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      Cardinals-Packers thriller saves Wildcard Weekend

      January 10, 2010 /

      For the casual NFL fan, Wildcard Weekend was a bust. Unless you were a Jets, Cowboys or Ravens fan, the games were boring and highly un-entertaining. (Unless you like one team completing dominating another, that is.)

      But the Cardinals’ 51-45 overtime thriller over the Packers saved what could have been the worst Wildcard Weekend in recent memory. In fact, it was probably the best game of the season.

      Kurt Warner never ceases to amaze me. What he did against a solid Green Bay secondary was pretty extraordinary – even for him. He completed 29-of-33 passes for 379 yards, five touchdown passes and every time the Cards needed a score, he managed to get them into position to do so. If this is indeed Warner’s last dance, it looks like he’s going to leave everything out on the floor.

      After throwing an interception on the first play of the game, Aaron Rodgers put on a show himself. He completed 28-of-42 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns. There will be plenty of Packer fans that will say that Brett Favre would have won this game. But even the fiercest of Brett backers had to marvel at how Rodgers went toe-to-toe with Warner today and almost came out victorious.

      I realize his fumble in overtime will haunt him and Green Bay in the offseason (he also overshot a wide open Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime that would have won the game), but don’t forget this was his first career playoff appearance. And with this being his first ever postseason appearance, he played incredibly well and once again proved that the Packers have a bright future. Keep in mind that Arizona got the benefit of a couple of calls in overtime that aided in Rodgers and Green Bay’s demise. The refs could have called a helmet-to-helmet hit on Rodgers on the second play of the drive, as well as a face mask penalty on the game-winning touchdown recovery.

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      NFL

      Chapman agrees to $30M deal with Reds

      January 10, 2010 /

      Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban left-handed pitcher with the 100-mph fastball, is close to signing with the Cincinatti Reds. The deal is reportedly worth $30 million over five years.

      From ESPN.com:

      Chapman’s representatives said Sunday afternoon that the deal is not done and would not confirm the team, but did say the Reds are “possible.”

      “We have to wait still,” agent Rodney Fernandez wrote to ESPN The Magazine in a text message in regard to a possible deal with the Reds. “It’s possible. We’ll see.”

      Reports earlier last week had the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels in the bidding for Chapman.

      Chapman attended a Yankees playoff game in New York and also visited Red Sox officials in Fenway Park while he was still represented by his previous agent, Edwin Mejia. Last month, Chapman held a workout in Houston attended by more than a dozen teams, including the Red Sox, who have scouted him extensively in international play.

      He was also being courted by the Toronto Blue Jays and Florida Marlins, though The Miami Herald reported last week that the Marlins would drop out of the bidding if the price exceeded $20 million.

      Chapman was the most coveted prospect this offseason, so it’s not surprising that he landed a contract this big. His impressive performance for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic aroused interest in many MLB teams. The Angels became a favorite because Chapman’s good friend Kendry Morales is on the roster. Also, the Marlins were attractive because of Florida’s large Cuban population. However, what could be appealing to Chapman about playing in Cincinnati? In the end, it must have been the money.

      Regardless, once Chapman spends some time in the minors he will be a great addition to a Reds team in need of some intimidating pitching.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Is the dynasty over? Ravens wax Patriots in Foxboro.

      January 10, 2010 /

      Consider this:

      – A Bill Belichick-coached team has never allowed 24 points in the first quarter of any game.

      – The Patriots haven’t allowed more than 20 points in a home playoff game since 1978, when they lost to the Houston Oilers, 31-14.

      – The most points New England allowed at home this year was 24 to the Bills in Week 1. The Pats were undefeated while playing at Foxboro this season.

      To say the Ravens beat the Patriots on Sunday would be a vast understatement. In its 33-14 blowout, Baltimore dominated in every phase of the game, was clearly the more prepared team and set the tone from the first play (which was a 83-yard touchdown run by Ray Rice, by the way) to the last.

      I don’t want to sound like another member of the media that overstates things after just one game, but you have to wonder whether or not we just witnessed the end of the Patriots’ dynasty. There were signs all season that this wasn’t the same team that we had grown accustomed to over the past decade and all of their faults were on full display on Sunday.

      I don’t know if he was hurt or not, but Tom Brady didn’t look right. Like many times this season, he looked uncomfortable in the pocket, was high with his passes and made poor decisions. There were times when he didn’t have any time to throw, but even when he did he was inaccurate. It was just a brutal effort on his part, and on Belichick’s for that matter.

      Based on the way they recognized formations and diagnosed plays, it was almost like the Ravens were in the Patriots’ huddle every snap. That’s on Belichick and his coaching staff for not having a better game plan in place. I realize New England was shorthanded without Wes Welker, but even if he had played I don’t know how much he would have helped.

      Give credit to the Ravens – they were outstanding. Rice (159 yards), Willis McGahee and the rest of the running game was excellent and so was the defense. They had the right game plan, were fired up from the start and they executed. They’ve proven two years in a row that they can win on the road in the playoffs and John Harbaugh deserves a lot of credit for having his team prepared.

      The Ravens came thisclose to beating the Colts in the regular season, so next weekend should be interesting. Of course, Joe Flacco will need to throw for more than 34 yards to match Peyton Manning, but a Colts-Ravens matchup should be a great one to tune into.

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      Barstool Debates, NFL

      Davydenko captures Qatar Open title

      January 10, 2010 /

      Following his straight-set victory against Roger Federer, Nicolay Davydenko overcame early struggles to defeat Rafael Nadal 0-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 in the Qatar Open final.

      From FOXSports.com:

      Davydenko led 4-1 in the second-set tiebreaker but unforced errors allowed Nadal to twice serve for the match. However, the Spaniard sprayed his returns wide, and Davydenko broke two times to Nadal’s one in the third set to close it out.

      The sixth-ranked Russian’s third straight victory over Nadal improved his overall record to 5-4.

      “I did not come here expecting to win. I am surprised that I have won,” Davydenko said. “It is an amazing feeling to have won here. I have played semifinals and finals here but never won.”

      It was a second consecutive title for Davydenko after winning the London World Tour Finals on Nov. 29. He also beat Nadal and Roger Federer in that event.

      David Nalbandian of Argentina is the only other player to beat Federer and Nadal in the same tournament on two occasions — at the Madrid Masters and Paris Masters in 2007.

      Players rarely beat both Nadal and Federer in the same tournament, but now Davydenko has done it twice. That’s quite a feat. However, the 28-year-old is yet to win a Grand Slam, which is his main criticism. Given Davydenko’s unpredictable success in Qatar, he could finally get his due in less than two weeks at the Australian Open.

      Tennis

      Report: Warner likely to retire at the end of season

      January 10, 2010 /

      Sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter that this will likely be Kurt Warner’s last season in the NFL.

      Arizona’s next loss could mark the last time that quarterback Kurt Warner plays in an NFL game.

      He always could change his mind, but this likely will be the 38-year-old Warner’s final NFL season, according to sources close to the quarterback.

      Warner has been voted to five Pro Bowls, won two NFL MVP awards, one Super Bowl and became the second quarterback in history to throw more than 100 touchdown passes for two NFL franchises.

      Earlier this season, Warner suffered a concussion that raised questions about his future.

      While there’s no doubt he’d like to go out on top with a Super Bowl victory, Warner has nothing left to prove. He’s had a great career and if this is his final season, he’ll exit as one of the classiest players to have ever suited up in the NFL.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

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