NBA All Star Rosters Announced

Every year, the best players in the game gather in one city. Its a showcase of the best talents in the National Basketball Association. This year, the best in the league gather on Valentines Day at the Air Canada Center in Toronto. Its East against West in bragging rights in an exhibition of the top talent. The rosters have been finalized for the game and here's what they look like.

Eastern Conference:
G Dwyane Wade Miami Heat (12th appearance)
G Kyle Lowry Toronto Raptors (2nd appearance)
F LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers (12th appearance)
F Paul George Indiana Pacers (3rd appearance)
F Carmelo Anthony New York Knicks (9th appearance)

Reserves
G John Wall Washington Wizards (3rd appearance)
G Jimmy Butler Chicago Bulls (2nd appearance)
F Paul Millsap Atlanta Hawks (3rd appearance)
C Andre Drummond Detroit Pistons (1st appearance)
F/C Chris Bosh Miami Heat (11th appearance)
G DeMar DeRozan Toronto Raptors (2nd appearance)
G Isaiah Thomas Boston Celtics (1st appearance)

Head coach: Tyronn Lue (Cleveland Cavaliers)


Western Conference:
G Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors (3rd appearance)
G Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder (5th appearance)
F Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers (18th appearance)
F Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder (7th appearance)
F Kawhi Leonard San Antonio Spurs (1st appearance)

Reserves
G Chris Paul Los Angeles Clippers (9th appearance)
G James Harden Houston Rockets (4th appearance)
F Draymond Green Golden State Warriors (1st appearance)
C DeMarcus Cousins Sacramento Kings (2nd appearance)
F/C Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans (3rd appearance)
G Klay Thompson Golden State Warriors (2nd appearance)
F/C LaMarcus Aldridge San Antonio Spurs (5th appearance)

Head coach: Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs)


In this case, the league and fans got it right as to who should be playing on Valentines Day in Toronto. There are a few guys you could possibly argue got snubbed from playing in this contest. Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves is one. I've been saying that I think this kid could be the front runner for Rookie of the year this year and his numbers back it up. In eight games this year, Anthony-Towns has produced 25 points and 10 rebounds, tops amongst rookies this year. Rookies typically don't earn All-Star spots. It has happened just three times over the past two decades, and the last first-year player to make an appearance was Blake Griffin in 2011 (Bleacher Report). Towns, of course, never really stood a chance. He plays on a bad Minnesota team and the West has too many established talented players, and it's become clear over the years that seniority matters. But those factors only succeed in keeping Towns out of the picture. They do not make him any less deserving. He's been a real bright spot for Minnesota this year.

Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz can be thrown into this conversation as well. Four players are averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and three assists per 36 minutes in addition to shooting 37 percent or better from three-point range. Gordon Hayward is one of them. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Paul George are the other three to average those numbers and, guess what, each of is an All-Star starter.

Now I would like somebody to try and explain something to me. Anthony Davis of New Orleans (a bad team) is playing in the all star game. Damian Lillard, of the Portland Trail Blazers (another bad team) is not. How come? Lillard is playing at a level better than that of Davis yet isn't playing in the all star game. Interesting to note.

One final point of contention. Some people have been pushing for Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers to be playing in this game (some of which I'm hearing is coming out of Cleveland). Yeah you have no argument sit down. It was ten days ago this guy was benched for bad play. Now you want him in the game and your saying he's a snub? Give me a break. The guys I've listed above are more of a snub for this game than he is, so cut it out.

So there you have it, the rosters for the 2016 NBA All Star Game!

Big Thanks To Bleacher Report and ESPN for help with this article

NHL All Star Skills Competition Announced

All Star weekend in the National Hockey League is almost upon us once again. This year, they're trying this whole new 3-on-3 format for the game, which adds an interesting twist to the game and the weekend. One of the more popular events to take place during all star weekend every year is the skills competition the day before the game. The best players in the game get to really showcase their skills, and its usually the most fun and enjoyable part of the entire weekend. Here's what is going to happen during the Skills Competition, the story coming to us from nhl.com.

Fan-elected captains, Jaromir Jagr and Alex Ovechkin for the Eastern Conference, and Patrick Kane and John Scott for the Western Conference, will lead the team selection process to determine which players will participate in the six Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition events. Each of the 44 All-Stars will compete in at least one of the six rounds of skill-based contests.

· Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater
· Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge
· DraftKings NHL Accuracy Shooting
· Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Relay
· AMP Energy NHL Hardest Shot
· Discover NHL Shootout

Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater Four players from each team will test their speed, facing off against an opponent in a two-skater race. The race track for the head-to-head match-ups is the border of the rink split in half lengthways. Timing devices will record each skater to determine the winner of each match. If a race ends in a tie, each of the teams will be awarded one point. The skater with the fastest time in the head-to-head match-ups will skate a full lap of the outside border of the rink, in the direction of their choosing, in an attempt to break Mike Gartner's record (13.386). If, at the completion of the event, two skaters are tied for the fastest overall time, both skaters will skate a full lap of the rink in an attempt to break the historical best record.

Points Available: 6 – The winner of each match-up scores one point; the team with the fastest skater scores a bonus point; if the fastest skater is successful in breaking Mike Gartner's record an additional bonus point will be awarded.

Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge Fans will have two opportunities to exercise their vote in the Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge. While five spots will be determined by team captains, one guaranteed spot in this event will be determined by the fans, who will vote on Twitter as part of the Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge Fan Vote campaign.

The eligible candidates are forwards Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Brandon Saad of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Fans can vote via Twitter for their favorite eligible player by including his hashtag, such as #NHLBreakawayDuchene, #NHLBreakawayLarkin or #NHLBreakawaySaad. Voting will open on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 12 p.m. ET and close on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. ET. Each team will provide one goalie to participate in this challenge. Each shooter will attempt two shots, and teams will alternate after each shot. Style, creativity, and flair are encouraged. NHL penalty shot rules do not apply. As soon as the last competitor completes his routine, fans in-arena and watching on television in the U.S. and Canada will get another opportunity to make their case on Twitter by casting their vote using the hashtag that corresponds to the player of their choice. The shooter with the highest fan vote will be crowned the Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge winner and score one point for his team.

Points Available: 1 – The shooter with the highest percentage of fan votes scores one point.

DraftKings NHL Accuracy Shooting will see four shooters from each team will participate, with two additional players serving as passers. This event will consist of four head-to-head match-ups, with one shooter from each team per round. The goal is to hit four 15-inch diameter targets located in each corner of the net. The teams will be situated at opposite ends of the rink, and will alternate attempts. The first shooter to hit all four targets wins.

Points Available: 5 –The winner of each match-up scores one point; the player who hits all four targets in the fastest time scores the bonus point.

Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Relay is a timed relay event – involving 14 skaters and two goalies from each team – will consist of four relays with five challenges each: One Timers, with three shooters and one passer per team; Passing, with one passer per team; Puck Control, with one skater per team; Stick-Handling, with one skater per team; and Goalie Goals, with one goalie per team. Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next challenge with the exception of one timers, passing and goalie goals in which a maximum of forty-five seconds will be allocated. The goal is to finish all five challenges faster than the opponent.

Points Available: 3 - The team with the fastest time in each heat scores one point; the team with the fastest overall time scores one bonus point.

AMP Energy NHL Hardest Shot will see four shooters from each team will test their slap shot skill in a head-to-head match-up. Each player will attempt two shots, with teams alternating after each player. One puck will be placed 30 feet from the center of the net. Each shot will be calculated in miles per hour (mph), with the highest speed of their two shots recorded.

Points Available: 5 – The winner of each match-up scores one point; the team with the player who has the fastest speed scores one bonus point. 

Discover NHL Shootout there will be 18 skaters and three goaltenders from each team will participate in the three-round shootout. During each two-minute round, six skaters and one goalie from each team will take the ice. Teams will alternate after each shot with each player having a maximum of 10 seconds to take a shot. Players one and three from each team will be designated Discover puck players, each goal scored by these players will count as two points. NHL shootout rules apply to each scoring attempt.

Points Available: 1 point for every goal scored; 2 points for every goal scored with a Discover puck.

