Bleacher Report - Articles by Matthew Schiffman

Miami Hurricanes Further Rebuilding Efforts Despite Loss at Florida

Matthew Schiffman — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:20:25 -0400

After writing an article about how much fun I had at the Florida-Miami game last Saturday, I figured I should throw in my two cents about how the Hurricanes looked. After all, I am a huge UM fan, so that, at least, makes me qualified.

Let's move on to the analysis. First of all, Miami may have lost by 23 points, but its coaches and players have to feel encouraged after putting a real scare into the now No. 4-ranked Florida Gators.

At halftime, the 'Canes trailed by only six, not even allowing the Gators’ offense to reach double digits. That’s because the Miami defense was swarming the Florida players.

Up front, the defensive line was pressuring Tim Tebow, and defensive coordinator Bill Young wasn’t afraid to send players blitzing in order to get in the backfield and force Tebow to scramble. Sure, Tebow was able to gain yards with his feet, but the Miami defense did a solid job containing him and forcing him to throw off-balance passes.

Probably the most impressive 'Cane of the night on either side of the ball was outside linebacker Sean Spence. A freshman from last year’s No. 1 high school team in the nation, Miami Northwestern, Spence instantly made his presence known at the collegiate level.

He was flying around the field making plays and getting in the Florida backfield. After Tebow had managed to escape sack after sack for two quarters, Spence came in on a blitz, grabbed Tebow’s jersey as he tried to scramble, and flung him around as he threw him to the ground.

In the second half, Spence used his monstrous 6', 202-pound frame to level a Florida receiver, causing every spectator in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to let out an “Ouch” as if they had all felt the impact themselves.

On the offensive side of the ball, things didn’t look too bad, despite only managing to put up three points.

Red-shirt freshman quarterback Robert Marve started the game, with true freshman Jacory Harris also seeing a fair amount of playing time. Both quarterbacks looked a little uncomfortable with the system, but both showed tremendous poise, hanging in the pocket as long as possible before evading the rush.

One thing that was evident with Marve, and something that Brock Berlin and Kyle Wright seemed to lack, was that he always kept his eyes downfield. Even when Marve was flushed out of the pocket by the oncoming pass rush, he moved while keeping his eyes downfield as long as possible before deciding to take off and run.

The fact that the Hurricanes were able to put together a few drives and move the ball sufficiently should be encouraging considering how respected Florida’s defense is this year.

The 'Canes just need to worry about finishing off drives after they start moving the ball. They often built up a lot of momentum, only to see the drive suddenly come to a halt with a sack, dropped pass, or a run that went for negative yards.

Another area that appears to need some work is the play calling. It would have been nice to see offensive coordinator Patrick Nix be a little more adventurous and creative on Saturday.

Just think about it: Miami is unranked, playing the No. 4 team in the country on the road in Gainesville. Why not go out and call some crazy plays? Go throw the ball downfield and try to bust the game open.

Sadly, Nix appeared content to be conservative, trying to run the ball straight up the Florida defense and settle for five- to seven-yard passes. I just wish he would have taken some shots downfield and given those young receivers a chance to make something happen against a veteran Florida defense.

But, I guess, the thing to keep in mind, especially for all the 'Canes fans out there, is that this is still a rebuilding year for Miami. And despite Saturday’s loss, it appears that the program is moving closer and closer to regaining its national prominence as “The U.”

Can the Miami Hurricanes Return to Their Status As Quarterback U?

Matthew Schiffman — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:27:49 -0400

For Hurricanes fans, it feels like ages now since the program sported the nickname “Quarterback U.”

That’s because in recent years, “The U” has struggled at that position. Ever since Ken Dorsey graduated, the University of Miami has been unable to find a solid replacement.

Brock Berlin, a transfer from in-state rival University of Florida, showed flashes of brilliance during his time in Miami. Namely, he had a huge quarter and a half for the ‘Canes against his former Gators team in 2003, when he threw for 340 yards and led Miami from a 23-point deficit to win 38-33.

But those days were few and far between with Berlin at the helm. He struggled with his consistency and failed to be a strong leader.

Next, the Hurricanes looked to Kyle Wright. Having attended the same high school as Ken Dorsey, Wright was a promising young star. However, he too had his struggles and always seemed to be a little slow in reading opponents’ defenses.

The latest bust at the quarterback position was Kirby Freeman. More athletic than Wright and Berlin, Freeman was supposed to be a pocket passer who was a threat to run on defenses. But for some reason, he failed to surpass Wright in practice and never made an impact when he saw time on the field.

Now a new day has arrived for the ‘Canes faithful—or so they hope. Redshirt freshman Robert Marve won the Mr. Football award for the state of Florida two years ago when he won a class 4A championship with Tampa Plant.

Last year’s Mr. Football was Miami Northwestern quarterback Jacory Harris, who is also headed to Coral Gables. He won back-to-back 6A state championships at Miami Northwestern, which finished this past year ranked No. 1 in the country after laying a beatdown on my alma mater Boone High School in the state championship game.

(I’m not even going to put the score. If you really want to know, you can look it up. Believe me when I say, it was bad).

Randy Shannon has already said that both youngsters will see time on the field. Still, the head coach has made it clear that one of them will win the starting job. They will be competing throughout the offseason to see who starts the opener.

