It has been a busy weekend for sport, with 3 key matches coming to a close on a global scale:

Formula 1 - The Flying Fin - Kimi Raikonnen, pips British rookie Lewis Hamilton and last years champion Fernando Alonso in the final race at Interlagos, Brazil. Kimi had not lead the championship since the first race, however he finished with a phenominal 2nd half to the season and beat the feuding McClarens who drove themselves out of the points repeatedly during the final races in a bid to best each other.

MLB - the Boston Red Sox defeated Cleveland 11-2 in game 7 of the ALCS, firing them into the World Series. They scored and impressive 6 runs in the bottom of the 8th to clinch the victory.

Rugby World Cup - South Africa become world champions defeating England 15-6, amid the outcries of a “dubious” decision by the video referee that disallowed what appeared to be an England try, (which would have, at the time, cut the score from 9-3 to 9-8) the springboks captivated a dream world cup in which they cruised through the entire competition, and ending Englands dream of back to back world cups, and the opportunity to do so by winning 3 consecutive games as the underdogs (beating Australia in the 1/4 finals and home nation France in the semi’s)

In the NFL, the Patiots moved to 7-0 beating the Dolphins, who move to 0-7 for the first time in franchise history, this was made worse by the loss of offensive playmaker Ronnie Brown for the season.
The Cowboys bounced back from their defeat by the Pats to best the Vikings 24-14 and move to 6-1 heading into their bye week, the NFC East is now becoming a 2 horse race as the Giants moved to 5-2 beating the 49ers.
On Monday night the Colts came off of their own bye week and beat the Jaguars, it was almost like they hadn’t gone anywhere.

Its the week i most certainly have been waiting for, after all, being a big follower of American Football, i’ve never been to watch an NFL team play, and this Sunday, i will be sitting in the plush new seats at Wembley Stadium eagerly watching 1 1/2 decent teams play a regular season game, the New York Giants (1 team) “at” the Miami Dolphins (the 1/2 team…i don’t mean it as an insult, but without starting QB Trent Green and RB Ronnie Brown through injuries and trading away WR Chris Chambers, this year will be a struggle even to get a couple of wins, and i dont think any Dolfan will even try to pull me up on that one).

And finally, in tonights European Champions League:
Manchester United beat Dynamo Kiev 4-2, 2 Christiano Ronaldo goals lifted the Red Devils above the Ukrainians in a convincing win. Making Man Utd one of the few teams who have beaten Kiev at home in the Champions League.
Arsenal beat Slavia Prague 7-0, a margin of victory that suprised even big headed manager Arsene Wenger, with the young Theo Walcott playing supreme throughout, scoring two goals.
Rangers drew with Barcelona 0-0, while a 7-0 victory may be phenominal, the biggest kudos has to go to Scottish side Rangers, who not only managed to draw against easily one of the best teams in the world, but also came close several times to beating them.

Man Utd. and Arsenal are both topping their 4 team groups with 9 points each, but its Rangers who are the shock side at the moment in their own group currently 2nd with 7 points, joint with Barcelona. And while nobody has been able to score against Barca, Rangers have conceded once, and in a group with French side Lyon and Stuttgart, Rangers have every possibility of qualifying from the group stages.

Cody Paul, a name to remember perhaps?

As highlighted in a previous report, on Sunday British rookie Lewis Hamilton will be fighting for the F1 championship.
But before that, on Saturday, England will be taking on South Africa in the final of the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup. The two teams were in the same group at the start of the world cup, and in the previous match England were well and truly hammered by the springboks 36-0, but after hitting their form, dispatching the highly rated Aussie’s and the home side of France, they will be looking for a 3rd successive upset as they go in as the underdogs.

But, not only will they be going into the final with the memories of the loss from a month ago, and the pressure of being the first team to winback to back world cups, they will also be without Josh Lewsey, one of the standout wingers in rugby. He limped off during the first half against France and the England team doctor Simon Kemp has ruled him out after scans were taken of his leg, although nothing else has been said about the injury.

