Nick Collins

Nick Collins a veteran on the Green Bay Packers was released from the team on Wednesday due to a neck injury that the coaches saw to be a health risk for the player. Collins was making a tackle at Carolina and ended up injuring his neck so bad that it ended his career and required surgery too. Collins hasn’t stated if he will try to play for another team, but the GM of the Packers was definitely not comfortable putting Collins back on the field. Ted Thompson, the GM, didn’t just give up on Collins though; he sought many medical opinions before making the decision. Collins was in the NFL for seven seasons all of which were played on for the Packers, so it is safe to say that this will be a big change fore him, but he’s taking it in stride as he sent a thank you to his fans on his twitter page.

NIck Collins

Cowboys Cap Space

$10 million is a heck of a lot of money, but Jerry Jones stated that that didn’t stop the Dallas Cowboys from doing all they wanted during their offseason. The NFL took away $10 million in cap space from the Cowboys and $36 million from the Washington Redskins. Despite league warnings the two teams had overloaded contracts back in 2010 and they were paying for it now. Despite the set back, the Cowboys signed cornerback Brandon Carr to a five year $50 million contract and offensive linemen Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings got starter-worthy multiyear contracts as well. On a different subject, the Cowboys have eight picks for the draft Thursday night and they look forward to picking.

Dallas Cowboys

Michael King (April)

Michael King has been a fan of sports since the beginning; he has owned pieces of teams such as the New York Yankees, the New Jersey Jets and the New Jersey Devils, but he is truly a fan of boxing. He loved Muhammad Ali and watched all his fights. King distributed big name shows such as Wheel of Fortune and The Oprah Winfrey Show. As King watched the decline of boxing he decided to do something about it, considering he does have the money to actually make a difference. King founded the All-American Heavyweights, which attempts to train skilled athletes in the art and sport of boxing. Michael King has already invested $20 million into this project and has brought over 800 athletes from all over the country. Out of the 800 he is down to five; he is hoping to find the next Ali in the group.

Michael King has had much success in his life and has been a part of big names in the show biz as well as in sports, but his goal is to bring boxing back to the public eye and find an athlete worth watching. 

Jeff Fisher (April 25)

Rams owner Stan Kroenke hired Jeff Fisher last January; Fisher’s goal: to restock the roster with skilled players. The NFL draft this week looks promising for Fisher to pick talented athletes and is looking forward to the opportunity to do so. The Rams own five of the first 96 picks, which is going to be very helpful for the team. In 2012 the Rams got Washington’s first and second round picks, and the Redskin’s first round picks in ’13 and ’14. After coaching for the Titans for 16 years, Fisher turned down an offer to coach for the Dolphins, and he accepted Kroenke’s offer instead. Fisher and Snead are being pretty private about their potential picks, but what’s new that’s what NFL coaches do. 

Meta World Peace (April 24)

Meta World Peace demonstrated to his teammates once again that he is not dependable. Meta World Peace, formally Ron Artest, has always wanted to be a guy who first and for most was liked and appreciated. His goal was always to get on the basketball court and win the game, but his attitude never made it an easy task for him to fit in. Teammates of Meta World Peace have stated that when you need him the most he will let you down and disappoint you. The NBA had to suspend Meta World Peace this month for acting out yet again, even though he had publicly stated that he had changed his ways and wouldn’t be a nuisance any more; he even changed his name. Back in 2004 World Peace charged the stands at one of his games, trying to beat up the rival fan that threw a beer at him. World Peace claimed that those childish and immature ways of his were in the past and no one had to worry about him acting out anymore, this obviously was all a lie because he went and got himself suspended again. The Lakers will pay big time for this mistake. People close to Meta World Peace have even stated that he can’t control himself, which is probably his biggest problem.

Brandon Weeden (April 22)

It is always a strange thing to see a professional athlete change their sport; Brandon Weeden stated that it was a moment that he had and he knew he was on his way to being an NFL quarterback. Weeden recalls his last days on the baseball field and 6 years later his NFL draft stock is heating up. The only hesitations coaches have are his age; he’s a bit older than other players and he has a lack of mobility that is also a concern. Many are saying that he won’t make it passed the third round, that he’s just not quick enough and that he needs to be six years younger. It will be very interesting to see what the outcome of the draft will be for him.

Michael McDonald (April 20)

Michael McDonald loves boxing, but he insists that boxing does not define who he is. He enjoys each and every warm up and fight, but knows that boxing is not all that he is. As he was facing his biggest competition, former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight Miguel Torres, McDonald had a smile on his face. He was excited for the fight, but was well aware that Torres was a dangerous opponent. McDonald, only 21 years old, was facing the biggest name he had fought to date, and it was going to be aired to millions. McDonald stated that Torres was good, but he himself was better. He believes that being in a calm state of mind going into a fight is most important and that is just what he was doing. As McDonald’s fighting career is taking flight, he’s still making plans for his future… one’s that do not involve hanging around night clubs night after night. He stated that he loves fighting, but it won’t be his lifelong career; he wants a job in the future that will provide for his family without having to be knocked around. 

Boxing

DRAMA (April 18)

There is always drama going on in the world of sports and this time its juicy. The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit against the NFL Coaches Association asking for upwards of $650,000. The NFLCA was stunned as just a year ago they were showing support for the player’s during the NFL lockout. It was stated that this was a move that would create much turmoil and destruction between the players and the coaches. NFLCA executive director David Cornwell stated that the NFLPA was challenging his authority and he was not happy at all. DeMaurice Smith, the executive director who also has power over the coaches’ association, and Cornwell have had a rocky relationship for years. Back in January Cornwell wrote a paper critiquing Smith’s handling of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which sparked a whole lot of drama between the two. 

Brittney Griner (April 1)

Brittney Griner is a baller’ in women’s college basketball; she is Baylor’s All-American post player. Griner is quite the basketball player, but is not one to flaunt it. She is highly athletic, a great team player and has the ambition of a strong well-rounded athlete. She can dunk and block shot after shot like it is going out of style. Kim Mulkey, Baylor’s women’s basketball coach has stated that Griner is a coaches’ dream. Mulkey stated that players with the talent Griner has are usually hard to coach because they know they are good and therefore don’t want to take direction from anyone, Griner isn’t like that, she is truly a team player. Griner was even named the Associated Press’ women’s college basketball Player of the Year. Baylor is lucky and happy to have such a promising athlete on their team and believe Brittney Griner is just about as good as it gets.

Sweet 16 (March 19)

Some may think it sounds like an all-American story that seven of the Sweet 16 schools are all located within a two hours drive of each other, but it is more than that. In fact those seven schools all agree that they “hate” each other; they have been rivals for years and years so it is no wonder they have distaste for one another. The seven schools are comprised of Indiana, Lousiville, Kentucky, Xavier, Cincinnati, Ohio State and Ohio University. Each of the schools has a history with one another, whether they lost to the other, or they had rivalry for whatever reason, so when they all found out that the seven of them were in the Sweet 16, it wasn’t a good surprise. 

Sweet 16

Patty Mills (March 17)

The final touches on Patty Mills contract agreement with the San Antonio Spurs are being made. His contract will take Derek Fisher out of the running, but his contract will most likely be bought out by t he Rockets or the Lakers. Mills was on the Trail Blazers team from 2009-20011 and now he’s going to be playing for the Spurs. Mills plays as point guard and graduated from Saint Mary’s high school, which just happens to be a couple cities over from my own hometown. Mills is originally from Australia, so he has come a long way, both in distance and in his career.

Trades (March 15)

James Dolan, owner of the New York Knicks, traded Carmelo Anthony who was Dolan’s franchise player. This trade caused quite the turmoil and tons of finger pointing. Anthony was known for his passive-aggressive nature and his lack in championship-winning ways. He was a great player, just not great enough. Being a franchise player entails caring about the franchise, making his teammates better, caring about the outcomes of the team and having a good attitude toward other players; Anthony just didn’t have those qualities. 

Trades

Mario Williams (March 15)

mario williams

Kyle Williams, Buffalo defensive lineman, was part of the Bill’s recruitment committee this week for the biggest defensive name in the free agency, Mario Williams. Buffalo landed the first visit from Mario and players, coaches; everyone was there to help try to land him. The contract was absolutely insane, six years for $100 million. Mario Williams could have chosen any team, but he chose Buffalo, which was surprising to most. Mario Williams seemed to like everything about the team even the mood of the locker room, which is pretty important to players. Williams had stated that he wanted to be a part of taking a team to the next level and Buffalo would be perfect to do that for. 

Ray Sr. & Ray Jr. (March 12)

Ray McCallum Sr. and Ray McCallum Jr. are a dynamic father son duo; Ray Sr. is the coach of the University of Detroit and Ray Jr. is his star point guard. The two tuned in to watch the NCAA tournament selection show and sure enough one of the teams was their very own Titans. The father and son tuned into the show every year together, but this year’s was that much more special to them. It wasn’t as simple as some may have thought to get Ray Jr. onto the team; it took a recruitment trip, and much hard work on Ray Junior’s part, but hearing their team called made it all worth it. Ray Sr. had stated that he wanted the best for his son, but he obviously wanted the best player for his team and he decided that the two could coexist. Ray Sr. and Ray Jr. are one heck of a father son duo and will go very far together.

Ray Sr. & Ray Jr.  

Sports Media Coverage (February 28)

Sports media reporter, Michael Silver, believes that the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league’s competition committee need to loosen up and let people with media passes take advantage of the events that take place on the field. He believes that more media exposure will create more viewer interest, benefitting all involved. He believes the media needs more exposure so they can make more technological advances in the sports community. 

Justin Tuck (February 2nd)

Justin Tuck is known for his one-ups on his teammates; he’s always saying how he knows more than everyone else and that he is better than fellow players. He likes to surprise people who are biased against athletes, calling them dumb jocks and such. Tuck believes that he is a jock with a brain, which is hard to come across. Tuck hopes to have a successful season as he had to endure neck pain, groin, ankle, toe and shoulder injuries in this past season. He also hopes to give Brady a run for his money, stating that he saw Brady get frustrated at a prior game they played against one another and Brady threw a bottle on the sideline. Tuck isn’t quite sure if Brady is rattle-able though.

Justin Tuck

Soccer Riot in Egypt- February

Sporting events can be fun and exciting for those who have good sportsmanship, but for those who are poor sports, it is another story all together.

This post is a bit outside our world of sports; however, it was an event that should not go unnoticed. It is a perfect example of poor sportsmanship. A tragic event happened in Egypt as 73 people were killed and 100 were injured in February at a soccer game. The home team fans rushed the field in a riot, a fire broke out in the stadium as well. This event was the most violence ever seen on Egypt’s soccer fields. The two teams have been rivals for quite some time, but never seen anything that bad. Ambulance staff was not able to get into the field, which was a tragedy in itself. Victims were flown out in military helicopters to hospitals in hopes of saving some injured victims. After the initial tragedy, rioters took to the streets accusing the security that were present at the event, for not doing their part in stopping the riot. 

Riot in Egypt

Notre Dame Coaching Staff- February 10

Many would argue that the coaching staff is the most important element to any team sport, so when the coaches are bringing the team down there are obviously some changes that need to be made.

Notre Dame was having a hard time with their coaching staff; goals were not being met, so it was decided to make changes on some changes regarding this issue. First, Notre Dame did not reach their goals offensively so they moved Chuck Martin over from the defensive side to take over as offensive coordinator. Martin is a great teacher said Brian Kelly as he was announcing the change made with Chuck Martin’s position on the team. Kelly also stated that Martin was fitting for the position because he’s experienced and him and Kelly have a good line of communication, which is just as important as playing the game. The changes being made were all on hopes of transforming the team into a BCS football team. Scott Booker, an intern, will take over the tight end position. He has a great understanding of the offensive, and relationship with the players. Harry Hestad will also be an offensive coach for the team. Brian Kelly stated that it is crucial to have a good technique for the offensive line, which he believes Hestad also understands and agrees with. Continuity and change are also important for the coaching staff stated Kelly. He believes that having new ideas brought to the table is very important for the team.

Brian Kelly Interview

NHL Trades

Most of the NHL trades happened after the deadline; it wasn’t until an hour and a half before the deadline that things heated up. 

Rick Nash is still with the Columbus Blue Jackets, which surprises some and others not so much. Nash stated that he would only go to five different teams and landed on the Blue Jackets team. Some would bluntly say that Columbus “sucks,” but hopefully a miracle might bring them to win a Stanley Cup or just a few wins at that.

The Canucks traded Cody Hodgson, a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy, to the Buffalo Sabres right before the Monday deadline and they received Zack Kassian in exchange.

The Colorado Avalanche traded Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi with the San Jose Sharks, which will hopefully help the Sharks. Winnik can help on the penalty kill, which has been the Sharks low point. As for Colorado they received a physical player, which will hopefully help them rebuild their team.

Check out http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=69865 for the NHL season schedule and attend your favorite team's next game!

02/27

Devils

0

-

1

Rangers

-

Live (17:44 - 3rd)

02/27

Kings

0

-

2

Predators

-

Live (End of 2nd)

02/27

Oilers

0

-

0

Jets

-

Live (18:41 - 2nd)

02/27

Ducks

0

-

1

Avalanche

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Live (05:48 - 1st)

02/27

Blues

0

-

0

Flames

-

Live (18:10 - 1st)

NBA News

What’s going on in basketball right now? Why don’t we ask Jeremy Lin? Jeremy Lin who was an econ major at Harvard University, is now a key player for the New York Knicks. With his 20 points and seven assists in each of his starts, Lin is kicking some serious butt in the NBA. The coach back at Harvard hopes that Jeremy’s success will spark b-ball player’s interests in playing for his team. Harvard’s last NBA player was 48 years ago, so it is easy to see how students at Harvard are excited over Lin’s success just like the coach.

Check out more about Jeremy Lin at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/basketball/ncaa/wires/02/15/2060.ap.bkc.lin.at.harvard.1st.ld.writethru.1369/

Other news in the NBA, it seems that the Miami Heat is ahead in the three for all top ten with 15 points, Chicago Bulls closely behind with 13 points. Since the NBA lockout screwed up the basketball season, the teams have to each play three games in three nights at least once over the season. We will see if the Heat can keep those points up.

http://allball.blogs.nba.com

Now that the football season is over it is time to focus on Basketball!

02/15		Spurs	64	-	60	Raptors		-	Live (7:22 - 3rd)
02/15		76ers	59	-	65	Magic		-	Live (6:47 - 3rd)
02/15		Kings	26	-	38	Knicks		-	Live (5:42 - 2nd)
02/15		Grizzlies	41	-	50	Nets		-	Live (3:48 - 2nd)
02/15		Pacers	25	-	46	Cavaliers		-	Live (6:33 - 2nd)

A Tribute to Whitney

Today's blog is a tribute to Whitney Houston; she had a voice of gold and will never be forgotten. Whitney Houston performed the Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl back in 1991 at the Tampa stadium and brought the audience and the players to tears with her rendition of the National Anthem. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jeUINzHK9o

The National Anthem is a sign of freedom and unity, which in 1991 was especially important for Americans to acknowledge because it was a time of war. It was a time where war was always on people's minds and with Whitney Houston singing the anthem so proudly Americans came together around the sport of football to show how proud they were to be Americans.

Football has always been a place where people get together and bond over their favorite sport and the National Anthem sang at the beginning of each game is always a monumental and inspiring moment shared by thousands and sometimes millions of people. 

Whitney Houston, The National Anthem, and football all have something in common; they are all inspirational.

Post Super Bowl

As everyone already knows, the 2012 Super Bowl took place this last Sunday with the New England Patriots playing the New York Giants for the title of “Champions.” It was the 46^th annual championship game and the New York Giants took the title 27-17. Eli Manning was named the MVP for his second time and it was quite obvious that he deserved it. As for the Patriots, they played a strong game and deserve credit too. Out of 32 teams there is a 6% chance of making it to the championships and a 3% chance of winning the championships; therefore, the Patriots deserve praise too. Tom Brady was deeply saddened by their loss however, and he was found after the game sitting head hunched over in front of his locker deep in thought. It is a hard thing to do, to watch the title slip away in just a few points. http://www.sbnation.com/2012 

As far as the entertainment aspect of the Super Bowl goes, there were 12,232 super bowl related tweets happening per second during the game. That just shows how effective social media can truly be. People were able to discuss the game through twitter as it was happening; countless conversations were taking place online and play-by-plays were being assessed within seconds of them happening. The half time show, where Madonna and other celebrities performed, was the highest-rated part of the football game. We can't forget about the commercials though; the commercials aired during the game ran about $3.5 million per 30 seconds...INSANE! The Super Bowl was the most watched program in the history of television with 111 million viewers, which probably justifies companies spending millions on their commercials. 

GM, Chrysler ads won. Check this one out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxFYYP8040A&feature=player_embedded

Waste Management Tournament

It is that time of year here in AZ, that time where thousands of golf fans come from far and near to watch the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament and root for their favorite players. The Waste Management Tournament is a nationally televised golf tournament, which is part of the PGA. It is held in Scottsdale, Arizona every year. The tournament is a great place to get together with friends, enjoy a beer or two and watch a great golf tournament.

The first round of the tournament is teeing off on February 2nd and continuing through the weekend. The players teeing off in the 2012 tournament are: Johnson Wagner, Brandt Snedeker, Mark Wilson, Martin Laird, Kyle Stanley, Harrison Frazer, John Rollins, Sean O’Hair, and Charles Howell III. Last year's winner of the tournament, Mark Wilson will indeed be a tough competitor and we all can't wait to see if he can do it again. 

pgatour.com

In the past the tournament has enforced many strict rules for the audience to follow, which is typical of any golf event; however, the somewhat annoying rule of leaving your cell phone out of the golf course was one that many despised and would sneak around it anyway. That rule has been banished and will make the audience much more happy when it comes to entering the tournament. 

The Waste Management Tournament is a fun, relaxing, and entertaining way to spend your weekend. Hope to see you all there!

Manning Brothers

Eli Manning has a repeat of his last super bowl run; started out mediocre and then came back in those moments that counted the most. Eli knew that in those playoff games he had to play his best, after all his coach always preached “finish strong” to the team. With 15 in the fourth quarter Manning states that those circumstances are what make his best plays come out especially in the two minute drive. “The guys know that a big play in the two minute drive really counts, our best football in the fourth quarter is what really counts” stated Eli n his interview on NBCSports. With his week off Manning states that his body really needed a little rest, with no big hits he was sore but nothing unbearable. This will be the second time Eli plays on brother Peyton's field against Tom Brady in the super bowl. And then there is Peyton who has sat out the season due to a serious neck injury. Eli stated that Peyton has a great desire to play football, but he has to do rehab for his neck before he can get back on the field. With Peyton’s neck injury it is unclear as to his future; will the 49ers pick up Peyton, likely not, but hopefully so. Having such a serious injury Peyton Manning may need to rethink his career because we all know that teams are rethinking drafting him. It is hard to say if Peyton will be returning to football at all, which after 17 years will be quite an adjustment for the player. The Manning brothers are both great football stars and we hope to see them both on the field where they belong.

nbcsports.com

Super Bowl

Ouch! That's one way to lose the big game; fumbled due to switching the ball from one hand to the other. Kyle Williams may be looked at as the reason the 9ers lost to the New York Giants yesterday, but he at least had the courage and audacity to stand up and take responsibility for what many may view as a game-losing mistake. Williams was actually active in the locker room Q&A just hours after the big loss; he stood by his locker and answered questions for a good 4 minutes about what happened in that crucial OT moment that cost the whole game. Boldly taking responsibility for his part in the loss, Williams still is a great player even if fans don't agree at this moment in time.  Sure some may be wildly angry at Williams, but we can't deny that the 49ers played a great season and came the closest to the championships they have been in a decade. 

This sad day for the 49ers marked a day of celebrations for the New York Giants, especially thanks to Lawrence Tynes' game-winning field goal in overtime. The New York Giants will now be joining the New England Patriots on February 5th in the Superbowl; Who will take home the title? 

Super Bowl 2012 is going to be a day of fans, drinking, food, friends, cheers-ing, and FOOTBALL! 

Who will you be rooting for?

...Patriots vs. Giants Super Bowl 2012...

Game On!