Here's the way I look at the Skills Competition. My favorite events were always fastest skater, accuracy shot and, my top favorite, the hardest shot. For those who remember these events in years past, the accuracy shot was a Ray Bourque staple. Since the event made its debut in 1990, Ray won outright or was co-winner eight times in his career, far and away better than any other player. Since then, only Jeremy Ronick won it in back to back years in 2003 and 2004, we haven't had a repeat winner in this event. Same thing too can be said about the hardest shot. Two names have re-written that record book since the first event in 1990. Al MacInnis won the title seven times. Then from 2007 to 2012 the title went to one man, Zdeno Chara, who, oh by the way, holds the record for hardest shot at 108.8 MPH (the shot he fired during the 2012 All Star Weekend).

All Star Weekend is always fun to watch and the Skills Competition makes it all the more enjoyable!

NFL Championship Weekend Preview

And now we're down to four. Championship weekend in the National Football League has arrived. Whoever is left standing at the end of this weekend will be playing for football's ultimate prize. Its a battle of two of the best quarterbacks of this generation (again) in one game, while the other is a battle of two Heisman Trophy winning Quarterbacks in the other. It's either going to be New England or Denver coming out of the AFC, while Arizona and Carolina are fighting over the top spot in the NFC. The battle of the top four seeds is on this weekend, making this the first time since the 2004 season that the top two teams in each conference will face eachother for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Enough talk, lets get right to it. Here's what were looking at for Championship Sunday.

First up, with kickoff scheduled for 3:05 PM, it's the AFC Championship game. The AFC East champions the New England Patriots head to Sports Authority Field at Mile High to take on the AFC West Champions the Denver Broncos. The Patriots and Broncos will meet in the postseason for the fifth time, with Denver holding a 3-1 all-time advantage, including the teams’ most recent postseason meeting in the AFC Championship Game during the 2013 season. The clubs met earlier this season in Week 12, as Denver overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to earn a 30-24 overtime victory and hand New England its first loss of the season. The Patriots, the defending Super Bowl champions, advanced to their fifth consecutive AFC Championship Game with a 27-20 win over Kansas City last week at Gillette Stadium. New England joins the 1973-77 Oakland Raiders as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to reach five Conference Championship Games in a row.

The Broncos advanced to their 10th AFC Championship Game with a 23-16 win over Pittsburgh last week at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Denver enters the game with a 7-2 all-time record in AFC Championship Games, including a 5-1 mark at home. That record includes a 26-16 victory over New England in the Broncos’ most recent AFC Championship Game appearance, when Denver quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 400 yards with two touchdowns to earn a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII. The game will mark the 17th meeting in the historic rivalry between Manning and Brady. The two quarterbacks have represented the AFC in nine of the past 14 Super Bowls, earning Super Bowl MVP honors in four of those contests.

It's Brady and Manning again for the AFC crown. This matchup is going to be a little bit different, only because, lets face facts, Peyton Manning hasn't looked like himself this year under center. Last week, the Defense for Denver helped get them the win over an injured Steelers team. Denver wide receivers had dropped passes left and right. That's not Peyton's fault his receivers have had trouble hanging onto the football this year, but it's making it tougher for Peyton. Luckily they have had a solid running game this year, one that helped control things last week against Pittsburgh. Denver top ranked defense has been its backbone all year long. Heading into Sunday, this defense is essentially at full strength, except for Chris Harris playing with a bum shoulder. Don't get me wrong, there is still a chance that Peyton Manning has a little more magic left in the tank, even if this could be his last go around. New England is going to have a tough test because Manning is healthier now then he was the last time these two teams faced each other in week twelve.

Form a New England perspective, they are starting to get healthy again. Edelman is back and he and Gronkowski have been giving Brady plenty of weapons to work with. Brady played out of his mind for most of the season, throwing for 4,770 yards and 36 touchdowns while getting just nine games out of wide receiver Julian Edelman and watching as other key pieces struggled with injuries. I mean think about it, Brady has been able to put up fantastic numbers with little running game to help offset the passing, and Brady didn't have much to work with this year as far as targets, yet he was still able to throw for 4,770 yards. That shows how great a QB the guy is. On defense, New England leaves a little to be desired because they did give up 20 points last weekend to Kansas City and allowed the Chiefs back into the football game. Still I think they have enough talent to hang in.

That defense in Denver is going to keep them in this football game. Look at last week against Pittsburgh as the prefect example of what they can do. That being said, New England is not Pittsburgh. The Patriots are better. Peyton is good and will try and make plays but Brady is just better right now. I don't trust Peyton's receiving core at the moment and I don't think his health is fully there right now. I love Peyton but this isn't going to be his year. New England will capitalize on Denver's mistakes.

Pick: New England Patriots!

Closing out the weekend, with a 6:40 kickoff will be the NFC Championship game. The NFC West Champions the Arizona Cardinals head to Bank of America Stadium to take on the NFC South Champions the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals and Panthers will meet in the postseason for a third time, as the postseason series between them is tied (1-1). The Cardinals won the teams’ first postseason meeting in 2008, a 33-13 Divisional Playoff victory in Charlotte en route to an eventual berth in Super Bowl XLIII. The Panthers won the last meeting, a 27-16 game in the Wild Card round last season.

The Panthers, who have won 21 of their past 23 games (including the postseason), advanced to their fourth NFC Championship Game with a 31-24 win against the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round last week. This will be the first time in team history the Panthers will host the NFC Championship Game.The Cardinals advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2008 and the second time during the Super Bowl era. In the Divisional Playoff last week, Arizona defeated Green Bay 26-20 in overtime.

Arizona got a little bit lucky last week against Green Bay. I'm not taking anything away from what the Cardinals have done this year, I just feel they got a little lucky against Green Bay. They took care of what they had to in overtime, even though Green Bay's defense was nowhere to be found. Larry Fitzgerald and the receiving corp have made life miserable all season for opposing secondary. Arizona has a playoff win under its belt for the first time since 2009, so it makes the team feel a little more relaxed. On defense, they had to fix a few things, like how to be able to cover a deep pass near the end zone, but I think Coach Bruce Arians has made the adjustments so they won't be in that situation again. Arizona did have trouble closing out Green Bay last week, something that can't happen this week. Palmer has been good, but if Arizona can't find its legs in the passing game, the run game has got to be there, something that didn't show up last week. This defense made life a little tough on Green Bay last week, but they are really going to have to step it up against this Carolina team.

And speaking of stepping up, that's something the Panthers defense is going to have to do for a full sixty minutes on Sunday. Last weekend the Panthers got a huge jump on Seattle, but they fell asleep at the switch in the 2nd half and allowed the Seahawks back into the football game. That can't happen this weekend because, no knock on Seattle, the Arizona offense could put up a stronger fight. Carolina's defense will put pressure on Palmer early and need to keep it going throughout the day because if they don't Arizona could do to them what happened to Green Bay last week. Then again, Arizona didn't run with much effectiveness last week, something that Carolina can keep an eye on heading into this matchup. Arizona is know for putting pressure on the QB, so Cam Newton may have to rely on his legs a lot in this game. Same thing goes for using Jonathan Stewart, who is coming off a good game last week against Seattle. If Carolina can pick up the pressure well, then Newton is going to have himself another day.

So one of two things will happen Sunday. Either the Cardinals will score a few long touchdowns by attacking the weak links in the Panthers secondary (every cornerback but Norman) with their five-headed receiving corps, take running and options out of the Panthers playbook, and spark a rout. Or, option two, the Panthers will peck away at the Cardinals with field position and offensive balance, hold the Cardinals to some field goals, set up short touchdown drives with turnovers and hold on for dear life in the fourth quarter the way they so often do. Carolina has been running the league from the get go this year, and I don't think this week is going to be any different. Arizona is going to put up a fight and make this a fun game to watch. I don't think Carolina is going to have to hold on for dear life, I think that running game of the Panthers is what's going to be the difference. Looks like we could have a rematch from the end of the 2003 season.

Pick: Carolina Panthers!

So there you have it. Our picks for Championship Weekend!

Team USA Roster Invitees Announced

Every Four Years, the best athletes on the planet get together in one place to participate in sport. This is done in a show of freindship and good will. Basketball is one of those sports that can bring people together from all around the world. On the international stage, Team USA has been one of those nations that is on a level by itself. Team USA has taken home a medal in every Olympics they have participated in (except the boycott of 1980). One Silver (1972), two Bronze (1988 and 2003) and 14 Gold medals line the USA halls. Each year that the USA has won gold, they have run the table with a perfect record.

On Monday, head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff, announced the list of 30 names who are up for selection for Team USA for the Rio Olympics. Here's the full list:

Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs), Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls), Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies), DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets), Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), James Harden (Houston Rockets), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets), Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors),  Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs),  Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors), John Wall (Washington Wizards), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).

