Academy Awards Picks

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

Best Animated Feature Film: Frozen

2014 NFL Franchise Tag Prices By Position

All amounts in MILLIONS.

Quarterback: $16.912
 
Running Back: $9.54

Wide Receiver:  $12.312
 
Tight End: $7.035
 
Offensive Line: $11.654


Defensive End:  $13.116
 
Defensive Tackle:  $9.654
 
Linebacker:  $11.455
 
Cornerback: $11.834

Safety: $8.433

Kicker/ Punter: $3.556

Who Wore It Better: Mask Edition

Lots of Bane comparisons out there (they should be talking Black Mask, if you want to go Batman villain).  But it's just the black version of Aldo Montoya.  Cut and dry. 

Thursday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser has a better ring to it, but what can you do. 

The 4 point tease is in...

ARKANSAS (+14.5) at Kentucky

OHIO STATE (-2) at Penn State


I don't love taking two road teams in college basketball, but the Hogs are getting A LOT of points. 


---------------------------

UPDATE:  Friggin Ohio State.  Jesus.  Never bet the Big 10, cause it sucks. 

Penn State beat Ohio State 65-63.

Worst.

Dri Archer Is My New Guy

Kent State RB/WR Dri Archer ran a 2014 NFL Combine best 4.26 40.  I'm on the band wagon.  

Girl Plays Mario Theme on a Sheng

Sheng is the instrument in her lap that looks like Walt Disney's castle. 

NFL Combine 40 Times

QUARTERBACKS:

1. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech, 4.61
2. Stephen Morris, Miami, 4.63
3. Connor Shaw, South Carolina, 4.66
4. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, 4.68
5. Derek Carr, Fresno State, 4.69
6. Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois, 4.76
7. Tajh Boyd, Clemson, 4.84
8. Bryn Renner, North Carolina, 4.87
9. Blake Bortles, Central Florida, 4.93
10. A.J. McCarron, Alabama, 4.94

Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville: did not run
Aaron Murray, Georgia: did not run
Zach Mettenberger, LSU: did not run

RUNNINGBACKS:

1. Dri Archer, Kent State, 4.26 (best of 2014)
2. Jerick McKinnon, Georgia Southern, 4.41
3. Henry Josey, Missouri, 4.43
4. Damien Williams, Oklahoma, 4.45
5. LaDarius Perkins, Mississippi State, 4.46
6. Charles Sims, West Virginia, 4.48
6. Tim Cornett, UNLV, 4.48
6. George Atkinson, Notre Dame, 4.48
9. Bishop Sankey, Washington, 4.49
9. Tyler Gaffney, Stanford, 4.49
11. De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon, 4.50
11. Tre Mason, Auburn, 4.50
13. Lache Seastruck, Baylor, 4.51
14. Terrance West, Towson, 4.54
15. Andre Williams, Boston College, 4.56

Notables:
Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona, 4.70
Silas Redd, USC, 4.70

WIDE RECEIVERS:

1. Brandin Cooks, Oregon State, 4.33
2. John Brown, Pittsburg State, 4.34
3. Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss, 4.40
3. Paul Richardson, Colorado, 4.40
5. Jeff Janis, Saginaw Valley State, 4.42
5. Martavis Bryant, Clemson, 4.42
7. Sammy Watkins, Clemson, 4.43
7. Albert Wilson, George State, 4.43
7. Odell Beckham, LSU, 4.43
10. Jalen Saunders, Oklahoma, 4.44
11. Bruce Ellington, South Carolina, 4.45
11. Quincy Enunwa, Nebraska, 4.45
13. Tevin Reese, Baylor, 4.46
13. L'Damian Washington, Missouri, 4.46
13. Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt, 4.46
13. Mike Campanaro, Wake Forest, 4.46

Notables:
Marqise Lee, USC, 4.52
Mike Evans, Texas A&M, 4.53
Davante Adams, Fresno State, 4.56
Kelvin Benjamin, Florida State, 4.61
Jarvis Landry, LSU, 4.77 (worst among WR)

