The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, provides madness every season with a new mid-major coming to rise after upsets or games that still keep fans sharing memories of how great they were. Along with the upsets and great games, individuals also rise to the occasion and make their draft stock rise and solidify their great college careers.
TOP 10 MARCH MADNESS GAMES OF THE DECADE
10. Vanderbilt 78, Washington St. 74(2OT) 2nd round, 2007
A six versus three matchup that was supposed to be a toss-up became an instant classic with a barrage of threes from the Commodores being the difference.
9. Michigan State 94, Kentucky 88 (2OT) Elite 8,2005
Two traditional powerhouses met up in this matchup with the winner advancing to the Final Four. In the end, Tom Izzo's Spartans took the win but fell short in the Final Four with UNC winning it all.
8. Siena 74, Ohio State 72(2OT), 1st round, 2009
In a game in which many experts predicted an upset, the Saints and Buckeyes put on a show in a game a lot of people did not see because of its afternoon start.
7. Oklahoma State 64, St. Joseph's 62, Elite 8, 2004
The Hawks were flying high in the 03-04 season going undefeated led by Jameer Nelson. But, in the Elite 8, the Hawks hit a road bump in the Cowboys and suffered their only loss of the season.
6. Syracuse 81, Kansas 78, Championship, 2003
This game was highlighted by Kansas' inability to score at the beginning of the second half and was the coming out party for Carmelo Anthony, who is one of the few one-and-done players to make a mark in their school's history before fleeing to the NBA.
5. Louisville 93, West Virginia 85 (OT), Elite 8, 2005
The Cardinals ended the magical run of Kevin Pittsnogle and the three-point shooting Mountaineers. After playing 2 overtimes just two days before, West Virginia ran out of gas in overtime and sent the Cardinals to the Final Four.
4. West Virginia 111, Wake Forest 105 (2OT), Sweet 16, 2005
The above mentioned Mountaineers came out on fire and so did the Demon Deacons. In a game that was a shootout from the start, the Mountaineers pulled off the upset in a thrilling sceond overtime.
3. Villanova 78, Pittsburgh 76, Elite 8, 2009
Scottie Reynolds. A name that will haunt Pitt fans for years and a name that will live in Villanova history. At the end of a hard fought game between the Big East rivals, Reynolds drove across the floor after taking the in-bound pass and made a layup with time expiring.
2. Arizona 96, Gonzaga 95 (2OT), 2nd round, 2003
One of the most exciting games in tournament history went back and forth for the last ten minutes of regulation, the first overtime, and the second overtime. By the end of the game everyone watching the game and those in Salt Lake City knew they had just witnessed an instant classic.
1. Kansas 75, Memphis 68, Championship, 2008
Memphis' inability to make free throws kept the Jayhawks in the game during the second half and led to Mario Chalmers' three-pointer to end regulation. Once overtime began, Kansas took the momentum from Chalmers' shot and ran with it to win the 2008 title.
TOP 10 UPSETS OF THE DECADE
10. (12) Manhattan over (5) Florida, 1st round, 2004
9. (13) Bradley over (4) Kansas, 1st round, 2006
8. (13) Vermont over (4) Syracuse, 1st round, 2005
7. (14) Bucknell over (3) Kansas, 1st round, 2005
6. (10) Kent State over (3) Pittsburgh, Sweet 16, 2002
5. (10) Davidson over (3) Wisconsin, Sweet 16, 2008
4. (11) George Mason over (3) UNC, 2nd round, 2006
3. (14) Northwestern St. over (3) Iowa, 1st round, 2005
2. (15) Hampton over (2) Iowa State, 1st round, 2001
1. (11) George Mason over (1) UCONN, Elite 8, 2006
TOP 10 PLAYERS OF THE DECADE
10. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
9. T.J. Ford, Texas
8. J.J. Redick, Duke
7. Stephon Curry, Davidson
6. Kevin Durant, Texas
5. Shane Battier, Duke
4. Emeka Okafor, UCONN
3. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
2. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
1. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Top World Cup Moments of the Decade
Soccer's biggest international competition was played only twice this decade but gave soccer fans some great memories and a headbutt seen around the world.
10. Roy Keane sent home days before 2002 World Cup
Ireland's captain was back home from Korea days before the World Cup. Ireland advanced past the group stage and who knows if they would have gone farther with their captain and emotional leader on the pitch.
9. United States shock run to quarterfinals in 2002.
The American team was thought have a chance at advancing to the group stage but the '02 team did a lot more than that. In the opener, they beat Portugal 3-2, then in the round of 16 beat rivals Mexico 2-0, and then played a great game against Germany that still to this day is controversial.
8. Germany's 8-0 victory over Saudi Arabia
The Germans put a whooping on the Saudis in the group stage and carried that momentum all the way to the final, losing to Brazil.
7. Italy-United States 1-1 draw in 2006
In one of the worst officiated games in recent soccer history, the United States scrapped with the Azzurri for a draw after Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope were sent off for calls that were not even worthy of yellow cards.
