Letterman's Top Ten Excuses the Colts have for Losing the Super Bowl

The Great 8

Shortly before Drew Brees and Peyton Manning combined for a record 63 completions in last night's Super Bowl, another epic battle in the world of sports was waged. Alexander Ovechkin faced off against Sidney Crosby when the Pittsburgh Penguins visited the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. Drafted number one and two overall respectively, the friction between these two young superstars has only intensified over the course of their five year careers. The relationship between these two players has excitingly progressed into one of the most intense rivalries in recent sports history.

In this particular game, Ovechkin's Capitals saw the Penguins go up 4-1 midway through the 2nd period, with the nemesis Crosby scoring two of the four goals. Despite the deficit, Ovechkin led his team back into the game by netting a three goals (one in the 2nd period and two in the third), and sent the game into overtime as the Capitals turned the tables on the Penguins. Riding this wave of momentum, Mike Knuble was able to score in overtime to put the game away for good. Guess who assisted him...

This four point (3 goals and 1 assist) spectacle by "Alexander the Great" wasn't anything new for the young Russian. Ovechkin has been doing wondrous things on the ice throughout his entire career. From scoring a goal on his back in Phoenix in 2006, to making New York Rangers defensemen look utterly silly in last year's playoffs, the Alexander Ovechkin Show never ends. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL Rookie of the Year), he has been selected to every All Star roster he has been eligible for, and he has won the Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL's Most Valuable Player) in both 2008 and 2009.

Aside from his momentous on-ice feats, he also leads quite an interesting life off the ice. He has not been shy about driving his car over 100 mph around the D.C. area, or smooching blonde women at Washington Wizards games. His athletic ability is so prolific, that even when he leisurely tries his hand (for the first time) at a game of golf, miraculous things happen (See below) His adept mastery of the game of hockey coupled with his off-ice persona make him one of the most intriguing and exciting athletes of the modern era. All we have to do is sit back and watch...

Selig's Statue

So the Brewers have decided to erect a statue for commissioner and former owner Bud Selig. While I do admire his ability to rise to the top of baseball for me his lasting image in Milwaukee is his All Star Game tie. When he looked like a hero to Milwaukee fans before that, bringing a baseball team back to Milwaukee, building a new stadium, and eventually having an All Star Game to Milwaukee; he found a way to mess it up. I think Selig is a good guy and do not want to ride him too hard for his poor managing skills or inability to make a tough decision. However, I do request that the statue erected outside the stadium is the typical Selig pose seen on the picture to the left. Selig's classic "I don't know what to do" pose is what I remember most about the guy

Hello Hello

Hello Blog World,

My name is Tom Llaurado, and I'm ecstatic to be a part of 2 Cents From the Nose Bleeds. I'm a junior here at the University of Wisconsin, and I hail from the Milwaukee area (New Berlin to be exact). I'm an avid Packers, Brewers, and Badger fan, but I'd have to say that the sports team I care about the most right now is the Chicago Blackhawks. This may seem puzzling, that I (a Wisconsin resident) support a team located south of the Wisconsin-Illinois border, but I grew up playing the game of hockey and the Milwaukee Admirals just didn't do it for me. Thus, from a young age I was drawn to the closest NHL team in relation to where I lived, and that team was the Blackhawks. In addition to the Hawks, I also watched National Hockey Night (Barry Melrose in his prime) on ESPN almost every evening, so I'm a pretty enthusiastic supporter of the NHL, and I try to watch as much hockey as a busy college student can.

In addition to these American sports teams, I'm also a passionate supporter of the illustrious Futbol Club de Barcelona. My grandfather grew up in Barcelona and still owns an apartment in the city. I've been fortunate enough to visit 6 times throughout the course of my life, and have attended multiple soccer (football) matches in one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, Camp Nou. I've seen greats like Ronaldo (the Brazilian one), Kluivert, Ronaldinho and Messi play there. I was also fortunate to have lunch with their current coach Pep Guardiola (a fellow Catalan and past Barcelona captain) this summer when the team visited Los Angeles for their annual tour of America (picture above).

