Bleacher Report - Articles by Rick Gillispie

The Up and Down Week of the SEC: Week 2

Rick Gillispie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:14:32 -0500

The week started badly for the SEC as Vanderbilt lost by nine to Cincinnati in the first round of the Maui Invitational and Tennessee lost by one to Purdue in the Paradise Jam Championship.

Tuesday brought five wins for the SEC but the one loss was a bad one. Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Mississippi St all cruised to easy wins while Florida got the big win of the night with a 16 point victory over Florida State. Morgan State upset Arkansas by three in the Hall of Fame showcase game.

Kentucky won the Cancun Challenge with an eight point overtime win against Stanford on Wendesday. Vanderbilt beat Arizona by 12 in Maui and Auburn destroyed High Point. The low point for the SEC was The 26 point lost by LSU against Connecticut.

Alabama beat Baylor by three in the Old Spice Classic on Thursday.

Friday was a busy day for the SEC and the league struggled going only 4-4 for the day. Arkansas, Mississippi St, Alabama and LSU all lost while Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina all won. The big win for the night and for the season for the league was Florida's three point win over Michigan State in the Legends Classic.

The Gators continued their strong play by winning the Legends Classic by beating Rutgers. Mississippi State also won on Saturday winning by 14.

The week ended with three games as Arkansas fell to 2-4 with a 13 point loss to South Alabama. Mississippi improved to 5-1 with a 15 point win against Texas A&M-CC while Alabama won a great game against Michigan by two.

SEC POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK TWO:

1. Kentucky 6-0

2. Florida 6-0

3. Tennessee 5-1

4. Mississippi 5-1

5. South Carolina 5-1

6. Vanderbilt 4-1

7. Mississippi St 4-2

8. Alabama 4-2

9. LSU 3-2

10. Georgia 3-2

11. Auburn 3-3

12. Arkansas 2-4

Florida Gators Surprise Michigan State 77-74

Rick Gillispie — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:10:58 -0500

The Florida Gators got the first major upset of the season with a 77-74 victory over No. 2 Michigan State. The Gators will play Rutgers in the Legends Classic final.

Erving Walker hit a go-ahead three-pointer to clinch the game for the Gators. Michigan State had 22 turnovers for the game and Florida was 22-for-25 from the free throw line.

The Gators are proving that the SEC can and will play with the big boys this year. They entered the game as one of only two undefeated teams in the SEC. With this win the Gators will surely be ranked in the Top 25 poll on Monday.

The Gators had a balanced attack, with five players in double figures. They are showing signs of the teams that won back-to-back championships. When you have a team, not one or two individual stars, anything is possible.

The Gators are still weak on the boards. Michigan State out-rebounded them 36-20. If the Gators plan on making a longer run in the postseason Tyus and Macklin are going to need to do a better job.

Kentucky, Florida The Only Undefeated Teams Left For The SEC

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:30:06 -0500

Not even two weeks into the season and we are down to two teams left in the SEC that are undefeated.

Kentucky 6-0 just won the Cancun Challenge. The Wildcats haven't looked great in their six wins but the are getting it done. But with North Carolina on the schedule for Dec. 5 how long can the stay undefeated.

Florida is 4-0 and wins by an average of 21 points but the Gators have No. 2 Michigan State on Friday so their undefeated season could be over very soon.

With 14 loses by the other remaining 10 teams the SEC is in for another long year. Hopefully they can turn it around and show the nation that the conference is back and ready to win it all.

Four of the other Five major conferences have at least five teams undefeated only the Pac 10 has less. The Pac 10 has two undefeated teams.

Oh My God! What If Texas Loses!

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:18:37 -0500

As we enter the last few weeks of the season, we still have six undefeated teams.

Alabama and Florida will both be undefeated for their matchup in the SEC championship game if they can win their in-state rival games this week. Cincinnati has Illinois and Pittsburgh to finish their season. Texas has Texas A&M and Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game. Boise State has home games against Nevada and New Mexico State to finish the season. TCU finishes their season this week with a game against New Mexico.

All teams will hold serve this week going into the Championship week.

The biggest question for me is what happens if Texas loses against Nebraska?

Let play through this for a second.

Florida/Alabama winner by 4 in a classic game between two SEC powers.

Nebraska shocks Texas by 3 in a defensive struggle.

Pittsburgh claims Big East title with 10 point victory over Cincinnati.

If this scenario plays out, who would deserve to play the winner of the SEC Championship Game?

I think the loser of the SEC Championship Game deserves the other title game slot if the game is a close one. How does the loser fall behind TCU?

Would Pittsburgh or Georgia Tech have an argument?

Is this why we love the BCS? Because of the confusion it causes?

I predict that Pittsburgh will beat Cincinnati, so Texas must win out to prevent mass chaos once again in the BCS.

My predictions if Texas loses.

