Its the Night Before Day 1:

So here I sit in my house at 4:00 AM Pacific time in the Great Northwest. I am about to fall asleep on the couch because if I sleep in my bed, I will have to remake it, and I don't want to do that. I am goofing around on facebook and youtube trying to stay awake as long as possible, so that I can sleep tomorrow on the plane. Where am I going you ask? Well that is a good question, and I don't know the full answer, but I'll tell you what I do know. I am positive that my flight leaves Seattle at 1:15 in the afternoon(Day 1 of my trip) and I am positive that we stop in Detroit and then get on an Air France flight that will take us to Paris, France. Then its a short hour and a half flight to Prague Czech Republic, our destination. When I say we I mean my Dad and sister. My dad is the brains of the operation, and while I was trying to graduate college he was making plans through Europe. Anyway, its Prague for about a week I think, and then some other places for awhile too, including Vienna Austria, and Hungary. That might be it, but I'm not sure. That is kind of the fun of it for me, I don't exactly know where I am going or how long I'll be in a place until I am there. I am going to do my best to write a little something in this blog each and every day of my 18 days in Europe, and maybe one of you brave souls can read about and follow my journey to wherever it is that I go. Day 1 begins tomorrow and I look forward to updating everybody on the busy day in the airports.

Shaka-n the World

On Sunday, March 13th the Virginia Commonwealth University(VCU) Rams were sitting in front of the TV watching the Selection Show on ESPN, hoping and praying that they would just get into the tournament. And when they got that call, they didn’t take it for granted. Two weeks later to the day the VCU Rams punched their ticket to the Final Four in Houston next weekend. What a ride they have had, so far.
All of the critics on Selection Sunday have everything negative to say about them. “They had a sub-par year, they lost to South Florida, who was awful this year. When you look at their resume, its just not right that they are in over Colorado or Virginia Tech.” Well ol’ Shaka thought otherwise, and wasn’t going to be satisfied with just getting there. They were clearly one of the last teams in, as they had to play in the “opening round game” against USC the Tuesday before the main tournament even started. If you win that game then you get to be the 11 seed, and face a Big East team, Georgetown in the second round(what used to be called the first round.)
The Rams were not huge underdogs against USC, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to see them knock off the Trojans in an opening round game, 59-46. Yah that was a good win, a good way to say F you to the critics who thought they shouldn’t be in, but everybody in the world thought that that was as far as they are going. Well almost everybody. Shake Smart and the rest of the team in that locker room before the Georgetown game thought otherwise. VCU came out and shocked the country and ruined a lot of brackets in the meantime and beat Georgetown, badly. VCU looked much like a 3 seed as they rolled to an 18 point win over Georgetown, 74-56. “Yah they beat Georgetown, but the Hoyas were on a 5 game losing streak going into that game, and has injury issues. No way they get by Purdue, who had a 14-4 record in the Big 12.” Said all of the critics. All of the sudden VCU beats a very good defensive Purdue team by a score of 94-76, and all of the sudden the country starts to watch.
An eleven seed in the sweet 16 in not all that uncommon, it seems like every year there is one double digit team that gets to the sweet 16, but typically get beat right away when their opponent has all week to study them. They usually just flat out get beaten by a better team. It seemed no different this year when VCU went to the sweet 16 to play another favored team in Florida State. Florida State was a 10 seed, but just got done beating a great team in Notre Dame out of the Big East. Yet again, VCU upsets a team and this time advances to the Elite 8 by beating Florida State 72-71 in overtime. After the game, Shaka Smart said one of my favorite quotes in sports, “It’s amazing what a team can do when nobody cares who gets the credit.” That quote rings true for the Rams as that teams scoring is spread around so well. “Great, you beat Florida State to get to the Elite 8, this is a great story for the VCU players and fans, but they are not going to get past Kansas.” Everybody in the sports world, including myself, was saying this about VCU’s chances against Kansas who was the far superior team on paper. In fact, at tip-off of the game Kansas was favored by 11.5 points in Vegas.
It was a chance to get the Final Four for both teams, and both would come out strong, so we thought. In fact Kansas came out strong and started the game on a 6-0 run. But it wasn’t the score that seemed overwhelming for the Rams, but mostly how Kansas’ D gave them no real good chances on the offensive side of the court. But all of the sudden VCU started to play, they got great shots, made most of those shots and shot especially well from 3 point land. VCU went on a run and ended the first half up by 14 points on the heavily favored Kansas team. At halftime Shaka Smart said, “Kansas will make a run in the second half, they are good. We have to be ready and try to protect the lead when the run comes.” Shaka was a prophet, Kansas did make a run and got it all the way down to three points, but the Rams of VCU proved their prominence in this tournament and held off the Jayhawks, eventually winning the game 71-61. VCU was underdogs in every single one of their wins in the tourney, all of which were to opponents from different conferences. USC is from the Pac-10, Georgetown from the Big East, Purdue from the Big 10, Florida State from the ACC, and then Kansas from the Big 12. Ironically enough the Rams play another team from a different conference on Saturday, the Butler Bulldogs from the Horizon League, who are there on their own Cinderella run as they were last year as well. Now if VCU can win on Saturday followed by a Kentucky win on Saturday night over UConn, the Rams would play their 7th team from 7 different conferences(Kentucky from the SEC). That would be quite the story on the way to the National Title. I for one am cheering for Shaka Smart and the VCU Rams to make a run the whole way. Win or lose this weekend, it is safe to say that Shaka Smart could be a very very rich man in a few months when potentially some big school start to chase him and pay him the big bucks. But for now, go VCU, good luck in the final four in Houston this weekend.

