What the Magic Must do to Win Game Seven

Tonight is it for either the Orlando Magic or Boston Celtics. Game Seven is in Boston at 7:00 PM EST. Will this game be one of the best Game Seven’s or will it be a blowout? It’s now up to the players to determine the final outcome of this series.

The Orlando Magic have had their victories and losses in this series. They have been shocked by Glen Davis and have lost a fourteen point lead in Game Five.

In order to win tonight to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic must have their “A” game against the Boston Celtics tonight.

First, the Magic must let Dwight Howard do his thing. He must rebound and get to the paint to score points. In Game Six at Orlando, Howard recorded 23 points and 22 rebounds. If the Magic want to win, Howard has to be on his game.

Second, Dwight Howard must be on top of his defensive game. Howard needs to remember, defense wins championships, and what better way to get closer to that goal than by winning in Boston to move on.

Third, the whole team must play together and not be selfish. The Magic must know that there is no “I” in team. Howard can’t do it alone. Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Hedo Turkoglu must contribute in big ways.

Finally, the Orlando Magic must play Magic basketball. They need to play like they did in Game Six vs the Celtics. The Magic can beat the Celtics, they just have to believe in their team, and in their heart that they can defeat Boston.

Prediction: Orlando 92 Boston 88.

Now it’s your turn! Turn on the TV, sit back and watch who will be facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dwight Howard

One Last Look at The 2009 NFL Mock Draft

The NFL draft is roughly two hours before the draft, and why not make a final mock draft that show where the players will be taken.

At No. 1, the Detroit Lions are on the clock. The Lions will draft Matthew Stafford, and will look to him to be their new franchise leader.

At No. 2, the St. Louis Rams are on the clock. The Rams will select Jason Smith. Smith will fill a hole that Orlando Pace left, as he signed with the Bears.

At No. 3, the Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock. The Chiefs will select Aaron Curry. Curry is a perfect fit at linebacker, and is the best player in this draft.

At No. 4, the Seattle Seahawks are on the clock. The Seahawks will select Mark Sanchez. Sanchez will be their future quarterback, and can be mentored by Matthew Hasselbeck.

At No. 5, the Cleveland Browns are on the clock. The Browns will select B.J. Raji. Raji, a nose tackle, can fit perfectly into the Browns 3-4 system.

At No. 6, the Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock. The Bengals will select Eugene Monroe. The Bengals take Monroe, so they can give Palmer more time to pass the ball.

At No. 7, the Oakland Raiders are on the clock. The Raiders will select Michael Crabtree. Al Davis won’t pass up an elite receiver that could make a huge splash in the NFL.

At No. 8, the Jacksonvlle Jaguars are on the clock. The Jaguars will select Andre Smith. Smith, now fills a hole that the Jaguars had going into the draft.

At No. 9, the Green Bay Packers are on the clock. The Packers select Brian Orakpo. Orakpo has a ton of athleticism, and can step right into their new 3-4 system.

At No. 10, the San Francisco 49ers are on the clock. The 49ers will select Michael Oher. Oher fills a need that the 49ers had going into the draft.

At No. 11, the Buffalo Bills are on the clock. The Bills will select Aaron Maybin. Maybin will step right in as a great pass rusher.

At No. 12, the Denver Broncos are on the clock. The Broncos will select Tyson Jackson. Jackson is ready for the NFL, and the Broncos need a defensive tackle that can lead them on defense.

At No. 13, the Washington Redskins are on the clock. The Redskins will select Robert Ayers. They want Sanchez, but won’t pull off the deal. Instead, they will focus on defense and take Ayers.

At No. 14, the New Orleans Saints are on the clock. The Saints will select Brian Cushing. The Saints need a linebacker, and get a NFL-ready linebacker in Cushing.

At No. 15, the Houston Texans are on the clock. The Texans take Clay Matthews, and fill a need at linebacker.

