Bleacher Report - Articles by Paul F. Villarreal

All Hail Juan Martin Del Potro, 2009 US Open Men's Tennis Champion

Paul F. Villarreal — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:31:51 -0400

Juan Martin Del Potro.

Get used to that name, because, barring injury, you will be hearing it often in the years to come if you follow men's tennis.

The soon-to-be 21-year-old Argentine Del Potro won his first major title last night in New York City. The US Open is the concluding major championship of each tennis season.

Nothing too special, of course. Del Potro only defeated the five-time defending US Open Champion Roger Federer. And came back from being down two sets to one to get the job done.

Del Potro's exceptional 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 men's singles victory is a magnificent gift to a sport which is looking to expand its upper-echelon men's rivalries. Finally, it seems, there is another player besides Rafael Nadal who can challenge Federer in major championship finals matches.

Coming into this showdown, few would have believed that Federer would lose not one, but two, tiebreakers to a man playing in his first Grand Slam final.

Yet that is exactly what happened on Monday night, and Del Potro's ability to capitalize during those moments which have so often been Federer's safety net was both stunning and exhilarating to behold. Federer had been 4-0 in US Open tiebreakers before last night.

The Argentine's win vaults him ahead of world No. 3 Andy Murray in the quest to break the current Federer-Nadal major titles stranglehold. Murray, of Scotland, is still seeking his first major championship.

Del Potro now joins world No. 4 Novak Djokovic (2008 Australian Open) as the only other men's singles major championship winner save Federer and Nadal since the 2005 Australian Open, won by Marat Safin.

Unlike Federer's faltering performance in the fifth set of the 2009 Australian Open versus rival Nadal, this match was "won," so to speak, by Juan Martin Del Potro, and not "lost" by Roger Federer. Del Potro showed few nerves throughout the match and demonstrated he was ready to succeed on the largest stage when given the opportunity.

Del Potro's size, power and agility overwhelmed Federer in the end. His shot making and tactics were exceptional. Federer played very well; Del Potro simply played better.

The result shows that Del Potro's straight-sets victory over Nadal in the semifinals here was no fluke. Even though Rafael was clearly not at full strength for that contest, Del Potro has won the last several of those men's encounters. Watching the Argentine Monday night, such outcomes no longer seem to be anomalies.

What, then, of the Swiss?

Though Federer certainly would have liked to prevail in this final, he cannot be disappointed in either his effort in this match or the totality of his 2009 season up to this point.

He won two major titles, completed the career Grand Slam by capturing the French Open, regained his No. 1 ranking and proved that he is still far from finished as many openly declared was the case following Federer's 2008 Wimbledon defeat to Nadal.

However, Federer now has another legitimate major championship rival to go along with Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. Adjustments will have to be made, strategies reconsidered.

Del Potro was gracious, respectful and engaging following his victory. Men's tennis has been searching for a member of the next generation to step up and show that they were ready to go to the next level.

Last night, Juan Martin Del Potro answered the challenge. It was a great night for the Argentine, and an even better evening for the sport of tennis.

Serena Williams Must Be Fined And Suspended Following Her Doubles Win

Paul F. Villarreal — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:24:13 -0400

UPDATE #2: After watching some of Serena's and Venus' press conference following their doubles victory, I am forced to stand by the tone of the original column below.

Serena appeared insincere to me, and seemed prompted by someone who reminded her she was in line to lose a series of endorsements and possibly face a greater fine and/or a suspension if she did not change her words and actions between what she said immediately following her and Venus' victory and what she was going to say in the post-match press conference. Simply put, I'm not buying it. The entire follow-through from after the Saturday evening incident has been poorly handled, and today was no exception.

That said, at least Serena offered public apologies. Yes, they may have come forth merely to try to retain lucrative advertisement deals and not of sincere contrition, but at least she offered them. That is encouraging.

UPDATE: One of the commenters below (Jeremy Hurd) has told me that Serena apologized in the post-match press conference following the doubles victory. Good. If true, that should go a long way to ending all this and I'm glad that Serena decided to take this route following the contest, whether by her own decision or because someone told her it was her best option. I will, however, leave my title as it is and keep the article below intact.

Serena Williams—with the help of sister Venus—today made a mockery of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the 2009 US Open and insulted fans around the world with their actions following a 6-2, 6-2 victory in the US Open's women's doubles final over Cara Black and Liezel Huber.

Outstanding female ambassadors of the sport, people such as Pam Shriver, Mary Carillo and Mary Jo Fernandez expressed dismay and disbelief that Serena would even be allowed to participate in today's match following her disgraceful actions against a lines-woman this past Saturday in her match against Kim Clijsters.

Serena's boorishness earned her a point penalty and cost her the match, and justly so.

After her epic meltdown on Saturday night, Serena held a surreal press conference where she talked about "moving on" from the ugly actions which only took place mere moments before she was talking.

Note to Serena: You can't move on from something which hasn't been processed. That's the reason you were at the press conference, to help people understand what happened and thus give them the ability to actually move on from what you chose to do in your semifinal match.

Then, in a statement released yesterday, Serena took another shot at the lines woman, still didn't apologize for what she had done and came across as just another spoiled athlete who does not understand the magnitude of her actions. It was an embarrassment.

Finally, after someone (almost certainly someone high up in the USTA) mercifully intervened and told Serena her first statement wasn't going to be nearly enough, Serena put out an amended statement which had the right tone, expressed contrition and was kind to the lines woman who was merely doing her job.