Rose Bowl

Oregon vs Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl

TCU vs Nebraska

Sugar Bowl

Texas vs Boise State

Orange Bowl

Pittsburgh vs Georgia Tech

Championship Game

Florida vs Alabama rematch

Florida-Florida State: Gators Hang on To Win 68-52 on Hardwood

Rick Gillispie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:12:17 -0500

The Florida Gators jumped on and blew away the Florida State Seminoles in the first half en route to their 68-52 win. The Gators went into the halftime break leading 39-19.

Florida State made a change at the half and the Seminoles cut the Gator lead all the way down to five. They could not get any closer, however, as the Gators fought back to win the game going away, 68-52.

Alex Tyus led the Gators with 13 points and eight rebounds. Erving Walker's 13 points and Kenny Boynton's 13 points also helped the Gators improve to 4-0 on the season.

The Gators will face their biggest test of the season on Friday when the travel to East Lansing to battle the No. 2 ranked team in the country, the Michigan State Spartans.

This game was an ugly game to watch with the teams combining for 41 turnovers. Florida shot 46 percent from the field and 29 percent from the three-point line.

Florida State was led by Derwin Kitchen's 15 points and Chris Singleton's 14 points. Florida State falls to 3-1 on the season.

The Gators, whose starters were struggling for most of the game, got good numbers from their bench. Ray Shipman's nine points and Chandler Parsons' eight points helped the Gators' bench outscore the Seminoles' bench 18-11.

SEC: The Top Players from Week One

Rick Gillispie — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:24:14 -0500

As the first week of the NCAA basketball season has come to an end, there have been some outstanding performances in the SEC.

Over the last few years, the SEC has had its struggles getting back on top of the pedestal where the Florida Gators were a few years ago.

The following players are hoping to lead their respective teams to the tournament and cut down nets at the end of the season.

The Top 10 players from SEC action in Week One:

1. Patrick Patterson (Kentucky) 19.0 ppg, 12.2 rbg

2. Marshawn Powell (Arkansas) 20.3 ppg, 9.7 rbg

3. John Wall (Kentucky) 20.3 ppg, 7.3 apg, 4.0 rbg

4. Rotnei Clark (Arkansas) 27.7 ppg, 3.0 apg

5. Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt) 19.5 ppg, 7.0rpg

6. Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi St) 17.3 ppg, 11.0 rbg

7. Bo Spencer (LSU) 20.3ppg 4.0 rbg, 4.0 apg

8. Mikhail Torrance (Alabama) 18.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 4.7 rbg

9. Kenny Boynton (Florida) 19.0 ppg, 4.3 rbg

10. Storm Warren (LSU) 16.3 ppg, 11.7 rbg

There were a lot of great players in the first 10 days of action this year. These picks are just what I think; you could easily plug in Scotty Hopson, Chris Warren, or Devan Downey and you'd have a legitimate case. Hopefully, this type of play will continue throughout the entire season.

10 Days and Already 10 Losses for SEC Basketball

Rick Gillispie — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:59:27 -0500

For the Southeastern Conference, needing to lift themselves up after a year where the sent only three teams to the tournament, things have started a little rocky.

Ten combined losses already in the Conference is not what they need. Kentucky and Tennessee have each started strong, going to 4-0, but both have a struggle in a game or two. LSU, Florida, and Vanderbilt are still undefeated but haven't played any quality competition yet, so that's where the should be.

Here is a recap of the 10 losses so far:

Rider 88, Mississippi St. 74: The preseason hype must have been to much for the Bulldogs as they can't get by the Rider Broncs. Mississippi St. has rebounded, getting two straight wins since then, but they should be 3-0. BAD LOSS

Cornell 71, Alabama 67: The Crimson Tide can't stop the big Red. Alabama has a new coach and there is going to be a learning process here, but you cannot lose games like this. Alabama has won two straight since this loss. BAD LOSS

Missouri State 73, Auburn 62: Auburn has struggled this is the first loss of three on the list. Jeff Lebo has his hands full with this Tiger Team. BAD LOSS

Lousiville 96, Arkansas 66: Nobody thought the Hogs would beat Louisville, but to lose by 30 is unacceptable. Arkansas was riding high after a opening game blowout and then laid a goose egg. Arkansas is better than this. BAD LOSS

Wofford 60, Georgia 57: Georgia lacked the fight to win this game. This is another totally unacceptable loss for the conference. The Bulldogs need to win this game every time. BAD LOSS

UCF 84, Auburn 74: The struggles continue for the Tigers. BAD LOSS

UAB 72, Georgia 56: The Blazers are 4-1 on the season, but should not be beating an SEC team by 16. The Bulldogs need to play with more heart. BAD LOSS

Villanova 79, Mississippi 67: The Rebels looked good throughout this tournament and played good in the final. Villanova is a better team but the Rebels played tough. Look for good things from this team. GOOD LOSS

Miami 85, South Carolina 70: The Gamecocks have looked good this year and Miami is not a bad team. I would have liked this game to be a little closer for me. Eight to nine points is a good range for this game. SO-SO LOSS

N.C. State 60, Auburn 58: Of the three loses by the Tigers the actually played good in this game. Losing by only two to a quality ACC team is ok. The Tigers still have lots of questions after starting the year 2-3. GOOD LOSS

So there are the 10 losses by SEC teams so far this year. Some of these teams that I said were bad losses might be good teams and win their conference. But, to me, no SEC team should be losing to a team like Wofford or Missouri State.

