Drofdarb Sports

What To Watch And Why - A.K.A. the “Triple-Dub”

Each Friday I will post the top 10 or so games of the upcoming weekend (could be more or less, just depends on what is on) and give a few reasons why I am interested in the games – some will be obvious, others may not. Games will include everything from College Football, to the English Premier League, to the NHL.

Triple-Dub Dec. 4th - 6th

English Premier League:

• Saturday Dec. 4th

Bolton Wanderers (5-8-2 - 23 pts ) @ Manchester City (7-5-3 - 26 pts)(City of Manchester Stadium - Manchester, England) 10:00 AM ET - Fox Soccer Plus 

Both teams will be looking to gain ground on league leaders Man United (who face Bolton this weekend). Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, and Stuart Holden (U.S. International) will need to play well for Bolton to get a result.  City is of course lead by Carlos Teves up front and a stout defense having given up only 12 goals in 15 games. The should be a good one between two of current top 6 clubs in the EPL table.

College Football: 

• Saturday Dec. 4th

Utah State (4-7) @ #11 Boise State (10-1) (Bronco Stadium - Boise, ID) 3:00 PM ET - WAC Sports Network/KTVB (in Boise)

You probably wont be watching this game but I will be to see several outstanding seniors play their last home game for Boise State. Titus Young, Austin Pettis, Matt Slater, Ryan Winterswyk, Jeron Johnson, Brandyn Thonpson, Kyle Brotzman, Jeremy Avery, Jason Robinson and a few others like backup tight end Sean King (a Boise native) will all be playing their last game on The Blue.  Despite losing to Nevada last week the Bronco’s home winning streak of 61 games is still on the line.  I want to see how the Broncos respond after the devastating loss last week.   

#2 Oregon (11-0) @ Oregon State (5-6) (Reser Stadium - Corvallis, OR) 3:30 PM ET - ABC

Photo via espn.go.com

A National Championship birth on the line for the Ducks in this years Civil War giving the Beavers a shot at spoiling their undefeated season.  Oregon State will need a big game from RB Quizz Rodgers and QB Ryan Katz.  The Oregon State defese will have their hands full just like every other team that has faced the Ducks this year.  For the Beaver defense to be successful,  DT Stephen Paea will need to be in the Oregon backfield to disrupt the LaMichael James and Darron Thomas. 

#1 Auburn (12-0) vs #19 South Carolina (9-3) (GeorgiaDome - Atlanta, GA) 4:00 PM ET - CBS

The SEC Championship game is a rematch from earlier this season when Auburn escaped with a 35-27 victory. Cam Newton will play as he was officially delcared is eligible by the NCAA because he was supposedly unaware that his dad was shopping him to schools which has created a terrible precident for college athletics. Anyway, don’t be shocked if South Carolina keeps it close or even wins. Spurrier is a pretty good ball coach and has the Gamecocks feeling confident on a three game winning streak.

#21 Florida State (9-3) vs #15 Virginia Tech (10-2) (Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC) 7:45 PM ET - ESPN

The Noles are headed to the ACC Championship game are on a three game winning streak including a win last week over the rival Gators.  The FSU defense is vastly improved from last season under new defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.  That said, the Noles will have their hands full with Tyrod Taylor - the ACC player of the year - and a talented stable of runningbacks. Virginia Tech is on a ten game winning streak of their own since losing to Boise State and James Madison to start the season. The young Hokies defense has improved throughout the season under Bud Foster and should challenge Christian Ponder and the FSU offense. 

#9 Oklahoma (10-2) vs #13 Nebraska (10-2) (Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, TX) 8:00 PM - ABC

Nebraska heads into the Big 12 Championship game with some uncertainty at quarterback. Taylor Martinez is been banged up with a sprained ankle and turf toe and could play but Cody Green played well last week against Colorado. On the other side of the ball, keep an eye on Oklahoma quarterback Landy Jones who threw five interceptions against Nebraska last year.  The Cornhuskers would love nothing more than to win the Big 12 title on their way out the door to the Big Ten. 

National Football League:

• Sunday Dec. 5th

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-3) (M&T Bank Stadium - Baltimore, MD) 8:20 PM - NBC

Photo via zimbio.com

Sunday night’s game will put the winner in the drivers seat to win the AFC North.  Big Ben may or may not have a broken foot but is expected to play regardless. The Steelers will need Big Ben to play well to avenge the loss to the Ravens in week 4 (before Roethlisberger’s return from suspension).  Tune in to watch two of the best, hardest hitting defenses in the league not to mention a handful of talented offensive players on each team.  I’ll be watching James Harrison - the League seems to be out to get him with all the fines he’s received this year. 

