Richard Zednick throat slashed

By Scott Burgess

Florida Panther star Richard Zednick had his throat slashed by teammate Olli Jokinen's skate midway in the 3rd period. View video here!

Blood gushed from his neck as he made his way to the bench. He was met by the team trainer who applied a towel to the deep gash. He was then carted off to Buffalo General Hospital where he underwent surgery.

After the ice crew scraped a giant pool of blood from the ice and the Zamboni re-iced the surface. It was not clear if the game would go on or if it would be canceled. After numerous calls between NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman,the hospital and Panthers staff it was clear that Zednick was stable and clear of any danger. It was then that the game would go ahead as planned.

Zednik's injury was a flash back of an slash sustained by Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk about 19 years ago at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. On March 22, 1989, Malarchuk severed his jugular vein when St. Louis Blues forward Steve Tuttle was upended while skating toward the crease, slicing Malarchuk with a skate. View video here!

Malarchuk required over 300 stitches but spent only one night in the hospital, returning to practice after four days. On April 2, he played the final five minutes in the season finale, less than two weeks after his injury.

2009 Super Bowl XLIII: Odds to Repeat

By Scott Burgess

2009 Super Bowl XLIII: Odds to Repeat

The odds are out for this year’s Super Bowl Champs, the N.Y. Giants, to repeat and win it all again next year. Usually a team that is strong is in favor of winning multiple times. i.e. Patriots(3), Broncos(4), Cowboys(4). So why are the Giants given such bad odds? They think it was a fluke that they won.

Odds to win 2009-09 Super Bowl:

N.E. Patriots 5/2
Dallas Cowboys 6/1
Indianapolis Colts 6/1
Green Bay Packers 7/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 10/1
S.D. Chargers 10/1
N.Y. Giants 12/1
Seattle Seahawks 18/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 18/1
N.O Saints 20/1
Chicago Bears 25/1
T.B. Buccaneers 28/1
Tennessee Titians 30/1
Washington Redskins 30/1
Cleveland Browns 30/1
Cincinnati Bengals 38/1
Denver Broncos 38/1
Minnesota Vikings 38/1
Philadelphia Eagles 45/1
Arizona Cardinals 45/1
Buffalo Bills 60/1
Carolina Panthers 60/1
Detriot Lions 60/1
Houston Texans 60/1
N.Y. Jets 75/1
St.Louis Rams 75/1
K.C. Chiefs 100/1
Baltimore Ravens 125/1
Oakland Raiders 125/1
S.F. 49ers 125/1
Atlanta Falcons 150/1
Miami Dolphins 150/1

Odds to win 2009-09 AFC Championship:

N.E. Patriots 3/2
Indianapolis Colts 3/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 5/1
San Diego Chargers 5/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 9/1
Cleveland Browns 14/1
Tennessee Titians 15/1
Cincinnati Bengals 18/1
Denver Broncos 18/1
Houston Texans 30/1
Buffalo Bills 30/1
N.Y. Jets 40/1
K.C. Chiefs 50/1
Baltimore Ravens 60/1
Oakland Raiders 60/1
Miami Dolphins 75/1

Odds to win 2009-09 NFC Championship:

Green Bay Packers 11/4
Dallas Cowboys 3/1
N.Y. Giants 5/1
Seattle Seahawks 7/1
N.O. Saints 8/1
Chicago Bears 10/1
T.B. Buccaneers 12/1
Washington Redskins 14/1
Minnesota Vikings 15/1
Arizona Cardinals 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
Carolina Panthers 25/1
Detroit Lions 25/1
St.Louis Rams 30/1
S.F. 49ers 45/1
Atlanta Falcons 75/1

2008 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Champion

Last year’s 2007 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Champion, Phil Mickelson, will be back to defend his title this year. He matched two tournament records last year. Phil finished with a 20-under par last year to tie for the lowest 72 hole score in the tournaments history and he also finished with a five stroke lead ahead of the second place finisher, five other players have done this.

2008 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Tee-Off: Thurs, Feb 7, 2008 11:30 AM ET
Pick: Phil Mickelson

This year’s tournament has about a dozen or so players who could walk away the winner. Phil Mickelson finished in 2nd place last week at the FBR Open after losing in a one hole playoff, to J.B. Holmes. He’s won here three times, in 2005-07, and 1998 he won after 54 holes due to bad weather. He loves chipping around these greens. They’re SLOW. Currently Phil Mickelson is a 4/1 favorite.

One of the hottest, recently unknown, golfers to start the 2008 season is J.B. Holmes. He’s played three tournaments this year. He won the FBR Open beating Phil Mickelson and he has two finishes in the Top 25. He’s already almost surpassed his money winnings he’s made his whole career. This guy has a monster 350YD drive and he has excellent game management skills. Currently J.B. Holmes is listed as at 33/1. Keep an eye on this kid.

Jim Furyk has entered three tourneys and has made all three cuts. His best finish came at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Championship when he finished T-5. At the Sony Open in Hawaii he finished T-25 and at the Buick Invitational T-37. Jim Furyk has never won at Pebble Beach but he has won a Major and some other high caliber tourneys. Currently Jim Furyk is listed at 12/1.

Vijay Singh has made four of three cuts with his best finish coming at the Mercedes-Benz Championship where he finished T-12. At the Sony Open in Hawaii he finished T-45 and at the Buick Invitational T-23. He hasn’t been having the greatest year, like 2006, but hey it’s VJ. Singh won the Pebble Beach back in 2004. Currently Vijay Singh is listed at 12/1.

Mike Weir has made four of three cuts with his best finish coming at the Mercedes-Benz Championship where he finished fourth. Since then he’s continued to flounder. At the FBR Open he finished T-43 and at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic he finished T-56. He had to withdraw from the Buick Invitational due to back problems. Still with a weak field Mike Weir is listed at 20/1.

