Boston College beheaded by Duke

Boston College lost to Duke for one reason coaching.

N. Freese missed the PAT and he missed the field goal. The extra point seemed to be his fault, I didn't see the snap. The field goal 50-50 between him and Spaz.

Three reasons for the loss: 1) No coverage of the Duke RB/TE's out of the backfield until late in the 4th Q. The stats are available and to summarize they had 8-10 catches for 100 yards out of the back field. The old other time I have ever seen this in ANY college football game was when MD beat us in Chestnut Hill a couple years ago- possible last year.
2) The "Jags" kickoff at the end of the 2nd quater gave Duke the ball in good f. position with enough time. You blame the players for not stopping the drive but really why put Duke in a positon to succeed and not yuor own Defense. Asinine coaching.
3)Game management on the last drive. I want to hear the philosophy on that articulated by the coach who called for it. It doesn't make sense given the plays they called after the spike. Spike the ball and kick the field goal. Spike the ball and call a pass for the end zone to win it. You don't stop the clock and then attempt to run the clock out by handing it off 2-3 times. All that does is leave room for error . . . meaning fumbles, penalties, botched handoff's. Then you are leaving your kicker on the sideline for 5 minutes to think about the kick and he misses it.

I do not like to discuss firing people but that option has to be taken into consideration mainly in regards to the coaching staff but now also Gene D. All the coaches need to go if a change is made. Gene has coast the school MILLIONS with crummy decisions in his hiring of football coaches. Who knows what else is being miss-managed in the Athletic Department.

Final point. The team has good players. We should have won. We are better than Duke, Wake, UMASS etc. We need a new staff with a head coach who has experience being a head coach. The school sells itself to the players we want and need. We need someone managing them who knows the nuances of coaching at the head coach level . . . or at least someone who has thought about the nuances of coaching at the lead coach level.

We are a 7-8 win team if we have a coaching staff that can adapt its style during the course of a game. Meaning analyze the opposing O and D and makes changes on your O and D to benefit your team.

Sad game. At least the tailgating/weather were good.

The Open: 2009 at Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland

Golf is good, golf is great, it on early, and it is on late(thanks to TNT). Like most of my other golf posts . . . I have no idea who is going to win this tournament(because Tiger is not playing well). Here are my thoughts on the 2009 British Open Championship.

- Miguel Jimenez will not win the Championship.

- Tom Watson will not win the Championship. It would be the most unbelieveable win since Jack Nickalus won The Masters in 1986. I hope that Watson does win and at least stays in contention.

- Ben Curtis is sneaky good and has won The Open . . . In case you forgot.

- Tiger Woods will not win but will play/score better than anybody else in the last three rounds.

- Steve Stricker is one of my favorite players. He will choke on Saturday afternoon, come back and play very well on Sunday but will not win the Championship.

- Boo Weekly is totally out of his element.

- John Daly is playing out of his mind. What sauce is he on? I say guacamole sauce based on his sweater/suit combo today.

- James Driscoll, local hero here in Easatern Massachusetts, is +6. He needs to play well tomorrow in order to make the cut. He will have to overcome the weather which is suppossed to be rainy for the rest of the week.

- Retief Goosen is another of my favorite golfers. He is playing well and has not won a major in a while.

Sleepers: Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington.

The Red Sox and Keys to Making the Playoffs

The 2009 version of the Boston Red Sox has been great so far. The Red Sox are three games up on the New York Yankees and six and a half games up on the Tampa Bay Rays. They have been great even in the face of several injuries and a sub-par record against the Rays. Here are the keys to the Red Sox making the playoff(not-necessarily win the Division).

1) The Red Sox have to go at least 7-8 in the 15 games they have against the Yankees and Rays.

2) If Jed Lowrie and Mike Lowell are healthy then they should split time with Nick Green. This will allow Green to continue his good play and keep all of them from getting injured.

3)The Red Sox need Clay Buckholtz to pitch the rest of the season as the third starter. The team can get through the season and make the playoffs without Buckholtz but they need an effective third starter to win in the post season and Clay should be their first option for the third starter. Here is why: Daisuke is injured and will be ineffective for the rest of the season. Wakefield is effective in the regular season but cannot be counted on in the playoffs. I think the last time he pitched a key inning in the playoffs was 10/16/2003 whe he gave up the Homerun to Boone. Brad Penny has not pitched more than 5 innings all season and cannot be counted on when pitch counts go up in the playoffs.

4) If Buckholtz is a bust or implodes after a few starts then the team needs to make a trade for a very good starter. The market for startes has not materialized yet but their should be some decent options as the trade deadline approaches.

5) Lets say the club cannot find a decent third starter in the market. . . The Red Sox should move Justin Masterson into the rotation and make a trade for a top notch reliever.

