USA Sports Blogs

Book Review - Dixieland Delight

2011-05-28T18:36:00.001+01:00

The third sports book I will be reviewing is Dixieland Delight by Clay Travis.

In 2005, Clay Travis embarked upon a tour, the Dixieland Delight Tour (DDT) as he called, that saw him attend a game at all twelve Southeastern Conference (SEC) football stadiums. He chronicles the many situations he encountered on his 8,000 mile road trip and gives his thoughts on the game day experience at each school. Included in the book is a ranking of which SEC campuses offer the best game day experience in Clay's opinion, an SEC Girls Power Ranking and 17 lessons he learned from the DDT.

This book is similar to the last book I reviewed, Can I Keep My Jersey, as it is another tough book to review. I know people that have really enjoyed this book and others who picked it up and couldn't stand the stories Clay tells and reminisces about. A couple things should be noted. Firstly, Clay is a University of Tennessee Volunteers fan so you might get a somewhat biased book but it seems that he has tried to take that out of the equation. Also, this book is heavily targeted towards SEC enthusiasts so keep that in mind.

Clay Travis

I thought this book was a nice read. With every chapter about a different SEC school, things were kept fresh and the pace of the book benefited. I thought Clay did a good job of summing up the atmosphere on campus and I enjoyed reading about what he got up to while on tour. I even learned some new things about different SEC schools and overall I enjoyed this humorous and interesting book

RATING - 8/10

A Game of Two Halves

2011-05-23T14:29:00.000+01:00

Its been a while since I have written about Leinster. I have been so busy that the number of articles I'm writing has declined. However, there is nothing in my life that can get in the way of writing about last Saturday's 2011 Heineken Cup Final between Leinster and Northampton.

I have seen a lot of great games in a wide variety of sports but this game was probably the best game I have ever watched. This game epitomised everything I love about sport. Leinster were down, and seemingly out, at half time trailing 22-6. Northampton were dominating every aspect of the game. Their scrum was far superior. They didn't allow Leinster to hold onto the ball for more than a few phases thus preventing Leinster from getting into rhythm. They were playing with pace and width and were able to open big holes in a strong Leinster defence. Ben Foden had a great game as he made it clear that he will be the starting fullback for England in the upcoming World Cup. Foden, Phil Dowson and Dylan Hartley all scored tries for the Saints in the first 40 minutes.

Brian O'Driscoll

Then, the game turned on its head. Leinster came out in the second half a different team. They played at a level I have never seen before. They were amazing to say the least. I find it hard to think of any rugby side, club or international, that could have stopped Leinster in the second half. Jonny Sexton led the way scoring two tries. He also added three conversions and four penalties. All in all, he had a whooping 27 of Leinster's 33. More importantly, he was the main voice in a inspirational half-time talk. Nathan Hines capped off Leinster's remarkable comeback with a 65th minute try to give Leinster a 33-22 lead they would not relinquish.

Liverpool's historic comeback in Istanbul

It was a sensational game that reminded of the 2005 Champions League Final when Liverpool came back from a 3-0 deficit against AC Milan at half time to tie the game at 3-3 and eventually win 3-2 on penalties. Leinster's victory in the Millennium Stadium is another great step for Irish rugby. Irish teams have now won 4 of the past 6 Heineken Cup tournaments. The win has resulted in Ireland being entitled to a fourth team in next year's Heineken Cup competition which means that Connacht will be playing at the top tier of European rugby for the first time ever next season.

Leinster, with two Heineken Cup triumphs in the last three years, will look to cap off a hugely successful 2011 season as they face Munster in Thomond Park this Saturday the 28th May in the 2011 Magners League Final. The game kicks off at 5:05pm and will be covered by RTE, TG4 and BBC.

Jonny Sexton

Book Review - Can I Keep My Jersey?

2011-05-16T22:10:00.001+01:00

In my 2nd sports book review, I will be reviewing Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond by Paul Shirley.

This book is about Paul Shirley's first four years as a professional basketball player. In those four years, he played for NBA teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, the Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns. He also played in Europe with Panionios BC in Greece, Joventut Badalona in Spain and UNICS Kazan in Russia. He also spent some time in the minor leagues in the US with the Yakima Sun Kings of the Continental Basketball Association(CBA) and the Kansas City Knights of the American Basketball Association(ABA).

The book is mainly about Shirley's 2nd, 3rd and 4th year as a pro baller with a chapter summarizing year one. The book is written in diary format and is comprised of stories Paul wrote on his travels with a bit of editing.

Paul Shirley

You don't need to be a sports fan to enjoy this book but seeing as your on this site, you probably are. The reason I originally picked it up was to see what life is like for a basketball player playing in Europe and in the minor leagues in the States as he struggles to make it in the association. After reading the book, I wouldn't really say the focus is on basketball rather on Shirley himself which may be a good or bad thing depending on your taste.

I really enjoyed this book but I know it isn't for everyone. You either love this book or you hate it. I fall into the former category. I thought Shirley was witty and sarcastic with his remarks about the many situations he found himself in. Others might regard him as a narcissistic and cynical person who is constantly complaining. For that reason, this is a tough book to review. Personally, I thought this book was a real page turner and at times I found myself rooting for Shirley to succeed. For that reason, I recommend that you check out this book

RATING - 8/10

Book Review - Tanked!

2011-05-02T19:34:00.002+01:00

So this is a first for USA Sports Blogs, my first book review. I love reading about sports and there are so many books to choose from so I have decided to help you in your search for sports books by briefly reviewing the books that I have read and grading them on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the one of the worst sports books ever written and 10 being one of the best sports books ever written. So I have decided to start by reviewing Tanked! by William 'Tank' Black.

Tanked! is a book about the life of former NFL super agent Tank Black. Tank was raised in a poor, parent-less family in Greeneville, Tennessee. He went on to have a brief college coaching career at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and the University of South Carolina. Shortly after, he founded Professional Management Incorporated(PMI), a sports agency. He represented clients such as NFL players Shannon Sharpe, Sterling Sharpe and Jevon Kearse and NBA star Vince Carter. He was one of the top sports agents before his downfall. He was accused of illegally playing college athletes to entice them to sign with his company. He was also involved in a money laundering case and a ponzi investment scheme. He had spent 95 months in custody when he was finally released on the 16th May 2007.

This book was quite an enjoyable read. It gives you an inside look into the business of sports. I was amazed at some of the things that go on behind the scenes. I also enjoyed his many stories of his experiences with players. Tank's journey to success is quite inspiring.

William 'Tank' Black

However, this book is not perfect. Despite an uptempo finish to the book, I thought the events in the story generally took place at a slow pace and there were times when I contemplating putting it down in favour of a more page turning book. Also, you will find that the author can be somewhat overconfident. He is not afraid to say that he is one of the best agents ever and at times it seems like he is almost gloating. That being said, Tank does seem like a pretty nice guy though. Finally, there is sure to be some bias in this book. Tank gives his perspective on things and might not be telling the whole story.

These things hold Tanked! back from being a great sports book but with a very good story, I would recommend Tanked! to sports fans particularly those interested in knowing more about what really happens in sports.

RATING - 7/10

2011 NFL Mock Draft

2011-04-24T14:43:00.000+01:00

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

2. Denver Broncos: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama

3. Buffalo Bills: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

4. Cincinnati Bengals: AJ Green, WR, Georgia

5. Arizona Cardinals: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

6. Cleveland Browns: Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

7. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

8. Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, OT, USC

10. Washington Redskins: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

11. Houston Texans: Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

12. Minnesota Vikings: Jake Locker, QB, Washington

13. Detroit Lions: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

14. St. Louis Rams: Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri

15. Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey, C, Florida

16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Cameron Jordan, DE, California

17. New England Patriots: J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin

18. San Diego Chargers: Muhammed Wilkerson, DE, Temple

19. New York Giants: Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

21. Kansas City Chiefs: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin

22. Indianapolis Colts: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

24. New Orleans Saints: Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue

25. Seattle Seahawks: Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina

26. Baltimore Ravens: Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State

27. Atlanta Falcons: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

28. New England Patriots: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

29. Chicago Bears: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

30. New York Jets: Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA

31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas

32. Green Bay Packers: Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona

2011 NBA Playoffs 1st Round Predictions

2011-04-18T16:41:00.001+01:00

EAST

1. Chicago Bulls vs 8. Indiana Pacers - This should be a pretty easy series for the Chicago Bulls who finished with the best record in the NBA(62-20) as they face the Indiana Pacers who finished with a sub-.500 record(37-45). The thing that stands out to me when analyzing this matchup is that the Bulls had the best defense in the regular season and they should be able to shutdown the Pacers offense that was 23rd in offensive efficiency. The Bulls are very well coached under Tom Thibodeau. They are talented and have a deep roster. They are also in excellent form, finishing the season on a 28-4 run. I expect the Pacers to be scrappy, keep the score close and maybe even win a game or two but they just dont have what it takes to win four times against Chicago
Match-up to watch: Bulls SF Luol Deng vs Pacers SF Danny Granger
Bulls to win in 5 games

4. Orlando Magic vs 5. Atlanta Hawks - You may remember last season, these teams met in the Playoffs and Orlando dominated the Hawks en-route to a 4-0 sweep. It was the most lopsided sweep in playoff history and considering that the Hawks roster has remained largely unchanged, I find it hard to pick against the Magic here. If you look through both team's starting line-up position by position, they are pretty well matched. Orlando has the edge at center, small forward point guard(Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson respectively) but Atlanta is stronger at power forward and shooting guard(Josh Smith and Joe Johnson respectively). As well as that the Hawks won the regular season series(3-1). However, in the Playoffs your role players play a big difference and the Magic have much better depth. They also have better coaching and great three point shooting. When you combine all this with the Hawks tendency to crack under pressure, it becomes clear that Orlando will have the upper hand but certainly don't expect another lopsided series as the Hawks will come to play.

