Thursday, March 31, 2011

2011 MLB Predictions

It's Opening Day for Major League Baseball with 6 games on the schedule. Now is the time to get on the record with my team and awards picks for the season. Side note, did you notice that ESPN had their "experts" make predictions this year for playoff teams, World Series winner, MVPs, CY Youngs, and ROY... they had 45 people make picks. They have 45 baseball experts? I thought they had Tim Kurkjian. Well 33 out of 45 said the Sox would win the World Series, so you got to figure they have no chance. Here are our official picks for 2011...

AMERICAN LEAGUE:
KEEFE:
MVP: Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, Mariners
Rookie of the Year: Jake McGee, Rays
Manager: John Farrell, Blue Jays

BESSE:
MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers
Rookie of the Year: Jeremy Hellickson, Rays

NATIONAL LEAGUE:
KEEFE:
MVP: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
Cy Young: Cliff Lee, Phillies
Rookie of the Year: Craig Kimbrel, Braves
Manager: Fredi Gonzalez, Braves

BESSE:
MVP: Jason Heyward, Braves
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Rookie of the Year: Brandon Belt, Giants

POST SEASON:
KEEFE:
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Athletics
AL Wild Card: Yankees

BESSE:
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Athletics
AL Wild Card: Yankees

KEEFE:
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Braves

BESSE:
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Giants
Wild Card: Braves

KEEFE:
ALCS: White Sox over Red Sox
NLCS: Phillies over Braves

World Series: Phillies over White Sox

BESSE:
ALCS: Athletics over Red Sox
NLCS: Giants over Phillies

World Series: Giants over A's in 7

It's always fun to check back on these in September to see just how off we were. Enjoy the picks and feel free to let us know who you got. By the way, you think Bess developed a West Coast basis? San Fran and Oakland WS? Gotta love it.

-Keefe & Besse

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Fantasy Baseball Draft Results

Our fantasy baseball keeper league just completed our 2011 draft. Here are the results below. (Keep in mind that the first 8 rounds are keepers, so when it says that Desmond Jennings was the 1st pick, he was actually just a bad choice of 8 keepers for that GM).

Holy Shirts & Pants = Rich Keefe
Kenny Fuckin Powers = Tristan Besse

North End All Blacks = 3-time defending champ, Woody

Round: 1

(1) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Desmond Jennings RF
(2) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Justin Verlander SP
(3) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - B.J. Upton CF
(4) No No Nannettes - Ian Kinsler 2B
(5) The Van Buren Boys - CC Sabathia SP
(6) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Dustin Pedroia 2B
(7) North End Half Blacks - Kendry Morales 1B
(8) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Ichiro Suzuki RF
** (9) Holy Shirts and Pants - Carl Crawford LF
(10) Beantown Bashers - Jayson Werth RF
(11) Scotch N' Sirloin - Roy Halladay SP
(12) North End All-Blacks - Ryan Braun LF

Round: 2
(13) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Trevor Cahill SP
(14) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Justin Morneau 1B
(15) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Joey Votto 1B
(16) No No Nannettes - Jacoby Ellsbury CF
(17) The Van Buren Boys - Andrew McCutchen CF
(18) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Andre Ethier RF
(19) North End Half Blacks - Clayton Kershaw SP
(20) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Joe Mauer C
** (21) Holy Shirts and Pants - Ryan Howard 1B
(22) Beantown Bashers - Nelson Cruz RF
(23) Scotch N' Sirloin - Jon Lester SP
(24) North End All-Blacks - Tim Lincecum SP

Round: 3
(25) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Starlin Castro SS
(26) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Kelly Johnson 2B
(27) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Justin Upton RF
(28) No No Nannettes - Matt Holliday LF
(29) The Van Buren Boys - Wandy Rodriguez SP
(30) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Tommy Hanson SP
(31) North End Half Blacks - Shin-Soo Choo RF
(32) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Cliff Lee SP
** (33) Holy Shirts and Pants - Dan Haren SP
(34) Beantown Bashers - Adrian Beltre 3B
(35) Scotch N' Sirloin - David Price SP
(36) North End All-Blacks - Hanley Ramirez SS

Round: 4
(37) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Domonic Brown RF
(38) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Carlos Santana C
(39) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Kevin Youkilis 1B
(40) No No Nannettes - Elvis Andrus SS
(41) The Van Buren Boys - Hunter Pence RF
(42) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Evan Longoria 3B
(43) North End Half Blacks - Matt Cain SP
(44) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Josh Johnson SP
** (45) Holy Shirts and Pants - Adam Dunn 1B
(46) Beantown Bashers - Vladimir Guerrero DH
(47) Scotch N' Sirloin - Brandon Phillips 2B
(48) North End All-Blacks - Albert Pujols 1B

