Tag Archives: playoffs

Big Blue Choking Crew

This season has been a rough one for Giants fans across the country, myself included. The New York Giants just can’t seem to string together a few wins. Before winning last night against the Miami Dolphins, the Giants had dropped 3 straight games. In fact yesterday was the first time the Giants hadn’t choked in 3 games, something that has been all too common this season. In the 3 games leading up to the Dolphins game, the Giants have led going into the 4th quarter in 2 of the 3 games. The Giants were leading 23-17 going against the Patriots and 20-10 against the Jets going into the 4th quarter, yet they still managed to lose both games. In the Redskins game, the Giants managed to make a mini comeback in the 4th quarter just to fall short. The Giants just haven’t been able to finish games, whether it be against the Cowboys, Saints, Patriots, Jets, Redskins, and Falcons. These are six games in which the Giants could and should have one. In fact if it weren’t for this constant inability to finish games, the Giants would be 11-1. A great example of choking is when they lost to the Cowboys in week 1, big blue allowed the Cowboys to score 2 touchdowns in the last quarter. One of which came in the last minute and a half, a situation where the Cowboys didn’t even have any timeouts. The Giants chances at the playoffs are becoming thinner week by week, and this team can only be remembered as what could have been.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015091312/2015/REG1/giants@cowboys#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000530271&tab=recap

This season has been as painstaking as it can get for a Giants fan. I’ve felt the pain of watching this promising Giants team come up short every week. This team really could have been good. As I stated in the paragraph above, if the Giants weren’t so prone to choking then they could potentially be 11-1 instead of 6-7. Every week I watch the Giants blow a lead in the 4th quarter. In a very bad NFC East, the Giants should be leading by a landslide,  yet somehow their on the brink of missing out on the playoffs. Each week the Giants manage to mess up in the 4th quarter and inch farther and farther away from the playoffs. It is frustrating to just see a team that should be locked in for the playoffs, slowly fade out of the playoff picture. The Giants chances at the playoffs are looking bleak, breaking the hearts of every Giants fan in the country. As of the current NFC East standings, the Giants are technically in a 3 way tie for first with the Eagles and Redskins. But when you look at the 3 teams final 3 games, you realize that the Giants probably won’t make it in. The Eagles have a decent schedule, playing the Cardinals, Redskins, and Giants. The Redskins have an easy schedule, playing the Bills, Eagles, and then Cowboys. And then your stuck with the Giants who have to play the Panthers, Vikings, and Eagles in their last 3 games. Unless the Giants can pull off a miracle and win all three of these games, their playoff chances may as well be gone. As a Giants fan myself, I’ve withered through the pain of this mediocre team and now realize that they’re not going to make the playoffs. It’s time to give up on this Big Blue Choking Crew and throw in the towel. We can only hope for next season.

~Jeffrey

The NBA

The NBA which stands for National Basketball Association brings tons of excitement and joy to millions across the globe. Not only is the NBA a dream for kids all across the nation but a reality for tons of highly skilled athletes. For example, you may know the names Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, or Kevin Durant. All these people are highly known and respected for their level of talent on the basketball court. The NBA not only brings you a fun thing to watch on TV but also gear that the best athletes wear. You can go out and buy the new Andrew Wiggins jersey or even a legend jersey’s like Michael Jordan’s jersey. Like I said before, the NBA also allows many young children to have a dream of being a professional basketball player. The NBA has been very successful ever since it started on June 6th, 1946. It seems like every year it  is getting a little bit more interesting and enjoyable. The NBA continues to grow over the years and more and more highly skilled players are joining the league each year, With the additions of Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker this year, the 2015 season is shaping up to be a very good one. The NBA brings so much excitement and enjoyable plays to keep us occupied while watching the games. The NBA is one of the best basketball association’s there is and will always be one.

I love the NBA. The high-actioned games and plays are one of the best things to watch on television. With the addition of new players every year, the league is growing and will continue to grow. I personally like a lot of NBA players such as Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. I love getting the new gear each year and especially finding some of these all-stars rookie cards is also a great thing to do. The NBA has a very long season, 82 games to be exact, but each and every game is worth watching and they continue to get better as the season goes on. The NBA playoffs are one of the best playoffs in all of sports. Every playoff game is filled with tons of drama and disappointment. Of course seeing your favorite team lose is heart wrenching but it is worth it. The NBA certainly brings ton of excitement and drama to me and I personally love that. The NBA will always be a legendary league.

~Matt

Are the Patriots Chances of Making the Super Bowl Ruined?