Lewsey, who was a member of the 2003 World Cup team that won the tournament, will remain in France with the squad. He also stated:
“I have done all i can, now is the time to get behind the team”

Regardless of injuries to the squad, come Saturday England will be facing a huge test against a side that has cruised almost effortlessly through the tournament, could we be seeing the fate of it all resting on Johnny Wilkinson’s left foot once again?

The answers to that question are obvious:

- Besides a major injury setback, the Pats will be coming out of week 9 with either home field advantage or the other advantage of knowing what the Colts may try should they meet again in the post-season.

- LT is not done yet, 4 TD’s and 198 yards rushing, while still being eclipsed by rookie Peterson’s numbers, it could be the start of something big for the future hall of famer. and i say future hall of famer for both LT and Peterson (he is THAT good).

- Defensive co-ordinators can’t prepare you for everything, all the tape available from the first 5 weeks, and despite missing any big kind of attacking prowess, Adrian Peterson still rolled over the Bears for 224 yards, and he did it behind a line that can’t be considered anywhere near the best in the league, while the Bears stacked up against him. And on the other side of the ball? They are STILL kicking to Hester, it’s simple, on kickoff’s give them the start on the 40, the Bear’s offense is inconsistent, look for turnovers. And on punt’s, give the ball to the crowd! just go for it on 4th and 21, its all better than just giving them an easy 7 points!

- Old dogs, new tricks? Of course im talking about Testaverde, 21 straight seasons with a TD, mind you, he is still more mobile than Drew Bledsoe ever was, but throwing for over 200 yards after only having a few days to get to know the offense is some going, kudos to you old man, kudos…

- If strange men offer you the cover of a certain game, turn it down. I am a firm believer of the Madden curse, so is Tomlinson, and he quickly turned down the offer to be on the cover of ‘08. Vince Young did not, and so far he has thrown only 3 TD’s but 6 interceptions, has a rating of 68.0 and for a mobile QB has only gone for 129 rushing, and then to top it off he hurt his quadriceps against the Bucs and sat out the rest of the game.

In 2 weeks time, the Giants and the Dolphins are headed to Wembley, and i was lucky enough to bag myself 4 tickets in the brief 90 minutes they were on sale before selling out, however, im hoping for something of an improvement in terms of the Dolphins before then. After all, being an Cowboys fan im hoping for fellow NFC East Giants to fall flat on their mini-Manning faces, and yes, i realise that happening is VERY unlikely, but i can dream, right?

I’ve also had a lot of people asking the same question:
Can the Browns make the playoffs?
NO, while they have had a great start (compared to last season) and are 3-3, they are in no way post-season hopefuls, at least not this season. The problems they had last year are still questionable, that of the defence and the offensive line, and while the O-line appears to be slightly better, they still have a ways to go. But the defence is as hole-ridden as ever, giving up over 30 points and 400 yards on average per game, what do you think will happen when they come up against LT and the Chargers or Brady and his receivers? Don’t get me wrong, offensively the Browns are moving the chains quite effectively and getting the points on the board equally so. And even though after week 9 i can see them being 5-3 (thanks to the injury riddled Rams and the one-sided Seahawks) they then have 2 tough game against the Steelers and the Ravens, two teams that can dominate the field with their D.

They are most definetly going to be battling for a wildcard spot, and with only 2 available, and the likes of the Jags and the Steelers/Ravens in the mix amongst others, it will be very hard to pull off.

In precisely 8 days time and 1 race, the Formula 1 season will be finished, and the title race is the closest it has been for years (the first time since 1986 there have been 3 drivers gunning for the championship in the final race).

Currently on top is British rookie and McClaren driver Lewis Hamilton, who could have taken the title last week, but in treachourous conditions, his tyres were worn so far that the canvas was showing, and when he pulled into the pits, he slid off under braking into the gravel trap immedietly outside the pits, and no amount of pushing from the Chinese stewards could move the beached car. This leaves Hamilton (107 points) going into the final race (Brazil) with “only” a 4 point lead, which means if he finishes 1st or 2nd, he will become the champion ahead of his team mate Fernando Alonso (103).
However, If Hamilton finished 3rd and Alonso wins, they will be tied on points however Alonso will have one more 1st place, and will take the title, there are dozens of other possibilities involving tied points, but anything other than the above scenario between those two will result in Hamilton taking the title thanks to him having one more 2nd place finish.

