April… Opening Day Highlights an Underrated Sports Month

Every year, February rolls around and the sports world lets out a big collective sigh. The NFL season wraps up, the NHL and NBA are both still a month away from the stretch run, not much to talk about in the way of golf, tennis, etc. But then March rolls around… College Basketball kicks into high gear, playoff hunts start to tighten up in basketball and hockey, and most importantly, Spring Training arrives. As long as the baseball season might be, the off-season absence of America’s pastime seems even longer. Hot-stove chatter and free agency is enjoyable, but nothing beats the ability to go out and watch a game, and breathe in the sport so many of us love… baseball.

For millions of people across our fair nation, baseball is the end-all-be-all of sports. While the NFL grabs the highest TV ratings, snags the big sponsorships, and rakes in the most money, there’s still something about our beloved baseball that Roger Goodell and company can’t touch. Nostalgic, historic, poetic and timeless… words that are deeply ensconced in the game. As a kid, baseball signified not only that spring was here, but also that summer was just around the corner. Baseball is also a game in which things like father-son relationships are built on (in America at least). I’d be willing to bet my next paycheck that if you asked 100 random men on the street, more than 75 have been to a baseball game with either their dad, their son, or both. Baseball has survived multiple wars; World War 1 & 2, the War on Terror, and the war on steroids. In the end, Baseball stands the test of time. Where else would you rather be on a warm April afternoon than in a foldout seat at your local ballpark with a hot dog in one hand, a cold beverage in the other, and a bag of peanuts/crackerjacks on deck?

These are just some of the reasons why the arrival of April signifies so much… not only will the weather be warming up, so will sports. The NCAA Final Four wraps up, the Masters takes place, and both NBA & NHL teams will push for the playoffs.

To me, Opening Day is not only the start of it all, but also the icing on the cake. It’s day that signifies so much, including the hope that this could be the year… you know what I’m talking about Red Sox fans… Play ball!

Read more on Whitsport’s take on what to expect for the upcoming 2013 MLB Season

Premier League Outlook: Final Third

OFFICIAL 2/3rd PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW

Now that the Premier League season is about 2/3rds of the way through, the picture is beginning to clear up. Upon the season’s kickoff, most pundits figured it would be a Manchester battle for the title, and that’s exactly where we stand again today. Man City, the defending champions, have enjoyed a spell of successful football in December and January, but still trail the pace-setters Man United by 7 points. While the January transfer window comes to a close, there are only a few moves that will drastically shape the final layout of the league table. So we can really begin to assess what each team can do in their last 14 games

At this point in the season, clubs have different goals: to win the Premier League, qualify for a European spot, make the top half of the table, or to just stay afloat. Each result is crucial, and to some, holding on for draws is good enough, while for others, it could be the different between holding a trophy and coming home empty handed. Here’s how I see things playing out the rest of the way.

Prediction: Final Standings

Place	Club	Points
1	Manchester United	88
2	Manchester City	83
3	Tottenham	67
4	Chelsea	66
5	Everton	62
6	Arsenal	57
7	Liverpool	56
8	Sunderland	52
9	Swansea	51
10	Stoke City	45
11	West Brom	43
12	West Ham	42
13	Fulham	41
14	Norwich	38
15	Newcastle	36
16	Southampton	33
17	Reading	32
18	Aston Villa	30
19	Wigan	29
20	QPR	24

Quick Assessment:

Top 4: Man United have been improving defensively since Nemanja Vidic’s return, which could be the thing that gets them over the mountain. City’s recent form (5 straight victories) has them keeping pace with their cross-town rivals, and could really put pressure on the Red Devils with continued success leading up to the Manchester derby on April 6. Tottenham Hotspur started the season a bit slow, but AVB now has them hitting their stride. With Chelsea seemingly unable to make their minds up about who they can beat on a given day, Spurs could surprise a few people and pip Chelsea for the 3rd automatic Champions League spot.