Brock Lesnar Loses

By Scott Burgess

The Big Man Brock Lesnar lost his first big televised fight to Frank Mir, on Saturday. With lots of his WWE friends on hand to watch Brock came out of his corner swinging hard.

Mir dropped to the ground and turtled while Brock threw punches trying to land a few on his face. Brock had accidentally hit Mir in the back of the head and the fight had to be stopped temporarily while Mir recovered. Brock was deducted a point for the foul hit. They came together in the middle of the octagon and Lesnar continued to throw punches, while Mir dropped to the mat on his back. Mir was on his back with Lesnar standing above and Mir managed to grab Brock's ankle, trip him to the ground and put him in a kneebar. Brock Lesnar submitted 90 seconds into the first round.

Brock looked good off the start and it'll be interesting to see who he takes on next.

Tiger Woods Wins AGAIN

By Scott Burgess

Tiger Woods entered the fourth round of the Dubai Desert Classic, on Sunday, four shots behind leader Ernie Els. Tiger shot a mesmerizing 65 to take the lead, and the win, away from Martin Kaymer.

He did it in amazing style with a 25ft birdie on the 18th hole to set the final score for the rest of the remaining players. Ernie Els needed a eagle on the 18th to win outright or a birdie to tie. Ernie went for the eagle by crushing a 3 wood, which got caught up in the wind, and found the water. He ended up bogeying the hole literally handing Tiger the win.

Tiger is a perfect 100% on the year so far, winning the Buick Invitational and for the second time the Dubai Desert Classic. Up next for Tiger is the WGC-CA Accenture Match Play Championship, on Febuary 21. He will announce if he will enter any other tournaments before the WGC.

2008 MVP All-Star Vote

By Scott Burgess
Tip Off:Sun, Feb 17, 2008 8:00 PM ET

 Who will be All-Star MVP?

• Kobe Bryant
• Kevin Garnett
• LeBron James
• Dwayne Wade
• Tim Duncan
• Allen Iverson

view results
Free vote poll

2008 Slam Dunk Competition

By Scott Burgess
First Dunk: Sat, Feb 16 2008 5:00 PM ET

Arguably the best part of the NBA All-star Weekend is the Slam Dunk competition. Last years Champion, Gerald Green(Minnesota), will be looking to repeat this year. Is there anybody who can stop him?

This years Slam Dunk competitors are:

• Gerald Green--Minnesota--Top 10 Dunks
  
• Rudy Gay--Memphis--Top 10 Dunks
  
• Dwight Howard--Orlando--Top 10 Dunks
  
• Jamario Moon--Toronto--Top 10 Dunks

* Firefox may need additional plug-ins

Rudy Gay is asking for your Slam Dunk ideas. If you have a great slam idea, record it and go to this link in youtube.com.

UFC 81 - Tim Sylvia vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

By Scott Burgess
Fight Night: Feb 2, 2008 10:00 PM ET

UFC 81 Breaking Point brings us two decent fights that might be worthy of watching. The induction of WWE star Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir and Tim Sylvia vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Tim Sylvia(+135) Vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira(-165)

Tim Sylvia is coming off a win over Brandon Vera, in UFC 77, which he won by unanimous decision after a grueling three round battle. Sylvia is a slow, overweight, sluggish fighter that's being handed easy fights to increase his chances at another title shot. He got his ass handed to him by Randy Couture. He can't fight fighters with talent.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a great BJJ fighter with good boxing skills that can go the distance. He's better known as a Pride FC Fighter and has only one fight in the UFC under his belt. He beat Heath Herring, in UFC 73, after a three round unanimous decision. For a highly talented Pride fighter his debut in the UFC wasn't spectacular. This might be another set up for Sylvia to advance.

Bottom Line: I hate to say it but after Nogueira's last fight I'm starting to lean towards Sylvia. If Nogueira can take the fight to the ground he'll have a much better chance. I still think Tim Sylvia will win.

UFC 81- Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir

By Scott Burgess
Fight Night: Feb 2, 2008 10:00 PM ET

UFC 81 Breaking Point brings us two decent fights that might be worthy of watching. The induction of WWE star Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir and Tim Sylvia vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Frank Mir(+110) Vs. Brock Lesnar(-140)

Brock Lesnar is a huge steroid junkie WWE star trying to make it in the UFC. It's more of a publicity plan by Dana White than anything. Although this guy is HUGE he may be able to throw down really well. Best known as a incredible NCAA wrestler with a 106-5 record, he has what it takes to be competitive. Many fighters with wrestling backgrounds have been successful. He won his first ever MMA fight against Min Soo Kim after pummeling him into submission just 65 seconds into the fight.

Frank Mir is a great submission fighter with much improved striking capabilities. He recently beat Antoni Hardonk, in UFC 74, by submission just 1:17 into the first round. It's not looking like he's going to be able to submit Lesnar, unless it's by rear naked choke hold. Mir doesn't have much of a ground game and the last thing he'll want to do is try and out wreste Brock. It will have to be toe to toe Frank.

Bottom Line: If Brock comes out swinging hard and fast Mir won't have a chance. If Mir tries to wrestle Lesnar, it's a win for Lesnar. I want to see Lesnar fight the big boys, not the bottom feeders.

2008 Dubai Desert Classic

By Scott Burgess
Tee Off: Jan 31 - Feb 4 2008

Tiger Woods(1/1) heads off to the Gulf Emirates to play in the Dubai Desert Classic this weekend. He is once again the favorite to win, he won it back in 2006 and finished two shots back from winner Henrik Stenson last year. He recently won his first tournament of the year, the Buick Invitational, by a commanding 8 stroke lead. Is there any other players that can challenge Tiger for the win this weekend?

