Thursday, November 29, 2012

Who Should Be NFL Rookie of the Year? Comparing Andrew Luck to Robert Griffin III




Andrew Luck 2012 stats (through 11 games)
    7-4 record      255 of 449        56.8% passes completed   3,205 passing yards 13 TD's  13 INT's
                      Special Notes:                                                                                                                     
-Set NFL Rookie record for passing yards in a game (with 433)
                                                                                                                                                                                  -5 Rushing Touchdown                                                                                                                            - Led Colts to a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers  after being behind 18 at halftime 
- Earned player of the week honors for his record setting performance for passing yards in a game by a rookie
   Robert Griffin III 2012 stats (through 11 games)
       5-6 Record   205 of 304        67.4% passes completed  2,497 passing yards 16 TD's  4 INT's
                      Special Notes:
                  - Won NFL Rookie of the Month twice this season
                  - 6 Rushing Touchdowns
                  - has a 104.6 Passer (QB) Rating, which is 4th best in the league (Only Rodgers, Brady, Manning respectively have a higher rating)
                So if the season were to end today, who would you pick for NFL Rookie of the Year?


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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

"Hoosier Daddy" Indiana Simply Too Much For Tar Heels




     In what looked like would be a close match-up between two powerhouses, the #1 Indiana Hoosiers barely broke a sweat in a 83-59 victory of #14 North Carolina Tar Heels.

     Not only was the match-up part of the traditional  ACC Big Ten Challenge, but one that featured two storied programs with rich histories in their basketball programs. Indiana, being led by Sophomore Cody Zeller, (Younger brother of former Tar Heel, Tyler) looked to appear as if they have finally met their match when they would be facing North Carolina, who was being led by James Michael McAdoo, who like Zeller, is also a Sophomore. Initally the game looked as it would live up to the hype. With a very tight first half, Indiana went into the half up 46-37. Unfortunately, at least for North Carolina, Indiana would break the game wide open in the second half.

     In the first four minutes of the second half, Indiana started off with a 10-0 run thanks to Zeller and Victor Oladipo, who also assisted on Jordan Hull's three pointer, quickly put the Hoosiers up by 19. It would be five minutes before North Carolina got it's first points of the second half after a tip-in shot by Reggie Bullock. But that was after Indiana already added another three points, and were now up by 20. Meanwhile, as the Tar Heels continued to struggle from the floor, the Hoosiers would continue to blow the game wide open with superb play by Zeller and an excellent outside shooting game by Indiana.


     The Hoosiers dominated all aspects of the game. Shooting 40% from 3-point range, Indiana also outrebounded the Tar Heels on the boards, showed a tremendous display of teamwork with 21 assists compared to North Carolina's 8. Indiana would put itsself on cruise control by outscoring Carolina by 15 in the second half, and the defense shutdown the Tar Heels who were held to just 4 points in the first 10 minutes of play in the second half. Zeller, who is atop of the list for the Wooden Award(National Player of the Year)  finished the game leading all scorers with 20 points as the Hoosiers would improve their record to 7-0.


     Indiana, who proved worthy of their number one ranking, will next play Coppin State on Dec. 1. The Tar Heels who drop to 5-2, look to shake off the cobwebs as they host UAB on Dec. 1
    

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Who Should Be The 2012 National Football League Defensive Player of the Year




     Through 12 weeks we have seen some impressive numbers put up on both sides of the ball. When it comes to Defense, who is the MVP and what makes their case and point to be so? Lets name a few worthy individuals mentioning for this honor.


     J.J. Watt (Houston Texans) 14.5 sacks Watt is one of the best D-Linemen in the league today and the Houston Texans 10-1 record is partially due to the play of Watt.


     Von Miller (Denver Broncos) 14.0 sacks 4 Forced Fumbles  I do not think Miller gets enough credit that he truly deserves. Miller's play has propelled the Broncos to atop of the standings in the AFC West and are in contention for a potential first round bye in the playoffs.


     Aldon Smith (San Francisco 49ers) 16.5 sacks 3 Forced Fumbles  Smith has made a name for himself and made a case for the Defensive MVP.  Smith has reached 30 career sacks faster than Reggie White and in only his second season! The 49ers have arguably the best defense in the league and you can contribute alot of their success to Aldon Smith's play.


     Other Noteworthy Players
      1. Tim Jennings (Chicago Bears) 8 interceptions 1 TD
      2. DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys) 10 sacks 4 Forced Fumbles
      3. Charles Tillman (Chicago Bears) 7 Forced Fumbles 2 INT's (both returned for TD's)
      4. Clay Matthews (Green Bay Packers) 9 Sacks 1 INT
      5. Cameron Wake (Miami Dolphins) 9.5 Sacks 1 Forced Fumble


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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Penn State Vs Wisconsin Game Review: Nittany Lions Finally Win Close Game, Beat Badgers 24-21



     Penn State's 2012 season has come to a close. As well as some outstanding careers by some fine young men who lived through adversity all season long and still found a way to come out on top! It what was an emotional day for the Nittany Lion Seniors, as not only was it their final home game but also their final game of their collegiate career (Since Penn State is barred from postseason play for 4 years)

    Emotions were even higher with Senior Mike Mauti out with a knee injury. In honor of Mauti's contributions to the team prior to the season starting and being the vocal leader, Penn State honored him by wear his number '42' on the side of their helmets, with fellow Senior Linebacker Gerald Hodges even wearing Mauti's number for the game as well.

     Wisconsin jumped out to an early 7-0 lead when Melvin Gordon took a pass from Curt Phillips 57 yards down the sideline to give the Badgers the early advantage. Penn State would respond with a 15 play 78 yard drive that was finished off with a 3 yd. TD Run by Zack Zwinak to tie it at 7-7 on it's ensuing possession, Wisconsin put together yet another quick scoring drive after a kickoff return gave them good starting field advantage. Montee Ball ran for a 17 yd TD(who now owns the FBS record for 79 career TD scores) to give the Badgers the lead right back with a 14-7 advantage despite 3 straight scoring possessions to open up the game (Wisconsin- 2  Penn State- 1) The score would remain the same at the half.


     Penn State opened up the second half with the ball first and seemingly scored a TD on a Matt McGloin TD Pass to Brandon Moseby-Felder. But after further review, Felder didn't maintain control through the process of the catch, so Penn State was forced to settle for a FG to cut Wisconsin's lead to 4. Later on in the mid 3rd, Penn State would again kick another FG to now make it a one point game, which would stay that way heading into the fourth quarter.


