DG Quickie: Updating You on a Great Sunday of Sporting

A quick update from a nice Sunday in sports.

First...Crouching Tiger Obliterates Field!

Tiger Woods completely left his competition in the dust while taking the 2008 Buick Open (his first event this year) by 8 strokes.  He looked extra dominant outdriving, sinking putts, and showing a preview of perhaps a great year to come.  With the win today, he tied Arnold Palmer for fourth all time with 62 career wins.

Second...Eastern Stars Triumph Late in Close NHL All-Star Game

It was a surprisingly competitive installment of the All-Star Game this year as many of the league's elite came out to show off their skill to the Atlanta crowd.  It was entertaining from the beginning as the Versus network had two goalies (the East's Rick DiPietro and the West's Manny Legace) mic'd up for the night.  It was fun for the crowd to hear them talk not only to the players on the ice, but to the announcers in the booth as Emerick and Olzyck (and even the Commish at one point) were in the goalies' ears all night.  The East struck quickly in the first going ahead with a 5-1 lead, but in the later periods, the West's goalies only allowed 3 more goals the rest of the night while the West came back to tie it at 7-all in the third period, behind a Rick Nash hat trick.  However, in the last 20 seconds of the game, former Atlanta favorite and current Bruin Marc Savard scored the goal to give the East the 8-7 win.  Eric Staal, who had an assist on the winning goal and 2 goals of his own on the night, took home MVP honors.

And lastly...Shaun White Takes Gold at Winter X-Games

Shaun White edged Ryo Aono on a super run down the Men's SuperPipe in the X-Games finals, while battling blizzard conditions.  He gave a stellar run with huge air, major tricks, and finished it off with a backside 1260 which brought huge cheers from the crowd and sealed the victory for Shaun giving him a score over 96+!

It's Kaner, It's Ovie, It's St. Louis...It's NHL All-Star Weekend: Pt.1--SuperSkills

Every year (except for the Olympic years), the NHL's brightest stars come out to shine at the NHL All-Star Game.  This year the festivities kicked off with the newly, revamped SuperSkills competition in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was a night, while maybe lacking some of the biggest stars due to injuries/unable to participate, certainly packed a lot of punch with some huge performances and great moments for everyone.  The first event was a new relay/obstacle course.  It featured some cool new tasks including a return of the goalies trying to score from the other side of the rink.  Some of the favorite events returned, including the Fastest Skater, Shootout, and the Hardest Shot which saw Zdeno Chara's 103.1 MPH blast edge Vinny Lecavaleir's 101.9 MPH shot.  In the Accuracy Shooting challenge, the 4 for 4 Club of knocking four targets in four shots got a new member in Tommy Kaberle of Toronto, who's accurate shot earned him a place in all-star lore among Ray Bourque, Mark Messier, and Jeremy Roenick.  One of the more interesting events of the night, however, was the Breakaway Challenge.  This event was the NHL's try at a dunk contest, and saw player's supposedly try to score a shootout goal in a creative manner.  They even had celebrity judges in dunk guru Dominique Wilkins and former Thrashers captain Scott Mellanby, among others.  However, I think that something was missed along the way.  Not all of the participants really got the memo on the being creative part as most of them just skated toward the goal with a couple of dekes thrown in and took a shot.  It started to get a little more exciting later as a few guys put in some between the legs and behind the back moves, but in my opinion the only three guys who actually tried to make this a competition were Marty St. Louis, Marion Gaborik, and Alex Ovechkin.  Marty, unfortunately couldn't elevate the puck to execute what looked like some pretty good moves, and Ovie tried to do some pretty cool puck juggling, but kept whiffing on the shot.  They both had great ideas though.  Marion Gaborik's attempt didn't receive much attention, unfortunately, as it probably deserved.  He revved up his engines and skated full speed with the puck, before spraying DiPietro and going around the back of the net to try and sneak the puck in around the other side.  This move, while amazing, was also met with an amazing scissor save by DiPietro.  So this event, in my opinion, needs to be explained a little more in future all-star games to make sure the players know to be creative...oh, and Sidney Crosby being included probably won't hurt either.  The event, however, that most caught my attention was the amazing YoungStars Game.  This game featured the best rookies in the league playing 3-on-3 hockey for two, 6-minute periods.  The game had an ongoing clock and vets Legace, Vokoun, and Osgood in goal.  It was a really fun game, which saw the rookies showcase their amazing youth and talent.  What made it even more fun, however, was the fact that Western goalie Manny Legace was mic'd up and talking to Emerick and Olzyck in the booth while he was playing.  It was entertaining to hear his commentary and reactions as it was all happening on the ice.  The highlight came when Legace made a save and then skated out of the crease to make a long pass to Kane who was flying up the ice where he proceeded to score his second goal of the game.  So overall, it was a really fun night where all fans of hockey could just enjoy the festivities and the players could just have some fun.  In the future of course, this event can only get better as more of these young players improve and join the elite ranks, and many of the stars who were absent tonight (Sakic, Crosby, Luongo, Broduer, Lundqvist, Jagr, Towes, Sharp...)have improved health or hopefully choose/are chosen to participate.  By the way, the East won by final score of 9-6 in the SuperSkills...the All-Star Game is tomorrow night (Sunday, January 27, 2008 @ 6ET/5CT). 

Wild Card Post: Happy Belated MLK Jr. Day from Stephen Colbert and DG

Tech Post: Apple Releases "Air" and iTunes Movie Rentals at Macworld 08

Today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs gave his annual Macworld Stevenote speech in San Francisco's Moscone West.  There, he continued the tradition of unveiling some sweet new products to the tech-hungry generation of today.  He rolled out many things, including:

• MacBook Air; the world's thinnest notebook, packing all the punch!
• iPhone and iPod touch software updates giving some great new features to the devices
• Time Capsule: an Airport Extreme and a Server Grade Hard Drive rolled into one base "appliance"
• a new Apple TV interface to go along with a new development...iTunes Movie rentals

The MacBook air is a great new products that gives people an ultra-portable laptop, that looks cool, has a good battery life, and is "built for the wireless world."  It awed the crowd when Steve Jobs pulled it out of an inter-office envelope...

The movie rentals took up a nice portion of the keynote, in which Jobs demoed how you could rent movies through iTunes to watch on a variety of platforms, and also rent directly from the Apple TV.  The cool part about the Apple TV is that a bunch of movies are available in HD and Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound.  Apple has also gotten every major studio to sign on with them, so all movies will be available as rentals.

For more information on the cool developments of today, head on over to the following websites:

MacRumors

Apple.com

Apple.com/MacBookAir

Apple.com/AppleTV

Apple.com/timecapsule

Apple.com/itunes/

Outside Viewpoint Post: Hester's Team?

Da' Bears Blog: Ridiculous.

This is an article from Da' Bears Blog that I think offers a very interesting viewpoint on this offseason and the future of the team.  Now I realize that there are other important things like QB, RB, etc...but it is a pretty cool idea.

Here Come the Hawks!...and there go the Hawks :(

What's up with those Blackhawks? I know teams go through tough times, and the core of this team looks nice for years to come, but come on. A couple of weeks ago people were talking about a revival, and they looked like one of the elite teams early in the year, but with the 5-2 loss tonight to the Minnesota Wild they have lost eight in a row and with 42 points are last in the Central and 7 pts out of a playoff spot in the West. Now there still is time, Towes hopefully will be back in a week or two, and this team should learn how to play better with each loss. But for now, there are a couple of things that I don't understand.