So, whether or not you felt that Serena Williams deserved to play in today's doubles final with Venus—and I do not feel she should have been allowed to participate—things had seemingly been made right between Serena, the lines woman, the USTA and tennis fans around the world.

And then Serena, and Venus, took a mountain of dynamite to the remaining or rebuilt goodwill in their post-match interview with ESPN's Patrick McEnroe.

Serena refused to publicly apologize for her actions on Saturday night. When Patrick McEnroe attempted to follow-up on the issue which has generated well over 1,000,000 YouTube hits in little over one day, the sparse crowd (many apparently Williams partisans) booed him.

Then Venus inappropriately interceded and condescendingly told McEnroe that the crowd's reaction meant that it was time to move on from discussing Serena's actions.

Disgraceful.

Here's what happened today: The USTA, in a very generous gesture, gave Serena a chance to compete that many feel Serena did not deserve. They helped her, in my opinion, craft a statement which actually approached some level of decency and decorum based upon Serena's actions on Saturday.

The USTA provided the proud champion, and her sister, the opportunity to leave the tournament on a high note and exhibit the class and dignity that eluded Serena on Saturday night.

Instead of utilizing that possibility to the fullest, and wholly accepting responsibility for her indefensible actions two days previous, Serena not only came off as petulant and unrepentant but she made herself (through her statement) look like a liar and she made the USTA look like fools for trusting her to do the right thing should the sisters win today's match.

Unfortunately, Venus Williams aided and abetted her sister by interfering with Patrick McEnroe's questioning. That is disappointing, but it's understandable. Serena is her little sister, after all.

However, in the wake of this utter mishandling of the moment, the USTA must seek the maximum punishment against Serena Williams, both financial and in the form of a suspension.

In hindsight, a mistake was made to allow Serena to participate in this doubles final. But it was made with good intentions and can be understood as a good step to try to resolve the tense aftermath of Saturday night.

Serena Williams, though, like Saturday night, forfeited her opportunity. She made her amended statement look like what it almost certainly was—a phony public relations sham. It appears the initial statement was much closer to what Serena actually believes.

As Michael Vick could tell Serena, there is no forgiveness without contrition. And there is no believability in supposed contrition unless it is presented in a uniform manner. That is, one cannot accept responsibility in a prepared statement yet shirk it in a public setting and expect to be taken seriously in her apology.

Serena, through today's post-match actions, has made the USTA look like enabling buffoons. She has made fans around the globe doubt her second statement's sincerity and has further tarnished the women's side of the 2009 US Open.

Further, she and Venus made ESPN and Patrick McEnroe look bad. That is not something you want to do with one of the USTA's primary broadcast partners.

Because of these facts, the USTA is urged to act quickly and decisively in the resolution of what punishment Serena Williams will face as a review is concluded following Serena's Saturday actions.

There has been some discussion that Williams could be fined as much as $350,000 and suspended for some period of time.

If the USTA cares about its own credibility and image, as well as the health of the tour's appeal throughout the world, it is urged to avail itself of the maximum permissible fines and/or suspension for Serena Williams.

You gave her a chance today. She blew it.

Now it's your turn to set the proper tone for the sport and its fans.

Roger Federer Defeats Novak Djokovic to Take 2009 Cincinnati Masters Cup

Paul F. Villarreal — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:48:58 -0400

Roger Federer is back—all the way back. And that is a most worrisome thought for his foes as the ATP Tour heads for New York City and the final major of 2009.

Today's victim was Serbian Novak Djokovic. Final score: 6-1, 7-5 in favor of the Swiss.

With the win, Federer claims the 2009 Cincinnati Masters title.

The match mirrored Federer's Saturday defeat of world No. 2 Andy Murray. Federer steamrolled Djokovic in the first set. The proud Serb, though, made a valiant stand in the second and concluding stanza.

Djokovic looked as impressive as he has all year in his Saturday semifinal triumph over world No. 3 Rafael Nadal of Spain. In Federer, however, the world's fourth-ranked men's player met his match.

Federer was serene and confident throughout the tournament. The Swiss has said that following his French Open victory—the first in Federer's storied career—and his overtaking of Pete Sampras' all-time record for major championships won, he would be able to relax and regain the form that eluded him for most of 2008 and early in 2009.

It appears Federer was correct.

Combined with better health and the birth of his twin daughters, Federer's 2009 exploits have appeared to steady his emotional ship.

The same man who wept uncontrollably after his loss to Rafael Nadal in this year's Australian Open final now seems as calm as a windless day.

No doubt that the knee injury issues of rival Nadal have helped cement Federer's placidity, too, at least in regard to on-court matters.

Federer now has defeated each of his main three challengers in their most recent head-to-head match-ups. Djokovic and Murray were beaten in the past two days, and Federer toppled Nadal back in May.

Finally, if anyone were concerned about Federer's competitive drive being extinguished following the birth of his daughters, this past week should provide ample evidence to refute such a notion.

The U.S. Open is eight days away. Rafael Nadal is not yet himself, and the world No. 1 has served notice to Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray that the Swiss is still the sovereign of the sport.

Can anyone defeat Federer as he attempts to win his sixth straight U.S. Open?

It seems unlikely. Tennis tournaments are not won on paper, though, and Federer will have to prove himself all over again starting in little over one week.

But for the Swiss today, it's good to be tennis' king.

Roger Federer Destroys Andy Murray at 2009 Cincinnati Masters

Paul F. Villarreal — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:57:34 -0400

So much for "The Streak."

