Set against the world of horse racing, this new series created by David Milch and Michael Mann, has moved out of the gates to overall positive reviews filling the screen with well-presented horse races, gambling and lots of scheming and intrigue. But unlike the races themselves, the pacing is much more methodical leaning toward observational storytelling. And HBO couldn’t be happier as they have already agreed to a second season after just one episode aired.

Through a myriad of main characters, tied to the same racetrack and woven together with complex relationships and storylines, this is not a program for those drawn to clean, conventional plots with a single protagonist flying past the screen at breakneck speed.

Dustin Hoffman is “Ace” Bernstein , an enigmatic, ex-con moneyman fresh from a prison stint looking to get back at those responsible for his incarceration and take financial control of the racing operation. The cast also includes Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina as part a group of gamblers, trainers, jockeys, agents, hangers-on and horse-owners at California’s Santa Anita Racetrack.

The New York Giants and New England Patriots are the last teams standing in this strike-shortened season as the league’s title game plays out on Sunday in Indianapolis.

The Giants beat the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII by ending their perfect season at 18-1 four years ago. And I believe the same result will occur here only with a slightly higher final score.

Here’s why:

The Patriots secondary gave up the second-most passing yards in the 2011 regular season and they haven’t improved much in the playoffs. Despite the cumulative efforts of Patriots defenders Devin McCourty, Sterling Moore and Julian Edelman look for Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz in particular, to produce the game-breaking numbers over their New England counterparts like Welker and Gronkowski (turnovers being even).

Big and fast with solid regular season (82 receptions for 1,536 yards and nine TDs) and playoff numbers (140+ receiving yards in the first half against the Forty Niners and though they kept him quiet in the second half, New England won’t be so lucky), look for Cruz to break the 100 reception yard mark to help his teammates hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Giants on Cruz Control

In what will what likely go down as one of the more memorable matches in tennis history, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 on Sunday to win the Australian Open in the longest Grand Slam final of the Open Era. The top-ranked Djokovic won his third consecutive major title and third Australian Open.

Trading punches for nearly six hours at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Nadal was aiming to retake the title he owned before, while the defending champ was intent on retaining his crown. The Spaniard took advantage of Djokovic’s understandable slow start (The Serb needed four hours and 50 minutes to beat Andy Murray in the semifinals on Friday) and took the first set.

Getting his legs back and with a better return of serve, backhand and superior court positioning, Djokovic took the next two sets. However, leading 4-3 in the fourth with triple break point on Nadal’s serve, Djokovic ending up losing the fourth in a tiebreak as Nadal stepped up his aggressive play feeding off a frenzied crowd, many waving Spanish flags.

In an atmosphere that felt like a heated Davis Cup match with all the Serbian and Spanish fans in the crowd, Nadal dug deep and actually was leading 4-2 and serving in the fifth set, but the long rallies were taking a toll. Still, it was a test of will and skill pushing each other with each baseline stroke and digging shots down in the corners.

The ebb and flow of the night’s efforts began to swing back to the 24 year-old Serb as he broke back and as both players continued to trade blows giving it all they had, trying futilely to hide their weariness in their body language.

Nadal saved a break point at 4-4 and then another at 5-5, but Djokovic converted a second break point in that 11th game of the set and then served out the match.  

Not long after scoring the final blow, in a reflection of the intensity of the match, Djokovic ripped off his shirt and let out a primal scream, flexing his torso like a prize fighter letting it all out in the ring.

“It was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies,” Djokovic said. “I think it was just the matter of maybe luck in some moments and a matter of wanting this more than maybe the other player in the certain point. It’s just incredible effort.”

Testing the limits of their hearts, minds, lungs and legs, in the end Djokovic continued his recent mastery over Nadal, the holder of ten major titles. This slam win made it seven straight for Djokovic against Nadal, all in finals, including the last three majors.

Time will tell but after tennis experts analyse it, this match in terms of what was on the line, should be ranked among the best grand slam finals of all-time which includes the epic Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer Wimbledon final in 2008 and the 1980 Wimbledon clash where Sweden’s Bjorn Borg defeated John McEnroe 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6.

The 2012 Men’s Australian Open Final was an instant classic between two heavyweights of tennis.

Sports movies scored well for the 2012 Academy Awards earning nominations in multiple categories.

“Moneyball”, the business of baseball story, garnered a half-dozen nominations including Best Picture.

The fraternal tale involving mixed martial arts, “Warrior”, is represented by Nick Nolte’s performance as the featured siblings’ father in “Warrior”.