TIGHT ENDS:

1. A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State, 4.50
2. Eric Ebron, North Carolina, 4.60
3. Colt Lyerla, Oregon, 4.61
4. Trey Burton, Florida, 4.62
5. Jace Amaro, Texas Tech, 4.74.
6. A.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa, 4.76
7. Reggie Jordan, Missouri Northwestern, 4.77
7. Anthony Denham, Utah, 4.77
9. Jake Murphy, Utah, 4.79
10. Arthur Lynch, Georgia, 4.82

Troy Niklas, Notre Dame: did not run
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington: did not run

Bronze Schmonze

Before the tournament I thought Team USA would finish 4th.  Then they beat down Slovakia and Oshie'd Russia.  I then said they'd win Gold.  

They finished 4th.  Do I get credit for this?  I did predict it.  Who cares. 

Finland got Bronze.  Now the question is: do I get up at 7am for Sweden-Canada gold medal game?

Mabel aka Viscera aka Big Daddy V: Feb. 14, 1971 - Feb. 18, 2014

Another one of the all-time greats has left us too soon.  Nelson Frazier, Jr., better known as Mabel or to many Viscera, or perhaps Big Daddy V has died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 43. 

I'll remember him for his impressive King of the Ring run where he was then known as "King Mabel."  He and Mo (Men on a Mission) were a sweet team.  Add this poor guy to the long list of dead wrestlers...

Olympic Hockey Semifinals

Final 4 will be played this FRIDAY.  Here are the match ups, winners play for Gold, losers for Bronze.

1. SWEDEN

4. FINLAND\
(7:00 am)
 

2. USA

3. CANADA

(12:00 pm)
 

Quarterfinals:

Sweden 5-0 over Slovenia

Finland 3-1 over Russia

USA 5-2 over Czech Republic

Canada 2-1 over Latvia

Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals

It's down to the Final 8 out in Sochi.  Here are the match ups with the start times.  All games are on WEDNESDAY.

1. SWEDEN
8. SLOVENIA
(3:00 am)

4. FINLAND
5. RUSSIA
(7:30 am)

3. CANADA
11. LATVIA
(12:00 pm)

2. USA
7. CZECH REPUBLIC
(12:00 pm)


Qualification Round:

Slovenia 4-0 over Austria
Russia 4-0 over Norway
Latvia 3-1 over Switzerland
Czech Republic 5-3 over Slovakia

The Rich Keefe Project Upcoming Showtimes

Keefe will be hosting The Adam Jones Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub on both Tuesday and Wednesday night. 

Tues. 2/18 from 6-11pm (broadcasting from the Scoreboard Sports Bar & Grill in Woburn)

Wed. 2/19 from 6-8:30pm and then halftime and post game for Celtics-Suns.  

Olympic Hockey Standings Thru Group Play

Group play is over.  All 12 teams are still alive, the group winners along with the best second place team receive a bye into the quarterfinals, while the other eight teams square off in the qualification round on Tuesday.  Single elimination the rest of the way.  Here are the final standings 1-12, along with the upcoming match ups.
(Records = Win-Loss-OT Win-OT Loss)

1. Sweden (3-0-0-0)

2. USA (2-0-1-0)

3. Canada (2-0-1-0)

4. Finland (2-0-0-1)

5. Russia (1-0-1-1)

6. Switzerland (2-1-0-0)

7. Czech Republic (1-2-0-0)

8. Slovenia (1-2-0-0)

9. Austria (1-2-0-0)

10. Slovakia (0-2-0-1)

11. Latvia (0-3-0-0)

12. Norway (0-3-0-0)

Qualification Round:

RUSSIA vs. NORWAY - winner faces FINLAND

SWITZERLAND vs. LATVIA - winner faces CANADA

CZECH REPUBLIC vs. SLOVAKIA - winner faces USA

SLOVENIA vs. AUSTRIA - winner faces SWEDEN

Interview with the Keefer Madness: Rick Dyer, Bigfoot Slayer

On Friday night, the man who claims to have killed TWO bigfoots (bigfeet?) Rick Dyer, joined Keefer Madness, to discuss the how and why.   He is currently on tour (the "I Told You So" tour) through Texas showing off just one of the man-beasts.