     In the early part of the 4th quarter Penn State TE Jesse James was called for offensive pass interference that put them in a 3rd and 21 situation. Two plays later Penn State faced a 4th and 6 and had a decision to make, one that would end up paying off and allowed James to redeem himself for his mistake just a few plays earlier when he caught a wide open pass from Matt McGloin and ran down the side lines 41 yards for a TD, giving Penn State it's first lead of the game. Zack Zwinak successfully converted on the 2 Point Conversion, extending Penn State's lead to a touchdown by a score of 21-14. Penn State and Wisconsin played back and forth ball without any plays resulting into scores. Wisconsin would get the ball back one last time with just 4:04 remaining with all three timeouts left.

     After giving up two touchdowns in the first quarter on Wisconsin's first two possessions, Penn State's defense would then go on to shutdown the Badger offense since then. With one last chance on 4th and goal, Wisconsin's QB Curt Phillips rolled out to the right and hit Jeff Duckworth for a TD pass and would send this hard fought battle to overtime.


     Penn State would receive the ball first to start OT. Unfortunately they were forced to a three and out and would have to settle for a third Sam Ficken FG. His third FG gave the Nittany Lions the lead in the early part of overtime. Wisconsin would now get a shot to score a touchdown and win the game, or at the very least, kick a field and send it into another OT. Like Penn State, Wisconsin went 3 and out and were forced to kick. Wisconsin's Kyle French was called out onto the field to attempt a 44 yard field goal. French was set up to kick and ultimately ended up missing the field goal wide left. Penn State would win and go on to finish the season 8-4, even facing after all of the troubles and adversity this special group of young players have submitted their legacy for what  they did for this program and proved all of their critics wrong. Until next season there is only one thing left to say "We are.............."


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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Detroit Lions vs Houston Texans "Calling Into Question A Questionable Call"




     During the 3rd Quarter of the Houston Texans vs Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day afternoon game, Texans Running Back Justin Forsett was granted an 81 yard touchdown even though replay clearly had shown he was down. No problem though as all touchdowns are automatically reviewed. Except for one thing, it is illegal according to NFL rules to throw a challenge flag on a touchdown call, because as mentioned before, all touchdowns are automatically reviewed.


     Unfortunately, Head Coach Jim Schwartz (and to be honest probably most NFL fans) was unaware of this rule. When Schwartz threw the challenge flag, he committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty thus causing the play to become automatically non-reviewable. Again I, and I would think most fans, did not realize such a rule existed.

    
     Nevermind whether or not it was a touchdown, but the fact that the play is no longer reviewable just because the coach threw a challenge flag is just simply foolish. Maybe not the strongest point to start an argument, but right away it is almost like they are saying the play did not happen as they ruled it "non-reviewable". Another point is they are practically contradicting the fact that every touchdown is always reviewed by not reviewing it.

     I am sure there are many other points to be made about this call, as the even the NFL stated after the game that they would look into reviewing this rule in the off-season. I would still be okay with the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if the coach threw a challenge flag on a touchdown. As it would not be necessary to do so since all touchdowns are reviewed, but to completely neglect a play that can have a huge effect on a game, comes off as irresponsible on the league's part

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Penn State vs Indiana Game Review: McGloin; Robinson, put on clinic as Penn State Beats Indiana in a Route



     One thing that can be said about Matt McGloin about this year from previous years past, is that he has adjusted well into a quality quarterback. Some even say that if Bill O'Brien had been there from the beginning when McGloin was a freshman, that his playing ability would even be greater than what it is right now. Despite his improvement at playing quarterback, McGloin was heading into the season without a real deep ball threat Wide Receiver. Enter: Allen Robinson


     Robinson flew under the radar, sort of like Deon Butler back in 05' in the sense of not a highly touted recruit.(though unlike Robinson, Butler was a walk-on) Nevertheless, the immediate impact they made when they got the opportunity to leave it all out on the field, they made sure to take advantage and showcase their abilities.

     McGloin and Robinson connected on 10 passes, 3 of which that went for TD's. The first of which was in the 1st quarter with 4:26 remaining, McGloin threw a pass down the sidelines in which Robinson made an acrobatic like catch in the air and into the endzone to give Penn State the first score of the game.(Penn State has scored first in 10 of its 11 games. The only time being against Purdue) Indiana though wouldn't go quietly.

     In a span of 84 seconds, the Hoosiers scored 10 unanswered points from a FG and then off from a turnover that they would capitalize on with a TD pass to give them a 10-7 lead early in the 2nd Quarter. Penn State, especially Robinson did not panic. McGloin would hit Robinson on a lateral pass, and Robinson then made his move from there and he was off to the races, quickly giving Penn State the lead right back 14-10 on his 2nd TD Reception of the game.

     After an Indiana FG, Penn State would drive the ball down the field once again, this time on the combination of Michael Zordich and Zack Zwinak carries. Penn State capped off the scoring drive when McGloin hooked up with none other than Allen Robinson for the 3rd time in the game. Robinson would go on to finish with 10 catches for 197 yards and 3 TD's, (all of which either tied or set a career high total[s] )

     Matt McGloin wasn't finished on his aerial attack. Just right before the end of the first half, McGloin found a wide open Zack Zwinak for a TD, giving Penn State a 28-13 lead heading into the locker room.

     Penn State opened up the 2nd half with the ball and on the first play, McGloin hit TE Matt Lehman for 29 yards into Indiana terrority. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions the drive stalled and they were forced to put. On Indiana's first play of the second half, QB Cameron Coffman threw a lateral to Stephen Houston who then burst through defenders with his blazing speed and went 79 yds. for a TD cutting Penn State's lead to 9 (IU would miss the extra point) Indiana was not done though as they had another trick up their sleeves. On the ensuing kickoff, the Hoosiers would surprise everybody and do an onside kick which they proceeded to cover. In what looked like what was possibly going to be a runaway at the beginning of the second half for Penn State, the games momentum seemingly shifted towards Indiana. The Hoosiers would fail though to score after missing a FG. But just two plays later would recover a fumble from Zack Zwinak and had another shot to cut into the lead. Even though they didn't get a TD, they still managed to make a FG this time and cut Penn State's lead to six. But that's as close as Indiana would get for the rest of the day.

     Highlighted by catches from receivers Robinson and Brandon Moseby-Felder, Penn State capped off its ensuing possesion on a 9 play, 75 yard drive on a 1yd. TD Run by Zack Zwinak, (who had another 100+ yd. rushing game finishing with 135). Increasing Penn State's lead to 13.

