Sorry for starting this a little bit late, but I have come up with my games for the months January-May. Hope you enjoy them.
January: Arizona Cardinals 51-Green Bay Packers 45 (OT), NFL Wild Card Playoff.
This high scoring, offensive explosion helped the Cardinals move on in the playoffs and Green Bay came back from a 17-0 deficit to force overtime.
February: Canada 3, United States 2, OT, Gold Medal game at the 2010 Winter Olympics. David vs. Goliath match up. David, the United States won the first game in the preliminary round 5-3. Canada would have none of that in the second game, but the U.S. came back resiliently and pushed it into overtime with 25 seconds to play.
March: Kansas State 101, Xavier 96, 2OT, 2010 Men's Basketball Tournment. Electrifying game, which sent K-State on to the elite eight.
April: Duke 61, Butler 59. Another David vs. Goliath match up, and Goliath won again, but barely. Cinderella wasn't given her glass slipper tonight, but it was an amazing game, which was so close for Butler to pull it out.
May: Philadelphia Flyers 4, Boston Bruins 3, Game 7, Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Flyers came back from a 3-0 game deficit and a 3-0 series deficit to force this decisive game 7. As mentioned earlier, the Flyers went down 3-0 early in the game, but came roaring back after a time out by Peter Laviolette.
Again, please let me know what y'all think!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Game of the Month
I've been thinking about doing a new feature on my blog for a while now, and it is the above title. I will choose what I consider to be the game of the month from all sports. So it could be a round of golf, a NASCAR race, a soccer match, a tennis match, a MLB game, what have you. If there are three worthy nominees, I will say which games are the nominees and then make my choice. Hope you all enjoy a small piece of it.
The nominees:
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics game 7, NBA Finals.
USA vs. Algeria, World Cup qualifying round.
John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut, Wimbledon, Gentlemen's singles 1st round.
Why each was chosen
L.A. vs. Boston: It was game 7 of the NBA Finals, the ultimate game to crown the champion in the league. It was a close game until the end. Both teams fought hard to the very end. It was very back and forth with some excellent defense. The Lakers and Kobe Bryant then came out on top for his 5th championship and the Lakers 16th overall title. Kobe was also the leader in the Lakers comeback in the final five minutes, when they were down 7.
USA vs. Algeria: The U.S. needed a win here in order to move on to the knockout stage, and come out on top in their respective group. If the U.S. had even just tied Algeria, it would've been considered a huge disappointment for the U.S. not to get into at least the knockout stage. With a blown call by the referee early in the match which cost the U.S. a goal. But, Landon Donovan scored the winning goal in extra time to send the U.S. into their first trip into the knockout stage since 2002. It was an exhilarating match, where you were on the edge of your seat the entire time as it was very hard fought and it was an elimination game for the U.S.
Isner vs. Mahut: The longest match in tennis history. Need I say more? Although it was just a 1st round match, it was at many consider to be the most prestigious grand slam, Wimbledon. Plus, the match was over three days, was the longest match in the illustrious history of tennis, not only breaking any and all previous records, but shattering them. Consider these astonishing facts: 11 hours, 5 minutes, the length in time of the match. 8 hrs, 11 mins., the time of the 5th set alone. 183 games in a match, and 138 in the fifth set alone. Then, there were a record number of aces recorded: 113 for Isner compared to 103 for Mahut.
Out of the three nominees, I chose the tennis match for the sheer historical nature of it. While the Lakers winning back to back titles and the U.S.A. moving on to the knockout stage certainly are great moments and games, I doubt you will ever see an 11 hour tennis match again. While some parts of the match may have gotten boring, you just had to stay tuned to see who would be the first to succumb to the other. Hence, the Isner-Mahut match is this month's game of the month.
I will continue to do this for every month for the rest of the year. At the end of the year, I will take the "winners" from each month and put them against each other for the game of the year. I will also choose other games from earlier months as well. If you disagree with my picks for the games or for the pick with the game of the month, please contact me on facebook, twitter @pjwalk85, or leave a comment below. Thanks!
The nominees:
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics game 7, NBA Finals.
USA vs. Algeria, World Cup qualifying round.
John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut, Wimbledon, Gentlemen's singles 1st round.
Why each was chosen
L.A. vs. Boston: It was game 7 of the NBA Finals, the ultimate game to crown the champion in the league. It was a close game until the end. Both teams fought hard to the very end. It was very back and forth with some excellent defense. The Lakers and Kobe Bryant then came out on top for his 5th championship and the Lakers 16th overall title. Kobe was also the leader in the Lakers comeback in the final five minutes, when they were down 7.
