Super Bowl XLIX

The day has finally come. Starting with thirty-two contenders, the NFL has gotten all the way down to the two best teams; The Patriots (A) and The Seahawks (N). Both finished the regular season with 12-4 records and claimed the #1 seeds in their respective conferences. Now after two weeks of anticipation, the big day is finally here.

 How The Patriots Can Win:

          The Seahawks have one of the most formidable defenses the league has ever seen, so New England is bound to have some drives that are short-lived throughout the game. This means that if The Patriots are to win, it will come in large part through the defense. Green Bay came as close as anyone to snapping Seattle’s home winning streak and they did it through defense. The controlled the middle of the field throughout and played the read-option well which kept in between the hashes and neutralized his ability to run. The Packers only got in the end zone once but still came close to victory because they forced turnovers and controlled field position. 

          New England has a strong linebacker core that will need to play well for a chance to win. The Seahawks run from inside out starting with Marshawn Lynch between the tackles which opens up the read option and jet sweep opportunities. If the linebackers can contain beast mode, this will force Seattle to throw the ball where the Patriots elite secondary will come in. The secondary features Darelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Patrick Chung, and Devin McCourty. On the offensive side of theball, the Patriots need to counter Marshawn Lynch with their arsenal running backs. Mixing between the run and pass will keep the strong Seattle defense on their toes. They have run plenty of trick plays this postseason and look for this game to be no different. Rob Gronkowski will be a huge X-factor in this game. he caught only two passes in the last super bowl appearance but his time around he should plenty of targets and possibly some big plays. If New England can control the clock and close out the fourth quarter like they have all season, look for Brady to raise his fourth Lombardi trophy.


How the Seahawks Can Win: 

             Russel Wilson has led his potent offense back to another Super Bowl. Through the leagues top rush attack as well as a strong and efficient passing game. Wilson and company look poised for another ring. If Wilson can play like he did last year, there is no doubt that Seattle will repeat. Wilson played turnover free last year in the Meadowlands, however in the NFC Championship he threw four interceptions. It would be ideal that Marshawn Lynch sets the tone with 10 early carries and 100 yards for the game. This will draw in the Patriots linebackers which will open up the play action game that Wilson executes so well. Because the defense is so talented, two or three strong drives resulting points could be enough so it is key for Russel Wilson to manage the game and the clock like he has done throughout his career.
          If the offense can set the tone, the defense can do what they have done all year; shut teams down. The legion of boom held everyone who came over the middle in last years Super Bowl in check so look for them to blanket Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. The key match up as stated above is Gronkowski. Once he touches the ball, he can easilly tack on 10 yards so they will have to make sure he never is in the open field. Lastly, the flat is where Tom Brady has been known to do damage with his speed backs and slot receivers. If the linebackers cheat up and take away the flat this will cause Brady to look for other targets and that is where mistakes a can happen. Beating Bellicheck is no easy task but eith a deep roster like Seattles, it can easilly be done when executed properly.

                          

The Sherry Sports X-Factor Award: Brandon LaFell, Patriots WR

There is no doubt that there will be a few schemes set up to stop Gronk and the run defense will definitely be there, so look for LaFell to win some man-to-man battles on the outside. LaFell was used for screens and quick passes this year, but he is a deep threat that Seattle will have to pay attention. If LaFell can get loose in the secondary the Seahwks will have to realign their whole defense to adjust.

Predictions:

James: 24-20 Seahawks- Back-and-forth defensive battle in the first half, but Seattle takes control in the second half. Brady scores late to make it close but his comeback is stopped short and Seattle repeats.

Julius: 20-17 Seahawks- A defensive minded game, Seattle's zone read and a few big run plays by Russel Wilson will prove the difference in a classic.

Premier League Week 23 Preview

No better way to get prepared for the Superbowl than some soccer! That's right, we've still got a full slate of games in the Premier League this weekend, which are highlighted by a battle between first and second place; Chelsea and Manchester City, respectively. Here's some info about all of the games we will see.

