On To the Second Round

As the first round of the NBA playoffs are over, players and fans are not looking forward to there conference semi-finals.

The best proved that it doesn't matter whether you are a high seed or a low seed in the playoffs; it matters on who wants it more and the way you play. Eight teams have advanced to the second round leaving eight behind.
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were able to find a way to beat the Nuggets and their top two scoring duo, Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony.
The dangerous Mavericks couldn't find glory against the young and talented Hornets.
In probably the most exciting matchup, the Spurs held off the rays of the Suns in just five games which is a disappointment.
After having the second longest streak ever in the NBA, the Rockets seemed to miss Yao Ming against the Jazz who took the series in 6.
Over to the Eastern Conference, the Celtics should have swept the Hawks but many were surprised on how well they played and actually sent the series to 7 games despite being the eighth seed; in the final game, they got blown out and the Celtics advanced.
The Pistons almost got a scare against the 76ers but came out with the series in 6 games.
Third seeded Magic sent the Raptors home early in five games.
After DeShawn Stephenson talking smack about LeBron James, he couldn't back it up. James set things straight sending the Cavs past the Wizards in 6 games.

Seeing the top 4 teams in each conference advance, the 2nd round should have some very exciting games:
Hornets vs. Spurs
Lakers vs. Jazz
Pistons vs. Magic
Celtic vs. Cavaliers
*bold represents top seed

My Opinion: I was very surprised that the Nuggets got swept by the Lakers; they definately had the offensive power to advance but their defense didn't seem to come together. I guess we know what they will be looking for in the off season. In the upcoming games, i believe that the Hornets will be the surprise team to win; despite being young and inexperience, they are very athletic and should get passed the Spurs. My picks for these games are the Hornets, Lakers, Magic, and Cavaliers.

All English Champions League Final

An all English Champions League Final is to be held this year in Moscow, Russia.
With three Premier League teams making it to the semi-finals (Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool), many were putting there bets on two EPL teams battling it out for the best in Europe. Is this a good thing or bad thing? Experts are saying that it will be very competitive but yet it would be a very defensive game.

Man. United were able to defeat the Spanish giants Barcelona with a 1-0 win on aggregate; everyone was hoping to see a use of foot magic by both Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo but due to injury for Ronaldinho, Ronaldo was the only one impressing fans. Only one goal was produce in two games which was very unexpected; in both of their domestic leagues, goals were not a problem as both teams were able to find the net in almost every game. With a mistake by defender Milito of Barcelona, Paul Scholes was able to Man. U. the lead with a thunderous half-volley from about 25 meters out which was enough to send the "Red Devils" to the Finals.

In the other semi-finals, Liverpool and Chelsea were playing against each other for the 3rd time in 4 years! Chelsea was only able to have their luck once as Liverpool advanced each of the other times. But this year was different as the "Blues" made it passed one of their rivals. Riise gave Chelsea the 1-1 draw in the first match with a very disappointing own goal in the closing minutes! The 2nd Leg was very exciting as again they finished 1-1 with goals from Drogba of Chelsea and one from Torres of Liverpool. Ending a 2nd Leg in extra time could not have gotten better as Drogba and Essien made it 3-1 with only 15 minutes left. Liverpool would not back down as they received a goal from late sub, Babel to make it 3-2 as the final whistle sounded.

May 21, Manchester United vs. Chelsea for the Champions League Final in Moscow!


My Opinion: I don't have anything against EPL teams but having an all English CL Finals will seem kind of boring to me. I know how both of these teams play but I don't think we will see their original playing style in Moscow. The "Red Devils" and "Blues" know how to attack and score but from previous matches played against each other, this will be more of a defensive game rather then attack. This will take some of the excitement out of the game but both teams will show a great deal of competitiveness. I believe that Manchester United will win 2-1.

Kobe Jumps Over Moving Car

What athletes will do to promote their shoes.



