Week 17 NFL Bets

Week 17 in the NFL is usually a week to stay away from at all costs when wagering. Teams are locked into their playoff spots and star players find their way to the bench early in the games. With that said, I'll be putting down $100 on a 3-way parlay. Not super confident in it, but it could pay off nicely if it hits.

Colts +7

Way too big of a spread to not take action on. Chuck Pagano will be making his return so you know Indianapolis will come to play. Houston could potentially be playing for home field advantage (depending on New England's outcome), but with the Colts at home they will easily cover.

GB/MIN under 46

Minnesota's defense has really been turning it on as of late and with their playoff fate on the line, this game should be no different. The Packers come in with 2 new starting lineman including a new starting center in the very loud Metrodome. The Vikings offense hasn't been explosive at all this, I see this being a low scoring affair.

Cowboys +3

This is where things get tricky. Dallas has been on fire as of late and I can see them beating the Redskins in Washington, but it could very easily become the RGIII show. I feel confident in the line only because it is an NFC East battle and those games always seem to be close.

Total bet: $100

Potential win: $614

UPDATE: And there is a reason I wasn't very confident in it. The only bet that hit was the Colts, way off on the other two. Better luck next week.

Nowhere to go but up?

With Kevin Love coming out this week and questioning the personnel decisions and direction of the Minnesota Timberwolves, I took a step back and looked at all of the professional teams in MN. I never thought I'd be saying this, but Minnesota might currently be Loserville, USA.

Minnesota Vikings- Somehow have a winning record currently, but could very easily be sub-.500 when the season ends in 3 weeks. I do like the moves that GM Rick Spielman has done and appreciate his acknowledgement that the team needed to start from the bottom. A youth movement is the only way to do this and he appears to have the wheels starting to turn. With that said, there is still one glaring weakness on the team and it involves the most important position in the NFL. Christian Ponder is not and will not be a legitimate starting QB. With the season they have turned in, they won't be drafting in the top 10 and thus won't have a shot at a top QB prospect. This means they could have a great roster of players in a year or 2, but still no shot at the Lombardi trophy because of a lack of QB play. Hopefully Spielman has an answer for this very important question.

Minnesota Timberwolves- Yes, everyone is very excited that they are a legitimate team again and will possibly be able to make the playoffs this year. Ricky Rubio is cute and can play, Love is the top PF in the game and Nikola Pekovic is coming into his own. Besides those 3, what do the Wolves have to show for drafting in the NBA Lottery since 2006? Nothing. The NBA is a superstar driven league. The Wolves have someone in Love who is capable of playing at a superstar level and he has a trusty sidekick in Rubio. Beyond that, they have nothing but scrubs. They were desperately hoping that Brandon Roy's fake knees would last longer than 15 games and he could provide a spark, but that has shown to be nothing but disaster. GM David Kahn needs to get a proven commodity and a couple of firecrackers to come off the bench on this Wovles team in the next 2 years or KLove will be taking his talents to LA.

Minnesota Twins- Yet another MN team in the process of rebuilding. Recently traded their starting CF's away for pitching help and all but gave up any hope of contending for a playoff spot in 2013. And I'm nothing but excited! The Twins had no arms in the farm system and as evidenced lately, pitching goes a long way in determining success. They are hindered by Joe Mauer's huge contract and won't be spending big on any FA's in the near future (not that any of the top players would want to come to MN currently), but GM Terry Ryan is taking the correct approach and dealing from strength to make up for weakness. 2013 will be a long season, but the run that the Twins will be able to make from 2014-2017 will be well worth it.

Minnesota Wild- This is probably the only team that I truly had high hopes for coming into 2012 and the NHL Lockout has killed all hope. With that said, they are exactly what the Vikings and Twins are looking to create in the coming years. They have an elite farm system full of highly talented prospects and because of that, they were able to spend big on a couple of FA's to fill gaping holes. Hopefully Wild fans will get to see Zach Parise and Ryan Suter on the ice soon.

Clown Show

A New Low For The NHL

This debate could go on forever and this could turn into a lengthy article. But I'll keep it short and sweet and get my main points across. Being the hockey guy on this blog I feel I have to say something about what took place between the Rangers and Devils two nights ago. I am most likely in the minority here when I say that fighting doesn't belong in hockey. If you are and old-schooler you are probably outraged and probably quit reading. This is a new NHL and as fans our mindsets need to evolve along with the game. I'll give you a few reasons why fighting should be taken out of the NHL.

Head Injuries: Over the last few years we've been bombarded by the increase in concussions across all sports. Players today are now bigger and faster than ever, but they're still playing on the same size rinks as players of the past. In hockey we all know the stories of enforcers who have died as a result of brain trauma that can lead to a multitude of other complications. Why would we want to increase the occurrence of concussions over something that barely impacts the game?

Quality of Play: Having “enforcers” on every team lowers the quality of the game. These goons sit on the bench all game and play a maximum of five minutes a game. However, those five minutes are brutal to watch. Almost always they cannot skate, cannot stick handle, and cannot pass. What they are actually doing is stealing a roster spot from a skilled player. I would bet that there is at least one player on each AHL team that deserves the roster spot that these guys take up.

It's Outdated: The NHL of today is so different than the NHL of the 70's and 80's. We no longer have the Broad Street Bullies who roam around the ice looking to scrap with the other team. What we do have is an incredibly high amount of skill. The NHL should be focusing on highlighting the speed, agility, and hand-eye coordination of its players. Fighting had its place when it was done to protect the superstar players. They don't need to be protected anymore. There aren't players running around the ice trying to cheap shot guys like there used to be. The NHL has cracked down on head contact and illegal hits, and it has resulted in a cleaner and better game.

There's nothing wrong with playing a physical style, but there is a big difference between hard hits and staged fights at the opening faceoff. Fighting may have a place in the minor leagues where any gimmick is used to get fans in the arena. But in the NHL, which I admit is a niche sport, fighting should be saved for the rare occasions where a goalie is hit, or a cheap shot does occur. True hockey fans would much rather see a well played clean game every night.

Just another example to prove my point. In my opinion this is the order in best quality of hockey, and the order in which games I would most like to watch:

• Olympic Hockey

• College Hockey

• High-School Hockey

• NHL Hockey

Note that in the top three there is no fighting allowed. It's skill vs. skill which is the way it should be.

WCHA Final Five Quarterfinal Recap

Some of the best hockey you will see all year long takes place at the Xcel Energy Center with the WCHA Tournament.

Denver wins 3-2 in OT over Michigan Tech
Michigan Tech has usually been at the bottom of the WCHA, but made huge strides this year and found themselves at the X for only the 2nd time. They were able to play a very feisty game and keep up with the more talented Pioneers. Denver was the faster team, but Josh Robinson kept the Huskies in the game with a very impressive performance in net ending with 41 saves. Michigan Tech looks to be a program on the rise and will hopefully be able to build upon this impressive performance. Denver as usual has a lot of top end talent and their top 2 lines matchup against any in the country. Michigan Tech's defense played very conservatively and made Denver work for their scoring chances. Minnesota Wild prospect Jason Zucker was able to put a shot past Robinson just a few minutes into overtime to claim the victory for Denver.

North Dakota wins 4-1 over St. Cloud State
A much closer game than the final score indicates, this one was up for grabs going into the final few minutes before the Sioux scored 2 empty netters to clinch the victory. Coming in North Dakota needed a W to guarantee them a spot in the NCAA tournament and St. Cloud would need the automatic berth from winning the WCHA Tournament to prolong their season. Both goalies had solid games, but the defense in front of them stymied most chances. North Dakota played their typical physical game and wore down the Huskies with their depth.