Europa League: Everton should be hailed for a marvelous performance; to make the top 4 would be a dream, but even a top 5 finish is impressive for David Moyes. I just don’t see Arsenal clawing back up into the top 4 this season, they’re W1-D2-L4 against teams ahead of them in the table this season and aren’t picking up points with enough consistency. Liverpool should consider things a success as well. Although Brendon Rodgers has had a tumultuous first year at Anfield, their offensive performances are improving, and Luis Suarez has enjoyed his best PL campaign to date.

Mid-Table: Swansea have had a magical run, and deserve praise for what will likely be a top half finish. Perhaps even more praise could go to Martin O’Neill who may be in the process of saving his job and his club. Sunderland was just 2 points above the drop zone last month, but the crafty gaffer has finally turned the tides. West Brom spent a good portion of the year in the top 4, but are now sinking fast. They’re likely safe from the drop though. Stoke City’s once heralded defense has been leaking like a sieve. Can Tony Pulis get them back to their stingy ways?

Relegation Zone: Aston Villa are sitting in the drop zone for the first time this season, but it’s fitting considering they boast the worst Goal Differential in the League. I’m amazed this hasn’t yet cost Paul Lambert his job. My pick for drop zone survivalists is Reading. They’ve lost just one of their last 6 matches, and seem to be repeating their late season run of good form. Wigan and QPR, to me, are both finished, as they continually get outplayed by teams in similar positions, and haven’t shown much grit in the last month or two. Newcastle and Southampton both look to have enough quality to stay afloat.

Redknapp signed on for the impossible job. As you can tell… he’s super excited

10 Bold Predictions for the 2013 NHL Season

As the puck drops on the NHL season we prepare for a 48 game sprint like no other (well, aside from the 48 game season back in 1995). In honor of the start to a brand new NHL campaign, I;ve compiled a list of 10 bold predictions I’ve made for the season ahead. Ok, so these are a few days late, but I swear I made them the day before the season started. Regardless, here are a few things that you might be surprised to see this year…

10. The Lightning will win the South East division. With the top scoring cast returning and a few other key additions, this looks like a team ready to take the next step. Washington and Florida both took steps back in the off-season (in terms of personnel), while Carolina’s moves really just paper over a myriad of other issues. Winnipeg is an interesting team, but still maybe a year away from contending. I predict the Bolts key forwards (Stamkos, St. Louis, and Lecavalier) all see boosts in scoring and power the team into the playoffs.

9. Roberto Luongo does not get traded… sure this one is a shot in the dark, but the fact that Bobby Lou is still on the team makes me wonder. The guy has a ton of experience and has played in both Stanley Cup finals and Olympic Gold medal games. Why would the Canucks dump him? Ok, there are a number of reasons, but I think the media and fans may have made this a foregone conclusion long before Vancouver management.

8. The Blackhawks will be major contenders. Goaltending issues aside, the Hawks have a ton of talent across the ice, and a deep bench to boot. Did we forget so soon that this team won a cup just a few seasons back? With Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Kane all healthy, this could be a dangerous team. Even though they play in a tough division, Chicago could suffice with a lower seed in the Conference, and then make a deep playoff run.

7. Tuukka Rask will be a Vezina Trophy finalist. After playing understudy to Tim Thomas in Boston, the Finn is ready for prime time. He performed well when given starts over the last few years, and with a solid defense in front of him, Rask could post huge numbers. I expect the Bruins to be among the Eastern Conference leaders in the Win column too, which does wonders for a goalie’s confidence.

6. Neither Crosby nor Malkin will win the scoring title. Sure I think both guys will be in the top 5. Heck, I even think the Pens could win the President’s Trophy. But there’s a deep pool of point-getters right behind them, including guys like Giroux, Sedin (either one), Stamkos, and even Toews.

5. Dallas makes the playoffs, and gets big help from Jagr. When I looked at the Stars depth chart the other day, my eyes opened wide. Jagr, Benn, Eriksson, Whitney, Roy, Ryder, Morrow, Goligoski, Robidas. Sure they’ve got some issues, but this just smells like a team that could surprise some people. Plus, they were in great position to make the postseason last year before a late season slump dropped them from the top-8.