Then there is the outside chance, Kimi Raikonnen, aka the Flying Fin, and he has certainly lived up to that nickname in the latter half of the season. He currently stands at 100 points, so if Hamilton finishes 5th or better, or Alonso finishes 2nd, then Kimi is out. But the way the second half of the F1 season has gone so far, anything could happen.

A complete listing of all the possible finishes at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix.

The 2007 season has been faced with a lot of controversy, a lot has happened:

- Ferrari find a “suspicious” white powder in the fuel tanks of their cars, sabotage suspected, the problem is fixed and the seemingly slow Ferrari’s become an entirely new animal.

- Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso; Team “mates”, not something to take lightly, Hamilton has been with McClaren since a young age, being brought up through their youth advancement program under the wing of boss Ron Dennis. Hamilton drives well, and soon Spaniard and defending champion Fernando Alonso falls behind in the points, he claims that the team are showing favours towards Lewis, and that he cannot compete with a British driver with a British team. Ron Dennis states that the team are treating both drivers as equals (although most other teams do not do this).

- As Hamilton gets more and more distant, the McClaren garage becomes split, even with the drivers respective mechanics taking up on the rivalry, during a qualifying session, as both drivers come into for fresh tyres and a final run, after being waved to go, Alonso stays put in the pit box for several seconds before moving off, backing up Hamilton and forcing him to miss starting a hot lap by 4 seconds. Hamilton starts in 3rd thanks to setting an early quick lap, and Alonso is penalised 5 places by the FIA for the stunt.

- McClaren become excluded from the Constructor’s Championship; both McClaren and Ferrari officials find emails about car specifications, of the Ferrari cars, have been passed on, many emails and SMS messages are found, Ron Dennis hands all of them over to the FIA, and for his trouble the team get fined $100million and all of their points, once again Alonso is involved with this, shortly after it becomes known that Alonso threatened Dennis to go to the FIA. He also states that as a two-time champion, he deserves to be treated as the number 1 driver for McClaren, again, Dennis states he will not treat either driver differently.

-Alonso strikes out at the McClaren team yet again; Just last week, after qualifying 4th at China, he was quoted as saying:
“Each one has his own philosophy, he (Ron Dennis) has his, and we all understand it. I have spoken a lot with (David) Coulthard, with (Juan Pablo) Montoya, with Kimi (Raikkonen), and they have all left the team and found a lot of happiness. There must be a reason.”
While the amount of criticism from Alonso has died down somewhat towards the back end of the season, he still maintained he was being treated unfairly. However, for the final race of the season, the FIA have assigned a special scrutineer to ensure that neither driver will be treated indifferently in terms of car setup.

So right now, the speculation is that no matter what happens in the final race, Alonso will be leaving McClaren, the major possibility is that he returns to Renault, the team he won his championships with who have not performed that well this season. There is also a chance he will go to Ferrari, however with Felippe Massa and Kimi Raikonnen there, he will be hard pressed to gain a job. But the real pressing question still coming from fans is:
Will the FIA ever try to make the sport more interesting?
As many will testify (myself included) the F1 compared to other motorsports has become stale over the years, this is because the racing has all come down to who can build the better car. Every race, the same people are fighting for the podium, but its typically decided before a race by tactics and qualifying (especially true for the Hungaroring, where overtaking is near impossible). Everyone is pondering when, not if, the FIA will re-introduce slick only tyres, less aerodynamics, and get rid of all these qualifying rules involving running a car with its race fuel. Decisions like this have caused nothing but more boredom, and its obvious this season, with a majority of the time the 2 McClaren’s and 2 Ferrari’s finishing in the top 4, often by a lap or 2…

It’s week 6 of the NFL season, and everything has been turned upside down, at least, in the NFC it has…but first, the “big showdown”, the 5-0 Pats at the 5-0 ‘Boys, Only the 5th time in history that two teams at 5-0 or better have faced off, but whats making this headline news across the board is that of the receivers, or as everyone else has been talking about, the 81 showdown, T.O. vs. Moss.
T.O. struck first, after practice leaving a note on his locker, which read as follows:
“Dear Reporters,

“p.s. Getcha Popcorn Ready.”