The semi-finals on Friday should be some great games with the Bulldogs of Minnesota-Duluth taking on Denver in the afternoon game. At night the best rivalry in college hockey continues as the regular season champion Minnesota Gophers go against North Dakota. Be sure to tune in as these next two days of hockey are the best of the year.

March Madness Predictions

Final Four Picks

Here on the blog none of the contributors are exactly basketball aficionados. However we do like to think that we are “experts” no matter what sport it is. So this is where we try and prove who knows best. Or maybe with March Madness it will be who is the luckiest. Either way bragging rights are on the line.

Dr. Dangle's Picks:

Evil Empire's Picks:

The Godfather's Picks:

It looks like we are all very original when it comes to making our predictions. It must be the years of ESPN that have us so brainwashed as to only pick #1 and #2 seeds. Feel free to post your own picks in the comment section, and don't be afraid to tell us why you think that we are wrong. Or right, but most likely wrong.

Besse Boosts Benilde

Record setting night gives Benilde its first AA state title

Saturday night at the Xcel was a night for the record books. Grant Besse scored all five goals for Benilde and gave the Red Knights their third overall state championship. Besse took advantage of his speed and some opportunistic turnovers as he set the record for most goals scored in a championship game. Back in 1951 the great John Mayasich scored four goals for Eveleth in the championship game. Even more amazing is that Besse scored three shorthanded goals. A stubborn Hill-Murray power play was prone to giving up the breakaways which cost them in the end. A five minute major late in the game gave Hill-Murray another opportunity to pull the game close. It didn’t take long for that power play to turn into a penalty kill as the Pioneers took two costly penalties. In the end Benilde had too much offensive firepower and they peaked at the right time of the season. It was another memorable state tournament with a title game performance that will be talked about for years to come.

Kloos wins Mr. Hockey

Justin Kloos wrapped up an incredible senior season with a third place trophy and the Mr. Hockey Award. He finished the season with 103 points, the 10th highest total in state history. He tallied a point in all but one game this season. Not bad for a player who every other team’s main goal was to shut him down. I think we’re all looking forward to seeing him wear the maroon and gold for at least a couple of seasons.

It was a great season followed by a great tournament. I’m sad to see it end, and now we must transition to a month of college basketball. However, not too far down the road is the NCAA hockey tournament, followed by the NHL playoffs. There’s still plenty of more puck talk to come so check back here for future articles.

Private Affair

For the first time since 2002 we have an all private school final.

Friday Night Recap

One game went to overtime and one game should have gone to running time. Hill-Murray was outplayed in the first period, and then went on to dominate the last two periods. They even held Moorhead to one shot in the third period. Moorhead relied heavily on their goalie, but he could only slow down the Pioneers for so long.

The second semifinal game was over after the first 17 minutes, if not sooner. Benilde jumped out to an early five goal lead in the first and never looked back. Their top end talent was too much for Lakeville South to handle. The Cougars shocked Duluth East on Thursday night but couldn't seem to find that same energy again. They looked over-matched and couldn't capitalize on the few chances they had.

I have now picked every AA game incorrectly, let's see if I can stay consistent.

Championship Game Preview

This should be a well played and hard fought game. Both teams play solid fundamental hockey, but they also have plenty of talent up front. Each team has a Mr. Hockey Finalist and will look to them to get the scoring started. Depth is not an issue for either team and should lead to a fast pace all game long. Benilde is in the championship for the first time since 2001. It would be their third state title, but first one at the AA level. Hill-Murray is back in the title game after winning it all in 2008. This would be there fourth state championship, and second at the AA level.

This game almost feels like a coin flip. They have the same record going into this game at 25-6. They have both allowed three goals in their first two games at state. They played way back on Dec. 1^st at Hill-Murray where the Pioneers won 3-2. I see this game finishing in similar fashion. I would not be surprised if this games goes into extra time. For my first correct prediction of the tournament I'm going with the Pioneers in this game. Hill-Murray wins 4-3 in OT.