     Indiana was forced to a 3 & out on its next possession as Penn State's offense took over once again. A combination of McGloin passes and Zwinak runs would set up a 4 yd. TD Run by Michael Zordich. Blowing the game now wide open as Penn State now lead 42-22 after 3 Quarters. The only scoring in the 4th was a 28 yd FG by Sam Ficken (who as we all know started out horribly, but has since found his nitch and improved his kicking) in which the time of possession for Penn State was 6:30 minutes as they used their offense to burn the clock and secure the win. Penn State with the win improves to 7-4 with its final game of the season next week at home vs. Wisconsin, in which Penn State will look to seek a little payback after last year's embarassing loss in Camp Randall Stadium.


      Also Congratulations to Matt McGloin for setting school records for completions in a season, yards in a season, and career passing touchdowns. Be sure to send him many congrats via Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet!

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Friday, November 16, 2012

November 17 1968: Remembering The Famous "Heidi Game" 44 Years Later And It's Historical Impact




     Would you believe that a regular season NFL game would have a bigger impact on history than any Super Bowl ever played?  On November 17, 1968, a football game between the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders ended in dramatic fashion. But it wasn't the game itsself that made it still remembered to this day. Believe it or not, it was the movie Heidi. With only a little over a minute left in the game and the Jets up by a score of 32-29, the magical hour of 7PM came. Back then in 1968, there was no established procedure for how the NFL and T.V. would handle a football game that went over its allotted time.


       Since they had no established procedure, the Television Executives pulled the plug on the game and went to regular scheduled programming. The regular scheduled program was the movie Heidi. Because of Heidi preempting the finish of the game, it caused the switchboard at NBC and it's affiliates to light up.  Football fans were furious that they would not be able to view the end of the game on television.  The Jets had just kicked a field goal to take a three point lead and were set to kick off to the Raiders. The last play that viewers saw was the kickoff return, which Oakland brought out to their own 22 when the closing theme of the NFL came on and the cue was given to start NBC's original scheduled time of broadcasting for the movie Heidi. Meanwhile as fans were going irate because they were not able to see the finish of the game, Oakland would drive down the field for a TD, giving themselves a 36-32 lead with just 42 seconds remaining. The Jets still had a chance to win the game, but the Jets fumbled the ball on the kickoff, which allowed the Raiders to pick it up and proceed to score another TD. Oakland would hang on to win 43-32 after scoring 14 unanswered points in the final 61 seconds.


     The decision to pull the plug on the game between the Jets and Raiders for the movie Heidi, all professional football games would now be shown in their entirety, regardless of how long it went past it scheduled time slot. Subsequently, all sports would go on to adopt this same policy and not switch from the sporting event to scheduled programming until the conclusion of the event.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Don's Top 10 BCS Standings Week of 11-11-12

  
Back again with another edition of Don's Top 10. Before I give his top 10 I would just like to thank Don for contributing to my blog and greatly appreciate his work. With that said, lets see who Don's top 10 are. 
  
1. Oregon - Another blowout as usual
2. Kansas St. - The score wasn't that impressive but they dominated a good TCU team
3. Clemson - Another blowout against an ACC opponent
4. Georgia - Shut out a better than expected Ole Miss team
5. Alabama - THEY FINALLY LOST! and the defense was finally exposed
6. Florida St. - VT is one of those teams that plays to whatever level their opponents are at but can only manage to win once and a while, FSU escaped a good but not great team
7. LSU - Their win over A&M looks even more impressive and they dismantled Miss St.
8. Texas A&M - They exposed Bama's defense for what it is and Johnny Football can play!
9. Notre Dame - Another boring game from them in a sense that they aren't putting up gaudy numbers against significantly weaker competition
10. Oklahoma - Their loss to ND keeps looking worse and worse and they let Baylor get close at the end
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Monday, November 12, 2012

It's Time For Andy Reid To Go


                      The City of Brotherly Love Isn't Showing Andy Reid Much Love These Days



     With the loss to divisional rival Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles playoffs hopes are all but dead.  Not only are Philadelphia's playoff chances at jeopardy, but so is Andy Reid's job. Reid, who has held the head coaching position since 1999, has had a realtively successful tenure in Philadelphia. Between 2000-2004, Reid led the Eagles to consecutive playoff appearances, four of which he led them to the NFC Championship(also consecutively) and a Super Bowl appearance to go with it. Not to mention, Reid also had consecutively led the Eagles to four straight Division Titles during the same time period.

   
     Since 2005 however, things have been rather rocky to say the least for Reid and the Eagles. Philadelphia missed out on the playoffs three times. Even four of their playoff appearances were disappointing, being ousted in the Wild Card Round. Reid and the Eagles problems have not only been subjected on the field, but off the field as well as Reid has butted heads with several players of the course of his tenure as head coach. Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens, and most recently DT Cullen Jenkins when they had a heated argument, after the Eagles had committed 22 penalties in a pre-season game.

    
     Players haven't been the only ones who have been vocal about the way things are going as of late. The fans of Philadelphia have not been shy of showing their displeasure of Andy Reid by hanging large signs and banners, some of which that had read "Fire Andy" and "This is not acceptable."


     Andy Reid's time in Philadelphia as the Head Coach has been relatively successful, as he has posted a win loss record of 126-81-1(prior to the 2012 season beginning) and a 7-5 record in the playoffs. All of that though is in the past as the Eagles need a change of scenery in Philadelphia by moving on from Andy Reid by thinking about the future, of which that one that ultimately consists of Reid.


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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Penn State vs Nebraska Game Review: Costly Call Causes Penn State Heartbreaking Lost In Lincoln



     It wouldn't be a Penn State game without some controversy. Late in the fourth quarter as Penn State was driving and threatening to score. Matt McGloin hit Tight End Matt Lehman, and as he was heading toward the goal line the ball popped free and Nebraska appeared to recover the ball and the call was initally a fumble on the field. However, after looking at instant replay, you can clearly see Lehman had broken the plain BEFORE he lost control of the ball. What was a clear touchdown was still apparently not enough to convince the replay officials otherwise. Nebraska would go on to win 32-23.
(Photo courtesy of SBNATION)





     Penn State opened up the game, scoring on the 4th play on a 50yd TD run by Zack Zwinak, (who finished the day with 136 yards on 22 carries.) Giving Penn State an early 7-0 lead. After two consecutive FG's by Nebraska, followed by one from Penn State of their own, Matt McGloin connected with Jesse James on a 10yd pass for a score to give the Nittany Lions a 17-6 lead. Sam Ficken (who went 3 for 3 on FG's for the day) hit a Field Goal before halftime to extend Penn
State's lead by two touchdowns.


