Freshman Phenoms Teams Struggling As Dance Is Upon Us

O.J Mayo and Michael Beasley are two of the best freshman playing college basketball this season. Both players are averaging over 20 points per contest, and both decided not to go to the elite basketball programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kansas or Indiana. Despite how much game these future NBA All-Stars have, both Mayo and Beasley are having a hard time getting to the big dance next month. They both are seeing that basketball is a team game, and neither of these guys have the supporting cast to carry them into the field of 65. So they have to carry their teams themselves. Beasley looked like his Wildcats had all but wrapped up an at large bid. However they are back on the bubble again after losing four out of the last five games including losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech. USC has won two straight since losing at home to arch rival UCLA, but still is looking for another good win to put on their resume. They beat UCLA at UCLA earlier in January, but that is their only good win. Losses to Mercer and California are the only real blemishes on their resume. Both teams are safely in ESPN's Bracketology, but as March creeps closer both teams could be bumped out in the coming weeks.

Kansas States Road To The Dance
Looks like the Wildcats are gonna push their losing streak to four straight and five out of their last six when they face arch rival KU this Saturday in Lawrence. If they can win against Colorado and at Iowa State the Wildcats should have the third seed going into the Big 12 tournament. They would get a bye in the first round of the tournament, and with win in the second round would give them 21 wins on the season which should be good enough to get an at large bid. However beating ISU in Ames is not a going to be a piece of cake as Hilton magic has helped ISU win some big games over ranked opponents the past couple of years. As bad as they are struggling, I think Kansas State is going to ultimately be in the NCAA tournament.



USC's Road To The Dance
Four tough games lie ahead for the Trojans as they finish up the season with Arizona, Arizona State, California, and Stanford. Winning three out of the four games would put them at 20 wins on the season, which seems to be the magical number every year for teams to get into the tournament. Realistically this team could lose the last four games, and wind up having a high seed in the Pac 10 tournament and if they lost first round Mayo and the Trojans would be playing NIT basketball. However I think the Trojans spilt the next two games and win one in the Pac 10 tournament to get them in the NCAA tournament.


Possible Matchup?
I could see an 8 vs 9 first round match up between these two. In fact I think it would be entertaining and is something the committee should look into. It would be inside presence verse a tandem of guards. Mayo and Beasley will battle it out on the hardwood a couple times a year, why not get started early by matching them up in the NCAA tournament?

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

It's Finally March

It's March Madness time. We have about one week left for the major conferences before the conference tourney's start. Then March 15 it is Selection Sunday. And finally the Thursday of that week is the start of the NCAA Tournament! Boy I can't wait!

So to get you ready for March Madness, I will highlight some games to watch for the remainder of the season that will effect the tournament and show you some great videos to pump you up for the tourney.

Games to keep an Eye on:

March 2
Indiana at Michigan St.
UCLA at Arizona
Villanova at Louisville

March 4
Nebraska at Texas
Arkansas at Mississippi

March 5
Tennessee at Florida
Oklahoma at Oklahoma St.
Texas A&M at Baylor

March 6
Xavier at St. Joseph's
Stanford at UCLA
Arizona St. at Oregon

March 8
Louisville art Georgetown
UAB at Memphis
Stanford at USC
Marquette at Syracuse
North Carolina at Duke

March 9
Michigan St. at Ohio St.
Oklahoma St. at Texas

2007 NCAA Tournament Memories and Highlights

NFL Combine Talk

It seems to still be a little early for an NFL Draft Preview so I'm just going to talk about the combine for a little bit.

I've never been a huge fan of the combine. I always second guess what it really tells us. I've always felt like the combine can be manipulated. Players know the drills and there are proven ways to do really well in them. Obviously you have to be a great athlete to do well, but there's always been athletes who do really well in the combine who don't end up being good players at all (think of someone like Akili Smith). However there's also been a lot of great athletes to score well at the combine who end up being great players. Regardless of it all, it's fun to see what some of the best athletes in football's future can do, so let's check it out.

In my opinion this draft's strengths are definitely in its RBs, WR, D-Line, TEs, and CBs.

I'm going to offer my ranking and a few sidenotes.

RBs
1. Darren McFadden, Arkansas
2. Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois

3. Jonathan Stewart, Oregon
4. Chris Johnson, ECU
5. Felix Jones, Arkansas
6. Matt Forte, Tulane
7. Jamaal Charles, Texas

8. Steve Slaton, WVU
9. Kevin Smith, Central Florida

10. Ray Rice, Rutgers

11. Mike Hart, Michigan

- There are a lot of really good RBs in this draft with some impressive strength and speed.

- In case you didn't know, Arkansas has 2 great RBs in the draft this year in both Darren McFadden and his backup Felix Jones.

- McFadden is the standout back in this draft. He ran the 40 in 4.33 sec. His overall workouts have made him the unquestionable number 1 back in the draft.

- All Johnson did was lead the nation in all-purpose yards, gaining 1,423 on the ground, with 17 touchdowns, 528 receiving yards, with six scores, and 1,009 yards and a touchdown on kickoff returns, but that didn't get him much attention. Then he ran the 40. Johnson ran a 4.24, tying Eastern Kentucky's Rondel Melendez's 1999 time as the best electronically confirmed run in Combine history.

-Jonathan Stewart cranked out a defensive linemen-like 28 bench presses of 225 pounds, while Mendenhall put up 26 reps.

DE

1. Chris Long, Virginia

2. Calais Campbell, Miami

3. Derrick Harvey, Florida

4. Phillip Merling, Clemson

5. Vernon Gholston, Ohio State

6. Quentin Groves, Auburn

7. Lawrence Jackson, USC

8. Tommy Blake, TCU

9. Darrell Robertson, Georgia Tech

10. Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech

-At 6-4 and 275 pounds, Chris Long ran a 4.75 40, which would've made him the fourth-fastest quarterback and eighth-fastest tight end, came up with a vertical of 34 inches, was second among defensive linemen in the broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches), was fourth in the three-cone drill (7.02 seconds), and led the way in the 20-yard shuttle (4.21). He solidified himself as probably the no. 2 overall pick.

-Vernon Gholston probably couldn't have done anything to surpass Long. But he put up a great workout and I think he looks great. I see him as a really versatile player like a DE/LB hybrid. The biggest knock on him was his strength and he put 225lbs up 37 times, so that's out of my mind now.

TEs

1. Fred Davis, USC
2. Dustin Keller, Purdue
3. Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M
4. John Carlson, Notre Dame

5. Brad Cottam, Tennessee

- Dustin Keller, Purdue, might have helped himself more than anyone in Indy by leading all the tight ends in the 40 (4.55), vertical (38 inches), broad jump (10-11, eight inches further than the No. 2 tight end), the three-cone (4.55) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.14), while he was second in the bench press (26 reps). He probably went from a non-first rounder to possibly the top overall TE pick.

- John Carlson out of Notre dame sure looked disappointing. Once considered a top 2 TE with Fred Davis out of USC, he was sick for the Senior Bowl and didn't play and now put up an extremely disappointing 4.9 40 and only 20 reps at the bench.

- Jermichael Finley left Texas with two years of eligibility remaining and was one of the prospects everyone was curious about. His hands were great and he showed good strength was ran a horrible 4.82 40 which is sloooooooooooooooow. Looks like he should have stayed in school like me.

WRs

1. Malcolm Kelley, OU
2. James Hardy, Indiana
3. DeSean Jackson, Cal
4. Mario Manningham, Michigan
5. Limas Sweed, Texas

- Class is a little thing but possibly talent loaded. Size and speed is the name of the game here.

CBs

1. Mike Jenkins, South Florida

2. Aqib Talib, Kansas

3. Leodis McKelvin, Troy

4. Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech

5. Tracy Porter, Indiana

6. Antoine Cason, Arizona

7. Patrick Lee, Auburn

8. Terrence Wheatley, Colorado

9. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State

- Take your pick between Mike Jenkins, Aqib Talib and Leodis McKelvin for the top corner spot, while Brandon Flowers, Tracy Porter, Antoine Cason and sleeper Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are just a few of the prospects would could become a No. 1 cover man.

Do you think the combine is relevant? Do you like my rankings? What are your rankings?

