Thursday, November 18, 2010

MLS Cup Final

Are you a soccer junkie? This weekend, the MLS season wraps up with the championship game, coming from Toronto, Canada. Kickoff is at 8:30pm ET on Sunday evening, televised on ESPN.

For a full preview of the upcoming action, check out The SACK Lunch blog, where you can gain all sorts of insight to the matchup between the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas. By gametime, it will even include our own prediction for the outcoming of the MLS Cup Final.

Causeway Classic Preview

When rivals clash, it goes without saying that anything is possible; teams can put together a miracle upset, an incredible last second touchdown to win or have a defensive stand that seals a sweet victory.

A historic timeline continues on Saturday here in Davis, when the UC Davis Aggies host the Sacramento State Hornets in the 57th edition of the football Causeway Classic. With stadiums separated by only 20.1 miles (thank you, Google maps), it is not a long trek for the Hornets to come to Davis for Saturday’s 4:07pm kickoff at Aggie Stadium.

UC Davis added to the rivalry already in 2010, paving the way for a continued legacy upon announcing a major change this past September within the football program. Beginning in 2012 or 2013, UC Davis football will compete in the Big Sky, a conference which has had Sacramento State as a member since 1996.

Sacramento State comes in with an overall record of 6-4, including a 5-3 mark in Big Sky Conference play. The Hornets have won three games in a row, all conference matchups. The Hornets primary offensive contributors are quarterback Jeff Fleming, running back Bryan Hillard and wide receiver tandem Chase Deadder and Morris Norrise. Peter Buck leads the Hornets with 90 tackles this season, and Zack Nash leads the Sacramento State pass rush with a team-high 13 sacks.

UC Davis comes in with an overall record of 5-5, including a 3-1 mark in Great West Conference play. The Aggies have won two games in a row, both in conference play. The Aggies offensive is led by redshirt freshman quarterback Randy Wright, running back Nick Aprile and wide receiver Sean Creadick. Defensively, Dozie Amajoyi leads UC Davis with 84 tackles. Eric Sobotka has recorded 4 sacks to lead UC Davis in that department.

Quick Stats to remember on gameday:
-UC Davis leads the all-time series 39-18
-Sacramento State has won the previous two meetings
-The weather forecast calls for a 70% chance of rain and a high of 51 degrees
-UC Davis won every season from 2000-2007

In-Depth Stats for this matchup:
  • Sacramento State averages 33.7 points per game
  • UC Davis averages 21.6 points per game
  • Sacramento State is allowing 25.5 points per game
  • UC Davis is allowing 27.9 points per game
  • Sacramento State averages 394.6 yards per game
  • UC Davis averages 318.2 yards per game
  • Sacramento State is allowing 352.1 yards per game
  • UC Davis is allowing 387.0 yards per game
Random stats that could have an affect on this game:
  • Sacramento State has attempted 2 onside kicks this season, and recovered both
  • UC Davis has attempted 1 onside kick this season, and recovered it successfully
  • Sacramento State's defense has recorded 25 sacks this season
  • UC Davis' defense has recorded 15 sacks this season
  • Sacramento State has made 12 of 13 field goal attempts this season
  • UC Davis has made 12 of 15 field goal attempts this season
  • Sacramento State has converted 7 of 14 on their fourth-down attempts
  • UC Davis has converted 7 of 15 on their fourth-down attempts
  • Sacramento State averages 10.2 yards per punt return
  • UC Davis averages 2.9 yards per punt return
Our pick; UC Davis 19, Sacramento State 17

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

UC Davis beats UC Santa Cruz

After a frustrating opening weekend in which the UC Davis men's basketball team dropped all three of its games, the Aggies finally got in the win column Wednesday night.

The Aggies got 16 points and 11 rebounds from senior Joe Harden in a 70-49 victory over visiting UC Santa Cruz. The Division III Banana Slugs were led by 12 points and 4 rebounds from Ryan Matsuoka.

It was critical for the Aggies to get their first win of the year Wednesday night, just three days removed from arriving home after a tough tournament in Oregon. The Aggies lost over the weekend to Florida Atlantic, Portland and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. UC Davis is now 1-3 on the season.

Boise State comes to town for the Aggies on Sunday at 1:00pm at the Pavillion.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Midseason NFL Report

Its that time of year. Its nearing the end of Week 10 in the NFL and unlike any other year in recent memory, it is a true tossup. Week in and week out, favorites are getting defeated by mediocre teams, and it seems the only constant in this season was that the home team had a good chance of winning. The best record in football is 7-2? And its held by the predictable Jets and Patriots, not to mention the Falcons who might have the best 12th man in football (sorry Seattle). If the playoffs started today the Raiders would be in? The Chiefs were the last undefeated team? Brett and Chuck's favorite two teams are a combined 4-14???? Even though personally its a down year for football, this season is very memorable because of the unpredictability of this season. What follows is a midseason NFL report of all 32 teams, and the prediction of their final record.

