Article: Prudential paying $105.3M for naming rights on Devils arena

That name is cool with me. I like Continental Airlines Arena, but that's just because I'm comfortable with it. The problem with stadiums, as has been the case since maybe the mid-90's or so, is that more and more until almost all of them are taken over entirely by corporations and so the stadium name changes. So instead of having a fun stadium name, it's named after a company. Thankfully there are still Fenway & Wrigley out there and a couple others. But "The Prudential Center" is a pretty good name. It's obviously named after Prudential, Inc. which has the rock. Which is cool because they mention calling it "The Rock" in the article as does Tom Lycan at his blog. But Tom was well ahead of the curve, doing it back on December 21. I dig it.

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Lakers 101, Mavericks 98

Yeah well, every 13-game win streak needs to be broken at some point. Maybe by the 13th game. That seems to make sense. The Mavericks simply CANNOT figure out the Lakers on the road. It just can't be done. And it wasn't really Kobe's doing this time, though he came alive in the fourth quarter. The Mavs played far better than they usually do, and if Smush Parker doesn't stuff Jason Terry on a layup, maybe the recap has a different story to tell. But he did stuff him, and Devean George did miss a 3-pointer at the end of the game (how fitting, ex-Laker). Tough game, but the Mavs are still hot. Nowitzki's 29 and 13 led the way for the Mavs, as he has been dominating play recently. That's fine with me, good to see him not sit around, content with Josh Howard running the show. Howard did add another 20 points, however. The shooting just wasn't close, the Lakers got 55% and the Mavs got 42%. The defense was just not there, which is usually the case in Los Angeles. Oh well. Up next - the Jazz in Utah. Another tough one. We'll see.

Raiders coach

Here's the short list thus far:

Rob Ryan (Defensive Coordinator - Oakland Raiders)
John Shoop (Offensive Coordinator - Oakland Raiders) (even though this article says otherwise)
Steve Sarkisian (Asst Head Coach, QB Coach - USC) (Former Oakland Raiders QB Coach)
Tom Coughlin (Could-be Former Head Coach - NY Giants)

As will no doubt be the case, I stand behind the decision to pick Rob Ryan. And JaMarcus Russell with the #1 pick, unless we trade down due to a sweet deal. Just NOT a longsnapper, please.

Devils 3, Canadiens 0

Goals:
First Period: Michael Rupp, Devils (Martin, Rafalski)
Brian Gionta, Devils (Rafalski, Gomez)
Second Period:
Third Period: Brian Gionta, Devils (PPG) (Elias, Gomez)

Shots on Goal: 37-28 Devils

Penalties: Canadiens - 12 minutes, Devils - 2 minutes

Wow, the Devils are just rolling right now. They are STEAMROLLING these teams. I figured today they would have to outshoot Montreal. I should have actually predicted that and told you beforehand, but that's honestly what I was thinking and no doubt the Devils were thinking it as well. Huet played pretty well under the circumstances but the Devils know that in order to beat the man they need to send many pucks his way. It proved to be one of the differences today. Gionta again had two goals and has been giving great effort as well as being in the right place in the right time. He now leads the team with 19 and is looking to break away from the pack, like he did last year en route to leading the team with 48 goals. What can you say about Marty Brodeur? He has been so good lately, and his success/domination over the Canadiens has been incredible. He got his 7th shutout of the year, the most in the NHL, by stopping all 28 shots that came his way. And he got his 25th win today, the most in the NHL. He also owns the second-best GAA and the third-best Save Percentage in the league. His domination has been incredible to witness. A lot of great effort out there and a very well-played game. This team is downright scary right now, and that is fun to be a part of. Kinda scary scenario for Brad Lukowich as he lost a lot of bad on a particularly nasty high stick that cost Michael Ryder four minutes in the penalty box. I hope he's okay. Great game yet again.

