BREAKING NEWS!

Just as I'm finishing up the first part of "Back To The 90's", I heard news that the NHL has confirmed that the 2013 NHL Winter Classic will be held at Michigan Stadium between the Detroit Red Wings & the Toronto Maple Leafs. This will be a great matchup between 2 Original Six teams & will certainly break NHL attendance records. One thing I must note before I talk jerseys...it's a shame the Columbus Blue Jackets haven't had much on ice success since joining the league back in 2000. The marketing would have been great, Michigan vs Ohio State taken to the NHL...however the Maple Leafs will make a great opponent. I'm very excited to see the jerseys that the teams will wear, by next year's time I hope to have a Reimer & Howard added to my jersey collection! I'll post new details as they develop! STAY TUNED!

NFL Conference Championship Preview

Well readers, in the NFL we're down to 4 teams on the road to Super Bowl XLVI in Indy. Last week the Giants knocked off the Packers, New England ended TebowMania 2011, San Fran beat the Saints in a game i followed thanks to my bestfriend keeping me updated via texts while I was working & the Ravens beat the Texans. Another 3 for 4 week for me in my predictions. Well here we go, it's Conference Championship Week so let's get started.

The AFC Title game will feature the Baltimore Ravens visiting the New England Patriots. This one promises to be a good one, a dominant Patriot offense against the always dominant Baltimore defense. I truly believe that if the Ravens are able to shut down Tom Brady and Company then the Ravens will fly up to Indy and have a chance at possibly the greatest revenge in NFL history. This one could be close or could be like their Playoff game from a few years ago. If I'm wrong then Tom Brady will light up the Baltimore Defense like a pyromaniac on the 4th of July. I look forward to this one, my prediction 27-10 Ravens. We'll have to wait and see if I'm right on Sunday at 3PM ET on CBS!

The NFC Championship will feature the New York Giants visiting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon at the Stick. If this game is anything like their regular season game then we're in store for a great one out in San Fran. The 49ers & the Giants both come into this one with great defenses. As I've stated last week, I think the Giants are the hottest team in football. I've seen first hand how dangerous the Giants look live in person & if they stay on this streak then Eli's gonna be staying at his brother's place while preparing for the Super Bowl. The 49ers will be no easy foe for the Giants and will give them a great test. Both teams are well balanced and could easily go on and win the Super Bowl. I have the Giants coming out of this one with a 17-14 win in OT against the 49ers. This one kicks off at 6:30 PM ET on Sunday on FOX.

That will wrap up my Conference Championship Preview and please STAY TUNED for my Super Bowl XLVI preview that I will be posting next Monday. Enjoy the games this Sunday everyone!

NFL Divisional Round Preview

After a lot of thought, I have finally made my predicitions for this weekends NFL Divisional Round games. I know I said I'd post this a few days ago but these match-ups had me thinking & it took me a while to get into it. Last week gained us a new logo in the NFL, they may still be called the Broncos but they show love to their QB with the new logo.

Last week I was 3 of 4 on my predictions & I accurately predicted what went down in Denver. The Denver game was the only thriller of last week, the New Orleans-Detroit game was a close 2nd but it got out of hand late. So with Denver, Houston, New Orleans & the New York Giants advancing, let's talk about who they'll be playing in the 2nd round of the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs. Without further adieu, let's start with the AFC.


Let's start with the game that has everyone talking ever since last Sunday after a crazy OT win, I'm talking about the Denver Tebows...I mean Broncos against the New England Bradys...I mean Patriots. All the buzz in this game has been around the Quarterbacks: Tebow & Brady. Tim Tebow has captured a lot of attention in the national media ever since he became a starter but he's no stranger to that having dealt with similar attention (to a lesser extent) while at the University of Florida. He leads the Broncos the same way he did the Gators, with a heart & determination to win. On the other side of this game we have the man who's been here many times before, Tom Brady. Brady didn't win any National Titles in college but he makes up for it & more with those 3 Super Bowl rings. I have a feeling that if Denver moves the ball in a similar or better fashion then they did last week against the defense that according to Bart Scott "Can't stop a nose bleed", they shouldn't have a problem going to the AFC Championship game. The Patriots may have won in the regular season but sometimes in rematches things don't go the same, just ask LSU about Alabama. I like Denver by 1 score in this game. We'll have to see if I'm right tonight at 8 PM ET on CBS.


The other game in the AFC features the Texans against the Ravens. Last week the Texans made an impressive playoff debut by defeating the Bengals 31-10. This week they face a tougher opponent in the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens look to repeat their Week 6 29-14 win over Houston. I think TJ Yates will make this game closer then Matt Schaub did back in October. This is one of those games where if one side isn't producing, the game could get out of hand quick. I like Baltimore in this game because the Ravens have been my AFC pick since the Jets were eliminated, no disrespect to my friends who live in the Houston area. We'll have to wait til Sunday at 1 PM ET on CBS to see how this one turns out.



Over in the NFC, first we have the New Orleans Saints going out to the Stick to face the San Francisco 49ers. Unlike the other 3 match-ups this weekend this game is not a rematch & should be a good one. If the 49ers D is able to step up against Drew Brees then this should be a good one. Another thing for San Francisco that needs to work is the offense, Alex Smith needs to be on his A-Game to hang with Drew Brees'  highly explosive pass game. This one could be like the Baltimore game in terms of getting ugly, very quickly. Overall i like the 49ers in this one in a close on, possibly an OT game. Kickoff for this one is Saturday at 4:30 PM ET on FOX.


Last but not least we have the rematch that's getting more attention then Tim Tebow (in the NY Metro area anyway), I'm talking about the New York Giants against the Green Bay Packers. If the regular season is any indication to what this game will be like, then we're in store for a classic on the Frozen Tundra. The Giants, their fans & the media have compared this run that Big Blue is on to their run in the 2007-08. To me the Giants are a scarier team then they were a few years ago because of their ELIte QB, Eli Manning. I've witnessed that when this team is down that their not out & that Manning and Victor Cruz are game changers. I have a feeling that whoever wins this game may be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy come February. With the momentum the Giants have, it's no surprise I'm gonna pick them but you can't overlook how scary the Packers can be as well. They're the defending Super Bowl Champions and won't go down without a fight. They have without a doubt the best QB in football and a loaded offense. If they can beat the Giants then I think that they will reclaim the Trophy that has their legendary former coach's name on it. I think we have another playoff OT thriller in store for us from Big Blue and the Cheese Heads. Look for a great one Sunday at 4:30 PM ET on FOX.

I'll be back next week with my NFL Conference Championship Round preview & some other things.
STAY TUNED!

CONGRATS TO THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE NATIONAL CHAMPION FOOTBALL TEAM!

Well the Jets didn't make the playoffs...BUT!!! Alabama made it up to me in college football! ROLL TIDE EVERYONE!

2012 NHL Winter Classic

A week ago the New York Rangers & Philadelphia Flyers played an outdoor hockey game at Citizens Bank Park, known only as the NHL Winter Classic. The build up to this game was incredible thanks to the folks over at HBO because of their 24/7 series that followed the teams for most of December leading up to the big game on January 2. Citizens Bark Park looked great and there were even additional seats added over where the bullpen is out in center field. As I watched the pregame, I couldn't help but think back to last July when I had the privilege to go to Citizens Bank Park for a Phillies game vs San Francisco. It was incredible how different the Park looked thanks to the NHL crew. As a fan I was on edge watching the game because the Rangers were only 2 points up on the Flyers in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

The first period was a great battle and after 1 the game was scoreless. In the 2nd period however, the Flyers gained a 2-0 advantage and I was angry. There was an almost immediate response by Mike Rupp of the Rangers with a goal and a Jagr salute to the crowd which angered the Flyer Faithful and after 2 the Flyers had a 2-1 lead. In the 3rd period, Mike Rupp was at it again, scoring another goal 2:41 into the 3rd which tied the Winter Classic 2-2. A little under 3 minutes later, Brad Richards scored for the Rangers giving them the lead and over in New Jersey I was jumping up and down at my friends house. After that, the rest of the game was exciting, especially when Danny Briere of the Flyers was awarded a penalty shot with 19.6 seconds to go. When Henrik Lundqvist denied Briere, myself and Ranger fans across the world knew the game was far from over. The last 19.6 went by and after the horn tempers flared in front of the Rangers net but after the refs separated the teams, the fireworks went off and the New York Rangers were on top of the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference & the NHL. I for one enjoyed the game and hopefully sometime soon the Rangers will be  the home team for a Winter Classic.

Here are 10 future Winter Classic sites I would love to see:

1. Rangers vs Devils or Islanders at Yankee Stadium
2. Devils vs Rangers at MetLife Stadium
3. Red Wings vs Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium
4. Stars vs Kings at Cowboys Stadium
5. Penguins vs Flyers at Beaver Stadium
6. Wild vs Stars at Target Field
7. Blues vs Kings at Busch Stadium
8. Blackhawks vs Bruins at Solider Field
9. Captials vs Penguins at FedEx Field
10. Avalanche vs Red Wings at Mile High Stadium or Coors Field

I don't see the Rangers playing in another Winter Classic next year but hopefully sooner rather then later. A Winter Classic at Yankee Stadium would be incredible, Fenway's had theirs, Wrigley's had theirs and now Citizens Bank Park has had one. I also wouldn't mind seeing the Devils hosting one at MetLife Stadium. I next years host will likely be a Western Conference team and will be played in Detroit, St. Louis, Minnesota or Denver. Only time will tell where the next Winter Classic will be played. 

One last thing before I wrap up this post. This is for all my fellow WWE fans who accurately predicted Chris Jericho's return to the company on the same day as the Winter Classic, January 2. There was a picture of Jericho arriving in Nashville that morning for RAW which was about 180 miles away in Memphis. Jericho got note of the picture and tweeted that he "had been cloned". He retweets some fans cropped pictures of him in various places around the world like Egypt, Paris, Gettysburg, Kim Jong-Il's funeral, Abbey Road and from a tweet from yours truly at the Winter Classic. I had gotten the idea to do the Winter Classic picture because Jericho's father Ted Irvine played for the Rangers and I decided to crop the airport picture into the Winter Classic Alumni game. For all of you in disbelief that I was the one behind the picture, here's a link for the retweet from Jericho's twitter. https://twitter.com/#!/IAmJericho/status/153883496253886465

I'll be back tomorrow with an NFL Divisional Round Preview.

Until the STAY TUNED!

NEW POSTS COMING THIS WEEK!

Hey guys new posts coming up this week, NFL Divisional Round Preview's coming up, a (much late) NHL Winter Classic review & some news on MLB 12: The Show & MLB 2K12! It's been a rough week for me thanks to Subaru (i miss my 99 altima already!) & I was sick during the week. So STAY TUNED! should be a busy week on the blog!!

NFL Playoff Preview

After the dust settled yesterday in the NFL, all 12 playoff spots were filled.

The AFC looks like this

1. New England Patriots (13-3)*

2. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)*

3. Houston Texans (10-6)**

4. Denver Broncos (8-8)**

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)***

6. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)***

*-indicates 1st round bye & Division winner

**-Division Winner

***-Wild Card Team

Here's what the NFC looks like

1. Green Bay Packers (15-1)*

2. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)*

3. New Orleans Saints (13-3)**

4. New York Giants (9-7)**

5. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)***

6. Detroit Lions (10-6)***

*-indicates 1st round bye & Division winner

**-Division Winner

***-Wild Card Team

The Wild Card round features all good games. I only wish the Jets would have made the playoffs so I could have had a little more interest but nonetheless I truly believe we have an intriguing final 12 this year. So now let's get started.

TEAMS WITH BYES

AFC

AFC EAST CHAMPIONS- 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

AFC NORTH CHAMPIONS- 

BALTIMORE RAVENS

NFC

NFC NORTH CHAMPIONS- 

GREEN BAY PACKERS

NFC WEST CHAMPIONS- 

SAN FRANCSICO 49ERS

AFC

BENGALS @ TEXANS

We start off in the AFC with the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the AFC South Champion Houston Texans in the Texans first ever playoff game. For this matchup I expected the Texans to make the playoffs and I wasn't expecting an above .500 season from the Bengals. If Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis is reading this, I would like to apologize for what I yelled to you at your preseason game in East Rutherford back in August. I said "Hey Lewis get ready to find a new job, without Palmer you guys suck!" Sorry Coach, props to your team for proving me wrong. As far as this matchup goes I'm gonna say Texans by a Field Goal in OT. This matchup features 2 young teams that is sure to be exciting to watch. Kickoff is Saturday at 4:30 PM ET on NBC

STEELERS @ BRONCOS

As for the other AFC matchup this weekend, the Steelers go to Denver to face the AFC West winner Broncos. To be honest every NFL fan knew the Steelers would have a good year and didn't expect Baltimore to win the division. No one and I mean no one  (except Bronco fans) expected Denver to make the playoffs at the beginning of the season but 5 months & Tim Tebow later the Broncos have snuck in as the winners of the AFC West. This game could get very ugly, very quickly for Denver if the Broncos defense doesn't step up. BUT if the defense holds Pittsburgh within 10 into the 4th Quarter...could it be possible to see some Tebow Magic in Tebow Time in the Playoffs!? I don't have an accurate prediction for this game because it's hard to tell. We'll have to wait and see when these 2 teams take the field on Sunday at 4:30 PM ET on CBS

NFC

LIONS @ SAINTS

Over in the NFC, first we have the Detroit Lions going down to the Big Easy to face the NFC South winners, the New Orleans Saints. I knew the Lions would make the playoffs and thought the Falcons would win the South but New Orleans really stepped up this year. For Detroit this game will be anything but Easy they face a tough Saints squad led by a possible MVP Drew Brees. This game could be like the Pittsburg-Denver game because it comes down to defense. I will definately be excited to see this one. Kickoff is at 8 PM ET Saturday on NBC.

FALCONS @ GIANTS

I've saved local for last as the Atlanta Falcons come to the Meadowlands to face the team that won their final 2 games to get into the playoffs, the New York Giants. Let's face it, the Giants are on a roll. Christmas Eve, I witnessed the Giants overcome a bad 1st Quarter and destroy the Jets. Last night the Giants beat division rival Dallas to win the NFC East. The Giants are going to need another big game from Eli Manning and Victor Cruz to beat Matty Ice & the Falcons. I think that Big Blue will come out with another big W against Atlanta and head for either Green Bay or San Francisco. I see the Giants taking this one by one score. We'll see if I'm right Sunday at 1 PM ET on FOX.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hey everyone, sorry for my lack of posts in the last week I haven't had much time on my hands. Tomorrow I will be back with a new post to talk NFL Playoffs and the 2012 NHL Winter Classic!
Thanks For The Patience!
STAY TUNED!
-Mike