College Basketball 2009: The Youth Movement of the SEC

Rick Gillispie — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:03:59 -0500

Every year, young men make their way to the class room and the hardwood for their first taste of the college life.

Freshman have a history of helping their teams right away and basking in the spotlight that is college basketball.

As college basketball enters its second full week of the young season, lots of talented young freshman are showing their worth.

To me, the SEC has the best group of talented freshman in the nation. There might be a better individual player, but as a group, the SEC is No. 1.

Everybody has heard about the great freshman @ Kentucky, but trust me, there are a lot more talented freshman in the league.

The top 10 freshman in scoring entering Saturday's games for the SEC.

Marshawn Powell (Arkansas)—20.3

John Wall (Kentucky)—20.0

Kenny Boynton (Florida)—19.0

Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky)—15.0

DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky)—14.7

Tony Mitchell (Alabama)—13.0

Dennis Harris (LSU)—9.3

Julysses Nobles (Arkansas)—8.7

Earnest Ross (Auburn)—7.3

John Jenkins (Vanderbilt)—7.0

And there are plenty more young freshman just waiting to make their mark.

As we all know scoring is not everything, but it surely helps a young man's mind set and confidence when he can score and earn the praise of teammates.

One of the greatest things about watching freshman play is watching them mature before your eyes. I truly wish all players would stay at least three years, but I understand the lure of the NBA.

With that said some of these young men will leave after one season and take their game to the next level. Hopefully, they all succeeded in whatever choice the make.

I would tell all fans to enjoy the seasons that these young men are here and remember that they will make mistakes and their will lots of ups and downs, but never stop supporting them and wait the will shine once again.

Kentucky Wildcats Get Win Despite Giving Up 92 Points

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:29:35 -0500

The Kentucky Wildcats raised their record to 3-0 with a 102-92 win over Sam Houston State. The Wildcats gave up 18 three-point shots by the Bearkats.

Kentucky had five players score in the game with all the players scoring 15 or more points. DeMarcus Cousins led the Wildcats with 27 points.

Thru three games now the Wildcats are giving up an average of 73 points a game. As the season unfolds the young Wildcats will need to drop this number to around 60 a game to contend with the best teams in the country.

Kentucky has the ability to score a bunch of points on every night but to win the National Title the defense will have to get better.

Kentucky will be back on the court Saturday against Rider.

For all the SEC news check out my blog .

SEC Starting Out Slow With Bad Hiccups!

Rick Gillispie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:29:30 -0500

Coming off a year where you only had three teams earn a spot in the NCAA tournament the last thing the SEC wanted was a slow start.

But, a little over a week into the season and the conference already has five losses with four to lesser opponents.

Mississippi St., Auburn, Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia have all lost this year.

Arkansas did lose to a quality opponent in Louisville, but when you lose by 30 that is unacceptable.

With loses to Rider, Missouri State, Cornell, and Wofford, and a close call against Miami(OH) for the team believed to win the league Kentucky this could be a very long season for the conference.

The Conference is sitting at 17-5 for the season so far with LSU leading the way with a 3-0 record.

Earlier in the season players are rusty and you are trying to get the players adjusted to playing with each other if you have a young team. With that said at no time should you lose to an inferior opponent.

The SEC needs at least six teams to go dancing this year to give the conference the emotional boost the need.

Colorado Avalanche: Who Are These Guys?

Rick Gillispie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:05:35 -0400

Browsing the hockey stats online the other day I came to a realization that I don't know any of these guys who are leading the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche have burst on to the scene with a 8-1-2 record and 18 points to start the year. The are the front runners in the Western Conference only 11 games in.

So who are the Avalanche, well the are led by:

Wojtek Wolski a first round draft pick in 2004. Wolski has 10 points on the young season and has been a steady 40+ point scorer the last three years.

Paul Stastny a second round pick from 2005. Stastny also has 10 points and is looking to gain back his 70+ point season efforts like in 06-08.

Ryan O'Reilly a second round pick in this year's draft is having a great rookie year. O' Reilly is another solid player with 10 points on the young season.

Milan Hejduk the old man on the team is having a great year with nine points already. Hejduk in his 11th season with the Avalanche is looking for one more cup run.

Kyle Quincy new to the team this year has started strong with eight points. Quincy is in his second full season in the NHL.

Craig Anderson has been outstanding in goal. Anderson has played in all 11 games and has a .936 save percentage.

There is a lot of other great players having good starts to their year.

With this great start it makes you wonder how long it can last. Hopefully a while it's fun watching teams nobody pick shock everybody.

2009-2010 NBA Preview: Which Rookie Makes an Immediate Impact?

