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NHL Week One:The Good,Bad, & Ugly

October 11, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

The Cover 4.com presents you with NHL Week One:The Good,Bad, & Ugly! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @thecover4 or facebook at theCo VerFour

NHL Week One:The Good,Bad, & Ugly

Hello hockey fans, and welcome back. The NHL season is FINALLY underway, and there are a bunch of storylines taking place right now. How has the New York-Vancouver coaching swap worked out for both teams? Can the Blackhawks repeat? Can the Sharks get over the hump? Can the Penguins recover from an embarrassing playoff ouster? How will Tim Thomas fare in his comeback? We are about a week and a half into this new season, and we have seen some great hockey so far. Each week this season, The Cover 4 crew will give you a quick rundown of the weeks happenings in “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” Buckle up for the first installment.

The Good

-Alex Ovechkin has come out with guns blazing in this young season. Through three games, Ovi has 4 goals and 2 assists, and has looked like the MVP Ovechkin from the second half of last season. His release is still the most lethal in the game (sorry Steven Stamkos) and he is still finding acres of open ice on the power play. If he can keep up the pace, look for him to be in the mix again for MVP.

-The Colorado Avalanche are off to a 3-0 start this season. They have a top-10 offense, guiding them to their third win over a previously unbeaten Maple Leafs team. Rookie forward and 2013 No. 1 overall pick Nathan MacKinnon has been very impressive thus far, and new head coach Patrick Roy has brought a new fire to the team.

-Without a doubt, the biggest story of the early season is young Czech Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are off to a 3-0 start as well, and Hertl has been a big part of that. In his three career games, Hertl has two multi-goal games, the most recent of which, a 4-goal game against the Rangers, capped by a must-see stick-between-the-legs move. Just sensational. Despite the flash, the kid is showing he knows where to go to score goals, potting a few from the low slot, high crease area, which is right where you want to go if you want to have a long and productive NHL career.

The Bad

-Cory Schneider opened the season in net for the Devils when they visited Pittsburgh last Thursday, leaving Martin Brodeur to ride the pine on opening night for the first time in two decades. While Schneider is deserving of that honor, and the Devils opened with a back-to-back (so Brodeur could start at home), it is just yet another sign that one of the best goalies of all time is on his way out. My guess would be that this is Brodeur’s last season in the league, and with the Devils’ roster, it could be a long one.

-Despite the hot start from captain Alex Ovechkin (6 points through 3 games) the Caps have been less than intimidating. Already, they are the third worst team in the league in goals against, and they have played the horrible Calgary Flames, the mediocre-at-best Dallas Stars, and the defending Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. Through those first three games, the Caps managed just one win, and that was a comeback game against the Flames. The Caps still look to be a one-man show, despite Mikhail Grabovski putting up some numbers early. Luckily for Caps fans, it is still only three games into this young, 82-game season.

-The Philadelphia Flyers have stumbled out of the gates to say the least. Their newly appointed captain Claude Giroux was set back over the offseason by a freak golfing accident (something you thought a Philadelphia Flyer would have mastered by now), but he was ready for the season opener. After a less than impressive preseason and starting 0-3, the Flyers fired head coach Peter Laviolette, making him the first coaching casualty of the season, and promoted assistant coach Craig Berube to head coach. Berube got the Flyers’ their first win of the season to move them to 1-3 on the year, but if the Flyers don’t solve their goaltending issue (change the record on that one), they may be in for another long year in the competitive Metropolitan Division.

The Ugly

-Well it didn’t take Patrick Roy long to re-endear himself to the Avalanche faithful. At the end of his first game as bench boss in Colorado, tempers flared as Anaheim Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy appeared to hit Avs rookie Nathan MacKinnon knee-on-knee. MacKinnon was ok, but a fiery Roy got into a verbal altercation with Ducks agitator-extraordinaire Corey Perry, which led to Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau and Roy screaming at each other from the benches. Roy wound up shoving the dividing partition of glass between the benches, breaking it, and nearly pancaking Boudreau with it. “It going to be a long first year for Patrick if that is how he reacts to everything,” Boudreau said after the game.

-It happens to every goalie in their careers, and this week it happened to Jonathan Quick. A disastrous gaffe in the Kings game against the Rangers will keep Quick on hockey blooper reels for some time. After winning a defensive zone faceoff while killing a penalty, the Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh cleared the puck off the glass and down the rink. As the puck headed towards the no-play trapezoid, Quick came out to stop the puck, and then move it back up to his teammates on the power play, a very routine move in the game. About two strides out from his net as he was bending down to get the thick part of his stick on the ice, Quick lost control of his stick right before the puck got to him, and the puck bounced right off of his blocker and went into his net. The shock and disbelief immediately befell Quick as reality set it. Luckily for Quick, he’s arguably the game’s best netminder, and this gaffe will quickly be forgotten.

-On opening night, an incident happened between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens that reignited the fighting debate. During their second fight of the game, Montreal’s George Parros and Toronto’s Colton Orr were squaring off, and being that they are both enforcers for their respective teams, they are no strangers to each other. At one point, Orr lost his balance, and as he was falling, pulled Parros down with him, who ultimately hit his face on the ice, knocking him unconscious and forcing him to be taken off of the ice on a stretcher. With both players involved having limited talent and one clear role on their teams (to be the fighters), the debate was kicked off again as to whether it is time to ban fighting in the game. We won’t have an answer to that question for a while, but it is moments like this that spark the debate.

Thank you for joining us for our first installment of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Stop back next week for more.

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Filed Under: Hockey Tagged With: alex ovechkin, back, coach, Cory Schneider, FINALLY, Maple Leafs, MVP, New York Vancouver, nhl, Patrick Roy, Peter Laviolette, puck, season, start, thecover4, time, Ugly Don, year

The Hot Seat: Lane Kiffin & Mack Brown

September 14, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin threw some gasoline in the fire when the Trojans fell 10-7 against Washington State at home, in the Coliseum. Then ranked 25 USC were 15-point favorites over the Cougars and a win seemed obvious in their home opener. The Trojan loyal were shocked, disappointed, and pissed as a team that once dominated the PAC-10 fell to a team that had won 3 away games in five years. Two words echoed throughout the Coliseum as the clock wound down and the Trojans fled the field-“Fire Kiffin”. Pat Haden has shut out the sounds of Trojan fans calling for Kiffin’s job previously, but he can’t ignore 90,000 chanting for him to be gone.

This time last year, Kiffin was coaching the number 2 ranked team in the country. The Matt Barkley led offense teemed with potential and the Trojans seemed poised to return to their former glory. Then came a loss to Stanford, another to Arizona, then Oregon, UCLA, and Notre Dame. The season culminated in an humiliating loss to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl were the Trojan players looked undisciplined, uncaring, selfish, and embarrassed. The frustrated players even had a locker room fight post game during which Kiffin probably hid behind his dad. The 2012 Trojans became the first team to be ranked #1 in the preseason AP poll to fall out of the top 25 entirely by season’s end. Kiffin had lost both his season and his the confidence of his team. Despite making history, and losses to rivals UCLA and Notre Dame, Pat Haden said he was 100% behind Lane Kiffin at the start of the 2013 season.

Kiffin’s coaching failures began even before the season started. The guy couldn’t even name a starting quarterback until week 3 of the college football season. It’s not like Kiffin didn’t know that Matt Barkley was leaving and that a new quarterback would need to be ready come this season. Kiffin has had THREE YEARS to decide who will follow Barkley and it still wasn’t enough time. When USC enjoyed success under Pete Carroll, the next quarterback was always ready to take over. The transition was smooth from Carson Palmer, to Matt Leinhart, John David Booty, Mark Sanchez, and finally Matt Barkley. It’s also not a good idea to fail to name a starting quarterback when you have the best receiver in college football on your team. Marquis Lee wanted to be able to establish chemistry with his quarterback before the season started. When asked about the quarterback situation preseason, Lee said that “This is crazy. I am still waiting” and was hoping for it to be decided before the preparation for Hawaii began. Lee began the season as a Heisman candidate but only has 15 receptions for 131 yards and zero touchdowns through two games. Kiffin’s inability to name a starter early has hurt Lee’s campaign and one of the weakest offenses in Trojan history.

One highlight of this season has been the Trojan’s defense under new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Pat Haden kicked one Kiffin to the curb and has seen immediate improvement, so why wouldn’t shouldn’t kicking another help? Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin was blamed for many of the 2012 problems and was replaced by Pendergast this season, and what a change it has been. USC ranks first in rushing defense (15 yards per game) and sacks (11), and 11^th in total defense. The defense has allowed only one touchdown in the two games that they’ve played. Kiffin can put absolutely NO blame on his defense and its looking like it may not have been the main problem last year. The loss to Washington State came from Kiffin’s inability to call offensive plays and properly scheme. USC’s two quarterbacks threw for a combined 54 yards and the rushing game ended with 139 total yards. Boos filled the Coliseum with every bubble screen and the refusal to make plays downfield. The Trojan offense could only get one touchdown on a team that previously allowed 31 points to Auburn. Kiffin’s play calling was more conservative than Dick Cheney and lacked any creativity. The only way he could get the Trojan faithful cheering was when they shouted for him to be fired in unison. The loss to Washington State falls entirely on Lane Kiffin and his seat can’t get any hotter.