NFC EAST

Giants
Current Record: 6-3
Final Record: 10-6

They're averaging 263 yards passing a game, and that's 6th in the NFL. In the other major categories they rank in the top 5, needless to say Peyton's little brother and co. has been tearing it up in the NFL this first half. Even though Jason Garrett and the Cowboys took away some of their swagger (at least defensively by scoring 33 pts), this Giants team is destined to stay on track to make the playoffs, especially in an NFC that could send an 8-8 team to the playoffs. 4 of their next 7 games are division games with 2 against Philly and 2 against the Skins. Throw in Jacksonville, Minnesota, and the pesky Green Bay Packers and a 4-3 record to end the season is a safe bet. Would be good enough to win the NFC East if not for this next team...

Eagles
Current Record: 5-3 (and if they continue this romp of the Redskins, 6-3)
Final Record: 11-5 (win NFC East)

The secret to this team's success is obviously Michael Vick. When he's on the field, the obvious candidate for Comeback Player of the Year turns this offense into the quickest in the NFL. With DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin flying around the field and the breathtaking arm/feet of Vick, this Eagles team is nothing to mess with. Don't let the team stats fool you: 13th in passing yards, 5th in rushing, 13th in opp passing yards, 12th in opp rushing yards. This team is arguably a top 5 team not only in the NFC but in the whole NFL. Not enough can be said about Vick though. Vick has played in 5 games this year, with 7 TD's and 0 (that's right 0) INT. He's completed 76 passes for over 1000 yards, along with 261 yds rushing with 2 rushing TD's it looks like the sky's the limit for Vick and the Eagles. Looks like unloading McNabb may have been the right idea, touche Andy Reid. They still have Dallas and New York twice in December and January, but if Vick can lead this team to a division title, ol' number 7 will definitely be in the MVP discussion.

Redskins
Current Record: 4-4
Final Record: 5-11

Washington seems a little more two faced then Harvey Dent. Some weeks they look like they can hold their own at least defensively while McNabb is working with what he's got. Other weeks, such as the loss to Detroit last week and the whole "Grossman gives us the best chance to win" statement by Shanahan, and this team looks like a deer in headlights. Such as tonight, currently the Redskins are getting pounced by 28 in the first quarter. Good news for the Skins, is that Donovan McNabb is staying in Washington for the next 5 years. Bad news, is that their schedule doesn't get any easier with their easiest game being either against Minnesota or against Jacksonville, games that could go either way. Also, McNabb probably won't be there for the next 5 years. I don't see them getting anywhere in the second half, and falter to a 1-7 finish. Better luck next year (maybe).

Cowboys
Current Record: 2-7
Final Record: 6-10

Being a Dallas Cowboys fan, the first half of the NFL season was quite a let down to say the least. Coming into the season I requested every Sunday off of work, so I can sit and scream at the TV in my DeMarcus Ware jersey and hopefully celebrate a Cowboy victory. After a very dismal start, with a close loss to Washington, embarrasing loss to Chicago, and finally a Texas Bowl victory over Houston, at 1-2 my Cowboys were looking to straighten things out. Then the wheels completely came off, the plane crashed into the mountain, the "first team to host their own Super Bowl" prediction turned into "first team eliminated from playoff contention". It seemed week after week, the Cowboys would play pretty well, and despite giving up points in the 30's (and sometimes 40's) they would still only lose by single digits. Tony Romo went down, Jon Kitna never really showed up, and Wade Phillips looked like he held the best season ticket you can possibly get instead of a Head Coach. But maybe with a breath of fresh air in the form of familiar face Jason Garrett, this very talented team might get that kick in the rear that they need and finish proudly. As a fan I will never ever root for my team to tank, and with the kind of talent they got I can see them start to turn things around with a 4-3 record to end the season and give this team some motivation for next year unless there's a lockout. That is unless they go 8 in a row, make the playoffs and beyond......in an unpredictable season such as this one anything can happen.

Check in tomorrow from 12-1 PM on 95.7 KDRT or on KDRT.org for the Brett and Chuck Power Hour, the best hour in radio..history....period.

Early Week Notes

Some early week notes from the sports world:

-Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has joined the Philadelphia Phillies organization and will manage their Triple-A affiliate team in 2011. We discussed Ryne Sandberg in one of our November 3 blogs, entitled "Adios Ryno," and how he had been passed over in the selection of the new manager of the Chicago Cubs. Now, he will be the head honcho of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Sandberg, a longtime Cubbie, was very disappointed after not being chosen to manage the Cubs in 2011 or manage another MLB team. ""I spent the four years in the minor leagues to manage at the major league level, and that's where my heart is and that's what my next step is. That's where I look next. So I'll take it a step at a time and see if there's another opportunity out there and go from there," he said last month when the Cubs hired Mike Quade.

Hopefully Sandberg will be able to score a Major League job in 2012, if not sooner. Midseason firings at the MLB level are rare, but do happen on occasion. Hard to see him going back to the Cubs though, my guess is his major league job would have to be elsewhere.
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-The struggles for our local Sacramento Kings continue (sadface). After an exciting 3-1 start to this season's campaign, the team has now dropped five straight contests, including four at home. Elias Sports Buearu had an interesting note following Sunday's home loss to the Detroit Pistons;

The Kings' 100-94 defeat to the Pistons was Sacramento's fourth straight home loss. Since the start of the 2006-2007 season, the Kings have had 11 different home losing streaks of at least four games, most in the NBA over that span. In the previous eight seasons (1998-1999 through 2005-2006), Sacramento only lost four straight games at ARCO Arena once, in December 2005.

