Oh Canada

The 99th Grey Cup is tomorrow in Vancouver. The game will feature the British Columbia Lions, who are playing at their home stadium, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. BC is led by CFL MVP Quarterback Travis Lulay, while the Blue Bombers are led by Quarterback Buck Pierce and Defensive Back Javon Johnson, the CFL Defensive Player of the Year. The game is shown in America on Altitude Network or ESPN 3, and on TSN in Canada. Although Winnipeg has the Defensive Player of the Year, and a very potent defense, the Lions have a very powerful offense, and although it will be close, the Lions will win.
My Prediction: Although it will be very close, The BC Lions will prevail in the end, 31-28.

Game of the Century

Later today, at 8 ET on CBS, #1 LSU and #2 Alabama will duel it out in an SEC West matchup. Although I think that this matchup should be #1 vs. #3 or 4 because of level of teams played, I have to admit that the game is intriguing, and I might watch. Although this is an SEC game, and I don't like the SEC (can you say overrated), I think that we could see either of these teams in the National Championship Game. The game will be a defensive struggle, with two of the nation's top defenses going head to head. Alabama is coached by Nick Saban, a two-time national championship winning coach (one with LSU), and LSU is coached by Saban's successor, Les Miles, who has led the Tigers to a title in 2007. This is, in my mind, Alabama's first real test of the year. Florida and Penn State don't count as really great competition, and while LSU was playing teams such as Oregon and West Virginia, ranked in the top 25, Alabama was playing Kent State and North Texas. Granted, Western Kentucky and Northwestern State aren't that great either, but at least LSU has scheduled some non-conference, tough matchups, instead of relying on the power of the SEC. That being said, not many teams walk into Bryant-Denny Stadium and come out having beaten the Tide. That is why I think that Alabama will win. Roll Tide!
My Prediction: 12-10 Alabama

Upset Saturday

First of all, I'm sorry that I didn't show my picks this week. I didn't get around to it today, but I'll be back next week. Here's how I did last week compared to Lee and Kirk from College Gameday last week:
Frank: 9-1
Lee: 6-4
Kirk: 7-2
This week was an interesting one in College Football. First of all, #23 Michigan State beat #11 Michigan 28-24. Later in the day, Ohio State knocked off #16 Illinois 17-7, and #12 Georgia Tech was stunned by Virginia 21-24. Arizona State at Oregon is currently starting the second quarter, however an upset could occur there, as the Sun Devils are currently beating the Ducks 14-7.

My picks vs. those of College Gameday

This week, I am showing my picks on the top games of the week and comparing them to Lee and Kirk from College Gameday's picks

                                                     Lee:                              Kirk:                                      Frank:
Oklahoma vs. Texas:                Oklahoma              can't pick, calling game  Oklahoma
Ohio State at Nebraska:           Nebraska                 Nebraska                          Nebraska
Florida at LSU:                              LSU                           LSU                                       LSU
Texas A&M at Texas Tech:      Texas Tech             Texas A&M                    Texas A&M
Iowa at Penn State:                   Iowa                         Iowa                                 Penn State
Missouri at Kansas State:         Missouri                 Kansas State                 Kansas State
Michigan at Northwestern:     Michigan                 Michigan                       Michigan
Miami(FL) at Virginia Tech:     Miami                     Virginia Tech                 Virginia Tech
Georgia at Tennessee:              Georgia                   Georgia                          Tennessee
Auburn at Arkansas:                   Auburn                   Auburn                           Arkansas

NFL Power Rankings

After releasing my predictions for the NFL season, I'd thought I'd show you my preseason Power Rankings:
1. Green Bay Packers
2. New England Patriots
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. New Orleans Saints
5. New York Jets
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. San Diego Chargers
9. Baltimore Ravens
10. Chicago Bears
11. Dallas Cowboys
12. Kansas City Chiefs
13. St. Louis Rams
14. Miami Dolphins
15. Indianapolis Colts (Without Manning)
16. New York Giants
17. Cleveland Browns
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19. Detroit Lions
20. Houston Texans
21. Seattle Seahawks
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Oakland Raiders
24. Cincinnati Bengals
25. Tennessee Titans
26. Arizona Cardinals
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
28. San Francisco 49ers
29. Denver Broncos
30. Washington Redskins
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Carolina Panthers

