Fantasy Football Preview: Defense/ST

Top 5 Keepers
5- Pittsburgh- They've been among the best defenses if not the best throughout Mike Tomlin's tenure, leading the league last season in rushing defense, points allowed, and sacks.  The addition of Cameron Heyward will help that great pass rush as well.

4- New Orleans- The 4th best defense in 2010 coming off a Super Bowl season, should be even better in 2011

3- Philadelphia- The 12th-best pass-rush should improve with the acquisition of Cullen Jenkins, but the real story is that great secondary, that features 3 pro-bowlers.

2- Green Bay- The League's fifth best defense won the Super Bowl after an injury-hampered season, it should be interesting to see what they can do at full-strength.

1- Baltimore- The League's fifth best pass-rush in 2010 remains intact, and the secondary (21st in NFL against pass), should improve with Ed Reed and Dominique Foxworth remaining healthy, as well as stud rookie Jimmy Smith, taken in the first round out of Colorado.

Top 5 Teams to Avoid
5- Detroit- The very talented young defense in Detroit still needs a little bit of work, being the 21st-ranked defense in the NFL.

4- Indianapolis- The once-fearful defense continues to get older and slower as the years go on.

3- Oakland- The loss of Asomugha burns a black hole in that secondary, and only 3 teams were worse than them against the rush in 2010.

2- San Francisco- Will be very good up front, but the loss of Nate Clements will hurt what was already the 25th ranked pass defense in the league.  There will also need to be an adjustment period to the system that will be run by new coach Jim Harbaugh.

1- NY Giants- With Osi Umienyiora out for at least the first few weeks and a tough offseason in which they lost out on the Asomugha sweepstakes to rival Philadelphia.

Top 5 Steals
5- Denver- The NFL's worst defense in 2010 will get a good defensive head-coach in Jon Fox, to go along with a strong core of LBs and Elvis Dumervil, the 2009 NFL sack leader, who missed all of 2010 with a torn pectoral muscle.

4- Houston- Wade Phillips comes into the 3rd-worst defense in 2010 with quite a bit of talent, and was helped in the draft, with 6 of the 8 picks being defensive players.

3- Jacksonville- The additions of Matt Roth, Paul Posluszny, and Dawan Landry should help the 28th-ranked defense from 2010.

2- New England- A defense that in the words of Bart Scott, "couldn't stop a nosebleed", added Albert Haynesworth, Andre Carter, and Shaun Ellis to go along with many other young, exciting players.

1- Dallas- The talent is there, all they've needed is the coaching.  Rob Ryan should fill that ever-needed void.

Fantasy Football Preview: Kickers

Top 5 Keepers
5- Adam Vinatieri- Last season was arguably his best year since joining Indianapolis, hitting 26 of 28 field goals to go along with 51 extra points, which led the NFL.  At 38, he might have a couple good years left in the tank.

4- Neil Rackers- Has hit 90% of his field goal attempts over the last 3 seasons and has missed just one extra point attempt.  Should get plenty of kicks with the Houston offense.

3- Nate Kaeding- Another guy who saw his season cut short by injuries in 2010 after an All-Pro year in 2009, should have plenty left in the tank given he is just 29 years old.

2- Stephen Gostkowski- Hit 87% of his field goals between 2007 and 2009 before a 2010 that was hampered by injuries.  He also hasn't missed an extra point since his rookie season back in 2006.

1- Matt Bryant- Hit a career-high 90% of his field goals and all 44 extra points, and with a Falcons offense that seems to be only getting better, expect that leg to be put to good use.

Top 5 Guys to Avoid
5- Nick Folk- Has missed 19 field goals over the last two years after missing just 7 in his first two seasons.

4- Josh Brown- Missed 6 field goals in 2010, the most since 2007.

3- Sebastian Janikowski- Was the AFC leader in points last year, but missed 8 field goals and saw his FG% go down to 80% from 89%.

2- Graham Gano- Made only 68% of his field goals in 2010.

1- Dan Carpenter- Missed 11 of his 41 field goals last year, but was a pro-bowler in 2009.  Plus he is in a Dolphins offense that is showing signs of being stagnant.

Top 5 Steals
5- Matt Prater- Another guy whos numbers have gone up every year since becoming a full-time kicker in 2008, despite having just 18 field goal attempts last season.

4- Ryan Longwell- Field goal percentage has gone up every year since 2007.

3- Phil Dawson- Made 23 of his 28 field goals in 2010.

2- Shayne Graham- Not currently under contract, but could help someone who needs a kicker.  Made all 12 field goal attempts with New England after Stephen Gostowski went on the IR.

1- Jay Feely- Made 89% of his field goal attempts last season, and should have more chances in an improved Arizona offense.

Fantasy Football Preview: Tight Ends

Top 5 Keepers
5- Antonio Gates- Will once again be one of Phillip Rivers' primary targets, coming off a year in which he scored 10 touchdowns, the most since 2005.

4- Rob Gronkowski- Had 10 touchdowns in his rookie season, and should catch more than 42 passes in 2011.

3- Vernon Davis- Has 20 touchdowns over the last two seasons, and in both years has topped the 900 yard mark.

2- Kellen Winslow- Has scored 10 of his 21 career touchdowns in his 2 seasons with Tampa Bay, and is the No. 2 target of Josh Freeman behind Mike Williams.

1- Jason Witten- Was the top-ranked TE in 2010 without Tony Romo, and in 2011 should be even better with the Cowboys pro-bowl QB back.  He has 1000 yards in 3 of his last 4 years.

Top 5 Guys to Avoid
5- Heath Miller- Scored a career-low 2 touchdowns in 2010, and caught just 42 balls for the AFC Champion Steelers.

4- Tony Gonzalez- Arguably the greatest receiving TE who ever played, may be seeing father time catching up with him, as his numbers have gone down in nearly ever receiving category since joining the Falcons prior to the 2009 season.

3- Ben Watson- Had a career year in his first year in Cleveland, but is no longer playing in a system run by Eric Mangini, which was similar to the New England system he played in for 6 seasons.  Also has been very inconsistent over the course of his career.

2- Zach Miller- An unstable QB situation combined with offensive line issues will slow Miller's production in Oakland.

1- Chris Cooley- A typical story of a guy who would be great if he wasn't stuck in the mess known as the Washington Redskins.

Top 5 Steals
5- Dallas Clark- Played just 6 games last year due to season-ending surgery, but had 1100 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2009.  Oh yeah, and he's got a pretty decent QB throwing the balls to him.

4- Dustin Keller- With prime targets of Mark Sanchez in Braylon Edwards and Jericho Cotchery taking their talents elsewhere, Dustin Keller could see even more balls flying in his direction.

3- Visanthe Shiancoe- Ranked in the top 6 for fantasy value at the TE position in 2008 and 2009, could find himself back there in 2011 with better quarterbacking and the departure of Sidney Rice.

2- Aaron Hernandez- One of New England's two golden boys at TE, should flourish in his second year in Brady's system coming off a rookie season in which he caught 45 balls for 563 yards and 6 TDs, third on the team in all 3 categories.\

1- Brandon Pettigrew- Saw his numbers go up in almost every category during year two, and should be even better in year three if Matthew Stafford can remain healthy.

On Deck: Kickers

Fantasy Football: Wide Receivers

Day 3 of my 6-day fantasy football preview, and today I will take a look at the fantasy WR market, looking at the keepers, the sleepers, and guys you should avoid all together.

Top 5 Keepers
5- Greg Jennings- The leading receiver for the World Champion Packers, has had 1200 receiving yards in 2 of the last 3 seasons and tied a career-high with 12 touchdowns.


4- Brandon Lloyd- Had a breakout year with Denver in his 8th NFL season, with 1488 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010.

3- Larry Fitzgerald- Scored just six touchdowns in 2010 after having 12 and 13 in 2008 and 2009, respectively.  Kevin Kolb should help that number after what was a game of musical chairs at the QB position in 2010.

2- Roddy White- Caught a career-high 115 balls from Matt Ryan last year and set a career-high with 1389 receiving yards.  Had 10 touchdowns, 3 of which were of more than 30 yards.

1- Andre Johnson- Played just 13 games last season but still had 1216 yards and led the league for the third time in 4 years with 93.5 yards per game.

Top 5 Guys to Avoid
5- AJ Green- The fourth overall pick in the draft goes into what is a very unstable organization in Cincinnati that has tremendous uncertainty at the quarterback position.

4- Braylon Edwards- Just one time has he cracked the top 20 with position fantasy ranking (2007, 3rd), put him in San Francisco with a rough QB situation and a new coaching staff, it could be a sticky situation.  That being said, he has made quarterbacks look good with his receiving skills (see Mark Sanchez).

3- Dez Bryant- Had only 561 yards but did have 6 touchdowns last season.  There are mumblings of character issues as well.  I like Romo and I like the Cowboys this season, but Bryant is a guy who I'm not on board with this season.

2- Steve Johnson- Had 1000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010 but the loss of Lee Evans makes him the primary target in Buffalo, with questions surrounding the quarterback position, despite the success of Ryan Fitzpatrick last season.

1- Brandon Marshall- His yards and approximate value have gone down in each of the last four seasons, and had just 3 touchdowns last year. 

Top 5 Steals
5- Jeremy Maclin- Started every game for Philly in his second season after being drafted in 2009 out of Mizzou, and had 70 receptions (up from 55), 964 yards (up from 762), and 10 touchdowns (up from 4).

4- Chad Ochocinco- Had a rough year in Cincinnati last year, but in New England playing in Tom Brady's system he should flourish.

3- Julio Jones- Has a QB in Matt Ryan that will put him in a position to put up respectable numbers.

2- Wes Welker- In his second year coming off knee surgery and in a contract year, should return to the guy who led the NFL in receptions from 2007 and 2009.

1-Calvin Johnson- Hasn't necessarily lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he was drafted 2nd overall out of Georgia Tech, but given he is with the Lions it's fair to say he has been a victim of circumstance.  If Stafford can stay healthy, he could be the biggest beneficiary of them all.

Next up: Tight Ends

Fantasy Football Preview: The Running Backs

Day 2 of my 6-day fantasy football preview, and today I will take a look at the fantasy RB market, looking at the keepers, the sleepers, and guys you should avoid all together.

Top 5 Keepers
5- Jamaal Charles- Was second in the NFL with 1467 rushing yards and had 6.4 yards per carry in 2010.  Should take more of the load this year from Thomas Jones, who turns 33 during training camp.

4- Arian Foster- Was with no doubt the surprise of 2010, leading the NFL in rushing yards, touchdowns, and yards per game.  Should follow that up with a solid 2011 campaign.

3- Chris Johnson- A 2,000 yard rusher in 2009, rushed for 1364 yards last season.  Should have a bounce back year as he lobbies for a new contract.

