Friday, December 28, 2012

Big 10 Bowl Outlook

The college football bowl season begins tonight if you're a Big 10 fan with Minnesota being the first of the seven conference teams to see action. It looks like it could be a long week, although, as every Big 10 team is the underdog in their game. Here are the lines as of this afternoon...

Texas Tech -13.5 Minnesota
TCU -2.5 Michigan St
Oklahoma St -17.5 Purdue
Miss St -1.5 Northwestern

South Carolina -7 Michigan
Georgia -10.5 Nebraska
Stanford -7 Wisconsin

There are definitely an couple of blowouts there, in fact we didn't even realize that Purdue qualified for a bowl, and hopefully a couple of victories. The Badgers seem like a good upset candidate. Either way it's going to a tough road for the Big 10 in the Bowl games and it may be time to move onto the hoops season as that's looking very promising.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Sports Reality Show

Sports are the only true reality show. You never know what may happen. Will you see history? The big upset? I've been a fan long enough to know that it's not over 'til it's over. I thought I'd share my massive screwup from last night.  Forth inning, Game 5, the Nationals are up 6-1. A boatload of new movies, to me anyway, are calling my name. I've picked up The Avengers, Dark Shadows, Prometheus, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, and Battlestar Galactica Season 1 in the last week but the playoffs have been so good that there hasn't been any movie time. I don't know why, as I know better, but I popped Prometheus in the PS3 and essential gave up on the game. Fast forward a couple hours, I find out the Cardinals pieces together a remarkable comeback to fend off elimination yet again. I didn't even receive any text message from my Cardinal fan friends or my old drinking buddies. I'm disappointed. In them, in the Nationals, and in myself. Why would you ever turn away from a playoff game when your hated rival was getting beat? You wouldn't. I'm just plain stupid. On a good note, I did miss out on the pain of having to watch the Comeback Cards do it again. And for your information, I thought the movie was over hyped. I give it a sideways thumb. It was good but not awesome. Sigh.

Saturday 6 Pack 10-13

It's been a magical week of MLB Playoff games but today is for the pigskin. Noticed there aren't as many high profile games in prime time this week. And that's a shame. Both fans and players enjoy the games under the lights but universities probably don't like the extra hours of beer consumption and tailgaters. Seven days until we make our return trip to Kinnick. Can't wait to see everybody and enjoy a Hawkeye game. But, hey, we still have this week's picks to roll out and here they are...

Michigan St  -7.5
Wisconsin  +1
Alabama  -21.5
West Virginia  -3.5
South Carolina  +3.5

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Saturday 6 Pack 9/29

So how bad is the Big 10? Northwestern may be the best team. Is the Pac 12, besides Oregon, that much better? Kinda a sad week of games so the solution might be to watch the Ryder Cup a little more closely today. Yesterday there was some fabulous play and the crowd is usually pretty comical.  Back to football, Iowa is looking to regain control of Floyd of Rosedale, in the first round of games. The day ends with on explosive Oregon team and some UFC on Fuel TV. Enjoy the games and don't forgot to support your favorite brewery.

Georgia -13.5
Missouri +1.5
Ohio St +2
Iowa St +2
Wisconsin +11.5

This week's bonus pick...
Kyle Kingsbury +165
UFC on Fuel TV 5

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Saturday 6 Pack 9/22

The last two weeks we've been on the road visiting Roswell, San Diego, and Las Vegas. We didn't have the opportunity to put our picks on the record and its a good thing as we went 3-7 bringing the yearly tally to a measly 5-10. Pretty pathetic!

There are plenty of intriguing matchups today involving ranked teams. The FCS Game of the Week should be a doosey also as #8 Northern Iowa visits #4 Youngstown St. The Penguins waxed Pitt to open the season while the Panthers have hung tough with Iowa and Wisconsin.

