Should Sub .500 Teams Make the Playoffs?

With the monstrosity that is the NFC West this year, the question if teams below .500 should make the playoffs has become a popular topic.  But really, it does it even matter?  I mean, this is the first time it might happen, how big of an issue can it be?  So what if the Seahawks beat the Rams this Sunday and become the first 7-9 team to win their division.  They'll then play a game against one of two far superior teams and likely get decimated, never to be remembered again, outside of trivia books.  In the off chance they would actually win a playoff game, wouldn't it make a hell of a story?  There's no way the NFL is going to look to ban that, everyone will be watching, ratings would skyrocket and the wallets of the NFL would fill up.

And besides all that, why shouldn't they be allowed in?  It's not their fault their division is horrible.  It's not their fault they got 1st place in it.  What are they supposed to do, say no thanks?  They did exactly what everyone is supposed to try to do... win their division and get to the playoffs.  Just because they did it with a few more losses doesn't mean they shouldn't be there.

Will the Vikings be relying on Webb in 2011?

Joe Webb

Yes, Joe Webb played well and lead his team to a win Tuesday against the Philadelphia Eagles, but that is by no means enough evidence to name him the opening day starter in 2011.  To clutter things more, they can't really make a decision on the kid until they have a coach in place.  If they decide to take the high risk high reward route with Webb, they HAVE to have a coach who wants to have a young, athletic, scrambling style.  Unfortunately, the lack of a definite quarterback will undoubtedly take the Vikings off of most high profile coaches' lists.  If Leslie Frazier is back (which he likely is) it seems he is ok with Webb behind center, and he will likely adapt the playbook accordingly.  

His Tuesday night performance was surprisingly good, yet one game is hardily enough to crown the man king. Obviously, Vikings personell will be working with him all summer long to evaluate his improvement, but if the Vikings are really serious about attempting to win a Super Bowl with their current core of stars, they need to look elsewhere for the answer.  As I mentioned in a previous blog, both McNabb and Palmer should be available at decent prices.  Although both are aging, and are fresh off subpar seasons, they are more than capable of leading a talent rich team to the playoffs (and hopefully beyond).  This way, if they determine Webb may be the future, he can spend a few seasons being groomed by the veteran quarterback, before he is thrust out into the real world.  Similarly, if the Vikings draft a quarterback this April, the rookie will have a couple of years to learn behind a strong veteran.  Suddenly, the Vikings quarterback situation doesn't look so horrible.

Webb is obviously a superb athlete, and can definitely be a factor on the field.  Whether its behind center, playing receiver or coming in for special formations (wildcat anyone?) Webb should be an interesting player to watch this offseason.

Offseason Choices Ahead for the Minnesota Vikings

Despite Tuesdays surprising 24 - 14 over the Philadelphia Eagles, there is little doubt some big changes are coming to the Minnesota Vikings.  With multiple aging stars, no coach and no answer at quarterback, Vice President of Player Personell Rick Spielman has some important decisions to make before the start of the 2011 season.  If the Purple plan to win with their current core of stars (AP, Sidney Rice, Pat Williams, Chad Greenway...), time is running out.  Here's a few things they need to do:

Dunk of the Week

Although we've already had this weeks "Dunk of the Week", I couldn't wait to post this one.  LeBron haters oughta love this

Tough Offseason Choices for the Cincinnati Bengals

The Mythical TOcho

After a disappointing 4-11 (thus far) season, there is little doubt major changes are coming to the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason.  With a top 4 pick already secured,we know there will be some new talent on the field in 2011.  What we don't know, is which of their current stars will be wearing orange and black next year, as Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens and Carson Palmer all may be departing this offseason.

If they decide to let aging wideout Terrell Owens go, there is yet another whole to fill on offense.  A possible fit would be A.J. Green out of Georgia, who is one of the top receiver prospects since Randy Moss in the 1998 draft.  In this scenario, it might make sense to keep Palmer, at about $11.5 million, for the 2011 season.  Although Palmer has struggled this year, he is about to throw for 4,000 yards and is still a very capable quarterback. With the emergence of Jerome Simpson this season, Green will still have another receiver to help take the pressure and focus off, even without Ochocinco. Suddenly, the Bengals get a lot younger - and are possibly just as talented.

Dunk of the Week

Clippers rookie phenom Blake Griffin throws down a MONSTER alley-oop from Baron Davis December 21st, 2010

You Don't See This Every Day

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.  If you got to relax and watch some basketball on Christmas, you may have seen this strange (although technically correct) call against Dwight Howard.