Roger Federer erased any doubts about his ability to defeat Scotland's Andy Murray today at the semifinals of the 2009 Cincinnati Masters.

Prior to this match, Federer had been 0-4 against new world No. 2 Murray in their previous four encounters. Though Federer had won both the French Open and Wimbledon this season, he didn't have to face Murray in either competition.

This led some fans and tennis commentators to conclude that not only was Murray the better player of the two, but also that Federer may still be major-less in 2009 had the Swiss been forced to meet the Scot at Roland Garros or the All England Club.

Federer ended such speculation with today's emphatic victory.

The final score was 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) for Federer. The world No. 1 never faced a break point, and the match concluded on a fittingly nervous Murray double fault in the second set tiebreaker. Though the Scot did have two set points in the latter stages of that tiebreaker, both came against Federer's serve and Murray could convert neither of them.

As has been the case in many of their recent match-ups, Federer started strong, easily taking the first set. Murray responded to Federer's heightened level of play in the final stanza, but it was not enough to extend the contest to a decisive third set.

The ESPN2 commentators reported that someone had been giving Federer a tough time in the locker room before the match about Federer's good friend Tiger Woods and Woods' collapse last week at the 2009 PGA Championship. Such talk may have helped the Swiss achieve maximum focus for the Murray match.

Whatever the case may be, Federer wasn't about to show any weakness or vulnerability akin to that which Woods demonstrated last weekend in falling to South Korean Y.E. Yang. Federer was all business and he now seems fully prepared to win his sixth consecutive U.S. Open in about three weeks time.

With this victory over Murray combined with Federer's rout of the Scot in the 2008 U.S. Open final, Federer is clearly the favorite heading into the final major of the season. The U.S. Open will begin nine days from now in New York City.

The only person, it seems, who has a legitimate chance to derail the "Fed Express" is Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard played an outstanding match last night against the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych and Nadal now faces Novak Djokovic of Serbia for a shot at Federer in tomorrow's final.

Nadal clearly is capable of defeating Federer, but are Rafael's knees healthy and strong enough yet following his long injury layoff to be able to best the peaking Swiss?

That question will be answered shortly.

ESPN2 will have coverage of the Nadal-Djokovic semifinal match tonight at 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Sunday, Aug. 23).

Over and Out: Roger Federer World's Greatest After Tiger Woods' Open Failure

Paul F. Villarreal — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 01:09:23 -0400

Though I had recently raised questions regarding the state of Tiger Woods' game since his return from knee surgery, even I was stunned by Friday's result at Turnberry.

All golf fans have grown accustomed to watching Woods throw clubs, hurl curses and engage in other self-motivational tactics in order to help himself reach a level of play that is unmatched in today's field.

What we are not used to seeing, however, is the resignation which set in for Woods as he strode—like a sailor walking a plank—the fairways of the 2009 British Open's back nine during his second, and final, round.

As Tiger endured the disastrous string of holes which would ultimately lead to his missing the cut at The Open Championship, his ire turned to calm, his ferocity became acceptance.

This sight may have been better received than the vision of Tiger taking an angry swipe at the air with his arm, but Woods' gaze of serenity is something that is likely to take some time for fans to accept.

Tiger Woods has now played in three major championships since his return from reconstructive knee surgery. He has won none of them.

Additionally, Woods has not captured any of the past five major titles that have been contested in his sport.

Will Tiger win the upcoming PGA Championship and salvage his season? Remember, Woods is solely focused on capturing major titles, not earning first place at events like the Arnold Palmer Invitational or even his own AT&T National. The majors—and catching Jack Nicklaus—are the thing for Tiger.

Are we witnessing the beginning of another "Tiger Slump?" Or is Woods' humiliation at Turnberry just a blip on the radar screen, and not the start of another relative period in the major championship wilderness such as the one which Tiger encountered during the 2003 and 2004 seasons?

Time will provide those answers.

What is no longer in question, however, is that Woods' failure at the British Open leaves him undoubtedly behind his friend, Roger Federer, in the conversation of who is the world's greatest and most dominant sportsman.

In truth, this debate had already been settled following Federer's victory at Wimbledon 2009. Yet, some golf and Tiger fans avoided the inevitable conclusion, perhaps blinded by Woods' celebrity, popularity or their personal affinity for him.

Tiger's missed cut at Turnberry ends those thoughts. There have been no "missed cuts" for Federer during more than five continuous years of tennis majors competition.

The Swiss has at least reached the semifinals in each of 21 consecutive major tennis tournaments. This incredible streak is by far the longest such mark in the history of Federer's sport.

Not only does Federer have 15 major championships compared with Woods' 14, the tennis ace has also won three of the past four such events relative to Tiger's zero during that same stretch.

Roger Federer is the most dominant and greatest major-sport athlete in the world today. He will remain so even should Tiger Woods win the 2009 PGA Championship and Federer fail to defend his 2008 US Open title next month.

Should such a scenario unfold, and the two men once again be tied in major championship victories, Federer would still maintain the edge over Woods due to Roger's consistency, his recent success and because of what happened to Woods in the British Open.

Of course, this opinion might need revisiting should Federer face a calamity at the US Open similar to that which befell Tiger at Turnberry. Something, say, like losing in the first or second round against a qualifier.

For now, however, Tiger Woods and his fans should not be concerned with catching Roger Federer in the mythical rankings of the World's Greatest Athlete contest.