• Monday Dec. 6th

New York Jets (9-2) @ New England Patriots (9-2) (Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, MA) 8:30 PM - ESPN

This is perhaps the best Monday Night Football matchup of the season and will put the winner in first place of the AFC East and the leader for home field advantage in the playoffs.  The game features two of the better but completely different coaches in the league - Jets’ Coach Rex Ryan is outspoken and confident where as Bill Bellicheck’s more serious and straightforward.  I always enjoy watching Ryan’s aggressive defense but it will be even more intriguing Monday night against Tom Brady.  

What games will you be watching this weekend?

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Humpday’s Happenings & Hyperlinks 12/1/10 

Each Wednesday I am going to share links to good articles/columns from recent happenings - with added insights and musings - from around the sporting world.  If you come across good articles, videos, etc. - please pass them along, I’d love to take a look.

College Football:

Photo via obnug.com (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)

I still not completely over the Bronco’s heartbreaking loss to Nevada last Friday but I’m sure Boise State kicker Kyle Brotzman feels worse than anyone.  Brotzman and his family have been receiving threats and taunts on facebook and voicemail.  Bill Plaschke says Brotzman deserves better than the abuse he’s received - I agree and so do the 33,500 (and counting) facebook users that “like” The Bronco Nation Loves Kyle Brotzman page.  It’s amazing and impressive to see so many people supporting Brotzman after two big misses.  

TCU is leaving the Mountain West Conference and joining the Big East in 2012.  This is a great move for TCU and the Big East. The Horned Frogs will get more exposure, money, and possibly recruits while the move also strengthens the Big East’s football stature with the conference currently struggling.  The only real losers appear to be Boise State and the Mountain West.

Randy Shannon was fired as the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday after losing to South Florida in their regular season finale. Shannon was 28-22 in his four seasons in Miami. Some names that have popped up as potential candidates include Jon Gruden (probably a long shot), Dan Mullen (Mississippi State head coach), Tommy Tubberville (Texas Tech head coach - former Auburn coach), & Randy Edsall (UConn head coach). 

Last week, Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee disregarded Boise State and TCU saying they weren’t worthy of playing in the National Championship game. Obviously I think Gee has no idea what he’s talking about and I am sure others agree. John Feinstein of the Washington Post rips Elwood Gee, with a PhD in BCS tomfoolery. 

Part-time Alabama employee Jason Adlman was fired for his song choices at the Iron Bowl last week.  Adlman played “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Take the Money and Run” aimed at Cam Newton but apparently an Alabama athletic department official approved the song choices but he still has his job.. 

Chris Petersen and Chris Ault were unable to find each other on the field last Friday after Nevada upset Boise State as fans rushed the field. Since Coach Pete didn’t get to congratulate Coach Ault he called him the next day. Ault went on to say:

“He’s the finest young coach in America. He called me Saturday morning, ‘I just wanted to tell you you kicked our butts. Congratulations, you’ve got a great team,’” Ault said. “I mean, this guy is class. I’ve said that from the first day he started coaching. He looks you in the eye when he talks to you. He’s not a guy who goes backdoor. I just enjoy coaching against him. He’s as classy a coach as I’ve ever coached against. He wanted to make sure he called Coach Ault. And that’s what he calls me. A lot of those other guys call me different things.”

Just another reason I am extremely thankful Petersen is the head coach at Boise State - he’s always a class act and an excellent role model for anyone.  Can you tell I pretty much have a man-crush on Coach Pete?

Any good stories/articles I missed?

Have a Happy Humpday Everyone! 

Sorry for only college football links this week - I’m  in the process of moving, cleaning, and getting things ready for my puppy. 

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Boise State vs Nevada - Emotions & Afterthought

You didn’t think I would neglect to address #4 Boise State’s heartbreaking loss to Nevada did you?  Well not to worry, I’m going to take you through the different emotions from before the game to now and some additional thoughts on the game since the loss on Friday night in Reno.

Photo via Joe Jaszewski idahostatesman.com

The Emotional Roller Coaster:

In the weeks leading up to the game I was confident - I gave Coach Ault, Colin Kaepernick, and the Wolf Pack defense little chance of beating Boise State. I began getting a little nervous just before kickoff - just like every game - and was hopeful that Auburn might stumble next week against South Carolina.

The first quarter flew by with Boise State taking a 3-0 lead. The three second quarter touchdowns scored by the Broncos had me feeling awesome and I was happy they were headed to the locker room up 24-7. I started to get a little nervous when the offense hadn’t scored in the second half and the ref called the kick catch interference penalty on Doug Martin to give Nevada the ball, all the momentum back, the ball on their 42 yard line, and a chance to jump right back in the game.

Of course the Wolf Pack took advantage of the opportunity, cut the lead to 10, and gave their defense life. The Bronco offense was being disrupt by Nevada’s defensive line and couldn’t move the ball - I was starting to get frustrated and nervous.  The fourth quarter started and I wasn’t feeling any better - Rishard Matthews made the most of a reverse - that looked like it was going to be stopped for a loss - as he ran 44 yards for a touchdown cutting the lead to three.