It came out today that USC had a players only meeting following the loss to WSU. Kiffin wasn’t told and Marquis Lee said that it was about “staying positive and moving forward.” He said that “Kiffin don’t know nothing about it” and that it was a meeting for the players to discuss the future. There seems to be a lot of things “Kiffin don’t know nothing about,” such as players meetings, coaching, and keeping his team motivated and disciplined. Unless there is a massive turnaround for the Trojans, Kiffin will be left behind as USC moves forward.

Mack Brown

Lane Kiffin isn’t the only big name coach moving towards the door. Mack Brown and Texas took a rough 40-21 loss to BYU this past weekend. BYU Quarterback Taysom Hill racked up 259 yards and embarrassed the 15 ranked Longhorns. Rather than take responsibility, Mack Brown deflected attention over to his defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Diaz was fired earlier this week and replaced by Greg Robinson. After their performance against BYU, the new coordinator might want to put an emphasis on tackling. This basic fundamental of football seems absent in Texas right now. Anyway you look at it though, Mack Brown is running out of people to put the blame on and Texas is moving in the wrong direction.

Texas is in the recruiting hotbed of the football world and its head coaching position has long been considered the best in all of college football. Mack Brown seemed destined to remain the Longhorns coach after multiple national championship appearances and his ass had been kissed more by UT boosters than the Blarney Stone. Texas’ mediocre performance these past few seasons have changed all that. The University of Texas doesn’t tolerate mediocrity, they expect to be in the BCS picture every year. Even more damning to Brown and the Longhorns is that they are no longer considered the top dog in Texas.

Texas A&M had long been considered the little brother of UT and a second thought to Texas football. Johnny Football and Texas A&M’s surge in the college rankings have changed all that. Texas A&M even out-recruited Texas in 2013, snagging the #11 recruiting class compared to Texas’ #24 recruiting class according to Rivals rankings. If Texas continues to be outperformed by A&M, all of those talented Texas recruits may look towards becoming Aggies rather than Longhorns. A&M is clearly moving in the right direction while Texas continues to flounder. The University of Texas has a reputation of being the elite Texas college, but that reputation may very well be in jeopardy.

Mack Brown is one of the most respected coaches in all of college football, but no one is irreplaceable (except maybe Saban). Brown is slowly running out of excuses, and he needs to get his team to perform the rest of this season if he hopes to save his job. There’s a sense of desperation in Texas as the Longhorns are reaching for any reason to explain their recent downturn. Eventually, Mack Brown will run out of any excuse beside himself for Texas’ performance. Fans and boosters will start to look for a change at the top in order to regain the prestige UT is accustomed too. However, Brown and Kiffin can turn down the fire that’s warming up their chairs. College football fans have short-term memories-if you win, all is forgiven. Both coaches are playing with fire and the rest of this college football season will show who gets burnt.

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Filed Under: Football Tagged With: 2012, byu, coach, college, college football, football, Lane Kiffin, Mack Brown, Marquis Lee, Matt Barkley, Pat Haden, quarterback, season, USC, UT, Washington State, year

The Cover 4 Greatest Basketball Moments: Miller Time

September 11, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

THE MOMENT

By most accords, this was the most remarkable game-ending comeback in history to date; but if you ask Knicks diehards like movie director Spike Lee, it was the most gruesome game-ending comeback that no one would even dare to dream.

As most spectators began cheering and preparing to file out of MSG in celebration of the Knicks taking Game 1, Reggie Miller hits a 3-pointer with 16.4 seconds left. Nothing too spectacular about that, I mean, it IS Reggie Miller. The next play, Miller steals the inbound pass and quickly jumps to the 3-point line and knocks down another three! Say, WHAT?! Now the game is tied at 105 with 13.3 seconds remaining. This man just scored 6 points in 3.1 seconds!

“We went numb after his second three. We became totally disoriented. It was like a terrible nightmare that you couldn’t wake up from. I still think about it today. I can laugh about it now. I wasn’t laughing then, that’s for sure,” former Knicks forward Anthony Mason recalls.

The Knicks finally get the ball inbounds to John Starks who is fouled immediately to stop the clock. Starks equals money, right? Apparently, we would ALL lose that bet. Starks misses not one, but BOTH attempts (I’m sure Miller thanked the basketball gods for that one).

We begin to see Miller’s arrogance as he begins taunting Lee, who was sitting in the first-row with the “choke” hand gesture. Miller is starting to feel himself as he knocks down two free-throws to give the Pacers a 2-point lead with 7.5 seconds left. In the final drive of the game, Greg Anthony makes one last attempt to save the day, but embarrassingly falls down en route to the basket. Talk about a comedic ending to a story.

Now, the part that headlines across the country displayed the next day, was the moment that Miller stated the claim that the Pacers will sweep the Knicks after being knocked out by New York in the previous two seasons, then proceeded to run down the locker room tunnel singing “CHOKE ARTISTS! CHOKE ARTISTS!,” an axiom that would be painted across the sports pages of the New York tabloids the following morning.

What makes this event so memorable is the steal. One thing we’re always taught in basketball to play the ENTIRE 48 minutes, no matter the circumstance. As Mason tried to find an open man, Miller was locking down Anthony. As Mason came closer to reaching his 5-second inbound limit he panicked after not being able to find an open teammate and forced it to a falling Anthony which allowed Miller to intercept and jump back five feet to 3-point land. “What shocked me was that Reggie had the presence of mind to not take a quick two-point shot and instead took one dribble and got back behind the 3-point line to shoot a three,” Larry Brown, the ex-Pacers coach, would say years later. “That takes an amazing athlete to do that, a guy who literally has ice in his veins, a guy who loves the pressure and is willing to face the consequences if he doesn’t make the shot.”

The consequences of Miller’s shot had a numbing impact on the Knicks franchise for several years thereafter:

1) The Knicks-Pacers series goes seven games, and Indiana winds up winning as Patrick Ewing – again – misses the pivotal shot, this time a driving lay-up that would have tied the game in the waning seconds.

2) Knicks head coach Pat Riley, devastated by the Game 1 and Game 7 defeats to Indiana, resigns. He is replaced by Don Nelson, who doesn’t even last a full season, despite having a multi-year contract. The series of events leaves the Knicks in disarray.

Meanwhile, Miller solidifies his reputation as one of history’s most feared long-range shooters, a fella who launches it from 25-30 feet without a hint of doubt.

CHEERS TO REGGIE!

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Filed Under: Basketball Tagged With: ARTISTS, back, CHEERS, CHOKE, coach, Don Nelson, Knicks Pacers, Larry Brown, Malcolm Branch, MOMENT, MSG, New York, Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, reggie, Reggie Miller, Spike Lee, thecover4

College Football Top 25 Team Mottos

August 26, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

We are officially a few days away from the kickoff of college football, meaning that my Saturdays will soon become incredibly unproductive. Coaches are planning, players are practicing and fans are buying gear and beer in preparation for the season. Every team is hoping for success, and success requires proper motivation. Coaches often come up with motivational sayings or quotes to inspire their team to victory. Here’s a look at what the mottos for the Associated Press’ Top 25 teams should be this year.

1. Alabama-“Roll ‘Bama roll”

Alabama enters the season as the early preseason favorite and for good reason. The powerhouse program has won three of the past four national championships and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Head coach Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide rolling and you better ride the wave or get the hell out of the way.

2. Ohio State-“Win when it matters”

Ohio State couldn’t go to a bowl game last season, but Urban Meyer led them to an undefeated season. I would take that trade all day. Let’s see if the Buckeyes can repeat and get themselves into the national championship picture. Meyer began the string of seven consecutive championships for the SEC back in 2006, but his Ohio State team will need to win big if he hopes to end the SEC reign.

3. Oregon-“Win the day, especially when it’s in November”

Chip Kelly may be gone, but the Ducks still have high expectations for themselves. What has been the biggest downfall for the Ducks the past two years? How about losses in back-to-back years during mid-November. You don’t make the national championship game when you lose that late in the season.

4. Stanford-“Nerds do it better”

Just look in Sports Illustrated and see Stanford linebacker Shane Skov embrace his nerd-athletic freak combination. Not only can the Cardinal beat your football team, but they probably murdered your SAT score as well. David Shaw has run a hell of a program, keeping the Cardinal relevant through a coaching change and the loss of Andrew Luck. Stanford-Oregon will be one of the games of the year and just may be for a national championship berth.

