Sunday Sports from A to Z - 12/22/13 Edition

A is for Andy Dalton. The Red Rocket threw for 366 yards and 4 touchdown passes as the Cincinnati Bengals routed the Minnesota Vikings 42-14 today. The win clinched a playoff berth for Cincinnati and marked the first time in Bengals history that they've clinched a playoff berth in three consecutive seasons.

Photo Credit: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/12/22

B is for Bowl Games. The Bowl Season kicked off on Saturday with four games. Colorado State scored 18 unanswered points in the final 3 minutes of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl as the Rams rallied to shock Washington State 48-45. Sophomore running back Kapri Bibbs ran for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win, while Washington State's Connor Halliday threw for 410 yards and 6 touchdown passes in a losing effort... 25th ranked USC jumped out to a 35-6 halftime lead over Fresno State and cruised to a 45-20 win in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl. Quarterback Cody Kessler threw for 344 yards and 4 scores to lead the Trojans... The San Diego State Aztecs routed Buffalo 49-24 behind 229 yards and 3 touchdowns from junior running back Adam Muema in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl... Finally, in an interstate showdown at the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, a missed 48 yard field goal with 9 seconds left allowed the University of Louisiana-Lafayette to hang on for a 24-21 win over Tulane. Tulane Senior running back Orleans Darkwa tied a career high with 3 rushing touchdowns in a losing effort.

Photo Credit: http://campusinsiders.com

C is for Champions League Draw. The Champions League draw for the Round of 16 is set with some big-time match-ups now on the slate. Here's a rundown of the eight pairings: Manchester City (England) vs Barcelona (Spain), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) vs Paris Saint-Germain (France), AC Milan (Italy) vs Atletico Madrid (Spain), Arsenal (England) vs Bayern Munich (Germany), Zenit St Petersburg (Russia) vs Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Galatasaray (Turkey) vs Chelsea (England), Olympiakos (Greece) vs Manchester United (England), and Schalke 04 (Germany) vs Real Madrid (Spain). Some of the highlights involve Didier Drogba (Galatasaray) taking on his former club Chelsea and German star Mesut Özil (Arsenal) getting matched up with the German Champions Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich knocked out Arsenal in the first round of last year's tournament en route to the title. 

Photo Credit: http://www.eastbengaltherealpower.com

Top Tens - 12/18/13

MEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (12/3/13)

Photo Credit: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports

1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) - 13030 points
2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia & Montenegro) - 12260 points
3. David Ferrer (Spain) - 5800 points
4. Andy Murray (Great Britain) - 5790 points
5. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) - 5255 points
6. Roger Federer (Switzerland) - 4205 points
7. Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - 4180 points
8. Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) - 3730 points
9. Richard Gasquet (France) - 3300 points
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) - 3065 points

WOMEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (12/3/13)

Photo Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/australianopen

1. Serena Williams (USA) - 13260 points
2. Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) - 8046 points
3. Li Na (China) - 6045 points
4. Maria Sharapova (Russia) - 5891 points
5. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) - 5875 points
6. Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) - 4775 points
7. Sara Errani (Italy) - 4435 points
8. Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) - 4170 points
9. Angelique Kerber (Germany) - 3965 points
10. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) - 3520 points

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS

Photo Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football

1. Luis Suárez (Uruguay) - Liverpool - 17
2. Sergio Agüero (Argentina) - Manchester City - 13
3. Daniel Sturridge (England) - Liverpool - 9
4. Wayne Rooney (England) - Manchester Utd - 8
4. Loïc Remy (France) - Newcastle Utd - 8
4. Aaron Ramsey (Wales) - Arsenal - 8
4. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) - Everton - 8
4. Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast) - Manchester City - 8
9. Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) - Manchester Utd - 7
9. Olivier Giroud (France) - Arsenal - 7
9. Álvaro Negredo (Spain) - Manchester City - 7

Sunday Sports from A to Z, 12/15/13 Edition

A is for Asiata. With injuries to running backs Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart, the Minnesota Vikings were forced to turn to Matt Asiata in their tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles today. Asiata, undrafted out of Utah, entered the day with 3 carries in his CAREER, and none of those coming in 2013. The result? THIRTY carries for 51 yards (not that impressive), but hold on... THREE touchdowns. He also added 3 catches for 15 yards. I know Asiata isn't going to make anyone forget about Adrian Peterson, but Peterson hasn't rushed for 3 scores in a game since October of 2011.

