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Five Worst Teams in the NBA

editor — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:51:39 +0000

There’s the best of the best. And then, there’s the worst of the worst. Here are the five worst teams in the NBA at this point in the season.

5) Charlotte Bobcats
With Larry Brown as coach and Michael Jordan in charge of basketball operations, the Bobcats will probably turn it around eventually. However, it’s unlikely to be this season. At 3-7, the Bobcats are actually playing good defense but their offense is so poor that it is difficult for them to win games.

4) Minnesota Timberwolves
After trading away Kevin Garnett, the Timberwolves simply have yet to recover. With only one win in their first nine games, Minnesota is still looking to gain traction without KG. Although they have a roster of talented players, their lack of experience is apparent each and every night.

3) Washington Wizards
The Wizards have made the playoffs the last few years. But without Gilbert Arenas to begin the 2008-09 NBA season, the Wizards are already digging themselves a hole that will be difficult to climb out of it time. Arenas, the team’s star point guard, could be back in a month but will it be too late?

2) Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are the first team in the league to reach ten losses. While the playoffs aren’t an option this season, things look bright in Oklahoma City. Not only do they have a basketball team now, the pieces on that team seem to be quite exciting. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green lead a young nucleus that should eventually be good. Just not this season.

1) Los Angeles Clippers
The award for the worst of the worst has to go to the Clippers. Even though the Clippers have a veteran bunch led by Baron Davis, Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby, they simply haven’t been able to put it together yet. Worse yet, Davis has been clashing with the coaching staff and the chemistry on the team is poor. It might be time, once again, to blow up the Clippers and start over.

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The Best Quarterbacks in 2008

editor — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:41:14 +0000

In the last few seasons, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have been far and away the best quarterbacks in the NFL. They’ve each had record-breaking success and have been the examples all other NFL quarterbacks aspired to be. However in 2008, the quarterback landscape changed.

Tom Brady was lost for the season in the first game of the season for the New England Patriots due to a knee injury. Manning had multiple knee surgeries in the offseason and hasn’t been nearly as effective for the Indianapolis Colts in 2008 as he was in past season.

Who has stepped up and filled the role as the best quarterbacks in the NFL? Here’s a look at the cream of the crop so far in 2008:

Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
Within the last decade, Warner has two MVP trophies and a Super Bowl championship. In recent years, however, Warner has had only marginal success. This year Warner is back to his old tricks and has been arguably the best quarterback in the league. He’s currently first in the league in quarterback rating and second in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Since signing with the Saints a few offseasons ago, Brees has played exceptionally well. The 2008 NFL season has been no different. Brees, although relatively small, has a big heart and knows how to manage a game. He’s currently first in passing yards and fourth in quarterback ratings. Even though the Saints have dealt with a lot of injuries, Brees has helped keep the team in playoff contention.

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Rivers was once Brees’ backup on the Chargers. But now that he has the Chargers starting quarterback job to himself, he’s really grown into the leadership role. Although the Chargers can sometimes have a conservative offense, Rivers leads the NFL in passing touchdowns and is third in quarterback rating.

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UFC 91 - Fight Predictions

editor — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:52:39 +0000

UFC 91 is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 15th at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Which fighters will come away victorious in this Ultimate Fighting Championship event? Here are our predictions:

Brock Lesnar versus Randy Couture
Although Randy Couture is a mixed martial arts legend who has had a largely successful career, the 45-year-old is going to have a tough time keeping up with Brock Lesnar. Lesnar is younger and stronger, which should be enough to get him the victory.
PREDICTION: Brock Lesnar

Joe Stevenson versus Kenny Florian
This UFC matchup should be extremely fun to watch. Both fighters are talented and in the prime of their respective careers. That said, Kenny Florian should be able to come out ahead. He has won his last five fights and has looked very good in doing so. Joe Stevenson will give a great effort but it won’t be enough.
PREDICTION: Kenny Florian

Josh Hendricks versus Gabriel Gonzaga
While Josh Hendricks is a little known fighter, Gabriel Gonzaga has been an impressive heavyweight for a number of years. Hendricks could shock the world, but don’t bet on it. Gonzaga, who hails from Brazil, should be able to score a knockout by using his superior skills and craftiness.
PREDICTION: Gabriel Gonzaga

