Before we kick off the blog, I would like to clear up an editorial gaffe that I made last week. For those of you keeping up with current events, former Syracuse Mens Basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine is being investigated for sexual abuse of several former Syracuse ball boys. I accidently referred to Bernie Fine as “Larry Fine” in one of my paragraphs, Larry Fine of course is one third of the famed “Three Stooges”, and I would like to apologize for the editorial mistake. Screwups out of the way, it is now time for the blog!
Here are my Top Three Performances from NFL Week 13:
1. Running back Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens): With the wind and the rain as the main elements affecting the Baltimore Ravens road game against the Cleveland Browns, it was more than likely that the game would be determined by the running game. The Ravens kept to that gameplan and used their running back Ray Rice as much as needed. Averaging nearly 120 rushing yards per game in his career against the Browns, Rice eclipsed that number greatly. Rice ran for 204 yards on 29 carries and scored one touchdown to give the Ravens a 24-10 road victory against the Browns, and kept the Ravens in first place in the AFC North for yet another week.
2. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos): I understand that Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is the big sensation in the NFL at the moment, but what about his supporting staff? You have a stout defense, solid running game, and clutch receptions to account for the Broncos winning streak as well. No catches were more clutch than those made by Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the Broncos 35-32 road victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Thomas caught four receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns, making Tim Tebow look good in the process.
3. San Francisco 49ers Defense: Not much needed to be done here. One win at home against the horrible St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers win the NFC West division crown. In this case, the 49ers did what needed to be done to pull off the 26-0 shutout win at home against the Rams. The 49ers defense held the Rams offense to 157 yards, two turnovers, six quarterback hits, four sacks, and nine total tackles for loss of yards.
For you college football fans out there, it looks like we will get a much anticipated SEC rematch in this years Allstate BCS National Championship Game. The undefeated SEC Champions and number one ranked LSU Tigers (13-0) will be taking on the number two ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) in a heated National title match that could end in a last second play, much like the last contest. In other BCS Bowl games: The Clemson Tigers face the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Discover Orange Bowl. The Virginia Tech Hokies take on the Michigan Wolverines in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Oklahoma State Cowboys face the Stanford Cardinal in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. And the Wisconsin Badgers take on the Oregon Ducks in the Vizio Rose Bowl.
The 77th Annual Heisman Trophy Presentation will take place this Saturday night in New York, and the odds on favorite could be the Stanford quarterback, and the possible number one pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Andrew Luck. Don’t count out Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III…or Alabama running back Trent Richardson…or Wisconsin running back Montee Ball…or LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. Griffin III has been a threat in both the passing game and the running game for Baylor, Ball is on pace to break Barry Sanders NCAA touchdowns record, and Mathieu’s defensive and kick return abilities have led the LSU Tigers to the National title game. However, look for Luck to win the award with Richardson coming in at a close second but then again, anything is possible with the Heisman voting.
On July 22, 2012 in Cooperstown, New York, Chicago Cubs great Ron Santo will be inducted posthumously into the Baseball Hall of Fame after being on the ballot for 32 years. Santo will be the 47th Chicago Cub to be inducted into Cooperstown and honestly, it couldn’t have happened to both a better player and a better human being. Santo was one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball right next to Baltimore Orioles great Brooks Robinson, winning five gold gloves along with nine All Star appearances, 342 career homeruns, and 1,331 RBI’s in 2,243 games. Before his death to pneumonia and complications to bladder cancer at the age of 70, Santo spent 21 years as a Cubs broadcaster, played most of his major league career with diabetes, and basically never gave up no matter how bad things got for himself or his beloved Chicago Cubs.
New Orleans Hornets player Chris Paul may have a new home before the NBA regular season tips off on Christmas Day. New York Knicks players Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire have been courting Paul to come to the “Big Apple” but there is so much more interest in Paul than just New York. The Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Atlanta Hawks are among the teams interested in Paul, even the Boston Celtics will trade their star player Rajon Rondo to acquire Paul. Look for Paul to hit the big city lights of New York and become one third of the Knicks triple threat.
Thank you for reading my blog this week! Hopefully there will be no more editing gaffes and we can continue to give you sports the right way! Feel free to check me out on Facebook or e-mail me at y2joshua85@yahoo.com for any information regarding my blog and future projects. Enjoy your Monday night, I am out.