Big Day for the BCS

On the day after Thanksgiving, the BCS could take a major shake up, as the #2 Auburn Tigers travels to the #11 Alabama Crimson Tide. Then the #21 Arizona Wildcats go on the road to Autzen Stadium to take on the #1 Oregon Ducks. But not to be outdone, the #4 Boise State Broncos go to #19 Nevada Wolf Pack, in a game that the Broncos need to dominate in order to stay alive in the BCS race.

#21 Arizona @ #1 Oregon:

Of the three big games, I expect that this one is the biggest Laugh-er. The Oregon Ducks are the top ranked team in the nation for a reason, they are the best. Their offense is among the best in the country scoring an average of 50.7 points per game to go along with 291 rushing yards per game. To put it bluntly, the Oregon Ducks are hard to stop. Arizona is a good team, but have lost two games in a row to Stanford and then USC, and have looked bad in both of those games. I don't expect it to get any better as they travel to Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks will roll in this one, and retain their #1 spot atop the BCS standings.

The spread in this one is Oregon by 19.5. Oregon stunk it up in their last game and barely survived California 15-13. I think that the Ducks get back on track here and dominate Arizona. I'll take the Ducks(-19.5) as they will beat up on the Wildcats at home, 44-14.


#2 Auburn @ #11 Alabama:

The Iron Bowl is set for this Friday, and it will be a dandy. This match-up features the 5th ranked offense of Auburn against the 3rd ranked defense of Alabama. Alabama has given up only an average of just 12.8 points per game, which makes you wonder how they have lost two games this year? Ohh yah, that because they are the SEC and have to play a tough team every single week. But wait, so is Auburn, and they are a perfect 11-0 for the year. Auburn averages 42.8 points a game, good enough for 5th best in the country, but this is a tough task to go to Alabama in the Iron Bowl. With the controversy surrounding Cameron Newton I don't know if Auburn can go to Tuscaloosa and win. Alabama is not where they expected to be right now, but that leaves them with no pressure in the Iron Bowl. You can bet that Alabama wants nothing more than to prevent their arch rivals from the chance at the BCS National Championship game. Auburn, on the other hand, has everything to lose, and that could lead to some tightness early in this, the biggest game of their season to date. This game will be a battle to the very end, and it could go either way in the Iron Bowl this year.