2- Michael Turner- Has 3941 rushing yards on 888 carries and 39 touchdowns while averaging just under 4.5 YPC since coming to Atlanta.  If he stays healthy, you can bank on 1200 yards and 10 touchdowns.

1- Ray Rice- Has averaged over 4.5 yards per carry since becoming a full-time starter in Baltimore as well as a 1200-yard runner in each of the last two seasons.  Touchdown numbers should go up with Willis McGahee no longer on the team.

Top 5 Guys to Avoid
5- Frank Gore- Carries have gone down every year since 2006, had a career-low 4.2 yards per carry and failed to reach 1000 rushing yards for the first time since 2005.

4- Ryan Torain- Take out the games with 100, 125, and 172 yards, his highest total was 70.

3- Cedric Benson- The Bengals are a mess, Benson has had some off-the-field issues that may warrant a suspension, and his yards per carry went down to 3.5 from 4.2.

2- Matt Forte- Hard to put money on a Bears running back given their offensive line issues.

1- Darren McFadden- The loss of Robert Gallery adversely affects that Oakland offense in addition to the coaching change.  Don't bank on another 1157 yard season.

Top 5 Steals
5- LaGarrette Blount- Averaged 5.0 yards a carry and had 1000 yards in his rookie season, all on just 201 carries.

4- CJ Spiller- Had just 74 carries as a rookie.  Should expect more in his second season as a top-10 pick.

3- BenJarvus Green-Ellis- Averaged 53 yards per game prior to Logan Mankins' return to the team; had 71 per game after.  Should be interesting to see how many he will get with a full season.

2- Maurice Jones-Drew- Had 1324 yards in just 14 games.  Flies under the radar playing for Jacksonville.

1- Mark Ingram- People seem to forget he won the Heisman just under two years ago.  Couldn't be in a better situation than New Orleans; my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Wednesday: Wide-Receivers

NFL Fantasy Football Preview: The Quarterbacks

Day 1 of my 6-day fantasy football preview, and today I will take a look at the fantasy QB market, looking at the keepers, the sleepers, and guys you should avoid all together.

Top 5 Keepers
5- Drew Brees- Did throw a career-high 22 picks in 2010, but did throw for 4620 yards and 33 touchdowns.  A recovered offensive line, which was among the NFL's best in 2009, should help his numbers, which has averaged over 4500 yards and 31 touchdowns per year to go along with a 67% completion percentage since arriving in the Bayou in 2006.

4- Peyton Manning- Injuries and an aging offensive line has caused a small decline for Manning, but has still managed to start every Colts game since 1998 and has thrown for 4000 or more yards in 11 of his 13 NFL seasons and has thrown 30 touchdown passes in 4 of the last 5 years. 

3- Matt Ryan- A guy who reminds me of a young Brady or Manning, set career-highs in touchdowns and yards as well as a career low in interceptions.  Julio Jones should only help those numbers.

2- Philip Rivers- Had a career year in 2010 setting career highs in completions, completion percentage, and passing yards while throwing 30 touchdowns.  Having started every Chargers game since 2006, he might be the most overlooked QB in the league.

1- Tom Brady- It's hard to envision how Brady can be any better than he was last year, but could be just that with a full season with Mankins at the left guard, the addition of a deep threat in Ochocinco, a fully healthy Welker, and the best running game on paper since the Corey Dillon era in New England.

Top 5 Guys to Avoid
5- David Garrard- Did throw a career-high 23 touchdown passes in 2010, but the interceptions spiked to 15 in 2010 from 10 in 2009, and the yards went down to 2734 in 2010 from 3597 in 2009.  Also 33 years old and could lose the Jags starting job to first-round pick Blaine Gabbert by season's end.

4- Ben Roethlisberger- Notorious for hangover years (only years of not making playoffs came post-Super Bowl years), I would avoid him at all costs.  In his defense, however, he did have his only 4000-yard season in 2009, following the Super Bowl 43 run.

3- Sam Bradford- The history of second-year quarterbacks is very discouraging, I'd pass on him and save him for future years.

2- Eli Manning- Has thrown for 4000 yards in each of the last two seasons, but his poor decision making (39 INTs in last 2 years), turns me away.


1- Jay Cutler- A guy who has not lived up to expectations in Chicago despite leading the Bears to the NFC Championship game, has thrown 42 interceptions and been sacked 87 times in his two years in Chicago, which is a combination of poor decision making on Cutler's part and an atrocious Bears offensive line.

Top 5 Steals
5- Kevin Kolb- With an underrated offensive line and one of the best wideouts in football in Larry Fitzgerald, Kolb could raise many eyebrows with his first year as a full-time starter in the desert.

4- Matthew Stafford- With an improving offensive line and an arsenal of weapons, Stafford could put up monster numbers, all given that he stays healthy.

3- Josh Freeman- Quietly had one of the best years of any QB in the NFL, throwing just 6 picks to 25 touchdowns and just under 3500 yards.  The leader of what is an ever-talented young group in Tampa Bay.

2- Tony Romo- Has taken some unfair heat for the Cowboys struggles in big games, but should be as motivated as ever coming off a year in which he played just 6 games, after having a career year in 2009.

1- Donovan McNabb- Coming to a Minnesota team that is just 19 months removed from the NFC Championship game, with weapons that McNabb has never had.

Tuesday: Running Backs

Trade Deadline Coverage

Starting tomorrow, I'll celebrate one of the most exciting events on the baseball calendar, the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31 at 4 pm, by dropping some names that could be possible players on the move to help a contender.  If you're a trade deadline nut, this will be the place for you for the next 9 days.

Sneak Peak at Tonight's Espy Awards

One of my favorite nights of the year, and that is the Espy Awards, a Grammy-like sports awards show hosted on ESPN.  A great celebration of the great year of sports every summer.  I'm going to go through the awards, and give you my favorite.

Male Athlete
Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)- won his fifth Sprint Cup
Rafael Nadal (Tennis)- Currently the World's No. 1 Ranked Tennis Player
Dirk Nowitzki (NBA)- Won his first career NBA Championship
Aaron Rodgers (NFL)- Led Packers to first Super Bowl Win since 1997

Winner: Dirk Nowitzki- after being overshadowed for so many years and taking a back seat to guys like Kobe and Tim Duncan, he finally rose above everyone to win the NBA Championship, culminating a 13-year quest to the basketball's mountaintop.  Nobody more deserving of this award than this guy.

Female Athlete
Kelly Clark (Snowboarder)- first woman to complete a 1080 on a snowboard
Lauren Jackson (WNBA)- 2010 WNBA Regular Season and Finals MVP
Maya Moore (UCONN Womens/WNBA)- became the scoring champ of the UCONN Women's basketball program with 3,036 points
Lindsay Vonn- Won Super G, Super-Combined, and Downhill Titles in 2011

Winner: Maya Moore- This could very well be my Connecticut bias coming out, but she is arguably the greatest winner in the history of UCONN Women's basketball, going 150-4 in her four seasons in Storrs, going to the Final 4 every year, winning 2 National Titles, and scoring 3,036 points, a program record.  Ohh yeah, the team had a nice little 90 game winning streak while she was there, too.

Best Championship Performance
Tim Lincecum (MLB)- Went 4-1 with 2.43 ERA in 10 playoff appearances (5 starts) in 2010, including a 10 strikeout performance in the game that clinched his San Francisco Giants the World Series Championship
Tim Thomas (NHL)- Allowed record-low 8 goals in 7 Stanley Cup games, giving him Conn Smythe Award as playoff MVP
Kemba Walker (NCAA)- led UCONN to 11 straight victories en route to 2011 National Championship
Serena Williams (Tennis)- Didn't lose a set en route to 2010 Wimbleton Championship

Winner: Tim Thomas- My worst apologies to Kemba, but the performance by Timmy Thomas in the Stanley Cup Finals was absolutely amazing and something you will never see again.

Breakthrough Athlete
Jose Bautista (MLB)- 54 homers in 2010 season
Arian Foster (NFL)- NFL Rushing Champ with 1,616 yards
Blake Griffin (NBA)- 22.5 PPG and 12.1 RPG en route to 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year
Li Nia (Tennis)- became first Asian to win Grand Slam singles title
Cam Newton (NCAA)- led Auburn to National Championship on top of winning Heisman and being No. 1 overall pick

Winner: Cam Newton- This time last year, we had no idea who Cam Newton was.  Now, he's a Heisman Trophy Winner, a National Champion, and a First Overall Pick.

Record Breaking Performance
Ray Allen (NBA)- set the record for most career 3-pointers in NBA history
Rory McIllroy (Golf)- Won US Open with record-low score of 268
Derrick Rose (NBA)- Became youngest MVP in NBA history
UCONN Womens Basketball (NCAA)- set record winning streak in college/pro sports with 89th consecutive win

Winner: UCONN Womens basketball- The 90-game winning streak is one of the best records in all of sports and something I don't see ever being replicated.

Upset
Blame over Zenyatta (horse racing)- breaks Zenyatta's 20-race winning streak in 2010 Breeder's Cup
Werdum over Emelianenko (MMA)- Emelianenko's first loss in 10 years
Seahawks over Saints (NFL)- Saints were the defending champs, Seahawks were 7-9
VCU basketball (NCAA)- became second 11 seed to reach Final Four

Winner: VCU- A team that got in by way of the play-in round, went all the way to the Final Four before losing to Butler.

Best Game
Auburn vs. Alabama (NCAAF)- Auburn rallied from 24 down to cap undefeated season
Butler vs. Pittsburgh (NCAAB)- Butler upends #1 seed Pitt with one of the most bizarre finishes to a game you'll ever see
Eagles vs. Giants (NFL)- Eagles score 28 unanswered in final 7:18 to win 38-31
Oklahoma City vs. Memphis (NBA)- Just the sixth 3OT game in NBA playoff history

Winner: OKC vs. Memphis- The first three are great comeback stories, but this game set itself away from the rest in that it was a story of two teams going back and forth for roughly four hours, exactly what I see in a great game.

Best Moment
Fennville HS Basketball Team- Went on to win 3 playoff games after star player collapses and dies on the court.
Roy Halladay No-Hitter (MLB)- throws just the 2nd no-hitter in postseason history
Trevor Bayne at Daytona 500 (NASCAR)- youngest Daytona winner ever at 20 years, one day

Winner: Fennville HS Basketball Team- Real feel-good story of a group of kids who dealt with a potentially life-altering tragedy in the best way possible.

Best Team
Auburn Football- 2011 BCS National Champions
Boston Bruins- 2011 Stanley Cup Champions
Dallas Mavericks- 2011 NBA Champions
Green Bay Packers- Superbowl XLV Champions
San Francisco Giants- 2010 World Series Champions
Texas A&M Womens Basketball- 2011 NCAA Womens Basketball Champions

Winner: Dallas Mavericks- Great story of a group of veterans making the ultimate sacrifice to get a ring.

NFL Strongest Performance Award
Arian Foster- Rushed for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns in week one win over Indianapolis
DeAngelo Hall- Tied NFL singled game record with 4 interceptions, one of which was returned 92 yards for a TD
Leon Washington- returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, from 101 and 99 yards, tying and NFL record

Winner: Arian Foster- Chicago had was a disaster on offense, San Diego was a disaster on special teams, Indy had a respectable defense, and Foster picked it apart in Week 1.

Sports Movie
The Fighter
Secretariat
Soul Surfer
Win Win

Winner: The Fighter- Inspirational story based on the life of Mickey Ward, garnered 7 Academy Awards.

Best Coach
Jim Calhoun- Won third NCAA title with UCONN, became oldest National Champion coach as well
Rick Carlisle- Coached Dallas Mavericks to first NBA Title
Gene Chizik- Coached Auburn to BCS National Title
Mike McCarthy- Led Packers to Super Bowl Victory as 6th seed
Dom Starsia- Coached UVA Lacrosse to National Championship

Winner: Jim Calhoun- Did one of his best coaching jobs by coaching the UCONN basketball team to the National Championship, becoming the oldest coach to do so.

Best NFL Player
Tom Brady- Won NFL MVP
Arian Foster- NFL Rushing Champion
Clay Matthews- Forced Key fumble in Green Bay's Super Bowl XLV victory
Troy Polomalu- NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Aaron Rodgers- Super Bowl XLV MVP

Winner: Tom Brady- Continues to build on his impressive resume, with his only interceptions coming in two different games.  Maybe the best single season ever put together by a QB.

Best MLB Player
Jose Bautista- Hit 54 homers in 2010
Roy Halladay- Won 2010 NL Cy Young Award, became second pitcher all-time to throw a postseason no-hitter
Josh Hamilton- 2010 AL MVP
Felix Hernandez- 2010 AL Cy Young Award Winner
Joey Votto- 2010 NL MVP

Winner: Josh Hamilton- Led Texas to the World Series with one of the best seasons put together in recent memory.

Best NHL Player
Corey Perry- 2011 Hart Trophy Winner
Daniel Sedin- 2010-2011 NHL Scoring Champ
Martin St. Louis- Finished second in NHL in scoring and assists
Tim Thomas- 2011 Vezina Trophy Winner, Conn Smythe Winner, and Stanley Cup Champion

Winner: Tim Thomas- Put together arguably the best single season by a goaltender ever.

Driver
Greg Anderson- 2010 NHRA Pro Stock Champion, 4th since 2003
John Force- Became oldest driver in NHRA to win a championship
Dario Franchitti- Won second straight IndyCar Championship
Jimmie Johnson- Won fifth consecutive Sprint Cup

Winner: Jimmie Johnson- Won a record 5th consecutive championship on NASCAR's biggest stage, the Sprint Cup.

Best NBA Player
Kobe Bryant- Average 25.3 PPG in 2010-2011
Kevin Durant- 2010-2011 NBA Scoring Champ
LeBron James- Averaged 28.6 PPG while leading the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals
Dirk Nowitzki- 2011 NBA Finals MVP
Derrick Rose- 2010-2011 NBA MVP, youngest winner in NBA history

Winner: Dirk Nowitzki- Gained his true superstar status by winning his first NBA championship.

Best WNBA Player
Tamika Catchings- WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
Lauren Jackson- WNBA Regular Season and Finals MVP
Cappie Pondexter- WNBA scoring runner-up
Diana Tuarasi- WNBA scoring Champ

Winner: Lauren Jackson- Was best player throughout the whole season by taking the trifecta of regular season MVP, finals MVP, and finals champion.

Best Fighter- Manny Pacquiao- Became boxing's first 8-division champion
Male Golfer- Rory McIllroy (Won US Open)
Female Golfer- Yani Tseng (Rolex Player of the Year)
Mens Tennis- Novak Djaokovic (Wimbledon Champion)
Womens Tennis- Serena Williams (Wimbledon Champion)
Male College Athlete- Cam Newton (Heisman Winner)
Female College Athlete- Maya Moore (UCONN Womens Basketball)
Male Action Sport Athlete- Shaun White (Gold in Superpipe at Winter X Games 2011)
Female Action Sport Athlete- Kelly Clark (3 golds at Winter X 2011)
Jockey- John Velasquez (Rode Animal Kingdom to Kentucky Derby Victory)
Male Athlete With a Disability- Jerome Singleton
Female Athlete With a Disability- Alana Nichols
Bowler- Chris Barnes
MLS Player- Landon Donovan
Track Athlete- Tyson Gay

Taking a Look at Tonight's MLB Home Run Derby

The Park:  Thought by many acutually to be a pitchers-oriented ballpark, is actually much more of a hitter's ballpark.  The park has been in the top five in terms of runs scored per game, and is ranked 5th in that category this year.  It is also fifth among ballparks in terms of homers per game.  The dimensions are 330 down the left-field line, 334 down the right-field line, and 407 out to straight center.  There is also a 25-foot backdrop in straight center which helps the batter's eye.

AL Team
David Ortiz- Boston's slugger has 19 homers this year, and 368 in his career, the most of any player in the contest.  Holds the Red Sox record for 54 homers in 2006.  Won the 2010 Derby in Anaheim.

Jose Bautista- 85 of his 144 career homers have come since Opening Day 2010.  Leads the league with 31 home runs in 2011.  The short left field should benefit him tremendously, with 26 of his 31 homers going to left.

Adrian Gonzalez- Has just 17 homers but 16 of them have come since May 1.  Only player on AL Team with considerable Chase Field experience, where his 13 homers ranks the third most of any ballpark Gonzalez has played at behind Coors Field (14) and Petco Park (57).

Robinson Cano- Not known as a home run hitter, averaging just 19 homers per season in six-plus MLB seasons, but averaged 27 between 2009 and 2010.  He has 15 in 2011.

NL Team
Prince Fielder-  The 2009 Home Run Derby Champ, has 22 homers in 2011, and hit 32 or more homers every year between 2007 and 2010, including 50 in 2007 and 46 in 2009.

Rickie Weeks- Never topped 20 homers before 2010, but hit 29 last year and has 17 this year.

Matt Holliday- Has 14 homers this year but has just 4 home runs in 188 at bats at Chase Field.

Matt Kemp- On pace to hit career-high home run mark (28) with his 22 homers at the break.  Only has 5 homers in 124 at bats at Chase Field.

Predicted Winner: Jose Bautista over Prince Fielder

Southeast Division Recap

Standings
Miami (58-24)
Orlando (52-30)
Atlanta (44-38)
Charlotte (34-48)
Washington (23-59)

Statistical Leaders
PPG- LeBron James, MIA (26.7)
APG- John Wall, WAS (8.3)
RPG- Dwight Howard, ORL (14.1)
FG %- Dwight Howard, ORL (.593)
FT %- DJ Augustin, CHA (.906)
3 PT %- Mike Bibby, ATL/WAS/MIA (.440)

All-Southeast First Team
PG- John Wall (WAS)
SG- Dwyane Wade (MIA)
F- LeBron James (MIA)
F- Chris Bosh (MIA)
C- Dwight Howard (ORL)

All-Southeast Rookie Team
PG- John Wall (WAS)
SG- Jordan Crawford (ATL/WAS)
F- Kevin Seraphin (WAS)
F- Pape Sy (ATL)
C- Trevor Booker (WAS)

Division Awards
MVP- Dwight Howard (ORL)..Without this guy, no way that the Magic win 52 games after big shakeups.

Defensive Player of the Year- Dwight Howard (ORL)..Had over 14 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game en route to another NBA Defensive Player of the Year campaign.

Most Improved Player- Nick Young (WAS)..Set career highs in points (17.4) and rebounds (2.7)

Sixth Man of the Year- Jamal Crawford (ATL)..Averaged 14.2 points in 76 games off the bench.

Rookie of the Year- John Wall (WAS)..Was one of the best point guards in the NBA, averaging over 16 points and 8 assists, and had 26 double-doubles.

Coach of the Year- Erik Spoelstra (MIA)..Bringing that Heat team to the finals in a season where they had to clear many hurdles was nothing short of a great accomplishment.

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Miami Heat
- Making the finals with the lack of depth and the possibility of clashing egos of the big 3 was nothing short of a great accomplishment

Orlando Magic
- This team needs to make sure they don't make the same mistake as they did with Shaq in the late 90s, get something for Dwight Howard before he walks.

Atlanta Hawks
- Changes need to be made if this team wants to take the next step.

Charlotte Bobcats
- The NBA is a veterans league, not a rookies league, Bobcats should take a note from the Boston Celtics notebook.

Washington Wizards
- Team remains in limbo, but they sure do have a player in John Wall.

Central Division Recap

Standings
Chicago (62-20)
Indiana (37-45)
Milwaukee (35-47)
Detroit (30-52)
Cleveland (19-63)

Statistical Leaders
PPG- Derrick Rose, CHI (25.0)
APG- Derrick Rose, CHI (7.7)
RPG- JJ Hickson, CLE (8.7)
FG %- Greg Monroe, DET (.551)
FT %- Darren Collison, IND (.871)
3PT %- Brandon Rush, IND (.417)

All-Central First Team
PG- Derrick Rose (CHI)
SG- John Salmons (MIL)
F- Danny Granger (IND)
F- Luol Deng (CHI)
C- Andrew Bogut (MIL)

All-Central Rookie Team
PG- Manny Harris (CLE)
SG- Lance Stephenson (IND)
F- Paul George (IND)
F- Greg Monroe (DET)
C- Omer Asik (CHI)

Division Awards
MVP- Derrick Rose (CHI)..Had a breakout season that established himself as an NBA star and won him his first NBA MVP.

Defensive Player of the Year- Andrew Bogut (MIL)..Averaged over 11 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.

Most Improved Player- Roy Hibbert (IND)..Set career highs in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and minutes per game while starting 80 of the Pacers' 82 games.

Sixth Man of the Year- Ramon Sessions (CLE)..Averaged 13.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 3.1 APG in 43 games off the bench.

Rookie of the Year- Greg Monroe (DET)..Averaged 9.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG in a solid rookie campaign.

Coach of the Year- Tom Thibodeau (CHI)..Finally got a talented Chicago team to turn the corner and become a contender.

Players in the Penthouse
Derrick Rose (CHI)
Luol Deng (CHI)
Danny Granger (IND)
John Salmons (MIL)
Andrew Bogut (MIL)
Rodney Stuckey (DET)

Players in the Elevator 
Joakim Noah (CHI)
Darren Collison (IND)
Roy Hibbert (IND)
Tyler Hansbrough (IND)
Brandon Jennings (MIL)
Carlos Delfino (MIL)
Drew Gooden (MIL)
Greg Monroe (DET)
JJ Hickson (CLE)
Ramon Sessions (CLE)

Players in the Doghouse
Carlos Boozer (CHI)
Corey Magette (MIL)
Rip Hamilton (DET)
Charlie Vilaneuva (DET)
Tracy McGrady (DET)
Teyshaun Prince (DET)
Antwan Jamison (CLE)

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Chicago Bulls
- Everyone was waiting for the Bulls to have a year like this for quite a while.
- No doubt Tom Thibodeau more than proved that he can coach in the NBA.

