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Archive for November, 2010

After a sloppy first half of play the Thursday night matchup between the Ravens & Falcons was great, which eventually was won by Matt Ryan & the Falcons. As a result the pundits here at Sports News Center are inspired to make some NFL picks this week.

Grizzly Bear’s Picks:

Fred Mrmins’ Picks:

Fantasy Tips:
Fred Mrmins: Make sure to start TE Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers. I expect him to have a big day against the Rams.

Grizzly Bear: McCoy is the next big thing but don’t start him this week. Start WR Hakeem Nicks of the New York Giants, he is bound to catch a few balls against the uninspired Cowboys.

Once again this week there are five big games that could shape the landscape of the college football scene. Bowl placements & more are on the line, including the possibility to break the Big Ten logjam that currently exists.

The top game on the gauntlet this week is the #17 Mississippi St Bulldogs traveling to Tuscaloosa to take on the #11 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide are playing for pride at this point, while the Bulldogs are looking to solidify themselves in the SEC.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins:
The Alabama Crimson Tide played their worst game ever under Coach Nick Saban last week & still had a chance to beat LSU late last week. On paper Alabama is a far superior team & has a sour taste in their mouth after last week’s loss. I expect Alabama to win by two touchdowns.
Grizzly Bear:
Bama will regroup after last week’s loss at LSU. Bama wins big.

The second best game of the week is the #22 South Carolina Gamecocks travel to Gainesville to take on the #24 Florida Gators. Like the game above both teams have lost ground in the SEC race but are looking to make a statement.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins:
South Carolina lost last week, as expected, but this week they face a team that they are better than. I expect the Gamecocks to pull out a close victory.
Grizzly Bear:
SC, despite the game being played at Florida.

A Big 12 battle that could surprise some individuals is taking place this weekend as well. The Kansas Jayhawks travel to take on the #9 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska is looking to take a stranglehold on the Big 12 championship.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins:
Upset Special! Nebraska has played four straight weeks where the game has been hard nosed & emotional. I expect Kansas to knock off Nebraska with a late field goal.
Grizzly Bear:
Nebraska, I want to see Kansas win but, they are just not that good. Colorado stinks & Kansas rang them up in the 4th like a firecracker last week. Nebraska is still my pick.

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The muddled Big Ten needs some sorting. Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio St & Michigan St are all in contention for a Rose Bowl birth, if not a National Championship shot. The first of the big Big Ten battles is the #13 Iowa Hawkeyes traveling to Evansville to take on the Northwestern Wildcats.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins:
Upset Special! Northwestern let one get away last week in Happy Valley. I expect Northwestern to get out to a fast lead & since the Hawkeyes are a run first, physical team they may struggle to keep up. I look for Northwestern to put forth a big effort & win by 10.
Grizzly Bear:
Iowa is the favorite & they should be, because they are ranked. Northwestern just lost after leading big last week. I like Iowa.

The other Big Ten matchup that catches my eye is the Penn St Nittany Lions traveling to the horseshoe to take on the #8 Ohio St Buckeyes. Penn St could actually theoretically put themselves back in the Big Ten race with a win, as they play Michigan St later in the season.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins:
Poise, moxie & being physical is what it takes to beat Ohio St. If you can be physical with Ohio St you can beat them like a drum, as Wisconsin did. After last week’s huge come from behind victory I expect the Nittany Lions to let the good times roll & win by a late touchdown.
Grizzly Bear:
I like Ohio St over Penn St. Penn St trailed big & came back to win last week. Meanwhile Ohio St is at home. Nuff said, Ohio St for the W.

And a special treat for all you boys & girls from Grizzly Bear:

Rutgers beats Syracuse in NJ!

And a special treat to all from Fred Mrmins:

Look for #10 Michigan St to destroy Purdue next weekend.

Our favorite season has started, the college basketball season. More than any other sport in college basketball there are upsets galore. We understand the season just started but we want to look ahead to March Madness already. We’re going to give you the eight teams we believe will make it to the Elite Eight, hopefully we’ll get most of these right.

Michigan St: Sparty never seems to recruit the top players that North Carolina or Duke do but they keep winning no matter who is there. After flirting with the NBA Tom Izzo will look to show he still has more to do in East Lansing.

Kansas St: This team continues to get better & better year after year after losing that one year wonder to the NBA. Good coaching helps during the season, as well as tournament time, as a result I expect big things from Kansas. If they can overcome Kansas in their own division they might be a #1 seed.

Temple: The Owls are loaded this season & have the most underrated coach in all of college basketball. The only competition they have in their own conference this year will be Xavier & as a result they should reach at least twenty wins this season & roll into the tournament.

Villanova: No matter who they have Jay Wright seems to coach this team up & they play over expectations. They finally have some expectations this year & we’re certain they will live up to them.

Mississippi St: This team always seems to make the tournament as a #7 or #10 seed. We expect great things from them this year, despite the fact that no one else does. Good coaching always seems to be the deciding factor in games come tournament time.

