Surging Spurs

Prior to the beginning of the NBA season, many basketball analysts and experts wrote off and paid little attention to the Spurs because of their old age.  Would they be able to keep up with younger, athletic teams in their conference, such as Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Memphis Grizzlies? The veteran leadership of 4-time NBA Champion Tim Duncan and 3-time NBA Champions Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, led the San Antonio Spurs to surprise the critics by finishing the regular season in first place in the Western Conference and tied with Chicago Bulls for the best record in the NBA (50-16). The Spurs have been the most dominating team thus far in the NBA Playoffs. They've gone on a nine game winning streak in the playoffs, as a result of handling every opponent that has come in their path of making it to the NBA Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were predicted to have another outstanding season and be a strong contender for the NBA title. With the reigning 3-time NBA Scoring Title Champion, Kevin Durant, leading the team, along with one of the top five point guards in the league, Russell Westbrook, and 2012 Sixth Man of the Year winner, James Harden, the Thunder have a young, talented, athletic, and explosive team. Entering the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the West and only losing twice, they rolled through the first round of the playoffs by sweeping Dallas Mavericks. In the Conference Semifinals, they faced the Los Angeles Lakes and defeated them in five games. The Thunder are currently trailing by one game in the Conference Finals matchup against the Spurs.

Will the youth defeat the elders or will the elders teach the youngsters a lesson? Will the winner of the Western Conference Finals be the favorite to win the NBA Title? Will the athleticism of the Thunder's big 3 tire the veteran Spurs or will the veteran leadership of the Spurs' big 3 prevail?

These questions will soon be answered and by the looks of it, the Coach of the Year is pushing all the right buttons all the way to the title. After nine postseason games, its a shame that the Spurs front office isn't getting more credit for the best midseason acquisitions of the entire season. For all those who thought that Stephen Jackson was washed up, had too much attitude and was a downgrade to Richard Hamilton, bite your tongues. Boris Diaw? From Charlotte Bobcat to starting power forward on the best team in the NBA, why weren't more contenders vying for his services?

A Day Late and a Forehand Short, Breaking Down the Real Contenders at Roland Garros

The flowers are in full bloom, the clay ascends to the perfect shade of read and Roland Garros bounces onto Court Philippe Chatrier and into our hearts every May. When the ball boys and girls start sliding on the illustrious red clay, its time to break out the chocolate croissants, brie, pate and champagne, while leaving the most comfortable chair in your living room with a permanent impression of your tuchas (yiddish for buttocks).

The French Open is a Grand Slam in a category all by itself. Held on the sun soaked red clay in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Paris is a template where only the most determined, grittiest performers thrive.

Recognized in the lore of past champions, are the likes of Max Decugis, Rene Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, Yannick Noah, Ivan Lendl, Michael Chang, who the modern day tennis fanatic may have already forgotten. These fighters, these counter punchers and tremendous professionals first dusted off the red dust from the white lines well before Rafa began spinning opponents off the court and flexing his biceps.

Year after year, the favorites along with the sleepers, are grouped together and seemingly stand no chance to the spanish bull that is Rafael Nadal. Not only that, but for all of you out their who follow and participate in the American tennis scene, you know the following two things will probably not change in your lifetime.

1.  No American men have the complete game, nor the mental fortitude to advance into the second week on the red clay.

2.  Until Andy Murray actually finds the mental toughness to apply his skill set in the clutch moments, he will always be Brad Gilbert's favorite and always disappoint to inferior players.

Lets play a little word association to explain how we feel about the men's favorites at this years French Open:

Rafa Nadal - The Favorite

Novak Djokovic - Hopefully it doesn't get too hot in Paris, or we may see the old Djoker

Roger Federer- Never count him out, if he wasn't the best natural born tennis player of all time, would he have been the most famous ballerina of our generation?  #footworkequalstitles

Andy Murray - C'mon man

Furthermore, those who strap in and play the odds should focus on the Sleepers Section that is so naturally composed of the "Not so new wave of big hitters". Long forgotten is the notion of the big hitter and the fact that each generation has a four to six man contingency of them.  In the early 2000's for example, the likes of Andy Roddick, Mark Philippoussis, Patick Rafter and Marat Safin defined this hot tempered, motley crew of men. At the moment its composed of Jo "Willy" Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro, Milos Raonic and the lone American hope, John "the marathon man" Isner. But do any of these men really stand a chance?