Photo Credit: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/12/15

B is for Ballon d'Or. The three finalists for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award have been announced by FIFA: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), France's Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich) and Argentina's Lionel Messi (Barcelona). Messi has won the award every year since its inception in 2010 but, thanks in large part to a torn thigh muscle, is considered to be out of the running meaning Ronaldo and Ribéry are the two front runners. While Ronaldo is no surprise having been the award's runner-up the past two years, the 30 year old Ribéry is a bit of an aberration. A staple with Bayern Munich since 2007, the French winger helped lead Bayern to wins in the Champions League, and DFB Pokal (German Tournament) as well as first place in the Bundesliga this past year. The winner will be announced in January at the Ballon d’Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich.

Photo Credit: http://www.uefa.org/uefa-best-player-award/news

C is for Club World Cup. We're down to the Final Four in the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup: Guangzhou Evergrande (China), Bayern Munich (Germany), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), and Atlético Mineiro (Brazil). Raja Casablanca, the host club for this year's tournament, has pulled off a pair of upsets so far, knocking off OFC Champions Auckland City (New Zealand), and CONCACAF Champions Monterey (Mexico) by identical 2-1 margins. Guangzhou Evergrande punched their ticket to the semis by defeating Egyptian club, and the African champs, Al-Ahly 2-0. Monterey and Al-Ahly will now face one another for 5th place while the semifinal match-ups will feature Bayern Munich and Guangzhou Evergrande, and Atlético Mineiro and Raja Casablanca. Since the rebirth of the Championship back in 2005, only one country from outside of South America or Europe has reached the finals: TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo back in 2010.

Photo Credit: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/article

Top Tens - 12/11/13

FIFA MEN'S RANKINGS (11/28/13)

Photo Credit: http://thebadassitudeblog.com

1. SPAIN
2. GERMANY
3. ARGENTINA
4. COLOMBIA
5. PORTUGAL
6. URUGUAY
7. ITALY
8. SWITZERLAND
9. NETHERLANDS
10. BRAZIL

FIFA WOMEN'S RANKINGS (8/2/13)

Photo Credit: http://intrepidmg.wordpress.com/2012/08/17

1. USA
2. GERMANY
3. JAPAN 
4. BRAZIL
5. SWEDEN
6. FRANCE
7. CANADA
8. AUSTRALIA
9. KOREA DPR
10. NORWAY

MEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (12/3/13)

Photo Credit: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports

1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) - 13030 points
2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia & Montenegro) - 12260 points
3. David Ferrer (Spain) - 5800 points
4. Andy Murray (Great Britain) - 5790 points
5. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) - 5255 points
6. Roger Federer (Switzerland) - 4205 points
7. Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - 4180 points
8. Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) - 3730 points
9. Richard Gasquet (France) - 3300 points
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) - 3065 points

Euro 2012 - Group C Recap

Smitty's Prediction: Spain, Croatia
Actually Advancing: Spain, Italy

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS

MATCH RESULTS

Spain 1 Italy 1
Croatia 3 Ireland 1
Croatia 1 Italy 1
Spain 4 Ireland 0
Spain 1 Croatia 0
Italy 2 Ireland 0

Euro 2012 - Group B Recap

Smitty's Prediction: Germany, Netherlands
Actually Advancing: Germany, Portugal

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS

MATCH RESULTS

Denmark 1 Netherlands 0
Germany 1 Portugal 0
Portugal 3 Denmark 2
Germany 2 Netherlands 1
Portugal 2 Netherlands 1
Germany 2 Denmark 1

Euro 2012 Group A Recap

Smitty's Prediction: Greece, Russia
Actually Advancing: Greece, Czech Republic

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS

MATCH RESULTS

Greece 1 Poland 1
Russia 4 Czech Republic 1
Czech Republic 2 Greece 1
Poland 1 Russia 1
Czech Republic 1 Poland 0
Greece 1 Russia 0

ESPN's Top 40 Players to Watch in Euro 2012

ESPN.com recently came out with a list of their Top 40 players in the Euro 2012 Tournament. Here's a rundown of their list in case you missed it:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal - Striker

Photo Credit: cristianoronaldopictures.info

Age: 27

Club: Real Madrid

Caps: 90

Goals: 32

2. Andrés Iniesta - Spain - Midfielder

Photo Credit: fanpop.com

Age: 28

Club: Barcelona

Caps: 64

Goals: 11

3. Xavi Hernández - Spain - Midfielder

Photo Credit: forum.globaltimes.cn

Age: 32

Club: Barcelona

Caps: 108

Goals: 10

Euro 2012 Preview

Photo Credit: 1goaltube.blogspot.com

We're just days away from one of the world's most prestigious soccer tournaments as Euro 2012 gets ready to kickoff. Here's a quick preview of what we have to look forward to over the next month:

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic

Matches:
06/08/12 - Poland vs Greece
06/08/12 - Russia vs Czech Republic
06/12/12 - Greece vs Czech Republic
06/12/12 - Poland vs Russia
06/16/12 - Czech Republic vs Poland
06/16/12 - Greece vs Russia

FIFA Rankings (World/Europe):
Poland (65/32)
Greece (14/10)
Czech Republic (26/16)
Russia (11/8)

Prediction: I see Greece and Russia advancing out of Group A. Both nations turned in strong performances during Qualifying losing just one match between the two of them. The Czechs finishing second behind Spain in Group I, which is understandable, but also suffering a bad loss against Lithuania (Lithuania's only win during Qualifying). As a result they needed to knock off Montenegro in a playoff, which they did, but I don't see them advancing to the Round of 8. Poland, one of the host nations, is just happy to be in the tournament so I don't see them doing a lot of damage despite the homefield advantage.

