Beasley and K-State Upset Perfect Kansas

Freshman phenom Michael Beasley dropped 25 points en route to ending Kansas' 24 year win streak at State. If there was any question as to who the nation's top frosh is, the answer appeared Wednesday night as Beasley showed up time and time again, thwarting every Jayhawk effort to cut into the lead.

The win leaves Memphis as the only undefeated team in the country. Meanwhile, Kansas joins a tough club of one and two loss teams. Kansas State, the biggest winner in all of this, should see a significant jump from their current 24 spot when the new polls are released Monday.

Patriots And Giants Prevail, Make It To The Big Show

The Patriots befuddled the Chargers over the weekend, in a 21-12 victory that was not nearly as close as the score made it seem. The telling stat of the game: LaDanian Tomlinson's 5 yards rushing.

Meanwhile, the Packers and Giants engaged in a seesaw battle which went to overtime following a Tynes FG miss as time expired. The Packers continued the momentum by winning the OT coin toss...that is, until Brett Favre threw a costly interception, setting up another Tynes FG attempt. This time, the kick went in, leading the G-Men to a 23-20 win.

The Super Bowl features a repeat match up of the Patriots' final season win. They won a close one which many analysts called the Giants most impressive performance of the season (and certainly one of the more impressive efforts put up against Brady's crew) The repeat shouldn't be this close. The Giants are too young; the Patriots are too good. Patriots 42-Giants 17

Pack, G-Men, Pats, Bolts All Advance To Semis

Green Bay took no time in getting over Ryan Grant's two early fumbles. In fact, they solved the problem the same way they started it -- by giving Grant the ball. As the snow fell in Lambeau, Grant rumbled for over 200 yards and a predictable cold weather win for the Pack. Green Bay 42-Seattle 20

New England let Jacksonville hang around for a while, and even though wily David Garrard made plays happen as best as he could, Brady and Moss were just too much for him. Surprise, surprise. New England 31-Jacksonville 20

San Diego and Indy traded leads back and forth for the majority of the game until replacements Billy Volek (QB) and Michael Turner (RB) brought the Chargers to a 28-24 advantage. The San Diego defense then held the Colts potent offense on two consecutive possessions in order to get the huge win over the defending champions. San Diego 28-Indianapolis 24

Dallas led often and controlled the pace of the game, but failed to score in the 4th quarter. The Giants put a late TD on the board and Dallas couldn't respond as Romo threw a last second end zone interception. New York 21-Dallas 17

NFL Divisional Previews

Seattle-Green Bay: This should be a snoozer of a game. Seattle comes in after eeking out a win over the Redskins, while Green Bay stumbled awkwardly into its #2 position. However, I do expect Brett Favre to return to form in this game, putting in a performance good enough to win. The Packers D should be able to stymie Shaun Alexander, too. Packers 31-Seattle 13

Jacksonville-New England: While the Jags have long been the sexy pick to dethrone the Pats, and while they showed incredible resiliency last week against the Steelers, we ARE talking about the Patriots. You know...Brady, Moss, Maroney? Pats will destroy these doubters with a big win. Patriots 34-Jaguars 9

Indianapolis-San Diego: San Diego almost lost last week before finally turning on against the Titans. If they don't start quick against the Colts, they won't have a chance. Marvin Harrison should be back and looking to make a splash. Colts 45-Chargers 22

Dallas-New York: New York looked great against Tampa Bay. They should look great against Dallas. But if Terrell Owens is back, it won't be enough. Expect Romo to almost blow this game, but hold on for a close one. Cowboys 21-Giants 17

LSU Wins in Dominant Fashion

Ohio State looked horrible in what was a 38-24 win for LSU. The final score really doesn't show how much of a blowout that this game was. Ohio State got a wake up call, for the second year in a row. Last year Florida tore threw them, and this year LSU broke apart the "number 1 defense in college football", and even showed the Buckeyes how a real defense is supposed to play. LSU looked dominant on both sides of the ball, which really shouldn't be a surprise.

Now I could talk about a number of things. I could rant on how we need a playoff system, I could talk about the Big Ten being extremely overrated, or I could talk about how I think that Ohio State needs to be banned from the national championship game for a year or two. But I think that I'll rave about the greatness of the SEC.