Follow up tomorrow with a Championship Game and State Tournament recap. Only 364 days until next year's tournament. We're already looking forward to it.

Breaking Down the Madness

Upset Alert!

As the hockey “expert” of this blog I have to admit that I’m almost speechless when it comes to yesterday’s action at the state tournament. I was 0-4 with my picks. To my credit I’m fairly positive that all four seeded teams have never lost in the first round. Many people had looked past some of the unseeded teams and apparently that happened on the ice as well.

In the most shocking upset Lakeville South beat top-seeded Duluth East 3-2 in a game that wasn’t even that close. Lakeville South’s speed and aggressive forecheck was no match for East. It disrupted their breakout and offensive rhythm. East never got going and it cost them dearly. It’s a disappointing end to a great regular season by the Greyhounds, but what ultimately matters is how you play at the Xcel.

The other three upsets all had the same feel. The seeded teams all appeared to play with arrogance and they all lacked intensity on the ice. It’s hard to say that they were lazy, but they were all outworked and it showed on the scoreboard. Solid goaltending also played a role and should lead to some very competitive semifinal matchups.

Game 1: Hill-Murray vs. Moorhead

Both of these teams looked very solid in the opening round. Hill-Murray capitalized on their chances while Moorhead played physical and shut down the offensive game of Eagan. It should be a solid back and forth game. Both teams played good fundamental hockey yesterday and neither of them try to be too fancy with the puck. In the end I think the physical play of Moorhead will wear down the Pioneers and put them into yet another state championship game. Moorhead wins 4-2.

Game 2: Lakeville South vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s

Lakeville South surprised everyone yesterday playing a very good game all around. They had solid goaltending and an opportunistic offensive style. They put a lot of pressure on East’s defense and capitalized on their chances. Benilde and Edina played a sluggish out of sync game for almost all 51 minutes. Benilde took advantage of a late turnover and scored the game winner with less than a minute remaining. I think that Lakeville South’s speed will be too much for the Red Knights defense. They should have plenty of confidence coming from last night’s win and will hopefully find themselves playing in the title game. Lakeville South wins 4-3.

Let’s hope the exciting action continues tonight. Again, feel free to make comments and post your own predictions. Check back again tomorrow for another recap and a preview of the championship game.

State Tournament Time!

Class AA State Tourney Preview

It's the best time of the year again and we're here to preview all of the action for you. Coming off some exciting and possibly less exciting section games we'll break down the match-ups and tell you who we think has a shot to win it all.

Thursday Games

Game 1: (2) Maple Grove vs. Hill Murray

Maple Grove is making their first ever trip to the State Tourney. They are coming off a 15-1 drubbing of Blaine and seem to have plenty of momentum going in. Hill Murray has been a solid team all season but hasn't shown anything spectacular. The Pioneers have been one of the most consistent programs in the state and they are making their 25^th appearance (including six of the last seven seasons). This game should be fairly entertaining but Maple Grove should have no problem moving on to the second round. MG wins 5-2.

Game 2: (3) Eagan vs. Moorhead

Eagan is making only their third trip to State, but they are coming off a very strong season and have some experience having taken 3^rd place at last year's tourney. They are a top heavy team and have a couple of players that will be moving on to play D1. Moorhead is making it's 13^th trip down to the cities but they are still seeking that elusive state title. They had a good season overall and bounced in and out of the top ten rankings. Eagan will have too much top end talent for the Spuds and I'm not sure that this game will be that close. Eagan wins 4-1.

