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Oct 01 2012
By Matt Emch Analysis, NFL

NFL Roundup, Week 4: Who Are the League’s Best and Worst Teams so Far?

Since the replacement officials are off of the field, we can finally forget about the mockery that was the first three weeks of the NFL season. This weekend provided plenty of well-officiated action, as each team worked to either continue their dominance or right the ship of their already poor seasons.

The Big Game

Rivalry games always provide plenty of entertainment.  But a Sunday night matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) and the New York Giants (2-2) is a recipe for something special. While the two teams started slowly, the pace quickly picked up in the second half. The Eagles were able to score a go-ahead field goal with 1:49 left on the clock – plenty of time for another Eli-led comeback.

With the Giants driving, and aided with two defensive pass interference calls, it seemed inevitable that New York would come out on top. Attacking Eagles’ cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, the Giants threw another deep pass, but the ball was underthrown, and offensive pass interference was called. Only 11 seconds remained on the clock, and Tom Coughlin—fittingly, in a bizarre, Andy Reid-esque manner—called on Lawrence Tynes to attempt a 58-yard field goal on only third down. After one icing attempt, Tynes’ kick looked spot on but ultimately fell short, giving the Eagles the win by a score of 19-17.

Who is the best team in the league?

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Sep 12 2012
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By Ryan Bacic Analysis, Big East, News

What ND’s Move Means for Georgetown’s Future

Notre Dame announced this morning that it is leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports except football, meaning that the absurdities and rampant speculation of conference realignment have started all over again.

Because the Big East requires 27-months’ notice before a school is allowed to leave, the Fighting Irish are in theory stuck in the league until 2015. It remains to be seen, however, if some arrangement can be worked out for a school that boasts what many think is the biggest fanbase in collegiate athletics.

Notre Dame is the fourth program to announce a departure from the Big East in the past two years, following in the footsteps of West Virginia (Big 12), Syracuse and Pittsburgh (both likewise to the ACC); while the latter two will make their moves in 2013, the Mountaineers have already made the switch.

Temple, however, is already in to fill the void left by WVU, leaving Big East football at the same number of team — eight — that it has had since the ACC finished its last swoop on the conference in 2005.

Most talk on the biggest repercussions of conference realignment have been about basketball — and the implications in Notre Dame’s move could be huge for the Blue and Gray, depending on whether or not Georgetown has, and takes advantage of, an emerging opening.

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Sep 11 2012
By Dillon Mullan Analysis, NBA Hoyas

How Hank Fits into the New York Picture

During the 2010-2011 Georgetown basketball season, junior Henry Sims averaged 3.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists; on average, he was on the court for only three minutes and forty-two seconds longer than Jerrelle Benimon;  Nate Lubick was a freshman at the time and put up better numbers than Sims in every major category except for blocks.

How Henry Sims has found his way into 2012 training camp with the New York Knicks, then, I am not quite sure. Nonetheless, that he is in fact there is a testament to and a just reward for all of Sims’ hard work.

Henry had a fine senior campaign for Georgetown, in which he saw his minutes double following the graduation of Julian Vaughn and averaged 11.6 points, 6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. Defying preconceptions, he proved to be an athletic big man with a respectable scoring touch and outstanding court vision.

After going undrafted this summer, Henry featured in eight NBA summer league games, four with the Utah Jazz and four for the Chicago Bulls. He put up 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and .5 assists in a little over ten minutes per game.

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Aug 15 2012
By Ryan Bacic Analysis, Soccer

U.S. Men’s National Team Wins Its First-Ever Game on Mexican Soil

80th-Minute Goal Gives Americans Historic Victory

Entering Wednesday night, the United States men’s national soccer team was 0-23-1 all-time in Mexico, with the cavernous—and often downright dangerous—Estadio Azteca proving to be the Americans’ kryptonite time and again. With Jurgen Klinnsman calling in what was generally deemed a “B” team for this one, most people had already mentally chalked up that record to 0-24-1 before the opening kick.

Not so fast. In what can be described as nothing less than an absolute stunner, the Stars and Stripes pulled out an improbable 1-0 win on the back of a goal in the 80th minute from substitute right back Michael Orozco Fiscal; in the process, the U.S. claimed its first match in Mexico in 25 tries over a span of 75 long years. My take on their groundbreaking win below:

Don’t let the “friendly” tag deceive you: the Americans’ win in Azteca means A LOT. Regardless of the outcome, the game was always going to be some heady scheduling by Klinnsman, as he chose to thrust his team into what is historically the toughest place in the world for the U.S. to play, providing them with some vital experience in a harsh road environment. The only way that the plan could’ve backfired was with an embarrassingly lopsided victory for El Tri, which would’ve only further fed the perception of a growing “gap” between the two countries.

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Aug 10 2012
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By Ryan Bacic Analysis, Basketball, Olympics

One at a Time Enough for U.S. in Argentina Rout

Rematch with Spain in Gold-Medal Game up Next

Facing off on Friday against Argentina, the #3-ranked team in the world, the U.S. men’s basketball team looked in the first half as if it might not be able to take its foot off the gas.

I guess looks can be deceiving. What was a mere five-point lead at the end of the first was still single digits at the break, with the U.S. up 47-40; the third quarter, though, was all Red, White and Blue, as Kevin Durant caught fire and the Argentines’ gold-medal hopes went up in flames. The final period, meanwhile, was ‘Melo’s time—cue badly forced LeBron fourth quarter jokes here—as the unfortunate ‘Cuse grad was unconscious from deep, going 4-4 en route to 18 points on the night.

The OKC frontman started off slow but couldn’t miss in the third. (IB Times)

By the time the final whistle had blown, that paltry seven-point halftime lead had ballooned to 26. Those who didn’t catch the game and just see the 109-83 score might be surprised to know that this one was ever as close as it was. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the U.S. was legitimately threatened, mind you, but there was a time back in the first two quarters where you started to see how an upset could potentially have come to fruition.

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Aug 09 2012
By Corey Blaine Analysis, Baseball, Fantasy Sports

Fantasy by the Numbers: The Dog Days of August

Now that we’re into August, fantasy baseball teams in traditional rotisserie-style leagues are heading into the last full month of the season with a chance to make a run for first place. In head-to-head leagues, the playoffs are starting soon, meaning now is the last chance to make a meaningful impact on your roster.

The only rule of thumb for teams heading into the playoffs in 2012 is to avoid starting a Houston Astros pitcher. Since June 28, Houston only has 4 total wins, especially embarrassing considering that 14 pitchers have had more wins than that in that span. Other than that, August is a weird time in fantasy where a lot of success hinges on picking up players on teams in the middle of a pennant race.

Who to Add

Kyle Lohse

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