NFL Predictions

Well, it's that time again, time for some NFL Football! Each team enters with a new team and a new atmosphere. The Eagles made some big moves this off-season, and many expect them to make the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Here are my predictions:

AFC East:                                      AFC North:                             AFC South:                       
1. New England Patriots            1. Pittsburgh Steelers                  1. Indianapolis Colts   
2. New York Jets                           2. Cleveland Browns                    2. Houston Texans
3. Miami Dolphins                       3. Baltimore Ravens                     3. Tennessee Titans
4. Buffalo Bills                               4. Cincinnati Bengals                     4. Jacksonville Jaguars

NFC East:                                      NFC North:                             NFC South:
1. Philadelphia Eagles                  1. Green Bay Packers             1. New Orleans Saints
2. Dallas Cowboys                          2. Chicago Bears                       2. Atlanta Falcons
3. New York Giants                         3. Detroit Lions                        3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Washington Redskins              4. Minnesota Vikings              4. Carolina Panthers

AFC West:
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Oakland Raiders
4. Denver Broncos

NFC West:
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. St. Louis Rams
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. San Francisco 49ers

NFL Playoffs:
AFC Wildcard:
Pittsburgh Steelers beat Miami Dolphins 27-10
New York Jets beat San Diego Chargers 17-10
NFC Wildcard:
New Orleans Saints beat Chicago Bears 31-17
Dallas Cowboys beat Seattle Seahawks 42-21
AFC Divisional Round:
New England Patriots beat New York Jets 35-24
Indianapolis Colts beat Pittsburgh Steelers 24-13
NFC Divisional Round:
Philadelphia Eagles beat Dallas Cowboys 28-20
Green Bay Packers beat New Orleans Saints 17-13
AFC Championship:
New England Patriots beat Indianapolis Colts 24-21
NFC Championship:
Philadelphia Eagles beat Green Bay Packers 38-10
Super Bowl XLVI
On February 5, 2012, the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots will meet for Super Bowl XLVI. The Eagles, with all of their offseason moves, made it through with offense and a lot of good cornerback play. The Patriots made it through with their amazing passing game and improved defense. In Super Bowl XLVI, Tom Brady and Michael Vick will duel it out through the air, handing the ball off just to keep the defense honest. Tom Brady will throw for 379 yards and five touchdowns, and Vick will throw for 310 yards and three touchdowns. it will come down to the last minute, in which Tom Brady will lead the Patriots on a last-minute, Super Bowl winning drive and the Patriots will win, 35-31.

Manchester United beats Arsenal 8-2

In one of the highest-scoring soccer games you will ever see, Manchester United beat Arsenal 8-2. It was the worst loss for Arsenal in 115 years. This wasn't the way Arsenal wanted to start their 125th year anniversary, the club has started out winless, and, although they have gotten a tie in the Premier League and have advanced into the UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Arsenal fans are panicking and are asking for their manger, Arsene Wenger, to buy some good players or be fired. Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick for the Red Devils, and Nani, Park-Ji-Sung, and Danny Welbeck, each scored a goal, and Ashley Young scored two goals himself to complete the (count them) 8 goals. Theo Walcott and Robin Van Persie, a couple of Arsenal veterans, scored the two goals for Arsenal.
After losing Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City, two of the best players on the team are gone, and with fanbase turning against him, the 15-year manager of Arsenal, Arsene Wenger now sees the need for transfers.
Meanwhile, Manchester United is in first place in the Premier League, having won all three games that they've played, and will now get almost two weeks off before their next game against Bolton.

I'm in Football Mode

The Lockout is over, and Free Agency and trades are going on all over the NFL. I can't wait for football to start to see who will win. If you look at all of the deals made in the last week, you'll agree with me. Up north, the CFL is actually going on (Talk about doers and not dreamers), and even with their longer field and regular season, they don't complain about a thing, unlike the NFL. Unfortunately, my friend Michael's favorite team and my preseason favorite team to win the Grey Cup, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, are 1-4, and my favorite team, the BC Lions, haven't even won a game yet, they are 0-5. There have been some good games, and the most intriguing game of the year in my mind was the game between the Montreal Alouettes and the Roughriders, a rematch of the Grey Cup. The Roughriders won 27-24. Meanwhile, the teams that neither Michael nor I picked to even get to the Playoffs, the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, are in first place of their divisions, going 5-0 and 4-1, respectively. Well, the NFL is entertaining my inner General Manager, while the CFL entertains my inner coach. Keep on going football!

