April 22nd, 2013
With The Masters in the rearview mirror and a memorable week in the books, the next big event on the PGA Tour schedule is The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
The course is best known for its island green at the 17th hole, but the finishing stretch as a group sets up a lot of drama as the players have to contend with a lot of water on key shots at the end of their rounds.
That can set up some Sunday drama. If you’d prefer a more leisurely experience, you may want to check out the course for a practice round on Monday May 6, Tuesday May 7 or Wednesday May 8. Then the championship starts and runs from Thursday May 9 through Sunday May 12.
There will be tons of storylines, as Tiger Woods looks to continue his resurgence. While The Players Championship will not give him the opportunity to end his major drought, it is sometimes considered the fifth biggest event of the year behind the four majors. Tiger Woods has one it only once, in 2001.
Last year’s winner, Matt Kuchar, will be looking to defend his title and has been playing well this season. He is usually a consistent performer on tour, while K.J. Choi, who won in 2011, has been improving his play of late.
While it is not a major, The Players Championship is the richest event in golf with a prize fund of nearly $10 million. That draws a field that puts it nearly on par with the major events. With that much money on the line and such a dramatic run of finishing holes on 16, 17 and 18, it is easy to see why The Players Championship is such a test of nerves.
There’s nothing quite like watching the best golfers in the world deal with the immense pressure they face on Sundays in big tournaments. You have the opportunity to do that in the beginning of May in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Don’t miss out, get your tickets right away.
April 9th, 2013
Currently, the battle for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference of the NHL is tight. The top five seeds are probably safe, while the sixth through 12th place teams are all in contention for the last three playoff spots.
The Senators sit in sixth at the time of this writing with 44 points in 38 games, while the Flyers are in 12th with 37 points in 38 games. They each have 10 games left, including one against each other in Philadelphia on Thursday night. With the New York Rangers and New York Islanders currently tied for the final two playoff spots with 42 points, the Senators can’t feel too safe nor should the Flyers feel they have no chance.
Thus, it could be a playoff atmosphere in South Philadelphia Thursday. The Flyers have been led by the scoring of Jakub Voracek, who has 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points in 38 games. Claude Giroux isn’t far behind with 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points in 38 games.
The Flyers struggles have come defensively, which has hurt goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who is 17-5-3 with a 2.88 goals against average and a .896 save percentage.
It’s a different story all together for the Senators, who have benefitted from amazing goaltending from Craig Anderson, Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner. Anderson is 8-5-2 with a 1.53 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. Bishop was traded at the trade deadline, while Robin Lehner is 3-3-4 with a 2.34 goals against average and a .934 save percentage.
Scoring has been a bit of a challenge for the Senators, though, with Kyle Turris, Daniel Alfredsson and Jakob Silfverberg tied for the team lead with eight goals.
This presents contrasting styles on Thursday, so it remains to be seen if a high-powered offense with defensive issues can overcome a defensive stalwart with trouble scoring goals. One way or another something has to give and the outcome will affect the playoff race quite a bit.
So don’t miss out, get your tickets today and enjoy the exciting atmosphere.
April 8th, 2013
The Stanley Cup playoffs start at the end of this month, and never has every game counted more for every single team — especially in a shortened season where every point counts. So, which NHL teams are going to the playoffs this year, and which ones are still scrapping to find their way in? And if the playoffs started today, what would that playoff picture look like?
In the East, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team that have already clinched their playoff spot. Currently, they’d be facing the New York Islanders who are in the eighth, and last, spot in the conference. Not far behind Pittsburgh are the Montreal Canadiens, who are currently in second spot and would face the New York Rangers, who sit just above the Islanders, in seventh spot. The Washington Capitals are in third and would face off against the Ottawa Senators as it sits; and Boston and Toronto currently sit in the fourth and fifth spot, respectively.
While the teams that sit at the bottom of this pack in the East are just trying to hang on, there are those that are just as desperately trying to take their spot. Those that are still alive and trying in the Eastern Conference are New Jersey, Winnipeg, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Florida.
