Major League Baseball All-star Game. The game could be so great, but it hasn’t been in a very long time. Prior to 1997, A.L. and N.L. teams didn’t play each other during the regular season. So, the All-Star game was the only chance to play against players who were in the opposite league. As a result, the game was much more competitive. With interleague play, the All-Star game isn’t competitive. Now if a player has an ache or a pain, they will sit out. The game became a complete joke after the 2002 game. The game is 2002 ended with a tie. After that, ironically, Major League Baseball made the game count. The winning league would get home-field in the World Series. That is appalling. Why would the MLB want the World Series to be effected by a game that takes place three months before it? Also, if the game was so important, why would fans pick the starters and why does every team need at least one player? If the game was really about winning, the 33 BEST players in each league would be on each team. How can C.C. Sabathia not make the all-star team? He is 11-4 with a 3.05 ERA. He is a first half Cy Young candidate and he isn’t even on the roster. But, don’t worry, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters (.262, 7 HR, 33 RBI) made it. The guy who is 2nd in HR and RBIs in the A.L., Mark Teixeira, will be watching the game from his couch. His teammate, Derek Jeter, not only made the team, but was voted in as a starter! He is batting .260! A guy who hits .260 shouldn’t be starting the “midsummer classic”. If you want, before the game, you can watch the red carpet show. Every baseball game needs a red carpet show. It’s a shame that the game is turning into an award show, rather than a baseball game.
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Stars and Strikes The U.S wins over Columbia, clinches berth in next round. by Shane Godek The fireworks were in Germany this forth of July weekend. The U.S women's national team clinched a spot in the knockout round by defeating Columbia, 3-0. Goals from Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone, and Carli Lloyd boosted the women's squad, who will face Sweden on Wednesday to decide who will be the top seed coming out of group C. Coach Pia Sundhage kept the same lineup as she did in the team's win over Korea DPR in their first game, which included Lauren Cheney starting in the midfield over Megan Rapinoe. The United States dominated the much weaker Columbia, which should come as no surprise. So now that they have clinched a spot in the next round, look for Team USA to rest some of their stars in the next game. I wouldn’t be surprised if the USA subbed out Abby Wambach early in their next match, to protect her from picking up a second yellow card. Back-to-back yellows would mean a suspension for the forward, and she is critical for the US if they look to advance in the tournament.
To be honest, women's soccer is not a sport I am usually captivated by, but this U.S women's team is different. They are a mix of veteran leadership and young, exciting talent. They seem ready to make it all the way to the final in this tournament, and maybe even win it all. So wake up America! It's time we show some support for our women's team.
The Greatest Thing since Sliced Bread By Tim Sorota (June 30, 2011) On father’s day, Rory Mcilroy won the U.S. Open by 8 strokes. He dominated the whole week. The performance was similar to Tiger Woods’ 2000 U.S. performance at Pebble Beach, where Woods won by 10 stokes. As a result, many people are calling him “the next Tiger Woods”. He has the “greatest golf swing in the history of the game”. Mcilroy, 22, was a notable name to only the die-hard golf fan until his performance at the 2010 British Open, where he led parts of the tournament. Then after the masters, everyone knew the name Rory Mcilroy. When he finally did win the U.S. Open, people started saying “wow this guy is great!” Many golf fans are calling him the greatest player ever and are saying that he will defeat Jack Nicklaus’ major record. These comparisons are ridiculous. McIlroy is a great golfer and has a great swing, but he has won one major. Can he potentially break Nicklaus’ record? He could. McIlroy is having so many comparisons to Tiger Woods because America is looking for a new Tiger. They want a guy who is both a good golfer and a classy person. Many people want to get rid of Woods and if Mcilroy is really that good he could be the new Tiger. Also, how will he be able to deal with the pressure? In an interview of Piers Morgan Tonight, he was asked if he would be the greatest golfer ever. He replied with “I will work towards it”. In his three months of fame, he hasn’t said anything wrong yet. That is a positive sign. But the questions will get harder for Rory and he will have more of a chance to make a mistake. It’s much easier to make an error off the course when you’re ranked #1 in the world then when you’re ranked #30. This upcoming British Open will tell me a lot about the future success of him. If McIlroy shoots an opening round 78 and misses the cut, I will wonder if he can handle the pressure. If he shoots a 72 and competes for the championship, I will know that he is poised and can handle the pressure. I know that America thinks that McIlroy will win the Open by 15 shots and win the next 20 majors. We will see if that’s true.