Rick Gillispie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:16:52 -0400

Every year, we have these baby fresh rookies come into the league trying to make an impact right away.

Last year we saw the likes of Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Love, just to name a few, show why the are going to be in this league for years to come.

But, for every Derrick Rose there is a Danilo Gallinari, who, because of injuries or hard time adjusting to the NBA type of game, makes people scratch their heads.

For me, every player should be given at least three years to prove their worth, but all of us love to see that guy break out in his first year.

This year could be a great year for rookies in the league. With talent like Blake Griffin, Johnny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, and Brandon Jennings, just to name a few. But the key will be how well they adjusted to the NBA game. With all the pressure on the lottery picks to lead their teams right away, it could be too much for them to handle.

For players like DeJuan Blair, who get drafted to teams that are contenders, there is already less pressure. They just need to find their game and how it will fit with their new team.

Man, I can't wait for the season to start. I always look forward to see the rookies play and see how they progress from the start of the season to the end.

If you get the chance, check out my blog for more stories on rookies throughout the season. And please send me links to other blogs you like to feature on my blog .

Shaun Livingston: Is This Finally the Year the Thunder Guard Roars?

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:40:06 -0400

I have decided to take on a little project and look back at some of the disappointments from the 2004 NBA Draft. Giving the players five full seasons to prove their worth, I figured I could see who is a bust and who has soared.

So, I started at the top with Dwight Howard—OK, he is great.

Then came Emeke Okafor. Now, this could go either way, but I will give him credit. He is a stellar double-double man.

Ben Gordon was selected third and he is a top player.

Then comes Shaun Livingston, who was selected fourth by the Los Angeles Clippers. Man, he has had a tough road.

Livingston is an injury waiting to happen. He played in only 30 games his rookie season. His numbers looked like this: 27 minutes per game, seven points per game, and five assists per contest.

The 2005-06 season would see him play in a career-high 61 games, but his numbers dropped a little. Then, the 2006-07 season was his best until the terrible knee injury everybody has seen a hundred times...but if not, here you go .

Livingston missed the whole 2007-08 season rehabbing . He was released after the 2008 season by the Clippers and went through lots of struggles last year.

Livingston did get picked up by the Miami Heat, where he played four games before being traded then released again. Oklahoma City signed him late last season. Livingston played eight games for the Thunder, getting one start.

With Livingston finally being healthy, look for him to make an impact on this young Thunder team and don't be surprised that if he stays healthy, he will battle Thabo Sefolosha for starting time.

Livingston has paid his dues to the injury gods and knows he needs just one full season to prove his worth.

Please visit my blog for some of the latest news on the NBA.

Jeff Fisher's Joke That Went Wrong

Rick Gillispie — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:53:22 -0400

Last night at a charity function for Rocket Town in Nashville coach Jeff Fisher decided to have some fun and wear a Colts jersey.

Fisher, who came dressed in a suit made the comment that he wants to fell like a winner and stripped down to a Peyton Manning Colts jersey.

Yes, it was a joke because he was getting ready to introduce his friend, ex-Colts coach Tony Dungy.

Here is the problem with this: When your team is 0-6 and just lost 59-0 there is no time for jokes. Your focus needs to be on winning a damn game.

Living within radio distance of Nashville all that has been on the radio Wednesday has been about this incident.

Yes, coach Fisher knows better and yes he did apologize, but to the thousands of fans who were already wanting his head, he has lost them forever.

Timing is always a key in everything you do and coach Fisher should of thought about that.

But, the fans of the Titans need to worry about when the are going to win a game and not what their coach is doing. With a team that the fans believe have quit, owner Bud Adams needs to figure out what direction he wants to take his team.

So, Titans fans calm down and relax their is bigger issues to deal with like.

Who is going to QB this team? When are we going to win? What does are future look like?

2009-2010 NBA Preview

Rick Gillispie — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:18:02 -0400

It's time once again for the NBA season to begin.

Every October the courts come alive and the fans come out in swarms to see their favorite teams and players start another season.

This year we have lots of things to look forward to with a great crop of rookies and the usual teams vying for the NBA crown.

Lots of questions surround the Cleveland Cavaliers and the pairing of King James and Shaq. Does Shaq have one more dominate season left in him? Can he help James get his first title? In a few days we will see some of the early signs of these questions and lots more.

I am a big fan of rookies. I love to see the young talent come in and try and take over the game and love to see where they are gonna take the game in the future. This year we have a great crop of guys to look at.

Blake Griffin, Johnny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, James Harden and Brandon Jennings just to name a few are the guys to watch this season.

So as the season unfolds, sit back and relax because it is going to be a long season and nothing will be decided until the end.

My Dream pairings for the playoffs:

Eastern Conference

Boston vs Detroit

Cleveland vs Orlando

then Cleveland vs Boston

Western Conference

Dallas vs San Antonio

Denver vs Lakers

then Spurs vs Lakers

And yes i want to see the Cavs vs Lakers in the finals.