Boise State promptly went 3-and-out and Nevada drove down to score a game tying field goal at 24-24. At this point I was at near meltdown mode - how could this be happening!? Then to my surprise - Doug Martin on the next play breaks a screen pass 79 yards for a touchdown to put the Broncos up!! But I quickly realized the one-play drive gave the defense no rest.  

The Wolf Pack had the ball with 4:53 remaining and I knew they were going to score. The defensive line was gassed and Kaepernick was making all the big plays when they needed it. Not only was I convinced Nevada would score but I thought they would go for the two-point conversion to try and win the game. Kaep hit Matthews to tie the game with almost no time remaining but to my surprise they kicked the extra point to tie it up at 31.  

I’m already thinking about overtime - hoping the defense can make one last stand or force a turnover - when Titus Young caught a 53 yard bomb from Kellen Moore to set up the game winning field goal!!! I couldn’t believe our luck - we were going to escape with a victory and would still be in line for a BCS bowl!! Brotzman and the field goal team headed out to kick the game winner when out of nowhere the officials decide to review the catch and ice Brotz…

If you’ve been following Boise State football for the past few seasons you likely know about Brotz’s struggles from the left hash last season.  Right when the refs called to review the play I got a knot in my stomach - anything that might throw Brotzman’s routine was not going to be a good thing. And sure enough - he barely missed the 26 yard field goal - wide right.  I was devastated.

At this point I figured we needed a touchdown in overtime because it seemed unlikely Brotzman would be able to recover from the miss in such a short amount of time. Right on cue - the Nevada defense held the Broncos to a 29 yard field goal attempt in overtime and Brotzman missed again. 

I knew it was over. Nevada didn’t take any chances with three straight runs setting up the game winning 34 yard field goal for Anthony Martinez.  Boise State’s undefeated season, possible shot at the National Championship,  BCS Bowl bid, and outright WAC Championship were out the window.

After the game I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Boise State doesn’t lose football games and they certainly don’t lose with 17 point leads.  At first I was mad at Brotzman and disappointed the team lost. I quickly realized - thanks to Coach Pete who said, “one play can win a game, but one play cannot lose a game” - that it wasn’t Brotzman’s fault. There were several other plays the Broncos could have made long before the field goal misses that could have changed the outcome of the game.  Regardless I still couldn’t believe we lost to Nevada - it just didn’t seem real. 

It’s been 48 hours since the loss and I’m still not completely over it.  Saturday was pretty miserable and I was still in disbelief thinking about all the missed opportunities.  I didn’t watch any football Saturday or Sunday because none of it seemed to matter.  I think I’m finally ready to put this behind me and appreciate all the success these Broncos have achieved. Coach Pete will have the team ready next week for Utah State. 

Afterthoughts:

• It was easy to blame Brotzman who missed his chance at the game winning field goal and his attempt in overtime but other costly mistakes were made as pointed out by OBNUG. The one that stands out in my mind is the three forced turnovers by the Bronco defense but no recoveries.

• My biggest gripe with the game was the kick catch interference call in the third quarter against Doug Martin.  The Broncos would have had the ball deep in Nevada territory with a chance to go up 31-7 but the ref blew the call. 

• Having blown out so many teams this season may have caught up with the Broncos who looked gassed in the 4th quarter and overtime.

• As much as I hate to say it - Kaepernick played a great second half and made plays to help his team win. 

• At least Boise State lost to a good Nevada team (11-1) and not some random upset against San Jose State or Idaho.

• It seemed like it just wasn’t Boise State’s night - they weren’t getting any calls or bounces and couldn’t come up with the plays they always make that help them win games.

• Losing sucks and Bronco Nation has been spoiled with all the teams’ current success.

• Despite the loss - Chris Petersen’s overall record is: 59-5. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.

• As much as I wish the Broncos could win them all - they had to lose sometime. This just means it’s time to start a new winning streak.

Any other thoughts on the game?

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What To Watch And Why - A.K.A. the “Triple-Dub”

Each Friday I will post the top 10 or so games of the upcoming weekend (could be more or less, just depends on what is on) and give a few reasons why I am interested in the games – some will be obvious, others may not. Games will include everything from College Football, to the English Premier League, to the NHL.

Triple-Dub Nov 26th - 28th

College Football:

• Friday Nov. 26th

#2 Auburn (11-0) @ #11 Alabama (9-2) (Bryant-Denny Stadium - Tuscaloosa, AL) 2:30 PM ET - CBS

Both teams have had extra time to prepare for this years Iron Bowl with Auburn coming off a bye and Bama having played Georgia State last Thursday.  With no new updates on Cam(gate), expect Newton to face his toughest test of the season against Nick Saban’s defense Friday.  Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram, & Julio Jones should be able to exploit the Tigers defense that has struggled at times this year and is giving up over 24 points per game.  Chris Dufresne of the L.A. Times says if Auburn loses, everybody wins - I couldn’t agree more. 