SOUTH CAROLINA: 2011 NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPS by Tim Scott Despite a new ballpark, a new atmosphere, and a different challenger, the South Carolina Gamecocks won their second consecutive College World Series in impressive fashion. Even though last year, they topped the UCLA Bruins, the upstart Gamecocks, who entered the game 4th in the nation, topped the 2nd-seed Florida, 5-2, in the deciding game. Matt Roth (14-3) was the winning pitcher for the Gamecocks, going 7.2 IP, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out 6 and walking 2 on 127 pitches. In addition, he was pitching on 3 days rest. On the offensive side, the Gamecocks were able to give Karsten Whitson (8-1) his first loss of 2011. The Florida starter only went 4.2 IP, allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run (3 R) on 98 pitches. These runs came courtesy of solid hitting from sophomore Christian Walker (2-4), senior Brady Thomas (2-4, RBI 1B in 3rd), and junior Peter Mooney (2-3, solo HR in 6th). Senior Scott Wingo also provided 2 RBIs in the winning effort. Many records were set as a result of the Gamecock's win. They became the first school to win back-to-back championships since Oregon State did it in 2005-2006, and the 6th overall. Also, they've now won 11 games in a row in the College World Series (longest streak), and 16 in the NCAA Tournament (also the longest streak). GAMECOCKS DRAFTED IN MLB in 2011 40. Jackie Bradley (OF) Red Sox 184. Matt Price (RHP) Diamondbacks 344. Scott Wingo (SS) Dodgers 649. Peter Mooney (SS) Blue Jays 695. Adam Matthews (RF) Orioles 907. Bryan Harper (LHP) Nationals 1257. Steven Neff (LHP) Giants 1465. Jon Webb (LHP) Reds
A Dodger’s Diamond in the Rough by Tim Sorota (June 28, 2011)
Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted the following yesterday: “The Dodgers file for bankruptcy, a moment that ranks among the most embarrassing in the history of Major League Baseball”. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the most successful and storied franchises in all of sports. They have won 6 world championships and have won 18 pennants. Those days are behind them. They have seen brighter days. On April 20, Major League Baseball took over the day to day operations of the Dodgers. The team is about $400 million in debt. Owner Frank McCourt had a plan to get the team out of the debt. He seemed to have a TV deal in place with Fox that would give the Dodgers roughly $3 billion over 17 years. But, on June 20, Bud Selig rejected the deal. Now, the Dodgers could be on the market, where the team would be sold to the highest bidder. The highest bidder could be current Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The team is $400 million in the red, they are about to be sold, and the attendance is taking a noise-dive. What could be good for the fourth place Dodgers? The answer is a 26 year old Centerfielder named Matt Kemp. He is batting .336 (2nd in N.L), he has hit 22 homeruns (1st in N.L.), he has driven in 62 runs (2nd in N.L.), and he has stolen 21 bases (4th in N.L.). He is on pace to become just the 5th member of the 40-40 club. Can Matt Kemp be MVP on a team that is bankrupt? The MVP is given to the player who is most valuable to his team. Without Kemp where would the Dodgers be? No other member of the club has over 8 homeruns. He has more than 24 runs batted in than the next highest RBI man. If the season ended today Matt Kemp would be the N.L. MVP. He is the one bright spot on a team that was once a treasured franchise but is now an embarrassment to baseball.
Follow Tim Sorota on Twitter @Sorota_HotSpot
USA Takes Care of Business
The women’s team shakes of a rocky start to
capture 3 points.
By: Shane Godek
I think it is time for the USA to catch
World Cup fever again. Our country jumped on the men's team bandwagon, and was
taken for a roller coaster ride that ended after the crushing defeat that Ghana
dealt the U.S in the round of 16. This year, the USA
women’s squad has been given high expectations to perform well in Germany, and
take back the throne of women's soccer.