If you have a chance check out my new blog . It will cover alot of the rookies and stats of the NBA this season. And please if you know of any good NBA blogs i can link to on my blog please let me know.

Nashville Buying! A Hockey Player Who Can Score

Rick Gillispie — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:50:20 -0400

As we entered the third full week of the NHL season all teams are averaging at least two goals per game, but not the offensive juggernaut that is the Nashville Predators.

The Preds are the worst scoring team in the league averaging a awesome 1.2 goals per game.

And to make matters worse their captain is out for two weeks with a hand injury.

Nashville has never been known as a scoring team or having that one dominate offensive player, but with the game changing and teams getting younger and faster the Preds need to do something quick or the could be a bottom dweller for years to come.

The fans of Nashville are great, but too many seasons in the basement and the will stop coming out for games.

Through my blog , I try and cover everything dealing with the Nashville Predators.

Week One: What We Know and What We Learned

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:45:41 -0400

The NHL season is seven days old and we have seen some great hockey so far.

Every year we come into the season with a good idea of what to except and who should win what. This year has given us a few surprises so far and a lot to wonder about in the next few weeks.

What We Know

Alex Ovechkin has been a beast in his three games played this year. He has five goals and four assists for a total of nine points. We know Ovechkin is great, but how long can he keep up this pace.

Washington Capitals' Offense is a juggernaut.

The Caps have four of the top five point scores so far this year (Ovechkin with nine, Backstrom—eight, Semin—seven, and Laich—six). But as we saw against Philadelphia goaltending is going to need to improve if the Caps plan on making a deep run.

Mike Richards is off to a flying start for the Flyers. Richards has five goals for the flyers through three games, tying him with Ovechkin for the NHL lead. Three of those goals came against the Capitals.

Goaltending is going to be crazy again this year.

Roberto Luongo of Vancouver sits at 1-3, Cam Ward of Carolina sits 1-2, Martin Brodeur sits at 0-2 for the Devils. Ray Emery (Philadelphia) and Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary) sit at 3-0.

What We Still Don't Know

Rookies, how good are they really?

Michael Del Zotto (Rangers) leads the rookies in points with three and in goals with two in the three games that have been played. James Van Riemsdyk (Flyers) has three assists in his three games. John Tavares(Islanders) has a goal and assist in his one game so far this year.

How will the Canadiens respond to the injury bug?

Is St. Louis and Phoenix that good?

The great thing about the first week of hockey is it will make you pull your hair out and question everything you thought would happen. But don't fret, the next week will be just as exciting and some things might get cleared up and others will become into question.

TOP TEAMS AFTER WEEK ONE:

1. Philadelphia Flyers 3-0-0 6 pts

2. Calgary Flames 3-0-0 6 pts

3. Washington Capitals 2-0-1 5 pts

4. Phoenix Coyotes 2-0-0 4 pts

5. St. Louis Blues 2-0-0 4 pts

6. Colorado Avalanche 2-0-0 4 pts

7. Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0-0 4 pts

8. New York Rangers 2-1-0 4 pts

9. Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1-0 4 pts

10. Montreal Canadiens 2-2-0 4 pts

Check out my blog on the Nashville Predators

Predators Sign Dave Scatchard

Rick Gillispie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:17:49 -0400

The following is breaking news from NHL.com Nashville Predators site.

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed free-agent forward Dave Scatchard (DAYV SKAT-chuhrd) to a one-year, two-way contract worth $550,000 on the NHL level and $105,000 on the AHL level. Scatchard cleared waivers on Wednesday and will report to Milwaukee (AHL).

Scatchard, 33 (2/20/76), has played in 635 career NHL games since the 1997-98 season, amassing 263 points (125g-138a) with Vancouver (1997-2000), the New York Islanders (2000-04), Boston (2005-06) and Phoenix (2005-07).

The Hinton, Alta., native saw limited action in 2007-08 with Hartford (3gp, 0g-1a) and Milwaukee (8gp, 1g-2a) of the American Hockey League, and didn’t play during the 2008-09 campaign. The 6-3, 210-pound center participated in Vancouver’s training camp last month on a Professional Tryout Agreement.

A second-round choice (42nd overall) of the Canucks in the 1994 Entry Draft, Scatchard’s top offensive season came in 2002-03 with the Islanders, when he registered 27 goals and 45 points in 81 contests.

This pick up should give the Preds extra depth incase of any more injuries.

All Predators fans should like this pick up. Scatchard will give depth and with him signing only a one year deal helps the Predsators if the don't need him or it doesn't work out.

Please visit my blog for all the latest news on the Nashville Predators.

Washington Capitals Success Will Depend On Goaltending

Rick Gillispie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:16:23 -0400

When a team has the greatest player in the NHL on its team and an offense that is the league's best, one might think average goaltending is acceptable.

Not in the NHL.

Jose Thedore and Seymon Varlamov have combined to give up 11 goals in three games.

