1st) Producer: 31-21
2nd) Mitch : 30-22
3rd) Matthew: 29-23
3rd) Stefano: 29-23
5th) Moe: 27-25
6th) Trexis: 25-27
7th) Listeners: 24-28
8th) Sean: 17-35
Sunday, 4 December 2011
NFL Pool Results from Week 13
Week 13 results:
Moe: 4-0
Stefano: 3-1
Matthew: 3-1
Producer: 3-1
Trexis: 3-1
Listener: 1-3
Sean C: 1-3
Mitch: 0-4
Moe: 4-0
Stefano: 3-1
Matthew: 3-1
Producer: 3-1
Trexis: 3-1
Listener: 1-3
Sean C: 1-3
Mitch: 0-4
Tebow passes first tough test - turning it over and STILL winning
Like or hate him, the one thing Tim Tebow wasn't doing so far this season was turning the ball over. He did it on Sunday, and guess what? He still won! That was the test.
Never mind that Tebow once again was clutch in the fourth quarter, this was all about him facing adversity, albeit self-imposed, and coming out on top. NOW people surely must be believers. At 6-1 on the year, he has his team tied atop the AFC West and poised for a playoff run.
Versus the Vikings, the religious wonder put an impressive 200 passing yards on the board (okay, impressive isn't the word, but at least he cracked the double century mark) and made the throws when it counted.
But when you talk about Denver's win over Minnesota, you can't do it without mentioning the defense. They were able to come up with turnovers when it mattered the most. Despite giving up over 30 points, you have to be impressed with a unit that was playing without its rookie phenom, Von Miller.
So where can Tebow take this team? The sky is the limit. At this point, you cannot underscore just how important his intangibles are. You can talk about offensive gimmicks and his lack of a quality throwing motion. But all he does is win.
As a Broncos fan, I have to tip my cap to the man who drafted the former Gator - Josh McDaniels. Your tenure was strange and puzzling and disappointing, Josh. But you left a nice parting gift behind.
Follow Matthew Ross on Twitter - @gamepointsradio or @matthewrossmtl
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| All he does is win |
Versus the Vikings, the religious wonder put an impressive 200 passing yards on the board (okay, impressive isn't the word, but at least he cracked the double century mark) and made the throws when it counted.
But when you talk about Denver's win over Minnesota, you can't do it without mentioning the defense. They were able to come up with turnovers when it mattered the most. Despite giving up over 30 points, you have to be impressed with a unit that was playing without its rookie phenom, Von Miller.
So where can Tebow take this team? The sky is the limit. At this point, you cannot underscore just how important his intangibles are. You can talk about offensive gimmicks and his lack of a quality throwing motion. But all he does is win.
As a Broncos fan, I have to tip my cap to the man who drafted the former Gator - Josh McDaniels. Your tenure was strange and puzzling and disappointing, Josh. But you left a nice parting gift behind.
Follow Matthew Ross on Twitter - @gamepointsradio or @matthewrossmtl
Saturday, 3 December 2011
A Test Of Impact For The Montreal Sports Fanatic
Two of the contributing factors that led to the demise of the Montreal Expos were” 1) the lack of attendance and 2) the general malaise on the part of some sports fans in Montreal. Of course, people showed up for opening day in April to pack the stadium; however, nights saw approximately 8000 hardcore fans in attendance. The other 17 000 sports fans had better things to do in April, May and June. No doubt, these fans were too busy focusing on the Montreal Canadiens and their playoff push.
Why am I rehashing this issue? Earlier this week, I was surprised to learn that the Montreal Impact will open its inaugural season in Major League Soccer at the Olympic Stadium on March 17th, 2012. March? Really? I always thought that soccer was a summer sport; but I digress.
With the way that the current edition of the Habs are playing, will sports fans be too busy hand wringing in worry to be interested in the new soccer club in the spring? In the event that the hockey team makes the playoffs, what can the Impact do to compete to gain the attention of sports fanatics in the spring not to mention the rest of the soccer season?
In an interview with the Sporting News, Joey Saputo, President of the Montreal Impact, stated that the organization wants to market games as “big events”. Call me cynical (and please do), I highly doubt that a Montreal Impact vs Chivas USA match-up in the first week of October can be sold as a “big event”, especially if the home team struggles in the standings. One may argue that once the team begins to win consistently and maybe win a championship, fans will pack the stadium. I do not know if that scenario holds water anymore regarding the Montreal sports market. Look what happened to the Alouettes this past season at the box office. After winning two consecutive Grey Cups and putting a competitive team on the field for the last ten years, the organization found it difficult to sell out a 25 000 seat stadium for only 9 home dates. One pathetic reason that was given for the lack of attendance was the road construction around the stadium.