     Nebraska opened up the 2nd Half with a long scoring drive that was capped off by a 1yd. Imani Cross TD run to cut the lead to 7. On Penn State's ensuing possession, McGloin threw an interception that was picked off by Daimion Stafford. Two plays later, Cross found the Endzone again and suddenly the game was all tied up at 20. Penn State would drive the ball downfield on the following possession before having to settle for another field goal. Giving Penn State the lead again by the score of 23-20.

     Taylor Martinez(who finished with 168 yards through the air as well as 100 on the ground) would lead the Cornhuskers on a long drive. On 3rd & Goal, Martinez tucked the ball away and pursited the endzone on foot. As Martinez was making his way towards the goal line, Michael Mauti forced a fumble which Jacob Fagano recovered in the endzone for a touchback. Penn State however could do nothing with the ball and were forced to punt after a 3 and out. Martinez would again lead the Cornhuskers down the field and this time Nebraska came away with a TD when Martinez hooked up with Jamal Turner to give the Cornhuskers a 27-23 lead.
    
     Penn State only needed three minutes to move the ball all the way down to Nebraska's 3. That when McGloin hit Matt Lehman for what looked like to be a touchdown, but was ruled a fumble on the field and after further review the play was upheld. Nebraska took over at its own 20. Penn State's Defense was able to hold them and force a punt. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, it was kicked all the way down inside their own two. A few plays later another questionable call happened as McGloin threw the ball away, (which there appeared to be a legal receiever in presence of where the ball ended up) McGloin was called for a saftey. Giving Nebraska not only a 29-23 lead but now would receive the ball. Penn State's Defense stood tall once again to give the Offense one last shot to win the game.
    
     With Penn State facing 4th down, McGloin threw a pass intended for Alex Kenney that was broken up by a Nebraska defender, effectively ending the game as Penn State had no timeouts left. Nebraska put the final nail in the coffin when Brett Maher connected on a 33yd. FG with 23 seconds left. Putting the game officially out of reach as they now had a 9 point lead. Nebraska would come away with the win 32-23 and are now in the driver's seat for a potential Rose Bowl Berth.
     Penn State faces Indiana next week and finishes their season up at home against Wisconsin. Nebraska hosts Minnesota next week before heading off to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes on Black Friday.

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Three NFL Teams With Best Wide Receiver Trio To Date This Season



     I got the idea to write this specific blog from an article I read, (which you can read here http://tinyurl.com/d4ov3p9 ) but decided to give a different view point, as I write about the best NFL's best WR Trio's to date this season.


     Green Bay Packers- Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones

          It may seem like putting the this bunch here might be a little bit of a risk, since they are in a pass heavy offense, but you can't ignore the numbers. Between this trio of receivers, they have  almost accounted for 500 yards receiving each, with Jones being the exception with 462 yards. Interestingly enough, Jones though is tied for the NFL league in TD receptions with 8(A.J. Green of the Bengals) and Nelson and Cobb also have contributed with their fair share of TD Receptions. Nelson to go along with his 532 receiving yards had 5 TD Receptions as Randall Cobb has 6 TD grabs to go with his 500 receiving yards. Taking into consideration that the Packers WR Greg Jennings, who is arguably their best, has been out most of the season battling injuries. In Jennings absence, the three have been able to step up  and perform by producing the numbers that is expected to come out of the Packers receiving game.


     Denver Broncos- Brandon Stokley, Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas

           There were many questions entering the season of what the season would be like now that they had Peyton Manning at quarterback, and whether or not he could still play at the same level he was capable of before.  Peyton has done a pretty good job of proving critics wrong and shows he's still got it. Manning however does have his receivers to thank. Brandon Stokley, who played alongside Manning in Indianapolis, provides the veteran leadership out of the WR trio, and has 278 receiving yards as well as 3 TD Receptions.  Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas both look to have bright futures, Thomas leads the team with 756 receiving yards with 45 receptions, four of them being TD's. On the flipside, Decker has the most TD Receptions with 7 and has accumulated 583 passing yards on 46 catches


     Indianapolis Colts- Reggie Wayne, Donnie Avery, T.Y. Hilton

          The perfect combination of past(Wayne) present(Avery) and future(Hilton, who is a Rookie) Reggie Wayne has provided Andrew Luck with a reliable and experience receiver as evident that Wayne has 835 Receiving yards, which is the most in the league. Wayne has 61 receptions, three of which have gone for TD's. Avery, who was the recipient of Andrew Luck's first career TD pass, has seemingly found a place in an offense finally. After playing in St. Louis for the first 3 years of his career and a brief stint with the Titans, Avery has come into Indianapolis and has played in significant role in the receiving game. Avery has the potential to become a veteran leader after Reggie Wayne retires and mentor the younger receivers. To date Avery has 34 catches going for 454 yards and a TD for the 2012 season. Rookie T.Y. Hilton could ultimately find his way of being Andrew Luck's go to guy in the future.(coincidentally both are Rookies) Hilton has put up very respectable numbers for a Rookie, garnishing 355 receiving yards on 24 receptions and has caught 2 TD's.

     Note: When I wrote and finished this blog, it happened to be on a Thursday night game that the Colts were playing in. I did not add those statistics from that game. All statistics shown, have only been up to week 9.


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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Quarterbacks Who May Be In Danger of Losing Their Role As Starting QB



     We're a little over the halfway point into the 2012 season and are starting to get a feel of where teams exactly stand when it comes to whether or not they will make the playoffs. It can also be a good indication if there needs to be a change of scenery for teams by addressing and fixing an issue just in time to make a late playoff run. However, for some teams, especially its team's quarterback, time may not only be running out on the season, but possibly their role as the starting quarterback.


             Tony Romo  2012 stats as of week 9 (2,394 passing yards. 10TD's 13 INT's)