A solid list and collection of talent that would scare the tar out of anybody who would go against this team. That being said, there were some big names that have been left off this list. Tyson Chandler, Deron Williams and Kobe Bryant are the three players from the 2012 London Olympics who were not on the 30-man list. With this being Kobe's final season in the NBA, he decided to pull out of consideration for this year Olympics. Chicago’s Derrick Rose, who won championships in the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cups, was not on the 30-man roster. Portland’s Damian Lillard, Miami’s Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, who both won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, are also not among the finalists. Mason Plumlee, who played in the 2014 World Cup, is not on the list, joining Rose as the two players from that team not among the 30 players in contention for Rio.

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be held August 5th through the 21st in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

What Next For Yoenis Cespedes?

With a little more than two months to go before the start of the regular season in Major League Baseball, free agents have been getting some pretty nice contracts. Look at the two signed by some big name position players, Chris Davis getting a contract extension from the Baltimore Orioles for seven-years at $161 million and Justin Upton signing with the Detroit Tigers for six years at $132.75 million. Big dollar figures for big time talent. That does leave one to wonder. With Yoenis Cespedes still on the free agent market (which is a bit of a surprise), how much does he command? Another big question is where is he going to land?

Justin Upton signing his contract with Detroit is huge for him, the Tigers and Cespedes. For Upton, it means he has a place to play this season. Even though he's played for three different teams in the last five years, he has a place to play the next few years. The beauty of this contract for Upton is that after three years in Detroit he can opt out if he so desires. Upton basically got what he wanted from Detroit. Upton insisted, going into free agency, that he would not accept a short-term deal this winter. He wanted at least a five-year deal that would also pay him near the $23 million annual average salary that Jason Heyward received. Boy did he get it, and when he's on his game, he's worth every penny. So it gives him a little stability now, and allows him to make a big payday if things don't pan out for him in the Motor City.

If your Detroit, you get a huge need filled. They gave away Cespedes to the Mets last July, and have been looking to fill that gap since he left. Detroit did finish dead last in the American League Central last season. Upton will be the Tigers’ starting left fielder and provide another power bat in the middle of a lineup that is already loaded with talents like Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez. Upton hit .251 with 26 homers and 81 RBI last season playing his home games at spacious Petco Park in San Diego. He has hit 190 career homers, including at least 26 or more homers in four of the past five seasons. So the power isn't a question with him. Upton also has stayed relatively healthy throughout his career, playing in at least 149 games in each of the last five seasons. The only outfielders who have played more games during that stretch are Andrew McCutchen, Adam Jones, Ichiro Suzuki and Jay Bruce. So it gives the Tigers another power bat and a solid defensive outfield to bolster an already good Detroit Outfield.

Now lets go take a look at Cespedes shall we.He's been in the Majors now four years hitting just over 100 home runs (106 to be exact) and he's driven in 367 runs. He's twice driven in 80 runs (80 and 82 in his first two years) and the last two years have been 100 and 105 RBI. Those are fantastic numbers. But there's a question mark. In those four years his been in the majors, Cespedes has played for four different teams, three years in Oakland, half a year in Boston, half a year in Detroit and half a year with the New York Mets. He has all the talent in the world, he just won a gold glove with the time he spent in Detroit last year. He can do it all and he just turned 30. The problem is that nobody has signed him yet. I think a lot of it has to do with the length of the deal, as he's looking for at least a five to six year contract and at the price of around what Upton just signed.

This Justin Upton contract is a sign of things for Cespedes. This deal for Upton means that the market for cespedes is going down further. Look at who else has been signed, you have Jason Heyward joining the Chicago Cubs, Alex Gordon staying with the Kansas City Royals and now Upton choosing the Tigers. What I think is still holding him up is the length of the deal. I know he wants to play in a single place for a while, which anybody really wants. But he also wants to get paid what he thinks he's worth, which I don't fault him for. He is human after all.

So that leads one to think, where would be the best fit for him? Well one option is he could go back to the Mets. I know they have Granderson and Conforto already playing the corner outfield spots, so he can rotate between playing center and left. Hell the Mets can use him anywhere in the outfield, which they did during some stretches last year. They really need his power bat in the middle of that Mets lineup, because they don't have much power in the middle of that lineup to speak of. Now if the Mets could stop being so damn cheap and get this thing done all would be happy. There's also a few other teams that could fit with Cespedes. Toronto could be a landing spot, if not now then maybe next year. Only reason I say Toronto is because Cespedes’ presence (if he goes there) would reduce the sting from the possible free-agent departures of Jose Bautista and/or Edwin Encarnacion after the coming season. St. Louis could be a fit, because hey they need somebody to replace Jason Heyward. I've also heard the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox names thrown around. But to be honest, from where I sit, the Mets would be the best fit for him. He liked it here in New York. He'd get playing time and he'd be on a team that has a good chance to possibly win right now.

Where will he sign? Only time will tell. But something has to get done soon, because the window of opportunity is closing quickly.

NFL Divisional Round Preview

We're now at the 2nd week of the playoffs in the National Football League. What could come out of the games this weekend could potentially lead to some very entertaining and intriguing matchups. Could we see another Brady vs. Manning in the AFC title game? Could the Steelers and Chiefs play spoilers? Can Seattle reach the NFC title game for the 3rd straight year? Are the Cardinals and Panthers for real? We will have these questions answered by the time this weekend comes to an end. Its time for the divisional round of the playoffs! Here's what were looking at this weekend. Lets start with the Saturday games!

First up, the Wild Card Winning Kansas City Chiefs head to Gillette Stadium to take on the AFC East Champions the New England Patriots. New England comes into the game with a 12-4 record, good enough to win the AFC East for the 7th straight year. New England has also earned a first round bye for the 6th straight year. Since the turn of the century in 2000, New England has missed the playoffs only three times. The Patriots are trying to get back to the Super Bowl for the 2nd year in a row, as they are the defending world champions. New England is 28-18 all time in post season play. As for Kansas City, they are coming off beating the Houston Texans 30-0 in the Wild Card Game last weekend. This is the 2nd time in three years they have made the playoffs, and the first time they have won a playoff game since 1993. Kansas City is now 9-15 lifetime in the playoffs. This marks the first ever meeting between the two teams in the post season. The last time these two teams faced each other, back in September of 2014, Smith and the offense hung 41 points on New England in a blowout that led some to question the validity of Tom Brady as a starter.

That was in 2014 and this is here and now. Sure there is that little 11 game winning streak that the Chiefs are riding heading into this battle. What has helped get KC to this point is their defense and special teams. Knile Davis had that 106 yard kick return for the Touchdown last week against Houston, so its Something the Patriots are going to have to key in on. That defense in KC has been good. Justin Hoyer and Tamba Ali are menacing and will give any offensive line trouble. Cornerback Marcus Peters and Safety Eric Berry are having phenomenal seasons. Also Linebacker Derrick Johnson is a great player anchoring their 7th best overall Defense in the NFL this season. Two things could hurt the KC offense. Leading receiver Jeremy Maclin left the wild-card game with a high-ankle sprain, so its not sure yet as to whether or not he can play. Alex Smith is another factor. He's a good QB, but the fact that he isn't great at throwing a deep ball and not having Maclin there is going to possibly hurt his game.

New England has stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their final six games. They've been dealing with injuries to some key players. Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, both of whom have missed the last few games, are expected to come back and play in this game. The question mark with them is, if they are back, how effective can they be? The offensive line too is a question because they have looked a little bit shaky going down the stretch during the season. The Patriots have started more offensive line combinations than any team over the last 25 years this season, so it does make you wonder how good and solid they are going to be this weekend. Its interesting to note that Tom Brady's start will tie him with Adam Vinatieri for the most postseason starts in NFL history at 30.

That being said, I do hold a little bit of hope for Kansas City in this football game. They did shut out Houston last week and have that long winning streak going. However, New England is way better than the Texans, its not even close. Some people are doubting the Pats going into this game, and with the injuries they have, I'm not surprised. But New England hasn't been beaten at home in a playoff game (at least in an upset) since the Jets did it to them in 2010. This isn't going to happen this year. KC has been a fun story to watch this year, but the run comes to an end.

Pick: New England Patriots!