Last Sunday, Rob Gronkowski, the New England Patriots star tight end was hit hard after a passing play. When the medical golf cart came to pick him up and drive him off the field, it was reported that he was swearing from the pain. The Browns defenders went over to Gronkowski before he was driven off to say sorry that he had to get hurt. This act is rarely done and for opposing team members to do that, you know the injury is bad. After the game, Gronkowski’s results were released. They said that he had torn an anterior cruciate ligament and would miss the rest of the season.

I am a big Patriots fan. I’ve went to a game before and I watch every game on TV. When Rob Gronkowski first joined the team, it was clear that he wasn’t like the other players. He was strong, fast and had a mentality that when he caught the ball, not even a tank could knock him over. So when I saw him get hammered by the Browns safety and not get up, it was obvious something was wrong. On all the other plays, he’ll have 2 or 3 guys on his back and he finally goes down but pops right back up but on this play he stayed on the ground. I thought,” There goes our Super Bowl chances. Then the golf cart came out to pick him up and when that cart comes out to pick up a player, it’s usually their last time coming off of the field in the season.

~Ben

NBA Lockout to Blame for Late Season Injuries?

Torn ACLs and broken bones. Are these injuries occurring because of overworked bodies? Well, in case you didn’t know, this NBA season was cut to 66 games because of a lockout similar to the one the NFL had. Basically, it was an argument between the NBA Players and Owners over money. They finally agreed on a deal that would decrease the players’ salaries up to 300 million dollars. This decision also led to the teams playing 66 games in 4 months. Was this too many games in too few days?

Recently, there have been many injuries to key players. The worst one so far happened just a short time ago when Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls tore his left ACL in the final minutes of a playoff game on April 28th. Other notable injuries were Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks also tearing his ACL on the same day as Rose, and the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard having season-ending back surgery in late April. All three of these players are crucial to the success of their teams. These injuries are not just happening to the older players either. Rose and Shumpert are both in their early twenties at ages 23 and 21. Howard is just a few years older at 26. So, are these injuries occurring because of the lockout? I guess we’ll never know, but it could very well be the reason.

~Tim Fiedler

Truly Talented

I think it’s fair to say the Baltimore Ravens are one of the best performing teams in the National Football League. With star quarterback Joe Flacco, league lead rusher Ray Rice, and Pro-Bowlers Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, they’re virtually unstoppable. And that’s just a small part of their team. Together this season, the Ravens, I feel, earned their usual respect from beating other superior teams such as the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, twice. John Harbaugh has once again put together a great team that consists of an outstanding offense who are good friends with the goal line, and a well-known, grid-iron-tough defense that plays every down like it’s their last, the way the game is supposed to be played. And Right now, they’re looking better than ever!

With only four teams left in the playoffs, Baltimore, coming off of a nice win over Houston, is playing the New England Patriots in this Sunday’s playoff match-up. With what I feel to be a more balanced team, I think the Ravens chances are pretty outstanding. With the Patriots ranking close to last in total defense, and a quarterback who has become somewhat inconsistent in the past few weeks, I’m looking forward to this match-up. A win gets them a ticket to Indianapolis. If you think about it, Baltimore’s not too far away from another Lombardi to hoist in the air. I hope to see my team win it big this weekend, it would simply be making close ends meet.

~Zach Feldman

“Take It Seriously”

Over the last few weeks the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox have been slumping dramatically. The Red Sox have slumped the worst because they have been playing low quality teams like the Baltimore Orioles and losing. The problem with the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves is that  they are not playing like this game is a life or death situation, and at this rate it looks like it might even be one. The Red Sox and Braves were at the top of their games and they were suggested as high postseason contenders, and now there is a chance they might not be in the playoffs. In Boston, Massachusetts the Boston Herald released an article by John Tomase that highlights Bostons huge slump.

 I was once like the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox last year. I had no self confidence and everything kept repetitively going wrong, but I figured out how to cool down. What I did was I told myself expectations are what you make of them. This means expectations are completed when you make them realistic and work hard. I was going for the grade grand slam without thinking my work and chores through. I was trying to make my work look so well I forgot that quantity is never used over quality There should always be a balance in work. That is what the Red Sox and Braves are doing wrong they are thinking with big  goals of a World Series victory but aren’t mastering the easy guaranteed things. That is how I feel about the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red sox slumps.

~ Eric Penner

October or Bust!

It’s that time of year again! The American League playoff race. Once again, its very tight in the American League East division.  Well, not at the top. The New York Yankees have not only clinched the AL East, but they have also clinched best record in the American League, which means they have home-field advantage until the World Series, (if they make it that far). The other teams to clinch in the AL are the West division champions and reigning American League champions, the Texas Rangers and the Central Division champions, the Detroit Tigers. I was surprised by the Tigers making the postseason, I thought the Minnesota Twins would win the AL central like last year. Not a major surprise to me with the Rangers clinching, as the Al West was very weak this year. All three teams are looking for success this postseason which is looking like it will be another exciting one! Now onto the extremely tight AL wild card race!