Well, here are our picks for the day...
South Carolina -10.5
USC -15
LSU -20.5
Notre Dame -6
Clemson +15 (trap game)

Late Night Bonus Pick:
Oregon/Arizona Over 79.5

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Saturday 6 Pack

It's time for this week's picks, something we're calling our College Football Saturday 6 pack. And just like when a friend gets beer as a gift, there are only 5, because we have to keep one for ourselves.

Penn St -6.5
Iowa St +2
Iowa -9.5
Florida International +2.5
Alabama -13.5

Enjoy the first Saturday of college football everyone!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Countdown to Kickoff

The start of the football season is now a few minutes away. And we just noticed that ESPN3 has the Vandy/SC game blacked out. As well as every other game that is on their cable channels this weekend. That sucks!  How are we supposed to watch football at work? Well at least Southeast Missouri St and Central Michigan are available. Yay!

Anyway, here are our predictions for the conference champions...
ACC - Florida St
Big 10 - Wisconsin
Big 12 - Oklahoma
Big East - Cincinnati
SEC - LSU
Pac 12 - Oregon
MVC - Northern Iowa

The BSC Title game is... LSU over Florida St. for the SEC 7th title in a row. Not a game that we're excited to watch.

Speaking of exciting. Keep your eyes on former Georgia RB Isiah Crowell at Alabama St and former Hawkeye RB Marcus Coker at Stony Brook. Both players transferred to FCS programs during the off season; Crowell kinda had to after being charged with felony possession of a weapon in a school zone, while Coker got hosed by Iowa administration; and both should enjoy huge seasons.

P.S. We took South Carolina -7 and BYU -12.5 tonight.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Olympics

Well done Olympics. You have accomplished your goal yet again. There were surprises, disappointments, and scandals. You couldn't wait to see the next days events. Somehow, and for some reason, you could hardly wait to watch events that you normally don't give a rat's ass about, but for those two weeks you just can't get enough of them. Does anyone really watch track or gymnastics outside of the Olympics? Probably not but they were some of the biggest stories from London.

The two sports that made the biggest impression on me this year are handball and water polo.  I have no idea what the rules are of either sport, but they were both very intriguing to watch. And for a couple of months video clips will be rolling through my computer. What can I pick up about those events? Is there some type of set plays? What are the basic rules? Then poof. The interest is gone for another 3 1/2 years.  It's exactly what I go through with curling after the Winter Olympics but the spark always returns.

That's what actually makes the Olympics great. It exposes fans to new events, people, and customs. And that's something a lot of people enjoy. By the way, college football is right around the corner, YAY!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Double-X Speedway

Last Sunday we caught our first dirt track racing of the season. The destination was Double-X Speedway in California, Missouri. The speedway is a 1/4 mile clay track that features weekly racing on Sunday night in three classes, Winged Sprints, Street Stock, and Hobby Stock. The hobby stock class was essentially the 4 banger hornet class that most of the IMCA tracks in Iowa ran. Another difference I noticed was that most of the street stocks ran elaborate rear spoiler things. The night we attended there was also a 600cc Winged Micro Sprint special. Those cars were small and lightning quick. I was a little disappointed in the car count, as there were 40 cars entered between the four classes.  The racing was pretty good though. A couple of things that really rocked were the concession stand and the beer situation. The concessions were cheap and they sold chili dogs, a SportStew favorite. And it was BYOB, aka, you were allowed to bring in your own coolers of beer, just not in glass containers. You can check out Double-X Speedway's website at http://www.xxspeedway.com/.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

GT Academy 2012

As I was playing GT5 last night I noticed that Nissan has brought back the GT Academy for 2012. Last year's contest was a huge success and the winner, Bryan Heitkotter from California, is currently wielding a Nissan in the top GS (Grand Sport) class of the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series. How cool is that?