The short answer is no, the long answer is hell no.

The potential road that these big hitters will face, could be written:

      3rd                          4th                       Qtrs.                           Semifinals                         Finals

Tsonga-  Troicki     Simon/Wawrinka    Djokovic/Verdasco   Federer/Berdych/Verdasco     Nadal/Murray

Prediction:  4 set loss to Djokovic in the Qtrs.

Berdych- Anderson      Del Potro                Federer              Djokovic/Tsonga/Verdasco     Nadal/Murray

Prediction: 4 set loss to Del Potro in the 4th round.

Del Potro- Cilic               Berdych                Federer               Djokovic/Tsonga/Verdasco     Nadal/Murray

Prediction:  5 set loss to Federer in the Qtrs.

Roanic-  Monaco             Nadal             Tipsarevic/Almagro       Murray/Ferrer/Isner             Djokovic/Federer

Prediction:  3 set loss to Nadal in the 4th round.

Isner-  Granollers              Ferrer               Murray/Gasquet         Nadal/Tipsarevic                Djokovic/Federer

Prediction:  5 set loss to Ferrer in the 4th round.

What men's tennis is hungering for is a changing of the guard, a newcomer to dig deeper and shock the world. Unfortunately, the likes of Milos Roanic, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Grigor Dimitrov, Ryan Harrison and Bernard Tomic are not at that point yet. Make no mistake that these five men are the next wave of top 5 players that will seep into our hearts and into tennis histroy, but wait a few years for the battles between the current regime and the future, and you will understand that the best tennis is yet to come.

We would like to wish Robin Soderling a quick and healthy recovery, as tennis fans around the world miss his thumping ground strokes so dearly. Also, we would like to congratulate the former top prospect Brian Baker on his re-emergence in the tennis world, cracking the top 200 and wish him all the luck both in 2012 and beyond.

Finals prediction:

Rafael Nadal def. Novak Djokovic: 6-4, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2

#Gentleman'sGame

The Big 4 vs The Big 2 and How the "Little Guys" Will Make the Difference

Few saw it coming, but now that it's here, let the games begin.

This series won't be the story of David v. Goliath contrary to popular belief, rather youth and athleticism vs. old legs. The Celtics come to South Beach having ousted the Hawks and 76ers, not by dominating the competition, but scraping by the perennial underachieving franchises.  Miami took it too the all to familiar stars of NYC, and then lost Chris Bosh or "Bosh Spice" as Skip Bayless calls him. Minus one star and back in the Eastern Conference Finals, everyone wants to know whether or not this is Miami's Year.

Whether you arrive occasionally late to support the Miami Heat, or bleed Boston Celtic green, you may have read at the sports blog that you used to follow before switching to The Sports Universe, that the Celtics have no chance. Conversely, as we tilt our recliners back and crack open a fresh Coca Cola, we are much smarter than that.

The Celtics will not lose this series because:

They played too many games in the first two rounds.

They are too injured to compete with Miami, having lost Jeff Green, Avery Bradley, Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox.

The Celtics are just too old.

Now that we have that out of the way, lets evaluate some basic assertions.

1.  Lebron James and Dwayne Wade will get "their's"

They are the two most apt players in the game, inside the three point line and on the fast beak. They held a press conference saying they would win eight titles before hitting the parquet and whether that's confidence, cockiness or asinine stupidity....They are so good at basketball.

2.  The Big 4 are just as important as the Little 5

The Celtics will need the like of Brandon Bass, Mickael Pietrus, Keyon Dooling, Greg "the Steamer" Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins to contribute valuable minutes, as well as all six of their fellows on some occasions.

3.  The Celtics have the Best Coach

Lets be honest, Doc Rivers v. Erik Spoelstra? Who do you trust more in late game situations with their team needing to go 2 for 1 with 41 seconds to go?