Free Dilly Bars Blog

One of The Sports Flow's Guest Bloggers has started his own blog. Free Dilly Bars is the blog which is run by Bryan and his colleague Petey. It's a blog on sports and even politics and music. I suggest you should check out it out; I really enjoy their take on things and they're both great sports minds. So check on out Free Dilly Bars and welcome our good friends to the blogosphere.

Rex Grossman Isn't The Answer For The Bears

Lovie Smith must see something I don't see. How the Bears can give Rex Grossman a one year contract extension is beyond me because ever since he has been the starter for the Chicago Bears, Grossman has been extremely inconsistent. He will have days that he looks like an elite quarterback in the league throwing for 3 or 4 touchdowns with over a 100 point quarterback rating. Then there are other games that he only completes 3 or 4 passes while throwing a couple interceptions and has a quarterback rating under 10. Two years ago he somehow lead the Bears to Super Bowl, excuse me the Bears defense lead the Bears to the Super Bowl while it seemed like Grossman did everything he could to screw it up for the Bears. If the Bears have a reliable quarterback I almost would be willing to say the Bears would of won Super Bowl 41 over the Indianapolis Colts. This season he only started a handful of games before being benched by coach Smith. The move just doesn't make sense to me. Chicago should be trying to fix the problems from last years disappointing team that failed to make the playoffs. Quarterback is and always has been an issue for Chicago.

The Bears History of Bad Quarterbacks
Since the Bears won their only Super Bowl in 1985, Chicago has started 17 different quarterbacks trying to find the right fit. In the 90's the beloved Bears tried Jim Harbaugh, Shane Matthews, Erik Kramer, Rick Mirer, Steve Walsh, and Cade McNown. In the new milenium the Bears put the football in the hands of Jim Miller, Kordell Stewart, Brain Greise, Kyle Orton, Chad Hutchinson, Johnathan Quinn, Craig Krenzel, Henry Burris, and Grossman. Don't feel bad if you don't know half the guys I just mention because many only had one or two starts. Basically the Bears haven't had a decent quarterback in 20 years. I know historically the Bears have always been a defensive team but give me a break you would think they would find a quarterback they could use for more than 5 years, and can have them realistically fighting for the playoffs year in and year out right?

What's Next?
I still think you get a quarterback in this years draft. You don't have to get them in the first round, but you have to think about replacing Grossman in the near future. A couple good quarterbacks that should be on the board past the first round of the draft include: Joe Flacco, Colt Brennan, Andre Woodson, and Chad Henne. Bottom line, Grossman is not the answer and the sooner the Bears figure that out the sooner than can return to playoff form.

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

Hockey and a Reunion on tap for the Weekend

This weekend TSF will be experiencing a reunion on the campus of the Universiy of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND. Here we will be celebrating a belated 1 year anniversary/birthday of the blog that you know and love.

Also, this weekend I will be spending considerable time at the Ralph Engelstadt Arena watching both the North Dakota State Hockey Tournament and my University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team riding the nation's longest unbeaten streak against the Bemidji State Beavers. The Sioux are ranked #2 in the nation (NCAA D1) and look to remain the hottest team in the land and extend their unbeaten streak from 11 games to 13 with a sweep this weekend. It's going to be a fun-filled hockey weekend.

here are some UND Fighting Sioux Hockey videos for you to feast your eyes on.

Evan Trupp Beats the Golden Chokers in OT (SC #1 Top Play)

Kyle Radke Kicked Some Ass Last Weekend

Littlest Big Hitter I've ever Seen...TJ Oshi

Memphis and Tennessee Playing For Critics Respect On Saturday

In what could be the best game of this season to date, there is more on the line than just in state bragging rights for the Tigers and Vols. Memphis and Tennessee are the top two teams in both polls this week, but they are still looking for the respect that comes with being that high in the polls. Many people I have talked to see Memphis as the default #1 team because they are undefeated but others think they are overrated because they play in a "mid major" conference. As for Tennessee no on is complaining about the Vols at all. In fact, no one is talking about the Vols. Maybe its better to not to be talked about I really don't know but this team deserves some love and I don't feel they are getting any. I do know is this, the teams are a combine 50-2 this season, they haven't played each other in ten years, and tickets for this game are almost as popular, if not more popular, the Super Bowl tickets. Do you need any other reason to watch? Now lets see how both of these teams got to this point in the season.

Memphis

The Tigers come into the game 26-0, the last undefeated team in the Division I basketball. While they do play one of the weaker conferences in college basketball, they also have played one of the toughest non conference schedules in the land. They have non conference wins over Oklahoma, UConn, USC, Arizona, Georgetown, and Gonzaga. One of the reasons why Memphis has had so much success this season is because of their depth. Memphis has eight players that are averaging 5 points or more this season. If Memphis are to get passed Tennessee this weekend, there is a very good chance the Tigers can go undefeated before the NCAA Tournament starts in mid March. Something also to note is that Memphis has made it to the Elite Eight the past two years.



Tennessee

Man has Bruce Pearl done a great job at the University of Tennessee. The Vols have played just as hard of a non conference schedule as Memphis has, picking up wins against Temple, West Virgina, Xavier, Ohio State, and Gonzaga. Add that with a 11-1 SEC record and you can see why Tennessee is ranked as high as they are. With a handful of Smiths and Chris Lofton running things for the Vols as they are ready to take down the Tigers. Things don't get easier for the Vols after Saturday as they have a trip to Vanderbuilt looming just three days after the battle with Memphis.

Who Wins?
I am gonna go with the home team in this game because I think Memphis is ready to scilence some critcs about being a default #1 in the polls and show everyone they deserve that #1 spot. It is going to be a great matchup and I am excited for Saturday night.

Adding to a Rivalry

We all know UNC-Duke basketball is one of the greatest rivalries in sports, and the greatest in College Basketball. UNC coach Roy Williams and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had a war of words on Monday, already adding to an intense rivalry.

Coach K had something to say (love the rhyme?) about the Tar Heels, taking an unnecessary jab at their injury problems, saying that Duke doesn't discuss injuries "unlike other schools."

Williams had something to say about that on his radio show Monday. "Well, it's not, and regardless of what somebody else says about them having injuries too, which is a bunch of bunk, so I don't give a [crap] what somebody else says. They can coach their own darn team and I'll coach my team — in case anyone had heard some statements about that."

Williams had more to say on Wednesday after being questioned by the media: "Well, it struck a nerve because I don't — if you guys would leave me alone, I wouldn't tell you anything," he said. "It's not like I'm getting a dadgum plane and flying it around and saying, Roy fell against a wall and banged his nose.' We have to do those things. And everybody's hurt, but there's different stages of being hurt. If you're hurt and missing games, I mean that's not exactly like having a hangnail. And so we do have some people that are getting hurt and missing games, and I don't think that somebody should say we're putting it in front of the public."

Whether you're a Duke or UNC lover or hater, we all love the rivalry and nothing is better than making it that much more intense, so I'd like to show some videos on this intense rivalry as we await their next meeting on March 8th.

"The Rivalry"



2005 Duke vs. UNC. UNC comeback



We all remember this one...



1998 Duke vs. UNC #1 vs. #2

Projecting the Seeds

The NCAA Tournament is about a month away and I absolutely cannot wait. Here's our current projections of the top 4 seeds and conference winners.