In the West there’s also one team that’s clinched their playoff spot, the Chicago Blackhawks, and that’s not so surprising given their start to the year. They’d be facing the Detroit Red Wings, who are currently at the lowest spot in the West. The Anaheim Ducks are currently in second rank, and would face the St. Louis Blues, who are seventh. The Vancouver Canucks are in third and would face the Minnesota Wild; while the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks sit in fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
With so many teams struggling for most of this season in the West, it’s surprising to see some of the teams that are still alive. They include Phoenix, Dallas, Edmonton, Columbus, Nashville, Calgary, and Colorado. After the big moves, also largely made in this conference, on trade deadline day, it will be interesting to see who was helped by it, and who may have given up their season for it.
April 5th, 2013
Even before the NHL trade deadline day on Wednesday some huge moves had been made; most notably with Jarome Iginla being traded to Pittsburgh. But that was just a mere primer as the end of deadline day brought with it some pretty big headlines. And in just about every one of them, you could find the word “goaltender” somewhere in the bunch.
It’s always sad for fans when a team loses their captain, so that blow is definitely still being felt in Buffalo after the Sabres traded Jason Pominville, along with a fourth-round draft pick, for two prospects — goaltender Matt Hackett, and forward Johan Larsson. But Buffalo isn’t going to make the playoffs this year, and goaltender Miller hasn’t had a good year. If the word “rebuild” isn’t being tossed around in Buffalo, the word “retooling” definitely is.
The Columbus Blue Jackets also dealt in goalies on Wednesday, when they traded goaltender Steve Mason to Philadelphia. However, that wasn’t the biggest Blue Jackets news on trade day, as they also traded Derek Brassard, Derek Dorset, John Moore, and a sixth-round draft pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for Marian Gaborik. It’s a move that will make it much easier for them to get to the playoffs.
And in yet another goaltender trade, the Ottawa Senators traded one of their goaltenders, Ben Bishop, to Tampa Bay for rookie center Cory Conacher and a fourth-round pick. The move is a good one for the Sens, who already have a young team to build onto but are heavy in goaltending; and it gives a boost to Tampa, even if it will only come to fruition next year.
Always on trade day you can count on big news of those that didn’t get traded; and who was that this year? Yet again, another goalie. Roberto Luongo is still officially a Vancouver Canuck, and he’s saying it’s because his contract “sucks” and that no team wants to take it on. With $64 million over 12 years, and currently only being on his second year into it, he’s probably right.
April 3rd, 2013
It wasn’t his first game back, but this was to be Sidney Crosby’s comeback season, and now he’s out with an injury once again. The official word is that he’s out “indefinitely,” while it’s widely thought that he’ll be out for at least one month. And even if the Pittsburgh Penguins can get him back that early, the playoffs will be just getting under way. Leaving everyone to wonder, what kind of shape will he be in to face the toughest run of the season?
It was on Saturday when Crosby took his first shift against the New York Islanders. Crosby was standing to the left side of the net, probably ready to look for a rebound after his teammate’s, Brook Orpik’s, slap shot. Unfortunately, that shot was deflected, and it ended up hitting Crosby’s face instead of the Islanders’ net. Crosby immediately hit the ice, with his stick thrown to the side, and covering his face. Instant replay also displays the gruesome show of several of Crosby’s teeth flying out of his mouth. But missing teeth are the least of Crosby’s problems right now.
That puck broke Crosby’s jaw, and he underwent surgery for it immediately after it happened. The team is also saying that he needed “major dental work” and that he’ll be receiving more in the coming week. Of course with everything Sidney has been through these past two years, “concussion” is the word on everyone’s mind. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma says that Sid’s not experiencing any symptoms at the moment but of course, it’s something that they’re monitoring.
Losing Crosby didn’t hurt the team though, at least not for that game. The Pens won 2-0 against the Islanders, and they’re getting ready to face Buffalo on Tuesday.
April 2nd, 2013
Where will quarterback Geno Smith go? That is the big question. And right now, the only answer is to Kansas City. That will be the first stop on his “World Tour,” the label he gave to the number of extensive interviews he’ll be on this week. The question is, do the Chiefs really want him?
They should, with Smith’s record. He threw for 4,205 yards this past season, and had 42 touchdown passes to boot, and that was just his impressive performance this last season. The Chiefs have the first pick, but would they really choose Geno Smith?