Round: 5
(49) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Brett Gardner CF
(50) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Brandon Morrow SP
(51) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Cole Hamels SP
(52) No No Nannettes - Francisco Liriano SP
(53) The Van Buren Boys - Dan Uggla 2B
(54) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Jose Reyes SS
(55) North End Half Blacks - Curtis Granderson CF
(56) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Billy Butler 1B
** (57) Holy Shirts and Pants - David Wright 3B
(58) Beantown Bashers - Josh Hamilton CF
(59) Scotch N' Sirloin - Jason Heyward RF
(60) North End All-Blacks - Carlos Gonzalez LF

Round: 6
(61) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Colby Rasmus CF
(62) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Pedro Alvarez 3B
(63) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Chris Carpenter SP
(64) No No Nannettes - Phil Hughes SP
(65) The Van Buren Boys - Alex Rios CF
(66) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Stephen Strasburg SP
(67) North End Half Blacks - Jay Bruce RF
(68) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Troy Tulowitzki SS
** (69) Holy Shirts and Pants - Joakim Soria RP
(70) Beantown Bashers - Matt Kemp CF
(71) Scotch N' Sirloin - Miguel Cabrera 1B
(72) North End All-Blacks - Robinson Cano 2B

Round: 7
(73) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Alex Rodriguez 3B
(74) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Drew Stubbs CF
(75) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Chris Young CF
(76) No No Nannettes - Buster Posey C
(77) The Van Buren Boys - Ryan Dempster SP
(78) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Prince Fielder 1B
(79) North End Half Blacks - Victor Martinez C
(80) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Shane Victorino CF
** (81) Holy Shirts and Pants - Carlos Marmol RP
(82) Beantown Bashers - Zack Greinke SP
(83) Scotch N' Sirloin - Martin Prado 2B
(84) North End All-Blacks - Ryan Zimmerman 3B

Round: 8
(85) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Chase Utley 2B
(86) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Delmon Young LF
(87) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Brian McCann C
(88) No No Nannettes - Mike Stanton RF
(89) The Van Buren Boys - Mark Teixeira 1B
(90) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Adrian Gonzalez 1B
(91) North End Half Blacks - Yovani Gallardo SP
(92) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Jose Bautista 3B
** (93) Holy Shirts and Pants - Jered Weaver SP
(94) Beantown Bashers - Ubaldo Jimenez SP
(95) Scotch N' Sirloin - Mat Latos SP
(96) North End All-Blacks - Felix Hernandez SP

Round: 9
(97) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Freddie Freeman 1B
(98) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Max Scherzer SP
(99) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Roy Oswalt SP
(100) No No Nannettes - Michael Young 3B
(101) The Van Buren Boys - Chad Billingsley SP
(102) The Van Buren Boys - Heath Bell RP
(103) North End Half Blacks - Derek Jeter SS
(104) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Rickie Weeks 2B
** (105) Holy Shirts and Pants - Corey Hart RF
(106) Beantown Bashers - Brian Wilson RP
(107) Scotch N' Sirloin - Casey McGehee 3B
(108) North End All-Blacks - Neftali Feliz RP

Round: 10
(109) North End All-Blacks - Ben Zobrist 2B
(110) Scotch N' Sirloin - Paul Konerko 1B
(111) Beantown Bashers - Aubrey Huff 1B
** (112) Holy Shirts and Pants - Nick Markakis RF
(113) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Mariano Rivera RP
(114) North End Half Blacks - Aramis Ramirez 3B
(115) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Clay Buchholz SP
(116) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Jhoulys Chacin SP
(117) No No Nannettes - Jimmy Rollins SS
(118) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Aaron Hill 2B
(119) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Jonathan Broxton RP
(120) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Carlos Quentin RF

Round: 11
(121) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Torii Hunter CF
(122) Scotch N' Sirloin - Alexei Ramirez SS
(123) North End All-Blacks - Geovany Soto C
(124) No No Nannettes - Michael Bourn CF
(125) The Van Buren Boys - Pablo Sandoval 3B
(126) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Craig Kimbrel RP
(127) North End Half Blacks - Shaun Marcum SP
(128) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Adam Jones CF
** (129) Holy Shirts and Pants - Matt Garza SP
(130) Beantown Bashers - Gordon Beckham 2B
(131) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Jonathan Sanchez SP
(132) North End All-Blacks - Ted Lilly SP

Round: 12
(133) North End All-Blacks - Brett Anderson SP
(134) Scotch N' Sirloin - Rajai Davis CF
(135) Beantown Bashers - Jonathan Papelbon RP
** (136) Holy Shirts and Pants - Joe Nathan RP
(137) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - David Ortiz DH
(138) North End Half Blacks - Jeremy Hellickson SP
(139) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Gio Gonzalez SP
(140) The Van Buren Boys - Tim Hudson SP
(141) No No Nannettes - Francisco Rodriguez RP
(142) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Daniel Hudson SP
(143) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Jose Valverde RP
(144) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Ricky Nolasco SP