Shannon has a pretty good dilemma in dealing with Marve and Harris. In Marve’s senior year of high school, he broke two of Tim Tebow’s state records, throwing for 4,380 yards and 48 touchdowns. He also completed 280 passes that year, which was another new state record.

Marve is known as a pro-style quarterback who likes to stay in the pocket. But he has agility, which helps with his great pocket presence and also allows him to be an effective runner should he need to scramble.

Harris, on the other hand, is a dual-threat quarterback. But I can tell you firsthand that he doesn’t rely on his legs—his arm is just fine. (He lit up my high school’s defense in that game.)

In Harris’s senior year, he broke Marve’s record for passing touchdowns, throwing 49 on the year to go with just six interceptions, while also completing 67 percent of his passes.

Sure, Harris had weapons at wide receiver like Aldarius Johnson and Tommy Streeter, 6-feet-2 and 6-feet-5, respectively. This coming year, Marve will be all to happy to learn how it feels to throw to them, since the top two wide receivers from Miami Northwestern are also headed to “The U."

But not even Randy Shannon knows who will be starting at quarterback for the Hurricanes’ season opener. The head coach is a firm believer that competition breeds success. For the sake of all the Hurricanes' faithful, let’s hope he’s correct.

Regardless, ‘Canes fans should take solace in knowing that they’ll see the past two Mr. Football award winners for the state of Florida on the field this season, both donning Miami orange and green.

John McEnroe: A Class Act As Wimbledon Commentator

Matthew Schiffman — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:13:39 -0400

What occurred on Sunday, July 6, 2008 in London, England can simply not be put into words.

I’m not going to even try to attempt to describe the gut-wrenching effort we saw from both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the level of play that was simply out of this world, or the unfathomable mental toughness that both players displayed during their four-hours, 48-minute epic battle on Centre Court of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

But considering how big a tennis fan I am, I want to write something about this match. I just have to get my two cents in there about something—anything—that is related to the highest quality of tennis ever produced.

Not only were we tennis fans—and all sports fans, for that matter—treated to a brilliant match (yes, I know, that’s a severe understatement of the quality), but we were also treated to a wonderful broadcast.

John McEnroe may have been a bad boy in his competitive days, but the man has always loved the game. And that love for tennis was evident in his broadcast.

McEnroe was dutifully objective, critiquing and praising both players throughout the entirety of the match. As a broadcaster, that’s very important, so that viewers do not become irritated by any partiality.

But the greatest part was that McEnroe was enjoying the match more than any of us viewers at home. He and Ted Robinson continually remarked about how lucky they were to be sitting there watching the match live.

And McEnroe reminded the audience over and over that we were watching two of the greatest players ever, one of them maybe the greatest ever, battling at a quality that has never before been seen.

He had so much energy and enthusiasm throughout the match, all the while providing expert analysis that most others cannot deliver. McEnroe is a legend, a multiple Slam winner, so he knows what these guys are going through. Still, even he remarked over and over about the impressiveness of the players’ mental toughness.

As great as McEnroe was in the booth, his post-match interviews with Federer and Nadal were even better.

When he recognized that Federer was emotionally drained and beginning to tear up, McEnroe cut the interview short. Then he hugged Federer and thanked him for what he’s done for tennis. Can you think of another interview where you saw something like that?

McEnroe may have been a punk in his younger days, but on Sunday he showed that he’s now become much more mature, displaying absolute class in his coverage of the Wimbledon final.

What a Wacky Week at Wimbledon

Matthew Schiffman — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:27:27 -0400

We are now halfway through tennis’ most prestigious event— The Championships at Wimbledon.

Time to review:

Biggest Disappointments:

American men. This year’s Wimbledon was the worst for American men in the Open Era.

That’s right—was. That’s past tense, because there are no American men left. None of them will be appearing in the second week.

Andy Roddick fell at the hands of Janko Tipsarevic, who was playing brilliantly, in the second round.

Not too bad of a loss, when you consider that Tipsarevic took Federer to five sets Down Under at the Australian Open early on this year.

James Blake also bowed out in the second round, losing to a resurgent Rainer Schuettler in five sets.

Bobby Reynolds was America’s last hope on the men’s side as he was the only player to make it through to the third round. But there he ran into the big-serving lefty Spaniard Feliciano Lopez and lost in four.

Serbians. With Novak Djokovic winning the Australian Open and Ana Ivanovic capturing the French, Serbia currently holds the first two major championships of the 2008 season.

If they are to gain a Wimbledon crown, somebody new will have to step up.

Djokovic, who was expected to challenge Federer in the semifinals and possibly end his run of undefeated matches at Wimbledon, lost in three straight sets to Marat Safin in the second round.

Safin, who is far too talented to be ranked as low as he is, played like he did in his old days, but this time doing it on a surface that he’s not comfortable on. Still, it was Djokovic who had the let down and didn’t provide much of a fight.

On the women’s side, this was Ivanovic’s first tournament that she entered as the world’s No. 1. The pressure must have gotten to her, as she bowed out early, going down to Jie Zheng in the third round.

Not many people expected Ivanovic to win Wimbledon, but her result was still a huge surprise and major disappointment.