Match-up to watch: Magic C Dwight Howard vs Hawks C Al Horford
Magic to win in 6 games

3. Boston Celtics vs 6. New York Knicks - This will be the most intriguing 1st round series in the East. A lot of things in this matchup appeal to me. First of all, these teams are rivals. These cities are rivals. It is also the Knicks 1st Playoff appearance since the 2003-2004 and the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden is going to be electric. On the floor, the Celtics swept the Knicks 4-0 in their regular season series. The Celtics play great defense. They have a very talented and deep bench. They also have experience, making it to the Finals in two of the past three seasons. However, I think Knicks can make some noise. These two teams made the two biggest deals at the trading deadline. Boston brought in Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic in exchange for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson. The Knicks unloaded nearly half their team, including Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, to get Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. The trades haven't had the intended result with the Knicks going 14-14 and the Celtics going 16-12 since making their trades. However, I do believe that the Knicks will be a better than with Melo onboard. He is one of the best offensive players in the NBA and he has the ability to change a game. If he and Amare play to the best of their ability, the Knicks will have a chance to pull off an upset. Even then the Knicks will need their role players to step up. They will also need to improve to drastically improve on the defensive side as they gave up the 3rd most points in the regular season(105.7). Therefore, I have the Celtics winning this one.
Match-up to watch: Celtics SF Paul Pierce vs Knicks SF Carmelo Anthony
Celtics to win in 6 games

2. Miami Heat vs 7. Philadelphia 76ers - The Miami Heat are the only team in the NBA with a top 5 offense and defense, they were 3rd in offense and 5th in defense in the regular season. In comparison, the 76ers were 17th in offense and 8th in defense. The Heat have three All-Stars in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. LeBron and Wade are two of the best players in the NBA. They can score in bunches and make big plays on defense. However, the key for the Heat will be Chris Bosh. How well he plays will determine how far Miami goes in the postseason. If they can get good performances from at least two of these three players, they will be able to get past the Sixers. Miami does have a lack of depth and a weakness at center. However, Philly does not have the pieces to exploit these weaknesses. These are two teams that finished the season in totally different directions, and I have to go with the team on form here.
Match-up to watch: Heat SF LeBron James vs 76ers SF Andre Iguodala
Heat to win in 5 games

WEST

1. San Antonio Spurs vs 8. Memphis Grizzlies - When you look at this series position by position, Spurs are better in every match-up except at power forward where I expect Grizz big man Zach Randolph to dominate his man DeJuan Blair. The Spurs had a fantastic regular season going 61-21. They have veteran leaders in Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili which gives them a big advantage against the Grizzlies who have never had a postseason win in their 16 years in the NBA. The Grizzlies dynamic small forward Rudy Gay will be sidelined after undergoing surgery on a dislocated left shoulder. He will be missed. San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich is 106-69 in the Playoffs compared to Memphis head coach Lionel Hollins who is 0-0. Memphis is a young team with so much potential and against the Spurs, who have been playing poorly lately(4-8 to finish the regular season), they may be able to surprise some people and play good basketball. All things considered, I am picking the Spurs in this one but I am predicting the Grizzlies to win some games and end their 12-game Playoff losing streak.
Match-up to watch: Spurs C Tim Duncan vs Grizzlies C Marc Gasol
Spurs to win in 6 games

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5. Denver Nuggets - This series is probably going to be the most entertaining series in the 1st round. OKC finished the regular season with a record of 55-27. The Nuggets were 50-32. In their regular season series, the Thunder won three out of four games. For Oklahoma City to advance they will have to use their speed and put up big numbers. The Thunder have two players, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, that can take over a game and if they do just that, they will be very hard to stop. The Nuggets have been playing great basketball since trading away Carmelo Anthony. They are now have such great depth in their roster. They have numerous scoring threats who can take over any game. They are a great 3-point shooting team and they are played great fundamental basketball under the guidance of head coach George Karl. These are two of the most exciting, young teams in the association. Whoever wins this series will have a great chance of beating the Spurs(or the Grizzlies if they pull off a historic upset) and competing for the Western Conference title. I keep changing my mind as to what team will win in this series, one hour I have the Thunder winning and the next I'm picking the Nuggets. Right now though, I am predicting the Thunder to advance.
Match-up to watch: Thunder PG Russell Westbrook vs Nuggets PG Ty Lawson
Thunder to win in 7 games

3. Dallas Mavericks vs 6. Portland Trail Blazers - This promises to be another great series in what is shaping up to be a great NBA Playoffs with so many teams having a chance to go all the way. Since 2007, the Mavs have lost to the Golden State Warriors(8th seed) and San Antonio Spurs(7th seed) in the first round. They are susceptible to being upset again as they face Portland, a team that has fans even more rabid than the Warriors following. Dallas has a very talented team but this may be their last chance at a title run with their current crew as three of the starting five are aged over 32(Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki). Therefore, you can expect them to play with some passion and be on red alert to avoid another upset. That won't be as easy though against a Trail Blazers team that has a three time All-Star on the bench, Brandon Roy. If Portland's captain and star player LaMarcus Aldridge can outshine Mavs power forward Dirk Nowitzki and if the Blazers can stay healthy, Portland may advance to the conference semifinals but I just can't imagine the Mavericks being upset again.
Match-up to watch: Mavericks PF Dirk Nowitzki vs Trail Blazers PF LaMarcus Aldridge
Mavericks to win in 7 games

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs 7. New Orleans Hornets - A lot of people think the Lakers will cruise by the Hornets, after all the Lakers did sweep the Hornets 4-0 in their regular season meetings. Although, I do believe that LA will advance past the Hornets, I don't believe it will be as easy as people are predicting. Andrew Bynum, the Lakers center, hyperextended his right knee Tuesday against San Antonio, his MRI the next day revealed he simply has a bone bruise and should be ready to play in Game 1. Despite this, I don't believe he will be in his usual form for the first few games. This is a great news for Hornets fans as the Lakers have a big size advantage, especially with Hornets power forward David West being injured, and a healthy Bynum wouldn't make life any easier for New Orleans. For NOLA to win against LA, they will have to play up-tempo, full court basketball to utilise their speed and as with most teams trying to pull over an upset, their success will depend on their 3-point shooting. If Chris Paul plays like he did a few years ago and the Hornets shoot lights out from beyond the arc, they have a chance. Unfortunately for my readers in New Orleans, this is only a very slight chance against the Lakers in their quest for a three-peat.
Match-up to watch: Lakers PG Derek Fisher vs Hornets PG Chris Paul
Lakers to win in 6 games

Thats how I think the 1st Round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs will pan out. I have also decided to predict the results of the rest of the Playoffs. However, I won't analysis the games now as I will leave that until the 1st Round is in the books.

Conference Semifinals

East

Chicago Bulls to beat the Orlando Magic in 7 games

Miami Heat to beat the Boston Celtics in 6 games

West

Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games

Los Angeles Lakers to beat the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games

Conference Finals

East

Miami Heat to beat the Chicago Bulls in 7 games

West

Los Angeles Lakers to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 games

Finals

Miami Heat to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games

March Madness

2011-03-15T17:25:00.003Z

Its that time of year again. March Madness is back! The 2011 NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Tournament as it is officially known tips off tonight with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. Over the next couple of days, four games will be played between the final four at-large teams and the final four automatic qualifiers to advance to the traditional 64-team bracket. It all culminates in the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on the 4th April. Until then, sit back and enjoy all the thrilling overtime games, the upsets and the cinderella stories. Anything can happen but I have decided to take my best attempt at predicting what the completed bracket will look like(all times ET):

East Regional – Newark, New Jersey

Second round
March 17–18 Third round
March 19–20 Regional semifinals
March 25 Regional finals
March 27

1 Ohio State 4:40pm

16 UTSA TNT

1 Ohio State

Cleveland – Fri/Sun

9 Villanova

8 George Mason 2:10pm

9 Villanova TNT

1 Ohio State

5 West Virginia

4 Kentucky 2:45pm

13 Princeton CBS

4 Kentucky

Tampa – Thu/Sat

5 West Virginia

5 West Virginia 12:15pm

12 Clemson CBS

1 Ohio State

3 Syracuse

6 Xavier 7:15pm

11 Marquette truTV

6 Xavier

Cleveland – Fri/Sun

3 Syracuse

3 Syracuse 9:57pm

14 Indiana State truTV

3 Syracuse

2 North Carolina

7 Washington 9:45pm

10 Georgia CBS

10 Georgia

Charlotte – Fri/Sun

2 North Carolina

2 North Carolina 7:15pm

15 Long Island CBS

West Regional – Anaheim, California

Second round
March 17–18 Third round
March 19–20 Regional semifinals
March 24 Regional finals
March 26

1 Duke 3:10pm

16 Hampton truTV

1 Duke

Charlotte – Fri/Sun

9 Tennessee

8 Michigan 12:40pm

9 Tennessee truTV

1 Duke

5 Arizona

4 Texas 12:15pm

13 Oakland CBS

4 Texas

Tulsa – Fri/Sun

5 Arizona

5 Arizona 2:45pm

12 Memphis CBS

1 Duke

3 Connecticut

3 Connecticut 7:20pm

14 Bucknell TNT

3 Connecticut

Washington, D.C. – Thu/Sat

11 Missouri

6 Cincinnati 9:50pm

11 Missouri TNT

3 Connecticut

2 San Diego State

7 Temple 2:10pm

10 Penn State TNT :)

7 Temple

Tucson – Thu/Sat

2 San Diego State

2 San Diego State 4:40pm

15 Northern Colorado TNT

Southeast Regional – New Orleans, Louisiana

Second round
March 17 Third round
March 19 Regional semifinals
March 24 Regional finals
March 26