The GT Academy's "preliminary" rounds runs through June 24th with the finals taking place in July. You can download the demo from the Play Station Store for free. Visit the Nissan GT Academy web page for more information, an overview, and updated standings.  Good luck everyone!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Hellickson Starts Strong

Former Des Moines Hoover star Jeremy Hellickson has continued the great start to his career. After going 4-0 during his late season call up in 2010, he capped  last season by being named the American League Rookie of the Year. The Tampa Bay Rays hurler finished his rookie campaign 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA. Hellickson has been on fire to start the 2012 season. He is 3-0 in his four starts with victories over the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Angeles. He's a fantasy baseball must start currently and his next two starts come against Seattle and Oakland with both teams struggling swinging the stick.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Is Bo Ryan a Douche?

That is a trick question, everyone already knows the answer. And actually, this isn't another piece blaming and bashing Ryan for the whole Jerrod Uthoff blocking transfer scandal. It's exciting to see the 2011 Iowa Mr. Basketball returning to his home state, or close to it most likely. We're not really sure why he chose to continue his career at Wisconsin anyway. Uthoff has stated that he prefers to play in an up tempo scheme and Wisconsin's philosophy is completely the opposite. While Uthoff would look good in a Hawkeye uniform and would contribute immediately, it isn't going to happen. Being a huge Valley follower, Creighton would be fine but I'm pulling for Uthoff to be putting on the Northern Iowa purple next season. The Panther's have a strong group of young talent in Cedar Falls and are adding Tennessee transfer Wes Washpun. Throw in a former Mr. Basketball and the Panthers could be reliving their success from a couple of years ago. Now that is exciting!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Cardinals Championship Ring

The Cardinals handed out their replica championship rings at Saturday's game. The rings are pretty sweet looking in person and even has the rally squirrel on the side. It's worth noting that Cardinal "fans" are selling them all over Craigslist for about $100 a piece and that is Cardinal Pride for you.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Wrestlemania 28

Every spring one of the best "sporting" events of the year is squeezed in around the Final Four. It is the WWE's hype machine known as Wrestlemania. Why is Wrestlemania awesome? There are two reasons. First off, I'm a nerd. And second, you can wager real money on scripted outcomes. Now that's just crazy. Why is Wrestlemanina 28 going to great? Finally, the Rock has come back to Miami. The best microphone wielder in wrestling history is making his return. Someone else might be returning tonight also. Multiple sources are reporting the Brock Lesnar has been signed by the WWE and will make an important appearance.

Here's who I'm putting my money on...
Daniel Bryan (+170)
Why? WWE has been pushing Sheamus a lot and for a while now. It makes too much sense for him to win. Bryan's "YES!!" chant is so annoying to the fans it absolutely needs to be done.

Undertaker (-900)
Why? I would usually take the underdog with odds that high but it is the streak. The Streak needs to stay intact for future 1-offs for the Undertaker. This match is a Hell in the Cell match to hide the terrible "wrestling" that is going to occur and that was a good move. This match would be a great spot for Lesnar to appear and reek havoc thus setting up a possible Wrestlemania 29 main event.

John Cena (-180)
Why? It makes no sense for the Rock to win because he's leaving after WM28 anyway to resume his film career. Plus Hogan passed the torch to Rocky a few Wrestlemanias ago so it would be fitting for the torch to move to today's workhorse, Cena. We get our second surprise appearance afterwards as Alberto Del Rio jumps Cena and the Rock comes to his aid. It allows The Rock to soak in his town town cheers and the mutual respect handshake with Cena.

With all the rumors circulating about tonight, Wrestlemania 28 could be the best yet. Will I watch it? Nope, but I will tune into Raw tomorrow night for the fall out.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Dwight the Professional

It gets hard and harder to have respect for Dwight Howard. Is he this much of an egomaniac or he is a just a complete douchebag? His pouting job on the bench at the end of last nights blowout loss to the Knicks put the exclamation point on his lack of professionalism. He was too preoccupied to support his team and participate in the huddle during a time out. I guess he has already opted out, although it really occurred months ago. I'm officially done with "Superman". I don't really have a favorite NBA team, I prefer to follow players I enjoy watching. Howard has been removed from the list. Hopefully the Magic get tired of the constant whining, back stabbing, and quitting on his team. The Magic should have swapped Howard to a shitty team at the last possible minute before the trade deadline and gave him two birds as he left town. Thanks for nothing, quitter.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13

The world's #1 selling golf game is back and ready for another season of PGA TOUR golf. Put real-life swing in-game with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 as you experience revamped swing control, tackle Tiger Woods' legacy and compete against the world's best players at The Masters. The commercial using the PS Move controller is great. I'm most looking forward to the Online Country Clubs.