His phone was crap, but we were able to get enough out of it.  Click the link below to jump to the CBSBoston site and listen to the Madness.


CLICK HERE FOR THE BIGFOOT MADNESS

USA!

USA beat Russia 3-2 in a shootout.   Why is T.J. Oshie on the team?  Oh, because he's the best shootout guy in the history of shootouts, that's why.  

Hey World, don't go to OT vs. the USA. 

CC Sabathia, Looking Good?

Usually when people lose weight it's a good thing.  I don't feel good about this one.  Just doesn't look right. 

50th Anniversay SI Swimsuit Cover

Russian Skip Down in the House

Derek Jeter's Lady Friends Starting Lineup

He's a Hall of Famer on and off the field.  If I was asked to fill out the lineup card it would look like this.  Keeping in mind general baseball lineup philosophies here, you need a nice solid on-base/ fast guy hitting lead-off.  Best hitter probably 3rd.  Power in the middle, etc.  Great depth here...  


1. Vanessa Minnillo

 

2. Jordanna Brewster 


3. Minka Kelly


4. Jessica Alba




 5. Scarlett Johansson 


6. Tyra Banks


7. Jessica Biel
 

8. Adrianna Lima


9. Mariah Carey

Olympic Hockey Off And Running

All 12 teams have played their first game.  Here is a quick look at the results

Sweden 4
Czech Republic 2

CZH Jaromir Jagr goal (1) 

Switzerland 1
Latvia 0

USA 7
Slovakia 1

USA Phil Kessel goal (1), 2 assists
USA Paul Statsny 2 goals
USA James van Riemsdyk 3 assists

Russia 5
Slovenia 2

RUS Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk goal a piece

Finland 8
Austria 4

Canada 3
Norway 1

CAN Patrice Bergeron 2 assists


Keefe's Official Power Rankings After 1 Game
1. USA
2. Sweden
3. Finland
4. Russia
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. Czech Republic
8. Norway
9. Slovenia
10. Latvia
11. Austria
12. Slovakia

30 for 30 Short: Alex Rodriguez to the Red Sox

One of the great "What Ifs" of all-time.  This is well done, if you have 20 minutes, give this a watch.  You may remember most of it, but there are a couple of gems in there. 

Olympic Hockey Predictions

GOLD:  Russia

SILVER: Canada

BRONZE: Sweden

NBA Lottery Mock with Celtics Pick Analysis

Olympic Minute 2-10-14

Here is the link to Monday night's "Olympic Minute," on 98.5 The Sports Hub.  

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/02/11/rich-keefes-olympic-minute-gold-medals-arent-really-gold-live-coverage-isnt-really-live/

Norway Curling!

A shame that the USA had to run into this buzz saw right away. 

Keefe's Olympic Minute Intro by Opey

Every night during the Olympics Rich Keefe will bring you his "Olympic Minute," on The Adam Jones Show, weeknights on 98.5 The Sports Hub.  Here is the magical lead in for each segment courtesy of Opey...

 

Ranking The Best Duos In The NBA

NBA Jam.  What are the best (and worst) two-somes in the NBA.  Leaving injury out of this here is how I rank the NBA Jam possibilities 1-32.   (No subs, just the starting 2).