Woods should, instead, focus on taking home the 2009 PGA Championship trophy and reestablishing his aura of invincibility within golf.

If the past 12 months are any indication, Roger Federer won't be going anywhere. Tiger is likely to have plenty of time in the future to knock his fellow Nike pitchman from off Federer's current lofty perch atop the sports world.

Roger Federer Surpasses Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras, and Rafael Nadal

Paul F. Villarreal — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:30:54 -0400

Switzerland's Roger Federer has defeated American Andy Roddick to claim his sixth Wimbledon crown in London, England. The epic contest will go down as one of the greatest matches in men's singles history held on Centre Court.

The final score was 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14. The two men played the longest fifth set, in terms of games—30—in Wimbledon history.

With the victory, Federer leapfrogged a trio of athletic superstars: one legend of his sport, a current tennis standout and the athlete heretofore considered to be the greatest and most dominant active sportsman in the world today, with apologies to 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

Federer's triumph at the All England Club garnered him his 15th major tennis championship, eclipsing the 14 won by seven-time Wimbledon titlist Pete Sampras.

The Swiss had already achieved the career Grand Slam distinction earlier this month by virtue of his claiming the French Open crown. None of Sampras' majors successes ever took place on the clay surface of Roland Garros.

Roger Federer now regains the men's world No. 1 ranking from injured rival Rafael Nadal. The Majorca, Spain native lost in the fourth round of the French Open and was unable to defend his 2008 Wimbledon title due to tendinitis in both knees.

Federer is now the greatest men's tennis player since at least the inception of the Open Era in 1968. Some will argue that Rod Laver, with his two Grand Slams and 11 major championships, was at least as good as Federer.

This is not a widely-held view among the legends of the sport, however. Sampras has already stated he feels the Swiss is the greatest in the history of tennis, and that was before Federer's victory today on Centre Court.

John McEnroe, Swedish icon Bjorn Borg and even Laver himself have all concurred.

Federer is the most prolific major championship winner in the history of his sport. Anything Laver may or may not have done—against inferior athletes from a smaller talent base—is merely hypothetical, and cannot be held against the Swiss.

Federer is the best male player to ever lift a racket, much as Tiger Woods, should he capture five more major titles, will surpass Jack Nicklaus in golf's own pantheon.

Woods, like Sampras and Nadal, is the final casualty of Federer's 2009 Wimbledon success. Tiger, who once made a fantastic commercial lauding good friend Federer's achievements while simultaneously declaring his own, superior horde of major championships, now finds himself on the losing side of not only that ledger, but the aforementioned one as well: Federer has achieved all-time greatest status in his field while Tiger yet remains some distance away from that mark in his own sport.

That is, of course, to be expected. Golfers have far longer careers than do tennis players. It stands to reason that it would take longer for Woods to surpass Nicklaus' 18 majors than it would take Federer to overtake Sampras' 14.

Unfortunately for Woods, however, this is where such pleasant considerations end.

Federer has won 15 major championships in 41 tournaments. Tiger Woods has captured 14 major titles in 54 attempts. That is, Tiger Woods has had over three years more than Federer to accumulate major victories and yet the Swiss still has surpassed the golfing prodigy.

Further, it must be pointed out that Woods is 33 years old and Federer has yet to turn 28. Tiger Woods won his initial major championship in 1997. Roger secured the first of his 15 in 2003.

Since the beginning of 2003, Federer has won 15 major titles. Woods, in the same time period of time, has taken home "just" six.

Roger Federer is the most dominant, accomplished athlete of his era. He is the greatest men's tennis player in the history of the sport.

What of Michael Phelps?

In addition to his 15 major championships, Federer is also the proud owner of his own Olympic gold medal. Federer and Swiss countryman Stanislas Wawrinka won the men's doubles event at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Roger Federer 16, Michael Phelps 14.

Of Phelps' 14 Olympic gold medals, it has to be said, five came as part of a group. Only one of Federer's 16 major championships and gold medal came as part of a pairing. There are no medley relays in men's tennis to bolster one's individual accomplishments.

Enjoy and embrace the singular athletic excellence that is Federer. As of today, he stands alone on the pinnacle of world sport. Stands above Woods, Phelps, Kobe Bryant and the rest.

He has achieved the historical apex of men's tennis yet shows no true signs of decline. Federer has, you will recall, won three of the last four tennis majors. How many will he possess when he finally does hang up his racket, 16, 18, 20?

No one can answer that question with any certainty today, not even the Swiss Maestro himself.

Where Federer concludes his career is a topic for another time. For today, it is enough to know that in him we have the privilege of watching not only the best male player who ever participated in his sport but also the greatest and most dominant athlete of his era.

And, for that matter, one of the greatest sports competitors of any era.

Roger Federer and Tiger Woods: Friends Heading in Different Directions

Paul F. Villarreal — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:19:53 -0400

Approximately 12 months ago, Tiger Woods was winning possibly the greatest of all his 14 major titles on one leg. It was an achievement so heroic and spectacular that it accomplished perhaps the hardest mission in all of sports—to elevate Woods' already incredible legacy.

In June of 2008, Roger Federer suffered one of the most humiliating losses of his career to rival Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

The defeat was so comprehensive that it seemed to call into question Federer's heart, or, at least, how much of his once-formidable skill he still possessed.

Such speculation proved justified. A short time after his fourth consecutive French Open victory, Nadal won his first Wimbledon title while simultaneously ending Federer's five-year reign as the King of Centre Court.