LeBron Drops 27 as Heat Spoil Christmas in LA

The Miami Heat marched into Los Angeles Saturday night for a Christmas matchup against the defending champion Lakers.  It was the Lakers, however, that did not show up.  LeBron James lead his team to a 96-80 victory with a dominating 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 3rd triple double with his new team.  Chris Bosh had 24 points and a hobbled Dwyane Wade added 18 points.   More importantly, the Heat played steller defense and made the Lakers look old and slow.  

Although both teams dismissed the pregame hype as simply "television curiosity", it is hard to believe it doesn't mean more to James and Co.  The Heat have now won 14 of their last 15 games, including victories over the Knicks, Suns, Hornets, Jazz and now Lakers.  If the Heat finish December strong with wins against the Knicks and Rockets, they will be 16-1 for the month, and barely behind Boston for the best record in the East.  With Mike Miller getting healthier by the day and with the possible return of Udonis Haslem, the Heat may just be the team they thought they would be.

Mississippi State Basketball Teammates Duke It Out

Mississippi State forward Renardo Sidney and teammate Elgin Bailey get into a fight between games at the Diamond Head Classic.  Although details of why the fight broke out have not been released, this isn't Sidney's first encounter with trouble.  He had to sit out his freshman season due to an NCAA suspension.

More details to come...

Bowl Results - As of 12/24/10

Here's some updated results from the bowls played this week:

Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl: Louisville 31 - Southern Mississippi 28
MAACO Bowl Los Vegas: (10)Boise St 26 - (19) Utah 3
Poinsettia Bowl: San Diego St 35 - Navy 14
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Tulsa 62 - (24)Hawaii 35

Introducing our Sister Blog, FashionBank

Hey readers,

Just wanted to take a minute to introduce our new sister blog, www.fashonbankfb.blogspot.com .  It's written by my girlfriend, Raquel Scharyj, and is off to a great start!  If you're reading my blog, its probably not up your alley, but it might be perfect for a girlfriend, mom, or other special lady in your life.  Check it out, and hope you enjoy it! Here's the Link.

-SportsBank

NEW FEATURE!

I'm excited to introduce the site's new feature "Ask Questions".  If you scroll down a bit on the right hand side of the page you will see the "ask questions" box, in it you can post any Sports related question or discussion topic and we will reply back as soon as possible.  As long as its about sports, we'll talk about it, so go ahead and let us know whats on your mind!

Dunk FAIL

Recently re-acquired Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu gets stuffed by the rim Tuesday night while playing against the Mavericks.   FAIL.

5 Ohio State Buckeyes Suspended

Terrelle Pryor

Five players on Ohio State's football team, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, have been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season, for their involvement in what is now being called "Tattoo-gate".  The NCAA came down with their ruling after learning that some Buckeye players had allegedly been exchanging autographs for free tattoos at a local Columbus tattoo parlor.  Additionally, there are reports they had sold championship rings, jerseys and awards from previous seasons, another NCAA no-no.

The NCAA said all the players are eligible January 4th when the Buckeyes face Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.  Ohio State's first five games next season are against Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado and Michigan State.  The school plans to appeal the decision, hoping for a reduction in the games.  Although at least 3 of these games are probably still a win without Pryor, the controversy and lack of chemistry from playing together could seriously hurt the team's ranking next season.

To make things interesting, some are now speculating that Pryor may declare for the NFL draft this season rather than sit out next year, in fear that it would hurt his stock.  If he does, it would leave Ohio State without their most important playmaker, while NFL scouts rush to see him in the Sugar Bowl.

Lemaire Back Behind The Bench

The New Jersey Devils have brought back head coach Jacques Lemaire after firing rookie coach John MacLean Thursday morning.

The Devils are one of the NHL's most disappointing teams this season, tied for the fewest points in the league (20) with the New York Islanders, who they play Thursday night.  Although it is tough to see a first time head coach fired after such a short time, it was obvious a move needed to be made, as the team is facing the possibility of not making the playoffs for the first time since 1997.  The fact that they have only scored a league low 59 goals (a mere 1.7 per game!) this season hurts even more given the 15-year, $100 million contract given to Ilya Kovalchuk this offseason.

Lemaire, now in his 3rd stint with the team, has coached the Devils to 3 division titles and 1 Stanley Cup in 6 seasons.  While his success is hard to argue against, Lemaire is somewhat of an interesting choice as he is largely known for his slow, defensive minded 'trap' style hockey - not his high powered offenses.  Still, with Brodeur in net, if anybody can help win low scoring games, its Jacques... and thats exactly what they're hoping for.

You have GOT to be kidding me...

Patriots O-lineman Dan Connolly returns a kick 70 yards against the Packers Sunday night.  The longest return by a lineman in NFL history.

Zach Greinke Traded to Brewers

Former Kansas City Cy Young pitcher Zach Grinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers early Sunday in exchange for SS Alcides Escobar, CF Lorenzo Cain, and pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress.

Although the Royals didnt get the "sure thing" star they were looking for, it still appears to be a solid trade for Kansas City.  They knew they would not be able to resign Greinke down the road, and they were able to get a package of potentially solid players in return.  Escobar is a solid hitter, posting a .288 on base percentage last season, and Cain is a well rounded player (although he isn't elite in any one category).  Jeffress is a former first round draft pick, but has been suspended twice for marijuana use.

If any of these players pan out, the deal looks significantly better than what the Minnesota Twins were able to get for Johan Santana, or what the Blue Jays got for Halladay.  The Royals have the potential to be a very talented team in a couple of years, and if they are able to fill one or two holes on that roster with these players, it certainly looks like a quality trade.

SHOUT OUT!

I just wanted to stop and give a shout out to the sports fans out there in South Korea that have been  reading my blog, its surprisingly high numbers.  Glad you seem to like it though!  any comments, suggestions or topics you'd like to see covered soon?  Leave em in the comments!!  THANK YOU!

Tim Tebow to Start Against Oakland

Tim Tebow

Former University of Florida star Tim Tebow is expected to start his first NFL game this Sunday, when the Broncos take on the Oakland Raiders.  Tebow has taken most of the first team reps in practice this week, as starter Kyle Orton is out nursing bruised ribs.  The rookie has only played a handful of snaps this season, throwing just one pass since he was drafted in the first round last April.  While Tebow has a long way to go to be considered a serious NFL quarterback, at 3-10 the Broncos might as well give him a chance to show what he's got.  Also, since Orton only will have one more year left on his contract after this season, Denver fans may be getting a sneak peak at their quarterback of the future this Sunday.

Bowl Results

Day 1 Bowl Results

New Mexico Bowl: BYU 52 - UTEP 23

Humanitarian Bowl: Northern Illinois 40 - Fresno St 17
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy 48 - Ohio 21

Update: Arenas to Magic Official

Gilbert Arenas

Packers Wizard Causes Metrodome Collapse

I found this randomly on the internet today... enjoy.

SportsBank NCAA Mens BB Top Ten - December 17th

Here's our new weekly College hoops Top 10:

1. Duke - Probably the most talented and well-coached team in the country.  What remains to be seen is how much the loss of Kyrie Irving hurts them 
2. Ohio St. - The best of the Big 10, led by Jared Sullinger, have a chance to turn this into a season to remember in Columbus
3. Kansas - The Jayhawks have the largest margin of victory in the nation, 27.4 PPG, a statistic they've led the country in for the past two seasons.

Dunk of the Week

Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari throws down a sick reverse dunk against the Boston Celtics December 15, 2010.

Feelin' the Heat

It looks as if LeBron and Co. have finally gotten it together down in South Beach.  The Miami Heat are riding high on an 11 game win streak after beating the New York Knicks on Friday night, and have improved to 20-8 on the season.  With the expected return of sharpshooter Mike Miller within the week, are the Heat finally beginning to look like the championship caliber team many expected them to be? Miller is just a few seasons removed from averaging 18.5 PPG on a horrible Grizzlies team, and there's no doubt that he will bring a much needed perimeter threat to the Heat.  A career .405 3-point shooter, Miller could put up huge numbers as teams continue to double-team James, Wade and Bosh.

The Heat now hold the 4th best record in the league, behind Boston, LA and San Antonio.  Although they've played well over the past 11 games, they have yet to have a dominant win against one of the leagues elite.  However, if the Heat can ride their newfound confidence for a win against the Lakers on Christmas day, the sky could be the limit for this squad.  Especially if they get Udonis Haslem back this season.

No Booze for Vikings Fans

The decision has been made, no booze will be sold at Monday nights game between the Vikings and Bears at TCF Bank Stadium.  The stadium does not normally allow the sale of alcohol at its events, but many believed that the ban would be lifted for an NFL game.  Amazingly, it wasn't.

If Vikings fans are going to be forced to sit outside in -18 degree weather and watch the quarterback combination of Joe Webb and Patrick Ramsey, they should sure as hell be allowed to drink.  Tailgate, anyone?

Twins Reportedly Reach Agreement With All-Star Nishioka

Tsuyoshi Nishioka

The AP is reporting that the Minnesota Twins have reached a preliminary agreement with Pacific League batting champion Tsuyoshi Nishioka today.  Although details haven't yet been released, the deal is expected to be 3 years for about $10 million.  Nishioka was in the Twin Cities Thursday for a physical, and the deal is expected to be announced tomorrow or Saturday.  Last season, Nishioka lead the Pacific League with a .346 batting average as a switch hitter.  Additionally he had over 200 hits last season, a feat that hadn't been achieved since Ichiro Suzuki hit 210 in 1994.

The Twins are hoping the combination of Nishioka, who can play both shortstop and second base, and Casilla can fill the vacancies made by the departure of Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy this offseason.  Given the subpar performance and time missed due to injury, the new pair certainly has potential to be an improvement from last season.  There is a little cause for concern, however, as not all scouts are sold on Nishioka's talent, fearing he may 'fizzle' out of the league in a matter of years.    

All in all, this seems to be a good deal for the Twins.  They'll bring in an exciting player, with switch hitting abilitiy, and above average defense, while the Hardy trade allowed them to replenish their depleted bullpen.

Sports Bank: Are the Phantastic Phour the Best Rotation Ever?

Sports Bank: Are the Phantastic Phour the Best Rotation Ever?: "The Phantastic Phour Halladay - Oswalt - Lee - Hamels Cliff Lee shocked the baseball world this week signing a 5 year, $120 million ..."

Are the Phantastic Phour the Best Rotation Ever?

The Phantastic Phour
Halladay - Oswalt - Lee - Hamels 

Cliff Lee shocked the baseball world this week signing a 5 year, $120 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.  He now will rejoin a Phillies team who's rotation already has a two-time Cy Young winner, and three-time 20 game winner in Roy Halladay, a pitcher who has won 20 games in a season twice and has the fifth-best winning % of any righty in the live-ball era in Roy Oswalt, and the former World Series MVP, who just had the best ERA after July 1 of any lefty starter in baseball, Cole Hamels.

While nobody can question these guys, at least on paper, are the best rotation going into next season, could they be the best all-time?  To try to find an answer, lets first look at some numbers.

• Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels and Lee all had a WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of 4.3 or better last season (Baseball-reference.com).  Only 3 teams in MLB history have previously achieved this: The 1909 A's (Chief Bender, Eddie Plank, Harry Krause and Cy Morgan), the 1967 Reds (Maloney, Gary Nolen, Pappas, Queen) and finally the 1991 Braves (Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Steve Avery, Charlie Leibrandt). 

• Next we can look at the two teams besides this new Phillies lineup that have matched their number in ERA+: The 1942 Tigers (Hal Newhouser, Virgil Trucks, Al Benton, Tommy Bridges, Hal White) and the 1997 Braves (Glavine, Smoltz, Maddux, Neagle)

• The current lineup has a combined 20-8 playoff record with a 3.08 ERA

Vikings-Bears MNF to be Played at TCF Bank Stadium

TCF Bank Stadium

It's official.  Next weeks Monday Night Football matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears will be played in Minnesota.  But not in the relative comforts of the Metrodome, but outdoors in the nearby University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium. It's reported that the Vikings and the NFL will split the $700,000+ bill required to "de-winterize" the stadium, which has been shut down since the Golden Gophers triumphant win over Iowa on November 24th.

Although any playoff hopes were shot down with the Vikings 21-3 embarrassment at the hands of the Giants, this is still a huge win for the Vikes.  Although they'll have to foot some of the bill (which should be significantly more than their usual $250K gameday budget), they will once again get the true homefield advantage they missed last week at Ford Field.  More importantly, they'll get the opportunity to get Minnesota fans excited about a new outdoor stadium, and this game should teach them they need a retractable roof above all else.  Zygi Wilf wont miss this opportunity to highlight how the Metrodome is not a respectable venue for professional sports.

If handled right, this nightmare could turn into just the thing the Vikings have been wishing for.  At the very least, discussion for a new stadium HAS to start up again.

Now the only question I have left is, are you going to go?  It is the first Vikings home game played outdoors since 1981.... but the forecast is not so pretty:

                                                          Temperature

                                                           8 degrees 

                                                           Feels like

                                                           2 degrees

                                                           Wind

                                                           NW at 8 mph
                                                           Gusts: 11 mph

Good luck out there Vikes fans... don't freeze to death.  In fact, send us your pics via email or tweet them to @SportsBank and we'll post our favorite!!

Sorry, Again!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately readers... It's been a crazy couple of weeks with finals and then moving across the country.  My friend and I got stuck in Chicago on the way to Minneapolis because of the recent "snowmageddon" in the Midwest.  But without further adieu, lets get talkin about sports!