Archive for January, 2014

WATERCOOLER CHAT: TITANS HIRE WHISENHUNT, NEON DEION AND JERRY RICE SUIT UP, RONALDO BEST SOCCER PLAYER

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, a number of teams are looking for new head coaches, but one of those vacancies was filled yesterday.  The Tennessee Titans recently fired head coach Mike Munchak after a few consecutive lackluster seasons.  Now they’ve found their replacement in former Arizona Cardinals head coach, and offensive guru Ken Whisenhunt.  The Titans would love to become an offense to be reckoned with in the AFC, but they have had a number of offensive injuries the past year — especially to their prized quarterback Jake Locker. Meanwhile, former coach Mike Munchak interviewed with Cleveland for the head coach job there.

The Pro Bowl will be different this year, as Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice will draft their own teams with no attention paid to the conferences.  It’s like real life fantasy football.  They are copying what Shaq and Charles Barkley do with the rookie/sophomore game in the NBA.  On Monday, as a joke (or not), Deion Sanders tweeted that he would also suit up for the Pro Bowl, but he wants Jerry Rice to don the pads too to see if they’ve still got it.  This likely won’t happen, but it has stirred up some excitement online.

SOCCER

And in the soccer world, Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi has long been officially regarded as the best player in soccer.  This is made official by the prestigious Ballon D’or award, and Messi has been the longtime holder of this award.  But, on Monday, he was finally unseated when Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo took home the top prize.  This is no knock against Messi, as he is still phenomenally, but Ronaldo has the the bragging rights now.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: NFC/AFC CHAMPIONSHIPS SET: PATS AT BRONCOS, 49ERS AT SEAHAWKS

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was the divisional playoff round.  First up, it was the #1 overall seed Seattle Seahawks hosting the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees.  The Saints got demolished by the Seahawks a few weeks ago in Seattle, but this is the playoffs, and anything can happen.  Seattle fans were treated to some early scores that gave them a 13-0 lead headed into halftime, but you can’t count out Drew Brees.  Brees threw some touchdown strikes, but Seattle kept piling on the points and got enough to win and head to the NFC Championship Game.  Seattle 23, New Orleans 15.

In the other NFC battle, the San Francisco 49ers headed to Carolina to take on a red hot Carolina Panthers team, boasting arguably the best defense in the playoffs.  But, the Panthers have little playoff experience, and nobody knew if Cam Newton was going to be able to the control the ship in a high pressured playoff game.  Carolina controlled the first half, but in the second Colin Kaepernick and the Niners seemed to score at will.  The Panthers offense can be lackluster at times, and it certainly showed in this playoff game.  The Niners got the win, and will take on their heated rival the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship.  That game is going to be incredible!!  San Francisco 23, Carolina 10.

And in the AFC, first up it was the Indianapolis Colts taking on the New England Patriots.  Everybody was counting out the Patriots because of their recent injuries.  Plus, the Colts and Andrew Luck look like they have something to prove right now.  But, in game time, it’s hard to bet against Bill Belichick in the playoffs.  He has mastermind strategies that are hard to crack, and he certainly exploited the Colts’ defense.  Tom Brady and company got the job done, and now head to their 8th AFC Championship Game.  New England 43, Indianapolis 22.

Finally, in Denver, the Broncos were hosting the San Diego Chargers — a team that recently beat them in Denver, and has been on a hot winning streak.  The Chargers upset the Bengals last week, and wanted to prove that they can beat anyone right now.  But, it’s hard to dismiss Peyton Manning playing his best football in the twilight years of his career.  This guy wants a Super Bowl, and remembers losing to the Ravens last year in his first playoff game as a Bronco. Manning and the Broncos came out serious, and beat up the Chargers.  The Chargers launched a modest comeback late, but the Broncos held on.  It will be another Peyton Manning v. Tom Brady showdown in the AFC Championship.  These are definitely the 4 best teams in the NFL, so get ready for some incredible football next weekend.  Denver 24, San Diego 17.

Schedule for Sunday, January 19th:

3:00 pm est: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos

6:30 pm est: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: GRUDEN TO REDSKINS, PENN STATE HIRES FRANKLIN, WILDCATS BEAT UCLA

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the Washington Redskins have found their man at head coach.  After a long search, they have hired Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.  The Skins liked what they saw in Gruden, so much so, that they offered him a 5-year deal just to ensure that Gruden wouldn’t have any pressure and can do what he needs to get the job done.  His first job will be to make sure that Robert Griffin III turns into the superstar the Redskins think he can be.  The Redskins used to be one of the top franchises in the NFL, but have been lackluster for the past 20 years (despite a few playoff appearances).  The fan base in D.C. is fervent, and hopefully Jay Gruden can turn things around there.