At No. 16, the San Diego Chargers are on the clock. The Chargers select Malcom Jenkins, and get an NFL-ready cornerback, that they desperately need.

At No. 17, the New York Jets are on the clock. The Jets select Josh Freeman. The Jets need a quarterback, and get a quarterback with a big arm.

At No. 18, the Denver Broncos are on the clock. The Broncos select Rey Maualuga. The finish the first round with excellent pick-ups to improve their defense immensely.

At No. 19, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the clock. The Bucs take Michael Johnson, and improve a defensive line that needs help.

At No. 20, the Detroit Lions are on the clock. The Lions select Eben Britton, and get a offensive lineman that can help block for Stafford or Culpepper.

At No. 21, the Philadelphia Eagles are on the clock. The Eagles will select Beanie Wells, and get a running back that can compete alongside Brian Westbrook.

At No. 22, the Minnesota Vikings are on the clock. The Vikings will select William Beatty. The Vikings could also take Alex Mack, but take an offensive tackle instead.

At No. 23, the New England Patriots are on the clock. The Patriots select Darius Butler,and improve their secondary.

At No. 24, the Atlanta Falcons are on the clock. The Falcons select Peria Jerry. The Falcons get a defensive tackle that can boost the Falcons defense.

At No. 25, the Miami Dolphins are on the clock. The Dolphins select Everette Brown, and get a replacement for the aging Joey Porter.

At No. 26, the Baltimore Ravens are on the clock. The Ravens select Larry English. English is a defensive tackle and linebacker, and can help fill the hole that Bart Scott left.

At No. 27, the Indianapolis Colts are on the clock. The Colts select Vontae Davis, and get a cornerback to pair up alongside Kevin Hayden.

At No. 28, the Buffalo Bills are on the clock. The Bills select Brandon Pettigrew. The Bills could take Max Unger here, but instead get a passing threat to go alongside Terrell Owens.

At No. 29, the New York Giants are on the clock. The Giants select Jeremy Maclin. Maclin likely will go much higher, but the Giants will still get a wider receiver anyway.

At No. 30, the Tennessee Titans are on the clock. The Titans select Percy Harvin, and get a playmaker at wide receiver to lead them next season.

At No. 31, the Arizona Cardinals are on the clock. The Cardinals select Knowshon Moreno. Moreno is the top back in the draft, but is the second running back chosen in the draft.

At No. 32, the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the clock. The Steelers select Max Unger, and get a big offensive tackle to help protect Big Ben.

Don’t forget to tune into the draft at 3:00, and see who your favorite teams select in this year’s draft.

Twins Grind Out Their First Win of the Season

Alexi Casilla

 The Minnesota Twins pulled out a late win Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners.  Brandon Morrow retired the first two Twins batters, but walked the next three batters to get into a pitching jam.  The Mariners then made a pitching change for Morrow, and Denard Span came up to bat for the Twins and hit an RBI infield single to score Carlos Gomez.  This made the game 6-5, with Alexi Casilla coming up to bat.  Casilla answered the call to win the game by producing a game-winning single to center field to score Brendan Harris, and Brian Buscher. 

Nick Blackburn started for the  Twins on Tuesday night, while Erik Bedard started for the Mariners. Blackburn pitched five innings, giving up 8 hits on four runs.  Phillip Humber, and Matt Guerrier pitched three scoreless innings of relief of Blackburn.  Luis Ayala gave up a run in the ninth inning, but got the win for Twins against the Mariners. 

Joe Crede, and Carlos Gomez were the only Twins batters to record extra base hits Tuesday night, and while Span, Cuddyer, and Casilla all recorded RBIs.

Tonight the Twins play the Mariners again at the Metrodome with Kevin Slowey going up against former Twin Carlos Silva.

Breaking Down The 2009 NFL Draft Prospects

The NFL season is officially over, and the focus turns to the NFL combine, and the NFL draft. This years draft class has plenty of talent, and it’s just a matter of time now of where the players will play, and how well they will be in the NFL.

