Posted on in Football, NFL

The NFL Playoff Picture: Today – #Thanksgiving

This year is a year with new, rejuvenated teams, and many surprises to come your way this year during the playoffs. See who I think goes to the Super Bowl in East Rutherford, New York/New Jersey.

Wild Card NFC Matchup 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions

The 49ers proved big in their win over the Redskins. QB Colin Kaepernick has returned to his old, 2012 self, and is proving his doubters wrong, and has ended his sophomore slump. WR Michael Crabtree is back! QB Matthew Stafford has been off the mark lately, and WR Calvin Johnson is not very healthy. WR Nate Burleson is out, and their defense is cheap, cannot handle anything. 49ers will go to Ford Field and take this one easy. Final Score: 27-14, 49ers.

Wild Card NFC Matchup 2: Carolina Panthers vs. Dallas Cowboys

Carolina is the surprise this year, making things unreal, and leaving opposing defenses clueless thanks to QB Cam Newton. QB Tony Romo and WR Dez Bryant is like the QB Troy Aikman and WR Michael Irvin duo from the 1990s. Both teams defenses need improvement, though the Cowboys have veterans on defense, who have playoff-winning experience. Final Score: 13-10, Cowboys.

Wild Card AFC Matchup 1: Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are terrible compared to last year! Letting go of coach Bruce Arians was a terrible idea. Andrew Luck has been ice-cold, and WR Reggie Wayne and RB Vick Ballard are out for the season. The Titans are running with some Fitzmagic with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, and have the great sensation in TE Delanie Walker. This is no contest! Final Score: 44-3, Titans.

Wild Card AFC Matchup 2: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas City has had some ups to starts, and gone downhill from there. The Bengals have been the opposite. WR AJ Green is proving doubters wrong, becoming recognized as an elite WR in the NFL. Cincy has a slight upset. Final Score: 38-35, Bengals.

 

Divisional Round NFC Matchup 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks have been the hardest matchup for Kaepernick in his career, and the Seahawks are big and talented, better than ever. QB Russell Wilson is great, but is in a sophomore slump, like Kaepernick. Do the 49ers have an upset? That’s a yes! Final Score: 30-27, 49ers.

Divisional Round NFC Matchup 1: Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints

The Cowboys got sent home with a 49-17 loss from the Saints, but Dez Bryant was not a target, despite the Saints not having CB Jabari Greer or SS Malcolm Jenkins covering him. Cowboys have the upset, due to the Saints lack of playoff wins. Final Score: 24-21, Cowboys.

Divisional Round AFC Matchup 1: Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos

QB Peyton Manning and the Broncos have to beat Fitzmagic. Can they do it? Final Score: 28-27, Broncos.

Divisional Round AFC Matchup 2: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots

The Patriots have had an up and down season, like the Chiefs, and they have ways of winning and losing. In this case, QB Tom Brady has a win on his mind. Final Score: 31-21, Patriots.

 

Conference Championship NFC Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys

The 49ers and the Cowboys are the teams that would meet in conference championships in the ‘90s. We experience that in the 21st century for the 1st time. The 49ers shall return to the Super Bowl, and Romo, once again, will choke in the playoffs again, losing. Final Score: 27-3, 49ers.

Conference Championship AFC Matchup: New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning meet for the last time in Manning’s long career. Tom Brady is 10-4 vs. Manning in regular season games, and 2-1 vs. Manning in the playoffs. Manning’s career will come to an end. Final Score: 27-20, Patriots.

 

Super Bowl XLVIII: San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots

The last time Kaepernick and Brady faced off in Boston, Kaepernick helped the 49ers win 41-34. It will be even bigger when they face off in the NFL’s biggest stage on February 2nd, 2014. Kaepernick led the 49ers to a comeback last year vs. Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII, and they nearly won, but the Ravens won 34-31. When the Patriots played the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, they lost 21-17. Kaepernick will push Brady to 3-3 in Super Bowl games. Final Score: 45-38, 49ers.