And speaking of coaching hires, it appears that another program has selected their new head coach.  This one comes from the college ranks:  Penn State.  Ever since the Joe Paterno fiasco, Penn State has been trying to turn things around.  They succeeded with head coach Bill O’Brien, but he was snapped up to be head coach of the Houston Texans.  So Penn State is bringing in Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.  Franklin completely revived Vanderbilt, who used to be a doormat for the rest of the SEC powerhouses.  He made them into a legitimate threat, and now Penn State thinks he can make their program a perennial title contender.  Good hire.

BASKETBALL

Finally, in college basketball, the #1 ranked Arizona Wildcats are having a storybook season.  They are undefeated, which is even more difficult at #1 because everyone plays extra hard to be the team that gets that upset.  So these guys have to play underdog team after underdog team every time they step on the floor.  Thursday night they got a true test against a tough UCLA team.  It was a close game,  but Arizona prevailed to stay undefeated. This team has its sites set on winning a championship.  Arizona 79, UCLA 75.

 

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: BIG TRADE FOR CAVS/BULLS, SPIKE LEE’S SEQUEL, DENNY’S POKES FUN AT TIGERS

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls swung a pretty big trade.  The trade sent big man Andrew Bynum from the Cavs to the Bulls in exchange for Bulls all-star Luol Deng.  Here’s the breakdown:  Basically, they contend that Bynum is worthless.  He costs $20million and he has terrible knees.  He’s not even going to play this season.  So the Cavs made the most of his large contract and sent him to Chicago for an all-star who can help them make the playoffs. Plus, they want to make the playoffs because they’re hoping that will convince their all-star point guard Kyrie Irving to stay in Cleveland.  He needs more help.  Chicago on the other hand is essentially calling it a season with Derrick Rose out, and they immediately waived Bynum, thus clearing up $20million to sign quality players to play along Rose next season.  This one was beneficial for both parties.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Miami Heat are getting ready for their “Nickname Jersey” game in which every player will have a nickname on their back.  LeBron will be “King James”, Wade will be “D-Wade”, and Ray Allen will be Jesus Shuttlesworth, after the iconic movie character he played in Spike Lee‘s film “He Got Game”.  And, it appears that Ray Allen and Spike Lee have been talking about making a sequel to the film.  Apparently the storyline is really good, and Allen is interested in reprising the role to show the player at the end of his career (the first one showed him as a High School Blue Chip player).  This could be fun if they can get it made.

Finally, in a bad, yet rather funny joke, the restaurant chain Denny’s has poked some fun at Auburn Tigers fans.  The Tigers fell in dramatic fashion to the Florida State Seminoles on Monday night in Pasadena, CA, and thus many of the fans will head back via car.  Denny’s put out a photo on Twitter showing all the possible Denny’s stops from Pasadena back to Auburn University where  they could cheer up with some food.  Here is the photo:

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: BCS NAIL BITER, COLTS READY FOR PATS, MANZIEL MAY STAY IN SCHOOL

FOOTBALL

The main event of the night and of the college football world : The Final BCS National Championship between the #1 Florida State Seminoles and #2 Auburn Tigers.  This event was the last championship game before college football switches to a 4-team playoff next year.  Florida State boasted Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and Auburn has been on a tear, even beating Alabama to be here.

The game started out all Auburn.  Florida State couldn’t get anything going against the Auburn defense, and the Tigers jumped out to a 21-3 lead.  But, in the second half, the Seminoles surged back and scored a touchdown to tie the game pending a 2-point conversion.  But an unfortunate unsportsmanlike conduct call moved them back 15 yards and they had to settle for 1, and still trailed by 1.  Then, Auburn scored and it looked like it was over.  But Florida State ran back a kickoff for a touchdown to take the lead.  So Auburn had to score AGAIN!!!  Wow, just an incredible back and forth, but they left 1 minute on the clock for the Heisman winning quarterback.  He marched them down the field, and hit his star wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin for the game winning touchdown.  Florida State finish undefeated and won the last BCS Championship.  Florida State 34, Auburn 31.

In the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts have the red hot momentum at just the right time.  Andrew Luck is showing that he has the potential to be a Hall of Fame quarterback, and the receivers are all stepping up despite the fact that veteran receiver Reggie Wayne is out for the season.  They have to play the Patriots this weekend, but they intend to be ready.  So much so, that the Colts have added former long-time Pats receiver Deion Branch.  Clearly, this is a strategic move, as Branch will possibly provide insight into the Patriots game plan, but the Colts are pulling out all the stops to try and grab the road win.

Finally, in some more college football news, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel’s college career may not be over just yet.  Manziel hasn’t officially declared for the draft, meaning that he is still eligible to play for the Aggies another season.  It appears that the Manziel family wants to talk it over as a unit before Manziel makes such an important life decision.  It’s likely that he will go pro, but perhaps the perks and celebrity and fun of college life might keep him in school.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: COLTS MIRACLE WIN OVER CHIEFS, SAINTS LAST SECOND FIELD GOAL, BENGALS DEFEAT, 49ERS PULL OUT WIN

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was Wild Card playoff weekend.

First up, the Indianapolis Colts hosted the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Colts beat them a few weeks ago, but this was playoff football and anything can happen.  The Chiefs came into Indy with a mission, and they instantly began executing it.  They lost their star running back Jamaal Charles within the first few minutes, but that didn’t stop them from jumping out to a whopping 38-10 lead.  But, in the third quarter, Andrew Luck and the Colts started working miracles, and methodically plowed their way back into the game.  And on the other side, the Chiefs players kept getting hurt.  Then in the final few minutes, Andrew Luck tossed a bomb touchdown to give the Colts the go ahead score.  That’s all they would need, and with that, they pulled off the second biggest comeback in NFL history.  Truly a memorable game to watch!!! The Colts now head to Foxboro to play the Patriots. Indianapolis 45, Kansas City 44.

Next up it was the Eagles hosting the Saints in primetime.  A battle of two shootout offenses.  However, this game was a defensive struggle for most of the first half, with both teams’ offenses struggling to get anything going.  Then, in the second half, the Saints took the lead, but a late touchdown from the Eagles gave Philly the lead.  It looked like whichever team had the ball last would win.  And that honor belonged to the Saints who marched the ball down the field and got a last second game-winning field goal from Shayne Graham.  The Saints will now take on the Seahawks.  New Orleans 26, Philadelphia 24.

And on Sunday, it was the Bengals in their third straight year in the playoffs, hosting the San Diego Chargers.  Everybody had the Bengals penciled in for the win, as they’ve won 8 in a row at home.  But… the Chargers came to play.  Their offense looked sharp, and the Bengals defense looked lackluster.  Plus, the Bengals have failed to win a playoff game since 1990.  Andy Dalton has got them there 3 years in a row, but can’t seem to win.  And Sunday was no different, as he made costly picks and fumbles to give the Chargers what they needed to win the game.  The Bengals suffered an embarrassing defeat in front of their home fans.  The Chargers will play the Broncos next week.  San Diego 27, Cincy 10.

Finally, it was the coldest game in a long time with the Packers hosting the 49ers.  It was literally 5 degrees in Green Bay — so cold that the fans’ beers were freezing.  And with all that cold, of course Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick wore short sleeves and no gloves.  This was a brutal, hard fought grudge match, with the lead constantly changing.  But on the last drive, the Niners made some key plays to put themselves in field goal position.  When the kick went up, a Packers defender actually got to the ball, and the slow motion instant replay shows the ball literally going through his hands.  Tough break for the Packers.  But hey… football is a game of inches.  San Francisco 23, Green Bay 20.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: OKLAHOMA SOONERS WIN SUGAR BOWL

FOOTBALL

Huge win in Thursday night’s Sugar Bowl. The Oklahoma Sooners took down the former National Champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide has won the National Championship game the last two years and was ranked #1 all season until they lost in a stunning finale to Auburn in the Iron Bowl last month.

The Sooners started their freshman quarterback, Trevor Knight, who threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns, a Sugar Bowl record.  Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, quarterback AJ McCarron had a tough night night with  387 yards and two touchdowns but also two interceptions and a fumble in the final minute. The talk this week will be whether his performance will affect his prospects in the NFL draft. Oklahoma 45- Alabama 31.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: MICHIGAN STATE WINS ROSE BOWL, BRIDGEWATER TO TURN PRO

FOOTBALL

In the 100th playing of the famed Rose Bowl, Michigan State prevailed over the Stanford Cardinal. 24-20. Stanford looked unstoppable in the first quarter after an early touchdown by Tyler Gaffney for 91 yards then a pick 6 before the half by Kevin Anderson. The Spartan offense just couldn’t get anything going after the first quarter, but the play of the game was when the Michigan State Spartans stopped Stanford on 4th and 1 with 1:46 seconds left in the game. The Spartan’s Kyle Elsworth jumped up over the top of the offense for a head on hit to Stanford’s fullback. At that point, the game was over and Michigan State became Rose Bowl champions for the first time in 26 years.

In other college football news, Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is turning pro and is expected to be the number one pick in this years NFL draft.

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