Devils 3, Senators 2

Goals:
First Period: Zach Parise, Devils (Zajac, Langenbrunner)
Patrick Eaves, Senators (Schubert, McAmmond)
Second Period: Brian Gionta, Devils (Hale, Gomez)
Third Period: Brian Gionta, Devils (Gomez, Elias)
Tom Preissing, Senators (Kelly, Redden)

Shots on Goal: 35-29 Senators

Penalties: Devils - 6 minutes, Senators - 6 minutes

For some reason, this game seems really important to me. It wasn't a must-win game, it was a game that tells me the Devils are for real. It was a huge road win against a team in the Ottawa Senators that is a tough to beat and has been for years, particularly to New Jersey. Brodeur was incredible in net, as he has been all year. Is anybody else having flashbacks to the late 90's when it was a race between Hasek & Brodeur to the Vezina trophy? The only thing is - Marty has stayed on the map, whereas Hasek has simply returned. Brodeur is the most consistent goalie in the league, there's no two ways about it. Parise yet again got the scoring going as the best line of the team each got a point on his goal, his team-leading 17th of the season. Well, it was the team lead until Gionta got two goals to tie him at 17, but he had it for a little under two periods. Gionta got some nice tips today, and it's about time. The little sniper plays the role pretty well, but hasn't put himself in the best of positions. He broke out today, getting two tip-in tries, and also robbing David Hale of his first NHL goal. The penalties were pretty even, the flow of the game was pretty even. It was a good game and another solid win by the Devils, who keep the points tally going strong. Here is my one concern: late goals. This is an issue. Not a big one, because it seems the three or so recent times that it's happened, the Devils have pulled it out anyway, but someday there will be a one-goal lead or there will be a tie game and the other team is going to feel confident thinking they can put the puck in the net late. It's been happening a lot. No doubt some of that is attributed to the lack of defensemen, but it may be something else. Better look at that. Besides that, great game NJD!!

NFL Playoff Predictions

Well, my predictions aren't off to a great start, but here we go nonetheless. Smart money goes to picking the OPPOSITE team of whatever matchup I pick.

Chefs @ Colts

--No, I did not make a typo. The Cheifs are the Chefs because of the funny Snickers commercial and the fact that I hate their little McDonald's uniforms and their little field and just pretty much because they are in my division and that sucks. They go to Indy. I pick Indy EVERY YEAR to go to the Super Bowl, but they always find amazing ways in which to defy me. This year will be no different, but I expect them to get out of the first round, even if they are facing Larry Johnson. Go with the COLTS here.

Cowboys @ Seahawks

--Qwest Field is quite a stadium. It's apparently loud. And the Cowboys apparently sucked a lot against the Lions (thanks Detroit, by the way) and so the obvious pick here is Seattle, who I like a lot better anyway than the stupid Cowboys. But my pick is with DALLAS. because Seattle is soft. This means that Seattle will win by at least 25 points.

Article: Nuxhall: Bailey good fit for Reds' rotation

Despite what Cincinnati Reds manager Jerry Narron or most baseball experts say, Joe Nuxhall predicted Thursday night the Reds' starting rotation could well include Homer Bailey at the start of the 2007 season.

Nuxhall was master of ceremonies at the 28th annual Knights of Columbus Sports Stag, held at the Father Butler Council in Hamilton.


"I'm saying right now, I think he's going to be in the starting rotation," Nuxhall said of the 20-year-old Bailey, the Reds' most promising prospect who was almost untouchable at Class AA Chattanooga last season.

Hey, I'm as high on Homer Bailey as any other Reds fan who knows the only way that the Reds get top pitching prospects is to grow them ourselves (or trade Wily Mo). And this guy looks legit. But come on, this better not be true. Rule #1 of life (or at least baseball) is to not waste a young arm and to not mess up a young kid's mind and whatever else about a young kid and his young arm. The Reds definitely need to sit on this kid and wait it out. I'm nervous.

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Uh.................so what's the deal with the Devils second line being better than their first line? Time to switch? Probably not, since the first line has all the star power. And they're pretty good. But the young 2nd line (made older by Langenbrunner) has been far superior throughout most of the year. Zajac & Parise are a great combination and Langenbrunner cleans up whatever is left. They're obviously the best line of the year thus far.