Posted on in Football, NCAA

2013-14 Heisman Trophy Top 3 Candidates; After Week 1

Last year, I came in partially correct on my prediction for the Heisman Trophy Award winner (Johnny Manziel). Here is this year’s Top 3:

Number 1: Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson Tigers

Boyd went 18-30 for 330 yards, had 3 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs in the 38-35 upset win over Georgia. He will have big games for the rest of the season. Clemson should win the ACC and make it to the Orange Bowl.

Number 2: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina Gamecocks

Clowney, better known as ‘THE FREAK’ is entering his junior year, is predicted to go Number 1 or Number 2 in the NFL Draft. He got off to a shaky start though, as he played with a stomach virus, but looked more exhausted than ever. He is getting over-criticized, in my opinion.

Number 3: Terrence Magee, RB, LSU Tigers

Well, well, well, an LSU player in the Heisman talk. He reminds me of Mark Ingram and LaMichael James in his college days. Magee has speed that compares him to NFL RB like Adrian Peterson. He had 2 TDs vs. TCU in the Cowboy Classic Game.

…

“And the 2013-14 Heisman Trophy Winner is… Tajh Boyd of the Clemson Tigers!”

Posted on in Games, NBA

NBA 2K14 and Madden NFL 25: What’s New

NBA 2K14 and Madden NFL 25 are two games will want to buy, but everyone wants to know what’s new. Here’s an inside look at these 2 games.

NBA 2K14

Euroleague:

In NBA 2K14, the Euroleague is a way to attract international attention towards this game. Here are the teams you can play as: lebron-james-2k14-cover

Teams:

Alba Berlin

FC Barcelona

Real Madrid

CSKA Moscow

EA7 Empiro Armani Milano

Montepaschi Siena

Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul

Olympiacos Piraeus

Panathinaikos Athens

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv

Zalgris Kaunas

Unicaja Malaga

Laboral Kutxa Vitoria

Soundtracks:

The songs are produced by LeBron James. It features songs such as “Started From The Bottom” by Drake, “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, and “All Of The Lights” by Kanye West ft. Rihanna.

MyPlayer:

Take an easier road to stardom. You have higher chances of winning the MVP or Rookie of the Year, and even, an NBA Finals in every year of your Career.

Release Date: Oct. 1, 2013 – Pre-Order here.

 

Madden NFL 25

Gameplay:

download

Now, with Franchise, you can get player from legendary team such as the Baltimore Colts, and also players from NFL Europe League, and from international cities such as Toronto, Mexico City, and London.

1 Game, 2 Covers, New Consoles/Portables! And WiiU?:

The XBOX 360 and PS3 have Barry Sanders as the cover boy, but new consoles, PS4, and XBOX One will have Adrian Peterson, and portables such as PS Vita will have Sanders. The game will NOT be available for WiiU.

Release Date: Aug. 27, 2013 – Pre-order here

Posted on in MLB

MLB 2K13 Game Review

MLB 2K11 and 2K12 were games that turned out to be very not popular. Featuring David Price on the cover of MLB 2K13, an improved roster update, and some very high ratings for players such as Stephen Strasburg, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, David Price, Nelson Cruz, and Clayton Kershaw, it is a game that will certainly excite many baseball fans who are looking for a great game.

What’s New:

MLB Today/Season – With this game mode, you can play exhibitions with the latest rosters, and play an MLB season with the games Today, and it has Today stats. For example, let’s say you started a season as the Washington Nationals, and it had the current record for the team as of Today, you play the MLB season day by day, and you are required to control the rest of the season. So, in the end, you can do better or worse than your favorite MLB team.