Biggest Surprises:

Maria Sharapova. Many people, including many analysts, picked Sharapova as the favorite heading into Wimbledon this year.

She had a great hard court season, winning the Australian Open, and looked poise to capture her second Wimbledon title, but Sharapova added her name to a growing list of top seeds being upset as she lost decisively to Alla Kudryavtseva in the second round.

Bethanie Mattek. Best known for her over-the-top outfits on court, Mattek has made a name for herself in this tournament. She’s the only American woman not named Williams left in the draw. In the third round, Mattek easily disposed of Marion Bartoli, last year’s Wimbledon runner-up.

The only problem now is that she faces one of those Williams, Serena that is, in her next match.

Other notable results:

There is a wide gap in seeded players remaining on the men’s side between the No. 2 seed,Rafael Nadal and the No. 8 seed Richard Gasquet. I already mentioned Djokovic, the three-seed; and Roddick, the six-seed. But the four, five, and seven seeds are all gone as well.

Grass is Nikolay Davydenko’s weakest surface and considering that he lost in the third round of the French Open, it’s not a huge surprise that the Russian counter-puncher made an early exit. Still, a straight-set loss in the first round is pretty bad for a No. 4 seed.

David Ferrer, the No. 5 seed, didn’t get the result he was looking for, but his loss is much more excusable. The Spaniard who loves to grind and wear opponents down with his fitness was simply out-hit by tall, big-serving Mario Ancic in a tough fought four-set match.

The No. 7 seed, David Nalbandian, is perhaps the most disappointing player on the ATP this year.

After ending the 2007 season in stellar fashion, recording wins over Nadal, Djokovic, and Roger Federer, Nalbandian has failed to produce good tennis this year. Wimbledon was no exception as the Argentine went out in the first round in straight sets.

Other than the upsets I already discussed, there haven’t been many major developments on the women’s side. With Sharapova and Ivanovic out, and Justine Henin gone from tennis, the draw looks to greatly favor the Williams sisters to meet in another major championship final.

As for the top two male tennis players, it’s been business as usual.

Federer seems unbothered by all his critics and looks to be in his comfort zone on the grass once again as he’s rolled through his first three matches without dropping a set.

All the while, Nadal is getting better and better on the grass and has dropped just one set in his three matches.

If all goes as expected over the next week, it’s quite possible that we’ll be viewing two very familiar grand slam finals matches on both the men’s and women’s sides; the Williams sisters staring at each other from across the net yet again, and Federer and Nadal seeing déjà vu once more.

Euro 2008: Germany Vs. Spain Finals Preview

Matthew Schiffman — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:39:51 -0400

After seeing some surprising results at the 2008 European Championships, two of Europe’s, and the world’s for that matter, powerhouse countries have made it through to the final.

The battle-tested German side will meet the historically ill-fated Spaniards on Sunday to decide who reigns supreme in Europe. And, what an intriguing matchup this is.

After delivering one of the most impressive performances of the first round against Poland, Germany went on to barely make it out of the group stage. They lost 2-1 to Croatia, then beat Austria 1-0 thanks to a punishing free kick by Michael Ballack to send them through to the knockout stage.

There, Germany managed to hold on late against a Portugal comeback and defeat the Group A winners 3-2.

In the semi-finals, Germany found themselves matched against a Turkish side that was depleted due to injuries and suspensions. Still, it required last-minute heroics from Phillip Lahm, who produced a goal in the 90th minute, to send the Germans through to the final.

On the other end, the Spaniards were much more comfortable in the group stage. They won all of their matches to finish at the top of Group D.

But the Spanish squad would face a stern test against the reigning World Cup champion Italy. The Italians played staunch defense and forced the game into penalty kicks. There, Iker Casillas proved his worth, blocking the Italians twice and sending Spain through.

In the semi-finals, Spain repeated what they did to Russia the first time the two squads met in this tournament as they won by a three-goal margin.

Now, the month-long journey comes to an end. And what a finish we have in store for us.

The Germans are tacticians. They take care of the ball in midfield and can string passes through to set up their world-class strikers. Miroslav Klose was struggling early in the tournament, but with two goals in his last two matches, he looks to be returning to form.

The Spanish have been the most fun team to watch this tournament. They attack relentlessly and play beautiful football, one-touching the ball around the field. They attack through the middle of the defense, as opposed to the Germans who like to play from the outside in.

Both offenses can expose the other squad’s defensive weaknesses. For the German offense, they have been most productive on dead balls. Their strikers have great instinct to find gaps in the defense and fly by their markers, all the while getting the highest quality of free kicks delivered in by their midfielders.

This can give the Spanish defense fits because they are not known for their size. The Spaniards are excellent at foiling a team’s possession in the middle of the field, but they are far less effective when dealing with balls in over their heads.

The Spanish offense is just the opposite. They love to run at their opponents, using their speed and quick touches to fly by defenders and find passing lanes that don’t even exist for most other squads.

This can be a big problem for the Germans because their central defenders are tall, but slow. Christoph Metzelder and Per Mertesacker are both known as being highly vulnerable when they are attacked head-on by opposing forwards.

In the end, I think the speed and creativity of the Spanish will outclass the slower and more methodical German side.

My pick: Spain wins a very close and well-contested match 3-2.

