January 27, 2012
With the Super Bowl taking place in Indianapolis, many people thought Peyton Manning would be being discussed at this time. However, no one thought it would be because we were trying to figure out which NFL team he would be on next year! Nonetheless, it appears more and more likely with each passing day that his time with the Colts is nearing an end.
Who wouldn’t want Peyton Manning on their team? One of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, teams would gladly lineup to get whatever football Manning has left in the tank. Which teams make the most sense? We take a look at some of the teams who may be interested and may not fit.
Arizona Cardinals
A team that rose from the ashes when it signed Kurt Warner, the Cardinals might look to Manning to deliver a similar resurgence. The Cardinals haven’t had a winning season since Warner left the team, and they have had multiple quarterbacks in that time. While they have lost some talented receivers as well, (Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston) many feel that Manning and Larry Fitzgerald could lead this team back to the playoffs. This might be the best fit out there for Peyton Manning.
New York Jets
Rex Ryan’s first draft pick as head coach of the New York Jets was quarterback Mark Sanchez. After taking them to back to back AFC Championship games his first two years in the NFL, you wouldn’t think the Jets would be in the market for a new quarterback. After going 8-8 in a season where many were thinking Super Bowl, many want the Jets to find a more consistent quarterback to push Sanchez. I personally think the Jets need to grow with Sanchez, but the reports have gone as far as an “unnamed source from the Jets saying they would trade Sanchez to get Peyton Manning. While the move would certainly make the Jets a contender in the AFC, I think they are even without Manning. This would be the next best place for Manning, but it still isn’t as good as Arizona.
Miami Dolphins
A team that is in complete rebuilding mode, the Dolphins have had a lot of trouble trying to find a quarterback to make them competitive. Miami just hired a new head coach in Joe Philbin, who was the offensive coordinator in Green Bay last year. Philbin would love to get his hands on a quarterback as good as Aaron Rodgers was last year to help turn this team around, but I would look for Philbin to find a young, 1st round pick to grow with this inexperienced team. While Manning could help bridge the gap, I just don’t see the Dolphins offering wins that Manning could find in New York or Arizona.
Washington Redskins
Another team that is rebuilding and needs a quarterback, the Washington Redskins hold a lot of intriguing possibilities. First and foremost, how cool would it be for Peyton and Eli Manning to play in the same division? The NFC East is already stacked at quarterback with Tony Romo, Michael Vick and Eli, adding Peyton would make that a fun division to watch. Add to that head coach Mike Shanahan, who has a proven NFL track record, and the fact that Washington swept the New York Giants last year and only lost to New England by a touchdown, and there could be some major storylines if this move was made. However, just like Miami, I think Shanahan wants to get younger, but if I could pick a team for Peyton to go to for my own selfish reasons, it would be here.
January 26, 2012
While the Super Bowl is the brightest stage of the NFL season, there are two non-sports aspects I enjoy every year: the commercials and outrageous prop bets. While I don’t have any commercials to reveal for you, the prop bets are out already and are offering some interesting action. So I have compiled my favorite prop bets for this year’s Super Bowl.
Super Bowl Prop Bets:
What Color Gatorade Is Dumped on the Winning Head Coach?
The most well known bet outside of the coin-toss, the Gatorade bath is one of the more unpredictable bets you can make. I have heard of people going back to see what color Gatorade teams have dumped before, but guessing is half the fun, right? Water and Yellow are the favorites at 2/1, with Orange following at 9/4. Then Green (6/1), Red (11/2) and Blue (10/1). For some reason, I see the New York Giants having Yellow Gatorade in their cooler. Just for fun (and the good odds), I think the Patriots will be bringing Red to the game.
If the Giants win the Super Bowl, look for Yellow Gatorade to be splashed on Coughlin.
Will Offensive or Defensive players be holding the bucket?
This is a new bet to me and it seems rather hard to predict. One would think that most celebrations happen when the offense is kneeling on the ball, which is why defense is the favorite (-200). However, what if the game is a blowout or one of the skill position players is on the sideline towards the end of the game? Offense is +150 and the unconventional bet. I think New York would have a defensive player do it, New England an offensive player.
Will Kelly Clarkson forget or leave out a word during the National Anthem?
You can’t bet no on this prop bet, but a yes is worth +250. With the rash of National Anthem screw ups lately, many people might be thinking the yes is worth it. Kelly has to know the scrutiny over these mistakes though, right? I’m leaving this bet alone, banking that Kelly has been memorizing the words. The same goes for the 3-1 prop that Kelly will show some belly when she sings. I don’t see that happening either.