5. Georgia-“Beware of Dawg”

The Bulldogs made it into the SEC Championship last year and very nearly knocked off Alabama. Georgia won games because of its offense and is bringing back 10 starters from that unit. Opposing teams’ defenses better be ready if they hope to stop the Bulldogs. Georgia will live or die though with its defense as eight new starters will have to face Clemson in their first game. If it makes it through the fire early, Georgia will emerge as a strong contender.

6. South Carolina- “WWCD-What would Clowney do”

Unless you haven’t seen SportsCenter in the past year, odds are you’ve seen Jadeveon Clowney’s ridiculous hit, forced fumble and bear-paw fumble recovery against Michigan last year. The future NFL No. 1 pick sets the tone for South Carolina and every player should try to mimic his inhuman athleticism. Steve Spurrier should tell every player to think what Clowney would do on the play — make the hit, grab the ball, dodge some bullets and score a touchdown. Clowney is so feared that he is the only man that can scream “go Cocks” while cheering for his team and no one will laugh. The Gamecocks have talent and that talent could lead them to a title game.

7. Texas A & M-“The Twelfth Man isn’t the guy asking for autographs.

Apparently Johnny Manziel thought the Twelfth Man was the guy who pays you for your autographs. Texas A&M is sitting in some hot water over the recent autograph fiasco and even implemented a new policy against signing memorabilia. The Aggies need to shift the media away from Manziel and focus on winning the SEC.

8. Clemson-“Live up to the expectations.”

The Clemson Tigers won 11 games last year and have earned themselves a No. 8 preseason ranking. If the Tigers can make it past Georgia in week 1, they will make a statement and start to expect more than just an ACC Championship. Clemson’s goal should be to the first team that comes to mind when someone says “the Tigers did well this week.” You’re ranked higher than LSU right now, try to keep it that way.

9. Louisville-“Never make an insurance claim.”

Lousiville’s hopes rest on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and his $10 million insurance policy against a career-ending injury. If the Cardinals hope to enter the BCS picture, they’ll have to make sure that insurance policy never gets claimed. If you insured your expensive house, you better have a good fence around it. There will be a lot of pressure on Louisville’s offensive line to keep its house protected and safe.

10. Florida-“It’s MusCHAMP, not MusChump”

Nobody expected the Gators to go on the tear they did last year and coach Will Muschamp seems to know what he’s doing. Muschamp went 7-6 his first year, 11-2 his second, and he’s looking for a championship in his third.

11. Florida State-“I’m gonna get some cheeseballs anyway”

Jameis Winston has the potential to be this year’s Johnny Manziel, not only because his athleticism, but because he too has a huge personality. For instance, when asked if he would give up a national championship for a lifetime supply of cheeseballs (Winston is known to LOVE cheeseballs) he replied, “I would not, BUT I’m gonna get some cheeseballs anyway.” So, here’s to Winston leading Florida State to a national championship and getting those cheeseballs while providing us with more ridiculous quotes.

12. LSU-“We got Les but we need more offense”

The Tigers lost their games because of their lack of offense. The LSU defense was top 10 in nearly every defensive category and was the reason that it won as many games as it did. LSU needs Zach Mettenberger to play well and Cam Cameron needs to redeem himself for almost preventing the Ravens from winning the Super Bowl. The Tigers are going to need a little more go from the offense if fans hope to be cheering Geaux Tigers this season. We’ll find out their offensive skill early as the Tigers take on TCU in week 1.

13. Oklahoma State-“The best defense is having a good offense”

Oklahoma State better hope this is true because there are some major questions surrounding its defense this year. Its saving grace may be its offense where Jeremy Smith looks to continue where Joseph Randle left off and OSU’s endless supply of talented receivers continues with Josh Stewart. The Cowboys will need to avoid having their defense hold them back again this season if they hope to make any noise.

14. Notre Dame-“Play like a champion today, even though you couldn’t against Alabama”

Between the Manti Te’o embarrassment and the spanking put on Notre Dame by Alabama during the national championship, it’s easy to forget the Irish had an undefeated season. While the Irish went from unranked to BCS berth last year, they will need to do some serious praying if they hope to end up back there. Tommy Rees is back in the saddle at the quarterback position with Everett Golson suspended. Rees will need to vastly improve to give Notre Dame a 10-win season.

15. Texas-“Don’t mess with Texas, please Oklahoma?”

Few rivalries go as deep as the Red River rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. Texas fans are fine with not winning a championship, not winning 10 games and losing in a bowl game. However, they HATE losing to Oklahoma, and the Sooners have now crushed them two years in a row. If Mack Brown and the Longhorns don’t step it up against Oklahoma this year, expect some heads to roll.

16. Oklahoma-“Boomer! Let’s play Texas Sooner”

Oklahoma will aim to win the Big 12 and make it three in a row against Texas. Even more important is for the Sooners to get back in the BCS picture. The Sooners are now three years removed from their last BCS bowl. This Oklahoma team lacks the usual preseason hype. I don’t see it making too much noise in the BCS and think it’ll have its hands full against Texas this year. However, if it pummels Texas three years in a row, Bob Stoops will keep Sooner fans smiling.

17. Michigan-“Defend the Big House”

The schedulers looked kindly upon Michigan this year as they gave it Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State all in Ann Arbor. If the Wolverines can manage to hold down the Big House, it’s easy to see them in the Big Ten championship and potentially the Rose Bowl. Expect the Michigan-Ohio State game to potentially shake up the BCS picture, and for the Big Ten championship to be a rematch of the two teams the next week.

18. Nebraska-“Pound the rock”

Not only is this a saying on the huge rock by the Cornhuskers locker room, but it should ring true this year. Nebraska’s offense looks to be the most dominant in the Big Ten and will put up points all year long. With Taylor Martinez, Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell returning, the Huskers offense can be scary. The Huskers will move the ball, but their defense’s inability to stop it could ruin their season.

19. Boise State-“We still hate the BCS system”

It’s entirely possible for Boise State to go undefeated this year and still not make it to the BCS Championship game. Boise State moved to the Mountain West conference but its two most difficult games this year will be out of conference teams BYU and Washington. If you’re a good team joining a new conference, make it an automatic qualifier next time.

20. TCU-“No longer tadpoles, fear the Frogs”

TCU had a little bit of a rough introduction in its first year of the Big 12. The Horned Frogs will have an opportunity to make some noise early when they open the season against LSU. If TCU can beat LSU, they’ll set the tone for the rest of their season and put some fear in the rest of the Big 12 teams.

21. UCLA-“We want Mora what happened last year”

Last year was an incredible success for new UCLA coach Jim Mora. Mora won the Pac-12 South and defeated USC. UCLA fans couldn’t ask for much more. Mora may have a more difficult time winning this year with away games against Nebraska, Oregon, Stanford, and USC. Can UCLA beat USC in the Coliseum and show that LA’s football monopoly is over? Or was last year just a fluke?

22. Northwestern-“More is always better”

Northwestern had one of its best seasons last year and will try to build off of it. Northwestern takes the idea that more is better to heart. Not only does it hope for more wins, but its success comes from utilizing as many players as possible. Why use only one quarterback when you can use two? Let’s throw in three running backs and seven different receivers. The strategy kept opposing teams unprepared and uncomfortable, and Northwestern is hoping for more of what happened last year.

23. Wisconsin-“Jump Around”

Not only is Jump Around a stadium tradition for fans, but the Badgers will need to do it to be successful. With Montee Ball leaving to the NFL, Melvin Gordon and James White will attempt to replace the former leading rusher. If the ball hopes to move, the entire offense will need to jump around opposing defenders and into the endzone.

24. USC-“Fight On! And out of the embarrassment”

If it wasn’t for Marquise Lee, last year would have been an entire embarrassment for the USC football program. As a USC alumnus and fan, I watched my team plummet from preseason No. 1 to completely out of the rankings. Throw that in with an abysmal bowl performance and loss to UCLA and you have a failure of a season. Lee is arguably the most talented football player in the country and will be looking to further improve his draft stock this season. USC hit rock bottom last year, let’s see if it can fight its way back into the college football’s elite.

25. Oregon State-“Beavers are best at building”

The Oregon State Beavers had a quiet 9-4 season last year and will be hoping to build off that success. Mike Riley will have to show that last year wasn’t a fluke and that two teams may soon be relevant in Oregon. With games against Stanford, Oregon and USC, the Beavers will have their hands full.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: alabama, ap, back, BCS, Big House, Big Ten, Boise State, championship, coach, college, college football, cover 4, Florida State, football, Georgia, James Kaikis, Jump Around, LSU, motto, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, season, SEC, South Carolina, TC4, TCU, the cover 4, top 25, Twelfth Man, tye masters, UCLA, USC, year

NHL’s Greatest Moments: Stevie Y

August 19, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

As the off-season drags on, we will continue our look back at some of the greatest moments in NHL history. This installment will take us to Hockeytown, also known as Detroit, at the beginning of the Red Wings mid-‘90s dynasty, with Steve Yzerman, bringing us the moment.