My opinion: I do believe that Kobe Bryant is able to jump over a car but this has got to be fake. I don't think the Lakers organization would let Kobe risk his chances just to promote his shoes. The car is probably just off center with Kobe but with the angel you see, it looks like he is really jumping over the car. Like I said, he COULD do it but does not do it in this video!!

And the Playoffs Begin...

As the NBA season comes to an end, the 2008 Playoffs are set and will begin this upcoming weekend.

Throughout the season, teams have been having up and down seasons and towards the end, teams with the biggest heart and confidence have made it to the final 16.
The Easter Conference may not have as many good match ups as the West but it should be good to watch key players like LeBron James, Kevin Garnet, Dwight Howard, etc.
Match ups for the East include:
1. Celtics-8. Hawks
2. Pistons-7. 76ers
3. Magic-6. Raptors
4. Cavaliers-5. Wizards

The Western Conference has had spots change throughout the entire season. Teams have been going up, down, in and out of the standings, that's how tight the West was. All of the lower seeds have a chance making an upset in the first round which should make the games very exciting.

First round match ups for the West are:
1. Lakers-8. Nuggets
2. Hornets-7. Mavericks
3. Spurs-6. Suns
4. Jazz-5. Rockets

My Opinion: Even though I am a fan of the East (because of being a Bulls fan), I think that a team from the West is going to win. Despite the Celtics having the best record in the NBA, they don't have enough experience to become a Championship team. In the West, I believe we are going to see another 1. vs 8. upset with the Nuggets beating the Lakers; they are probably the best offensive team in the NBA and are capable of defending the ball well. My prediction of the Finals is Spurs vs. Pistons/Cavaliers.

Kansas Takes It!!!!

No one would have thought it but it's true, the Kansas Jayhawks are the 2007-2008 NCAA Basketball Champions.

The Jayhawks were able to fight back in San Antonio against the tough Memphis Tigers for a 75-68 overtime thriller. The game seemed to be in the hands of the Tigers as they led for a good amount of the game and had their defense on "lock" forcing 17 Jayhawk turnovers. Darrell Arthur had a game high 20 points but wasn't the player of the game.

Up until 10 seconds left in regulation, the first year point guard Derrick Rose was pouring in points and doing everything to help his team win; he finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. The only thing that kept him from getting player of the game were missed free throws by Memphis and a memorable 3 point shot by Mario Chalmers.

With less than a minute left, Derrick Rose missed 3 free throws and gave the Tigers a chance to tie the game; knowing how it's March Madness, Chalmers got the ball with 9 seconds left and made a fade away three to tie the game and send the game into overtime.



Kansas was able to continue its run and momentum into Overtime as they scored 12 points compared to Memphis' 5. With 20 seconds left the crowd and the Jayhawk team knew they were going to be the champions.


My Opinion: I would have never guessed that the Kansas Jayhawks would have won it all. Everyone believed that either North Carolina or UCLA was going to win it because of their returning players but surprising neither didn't reach the championship game.

Fantasy Baseball

Not only has the Major League Baseball season start but also Fantasy Baseball leagues.

Many people join fantasy teams all the time. This year I am part of a Fantasy Baseball league on Yahoo. This league also includes two classmates, Frank and Adam; Frank is the "commissioner" of the league. I will describe my team below:
Can't STOP Us
Catcher: Kenji Johjima- one of the top catchers in the league
1st Base: Derek Lee- great power hitter, capable of 30 HRs, 110 RBIs
2nd Base: Chase Utley- top 2nd basemen; 176 hits, 22 HRs, 103 RBIs
Shortstop: Yunel Escobar- exceptional hitter with an AVG. above .300
3rd Base: Ryan Braun- able to hit 30 HRs with a .300 AVG.
Outfield: Magglio Ordonez- had a great season in 2007, had the top AVG. in league (.363)
Hunter Pence- will help the team with his .317 AVG.
Bill Hall- can have a break out season at any time
Utility: Jeff Kent- age can be a concern but still able to get 20 HRs with a good AVG.
Mark Reynolds- good amount of triples last season (4)
Carlos Gomez- should come up with a good season after a disappointing one
Bench: Juston Upton- also had a disappointing '07 season but predictions show a good '08 year.
Matt Kemp- one of the top AVG.'s in the league
Starting Pitchers: Erik Bedard- 13 WINS and 221 K's in '07
Felix Hernandez- 15 WINS with a 3.00 ERA prediction
Chien-Ming Wang- should get at least 18 WINS with the Yanks
Bronzon Arroyo- capable of a good amount of K's
Clay Buchholz- able to keep his ERA low
Francisco Liriano- rookie and shows high hopes
Relief Pitchers: Joe Nathan- about 40 saves and an ERA of 1.88 in '07
Francisco Cordero- about 45 saves and an ERA of about 3.00 in '07
Kevin Gregg- 30 saves is what predictions say