MyPlayer – There are more types of roles you can play, such as being a starting, workhorse pitcher. With batters, you are NOT a contact/power hitter. Which path will you take to become from AAA Minor League player, to MLB World Series Champion? Can you become the next Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper, become a Cy Young-caliber pitcher, a Triple Crown threat, or a Gold Glove player? Can you become one of baseball’s best player’s on your favorite team? (After creating your player, you choose your favorite baseball to play on, start your way from the team’s AAA Minor League team, and later on, step on to baseball’s biggest stage, as a part of the MLB).

Franchise – You are the team’s front office. Championship teams start from there, and become a reality on the field. Can you control your team and build a MLB dynasty that will forever be remembered? Can you become the best team Front Office in MLB history?

Click to order your copy (PS3 or XBOX 360): MLB 2K13.

Posted on in Football, NFL

Which QB Will Start Week 1?

There are a lot of teams that need to decide who will be their QB. If I were the coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, or Buffalo Bills coach, here is who I would pick as my starter for Week 1 (begins September 5th).

Arizona Cardinals

Possible Options: Carson Palmer, Ryan Lindley

Week 1 Starter: Palmer is the obvious choice for this team, as he looked good during the teams OTAs by connecting with his receivers, and should have a monster season thanks to having Larry Fitzgerald and Malcolm Floyd as his top receivers.

Philadelphia Eagles

Possible Options: Matt Barkley, Mike Vick, Dennis Dixon, Nick Foles

Week 1 Starter: This is the toughest choice for any coach, but in the end, former Pac-12 QB Matt Barkley will fit in well to Chip Kelly’s offense due to the fact that at USC, Barkley had played against Kelly’s Oregon squad.

Oakland Raiders

Possible Options: Matt Flynn, Terrell Pryor, Tyler Wilson

Week 1 Starter: Matt Flynn will start Week 1 for the 2nd straight season on a team rebuilding mode.

New York Jets

Possible Options: Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy, Geno Smith

Week 1 Starter: Geno Smith is the QB that the Jets have wanted for years. He is the franchise of the New York Jets, and this rookie out of West Virginia has the intangible to win as a starter, and he deserves it.

Jacksonville Jaguars:

Possible Options: Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne

Week 1 Starter: Henne will get the starting job for the 1st time since he was a Miami Dolphin in 2011.

New England Patriots

Possible Options: Tom Brady, Tim Tebow

Week 1 Starter: Tebow can start Week 1, but Brady will start until Week 15, and then Tebow can play Weeks 16 and 17 due to Brady resting for the playoffs. Though from Weeks 2-14, Brady will start, and Tebow could play running back, or be a receiver in the Wildcat formation.

Washington Redskins

Possible Options: Robert Griffin III (RG3), Kirk Cousins

Week 1 Starter: RG3 is the starter, but Cousins will play Weeks 16 and 17. Griffin III may be taken out of the game due to the repaired ACL, so Cousins could get multiple snaps time and time again, but he will not be the starter during many weeks of the season, and Cousins may see more playing time against tougher defenses because of the risk of having Griffin III re-injuring that ACL or other parts of the knee, and the risk of concussions is high. Griffin III is the tentative starter for the 1st half of the season, and would like to keep that, but Cousins will see a few 1st Down or 2nd Down snaps throughout the time when Griffin III will be starting games. Griffin III should have a 5,000-yard passing campaign due to the fact that he has many new targets in Devery Henderson, Jordan Reed, Chris Thompson, Skye Dawson, Chip Reeves, and Emmanuel Ogbuehi. Kirk Cousins could throw for about 1,000-2,000 yards if Shanahan thinks that he should be able to play. With this RG3-Kirk Cousins 1-2 punch, the Redskins could win 12+ games.

Minnesota Vikings

Possible Options: Matt Cassel, Christian Ponder

Week 1 Starter: Matt Cassel wins the job, though Ponder may see some action later in the season.

Cleveland Browns

Possible Options: Jason Campbell, Brandon Weeden

Week 1 Starter: Jason Campbell is a guy that has 1 difference from Weeden. He can throw the ball deep. He is an accurate passer who would mesh well with a speedy receiver like former Dolphins WR Davone Bess.

Miami Dolphins

Possible Options: Matt Moore, Aaron Corp, Ryan Tannehill, Pat Devlin

Week 1 Starter: Tannehill, the talented 2nd year player who will shine in his 2nd season with Mike Wallace and Dustin Keller as his top WRs/TEs.

Buffalo Bills

Possible Options: Kevin Kolb, EJ Manuel

Week 1 Starter: Kolb is the more experienced, but rookie Manuel out of Florida State is the favorite, and will excel as the starter with speedster WR/Slot Receiver Stevie (Steve) Johnson.

Posted on in MLB, World Series

The MLB Playoffs: After 162 Games

The MLB season has featured some surprise teams having 1st or 2nd Wild Card, while teams that were expected to win on a regular basis have had some tough games night after night. The season’s final playoff teams will come down to the 162nd game. Here is how the playoff picture will look going into September and October.

AL

Division Leaders: Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland A’s, Detroit Tigers

Wild Card: Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers

There are some teams that are expected to make it to the Fall Classic (Tigers, Rangers, Rays), and teams that have turned it around from the past few seasons (A’s, Red Sox).

NL

Division Leaders: Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, LA Dodgers

Wild Card: Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Philles

2 usuals (Braves, Cardinals) and teams we have not seen in years (Dodgers, Pirates, Phillies).

MLB World Series

Rays vs. Dodgers

LA Dodgers will take the series in 6 games.

MVP: Matt Kemp, CF

Posted on in NBA

NBA: The Best From Free Agent Signings

There have been great free agent signings so far. Here are the 5 best free agent signings.

The Best

Number 5: Metta World Peace from the Los Angeles Lakers to New York Knicks

World Peace is a player from the LA Lakers who is very energetic on D. The Lakers decided to amnesty World Peace to clear up some cap space after they hit a $29.6 million luxury-tax. He signed a 2-yr, $3.2 million contract.

Number 4: Josh Smith from Atlanta Hawks to Detroit Pistons

Smith brings the wing offense-defense player that the Pistons have wished for years ago. He signed a 4-yr, $54 million deal.

Number 3: Monta Ellis from Milwaukee Bucks to Dallas Mavericks

Ellis is an explosive 2-guard who can play sidekick role to vet Dirk Nowitzki, and he can play point guard to help with their past problem with finding a reliable point since Jason Kidd and JJ Barea left last year due to free agency. He signed a 3-yr, $30 million deal.

Number 2: Andre Iguodala from Denver Nuggets to Golden State Warriors

Iguodala is a explosive offensive force who can give you 20 points or more any game. Going to Golden State means that a Western Conference Finals or NBA Finals appearance is likely. He signed a 4-yr, $48 million contract

Number 1: Dwight Howard from Los Angeles Lakers to the Houston Rockets

Howard, the best center in the league makes life difficult for opposing teams in the process. The expectations are high, as a Western Conference Finals or NBA Finals appearance is expected. He signed a 4-yr, $88 million deal.

Stay tuned for more on 2013 free agency.

Posted on in NBA

LeBron James: Looking Ahead to 2014

LeBron James has just won his 2nd title with the Miami Heat, and rumors say that he wants to get out of Miami. Where should he go? Here are my thoughts.

Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron should go to Cleveland because he will have a non-injury-prone sidekick in Kyrie Irving, and the Cavs gave Andrew Bynum a small contract to track down James. Though this may lead to many disappointing seasons due to the hatred from Cavs fans, some fans that had once burned their LeBron Cavs jersey will be begging to get it back.

LA Lakers

Kobe Bryant recently said he would want to team up with LeBron, but he does not want a pay-cut from the Lakers. The Lakers hit a huge luxury-tax of $29.6-million. Amnestying Pau Gasol and Steve Blake or Metta World Peace would do great to have room to get LeBron. Also, the Lakers will also track down Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks.