Yes, Washington is 2-0-1 but with that overtime lose to Philadelphia it should be a wake up sign that to make a deep playoff run this year the goaltending will need to improve.

Jose Thedore so far this season is playing better. He has a .917 save percentage on 36 shots. Thedore beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on opening day.

Seymon Varlamov has a .857 save percentage on 56 shots. Varlamov got the win vs the Maple Leafs in game two 6-4.

For the Capitals to have any shot at the Finals goaltending needs to a big priority for them.

Washington ranks No.1 in goals, assists, and of course points but the rank T-21 in Save percentage.

Check out my blog for all the latest news on the Nashville Predators

Too Young To Drink: Western Conference

Rick Gillispie — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:17:13 -0400

Some of the NHL's best talent is 20 years old or younger—meaning they can play professional hockey, but cannot drink beer.

The greatest thing about this is we get to see young players mature over the course of their careers.

As of today, there are 13 players on Western Conference teams that are 20 or younger. More players will show up throughout the season.

The best of these players is Patrick Kane (Chicago).

Let's look at a breakdown of these young players:

Name                                                    NHL Experience
Patrick Kane (Chicago), 20                  164 games
Sam Gagner (Edmonton), 19                 156 games
Jakub Voracek (Columbus), 20              82 games
Mikkel Boedker (Phoenix), 19                79 games
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles), 19           82 games
Luca Sbisa (Anaheim), 19                      40 games
Nikita Filatov (Columbus), 19                 10 games
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis), 19              8 games
Matt Duchene (Colorado), 18                 2 games
Ryan O'Reilly (Colorado), 18                  2 games
Jamie Benn (Dallas), 20                          1 game
Colin Wilson (Nashville), 19                    N/A
Luke Gazdic (Dallas), 20                         N/A

Visit my blog for more info about the NHL, mostly on the Nashville Predators.

One Hundred Points Equals Success For the Nashville Predators

Rick Gillispie — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:44:28 -0400

The Nashville Predators' goal for the 2009-2010 season is simple: make the playoffs.

The last three years it has taken 91, 91, and 96 points to claim the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference.

The Predators need to strive for at least 100 points to eliminate any need for a late-season push.

With the victory at Dallas on Saturday, the Preds have 12 games remaining for the month. If they can end the month of October with at least 16 points, then they should be sitting pretty in the playoff picture.

The key is always going to be home games, with six this month. The Preds need at least nine points out of those contests.

The Preds have three games against division rival Chicago Blackhawks, which should give them a fair idea how they stand in the very tough Central Division.

Check out my blog for all the latest Nashville Predators news through out the season.

Nicklas Backstrom: Is He Alex Ovechkin's Mark Messier?

Rick Gillispie — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:35:30 -0400

Nicklas Backstrom is entering his third year in the NHL and his third year playing with Alex Ovechkin.

The last two years Backstrom has been the Capitals No. 2 scorer behind Ovechkin.

When I see these two guys play, it takes me back to the time when Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier with the Edmonton Oilers from 1979 to 1988.

Ovechkin like Gretzky during that time is the best scorer in the game and like what Messier did for Gretzky Backstrom is doing for Ovechkin.

Nicklas Backstrom is the perfect teammate for Ovechkin. He is a young talented player who has no problem playing second fiddle to Ovechkin. He also has the talent to take over the game if Ovechkin is out or being smothered by the defense.

Backstrom and Ovechkin are the keys to Washington's success this season and beyond. Look for the Capitals to become a mainstay in the playoffs for years to come with talent like this.

Their are lots of great one-two punches in the history of the hockey league and also in the league this year.

Check out my blog for all the lastest news on the Nashville Predators.

Alex Ovechkin: Simply the Best

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:31:02 -0400

Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals started the 2009-2010 season with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.

Ovechkin proved in the first game why he is the best in the league—scoring two goals and having one assist.

Ovechkin—the No. 1 pick from the 2004 draft—has dominated the league since the 2005-2006 season.

Ovechkin comes into the year with 219 goals and 201 assists in his short four year career.

The 24-year-old is simply the best player in the NHL.

Washington is hoping Ovechkin can lead them to the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond this year.

Brooks Laich also scored two goals for the Capitals and Nicklas Backstrom had three assists.

New Jersey Devils and Brenden Shanahan Part Ways on Opening Night

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:11:07 -0400

The New Jersey Devils and Brendan Shanahan have parted ways.

This info taken from NHL.com

It appears the future is now in New Jersey.

Why else would veteran forward Brendan Shanahan and the Devils part ways Thursday after the 40-year-old left wing had just signed a $1 million contract to return to New Jersey in August?

According to Devils President/CEO/GM Lou Lamoriello, the emergence of several prospects, including wingers Niclas Bergfors and Matt Halischuk, and the acquisitions of Rob Niedermayer and Ilkka Pikkarainen, played a big role in Thursday's decision.

Bergfors and Halischuk each starred for the Devils' American Hockey League affiliate in Lowell last season, combining for 36 goals and 80 points.