On September 4th, the Boston Red Sox had an 8 game lead on their division rival, Tampa Bay Rays for the AL Wild Card. Now today, September 26th, the Red Sox have almost completely collapsed and have a narrow 1 game lead! The Red Sox have only won 6 games this month, while Tampa Bay has won 14. It looks like the LA Angels are out of contention, but the Rays, however, are not. Tampa Bay opens a 3 game home series against the New York Yankees, but more like the Trenton Thunder, a minor league team affiliated with the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees will most likely not play their starters in this series as they will rest them for the playoffs. On the other hand, the Red Sox head into Baltimore to play the Orioles, who recently won 3 out of 4 against Boston…in Boston! If Tampa Bay sweeps or wins 2 out of 3 and Boston loses 2 out of 3, Tampa Bay wins the Wild Card. If Boston AND Tampa Bay do the same or if Boston does better (more wins than Tampa) the the Red Sox will win the Wild Card. If both teams are tied after Wednesday’s games (final game of regular season) then there will be a one game playoff held at Tropicana Field where the winner goes to the playoffs and the loser goes home. This is very exciting and very stressful for their fans and believe it or not, Red Sox fans are ROOTING FOR the Yankees to beat up on Tampa Bay so they can get in.  That’s something you don’t see every day! It seems even more weird considering the Red Sox and Yankees just played each other and the Yankees won 2 out of 3 against them. This looks like it will be down to the wire, and I can’t wait to see who comes on top, and then of course, the playoffs will begin!

~Aidan Murray

Sox’s September Slide

The Boston Red Sox have had a pretty good season after their slow April start. Coming into September they were ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays by nine games. That nine game lead has diminished to half a game. Boston is currently (9/25/11 ) in the last game of a three game series with the New York Yankees.  Tampa Bay will play the Yankees next at home for their last three games while the Sox go to Baltimore to finish up the season against the Orioles. This month has been a surprise. Boston was one of the best teams in baseball. With the players on the Red Sox roster they were not expected to be doing this bad.

One of the best lineups in baseball starts out with three MVP candidates.  Jacoby Ellsbury leading it off. He has a .322 batting average, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, 206 hits and 38 stolen bases, all in the top ten in the American League. I think he should win the MVP. Then Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzales, who leads the majors in hits and is second in  batting average. After them is Kevin Youkalis, David Ortiz, Carl Crawford, Josh Reddick, Jarrod Saltalamachia, and Marco Scutaro. Every player has been productive this year. There lineup I think has been the main part of their success this year.

Their rotation has been questionable with injuries to former all-star pitchers Clay Bucholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Josh Beckett however has been part off the Cy Young award talk. He and Jon Lester have been great this year. John Lackey has been up and down so far. Andrew Miller  who wasn’t expected to pitch has been great. Their bullpen has been amazing with Alfredo Aceves,  Matt Albers, and Daniel Bard shutting everyone down. Jonathon Papelbon has bounced back  from a down year and is once again one of the best closers in baseball. With all these pieces I think the Red Sox are in position to go far in October.

I think their pitching can pull through and their lineup will be as good as earlier in the year. This is too good of a team to not make the playoffs. When you have three MVP candidates, and a Cy Young contender they should be an easy playoff team. Everyone knows they are one of the best in the league. Now they need to start playing like it.   If everyone contributes there should be no problem in the playoffs.

~ Ricky Novia

“Take It Seriously”

Over the last few weeks the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox have been slumping dramatically. The Red Sox have slumped the worst because they have been playing low quality teams like the Baltimore Orioles and losing. The problem with the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves is that  they are not playing like this game is a life or death situation, and at this rate it looks like it might even be one. The Red Sox and Braves were at the top of their games and they were suggested as high postseason contenders, and now there is a chance they might not be in the playoffs. In Boston, Massachusetts the Boston Herald released an article by John Tomase that highlights Bostons huge slump.

I was once like the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox last year. I had no self confidence and everything kept repetitively going wrong, but I figured out how to cool down. What I did was I told myself expectations are what you make of them. This means expectations are completed when you make them realistic and work hard. I was going for the grade grand slam without thinking my work and chores through. I was trying to make my work look so well I forgot that quantity is never used over quality There should always be a balance in work. That is what the Red Sox and Braves are doing wrong they are thinking with big  goals of a World Series victory but aren’t mastering the easy guaranteed things. That is how I feel about the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red sox slumps.

~Eric Penner