Coming into Saturday's game, the San Francisco 49ers made their way up north to face a rejuvenated division foe in the Seattle Seahawks that's been riding a red-hot running game led by Marshawn Lynch. And though the 49ers began their magical season by blowing out the same Seahawks squad by double-digits during week 1 in San Francisco, Jim Harbaugh and company knew the rematch could very well sing a different tone at Seattle's Quest Field which is known for having one of the most hostile environments in all of football. As if the raucous crowd that serves as one of the biggest home field advantages in the entire league wasn't already a big enough obstacle to overcome, the 49ers run defense which ranks number one in the NFL would face a tall order in Seattle's Marshawn Lynch.
Prior to Saturday's game I noted that Lynch who's coming off one of his better years to date could very well be the 49ers' toughest rushing opponent yet and had all the intangibles to threaten San Francisco's magnificent run of not allowing a rushing touchdown or a 100 yard rusher all season. Little did I know he would accomplish both. By half time, Lynch was already ahead of pace to record over 100 yards and in the 4th quarter eclipsed that mark before finishing the night with a game-high 107 rushing yards. Not only did Lynch become the first back to hit the 100 yard plateau against the 49ers this season, but he also became the first back to rack up triple-digits since Green Bay's Ryan Grant did so in Week 11 during the 2009 season. The former Pro-Bowler didn't stop there as he also put an end to San Francisco's streak of not allowing a rushing touchdown all season by trotting into the end zone during the 4th quarter.
All season long Marshawn Lynch's theme has been "Beast Mode" which was very fitting coming into the game considering Lynch had scored in Seattle's last 10 contests before making Saturday's game his 11th. And despite facing the league's stingiest run defense, Lynch still managed to record a Pro-Bowl performance thanks in large part to all the Skittles the fans and coaching staff have treated him with. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, a steady diet of Skittles wouldn't be enough to win the game as San Francisco's tandem of running backs Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter combined for 156 total rushing yards to go along with a touchdown. Alex Smith contributed another turnover-free game with wide-receiver Michael Crabtree and tight-end Vernon Davis hauling in a majority of the receptions and receiving yards balancing out the offense. Most of San Francisco's offense, however, would be generated by kicker David Akers.After breaking Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's single-season franchise scoring record last week, Akers continued his brilliance with four field goals including his 41st and 42nd on the year which this time made its way into the NFL record books, giving him the record for the most field goals in a single-season, surpassing the previous mark of 40 held by Neil Rackers. Akers' fourth field goal of the day would also be the game winner as he split the uprights from 39 yards out with under three minutes remaining in the game. Backup middle linebacker Larry Grant who's done a phenomenal job the last several weeks filling in for the injured Patrick Willis would then steal the show by getting to Seahawks quarterback Tavaris Jackson and forcing a fumble with a minute left in the fourth quarter which the 49ers recovered. Similar to Lynch, the 49er fans in attendance showered Grant with a pack of Skittles behind the 49ers bench as San Francisco improved to 11-3 on the year en route to a 19-17 win.
Preview & Prediction: With the victory, the 49ers held on to the no. 2 seed in the NFC with the New Orleans Saints at their heels. Though a week 17 match up against a hapless St. Louis Rams team would normally be meaningless with the division already wrapped up, for the 49ers however, their upcoming match up would be anything but. With a win in St. Louis on Sunday, the 49ers could gain sole possession of the no. 2 seed which would not only give them home-field advantage, but also a much needed first-round bye. If the 49ers lose however, and the Saints were to win, New Orleans would steal the no. 2 seed. With that being said, Sam Bradford and the Rams will try to do anything in their power to play the roll of spoilers against their division-rivals. With this game being just as important as the last for San Francisco, expect Harbaugh to start a majority of his starters which should lead to a 23-13 win in San Francisco's favor.Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
As if the Los Angeles Lakers didn't already have enough question marks heading into the 2011-12 NBA season following the retirement of long time head coach Phil Jackson, the team will get set to hit the hardwood for a Christmas showdown tomorrow afternoon against the Chicago Bulls with more concerns than ever. Following a strike shortened pre-season which saw the Lakers get beat, bullied and downright out played against their L.A. rivals -- the Los Angeles Clippers, the 16-time World Champion Los Angeles Lakers will head into the season not being dubbed favorites to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals this year for more reasons than one. Though the most obvious remains just how well the team will do without the zen master for the first time since the 2004-05 season, replacing him with the newly hired Mike Brown at the helm, there could be bigger concerns outside of the head coaching position.One of the main reasons the Lakers have seen success the last few years, making three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals before falling short last year, is that they've caused numerous problems for the opposition due to their size. Having three 7-footers in Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, the Lakers have had one of the more formidable lineups in the entire league since 2008. That lineup was dealt a blow several weeks ago, however, when Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak traded Odom to the reigning World Champion Dallas Mavericks following a collapsed blockbuster trade that would've sent Chris Paul to the Lakers. Odom was dealt after being angered with the Lakers front-office about being included in the trade for Paul which eventually led to a trade request that Kupchak soon granted. Since Odom's departure, the Lakers have welcomed a new cast of players with the signings of Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts, Gerald Green and Malcolm Thomas, joining Jason Kapono, Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock as the teams newest members, but none of L.A.'s latest acquisitions are expected to impact the team quite like Odom did who was named Sixth Man of the Year for the first time in his career last season.