Read the rest of the article at http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=500585

2009-2010 NHL Season Is Here! Let's Lace It Up

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:25:54 -0400

As the 2009-2010 NHL season begins there are lots of questions to ask and lots of exciting games to watch.

The season gets kicked off on Oct 1 with four games.

As a baby growing up in Florida, hockey was the farthest thing from my mind. I knew what it was and knew some of the players but never watched it or followed it. In the south for me it was all about football, racing and baseball.

It wasn’t till I joined the Army that I thought about hockey.

Being stationed at Ft. Campbell Kentucky between 1995-2000 gave me the opportunity to see the Nashville Predators become a Hockey team.

I attended the first ever regular season game at home for the Predators.

A win for Nashville I think against the Florida Panthers I think (ironic huh).

I did not attend any more games during my time at Ft. Campbell but my interest was growing.

A friend of mine while I was stationed at Ft. Campbell was a big New York Rangers fan and I would watch games at his house with him.

After leaving the service in 2005, I relocated back to Kentucky with my family. I started attending Predators games with my son and even took my daughter to one. Of Course she complained about how cold it was.

I attended only 1-2 games a year and sometimes none but the game was coming around to me more and more.

Last year I attended no games but watched and listened to games on TV. and the radio and became hooked.

I guess you could say Nashville is my team but I can watch anybody.

Still don’t know all the rules or all the great players in the league but hockey has a fan in me.

My goal is to try and see at least five games live this year.

Enough about me let’s talk hockey.

Here are some of my questions for the year?

Can Nashville get back to the playoffs?

Will Pittsburgh & Detroit meet again?

Crosby vs. Ovechkin who’s better?

These are just a few of the questions I have for the season and can’t wait for them to play out.

I have a blog where I will be talking hockey all year long. If you have a chance stop by and check it out http://bluelinemadness.blogspot.com/

Well sit back and lace up those skates it’s time for hockey.

Good luck to all teams and have a great and exciting year.

Gabbert Leading the Tigers to the Big 12 Promise Land

Rick Gillispie — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:25:21 -0400

Blaine Gabbert, a Sophomore in his first year as the starting quarterback for the Missouri Tigers, has led his team to a 4-0 record and No. 21 ranking in the coaches' poll.

Gabbert has piled up 1161 yards passing throwing for 11 touchdowns and no INTs.

The goal for the Tigers is to get to the Big 12 Title game again. Over the next three games Gabbert and the Tigers will be tested and we will see if they have what it takes to regain their spot in the championship game.

Missouri will play Nebraska on Oct 8. This will be a nationally televised game so if Gabbert has any hopes for a case for the Heisman this will be a game to show his skills.

Missouri then will travel to Oklahoma State on Oct 17 for a tough battle against the Cowboys.

If Missouri is still undefeated then the game against Texas at home on Oct 24 will be a great Big 12 clash and maybe a preview of the Big 12 title game.

Gabbert is living up to all the high exceptions that were set for him, but look for him to cool off in October with a 2-2 record.

Missouri could still possibly win the Big 12 North title, but the game with Kansas at the end of the year will be one of the biggest in the series in years.

2008 Playoff Teams Struggle To Start 2009

Rick Gillispie — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:16:17 -0400

Two games into the 2009 NFL season and a few surprises have arisen. Three playoff teams from last year have started the season at 0-2. The Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, and the Carolina Panthers have started their year in a hole that will take a miracle to get out of.

The Miami Dolphins have lost to the Atlanta Falcons and the Indianapolis Colts this season. Chad Pennington is struggling with a 75.9 QB rating. Pennington has thrown two INTs verse one touchdown.

There are a few bright spots for the Dolphins this season. Ronnie Brown has 179 yards on 34 carries so far this year and Ted Ginn Jr. has 134 yards on 13 receptions. If this pace stays up Brown will run for 1280 yards and Ginn will catch for 1072 yards.

Miami will travel to San Diego this weekend then tackle division rivals Buffalo and New York at home in the following weeks.

It is a very good possibility that the Dolphins will be 0-5 heading into BYE WEEK.

The Carolina Panthers have started the season with loses to Philadelphia and Atlanta. Quarterback play is the key to the Panthers terrible start with Jake Delhomme sitting at a 45.3 quarterback rating and questions abound about if he should be the starter. Delhomme has five INTs to one touchdown so far this year.

Steve Smith is one of the only bright spots on this team with lots of talent. Smith has 11 catches for 152 yards so far this season. The two headed running back duo are not doing too bad with each running back over 100 yards for the season and both on pace for at least 800 yards rushing this season. The defense has struggled in stopping the run so far this season giving up 168 yards a game.

Carolina will travel to Dallas this week then get a break before hosting Washington in week five.

Look for Carolina to go 0-3 then regroup and get a win in week five against Washington.

The Tennessee Titans started the season with losses to Pittsburgh and the Houston Texas. The Titans lost both games by three points.

While the offense hasn’t looked totally bad it hasn’t looked great. Kerry Collins sits at a respectful 85.4 rating and has three touchdowns to two INTs. The key to the offense is star running back Chris Johnson who has 254 yards rushing and 10 catches for 98 yards receiving with three touchdowns total. Justin Gage and Kenny Britt are both having decent starts to their season with 105 and 107 yards respectfully.

The Titans defense has given up almost 700 yards of passing offense while holding the running game to only 99 through two games.

The Titans will travel to the Jets and the Jaguars before coming home to play the Colts in Week five.

The Titans will regroup and win two out of the next three and be at 2-3 heading into week six.

Jonathan Dwyer Needs Help and Now!

Rick Gillispie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:15:38 -0400

I have never seen a potential Heisman candidate start the season this bad since well, i guess Sam Bradford.

Jonathan Dwyer, the star running back from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets has had a terrible start to his Junior year.

Dwyer rushed for 1395 yards last season and the hype was this year he was going to be better, but thru three games nobody has seen it yet.

Dwyer has not broken 100 yards this season and thru three games is sitting at 168 yards.

Dwyer rushed for a terrible seven yards on five carries against the Miami Hurricanes.

Georgia Tech had 789 yards rushing last year thru three games. The have 731 yards this year thru three games. That is not much of a down fall.

What is wrong?

Dwyer has only touched the ball 30 times thru three games.

That needs to change or the Yellow Jackets season will be a tough battle.

Is Jacory Harris Too Good To Be True?

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:51:41 -0400

Miami QB Jacory Harris has led his team to two victory's over top 25 teams this season.

Harris went to Florida State and threw for 386 yards with two touchdowns. He did have two INTs in that game but his team won 38-34.

Now, Harris has lead his team to a home victory over Georgia Tech. Harris was almost perfect going 20 for 25 with 270 yards and three touchdowns.

This Sophomore is showing that he is the real deal and that the U is back and better than ever.

Last year Harris never threw for more than 200 yards and this year he is lighting it up.

Miami will keep on there killer schedule next week traveling to Virginia Tech and then come home to play Oklahoma.

At the beginning of the year people would have said Miami will be lucky to start 1-3 but now with the injuries to Virginia Tech and Oklahoma 4-0 is not out of the question.

If Miami does go 4-0 look out for the U. The have a great shot at going undefeated and maybe a date with in state rival Florida in the BCS championship game.

Harris is a true leader for this team and his outstanding play has given the Miami faithful something to cheer about.

The Reciever's Who Are Going To Help Dallas To The Promise Land

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:41:56 -0400

As the 2009 season starts, the Dallas Cowboys are starting fresh. The team got rid of trouble maker reciever Terrell Owens in the off-season and are looking at the future with eyes wide open.

QB Tony Romo is back and barring any injuries look for at least 275 pass completions and at least 3500 yards passing.

Romo will have some veterans and some players looking to prove the belong to throw to this year.

The Dallas Cowboys recieving corp on paper probaly doesn't look good but it will be one of the best in the league by the end of the season which will end in the Super Bowl.

Jason Witten has had at least 65 receptions over the last five years and 71.5 avgerage over his six years in the league. Witten also averaged 822.50 yards over that same six year period. Witten is one of the best tight ends in the game and will be one of Romo's favirote targets this season.

Prediction for Witten = 93 receptions for 1075 yards and 8 TDs

Roy E. Williams will be the No. 2 target for Romo this year. Williams had his worst production as a pro last year splitting time between Detroit and Dallas.

Williams has averaged 56.2 receptions since joining the league in 2004. With 816 yards averaged per season during that time look for Williams to show why he was a top pick out of Texas.

Prediction for Williams = 91 receptions for 1100 yards and 6 TDs

Patrick Crayton has been a solid No. 3 for Dallas for the last five years and this year he will surpass all his career highs and show everybody why he is a star. Crayton is a soild 31.8 reception 453.2 yard guy but not anymore. Crayton will see the ball more than he ever has this year.

Prediction for Crayton = 64 receptions for 815 yards and 5 TDs

Miles Austin is a fourth year guy trying to prove his worth. With career numbers last year in 13 receptions for 278 yards it wont take much attention by Romo to get him by these numbers. Austin will get 1-3 touches a night so look for an improvement from last year.

Prediction for Austin = 27 receptions for 374 yards and 3 TDs

Martellus Bennett is a young star in the making. This season will be almost an exact copy from last year's production stand point.Bennett will catch 1-2 balls a night and give Dallas a different look besides Witten.

Prediction for Bennett = 21 receptions for 286 yards and 3 TDs

Look for Dallas to cut down on their passing to the running backs this season but if the need to look for Marion Barber and Tashard Choice to get the receptions. Last year Dallas threw to the running backs over 75 times for receptions look for that number to be cut down to 40 or less.

Other recievers will get in the game for the Cowboys and could have a great impact for the team.

Romo will have a Pro Bowl year and possible MVP year. Look for career numbers from the seventh year pro.