The Pick That Ended It ALL

Here is our Patrick Higgins, giving his insight into the interception that ended the Super Bowl!!!! His article gives his opinion on what the Seahawks should've done.

Article by Patrick Higgins

The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, in Super Bowl 49 this year. At the end of the game, something crazy happened. On the weirdest play call I have ever seen, Russell Wilson on second and goal attempts a pass, and it was PICKED OFF by the undrafted rookie free-agent from Western Alabama Malcom Butler. This interception preserved the win for the New England Patriots. This was the sixth overall championship for the Patriots.

Let’s look at some stats from this game.

o   This was the largest second half deficit overcame to win the Super Bowl, where they trailed by 10 points in the 4th quarter.

o   This is Brady’s fourth career Super Bowl Victory, which ties Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for most by a starting quarterback, and it was his third MVP award, which also ties Joe Montana for most all time.

o   For the Head Coach Bill Belichick, this is his fourth Super Bowl win as a head coach, tying Chuck Noll for most all time.

o   The Seahawks are the first defending champion to lose in the Super Bowl since the 1997 Packers. 

o   That pick that Russell threw, was the first interception to be thrown by a quarterback from the 1 yard line all season. 

In response to the interception, head coach Pete Carol had this to say. "We were going to run the ball in to win the game, but not on that play," Carroll said. "I didn't want to waste a run play on their goal-line guys. It was a clear thought, but it didn't work out right. The guy made a play that no one would have thought he could make."

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell says the  call that cost his team the Super Bowl was made with the game clock in mind. "We were conscious of how much time was on the clock, and we wanted to use it all," Bevell said. "It didn't turn out the way I hoped it would. "Of course I can say now I wish we had done something different. There are 20 different things going through my mind that we can do. If you run it, that doesn't mean you would score on that play."

Ok, now where do I begin? My thing is HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU NOT RUN THE BALL WITH LYNCH. I understand that the Patriots had goal-line three corners on the field, which is putting 7 men on the line and the other four would cover. The Patriots did this because they saw that the Seahawks had three wide receivers on the field. I also know that Carol said they were playing for third and fourth down. The play was a set-up if they scored great; if they didn’t then they would use the timeout, and then run. Though here’s my thought, USE YOUR TIMEOUT!!!! Get them out of the coverage, get manned up man for man, and bring in some extra lineman or tight ends, or your best run blockers. Then you would be able to match their numbers on the line, and then run the ball with Lynch. He was getting 2-3 yards on a hard run during the game. HIS NICKNAME IS BEAST MODE, HE IS A BEAST!!!! He can give you that one yard that you needed. You need to run that ball in that situation. If you don’t score on the play, you could’ve then gotten up to the line quickly, and QB sneaked it. Remember Russell Wilson is a good runner as well, and he can get you that one yard also. Or even perform the read-option to give Wilson the option to hand it to Lynch depending on what the defensive end did, or keep it. That plays gives you two rushing options. I just think you have to give it to give it to Lynch, who was getting 2-3 yards on difficult runs, then run it again or do the read option.

People are also saying that this is the best Super Bowl they have ever seen, I have to disagree with that. The best Super Bowl was  Super Bowl 42 when David Tyree caught the ball on his helmet, and then the Giants were able to score on the catch from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress. That was the best Super Bowl I have ever seen, it had that suspense, same as this game, but I still think that Super Bowl 42 was the best Super Bowl I have ever seen.

The UCONN Coaches

This week, our UCONN expert Art Benedict, discusses the current coaches of the UCONN men's and women's basketball teams. If you are a UCONN fan, you have to read this article!!!!


Article by Art Benedict

I thought it would be fun this week now that we have looked as some of the players on both the UConn Men’s and Women’s basketball team’s and take a look at the two head coaches that make this fine organization run. We will start with the men’s basketball coach:

KEVIN OLLIE

September 13, 2012 was a very special day for the UConn men’s basketball team and an even more special day for Kevin Ollie. On that day, Kevin was named the head basketball coach of the men’s basketball team. He had big shoes to fill as he was replacing legendary head coach Jim Calhoun who stepped down after 26 seasons (1986-2012). Ollie came in with only two seasons of coaching experience after joining Calhoun’s staff as an assistant in 2010-2011. But let’s take a step back and look at how Kevin Ollie got to Connecticut.

Ollie's UConn history --- which began in the fall of 1991 when he reported to school as a freshman from Los Angeles, continued through four successful seasons, including two as a Husky team captain, and resumed when he returned to join Calhoun's coaching staff following a 13-year NBA career --- has come full circle. He may have only served two seasons as an assistant on Calhoun's staff, but possesses a wealth of basketball knowledge after learning from some of the finest teachers to ever coach the game, including Calhoun, Chuck Daly, Larry Brown, and George Karl.  Ollie made a decision to attend UConn more than 20 years ago, coming out of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. Playing on some of Calhoun's finest teams during the mid-1990s, Ollie was a four-year starting point guard and a two-time captain.

He played in 124 games for the Huskies, averaging 6.7 points and 5.0 assists. A third team All-Big East pick, his 619 assist total still ranks third on UConn's all-time list. He graduated in 1995 with a degree in Communications.

But Ollie was far more concerned with team statistics than individual ones. During his four-year UConn career, the Huskies had a record of 92-33, 51-21 in the Big East Conference and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. During Ollie's last two seasons, when he served as a team captain, UConn's record was 57-10 overall and a dazzling 32-4 in the Big East, capturing two Big East regular-season championships, and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively.

It would have been a dream season for any college coach, but for a coach of just 70 games, whose team was not even able to compete in the 2013 NCAA Tournament because of academic shortcomings of years long past, it was truly remarkable. The Huskies, who had a 12-6 mark in the new American Athletic Conference, won eight of their last nine games, 11 of their last 13, and had a 10-4 record against ranked opponents, including two wins against Florida, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. With a sparkling 52-18 coaching record, Ollie's .743 winning percentage is the highest of any coach in UConn history who coached more than 20 games. The 32-victory season is the ninth 30-win season for the Huskies.

In just his second season as the head basketball coach at the University of Connecticut and only his fourth year in coaching since retiring from the NBA, Ollie firmly established himself as one of the rising young coaching stars in the college game by guiding the Huskies to a 32-8 season in 2013-14 and the NCAA title, defeating Kentucky, 60-54, in the tourney's championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

This season the UConn men are struggling after losing some star players off of last season’s championship season including NBA bound guard Shabazz Napier. After beating East Carolina last night 65-52, they improved to 12-9 overall and 5-4 in American Athletic Conference play. Ollie’s goal as always is to play at a high level game in and game out.

When asked about Kevin Ollie, former UConn coach Jim Calhoun had this to say: "Kevin Ollie epitomizes what we want a UConn athlete, a UConn student, to be all about. When you say that about somebody, that's heavy stuff," Calhoun said. "Any fox hole you need to jump in, there's your guy. Anytime you need a person who won't quit, there's your guy."

Born in Dallas on Dec. 27, 1972, and raised in Los Angeles, Ollie resides in Glastonbury with wife Stephanie, who is also a UConn grad (1997), and their two children, son Jalen (born 6/22/96) and daughter Cheyenne (born 2/6/01.