6. Klose's 2 goals help Germany open World Cup at home
Miroslav Klose got the 2006 World Cup off to a bang in Germany's 4-1 win over Poland. The Bayern Munich striker hit the opener and third goal for the home side.
5. Brazil wins 2002 World Cup
The 2002 World Cup was filled with unexpected runs deep into the tournament by lower ranked nations but the number one team in the world came through beating Germany 2-0 in the final.
4. Maxi Rodriguez's game winner against Mexico
The goal of the tournament in 2006 advanced Argentina into the quarterfinals. Rodriguez controlled the ball with his chest and sailed the ball into the left corner of the goal in extra time.
3. Shootouts galore in Germany
Four matches in the knockout rounds, including the France-Italy final, went to shootouts. With at least one in each knockout round, the World Cup provided even more excitement with drama a shootout brings.
2. South Korea advances to semifinals
In the biggest shocker of the 2002 World Cup, co-hosts South Korea went on a magical run beating Italy and Spain in the first two knockout rounds before losing to Germany in the semis.
1. Zinedine Zidane headbutts Marco Materazzi
In the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin, Zidane said after the match that Materazzi said something about his sister and that is why his head found Materazzi's chest and ended up in a red card that cost France the World Cup.
10. Roy Keane sent home days before 2002 World Cup
Ireland's captain was back home from Korea days before the World Cup. Ireland advanced past the group stage and who knows if they would have gone farther with their captain and emotional leader on the pitch.
9. United States shock run to quarterfinals in 2002.
The American team was thought have a chance at advancing to the group stage but the '02 team did a lot more than that. In the opener, they beat Portugal 3-2, then in the round of 16 beat rivals Mexico 2-0, and then played a great game against Germany that still to this day is controversial.
8. Germany's 8-0 victory over Saudi Arabia
The Germans put a whooping on the Saudis in the group stage and carried that momentum all the way to the final, losing to Brazil.
7. Italy-United States 1-1 draw in 2006
In one of the worst officiated games in recent soccer history, the United States scrapped with the Azzurri for a draw after Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope were sent off for calls that were not even worthy of yellow cards.
6. Klose's 2 goals help Germany open World Cup at home
Miroslav Klose got the 2006 World Cup off to a bang in Germany's 4-1 win over Poland. The Bayern Munich striker hit the opener and third goal for the home side.
5. Brazil wins 2002 World Cup
The 2002 World Cup was filled with unexpected runs deep into the tournament by lower ranked nations but the number one team in the world came through beating Germany 2-0 in the final.
4. Maxi Rodriguez's game winner against Mexico
The goal of the tournament in 2006 advanced Argentina into the quarterfinals. Rodriguez controlled the ball with his chest and sailed the ball into the left corner of the goal in extra time.
3. Shootouts galore in Germany
Four matches in the knockout rounds, including the France-Italy final, went to shootouts. With at least one in each knockout round, the World Cup provided even more excitement with drama a shootout brings.
2. South Korea advances to semifinals
In the biggest shocker of the 2002 World Cup, co-hosts South Korea went on a magical run beating Italy and Spain in the first two knockout rounds before losing to Germany in the semis.
1. Zinedine Zidane headbutts Marco Materazzi
In the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin, Zidane said after the match that Materazzi said something about his sister and that is why his head found Materazzi's chest and ended up in a red card that cost France the World Cup.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Best of Decade- College Bowls
The college football bowl season is one of the most exciting times of every year, and it provides us with games and moments that make players' careers and help rise their draft stock.
TOP 10 BOWL GAMES OF THE DECADE
10. 2005 Hawai'i Bowl: Nevada 49, UCF 48 (OT)
In a shootout that went to overtime, Knights kicker Matt Prater missed the PAT in overtime to give the Wolfpack a win and to send the Knights home on a even longer flight back to Orlando.
9. 2006 Orange Bowl: Penn State 26, Florida State 23 (3OT)
In a matchup of coaching legends, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden, the two teams played a game for the ages won by a Kevin Kelly field goal.
8. 2009 New Mexico Bowl: Wyoming 35, Fresno State 28 (OT)
The most recent game on the list opened the 2009-10 bowl season with a bang. Austyn Carta-Samuels led the Cowboys to a 14 point fourth quarter and with two goalline stands by the defense, Wyoming upset the Bulldogs.
7. 2000 Independence Bowl: Mississippi State 43, Texas A&M 41 (OT)
Snow in Shreveport in December helped make this game memorable. A blocked PAT returned for a safety and a 7-yard Wayne Madkin run gave the Bulldogs the overtime win.
6. 2006 Sugar Bowl: West Virginia 38, Georgia 35
Led by Pat White and Steve Slaton, the Mountaineers gave the Big East their biggest win in conference history. After losing Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College to the ACC, West Virginia raised the Big East's profile to where it is now.