And nominated for Best Documentary Feature, “Undefeated”, is a story that combines The Blind Side with Hoop Dreams. It is a film that follows the Manassas Tigers football team, a deeply underfunded and underprivileged program (at one point having to basically hire out as a practice team for more successful schools). Led by determined  coach Bill Courtney we learn of the struggles of these inner city African-American youths in Memphis to overcome bad odds using athletics as a means to escape poverty and deprivation.

“Moneyball” earned Academy Award nominations for:

Best Picture

Best Actor                              Brad Pitt

Best Supporting Actor         Jonah Hill

Film Editing                           Christopher Tellefsen

Best Adapted Screenplay    Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin

Sound Mixing                          Deb Adair, Rob Bochar, Dave Giammarco, Ed Novick                                

“Warrior” earned Academy Award nominations for:

Best Supporting Actor             Nick Nolte

“Undefeated”

Best Documentary Feature

The 84th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, February 26th.

From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment comes “Moneyball” onto DVD, a film using the business of baseball as a backdrop to examine what drives people to take risks. Based on Michael Lewis’s non-fiction book of the same name, this is the story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire players.

Winner of several film critics’ awards and nominated for four Golden Globes, “Moneyball” stars Brad Pitt as Beane who’s grown weary of having his best players poached by teams that can afford to pay a lot more (therein the film’s title).

Jonah Hill plays Peter Brand, a young, number-crunching, Yale-educated economist that shows Beane how certain players are being undervalued, playing under the radar—and that statistics reveal hidden strengths that could, when used in the right situation and combos can help produce a winning season.

Together Beane and Brand take on established, old-school scouts, skeptical media, confused fans and hardball executives including A’s field manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to try and get it done their way.

Special Features:

Moneyball PS3 Wallpaper/Theme

Blooper-Brad Loses It

Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game

Drafting The Team

Moneyball: Playing The Game

Adapting “Moneyball”

New Books

100 Yards of Glory is a colorful and engaging coffee table book, filled with telling photos and insightful commentary that covers nearly a century of the National Football League. From the Ice Bowl to the Immaculate Reception all the great plays as well as legendary coaches and brilliant dynasties are covered.

Author Joe Garner is joined by veteran sportscaster Bob Costas in presenting one of the definitive publications covering pro football’s “Best Of”. Also included with the book is a documentary of the same title, a one-hour DVD of the original 10-part series, hosted by Costas.

Johnny U and the “Greatest Game Ever Played”, Chicago’s “Monsters of the Midway”, coaches Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Bill Walsh along with Roger Staubach’s Hail Mary Pass and Eli Manning’s thrilling Super Bowl win with the Giants over the Patriots…they’re all here with alot more in this aesthetically pleasing project that includes a foreword by Joe Montana.

As the NBA regular season begins over the Christmas holiday weekend, we provide a quick trip around the league to assess the strengths and weakness in the different divisions and offer our view as to who will win it all in June.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic – Philly coach Doug Collins will need his athletic but under battle-tested youth like Nikola Vecevic and Jrue Holiday to step up their development for a shot at the playoffs. Toronto has a new head coach (Dwane Casey) and his priority must be to improve a weak defense as their two highest-paid players, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon, are more versed in the scoring-side of the game. A heavy load has just been bestowed on New Jersey guard Deron Williams now that center Brooke Lopez is out with a broken foot. In a shortened season filled with plenty of back-to-back scheduling, the Celtics are going to need more productive minutes off the bench to support the wily but aging trio of Paul Pierce (34), Kevin Garnett (35) and Ray Allen (36). The Knicks are looking good adding Tyson Chandler, Baron Davis and Mike Bibby to a strong nucleus of Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  Excitement should abound in Madison Square Garden with real opportunity for going deep into the playoffs. New York will make it interesting but look for Boston to take the Atlantic.

Central -  Detroit has a new coach in Lawrence Frank, but little in the engine to move the Pistons forward to glory. And in Cleveland there are too many holes for the Cavs to make any inroads this year. If the Bucks can keep their steady defensive play going, look for a return of a healthy shooter Andrew Bogut to bring some nightly scoring punch along with Stephen Jackson. The arrival of former All-Star David West catapults the Pacers’ playoffs hopes as point guard Darren Collison and local George Hill should continue to develop into solid performers. Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in NBA history and only getting better will have a healthy Carlos Boozer and veteran Richard Hamilton to help out in the City of Big Shoulders. Though the gap should narrow (Chicago won this division by 25 games), look for the Bulls to easily take the central again.