Round: 13
(145) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Miguel Montero C
(146) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Ian Desmond SS
(147) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Mark Reynolds 3B
(148) No No Nannettes - Stephen Drew SS
(149) The Van Buren Boys - Matt Wieters C
(150) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Adam Lind DH
(151) North End Half Blacks - Bobby Abreu RF
(152) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - John Danks SP
** (153) Holy Shirts and Pants - Brian Roberts 2B
(154) Beantown Bashers - Mike Napoli C
(155) Scotch N' Sirloin - Francisco Cordero RP
(156) North End All-Blacks - Chris Perez RP

Round: 14
(157) North End All-Blacks - Huston Street RP
(158) Scotch N' Sirloin - Brian Matusz SP
(159) Beantown Bashers - Darwin Barney SS
** (160) Holy Shirts and Pants - Grady Sizemore CF
(161) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - J.J. Putz RP
(162) North End Half Blacks - Colby Lewis SP
(163) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Matt Thornton RP
(164) The Van Buren Boys - Rafael Furcal SS
(165) No No Nannettes - Hiroki Kuroda SP
(166) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - John Axford RP
(167) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Juan Pierre LF
(168) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Andrew Bailey RP

Round: 15
(169) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Ike Davis 1B
(170) Scotch N' Sirloin - Ryan Franklin RP
(171) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Drew Storen RP
(172) No No Nannettes - Adam LaRoche 1B
(173) The Van Buren Boys - Frank Francisco RP
(174) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Jose Tabata LF
(175) North End Half Blacks - Brandon Lyon RP
(176) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Nick Swisher RF
** (177) Holy Shirts and Pants - Gaby Sanchez 1B
(178) Beantown Bashers - Daniel Bard RP
(179) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Leo Nunez RP
(180) North End All-Blacks - Manny Ramirez LF

Round: 16
(181) North End All-Blacks - Madison Bumgarner SP
(182) Scotch N' Sirloin - Carlos Pena 1B
(183) Beantown Bashers - Ricky Romero SP
** (184) Holy Shirts and Pants - Jake McGee RP
(185) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Josh Beckett SP
(186) North End Half Blacks - Vernon Wells CF
(187) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Joel Hanrahan RP
(188) The Van Buren Boys - Ian Stewart 3B
(189) No No Nannettes - Chone Figgins 2B
(190) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Jason Bay LF
(191) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Angel Pagan CF
(192) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Brad Lidge RP

Round: 17
(193) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Justin Smoak 1B
(194) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Omar Infante 2B
(195) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Jordan Zimmermann SP
(196) No No Nannettes - Brett Myers SP
(197) The Van Buren Boys - Carlos Lee LF
(198) The Van Buren Boys - Jonny Venters RP
(199) North End Half Blacks - Kevin Gregg RP
(200) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Derrek Lee 1B
** (201) Holy Shirts and Pants - Jair Jurrjens SP
(202) Beantown Bashers - Yunel Escobar SS
(203) Scotch N' Sirloin - Andres Torres CF
(204) North End All-Blacks - Jim Thome DH

Round: 18
(205) North End All-Blacks - C.J. Wilson SP
(206) Scotch N' Sirloin - Travis Snider LF
(207) Beantown Bashers - Evan Meek RP
** (208) Holy Shirts and Pants - Alcides Escobar SS
(209) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Edinson Volquez SP
(210) North End Half Blacks - Howard Kendrick 2B
(211) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Derek Holland SP
(212) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Sean Rodriguez 2B
(213) No No Nannettes - Neil Walker 2B
(214) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - J.J. Hardy SS
(215) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Ian Kennedy SP
(216) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Johnny Cueto SP

Round: 19
(217) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Dallas Braden SP
(218) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Michael Morse RF
(219) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Michael Pineda SP
(220) No No Nannettes - Jaime Garcia SP
(221) The Van Buren Boys - Joaquin Benoit RP
(222) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Aroldis Chapman RP
(223) North End Half Blacks - Michael Cuddyer RF
(224) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - John Lackey SP
** (225) Holy Shirts and Pants - Austin Jackson CF
(226) Beantown Bashers - Ty Wigginton 3B
(227) Scotch N' Sirloin - Anibal Sanchez SP
(228) North End All-Blacks - Mitch Moreland 1B