In conclusion, the Red Sox are in great positon to make the 2009 Playoffs if they can split their remaining games against the Yankees and Rays. If the team and the ownership of the team want to win the World Series they will have to make a trade to either improve the offense or make a deal to improve the starting rotation or the bullpen. The good aspect to all of this is that the Red Sox have set themselves up to fill their weaknesses with players currently on the roster. As a result, they will only need to make one trade, as of today, to position the club as the team to beat come October.

2009 United States Open

The 2009 United States Open at Bethpage Black has been a mess so far. The two players currently in first and second, Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover, have alot of potential but no experience leading a Major Championship. Masters Champion Mike Weir is in third place. Johnny Miller has been browbeating NBC Weatherman Al Roker on the air. There is still a chance a top "name" player like Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, or Tiger Woods could win the Championship.

Ricky Barnes is from Stockton California and he played golf at the University of Arizona. Barnes won the National Amateur Golf Championship in 2001. He is ranked 197th on the PGA Tour Money List for 2009. In 2008 he was ranked 25th on the Nationwide Tour Money List. Barnes is a powerful and agressive player who comes from a solid athletic family. His father was a Punter for the New England Patriots and his brother played golf at the University of Arizona in the late 1990's. His brother is his caddie this week. As a former caddie(U.S Public Links National Amateur in 1996. My player made it to the sweet 16) the importance of having a good caddie cannot be over-stated. Barnes has the pedigree, the potential, and the support to continue his success. As the pressure grows Barnes may need alot of support from his brother to remain in contention.

Lucas Glover graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina with a degree in Communications Studies. He turned professional in 2001. Glover is 32nd on the PGA Tour Money List for 2009. He had made 11 out of 14 cuts on the PGA Tour this year. Earlier this year Glover came in 2nd at the Quail Hollow Championship at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte North Carolina. Avid fans of the PGA Tour know who Glover is but he was not named as a potential winner(the pundits had given this Championship to Tiger Woods)before the tournament started. Glover has the talent to stay in contention throughout the weekend but his experience leading a Major Championship on the weekend is minimal.

NBC Golf Analyst Johnny Miller is probably the best in the business. The problem is that he knows that he is the best. At one point during the broadcast on Saturday Al Roker who was working on his day off(he explained to Johnny on the air)explained that he thought Thunderstorms would halt play in the afternoon on Saturday. Johnny said that he had a "hunch" that there would be no Thunderstorms. Roker replied in a jovial manner that he was working on his day off and that he was explaining what he was seeing on the radar. Well Johnny replied that he did not agree. Guess What . . . there were no Thunderstorms. Miller is a freak and he knows it. That is why he is so condescending to everyone on the air. He doesn't mess with Dan Hicks anymore because Hicks won Emmy's for his work doing Men's Swimming for NBA during the 2008 Olympics.

Mike Weir(-6),Phil Mickelson is (-1), Jim Furyk is (E), Geoff Ogilvy is (E), and Tiger Woods is (+3). There are several well known and exerienced players still in contention given the weather and the current leaders. Thus, there are several players who can win this championship. I do not have any inkling as to who will because everything is a mess. None-the-less the Third and Four Rounds of the 2009 United States Open will be interesting. Stay tuned or Johnny Miller may call you out. Just ask Al Roker.

National Basketball Association Finals Preview

NBA Finals Preview
I. Starters Comparison:
The statistics below are for the 2008 and 2009 regular and post season. Check them out and then see Major Sports Reviews Analysis below . . . .

Orlando Magic 2008-09 Game Statistics
NAME GP GS MIN PTS OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO A/TO
Dwight Howard 79 78 35.7 20.6 4.3 9.6 13 1.4 0.97 2.92 3.0 0.47
Rashard Lewis 79 79 36.2 17.7 1.2 4.6 5.7 2.6 1.03 0.65 2.0 1.30
Hedo Turkoglu 77 77 36.6 16.8 0.6 4.7 5.3 4.9 0.83 0.25 2.6 1.84
Mickael Pietrus 54 24 24.6 9.4 0.8 2.4 3.3 1.2 0.57 0.44 1.0 1.16
Rafer Alston† 29 27 29.5 12.0 0.3 2.6 2.9 5.1 1.76 0.10 1.8 2.85


Los Angeles Lakers 2008-09 Game Statistics
NAME GP GS MIN PTS OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO A/TO
Kobe Bryant 82 81 36.1 26.8 1.1 4.1 5.2 4.9 1.46 0.45 2.6 1.90
Pau Gasol 81 80 37.0 18.9 3.2 6.4 9.6 3.5 0.64 1.00 1.9 1.81
Andrew Bynum 50 49 28.9 14.3 2.7 5.2 8.0 1.4 0.36 1.80 1.7 0.84
Lamar Odom 78 32 29.7 11.3 2.3 5.9 8.2 2.6 0.99 1.26 1.8 1.48
Derek Fisher 82 81 29.8 9.9 0.3 2.0 2.3 3.2 1.16 0.07 0.9 3.63


This analysis is not meant to be a prediction for the outcome of the series. I will make my prediction after watching Game One tonight. This will be a head to head analysis based on what I think the match ups will be.