4. Stamkos will score 40 goals… Ovechkin will score less than 20. As you can see I really like the Lightning this year, and think that Steven Stamkos is poised for a stellar scoring campaign. As for the Caps top scorer, Ovie’s scoring has dried up in the last few years and it’s evident that he has been unable to adjust his game since defenders have adapted and started stopping him. With the weight of a franchise on his shoulders, the Great-8 is already feeling the pressure.

3. The Ducks contend for a division title. After Bruce Boudreau took over last year, the Ducks started to come to life. Almost like Emilio Estevez joining forces with Disney’s Mighty Ducks. Regardless, there’s a lot of talent in Anaheim, and Boudreau has a knack for getting the most out of his offensive players. If Getzlaf and Perry start cranking on all cylinders, the Ducks could be flying high in May.

2. The Minnesota Wild will miss the playoffs. Signing Parise and Suter in the offeason were great moves for the Wild, but two players do not win games alone. Sure Parise will spark an offense and maybe get some more out of Heatley and others, but Minnesota scored far fewer goals than anyone else in the league last year, and they’ll likely need a few more additions before a cohesive offensive threat can materialize.

1. The Kings will miss the playoffs. Some people are picking LA as their feel-good repeat Western Conference Champs; most people at least have them as division champs and at the very least a playoff team. I see things differently. A lack in scoring and reliance on a Goaltender with a bad back smells like trouble. Darryl Sutter’s system will win LA some games, don’t get me wrong, but we also need to keep in mind that this is a team that squeaked into the postseason last go around, and hasn’t done much to bolster their squad since then.

In the end, several (possibly many) of these might flop entirely, but it’s fun to look back at the end of the year and say, “wow, going into the season I never imagined things playing out this way.” I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see what things are in store for us this year. Enjoy!

2013 NHL Preview

Ok, we’ve all gotten the lock-out bitterness out of our systems right? ok, well if you’re still angry, please read elsewhere because WhitSport is moving forward! I’m proud to present a quick look at what to expect for the 48 game season that the NHL will conduct in the coming months.

The last time the NHL salvaged a strike-shortened season (1995) there were also 48 games played, with the Devils taking home the Stanley Cup in the end. Many teams think their teams can get hot and make a run at the playoffs this year, despite disappointing results in 2012. Back in ’95 this was not the case, as only 3 teams who made the playoffs in ’94 failed to do so after the lockout. This does not bode well for teams like the Maple Leafs, Oilers, and Islanders who are looking to end long playoff droughts. Last year saw tons of drama with more upsets than ever before in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The LA Kings took home Lord Stanley’s trophy, and in the process, became the first 8th seed to win the Cup.

With the amount of craziness that continues to go on display once the Playoffs roll around, it becomes nearly impossible to predict who will be vying for the Cup in June. Nevertheless, let’s have a go!