Newcastle United @ Hull City: Sat, Jan 31, 7:45am -NBCSN
This game is a good opportunity for Newcastle to redeem themselves and return to the top half of the table. They lost their last two games to Chelsea (1st place) and Southampton (3rd place) and are in 11th place. This will be John Carver's first game as manager of the team, as he was recently signed to replace Alan Pardew, who left the team to manage Crystal Palace a few weeks ago. Hull City lost their last two games also, but sit in 17th place right now and Newcastle have not been very consistent this season, so Hull may see this as an opportunity to start turning their season around.
Prediction: Newcastle wins 1-0

Everton @ Crystal Palace: Sat, Jan 31, 10:00am 
If, before the season, you were to say these two teams would be tied in the standings at this point in the season, people would think you're crazy. But you never know in the Premier League, and that's where they sit right now, tied for 12th place (Everton leads on goal differential). Everton have been especially disappointing this season, typically in the top 7 or 8 teams in previous seasons. The injury to Tim Howard hasn't helped them either, of course. As for Crystal Palace, they have performed exceptionally well since Alan Pardew became manager. They beat Southampton last weekend in the FA Cup and won their last two games prior to that.
Prediction: 3-3 Draw

West Ham United @ Liverpool: Sat, Jan 31, 10:00am
A battle between 7th and 8th place, this is sure to be a good game. Liverpool are looking to show they are still the team that just missed winning the title last season. West Ham are having a great season but have been dropping in the standings slightly. This game could help them gain an edge over their closest neighbors in the standings, Liverpool.
Prediction: West Ham wins 4-2

Leicester City @ Manchester United: Sat, Jan 31, 10:00am - NBCSN
Anybody who saw the first game this season between these two teams definitely hasn't forgotten that thriller which Leicester won 5-3. Manchester United were embarrassed in that game, much like they were on Friday in the FA Cup against Cambridge United, drawing 0-0 in a game they should have easily won, especially with players like Van Persie and Falcao on the field. Man United need to redeem themselves in this game or they will be laughed at by everyone again. After the 5-3 Leicester win I mentioned before, Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli tweeted "Man utd ... LOL", which accumulated 213,000 retweets.
Prediction: Man United wins 3-2

QPR @ Stoke City: Sat, Jan 31, 10:00am
QPR do not look likely to stay in the Premier League after this season in my opinion. I simply don't think they have what it takes. Stoke, on the other hand, have looked solid and are in 10th place, right in the middle of the table and beat Leicester 1-0 in their most recent Premier League match.
Prediction: Stoke wins 3-0

Burnley @ Sunderland: Sat, Jan 31, 10:00am
These two teams are tied at 20 points and are both looking to widen the gap between themselves and relegation territory. Jozy Altidore has finally been freed from Sunderland's bench and Jermain Defoe has returned to the Premier League, joining Sunderland a couple weeks ago. Both teams lost their last Premier League games. When these teams met earlier this season, the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Prediction: 1-1 Draw

Tottenham @ West Bromwich Albion: Sat, Jan 31, 10:00am
Tottenham have looked good recently, only losing one of their last eight league games, including a 5-3 win against Chelsea on New Year's Day. However, they lost to Leicester in the FA Cup last weekend. West Bromwich have not lost in their last three league games (2 draws 1 win) so they should be going into this game with some confidence.
Prediction: Tottenham wins 1-0

Manchester City @ Chelsea: Sat, Jan 31, 12:30pm - NBC
This is the main event of the weekend in the Premier League, a huge game between first and second place. Chelsea striker and league-leading scorer Diego Costa is suspended for this match, while Man City striker Sergio Aguero has returned from injury but midfielder Yaya Touré is still at the Africa Cup of Nations with his fellow countryman, new Manchester City signing Wilfried Bony, both representing Ivory Coast. Yaya Touré is an important part of Man City's midfield but they have been able to cope without him, especially with former Chelsea man Frank Lampard playing an offensive role in the midfield. Without Diego Costa, Chelsea will probably have to play young Frenchman Loïc Rémy or Ivorian veteran Didier Drogba at striker. Drogba is a club legend and Rémy had a great season last year on loan with Newcastle. If Man City loses this game, it will be a huge blow to their chances of winning the title.
Prediction: 2-2 Draw

Aston Villa @ Arsenal: Sun, Feb 1, 8:30am - NBCSN 
Arsenal is looking to get past Manchester United and into fourth place, and this game will likely help them with that. Aston Villa has only won 5 games this year and have won zero of their last 7 league games (3 draws 4 losses). Arsenal beat Manchester City 2-0 in their last league game.
Prediction: Arsenal wins 3-1

Swansea @ Southampton: Sun, Feb 1, 11:00am - NBCSN 
If Southampton want to stay in third place, they probably need to win this game against ninth-place Swansea. Swansea have been slowly dropping in the standings for a long time, but I still believe in them. Losing Wilfried Bony has obviously not helped them, but Bafetimbi Gomis is an amazing striker as well. However, with rumors he may be leaving to join West Ham, the Swansea we saw beat Man United in Week 1 may be gone for good.
Prediction: Southampton wins 4-3

NHL All-Star Weekend

Tonight is the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft, Sundays game will mark the 3rd time the All-Star game will be played under the new format. The new format was adopted in 2011 when the league decided to change the format from a East v. West, to a format where two captain have a draft to decide their teams. The change was meant to boost the All-Star game which had become very boring.  Did it work? The draft does add a new spin to the weekend, but in my opinion has not enhanced the game itself. The long and short of it is that the players are getting paid millions in salary and therefore owners, coaches, and the players themselves don't want to get injured. Due to this the game suffers, it is the same problem the NFL(who copied the NHL's idea for a fantasy draft). For me the main attraction is the skills competition on Saturday. The skills competition offers a chance for these world class athletes to show off some tricks they have probably been working on for years.