Overall my team is definitely good; I have a lot of power hitters and people who can drive in the runs. I should be able to finish with the best pitching because my pitchers are capable of getting minimum 15 wins, 170 strikeouts, and an ERA. of 3.00 or lower as my relievers should get at least 30 saves. One thing that my batters lack is speed. It's going to be hard to receive points for steals and triples.

Check out Frank's team, Out of the Cellar, or Adam's team, Willie Sux, and you be the judge on who has the better team!

Yanks Start Off Strong

New York Yankees win their final season opener at Yankee Stadium.

With the Toronto Blue Jays in town, the Yankees were ready to play their last season opener in their stadium. Not only was it the final season opener, but it was the Yanks manager, Joe Giradi's, first game as the club manager.

Having the original first game postponed due to rain, Chien-Mein Wang was able to shut down the Blue Jays through the 7 innings that he pitched. Wang received a lot of support from his team as they were able to get 8 hits and 3 runs which was just enough to win 3-2. Alex Rodriguez had a double and RBI and Melky Cabrera was given the honor of being the last New York Yankee to hit a home run in a season opener game.

Once Mariano Rivera recorded the save, he handed the ball to Giradi as a souvenir; "He just congratulated me and he said that's No. 1 and let's get a lot more," Girardi said. "It's a neat moment for me." With Giradi having to fill some big shoes (Joe Torre) he is under some pressure as being manager and as being the final manager in Yankee Stadium. So far he's off to a great start!

My Opinion: With the Yanks playing their final season at Yankee Stadium, I think they will be coming out to win the World Series. What's a better way to end a then to bring the trophy back to the right home? The fans will be giving a great amount of support through every game so I think that the Yanks will be able to win it all!

Final Four Set

The NCAA Basketball tournament has its Final Four ready to battle it out for the last two spots for the championship.

For first time in College Basketball history, all of the #1 seeds have advance to the Final Four. The four teams include the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Memphis Tigers, the Kansas Jayhawks, and the UCLA Bruins. None of these teams had an easy ride as each game in the tournament came down to the last 10 minutes of the game.

The Tar Heels seemed to have breeze by the first few rounds until facing the Louisville Cardinals. Rick Patino's Cardinals were known for their in your face defense and almost came out with the upset win against the #1 team in the nation but Carolina held them off for a 10 point win.

After there close first round game, the Memphis turn things around beating their next two opponents by an average of 18 points. With people thinking that the Texas Longhorns would advance against them in the Elite 8, the Tigers took advantage by converting on their free throws and playing tough defense as Texas shot about 36% from the field.

Kansas only had a problem with their Elite 8 round game against Davidson. The Jayhawks battled till the final seconds as they defeated Davidson and Stephen Curry's 25 points by only 2 points.

UCLA, an anticipated winner of the tournament, also turned things around after having problems in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Once being matched up against Xavier, they crushed them on the boards and finished the game shooting 54%. Kyle Love added another double-double to the season for the Bruins and plays a huge role on the team.


My Opinion: No one could have guessed that all #1 teams would advance to the Final Four since it never happened yet in history until now. Many people are anticipating the North Carolina Tar Heels and the UCLA Bruins to face each other in the tournament championship but the way this years tournament has been going, there are no gurantee's!

Railsplitters Make It 2-Straight!