Henrik Stenson(9/1), last year's winner, is second favorite to win but in the history of the Dubai NO player has won this tourney back to back.

Lee Westwood(14/1) is back in fine form and he's finished in the top 5 in his last three tournaments on the 2008 European Tour. He's been working with a new putting coach whose installed great confidence in the Englishman and he's excited about taking on the field. He finished tied for 25th last year.

Ernie Els(12/1) is back and after finishing second last year, one shot back, he'll be hoping to raise that trophy this year.

Sergio Garcia(25/1) had his best Major Tournament finish of last year finishing second in the British Open after losing a playoff round to Padrig Harrington. Last year at the Dubai he failed to make the cut.

Colin Montgomerie(40/1) is back but his age and loss of skill doesn't make him much of a competitor. Although he did finish tied for 10th place last year.

Tiger Woods Gram Slam

By Scott Burgess

It's the beginning of the 2008 PGA season and there's once again talk of Tiger Woods claiming the holiest of holies, the Grand Slam. The Grand Slam is when a player wins all four of the major Championships. The Masters, The British Open, The US Open and the PGA Championship.

Tiger technically did this in 2000-2001 when he won the 2000 US Open, British Open and US PGA in 2000, then the Masters in 2001. Jack Nicholas claimed that this is NOT a Grand Slam because it wasn't within one calendar year, but Tiger came back saying "When I'm sitting in my house looking at four Major's trophies on my mantle, I've won the Grand Slam."

The first chance for Tiger will be The Master which takes place April 4th to 8th, at the famed Augusta National. Tiger finished second to Zack Johnson. Then the US PGS Open June 11th to 15th, at Torey Pines where Tiger just won. Then the British Open from July 16th to 20th at Royal Birkdale and the season closing PGA Championship from August 6th to 10th at Oakhills Hills.

He is currently listed as a 12/1 FAVORITE to win all four Major Tournaments. I don't think that he can do it. Let's here your comments.

Super Bowl XLII Prop Bets

By Scott Burgess

One of the biggest parts of any Super Bowl is betting on the out come of the game. The N.E. Patriots are 12.5-point favorites over the N.Y. Giants. One of the more interesting parts of the big game is the prop bets. A prop bet (also called a side bet, prop bet, prop, or exotic) is defined as a bet made on an outcome of a proposition. For example, a bet made on who will win the coin toss at the start of the game. What will the score be after the 1st quarter? Here is the list of prop bets for Super Bowl XLII.

• Coin toss: Heads (-105), Tails (-105)

• Team to win coin toss: Giants (-105), Patriots (-105)

• Team to receive opening kickoff: Giants (-105), Patriots (-105)

• Team to score first: Giants (+160), Patriots (-200)

• Team to score last: Giants (+140), Patriots (-170)

• Score in first 5 ½ minutes?: Yes (-115), No (-115)

• Thee unanswered scores: Yes (-220), No (+170)

• Score in last 2 min. of half?: Yes (-300), No (+220)

• Score in last 3 ½ min. of game?: Yes (-170), No (+140)

• First score of game: Touchdown (-220), Any other score (+170)

• First touchdown of game: Passing TD (-185), Any other TD (+150)

• First 1st down of the game: Giants (+115), Patriots (-145)

• First 1st down of second half: Giants (+140), Patriots (-170)

• Team to commit first penalty: Giants (-120), Patriots (-110)

• Team to score last in first half: Giants (+150), Patriots (-185)

• Last score of first half: Touchdown (-130), Any other score (even)

• Will there be a safety?: Yes (+700), No (-1200)

• Will there be overtime?: (+800), No (-1400)

• Will game be decided by exactly 3 points?: Yes (+500), No (-800)

• Team that scores first wins game: Yes (-220), No (+170)

• Field goal in the first quarter: Yes (-105), No (-125)

• Giants touchdown in 1st quarter: Yes (-115), No (-125)

• Patriots touchdown in 1st quarter: Yes (-190), No (+155)

• Special teams touchdown: Yes (+150), No (-185)

• Successful 2-point conversion: Yes (+400), No (-600)

• Will game be tied after 0-0?: Yes (+130), No (-160)

• First turnover of game: Interception: (-170), Fumble (+140)

• One quarter will be scoreless: Yes (+280), No (-360)

• Will Giants ever have the lead: Yes (-160), No (+130)

• Will Patriots score in all four quarters: Yes (-115), No (-140)

To get the scoop on Super Bowl XLII between the N.Y. Giants and the N.E. Patriots go to BottomLineBetting.

2008 Buick Invitational

By Scott Burgess
Tee Off: Thurs, Jan 24 - Sun, Jan 27 2008

The 2008 Buick Invitational gets underway this weekend, at Torrey Pines G.C. Club, in San Diego, California. The Invitational will feature the #1 and #2 best golfers in the world.

It has been confirmed that Phil Mickelson will play after spending several days resting in bed. He had respiratory problems and he was complaining of shortness of breathe. He's not sure if it was due to the San Diego wild fires, where he lives, or if it was something he picked up in Asia, which was his last tourney played. Phil's healthy now and is excited about playing his first tourney of the year. Phil has won the Buick Invitational three times. He didn't have the greatest season last year, winning only one tourney in 2007 which was the 2007 The Players Championship
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Tiger Woods will be looking to defend his win at last year's Buick Invitational, he is currently the three time defending champion. This will be Tigers first tourney of the year and he says he's ready for action. He is the best golfer in the world and he is heavily favored to win this year.

There are other golfers who are capable of winning this year. Jim Furyk, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, D.J. Trahan, Rory Sabbatini, Mike Weir have a decent chance at winning or finishing in the Top 10.