Next up, we have the NFC matchup as the Wild Card Winning Green Bay Packers travel to University of Phoenix Stadium to take on the NFC West Champions the Arizona Cardinals. Green Bay comes into this one after pulling off a comeback win on the road last week, beating the Washington Redskins 38-15. This game marks the 4th time in the last 7 years that the Packers will play in the divisional round. Green Bay is looking to win in this round for the first time since their Super Bowl year in 2010. Lifetime, the Packers are now 33-20 in the playoffs. As for the Arizona Cardinals, they come in with a 13-3 record, which was good enough to help them win the NFC West for the first time since 2009. This marks the 2nd year in a row that Arizona is a playoff team, but the Cards haven't won a playoff game since 2009. Arizona looks to get out of the Divisional Round for the first time since 2008. Arizona is 6-8 lifetime in the post season. These two teams have met twice before in the playoffs, Green Bay won their meeting in 1982, while Arizona came away with the win in 2009. During their one meeting this year in the regular season, Arizona beat the tar out of the Packers 38-8 back on December 27th.

Green Bay showed me something last week against Washington. After getting off to the rough start, Rogers and company found there game and blew past the Redskins on their way to victory. When Rogers gets going and is in command on offense, he really can control the clock and put a defense on their heels. James Starks and Eddie Lacy did combine for over 100 yards rushing and will have to continue to help the offense stay on the field. The Packers have to play the up-tempo offense that got them going against the Redskins. That defense, however, is a middle of the pack kind of defense. They did give up over 300 yards last week against Washington, but made the big play when they had to.

That defense is going up against Arizona this time, and its going to be a lot different than what it saw against Washington.  Carson Palmer is leading the charge for an offense that could be a dark horse in this post season. Its Palmers big shot, since he missed the playoff game last year with an injury, so this could be a coming out party for him. When you have two 1,000+ yard receivers on the team, which Arizona does in Larry Fitzgerald (1.215 yards) and John Brown (1,003 yards) and then have another one who was close to it in Michael Floyd (849 yards), it gives a guy like Palmer a lot to work with in the passing game. Throw in a solid running game with Chris Johnson leading the charge, the offense could cause Green Bay problems. The fact that Carson Palmer hasn't really had a taste of playoff football, by comparison to Aaron Rogers, could be the only snippit against the Cards.

I went against the Packers last week against Washington because the Pack had stumbled in the last two games. I was wrong, but I'm not sold yet that the Packers are back to their old winning ways. I like the Pack I do, but I got a bad feeling about this one. I just think that Arizona is going to be too much to handle. It won't be as bad of a butt kicking that we saw during week sixteen, but still its not going to end well for Green Bay.

Pick: Arizona Cardinals!

Now for the Sunday games. First up its the Wild Card winners the Seattle Seahawks heading to Bank of America Stadium to take on the NFC South Champions the Carolina Panthers. Carolina was the best team in the NFL during the regular season, winning the South with a 15-1 record, the best regular season the team has ever had. This marks the 3rd year in a row that the Panthers have won their division. Carolina hasn't made it out of the divisional round since 2005. All time, the Panthers are 7-6 in postseason play. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are coming off a nail biting 10-9 win on the road against the Vikings in Minnesota last week. Seattle, with a win, will make it back to the NFC Championship game for the 3rd year in a row. Seattle now has an 16-13 all time record in the playoffs. These two teams have met twice before in the post season, with Seattle having won both previous meetings, 2005 and 2015. Carolina took their only regular season meeting this year, a 27-23 victory in Seattle back on October 18th.

If your the Seahawks, you have to feel a little bit lucky you got by Minnesota last week. It took everything they had, and a little bit of luck that Blair Walsh missed his kick, to get the Seahawks to this game. Marshawn Lynch missed last week with an injury but he might be back in the lineup for the game on Sunday. Once again, the strength of this team is its defense (surprise, surprise right). This Seattle defense has allowed just one touchdown in their past six road games. All 11 regular starters will be in uniform, are fully healthy, and played well down the stretch. They were able to keep the leagues best rushing attack in check last week in the extreme cold of Minnesota. Russel Wilson has played very well this year, flying under the radar, putting up fantastic numbers under center. The only thing that worries me is that they were showed up last week by that Viking defense that the offense can be shut down.

For Carolina, they were the best team in the league for a reason this year. When Kelvin Benjamin got hurt during the start of the year, some thought that the Panthers offense would have been in deep trouble. But Cam Newton played this year at an MVP level, he was just far and away the best player in the league this year. He's been so good, he managed to turn an often under-achieving Ted Ginn Jr, into a decent second target behind Tight End Greg Olsen. The running ability of Newton spreads the field and makes defenses hesitate in coverage, which creates passing opportunities. Depth at the receiver position could be exploited this weekend.

These teams are mirror images with underrated passing attacks, complex running games, and defenses with depth at every position. Which is why its hard to pick this game. Carolina got the toughest draw of the entire weekend, because of how good Seattle has been in the playoffs. Seattle got a little lucky last week against the Vikings. That won't happen again this weekend. Carolina is too good. Its going to be a close one, but in the end the best team will walk out with the win.

Pick: Carolina Panthers!

Last but not least, the Wild Card Winning Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Sports Authority Field at Mile High to take on the AFC West Champions the Denver Broncos. Pittsburgh comes in after beating the Cincinnati Bengals 18-16 in the Wild Card Game last week. This marks the first time since 2010 that the Steelers are playing in the divisional round. Pittsburgh is now 35-22 lifetime in the post season. As for the Broncos, they finished the year 12-4 for the 2nd year in a row, and now have won the AFC West for the 5th straight season. Denver is looking to get a win in the playoffs for the first time since going to the Super Bowl two years ago. The Broncos are 20-19 lifetime in post season play. These two teams have met seven times before in the playoffs, with Denver having won four of those seven games. The last playoff meeting came in 2011, a 29-23 Denver win (Tebow to Thomas for 80 yards in Overtime). During the regular season, Pittsburgh beat the Broncos 34-27 back on December 10th in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh got really luck against the Bengals last week. Cincy basically shot themselves in the foot with stupid penalties late in the ballgame, that handed the Steelers the win. This week is going to be rough. All three of the Steelers playmakers are banged up or out for the season. Roethlisberger is nursing an AC joint but remains probable, Antonio Brown is out with concussion symptoms from a hit at the end of the game last week, and Le’veon Bell is out for the season. Running Back Deangelo Williams still has a chance to play. What could help keep the Steelers in this game is their defense. Their run defense is top five in the NFL and they only give up 19 points a game. The pass defense, on the other hand, hasn't been good. In fact, only the Saints and Giants had a worse pass defense than the Steelers do.

That defense has to go against an aging Peyton Manning. Now this year, Manning hasn't looked like his old self. He's actually looked human most of the year this year. Sure the running game made strides towards the end of the season, but there is uncertainty lingering. Denver still doesn’t know which Peyton Manning will show up Sunday, and may have to insert Brock Osweiler. The Offensive-Line has been the weakest link and the Broncos need Tyler Polumbus to play well at Right Guard to keep Manning from getting hit. What has been the brightest spot for the Broncos this year, and one of the biggest reasons they finished where they did this year was there defense. The Broncos Defense won at least five games at the last play of the game, and finished first overall in total Defense. They have cornerbacks who can play man to man with Chris Harris, Aqib Talib and even Nickelback Brandon Roby. Their linebackers may be the deepest in the NFL with pass-rushers Demarcus Ware and Von Miller, while Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan play stout coverage. The Defensive line was also excellent against the run.

That's whats going to be the difference in this football game. Denver has been an average offense with a fantastic defense. Pittsburgh is an average defense with a banged up offense. I like Big Ben and am quickly becoming a fan of Antonio Brown. But both won't really be able to help much in this one.

Pick: Denver Broncos!

Football Finally Back In LA

The long long wait is finally over. After 21 long seasons, the 2016 NFL campaign will see the return of an NFL franchise to Los Angeles. The second largest market in the United States will once again have an NFL Franchise to cheer for, something that the city hasn't had since it had two teams in the city in 19945. The very next year, the 1995 NFL season, the Rams left LA for St. Louis and the Raiders left for Oakland. Well here we are, a full twenty one years later, and the Rams are coming back to Los Angeles. NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow the St. Louis Rams to move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season and to give the San Diego Chargers a one-year option to join the Rams in Inglewood.

The historic vote in a fourth-floor conference room at a suburban hotel left open the possibility of the Chargers or Oakland Raiders sharing the Inglewood stadium. The league will also give the Chargers and the Raiders each $100 million to put toward new stadiums if they stay in their current home markets. No public money will be used to build the Inglewood stadium.

