It's typical to see a physical battle in any Big Ten game. However, the physicality of this past weeks games may have been a little too much for Big Ten referees.
Michigan's Manny Harris was ejected in the second half of today's game for elbowing Purdue's Chris Kramer in the face when swinging a ball through to gain position. Kramer fell to the floor, suffering a broken nose on the play. Earlier this week, Wisconsin's Joe Krabbenhoft appeared to have thrown an elbow when setting a pick on Purdue's Keaton Grant, knocking him to the floor as well. Michigan's Zack Novak was suspended for today's game against Purdue for a similar violation against Ohio State.
Were the referees trying to make a point by ejecting Harris for his elbow on Kramer?
Well, technically Harris' elbow did warrant a flagrant foul and an ejection. According to NCAA rules, if a player makes contact with another player and causes injury when swinging an elbow, it is grounds for a flagrant foul and an ejection.
Michigan head coach John Beilein disagreed with the call.
"He thought Manny threw his elbow into Kramer's nose," he said. "I argued that he was just transferring his position. Kramer is such a great defender and plays on people so tightly, but Manny was just trying to transfer his position."
What do you think? Did the officials make the right call, or was Harris simply just trying to gain position on Kramer?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Manny to St. Louis?
The Manny Ramirez saga continues. Next stop: St. Louis. Albert Pujols was quoted saying that he wanted to see Ramirez come to St. Louis. General Manager John Mozeliak's answer: No.
"The answer is no," Mozeliak said, when asked by the Los Angeles Times if the Cardinals had interest in signing Ramirez.
But that seems to be the answer the Cardinals have given to essentially every high profile athlete each offseason. The Cardinals passed up closer Brian Fuentes and starters Jon Garland and Andy Pettite this offseason.
Fuentes was a perfect fit for this Cardinals team. They were in desperate need of a closer when aging Jason Isringhausen did not return following this season. Fuentes was coming off a 30 save season where he had 62.7 innings pitched, to go along with 82 strikeouts and a career best 2.73 ERA. What was the problem with that? The problem was that Fuentes wanted a 3-year contract. Mozeliak said he was not interested in signing a reliever to a 3-year contract.
That's why the Cardinals had one of the worst bullpens in the league last season. They aren't willing to pay the big bucks for the big players. Fuentes would have been a leader in the St. Louis bullpen, one that features pitchers like Randy Flores, Todd Wellemeyer, Tyler Johnson, and Brad Thompson. They needed a guy who could shut the door in the 9th inning. They held on to Isringhausen too long and are now stuck in a rut where they may have to have a closer by committee.
Fantasy Tip: Don't select a St. Louis reliever if you want saves. YOU WON'T GET THEM.
However, the Cardinals did sign electrifying shortstop Khalil Green over the course of the offseason to replace Cezar Izturis, who did not live up to expectations in St. Louis. Green struggled a bit last season only hitting .213 with 10 HR and 35 RBI, but on the plus side he's a great defensive shortstop, coming in with a .982 fielding percentage with 8 errors.
The one thing that still remains is that the Cardinals need starting pitching. A healthy Chris Carpenter would make a huge impact to the rotation. Adam Wainwright and Kyle Lohse both return after having solid seasons. Lohse was the biggest surprise, leading the Cardinals in innings pitched (200) and wins (15). He also posted a 3.78 ERA and 20 "quality" starts in his 33 games.
The favorite to win the NL Central is still the Chicago Cubs, but you can't count the Cardinals out. Last season, they were projected to finish near the bottom of the pack in the division, but still posted an above .500 record at 86-76.
"The answer is no," Mozeliak said, when asked by the Los Angeles Times if the Cardinals had interest in signing Ramirez.
But that seems to be the answer the Cardinals have given to essentially every high profile athlete each offseason. The Cardinals passed up closer Brian Fuentes and starters Jon Garland and Andy Pettite this offseason.
Fuentes was a perfect fit for this Cardinals team. They were in desperate need of a closer when aging Jason Isringhausen did not return following this season. Fuentes was coming off a 30 save season where he had 62.7 innings pitched, to go along with 82 strikeouts and a career best 2.73 ERA. What was the problem with that? The problem was that Fuentes wanted a 3-year contract. Mozeliak said he was not interested in signing a reliever to a 3-year contract.
That's why the Cardinals had one of the worst bullpens in the league last season. They aren't willing to pay the big bucks for the big players. Fuentes would have been a leader in the St. Louis bullpen, one that features pitchers like Randy Flores, Todd Wellemeyer, Tyler Johnson, and Brad Thompson. They needed a guy who could shut the door in the 9th inning. They held on to Isringhausen too long and are now stuck in a rut where they may have to have a closer by committee.
Fantasy Tip: Don't select a St. Louis reliever if you want saves. YOU WON'T GET THEM.
However, the Cardinals did sign electrifying shortstop Khalil Green over the course of the offseason to replace Cezar Izturis, who did not live up to expectations in St. Louis. Green struggled a bit last season only hitting .213 with 10 HR and 35 RBI, but on the plus side he's a great defensive shortstop, coming in with a .982 fielding percentage with 8 errors.
