NHL All-Star Game

The All-Star game in Montreal tonight between the Eastern Conference and the Western conference. It was the second highest scoring game in NHL All-star history and only the fifth ever to end after regulation. The first period was all the eastern Conference with assists and goals by Alex Ovechkin and Alexei Kovalev. At the end of the first period it was four to two Eastern Conference with the lead. Early in the second period Martin St. Louis scored a goal with an assist from Thomas Kaberle. This gave the Eastern Conference a five to two lead over the west. By the end of the second period it was all tied up at eight a piece. Thirty two seconds into the third period Shane Doan put the west up one with an assist from Mike Modano and Dustin Brown. The west was up for the second time and all through the third period until sixteen minutes and twenty one seconds into the third. As Jay Bouwmeester tied it up at eleven with three minutes and thirty-nine seconds to go. They then headed for overtime, where no scoring occurred. Shootout! Vincent Lecavalier versus Roberto Luongo resulted in a save. Shane Doan’s shot against Tim Thomas resulted with a save. Alexei Kovalev scored a goal on Roberto Luongo on his shootout attempt. Rick Nash misses wide of the net against Tim Thomas. Alex Ovechkin’s backhand shot on Roberto Luongo went in for a goal with an end result of the East Conference Victory or the Western Conference.

Sixty One

Sixty-one years since the “Cardinals” have been to the Super Bowl and never as the Arizona Cardinals. The Arizona Cardinals have never won nor been to the NFL championship game in team history. Next Sunday Iowa native Kurt Warner will go up against Big Ben and the defense on the Pittsburg Steelers. Warner former St. Louis Ram and Super Bowl thirty four MVP better be at the top of his game next Sunday in Tampa. Warner had an outstanding season in two thousand eight going four hundred and one for five hundred and ninety eight completions. A total of four thousand five hundred and eighty three yards with thirty touchdowns! Hooking up with one of the NFL’s best wide receivers to ever play the game… Larry Fitzgerald. He scored twelve touchdowns in this past season. Also earned one thousand four hundred and thirty one yards on ninety six receptions resulting in fourteen point yards per reception. Thee elite Edgerrin James will play a key role if the Cardinals want to sustain a chance against this Steelers Defense. He didn’t have the best year in 08’ scoring only three touchdowns all season. His numbers don’t prove it rushing for five hundred fourteen yards on one hundred and thirty three carries. If the offensive line can provide some running room against the Pittsburg defense James could be a key factor in this game. Can this explosive offense on the Arizona Cardinals put up some point against the defense of the Steelers? Will they win their first Super Bowl in team history under Iowan Kurt Warner? To be continued…

Steelers

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers win another Super Bowl? Ben Roethlisberger and company will play the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl forty three in Tampa Bay, Florida. Big Ben completing two hundred and eighty-one out of four hundred and sixty nine passes with three thousand three hundred and one yards. Don’t forget! He also had seventeen touchdowns in the two thousand eight season. Willie parker averaging three point eight yards per carry with only five touchdowns this past season, slightly emabrrasing? Not to mention his total yardage of seven hundred and ninety-one….Something to acknowledge the man doesn’t turn over the football. On two hundred and ten carries came zero fumbles from the hands of Willie Parker. Everyone knows Mr. Hines Ward of the Steelers organization and his ability to play the game. Ward averaged twelve point nine yard on eighty-one receptions in two thousand eight. Contributing seven touchdowns and running for one thousand forty-three receiving yards.
Let’s talk Defense! Number ninety-two on the other side James Harrison and your defensive player of the year. Not the happiest or most socializing person in the world as he sets a sack record and headed for the super bowl. Harrison skipped out on a Pittsburg collective cup Iron City beer and went home to watch some cartoons instead. Why so angry? It lies on his back with being cut four times in the hot dreading summer months and his idea of resorting to becoming a bus driver.
His response…
"If I know you, I may be talkative," Harrison says. "If I don't know you, I may not say a word. If I don't say a word, my natural look is mean, so people take that as being scary."
James Farrior another big name in this outstanding Steelers defense. Farrior ended the two thousand eight seasons with a total one hundred and thirty three tackle…Along with four sacks! Will the steelers defense stop the explosive offense of the Arizona Cardinals? To be continued...