The lead up:

It is a sports cliché that the best players are the ones who step up at the biggest time, and this series was a prime example. In a series that featured 11 present Hall of Famers, including arguably the best player to ever play the game, it all came down to Game 7 between the Detroit Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues. The game was scoreless. As any sports fan knows, it is harder to get better than Game 7, but try this on, Game 7 between two Stanley Cup-caliber teams tied 0-0, in the second overtime. This was an era before #BucciOvertimeChallenge, but had it existed then, you would not be short of viable players to choose from: Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Sergei Fedorov and Igor Larionov, just to name a few. But it was Yzerman that got it done on this night.

The moment:

As it tends to be in NHL playoff overtime games, the winning goal can seem to appear out of thin air. It was a rather routine moment in the game as the Red Wings were moving the puck out of their own end early in the second overtime. It was so routine that when you watch the highlight, you see two fans turn around and wave to the low-stationed cameras. As Gretzky, “The Great One,” mishandled an intercepted pass just outside of the Red Wings zone, Yzerman swooped the puck up. As Yzerman carries the puck through the neutral zone, he finds a little space just inside the Blues’ blue line and decides to take a shot. Yzerman winds up and puts everything he has into the shot, and it wound up being a one-in-a-million shot. As captured so infamously by a handheld camera behind the net, Yzerman’s perfect slap shot was a hard rising shot that sailed over goaltender Jon Casey’s (who was in perfect position and was literally unbeatable all game) shoulder and off of the crossbar and in. The Joe Louis Arena crowd ERUPTED. It was the perfect shot at the perfect time from the perfect guy and the Red Wings were advancing to the next round. Yzerman, a usually calm and collected guy leaped for joy before being dog piled on by his teammates, and even coach Scotty Bowman got caught up in the euphoria and raced out to celebration pile. It was one of the first great moments of the Red Wings ‘90s dynasty, and perhaps the most heartbreaking goal in St. Louis Blues history.

Filed Under: Hockey Tagged With: back, coach, ERUPTED, Great One, Joe Louis Arena, Jon Casey, Louis Blues, nhl, puck, Red Wings, Scotty Bowman, Stanley Cup, Steve, Steve Yzerman, time, Wayne Gretzky

NBA Awards

April 22, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

After another exciting year of basketball, David & James are tackling the hottest questions. Predictions on all NBA awards!!

Most Valuable Player:

David: LeBron James (MIA) – The obvious choice. Chris Paul should also be noted, the Clippers would be nowhere without him, but it’s hard to argue with the season LeBron and the Heat have had.

James: LeBron James (MIA) – I don’t think you can go with anyone else. Melo and Paul might take a vote or two but LeBron is the most complete player we have ever seen.

Rookie of the Year:

David: Damian Lillard (POR) – Led all rookies in scoring and assists while providing the Blazers with another legitimate threat alongside LaMarcus Aldridge to build for the future. He is an up and coming star to watch.

James: Damian Lillard (POR) – Lillard was an absolute monster for the Trail Blazers this year. He was brilliant scoring and passing the ball. I think we have a star!

Sixth Man of the Year:

David: J.R. Smith (NYK) – Led all 6^th men in points per game at 18.1 (a new career high for him) and provided a much-needed spark down the stretch for the Knicks.

James: J.R. Smith (NYK) – David and I agree 3 for 3 thus far. Smith came into the season with a new attitude and it showed. Smith has always been a score first player, this year he learned how to be more efficient. It should be added that Jamal Crawford was the run away leader at the all star break.

Defensive Player of the Year:

David: Larry Sanders (MIL) – Finished 2^nd in the league in blocked shots (2.83 bpg) and 12^th in rebounding (9.5 rpg); better player than many expected him to be coming out of VCU.

James: Serge Ibaka (OKC) – I may be alone in voting for Ibaka, who should have won the award last year, but he was yet again a monster on defense.

Most Improved Player of the Year:

David: James Harden (HOU) – We all knew he had superstar potential, but a 10 ppg increase in only 7 additional minutes per game on a new team showed the world just how good he is, not to mention averaging nearly 6 assists and 2 steals per game.

James: Paul George (IND) – I am with David on voting for Harden but George finally showed what he was made of. He played outstanding this season and even had some great games against Lebron James.

Coach of the Year:

David: George Karl (DEN) – The Nuggets (57-25) finished one game out of 2^nd and 3 games out of first in the Western Conference. With that roster, no one saw that coming, but their entertaining and hard-working style ran teams off the court at times this year.

James: George Karl (DEN) – I am just echoing David. Karl had his boys playing team ball week in and week out.

All NBA First Team

David: Chris Paul (LAC), Kobe Bryant (LAL), LeBron James (MIA), Kevin Durant (OKC), Tim Duncan (SA)

James: Chris Paul (LAC), Lebron James (MIA), Carmelo Anthony (NY), Kevin Durant (OKC), Marc Gasol (MEM)

All NBA Breakout Team

David: James Harden (HOU), Paul George (IND), Brook Lopez (BKN), Damian Lillard (POR), Larry Sanders (MIL)

James: Russell Westbrook (OKC), Stephen Curry (GSW), James Harden (HOU), Paul George (IND), Brook Lopez (BKN)

All NBA Disappointment Squad

David: Nicolas Batum (POR), Andrew Bynum (PHI), Jeremy Lin (HOU), Darren Collison (DAL), Rodney Stuckey (DET)

James: Andrew Bynum (PHI), Dwight Howard (LAL), Jeremy Lin (HOU), Eric Gordon (NOP), Evan Turner (PHI)

Most Disappointing Team

David: Los Angeles Lakers – All of the hype coming into the season was foiled by injuries, coaching changes, and a lack of chemistry. They are lucky to even be in the playoffs and are a lock for a first round exit without Kobe Bryant against the Spurs.

James: Los Angeles Lakers – This is the only choice. My NBA Championship pick (you would think I would learn teams dont win in the offseason) flopped. I don’t think anyone saw this coming.

Biggest Surprise

David: The Spurs have done it again – Year after year they appear to be too old, not enough support around their big 3, etc. Yet here they are again, 2^nd in the Western Conference, and primed for a playoff run if Manu Ginobili can get healthy.

James: The Clippers Win the Division – Last year, Chris Paul helped the Clippers turn the corner. This year, he took them to another level. Lob City was tremendous to watch this year. They are talented, deep and just so fun to watch.

NBA Finals Matchup & Champion:

David: Miami Heat v Oklahoma City Thunder – Miami in 5, could even be a sweep. Securing home court allowed their bench to get in rhythm and their starters to get healthy. A repeat for the Heat is all but a guarantee.

James: Miami Heat v Oklahoma City Thunder – Thunder in 7. I don’t really see anyone beating the Heat 4 times but maybe this is wishful thinking. While they might be missing Harden (maybe a little), Durant and Westbrook have both elevated their games.

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Filed Under: Basketball Tagged With: all nba, awards, breakout, champions, coach, david oleson, defensive, disappointment, james kaikis, MVP, NBA, nba finals, rookie, sixth man, surprise, the cover 4

Your Quarterback is Which Actor?

January 25, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

Your Quarterback is Which Actor?

There are always comparisons between quarterbacks, ranging from Andrew Luck to Peyton Manning or RG3 to Cam Newton. It is quite popular to compare an incumbent to their contemporaries to paint a picture to the public for the future.

Are we going to do that here? Nope. In lieu of comparing current NFL quarterbacks to their predecessors, we are going to compare them to actors. Yes, actors.

For a little appetizer, think of Jamarcus Russell like Lindsay Lohan with all the potential and tools, but caught up in out-of-work trouble. Purple Drink!

Here we go:

NFC East

Eli Manning – Joaquin Phoenix

Both are extremely eclectic people that find ways to put on great performances in crucial times. They are recognized as the most important person in their biggest career moments. In Gladiator, Phoenix supported the role of Russell Crowe, much like Manning managed the Giants to their first Super Bowl win. Next, each person rose to the starring role with Manning guiding the Giants over the Patriots for a second time and Phoenix presenting a remarkable performance in Walk the Line.

Tony Romo – Mark Wahlberg

Ever see someone begin from nothing but, when given their first shot, show such immense potential? Much like Romo, Wahlberg began great with the Italian Job, and continued to show prominence in Invincible and Shooter, but follows up with Ted and The Other Guys. It is head scratching as much as Tony Romo, but it is undeniable that both men expose themselves to seriously low moments in their career that make you question them.

Michael Vick & Nick Foles – Jackie Chan & Chris Tucker

We have a flashy stunt man, who really does not know how to hone or master his craft (whether it be either acting or quarterbacking). Their counterpart is serviceable, by carrying the traditional acting techniques, and although either are unproven or average, both Tucker and Foles show flashes of having potential. Ultimately, neither actor nor quarterback is taken seriously in their profession.