The spread here is Alabama by 4.5 points, which surprised me a little bit because Auburn is undefeated, but Alabama is the more experienced team in big games, having won the National Championship last year, and they deserve to be the favorites. They wont take Auburn lightly, and I think Alabama will "upset" a higher seeded Auburn team in Tuscaloosa on Friday. I do think that Auburn will cover the spread, but that Alabama will win the game. Ill take Auburn(+4.5). But Alabama wins the most competitive game of the day, 26-24.


#4 Boise State @ #19 Nevada:

This might be the biggest game that nobody is talking about on Friday, especially if Alabama handles Auburn. Boise State is the Cinderella team in college football, and the team that everybody wants to get their shot at the BCS National Championship game. Due to a weak strength of schedule, Boise has not gotten that opportunity. Is this this year? Maybe it's not fair, but I'll just say it. If Auburn and Oregon win out, then they will be the two teams playing for the National Championship, and again Boise State will be snubbed. BUT if one of those teams lose(most likely Auburn), and Boise can jump TCU then Boise could get that shot that everybody wants them to get. This is the game that Boise State wants on their schedule, a late season game against a ranked opponent on the road. This is that kind of game that they have been missing in the past. The interesting thing is that if Auburn can beat Alabama this game loses some of its luster because it doesn't matter as much for the BCS National Title game. Right now Boise State has a .8860 in the BCS, and TCU is only at .8995. TCU struggled in their last game against a mediocre San Diego State team, only beating them 40-35. If Auburn loses, and Boise keeps beating teams bad while TCU struggles against okay team, Boise could barely bump up enough to get that shot. Chris Petersen will have his troops ready to go into Reno and win a big game. "But wait, what about us?" says Nevada? And they have a point, Nevada is very good too, going 10-1 on the year so far with the only loss being to a good team at Hawaii. Colin Kaepernick can lead his team down the field and score, averaging 44.1 points per game, good enough for 4th in the country. But Boise prides themselves on defense and are ranked 2nd in the country for points against with 11.5 per game. I think that the home crown and very good offense will keep the Wolf Pack in this thing for a quarter or so, but Boise is too good on both sides of the ball and will run away with it late.

The spread is Boise State by 14. Here is how I see this one going down. Nevada will be great in the first quarter and a half but Boise State will stay with them and hang around and where them down by halftime, and come out and crush them in the second half once the crowd has been taken out of it. So bettors, don't be alarmed when Nevada comes out strong, and stays with the Broncos. If the score is 10-7 Boise or even Nevada after the first quarter that wouldn't scare me if I bet Boise. I would bet the farm on Boise(-14) in this game. Once the excitement of the game dies down a little, and the crowd has calmed down and it comes down to just the teams on the field, Boise will roll. After a 7-7 first quarter, Boise will come alive and win the game 35-13 in Reno.


RECAP:

Oregon rolls at home against a average Arizona squad 44-14. Auburn comes close, but misses their chance at the National Title with a 26-24 loss to the Crimson Tide. This leaves a opening for Boise State to jump to #2 in the BCS. TCU will win this week against a bad New Mexico team, but a big win for Boise will bump them to #2 because of the strength of their win versus TCU's win against a bad team. Boise State beats a good Nevada team on the road, 35-13, and come Sunday look for those pesky Broncos to be up to #2 in the BCS standings, for now at least.

2010 NFL Division Previews: AFC South

The AFC South seems to always belong to the Indianapolis Colts, will this be the year that changes? Houston, Tennessee, and even Jacksonville think so.