5. 2006 Insight Bowl: Texas Tech 44, Minnesota 41(OT)
In the biggest comeback in bowl history, the Red Raiders led by Graham Harrell, were down by 28 points at halftime and came back to tie the game at 38 and force overtime. In overtime, after a Gophers' field-goal, Shannon Woods ran in to the endzone from 7 yards out and solidified the biggest comeback in college bowl history.
4. 2001 GMAC Bowl: Marshall 64, East Carolina 61 (2OT)
The game featured two future NFL quarterbacks in Byron Leftwich for Marshall and the Pirates' David Garrard. The game in Mobile became the highest scoring bowl game in college football history. Down 38-8 at halftime, the Herd fought back behind Leftwich and won.
3. 2003 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 31 Miami 24 (2OT)
Ohio State won the national championship on a Maurice Clarett touchdown run that ended the Hurricanes' dominance in college football. The tide of the game changed when Willis McGahee injured his knee in the fourth quarter and took with it the chances of Miami winning.
2. 2006 Rose Bowl: Texas 41, USC 38
Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Steve Smith, Jamaal Charles, Michael Huff. All of these players that are currently in the NFL played in this historic game that gave the Longhorns a national championship, marked by Vince Young's touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
1. 2007 Fiesta Bowl: Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (OT)
Hook and ladder for a touchdown, a wide receiver throwing a touchdown pass, statue of liberty on a two-point conversion to win the game and a marraige proposal. Those all happened in the last minute of the fourth quarter and in overtime that cemented the Broncos' place among college football's elite.
TOP 10 BOWL MOMENTS OF THE DECADE
10. Nebraska beats Northwestern 66-17 in 2000 Alamo
9. Utah beats Pitt for first Mt. West win in BCS Game
8. Joe Paterno v. Bobby Bowden in 2006 Orange
7. Austyn Carta-Samuels leads Wyoming to comeback win.
6. Tebow wins second title with Urban Meyer.
5. Utah beats Alabama in Sugar Bowl.
4. Maurice Clarett's winning touchdown.
3. Boise State "Statue of Liberty" on 2-point conversion.
2. Vince Young's TD run against USC.
1. Boise State Hook and Ladder Touchdown.
TOP 10 BOWL GAMES OF THE DECADE
10. 2005 Hawai'i Bowl: Nevada 49, UCF 48 (OT)
In a shootout that went to overtime, Knights kicker Matt Prater missed the PAT in overtime to give the Wolfpack a win and to send the Knights home on a even longer flight back to Orlando.
9. 2006 Orange Bowl: Penn State 26, Florida State 23 (3OT)
In a matchup of coaching legends, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden, the two teams played a game for the ages won by a Kevin Kelly field goal.
8. 2009 New Mexico Bowl: Wyoming 35, Fresno State 28 (OT)
The most recent game on the list opened the 2009-10 bowl season with a bang. Austyn Carta-Samuels led the Cowboys to a 14 point fourth quarter and with two goalline stands by the defense, Wyoming upset the Bulldogs.
7. 2000 Independence Bowl: Mississippi State 43, Texas A&M 41 (OT)
Snow in Shreveport in December helped make this game memorable. A blocked PAT returned for a safety and a 7-yard Wayne Madkin run gave the Bulldogs the overtime win.
6. 2006 Sugar Bowl: West Virginia 38, Georgia 35
Led by Pat White and Steve Slaton, the Mountaineers gave the Big East their biggest win in conference history. After losing Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College to the ACC, West Virginia raised the Big East's profile to where it is now.
5. 2006 Insight Bowl: Texas Tech 44, Minnesota 41(OT)
In the biggest comeback in bowl history, the Red Raiders led by Graham Harrell, were down by 28 points at halftime and came back to tie the game at 38 and force overtime. In overtime, after a Gophers' field-goal, Shannon Woods ran in to the endzone from 7 yards out and solidified the biggest comeback in college bowl history.
4. 2001 GMAC Bowl: Marshall 64, East Carolina 61 (2OT)
The game featured two future NFL quarterbacks in Byron Leftwich for Marshall and the Pirates' David Garrard. The game in Mobile became the highest scoring bowl game in college football history. Down 38-8 at halftime, the Herd fought back behind Leftwich and won.
3. 2003 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 31 Miami 24 (2OT)
Ohio State won the national championship on a Maurice Clarett touchdown run that ended the Hurricanes' dominance in college football. The tide of the game changed when Willis McGahee injured his knee in the fourth quarter and took with it the chances of Miami winning.
2. 2006 Rose Bowl: Texas 41, USC 38
Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Steve Smith, Jamaal Charles, Michael Huff. All of these players that are currently in the NFL played in this historic game that gave the Longhorns a national championship, marked by Vince Young's touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
1. 2007 Fiesta Bowl: Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (OT)
Hook and ladder for a touchdown, a wide receiver throwing a touchdown pass, statue of liberty on a two-point conversion to win the game and a marraige proposal. Those all happened in the last minute of the fourth quarter and in overtime that cemented the Broncos' place among college football's elite.