College Football Preview (Stanford)

Stanford will be very good this year. With Andrew Luck returning, even the loss of the starting wide receivers and coach from last year won't stop Stanford from having a good year. Luck can throw to anyone, and although there are many teams better than Stanford, no one should take them for granted because Stanford can play. They start out the season with seven games that should be easy for them before facing USC. They face Oregon just two weeks later, and face Notre Dame two weeks after that.
My Prediction:
Stanford will do well, and beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, 35-10.
11-2
2011 Sugar Bowl Champions

College Football Preview (Boise State)

Although they lost their two best wide receivers, Titus Young and Austin Pettis, and their offensive coordinator, Boise State still is a force to be reckoned with, especially with Kellen Moore returning at quarterback, and Doug Martin at running back. Even with all of the changes, there is still hope for the Broncos, and I think that they will win at least 10 games. Their first game is in Atlanta against Georgia on September 3rd, and after that they don't have a real test until they play Nevada on October 1st. After that, they may face a good team in Air Force on Oct. 22nd, and then play their hardest game of the year against TCU on November 12th. I believe that these are the only three games that they could lose, however I think that they will have to lose at least one of these games.
My Prediction:
Boise State will have a productive year, after losing one game, they will play in the Fiesta Bowl and lose to Oklahoma 28-31.
11-2
2011 Fiesta Bowl Runners-Up

CFL Canada Day Kickoff

We have FOOTBALL! Just not in the way you'd think. The NFL is still in a lockout, but the CFL has already started its regular season. With a 120 yard field, different rules, and so on, the CFL and NFL are similar but not the same. Unfortunately, for us in the United States, (Happy 235th America), if the lockout goes on we'll have to watch either the CFL, with all of its difference, or the UFL, basically a minor league to the NFL. The CFL kicked off its season over the weekend in its annual Canada Day Kickoff. The Montreal Alouettes beat the BC Lions on Thursday in Montreal 30-26. On July 1st, Canada turned 144 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 24-16. Later that night, the Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders dueled it out until the Argonauts won 23-21. There were no games on Saturday, but on Sunday, the Edmonton Eskimos beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 42-28. Hopefully we won't miss any NFL games this year, but being in July and with no timetable set for negotiations (although right now their winging some), I don't know when we'll see an NFL game. Until then, GO CANADA!

College Football Prediction (LSU)

LSU looks to be an interesting team this year. Althought they lost their best returner and cornerback, Patrick Peterson, to the NFL, and have a new running back, Jordan Jefferson and all of his passing targets return, along with most of the offensive line. Morris Claiborne, who had five interceptions last year, will return and probably have a successful year. Their first game is against Oregon, which I think the Tigers will lose. They then have an easy game against Northwestern State before facing two straight challenges against Mississippi State and West Virginia, one of which I believe they will lose. They have a game against Alabama on November 5th that looks to be a good one, and the Tigers should win. Their last game on November 25th will pit them against Arkansas, a game where I think Arkansas will show everyone that they are not to be messed with and win, just keeping LSU out of the SEC Championship Game.

My Prediction:
LSU will make a second straight appearance in the Cotton Bowl, where they will beat Texas A&M 14-10.
10-3
Cotton Bowl Champions

College Football Preview (Alabama)

Alabama won the National Title two years ago led by Mark Ingram and Greg McIlroy, and now that each of them are gone, this year should be interesting. It will either be a year of rebuilding or a year of winning. I believe that they have one of the best defenses in the country, however their offense has a little to be desired, with Trent Richardson, a very, very capable running back, having to replace Mark Ingram, a Heisman Trophy winner. Richardson, who played enough time last year and the year before to determine that he is actually quite good, won't be able to put up the same sort of numbers that Ingram did, however his numbers may lead to similar success. My only problem with Alabama is their quarterback. The quarterback battle is between AJ McCarron and Philip Sims, with McCarron expected to win. I don't think that either of them will have the same productive numbers that McIlroy had during the last two years. Greg McIlroy didn't put up great numbers, but he was a true leader. After an early battle against Penn State on September 10th, I believe that they will be upset by LSU on November 5th, but will beat South Carolina in the SEC Championship game and advance to the Sugar Bowl against Stanford.
My Prediction:
Alabama will have a successful season, but lose to Stanford 35-10 in the Sugar Bowl
12-2
2011 Sugar Bowl Runners-Up