Round: 20
(229) North End All-Blacks - Brandon League RP
(230) Scotch N' Sirloin - Asdrubal Cabrera SS
(231) Beantown Bashers - J.D. Drew RF
** (232) Holy Shirts and Pants - Denard Span CF
(233) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Luke Scott DH
(234) North End Half Blacks - Fernando Rodney RP
(235) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Bryce Harper RF
(236) The Van Buren Boys - Scott Rolen 3B
(237) No No Nannettes - Erick Aybar SS
(238) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - David Aardsma RP
(239) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Jorge De La Rosa SP
(240) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Alexi Ogando RP

Round: 21
(241) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Tsuyoshi Nishioka 2B
(242) Scotch N' Sirloin - James Shields SP
(243) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Mike Moustakas 3B
(244) No No Nannettes - Lance Berkman 1B
(245) The Van Buren Boys - Carlos Ruiz C
(246) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Kurt Suzuki C
(247) North End Half Blacks - James McDonald SP
(248) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Bronson Arroyo SP
** (249) Holy Shirts and Pants - Dexter Fowler CF
(250) Beantown Bashers - Chris Iannetta C
(251) Kenny Fuckin Powers - J.P. Arencibia C
(252) North End All-Blacks - Chris Coghlan LF

Round: 22
(253) North End All-Blacks - Jake Peavy SP
(254) Scotch N' Sirloin - Nyjer Morgan CF
(255) Beantown Bashers - Octavio Dotel RP
** (256) Holy Shirts and Pants - Chris Sale RP
(257) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Chase Headley 3B
(258) North End Half Blacks - Edwin Encarnacion 3B
(259) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Marlon Byrd CF
(260) The Van Buren Boys - Hong-Chih Kuo RP
(261) No No Nannettes - Placido Polanco 3B
(262) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Ryan Madson RP
(263) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Ervin Santana SP
(264) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Danny Espinosa 2B

Round: 23
(265) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Brandon Webb SP
(266) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Johan Santana SP
(267) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Wade Davis SP
(268) No No Nannettes - Jose Lopez 3B
(269) The Van Buren Boys - David Freese 3B
(270) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Sergio Romo RP
(271) North End Half Blacks - Brian Fuentes RP
(272) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Jason Kubel RF
** (273) Holy Shirts and Pants - Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
(274) Beantown Bashers - Reid Brignac SS
(275) Scotch N' Sirloin - Yadier Molina C
(276) North End All-Blacks - Erik Bedard SP

Round: 24
(277) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Edwin Jackson SP
(278) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Carl Pavano SP
(279) Beantown Bashers - Carlos Beltran CF
** (280) Holy Shirts and Pants - Logan Morrison LF
(281) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Rafael Soriano RP
(282) North End Half Blacks - Juan Uribe 2B
(283) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Randy Wells SP
(284) The Van Buren Boys - R.A. Dickey SP
(285) No No Nannettes - James Loney 1B
(286) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Ryan Raburn LF
(287) Scotch N' Sirloin - Tyler Colvin RF
(288) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Alfonso Soriano LF

Round: 25
(289) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Jesus Montero C
(290) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Ryan Theriot SS
(291) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Mike Minor SP
(292) No No Nannettes - Hideki Matsui DH
(293) The Van Buren Boys - Magglio Ordonez RF
(294) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Mike Trout CF
(295) North End Half Blacks - Kyle Drabek SP
(296) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Jon Rauch RP
** (297) Holy Shirts and Pants - Miguel Tejada SS
(298) Beantown Bashers - Tyler Clippard RP
(299) Scotch N' Sirloin - Jordan Walden RP
(300) North End All-Blacks - Chipper Jones 3B

Round: 26
(301) North End All-Blacks - Coco Crisp CF
(302) Scotch N' Sirloin - Matt Capps RP
(303) Beantown Bashers - Mark Trumbo 1B
** (304) Holy Shirts and Pants - Mark Buehrle SP
(305) Ladies Want To Touch My Tulo - Franklin Gutierrez CF
(306) North End Half Blacks - Travis Wood SP
(307) Awesome Team, Great Job! - Brandon Belt 1B
(308) The Van Buren Boys - Luke Gregerson RP
(309) No No Nannettes - Rafael Betancourt RP
(310) An Entire Army of Jew Robots - Clay Hensley RP
(311) Kenny Fuckin Powers - Brett Wallace 1B
(312) Don Juan Orsilloâ„¢ - Jed Lowrie SS

Friday, March 25, 2011

Opey - Drinking From The Well

Our buddy Opey has a new song, and it's about something we can all relate to... drinking cheap! Enjoy.

GMGNxOpey - Well Drinks by gmgndjs

-Keefe

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Podcast: Keefe on Jon Jones

Rich Keefe talks about the 23 year old UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones in this mini podcast.

JonJones by Keefe21

Sunday, March 20, 2011

ONIONS!

I know this shot happened back on Thursday, but I'm posting it for a few reasons.