Robert Griffin III – Justin Timberlake

Each person was successful in the early phase of their career, and transferred that into the next level of exposure and immediately succeeded. RG3 won the Heisman at Baylor and JT went from the front man of Nsync to a prominent solo music career. At their transition phases, RG3 led his Redskins to the playoffs in his rookie year, and Justin hit the big screen with a splash in The Social Network. Great things are still to come from these two.

NFC North

Aaron Rodgers – Leonardo DiCaprio

Both of these men are at the top of their respective profession right now and are a must see on the big screen or the football field. Rodgers continues to get better and better playing the position at such a consistent high level. Concurrently, Leo manages to remain in elevated form by rolling out Catch Me If You Can, The Departed and Inception just to name a few.

Jay Cutler – Robert Downey Jr.

The overall “I don’t give a $h*!” attitude resemblance between these two is very uncanny. At the same time, when focused and motivated, Downey and Cutler can put together stretches of absolute brilliance that remind you they are formidable in their respective fields.

Christian Ponder – Josh Hartnett

Essentially, both of these men peaked way too early. Ponder was drafted well before he should have ever been considered and Hartnett has been on a steady decline since Black Hawk Down. However, they both have capabilities to present manageable performances with Ponder being efficient and Hartnett with 40 Days and 40 Nights.

Matthew Stafford – Ben Affleck

Affleck and Stafford flourish with talent around them and in the right setting. Stafford has been fortunate to have Calvin Johnson and numerous weapons to generate his massive yardage seasons. As much as Affleck has captured us with Good Will Hunting and The Town, he has released some big flops like Gigli and Daredevil, resembling the disgusting sidearm sling Matthew Stafford continually resorts to.

NFC South

Matt Ryan – Jeremy Renner

Matt Ryan revitalized a struggling franchise with his first NFL pass going for a touchdown and he has not looked back since. The same can be said for Jeremy Renner, who really hit us with The Hurt Locker and continued to get better with The Town. Each of these men is on the rise and aimed for greatness with their professions.

Cam Newton – Gerard Butler

Utterly mind-blowing physical specimens from their initial roles from 300 or Cam’s rookie year, but their dropoff cannot be argued. It seems both get complacent with their initial success, and relies on their physical tools rather than developing their craft.

Drew Brees – Brad Pitt

Brees’ career began very prominent and flashy in San Diego, which is very reminiscent of Brad Pitt in Fight Club. Although, each of them went through a dry spell or injury span, they both developed their potential into either a Super Bowl winner or hits with Benjamin Button and Inglorious Bastards.

Josh Freeman – Chris Hemsworth

The physical traits of both men naturally set them above the rest from the beginning. Additionally, they have displayed moments of brilliance in key moments. Hemsworth separated himself from the bottom feeders of the comic remake world, and lined up multiple runs of Thor. Freeman has shown to be more than clutch in critical moments leading the volatile Bucs to come from behind wins and fourth quarter drives.

NFC West

Alex Smith & Colin Kaepernick – Tobey Maguire & Jesse Eisenberg

Smith came in as a number one overall pick with the expectations to revive a franchise, but failed to do so. The same result can be seen from Tobey Maguire’s attempt at the Spiderman series; an utter disaster. Maguire was capable of carrying a movie throughout with Pleasantville or Seabiscuit, but failed to present anything spectacular. Conversely, Colin Kaepernick has come in a thrived as an absolute star much like Eisenberg in The Social Network. Look for both Kaepernick and Eisenberg to entertain us for the next generation of professionals.

Russell Wilson – Joseph Gordon Levitt

Levitt’s respectable beginning in TV started with 3rd Rock from the Sun and that can be comparable to Wilson’s stint in minor league baseball, but their adaptation to the professional level has better utterly amazing. Whether it be Inception, Looper, or leading a Seahawks franchise to the playoffs with utter poise and composure; both of these future stars will be around for a long time to come.

Sam Bradford – Chris Pine Can

Chris Pine showed he was capable of supporting Denzel Washington in Unstoppable and left the public wanting more for the recreated Star Trek franchise. Similar to Pine, when Bradford gets comfortable and gains weapons around him, the Rams will continue their positive direction to a reputable franchise again.

Kevin Kolb & Crew – Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell

Coach put Uncle Rico in and we saw how that went….

AFC East

Tom Brady – Denzel Washington

Thriving in roles with good looks and masterful performances symbolizes these two dynamic personalities perfectly. Denzel began his career being acclaimed in a supporting role and prospered into a top leading man for an extended duration from Training Day to recently released Flight. Brady stepped in for an injured Drew Bledsoe and never looked back creating a decade of dominance for the New England Patriots.

Ryan Tannehill – Zac Efron

With a limited sample size with one year in college and a rookie NFL year, Ryan Tannehill has shown to have immense potential with absolutely no talent around him. Looking past Efron’s High School Musical days, he has displayed some notable performances with 17 Again and Charlie St. Cloud by showing he can exceed expectations and carry a movie throughout. It is early, but both Tannehill and Efron have shown glimpses of having a reputable future in their industries. Plus have you seen their girl friends or wife? Bonus points!

Ryan Fitzpatrick – Vince Vaughn

Vince Vaughn’s natural sarcastic humor resembles the intelligence of a Harvard graduate like Fitzpatrick. Essentially both are serviceable in their industry with spotty high moments, but won’t produce anything award winning.

Mark Sanchez – Colin Farrell

They try so hard but it does not work. We can equate SWAT to Sanchez’s early years with nice playoffs runs, but it has been a steep decline ever since. Sanchez tried to be an efficient manager but failed. Farrell tried to match Brad Pitt’s Troy with Alexander, but that was a disaster. They will remain in their industries, but will never prevail to anything special.

AFC North

Joe Flacco – Matt Damon

Damon’s character in the Ocean’s Eleven series represents Flacco beyond a reasonable doubt. Damon struggled to be acknowledged as a main contributor, but gradually was given more respect as each movie continued. At the same time, Damon carried an entertaining Bourne series for almost a decade and, although it wasn’t award winning, it was very entertaining. Flacco has shown utter moments of brilliance in big moments, much like Damon in Good Will Hunting and The Departed.

Andy Dalton – John Cho

You may know Cho has Harold from the Harold and Kumar series, but he quietly has strung together a few noteworthy performances with American Beauty and Star Trek. He looks to still be a constant within the revitalized Star Trek series, resembling Dalton’s potential lengthy and serviceable NFL career. It is hard to tell what each person will ultimately become, but each has shown potential that they can be taken seriously looking forward in their future.

Ben Roethlisberger – Christian Bale

Bale and Big Ben can cause some controversy outside the office, but when focused, they compete to be the best in their fields. Bale transformed the Batman series and was outstanding in The Fighter, while Roethlisberger led the Steelers to Super Bowl appearances and a victories after years of Tommy Maddox and Kordell Stewart.

Brandon Weeden – David Caruso

This one may be self explanatory. Both were given a shot at an older age and it may work out for Weeden, but if it does expect nothing more than a Lieutenant Horatio Caine performance in CSI: Miami.

AFC South

Matt Schaub – Alec Baldwin

Neither was intended to take on a leading role at the highest level. Baldwin is perfect at 30 Rock and Schaub was an effective back-up for an injury prone Michael Vick in Atlanta. Schaub has never quite lived up to a franchise starting quarterback, much like Baldwin in the main character role of a major motion picture. Both have had memorable moments from big games to priceless lines in The Departed.

Andrew Luck – Tom Hardy

Luck and Hardy came in with all of the physical and mental tools to be successful from the beginning, and lived up to the hype. Luck led a 2-14 Colts team to the playoffs and Hardy thrived inInception, Warrior and The Dark Knight Rises. Future success exudes from both of these professionals in such a short sample size already.

Blaine Gabbert & Jake Locker – Taylor Lautner & Robert Pattinson

Gabbert & Locker have proved they are products of the combine hype and beneficiaries of tremendous arm strength, as their on-field product has not been worthy of first-round draft picks. Translate the aforementioned sentence to motion pictures, and you have Twilight. The CFL and ABC Family cannot wait for these guys.

AFC West

Peyton Manning – Tom Hanks

Starting as the number one pick in the NFL draft and winning best actor in a children’s movie just conveys the early success of the methodical and surgical (Trent Dilfer talk) careers for Peyton Manning and Tom Hanks. Both men bring extremely dedicated and intellectual approaches to their roles transcending generations that made up for any physical deficiencies.

Phillip Rivers – Sam Worthington

Has anyone hit the big screen faster and harder than Sam Worthington? In the blink of an eye, he starred in Terminator and Avatar, but then dramatically took steps down with Clash of the Titans and Man on a Ledge. This sounds eerily similar to Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers, with his tremendous start under Marty Schottenheimer to his most recent two season decline. Both began to enter the “elite” conversation, but have quickly entered the above average.