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Penguins- with Crosby healthy, and Malkin already warmed up after playing in Russia, the Pens, who finished just 1 point behind the Rangers for the top spot in the East last year, look to avenge their early post-season departure with a deep run this season
2. Bruins- the B’s are a fairly young team and showed some consistency last year after winning their division for the 2nd straight season. Plus, with Tim Thomas on sabbatical, it’s Tuuka time!!
3. Capitals- with new coach Adam Oates around, the culture should improve in Washington. Ovechkin seems to be returning to normal, and may be given a longer leash than he had under Dale Hunter.
4. Rangers- John Tortorella certainly won’t let his foot off the pedal now. The Rangers have the personnel to make a great run, only questions surround whether Rick Nash, Marian Gaborik, and company can all live up to their billing.
5. Devils- it’d be hard to put the reigning Conference Champs any lower, with Brodeur back and rested, this young team could prove why last spring was no fluke. Watch out for emerging young stars like Henrique and Larsson.
6. Sabres- Nice additions in the offseason. If Ryan Miller steps back up to the level we know he can play, Buffalo has a shot to make some waves.
7. Flyers- with the goaltending situation at a crossroads, there could be bumps along the road. A solid scoring department may barely save them
8. Lightning- I’m expecting a big year from Stamkos. If the defense can improve, even just slightly, they’ll be in the mix.
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9. Panthers- they’re just one of those teams who played well last year, but a shortened season could prove fatal, only saving grace is their division
10. Jets- I like what they’re doing here. Their young consortium of talent is progressing nicely, but might be a goaltender away from the playoffs
11. Senators- I just don’t see enough here to warrant another playoff run, especially since the odds of Eric Karlsson putting up similar #’s to last year are slim
12. Canadiens- slight improvement over last year, but seriously need some scorers to contend for the playoffs again.
13. Islanders- this high? really? I think Tavares has his break out season, but a hefty schedule against the rest of the Atlantic keep the Isles humbled.
14. Hurricanes- the decline has been quick, and shows no signs of turning around this year. Contracts like Jordan Staal and Alex Semin have bad news written all over them.
15. Maple Leafs- goaltending is too flaky, and scoring is too thin behind Kessel. Bottom of the barrel here.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Blues- Ken Hitchcock was St. Louis’ savior a year ago, and they aren’t about to turn back now. Expect the Blues to continue stifling defensive play throughout the year.
2. Canucks- Roberto Luongo is as good as gone, but Schneider is more than capable, and all of the offensive weapons are back. They should contend for the President’s Trophy again
3. Coyotes- this team continues to impress despite a major lack of star power. I like Mike Smith to have another great year in net.
4. Blackhawks- I think the Blackhawks, now healthy, should put together a nice season. Patrick Kane is poised for a bounce-back campaign.
5. Ducks- yep this is my sleeper pick. Bruce Boudreau had this squad playing back up to their potential last year, but ran out time to snag a playoff berth. Look for bounce back years for Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf
6. Red Wings- losing Nik Lidstrom might take more of a toll than some people think. I like their young talent a lot, but it’d be crazy to put them too much higher.
7. Predators- With Rinne back, they’re pretty much a lock for a playoff spot. Some worries about loss of Suter, but signing Hal Gill and re-signing others will help.
8. Stars- could repeat last year and get off to a red-hot start, but this time, a shortened schedule means they make the cut in April.
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9. Kings- what?! how could I leave the defending champs out of the playoffs? First off, they sneaked in as an 8-seed, and secondly, they’ve still got some major questions on offense
10. Sharks- we saw the decline begin last year, they have some good young players, but not enough depth.
11. Wild- two huge signings, but you need 4 full lines to make a decent NHL team. They could make things interesting if net-minder Niklas Backstrom stays healthy.
12. Avalanche- lots of good young talent, but really just too young for a playoff sprint (their Captain is only 20 years old!).
13. Oilers- just too much talent to finish any lower. Looking forward to seeing Yakupov and his new friends in action, even if the wins aren’t plentiful.
14. Flames- last year they did their normal routine and limped out of contention as the months dragged on. With an aging squad I don’t see much improvement on the horizon
15. Blue Jackets- just nothing here to think they’ll finish above bottom. With Nash gone they can begin to rebuild

In terms of pre-season Cup picks, I have never even been close to correct, but I’ll made some silly picks anyway…

Rangers fans hope to light em up with King Henry this summer

Stanley Cup: Rangers over Blues
Conn Smythe (Playoff MVP): Henrik Lundqvist
Hart (Reg Season MVP): Claude Giroux
Art Ross (Most Points): Claude Giroux
Rocket Richard (Most Goals): Steven Stamkos
Vezina (Best Goalie): Mike Smith
Norris (Best Defenseman): Kris Letang
Calder (Best Rookie): Nail Yakupov
Jack Adams (Best Coach): Adam Oates

Any comments, disagreements, praise, questions, quips, queries, and quandaries are all welcomed here. Looking forward to the puck finally dropping!

EURO 2012 Group Summaries + Predictions

So begins the EURO! The World Cup is still the iconic sporting event that rallies countries together and leaves footy fans in awe when the miracles unfold in the knockout stages. Late injury time goals and last gasp saves are the things we cling to when watching two titans battle it out on the pitch… but all of these things are more frequent than just once every 4 years. The EURO provides a ton of action every 2 years in between World Cups, as well as the majority of the big soccer stars  on the planet; only Messi, Neymar, and a few others will be absent this June/July.