Amazon.com Product Description

The world's #1 selling golf game is back and ready for another season on the links of the PGA Tour golf. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 for PlayStation 3 features support for both standard PS3 controllers and the PlayStation Move control system. PlayStation Move tracks players' movements and positioning, and provides something to hold that is conveniently shaped like a golf club. Additional features include revamped swing control, the opportunity to tackle Tiger Woods' legacy, a variety of player and courses new to the franchise, and the chance to take your game all the way to the Masters.

Total Swing Control
Taking its most significant leap forward in swing mechanics in over a decade, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 revolutionizes the virtual golf swing. Golfers will take full control over their swing with all-new tempo, swing plane and shot power controls along with an adjustable shot setup, allowing players to address the ball in a number of ways to create limitless shot types with just one club.

Swing Tempo - For the first time in Tiger Woods PGA Tour history, the tempo and speed of your swing is going to directly influence the power of your shot. Fast tempo will add more distance to shots. Slow tempo will result in less distance.
Shot Setup - Create all possible shot types from one shot setup. Drag your aiming marker forward and back to blend between full, 3/4 , pitch, and chip shots. Create draw and fade shots by opening and closing your golfer's stance. Affect the launch trajectory by moving the ball forward or backward in your stance to create flop and punch shots. The possibilities are endless, allowing any real shot to be created in the game.
Strike Meter - Using the all-new Strike Meter, place the sweet spot of the club precisely where you wish to hit the ball. While a center strike is the most common, you can use low and high strikes to alter power, spin and trajectory.
Swing Arc - The visualization of the golfer's swing is shown in the form of an arc. Use this arc as a guide to execute your swing with the proper power, trajectory and shot shape.
All-New Animations - Utilizing the latest version of EA's sophisticated ANT animation system, players be able to see in real-time whether your golf swing is on or off plane through your golfer's on-screen animations, allowing you to connect with your swing like never before.

New Golfers, New Courses
Fans can take to the course with any one of 22 PGA Tour golfers in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13, including Tiger Woods, 2011 US Open Champion Rory McIlroy, 2010 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 US cover art finalist Bubba Watson. Take on the best of the best on some of the world's most celebrated courses.

PlayStation Move Controller Support
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 for PlayStation includes optional support for the PlayStation Move controller system. The Move motion controller tracks players' movements and positioning, as well as provides a club-like object to anchor your swing allowing for accurate one-to-one projection of actions on the virtual golf course.

The Tiger Legacy Challenge
Relive firsthand Tiger Woods' most memorable golf accomplishments as he rises from a child prodigy to golfing legend.

Online Country Clubs
In Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13, gamers are able to invite friends to join their own exclusive country club and team up to gain quicker access to downloadable golf courses or compete against other club members for the coveted Club Championship.

Get Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 here!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

MLB 12 The Show

MLB 12 The Show is the latest release in a franchise has been the highest rated sports video game for the past 4 years. The Show enables consumers to immerse themselves in exhilarating baseball moments by delivering true-to-life gameplay, authentic franchise and season modes, and incredible detail not found in any other sports game. MLB 12 The Show builds on what has been delivered in previous franchise releases adding compelling features that bring unparalleled innovation and polish to the sports genre.