Currently on the Top 10 leader board and playing in the Buick Invitational is K.J. Choi(2nd-$1,021,500), D.J. Trahan(3rd-$927,805), Justin Leonard(5th-$725,800), Rory Sabbatini(6th-$662,400) and Mike Weir(9th-$321,373).

Last week the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic saw D.J. Trahan get his first win on the PGA Tour finishing with a -26 scorecard and Justin Leonard came in second with a -23 scorecard. Can they compete in this heavily talented field?

Tom Brady Injured

By Scott Burgess

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady was seen, on Mon, Jan 21, wearing some sort of foot cast or brace. He was visiting his girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, in enemy territory, New York, when TMZ.com caught the superstar limping and wearing the brace. See picture below.

On his weekly radio show he stated "Ah, you know, there's always bumps and bruises. I'll be ready for the Super Bowl. I'm not worried about that. I'm not missing this one. I'd have to be on a stretcher to miss this one. There will be treatment this week. In games like this, you get a little nicked up. It's nothing serious."

For anyone who has suffered a injury, or had to wear some sort of brace, your muscles are limited thus causing the muscles to not have to work as much. If he wears this this brace for a week or more his muscles will start to go into atrophy. The definition of atrophy is the shrinking in size of some part or organ of the body, usually caused by injury, disease, or lack of use. The longer he keeps this brace on the weaker his foot will get.

Now, will this benefit the N.Y. Giants? I say YES! The main target for the Giants defense will be Brady's right foot. I know it sounds dirty, but you have to do whatever it takes to win the Super Bowl. If someone can do damage to his foot in a pile up and knock him out of the game, it may be over for the Patriots.

2008 NBA All-Star Weekend

By Scott Burgess
Rookie Game: Feb 15, 2008
3-point & Dunk: Feb 16, 2008
All-Star Game: Feb 17, 2008

The 57th NBA All-Star Weekend gets underway in New Orleans, at the New Orleans Arena. Last year the West won 153-132, in Las Vegas, and the All-Star MVP was Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers. Since the year 2000 the West have the lead winning five of eight. This year's Eastern All-star lineup looks like they can turn the tables on the Western All-stars success.

The starting five for the West are:

• Kobe Bryant--L.A. Lakers
• Allen Iverson--Denver
• Carmelo Anthony--Denver
• Tim Duncan--San Antonio
• Yao Ming--Houston

Reserves are:

• Carlos Boozer--Utah
• Steve Nash--Phoenix
• Dirk Nowitzki--Dallas
• Chris Paul--New Orleans
• Brandon Roy--Portland
• Amare Stoudamire--Phoenix
• David West--New Orleans

The starting five for the East are:

• Jason Kidd--N.J. Nets
• Dwayne Wade--Miami
• Kevin Garnet--Boston
• LeBron James--Cleveland
• Dwight Howard--Orlando

Reserves are:

• Chauncey Billups--Detroit
• Chris Bosh--Toronto
• Caron Butler--Washington
• Richard Hamilton--Detroit
• Antawn Jamison--Washington
• Joe Johnson--Atlanta
• Paul Pierce--Boston
  

Super Bowl XLII--N.E Patriots vs N.Y. Giants

By Scott BurgessSuper Bowl XLII has been decided. The N.E. Patriots and the N.Y. Giants will make their way to Arizona's, University of Phoenix Stadium, to play in the biggest sporting event in the world.

These two last met up in Week 17 when the Patriots hosted the Giants, at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots were 10-point favorites to beat the Giants and the over/under was set at 46.5. The final score was 38-35. The Pats failed to cash in on the spread, but managed to get the OVER 46.5 posted total.

Heading into the locker room at half time the Giants had a 21-16 lead. At the start of the 3rd quarter the Giants QB Eli Manning connected with WR Plaxico Burress to give the Giants a commanding 28-16 lead. It looked like the Giants might be able to ruin the Pats chances at a perfect season. But this is the Pats were dealing with here. QB Tom Brady then took over and went on a 14-0 run to take a 38-28 lead late in the 4th quarter. The Pats defense allowed the Giants a TD, but it wasn't to be as the Pats got the win and continued on their perfect season.

Now the Giants will be looking for REVENGE! The Giants 4th ranked RUSH game will have to take advantage of the Pats 9th ranked RUSH defense. RB Brandon Jacobs and RB Ahmad Bradshaw ran for a combined 130 YDS with 2 TD, while their defense held the Packers to just 29 YDS. The combination of QB Eli Manning and WR Plaxico Burress proved to be very successful. He had 11 REC for 154 YDS and he made some outstanding catches that were must catch plays. Their defense will have to be on the ball going up against the #1 offense EVER and the Giants 11th ranked PASS defense is going to have to play their best.

The Patriots have so many offensive weapons that it confuses their opponents defense. They're ranked 1st in TOT YDS, PASS YDS and PPG. One thing not at the top of the list for the Pats is their 13th ranked RUSH game. RB Laurence Maroney had 25 ATT for 122 YDS against the Chargers 16th ranked RUSH defense. They'll have to be better against a tough Giants defense. The Pats are 10-0 on the road and the Giants are 10-1 on the road.

Bottom Line: The Patriots will get the perfect season, something that hasn't been done since 1972, but i don't think they'll get the spread.

UFC Salary Controversy

By Scott Burgess

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is one of the biggest growing sports right now next to Nascar. In 2006 the UFC made $223M in pay-per-view events and advertising. That beat out HBO Boxing $177M and WWE $200M. The UFC is making more money now than it ever did in the past. So why are they paying their fighters peanuts?