One of the few bright spots for the Lakers during their two preseason games against Blake Griffin and the Clippers has been the stellar play by center Andrew Bynum who finished with a combined 41 points and 23 rebounds. And while the 24 year old is coming into the season looking better than ever, unfortunately for L.A. he won't be able to contribute on the court during the regular season until the team's fifth game because of a suspension issued out by the league following a flagrant foul on Dallas' J.J. Barea during game 4 of the Western Conference semi-finals. The Lakers' woes continue with the recent news of Kobe Bryant's torn ligament which was suffered in the first preseason game against the Clippers on Monday. While driving to the basket, Bryant was met by Clippers center DeAndre Jordan who blocked the shot, causing Kobe to lose his balance and land on his right wrist.Kobe finished the game, but sat out of Wednesday's preseason finale and was seen on the Lakers bench supporting the team wearing a cast. Though most injuries of this magnitude require several weeks to heal, Kobe has expressed that he intends to tough it out and play through the injury, something the former MVP has done a lot of throughout his career. For Kobe, the most frustrating part about the injury has to be that it was sustained after an off-season in which he was injury-free which has been rare for the 33 year old veteran who's got a lot of tread on his tires. If Bryant was to sit out and let his wrist heal, his absence would be detrimental to the team granted the lockout shortened season demands less days in between games. More games with less rest could also play a factor and could be a huge test to an aging squad like L.A.'s. And although I don't believe it has the slightest bit of significance regarding the way he'll perform on the court, Kobe's wife Vanessa recently filed for divorce, adding to the already lengthy list of distractions that comes with playing in Tinseltown.
Something else that deserves mention is whether or not the Lakers should continue to pursue another marquee player once the season begins. While Dwight Howard's name has been the most popular when discussing trade possibilities, another name that's been brought up is Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks. With all of these questions surrounding the Lakers, one question that will be answered several weeks into the year will be whether or not they can run up and down the court and compete with other young squads within the conference such as the Thunder, Grizzlies and Clippers with the talent they've got right now. One thing that's certain is that the first week of the NBA schedule won't be the walk in the park Lakers fans have grown accustomed to in years passed.Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Yu da man. At least that's what the Texas Rangers are hoping. After watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim make history by signing 3-time NL MVP Albert Pujols to a blockbuster contract worth $254 Million over 10 years, as well as pry Texas' former ace C.J. Wilson from them, the Rangers were in need of a splash of their own to counter their division-rivals. That move seems to be made clear with the Rangers being the winners of the Yu Darvish sweepstakes. Hoping to land the Japanese sensation to help fill the void of Wilson as well as maintain supremacy in the American League West, Texas won the rights to negotiate with the 25 year old pitcher by posting a record-setting bid of $51.7 Million, surpassing the previous mark of $51 Million held by Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2007 season.
If and when a contract is agreed upon between both parties who have 30 days to strike a deal, the Rangers could very well be investing nearly $100 Million in Darvish who's won the Pacific League MVP Award twice in 2007 and 2009. And as we've learned in the past, Japanese stars overseas are hit or miss and have rarely panned out and have often been unable to duplicate their success at the Major League level. In fact, history has shown that the majority of Japanese players that have garnered the attention of the Major Leagues with mile high expectations, most of which are pitchers, often fail to meet those standards of an All-Star caliber player with only a few exceptions. According to sources however, many believe Darvish who's finished the last five seasons with an ERA under 2.00, will be the player who puts an end to the bust label many have begun to give players from overseas who come with such hype. And considering it was Nolan Ryan who knows a thing or two about pitching who decided to pull the trigger on placing a bid on the 6-foot-5 hurler, I'd say the Rangers know what they're doing.
Though the move of potentially acquiring a player who's unproven at the Major League level is risky, it sends a positive message to the Rangers fan base, letting them know that the organization is not ready to hand over the reigns to the division or the American League for that matter just yet as they look to make their third consecutive trip to the World Series with only one difference -- winning it. But that's not to say the Rangers front-office of Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels have necessarily been sitting on the couch doing nothing this off-season. The Rangers' brain trust have been plenty active since the end of the 2011 season by bolstering an already dominant bullpen with the signing of former Twins closer Joe Nathan to take over for Neftali Feliz who will be moved to the starting rotation after serving two seasons as a reliever.The signing of Darvish is also a great move from both an international standpoint as well as a marketing standpoint as it attracts fans overseas from Japan among other countries that could help generate revenue by selling merchandise and increase television ratings. It also opens the door to sell advertisements at Texas' Ballpark in Arlington to Japanese based companies. Other Major League ball clubs that have utilized this strategy include the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's. Darvish's repertoire includes a two-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, splitter and a change-up to compliment his primary pitches of a four-seam fastball which has been clocked as high as 97 mph and a slurve with a devastating break.