Chicago Bulls

Chicago showed interest when he made his first ‘Decision’, and many thought he would go there. Teaming up would D-Rose would mean that the Windy City will put up many more banners to come, and the once famous block by LeBron on Rose in ’11 will be forgotten forever.

 Miami Heat

LeBron said that he wants to stay in Miami for the rest of his career, and he should due to the fact he won both titles. Also, the Heat will try to chase some young and veteran players on the market to be able to convince LeBron to stay.

Stay tuned for more news on LeBron and free agency in 2013 and 2014!

Posted on in Tennis

Wimbledon: The Rest of the Way

This year’s Wimbledon sure has been the craziest of all-time (#wimbledon). Rafael Nadal goes down 1st round, and Roger Federer in 2nd, and on the side of the WTA, Victoria Azarenka goes in the 1st round, Caroline Wozniaki in the 2nd, as well as Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams in the round of 16, Ferrer, Kvitova, and Li Na in the quarters. Here is the ATP (Men), and the WTA (Women) draw.

WTA

The WTA draw looks fairly slim in big names. The QuarterFinals will feature Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) and Marion Bartoli (FRA), who should make it to the SemiFinals in their half. The other half will feature Agnieska Radwanska (POL) and Sabine Lisiki (GER), who should fill in the other half. The Final will feature Marion Bartoli and Sabine Lisiki. The result will end with Lisiki winning it all.

ATP

The ATP should be surprising, but an easy road for players like Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The QuarterFinals winners will be Andy Murray (GBR), Jerzy Jankovics (POL), and Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) and Novak Djokovic (SRB). The Final will feature Djokovic and Murray, and in the end, Andy Murray will be crowned a Wimbledon champ!

Posted on in NBA, NCAA Basketball

The 2013 NBA Draft Top 5 Picks: Rethought

The 2013 NBA Draft in Brooklyn certainly was the craziest of all drafts. If I were the GM of any of these teams, here is who I would have picked.

Number 1, Cleveland Cavs: Anthony Bennett, UNLV, SF/PF

Bennett was a surprise pick in the draft, and Cavs fans have no idea what to say. Here is what GM Chris Grant said “As we did our evaluations throughout the entire year, we just kept coming back to his ability and his talent and how it fit with our guys, a lot of times, like last year, it’s just clear cut. But for us, through the year, we always had him very high in our rankings and as we went back and reviewed the film and went on campus and visited everybody, we came away saying he’s a great kid. He’s willing to work and do the right things and he’s got a bunch of talent.”

My call: I too would have picked Bennett because Noel rarely played due to an ACL injury.

Number 2, Orlando Magic: Victor Oladipo, Indiana, SG/PG

Oladipo is an explosive 2-guard who can get it done in the clutch. Orlando needed a reliable 2-guard after Hedo Turkoglu and Arron Afflalo. His weakness is his assist-to-turnover ratio.

My call: I too would have picked Oladipo because of his ability to shoot the ball well.

Number 3, Washington Wizards: Otto Porter, Georgetown, SF/PF

Porter had all defenses on their heels during big-time games. He is a 6’9” Small Forward who scores like a 6’6” Shooting Guard, and spreads the floor like a 6’1” Point Guard.

My call: I too would have picked Porter so that I would have a good replacement in the starting lineup for Trevor Ariza and Jan Vesely, and he scores BIG in the clutch.

Number 4, Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets: Cody Zeller, Indiana, C/PF

Zeller is a player who has a great post game, as well as a knack of making free throws (75.7% free throw shooter).

My call: I would have picked Ben McLemore because they NEED a clutch shooter to be able to win games.

Number 5, Phoenix Suns: Alex Len, Maryland, C

Len is a physical player who needs to show he can play since he missed the Draft Combine with an ankle injury.

My call: I would have picked Trey Burke because of his great shooting and physicality that the team needs that the Suns need, and Len will NOT bring that physicality.

 

Anthony-Bennett

Anthony Bennett after being chosen by the Cavs.