Amazon.com Product Description

MLB 12 The Show is a PlayStation-exclusive baseball simulation game that combines the outstanding graphics quality and features that has made it the top rated Sports video game franchise for four years running. The PlayStation 3 version of the game features optional full PlayStation Move control support, four-player multiplayer support online and offline, the online Diamond Dynasty mode, cross-platform saves with the PS Vita version of the game and an extensive roster of realistically portrayed MLB players.

The Highest Rated Sports Video Game is All-New for 2012
MLB 12 The Show is the 2012 release in a franchise has been the highest rated sports video game for 4 years running. The Show enables consumers to immerse themselves in exhilarating baseball moments by delivering true-to-life gameplay, authentic franchise and season modes, and incredible detail not found in any other sports game. MLB 12 The Show builds on what has been delivered in previous franchise releases adding compelling features that bring unparalleled innovation and polish to the sports genre. Just a few of these new features are full Move controller support in all aspects of the game, expanded multiplayer support online and cross compatibility with the PlayStation Vita version of the game.

Key Game Features
Full Move Support -
Control all aspects of The Show with the Move controller.
4-Player Multiplayer Support - Enjoy 4-player multiplayer support both online and offline.
Diamond Dynasty - Compete in a massive multiplayer online experience where success depends on your managerial approach, player training and your skill / strategy against your competitors in this all-new mode for 2012. Create a custom team and collect and play with MLB players or activate and train Dynasty cards.
Cross Platform Saves - Save files between the PS3 and PS Vita systems as you continue your Season, Franchise, and Road to the Show games on the go
True Broadcast Presentations - Our biggest leap ever towards truly blurring the lines between a game day in reality and a game day in The Show.
3D Compatible - Compete in true PlayStation stereoscopic 3D when using compatible hardware.

Get MLB 12 The Show here

Friday, February 24, 2012

NASCAR Owners?

The NASCAR off-season is always crazy and has been termed "Silly Season." Daytona is one of my favorite races to watch NASCAR at, well on TV anyway. While watching the trucks battle tonight, I stumbled across the entry lists for all three of the Nascar series running this weekend. Apparently it is just as silly behind the scenes as what is announced to the public.

It was a busy off season for Kevin Harvick Incorporated and Rusty Wallace Racing. Kevin and Delana Harvick closed KHI essentially, selling off the company's truck assets to Eddie Sharp Racing and combining the Nationwide program with Richard Childress Racing. In English, that means Eddie Sharp added the #8 and #33 truck teams while RCR added the #2 truck team and the #2 and #33 Nationwide teams to their respective stables. That all makes sense, so far. On the official entry list for the Camping World Truck Series, Delana Harvick is still listed as the owner of the #2, #8, and #33 truck teams. As for Richard Childress' three Nationwide teams being raced on Saturday, Harvick is still listed as the owner of both of her former teams, the 2 and 33 cars while Morgan Shepard is the listed owner of the #3 car driven by Austin Dillion.

Now on to Rusty Wallace's winter vacation. He was forced to shelf both of his Nationwide teams for season because of the lack of sponsorship dollars. Based on the official Nationwide Series entry list, Wallce is the owner of the #4 car driven by Danny Efland the #50 car that TJ bell is driving. Efland's car is fielded by JD Motorsports and MAKE Motorsports fields Bell's ride.

The contracts that these organizations sign during a purchase or merger must be a legal nightmare and include many different provisions for minority ownership. Maybe the highest profile name is listed as the team owner for visibility for sponsors or to attract additional sponsorship. I really don't know, it just seems confusing and a jumbled mess. As a fan I'll just route for Harvick and Junior and leave the rest alone.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Denied: OVC Credentials

Logo

Dear Joe,

Thank you for your interest in the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament. A summary of your organization's credential request is listed below:

Joe, Print – Writer - Denied

Chris, Print – Writer - Denied

Unfortunately, due to space limitations, your credential application for the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament has been denied. We must limit credentials to those media who fit the conference credential criteria and have covered the OVC and its teams on a regular basis this season. Thank you for your interest.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Poised to Make Some Noise 2

The Madness of March is drawing closer and the Bracket Busters are less than a month away. Poised to Make Some is a series of posts that will look at some of the mid-major teams that could produce some surprises when it comes to tournament time. We mentioned the Wichita St. Shockers and the Long Beach St. 49ers last time. San Diego St. was on our radar for this week's post but they have quietly climbed up to 13th in the rankings. So that's hardly a surprise team. If fact, after checking the Aztecs over a little bit, they might be a team that wont be around very long. This week's teams are the George Mason Patriots and the Harvard Crimson.