USA vs. Algeria: The U.S. needed a win here in order to move on to the knockout stage, and come out on top in their respective group. If the U.S. had even just tied Algeria, it would've been considered a huge disappointment for the U.S. not to get into at least the knockout stage. With a blown call by the referee early in the match which cost the U.S. a goal. But, Landon Donovan scored the winning goal in extra time to send the U.S. into their first trip into the knockout stage since 2002. It was an exhilarating match, where you were on the edge of your seat the entire time as it was very hard fought and it was an elimination game for the U.S.
Isner vs. Mahut: The longest match in tennis history. Need I say more? Although it was just a 1st round match, it was at many consider to be the most prestigious grand slam, Wimbledon. Plus, the match was over three days, was the longest match in the illustrious history of tennis, not only breaking any and all previous records, but shattering them. Consider these astonishing facts: 11 hours, 5 minutes, the length in time of the match. 8 hrs, 11 mins., the time of the 5th set alone. 183 games in a match, and 138 in the fifth set alone. Then, there were a record number of aces recorded: 113 for Isner compared to 103 for Mahut.
Out of the three nominees, I chose the tennis match for the sheer historical nature of it. While the Lakers winning back to back titles and the U.S.A. moving on to the knockout stage certainly are great moments and games, I doubt you will ever see an 11 hour tennis match again. While some parts of the match may have gotten boring, you just had to stay tuned to see who would be the first to succumb to the other. Hence, the Isner-Mahut match is this month's game of the month.
I will continue to do this for every month for the rest of the year. At the end of the year, I will take the "winners" from each month and put them against each other for the game of the year. I will also choose other games from earlier months as well. If you disagree with my picks for the games or for the pick with the game of the month, please contact me on facebook, twitter @pjwalk85, or leave a comment below. Thanks!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The World Cup - Quarterfinals
So we're down to the final eight teams: Netherlands, Brazil, Uruguay, Ghana, Argentina, Germany, Paraguay, & Spain. Out of these teams, Ghana is the only African team left, & the only second place team from the bracket round left. The other 7 teams have won their 1st round bracket. Instant replay or not, there will always be controversy. The disallowed England goal vs Germany, the offsides goal for Argentina vs Mexico. As far as England is concerned, they have been an overrated team. The played lackluster in the tournament up until the game against Germany, but the German youth proved too much for them to handle.
Netherlands v. Brazil. The Netherlands have seemed to play it safe so far in the tournament, but with Robbins back in the lineup, look for him to go at the Brazilian defense to create scoring chances. Brazil is trying to become a more complete team, not scoring a lot of flashy goals, but still winning. I'm pulling for Netherlands, but the winner of this game, will be playing in the finals, regardless of who they face in the next round.
Uruguay v. Ghana. Forlan & Suarez, the Uruguayan strikers are looking to propel their country into the next round. They are facing the last African team left in the cup. With an entire continent backing them, the Ghanaians are riding high, after knocking the USA out of the World Cup for the 2nd time. Lady Luck is going to run out, as Uruguay will look to pick apart Ghana's midfield & defense. The winner here will face either the Netherlands, or Brazil.
Argentina vs. Germany. The best player in the world, has yet to score in this tournament, but Messi has had a hand in a good portion of Argentina's goals, either setting players up, or teammates knocking in second chances he's created. Argentina's goalie looked less than stellar in the game against Mexico, look for the Germans to test him. Germany has gathered both youth & experience in their run to the finals. Look for them to counter-attack with speed & expose the defense, especially on the outside flanks. I'm pulling for Argentina, but look for the winner here to join either the Netherlands or Brazil in the finals.
Paraguay vs. Spain. Paraguay needed 120 minutes, & penalty kicks to edge Japan. Spain took care of Portugal in 90. Paraguay is going to need their forwards to put shots on goal is they are to have any chance in this game. Spain was methodical in breaking down the Portugese defense, look for them to do the same should Paraguay get into a defensive shell to try & counter attack. Spain is good at keeping possession of the ball & will take the chance to counter away for most of this game. I'm expecting Spain to move on from here to the next round.
Looking forward to another exciting four games, which should be close.
Looking forward to another exciting four games, which should be close.
Friday, June 25, 2010
World Cup - the Knockout Round
The group stages are over, 16 nations have advanced to the next round in the World Cup. From here on out, there are no draws, just winners & losers. Should regulation end in a tie, the teams will play two 15 minute halves. If there's no winner after the extra time, then it goes to penalty kicks.
There were some upsets, the Americans drawing with England, Spain losing to the Swiss, North Korea playing well against the Brazilians, only 1 African Country making it out of the group stage, the defending champions, Italy, knocked out, and the French self-destructing. But, now the real competition starts, consider this the "Sweet Sixteen" of soccer.
