Quick Hits - 1/4/12

ANOTHER 20/20 GAME FOR SUPERMAN

Photo Credit: boston.com

Dwight Howard pulled down 20 rebounds and scored 28 points tonight as Orlando defeated the Washington Wizards 103-85. It was the third time in seven games this year that Howard has pulled down at least 20 rebounds. Howard entered play tonight averaging a league best 15.3 rebounds per game. He finished second in the league in rebounding last year behind only Kevin Love. Speaking of Love...

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Photo Credit: examiner.com

Another day, another double double for Kevin Love. Love picked up 27 points and 14 rebounds tonight giving him his 6th straight double double to start the season. Unfortunately the Wolves saw their 2 game winning streak snapped as they came up short against the Grizzlies 90-86.

MANCHESTER UNITED BLASTED BY NEWCASTLE

Photo Credit: greenwichtime.com

Demba Ba scored his 15th goal of the season and Newcastle never looked back cruising to a 3-0 win over Manchester United. It was United's 2nd straight loss in Premier League play making it the first time since March, when they dropped back to back matches on the road against Chelsea and Liverpool, that Man U has lost two in a row. Newcastle must now continue on without Ba for a while though as he gets set for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations where he'll play for his native Senegal. The 16-team tournament starts on January 21st and continues through the 12th of February.

BIG Z AND OZZIE TO JOIN FORCES?

Photo Credit: espn.go.com

It looks like Carlos Zambrano's days in Chicago are done. The Cubs and Marlins are reportedly close on a deal that will send the fiery righty to the Marlins in exchange for Chris Volstad. The 30 year old Venezuelan had spent his entire 11 year major league career with the Cubs, but didn't pitch for Chicago after an emotional meltdown where he walked out on the team following an outing in which he was touched up for 5 home runs and was then ejected against the Braves back in August. The Marlins are hopeful that Guillen's relationship with his fellow countryman will keep the pitcher's volatile temper in check allowing him to return to the form that made him a 3-time all star and the NL leader in wins in 2006. Volstad, just 25, is 32-39 in 4 major league seasons with an ERA of 4.59. He has made at least 29 starts in each of the last three seasons.

BOWL STANDINGS UPDATE

Photo Credit: stltoday.com

Here's the latest standings following West Virginia's record setting 70-33 victory over ACC Champion Clemson.

Just four games remain, and I think it's safe to say that the ACC is the big loser this year with only NC State and Florida State as winners. Just 4 bowls remain in this year's bowl season: Kansas State (Big 12) takes on Arkansas (SEC) in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, SMU (C-USA) takes on Pitt (Big East) in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday, Arkansas State (Sun Belt) takes on Northern Illinois (MAC) in the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday, and LSU (SEC) and Alabama (SEC) face off for the National Championship on Monday.

ALL I DO IS SCORE GOALS

Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com

Lionel Messi scored 2 more goals today in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 as Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win over Osasuna. Messi now has 31 goals this season in just 27 matches. He set a Barcelona record last season with 53 goals. Cesc Fábregas also scored twice for Barcelona in the win.

TWO MORE ADDED TO USMNT CAMP

Photo Credit: soundersfc.com

A pair of Seattle Sounders were added to Jurgen Klinsmann's roster for the U.S.'s upcoming friendlies against Venezuela and Panama. Midfielder Brad Evans and defender Jeff Parke will replace Los Angeles defender Omar Gonzalez and Dallas defender George John, who were allowed to withdraw because of club-related matters. Evans, 26, scored 5 goals and had 5 assists in 20 games for the Sounders last season. He has appeared 4 times for the National Team since debuting in 2009. Parke, 29, started 28 games for the Sounders last season. He is yet to appear in a game for the U.S.

Donovan Starts, Howard Scores and Everton Still Loses

Landon Donovan, fresh over on loan from the LA Galaxy, started for Everton today, but it was fellow American Tim Howard who accounted for 100% of Everton's offense against Bolton Wanderers. Howard hammered a clearance that bounced over the head of Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan for his second professional goal (Howard also scored for the New York Metrostars of MLS back in 1999), but Bolton would rally for a pair of second half goals dealing Everton a tough home loss. Howard becomes just the 4th goalkeeper to score in open play in English Premier League history, but he's the second American to accomplish the feat. Brad Friedel, now with Tottenham Hotspur, scored for Blackburn Rovers back in 2004. With the win Bolton moves out of the Premier League cellar and into 18th.