Player to Watch: Roman Pavlyuchenko, Russia

Photo Credit: telegraph.co.uk

The 30 year old Russian striker recently left Tottenham Hotspur to return to his homeland joining Lokomotiv Moscow. A contributor to the National Team since 2003, Pavlyuchenko scored 3 goals during Euro 2008 and four more during Euro 2012 Qualification. He has 20 international goals in 47 career appearances including 2 against England, 1 against Spain, 1 against the Netherlands and 1 against Argentina.


Group B: Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal

Matches:
06/09/12 - Netherlands vs Denmark
06/09/12 - Germany vs Portugal
06/13/12 - Denmark vs Portugal
06/13/12 - Netherlands vs Germany
06/17/12 - Portugal vs Netherlands
06/17/12 - Denmark vs Germany

FIFA Rankings (World/Europe):

Netherlands (4/3)
Denmark (10/7)
Germany (2/2)
Portugal (5/4)

Prediction: This is the Group of Death if ever there was one. Four of the world's top ten teams, and only two will advance. Germany went a perfect 10-0-0 during Qualifying outscoring its opponents 34-7 and the Netherlands' only blemish was a 3-2 loss in Sweden as they outscored their opponents 37-8. Denmark and Portugal met twice in Qualifying with both clubs winning on their home turf, but Portugal also suffered an embarrassing 4-4 home draw with Cyprus and a 1-0 loss in Norway conceding the group to Denmark and needing a playoff with Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance. After a scoreless draw in the first leg, they erupted for a 6-2 win in the second, but their lack of consistency makes them tough to bet on. Given the ridiculous form of the German and Dutch clubs, I think you have to figure both of them will advance. Apologies to the Danes, but even though they finished ahead of Portugal during Qualifying, I see them bringing up the rear.


Player to Watch: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Netherlands

Photo Credit: thesun.co.uk

The 28 year old Schalke 04 striker led all players with 12 goals during Qualifying and is coming off a terrific year in the Bundesliga in which he became the first Dutch player to lead the league in scoring. KJH finished the regular season with 29 goals and helped Schalke to a third place finish and a spot in the 2012-13 Champions League. With 31 career goals for the Netherlands in 53 career appearances, he's just 9 goals shy of Patrick Kluivert's national team record. 


Group C: Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia


Matches:
06/10/12 - Spain vs Italy

06/10/12 - Ireland vs Croatia

06/14/12 - Italy vs Croatia

06/14/12 - Spain vs Ireland

06/18/12 - Croatia vs Spain

06/18/12 - Italy vs Ireland


FIFA Rankings (World/Europe):

Spain (1/1)
Italy (12/9)
Ireland (18/13)
Croatia (8/6)


Prediction: Even with all of their injuries, I think Spain is a lock to make it to the Round of 8, but with all the turmoil in Italy amidst their match fixing scandal and talks of withdrawing from the tournament all together, I'm not sure the normally reliable Italians are a safe bet. Croatia finished second behind Greece during Qualifying suffering road losses to Georgia and the Greeks, but they bounced back with a big 3-0 win over Turkey in the first leg of their playoff. While the Irish only lost once during Qualifying, to Russia, I don't know that they'll be able to hang with these giants of European soccer. So I'm going to go with Spain and Croatia.


Player to Watch: Xavi Hernández, Spain

Photo Credit: thesun.co.uk

32 year old Xavi has finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting the past three years, and while more a facilitator than a scorer, there's no questioning his impact both at the club level for Barcelona and the international level for Spain. Xavi had 10 goals and 7 assists for Barca in La Liga and 2 goals and 3 assists in just 5 matches for Spain during Euro 2012 Qualifying. With Spain riddled with injuries throughout the lineup, it's going to be vital for Spain to have Xavi at the top of his game.


Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England


Matches:
06/11/12 - France vs England

06/11/12 - Ukraine vs Sweden

06/15/12 - Ukraine vs France

06/15/12 - Sweden vs England

06/19/12 - England vs Ukraine

06/19/12 - Sweden vs France


FIFA Rankings (World/Europe):

Ukraine (50/28)

Sweden (17/12)

France (16/11)

England (7/5)


Prediction: Now I love English football having been enamored with the squad since the days of Alan Shearer and Michael Owen. That said, do these tournaments ever go as planned for the English? On paper they should advance, but in my mind, they're not capable of winning these big games. And now with a new coach, they seem like even less of a sure thing, so I'm going to say the French and Swedes will roll on to the Round of 8 while the co-host Ukrainians will be content to enjoy being in the tournament and playing host.


Player to Watch: Zlatan Ibrahimović, Sweden

Photo Credit: itv.com

Ibra erupted for 28 goals in Serie A this year en route to the league's scoring title, but AC Milan finished second in the league behind Juventus. It marked the second time the 6'5" Swede had led the league having also done so back in 2008-09 while playing for Inter. Ibra led the Swedes in scoring during Qualifying tallying 5 of their 20 goals. If Sweden is going to advance to the Round of 8, Big Z will have a big role in it.




So to recap, I have the following teams advancing to the Round of 8:

Greece, Russia, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Croatia, France, Sweden.

What do you all think?

27 Invited to USMNT Camp

Things are about to get busy for the U.S. Men's National team as they prepare for three friendly matches - vs Scotland (5/26), vs Brazil (5/30) and at Canada (6/3) - prior to kicking off World Cup Qualifying against Antigua & Barbuda on June 8th. Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has invited 27 players to camp as the team gets ready for its busy stretch. Here's a look at the invitees:

KEEPERS

Tim Howard - Everton - A staple in net for the Americans, the 33 year old Everton netminder just wrapped up another solid season in the English Premier League. Howard played every minute of all 38 regular season games for Everton posting a record of 15-12-11 while contributing 12 clean sheets as Everton finished the year in 7th place. Howard last appeared for the National Team in the 1-0 upset win over Italy in February. He has 73 appearances and 26 shutouts in his international career.

Photo Credit: catkins101.wordpress.com

Barcelona, Real Madrid Both Ousted in UCL Semifinals

Photo Credit: lets-kickoff.blogspot.com

The Champions League Final that everyone thought we'd see isn't going to happen. Barcelona and Real Madrid both blew leads in the second leg of their semifinal matches and were eliminated by Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively. After dropping the opener 1-0, Barcelona jumped out to a 2-0 lead against 10-man Chelsea who had lost one starting center back (Gary Cahill) to injury and another (John Terry) to ejection. But Barcelona conceded a first half stoppage time goal to Ramires, and then saw Lionel Messi strike the bar on a second half penalty and then hit the post a second time from the run of play, and then finally had any last hopes crushed when the much-maligned Spaniard Fernando Torres scored in the 90th minute to clinch the win for Chelsea. Despite 80% possession and over 650 completed passes in the match, Barcelona was unable to produce a third goal and as a result won't be defending their title in Munich next month.

Real Madrid similarly overcame a 1-goal aggregate deficit by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in their second leg match against Bayern Munich on a pair of goals by Cristiano Ronaldo, but Arjen Robben knotted the aggregate score at 3 with a first half penalty kick. The match would go to extra time with neither side scoring again setting up a shootout. Bayern Munich and German National Team Keeper Manuel Neuer denied both Ronaldo and Kaka, and Sergio Ramos skied his attempt over the bar setting up the eventual game winner from Bastian Schweinsteiger and sending Bayern Munich through to the Finals.

With the Finals in Munich this year and with Chelsea to be without suspended players Terry, Ramires, Branislav Ivanovic and Raul Meireles, you'd have to think the Final favors the German side. But then again, most people never thought either of these teams would even be here, so you just never know. The Champions League Final will be played on May 19th. 

Monday Mailbag

Whatever happened to Major League Baseball's 'Opening Day'? - Ben K., Slidell, LA

Photo Credit: chicagonow.com

That's a great question. I feel like when we were kids you had Opening DAY and now it seems like we have Opening WEEK. And that doesn't even begin to take into account the Japan series between Seattle and Oakland in March. I guess the justification is that it prolongs the celebration of the start of a new season with your marquee Opening Night matchup and then two full days of season openers. I dunno, personally I'm not a huge fan. I had to wait all the way until Friday for the Astros to open their season. Although the upside of this was that the Astros were undefeated all the way up until Friday... If it was up to me I'd say go back to the way it was, but I think the current setup is here to stay for the time being. Ultimately I'm just happy that baseball is back.