North Carolina: After a down year last year the Tarheels have something to prove this season & as a result I expect them to make quite a run in the tournament to remind everyone they still are a powerhouse.

Butler: After losing in the championship last year the Butler Bulldogs will look to get back to win it this year. The Bulldogs have the second best coach in college basketball right now & didn’t lose too much from the team last year.

Missouri: If there is any team in the Big 12 that is going to give Kansas St a run for their money it will be the Missouri Tigers. This team looks like it is going to score at will this season, its issues will come on the defensive end of the floor. If they can get a few turnovers a game they could get as many as twenty five victories to celebrate.

If the brackets break correctly we see Michigan St, Kansas St, Villanova & Butler in the Final Four with Michigan St beating Kansas St in the national championship.

MLB free agency is underway. The big name free agents are starting to receive offers from teams across the league. The biggest fish in the free agent pond is obviously Cliff Lee but there are many other free agents to be had for teams that want them. While we don’t usually see players sign with teams until after the holidays it is always fun to ponder the possibilities, which we will do.

Cliff Lee: Only three teams have a chance to sign the left hander- Rangers, Yankees & Phillies. With the Phillies current rotation signing Lee to any contract is a long shot. As a result it will come down to what does Cliff Lee like more? Money or comfort? The Yankees will easily give him more money, but the Rangers offer him a place where he feels more comfortable.

Carl Crawford: Will be a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before too long. While half the teams in baseball would like to have Crawford on their team Crawford will more than likely join his friend Torii Hunter in California. The Angels need outfielders as Matsui, Rivera, Willits & a cast of other can’t get it done day in & day out.

Jayson Werth: The Phillies realize they can’t sign him long term but may offer him a one or two year deal. If he enjoys being in the playoffs every year he may take it. Other teams in the mix will be the Mets, Red Sox & Yankees. The Yankees are always in the mix & after Nick Swisher’s constant playoff failings the Yankees may look to bring in Werth. The Red Sox need an outfielder who plays more than one hundred games a year. Despite the Mets new management claiming they won’t sign free agents they’d lose the majority of their fan base if they don’t at least try.

Victor Martinez: There is only one catcher in baseball who is a better hitter in Joe Mauer. If Martinez knew how to catch every team outside of the Twins would take a shot at him. Due to his porous defense he will more than likely sign with a bad team as the DH or 1st baseman, if the Red Sox decide to pay him, he’ll remain their catcher unless the team fails to resign Beltre, moves Youkilis to 3rd & has Martinez play 1st.

The San Diego Chargers are lucky beyond belief in 2010. They keep signing receivers off the street due to a plethora of injuries. Every game their special teams costs them multiple scores. Yet the Chargers still seem to be on everyone’s radar, the only reason they’re not 0-9 is because of their star quarterback Philip Rivers.

When the Chargers chose Rivers over Drew Brees no one batted an eye, because as we’re seeing this year Brees is inconsistent from year to year. Rivers on the other hand is a future hall of famer. Rivers currently leads the league in passing yards & passing touchdowns. He is also third in passer rating behind Michael Vick & Vince Young. Rivers has also averaged the most yards passing per game.

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It is no wonder the Chargers are still in contention for a playoff spot, the reason is simply Philip Rivers. Not only is the Chargers special teams the worst in football their defensive unit hasn’t played very weel this season either. The defense, aside from the second half this past weekend against the Chargers, has put the team in bad spots. As a result Rivers has had to go out on the field assuming he has to win the game himself & more often than not he has done so.

Many would suggest that Peyton Manning should win the MVP because he also has had many injuries to his receiving corps. The difference is Manning has a fairly decent defense, despite many critics wanted to say it is not that good. Without Philip Rivers the Chargers would be the Buffalo Bills. As a result I wouldn’t be surprised if those who vote for MVP voted for Rivers to win the award, as his value to the Chargers this season is immeasurable.

Finally ESPN has listened to its fans. As a result they chose not to renew the contract of Joe Morgan to do their Sunday Night Baseball game of the week. For twenty years Morgan has rambled incoherently during baseball broadcasts while Jon Miller did everything he could to make the broadcast passable. Miller brought great insight to the games largely due to his work with the San Francisco Giants. Morgan on the other hand knew absolutely nothing about any of the teams & it showed by his comments in many broadcasts.

ESPN has done everything it can in the past to block out Morgan from speaking. First they installed former general manager Steve Phillips as the third man of the group, then they tried Orel Hershiser as the third man in the booth. Morgan would still ramble & spout nonsense making everyone listening realize he made no attempt to learn about the teams before hand.

Morgan has been terrible since day one, but has regressed from terrible over the years. As a result many websites have been created petitioning ESPN to fire him. Finally ESPN has listened. Unfortunately Jon Miller is lost in the shuffle. The hall of famer, Miller, actually knows the game, the players & the teams so ESPN would be idiots not to bring him back in some form or fashion.

While ESPN has yet to announce replacements speculation has started to run amok.