When UFC President, Dana White, created the reality show The Ultimate Fighter the UFC's popularity soared. The show featured fighters competing for a six figure contract to fight in the UFC. Sounds juicy right, but here's the catch. The six figure contract is over a three year period, so you only make six figures over three years.
In the first year, the salary for each fight is $12K to fight and an additional $12K to win. Fighting income for the year would range from $36K to $72K, depending on wins and losses. In the second year, it's $16K and $16K per fight, meaning that fighting income for the year would range from $48K to $96K. In the third year, it's $22K and $22K per fight, meaning that fighting income for the year would range from $66K to $122K. Which is OK, but for three years is way to long. That means no matter how popular or how well he does, he will never make more money, under the contract, but the UFC will rake in the cash.

Now for pay-per-view events, this is the big money maker. We'll use UFC 57 for an example. This fight took place on Feburary 4, 2006. This fight had a big main event between Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. The winner would get $250K and the loser would get $225K. Where's the incentive in this fight. Anyways this was the highest paid fight of the night. There were 18 fights scheduled for that night and only 7-8 fights get shown on PPV. The next winning payout was only $32K and so on all the way as low as $2K. The total fighter payroll for that night was $667K. The total UFC revenue for this event was $19.36M. Unlike boxing where the fighters can get rich off of one fight, it's clear that in the UFC the fighters are being taken advantage of. I'll let you come to your own conclusion on this topic.

Mixed Martial Arts Vs Boxing

By Scott Burgess

The rise of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting has all but knocked out boxing. With MMA groups like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Pride and BodogFight the level of skill and excitement has risen way above anything boxing can produce. Here are my thoughts on why MMA is taking over the fighting entertainment industry.

Boxing was once a multi-million dollar business with the best boxers in the world providing excitement and skill in the ring. Since back in the day when boxers like Muhammad Ali, George Forman and Sugar Ray Leonard fought there was such a build up to the fight that the whole world anxiously waited for the fight to happen. People all over the world would sit around there TV’s watching the fight of the year. Then a decade later we had heavy weights like Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. They were big exciting controversial boxers that pounded the shit out of each other. They provided good action and heavy knockouts. After these boxers retired or faded out we lost boxers with size and moved to boxers with skill like Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Roy Jones JR. This era of boxing was great but it always ended in a decision and this created controversy; oh this person should have won. It kind of started to take the fun out of watching boxing and people were getting tired of paying $50 for a crappy ending with no KO.

Then in 1993 along comes this Ultimate Fighting Championship where eight men are pitted against each other in a caged octagon ring in a winner takes all tournament. There were only two rules, no eye gouging and no biting. You could do anything else to win. To get the win you either knocked your opponent out or submitted him. There were many different styles of fighting, anywhere from Karate and Kung Fu, to Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, to Muay Thai and Bar Room Brawling. That’s why it’s so good because anybody who had fighting experience had a chance. When it first started there were a lot of mismatched fights, and guys were getting knock the F%*K out! This is great entertainment. People started paying to watch these fights and with the media putting a negative spin on it, UFC blew up.

In 2001 UFC was sold to new owners and Dana White was named president. Dana White is responsible for making UFC and other MMA events so popular today. Dana White is the Don King of boxing. He changed the rules so that there were two fighters competing for the win, instead of a tournament style fight. Also there would be 6-7 fights on a pay-per-view event. So that means on a pay-per-view event you have the chance to see 6-7 people get knocked out or submitted. Unlike boxing where you watch 12 rounds of boxing to get a lame decision. Dana White decided to increase the popularity of UFC even more by introducing The Ultimate Fighter reality show in which the winner gets a contract to fight in the UFC and a shot at stardom. This show has a firm grip on guys in the age range of 18-34. It has been recorded that, in this age range, the show’s ratings have surpassed NBA and MLB playoffs. As for the pay-per-view money, in 2006 the UFC made $223M, HBO made $177M and WWE made $200M. Dana Whites definitely doing something right. Fighters are getting more popular than ever as their fan base increases. With popular fighters like Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Diego Sanchez the level of entertainment has risen.

So why is UFC more popular than boxing? It’s simple. People want to see fighters get their face punched in. Fans want blood, pain, knockouts and broken limbs. That’s the beauty of the sport too; you never know for sure who will win. All it takes is someone to get a lucky shot in and his opponent drops like a sack of potatoes. Boxing hasn’t produced that in a long time. That’s not to say UFC has its faults. Sometimes fighters are a little reluctant to jump in and start brawling, their cautious. In Pride fighting there is a yellow card system in which fighters are penalized money, from their winnings, for not fighting. I believe this system needs to be implemented because there have been a few fights that weren’t entertaining. The fighters just walked around each other for 15 minutes waiting for the perfect time to strike. This is not fun for the fans watching at home and the fans in the stands will let you know that their displeased. UFC recently purchased Pride fighting and they’re going to start bringing in Pride fighters to fight in the UFC. This will be the undoing of boxing. Pride has some of the biggest, strongest and deadliest fighters in the world and that’s going to draw in huge ratings and fans. So say goodbye to boring boxing and say hello to MMA and UFC.

Roy Jones Jr. vs Felix Trinidad

By Scott Burgess
First Punch: 9:00 PM ET--HBO PPV

Two great fighters go head to head on Sat, Jan 19, at Madison Square Gardens when Roy Jones Jr. takes on Felix Trinidad in a battle of the 170 pounders.

Roy Jones Jr.(-335) last fight was against Anthony Hanshaw way back on July 14, 2007. Jones Jr. won an unanimous 12 rnd decision over Tyger Hanshaw. He was a little rusty in the early rounds but by the 11th rnd Jones Jr. had it in the bag. He dropped Hanshaw with two lead right hands.