College Football Preview (Notre Dame)

Well, I didn't want to do it, but I had to put Notre Dame in my Preseason top five. Dayne Crist, the quarterback will return after a successful but injured season, Manti Te'o may be the best defensive player in all of college football, and Michael Floyd, the star Wide Receiver, is getting much closer to starting in one of the first games of the year after his DUI and subsequent suspension. Notre Dame has a little bit of a test in their first game against South Florida, but their next two games, against Michigan in the "Under the Lights" game on September 10th and the next week against Michigan State at home. On October 22, 34 years to the day that Dan Devine pulled out the Green Jerseys and beat USC, Notre Dame will play... USC. Hmm, tough test against a good team, Green Jersey Game #2 in the making? After the USC game, I expect two good games against Navy and Boston College, but the only real test after USC will be Andrew Luck and Stanford, a game that Notre Dame should win.

My Prediction:
Notre Dame will be back! This is the first year in a while that Notre Dame doesn't have a game that everybody looks at and knows that they will be upset. They shouldn't be anybodies "Super Bowl" this year, and I think that will help them. I think they will win the National Championship over Oregon, 28-24, but only because of their defense, which is much improved with some great new recruits.
13-0
2011 National Champions

College Football Preview (Oklahoma)

Oklahoma looks to be an interesting team this year. Ryan Broyles, the star receiver, and Landry Jones, a very capable quarterback, return for what looks to be a great year for each. Boomer Sooner will roll through the first part of the season, with the only real challenge being their game at Florida State. The game at the Cotton Bowl against Texas on October 8th will be a tough test, and although I expect them to win, it may shake their confidence. Although they will face a challenge against Texas A&M on November 5th, They will go undefeated until December 3rd, when Oklahoma State will pull off an upset.

My Prediction:
Oklahoma will do well, and win in the Fiesta Bowl over Boise State, 31-28.
13-1
2011 Fiesta Bowl Champions

College Football Preview (Oregon)

This will be the opener of my new segment, previewing college football before the season starts. In my first segment, I will talk about last-years championship game runner-up and preseason favorite to win the Pac-12, the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks return 12 starters from a team that went 12-1 last year, and most of those returning starters should make a large impact. They will start off the season with a tough test in Dallas against LSU on September 3, followed by Nevada the next week. The biggest tests after LSU will be against USC on November 19th and Stanford on November 12th. I believe they will face Utah in the Pac-12 Conference Championship Game, but will breeze through them. This has been made even tougher with the suspension of Cliff Harris, their star cornerback. However, I believe that this won't affect them because they still have a great quarterback, Darron Thomas who should get better, the best running game in all of college football with LaMichael James, one of my preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy, and Kenjon Barner, a great back-up running back that would be a starter anywhere else, leading the way.

My Prediction:
Oregon will repeat their success from last year but face the toughest test of their lives in the National Championship Game and lose 24-28 to Notre Dame. GO DUCKS!
13-1
2011 Runners-Up

My Preseason College Football Top 10

Here is my preseason Top 10 teams for College Football:

1. Oregon
2. Oklahoma
3. Notre Dame
4. Alabama
5. LSU
6. Boise State
7. Stanford
8. Texas A&M
9. Florida State
10. South Carolina

McIlroy's Mastery (US Open 2011)

Wow! Rory McIlroy went from having a final round 80 at the Masters after leading going into the final round to winning the US Open and setting tournament records in total score, score after 36 holes, fastest to -10 in the tournament, first to get -13 and lower in the tournament, and was the second-youngest player to win a major since 1934. His final score was -16, and he won by eight strokes. If McIlroy doesn't win at least five majors, I will be stunned. He is dominating golf right now and may do it for close to a decade.

Moving Day Leaderboard at the US Open

Here is the leaderboard after Moving Day at the US Open.