Novak Djokovic Needs to Either Put Up or Shut Up

Matthew Schiffman — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:58:10 -0400

On the first Wednesday of Wimbledon, tennis’ most prestigious tournament saw its biggest upset of 2008 occur.

The third seed, and third ranked player in the world, Novak Djokovic fell to unseeded, and world No. 75, Marat Safin in the second round, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

As a result, the major storyline was that Safin, who has two majors under his belt, might be returning to championship form.

I’ve always liked Safin and enjoyed watching him play, so I loved seeing him pull off such an upset. I think he deserves to bask in the glory of this win.

But, there is another storyline being overlooked here, and that is Novak Djokovic’s inability to walk the walk after already talking the talk.

After Rafael Nadal demolished Roger Federer in the final of the French Open just a few weeks ago, Djokovic made some statements to the media in which he expressed his belief that Federer is more vulnerable than ever.

“Some things are changing. I think he’s a little bit shaken with that [French Open final] loss and mentally he has been struggling in the last couple of months. New names are coming, fresh talented players who believe more they can win against him and I am one of them. Suddenly he is worried a little bit.”

Apparently, Djokovic should have been worrying a little bit more about his own game.

No one is going to argue with him that Federer looks more beatable now than he ever has since reaching the top ranking in the world. But, is it really necessary for Djokovic to come out and say that?

First of all, Djokovic is 2-6 against Federer. With that head-to-head record, he has no reason to be talking negatively about Federer’s game. Sure, Djokovic took out Federer at the Australian Open in straight sets early on this year. But, Federer had just recovered from mononucleosis in January, and was playing in his first tournament of the year.

Plus, of all the places for Djokovic to come out and make these comments, he should have chosen a better venue. One would assume that he is fully aware that Federer has won Wimbledon five straight years, and hasn’t lost on grass in 61 matches. So, to say that Federer is “worried a little bit” right before you begin a tournament that he has owned is not such a good idea.

If Djokovic wanted his statements to have any real meaning behind them, he should have waited until Wimbledon ended. If Federer left London without a sixth consecutive crown, then maybe Djokovic’s words would have carried some weight.

Instead, the young Serb made himself look like a fool, losing in straight sets in the second round, hardly a week after making those comments, while Federer rolled into the third round with another straight set victory.

Honestly, if you’re going to call out the No. 1 player in the world, make sure you can take care of the 75th-ranked player first.

Disappointment for the Dutch: Netherlands Bow Out in Quarter Finals of Euro 2008

Matthew Schiffman — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:55:28 -0400

On Saturday June 21st, the Netherlands became the third consecutive team to fall victim to the curse of winning their first round group in the 2008 European Championships.

The Dutch were sent packing by Russia in a 3-1 defeat in extra time.

Russia had better looks than Holland throughout, but the Dutch did continually threaten on free kicks. In the 56th minute, Russia pulled ahead 1-0 as their star striker Roman Pavlyuchenko struck home a left-footed volley inside the box.

The goal looked to be exactly what the Dutch needed to get them going. They were finally sending attackers forward and pressuring the Russians more than they had the entire match.

Exactly a half hour after they conceded a goal, Holland answered. None other than Ruud van Nistelrooy delivered, sneaking in behind the Russian defense and nodding in a Wesley Sneijder free kick at the far post.

Heading into extra time it appeared that the Dutch had all the momentum. But they were unable to produce anymore on the offensive end, failing to net a second goal.

Finally, in the 112th minute, Russian substitute Dmitri Torbinsky finished a perfect cross from Andrei Arshevin on the back post to give Russia a commanding 2-1 lead. Four minutes later, Arshavin delivered the final dagger, netting a goal of his own to send the Russians into the semi finals with a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands.

Russia outplayed the Netherlands for the course of the match with Arshavin leading the way. Maybe short in stature, but not short of any talent, Arshavin had his coming out party against the Dutch. After that display, there is no doubt that Arshavin will be headed to a big-time European club.

On the other side, it was shocking to see the Netherlands unable to produce any offensive creativity. They failed to create any good chances other than on dead balls. It’s hard to believe that the same squad that netted three goals against the reigning world champions Italy and four goals against the World Cup runners-up France, only scored once against Russia.

Having said that, the Russian defense should be given a tremendous amount of credit. They crowded the middle of their defensive third, didn’t give the Dutch players space to work with, and made good tackles when they saw an opening.

Still, the Netherlands were the most explosive team in the group stage. And don’t forget they scored a total of nine goals while playing in the “Group of Death.”

In the midfield, Sneijder didn’t dominate the match like he had in the group stage. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst failed to make supportive runs down the left-hand wing, while Dirk Kuyt did plenty of running in the first half, though none of it paid off.

Without the supply coming from the midfield, Van Nistelrooy was unable to do much of anything (other than on free kicks), just as Robin Van Persie had no real opportunities after coming on in the second half.

With the way the Dutch dominated the group stage and how the expectations built from there, they have to be sorely disappointed.

It will be two long years for the Netherlands before they arrive in South Africa looking to prove to the world that their stumble against the Russians was merely a fluke.

Netherlands Provide Spark in First Round Play of Euro 2008

Matthew Schiffman — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:12:47 -0400

Monday was the most highly anticipated day of the group stage in the 2008 UEFA European Championships. At last, Group C, this year’s group of death, began playing.