Felix Trinidad's(+265) last fight was against Ronald "Winky" Wright on May 14, 2005. Winky won a 12 rnd unanimous decision after completely dominating Trinidad from opening bell to the end of the 12th rnd. This fight looked like it was time for Trinidad to hang up the gloves.

Head 2 Head: Both fighters are weighing in at 170lbs, which benefits Jones Jr. because he only needs to lose 5lbs while Trinidad has to come up in weight. Both fighters have suspect chins, so it could be anybodies fight, but Trinidad has been away from the sport a little too long. Jones Jr. is a mover and shaker with great speed and power.

Bottom Line: It's going to be a great battle, but look for Roy Jones Jr. to get a late round TKO.

Phillip Rivers OUT!

By Scott Burgess

The San Diego Chargers star QB Phillip Rivers has confirmed that he will not play in the AFC Championship Final, on Sunday, Jan, 20th against the N.E. Patriots.

He went down on the final play in the 3rd quarter after completing a screen pass to RB Darren Sproles. It turned out that he injured his medial collateral ligament, in laymen terms he sprained his right knee. This is not a good time to be getting injured going into the biggest game for the Chargers.

It will be up to backup QB Billy Volek to getter done. He has NOT started a game since 2005, he threw two regular season passes in 2006 and he threw ten passes in 2007. Although he did play the whole 4th quarter against the Colts and got the winning TD, by QB sneak, it's not a good time to get your first start against a team like the Patriots.

The Chargers have many other players with injuries, most notably is RB LaDianian Tomlinson. He hurt his left knee in the 2nd quarter against the Colts and he didn't return for the rest of the game. He claims it's just a hyperextension and he's expecting to play. Taking Tomlinson's place last week was RB Michael Turner and RB Darren Sproles, who when combined equal the skills of Tomlinson. RB Turner had 17 ATT for 71 YDS, RB Sproles had 1 ATT for 1 YD but had 1 REC for 56 YDS along with 1 TD. This was done against a Colts team that's ranked 15th against the RUSH, compared to the Patriots RUSH defense that's ranked 9th in the league.

The Chargers TE Antonio Gates is also questionable, due to a toe injury. He saw limited play time against the Colts and was in significant pain right after the game. He will not practice at all this week and is listed as a game time decision.

Bottom Line: The Chargers chances of getting to Super Bowl XLII are OVER. Playing injured players against the Patriots killer defense is only going to injure them worse or they will be humiliated.

2008 Australian Open

By Scott Burgess
First Serve: Mon, Jan 14, 2008

The 2008 Australian Open gets under way this week, at Melbourne Park, where last year's champ, Roger Federer, will be looking for his 3rd straight Championship Title.

Once again Roger Federer is the favorite to win another Gram Slam Title. This time he's bringing in a little controversy with a serious lack of play time. He pulled out of the AMII Classic and he has not played since he won the Masters Cup, back in November. He played Pete Sampras in three exhibition matches, but that's nowhere near a Gram Slam. He has been practicing as says he's in tip top shape.

But with guys like Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Nikola Davydenko, i think it's anybodies game. David Nalbandian is another player who has done well here and has beaten Federer. James Blake will not be a factor because he has never passed the 4th round and home town favorite Lleyton Hewitt has never been a factor here, except for 2005, where he was Runner Up.

Bottom Line: Roger Federer won't have serious competition late until the 4th round of his draw. Rafa Nadal will meet up with Andy Roddick or Nikola Davydenko eventually. Expect Federer and any of the above mentioned.

Patriots vs Chargers

By Scott Burgess
Kickoff: Sun, Jan 20, 2008 3:00 PM ET

The New England Patriots(-14) host the San Diego Chargers(+14), at Gillette Stadium, for a chance to be crowned AFC Champions and play in Super Bowl XLII.

The New England Patriots(17-0) continued on their perfect season with a 31-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. QB Tom Brady was almost perfect throwing 26/28 for 262 YDS with 3 TD. RB Lawrence Maroney had 22 ATT for 122 YDS and all the Pats receivers had double digit YDS. Strangely enough WR Randy Moss had only 1 REC for 14 YDS. The Pats and the Brady Bunch will be throwing and running all over the Chargers. They just have too many options for Brady to throw to. Their RUSH game, currently ranked 13th, will need to pick up the pace against the Chargers 16th ranked RUSH defense. Last week the Chargers held the Colts to a low 50 RUSH YDS.

The San Diego Chargers(13-5) upset the Indianapolis Colts 28-24 on the road. QB Philip Rivers was 14/19 for 264 YDS with 3 TD. He was injured late in the game and backup QB Billy Volek finished off the game going 3/4 for 48 YDS with 1 TD. RB LaDianian Tomlinson was sidelined with a knee injury in the first half and is expected to play Sunday. If the Chargers want any chance of beating the Pats, they're going to have to bring everything they got. They'll have to use their 7th ranked RUSH game against the Pats 9th ranked RUSH defense. Even though the Chargers passed the ball a lot, they're 26th overall and they'll be in trouble against the Pats 6th ranked PASS defense. The Chargers are 5-4 on the road and they aren't known for playing good in cold weather.

Bottom Line: The Patriots will continue on their perfect season and advance into the Super Bowl. They just have too many weapons going up against a banged up Chargers team. Go Patriots!

Packers vs Giants

By Scott Burgess
Kickoff: Sun, Jan, 20, 2008 6:30 PM ET

The Green Bay Packers(-7) play host to the N.Y. Giants(+7), at Lambeau Field, for a chance to be crowned NFC Champions and play in Super Bowl XLII.