1 Seeds
Memphis- Should easily be a 1 seed with the C-USA schedule
UNC- I think they'll prevail, once Lawson is back and to full strength they should just about win out and win the ACC Tourney
UCLA- they will win the Pac 10 tourney which should secure the 1 seed
Tennessee- the SEC is down this year and no one is really posing that much of a threat to them

2 Seeds
Kansas- should be a 1 seed, but Texas or A&M could easily knock them off in the Big XII tourney
Duke- I see them losing to UNC and possibly in the ACC Tourney
Georgetown- still have to play Louisville, Marquette, and UConn but two of them are at home. I see them at least making the Big East Tourney Final
Texas- playing as good as anyone now but tough schedule coming up

3 Seeds
Butler- Could easily win out but being a mid-major and easy schedule won't get them a 2 seed
Indiana- I have a feeling they will finish strong in the Big 10
Washington St.- I see them finishing strong and beating Stanford for a 3 seed
Michigan St.- they may not be ranked very high now but more teams will lose and I see them bouncing back and getting some good wins and finishing well in the conference tourney

4 Seeds
Stanford- still have to play Wazzou, USC, and UCLA
Xavier- Could falter 1 or 2 more times in a tough A10
Wisconsin- Still have to play OSU, MSU, Ill
Connecticut- fairly tough schedule left, plus conference tourney

Projected Conference Winners

America East: Hartford
Atlantic 10: Xavier
ACC: UNC
Atlantic Sun: Belmont
Big XII: Texas
Big East: Georgetown
Big Sky: Portland St.
Big South: Winthrop
Big Ten: Indiana
Big West: UCSB
CAA: VCU
C-USA: Memphis
Horizon: Butler
Ivy: Brown
MAAC: Niagara
MAC: Kent St.
MEAC: Hampton
MVC: Drake
MWC: UNLV
NEC: Wagner
Ohio Valley: Austin Peay
Pac 10: UCLA
Patriot: American
SEC: Tennessee
Southern: Davidson
Southland: Stephen F. Austin
SWAC: Alabama St.
Summit: Oral Roberts
Sunbelt: South Alabama
WCC: Gonzaga
WAC: New Mexico St.

2008 NBA Dunk Contest Preview/Prediction

I'm not a huge fan of the NBA and I don't particularly care for NBA All-Star weekend. I do however, frequently tune in for the dunk contest. I think this year's contest could be a lot of fun and I just wanted to chime in real quick on my thoughts on the contest and find out who everyone else thinks will be this year's champ.

This year's contest features a great field of defending champ Gerald Green, Rudy Gay, Dwight Howard, and Jamario Moon. All four contestants have used the internet to reach out to fans for suggestions, ideas, extensive sneak peaks, and practice previews leading up to the contest.

When looking at the videos i think the most impressive has to be Jamario Moon's dunk from beyond the freethrow line in this practice run (although someone bumps the camera and you can only see his feet and his reflection!).

Rudy Gay started all this YouTube craze by reaching out to fans and asking them to send him suggestions and videos of them dunking that they would like to see him replicate.

Last year's defending champion Gerald Green even responded to Gay by offering a suggestion of his own.

We all know that Dwight Howard has some sick dunks up his sleeve. In my opinion he should be the defending champ. I don't think there anything more original and impressive than his sticker dunk last year. Is there any doubt Howard is taking this far more serious that the rest? I mean he asked David Stern if he could have the rims raised to 12-feet. Unfortunately his request was denied. I feel like this legitimately hurts Howard. At 6 feet 11 inches it's really hard for him to look good dunking on a 10 foot rim. Here's a vid.

One thing is for sure. I will be watching. Who you got? I like Rudy Gay, but if Moon actually pulls out that dunk from beyond the freethrow line I think he could run away with it.

We Offer our Condolences to Northern Illinois

After the horrific tragedy that took place on Thursday, our thoughts and prayers here at The Sports Flow go out to the lives lost, students, families, faculty, and all of Northern Illinois University. We want you to know that we mourn for you along with the rest of the world and you are all in our prayers.

It's Hard to Believe you Mr. Clemens

Yesterday morning was the first of the congressional hearings with Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee. As I look at it, both of these guys looked nervous when being questioned under oath. Neither of them could handle the truth or the pressure. But I would have to say I believe McNamee more than I do Clemens.

Andy Pettitie said under oath that Roger Clemens told him about using HGH, but Clemens still denies it. He claims Pettite "misremembers". How could Pettite "missremember" something like this? This is a big deal, steroids is a big deal. Something is just fishy here. After being questioned several times especially by Elijah Cummings (House of Rep. D-MD), Clemens looked nervous, he had a look in his face that made him look guilty. Clemens' stories are going to come back and hurt him because everything isn't matching up. I can't believe Mr. Clemens, I just can't.

Hey Congress, Stay Out Of Sport's Problems

Now before I get started on this little rant I just want to say I really could care less about politics and the whole big brother concept it has with other countries. But when it comes to problems in sports and sports figures, Congress needs to keep their big nose out of sport's business. I really am sick and tired of turning on ESPN and now that football is done and over with it seems like the only two things on ESPN anymore are steroids in baseball and the spygate and how congress is "interested in getting to the bottom of this". On Wednesday Roger Clemens and a handful of baseball players, trainers, and representatives are heading to Capital hill to discuss the findings of steroids in baseball. It is a day I am simply going to call "Black Wednesday". This is something that is baseballs problem not the governments. So there is controversy in sports, there are more pressing issues in my mind then worrying about who did and who didn't take steroids in the last 90's and early 2000's. I know Bud Selig hired good old Senator George Mitchell to figure out who was taking what in baseball, but this is taking things a bit far if you ask me. Congress worry about getting us out of Iraq or stopping George Bush from making anymore idiotic decisions with our tax money. In the mean time let me tell you how I would go about fixing the steroids problem in baseball and the problem with spygate.

Steroids in Baseball
It a problem that Bud Selig should of dealt with many years ago. Instead he had Senator Mitchell do the investigation he should have been doing and now thanks to the Mitchell report baseball is now seen under a bad light. Look Selig made a big mistake and we know a bunch of players had at least tried steroids during the past 10 to 15 years, but do we really need to recover what happened in the past? You can't fully prove who took steroids or performance enhancing drugs from 5 to 10 years ago. How can prove it is credible? Instead of worrying about the past just let it go and focus on cleaning up the game for this season and seasons to come. Instead of random testing test everyone in the league for steroids. Because honestly how can you really make a test like steroids random? Now label the past 15 years as "The Steroid Era" and move on. Baseball is already a mess you don't need to make it worse by bringing congress into it.

Spygate
Now since this has come out and I have heard more rumors about the Patriots using it in the Super Bowl and other games I think it is time to really crack down on this. I think the fine and the forfeit their first round pick was a good punishment but now there needs to be more of a punishment. Now I think you should forfeit games and maybe even more than that for being caught video taping now. Who knows if the footage they got of the Rams running their plays helped them in the Super Bowl against the Rams. Roger Goodell needs to enforce some type of punishment system for this. Maybe something like this. First offense: Forfeit of the game and a fine. Second Offense: Forfeit game plus some additional games on top of that. Third Offense: Forfeit entire season. It is at least something the league has to look into.

Congress is there to help punish people for doing real crimes like murders and other serious offenses. They should be more worried about terrorists attacks, how to fix this economic recession, and stop George Bush from cutting taxes on health care. They shouldn't be worried about Baseballs problems, they shouldn't be worried about the NFL's problems, they should be worried about any sports related problems period.

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

To Watch, or Not to Watch? The Pro Bowl Question.

I don't know about you readers but I've never really been much of a pro bowl guy. When I was younger I'd would tune in to watch my favorite players start and then I would quickly lose interest after about a quarter of unstrategic, minimal effort gameplay.

To celebrate today's game I'm going to give you a little taste of what I do like about the Pro Bowl. Here are some great Pro Bowl moments that stand out in my mind.

Larry Allen Bench Press Competition

When it comes to the Pro Bowl I've always enjoyed the little festivities and games and surround the game itself. I still remember the ranting and raving that followed Larry Allen winning the 2006 NFL Pro-bowl "Strongest Man" competition. Offensive guard Larry Allen, then a Dallas Cowboy, bench pressed a record 43 repetitions of 225lbs. He is big.

Fun with Mascots

Who doesn't love mascots? Whatever the game lacks in tenacity and physicality the mascots make up for in their pregame antics.

My Favorite Pro Bowl Play Ever

As you listen to the announcers hate on #21 (RIP) I couldn't disagree more. This is what I want to see out of the pro bowl and I will never forget my complete and utter amazement and awe in seeing this for the first time. I saw it on sportscenter and I almost didn't think that it was real. If it was promised to me that there would be a hit even half as hard as this I would tune if for the entire game today.

All this being said I'm not really sure if I'll watch the Pro Bowl. It's a great tradition with most of the best players in the game. Favre isn't going so I personally don't feel the need to watch, but if I do it will only be for a short amount of time. Let me know some of your favorite Pro Bowl moments and be sure to let me know why you are or aren't going to be watching the game today. Have a great Saturday!

National Signing Day Recap

Alabama takes recruiting title with late additions

The Alabama Crimson Tide came into the day with one of the top recruiting classes and ended up surpassing the Florida Gators, who was predicted to finish with the top class for the 3rd straight year. The Tide added some big time uncommited players early, landing the top WR in the country in Julio Jones. Bama overall signed 3 five star players, 17 four players, and 10 three star players, and 6 top 100 players overall. Some key players that they signed from that could contribute from the get go could be: WR Julio Jones, LB Jerrell Harris, WR Chris Jackson, LB Mark Barron, OT Tyler Love, and DE Courtney Upshaw.

Alabama landed one of their best classes on paper in years. You'd have to think it's obviously because of Nick Saban. For any coach in their first year, this is a tremendous class. Saban did a great job of landing the top in-state recruits, which is something Alabama hasn't been able to do in recent years.

Meanwhile, the nations top prospect, QB Terrelle Pryor decided not to sign with anyone just yet. He has his list narrowed down to Ohio St., Michigan, Penn St., and Oregon. He is a spread option type QB. He is often compared to Tennessee Titans QB and Texas Longhorn Vince Young. Pryor mentioned he wants to play where he would make an immediate impact; if that's the case it looks like Ohio St. if off the list, they still have Jr. QB Todd Boeckman.

The Sports Flow's Top 5 Signing Day Team Rankings:

1. Alabama- landed some big time 5 star recruits and loaded up on the defensive side

2. Miami- signed 3 QB's which was a must and signed 5 of the best LBs in the nation

3. Florida- signed loads of talent for the depleted secondary and picked up some big-time WRs

4. Clemson- reloaded at RB and signed the top DE in the country

5. Notre Dame- Weis signed the top WR class and also signed some great defensive players that should make an immediate impact

Scout.com Top 5 Team Rankings:
1. Alabama
2. Notre Dame
3. Miami (FLA.)
4. Georgia
5. Florida St.

Super Tuesday: Get out and Vote

Everyone here at The Sports Flow is encouraging you to get out and vote at your states primary or caucus today. Exercise your right to vote, there is nothing more fundamental than our very own right to vote. This year, your vote matters more than ever. More and more people are turning out to vote, people want change. Our country is pretty divided right now, so your vote does indeed matter more than ever this year.

Superbowl Recap: What Does 18-1 Really Mean?

18-1. What does it mean? Sure, I was rooting for the Giants Sunday and sure I rooted against the Patriots almost any chance I got the entire season. However, what do we owe to 18-1? Is the season marked by the Superbowl loss?

Unfortunately for the Patriots, they will forever be remembered as the team to go undefeated and lose in the Superbowl. It took 35 years to have another undefeated team with a perfect record going into the superbowl and it might be another 35+ before we see it happen again. It is indeed very possible that they go down as the only NFL team to EVER go 18-0 and lose in the superbowl in the history of the world.

At a wide look, a Super Bowl loss looks bad for this Patriot dynasty. The '70s Steelers 4 for 4 in their Super Bowl appearances, as were the '80s 49ers. Thus I must say that Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana are always going to have something over Tom Brady. But during those Steeler and 49er dynasties, there were years when they lost in the playoffs before reaching the Super Bowl. We shouldn't discredit the Patriot dynasty because that in one of their non-championship years, they lost in the Super Bowl instead of earlier in the playoffs. If the Patriots go on to win another championship this decade, they're legacy will still match the '70s Steelers and '80s 49ers and most likely surpas. In the grand scheme of things, when looking at this dynasty 10+ years from now this superbowl loss could be almost an asset to the team's list of accomplishments. How good of a chance do they have of doing this? I think very good. Brady is most likely going to be a Patriot for life, they have the 7th pick in the draft and if they can get Moss to come back and recharge their LB corps with some youth, they could be as good if not maybe better than ever!

To be honest if I had to say who I thought has a better chance of winning the Superbowl next season, the Giants or the Patriots, I would probably say the Patriots. For now, I'm going to ignore all Spygate and Spygate 2 allegations and info just because we aren't really sure what it entails right now. That aside, I think that there's really no telling if this loss marking the infamous "perfect" season will mark the Patriots "dynasty". Only time will tell.

Aside from that I was really impressed with the play of Eli Manning and the Giants Defensive line. Truly I would have liked to give the MVP award to the Giants D-Line. They really won the game. The New York defensive line dominated the game. Individual players like Justin Tuck, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Jay Alford kept making outstanding individual plays. Tom Brady had a record setting season mostly because the New England offensive line consistently gave him time to throw and when given a chance to scan the field, Tom Brady will pick apart any defense. But the Giant pass rush consistently got to Brady, sacking him, knocking him down, throwing him off rhythm. We haven't been used to seeing Brady knocked around, but that's what the Giants did. The Giants lines, both offensive and defensive (but mostly defensive), outplayed both of the Patriots' lines.

Since in the MVP award has to go to an individual player, I think, for the game as a whole, Eli Manning is a worthy choice. In the fourth quarter, the Giants had three real possessions. Manning twice threw go-ahead touchdown passes. He completed four of five passes on 3rd down, three of them converting to first down (on a 3rd and ten, he completed a nine yard pass that allowed a short 4th down run). In the fourth quarter, he made big play after big play. He's a deserving MVP.

I tip my hat to the Giants. I'm very happy for guys like Tom Coughlin and Michael Strahan. Although, hopefully skipping training camp doesn't become a popular trend! Amidst all the screaming and cheering towards the end of the game I couldn't help but think what Tiki Barber must have been thinking!

Johan Mania finally comes to an end

Hey Sportsflow readers, I am back again for another baseball personnel post. FINALLY, Johan Santana is officially not a member of the Minnesota Twins. I can’t believe the Red Sox finally gave up Lester and Ellsbury to get it done! Wait… I mean, I couldn’t believe it when I heard the Yankees gave up Melky, Hughes, AND Kennedy. Damnit… the Mariners gave up Adam Jones and Sherrill?

Nope. As it turns out, in the end it wasn’t the best offer that won the BINGO for Johan, but the most persistent. The New York Mets were in these talks from a bit after the get-go, but they were far and away the most persistent. The Yankees vs. Red Sox For-The-Best-Player-In-The-Game II (Last decision: NYY gets A-rod, BOS gets the 2 championships) turned out to be a dud. Not only was it a dud, but it was probably meant to be a dud from the beginning. Let’s face it, the REAL reason either of these teams were in this sweepstakes was so the other team wouldn’t get Johan. They were both really gung-ho about it from the start, but then this realization hit the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Mets all at the same time: Johan wanted a HUGE contract, biggest in history for a pitcher, on TOP of the whole selling the farm to get him thing. It wasn’t worth it, not the money PLUS the prospects, and the offers slowly dwindled to one A+ prospect and a few mediocres.

Except for one team: you got it, the Mets. The Mets took advantage of the new way of thinking, pulled Martinez from the table, and STILL got Johan. I read what they gave up (contrary to ANY report, and repeat after me: there was NOOOO way the Twins were getting Jose Reyes. No way… no how.) and it was just shocking. The most shocking thing about it? I am a firm believer than the Twins didn’t have to trade Johan. It wasn’t mandated by Carl Pohlad. Thanks to the revenue sharing now enjoyed by MLB teams, every team starts off with over $70 million per year. Carl Pohlad is the RICHEST owner in baseball. I do repeat clearly, there is no one in the MLB richer than Mr. Pohlad. But even Pohlad’s wealth is irrelevant, because it’s not about that. Slowly, the Twin’s payroll has been going up. It was simply a matter of choosing the way to go. They chose Morneau and a rebuilding effort over keeping Hunter, Johan, Morneau, Mauer and Liriano together to see what they really could do with a full year of Liriano as a starter. They CHOSE not to… Bill Smith wasn’t forced to. They had the money… they chose to save it and rebuild instead. Smart? Maybe… they probably weren’t going all the way with that group in this climate of a STACKED American League for the next few years (fyi: The Yankees have $80 million coming off the books next offseason… I hate New York teams.) However, I’m blaming this more on a poor strategy (Twins fans DESERVE to have a good team to cheer for consistently… not one every 5 years) rather than baseball economics.