1 Pittsburgh 3:10pm

16 UNC-Asheville truTV

1 Pittsburgh

Washington, D.C. – Thu/Sat

8 Butler

8 Butler 12:40pm

9 Old Dominion truTV

1 Pittsburgh

4 Wisconsin

4 Wisconsin 7:27pm

13 Belmont truTV

4 Wisconsin

Tucson – Thu/Sat

12 Utah State

5 Kansas State 9:57pm

12 Utah State truTV

1 Pittsburgh

2 Florida

3 BYU 7:15pm

14 Wofford CBS

3 BYU

Denver – Thu/Sat

6 St. John's

6 St. John's 9:45pm

11 Gonzaga CBS

3 BYU

2 Florida

7 UCLA 9:20pm

10 Michigan State TBS

10 Michigan State

Tampa – Thu/Sat

2 Florida

2 Florida 6:50pm

15 UC-Santa Barbara TBS

Southwest Regional – San Antonio, Texas

Second round
March 17–18 Third round
March 19–20 Regional semifinals
March 25 Regional finals
March 27

1 Kansas 6:50pm

16 Boston University TBS

1 Kansas

Tulsa – Fri/Sun

9 Illinois

8 UNLV 9:20pm

9 Illinois TBS

1 Kansas

5 Vanderbilt

4 Louisville 1:40pm

13 Morehead State TBS

4 Louisville

Denver – Thu/Sat

5 Vanderbilt

5 Vanderbilt 4:10pm

12 Richmond TBS

1 Kansas

3 Purdue

3 Purdue 7:20pm

14 Saint Peter's TNT

3 Purdue

Chicago – Fri/Sun

6 Georgetown

6 Georgetown 9:50pm

11 VCU TNT

3 Purdue

2 Notre Dame

7 Texas A&M 4:10pm

10 Florida State TBS

10 Florida State

Chicago – Fri/Sun

2 Notre Dame

2 Notre Dame 1:40pm

15 Akron TBS

Final Four – Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

National Semifinals
April 2 National Championship Game
April 4

East Champion Ohio State 6:00pm or 8:30pm

West Champion Connecticut CBS

Ohio State 9:00pm

Kansas CBS

Southeast Champion Pittsburgh 6:00pm or 8:30pm

Southwest Champion Kansas CBS

National Champion - Ohio State Buckeyes

Mixed Results

2011-03-02T22:06:00.000Z

Once again, I have to apologise for fading away. The only article I have written since the Packers Super Bowl victory was a short post informing you of my YouTube presence. If you are following me on Twitter, you probably know that I have been organising an interview with someone whose identity will remain a mystery for now. In the time since my last rugby post, there has been a whole lotta rugby played by both Ireland and Leinster.

Italy 11-13 Ireland
Leinster 21-16 Aironi
Ireland 22-25 France
Cardiff Blues 11-3 Leinster
Leinster 30-5 Benetton Treviso
Scotland 18-21 Ireland

After three rounds of rugby this is what the 2011 RBS Six Nations table looks like

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
1	England	3	3	0	0	102	41	6
2	Wales	3	2	0	1	67	48	4
3	France	3	2	0	1	68	60	4
4	Ireland	3	2	0	1	56	54	4
5	Scotland	3	0	0	3	45	79	0
6	Italy	3	0	0	3	40	96	0

So overall, as the title of this post suggests, it was a month of mixed results for Irish and Leinster rugby. For Ireland, they can no longer win the Grand Slam as they narrowly lost to France. Realistically, Ireland aren't going to be winning the Six Nations either. Although I think they can beat England at the Aviva Stadium in their final game and beat Wales a week prior to that, there really is no way Ireland is going to match England's point differential. Once again, Irish fans are probably going to have to settle with the Triple Crown, even that will be hard to achieve, but I do believe we can take a lot of positives from the campaign. Sure there were narrow wins over Italy and Scotland but Ireland look far superior in both games. Defensively the team has been very solid and with the ball in hand, Ireland have been dangerous. The only thing lacking is finishing. The boys in green have been far from lethal in making the most of their opportunities. They have also been making far too many mistakes and the discipline requires attention. However, these are all things that can be fixed and thus far this campaign has made me optimistic ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Guess Who's Back?

2011-02-25T00:50:00.008Z

I haven't written an article for what seems like ages now. I still have to catch up with reports on the Ireland-Italy and Ireland-France game which I will do hopefully tomorrow. I have been so busy trying to organise an interview with a pretty important person in the sports world. His identity will remain hidden for the time being but I am really pumped up about it and I hope you are to. I have also been doing a lot of work for my Youtube channel mainly just thinking of show ideas and getting acquainted with iMovie. Once I have perfected that, and it is pretty basic, I will move onto Final Cut Pro. For the time being, I have just uploaded my first Youtube video. Its called 'Drake Dunks on Snoop Dogg'. It is something I record while playing with Drake against Snoop Dogg and Bow Wow in 21 in NBA 2K11 Blacktop Mode. I have edited it a good bit and its actually looking like a pretty good video. You can watch it below.

Pack where they belong

2011-02-07T18:46:00.000Z

Aaron Rodgers hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy

Another year, another epic Super Bowl. Last night, or in my case earlier this morning, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV in Cowboys Stadium to capture their 4th Super Bowl title.

Green Bay jumped out to an early lead and were up 21-3 at one stage in the 2nd quarter. Pittsburgh would rally back but ultimately fall short. Turnovers were the difference maker as the Pack won the turnover battle 4-0 and scored 21 points from Steelers' turnovers.

Steelers' huddle

Nick Collins Pick Six

In the widely discussed quarterback matchup, Aaron Rodgers had the better day he completed 24 of his 39 attempts for 304 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Ben Roethlisberger, playing in his third Super Bowl, went 25-for-40 for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns but he also threw two interceptions. The first came in the 1st quarter when under pressure, Big Ben forced a throw downfield only to be picked off by Nick Collins who then returned it 37 yards for a Green Bay touchdown. That touchdown came immediately after another Packers touchdown, a 29 yard Rodgers to Jordy Nelson hookup for six. The second INT was thrown in the 2nd quarter when the Steelers, down 14-3, were driving the field looking like they were right back in it. Then on a 2nd and 11 from the Green Bay 49 yard line, Jarrett Bush intercepted a pass intended for Mike Wallace. The Packers capitalized on the mistake and would score a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Aaron Rodgers connected with Greg Jennings on an incredible throw and just like that Green Bay was up 21-3. The Steelers responded with a touchdown of their own, 8-yard touchdown reception by Hines Ward, to cut the deficit to 21-10 at the break.

Greg Jennings

Mendenhall fumble

The Steelers started the 2nd half brightly and less than 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter, Rashard Mendenhall rammed his way into the end zone from 8 yards out. At this stage, all the momentum was with the Steelers and for the whole 3rd quarter, they looked like they would take the lead for the first time in the game. However, the score remained 21-17 at the end of the quarter. Then, on the first play of the 4th quarter, Clay Matthews turned the momentum with a textbook hit on Rashard Mendenhall to force the ball loose. The Pack recovered the fumble and eight plays later, Rodgers found Greg Jennings in the corner of the end zone on an 8-yard pass to put the Packers up by 11.

Pittsburgh showed perseverance and on their next drive, Ben Roethlisberger lobbed a perfect pass to Mike Wallace along the sidelines for a 25-yard touchdown. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin then opted to go for a two point conversion. They ran an option play, rarely used in the NFL, and Roethlisberger pitched it out to Antwaan Randle El who would run in for the score to make it a field goal game. The Packers would then drive from their own 25 yard line to Pittsburgh's 5. They were unable to score a touchdown from there but Mason Crosby added a field goal to give Green Bay a 31-25 lead with just over 2 minutes left. A touchdown would have sealed the game but the field goal did mean that the Steelers would have to score a touchdown.

Gatorade shower for coach Mike McCarthy

With 2 minutes left on the clock in the 4th quarter, Roethlisberger took the field hoping for a repeat of Super Bowl XLIII when he drove the field and threw a game winning touchdown to Santonio Holmes against the Arizona Cardinals. I had talked about this situation all week and how Roethlisberger is the guy you want under center in these situations. The drive began at the 13-yard line. Hines Ward picked up 15 yards, followed by a 5 gain by Heath Miller to bring the Steelers to their own 33-yard line. Two incompletions later and the Steelers were facing a 4 and 5. Roethlisberger dropped back in the pocket and then threw a high bullet to Mike Wallace who was unable to hang on to it. No flags. Game over!

Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers was awarded MVP for his excellent performance. He has certainly proved those who passed over him in the 2005 Draft and made Packers fans forget about Brett Favre. Jordy Nelson also had a big day despite a few drops. He caught 9 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. The game had a rating of 47.9, earning a tie for the highest rated championship in NFL history with Super Bowl XXI. Roger Goodell has just announced that it was the most watched show in TV history. What a great way to end a great season with a win that epitomized the Packers' season. Now, attention turns to the collective bargaining agreement . Then we have free agency. Next up its the draft. Minicamps and training camps to follow after that. As soon as you know, barring the potential lockout, NFL Sundays will be back.