The Green Bay Packers(14-3) got a snow filled win over the Seattle Seahawks, 42-20. The Seahawks had a 14-0 lead four minutes in after they recovered two fumbles, by RB Ryan Grant, and capitalized on them. RB Ryan Grant, 1st year rookie, rebounded with 3 TD for 201 YDS. He broke a Packers playoff RUSH record surpassing Amman Green by 45 YDS. QB Bret Favre had an excellent game completing 18/23 for 173 YDS with 3 TD. He completed 7/10 3rd down conversions. The Packers once again will use their deadly 2nd ranked PASS game against the Giants 11th ranked PASS defense. The Giants managed to hold the Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo to 201 PASS YDS, but they allowed 154 RUSH YDS. This is great news for the Packers , where a snowy Lambeau Field, can wreak havoc on throwing the ball. But it's Bret Favre , he excels in the cold at Lambeau. The Packers are 43-5 when the temp is below freezing.

The N.Y. Giants(12-6) got another road win after beating the Dallas Cowboys 21-17. The Giants put major pressure on QB Tony Romo, he was sacked twice and didn't have time to find open receivers. They held WR Terrell Owens to 4 REC for 49 YDS. QB Eli Manning was 12/18 for 163 YDS with 2 TD. He didn't look great but rather played averagely. The Giants defense and the Cowboys penalties won the game for the Giants. The Cowboys were penalized 11 times for 89 YDS. The Giants will have to use their PASS RUSH defense against the wicked arm of Bret Favre. On offense the Giants 4th ranked RUSH game can take advantage of the Packers 14th ranked RUSH defense. But can they keep up with the scoring pace of the Packers. The Giants average 23 PPG while the Packers average 27 PPG. The Giants are 8-1 on the road and they know how to play in the cold.

Bottom Line: With the Packers playing at home and after they beat the Giants, in Week 2, you have to go with the Packers. Their may be destiny for all time leading QB Bret Favre. They will have to watch out for the superb defense of the Giants and the Packers offensive line will need to create time for Favre to find open receivers. The Packers are going to Super Bowl XLII.

Worlds Ugliest Athletes

Here's who i think are the worlds ugliest athletes

George Muresan.........Alexander Ovechkin............Dennis Rodman



Mike Ricci..................Rhonaldinho..............Chris Kaman


Patrick Ewing.................Steve Nash.................Larry Bird



Scotty Pipen..................Tracy McGrady................Ben Wallace

If i missed out on anybody worse, leave a comment.

NFL Divisional Playoffs

By Scott Burgess

Well the NFL Divisional Playoffs get underway this weekend, to decide who plays in the AFC and NFC Championship Finals.

Jan 12, 2008 4:30 PM ET
The first NFC Divisional game has the Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers , at Lambeau Field, in freezing temperatures. Can Seattle play in the cold, where Bret Favre excels? Favre hasn't had the best luck in the Divisional Playoffs.

Jan 12, 2008 8:30 PM ET
The first AFC Divisional game has the Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots, at Gillette Stadium, where the Pats haven't lost. The Jags might be the only team capable of beating the Patriots.

Jan 13, 2008 1:00 PM ET
The second AFC Divisional game has the San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts, at the RCA Dome. Are the Chargers good enough after their boring performance against the Tennessee Titians?

Jan 13, 2008 1:00 PM ET
The second NFC Divisional game has the N.Y. Giants at Dallas Cowboys, at Texas Stadium. The Giants love playing on the road where their 8-1.

Tony Romo cursed by Jessica Simpson

By Scott Burgess

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo has been dating Jessica Simpson, since he was dumped by Carrie Underwood. Tony revealed after, he was dumped, that he had a crush on Jessica Simpson. Simpson's people contacted Romo and they've been dating ever since November.

Since they've been dating Romo's game has been CRAP. He has 7 wins and 2 losses. Most notably she showed up to watch the Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles, on Dec 16. The T.V. cameras were all over her, showing her wearing a pink No.9 jersey. Romo had his worst game to date, throwing 3 INT and 0 TD. The Cowboys lost 10-6.

After the game Romo was drilled about having Simpson at the game as she was a DISTRACTION. Everyone in Dallas wanted her banned from any further games, or better yet DUMP her. Romo has repeatedly said she is not a distraction and people should mind their own business.

The Cowboys were recently given three days off before the Cowboys - Giants playoff game. Well guess what! Romo took Simpson to Cancun, Mexico, and it's stirred the pot again. How could he not think that this would cause a media FRENZY. All your going to hear about, during their game against the Giants, is Simpson this Simpson that.

Finally Romo has repeatedly stated she is not a distraction. So why isn't she going to the game on Sunday? Her people have said she's going to be busy recording her new album. YEAH RIGHT! There's a shameless plug.

If the Cowboys lose, which they will, Simpson will be hated more than she already is.

Hey Romo! Save your dating for the off season.

Cowboys vs Giants

By Scott Burgess
Kickoff: Sun, Jan 13, 2008 4:30 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys(7 1/2) host the New York Giants(+7 1/2), at Texas Stadium, for a chance to advance into the NFC Championship Final. The last time these two teams met up, in Week 10, the Cowboys won 31-20 on the road.

The Dallas Cowboys(13-3) lost two of their final three games and their top WR Terrell Owens has tweaked his ankle, but is expected to play. Against the Washington Redskins, QB Tony Romo was 9/16 for 86 YDS with 1 INT and their RUSH game was pretty much VOID. Their defense gave up 223 PASS YDS and 131 RUSH YDS. Dallas will have to find a way to get their 4th ranked PASS offense around the Giants 11th ranked PASS defense. Expect TE Jason Witten to see a lot of action on Sunday. The Cowboys are ranked 6th in the RUSH, but the Giants are ranked 8th at defending it, so it will be a matter a creating holes for the runners. The Cowboys are currently 6-2 at home.