TOP 10 BOWL MOMENTS OF THE DECADE
10. Nebraska beats Northwestern 66-17 in 2000 Alamo
9. Utah beats Pitt for first Mt. West win in BCS Game
8. Joe Paterno v. Bobby Bowden in 2006 Orange
7. Austyn Carta-Samuels leads Wyoming to comeback win.
6. Tebow wins second title with Urban Meyer.
5. Utah beats Alabama in Sugar Bowl.
4. Maurice Clarett's winning touchdown.
3. Boise State "Statue of Liberty" on 2-point conversion.
2. Vince Young's TD run against USC.
1. Boise State Hook and Ladder Touchdown.
Best of Decade- World Series
As with my post about the Super Bowl, the World Series has only had ten series but there have been many moments worthy of talking about.
TOP 10 WORLD SERIES OF THE DECADE
10. 2005: White Sox 4, Astros 0
The White Sox came out of nowhere and the Astros did not come out to play in this lackluster World Series that solidified Ozzie Guillen's hold on the White Sox managerial position.
9. 2006: Cardinals 4, Tigers 1
In another battle of Central Division teams, the Cardinals easily won the World Series behind Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols and MVP David Eckstein.
8. 2007: Red Sox 4, Rockies 0
The Rockies' magical march to the World Series was halted by the complete domination of the Red Sox, one of only two teams to win two titles this decade.
7. 2003: Marlins 4, Yankees 2
This series was marked by Josh Beckett's Game 6 shutout to clinch in Yankee Stadium. This gave the Marlins their second championship in six years after coming into existence ten years before their second title. After this, as is tradition for the Marlins, the fire sale began, again.
6. 2004: Red Sox 4, Cardinals 0
The Red Sox's curse was broken in dominating fashion. After coming back from 3-0 down to beat the Yankees in the ALCS, this series was way too easy for the Sox to win.
5. 2000: Yankees 4, Mets 1
The Subway Series provided lots of intrigue with the cross-town rivals going at it but the Yankees proved to be the better side and brought their 26th title to the Bronx.
4. 2008: Phillies 4, Rays 1
The whole city of Philadelphia rejoiced when Brad Lidge got the final out in the three day Game 5 that finally ended on a strikeout by the perfect Lidge.
3. 2009: Yankees 4, Phillies 2
Title #27 was won by the Yankees in a series that was well worth the hype and it lived up to it with the bats of both teams being predicted to be the deciding factor, but C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett, and Mariano Rivera proved to be the headliners in this series.
2. 2002: Angels 4, Giants 3
In one of the two seven-game series of the decade, many stories were headlining the hype going in, Barry Bonds chance to win a title, the hard-throwing phenom known as K-Rod, and of course the Rally Monkey. After being blown out 16-4 in Game 5, the Angels won the two following games to clinch the title.
1. 2001: Diamondbacks 4, Yankees 3
In the first World Series since September 11th, the series was filled with emotion. Byung-Hyun Kim blew two saves at Yankee Stadium in Games 4 and 5. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling earned co-MVPs going 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA combined but this series will be forever remembered by Luis Gonzalez's walk-off single in Game 7.
TOP 10 WORLD SERIES MOMENTS OF THE DECADE
10. Boston's sweep in 2007 to win 2nd title in 4 years.
9. Anaheim winning in 2002, popularity of Rally Monkey.
8. Byung-Hyun Kim's collapse in Yankee Stadium twice.
7. Yankees open new stadium with 27th title.
6. Geoff Blum HR in 14th inning of Game 3.
5. Roger Clemens/Mike Piazza bat incident.
4. Beckett shutout to clinch WS in Yankee Stadium
3. Red Sox curse broken.
2. 3-day Game 5 ends with Phillies championship.
1. Luis Gonzalez walk-off single in Game 7 in 2001.
TOP 10 WORLD SERIES OF THE DECADE
10. 2005: White Sox 4, Astros 0
The White Sox came out of nowhere and the Astros did not come out to play in this lackluster World Series that solidified Ozzie Guillen's hold on the White Sox managerial position.
9. 2006: Cardinals 4, Tigers 1
In another battle of Central Division teams, the Cardinals easily won the World Series behind Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols and MVP David Eckstein.
8. 2007: Red Sox 4, Rockies 0
The Rockies' magical march to the World Series was halted by the complete domination of the Red Sox, one of only two teams to win two titles this decade.
7. 2003: Marlins 4, Yankees 2
This series was marked by Josh Beckett's Game 6 shutout to clinch in Yankee Stadium. This gave the Marlins their second championship in six years after coming into existence ten years before their second title. After this, as is tradition for the Marlins, the fire sale began, again.
6. 2004: Red Sox 4, Cardinals 0
The Red Sox's curse was broken in dominating fashion. After coming back from 3-0 down to beat the Yankees in the ALCS, this series was way too easy for the Sox to win.