How many times will Peyton Manning be shown: Over (-150)/Under (-110) = 3.5
Who could have predicted how terrible of a year this would be for Peyton Manning? What better way to top it off than having his brother and arch-nemesis play the Super Bowl in his city and the stadium that came from his success? Nonetheless, Peyton will be in attendance and talked about a great deal. The money isn’t great, but you have to imagine that he will be shown more than 3.5 times.
How many times is Andrew Luck mentioned? Over (-110)/under(-130) = 1
The discussion of Andrew Luck seems to follow every conversation involving Peyton Manning. The obvious #1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, he seems to be a lock to replace Manning in Indianapolis. However, I don’t see his name coming up during the Super Bowl. Even if it did, the payoff isn’t worth the risk. I’m not going for it.
Super Bowl MVP
Since this is still a football game, I figured I have to include at least one bet about the game. While picking a Kicker to win the MVP is tempting (100/1), if Adam Vinateri hasn’t won one yet for his multiple late game wins, I don’t see how a kicker can unless they fake a field goal and he throws a touchdown to win it.
This award, barring an amazing performance, will go to either Tom Brady or Eli Manning. Basically, whichever team you like to win the game, you pick the quarterback for the MVP. Of course, Brady (13/10) is favored over Eli (9/4) but what is surprising is Gronkowski isn’t far behind (15/2). I am all about longshots though, so give me Vince Wilfork at 100/1.
January 25, 2012
The 2012 NHL All-Star Game promises can’t miss action January 26-29 in Ottawa. The capital of Canada will put on an unforgettable event as the NHL’s best take center stage. Sports fans are in for a treat, beginning with the All-Star Fantasy Draft on January 26.
The NHL has the best All-Star Celebration in all of sports. The All-Star Game’s teams are decided by their honorary captains, who happen to be Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and Daniel Alfredsson of the hometown Ottawa Senators. These men were selected by their fellow All-Star comrades, which is a sign of ultimate respect.
All-Star Captain Zdeno Chara hopes to be celebrating a win for his hand-picked team for the All-Star game.
The rules are simple—each player selects a teammate until every player is selected, similar to how kids would do it on your local pond. East vs. West no more, this is a straight-up pick-up game.
The All-Star Celebration continues on January 28 with the skills competition. This is uber fun for fans and players alike as everyone gets to see just how good these athletes truly are.
These invents include:
On January 29, the main event takes place as the puck drops on the 2012 NHL All-Star Game.
This year’s game will feature a youth movement across the NHL. Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux, Boston Bruins center Tyler Seguin and Edmonton Oilers winger Jordan Eberle are all prime examples of the NHL’s up-and-coming stars. Expect to see these faces in this game for years to come.
The game will have no shortage of action, as the combined goal count will be 15-plus. Regular season play will continue on January 31, as teams compete for a chance to hoist the coveted Stanley Cup.
Enjoy.
January 24, 2012
We are already three weeks into the 2012 PGA Tour season but I don’t care. I’m not going to let that stop me from making my predictions…even if it is cheating. And I’m going to go out on a limb with my first prediction and say that Steve Stricker will pick up a win early in 2012 and extend his streak to four years with at least one victory. What else will happen in golf?
The outcome of at least one tournament will be impacted by a fan watching at home reporting a rule violation. Tour players are split on whether or not this is OK. Tour officials begin to take a serious look into making changes for the 2013 season.
Tiger Woods will be in contention heading into the final round at the Masters. “Tiger is back” stories will flood the nation. He posts a -2 (70) on Sunday but it’s not good enough to land another green jacket. On the bright side, Tiger will go through the entire season without getting hit with a hot dog. And he will win again. But just once…and it won’t be a major.
Speaking of the majors…if not Tiger, then who? 2012 will be the year of big names winning their first major championships. Sergio Garcia wins the Masters. Luke Donald wins the U.S. Open. Lee Westwood wins the British Open. Dustin Johnson wins the PGA Championship. One of these wins will come in a playoff. One will be a gift when the man leading the tournament makes a big number on the final hole to give it away.
Will Sergio win this year's Masters?
The Ryder Cup will go down to the wire in the Sunday singles. The crucial match for both sides will be the No. 1 player in the world, Luke Donald (playing in the city where he went to college) against USA fan favorite Phil Mickelson. Lefty takes the lead in the match with a birdie on 16 and holds on for a 1 Up win to give the Cup to the United States.
Donald will maintain his hold on the No. 1 ranking in the world but the big news is that Mickelson, Garcia and Woods are all back in the top 10.
Yani Tseng will continue to dominate women’s golf, but her win total drops from 12 in 2011 to 9 in 2012. She plays in a PGA Tour event (the Puerto Rico Open) and makes the cut. But the top story in women’s golf is Lexi Thompson. The teenage phenom is the new star of the LPGA and she wins another tournament before she turns 18.
The media continues to try to create a Tiger vs. Rory Mcllroy rivalry. It never plays out on the golf course, but they are neck in neck in making off the course headlines.
January 23, 2012
Last week, we looked at the NBA’s Eastern Conference All-Stars and this time, it’s the West’s turn. Balloting has just gotten underway and fans are now casting their votes (by the way, you can cast yours at www.nba.com). Here are my picks for the top 12 players in the West.
LaMarcus Aldridge – Aldridge is coming into his own and turning into one of the best big men in the West. His 23 points and nearly nine rebounds are both career highs and could turn the Blazers into a playoff team this season.
Kobe Bryant – Bryant is turning in another spectacular season in 2011-12 – go figure. Without Lamar Odom, the Lakers haven’t been as dominant as they were last season, but Kobe’s play is the biggest reason the team could again win the Pacific Division. Think Kobe’s past his prime? He’s leading the league with just over 30 points per game, and with offensive talent around him such as Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, that’s flat out amazing.
Andrew Bynum – With Gasol starting to show signs of slowing down, Bynum is taking a lead role in L.A. He’s arguably the best center in the West and while he averages about 16 points per contest, it’s his 13.6 rebounds per game that should land him a spot in the All-star contest.
Kevin Durant – Durant has led Oklahoma City to a Western Conference best 13 wins so far this season. With the emergence of Russell Westbrook and James Harden, he’s taking a few less shots than he has over the past three seasons … but he’s also making more of them and is turning into a perennial Most Valuable Player award candidate.
Monta Ellis – Ellis is averaging 23 points a game, but he’s been jacking up more than 20 shots to do so. Still, it’s hard to not find room for the West’s fifth leading scorer and the fact that he’s also dishing out seven assists a game (good for ninth in the conference) helps him to land a spot.
Blake Griffin – While the addition of Chris Paul to the Clippers was the move that got everyone’s attention, without Griffin, Los Angeles isn’t nearly the threat to win the West that they are now. He took the league by storm last year averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds and he’s posting similar numbers this season.
Blake Griffin has already given us memorable moments like this in past All-Star games.
Al Jefferson – With the stats that he’s accumulated over the past few years, it’s a little hard to figure out why teams haven’t found a way to hold onto Jefferson. He’s one of the top power forwards in the game and with the Jazz, is playing for his third team in only eight seasons. Jefferson’s having another big season bringing in about 19 points and nine rebounds each game.
David Lee – Two Golden State Warriors on an All-Star team? Yeah, I’ll admit it sounds a bit excessive for a team battling to stay out of the conference’s basement. But Ellis’ selection is justified and I think Lee’s is, too. His 18.6 points per game are ninth in the West and his 10.6 rebounds are fourth.
Kevin Love – Simply put, Kevin Love is likely the NBA’s best power forward. He’s in the top five in scoring (24.1 points) and rebounding (14.1) per game in the entire league and gives us a reason to follow the woeful Timberwolves. The downside to Love this season is his paltry 41% shooting percentage, which is far below average for a big man. But with a career average over 45%, look for him to get better as the young season goes along.
Steve Nash – At 37, Nash’s career is clearly winding down. Still it’s hard not to take notice of the incredible job he’s doing on a depleted Phoenix Suns team. Playing on a squad devoid of a real scorer, Nash has led the team in that capacity with 15 points a game shooting an obscene career-high 55% from the field. But it’s also his NBA-leading ten assists a game on such an offensively-challenged team that makes him too impressive to pass up.
Chris Paul – Paul has taken L.A. by storm and has the Clippers on top of the Pacific Division. His 8.4 assists per game are the fewest he’s had since 2006-07, but Paul has been shooting lights out from the field. His 52% shooting percentage and 45% from three-point range are both career highs. Playing alongside Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, and Caron Butler have led to better shot opportunities and Paul is taking advantage of them.
Russell Westbrook – Westbrook has taken a lot of criticism for his shoot-first attitude in Oklahoma City particularly because the team has an offensive weapon such as Kevin Durant. But if Westbrook doesn’t score, the Thunder probably aren’t the first-place team in the West as they are right now. I’d like to see him dish out a few more assists (Westbrook is averaging almost three fewer than he did last season), but he’s a surprisingly good rebounder and is making a career-best 45% of his shot attempts.
To view Part I in this series, click here.
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