Let There Be NBA in 2011

2 days removed from Thanksgiving and 1 day removed from Black Friday, November 26, 2011 is a day of continued celebration. Why? The answer is simple! The National Basketball Association (NBA) lockout has been lifted or for some resurrected from the grave. Although not official, there has been a tentative agreement between players and owners. Even though it isn't official, for most sports fans especially Basketball fans, it is a huge step in the right direction. Just like the NFL in the beginning of 2011 that left many fans of the sport in limbo as to what one will do for the season, most NBA fans were left in limbo as well, until today. To think that the chances of Basketball being played in 2011 was getting slimmer and slimmer especially the way the Commissioner, David Stern, kept saying to the media. Today is a day of jubilation! Some specifics in the collective bargaining agreement are as follow:

• Revenue split: The players will receive anywhere from 49 percent to 51 percent of basketball-related income based on revenue projections.

• New $2.5 million exception for teams below the salary cap to go over the cap. Those teams can’t use the midlevel or bi-annual exceptions.

• Midlevel exception: up to $5 million starting salary with four-year maximum contract length; teams that exceed the luxury-tax threshold by $4 million will be limited to using a $3 million midlevel exception with a four-year maximum contract.

• Minimum team salary increases to 85 percent of the salary cap in the first two years of the deal and 90 percent of the cap in the years thereafter.

• Maximum salary: Only one player per team is eligible to receive a maximum salary worth 30 percent of the salary cap.

These are a few details between players and owners on the agreement that has been tentatively agreed upon. With the resurrection of the 2011 NBA season, many fans will now have a chance to witness the annual Christmas Day match-up which usually consists of two highly-successful teams. As well as the weekly NBA games on Wednesday on ESPN/TNT which can now be seen. Unlike the NFL, the NBA is shown more often throughout the week which gives sports fans something to watch for, making the work week for them more bearable. Knowing that the NBA lockout is going in the right direction and sooner or later will become official, basketball fans can now finally update their social networks from the popular "End the NBA lockout, we want basketball" plea to " Go [Insert Team's Name] chant!" What team will you be cheering for this 2011-2012 NBA Season? 

UFC vs. Boxing

UFC vs. Boxing

UFC vs. Boxing is a debate that many combat sports enthusiasts always debate! The UFC aficionados say that the UFC has surpassed Boxing in entertainment value and offers a lot more in their pay-per-view card. On the contrary, the Boxing fans say that UFC are a bunch of uneducated "street-fighters" that really have no technical ability compared to boxers. These views of the UFC are most prevalent in the world-class promoter of Top Rank, Bob Arum. However, the UFC President, Dana White, has been on record multiple times saying he has nothing against boxing and is a big fan. He has attended many boxing events but has stated that boxing only puts out 2 or 3 major fights in a calendar year with the undercard not being entertainment. Boxing has a legendary/historic story that goes back to the basis of combat sports, whereas UFC is a such a young sport with a history that is still in their teenage years of existence. Come Saturday, November 12, 2011, the two sports will collide once again but this time, a lot more is at stake for both events.

UFC Broadcast Partner

UFC will be on network television for the first time in the promotions history. UFC confirmed that on the Fox network, they will only show one fight but the one fight is of mammoth proportions. The number 1 contender, Junior Dos Santos, will be looking to take the belt away from current UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cain Velasquez. Cain Velasquez has not fight in over a year due to a shoulder injury suffered from previous bout that needed to be surgically repaired. Whereas, Junior Dos Santos has had a few bouts before but most recent was his destruction of the behemoth known as Shane Carwin in Vancouver. Both fighters are strikers but Junior Dos Santos is more of a boxer based while Cain is more muy-thai based. One advantage, pundits, experts and fans alike always point out to Cain's wrestling background and superb Cardio, which has been the achilles heel of many heavyweights. What these people forget that Junior Dos Santos has world class Jui-Jitsu and from his recent bout with Shane Carwin, his wrestling is above average. For having only one fight on network TV, UFC is definitely giving the fans a gargantuan size bout that as Dana White has said "can go 15 seconds to 25 minutes...nonetheless, it will be an explosive match."

Juan Manuel Marquez vs Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao

The UFC will be free for everyone to watch but the boxing will not. The boxing will be televised on pay-per-view between Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. This will be the third time, these two legendary boxers will meet in the ring for the WBO Welterweight Championship Belt that Manny currently holds. The first two fights ended in undesirable results for Marquez, since the 1st ended in a draw and the 2nd ended in Manny being the victor, in which many believed Marquez won the fight. They first fought in 2004 then they fought again 2008 and now they will settle their feud in 2011 in the Welterweight Division. Since both fighter have been fighting each other since 2004, the bouts have gone from being only professional to personal since both fighters believe they won the fights, and now they have one more chance of redemption. This time around, Marquez "properly" gained the weight and strength to compete with the heavier opponent. The last time, he went up in weight, he was dismantled by a technical Floyd Mayweather. Will Marquez come even close to the blinding-speed of Manny Pacquiao? To say this fight isn't personal, both camps have been on record saying: Manny Pacquiao has said that he will knock out Marquez and Marquez, as well as his trainer said that they know Manny well enough to deter the Floyd Mayweather mega bout that many speculate will happen on May 5, 2012. 

UFC vs. Boxing on November 12, 2011 is what a combat sports aficionado dreams. Not only will Boxing and UFC be shown but the main event bouts have so much implications in both sports. Both fights are for a major world title as well as a major payout in future match-ups that will only create exciting bouts for the fans. Furthermore, the implications for the UFC is being accepted as part of mainstream sports and media. For boxing, it is whether or not, Manny will come out victorious and fight Floyd Mayweather. Dana White stated in one of his recent Vlogs that the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez bout will not be missed, if one were to choose to watch the UFC on Fox. As with most boxing cards, the undercards are not entertaining only if one is a true boxing fan, so watching the UFC on Fox is a good addition to the main event that everyone especially Mexicans and Filipinos will be waiting to watch. Will you being watching the UFC on Fox and miss the boxing undercard, or will you be strictly watching the boxing event?