HOUSTON TEXANS-

Houston has one of the best teams in the league on paper it seems, but never seem to get it done. The Texans have one of, if not, the best wide receivers in the league in Andre Johnson and a great quarterback in Matt Schaub but somehow Houston just falls short every year. Part of that problem is the tough division that the AFC South has become over the years. The Texans famously took Mario Williams as the number one pick a few years ago in the draft over Reggie Bush, and that has proved to be a pretty solid choice as Williams has solidified the Texans defense. Texans took highly sought after runningback Steve Slaton but were not satisfied there yet. Texans selected Auburn runningback Ben Tate to add to their runningback core, but just half way through camp he has already came down with a bum ankle, so it looks like Slaton might get the majority of the carries early in the season. The Texans start out with a huge game at home against Indy, and then go on the road to the rejuvenated Washington Redskins team. If they can split those they might be off to a promising season, but to start at 0-2 could be the start of a tailspin. I'm not counting the Texans out, but it just seems like they are not ready to have that huge year yet.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS-

What is there to say about the Colts? They have, arguably, the leagues best quarterback in Peyton Manning. They have a great receiver in Reggie Wayne, and some pretty good up in comers with Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. Dallas Clark is one of the best tight ends in the league, so where are the holes in the Colts? Ohh yah, and this year they will get back a healthy Bob Sanders, which will most definitely help out an already pretty good defense. The Colts went to the Superbowl last year, and it will be tough for anybody in this division to stop them from getting to the playoffs again this year. Nothing bad to say about the Colts. Injuries can always play a part though, and the Colts are not known for their youth, but you can never predict that and the Colts will again have a great season in front of the fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Jacksonville Jaguars-

MJD, MJD, MJD. That is by far the most important play on the Jaguars. Maurice Jones-Drew is a stud of a runningback and will be the focal point of the Jaguars offense again this year. The Jaguars finished last in their division last year, but the division is so competitive that there record was only 7-9, the best record for a team that was in the cellar of their division last year. Jacksonville's quarterback is good enough to be a part of a solid team. David Garrard doesn't throw the ball super deep, and likely is not a pro bowl quarterback, but usually has a good TD to interception ratio(although it was only 15-10 last season). The Jaguars also have a decent defense that will keep them in games if they can get some points. One of the biggest problems with the Jaguars is the lack of support in the local area. I mean don't get me wrong its not like there is no fans, but the buzz is not there that there is around the rest of the league. Jacksonville is often blacked out from TV in their local area because they do no sell out games at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Jacksonville is always about the same team. They are pretty mediocre and hang in for a wild card spot the whole season long. I don't expect any of that to change this season, their division is so tough that it is hard to pick a mediocre team like them to do anything. They might compete in other divisions, but this one is just too good.

TENNESSEE TITANS-

The Tennessee Titans lost their first 6 games last season including a 59-0 loss at New England in week six. The Titans then decided to bring in Vince Young and everything turned around, as they won 8 of their last 10 games, and with one week left in the season they actually had a mathematical chance to make the playoffs. They did their part in beating the Seahawks but didn't get in the playoffs. The Titans have a lot to be excited about though as they enter the 2010 season. Vince Young is not a guy you would want on your fantasy team, but he just seems to be a winner. He was a winner in college, and the end of last season showed that he can be a winner in the NFL too. Aside from the quarterback position, the Titans have the most explosive runningback in the league in Chris Johnson. Chris Johnson has set a personal goal to break Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record, which is at 2105 yards. Chris Johnson ended the season last year with eleven straight games of 100+ yards, and if that continues then he could very well break the record. The Titans are fun to watch, and if they were in a different division, they might be a favorite, but they are just another team trying to chase down the Colts here in the AFC South.

WRAP-UP:

I feel bad for teams like Houston and Tennessee, as the players there are losing year after year just waiting for Peyton Manning to retire or something, but that doesn't seem like it will happen for awhile. I love Tennessee's leadership, and I love Houston's talent as they seem to be prime for a division championship eventually. But its hard to pick against the Colts in this one. Peyton Manning is just too good, and the weapons around him will prove, once again, to be too much for the competition in this league. I'll again take the easy pick in this league, Colts will win it again.

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Tennessee Titans (Wild Card Birth)
3. Houston Texans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

2010 NFL Division Previews: AFC West

The AFC West seems to be the one division in the NFL this year that looks like a runaway. Anything can happen though, lets have a look at the teams trying to get that AFC West crown.