The expanded Saputo Stadium will have a seating capacity of 20 000. Assuming that the Impact has a season ticket base of 13 000 (comprising of their existing fan base from their days in the NASL), 7 000 tickets has to be sold to sports fanatics. Will these fanatics have “uncritical enthusiasm or zeal” to buy tickets weeks / days before the “big event” or in typical Montreal fashion, wait until the last minute to walk up to the ticket wicket?
Final Taughts:
Why am I rehashing this issue? Earlier this week, I was surprised to learn that the Montreal Impact will open its inaugural season in Major League Soccer at the Olympic Stadium on March 17th, 2012. March? Really? I always thought that soccer was a summer sport; but I digress.
With the way that the current edition of the Habs are playing, will sports fans be too busy hand wringing in worry to be interested in the new soccer club in the spring? In the event that the hockey team makes the playoffs, what can the Impact do to compete to gain the attention of sports fanatics in the spring not to mention the rest of the soccer season?
In an interview with the Sporting News, Joey Saputo, President of the Montreal Impact, stated that the organization wants to market games as “big events”. Call me cynical (and please do), I highly doubt that a Montreal Impact vs Chivas USA match-up in the first week of October can be sold as a “big event”, especially if the home team struggles in the standings. One may argue that once the team begins to win consistently and maybe win a championship, fans will pack the stadium. I do not know if that scenario holds water anymore regarding the Montreal sports market. Look what happened to the Alouettes this past season at the box office. After winning two consecutive Grey Cups and putting a competitive team on the field for the last ten years, the organization found it difficult to sell out a 25 000 seat stadium for only 9 home dates. One pathetic reason that was given for the lack of attendance was the road construction around the stadium.
The expanded Saputo Stadium will have a seating capacity of 20 000. Assuming that the Impact has a season ticket base of 13 000 (comprising of their existing fan base from their days in the NASL), 7 000 tickets has to be sold to sports fanatics. Will these fanatics have “uncritical enthusiasm or zeal” to buy tickets weeks / days before the “big event” or in typical Montreal fashion, wait until the last minute to walk up to the ticket wicket?
Final Taughts:
- Palko est pourri. From some bizarre reason, I’ve been enamoured with Kansas City Chiefs QB, Tyler Palko. (Maybe it is because of the name, say it with me, “P-A-L-K-O”). I had the occasion to watch two Chiefs games in past weeks and the quarterback is awful. I wonder if hardcore Chief fans know that Palko is a CFL reject that did not have a sniff of league play but yet he is a starter for their own NFL franchise.
- The NBA is back and it sucks to be the NHL. Christmas Day would not be Christmas Day without NBA games. The league will return on the 25th with a triple header to kick off a 66-game schedule. NBA fans’ gain, NHL loss. NHL apologists thought that hockey would have replaced the hole left by the NBA in the new year in terms of vying for the attention of sports fans in the United States. Wrong. If television ratings are indicators, the hockey league has not been able to pull in new fans. Nice try National Headshot League!!!
Habs thoughts and CFL embarrasses itself - again!
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| Jones weasels his way out of Calgary |
Another day and another disappointing turn of events for Andrei Markov. He is a myth, a legend. Years from now, fathers will tell their kids of a Russian blueliner who could pass with precision and ignite any team's power play. That's what it has come to with Markov, who continues to delay his comeback. At this point, it's time NOT to expect him to come back. Just put him on IR already and be done with it. Lord knows his cap hit is large enough that the savings could help the Habs in a trade.
Or, is it too late already to make a trade and save the season? Maybe, Suck-a-pov for Yakopov is back on, people. Let the roster liquidation begin!
Next, could the CFL be any more pathetic? Seriously? Fining a team an embarrassingly low $5,000 for tampering with another team's coordinator? Are you kidding me? The only way this sad Chris Jones saga would be worse is if it was him going from the Braley-owned Lions to the Braley-owned Argonauts.