With Romania being the lowest ranked team in the group (12th in the international FIFA rankings), France hoped to take advantage by getting a win and beginning the tournament with three points.

But, it was not to be for the French. Nicolas Anelka and Karim Benzema both got great looks, but failed to convert. The match finished in a 0-0 draw.

The big story of the day and of the tournament thus far, came in the second match up in a mouth-watering game that pitted the Netherlands against Italy, the 2006 World Cup champions.

Heading into the game, everyone expected a conservative effort from both sides in order to come away with a point. But, the Netherlands threw caution to the wind, and not even the most devout Dutch fan could have dreamed of what was to take place.

Ruud van Nistelrooy struck first in the 26th minute, scoring on a controversial play.

Italian defender Christian Panucci was caught by Gianluigi Buffon’s fist as the keeper tried to clear a corner. Panucci fell to the ground and rolled off the field behind the goal.

The Italian defense was unable to clear the ball, and it was sent back inside the six-yard box onto the foot of Van Nistelrooy. He appeared to be offside, but the official ruled that Panucci kept him on.

Obviously, the Italians were infuriated by the call, while the Dutch were more than satisfied with the referee’s decision—1-0 Holland.

Wesley Sneijder delivered the dagger five minutes later. After a goal-line clearance off an Italian corner kick, the Netherlands quickly counterattacked the length of the field. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst sent a ball into the box. Dirk Kuyt nodded it down to Sneijder who put it past Buffon to send the Dutch ahead 2-0.

Toward the end of the first half, Van Nistelrooy had an opportunity to ice the game as he went one-on-one with Buffon. The Italian keeper proved to be good, and deflected the ball with his legs to send it over the target.

Finally, Van Bronckhorst added insult to injury in the 80th minute, as he headed home a goal to provide the Netherlands with a 3-0 victory over Italy, a result that couldn’t have been dreamt.

It seemed like everything was going right for the Dutch on Monday. Their defense that was predicted to be the weak link on the squad held sturdy against some of the game’s most talented attackers.

The offense, meanwhile, was clicking on all cylinders with Sneijder and Kuyt providing great runs and Van Nistelrooy sneaking in behind the defense to create scoring opportunities.

As if the Dutch fans weren’t satisfied enough, they became more encouraged when Robin Van Persie came on in the second half for Van Nistelrooy. As he becomes more fit, Van Persie will add to the already dangerously talented attacking front for the Netherlands.

On the other side of the ball, it was just one of those days for the Italians. After a dreadful first half, they managed to pick up their play in the second, especially on offense.

The Azzurri had a few very good looks from close range, including Luca Toni's one-on-one with Edwin Van der Sar that was sent over the crossbar. No matter how close they came, they simply could not put the ball in the back of the net.

Really, nothing was going right for them.

All game long, and especially in the first half, the Italian defense looked disorganized and somewhat lost without their leader Fabio Cannavaro. The decorated defensive superstar will miss the entire tournament due to an injury.

And if Monday was a display of the quality of the Italian defense sans-Cannavaro, then Italy is in for a long tournament. Actually, with the group they’re in, they might be in for a very short one.

Give Hockey a Chance: The NHL Is Worth Watching

Matthew Schiffman — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:43:47 -0400

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not much of a hockey fan. In fact, I wouldn’t even consider myself a casual fan.

I don’t pretend to follow the sport. Sure, I know the general rules, and I know about “Sid the Kid” and that Detroit has been the top team in the NHL all year, but that’s simply because I love sports.

But all of that changed Monday night.

As I was flipping through the channels trying to find something decent on television, which is a tough task these days, I found myself impersonating Hamlet when I saw that the Stanley Cup Finals were on. “To watch, or not to watch?”

Finally I reasoned, “Why the heck not, what have I got to lose?”

Little did I know how much I would have to gain.

I turned the game on just in time to see the third period begin with Pittsburgh leading 2-1. I figured I’d give hockey a chance and watch the end of the game. What I didn’t know was that the end of the game wouldn’t be until Tuesday morning, when the Penguins would win a thriller in triple overtime.

Nearly six minutes into the final period, the Red Wings tied it up, as Pavel Datsyuk took advantage of a power play to net his only goal of the game. Less than three minutes later, it was Brian Rafalski giving Detroit a daunting 3-2 lead.

The Red Wings were dominating play as they controlled the puck, pushed numbers forward on offense, and played stingy defense. I’d imagine you could hear a pin drop in Pittsburgh as everyone held their breath with under a minute left in the game.

But with 35 seconds left on the clock, it was the city of Detroit who fell silent, while there was undoubtedly a raucous celebration in Pittsburgh. Max Talbot scored on a second shot attempt from behind the Detroit goal to tie the game and send the Red Wings into shock.

Overtime saw much of the same, with Detroit staying in control of the game and Pittsburgh ripping a shot anytime they saw an opening. But neither goalie would yield. Detroit’s Chris Osgood saved 28 of 32 shots. Marc-Andre Fleury was simply incredible for the Penguins, stopping 55 of 58 shots.

It was amazing to see the players still going at full speed as the game was rolling into the early hours of Tuesday morning. Some of the fans’ heads may have been dropping from exhaustion, but the level of play on the ice didn’t drop one bit.

