Author: Thomas Conroy (Page 23 of 28)

      Couch Potato Alert: 9/12

      September 12, 2008 /

      Kansas vs. South Florida
      Seeking a repeat of their 2007 season, Coach Mark Mangino leads the 13th-ranked Jayhawks into Miami’s Raymond James Stadium on Friday night, when they face-off against #19 South Florida. This will be the second meeting between the two schools, the other was in 2006, a 13-7 Jayhawk victory in Lawrence. (click here for Anthony Stalter’s game preview)

      Ohio State vs. USC
      This game is being billed as “The Collision at the Coliseum,” but the Jaws of Life might be needed to save the Buckeyes if they do not bring their “A” game to Los Angeles. The key to this matchup is for OSU’s offensive line to get physical with Southern Cal’s defensive front. If they do not win the battle at the line of scrimmage, it will not matter who is running the football for Ohio State (RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, ankle, is a game-time decision). Road wins against the Trojans are a scarce commodity in the Pete Carroll era, as they hold a 39-3 mark at the Coliseum. This contest will played on Saturday night in front of a nationally-televised audience on ABC at 8:00 PM EST.

      Wisconsin vs. Fresno State
      The Badgers will travel to Central Valley, California to play in the most important game in Bulldog football history. Fresno State dominated Rutgers in their season opener, but they will need a victory Saturday night to keep their hopes of a BCS bowl berth alive. Wisconsin just needs a win to stay in the national title hunt. Tune in Saturday night at 10:30 PM EST on ESPN2 for this pivotal non-conference game.

      Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies
      The Brewers are trying to avoid another late-season collapse after coughing up an 8 ½ game lead in the NL Central last season. The Phillies will try to use this series as a springboard in getting back to the post-season. This is a key four-game series for both teams, with the Brewers three games ahead of the Phillies in the NL Wild Card race after losing the series opener last night 6-3 in Philadelphia.

      San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
      Too many injuries for the Chargers to overcome this week, with Shawne Merriman on the mend until 2009 and now LaDainan Tomlinson and Antonio Gates each nursing injured big toes. (But both are expected to play on Sunday.) The Broncos offense appeared to be in mid-season form in their opener on Monday night.. Were they that good or were the Raiders that dreadful? That question will not be answered for at least another month, but a victory in this game could go a long way in establishing the Broncos as an AFC contender. Check your local CBS affiliate to see if they are televising this game at 4:00 PM ET.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, College Football, Couch Potato Alert, General Sports, MLB, NFL, Television

      Is greatness slipping away from Roger Federer?

      September 9, 2008 /

      The record book will show that Roger Federer won the 2008 U.S. Open Men’s Championship over Andy Murray. But something is missing. His dominance in the sport hasn’t been noticeable this year. Let’s just face it; Roger Federer is not Roger Federer anymore.

      Wait a minute, a terrible year? How many players on the men’s tour would take a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open, two finals appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon, and a Grand Slam victory at the U.S. Open, all in the same year?

      Is Federer dominating? No. We are not used to seeing him struggle in the early rounds. What use to be a brisk workout for him has now become nervy five-set encounter. Federer’s brilliance ultimately prevails, but never once does he look like he’s in control of the match.

      So what has changed in his game? Well, Federer is not setting up balls for the kill shot that usually keeps his opponents’ off-balance. Balls that have rocketed off his racket in the past are now just dribbling over the net as a return or an unimpressive point. Instead of ripping through sets, he is now winning a series of mini-marathons.

      The last set of his semi-final match against Novak Djokovic on Saturday was reminiscent of the old Federer. He regained his cross-court backhand that, in years past, would go by his opponent like a shortstop reaching for a line drive off a hitter’s bat.

      Maybe Federer won’t return to the #1 ranking, and maybe he’s not a sure thing anymore on the tour. His dominance is slipping. But Federer did remind everyone this weekend at Flushing that he still has a few bullets left in his racket. Was this a return to greatness or just a brief glimpse of the past?

      Only time will tell.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, General Sports, Television, Tennis

      Reign Man: Federer beats Murray for 5th straight U.S. Open title

      September 8, 2008 /

      No matter what was said or written about his recent play, Roger Federer knew he had one more chance to salvage a disappointing season. After missed opportunities in the French Open and Wimbledon finals, Federer easily defeated Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 on Monday evening to win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open Championship.

      Murray didn’t feel fatigue contributed to his straight set defeat. Instead, he felt his defense stance behind the baseline was no match for Federer’s offensive game. And the final numbers do not lie about his dominance in every facet of this final. Federer accumulated a 36-16 advantage in winning shots, a 7-2 lead in service breaks, and winning a point on 31 of 44 trips to the net.

      Murray had less than 24 hours to prepare for the men’s finals after defeating the World’s #1 player Rafael Nadal in a rain-interrupted semifinal that concluded late Sunday afternoon.

      Federer became the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920’s to win this tournament five times in a row. He also upped his Grand Slam tally to 13, which puts Federer one behind the men’s record holder Pete Sampras.

      Tennis

      Where have all the great American male tennis players gone?

      September 5, 2008 /

      It’s no great revelation that America’s top male players are not really considered a threat to win any of the Grand Slams. When it comes to tournament play, quality U.S. players are a dying breed, and the numbers do not lie. With no American in the U.S. Open men’s semi-finals this weekend, it will be the 16th straight Grand Slam event without a U.S. men’s winner.

      Andy Roddick has become the poster boy of U.S. tennis in the post-Sampras and Agassi era. Is he bitter? Hardly, Roddick has found some solace in trying to lead the Americans with his meat and potatoes power game against the sophisticated style that has dominated tennis for years. And he holds the claim of being the last U.S. winner of a Grand Slam event; he won the 2003 U.S. Open final.

      James Blake has been somewhat of a disappointment on the men’s tour. He is often noted for his athleticism, which many believe should enable him to win a Grand Slam. Instead, he plants himself on the end line and tries to become a straight-ahead basher, which just negates his speed.

      It’s not only that the U.S. contenders have retired or currently slumping, but the pipeline of potential tennis stars is as thin as ever. A quick glance at the top ten players at the 16-17 years old level and you will not see an American name on the list.

      There was a time when pro tennis players came from one of three global regions, Australia, Western Europe, or the United States. Today, the top two men’s singles players are a Spaniard (Rafael Nadal) and a Swiss (Roger Federer).

      Tennis has grown everywhere else on the globe except in the United States. Many in tennis feel youngsters have shied away from the sport due to the popularity of action sports (skateboarding or other X Game-style events) in American culture. Tennis fans anticipated the drop-off of American players in the sport because of the lack of depth produced by the U.S. tennis academies. If the U.S. hopes to produce more male champions, that’s where it’s going to happen.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, General Sports, Television, Tennis

      Couch Potato Alert: 9/5

      September 5, 2008 /

      U.S. Open semifinals and finals
      The men’s semifinals start at 12:00 PM ET on Saturday and the women’s final takes place at 8:00 PM ET that evening. The men’s final will take place on Sunday, starting at 4:00 PM. All matches will be broadcast on CBS. Here’s the TV schedule and Christopher Glotfelty’s preview of the matches.

      San Diego State at Notre Dame
      Both programs are reeling, hanging on for dear life, and just trying to find players to line up on the field. The Irish are on a roll, sort of, coming into this year’s opener with a modest two-game winning streak from last season. SDSU is coming off an embarrassing home-opening loss to Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo, which was their second home loss to the Mustangs in three seasons. This contest will played on Saturday in front of a nationally-televised audience on NBC at 3:30 PM ET.

      Miami at Florida
      This prime-time matchup used to be circled on the calendar of all college football fans as a must-see game with the winner gaining the advantage in the battle for the top recruits from the state of Florida. But times have changed; the Canes are coming off a 5-7 season, and just trying to get the program back on its feet. Oddly enough, Miami has a 12-8 all-time record at “The Swamp.” Tune in Saturday night at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN for another chapter in this in-state rivalry. [Official Smack Talk Thread]

      Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers
      Less than a week ago, the Dodgers seemed to be free falling in the NL West pennant race. They lost 9-3 in the opener of a three-game series in Arizona, and things didn’t look good with the Diamondbacks starting Dan Haren and Brandon Webb that weekend. But the Dodgers turned their season around by scoring 13 runs against the Arizona’s top two pitchers and were able to win both games. The rematch is set for this weekend at Dodger Stadium, with Friday night’s game on ESPN and Saturday’s contest on Fox’s regional baseball telecast.

      Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns
      You could call this encounter “The Battle of the Media Darlings.” With five prime-time games this season, the Browns are trying to prove that their 10-6 record last season was no fluke. They play host to the Cowboys, who seem to be everyone’s fashionable Super Bowl pick. And if you’ve been watching “Hard Knocks” on HBO, you know that the Boys’ roster depth has taken a big with several pre-season injuries. Dallas fans shouldn’t be concerned, however, as every one of their 13 Pro Bowlers will be in uniform on Sunday. Check your local Fox listings to see if they are televising this game at 4:00 PM ET. [Anthony Stalter’s preview of the game.]

      College Football, Couch Potato Alert, General Sports, MLB, NFL, Television

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