I miss the days when ARCO was such a tough place to win at! During the Kings "glory years" when I was just becoming a teen, it seemed every home game was practically a guaranteed Kings victory. Looking back at the 2002-2003 season, the Kings were an NBA best 35-6 at home. Unfortunately it is 2010, and those Kings already boast four home losses, and its only mid-November.

At some point soon I'd love to blog about the future of the Kings; whether it truly will be in Sacramento or not, and what it will take to turn around the franchise.
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Blasphemy! I'm all for Deron Williams having a strong week (Jazz were 4-0, he averaged 23 points, 11.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds), but no way was he the Western Conference Player of the Week. No way!!!!! Not when the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Love averages 21.0 points and 20.3 rebounds. Granted the Timberwolves had a 2-2 week (beat Sacramento), Love still wrecked havoc on the boards all week, and for that, I grant him my Western Conference Player of the Week award, with Deron Williams as an honorable mention.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

NFL Picks

A tad late, so the NFL picks won't be nearly as thorough as I dreamed. Alas, here they are....

Buffalo over Detroit: Yes, Bills fans, the victory bell finally rings and the home crowd goes wild.

Minnesota over Chicago: Brett Favre won't throw for 400+ yards, but he and A.P. will get a win on the road.

New York Jets over Cleveland: I wanted to pick the Browns, simply because of their effort last week beating New England, but I see the Jets getting things in order following a shutout loss at home last weekend. One thing is for sure, one Ryan brother will beat another.

Cincinnati over Indianapolis: This one isn't even an obligatory pick. I think the team we all thought Cincinnati could be finally puts together a game.

Tennessee over Miami: Chris Johnson runs wild in a strong Titans win.

Tampa Bay over Carolina: The Panthers cannot win without a quarterback.

Houston over Jacksonville: The Texans bounce back from a frustrating home loss to beat the up-and-down Jaguars.

Kansas City over Denver: D.J. Williams really put a damper on the Broncos' already shaky season.

New York Giants over Dallas: Eli makes sure the new era doesn't start well for the Cowboys.

Arizona ties Seattle: I think no one wins this game. Tie.

San Francisco over Seattle: A "bye" week gave the 49ers a chance to prepare to stop rookie Sam Bradford and the Rams.

Pittsburgh over New England: A great Sunday night matchup. The home team gains the edge.

Philadelphia over Washington: This Monday night affair is another retro Vick party.

Friday, November 12, 2010

College Football Primer

Big C

California!
On our rugged Eastern foothills, stand our symbol clear and bold.

Big C means to fight and strive
and win for Blue and Gold.

Golden Bear is ever watching,
Day by day he prowls.

And when he hears the tread of lowly Stanford Red,
from his lair he fiercely growls!

(Yell: Gr-rr-rah, Gr-rr-rah,
Gr-r, r-r-r-, r-r-rah!)

Roll on, you Bears...........

Another awesome weekend in college football awaits us. Here are a few of the marquee games awaiting us on Saturday:

-Georgia at Auburn, kickoff scheduled for 3:30pm ET. Unfortunately a lot of questions surround Auburn QB and Heisman frontrunner Cam Newton, who is facing scandal left and right regarding possible cheating at Florida and money scandal at Mississippi State (or Auburn, or elsewhere, who knows?). Auburn is 8 point favorites at home, but still should beware of this SEC matchup with Georgia.

Our pick: Auburn 33, Georgia 24

-Virginia Tech at North Carolina, kickoff schedule for 3:30pm ET. Two teams match up who are both fighting for the top spot in the ACC Coastal Division. Virginia Tech leads with a 5-0 conference record, with North Carolina within reach at 3-2. Virginia Tech has looked sharp each week since its two opening season losses (Boise State, James Madison). North Carolina is a 4 point underdog at home, and is playing well despite having lost many of their top players to suspension.

Our pick: North Carolina 26, Virginia Tech 21

South Carolina at Florida, kickoff scheduled for 7:15pm ET. The stakes are high in this game as the winner will represent the SEC East in the conference title game. Florida suffered 3 tough losses to start October (Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State) but have bounced back well with two consecutive wins when they needed to. This matchup has had many classic battles, and look for this game to be no different. As mentioned before, the stakes are very high. (Florida is a 6.5 favorite)

Our pick: Florida 38, South Carolina 33

Oregon at Cal, kickoff schedule for 7:30pm ET. Plain and simple, it is an important game because Oregon is #1 and they have a game on the road against a team who's undefeated at home. Cal is a very different team at home, versus on the road, so the Bears are lucky to be hosting Oregon (but not lucky to be playing them, regardless of location). Anytime you're in the drivers seat to be in the National Title game as the Ducks are, you're under the watchful eye of the country each week. (Oregon is a 19.5 favorite)

Our pick: Oregon 48, Cal 27