In another attempt to continue growing this blog, Whitsport is proud to introduce a new feature called “Frightening Photo of the Week”. A brief commentary will be posted along with each photo, and questions, quips, queries, and quandaries are strongly encouraged. Basically, please give us your take on the picture…

This week we feature Michael Phelps: Man or Griffin? In what appears to be a capture of his post victory celebration, the 14-time Gold Medalist appears to be preparing to spread his wings and take flight, straight out of the pool. Not only does he appear to be taking to the air, but he also seems ready to tear the head off of his opponent in the adjacent lane.

For years, journalists have been searching for the truth behind Phelps’ Olympic success. They thought that marijuana may be the spark that drives him to international glory, but this photo finally reveals the truth. Phelps is indeed a mythological creature, who has taken to the pool, and has not taken any prisoners. One word of advice to General Mills… slapping this picture on the front of a Wheaties box will successfully scare the crap out of children across the country, so don’t even try it!

When it comes to the National Basketball Association, it’s all too predictable. Same story lines every day, every week, every year. It’s almost too easy to predict which teams will finish with the best records and win their divisions. NBA commissioner David Stern got lucky last summer, when the Magic upset the Cavs and ruined the possibility of a LeBron vs. Kobe Finals that everyone was salivating over. Stern lucked out in the sense that he avoided the conspiracy theories and game fixing allegations that would have ensued. For years I was on board with the notion that the NBA was fixed. How else could that many teams win championship after championship? However, conspiracy theorists may leave out opposing tidbits, like the fact that NINE different teams have won the Eastern Conference since 2000.

Despite jumping the NBA collusion train, I do stand by my opinion that the NBA lacks gusto. I’d much prefer a faster paced game like hockey, where goals are not scored each time up and down the ice, and the tension and excitement are much more palpable. If I must watch basketball, I’d rather hit up the college game, where the players have more heart… where fouls aren’t called on every play… where people in the stands live and die with every shot. It’s not that I don’t respect the NBA, I think their players are some of the greatest athletes on the planet. I just think that the game is too predictable year in and year out.

Unsurprising Off Season Headlines:

- 63 year old Shaquille O’Neal signs with a competitive team chasing another title dream… again

- Another highly touted first round draft pick suffers a major injury in the preseason; see Blake Griffin 2009 and Greg Oden 2007

- A slew of familiar faces change jerseys (Ron Artest, Ben Gordon, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Shaq… the list goes on… and on)

- Rocket’s Center Yao Ming is hurt… shocker!

- Powerhouse teams like Boston, Cleveland, San Antonio, and LA are being pegged to finish atop the standings, really going out on a limb there.

- Referees stealing headlines, and possibly money… ouch.

- Every team in the league unveils an unnecessary new throwback or alternate uniform

I don’t think Jason Terry is smiling about the new uni's... wink wink

I realize that Kobe and LeBron are the best players in the game, but can we get some different storylines for a change? The NBA is definitely a star driven league, but there has to be something new to talk about… isn’t there? Overall, Hockey packs way more excitement, the NFL is in full swing, European football/soccer is always on the brain, and the Winter Olympics are quickly approaching; there’s simply not enough room in my schedule to give the NBA the time of day.

VERDICT: I’ll pass on the overpaid, tattooed stars, and check out some senior communication majors hitting buzzer beaters in March.

See… even the Lakers don’t look excited about the season

Well, after 8 weeks, were are almost one fourth of the way into the Premiership season. Many people are already counting their teams out, while others are declaring their clubs “out of the relegation mix”. Fortunately, there are still 7 months of football to be played and it is certain that things will not finish as they stand right now. I took a look at the league table from this time last year. It was very interesting to see the way things played out…

Last season's Premier League Table at the Quarter Poll (October 25th, 2008)

Teams like Hull City and Pompey enjoyed life in the top half of the table (The Tigers sat in 3rd place on October 25th!) while other teams were fighting for their survival; Spurs sat in dead last with just 5 points, and Fulham was just 1 point above the drop zone. Even teams like Middlesbrough and West Brom saw point totals which kept them in the middle of the table. In case you’ve forgotten they were both relegated. Spurs made a remarkable recovery and finished 8th in the table, while the Cottagers zoomed up the standings and even secured a Europa Cup berth. What about those teams on top? Hull City finished just one point out of relegation, and Portsmouth were battling to avoid the drop into May. When it comes to the Premiership it’s as simple as this…  It ain’t over til it’s over.

Just look at the teams vying for Champions League births and the Premier League title. Liverpool was in first (and stayed there until January last season), with the eventual champions (Manchester United) all the way in 5th place. The Reds relinquished the top spot, while the Red Devils rose the occasion yet again.

It goes to show that fans of teams like West Ham and Everton have nothing to worry about. By the time Spring arrives, it is unlikely these teams will have much to worry about. And who knows… the Gunners could go on a spectacular run and reclaim the title… or even crazier, Man City could continue their form and shock the masses. All I am saying is that it’s too early to tell. We haven’t even seen any managers sacked yet. Things will begin to take shape after the new year, but until then… ENJOY the beautiful game!

2009/2010 WHITSPORT NHL PREDICTIONS

Happy October everyone! As you may or may not know, the greatest month in sports is finally back. So many things to watch, so little time. The NFL season is fresh, the MLB playoffs are upon us, the English Premier League is in full swing, NHL hockey is back, and the countless highlights of Lebron James dunking over inferior opponents are nowhere to be seen. Sounds like utopia to me. As I mentioned, Hockey has returned. So after completing my fantasy NHL draft and reading up on what all 30 teams have been doing this summer, I roll out the official…

In years past I have gone a long way on pure luck, guessing, and gut feelings. This year, I put a tad more research in and attempted to make more logical predictions for what to expect this upcoming season. Therefore, you can expect them to be dead wrong… regardless, on we go:

Playoff Bound:

EAST	WEST
1. Capitals 2. Penguins 3. Bruins 4. Flyers 5. Rangers 6. Devils 7. Hurricanes 8. Sabres	1. Red Wings 2. Sharks 3. Flames 4. Canucks 5. Ducks 6. Blue Jackets 7. Blackhawks 8. Wild

While the art of selecting teams seems easy, it is not. Looking back at last years standings I attempted to figure out which teams that missed out on the playoffs could make a climb this year. The only newcomers on this list are Buffalo and Minnesota. I think that Ottawa and Los Angeles both have a chance at surprising people, but I played it safe and did not go out on a limb… story of my life.

Coming this Summer:

If my predictions for final standings were to hold true, some interesting first round playoff match-ups would be created, including Philly vs N.Y. and the Sharks vs Blackhawks. Overall, things probably won’t play out this way, so I won’t even humor you…

My money is on two teams in the Eastern Conf., the Caps and Pens. Gary Bettman dreams about this Conference Finals matchup, but we’ll have to see how things play out. The West is a bit trickier; the top 5 teams all have a great shot at making a Cup run, and it’s a definitely a toss up. Who will get hot at the right time?

My picks for the Cup will be the Capitals and the Sharks. Both teams really bolstered their lineups in the off season and have fewer question marks than the other teams in the mix. Expect the Red Wings to return with a vengeance, but fatigue could play spoiler as it did last season. The well balanced Flames will also likely contend, but fall short in the highly competitive western conference playoffs.

Expect a drop in performance from a few teams that were highly touted not long ago. The Devils may still have Brodeur, but they also lost a lot of offense in the offseason. The Blackhawks’ youth played extremely well last year, but I see a slight fall in the mix, after losing some key role players. Alot of people are picking the Bruins to fall from grace, but I see them as a contender still. The loss of top scorer Phil Kessel may hurt them slightly, but their team is built on defense, which they have no shortage of.

Award Show:

Back this year to claim individual awards are a few familiar faces:

Hart Trophy (MVP)- Alex Ovechkin (WAS)

Art Ross (Most Points)- Joe Thornton (SJ)

Vezina (Best Goalie)- Henrik Lunqvist (NYR)

Calder (Rookie of Year)- Matt Duchene (COL)

Norris (Best Defender)- Niklas Lidstrom (DET)

Jack Adams (Coach of Year)- Mike Babcock (DET)

Rocket Richard (Top Goal Scorer)- Alex Ovechkin (WAS)

As for team awards, I think we’ll see one team return to their normal place and one surprise…

Presidents Trophy (Most Points) – Red Wings

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS- San Jose Sharks

The addition of Heatley will be huge; the Sharks deep lines and experience should be their greatest assets. Washington will be really impressive and expect another awesome year from Ovi, but I’ll give the goaltending edge, and therefore the Cup, to San Jose.

For more details and a team by team break down of what to expect this season, check out the NHL OUTLOOK 09/10 tab, or click here:

http://whitsport.wordpress.com/nhl-outlook-0910/

Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: Week 5

As the Premier League gets into the full swing of things, certain players are beginning to hit their stride, while others have yet to make their mark. This past weekend we saw a derby for the ages in Manchester, several Big Four thumpings, and handful of teams at the bottom of the table pull out some much needed victories. Let’s see who was hot and who wasn’t for this past week…

HOT: Ryan Giggs

The Premier League has been around for 18 seasons now, and the Manchester United midfielder is the only person to have found the back of the net in every single one of them. His magnificent equalizer last week at White Hart Lane continued this streak. At the age of 35, Giggs is considered to be an old man in football terms, but this didn’t stop him from setting up 3 goals, including the  game winner, against City on the weekend. He may be in the twilight of his career, but he seems determined to go out with a bang.

Honarable mentions: W. Elliot (Burnley), L. Saha (Everton), A. Cole (Chelsea)

NOT: Phil Brown

The Hull City boss might want to lose that headset he sports on the sidelines; it’s not making his permanent migraine any better. Hull City have committed more fouls than any other team in the top flight, and are already seven points off their pace set at this point last season. Did I mention the Tigers currently sit comfortably in 19^th place? Many eyes are on Brown, as his odds to be sacked stand at a cool 2:1

Dishonorable mentions: R. Ferdinand (Man United), E. Diouf (Blackburn), C. Cudicini (Spurs)

For more “Who’s HOT and Who’s NOT”, come on back right here next week… cheers!