Carson Palmer – Nicholas Cage

This is one of my favorites. Cage showed some flashes of brilliance when next to Sean Connery in The Rock similar to Carson Palmer surrounded with weapons in Cincinnati. Both of them believed themselves to be far more talented than what they really are, but show their true worth either in Oakland or anything Nicholas Cage does. Cage is veteran garbage like Palmer.

Matt Cassel – Seann William Scott

Do you remember Steve Stiffler from the American Pie series? He was barely in the first one, but his roles progressively grew in an entertaining fashion. Unfortunately, Seann William Scott cannot be a lead actor. He was amazing in Role Models because he fed off of Paul Rudd. The Chiefs gave Cassel the keys to the car and how did that turn out?

Note from the Chief : I believe this to be one of the coolest and funniest articles I have ever seen. I would appreciate it if you would help us spread the word on this article more-so than others. With the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl upon us, this is a perfect time to bring some excitement to the game. Thank you

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Big Expectations in the Big Apple

January 6, 2013 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

They say there is nothing louder than a New Yorker, so if you haven’t heard about the success of the New York Knicks this year, consider yourself one of the few. The Knicks have been making a lot of noise in the early part of this season turning it around from last season. The Knicks have rocketed off to a 22-10 start and are leading the “who can possibly beat the Heat” race in the Eastern Conference. The MVP-caliber play of Carmelo Anthony, Coach of the Year candidate Mike Woodson, and player acquisitions have turned the New York Knicks into a contender.

Carmelo Anthony is playing out of his mind right now. He’s second in the league right now to Kobe Bryant (aka Benjamin Button) in scoring. Carmelo is averaging 28.9 points per game with shooting averages of 47% from the field and a career best 43% from 3-point range. Although he has missed a few games with injury this season, he is having one of the best seasons of his career. During the offseason, coach Mike Woodson was quoted saying, “Anthony’s going to have to raise his game” and that he would have “to push him to be in better shape.” Anthony seems to have taken his coach’s words to heart as he has propelled the Knicks to one of their best starts in decades.

Mike Woodson has brought in a culture that holds even his star players accountable, and their response can be seen throughout their play. Under D’Antoni, the Knicks forgot what it meant to play defense, Woodson seems to have been able to remind them what it means. He has brought in a focus on defense, and when you have the former Defensive Player of the Year, you’re going to see some positive results. By demanding accountability from his players, Woodson and the Knicks have experienced a major reduction in turnovers. Under Woodson, the Knicks are averaging a league-low 10.8 turnovers per game. This same team averaged 16 turnovers per game last year. Woodson’s system demands ball control, something far different from the run and gun offense that existed during the D’Antoni era. This doesn’t mean that the offense has slowed down though. Woodson has put out a powerful offense that has been living and dying with the 3-ball. The Knicks put up a league high 28.9 3-pointers per game and are making them at a 39% rate. This three point shooting has allowed the Knicks to average a very respectable 102.1 points per game. By getting his veterans to buy in and operate within the system, Woodson has the Knicks looking like contenders.

Woodson’s veteran team added multiple players during this offseason that have been crucial to the Knicks thriving. During the offseason, the Knicks refused to match Jeremy Lin’s offer sheet, allowing the point guard to go to Houston. They brought in veteran point guards Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton who have been able to successfully run the offense that Woodson wants. Raymond Felton seems to have been revitalized in New York, and Jason Kidd seems to have slapped Father Time in the face. Kidd’s poised play and veteran leadership have created almost a second coach on the court. While he may not be lighting up the stat sheet, every player on the Knicks commends Kidd for consistently making play after play and efficiently running the offense on the floor. The Knicks have found themselves two point guards more than capable of producing and running the Knicks efficient offense.

Much must be said about the emergence of J.R. Smith. The self-proclaimed partier has “given up on drinking and the clubs” to focus more on basketball this year. It looks as though it is really helping as Smith is one of the best bench players in the league and averaging a career high 16.6 points per game.

The Knicks look like one of the best teams in the league even though they are just introducing one of their top players back to the lineup. While some individuals believe that the return of Amare Stoudemire to the Knicks lineup is a disruption to their rhythm, coach Mike Woodson has more than proved himself able to adapt to his roster. With Stoudemire coming off the bench, Woodson would be able to keep Anthony at the power forward position that he has been thriving at all year. The Knicks could rotate Anthony or Chandler out when inserting Stoudemire, giving them additional rest on the bench. Also, having Stoudemire available gives the Knicks the ability to match the size of any front-court in the league. Mike Woodson has turned this team around and his success will get the players to buy into however he decides to handle the situation. Even though we are only a little over a third into the season, the Knicks are facing some big expectations in the Big Apple.

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Filed Under: Basketball Tagged With: Benjamin Button, Big Apple, Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, coach, Eastern Conference, Father Time, Jason Kidd, Jeremy Lin, Mike Woodson, New York, New York Knicks, New Yorker, Raymond Felton, year

Our Final Installment: Week 17 NFL Predictions

December 28, 2012 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

Like it or not, all eyes are on Tony Romo this week.

Can you believe it? We are already in week 17 of the NFL season and the new year is right around the corner. The smell of playoff football is in the air; who will be peaking at the right time to make it to the Super Bowl?

I will commend the NFL on doing the scheduling changes a few years ago, I love watching meaningful games in the last week of the season. Dallas v Washington for the division?! Two years in a row Cowboy fans. Is this year going to be different?

For fantasy reasons, I love watching players play meaningful games in week 15, 16 & 17 because it allows me to win my fantasy football league. Won 1 of 4 – not bad. Pay me Long Island Sound!

From the Cover 4 to our readers, thank you for following along this season; it has had its ups and downs and plenty of changes to meet the demands of our fans but we have enjoyed every minute of it.

THE COVER 4: PHI, CHI, GB, WAS

We hope that you continue to read our website and follow along for some of the best, and most interesting, sports articles out there right now. We aren’t your typical mainstream sports website ; we are for the fans, by the fans. Period!

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New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills (-3)

Jesse – NYJ – Both teams are terrible, so I’ll take the points.

Long Island Sound – NYJ – Sanchez will provide a good performance versus a below average defense to prove his worth.

Plumb – NYJ – With McElroy out and Sanchez back, this may be Sanchez’s last time to prove he can play in the big leagues.

James – NYJ – Mark Sanchez is going to play the best game of his life…… maybe?

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Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots (-10)

Jesse – MIA – I expect Miami to play New England tough and cover the 10 points.

Long Island Sound – NE – Hate big lines, but Miami going to NE never works out well for them.

Plumb – MIA – Well last time around New England overlooked Miami and division games are always tough to win, let alone cover. Dolphins make one last push to cap off a decent season.

James – NE – I like Coach Billy in this matchup; coach always wants to send a message.

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Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals (-2½)

Jesse – BAL – Baltimore destroyed the Bengals back in their Week 1 meeting, and they should be playing for playoff momentum after their drudging of the Giants last week. Baltimore’s the better team & getting points.

Long Island Sound – CIN – Baltimore is a pretender that faced a Giants team that has been rolling over for the last 2 weeks.

Plumb – CIN – After coming off impressive wins and clinching playoff berths, Cincy is the only team in this matchup that has something to play for.

James – BAL – Maybe its my perception, and familiarity, with the AFC North but I know that when it matters Baltimore will beat the Bungals. I like AJ Green a lot but I think the Ravens cover in this one.

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Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers (No Line)

Jesse – PIT – Pittsburgh is out of the playoff hunt, but I don’t expect Tomlin’s team to quit. They should cover whatever number the casinos put up with Cleveland starting Thaddeus Lewis (who?) at QB & Montario Hardesty at RB.

Long Island Sound – PIT – Cleveland’s 3rd string QB versus a disgruntled Mike Tomlin.

Plumb – PIT – Tomlin will have the team ready for this week after last week disappointing loss. Expect Steelers blowout.

James – PIT – Steelers rarely lose to the Browns; it won’t happen twice in one year….

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Houston Texans (-7) @ Indianapolis Colts

Jesse – HOU – Houston NEEDS this win to lock up #1 in the AFC while Indy is locked into the 5th-seed no matter what. On top of that, Houston was flat-out embarrassed by the Vikings at home last week. If they want to prove to the nation that they’re a true contender, it starts this Sunday.

Long Island Sound – IND – Andrew Luck at home.

Plumb – IND – Both are jocking for seeding but Indy is tough at home and getting points makes it even more enticing. The Colts have Luck on their side.

James – HOU – I like Indy but I think Houston takes care of business this week and gets things rolling into the playoffs. If Houston doesn’t cover, it will be because the Colts get a garbage td or two.

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Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans (-4½)

Jesse – JAC – Jacksonville showed life last week vs. Patriots, while Tennessee wet the bed at Green Bay. I refuse to lay more than 4 points with this Tennessee squad after last week’s performance.