GENO AURIEMMA 
 

The head coach of the University of Connecticut Women’s basketball coach hit a milestone that has only been reached by 6 other coaches and that’s career victory number 900. That victory tied him with former Texas coach Jody Conradt for fifth place on the all-time women's list, 198 wins behind former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. And it took him only 1,034 games to get there.  Geno has spent 29 seasons with the UConn women and has transformed this team into a powerhouse. Under his guidance, the Huskies have been transformed from a program with only one winning season, to its current state, which includes nine national titles, 15 Final Fours, five perfect seasons (1995, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2014) and 39 Conference titles, all since Auriemma's arrival in 1985. On the court, his success includes nine national championships, including a record 90-game winning streak and a spotless 40-0 mark during the 2013-14 campaign. Off the court, success means a flawless, 100 percent graduation rate among four-year players and one of the most beloved and followed sports teams in the country. Auriemma’s was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, Mass.) and the Women Basketball Hall of Fame (Knoxville, Tenn.) in 2006. In addition, Auriemma recently finished a successful four-year term as he was named the head coach of the U.S. National Team, which won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Auriemma's squad, which included six former Huskies, posted a spotless 8-0 record in route to the gold medal. Auriemma agreed to serve a second term as the National Team coach from 2013-16.

He is the first coach in women's basketball history to guide a team to five consecutive Final Four appearances on two separate occasions and the current run of seven-consecutive Final Four appearances is also a record. Auriemma is a seven-time national coach-of-the-year and has been named the Conference coach-of-the-year 11 times. In all Auriemma has garnered a combined total of 24 National Coach of the Year honors. And the stats speak for themselves:

Nine National Championships:	1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014
All-Time:	879-133 (.869/29 yrs.)
UConn Record:	879-133 (.869/29 yrs.)
NCAA Tournament:	97-17 (.851/26 yrs.)
Conference Regular Season:	420-61 (.873/29 yrs.)
Conference Tournament:	69-10 (.873/29 yrs.)
Conference Overall:	489-71 (.873/29 yrs.)

The Huskies have won the conference tournament crown in eight of the past 10 seasons. Connecticut extended its streak of consecutive NCAA Regional appearances to 21 straight and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the 15th time in the program's history. Auriemma also guided UConn to its 19th 30-win season in 2013-14 and its 19th in the past 21 seasons.

After beating former UConn alumni Jamelle Elliot by 50 points on Tuesday night, UConn improved to 21-1 overall (the only blemish was the loss to Stanford early in the season) and 11-0 in the American Athletic Conference UConn is poised to take on top ranked South Carolina this coming Monday.

Auriemma is a 1981 graduate of West Chester with a B.A. in political science. He resides in Manchester, Conn., with his wife Kathy. They have three children and two grandchildren.

And let us not forget, as well as Coach Auriemma reaching the 900 victory club, his assistant coach Chris Daley also reached that milestone as she has been with Geno since the beginning. Congratulations CD.

And one final thought. The UConn men and women’s teams have won the National Championships in the same year not only once, but they have done it twice. So there is UConn basketball and then there is everyone else. Go Huskies!!!  

Top 5 Mets Prospects

Here is our Chris Saunders, discussing the top 5 prospects in the Mets organization!!!!  


Article by Chris Saunders

While many Met’s fans haven’t seen a winning season since the days of Billy Wagner, Carlos Beltran, and Paul Lo Duca. Things are on the horizon however, as you will see not just in the top 5 prospects that I have compiled, but there overall organization is on the rise. Met’s fan keep these five players in mind, because the future is bright in the Big Apple.

1) RHP Noah Syndergaard- After being acquired by the Mets in the R.A. Dickey deal in December 2012, Syndergaard made a splash in his first season in his new organization. He reached Double-A Binghamton and started the 2013 All-Star Futures Game at Citi Field for the U.S. team. Syndergaard is a classic power right-hander, and he uses his big frame to throw downhill and induce ground balls. His fastball regularly reaches 98 mph and runs inside on right-handed hitters. Syndergaard's 12-to-6 curveball is his best secondary pitch, though his changeup has the potential to be a third plus pitch in his arsenal. He has excellent command and posted a 4.75 K-to-BB ratio in 2013. Many expected Syndergaard to follow the path that Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler blazed and reach Queens early this summer. But some minor injuries and on-field struggles at Triple-A Las Vegas slowed down Syndergaard's progress this season. He still profiles as a front-line starter and remains on track to make his Major League debut at a younger age than either Harvey or Wheeler.