Nate Quarry versus Demian Maia
While Demian Maia is undefeated and favored over Nate Quarry, you should expect an upset in this fight. Maia is good but Quarry matches up against him well. Using his experience, the American Quarry should be able to beat the Brazilian Maia.
PREDICTION: Nate Quarry

Tamdan McCrory versus Dustin Hazelett
Originally, Amir Sadollah was scheduled to fight Nick Catone. But after an injury to Sadollah, the fight had to be scratched. In its place is this matchup of Tamdan McCrory and Dustin Hazelett. Although McCrory has an impressive record in the sport of MMA, Hazelett is regarded as the better fighter and he should be able to score a relatively easy victory.
PREDICTION: Dustin Hazelett

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Don’t Count out the Spurs

editor — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:46:28 +0000

With a record of 2-5, it’d be dismiss the San Antonio Spurs. However, a closer look indicates that the four-time NBA champions aren’t done just yet. The biggest culprit to their slow start has been injury. Manu Ginobili, the Argentine star shooting guard, has missed the entire season due to ankle surgery. Ginobili, who led the Spurs in scoring last year during the regular season, has been greatly missed because of the energy he brings to the floor on a consistent basis.

Joining Ginobili on the sidelines is point guard Tony Parker. Earlier in the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Parker put up 55 points, ten assists and seven rebounds. In the next game, Parker suffered an ankle injury that will force him to miss at least a month of action.

Once their two star guards get healthy, the Spurs should be able to start rolling once again. Tim Duncan, the team’s Hall of Fame power forward, is playing very well – which should bode well for the stretch run. Outside of Duncan, the Spurs are getting good play out of Roger Mason, Jr. and rookie point guard George Hill.

The key for San Antonio right now is to stay within striking distance of the playoffs while the team is shorthanded. With Parker and Ginobili both expected to miss at least another three weeks, the Spurs need to pick up any wins they can in the meantime.

Once Parker and Ginobili return, their two biggest concerns will be continued good health and defense. With the team built around the Big Three of Parker, Ginobili and Duncan, the Spurs simply can’t win without all three players being healthy.

Whether or not the Spurs can once again play the trademark great defense will depend largely on how much gas 37-year-old Bruce Bowen has left in the tank. Bowen, who has gotten off to a slow start this season, is regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in league history. However, he needs to hold Father Time at bay to give the Spurs the defense they require.

When all is said and done, expect the Spurs to make the playoffs and give it a good run. If they are healthy and their defense is strong, a fifth NBA championship wouldn’t be too surprising.

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Five Teams Most Likely to Win the Super Bowl

editor — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:09:33 +0000

1. New York Giants
The defending Super Bowl champions are 8-1 in the 2008 NFL season and they look very, very good. Eli Manning has blossomed into a superstar at quarterback and the defense can still produce a lot of pressure. It won’t be easy for the Giants but they are a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

2. Tennessee Titans
The Titans are the NFL’s lone undefeated team at the moment. At 9-0, Tennessee continues to prove on a weekly basis that they are for real. Quarterback Kerry Collins isn’t making many mistakes, while the running back duo of LenDale White and Chris Johnson is arguably the best pair of backs in the NFL. Defensively, the Titans are simply the best in football.

3. Carolina Panthers
While not many NFL experts believe the Panthers are legit Super Bowl contenders, this team is just very solid in every aspect of the game. Currently with a record of 7-2, the Panthers’ biggest strength is their suffocating defense. However, on the other side of the ball, Carolina’s offense is actually quite good as well — led by quarterback Jake Delhomme and star wide receiver Steve Smith.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have dealt with a lot of injuries this year, especially on offense. That said, they relentlessly continue to plug away. Ben Roethlisberger is a Super Bowl tested quarterback who plays well in big games. The defensive unit is hard hitting and is extremely tough to score against.

5. New England Patriots
Don’t count out the Patriots just yet. While being without Tom Brady is a huge loss, New England still has enough overall talent to make things interesting. On top of the talent, the Patriots may have the best coach in the entire NFL in Bill Belichick. If their defense can dominate, their offense is good enough to win most weeks.