So what to expect in this years quest for the European Championship? a whole lotta goals, I think. Offense is up across the continent now, perhaps because of a good number of defensive injuries to some notable players. Spain and Germany’s defense has conceded an unusual number of goals in recent games. On the flip side, teams like France and Sweden seem to be finding their scoring touch. Let us go group by group and breakdown the teams who could be playing into the advanced stages of the competition

GROUP A:
I think we can all agree, this is the weakest group of the tournament. Poland’s automatic qualification as a Pot #1 team waters down the competition, but groups them with a team that scored one goal last Euro (Greece) and another who looks fondly back at their prime which is now passed (Czech Repub). That leaves Russia, one of the darlings of Euro 2008, but a recently troubled team who have seen some of their stars show their age and run into a string of poor performances. For Russia, they have really struggled against weaker opponents lately, and face teams like Poland who will look to showcase their scoring abilities in front of their home crowds.

Who will advance from the Group: Russia, Poland

Player to watch in Group A: Robert Lewandowski

GROUP B:
We all know by now that this is the Group of Death. Now that’s out of the way… who exactly looks best suited to top the toughest group in the EURO? From most accounts it’s either the Dutch or the Germans. Both teams have finished an agonizing second place to Spain in recent tournaments. The Dutch look to avenge the loss in extra time of the World Cup Final, and their team is still stacked, boasting a potent attack that scored 6 goals in a friendly on Saturday. The Germans are tournament favorites in their own right, with a confident side full of many players ready avenge a loss in last month’s Champions League final. Let’s not fail to mention the steady Danish side who causes issues with many favored sides they play. Finally, what to make of Portugal? The pressure lies squarely on Ronaldo’s shoulders as he captains a side that has underperformed in recent tournaments. The offense is there, but a suspect defense is their main issue with such strong offensive opponents in this group.

Who will advance from the Group: Netherlands, Germany

Player to watch in Group B: Christiano Ronaldo

GROUP C:
In what looks to be a two team group, all may not be what it seems. Italy is on the heels of a match fixing scandal, while thier form on the pitch has left much to be desired. Spain will likely run away with this group, but can we stop to remember that the only man seemingly able to score in South Africa was David Villa (injured for this year’s EURO)? Ireland has been playing solid football lately, and can probably secure advancement with a couple of steely performances and a stingy defense. Meanwhile, Croatia is no stranger to making surprising runs at major tournaments (WC 1998, Euro 2008) and can do so again this year if they capitilize on playing teams not clicking on all cyclinders at the moment

Who will advance from the Group: Spain, Ireland

Player to watch in Group C: Fernando Torres

GROUP D:
While the English team clearly gets the most press out of all the teams in Group D, they clearly have the odds stacked against them. While this isn’t the group of death, there is a shortage of easy fixtures across the board. France could prove to be a dark horse in this tournament, with Laurent Blanc whipping his team into shape as of late. The Swedes could contend as well, as a team that’s been together for a while, and has lots of weapons to choose from, most notably Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ukraine is pegged to finish last, but never count out a team playing on home soil. England’s mass of injuries doesn’t help much either. I’ll bet Wayne Rooney rues the day he got sent off, and thus suspended, for quite some time to come.

Who will advance from the Group: France, Sweden

Player to watch in Group D: Franck Ribery

So where does that leave us? See the mock up of the knockout stage below:

As you can See I like Netherlands over France in the final. Tough knocking out Germany in the semis, but there’s results like this in every tournament. Off to the games. ENJOY!

EURO 2012 Lineups – all 16 teams

I’ve taken the time to put together some projected line-ups for the 16 countries participating in the upcoming EURO 2012. Now just 1 day away, the buzz is reaching a fevered pitch, and people will soon sit down across the globe to catch some of the best football the world has to offer.

Quick note, these are not confirmed line-ups, just very likely formations and the players I expect to see on their teams’ starting XI this week. A few adjustments for injuries have already been made, but there are always some players that wont be able to shake off knocks this season. That being said this info is a compilation of each teams history based on recent trends and squads fielded. Enjoy!

GROUP A

POLAND

GREECE

RUSSIA

CZECH REPUBLIC

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GROUP B

Netherlands

Denmark

Germany

Portugal

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GROUP C

ITALY

SPAIN

IRELAND

CROATIA

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GROUP D

ENGLAND

FRANCE

UKRAINE

SWEDEN

SO that’s that, feel free to go ahead an make your fantasy team lineups now. Lots of great players to choose from

Cheers!