The main goal of most of my contributions to this blog will be to deliver interesting posts about hockey and world soccer, two sports that are typically outside America's focus. However, I'll still do my best to try and discuss more mainstream sports content on a frequent basis as well. With all that being said, I'd like to give a big "Word Up" to Brendan for letting me become a more direct influence of the 2cnb Nation. More to come...

Super Bowl

So if you didn't watch the Super Bowl then you probably do not read sports blogs, so there is little reason for me to give you the summary. Well if you are that one reader who missed the Super Bowl and read sports blogs, the Saints won!

After watching the game the one thing that stood out to me the whole game is the attitude of the teams. Saints played to win and the Colts played not to lose. On paper the Colts are probably a stronger team with a superior quarterback that should have won this game. The only problem was, the Colts actually believed that mattered. It seemed as if the Colts' play calling was as predictable as the ending of the movie "Titanic". Whenever it was third and short and general wisdom told them to run... the Colts would run. The Saints quickly picked up on this conservative play calling and stacked the line. On second and third in short, the Saints lined up in a formation where they had one linebacker behind the line and the rest on the line of scrimmage. The Colts rarely converted on these downs and their repetition in play calling made the Saints defense look better than it was.

While the Colts sat back and thought the game was theirs, the Saints grabbed it away. Starting in the first half the Saints were aggressive in their play calling. Early in the game when Sean Payton went for it on forth down, he sent a message. He wanted his team to know they were there to win and not stay close. Although they did not score it ended up with a similar result by getting the field goal right before half. The Saints started the second half with a surprise onside kick that turned the momentum upside down. Special shout out to UW Badger alum Jonathan Castillas for the recovery. Before this Super Bowl recovery, Casillas was most known for his MUI (mopeding under the influence) around Madison. The Saints passed it down field and took chances throughout the game and it ended up paying off.

The other thing I noticed throughout the game was the under rated running backs of both teams. Especially in the first half, the running backs Joseph Addai and Pierre Thomas ran incredibly hard. While looking at the stat sheet their numbers do not jump out at you these two backs were very crucial to their team's game plan. Brees and Manning continued to dump off short passes to their backs and they turned this screens into great runs. Breaking tackles and fighting for extra yards these two backs were keys to their offenses today. Now normally bringing up the play of starting running backs would be irrelevant. However, because today's game was hyped so heavily on the two quarterbacks, I think it worth noting how talented of backs these two guys are. Especially Pierre Thomas who many times gets overlooked by a lesser but flashier running back, Reggie Bush.

To be honest I was overall a little disappointed with the Colts. Manning "favred" it up at the end and never seemed comfortable the entire game. Reggie Wayne was just an average receiver today, did not step up to the occasion. Overall I thought it was clear who came into the game with the right mind set. I think we overlook experience and under-appreciate the attitude that a team brings in. WHO DAT? This Super Bowl celebration parade is going to make Mardi Gras look like West Allis Hale's homecoming parade.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!!

Favorite Super Bowl Commerical

Thank You Janet Jackson for Wrecking Half Time Shows

Thank you Janet Jackson because half of your boob has wrecked who we can pick for our half time entertainment. Because CBS is freaked out that someone may do something that the FCC does not approve of, they have decided to go in the old direction. They have decided to go in the direction of picking bands that are 20 years past their prime. The Super Bowl half time show has become a yearly check up on what plastic surgery can do and also how the plastic surgeons can not fix the off key singing of these old men. The Super Bowl Half Time Show use to be very entertaining where you could watch up and coming stars perform what is currently popular. Now they decide to embarrass old entertainers past their prime. Up next year Tina Turner, enjoy another year of fearing another "wardrobe malfunction" with a 70 year old woman performing...

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!!

1st Half Thoughts

The Colts lead at halftime 10-6 but the game seems far from being a Colts dominated game. The offensive explosion expected for the game has not quite been the story thus far. The Colts have looked solid on offense with Joseph Addai running strong and Peyton making smart plays. They have lacked the big play but I doubt that it will be like that for the entire game.

The biggest play of the 1st half was the 4th down when Saints decided to go for it instead of kicking the field goal. I felt that it was the right decision for the Saints because it was probably a 50-50 shot of getting it and if they didn't convert the chance of the Colts going 99 yards is highly unlikely. Like the way it ended up Colts play conservative, Saints stop them use their timeouts and get a chance at a field goal. The failed 4th down proved to not be costly for the Saints and they remain close in this game.

My thought for the second half is that it is going to open up and start to throw more. The Saints got to the Super Bowl because they spread it out and threw the ball more than anyone in the league. It is hard to watch them run 3 times from inside 5 and not convert. Put the ball in Brees' hands and let the receivers make plays on the outside. The Colts should take some more chances throwing the ball on 1st and 2nd down more to catch the Saints off guard. Seems as if the playbook has been very predictable thus far.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!!

Goodell Delivers "State of the League" Address

NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell gave the annual "State of the League" address Friday. Among the topics included were out-of-country games/teams and the NFL/CFL relationship.

Goodell highlighted the benefit of the two Buffalo Bills games played in Toronto this year, saying that the games were "tremendously successful" for the league. As Goodell stated, "We said the objective was to regionalize the Buffalo Bills and it achieved those objectives.” Goodell added, “When we first got into this, we wanted to make sure it was a good experience for the two teams ... and we achieved that objective. I'm very confident that next year's game is going to be bigger and better"

Goodell was asked of the possiblility of a permanent London-based team, and replied, “They have demonstrated that they’re tremendous football fans and that we’re continuing to grow our game over there. ... If that passion continues, maybe someday they will have an NFL franchise. But I’ve never put a timeframe on that."

While the NFL and CFL (Canadian Football League) do not have any current interactions, Goodell, in response to a question, said the two sides have a "great relationship." Said Goodell, "We had long negotiations with them and they determined in their best interests that they did not need an alliance or any type of formal arrangement. We will continue to do what's in the best interest of football. We would love to see our CFL partners be successful and we'll continue to communicate with them."

It seems as though the NFL is going global, or at least intends to. This can be seen both as a benefit and a detriment to the American game. The games played outside America have and will likely continue to draw large crowds. This is necessary to the continuation of the league, as money is a huge issue these days.

Despite this, the NFL is an American league. Shouldn't the games be played in America?? If Packer fans had to give up season tickets so a game could be played in Canada, many would be extremely angry. I can see teams such as Detroit who are struggling to fill their stadiums going outside the country for fans. (I guess even the Lions would impress the Canadians), but as long as successful teams are leaving the country to play, many American fans will be disgruntled.

Joining "Two Cents"

Hello to all the followers of "Two Cents from the Nosebleeds." My name is Jim Oxley, and I am currently a sophomore at UW Madison.

I'm happy to begin contributing here, and excited about the opportunities for new readers. Until now I have been writing my own blog - Quick Hits from the Ox - which I started with encouragement from Two Cents' own, Brendan Sweeney.


I have published my most recent articles, a Super Bowl preview and a Badgers-Michigan State analysis, on the Bleacher Report and Badger Herald's "Extra Points" blog, respectively.

13 year old USC committ

Yes you heard it right, USC has there first member of the 2015 class. Lane Kiffin recruited a 13 year old who is currently playing for his 7th grade team. David Sills, a Delaware youngster has been getting coached by an elite quarterback coach, Steve Clarkson. Sills flies to California and Clarkson flies to Delaware to train together. Clarkson believes that he is the next Jimmy Clausen, Lebron James, Tiger Woods... The video below shows him dominating other 13 year olds. If you watch the video though it looks as though he hasn't even hit puberty. In a game that football where maturity and growth have such a big part this is such a shocking story.



This story raises a serious question, "How early are football players going to be signed in the future?"

Badger Basketball

Looks like the Badgers did it again... They beat another top 5 team at the Kohl Center. The win over Michigan State may have been the most impressive of all the wins though because it came without their top two scorers. Playing short-handed with Jon Leuer still sidelined with a wrist injury and losing Trevon Hughes in the first half with his two quick fouls.