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Hermes Franca Barros in Trouble Again

editor — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:46:03 +0000

Mixed martial arts fighter Hermes Franca Barros was recently arrested in Florida after getting pulled over while driving a vehicle. He was charged with a DUI, although it wasn’t immediately known whether it was related to alcohol or drugs.

The 34-year-old fighter originally from Brazil is currently a well-known competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. On October 25th, he competed in UFC 90 and defeated Marcus Aurelio by unanimous decision.

When Barros was arrested, he was reportedly driving home after attending an MMA event in Hollywood, Florida. After being arrested, he was given a blood test and was eventually released without having to post bail. He’s expected in court in the middle of December.

This isn’t Barros’ first brush with controversy. Following his lose in UFC 73 against Sean Sherk, he tested positive for steroids. He was suspended for one year after admitting to his guilt and explaining that he took Drostanolone to help recovery from an injury. Drostanolone is considered a banned steroid.

Prior to that defeat and subsequent positive drug test, Barros was regarded as one of the best MMA fighters on the planet. He had won eight consecutive fights. Those fights including victories in UFC Fight Night 8 over Spencer Fisher, UFC 62 over Jamie Varner and UFC 61 versus Joe Jordan. Earlier in his career, Barros also fought in UFC 42, UFC 44, UFC 46 and UFC 47.

In his mixed martial arts fighting career, he has 18 wins and seven losses. It’s currently not known whether he will face any punishment from the UFC due to this arrest. Although he hadn’t been scheduled to fight in any upcoming UFC events, he was believed to be added to a fight card within the next couple of months. For now, that decision will likely be on hold until after his December court date and he definitely won’t fight in UFC 91 on November 15th.

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Top Five Teams in the NBA - Power Rankings

editor — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:16:24 +0000

We are just over a week into NBA season, let’s check out how the top teams in the league are stacking up.

1. Los Angeles Lakers
To begin the 2008-09 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have looked amazing. They are 4-0 and have won their games by an average of 20.8 points per game. And amazingly enough, it’s not all Kobe Bryant carrying the load. He’s still great but now he has a ton of players around him very capable of helping carry the load.

2. Boston Celtics
Even though the Celtics lost in embarrassing fashion against the Indiana Pacers, the defending NBA champions have looked good in each of their four victories. With Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen back with the team and healthy, the Celtics have a good chance of repeating as champions.

3. Utah Jazz
A lot of NBA experts knew the Utah Jazz would be really good this season. What’s surprising, however, is that the team is off to such a great start without their best player. Even without Deron Williams, the Jazz are 4-0 and have an average margin of victory of 12.3 points. Once he returns, Utah will become that much better — which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.

4. New Orleans Hornets
The New Orleans Hornets had been undefeated throughout preseason and into the regular season until they lost their last game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hornets, who are led by superstar point guard Chris Paul, feature a precision offensive attack and a stubborn defense. Along with the Lakers and the Jazz, the Hornets have to be considered among the favorites in the Western Conference.

5. Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are 4-0 but they have a ton of unanswered questions following their recent trade. They broke up their winning formula when they sent Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson. While Iverson is a great player, it’ll be interesting to see how he meshes with his new teammates. For now, at least, the Pistons remain a top five team in the NBA.

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Rookie Running Backs Dominate Week 9

editor — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:11:01 +0000

Most years, the NFL is a league that is tough on rookies. The veterans are bigger, tougher, stronger and are able to impose their will. However, the 2008 NFL season has seen a number of rookie running backs flourish. In Week 9, the headlines were doinated by these rookie running backs.

Matt Forte, who has been the starting running back for the Chicago Bears all season long, finished with 126 yards as the Bears beat the Detroit Lions. With starting quarterback Kyle Orton leaving in the first half with an apparent serious injury, the Bears leaned even more on their rookie ball carrier and he helped lead Chicago to a very important win.

In Tennessee, the Titans have used a dynamic duo at running back with second year bruiser LenDale White joined by rookie speedster Chris Johnson. In Week 9, Johnson played amazingly well as he finished with 89 rushing yards and 72 receiving yards. Johnson was the first running back chosen in the 2008 NFL Draft and he’s shown a huge amount of potential. He’s one of the fastest players in the league and he’s also a very tough player to bring down.