Leaderboard:
1. Rory McIlroy: -14
2. Y.E. Yang: -6
T3. Robert Garrigus: -5
T3. Lee Westwood: -5
T3. Jason Day: -5
T6. Sergio Garcia: -4
T6. Matt Kuchar: -4
T6. Fredrik Jacobson: -4
9. Kyung-tae Kim: -3

Other Notables:
T15. Zach Johnson: -1
T21. Graeme McDowell: E
T21. Louis Oosthuizen: E
T27. Charl Schwartzel: +1
T33. Dustin Johnson: +2
T36. Padraig Harrington: +3
T36. Martin Kaymer: +3
T48 Ryo Isikawa: +5
T57. Phil Mickelson: +7
T57. Bubba Watson: +7
T64. Anthony Kim: +8

Championship Season

Well, it's that time again. CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON! The Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals, and the UEFA Champions League Final have all taken place in the past week. The NBA Finals, between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks, is tied at 1-1. The Stanley Cup, played by the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins, is led 1-0 by the Canucks. FC Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 in the UEFA Champions Final last Sunday. Baseball season is still going on, however the World Series isn't going to happen for about five more months.

My CFL Predictions

Yesterday I showed you my friend Michael's CFL, or Canadian Football League, predictions, and today I am going to show you my own. Although I don't follow it closely, I think I know enough about it to predict the season. I will also do this before the NFL season, don't worry, but the CFL starts in late June, and it's good to give our neighbors up north some respect.

Western Conference:
1.(First-Round Bye) Saskatchewan Roughriders
2. Calgary Stampeders
3. BC Lions
4. (Eliminated from Playoffs) Edmonton Eskimos

Eastern Conference:
1. (First-Round Bye) Hamilton Tiger-Cats
2. Montreal Alouettes
3.Toronto Argonauts
4. (Eliminated from Playoffs) Winnipeg Blue Bombers

First Round:
Western Conference:
BC Lions beat Calgary Stampeders 31-27
Eastern Conference:
Montreal Alouettes beat Toronto Argonauts 42-14

Semifinals:
Western Conference:
Saskatchewan Roughriders beat BC Lions 35-28 (Advance to Grey Cup Final)
Eastern Conference:
Montreal Alouettes beat Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21-14 (Advance to Grey Cup Final)

Grey Cup Final:
Saskatchewan Roughriders beat Montreal Alouettes 41-38

CFL Predictions

My friend Michael in Canada sent me his CFL (Canadian Football League) Predictions, the ones listed here, along with a BC Lions T-Shirt. Thanks Michael!

Western Conference:
1. (First-Round Bye) Calgary Stampeders
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders
3. BC Lions
4. (Eliminated from Playoffs) Edmonton Eskimos

Eastern Conference:
1. (First-Round Bye) Hamilton Tiger-Cats
2. Montreal Alouettes
3.Toronto Argonauts
4. (Eliminated from Playoffs) Winnipeg Blue-Bombers

First Round of Playoffs:
Western Conference
Saskatchewan beats BC
Eastern Conference
Montreal beats Toronto

Semifinals:
Western Conference
Calgary beats Saskatchewan, advances to Grey Cup Final
Eastern Conference
Hamilton beats Montreal, advances to Grey Cup Final

Grey Cup Final:
Hamilton beats Calgary, are crowned CFL Champions

Saturday Special

Sorry about the nearly three-week layoff, there were technical issues with my schedule and maintenance problems with blogger.

Game 1: Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees: CC Sabathia and Josh Beckett each pitched well, but Beckett got the best of Sabathia and got the win, bringing his season win total to 3 wins and only 1 loss. CC Sabathia was tallied the loss, bringing his win total to 3 wins and 3 losses. Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run home-run in the seventh inning, and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in two more runs in the Red Sox's 6-0 win. The Red Sox have now won two straight games, and the Yankees lost their fourth straight.

Game 2: Los Angeles Angels vs. Texas Rangers: Alberto Callaspo drove in 2 runs and Maicer Izturis drove in another to lead the Angels to a 3-2 victory. Michael Young and Adrian Beltre drove in the Rangers two runs. It was a tie game until Izturis drove in a run in the ninth inning. Scott Downs got the win for the Angels, Darren Oliver got the loss for the Rangers, and Jordan Walden got the save.