This Year's Game

 

 Captains:

 

Nick Foligno:  Foligno is an unknown name for the average hockey fan. He is 27 years old and has split his career with the Senators and his current team the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is having a career year this season pocketing 42 points(18G, 24A) in 44 games. Although he is having a good season he should not have been named captain. He was probably named captain due to the location of the game being in his team's city. I would have liked to see Nash be named captain, since he is the leading scorer and started his career in Columbus.
Assistants: Drew Doughty(Los Angeles), Patrick Kane(Chicago),

Johnathan Toews: Toews is the opposite of Foligno he is one of the most respected palyers in the league on and off the ice. Toews has 42 points(14G, 28A) in 47 games. Johnathan Toews is known for his leadership and I personally think he is a great player to have as a captain for the game. He fits into the likes of the other captain that have been named in previous years(Nicklas Lindstrom, Daniel Alfredsson, and Eric Staal). Toews is a great ambassador for the game and one that can not be thanked enough for his great play in Chicago.
Assistants: Rick Nash(New York Rangers), Ryan Getzlaf(Anaheim)

Coaches:

 

Peter Laviolette(Nashville) - Team Toew: Laviolette has led the suprising Predators to a 30-10-5 record so far this season(2nd in NHL). He is making  huge strides with Nashville in  his first year there.

Darryl Sutter(Los Angeles) - Team Foligno: Sutter on the other hand has been with Los Angeles for a while and is the defending Stanley Cup Champion coach. The Kings are currently 20-15-12, which places them just outside of the current play-off picture.

Draft Predictions:

 

First Pick: Duncan Keith -  With Kane on one team and Toews on the other I think they will be in  a race to get their fellow teammates away from the other.

Last Pick: Zemgus Girgensons - It is obvious the Girgensons is only in the game due to the Fan Vote and therefore is one of the least flashy players in the game.

Get to Know the Atlanta Hawks

An Unlikely Juggernaut Outta A-Town

If I asked you at the beginning of the season what teams would be vying for domination of the NBA, you'd probably say teams like the Spurs, Bulls, Cavaliers, and Warriors. And while to an extent you'd be right (the Cavs being a notable disappointment), you'd almost undoubtedly be forgetting one team; the Atlanta Hawks. No one can blame you; very few people seriously called the Atlanta Hawks being this good this year, and to most of the casual NBA audience, the Hawks were irrelevant. 

But on the basketball court, the Atlanta Hawks are playing just as good as the Warriors or Spurs, at an Eastern Conference best 34-8 and second in the entire NBA behind only Golden State. Over the last 30 games, the Hawks have won 27, and are currently on a 13 game winning streak. According to basketball reference, they have the 5th overall offensive rating and 6th overall defensive rating, are holding opponents to an NBA best 96 points per game, and putting up 103 points per game, 6th best in the NBA. How is this Atlanta team so balanced on both sides of the ball? 

Let's start off examining their offensive excellence. The Hawks are ranked 2nd in assists per game, and to watch their ball movement is to see a dazzling display of team basketball. They're Spurs-esque, and this is no coincidence. Mike Budenholzer, head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and shoo in for Coach of the Year, was a long time assistant of Greg Popovich and took many of the same unselfish, team first principals that garner the Spurs so much success. More importantly, his players have bought in, and what you are left with is a well oiled offensive machine. 

The personal helps, too. You need people all over the floor who can shoot and provide spacing, and from their guards (Kyle Korver, who's shooting an insane 53% from 3 point land, along with pieces such as Demarre Carol and Mike Scott) to their bigs (Al Hortford and Millsap) you have people with consistent range. Jeff Teague has proven to be an effective rim attacker, Millsap and Hortford can both get you buckets, and the offense moves in unison. 

Defensively, they are a smart team when it comes to rotations. They make the right rotations, and they're smart. For example, in the Sunday Afternoon game against the Detroit Pistons (which was a fine game), the Hawks limited the effectiveness of Brandon Jennings by continually trapping on the Pick and Roll, which destroyed the mid court offense of the Pistons. And having Al Hortford back makes a world of a difference on pick and roll coverage and protecting the rim. 