There's two ways to look at this, it could work and it could blow up in the leagues face. The reason I say it could blow up on the league is that they've tried this once before. In fact they had a couple of teams in LA back in 1194, but this didn't work out as the two teams ended up moving to Oakland and St. Louis respectively. I'm sure the city could support having an NFL Franchise in the city, but then why did the Rams and Raiders leave the city after the 1994 season? I think it was money at the time that drove the Rams out of the city, same thing with the Raiders. Los Angeles didn't have the money to rebuild the stadiums for the teams, so they just up and left for other cities.

With the way the times have changed between then and now, the city is finally ready for the NFL to come back to the City of Angels. Now out of the three teams who were up for relocation, the Rams, Raiders and Chargers, it made the most sense for the Rams to move back to LA. There's a couple of reasons for this. One is league attendance. Facts are, the Rams were last in the NFL last year in home attendance, finishing 32nd in the NFL in people in the gate. Oakland was 30th, while San Diego came in 18th. The Chargers could draw, so factor that in with all the positives about the stadium in San Diego, it really made no sense for the Chargers to move. I really felt it should have been either the Rams or Raiders. The attendance numbers from last season played a big factor. So to did history.

With Oakland, they had spent less time in LA, totaling twelve years out there. During that stretch, going from 1982 to 1994, Oakland was a good team. They made the playoffs seven times in that twelve year stretch, winning a Super Bowl in 1983. For some reason, Owner Al Davis wasn't happy with the way things were going in LA. He moved the team only after Oakland made the best offer to build a new stadium, so off the team went to Oakland, thus leaving LA without a team. Oakland had one three year stretch, 2000 to 2002, where they were a great team. 2002 saw the Raiders make the Super Bowl, losing to the Bucs that season. Ever since then the team has not had a winning season. To a degree, it would have made sense to move the Raiders back, due to the fact that they've sucked for over thirteen years. But they were drawing out in Oakland, something the Rams aren't doing in St. Louis.

Between 1946 and 1989, the Rams had been a winning franchise. They played in one Super Bowl, during the 1979 season, and made the conference championship seven more times during their heyday. Then you look at 1990 through 1994, the Rams never won more than six games in a year. Once they moved to St. Louis, mostly between 1999 and 2004, the Rams finished above .500 five times in that six year span. They played in two Super Bowls, winning once. But between 2004 and now, St. Louis has finished at .500 or better once, that being the year they went 8-8 in 2006. The numbers in attendance had been going down in St Louis, which is why it made more sense for the Rams to move.

Now the offer is still on the table for the Chargers and Raiders to both move as well, if one of them so chooses. Once one of them agrees to move, if they so desire, the other team can't relocate. Should both teams decline to move, they will be given $100 million to update their stadiums.

Football is finally back in the City of Angels! Will it last? Only time will tell

Roll Tide: Alabama Wins National Championship

This will go down in the history books as one of the greatest National Championship games ever played in College Football. Alabama and Clemson went back and forth all night long, before finally pulling away with the 45-40 victory to claim the title. Here's the full story from the game, courtesy of ESPN:

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The last step toward making Alabama's run of championships under Nick Saban the greatest in college football history was the toughest.

The Crimson Tide needed all their power and speed. They needed all their talent and steely resolve. When that alone couldn't do it, it was up to one gutsy trick to help win the fourth national title of the Saban dynasty. Derrick Henry, O.J. Howard and Kenyan Drake hit No. 1 Clemson with long touchdowns, and No. 2 Alabama outlasted the dynamic play Deshaun Watson to win the College Football Playoff championship 45-40 on Monday night.

The Crimson Tide (14-1) won their three previous championship game appearances in runaway fashion. This game was an instant classic -- a relief for fans who had sat through the blowouts that turned the New Year's Six lineup into a dud. They finally broke open on perhaps the boldest call of Saban's career.

With 10:34 left in the fourth quarter and Alabama having just tied the game at 24-24, Saban took a gamble to try to keep the ball away from Watson. He called for an onside kick called "pop kick" from Adam Griffith, and Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey caught it over the shoulder at midfield. Tide turned. 

"It was tough. It really was," said Saban, who now has more national titles than every other coach but Bear Bryant, the man who first made Alabama synonymous with college football greatness.

"I made the decision to do it because the score was [tied] and we were tired on defense and weren't doing a great job of getting them stopped and felt like if we didn't do something or take a chance to change the momentum of the game that we wouldn't have a chance to win," Saban said.

Moments later, Alabama took back the lead for good. For the second time, Clemson (14-1) lost track of the tight end Howard in coverage, and Jake Coker hit him in stride deep for a 51-yard touchdown to make it 31-24 with 9:45 left. Clemson and Watson proved to be every bit Alabama's equal. The Tigers just kept coming.

Watson led Clemson to a field goal to make it 31-27, and boom! Another Alabama big play. Drake broke free and streaked down the sideline for a 95-yard kickoff-return touchdown, diving the last 5 yards to the pylon. Watson threw his third touchdown pass to make it 38-33 with 4:40 left, and then Alabama went back to its workhorse Heisman Trophy winner. Henry plunged into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game to make it 45-33 with 1:07 left.

"We stand toe-to-toe with everybody in the country," coach Dabo Swinney said. "This program doesn't take a backseat to anybody."

Watson threw another touchdown pass to cap a wild 40-point fourth quarter, but would not get another chance. Clemson's onside kick went out of bounds. Coker took a knee, and after a two-year drought that felt like eternity in Tuscaloosa, Alabama was back on top. After a loss to Ole Miss in mid-September, there were doubters. Saban used them to fuel his team.

"There weren't many people earlier in the year who thought they could do it," he said.

The Crimson Tide became the second team in college football's poll era, dating back to 1936, to win four titles in seven seasons. Alabama joins Notre Dame, which won four titles from 1943-49, but those Fighting Irish never even played in bowl games, nevertheless two playoff games. For Saban, it is his fifth national championship -- four in his nine seasons at Alabama -- leaving him only one short of Bryant for the most titles in history.

Watson gave the Tide all they could handle, throwing for 405 yards and four touchdowns, and conjured up memories of Vince Young's miraculous performance for Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl that derailed Southern California's dynasty.

The sophomore, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, had 478 total yards against a loaded Tide defense and bested Young's 467 yards against the Trojans. But Watson couldn't finish the job the way Young did in Pasadena, California, and win the national title.

"All the stats don't really matter to me," Watson said. "I just wanted to get the win and do something that we haven't done in 34 years."

 Instead, Saban and the Tide raised another trophy, their first in this new playoff system, and got another confetti shower. It is the Tide's 11th national title in the poll era -- 10 AP and one coaches' poll -- and more than any other school. Alabama was a unanimous No. 1 in the final AP poll and Clemson finished No. 2. The Tide hit Clemson early with Henry, who scored the game's first touchdown on a 50-yard burst through the middle. He finished with 158 yards on 36 carries. Howard was the offensive player of the game with five catches for 208 yards, including a 63-yarder that set up Alabama's final score. After Watson and walk-on Hunter Renfrow hooked up for two touchdowns to give Clemson a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, Henry tied it up with a 1-yard plunge. Back and forth it went. Alabama had never been challenged like this in a championship game under Saban. Alabama pulled away from Texas for Saban's first Tide title to end the 2009 season. Alabama blanked LSU for the next in 2011 and crushed Notre Dame to repeat in 2012.

Trying to become the first FBS team to go 15-0, Clemson did not crumble under the force of Alabama's might. But all those five-star recruits and future NFL players who dot the Alabama roster showed they also have plenty of resiliency and toughness. And Saban, the quintessential CEO coach, showed he had a little riverboat gambler in him.

That onside kick stunned the stadium and Clemson, and brought a big grin to the face of the country's most serious coach. The Tide will send another batch of players to the NFL this year, as Saban always does. There is another wave ready to roll.

 "I think as long as he's in Alabama," Coker said," Alabama is going to be up at the top."


So here's what I took from this game. DeShaun Watson did everything in his power to keep the Tigers in this football game. 478 yards of total offense is ridiculous, pure and simple. I've never seen a guy (outside of what Vince Young did against USC), carry a team in a game like this one. That being said, a couple of things went against him. Eddie Jackson making that Pick of Watson, setting up one of Henry's touchdowns was the only mistake that Watson made all day. The guts of Saban to call the onside kick and have his team recover it, was huge. Kenyan Drake kick return for 95 yards for a Touchdown was a back breaker. Jake Coker hitting O.J. Howard for 53 yards for, when there wasn't a defensive back within a mile of him, hurt the Tigers chances. I'm not taking anything away from what Clemson did this season, they had a fantastic year. Its just on this day, Alabama was better.