The N.Y. Giants(10-6) got another big road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, 24-14, giving them an 8-1 road record. QB Eli Manning showed signs of brilliance completing 20-27 for 185 YDS and 2 TD and their RUSH game had 30 CAR for 100 YDS. The Giants best option is to try to RUSH against the Cowboys above average defense with the occasional toss to WR Plaxico Burress. The Giants defense has been playing superbly and their expected to on Sunday.

Bottom Line: Although the Cowboys are the favorites, the way they played their final three games i do not see it this way. The Giants have a killer road game and they have nothing to lose because they weren't expected to be there. Tony Romo has been Simpsonfied by dating Jessica Simpson. She will turn him into a LOSER. Go Giants!

Colts vs Chargers

By Scott Burgess
Kickoff: Sun, Jan 13, 2008 1:00 PM ET

The Indianapolis Colts(-9) play host to the San Diego Chargers(+9), at the RCA Dome, for a chance to play in the AFC Championship Final. When these two teams met up in Week 10, the Chargers came out,23-21,home winners.

The Indianapolis Colts(13-3) ended their season on a low losing to the Tennessee Titians, 10-16 at home. This was their first loss since riding a six game winning streak, which saw them beat some high powered teams. The Colts will want to utilize their 6th ranked PASS offense against the Chargers 13th ranked PASS defense. QB Peyton Manning threw a total 31 TD this year and his RB Joseph Addia has 15 TD. Their RUSH offense is currently ranked 18th, but the Chargers aren't the greatest and defending the RUSH so it should even out. WR Marvin Harrison is probable for this game, but WR Reggie Wayne is their go to guy with 1,510 TOT YDS. The Colts are 6-2 at home.

The San Diego Chargers(11-5) won a boring game over the Tennessee Titians, 17-6 at home. QB Phillip Rivers was 19/30 for 292 YDS with 1 TD and 1 INT. RB LaDainian Tomlinson was held to only 42 YDS and their top WR Chris Chambers had 6 REC for 121 YDS. It was an unimpressive win! If they want any chance of winning it would be wise to stick to their 7th ranked RUSH game going against the Colts 15th ranked RUSH defense. The Colts are the 2nd best team at defending the PASS. The Chargers are currently 4-4 on the road.
Bottom Line: The Chargers didn't show anything playoff worthy last week against an average team that squeaked into the playoffs. The Colts are a way more higher caliber team than the Chargers opponents were. If the Colts get a few TD before the 1st half it's over. The Chargers are average on the road. Go Colts!

Patriots vs Jaguars

By Scott Burgess
Kickoff: Sat, Jan 12, 2008 8:00 PM ET

The New England Patriot(-13) play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars(+13), at Gillette Stadium, for a chance at playing in the AFC Championship Final.

The Jacksonville Jaguars(11-5) might be the only team capable of beating the Patriots. The Jags have the running game, defense and bad weather experience to win. RB Maurice Jones-Drew had a great game against the Pats, in 2006, in which he had RUSHED for 195 YDS for 2 TD and he made 4 REC for 69 YDS with 1 TD. He's a multi-purpose player who could prove useful going up against the Pats 9th ranked RUSH defense. QB David Garrard had an off day last week against the Steelers throwing 2 INT, considering he only threw up 3 INT all season. He can't afford to do this against the Pats. Their PASS game is ranked 17th and they may be in trouble going up against the Pats 6th ranked PASS defense. The Jags are currently 5-3 on the road.
The N.E. Patriots(16-0) finished off their perfect season with a squeaker of a win over the N.Y. Giants, 38-35. The Pats showed signs of weakness against the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and the N.Y. Giants. In all these games the Pats had to come back from behind to win. The key to all these games was putting pressure on QB Tom Brady. Everybody knows the Pats have the best offense in the league, so no need to go into detail there. The Pats will have to watch the Jags running game as they have two of the best RB in the league.

Bottom Line: I like the Jags chances of spoiling the Pats 13-point spread, but if your a betting man, may be look at the Jags to win. The Jags will be returning some of their best defensive players who have been hurt since the opening of the season. It's going to be a battle. Go Jaguars!

Seahawks vs Packers

By Scott Burgess
Kickoff: Sat, Jan 12, 2008 4:30 PM ET

The Green Bay Packers(-8) host the Seattle Seahawks(+8), at Lambeau Field, for a chance at playing in the NFC Championship Final. The last time Seattle played, at Lambeau Field, the Packers won 48-13.

The Green Bay Packers(13-3) will be utilizing their 2nd ranked PASS offense against the Seahawks 19th ranked PASS defense. QB Bret Favre completed 9 of 11 for 99 YDS with 2 TD before being pulled early against the Detroit Lions. The Packers aren't really known for their running game, but it has done well lately, and they might be able to RUSH against the Seahawks 12th ranked RUSH defense. Seattle defended very well against the Washington Redskins, so it will be wiser to put it up in the air. Just how Favre likes it. The Packers love playing at home where they're 7-1 and Bret Favre excels in the cold.

The Seattle Seahawks(10-6) got a win last week over the Washington Redskins, 35-14 at home. The Seahawks showed no sign of a RUSH game what so ever. RB Shuan Alexander had 46 YDS on the day, his longest was 13 YDS. QB Matt Hasselbeck was 20/32 for 229 YDS with 1 TD and 2 INT. It wasn't that the Seahawks were great, it was the Redskins were AWFUL. Seattle's chances lie in the hands of QB Matt Hasselbeck and his receivers. They were 3-5 on the road this year.
Bottom Line: Bret Favre is playing like the superstar he is and he loves home field advantage. If his offensive line can hold off Seattle's defense to give him time to throw, it's not looking too good for the Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck will need to use TE Marcus Pollard.