England Looks Ahead to Euro 2012

Ok, so today felt like a slow football day. After watching the Cisse goals like 50 times each, I decided I needed something better to do, and work simply wasnt an option… so I decided to focus a little on the upcoming EURO, especially with Woy being appointed manager of England (more on that another time).

The obvious question for Roy Hodgson, as it was for Fabio Capello ahead of the World Cup 2 summers ago, WHO will be in the squad? …more importantly who should be on the pitch? After all, Joe Cole and Peter Crouch were in the squads last time but neither saw more than 20 minutes of action.

No-brainers:

Joe Hart will try and avoid emulating Robert Green’s performance from 2010

GK – Joe Hart- England’s best Keeper by far
CB – John Terry- may not wear the armband, but could be England’s key veteran depending on other lineup decisions
CDM – Scott Parker – without Wilshere, there’s nobody else for this job
ST – Wayne Rooney – has had a great 2012, will be bent on proving his worth after missing the first two games of the competition

Then I came across several really interesting battles at certain positions:

RB – Glen Johnson vs Micah Richards vs Kyle Walker… this might be the biggest competition on the team. Richards seems like the best actual defender out of the three

CB – Rio Ferdinand vs Ledley King… both of these guys should be taken out back with a shotgun Old Yeller-style. How about they bring up a guy like Joleon Lescott or Phil Jagielka to pair with Terry

LB- Ashley Cole vs Leighton Baines… not only do I think Baines deserves a shot, I think he’s a better offensive threat… plus, no more questions over who’s taking free kicks 12 yards outside the box

Could Cashley lose the spot he’s had a stranglehold on for so long?

CM – Frank Lampard vs Steven Gerrard… ahh the classic “do I hafta?” realistically neither of these guys, but if I have to choose one, it’s Gerrard, seems like he’s still got a goal or two left in him, while more prone to join in on the breakout too

LM – James Milner vs Ashley Young vs Stewart Downing… I have to go Young here mainly because he’s shown he can score goals at the international level this year. Milner rots on the bench most weeks at City, and Downings seen a lot of the pine as well

RM – Theo Walcott vs Aaron Lennon… these are like the same player, and put-together they’re still not as good as a Robben or Hazard. Roy should find a way to squeeze their youth out somehow and revive Stevie G’s legs

Then we come to the Forward position, the following guys are essentially competing for 2 spots in games 1&2, and then just one spot when Rooney’s suspension ends. Here’s the list which I’ve broken down into two sections

If you see this man, do NOT let him put on an England kit under any circumstances

Duds
Jermaine Defoe – I’m fine with him on the team… if he can grow like 6 inches by June
Emile Heskey – don’t even get me started, shouldn’t be allowed into Poland or the Ukraine this summer, even as a spectator
Darren Bent- this guy hasn’t played a competitive game since February… OUT
Danny Welbeck- just not proven, I know Michael Owen was a monster for England when he was given the chance at that age, but Welbeck is NOT the second coming of Michael Owen
Frazier Campbell- even less proven than Welbeck
Bobby Zamora- has like one or two good games a season, he’s old too.
Gabby Agbonlahor- the fact he’s even in this discussion is disturbing. How many crappy forward does Aston Villa employ?

Studs
Peter Crouch- boasts a great goalscoring record internationally, 22 goals in 42 Caps… also gives England height, which they seriously lack up front
Andy Carroll- that’s right you heard me, for the very reason I put Crouch in there too,  size!
Daniel Sturridge- would be a great pit bull to fill in #2 role for the games Rooney misses. Was a beast at the U-17 through U-21 Euros

Crouch was denied much of an opportunity to do the robot in South Africa

Overall, there are plenty of choices at multiple positions, and who even knows if there is a right combination that could achieve success at the upcoming EUROs. Should Hodgson rock the boat and field a much changed (and inexperienced) line-up when the Three Lions face off against France? What’s your take on England’s squad options for this upcoming summer?