Congratulations to the Super XLV Champion Green Bay Packers!

James Jones lost in a flurry of confetti

Say Cheese!

Super Bowl XLV Prediction

2011-02-06T22:50:00.001Z

What team will be lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy - Pittsburgh Steelers or Green Bay Packers?

It has been building up to this moment for a couple weeks now. This has been the first Super Bowl I have covered and I can't wait for it to begin in a matter of hours. Ever since the NFC and AFC Champions were crowned, I have previewed every aspect of Super Bowl XLV and now its time to give my prediction. Like most fans, I have always discussed and given my prediction for the big game but now I have to put it out there. I love underdogs and tonight the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite having the better regular season record, are the underdogs as the face the red hot Green Bay Packers. I can easily see it going either way and in the next hour or so I imagine that my mind is going to constantly sway in opposite directions but right now, I think Pittsburgh will be victorious in winning their 7th Super Bowl. The Steelers defense was the 2nd best defence in the regular season in terms of yards given up per game and the Packers was the 5th but I still think we will see a decent amount of points put up on the scoreboard. Both teams are so similar and for me it comes down to quarterback and I just have to look at Big Ben's record to decide who I would want to led my team in the big game. He is 10-2 in the playoffs and at 28 years of age he has already been to and won 2 Super Bowls. It promises to be a great game played in the world's most advanced sports stadium, Cowboys Stadium. No matter what the outcome is, all I can say for sure is ENJOY! Enjoy the game! Enjoy the halftime show! Enjoy the ads! Enjoy the moment!

Prediction - Pittsburgh Steelers 27-21 Green Bay Packers

MVP - Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Super Bowl XLV Defensive Back Head-to-Head

2011-02-06T21:37:00.002Z

Another Troy Polamalu Interception

Troy Polamalu

Tonight's game will feature the past three Defensive Player of the Year winners(James Harrison, Charles Woodson and Troy Polamalu respectively). The past two are defensive backs so its no wonder people are saying both teams strongest position is their defensive backfields. In the Packers case, I find it hard to disagree with that statement and it might be the Steeler's second best unit behind their linebacking core.

Ryan Clark

Troy Polamalu leads by example at the strong safety position for Pittsburgh. Earlier in the week, he was named Defensive Player of the Year after a season in which he accumulated 7 interceptions(tied for 2nd most in the NFL) and 63 tackles. He was also named the Steelers MVP for the season. He isn't just an extremely athletic player, he can dish out big hits and its no surprise that he has been selected to 6 Pro Bowls in the 8 seasons he has been in the league. Speaking of hard hitters, Steelers free safety Ryan Clark is one of the most feared defenders in the game. He had 2 picks in the season and he led all Steelers defensive backs with 90 tackles. I think its fair to say that the safety combination of Polamalu and Clark is the best in the game, certainly in the top 3.

Ike Taylor

At corner, the Steelers have three talented players, Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden and William Gay. Taylor is the number 1 guy due in large part to his rare combination of size and speed. He is good shutdown corner so he doesn't get a lot of interceptions which means he can be overlooked at times. He has never had more than 3 interceptions in a season. This season, he recorded 2 INTs in addition to 66 tackles. Bryant McFadden had an impressive 81 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. William Gay had respectable numbers as the third choice with 48 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble.

Tramon Williams

Charles Woodson

The Packers', unlike the Steelers, strength is in their cornerbacks not their safeties so I will start with the corners. In five seasons with the Pack, Charles Woodson has recorded 30 interceptions, nine of which he returned for touchdowns. He is the only defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy, an award given to college football's best player. He was also selected as the Defensive Player of the Year last season (2009). He had a disappointing season this year in the interception department, reeling in only 2 interceptions. He did contribute in other areas, though, with 2 sacks and career highs in tackles(92) and forced fumbles(5). Tramon Williams stepped up with 6 interceptions(the most on the Packers roster and tied for 5th most in the NFL), 57 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble enough for him to be voted to his first Pro Bowl. Undrafted rookie Sam Shields from Miami proved his doubters wrong with a great season as a nickel back. He had 29 tackles and 2 interception in his six starts. But it was his postseason play that made people take notice. In the NFC Championship game, Shields had two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble, the only rookie in NFL history to do so in a playoff game. His biggest asset is his blazing speed that allows him to keep up with just about any wider receiver.

Nick Collins

Moving to safety now, lets look at free safety Nick Collins. Collins was selected to his third straight Pro Bowl after an impressive season in which he racked up 4 interceptions(tied for 19th most in the NFL) and 70 tackles. He lines up alongside strong safety Charlie Peprah. Peprah's fifth season in the NFL was by far his best as he accounted for 63 tackles and 2 interceptions.

Yet another tough decision. The Packers were 2nd in the NFL in interceptions with 24 compared to the Steelers whose 21 picks were tied for 5th best in the league. I'm going to go with the Packers and their great corners rather than the Steelers and their talented safeties.

I think the Green Bay Packers have the edge in the Defensive Backfield

Super Bowl XLV Linebacker Head-to-Head

2011-02-06T01:11:00.001Z

James Harrison's 100 yard interception return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII

The Pittsburgh Steelers likely starting Linebackers:

OLB - James Harrison

ILB - Lawrence Timmons

ILB - James Farrior

OLB - LaMarr Woodley

LaMarr Woodley

James Harrison

The Steelers' linebacker core is packed with talent and is probably their strongest position. Pittsburgh led the NFL in sacks with 48 due in large part to the play of the linebackers. James Harrison, the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, led the team in sacks(10.5). He also accumulated 100 tackles in the regular season. He is probably most well known for his 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII against the Steelers. It was the longest play in Super Bowl history. LaMarr Woodley is on the other side at outside linebacker. Woodley only had half as many tackles as Harrison. He recorded 50 tackles but was 2nd on the team with 10 sacks.

Lawrence Timmons

In the middle, Lawrence Timmons was a tackle machine. He amassed 135 tackles, the 8th most in the NFL in the 2010 regular season. He also contributed with 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions in just his 4th season in the league. He lines up alongside James Farrior. Farrior, a 36 year old veteran, accumulated 109 tackles and 6 sacks in his 14th season in the league. Backing up Timmons and Farrior is Larry Foote. Foote began his NFL career in Pittsburgh and would remain there until the 2009 season where he left to play in Detroit due to the increasing playing time of Timmons. However, Foote obviously missed winning so he returned to the Steelers in the offseason. He failed to make much of an impact because of limited game time but he is a very reliable player who can step up if a Steelers linebacker goes down.

The Green Bay Packers likely starting Linebackers:

OLB - Erik Walden or Frank Zombo

ILB - Desmond Bishop

ILB - A. J. Hawk

OLB - Clay Matthews

Clay Matthews

The Packers also have a terrific group of linebackers. They finished just behind Pittsburgh with 47 sacks, tied 2nd in the NFL for most sacks in the 2010 regular season. Clay Matthews III is the star of the linebacking core. He comes from a football family. His father, Clay Matthews Jr, played the third most games in NFL history (278) over 19 seasons as a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. His uncle, Bruce Matthews, played for 19 years as an offensive lineman for the Houston Oilers/ Tennessee Titans. He played in an NFL record 14 consecutive Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Both of Clay's brothers were All-Americans. The list goes on and on and its easy to see why Clay Matthews' nickname is "Bloodline". Matthews had a monstrous 2010 season. He finished 4th in the league in sacks with 13.5 and was narrowly beaten(17 votes to 15) by Troy Polamalu in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting. In his two seasons in the league, he was been selected for two Pro Bowls. Erik Walden is the Packers other outside linebacker. He was signed by the Packers at the very end of October. his first big game in the Green and Gold came in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears when he led the team with 3 sacks and 16 tackles and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He will be a game-time decision and if he can't play, he will most likely be replaced by Frank Zombo.

A. J. Hawk, middle linebacker, led the team in tackles in the regular season. His 111 tackles just about eclipsed fellow middle linebacker Desmond Bishop's 103. Hawk only managed to get 0.5 sacks on the season. Bishop had 3 sacks. This versatile duo gives the Pack a strong interior defence.

As I said, both teams have so much talent at the linebacker position but this is actually quite an easy decision for me. The Steelers have 4 linebackers that would be stars on so many teams. I'm going with with "Blitzburgh" at linebacker.

I think the Pittsburgh Steelers have the edge at Linebacker

Super Bowl XLV Defensive Line Head-to-Head

2011-02-04T21:52:00.002Z

Super Bowl XLV will be contested between two 3-4 defenses. If you don't know, a 3-4 defense consists of three defensive linemen and four linebackers. It has become the ideal defensive formation in the modern game as the NFL is becoming a pass first league and a 3-4 defense excels in pass coverage. There are some disadvantages mainly the fact that is very hard for three people to get past five offensive linesmen to get pressure on the quarterback.Personally, I love the 3-4 formation and this Sunday I cant wait to see it in action. The Steelers have been using the 3-4 formation as their base defense since 1982, the season after Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene and end L. C. Greenwood retired. The Packers, as you may remember, only switched to 3-4 a couple years ago.