#21 Arizona (7-3) @ #1 Oregon (10-0) (Autzen Stadium - Eugene, OR) 7:00 PM ET - ESPN

Oregon coming off a bye week after struggling against California two weeks ago. The Wildcats are also coming off a bye after losing to USC 24-21. Arizona’s defense is allowing just over 18 points per game and should challenge Darron Thomas and the Oregon offense.  The Ducks will have made adjustments and are better prepared for the defense Cal played but expect some tweaks from the Wildcat defense. I am expecting Oregon to win at Autzen but Arizona could make it tough.

#4 Boise State (10-0) @ #19 Nevada (10-1) (Mackay Stadium - Reno, NV) 10:15 PM ET - ESPN

Photo via zimbio.com

Boise State has their last real test of the season against Colin Kaepernick and Nevada’s Pistol offense. Kellen Moore should be productive against the Wolf Pack defense despite defensive tackle Brett Roy’s overconfident remarks this week.  A match up to watch on that side of the ball will be Nevada defensive end Dontay Moch against Boise State left tackle Nate Potter - Moch has 19.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks on the season.  The game will likely be decided by Kaepernick against the Boise State defense ranked first in rush defense and second in scoring defense (11.5) points per game and total defense.  The Broncos could use some “style points” to help vault them over TCU in the event Auburn or Oregon lose.

• Saturday Nov. 27th

#5 LSU (10-1) @ #12 Arkansas (9-2) (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium - Fayetteville, AR) 3:30 PM ET - CBS

Outside of SEC country, this game is of particular interest to Boise State, TCU, and a few one-loss teams.  Boise State and TCU would prefer LSU to lose so they aren’t magically jumped in the polls if Auburn or Oregon stumble despite the Tigers struggling against West Virginia, Tennessee, and Ole Miss.  The one-loss teams - Stanford, Wisconsin, Michigan State and others - are hoping LSU loses to clear up the BSC at-large bowl process. I’ll be watching to see how Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett fares against the LSU defense and Patrick Peterson - the best cornerback in the country. 

Florida (7-4) @ #22 Florida State (8-3) (Doak Campbell Stadium - Tallahassee, FL) 3:30 PM ET - ESPN/ABC 

Jimbo Fisher gets his first shot at Florida with the Noles having lost six straight to the rival Gators. It has been reported that Seminole fans would rather beat Florida than play for the ACC title (if Maryland beats N.C. State) and I would probably have to agree. I am intersted to see an improved Florida State defense - currently leading the country in sacks - face a Gator offense they’ve struggled with in the past.  The Noles need this one to end the Gators state dominance in recent years. 

English Premier League:

• Sunday Nov. 28th

Chelsea (9-1-4 - 28 pts) @ Newcastle (5-3-6 - 18 pts) (St. James’ Park - Newcastle, England) 8:30 AM ET - Fox Soccer Plus

Chelsea has lost three of their least four EPL games and could continue the slide against the Magpies on Sunday.  The Blues have had some injury issues with Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Alex all out with injury.  Carlo Ancelotti’s squad has struggled without their centerback pair allowing other teams to close the gap on their EPL lead.

Liverpool (5-4-5 - 19 pts) @ Tottenham Hotspur (6-4-4 - 22 pts) (White Hart Lane - Tottenham, England) 10:30 AM ET - Fox Soccer Channel

Photo via thefreshoutlook.com

Liverpool is without their captain Steven Gerrard who was injured in an England friendly last week. The Reds cruised past lowly West Ham last week without Gerrard but will be tested this week against Tottenham. Spurs had a come from behind victory at the Emirates against Arsenal last week winning 3-2.  Spurs have been playing well with Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart in-form recently and will look to continue their recent success against the Reds at White Hart Lane on Sunday.  

National Football League:

• Sunday Nov 28th

San Diego Chargers (5-5) @ Indianapolis Colts (6-4) (Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN) 8:20 PM ET - NBC

Peyton Manning and the Colts will look to rebound after last week’s loss to the Patriots against Phillip Rivers and the Chargers.  The Chargers are averaging over 27 points per game and Rivers is becoming one of the leagues’ elite quarterbacks. Despite playing with backups at nearly every skill position - Rivers currently leads the league in yards, touchdown passes, and has second best quarterback rating in the league.  The Colts defense will have their hands full on Sunday night but fortunately don’t have too shabby of a quarterback themselves.

What games will you be watching this weekend?

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Humpday’s Happenings & Hyperlinks: 11/24/10

Each Wednesday I am going to share links to good articles/columns from recent happenings - with added insights and musings - from around the sporting world.  If you come across good articles, videos, etc. - please pass them along, I’d love to take a look.

College Football:

Boise State has a new scheduling agreement to play Georgia in 2010 at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game and Ole Miss in 2014 at the first of two Chick-fil-A Kickoff games. This is good news for Bronco fans.

Photo via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Cover your eyes Duck fans - LaMichael James is being investigated by the NCAA for the car he has been driving.  Bryan Fischer tweeted that Joe McKnight was held out of USC’s Bowl game for driving a car that didn’t belong to him.   The article doesn’t sound like much, but you never know what the NCAA is going to do.

Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times argues against paying college football players and makes some good points. 

Which college football teams commit the most personal fouls? Sorry to break your hearts Duck fans but the Broncos don’t appear to be the dirtiest team in the country… 

Ohio State’s President - geezer Gordon Gee - doesn’t believe BSU or TCU deserve to play in the Bowl Championship Series title game.  Sorry to break your arrogant heart Mr. Gee but TCU and BSU would beat your Buckeyes this year.

According to the Fresno Bee - Pat Hill’s seat is heating up, especially after the Bulldogs got blown out last week in Boise 51-0. Hill has been successful for most of his 14 year career at Fresno State but the program hasn’t taken the “next step.”

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck had an impressive 58 yard run against Cal last week. Watch him destroy Sean Cattouse the 216 pound cornerback:

Surfing: 

Outside magazine gives a candid examination of Andy Irons and the controversy and rumors that surrounded his life.  The article is pretty eyeopening but Andy will always be remembered for his surfing.

Joel Parkinson won the Reef Hawaiian Pro last week at Haleiwa completing a comeback from a brutal heel injury this summer. Surfline has plenty photos of the event. 

I’m a little late on this (which is NSFWish) but the fellas should enjoy it - the World Miss Reef 2010 title was handed out at Haleiwa last week. More photos and coverage here. Enjoy the video: 

Any good stories/articles I missed?

Have a Happy Humpday and Turkey Day Everyone! 

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Winter Wonderland

It’s been snowing off and on in Boise for the last couple days and we have a winter storm warning in effect until Tuesday - which of course is getting me excited for the ski season.  It also reminded me that I’ve been paying so much attention to college football for the last three months I haven’t watched or purchased any of this year’s ski movies.  I thought I would check out and share three of my favorite productions - Matchstick, TGR, and of course Warren Miller - and their 2010 movie trailers.  Some of the footage in the trailers is mind-boggling.  It’s crazy how much freeskiing progresses every year. 

“Light The Wick” - Teton Gravity Research: 

“The Way I See It” - Matchstick Productions: 

“Wintervention” - Warren Miller Entertainment: 

Update: Here another ski movie trailer recommended by loyal Drofdarb Sports reader geeeper. Enjoy. 

“Revolver” - Poor Boyz Productions:

Geeeper also suggested Tanner Hall’s Documentary - ”Like A Lion.” The trailer was pretty boring so I didn’t put it up but definitely seems worth checking out.

Looks like I’ll be waxing my skis, sharpening my edges, and visiting  Amazon.com in the near future. 

Any other good ski/snowboard movies out this year?

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What To Watch And Why - A.K.A. The “Triple-Dub”

Each Friday I will post the top 10 or so games of the upcoming weekend (could be more or less, just depends on what is on) and give a few reasons why I am interested in the games – some will be obvious, others may not. Games will include everything from College Football, to the English Premier League, to the NHL.

The Triple-Dub - Nov. 19th - 21st

College Football:

• Friday Nov. 19th

Fresno State (6-3) @ #4 Boise State (9-0) (Bronco Stadium - Boise, ID) 9:30 PM ET - ESPN 2

Photo via obnug.com

The best and hardest hitting rivalry in the WAC will be on display for the last time tonight at Bronco Stadium.  Fresno State running back Robbie Rouse has run for over 200 yards in back-to-back games and could test Boise State who will be without their best run-stopping linebacker Byron Hout. On the other side of the ball, Kellen Moore should have a productive night against the Bulldogs pass defense ranked No. 70 in the country.  The weather could play a role with rain/snow expected and temperatures in the 30s - we’ll see if it has any impact on one or both teams.  Keep an eye on Boise State’s jerseys - rumors have been circulating that the Broncos could be wearing orange jerseys and white helmets (pictured above) - perhaps to dispel the blue jersey, blue turf myth?

