Desert Ice

Photo courtesy Coyotes fan blog Five for Howling/AP.

I usually don't watch hockey. It's not that the sport itself is bad, but for whatever reason it hasn't kept my appeal. But recently at my internship, we've been swept up in LA Kings playoff hockey, and it was as suspenseful and intense a sports game I've ever seen. Unfortunately for the Kings, I ended up watching what would turn out to be the game they were eliminated from the playoffs (beaten by the Vancouver Canucks in 6). But the story of the season has to be the Phoenix Coyotes.

Two years ago, the Coyotes were losing money...and fast, despite having a new arena and being in the fairly large Phoenix market. The owner at the time, Jerry Moyes, put the team into bankruptcy then wanted to sell the team to Jim Balsillie, a Canadian businessman who wanted to move the team to Hamilton Ontario, between Buffalo and Toronto, both of which already have teams (Sabres and Maple Leafs, respectively). The NHL blocked the sale in court until Moyes sold the team to the NHL, with the league assuming all debts. For the fans in Phoenix, their team was on the brink of getting uprooted from their new arena and shipped off to Canada. With the court ruling that the team could not be sold to Basillie and subsequent takeover by the NHL in September 2009, the Coyotes had a surprising 50-25-7 record with a team record 107 points this season. Despite losing to the Detroit Red Wings in 7 games during the playoffs, the Coyotes season is one of success, especially since the coach was hired just days before the regular season and the team recovered from the off-ice legal drama. Coach Dave Tippett is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given to the coach that has "contributed most to their teams' success". Meanwhile, Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, has been named as a potential buyer of the Coyotes, alng with investment group Ice Edge Holdings. Reinsdorf's White Sox spring training complex is nearby the Coyotes' arena in Glendale. So while the Stanley Cup won't be on desert ice this season, the Phoenix Coyotes' future is looking much better than it did a year ago.

Predictable East and a Wild, Wild West

The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James. Photo courtesy The Telegraph (UK).

The NBA Playoffs have gotten underway and the East is showing how weak the conference is while the West is an all-out slugfest. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics punched their tickets to the second round last night and the Orlando Magic did the same the night before. Of the four Eastern Conference series, only one has gone past five games (Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks). The East has been very predictable and while most NBA pundits salivate over the thought of a Cavs-Celtics second round playoff series, the Magic get to sit back and rest up while Atlanta and Milwaukee duke it out. While I do think the Hawks will eventually pull it out, it won't be until game 7, then Orlando will blast them in the second round.

The Phoenix Suns' Jason Richardson and Portland's Brandon Roy. Photo courtesy Associated Press.

Then there's the Western Conference, where the 1 seed has been given a strong challenge, the 2 seed is almost eliminated, and the 5 seed is almost done knocking out the 4 seed. The LA Lakers have been given all they could handle with the Oklahoma City Thunder and it wasn't until Game 5 when they were in the friendly confines of Staples Center that they put on a dominating performance worthy of defending champions. I think the Lakers will advance, but it won't be until the final Game 7. The 2 seed Dallas Mavericks are on the verge of getting knocked out by their hated rivals, the 7 seed San Antonio Spurs. I think the Spurs will complete the upset tomorrow in Game 6 in San Antone. Considering the Mavs came into the playoffs hot, they'll be scrutinized by many in Dallas should they lose. The 3 seed Phoenix Suns are in a dogfight with 6 seed Portland Trail Blazers, who are banged up beyond belief and still giving PHX a run for their money. Portland star Brandon Roy has made a huge gamble in coming back early from surgery on a torn meniscus in his knee. Should he have complications from rushing back so soon, it could damage his career permanently. Finally, the 5 seed Utah Jazz are on the verge of beating the 4 seed Denver Nuggets, but this upset was widely predicted especially after Nuggets coach George Karl had to take a leave of absence to undergo cancer treatment. In essence, the Nuggets were going into this series down and without their rudder.

The Lakers' Kobe Bryant. Photo courtesy TheLakersNation.com.

So by the time the smoke clears in the West, I think it'll look like this:

Eastern Conference
1 Cleveland vs. 4 Boston (Cleveland beat Chicago in 5, Boston def. Miami in 5)
2 Orlando vs. 3 Atlanta (Orlando def. Charlotte in 4, ATL beats Milwaukee in 7)

Western Conference
1 LA Lakers vs. 5 Utah (Utah def. Denver in 6, Lakers beat OKC in 7)
3 Phoenix vs. 7 San Antonio (PHX beats Portland in 7, Spurs def. Dallas in 6)

NFL Draft 2010 Roundup

Photo courtesy Arrowhead Pride.

The 2010 NFL Draft was a thrill to see in its new format. Having the first round in primetime on Thursday was a ratings boon for the NFL and invigorates the fanbase. As some have pointed out, the second round picks now have more value to them as well, due to the extra time between rounds.

There are some teams that have an uncanny ability to draft well year after year. Baltimore and New England did just that this year, with Baltimore gaining 1st-round caliber talent in Texas DE Sergio Kindle and Alabama DT Terrence Cody. New England addressed most of its needs, traded like crazy in order to obtain more picks now and in future drafts, and still managed to come up with several potential studs. TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez will give the Pats a good two-tight end set, since they use several multiple-TE formations. Other buzzworthy picks include receiver Taylor Price and linebacker Brandon Spikes.

Many teams this draft seemed to get a B grade from the draft prognosticators, but there were more than a few who had a good draft. Detroit and the aforementioned Ravens and Patriots had pretty good drafts, but here are my 5 teams that had a draft that really stands out:

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs grabbed Oklahoma standout DT Gerald McCoy and UCLA DT Brian Price with their first two picks. Price was outstanding as a Bruin and helped make that unit one of the best in the Pac-10. WR Arrelious Benn was one of the most coveted receivers in the draft and CB Myron Lewis helps upgrade the secondary after the defensive front got all the attention in the first two rounds. The Bucs had one of the worst punting units last year and upgraded with Brent Bowden.

New Browns QB Colt McCoy. Photo courtesy ColtMcCoyFans.org.

4) Cleveland Browns
The Browns made a heck of a gamble and it worked perfectly. Had it not worked, they wouldn't have been on this list. Their first three picks were all good picks, except for the fact that none of them were a quarterback. They upgraded at cornerback, running back, and safety, betting that Colt McCoy or Jimmy Clausen would be available in later rounds. Sure enough, Colt McCoy, the Texas QB, was available for the taking in the third round. Sixth-round pick Carlton Mitchell is an intriguing possibility considering the talent rating at such a late round (NFL.com had him at a 7.1).

3) Oakland Raiders
In recent years, the Raiders could be counted on for having at least one "huh?" moment in the draft. This year, the Silver & Black made some great picks, starting with Rolando McClain at linebacker. Bruce Campbell, the Maryland OT that some thought was going first-round, was available in the 4th. And to top it off, the Raiders upgraded their QB situation by trading for displaced Redskins QB Jason Campbell. I don't think they're playoff ready, but they certainly took a few steps towards that goal in this draft.

2) San Francisco 49ers
The Niners gave Arizona a run for its money in the NFC West this year, and with this draft class, may very well be the favorite. With first-round offensive line picks Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, the running game will be even more of a problem for opposing defenses. I'm not quite sure if San Fran has addressed its receiver needs, but it's clear they want to pound the ball inside to win. The 49ers got USC standout Taylor Mays, who had a few words for his former coach, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Speaking of which...

Golden Tate, left, is now with the Seahawks. Photo courtesy the NY Times.

1) Seattle Seahawks
Hands down, the winner of the draft. Considering the Seahawks had a ton of needs, they did an outstanding job. The 'Hawks got a stud offensive tackle in Russell Okung to protect QB Matt Hasselbeck's blind side and safety Earl Thomas in the first round. Most would grade that well enough alone, but Seattle also got WR Golden Tate and upgraded their defensive front. Even Anthony McCoy, the USC TE who had off-field issues (tested positive for pot at the combine), could be a good pick given his college coach was Carroll. Then to top it off, they got RB's LenDale White, a former USC Trojan, and the Jets' Leon Washington. This team will be very interesting to watch in 2010.

As with any draft, there are always a few teams that, on paper, probably wish for a do-over. Some teams were hampered by trades that stripped picks (Chicago, Washington) while others just plain made some bad calls. Here are 3 teams that left me scratching my head:

3) Buffalo Bills
The Bills have lots of holes to fill, none more so than quarterback and offensive line. They waited until the 5th round to address the OL and the 7th round for QB. By that time, the premiere talent that can make a difference is gone and the QB they did pick up, Troy's Levi Brown is projected to be a backup at best. They did pick up some help on defense, but the fanbase has been disillusioned for some time and the Bills are often rumored as a team on the move to a different city. Stacking the backfield with C.J. Spiller, Marshawn Lynch, and Fred Jackson won't help make the team exciting like a solid quarterback would.

New Broncos QB Tim Tebow. Photo courtesy the Miami Herald.

2) Denver Broncos
This draft will go down as one of the Broncos' best...or absolute worst. They have some serious needs and this draft, at least on paper, didn't seem to address that much. First-round receiver Demaryius Thomas could be a star, but that's a few years off. Dez Bryant would have been a safer choice (drafted shortly after Thomas by Dallas), despite his off-field issues. I really like Tim Tebow, one of my favorite college players in recent memory, but I don't think he fits a need for Denver, nor do I think Denver fits him. He's third on the depth chart to start and considering the price it took to get him, Denver may regret the cost. Coach Josh McDaniels stresses high-character, but then goes and drafts CB Perrish Cox, who teams were skittish about drafting because of "character concerns". In short, it seems like the Broncos need a very clear direction for their team, and that's something a draft can't provide.

1) Jacksonville Jaguars
I generally don't vouch for the idea of grabbing players for the sake of selling tickets, but if there ever was an exception, Jacksonville is it. Jacksonville had the most TV blackouts last year because they didn't sell enough tickets for their home games. Like Buffalo, the fan base has been disinterested for some time and the player they draft with the 10th overall pick is Tyson Alualu? It's not that Alualu won't be a great player, but with that high of a pick, there's a certain amount of pressure and expectation involved. Plus, other higher-rated players were available and if the Jaguars wanted Alualu, they could have traded down and get more picks to fill places of need. Their defensive line needed help, but did it require four of the Jags' six picks when the linebacker, safety, and quarterback positions needed help?

And that wraps up the FTRS 2010 NFL Draft coverage. The meaningless preseason will be here before you know it.

Video: Kownacki Goes Superman

A crazy good baseball play by Fordham University's Brian Kownacki to lead Fordham's comeback against Iona. (video courtesy The Sporting Blog).

Creepy Tiger Nike Ad

Nike unveiled a new ad featuring Tiger Woods that features his deceased dad's voice, as if to question him over his illicit activities. Creepy or effective? (video courtesy CBS News)

FTRS Revamp Continues

Photo courtesy tutor2u.net.

Recently, I've been making some changes to the blog's look and links sections. Today, the links section is just about complete. I've expanded the links and broken them down by subject. For example, the well-known college football blog Everyday Should Be Saturday, or EDSBS, is in the College Sports Links section on the right. The baseball section is mostly done while the basketball, college, and football sections will be added to throughout the year.

Here are a few of the blogs that are on the blogroll as of today:
EDSBS
MLB Trade Rumors, the most widely-read baseball blog online
Beyond the Boxscore, a sabermetric baseball blog
TrueHoop, the most visited basketball blog on the net

Also today, the media links will be expanded while the columnists links will be removed. This is part of an effort to make FTRS a sports media hub and provide readers with the best content online.

As the site is tweaked, I'd appreciate any and all feedback.

Fantasy Baseball 2010

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. Photo courtesy PennLive.com/AP.

After a long absence, I've resumed doing fantasy baseball and this season, was lucky enough to do it with some family in an 8-team league. While I generally do my fantasy sports on ESPN, my cousins hosted the league on Yahoo and initially, I like it better than ESPN's. In ESPN's game, you're required to start five outfielders, whereas in Yahoo's you only start three. Considering only three play in the real games, drafting five starters seems unnecessary and makes what can already be a long draft even longer. My hitting seems to be pretty good, bu my pitching leaves a little to be desired.

My first pick (4th overall) was Philadelphia Phillies 2nd baseman Chase Utley. Utley usually hits 30 homers and 95 RBI, but what makes him so valuable is his consistency for a position that doesn't have much depth. My next pick was shortstop Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies, with much the same logic as the Utley pick (low position depth).

Photo courtesy BronxBaseballDaily.com

In the third round, I picked up my big masher, San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. A-Gon hit 40 homers last year in San Diego's Petco Park, notorious for being a park that favors pitchers (it helps that the ballpark is a block away from the beach, so the cool marine air stifles the baseball's trajectory.) The Padres as a team are terrible, and Gonzalez has been rumored to head to Boston, where his numbers would jump. So he's a good hitter in a bad ballpark on a bad team, with the chance to be in a more offensive park come trading time.

In the fourth round, I picked up my token Red Sox, catcher Victor Martinez. Not a bad catch considering position depth, but the guy ahead of me took the guy I was pulling for, Sox first/third baseman Kevin Youkilis. It wouldn't be the last time a moment like that happened in the draft. In the sixth round, I got my token Diamondback, ace pitcher Dan Haren. Quite the stud who goes under the radar because he pitches in Arizona.

Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez. Photo courtesy MassLive.com.

One of my quirks with my fantasy teams is that I try to get players in towns and cities where friends and family are from or teams our family roots for. This year, I have 1 Diamondback, 1 Red Sox, 1 Mariner, 2 Rangers, 2 Angels, 2 Dodgers and 1 Ray (pitcher James Shields who's from my hometown). I also carry a policy of no known steroid users (A-Rod, Papi) and no Yankees on my squad unless absolutely necessary. Suffice to say, I have no Bronx Bombers on my team this year.

Here's the hitters:
C Martinez - Red Sox
1B Gonzalez - Padres
2B Utley - Phillies
SS Tulowitzki - Rockies
3B Michael Young - Rangers
LF Adam Lind - Blue Jays
CF Shane Victorino - Phillies
RF Ichiro - Mariners
Util Kendry Morales - Angels
Util Hunter Pence - Astros
Bench Ian Stewart - Rockies
Bench Elvis Andrus - Rangers
Bench James Loney - Dodgers
Bench Colby Rasmus - Cardinals

Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren. Photo courtesy the Phoenix New Times.

Here's the pitchers:
SP Haren - Diamondbacks
SP Josh Johnson - Marlins
RP Andrew Bailey - A's
RP Brian Wilson - Giants
P Shields - Rays
P Jered Weaver - Angels
P John Danks - White Sox
P Hiroki Kuroda - Dodgers
P Huston Street - Rockies

One Duke to Rule Them All

Photo courtesy the NY Daily News.

It was already a wild NCAA Tournament. It lived up to its hype as March Madness. And it was a basket away from being a huge upset. Duke has won its fourth national title by beating the underdog Butler Bulldogs 61-59. For highlights, go here.

Photo courtesy the Bleacher Report.

Mr. McNabb Goes to Washington

Photo courtesy the NY Daily News.

Donovan McNabb has gone from one NFC East team to another, as the Philadelphia Eagles traded the face of the franchise to the Washington Redskins in a questionable move for both teams. The NFC East is the toughest division in football, home to the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Eagles, and Redskins. You need a great quarterback in this division, which Philly had in McNabb and Washington did not. Now, the two have essentially traded places in that regard as the Eagles will go with Kevin Kolb at QB.

For Philly, this is a step back with the potential for being a huge step forward, depending on the level of talent they get in the draft picks Washington sent them. The Eagles get a second-round pick (37th overall) and a conditional pick next year. Philly's season rides entirely on Kolb's shoulders now, and the fan base will not be forgiving should he struggle. The team has a lot of youth on the offensive side of the ball in receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and running back LeSean McCoy. As much as I think Philly shouldn't have traded McNabb, Philly did at least have the class to make an accommodating trade that fit his wishes. Most players don't deserve that type of accommodation, but since McNabb has played in an Eagle uniform for eleven years, he is an exception. The other destinations McNabb could have headed, Buffalo and Oakland, are not nearly as appealing to a quarterback as DC is.

New Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. Photo courtesy the Bleacher Report.

For Washington, this deal hinges on McNabb's play, or the naysayers will say the price was too high, given the draft picks given up. McNabb will have lots of help at running back with Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker. His receivers are mostly young, but he has Santana Moss as his #1. On the downside, the trend with Redskins ownership has been to spend like a drunk in free agency and trade/give up draft picks and this trade continues that trend. Most great teams become great teams through the draft, just ask New England and Indianapolis. Plus, McNabb is a free agent after this upcoming season, so it could become a "rent-a-player" situation.

The unmentioned winner in this deal: the NFL. One of the league's historic franchises suddenly becomes TV-worthy and one of the biggest rivalries, Washington-Dallas, becomes noteworthy again. Meanwhile, the Eagles should remain competitive and Dallas and NY Giants fans everywhere start to sweat a little.

EDIT (1:48 PT): Had to reformat some photos, so if you're seeing this post twice, my apologies.

West Virginia's Tearful Final Four Trip

The Final Four wittled down to two over the weekend, setting the stage for a David vs. Goliath battle between the powerhouse Duke Blue Devils and the hometown Butler Bulldogs. The Bulldogs dispatched banged-up Michigan State 52-50 in their hometown of Indianapolis.

But the heart-breaking moment happened in the West Virginia-Duke game. West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler, a four-year senior, tore his ACL while driving to the basket, trying to get the Mountaineers back into the game, down 63-48. What followed can't be said as anything but sad and touching (video courtesy CBS)...



While the Mountaineers went on to lose the game, West Virginia showed teamwork at its finest, helping its best player off the court. Butler's NBA career is in serious jeopardy and could have been a first-round talent, but now, it's anyone's guess if or where he'll go in June's NBA Draft. For Bob Huggins' (West Virginia coach) part, he has a reputation for being a crusty type but his players' biggest supporter, so his display of affection on the court is very out-of-character for Huggins compared to how he usually is on the sideline. Anyway you slice it, it was the saddest moment in the tourney.

NBA East: Quick Dropoff

Photo courtesy ESPN.

On Wednesday, I covered the NBA Western Conference playoff teams here. Today it's the Eastern Conference teams.

The unfortunate reality of the Eastern Conference the last few seasons has been the shallow pool of legitimate playoff contenders compared to the Western Conference. In the last few seasons, the sixth through eighth seeds of the East were .500 or below, meaning only half their games were won...or worse. By comparison, for a Western team to make the playoffs, a record over .600 is effectively required.

Photo courtesy the Orlando Sentinel.

The top dogs in the East continue to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and the Boston Celtics. The Cavs have little room for error this postseason, given the pending contract expiration of superstar LeBron James, the overall expectations in Cleveland, and the level of talent around LeBron. Simply put, anything less than a championship for Cleveland is a disappointment. The Magic went to the Finals last year and may be even better this year. They've beaten some impressive teams recently, including Denver and Dallas. Ditto with the Hawks, who smashed the Lakers on Wednesday and beat Orlando last week. The Celtics have hobbled along recently, with critical losses to San Antonio, Utah, and Oklahoma City. The C's flat out look terrible right now, especially after getting booed off their home floor against the Spurs. The age of the Celtics, one of the oldest teams in the league, is catching up to them at the worst possible time.

But after these four teams, there's a significant dropoff in caliber of playoff teams. The Milwaukee Bucks are inconsistent, beating the likes of Boston, Utah, and Denver recently, but losing to Cleveland and squeaking out a win against Atlanta. Right behind the Bucks are the Miami Heat and Charlotte Bobcats, other inconsistent clubs. All of these teams play terribly on the road, which will be a huge factor come playoff time when they don't have home-court advantage. Of these clubs, expect the Heat to make a run for Milwaukee's hold on the fifth seed, since they have the easiest schedule remaining of the three and have the best road record of the three.

Photo courtesy the Toronto Star.

And then there's the Toronto Raptors, the very definition this season of mediocre. A .500 record, 5-5 in their last ten games, and a terrible road record to top it off. The scary part for the Raptors is that they have some tough games ahead and they have the Chicago Bulls hot on their heels. The same Bulls who in early March had a 10-game losing streak and have a losing record. An ugly sight at the bottom of the Eastern playoff picture.

So what makes the Eastern Conference so much weaker than the West? For starters, marquee teams like the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and the Philadelphia 76ers are all having down years. (Or in NY's case, a down decade). Second, much of the player movement has been within the East (teams feeding off each other) or moved out West. Many of the Eastern teams have young talent, but are missing a few pieces to be legitimate title contenders. This summer's free agent class is unusually strong and a lot of the rumors involve East superstars swapping teams, so it could lead to more of the same. For example, should Dwyane Wade leave Miami for Chicago or some other East city, it'll help the Bulls or whoever gets Wade while hurting the Heat, effectively swapping fortunes.

SportsNation - Sports TV at its Funniest

Photo courtesy the NY Daily News.

Due to some unexpected things I needed to attend to today, I'm going to delay the NBA East post to tomorrow. In the meantime, here's the post I intended for Friday...

SportsNation on ESPN is one of my favorite sports shows and websites. It tracks the mood of the dedicated sports fans (especially in regards to the Favre debacle) and shows clips of the funnier side of sports. Here's one of my favorite SportsNation moments:



And the infamous Gunslingers mock ad, ripping the Brett Favre Wranglers jeans ads...