No wonder casual CFL fans think the league is a joke. A team is allowed to nab a coach from another team and only pay 5k for the other team's troubles. That's like a celebrity getting community service for shooting someone. You kind of expect it, but are sickened at the verdict, anyway.
They should have thrown the book at Jim Barker and the Argos and set a REAL precedent. But nooooooo, they fumbled the ball once again. What's next, allowing the Ti-Cats to snare Marc Trestman away if they ask really nicely and give the Alouettes a loot bag as compensation? What a joke.
Tune in this Sunday, 6-7:30pm on TSN 990.
Friday, 2 December 2011
So It Has Come Down to Criticizing Shootout Choices
I have a job that requires me to wake up at the ungodly hour of 6am every day. This doesn't cater well to 10:30pm starts to Habs games so needless to say, I missed the tail end of the team's latest loss last night. I woke up to see Travis Moen as one of Twitter's trending topics in Canada. Naturally, my immediate thought was that Moen was either traded or scored/was responsible for the game-winning goal. Turns out Moen was selected to be a shooter in the shootout, a decision Jacques Martin has been grilled for today.
I'm among those who believe that while Jacques Martin is not a bad coach, he isn't the ideal candidate to get the most out of this group of Habs players. However, I certainly won't judge him for his selection of shootout participants because frankly, the entire thing is a crap shoot.
Guess who the active NHL leader is in shootout percentage (among those with at least five attempts)? Hint: You're more likely to find his name on the waiver wire than any endorsement contract. John Mitchell, he of 21 career goals. Someone you've seen suit up for the Connecticut Whale this year far more than you've seen in a Rangers jersey. In second place is Adrien Aucoin.
Some teams are lucky enough to have players who do decently enough in the shootout that you can pencil them in without thinking twice about it but let me do some research for you. None of those players are on Montreal's current roster. The best the Habs currently have to offer is Brian Gionta and he fails 61% of the time. Point is, there is no one close to automatic on this team so Jacques Martin may as well just pull names out of a hat.
The typical fan says to go with your goal scorers. Well guess what? The first four shooters last night were the top four players in the lineup in goal-scoring. I can get behind the logic that you go with the guys who have seen the most shots of theirs hit the back of the net. No one who took the ice in San Jose last night has seen their shots light the lamp this season more than Travis Moen.
So grill Jacques Martin all you want. Just get some better material.
Follow me on Twitter @HeyMyNameIsWill
I'm among those who believe that while Jacques Martin is not a bad coach, he isn't the ideal candidate to get the most out of this group of Habs players. However, I certainly won't judge him for his selection of shootout participants because frankly, the entire thing is a crap shoot.
Guess who the active NHL leader is in shootout percentage (among those with at least five attempts)? Hint: You're more likely to find his name on the waiver wire than any endorsement contract. John Mitchell, he of 21 career goals. Someone you've seen suit up for the Connecticut Whale this year far more than you've seen in a Rangers jersey. In second place is Adrien Aucoin.
Some teams are lucky enough to have players who do decently enough in the shootout that you can pencil them in without thinking twice about it but let me do some research for you. None of those players are on Montreal's current roster. The best the Habs currently have to offer is Brian Gionta and he fails 61% of the time. Point is, there is no one close to automatic on this team so Jacques Martin may as well just pull names out of a hat.
The typical fan says to go with your goal scorers. Well guess what? The first four shooters last night were the top four players in the lineup in goal-scoring. I can get behind the logic that you go with the guys who have seen the most shots of theirs hit the back of the net. No one who took the ice in San Jose last night has seen their shots light the lamp this season more than Travis Moen.
So grill Jacques Martin all you want. Just get some better material.
Follow me on Twitter @HeyMyNameIsWill
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Hear us this weekend
So, if you're thinking that you haven't enough of Matthew Ross, first, I don't blame you. Second, I have some options for you.
Saturday morning, I do a weekly spot on Spadora on Sports, a syndicated sports radio show in the northeast.
Later on this Saturday, in the afternoon, I will do a spot on TSN 1050 Toronto's Game Day with Matthew Cauz.
And then of course, you have our program on TSN 990 this Sunday at 6pm est.
Saturday morning, I do a weekly spot on Spadora on Sports, a syndicated sports radio show in the northeast.
Later on this Saturday, in the afternoon, I will do a spot on TSN 1050 Toronto's Game Day with Matthew Cauz.
And then of course, you have our program on TSN 990 this Sunday at 6pm est.
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