The Sports Review

Have you ever seen those guys on motorcycles jumping over little dirt hills racing each other? There is a certain group of people that really enjoy seeing these battles. It’s better than regular auto racing because it’s on dirt and it’s kind of like an obstacle course that will make you jump. They are a lot of fun to watch and we certainly recommend seeing one of their races. They jump, make hairpin turns and generally race around trying to keep from tipping and slipping. If you see one of these competitions in person, it can be a whole lot of fun! I notice that you can get ArenaCross racing tickets from this site.

The NHL All Star Game was played last night and it was a really high scoring affair. The East and West teams played to an 11-11 tie after 3 periods and overtime and then it took a shootout to end it. It was a fun game to watch. Sidney Crosby wasn’t in the game, because of an injury, but the captain of the Montreal Canadians was the best player in the game. He scored 3 goals in the regular game, and then scored the winning goal during the shootout part of the game. It’s unusual to have that many goals in a game, 23 in all, and it’s even better to see it in a game full of the best players in the sport. We really enjoyed watching it and if you missed it, you should make sure that you check out the highlights at the very least.

The Patriots’ world is getting a little complicated. Earlier, Tom Brady gave his first interview in several months, and said that his rehab is going well, and that he’s been a little sad to sit out all this time. He thinks that the team could have made it, but there were some big teams in their division this year, with difficult schedules all around. At the same time, Matt Cassel has made it clear that he’s definitely willing to return as the QB next year. Not that he is aiming to replace Brady. He said that he has the highest respect for Brady, whom he considers a mentor, and knows that there’s no quarterback competition. Just that he wants them to know that he’s able and willing.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are really on fire this year! It’s really amazing this year. They are beating out Duke, Pittsburgh, everyone, including all the huge schools with amazing programs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really exciting that a smaller school is really doing it right this time around, and that they have risen to #1 in the country with an undefeated record. It will be very exciting to see if they can keep it up until the real tournament, but we’ll see what happens in the next few weeks.

Perhaps finally pushed to the point of critical embarrassment near the end of the season, or even tired of being prodded and criticized, the Arizona Cardinals’ defense has stepped up to match the amazing output of its offense. In their first two postseason games, they have 7 takeaways which have led to multiple points on the board. While all this talk goes on about the Steelers D and the Ravens D and the Phillies’ hot streak, Arizona is in the perfect place to spoil everyone’s hopes.

So the Arizona Cardinals beat the Carolina Panthers this weekend. And the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants. They will meet next week in Arizona to play for the NFC spot in the Super Bowl. So now what? Who do you think is going to win? Well Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN is certain that Philly will take this game. Why? Because the Eagles are absolutely on fire right now. They had a rough patch earlier in the season, but they were able to pull themselves up by their cleatstraps and are now headed to the NFC championship. Arizona is a lot better than they were a few weeks ago too, but they aren’t quite as good. Arizona took out the Panthers and other good teams. But the Eagles just beat the Giants. And they also beat Arizona by 28 several weeks ago in Arizona. Philly may be headed to Tampa!

Rather than prognosticate a winner for this weekends Chargers/Steelers game, here’s a few key statistics to chew on until game time:

• The Chargers have sacked Roethlisberger (who is coming off a concussion) 12 times in their past 3 meetings
• The Chargers have averaged 34 points per game in their last 5 games
• The Chargers are 7-9 when Tomlinson (who is questionable for the game) does not carry at least 20 times
• The Steelers are 14-3 when Parker carries at least 20 times
• The Steelers are 13-2 when hosting the Chargers

From this set of stats (and many more on NFL.com), the balance seems to lean towards the Steelers. However, anything can happen in the playoffs. Just look to last year’s Super Bowl for evidence.

The Baltimore Ravens took out the Miami Dolphins this weekend. Miami had an impressive season this year and we’re all quite surprised at how far they came. But out of the mess that was the AFC East this year, where there were three teams tied up for a long time, there is no team left standing. The Jets are gone, the Patriots are gone, and now the Dolphins are gone. Chad Pennington outlasted his rival Brett Favre by a single weekend. He had been cut from the Jets when Favre came on, but now they can hang out with all that free time that they both suddenly have. The Ravens, however, have had an equally improbable last part of their season, coming up from almost nowhere to join the playoff competition.

When the Atlanta Falcons take on the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, it’s gonna be good, that much is sure. What we have here is polar opposites. To begin with, Atlanta grew stronger as the season developed while the Cardinals faded. But that’s only 11% of the iceberg that is showing. It’s the chemical make up of each team that will truly make it interesting. It’s a battle of air vs. ground. The Cardinals’ receivers (Boldin, Fitzgerald, and Breaston) all have 1,000 yards for the season. Now figure in the fact that Kurt Warner is the Quarterback, and you’ve got the deadliest air game in the league. However, their run game lacks, unlike the Falcons who rely on Michael Turner to pound his way through for tough yardage.  Worse for the Cardinals, they have lost to six of the leagues top 9 rushing teams. Atlanta is number 2. However, there is also a distinct size advantage of the Cardinals’ receivers over the Falcons’ cornerbacks. Basically, it comes down to who can execute better, and whose defense can hold up. However it turns out, getting your Falcons playoff tickets definitely won’t disappoint.