Indiana Pacers
- A team that has some very good young and upcoming players like Granger, Collison, Hibbert, and Hansbrough among others that will bring the Pacers back to the top of the NBA, where they were prior to the infamous brawl at Auburn Hills.

Milwaukee Bucks
- Not sure if Brandon Jennings is as good as everyone is talking him up to be.
- If Michael Redd can come back and play in the capacity he was able to prior to his injury, this team will be competitive.

Detroit Pistons
- Its hard to believe this team is just 3 years removed from the Conference Finals.

Cleveland Cavaliers
- The team certainly struggled in the 2010-2011 season with what was a severe LeBron hangover, but Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson should certainly help bring them back to respectability.

NBA Atlantic Division Recap

Standings
*Boston (56-26)
*New York (42-40)
*Philadelphia (41-41)
New Jersey (24-58)
Toronto (22-60)

Statistical Leaders
PPG- Carmelo Anthony, NY (25.6)
APG- Rajon Rondo, BOS (11.2)
RPG- Kris Humphries, NJ (10.4)
FG %- Thaddeus Young, PHI (.541)
FT %- Chauncey Billups, NY (.916)
3PT %- Ray Allen, BOS (.444)

All-Atlantic First Team
PG- Rajon Rondo (BOS)
SG- Demar DeRozan (TOR)
F- Paul Pierce (BOS)
F- Amare Stoudamire (NY)
C- Brook Lopez (NJ)

All-Atlantic Rookie Team
PG- Landry Fields (NY)
SG- Evan Turner (PHI)
F- Ed Davis (TOR)
F- Damion James (NJ)
C- Semih Erden (BOS)

Division Awards
MVP- Amare Stoudamire (NY)..Made an immediate impact on Broadway in his first season, averaging 25 PPG and 8 RPG in under 37 minutes per game.  Led the Knicks to a 42-win season, up from 29, giving the Knicks their first playoff appearance since 2004.

Defensive Player of the Year- Kris Humphries (NJ)..One of nine NBA players to average a double-double (10.1 PPG/10.4 RPG) in a breakout season in Newark.

Most Improved Player- DeMar DeRozan (TOR)..Averaged 17.2 PPG up from 8.6 and almost a whole rebound and assist more than his rookie year in his second NBA season.

Sixth Man of the Year- Glen Davis (BOS)..Averaged 11 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 78 games, 65 off the bench.

Rookie of the Year- Ed Davis (TOR)..Average 7 points and 7 rebounds in 65 games, 13 of which he had double-doubles.

Coach of the Year- Doug Collins (PHI)..Coached a Philly team that came out of nowhere to win 41 games and earn the 7th seed in the playoffs.

Players in the Penthouse
Paul Pierce (BOS)
Kevin Garnett (BOS)
Ray Allen (BOS)
Rajon Rondo (BOS)
Brook Lopez (NJ)
Derron Williams (NJ)
Carmelo Anthony (NY)
Amare Stoudamire (NY)
Elton Brand (PHI)
Andrea Bargnani (TOR)

Players in the Elevator
Kris Humphries (NJ)
Bill Walker (NY)
Landry Fields (NY)
Evan Turner (PHI)
Jrue Holliday (PHI)
Thaddeus Young (PHI)
Ed Davis (TOR)
DeMar DeRozan (TOR)

Players in the Doghouse
Glen Davis (BOS)
Jeff Green (BOS)
Nenad Kristic (BOS)
Jordan Farmar (NJ)
Ronny Turiaf (NY)
Andre Igoudala (PHI)
Leandro Barbosa (TOR)

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Boston Celtics
- The big 3 may have hit its ceiling, but Doc Rivers staying in Boston for at least the next 5 years is more than encouraging.

New Jersey Nets
- The last time the Nets had the best point guard in the NBA they were winning Conference Championships with Jason Kidd.  Can Deron Williams do the same?
- This team won just 24 games, but in a league that requires dominance at the center and point guard position they have Lopez and Williams.  All they need is some good compliments. 
- This team may not compete in Newark, but should definitely do so in Brooklyn.

New York Knicks
- They have two of the leagues best forwards in Amare and Melo, but have lots of more work to do in order to contend.
- Is Mike D'Antoni the answer for the Knicks?  Given his track record he seems to be a great regular season coach that always fizzles in the playoffs.
- The Knicks got Melo, but the Nuggets were certainly the winners in that deal.

Philadelphia 76ers
- Elton Brand was arguably the MVP of this team, playing to the level we all knew he was capable of playing at.
- The young backcourt of Holliday and Turner could be the backcourt this team has been looking for since Allen Iverson was unloaded.

Toronto Raptors
- First there was Vince-sanity, then it was Chris Bosh counted upon to lead the team to the promised land, will DeMar DeRozan be the next delight north of the border?

NBA Season in Review

Final Standings
Eastern Conference
Chicago (62-20)
Miami (58-24)
Boston (56-26)
Orlando (52-30)
Atlanta (44-38)
New York (42-40)
Philadelphia (41-41)
Indiana (37-45)
Milwaukee (35-47)
Charlotte (34-48)
Detroit (30-52)
New Jersey (24-58)
Washington (23-59)
Toronto (22-60)
Cleveland (19-63)

Western Conference
San Antonio (61-21)
LA Lakers (57-25)
Dallas (57-25)
Oklahoma City (55-27)
Denver (50-32)
Portland (48-34)
New Orleans (46-36)
Memphis (46-36)
Houston (43-39)
Phoenix (40-42)
Utah (39-43)
Golden State (36-46)
LA Clippers (32-50)
Sacramento (24-58)
Minnesota (17-65)

Conference Quarterfinals
1 Chicago 104-96-88-84-116
8 Indiana 99-90-84-89-89

2 Miami 97-94-100-82-97
7 Philadelphia 89-73-94-86-91

3 Boston 87-96-113-101
6 New York 85-93-96-89

4 Orlando 93-88-84-85-101-81
5 Atlanta 103-82-88-88-76-84

1 San Antionio 98-93-88-86-110-91
8 Memphis 101-87-104-110-99

2 LA Lakers 100-87-100-88-106-98
7 New Orleans 109-78-86-93-90-80

3 Dallas 89-101-92-82-93-103
6 Portland 81-89-97-84-82-96

4 Oklahoma City 107-106-97-101-100
5 Denver 103-89-94-104-97

Conference Semi-Finals
1 Chicago 95-86-99-88-95-93
5 Atlanta 103-73-82-100-83-73

2 Miami 99-102-81-98-97
3 Boston 90-91-97-90-87

2 LA Lakers 94-81-92-86
3 Dallas 96-93-98-122

4 Oklahoma City 101-111-93-133-99-83-105
8 Memphis 114-102-101-123-72-95-90

Conference Finals
1 Chicago 103-75-85-93-80
2 Miami 82-85-96-101-83

3 Dallas 121-100-93-112-100
4 Oklahoma City 112-106-87-105-96

The NBA Finals
2 Miami 92-93-88-83-103-95
3 Dallas 84-95-86-86-112-105

Awards
NBA MVP- Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
NBA Defensive Player of the Year- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Most Improved Player- Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Sixth Man of the Year- Lamar Odom, LA Lakers
Rookie of the Year- Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
Coach of the Year- Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls

NBA First Team
PG- Derrick Rose, CHI
SG- Kobe Bryant, LAL
F- Kevin Durant, OKC
F- LeBron James, MIA
C- Dwight Howard, ORL

NBA Second Team
PG- Chris Paul, NO
SG- Dwayne Wade, MIA
F- Dirk Nowitzki, DAL
F- Kevin Love, MIN
C- Al Jefferson, UTA

NBA All-Rookie Team
PG- John Wall, WAS
SG- Gary Neal, SAS
F- Blake Griffin, LAC
F- Ed Davis, TOR
C- DeMarcus Cousins, SAC
 

Pacific Division Recap

Corey Perry became the first player to win the Hart Trophy in a Ducks uniform

Standings
*San Jose (48-25-9-105)
*Anaheim (47-30-5-99)
*Phoenix (43-26-13-99)
*Los Angeles (46-30-6-98)
Dallas (42-29-11-95)

Statistical Leaders
Goals- Corey Perry, ANA (50)
Assists- Ryan Getzlaf, ANA (57)
Points- Corey Perry, ANA (98)
plus/minus- Toni Lydman, ANA (+32)
Save PCT- Jonas Hiller, ANA (.924)

All-Pacific First Team
LW- Loui Eriksson (DAL)
C- Ryan Getzlaf (ANA)
RW- Corey Perry (ANA)
D- Lubomir Visnovsky (ANA)
D- Drew Doughty (LA)
G- Jonathan Quick (LA)

All-Pacific Rookie Team
LW- Kyle Clifford (LA)
C- Logan Couture (SJ)
RW- Brandon McMillan (ANA)
D- Alec Martinez (LA)
D- Cam Fowler (ANA)
G- Jonathan Bernier (LA)

Division Awards
Hart Trophy- Corey Perry (ANA)..Led the NHL with 50 goals, and had 98 points in what was a breakout season. Won the NHL's Hart Trophy as a result.

Vezina Trophy- Jonathan Quick (LA)..Was in the top 10 in the NHL with 35 wins, and had a 2.24 GAA and a .918 save PCT.

Norris Trophy- Lubomir Visnovsky (ANA)..Led all NHL defensemen with 68 points and had a +18 rating with an average of 24:17 in 81 games.

Calder Trophy- Logan Couture (SJ)..Was second among rookies with 32-24--56 with a +18 and won 53% of all faceoffs.  Nominee for NHL Calder, I felt he should have won it.

Lady Byng- Anze Kopitar (LA)..Had 73 points and just 20 PIMs in 75 games.

Selke Trophy- Logan Couture (SJ)..Made a big splash defensively his rookie year.

Jack Adams- Dave Tippett (PHX)..Continues to do a wonderful coaching job in Glendale, this time keeping the Coyotes from falling into the proverbial hangover year.

Masterton Trophy- Ray Emery (ANA)..returned from bone-graft surgery to lead Ducks into first round of the playoffs.