UFC 137 - Penn Vs. Diaz

October 29, 2011 was the day that Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fans were waiting sometime to see! A few months ago, Dana White, UFC President, announced that Nick Diaz would fight George St. Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on this day. In order to compliment such a stellar main-event, Dana White added another great fight to be the co-main event of the UFC 137 card - B.J Penn vs. Carlos Condit. Dana White has said on record several times, "if only Nick Diaz would play the game just a little he'd get his shot" at stardom. What Dana meant by that statement is; he will get his UFC Title Shot, only if Nick Diaz would do all the press and attend all the press conferences/telephone calls and other PR events that would promote the fight; hence, the "if only."

L to R: Nick Diaz and Dana White

Then come a month or so before UFC 137, Nick Diaz failed "to play the game just a little" by not attending a press conference; and like Dana White stated clearly - "if only he would play the game a little, he would get his title shot", in which he didn't so Nick Diaz was pulled from the main event against Georges St. Pierre (GSP). Many fans then wondered, who would replace Nick Diaz and give GSP an exciting fight? Dana White answered the question by promoting Carlos Condit to the main event. Then the fans wondered again, what about B.J Penn's opponent? Once again, Dana White answered the call by demoting Nick Diaz to co-main event to fight his 'friend' Nick Diaz. So the UFC 137 Main event is GSP vs. Carlos Condit and the co-main event is B.J Penn vs. Nick Diaz until a few weeks before UFC 137 on October 29, 2011.

UFC 137 had yet another change to its card, when GSP opted out of the event with an injury he sustained during training. So now the question that was asked throughout MMA was - who will Carlos Condit fight? Many people were speculating that John Fitch would fill in the void but that never transpired. Carlos Condit had the option to still fight on the card or wait till GSP heals and fight him then. Carlos opted to wait to fight GSP, so then many asked who will fight in the main event of UFC 137? As always, Dana answered the question by promoting the co-main event of Nick Diaz vs. B.J Penn to the main-event slot and Mirko "Cro Cop" vs. Roy Nelson as co-main event. The main event at UFC 137 was shuffled more times than a deck of cards at a casino; however, after all the setbacks the card has been set in motion for October 29, 2011

B.J. Penn vs. Nick Diaz

Both, Nick Diaz and B.J Penn, are familiar with each other; so much so, that they call each other friends. B.J brought in Nick to train for his fight against Kenny Florian. Even years before this, Nick Diaz has said that he posters of B.J on his wall, when he was going up in the ranks as an amateur cage fighter. So one can imagine the difficulty in creating this match-up. In order for this fight to happen, both fighters talked about it and agreed that it was beneficial for their careers, so the fight was signed and set for UFC 137.

Nick Diaz is known not to fight but to 'scrap.' He belongs to a group of cage fighters known as the 'Scrap Pack' which includes Jake Shield, his brother Nate, Gilbert Melendez and a few others. His fighting style is extremely high pace due to his very high endurance (Nick does triathlons, when he doesn't train) and high punch count. In addition, he has world class Ju-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie. As for, B.J, he too has world class Ju-Jitsu which he learned under Ralph Gracie. B.J is considered to have the best boxing in MMA by many experts and pundits but what people fail to realize that Nick Diaz also has great boxing because he trains his boxing with Olympic Gold Medalist, Andre Ward. In addition, B.J goes by the motto of 'Just Scrap' which is similar to that of Nick Diaz. The only difference between both fighters is the reach advantage and the endurance levels that Nick Diaz has over B.J; all other qualities, both are equal. With everything said and done, this main event will be a very exciting one, in which both fighters will go in the cage and 'scrap it out.' Which fighter has more 'scrap' in them? The bad boy from the "scrap pack", Nick Diaz or will it be B.J living up to his motto of 'Just Scrap?'

Here is the full UFC 137 card:

Pay Per View:

Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn

Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson

Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop

Jeff Curran vs. Scott Jorgensen

Spike TV:

Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver

Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski

Facebok stream:

Eliot Marshall vs. Brandon Vera

Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem

Chris Camozzi vs. Francis Carmont

Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks

The Importance of the NFL Draft

National Football League Draft

Look no further than the Detroit Lions draft choices in the past few years that have made a tremendous impact in their 2011 season. In 2007, the Lions drafted Wide-Receiver Calvin Johnson. In 2008, they drafted Quarterback Matthew Stafford. In 2009, they drafted top prospects, Safety Louis Delmas and Tight-End Brandon Pettigrew. In 2010, they drafted an absolute 'monster' at Defensive Tackle from Nebraska, Ndamukong Suh and a speedy Tail Back from Cal-Berkeley, Jahvid Best. In 2011, they drafted yet another 'beast' at defensive tackle from Auburn, Nick Fairley. All these draft choices are panning-out to what was expected from them. All these players have contributed to the 'surprise' success of their team, which so far have them at 5-0. The Detroit Lions have not been 5-0 since 1956!! The impact players are not only comprised of these draft picks but they are a huge reason as to why they have many fans across the nation are thinking something else other than "Why watch the morning Thanksgiving Day game? Everyone knows the Lions are going to lose." These 7 players in their active rosters have been draft picks from coaches and management, which only further solidifies the importance of the NFL Draft every year. It was only a few years ago, when the Lions were the laughing stock of the NFL at 0-16. Now they are serious contenders to challenge the defending Super Bowl Champions, Green Bay Packers (5-0 as well) for the NFL North Division Title, and Conference Title. It is the 2nd time since realignment that 2 teams in the same division are 5-0 (AFC's New York Jets & New England Patriots in '04).