                For the Dallas Cowboys, they have gone through numerous quarterbacks in order to find their next franchise quarterback ever since Troy Aikman retired. Quincy Carter, Chad Hucthinson, Vinny Testaverde, and Drew Bledsoe are among the list of quarterbacks the Cowboys have tried experimenting with. Midway through the 2006 season, Dallas finally seemed to have what they had been looking for in a quarterback when Romo took over the starting job from Bledsoe. Though Romo has put up very respectable numbers and a winning record, he will often make ill-afford mistakes. In Week 9, despite throwing for over 400 yards against the Giants, Romo only had 1 TD pass and had 4 interceptions. The turnovers proved costly, especially since the Cowboys were able to come back after being down 23-0 and take a 1 point lead, but the turnovers came back to doom Romo and the 'Boys'. Romo's track record in the playoffs isn't the greatest either. In the 2007 Wild Card Round, Romo mishandled a snap on a FG attempt and had to quickly pick the ball up and run with it in hopes of getting a score via a touchdown. Unfortunately for Romo, he got stopped at the 1yd line thus ending Dallas' season when the practically had the game in their hands(or rather feet, FG pun) The following season saw an awesome regular season campaign by Romo, leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and a first round bye. However Dallas was upset by the #6 seed NY Giants in the Divisional Round. Dallas had one last shot and were driving, and with nine remaining, Romo was picked off in the endzone, his only of the game, which ended up being the difference in it. Romo appeared in the playoffs only once more, in 2010 and would win his first (and the Cowboys' first in 13 years)  playoff game before being eliminated by the Minnesota Vikings where Romo had three fumbles (losing two) an interception and was sacked six times. Since then, things have gone south for Romo. In 2010 he broke his left clavicle in a Week 5 game against the Giants. Forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. 2011 Romo had a good season by statistical standards, but had five interception in the first four games which would eventually end up being too much as the Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention in the final game of the season losing to eventual SuperBowl Champions NY Giants, where Romo threw an interception, and was sacked six times. Through 9 games in 2012 Romo has 10 TD's and has already surpassed the amount of interceptions he had last year(12) with 13 interceptions to date on the season. If Romo continues to slide like this and not perform in key situations and games, the Cowboys may eventually have to count there losses and move on from Tony Romo.


        Mike Vick  2012 stats as of week 9 (10 TD's 9INT's 4 fumbles 2,095 passing yards.)

       Ever since Vick re-entered the league, many argued whetheror not he should have been allowed to play again. Though Vick had a nice comeback story by taking over the starting role from Donovan McNabb and lead the Eagles to a playoff appearance in 2011. (2010 season) But ever since then, Vick has performed poorly and is constantly getting hurt. For the 2012 season, Vick and the Eagles have been having troubling controlling the ball and constantly fumble and turn the ball over in the endzone, shooting themselves in the foot as evident of their 3-5 record (started out 3-1) and Vick has 10 TD passes but 9 interceptions to his resume to date for the season. Granted his Offensive Line has not been of much help, as evident by last nights performance by giving up 7 sacks. Nevertheless the, going back to Vick's 2010 performance which looks like its been more than nothing of a one-hit wonder. If Vick doesn't quickly turn things around and the Eagles fall out of playoff contention, they may want to start experimenting with Nick Foles and start preparing for the future.


     Mark Sanchez  2012 stats as of week 9 (10 TD's 8 INT's 1,736 passing yards)

       I think it may be a bit premature for the Jets to worry about a QB change by replacing Mark Sanchez. Sanchez in his first two seasons, took the Jets to the AFC Championship. In all six postseason game appearances, Sanchez has put up good numbers with a total of 1,055 yards, 9TD's and just 3 INT's. With all that being said, Sanchez has come under a lot of criticism from teammates for his poor work ethic and inability to improve. But it's not just teammates, fans alike are also growing restless as they see Sanchez's performance below his expected standards as well. Sanchez doesn't help his case taking in the consideration that the Jets are 3-5 up to this point, and if things continue the waythey are, the Jets may have no other choice but to go with someone other than Sanchez.

     Christian Ponder 2012 stats as of week 9 ( 10 TD's 8 INT's 1,806 passing yards

         The Vikings had gotten off to a great start and seem poised to exceed all expectations by jumping out to a 4-1 record. Since then they have lost 3 of their last 4 and two of Ponder's last three performances he hadn't even amassed 100 yards passing! Yes I said NOT EVEN 100 yards passing.
One saving grace for Ponder is that, as mentioned, the Vikings started out early exceeding all expectations and he still has time and potential to develop into a productive starting QB. If Ponder continues to have outings where he doesn't even crack the century mark in passing yards, the Vikings could once again be looking for a new QB to take over the starting job. Which was probably alot sooner than they had hoped after selecting Ponder in the 2011 NFL Draft


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Saturday, November 3, 2012

Alabama Beats LSU On Late Scoring Drive In Death Valley


                 T.J. Yeldon Scoring On What Would End Up Being The Game Winning TD

     In a span of 13 months, Alabama and LSU have faced each other three times with plenty at stake. The first was a low scoring game that only featured Field Goals, with LSU coming out on top 9-6. The two would meet again, this time for the National Championship. This time Alabama were the ones to come out on top and in the process become National Champions, winning by a score of 21-0. Today's game was more dramatic as Alabama entered a hostile "Death Valley" environment. The Tigers looked to redeem themselves from an embarassing National Title game performance and give Alabama its first loss of the season.

     LSU opened up the game with a long drive until they had to settle on punting the ball. Alabama however would quickly go 3&out, giving the ball right back to the Tigers. LSU would once again put together a lengthy drive and this time were able to come away with points as Drew Alleman connected on a 38 yd. FG to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. The score would remain that way after one quarter of play.

     LSU opened up the 2nd Quarter punting the ball. Giving the Crimson Tide possession starting deep in their own terrority at the 8yd. line. With a good combination of passing and running plays, Alabama was able to drive the ball down the field 92 yards, capping it off with a 7yd. TD run by Eddie Lacy, giving Alabama its first lead of the game, 7-3.

     On LSU's next two possessions, they failed to produce any points, with the first being a turnover on down after failing to convert on 4th down from Alabama's 29. The second missed opportunity came on a missed FG by Drew Alleman from 54 yds. After the missed Field Goal, this gave Alabama one more shot at another score before going into the half, which ended up being crucial for later on in the game. The Crimson Tide started at their own 37 taking only 57 seconds to score a TD on run of 9 yds. by Quarterback A.J. McCarron, giving Alabama a 14-3 heading into the half.

    The second half started with LSU receiving the ball, though nothing came out of the drive, the following possession was anchored by Jeremy Hill who had 21 yards on 7 carries and saw Hill score from 1yd. out. Cutting the lead back down to four. LSU now had momentum as they were able to score their first touchdown against Alabama in the three times they met in the span of 13 months.

     LSU held Alabama to a 3&out, and once again getting the ball back. LSU was led on another drive, this time by quarterback Zach Mettenberger throwing for 82 yards and finding Javris Landry on a 14 yd. hookup, giving LSU its first lead of the game since midway through the 1st quarter. LSU however, would fail to capitalize on late opportunities. On 4th&1 deep in Alabama's terrority, they could not convert and get the first down and turned the ball over on downs. Later on, kicker Drew Alleman once again missed a FG, this time from 45 yards out. The missed FG allowed for Alabama to only need a FG, as they could now send it into OT if they had. But the Crimson Tide wasn't playing for overtime, they wanted to win now and it only took five plays for Alabama to move the ball 72 yards downfield and score a TD. A.J. McCarron avoided a blitz by the LSU defense and was able to get the pass off and hook up with T.J. Yeldon and took the ball and scampered 28 yds into the endzone to give Alabama the lead with just 51 second remaining. LSU would get the ball back, but poor clock management and mental errors at the end, ended up being too much as Alabama came back to win and remain perfect on the season, improving their record to 9-0.