The SEC is a deadly combination of speed and power that no other conference can touch. The strength of the SEC is unmatchable by any other conference. They have won the last two national championships, and I really wouldn't be surprised if they tacked on a few more in the next couple of years. In fact, I'd say the only reason that an SEC team hasn't won the championship game every year is because they have to play the other SEC teams. For example, LSU had to take on 7 top 20 teams this year on their way to play Ohio State (#9 Virginia Tech, #12 South Carolina, #9 Florida, #17 Kentucky, #17 Auburn, #17 Alabama, and #14 Tennessee), while Ohio State didn't have to play any teams ranked higher than #21. SEC is dominant over every other conference, hands down.

Giants, Chargers Prevail And Move To Divisionals

Eli Manning silenced his critics with a stellar 20 for 27 performance, accounting for two touchdowns and zero interceptions. With a day that good, he didn't need help from Plaxico Burress or Brandon Jacobs, who were relatively quiet in the victory. Jeff Garcia's Buccaneers didn't play poorly -- they just didn't play well enough to win. Two interceptions and a fumble by Garcia alone were enough to do in the home team. The Giants roll into Dallas on the heels of this 24-14 victory.

The Chargers looked sloppy early as the rain poured in San Diego, going into the half down by six. The second half was a different story as Philip Rivers, Chris Chambers, and unknown Vincent Jackson put on a passing and receiving clinic. The trio, with a little help from L.T., racked up 17 straight points and look to be strong competition for the Indianapolis Colts.

With these victories, the four playoff match ups are as follows:

NFC:
Dallas-New York
Green Bay-Seattle

AFC:
New England-Jacksonville
Indianapolis-San Diego

Seahawks, Jags Win (Sort Of) In Playoff Openers

The scores may seem to tell different stories, but one win was as close as the next on the NFL's first night of playoff games.

The Jaguars let Pittsburgh score 16 unanswered fourth quarter points and take the lead before a last minute Josh Scobee field goal turned the tide back in Jacksonville's favor. Ben Roethlisberger then fumbled the ball on the ensuing possession to seal the Steel City's fate. However, it was David Garrard's long scramble on fourth down which allowed for the eventually game-winning FG. None of the typical stars were impressive in the contest -- both quarterbacks had more interceptions than touchdowns. Fred Taylor managed a meager 48 yards on 16 carries. Hines Ward was a bright spot for the Steelers, pulling in 10 catches for 135 yards, but even the veteran couldn't score for his team. In the end, it was a typical Jack Del Rio team -- no blockbuster stars and a good work ethic. And oh yeah, they sometimes win too.

Seattle saw a lead slip away too. Their 13 point lead simply vanished in the fourth quarter, leaving them down one. Hasselbeck and the defense responded with a touchdown pass and two (count 'em, TWO) interceptions returned for touchdowns. Just like that, Washington was done and Seattle had claimed a 35-14 lead, which ended up being the final score. Similar to the late game, the playmakers were kept in check, as Shaun Alexander and Clinton Portis combined for just over 100 yards. The quarterbacks weren't much better, throwing for a combined four interceptions.

With all of the poor performances put on by these four teams, one thing is obvious: they deserved to not earn first round byes.

Sid The Kid Wins A Thrilling Shootout

In front of 70,000 freezing Buffalo Sabres fans, Sidney Crosby dashed their hopes of enjoying the winter wonderland. As the snow fell in Orchard Park, NY, Crosby hit the go-ahead and game winning shootout goal with a delightfully soft 5-hole shot on goalie Ryan Miller. As fans exited and new team captain Crosby celebrated with his comrades, one thing was clear: Sidney has arrived. In his first real prime time opportunity, Crosby displayed his dazzling playmaking abilites (even with the terrible conditions) and he set up the Pens only regulation goal, nearly scored half a dozen more on his own, and finally ended the game with a delicate tap.

He might not be Wayne Gretzky, but who cares? The sports world spends so much time trying to decide if someone is the next Michael Jordan or the next Barry Sanders that they don't enjoy what they have. And in Sidney Crosby, the world has found a fun, exciting, young player who represents the best ambassador the game has offered since Mario Lemieux. For that, they should be thankful enough.

BSC Bowl Preview

Bowl season is upon us, and the BCS games are closing in quickly. Here, I'll break down the games for you and then give you a prediction.

Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma
In the most interesting match-up on paper, the Mountaineers will battle the Sooners in Glendale, Arizona. The main storyline for this game is West Virginia's spread offense against Oklahoma's incredible run defense. The key player in this game will definitely be West Virginia quarterback Pat White. If he is on, then there is almost nothing that you can do to stop him. Oklahoma is also very well balenced on the offensive side.West Virginia will have to watch for the explosiveness of Allen Patrick and Chris Brown heading up the running back position (I'm assuming that DeMarco Murray is still injured). In the end, I am going to have to give this one to West Virginia due to their explosive offense. And who knows, Steve Slaton might actually show up to play too.

West Virginia 31-20

Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Hawaii
New Years Day is going to be highlighted with the Bulldogs taking on the Warriors in New Orleans. Expect this to be an offensive battle. On paper Georgia is a better team, mainly in their strength of schedule (SEC vs. WAC). Georgia is a team that can beat you with the pass and the run. Runningbacks Knowshon Moreno and Thomas Brown highlight this speedy SEC team, however quarterback Matthew Stafford is no slouch. He has had his share of mistakes this season, but he is nonetheless a great player. I constantly hear about how great SEC defenses are. But the truth of the matter is that Georgia's pass defense isn't up to par, and Hawaii can capitalize. Hawaii is a team that loves to put outstanding quaterback Colt Brennan in the pocket and let him throw some bombs. This is Colt's 3rd straight season with over 4000 yards. However, I am going to have to give this to the dominant SEC team due to their strength of schedule, their running attack, and their speed.

Georgia 27-14

Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. Southern California
This classic Big Ten vs. Pac Ten matchup in Pasadena doesn't excite me as much as some of the other games do. Although I would consider Illinois the fastest team in the Big Ten, that isn't really saying much. The Big Ten is weak this year, and the Pac Ten is very strong. With USC having the upperhand on their caliber of players, strength of schedule, and program prestige, it would seem as if USC would have this on in the bag. Also USC has historically done very well in the Rose Bowl. However, I am going to go out on a limb and say that Illinois wins this in a close game. I say this because Illinois knocked off 2 top-5 teams this year, and that's no easy task. USC has a great defense, but I think that they might have some trouble with the spread offense of Illinois. Being a Michigan fan, I know about having troubles with the spread.

Illinois 28-24

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas
I'm not going to give much of a preview on this one due to the fact that this game is frankly very uninteresting. I would expect that the speed of Virginia Tech offensively and defensively would dominate Kansas, who is coming off of a loss.

Virginia Tech 38-10

National Championship: Ohio State vs. LSU
LSU will dominate this game. LSU is used to huge games like this, they are faster on both sides of the ball, they are going to have a home game basically (it's held in New Orleans), and they are a more explosive team then Ohio State. The biggest factor in this game is LSU's great defense. I would expect them to run away with this game, and not even make it a contest.

LSU 41-17

NFL Playoff Matchups Are Set

In the first round of the NFC, the Giants will take on the Buccaneers (in TB) while the Redskins will take on the Seahawks (in SEA). The lowest remaining NFC seed will take on the Cowboys in the divisional round while the highest remaining seed will go to the Packers.

In the first round of the AFC, the Jaguars will take on the Steelers (in PIT) while the Titans will take on the Chargers (in SD). The lowest remaining AFC seed will take on the Patriots in the divisional round while the highest remaining seed will go to the Colts.

Game To Watch:

The Jacksonville-Pittsburgh game should be the most entertaining of the Wild Card round. Each team is dripping with good, young talent and both are hungry to make a mark in the playoffs. The Jaguars finished 8-8 last season, missing the playoffs. The Steelers also went 8-8 and are only two years removed from their Super Bowl win.

NFL Week 17 Schedule

49ers at Browns
Lions at Packers
Saints at Bears
Jaguars at Texans
Panthers at Buccaneers
Bills at Eagles
Bengals at Dolphins
Seahawks at Falcons
Vikings at Broncos
Steelers at Ravens
Cowboys at Redskins
Chiefs at Jets
Chargers at Raiders
Rams at Cardinals
Titans at Colts

Patriots Stumble To A Win Against G-Men

Down 12 points halfway through the third, Tom Brady (with a little help from his friends) scrambled and put up 22 unanswered points en route to 16th regular season win. Laurence Maroney, who only averaged 2.4 yards per carry, was effective when he needed to be, dancing for two touchdowns. Randy Moss was...well, Randy Moss. He capped off his night by catching a long touchdown pass right after dropping what would have been a sure touchdown on the previous play. Moss's two touchdowns were complimented by a 100 yard receiving performance and oh yeah, a new receiving record (22 touchdown catches in a season). Wes Welker played the role of undernoticed, underappreciated WR once again as he chipped in 122 yards while passing T.J. Houshmandzadeh for most receptions this season.