Players in the Penthouse
- Corey Perry (ANA)
- Teemu Selane (ANA)
- Ryan Getzlaf (ANA)
- Bobby Ryan (ANA)
- Lubomir Visnovsky (ANA)
- Brad Richards (DAL)
- Loui Eriksson (DAL)
- Brenden Morrow (DAL)
- Anze Kopitar (LA)
- Dustin Brown (LA)
- Drew Doughty (LA)
- Jonathan Quick (LA)
- Shane Doan (PHX)
- Keith Yandle (PHX)
- Ray Whitney (PHX)
- Ilya Bryzgalov (PHX)
- Patrick Marleau (SJ)
- Joe Thornton (SJ)
- Joe Pavelski (SJ)
- Logan Couture (SJ)
- Dan Boyle (SJ)

Players in the Elevator
- Cam Fowler (ANA)
- Toni Lydman (ANA)
- Jonas Hiller (ANA)
- Jamie Benn (DAL)
- Justin Williams (LA)
- Alec Martinez (LA)
- Radim Vrbata (PHX)
- Taylor Pyatt (PHX)
- Ryane Clowe (SJ)
- Devin Setoguchi (SJ)
- Antti Niemi (SJ)

Players in the Doghouse
- Andrew Raycroft (DAL)
- Steve Ott (DAL)
- Jack Johnson (LA)

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Anaheim Ducks
- Is it even a question that Ryan/Getzlaf/Perry is the best line in hockey?
- This team could be close to another Cup run, looking at all the young talent they have.

Dallas Stars
- Not really sure about this team and what direction they're headed in.

LA Kings
- If Jack Johnson can come back from a tough year, he and Doughty could be two of the top blueliners in the league, with a great goalie behind them in Quick.
- This team strikes many similarities in my mind to what the Blackhawks were two years ago.

Phoenix Coyotes
- Those who aren't paying attention in the desert, are missing out on a pretty good hockey team down in Glendale.

San Jose Sharks
- After two years of losing in the Conference Finals, will next year finally be the year when they break through and the long-awaited arival of June hockey comes to the Bay area?

Northwest Division Recap

Standings
Vancouver (54-19-9-117)
Calgary (41-29-12-94)
Minnesota (39-35-8-86)
Colorado (30-44-8-68)
Edmonton (25-45-12-62)

Statistical Leaders
Goals- Jerome Iginla, CAL (43)
Assists- Henrik Sedin, VAN (75)
Points- Daniel Sedin, VAN (104)
plus/minus- Kevin Bieksa, VAN (+32)
Save PCT- Roberto Luongo, VAN (.928)

All-Northwest First Team
LW- Daniel Sedin (VAN)
C- Henrik Sedin (VAN)
RW- Jerome Iginla (CAL)
D- Kevin Bieksa (VAN)
D- Christian Ehrhoff (VAN)
G- Roberto Luongo (VAN)

All-Northwest Rookie Team
LW- Taylor Hall (EDM)
C- Mikael Backlund (CAL)
RW- Jordan Eberle (EDM)
D- Clayton Stoner (MIN)
D- Jeff Petry (EDM)
G- Corey Schneider (VAN)

Division Awards
Hart Trophy- Daniel Sedin (VAN)..A year after a Hart Trophy campaign by his twin brother, he followed it up with a bid of his own, putting up 41-63--104, with a +30.  He was nominated for the award, but was edged out by Anaheim's Corey Perry.

Vezina Trophy- Roberto Luongo (VAN)..Has a league-leading 38-wins, with a Western Conference-leading 2.11 GAA and a .928 save PCT.  A Stanley Cup run begins between the pipes, and there was nobody in the Western Conference more solid than this guy in the net over the course of the season.

Norris Trophy- Christian Ehrhoff (VAN)..Posted a career-high 50 points and had a +19 rating in roughly 24:00 of ice time per game.

Calder Trophy- Taylor Hall (EDM)..Began his career with a respectable rookie campaign, netting 22-20--42 in 65 games.

Lady Byng- Alex Tanguay (CAL)..Has been one of the NHL's most underrated players over the years, but has handled the lack of attention in the most professional way possible; just going out there and doing his job.  He also had just 24 PIMs in 2010-2011.

Selke Trophy- Ryan Kesler (VAN)..Played in all 82 games, posting 73 points and winning 57% of faceoffs and averaging over 20 minutes of ice time.  He also won the NHL's Selke Trophy.

Jack Adams- Alain Vigneault (VAN)..Led the Canucks to their first Presidents Trophy and to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in team history.  Also nominated for NHL's Jack Adams Award.

Masterton Trophy- Manny Maholtra (VAN)..Came back from a devastating eye injury that threatened his career in March to play in the Cup finals.  Would be surprised if he was not a 2011-2012 NHL Masterton bid.

Players in the Penthouse
Jerome Iginla (CAL)
Alex Tanguay (CAL)
Brendan Morrison (CAL)
Matt Duchene (COL)
John-Michael Liles (COL)
David Jones (COL)
Ales Hemsky (EDM)
Mikko Koivu (MIN)
Niklas Backstrom (MIN)
Daniel Sedin (VAN)
Henrik Sedin (VAN)
Ryan Kesler (VAN)
Christian Ehrhoff (VAN)
Kevin Bieksa (VAN)
Roberto Luongo (VAN)


Players in the Elevator
Curtis Glencross (CAL)
Anton Babchuk (CAL)
Mikael Backlund (CAL)
Paul Statsny (COL)
Taylor Hall (EDM)
Jordan Eberle (EDM)
Sam Gagner (EDM)
Brent Burns (MIN)
Matt Cullen (MIN)
Corey Schneider (VAN)

Players in the Doghouse
Olli Jokinen (CAL)
Rene Bourque (CAL)
Mikka Kiprusoff (CAL)
Milan Hedjuk (COL)
Brandon Yip (COL)
Peter Budaj (COL)
Linus Omark (EDM)
Nikolai Knabibulin (EDM)
Eric Nystrom (MIN)

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Calgary Flames
- Great job resigning Tanguay, but this team needs to look to the future a little bit, with him and Iginla not getting any younger.  A two year playoff hiatus is very indicative of that.

Colorado Avalanche
- A franchise that needs a total overhaul.  The days of the Avs battling it out with the Red Wings for the Western Conference crown and players like Joe Sakic, Petr Forsberg, Adam Foote, and Patrick Roy that brought the Stanley Cup to the Rockies in 1996 and 2001.

Edmonton Oilers
- A great group of young guys that have come from the past two drafts, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle most notably.  Certainly the talent capable of bringing the Oilers back to their glory days of the 1980s.

Minnesota Wild
- Another team from the Northwest division that has fallen from grace over the past few years.

Vancouver Canucks
- This team had more talent than the Bruins, but severely lacked toughness, which was a big reason why they lost.

MLB Week in Review

The surprise resignation of Nats skipper Jim Riggleman has been one of the big stories of the week

Divisional Races
AL East- NY Yankees (45-31); Boston (45-32, -0.5); Tampa Bay (44-34, -2)
AL Central- Detroit (42-36); Cleveland (40-36, -1); Chicago White Sox (38-41, -4.5)
AL West- Texas (41-38); Seattle (39-39, -1.5); LA Angels (39-40, -2)
AL Wildcard- Boston (45-32); Tampa Bay (44-34, -1.5); Cleveland (40-36, -4.5)
NL East- Philadelphia (49-30); Altanta (44-35, -5)
NL Central- Milwaukee (44-35); St. Louis (41-38, -3); Pittsburgh (39-38; -4); Cincinnati (39-38, -4)
NL West- San Francisco (44-34); Arizona (43-36, -1.5)

MLB Leaders
Average- Adrian Gonzalez (BOS), .361; Jose Reyes (NYM), .341; Victor Martinez (DET), .333
OBP- Jose Bautista (TOR), .468; Miguel Cabrera (DET), .350; Joey Votto (CIN), .443
SLG- Jose Bautista (TOR), .655; Matt Kemp (LAD), .619; Prince Fielder (MIL), .611
Runs- Curtis Granderson (NYY), 68; Jose Reyes (NYM), 61; Jose Bautista (TOR), 60
Hits- Adrian Gonzalez (BOS), 114; Jose Reyes (NYM), 113; Starlin Castro (CHC), 105
Doubles- Adrian Gonzalez (BOS), 25; Ben Zobrist (TB), 25; Alex Gordon (KC), 23
Triples- Jose Reyes (NYM), 14; Shane Victorino (PHI), 8
Homers- Mark Teixiera (NYY), 23; Jose Bautista (TOR), 23
RBI- Adrian Gonzalez (BOS), 71; Prince Fielder (MIL), 68; Ryan Howard (PHI), 60
10-win Club- Roy Halladay (PHI), CC Sabathia (NYY), Jair Jurrjens (ATL), Justin Verlander (DET)
ERA- Josh Beckett (BOS), 1.86; Jared Weaver (LAA), 1.97; Jair Jurrjens (ATL), 2.07
Strikeouts- Clayton Kershaw (LAD), 128; Justin Verlander (DET), 124; Roy Halladay (PHI), 123

The Hot/The Not
C- AJ Pierzynski/Carlos Corporan
1B- Jason Giambi/Eric Hosmer
2B- Brandon Phillips/Kelly Johnson
3B- Evan Longoria/Ryan Zimmerman
SS- JJ Hardy/Cliff Pennington
OF- BJ Upton/Jacoby Ellsbury
OF- Nick Markakis/Drew Stubbs
OF- Adam Jones/Angel Pagan
SP- Clayton Kershaw/Luke Hochevar
SP- Tim Hudson/Jeremy Guthrie
SP- Anibal Sanchez/Fausto Carmona
SP- Jared Weaver/Juan Nicasio
Team- NY Yankees/Cleveland Indians
Team- Tampa Bay Rays/Florida Marlins
Team- Washington Nationals/St. Louis Cardinals

Top 5 MLB Teams
1- Philadelphia Phillies
2- NY Yankees
3- Boston Red Sox
4- Milwaukee Brewers
5- San Francisco Giants

Bottom 5 MLB Teams
1- Houston Astros
2- Chicago Cubs
3- Florida Marlins
4- San Diego Padres
5- LA Dodgers

Notables
- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has converted his last 23 interleague saves, and has an interleague-record 67 saves
- Paul Konerko became the only player in White Sox history to hit 20 or more homers in 12 seasons.  The previous record was 11 seasons by Frank Thomas, who did it from 1991-1998, 2000, 2002-2003
- Alex Rodriguez has 185 interleague RBI, more than any player
- With a 2-1 loss to Seattle in 10 innings, the Marlins have now lost 13 consecutive 1-run games

Some Thoughts
- Imagine how different things would be in the AL East and NL East if the Yankees got Cliff Lee? 
- The best has yet to come for the Brewers, meanwhile the Cardinals have a lot of questions to answer now that Pujols is out.
- The career of Albert Pujols could very well be a retelling of the Ken Griffey Jr. story.
- Justin Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball.
- Interleague play could very well be the catalyst for the end of Major League Baseball as we know it.
- Jim Riggleman's antics this week disgustingly lacked professionalism, and I'd be absolutely shocked if he even got an interview for a manager's job ever again.  That being said, the Nats are playing great baseball.
- Jack McKeon and Davey Johnson are great for baseball, and their times on the bench will give baseball what it deserves- students of the game of baseball, as opposed to math geeks.
- Boy have the Florida Marlins fallen off the face of the Earth this month.  Maybe a name change in 2012 (Miami Marlins) will help their fortune (or lack thereof).  Hey, it worked in Tampa.