1. It was the biggest shot of the tournament to date.
2. It was the lowest seed to win a game. (Morehead State 13)
3. I picked Louisville to win the whole thing
4. And most importantly, listen for the classic Bill Raftery "ONIONS!" after the make.



-Keefe

Saturday, March 19, 2011

UFC 128 predictions

UFC 128 takes place tonight, and we are facing the possibility of two entirely different outcomes and landscapes in the Light Heavyweight division. Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, a guy I've deemed the ultimate badass, returns to defend his title against rising superstar Jon "Bones" Jones, who is filling in for the injured Rashad Evans.

Rua is coming off an incredible KO victory of former champion Lyoto Machida, returning from injury and dealing with an extended layoff. Jones, the up-and-coming challenger, is fresh off his impressive submission victory over Ryan Bader, and actually stands as a -230 favorite in Vegas; Rua is laying +180.

I understand why people are favoring Jones to win. They're jumping on the hype train and the kid appears to have all the tools. He's long, rangy, quick, agile, strong, has great, creative strikes and is extremely intelligent on the ground. His ground and pound is as impressive as you'll see in the sport. But in one of Dana White's video blogs from this week, Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre said the most important aspect of the fight would be the mental area. GSP has admitted he choked in his first title fight with Matt Hughes, a fight he lost, tapping out as time expired in the 1st round to an armbar.

The reason I found the comment so interesting is because I think this is where Rua holds a distinct advantage. He has significantly more experience and has been through the trenches. While this has not served some well, such as Big Nog, Cro Cop and Wanderlei Silva, Rua actually appears to be a fresher, stronger fighter. He's a hunter, and he'll stalk his pray and attack with a slew of power leg kicks and punches. He actually registered the most powerful strike in the Sports Science Lab. He's a scary dude, and I think he'll hold the wild card in tonight's fight. Jones is the future of the division and the sport, but this is still Rua's time. I'm going with the champion. I think Jones will come out hot, trying to put his arsenal of strikes on display. But Rua will stop him in his tracks with those remarkable leg kicks, slowing down the challenger and beginning the process. An overhand right will stun Jones and Rua will close in, overwhelming Jones as he plummets to the floor before the referee steps in to save the young fighter from further beating.

The UFC's Light Heavyweight division has gone through continuous transition over the last several years, with champions unable to defend their belt more than once. Rua will not fall into the same trap. I expect he'll defend his belt several times beyond this fight, and further, I think Jones will actually be the guy to end Shogun's reign. It just won't be tonight.

Shogun defeats Jones via (T)KO in 1st round

And here are the rest of the main card picks:

Urijah Faber defeats Eddie Wineland via decision
Jim Miller defeats Kamal Shalorus via decision
Nate Marquadt defeats Dan Miller via T(KO) in the 2nd round
Cro Cop defeats Brendan Schaub via KO in the 1st round

Enjoy the fights!

-Bess

Monday, March 14, 2011

What If They Stayed In School?


Before the 2006 draft the League and the Players Association agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement (this is not a post on the upcoming CBA, don’t worry), and part of the agreement stated that high school players could no longer be drafted. They must wait at least until 1 year after their high school class graduation and they need to be 19 years old.

Let’s play a hypothetical and say that they changed the rule, forcing players to stay 4 years in college. (It would be a terrible rule, in fact I don’t like the restriction of keeping high school players out as it is now, but that’s another article all together.)

The 2011 NCAA tournament brackets were announced yesterday, and I’m sure it will be an entertaining few weeks with upsets, great performances, and memorable moments. But can you imagine what it would it be like had players not been allowed to leave school early for the NBA? Here is a quick look at all the teams that saw players skip out for pro ball. (Something tells me the seeding would be different and there would drastic changes to the 68 team field.)

ACC:

Florida State – Soloman Alabi, Ryan Reid

Georgia Tech – Derrick Favors, Gani Lawal

North Carolina – Ed Davis

North Carolina State – J.J. Hickson

Virginia – Sylven Landesberg

Wake Forest – James Johnson, Jeff Teague, Al-Farouq Aminu

Big 10:

Indiana – Eric Gordon

Michigan – Manny Harris

Ohio State – Kosta Koufos, B.J. Mullens, Evan Turner

Big 12:

Baylor – Ekpe Udoh

Iowa State – Craig Brackins

Kansas – Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry

Kansas State – Michael Beasley, Bill Walker

Oklahoma – Blake Griffin, Tiny Gallon, Willie Warren

Oklahoma State – James Anderson

Texas – Avery Bradley

Big East:

Cincinnati – Lance Stephenson

DePaul – Dar Tucker

Georgetown – Greg Monroe

Louisville – Samardo Samuels

Pittsburgh – DeJuan Blair

South Florida – Dominique Jones

Syracuse – Donta Greene, Jonny Flynn, Wesley Johnson

West Virginia – Devin Ebanks

Pac-10:

Arizona – Jerryd Bayliss

Arizona State – James Harden

UCLA – Kevin Love, Jrue Holiday

USC – O.J. Mayo, DeMar DeRozan, Davon Jefferson

SEC:

Florida – Nick Calathes

Kentucky – John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton

LSU – Anthony Randolph

Ole Miss – Terrico White

Mid-Majors:

Memphis – Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, Elliot Williams

Gonzaga – Austin Daye

St. Mary’s – Patty Mills

Butler – Gordon Hayward

Xavier – Jordan Crawford

Fresno State – Paul George

Nevada – Luke Babbitt, Armon Johnson

New Mexico – Darington Hobson

UTEP – Derrick Caracter

VCU – Larry Sanders

Marshall – Hassan Whiteside

That is a total of 65 players who still would have been eligible for college basketball this season. The talent is just off the charts. This year’s All-American teams have yet to be announced, but this is how they could have looked…

Keefe’s Hypothetical 2011 All-American Team

1st Team

Derrick Rose, Memphis

Kevin Love, UCLA

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

Eric Gordon, Indiana

John Wall, Kentucky

2nd Team

Michael Beasley, Kansas State

O.J. Mayo, USC

DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky

DeJuan Blair, Pitt

Jerryd Bayliss, Arizona

3rd Team

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse

James Harden, Arizona State

DeMar DeRozan, USC

Tyreke Evans, Memphis

J.J. Hickson, North Carolina State

(Compare that list to this year’s likely All-Americans: Jimmer Fredette, BYU; Nolan Smith, Duke; Derrick Williams, Arizona; JaJuan Johnson, Purdue; Jared Sullinger, Ohio State; Kemba Walker, UConn… Do any of those guys crack the list?)

Conference Player of the Year:

ACC: J.J. Hickson, N.C. State

Atlantic 10: Jordon Crawford, Xavier

Big 10: Eric Gordon, Indiana

Big 12: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

Big East: DeJuan Blair, Pitt

Conf. USA: Derrick Rose, Memphis

Horizon: Gordon Hayward, Butler

Mountain West: Jimmer Fredette, BYU

PAC-10: Kevin Love, UCLA

SEC: John Wall, Kentucky

WAC: Paul George, Fresno St.

West Coast: Austin Daye, Gonzaga

By my count 11/12 of the best conferences in the country would have had different player of the year had they all been forced to stay.

How about the competition for NCAA Player of the Year? My pick is Rose, but it’s scary to think what kind of numbers Love and Griffin (all 3 were NBA All-Stars this year) would put up against college kids.

Also you see John Calipari’s finger prints all over this hypothetical. Chances are Tyreke Evans wouldn’t have gone to Memphis if Derrick Rose was still there for three years. I’m not going to try and guess where he would go, but that’s a big reason I got Evans all the way down at 3rd Team status. Would Coach Cal leave that backcourt for Kentucky?

Three of the four 1 seeds in this year’s tournament (Ohio State, Kansas, and Pitt) all would have even deeper teams. The #1 overall Buckeyes could add Evan Turner as well as big men Kosta Koufos and B.J. Mullens to their roster. Kansas is stronger with Xavier Henry and Cole Aldrich, while Pitt is all the more dangerous with DeJuan Blair. Interestingly, Duke seems to have gone back to the way they were pre Corey Maggette, William Avery, Elton Brand, Luol Deng, and don’t have as many 1 or 2 and done players as they once did. Their best players (Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler) decided to return for their senior year after already winning a title.

Memphis, Kentucky, Syracuse, UCLA, USC, and Kansas State all would have likely battled for 1 seeds; I bet Duke ends up as a 4 or 5 this season.

Oklahoma, Wake Forest, Indiana, Arizona State, and Nevada would likely have all made the tournament this year instead of finishing outside the 68 team field.

Top 8 Seeds this year:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Kansas
  3. Pitt
  4. Duke
  5. Notre Dame
  6. North Carolina
  7. San Diego State
  8. Florida

Top 8 “What If” Seeds

  1. Memphis
  2. UCLA
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Kentucky
  5. Kansas
  6. USC
  7. Kansas State
  8. Ohio State

It’s difficult to really predict and understand what college basketball would look like with all these players still in the game. Someone like O.J. Mayo, who has already gone from a starter to a reserve in the NBA and seen his points per game average drop each season in the league (18.5, 17.5, 11.8), could be a senior at Southern Cal this year. I personally think if he was still there we’d be talking about a guy putting up 25+ points, 8 assists a game and it’d be must see TV when the Trojans face Kevin Love, Jrue Holiday and the UCLA Bruins.