It appears that the Patriots are unbeatable. They played like junk for the first 40 minutes of the game, had just about everything thrown at them, and somehow still cruised to the victory. They've beaten the only threats that still exist in the NFL -- the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts. Who could beat them? Better yet, HOW could they beat them. It's all but a formality now...the Pats will roll in the playoffs.

Texas Drops Heartbreaker To Wisconsin

Wisconsin's Michael Flowers hit a three with just :03 left on the clock to defeat mighty No. 9 Texas. Texas, the only team to defeat a #1 ranked opoonent this year (UCLA) suffered its second straight loss.

It's quite clear from this victory that team are still figuring out their schemes and it should be quite some time before the best teams settle at the top. Georgetown was seen in a similar role last weekend, at first dominating Memphis, but then losing focus and eventually, the game. Teams such as Georgetown and Texas will need to fine tune their stars (Hibbert and Augustin, respectively) if they expect to make it past the second weekend in March.

The silver lining for such teams is that they're getting a good look at the top of the pack now -- and they've got tons of time to adjust.

Does McGwire Deserve HOF Spot?

He's the owner of the lowest at bats per home run ratio in baseball history (10.61). He's got the second highest single season home run total (70). He holds the record for most home runs by a rookie (49). He's hit the eighth most home runs all time (583). And somehow, some way, there's a question as to whether or not McGwire deserves a place in Cooperstown.

The argument against his membership stems from the belief that McGwire did steroids during his career. In front of a government panel, McGwire seemed to elude the question, noting that he was "not here to talk about the past." Many took this as an admission of guilt despite the fact that no admission ever left McGwire's lips.

The motto of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations." If you want to talk history, I challenge you find a moment more deeply engraved into baseball lore than the home run chase of 1998. As far as excellence is concerned, it takes only a quick glance at the numbers in the introduction to recognize McGwire's greatness. Finally, I wish there were some census numbers on father-son pairs who sat and watched as McGwire lined Steve Trachsel's pitch just barely over the left field wall.

If you go by the guidelines set out by the Hall of Fame, then McGwire doesn't simply meet the definition. He is the definition.

Pats Look To Make It Perfect

The 15-0 New England Patriots look to make it a perfect sixteen wins with a Saturday night match up with the New York Giants. Those Giants, however, are no Miami Dolphins -- they're 10-5, looking for the playoffs, and have a cast of stars, including Pro Bowler Osi Umenyiora.

With the first round playoff matches set, neither team has much to play for in terms of positioning. However, the Patriots are on the verge of becoming the first 16-0 team in the history of the NFL. The 1972 Dolphins only had to play 14 regular season games to achieve regular season perfection. By the time they had reached 16, the goal that the Patriots will look to match tomorrow, they were in the Super Bowl. The Pats still have the Colts and the Cowboys to fend off before finishing what would be the longest perfect season in NFL history.

I expect the Pats to beat up on the Giants, as evidenced by Coach Bill Belichick's decision throughout the home stretch of the season to play each game as if it were the Super Bowl. Brady and Moss should both play until the game is well in hand. Whether or not Belichick admits he wants this record, he sure coaches like he does. The Giants, on the other hand, know that they will be playing the wild card game the very next week and should rest most of their starters.

It'll be a New England kind of day at the Meadowlands -- bitter cold and ultimately ending in a Patriots victory. Patriots 34-Giants 17

The Sports Perspective Debuts!

As promised, the Irish Whip Fighting team has come together to expand their coverage on the sports world. Here, at thesportsperspective.blogspot.com, we'll be providing the daily sports coverage that you need to know. Similar to our MMA coverage, it won't be exhaustive and overdone -- it's just what you need to know. Even more similar to the way IWF was founded, we're going to start out slow, with just one page that will cover the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, College Football, and College Basketball. Eventually, we'd like to cover golf, tennis, NASCAR, and soccer, but these additions will come in time.

What's with the name, you ask? Well, IWF is slowly transitioning away from blogger and onto a slick new site designed by the guys at Dreamsoft. For an example of their work, go to arlovski.tv. The name, not the content, of our MMA site will change, with The Sports Perspective being a sister site. Don't go changing your bookmarks yet, however. We're looking at a launch date of July 1, 2008 for our new MMA site, mmaperspective.com.

We thank all of our fans who trust in our timely news and interviews on IWF and promise that TSP (The Sports Perspective) will do its best to match the high standards we've previously set.