Halfway through the third overtime, when it seemed like this game would never come to an end, the unexpected occurred: A goal! The Penguins took advantage of a power play, and Petr Sykora was the saving grace as he netted a near side goal over Osgood’s left shoulder.

Detroit fans were stunned that their team lost at home, while I was simply shocked that the game had ended. I was a little disappointed, too, because it had been so entertaining.

With the Red Wings now leading the series 3-2, the teams will be headed back to Pittsburgh for Game Six tomorrow night.

This time I’ll be planning on watching the entire game from start to finish, and if it turns out to be anything like Game Five, then I’ll be in for one long night.

Celtics-Lakers: Is the Regular Season Significant?

Matthew Schiffman — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:17:44 -0400

The NBA, and the whole country, outside of Detroit and San Antonio, got its wish: Lakers and Celtics.

It’s been a long wait, 21 years, to be exact, but the dream matchup has arrived, with plenty of story lines to go along with it.

Kobe looks to become more like Mike by winning a fourth championship, this one without Shaq. Phil looks to pass Red by winning his tenth championship as a head coach. And Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen look to make the most of their first trip to the NBA Finals.

With the best record in the league this season, the Boston Celtics will have home court advantage. They also hold bragging rights, as they beat the Lakers in both of their regular season matchups.

Boston took care of L.A., 107-94, at home in November. A month later, the Celtics won at the Staples Center, 110-91. Bryant had 22 points in that game, but went 6-25 from the field.

Still, I can promise that Lakers’ fans won’t be worried. Now it’s the playoffs, so the regular season can be thrown out the window. Since Phil Jackson has been in L.A., the Lakers have never cared how they’ve fared in the regular season as long as they've made the playoffs. This year they actually won the West, but even if they had not won the conference it wouldn’t have made a difference.

Sure, the Lakers are young, but they’re built for the playoffs. They have the best player in the league in Bryant, one of the most clutch shooters in Fisher, two of the best sidekicks in Gasol and Odom, and they play great defense.

Oh, and when they lost those two games to the Celtics, Los Angeles hadn’t picked up Pau Gasol yet. So I have a feeling that the complexion of this series will be a little different than it was during the regular season.

Let’s go through both teams by position:

Point Guard:
For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo had a solid season. He didn’t do anything spectacular, but managed the team well and played good defense. But, he’s young and has been very inconsistent in the playoffs. Sam Cassell was acquired for his experience, but he has been more of a reliability than a help in the backcourt.

For the Lakers, Derek Fisher is clutch. Plain and simple. He knows how to win and Kobe trusts him. Jordan Farmar is also pretty solid off the bench. He can provide a young spark and is usually pretty smart in handling the ball.

Edge: Lakers

Shooting Guard:
For the Celtics, Ray Allen has been a disappointment in the playoffs. But Boston fans will be encouraged by his impressive performances in Games Five and Six against the Pistons. In order for the Celtics to have a chance, Allen has to hit his shots from outside and be aggressive on offense.

For the Lakers, as I said earlier, Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA. The playoffs are his time and he proved that in the Spurs series, putting up 39 points in Game Five to close it out. He simply cannot be stopped, and will take a game over in the fourth quarter when his team needs him to. He’s also an excellent defender.

Edge: Lakers

Small Forward:
For the Celtics, Paul Pierce is “The Truth.” This is still his Celtics team, and there is no doubt that he has the most drive to win. He’s going to have to have a big series for the Celtics to have a chance. Coming off the bench, James Posey is a solid contributor. He’ll knock down his open looks and he is a hard-nosed defender.

For the Lakers, Vladimir Radmanovic is a solid role player who will hit shots. He won’t do anything special, but will always hustle and do the dirty work. Sasha Vujacic will also get plenty of playing time off the bench, and is a similar player. They are the typical Phil Jackson role players, who can put a dagger in a team if they get hot.

Edge: Celtics

Power Forward:
For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett was the Defensive MVP this year; he’s not exactly a slouch on offense either. KG wants to win a championship and, at his age, will not be taking this trip to the Finals lightly. He has to take advantage of his size and outside game to give the Lakers trouble. Off the bench, P.J. Brown is a veteran player, who must give the Celtics valuable minutes in order for KG to get rest.

For the Lakers, Lamar Odom is a star sidekick to Kobe. He’s not a star who can carry a team, but he can really hurt opponents with his size and athleticism. The matchup between him and KG will be intriguing, because they are both tall players who can put the ball on the floor and shoot from outside. Luke Walton comes in at this position for certain intervals and his outside shot can be a problem for other teams. But his defense and lack of athleticism pose no threat.

Edge: Celtics

Center:
For the Celtics, Kendrick Perkins has emerged in the playoffs. He was a solid post presence during the season, doing much of the dirty work while the “Big 3” starred. Perkins is a hard worker and will always contribute on the defensive end, even if he doesn’t do much on offense.

For the Lakers, the acquisition of Pau Gasol was huge. It completely changed the face of this team, not to mention causing a snowball effect of big trades in the West. As long as Gasol doesn’t take a game off, he will wreak havoc on the Celtics in the post. Off the bench, veteran Ronny Turiaf contributes by hustling, despite his age, and working hard on the defensive end.