• Saturday Nov. 20th

#6 Stanford (9-1) @ California (5-5) (California Memorial Stadium - Berkeley, CA) 3:30 PM ET - FSN/CSN

Cal hosts Stanford in an old fashioned Pac-10 rivalry with the two teams meeting for the 113th time.  The Bears were the first team this season to give the Oregon offense fits as the Ducks escaped with a 15-13 win. Cal will get their shot at Andrew Luck and Stanford at home where the Bears play like top 25 team. Stanford has a decided advantage at quarterback with Brock Mansion making his third career start for Cal.  The Bears will need another impressive performance from the defense to have a chance of upsetting the Cardinal. 

#9 Ohio State (9-1) @ #20 Iowa (7-3) (Kinnick Stadium - Iowa City, IA) 3:30 PM ET - ABC

Photo via zimbio.com

Many expected this game to determine the Big Ten champion but Iowa stumbled against Northwestern last week basically eliminating them from the title race. Regardless, it’s senior day in Iowa city and the Hawkeyes will still have a decent shot of derailing Ohio State’s Big Ten championship and BCS bowl aspirations.  The Buckeyes have struggled on the road this season and the Hawkeye defense and defensive line could give Terrelle Pryor some trouble on Saturday. 

#16 Virginia Tech (8-2) @ #24 Miami (FL) (7-3) (Sun Life Stadium - Miami, FL) 3:30 PM ET - ESPN

Tyrod Taylor and the Hokies head down to Miami looking for their ninth straight win and an inside track on winning the ACC.  The Hurricanes are expected to be without Jacory Harris (concussion) but that isn’t necessarily good news for Virginia Tech. Miami has rushed for over 200 yards in two straight games - both without Harris - and the Hokies have struggled against the run this season giving up 155 yards per game.   Bud Foster’s defense will need to play better against the run to beat the Hurricanes on Saturday. 

English Premier League:

• Saturday Nov. 20th

Tottenham Hotspur (5-4-4 - 19 pts) @ Arsenal (8-2-3 - 26 pts) (Emirates Stadium - London, England) 7:45 AM ET 

Tottenham heads to Emirates Stadium having never won in their six visits and haven’t won on the road against the Gunners since 1993 at Highbury. Arsenal has extra motivation after losing their last home game to Newcastle 1-0. Spurs winger Gareth Bale has been in-form and could give the the Gunners some trouble. Cesc Fabregas should dictate the game for Arsenal and Robin Van Persie could be back in the line-up. Arsene Wenger’s club needs the three points after closing the gap on league leaders Chelsea to just two points last week.  

Newcastle United (5-3-5 - 18 pts) @ Bolton Wanderers (4-7-2 - 19 pts) (Reebok Stadium - Bolton, England) 10:00 AM ET

Photo via zimbio.com

I’m not sure I ever thought I would be writing about a Newcastle - Bolton match but Newcastle is 8th in the table and Bolton is currently 5th making it one of the best EPL games of the weekend.  Bolton held on for a 3-2 win last week with Stuart Holden scoring his first career EPL goal and the game winner.  Holden - a U.S. International - has been playing well and could be taking his game to the next level. 

National Football League: 

• Sunday Nov. 21st

Indianapolis Colts (6-3) @ New England Patriots (7-2) (Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, MA) 4:15 PM ET - CBS

Peyton Manning and the Colts head to Foxborough to face the Patriots in what has become one of the best rivalries in the NFL. Both teams rebounded last week with wins after losses in week nine.  Tom Brady didn’t seem to miss Randy Moss last week as he threw for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Steelers defense.  Expect some points to be scored on Saturday afternoon with Peyton taking advantage of a young Patriots defense and Brady facing against an average defense this week.

New York Giants (6-3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-3) (Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia, PA) 8:20 PM ET - NBC

The Giants surprisingly lost to the Cowboys last week and were perhaps looking ahead to this week’s NFC East matchup with the Eagles.  The Eagles on the other hand destroyed the Redskins 59-28 on Monday Night Football.  Michael Vick has looked nearly unstoppable and appears to have taken the next step to become an elite NFL quarterback throwing for 333 yards, 4 touchdowns, and rushing for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Eli Manning and the Giants will need to score some points to keep up with the Eagles.  Don’t be surprised to see Vick put on another show on Sunday night. 

What games will you be watching this weekend?

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Humpday’s Happenings & Hyperlinks: 11/17/10

Each Wednesday I am going to share links to good articles/columns from recent happenings - with added insights and musings - from around the sporting world.  If you come across good articles, videos, etc. - please pass them along, I’d love to take a look.

English Premier League:

This isn’t news but could be the best photo I’ve seen all year. Carlos Tevez and Rio Ferdinand were getting a little frisky last Wednesday in the Manchester derby:

Photo via JimmyTrania

College Football:

Dan Hawkins was fired as head football coach from the University of Colorado last Monday (November 8th). Dan’s son happens to be a Senior on the Colorado football team and is the starting quarterback.  Cody Hawkins remains committed to the team and never thought of quitting because his dad was fired. Despite the difficult circumstances Cody lead Colorado to win over Iowa State last weekend and was named Big 12 offensive player of the week.  Cody is a class act in a college football world full of corruption. 