Central Division Recap

Standings
Detroit (47-25-10-104)
Nashville (44-27-11-99)
Chicago (44-29-9-97)
St. Louis (38-33-11-87)
Columbus (34-35-13-81)

Statistical Leaders
Goals- Patrick Sharp, CHI (34)
Assists- Henrik Zetterberg, DET (56)
Points- Henrik Zetterberg, DET (80)
plus/minus- David Backes, STL (+32)
Save PCT- Pekka Rinne, NSH (.930)

All-Central First Team
LW- Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
C- Jonathan Toews (CHI)
RW- David Backes (STL)
D- Niklas Lindstrom (DET)
D- Shea Weber (NSH)
G- Pekka Rinne (NSH)

All-Central Rookie Team
LW- Brian Bickell (CHI)
C- Jake Dowell (CHI)
RW- Matt Halischuk (NSH)
D- Grant Clitsome (CLB)
D- Kevin Shattenkirk (STL)
G- Corey Crawford (CHI)

Division Awards
Hart Trophy- Jonathan Toews (CHI)..Had a career-high 76 points and was one of the best all-around forwards in the NHL, during a season in which the Blackhawks had to find their identity while defending a Stanley Cup, just struggling to make the playoffs.  Without Toews, there's a good chance they don't make it.

Vezina Trophy- Pekka Rinne (NSH)..Possibly the best goaltender in the NHL not named Tim Thomas, was possibly the MVP of this Predators team, who won a playoff series for the first time in franchise history.

Norris Trophy- Shea Weber (NSH)..Had less points than NHL Norris Winner Lindstrom (DET), with 48, but had a higher plus/minus, played more minutes while playing all 82 games for the Predators.

Calder Trophy- Corey Crawford (CHI)..Arguably the NHL's best rookie goalie, posting a .917 Save PCT with a 2.56 GAA, and winning 33 of the 57 games he played in.  Helped many Blackhawks fans with their Antti Niemi hangover.

Lady Byng- Pavel Datsyuk (DET)..One of the game's most respected players, had just 15 PIMs in 56 games in 2010-2011.

Selke Trophy- Jonathan Toews (CHI)..Had a +25 rating while winning over 56% of faceoffs and averaging just under 21:00 of ice time.

Jack Adams- Barry Trotz (NSH)..Also nominated for the NHL's Jack Adams Award.

Masterton Trophy- Pavel Datsyuk (DET)..struggled through injuries during the 2010-2011 regular season, limited to just 56 games, but had a great run in the playoffs, putting up 4-11--15 in 11 postseason games.

Players in the Penthouse
Jonathan Toews (CHI)
Patrick Kane (CHI)
Duncan Keith (CHI)
Marian Hossa (CHI)
Brent Seabrook (CHI)
Rick Nash (CLB)
RJ Umberger (CLB)
Antoine Vermette (CLB)
Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
Niklas Lindstrom (DET)
Johan Franzen (DET)
Brian Rafalski (DET)
Shea Weber (NSH)
Patric Hornvquist (NSH)
Ryan Suter (NSH)
Pekka Rinne (NSH)
David Backes (STL)
Andy McDonald (STL)
Alex Pietrangelo (STL)
Jarislov Halak (STL)

Players in the Elevator
Patrick Sharp (CHI)
Brian Bickell (CHI)
Troy Brouwer (CHI)
Brian Campbell (CHI)
Corey Crawford (CHI)
Derick Brassard (CLB)
Grant Clitsome (CLB)
Danny Cleary (DET)
Niklas Kronwall (DET)
Patrick Eaves (DET)
Martin Erat (NSH)
Sergei Kostitsyn (NSH)
Colin Wilson (NSH)
Patrik Berglund (STL)
Alexander Steen (STL)
Matt D'Agostini (STL)

Players in the Doghouse
Tomas Kopecky (CHI)
Marty Turco (CHI)
Kristian Huselius (CLB)
Samuel Pahlsson (CLB)
Scottie Upshall (CLB)
Steve Mason (CLB)
Mike Modano (DET)
Todd Bertuzzi (DET)
Nick Spaling (NSH)
Vladimir Sobotka (STL)
Erik Johnson (STL)
Jay McClement (STL)
BJ Crombeen (STL)

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Chicago Blackhawks
- The team is rebuilding nicely from the post-Stanley Cup dismantling of the Hawks with young players like Bickell, Dowell, and Crawford topping out a good group of rookies this year in Chicago.  As long as they have Kane and Toews, with the top line of Seabrook/Keith, good goaltending, and a solid group to compliment, they'll be Cup contenders for a while.
- Jonathan Toews was one of the most overlooked great forwards in hockey this year.

Columbus Blue Jackets
- This team needs to decide whether or not Steve Mason is the goaltender of the future or not.
- They acquired Jeff Carter, and have one of the game's best players in Rick Nash, a good start in the attempt of this team finallly becoming a contender as opposed to the forgotten franchise in central Ohio that has been over the past decade-plus since the franchise's inception.  It is just a start, however.

Detroit Red Wings
- The New York Yankees of hockey, seemingly ageless at times, with the best example being the 41-year old Nicklas Lindstrom winning the Norris Trophy.  That and they have now had 11 consecutive 100-point seasons.  I'll pick them to extend that streak until I see it broken.

Nashville Predators
- With a goalie like Rinne, a shutdown duo of Weber/Suter, all this team needs is some snipers and theres a solid chance at the Cup coming to Nashville.

St. Louis Blues
- Not true indication of what this team is or when they'll find their identity.  Certainly the biggest losers of the lockout.
-  It has seemed like years since they days of Brett Hull, Chris Pronger, Al McInnis, Keith Tkachuk, and Roman Turek.

 

Southeast Division Recap

Standings
Washington (48-23-11-107)
Tampa Bay (46-25-11-103)
Carolina (40-31-11-91)
Atlanta (34-36-12-80)
Florida (30-40-12-72)

Statistical Leaders
Goals- Steven Stamkos, TB (45)
Assists- Martin St. Louis, TB (68)
Points- Martin St. Louis, TB (99)
plus/minus- Alex Ovechkin, WAS (+24)
Save PCT- Cam Ward, CAR (.923)

All-Southeast First Team
LW- Alex Ovechkin (WAS)
C- Steven Stamkos (TB)
RW- Martin St. Louis (TB)
D- Dustin Byfuglien (ATL)
D- John Carlson (WAS)
G- Cam Ward (CAR)

All-Southeast Rookie Team
LW- Johan Harju (TB)
C- Jeff Skinner (CAR)
RW- Evgeni Dadonov (FLA)
D- John Carlson (WAS)
D- Jamie McBain (CAR)
G- Michal Neuvirth (WAS)

Division Awards
Hart Trophy- Martin St. Louis (TB)..Only player who had more assists or points than St. Louis had the last name Sedin.

Vezina Trophy- Cam Ward (CAR)..Led the league in games played (74), and faced more shots and stopped more pucks than anyother goalie in the league.  Also put up a more than respectable .923 Save PCT and 2.56 GAA.

Norris Trophy- John Carlson (WAS)..Had a rookie-high +21 rating to go along with 37 points.  Him along with Mike Green should prove to be a great top line in DC for the near future.

Calder Trophy- Jeff Skinner (CAR)..Led all rookies in points and was the lone rookie All-Star Selection.  Won the NHL Calder Trophy for that reason.

Lady Byng- Martin St. Louis (TB)..Won the NHL Lady Byng as well.

Selke Trophy- Nicklas Backstrom (WAS)..Had a +24 rating while blocking 64 shots and laying 69 hits in 77 games.

Jack Adams- Guy Boucher (TB)..Took a team that missed the playoffs in 2009-2010 to within one win of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Masterton Trophy- Dewayne Roloson (TB)..The 41-year old goaltender went down South from Long Island in January and led the Lightning to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals

Players in the Penthouse
Dustin Byfuglien (ATL)
Bryan Little (ATL)
Tobias Einstrom (ATL)
Andrew Ladd (ATL)
Eric Staal (CAR)
Jeff Skinner (CAR)
Tuomo Ruutu (CAR)
Erik Cole (CAR)
Cam Ward (CAR)
Tomas Vokoun (FLA)
Martin St. Louis (TB)
Steven Stamkos (TB)
Vincent Lecavalier (TB)
Teddy Purcell (TB)
Dwayne Roloson (TB)
Alex Ovechkin (WAS)
Nicklas Backstrom (WAS)
Alexander Semin (WAS)
John Carlson (WAS)

Players in the Elevator
Evander Kane (ATL)
Nik Anthropov (ATL)
Ondrej Pavelec (ATL)
Jamie McBain (CAR)
Brandon Sutter (CAR)
Stephen Weiss (FLA)
Mike Santorelli (FLA)
David Booth (FLA)
Ryan Malone (TB)
Domonic Moore (TB)
Sean Bergenheim (TB)
Brooks Laich (WAS)
Michal Neuvirth (WAS)

Players in the Doghouse
Johnny Odyua (ATL)
Zach Bogosian (ATL)
Joe Corvo (CAR)
Chad LaRose (CAR)
Dennis Wideman (FLA)

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Atlanta Thrashers
- Sad to see hockey fail in Atlanta for the second time, but the fans have nobody to blame but themselves. If there are no fannies in the seats, they'll just move to a place where there will be fannies in the seats.  They did just that by going to Winnipeg.
- The Jets should have an exciting wave of young talent over the next few years if they can keep the core of solid guys together.  Of course that has been a problem for this franchise, not being able to retain guys like Healtey, Kovalchuk, and Savard, among others.

Carolina Hurricanes
- Ever since being the first post-lockout team to hoist the Cup, the Canes have been a bubble team nearly every year.  But when they get in, boy are they ever capable of making noise, with a goalie like Cam Ward, and playmakers in Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner

Florida Panthers
- Not really sure whats going on in Sunrise.  That 10-year playoff drought doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon.
- Tomas Vokoun might be the best goalie nobody's talking about.

Tampa Bay Lightning
- They have one of the best young GMs in Steve Yzerman, one of the best young coaches in Guy Boucher, and one of the best young players in Stamkos.  This team isn't going away anytime soon.
- Rolo will most likely be gone, now it is all up Mike Smith, who has a ton of upside and is a great puckhandler.  Sure looked good in his limited minitues during the Eastern Conference Finals.