Since winning the World Cup in 1999, the U.S women's team has had two
consecutive 3rd place finishes. This year, the team was looking to start the
tournament of on the right foot. In their first match of group play today, the
U.S faced Korea DPR. They had a slow start in the first half, making to many
mistakes and not keeping possession for long enough. They showed some nerves,
but were lucky that they weren't facing a stronger opponent, and were able to
keep the score tied at 0-0 at the half mark. Coming out of the gate in the
second half, the United
States showed why they are considered to be
favorites to win the cup. They did a better job of keeping possession than they
did in the first half, and were able to find the back of the net in the 54th
minute. Abby Wambach carried the ball to the corner and sent a cross that found
the head of Lauren Cheney. Cheney, who plays for the Boston Breakers, got the
nod to start over normal starter Megan Rapinoe, and she made the most of her
chance by netting her first career world cup goal. The USA didn’t stop there, as they got a second
score in the 76th minute, when defender Rachel Buehler hit a strike from inside
the 18 yard line that got through all the traffic in front of the net, and went
by the dive of Korea
keeper Hong Myong Hui. This two goal lead was maintained by the U.S all the
way until the final whistle. The women's national team now has 3 crucial points
in their group, but also have the lead in goal differential in their group,
which is crucial if there is a tiebreaker after group-play matches are
completed. While they did win, the U.S nationals have to improve their possession,
which the only had 53% of the time in today's game. Down the road, against a
stronger side, the U.S may have some problems unless they can fix this. Still,
a win is a win, and the women of the U.S team can walk out of Dresden, Germany
satisfied. Time for everyone to jump on the U.S.A World Cup bandwagon again,
because I'm predicting this team will be playing well into the summer. We may
be looking at the future queens of soccer.
You can follow Shane Godek on Twitter
@segodek.
The Perfect Time to be a Yankee Fan By Tim Sorota (June 27, 2011)
Typically the Yankees have all of baseball’s spot lights. Not this year. At the beginning of the season, the eye of the baseball world was focused on the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees, as unbelievable as it is, fell under the radar. The Red Sox came out of the gate struggling. Panic struck Boston and the rest of the world. “Who would win the American League? Who could compete against the Phillies?” While this was going on, the Yankees won baseball games. As the Sox finally did get on track, Baseball got back to normal. Everyone was somehow satisfied that Boston was back on track. But when Baseball fans check the A.L. East standings today, they will see that Boston is in second. In first they will find the Bronx Bombers. Yesterday the Yankees.com headline read “Fun for all ages”. That headline couldn’t be more accurate. It was Old Timers Day at the stadium yesterday. It’s a day were the old Yankees legends come and play an exhibition game. This year’s installment marked the return of an all-time great manager, Joe Torre. During the actual game, it was a Yankee’s legend’s replacement’s one out single to left field that gave New York the lead. Eduardo Nunez , a 24 year old rookie, was given the challenge to replace Derek Jeter, who is 9 hits away from 3,000. Nunez delivered in a 6-4 win over the Rockies on Sunday. Yankees fans, yesterday, got to celebrate the past, present, and future in a win that secured the Yankees first place for at least one more day. What could be better? |
Rafael Nadal is predicted to win the 2011 US Open, according to Hot Spot tennis reporter Landon Komishane. (picture courtesy of War Internet News)
Ohio State-Michigan is the fiercest rivalry in college football, according to Hot Spot writer Tim Sorota. (picture courtesy of GarglarSports.com)
Nevin Shapiro with Vince Wilfork in 2002. Wilfork received $50,000 from Shapiro in his college career at Miami. Shapiro provided many goods and services to the Hurricanes. He is now serving a 20 year prison sentence.