   Picture courtesy of:  Crystal LoGiudice-US PRESSWIRE / November 3, 2012

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Penn State vs Purdue Game Review- Penn State Bounces Back Strong After Tough Loss

  Zack Zwinak's rushing performance was a big reason why the Nittany Lions  Offense was able to move the ball effectively


     They say you learn more from losing than you do winning. After last week's disappointing loss, Penn State quickly put that all behind them and set their sights on Purdue. Despite getting off to a slow start, Penn State soon found its groove. After a Sam Ficken FG tied things up at 3, it didn't take long for Penn State to score again.


     Just 2 minutes and 10 seconds later, Michael Zordich took it in from 6 for 6 just one play after McGloin hit Felder for a 42 yd. gain. After several exchanges of punts and a missed FG by Purdue, Sam Ficken converted on his 2nd FG of the day to extend Penn State's lead to 10. After forcing Purdue to a 3&out, Penn State got the ball back with just under two minutes left in the 1st half. On two plays, McGloin made sure Penn State would not waste a golden opportunity to score right before heading into the half a pass to Felder for 31 yards and a 9 yard run to set Penn State up at the Purdue 15. Michael Zordich then took over and would take two plays to punch it into the endzone (5yd TD run) for his 2nd rushing TD of the game to give Penn State a 20-3 lead heading into the half.

      Penn State opened up the 2nd half with receiving the ball and a combination of efficent passing by Matt McGloin and solid running by Zack Zwinak, the Nittany Lions were able to drive the ball down the field 80 yards in just 7 plays with a Matt McGloin TD Pass to Jesse James to extend Penn State's lead to 24. Purdue's next possession was again a quick one as they were forced to punt just after 5 plays. Matt McGloin again would lead Penn State on a long scoring driving when he finished it off on a nice play action fake to connect with none other than Felder for another long passing play. This time for 41 yds as Penn State was now up 34-3.

     With the game in hand, Penn State just ran the clock out with effective running by both Zack Zwinak, who finished with 21 carries for 134 yards and Zordich whose two TD's helped Penn State's offense get going early on in the game. Matt McGloin threw for 321 yds. and 2 TD's with Brandon Moseby Felder being responsible for 129 of McGloin's yards through the air.

     Purdue would go on a TD with no time left in the game but obviously had no bearing on the outcome of the game. Penn State heads to Lincoln next week to face Nebraska and look to redeem themselves from last season's lost to the Cornhuskers.

    Picture courtesy of http://collegefootball.ap.org

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Notre Dame Survives Scare, Beats Pitt in Triple OT To Move To 9-0

                            Cierre Woods and The Fighting Irish survive a scare and avoid the upset by the Pitt Panthers to move to 9-0 on the season and keep their National Championship hopes alive.

     In what seemed like what would be a cake walk, Notre Dame survived a scare from Pitt, where they were down 20-6 at the start of the 4th quarter. The Fighting Irish scored early in the beginnning of the 4th on a 11 yd TD Pass from Everett Golson to T.J. Jones, but would miss the extra point making the score now just 20-12.  Notre Dame moved the ball down the field once again and had 2nd and goal when Golson was picked off in the endzone by Pitt Defender, K'Waun Williams.

     Notre would however force Pitt to a 3 & out and got the ball back with just over 3 minutes to play in regulation, still needing a TD and 2 point conversion to send the game into OT. It only took Notre Dame two plays to drive 50 yards after a 45 yd pass and 5yd TD pass to make it 20-18. The Fighting Irish, obviously needing to go for two sent the offense back out on the field and Golson dove into the endzone to convert on the 2 pt. play.

     The game would eventually go into overtime with Pitt receiving the ball first and would have to settle for a FG. Notre Dame would then have a chance to win the game, but like Pitt were forced to kick the field goal and go into a 2nd OT with the score now tied 23-23. Notre Dame this time would receive the ball first and would drive the ball all the way inside the 2. On 2nd & Goal, Notre Dame running back Cierre Wood was on the verge of scoring a TD when he lost control of the ball and Pitt's Jarred Holley recovering the ball in the endzone. With Notre Dame failing to score, all Pitt needed was a Field Goal to win the game. Pitt managed to move the ball only 9 yards on the next three plays, but were still in great position to win the game and spoil the Fighting Irish's perfect season. Pitt's Kicker Kevin Harper had already connected from 39, 21, and 41. With the chance to win it on a 33 yd. FG, Harper kicked just wide to the right, and Notre Dame's perfect season hopes were still alive. The game would now head to a 3rd OT. Pitt started with the ball first and would have to settle for a FG, this time Harper nected on a 44 yarder.

     Notre Dame now with the ball again, needed a FG to send it to a 4th OT, or a TD to win it. Just 5 plays later, Notre Dame took the ball all the wall down to the Pitt 1yd. line and had first and goal. Notre Dame would make sure to hold onto the ball this time around as Golson sneaked it in from the 1 and gave the Fighting Irish the win after coming back from 14 down and with a little luck from Pitt's missed FG, Notre Dame's hope's for a shot at a  National Championship were still alive.

Picture courtesy of- USA Today


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Thursday, November 1, 2012

The Truth of How I Became a Cleveland Indians Fan & The Agony & Frustration That Has Come With It

                        I have Charlie Sheen and the rest of the cast from the "Major League" movies to thank for becoming a not only a fan of the movies, but a fan of the real Cleveland Indians team as well.



     We all have reasons as to why we started becoming fans of certain pro sports teams. For baseball, I started liking the Cleveland Indians because of the "Major League" movies starring Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger. Because of that, when I saw that the Indians were in the World Series in 1995 against the Braves I wanted them to win as my admiration for the team translated from the movie to reality. Unfortunately they ended up losing, but that is how and when I officially became a fan of the Cleveland Indians.
  1995 saw the Cleveland Indians return to the World Series for the first time since 1954, but came up short losing in six games to the Atlanta Braves.

     The Cleveland Indians were suddenly contenders after being at or near the bottom of the standings for over 30 years. The 1994 strike shortened season saw Cleveland only 1 game behind the White Sox in the Central Division. The following year Cleveland went on to win their division (they would win 6 during a 7 year span from 1995-2001) and won the Pennant for the first time since 1954, ultimately losing in 6 games to the Atlanta Braves in the  1995 World Series. Despite falling short of a world championship, Cleveland's future looked bright, being lead by the core of :Thome, Vizquel, Alomar, Ramirez, Nagy, Wright, Mesa, the Indians were destined to become real time contenders for the future of the organization.

     Despite having the best record for the second year in a row, Cleveland was knocked out in the 1996 divisional series against the Baltimore Orioles. However, the following year Cleveland would get revenge by defeating the Orioles in 6 to win the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and return to the world series for the second time in three years. As a fan, I felt this was our year! I was confident and sure we would beat a young unproven Florida Marlins teams. After all, the Indians beat the defending world series champions(New York Yankees) in the Division Series and the American League runner up in the ALCS. After a back and forth battle between the two teams, with Florida winning games 1, 3, and 5, while Cleveland won games 2,4, and 6, it all came down to one final game. Game 7 of the 1997 World Series was the Indians chance to not only win the franchise's first world series in 49 years, but bring the city of Cleveland it's first title in 33 years.


 
         1997 World Series Game 7.  Sandy Alomar Jr.(right) walking off the field in disappointment after Cleveland now suffered a second defeat in the World Series in three years
    
     Cleveland forced the 1997 World Series into a decisive Game 7 after tying the series back up at 3 games a piece. The Indians came into the game facing a very hostile environment with a ton of support from the Florida Marlins' fans. After two scoreless innings the Indians came up to bat in the top of the 3rd. With two out and two men on base, Tony Fernandez drove in Jim Thome and Marquis Grissom to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. I remember my mom suddenly saying "Oh my gosh" (She wanted Cleveland to win since I was a fan) I quickly rushed over to the T.V. to see Cleveland up early in the game! I was ecstatic, as I felt confident that not only the lead would hold, but Cleveland would also add some insurance and expand on their lead. Cleveland couldn't expand on their lead, but still held a 2-0 lead heading into the 7th inning. When the Marlins came up to bat during their half of the inning Bobby Bonilla hit a home run that cut Cleveland's lead in half. Being a young kid and in elementary school, I had a bedtime, therefore couldn't stay up to watch the rest of the game. I went to bed thinking about what was taking place and if I would wake up in the morning to see that the Cleveland Indians were World Series Champions.


    
     As I went to bed, I was anxiously awaiting for morning to come and when I woke up at 5 A.M. I quickly went out into the living room to turn on the T.V. and see if the Indians had won. I was confident that the Indians came out victorious until the reality of it came across the T.V. as I read the score 'Florida 3 Cleveland 2 F/11 inn." I was crushed. I just couldn't believe they were so close, yet ended up falling short. As a fan I felt numb and just motionless. As a young kid, it was hard for me to accept defeat but I knew nothing could be done and had to accept the fact the Indians lost. Now all I could do as a fan was wait for next season and hope for another chance at a World Series Championship.

     Despite coming off a season that saw the Indians reach the World Series for the 2nd time in 3 years, both times resulted in a series loss for Cleveland. Nevertheless, I still felt good about this talented group of players and knew they would have another shot at a championship. Cleveland would win their division once again, make the playoffs, and would face the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. Despite losing Game 1 of their series, Cleveland was able to shrug it off and win three straight, returning once again to the ALCS for the 2nd year in a row and for the 3rd time in 4 years. Cleveland would face the heavily favored New York Yankees, who reeled off an impressive 114 wins in the regular season, a then record at that time. Just like in their first series, Cleveland lost Game 1, however Cleveland answered back the next two games and took a 2-1 series lead. Unfortunately Cleveland could not keep the momentum in their favor as New York rolled off three straight victories, thus ending Cleveland's chances at another World Series. The 1999 season however looked more promising than Cleveland's 1998 campaign as they improved their record from the previous year and would become the 1st team in modern era to produce 1,000 or more runs during the course of a season.


     1999 appeared to be an even more promising year than 1998. As cliche as that sounds, it was true. The Indians won 8 more games than they did the previous season, produced over 1,000 runs by a potent offense, and saw a young Bartolo Colon emerge as one of the top pitchers in the game. Cleveland would once again face the Boston Red Sox for the second year in a row in the ALDS, and the third time since 1995 when the Divisional Series was added to the MLB Playoff format. Cleveland jumped out to an early 2-0 series lead and were coming off of a dominating 11-1 win and looked to close out the series in 3. Cleveland however could not put Boston away and the series would go back to Cleveland for a decisive Game 5. I remember watching the game that night, in what was one of the more wild playoff games I remember seeing. Boston scored two in the top of the 1st with Cleveland responding by scoring 3 and 2 in the bottom of the 1st and 2nd respectively. It looked as if Cleveland would prevent a collapse and holdoff the Red Sox to finally win the series. But in the top of the 3rd, Boston exploded for 5 runs, with the aid of a Troy O'Leary grand slam, giving Boston a 7-5 lead. Cleveland would however answer right back and score 3 runs to retake the lead 8-7, thanks to Jim Thome's 2nd home run of the game. Boston would come up in the fourth though and tie it up all at 8. Again though as a child, I had to go to bed at a certain time because of school and again have to wait and see the fate of the Cleveland Indians the following morning. When I woke up and saw that Boston won 12-8, I was once again as a fan in complete denial and frustration.(It also didn't help that my teacher at the time was a Red Sox fan and he said the series was over after Cleveland took a 2-0 lead) Once again, Cleveland found itsself on the wrong end of the stick and had to play the "maybe next year" card once again.

     The 2000 season saw Cleveland's string of 5 straight Division championships snapped as the White Sox won the division with a 5 game lead. Cleveland's run of consecutive playoff appearances was ultimately stopped at 5 as well, missing out on the wild card berth by 1 game. However, Cleveland rebounded the following year and won their 6th Division title in 7 years. Cleveland made history, as the 2nd time in four years they would face a team that set the record for regular season wins(1998 NYY 114 Wins) This time set by the Seattle Mariners with 116 wins. I still had every bit of confidence that Cleveland would come out on top in the series as not more than 2 months prior Cleveland made history after being down 14-2 in the 7th inning to win in a game against coincidentally, the Seattle Mariners, 15-14. The game simply became known as "The Cleveland Comeback" Cleveland went up 2-1 in the series, after wins by proven pitcher Bartolo Colon and Rookie Sensation C.C. Sabathia. With Colon scheduled to pitch Game 4 at home, Cleveland looked to upset the Mariners and advance to the ALCS once again. But true to form, Cleveland would collapse and ultimately end up losing the series. Not only was it the end of another disappointing outcome to a season, but 2001 marked the end of an era in Cleveland.