Breaking down the quarterbacks of the 2009 NFL draft class can be difficult, but there are a few quarterbacks that really stand out. The top quarterback in my opinion is Matthew Stafford of Georgia. He has the strong arm that teams in the NFL look far, and reminds me of Matt Ryan, who was the NFL offensive rookie of the year in 2008-2009. Stafford will probably be drafted in the top five, and potentially No.1, unless the Lions do something else.

Mark Sanchez of USC is the No. 2 quarterback in the 2009 draft class, and could be picked in the top five or top ten depending on what teams are looking for. Sanchez had an excellent year for the USC Trojans this season, posting career highs, and displaying a pretty good arm for the Trojans.

Many thought Sanchez should of stayed in college because of only one season started for USC, but with being one of the top prospects in the draft, he decided to turn pro.

The next top rated quarterbacks are Josh Freeman of Kansas State, who teams might take with the possibility of getting another Joe Flacco-type player. Nate Davis of Ball State, and Pat White of West Virginia also might hear their names called on the first day, or early on the second day.

Author Poll

Who will the Detroit Lions select with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft?

• Matt Stafford
• Andre Smith
• Other
• Or trade their top pick

vote to see results

Knowshon Moreno of Georgia is perhaps the top running back in this NFL draft, with the ability to create long runs, and to break tackles. Chris Wells of Ohio State is the next best, but still a first round pick. He was injured part of the 2008 season, but can certainly be a game changer in the NFL. LeSean McCoy of Pittsburgh is one of the most underrated running backs in the draft, and could be a very good third down back in the pros.

Shonn Greene of Iowa, Javon Ringer of Michigan State, and Donald Brown of Connecticut all are types of running backs that could shine as speedy running backs that make a difference in the NFL next season.

Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech is probably the most dangerous receiver in the 2009 NFL draft. He has won two Biletnikoff awards for being the best receiver in college football, and has shown he can make game changing catches. To me he reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald. Crabtree will likely be drafted in the top five of the NFL draft. Jeremy Maclin of Missouri is a big game receiver also. He is a tremendous all-purpose player, and makes big time catches. He is also a speedy receiver, who Chase Daniel relied on to make big catches. Percy Harvin of Florida is also a top receiver. In the BCS National Championship game, Harvin made catches when Florida needed them most. The only question mark concerning Harvin is whether he can stay healthy. Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina, Juaquin Iglesias of Oklahoma, and Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland could also have their names called early. This years wide receivers is considerably deeper than last seasons draft, and are better pro prospects than last seasons receivers.

Looking at the tight ends, Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State is the top tight end in this years NFL draft, and could be taken in the late first round. Chase Coffman of Missouri, and Jared Cook of South Carolina are the other tight ends that could see their names called on the first day, or early on the second day.

The offensive line players for this years draft is also pretty deep. Offensive tackles are one of the main commodites in this seasons draft, and a few of them could go very high in the first round. Andre Smith of Alabama could be picked by Detroit, but is unlikely, considering the Lions badly need a quarterback. Eugene Monroe of Virginia and Michael Oher of Ole Miss also could be picked in the top five, or top ten of the 2009 NFL draft. Jason Smith of Baylor could also rise up draft boards for teams in the 2009 NFL draft. Expect a lot of offensive line players to be selected in the first three rounds of the 2009 NFL draft.

In the next few months, the NFL draft will get talked about a lot, and as NFL fans, you won’t want to miss a beat.

Sam and Andrew’s Conference Championships Pick’em

Ed Reed and Ray Lewis

Andrew’s Picks: Arizona and Baltimore
Sam’s Picks: Arizona and Baltimore

Last Week:
Andrew:2-2
Sam:1-4

Sam and Andrew’s Divisional Playoff Pick’em

Brian Westbrook runs vs the Giants

Andrew’s Picks: Ravens, Steelers, Panthers, and Giants.