Look at the jump Kemba Walker from UConn has made in 3 seasons. He went from 8.9 points per game to 14.6, to 23.5 this year. There were rumors swirling that he would go pro after his freshmen and sophomore seasons. You think we’d know his name had he done that? Imagine if some of these other players listed above, who left after their 1st or 2nd college season elected to stay, how many points per game would they average?

Again I’m not blaming anyone for leaving school, if you’re going to get drafted in the 1st round and make millions of dollars, no one can blame you. My only point in comparing a player to Kemba Walker is you can see the jump they can make in school. Is 30 points per game too much for Eric Gordon or Jerryd Bayliss? 35?

ESPN interviewed Walker, Jimmer Fredette, and Nolan Smith yesterday after the brackets were announced. They were picked because they are 3 of if not the 3 best players in the country. If everyone stayed in school are they in the Top 15? 20? How tough a job would ESPN have had trying select just 3 players to talk to between Love, Rose, Griffin, Gordon, Mayo, Wall, Beasley etc.?

In the end it’s just a fun “What If” game that will never be/ should never be the reality in college basketball. Enjoy the tournament this year like you do every March, but try not to drive yourself crazy envisioning Bill Walker and Michael Beasley in a Wildcats uniform when watching Kansas State play. Or O.J. Mayo during USC’s games… or Kevin Love for UCLA… or Derrick Rose for Memphis… or John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins for Kentucky… or…

-Keefe

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Fab 5: Can't Wait For This

Finally a film about the greatest recruiting class in college sports history. It also happens to be my favorite team ever. You can thank these guys for the baggy shorts, black socks, and bald heads.

It will be interesting to watch this documentary as the team's star player, Chris Webber, who was the #1 high school player in the country in 1991, the #1 pick in the '93 NBA Draft, and the one with the most attention, on and off the court (1st team All-American, 5-time NBA All-Star, the timeout in the title game, accepting benefits leading to the Michigan scandal that stripped them of their banners) all of that stuff... he did not participate in the making of the movie.

Jalen Rose was one of the producers of the film, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson all were on board and so was head coach and now San Diego State head man Steve Fisher. They all helped the move get made except C-Webb. We'll see on Sunday how much of a factor that has on it.

I, for one, am just thrilled this movie is coming out. I have been waiting years for this. I loved the Mitch Albom book and always will, but this film is a unique take from the players and coaches involved with the ability to look back 20 years and put it all in perspective.

-Keefe

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

WWE 50 Greatest Superstars


The WWE announced its 50 greatest superstars a few months back on a DVD special. The current WWE roster apparently voted the list of wrestlers on. It spans 5-6 decades and includes Hall of Famers to guys who never won a single belt.

I noticed they were not afraid to mention the careers in the NWA or the old WWWF, obviously WWF legacies are vital to this list, but no love what so ever for the WCW. Before I hit you with my notable omissions I have to point out the lack of WCW guys. Those who went onto WWF fame (Chris Jericho) are high on the list, but others like Sting and Diamond Dallas Page don’t make the Top 50. Here is their list:

· #50 – Killer Kowalski

· #49 – Batista

· #48 – “Ravishing” Rick Rude

· #47 – Bob Backlund

· #46 – Dory Funk Jr.

· #45 – Jeff Hardy

· #44 – Nick Bockwinkel

· #43 – Kane

· #42 – Sgt. Slaughter

· #41 – Jack Brisco

· #40 – Big Show

· #39 – Jake “The Snake” Roberts

· #38 – “Superstar” Billy Graham

· #37 – Junkyard Dog

· #36 – Gorilla Monsoon

· #35 – “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers

· #34 – Kurt Angle

· #33 – Mick Foley

· #32 – “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka

· #31 – The Iron Sheik

· #30 – Pat Patterson

· #29 – Randy Orton

· #28 – “Classie” Freddie Blassie

· #27 – The Fabulous Moolah

· #26 – “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase

· #25 – Chris Jericho

· #24 – Bruno Sammartino

· #23 – Hulk Hogan

· #22 – Terry Funk

· #21 – Lou Thesz

· #20 – Jerry “The King” Lawler

· #19 – Edge

· #T-17 – Dusty Rhodes

· #T-17 –Ric Flair

· #16 – John Cena

· #15 – “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig

· #14 – “Macho Man” Randy Savage

· #13 – Gorgeous George

· #12 – Triple H

· #11 – Eddie Guerrero

· #10 – “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

· #9 – Rey Mysterio

· #8 – Andre The Giant

· #7 – Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

· #6 – Harley Race

· #5 – The Rock

· #4 – Bret “The Hitman” Hart

· #3 – Stone Cold Steve Austin

· #2 – The Undertaker

· #1 – Shawn Michaels

A few things jump out at me. Hulk Hogan at #23? What the hell? He may have been the 300th greatest in ring wrestler of all-time, but this is list is supposed to be about “Superstars.” Who was more of a Superstar than Hogan, besides maybe Michaels, The Rock, and Stone Cold?