Mavericks 90, Spurs 85

What a game. And I missed it! I was on the road for nearly TWELVE HOURS my friends, of what should have been an 8.5-hour trip. I do not want to get into details, so let's get into the game that I missed.

First of all - the Mavericks must beat the Spurs. They MUST. I gave them maybe 2% chance last year to do so, but they won Game 7 in San Antonio which was probably my favorite basketball game of all-time. Anyway, the Spurs are the biggest rival and I don't like the Spurs at all. Though the Suns scare me more.

So there you have it. Just like that, the Mavs have a 2-1 edge on the season series and no doubt it will probably get tied up on April 15, but that's what the taxes say. The Mavs can win in San Antonio now, they win at will. And last night was another example of a tough game. A good game. And a whiny Tim Duncan. The guy's a joke.

Nowitzki led the way with a season-high 36 points and he also contributed 8 rebounds. He didn't really get bailed out until the late stages of the second half, but Josh Howard turned it on to give 18 points and 12 boards. The man is rounding into a solid player. It is fun to see. Other than that, not much to get excited about. Devean George still can't hit his 3's. The Spurs outshot the Mavericks at the free-throw line, 31-20. I always watch that stat, and encourage you to do so because for some reason, that stat will always be there. Whether it's the refs or what, I don't know, but the Spurs always get favorable treatment. I hate to rant about the refs, I guess I've just learned it well being a Raiders fan and all. But anyway, it doesn't matter much because the Spurs suck at free throws and only made 21 of their 31.

The Mavs are now 27-7. It is an INCREDIBLE record at this stage in the season, considering they started out 0-4, they are 27-3 since then. They have gone on some serious streaks, a 12-game win streak early in the year and currently a 13-game win streak that might simply grow and grow. They play the Lakers in Los Angeles next, and I'm always skeptical of that game. The Lakers seem to have their number, but the Mavs are just streamrolling right now. Hard to pick against them. I love it!

Article: Raiders fire coach Art Shell

A.K.A. "n00b t4ken 2 pWn shop"

I apologize for the l33tspeak. And I also apologize for what is about to follow it, a mock conversation between yours truly and Al Davis.

Mr. Davis: "Hey, Tim Mo, how much do you know about the Raiders?"

Tim Mo: "A lot!"

(Mr. Davis smacks Tim Mo across the face. A loud >SMACK< style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">Mr. Davis: "Tim Mo, how much do you know about the Raiders?"

Tim Mo (sniffling, sobbing): "Not very much, Mr. Davis. Not very much."

What the l33tspeak and the mock dialogue have to do with anything, I'm not sure. But they probably have something to do with the fact that Art Shell got fired and then there's this post
saying it wouldn't happen. To those who have read the post (those unfortunate souls) you would have seen a brand-new Raiders blogger and a relatively new Raiders fan get all caught up in his ego and proud of his boasting, knowing what the REAL story would be. Surely Shell wouldn't get fired, he has AT LEAST another year left. Well, fuggedaboudit. This guy don't know nothing. Time for the speculation, as if we need more of that.

And check out the last mini-paragraph of this article: "Once a proud franchise, the Raiders have become a laughingstock and an unpopular destination for many coaches because of Davis' involvement in the day-to-day operation of the team and the club's inability to discipline players." Wow. Like to EDITORIALIZE much?????

Mavericks 100, Pacers 91

Al Harrington and Jermain O'Neal had 44 points and 27 rebounds between them, but it wasn't enough to knock off the Mavs, especially on the road. Not when you have Josh Howard throwing in 25 and 11, Nowitzki dropping 20, and Devin Harris with his season-high 24 points. The Mavs shot pretty well, and I particularly like the fact they only took 8 three's all night. Lately they had been jacking them up there. They got KILLED on the boards tonight, largely due to the aforementioned Pacers Harrington & O'Neal, but they did what they usually do and they found a way to win.

Josh Howard for MVP? He certainly has been a stud this year. But what about the little man, Devin Harris, tonight? More of that, good sir!