4.  This series will be decided not by who has more flashy dunks or who makes the highlight reel, more like who plays the smartest and gets back on defense

These are the two best defensive seems the Eastern Conference has seen since the 2004 Pistons, and this series will be won by the team who controls the tempo, executes their defensive rotations and crashes the boards.

On this day, Monday May 28, 2012, the sports analyst team at The Sports Universe would like to acknowledge those military men and women who serve now and who have served in years gone by. We live in a Nation built on the foundations of freedom, unlike any other nation on this earth. No matter where we go, and what we achieve, we shall always remember those who delivered us to freedom.

And Go Green.  #Banner18

Prediction:

Celtics in 7

Stanley Cup Finals: History Will be Made

The Stanley Cup Finals matchup was determined this past week, when the New Jersey Devils defeated New York Rangers 3-2 in an overtime thriller. The No. 6 seed Devils captured the series victory over the No. 1 seed Rangers in a demanding 4-2 series. The Devils were the underdogs in this series and silenced the critics by being the Eastern Conference Champions. They defeated the Rangers in two out of the three games played on the road at Madison Square Garden and won the final three games of the series. The Devils look to rely on outstanding goaltending by 21-year veteran, Martin Brodeur and a dynamic offense to lead the team to their fourth Stanley Cup.

Barely making the 2012 playoffs, the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Kings have rolled through their competition with quiet ease. They've only lost two games in the first three rounds, one game against Vancouver Canucks and one game against Phoenix Coyotes. In the first round of the playoffs, Kings shocked many hockey fans and analysts by defeating the defending Western Conference Finals Champions, No. 1 seed Vancouver Canucks in a statement making, 4-1 series. The second round, Kings destroyed No. 2 seed St. Louis Blues. Kings swept them in four straight games. To advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, Kings had to face No. 3 seed Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings started off the series winning three straight games. With losing Game 4 in a 2-0 shutout The No. 8 seed Kings rained victorious in Game 5 to win the series 4-1, winning the Western Conference and advancing to their second Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history. The last time the Kings made it to the finals was in 1993, Kings look to continue the explosive offensive attack led by Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, and Dustin Penner. They will also reply heavily on the sensational goaltending from one of the up and coming young goalies with a bright future, Jonathan Quick. The Kings attempt to win their first ever Stanley Cup Championship but in order to do that, they must defeat a team who's been there before and has strong veteran leadership.

The only time these two teams met in the regular season was back in October as they faced off in both New Jersey and Los Angeles. The Devils were victorious in both meetings, outscoring the Kings 5-1 between the two games. Many may consider this to mean that the Devils will have the advantage entering this series, but since reuniting Jeff Carter with his buddy Mike Richards, the Kings have won 25 of the last 35 games played dating back to February 23. (Acquired from Columbus Blue Jackets for Jack Johnson and a first round draft pick)
No matter the outcome this will be the first time in NHL history that two American-born captains (Dustin Brown, Kings and Zach Parise, Devils) will face off in the Stanley Cup finals, and the winner will join Derian Hatcher as the only two U.S. born captains from a Stanley Cup winning team.


This leads to the questions: Will the kings make NHL history by winning their first ever Stanley Cup, or will the Devils win their fourth Stanley Cup, with Martin Brodeur become the 2nd goaltender to win the Stanley Cup in three different decades? Will the Kings continue to dominate with ease, or will the Devils experience slow down the Kings hot streak?

Stay tuned for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals hosted in New Jersey, Wednesday, May 30th at 8 PM ET

On the Edge of Your Seats

To our family, friends, Celtics Nation and millions reading around the world, half number one is in the books. Half one had most of us at The Sports Universe saying, "they are who we thought they were".

Boston Celtics - The more talented and experienced team

Philadelphia 76ers - Gritty team

Kevin Garnett - Absolute monster

One thing everyone out there can count on, the way that both team come out in the third quarter will be crucial to who comes out victorious. Paul Pierce will need to facilitate the offense more and expect many more double teams in the next half. Ray Allen will be called upon in an important moment of the game. Rajon Rondo will need to lead his team to victory in the crunch time, not just by passing the ball to the open man, but by rotating and limiting easy buckets on the defensive end.

