FOOTBALL

It was a wild Sunday in the NFL with some highly anticipated games. First up, it was Robert Griffin III and the Redskins heading to Green Bay to take on an 0-1 Packers team. In fact, both of these teams were 0-1 headed into the game, and statistics say that any team that starts 0-2 has only a 12% chance of making the playoffs. So both teams desperately needed a win. Unfortunately for the Redskins, they have had to put RG3 in a pocket-passing position because his knee is still an issue. This takes away RG3’s running game, which is what he’s known for. Thus, the Redskins couldn’t get anything going on offense. Meanwhile, the Packers looked incredible. Aaron Rodgers threw for over 300 yards and 3 Touchdowns IN THE FIRST HALF!!! They never looked back, and the Packers easily secured a victory. Green Bay 38, Washington 20.

Elsewhere, everyone expected the high-flying Eagles to absolutely destroy the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers were coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Texans, and also had to fly across country for an early start time. The Eagles showed their explosive offensive skills last weekend, thanks to the rejuvenated Chip Kelly offense. In this game Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and the offense didn’t miss a step, basically scoring at will. The only problem is… the Eagles couldn’t stop the Chargers in any way shape or form. In fact, they made Chargers receiver Eddie Royal look like Jerry Rice out there. Royal had 3 touchdowns on the day. In the end, the Chargers marched down the field and got a last second field goal to win the game. San Diego 33, Philadelphia 30.

Then, it was time for THE MANNING BOWL III. These guys play every 4 years, and it’s always interesting to see brothers Peyton and Eli go head-to-head on the field. This time, however, Peyton is with a new team: The Denver Broncos, and they looked absolutely phenomenal last weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants were coming off a loss to the Cowboys, and looking for a win at home to avoid going 0-2. Well, they weren’t going to find that win against Peyton and the Broncos. The machine just kept rolling along, with the Broncos offense getting the job done behind Peyton’s 307 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Broncos move to 2-0, while the Giants are now 0-2 and looking for answers. Denver 41, NY Giants 23.

BOXING

Finally, boxing champion Floyd Mayweather defended his title this weekend agains the Mexican star Canelo. This fight was hugely hyped, so much so that Mayweather was paid a guaranteed $41Million just to fight. Mayweather had his way with Canelo. He didn’t knock him out, but it was clear that Mayweather had control of the fight from beginning to end. The judges made the call, and Mayweather was hoisted in the air as the champ. Now everyone is wondering who he will fight next. This guy is one of the best boxers of all time.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was the first Thursday Night Football game on the NFL Network.  This has been a new tradition for football fans, as there is really only 2 days off a week now from football (if you count college football on Saturdays).  This week’s match-up:  The New England Patriots hosting the New York Jets.  The Jets got a lucky victory on Sunday, and were hoping that Geno Smith wasn’t a fluke.  As for the Patriots, they are completely banged up with injuries, and Tom Brady has fewer offensive weapons than he’s ever had.  This game was a fight through a long rain storm, so we got to witness some very ugly, sloppy football.  But when the rain settled, Geno Smith had a terrible game (throwing 2 picks) and Tom Brady’s receivers and entire offensive unit looked awful.  In the end, however, the Pats D was just a little better and the Patriots snuck out of there with a 3-point victory.  New England 13, NY Jets 10.

Elsewhere in the NFL, there is a much anticipated match-up this weekend between the Arizona Cardinals and the Detroit Lions.  It’s a battle of the league’s two premier wide receivers:  Calvin Johnson (Lions) and Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals).  But on Thursday, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians actually dubbed Calvin Johnson the best receiver in the game.  And, in an odd move, Larry Fitzgerald agreed.  Fitzgerald said that all you needed to do was look at the numbers.  This match-up will also feature Calvin Johnson going against one of the games best cornerbacks in Patrick Peterson.  This is going to be a fun one.