2) Catcher Kevin Plawecki- The Purdue University product has been on a fast track ever since the Mets took him with the 35th overall pick of the 2012 Draft. Plawecki has excelled at two levels in each of the last two years, playing in the 2014 Futures Game and finishing with strong showing in Triple-A.  Throughout his climb up the Mets' ladder, Plawecki has shown a penchant for making consistent contact. He rarely strikes out and has hit for average at every stop, with a career .295 average entering the 2015 season. He has a contact-over-power approach, but he does have enough strength to clear some fences. Plawecki hit 11 homers in 2014 and that sounds about right in terms of what's fair to expect in the future. Drafted as an offensive-minded backstop, Plawecki has been solid behind the plate, with good hands and enough agility to block balls well. His arm is average, and he's never going to be the kind of catcher who completely shuts down a running game.  Travis d'Arnaud stands in Plawecki's way at the big league level, but while Plawecki may have looked initially like d'Arnaud's eventual backup, he's shown he might be able to compete for the No. 1 job in the near future.

3) Outfielder Micheal Conforto- Conforto's, first round pick in 2014 out of Oregon State signature tool is his left-handed power, which could produce 25-plus homers on an annual basis once he gets to the Major Leagues. He doesn't get cheated at the plate, taking a big uppercut hack that produces nice loft on his drives. While Conforto is willing to take a walk when pitchers won't challenge him, he swings and misses too much to hit for a high average. Most of his value comes from his bat, because while he has some athleticism, he's limited to left field by his range and arm strength.

4) Shortstop Amed Rosario- Rosario creates excellent bat speed, which will help him produce more power as he physically matures. There's plenty of room for his pitch recognition to improve, but his approach is already more advanced than most teenagers. Rosario has all the tools necessary to be a solid defender. He has good infield actions, a strong arm and soft hands. Rosario may have the highest ceiling of any Mets prospect, though he remains a long way from the big leagues.

5) LHP Steven Matz- Matz was New York's second-round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, but he didn't make his professional debut until 2012 after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery. Now healthy, the Long Island native is starting to move quickly through the Minor Leagues, reaching Double-A Binghamton in 2014. Matz's fastball sits in the low-90s, and it can reach 96 mph. The fastball has good movement, helping him create a lot of ground balls. Matz's curveball and changeup both have the potential to be solid offerings. His command has improved as he has gotten more innings under his belt and further away from his injuries. Matz has proven he still has the stuff to be a solid starter. With health finally on his side, he is looking like the kind of pitcher the Mets expected him to be when they drafted him.    

Super Bowl Insight, and Pick

Here is our Patrick Higgins, giving his insight into the Super Bowl this Sunday. He gives you some offensive and defensive stats from each team, and his pick for who will win the big game. Check it out, you'll enjoy it!!!!

Article by Patrick Higgins

The biggest news in sports this week is that the Super Bowl is this Sunday. As a recap, the New England Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks, for the Lombardy Trophy.

Before I get into my pick for the Super Bowl, let’s get into some stats for both teams. The Patriots are the away team, and are 5-3 in road games this season. Seattle is the home team, and they are 7-1 at home this season, granted the full strength of the 12th man won’t be in Arizona on Sunday.

Here are some other offensive stats. Both teams this year are 12-4. The Patriots are averaging 366 yards per game, and the Seahawks are averaging 376 yards per game. The Patriots are averaging 258 yards per game, and the Seahawks are averaging 203 yards per game. The Patriots are also averaging 108 yards rushing per game, and the Seahawks are averaging 178 yards per game.

Let’s move to some defensive stats. The Patriots are allowing 344 yards per game, and the Seahawks are allowing 267 yards per game. The Patriots are also allowing 240 passing yards per game, and Seahawks are allowing 240 yards per game. The last stat we’ll go over is rush yards allowed. The Patriots are allowing 104 yards rushing per game, and the Seahawks are allowing 82 rushing yards per game.