What are your thoughts on the Celtic lineup when they have Rondo and Bradley on the floor at the same time? - Garrett M., Boston, MA

Photo Credit: masslive.com

Avery Bradley reminds me of a miniature version of Tony Allen, and if you'll recall, the Celtics won a ring with him back in 2008. Now granted, at 6'4" 213 lbs, Allen could do things on the defensive end that Bradley can't at 6'2" 180 lbs, but he's still highly effective. With Bradley on the floor with Rajon Rondo the Celtics can wreak havoc on the defensive end. Unfortunately, they become a much smaller lineup, and they're decidedly more limited on offense. Bradley has made just seven 3-pointers all season, and isn't going to remind anyone of Ray Allen any time soon. I think he's an ideal fit for Boston's second unit, but I feel like he'll kill your offense if used too much in a half-court set. But then again, the Celtics won a ring with Tony Allen on the floor and I swear I saw that guy have a layup rejected by the underside of the rim. So far Coach Doc Rivers has found spots to use Bradley and succeed without exposing his shortcomings, so expect the Celtics small-ball package of Rondo, Bradley, Allen, Pierce and Bass/Garnett to continue to see minutes down the stretch.


Man U looks to be in typical Man U late-season form picking up 3 points left and right. Now that Man City seems to be dropping points almost on a regular basis, are the Red Devils on their way to a 20th title? - Cory L., Raceland, LA

Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com

Manchester City will need a miracle to get back into the race at this point. Already facing a difficult uphill climb heading into yesterday's match with Arsenal, they suffered a crippling 1-0 defeat that now puts them 8 points back with just 6 matches to go. City has no one but themselves to blame either. While United has taken care of their business winning 8 straight league matches, the last 5 of them via shutout, City has fallen on its face winning just once in its last 5 games. While nothing has been clinched yet and there are no sure things, I'd be pretty confident that United will bring home some more hardware. Here's a look at both teams' schedules the rest of the way:

Manchester City

4/11/12 vs West Bromwich Albion (13th)
4/14/12 @ Norwich City (9th)
4/22/12 @ Wolverhampton Wanderers (20th)
4/30/12 vs Manchester United (1st)
5/06/12 @ Newcastle United (5th)
5/13/12 vs Queens Park Rangers (17th)

Manchester United

4/11/12 @ Wigan Athletic (19th)
4/15/12 vs Aston Villa (15th)
4/22/12 vs Everton (7th)
4/30/12 @ Manchester City (2nd)
5/06/12 vs Swansea City (14th)
5/13/12 @ Sunderland (10th)


People are going ga-ga over the possibility of an all La Liga Champions League Final. However, as they say, it ain't over til it's over. While I don't see anybody stopping Barcelona from reaching the finals, what are the odds of Bayern Munich playing spoiler and locking out Real Madrid? - Cory L., Raceland, LA

Photo Credit: goal.com

Bayern Munich isn't a team that should be taken lightly. They have the best goal differential in the Bundesliga scoring more goals (69) and giving up fewer goals (19) than anyone else in the league. In 15 league matches at home they've outscored their opponents 47-6, and they're undefeated at home in the Champions League. They boast an exceptional keeper in Manuel Neuer, the captain of the German National Team in Philipp Lahm manning the backline, and a number of gifted finishers in Thomas Müller, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben and the Bundesliga's leading scorer Mario Gomez. Now are they good enough to stop an in-form Real Madrid squad? Maybe not. But Real Madrid has drawn 3 times in its last 5 league matches, and hasn't REALLY been tested in the Champions League thus far. I can say with certainty that Bayern Munich is a better side than APOEL Nicosia, so an all-Spanish Championship is far from a foregone conclusion.


After finally seeing how Herculez Gomez plays, could he be the answer to the USMNT's scoring woes? He seems to maybe be the clinical finisher that we need. - Cory L., Raceland, LA

Photo Credit: newyorkredbulls.com

If you follow the blog at all, you know I'm a huge fan of what Herculez Gomez has been doing lately. And while I certainly think his performance is deserving of some attention for Jurgen Klinsmann, I've got another name for you to keep an eye on as we move forward: Kenny Cooper. The 27 year old Cooper is 6'3", and in 10 career national team appearances, he's scored 4 goals including one against Guatemala during 2010 World Cup Qualifying and 2 more at the 2009 Gold Cup. Since Cooper's insertion into the Red Bulls starting lineup 3 weeks ago, New York is 3-0 and has scored 13 goals with Cooper bagging 5 of them. I could see him serving as the central forward that we want Jozy Altidore to be. A big body, capable of holding the ball up front, and an adept finisher. We've always known Cooper to be a physical presence, and his recent scoring binge isn't a fluke. He also had 18 goals for FC Dallas back in 2008. With Juan Agudelo out injured, Edson Buddle and the Galaxy mired in a big-time slump, and Teal Bunbury's lackluster showing at Olympic Qualifying, I'd love to see both of these guys get a long look. But we'll see what Klinsmann has in mind.