Game 3: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves: Jair Jurrjens pitched a perfect game into the sixth inning for the Braves, then gave up 3 runs but held on for a 5-3 Braves win. Shane Victorino was injured in the game, and Jimmy Rollins, Wilson Valdez, and John Mayberry drove in the three runs for the Phillies. Martin Prado hit a three-run home-run and David Ross and Nate McClouth drove in the other Braves runs. Jurrjens got the win for the Braves, Joe Blanton got the loss for the Phillies, and Craig Kimbrel got the save.

NFL Draft First Day

            On an interesting first day of the 2011 NFL Draft, Cam Newton of Auburn was taken first overall. Newton, the controversial quarterback, was my absolute least favorite player in the draft. I'm not a fan, and I think he will be a bust. Von Miller of Texas A&M, a linebacker, was taken second overall by the Denver Broncos. Nick Fairley of Auburn, a defensive tackle, was taken twelfth overall by the Detroit Lions, who will boast the most powerful defensive line in professional football with Fairley joining Ndamukong Suh and Cliff Avril. Mark Ingram, the Heisman Trophy winner from 2009, was drafted by the New Orleans Saints, who traded for the pick with the New England Patriots, who seemed destined to pick Ingram with one of their two first-round picks.
            I was surprised that the Tennessee Titans selected Jake Locker with the 8th overall pick. Locker was projected to be selected in the late first round or early second round, and choosing him this early is either a move of genius or a really dumb move, only time will tell.  One of the biggest surprises of the first round was that Da'Quan Bowers, who many earlier in the month had as the projected 1st or 2nd overall pick, wasn't even picked in the first round.



Biggest Steal: Nick Fairley: DT Auburn
Selected 13th overall by the Lions

Biggest Bust: Cam Newton: QB Auburn
Selected 1st overall by the Panthers

Biggest Loss: Jake Locker: QB Washington
Selected 8th overall by the Titans

Timbers Tuesday

How 'bout the Timbers? I have immediately jumped on the Portland Timbers bandwagon, and will use this segment to highlight and showcase their play. They have won two straight games, each at Jeld-Wen Field, their home stadium, and have improved to two wins, two losses, and one tie on the season. The Timbers beat FC Dallas 3-2 on Sunday, and the Chicago Fire 4-2 last Thursday. They are starting to improve and hopefully will become a contender come playoff time, but their best test will be when they play the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. The Galaxy are, in my mind, the best team in Major League Soccer. I believe that they could even compete with some teams over in Europe. However, these teams that they could compete with are not the best teams in Europe, not even close. If the Timbers win, it will be a huge morale boost. Although the Timbers aren't the most athletic team in the world, they play very much as a team, and I think they could go far this year.

Special Edition Saturday Special

Game 1. Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago White Sox: The pitching duel was great, but Dan Haren prevailed. Haren, the Angels pitcher, out-dueled Mark Buehrle while only allowing two runs. Mark Trumbo hit a home run for the Angels, and Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu drove in two other runs. Alberto Callaspo drove in the fourth run for the Angels, while A.J. Pierzynski and Alexei Ramirez drove in the two White Sox runs. Haren got the win, Buehrle, who gave up all four Angels runs, got the loss, and Jordan Walden got the save. The Angels won their fifth straight game and improved to 10-5, while the White Sox lost their fourth in a row and are now 7-8 overall.

The Masters Final

             On the final day of The Masters, there were runs, slumps, and anything else you can imagine. South African Charl Schwartzel came out with the victory, his first major, shooting -14 overall and -6 on the final day. Rory McIlroy, the leader after 54 holes, had the lead until the 10th hole, where he shot a triple bogey. After that he bogeyed the 11th and finished with -4 overall, tied for 15th. Tiger Woods and Geoff Ogilvy each shot -5 on the final day, and finished tied for 4th at -10. Adam Scott and Jason Day, both Aussies, tied for 2nd with -12. Defending champion Phil Mickelson finished with -1, and K.J. Choi shot -8 for the tournament. Schwartzel, the victor of the tournament, has a bright future ahead of him, although I think that Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, and Dustin Johnson, the other "young guns" of golf, will win more championships and majors. This was arguably the most competitive Masters ever, and Schwartzel really deserved it. If the other majors are anything like the Masters, then we are in for a great year of golf.

