NFL Football: Wild Card Weekend Previews

Now that the regular season of the 2008 NFL Season is over, the playoff scene is now set. These are the games going into Wild Card Weekend and my analysis of them:

5. Indianapolis Colts @ 4. San Diego Chargers
The Colts are manned by MVP QB Peyton Manning. Also, Manning and the Colts are on a hot streak. The Chargers, on the other hand, barely made it into the playoffs, as they have an 8-8 record. This team is led by QB Philip Rivers, who had the highest QB rating in the NFL, and RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who may have lost a step, but is still widely considered as on of the best RBs in the league. Both teams have great offenses, so the score for this game should be rather high. Winner: Colts

6. Baltimore Ravens @ 3. Miami Dolphins
The Ravens feature one of the best overall defenses in the NFL, which is studded with defensive playmakers, including FS Ed Reed, ILB Ray Lewis, just to name very few. The Ravens' experienced many changes, including the addition of rookie QB Joe Flacco, and other RBs. The Dolphins have had one of the greatest turnarounds ever so far this year, but have rather little playoff experience. They are led by Comeback Player of the Year QB Chad Pennington and RB Ronnie Brown. Also, their defense features OLB Joey Porter, who recorded 17.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles this year. Winner: Ravens

5. Atlanta Falcons @ 4. Arizona Cardinals
The Falcons have also experienced a good turnaround this year, and are led by Offensive ROTY QB Matt Ryan and dynamic RB Michael Turner, who came in second for the rushing title. Also, WR Roddy White plays a big role in the Falcons' offense. The Cardinals are distinguished with their passing game, which features QB Kurt Warner, and the prolific WR tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. However, both teams' defenses are not as good as their offenses are, which should lead to a high-scoring game. Winner: Falcons

6. Philadelphia Eagles @ 3. Minnesota Vikings

The Eagles were vaulted into the playoffs with a romp of the Dallas Cowboys. They are led on offense by Brian Westbrook and Asante Samuel on defense. They have past playoff experience, but haven't been in the postseason for a while. On the other hand, the Vikings also have their stars on offense and defense. On offense, they have rushing-title-winner sophomore RB Adrian Peterson, and on defense, they feature DE Jared Allen. Both teams are pretty even, and since both teams have great running games, it will be up to Eagles' QB Donovan McNabb and Vikings' QB Tarvaris Jackson to make plays. Winner: Vikings
Winner:

And after those games are completed, the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers will be waiting the week after.

NFL Football: Rookie of the Year Awards

This year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award went to Falcons QB Matt Ryan in a landslide win, although the offensive rookie crop this year was very deep. On the other side of the ball, the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award was won by Patriots ILB Jerod Mayo in an almost unanimous decision. Both were great choices for the awards and let's find out why:

QB Matt Ryan: As the top QB in the 2008 draft, a lot was expected of Matt Ryan. He took over a franchise that had just suffered the loss of their starting QB Michael Vick. Picking Matt Ryan showed that the Falcons organization was intent on moving on. And so they added RB Michael Turner to aid the turnaround of their franchise. As the season began and continued, Matt Ryan showed why he was the #3 overall pick in the draft. Matt Ryan finished the season with 16 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,340 yards, a 87.7 rating, the Offensive ROTY Award, and also a playoff berth. With these achievements, Matt Ryan definitely stood out from his fellow offensive NFL rookies.

ILB Jerod Mayo: When Jerod Mayo was selected at #10 overall in the 2008 draft, most people thought that it was a reach. Most projected a mid-first-round selection for the Tenessee star, but over the course of the season, Jerod Mayo has shown that he is the real deal. After joining an ailing LB corps in New England, he anchored the corps and helped lead the team to an 11-5 record, although without a playoff berth. Jerod Mayo recorded 128 tackles, which was 10th most in the league. Jerod has also shown great versatility in being able to play all aspects of inside linebacker, and has also shown great maturity on and off the field. Therefore, it was almost a unanimous decision for him to be Defensive ROTY, as the defensive rookie crop was significantly less deep than the offensive side.

Good Luck to Jerod Mayo Next Season and Forever! Well, Matt Ryan, too, I guess.

MLB Baseball: New York Yankees

First C.C. Sabathia. Then A.J. Burnett. And now Mark Teixeira?!

It seems that the Yankees are serious this year about contending. But does spending so much money necessarily mean success? Look at the Rays, for example; they got to the World Series, but only spent $43 million, while the Yankees spent $207 million and did not make the playoffs. Let us break it down:

Starting Pitching: With the additions of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and possibly another pitcher such as Andy Pettitte, their rotation may be the best in the MLB, because it already features Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain.

Bullpen: With a bullpen anchored by lefty Damaso Marte and Mariano Rivera, the Yankees are sitting pretty. Despite the injuries to some of their relievers, last year the Yankees' bullpen was still relatively consistent throughout the year.

Batting Lineup: Obviously, one could never ask for a lineup that is as star-laden as the Yankees' lineup. You would have Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Jorge Posada, just to name a few players.

The Verdict: As you can see from three of the main parts to a successful MLB team, the Yankees are strong in each area. Their collapse last year was mainly due to injuries and lackluster performances from their younger players. Therefore, I believe that the Yankees will be successful and win the World Series this year and in the years after. This can be more easily accomplished if their players stay healthy and perform well. Well, I guess that is a very popular hope around the league.

Again, Good Luck to the Yankees and All Their Players Next Year and Forever!

MLB Baseball: CC Sabathia

The biggest free agent signing so far this 2009 MLB Free Agency is obviously of CC Sabathia becoming a Yankee. He was signed to a 7-year $161 million deal, which means he earns $23 million a year. That puts him slightly ahead of Johan Santana's then-record deal, making him the highest paid pitcher in the MLB! But, is CC Sabathia is worth $23 million a year? Well, let's see:

Age: Sabathia is 28 now, and at the end of his contract, he will be 35 years old.

Achievements: Sabathia won the 2007 AL Cy Young award with a record of 19-7 and a 3.21 ERA.

Statistics: After a slow start in 2008 with the Indians, he pitched 11-2 and posted a 1.65 ERA with the Brewers to end the season with 17 wins,10 losses, a 2.70 ERA, 251 strikeouts, and 253 innings pitched.

Other Facts: Sabathia is a classic power pitcher with his fastball, and slider/cutter. He throws with extreme control. CC Sabbathia has pitched a total of more than 500 innings in the past 2 years. It may seem like a lot, so it also shows how healthy Sabathia is and how he can still pitch while under pressure like at the end of the 2008 season.

The Verdict: With his past achievements and durability, Sabathia has shown that he is an extremely reliable pitcher and can put up big numbers. His stats put him up with the best in the league, and his great personality is another major plus. If you want quality, you have to pay for it, right? But, is CC really worth $23 million for 7 years? Yes, I think he is worth the money.

Good Luck to CC Sabathia and the Yankees in 2009 and Forever!

Sports Sentry

Welcome All Sports Fans!

Today is the beginning of the "Sports Sentry" blog. As the title suggests, this blog is about sports, mainly focusing on the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. This is due to my knowledge about these sports.

I will start posting regularly very soon.

Thanks for Reading,

---Andrew

P.S. My favorite teams are the Patriots for NFL, Yankees and Giants for MLB, Spurs and Warriors for NBA, and Sharks for NHL. This is just for the record. Also, my favorite teams may change as play progresses.