When and where was the first indoor MLB game played? - Trucker D., Gold Canyon, AZ 

Photo Credit: swamplot.com

 The first indoor game in Major League history was played 47 years ago today in 1965 when the Houston Astros took on the New York Yankees in an exhibition game at the brand new Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The first indoor regular season game was played there a few days later when the Astros hosted the Phillies on April 12th. Philadelphia won the game 2-0.


Special thanks as always to everyone who wrote in this week. And remember, as the great G$ Meyer says Reading is for Winners, especially when you read Smitty's Mailbag.

Got a question for the mailbag? Click on the link at the top of the page or email us directly at smittysports.blogspot@hotmail.com.

Super 60s

Two different players in two different sports each scored their 60th goals of the season today.

Photo Credit: theglobeandmail.com

Lionel Messi scored a pair of goals in Barcelona's 4-1 win at Real Zaragoza giving him 38 goals in La Liga matches and 60 across all competitions. He becomes the first player in almost 40 years to score 60 goals in a season for a club in a major European league. The last player to accomplish the feat was Bayern Munich's Gerd Müller who finished the 1972-73 season with 67 goals. Müller's mark seems well within striking distance as Barcelona still has 7 games left in La Liga and at least 2 more Champions League matches.

Photo Credit: broadstreethockey.com

Meanwhile across the Atlantic 22 year old Steven Stamkos scored his 60th goal of the year for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their 4-3 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets. Stamkos becomes just the second player (the other being Alex Ovechkin) to reach 60 goals in a season since 1996. Stamkos is just one of six players in NHL history to record two 50+ goal seasons before the age of 23. You may have heard of the others: Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Joe Nieuwendyk and Alex Ovechkin.

Monday Mailbag

How many steps are you actually allowed in NBA Basketball without dribbling before you are called for a travel? And jumping? I watched a highlight of the Bulls-Magic game last night on ESPN, and a top ten play was Dwight Howard making a bucket from the paint… after he stopped dribbling… pivoted… jumped to a new location… pivoted again… then made a jump shot. Seriously? – Trucker D., San Francisco, CA

The NBA. Where Traveling Happens. Ok, this is how the rule ACTUALLY reads...

Top Tens - 3/20/12

NHL POINTS LEADERS

1. Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh - 88
2. Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay - 84
2. Claude Giroux - Philadelphia - 84
5. Jason Spezza - Ottawa - 75
5. Phil Kessel - Toronto - 75
6. Ilya Kovalchuk - New Jersey - 72
7. Marian Hossa - Chicago - 71
7. Erik Karlsson - Ottawa - 71
9. Jordan Eberle - Edmonton - 70
9. John Tavares - Islanders - 70
9. Henrik Sedin - Vancouver - 70



NHL TOP GOAL SCORERS

1. Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay - 50
2. Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh - 41
3. Corey Perry - Anaheim - 35
3. Phil Kessel - Toronto - 35
3. Marion Gaborik - Rangers - 35
3. Scott Hartnell - Philadelphia - 35
7. Jordan Eberle - Edmonton - 32
7. Milan Michalek - Ottawa - 32
7. James Neal - Pittsburgh - 32
7. Alex Ovechkin - Washington - 32

Europa League Quarterfinal Draw

Photo Credits Clockwise from top left: soccerbyives,net, mlssoccer.com, goal.com, goal.com

The UEFA Champions League wasn't the only tournament setting its quarterfinal matchups today as the Europa League (think European soccer NIT) did so as well. Four different U.S. National Teamers - Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon) and Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar) - saw their clubs advance to the quarterfinals this past week and surprisingly none of them will play one another in the round of 8. Here's a look at the bracket:

The first leg matches will be played on March 29th with the return legs on April 5th.

UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Draw

Photo Credit: thehardtackle.com

If you're a fan of Barcelona vs Real Madrid then you're going to be happy with the quarterfinal draw of this year's UEFA Champions League. The two Spanish powers find themselves on opposite sides of the bracket meaning they can't face each other until the Finals. The first leg of the quarterfinals will be played on 27-28 March with the return matches on April 3-4. Here's a look at the bracket:

Four Americans Advance in Europa League

It was a good day for Americans in Europe as Jozy Altidore, Steve Cherundolo, Jermaine Jones and Oguchi Onyewu all saw their clubs advance to the Europa League Quarterfinals.

Photo Credit: msn.foxsports.com

Jozy Altidore and AZ Alkmaar entered their second match with Udinese up 2-0, but defender Nick Viergever was sent off less than 2 minutes into the match forcing AZ to play a man down for basically the whole game. Antonio Di Natale converted the ensuing PK and by the 15th minute added a second goal putting AZ back on their heels. But 23 year old Erik Falkenburg scored what would be the game winner in the 31st minute as Udinese couldn't capitalize on the man advantage or a missed AZ penalty kick in the second half.