Playoffs

Number one seed Titans are knocked off by Baltimore’s outstanding Defense and thanks to Matt Stover, who kicked the winning field goal with fifty-three seconds left. The Baltimore Ravens beat the Tennessee Titans thirteen to ten on Saturday. I would have liked to see the Titans go all the way after the tremendous season that they had, but life goes on.

The Arizona Cardinals walked all over the Carolina Panthers Saturday night in North Carolina. Burlington, Iowa native Kurt Warner led the Cardinals to victory with two touchdowns and only one interception. Warner went twenty-one for thirty-two with two hundred and twenty yards. Wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald had eight receptions for one hundred and sixty-six yards along with one touchdown. The Cardinals defeated the Panthers thirty-three to thirteen.

Donovan McNabb and the Eagles take the defending champions New York Giants out of the picture. McNabb had one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown for the Eagles in their victory. The Eagles defense has been playing very well lately forcing the giants to kick two field goals and not allowing them to score a touchdown. The Eagles move on to next weekend after defeating the Giants twenty-three to eleven.

Pittsburgh’s Rushing offense is what led the Steelers to victory over the San Diego Chargers. Willie Parker rushed for one hundred and forty six yards on twenty-seven carries with two touch downs. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for one hundred and eighty one yards with a touchdown to miller. The Steelers will face the Baltimore Ravens next weekend the AFC Champion after defeating the chargers thirty-five to twenty-four.

Pacman...

The Dallas Cowboys release Adam “Pacman” Jones after series of incidents that have occurred since June of two thousand seven. A conflict between Jones and the victim inside a Suburban Atlanta strip club back in June led to the victim and two others decision to leave the club. Followed by their departure from the strip joint was a load of bullets that struck their car. Stories report that Jones ordered someone to fire upon the car after his argument back inside the club.

Before the season got started in two thousand seven Jones was suspended for multiple off the field incidents keeping him from playing in six of the games. He then missed the seventh game due to injury. Jones spent his suspension in an alcohol rehabilitation program at the age of twenty-five. The Cowboys decision to trade Jones had a lot to do with his suspension and also multiple other problems that occurred with his former team the Tennessee Titans. Pacman was first round draft pick back in two thousand five and has been arrested six times. Along with his six arrests the police have been involved with twelve situations dealing with Jones since joining the Titans organization. "If I beat myself up, who will take care of me?" Jones said, according to the report. "Football means a lot to me, but it's not everything. It's not like I'm taking it pretty good. I love me some me." The Cowboys will be granted a fifth-round pick in the two thousand nine draft due to the fact that Jones got suspended once again.

UF24-OU14

The Florida Gators win another National Championship on Thursday night January eighth two thousand nine. Tim Tebow rushed for one hundred and nine against the Oklahoma Sooners defense. This put Tebow third on the list for most rushing yards by a quarterback in the BCS title game. Tebow went eighteen for thirty passing on the night with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The question that needed to be answered was could the gator defense stop the offense of the Oklahoma Sooners who averaged fifty five points a game. Well the Florida defense definitely showed up to play causing two interceptions and a very important goal line stop. It was third down and the Sooners were on the one yard line about to score and go ahead of the gators fourteen to seven. Florida defense comes up with a big stop here causing a forth down for quarterback Bradford (OU) and company. Torrey Davis number ninety-five tackled the Sooners running back Chris Brown by his shoe strings forcing a turnover on downs for Oklahoma. Later in the quarter the Sooners were in the red zone once again and the gator defense comes up wit h another huge play. Wright the safety for Florida intercepts Bradford after the ball was juggled between three other players. During the third quarter the gators went up fourteen to seven after Percy Harvin had a two yard run for a touchdown. The fourth Quarter belonged to the Florida Gators. Following an Oklahoma eleven yard touchdown pass early in the quarter, the gators responded with a field goal putting them ahead seventeen to fourteen. They then sealed the deal with a touchdown after another Florida interception. Many thought that this was going to be an offensive show down between two teams who both averaged over forty-five points a game. Florida’s defense is what gave them the edge in this battle with three game changing plays. Both teams made mistakes, but Oklahoma could have had this game one if the wouldn’t have made those crucial red zone turnovers.

The two thousand eight football standings come to end with Florida number one followed by undefeated Utah as number two. USC, who my opinion is number one in the country finishes third, Texas fourth and Oklahoma fifth. For all of us Hawkeye fans out there, Iowa nine and four finishes at number twenty on the AP top twenty-five.