So I’m sorry Twins fans… I know a LOT of them, and I really feel sorry for you. As a Tigers fan, I knew that feeling. Here’s a toast hoping that Phil Humber is going to be a stud…

Is Tom Brady The Greatest Quarterback Ever?

Everyone defines greatness a different way. Some define greatness through records. Some define it through championships. When you think of great quarterbacks some that come right to mind are Unitas, Montana, Marino, Bradshaw, Starr, Staubach, Elway, Farve, Manning, and, whether you love him or you hate him, Brady. On Sunday, Tom Brady has a chance to do what none of the quarterbacks on that list have done, and that is go undefeated. Some already say Brady is the greatest postseason quaterback of all-time and his resume defends that argument very well. Three Super Bowl rings, an undefeated record at home in the playoffs, and two Super Bowl MVPs. Not to mention he is the leader of what might go down as the best football team to ever step on a football field. Not bad for a sixth round draft pick out of the University of Michigan.

What It Really Means To Go Undefeated?
It means you will be glorified in history forever. Everyone knows Don Shula because he was the only coach to go undefeated. No matter how much you hate the New England Patriots, you have to admire the accomplishments that are waiting for them if they can get by the Giants Sunday. They may have "cheated", teams may have let the game slip through their hands, but they are the only team without a loss this season. Us haters may gripe and groan if in fact by the end of Sunday night the Patriots do win, but regardless of the outcome we will have seen history Sunday night. I have already explained what it means to go undefeated, but what if the all-mighty Patriots fall on Sunday? The Giants will have pulled off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. Whatever happens its a story we can tell our kids, our grandkids, and maybe even our great grandkids. Because being perfect never happens No baseball team has won 173 baseball games, No one wins 98 basketball games, and its hard to find a team that can go undefeated in college football and they play no more than 13 or 14 games. 36 years have passed since the Dolphins went undefeated and it maybe another 36 or more before we seen another great team like the Patriots.

Where does Brady Rank as Far As Greatest of All-Time?
Right now Tom Brady is not the best quarterback to ever play the game, but he is close. I still think San Francisco great Joe Montana is the best quarterback to ever play football. To me its not all about the records, its about stepping up when the light is shined on you. Montana did that better than any quarterback I have ever seen play. He pulled last minute heroics (i:e The Catch against the Cowboys), and he shattered the competition when the experts doubted him (i:e 55-10 Super Bowl drubbing against the #1 scoring defense in Denver). Another thing Montana has four Super Bowl rings. Brady only has three. But Brady has a great chance of surpassing Montana. Why Brady has a chance is because he still rather young. Brady is only 30 years old, and is hitting his prime right now. If he stays in the NFL for 5 or 6 more years he could win more rings and could make more memorable moments. When it is all said and done Brady could be the best player that ever played the game. Thats right not just quarterback but player. In fact Sunday might be the day he passes Joe Montana, because no great quarterback has ever lead their team to an undefeated season. Tom Brady will no doubt be heading to Canton when his career is over, but we will have to wait and see if in fact he will go down as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football.

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

Never too Early for Brackets

I stumbled across some articles on Yahoo and Rivals. Rivals has an early predictions bracket for which teams will make it and what seed they will be. They have a few more articles about teams on the rise and bubble teams. I always love predictions on the NCAA Tournament, it just gets me more excited and eager for March Madness.

I would like to give a few predictions and some insight myself.

Darkhorse Final Four Candidates you could easily pass up:
Arizona
Washington St.
Butler
Xavier
Louisville
Gonzaga
Marquette

My current Final Four Predictions: *(Subject to Change)
Memphis
Michigan St.
UCLA
Georgetown

Mid-Majors to keep an eye on:
Butler
Xavier
Drake
Rhode Island
UMass
Dayton
St. Mary's
VCU
Davidson
Oral Roberts

How Quickly and Slowly Three Years Passes

I'm not quite sure if it seems like only yesterday, or if it seems like ages ago that Patriots Linebacker Tedy Bruschi suffered a stoke and experienced a brush with death. I was just thinking about this just the other day and I couldn't believe that the media was too busy talking about Tom Brady's ankle to give a great story like this some pub. Both Stefan and I have been very busy lately and I only got around to it today to see that ESPN had already put out a little piece on Teddy. I had my heart set on it so i had to post it anyways.

I will be completely honest, I don't like the Patriots. I especially dislike the whole cheating/spygate scandal. I've never cared for Bill Belichick, although I consider him to be the best coach in the NFL right now and maybe of all-time. I even will be rooting against the Patriots on Sunday. I've been rooting against them the whole year and will continue to do so. This being said, I have immense respect for Tedy Bruschi and what he's done. I can't even imagine having and stroke and surviving, let alone getting back to playing in the NFL.

"What we've done, is sport, not real life. What Tedy accomplished, it's pretty much a miracle, really. I mean, come on now, the two aren't even close." - SS Rodney Harrison

You can add Rodney Harrison to the list of players I could care less for but he really keeps this one in perspective I think. Not only has Tedy come back he is maybe better than ever. Although he lost maybe a half step he has help up great all year and has good numbers. For a second consecutive season, Bruschi has led all New England defenders in tackles (99) and you can go ahead and throw in 2 sacks for good measure.

You can say what you want about the New England Patriots, because I know that I have. But don't root against this guy. I have immense respect for him and always will. He's a great player and will be my lone personal silver-lining to the Superbowl if the Patriots win it all. I hope that the media can switch their focus over to this remarkable story and one of the greatest comebacks in NFL and sporting history in this week leading up to the Superbowl.

College Basketball Power Rankings

It's time for our first rankings of the season for College Hoops.

1.(Tie) Memphis & Kansas
It is still tough to tell who is the clear-cut number one. Both Memphis and KU are very similar in many ways. They both play the same type of game, fast paced and rely on their speed and athleticism. Both have some great wins with Memphis beating Georgetown, USC, Arizona, and Gonzaga and KU topping Arizona and USC. Memphis may have a few bigger wins but the Big XII schedule evens it out for Kansas. We may not know who is the "true" number one until one of these team loses or maybe not until they meet in the NCAA Tournament.

3. North Carolina
I'll take UNC over Duke even though the Heels lost to Maryland and Duke beat them. UNC is still one of the best teams in the country with one of the best point guards in Tywon Lawson. We may know more a little more about the depth and toughness of this team after a tough stretch with games vs. Boston College, at Florida St., and a February 6 showdown with Duke.

4. UCLA
UCLA does have two losses but they were both to two great teams in Texas and USC. The Bruins have been dealt with some injuries so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Darren Collison finally seems to be 100% and Josh Shipp is one of the best players in the country. Once they're fully healed and everyone is back they will be poised to make a title run.

5. Duke
Duke is a great team but I am not really sure yet if they can hang with Memphis, Kansas, UNC, or UCLA. They don't have a dominating post presence and their guards are pretty weak. I don't know if Jon Scheyer and Greg Paulus can hang with the other top guards on those teams. But Duke has been very impressive with some good wins. They're a young team and if they can knock off UNC next week, they will definitely turn my head.

6. Georgetown
I probably shouldn't admit this, but it will only benefit you with my expertise, but I feel Georgetown will be another legit Final Four team. I was one of a few last year who thought they were a Final Four team at this point in time last season. I don't see any reason for that to change this year. They have the type of offense that can control the tempo of the game, a dominating inside presence with Roy Hibbert and other big men in Vernon Macklin, Pat Ewing Jr., and Dajuan Summers that will just wear you down physically and emotionally. They have some great wins thus far and they always seem to win the close ones.

7. Michigan St.
I really like MSU right now as well. They play great team defense and Drew Neitzel is one of the best and most experienced PG's in the land. Raymar Morgan has been a pretty big surprise so far as he leads the team with 16.6 PPG.

8. Tennessee
Except for the loss to Texas, the Vols have been great. They have balanced scoring with 4 players averaging double figures and 2 more averaging 8.9 PPG. As of right now I really like Tennessee to win the SEC and push for a 2 seed, maybe even a 1 seed with no other top teams being from the SEC this season.

