NFL: Week 16 is upon us, but what has changed in the past week?

Titan’s playoff dreams are dead. After suffering a 42-17 loss at the hands of the Chargers, the Titan’s slim chance of making it to the playoffs is over. In order to secure the win, they needed to run Chris Johnson, whose goal is to reach 2,000 rushing yards. With calls for unsportsmanlike conduct and roughing a player, the most the Titans can hope for now is an 8-8 season.

Charging the Colts. The Colts have a threat challenging more than achieving a 16-0 season. The Chargers are now Superbowl contenders and can give the Colts a run for it. They have the second longest win streak in the NFL, 10 straight wins behind the Colts 14 consecutive wins, and revealed their intense objectives Christmas night against the Titans. They clinched the number 2 seed and are ready to battle it out for season glory. Could this Christmas victory over AFC South Competition have been a warning message to the Colts?

Westbrook is cleared to play after 5 weeks. Westbrook was able to complete a full week of practice and will be playing Sunday for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Denver Broncos. He has recovered from his second concussion in three weeks. Hopes are high for his return but the Bronco’s defense is awaiting the challenge. Despite Westbrook’s return, the team will most likely be playing without QB Michael Vick due to quadriceps injury.

Cowboys have resurected their season. What seemed to be a dead season, was brought back to life because of the Cowboy’s victory over the undefeated Saints. If the Cowboys can continue to up the anty, they have a decent shot at the playoffs. However, in order to accomplish this they would have to stand strong against the Eagles and the Redskins. The Eagles have already clinched a playoff slot and are at the peak of their season. Also helping their cause is the return of Westbrook. And although Romo is having an outstanding month, the Eagle’s success poses a big problem for the Cowboys. The Eagles are the hottest team in the NFC right now and are eager to keep their fire burning. The only other contenders would be the Giants, who will have to avoid stumbling against the Vikings and/or the Panthers.

The Jets’ sacrificial right. To many, including myself, making rookie Mark Sanchez the full time starting QB appeared to be a mistake. But, Rex Ryan may not be shooting himself in the foot just yet. The Jets are leading the league in scoring defense, total defense, and passing defense, as well as leading the NFL in rushing offense. Although the team threw away their season and playoff hopes, adding Sanchez to the huddle will benefit them in the long run.

NBA- Did the NBA witness some Christmas miracles?

The Cavaliers are back. The Cavaliers defeated a frustrated Lakers team and shocked the crowd. The team is back in the mix after a 102-87 victory last night that reminded basketball fans of their will-power and talent. Cleveland can now bank on wins against Orlando, LA, Dallas, and Pheonix. If the regular season is any forecast of the playoffs, the Cavaliers may be pleased with the outcome.

The Magic suffers a “Blue Christmas”. The men in green were able to secure a low-scoring win against the Magic last night. Orlando set all season lows in field goal percentage and points overall in the first half. The Celtics earned their 14th win in 15 games despite the absense of Paul Pierce, due to a knee infection, and losing Garnett. But Garnett’s head wasn’t the only thing banged up and bruised at the end of the game. The Magic left the court beaten and black-and-blue after their battle with the Celtic’s physical game.

New York state of mind. The Knicks roll out through December at 8-3 after playing a more efficient/effective game this month. Is this recent surge due to the success of Jared Jeffries? The Knicks have played better as a whole when Jeffries is in and Chandler is sitting out.

Not even a Christmas Miracle can save the Nets. The Nets lost Christmas Eve to the Timberwolves. This is the Nets 8th straight loss.

MLB- Trading players like Baseball Cards.

Funds are drying up when looking to purchase Free Agents. Teams are struggling to muster up the money to sign big names with big talent. The Mets are still waiting for Jason Bay and Matt Holiday, but are quickly approaching an abandoning point. Many are urging the the team sign big names to ignite wins. “But the Mets must remember the No. 1 rule when it comes to decision-making in New York: If you win, the fans will come; if you don’t, they will be unhappy” (Buster Onlney).

Other trades are being finalized this week.

NHL-

Civil War. The Islanders and Rangers play tonight in a battle for New York glory. The Islanders defeated the Rangers two weeks ago in a home versus home game. But, the Rangers are fighting for a different outcome this time, coming to the arena following a 4 game winning streak. Will history repeat itself or will the Rangers secure a 5 game streak?

… gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. ‘Tis the season to be nice, patient, and cooperative, three adjectives that are not synonymous with Brett Farve this season. Granted, this megalodon has had an incredible season, coming back from his less that satisfactory performance for the Jets last year. But, as history has taught us many times before, greatness is not an excuse to have a bad attitude. We have seen pride kill a man time and time again. Is Farve committing career suicide?

Teams look to their Quarterback for direction, motivation, and leadership. They expect to be perceived as equals and teammates. They do not expect him to tell a coach no and refuse to obey his orders. Although it may have been the correct call for Farve to remain in the game, respect dominates over accuracy in all accounts. In all sports, the coach is a dictator. He calls the shots, he directs the plays. It is the responsibility of the players to carry out these tasks, whether they work effectively or not.