With Texas on the cusp of issuing a lucrative contract to Darvish, many keeping up with the MLB hot-stove are begging the question if the the move means the Rangers are no longer in the running for Prince Fielder. Prior to the announcement of Texas winning the posting rights to talk to the ace of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the Rangers were said to be one of the possible suitors for the free-agent slugger. Those rumors may be days away from being put to rest however, if the Rangers indeed ink Darvish to a contract.
This past Monday would feature one of the more bizarre incidents in recent memory on ESPN's Monday Night Football between the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers. Coming into the game the 49ers had a simple recipe to success which consisted of converting on third downs, capitalizing in the red zone with touchdowns instead of field goals and getting to the hobbled Ben Roethlisberger who Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided to go with despite nursing an injury in hopes of gaining sole possession of the no.1 seed in the AFC. That move proved to be costly however, as the Pro-Bowl quarterback looked a lot more like uncle Ben from Spiderman than he did Big Ben Roethlisberger thanks in large part to a high-ankle sprain coupled with a stingy 49ers defense which ranks first in the league.But before the Steelers encountered a power outage on offense, the game would be hit with a 20 minute delay after a transformer blew up, leaving the sellout crowd of 69,732 at San Francisco's Candlestick Park waiting in the dark. Though both incidents are totally different, the power outage showed shades of the '89 earthquake that shook the bay area and interrupted the World Series that was held in the same venue between the Giants and A's. The delay alone should have been a bad omen for Big Ben to sit out as he threw his first of three interceptions on the night during Pittsburgh's opening-drive. The Steelers offense appeared to be on their way to an early lead before Roethlisberger threw in traffic and payed the price with Carlos Rogers coming up with his sixth interception of the season. Alex Smith and the 49er offense then took over and began marching down field with ease before making another dreaded trip to the red zone which once again resulted in a David Akers field goal after Smith blew a golden opportunity to connect with a wide-open Kyle Williams in the endzone.
Looking no better than he did on Pittsburgh's first drive, Roethlisberger would be intercepted for a second time after overthrowing Steelers tight-end Heath Miller as Dashon Goldson came up with the takeaway. The 49ers would take over on offense with David Akers once again adding to his case for MVP candidacy, splitting the uprights from 38 yards out to make it 6-0, San Francisco. The made field goal gave Akers the 49ers franchise scoring-record, surpassing the mark previously held by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (138 points in 1987). Early in the second quarter with Pittsburgh set to take over following a commercial break, the game would be delayed with a second power outage, this time lasting a shorter span of 15 minutes, but a nuisance nonetheless. After the half, the Steelers were finally able to put some points on the board with kicker Shaun Suisham connecting with a career-long 51 yard field goal to cut deficit in half.
In need of a score, the 49ers responded by making their first trip to the endzone with a well designed boot play as Alex Smith found a wide-open Vernon Davis for the touchdown. Trailing 13-3, Roethlisberger would then meet 49ers rookie Aldon Smith whom he became quite familiar with as the night wore on. The defensive-end who was chosen out of Missouri with the 49ers first round pick this year finished the game with 2.5 sacks before setting a franchise record for the most sacks in a single-season by a 49ers rookie with his 13th of the year. Among those sacks was a forced fumble as he and Ray McDonald teamed up to jar the ball loose with Justin Smith recovering. San Francisco would capitalize on the Pittsburgh turnover with a would be field goal, but an illegal leap by Laurence Timmons who was called for a running start in an attempt to block the kick, resulting in a 49ers first down. The call would haunt the Steelers as Frank Gore ran the ball in on the very next play to put the game out of reach, 20-3.
Despite being down by more than two scores in the fourth quarter against the league's best defense, Roethlisberger still wanted to play and coach Tomlin didn't seem to disagree with his decision. Choosing to keep him in the game, Tomlin would witness his quarterback throw his third pick on the night as Terrell Brown put an end to any sort of late-game heroics by the Steelers hobbled QB who couldn't wait to leave the bay area.
Noteworthy: With the win, the 49ers were able to keep pace with the 11-3 New Orleans Saints for the no. 2 seed in the NFC with San Francisco currently in control of the tie-breaker. The league's best defense improved their streak of not allowing a 100 yard rusher to 36 games as well as becoming the first team in NFL history to hold an opponent without a rushing touchdown through the first 14 games. 49ers QB Alex Smith played mistake-free football and threw for 187 yards and 1 touchdown on 18-for-31 passing. RB Frank Gore finished with a game-high 65 yards on the ground to go with his touchdown. TE Vernon Davis compiled 72 yards and a touchdown reception on 6 receptions.Preview & Prediction: Week 15 will see the 49ers take a trip up north to face a rejuvenated Seattle Seahawks team which currently stands at 7-7 after falling in an early hole to begin the season. Known for having one of the loudest stadiums in the country and one of the best home field advantages in all of football, Pete Carroll's Seattle squad will look to make the road for their division rivals a little bit harder as well as try for their fourth consecutive win. One area to keep an eye on will be Marshawn Lynch who could very well put an end to the magnificent run the 49ers defense has had this season by threatening to be the first to not only score a rushing touchdown, but also rush for over 100 yards. If they can contain him, look for the 49ers to come out on top by a final score of 20-13. Find out on Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
With many last minute shoppers out there still wondering what to get their friends, family and significant other for Christmas this year, one route that's always easy to take and can fill the needs of both sports fans and fashion aficionados alike is buying the one you care for a hat. As an avid hat collector, one of the more exciting aspects about the MLB off-season other than where players will be headed via trades and free agent signings of coarse is when a team decides to change their colors, location or name which often leads to new ball caps. And for my fellow hat enthusiasts out there, this season won't disappoint as four teams have introduced new styles and logos that players will be wearing on the baseball diamond during the 2012 season.The biggest change and by far the most unique is that of the newly named Miami Marlins. Having shared Sun Life Stadium with their NFL relatives -- the Miami Dolphins since being established in 1993 as an expansion team, the Marlins organization recently struck a deal for a new stadium which also included a name change. The changes continued as the Marlins pulled the curtain on their new logo and uniforms this past month with a fashion show hosted inside their new stadium. Though many have expressed a strong disliking in the new logo, most notably within the Marlins fan base, I truly feel the team's colors are more appropriate for the city of Miami than the previous black and teal. I'm yet to see the hat in person, but after coming across numerous photos I've gotta say the hat has grown on me with the orange cap being my favorite of the two.Marlins 2012 Home on-field hat:
Marlins 2012 Alternate on-field hat:
Another change in logos and uniforms in preparation for the 2012 season will be the Toronto Blue Jays who are ditching the 'J-bird' and unpopular 'T' logo for a more traditional look similar to that of their World Series days in the early 90's. A slightly modified bird logo without the ball in the background will be featured on the front of the team's on-field cap along with the Canadian maple leaf which will also be making a comeback. Despite being introduced to the MLB in the late 70's opposed to other teams who have been around two to three times longer, the Blue Jays have gone through quite a number of uniform and logo changes in their 30+ year history, but I have a feeling this one is here to stay. That's something Jays fans can attest to as I've yet to come across a negative comment or someone who hasn't fallen in love with the change.
Another team that will be welcoming back a former logo, but with a hint of change is the Baltimore Orioles. Retiring the full bird logo also known as the ornithologically correct bird which has seen its fair share of days on the playing field having received tinkers here and there over the years, O's fans will encounter somewhat of a blast from the past with the return of the famous cartoon bird. But just like the Jays logo, the cartoon bird will feature it's own set of differences with the most noticeable being the bird's hat which will have an "O's" logo instead of the blotches seen on the former insignia used from the mid 60's to late 80's. The cartoon bird which just so happens to be one of my all-time favorites will see two separate color schemes both home and away and is sure to be a hit amongst the younger crowd as well as those old enough to remember Baltimore's glory days. Orioles 2012 Home on-field hat:
Orioles 2012 Road on-field hat:
Finally there's the Seattle Mariners. Having stuck with their all navy blue hat since the 2002 season, the M's will be bringing back a popular 2-tone colorway which was worn when such Mariner greats as Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez and "The Big Unit" Randy Johnson all played for the team. Though I do like the addition of the teal brim which adds a little flavor to the rather bland all navy blue cap in my opinion, it's the alternate hat which has the colors swapped used back in 1994 that I was hoping would make its way back to the baseball diamond. Either way, any of these hats could be a great gift for that person you've been having trouble finding something for. In fact I've got a few of them on my own Christmas list as well.
Here's a brief rundown of some other items on my list:
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
Coming off a blowout victory at home against the St. Louis Rams to clinch the NFC Western Division for the first time in nine years, the 49ers made a trip to the desert to face a hot Arizona Cardinals team that's won 4 of their last 5 games entering Sunday's match. Hoping to not only put an end to Arizona's streak, but also add to theirs as well as maintain sole possession of the number two seed in the conference with the New Orleans Saints only a game behind, the San Francisco offense would need to improve in an area they struggled at last week in spite of their lopsided victory -- converting in the red zone. Those woes would continue, however, as the 49ers had a number of chances to put the game away in the early going, but failed to do so.
Blown opportunities would lead to San Francisco's demise as the 49er offense made three trips to red zone in the first half with only nine points to show for. Needing a touchdown, the 49ers appeared to have finally solved their problem in the second quarter with a fake 50 yard field goal as holder Andy Lee lobbed a pass to a wide open Jonathan Goodwin who made his way into the end zone. Referee's blew the play dead, however, after Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt attempted to challenge the previous play before San Francisco hiked the ball. Television replays showed that the ball was hiked before the sound of the whistle, but upon checking the replay system, the umpiring crew would experience technical difficulties which resulted in the play to be repeated, nullifying the score. Making matters worse, David Akers would eventually miss the field goal as his attempt went wide right. The miss was also Akers' first of the season beyond 50 yards.
What should've been a 13-0 lead for the 49ers would soon be a 7-6 lead for Arizona as John Skelton who came in for the injured Kevin Kolb who left in the first quarter with a concussion, found WR Early Doucet with a pass up the middle for a 60 yard touchdown on the very next play. San Francisco would answer back on the following drive with another field goal to retake the lead before a Dashon Goldson interception on the ensuing drive setup David Akers for his fourth field goal of the first half, as he split the uprights from 22 yards out to give the 49ers a 12-7 lead heading into the half. With adjustments to be made on offense still seeking their first trip to the end zone, the 49ers would waste little time in the second half as Frank Gore who would later eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for the fifth time in his career, capitalized on San Francisco's good field position with a 37-yard touchdown run to give his team a 19-7 lead.