Sam’s Picks: Titans, Steelers, Panthers, Giants

Last week: Andrew: 1-3

Sam: 4-1

Andrew won the regular season pick’em!

Sam and Andrew’s NFL Wild Card Predictions

Wild Card Match-Up: Colts vs Chargers

Sam and Andrew’s Playoff Predictions:

Andrew:

Colts vs Chargers: Colts 28, Chargers 17.

Ravens vs Dolphins: Dolphins 17, Ravens 14.

Cardinals vs Falcons: Cardinals 31, Falcons 20.

Vikings vs Eagles: Vikings 14, Eagles 10.

Sam:

Colts vs Chargers: Colts 31, Chargers 24

Ravens vs Dolphins: Ravens 17, Dolphins 13.

Cardinals vs Falcons: Cardinals 24, Falcons 21.

Vikings vs Eagles: Eagles 24, Vikings 17.

Week 17 Results:

Andrew: 12-4–Overall: 142-84-1

Sam: 9-7–Overall: 130-93-1

Video of the Day

This is a video of top jarring, smashmouth, and huge hits of the 2008 NFL season.

Packers vs Lions Game Preview

Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers

Today, the Green Bay Packers take on the win-less Detroit Lions. The Lions come into Green Bay trying to avoid a 0-16 season. Meanwhile, the Packers are trying to stop a five game losing streak. In four of their games, the Packers have lost by three or four points, including an overtime loss to the Bears last week.

The Packers began the year looking optimistic. They started 2-0, but then fell to 2-2. They were 4-3 heading into their bye week, and since then, they have won only one game. Aaron Rodgers has looked like a strong quarterback this season. He has thrown for 3,730 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has also completed 63.4% of passes thrown this season. His quarterback rating for the 2008 season is 91.4%. Greg Jennings had a phenomenal year with over a thousand receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Donald Driver needs 99 yards today to pass the thousand yard mark this season. Ryan Grant passed the thousand yard rushing mark this season, even though he started off slow. The Packers will look to end the season on a winning note vs the 0-15 Detroit Lions.

The Lions, meanwhile, have struggled this season. They are currently 0-15, and will look to avoid history today. Calvin Johnson has had the best year for the Lions. He has 1229 receiving yards, and has scored ten touchdowns on the season.

Both of these teams have struggled this season, and will look for much better seasons in 2009.

Sam and Andrew’s Week 17 Pick’em

Phillip Rivers

Andrew’s Picks:

NY Giants @ Minnesota – Minnesota

St. Louis @ Atlanta – Atlanta

Carolina @ New Orleans – Carolina

Tennessee @ Indianapolis – Indianapolis

Chicago @ Houston – Chicago

Jacksonville @ Baltimore – Baltimore

Miami @ NY Jets – Miami

Dallas @ Philadelphia – Philadelphia

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh

Oakland @ Tampa Bay – Tampa Bay

Detroit @ Green Bay – Green Bay

Kansas City @ Cincinnati – Kansas City

New England @ Buffalo – New England

Seattle @ Arizona – Arizona

Washington @ San Francisco – Washington

Denver @ San Diego – San Diego

– Sam’s Picks:

NY Giants @ Minnesota-NY Giants
St. Louis @ Atlanta-Falcons
Carolina @ New Orleans-Panthers
Tennessee @ Indianapolis-Colts
Chicago @ Houston-Bears
Jacksonville @ Baltimore-Ravens
Miami @ NY Jets-NY Jets
Dallas @ Philadelphia-Cowboys
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh-Steelers
Oakland @ Tampa Bay-Bucs
Detroit @ Green Bay-Packers
Kansas City @ Cincinnati-Chiefs
New England @ Buffalo-Pats
Seattle @ Arizona-Cardinals
Washington @ San Fransisco-Redskins
Denver @ San Diego-Chargers

Week 16 Picks: Andrew: 7-7–Overall–130-80-1

Sam:6-7(Forgot to pick  Miami-Kansas City)–Overall–121-86-1