Even before the Wimbledon loss, the whispers had become shouts: Roger Federer was finished. Two Grand Slam titles away from Pete Sampras' record 14, not only would Federer never reach that mark, the critics asserted, he would likely never win even one more major.

What a difference a year makes.

Tiger Woods, by his own admission, is not fully rehabilitated from the reconstructive surgery he underwent on his left knee's anterior cruciate ligament. On Friday, Woods recorded his worst 18 hole stroke-play score in nearly two years at the Memorial Tournament.

What once was assumed to be a foregone conclusion, that Woods would surpass Jack Nicklaus' 18 career major championship victories, is no longer the lock it had so recently appeared to be.

Tiger Woods' knee will heal. His strength will return, in full.

The questions are how much, if at all, will his game be permanently affected by his surgery? How many major championships or other titles does he have to not win until the field no longer feels as though they cannot compete on his level? Will Tiger ever regain the aura of invincibility he had, just 52 weeks ago?

While an air of uncertainty has emerged around Eldrick Woods, clarity may be coming into focus an ocean away.

Roger Federer stands poised on the brink of permanent tennis divinity. Rafael Nadal's sole Roland Garros conqueror stands in his way. That man, Robin Soderling, is 0-9 in his career against Federer and is about to play in his first Grand Slam final.

If Roger Federer wins the 2009 French Open, he becomes the unquestioned greatest player in the history of men's tennis. 15,000 or so screaming fans will be seeking to help vocally carry Federer to victory come Sunday afternoon in Paris. Immortality awaits not only the Swiss Maestro, but those who would have been there to witness history.

A year ago, one of a pair of friends was being fitted for an emperor's robe that looked to be only slightly, and temporarily, beyond his reach. Roger Federer, conversely, was being appraised for his professional funeral casket.

While a sizable portion of America has turned its attention towards a different Prodigal Son narrative, a world is captivated by this story of two friends, one year that may have changed everything and a role reversal which even the Oracle of Delphi could not have foretold.

Supermen: Orlando Magic Will Defeat Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Paul F. Villarreal — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:06:56 -0400

LeBron James was the first Witness. Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers will soon follow in James' footsteps.

The Orlando Magic will be your 2008-2009 NBA Champions.

In a year when the league desperately wants either Bryant or James to be crowned, it will have to settle, instead, for the rise of the Disney World Dynasty.

Forget about home-court advantage. The Magic have already won in Los Angeles this year as part of their 2-0 mark against the Western Conference Champion Lakers.

No Jameer Nelson? No problem. Rafer Alston will be happy to either take aging Derek Fisher off of the dribble or else hit an open three-point bucket.

The manner of Orlando's pending victory will likely include Mickael Pietrus taking Luke Walton to the hole, Dwight Howard slamming the ball over Pau Gasol and Hedo Turkoglu coming off of a screen-and-roll to hit a dagger jump shot.

The Magic are superior to the Lakers. They are at least as athletic, deeper, shoot better and are equally as hungry to win a title as Los Angeles.

Fear the Mouse.

Mickey's Men will win the franchise's first title, eliminating the ghosts of missed Nick Anderson free throws past. Shaquille O'Neal, a former Magic player, will be as gratified as anyone at the outcome.

You heard it here first. Many will pick the Lakers to win, as they picked against the Celtics last year. They will be wrong, again.

The Orlando Magic are ready, they are the better team and they will not be denied.

Superman is in the building, and he is looking for—and is about to find—his first NBA Championship ring.

Arizona Cardinals Defeat Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles, 32-25

Paul F. Villarreal — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:20:15 -0500

For the Super Bowl-bound Arizona Cardinals, Sunday's NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles could not have started any better.

The Cardinals, who will be making their first-ever championship game appearance, methodically drove 80 yards on their first possession against the vaunted Eagles defense. Long runs by Edgerrin James were interspersed with passes to both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald eventually scored on a nine yard toss from Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner.

Philadelphia answered with a David Akers 45 yard field goal on their first offensive series of the match-up. The Eagles caught a break when the Cardinals' Neil Rackers sent his kickoff out of bounds. The resulting penalty gave the Eagles starting field position at their own 40 yard line.

Philadelphia received a measure of good fortune on their next possession. Following a Donovan McNabb interception, rookie DeSean Jackson tracked down Arizona defender Aaron Francisco during his return. Jackson caused Francisco to fumble and the Eagles recovered and were awarded a fresh set of downs.

Arizona came back on the following series with a one-play touchdown drive. A pass back from the Cardinals' running back to quarterback Kurt Warner resulted in a 62-yard strike to Larry Fitzgerald for the score. Arizona led 14-3.

The Cardinals continued their strong first half following a second David Akers field goal. Arizona scored their third touchdown before intermission courtesy of Larry Fitzgerald's own third score of the first 30 minutes. At this point in the game, Arizona was consistently and easily beating the Eagles' feared blitz packages. The Cardinals led the contest 21-6.

Arizona added a field goal as the half concluded to make the score 24-6. At the time of the break the Cardinals had amassed 260 yards of offense to the Eagles' own 170.

The Eagles began the third quarter with the ball and in need of some quick points. Instead, Donovan McNabb was sacked close to midfield and fumbled the football. Arizona recovered, and it appeared as though the tone had been set for the remainder of the contest. That perception, though, would prove most inaccurate.

It was McNabb's third mistake of the game up to this point. His interception and fumble joined an earlier intentional grounding call against the Eagles signal caller.

The Cardinals, however, could not capitalize on the Philadelphia misfortune, and the Eagles responded with a touchdown to draw back to within 11 points, 24-13.

Following another sustained Philadelphia drive and score, the contest tightened to 24-19. The Eagles missed the point after attempt.

After another stalled Cardinals possession, the Eagles scored on a long touchdown pass from McNabb to DeSean Jackson. They failed on the ensuing two point attempt but still led 25-24 in a shocking second half turnaround.

The Cardinals, however, would not be denied. Following the Philadelphia score, Arizona marched down the field and scored their own touchdown to take back the lead. The resulting two point conversion gave the Cardinals a 32-25 advantage. The score was Arizona's first since intermission.

Following a fourth and 10 dropped pass, the Cardinals took over and all but ran out the clock on the Eagles season. Philadelphia had a last gasp with nine seconds left but could not produce the necessary points on a haphazard lateral play.

Kurt Warner played perhaps his best football of the 2008-2009 campaign during the contest. Warner completed 21 of his 28 passes for 279 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. His quarterback rating was a remarkable 145.6, and it came against an outstanding Philadelphia defense.

With the loss, the Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb-era Eagles fall to just 1-4 in NFC Championship games. The only time the Eagles have made the Super Bowl during that stretch was following the 2004 season.

That Philadelphia squad was defeated by the New England Patriots, 24-21. Super Bowl XXXIX featured the dramatic return of Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens from a lower leg injury. Ultimately, however, Owens' 122 receiving yards would prove insufficient to turn back the dynastic Patriots and Tom Brady.

The Cardinals both exacted revenge for their earlier 48-20 loss to Philadelphia and they secured their first-ever Super Bowl birth. On a winter's afternoon replete with the swirls of change billowing throughout the nation, hope now exists in the desert of Arizona.

Dallas Cowboys' Terrell Owens Primed for Victory Over Rival Jason Garrett

Paul F. Villarreal — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:02:20 -0500

Update courtesy of Rob in the comments below: The Rams have hired Steve Spagnuolo—not Jason Garrett—to be their next head coach. As Rob notes, this means the Owens vs Garrett battle rages on in Dallas.

It also means that with nearly all of the NFL head coaching vacancies now having been filled, Garrett's leverage to dictate to the Cowboys that he wants Owens gone or else Garrett will walk to a possibly-better situation becomes markedly reduced.

The drama seems as though it shall continue in Big D for the foreseeable future.

Were Terrell Owens Roland Burris, the new United States senator from Illinois, Owens very well could be preparing to add a fresh engraving to his eventual resting place:

Won power struggle with Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett

News reports are speculating that Garrett is set to be named as the new coach of the St. Louis Rams. Should Garrett bolt Dallas, it will be perceived as a major victory for T.O. in what appears to have become a "me-or-him" showdown for Garrett.

Controversial ESPN reporter Ed Werder came out with a piece in the last few days suggesting that the Cowboys were thinking seriously of getting rid of Owens during this offseason. The article mentioned that some sources felt that Garrett would not return to Dallas should the Cowboys choose to retain Owens' services.

If Garrett is indeed named as the Rams' top man, one conclusion becomes that the guy labeled the Red Headed Genius lost his battle with Owens among team brass. Highly-touted coming into this season, many observers felt that Garrett had a tough year calling the Cowboys' plays as it appeared defensive coordinators around the NFL caught up with his schemes.

Though Owens sometimes voiced his complaints with Garrett's offense, the wide receiver was far from the only Dallas player to do so. In fact, star quarterback Tony Romo joined in the criticism following the Cowboys' humiliating season-ending loss in Philadelphia.

As you might expect, the beleaguered Werder and ESPN are already moving to put a pro-Garrett spin on his possible move to St. Louis. Caution is advised in accepting that viewpoint. The feeling exists that Garrett would stand to earn less money in St. Louis than he would by remaining in Dallas, and such a jump would be seen as the Cowboys favoring their certain Hall of Fame wide receiver over the still-unproven offensive coordinator.

Even ESPN admits that a Garrett exit from Dallas would increase the likelihood that Owens will return next year for the Cowboys.

Terrell Owens led his team with 10 touchdowns scored during the just-completed campaign. If the embattled Jason Garrett were to be essentially forced out of Dallas because the organization chose its best playmaker over a young coach whose luster had dimmed considerably throughout the 2008 season, you could chalk up yet another metaphorical TD for No. 81.

Faltering Los Angeles Lakers Lose Second Straight Game, fall to Orlando Magic

Paul F. Villarreal — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:37:58 -0500

Though Kobe Bryant finished with a triple double, his poor shooting in the fourth quarter—three for 12 on field goal attempts during the final period—helped ensure that the Lakers would drop their second straight contest, 109-103. The victory by the visiting Orlando Magic gives them the season sweep over Los Angeles.

The Lakers' loss to the Magic comes on the heels of the team's Wednesday night defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, 112-111.

With the victory, Orlando (32-8) moves ahead of the Lakers (31-8) for the second best record in the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the pack with a mark of 31-7. Boston sits a loss behind both Orlando and Los Angeles at 32-9.

Bryant finished with 28 points on 10-of-26 shooting. He added 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the purple and gold.

Dwight Howard had 25 points and 20 rebounds for Orlando. Jameer Nelson was excellent for the Magic in the fourth quarter, and he finished with 28 points, six rebounds and eight assists.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for last year's Western Conference Champions. This Monday, LeBron James and the league-leading Cavs visit Staples Center.

Radio Host: Donovan McNabb Likely To Face Fine for Phone Stunt

Paul F. Villarreal — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:51:57 -0500

Near the conclusion of the Philadelphia Eagles' 23-11 playoff triumph over the New York Giants, quarterback Donovan McNabb ran out of bounds after a short scramble.

McNabb ended up on the New York side of the field, and he inexplicably proceeded to pick-up a Giants sideline telephone intended for New York coaches and players. The quarterback pretended he was having a short conversation and was promptly flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

As you might imagine, video of the quarterback's gaffe is already making the Internet rounds. It is at least the third such McNabb season low-light to receive widespread attention, joining footage of McNabb discussing his ignorance of the NFL's rules regarding tie games and, of course, coverage of McNabb being benched in Philadelphia's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

If being Arizona+Cardinals/61193128.blog/1">mocked on national television by FOX announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were not bad enough, Fox Sports Radio's John Fricke opined earlier tonight that McNabb is likely to be fined for his sideline shtick as well.

Given the NFL's history of dipping into the wallets of its players for a multitude of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, Fricke could very well be proven correct.

Fox's Chris Myers asked McNabb about the incident during their postgame interview, and McNabb confessed that his phone break was something the quarterback shouldn't have done. McNabb later added that he apologized to the team for his stunt and relayed that he felt the matter was "over."

If John Fricke has got it right, however, then the incident isn't yet in the rearview mirror. McNabb still may be forced to shell out some cold, hard cash for his sideline dalliance. Not to mention the endless video loops, Internet discussion, television banter and talk-radio rehashing to come.

In what should have been an afternoon of individual redemption, McNabb instead appears to have found a way to dial up more personal criticism. How long this subplot runs is anyone's guess, but for a player working in what is widely perceived to be the harshest sports town in all of America, McNabb would have been better served by leaving his Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? lifeline impersonation at home.

Eagles-Giants: Lackluster McNabb Struggles In Philadelphia's Win

Paul F. Villarreal — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:55:50 -0500

Fortunately for Donovan McNabb, winning solves everything.

The critics of the Eagles' signal-caller will find plenty of grist for their collective mill from McNabb's playoff performance today against the New York Giants.

Though the surging Eagles proved victorious, the Philadelphia quarterback threw two costly interceptions and was charged with intentional grounding on a toss from his own end zone that resulted in a safety and two points for New York.

McNabb's miscues, however, were minimized by the stellar play of Philadelphia's defense, as well as a terrific tackle by Eagles wide receiver Kevin Curtis. McNabb's errors could have resulted in a possibly game-altering sixteen points for the Giants, but defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's stout unit kept the tally to a manageable eight points (two field goals allowed, to go with the two-point safety).

With the Eagles leading 10-8, Curtis prevented what looked to be a sure touchdown by Giants defensive lineman Fred Robbins. The wide out dove and seized Robbins' foot as the defender lumbered down the sidelines following his pilfer of a deflected McNabb pass.

The Eagles defense took over from there, keeping the Giants from a potential momentum-swinging seven points while likewise containing the damage created by their own quarterback.

McNabb statistics for the game were 22 completions out of 40 passes attempted for 217 yards. He had one touchdown and two interceptions to go with the intentional grounding penalty that resulted in the Eagles safety. McNabb completed just 55 percent of his tosses, and he finished the contest with a paltry quarterback rating of 58.2.

To help put that number into perspective, Cleveland Browns' signal caller Derek Anderson finished the season with a 66.5 quarterback rating. Anderson's figure represented the worst among all 32 regular 2008 NFL starters.

In fairness to McNabb, he did produce some clutch third down conversions for the Eagles and he also ran and passed for two short touchdowns (one passing, one rushing).

Credit, too, has to be given to Philadelphia offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and head coach Andy Reid. Late in the first half, with the Eagles offense sputtering, Philly began to run short, crossing routes that proved effective against the Giants' prevent defense.

This play calling allowed McNabb and his offensive teammates both to enjoy some success, and to start to settle into a groove that would carry over into the second half.

McNabb, however, threatened to give back that hard-earned momentum when he threw his second interception of the game just three plays into the third quarter. This was the pick that resulted in Kevin Curtis' terrific tackle of Fred Robbins.

It has been a long year for the Philadelphia veteran, despite his team's return to the NFC Championship game for the first time in four seasons. McNabb was benched for the first time in his career following a horrific stretch during November that saw the Eagles go 0-2-1 and fall to 5-5-1 for the season. That string of contests included McNabb's infamously admitting that he did not understand the NFL's rules concerning tie games following a draw against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.

Fans and media alike were saying that the end of the McNabb Era in Philly was imminent. That the Eagles had drafted McNabb's assumed heir apparent, Kevin Kolb, with their first pick in the 2007 NFL Draft only increased the perception that the quarterback's time in The City of Brotherly Love was nearing an end. Things got so bad for McNabb that he was even booed during a blowout home win against pending NFC Championship opponent Arizona on Thanksgiving.

The worst may be over for the recently-beleaguered Eagles quarterback, however. Following last week's road playoff victory against the Minnesota Vikings—a game in which McNabb threw just one touchdown, was intercepted once and was stripped of the ball (Minnesota recovered) during one of the three times he was sacked—Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie publicly proclaimed that he wanted McNabb to return to the team for the 2009 season. This year also represented the first time in five seasons that the signal-caller did not miss any regular season games due to injury.