Long Island Sound – JAC – Henne has this team playing hard.

Plumb – JAC – Well the worst game on the schedule this week and someone’s gotta win. I’ll take the points just because Henne is showing he can still play and will be fighting for a job next season.

James – JAC – Toilet Bowl of Week 17.

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Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants (-7½)

Jesse – PHI – One of Philly’s 4 wins this season was against these NY Giants and came with Vick at the helm & McCoy in the backfield. Well, they’re back & there’s no reason they can’t keep this game close and cover the TD+ or even perhaps win.

Long Island Sound – PHI – Giants at home against a divisional opponent. Vick gives the Giants trouble.

Plumb – PHI – After Philly lost Nick Foles last week to injury, Vick is back which means two things: unpredictability and dog fighting (j/k PETA). Tough division matchup and the ½ is always a favorites kryptonite. This is a dog’s game (Corny Mike Vick humor). Eagles cover and Vick proves he is still a starter in the League.

James – PHI – This game scares me because the Giants are so unpredictable. I think Vick comes out and takes care of business in his last game in Phili.

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Chicago Bears (-3) @ Detroit Lions

Jesse – CHI – Chicago needs this win +MINN loss to make the playoffs as the 6^th-seed, so they’ll be ready for this contest. Pro-bowl CB Tim Jennings (shoulder) should be back & RB Forte (ankle) is optimistic about playing while Detroit is reeling having lost 7-straight.

Long Island Sound – CHI – Cutler and Marshall are in a groove that will not be stopped by the Lions D.

Plumb – CHI – Tough defense, must win game, and Brandon Marshall. Too many factors against the home team in this one.

James – CHI – MUST WIN. Time to put up or shut up Chicago.

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Green Bay Packers (-3) @ Minnesota Vikings

Jesse – GB – Green Bay is ready for their playoff run & earning a 1^st round bye would bode well for them. Since starting the season 2-3, Packers have only lost 1 game. They’ll get Minnesota’s best efforts, but they won’t be enough. Green Bay will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Long Island Sound – GB – Finally healthy and Rodgers is back to his unreal form.

Plumb – GB – A very important game for both teams in this matchup. Minnesota fighting for the last playoff berth alongside AP attempting to break the single season rushing record, and Green Bay attempting to clinch a first round bye with a W. Expect this to be a hard nose and close game. Deciding factor: Aaron Rodgers dominant play in domes.

James – GB – I really hope AP can break this record but my PRESEASON Super Bowl pick is looking pretty good right now. I think Rodgers gives the Viking defense his discount double check.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons (No Line)

Jesse – TB – There’s no line on this game because Atlanta might rest their starters. They’ve locked up home-field in the NFC and have no reason to play for anything. I’ll take Tampa, especially if they’re getting points.

Long Island Sound – ATL – Ryan and the Falcons at home. Don’t believe they will sit starts much based on previous playoff woes.

Plumb – ATL – Atlanta is tough at home as they are undefeated in the Georgia Dome.

James – ATL – I don’t care if Chris Chandler is going to be playing quarterback this week, I can’t take the shaky and free-falling Buccs. ATL will play its players for the majority of this one as they aren’t going to rest for two weeks.

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Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints (-5)

Jesse – CAR (ML +205) – I personally think these two teams are relatively even. Carolina’s actually been playing better of late –winners of 3-straight — so I’m getting value with the Panthers, as the spread should be NO -3. Carolina will win this game outright saving Ron Rivera’s job.

Long Island Sound – NO – Should be a shoot-out, but Brees should cover here.

Plumb – CAR – Panthers defense > Saints defense. Plus Carolina has won 3 straight.

James – CAR – Carolina may not get the W but they cover in this one.

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Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos (-16)

Jesse – KC – I cannot get myself to lay 16 points, even if it’s with the perceived “best team in the NFL.”

Long Island Sound – KC – Too big of a spread.

Plumb – KC – Wow this spread is high. I expect Peyton and Co. to play till halftime and call it a day. If this happens, expect KC to capitalize.

James – KC – I know the Chiefs are bad, and I mean bad. I realize the Broncos are really good. I just don’t wanna put 16 on this game. I’ll stay conservative and take KC.

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Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers (No Line)

Jesse – SD – Oakland has quit. Before beating KC two weeks ago, Oakland was losers of 6-straight. They didn’t score a single TD in their 15-0 win over KC in that aforementioned meeting & failed to score a TD last week vs. Panthers. To add insult to injury, Terrelle Pryor will be starting for the injured Palmer (ribs).

Long Island Sound – SD – Just a bad game with a bad team and a very undisciplined team. I’ll take the potential versus the bad.

Plumb – SD – Are you putting your hard earned money on the Oakland Raiders? Yeah, neither am I because I can’t trust them.

James – SD – Norv Turner and AJ Smith get a W in their last game with the organization; Turner has already said he is okay with being an OC again after this year. Smell Yah.

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Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers (-16½)

Jesse – SF – Ok, I lied; I will lay -16 in certain situations. Maybe this is me betting with my heart; maybe not. This season following a loss or tie, the 49ers have beaten their opponents by a combined score of 106-26.

Long Island Sound – ARI – Not taking that line in the NFL out of principle.

Plumb – ARI – This is probably the hardest game to pick this week. On one hand you have the Niners who must win to clinch the division as well as a potential second seed in the conference. My only question is how hard are they going to play the Cards without risking injury? Then you have the Cards who may or may not show up at home let alone score a point. The gut wants the Niners but the numbers say Cards.

James – ARI – 16+? What? Luckily its week 17 and this will be the first, and last, time I think the Cardinals will do something good.

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St. Louis Rams @ Seattle Seahawks (-10½)

Jesse – SEA – If Seattle wins this game and 49ers somehow slip up and lose vs. Cardinals, then Seattle wins the NFC West and the #3 seed in the NFC. They have everything to play for, and are playing extremely well especially down in the trenches.

Long Island Sound – STL – This team finds ways to cover.

Plumb – SEA – I made this mistake last week and it burned me. SEAHAWKS AT HOME = WIN.

James – SEA – I don’t think I can go any other way with the way this team has been playing.

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Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins (-3)

Jesse – WAS – Stop me when you’ve heard this before: Dallas in a must-win? I’ll take the other side.

Long Island Sound – WAS – Washington looking to capture a division title will be ready to play.

Plumb – WAS – Dallas Cowboys! Big Games! Tony Romo fumbling meaningful snaps! Means one thing: Choke artists. Skins win and take the Division.

James – WAS – Maybe this is the year the Cowboys finally win a meaningful game at the end of the season? Naw, I’m going RGIII.

____________________________________________________________________________
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James Kaikis
Chief Sports Activist for The Cover 4
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Filed Under: Football Tagged With: 16, 17, 4, 49ers, Accurate, AFC, American, Analysis, Arizona, Atlanta, Away, baller, Baltimore, Bay, Bears, Bengals, Bills, Bowl, Broncos, Browns, Buccaneers, Buffalo, Cardinals, Carolina, Center, Chicago, Chiefs, Cincinnati, City, Cleveland, coach, Colts, Corner, cover, Cowboys, Dallas, Defense, Denver, Detroit, Dolphins, Eagles, End, England, Falcons, fantasy, favorite, football, Francisco, Game, gamer, Giants, green, Guard, home, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Jaguars, Jets, Kansas, Key, league, Line, Linebacker, Lions, Lose, Louis, Matchup, Miami, Minnesota, National, New, NFC, nfl, Oakland, Offense, Orleans, Packers, Panthers, Patriots, Philadelphia, pigskin, Pittsburgh, Player, predictions, Quarterback, Raiders, Rams, Ravens, Receiver, Redskins, Runningback, Safety, Saint, Saints, San, Score, Seahawks, Seattle, Slot, special, St. Louis, Steelers, Stud, Super, Tackle, Tampa, teams, Tennessee, Texans, Thanksgiving, Tight, Titans, Touchdown, Twelve, Underdog, Vikings, Washington, Week, Wide, Win, York

Mark Sanchez: The NFL’s Most Unfortunate Quarterback.

December 8, 2012 by James Kaikis Leave a Comment

Playing quarterback in the NFL is a lot like being the President of the United States. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right, playing quarterback is probably more difficult. All jokes that are only funny because a lot of people think they’re true aside, both jobs come with a distinct view on their output by the American people. When things go accordingly to plan we grant both quarterbacks too large a piece of the pie: Obama doesn’t really hunt terrorist, the well-trained super soldiers of our military do. And, in the most obvious vice-versa known to man, Obama has no real control over the economy, fiscal cliff, or how terrible your job is. Our government was written with a unique set of checks and balances to prevent such things, as is our favorite gladitorial past time. When our favorite NFL teams win, we rush to dole out a vast array of superlatives upon the crown of said team’s quarterback, and with each loss we heap just as much, if not more, vitriol upon their broad shoulders. How many times has Eli Manning gone from a Bum to Elite in the past 4 years? Are we even sure what to call Joe Flacco anymore? As a rookie, Andrew Luck has transformed an egregiously poor Colts team seemingly over night, escorting them single-handedly(if Sportscenter tells it right) from last place to the playoffs. But what about the Brady Quinn’s and Tim Couch’s off the world? Were they any less impressive in college? Did their skills somehow fade? Why is it we call the NFL “the ultimate team sport” and then collectively agree to forget the “team” part when it comes to this one position? More importantly, what does any of this have to do with Mark Sanchez?