Southeast- The will be no wizardry coming out of the capitol this year. But youngsters like guard John Wall and center JaVale McGee certainly offer promise down the road. The strength of the Bobcats will be the ability of Coach Silas to get his unit to work in a more cohesive manner with no real standouts, though Corey Maggette should bring some veteran leadership on the floor in Charlotte. Down in Atlanta, the Hawks have added scoring punch to Al Horford, Josh Smith and company in declining veterans Tracy McGrady, Jerry Stackhouse and Vladimir Radmanovic, but the key will be at point where Jeff Teague can help while Kirk Hinrich mends from shoulder surgery.  Things will be unpredictable in Orlando until Dwight Howard’s situation is resolved, does the Big Man say goodbye? In any event with Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Redick expect to see the Magic in the playoffs. However, in the end look for LeBron James to use that extra motivation from last year’s disappointment and increased aggressiveness to fire the Heat into the Finals again. Bosh, Wade and company are on a mission to seize the crown with King LeBron.

Eastern Conference Finals Prediction

Miami Heat over Chicago Bulls

Western Conference

Northwest – Though Utah coach Tyrone Corbin will be relieved of much of the draining drama surrounding the exit of Jerry Sloan, a franchise mainstay since 1988, his roster isn’t scaring prominent playoff contenders this year. Despite a loss of weapons like Carmelo Anthony and several players including Kenyon Martin locked down until after the new year by signing agreements to play in China look for coach George Karl to rally his troops and succeed despite low expectations. Rising from the frigid tundra of Minnesota, the Timberwolves could start a fire in the division playoff race under new coach Rick Adelman and a promising core of roster additions to Kevin Love like Jose Barea, Brad Miller and Derrick Williams. With Brandon Roy gone, and Greg Oden floundering in a injury-ravaged career, look for Portland to contend primarily through the performances of LaMarcus Aldridge and new teammate Jamal Crawford. This division title however, is really Oklahoma’s to lose…and they won’t. Not with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the charge of a young squad coming of age and a slimmed down Kendrick Perkins providing them with a rugged low-post defender. The motivation from a disappointing finish against Dallas in the Western Conference finals drives them to greater success this year.

Southwest – New Rockets coach Kevin McHale loses Yao Ming and Brad Miller as well as Pau Gasol in a trade nixed by Commissioner Stern. The shining light in Houston will be Luis Scola. Not enough to fuel a trip to the playoffs however. Memphis had a surprise run to the Western Semis last year and there’s no reason they should not reach the playoffs this year with a core of Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and the resigning of under publicized talent Marc Gasol at center. Gaining draft picks but losing Chris Paul and David West does not bode well for playoff hopes in New Orleans at least for this year. Like the Celtics, the Spurs are getting old and this tightened regular season schedule doesn’t figure to play into their strength, still with Duncan, Ginobili and Parker, San Antonio has won more games than any other NBA team over the past decade and knows what it takes to play at a high level. Look for them to make some noise in the playoffs. The defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks will definitely experience one thing first-hand this year, that it will be even harder to stay at the top than to get there in the first place. Losing Tyson Chandler and Jose Barea will not help, but the multi-talented Lamar Odom brings some quality game from Los Angeles and it would not be a surprise to see the Mavs back in The Finals next June.

Pacific – The Sacramento Kings, with a sketchy roster at best, certainly will not benefit from the constant distraction of where they will call home. They will likely remain in the Golden State, but it could be in Anaheim. The Warriors, with new coach Mark Jackson, are hoping journeyman center Kwame Brown, can finally show the potential that has only rarely flashed since his early high-expectation days as a Laker. That would greatly aid the proven scoring abilities of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Like Boston and San Antonio, Phoenix rest its playoff hopes on aging veterans. Can Grant Hill and Steve Nash take some infused energy from dynamic guard Shannon Brown to reach the playoffs? No.

With the acquisition of Chris Paul, the Clippers have certainly made things exciting in Los Angeles for those long-suffering fans. Add in veterans Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups to go with impressive center DeAndre Jordan and this franchise is poised for some glory days based on the new Lob City tandem of Paul to Blake Griffith. Kobe Bryant, despite some recent wrist ligament damage is still the king of SoCal basketball and though the loss of Odom will be felt, the Lakers should have enough, particularly if Bynum stays healthy and Pau Gasol continues his great consistent play, to take the division. Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts and Jason Kapono are brought in to help spread the defense with their perimeter shooting. You know new coach Mike Brown will make sure this team defends, but how deep they go in the playoffs really depends on roster changes to the weakened bench.