This team is for real. They have solid coaching, chemistry, a system that is proven to work, and talent all over the place. The Hawks will likely send at least two players to the All-Star game, Millsap and Teague, but could also justifiably send Hortford and Korver with the way they're playing. When you look at the box scores of a Hawks game, no one jumps off the paper. And that's the point; they all do exactly what is needed of them to win, and no more. Everyone knows their role, and performs it admirably. Sound like a team that just recently won the finals by a record margin? It should. The Hawks bandwagon is off and running, and there's still room. 

A Tale of Two Games

The AFC and NFC Championship games boosted two completely different story lines. The NFC Championship was a game where one team barely held on then with some 4th quarter magic were able to steal the game. While in the AFC Championship you had a team that had complete control over the entire game. Here we have a breakdown of all the action yesterday:

Seattle: Destined to Repeat

If you were to watch the first half of this game you would have never thought Seattle had a chance to win the game. Even after the 3rd quarter they were down 16 - 7.  Seattle had 5 turnovers (4 of which were interceptions by  Russell Wilson). Although the Seahawks got lucky with their onside kick, the play that boggled my mind was the two-point conversion where Wilson just threw the ball up and somehow Luke Wilson caught the pass. Russell Wilson was on the opposite side of the field and somehow Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix did not make a play on the ball that was right in front of him. The fight that Seattle showed being able to mentally stay in the game was amazing and that of a champion. Yet you have to wonder if Rogers was not injured if the Packers would have won, because coming down the stretch there was open field that if he was healthy he could have gained some nice chunks of yardage. Nevertheless, this game will go down as one of the best comebacks in all of NFC Championship game history.

Final Score: Green Bay 22 - Seattle 28

Patriots: Off to Seattle

If you were one of the many people that watched both games this Sunday, this was nothing like the 4th quarter miracle comeback we witnessed in the NFC Championship game.  The AFC Championship was complete domination by the New England Patriots. The game was almost over as soon as it started, the Patriots had a 14 - 0 lead after the first quarter. Even though the Colts were able to get on the board in the 2nd quarter, that was all the scoring they would do. The 3rd quarter came and the Patriots scored 21 point to close out the Colts, then added another 7 in the fourth as a cherry on top. The Patriots held Indianapolis to just one touchdown and shut down Andrew Luck allowing him to only throw for 126 yards. The Patriots offense had the same story as their defense and that is complete domination. They ran the ball with ease and threw the ball at will. Brady and Blount had three touchdowns each, with Tom Brady  throwing for a total 226 yards and 1 interception. In the word of Bill Belichick the Patriots are "Off to Seattle", and as for the Colts they will have to try again next year.

Final Score: Indianapolis 7 - New England 45

Three Stars

First Star

LeGarrette Blount : 30 carries, 148 yards, and 3 TDs

Second Star

Tom Brady: 23/35, 242 pass yards, 3 pass TD,  1 INT

Third Star

Marshawn Lynch : 25 carries, 157 yards, and 1 TD

What's Next?

Super Bowl XLIX will match the number 1 ranked AFC Patriots against the number 1 ranked NFC Seahawks.  This game will have Tom Brady the decades best quarterback against the newcomer to winning Russell Wilson. This game has all the fixings of a classic, we will have to wait and see which team will bring home the Lombardi trophy from Arizona on February 1st.

Stay Tuned for Super Bowl News and Previews.

NHL Big Hits

Some big things have gone down in the NHL, I'm going to break them down for you:

Pekka Rinne Injured

The leader in the Vezina race went down in the third period Tuesday in a game against Vancouver. He is out for 3 -5 weeks with knee sprain.  Nashville is on fire this season and are currently in first place in the Central Division. Carter Hutton will take over while Rinne is out. It is possible that he Predators try to make a trade for a goalie so they can stay in the play-off race. This injury just might have cost Pekka Rinne this years Vezina Trophy.

Minnesota Get Their Goalie

On Wednesday the Minnesota Wild took a chance on former first round pick Devan Dubnyk. He was traded from Arizona, and in return the Coyotes received a third round pick in the upcoming draft. His time with the Wild could not have started any better, he finished his first game with a shout-out and a win over Buffalo. I believe if he plays to his abilities he can be the piece that will help the Wild go from a play-off fringe team to a Stanley Cup Contender. As in any sport this might not be the last move, while it would be unlikely for the Wild to get another goalie there are rumors about Ottawa's Craig Anderson being on the trade market. Craig Anderson is a good goalie capable of being a reliable starter in this league.