Saturday Special

        Game 1. New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox: Russell Martin hit two home runs and Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano each added another to lead the Yankees to victory, 9-4. Martin hit one in the fourth inning and one off former Yankee pitcher Alfredo Aceves in the seventh inning. Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury each drove in a run and Dustin Pedroia drove in two for the Red Sox in a losing effort. Ivan Nova, the Yankee starter, gave up all four of the Red Sox's runs before he was replaced with David Robertson, the pitcher that got the win. The loss was given to Clay Bucholz, the Red Sox pitcher who gave up four runs. 
      
        Game 2. Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays: A.J. Pierzynski drove in two runs and Gordon Beckham and Brent Morel each drove in one more and the White Sox went on to win 4-2. Felipe Lopez hit a home run in the ninth inning for the Rays to narrow the deficit to 4-2. The White Sox, however, were able to hold on for the win. Ben Zobrist got a double and an RBI for the Rays. Philip Humber pitched well for the White Sox, only allowing one run before getting taken out of the game, and got the win. Wade Davis got the loss for the Rays, and Chris Sale got the save.

The Masters Moving Day Leaderboard

         Here is the leaderboard for The Masters after Saturday.
        
         Leaderboard:
         1. Rory McIlroy: -12
         T2. Angel Cabrera: -8
         T2. Jason Day: -8
         T2. K.J. Choi: -8
         T2. Charl Schwartzel: -8
         T6. Adam Scott: -7
         T6. Luke Donald: -7
         8. Bo Van Pelt: -6

         Other Notables:
         T9: Tiger Woods: -5
         T9: Fred Couples: -5
         T14: Y.E. Yang: -4
         T18. Phil Mickelson: -3
         T18. Lee Westwood: -3
         T24. Jim Furyk: -2
         T30: Trevor Immelman: -1
         T30. Sergio Garcia: -1
         48. Ernie Els: +5

Masters Leaderboard

Just thought that I'd show the leaderboard of the Masters after an exciting day one.            
           
            Masters Leaderboard:
            T1. Rory McIlroy: -7
            T1: Alvaro Quiros: -7
            T3: Y.E. Yang: -5
            T3: K.J. Choi: -5
            T5: Matt Kuchar: -4
            T5: Ricky Barnes: -4
           
            Other Notables:
            T14: Phil Mickelson: -2
            T24: Rio Ishikawa: -1
            T24: Tiger Woods: -1
            T31: Lee Westwood: E
            T31: Steve Stricker: E
            T49: Anthony Kim: +1
            T93: Martin Kaymer: +6
            96: Tom Watson: +7       

Championship Game Final

             In arguably the worst National Championship Game ever played, Uconn beat Butler 53-41. Neither team seemed to be able to make a shot, with even easy layups missing the basket. Butler shot 18.8% from the field, the worst percentage in Championship history. Uconn didn't shot much better, only making 34.5% of their shots. Butler only made one shot from inside the paint, and only three inside the arc. Jim Calhoun won his third National Title, and Butler suffered heartbreak again. Calhoun, according to reports, may retire over the off-season, which would really hurt Uconn's chances for next year and beyond. This game left many people across the country changing the channel, I mean who wants to watch a defensive struggle? Apparently I am not in the majority of the people, though, because I watched every second of it, no matter how painful. Yes, my pick about this game was wrong, I had a high scoring, overtime struggle with Butler winning, not a 1940's score with Uconn winning, but did anyone expect 53-41? I mean, seriously, if this wasn't the most boring, most impossible to watch game ever, than I will stop covering basketball games. Butler and Uconn will try to defend their finishes next year, and it will be another interesting season. (Hopefully).

Championship Game Preview

       The National Championship for College Basketball is between Butler and Uconn. Butler returns to the Championship Game for the second straight year, while Uconn comes to its third ever Championship, the previous two having been won by Uconn. Butler's coach Brad Stevens, 34, is exactly half the age of the Uconn coach, Jim Calhoun, 68. However, this is Stevens' second championship game and his second straight Final Four appearance while Calhoun, a Basketball Hall of Famer, has only  reached four Final Fours and three Championship Games.      
      
        Last year Butler had to face Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils in the National Championship, and suffered heart-break when, down 61-59, Gordon Heyward launched a half-court shot at the end of the game that hit the backboard and could've bounced in, but instead hit the inside portion of the basketball rim and bounced out, Duke won 61-59 and Krzyzewski won his fourth championship. Heyward left Butler to play pro after that, and Butler was faced with the task of rebuilding its basketball program.
     
       Both teams score on average about 72 points a game, and on defense only allow an average of about 65 points. Butler has more experience in general, as their youngest starter is a Sophomore and they have three Senior starters, while Connecticut's oldest starter is a Junior and they have three Freshman starters. Butler has also been on this stage before, while for most of Uconn's players, the exceptions being the Juniors and Seniors, none of the players had even been in a Final Four. The key matchup in this game will be between Kemba Walker, the Player of the Year candidate from Uconn, and Shelvin Mack, a good all-around player. If Mack has a good game, which I think he will, Butler will win.
               My Pick: Butler wins 80-74 in OT.

Saturday Special: The Baseball Games

Game 1. New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers: Even though A.J. Burnett, the Yankee pitcher, was battling an illness, he still pitched well enough to get the win. He got some help from the Yankee offense, as the Yankees got three home runs, one from Mark Teixeira, his second of the season, one from Alex Rodriguez, his first of the season, and one from newcomer Russell Martin, his first of the season and first ever with the Yankees. Burnett only allowed three runs on six hits before he was taken out, and got the win, 10-6 Yankees. Mariano Rivera got his second save of the season in as many games, Brad Penny got the loss, and Victor Martinez and Austin Jackson homered for the Tigers.

Game 2. Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics: Ichiro Suzuki broke the Seattle Mariners all-time hit record with 2,248 hits and drove in the go-ahead run on the same play in the top of the ninth inning, and after a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly that drove in runs the score became 5-2. Brandon League came in to close out the game for the Mariners, and with two outs and Ryan Sweeney at the plate, a slow grounder gave the Mariners the win, 5-2. Chris Ray got the win, Brian Fuentes got the loss, and Brandon League got the save.

And then there were two

           In an instant classic, Uconn beat Kentucky 56-55. Kentucky came out in the second half on fire, but in the end it was not enough, and Uconn will advance to the championship on Monday night to play Butler.

Final Four Game # 2 Connecticut vs. Kentucky Halftime

            Its been a game of runs so far in the second National Semifinal, with Connecticut beating Kentucky 31-21. Coming into the game, the story line was about Brandon Knight and the "super freshman" at Kentucky playing Kemba Walker and the more experienced Uconn team. During the early part of the game, it was very close, but then Uconn went on an eight to zero run. Kentucky repeated this, and got it to 21-24 Uconn, but then Connecticut went on a 7-0 run to end the half. It will be interesting to see who will pull out of this in the end, and whether the coaches' adjustments will pay off.

Final Four Game # 1 Butler vs. VCU

               In an great game, VCU and Butler dueled it out, with Butler winning 70-62. Although Butler was my lucky charm in my bracket last year, (I had them going to the Final Four and was right), I didn't pick them this year and have started to regret it. After the Round of 32 win over #1 Pittsburgh, I jumped on the Butler bandwagon, and have enjoyed watching Butler ever since. In tonight's game, however, I did not enjoy it as much because they beat fellow Cinderella VCU, a team that nobody, (I'm looking at you sports analysts), thought should even be in the tournament, let alone in the Final Four. VCU played like the world was going to explode if they didn't win, and beat USC, Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas, all from power conferences, en route to the Final Four. Butler advances to its second straight Championship Game after last year's heartbreak to Duke, and hope to win this time. As for VCU, they put up a great fight and can hope for the same kind of luck, with a better ending next year.

Opening Day

Baseball is here!!! Finally we get to see the great national pastime played for real. We get to see which big name players get traded, which teams falter, and which team will rise to the occasion to become the World Series Champions. Will the Yankees make a move, will the Phillies rotation be what all the hype says? Will the Giants repeat as champions, or will they go up in flames? Will the Red Sox's moves in the offseason pay off? We'll see.

Hello

               Hello, my name is Frank Dwyer. This is my blog the D-Wire. I am going to provide my opinions on sports during the time I run this blog. This is NOT an April Fool's Joke.