That would be all the scoring the 49ers would do and with one of the premiere defenses in the league, that should been enough. Unfortunately it wasn't, as Skelton and company turned it up on offense, erasing a 12-point deficit with a pair of touchdown passes to Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Roberts. Arizona's defense then put together a few solid drives of their own to contain Alex Smith and complete the upset (if you wanna call it that), handing the 49ers their third loss of the season with a 21-19 win.
Upcoming: For the first time this season, the San Francisco 49ers will be featured on ESPN's Monday Night Football this week against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that similar to San Francisco is jockeying for a top seed in their conference. With the 49ers now a half a game behind New Orleans for the no. 2 seed, Monday's game in San Francisco could very well be a must win granted the Saints' final two games of the season are at home against relatively easy opponents, meanwhile the 49ers still have to make a trip to Seattle to face one of the more tougher teams at home. Making things a bit easier for the 49ers on offense will be the absence of Steelers linebacker James Harrison who was suspended after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy on December 8. Normally a hit of this magnitude would result in a fine, but given the repeat offender that Harrison is the Commissioner's office issued a 1-game suspension.
Preview & Prediction: The 49ers might also benefit from the absence of Pittsburgh's QB Ben Roethlisberger who's been listed as day-to-day after suffering a sprained ankle in the Thursday night win against Cleveland. Roethlisberger's been limited in practice and will be a game time decision according to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. If Tomlin does decide to sit his star quarterback in hopes of him recovering fully in time for their week 16 meeting against the visiting St. Louis Rams, expect to see the 49ers dominant defense feast off of the veteran backup QB Charlie Batch and win by a score of 23-13. If Roethlisberger is healthy enough to play, however, the game could go either way and should be a close one.
With the Packers yet to be beaten heading into week 15 at an undefeated record of 13-0, the likeliness of any of Green Bay's upcoming opponents putting a dent in their record is minimal. After the team pays a visit to Kansas City to play the hapless Chiefs this Sunday, the Packers will play host to a Chicago Bears team that's been lost since week 11 without Jay Cutler under center who's been sidelined with a broken thumb and a Detroit Lions team that was downright embarrassed at home in front of a national audience on Thanksgiving. Despite losing their star wide-out Greg Jennings who left during last week's 46-16 shellacking of the Raiders with a knee injury, it'll be hard to see any team defeating the Packers this year let alone in the regular season given their depth on offense.
Though Aaron Rodgers has displayed a season for the decades at quarterback having already thrown for 4,125 yards this year which is slightly behind pace to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record of 5,084 yards as well as throw for 39 touchdowns which ties him with Brett Favre for the most by a Packer in a single-season, it's Green Bay's defense or the lack thereof that could rewrite the record books. Throughout the history of the NFL, the saying has always been, "defense is what wins games." Among the best in the league last year, Green Bay's defense has been an absolute ghost of their former selves and have been suspect this season to say the least. Not once have football fans seen a defense that's allowed as many yards and points as the Packers have this year, yet be so successful. To their credit, however, Green Bay's D has come through in the clutch when needing to force critical turnovers with the game on the line.
Even with their lackluster defense though, it's hard to imagine any team disrupting their path to perfection with offensive fire power that would make the U.S. armed forces nervous. The only way I see any team dethroning the Pack this year, is if they get into a shootout in the playoffs and run out of time. Then again, Aaron Rodgers already proved to us this season in week 13 against the Giants, that there's no such thing as not enough time as he marched his offense down field for the game-winning drive with 58 seconds remaining, setting up a Mason Crosby field goal with time expiring. So unless head coach Mike McCarthy decides to bench his star quarterback and go with Green Bay's practice squad, we might as well congratulate the Packers now on their undefeated regular season. Whether or not they can complete their run, however, is yet to be seen. As the New England Patriots demonstrated in 2008, if you can finish the regular season undefeated, but can't win it all, you've accomplished nothing. With the road to the Super Bowl going through Green Bay who's only one win away from clinching the number one seed in the NFC, knocking off Aaron Rodgers and company on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field is a daunting task alone, and it doesn't help that the Saints, Lions, Cowboys and Falcons who have all either clinched a playoff spot or are in contention, play in domes or indoor stadiums. And as much as the optimist in me would like to see the San Francisco 49ers win their sixth Super Bowl, the realist in me just doesn't see Alex Smith trading punches with Aaron Rodgers. Having said that, I think when it's all said and done that Green Bay will stand alone with the '72 Miami Dolphins as the only teams in NFL history to complete a perfect season.
Last Thursday the NBA was all the buzz as All-Star point-guard Chris Paul appeared to be on his way to the west coast to become the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers. A three-team trade which included the Lakers, Hornets and Rockets was agreed upon and only needed the approval of the Commissioner's office given the Hornets are currently a league-owned franchise. In exchange for Paul, the Hornets would've acquired Lamar Odom from the Lakers as well as Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick from Houston, sending Pau Gasol to the Rockets. Several hours later, however, NBA Commissioner David Stern pulled the plug on the deal after receiving a slew of calls and e-mails from team owners against the trade.