Edge (and tiebreaker): Lakers

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for...

The Prediction:
Lakers in six. Although I would not be surprised if they win in five.

Overall, the Lakers are a better team. With the addition of Pau Gasol, this team is nearly unstoppable. So, as Bill Simmons wrote in a recent article on ESPN, this year’s title is the Lakers’ to lose.

San Antonio Spurs: Heartbreak at Home

Matthew Schiffman — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:30:56 -0400

Speculate all you want, the Spurs still lost the game. Yes, Brent Barry was bumped by Derek Fisher. Bumped enough for the referees to call a foul? Probably not. Could they have called a foul? Sure. Were they correct in making a no call? Absolutely.

I am not a Lakers advocate, all my friends can tell you that. But I do believe that they outplayed the Spurs in Game 4 and deserved to win that game.

The Spurs, finding leadership from the unlikeliest source, Brent Barry, had their chances to win. But, as in Game 1, they failed to capitalize.

And that failure is what will cost the Spurs in the 2008 Western Conference Finals.

The series was essentially over after Game 1. Allowing a 20-point third quarter lead to slip away on the road? No team can overcome that kind of letdown. Not even the experienced, battle-tested San Antonio Spurs.

That became evident in Game 2 when the Lakers put a beating on San Antonio. L.A. came out focused while the Spurs went through the motions, unable to forget their inability to seize command of the series. After going seven games with the Hornets, the Spurs could have sent a message loud and clear, “We may be old but we’re not tired.”

Now the opposite is what’s being perceived. All the commentators, analysts, and average joes are looking at the Spurs and simply shaking their heads in disappointment because “They’re just too old.”

Yes, the Spurs put on a show in Game 3 when they completely ran L.A. off the court. But their age and weariness caught up to them. Game 4 was a constant uphill struggle for San Antonio as the Lakers controlled the game from start to finish. It sure didn’t look like the Spurs were the team playing at home.

San Antonio managed to tie the game five times, but never led. Down seven points with under a minute to play, nearly every Texan thought the game was over. But the reigning champs mounted a comeback.

They cut it down to a two-point game with just over 24 seconds left on the clock. After a contested shot put up by Derek Fisher (which we will come back to) went out of bounds off Robert Horry’s leg, Kobe Bryant had to heave a shot to beat the 24-second clock.

San Antonio got the ball with 2.1 seconds left, enough time to run one play. The star of the game got the ball in his hands. That’s right, Brent Barry was the one who took the last shot of the game.

He pump faked, got Fisher in the air, took a dribble, then threw up what looked like a half-hearted attempt from at least five feet behind the three point line. With the miss, all of Texas let out a sigh of grief, while those in Los Angeles breathed a sigh of relief.

Back to the end of the game. Again, yes, Barry was bumped. But as Reggie Miller, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley all said, he failed to sell the foul. If he had gone straight up into Fisher, Barry could have been at the line shooting three foul shots to win the game.

But, Texans, don’t be so quick to gripe. Off the inbound play, Bryant was forced to throw up a prayer on the Lakers’ last possession. But he shouldn’t have been in that situation.

Fisher’s shot before that grazed the rim; meaning the Lakers should have had a fresh shot clock. Get the inbounds pass into Bryant or Fisher and the game’s essentially over. Those two are far too clutch to fail to knock down two free throws and give L.A. the victory.

So as the old cliché goes, everything evens out in the end. And the bottom line, the Spurs wasted another golden opportunity.

University of Miami: NFL U

Matthew Schiffman — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:00:56 -0400

With the last pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select…Kenny Phillips.

The roars of applause were probably louder in Miami than they were in New York. With Kenny Phillips being the 31st players selected in this year’s draft, the Hurricanes’ record of having at least one player selected in the NFL Draft was kept alive.

For the past 14 years, from 1994 through 2008, at least one Cane has been taken in the first round, an achievement that cannot be claimed by any other school.

The amazing thing is that the past few years have been down years for Miami players in the Draft. Although, I guess that’s what happens when you put as many players into the first round as the program did at the beginning of this century.

Let’s just take a look at the numbers.

From 2001 to 2004, Miami had at least four players go in the first round.

In 2001, Pro Bowl receivers Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne were two of the four Canes picked in the first round.

The next year, five more Hurricanes went, including the likes of Pro Bowlers Jeremy Shockey and Ed Reed.

Again in 2003, four Canes went, with Pro Bowlers Andre Johnson and Willis McGahee being two of those selections.

And finally in 2004, Miami set a record with six players going in the first round. Four of those were defensive players that included Super Bowl winner Vince Wilfork and the late Pro Bowler Sean Taylor.

Over that four year span, 19 players from The U were selected in the first round, 11 of them coming from the defensive side of the ball. But, of the 8 offensive players selected, 6 of them have gone to the Pro Bowl, while 5 of the 11 defensive players have joined them in Hawaii.

No matter what Miami achieves on the collegiate level, there’s no doubt that you will see a Cane playing every Sunday. The NFL is littered with Hurricanes players because the program has managed to dominate the Draft like no other college has...earning itself the title “NFL U.”