Three University of Southern Mississippi football players were shot at a Hattiesburg night club early Sunday morning. Tuesday it was announced that linebacker Martez Smith is paralyzed from the waist down as his spinal cord was reportedly severed. I don’t know all the details and circumstances of the incident but it’s a sad story regardless of why it happened.  

If you’ve watched some of Oregon’s football games this season you may have noticed opposing teams’ defensive players getting injured. Duck fans have accused opponents of faking injuries to slow down the Oregon offense. It’s hard to know if somebody is really injured or not but little can be done to stop it.  Below is some pretty solid video evidence of a Cal defensive player falling down with some sort of “injury” - it’s pretty comical: 

Cam Newton has been the biggest story of the 2010 college football season both on and off the field. Paul Finebaum - who was named the “SEC’s Most Influential Member of the Media” by the Orlando Sentinel - asks if the Cam Newton controversy is the biggest story in college football history? At first I wasn’t so sure but considering Auburn is in the National Title hunt, Cam is a Heisman contender, all the rumors about Cam and Cecil Newton, combined with today’s 24/7 news cycle with the internet and Twitter - Finebaum might be right.   

Those of you watching Nevada play Fresno State on Saturday night saw the game interrupted by a fan running on the field. Except you didn’t actually see it because ESPN is never kind enough to show the perpetrators. However, somebody got video of the incident and put it on youtube. Enjoy:

Surfing: 

If you have a little bit of time check out Volcom’s 1st episode of the Annihilator series: Catching Up With Bruce.  Bruce Irons reviews some footage of some bombs he caught in Mexico:

Any good stories/articles I missed?

Happy Humpday Everyone! 

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The Dangers Of Surfing At Pipeline

As I mentioned last week - the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing started November 12th and runs through December 20th. Surfline has an excellent preview of the events and who to watch.  The first contest is the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa Ali’i Beach Park. The contest was off yesterday to allow surfers to attend Kauai’s Final Farewell to Andy Irons.  

Billabong Pipeline Masters

The premier event of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is the third and final contest the Billabong Pipeline Masters - a place that AI (among others) was famous for surfing - which runs from December 8th through the 20th allowing organizers to select the best surfing conditions. Taj Burrow won the event last year beating Kelly Slater in the final. Winning the Pipe Masters is the equivalent of winning the Super Bowl.

The Dangers of Pipeline

Pipeline is one of the most famous and dangerous surf spots on the planet having claimed more lives than any other surf spot in the world.  Pipe attracts surfers from around the world because of the famous wave shape, power, and often perfect conditions.  When Pipe is pumping and conditions are perfect the lineup is packed with surfers and photogs hoping for an incredible ride and photo like this:

Photo via surfermag.com

Don’t be fooled by the beautiful blue-green water, perfect barrels and how easy some surfers make it look.  Just feet below the surface is a not so friendly coral reef which has caused countless injuries and a number of deaths.  Some deaths occur from surfers hitting their head on the reef and others have been known to get caught in the caves of the reef. Below are a couple of photos by Sean Davey showing how shallow the water is and the dangerousness of the reef:

Photo via seandavey.com

Photo via seandavey.com

Low Tide

Surfing Pipeline and Backdoor at low tide can be even more dangerous as the reef is even closer to the surface. Surf photographer Daniel Russo took some photos of Pipeline at low tide showing and explaining the dangers. Russo points out a double up and boils on the surface created by the reef.

Perfect Pipe

It’s amazing how easy some people make it look to surf at Pipeline considering just how dangerous and difficult it is. The shallow reef combined with a good swell and the right conditions can create perfect waves at Ehukai Beach Park:  

I’ll try to keep you updated on when the Billabong Pipe Masters is running and share other highlights from this winter on the North Shore. Just for fun I thought I would post one more Andy Irons video - this one is a golfing blooper that I laugh at every time:

Anybody have a favorite surfer or surfers?

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What To Watch And Why - A.K.A. The “Triple-Dub”

Each Friday I will post the top 10 or so games of the upcoming weekend (could be more or less, just depends on what is on) and give a few reasons why I am interested in the games – some will be obvious, others may not. Games will include everything from College Football, to the English Premier League, to the NHL.

The Triple-Dub - Nov. 12th - 14th

College Football:

• Friday Nov. 12th 

#4 Boise State (8-0) @ Idaho (4-5) (Kibbie Dome - Moscow, ID) 9:00 PM ET - ESPN2

Photo via Idahostatesman.com

This doesn’t appear to be an intriguing match-up with Broncos favored by 35 points but during the off-season Boise State President Bob Kustra called the Vandal culture “nasty, inebriated” getting both fan bases riled up. To make things more interesting, this is likely the last meeting between the in-state “rivals” for the foreseeable future with Boise State headed to the MWC.  Kellen Moore and the Bronco offense shouldn’t have trouble moving the ball or scoring on a Vandal defense that gave up 844 yards and 63 points to Nevada last week. Nathan Enderle and the Idaho offense will likely struggle against the Boise State defense ranked second in overall defense.  The one thing the Vandals have in their favor is the Kibbie Dome which should be extremely loud on Friday night.  

• Saturday Nov. 13th

Georgia (5-5) @ #2 Auburn (10-0) (Jordan-Hare Stadium - Auburn, AL) 3:30 PM ET - CBS

As everybody knows, Cam Newton is facing allegations that his father was shopping him to Mississippi State among other issues.  Auburn has remained steady denying the allegations and Newton is supposed to play this weekend.  Georgia has won four out of their last five games and has been gaining momentum with the return of A.J. Green. Since Green’s return the Bulldogs have been averaging just over 40 points per game and have looked more explosive on offense. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers play with the distraction of all the allegations and how well they can handle A.J. Green.  

#23 South Carolina (6-3) @ #22 Florida (6-3) (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - Gainsville, FL) 7:15 PM ET - ESPN

Steve Spurrier returns to The Swamp to face a Florida team that could be finding a sense of direction having won two straight after a rare three game losing streak. The Gamecocks lost 41-20 last week to Arkansas as they were perhaps looking ahead to the SEC East showdown this weekend. The winner on Saturday locks up the SEC East and will play in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta.  South Carolina will need big games from Alshon Jeffery and Marcus Lattimore to beat the Gators in the Swamp. We’ll see what The Old Ball Coach has ready for the Gators on Saturday night in one of his biggest games at South Carolina.    

#1 Oregon (9-0) @ California (5-4) (California Memorial Stadium - Berkeley, CA) 7:15 PM ET - Versus

You may be scratching your head on this one too with the Ducks being 20 point favorites but the Golden Bears are 4-0 at home and are allowing only 8.5 points per game. Oregon is without backup quarterback and holder Nate Costa - despite being a backup he’s a team captain - and his loss could be greater than it would appear.  I’m not suggesting the Ducks are going to lose, but this could be a little closer than some are anticipating with the Bears only allowing 120 rushing yards per game.  Don’t be surprised if LaMichael James carries for 120 yards by himself but Cal’s Shane Vereen could also have some success against the Oregon defense.

English Premier League:

• Sunday Nov. 14th

Arsenal (7-2-3 - 23 pts) @ Everton (3-6-3 - 15 pts) (Goodison Park - Liverpool, England) 9:00 AM ET - Fox Soccer Plus

Photo via soccermaniax.com 

Arsenal got back to winning on Wednesday with two goals from Marouane Chamakh as they beat Wolverhampton 2-0.  The Gunners need three points on Sunday to keep pace (or gain ground) on Chelsea but The Toffees are unbeaten in their last five matches with two wins and three draws.  Tim Howard will likely be tested by the Gunners stable of attacking players.  Arsenal could use some contribution from Cesc Fabregas who has been struggling with a hamstring injury.  If Arsenal wants to seriously be considered as a title contender these are the kinds of matches they need to win.

Sunderland (3-7-2 - 16 pts) @ Chelsea (9-1-2 - 28 pts) (Stamford Bridge - London, England) 11:00 AM ET - Fox Soccer Channel

The Blues also rebounded with a win Wednesday beating Fulham 1-0 after losing last Sunday to Liverpool.  Despite the fact that I wrote this last week too - Frank Lampard is expected to return from injury for Chelsea. It was also reported that Didier Drogba has been suffering from malaria but should be available for the Blues.  Sunderland has only lost twice this season and would love to draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - we’ll see if they can play with the Blues.  Update: Lampard suffered an injury in training on Thursday and will be out for three more weeks. 

National Football League:

• Sunday Nov. 14th

New England Patriots (6-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) (Heinz Field - Pittsburgh, PA) 8:20 PM ET - NBC

The Patriots head to Heinz Field on Sunday night for a potential preview of the AFC Championship Game.  New England is coming off a 34-14 beat-down from the Browns last week and will be looking to rebound against the League’s number one ranked scoring defense.  Troy Polamalu and the Steelers defense against Tom Brady should be an exciting match-up.  With Ben Roethlisberger back in the lineup and the playbook wide open we’ll see if Antwaan Randle El throws another touchdown pass this weekend.  

What games will you be watching this weekend?

Note: I might hold off on most NHL and NBA games until football season is over and when the games are more meaningful with the playoff races shaping up. It’s been difficult picking intriguing games every week at this point of the season especially with so many games each day but if there’s a really good game or intriguing story-line I’ll try to make sure it’s on here.

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