Category Archives: sports

2015 March Madness: #7 VCU vs #10 Ohio State

There are some great #7 vs #10 games this season. Many of the teams are on trending upwards instead of falling into these spots. Winners of these games have a real shot at beating a #2 seed the next round.

VCU made a name for themselves when they made the Final Four after in 2011 after playing in the play-in game. Head coach Shaka Smart is great on his toes. He’s an X’s & O’s guy who knows when to make adjustments.

Thad Matta and the Ohio State Buckeyes have also made some noise in the NCAA Tournament in the past. Matta has had success in the Big Dance with both OSU and Xavier. This coaching match-up will be one of the best of tourney.

Can Briante Weber’s injury hurt VCU’s shot at advancing?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

Continue reading →

2015 March Madness: #7 Wichita State vs #10 Indiana

This game pits Wichita State, who was last year’s dark horse title contender, and Indiana, who many believe shouldn’t have received an at-large bid from the NCAA Selection Committee.

The Wichita State Shockers are one of the representatives of the Missouri Valley Conference. They won the regular season, but were upset by Illinois State in the conference tournament final.

Indiana is limping into the NCAA Tournament. They have some really nice individual players, but head coach Tom Crean has had trouble getting them to play together as a team. The Hoosiers haven’t looked ‘right’ since mid-January.

Will this be the last game Tom Crean coaches for the Hoosiers?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

Continue reading →

2015 March Madness: #8 San Diego State vs #9 St. John’s

This match-up pits two head coaches with NCAA Tournament experience. Neither are still with the team they had the most success with, but Steve Fisher and Steve Lavin will have their current teams ready for this game.

San Diego State have come into the NCAA Tournament with better teams recently, but this seed better suits this squad. They couldn’t live up to the high seeds Fisher’s teams have received from the selection committee.

This will only be the fourth time this century that St. John’s will appear in an NCAA Tournament. The once-powerful program fell on hard times in the late 90’s. Lavin helped resurrect them from the dead.

This game will be a chess match between two great head coaches. Which team will advance?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

Continue reading →

2015 March Madness: #8 Oregon vs #9 Oklahoma State

This match-up is one of the most intriguing 8 vs 9 games in this the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The styles of teach team won’t mesh well at all.

Oregon’s offense is their best asset. Joe Young can put up points in a hurry and is a lot of fun to watch. The Ducks will do their best to keep pushing the ball up and down the court.

Oklahoma State will play the role of the turtle in this game. They are methodical and use their defense to set up a lot of their offense. I don’t want to compare their half-court offense to watching paint dry, but it’s damn close.

Which team will get their way and force their pace of the game?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

Continue reading →

2015 March Madness: #8 NC State vs #9 LSU

We love a good #8 versus #9 matchup. It’s often one of the most difficult picks you’ll have to make on your bracket.

The ACC was top-heavy this season. Virginia and Duke lead the way, but there are a few other teams that could win a few games in the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky was the cream of the crop in the SEC, but there were plenty of teams playing for at-large bids this season. LSU was a bubble team, but unlike Texas A&M, they received an invite to the tourney.

How will LSU’s low-post offense do against NC State’s smaller lineup?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

Continue reading →

2015 March Madness: #8 Cincinnati vs #9 Purdue

This is the first of many NCAA Tournament games we are picking to help you fill out your bracket.

The Big Ten was the arguably the strongest conference from top to bottom in the country. They have seven teams representing them in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Purdue was a bubble team and I strongly believe they deserved a spot in the Big Dance.

The American Athletic Conference wasn’t as strong, but Cincinnati made it through the season with a lot of adversity.

Can Cincinnati score enough points to win games in the NCAA Tournament?

How will Purdue handle Cincinnati’s elite perimeter defense?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

Continue reading →

2015 March Madness: Which Bubble Teams Didn’t Get In?

There are 351 Division-I teams in college basketball eligible for the postseason 2015 NCAA Tournament. Obviously, not every team can get an invite.

These teams were all on the bubble, but failed to make it into the field of 68.

There were some big upsets in conference tournaments and they took spots away from teams that deserved a nod. I was surprised a few times during the Selection Show, but I feel good about the field overall.

Did Indiana and Purdue do enough to get into the Big Dance?

Here is a list of bubble teams which had their bubble burst.

Continue reading →

2015 MLB Team Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays were a popular pick to make a big leap in 2013, but they ended up finishing in last place in the AL East that season. Expectations leveled out last year and they finished a few games over .500. After acquiring Josh Donaldson in a trade and signing Russell Martin, Toronto is expected to once again contend in the AL East again. Can they pull it off or will they fall flat on their faces again?

Injuries plagued Toronto’s potential resurgent season in 2013 and they were already dealt a huge blow when they learned their young pitching phenom Marcus Stroman tore his ACL. He will miss the entire season. Which one of Toronto’s many young pitching prospects will take his spot in the starting rotation?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Continue reading →

2015 MLB Team Preview: Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers hoped to make it out of Spring Training without too many injuries. They were already given bad news this offseason when they heard top prospect Jurickson Profar would miss another season after needing another surgery on his left shoulder. The worst news was yet to come.

The Rangers found out their ace Yu Darvish would be on the shelf for the season after getting a second opinion that he needed Tommy John surgery. He was shutdown back in August after injuring his elbow. They thought he could avoid Tommy John surgery with extra rest this offseason.

The Rangers had postseason aspirations last season, but lost 95 games due to all the injuries to key players. Can they get back to the postseason in 2015?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Texas Rangers.

Continue reading →

2015 MLB Team Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays come into the 2015 season with a new general manager, manager and a load of new faces in the clubhouse. Tampa Bay is going through one of the many issues a small market team goes through. They can’t afford to keep their homegrown talent and must turnover their roster to remain competitive.

After recent success near the top of the AL East, it looks like they could be headed for some lean years. The farm system they relied on for so many years is no longer stocked with can’t-miss prospects. How soon can the new general manager turn things around?

Can the Rays young starting rotation keep the team afloat during the transition?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Continue reading →

2015 MLB Team Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals had a rough offseason. They had to mourn the death of Oscar Taveras while trying to conduct business. They didn’t sign any high-priced free agents, but they did make a big trade with the Braves (which I’ll discuss later).

The Cardinals have a nice mix of veterans and youth. Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are the leaders in the clubhouse while Kolten Wong, Michael Wacha and Matt Adams are the future of the franchise. St. Louis looks set to contend for the next decade. They never seem to be in rebuilding mode. They just retool and win championships.

Can St. Louis hold off Pittsburgh and win their third-straight NL Central division title?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Continue reading →

2015 MLB Team Preview: Seattle Mariners

The Mariners were one game away from making the postseason last year. Robinson Cano brought his winning pedigree over from New York. The signing turned out to be one of the best last offseason, even if he did bring a hefty price tag.

The AL West is loaded once again (the Houston Astros actually look like a professional baseball team this season). The Rangers and A’s might not be as strong, but the Angels are all expected to run away with the AL West. Can Seattle take the crown from Los Angeles?

Seattle has turned into quite a sports town. The Seahawks own the city and the Sounders have helped transform the entire U.S. into caring about soccer more than just every four years. Can the Mariners piggyback on the overwhelming rabid Seattle sports fanbase and turn Safeco Field into a strong homefield advantage?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Seattle Mariners.

Continue reading →