November 23rd update

Baseball Awards Announced

• About a month after the baseball season ends the major awards – MVP (for best player) and Cy Young Award (for best pitcher) in each league are announced as well as the rookie of the year and manager of the year. The most talked about winner this year was Justin Verlander in the American League. Verlander became the first pitcher in any league to win both the Cy Young and MVP since Dennis Eckersley won it in 1992 and the first starter since Roger Clemens in 1986 since Eckersley was a relief pitcher.
• The National League Cy Young was awarded to Clayton Kershaw. The Ace of the LA Dodgers has overcome some serious off-field distractions from his owner to pitch a fantastic season winning 21 games. The NL MVP was awarded to Milwaukee Brewers Outfielder Ryan Braun. The Hammerin Hebrew won in an upset over Kershaw’s Dodger teammate Matt Kemp. The Brewers won their division this year, which is generally a help to a player in the MVP race. Braun’s teammate Prince Fielder finished second in the voting. The Tampa Bay Rays swept the other awards with Starting Pitcher Jeremy Hellickson and manager Joe Maddon winning the Rookie of the year and Manager of the year respectively. In the National League, Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel and Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson took the top spots.
• Baseball also announced a minor change to their post season. They will award an additional wild card spot (2 instead of the current 1) starting next season, in each league. The two wildcards will play each other in a one-game playoff game. The winner will continue on to play according to the current format.


More tragic news in the world of sports

• As touched on in our Monday update, Arkansas TE Garrett Uekman was found dead in his apartment this weekend. Uekman’s is one of four sudden deaths to figures in the sports world in the past few days.
• Oklahoma State Universities head women’s basketball coach, and one his top assistants were killed in a plane crash on Thursday night. Kurt Budke and his deputy Miranda Serna were killed when their plane crashed into a Wildlife Management Area west of Little Rock. The planes pilot and another passenger were also on board and killed in the accident.
• Seattle Mariners 24-year old outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death on Rotterdam in his home country of the Netherlands. His brother is being held in relation to the murder. Halman was a young prospect who had played 44 games in the major leagues. He was also part of the 2009 Netherlands team that played in the World Baseball Classic (Baseball’s version of the World Cup).


Thanksgiving Weekend Football Matchups

• Turkey Day Games: 3 Fantastic NFL Games headline the Thursday games this week in the NFL. First, the shockingly competitive Detroit Lions take on the undefeated defending champion Green Bay Packers. The Lions, coming off of a big comeback win, look to continue their fantastic season against the best team in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys look to continue a 3-game winning streak against the Miami Dolphins in the Thursday afternoon game. The Thursday night game features a sibling rivalry between the San Fransisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
• College game of the week: after the major shakeup at the top of the BCS Standings this past weekend, the #1 LSU Tigers take on the #3 Arkansas Razerbacks. If LSU wins they’re all but guaranteed a shot at the National Championship game. If the Razorbacks win, then it will be a 3 way tie between those two teams and Alabama. If that happens, the lowest ranked team in BCS standings will be eliminated and then the winner of the head to head between the last two will win the SEC East. The full process is explained here, but it seems sketchy, as some of the involved coaches can make anonymous votes that actually affect the results of the poll.

November 20th update

BCS rocked by upsets

• Take what you thought about the BCS title picture after last week and throw it out the window because everything has changed now.
• #2 Oklahoma State only had a gimmie game against unranked Iowa State and a tough game against Oklahoma remaining before they made it to the national championship game (There's not a Big 12 championship game anymore because you're required to have 12 teams to host a conference title game and there are only 11 in the poorly named Big 12 now. Nebraska left for the Big 10, which now has 12. College football is great, isn't it?) But OK State lost the gimmie 37-31 in 2OT to Iowa State after giving up a 17 point lead and dropped to #4 in the polls. Yet another example of why playing games is a better way of determining which teams are better than simply letting sportswriters vote because nobody but the mothers of Iowa State players would have voted for the Cyclones to defeat Oklahoma State.
• The tough opponent that Oklahoma State was to play next week also lost as Oklahoma went down to Baylor and dynamic QB Robert Griffin III (who threw the game winning touchdown with just seconds remaining).
• Additionally, a week after beating undefeated Stanford, Oregon lost on a relatively short missed field goal as time expired (just as Boise State did last week) and Clemson got obliterated by N.C. State. If you can't keep track of all the carnage, here's what's left after all the dust has settled: Three of the six teams in the SEC West are now ranked #1, #2 and #3 as Arkansas jumped up to #3 behind LSU and Alabama. Arkansas sadly has to deal with the extremely sudden and mysterious death of freshman TE Garrett Uekman who passed away in his dorm Sunday. Arkansas will certainly be thinking of him next week as they take on #1 LSU for a possible shot in the title game. But we say possible because no one really knows what will happen. It all depends on the voters and the computer algorithms which is why we believe that the NCAA football system needs a major overhaul.