The Pittsburgh Steelers likely starting Defensive Line:

DE - Ziggy Hood

DT- Casey Hampton

DE - Brett Keisel

Brett Keisel

Casey Hampton

Ziggy Hood

The Steelers allowed an average of 62.8 rushing yards per game in the regular season and a lot of credit for that has to be given to this defensive line. In the build up to the game it seems that only coverage the Steelers D-Line has been getting is related to Brett Kiesel's amazing beard but they deserve some kudos for their performance. I'll start with the man in the middle Casey Hampton. He's a 5 time Pro Bowler but when you look at his numbers, well they aren't great(20 tackles, 1 sack). However, numbers don't tell the whole story. Hampton has a reputation as being a disruptive force which sometimes isn't noticeable to the untrained eye but is of huge benefit to the Steelers. Ziggy Hood, who was drafted 32nd overall in 2009 out of Missouri, is yet to fulfill his potential but he has shown a lot progress and is a solid, reliable member of Pittsburgh's D-Line. Keisel, as mentioned above has been in the public eye because of his beard which he started to grow in the Summer while he was on a hunting trip with his father, was named to his first Pro Bowl this year which he was unable to play in. I have a feeling his beard was a factor in the votes he recieved but I can't take away from his performance this year and he led all Steelers D-Lineman with 33 tackles and tied with Ziggy Hood for sacks(3.0). 34 year old defensive end Aaron Smith has been sidelined since October with torn triceps is listed as questionable for the game.

The Green Bay Packers likely starting Defensive Line:
DE: Ryan Pickett
DT: BJ Raji
DE: Cullen Jenkins

BJ Raji

In 2009, Dom Capers was brought to Green Bay,Wisconsin to become the Defensive Coordinator. He brought with him the 3-4 defence he had used in Miami. BJ Raji was drafted with the 9th overall pick to fill the nose tackle spot. What a pick that had turned out to be. Raji has become just what Capers has envisioned. In this year's regular season, he was more productive than any other nose tackle in the league accumulating 39 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 3 passes defended. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Raji turned it up a notch in the playoffs. In the 4th quarter of the NFC Championship Game, he picked off Chicago Bears' third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. It was Raji's first career interception and touchdown and it broke William Perry's NFL record for the heaviest player to score a touchdown in the postseason at 337 pounds. Speaking of William Perry, throughout the 2011 postseason the Raji was used as a fullback in the Pack's goal-line offense, which led to Raji nicknaming himself "The Freezer" in reference to William Perry's "The Fridge." Cullen Jenkins, defensive end, recorded an impressive 7 sacks in the regular season. Ryan Pickett only managed one sack but his 32 tackles were a good contribution.

The 3-4 defense requires very talented lineman. They need to be versatile and athletic(Raji has good burst for a 337 pound man) to be able to get into the opposition's backfield. All things considered, I believe the Green Bay Packers have to better D-Line. Their projected starting lineup for Sunday's game in Jerryworld had a combined 14.5 sacks in the regular season and that gives them the edge in my opinion.

I think the Green Bay Packers have the edge at D-Line

Super Bowl XLV Offensive Line Head-to-Head

2011-02-02T22:40:00.001Z

Maurkice Pouncey

Every year it seems that a key player gets injured prior to the Super Bowl and becomes the talk of the media in the buildup to the big game. This year, that player is Maurkice Pouncey, center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his rookie season, Pouncey started all 16 games in the regular season and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He suffered an ankle injury during the first drive of the AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets. His status for this Sunday's game remains unclear. A week ago, Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu said Pouncey wouldn't play. Today, Pouncey was without a walking boot or crutches. He is yet to resume training but he now considers himself likely to play. He is such a valuable piece on Pittsburgh's line and his presence would certainly be missed.

The Steelers offensive line starters will be most likely be made up of:
LT - Jonathan Scott
LG - Chris Kemoeatu
C - Maurkice Pouncey or Doug Legursky
RG - Ramon Foster
RT - Flozell Adams
The Steelers O-Line ranked eighth last in the NFL in sacks allowed (43) in the regular season.

Chad Clifton

The Packers offensive line is anchored by Chad Clifton. Clifton has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2007 and 2010 seasons. He has a reputation around the NFL as one of the league's best blindside blockers. He is joined on the Packers O-Line by Bryan Bulaga. Bulaga was drafted 23rd overall out of Iowa in last April's Draft. He had an impressive rookie season for which he was named to the official NFL All-Rookie team.

The Packers offensive line starters will be most likely be:
LT - Chad Clifton
LG - Daryn Colledge
C - Scott Wells
RG - Josh Sitton
RT - Bryan Bulaga.
The Packers O-Line ranked eleventh last in the NFL in sacks allowed (38) in the regular season.

These two teams are old fashioned teams that believe that strong defenses and line play are the key to NFL success. That isn't entirely true. Don't get me wrong these teams have really good defenses but their offensive lines are suspect to say the least. So the question is : Which team has a slightly less mediocre O-Line? I think the answer to that question is the Pittsburgh Steelers

I think the Pittsburgh Steelers have the edge at O-Line

Super Bowl XLV WR/TE Head-to-Head

2011-02-01T23:17:00.001Z

There have been six wide receivers have been honored Super Bowl MVP. Three of them have been Steelers wideouts, Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X, Hines Ward in Super Bowl XL and Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII. With all the talent on the field at wide receiver this Sunday, that number could easily become seven.

Mike Wallace

In the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded away their Super Bowl XLIII star Santonio Holmes after he had been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy and had a lawsuit filed against for a nightclub incident in which he allegedly threw a glass at a woman. The trade was a result of the Steelers organization wanting to show they standards they require. The trade raised a lot of eyebrows regarding the future of star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who also had run ins with the law. However, Big Ben wasn't traded or released and the next big question on Steelers fan's minds was who would replace Holmes. It seems that Mike Wallace has been to one to do just that. Wallace caught 60 passes for 1257 yards(third most in the AFC) and 10 TDs in his second season. He led the league with seven 100 yard receiving games and led the AFC with 21.0 average yards per catch. His blazing speed makes him a threat to go the distance on any play and he also has great hands which were on display in his rookie season as he caught an incredible last second touchdown to beat the Packers 37-36.

Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward

Hines Ward, the Steelers longest tenured current player, isn't quite the same player that he was back in 2006 when he was awarded Super Bowl MVP. However, he is still just as feisty and physical. He leads by example and is the kind of guy you want on your team in big moments in big games. His 59 catches, 755 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns were all second only to Mike Wallace on the Steelers. The offseason also saw the return of Antwaan Randle El. Randle El played a huge role in the that Super Bowl XL win over the Seattle Seahawks as he threw a touchdown pass on a trick play. Emmanuel Sanders is another receiver to look out for.

Heath Miller

Heath Miller is not only one of the best tight ends in the game but he is also an inspirational figure in the Steelers locker room and huddle as he was elected by his teammates to be offensive captain this season. For the record, in the regular season, he had 42 receptions for 512 yards. However when analyzing this guy all you need to do is watch Super Bowl XLIII again. He played an integral role offering Big Ben an option when he was under pressure from blitzing Cardinal defenders.

Greg Jennings

The Packers, in my opinion, may have the best set of wide receivers in the league. The star of this receiving core is Greg Jennings who had a career high 1,265 receiving yards to go along with 76 receptions that included 12 touchdowns. Jennings was also the leader in receiving yards(239) and receptions(17) in the playoffs. Look for him to be targeted early and often by Aaron Rodgers.

Lambeau Leap by Donald Driver

Jordy Nelson and James Jones

The Pack's strength at receiver though, is their depth. Rodgers has three other very talented wideouts he can throw to, Donald Driver(51 catches for 565 yards), James Jones(50 catches for 679 yards) and Jordy Nelson(45 catches for 582 yards). Driver is known around the league for his toughness and ability to catch passes in the middle of the field open to the big hits from safeties and linebackers. In 12 years in the NFL, all with the Packers, Driver has caught 698 passes making him the Packers all time leading receiver in catches. In the NFL combine, Jones recorded 22 bench presses of 225 pounds, tying the combine record for wide receivers. Nelson relies more on his speed and his a deep threat for the Green and Gold. Early in the season, the extremely talent tight end Jermichael Finley suffered a season ending knee injury forcing Andrew Quarless to fill his shoes.

This is another tough decision. The Steelers have two really good wide receivers in Mike Wallace and Hines Ward as well as an elite tight end in Heath Miller but the Packers have the depth so I'm going to say the Packers have the advantage in the receiving category.

I think the Green Bay Packers have the edge at Wide Receiver/Tight End

Super Bowl XLV RB Head-to-Head

2011-01-31T22:59:00.005Z

Rashard Mendenhall

James Starks

In the 2010 regular season, Steelers halfback Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 1273 yards and 13 touchdowns. It was the best of his first three seasons since being drafted 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Illinois. He is a physical runner that is so useful in short yardage situations. Not only can he run people over but he can also ran around them with his quick burst of pace. In two games in this year's postseason, he has rushed for 167 yards, the third most in this year's playoffs, and three touchdowns, the most rushing touchdowns in this year's playoffs.

Mewelde Moore

He is complimented by Mewelde Moore who has thrived as third down back. Moore has made a name for himself in the passing game where he has been among the best in catching passing out of backfield. He had 205 receiving yards in the regular season.

Brandon Jackson

The Packers running game suffered a blow when starter Ryan Grant suffered a season-ending in the 2010 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. The injury meant Brandon Jackson would be the starter and he was surprisingly successful, rushing for 703 yards and 3 touchdowns in addition to 342 receiving yards in the regular season. However, he faded away in the playoffs, he only ran the ball six times, gaining 28 yards on those carries.