In 2008 things couldn’t have looked much worse for the Detroit Lions. Then Matt Millen was fired, a good coach was installed & the team started building a team. They signed key veterans, drafted very well & as a result the team now looks to be in the right direction, on the path towards winning.

Unfortunately for the Lions & their fans they drafted a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who doesn’t seem to know how to take a hit. As I watch most NFL games I see quarterbacks either slide feet first or run out of bounds. Well unless you’re Michael Vick who attempts to get a few extra yards with circus plays. Matthew Stafford feels the need to repeatedly jam his shoulders into the ground when he is about to get tackled. As a direct result he now has a shoulder injury for the 3rd time in his short career. It’d be one thing if Stafford was hurt due to a player tackling the shoulder, ala Sam Bradford in college, but Stafford has done the damage to himself.

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Clearly after seeing this three times now, it comes down to coaching. The coaches need to take Stafford aside & show him the footage of how the way he lands after tackles is going to keep him on the sideline, preventing him from being the superstar he appears destined to be. Then again a lot of quarterbacks were constantly injured during their early years due to bad offensive lines, eventually they dropped the injury prone label. But Stafford cannot put the blame on his offensive line for his injuries, at least not the ones he’s had so far.

On November 6th there are five huge college football games to take place, for everyone’s enjoyment. Here at Sports News Center we have decided to bring you our thoughts on the huge games this weekend.

TCU Horned Frogs @ Utah Utes in an epic battle of BCS busters. #3 TCU heads to Utah, to challenge #5 Utah.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins: TCU’s defense is the best in the land. TCU’s defense leads them to victory in what should be an epic back & forth contest worthy of BCS implications.
Grizzly Bear: Too close to call

Alabama Crimson Tide head to Death Valley to face the LSU Tigers. #6 Alabama takes on #10 LSU in an elimination game of sorts in the SEC.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins: LSU’s record doesn’t indicate the talent of the team. They have more luck than those who have won the lottery more than once. I look for Alabama to win convincingly, even if LSU manages to shutdown Julio Jones.
Grizzly Bear: Bama

The Arizona Wildcats travel to take on the Stanford Cardinal. In a battle which should determine who finishes second in the Pac 10 #15 Arizona faces a dominant #13 Stanford team.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins: Arizona has only faced one team of note thus far & beat a far superior Iowa team convincingly. Arizona’s schedule the rest of the way is extremely difficult. Stanford hasn’t lost a step despite losing Toby Gerhardt to the NFL. Look for the Stanford Cardinal to pull away late due to being a superior team.
Grizzly Bear: Trees

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The Baylor Bears take on the Oklahoma St Cowboys in a huge Big 12 showdown. #21 Baylor travels to Oklahoma to take on #17 Oklahoma St.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins: Baylor has beaten Kansas St & Texas, but was crushed by TCU. I’m just not sure what Baylor team will show up. Oklahoma St has played one team this year in Nebraska & lost a shootout 51-41. I have a sneaking suspicion Baylor can’t match Ok St’s offensive firepower, so I’m going with the Cowboys.
Grizzly Bear: Baylor

As usual there are two big SEC matchups this week. An overachieving South Carolina Gamecocks host the Arkansas Razorbacks. #18 Arkansas heads to So Ca to take on #19 South Carolina. Expect this game to be the game of the week.

Expert Picks:
Fred Mrmins: These two teams are fairly evenly matched. Overrated defenses, overrated running games & fairly good special teams. In matchups like this it comes down to the play of the quarterback, whichever quarterback makes more plays wins the game for their team. Since the Razorbacks have the better quarterback I’m looking for them to eek out a close victory.
Grizzly Bear: South Carolina

As the season progresses Grizzly Bear & I will be picking the big matchups for the rest of the season. Also look for our huge college bowl prediction contest, once bowls have been set.

When the San Francisco Giants entered the playoffs very few gave them a chance. Those few assumed they’d beat a young Atlanta Braves team that was just happy to make the playoffs. Everyone assumed the San Francisco Giants were playing with house money after barely making the playoffs.

When the Giants defeated the Braves no one batted an eye. Then they had to face the class of the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Giants then proceeded to beat the Phillies soundly. Still no one gave them a chance against the third best team in the American League. The Texas Rangers were supposed to mow over the Giants with their far superior offense & Cliff Lee.

The Giants, behind Matt Cain & Tim Lincecum pulled out the World Series by not only out pitching the Rangers but to everyone’s amazement out hitting them as well. Despite a world of castoffs on the team from Pat Burrell to Freddy Sanchez to Cody Ross the Giants pummeled the Rangers in more ways than one.

Many would suggest since the Giants benched their second best hitter in Aaron Rowand during the season that they had no chance at victory in the series. Most assumed it’d be Texas in 5 or 6 because “Well the Giants have to win one game.” Everyone forgot the age old adage “good pitching beats good hitting” & that is exactly what happened in this World Series.

We at Sports News Center congratulate the San Francisco Giants on their first World Series victory since leaving New York.