Congrats to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the 2015 College Football National Champions!

College Football Championship Preview

Its time. After 14 regular season games and a national semifinal battle, we are down to two teams left standing. This is the way it should be for a game of this magnitude. Last year, the National Championship was decided when #3 took on #4. Now its a true battle of the top two teams in the country. Nothing else matters in college football, it all comes down to tonight. One game, forty eight minutes of football ti truly decide who is the best team in the land in 2015. These two programs are separated by over 300 miles, but tonight they converge on University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Winner will be known as the 2016 National Champion in College Football.

The #1 ranked Clemson Tigers will be taking on the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide, winner will be the best team in college football for this year. Alabama comes into this game at 13-1 on the year, the only loss coming against Old Miss way back on September 19th. Alabama got here by totally whitewashing Michigan State 38-0 in the Cotton Bowl. During postseason play, the Crimson Tide are 35–24–3, and now are 1-1 under the new College Football Playoff Format. In total the team has claimed 15 national championships (1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012). Those last three have come under the guidance of current coach Nick Saban. As for the top seeded Clemson Tigers, they come in unbeaten at 14-0. In order to play in tonight's national championship game, they beat Oklahoma 37-17 in the Orange Bowl. When it comes to bowl games, Clemson is 20–18 all time and 1-0 in the new College Football Playoff format. Clemson has one National Championship (1981) to its credit. Alabama leads Clemson 12-3 in the all-time series between these two teams. The last matchup between the Tigers and Crimson Tide took place in 2008, as Nick Saban’s team won 34-10 in a neutral site game in Atlanta to open the season.

Lets take a look at how these two teams stack up, shall we. First, we have the two offenses. Deshaun Watson is going to be expected to do a lot for Clemson in this football game. Watson threw for 3,699 yards and 31 scores this year and added 1,032 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Look at what happened last time out against Oklahoma. He rushed for 145 yards (second on the team that day behind the 150 yards Wayne Gallman rushed for ). Watson also threw for 187 yards and a touchdown (although he did get picked off once). Watson helped pwoer that offense to pile up 550 yards total against Oklahoma. Beyond the obvious of Watson and running back Wayne Gallman, there might not be a more valuable player for the Clemson Tigers on offense than receiver Artavis Scott. Leading the team in receptions and yards by a wide margin, the sophomore is clearly Watson’s top target, and that isn’t likely to change in the title game. So if Alabama wants to stand a chance in this football game, they have to find a way to shut down those three guys.

From an Alabama point of view, the stud is Heisman Trophy running back Derrick Henry. Henry finished the year with 2,061 rushing yards, leading the country and helping him walk away with the highest individual honor in College Football. Henry was kept in check in the Michigan State game, 20 carries for 75 yards. He did however score twice, which was a big impact. When Henry couldn't get it really going on the ground, Quarterback Jake Coker was relied on more as the game went on and boy did he produce. He threw for a career best 286 yards last time out, and managed to hit Calvin Ridely twice. If he can repeat his Cotton Bowl performance against Clemson, it could be hard for the Tigers to keep up.

A defensive battle could take place on this field tonight. Alabama shut out Michigan State on New Years Eve. That's an impressive stat to think about. The last two games against Florida and Michigan State, Alabama allowed a net total of 44 yards on 47 carries. They have been able to shut down a run game, something that might potentially hurt Clemson, who used the rush attack with great effectiveness last time out. With the Clemson defense, they shut out Oklahoma in the 2nd half of the football game and held them to 121 total yards in that football game. Its really going to come down to a battle of attrition and who's going to want it more and make the bigger play at the right time.

If Clemson wants to win their first national title since 1981, they need to win the battle at the line of scrimmage, press the tempo, allow quarterback Deshaun Watson to make plays with his legs. Clemson needs to force the Crimson Tide to win by going to the air and not grinding it out with running back Derrick Henry. Also, Clemson can’t afford to lose the turnover battle or consistently take field goals instead of touchdowns once it reaches the red zone. Alabama’s gameplan for Monday night is simple. Win the battle at the line of scrimmage, contain Watson and get Henry on track to open up downfield shots for Coker and Ridley. Will Clemson claim its first title since 1981? Or will the Crimson Tide add another title to the trophy case in Tuscaloosa?

Pick: Clemson Tigers!

NFL Wild Card Weekend Preview

It's Time! After seventeen long weeks of doing battle, we have our 12 teams that are left standing. All have one goal, to be hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy over their heads on February 7th. Since this is Wild Card Weekend, four teams have their bye's. Denver, New England, Carolina and Arizona get a week off to rest and wait to see who they will play next. So lets not waste any time and get right to it. Here's what were looking at for Wild Card Weekend in the National Football League. First up we have our Saturday Games!

Starting off the Weekend Saturday at 4:05 its the Wild Card Winning Kansas City Chiefs heading to NRG Stadium to take on the AFC South Champions the Houston Texans. Kansas City is the Wild Card winners finishing the season with an 11-5 record. This marks the 2nd time in three years that the Chiefs have not only made the playoffs as a wild card team, but have won eleven games in a season. Kansas City is looking for its first playoff win since beating the Houston Oilers in the 1993 Divisional Round. Kansas City has won two AFL championships, played in two Super Bowls, winning one. All time the Chiefs are 8-15 in the post season. As for the Texans, they finished the year winning the AFC South with a 9-7 record. This marks the 3rd division title for the Texans, having won in both 2011 and 2012. Those years are also the only times the Texans have ever made the playoffs. Houston has never made it to a Super Bowl and are 2-2 lifetime in the Post Season. These two teams have never faced eachother in the playoffs. During the regular season Kansas City beat Houston 27-20 in week one.

Heading into this game, you can't get any hotter than the Kansas City Chiefs. KC has come in winning ten straight games, having not lost a game since October 18th. This was coming after KC started the year 1-5, the only win at the start of the year coming over Houston in the first game of the year in Houston. Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles have been helping power this KC offense to what it has been able to do over the last ten weeks. Kansas City hasn't allowed more than 22 points in any loss they've had this season. But here's something to take into consideration from the KC perspective. The Chiefs did not face a playoff opponent in their final seven games of the season. The 1-5 start to the season came agaist teams with a combined winning percentage of .625. Over the final stretch of games, KC went 10-0 versus teams with a combined winning percentage of .419.

Houston too had a struggle during the course of the season. During the course of the year, Houston has gone through nine quarterback changes, the most recent handful out of necessity rather than indecision. Throw in the fact that star back Arian Foster hasn't been a factor most of the year due to injury, it has meant that the Houston offense have been winning with a smoke-and-mirrors offense. Meaning they rely on gadget plays, a patchwork backfield and DeAndre Hopkins' ability to physically beat defensive backs at the catch point. A plus for the Texans though has been their defense. Since Week 8, the Texans have held five of nine opponents (Titans twice, Bengals, Saints, Jaguars) to exactly six points. The Texans gorged on the toothless AFC South to the tune of a 5-1 record while managing an uninspiring 4-6 record against opponents outside the division.

Kansas City's current eight-game playoff losing streak is tied with Detroit for the longest in the league. Its going to be put to the test in this game. It's going to be a low scoring, hard hitting football game that's for sure. As good as the Houston defense is, and trust me they are very good, I just don't think the offense can match it. Look at what happened in week one. Alex Smith threw three TDs, two to tight end Travis Kelce and his teammates sacked Brian Hoyer four times and intercepted him once. Pus I think the fact that the Chiefs have gotten as hot as they have are going to play a factor in this football game.

Pick: Kansas City Chiefs!

The night game on Saturday is a AFC North Divisional Matchup. Kickoff is at 8:25 as the Wild Card Winners the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Paul Brown Stadium to take on the AFC North Champions the Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh comes in after locking up the last wild card spot with a 10-6 record. This marks the 2nd straight year and 4th time in the last six seasons that the Steelers are in the playoffs. Pittsburgh is looking for its first win in the playoffs since beating the Jets in the 2010 AFC Championship game. The Steelers have six Super Bowls to their credit and are 33-22 lifetime in the post season. Cincinnati has won the AFC North with an 11-5 record. Its the 2nd division title in three years and the 5th straight year the Bengals have made the post season. Cincinnati is in search of their first playoff win since beating the Houston Oilers in the 1990 AFC Wild Card Game. The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl (having played in two of them) and they are 5-13 lifetime in the playoffs. This marks the 2nd ever meeting between the teams in the playoffs (Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati in the 2005 Wild Card Game), and the teams split the two regular season meetings this year, with each team winning on the road.

Cincinnati had a fast start to the season, kicking the year off by going 8-0. Since then, however, they have come back down to earth a little, closing out the year going 4-4. Since Andy Dalton went down to injury, it's put pressure on AJ McCarron. Dalton was looking to break an 0-4 playoff record, but due to a broken thumb, won't be able to play against Pittsburgh. So the pressure of play falls on AJ McCarron. He's no slouch of a QB, but at the same time he's not at the same level as Dalton. With six touchdowns to two picks, McCarron hasn't been afraid to throw downfield to wideout A.J. Green and his fellow playmakers. With a lower pick percentage than Dalton, the former Alabama star isn't a massive downgrade from The Red Rifle, but McCarron still has just three starts to his name.

Now there's the Steelers. Pittsburgh went 4-2 in the final six games, and have played pretty well this year, despite the fact that they've had two big keys to the offense missing time. Big Ben has played in only 12 games this year due to injury. And there is question marks with the run game right now. Think about this, the Steelers have been without Le'Veon Bell for a good chunk of time with a knee injury (he won't be back) and DeAngelo Williams is dealing with an ankle injury he suffered the last day of the season. If Williams can't go on Saturday night, Fitzgerald Toussaint is going to be getting the carries, something which Steelers fans have to be worried about. If the Steelers can't run the ball, then Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant are going to be relied on heavily.

The Steelers have won four of the last five meetings, including the past two in Cincinnati. Cincinnati has looked average the last month and half of the season, while the Steelers are gelling at the right time. Losing Williams would be a major loss for Pittsburgh, but the NFL's top stars shine in games like this, and Roethlisberger and Brown will be the two finest playmakers on the field come Saturday.

Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers!.

Now for the Sunday games. First up, at 1:05 its the NFC Wild Card Winners the Seattle Seahawks heading to TCF Bank Stadium to take on the NFC North Champions the Minnesota Vikings.  Minnesota won the North with an 11-5 record making it the first division title for the Vikings since 2009. This marks the Vikings first playoff appearance since 2012. Minnesota is looking for its first playoff win since beating the Dallas Cowboys  in the Wild Card round in 2009. Minnesota has never won a Super Bowl, having played in four of them, and the team is 19-27 all time in the playoffs. As for the Seahawks, they come in having won the wild card at 11-5. Seattle is the two time defending NFC Champions. In fact, Seattle has missed the playoffs only once in the last six years. Seattle has been to three Super Bowls, winning one. Seattle has a 14-13 lifetime mark in the post season. This marks the first ever playoff meeting between the two teams. Seattle beat Minnesota 38-7 during their lone regular season meeting this year, played in Minnesota on December 8th.

Not too many people are giving the Vikings much a chance in this football game. Lets face facts, from an offensive perspective, the Vikings really rely on Adrian Peterson. AP finished the year with 1,85 yards which lead the NFL. There is a downside to this offense. Minnesota has the 32nd ranked pass attack during the regular season. Teddy Bridgewater finished the year with 3,231 passing yards, his favorite target being Stefon Diggs, who finished the year with 720 receiving yards. The defense has been OK. Here's a surprising stat about the Vikings defense. The Vikings are 0-4 when allowing more than 20 points and 10-0 when allowing less than 20 points. So it makes you wonder what's going to happen against Seattle.

Now as for the Seahawks, they look like they are starting to return back to form. Seattle went 4-4 at the start of the year, but finished up going 6-2 down the final eight games. One of those six wins down the stretch was that 38-7 blasting of the Vikings in Minnesota just over a month ago. Leading the way for Seattle has been Russel Wilson. Wilson became the first player in NFL history to record 4,000+ passing yards, 30+ touchdown passes and 500+ rushing yards in a single season. On defense, you normally think of the Legion of Boom, and for good reason. That secondary has garnered the majority of the headlines during the greatest run in franchise history. This year it's the front seven that has dominated. Seattle is the only defense yet to allow an individual 100-yard rusher this season, ranking No. 1 against the run at 81.5 yards per game.

I know Minnesota is coming in riding their three game winning streak. But Seattle is clicking at the right time. The bottom line, though, is that they are still trying to reach the level the Seahawks have attained for three years. Seattle simply has a marked advantage in too many categories, not the least of which is January success.

Pick: Seattle Seahawks!

Last game of the weekend kicks off at 4:40 on Sunday as the Wild Card Winning Green Bay Packers head to FedEx Field to take on the NFC East Champions the Washington Redskins. Green Bay came in with a 10-6 record, good enough to lock up a wild card spot. This marks the 7th straight year the Pack are in the postseason. In that span, Green Bay has been bounced in the first round three times. Green Bay comes in with 13 Super Bowl crowns to their credit, and are 31-20 lifetime in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Washington comes in having won the NFC East with a 9-7 record. This marks the first division title, and playoff appearance for that matter, for Washington since 2012. Washington is looking for its first playoff win since beating Tampa Bay in the 2005 Wild Card Game. The Redskins have five Super Bowls to their credit and are 23-18 lifetime in the post season. This marks the 3rd all time meeting between the franchises in the playoffs, Green Bay won in 1936, with Washington getting the victory in 1972. These two clubs didn't face eachother during the regular season.

After struggling through parts of the year, Washington has really turned it on, winning their final four games of the regular season. The rise of Kirk Cousins took incredible patience from head coach Jay Gruden, especially considering that he was benching Robert Griffin III, a quarterback beloved by ownership and the subject of a blockbuster draft-day trade that plucked the Redskins of a treasure trove of draft picks. This simply wouldn't fly in other places, and it didn't fly in Washington for quite some time. Gruden and the Redskins may very well lose on Sunday, but for the first time in a long time, we're not discussing the Redskins as a surprise candidate to fire their coach and start over. Cousins has been good in getting the ship righted and getting this team back on track and back on their winning ways late in the year. He finished the year with 4,166 passing yards. The only thing that worries me is the run game.

Green Bay is a bit of a different story. This is the first time in half a decade that the Packers have had a better scoring defense than scoring offense. Capers has turned Clay Matthews into one of the best all-around defensive players in the NFL, and Morgan Burnett is playing great at the safety spot this year, not to mention an encouraging second year from Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Now don't get me wrong, Green Bay has a good offense. Aaron Rogers has done some fantastic things this year without his top target in Jordy Nelson, who's been out all year with a knee injury. Eddie Lacy has had a down year by his standards, finishing the season with only 758 rush yards. At times, he has shown bursts of brilliance but more often he has been a pedestrian back at best.

The Packers have won five of the past six games in this series. But the Pack stumbled in the 2nd half of the year, going 4-6 to close out the year and lost their final two games. Washington has won four in a row to close out the year. Sure the Skins played in a weak NFC East, but they are getting hot at the right time and I don't have much confidence in Green Bay, something I didn't think I'd be saying at the start of the year.

Pick: Washington Redskins!

Hall Makes The Call

It means so much when you hear those magic words, being called a Hall Of Famer. By definition, a hall of famer is a group of individuals in a particular category (as a sport) who have been selected as particularly illustrious. It means that you were one of the very best to ever play the game. In order to get inducted into the hallowed halls in Cooperstown New York, you need to earn 75% of the votes on the ballot to be elected. This year two men will take their place among the greatest of all time. The Mariners made Ken Griffey Jr. the first overall pick in the 1987 Draft. The following year, the Dodgers selected Mike Piazza with the 1,390th pick, in the 62nd round. Both men will now end up in the same place in July. Griffey is the first No. 1 pick to make it, while Piazza is the lowest pick to do so.

Ken Griffey Jr. was named on 99.3 percent of ballots (437 out of 440 cast by Baseball Writers' Association of America members), breaking the Hall of Fame record of 98.84 percent, set by Tom Seaver in 1992. It was with good reason that Griffey was voted in on as many ballots as he was. During a 22 year career in the Majors, which spanned from Seattle (13 years), Cincinnati (9 years) and Chicago (1 year w/ White Sox), Griffey was a .284 lifetime hitter, with 630 home runs and 1,836 RBI's. He hit 40 or more home runs seven times in his career, including five in a row (1996-99). He played in 13 all star games, was a ten time gold winner (one of only three outfielders to ever win that many), and won seven silver sluggers, among many of his career honors. Griffey will be the first player inducted into the Hall of Fame who'll wear a Mariners cap on his plaque.

There are several things that made him great. As a fielder he could get to anything that was hit in his general direction. The ten gold gloves is evidence of his greatness in the field. His defense in center field was widely considered the standard of elite fielding during the decade, exemplified by his streak of 10 straight Gold Gloves from 1990-1999. His impressive range allowed frequent spectacular diving plays, and he often dazzled fans with over-the-shoulder basket catches and robbed opposing hitters of home runs by leaping up and pulling them back into the field of play. Then there was what he did at the plate. The home runs are what most people talked about, and rightfully so. Lets not forget that he collected 2,781 hits, 524 of which were doubles. He knew how to run the basses, stealing 184 of them in his career. One of the most memorable moments of Griffey's career, at least with the Mariners, came during the 1995 American League Division Series. Seattle was going up against the New York Yankees. After losing the first two games, the Mariners and Griffey were on the verge of elimination, but came back to win the next two games, setting up a decisive fifth game. In the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 5, with Griffey on first base, teammate Edgar Martínez hit a double. Griffey raced around the bases, slid into home with the winning run, and popped up into the waiting arms of the entire team.

What is going to get talked about most with Griffey is his power. His 630 career home runs rank sixth in MLB history, with only two left-handed hitters ahead of him, that being Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth. One of the fondest memories of a Griffey home run that fans have didn't come during a regular season game. It actually came during the Home Run Derby. It came during the Derby in 1993, which was held at Oriole Park in Baltimore. Griffey hit the warehouse beyond the right field wall on the fly and, he is still the only player ever to do so. As with every home run that hits Eutaw Street, each feat is honored with a circular plaque, embedded horizontally onto the concourse's walkway, in the exact spot where the home run landed.

Griffey earned the highest voting percentage in the history of the hall of fame, at 99.3%. He is also one of only ten players in baseball history to get a voting percentage of 97% or higher. This list is pretty impressive:

Ken Griffey, Jr.: 99.32%
Tom Seaver: 98.84%
Nolan Ryan: 98.79%
Cal Ripken, Jr: 98.53%
Ty Cobb: 98.23%
George Brett: 98.19%
Hank Aaron: 97.83%
Tony Gwynn: 97.61%
Randy Johnson: 97.27%
Greg Maddux: 97.20%

Then there's the other guy who got elected into the hall of fame, Mike Piazza. Piazza played 16 season in the Majors, spending time playing for the Dodgers (7 years), New York (Mets 8 years), San Diego (1 year), Oakland (1 year) and Florida (1 week). During that time, he hit .304 lifetime, with 427 home runs, 396 of which were as a catcher, the most in Major League History. He also drove in 1,335 RBI in his career. Piazza won the NL rookie of the year in 1993, was a 12 time all star and a ten time silver slugger winner. Through such abilities, a career that began in obscurity has earned baseball's ultimate measure of fame, as the lowest drafted player to ever earn enshrinement. Selected in the 62nd round of the 1988 Draft as a favor to his father, a friend of Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, Piazza became the National League's Rookie of the Year after clubbing 35 home runs in 1993. Piazza proceeded to hit 346 homers over a 10-season span, which would have made him one of the greatest Dodgers ever if not for a pair of high-profile trades in the middle of his prime (MLB).

One of the biggest knocks on Piazza during his career was his defensive abilities. He wasn't the greatest defensive catchers ever, he was middle of the pack at best. What made him so great is what he was able to do with a bat in his hands. Piazza is known as among the best-hitting catchers of all time, hitting 427 career home-runs and having an OPS of .922. Only nine other players have ever had over 400 home runs with over a .300 lifetime average while never striking out more than 100 times in a season (Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujols and Chipper Jones). That's some pretty elite company to be mentioned with. Among Catchers, he is hands down the greatest power hitting catcher ever. Among the all time greats, there's only two other catchers in the history of the game you could take above Mike, that being Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench. Piazza was the best catcher of his generation.

The two moments that will forever live on in Mets fans memories are two long balls that Piazza hit. One was the first game back in New York after the horrible attacks on New York on 9/11. The date of the game was September 21st, the Atlanta Braves were in town. With the Mets trailing in the bottom of the eighth, Piazza hit a moon-shot home run to center against Braves reliever Steve Karsay to put the Mets ahead. The other date that meant a lot for Piazza as a Met was June 30, 2000. Once again it was against the Atlanta Braves. The Mets staged an epic rally to come back from an 8-1 eighth-inning deficit against the Braves, with Piazza's home run against Terry Mulholland being the perfect capper.

Both men will be offically inducted to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on july 24th!

NHL All Star Game Rosters Announced

It's where the best players in the game assemble for one weekend a year during the National Hockey League Season. Coming up at the end of the month, January 30-31 to be exact, the best players in the game converge on Bridgstone Arena in Nashville Tennessee for the 2016 NHL All Star Game. In the past, the NHL has had tried a few different looks for the game. They have had the two conferences play eachother, they have tried a North America against the World format, and even threw in a fantasy draft among the players to play in the game. This year, they are trying a new wrinkle to the Midseason Showdown.

As part of the new format for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game, the All-Stars will take part in a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, and featuring teams representing each NHL division. The Atlantic Division, captioned by Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers. They will play the Metropolitan Division, captioned by Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. That's the 1st period. the 2nd period will see the Central Division, captioned by Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, who will take on the Pacific Division, captioned by John Scott of the Arizona Coyotes. The Winners of the two periods will meet up in the 3rd period to determine a winner.

Here's what the official rosters for the All Star Game:

Atlantic Division:
Head Coach: Gerard Gallant (Florida Panthers)
F Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)
F Jaromir Jagr (Florida Panthers)
F Leo Komarov (Toronto Maple Leafs)
F Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings)
F Ryan O'Reilly (Buffalo Sabres)
F Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
D Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers)
D Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators)
D P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadians)
G Ben Bishop (Tampa Bay Lightning)
G Roberto Luongo (Florida Panthers)

Metropolitan Division:
Head Coach: Barry Trotz (Washington Capitals)
F Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals)
F Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers)
F Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
F Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
F Brandon Saad (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F John Tavares (New York Islanders)
D Justin Faulk (Carolina Hurricans)
D Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins)
D Ryan McDonagh (New York Rangers)
G Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)
G Cory Schneider (New Jersey Devils)

Central Division:
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff (Dallas Stars)
F Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars)
F Matt Duchene (Colorado Avalanch)
F Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
F Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars)
F Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues)
F Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)
D Dustin Byfuglien (Winnipeg Jets)
D Roman Josi (Nashville Predators)
D Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)
G Devan Dubnyk (Minnesota Wild)
G Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators)

Pacific Division:
Head Coach: Darryl Sutter (Los Angeles Kings)
F Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames)
F Taylor Hall (Edmonton Oilers)
F Joe Pavelski (San Jose Sharks)
F Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks)
F John Scott (Arizona Coyotes)
F Daniel Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)
D Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks)
D Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
D Mark Giordano (Calgary Flames)
G John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks)
G Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)

Mostly I think the coaches got the rosters right for this tournament. Of course, much like anything else in life, I think there's a few guys who got short changed. Was a little surprised that John Klingberg of the Stars was left off the list. The stat's that Klingberg have put up this year warrant him playing in the midseason showdown. He is the 2nd highest scoring defenseman in the NHL, behind only Erik Karlsson of Ottawa. I'm impressed that Dylan Larkin got the nod to represent the Red Wings over guys like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Then again, the only guy who has more points this year in Detroit than Larkin is Zetterberg.

Just as surprising is the fact that John Scott was even voted a captain for the All Star Game. Keep in mind, this is a guy who has spent some time in the minor leagues this year. How he is going to the game instead of say Shane Doan (his Arizona teammate), Mikkel Boedker (the Coyotes leading scorer), and even Henrik Sedin is a bit of a shock. With the East, the fact that Zdeno Chara isn't playing, we also got no Victor Hedman or Dion Phaneuf is a bit of a surprise. That's not to say that the guys playing aren't deserving, because trust me they are. All I'm saying is it would have added a few more intersting notes to the dynamic of the game.

The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star celebration will mark the first time Nashville has hosted the NHL All-Star festivities, which will take place at Bridgestone Arena. Live television coverage of the League's midseason showcase during the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition and 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will be broadcast by NBCSN in the U.S. and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition will begin at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 30, and the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will start at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 31.