Marc Staal: Empire State of Mind?

It has come out that the New York Rangers and Pending UFA Marc Staal have agreed to a deal in principle. The supposed deal is 6 years at 5.7 million per year. From Staal's point of view this is a deal that both gets him paid and allows him to stay with the team that drafted him. As for the Rangers they get a solid top 4 defensemen, and  a fan favorite.  Staal will solidify the rangers blue line with the likes of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh who are both locked up for the long term. Dan Boyle is also locked up for next year giving them at least a solid three going forward. This is a underrated signing considering how well Staal played while the top defensemen were injured. Having so much money tied up in the defense it will be interesting to see how the Rangers structure their forwards for the upcoming season.

All-Star Replacments

With the injuries to Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard the NHL needed to choose who would replace them in Columbus for this years NHL All-Star Game.  The choices were the Islanders Jaroslav Halak and the Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury. Halak has had a good season and is one of the reasons the Islander sit atop the Metropolitan Division. Marc-Andre Fleury on the other hand has been on a team that has been marred with injuries and illness, and he is one of the reasons they are still in a play-off position. Both are very deserving goalies.

Four Teams, One Goal

This Sunday, the four remaining teams in the NFL playoffs will square off for the right to play in the Superbowl. In the NFC the 12-4 Seattle Seahawks will host the 12-4 Green Bay Packers. These two teams faced each other in week one and Seattle won handily 36-16. Since then, Aaron Rodgers has put up MVP type numbers and won last weeks game against the Cowboys despite a tear in his calf. Russel Wilson has looked sharp throughout the year and is poised to repeat as Super Bowl champion.

In the AFC The Indianapolis Colts will travel to Foxborough to face the 12-4 New England Patriots. Andrew Luck has led the league in passing yards this year and looks to use his momentum from two playoff wins to beat the favored Patriots. These two teams have met twice recently with New England winning both comfortably due in large part to a run-heavy game plan.

Here are our bold predictions for Sundays match ups:

Top Quarterback Performance:

James- Andrew Luck vs Patriots: (300+ yards 2 touchdowns 2 interceptions) I believe the Colts will fall behind in this game because of New Englands potent offense which will call for Luck to throw the ball to keep it close. Luck has looked good against both Cincinatti and Denvers strong secondaries and seems much more comfortable this year in the postseason. Look for Coby Fleener to have a big day similar to what Owen Daniels did against the Pats and I believe Ty Hilton and Hakeem Nicks once again will have a touchdown each. 

Joe- Russell Wilson vs Packers: (300 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception) Green Bay is good at throwing th ball around. This will force the Seahawks to try and keep up. I think Russell WIlson is up for the task and will make some big throws. Once in the red zone Wilson wil continue to capitalize on his scramble ability to spread the defense out.

Top Rushing Performance:

James- Marshawn Lynch vs Packers: (120 yards, 1 touchdown) Lynch was strong in the week one win vs the Packers. He rushed for 110 and two touchdowns and had plenty of yards after contact as usual. Lynch seems to feed off the home field energy and Sunday should be no different. Green Bay has struggled to defend the run all year and DeMarco Murray was solid last week against them especially outside the tackles. look for Lynch to spring a few big plays to ignite the Seahwaks offense.

Joe- Dan Herron vs Patriots: (100 yards, 1 touchdown) Herron has played well for the Colts since taking control of the backfield.  I think Herron will be able to get some room especially if Luck has success throwing the ball. I also feel that he will do well against the Patriots front seven.

Breakout Performance: 

James- Shane Vereen vs Colts (50 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards two touchdowns) Vereen has always seemed to make huge plays in the clutch to ignite the Patriots. Indianapolis has a very soft run defense which the Patriots have exposed before. With Vereens east-west style of running look for him to go off tackle and get big chunks of yard when Brady & co. go up-tempo. Also, I expect a hug passing play out of Vereen that will swing momentum in the Patriots favor or possibly seal a victory. It is big-play guys like Vereen that help win championships.

Joe- Jerrell Freeman vs Patriots: (5 tackles , 1 sack) Yes, I picked a ILB as my breakout performer, but this is because I believe he is the key to stoping the Patriots. If Freeman can stop the runs up the middle and make the Patriots one dimensional (a lot easier said then done with the Patriots three headed monster in the backfield) then they can slow down the offense and take control of the game.

Game Predictions:

 

NFC- James: Seahawks 26-23
          Joe: Seahawks 24-21
AFC- James: Patriots: 31-24
          Joe: Patriots: 27-17