Washington Capitals
- This Caps team is beginning to come together as a Cup contender quickly, with a goalie with a high ceiling in Neuvirth, and if Mike Green comes back healthy, will make for a potent blue line with Carlson.
- Bruce Boudreau is the guy for this team.  He has won at every level and certainly hasn't disappointed in DC, despite the playoff disappointments.  The Cup coming to the nation's capital is a matter of when, not if, and this guy should be behind the bench for it without a doubt.

Atlantic Division Recap

Standings
*Philadelphia (47-23-12-106)
*Pittsburgh (49-25-8-106)
*NY Rangers (44-33-5-93)
New Jersey (38-39-5-81)
NY Islanders (30-39-13-73)

Statistical Leaders
Goals- Jeff Carter, PHI (36)
Assists- Claude Giroux, PHI (51)
Points- Claude Giroux, PHI (76)
plus/minus- Andrej Mazaros (+30)
Save PCT- Henrik Lundqvist (.923)

All-Atlantic First Team
LW- Matt Moulson (NYI)
C- Jeff Carter (PHI)
RW- Claude Giroux (PHI)
D- Kris Letang (PIT)
D- Matt Carle (PHI)
G- Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)

All-Atlantic Rookie Team
LW- Mats Zuccarello (NYR)
C- Derek Stepan (NYR)
RW- Michael Grabner (NYI)
D- Travis Hamonic (NYI)
D- Michael Sauer (NYR)
G- Sergei Bobrovsky (PHI)

Division Awards
Hart Trophy- Claude Giroux (PHI)..Played in all 82 games for the Flyers, was 8th in the NHL with 51 assists to go along with 25 goals, and was fifth in the Eastern Conference with 76 points.

Vezina Trophy- Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)..Tied for third in the NHL with 36 wins and had an NHL-leading 11 shutouts between the pipes for the Rangers, who finished 8th in the Eastern Conference

Norris Trophy- Matt Carle (PHI)..Was tied for 4th among NHL defenseman with a +30 rating and was 5th in the Eastern Conference with 39 assists while averaging about 22:00 of ice time.

Calder Trophy- Michael Grabner (NYI)..Led all NHL rookies with 34 goals and was third with 52 points, was nominated for NHL Calder Trophy.

Lady Byng- Patrik Elias (NJ)..One of the NHL's most respected veterans, had just 16 PIM in 81 games.

Selke Trophy- Mike Richards (PHI)..tied for 7th in the NHL with 73 blocked shots and had a +11 rating.

Jack Adams- Dan Bylsma (PIT)..led the Penguins to a 106-point season without having stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin after January 5th, won the NHL Jack Adams Award as well.

Masterton Trophy- Ian Laperriere (PHI)..How quickly he came back from that injury last year was an amazing story; big reason why he won the NHL's Masterton Trophy.

Players in the Penthouse
Patrik Elias (NJ)
Michael Grabner (NYI)
Frans Nielsen (NYI)
John Tavares (NYI)
Andrew McDonald (NYI)
Ryan Callahan (NYR)
Brandon Dubinsky (NYR)
Michael Sauer (NYR)
Henrik Ludqvist (NYR)
Claude Giroux (PHI)
Danny Briere (PHI)
Jeff Carter (PHI)
Mike Richards (PHI)
Scott Hartnell (PHI)
Matt Carle (PHI)
Kimmo Timonen (PHI)
Sidney Crosby (PIT)
Kris Letang (PIT)
Chris Kunitz (PIT)
Tyler Kennedy (PIT)
Pascal Dupuis (PIT)
Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT)

In the Elevator
Travis Zajac (NJ)
PA Parenteau (NYI)
Matt Moulson (NYI)
Travis Hamonic (NYI)
Al Montoya (NYI)
Derek Stepan (NYR)
Artem Amisov (NYR)
Brian Boyle (NYR)
Marc Staal (NYR)
Ville Leino (PHI)
James Van Reimsdyk (PHI)
Andrej Mazaros (PHI)
Sergei Bobrovsky (PHI)
Alex Goligoski (PIT)
Jordan Staal (PIT)
Craig Adams (PIT)
Brent Johnson (PIT)

In the Doghouse 
Ilya Kovalchuk (NJ)
Jamie Langenbruner (NJ)
Matt Martin (NYI)
Rick DiPietro (NYI)
Marian Gaborik (NYR)
Daniel Carcillo (PHI)
Michael Rupp (PIT)
Matt Cooke (PIT)

Thoughts on the 5 Teams

Philadelphia Flyers
- The acquisition of Bryzgalov was big, but did they need it so bad that they should've given up their captain and one of their top scorers for it?
- If the Flyers had a goalie this year, a second consecutive Prince of Wales would've been within the realm of possibility

Pittsburgh Penguins
- Dan Bylsma did one of the finest coaching jobs in recent memory, getting Pittsburgh to a 106-point season missing Crosby and Malkin the whole second half of the year
- If Crosby wants to stop getting concussions, Matt Cooke must go because I believe the cheapshots on Crosby are a direct result of Matt Cooke's on-ice antics.  Players aren't going to go after Cooke, a third-line type of guy, they're going to go after the star player.

New York Rangers
- Henrik Lundqvist is quietly being one of the NHL's best goalies despite playing under the bright lights of New York. Not something you see too often.
- This team has alot of good young players, could have possibly made some noise in the playoffs if not for the injury to Callahan.

New Jersey Devils
- This year was a big wake up call that the Devils are getting old quick, which could mean Lou Lamorello's next project could be a rebuilding project.
- Martin Brodeur's days are now past him, the question now is how many more years does he play before he walks off into the sunset?
- There may very well be quite a few people in Newark thanking the NHL for not approving Kovalchuk's 17-year deal.

New York Islanders
- If this team stays on Long Island, there will be alot of excitement in Uniondale for many years to come.
- Rick DiPietro needs to figure it out, but lucky for him he still has 10 years to do so before his contract expires.

New Name, Same Blog

Don't worry, my blog was not hacked.  Just figured I would change the name of my blog considering that the Happy Hour Radio Show will probably not happen next year.  I'll still be on the radio, just a different show, with a different name.  Possibly cohosting with Frank Maturo, but not official or certain on that yet.  Haven't taken that up with him just yet, but would certainly be something I'd be completely on board with after doing a few shows with him during the second semester, and was a lot of working with him and we had great chemistry.  That being said, regardless of when I do the show and/or/if who I do the show with, I will be on WNEK 105.1 FM at WNE or WNEU, whatever their changing WNEC to.  So be sure to tune in come fall and I can't wait to talk with you guys!

My Thoughts on the Northeast Division's teams

Forgot to add this in yesterday when I posted the Northeast Division Recap.  Hope everyone can find it in their hearts to forgive me.

Boston Bruins
- Will they repeat? The jury is out on that, and I say 75/25 no due to the number a playoff run like this does on the players.  The Penguins will be right there, and the Flyers now have their goalie.  Looking out west, the Kings have a legitimate shot, plus you can never count out Detroit or Vancouver.
- Ryder had a great playoffs, but Chiarelli should remember how inconsistent his play has been in the regular season over the last 2 years before he overpays on him.
- Kind of torn on Kaberle, not resigning him could mean him being the answer to another team's blueline and could come back to bite the B's.
- This team has a high ceiling, and this won't be the last cup before the decade is through.

Montreal Canadiens
- Not really sure about how close or far they are from Cup #24.  Its hard to get an idea because they have the goalie in Price and a potential shutdown duo on D if Markov comes back healthy and Subban alongside him.

Buffalo Sabres
- Should be battling for the top of the division next year based on how they played in the second half of the season.
- Ryan Miller needs to find the game that won him the Vezina in 2010, and led USA to the Olympic Silver in Vancouver, as opposed to the inconsistent play that has seemed to plague his game since the Olympic Break ended last year.
- Future couldn't be more promising with this team looking at Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe having great rookie seasons to back up Tyler Myers' 2009-2010 campaign that won him the Calder Trophy.

Toronto Maple Leafs
- Team that I feel is in the best position to break the Canadian Stanley Cup drought that goes back to 1993, with James Reimer continuing to improve in net under the apprenticeship of Conn Smythe winner JS Giguere, plus plenty of shooters up front.  They just need to improve on the blue line, and they couldn't have a better guy in the front office than Brian Burke, who was the architect of Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup team in 2007, and played a big role in the success of the Canucks by drafting the Sedins and Ryan Kesler among others in his time in Vancouver.
- If Phil Kessel will ever be a star in this league, he must learn to play 2-way hockey.

Ottawa Senators
- Obviously in the midst of a long rebuilding project, but have to feel good about themselves after their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, won the Calder Cup.
- It has seemed like decades, but the Sens are just 4 years removed from their first and only Prince of Wales Trophy in franchise history, which they won in 2007 before going to the Cup and losing to Anaheim.
- This team needs to hold on to Jason Spezza and build around him, a guy who is a star on a bad team.  As the Boston Bruins have demonstrated, as far away as the Cup may seem, it could be that close, and Spezza is a guy that can lead a team to the promised land.  Should be the heir appearant to Alfredsson as the captain when he leaves Ottawa, which seeing as he's 38 and coming off a season puting up 14-17--31 (40 point dropoff from the year before), should be sooner rather than later.

Northeast Division Recap

Standings
*Boston (46-25-11-103)
*Montreal (44-30-8-96)
*Buffalo (43-29-10-96)
Toronto (37-34-11-85)
Ottawa (32-40-10-74)

Statistical Leaders
Goals- Thomas Vanek, BUF (32)
Assists- David Krejci, BOS (49)
Points- Thomas Vanek, BUF (73)
plus/minus- Zdeno Chara, BOS (+33)
Save PCT- Tim Thomas (.938)

All-Northeast First Team
LW- Thomas Vanek (BUF)
C- Patrice Bergeron (BOS)
RW- Phil Kessel (TOR)
D- Zdeno Chara (BOS)
D- Erik Karlsson (OTT)
G- Tim Thomas (BOS)

All-Northeast Rookie Team
LW- Tyler Ennis (BUF)
C- Zack Smith (OTT)
RW- Brad Marchand (BOS)
D- PK Subban (MTL)
D- Adam McQuaid (BOS)
G- James Reimer (TOR)

Division Awards
Hart Trophy- Tim Thomas (BOS)..Put together arguably he best single season performance by a goaltender.  Allowed just 2.00 goals per game, and posted an NHL-Record .938 save percentage.  The Bruins don't win the cup without him

Vezina Trophy- Tim Thomas (BOS)..for all the reason above and more.

Norris Trophy- Zdeno Chara (BOS)..Led the NHL with a +33 and won the Mark Messier Award for leadership, and averaged 25:26 of ice time per game.

Calder Trophy- Tyler Ennis (BUF)..Was on my NHL All-Rookie team, ranked top 5 among rookies in assists (29), points (49), and was 7th in goals (20).