5. 2000: Yankees 4, Mets 1
The Subway Series provided lots of intrigue with the cross-town rivals going at it but the Yankees proved to be the better side and brought their 26th title to the Bronx.
4. 2008: Phillies 4, Rays 1
The whole city of Philadelphia rejoiced when Brad Lidge got the final out in the three day Game 5 that finally ended on a strikeout by the perfect Lidge.
3. 2009: Yankees 4, Phillies 2
Title #27 was won by the Yankees in a series that was well worth the hype and it lived up to it with the bats of both teams being predicted to be the deciding factor, but C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett, and Mariano Rivera proved to be the headliners in this series.
2. 2002: Angels 4, Giants 3
In one of the two seven-game series of the decade, many stories were headlining the hype going in, Barry Bonds chance to win a title, the hard-throwing phenom known as K-Rod, and of course the Rally Monkey. After being blown out 16-4 in Game 5, the Angels won the two following games to clinch the title.
1. 2001: Diamondbacks 4, Yankees 3
In the first World Series since September 11th, the series was filled with emotion. Byung-Hyun Kim blew two saves at Yankee Stadium in Games 4 and 5. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling earned co-MVPs going 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA combined but this series will be forever remembered by Luis Gonzalez's walk-off single in Game 7.
TOP 10 WORLD SERIES MOMENTS OF THE DECADE
10. Boston's sweep in 2007 to win 2nd title in 4 years.
9. Anaheim winning in 2002, popularity of Rally Monkey.
8. Byung-Hyun Kim's collapse in Yankee Stadium twice.
7. Yankees open new stadium with 27th title.
6. Geoff Blum HR in 14th inning of Game 3.
5. Roger Clemens/Mike Piazza bat incident.
4. Beckett shutout to clinch WS in Yankee Stadium
3. Red Sox curse broken.
2. 3-day Game 5 ends with Phillies championship.
1. Luis Gonzalez walk-off single in Game 7 in 2001.
Best of Decade- Super Bowl
After having my face inside of ESPN Almanacs from 2000-2009, I have come up with many best of decade lists. Today, I will start with the Super Bowl.
TOP 10 SUPER BOWLS
There have only been 10 Super Bowls but that is enough to make a list. So here it is.
10. SB XXXV Ravens 34, Giants 7
The Giants simply did not show up and the Ravens led by their defense and Trent Dilfer won easily in the worst Super Bowl of the decade.
9. SB XXXVII Buccaneers 48, Raiders 21
The Bucs played an amazing game with Dexter Jackson winning the MVP with 2 interceptions in the game in which Jon Gruden got revenge on his old team, which was literally old led by Rich Gannon.
8. SB XLI Colts 29, Bears 17
Like the game above at number nine, the Colts were the dominant team in this game and the Bears had no shot from the beginning. This also gave Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy a ring to validate their domination in the AFC.
7. SB XL Steelers 21, Seahawks 10
In a game that was marred by officiating catastophe, if you were rooting for Seattle day. Pittsburgh got one for the thumb and for Jerome Bettis who returned to his hometown of Detroit and won his only ring.
6. SB XXXIX Patriots 24, Eagles 21
Philadelphia finally made it to the Super Bowl and got a superb performance from Terrell Owens but the Patriots dynasty continued with their last of three titles in four years.
5. SB XXXVIII Patriots 32, Panthers 29
This game will always be known for its halftime show (Janet Jackson) more than the game. The game was a contest throughout with the game ending in a familiar scene, Adam Vinatieri with a game-winning field goal.
4. SB XXXVI Patriots 20, Rams 17
In the first Super Bowl after September 11th, it was fitting that the Patriots would win the game. Mostly of all of the nation that was neutral was rooting for New England. The game ended with an Adam Vinatieri game-winning field goal that became a familiar sight throughout the next few years.
3. SB XXXIV Rams 23, Titans 16
In the first Super Bowl of the decade, The Greatest Show on Turf faced a team that needed a Music City Miracle to help them get to the Georgia Dome. The high-powered offense of the Rams did not provide the lasting moment of the game, LB Mike Jones did by tackling Kevin Dyson at the one yard line with time expiring.
2. SB XLII Giants 17, Patriots 14
The Patriots rolled into this game at 18-0, the Giants were by far the underdogs but that did not matter. Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field and hit David Tyree to set up a Lawrence Tynes field goal to win the game.
1. SB XLIII Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
Kurt Warner returned to the Super Bowl on a surprise Arizona team that gave Pittsburgh a good fight but Santonio Holmes stole the show with catch in the back right corner of the endzone scoring the game winning touchdown.
TOP 10 SUPER BOWL MOMENTS
10. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy win their 1st Super Bowl
9. Jerome Bettis wins SB XL in hometown, Detroit
8. Vinatieri GW FG against Panthers
7. Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward TD pass.