The Badgers jumped on the lead early and never looked back. Dominating the entire game on both ends of the floor, the 18 point margin made few people doubt the Badgers legitimacy. Being 2 games back with a favorable schedule and an injured Lucas the Badgers look on the edge of taking over the Big Ten.

There were two main things I took away from this game. First is that this Badger team is young and deeper than some may believe. While we do not go ten deep on the bench, when given the chance young players are stepping up and playing great. With Hughes out, you quickly forgot about the senior guard because Jordan Taylor completely took over. He gives Badger' fans a bright look into what the future will be like. Rob Wilson throughout the season has been an instant scorer when he enters the game. Many times it seems many Badger player do not want the ball in their hands on offense, except Wilson. Wilson drives hard to the basketball, shoots when open, and is not afraid to challenge a bigger player. While this may sound very fundamental, for this Badger team it is rare and it shows the confidence in the sophomore guard. It is clear that he should be the starting at the 4 for Tim Jarmusz. With the emergence of Wilson, Taylor, and redshirt freshman Ryan Evans it seems as though the future is bright for the Wisconsin basketball team.

Secondly, after watching the first half and beginning of second half I believe that our team will run better without Trevon Hughes. I think Hughes has incredible talent and he posses skills that can match any guard in the Big Ten, but I do not think he fits in the Wisconsin system. When Taylor is in the game, he drives creates for others, constantly on the attack. When Hughes gets the ball or is in the game, he holds the ball at the top of the key until the shot clock gets to 5 seconds and settles for a bad shot. He fails to run Bo Ryan's offense and even though he may average more points then anyone else on the floor I think he hurts the offense. I think our team will be better next year with Taylor running the point. Taylor has shown flashes this year that he could not just be good, but a great Wisconsin point guard. Taylor currently leads the entire country in his assist to turnover ratio at nearly 4:1 a/t ratio. Hughes' a/t ratio is a dismal 1.2:1 which is not Bo Ryan basketball.

I see big things for this team though, once Leuer gets back I think Badgers could make a run deep into the tournament.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

Favre

Best Speech Ever... Oh My

McGwire's Guide to Hitting

Sports Science

Finley Catch Good Omen For Packers? - ESPN Video

Little Rascal

Most Amazing Shot Ever

Gotta Have More Cowbell

The Colts Imperfect Season

This weekend the Colts were on the edge of perfection, a half away from going 15-0 to a Jets teams who was outmatched by the Colts. The Colts were up by 5 in the 3rd quarter and Coach Jim Caldwell decided to pull their starters most notably MVP Peyton Manning. The Colts gave up their 5 point lead and said, goodbye to their perfect season. Caldwell expressed that having a perfect season was not in the Colts' goals this year. After seeing the faces of the Colts after they lost though, it seemed as if the locker room wanted it. To have a place in history above ever team in history would mean something to the Colts and I think Caldwell ignored that. I think the perfect season talk will probably be a sore subject for a few weeks, but the real question I have, "Does resting players before the playoffs really help teams in the long run?"

In recent years it seems as if the growing trend is that teams from the Wild Card Weekend seem to be reaching the Super Bowl more and more. Why is this? Three out of the last four Super Bowl champions have played on Wild Card Weekend. Last year, the Cardinals who were considered one of the worst playoff teams ever to make it, ended up almost winning the Super Bowl over another Wild Card Weekend team, the Steelers. This trend would seem to not make any sense because not only do the teams with superior records get to play at home, they also get this much needed rest.

I believe that this much needed rest is what is hurting these 1 and 2 seeds in the playoffs. With resting nearly two weeks with the playoff format and sometimes 3-4 when resting early, teams get out of sync. Football is a game of timing and when you have not played a competitive game in a month it is tough to get that back right away. I think teams that fight until the last week of the season to make the playoffs and play the first week have an advantage because they are in sync. Now in order to curb this teams like the Colts should play until the last week of the season. It makes no sense to rest a quarterback who has started 191 consecutive games because he may get hurt. Players always have the chance to get hurt but the way to increase it the most is to play like you have a lot to lose. The goal every Sunday is to win football games and at the end of the day win the Super Bowl.