And if you need even more entertainment this weekend, there’s more.  First, you have the rematch between Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M vs. Alabama.  Manziel went into Alabama last year and ruined their perfect season.  Sure, the Crimson Tide won it all, but they still have that stain of losing a game to A&M IN Alabama. This ‘Bama program is not designed to lose anything.  Manziel needs this win if he wants to have a shot at a second Heisman trophy.  And Bama needs this win if they want a true shot at the National Championship.  The stakes couldn’t be higher.

BOXING

And then, at night, it’s the much anticipated fight between the champion Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez.  A lot of people think that Alvarez could actually take down Mayweather.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, after a long, laborious off-season where everyone in New York wondered if Mark Sanchez would lose the starting QB job permanently to rookie Geno Smith, we may now have a more definitive answer.  Sanchez got hurt in the final pre-season game, which made Geno Smith the default starter.  Smith played quite well against the Buccaneers, and led the Jets to a victory (even though it was a miracle victory on account of a mistake on the part of the Tampa Bay defense).  But nevertheless, Smith got the job done.  Now it looks like Sanchez’ injury is more serious than people thought, and he will likely be sidelined for the entire 2013 season.  And it’s likely that Sanchez will probably be in another uniform next year fighting for a back-up job.

Elsewhere in the NFL, a big rivalry game looms Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.  Suddenly, this is the best rivalry in football, with both fan bases fervent about the result.  The game is in Seattle, and is already marked by a bet between Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, and Niners QB Colin Kaepernick.  The loser has to shave off one of their eyebrows.  Additionally, it looks like Seattle security is taking intense preparation for the game.  Some security guards will be wearing Niners jerseys to blend in and make sure there is absolutely no trouble or fighting.  After the incident that happened in Los Angeles a few years ago, in which a Giants fan was beaten in the parking lot by a Dodgers fan, security can never be too careful at pro sports events.

BASKETBALL

And finally, in the NBA, sometimes it seems like the Miami Heat don’t even have to try in the off-season.  Players just fall in their lap.  First, they easily won the Greg Oden sweepstakes, and now conveniently have a 7-footer in the middle (albeit an injury prone one).  And now, they got back their #2 pick Michael Beasley for absolutely nothing, as the Suns recently let him go.  Beasley was once drafted to be Dwayne Wade’s sidekick, but became expendable when the Heat were trying to clear up cap room to sign LeBron and Bosh.  And now, poof, they got Beasley back.  Beasley is a bit of a hot-head, but he can score, and should have the right role models in Miami.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was a double-header Monday Night Football match-up to kick off Week 1.  First up, it was the Washington Redskins hosting the Philadelphia Eagles.  This was a double debut (more or less). First, we had the reemergence of the beloved Robert Griffin III after suffering a major knee injury in January.  He has made a miraculous recovery (and at record speed) and Redskins fans couldn’t wait to see him get back on the field.  But, he would have to defeat whom many compare him to:  Michael Vick.  And Vick was with the night’s other debut — the first pro coaching game of former Oregon head coaching wizard Chip Kelly.  The Eagles got on the board early, and never looked back.  It’s like they could score with ease.  Meanwhile, the Redskins struggled, and both their offense and defense looked out of sync.  There is no need to panic this early in the season, but it’s fair to assume that the Eagles look good more than the Redskins look bad.  Philadelphia 33, Washington 27.

Next up, it was the San Diego Chargers hosting the Houston Texans.  This season is pretty much Super Bowl or bust for the Texans.  They have been heavily touted the past two seasons, but have failed to make much of a dent in the playoffs, going no further than the divisional round both years.  This year they brought in superstar safety Ed Reed, and drafted the first wide receiver in the draft, DeAndre Hopkins, so they would have a solid #2 option for Matt Schaub.  They’re going for broke.  The Chargers on the other hand are hoping to rebound after a horrible season.  The Chargers looked electric in the first half, with quarterback Phillip Rivers tossing for 3 touchdowns.  The Texans didn’t know what hit them.  But in the second half, Houston came surging back, and some horrible mistakes by the Chargers allowed the Texans to tie the game.  And in the end, new Texans kicker Randy Bullock booted the game winning field goal.  Houston 31, San Diego 28.