It does seem like a bit of smoke and mirrors, a trick that NFL teams are notorious for using this time of year as the draft approaches. Try to make other teams think they’re interested in him, and then try to negotiate for even more draft picks — not to mention a smaller salary for the player they actually want. Kansas could be looking to trade their first draft spot, and so the reason for hosting him in the first place.
Add to that the fact that Kansas just traded for quarterback Alex Smith, and you have to wonder why they’d use their pick for yet another QB. It was thought that they’d be using their pick for an offensive lineman that would help protect Alex Smith; rather than someone who will be competing with him for that starting spot.
The Buffalo Bills are one of the teams thought to be most interested in Geno Smith. He’s already met with them once last month, and he’s set to go back this week on his “World Tour.” Again, no one knows how interested the Bills really are, especially since they just signed Kevin Kolb after Arizona cut him. But Kolb likely won’t be the starter for the Bills, leaving them with that spot still open.
So who will ultimately get this quarterback that’s thought to go to number one? As Geno Smith himself says, “We’ll just have to see on draft night.”
March 27th, 2013
Unlike the West and South Regions of the NCAA Tournament, where madness was the norm and upsets were prevalent, the major contenders of the East Region all held serve and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
That means that instead of any David vs. Goliath matchups, college hoops fans in Washington, D.C., will be treated to some daunting matchups. Top-seeded Indiana takes on fourth-seeded Syracuse and second-seeded Miami faces third-seeded Marquette.
The first matchup will be Marquette against Miami at 7:15 p.m. EST, as the Golden Eagles try to get things going in the right direction after a pair of nail biters in the first weekend of the tournament. Marquette edged out Davidson 59-58 on a last-second layup, while they squeaked past Butler 74-72 in another tight finish.
In fact, the Golden Eagles haven’t won a game by more than a possession since a March 5th win over Rutgers by a score of 60-54.
Miami cruised past Pacific 78-49 in the opening game of the Hurricanes march through the tournament, and then held off a feisty Illinois team 63-59 to make it through the first weekend. Shane Larkin, the son of baseball star Barry Larkin, who averages more than 14 points and nearly five assists per game, leads the Hurricanes.
The Indiana Hoosiers come into this matchup after holding off impressive scorer Khalif Wyatt and his Temple squad by a score of 58-52. Indiana handled 16th-seeded James Madison 83-62 in its first game. Syracuse blasted Montana 81-34 to open the tournament, then held of 12th-seeded California 66-60.
The Hoosiers have a talented inside-out combination featuring big man Cody Zeller and guard Victor Oladipo. Zeller averages nearly 17 points and eight rebounds per game, while Oladipo is good for nearly 14 points and six boards per contest.
Syracuse is led by four players averaging double figures in scoring: guards Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche and forwards C.J. Fair and James Southerland. When Southerland and Triche, both somewhat streaky shooters, are firing on all cylinders, the Orange are a tough out.
Don’t miss out on all of the action this weekend, as the winners will also meet and battle for a trip to the Final Four on Saturday. Get your tickets now!
March 23rd, 2013
Some of the best action in the NCAA Tournament is coming to HP Pavilion in San Jose on Thursday and Saturday, as the venue will host four games featuring the most upset-ready seed matchups.
All four games are either 5-seed versus 12-seed matchups or 4-seed versus 13-seed matchups. Combining both likelihood and magnitude of any potential upsets, those are often the best matchups to keep an eye on.
This rings particularly true as fifth-seeded UNLV takes on 12th-seeded California, as the Golden Bears have less than an hour drive from Berkeley to San Jose. This gives them a bit of an advantage over the Runnin’ Rebels, who have a bit longer of a trek.
Meanwhile, 13th-seed Montana has five plays who are connecting at a 40 percent or better rate on their three point shots. That could be bad news for the 2-3, matchup zone of fourth-seed Syracuse and its head coach, Jim Boeheim. The Orange also limped to the finish line of the regular season, losing four of their last five games before winning three in a row in the Big East Tournament and falling to Louisville in the conference championship game.
The winners of those two matchups will meet Saturday. Meanwhile, the other Thursday action pits 12th-seeded Oregon against fifth-seeded Oklahoma State. As soon as the brackets were released, many pundits cited the Ducks as one of the most under-seeded teams in the event. That could make the Cowboys a potential upset victim.
Finally, 13th-seeded New Mexico State takes on fourth-seeded Saint Louis. The Billikens are cited as one of the dark horse favorites to make the Final Four as a relatively low four-seed, but you never know when it comes to March Madness. The Aggies won their way into the Big Dance by winning the Western Athletic Conference championship after finishing third in the regular season. They come into the tournament on a five game winning streak.
The NCAA Tournament and the chaotic upsets that always seem to take place always make for a ton of excitement in March, so don’t miss out on your chance to take it all in live in San Jose. Get your tickets today!
March 22nd, 2013
The Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks have combined for just five regulation losses, a total that no other team has managed to stay below. They meet Wednesday night at the Honda Center, where the Ducks are 12-1-0. Anaheim is 21-3-4 overall, while Chicago is 24-2-3. The Blackhawks have gone 13-1-2 away from home.
It almost goes without saying, but both teams come in on fire as well. Chicago is 8-2-0 in its last 10 games while Anaheim is 7-0-3.
The Blackhawks have been led by the dynamic play of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Kane has 15 goals and 19 assists through 28 games, while Toews has 13 goals and 13 assists. Hossa has scored 13 goals while dishing out 10 assists.
Chicago’s goaltending might be more impressive though. Corey Crawford has posted a 13-2-3 record with a 1.79 goals against average and a .929 save percentage, while Ray Emery has backed him up admirably with a 10-0-0 record, a 2.28 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.
Whereas the Blackhawks boast star power, it’s been depth that’s buoyed the Ducks despite the presence of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. In a normal season, six Ducks would be on pace for 20 or more goals: Getzlaf, Perry, Saku Koivu, Bobby Ryan, Andrew Cogliano and Kyle Palmieri.
Getzlaf and Perry are the top point getters, though. Getzlaf has 10 goals and 21 assists, while Perry has nine goals and 15 assists.
Jonas Hiller has been strong between the pipes with a 10-2-3 record, a 2.52 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. Viktor Fasth has gone 10-1-1 with a 1.92 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
It’s sure to be a hotly contested game and a potential preview of the Western Conference Finals, so don’t miss out. Get your tickets today and be part of the Ducks’ home ice advantage in one of the biggest regular season games of the year in the NHL.
The first meeting between the two teams was a thriller, with the Ducks winning 3-2 in a shootout at the United Center in Chicago.
March 20th, 2013
We’re just over a week into the NFL free agency. Some teams have made some big moves, others are cash-strapped with no room to move, and some seem to be patiently waiting on the sidelines. Without further ado, here’s the most recent NFL free agency update, on some of the biggest teams and biggest names.
Arizona Cardinals This was a team that didn’t seem as though they would do much, going into free agency with just about $3 million to play with. But after letting go of Kevin Kolb and Beanie Wells, they had a little more room. They made good with it, signing quarterback Drew Stanton and running back Rashard Mendenhall.
Cleveland Browns The Browns didn’t have a whole lot of wiggle room either, but like the Cardinals they did a nice job with what they had. Not only did they give their defensive line a boost with Paul Kruger and Desmond Bryant, but they got them for cheap, too.
Denver Broncos The biggest moves this team made involved those already on the team. They franchised left tackle Ryan Clady and signed wide receiver Wes Welker and guard Louis Vazquez. That will give Peyton Manning more support, despite the fact that they also let defensive end Elvis Dumervil go.
Miami Dolphins The Dolphins had lots of money to spend, and spend they did. Most of their cash went to signing linebackers Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler, as well as wide receiver Mike Wallace. They got wide receiver Brandon Gibson and tight end Dustin Keller for a bit less.
San Francisco 49ers Although they let go of free safety Dashon Goldson, as well as a few other players. They signed Craig Dahl to take over Goldson’s duties, and they also picked up wide receiver Anquan Boldin and defensive end Glenn Dorsey.
Of course these are only some of the teams, and some of the biggest moves that have happened. Did anything happen with your team that we missed this time around? What do you think was the best move made by any team?
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