Philadelphia will make a run this half and that's something the Celtics should be prepared for. With only five assists on 11 made field goals, Doug Collins will attempt to motivate his team to run their sets and move the ball around. The winner of the third quarter has won all six previous games in this series, so the way the teams play this quarter will foreshadow the winner of this series without question.

With Rondo on pace for a triple double, and an aging throwing on the green one half will this be the last 24 minutes in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen's careers' with the Celtics?

Buckle up baby, it's crunch time!

Celtics-76ers Game 6 Preview

The Celtics will look to close out the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center tonight at 8 PM. Currently holding a one game advantage and with a potential game 7 looming at the TD Garden, Philadelphia will try to step on the gas and take advantage of the transition game.

Tonight the Boston Celtics will be missing one of the top young defensive guards in the league, Avery Bradley. In his place, the Hall of Famer Ray Allen. The change of efficiency in the first unit will decrease slightly defensively due to Bradley's absence, but the second unit will suffer much more depending on the rotations Doc uses tonight. The loss of Bradley means more minutes for Keyon Dooling, while constantly gyrating on defense makes him look ridiculous, it is his offensive production that worries Celtics fans more.  Contrary to the worries about production from Rajon Rondo, over the past three postseasons, he has averaged 16.1 pts, 8.9 asts, 4.4 rbds, 2 stls and shooting 46% in closeout games. It is likely tonight that Rondo will share the ball handling responsibilities with Paul Pierce, because they have no one else once Rondo goes to the bench.

Philadelphia will look to attack early and often tonight on their home floor in this pivotal game. Although few around the league expected them to be in the conference semifinals, should we give Doug Collins another pat on the back if they lose by 20 or 30 tonight?  

What To Focus On:

Rebounding

Always a key statistic in NBA playoff games, especially in this series. The leader in rebounds has won four of the five games in this series thus far and has the ability to control the tempo.

Points in the Paint

The Celtics have been able to secure a one game advantage thanks to big performances by big time players. The thing that they have lacked both during the season and in the postseason, is depth at the bigs' spots. This should have been, and should be a point of emphasis for the 76ers to play inside out basketball by finding Hawes, Brand and Iguodala in the paint.

Brandon Bass
Game 5 was by far the best performance of Brandon Bass's professional career, thanks in large part to an 18 point third quarter. When the Celtics traded away Glen Davis and Von Wafer this past off season, this is the type of prowess they hoped he could show. With a player option for next year, Bass may be playing his way to a contract extension in this playoffs. If he can attack and continue to be a presence on the offensive end, Bass will undeniably help space the floor and allow Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to attack.

The Mix-Up in the AL East

Once again, it was a race to the finish in the American League East between the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays to determine who'd win the division and wild card. For the fourth consecutive year these three teams have held the top three seeds in the AL East. At the end of the 2011 Major League Baseball season the American League East ended with the New York Yankees as the #1 seed, and the Tampa Bay Rays at the #2 seed. The Rays were six games behind the Yankees and Boston Red Sox were only one game behind the Rays.

The flop of the Red Sox in September brought new perspective to the history books. There has never been a team to blow a bigger lead in September besides the 2011 Red Sox. They were leading the AL East by nine games through September 3rd. The Red Sox ended their season in shocking fashion with a appalling 7-20 record, did not win consecutive games at any point during September, and managed to miss the playoffs by one game.