Roger Federer’s New Strategy: Hire a Coach

Matthew Schiffman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:25:33 -0400

    In every sport, the coach is considered an integral part of the team.
    Whether they are motivating their teams before a football game, reviewing strategy before a basketball game, signaling plays in a baseball game, or instructing a player on his swing before a round of golf, coaches are the leaders and brains behind a team, or individual, in each sport.
    But that hasn’t been the case for the No. 1 tennis player in the world as of late.
    Roger Federer split with coach Tony Roche about eleven months ago and has not had a coach since.
    It was a surprise for many to see Federer enter the 2007 French Open without Roche considering that Federer still has not won the French.
    Federer seemed to be fine without Roche as he advanced to the final for the second year in a row. But, for the third year in a row, Federer’s quest for the elusive Grand Slam title was thwarted by his nemesis Rafael Nadal.
    In typical Federer fashion, the Swiss star didn’t let his failure in France deter him. Federer went on to capture his fifth straight Wimbledon and fourth straight U.S. Open, in addition to winning the year-end Masters tournament finishing No. 1 in the world for the fourth consecutive year.
    Since the New Year, things have not been so bright for Federer, though.
    He was unable to play any warm up tournament before the Australian Open due to illness. Federer didn’t find out he was suffering from mononucleosis until February, but he felt its effects during the Australian.
    Federer’s rust was obvious. He was pushed to five sets by unseeded Janko Tipsarevic early in the tournament. Though he managed to advance to the semifinals, Federer was ousted by the up-and-coming Serbian Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
    Now, four and a half months into 2008, Federer is still without a title, spurring many analysts to speculate over how much Federer has left in the tank.
    There’s no denying that Federer hasn’t looked good this year. But, there are several things that have to be taken into account.
    First, consider Federer’s fitness. Announcers have repeatedly said that Federer does not get enough credit for his fitness, (which would be because fans are simply in awe of his shot-making whenever he plays).
    Nevertheless, Federer’s training routine is considered to be one of the most grueling on tour. Training in Dubai alone would get anyone in shape. That added to the amount of time that Federer spends working on his endurance and strength makes for one rigorous workout.
    People have begun to counter this with the argument that Federer’s getting old (at 26) and is losing his edge. It’s tough to argue that Federer’s in as good of shape as he was a few years ago, but there’s no question he’s still in much better shape than the vast majority of tennis players on the ATP.
    While everyone may not be able to last as long as Andre Agassi did, Federer certainly has the potential to. He has already expressed his desire to play tennis into his early to mid-30’s.
    Of the three things that could hinder Federer’s endurance, age, illness, and injury, one of them came to fruition this year. Federer got sick, which is nearly the same thing as being injured.
    It wasn’t merely that Federer was drained of energy from having mononucleosis, but it was the fact that he wasn’t able to play. There’s a reason he’s only entered five tournaments this year, and it’s not because he was vacationing in the Swiss Alps.
    Federer managed to practice before the Australian Open, but he had no time to play actual matches. Any tennis player can tell you there’s a big difference between practicing and playing, especially heading into a tournament that lasts two weeks.
    Federer has said that he’s now nearly back to normal. But when April rolls around and he still has yet to win a title, no one considers that normal.
    Surprisingly, Federer’s results haven’t been as bad as many have made them out to be.
    He actually did better this year at the Pacific Life Open in California and in the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami than he did last year.
    Federer lost to Guillermo Canas in both tournaments last year, going out in the first round and third round, respectively.
    This year, Federer made it to the semifinals in California before falling to the surprise of the tournament, Mardy Fish.
    It was another American who thwarted Federer down in Miami when Andy Roddick shocked the world by ending his 11-match losing streak and beating the world-No. 1 in three sets.
    For once, Federer will be relieved to begin the clay court season. To say the least, the hard courts were not kind to Federer this year. While clay is Federer’s worst surface, he is considered by many to be the second best clay courter in the world behind Nadal.
    Federer will be hoping to turn around his play just in time for the French Open. And in order to do that, Federer has reached out to Jose Higueras.
    The coach’s résumé attracted Federer. Higueras coached Michael Chang to his only Grand Slam title in 1989 at the French Open and has worked with the likes of Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Guillermo Coria, and other former top-ranked players.
    The most appealing part of Higueras’ résumé is the fact that he’s a clay court specialist. With the hiring, Federer can’t make it much clearer to the rest of the world that he has every intention of finally winning the French this year.
    It won’t be long before we find out if Federer’s newest coaching change will pay off. He’s currently playing in his first clay tournament of 2008 in Portugal at the Estoril Open.
    The expectations are lower for Federer heading into the clay court season than they have been in years, which could be a major benefit for Federer.
    Recently, Federer’s inability to capture the career slam has been the major headline heading into the French Open. This year, on the other hand, everyone will be talking about whether Federer will be able to get his game back on track and just win a tournament, let alone the French.
    Federer is far too competitive to simply rollover in matches. But this may be his best tactical move yet.
    If he is able to go into Paris without the pressure surrounding him as it has recently and actually win it, he’ll be praised more than he would have if he had won it any other year.
    Not only will he have captured the one Slam eluding him, but he will have done it in a year that everyone considered him to be down and in a slump.
    Maybe Federer’s slipping, maybe he’s getting older, and maybe he’s sicker than he’s revealed. But maybe he’s held himself back just a little in order to save enough energy for the red clay in Paris.