9. Washington St.
WSU is a team that could push UCLA for the conference title. They lost a close one to the Bruins a few weeks back and they showed last year that they are the real deal. They play great defense and are a team that can really control the tempo. Also, they have some depth that will help them make a deep run in March,

10. Texas
Texas has had some tough losses lately, one of them was on a last second shot to Wisconsin. They've shown they can win the big games without Kevin Durant. They have one of the best back-courts in the nation in D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams. Their showdown with Kansas will be a good one!

Next Up:
Butler, Indiana, Wisconsin, Stanford, Drake, and Xavier,

Third Time Is A Charm For Tynes and The New York Giants

A 47 yard field goal stood in the way of the New York Giants, and a date with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42. It was that simple. However there was a problem, Lawrence Tynes had missed the previous two fields goals which would of given New York the lead. That and both field goals were closer than the one Tynes was about to attempt. The pressure was on. If Tynes misses this field goal he is the most hated person in the big apple, but if he makes it he redeems himself and is a self proclaimed hero. The snap good, the hold good, the kick straight down the middle. Lambeau field left stunned as the Giants, who basically kept Green Bay in the game down the stretch, went in and upset Brett Farve and the Packers. Now, just like a month ago, the 30 other football teams along with football fans outside of the Boston Massachusetts area will be rooting for the New York Giants as they are the final team in the way of the Patriots and the glory of being undefeated. Why is everyone behind the Giants you ask? Because No one wants to see Bill Belichick to hoist another Lombardi Trophy , no one wants to see Tom Brady win another Super Bowl MVP, and no one wants to see the Patriots go undefeated.

Giant's Playing Lights Out Since Round 1 With The Patriots.
Tom Coughlin deserves a contract extension for making the decision to play his starters in a "meaningless" game to try and stop the Patriots from making history. The Giants were already in the playoffs, and could of rested their starters in order for them to be fresh for the wildcard round of the playoffs. Instead, he looked at the game as a "must win", and pulled out all the trick in order to trip up the Patriots. It didn't look like Eli Manning was playing the Patriots night in late December. It looked like another Peyton Manning/Tom Brady classic battle. In his four years in the league, I have never seen Eli Manning play as good as he did that night. The crazy thing is he has managed to carry that momentum throughout the playoffs, being the only quarterback in the playoffs to not throw an interception. Manning has been rewarded with another shot at the all-mighty Patriots, but this time the game has much more meaning to it. If the Giants lose, the Patriots will be the first team in NFL history to go 19-0 in a season and will have won their fourth Super Bowl title of this decade. But if the Giants win, a sports nation will rejoice. Patriots haters everywhere will bow in front of their television sets, and thank the Giants for beating those damn Patriots.

Eli Proved He Is A Good Quarterback
Ok so if anyone read my last weeks column that said Eli Manning was mediocre, I would like to take that statement back. At the end of my column I said if he was able to beat the Green Bay Packers he would leave me speechless, and as Tynes 47 yard field goal went right down the middle of the goal posts thats what I was. I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe that Green Bay was going home. I didn't want to believe that just a year after his older brother Peyton made it to the Super Bowl, that little brother Eli would be playing for his first ring. I didn't want to write this and say hey Eli Manning is actually a good quarterback. Because you have to have a good quarterback in order to win on the road consistently in the NFL, especially in the playoffs. Forget that he played god awful in front of the home town Giants fans, going 3-5 in their 8 home games (including 4 straight). If you saw the Giants road to Super Bowl 42 then you would know that it was anything but a cake walk. The Giants played in three of the toughest stadiums to get there, and three good quarterbacks who were wanting their own playoff success story. They faced a Hall of Fame quarterback destined to end his storybook career with a win in the Super Bowl. They faced a gun slinging Cowboy, who up until the media swarmed him with questions about playing with little blond sticks watching, was one of the best quarterbacks in the league. They faced a traveled veteran who was looking for his chance at playoff stardom. Now the Giants face a man picked in the 6th round of the NFL draft, and might be the most successful playoff quarterback in NFL history. Can the Giants stop Tom Brady and the mighty Patriots? As the Giants have shown us throughout the playoffs, anything is possible.

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

Top 5 Rookie peformers in the NBA So Far

Here are a look at the top 5 picks in the NBA Draft last year:

#1 Greg Oden - Portland Trailblazers
Key Stats: N/A - out for the year

#2 Kevin Durant - Seattle Supersonics

Key Stats: 19.3 points 4.2 rebounds 1.14 blocks.

#3 Al Horford - Atlanta Hawks

Key Stats: 8.9 points 9.7 rebounds 1.12 blocks.

#4 Mike Conley Jr. - Memphis Grizzlies
Key Stats: 8.7 points 5.0 assists in 26 minutes.

#5 Jeff Green - Seattle Supersonics

Key Stats: 9 points 4.8 rebounds.

My Top 5 Thus Far:
#1 Kevin Durant - Seattle Supersonics

WOW. While the Sonics have flopped this year Durant has been a definite bright spot! Durant's biggest criticism coming out of college was that he was too lanky, and needed to put on more weight. While this might effect his rebounding ability, his long arms and freakish wingspan have made him difficult to guard on the offense end and have allowed him to block more than a shot a game. He's already averaging nearly 20 points a night as a rookie, expect his game to really flourish in the next 2-3 seasons. Remember he is only 19, as his game and body develop, we are looking at a guy who will eventually be averaging 25+ points, 6-7 rebounds. His game reminds me a little of a taller more athletic Allen Iverson....that's a good thing. This kid is going to be around for a long time!

#2 Yi Jilian - Milwaukee Bucks

I'm not going to lie, I didn't like this pick for the Bucks at all when it happened. However, Yi continues to surprise me with his overall talent level, and as good as Al Horford is, I think Yi would have been a better pick for the Hawks. Yi's got more upside as a scorer, and probably projects better as a shot-blocker, too. Being as he's had to adjust to the American game and culture (unlike Al) suggests that when he figures it out, he'll stand alongside Durant as one of the top two rookies of this class (Greg Oden considered a rookie next season).

#3 Al Horford - Atlanta Hawks

He's real helped to breathe some life into the franchise and he's got them sitting around .500 which is quite an accomplishment. He's had a fine rookie season, already playing big minutes and contributing nearly a double- double a night. He has room to improve and although he's not a prolific scorer he moves great without the ball and has established him down in the paint. and he's a great rebounder He's also a lot quicker than I thought he was.

#4 Sean Williams - NJ Nets

Williams still has a lot of growing to do offensively, but he has a nice turnaround jumper from the block and he can finish strong drives with his left hand. This shows in my mind that he has a solid scoring foundation, and the fact that he has these moves suggests he is not as raw as people think. When I watch Williams, I see a young man who is always around the ball and the rim, keeping balls alive and creating opportunities for teammates and He's one of the fastest guys I've ever seen, in terms of his recovery speed as a basketball player. Overall I'm very pleasantly surprised by when I've seen from Mr. Williams and I think he is on his way to becoming a very good player.

#5 Jamario Moon - Toronto Raptors
This guy is a hustler. He works so hard and is only just starting to get some of the recognition that he deserves. He had a 19-game shot-blocking streak in December and in my opinion Moon has the size, agility and length to be a very good defensive stopper. Right now he might lack the strength to defend some of the league's stronger guards and wings. With his high-energy hustling play I think he has to be accounted for on both ends of the floor.

Point Guard U?

The University of Arizona has produced some talented and top point guards the last decade or so, with some of them moving onto the NBA and some just looking to get their careers started.

It is pretty unbelievable how many great point guards have come through this program. It all started in 1991 with Khalid Reeves who went on to play 6 successful seasons in the NBA for the Heat, Hornets, Nets, Mavs, Pistons, and Bulls.

The very next season in 1992, Damon Stoudamire came along. Every one knows about the short lefty who's been playing in the NBA forever. He helped take the Blazers to numerous playoff runs and a few Western Conference Final Runs. Stoudamire is still in the NBA to this day, playing for the Grizzlies.

Jason Terry and Mike Bibby, both current NBA stars for the Mavs and Kings, have had great careers. They both helped Arizona win the 1997 National Championship.