There are many examples of teams having success with their draft picks, as well as teams not being so successful a la Oakland Raiders drafting Jamarcus Russell & San Diego Chargers drafting Ryan Leaf. As for the 2011 1st overall draft pick, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, he is off to a tremendous start that still has experts and pundits scratching their head as to how he is having so much success. In his first 2 games of his NFL career, Cam threw for more than 400 yards which makes him the 6th quarterback to ever throw back-to-back 400 yard games in NFL history. Cam brought in the intangibles that were missing in the previous Panther's team. The 2010 Carolina Panthers played with less fervor and intensity and it seemed as if they weren't having fun. However, when management and the coaches deemed Cam Newton as their 'guy', the team in 2011 is now playing with a lot of confidence. Every American Football fan knows the NFL Draft is important but to what extent to do they know, if they don't see immediate results? What Cam Newton and especially the 2011 Detroit Lions team is showing is that patience is key; once the coaches and management have done their due diligence to draft the right players that fit their culture and play schemes, teams will be successful. If you have doubts, one would highly suggest you speak with a true Detroit Lions fan! With all this being said, how are your teams draft picks panning-out?

Time To Get "Vicious" Ortiz On "Money" Mayweather

Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs Victor "Vicious" Ortiz at Weigh-Ins

After the decimation of a old and depleted Shane "Sugar" Mosely, Floyd "Money" Mayweather returns to the ring to fight a young up-and-comer by the name of Victor "Vicious" Ortiz. The last time Mayweather fought was on May 1, 2010 as for Victor, it was on April 16, 2011. Since negotiations between Manny Pacquiao's team and Mayweather's team is still at a stand still, a quality opponent had to be lined up to fight Mayweather. Many boxing experts, pundits and fans alike thought it would be then-Champion Andre Berto. Everyone thought it most likely would have been Andre Berto because he was an undefeated fighter that had the strength, speed and technical abilities to match up against Mayweather's boxing prowess. However, what everyone seemed to forget that before an Andre Berto vs. Floyd Mayweather bout can transpire, Berto had to fight an "unknown" boxer by the name of Victor Ortiz. Everyone wrote off Victor in this fight and everyone had Berto winning decisively but what transpired was a bout that still holds as one of the most exciting boxing bouts of 2011. Contrary to the experts, pundits and popular opinion, Victor Ortiz won via unanimous decision; he managed to knockdown the then-WBC Champion, Andre Berto four times. Not only did Victor Ortiz defeate Andre Berto, but he catapulted his stock as a world-class boxer, which eventually earned him a shot at the "boxing magician" that is Floyd "Money" Mayweather on September 17, 2011 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Neveda, U.S.A.

Now that the bout has been set between "Money" Mayweather and "Vicious" Ortiz, who do the experts, pundits and fans have as the favorite? The last time, these so called "experts" chose the favorite, the underdog took it upon himself to make them eat their own words. The only difference this time is that the favorite, Mayweather, is no Andre Berto. Mayweather is an established name with world title defenses, world class technical abilities that commands up to 10 million per fight. In other words, he is the biggest draw in the sport of boxing other than Manny Pacquiao. With that being said, will Victor Ortiz knock Mayweather down 4 times? Probably not! Will Victor Ortiz win via unanimous decision? Probably not! Does Victor Ortiz have a punchers chance? Absolutely! Ever since Shane Mosely landed a punch on Mayweather's chin which lead him do the "stanky leg", many people have wondered if Mayweather can take a punch from a younger boxer, since it came from a over the hill boxer. It is evident from the Andre Berto bout, that Victor Ortiz has power and if they land flush on Mayweather's chin or liver, Mayweather would be in some serious trouble. But the reason why Mayweather has risen up the ranks to be (self-proclaimed) greatest boxer ever, is his mastery of the defensive skills and ability to elude punches and then land on his opponents. Victor Ortiz is in a similar position like he was in against Andre Berto, but this time he will go against a man who is known to make his opponents look like amateurs. Will Victor Ortiz put on a vicious bout against his greatest challenger or will it seem like he just showed up to collect his money?

UFC RIO (UFC 134) Silva vs. Okami

Rio De Janeiro

Bem-vindo a todos ao Rio De Janeiro, Brasil (Welcome everybody to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)!!! This will be the first time in 13 years since the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) held an event in Brazil; the last one was Ultimate Brazil in 1998. Many fans and 'experts' within the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community consider this the birthplace of MMA with the likes of Vale Tudo (anything goes) tournaments; tracing it back the historic and legendary Gracie family, the pioneers of Gracie (Brazilian) Jui-Jitsu. The fighter that spearheaded the campaign to prove that size and strength can be trumped by an "undersized" fighter with extraordinary technique and showcase a new fighting style that would eventually be extremely vital to MMA, was Royce Gracie. He is the son & nephew of the originators - Helio & Carlos Gracie - of this new style that many people outside of Brazil & Japan (JuJutsu) weren't aware until Royce won UFC 1, 2 & 4 with his Brazilian Jui-Jitsu. A lot has changed since the early days of the UFC but one thing that has not is that fact that Brazil is a country where MMA is popular among its citizens and many champions call it home such as Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Pedro Rizzo, The Gracie Family, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Marco Ruas, and the list goes on and on and on...Now that the UFC is back in Brazil, how will the fight card look like? Will it exceed the fight card and live up to the hype from Ultimate Brazil? Lets take a look:

UFC 134 Headlines

UFC 134 aka as UFC Rio will take place on August 27, 2010 on Pay-Per-View in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil at the HSBC Arena. The main event will be Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami. According to UFC President Dana White: Yushin Okami is the best fighter ever to come out of Japan and Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter ever in MMA. So what kind of main event can the fans expect to see if two fighters are proclaimed to be the best and greatest fighter in their respective country and sport? This will not be the first time Anderson has fought Yushin; they fought in Hawai'i at the Rumble on the Rock 8 in the opening round in 2006. Although Yushin has the win in his record column, everyone who saw the fight live or on YouTube knows very well that Anderson was dominating the whole fight but due to an illegal upkick by Anderson (which by the way knocked out Yushin), he was disqualified. Since 2006, Anderson has not lost a fight in the UFC (13 victories & 8 title defenses); along the way, he has had some remarkable knock outs and an incredible come from behind victory against his stiffest opponent Chael Sonnen at UFC 117. Hence, the adoration from UFC President declaring him the greatest fighter to ever participate in the UFC. However, the one loss that has been haunting Anderson since it has happened was the disqualification against Yushin, but now that the opportunity is a mere days ahead, Anderson must be salivating at the chance of redemption. Will Anderson Silva prove to the world that the loss to Yushin was a fluke or will Yushin prove that he can beat Anderson and do by decision, submission or KO?