DENVER BRONCOS-

There is lots of hype surrounding Tim Tebow as a Bronco, but to me it doesn't really matter a whole lot. He is not going to start for this season at least. Kyle Orton is the starting quarterback in Denver, and last year he actually had a pretty solid season considering who he had to work with. Last season the Broncos came out of the gates flying and started 6-0, but stumbled down the stretch to miss the playoffs, finishing at 8-8, including losses at home to Oakland in week 15, 20-19, and to the Chiefs in week 17, 44-24, in a game they had to win to have a shot at the playoffs. To me, they overachieved when the season started, and then everybody expected a lot, and they came back to reality at the end of the season. As far as the 2010 season, I don't expect a lot from the Broncos. They have an aging quarterback who was an afterthought when he went to the Broncos a couple years ago, and they lost one of the best wide receivers in the league in Brandon Marshall going to Miami. Denver has a decent Defense on paper, but giving up 44 points at home in a must win game against Kansas City isn't exactly promising for the upcoming season. Denver has a proud football tradition, but I don't expect anything to happen this year. If I'm a Denver fan, I'm hoping for them to lose some games and get some good draft picks to help Tebow in the future. I like Tebow because he seems to do things the right way, and seems to be a winner, but that will be in the future. not this year. 8-8 would be a best case scenario record for the Broncos this season.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS-

The Kansas City Chiefs were 4-12 last season after signing the highly sought after Matt Cassel from the New England Patriots. I thought Cassel was way over-rated when the Chiefs signed him because he benefited from a good system in New England. But nevertheless, Matt Cassel is the quarterback in Kansas City that fans are pinning their hopes of a turnaround season on. Matt Cassel has the help on offense though, with young runningback Jamaal Charles seeming to come into his own, and receiver Dwayne Bowe doing the same. The problem with the Chiefs is not the offense, its the defense. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't expect the Chiefs to light up the scoreboard or anything but with a decent defense they might be able to compete in most games. I don't see the Chiefs competing this year, but they are a team on the upswing for sure. I'll pick them to finish second in the division, ahead of the Broncos. I'll say Kansas City finishes the season at 8-8 this year, and will be a much more competitive team then they have been in the past few seasons.

OAKLAND RAIDERS-

The Oakland Raiders have been the model of a bad franchise for the last few years. They have had bad draft picks, problems with coaches punching coaches, allegedly, and mostly have an owner that wants it his way or no way. Al Davies has been the owner of the Raiders for a long long time, and lots of people believe that it is time for him to go. The Oakland Raiders, as far as defense goes, are pretty solid. The offense is pretty bad though. Who is the Raiders quarterback? Russell? Gradkowski? Brennan? Boller? Well Russell had too much "purple drank" and wasn't good anyway. It looks like Al Davies and Head Coach Tom Cable have decided to go with Jason Campbell, who the Washington Redskins gave to the Raiders for six old water bottles. The Raiders think that the ex first round draft pick can make them competitive. This team is the opposite of Kansas City, as they have a solid enough defense but cannot score any points, and the quarterback position in the past has been a disaster. The Raiders were only 5-11 last year, so there is a lot of room to improve, but they were outscored in the season by 181 points. I don't see the season turning around too much for the Raiders. This franchise is just not ready to succeed. Raiders will be the last place team in the division, I'm guessing with a record of 5-11 again.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS-

The San Diego Chargers are by far the class of the division in the AFC West, they have won the division the last four years, and I don't suspect that will change this year. The Chargers have the best offense in the AFC West with Philip Rivers leading the way at quarterback. The only real difference this year is that longtime runningback Ladainian Tomlinson has gone to the New York Jets. I think this will be a blessing for the Chargers because Tomlinson was a celebrity in San Diego, and he played a lot more than maybe he should have. He was great for the Chargers organization, but there is a time to leave, and that time was now for the Chargers. Taking over his spot will be rookie runningback Ryan Matthews from Fresno State University. This will be a big story to follow this year around the Chargers, but even if it doesn't go well, the Chargers have enough offensive and defensive firepower to handle this division. Philip Rivers is in the top five quarterbacks in the league, and certainly is the best quarterback in this division. With Rivers leading the way, and one of the best tight ends in the league in Antonio Gates, it should be the Chargers division to win. I predict that the Chargers will be 10-6 at worst, but will run away with the AFC West.