A 14-1 team seems bummed and is down and is questioning what could of been, when they should be getting prepared for one of their biggest playoffs in their lives. Caldwell by resting his players and letting the Colts lose has created a distraction they may not of had otherwise. The problem is that even if the Colts win the Super Bowl, players will still be questioning whether it could of meant perfect. I think in order to help his team win the Super Bowl and have the chance to make history Caldwell should of kept Peyton Manning and the players in.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Logo

I am looking to make a logo and really was wondering if anyone wants to come up with a better logo than these two...

Who Would Win in Horse?

Childish Games or a True Rivalry?

Wisconsin Shocks Duke, The ACC, The World, Bobby Knight

Well in case you missed the game of the year thus far in college basketball, thank God you got Two Cents from the Nose Bleeds because I didn't miss it. Although it did conflict with my favorite show on television "Glee", I watched this game from opening tip off to the storming of the court. What Wisconsin was able to due on Wednesday at the Kohl Center was incredible, playing a nearly flawless game.
The game started off to a fast start, Wisconsin were on pace for 100+ points after 10 minutes of the game. Wisconsin was playing their offense, they ran the swing beautifully, were patient and were knocking down shots. Trevon Hughes, Jon Leuer, and Keaton Nakivil were studs early and carried throughout the game. As well as hitting open shots, Nakivil was getting offensive rebounds and playing tough inside with the Duke big men, something people think he lacked in his game. Duke seemed very one dimensial first half on offense. Kyle Singler, the ugliest player in College Basketball since Joakim Noah was torching the Badgers in the first half. Throwing up desperation heaves that seemed to find nothing but the bottom of the net. While Badgers lacked on helping on Singler they did a good job shutting down some prolific scorers like Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer. They limited Duke's offensive rebounds and had a very impressive first half. The biggest coaching decision for Duke was switching to the zone which seemed to slow the Badgers' offense down. For the Badgers I think putting Jordan Taylor on Singler was a good move that seemed to shut him down for the last 5 minutes of the half.
In the second half Duke started their charge but the Badgers held tough. Badgers continued to hit big shots when necessary and somewhat slowed down Singler. Hughes looked like an NBA player hitting shot after shot and creating for the offense. The MVP of the second half for Badgers may have been Taylor, though. It seemed for the majority of the second half Bo wanted the ball in Taylor's hands. Taylor's penetration set up buckets for the big men and open shots on the wing. Taylor's interception late was one of the best defensive plays of the second half, unfortunately it was quickly stolen from behind. After Hughes hit a 3 pointer to go up by 11 with 5:01 remaining in the game seemed as he may have put the game away. Do not start storming yet though, here comes Duke. Andre Dawkins hit 4 3's to put Duke right back in the game. But like the whole night, Badgers came up big, made free throws and iced the game when redshirt freshman Ryan Evans shut down Kyle Singler. The fans stormed the court and Madison went crazy. It was the first time Duke lost a game in the Big Ten/ACC challenge. It was also the first time Big Ten won the challenge, much of the credit to this Wisconsin upset.
It was a perfect game by the Badgers, the stars stepped up big the role players did their job. This game makes them believe they can play with anyone and that they have as good a shot as any team to win the Big 10. Watch out for those scrappy Badgers because come March I would not want to play these guys!

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

Staying in Presnap Position

Bobby Bowden Retires

Bobby Bowden retired today from Florida State, whether it was his decision or not. Bowden retires as second winningest coach of all time. The last five years Florida State's program has been slipping and it seems as though it was time to go a different direction. Many saw Bowden's loyalty to coordinators as a big problem with the inability to fire coaches who were not producing. Either way he was an incredible coach and deserves a lot of respect for years of wonderful coaching at Florida State.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods' mysterious investigation ends with a $164 fine for reckless driving. The Florida Highway Patrol said that there will be no other charges in the case. Tiger Woods did not have to talk to authorities and he did not. Tiger decided he will not travel this weekend to his tournament. It seems as though he will not do any events for the remainder of the year, which means it will be months before you will see him competing in another event. It remains to be seen whether the issue with the possibility of his wife chasing him with a golf club will be put to rest or not. The fishy story does not seem to be over even though Florida Highway Patrol has put it to rest.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Jennings: Part 2

Now Jennings started off this season blistering hot. It looked at though he was ready to enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, after only a few weeks of the NBA season. While Jennings has slowed down a bit, I still believe Jennings is going to be a super star. He continues to compete even when he is struggling. His points has been down but he also did not have Bogut for a week. After watching the game last night even though he struggled from the field getting Bogut back will open the floor again he will be able to play like himself again. Jennings will not be incredible every night but after watching this video through his hard work, I see him being a perennial all star.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

BCS worked this year?

Dennis Dodd of CBSSportsline.com had an interesting article how this is the one of the first years BCS lucked out. With there being two Big Conference Power Houses that will be undefeated at the end of the year and most other BCS bowl team undefeated mid majors, College Football caught a break.
I have a different plan to try to fix College Football rankings and maybe not have to get rid of BCS all together.
"We beat Cal when they were ranked 4!" College Football is heavily based on its ranking human ranking system. Although BCS is a computer ranking it is largely based on people's judgments using the AP and Coaches Poll. The problem with these rankings is that wins team's get early in the year may not be as strong as they seem. Once teams get ranked higher for beating these overrated teams they receive high rankings and will never drop unless they lose themselves. For instance, when Oregon beat #4 Cal 42-3, Oregon seemed as if they may be one of the best teams in the country and they jumped up the rankings. Now it looks as though maybe that win is not as strong as it once looked with Cal struggling at the end of the year. I believe many 1 and 2 loss teams are rooted at the top by supposed "big wins" that really are not that impressive. What I propose is that AP and Coaches Poll do not come out with rankings until at least Week 4 of games. This would make every win early have the right respect after seeing how the teams fair against other teams. With this new ranking teams would not be locked at the top or bottom for wins that may be as good for a "bad win" or be punished as much for a "bad loss". While it is impossible for preseason sites and SI to come up with their own rankings, the polls that decide BCS games should not come out until later in the season. This will be a lot like how the NCAA tournament field is not decided until after the season.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Bogut's Back

Bucks had a nice win 99-97 over the Chicago Bulls last night, despite another poor night by Brandon Jennings. The team looked like it was back it itself though with Andrew Bogut on the floor. If Redd becomes himself and realizes he isn't 2005 Redd and Bogut stays healthy and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute the Bucks best defender and one of the most underrated defender's in the league returns I like where the Bucks are going. While Jennings may not put up 30 every game he is still a great Point Guard who runs our offense brilliantly. Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova are my MVP's for the Bucks this season because I think they are two players that make the team go. I think we have the potential to fight for a 5-6 seed in the playoffs. Excited to see where the Bucks go from here with a tough week ahead of them.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS

The Next Gordon Bombay?

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Hockey Goal Fail

Tiger Woods

Does anyone else find it ironic that the weapon that made Tiger Woods so famous was the one used against him by his wife when she tried to hurt him?

Huge Home Court Advantage

ESPN reported on a study done on college basketball refereeing. This study found that refs make more calls for the home team. They also make different calls based on the score of the game and whether or not the game is on television. This study could lead to improvement in college basketball refereeing and could be a big break through.

Kampman and Harris Out

The Green Bay Packer just got about the worst news they could have gotten. Aaron Kampman and Al Harris are both having season ending surgeries after their injuries sustained on Sunday against the 49ers. The Packers D is going to need other players to step up if they want to continue their surge to the playoffs. Brad Jones seems more than capable to fill the position for Kampman. Hopefully Tramon Williams who has shown flashed of greatness sustain it the remainder of the season.

Devin Hester's NEW MOON

Congrats Marquette High School Football

Congrats MUHS football on their first WIAA state championship. It is about time legendary Dick Basham gets his a WIAA state championship! Another dominating defensive game by the Hilltoppers and especially Cameron Botticelli!

Congrats Michael Trotter

A former teammate and good friend, Michael Trotter has been selected to receive Jim Leonhard Award for being the best defensive back in the state. It could not have been given to a better player or guy. He is the last guy to leave to weight room and is last to pat himself on the back. Basham said of Trotter, "In my 38 years at Marquette, I haven't had anyone better at that position."

Good luck at Wisconsin next year Michael, I know you will have a great year!

Dunk of the Year Thus Far

Brandon Jennings

Because of my lack of posting I have been unable to blog about my new favorite athlete. Brandon Jennings, picked 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, some believed was a risky pick after "failing in Europe" has proved those scouts wrong. Jennings has dominated just about every game he has played in, taking the difficult shots and making any play the Bucks have asked. He has gone toe-to-toe with Carmelo and Rose, and showed the stars that he is no joke. He is now on people's MVP watch list after putting up 55 on Saturday, 45 of the points coming in the 2nd half. Basketball Prospectus says Jennings had one of the most efficient quarter in the history of basketball. Jennings who is averaging 25.5 points a game, 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds a game has really made his name known early in this NBA season.
Jennings entering the league, has done two things for me as a "fan". First, I have been meaning to get into NBA, for a few years and Jennings may be the player that puts me over the hump to start watching regularly. I have started reading Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball" and have been watching more and more basketball. I believe that this may be a new "Golden Age of Basketball". I do not mind the lack of parity in basketball because I think it has created enough good teams where there is always good basketball on. Any given night I would watch certain teams and players, they include Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Lakers, Chris Paul, Magic, Suns, Spurs, Carmelo Anthony, Celtics, and now Brandon Jennings. The nice part of this is every night you seem to get these people playing each other which makes basketball intriguing again. I think when we look back this may be considered the "2nd Golden Age of Basketball".
The second thing Jennings did was make me believe in the Bucks team. I believe when Redd comes back they will be a stronger team however, I think Bucks need another "Young Buck" to be a quality team. With Jennings and a player like Kevin Durant, OJ Mayo, or someone of that caliber and age they could really have a special backcourt that could bring them to the next level. If they do sign or trade for another big time player they could be the Bucks of the Ray Allen days.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!!

Sports Weekend From Heaven: Part 3

So my last stop in my football weekend was Lambeau Field to watch the Packers take on the Dallas Cowboys. After watching the Packers lose to the winless Buccaneers, I think many fans believed the season was about to fall apart and be much like the season before. But after watching this Dallas game where the Packers dominated a strong NFC team on all aspects on the game, I think fans are confused how good the Packers are. Are they last year's team who couldn't seem to get the magic together, or are they on the brink of being a Super Bowl team. I think the answer is they are somewhere in between, a talented team that lacks consistency.
To start with their defense, on Sunday they had a dominating performance. Many says it takes about 8 games to get a new scheme down which would mean the defense is just starting to get into their groove. Hopefully this means good things are on the horizon for the Packers' defense. This new defense has made two of our players play out of position, AJ Hawk and Aaron Kampman have been unable to really fit in the new scheme. This scheme however, has made stars out of Brandon Chillar, Clay Matthews, and John Jolly. The 3-4 seems to fit our depth at linebacker and lets our athletes make more plays. Clay Matthews is looking like he will be a consistent pro bowler with his athleticism and knack for the ball. John Jolly is fitting perfectly as the all important nose in the 3-4. Brandon Chillar is using the freed up space to make plays for the defense.
The real star of the defense as seen as Sunday is Charles Woodson. Woodson's 9 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 sack and game clinching interception was one of the most impressive defensive games by a player I can remember. This defense allows many players to show off their multiple skills and putting Woodson on the line lets him roam free and make plays. The Packers defensive leader, Nick Barnett looked comfortable on Sunday and got his "swagger" back. But the real problem this year has not been the Packers defense.
When talking about the Packers offense the two issues always are Aaron Rodgers and the offensive line. Whose fault is it for all the sacks? Well I think both Rodgers and the line have responsibility for all the sacks. Rodgers has caused many sacks because his lack of getting rid of the ball. But on the positive, while I would love if he threw some balls away he has limited bad throws and rarely throws interceptions. When given proper time he is very accurate and can make every pass there is. With experience I believe Rodgers will make quicker decisions and this will cut down on the team sacks. The line however, has been lost most of the year and I blame this mostly on lack on continuity with the linemen. The team has yet to have the same 5 linemen start every game. The plays where Rodgers gets sacked without being touched by a linemen many times can be credited to bad communication and understanding of other players. They seem confused and if we get the same 5 with TJ Lang playing well in there, I think the sack problem can stop and the playmakers can have the ball. I think this could be a good second half and I think you are going to see a good Packers team that will take on some of the toughest teams with confidence.

What a weekend...

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS....... (FOR TOM)

Sports Weekend From Heaven: Part 2

My next stop was Kettle Moraine, for the Marquette Arrowhead state-semi final game. The last time Marquette played Arrowhead was my last high school football game, which ended in a double overtime 44-41 Arrowhead win and an instant classic. This $4 ticket would prove to be the best money spent of the weekend. This game was a classic "Basham Beatdown" with the Hilltoppers dominating from the opening kickoff. The main point I take from the game is that Marquette has one of the most talented defenses I can ever remember. Anchored by the "twins" Marcus and Michael Trotter, this defense punishes ever offense it plays. With legitimately 3 Division 1 defensive recruits (Michael Trotter- Wisconsin, Marcus Trotter-Big Ten, Cameron Botticelli) and 2 other possible lower end D1, D2 players (Nick Gral and Joe Cannon), this star studded defense hits harder than any defense in recent memory. The other take away from the game is the toughest of running back John Lococo. With the other featured back Brock Laface out for the game, Lococo took the reins and ran all over Arrowhead. Lococo ran for 240 yards on Arrowhead doing it through bull dozing the defense. From the crowd you could hear the phrase, "Feed the Horse!" fill the air before every Lococo run. After watching this game I am pretty confident that this is one of the best overall teams in the state of Wisconsin in years. Rivals 100 ranks them 67th in the country with an arrow up, meaning their stock is rising. If you have a chance to watch the Hilltoppers this week it will be worth your price of admission.

Sports Weekend From Heaven: Part 1

This weekend was one of the best sports weekends I have had in years. I attended 3 football games: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan Wolverines, Marquette Hilltoppers vs. Arrowhead Warhawks, and Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys. It all started at 7:30 in the morning in Madison, waking up to the smell of brats, sauerkraut, and Miller Lite. Varsity was playing on the iPod stereo and I was jacked for the last home game of the year. After finishing my last brat, I witnessed a Badgers team that once again proved to critics they were legit. The whole year people have been looking for reasons to fire Bielema or to hate on this supposed "average" team, this game though proved that they have some true fire power. The first take away you get after watching the game, is that Nick Toon is an NFL receiver. He made two touchdown grabs that made him look like an elite receiver. His second acrobatic catch in the end zone will be a play that will be shown when he is drafted. The Badgers have lost respectively two games both to top 15 teams, Iowa and Ohio State. If they win out they should see a good bowl and would make me proud to be a Badger Football fan!

MLB Pitchers To NFL QB's

One of the best articles I can remember reading in recent memory. Dr. Crackback compared every starting NFL QB to a MLB pitcher . This will really interest anybody that is a big baseball and football fan, like myself. Some Wisconsin comparisons, Manny Parra and Trent Edwards, Ben Sheets and Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers and Adam Wainwright, and Brett Favre and Pedro Martinez....

Dirtiest Player Ever

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Trevor Hoffman's Back

The Brewers just signed Trevor Hoffman for a 1 year extension. I think it was a good move by Brewers, solid arm in the bullpen and feel comfortable having him at the end of the game.

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!

Joe Mauer: The Ultimate Player

Burning Favre's Gear and Helping Charity, Count Me In

Best Prediciton in The History of Baseball

Mike Bowers, a Seattle local radio personality made one of the most amazing prediction in the history. He predicted Matt Tuiasosopo to get his first career home run. But he also prediction what inning he was going to hit it in, what the count was going to be, that it was going to be a fastball, and what row of the bleachers it was hit to. This makes Babe Ruth look like an amateur. If you don't believe me check the link...

BUT THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS FROM THE NOSE BLEEDS!