As for the co-main event, it will be another rematch between Forrest Griffin and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua from UFC 76. Forrest Griffin was a big underdog in this fight but pulled a submission victory over the favorite & at the time #1 light-heavyweight in the world, in the daunting minutes and as a result, won submission of the night honors. It was later revealed that Mauricio had torn ligaments in his knee which caused him to not be that super-aggressive fighter that everyone around the world became accustomed to seeing. However, Mauricio still opted to fight, in order to earn a paycheck and support his family. Fast forward 4 years later, when they will meet again but this time Mauricio has stated that he is 100% healthy and prepared to take on the man that caused many fans and 'experts' within the MMA community to question whether Mauricio is the Mauricio that warranted the #1 light-heavyweight fighter in the world. Just like his fellow Brasileiro (Brazilian) Anderson Silva, Mauricio will be wanting to redeem his lost to a fighter that most people thought shouldn't have won that fight and bring the pride back to his home country of Brazil with a victory over Forrest. One thing fans know about watching Forrest Griffin is that he does not lay-over for anyone, so Mauricio will have to bring his best to defeat him, anything less will be asking history to repeat itself.

UFC Rio (UFC 134)

Another notable fight worth mentioning is between Brendan Schaub vs. "Big Nog" Antonio Nogueira. The last time "Big Nog" fought was a year ago against the-now heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 110, in which he lost via knockout by punches. Just like his fellow brethren, he will be coming into this fight with a lot of motivation since he will have Brazil on his back and probably will give it his all to make his home-country proud. "Big Nog" will be fighting a very dangerous American fighter, Brendan Schaub, that is nicknamed the "Hybrid" for his unheralded agility, speed, and power at the heavyweight division. Brendan has come out victorious in his last 2 fights between Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic & Gabriel "Napao" Gonzago. Brendan will be entering UFC Rio with hopes in ruining "Big Nog's" homecoming with a victory of his own and then telling the Brazilian fans in attendance "perdao, mas eu tinha que ganhar (sorry but I had to win)."


Other fights in the main card include: Ross Pearson vs. Edson Barboza and Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov. The preliminary fights to be aired on Spike TV are: Thiago Tavares vs. Spencer Fisher and Rousimar Palhares vs. Dan Miller. Lastly, the fights to be aired on Facebook are:   Paulo Thiago vs. David Mitchell, Raphael Assuncao vs. Johnny Eduardo, Erick Silva vs. Luis Ramos, Yuri Alcantars vs. Felipe Arantes, and Yves Jabouin vs. Ian Loveland. 


Will Anderson Silva, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Nogueira, Edson Barboza, Luiz Cane, Thiago Tavares, Rousimar Palhares, Paulo Thiago, and Raphael Assuncao make Brazil proud or will their opponents rain on their parade? Veremos no sabado Agosto 27, 2011 (We will see August 27, 2011)!!

The Floyd Mayweather Sweepstakes

L to R: Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, Amir Khan

There have been talks about the richest fight in, perhaps, boxing history between Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao but they have been shot down due to both parties not agreeing to terms. As a result, many boxing fans and experts think that this fight will not happen. The most heard excuse comes from the camp of the Filipino Congressman of not wanting to take a blood test for the fight due to superstitions; its this excuse that pro-Mayweather fans use for the "Pac-Man" to not fight Floyd. On the other hand, the pro-Manny fans say that it isn't an excuse, and Mayweather is twisting the situation in order to the duck the World's #1 Boxer in the world; which many fans think can be the one to tarnish the unblemished record of Mayweather. The other roadblock in the negotiations is how the purse will be split and how much will each fighter will make. It was reported that Floyd wanted to make 100 Million Dollars for the fight as oppose to 50 Million Dollars that apparently was the initial offer. Before the this mega-fight can happen, the legal fight between both camps need to come to a decision, so the fans can reap the benefit of one of the most highly-anticipated boxing bouts in its historic history. Luckily for Freddie Roach, the trainer of Pacquiao, he also has another very talented boxer, Amir Khan, in his Wild Card Gym that has his name being thrown around in the Floyd Mayweather Sweepstakes.  "There are those dream matches, you know, and sometimes they happen, and sometimes they don't," said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. "Maybe it will happen, and, maybe not, meaning, the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight." 

Between Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan winning the Mayweather sweepstakes, the odds are in favor of Amir Khan coming out victorious for several reasons. As everyone is well aware of, the Pacquiao-Mayweather talks have not been successful whereas Khan-Mayweather talks are ready to go. The Khan-Mayweather talks will not go down the same route as Pacquiao-Mayweather because both Khan and Mayweather have ties with the Golden Boy Promotion which would make negotiations a lot easier than how it was with Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions, who negotiates Pacquiao's fights. Lastly, Manny has an ongoing lawsuit in play against Mayweather for defamation of character for a controversial rant Mayweather did sometime ago (see video below).

As far as Freddie Roach is concerned, he believes both his fighters have the ability to defeat the Floyd Mayweather and has come to terms that if one of his fighters were to fight Floyd, it most likely will be Amir Khan. "I guess that that's a possibility, because Amir and Floyd are with the same [promotional] company, and it seems like nobody is getting along nowadays, unfortunately," said Roach. "I think that I have the two guys that can beat Floyd, but I guess that it could happen that Amir gets him first. A fight with Amir Khan, albeit not so lucrative, can be an attractive alternative to Mayweather, since he will be fighting a boxer trained by the great Freddie Roach and the training partner of Manny Pacquiao. "Amir Khan is young, he's fast, he's very skilled, and he has a great team behind him. So Amir Khan is obviously  an attractive proposition for Floyd Mayweather," said Schaefer. 

The Floyd Mayweather Sweepstakes do not have an expiration date especially since Floyd will be fighting in September against a rejuvenated Victor Ortiz. Manny Pacquiao will have yet another fight with Juan Manual Marquez, and for those who have seen the previous fights between them, know that this is not a walk in the park for the "Pac-Man." As for Amir Khan, he just came out victorious from a bout with Zab Judah and is expected to return at the end of the year. So the Floyd Mayweather Sweepstakes will have to take a back-seat for awhile to see how these fights turn out, but if recent history tells us anything; it will say that these fights will be something to watch. If one were to ask Freddie Roach which of his fighter would he like to see fight Floyd Mayweather, he would say "...he prefer to see it be Manny against Floyd because that's the bigger fight." But who do the fans think will fight Floyd first - Amir Khan or Manny Pacquiao?

Let The 2011 NFL Games Begin!

NFL Games Are On!

So what will be the best day of the year 2011 for NFL Fans? Was it 4th of July? Will it be Christmas Day? Thanksgiving Day? Halloween? A family/friends birthday party? Yes, those can be the best days of the year but there is always that possibility of something going wrong on these days! However, the day that can not go wrong for any [American] Football fan is the day when the games start; no matter, if its pre-season games! The reason can be the fact that Football fans have been deprived of Football for months, and knowing that the regular season is only a few weeks away is extremely exciting to them. The 2011 NFL season is different than any other season, even those seasons where there were lockouts (1974, 1982 and 1987), because the 2011 Lockout has been the longest in NFL history. For 4 months, there were absolutely no relevant Football talk that the fans found exciting enough to have their insatiable thirst quench; since all the Football talk was legal banter between the NFL and the NFLPA. No Football for 4 months to a NFL aficionado is the equivalent to a person not eating for several days! Just imagine the starvation that those NFL aficionados were going through, and the only sustenance that can appease them is Football. If the chants "WE WANT FOOTBALL, WE WANT FOOTBALL, WE WANT FOOTBALL" from the fans in attendance, during the 2011 NFL Draft (only a month and a half had gone with no Football) is not an indicator to how much the NFL means to the fans, then nothing that is said would be able to convey their passion for the game. 

The passion that people have for the NFL can not be compared to any other American sport but only to Hockey in Canada and Football (Soccer) all over the world. For the 2010 NFL season, 9 Billion Dollars were generated in revenue; bare in mind, the NFL season is roughly 6 months long. This goes to show, that people are willing to spend their hard earned money on NFL merchandise, ticket sells and/or purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket on Direct TV because it is something that they find of great value. Since it was 4 months of absolutely no [American] Football, or talks relating to players being traded or picked up, the people are probably going to make up their lost time by paying close attention to the pre-season games as if it was the regular season, just so they can get their void filled from the previous 4 months. Whereas, in previous years, the fans weren't so in tuned to the pre-season since there was some sort of news worthy stories circulating, but nonetheless, got excited since the Kick-Off Weekend would be weeks away. This being said, what day would be the best day of year 2011 for NFL Fans? Was it 4th of July? Will it be Christmas Day? Thanksgiving Day? Halloween? A family/friends birthday party? or would it be the start of NFL games, including pre-season?

UFC 133: Evans Vs. Ortiz

UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz

For those that are telling themselves – “this fight again!” They are referencing the fight that Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz had at UFC 73: Stacked, in Sacramento, California on July 7, 2007, where the fight had a debatable outcome. Many people within the MMA community find this bout debatable, just for the fact that it wouldn’t have been a draw if Ortiz did not get a one point deduction for grabbing the fence to prevent a takedown. On the other hand, many fans especially of Rashad Evans say he won it because he dominated Ortiz the whole bout especially the third round. However the judges did not see it as a win for either fighter so they declared the outcome a draw. During 2007, Tito Ortiz was seen as a big name that can carry a pay-per-view headline slot whereas Rashad Evans was an up-and-comer to the UFC ranks that was trying to reach the heights that Tito Ortiz was occupying. Many fans stated their case as to why these two should fight again but their pleas were not heard by UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva or UFC President, Dana White until now. It took four years to heed the call of the fans for a rematch between Tito “Huntington Beach Bad Bay” Ortiz and Rashad “Suga” Evans. For the MMA faithful, they know how this rematch came about but for those who do not, here’s how it happened.

UFC 73 - Ortiz vs. Evans ending in a draw

After rehabilitating his injured knee, Rashad was to fight newly crowned light-heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones for the title but he pulled out due to injury, as a result, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (an up-and-comer D-1 National Wrestling Champion) was to replace the injured Jones but he too suffered an injury in training camp, which caused him to pull out. Now with Rashad Evans next bout in limbo, the UFC was trying to find a suitable replacement to headline UFC 133, and since Tito Ortiz in UFC 132 defeated Ryan Bader (a top ten contender in the light-heavyweight division) in a dominating fashion, which by the way has to be one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, the UFC asked him to fill in the slot. However, Tito felt like the time wasn’t right so he rejected the offer, so what was the UFC to do? Should they just tell Rashad, “Sorry Suga, but you have no one to fight?” Absolutely not, Dana White always finds a way to please the UFC fans so he asked Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida to step in and initially the answer was yes but due to other factors involved, the bout between Rashad and Lyoto (which would be a rematch of the UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida, where Lyoto KO’d Rashad for the light-heavyweight belt, in which Lyoto made Rashad look like a fish out of water, according to “Rampage” Jackson) did not transpire. Out of nowhere, Tito changed his mind and accepted the offer to fight the man; he did not beat nor lost to.