Uruguay v. South Korea: The South Koreans defense will be tested by strikers Forlan & Suarez, but the Koreans played well against Argentina in their loss, so they should know what to expect from Uruguay. I expect the South Koreans speed to be the the decisive factor. The winner will face the winner of the USA & Ghana. South Korea moves on.
USA v. Ghana: Four years ago, Ghana knocked the USA out of the World Cup. The USA had to relay on a goal by Donovan in the 91st minute to advance this time. The Americans have given up early goals in 2 games, and if it happens again, I don't expect them to come back. Ghana will be backed by the the entire continent of Africa and for the USA to win, they need to be aggressive up front, tighten their defense & watch the Ghana counter attack. USA moves on.
Argentina v. Mexico. Mexico looked good in games against South Africa & France, but failed to score against Uruguay. The Mexicans will have to look for opportunities to counter the Argentine attack. Argentina looked good offensively, but their defense was wide open for counter attacks. Look for a team to exploit that. Argentina was the best player in the world (Messi), who has yet to score a goal, but has been a major factor in the Argentine offense. The winner here will face the winner of England v. Germany. Argentina moves on.
England v. Germany. The English looked shaky in the opening rounds, mostly in net. The Germans had one ugly loss, but have looked good in their 2 wins. Look for the Germans to test whoever is in the net for England. Germans move on.
Netherlands v. Slovakia. The Netherlands looked good in all 3 wins, and with Robbins coming in as a sub in the 3rd game (he was questionable for the cup cause of injury), he showed great play
making & no rust, setting up a goal in his Cup debut. Slovakia looks to be solid, and will challenge the defense, but expect the Orange to come out on top of a tough game. The winner will face the winner of Brazil v. Chile.
Brazil v. Chile. Brazil is a less flashy, more defensive minded team than in Cups past. They are looking to be a more complete team. The 2 south American teams are familiar with each others styles, making this a game to watch. But, look for Brazil to move on.
Paraguay v. Japan. It's a clash of styles, Japan's tactical passing & moving the ball against the Chilean South American style. Though not flashy, Paraguay will use quick passing & look to get on the scoreboard often. This could go either way. The winner here will face the winner if Spain v. Portugal. It's a coin flip, and I'll say Japan moves on.
Spain v. Portugal. Spain was shocked in their opening match, a loss to the Swiss. Portugal's best game was a 7-0 thrashing of North Korea. There are 2 teams familiar with each others styles, it will be a close match that can go either way. Another coin flip, and let's go with the number 1 team in the world, Spain.
Another post will be posted previewing the round of 8. Looking forward to these enticing matches.
There were some upsets, the Americans drawing with England, Spain losing to the Swiss, North Korea playing well against the Brazilians, only 1 African Country making it out of the group stage, the defending champions, Italy, knocked out, and the French self-destructing. But, now the real competition starts, consider this the "Sweet Sixteen" of soccer.
Uruguay v. South Korea: The South Koreans defense will be tested by strikers Forlan & Suarez, but the Koreans played well against Argentina in their loss, so they should know what to expect from Uruguay. I expect the South Koreans speed to be the the decisive factor. The winner will face the winner of the USA & Ghana. South Korea moves on.
USA v. Ghana: Four years ago, Ghana knocked the USA out of the World Cup. The USA had to relay on a goal by Donovan in the 91st minute to advance this time. The Americans have given up early goals in 2 games, and if it happens again, I don't expect them to come back. Ghana will be backed by the the entire continent of Africa and for the USA to win, they need to be aggressive up front, tighten their defense & watch the Ghana counter attack. USA moves on.
Argentina v. Mexico. Mexico looked good in games against South Africa & France, but failed to score against Uruguay. The Mexicans will have to look for opportunities to counter the Argentine attack. Argentina looked good offensively, but their defense was wide open for counter attacks. Look for a team to exploit that. Argentina was the best player in the world (Messi), who has yet to score a goal, but has been a major factor in the Argentine offense. The winner here will face the winner of England v. Germany. Argentina moves on.
England v. Germany. The English looked shaky in the opening rounds, mostly in net. The Germans had one ugly loss, but have looked good in their 2 wins. Look for the Germans to test whoever is in the net for England. Germans move on.
Netherlands v. Slovakia. The Netherlands looked good in all 3 wins, and with Robbins coming in as a sub in the 3rd game (he was questionable for the cup cause of injury), he showed great play
making & no rust, setting up a goal in his Cup debut. Slovakia looks to be solid, and will challenge the defense, but expect the Orange to come out on top of a tough game. The winner will face the winner of Brazil v. Chile.