Of course the “other 81″ he is referring to is Randy Moss, who is letting his stats do the talking as he currently leads the NFL with 34 receptions for 551 yards and 7 TD’s. and while T.O.’s numbers aren’t shabby, (21 receptions/387 yds/3 TD’s) he certainly isn’t letting the stats take his spotlight. But then there is the QB situation, or rather, the shoot-out situation, since this is how the match is shaping up to be (that could be down to the lacklustre pass defence of the Cowboys). Romo will be playing his 16th career start, and when compared to Tom Brady’s first 15 games, or anybodys for that matter, Romo is on fire, throwing for over 4,000 yards and having a rating over 100, but coming off a game in which he threw 5 interceptions and fumbled the ball, its going to require a big return to form to go against the current number 1 defence in the NFL. But we are looking at a team that has improved from last year, and they beat the 9-0 Colts.
My prediction: even i have to respect how well the Pats are playing right now and go against my fave team; Pats 38-21 Cowboys.

The other matchup worth noting is the AFC South clash between the Texans and the Jaguars, a critical game for both teams as it will be to challenge for the second spot in the South (does anybody really think the Colts can do anything BUT finish in 1st?). And while the Texans are finally getting back to full health, they will be looking to Matt Schaub to gain yards against a stout Jaguars D, who have only allowed 139 yards rushing in the last 3 games (although they did allow a massive 282 on the ground in week 1). That, or they will be looking once again to kicker Kris Brown to put the points on the board. It will be close, but i think the Jaguars D will come through once again; Texans 12-21 Jaguars

Suprise of the season so far? The Saints are currently 0-4, not a single person alive could have predicted that, after the finish they had last season, everybody was expected to see Drew Brees and Reggie Bush to continue their decimation streak right through to the NFC Championship. And who did everyone say they would face yet again?
That’s right, the Chicago Bears, who have been hit by a sudden loss of faith in the ever so slightly inconsistent Grossman, and they themselves have turned to backup Griese and are at a struggling 2-3. It will take a lot for them to turn the season around, but after a breakout week from Miami TE and first round pick Greg Olsen, could the Bears finally hit some form and claw their way back into contention? i say most definetly, their defense is still solid as is their special teams (led by the insanely untouchable Hester).

The Tigers and Mariners had the distinct advantage of knocking each other down some games since they played one another. While the Tigers won the first two of the three game series, the Mariners weren’t about to let the Tigers get one step closer to moving ahead of them (just behind the Yankees). Today, the Tigers lost 14-7, at Comerica Field. Felix Hernandez started for the Mariners and in actuality he really didn’t control the ball game. Hernandez gave up multiple runs and hits to the Tigers, but that didn’t seem to matter.

What did affect the game was the crappy pitching by the Tigers bullpen. It all started with Jeremy Bonderman, who has sucked as a pitcher this year. Leland needs to send him down to Erie to make him learn a thing or two. Of course, with the bull pen plagued with multiple injuries this year (Rogers, Miller, Zumaya), Bonderman was the go to guy because Leland had no choice but to make him one.

Unfortunately, whatever efforts Bonderman seemed to make had no effect and he was taken out before even completing two full innings (after giving up 5 runs and loading the bases). From there the pitchers kept coming in and out of the game. There was Grilli, Zumaya, and by the time Virgil Vasquez entered the game I had stopped counting who the pitchers were.

We can only hope that the rumors that Bonderman is injured this year are true and cross out fingers that fellow pitcher Nate Robertson doesn’t suck as bad as he has lately. Perhaps the Tigers will get their act together and make it to the playoffs after all. However, being 6 ½ games behind Cleveland doesn’t help and the Indians aren’t the Tigers only problem.

With the Yankees standing in the Tigers way for the Wild Card, Detroit really needs to worry about A Rod. The Yankees took a clean sweep against the KC Royals and it has been thanks to the sudden explosion in the amount of A-Rod home runs. Love him or hate him, Alex Rodriguez is a real threat to the Tigers and if he doesn’t get into a sudden slump and the Tigers cannot manage to win their next 4-5 games, its looking like Detroit will be watching the playoffs from the sidelines this year.

Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Pennant Race, Playoffs, Wild Card, Jeremy Bonderman

Ok, so my record is 0-1, but this week isn’t over yet. For some reason, Payton Manning had all the right moves and the Saints (even with the talent of Brees and Bush) just didn’t have what it took to take Manning down. This is just the first game of the season. Let’s hope it doesn’t foreshadow how the rest of the games will play out for the Saints this year.

This wasn’t just a win. This was a mess of a game. I hardly recognized the Saints in this game. Sure, the Colts won last year’s Superbowl, but it was a new year and in football who wins one year doesn’t necessarily reflect on how well they play the next. However, this opening game, in which the Colts won 41-10, seems to be the prelude to another season the Colts will dominate.

Detroit Wins Two, Hangs on In Race for Wild Card

While Detroit might not necessarily be aiming to win the Central Division of the AL’s spot in the playoffs, they are focusing on winning the Wild Card spot. With just the Yankees and Mariners in their way towards a wildcard win, Detroit really needed to win a few games. The second half of the baseball season, since the All-Star game, has been shaky enough for the Tigers to lose their place at the top of the Central Division to the Cleveland Indians, who have played exceptionally well in the last several weeks.

It was about time for Detroit to get some much needed wins under their belt. Luckily, they have won their last three, and if they play anything like they did this evening, they will win the entire three game series against Seattle. In their latest games, they have beaten Chicago twice (2-1 and 3-2), who had previously slaughtered the Tigers while they were on the road. However, the team managed to conjure up some magic while at home at Comerica Field. This evening, they sealed their third consecutive win against the Seattle Mariners.

The win was in large part due to the excellent pitching by Justin Verlander. Verlander was on fire, pitching through the 9th with a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th. The Tigers offense used the tight defense to their advantage, getting six runs and winning the game 6-1. Let’s hope they continue their winning streak.

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers, New Orelans Saints, Reggie Bush, Payton Manning, NFL, Indianapolis Colts, MLB

Despite other losses on the board, it was the 34-32 loss of Michigan that got the attention of sports fans and caused them to take the hardest hit. Most of the other teams failed to even move on the poll. Another team to fall off the rankings was number 19, Florida State. Their drop was due to the loss at Clemson (24-18). With Florida State out, Clemson moved in. Georgia Tech also made it into the Top 25 thanks to their win against Notre Dame (33-3), which almost made U of M’s loss look like nothing in comparison.

Unfortunately, Michigan is the first ranked team from I-A to lose to an I-AA team. Michigan will host a game against Oregon at home this Saturday.

Michigan, I-A, Top 25, AP Poll, Loss

I find that the hardest games to predict tend to occur during the first few weeks of the season. This does not take away from the fun that is involved in predicting each game. I’m going to try and explain my motivation for choosing each team. Anyone who wants to compete in the NFL prediction game can leave their predictions (with or without explanations) in the comment section. I look forward to seeing what teams everyone else will be predicting to win.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts

While the Colts made it to the Superbowl (and won) last year, the New Orleans Saints were last year’s underdogs turned superstars. This pre-season has shown the Saints still have what it takes to win a football game while the Colts have been nothing more than a disappointment (what gives Peyton?!). While I may be a bit biased in this selection, and I do believe this will be a close game, I have to go with my team on this one.

Winner: New Orleans Saints

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers

The pre-season has garnered similar results for the Eagles and the Packers. While these two teams seem to be evenly matched, I had more luck when choosing the Eagles last season then I did the Packers. In truth, I’m most definitely not a cheese head.

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans

This is one of my least favorite matchups of Week 1. The pre-season has the Texans as a better team than the Chiefs, but we all know that the pre-season has little to no effect on the main season. However, the Chiefs haven’t won any games at all so choosing them is a gamble. The Texans, on the other hand, had a pretty bad season last year and I did better when not choosing them. I’m going against my better judgment by choosing the team I have to win.