A. Dwight Howard v. Andrew Bynum
Dwight Howard has better overall statistics. He is physically superior even when both are equally healthy. Bynum may put up good numbers since Howard will have to cover Bynum and Gasol. Matchup Winner: Dwight Howard

B. Hedo Turkoglu v. Kobe Bryant
Hedo can cover Bryant physically. Hedo can hit a clutch shot. Kobe is better offensively and defensively. Kobe wants to win more. Matchup Winner: Kobe

C. Rashard Lewis v. Pau Gasol
Both have the potential to dominate offensively and play good defense. Who ever plays with more emotion will win this matchup. Matchup Winner: Toss Up

D. Mickael Pietrus v. Lamar Odom
Lamar Snickers Bar Odom has good offensive and defensive skills. Pietrus has been wide open all playoffs and has taken advantage of it by hitting his shots. Odom is a passive player. Pietrus has played with contained emotion. If Odom doesn't cover Pietrus then Pietrus will be the one Snickering when this series is over. Matchup Winner: Odom, I guess.

E. Rafer Alston v. Derek Fisher
Rafer Alston looks like the guy from the movie "Friday" who gets his bike stolen by Zeus. Alston is underrated offensively and defensively. If he is open he will hit his shots. He can cover Fisher but Farmar is another issue. Fisher seems to find openings on offense and has a history of hitting his shots in the playoffs. He cannot cover Alston speedwise and if Anothny comes in he will expose Fisher's lack of size in the post. Matchup Winner: Rafer Alston.


F. Bench
No stats for the Benches just names and thoughts.

Orlando:
Courtney Lee, can cover Kobe and light it up from the outside.
Anthony Johnson, size could come into play against smaller Laker point guards
JJ Redick, jumpshooter with range and ability to shoot off of screens. Careful of this guy in late games where three's are needed.

Los Angeles:
Luke Walton, good passer and will not make mistakes. Can be a liability from three point range.
Jordan Farmar, quicker than Orlando guards. Always takes the ball to the basket and rareky passes.
Trevor Ariza, rounding out his game at the right time. Good on defense and from three.
Shannon Brown, quick and can take the ball to the basket.

Bench Matchup Winner: Lakers


G. Coaching Matchup
Stan Van Gundy: Is aloof and doesn't look the part of a great NBA coach. Is statistically oriented and a disciple of Pat Riley which no one is talking about. Stan may be getting some good info from Coach Riley about the Lakers. Stan's brother is also broadcasting the games for ABC. Basically, there is a large braintrust around Orlando.

Phil Jackson: Has won alot of Championships. Is the Zen master. Hates Red Auerbach. Will have the most Championships in NBA history if he wins this series. Cannnot pronounce Leon Powe.

Matchup Winner: Stan Van Gundy and the Orlando Magic.

Western and Eastern Conference Post Game One predictions

Predicting NBA playoff series winners before a series begins is standard operating procedure. National media outlets, cable networks, and print media always have their experts predict series before the series begins. On Major Sports Review I will make predictions after Game One. By waiting until after Game One I can see what the offensive and defensive game plans are and how the players are doing mentally and physically. What cannot be predicted is how the games will be officiated and that really makes predictions difficult(especially in the NBA).

I. Western Conference
Chauncey Billups is known for hitting big shots and being a "go to" player during important parts of basketball games. Coach Karl is in the Western Conference Finals because of Chauncey Billups(and the reimergence of Birdman Andersen) and he should set up pick and roll plays between Billups and Birdman Andersen. This would make Billups the focal point of the offense. The Nuggets are at their best when Billups has the ball in his hands and is able to decide whether to shoot the ball himself, alley oop to Birdman, or pass to Carmelo Anthony. Coach Karl needs to reign in JR Smith and Anthony Carter because Billups needs to have the ball in his hands especially in the second half.

All things being equal(free throws and turnovers etc.) the Lakers won Game One because of their coaching. Phil Jackson(who is a complete turd. Leon Powe is pronounced like Edgar Allen Poe) knows that Kobe Bryant is his best player. He allowed Kobe to take control of the team offensively in the second half. Kobe got to the free throw line, hit shots, and had a couple key assists. I am sure that if George Karl gave Chauncey Billups the opportunity to take over the Nuggets offense that Chauncey would have done the exact same thing as Kobe. Ultimately given the lead the Nuggets had in the second half Chauncey would have won the game for the Nuggets if Coach Karl gave him the opportunity.