Brazil v. Chile. Brazil is a less flashy, more defensive minded team than in Cups past. They are looking to be a more complete team. The 2 south American teams are familiar with each others styles, making this a game to watch. But, look for Brazil to move on.
Paraguay v. Japan. It's a clash of styles, Japan's tactical passing & moving the ball against the Chilean South American style. Though not flashy, Paraguay will use quick passing & look to get on the scoreboard often. This could go either way. The winner here will face the winner if Spain v. Portugal. It's a coin flip, and I'll say Japan moves on.
Spain v. Portugal. Spain was shocked in their opening match, a loss to the Swiss. Portugal's best game was a 7-0 thrashing of North Korea. There are 2 teams familiar with each others styles, it will be a close match that can go either way. Another coin flip, and let's go with the number 1 team in the world, Spain.
Another post will be posted previewing the round of 8. Looking forward to these enticing matches.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Stanley Cup Final review
What a series! Even though it didn't go 7, it was a very entertaining series none the less. Five of the six games were 1 goal games, 2 went into overtime, and all but one were moderately to heavily scoring.
Reviewing everything, I think Jonathon Toews definitely deserves the Conn Smythe award, as he was the captain of the team. I also think that since he was the scoring leader, he deserves it. Now, he's still not the top player in the league, but I'd definitely put him in the top 5, along with Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Sedin, and Joe Thornton. The reason for that, is because as with Crosby, he now has won a Stanley Cup and is a gold medal winner with Canada.
Chris Pronger, if the Flyers had won, probably would've won the Conn Smythe award. The reason for that is because he played nearly 30 minutes a game. Pronger also brought big time leadership to the club. Even though he may have been listed as the assistant captain, he probably was the most vocal leader in the locker room.
Both the Flyers and Blackhawks came into the series facing long Cup droughts. Chicago had not won since 1961, and they have now erased the longest drought for any hockey franchise. Now, that honor belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That honor will stick to them for a little while now. The Blackhawks also have made a great transition from a franchise going nowhere fast to Stanley Cup winner. In five years, they went from one of the worst franchises in the NHL to Stanley Cup champions. Not many teams can lay claim to that.
The Flyers had a great season, overcoming adversity in almost everything. Their biggest obstacle that they overcame was their 3-0 games and 3-0 goals in game 7 comeback against the Boston Bruins to win it. I tip my cap to them as they were not favored in any series, except probably against the Candiens, who just came off back to back 7 game series in the conference finals.
Next year, the Blackhawks may not get this far, as they have plenty of free agents coming up. But, they still have their big 3, Hossa, Toews and Kane all back, and with those 3, they will always be dangerous. The Flyers, will again be back in the playoffs, as they essentially have everyone except for their goalies and Arron Asham coming back.
Looking forward to the 2010-11 NHL Season!
Reviewing everything, I think Jonathon Toews definitely deserves the Conn Smythe award, as he was the captain of the team. I also think that since he was the scoring leader, he deserves it. Now, he's still not the top player in the league, but I'd definitely put him in the top 5, along with Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Sedin, and Joe Thornton. The reason for that, is because as with Crosby, he now has won a Stanley Cup and is a gold medal winner with Canada.
Chris Pronger, if the Flyers had won, probably would've won the Conn Smythe award. The reason for that is because he played nearly 30 minutes a game. Pronger also brought big time leadership to the club. Even though he may have been listed as the assistant captain, he probably was the most vocal leader in the locker room.
Both the Flyers and Blackhawks came into the series facing long Cup droughts. Chicago had not won since 1961, and they have now erased the longest drought for any hockey franchise. Now, that honor belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That honor will stick to them for a little while now. The Blackhawks also have made a great transition from a franchise going nowhere fast to Stanley Cup winner. In five years, they went from one of the worst franchises in the NHL to Stanley Cup champions. Not many teams can lay claim to that.
The Flyers had a great season, overcoming adversity in almost everything. Their biggest obstacle that they overcame was their 3-0 games and 3-0 goals in game 7 comeback against the Boston Bruins to win it. I tip my cap to them as they were not favored in any series, except probably against the Candiens, who just came off back to back 7 game series in the conference finals.
Next year, the Blackhawks may not get this far, as they have plenty of free agents coming up. But, they still have their big 3, Hossa, Toews and Kane all back, and with those 3, they will always be dangerous. The Flyers, will again be back in the playoffs, as they essentially have everyone except for their goalies and Arron Asham coming back.
Looking forward to the 2010-11 NHL Season!
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