Determined to reconstruct a deal, all three teams continued to negotiate on into the weekend before the Lakers withdrew their name from the hat in the Chris Paul sweepstakes on Saturday evening, instead trading last year's Sixth Man of the Year, Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks. Upon first hearing the news that he was dealt to New Orleans in the Chris Paul trade, an emotional Odom was heard on sports-radio where he sobbed and began crying after expressing how much he wanted to be a Laker for the rest of his career. Once the trade was vetoed, Odom took to his Twitter account by tweeting, "When a team trades you and it doesn't go down, now what?" With training camp the next day, many were pondering what the akward scene would be like in L.A. and if Odom would even arrive to camp.
Unhappy about being included in the trade, Odom showed up to the Lakers' training facility 90 minutes late according to sources and left early after meeting with general manager Mitch Kupchak where he requested to be traded. Less than 24 hours later, Kupchak granted his wish by dealing him to the defending World Champions in exchange for a first-round pick. I can see why Odom was angered about being included in the three-team trade considering how valuable he's been to the franchise having helped them win back-to-back titles in 2009-10, but Kupchak expressed his interest in landing both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard days earlier and said everyone on the Lakers' roster not named Kobe Bryant was available. So unless Odom didn't get the memo, he should've known there was a possibility of him being dealt.The day following Odom's departure, both Kobe and Lakers point-guard Derek Fisher let their discontent be known regarding him being traded to the Mavs of all teams who have recently become a rival of L.A.'s. Though the Lakers are still a contender without him, the team will surely miss Odom's defensive presence as well as his versatility.
As for the state of the Hornets, the vetoed trade that was of the team's best interest according to Stern, could instead hurt the franchise in the future with the unlikely scenario of them landing a group of players as good as or better than what they were receiving from the Lakers and Rockets. And what a shame it would be if the Hornets fail to get rid of CP3 and the team is forced to move on next season without getting anything in return for their star player. If so, good luck finding someone interested in buying the franchise then.
The most recent trade talks involving Chris Paul, however, has the Hornets jumping back into the trade-o-sphere with a deal that would send the star guard to the team the Lakers share the same building with -- the L.A. Clippers. According to sources both teams were working on a proposed deal that would package Eric Gordon, Eric Bledsoe, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick. That trade was also put to rest, this time under the power of the Clippers who backed out after saying the Hornets' asking price was too high. As of now a deal for Paul is on hold, but both teams are said to be re-working on a proposal. If the deal eventually goes down, a tag-team of CP3 and Blake Griffin could be one of the more lethal duo's in all of basketball.
From a fan's standpoint: Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of the initial trade for Chris Paul given the Lakers were dealing a huge part of what most teams feared them for -- size, but at the same time they were upgrading at the one position they needed the most help in at point-guard not to mention with one of the game's elites. Having said that, I guess you can say I was 50/50. Other than Stern and company not wanting to see Paul land with a big market team, I can't come up with a logical explanation why the deal was vetoed given it was the Hornets who came out as winners in the trade. The Odom trade on the other hand was just plain dumb if you ask me. I understand that he wanted to play elsewhere after feeling unwanted and all once the Chris Paul trade collapsed, but why help the defending World Champs of all teams? The only thing I can come up with is that they're stocking up in preparation to send Orlando an offer they can't refuse for Dwight Howard.
One thing that's certain, however, is that under new head coach Mike Brown, the Lakers' season storyline will definitely be one to keep an eye on. Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Coming off only their second defeat of the season against the Ravens and their first since their week 2 loss in overtime to the Cowboys, the 49ers played host to a St. Louis Rams team many thought would pose the biggest threat in the NFC West. But at 2-10 mainly due to an injury sustained coupled with a sub-par season from last year's Rookie of the Year Sam Bradford, the Rams have been anything but. And with a trip to San Francisco's Candlestick Park where the 49ers were hoping to put a seal on the NFC West and make their first trip to the Playoffs since 2002, the Rams' woes would continue.
Coming into the game, 49ers running back Frank Gore was within striking distance of the franchise's all-time rushing record held by the great Joe 'The Jet' Perry who passed away in April at the age of 84. Needing only 1 yard in the second quarter, Gore eclipsed Perry's mark of 7,344 career rushing yards with a 2-yard run up the middle, giving him sole possession of the record before finishing the day with 73-yards. Though it's been San Francisco's running game that has shined and carried the team on offense this year, it was QB Alex Smith who dazzled during the second half much like he did several weeks ago against the New York Giants. After a number of trips to the red zone and only three field goals to show for, the 49ers went into the half with a 9-0 lead. In need of an adjustment on offense, the 49ers were able to capitalize after a Dashon Goldson interception as Smith found WR Michael Crabtree 52-yards out for a 49er touchdown.