Devils 4, Islanders 3

Goals: Zach Parise, Devils (Zajac)
Sergei Brylin, Devils (Pandolfo)
Trent Hunter, Islanders (Hill, Hilbert)
Zach Parise, Devils (Langenbrunner, Zajac)

Patrik Elias, Devils (Gionta)
Andy Hilbert, Islanders (Sillinger, Hunter)

Mike Sillinger, Islanders (PPG) (Blake, Satan)

Shots on Goal: 43-26 Islanders

Penalties: Devils - 6 minutes, Islanders - 8 minutes

Good game tonight. Fun. Defensive lapses aren't great, but hey, a win is a win, particularly within the division.

--FIRST PERIOD--

Well, that was exciting. Three goals in three minutes, a complete 180 from the previous meeting between these two teams, and unlike a typical start of pretty much any Devils game. But there you have it, that's hockey sometimes. Zajac's name was being called time and time again, and he wound up with two goals. A lot of chances, a lot of early action, and the Devils defense settled down even though they were without the services of Johnny Oduya for most of the period and probably the rest of the game. The Devils open up the second period with a 5-on-3 for a little bit and then another minute of a regular power play. We'll see how it goes.

--SECOND PERIOD--

The teams exchange goals as the Islanders pick up the pace. They easily have more shots on goal, but it seems the Devils truly have more scoring opportunities and better shots instead of long shots from the point. Brodeur is playing solid hockey, it doesn't seem either of the goals were his fault. We expect a shutout every time from this guy because we know he can deliver it, but he's still doing alright anyhow. Not a whole lot of penalties on the Devils side, and they are playing very smartly in that regard. They are good on the power play (in terms of percentage) and they are good on the penalty kill, but I don't think enough is made of how many penalties they take vs. those they create. They must be in the Top 5 in that category. Well, I expect the Islanders to pick up the pace but I doubt they will put that close. The Devils have this one in hand. We shall see.

--THIRD PERIOD--

Whew, that's it. The Islanders racked up the shots, and this time there were a lot of good chances. Marty was superb in this period, except for the late goal he allowed on the 6-on-4. Otherwise, good job by all. I know the Devils don't like giving up 3 goals and 40+ shots, but they did allow it and they managed to win despite it. And the best part of all? The Islanders didn't get any points.

Devils Preview

Instead of being monotonous and linking to it every time, if you want a good game preview of EVERY Devils hockey game (and one that is, let's be honest, better than what the top media websites put out there) check out what John F. has to say. The link tonight is for the Islanders @ Devils. Well done.

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Article: Seriously, Oakland, pass on Quinn

Connor Byrne over at RealFootball365 agrees with me.

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LT MVP

Well, there was no doubt about this one. As much as I can't stand the Chargers, Tomlinson deserved this. He was simply amazing this year, and even if I can't be truly happy for him since he's in my division, his play is good for this league. I'll trade the entire Raider offense for this guy. And half my draft picks.

Raiders 2007 Opponents

The home schedule is extremely favorable to us. The road schedule is obviously tougher, but the key note is that the Raiders are playing IN MINNESOTA. With my luck, I'll be in school down in Illinois when that game takes place, but maybe, just maybe I'll be able to see my beloved Raiders. I'm such a traitor.

Brendan Harris traded to Devil Rays

For a player to be named later (seems the Reds have a lot of those players coming.......someday) or cash. I'll take the cash, to be honest with you. How's about $126 million??

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Josh Howard - Player of the Week

Howard was the Western Conference winner for the second straight week. He averaged 21.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in helping Dallas win four games and extend its winning streak to 10.

Howard had 28 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in an 89-85 win at Denver on Sunday.

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Article: 'Just Quinn, Baby' could become Raiders new motto

Josh Dubow, of the Associated Press, tells the Raiders they better pick Brady Quinn, the star QB of Notre Dame OR ELSE. Well, not really. But the basis for that is summed up as follows: "Um.....have you SEEN your other two QB's play?" The answer to which is no, because they were on national TV twice and I was not around to watch. I count myself thankful for that, but yes, our quarterback play was certainly abysmal. But back to Quinn now, for he is the talk of the town. It's not exactly the "Brady Quinn Bowl" as much as last year was the "Reggie Bush Bowl" but everyone is assuming Quinn will go #1. Funny part about that is how Bush didn't go #1. After all that hype. 'Tis a shame.