In his place stepped up an unheralded rookie from Buffalo by the name of James Starks. In this postseason, Starks has led all players in rushing yards with 263 yards. Those 263 yards are more than he had in the whole regular season in which he rushed for just 101 yards. It must be said, however, that the first time he saw the field was on the 5th December after spending a lot of time on the PUP(Physically Unable to Perform) list. He has been a key factor in Packers success thus far in the playoffs. He became the first NFL rookie to rush for over 100 yards in a postseason game, that came against the Eagles, and then, he scored his first touchdown in the NFL, an important TD against the Bears.

John Kuhn

I did not talk about the Steelers fullbacks because quite frankly they don't really have one. Big halfback Issac Redmond is the Steelers primary goal-line back and tight end David Johnson has had a number of snaps playing fullback but I cant really add any more than that. The Packers, though, do have a full time fullback and what a great player he is. That man is John Kuhn. The 6 foot, 250 pound back from a small college called Shippensburg has become a fan favourite in Green Bay because of his work ethic and ability to pick up first downs in short yardage situations either through the air or on the ground. In the regular season, he was 2nd in rushing for the Packers with 281 rushing yards. He also had four rushing touchdowns, tied with Aaron Rodgers for the most on the Packers roster. Make sure to listen out for chants of "KUHN" that can sometimes sound similar to booing.

This is another difficult decision. Both teams have a number of contributors to their rushing game. They also have two quarterbacks with the ability to scramble but this post is about running backs so its not just about the rushing game. I think I'm going to have to go with the Steelers mainly because of their tried and tested weapon, Rashard Mendenhall.

I think the Pittsburgh Steelers have the edge at Running Back

Super Bowl XLV QB Head-to-Head

2011-01-30T22:09:00.004Z

Ben Roethlisberger vs Aaron Rodgers

Quarterback is one of the most demanding positions in all of sports. A quarterback must not only have a good arm but he also has to make quick decisions and be a good leader. Every offensive play involves the quarterback, apart from some trick plays out of formations like the Wildcat. The pressure a QB is under is intense. He alone can win or lose any game. In Super Bowl XLV, two of the NFL's best quarterbacks will go head-to-head.

Big Ben has been the Steelers starting quarterback even since drafted 11th overall out of Miami University(OH) in 2004. In those seven seasons, Roethlisberger has played in and won two Super Bowls(XL and XLIII) and will be playing in his third next Sunday. He ranks 8th all-time in NFL passer rating (92.5), 5th in yards per attempt (8.04), and 12th in completion percentage (63.07%) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 1500 career attempts. Among quarterbacks with a minimum of 90 starts he has the 4th highest career winning percentage (.704) as a starter in the regular season. Ben has also made headlines for what he has done off the field. He was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in 2006. He has also had sexual assault allegations directed at him, in 2009 and then again in 2010 which resulted in him being suspended for four games at the start of the 2010 regular season. In the 12 games Big Ben did start, he was very effective, throwing for 3,200 yards, 17 TDs and only 5 INTS. His passer rating of 97.0 was fifth in the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers spent his first three seasons in the NFL as Brett Favre's backup. He learned from one the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game and it has shown in the three seasons he has been under center for the Packers. He has the highest career passer rating in the regular season(98.4) in NFL history and the lowest career interception rate, only 1.99% of his throws are picked off. The QB from the University of California, Berkerly has had a strong season this year with 3,992 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go along with an impressive 356 yards gained on the ground and 4 rushing touchdowns. His passer rating of 101.2 in this year's regular season ranked third in the league.

Both quarterbacks have a lot in common. Both players can make plays on the ground with their feet. They also have to ability to extend plays using their mobility. Roethlisberger has called his style of making plays outside the pocket, "Backyard Football". Finally, they have a love of the long ball and you often see them converting big passes downfield. Ultimately, experience means so much and while I do think Aaron Rodgers is the better quarterback(barely), I would rather have Ben Roethlisberger leading my team in the big game.

I think the Pittsburgh Steelers have the edge at Quarterback

Super Bowl XLV Background

2011-01-29T20:46:00.006Z

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers
Regular Season - The Green Bay Packers, a team many people predicted to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl prior to the start of the season, almost didn't even make it into the playoffs. Despite having an injury plagued regular season, Green Bay were able to finish 10-6 and with 10-3 win at home over their rivals the Chicago Bears in Week 17, they managed to sneak into the postseason as the 5th seed in the NFC.

Playoffs:

Wild Card round - Green Bay headed to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. In the hostile environment, the Packers kept their composure and showed grit in a 21-16 win. Running back James Starks stepped up for the Pack with 123 yards which was more than his entire regular season total. Aaron Rodgers had a good performance as well with 180 yards passing and three touchdowns.
Divisional round - Green Bay were on the road again. This time there were in Atlanta to take on the soaring number one seed Atlanta Falcons. What ensued shocked the NFL world. The Pack blew out the Falcons 48-21 in a near flawless performance in all aspects, offensive,defensive and special teams. Green Bay racked up 442 total yards, 28 first downs and a franchise record 48 points. Aaron Rodgers completed 31 of his 36 pass attempts for 366 yards and three TDs. In Rodgers' first three playoff games, he had thrown for 10 touchdowns, an NFL record. The most amazing statistic in my humble opinion was that the Packers never punted the ball. On offense, receivers Greg Jennings, 8 catches for 101 yards, and Jordy Nelson, 8 receptions for 79 yards and a TD. Defensively, cornerback Tramon Williams played exceptionally well. He recorded two interceptions, one of which he returned 70 yards for a touchdown. Linebacker Clay Matthews did what he had done all season long. That is he dominated, with 3 tackles and 2 sacks. Falcons running back Michael 'The Burner' Turner, who had rushed for 1300+ yards in the regular season, was shut down. The Pack limited him to 39 yards on 10 carries. On special teams, Eric Weems had 195 yards on 6 kickoff returns including a 102 yard return for a touchdown.
NFC Championship - Last weekend the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21-14 in the NFC Championship game at Soldier Field, Chicago to advance to next weekend's Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. Unlike their previous postseason games in 2011, it was the Packers defense that won the game. They recorded 3 interceptions, two by rookie cornerback Sam Shields and a crucial pick six by BJ Raji in the 4th quarter. Wideout Greg Jennings had a big day with 8 catches for 130 yards receiving. Rookie RB James Starks was also key in the victory. He picked up 74 yards and a TD on the ground. Aaron Rodgers didn't play as well as he had done in weeks past. He was 17-for-30 throwing for 244 yards but with no TDs and 2 INTS. He did redeem himself with a potential game saving tackle on Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher to prevent his interception returning going to the house. Rodgers also ran for 39 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive of the game. The Packers are now only the fourth team to win three road games in the postseason. Two of the other three to accomplish this feat went on to win the Super Bowl, the 2007 Giants and the 2005 Steelers, with the 1985 Patriots falling short in the big one. Their three game winning road streak matches their win total away from Lambeau Field in the regular season. The win also makes Green Bay the first number 6 seed to advance through the NFC playoffs to the Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Regular Season - The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised a lot of people by jumping out to a 3-1 start to the season without the suspended Ben Roethlisberger. They didn't slow after that and with Big Ben onboard, they cruised to a 12-4 finish with an impressive 7-1 record on the road. Their 5-1 record against divisional opponents was slightly better than the Ravens' 4-2 record and give Pittsburgh the AFC North crown. That also meant that the Steelers would have the number 2 seed in the AFC an would have a bye in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Playoffs:

Divisional Round - The Steelers hosted their AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens in their first game of the postseason. The teams had split their regular season series, Ravens won 17-14 in week 4 and the Steelers prevailed in Week 13 with a 13-10 win. Anytime, these teams play you get smash mouth, defensive battles and this game was no different. To put this rivalry in historic terms, a Baltimore-Pittsburgh game is like the Battle of Stalingrad, a World War II battle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Both teams dont give an inch to the other. It is a struggle between teams that "hate" each other. The Steelers edged the Ravens 31-24 but dont let the score line fool you, this was your typical Ravens-Steelers bout as both teams combined for only 389 with many points coming off turnovers. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 6 times and Ravens' QB Joe Flacco was sacked 5 times. Pittsburgh's linebacker James Harrison recorded three of those sacks. Baltimore's linebacker Terrell Suggs had three sacks as well and a forced fumble. Baltimore held a 21-7 lead at halftime but Pittsburgh came back and with the game tied in the 4th, Big Ben completed a 58 yard pass to Antonio Brown. Five plays later, Rashard Mendenhall ran the ball in from two yards out to give Pittsburgh the lead with 1:33 remaining. By the end of the game, the Ravens only had 126 yards of offense including a third quarter in which they had -4 yards of offense.
AFC Championship - The Steelers faced the New York Jets in their 5th AFC Championship game in 10 years. Pittsburgh got off to a fantastic start and were leading 24-0 in the 2nd quarter. However, Rex Ryan's resilient Jets battled to the very end and the Steelers were just about able to hold off a desperate comeback for a 24-19 win to advance to their 3rd Super Bowl in six years. In a nail biting finish, the Steelers stuffed the Jets four times from inside the two yard line to prevent any points only to concede a safety on the next play to reduce their lead to twelve points with over seven minutes remaining. That safety gave the Jets the ball and they made the most of it as Mark Sanchez drove his offense down the field and completed a 4 yard pass to Jericho Cotchery to further reduce their deficit to five points. The Steelers, however, were able to pick up a few key first downs to hang on for the win. Steelers' halfback Rashard Mendenhall was an important contributer with 121 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Team Comparison:

Super Bowl XLV(45) next weekend in Dallas will pit the NFL's two most iconic teams against each other. These two teams mean so much to the city they represent. The Packers were founded in 1921 making them the NFL's second oldest team. The team was named after the company, the Indian Packing Company, that sponsored them. They are the only non-profit, community owned franchise in American professional major sports leagues. Despite Green Bay being the smallest city to have an NFL team, with a population of 101,025, the Packers have a season ticket waiting list of 40 years. Their fans, nicknamed Cheeseheads, cheer on their beloved team every Sunday from the historic Lambeau Field, with a capacity of 73,128, as if Packers football is a religion.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the NFL's fifth oldest franchise and the oldest in the AFC. They were founded in 1933. Originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates, they changed their name in 1940 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The name Steelers represented all the working class citizens involved in the steel industry that Pittsburgh was famous for. They play in the state of the art Heinz Field, built in 2001 to replace Three Rivers Stadium. Their fans are just loyal and hardcore as the Packers fans. When they are waving their Terrible Towels, they give the Steelers one of the best home field advantages in the NFL.