Western Conference Finals Prediction

Oklahoma City over Dallas Mavericks

NBA Finals Prediction

Miami Heat defeat Oklahoma City Thunder

New on DVD

In time for the holiday shopping rush comes the entire set of thirty films now combined into one DVD package (and available on Blu-ray) from ESPN’s acclaimed 30 for 30 series, a compelling “television film festival”. The 30 for 30 Limited Edition Collector Set is packaged in a collectible box & contains 30 for 30 Gift Sets Volume 1 & Volume 2 as well as an exclusive retro ESPN hat featuring the company’s original logo.

Featuring a remarkable group of directors from Academy Award-winners Barry Levinson and Barbara Kopple to Academy Award-nominees John Singleton, Steve James, Ron Shelton, as well as two-time MVP Steve Nash, rapper Ice Cube and two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple, each filmmaker provides their unique perspective to some of the most extraordinary sports stories in the last 30 years.

The series, covering such diverse topics as a superstar in one major sport courageously trying to succeed in another (“Jordan Rides the Bus”) to a dedicated marching band who’ve lost their home team (“The Band That Wouldn’t Die”)

Volume 1 includes: Kings Ransom, The Band That Wouldnt Die, Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL?, Muhammad & Larry, Without Bias, The Legend of Jimmy The Greek, The U, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, Guru of Go, No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, Silly Little Game, Run Ricky Run, The 16th Man, Straight Outta L.A. and June 17th, 1994.

Volume II in the Collector’s Set contains : The Two Escobars (Jeff Zimbalist & Michael Zimbalist), The Birth of Big Air (Jeff Tremaine) (Producer: Spike Jonze & Johnny Knoxville), Jordan Rides the Bus (Ron Shelton), Little Big Men (Al Szymanski & Peter Franchella), One Night in Vegas (Reggie Rock Bythewood), Unmatched (Lisa Lax & Nancy Stern Winters), The House of Steinbrenner (Barbara Kopple), Into the Wind (Steve Nash), Four Days in October (MLB Productions), Once Brothers (NBA Entertainment), Tim Richmond: To the Limit (Rory Karpf), Fernando Nation (Cruz Angeles), Marion Jones: Press Pause (John Singleton), The Best That Never Was (Jonathan Hock) and Pony Excess (Thaddeus D Matula).

The Collector’s Set include hours of bonus materials including deleted scenes, extended interviews, trailers and director comments.

New on DVD

In this tense combat sports film directed by Gavin O’Connor (“Miracle”), Tom Hardy stars as an ex-Marine haunted by a tragic past who returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh and enlists his father, a recovered alcoholic and his former coach (Nick Nolte), to train him for an MMA tournament awarding the biggest purse in the history of the sport.

As the young man blazes a violent path towards the title prize, his brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), a former MMA fighter unable to make ends meet as a public school teacher, returns to the amateur ring to provide for his family.

Inevitably, this estranged family now come to face each other in a new international tournament – “Sparta.” The competition has a $5 million prize but there is more on the line than money.

 Features:

-Audio commentary with filmmakers and actor Joel Edgerton
-Redemption: Bringing Warrior to Life documentary
-Philosophy in Combat: Mixed martial arts strategy
-Simple believe: A tribute to Charles “Mask” Lewis, Jr.
-Cheap shots: Gag reel
-Brother vs. Brother: Anatomy of the fight
-The Diner: Deleted scenes with Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte (with optional commentary)
-Selected scene on-camera commentary with filmmakers and Nick Nolte

Legendary Pictures announced that Chadwick Boseman, who has appeared in “Justified,” “Fringe” and “Castle,” will play Dodger baseball great Jackie Robinson and will be joined by Harrison Ford to play Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers GM. They teamed up to break the color line in baseball in 1947.

Brian Helgeland (“L.A. Confidential,” “Mystic River”) will write and direct the project, for which Legendary consulted with Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson.

Boseman, who has just completed filming the lead role in the independent action movie, “The Kill Hole”, will now play the Hall of Fame second baseman who was an influential figure in the Civil Rights movement.

Ford, perhaps best known for his starring role in the Indiana Jones adventure film series, was nominated for an Oscar with his work in “Witness”.

Boseman also played Syracuse University running back and future NFL great, Floyd Little, in the football film, “The Express” which starred Rob Brown as Orangeman runner Ernie Davis.

Legendary’s Chairman and CEO, Thomas Tull, will produce with Legendary’s Chief Creative Officer and President, Jon Jashni, serving as executive producer. Dick Cook, former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, will also serve as an executive producer.