Photo Credit: mlssoccer.com

Hannover 96 and their captain Steve Cherundolo jumped all over Standard Liege (Belgium) scoring in the first five minutes of the match and then getting some help with a pair of own goals from Antonio Kanu in a 4-0 win. Serge Gakpe was sent off in the 60th minute with a second yellow card with the score already 2-0 removing any doubt of Hannover's advancing.

Photo Credit: soccerbyives.net

Jermaine Jones turned in one of his best efforts in a Schalke uniform tallying a goal and an assist as Schalke 04 rallied from a 2-0 aggregate deficit with 4 unanswered goals in a 4-1 win over Twente Enschede. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the second leading scorer in the Bundesliga this season, added a hat trick for the winners. Huntelaar leads all scorers in the tournament with 9 goals.

Photo Credit: mirrorfootball.co.uk

Oguchi Onyewu is still out injured, but his Sporting Lisbon teammates dispatched Manchester City after jumping out to a 2-0 first half lead and then holding on for dear life as City rallied for 3 goals in the second half. It wasn't enough though as Sporting advanced on away goals. Onyewu injured his knee three weeks ago and is expected to miss at least another five weeks.

Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, Atlético Madrid and FC Metalist Kharkiv (Ukraine) also advanced to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal draw will be tomorrow.

And Then There Were Eight

Today's conclusion of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 means there are just 8 teams remaining in Europe's most prestigious club tournament. A quick recap of the Round of 16 and a look at what's to come:

BARCELONA 10 BAYER LEVERKUSEN 2

Photo Credit: nationalturk.com

Lionel Messi scored 6 goals in the series highlighted by an historic 5-goal game in the second leg as Barcelona easily won both matches by scores of 3-1 and 7-1. Messi leads all scorers in the Champions League with 12 goals.

Top Tens - 3/13/12

NHL POINTS LEADERS

1. Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh - 84
2. Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay - 82
3. Claude Giroux - Philadelphia - 80
4. Jason Spezza - Ottawa - 73
5. Phil Kessel - Toronto - 71
5. Ilya Kovalchuk - New Jersey - 71
7. Erik Karlsson - Ottawa - 69
8. Marian Hossa - Chicago - 67
8. Joffrey Lupul - Toronto - 67
8. Patrick Elias - New Jersey - 67



NHL TOP GOAL SCORERS

1. Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay - 48
2. Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh - 38
3. Corey Perry - Anaheim - 34
3. Phil Kessel - Toronto - 34
4. Marion Gaborik - Rangers - 33
6. Scott Hartnell - Philadelphia - 32
6. Milan Michalek - Ottawa - 32
8. James Neal - Pittsburgh - 31
9. 5 players tied with - 30



FIFA MEN'S RANKINGS (3/7/12)

1. SPAIN
2. NETHERLANDS
3. GERMANY
4. URUGUAY
5. BRAZIL
6. ENGLAND
7. PORTUGAL
8. ARGENTINA

9. ITALY
10. CROATIA


OUT: DENMARK (11)



FIFA WOMEN'S RANKINGS (12/23/11)

1. USA
2. GERMANY
3. JAPAN
4. BRAZIL
5. SWEDEN
6. FRANCE
7. CANADA
8. ENGLAND
9. KOREA DPR
10. AUSTRALIA



MEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (3/5/12)

1. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) - 13310 points
2. Rafael Nadal (Spain) - 10415 points
3. Roger Federer (Switzerland) - 8710 points
4. Andy Murray (Great Britain) - 7450 points
5. David Ferrer (Spain) - 4665 points
6. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) - 4455 points
7. Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - 3860 points
8. Mardy Fish (USA) - 2875 points
9. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) - 2840 points
10. Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) - 2710 points



WOMEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (3/5/12)

1. Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) - 8980 points
2. Maria Sharapova (Russia) - 7680 points
3. Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) - 7095 points
4. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) - 6270 points
5. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) - 5850 points
6. Samantha Stosur (Australia) - 5825 points
7. Marion Bartoli (France) - 5160 points
8. Li Na (China) - 4390 points
9. Vera Zvonareva (Russia) - 4340 points
10. Andrea Petkovic (Germany) - 3810 points



ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS

1. Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) - Arsenal - 26
2. Wayne Rooney (England) - Manchester United - 20
3. Demba Ba (Senegal) - Newcastle United - 16
3. Sergio Agüero (Argentina) - Manchester City - 16
5. Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Nigeria) - Blackburn Rovers - 13
5. Edin Dzeko (Bosnia-Herzegovina) - Manchester City - 13
7. Clint Dempsey (USA) - Fulham - 12
8. Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo) - Tottenham Hotspur - 11
8. Mario Balotelli (Italy) - Manchester City - 11
10. 4 players tied with - 10



LA LIGA (SPAIN) LEADING SCORERS

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - Real Madrid - 32
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) - Barcelona - 30
3. Gonzalo Higuaín (Argentina) - Real Madrid - 17
4. Falcao (Colombia) - Atlético Madrid - 16
5. Fernando Llorente (Spain) - Athletico Bilbao - 14
6. Karim Benzema (France) - Real Madrid - 13
6. Miguel Pérez Cuesta (Spain) - R. Vallecano - 13 
8. Roberto Soldado (Spain) - Valencia - 12
9. 4 players tied with - 9



SERIE A (ITALY) LEADING SCORERS

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) - AC Milan - 19
2. Antonio Di Natale (Italy) - Udinese - 18
3. Edinson Cavani (Uruguay) - Napoli - 16
4. Germán Denis (Argentina) - Atalanta - 15
5. Diego Milito (Argentina) - Internazionale - 14 
5. Rodrigo Palacio (Argentina) - Genoa - 14
7. Miroslav Klose (Germany) - Lazio - 13
8. Stevan Jovetic (Montenegro) - Fiorentina - 12
9. Fabrizio Miccoli (Italy) - Palermo - 11
9. Emanuele Calaiò (Italy) - Siena - 11



GERMAN BUNDESLIGA LEADING SCORERS

1. Mario Gomez (Germany) - Bayern Munich - 21
2. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Neth.) - Schalke 04 - 19
3. Robert Lewandowski (Pol.) - B. Dortmund - 16
3. Lukas Podolski (Germany) - FC Cologne - 16
3. Claudio Pizarro (Peru) - Werder Bremen - 16
6. Martin Harnik (Austria) - VfB Stuttgart - 14
7. Marco Reus (Ger.) - B. Monchengladbach - 13
8. Mohammed Abdellaoue (Norway) - Hannover 96 - 11
8. Raúl (Spain) - Schalke 04 - 11
10. Franck Ribéry (France) - Bayern Munich - 11



NBA LEADING SCORERS (points per game)

1. Kobe Bryant - Lakers - 28.8
2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.9
3. LeBron James - Miami - 27.7
4. Kevin Love - Minnesota - 25.7
5. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 23.7
6. Derrick Rose - Chicago - 22.8
7. Dwyane Wade - Miami - 22.5
8. Deron Williams - New Jersey - 22.0
9. Monta Ellis - Golden State - 21.9
10. LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland - 21.8



NBA LEADING REBOUNDERS (per game)

1. Dwight Howard - Orlando - 15.0
2. Kevin Love - Minnesota - 13.6
3. Andrew Bynum - Lakers - 12.6
4. DeMarcus Cousins - Sacramento - 11.3
5. Blake Griffin - Clippers - 11.1
6. Kris Humphries - New Jersey - 10.7
7. Pau Gasol - Lakers - 10.5
8. Marcin Gortat - Phoenix - 10.4
9. Joakim Noah - Chicago - 10.4
10. Greg Monroe - Detroit - 9.9



NBA ASSIST LEADERS (per game)

1. Steve Nash - Phoenix - 11.0
2. Rajon Rondo - Boston - 10.0
3. Jose Calderon - Toronto - 8.5
4. Chris Paul - New Orleans - 8.3
5. Ricky Rubio - Minnesota - 8.2
6. Deron Williams - New Jersey - 8.1
7. Derrick Rose - Chicago - 8.0
8. Tony Parker - San Antonio - 7.9
9. John Wall - Washington - 7.8
10. Kyle Lowry - Houston - 7.2



2012 FEDEX CUP STANDINGS

1. Rory McIlory (Northern Ireland) - 1015
2. Kyle Stanley (USA) - 954
3. Johnson Wagner (USA) - 920
4. Mark Wilson (USA) - 864
5. Phil Mickelson (USA) - 835
6. Bill Haas (USA) - 791
7. Hunter Mahan (USA) - 787
8. Justin Rose (USA) - 768
9. Brandt Snedeker (USA) - 740
10. Steve Stricker (USA)- 679

Out: Keegan Bradley (11)



WORLD GOLF RANKINGS (3/12/12)

1. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
2. Luke Donald (England)
3. Lee Westwood (England)
4. Martin Kaymer (Germany)
5. Steve Stricker (USA)
6. Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)
7. Justin Rose (USA)
8. Webb Simpson (USA)
9. Jason Day (Australia)
10. Hunter Mahan (USA)

Out : Dustin Johnson (12)



Photo Credits (in order of appearance):


zimbio.com
zimbio.com
justsoccerjerseys.com 
palmbeachpost.com 
tennisnow.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com 
zimbio.com
inquisitr.com
inquisitr.com

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