Weekly Top Tens - 1/3/12

NFL LEADING PASSERS

1. Drew Brees - New Orleans - 5476 yards
2. Tom Brady - New England - 5235 yards
3. Matthew Stafford - Detroit - 5038 yards
4. Eli Manning - Giants - 4933 yards
5. Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay - 4643 yards
6. Philip Rivers - San Diego - 4624 yards
7. Tony Romo - Dallas - 4184 yards
8. Matt Ryan - Atlanta - 4177 yards
9. Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh - 4077 yards
10. Cam Newton - Carolina - 4051 yards



NFL LEADING RUSHERS

1. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville - 1606 yards
2. Ray Rice - Baltimore - 1364 yards
3. Michael Turner - Atlanta - 1340 yards
4. LeSean McCoy - Philadelphia - 1309 yards
5. Arian Foster - Houston - 1224 yards
6. Frank Gore - San Francisco - 1211 yards
7. Marshawn Lynch - Seattle - 1204 yards
8. Willis McGahee - Denver - 1199 yards
9. Steven Jackson - St. Louis - 1145 yards
10. Ryan Mathews - San Diego - 1091 yards



NFL RECEIVING LEADERS

1. Calvin Johnson - Detroit - 1681 yards
2. Wes Welker - New England - 1569 yards
3. Victor Cruz - Giants - 1536 yards
4. Larry Fitzgerald - Arizona - 1411 yards
5. Steve Smith - Carolina - 1394 yards
6. Rob Gronkowski - New England - 1327 yards
7. Jimmy Graham - New Orleans - 1310 yards
8. Roddy White - Atlanta - 1296 yards
9. Jordy Nelson - Green Bay - 1263 yards
10. Brandon Marshall - Miami - 1214 yards



NHL POINTS LEADERS

1. Claude Giroux - Philadelphia - 46
1. Henrik Sedin - Vancouver - 46
3. Phil Kessel - Toronto - 44
3. Daniel Sedin - Vancouver - 44
5. Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay - 43
5. Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh - 43
7. Marian Hossa - Chicago - 41
7. Jordan Eberle - Edmonton - 41
9. Joffrey Lupul - Toronto - 40
9. Jason Spezza - Ottawa - 40



NHL TOP GOAL SCORERS

1. Steven Stamkos - 26
2. Jonathan Toews - 22
2. Marion Gaborik - Rangers - 22
4. Phil Kessel - Toronto - 21
4. James Neal - Pittsburgh - 21
6. Patrick Sharp - Chicago - 19
6. Milan Michalek - Ottawa - 19
8. Claude Giroux - Philadelphia - 18
8. Thomas Vanek - Buffalo - 18
8. Radim Vrbata - Phoenix - 18
8. Evander Kane - Winnipeg - 18



FIFA MEN'S RANKINGS (12/21/11)

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



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



NCAA MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS - AP Top 25
(Records through Sunday Night's Games)
*ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll in Parentheses

1. Syracuse 15-0 (1)
2. Kentucky 13-1 (2)
3. North Carolina 13-2 (4)
4. Baylor 13-0 (5)
5. Duke 12-1 (3)
6. Ohio State 13-2 (7)
7. Missouri 13-0 (6)
8. Connecticut 12-1 (8)
9. Georgetown 12-1 (9)
10. Michigan State 13-2 (11)



NCAA WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS - AP Top 25
(Records through Sunday Night's Games)
*ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll in Parentheses

1. Baylor 13-0 (1)
2. Connecticut 11-1 (2)
3. Notre Dame 13-1 (3)
4. Stanford 11-1 (4)
5. Maryland 13-0 (5)
6. Tennessee 9-3 (7)
7. Duke 9-2 (6)
8. Ohio State 14-0 (11)
9. Texas A&M 9-2 (8)
10. Rutgers 11-2 (10)



MEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (as of 12/5/11)

1. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) - 13630 points
2. Rafael Nadal (Spain) - 9595 points
3. Roger Federer (Switzerland) - 8170 points
4. Andy Murray (Great Britain) - 7380 points
5. David Ferrer (Spain) - 4925 points
6. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) - 4335 points
7. Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) - 3700 points
8. Mardy Fish (USA) - 2965 points
9. Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) - 2595 points
10. Nicolas Almagro (Spain) - 2380 points



WOMEN'S TENNIS RANKINGS (as of 1/2/11)

1. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) - 7485 points
2. Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) - 7370 points
3. Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) - 6520 points
4. Maria Sharapova (Russia) - 6510 points
5. Li Na (China) - 5720 points
6. Samantha Stosur (Australia) - 5585 points
7. Vera Zvonareva (Russia) - 5435 points
8. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) - 5250 points
9. Marion Bartoli (France) - 4710 points
10. Andrea Petkovic (Germany) - 4580 points



ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS

1. Robin Van Persie (Netherlands) - Arsenal - 17
2. Demba Ba (Senegal) - Newcastle United - 14
2. Sergio Agüero (Argentina) - Manchester City - 14
4. Wayne Rooney (England) - Manchester United - 13
5. Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Nigeria) - Blackburn Rovers - 12
6. Edin Dzeko (Bosnia-Herzegovina) - Manchester City - 10
7. Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo) - Tottenham Hotspur - 9
7. Daniel Sturridge (England) - Chelsea - 9
9. Mario Balotelli (Italy) - Manchester City - 8
9. Frank Lampard (England) - Chelsea - 8
9. Steven Fletcher (Scotland) - Wolverhampton - 8



NBA LEADING SCORERS (points per game)

1. LeBron James - Miami - 29.3
2. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.3
3. Carmelo Anthony - New York - 27.0
4. Blake Griffin - Clippers - 26.0
5. Kevin Love - Minnesota - 25.4
6. Kobe Bryant - Lakers - 24.0
7. Andrea Bargnani - Toronto - 22.6
8. Dirk Nowitzki - Dallas - 22.5
9. Lou Williams - Philadelphia - 20.3
9. LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland - 20.3




Photo Credits (in order of appearance):

worldbestsports.com
layoutlocator.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com
zimbio.com
justsoccerjerseys.com 
palmbeachpost.com
mancavesports.org
bleacherreport.com 
tennisnow.com
bbs.chinadaily.com.cn
zimbio.com
zimbio.com


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Tuesday Trivia

Last week's question:

Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's 27 year old record for passing yards in a single season this year. Who held the record before Marino broke it back in 1984?

Answer:

Photo Credit: boltsfromtheblue.com

As several of you successfully guessed, the answer to last week's question is Dan Fouts. The San Diego Chargers quarterback set the record in back-to-back-to-back seasons starting in 1979. In 1981 Fouts threw for a career best 4802 yards, a record that would only stand 3 years until Marino came along in 1984. And to answer the question from some of our readers, Fouts did set the record in a 16 game season. The NFL transitioned to a 16 game season starting in 1978.

This week's question:

Photo Credit: espn.go.com

With rookie quarterbacks Andy Dalton (Cincinnati) and T.J. Yates (Houston) set to go head-to-head in the playoffs this weekend, barring some sort of injury or benching a rookie qb is guaranteed to win an NFL playoff game. Who was the last NFL rookie quarterback to lead his team to a playoff win?

What a Day for College Football!

Just how good were yesterday's bowl games? Well, suffice it to say, if you missed them, you missed out. Check it out:

You had the TicketCity Bowl where the most prolific passer in college football history, Houston's Case Keenum, put on a show one last time. The NCAA FBS All-Time Leader in Passing Yards, Completions and Touchdowns took on a defense that was allowing just 162 passing yards per game this year and torched them to the tune of 532 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 30-14 Cougar win. It was the Keenum's second 500 yard passing game this season and the 6th of his career.

Photo Credit: espn.go.com

Then you had the Outback Bowl, a triple overtime thriller between Michigan State and Georgia that ended with a blocked field goal. Georgia blew a 16-0 halftime lead and conceded the game-tying touchdown with 14 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Georgia junior wide receiver Tavarres King, who didn't have more than 65 receiving yards in a single game this season, caught 6 passes for 205 yards in a losing effort. The bowl win was Michigan State's first since 2001.