Let's start with the current lines that have been going out there the last week and a half:

1st line: LW Kane - C Lang - RW Havlat
2nd line: LW Versteeg - C Sharp - RW Ruutu
3rd line: LW Bourque - C Perreault - RW Skille
4th line: LW Burish - C Dowell - RW Lapointe

Defenseive Pairings
Keith/Seabrook
Hendry/Sopel
Barker/Byfuglien

Khabibulin between the pipes

Now with this lineup on the ice, this team should be playing awesome. There is a huge core of young, fresh talent that should be playing with enthusiasm, energy, and the amazing skill that they were drafted so highly for. Over the losing streak, granted, no one has been playing well at all. All the key parts that made this team win earlier in the year haven't been working...Byfuglien's scoring, Kane's assists (which might be due to the absence of Towes), Langer and Sharpie's goals, and solid, consistent contribution all around. However, looking at how some of the younger names have performed this year is perhaps most puzzling. Ruutu, Bourque, Skille, and Barker have all been highly-touted youngsters in the Hawks organization (all of them high first round picks except Bourque). Even with Towes out, these guys should be playing almost as good as Towes and Kane.  With the talent they have shown in the past, they should all have 20 goals and 40 pts right now.  Ruutu was drafted 9th overall in the 1st rd. of the 2001 draft and he only has 6G/11 A on the year.  He was supposed to be the leader of this young team with his years of success in the past.  And Bourque had set scoring records wherever he'd been in the past and played great in the 05-06 campaign with 34 pts, yet he hasn't looked the same this year after recovering from injuries.  And then we of course arrive at Skille and Barker.  Barker was drafted 3rd overall in the 2004 draft, he's had a couple years to develop now and has excelled at the minor league level.  However,  in 10 games played so far this year he's accrued only 2 pts and a minus 5 rating.  Skille was drafted 7th overall, again in the 1st round!  In 7 games this year, he's had 2 points.

Now I hope that during the past 8 games of losing, this team has grown and learned on the ice.  As I previously mentioned, there is a lot of talent right now in the locker room that should start to translate into great play on the ice with some more time.  I think that hopefully Towes will come back, and the rebuilding process can continue this year.  If they make it to the playoffs this year that would be great, but at least we know that this team should be fine for years to come.  Just listen to the names that are still so young and will be growing together as a core for the future:  Kane, Towes, Skille, Barker, Byfuglien, Seabrook, Rutuu, Sharp...they all have so much potential and have shown flashes of brilliance, so let's see where they go this year.

Travel Post: Fiesta Time for the WV Mountaineers

The powerful team play of the West Virginia Mountaineers, along with the great individual performances of QB Pat White, RB Noel Devine, and WR Darius Reynaud, sent the Oklahoma Sooners home unhappy for the second year in a row at the Tostitos® Fiesta Bowl. It was an electrifying performance from the start as the Mountaineer offense was too much for the Sooners to handle. Offensive MVP Pat White led the way going 10/19 passing for 176 yds and 2 TD's, as well as takin' off for a monster 150 yds rushing for the mobile QB. Not far behind in the stellar play category were White's quick footed teammates Noel Devine (who was named as one of ESPN the Magazine's NEXT Athletes) and Jr. WR Darius Reynaud. Reynaud had a great game with 5 rec. for a TD (a 21 yd. catch), as well as one rushing play from the back field in which he took it 30 yds to the house for the score. And what to say about freshman phenom Noel Devine. After starting RB Steve Slaton went down with an injury early in the game, Noel Devine came in and never looked back. He caught two passes for 47 yds, and rushed for 108 yds and 2 TD's (including a long 65 yd run in the fourth quarter). Overall, White, Devine, and the rest of the West Virginia offense combined for 349 yds rushing! This was the most compiled against a Bob Stoops-led OU defense (OU ranked 7th nationally during the season allowing only 91.9 rush yds/game). After a game where the Mountaineers ran all over Oklahoma, and their defense made red-shirt Fr. QB Sam Bradford, RB Allen Patrick, and the good Sooner wide receivers look human (and not the #4 team in the nation), West Virginia had reason to celebrate. Glendale was rockin' all night, the players accepted their trophy, and their interim head coach even got a new deal to lead the team for the next four years. It was a great night that kept the Fiesta Bowl tradition the last few years of it truly being one big fiesta!