Ok, now it is time for my pick for the Super Bowl. I think this game is going to come down to if the Seattle Seahawks can run the ball and, get Marshawn Lynch going. If they can do this, then they will win the game. My pick for Super Bowl 49, is the Seattle Seahawks 24-21. I just can’t pick against the running game and the defense for the Seahawks.

UConn Mens’ and Women’s Basketball Midseason

Here is another outstanding article, from our UCONN expert Art Benedict!!!! Lets see how Art thinks the UCONN men's and women's basketball teams performed in the first half of the season.


Article by Art Benedict

So now that we’ve talked about the UConn men’s and women’s roster, primarily the rookies that have graced us with their presence and even individual games and the like, it’s time to take a look at what happened so far and what lies ahead for both the men and women Huskies before we get into the AAC tournament and possibly beyond.

First let’s take a look at the men’s basketball team. Coming off a season in which no one (including this sports broadcaster) thought that the UConn Huskies would be crowned National Champions for the 2013-2014 basketball season, this year’s team returned one of the main cogs in the wheel and that was Ryan Boatright. Boatright has done everything he possibly can to keep this boat upright (I know, that’s bad). But you get what I am trying to say. He is averaging 16.5 ppg, and has a .427 FG percentage and a .814 FT percentage. The only other Husky averaging in double figures in points is Amidah Brimah with 10.4 ppg. Everyone else is averaging in single digit scoring.

They began the season with (3) straight wins (Bryant, College of Charleston, and Dayton), but then followed that up with (3) straight losses, (West Virginia, ranked Texas, and then Yale). They had a hard fought loss against then #2 Duke 66-56, but it still goes in the books as an “L”. Since then they have gone 7-3 with the latest winning streak at (2) games against the two Florida teams (USF & UCF).  So right now the Huskies stand at 11-7 overall and 4-2 in the conference. Not an overly impressive record for the defending National Champs, but there is still time to salvage the season and possibly make the NCAA tournament in March. Here’s what has to happen. After beating Cincinnati back on Jan. 10th 62-56 the Huskies have to play them again on Thursday in Cincinnati. This is a huge game for the Huskies if they can sweep the season series from the Bearcats. Boatright will have to be his Boat Show self and he will have to get good contributions from his supporting cast. The rest of their schedule (11) games are  all in the AAC with three of the teams (SMU, Memphis and Tulane) all with winning records and having to play them both twice After a road game in Cincy, (6) of the remaining (11) games will be on the road.  So it will be an uphill battle for the men’s basketball team to get back to the NCAA tournament in March, and you can bet Coach Kevin Ollie will keep his eye on the prize.

Grade: B-

 

It seems like the UConn women on the other hand are in cruise control. After an early 88-83 OT loss to Stanford, the lady Huskies have rattled off 17 victories in a row including a surprisingly lopsided 76-58 victory over arch rival Notre Dame back on Dec. 6th. Breanna Stewart remains the center point of the Huskies offense even though she has been up and down offensively. Stewy has started all 20 games and averages just over 27 minutes per game. Kalena Mosqueda-Lewis is as dynamic a 3 point shooter as you will see and recently became the all-time 3 point leader in UConn history surpassing Diana Turasi. And as recently as last night’s 87-32 rout of East Carolina, Kiah Stokes recorded a triple double.  (10 points, 10 rebounds and a school record 11 blocked shots) and is a major part of why the Huskies hold their opponents to less than 50% shooting. And Mariah Jefferson seems to be all over the court at the same time. Not to mention the inside game of the now healthy Morgan Tuck. The Husky women have (10) games left and the way they are destroying opponents it will be hard pressed to believe that they will not win the AAC Tournament and gain a #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA playoffs in March. If things keep playing out the way they are, all eyes will be on February 9th at Gampel Pavilion when the top ranked South Carolina Gamecocks come to town. I will be business as usual for head coach Geno Auriemma until then.

Grade: A

Next week:  The coaches.

Top 5 Red Sox Prospects 2015

Here is another awesome article from our Chris Saunders, about the Boston Red Sox's top prospect.

