My UEFA Euro 2012 Predictions

Yes, I am actually going to put my predictions for this here. How many of you know what I'm talking about, I don't know, but this should still be interesting considering I correctly picked the winner of the 2010 World Cup.

Group A: 1) Russia 7 pts 2) Greece 5 pts 3) Czech Republic 4 pts 4) Poland 1 pt
Group B: 1) Netherlands 9 pts 2) Germany 6 pts 3) Portugal 3 pts. 4) Denmark 0 pts.
Group C: 1) Spain 7 pts. 2) Croatia 7 pts. 2) Italy 3 pts. 4) Ireland 0 pts.
Group D: 1) France 5 pts. 2) England 5 pts. 3) Sweden 5 pts. 4) Ukraine 0 pts.

Knockout Phases:

Russia (Group A Winner) vs. Germany (Group B #2): Germany.
Spain (Group C Winner) vs. England (Group D #2): Spain.
Netherlands (Group B Winner) vs. Greece (Group A #2): Netherlands
France (Group D Winner) vs. Croatia (Group C #2): Croatia

Semifinal 1: Germany vs. Spain (Sound familiar?): Germany
Semifinal 2: Netherlands vs. Croatia: Netherlands

UEFA Euro 2012 Final: Netherlands vs. Germany: Netherlands

Blue Moon Rising... Over American Sportswriters

Twitter was abuzz this Sunday morning of what Manchester City did to win the Barclays Premier League title. It was nothing short of astounding watching unbridled disappointment and pain turn to joy and elation at the flick of a switch. It was the end of a 44 year wait for the Noisy Neighbors of Manchester. Everyone was in on it, from the soccer diehards, to those who have never heard of Roberto Mancini before. But, the overall prevailing sentiment was to compare this amazing feat to one in American sports. And here is a word to the wise: Just stop it.

European soccer is so vastly different from anything in American sports, that there is no real comparison. If you want a soft one, the final day of the 2011 MLB season is the only thing that even remotely comes close, and that was just to get into the postseason, not to win the title. Add in the team that City was playing, especially because they were fighting relegation, and you get the perfect recipe. Relegation doesn't exist in American sports, and one cannot fully understand what it means in sports, and business terms, unless you've experienced it. The fact that the 2 teams fighting for the title were from the same city made the story all the more interesting, especially considering how we got there.

Anyone can make up hypotheticals of a scenario that might compare to what happened at the Etihad Stadium, but nothing comes close to matching that kind of switch of emotion, and what the title means to Manchester City. Soccer is the only sport where that kind of ending is possible, even though each sport in the US has its own crazy ending to bring you to, soccer has the drama, pageantry, and all else that the endings of these American sports truly don't have.

Maybe it's because most Americans are xenophobic about soccer invading the land of pigskin and Louisville Slugger, but don't be. It's not worth it. It doesn't matter what sport it is, the drama and the ending should be what compels people to watch, and it's what brings them back. Comparing this ending to an American sport is almost untenable to think about, because I can't even think of a funny backwards comparison to make here. "Americanizing" soccer is not what should be done here.

Let soccer have its place in the sun, because warping it for the untrained audience is not what should happen. It takes away from the truly magical moment. That will be the talk of Europe, and the fanatical American soccer community for a long time, even if the public talk is only for a little bit while we wonder about the Lakers escape from first round oblivion.

Nothing compares. Don't try to compare it. Let the moment speak for itself.

My 2012 Stanley Cup Playoff Picks

Here are my full picks for the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

ECQF:

NYR over OTT in 5
BOS over WSH in 6
NJ over FLA in 6
PIT over PHI in 7

ECSF:

NJ over NYR in 6
PIT over BOS in 6

ECF:

PIT over NJ in 5

WCQF:

VAN over LA in 5
STL over SJ in 7
CHI over PHX in 6
NSH over DET in 6

WCSF:

VAN over CHI in 6
NSH over STL in 6

WCF:

VAN over NSH in 6

2012 Stanley Cup Finals: PIT over VAN in 6

2012 NHL Conference Quarterfinals Previews

The wonderful time of the year is upon us now. The Stanley Cup playoffs are about to begin. Which means for me, it's only fitting that I preview the 8 quarterfinals series that will get the party started. Without further delay:

Eastern Conference:

1 New York Rangers vs. 8 Ottawa Senators

The Rangers rise from 8th in the East last season to 1st this season can be ascribed to many factors, the least of which is Henrik Lundqvist's amazing goaltending. The Rangers also score more than they used to, but they still aren't a potent offensive force. But still, Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and others should be able to score enough to give Henrik some breathing room. Ottawa is playing with house money in this series, but their overall lack of playoff experience besides the big guns in Alfredsson and Spezza will be problematic here. They are a very young team that has yet to deal with the real big lights, and the Rangers are fully ready for them. Ottawa is simply outmatched in this series.

Pick: Rangers in 5

2 Boston Bruins vs. 7 Washington Capitals

These Bruins are very good, but I'd wager to say they are not better than last year's cup winners. Tim Thomas has had his fair share of struggles this season, and they have been downright bad at points this season. Their opposites in Washington have failed to live up to the sky high expectations of their offseason spending spree, but that may take most of the pressure off of them. This team is still good enough to win the Cup, despite all of the issues during the regular season. The major issue for the Caps is in net, where Braden Holtby figures to get the bulk of the starts with their top 2 tenders on the shelf. He played in big games for Hershey of the AHL, but this series will be very different. Washington is playing very good hockey coming into this series, but the Bruins have too much to lose this early on in the dance.

Pick: Bruins in 6

3 Florida Panthers vs. 6 New Jersey Devils

The ultimate example of a team playing with house money is the Florida Panthers. Many expected this team to finish dead last in the East, leave alone win the Southeast. They are huge underdogs to a red-hot Devils team that has won 6 in a row coming into the postseason. The Devils seem to have the advantage in every phase of the game (just), but don't forget the Panthers have players that have won the Cup before, so they know what they are doing to coach up the young guys. The major issue for Florida is scoring, and since the Devils have a good D to match up with an inconsistent scoring base, the Devils should persevere here, but if the Panthers win, it won't be shocking.

Pick: Devils in 6

4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5 Philadelphia Flyers

This series figures to be the most entertaining of the lot in the quarterfinals. In-state rivals who hate each other and would do anything to knock each other out of the postseason. Both teams are incomplete coming into the series, with the Pens dealing with Marc-Andre Fleury's tending problems of late, and the Flyers are pretty banged up. The big question for them is not on offense, but back in net (as usual), where it could be Sergei Bobrovsky's series or possibly Mr. Universe's series. One thing to note is that Ilya Bryzgalov has had his fair share of playoff struggles stemming from the last 2 campaigns in Phoenix, where he never got on the right track. The Penguins are mostly healthy up front, and that will help big time against the very physical Flyers. The Penguins will just eek out this series win, but it could set them up for a long run.

Pick: Penguins in 7

Western Conference:

1 Vancouver Canucks vs. 8 LA Kings

The Canucks pretty quietly put together another very solid campaign which netted them another President's Trophy. They are so deep, even despite the injury issues. They may actually be deeper than last season with the additions of David Booth and Zack Kassian. LA is dealing with injuries, and a ton of weight on their shoulders for being an 8 seed. With all of their offensive players, you'd think they'd score more than they do, but of course not. The Sutter philosophy of defense puts the Kings on their heels and reliant on John Quick to retain his Vezina form. The Canucks are much better than that, despite not having Daniel Sedin for part of the series.

Pick: Canucks in 5

2 St. Louis Blues vs. 7 San Jose Sharks

The Blues orchestrated an amazing turn-around from last season, and even some ways into the season before Ken Hitchcock came along. He turned this team from an afterthought into a President's Trophy contender for most of the season. They have great depth along the roster, and are very solid in net, despite the injury issues for Brian Elliott. Not having him could become a problem for the Blues, who easily could have pulled tending switches easy without having major repercussions. The Sharks underachieved, but they still have most of the talent from last year's Western Conference Finals run in tow, which should win them one or two games in the series. Antti Niemi is the key for the Sharks in the series. If he plays well, the Sharks could pull the upset. If not, the Blues could walk. It will be a tough series, but the Blues should be able to eek it out.

Pick: Blues in 7

3 Phoenix Coyotes vs 6 Chicago Blackhawks

They aren't playing with house money in the same way that Florida is, but they are underdogs to the Hawks here. They would love to get past the 1st round hump that has blocked them for the last 2 seasons, but Chicago will make it tough. Not having their captain Jonathan Toews hurts, but he could return during the series, which will be a big boost. Phoenix will need to test Corey Crawford often in order to have a chance to win the series, and I'm not sure they have enough weapons on offense to do that. It will be a tough series to win for either team, but I think Chicago has more talent and experience to pull this out.

Pick: Hawks in 6

4 Nashville Predators vs. 5 Detroit Red Wings

Aside from FLA/NJ (I'm a Panthers fan), this is the series I am most interested in. I've always wanted to see the Predators take the next step, and this finally may be their time to do it. They have more scoring depth than ever, they have a lockdown defense corps, and also they have a Vezina candidate in net. So why could this be a bit of a minefield for them? The Wings are still very good. They have had their struggles in the latter portion of the season, but they are still the Wings, and they haven't exited the postseason in the first round since the 2006 Playoffs. But, I still think Nashville is going all in this season this year, and they are a better team than Detroit is this season, so they get the nod.

Pick: Nashville in 6

My 2012 MLB Season Predictions

Last year didn't go so well for me with these predictions, so here's hoping I don't screw this up again.

AL East: 1) NYY 2) TB 3) TOR 4) BOS 5) BAL
AL Central: 1) DET 2) KC 3) CLE 4) MIN 5) CHW
AL West: 1) TEX 2) ANA 3) OAK 4) SEA
NL East: 1) PHI 2) WSH 3) ATL 4) FLA (MIA- Force of habit) 5) NYM
NL Central: 1) STL 2) MIL 3) CIN 4) CHC 5) PIT 6) HOU
NL West: 1) SF 2) ARZ 3) COL 4) LA 5) SD

NL Postseason:

NL Wild Card Game: 4) MIL over 5) WSH
NLDS: 1) PHI over 4) MIL in 4, 3) SF over 2) STL in 5
NLCS: 3) SF over 1) PHI in 6
AL Postseason:

AL Wild Card Game: 4) LAA over 5) TB
ALDS: 4) LAA over 1) TEX in 5, 2) DET over 3) NYY in 4
ALCS: 2) DET over 4) LAA in 6

2012 World Series: DET over SF in 5.

Award Winners:

NL MVP: Ryan Zimmerman
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum
Manager: Davey Johnson
Rookie: Drew Pomeranz
Comeback: Adam Wainwright
HR Champ: Mike (Giancarlo) Stanton

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera
AL Cy Young: Jered Weaver
Manager: Joe Maddon
Rookie: Matt Moore
Comeback: Joe Nathan
HR Champ: Jose Bautista

Did You See That: Sports Resorts

If you didn't see this bit of news, Spanish football giant Real Madrid plans to build a $1 billion resort in the Persian Gulf just off the coast of the UAE. This resort will include a club museum, a marina shaped like the club's logo, an amusement park, and a stadium with one end open to the sea. What you might not know, is that other teams have decided to do the same thing. Here is the inside scoop on those resorts, with stuff you may not have seen across the ESPN news banner.

Chicago Cubs: This new resort will have a museum dedicated to the 104 years of sports history since they won the World Series, and they also have a dedicated room in the museum just for a Steve Bartman punching bag.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The "Don Cherry Memorial Room" is a special exhibit dedicated to the best Ontarians to ever play for the Leafs housed inside the Leafs history museum, and they also have a large countdown clock to the NHL Entry Draft Lottery outside. Also, Hockey Night in Canada plans to air the grand opening ceremony, which the other 29 teams in the NHL are not happy about...

Los Angeles Clippers: Hey wait, it's just an empty plot of scorched earth...

New York Jets: Tim Tebow World, Coming Soon!

Denver Broncos: Resort staff are trying desperately to fix the pool in the shape of the number 15 to 18 before the grand opening, but Kyle Orton is too busy swimming in the pool, which may be filled with tears...

Vancouver Canucks: Entry to the resort is free, provided you bring a riot shield and you don't mention the number 7.

Cleveland Indians: The featured attraction is a dunk tank with Jose Mesa, and also you can send out a swarm of bugs at a manikin of Joba Chamberlain in another exhibit.

Oklahoma City Thunder: The official coffee of the resort is Starbucks, and Seattle fans have protested in response, wondering what else Oklahoma City will steal from the Emerald City. Turns out, Clay Bennett was setting up a Mariners resort next door...

Miami Dolphins: It only costs 5 dollars to stare at a burning dumpster fire for 30 minutes.

University of Florida: Tim Tebow World, now with a new "how to Tebow" exhibit. You could also talk to Billy Donovan about the Gators basketball team, but funny how he cringes around the number 8...

Blackburn Rovers:  "Fire Steve Kean" banners only cost 3 pounds, with the pitchfork and torch costing extra.

What's Journalism Anyway?

We've entered a new era in terms of reporting and journalism. It used to be you'd have to wait until the morning after something happened to see it in your local sports section. We now have the ability to know of news the second it happens, and have everyone in the world comment on it, instantly. And, it also means any clown with a computer can write something and have it be taken seriously (wink, wink). So we now come upon the masterclass in terms of goof with a computer writing crap and have it being taken seriously: Mike Florio.

Florio writes for a blog called ProFootballTalk if you didn't know, and he's made appearances on NBC's football related shows talking about the news of the minute. He was under the radar until NBC bought out the website and brought it under their sports umbrella. Once that happened, he and his site became go to's for where to get the latest news and analysis on the NFL. Whether that should have happened or not is up to your judgment, but anyway. With that new found fame, he can write almost anything and think he's immune to criticism. Well, that's stopping now.

Florio has a grudge against the Jacksonville Jaguars. For what reason, I couldn't tell you. He makes it known very clearly in everything he writes about them. Whether it's calling the Jaguars a joke for their personnel moves, that they are stupid for not getting Tim Tebow, or they are moving to LA within the first 15 seconds of publishing, he loves to rant and rave about how much they suck. But, that shouldn't take away from the fact that even bloggers should have some journalistic integrity. Some people who have that power still have to learn that.

For example, in a piece written about the Jaguars and Tebow before Tebow moved to the Jets, Florio slipped in a reference to how GM Gene Smith could be fired after the draft. This was tightly slipped into the piece, with the addendum, "He may be leaving after the draft, but that's a rumor to be mongered later". Now, there are so many things that are wrong with this statement that I could rant and rave about it for another 2 whole posts, but that's not the point. Why would you slip something in like this that has no basis in fact and is just a rumor mongered by Florio to rack up hits? The lack of integrity in this is astounding, and it makes no sense even when you consider Florio has a grudge. But then of course, it has to get better.

After Tebow was traded to the Jets, Florio wrote a 10-pack on the move. 9 of them were about the Jets, and the very last one was about the Jaguars. He wrote the same tripe he had been about the Jaguars and Tebow since the start of the 2009 regular season, just recycled and thrown in another piece. He assumes it will end with Tebow in Jacksonville, not taking into account that the Jaguars could actually win in that time frame. And, if the Jets are so enamored with him, why would they trade him now? It makes no sense when you even take a cursory glance at it, let alone when you actually use your brain and think.

As a Jaguars fan, I do take offense to some of the things that Florio has written. I guess because the Jaguars are for sure not moving, Florio has to satisfy his "annoy the 2 Jaguars fans there are" quota by mongering stuff about Tebow. But, this should offend everyone. He could do this to your team next, and it is just not fair. Everyone who has a large platform to write and spread their thoughts has to be mindful of what they say and who they are saying it to, because you never know who is going to believe the stuff that is wrong.

This isn't true journalism, this isn't even the muddled form of journalism that we have today. This is rumor mongering at its finest, and he's no better than Incarcerated Bob or Eklund (if you don't know who they are, look them up). It's not fair to anyone, and it surely isn't fair to the people that are being insulted and lied to. It makes no sense how one NBC blog, ProHockeyTalk, is one of the best on the web, while their football counterpart is the diametric opposite.

Look before you leap, my fair readers. Because you one day, could land in the lap of someone who doesn't want you to know the truth.