6. Dexter Jackson's 2 INT, one for a TD
5. Vinatieri's GW FG against Rams
4. James Harrison INT return
3. David Tyree's catch
2. Mike Jones stops Kevin Dyson at goal line.
1. Santonio Holmes' GW TD catch.
TOP 10 SUPER BOWLS
There have only been 10 Super Bowls but that is enough to make a list. So here it is.
10. SB XXXV Ravens 34, Giants 7
The Giants simply did not show up and the Ravens led by their defense and Trent Dilfer won easily in the worst Super Bowl of the decade.
9. SB XXXVII Buccaneers 48, Raiders 21
The Bucs played an amazing game with Dexter Jackson winning the MVP with 2 interceptions in the game in which Jon Gruden got revenge on his old team, which was literally old led by Rich Gannon.
8. SB XLI Colts 29, Bears 17
Like the game above at number nine, the Colts were the dominant team in this game and the Bears had no shot from the beginning. This also gave Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy a ring to validate their domination in the AFC.
7. SB XL Steelers 21, Seahawks 10
In a game that was marred by officiating catastophe, if you were rooting for Seattle day. Pittsburgh got one for the thumb and for Jerome Bettis who returned to his hometown of Detroit and won his only ring.
6. SB XXXIX Patriots 24, Eagles 21
Philadelphia finally made it to the Super Bowl and got a superb performance from Terrell Owens but the Patriots dynasty continued with their last of three titles in four years.
5. SB XXXVIII Patriots 32, Panthers 29
This game will always be known for its halftime show (Janet Jackson) more than the game. The game was a contest throughout with the game ending in a familiar scene, Adam Vinatieri with a game-winning field goal.
4. SB XXXVI Patriots 20, Rams 17
In the first Super Bowl after September 11th, it was fitting that the Patriots would win the game. Mostly of all of the nation that was neutral was rooting for New England. The game ended with an Adam Vinatieri game-winning field goal that became a familiar sight throughout the next few years.
3. SB XXXIV Rams 23, Titans 16
In the first Super Bowl of the decade, The Greatest Show on Turf faced a team that needed a Music City Miracle to help them get to the Georgia Dome. The high-powered offense of the Rams did not provide the lasting moment of the game, LB Mike Jones did by tackling Kevin Dyson at the one yard line with time expiring.
2. SB XLII Giants 17, Patriots 14
The Patriots rolled into this game at 18-0, the Giants were by far the underdogs but that did not matter. Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field and hit David Tyree to set up a Lawrence Tynes field goal to win the game.
1. SB XLIII Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
Kurt Warner returned to the Super Bowl on a surprise Arizona team that gave Pittsburgh a good fight but Santonio Holmes stole the show with catch in the back right corner of the endzone scoring the game winning touchdown.
TOP 10 SUPER BOWL MOMENTS
10. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy win their 1st Super Bowl
9. Jerome Bettis wins SB XL in hometown, Detroit
8. Vinatieri GW FG against Panthers
7. Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward TD pass.
6. Dexter Jackson's 2 INT, one for a TD
5. Vinatieri's GW FG against Rams
4. James Harrison INT return
3. David Tyree's catch
2. Mike Jones stops Kevin Dyson at goal line.
1. Santonio Holmes' GW TD catch.
College Bowl Preview (December 28-30)
With six bowl games being played in the next three days from Shreveport to Boise, the next three days will provide college football fans with plenty of excitement. Two bowls (Holiday, Champs Sports) boast games between ranked opponents. Other games will showcase great talents like Case Keenum and Freddie Barnes who are not familiar names to the casual fan but will be at the end of their respective bowl games. So, here are the predictions:
Tuesday, December 28
Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA, 5:00, ESPN2)
Texas A&M v. Georgia
Mark Richt's Bulldogs have struggled this season and were relegated to a trip to Shreveport instead of Tampa or Atlanta. The Bulldogs do have some momentum going into Shreveport after beating Georgia Tech in their final game of the regular season, 30-24. The Aggies are lead by an exciting playmaker in QB Jerrod Johnson, who threw for 342 yards and ran for 97 more in the almost upset of Texas on Thanksgiving.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 34, Georgia 16
Wednesday, December 29
EagleBank Bowl (Washington, DC, 4:30, ESPN)
UCLA v. Temple
Temple is in its first bowl game since the 1979 Garden State Bowl. UCLA got into this bowl by an Army loss to Navy. Temple will have tons more motivation to win than the Bruins. Al Golden has done a tremendous job with the Owls football program and Rick Neuheisel is getting there with the Bruins. But, the Bruins are making their first East Coast trip since 1998 and will not be motivated to play in a game that they should not deserve to be in.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
PREDICTION: Temple 20, UCLA 6
Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, 8:00, ESPN)
(15) Miami v. (25) Wisconsin
In the first of two ranked matchups to end the decade, the Hurricanes should have no problem sending the Badgers back to Madison with a loss as long as their run defense stops RB John Clay,who has run for 16 touchdowns this season. Hurricanes' QB Jacory Harris will look to this game to be a springboard into the offseason and into next year in which he could be a Heisman contender.