Lance Stephenson's Lincoln Railsplitter's won the PSAL Championship for the second year in a row.

Brooklyn rivals, Lincoln High School and Boys and Girls High School, met in the PSAL Basketball Championship for the second straight year; everything seemed to be the same as the year before as Boys and Girls fell apart in the 88-57 loss. Playing in front a crowd about 14,000, filled with high school students and a few college scouts at Madison Square Garden, the young players were able to display their loyalty to the school and love for the game!

The Railsplitter's jumped out to an early 23-9 first quarter lead (42-21 at the break). Stepheson's overall game could be summarized as hard work; the star junior guard finished the game with 29 points and 11 rebounds and shot almost 75% from the field! Everyone on Lincoln contributed in a way to give their team another championship. Clayton Sterling led the Kangaroos with 14 points in the loss.

Just like past years, fights broke out between the two schools in the stands towards the end of the game; the game had to be stopped for about 15 minutes due to this.

My Opinion: Once being a high school athlete, its great to have an opportunity to play in a championship game especially if it's played at Madison Square Garden. Both teams played well and Boys and Girls High School should keep their heads up from the way they played against one of the best teams on the East Coast; especially against the best high school player in the nation.

Kobe=MVP?

Despite being talked about so much, Kobe Bryant's chances of MVP are slim.

Kobe Bryant=MVP? This is the question that is haunting judges by picking the man who shines in Hollywood or by the man who plays in the Big Easy, Chris Paul.

Chris Paul has brought the New Orleans Hornets to the top of the West and has made everyone around him better. Tyson Chandler, who leads the league in dunks, has connected with Paul so well this year and both lead the league on alley-oop passes with each other. Paul's court vision plays a big role for the Hornets as he is able to find Bonzi Wells and Peja Stojakovic on the perimeter, along with David West underneath to help out Chandler.

The Lakers on the other hand, lossed their second straight game to one of the weaker teams in the NBA. The Grizzlies, who traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers in mid-January, were clicking on all cylinders. Gasol sat out with the already injury-bitten Lakers. No other player on the Lakers scored in double figures beside Bryant. The Lakers currently sit third in the heavily contested West. The main goal for the Lakers before season end, to have Gasol and Andrew Bynum play together. Bynum has been out since mid-December with a knee injury. With both men playing together, it will create havoc for all other big men throughout the league. With a full lineup, the Lakers frontline will draw up as Bynum, 7'1", Gasol, 7'0", and Odom, 6'11". With that kind of height, Derek Fisher having his swagger, having one of the best if not the best bench in the league, and Kobe being Kobe, no question will the Lakers cruise.

The thing is, the injuries that has hit the Lakers. Gasol and Bynum will be back for the playoffs, but how will they play with one another? They will be a force, but how will the force be used upon other giants?

My Opinion: I think that Chris Paul is going to be the one coming out on top of the MVP race this season. Paul is not only a scorer, but he is a passer and knows how to defend the ball well. Of course Kobe is a great offensive player but his ability to defend and be a natural leader cannot be compared to Paul.

Houston Rockets Turn 21!

The Rockets have achieved a 21-0 record their last 21 games and counting!

Tracy McGrady's Rockets are the hottest team in the NBA; the last time they lost a game was January 27th! People may think that it's not a big deal with the team they have but the last 9 games were won with out All Star center Yao Ming. Ming is out for the rest of the season because of a foot injury but it seems that Houston doesn't miss him so much.

Houston has been averaging about 98 point per game despite missing second leading scorer Yao Ming. Their whole team has been stepping up especially Dikembe Mutombo, who took Yao's place; Mutombo has been a huge presence on the defensive end. Battier, Scola, and Alston have been playing the best basketball of their careers this season.
It all started in Golden State where they got their first win, 111-107; over their streak they have beaten top teams like Cleveland, New Orleans, Chicago, Denver, and Dallas.

The Rockets 21-game win streak is the second longest in NBA history (longest is 33 games by the '71-'72 Los Angeles Lakers). They went from 10th place in the Western Conference to 1st place over this run and will face the Lakers tonight for their 22-game win streak.

