Sport Saturday: Paradise

Paradise.  From now until sometime in January.  Paradise for true fans of football.  American that is.  NCAA Division One College Football.  From the shores of Florida to the Yukon, from Honolulu to Maine, crowds which make the pros jealous will fill football palaces to cheer on their favorite teams.  Although there were a few ceremonial games last weekend, this weekend marks the official start of the NCAA College Football Season.  

The blogosphere resounds with praise and welcome for this weekend. From you faithful readers here at this space, to blogs as disparate as http://closetprofessor.blogspot.com/ and  probably soon, http://daninokc.blogspot.com/

Today this weekend will be filled with David and Goliath moments, as powerful teams invite their obligatory poor step cousins to be beaten at their homes.  Last night, already, No. 18 Michigan State beat  Tulsa 28 to 7.  No. 19 Wisconsin showed no mercy to hurricane ravaged (or soon will be) South Florida, whipping them 49- 0. 

 

Don't miss the great, new, slick uniforms the teams will be wearing for the opening weekend.  Since Oregon alums at Nike began to dress the Ducks, weekly, with amazing kit, other teams have caught on.  Spare the expense.  Readers of this space will not be upset. 

Today's menu shows only one game between ranked teams, neither at home, to make it more interesting.   Number 11 Oregon will take on Number 16 Auburn at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  The Dallas Cowboys home stadium will maybe see more action and drama today than in all the upcoming NFL season,  as these two teams duke it out on the field.  Oregon does not have a good history here, having lost several key games the infrequent times they have been featured here. 

Meanwhile back and Flushing Meadows...  Novak...  and RF

(Round three of the US Open of Tennis continues in New York City, in Queens today)

and the Vuelta (more tomorrow)

and who could forget the AFL playoffs.  

Paradise

  

Saturday Final Sport Four

Men's Basketball has us all confused this morning, with the Milwaukee Bucks removing the LA Lakers from NBA contention!?!  This will be the first year in almost two decades without a LeBron James in the NBA finals.  Maybe the Lakers should move back to Minnesota?  

That is where the true  action is this weekend, Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is the site of today's Final Four in the championships of USA's NCAA Men's College Basketball. The championships are being played at the US Bank Stadium, better known to readers of this space as the new home to the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL.  I guess they finally wanted to have some champion play at their new stadium.  

This year's is not the most exciting of recent Final Four match-ups, as we have heard over, and over, and over...  A top seed, a past champion and two first-time visitors will play for the national title this weekend.  

They are still playing in the tournament, right, so they must be pretty good.  This space foresees some exciting basketball this evening.

In the first match-up,  tournament surprisers Auburn will contend with fellow southerners Virginia.  Virginia is the last top seed in the tournament, and Auburn is making their virgin visit to the finals.  The Auburn Tigers are peaking, being on a 12 game winning streak.  The Virginia Cavaliers have a top rated defense.  Auburn has some players who may be out for the flu...  The Tigers have the plan and could very well win, but they have their work cut out for them.  

Later, Michigan State, of the Big 10, who won the big dance in 2000, will take on Texas Tech, also Final Four Virgins.  The Michigan State Spartans have a top rated offense and defense, so come into the game strong.  The Texas Tech Red Raiders have surprised everyone in the tournament so far, and could very well pull off a surprise today.  


The Red Raiders are known for a very strong defense, but their offense has been coming alive all tournament long.  

Sport Saturday: Football Extravaganza, India vs. Sri Lanka

Football.  American Football, that is.  Thanksgiving.  American Thanksgiving, that is.  Weekend.  American Thanksgiving Football Weekend.  i.e. NOW. 

No other time of year is such a celebration of American Football as this weekend.  Beginning on Thanksgiving Day, with three NFL matches staggered to provide Football all day and long into the evening, the football orgy continues each day.  Yesterday and today were college football days, the last days of their regular season, and attention turns again on Sunday to the NFL.  Even the great conflagration of bowl games at the new year, in this post BCS season, does not provide as much variety or excitement.  Super Bowl weekend is great, but it is one game, in February.  College and NFL teams this weekend play out their great rivalries, they reach decision points, they qualify or don't, they aim toward a winning season or realize that they will be losers again this year.  

Thanksgiving Thursday. Black Friday. Saturday.  Sunday.  Football. 

What has already happened should be well known to you, what is to happen we do not know.  Nonetheless, today, Saturday, provides some top games to watch.  Chief among those is between number 9 Ohio State and perennial powerhouse, Michigan.  Michigan has lost just the wrong games this year, and so is currently not ranked, but they always have a few tricks up their sleeves for arch nemeses Ohio State.  A victory in this annual game provides a great boost to either of the rivals.  This year a loss cannot hurt Michigan, but could hurt Ohio State.  

#1 Alabama battles #6 Auburn in an annual intrastate blood feud.  This southern rivalry is always a classic, and even more so this year with so much on the line.  Other great games should be # 3 Clemson vs. #24 South Carolina in another southern rivalry, and on the west coast, another intrastate rivalry when #13 Washington State and #17 Washington do battle to prove who is the apple of Washington's eye.

Ravichandra Ashwin and Ishant Sharma formed a fearsome partnership for India to skittle out Sri Lanka for 205 on the opening day of the second Test of Sri Lanka's tour of India.  India was on top as Ashwin destroyed Sri Lanka despite 'no demons' in Nagpur wicket.  But the hosts were 11-1 at the close after opener Lokesh Rahul fell for 7, bowled by Sri Lankan paceman Lahiru Gamage.  Murali Vijay, on 2, and Cheteshwar Pujara, on 2, were batting at the close of play in Nagpur with India trailing by 194 runs in the first innings.  The day belonged to the bowlers with Ashwin taking four wickets and fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant picking three each. The tourists lost six wickets in the final session.  