PLAYER TO WATCH: John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
PREDICTION: Miami 26-23
Wednesday, December 30
Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, 4:30, ESPN)
Bowling Green v. Idaho
The Vandals have the home state advantage and will travel well with a little above 300 miles to travel. To win the game for the home fans from Moscow, the Vandals need travel well against WR Freddie Barnes, who is third in the nation in receiving. QB Tyler Sheehan will have connect with Barnes just like the first 138 times they have this season for the Falcons to pull off the win.
Player to Watch: Freddie Barnes, WR, Bowling Green
Prediction: Bowling Green 45, Idaho 35
Holiday Bowl (San Diego, 8:00, ESPN)
(20) Arizona v. (22) Nebraska
Both teams almost won their respective conferences but losses to Oregon and Texas put them in San Diego in what should be the best matchup before the new year begins. Mike Stoops has probably tapped into his brother Bob's gameplan on how to try and stop Ndamukong Suh from dominating the game. The Arizona coach should not focus on that but the inability of the Huskers' offense to score. If Arizona's offense is able to score 20 points they should beat the Huskers but Nebraska has had almost a month to gameplan against the spread offense of the Wildcats and this game should be a defensive struggle.
Player to Watch: Alex Henery, K/P, Nebraska
Prediction: Nebraska 17, Arizona 13
Tuesday, December 28
Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA, 5:00, ESPN2)
Texas A&M v. Georgia
Mark Richt's Bulldogs have struggled this season and were relegated to a trip to Shreveport instead of Tampa or Atlanta. The Bulldogs do have some momentum going into Shreveport after beating Georgia Tech in their final game of the regular season, 30-24. The Aggies are lead by an exciting playmaker in QB Jerrod Johnson, who threw for 342 yards and ran for 97 more in the almost upset of Texas on Thanksgiving.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 34, Georgia 16
Wednesday, December 29
EagleBank Bowl (Washington, DC, 4:30, ESPN)
UCLA v. Temple
Temple is in its first bowl game since the 1979 Garden State Bowl. UCLA got into this bowl by an Army loss to Navy. Temple will have tons more motivation to win than the Bruins. Al Golden has done a tremendous job with the Owls football program and Rick Neuheisel is getting there with the Bruins. But, the Bruins are making their first East Coast trip since 1998 and will not be motivated to play in a game that they should not deserve to be in.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
PREDICTION: Temple 20, UCLA 6
Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, 8:00, ESPN)
(15) Miami v. (25) Wisconsin
In the first of two ranked matchups to end the decade, the Hurricanes should have no problem sending the Badgers back to Madison with a loss as long as their run defense stops RB John Clay,who has run for 16 touchdowns this season. Hurricanes' QB Jacory Harris will look to this game to be a springboard into the offseason and into next year in which he could be a Heisman contender.
PLAYER TO WATCH: John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
PREDICTION: Miami 26-23
Wednesday, December 30
Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, 4:30, ESPN)
Bowling Green v. Idaho
The Vandals have the home state advantage and will travel well with a little above 300 miles to travel. To win the game for the home fans from Moscow, the Vandals need travel well against WR Freddie Barnes, who is third in the nation in receiving. QB Tyler Sheehan will have connect with Barnes just like the first 138 times they have this season for the Falcons to pull off the win.
Player to Watch: Freddie Barnes, WR, Bowling Green
Prediction: Bowling Green 45, Idaho 35
Holiday Bowl (San Diego, 8:00, ESPN)
(20) Arizona v. (22) Nebraska
Both teams almost won their respective conferences but losses to Oregon and Texas put them in San Diego in what should be the best matchup before the new year begins. Mike Stoops has probably tapped into his brother Bob's gameplan on how to try and stop Ndamukong Suh from dominating the game. The Arizona coach should not focus on that but the inability of the Huskers' offense to score. If Arizona's offense is able to score 20 points they should beat the Huskers but Nebraska has had almost a month to gameplan against the spread offense of the Wildcats and this game should be a defensive struggle.
Player to Watch: Alex Henery, K/P, Nebraska
Prediction: Nebraska 17, Arizona 13
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Upsets Galore in College Hoops
Florida State, USC, Old Dominion, Richmond, and Wichita State. When you think of those five schools you do not really think of a basketball tradition. Well, this weekend those five teams upset teams that have come to be traditional contenders for the NCAA Tournament. But these upsets were not the most exciting thing to watch this weekend in college hoops, one man was and he deserves player of the week honors.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Gordon Hayward, Butler
Hayward's work ethic, not his talent, proved to be his most valued asset on Saturday against Xavier. In a game that had many ups and downs, Hayward stole the show in the last 37 seconds. First, he forced a jump ball on the an in bounds pass which gave Butler possession, then he chased down two offensive rebounds and scored the controversial last basket of the game on a layup. With his performance this weekend, Hayward should be put on the list of Naismith Award nominees, not the stats but for the work ethic that won the 17th ranked Bulldogs the victory.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
(17) Butler 69, Xavier 68
This clash of mid-major teams provided fans at Hinkle Fieldhouse with a thriller that came to an unfortunate ending. The excitement started in the second half with the Musketeers coming out of the half on an 11-0 run. Then, with less a minute left and the game having lead changes on every possession Hayward took over the game. With his steal on the in-bounds pass and two offensive rebounds in the last thrity seconds and scoring the game-winning layup, Hayward showed why he means so much to Brad Stevens' 17th ranked Bulldogs. Xavier should have had a chance to attempt a shot at the buzzer but clock difficulties and an almost ten minute long discussion over the clock ended in a Butler win ruling that had the clock kept running the it would have hit 0.0 and Xavier would not have a chance at attempting a shot.