By the end of the 2011 season both the Yankees and Red Sox knew that they were in need of major personal changes. As the Red Sox faced a troublesome end  to the season the owners John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino all came to an executive decision that it was managements fault. The first step to recovery for the Red Sox was to fire Head Coach Terry Francona, and with that General Manager Theo N. Epstein decided that it was time to part ways with the Red Sox. With these positions needing to be filled the owners of this once dynamic franchise decided to add Bobby "V" Valentine and Ben Cherington as General Manager. Not only did the Red Sox experience change in management, the roster contained drastic
changes as well. Key Acquisitions: RP Andrew Bailey, OF Cody Ross, C Kelly Shoppach, OF Ryan Sweeny; Key Loses: SP John Lackey (Tommy John surgery), RP Jonathan Papelbon, OF Josh Reddick, SS Jed Lowrie, C Jason Varitek (retired), SP Tim Wakefield (retired), J.D. Drew (FA). With all of these former Red Sox players gone, they have also been suffering with 12 players currently on  the DL, six of them being outfielders (Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Cody Ross, Ryan Kalish, Darnell McDonald, and Jason Repko).


The Yankees pitching rotation needed to improve their depth for the 2012 season. In the offseason they acquired right-handed Pitcher Michael Pineda from the Seattle Mariners for New York's top catching prospect Jesus Montero. Pineda is in his second season in the majors and comes from the American League West, competing against Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, and Los Angeles Angels in the division. The American League East is considered the powerhouse of Major League Baseball. Coming from a less competitive AL West, Pineda is facing some of the toughest players and teams in the AL East. During spring training, Pineda looked out of shape and over weight, it showed because he struggled. He was 10 pounds above his playing weight at 280 pounds entering spring training. When he pitched, his velocity was high 80s and occasionally he would throw 91 mph. The struggles didn't fade when the regular season began, he started off the season on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. He will be shut down for the remainder of the season after sustaining a tear in the labrum of his right shoulder, he had arthroscopic surgery May 1 and will be out for about a year. Pineda was supposed to be the key factor to the Yankees starting rotation this season. Did the Yankees make a mistake by trading for him? Many speculate that the Mariners knew about his shoulder problems and never informed the Yankees. Was this a recurring injury?

Prior to the beginning of this 2012 season many baseball experts and insiders predicted for both the Yankees and Red Sox to be in contention for first place in the AL East. To their surprise, this year has been quite the opposite for both of these teams. The Yankees have only been able to reach first place once this season and that was from April 21-23, when they stood at first place with the record of 10-6. In the first 44 games of this season, the Red Sox have not been able to break a win percentage of over .500 thus far. As of today, the Red Sox stand in last place of the AL East with a record of 22-22, and the Yankees lay in 4th place with a record of 22-21.

American League
EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	EAST	CENT	WEST	INTR	RHP	LHP
Baltimore	28	17	.622	-	14-9	8-1	4-6	2-1	21-14	7-3
Tampa Bay	26	18	.591	1.5	12-10	3-3	10-3	1-2	21-10	5-8
Toronto	24	20	.545	3.5	7-11	8-3	7-5	2-1	17-13	7-7
NY Yankees	22	21	.512	5	9-9	7-6	5-4	1-2	15-15	7-6
Boston	22	22	.500	5.5	7-10	10-7	3-4	2-1	14-15	8-7

Is it to early in the season to start speculating the struggles of both Red Sox and Yankees? Are the injuries the reason for the Red Sox struggles? Or are their struggles due to new management? Will the Red Sox and/or Yankees make personnel changes to improve? Will both teams make the playoffs? Or will one team come up short again this season?

Van Gundy Ousted By Magic

The first of many offseason changes in the NBA occurred today when the Orlando Magic fired coach Stan Van Gundy and mutually agreed with General Manager Otis Smith to part ways. Van Gundy had a 259-135 records in five seasons with Magic, leading them to three division titles and made the playoffs each of the five seasons Van Gundy coached.

Let the speculations begin (again). This season, Dwight Howard went back and forth about staying or leaving the Magic this offseason. It caused uncertainty and in-house problems with the front office, management, and team. At times during the season, he wanted to be traded, notified the Magic of which teams he wanted to play for (Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Knicks, Bulls, Clippers), and told the organization he would only resign with them if Van Gundy was fired and/or they signed/traded for players that would make the team better. After all of the theatrics, Howard decided to waive his early termination option. He will be returning for his final year of his deal next season and earn $19.5 million.

Did Howard have a deciding factor in Van Gundy and Smith's futures with the team? Now with Van Gundy and Smith out, will Howard sign a long term contract with the Magic or want to go to a contending team? Will teams be as interested in Howard now, after his back surgery/injuries? Who will coach the Magic next season? Phil Jackson? Mike D'Antoni? Jerry Sloan? Nate McMillan? Or will they hire an assistant coach such as Patrick Ewing, Brian Shaw, or Michael Malone?

Heat Turmoil

Game 3 of the Conference Semifinals between Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers was an absolute embarrassment for the Heat. LeBron had 22 points, 10-22 field goals made, 1-4 from behind the arc, and 4 rebounds. He struggled at the free throw line going 1-3. The other four starters for Miami (Wade, Battier, Pittman, and Chalmers) combined for a total of 30 points. Wade had five points and five turnovers. Tensions occurred between Wade and coach Erik Spoelstra during the game. Wade's play was less than par and contributed to his team's loss.

The Pacers have been flying under the radar all season long. Finished the regular season 42-24 and  No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Destroyed the Orlando Magic in the First Round of the Playoffs (4-1). The youth of the Pacers, team chemistry, and role players have contributed to their success this season.


With the Pacers leading the series 2-1, it is a must win for the Heat on Sunday. If the Heat lose the series, many people speculate that Erik Spoelstra will lose his job and might be looking to shop one of the "Big 3" to get more depth on the roster.  Who do you trade? LeBron? Wade? Bosh? Can't trade LeBron, he's arguably the best NBA player and a three time MVP but doesn't execute in the clutch and in the playoffs. Wade is the face of the franchise and led the Heat to win their only NBA Championship in 2006. Would the Heat dare to trade a player who transformed the organization? Bosh, is a key player but not comparable to LeBron and Wade. He would be the likely target to get traded this offseason. The position the Heat needs to fill is trading for/signing/drafting a true point guard. One of the best point guards who will be available this offseason is Steve Nash, will he leave Phoenix and give up millions to join a championship caliber team, to potentially win his first NBA Championship? Or will he stay in Phoenix for the money?

Welcome to The Sports Universe

Welcome to our blog, The Sports Universe!  The sports world is full of entertainment, excitement, fan unity, the unexpected, and the cinderella story. We will discuss a variety of professional sports teams and specific athletes throughout our blogs, in the hopes of portraying our ideas through intriguing and dynamic fact based arguments. Stay turned to our first blog regarding the NBA Playoffs and many more to come thereafter.

We would love your feedback and for you the fans to get involved and voice your opinions however you choose to do so.

-Brooke Dillon and George

Below is a profile of our current staff:

Brooke Hanna

         Brooke "Brookewad" Hanna is a recent college graduate of The University of Tampa, majoring in Sports Management.  As a sports management major, and multi-sport athlete, Brooke will be applying her personal knowledge of sports along with her educational experience to inform fans of the truth and nothing but the truth.  Brooke is a co-creator of The Sports Universe and is looking forward to a long and prosperous career in the sports world, starting one blog a time.

Email: bhanna1490@yahoo.com

Dillon Rothermel

         Dillon "Pickles" Rothermel is a recent college graduate of Bryant University, concentrating in both accounting and finance, minoring in Italian.  As a two time, Division II high school tennis champion and captain, along with Division I men's tennis player at Bryant University, Dillon will use his team experience to break down the dynamics among individuals in various team sports.  Through his degree and deep financial knowledge, Dillon will try to go beyond the numbers and employ financial analysis to give the fans some perspective about financial allocation and the financial impacts of certain managerial decisions.  Dillon is also a co-creator of The Sports Universe and is anxiously anticipating putting this blog on blast.

Email: dillon.rothermel@gmail.com

George Greenhalgh
       
         George "Georgetta" Greenhalgh (aka Jorge) is young, outstanding high school student-athlete.  He is currently attending Toll Gate High School, where he is a varsity standout in Basketball and Volleyball.  George will be a senior in the Fall and is currently applying to prestigious business schools in the region.  George will be a general writer and consistent contributor.