     The 2002 season started off with a quick bang, as Cleveland jumped out to an impressive 11-1 record. That was also the sudden end to the Indians we knew and came accustomed to as they finished the season 74-88, missing out on the playoffs for the second time in 3 years. Unlike in 2001 where Cleveland bounced back to win their division and appear in the playoffs again, the Indians would remain near the bottom of the league as the core of the Indians team from recent years began to disband. Manny Ramirez left after the 2000 season and signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox, with Sandy Alomar Jr. also moving on, signing with division rival Chicago White Sox. Jim Thome was let go after the 2002 season which also saw the departure of ace pitchers, Jaret Wright and Charles Nagy. While Bartolo Colon was dealt at the 2002 trade deadline. Omar Vizquel was the final Indian from that group to leave, as he ended his 11 season stint with Cleveland, signing as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants after the 2004 season.


     The Indians were moving on and were building for the future. Cleveland would continue to struggle, and despite a late run in the 2005 season, they ulitmately came up short after a final 3 game regular season series against the Chicago White Sox knocked them out of playoff contention. It did however, for the time being put back hope that Cleveland was ready to move on and would have a strong 2006 campaign. Cleveland though, would end up struggling and went from a 2005 campaign that showed signs of promise (93-69) to a complete 2006 disappointing season finishing with a losing record of 78-84. Cleveland would however give the fans another chance at hope though following the 2006 season.



     The 2007 season saw the Cleveland Indians once again win the Central Division for the 7th time in franchise history, but the first time since 2001. The Indians finished with a 96-66 record who were led by 2 Cy Young candidates C.C. Sabathia(who would go on to win the award) and Fausto Carmona (whose real name is Roberto Hernandez). The Indians met the New York Yankees in the Divisional Series. Cleveland was able to win the series 3-1 behind solid pitching and a productive offense and returned to the ALCS for the first time since 1998. Cleveland would meet the Boston Red Sox again in the playoffs (first since 1999) with Boston having home field advantage. After a poor peformance by C.C. Sabathia in Game 1, Cleveland quickly saw itsself down 1-0 in the series and were in danger of heading into an 0-2 hole. In Game 2 of the 2007 ALCS, Cleveland and Boston battled back and forth and were tied at 6 after 6. The game wound up going to extra innings. It was not until the 11th inning when Cleveland broke the game wide open by scoring 7 runs and then holding off Boston in the bottom half to win Game 2 by the score of 13-6. I remember waking up the next morning seeing the score and I once again had that feeling that 'this may be the year'. The series was heading back to Cleveland with the Indians having all of the momentum. Cleveland jumped out to a 4-0 lead which saw longtime Indians Kenny Lofton, who was reacquired at the trade deadline, hit a 2 Run HR in the bottom of the second. The Indians would hold on to win the game by a score of 4-2 and take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 was scoreless through 4 innings. After Boston failed to score in the top half of the 5th, Cleveland, just like they did in Game 2, broke the game wide open with an identical 7 run inning. Cleveland would give up 3 runs (all were solo homeruns by; Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez) However despite giving up the homeruns, Cleveland would manage to hang on for a 7-3 win and take a commanding 3-1 series lead and were 1 game away from returning to the World Series for the first time since 1997. Cleveland looked primed and ready to advance to the World Series, having three chances with Game 5 still being in Cleveland. But everything that could go wrong, would and did go wrong.

     The Indians once again gave the fans false hope. Game 5 saw a rematch between Game 1 starters Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia, with Sabathia hoping to bounce back from his poor performance. After one inning the score was tied at 1, and Boston would take a 2-1 lead after three. Still in the game, Cleveland was unable to manage any offense and Sabathia would again get rocked as Boston would blow the game wide open and win Game 5 7-1 with momentum back on their side going back to Boston. The series was never close from then on, as Boston would out score Cleveland 30-5 in the final three games of the series. Just like in similar fashion in 1999, Boston came back from trailing two games in the series by rebounding and winning three straight to move on to the World Series.Once again, I felt the agony and frustration much like I did in the late 90's when the Indians kept coming up short, and once again gave false hope as the Indians only finished with a .500 record the following season thanks in largely part due to Cliff Lee's dominating 2008 campaign. What makes the 2007 season even more difficult to digest was that Cliff Lee had such a terrible year, that he had to be sent back to the minors. As an Indians fan I was always left wondering what could have been if Lee had performed in 2007 like he would do in 2008. Cleveland again would see the depatures of key players from another solid group.

     C.C. Sabathia was traded at the 2008 deadline, with Lee being traded at the 2009 deadline. Cleveland has since again been trying to build around a core of young players who would get off to strong starts in the 2011 & 2012 seasons. Only to have consecutive 2nd half of the season collapses and finish under .500.


          Does the cast of the Major League movies need to comeback for one more movie and finish the story off with them winning the world series in order for the Cleveland Indians to actually win the World Series?

     For as long as I have an Indians fan, I'm still waiting for that World Series title. Now granted, I'm only a fan of the Cleveland Indians and not just a Cleveland sports fan in general, I am able to understand the pain for the city of Cleveland as the cities' teams continue to keep coming up short. (Cleveland had a shot at a championship twice in 2007 with the Cavaliers making it to the NBA Finals, only to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs) I often go back to the root of what made me a fan of the Cleveland Indians, which was the movies "Major League" and "Major League 2" and say they need to make one more (not counting "Major League 3 'Back to the Minors'). Since where after the first movie they were able to make the playoffs after a disastrous start, would make the playoffs with the second movie showing them winning the Pennant. I will tell fellow fans and friends of mine who are baseball fans that Cleveland can't win the World Series because they need to make a 3rd movie with Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn.(Charlie Sheen) as an aging pitcher who wants one more shot at a World Series title along with fellow teammates Willie Mayes Hayes (Snipes/Epps,) Rube Baker( Eric Bruskotter) and the crazy Japanese star outfielder Taka Tanaka(Takaaki Ishibashi). With former teammate Pedro Cerrano(Dennis Haysbert) returning to the team as the Hitting Coach. Roger Dorn(Corbin Bernsen) becoming the owner once again. With Jake Taylor(Tom Berenger) returning
again as the head coach. Bring in younger stars to portray young and developing players of the
organization to finish the team roster off. Of course, we can't begin the season without Harry Doyle(Bob Uecker) calling the games. As odd and ridiculous as this idea sounds, the Cleveland Indians didn't become a contender until the movies had been made, so maybe they need to finish the story with a World Series title that way it can translate over into reality once again.

 Pictures courtesy of: 1. forbes.com
                                   2. Bleacher Report
                                   3. popwatch.ew.com
                                   4. flix66.com
    
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