STAT OF THE WEEK:
Texas- 26 offensive rebounds
In their complete domination of the Tar Heels on Saturday in Cowboys Stadium, Texas' big men combined for these 26 offensive rebounds. Led by Dexter Pittman's 12 boards on the offensive end, the domination of the frontcourt by the Longhorns should worry the rest of the nation, even top ranked Kansas.
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
Old Dominion 61, (11) Georgetown 57
The Monarchs took advantage of the Hoyas' slow start and played all around good defense in the second win over Georgetown in the past four years. Survivng two missed three pointers by Austin Freeman in waning moments of the game, Old Dominion went to 7-4 on the season with their CAA schedule looming in the next week or two.
Games To Watch Next Week:
(12) Michigan State @ (2) Texas, Tues. 7, ESPN2
After the Longhorns' big win in Dallas on Saturday they face another tough opponent in Tom Izzo's Spartans whose only loss came to North Carolina.
(25) Mississippi @ (6)West Virginia,Wed, 7:30, ESPN2
The first of two big games this week for the undefeated Mountaineers comes at home to the Rebels on Wednesday. Bob Huggins' squad should not take this game lighlty while looking ahead to their next game.
(6) West Virginia @ Seton Hall, Sat. 3:30, CBS
If the Mountaineers beat Ole Miss on Wednesday, this game will be tough test for the unbeaten Mountaineers team who face a Seton Hall team that just lost their first game on Saturday to Temple and will look to bounce back with a huge conference win if they can pull it off.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Gordon Hayward, Butler
Hayward's work ethic, not his talent, proved to be his most valued asset on Saturday against Xavier. In a game that had many ups and downs, Hayward stole the show in the last 37 seconds. First, he forced a jump ball on the an in bounds pass which gave Butler possession, then he chased down two offensive rebounds and scored the controversial last basket of the game on a layup. With his performance this weekend, Hayward should be put on the list of Naismith Award nominees, not the stats but for the work ethic that won the 17th ranked Bulldogs the victory.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
(17) Butler 69, Xavier 68
This clash of mid-major teams provided fans at Hinkle Fieldhouse with a thriller that came to an unfortunate ending. The excitement started in the second half with the Musketeers coming out of the half on an 11-0 run. Then, with less a minute left and the game having lead changes on every possession Hayward took over the game. With his steal on the in-bounds pass and two offensive rebounds in the last thrity seconds and scoring the game-winning layup, Hayward showed why he means so much to Brad Stevens' 17th ranked Bulldogs. Xavier should have had a chance to attempt a shot at the buzzer but clock difficulties and an almost ten minute long discussion over the clock ended in a Butler win ruling that had the clock kept running the it would have hit 0.0 and Xavier would not have a chance at attempting a shot.
STAT OF THE WEEK:
Texas- 26 offensive rebounds
In their complete domination of the Tar Heels on Saturday in Cowboys Stadium, Texas' big men combined for these 26 offensive rebounds. Led by Dexter Pittman's 12 boards on the offensive end, the domination of the frontcourt by the Longhorns should worry the rest of the nation, even top ranked Kansas.
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
Old Dominion 61, (11) Georgetown 57
The Monarchs took advantage of the Hoyas' slow start and played all around good defense in the second win over Georgetown in the past four years. Survivng two missed three pointers by Austin Freeman in waning moments of the game, Old Dominion went to 7-4 on the season with their CAA schedule looming in the next week or two.
Games To Watch Next Week:
(12) Michigan State @ (2) Texas, Tues. 7, ESPN2
After the Longhorns' big win in Dallas on Saturday they face another tough opponent in Tom Izzo's Spartans whose only loss came to North Carolina.
(25) Mississippi @ (6)West Virginia,Wed, 7:30, ESPN2
The first of two big games this week for the undefeated Mountaineers comes at home to the Rebels on Wednesday. Bob Huggins' squad should not take this game lighlty while looking ahead to their next game.
(6) West Virginia @ Seton Hall, Sat. 3:30, CBS
If the Mountaineers beat Ole Miss on Wednesday, this game will be tough test for the unbeaten Mountaineers team who face a Seton Hall team that just lost their first game on Saturday to Temple and will look to bounce back with a huge conference win if they can pull it off.
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