Gilbert Arenas lead the Wildcats for two solid seasons, his team lost in the national championship to Duke in 2001. Arenas is now one of the top players in the league and may just be the best PG's in the league as well.

Jason Gardner was the last great PG to play for the Wildcats. He may not have had any type of NBA season, but Gardner was solid throughout his year for the U of A.

Nowdays, Jerrid Bayless is poised to follow in the foot steps of the great U of A point guards. Bayless is only a freshman and is not only one of the top freshman PGs, but one of the top PG's in the country.

And the trend is still going, the nations current top high school poing guard, has signed a LOI to Arizona for next season. Some experts compare him to Sam Cassell. Jennings and Bayless are poised to lead Arizona to atop the country once again as the will both continue the great point guard legacy at the University of Arizona.

2007 NFL Championship Weekend Preview

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
NY Giants at GB Packers

It has been almost a decade since my dad and I got to watch a Packer game this important and I couldn't be more excited! When I look at Giants’ newfound success it seems hard to pinpoint just because it’s so newfound and a little mysterious. When I look at their game against Dallas I find it necessary to mention the fact that they only ran 44 offensive plays in a game. That is ridiculously low. Their longest drive was eight plays long and ended in a punt. Their time of possession was 23:30. The Cowboys actually outgained them by over 100 yards. The G-Men were efficient on offense and scored touchdowns instead of field goals, with no turnovers. But they won with defense, especially that nasty pass rush that had Romo so rattled in the fourth quarter.

The Packers can shut down everything the Giants did well in the Divisional Round.
You think Charles Woodson and Al Harris won't eat Little Manning for dinner? Do you think the Packers will sacrifice Favre the way Dallas failed to protect Romo? Will they abandon their game plan in the second half? Mike McCarthy proved his maturity in sticking to the gameplan last weekend when the Packers found themselves in a 14-0 hole early. However he stayed committed and it worked. I was very impressed. New York's defense is very comparable to Seattle’s, and Green Bay embarrassed the Seahawks this weekend. The Packers have an outstanding offensive line and a quarterback whose strength is handling a pass rush. They are equipped to handle everything the Giants do well, and unless Eli turns into Peyton and Tiki Barber un-retires, I don't know how New York is going to match points with the Packers. Am I a homer? Well, I’ve been called one before. Is this a homer pick? NO!
Prediction: GB 34 NYG 21

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

SD Chargers at NE Patriots

I underestimated San Diego last week, and I hope I'm not doing it again now, but I don't see the Chargers beating New England. I'll even be a little surprised if they keep it close. Forget the injuries — Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Luis Castillo, Nate Kaeding — and the Patriots' substantial home-field advantage in frosty Foxborough. Forget the 38-14 beatdown New England threw down on the Chargers earlier this season and last year's Patriot win in San Diego that knocked the Bolts out of the playoffs. The Chargers, talented as they are, don't have the firepower to keep up with New England.

Their defense didn't look good against Indianapolis, and it probably won't look any better against New England's record-setting offense. Jacksonville's personnel dictated the "nothing cheap and nothing deep" strategy that allowed Brady to set a postseason record for single-game completion percentage, and the Chargers won't do that. Their strength is in a strong rush and pressure on the quarterback. The problem for San Diego is that their defensive backs, as good as Crowmartie and Jammer are, are going to be eaten alive by the Patriots' receivers

.
On offense, San Diego's weaponless attack — with Tomlinson and Gates gimpy — isn't likely to do much of anything against New England's defense. The Pats' defensive unit isn't what it once was, and there are vulnerabilities, but it's not going to fall apart the way the Colts' did, especially if Billy Volek is the starting QB. I believe New England will win, and win big.
Bring on a SB rematch from 1996-97!
prediction: NE 37 SD 17

Eli Manning Playing Consistent At The Right Time

So anyone who knows me at all knows how hard of a column this is to write for me. I have to swallow my pride and actually give credit to a quarterback who I flat out despise. However, something clicked in the New York Giants locker room after that narrow 38-35 loss to the New England Patriots to end the regular season. Maybe Manning found some type of confidence in himself that he could finally play with those elite teams in the NFL. Maybe they feel they aren't as intimidated to the New York media anymore. Maybe his older brother Peyton said something.

Whatever happened though it turned my perception of Manning as a football player around (I still don't like him as a person) from a horrible quarterback to eh he's not bad. It started with the second quarter of the Giants 24-14 win at Tampa Bay two Saturdays ago. The Bucs had dominated the first quarter and led 7-0. Then the Giants started to get into a groove, scoring 24 straight points. Then last week, Manning led the Giants passed the #1 seeded Cowboys, a team that beat the Giants twice in the regular season. In the two playoff games, Eli has thrown 4 touch down passes and no interceptions.

Still Can't Get Over Draft Day Four Years Ago.
Ok so for the people who don't know me, here is the reason why I dislike Eli Manning as much as I do. Four years ago when Manning was coming into the league, the San Diego Chargers had the #1 pick in the draft. Considering Manning was the number one NFL prospect that year, the Chargers were planning on using their pick on him. When he learned this he went and had a press conference begging the Chargers not to pick him, and told San Diego if they did pick him that he would not sign with them. I really couldn't believe it. Now I am not a Chargers fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I thought what he did to the Chargers was rather snobbish. That and I absolutely hate players who think they are "too good" for a team. I mean really who do you think you are Eli, your not Joe Montana or Dan Marino. You are the younger brother of Peyton Manning, that doesn't give you the right to choose where you get to play at. I mean you should be privileged to even be getting a chance to play in the National Football League.

Now some say Eli's dad, Archie Manning, had something to do with Eli's decision. While that might be true, this is what I have to say to Eli. Are you going to let your daddy make every decision for you? Freaking grow a pair, and just accept that you were going to be riding the bench for the Chargers for a couple of years. Basically for all of you who don't know what happens the Chargers do pick Manning, but eventually trade him to the Giants for Phillip Rivers and 3 other draft picks, which the Chargers used to draft Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding (the other they traded away for left tackle Roman Oben). So far it looks like the Chargers ended up with the better part of that deal. Until this season, heck until three weeks ago Manning has never lived up to his potential. Both in their fourth season in the league, Rivers and Manning are both one game away from the Super Bowl. The kicker is that Rivers did it in his second year as a starting quarterback, Manning did it in his fourth.

Eli's Chances Of Getting To Super Bowl 42.
The Giants are 9-1 in ten road games this season, while the Packers are 9-1 at home. Something has got to give. If the Giants have a chance to win they will have to limit the turnovers like they have been, and make sure that Brett Farve doesn't get comfortable in the pocket. Ultimately the game is being played in Brett Farve's ice kingdom aka Lambeau Field, and with the tempature expected to be in the teens I think the Packers will pull it out. I do want to bring up that Green Bay won the regular season meeting at the Meadowlands 35-13, and that was without Ryan Grant being the primary running back. If Grant played like he did after the first five minutes of last weeks game, it is going to be hard for the Giants to compete. Bottom line Eli is going to have to pull some of his big brothers heroics if he is going to win on Sunday. Who knows maybe he can. If he does he will lead the Giants to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2001, and that will keep his critics (including me) speechless.

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

One Last Stand

Boxing has taken a turn for the worst the last several years. Gone are the days of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, and Bernard Hopkins.

But now it is mainly up to one man, Floyd Mayweather Jr., to help boxing save face. That's if he stays in the game.

Desperate matches have worn down boxing and has turned younger fans away from the sport. Basically Pay-Per-View is the only thing that has saved the sport, barely, but has given fighters a reason to stay in the ring. But it has also taken away many other viewers because some just don't care about it enough to buy the matches.

Mayweather decided to come out of short retirement to face one of the top boxers in Britain, Ricky Hatton. Mayweather completely embarrassed the Brit, knocking him out in the 10th round.

Mayweather is boxing's last hope. He can save the sport before it's too late. He is the best fighter of this era, dominating competition. He won a split decision last year over Oscar de la Hoya, in a fight that was supposed to revive boxing.

If Mayweather puts the gloves down for good soon, boxing will soon be done for. He has been the sports golden child for the last several years now, he's given it hope for many, he's brought money to it's name capturing audiences in fights, he's given kids that live in the ghettos a reason to believe in a future. He's been the pride and joy of the sport (even with his tantrums and childish behavior).