The one thing that still remains is that the Cardinals need starting pitching. A healthy Chris Carpenter would make a huge impact to the rotation. Adam Wainwright and Kyle Lohse both return after having solid seasons. Lohse was the biggest surprise, leading the Cardinals in innings pitched (200) and wins (15). He also posted a 3.78 ERA and 20 "quality" starts in his 33 games.
The favorite to win the NL Central is still the Chicago Cubs, but you can't count the Cardinals out. Last season, they were projected to finish near the bottom of the pack in the division, but still posted an above .500 record at 86-76.
Super Bowl XLIII
With arguably the biggest sporting event of the year just around the corner, I found it only fitting that I write my first "real" post on this years Super Bowl.
This years game features the classic battle of the high powered offense against the leagues top defense. Kurt Warner is coming off an MVP caliber season, and Larry Fitzgerald has simply been Superman for the Cardinals' offense. Edgerrin James has also been a pleasant surprise, and you can't forget about Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald and Boldin have combined for 29 receptions, 525 yards, and 6 TDs in the postseason, with Fitzgerald leading all receivers in the postseason by more than 200 yards. Running back Edgerrin James comes in to this game as the fifth leading rusher this post season, tallying 203 yards and a touchdown on 52 attempts.
Now on the other side of the ball: The wall that is the Pittsburgh defense. This defense enters the game with NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, and James Farrior, both Pro-Bowl selections at the linebacker position. These two lead the front 7 and a defense that has allowed just 19 points per game, and only 244 yards per game in the postseason.
The story here will be how efficient the Cardinals' passing attack will be against the Steelers defense. Pittsburgh allows right around 200 passing yards per game and 3 TDs, where Kurt Warner has thrown for about 257 yards a game with 8 TDs. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers secondary can contain the Cardinals' offense, with All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu looking to intercept every pass and take it in for a score.
What needs to happen for the Steelers to win is Big Ben Roethlisberger to take advantage of the inferior defense. He has enough tools to break the secondary down and get the ball in the endzone. Look for WR Nate Washington have a big game. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are going to get the star treatment, and if the Cardinals' forget about Washington for a second, he could be gone for 6 points. Also, Willie Parker needs to continue his success in the postseason. Parker has rushed for 193 yards and 2 TDs on 51 attempts this postseason.
However, look for Bertrand Berry and Adrian Wilson to keep the Cardinals' defense playing at a high level. Arizona has 8 interceptions this postseason to go along with 7 sacks.
My Pick: Arizona 27, Pittsburgh 21.
This offense is too powerful, despite how stong Pittsburgh's defense is. Kurt Warner is a proven winner and has the necessary tools needed to win a championship. His two All-Pro options at receiver will be hard for the Steelers to stop, especially when they also have Edgerrin James to worry about.
Arizona Cardinals: Super Bowl XLIII Champions.
This years game features the classic battle of the high powered offense against the leagues top defense. Kurt Warner is coming off an MVP caliber season, and Larry Fitzgerald has simply been Superman for the Cardinals' offense. Edgerrin James has also been a pleasant surprise, and you can't forget about Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald and Boldin have combined for 29 receptions, 525 yards, and 6 TDs in the postseason, with Fitzgerald leading all receivers in the postseason by more than 200 yards. Running back Edgerrin James comes in to this game as the fifth leading rusher this post season, tallying 203 yards and a touchdown on 52 attempts.
Now on the other side of the ball: The wall that is the Pittsburgh defense. This defense enters the game with NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, and James Farrior, both Pro-Bowl selections at the linebacker position. These two lead the front 7 and a defense that has allowed just 19 points per game, and only 244 yards per game in the postseason.
The story here will be how efficient the Cardinals' passing attack will be against the Steelers defense. Pittsburgh allows right around 200 passing yards per game and 3 TDs, where Kurt Warner has thrown for about 257 yards a game with 8 TDs. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers secondary can contain the Cardinals' offense, with All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu looking to intercept every pass and take it in for a score.
What needs to happen for the Steelers to win is Big Ben Roethlisberger to take advantage of the inferior defense. He has enough tools to break the secondary down and get the ball in the endzone. Look for WR Nate Washington have a big game. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are going to get the star treatment, and if the Cardinals' forget about Washington for a second, he could be gone for 6 points. Also, Willie Parker needs to continue his success in the postseason. Parker has rushed for 193 yards and 2 TDs on 51 attempts this postseason.
However, look for Bertrand Berry and Adrian Wilson to keep the Cardinals' defense playing at a high level. Arizona has 8 interceptions this postseason to go along with 7 sacks.
My Pick: Arizona 27, Pittsburgh 21.
This offense is too powerful, despite how stong Pittsburgh's defense is. Kurt Warner is a proven winner and has the necessary tools needed to win a championship. His two All-Pro options at receiver will be hard for the Steelers to stop, especially when they also have Edgerrin James to worry about.
Arizona Cardinals: Super Bowl XLIII Champions.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Greetings, My Friends
Hello and welcome to my brand new sports blog, a site designed to bring you the latest news from around the sports world. Multiple contributors will also be providing their insight and sports knowledge on this site as well. Thanks for reading, and tell your friends!
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