The Packers have won twelve league championships, that is more than any other team in the NFL. Nine of those were NFL Championships which came prior to the Super Bowl era. They won the most NFL Championships with the Bears just behind with eight. They have also won three Super Bowls. The Pittsburgh Steelers, didn't win a single NFL Championship but they have won a league high six Super Bowls. Both teams have also lost one Super Bowl game each.

Last Meeting :

How can we forget the last time these two sides meet. It was back in Week 15 in the 2009 regular season. The Steelers entered the game riding a five game losing streak. They left 7-7 thanks to a last second game-winning 19 yard Mike Wallace touchdown. The throw not only won the game but it also gave Big Ben 503 passing yards in the game which made him the first quarterback in Steelers franchise history to have 500-yard game.

The Game:

The game will be played in Cowboys Stadium,Dallas on Sunday 6th February with coverage starting at 11:30 GMT on Sky Sports and BBC. In the US, FOX will be bringing you the game with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 ET.

This article does what it says on the tin, or the title in this case, and that is to give you background information on the game. But it doesn't stop here. Every day in the run up to the big game I will be looking at a different aspect of the game. Here is a schedule of what is to come:

Sunday - Quarterback Head-to-Head

Monday - Running Back Head-to-Head

Tuesday - Receivers and Tight Ends Head-to-Head

Wednesday - O-Line Head-to-Head

Friday - D-Line Head-to-Head

Saturday - Linebacker Head-to-Head

Sunday - Defensive Back Head-to-Head + Prediction

2011 Six Nations Predictions

2011-01-27T23:23:00.003Z

The 2011 Six Nations Championship begins next weekend so I thought I would take the time to give you my tournament predictions.

1. Ireland - Ok, this decision may have been influenced by the fact that I am Irish but I just have that feeling. Despite all the injuries and a poor performance Autumn internationals, I am so encouraged by Leinster's play of late. Yes thats right I said Leinster. I wouldn't go quite as far as George Hook, who had 13 Leinster players starting in his ideal lineup but I do think an Irish team made up primarily of Leinstermen could go all the way to Grand Slam glory, a feat only accomplished by Ireland twice(1948 and 2009). In a full strength Irish squad, the non-Leinster players I would start are Sean Cronin(Connacht), Paul O'Connell, Keith Earls(both Munster), Stephen Ferris, Andrew Trimble(Ulster) and Tommy Bowe(Ulster). That means 9 Leinster players starting which hopefully results in Ireland playing with the attacking flair that is on display week in week out at the D4tress. Plus they play England and France at home.
Player to watch - Sean O'Brien(flanker)

2. England - The English media always overhype their teams. They give themselves unnecessary pressure and more often than not they fail to live up to expectations. While I don't believe they will win the Six Nations, I do predict they will be a much better team than in previous years. They play a fast paced brand of rugby similar to that played by southern hemisphere teams. English fans probably won't be celebrating on the 19th March but in the meantime, they can enjoy the most entertaining rugby in the 6 Nations. This team will continue to get better and multiple titles are on the horizon.

Player to watch - Chris Ashton(winger)

3. France - I really don't know what to expect from the French this year. Then again, they're rarely out of contention. After their debacle against Australia in November, they lost 59-16, I just can't put them any higher on this list. Coach Marc Lièvremont needs to have a more consistent starting lineup ahead of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand later this year and I believe that this 6 Nations is key to building chemistry among the team.
Player to watch - Fulgence Ouedraogo(flanker)

4. Wales - The Welsh didn't win a single game in the Autumn Internationals. Granted, the games in which they lost were tough games(vs Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) but the 16-16 draw vs Fiji has to be worrying for Welsh coach Warren Gatland. Their last win was all the way back on the 20th March against Italy. The make/break game of their campaign will be next Friday's clash with England. It will mark the first time in 6 Nations history that the tournament opens with a Friday night game. A loss in the big game will make back to back fourth place finishes in the tournament quite likely.
Player to watch - James Hook(will be playing outside centre for the first time)

5. Scotland - They won 2/3 Autumn Internationals games, stunning South Africa and scraping past Samoa. They swept Argentina on their 2 game Summer tour and how can you forget their exhilarating win against Ireland in last year's 6 Nations. 2010 really was a great year for the Scots and they should be optimistic in this new decade but I predict another 5th place finish on the cards. There is something about this squad. They are inconsistent and have difficulty crossing the line for 5.
Player to watch - Johnnie Beattie

6. Italy - Yet another last place finish for Italy in my view. They, just like Scotland, have better times ahead. I mean how can it get worse. Joking aside, the inclusion of two Italian sides in the Magners League will greatly benefit Italian rugby and we will see that in the coming years.
Player to watch - Luke McLean

Whether my predictions are right or wrong, I dont mind as I,along with every other rugby fan in Europe, is rejoicing as the Six Nations returns. Enjoy!!!

Allez les Bleus!!!

2011-01-25T23:21:00.002Z

Leinster 36-11 Racing Metro

Another great win for Leinster capping off perfect start to the New Year as they went 4-0 in January. The 36-11 win at Stade Olympique Yves du Manoir in Colombes, just outside Paris, secured a home quarterfinal for Leinster who finished leaders in Pool 2, the so-called "Group of Death", with 24 points. The only team that in all six pools that had more points then Leinster, were Northampton.

The win was typical of Leinster of late, the score line flattered them. They were dominant throughout and never looked in danger of losing but they didn't really turn it up a notch. It was certainly not a flawless performance with a number of mistakes by the Leinster men.

However, they were clinical with the ball and looked dangerous every time they were going forward. They ran in 5 tries against the team currently 2nd in the Top 14. Jonathan Sexton provided 21 points including two tries in a performance for which a award him man of the match honours. Sean O'Brien, who was the official man of the match, also accounted for a try as did Brian O'Driscoll and Isa Nacewa. For those keeping score, Racing Metro's lone try was scored by Verini Vakatawa attracted attention by kissing the ball prior to touching down.

The win further cements Leinsters place among the elite in Europe. Personally, I don't support Leinster so there is no bias in my reports but I do think that Leinster are the favourites or joined favourites alongside Toulouse to be celebrating a Heineken Cup win on 21st May 2011.

In other Leinster news:

The Aviva Stadium has been confirmed as the venue for Leinsters quarterfinal clash with the Leicester Tigers. The match will take place on Saturday 9th April at 6pm
Sean Cronin has made it official. Earlier today, Leinster signed the Connacht hooker to a two year deal. He will join the province at the end of the season

What is coming up:

Well, thats my last Leinster report for a couple weeks. Their next game is on Thursday 10th February when the take on Aironi at the RDS. The game starts at 7:05 and will be broadcast on RTE.
In the meantime, next Friday the 5th February, the 2011 Six Nations tournament will begin with Wales hosting England(kickoff-7:45).
Ireland's campaign will get going the following day as they travel to Italy(kickoff-2:30)
The opening weekend ends in Paris with France going head to head with Scotland(kickoff-5:00).

All times given are GMT. If you are in Ireland, you can watch all the games on RTE or BBC.

One last word to all you rugger buggers, i.e. rugby fans, try and check out Super Bowl XLV(45) between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers, as I correctly predicted by the way. The game will be played in Cowboys Stadium on Sunday 6th February with coverage starting at 11:30 GMT on Sky Sports and BBC. In the US, FOX will be bringing you the game with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 ET.

A 7th Vince Lombardi trophy coming to Pittsburgh?

2011-01-23T22:12:00.001Z

AFC Championship Game - Jets vs Steelers - Prediction

Steelers fans and their Terrible Towels

Sorry Mark, I got the Steelers in this one

Big Ben

Playing at home in front of their amazing fans, I'm picking the Steelers in this one. The Jets proved me wrong last week but I cant see a repeat performance. The last time these teams met, in week 15, the Jets prevailed 22-17 but Mark Sanchez is a liability and as much as I would like to see a Jets-Packers Superbowl, I just don't see Sanchez doing enough to win in the biggest game of his life. In just his 2nd season in the NFL, this is is 2nd AFC Championship Game but last year they were building up to this moment. This season really is Super Bowl or bust for Rex Ryan's team. Unfortunately, I'm going with Ben Roethlisberger and the stingy Pittsburgh defense

Prediction - Jets 13-17 Steelers

Chapter 182

2011-01-23T20:53:00.004Z

NFC Championship Game - Packers vs Bears - Prediction

Today, a new chapter will be unfolded in the NFL's oldest rivalry as the Bears host the Packers in the NFC Championship. It is the 182nd meeting between the two sides. Chicago currently leads the all-time series, 92-83-6 but I don't see them winning this one. After, their blowout 48-21 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the NFC's number 1 seed, I find it hard to believe they can be stopped. I have been a big fan of this team all season and I knew that they could be lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy if they could stay healthy when it mattered, in the playoffs. Sure, they just about got into the playoffs as the number 6 seed but they have more momentum than any other team right now. They own a 4 game winning streak, that included a week 17 10-3 win over the opponents today.

