Archive for January, 2010
Here’s a Thought: Projecting Cliff Pennington’s 2010
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Nathaniel Stoltz in MLB
Anytime the Oakland A's deficiencies are brought up, the first thing that tends to come up is "They need a shortstop."
Why?
Cliff Pennington hit .279/.342/.418 last year. Shortstops as a whole hit .271/.328/.393.
He ranked 12th among shortstops in OBP and OPS. That places him in average to above-average starter territory, and Pennington is only 25.
His UZR last season wasn't incredible (-7.3 UZR/150), but that knocks him only from a bit above ...
At Season’s End, Thoughts of Vick-To-Owens Are in My Head
Posted: 8th January 2010 by GB Bongiovanni in NFL
Another year, another missed playoff chance for the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills have now missed the playoffs ten years in a row and as a beloved Bills fan each year tends to get a little harder and more aggravating.
Last year I finished the season by writing my ode to the Bills in ôScrew You Buffalo.ö This year I have decided to lay off a bit, the reason being, the ...
Winning with Weis: The Kansas City Chiefs Have Reason for Hope
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Russell Fike in NFL
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your nameàá
ThatÆs pretty much anywhere for Charlie Weis.á
Since serving as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots for all three of their Super Bowl victories since the new millennium, Weis has been widely recognized.
Months ago, Weis was the highest paid college football head coach (before Lane Kiffin went to Tennessee in his escape from Oakland) where he achieved mixed results.
Weis' offensive wile ...
The Best Thing Mike Shanahan Brings To Washington Is…
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Cody Kendall in NFL
The positives of bringing in Mike Shanahan have been talked about and made crystal clear in the weeks of speculation prior to the official hiring as the Redskins next head coach and after.
There is his winning pedigree, which includes appearing in ten conference championships and six Super Bowls in some role as a coach, not to mention his two Super Bowl victories in back-to-back seasons as a head coach with ...
Keys to the Wolf Den: Living in the “Twin Cities” and Free Agents
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
The state of Minnesota's biggest citiesùMinneapolis and St. Paulù are called the "Twin Cities."
Who's Minneapolis and who's St. Paul?
Well in my opinion it does not matter, because Al Jefferson and Kevin Love are arguably in the top three frontcourts in the NBA.
Why?
Because not only do they compliment each other on the court and off the court, but it shows up on the stat sheet.
Al Jefferson's Stat Line: 17.6 ...
Eli ManningÆs illustrious pro-football career began amidst much turmoil and controversy, following the most infamous draft day trade in NFL history on April 24, 2004.á At the time, Manning was the top NFL quarterback prospect coming out of Ole Miss, and many analysts projected him being selected number one overall by the San Diego Chargers.á So it came as no surprise to the fans and media when Manning ...
Russia’s Loss in WJC Leads To War of Words Over Disastrous Performance
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Marat Ryndin in NHL
Sixth place was not exactly what Russia had in mind heading into this year's World Junior Championship in Saskatoon, Canada. Nikita Filatov, one of the dominant players in last year's tournament (11 points, including eight goals in seven games) knew that it was his last chance to win gold at this level and he intended to take it.
"The first time I played in WJC in the Czech Republic we lost ...
Stunner at Staples 2.0: Red Wings Goalie Howard Bound for Calder Trophy
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Matt Hutter in NHL
In the first round of the 2001 NHL playoffs, the No. 2 seed Detroit Red Wings were matched up against the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Kings.
Heading into Game Three in Los Angeles, the Red Wings had a 2-0 series lead and were on their way to what most thought was a sure-fire series sweep.
The Kings won Game Three.á Then Games Four and Five.á They were down by three goals ...
Alabama-Texas: Five Things NFL Teams Should Be Talking About
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Bob Evans in NFL
The Alabama Crimson Tide have won the 2010 BCS National Championship. There were things that could have made this game more interesting, like Colt McCoy not going down with an injury, but overall the game was enjoyable to watch. As I was going through the game, I noticed five things that NFL teams should be talking about tomorrow in there meetings about the NFL draft. If they aren't ...
Monday afternoon, after aávictory over the worst team of the 2000's ofáany sport except the Pittsburgh Pirates,áthe Bears made a decision that every single Bears fan knew was coming. No, Lovie Smith was not fired, ticket prices were not increased (yet) and Tommie Harris was not shown the door. For the second time, Ron Turner was escorted out of Halas Hall by security.
Turner's first stint in Chicago was long before ...