"I think me and Ashwin were trying to bowl in good areas. Trying to restrict them by not giving easy boundaries," said Jadeja, who took 3-56.

 "We were just providing a supporting role to the fast bowlers who bowled well in the first session."  Chandimal, who hit a six in his 122-ball knock, was given not out by the on-field umpire but captain Virat Kohli called for a review which went in India's favour.  Chandimal and Karunaratne put on a crucial 62-run stand for the fourth wicket before the Indian bowlers struck back.  The two teams are fighting to get ahead in the three-Test series after the opening game ended in a draw at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.  The three Sri Lanka Tests come before India, the world's top-ranked team, embark on a three-Test tour starting January in South Africa, where they have never won a Test series.

Saturday Sport: Rugby Football, American Football

In the USA, in College Football, so many teams are playing important games, with playoff implications.  It seems that the old system of rivalries and intra-league play is just as exciting, or even more so, than several weeks of playoffs.   At least, this is what November teaches us, at least this November... 

Number 1 Georgia will play at Number 10 Auburn in a nationally televised game.   Auburn is a tough team, and has yet to play Georgia and number 2 Alabama, who are top ranked.  Auburn could easily throw a monkey wrench into the season for both the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide, so today's game is of  even greater importance.   Alabama will visit number 16 Mississippi State, who will not be a pushover.  Catholics have a great reason to rejoice, as the favorite division one team of many, Notre Dame, sits at number 3 in the rankings and today will visit number 7 Miami.  The Fighting Irish must win if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive, Miami could prove that they deserve their high standing. 

The Big 12 has several teams who are vying for the top spot, even this late in the season, and so when number 6 TCU visits number 5 Oklahoma, a possible playoff spot is on the line.   In the Big 10, recently demoted number 13 Ohio State is recovering from a loss at number 20 Iowa last weekend, and today will host number 12 Michigan State.   Both are contenders for the Big 10 East title.  In the Big 10 West, number 20 Iowa, coming off their big win against Ohio State, will visit Madison to contend with number 8  Wisconsin.  Wisconsin's undefeated season is on the line, and Iowa has been surging lately.  This is one game not to miss. 

This is the first weekend of NCAA Division 1 Basketball for the new season.  As would be expected the historically strong teams have been winning, and are expected to win, as they play historically weak teams. 

In Rugby, Fiji will meet Italy at the Angelo Massimino Stadium in Catania, Sicily,  today in group play of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup competitions.  Fiji has won three of their last four competitions, Italy only one.     Fiji all-but secured their World Cup quarter-final place with another dominant display, dispatching Wales 72-6.  Italy responded to their disappointing outing in their opening game by producing a very good display to blank  the USA in their second group game.    The 46-0 win was a welcome relief to the Italians after a torrid week on and off the pitch in the previous week but it may be too little, too late as they would need to beat Fiji by a similar score to qualify for the quarter-finals.  Meanwhile, England's opening match of their autumn Test series at Twickenham will take place today. Eddie Jones' men will be playing Argentina, Australia and Samoa over the coming weeks.  England have rested Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje. Red Rose head coach Eddie Jones had indicated he would stand down some of his British and Irish Lions due to their involvement in the summer tour to New Zealand.  Other nations play today includes Scotland vs Samoa at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Wales vs Australia at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Ireland vs South Africa at the  Aviva Stadium, Dublin and France vs New Zealand at the, Stade de France, Paris.  

Water Polo

Niccolo Gitto

Aleksa Saponjic

Antonio Valentini

NFL Update with Cam Newton

by Rexswimguy

Thanksgiving Day means NFL football ... all afternoon and evening, so get ready!

************************************

2015 NFL Regular Season

Thursday, November 26

(Eastern Time)

12:30 PM: Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) @ Detroit Lions (3-7), FOX

4:30 PM: Carolina Panthers (10-0) @ Dallas Cowboys (3-7), CBS

8:30 PM: Chicago Bears (4-6) @ Green Bay Packers (7-3), NBC

************************************

 

... plus starting quarterback #1 Cam Newton of the Panthers, who has led his team to a 10-0 start this season.  Watch this #1 draft pick in action today as he tries to take his team to new heights.

Name: Cam Newton

Date of Birth: May 11, 1989 (Taurus)

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Height/Weight: 6'5"/245 lbs

College: Auburn (2011)

Team: Carolina Panthers

Position: Quarterback

NCAA Football Update National Championship

BCS National Championship:  

Auburn vs. Florida State, who will be the true champions?
(by Rexswimguy)

 

It's all on the line for sure tonight, sportsfans, as we take in the BCS National Championship.  (It's the Superbowl of college football!)  Are you ready?!?!

**********************************************************************

NCAA Football Post-Season

January 6, 2014

(Eastern Time)

BCS National Championship Game

8:30 PM: #1 Florida State (13-0) vs. #2 Auburn (12-1), ESPN

**********************************************************************

... plus Florida State tight end, #35 Nick O'Leary, in action.  Watch for him tonight, along with a bevy of other superstars.

********************************************

Name: Nick O'Leary

Date of Birth: August 31, 1992 (Virgo)

Hometown: Palm Beach, Florida, USA

Height/Weight: 6'3"/248 lbs

Team: Florida State Seminoles

Year: Junior

Position: Tight End

********************************************

NCAA football