The Colonial Athletic Association used to be better known as a FCS football powerhouse, the SEC of the Football Championship Subdivision. The last few years some teams from the CAA have caused quite a stir in the NCAA Tournament, though. VCU and George Mason have played their way into Final Four berths in recent seasons. The Patriots are currently atop the conference, which just like is past years is a log jam with four teams within a game of the lead. George Mason gets the nod because they have a quality big man in senior forward Ryan Pearson. A good big man wins games. Pearson is among the league leaders in scoring and rebounds. The Patriots strength of schedule is low and the only tough opponent we see is their loss at Virginia but they should draw a name opponent for the Bracket Busters showdown.

Harvard has been teetering on the edge of the basketball rankings for most of the season. The Crimson knocked off Florida St early in the season and that win looks even better now as the Noles have surprised Duke and North Carolina. The Ivy League is the only conference that doesn't have a season ending tournament so the regular season champ gets the automatic berth. Currently the Crimson are undefeated in league play but clearly have a target on their back. We should see them in March if they can continue to play like they have all season. The Crimson have a very balanced team that makes few mistakes and just might send some big boys home early come tourney time.

Enjoy all the games today and keep your eyes on those mid-majors that are "Poised to Make Some Noise."

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Cardinals Worls Series Trophy

Today the local US Cellular store had the 2011 Cardinals World Series trophy in the store. Tons of people showed up and there was quite a line. Even though we're not Card fans it was pretty cool to see all the small details in it. Hopefully the Cubbies can track it down sometime.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Poised to Make Some Noise

The college basketball season is well under way and you're starting to hear with words "quality win" and "bracketology" more frequently. That can only mean the Madness of March is around the corner. Poised to Make Some is going to be a series of articles that will look at some mid-major teams that could show that they aren't necessarily a little guy when it comes to tournament time.

Everyone has probably heard of the top twp mid-majors of this season, the Creighton Blue Jays and the Murray St. Racers. Both teams have been ranked for a number of weeks but let's mention a couple of other teams that are sneaky good. This week those teams are Wichita St. and Long Beach St.

The Missouri Valley is back this season and should get multiple bids to the Big Dance. Originally the Valley looked like it might get three invites but Northern Iowa has slumped since conference play began. Wichita St. returned almost everyone from last season's NIT Championship team and have quietly compiled a 16-3 record so far. The Shockers are tied for the MVC lead with Creighton and have some quality wins on their resume. They have beaten Colorado and knocked off a ranked UNLV team. The Shockers only losses this season were to Alabama, who was ranked at the time, Temple in OT, and the Blue Jays. The Shockers have one of the most experienced teams in all of hoops land and are no strangers to big games. A rumored matchup against Murray St. in the upcoming Bracket Busters will no doubt get the Shockers some national exposure and if they continue playing well, watch out in March.

The Long Beach St. 49ers are the defending Big West champions and currently undefeated in conference play. The 49ers are coached by Dan Monson, who brought Gonzaga to hoops prominence. Monson is duplicating his successful Zag's approach and isn't afraid to put anyone on the schedule. The 49ers are 2-3 against ranked teams this season. Senior guard Casper Ware leads the way and is the early favorite to add his second conference Player of the Year award. Long Beach St. will need a win in their Bracket Buster matchup to add to the post season resume, but they are a dangerous team and definitely one to watch in March.