TENNIS

Finally, it was the U.S. Open Final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovich.  This is turning into a modern day rivalry.  Djokovich is riding high after making the Wimbledon finals just a few months ago.  But Nadal can catch fire when he wants to, and in over a 4 hour match, Nadal pulled away and claimed the U.S. Open Title.  This is Nadal’s 13th Grand Slam Title, and he is quickly cementing himself as one of the greatest tennis players ever.

FOOTBALL

In our first Sunday of football for the season, we saw some early action, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts hosted the Oakland Raiders in what everyone thought was going to be a blowout — especially because Oakland was starting 2nd year QB Terrelle Pryor.  Sure, he’s a mobile quarterback, but he just secured the job, and there was no telling what would happen.  The Colts got up early, but in the second half, the Raiders came battling back behind Pryor, and put up 20 unanswered points.  Pryor looked great out there. He was excellent at scrambling out of pressure situations, and he kept throwing miracle passes to get out of 3rd down and long situations.   But, in the end, Andrew Luck turned on the magic, and wound up scrambling for his own long TD, as the Colts grabbed a Week 1 victory.  Both of these teams need a week to work out the bugs, but maybe the Raiders won’t be that bad this season.  Indianapolis 21, Oakland 17.

Then, in the afternoon marquee game, it was the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Green Bay Packers.  This was a rematch of last year’s divisional playoff series, in which the 49ers simply crushed the Packers.  They had no answer for QB Colin Kaepernick, as he ran all over them using the read-option offense. Would the Packers be ready for Kaepernick this season, and would Kap be able to duplicate his success from the end of last season?  This game was an offensive shootout, but even though Niners fans were worried about their receiving situation, Kap did just fine with what he had, throwing for over 400 yards.  He looked amazing out there.  The game came down to the wire, but the Niners prevailed on their home field in the end.  But make no mistake, the Packers look very good.  They should have a great season.  San Francisco 34, Green Bay 28.

Finally, in the Sunday Night Game, it was the New York Giants vs. the Dallas Cowboys.  And since the opening of the $1.2 billion dollar stadium in Dallas (dubbed ‘The House That Jerry Built’ after owner Jerry Jones), the Cowboys have never beaten the Giants on their home turf.  It’s as if the Giants just have the magic formula for winning in Dallas.  This time was different though. The Cowboys got some solid offensive production from Tony Romo, but their defense was the hero, picking off Eli Manning for two defensive touchdowns.  The Cowboys look like an oiled machine, and the Giants definitely have some things to figure out.  Their running back David Wilson fumbled twice, and gave an absolutely horrible performance.  Dallas 36, NY Giants 31.

FOOTBALL

Thursday night marked the day everyone has been waiting for:  The Opening Day of the NFL Season between the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos.  The defending Super Bowl champs were forced to play on the road because of a scheduling conflict with the Baltimore Orioles, and the Broncos definitely intended to take advantage.  It was actually a very close first half, but in the second, Denver QB, Peyton Manning turned into Superman.  The Ravens defense were winded and gassed, and Manning wound up tying an NFL record 7 touchdowns thrown.  He was just hitting his receivers at will, including new addition Wes Welker, and the Ravens couldn’t do anything to stop him.  The Broncos look absolutely excellent, and they’re still without their best defensive player, Von Miller.  This team is going to be very hard to beat.  Denver 49, Baltimore 27.
Funny enough, even though the Ravens got pummeled, they hopefully won’t have any regrets about the other thing they did yesterday:  Renew Super Bowl winning head coach John Harbaugh.  Instead of just two years on his contract, the Ravens extended it to four years, worth nearly $7million per season.  Harbaugh has been to the playoffs in every one of his 5 years as head coach, obviously culminating in a Super Bowl win last year.  The players love playing for Harbaugh, and it’s very difficult to get a coach that has the respect of his players and know how to win.  The best franchises keep the management consistent so they can improve on what they’re doing, instead of starting fresh every year.  This is a very smart move for the Ravens.