NFL week 11 recap

• The NFC North continued its impressive run as the Lions, Packers and Bears all beat solid teams on Sunday. The Bears beat perennial power (but currently struggling) San Diego Chargers 31-20 to go to 7-3 but they may have lost QB Jay Cutler for the year due to a broken thumb on his throwing hand. The Lions were down 24-7 to the Carolina Newtons... err Panthers, but Matthew Stafford caught fire and led the Lions to a 49-35 win. The Green Bay Packers were in a dogfight with the Tampa Bay Bucs but Aaron Rodgers and the mind-boggling Packers offense again proved to be too much and the Packers won 35-26 to go to 10-0.
• The only other NFL team with less than 3 losses is the 9-1 San Francisco 49ers who won easily over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday. They play against the Ravens this Thursday in a matchup of Harbaughs (rookie coach Jim coaches the Niners, brother John coaches the Ravens) and can actually clinch the division next week if they win and Seattle loses.
• Those same Ravens won a big game against the Bengals to take first place in the AFC North and go to 7-3 and the New England Patriots will look to do the same in the AFC East on Monday night against the injured but gritty Kansas City Chiefs.


Stewart wins NASCAR sprint for the Chase

• In one of the most tightly contested NASCAR finales ever, Tony Stewart won at Homestead in pouring rain and with a hole in his vehicle's grill to edge Carl Edwards for his third title and officially end Jimmie Johnson's run of 5 in a row. Stewart actually finished tied in points with Edwards, who finished second and led the most laps but the tiebreaker is total wins in a season, which Stewart dominated, 5 to 1.
• Edwards was disappointed but held his head high after the race, saying "This night is about Tony Stewart. Those guys rose to the occasion and they beat us fair and square. That is all I had. We came here and sat on the pole, led the most laps and Tony still managed. That’s it.

November 14th update

MLB player Ramos endures kidnapping ordeal

• Towards the end of last week, a shocking development hit the world of sports as Washington Nationals Catcher Wilson Ramos was abducted from outside his home in Venezuela. Ramos, 24, had a promising rookie season and had just returned to Venezuela to play in a winter league.
• He was whisked away to a secluded area in the mountains that Ramos admitted he thought was too remote for him to be found and rescued. The kidnappers, apparently Colombian, only told him that he was going to be ransomed for a lot of money. Kidnapping of high profile targets is a growing business in parts of Central and South America and in Venezuela, many such potential targets employ full time bodyguards (according to FOXnews).
• Gladly, this story has a happy ending as Venezuelan police conducted an airborne raid and exchanged gunfire with his abductors, only 48 hours after he Ramos was taken. The raid ended with four of the kidnappers being arrested and four more apparently being searched for by police. As for the shellshocked but incredibly grateful Ramos, he's now safely back in the arms of his loved ones.
• While he didn't endure any physical injuries, Ramos readily admitted that he's sustained plenty of emotional damage. We can only hope that he recovers fully and that local and federal police can get a better handle on the kidnapping trade to keep not only athletes, but the general populations of these areas safer in the future.