Tim Hightower has garnered attention all season long for his high number of touchdowns. However, in Week 9, Hightower was keys to the car for the first time. Starting and playing ahead of veteran Edgerrin James, Hightower had 109 yards and a touchdown as his Arizona Cardinals beat the St. Louis Rams.

Three other rookie running backs, Steve Slaton, Jamaal Charles and Ray Rice, also had impressive showings. Slaton had 62 yards rushing and 56 yards receiving for the Houston Texans. Jamaal Charles, who appears to be starting for the foreseeable future for the Kansas City Chiefs, had 108 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last but certainly not least, rookie Ray Rice had 154 yards rushing and 22 yards receiving for the Baltimore Ravens as they defeated the Cleveland Browns.

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UFC 91 - Fight Matchups

editor — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:49:05 +0000

On November 15th, the next Ultimate Fighting Championship event will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event, which is called UFC 91, will be held in MGM Grand Garden Arena. It is the first UFC event to be held in Las Vegas since UFC 86.

The headlining fight matchup in UFC 91 is Brock Lesnar versus Randy Couture. This is a fascinating matchup featuring two well-known athletes. Lesnar is an athlete more known for his wrestling than his mixed martial arts skills. He was a successful amateur wrestling who then went on to have major success in professional wrestling in the WWE. However, in 2007, Lesnar decided to become a UFC fighter and has won two of his three fights so far.

Couture is a 45-year-old fighter who has had great success in his UFC career. He currently holds the UFC heavyweight title and is one of the most decorated athletes in the sport. Despite his age, many UFC experts expect him to put a valiant fight against the bigger, stronger and younger Lesnar.

In the other heavyweight matchup in UFC 91, Brazilian fighter Gabriel Gonzaga is going up against American fighter Josh Hendricks. Gonzaga is a former heavyweight title holder who lost to Couture in UFC 74 and he’s expected to win this fight.

UFC 91 will also feature two middleweight matchups. In the first one, Demian Maia from Brazil takes on Nate Quarry out of Oregon. In the other middleweight fight, two Americans will fight when Amir Sadollah takes on Nick Catone.

The last fight on the main card is a lightweight matchup, which also features two Americans. Kenny Florian, who is fighting out of Boston, Massachusetts, is fighting Joe Stevenson, who is fighting out of Victorville, California.

Also at UFC 91 will four fight matchups on the preliminary card – three lightweight fights and one welterweight fight.

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MLS First Round Playoff Predictions

editor — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:44:23 +0000

The Major League Soccer playoffs begins on Thursday when the New England Revolution take on the Chicago Fire. The game will be shown live on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM EST.

In the first round of the MLS playoffs, each team plays a home game and the winner of the series is decided on an aggregate-goal format. These first round games will take place between October 30th and November 9th.

New England Revolution versus Chicago Fire
While the Chicago Fire are likely a top three team in all of the MLS, the story of this first round matchup is the ugly play of the New England Revolution. The Revolution simply aren’t that good and don’t stand much of a chance against the Fire.
PREDICTION: Chicago Fire wins

New York Red Bulls versus Houston Dynamo
While the New York Red Bulls will give a good fight, the Houston Dynamo are just too tough. The Dynamo have all the right pieces to make it to the finals of the MLS Cup. Houston shouldn’t overlook New York but they definitely should advance.
PREDICTION: Houston Dynamo wins

Real Salt Lake versus Chivas USA
Of all the first round matchups, this is easily the best. Both teams are really good and each has the ability to go a long ways in these playoffs. Although Chivas USA had the better regular season record, Real Salt Lake has played better in recent weeks. Expect RSL to advance.
PREDICTION: Real Salt Lake wins

Kansas City Wizards versus Columbus Crew
Kansas City has a lot of talented players on their side but unluckily for their team they are going up against arguably the best team in the MLS. Columbus is playing at a really high level and they are a definite threat to go all the way in the playoffs. However, they better not overlook the Wizards
PREDICTION: Columbus Crew

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