Game 3: (1) Duluth East vs. Lakeville South

Duluth East will once again make the trek down I-35 to St. Paul. It will be their 19^th overall and fourth consecutive appearance at state. The Greyhounds flirted with perfection this season and finished the year with only one loss at Minnetonka back on Hockey Day in Minnesota. Last season East took 2^nd place at the tournament after a heartbreaking 3OT loss to Eden Prairie. They've been the number one team in state all season long and are hoping to make it official on Saturday night. Lakeville South looks to be the annual sacrificial lamb from Section 1AA. They are the only team in the tournament not ranked in the top 10. This is their second trip to the state tournament and they are once again facing an early exit. Justin Kloos is their only hope, but it won't be enough against the Hounds. Duluth East wins 7-3.

Game 4: (4) Edina vs. Benilde-St. Margaret's

This should be the most entertaining (i.e. most evenly matched) first round game. As crazy as it sounds Edina has been under the radar all season long. This will be the 23^rd time the Hornets have made it to state including six consecutive seasons under Curt Giles. They finished the season with only five losses and cruised through sections without much trouble. Benilde is making only their fourth ever appearance at state but they have one of the most impressive records in tournament history. In their three previous trips to state they have managed to win two championships and finish third. They are also coming off an emotional section championship upset of Minnetonka in which their beloved Jabs was able to rejoin the team and take the ice to celebrate. A touching moment, but not enough to get the Red Knights past the Hornets. Edina wins 4-3.

Yes I realize that I went out on a limb and did not pick any upsets. But with so many of the top teams playing well right now I just don't see any upsets happening. Benilde over Edina would not shock me, but I'm sticking with my picks.

Feel Free to post your own picks in the comments and check back for an update of each day's AA action.

Triple Crown Update

…and a rant about future pools in horse racing.

While we have a more extensive preview of this season’s Triple Crown in the works, some news from over the weekend just can’t wait.  Algorithms, seen as one of the favorites to win this year’s Kentucky Derby, is to undergo surgery and has been pulled from the Triple Crown trail this season.  He was set to race this past weekend in the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, but was a late scratch with what trainer Todd Pletcher said was a popped splint. 

The splint bones are two very slender, splinter-like bones that begin under the horse's knee and travel down the back of the cannon bone.  Splints are enlargements that can occur along the length of a horse's splint bones. These enlargements often referred to as the horse "popping a splint" because the splint bone looks larger on the leg, indicate that the area has been inflamed.

However, X-Rays Tuesday morning showed a fracture in one of these bones that will require surgery.  While Pletcher hopes it will involve minimal time off, he states the horse will definitely not race in this years Triple Crown.

Future Pools: A quick explanation on how the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool works.  It’s not the future bet you are likely used to, where a line is set by someone in Vegas and does not move, an example being the Yankees odds at 8/1 to win the 2012 World Series.  The Derby future pool is a Para mutual system just like that normally seen at a racetrack, where the odds reflect what has been bet by the public on each horse. Therefore, the first future pool is a reflection of what the public thinks during the time the pool is open, in this case the first pool was open from February 10-12^th. The next is March 2-4^th. The third is March 30^th to April 1^st.  So you may bet a horse at 20-1, but if many more bet on that horse the odds could fall, and you could be stuck with 8-1 odds, and that needs to be taken into account when making your wager. 

I believe there is really only one type of bet that should be made in this system so many months ahead of the race, and that is your long shot wager, the 25-1 and up.  The reason for this is there is just too much uncertainty this far ahead, horses have races left, in which they need to perform well, to even be considered to make the derby itself, let alone win. Algorithms is a perfect example of the risk associated with the future bet.  With multiple races left to the Kentucky Derby, horses can become injured in many ways, and while Algorithms has looked impressive in his 3 unbeaten starts, the 12-1 odds he got in the first future pool just are never strong enough odds for me to partake.  

Why Linsanity is Better Than Tebow Mania

And It Has Nothing To Do With His Race

Tim Tebow has never been an underdog. Dating back to his high school days he has been lauded as the next big thing and even called “The Chosen One” by some. He has won numerous awards at every level he has played at. He even had the act of taking a knee named after him. Let's be honest, we've all “Tebowed” at some point. This last NFL season everyone was talking about Tebow, love him or hate him. There were plenty of people on both sides, and there was no shortage of Tebow updates and news reports. As was pointed out in the previous article it got be ridiculous. He was shoved down our throats by basically every news outlet, not just the sports ones. Now we seem to have a similar situation with the ascension of Jeremy Lin. However, I'm going to point out how these two stories really have nothing in common, and why we should be buying in to the Linsanity.