Article by Chris Saunders                           

#1- Henry Owens LHP- Owens throws his fastball in the low 90s, and it plays up, thanks to his deceptive delivery of which he hides the ball behind is back and curls the ball like a weight. His long arms of which coincide with his 6’6 frame allow him to extend more towards the catcher. Owens' changeup gives him a second plus pitch with added tumble and sink, and his slow curveball flashes the potential to be a third above-average offering, though it remains inconsistent. If Owens can change the shape/tilt of his breaking ball from 12-6 break/11/-5 break on occasion it will allow his change up to be even that more deadly. Owens' command isn't great as are most tall pitchers especially this young “23”. He has a good feel for pitching and continues to miss bats as he rises through the Minors. He has a ceiling of a No. 2 starter if he can continue to improve his overall command and change speeds to fool hitters on both sides of the plate. 

#2 Blake Swihart Catcher- Swihart wasn’t initially a catcher, as he played infield in high school, but the Red Sox felt his position to stardom was catcher.  Swihart threw out 42 percent of would-be basestealers in 2013 thanks to his quick feet and transfer ability. When you combine that with a 70 arm(close to plus plus 20-80 scale), that will leading the Carolina League. He has improved his game management, and he uses his athleticism well behind the plate. As a young catcher you have to find a happy medium between both your bat and defensive, but somehow Blake has been able to manager both, getting rave reviews from the pitching staff for how he handles himself as a game caller.  A switch-hitter, Swihart makes consistent hard contact from both sides of the plate. His swing is more geared for line drives now, but he projects to have average power. Swihart has toned down his aggressive approach somewhat, though he wouldn't be confused with a patient hitter. He is faster than most catchers, and he isn't a base clogger. Swihart is still a work in progress, but he has the potential to be an impact player in the Major Leagues

#3 Eduardo Rodriguez LHP- Rodriguez has made steady improvement since signing out of Venezuela as a 17-year-old in 2010. He made a big jump in 2013 when he reached Double-A Bowie, and then finished the year as the starting pitcher in the Arizona Fall League championship game. The Orioles used him as trade bait at the 2014 Deadline, sending him to the Red Sox for Andrew Miller. Initially more of a command-and-control lefty, Rodriguez has grown into his lanky frame 6’2 200 LBS and has seen his velocity jump as a result. He now throws his fastball in the low 90s, with good sink and movement on both sides of the plate. Rodriguez pairs his fastball with a hard changeup with excellent bite and sink that has received some plus grades 65-70. A tight slider that use to be more of a slurvy type pitch, now has sharper break and depth that fools both right/left handed hitters. He has the potential to a middle-rotation-starter, but the sky is the limit for this 22 year old.

#4  Garin Cecchini Third Baseman-  Cecchini simply finds a way to put the bat on the ball, spraying line drives to all fields. He is a very patient hitter, and he doesn't strike out much. Cecchini's frame portends him eventually developing solid power, but it isn't a big part of his game yet. He is an average runner, but his impressive instincts allow that speed to play up on the basepaths. Cecchini is a capable third baseman and has a strong arm. The Red Sox need outfield help, so they gave him some time in left field in 2014. Cecchini's work ethic and makeup earn rave reviews, and he won the '13 Stenson Award for sportsmanship in the Arizona Fall League.

#5 Trey Ball LHP- An excellent athlete, Ball was considered the top two-way player in the 2013 Draft class. In the end, however, scouts couldn't pass up his combination of size and stuff from the left side, and Boston selected him seventh overall as a pitcher. Ball throws his fastball in the low 90s, and there is projection left in his lanky frame. He only began throwing a curveball a couple years ago, but it already shows the potential to be an above-average pitch. In the absence of a breaking ball, Ball's changeup blossomed, and it has the potential to develop into a plus offering. Despite his height, Ball's athleticism gives him a chance to learn how to repeat his delivery well enough to have solid command. Though he is further away than most of the Red Sox's top pitching prospects, Ball's ceiling might be the highest of all of them.

Stay tuned for new articles tomorrow!!!!