Expect more of the same

Both teams quarterbacks had great games last week, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers threw for 366 yards and 3 TD's but most importantly he only had 5 incompletions in his 36 attempts. Meanwhile, "Da Bears" trigger man Jay Cutler passed for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns and had a career day running the ball, 43 yards and 2 touchdowns, in his first postseason game.

Both teams also have a stout defense. The Packers finished the regular season 5th in total defense(yards per game), 5th in passing defense and a modest 18th in rush defense. The team is led by 2009 Defensive Player of the Year cornerback Charles Woodson and hard nosed linebacker Clay Matthews who finished 4th on the NFL's sack leader board with 13.5 sacks in his 2nd year. The Monsters of the Midway(Chicago Bears) were 9th in total defense, 2nd in rush defense but were 20th in pass defense which worries me as the face the league's 5th best passing team, in terms of yards, the Green Bay Packers.

I am much more confident with this pick than with my AFC Championship game prediction. The residents of "Titletown,USA" should book their flights to Dallas because I think the Green Bay Packers are going to win the NFC Championship to advance to the Super Bowl.

Prediction - Packers 28-13 Bears

On his way to Dallas?

Dominance

2011-01-19T16:28:00.016Z

Saracens 20-43 Leinster

Saturday 15th January - Joe Schmidt’s men annihilated Saracens 43-20 at the RDS, also known as the D4tress. If you were unable to see this thrilling game, dont be fooled by the score line and think that the visitors, as they had no chance of advancing in the Heineken Cup prior to game, didn’t come out to play. Saracens had no intentions of coming over just to make up the numbers but they were no match for the on form Leinster who unloaded 6 tries on the the team currently 2nd in the Aviva Premiership.

Dominic Ryan scored two tries for the boys in blue and Sean O’Brien, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa and Eoin O’Malley also touched down in the win that has clinched a quarterfinal berth for Leinster.

Schmidt has finally installed his coaching philosophy in this team. At the start of the season, there were some growing pains but right now, Leinster are playing with fluidity and confidence with ball in hand. I honestly believe that they are the most dangerous team in Europe right now.

In the NFL, there is an old saying that ‘defence wins championships’ and its true, you only have to look at the previous Super Bowl champions to realise that. I believe that this relates to most sports especially rugby. Back in 2009 when Leinster won the Heineken Cup, their defense was very hard to penetrate. Ever since the departure of defensive coach Kurt McQuilkin, Leinster’s defence hasn’t been the same. I’m not saying that it has been bad but it is quite as good as it used to be. At the weekend Saracens were able to expose some poor tackling by Leinster and score three tries with James Short, Kelly Brown and Nils Mordt touching down.

Ever since my first game covering the team which was in December against the Scarlets, Leinster have been on a roll. Sure, they lost in the 2nd game I reported about but even in that 20-13 loss to Clermont, they played good rugby. They also had a dodgy win against the Ospreys a couple weeks ago but how can you forget the Fever in the Aviva or the demolition of Ulster or even the bonus point win over Connacht. The high point of it all was on Saturday as I watched and enjoyed elegant rugby but as I look back to that first game I watched from a journalistic point of view and its easy to remember what sparked the great form Leinster are in. With 10 minutes remaining, Leinster were down 17-5 until a Sean O’Brien inspired comeback brought the game level at 17-17 and the rest was history.

Tuesday 18th January - More fantastic news for Leinster fans as Leinster announced that the back-row duo of Sean O’Brien and Shane Jennings had both agreed to three year deals with the team. Devin Toner, Fergus McFadden and Jack McGrath also signed new contracts to keep them with the Irish province for two more years.

Leinster have a “new generation” of players coming into the side and making a difference and some of the guys mentioned are prime examples of that.

Coach Joe Schmidt recognised the importance of these deals,

“All five players have come through the Leinster Academy system and it is vital for the future growth of both Leinster and Irish rugby that we retain our leading indigenous talent. It is a timely boost that all five have decided to sign contract extensions at this stage in their careers.”

Wednesday 19th January - It keeps getting better and better. Today, the Irish 2010 RBS Six Nations 32 man squad was announced and it featured 13 Leinster players. The squad list is given below(Leinster players written in blue):

BACKS:

Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Gordon D'Arcy (Landowne - Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians - Connacht)
Keith Earls (Thomond - Munster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock - Leinster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne - Leinster)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD - Leinster)
Eoin Reddan (Landowne - Leinster)
Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College - Leinster)
Peter Stringer (Shannon - Munster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena - Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena - Ulster)

FORWARDS:

Rory Best (Banbridge - Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone - Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers - Connacht)
Leo Cullen (Blackrock - Leinster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon - Ulster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon - Munster)
John Hayes (Bruff - Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf - Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas - Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College - Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers - Connacht)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster - Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf - Leinster)
Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf - Leinster)
Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary's College - Leinster)
David Wallace (Garryowen - Munster)

An O2 Irish Wolfhounds panel was also announced. Further players will be supplemented following the provincial games at the weekend. The Wolfhounds will be playing Scotland A in Netherdale next Friday and will be selected from the group below(Leinster players written in blue):

BACKS:

Isaac Boss (Terenure College - Leinster)
Ian Humphreys (Ballymena - Ulster)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Keith Matthews (Buccaneers - Connacht)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere - Leinster)
Johne Murphy (Young Munster - Munster)
Niall O'Connor (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster)
Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin - Munster)
Eoin O'Malley (Old Belvedere - Leinster)

FORWARDS:

Nigel Brady (Dungannon - Ulster)
Tony Buckley (Shannon - Munster)
Willie Faloon (Ballynahinch - Ulster)
Jamie Hagan (Galway Corinthians - Connacht)
Chris Henry (Ballymena - Ulster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College - Leinster)
Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne - Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon - Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne - Leinster)
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena - Ulster)
Damien Varley (Garryowen - Munster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians - Connacht)

Finally, according to The University Observer(UCD student paper):

“Speculation has arisen that proposals are under way for a new purpose-built facility between Leinster Rugby and UCD on the college’s grounds, with an annual rent costing €500,000. If the move were to go ahead, the overall operation would be expected to cost somewhere in the region of €2.5m.”

This Friday, Leinster will be in Paris to take on Racing Metro 92 knowing that a win guarantees them a home quarterfinal. In the last meeting between the sides, Leinster won 38-22 to give them an early upper hand in Pool 2, the “Pool of Death”. You can catch the game on Sky Sports 1 with coverage starting at 7:30pm.

The Jets soar into the AFC Championship Game

2011-01-18T21:29:00.007Z

New York Jets 28-21 New England Patriots

Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes celebrate the win

Mark Sanchez needed to play mistake free. Rex Ryan needed to out coach Bill Belichick. Most importantly, the Jets players needed to play the best game of the lives. All of that was needed for the New York Jets to upset the New England Patriots and all of it came true.

Rex Ryan, who didn’t want a repeat of the Patriots week 13 demolition over his Jets, targeted the start of the game. He stressed how important it was for the Jets to not fall behind early. He said that if they could keep it close, they might be able to scrape a win in the final moments. His wish was granted and the Jets opened the game with a spark that would never leave them. You only have to look at Braylon Edwards’ 15 yard touchdown reception to see who wanted it more. By the end of the game, Mark Sanchez had only completed 16 passes(out of the 25 he threw) but three of those went for touchdowns with no interceptions thrown.

In the regular season, the New England Patriots set a record for fewest turnovers in a season. They had just 10 turnovers in 2010(5 interceptions and 5 fumbles). Even the 2007 Patriots, who finished the regular season 16-0 before losing in the Super Bowl to the Giants, had more turnovers(15). Tom Brady had an incredible NFL record of 339 throws without a pick. He had thrown 26 touchdown passes since his last interception(vs Baltimore Ravens). Brady finished with a passer rating of 111.0, the NFL’s 5th best single season passer rating. The Patriots finished eighth in NFL history with 65 touchdowns and had a perfect 8-0 record at home. They set a team record with a turnover differential of +28. Until a couple of weeks ago, they had a streak of seven straight games without a turnover, also an NFL record, the previous record was 4 straight games. They came into yesterday’s game having with eight straight games with 30+ points, a record also achieved by the 2007 Patriots and 2000 Rams.

Devastation

Tom Brady after the tough loss

They ended their regular season campaign 14-2 but compared to the 2007 Patriots, they were arguably better. In 2007, New England had a blazing start to the season before encountering difficulties near the end and winning close games. The 2010 team has been quite the opposite in their progression and entered the playoffs as one of the best teams in NFL history.

Unfortunately for sports fans in Boston, their incredible regular season meant nothing yesterday. They were out played and out hustled. Tom Brady was sacked 5 times and ultimately, the Pats were unable to cope with the Jets’ defensive schemes.

In my 1st ever prediction post, I claimed that New England would win comfortably by a score line of 30-17. Well, anything can happen ‘ANY GIVEN SUNDAY’.

Jets Win

National Semifinals April 2			National Championship Game April 4

East Champion	Ohio State	6:00pm or 8:30pm
West Champion	Connecticut	CBS
			Ohio State	9:00pm
			Kansas	CBS
Southeast Champion	Pittsburgh	6:00pm or 8:30pm
Southwest Champion	Kansas	CBS