In his junior year of high school Tebow was named Florida's Player of the Year. I'm not sure if you've heard, but Florida is a pretty good football state. Being name the top player as a junior is no small feat. Then in his senior season he led his team to the state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football, was a Parade magazine high school All-American, and repeated as Florida's Player of the Year. Oh and he also played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Every player that is invited to the game goes on to play major college football. I'd say that's one hell of a senior year.

After that Tebow moved on to the University of Florida, obviously a football powerhouse. As a freshman he played a limited but important role in helping the Gators win the BCS Championship. As a sophomore he burst onto the scene and broke records along the way. At season's end he was 1^st team All-SEC, 1^st team All-American, Davey O'brien Award winner (given to the best QB in the nation), Maxwell Award winner (given to the college player of the year) and he also won that Heisman Trophy thing. He put together possibly one of the best seasons ever in college football. In his junior year he put the Gators back on top. He finished 3^rd in Heisman voting, but in the end his Gators were once again BCS Champions. Tebow then surprised many people when he returned to Florida for his senior season. It wasn't his best season, but he still led his team to a Sugar Bowl win and marked his place in the college football record books.

Tebow was then drafted in the 1^st round (25^th overall) by the Denver Broncos. Many people thought this was a reach, but somebody obviously believed in him to take him that high. Anyone who is a 1^st round pick is not supposed to just contribute, they are supposed to be game-changing impact players. This season that it was Tebow became. He helped the Broncos make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. He's been a winner all of his life and will most likely continue to do so.

Now on to the real reason for this article, Jeremy Lin. This guy's story is simply amazing. Coming out of high school Tebow could have played college football wherever his heart desired. He was a top prospect who could play for anyone. Lin on the other hand had only two scholarship offers, Harvard and Brown. Ivy League schools don't allow athletic scholarships so he had to be able to fit in academically. Having a 4.2 GPA doesn't hurt. He put together a solid basketball career while at Harvard and twice was named All-Ivy League First Team. That's nothing to scoff at, but pales in comparison to any of the accolades and awards that Tebow was constantly winning.

Lin went undrafted out of college, not surprising to probably everyone but him. Kids who graduate from Harvard usually have no problem getting a job and making money. There hasn't been an NBA player from the Ivy League since 2003, and from Harvard since 1954. But Lin was determined to play basketball. He attended mini-camps and summer workouts and impressed a few people. He was only offered a contract from a reported four teams, and he eventually signed with Golden State. He went on to have a very lackluster season and only played in 29 games for the Warriors. The NBA lockout was not kind to Lin. He was not able to work out with the team's coaches and trainers and he knew his contract was not guaranteed for the upcoming season. He was cut on the first day of training camp.

Two days later he was claimed off waivers by the Houston Rockets to help fill an injury spot. Then before the start of the season the Rockets needed to clear cap room so they cut Lin on Christmas Eve.

Then three days after that the New York Knicks claimed Lin off waivers. They picked him up to be their 3^rd string point guard after a string of injuries. He was then sent to the D-League (the NBA's version of the minors) where he promptly put up a triple double. Three days later he was then called back up to the Knicks. New York considered releasing Lin just days before his contract would become guaranteed. Lucky for him they were in a slump and head coach Mike D'Antoni decided to give the kid a chance. He put up 25 points in his first game with New York and hasn't looked back since.