Up 16-0 following their first trip to the endzone, the 49ers would add to their lead on their next drive with David Akers splitting the uprights from 34-yards out for his fourth field goal of the day. After a series of punts, Alex Smith and co. would put the game away for good as he connected with wide-out Kyle Williams for a season-long 56-yard touchdown as San Francisco completed their first shutout of the season and the team's first since 2009 which also came at the expense of the Rams. Alex Smith finished the game with a total of 274 passing yards to go along with a pair of touchdowns. With the 26-0 blowout, the 49ers were able to clinch their first division title in nine years, something the 49er faithful have been anticipating for quite some time.
Normally a team that clinches the division as early as week 13 will take a step back and ease off the gas by relaxing and resting it's starters in preparation for the playoffs, but head coach Jim Harbaugh appears to have his mind set on keeping his foot on the gas in hopes of keeping pace with the NFC leading Green Bay Packers who are yet to be beaten. One player who can definitely use the rest however, is Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis who left Sunday's game during the first quarter with a pulled hamstring. Willis was seen on the ground grabbing at his right hamstring after a rare missed tackle. Willis' absence would be detrimental to the team, but according to team trainers the All-Pro LB could be back within 2-4 weeks and should be ready come playoff time.
49er greats Joe Montana and Dwight Clark were also on hand to witness their former team capture the west and become division champs, something they became a fixture at back in the 80's. With the NFC West title already under his belt in only his first season at the helm, coach Harbaugh joined George Seifert and Steve Mariucci as the only rookie head coaches in 49ers history to win the division.
Week 14 Preview & Prediction: Other than Willis' injury, the day was filled with nothing but positives. San Francisco plans to keep the good vibes flowing as they get set to pay a visit to the desert where the division-rival Arizona Cardinals who currently sit at 5-7 are coming off their biggest win yet, an overtime thriller against the Dallas Cowboys. With an already clinched division, many are crying out upset and have the Cardinals coming out victorious this Sunday. I on the other hand think the 49ers will continue to roll with their dominant defense and have San Francisco coming out on top, 20-10.
In 2003, Arte Moreno bought the Anaheim Angels for $184 Million, today he spent $331.5 Million on two players -- last year's ace of a Texas Rangers ball club that made it's second consecutive World Series appearance in C.J. Wilson and arguably the greatest hitter to ever step foot on a baseball diamond in Albert Pujols. Less than 24 hours ago the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins were leading the Albert Pujols sweepstakes along with another unnamed team. This morning that unnamed team was revealed as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim emerged to snag the 3-time NL MVP and former batting champion, shaking and reshaping the Major League landscape as we know it in the process.
The pair of blockbuster moves began with Pujols and the Angels agreeing on a 10 year, $254 Million contract which includes a no-trade clause and is second in Major League history only behind Alex Rodriguez' record-setting 10 year, $275 Million deal with the Yankees signed back in 2007. The Angels followed the mammoth signing of Pujols by inking Wilson to a five year deal worth $77.5 Million.
Having amassed 10 straight seasons with a batting average of .300 or higher with at least 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in, Pujols is coming off what was considered a down year in which he still managed to hit .299 with 37 homers and 99 RBI's despite an early slump coupled with a wrist injury that sidelined the 2-time Gold Glove Award winner for two weeks. With Pujols hitting in a lineup that's expected to welcome back one of it's top run producers in Kendrys Morales next year who's missed the last season and a half due to a fractured ankle, the Angels should see a drastic increase in the runs department, an area in which Anaheim finished in the middle of the pack in 2011. The addition of Pujols also erases the dreaded memory Angels fans had following the 2008 season when the team failed to sign their mid-season acquisition Mark Teixeira to a contract extension before eventually losing him via free agency to the Yankees. The Angels front-office made up for it by landing a future Hall of Fame first baseman who can eventually be moved to a designated-hitter role in the latter part of his career.
As for Wilson who Angels fans became quite familiar with the past few seasons serving out of a pitching staff with the division-rival Texas Rangers, the 2011 All-Star will most likely be plugged into the no. 3 spot in an Angels rotation that includes Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana. With an already lethal front three, the addition of Wilson easily makes Anaheim's rotation one of the best in the American League as well as leave a dent in Texas' pitching staff. The 31 year old left-hander will be returning to his old stomping grounds as Wilson grew up just a stone's throw away from Angels Stadium in Orange County. Last year Wilson logged a solid regular season finishing with a win-loss record of 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 223 1/3 innings over 34 starts, but suffered from a poor postseason where he went 1-5 with a 4.82 ERA in 10 games (9 starts). Many thought his sub-par performance in the postseason would decrease his value, but with a new contract worth more than $70 Million I think it's safe to say he did alright.
While the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim get set to kick off an era in which they think will bring the ball club its first World Series title since 2002, the St. Louis Cardinals on the other hand are preparing for the post-Pujols era less than two months after he helped them claim their 11th Championship in franchise history. Though the Cardinals still have a nucleus of talent on offense, Pujols' departure leaves a void that only free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder can fill. And with the money still in tact that the organization tried offering to Pujols, don't be surprised if they end up spending it on a much younger slugger named Prince.
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In November of 2002 at the young age of 28, Theo Epstein took on the daunting task of becoming the general manager of a Boston Red Sox organization that hadn't won a World Series title since 1918, a drought that became notoriously known as the "Curse of the Bambino." However, two years later Epstein would form a Red Sox team that was finally able to turn the tide and put an end to the black cloud that hovered over Fenway Park for 86 years as Boston soon became a fixture in the Postseason, winning two World Series Championships in four years. With lofty expectations heading into the 2011 season after acquiring not one, but two of the most highly coveted names on the market in Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, many believed Epstein had assembled one of the best lineups Major League Baseball had ever seen. Instead, a monumental collapse in September would prove otherwise as Epstein's brainchild lost a nine game lead in the wild card race, missing out on the postseason on the final day of the regular season. Boston's debacle would later result in a number of changes in the Red Sox front-office including the dismissal of former manager Terry Francona as well as the departure of Epstein who now has an even bigger task at hand and will be in charge of ending an even longer World Series drought of 103 years, this time for the Chicago Cubs.
Following the collapse, the Red Sox appointed Ben Cherington as Epstein's successor who's first task was to hire a new skipper to fill the shoes of Terry Francona. After searching high and low with a list that had over 50 possible candidates, Cherington and co. thought they found their man in Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum until he was snagged days later by the Cubs which led them to Plan B. Hired to become the 45th manager in franchise history as well as put an end to the video game playing and fried chicken eating in the Red Sox clubhouse will be Bobby Valentine who's nine years removed from his last stint in a Major League dugout.
Making his third pit stop along his big league journey, Valentine, a New England native who grew up in Connecticut has compiled a 15-year career managing such team's as the Texas Rangers (1985-1992) and the New York Mets (1996-2002) before serving the last of his two stints in Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines (1995, 2003-2009). Though Valentine has tasted success overseas, leading his team to a world title in '05 to win the Japan Series, the 61 year old skipper has experienced limited success at the Major League level with his only major accomplishment being a National League pennant in 2000 and a trip to the World Series in which his Mets lost to the cross-town rival New York Yankees in five games. All of that could change, however, as Valentine gets set to takeover a ball club with a plethora of talent and potential.Prior to the announcement of Valentine being selected to manage the Red Sox in 2012, many had the skipper being somewhat of a dark horse and an underdog to land the job, but it was his passion for the game and will to win that turned Cherington and Boston's front-office into believers, offering him a two year deal with options for a third and fourth year. Historically, teams managed by Bobby V have been known to show immediate improvement in the standings following the season in which he took over so if history repeats itself the Red Sox should be playoff bound at least if not be the team everyone projected to win it all last year. You may have seen or heard Valentine's most recent work on ESPN where he served as an analyst the last two season's. Trading in his suit and tie for a jersey, Bobby V gets set to take on a job he's described as a dream come true. "I'm honored, I'm humbled and I'm pretty damn excited," Valentine said during his news conference in front of a large crowd of cameras and reporters at Boston's Fenway Park.Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
With all signs pointing towards the NBA kicking off it's 2011-12 season after all, the hot stove is beginning to heat up with rumors circulating regarding two blockbuster trades in particular. And with the window of opportunity closing in bean town as Boston's big three continue to grow older, Celtics GM Danny Ainge is hoping to find the one piece missing to the puzzle that would help put the team over the top for one final run at another NBA title. According to sources that final piece is Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul which would mean Boston's Rajon Rondo heading to New Orleans. Better known as CP3, Paul is expected to hit the free agent market next off-season and would only be part of the Celtics plans if they were able to sign him to a long-term deal, something CP3 says he isn't interested in.
All of that could change however, say if the Hornets are off out of playoff contention once the trade deadline approaches and Paul wants to play for a team with a chance to win. If not then we could very well see Chris Paul in New York playing alongside Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire next year. But whether or not the deal goes down, the Celtics almost have to move Rondo somewhere given he's been the subject of trade talk for the past several years now which can only toy with ones mind. Despite still being on the team, if I'm Rondo I'm feeling unwanted in Boston and I'm strongly considering demanding a trade if not signing elsewhere as soon as possible.
In other trade news: As the New Jersey Nets prepare to relocate to Brooklyn in time for the 2012-13 season where they hope to start a new chapter, the franchise is hoping they can bring with them a marquee player that can convince their All-Star point guard in Deron Williams to stay and sign to a long-term deal as well as get the Nets back to their winning ways. And while a number of teams have shown interest in next year's biggest free agent Dwight Howard, no team has been more aggressive to land the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year thus far than the Nets. Rumor has it New Jersey is on the verge of offering their own standout center Brooke Lopez and two first round draft picks to Orlando as well as take on the dead-weight contract of Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu in exchange for Howard.
As much as the Magic front-office and fans would like to be optimistic about bringing Howard back once his contract expires, the chances of that happening are slim as the 5-time All-Star has expressed in the past how he wants to play for a contender, a description the Magic don't necessarily fit. For a franchise likely to lose their star player to free agency, the team might be better off getting something in return now rather than letting Howard sign elsewhere and getting nothing. With that said, if I'm Orlando's general manager Otis Smith I'm definitely keeping my ears open to offers. If the Magic do decide to hang on to Howard for the entire season however, don't be surprised if he's playing in L.A. next year donning the purple and gold.
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