Simple, Mark Sanchez is the most under-rated, unfortunate quarterback in the NFL and no one is talking about it.

Team A: 1st in the league in rushing, 1st in the league in points given up, 1st in the league in total defense

Team B: 4th in the league in rushing, 6th in the league in points given up, 4th in the league in total defense

Team C: 22nd in the league in rushing, 20th in the league in points given up, 11th in the league in total defense
Who are these 3 teams you ask? These are the New York Jets from 2009, Mark Sanchez’s rookie year, until 2011. If you noticed one thing it’s that the team that built itself on rushing and defense has, over the course of 3 years, gotten significantly worse in both categories. It is a substantial decline to say the least. You would expect that for a team to slide this progressively over 3 years that they would have to either spend money to improve their deficiency or be inefficient enough to draft high and upgrade at lacking positions. Well, in the Jets case, you’d be wrong…twice. In fact, since 2009, the New York Jets are in the bottom half of league in both “Points Scored” and “Drafted Players Still With Team”. The players drafted by the Jets are either high end busts(Kyle Wilson, Shonn Greene, Muhammad Wilkerson) or low end back ups. In fact, in a great state of irony befitting this team, Greg McElroy, Jeremy Kerley, and Bilal Powell, all drafted in the 4th round or later of the 2011 draft, have been the highlights of this Jets season. So what about upgrading this pedestrian offense through free agency? The Jets idea of improving their offense has been to import every 30 year old skill player past their prime (Ladanian Tomlinson, Plaxico Burress), an oft hurt hothead other championship teams can’t stand (Santonio Holmes), and exporting the figurehead behind their rushing success (Thomas Jones).
You still might be asking yourself “How does all of this make Mark Sanchez both under-rated and unfortunate, he landed on a pretty good team.” Exactly. In the modern NFL, there might not be a greater curse than landing on a “pretty good” team”. Not only is more expected of you, but your team is good enough to make your failures unrewarded. Charles Barkley said it best when talking about the Phoenix Suns, “In this world you either need to be really good or really bad. Being in the middle is for suckers”. The Jets with Mark Sanchez haven’t been good enough to beat the best teams and not bad enough to get high draft picks. If this wasn’t unfortunate enough for Mark Sanchez, he was drafted by a defensive minded head coach who doesn’t believe in throwing the ball downfield, or spending money and draft picks on skill position players. He’s cursed with a General Manager whose overseen an offense that has devolved at every level. Where the Jets offensive line was once the league’s best, it’s now a poultry sum of journeymen surrounding All Pro Nick Mangold. Thomas Jones was replaced. Santonio Holmes has missed more games in 2012 than he’s played and there are only 6 people on Earth who can name the rest of the Jets receivers. As if this wasn’t enough, Darrelle Revis, the core of the entire Jets defense, is out for the year with an ACL tear, exchanging a once feared blitz-heavy defense with a mediocre “bend don’t break” replacement.

Returning to Andrew Luck and our opening salvo as to the credit placed with a winning quarterback, think of what the Indianapolis Colts did to place him in a winning position. They retained a Pro Bowl receiver in Reggie Wayne, spent 5 draft picks on skill players, and catered the offense to his style of play. The Seahawks signed Sidney Rice, drafted Golden Tate, grabbed Marshawn Lynch in free agency, and then drafted their rookie QB Russel Wilson. The Redskins incorporated RGIII’s college offense, drafted a running back, and signed a plethora of receivers .Having great skill position players doesn’t guarantee a great quarterback, as Matt Leinart can attest to, but it certainly increases your chances. Of the past 5 quarterbacks to win NFL MVP, all 5 of them have been accompanied by Pro Bowl receivers. But the Jets have turned a blind eye to the modern game and insisted on an style more befitting the upcoming Alabama/Notre Dame game—-if only said game was being played in 1966. This is the unfortunate circumstance of the modern NFL quarterback. In the ultimate group game, they are asked to put the I in Team. While no sport requires more of a specific player, no player needs so much from not just his fellow players, but his coach, general manager, and owner.

When Braylon Edwards tweeted, “Don’t blame Sanchez. I played there. Blame the idiots calling shots. Mark is a beast and will prove it when given a proper chance.” he could’ve been speaking for a dozen other quarterbacks in NFL history whose teams never gave them a chance to succeed. But right now, in 2012, on the team smack dab in the middle of the ravenous New York Media, and even more carnivorous fans, on a team whose best player is out for the season and whose team has gotten worse with each year, who brought in Tim Tebow for…religious purposes (LOL), Mark Sanchez might just be the most unfortunate quarterback in the history of the NFL.
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General Peppers
Sports Activist for The Cover 4
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Filed Under: Football Tagged With: 2012, Andrew Luck, back, coach, draft, Mark Sanchez, New York, New York Jets, nfl, Pro Bowl, quarterbacks, Santonio Holmes, sport, Thomas Jones, year

NHL Week One:The Good,Bad, & Ugly

The Cover 4.com presents you with NHL Week One:The Good,Bad, & Ugly! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @thecover4 or facebook at theCo VerFour

The Hot Seat: Lane Kiffin & Mack Brown

The Cover 4 Greatest Basketball Moments: Miller Time

College Football Top 25 Team Mottos

1. Alabama-“Roll ‘Bama roll”

2. Ohio State-“Win when it matters”

3. Oregon-“Win the day, especially when it’s in November”

4. Stanford-“Nerds do it better”

5. Georgia-“Beware of Dawg”

6. South Carolina- “WWCD-What would Clowney do”

7. Texas A & M-“The Twelfth Man isn’t the guy asking for autographs.

8. Clemson-“Live up to the expectations.”

9. Louisville-“Never make an insurance claim.”

10. Florida-“It’s MusCHAMP, not MusChump”

11. Florida State-“I’m gonna get some cheeseballs anyway”

12. LSU-“We got Les but we need more offense”

13. Oklahoma State-“The best defense is having a good offense”

14. Notre Dame-“Play like a champion today, even though you couldn’t against Alabama”

15. Texas-“Don’t mess with Texas, please Oklahoma?”

16. Oklahoma-“Boomer! Let’s play Texas Sooner”

17. Michigan-“Defend the Big House”

18. Nebraska-“Pound the rock”

19. Boise State-“We still hate the BCS system”

20. TCU-“No longer tadpoles, fear the Frogs”

21. UCLA-“We want Mora what happened last year”

22. Northwestern-“More is always better”

23. Wisconsin-“Jump Around”

24. USC-“Fight On! And out of the embarrassment”

25. Oregon State-“Beavers are best at building”

NHL’s Greatest Moments: Stevie Y

NBA Awards

Your Quarterback is Which Actor?

Big Expectations in the Big Apple

Our Final Installment: Week 17 NFL Predictions

Mark Sanchez: The NFL’s Most Unfortunate Quarterback.

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The Cover 4.com presents you with NHL Week One:The Good,Bad, & Ugly! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @thecover4 or facebook at theCo VerFour

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1. Alabama-“Roll ‘Bama roll”

2. Ohio State-“Win when it matters”

3. Oregon-“Win the day, especially when it’s in November”

4. Stanford-“Nerds do it better”

5. Georgia-“Beware of Dawg”

6. South Carolina- “WWCD-What would Clowney do”

7. Texas A & M-“The Twelfth Man isn’t the guy asking for autographs.

8. Clemson-“Live up to the expectations.”

9. Louisville-“Never make an insurance claim.”

10. Florida-“It’s MusCHAMP, not MusChump”

11. Florida State-“I’m gonna get some cheeseballs anyway”

12. LSU-“We got Les but we need more offense”

13. Oklahoma State-“The best defense is having a good offense”

14. Notre Dame-“Play like a champion today, even though you couldn’t against Alabama”

15. Texas-“Don’t mess with Texas, please Oklahoma?”

16. Oklahoma-“Boomer! Let’s play Texas Sooner”

17. Michigan-“Defend the Big House”

18. Nebraska-“Pound the rock”

19. Boise State-“We still hate the BCS system”

20. TCU-“No longer tadpoles, fear the Frogs”

21. UCLA-“We want Mora what happened last year”

22. Northwestern-“More is always better”

23. Wisconsin-“Jump Around”

24. USC-“Fight On! And out of the embarrassment”

25. Oregon State-“Beavers are best at building”

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