He has now led the Knicks to six straight wins including a 38 point night in a win over the Lakers. Last night he hit the game winning three with less than one second remaining to give the Knicks another win over the Toronto Raptors. The game was in Toronto and the crowd was going crazy. He has now set a record for the most points scored in the first five games as a starter. More than Jordan, more than Shaq, more than Iverson, more than anyone. His jersey is now the top selling jersey in the NBA. He is starting to become almost as popular as Tebow was during his season. Lin is even playing so well that Madison Square Garden stock is now at an all time high. Tickets to Knicks games are going for crazy prices because everyone wants to see him in action. He may not have all of the accolades and praise of Tebow, but it looks like Lin is well on his way. He has taken the nation by storm and it looks like he is here to stay.

It is still too early to tell if Lin is the real deal and if he will be able to take the Knicks anywhere in the playoffs. He is not even the best player on his own team (that argument can be saved for Amare and Carmelo). Lin is the best story in the NBA this year and it is pretty amazing to see all of the obstacles and challenges that he has overcome. Tebow has always been labeled as a winner and the next big thing. Not too many people doubted that Tebow could play football. Lin has been doubted everywhere. Now teams are kicking themselves for letting him go. Linsanity is here to stay so we might as well enjoy the ride.

Being Tebowed To Death

How I went from not minding Tebow, to loving Tebow, to hating Tebow…..in half a season

First of all I need to place a disclaimer before this article; in hopes the millions of Tebow minions don’t try to murder me. I don’t personally hate Tim Tebow, as everyone says he is a genuine guy, good football player (notice how I didn’t say good quarterback), and is just an all around groovy dude.  I get it.  My problem lies in how he is now perceived by the media, and not by his doing, but simply by over exposure and sensationalist ESPN that claims people can’t get enough so they are just giving people what they want. Well…I’ve had enough, case I point; while researching my “Motorsport Preview” article there were TWO, yes TWO, main articles in the NASCAR section of ESPN.com that involved Tim Tebow. Former NFL coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs said something along the lines of “I like the kid” which I guess is worthy of a story (key sarcasm now). In addition, Trevor Bayne (last years Daytona 500 winner) had a story on how he liked Tebow being strong in faith, or something along those lines. ENOUGH ALREADY, here is how it all happened.

Stage 1: When the season started and through the course of the first weeks of the season I brushed away any talk of Tim Tebow as a starter.  Not a lover of Kyle Orton, but not a hater either, I still thought he gave the Broncos the best chance to win.  I thought if the season started to go town the toilet that Timmy would get his shot and there would be some hype, he might even do alright, which would be fun to see. However, the thought of him as a starter was still just too far out of the realm of reality for me to take it seriously.  So like most people, I put up with the occasional ESPN articles and blog posts about his chances of starting, always with the same reaction best described as “meh, whatever”.

Stage 2: Tim Tebow, the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos….. (This is roughly where Twitter exploded), and I genuinely was intrigued by the idea that he could pull it off AND put up relatively good stats. I was so fascinated and caught into the hype I made him a member of my fantasy team when announced the starter….for better or worse as it wasn’t the greatest of fantasy seasons for yours truly. His winning continued, and really at that point you could understand the hype and constant information about him, “Tebowing” took off and there was another thing everyone was talking about. Somehow an action done by many people prior to the existence of Tebow was essentially trademarked, and it still didn’t bother me. The guy is winning, against all odds, hurray for him….and then it began…

"The Thinker" or Tim Tebow circa 1902?

Stage3: Season’s over numbskulls!  After a team and its players are out of the playoffs they should fall out of the limelight, right? I must have missed the headlines about other quarterbacks that lost, possibly overlooked a huge write up on how T.J Yates is “likely number 2 on the depth chart next season.”  "Well, I think Tim's earned the right to be the starting quarterback going into training camp next year," Elway said.  Annnnnnd Twitter re-explodes, along with my head.  Sportscenter has become 85% Tebow oriented regardless of the sport being covered, and I think to myself, “People really can’t be wanting more of this, not in the offseason.” However, based on the coverage I am apparently wrong.

I am not sure how I should feel anymore; you can’t just tune out the constant Tebow Mania if you want to follow sports. I am not sure if I should hope he gets injured (I would never wish harm on anyone, just saying) because we would still get bombarded, possibly more. “TEBOW TAKES 3 STEPS ON SHATTERED LEG, PROBABLE FOR NEXT WEEK’S GAME” Even if he plays poorly I don’t see it going away, I think we are all just going to have to embrace it…or write irate and ranting blog posts about it. Hey…now that doesn’t sound like a half bad idea.

2012 Motorsport Preview: PART 1

It’s that time of the year. Football season is winding to a close, basketball and hockey are reaching the midpoints of their seasons, and pitchers & catchers report in less than a month. That’s right ladies and gentleman, spring is nearly here and racing season is upon us once again.  In the upcoming weeks we will be providing you with all the information you will need to get caught up with the offseason changes of the major classes of motorsport before the kickoffs of the 2012 seasons. And there is a lot to cover, so lets begin.

Sprint Cup/Nationwide

Testing is underway at Daytona and there are a few main story lines to follow. While no major technical changes have been made for the season as a whole, there are a few changes in place for this year’s Daytona 500.  All the changes address the tandem racing we have seen at larger restrictor plate tracks, in which two cars hook up (with the 2^nd car literally pushing the first) and are quicker than any other combination. The teams adjusted last year to having the drivers communicate by radio to each other and having a single spotter between them, both of which are not allowed this season.  A smaller radiator size should ensure that the following car won’t be able to do so for too long before it needs to step out for fresh air without overheating. In addition, the restrictor plate openings have been increased to increase overall speed in hopes to break the car’s dependency on each other. This has resulted in the fastest speeds we have seen in years, with Kurt Busch posting the fastest lap time so far in testing at 206.058 mph average.

Other things to keep an eye out for (and things we will be addressing in future posts) is Tony Stewart’s chance of the repeat, Jimmy Johnson trying to win another title after not being crowned champion for the first time in what seems like forever, and Danica Patrick running a full Nationwide schedule with a limited Sprint Cup schedule.

Formula 1

Testing of Renault's new R30 Chassis

We are going to hold off on getting too in depth on the Formula 1 scene for now for a couple main reasons.  Testing doesn’t begin until February 7 in Jerez, which means we actually only know what a few team’s cars look like and what type of innovations they are carrying. If you aren’t familiar with F1, each team makes their own car from scratch each season.  Renault is one of the few teams that have shown off their car, but nearly all teams will unveil their 2012 machines leading up to the first test, with the exception of McLaren who state they wont release the new car until the 2^nd test at Barcelona, which seems to have become standard procedure for them. So when we know more we’ll let you know, but it should be another extremely interesting season as Sebastian Vettel goes for his 3^rd world title in a row, and Louis Hamilton tries to not crash into everything but the safety car.

 Izod Indycar Series

   

IRL's new 2012 Car

Without question this is probably the most important year of the series existence.  It is never easy for a series to move past the loss of a driver, but it becomes extraordinarily difficult when it is a situation as public, and graphic, as the loss of Dan Weldon at Las Vegas in last seasons final race.  As they move past the loss of one of their most popular drivers, they must also adapt to the loss of Danica Patrick who has left this season to join NASCAR.  Patrick brought in a broader fan base to Indycar, and it remains to be seen whether those fans will stay with the series, or follow Patrick over to stock car racing.  Finally, the series introduces a brand new car this season, a much safer, and drastically different looking car took the track in pre season tests for the first time on January 23, and the overall response from the drivers has been good. Although it is still unclear how they will be on oval tracks.  The Dallara DW12 cars, named after Dan Weldon who helped the manufacturer test the cars last season, has a body designed to prevent the horrific air born wrecks we have seen in recent years.

It should be a great season across all three series, stay tuned as we go more in depth as we approach the first races of the season.