Now that UFC 133 card is finally in motion and ready to take place on August 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Rashad Evans has an opponent in Tito Ortiz, how will the main event compare their previous fight? One thing is for sure, this bout will not be a “UFC 73 re-run” and someone will be defeated. Also, people will pay attention because of the name recognitions of both fighters as oppose to before, it was only Tito Ortiz.  Both fighters have said that they are not the same fighter than and will impose their will on each other, but according to oddsmakers, Rashad is the heavy favorite to impose his will and win. Reasons can be attributed to Tito Ortiz not winning a fight in five years until he upset Ryan Bader in UFC 132. On the other hand, Rashad hasn’t fought since UFC 114 when he beat “Rampage” Jackson, which is over a year ago, and many MMA fans know that “ring-rust” can play a huge factor in how a fighter performs on his return fight. Also, the MMA community knows that odds are odds and in MMA anything can happen, but for Tito to overcome a hungry Rashad Evans will be an uphill battle, but that’s the beauty of MMA because anyone can be defeated, just ask Ryan Bader.

The fight leading up to the rematch of Ortiz vs. Evans is a fight that will probably be fight of the night; the fight is between Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama. Both fighters do not give up and will the fans everything they have in their body. Both are storied strikers that prefer to keep the fight standing and exchange hits. To put it in perspective, Yoshihiro has said that he will take a few hits to land his hits, if this does not paint a vivid picture of how this fighter likes to engage his opponents that there is nothing one can say other than watch him fight. As for Vitor, he has arguably the best boxing in MMA, so that being said; this fight will give the fans a treat that should not be missed. Other fights on the main card are: Brian Ebersole vs. Dennis Hallman, Jorge Rivera vs. Costantinos Phillippou, and Mike Pyle vs. Rory MacDonald. The preliminary fights are worth watching because it includes top-prospect Chad Mendes fighting Rani Yahya and Matt Hamill against Alexander Gustafsson. UFC 133 was plagued by injuries from many notable fighters and in some cases, other fighters rejected to fight their replacement because he wasn’t a big name, but as everyone knows; the show must go on and how will the event turn out, only August 6, 2011 will tell if Tito is really back!! 

The NFL’s back in business!

Finally, a deal and football soon to follow. The NFL Players Association executive board and 32 team reps unanimously approve a 10-year agreement that ends the 4 1/2 -month lockout. Owners overwhelmingly approved a proposal last week, but some unresolved issues needed to be reviewed’

Good Morning #Team17 were back in business#LockoutIsOver now let's find out where we're playing! What team do u wanna see me with? – Tweeted Braylon Edwards, Wide Receiver for the New York Jets

On July 25, 2011, the fans of American Football have taken the streets, social media, bars, stadiums or wherever rejoicing that the 2011 NFL Lockout has been lifted. No more, waking up on Sunday or getting off work on Monday or Thursday Night, thinking “what am I going to do? Well, since there’s no football, I guess I’ll clean up the house and…hmmm don’t know what else to do!! Football, please come back to me!” Today, every American Football fan will revert back to their fanatic ways and cheer on their respective team, even though there is still a month or so, till Opening Kick-Off. Knowing that the players and owners have agreed to terms, signifies that the fans will get to see the sport they passionately and attentively watch on Sundays, Monday Nights and half-way through the season on Thursday Night’s. Since there will be no Lockout; training camp will ensue, as well as trades, free-agency pick-ups and other news that get fans excited to see who goes where and if they get a marquee player that their team needs. Asking any American Football Fan, if they are exciting that the lockout is over is similar to asking them- what are they going to be watching every Sunday for the months to come? The NFL Lockout being lifted has many fans excited for many reasons, the obvious being - American Football will be played, Fantasy (American) Football will also 

be played and the most important Sunday’s are back!!

LET'S GO BABY!!!!! WE'RE BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!! #LockoutOver – Tweeted Wide Receiver Donte Stallworth

There will be no more trying to figure out what can be done on Sundays and Monday Night. No more pleading the American Football gods to let the lockout be lifted. No more complaining to friends on social media or in person about the NFL. No more questions being asked such as; Do you agree with the owners or players? No more hearing Demaurice Smith, or the owners with the exception of the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones (since he’s always on the sidelines similar to Mark Cuban, the owner Dallas Mavericks) or Roger Goodell tell the fans a whole lot of malarkey on when the NFL will be back. No more watching programs, participating in events, reading books, going to places that one would not go to, if American Football is on. But most importantly, No more getting tortured for almost half a year because the National Football League is back….and the Brett Favre talks are back too!! Like the saying goes “One can’t have ones cake and it eat too!”

Copa América 2011

2011 Copa America

If one is not familiar with this tournament, then that person is not a true football (In the U.S. & Canada – Soccer) fan. This tournament was founded in 1916 under the name of South American Championship but in 1975 it was changed to Copa America; the Copa America occurs every 3 years in alternating South American countries. The two most successful nations with the most titles are Uruguay and Argentina, with 14 each. Although the tournament is for South American countries, other countries outside the region have participated such as Mexico, United States and Costa Rica have been participants to fill out the current 12 team format.  The last 5 Copa America’s (past 15 years), Brazil has won 4 and Colombia has won (they won the 2001 Copa America which split Brazil’s 4 into 2 consecutive victories). However, the last two have been played by nation’s that have such a rich football history with 7 FIFA World Cup victories combined; for those who are avid football fans and even those who only watch to partake in the festivities know the 2 teams are Brazil and Argentina. For a tournament to be running for almost a century speaks volumes on the severity of the tournament for the players and the nations involved, especially that of the host nation. Many analysts, pundits and fans alike always have this notion, because of their exceptional and world-class Footballers, that either Brazil or Argentina will win “La Copa.” Where they right in giving either team the Cup?