My Opinion: I would have never thought that the Houston Rockets would become one of the best teams in the NBA; obviously they are playoff contenders but winning 21 games in a row is very surprising. Once Yao Ming went down with the injury, I didn't think they would have been able to continue their 9-game win streak. But everyone has been stepping up and now they are atop of the West!

Yanks Get a New Star

Yankees sign actor Billy Crystal for a day.

That's right, the New York Yankees have made a deal with Billy Crystal for a spring training game to make his wishes come true as a life long, true Yankee fan. The actor turned 60 years old the day after the game, and will be wearing the number 60, in which he was released from his contract. When he was younger, Crystal played baseball in high school and was a pitcher; but said that he doesn't think he will be pitching in the game with a smile on his face.

During the practice before the game, Crystal was able to put a smile on everyones face and also look good on the field; fielding the ball very well for a man of his age and making contact during batting practice. Coaches and players helped him understand much more of the game during the practice.

Game day was finally came as the New York Yankees were ready to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Crystal was given the chance to lead off for the best franchise in MLB history. He actually made contact with a pitch but hit it foul; soon after, he struck out swinging but still got a standing ovation from the crowd. "It was unbelievable and the greatest moment of my life," Crystal said. "I don't really know how to describe it. It was intensely good." After, Billy Crystal invited the whole team for a post game party which also included actor Robin Williams.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed watching this game despite Billy Crystal on having one at bat. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves which was good to see. I was hoping Crystal would have had a great game and then the Yankees would have signed him for the season.

Duke Can't Keep It Together

One of the biggest rivalries in sports was played yesterday at Cameron Indoor Stadium; Duke Blue Devils vs. North Caroline Tar Heels.

Being one of the biggest rivals in sports and only eight miles away from each other wasn't enough; last night was the final game for Duke seniors at home AND this game would decided who wins the ACC title. Being rivals for such a long time, it was only the fourth time these two have met that determined the league title. The Tar Heels were able to keep their cool throughout the keep to come out with the huge win.

The Blue Devils weren't able to bring things together in the first half as they were having trouble finding a shot and when they did, making it. With it being senior night, too much emotion could have been a factor as it displayed in DeMarcus Nelson who ended the first half without a field goal! UNC's defense played extremely well as they ended the game with 17 blocked shots, 5 by Deon Thompson. Greg Paulus was able to bring the Devils back with 3 threes just before half time despite UNC leading 42-31.

Despite Danny Green (18 points) and Tyler Hansbrough (16 points, 15 rebounds) playing extremely well, Duke was able to make a comeback with just under six minutes left as they took the lead. The Tar Heels offensive power was too much though as they kept answering back with basket of their own as they go on to win 76-68.

My Opinion: If Duke would have been able to get their offense going in the first half, I think they would have been able to come out wit the victory as well as the ACC title. Duke is one of the best shooting teams from the 3-point line but could hardly get anything in in the first half. UNC did play an excellent game to come out with a huge win in Cameron Indoor with the Cameron Crazies.

Champions League

Final 8 all set to go!


With the final three games over, the Champions League final eight are ready to take on each other. Shalke 04, Chelsea, and Roma each advanced today with a win in their 2nd aggregated game; yesterday Arsenal, Fenerbahce, Barcelona, and Manchester United round out the eight with a win in their game.

With Arsenal playing AC Milan in Italy and playing scoreless in the first game, Milan was favorite to win. The game was very exciting and just got even better towards the end; with both teams pressing to score, Fabregas was able to score with a low shot from 30 yards out in the 85' leaving Milan fans stunned. As the home team tried press even more in the closing minutes, Adebayor was able to end Milan's Champions League dreams with a goal in the 90' + 2 and send Arsenal to the next round.

Roma was able to finish off the upset to Real Madrid; Madrid has not been able to advance to the final eight for the 4th season out of five. With Madrid only having to score 1 goal to tie the aggregate at 2-2 and being the home team, everyone thought they could come out with the win. Instead Taddei for Roma had other ideas as he connected in the 73'. Raul retaliated with a goal of his own just two minutes later (75') keeping the aggregate close. In the 90' minute, Vucinic sent the Italian side to the final eight with a goal.

Other scores:
FC Porto vs Shalke 04: 1-0, Shootout: 1-4
Chelsea vs Olympiacos: 3-0
Sevilla FC vs Fenerbahce: 3-2, Shootout: 2-3
Barcelona vs Celtic: 1-0
Manchester United vs Lyon: 1-0
*Bold indicates winner

For more pictures, please click Champions League Pictures

Big Names Make Some Big Moves!

Major moves in the NBA.

As the NBA trade deadline came to a close, both, the Eastern and Western Conferences, made moves to help their teams just before playoffs. As you already know from a previous blog, Shaquille O'Neal is on the Suns as Pau Gasol is on the Lakers. That wasn't enough for the NBA or the fans as three other teams made some big name trades.

The biggest one was the 11 player trade between the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Seattle Super Soncis. There were some huge names involved in this trade:
Bulls get:
Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Shannon Brown, and Cedric Simmons.
Cavaliers get:
Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Delante West, and Wally Szcerbiak
Sonics get:
Donyell Marshall, Adrian Griffin, and Ira Newble

The Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks were also able to get a trade in before the deadline (note: did not trade with each other). The Mavericks were able to reach a deal with the New Jersey Nets which sent Jason Kidd to Dallas; Mike Bibby was sent to the Hawks from Sacramento also just before the deadline.

My Opinion: I don't like how the Bulls traded away a great defender like Ben Wallace. In my point of view of that 11 player trade, the Bulls were aiming for more offense, the Cavs for more defense, and the Sonics for more presence inside the pain. Kidd to the Mavericks is all they needed which is a great and talented point guard; he will be able to help them through the playoffs. The Hawks are trying to rebuild their franchise and with a pretty decent team all around, adding Bibby is good for leadership and experience.

Champions League

The competition tightens as the final 16 teams fight for the next round.

The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in the world. The teams played the first of two legs which will be played in two weeks time.Between February 19th and February 20th, some of the best soccer teams in Europe took part in their first leg of the round of 16.

Two top games that were played were Roma vs. Real Madrid and Barcelona vs. Celtic.
With Roma being the underdog, despite being home, they were able to pull out a huge win against powerful Real Madrid, 2-1. With Raul scoring first for Madrid, the giallorossi were starting to look a little shaky in front of their home crowd. Just 15 minutes after, Pizarro was able to equalize giving Roma the energy it needed. But Roma racked on one more as Mancini hit home the game winner in the 59th minute to give Roma a win in their first leg and will look to win in Madrid in March.

Barcelona was able to come out of Scotland with a win against home team Celtic. An away win in this competition is huge as you are almost guaranteed a spot in the next round. Celtic scored first with a goal from Vennegoor but Messi was able to retaliate 2 minutes later with a goal of his own. In the 39th minute, Robson thought he gave Celtic the winning goal as the crowd erupted once his header soared over the keepers head. You can never count out Barcelona as Henry equalized in the 53rd' and Messi fired home the winner in the 80th' to send Barca home happy.

Other scores:
Liverpool vs Inter Milan: 2-0
FC Shalke 04 vs FC Porto: 1-0
Olympiacos vs Chelsea: 0-0
Arsenal vs Milan: 0-0
Lyon vs Manchester United: 1-1
Fenerbahce vs Sevilla: 3-2
*Bold indicates winner.

Mancini gives Roma the win over Real Madrid.

Why I Like Sports....

All my life I have been playing and watching sports. Many people only play or watch one sport but I enjoy playing and learning, and really could watch, any type of sport. Ever since I was 4 years old, I was athletic playing various sports on my block: basketball, football, baseball, soccer, hockey, etc. My dad played soccer when he was young and he knew how much sports have impacted his life; he wanted me to experience the same thing so he got me into soccer and basketball in the early years.

I played basketball for my church from third grade to eighth grade and for my Intermediate School in the eighth grade as well; playing an organized sport instead of in the street was a great experience at such a young age and helped me with team work and focusing to strive for the best. Throughout High School, I played basketball and soccer all four years, volleyball three years, and lacrosse one year. My main sport was basketball; I have won many awards playing for my school:
2006-2007 Varsity MVP
2007 Staten Island High School League All Tournament Team
2007 Varsity Club
Zaborowski Award
2006-2007 Scholar Athlete
2005-2007 Defensive Player of the Year
2004-2005 JV MVP

Everyone has a sports idol or favorite player in their life; mine was Michael Jordan. Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls and won 6 NBA titles with them in the '90s. I have always enjoyed watching him play up until he retired in 2003; he is known as the best player ever to play the game.

Since playing on a sports team in school, you couldn't fail more then 2 classes on the report card otherwise you couldn't play; so playing in High School also kept my grades high because I worked hard in the classroom as well to keep doing what I enjoy most!

NFC Tops AFC 42-30 in Pro Bowl

The NFC seemed to enjoy their trip to Hawaii a little more than the AFC.

The best players in the NFL gave a great show to the people "overseas" who had an extremely good game with high scoring and excitement. Some top players included Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, Adrian Peterson, Terrell Owens, Torry Holt, Tony Gonzalez, and much more. Leading after three quarters, the AFC wasn't able to seal the deal against the NFC. Peterson, who was presented as the games Most Outstanding Player, led the NFC with 2 touchdowns of his own in the second half which pumped up his teammates confidence.

Throughout the game we were able to see a good amount of the offense and the defense come into play; as well as the special teams. Both offenses had a combine 784 total yards despite there being a total of 4 turnovers in the game.

Top Stats:
A. Peterson- 129 rush yards, 2 rush touchdowns
T. Owens- 101 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
T. Houshmandzadeh- 44 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
P. Manning- 147 pass yards, 1 pass touchdown
T. Romo- 87 pass yards, 1 pass touchdown
A. Cr0martie- 2 interceptions

My Opinion: After watching previous NFL Pro Bowls, they weren't that entertaining for me because of the low scoring. This year there was a lot of action that actually kept people into the game. Seeing all of the best football players from the 2007-2008 season playing together shows how they can interact with each other despite playing on separate teams. It was also nice to see a rookie, Adrian Peterson, win the Most Outstanding Player including a brand new car!

Blockbuster Trades

Both, the Lakers and the Suns, make the right decisions.

Pau Gasol lands in Hollywood as Shaquille O'Neal heads to the desert. Over the last week, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies have completed a trade as well as the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat. Gasol was traded to the Lakers from Memphis for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and Aaron McKie. The "Big Diesel" (Shaq) was sent to the Suns from Miami in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

In his debut with the Lakers, it was Gasol, not Kobe, who was the leading scorer and main man against the New Jersey Nets. Pau racked up 24 points and 12 rebounds which is outstanding, especially for his first game. Along with these stats, the Lakes came out on top 105-90. He will be a big help for them as L.A. is in search for another NBA title.

Many Phoenix fans ask themselves whether getting
Shaq was a good thing or bad thing. Despite him being injured for another two weeks before making his debut, the Phoenix trainers have stated that when they are done working with him, he will feel like he's 20 years old; that is something the fans want to hear because when Shaq was in his early 20's, he was unstoppable!

My Opinion: Gasol is definitely a great addition to the Lakers; with Andruw Bynum sidelined for another 7 weeks, Pau will be handling some of the load instead of Kobe doing everything himself. With his ability to score, defend, and run the floor, the Lakers have a chance to make a run for the best in the west. With Shaq on the Suns, Amare Stoudemire will have a chance to act more "freely" on the offensive end instead of going up against the big man on every team; Shaq will also be able to display his power and defense on both ends of the court. Could the Suns win their first NBA title? We will find out soon!