Photo Credit: news.yahoo.com

Then there was the back and forth affair between Oregon and Wisconsin that resulted in the highest scoring Rose Bowl in history. Oregon escaped with a 45-38 win thanks to 3 touchdown plays of over 50 yards. Freshman running back De'Anthony Thomas ran the ball twice, both resulting in touchdowns - one of 91 yards and another of 64. The 91 yards he gained on his first scoring play were more than he gained in any GAME this season. The victory marked the first time that Oregon has won the Rose Bowl in 95 years.

Photo Credit: newsday.com

And last night finished with the Fiesta Bowl, a game featuring Stanford's Andrew Luck, the consensus number one pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, the top receiving prospect. Neither player disappointed as Luck threw just 4 incomplete passes while Blackmon hauled in 8 passes for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns. The game wasn't bad either. Oklahoma State never led until Quinn Sharp's overtime field goal won it.

Photo Credit: rivals.yahoo.com

And that wasn't even all. There was also the Gator Bowl where Urban Meyer's old team (Florida) beat his new team (Ohio State) 24-17 thanks to a pair of touchdowns on special teams, and the Capital One Bowl between South Carolina and Nebraska that the Gamecocks trailed 13-9 until a momentum changing Hail Mary touchdown pass at the end of the first half. South Carolina went on to win 30-13 making this the first season in school history where they won 11 games.

All in all, hard to ask for more. For more on these games check out http://doublecoverage.blogspot.com.

From A to Z - New Year's Edition

Happy New Year Everyone! Here's a rundown on the last couple days from A to Z.

A is for Alex Ovechkin. The 26 year old Washington Capitals star appears to be heating up. Ovechkin scored 2 goals on Friday and 2 more Saturday and now has 8 goals in his last 11 games after scoring just 8 in his first 26. Ovechkin scored 50 goals or more in 4 of his first 5 seasons, but has struggled to match that production the past season and a half. The Caps are now winners of 3 straight and in 9th place in the Eastern Conference.

Photo Credit: zimbio.com

B is for Bowl Standings. The 2011 portion of the bowl season has drawn to a close. Here's a look at how all the conferences have fared thus far. Note every conference already has at least one loss.

C is for CSKA Moscow. Free agent forward Andrei Kirilenko announced that he will remain in his native Russia and finish out the season with CSKA Moscow rather than return to the NBA. Kirilenko is not the only former NBA player on the squad right now as he's also joined by Nenad Krstić and Viktor Khryapa. I drafted Kirilenko in my fantasy basketball league this year and since his stats in Russia get me zero points, I might has well have drafted myself. Thanks Andrei.

Photo Credit: onemanfastbreak.net

D is for Davies. American striker Charlie Davies is headed back to France to resume training with his French club Sochaux. Davies, nearly killed in a horrific car crash late in 2009, spent the 2011 season on loan to D.C. United. Despite scoring 11 goals in 26 games for United last season, the MLS club decided against a permanent transfer and with the loan expiring Davies now returns to Europe. Sochaux (4-9-6) currently sits in 19th place in the French Ligue 1 scoring just 21 goals in 19 matches. No word yet on what Davies' role will be with the French club.

Photo Credit: theshinguardian.com

E is for Eighteen. Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry scored just 2 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night but tied a career high with 18 assists as the Rockets beat the Hawks 95-84. The 18 assists were the most by an NBA player this season and were just one shy of the record for assists for a player who scored 2 points or less in a single game over the past 25 years. The 6'0" Lowry also had a ridiculous block of a layup attempt by Jannero Pargo.

Fis for Flynn. No Aaron Rodgers? No problem. Matt Flynn, who once upon a time quarterbacked LSU to a National Championship, started under center for the Packers today and threw for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns (both Green Bay records) in Green Bay's 45-41 win over the Lions. Playing without Rodgers, cornerback Charles Woodson, linebacker Clay Matthews, wide receiver Greg Jennings, right tackle Bryan Bulaga, running back James Starks and wide receiver Randall Cobb the Packers showcased their depth and finish the regular season 15-1. The crazy thing about this game though? As good as Flynn's numbers were, he wasn't even the most prolific passer in this game. Lions quarterback Matt Stafford threw for 520 yards and 5 touchdowns in a losing effort. Only 4 quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown for more yards in a single game: Norm Van Brocklin (554), Warren Moon (527), Boomer Esiason (522) and Dan Marino (521).

Photo Credit: usatoday.com

G is for Gustavo Ayón. The 26 year old 6'10" Mexican big man may be ready to make his NBA debut for the New Orleans Hornets this week now that he finally has his U.S. work visa. Ayón was a winner of the 2011 Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB) Rising Star Award while playing for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spain. Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio was the recipient of the award back in 2007.

Photo Credit: basket-live.sk

H is for Hines Ward. Congratulations to Ward who became the newest member of the 1000 reception club today. Already one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, he now finds himself in pretty elite company joining Jerry Rice (1549), Tony Gonzalez (1143), Marvin Harrison (1102), Cris Carter (1101), Tim Brown (1094), Terrell Owens (1061) and Isaac Bruce (1024) as the only players in NFL history to catch at least 1000 passes. Ward, in his 14th NFL season had just 41 receptions on the year before making 5 catches in today's game.

Photo Credit: bleacherreport.com

I is for Italy. It looks as though the U.S. Men's National Team is headed back to Europe in 2012 as a friendly match with Italy has been tentatively been set for February 29th in Genoa. The match, which is to benefit victims of November's deadly flooding in Genoa, will be the U.S.'s first against Italy since the 2009 Confederations Cup that they lost by a score of 3-1. The U.S. has never beaten Italy in 10 matches managing just 3 draws including one at the Group Stage of the 2006 World Cup. The U.S. opens its 2012 slate with a home match against Venezuela on January 21st.

Photo Credit: mlssoccer.com

J is for Ji-Dong Won. The South Korean striker scored 2:56 into stoppage time to give Sunderland a stunning 1-0 victory over league leaders Manchester City today. It was just the second Premier League goal for the 20 year old striker who burst onto the international scene in 2011 with 7 goals for South Korea. City misses a golden opportunity to put some distance between themselves and Manchester United who also lost this weekend dropping a 3-2 contest against Blackburn Rovers.

Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com

K is for Kevin Love. The double double machine continues to rack up points and rebounds and tonight it finally resulted in a victory. Losers of 15 in a row to end the 2010-11 season, the Wolves had already dropped 3 in a row to start this season before tonight's 99-82 win over the struggling Mavericks. Love scored 25 points and pulled down 17 rebounds in the win.

Photo Credit: thehoopdoctors.com

L is for Luck. "Congratulations" to the Indianapolis Colts who following their loss today to the Jacksonville Jaguars will have the number one pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is the consensus number one pick, but the Colts already have a franchise quarterback, albeit an injured one, in Peyton Manning. Some big decisions for the Colts to make over the next few months now that they're officially on the clock. Luck will be in action in Monday's Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State.

Photo Credit: zimbio.com

M is for Miami Heat. The Heat cruised to a 129-90 win over the Charlotte Bobcats tonight as they improved their record on the season to 5-0, the first time in franchise history that they've opened the season with 5 straight wins. The Heat try to make it 6 in a row tomorrow night when they host the 3-1 Hawks.

Photo Credit: espn.go.com

N is for Number 99. Linebacker Jason Taylor played his final NFL game today after 15 solid seasons. Taylor finishes his career with 139.5 sacks, including 7 this season. The 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year helped Miami close out the season by eliminating the New York Jets from the wildcard race with a 19-17 win. The Fins won 6 of their last 9 games after starting the year 0-7.

Photo Credit: mysanantonio.com

O is for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The young Thunder won their 5th in a row on New Year's Eve, the franchise's best start since moving over from Seattle. Kevin Durant scored just 12 points after opening the year with 4 straight 30 point games, but it didn't matter as the Thunder cruised to a 107-97 win over the Phoenix Suns. Durant needed to play just 26 minutes as the Thunder bench contributed 53 points in the rout. The Thunder will try to make it 6 straight when they travel to Dallas on Monday to take on the defending champion Mavericks (1-4).

Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com

P is for Playoffs. It took 17 weeks, but here are. First, in the AFC: The Patriots are the top seed while the Baltimore Ravens also get a first round bye. The Houston Texans will host the Cincinnati Bengals while the Denver Tebows back into the AFC West title and will host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, over in the NFC: The Packers and 49ers take the top two spots. The Saints will host the Lions while the Giants - who clinched the NFC East after the last game of the season - will take on the Falcons.

Q is for Quentin. Carlos Quentin is headed to the San Diego Padres after a deal was struck between San Diego and the Chicago White Sox. Quentin, a two-time all star, has hit at least 20 home runs in each of the past 4 seasons and he'll start in left field for the Padres. The White Sox get minor league pithcers Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez. Castro, 23, made 22 starts between AA and AAA last year posting a 5.63 ERA while Hernandez, 22, went 10-3 with a 3.49 ERA between A ball, AA and AAA.

Photo Credit: mlbreports.com

R is for Robert Griffin III. The 2011 Heisman Trophy Winner will not be back next season for Baylor having stated that he intends to declare for the 2012 NFL Draft. RGIII already has his degree, and could have stayed on at Baylor while continuing to work towards his Masters, but will instead look to compete at the next level. He ends his career at Baylor having won their first ever Heisman Trophy and having led the Bears to their first bowl win since the 1992 Sun Bowl and their first 10 win season since 1980. He is currently listed as a Top 10 Draft Prospect according to espn.com's Todd McShay.

Photo Credit:

columbiadailyherald.com

S is for Sacks. Jared Allen had 3.5 sacks today for the Vikings giving him 22 on the season, just a half a sack shy of Michael Strahan's record. The Vikings finish the season 3-13, so Allen's performance, while mostly wasted, is one of the few bright spots. The 29 year old from Idaho State has had at least 11 sacks in 6 of his first 8 NFL seasons.

Photo Credit: cbssports.com

T is for Thierry Henry. Henry is headed back to England to re-sign with Arsenal on a two-month loan deal. The 34 year old Frenchman spent 9 seasons with the Gunners while in his prime scoring 174 goals in the Premier League. Arsenal is currently in 4th place in the Premier League as they get set to take on Clint Dempsey and Fulham tomorrow.

Photo Credit: dailypost.com.ng

U is for Unbeatens. We're down to just a handful of unbeatens in Men's Division I College Hoops right now as we start the new year. Baylor (13-0), Missouri (13-0), Syracuse (15-0) and Murray State (14-0) are all that's left. Baylor and Missouri play each other on January 21st.

Photo Credit: nunesmagician.com

V is for Villa. American goalie Brad Guzan allowed an early penalty kick goal to Didier Drogba, but Aston Villa rallied for 3 straight goals to stun Chelsea 3-1. The Blues have now gone winless in their last four matches following their 2-1 win over Manchester City back on December 12th. The win was just Guzan's second since taking over for injured starter Shay Given.

Photo Credit: bleacherreport.com

W is for the Winter Classic. If you're like me and you don't have Versus, tomorrow is a great opportunity to catch a hockey game on network television as the New York Rangers will take on the Philadelphia Flyers outdoors at Citizens Bank Ballpark. This will be the 5th occurrence of the Winter Classic with the puck set to drop at 3 pm Eastern. The game will be televised on NBC. The Flyers are led by the NHL's second leading scorer Claude Giroux (17 goals, 28 assists) while the Rangers have the league's second leading goal scorer Marion Gaborik (22 goals).

Photo Credit: montrealgazette.com

X is for "X"-perience. Yeah, pretty weak I know. Anyhow, it pays to be a lefty reliever who's been around a while. 41 year old Darren Oliver will be back next season after signing a one year deal with an option for 2013 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Oliver has appeared in 654 games over 18 major league seasons. He has posted an ERA under 3.00 while making at least 54 appearances in each of the last four years while pitching for the Angels and Rangers. Toronto will be the 9th different major league team Oliver has pitched for.

Photo Credit: zimbio.com

Y is for Yakubu Aiyegbeni. The Nigerian striker scored a pair of goals and Grant Hanley netted the game winner as Blackburn Rovers stunned Manchester United 3-2 for just their third win of the year moving them out of the Premier League cellar. It was just United's second loss of the season in 19 matches, but with Manchester City also dropping points this weekend, it costs United an opportunity to take over first place. Aiyegbeni now has 12 goals this season.

Photo Credit: www1.skysports.com

Z is for Zero. The number of playoff games that Rex Ryan and the Jets will be playing in this year.

Photo Credit: kevinskewlkorner.blogspot.com