Lady Byng- Brian Gionta (MTL)..Represents the true meaning of wearing a Canadiens jersey and what it stands for.  The way of which he conducts himself as captain of le club de hockey Canadien, and is certainly not representative of some characters on that Montreal payroll.

Selke- Zack Smith (OTT)..had 27 blocked shots and won 54% of faceoffs.

Jack Adams- Claude Julien (BOS)..always stuck to his system and as a result saw his team hoist the Cup last week.

Masterton Trophy- Tim Thomas (BOS)..overcame alot of obstacles following his hip surgery that ruined his 2009-2010 season en route to becoming the second player to win the Vezina, Conn Smythe, and Stanley Cup in one season.

Players in the Penthouse
David Krejci (BOS)
Patrice Bergeron (BOS)
Zdeno Chara (BOS)
Mark Recchi (BOS)
Tim Thomas (BOS)
Thomas Vanek (BUF)
Drew Stafford (BUF)
Tyler Myers (BUF)
Tomas Plekanec (MTL)
Brian Gionta (MTL)
Mike Cammalieri (MTL)
Carey Price (MTL)
Jason Spezza (OTT)
Mikhail Grabovski (TOR)
Nikolai Kulemin (TOR)

Players in the Elevator
Milan Lucic (BOS)
Brad Marchand (BOS)
Adam McQuaid (BOS)
Tyler Ennis (BUF)
Nathan Gerbe (BUF)
Steve Montador (BUF)
Andrei Kostitsyn (MTL)
PK Subban (MTL)
Mathieu Darche (MTL)
Erik Karlsson (OTT)
Bobby Butler (OTT)
Clark MacArthur (TOR)
James Reimer (TOR)

Players in the Doghouse
Tim Connolly (BUF)
Jordan Leopold (BUF)
Scott Gomez (MTL)
Hal Gill (MTL)
Milan Michalek (OTT)
Filip Kuba (OTT)
Tyler Bozak (TOR)

NHL Season in Review

Final Standings 
Eastern Conference
Washington (48-23-11-107)
Philadelphia (47-23-12-106)
Boston (46-25-11-103)
Pittsburgh (49-25-8-106)
Tampa Bay (46-25-11-103)
Montreal (44-30-8-96)
Buffalo (43-29-10-96)
NY Rangers (44-33-5-93)
Carolina (40-31-11-91)
Toronto (37-34-11-85)
New Jersey (38-39-5-81)
Atlanta (34-36-12-80)
Ottawa (32-40-10-74)
NY Islanders (30-39-13-73)
Florida (30-40-12-72)

Western Conference
Vancouver (54-19-9-117)
San Jose (48-25-9-105)
Detroit (47-25-10-104)
Anaheim (47-30-5-99)
Nashville (44-27-11-99)
Phoenix (43-26-13-99)
LA Kings (46-30-6-98)
Chicago (44-29-9-97)
Dallas (42-29-11-95)
Calgary (41-29-12-94)
St. Louis (38-33-11-87)
Minnesota (39-35-8-86)
Columbus (34-35-13-81)
Colorado (30-44-8-68)
Edmonton (25-45-12-62)

Conference Quarterfinals
1 Washington 2-2-2-4-3
8 NY Rangers 1-0-3-3-1

2 Philadelphia 0-5-4-0-3-5-5
7 Buffalo 1-4-2-1-4-4-2

3 Boston 0-1-4-5-2-1-3
6 Montreal 2-3-2-4-1-2-2

4 Pittsburgh 3-1-3-3-2-2-0
5 Tampa Bay 0-5-2-2-8-4-1

1 Vancouver 2-4-3-2-0-3-2
8 Chicago 0-3-2-7-5-4-1

2 San Jose 3-0-6-6-1-4
7 LA Kings 2-4-5-3-3-3

3 Detroit 4-4-4-6
6 Phoenix 2-3-2-3

4 Nashville 4-3-4-3-4-4
5 Anaheim 1-5-3-6-3-2


Conference Semi-Finals
1 Washington 2-2-3-3
5 Tampa Bay 4-3-4-5

2 Philadelphia 3-2-1-1
3 Boston 7-3-5-5

1 Vancouver 1-1-3-4-3-2
5 Nashville 0-2-2-2-4-1

2 San Jose 2-2-4-3-3-1-3
3 Detroit 1-1-3-4-4-3-2

Conference Finals
3 Boston 2-6-2-3-3-4-1
5 Tampa Bay 5-5-0-5-1-5-0

1 Vancouver 3-7-3-4-3
2 San Jose 2-7-4-2-2

Stanley Cup
1 Vancouver 1-3-1-0-1-2-0
3 Boston 0-2-8-4-0-5-4

Awards
Norris Trophy- Nicklas Lindstrom (DET)
Selke Trophy- Ryan Kesler (VAN)
Jack Adams Award- Dan Bylsma (PIT)
Calder Trophy- Jeff Skinner (CAR)
Ted Lindsay Award- Daniel Sedin (VAN)
Masterton Trophy- Ian Laperriere (PHI)
Lady Byng- Martin St. Louis (TB)
Vezina Trophy- Tim Thomas (BOS)
Hart Trophy- Corey Perry (ANA)

NHL First Team
LW- Daniel Sedin (VAN)
C- Henrik Sedin (VAN)
RW- Corey Perry (ANA)
D- Zdeno Chara (BOS)
D- Shea Weber (NSH)
G- Tim Thomas (WAS)

NHL Second Team
LW- Alex Ovechkin (WAS)
C- Joe Thornton (SJ)
RW- Martin St. Louis (TB)
D- Niklas Lindstrom (DET)
D- Toni Lydman (ANA)
G- Pekka Rinne (NSH)

NHL All-Rookie Team
LW- Tyler Ennis (BUF)
C- Logan Couture (SJ)
RW- Michael Grabner (NYI)
D- PK Subban (MTL)
D- John Carlson (WAS)
G- Corey Crawford (CHI)

NHL and NBA postseason review coming out Wednesday

Starting Wednesday I'll be starting my postseason review of the NHL and NBA.  It'll feature recaps, final standings, leaders, playoff recaps, team reviews and evaluations.

Wednesday- NHL Recap
Thursday- Northeast Division Recap
Friday- Atlantic Division Recap
Saturday- Southeast Division Recap
Sunday- Central Division Recap
June 27- Northwest Division Recap
June 28- Pacific Division Recap
June 29- NBA Recap
June 30- Atlantic Division Recap
July 1- Central Division Recap
July 2- Southeast Division Recap
July 3- Northwest Division Recap
July 4- Pacific Division Recap
July 5- Southwest Division Recap

Its been a wild 10 years

How crazy has this been?  Undoubtedly something we will never see again in any city.  This is Boston's answer for 27 world championships.  Its hard to come to grips with it.  Something tells me I'm about to wake up and turn on NESN Daily to see the highlight of the Sox game at the New Fenway Park, in the midst of the age-old question, "Will this be the year?" The year of course where they win their first World Series since 1918.  There will be talk about the Patriots upcoming season, as they go through their 5th coach in 10 years, as Drew Bledsoe plays before a half empty Gillette Stadium.  Meanwhile, Jeremy Jacobs continues to hold the Bruins franchise hostage as he establishes himself as the Donald Trump of the West End.  And the Celtics..well lets just say Larry Bird ain't walking through that door.  Basically just the typical life of what a Boston sports fan is accustomed to- suffering, suffering, and more suffering...

Ranking the 7 Championships
1- 2004 Red Sox-  Is this even up for debate?  Total no-brainer in my opinion.  The fact they did it, their first since 1918 of course, was big enough to the people of New England and all those who followed the Red Sox so religiously for so many years, waiting for next year to come.  But what was even more remarkable is the way of which they did it.  Coming back from down 3-0 to knock off the Yankees, then making a mockery of the 105-win Cardinals.  It was the biggest of the 7, and will always be the biggest in Boston sports.

2- 2011 Bruins- Boston has always been a hockey town, with so many big names in the hockey world coming out of the Boston area, its also home to the Hockey East, mecca of college hockey, the most prestigious college hockey tournament in the Beanpot, and one of the most prestigious high school hockey tournaments in the Super 8.  What it did was make it an NHL city, where hockey became the forefront of talk at the local Dunkin Donuts, in the bar rooms, and on the sports talk radio stations.  To add to that, the Bruins represented everything good about Boston and its people- blue-collar, hard working, with undying resolve.

3- 2001 Patriots- It was the championship of them all.  It was a long 16-year wait between championships for Boston, and for that it was of great significance.

4- 2008 Celtics- It brought the Celtics back to the top of the NBA after such a long dip.  Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parrish weren't walking through that door, but instead it was Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen were.  These three had been three of basketball's best for nearly a decade, and they finally got that well earned ring.  It was even more special for Pierce, since the ring now allowed him to be mentioned in the same breath of Bird, Russell, Havlicek, Cousy, and all the other great Celtics over the years.

5- 2004 Patriots-  The third in four years, it made the Patriots football's first dynasty in the new milenium.  It made the Pats a first-class model organization and put Belichick officially in the same breath of Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Don Shula, and Bill Walsh as the greatest coach to ever patroll an NFL sideline, and put Tom Brady in the same light as Montana and Unitas as the greatest to go under center.

6- 2007 Red Sox- It was the championship built by the Henry administration.  While they won in 2004 with many of Duquette's pieces, this one was truly tailored by Theo and the Red Sox current front office.  It also put to sleep any thoughts of another 86 years.

7- 2003 Patriots- The least significant, but still very significant. Like the dumbest kid at MIT.  It proved that Brady wasn't a one-year wonder, and the 2001 Pats weren't just a cinderella story, but a team that was here to stay.

- We must remember that there could easily have been more.  If not for a circus catch by David Tyree and a freak three-pointer by Ron Artest, there could very easily have been 9 in 9 years.

Other Champions in 4 major sports in New England since 2002
Eastern Connecticut State Warriors- 2002 NCAA Division III Baseball Champions
Norwich Navigators- 2002 Eastern League (AA Baseball) Champions
Williams College Ephs- 2003 NCAA Division III Basketball Champions
Norwich University Cadettes- 2003 NCAA Division III Hockey Champions
Connecticut Huskies- 2004 NCAA Division I Basketball Champions
New Hampshire Fisher Cats- 2004 Eastern League (AA Baseball) Champions
Portland Sea Dogs- 2006 Eastern League (AA Baseball) Champions
Amherst College Lord Jeffs- 2007 NCAA Division III Basketball Champions
Boston College Eagles- 2008 NCAA Division I Hockey Champions
Trinity College Bantams- 2008 NCAA Division III Baseball Champions
Boston University Terriers- 2009 NCAA Division I Hockey Champions
Boston College Eagles- 2010 NCAA Division I Hockey Champions
Norwich University Cadettes- 2010 NCAA Division III Hockey Champions
Connecticut Huskies- 2011 NCAA Division I Basketball Champions