Anyway, I say no to this. Brady Quinn probably isn't the best QB of the year, probably won't be the best QB of the draft either. Sure, he's got that "star power" and "sex appeal" and a "hot sister" who "likes AJ Hawk quite a bit" and on and on and on, but I just do not want to see this pick happen. I would much rather see Adrian Peterson or Calvin Johnson here. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE A KICKER CHOSEN WITH THE #1 PICK NOR A LONG SNAPPER. That disclaimer was for the Raiders, who seemingly always come up with a dumb pick. Not that everyone team doesn't have dumb picks, but come on. I don't want to see another offensive lineman, even though that's what we desperately need. Why? I'm afraid he'll wind up like Gallery. Now, who DIDN'T think Gallery was going to be amazing? I mean sure, a #2 for a left tackle was not exactly all that interesting or exciting, but he was going to be a BEAST and knock people around. It just hasn't happened and it probably won't. I still have no clue as to why.

So forget about Quinn, let him take his beautiful drama somewhere else. We can keep his sister, though. We can take Troy Smith if we want to, that would be alright. Brian Brohm? Maybe. That Kolb guy from Houston who threw for a million yards? No, that's just overrated hype right there. Adrian Peterson bursting out of the backfield and creating his OWN blocks? Sure. Calvin Johnson catching EVERY pass thrown his way? Sure.

I think, though, that the Raiders will trade the #1 pick. Which isn't a bad move, after all Schweigert was calling for it. That's probably what they will do, and if a team wants Quinn bad enough (Quinn wants the Browns to pick him) then we can get some good stuff in return.

But in reality, who knows what will happen? Not I.

Raiders coach

The Raiders obviously have many decisions to make heading into the offseason. The firing squad around the league took two early victims: Dennis Green of the Arizona Cardinals and Jim Mora of the Atlanta Falcons. I don't know much about the Mora story, other than him talking about going to coach at the University of Washington, but other than that, I'm actually surprised that he's done. He seemed like a pretty good coach to me. As far as Green goes, I feel bad for the man, partly because of the MINNESOTA CONNECTION, but also because he is a good man who should have done a better job with Arizona.

To sum it up, the Raiders have had four incredibly painful years, this year being the most painful of all. But you look at the past 10-12-15 years, and you see that there is something to be thankful for. Not being the Browns, or the Cardinals, or the Lions of all teams. But the Raiders are charging right in with them to become a team of that caliber. And that is not good, not good at all.

Will Art Shell stay? A lot of "pundits" who LOVE to trash the Raiders are saying he will leave. Most of them are saying that he is done. I say to them, maybe. But I doubt it. I will be surprised if he gets fired. I'm pretty sure he will stay for at least one more year and maybe even longer than that. And to be honest, I'm okay with that.

Like many, I have blamed Shell from time to time for a wide variety of things. It's hard to like a coach of a team that performs so poorly and even harder when reading through news reports and articles and blogs about how AWFUL this team has been. So many people are calling for Shell's head. I just don't buy it. If you go back to what I just said, this team performed poorly. This is a performance-based business. And the players did not perform. Surely, the coaching this year has not been without fault, it was not very good. But the players go out there, and even if they went out there with the most vanilla offense you could find (and that might have actually been the case) you still need to block, run, catch, throw, juke, spin, and PROTECT THE BALL.

Art Shell will be back. Sorry to those of you who don't like that, but do you want to sit through yet ANOTHER firing and hiring? This will not change things. And things definitely need to be changed. If I'm wrong, that's fine. I could be. I just don't see it. But if I am wrong, my choice for coach is Rob Ryan. Without a doubt. I want to hear that man speak, and he has no choice but to speak after games, after practices, and all of that. I want to see The Caveman step in front of the podium and throw around some knuckle-headed wisdom. That's just me, that's what I'm about. I think he's earned it.