As I pointed out before, there is no love for the WCW. I guess they decided not to include them? Because if they were allowed in, where is Sting, DDP, Kevin Nash (Diesel), Scott Hall (Razor Ramon)? What about the Steiner Brothers, Booker T, Lex Lugar, Legion of Doom...

The Ultimate Warrior deserves to be on this list. Sure he didn’t last as long as many of the others, but he was as popular a wrestler as any in the hey-day of the late 80s early 90s.

Bret Hart is #4 but there is no Owen, British Bulldog, or Jim "The Anvil"Neidhart.

The rankings were quite surprising. The Top 5 was solid (minus the lack of Hogan). But look how high Eddie Guerrero, John Cena, Jerry Lawler, Edge and others were… weird.

You think the WWE got it right?

Saturday, March 5, 2011

You Should See The Other Guy


Actually the other guy (Martin Kampmann) doesn't look as bad. But this guy (Diego Sanchez) was the winner in the main event of Thursday's UFC on Versus 3. Sanchez outlasted Kampmann in a 3 round war and got the decision victory.

It's a big win for "The Nightmare" who now cracks The Sports Brief's Top 10 in the Welterweight Division.

You can access The Sports Brief's MMA Rankings, anytime, by just scrolling down and clicking on "MMA Rankings," located right above "Friends of the Brief."

Also be sure to follow The Sports Brief on Twitter: @TheSportsBrief

-Keefe

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Playoff Rotations: Eastern Conference



The trade deadline has passed in the NBA and now players who reached buyout agreements are talking to and signing deals with playoff teams. There are 6 contenders in the East. I think it's a clear Tier 1 (Celtics, Heat, Bulls) and Tier 2 (Magic, Hawks, Knicks). The 76ers are above .500, good for them, they can have Tier 3. But I will breakdown the 6 best teams in the East with what their likely playoff rotation will be. You tell me who is best equipped to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

TIER 1

Celtics:
  • Rajon Rondo
  • Ray Allen
  • Paul Pierce
  • Kevin Garnett
  • Shaquille O'Neal
  • Glen Davis
  • Jeff Green
  • Delonte West
  • (Nenad Krstic/ Troy Murphy when needed)

Heat:
  • Mike Bibby
  • Dwyane Wade
  • LeBron James
  • Chris Bosh
  • Center X
  • Udonis Haslem
  • James Jones
  • Mike Miller (he can still shoot right?)
  • Mario Chalmers (if Bibby & James foul out)

Bulls:
  • Derrick Rose
  • Keith Bogans (he'll start and that's about it)
  • Luol Deng
  • Carlos Boozer
  • Joakim Noah
  • Taj Gibson
  • Kyle Korver
  • Ronnie Brewer
  • Kurt Thomas
  • (Omer Asik depending on match up)
  • (Brian Scalabrine for a victory lap)

TIER 2

Magic:
  • Jameer Nelson
  • Jason Richardson
  • Hedo Turkoglu
  • Brandon Bass
  • Dwight Howard
  • Ryan Anderson
  • J.J. Redick
  • Gilbert Arenas

Hawks:
  • Kirk Hinrich
  • Joe Johnson
  • Marvin Williams
  • Josh Smith
  • Al Horford
  • Jamal Crawford
  • Zaza Pachulia
  • Jeff Teague (maybe)

Knicks:
  • Chauncey Billups
  • Landry Fields
  • Carmelo Anthony
  • Shawne Williams
  • Amar'e Stoudemire
  • Toney Douglas
  • Bill Walker
  • Anthony Carter
  • Ronny Turiaf


Unless he goes to the West, it appears that Corey Brewer will likely join one of these teams (specifically Tier 1). Each team has at least 1 All-Star. The Celtics have 4, Heat 3, Bulls 1 (but it's the MVP), Magic 1 (2-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year), Hawks 2, Knicks 2 (both started in the game.)

That's impressive. Throw in the fact that 4 of these teams will be matched up against each other in the 1st round, and you just know its going to be a great post season. I'm also pretty sure that all the teams dislike each other as well. Everyone hates the Celtics and the Heat. The Knicks can't be liked in the league, and they got an edge once again. I'm excited for April.


-Keefe

What a knockout!!!

No idea who either of these guys are, but check out this monster KO. According to BoxRec, Amir Mansour is 12-0 with 9 KO's. Too bad he's going to be 39 this year. Might be a little late in the game for this guy, but it didn't stop him from providing us with a great, highlight-reel knockout. The camerawork, for the most part, sucks. But the angle gives us a great view of opponent, and victim, Alexis Mejias out on his feet; and you can see Mansour land another shot as Mejias slowly crumbles backward to the canvas. Check it out:



-Bess