BASKETBALL

Finally, in the NBA, the league is installing new state-of-the art cameras in every arena that will revolutionize the sport.  These aren’t just TV cameras — these are motion capture cameras that will be able to track essentially everything that happens on the court — from where a player stands to where they run to, and it will all be documented statistically.  This will bring a level of statistical analysis to the game never seen before.  Imagine if a team knew ahead of time that LeBron is typically going to drive to his left at the top of the key 70% of the time.  They could plan for this ahead of time.  This will also probably include new stat categories in the box score (that have remained the same pretty much since the inception of the NBA).  Things are about to get very fun in the NBA.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, after a month of turmoil in New York, the Jets have finally selected their starting quarterback for the season.  It was a contest between their current starting QB, and the young rookie out of West Virginia, Geno Smith.  Both of them played awful in the pre-season, but the Jets brass felt that Sanchez just wasn’t showing them anything special.  He kept throwing picks, and didn’t appear to be improving.  This is the same guy that helped guide them to some deep playoff runs.  After a lot of deliberating, the Jets have decided to start the season with the rookie, Geno Smith.  Smith hasn’t played well either, but they feel that there is more upside with Smith than with Sanchez.  And if this season is a wash for them, they might as well get the young guy some experience right away.

And, speaking of the Jets, they lost their star cornerback Darrelle Revis this off-season to the Buccaneers.  It’s always ironic when your first game of the season happens to be against your former team.  And Wednesday, Revis told the media that he would happily “spill the beans” about the Jets offense and game plans.  This kind of intel is extremely valuable, as the Bucs defense will somewhat be able to predict how the wide receivers will run their routes, and what to expect from some of the offensive plays.  This is a seemingly huge advantage for the Bucs.

Finally, there is even more news of players spilling secrets of their former team.  Brian Urlacher, the long time star linebacker of the Chicago Bears, said that the team would fake injuries.  This means that they would have a player essentially go down and get hurt, and that stops the game, gives the defense a time to regroup and catch their breath, and also cools a hot offense.  Apparently, the team had a designated “dive guy” on every play that knew he was supposed to ‘go down’ and grab a body part if the coach called for it on the sideline.  This is a bit shocking considering that Urlacher was definitely beloved by the city of Chicago, but you never know what goes on behind closed doors, and what might upset a player to tell all.

FOOTBALL

It was an exciting Labor Day Weekend in the sports world, as football was finally back.  College football that is.  The college football season usually starts with one big marquee match-up between two Top 10 teams.  And this is a big deal because if you lose, you are greatly reducing your chances of making the BCS National Championship Game.  This year it was #5 Georgia v. #8 Clemson.  Clemson has a creative, explosive offense, but they can’t seem to win the big, important games; let alone against an SEC powerhouse like Georgia.   This was a very close, exciting game, but in the end, Tajh Boyd and the Clemson offense got the job done and edged the Bulldogs.  Clemson has their eyes on winning big this year, and this is just the beginning.  Clemson 38, Georgia 35.

And since there is no NFL just yet, that gave us an opportunity for some Monday Night College Football.  This year’s opening Monday Night Game:  Florida State v. Pitt.  And Florida State was boasting it’s new freshman sensation QB Jameis Winston.  Would Winston come through and live up to all the hype coming out of High School, or would he show his inexperience at the college level?  The answer is that Winston completely exceeded expectations, and led the Seminoles to a big win over Pitt.  He threw for 4 touchdowns, and rushed in another.  It looks like Florida State has a big sensation on their hands.  Florida State 41, Pitt 13.

Finally, in some relatively sad news out of the NFL, the New England Patriots have made their final roster cuts of the pre-season, and the beloved Tim Tebow just didn’t make it.  Ever since leading the Broncos to that magical season in 2011, Tim Tebow has been pretty much kicked out of the league.  Every football expert says he can’t play at this level, and the media-happy Jets were certainly the wrong place for Tebow to try to adjust to the NFL.  The Pats gave him a chance at QB, but he just couldn’t hack it there.  Tebow said he is still going to try to achieve his dream of playing quarterback in the NFL, but a lot of people think that Tebow should head to Canada, where he could potentially be a star.  Then again, Jacksonville could certainly use a QB, and Tebow is pretty much a king down there.  Maybe they should consider each other.