Argentina had Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the Copa America. Many people seem to not give Uruguay the respect they deserve for reasons that are unknown to many avid football fans. Uruguay has won the World Cup twice (1930 and 1950) and as aforementioned earlier, have won the Copa America 14 times including the very first one. In addition, they reached the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA Men’s World Cup in South Africa. The feats accomplished are equal to the feats accomplished in the history of the Argentinean National Team; the only difference being that Uruguay does not have the super-stars that those people are accustomed to hearing. If one were to ask an average fan or a fickle football fan, who would win between Argentina and Uruguay? Chances are that person would, without hesitation and with a look on their face vehemently saying – are you serious; would say Argentina. If Mike Tyson taught the sports world anything, it is that anyone no matter how great one is can be defeated; which is exactly what happened to Argentina against Uruguay. The game went into penalty kicks level 1 to 1 (gols coming from Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain and Uruguay’s Diego Perez), with Uruguay prevailing – 5 x 4. The Argentinean who missed the penalty was no other than “El Apache” Carlos Tevez.  That being said, the host nation who anticipated bringing home the Cup is no longer bringing home the Cup but rather their gym bags full of disappointment.

Since the projected winner of the Cup got eliminated a day prior to the other projected Cup winning team, how did Brazil do? For starters, A Seleção or the Samba Boys played a game in which they showed their superiority for the whole entire game including overtime but had nothing to show for it. “Brazil should have won in 90 minutes,” [Gerardo] Martino [Paraguayan Coach] said. “We were lucky.” Brazil was playing a Paraguayan side that was playing good defense and the counter-attack, which made it difficult for the Brazilians to enter the goal area; but for a team with such talent and history that shouldn’t have been a problem but it was. The style that Mano Menezes instill is what the term “Joga Bonito” (Brazilian Portuguese for Beautiful Game) arose from which is their attack first philosophy, in which the Brazilians would create magic even when there is nothing that they can create it from but would find a way to score. The only beautiful game that happened during this game was not found on the pitch but probably found in the Brazilian section of the stands. Just like their rival - Argentina - Brazil was ousted in penalty’s in a manner that can only be mimicked by a video-gamer playing the FIFA game with their eyes closed.

Brazil lost the shootout 0 x 2, with the Brazilians missing 4 of them in humiliating fashion. "Of course if we keep raking over the four missed penalties that saw us go out then we will not talk about the game we played, which marked an evolution in the team and the squad," Menezes told a news conference. Brazil can be paralleled to the baseball team, New York Yankees, in a sense that if they do not win it all, the season/tournament is seen as a failure; that’s how high the bar is set for the 5x World Cup Champions.  "I know you live and die by results," said Menezes. "But these will come if we continue on the path we are on."

The 2011 Copa America Finals will mark 10 years since Brazil or Argentina have been in the finals. In 2001, it was Mexico vs. Colombia; with Colombia coming out victorious over “El Tri.” But before the finals can happen, the semi-finals have to be played. On one side of the bracket, Uruguay plays Peru on July 19, 2011 and on the other side its – Venezuela vs. Paraguay on July 20, 2011. One would think that Uruguay will defeat Peru and Paraguay would defeat Venezuela since both teams eliminated the 2 teams that were projected to win it all. As seen many times in sports, projections are merely words that can be said by anyone, no matter what title is bestowed upon because a game still has to be played to decide the outcome of an event. So will Peru play the role of Netherlands to Uruguay’s hopes in making it to the finals of a major tournament? Will Venezuela show the world that they also are a nation with a great Football National Team and not just baseball? The 2011 Copa America Finals will be held on Sunday July 24^th, 2011. Which teams do you project to make it to the finals?

 

The National League All-Stars Vs. The American League All-Stars

2011 All-Star Game

Depending on what league one’s favorite team plays in, is the league one would probably be rooting for to win the 2011 All-Star Game. But for those who follow Major League Baseball’s Annual All-Star game might have the mentality of why am I going to watch the game, when the American League will win it. These “skeptics,” if one can call them that have a legitimate reason to think that way. In the last 15 years, the American League has won 12 times while the National League only won twice and the other ending in a tie in 2002.  To break it down further, the wins of the National League came in July 9, 1996 and in July 13, 2010. During the National League’s hibernation, the American League amassed 5 straight victories (1997-2001). In 2002, Bud Selig called the game a tie because both leagues had used up all their substitute players, leaving no one available to come in to pitch in relief. Consequently, the game was called a tie by the Commissioner. Then the next 7 years, the American League continued their dominance over the National League until 2010 when the National League finally defeated a foe that has been an annual headache for them. However, for the more polished fan that has a historical knowledge of the All-Star Game knows that the National League still dominates the American League (41-38). For example, from 1960 till 1982, the National League won an astonishing 23 times whereas the American League won only twice in 1971 (from 1960 to 1962, there were two All-Star games played each year). Throughout this span, there was also a tie in 1961 due to rain. So, how will the 2011 All-Star Game pan out?

National League

The National League (NL) is coached by the Manager of the World Series Champion - San Francisco Giants - Bruce Bochy. The players selected from the World Series Champions are Tim “The Freak” Lincecum, Matt Cain, Brian “Fear The Beard” Wilson, Pablo “Panda” Sandoval, and Ryan Vogelsong. “The Giants will have five All-Stars for the first time since 1966, when they sent six in an era of 10-team leagues. They were Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Jim Ray Hart, Tom Haller, Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal” (Henry Schulman of SF Gate, Pablo Sandoval Named by Bochy to All-Star Team). However, none of them are starting the All-Star game.