College Football standings endure major shake up

• The BCS title picture is beginning to clear up some thanks to a few games on Saturday. The Oklahoma State Cowboys absolutely obliterated a pretty decent Texas Tech team 66-6. It was the biggest defeat in school history for Texas Tech, the team who only a few weeks earlier, gave Oklahoma their only loss. Cowboys QB Brandon Weeden threw for 423 yards and 5 touchdowns and helped his school to their first ever 10-0 start.
• #4 Stanford was not so "Luck-y," losing 53-30 to last year's national runner up Oregon. Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck who was considered a massive favorite going into the game, might now face some competition in the form of Weeden, Alabama RB Trent Richardson and Oregon RB LaMichael James who blistered the Cardinal for 146 yards and 3 TDs on only 20 carries.
• Oregon will almost certainly play in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game in early December and has only lost twice since their opening game in 2009 against Boise State (when current NFL player LaGarrette Blount was so frustrated that he punched a Boise player in the face after the game).
• Those same Boise State Broncos saw their BCS title chances vanish on a missed field goal for the second straight season. Last year it was a missed FG at Nevada with 1 second left and Boise went on to lose in OT. This season, they trailed TCU (probably the best rivalry the casual fan hasn't heard of this past decade) 36-35 but had a chance to win with a 39 yard field goal. But it was pushed right and Boise was once again left to wonder if they had given away a chance at a title game or if finishing yet another season undefeated would even matter with richer teams from bigger conference generally getting preferential treatment in the Title Game.
• Now it comes down to whether or not LSU and Oklahoma State can win out as both look to be firmly in control and #3 Alabama's proponents are getting quieter and quieter after the team struggled to beat lowly Mississippi State. Many feel that Alabama deserves another shot at LSU but Oregon's only loss was also to LSU and they have arguably been more impressive in their other games. It will be very interesting to see how things shake out if one of the top 2 lose.
Check in Wednesday as we do a full overview of the college basketball season (which has already seen a couple entertaining and historic games this past week).

November 6th update

Exciting Games Abound in the NFL

• New York Giants 24 – New England Patriots 20: In a matchup hyped as Brady vs. (the other) Manning, this game was a shocking 0-0 at halftime as both teams looked sloppy and unorganized early on. It was the first game of the year that was 0-0 at halftime. The second half saw a 180 degree change though as both teams had a chance to get their games in gear. Eli Manning threw a touchdown with 15 seconds left in the game to cap a wild 4th quarter with 31 points scored. Manning (as we discussed on Friday) played fantastically against the porous defense of the Patriots. It was the first regular season home loss for Brady since 2006, a streak of 31 straight wins.
• Green Bay Packers 45 – San Diego Chargers 38: The exact opposite of the first game; there were four touchdowns in the first quarter, including 3 by the Packers in the span of 4 minutes. The Packers took a 45-24 lead with 10 minutes to go in the game, and looked to be in control. However, two quick touchdowns by the Chargers put them back into the game and when the Chargers got the ball back with 1 minute left they had a chance to tie the game. However, a long errant pass by Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was intercepted to end what was a very entertaining comeback. The Chargers have now lost 3 straight games that they could/should have won and Philip Rivers despite having 385 yards and 4 TDs today also had 3 interceptions, increasing his NFL lead in that dubious category.
• Baltimore Ravens 23 – Pittsburgh Steelers 20: Capping off a wild Sunday was a great Sunday Night game in possibly the best rivalry of this decade. After dropping a touchdown pass earlier in the drive, Torrey Smith did not fail when given another attempt, capping off a 92-yard drive in just over 2 minutes with a diving catch in the end zone. With 8 seconds left, the Ravens regained the lead they held for most of the game. After winning both games against Pittsburgh this season, Baltimore gained a big edge in the race for the AFC North crown. Pittsburgh falls to 3rd, behind Cincinnati as well as Baltimore.


LSU wins, Oklahoma State up to #2

• The "game of the century" might as well have been the game of last century when offenses were still developing and defenses ruled. LSU and Alabama, the top two teams in the nation combined to score 0 TDs. The difference was 4 missed field goals by Alabama, including one in overtime as LSU won 9-6.
• At this point the national championship picture is starting to come into focus:
#1 LSU will almost certainly make it to the final game, possibly even if they lose once.
#2 Oklahoma State has put up mind-blowing offensive numbers but still plays at Texas Tech and against Oklahoma in their final 3 games.
Alabama only falls to #3 despite the loss but will not have a chance to contend for the SEC title which will certainly hurt them in the eyes of voters.
Stanford is #4 and features Andrew Luck, everyone's choice for the Heisman Trophy (college football's player of the year) , but they still have a very tough test against Oregon.
#5 Boise State, who seems to continually get shafted by voters (with a few exceptions) even though they never seem to lose will probably be on the short end of the stick again, however an opening week win over Georgia who is now 7-2 and in first place in the SEC East is helping them a lot. Oregon and Oklahoma are 6th and 7th but likely have not shot at a title game appearance because of losses to LSU and Texas Tech respectively.


NBA Lockout Update

• As previously reported on Sportico, the NBA has locked out its players in a labor fight that has already forced the cancellation of the first month of the season (which was to have started this past Thursday). The players were offered a deal but they quickly turned down, essentially signaling that the sides are still nowhere close to a deal.
• There is a fissure growing amongst the players. The average length of an NBA career is just above 2 years and many members of the Player’s Union are more concerned with maximizing their moneymaking ability than getting the best possible deal for the union as a whole. The head of the Union is L.A. Lakers Point Guard Derek Fisher, who has been in the league since 1996. Many of his rank and file are angry with him because they need to get a paycheck while they still can.
• Meanwhile, the owners side is not as unified as commissioner despite financial incentives for solidarity. Miami Heat owner Micky Arison and Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan have been fined 6 figures for venting and making comments that could be seen as breaking ranks with the league's stance.

October 14th update

NBA Lockout officially causes games to be canceled

• Big news was made in the NBA this past week when it was made official that the first two weeks of games would be canceled, the first time NBA games have been missed in 12 years. The biggest game during that span was the New York Knicks @ the Denver Nuggets, which would have been Carmelo Anthony's first ever visit to Denver as an opponent (he was traded to the Knicks last season).
• Missing two weeks of games would be the best-case scenario for the league though. A federal mediator has been called in to attempt to draw the sides closer on Tuesday but every talk so far has apparently been a complete failure and there's talk now of having to cancel the Christmas Day games which are basically the NBA's equivalent to Thanksgiving Day games for the NFL.
• There's a possibility that the entire season could be canceled, especially as many players have signed contracts to go play overseas, meaning they will not feel pressured to settle for a subpar deal, such as the one the NFL players were forced into to end the NFL lockout (for what it's worth, I sided with the players in the NFL but the owners in the NBA).
• We're big NBA fans here at Sportico but we think that the fans should become more vocal in speaking out against this silly lockout, where both sides are looking for a bigger slice of a $4.3 billion pie amidst a struggling U.S. economy. And we're not alone.



NFL Week Lacks Marquee Games, Compensates with Storylines

• How legit are the 9ers? The San Fransisco 49ers are coming off of a 48-3 smack down of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that turned a few heads. This week they face another big test as they travel to the Motor City to take on the undefeated Detroit Lions. New coach Jim Harbaugh looks to continue his astonishing 4-1 start against a potent Detroit team. It should be noted that the Bucs won on Monday Night Football the week before they played San Fran just as Detroit did last week.
• Who will win the shootout in New England? When the Dallas Cowboys travel to New England to take on the Patriots don’t expect much defense. Both team feature highly effective offenses and equally inept defenses. This mix, along with the offensive wizardry of their coaches should make this a fun game to watch.
• Suck for Luck: The big prize in this coming year’s NFL draft is expected to be Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck. Supposedly the most polished quarterback prospect coming out of college since Peyton Manning. As the first pick in the Draft goes to the team with the worst record many fans have been hoping their team “Sucks for Luck.”
• There are currently three teams with no wins, and 6 more with only one. Now some of these teams (the St Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers for instance) would not select Luck because they have established young quarterbacks, but they would expect to get a lot in the trade market for such a coveted prospect. The Dolphins may be the best destination for luck as they play in a big market and have tons of talent on offense with Brandon Marshall, Reggie Bush and Jake Long (one of the best linemen in the game to protect Luck).


NCAA's Week 7 Should Answer Questions

• How good are the Oklahoma State Cowboys? The 5-0 Cowboys are less hyped than their in-state rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners, but they are ranked #6 in the country and are lead by stud wide receiver Justin Blackmon. They have been wiping the floors with their opponents throughout the season (defeating Kansas 70-28 this past weekend), but a trip to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns should prove to be a slightly more telling task.
• Who’s the best in Michigan? The Michigan Wolverines travel to take on their instate rivals Michigan State on Saturday. The undefeated Wolverines are ranked #11 while the Spartans of Michigan State are ranked #23. The Wolverines, lead by Sophomore quarterback sensation Denard Robinson began the season unranked, but are now in contention for a conference title, their first in over a decade.
• Can Oregon recover? After a tough defeat to start the season (to what is looking like the best team in college football in the past 5 years, LSU) the Oregon Ducks have been unstoppable. Never scoring less than 40 points, and outscoring their opponents by 151 points in the past 4 weeks. Currently ranked #9 in the country, the Ducks are trying to reclaim their spot as a championship contender, it will take more than a few wins, as there are a number of undefeated teams that may take precedence at the end of the day and they may have to do so without superstar RB Lamichael James for a game or two as he is nursing an arm injury.