Oklahoma QB Landry Jones hopes to lead the Sooners to a National Championship in 2011-12. (picture courtesy of Hard Knox Sports)
Pirates second basemen Neil Walker leaps for an erratic throw from catcher Michael McKenry. The photo is an illustration of the Pirates 10 game losing streak. (Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Gazette)
THE SITUATION AT NOTRE DAME by James Conway Dayne Crist (above) is one of the favorites to win the QB job at Notre Dame this season. (picture courtesy of MarinMedia.org)
Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel might be honored by Buckeyes players in the form of wristbands. (picture courtesy of WordPress.com)
Angels P Jered Weaver is a favorite to win the 2011 AL Cy Young Award, according to BHS blogger Matt Stolbof. (picture courtesy of Orange County Register)
Brock Lesnar might be built like a car, but he is not the defining star that makes UFC a powerful enterprise. (picture courtesy of UFC.com)
Jimenez was the best
player moved in what turned out to be a quieter deadline than normal. Many
deals fell through, and guys like Heath Bell
and Wandy Rodriguez unexpectedly stayed put. (Picture courtesy of firebrandal.com)
CM Punk might be leaving the WWE if he wins the title, according to Andrew Simmons. (picture courtesy of Wikipedia)
Felix Hernandez pitching off the mound of what could’ve been his future home. July 31 passed and he was still a Mariner. (Picture courtesy of the New York Daily News)
WWE, according to blogger Andrew Simmons, is one of the most entertaining things on television. (picture courtesy of WWE)
Dennis Begley says that Brick House Wrestling and Fitness is a great place to become a successful wrestler. (picture courtesy of Brick House Wrestling and Fitness).
US Women's Soccer Team Members: Top Row: Ali Krieger (11), Abby Wambach (20), Hope Solo (1), Lauren Cheney (12), Rachel Buehler (19), Megan Rapinoe (15) Bottom Row: Shannon Boxx (7), Amy LePeilbet (6), Christie Rampone (3), Amy Rodriguez (8), Carli Lloyd (10) Not Pictured: Heather Mitts (2), Becky Sauerbrunn (4), Kelley O'Hara (5), Heather O'Reilly (9), Alex Morgan (13), Stephanie Cox (14), Lori Lindsey (16), Tobin Heath (17), Nicole Barnhart (18), Jill Loyden (21)
Abby Wambach (#20) and Hope Solo hope to lead Team USA to their first World Cup championship since 1999 when they play Japan on Sunday. (picture courtesy of New York Daily News)
Abby Wambach (#20) celebrates Team USA's win over Brazil on Sunday. (picture courtesy of Washington Post)
Mike Vrabel (In black) and Luke Fickell (far right) spell out O-H-I-O. Vrabel, who was a teammate oh Fickell on Ohio State will take Fickell’s old position as Linebacker’s coach while Fickell is the interim head coach.
USA goalkeeper Hope Solo. (picture courtesy of Zimbio.com)
Captain Derek Jeter jumps into the mob of Yankees after his game winning homerun in game 4 of the 2001 World Series. It is one of Jeter’s defining moments in his career so far. He is 2 hits from the 3,000 hit milestone. (Picture Courtesy of USA Today)
Umpire Vic Carrapazza ejects Ray’s skipper Joe Maddon. Being ejected is a recent trend for both players and managers in the big leagues. Many people are looking towards instant replay to help lower the ejection rates and to make sure the umps get the calls right. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo Sports)
*A car on the MLB All-Star Game Red Carpet. The game seems to be more about gimmicks than the actual game (Picture Coutesy of MLB.com)
US teammates Megan Rapinoe (#15) and Lauren Cheney react after a goal in the USA's win over Colombia on Saturday. (picture courtesy of USA Today).
Rory Mcilroy and Tiger Woods share a laugh on the course. Mcilroy has been compared to Tiger Woods many times after his U.S. Open win, which was very similar to Woods’ 2000 U.S. Open win at Pebble Beach. (picture courtesy of Yahoo Sports.)
South Carolina Gamecocks celebrate their second consecutive College World Series championship. (Picture courtesy of WSPA-South Carolina)
Despite the Dodger's financial struggles, Matt Kemp has been producing on the Diamond. (Picture Courtesy of SportsIllustrated.com)
Lauren Cheney celebrates her
goal with the reserves. Cheney’s header in the 54th minute turned
out to be the game winner. (picture courtesy of CBC Canada)
TIM SOROTA TALKS ABOUT THE YANKEES IN THIS POST. |