1. LeBron James & Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
2. James Harden & Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets)
3. Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
4. Chris Paul & Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
5. Tony Parker & Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
6. Damian Lillard & LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers)
7. Paul George & Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers)
8. Steph Curry & Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)
9. Dirk Nowitzki & Monta Ellis (Dallas Mavericks)
10. Kobe Bryant & Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers) (HURT, I Know)
11. Derrick Rose & Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls)
12. Carmelo Anthony & Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks)
13. Deron Williams & Joe Johnson (Brooklyn Nets)
14. DeMarcus Cousins & Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings)
15. Kevin Love & Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves)
16. John Wall & Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
17. Anthony Davis & Eric Gordon (New Orleans Pelicans)
18. Kyrie Irving & Luol Deng (Cleveland Cavaliers)
19. Zach Randolph & Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies)
20. Paul Millsap & Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks)
21. Rajon Rondo & Jared Sullinger (Boston Celtics)
22. Goran Dragic & Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix Suns)
23. Ty Lawson & Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets)
24. DeMar DeRozan & Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
25. Brandon Jennings & Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons)
26. Al Jefferson & Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats)
27. Arron Afflalo & Victor Oladipo (Orlando Magic)
28. Gordon Hayward & Derrick Favors (Utah Jazz)
29. Michael Carter-Williams & Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia 76ers)
30. O.J. Mayo & Brandon Knight (Milwaukee Bucks)

Nailed it.  The injuries make it tough and some of the guys (Deron Williams/ Tyson Chandler, etc.) are having bad seasons.  But I still feel very ok about my rankings. 

2014 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

The 6 contestants for the Dunk contest have been announced and it's a pretty good crew. 

Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors (defending champ)

Paul George, Indiana Pacers (All-Star)

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (All-Star)

John Wall, Washington Wizards (All-Star)

Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings (Rookie)

Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors (2nd year)


This is as star studded as it's been in awhile.  Lillard may end up in the Dunk Contest, 3-point Contest, Skills Thing, Rookie-Sophomore Game, and the actual All-Star game.   Look out. 

Harrow: The Total Package

Harrow is just eye balling the snow.  Great use of his paw to balance his perfectly straight body.  Showing his intelligence, agility, and athleticism all in one pose.  

Upcoming Comic Book Movies

People like comic books, people like movies, people LOVE comic book movies.  You can look forward to all of these coming "soon."

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 4, 2014)
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 2, 2014)
• X-Men: The Days of Future Past (May 23, 2014)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1, 2014)
• Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (August 22, 2014)
• The Avengers 2 (May 1, 2015)
• Ant-Man (July 17, 2015)
• Batman vs. Superman (May 6, 2016)
• X-Men: Apocalypse (May 27, 2016)

They've been making comic book movies consistently for over a decade, and still there are plenty left that I am interested in seeing.  The Amazing Spider-Man was better than the Tobey M Spider-Mans and the Avengers was real good.  How Ben Affleck (Batman) and Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor) do in Batman vs. Superman will be somethin. 

All and all.  Can't wait. 

Captain America: The Winter Solider Preview

Captain America 2 new trailer.   I'm in on this bad boy.  Look out for the Falcon!  This comes out on April 4th...

The Picks...

• Seattle to win 
• Doug Baldwin to score 1st TD (16/1) 
• Wes Welker UNDER 57.5 receiving yards 
• Wes Welker UNDER 8.5 receiving yards on 1st reception 
• Robert Turbin UNDER 10.5 rushing yards 
• Peyton Manning WILL THROW a TD in 1st quarter 
• Renee Fleming will NOT wear gloves

UPDATE:

Went 3-4; hit Seahawks, Welker (under 8.5 on 1st reception), and Fleming not wearing gloves!

Should have gone with my picks I posted the other day.  (scroll down)

Super Bowl XLVIII

And don't forget the Zombie Bowl. The Walking Dead is back next week!

Philip Seymour Hoffman: July 23, 1967 - February 2, 2014

One of the greats is dead.  I was thinking the other day about what actors have the best "Top 5 Films" on their resume, regardless of role.  And you know, this guy has got to be in the mix.

PSH best movies:

• Boogie Nights
• The Big Lebowski
• Almost Famous (not my favorite)
• Red Dragon
• 25th Hour
• Along Came Polly
• Capote (also not for me, but he was somethin)
• Mission Impossible III
• Moneyball

I mean it's no Brad Pitt "Top 5" or Vince Vaughn, or even Corey Feldman, but it's respectable.  

If you had "Will Philip Seymour Hoffman die before kick off of Super Bowl 48" prop, then you just cleaned up....

Best Hoffman....