Young Manning Joins Brother Peyton

Giants bring Patriots dreams to an end! They had the perfect season....... not speaking of the 18-1 Patriots.

For the third time in their franchise, the New York Giants win the Super Bowl Championship. The Giants have shined much brighter then the perfect New England Patriots during Super Bowl XLII! Throughout the season, many people believed that the Pats would have been the best in the NFL; they were...... up until the last game of the year!

Despite the first three quarters only being a 7-3 football game, in favor of the Pats, it was still a well fought battle that kept all viewers focused. After the "G-Men" spending most of the first quarter in their possession, they only came out with a field goal. Laurence Maroney answered right back with a touchdown run at the start of the second. With the third quarter being scoreless for both teams, it was the last 15 minutes that made the stadium erupt.

Eli Manning had a passer rating of 144.5, with two touchdown passes, all in the fourth alone, which brought the Giants to becoming Super Bowl Champions. In just over two minutes, Eli drove his team 83 yards, including an unbelievable catch by David Tyree, which led to the Giants game winning drive. With 35 seconds left, Brady was not able to connect any long balls with any of his receivers in 4 plays which also included a sack by the Giants relentless defense.

Eli has joined his brother, Peyton, as the only brothers to win Super Bowl MVP. Throughout the game, you can see Peyton cheering on his younger brother to achieve the greatest prize in football as he did the year before. The Manning brothers were also the last two quarterbacks to defeat Tom Brady in the post season.

My Opinion: I believe that there were a few mistakes which occurred that caused the Patriots to lose Super Bowl XLII. Why would Belichick go for it on 4th and 13, on their 39 yard line, instead of taking their chances with a 49 yard field goal; Stephen Gostkowski's career long is 52 yards so 49 yards shouldn't have been a problem. Also, with 35 seconds left, Brady should have thrown short passes since they had all three timeouts left; instead, Brady launched three balls deep, all incomplete, and wasted time as the Giants celebrated as Super Bowl champs.

Johan a Met?

Pending physical and contract negotiations will send Santa to Big Apple.

After spending eight years on the Minnesota Twins, Johan Santana will most likely become a New York Met by the end of the week. Santana has a career record of 93-44 with a 3.22 era, and 1381 career strikeouts. He has been awarded Cy Young twice and named All Star three times.

The left-handed hurler is looking for a six-year, $150 million contract with the Mets; only problem is that the "Amazings" want to give a contract for five years. Included in this trade will be four of the Mets top prospects who will be sent to Minnesota once Santana completes the physical.

My Opinion: I think that the Yankees missed their chance with a great pitcher. Having, both, Pettite and Clemens, named the Mitchell Report, Steinbrenner should have made his move since his bullpen will be a little shaky this year. The Yankees, who have been lacking in pitching since their last World Series win in 2000, Santana could have been the answer to all their problems!

Making History in Super Bowl XLII?

Will the New England Patriots finish off their amazing season undefeated or will the New York Giants bring their dreams to an end?

The Patriots are only the second team to reach the Super Bowl undefeated ('72 Dophins) and have their chance of a perfect season to come true. Tom Brady has been on his game this year having a passer rating of 117.2, 50 passing touchdowns, and only throwing 8 interceptions. Randy Moss has also been "doing his thing" breaking the touchdown reception record. If the Patriots defense is solid, like it was all year, they will be the one's hoisting up the Lombardi trophy when the clock hits :00 secs.

The only thing that stands in their way are Eli Manning and the "G-Men." Starting the season 0-2,no one would have thought the "G-Men" would be attending Super Bowl XLII; let alone make the playoffs. The Giants have won 10 consecutive games on the road (a franchise record) and with only their biggest game of the year left, it won't only mean an eleventh consecutive win, but also a Super Bowl Championship!

My Opinion: Manning needs to bring his A-game in order for the Giants to be crowned champions. If the Patriots defense is at its best, there is a chance that they will be having a field day on Manning. For the Patriots offense to get rolling, their O-line needs to take the pressure off of Brady, since he is nursing a bad ankle, and keep Strahan and the D-line away from the pocket.