Happy New Year From Let's Get Some Runs

Here's to a great 2008 in sports! Hopefully this year will bring a Cubs World Series title, another Bears Super Bowl run, a grand-slam for Tiger, and success for many other sports teams and athletes.

Sid the Kid Shines in Thrilling Winter Classic Victory

The Pittsburg Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres today in a 2-1 shootout victory. However, this wasn't your normal hockey game. The NHL transformed Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium from an NFL stadium to a frozen, outdoor NHL rink. As both teams walked out of the locker room, they were met by sub-freezing temperatures, blinding blizzards, and 71,217 screaming fans; yes, this wasn't your normal hockey game, this was the 2008 NHL Winter Classic! From the start, it was "Old Time Hockey...how you played the game as a kid," as NBC's broadcast team was advertising it. The excitement was evident through reminiscing by broadcaster Bob Costas and the enthusiastic playcalling by Doc Emerick. The snow came pouring down as the two NHL teams gathered for the opening face-off. Only 21 seconds into the game, Pittsburgh took the lead as Sidney Crosby assisted on a Colby Armstrong goal. Crosby and his teammates gathered in celebration like kids on the local pond. The game then proceeded in excitement with great plays on both ends, stellar saves by Sabre goalie Ryan Miller (as well as Penguin netminder Ty Conklin), and passionate play by Crosby, Malkin, and the other players. The audience was also treated to some candid player interviews mid-game by NBC analyst Darren Pang who was standing in between both benches throughout the game. Over a minute into the second period, Buffalo tied the game on a goal by Brian Campbell. The game remained tied throughout the remainder of regulation and the overtime period. So, the game went to a shootout! The first two rounds saw the teams trade goals and saves. In the third attempt by Buffalo, Maxim Afinogenov streaked down the ice on Ty Conklin who met the show with a glove stop, and so the shootout would all come down to Pittsburgh's attempt. The third shooter for the Penguins was none other than...Sidney Crosby. How fitting that on of the biggest day's for the game of hockey, in front of over 70,000 people, the savior of the NHL would have a chance to win the game in amazing fashion. And...that he did. After skating right at Ryan Miller, Crosby poked a shot in through the 5-hole for the goal, and the win. He then rushed in celebration to his teammates, before both teams raised their sticks in salute to the crowd. It was a thrilling game that not only made history as the first outdoor NHL game in the United States, but was a step in the right direction for a sport looking to regain respect on the American sporting map.

Travel Post: Cardinals beat Rams in Season Finale 48-19

After eight consecutive losing seasons, the Arizona Cardinals pulverized the St. Louis Rams to finish with an 8-8 record. The University of Phoenix Stadium was packed and rockin' for the season finale in Glendale, AZ, as Valley residents came out to cheer on their resurgent football team. Kurt Warner led his team to the victory, going 23/39 for 300 yds passing and 3 TD's, while Matt Leinart sat injured on the sidelines. While Warner's solid play is quite a story, the big star of the game was the man who spectacularly caught two of Warner's three TD passes: WR Larry Fitzgerald. Fitz finished with 11 rec. for 171 yds and 2 TD's. The two TD receptions were made with dazzling endzone leaps in which his hands outstretched just over the coverage. With this game, he finished the season with 100 receptions and 1,409 receiving yds, which makes him the leading receiver in both categories in the NFC. Fellow receiver Anquan Boldin also finished the day with 4 receptions for 56 yds and a TD. On the defensive side of the ball, the Arizona Cardinals continued their interception dominance. The Cardinals finished the season tied for the NFL lead with 6 interception returns for TD's, and they didn't stop in this game. CB Antrel Rolle had a stellar day with 2 INT for 104 yds and one touchdown which he ran back for 47 yds. LB Gerald Hayes also had an INT that he ran back 30 yds for the touchdown.

Some final notes from the victory:
RB Edge James had 24 carries for 102 yds and a TD
Rams FS Oshiomogho Atogwe had and INT returned for a 52 yd TD