Game One highlighted an injury to Nuggets backup Point Guard Anthony Carter. I do not think anyone was aware that Carter was injured before the series began(so you see how making predictions after Game One is important). This injury may be beneficial to the Nuggets. It may force George Karl to use Chauncey Billups more. Billups played 41 minutes but in the second half it did not seems like he was involved to the extent that he should be offensively.

Game One ENDED UP being a great game. As was noted throughout the broadcast and subsequent evaluation by media outlets, the Denver Nuggets missed twelve free throws out of thirty-five attempts. If the Nuggets hit half of those misses they would have had an additional 6 points and would have won the game easily(as NBA games go). The point that is being missed is that the Nuggets got 35 free throw attempts and the Lakers got 24. That is almost 50% more free throws for the Nuggets. This indicates that the Nuggets were more proactive during this game. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers are able to generate more free throw attemtps and how that impacts future games.

Western Conference Finals Prediction:
The Nuggets are new to being this deep in the playoffs. They are a more athletic and talented team than the Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets have Chauncey Billups who is a clutch player and Championship winner. That being said, the Lakers have Phil Jackson who is a superior coach and they have Kobe who wants to win more than anyone else. The Lakers will win this series. They played average basketball in Game One and won. Any increase in effort will result in better play and more wins for the Lakers.


II. Eastern Conference Finals
The head coach of the Orlando Magic Stan Van Gundy "has no idea how to defend" Lebron James. Hell, that sounds like a great defensive philosophy. No kidding. If I were coaching the Magic I would make Hedo "Weird Hair" Turkoglu the primary defender on Lebron James. We would give Lebron the outside shot and funnel him towards Dwight Howard. All of our other defenders would be playing denial defense which would force the other Cavs toward Dwight Howard and away from the free throw line. Essentially this would push everyone on the court away fom the three point line or outside of their comfort zone.

The Magic like the Nuggets are a better overall team than their opponent. However, the Magic are a lot better than the Cavaliers. Lebron shot 20 for 30 from the floor, scored 49 points, lost the game at home, and got injured near the end of the game. Lebron cannot play better than he did in Game One. Lebron's teammates could contribute more. Given the superior talent of the Magic and their superior "team defense" it is hard to ask more out of the Lebron's teammates. The Orlando Magic will win this series.


Eastern Conference Finals Prediciton:
Lebron is a great teammate, a great supporter of his coach, and a great supporter of his community. The Orlando Magic have more talented players. The Orlando coach, who may appear or seem aloof, is a far superior tactician and coaches according to statistics. The Magic will win this series in six or seven games. Prior to the series I thought that the Cleveland Cavaliers would lose game one and then win the series but after Game One I began to dislike Cleveland. I do not like: their public address announcer, the fact that they play crappy rap/ dance music throughout the game, and it seemed like Lebron was "acting" like he was hurt after the game because he blew the final play. Again, Orlando Magic is six or seven games.

Mannywood. You couldn't make this stuff up.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin(hCG). Artifically high Testosterone. A personal health issue that requires the use of a female fertility drug that is also a masking agent for high testosterone.

According to ESPN's T.J Quinn Manny Ramirez was tested under Major League Baseball's drug testing program and was found to have higher than normal levels of testosterone. Quinn also says that subsequent research found that Manny was prescribed hCG under the direction of a physician in Florida. Manny did not fail MLB's drug test. So either hCG was not in his system or the tests did not recognize it. The medication must have been listed in his medical files. How else would Major League Baseball have been able to determmine that Manny was using it?

There are a million questions. Why was he taking hCG? Was/is he on steroids and trying to mask it? Does he have a personal health issue? Was he afraid of MLB finding out about the issue?

Responding to these questions when talking about Manny is difficult. However, would it be beyond reproach to think that Manny did have a health issue, as Yahoo Sports is reporting, and was forced to work with a private physician because he was embarassed to divulge the problem to the Los Angeles Dodgers team doctors? This would make sense since Manny has decided not to appeal the suspension. He obviously wants to move forward from this quickly. If it were steroid related wouldn't he and his agent fight the suspension or at least spin the issue in the media?

Either way, no one is reporting that Manny took anabolic steroids or anything along the lines of what Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, or weird A-Rod have been accused of taking or have admitted to taking. Manny accepted the suspension. Manny will come back in June or July. Manny will either tear the cover off the ball when he comes back or he will not. How he performs after the suspension will shape public perception, his chances of making the Hall of Fame, and indirectly the perception of the Red Sox World Series Championships in 2004 and 2007.

So until there is some proof of steroid use or Manny's performance deteriorates dramatically upon his return this issue should not be damning to: Manny's credibility as a baseball player, his past success, or the past success of the Boston Red Sox.