Winner: Houston Texans

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills

The pre-season has these two teams evenly matched. While I like the Bills better than the Broncos, experience would show that the Bills are not likely to win in this matchup. While I would love to pick the Bills to win (and would be happy to be wrong) this is all about who I think is going to win, not who I want to win.

Winner: Denver Broncos

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

Once again, this is a matchup I’m not fond of, due to the teams involved. I’m from Ohio and I was always more interested in the Bengals then the Browns. I find that you aren’t typically a fan of both, and after the little Ravens debacle some years back, I lost what little respect I had for the Browns. The pre-season shows us that the Steelers are ahead of the Browns by one game. That being said, I’m going to choose who I think will win, regardless of my personal feelings for both teams.

Winner: Cleveland Browns

Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams

The Panthers and the Rams are two teams I don’t mind. I’m neither fond of them nor do I dislike them. Pre-season play has shown that the Rams are a slightly better team than the Panthers. I’m going with my gut on this one, and choosing the team I believe is going to win in this matchup.

Winner: St. Louis Rams

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings

Even without Vick, the Falcons seem to be doing okay. The Vikings have had a decent pre-season, but Atlanta has proven that it is teamwork that can lead to a win, not an overpaid, criminal quarterback. In their last meeting, the Falcons beat the Vikings. Somehow, I believe history is going to be repeating itself.

Winner: Atlanta Falcons

New England Patriots at NY Jets

Tom Brady and his Patriots are taking on the first place (pre-season) NY Jets. While Brady’s personal life has been plagued by drama, it hasn’t seemed to carry onto the field. That being said, the NY Jets have a decent chance of winning. Still, the Patriots are, in my opinion, a better team overall.

Winner: New England Patriots

Miami Dolphins at Washington Redskins

The Dolphins haven’t had a truly good season in years. Not since the days of Dan Marino. The Redskins, while not my favorite team, seem to be evenly matched with the Dolphins. Still, I’m guessing that the Dolphins will balk under pressure.

Winner: Washington Redskins

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

This matchup is an easy prediction. I’m a Jaguars fan. The two teams have done equally as well during the pre-season. Last year, the Jaguars had a decent season while the Titans were just ok.

Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers

I’m not a Bears fan. Still they made it to the Superbowl last year thanks to Rex Grossman and his phenomenal teammates. On the other hand, I don’t really mind San Diego. Last year, both teams played exceptionally well so choosing a team for this game, is one of the most difficult choices for Week 1.

Winner: San Diego Chargers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks

If there is a game I won’t be watching, it is going to be this one. I don’t like the Seahawks. I have no opinion either way on Tampa Bay. The pre-season has both teams evenly matched. A sheer lack of enthusiasm for these two teams has me choosing the team I have by default.

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders

The Lions have surprised me this year. While they’re doing okay during the pre-season, the fact they have won any games after their pathetic play the last few years is a miracle unto itself. In Week 1, they are taking on the Raiders, who have matched their record in the pre-season. The Raiders haven’t had a truly good team since the 1990s. This match is a pretty decent one, with the potential to go either way.

Winner: Detroit Lions

NY Giants at Dallas Cowboys

My fiancée knows very little about pro football. When she liked a team, back in the day, it was because she liked their uniforms. This meant her team was the Dallas Cowboys. I don’t think she ever watched a game they played, but she did consider herself a fan! The NY Giants have a decent team, and so do the Cowboys. While I’m not one to choose a team for their uniforms, I think, for once, Ashtyn might have chosen the right team to win this game.

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Monday, September 10, 2007

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens are my least favorite team in the NFL. I’m glad they haven’t done as well as expected in the pre-season. I’ve heard them called the best team in the NFL this year, and while I disagree with that assessment, my dislike for the team has me choosing the team that was my favorite in childhood, to win.

Winner: The Cincinnati Bengals

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

This matchup is bleh in my opinion. What is good about either of these teams? Arizona was the only team worse than Detroit last season. The 49ers weren’t much better. While this matchup is fair, I think that Arizona still has a lot to learn about how to play football.

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Football, NFL, Game Predictions, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints