Five things to know that make the Camellia Bowl more interesting

Posted: December 17, 2016 in College football
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I know, I know.  “There’s too many bowls.” I hear this all the time. I, for one like the bowl games and will share some reasons to maybe change your mind enough to tune into the Camellia Bowl (Appalachian State Mountaineers vs Toledo Rockets).

  1. Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside led the FBS with 43 touchdown passes! How will he fare when he looks across the field at Phil Steele’s #10 ranked pass efficiency defense that only allowed 10 td’s while intercepting 19 passes?
  2. Toledo set a school record averaging 530 yards per game. While Appalachian State allowed non conference opponents to gain 420 yards per game, they did hold Tennessee to just 4.4 yards per play.
  3. Appalachian State runs the option offense that averages 247 (5.6) rush yards per game and Toledo allows 166 (4.7) rush yards per game.
  4. Toledo tight end Michael Roberts was named 1st Team Mid American Conference and the best tight end the Mountaineers faced this year was 3rd Team Sun Belt Buck Cowan from Idaho and he finished with 10 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.
  5. This is likely going to end up as a high scoring affair so if points is your thing, you will be entertained.

Five things to know that make the Cure Bowl more interesting

Posted: December 17, 2016 in College football
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I know, I know.  “There’s too many bowls.” I hear this all the time. I, for one like the bowl games and will share some reasons to maybe change your mind enough to tune into the Cure Bowl (Arkansas State Red Wolves vs UCF Knights).

  1. This game is being played in UCF’s former home venue
  2. UCF is the lone team to go from winless to a bowl the next year since 2002 (and this is the 2nd time they’ve done so in that span)!
  3. Arkansas State has the Sun Belt Player of the Year in defensive end Ja’Von Rolland-Jones (conferences career leader in sacks).
  4. A big special teams play is bound to happen as UCF has Phil Steele’s #23 ranked unit, while Arkansas State rates just #70.
  5. If you prefer defense, points in this game will likely be scarce.

Five things to know that make the Las Vegas Bowl more interesting

Posted: December 17, 2016 in College football
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I know, I know.  “There’s too many bowls.” I hear this all the time. I, for one like the bowl games and will share some reasons to maybe change your mind enough to tune into the Las Vegas Bowl (Houston Cougars vs San Diego State Aztecs).

  1. The all time FBS rushing record is in jeopardy! San Diego State’s Donnel “DJ” Pumphrey is just 108 yards away from breaking the current record of 6,397 held by Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne.
  2. Houston head coach Tom Herman has moved on to Texas and this will be Major Applewhite’s 1st game as a head coach.
  3. Houston is +84 yards per game against bowl teams, while San Diego State is -16 yards per game against bowl teams.
  4. Houston quarterback Greg Ward was a Heisman Trophy candidate entering the season and while he’s been banged up, he still completed 68% of his passes with a 22-9 ratio. San Diego State counters with a pass defense that led the nation with 20 interceptions.
  5. San Diego State features the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year (Pumphrey, also won last year), Defensive Player of the Year (cornerback Damontae Kazee, also won last year), and Special Teams Player of the Year (Rashaad Penny).

Five things to know that make the New Mexico Bowl more interesting

Posted: December 17, 2016 in College football
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I know, I know.  “There’s too many bowls.” I hear this all the time. I, for one like the bowl games and will share some reasons to maybe change your mind enough to tune into the New Mexico Bowl (UTSA Roadrunners vs New Mexico Lobos).

  1. Witness history! This is UTSA’s 1st ever bowl game. New Mexico is actually playing in its home venue.
  2. New Mexico has the #1 rushing offense in the FBS averaging 361 (6.8) yards per game. UTSA counters with a rush defense that has improved as the season progressed. In their last 7 games, the Roadrunners held their opponents to an average of 48 rush yards per game and 1.1 yards per carry less than their foes season average.
  3. UTSA quarterbacks have a 24-7 touchdown to interception ratio and New Mexico counters with Phil Steele’s #117 ranked pass efficiency defense (allowed 22-7 ratio).
  4. New Mexico has covered 5 of its last 7 games against the Vegas line, while UTSA is 4-2-1 against the spread as an underdog. (New Mexico is favored by 9.5 points).
  5. If you like high scoring affairs, tune in as there figures to a lot of points scored in this one.

Spence vs Bundu: A mismatch inside the ring, but significant outside the ring

Posted: August 16, 2016 in Boxing
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There certainly won’t be any drama when undefeated Ring Magazine No. 7 rated welterweight Errol “The Truth” Spence takes on 41 year old Leonard Bundu this Sunday night from the Ford Amphitheater in Coney Island, NY. The bout will be shown nationally on NBC after the closing Olympic ceremonies. Spence is a huge 100-1 favorite that has knocked out 17 of his 20 opponents, including seven straight.
The significance of this fight has nothing to do with the fight itself, but with details outside the squared circle. That’s where things get interesting as there will be an important question that should be closer to being answered. Will a Top Rank promoted fighter be matched with an Al Haymon managed fighter? That hasn’t happened yet, which has kept some promising fights from happening.

When Spence, who is managed by Haymon, wins on Sunday, he will be the mandatory challenger for IBF Welterweight champion Kell Brook. While Brook hasn’t vacated his title as of yet, he has moved up to middleweight to fight GGG on Sept 10th. It’s not impossible that Brook will move back to welterweight after his fight, but it’s highly unlikely given his struggle to make the 147 pound limit. At the 30 day out weigh in, Brook tipped the scales at 176 pounds, further implying his permanent move up in weight.

What this all means is that Brook is going to end up vacating his title, which would result in Spence having to face another fighter for the vacant strap. When looking over the IBF welterweight rankings, the fighter ranked just below Spence is Konstantin Ponomarev, who just so happens to be promoted by Top Rank, and who would be the most logical matchup to fill the IBF’s vacancy. There’s no excuse for those two not to be matched up as Ponomarv last fought on April 9th and doesn’t have another fight scheduled.

If those two don’t get matched together next, that will further show that Bob Arum (CEO of Top Rank) and Haymon still cannot co-exhist enough to put some great matches on for the public.

I’d put my money on that fight not happening and instead would be willing to bet that Spence takes on Haymon managed, Lamont Peterson, who is ranked No. 5 by the IBF. Peterson also is available as he hasn’t fought since last October and there wouldn’t be a conflict between manager and promoter. Let’s all hope I’m wrong and that the feud between these two boxing power brokers can finally end.

Watch “Leo Santa Cruz vs. Carl Frampton: Recap | SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING” on YouTube

Posted: July 31, 2016 in Uncategorized
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It’s Showtime for Cleveland’s Nieves

Posted: June 30, 2016 in Boxing
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(photo: George Jimenez/ GeoImagez)

(photo: George Jimenez/ GeoImagez)

Newly crowned WBO NABO bantamweight champion Antonio “Carita” Nieves (16-0-1, 10 KO’s) will return to the ring on Friday, August 19th when he takes on the also undefeated, Nikolay Potapov (14-0-1, 6 KO’s) from Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, New York in a 10-round bantamweight bout.

The co-featured match is part of a tripleheader that will be live on Showtime as part of their “ShoBox: The New Generation” series that focuses on up-and-coming prospects in the boxing game.

Nieves is coming off his first 10 round bout, a unanimous decision over then once-beaten Oscar Mojica on June 18th in Washington, Pa., when he won the WBO NABO crown.

Potapov is coming off a 10 round majority draw against Stefon Young on April 15 that was also televised by Showtime for their “ShoBox” series.

Ironically, the only blemish on Nieves’ record is the draw that he also had with the aforementioned and fellow undefeated Young last June.

On paper this appears to be Nieves’ toughest fight. Potapov was a former amateur standout in Russia with over 200 wins and is ranked in the top 15 by the WBO (No. 7), IBF (No. 13), & WBA (No. 14). He’s also already had seven bouts that have gone ten rounds including one which went 12.

The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and tickets go on sale this Friday at Noon ET at www.rhinosoccer.com and www.etix.com.

Who should Keith Thurman fight next?

Posted: June 27, 2016 in Boxing
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Keith Thurman defeated Shawn Porter by a unanimous decision this past Saturday in a fight that will be a candidate for Fight of the Year. If Porter would have won one more round, the fight would have been declared draw. There are plenty of options on the table for Thurman, including a possible rematch.

Buckeyes lose another underclassmen

Posted: May 14, 2016 in Buckeyes
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Instead of continuing to compete for one of three open offensive line positions for the 2016 season, redshirt freshman Grant Schmidt has decided to transfer from The Ohio State University. The 6’6’’ 300 pound Schmidt was a First Team All-South Dakota choice as a high school senior. He was the 50th best offensive lineman in the nation in the 2015 recruiting class according to Phil Steele.

Schmidt graduated early and enrolled at Ohio State last January to get a head start in his college career. After redshirting last season, I thought he would have a great opportunity to get playing time this year, likely at one of the tackle spots.

Junior Jamarco Jones and sophomore Isaiah Prince are the leading candidates to start the season at left and right tackle, respectively, following the graduation of Taylor Decker and Chase Farris. Schmidt was competing with sophomore Kyle Trout along with fellow redshirt freshman Branden Bown and Kevin Feder for backup spots this spring.

When practice picks up again in late summer, I expect Juco transfer Malcolm Pridgeon to join the competition at tackle.

 

Cleveland Browns release a Wide Receiver and a Linebacker

Posted: May 3, 2016 in Browns
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The Cleveland Browns have terminated the contract of LB….http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Browns-release-two-players/37d777d8-d2b6-43ec-8ede-64ff8cc32d22

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