But it's not all up to Floyd, the IBF and USBA need to help him out as well. The people involved with the sport could come to an agreement to set up big matches, maybe even put one of these great fights on cable. Just continue to promote the sport with big fights. Who knows? It could work.

As a semi fan of boxing, yes I'll pay attention to the big fights every now and then. Floyd Mayweather Jr, it's up to you to save the sport that used to be one of America's greatest and most popular past times. It's now or never, because if you hang it up soon, boxing may be doomed for good.

T.O. Can't Fool Me

I'm assuming by now that most of you have seen T.O.'s press conference by now. You know, the one where he cries like a heartbroken little leaguer who's just had his season ended and doesn't know what to do with the rest of his summer. Did anybody feel bad for him? Because I most certainly did not. I actually don't buy those fake tears for a minute.

If there's one thing that will always be true it's the fact that T.O. is full of shit. He always wants 100% of the spotlight and 0% of the blame. This remained true after the Cowboy's extremely disappointing and season-ending loss on Sunday. He put on some humongous, ugly sunglasses and fake tears and "defended" his quarterback valiantly. However, he failed to take any of the blame for the big loss. In his defense, the fact that he didn't catch a ball in the entire 2nd half had nothing to do with the loss anyways (pick up on sarcasm). He was in fact the first to bring up Romeo's vacation with Jessica. He's planting the seed. If you're a T.O. fan, ignorant, soft-hearted, or all of the above you don't see that. But I see him planting the seed that will put the spotlight of blame on Tony Romo and keep that blame off of himself, while trying to make himself look like a great teammate.

He destroyed Jeff Garcia, he destroyed Donovan McNabb, he destroyed Drew Bloodsoe and now he begins his work in destroying Tony Romo. Does anybody else see this or am I going over the top with my distaste for T.O.?

Pete Carroll Would Be An Idiot To Leave USC

When I first heard that Pete Carroll was interested in talking to Arthur Blank about the coaching position for the Atlanta Falcons, I thought it was a joke. I mean you can't be serious right? Carroll wouldn't leave the dynasty he built in Southern California to go coach a disaster that is the Atlanta Falcons right? I understand an opportunity to coach a NFL team is a chance that doesn't come every day, but Carroll seems to have a pretty good job in California. He basically has a NFL team out their in California, especially since L.A hasn't had an NFL team since the Rams left for St. Louis. If I were Carroll, I wouldn't leave USC unless I was offered a job with his old team, the New England Patriots, or the Indianapolis Colts head coaching position. Because in my opinion, those are the only NFL teams that could beat USC year in an year out. Plus with his mediocre NFL coaching record why would he leave?
Carroll/Belichick both benefit from switch.
Who knew that when Carroll left the Patriots in 1999 that him and Bill Belichick would find success. So much success mind you that both coaches teams have the word Dynasty written all over them. Pete Carroll has won 6 straight Pac 10 titles, 2 National Championships, and is 5-1 in BCS games since taking over USC in 2001. His overall record at USC is 76-14. Not to mention he has one of the best recruiting classes year in and year out. Belichick has had the same type of success with New England. Since 2000, New England has only missed the playoffs twice. The Pats have won three Super Bowls, and this season went undefeated in the regular season for the first time since the Dolphins did it in 1972. Belichick's record in the post season is 14-3 including 7-0 in home playoff games. Both teams just don't lose very often. That is why I don't understand why Carroll would flirt with even the thought of coming back to the NFL. His record in the NFL is 33-31. It isn't bad but when you have a great record in the college ranks why leave?

Why Would the Falcons Want A College Coach?
This maybe more mind boggling to me then Carroll thinking about a return to the Pros. Did you not learn from your mistakes Atlanta? You just got screwed over by Bobby Petrino, and your first instinct is to go back to school to find your coach? I know you want a "sexy" name to coach your team after having a year to forget in 2007. However, you just got burned by a college coach, and I wouldn't go to college unless it was my last resort. If they burn you once shame on them, if they burn you twice shame on you Atlanta. Now I am not saying Carroll would leave you in the middle of the season, but he could leave if he didn't find instant success. Plus college coaches usually don't have great success in the pros. Just go out and get a proven winner in the pros. Marty Shottenheimer is still on the market, and we know he is a proven winner in the regular season. Look the Falcons are no where close to winning any playoff games, and for me I want to see improvement. A guy like Shottenheimer would bring some success in 2008. I wouldn't say they are going to go 8-8, but they need to improve on this years 4-12 record. I think it would be good for both Carroll and the Falcons to just shut these talks down and move on.

Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

2007 NFL Divisional Round Playoff Preview

NFC
SEA Seahawks at GB Packers
This should be a really good game. Matt Hasselback will try to live down the whole, "we want the ball, we're gunna score" thing while trying to get over the .500 mark (sitting 4-4 for his playoff career). I will obviously be rooting for the Packers and, I will admit that I would rather have had them play the Redskins than the Seahawks. However, I'm pretty confident that Favre gets another big win in his playoff career. As long as the Packers can protect Favre from the likes of Kerney, Peterson, and Tatupu they should be victorious. I just think that the Seahawks aren't quite good enough. Shaun Alexander has not been impressive at all and I don't really see him being able to run the ball against the Packers' front 7. Side note: The Seahawks had the easiest schedule in football: their opponents had an adjusted combined record of 100-140. Are they a paper tiger in that sense?.....a little bit.
Prediction: GB 27 SEA 14

NY Giants at DAL Cowboys
Eli Manning led the Giants to a 4th quarter comeback victory four times this season: tied with Tom Brady for the league lead. Just something to keep in mind when you watch Eli struggle in the first half. I dont' see this being much of a game. I would love to see the Gmen beat down Romo and the 'Boys but with that extra week off they're going to be fully healthy and fully prepared. T.O will be back which will spell trouble for the Giants. True, it is difficult for any team to defeat a division opponent 3 times in a season but while I think Eli is progressing nicely, he’ll have to wait another year.
Prediction: DAL 30 NYG 10

AFC
JAX Jaguars at NE Patriots

This is the marquee match-up that I have been waiting all week for as the NFL’s top passing offense (New England) and the league’s No. 2 rushing offense (Jacksonville) take center stage. It is no secret that the Patriots are the biggest story so far this season going 16-0 in the regular season (The NFL’s fourth unbeaten/untied season in history and set a league scoring record with 589 points). But Jaguars are also a dangerous dominating bunch as through the Wild Card, they own an active streak of scoring at least 24 points in 11 consecutive games. I would absolutely love to pick the Jags in this one. I absolutely want the Jags to win this one. I will not be picking the Jags to win this one....I just can't. Where a week off hurts a lot of teams, if you have Bill Belichick as your head coach it helps you immensely. I think the Patriots will be beyond prepared in this one. Bill Belichick is 5-0 when the Patriots have a bye week in the playoffs (including Super Bowls 2003 and 2004). Whenever Belichick has time to prepare, he finds success, or success finds him. Again, I’d love to pick the Jags because they can run the ball, they can stop the run, get to the quarterback and they have a quarterback who doesn’t turn the ball over. However, I just can't pick against Brady, Moss, and the Patriots right now. That being said, "GO JAGS".

Prediction: NE 31 JAX 20

SD Chargers at IND Colts
Though the Chargers beat the Colts 23-21 in November of this season, this is an entirely different Colts squad. Everyone wants to talk about the Patriots, but most people are sleeping on the 13-win Colts in my opinion. Let’s not forget that this team allowed the fewest points in the league this year on defense (262) and they sport this year’s defensive player of the year safety Bob Sanders. And who wants to debate me that the Chargers are just glad to have finally won a playoff game after squeaking past the beat up Titans 17-6 after trailing 6-0 at the half. I personally feel that with the Patriots undefeated season and all, the Colts got kind of forgotten. Remember, they are the defending champs and they are probably a better all-around team than they were last year when they won it. Now, is everybody else better too. Maybe? Are the Chargers better than the Colts? No. Tony Dungy > Norv Turner .... by a longshot.

Prediction: IND 35 SD 13