NHL Playoffs Rock On! First the East posted by Joshua Tarkoff

Welcome everyone to my first post here on the hockey blogs! I know I am a Floridian, but hockey certainly runs through my veins. Today, I will first be talking about the Eastern Conference. And...how about them Bruins! They look like the team they were when the season started. I was a bit concerned about them in the middle of the season, I mean after all they lost to the Panthers and the Lightning in one road trip. I did not think they were contenders when the playoffs started, but I am starting to rethink that now. Their power play gives me nightmares. Bruins in sweep, I say.

The biggest surprise series so far has to be Caps-Rangers. Just like the Bruins, I was not much of a believer in the Rangers, but after taking the first 2 in Washington, they may just have a chance. I must say that the Washington fans are tough, I watched them lose to my Panthers in March and the team started booing after just giving up 2 goals...rough crowd! Things do not look good if Ovie gets going though. Maybe it was because he was caught watching the Rangers practice the other day ( http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2009/news?id=4083635). Lol, that Ovie. Whatever his off the ice antics, I firmly believe he is the best player we have in the game right now. I had the privilege of watching him twice this year and I was astounded at how good he is. Caps in 7.

And NJ is quietly doing their thing without much fanfare. While I am not too much of a Devils fan, it is tough to go against Brodeur and company. They may not be pretty, but they do have a solid playoff system going there. I was thinking upset by the Canes at first as they finished the regular season so strong, but I can't go against Brodeur quite yet. Devils in 6.

Going insane on a weekend without NFL football... posted by Mike Dussault

I don't know what I'm going to do with myself this weekend because...
a) No NFL games and no NFL news other than discussion on Tom Brady's high ankle sprain. Let's get to the real hype next week! I'm sick of talking about injuries that everyone on the team is just laughing off. At least ESPN is starting to run old Super Bowl Highlights. In fact, the Pats v. Carolina Panthers Super Bowl 38 is on right now.
b) I'm not into basketball. It was always the one sport I was no good at. Soccer. Baseball. Hockey. I could play just about all of them and do a respectable job. When it came to basketball I was like a '72 Dolphin stepping onto the NFL gridiron of today. Completely lost. And now that's all that's gonna be on television until Boston Red Sox Baseball starts up.
c) It's actually raining in Los Angeles. People can't leave their houses when it rains in LA. Yes, I'm a Patriots fan who lives on the West Coast. I grew up just a few towns over from Foxboro. I saw my first ever all-out fist fight in the parking lot of Sullivan Stadium. My Dad took me to a bunch of games, his company had a luxury suite and I'm still mad at myself for throwing ice cubes out of the windows of the box down onto true fans sitting outside in the cold cheering on the Pats. They were right to throw snow balls back up at us sitting all warm and fed in the lap of luxury suite. Sorry about that guys! 
d) I have too much nervous energy already building for next weekend game with the New York Giants. All the plans have been set. The invitees invited. The cookery prepared. Only thing left to decide on is the jersey. I'm assuming I'll be wearing my home blue Bruschi jersey since the New England Patriots are at home and have the choice of jersey. But I wouldn't be disappointed if they chose the whites... I have an authentic white Brady jersey with patch numbers and stitching. I got it off ebay, which I highly recommend to any super fan looking to snag a team jersey. It might be getting shipped to you from China but if you're careful you can get a great deal.
Continue reading "Going insane on a weekend without NFL football..."

Shining Stars posted by Apryl DeLancey

As I was watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Carolina Panthers today I saw a ray of hope. Actually, I saw several – the young defense and Luke McCown. Yeah, I know, they stunk up the place at the end of the game but at least they gave it a real try. You have to remember that many, if not all starters were out at that point. Plus I wonder if Monte Kiffin stops paying attention by the 4th but that’s a different story…

In the first half I noticed that there are some really strong young guys that are following in the footsteps of that great, Super Bowl winning D. Barrett Ruud has over 100 tackles for the year. Phillip Buchanan has about 59 tackles on the year and an interception today (his second this season). In addition, Jermaine Phillips has 83 tackles for the season. Don’t forget Jovan Haye and Gaines Adams with 6 sacks apiece. I was so excited when the broadcasters were announcing those stats that I almost tripped on my way to the kitchen! Luke MCown is proving to be a viable backup as well. While he does make some rookie mistakes, he completed 21 of 28 passes against Carolina. Overall, his completion percentage is just over that of Jeff Garcia. I sit in excited anticipation for the game next week. I only wish I could fly out and actually be there! Fire them cannons!

I really have to mention someone else that impressed me this weekend, the last of the NFL regular season. While I have never been a New York Giants fan, I have to give them and Eli Manning a lot of credit. They refused to go quietly and I really thought they had a realistic shot at winning Saturday. I have always been of the opinion that Manning was in the league due to nepotism, but he has silenced much of my doubt. I grudgingly admit that he made me a believer in his skill. Next week’s game in Tampa should be interesting.

Cowboys' Safety Roy Williams Horse-Collared for One Game posted by Kyle Lawrence

The NFL announced Wednesday that Cowboys' safety Roy Williams' appeal
to overturn a one-game suspension was denied. The suspension came as a result of Williams using the illegal horse-collar tackle, a technique that has become synonymous with his name since it was outlawed under the "Roy Williams Rule".

Williams it seems is unable to break the habit of dragging down opposing players by the back of the collar which has led to numerous severe injuries. In fact, it was his use of the horse-collar that broke Terrell Owens' leg in a 2004 game against the Eagles, an injury which arguably cost the Eagles the Superbowl that year.

The tackle that broke TO's leg was also the straw that broke the camel's back. The league outlawed the move during that offseason. Perhaps the memo got sent to Williams' junk mail folder.

The R is for Stupid.

Regardless, Williams will now sit against the Carolina Panthers in a crucial road game for the Cowboys. They need to win to keep the Packers at bay. If the Cowboys lose either of the remaining regular season games while Green Bay goes on to win out, the Packers will clinch the NFC meaning the Cowboys would have to travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in the event that the two should meet for the conference championship.

It was announced this week that Williams officially did not have an Pro Bowl caliber year this season as he was left off a list of 11 Cowboys named as starters or reserves. Still, despite lackluster tackling at times, he has been effective. And for the all the talk about his inability to cover wideouts in the open field, he has not been prone to giving up disastrous plays. 

Peppers ends stalemate, signs with Panthers

Julius Peppers' long stalemate with the Carolina Panthers is over.The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end signed his one-year, $16.7 million tender under the franchise tag Wednesday, ending the chances that Peppers could hold out at the start of training camp.Peppers said at the end of last season that he wanted to play elsewhere and pleaded with Carolina to allow him to become a free agent. The Panthers still placed the franchise tag on him, limiting his movement. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Panthers DE Peppers signs $16.7M tender (AP)

Julius Peppers' stalemate with the Carolina Panthers is over, leaving the defensive end rich and the NFC South champions free from worrying about a holdout. Peppers signed his one-year, $16.7 million tender on Wednesday, five months after the four-time Pro Bowl selection first announced he wanted to play elsewhere next season. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports