Pic of the Week
The Madness of March
March 15, 2010 — propointsUpper Deck Underdogs is proud to bring you the second annual UDU Bracket Challenge. Check out Matt and Cori’s bracket, along with our guest-bracketologists (Team2Beat’s John Russo and CSNPhilly.com’s Josh Wheeling), and see where you match up. Fair warning: We are not experts.
Cori:
Matt:
John Russo
Team2Beat
Josh Wheeling
CSNPhilly.com
My Dearest Nomar
March 11, 2010 — propointsThere is no replacing you, Nomar. You were the super star, the All-Star… our hero.
For ten years in Boston, and a few more floating around the league – you were that guy. You were hypnotic, and the fans you left behind missed you every day you were gone.
You were our first round pick – we waited three years for you. Then, as if to say you were waiting for us too, your first hit was a home run. But there are so many things we have to thank you for from that moment on.
Thank you for hitting two grand slams in one game – and doing it at home, at Fenway, for all of us to see. Thank you for making the All-Star team… all six times, and for being humble at all times. Thank you for leaving town gracefully.
Most of all, thank you for not being involved in any steroid scandal. Thank you for not having your name in the paper. Thank you for giving us the Garciaparra-Jater matchup we craved. And thank you for loving baseball.
And you know what? Thank you for coming home, and retiring as a member of the Red Sox… this will always be your home.
Love,
The Nation
Would the Desperate Journalist in the Front…
March 10, 2010 — propoints
Please Stand Up
by Corianne Egan
There was a time where Stephen A. Smith was a respected journalist. An insider even. He was a guest on every major talk show. He was “friends” with the biggest stars and could write with passion and intelligence.
Now, he is an afterthought.
Smith has slipped off of the stage, and he is clawing back with every ounce of effort, no matter who’s reputation he ruins.
Case in point: Allen Iverson.
Smith wrote a column in the Sunday paper alledging that Iverson has a drinking and a gambling problem. He said A.I.
is at rock bottom, alone, and about to lose his family. He asked us to pray for him.
The Iverson story is something that everyone knows about. The guy has a bad rep, but a big heart. He also has a huge entourage to support and reputation to protect. So he went out. He spent tons of money and got thrown out of casinos and had the time of his life. Now, at the tender age of 34, it is catching up to him.
Iverson made all of his own choices. He had the wrong people in his ears, but others who were wiser (see: Larry Brown) told him he was not on the right path. He didn’t listen. They told him he could be great – maybe even the greatest – if he just stopped with the off-the-court nonsense. He didn’t listen. When he was down and out before resigning with the Sixers, his entourage left him. Now that he has been dismissed from the Sixers, his wife has left him as well.
Mo’ money, mo’ problems.
But who is Smith to preach on behalf of Iverson? Iverson made his own decisions, he lived his life as he wanted to and refused to listen to anyone. He still has millions of dollars in the bank and – to quote T.O. – millions of reasons to get up in the morning. Smith says he needs role models – a 34 year old man needs a role model – and that he was led astray.
Smith also boasts that he is close “friends” with Iverson.
Close friends don’t out each other to the media. If Smith was really concerned, he would have spent the time on an intervention, not on a column that would get him on all of the major networks once again. Real journalists use facts, 
and support those facts by knowledge. The steroids scandal was supported by documents and failed tests. Smith used his own “inside information” and Iverson’s reputation to do the damage he needed to do to make himself relevant again.
There have been whispers. Years ago, during Iverson’s first stint in Philadelphia, he was thrown out of a casino. Some pit bosses have said that Iverson owes them money. But he has never been arrested in his NBA years, and many people think Iverson has a bad reputation for no other reason than his swagger. But Smith took it upon himself to divulge “secrets” and start a nationwide debate.
Iverson will not return to the Sixers. His wife just left him. Apparently, his daughter is sick as well. The guy has problems. Let him decide how to handle them. If he chooses to go out and drink his problems away, let him. If he runs out of money, so be it. There is nothing to report if there isn’t even an incident. Let him hit rock bottom… and when he gets there, let him decide how to turn his life around.
UDU Breaking News – 3/8/10
March 8, 2010 — propoints
UDU Breaking News: The Eagles have sent wide receiver Reggie Brown to Tampa Bay. More to come…
Free Agency 2010
March 5, 2010 — propointsWe will be following free agency signings and rumors all off season, so stick with us for the latest trades and what they mean to each team.
March 5, 2010
RUMORS: Green Bay defensive end Aaron Kampman is reportedly in talks with the Eagles (reported by FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer), while Julius Peppers is in Chicago negotiating with the Bears. Peppers has also reportedly been tendered an offer by the Patriots. The Ravens are apparently talking to wide reciever Antonio Bryant as well. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is also reporting that wide receiver Brandon Marshall is visiting the Seahawks on Saturday. Anquan Boldin to Baltimore?
- While the rest of the world was playing “Where in the World is Aaron Kampman“, Jacksonville knew his whereabouts all along. Kapman signed with the Jags for an undisclosed amount of time and money, and will surely bring a little grit to a defense that definitaly needs it.
- The Dolphins agreed to terms with Karlos Dansby. Five years, and $43 million should sure up the linebacker, and he will surely bolster the Dolphins defense. Dansby is the second Cardinal to leave in the first few days of free agency. They are getting draft picks, yes, but they are going to have to retool their draft strategy if this goes on much longer.
- The Pats sured up Vince Wilfork. He scored a record contract for a nose tackle – five years, $40 million. It was a quick end to a bitter dispute.
- Baltimore’s biggest problem was their inept receivers, and they just solved it. Anquan Boldin is on his way to the Ravens, a move that will help the Baltimore offense tremendously.
- St. Louis has signed quarterback A.J. Feeley to a two year, $6 million deal. They needed that signing – their biggest problem (if you could limit it to just one) was consistancy at the quarterback position. Feeley is terribly underrated.
- Chicago is getting better on both sides of the ball. Signed Julius Peppers to a six year deal. Monetary information to follow
- The Bears are probably the most active team so far this offseason. They locked up ex-Viking Chester Taylor for four years to the tune of $12.5 million.
- Detroit’s name is all over the first day of signings, with the first blockbuster deal. The Lions signed defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch to a four year, $26 million dollar deal. Vanden Bosch will bring a veteran presense to the defense, but much-needed passion and grit. It will be very interesting to see how the first year or two goes for Vanden Bosch.
- The Eagles resign full back Leonard Weaver. Weaver has a successful season in Philadelphia, and his three-year $11 million contract is an affordable way to keep their offensive options open.
- The Bears are definately looking for some weapons this offseason, and their first strike came with the signing of tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, who played in San Diego last season. Manumaleuna is more known for his blocking than for his recieving capabilities, but it is a step on the right direction.
- Detroit struck first in the big-name signings. Signing Nate Burleson to a five year deal was not the smartest route the Lions could have taken. Their concerns should be defense, and Burleson is not consistant enough to help Matthew Stafford.
- Broncos sign J.J. Arrington. They had signed him last year as a third down back, but released him after injury. Arrington is probably going to be in the same position – playing backup to Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno and being used in third-and-short situations.
Break Over
March 1, 2010 — propoints
NHL Gets Back on the Ice
by Zach Speers
The NHL season is about to pick up again after a few weeks off for the Olympics. After watching the Americans go farther than anticipated and seeing teams like Russia and Canada struggle, it’s time to look ahead to the final month of regular season play before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And what a crazy month it will be.
Let’s start by looking at the Eastern Conference. Sitting comfortably atop of the conference are the Capitals. Ahead of New Jersey by 13 points they look to continue strong play from where they ended before the break and hope to lock the 1st seed up for playoffs. The next four teams are separated by only 2 points. The Devils, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres are in a heated battle to score points and you can assume these teams will be the 2-5 seeds unless there’s a major downfall in their play.
The Sabres are currently in 5th but after an outstanding performance that earned goalie Ryan Miller the MVP of the Olympic tournament, look for them to possibly move up and knock off Ottawa or the Penguins. There are only 3 spots remaining to make the playoffs and this is where the real battles will be. Philly, Boston, Montreal, Tampa Bay and the Rangers are in the running for these spots. The Flyers sit in 6th with 67 points after beating the Canadiens and Devils in home and homes right before the break. With 3 players who medaled coming back from the Olympics the Flyers will look to continue their surge and stay in 6th place.
The Sabres are ahead by 8 points so overtaking them will be a feat. Look for Michael Leighton to be in good shape after the break and look for Ray Emery to possibly make a comeback in time for playoffs. Of course if Leighton continues the strong play he’s shown since being picked up by the Flyers, Emery may not see as much net time as assumed at the beginning of the season.
Boston, Montreal, the Rangers and Tampa Bay are all separated by 2 points so each of these teams needs to win as many games as possible to make the playoffs. For Boston, Tukka Rask will still see more ice time than Tim Thomas which could bode well for the Bruins. Overall, the East is still wide open for the bottom 3 seeds with only Atlanta, Florida, the Islanders, Carolina, and Toronto to be out of the picture.
Over to the West, this conference was dominated early by the Sharks of San Jose but coming into the break the Chicago Blackhawks had come up to be behind by only 2 points. These two teams will most likely secure the top two spots but it will be up to them to decide who ends where. Both teams had players in the Olympics that are bringing home some Gold medals so they will be the players the teams look to hoping to secure the number one seed. The next 4 spots are going to be a toss-up.
Vancouver, Phoenix, LA, and Colorado are all separated by 3 points. Realistically, I don’t see Phoenix having to firepower to hold on down the stretch. I see them making the playoffs but not as the 4th spot where they currently sit. LA is in a similar situation. They have goal scorers but will they be able to put enough pucks in the net and not have to rely solely on the play of goalie Jonathan Quick.
Vancouver and Colorado are the teams to watch out for. Luongo just won a Gold medal, and although he looked shaky at times, he is a solid goaltender who will give his team the opportunity to win games. He hasn’t lost on home ice since January 11th, including the Olympics. Colorado’s goalie, Craig Anderson, has shown incredible ability in net and as long as he got his head right over the break they should have a chance to win. He had a rough stretch before the Olympic break but his coach kept him in goal, showing that he doesn’t have confidence in backup Peter Budaj.
Calgary is currently the last team making the playoffs in the West. They have 69 points and need to continue to win games or run the risk of Dallas, Detroit, or Anaheim catching them and knocking them out. Those teams are separated by only 2 points. While the West is a little more solid than the East there is still some wiggle room. This coming month of play, that will consist of approximately 20 games in 31 days, is make or break time for many teams and is sure to be an exciting rollercoaster finish to a great season.
2010 Miracle…
February 21, 2010 — propoints
U-S-A!
by Corianne Egan
I tried. I tried to root for Canada. When the won the gold, I was in my prime of Simon Gagne-rooting, and it was just a miracle in my mind. I have the jersey, I have the bobbleheads. Tonight, I had told several people I was rooting for Canada.
Then the sung our national anthem. And my blood turned back to red, white, and blue. And I remembered.
Our country is not known for its hockey players. A lot of the players on our team are the second best at their position – the first best being from some other country where they are bred on the ice and have pucks dangling from the crib when they are babies. While Brian Rafalski and Jamie Langenbrunner are veterans, most of the team is young and not used to the world stage. After all, this isn’t the playoffs. It’s not for the Cup – its for your country.
Take the United States starting lineup. Patrick Kane and Zach Parise are good, but young and many are still waiting for them to “break out”. Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas are great goalies, but they are known for their meltdowns. The odds are stacked against the inexperienced team, but look what happened.
Just like that I was sucked back in. USA all the way. And I was kind of upset that I didn’t pop in Miracle earlier in the day.
The hockey game tonight was the second best game I have ever seen (the first being Game 6 of Flyers/Tampa Bay in 2004, which only wins because I was in attendance). It was incredibly fast. There were some of the most beautiful goals, but there wicked saves as well. They actually hit each other. Just when I was thinking “they can’t possibly keep this pace up the entire game”, they did.
And as the final horn sounded, Ryan Miller became Jim Craig (who also let up three goals). Brian Rafalski became Mark Johnson (who also scored two goals). Ryan Kesler became Mike Eruzione (who was the emotional leader, as Kesler was today proclaiming that the US would win). Team USA of 2010 became Team USA of 1980.
Tonight they proved that they can play with the best. In a sport thats dominated by Canadians and Europeans, the US just asserted themselves.Thirty years ago, the swing game happened in the semi-finals. In 2010, it was the prelims, with Russia on the horizon. They are an underdog in that one too. This wasn’t just a border war, or just a huge upset. This wasn’t just a win… it was a miracle.
Delay of Game with Richie Wisniewski
February 20, 2010 — propoints
Leave Tiger Alone
by Richie Wisniewski
When it was announced that Tiger Woods would speak, we made sure we were near a T.V.
Now that his much anticipated press conference is over, we will begin to dissect it.
Was he sincere? Was it written out? Was he speaking from the heart? Why doesn’t he want questions asked to him?
Well Tiger spoke, the media will analyze him, and the cycle will begin. However, in the midst of people trying to study his body language to see what he’s really saying, there were words spoken. Words that were, in my mind, meaningful and straight-to-the-point.
He simply asked for the media to respect his family’s privacy at this difficult time. Now, believe me there are classes in college devoted to media and making ethical decisions. There is also debate in any journalism, and PR classroom about the right way to handle this situation. The fact is, there is no right answer to respecting the privacy of a public figure.
That’s another debate - that will be held over his head: he’s a public figure, he should know this media storm is coming. It comes with the territory.
Both statements are true, and are good points. However, when you minus the money and the fame, he’s a married man, who likes to play golf.
He is a married man who threw his “good boy” reputation out the window… a married man, who showed that he had problems too. But beyond being married he is a man, a human, and a person - a person who simply asked, to leave his family alone.
So, as a message for TMZ, People magazine, InTouch, or US Weekly… please leave them alone. Trust me, when I –a 22 year old college student –tell you, you aren’t getting the exclusive. Stop following the kids to school, stop following Elin around town. She isn’t going to stop and have her interview walking down a street in New York City, nor is she going to have her interview while grocery shopping. There is no reason to stalk her, Tiger’s mom, or his kids about something he did. And he said that himself.
Is Tiger still a role model? I believe after this smoke clears he will be again. In my opinion his charities, his on-the-course accomplishments, and his work ethic is something to be realized and highlighted. But the focus here is his privacy. He is a celebrity –a successful one at that. But he is still a human, who is facing a tough battle.
Getting Ready for the King?
February 19, 2010 — propointsThe New and Improved New York Knicks
by Corianne Egan
Picture this: It’s the start of the NBA season. You are in one of the meccas – Madison Square Garden – with a sold out crowd. The lights go down. Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind is playing. They are just about done announcing the starters, but there is one person left. He’s a 6′8 small forward from Akron, Ohio… He’s LeBronnnnnnn Jammmmmesssss.
Knicks fans, along with every basketball fan in the Tri-State area, have dreamed about the 2010 offseason. There are so many marquee names available, but LeBron James has been the subject of speculation for almost two years. He was never going to be traded on the deadline; come June we will all watch as King James gets offer after offer and speculation turns to actualy rumors which turn to a deal. Will James stay in his home state, with the team he has single-handedly revived? Or will he sign with another team? We will know the answer to all of the biggest questions in a few short months.
But as the time has ticked down, speculating has become more difficult. James wants to contend – he has made that clear. He is also the biggest superstar in the league. New York is the biggest market, and in need of one of King James’ patented revivals. But Ohio is his home.
We could go back and forth on it for days.
And one thing just made it a lot more complicated: The Knicks made a blockbuster deal yesterday, and acquired Tracy 
McGrady. In the trade, they reportedly shed some extra baggage – to the tune of nine million dollars – making James’ salary for next season a little more reasonable. It was a move that screamed their intentions to the high heavens, and every basketball fan heard it.
The Knicks are on the verge. They now have a supporting cast for James – big center David Lee will only benefit from the arrival, and who knows – maybe this move could refuel T-Mac’s fire. It won’t happen over night, but it could happen. LeBron James’ decision just got that much tougher.
You thought “Favre Watch” sucked. You hated following Tiger’s car around Florida. Just wait. If LeBron so much as wears a Yankee hat, it will be the lead on SportsCenter. God forbid the guy goes to a game. He gets on a plane, gets off a plane, you will know it. If LeBron James eats at a restaurant in Miami, and orders a New York strip – that may as well be another sign. Until he signs his contract, there will be no sleep. And after he does – the showboating will start.
I got a very excited text message from Matt today. It may as well be set in stone to him. But here’s the hitch in his giddy-up… the thing that made him stick his fingers in his ears and pretend he wasn’t listening to me… What if the Cavs win it this year? While the Knicks are clearing room, the Cavs are making moves to win it now. Their deadline move brought Antwan Jamison to Cleveland, a huge addition to a team that is already in the hunt. Many analysts believe this made Cleveland a sure-fire contender. If they centered a team around him, offer him close to the same money, and he won a championship there… is he going to leave?
We are just going to have to wait. Wait to see what the May/June playoffs bring. Wait to see if the King can adda championship to the list of things he has conquered. And most of all, we will have to wait to see what matters most to the man who has it all: his money or his legend.