Contrast this critism of Farve with the evaluation of Manning in my earlier post. Although Manning hoped to play, he commented that he would follow any orders recieved from Caldwell. This season, Manning has been more impressive that Farve and so has his team. Manning has stayed within bounds, Farve, why are you pushing them?

for more…

happy holidays :)

Congratulations to the New York Yankee’s. Continuing a nine-decade winning streak, the Yankees are the decade’s best team in baseball again. The Yanks started off by winning the first World Series of the decade and closed the time block with another World Series championship and played in two others. They have some of the leagues best players, starters and closers alike. How can they not be the best franchise in baseball?

Cheers to another amazing decade!

Last night, the Colts defeated the Jaguars 35-31 making them 14-0 for the first time in franchise history. What was an almost meaningless game for Indianapolis, was a much needed victory for Jacksonville. Strictly adhering to Coach Jim Caldwell’s directions, Manning was able to complete every pass eary on in the game and execute a huge play near the end of the game securing the victory for Indy. The Colts were able to run out the clock after Lackey intercepted an overthrown pass from Jaguar QB Garrard. Their efforts have left them the third team in NFL history to have a 14-0 season, standing alongside the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 2007 New England Patriots.

But a Superbowl victory is not theirs yet. Indianappolis finds themselves in a tough spot, they are competeing for Superbowl excellence and an undefeated season alongside the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are 13-0 so far this season but can join the 14-0 ranks with a win over Dallas Saturday night. Both teams are hopeing for an undefeated season. But, someone has to lose. There has been one team in NFL history to clinch a Superbowl title, resulting an undefeated season- the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Having an undefeated season is definitely something to brag about. But earning a Superbowl ring is the the main goal for most players in the league. It would be better for each team to rest its starters during the home stretch and  suffer and unimportant loss in order to secure a Superbowl title. In an interview, Manning told Hansen that he hopes that he will still play but is willing to do whatever Caldwell commands with the team’s best interest in mind.

“Caldwell and Payton will do what they feel is best for their respective teams, end of story. If Manning’s cool with that concept, the rest of us should be, too.”- Michael Silver.

coverage stories:

The Game Face- Colts vs Jaguars

ESPN Colts vs Jaguars Game Coverage

In the past few weeks, we have experienced the true power that women can have over men. The domestic dispute between Tiger and his wife, and numerous mistresses has plagued the headlines of every major magazine, entertainment tv show, news broadcast, and news website. And although the situation is seemingly old news, Tiger has become a joke to many people. But, Tiger’s career and life are salvageable. An eventual recovery is possible for this dimming star. However, another athlete is not as lucky.

Chris Henry of the Cincinnatti Bengals died this morning due to life-threatening injuries incured from falling off of the back of a pick-up truck Wednesday. The accident ocurred after he and his fiance had a domestic dispute that caused her to take off in the couples pick-up. An emotional Henry chased after her and jumped onto the back of the truck. He died around 6:30 this morning at 26 years old.

The event was a major shock to his fiance, children, family, and teammates. Although his public reputation is not the most favorable, his teammates, coaches, and family members saw him in a different light. This season was a turning point for the reciever, reported to be the second best reciever to ever come out of West Virginia.

The team will struggle to fight off the greif and have dedicated the rest of the season to Henry.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4750615

1. Halladay-Lee deal has been finalized. The Phils have been trying to land Halladay for a while now. Expectations for team performance is on the rise and they look forward to a great 2010 season.

2. ESPN releases baseball’s TOP 100 PLAYERS OF THE 00’S. Atop the list are Pujols, ARod, Bonds, Jeter, and Suzuki. This decade has seen some of the greatest talent in baseball. “The list is based on quality of competition, post season performance, and pure skill/excellence” explains Rob Neyer.

3. Civil War? - In hockey, the Islanders take on the Rangers at 7pm. With a hometown rival exploding on the ice, the Islanders hope to redeem themselves after a 7-1 flop Monday night.

4. Tiger named Athlete of the Decade by Associated Press- Despite the recent press surrounding his name, the Associated Press honored Tiger for his hard work and dedication. Lance Armstrong and Roger Federer followed closely behind.

5. NBA- New Jersey takes on Utah tonight. Score tied at 22, 2 mins to go in the first.

”.. it wasn’t over.”

“it still isn’t over..”

poor Tiger. The tabloids are at it again. But this time, his 14 reported mistresses have been overlooked. A recent investigation has found that Tiger’s rehab doctor has been distributing performance enhancing drugs to many of his patients (which also include numberous NFL players). There is nothing directly linking Tiger to use of performancen enhancing drugs, but an investigation is pending.

With the all of the negative attention centered on Tiger, the achievements of other golfers, including 20 year old phenom McIlroy, have been glorified.

It was only time until the alligator swalled your golfball, Tiger.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Doctor-who-treated-Woods-now-under-investigation?urn=golf,208900

… although i know that they love me, my friends only can hear so little about the nonsense that implores its way into the crevices in my brain. a real life cliff-claven, i find importance in the most inexplicably random things. from fashion to sports, math to law, i can’t keep up. Hence, i am writing this blog mainly for me: to collect my thoughts, remind myself of absurdities, obsessions, and interesting information, and to save some room in my head for matters of importance- like school work.

-off we go,

jess.