Playoffs

     In the last 20 years or so, Denver Colorado has emerged as one of the sports hubs of the country. We boast all four major professional sports teams, three of which have compeated at the  championship level. We also are home  to a number of "B" list sports teams, The most exciting of which is The NLL Colorado Mammoth Lacrosse team. Just in-case some of you aren't familiar with lacrosse, it's the second most played game in all of Canada. Briefly; it's a smooth blend of hockey and soccer. For those of you that find yourself missing the physical aspect of football with high speed collisions on turf, you need to check it out. What soccer and hockey bot lack in scoring, lacrosse makes up for. It's not uncommon for final scores to be around fifteen (combined). If you're disgusted by the notion that some people would like to rule fighting completely out of the NHL, then you need to watch lacrosse. In last nights Mammoth loss to the Rochester Knighthawks, there were two huge hits sending both of the Rochester players out of the game so they could dislodge their jock straps from around their tonsils. We were also treated to two good fights, one that sent four players to the box. For those of you who enjoy the raucous atmosphere of the south end zone or Oakland Colosseum you'll find chest paint, voodoo costumes, chow bells, bullhorns and the rowdy Willy B of KBPI fame is the field announcer. Willy delights fans with plenty of in game trash talking. If you're not sold yet, let me mention the bikini laden hot tub right behind the glass in one corner of the field. If you can muster up the ten dollars to catch a game I guarantee, you will have fun. The most endearing aspect of an indoor lacrosse game is the players. After every game you're invited down to the field for autographs, and the players are gracious enough to stay and sign till well after ten o'clock. That's a big deal since all of these guys have regular nine to fives to get to. I strongly urge all of you to get out to one of these games.

Continue reading "Things to do in Denver when it's dead"

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!   

Continue reading "Predictions Super Bowl XLIII"

Last Week: 1-3  

Playoffs: 3-5

Overall:  36-31-1  

Baltimore @ Tennessee:  (WIN)  This was a classic defensive struggle.  Both teams did rack up some yards, especially the Titans (391).  That’s a lot of yards against the Ravens defense, but the name of the game is to score points.  The Titans had their share of opportunities, but they didn’t get the job done!  The Titans had the edge in yards and time of possession, but the three turnovers they committed sealed their fate!  The Ravens offense wasn’t great, but it doesn’t need to be.  They played tough, hard-nosed football, and Flacco managed the offense.  More importantly…he had no turnovers.  In the playoffs, it’s hard to win when you lose the turnover battle.  The Ravens will travel to Pittsburgh for the AFC title.  

Continue reading "Divisional Round Review"

The Denver Broncos gave the San Diego Chargers the greatest gift a team could ask for. A playoff spot.  It has been well documented in the last few weeks about the Broncos three-game lead and their failure to win at least one of them to lock up the division and get in to the playoffs.  The Chargers were virtually playing for pride when they set out after notching a record of 4-8.  They kept winning and the Broncos kept losing.  The AFC west title was neatly gift wrapped for the bolts.  How did San Diego thank them?  By beating the red-hot Indianapolis Colts led by league MVP  Peyton Manning.  Now all of the sudden this 8-8 football has a chance to get into the AFC championship.  Are you kidding?  A 500 record team has a ligitemate shot to win the Superbowl!  What a gift indeed by the Broncs. 

Continue reading "The greatest gift ever"

Last Week: 2-2Playoffs: 2-2

Overall:  35-28-1  

Atlanta @ Arizona:  (LOSS)  The Atlanta Falcons had a good run, but their season came to an end.  The Cardinals were able to use the home crowd to their advantage.  QB Kurt Warner had a good game.  The Cards brought Edge off the bench, and he rewarded them by grinding out the tough yards.  Fitzgerald reeled in 6 receptions for 101 yards and a TD.  The Cardinals pulled away in the 3rd quarter with 2 TDs.  The Falcons fought hard to the bitter end, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  Arizona moves on to play at Carolina.  The Falcons exceeded everyone’s expectations this year, and they will be a team to be reckoned with for several years to come.  

Continue reading "Wildcard Weekend Review"

Last Week: 2-2  

Playoffs:  0-0 

Overall:  33-26-1  

Atlanta @ Arizona:  The Atlanta Falcons (11-5) will travel to Arizona to play the Cardinals (9-7).  It’s a quirky nuance in the rules where the team with a better record must travel to play a team with a worse record in the playoffs.  The Cardinals won their division, so by rule they get the home game.  The Falcons have been a huge surprise this season, but the NFL is well aware of them now.  The Cardinals played in a sub-par division, but they won enough games to earn their way into the tournament.  Unfortunately for the Cards, they will be one and done.  The Falcons are clearly the better team, and the Cardinals have been playing poorly as of late.  The Falcons are the real deal and should win easily.  Atlanta 34, Arizona 23.  

Continue reading "Predictions Wildcard Weekend"

The crystal ball had a mediocre performance this past week, going a mere 2-2.  We’re not sure what happened, but we will get to the bottom of this.  The crystal ball took its lumps on the Cowboys game, but it may have been predicting with its heart rather than its fortune-telling powers?  Either way, that puts the crystal ball at 29-22-1 for the season.  That’s seven games over .500 (.563 to be exact).  Let’s take a look back, and review what happened last week.    

Continue reading "Week 16 Review"

           On Saturday night, the Cowboys had a golden opportunity to close out Texas Stadium in style.  This was the final game to be played at the stadium.  A Cowboys win would have been a fitting end to a stadium that has had many classic games.  A win, and the Cowboys would have been one step further in their quest for a playoff berth, and a Super Bowl run. 

Continue reading "Not Dead Yet"

           Last year, the Cowboys sent 13 players to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.  Granted, a few of those players made it by name alone, but for the most part they deserved it.  When you go 13-3, as the Cowboys did last year, you tend to get a lot of coattail votes.  This year the ‘Boys will be sending only 5 players. 

Continue reading "Snubbed"

The crystal ball, once again, had a stellar performance this past week, going undefeated at 4-0.  Truly a tremendous achievement, as many of the games had playoff implications.  That puts the crystal ball at 29-22-1 for the season.  That’s seven games over .500 (.567 to be exact).  Not many prognosticators gave the Cowboys much of a chance against the G-Men, but the crystal ball took a chance on them.  The ‘Boys rewarded the crystal ball, and pulled off the upset.  Let’s review and see what happened last week.    

Continue reading "Week 15 Review"

           This past Sunday, the Cowboys had a 10-point lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers, late in the 4th quarter.  Then disaster struck, as the Cowboys were not able to finish off the Steelers.  All the Cowboys needed were a couple of first downs and the game would be over.  Nope…didn’t happen!  The Cowboys let the Steelers tie the game with about 2 minutes left in regulation.  Then, Romo gave the entire Steeler Nation an early Christmas present by throwing a pick-6…game over! 

Continue reading "Chokers"

Well I  asked the question yesterday if Sunday nights game was a thriller or just another stepping stone to yet again crushing Angels defeat by the Red Sox.  That answer was a successful bunt away from being yes.

Continue reading "Another Year, Another Heart Break; What Next?"

Well it seems as though the "Devil" in Devil Rays has officially been exorcised.  The Rays win their first playoff game in franchise history on the shoulders of rookie Evan Longoria.

Continue reading "A Little Bit Of H-Evan"

Continue reading "Doom and Gloom for the Angels Yet Again"

Bill Simmons pointed out some flaws in Doc Rivers coaching style recently on ESPN.com.  While I usually enjoy reading Bill Simmons, I can't help but shake my head when I read another columnist/ writer picking apart an NBA coach. The NBA is the most selfish team sport out there right now. Ultimately it comes down to the decisions the five on the court make. There is much less play calling and defense and offense reading in the NBA vs. say the NFL.  With that being said there are some things that I would think, as a fan with no history of coaching (similar to Bill Simmons), where I would question Coach Rivers decisions. This is the way any columnist, blogger, or reporter should preface a critique/ complaint about a professional NBA coach.

Continue reading "Celtics Road to the Finals"

With pitchers and catchers finally reporting to spring training, it marks the start of the 2008 season where anything is can happen.  It is a season where even the Tampa Bay Rays can contend for fourth place.  It is a season where the impossible turns into the possible.  Just listen to Ryan Dempster of the Chicago Cubs make a bold prediction, “I think we are going to win the World Series. I really do.”  Great, just what a Cubs fans need to hear, another prediction. 

Continue reading "Is this the year of Dreams? Think ..."