WRAP-UP:

When I think about division winners for any sport, it is fun to find a team to upset the favorite. It would be fun to pick the Chiefs to win the division, or the Raiders, or ride the hot start that the Broncos had last year and take them, but the truth is that this division is already over. The Chargers are the heavy favorites in this division, and I cannot find and reason to pick against them. I'll take the team that everybody expects, the San Diego Chargers, to win the AFC West. This is my prediction for the division:

1. San Diego Chargers
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Denver Broncos
4. Oakland Raiders

Goodbye to a Legend

John Wooden passed away this week at the age of 99. What an amazing life he led and should be an example to all of us. john Wooden coached the UCLA Bruins college basketball teams to one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports back in the late 60's and early 70's.
From 1967 to 1973 the UCLA Bruins basketball team won everything there was to win with John Wooden as their coach. In those years they won 7 straight National Championships, a record that will seemingly never be touched. In the early 70's the UCLA basketball team won an NCAA basketball record 88 straight games, and four times had seasons of 30-0. From the beginning of the '63 season to the end of the '75 season the Bruins were an astounding 330-19.
John Wooden was so much more than a great basketball coach, he was a great man and mentor to a lot of people. Growing up in a small town in Indiana, Wooden learned the game as a young child and it was safe to say that he played and coached the game the old school way. I wish I could tell you where I heard or read this story but I heard it years ago. When Wooden coached UCLA he was a very basic coach. Every year on the first day of practice, the first thing he taught his players was how to put on their socks and tie their shoes so that they would not get blisters on their feet. That was Wooden, a down to earth simple guy who built a dynasty literally from the ground up. The world has one less great person in it than it did when it lost the much respected John Wooden. I'll leave you with a few sayings that were first said by Wooden but have since became popular in all walks of life. Goodbye John Wooden, you will be dearly missed.

"Learn as if you were to live forever, live as if you were to die tomorrow."

"Don't give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you."

The End of an Era

Roger Federer got beat yesterday in the quarterfinals at the French Open by Robin Soderling of Sweden. This loss in the quarters ended a streak of 23 consecutive semi finals appearances in a major tournament by Federer. The last time the Roger Federer was not in a semi final at a major was in the French Open in 2004. Robin Soderling, who Federer beat last year in the French Open final will now move on to play a Federerless semifinal against Tomas Berdych. This was the first time in 13 matches where Federer had lost to Soderling, and clearly an important time for Soderling to get the win.
Roger Federer did this with so much class. He was, and still is, one of the most graceful tennis players the world has ever seen and I for one was cheering for this record to never be broken. It had to eventually come to an end, and Soderling was the guy for that in the quarters at the French. When I sit down on my comfy couch to watch the semifinals a couple of days, it will be sad not to be able to see that sweet one-handed backhand that Federer made so popular. It seems like every single time that I watched a Federer tennis match there is a few points where you say out loud, "Wow, did he just make that shot?" He never did it with amazing power or huge ground strokes, although he was no softy, but his angles and technique were truly amazing to watch. Congratulations to Robin Soderling for knocking him off, and congratulations to Roger for this amazing streak. With Rogers streak of 23, he more than doubled the next guys in line. Ivan Lendl in the mid 80's and Rod Laver in the early 60's are tied for second with just 10 straight trips to a semifinal. What Fed did is more than amazing. Year after year after year Federer's opponent brings his best effort with a chance to knock down one of the greatest ever, and time after time Roger won at least until the semis. Lets not talk about how much of an upset it was to see Federer go down, but instead lets celebrate the streak because it was so amazing. Hats off to you Mr. Federer, you make tennis a great sport to watch and follow. And you never know, he is still great, maybe there is another run left in the guy. Now if somebody can just beat Nadal it won't be a terrible Grand Slam after all.