As for the NL starters of the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game, they are as follow: The starting pitcher is no other but “Doc” Halladay aka Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies. "When you talk about the best, this guy is at the top," Bochy said of Halladay. His infielders are – Prince Fielder at 1^st base, Rickie Weeks at 2^nd base, Troy Tulowitzki at short-stop (SS) and Scott Rolen at 3^rd base. As for Halladay’s outfielders, they are – Matt Holiday at Left Field, Matt Kemp at Center Field and Lance Berkman at Right Field and the Designator Hitter (DH) is Carlos Beltran. The man behind the plate catching for the “Doc” is Brian McCann. Will this 1^st team be good enough to make it 2 consecutive victories over the American League?

American League

The American League (AL) is coached by the manager of the World Series Runner-Ups - Texas Rangers - Ron Washington. The players selected from the World Series Runner-Ups are C.J Wilson, Adrian Beltre, Michael Young, Alexi Ogando, and Josh Hamilton. The difference between the Texas Ranger’s player selection and that of the World Series Champions player selection is that the Rangers have two starters – Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre, whereas the San Francisco Giants have none.

As for the AL starters of the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game, they are as follow: The starting pitcher is Jared Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jared Weaver got the nod to start because Justin Verlander and James Shields are ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game on July 12, 2011. The defense that will be supporting Jared will be nothing but stellar. At 1^st base it will be Adrian Gonzalez; at 2^nd base it will be Robinson Cano; at short-stop (SS) it will be Asdrubal Cabrera and at 3^rd base it will be Arian Beltre. The AL outfielders are the most reliable with their glove and are power hitters. At Right Field will be Jose Bautista; at Center Field is Curtis Granderson and Left Field is Josh Hamilton. The Designator Hitter (DH) is no other but “Big Papi” David Ortiz. The man behind the plate is Alex Avila. Will this be the year that the American League regains their present day reign over the NL?

This All-Star Game between the NL and AL has been played since 1933. This game also signals the half-way point of the long and grueling MLB season. MLB dedicates a whole weekend preceding the All-Star Game with festivities such as Celebrity Softball and the ever-so popular Home Run Derby.  This is not just a game for the fans but is a game that has significant value to each league. The winner of the All-Star Game will have Home Field Advantage in the World Series, which gives each league incentive to take it serious and to give 100% effort in coming out victorious. Since this incentive became permanent in 2006, 4 out of the 6 teams that won the World Series had their league come out victorious in the All-Star Game. Who will it be this year – the American League or National League? The answer lies within the team that one roots for?

Takeru Kobayashi and Fedor Emelianenko

Legends In Their Respective Sport

(Wiping the eyes as if you have just woken up from a deep slumber and seeing this blog title but can’t seem to put two and two together!)

Takeru Kobayashi and Fedor Emelianenko, although complete polar opposite like oil and water, have many common threads between them. For starters, they compete in sports that are relatively young and controversial to the masses. Kobayashi’s sport is called Competitive Eating while Fedor’s sport is called Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Both are from countries that are neighbors – Japan to the South of Russia and Russia to the north of Japan, something like the United States of America and Canada to a certain extent. Both became household names in their respective sports through the countless victories among their fellow competitors. Consequently, they garnered such a fan base for their abilities to utterly dominate in their sport.  Both athletes became such a force in their sport that they created a cloak of invincibility that people thought would never be unveiled.

Fedor started his legendary rise up the MMA ranks in the land of Kobayashi’s birth, Japan, with the Pride Organization. The manner that Fedor would defeat his opponents was something that wasn’t seen during that era of the sport - something similar to a Rottweiler involved in an altercation with a Chihuahua. Same can be said about Kobayashi and the manner he decimated his competition. Kobayashi’s rise to stardom happened in the United States of America when he was Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion from 2001 till 2006. During this time, he even developed his own eating technique called the “Kobayashi Shake” so he can make room from more food. As a result, he would annihilate the competition by 10 hot dogs/hamburgers or more.  Through their achievements and success, both Fedor and Kobayashi became legends in their young sports. One can say they became a product of their success or not but one thing is for sure, they soon were shown that they are merely mortals.

In 2007, the whole competitive eating world was stunned by an up and coming competitor named Joey Chestnut. He defeated Kobayashi in a contest that Kobayashi had ruled for 5 straight years at the Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest. The major upset had many experts and fans alike dumbfounded by the fact that the legend had fallen by another human, something that was unfathomable. Fast forward 3 years later to another legend in his sport and the same result occurred that happened to Kobayashi. Fedor Emelianenko was fighting Fabricio Werdum, a fight many experts and fans alike thought would be “an easy fight” for Fedor but on the contrary; the fight ended in no more than 2 minutes by a triangle choke…by Fabricio! Just like in 2007 with the defeat of Kobayashi, this was a huge upset that baffled the masses. The loses dealt to both legends can be said was a byproduct of the young sport evolving and becoming more competitive or can it be simply that both legends had lost a step?

What Fabricio Werdum and Joey Chestnut accomplished was a feat that many people thought was impossible. They showed the world that their cloak of invincibility was merely a façade and they too are cut from the same cloth as every human being. Fedor Emelianenko and Takeru Kobayashi are bona fide legends in their sports. They have done so much to develop and promote their sports that they should always be held in high regard. If it weren’t for both athletes, their sport would not probably be so popular among enthusiasts and the masses. One can say that Takeru Kobayashi is the Fedor Emelianenko and vice versa in their respective sport. What lies ahead for both legends only time will tell but if July 4^th, 2011 (the day Kobayashi ingested 69 hot dogs on top of a near by Manhattan rooftop near the Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, which broke the world record unofficially) is an indicator for things to come for Fedor; well, come fight time against Dan Henderson on July 30^th, 2011, the fans will see the rise of the Last Emperor. 

(Idea credited to a fellow peer of mine and sports enthusiast Paul Michael; Thank You)