One somewhat surprising development for the Philadelphia quarterback and his many fans has been McNabb's proclivity of late towards calling attention to himself. The quarterback has long been regarded as something of an anti-Terrell Owens.

That is, the general perception of McNabb is that he is a humble, team-first player not given to public boasts or showboating antics.

The past several weeks, however, McNabb has done his best to dismiss that characterization. During the Eagles' game against Owens' Dallas Cowboys, the quarterback both demonstrably pointed to the name on the back of his jersey following a touchdown as well as appeared to mock Owens by flexing his muscles along the sidelines.

These displays followed a similar self-reverential moment that McNabb engaged in mere days after the Eagles' then-crushing defeat by the Washington Redskins late in the season. After being asked by a reporter how he would assess his 2008 performance, McNabb responded "I think I've played great."

Needless to say, that remark played extremely poorly amongst both the local Philly media and an Eagles fan base which had just experienced what they felt would be a playoff chance-ending loss.

The latest appearance of this McNabb 2.0 came today against the Giants. Late in the contest, with the Eagles firmly in control, McNabb was forced out of bounds along the Giants' sideline.

Instead of simply returning to the huddle immediately, the quarterback proceeded to pick up the receiver of a telephone intended for Giants players and coaches, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his efforts. No word yet on whether or not McNabb will be seeking to plant end zone celebration props such as pom-poms ahead of the game next week in Arizona.

The 'old' McNabb, conversely, seemed to reemerge during his post-game interview with FOX's Chris Myers. The quarterback implied that he should not have engaged in the telephone stunt.

The quandary for McNabb's backers is that it appears as though the quarterback may be becoming the kind of diva and showboat that he, and they, has often proclaimed they dislike.

To put it another way, how can you root for the anti-Owens if that individual is taking steps to mimic actions and statements you would expect to hear and see from Owens himself? McNabb's defenders have, so far, seemed to take the signal-caller's new-found bravado in stride.

The risk for the quarterback, though, is that his apparently revised personality may alienate those who have most strongly been in his corner up to this point.

For today, McNabb, his media supporters, and Eagles fans get the last laugh. Although the quarterback struggled against the Giants, the Eagles' coaching staff and defense picked up their player and teammate.

For McNabb's detractors, however, today's demonstration only feeds their longstanding argument which tends to run along these lines: The Eagles succeed despite McNabb, not because of him.

Which side is correct in their beliefs? That is open to interpretation, an example of beauty, or lack of same, being in the eye of the beholder.

McNabb now will have gone to five NFC Championship games, but he is still often recalled for what some believe to be a wanting performance in Super Bowl XXXIX. That loss, and the apparently literal throwing-up which the quarterback did late in the game, is still the lead sentence of McNabb's professional career.

There are those, including McNabb, who still say the Eagles quarterback was not ill late in the contest against the Patriots. Unfortunately for that contingent, McNabb's own playing history suggests that his reported Super Bowl affliction was hardly the first such time the leader of the Eagles offense had experienced this kind of episode on a football field.

Such instances provide further credence to the claims made by Owens, Hank Fraley, Freddie Mitchell and others about McNabb's constitution during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXIX.

In the same way that McNabb has been able to put this season's low points behind him, though, the quarterback now is presented with an opportunity to rewrite his NFL legacy. Should the Eagles win but two more games this postseason, Donovan McNabb becomes a permanent member of the Super Bowl ring fraternity.

Achieve that distinction and forever silence the doubters.

In order for McNabb to accomplish that goal, however, he is likely to have to significantly step-up his own performance relative to his outing against the Giants earlier today.

The defenses of AFC finalists Pittsburgh and Baltimore—ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in yards allowed during the regular season—need no elaboration. The Arizona Cardinals' rapidly improving defensive unit, similarly, possesses a top-five takeaway statistic.

The Cardinals are ball hawks, something which could spell disaster for the recently turnover-prone McNabb and his Eagles.

The upshot to all of this is that very few teams become Super Bowl champions featuring a Trent Dilfer clone at quarterback. There is only one 2000 Baltimore Ravens squad, much as there is but one 2007 New York Giants team. A quarterback rating of 58.2 is unlikely to be associated with a victorious team from this point forward in the postseason.

Winning is a great deodorant for any individual and his possibly-inferior performance. The Eagles have repeatedly shown during their current hot streak that they have a top-flight defense and coaches who are able to scheme their units to success. Though Philadelphia was not able to establish the run today, and despite McNabb's lacking production, the Eagles still prevailed by twelve points, on the road, against the Super Bowl champions.

That is not an accident.

Now is Donovan McNabb's time; this is his chance to show he is capable of leading a team to the Super Bowl without Number 81. It is McNabb's opportunity to forever end the notion that he is a choker who cannot win the big game.

The Eagles were victorious today despite three McNabb miscues and his overall sub-par play. Philadelphia is likely to need better output from its quarterback if it is to advance to, and win, Super Bowl XLIII.

Will Donovan McNabb be able to rise up and meet that challenge?

Can he, once and for all, quiet the critics who have disparaged everything from his leadership to his accuracy?

Stay tuned. And get your popcorn ready.

Despite His Loss, Forrest Griffin Wins New Fan

Paul F. Villarreal — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:41:31 -0500

I have never been a Forrest Griffin admirer. I've always felt he was over-hyped, always thought he was a mediocre fighter relative to other talents in the UFC, and I still believe Quinton "Rampage" Jackson defeated him at UFC 86 when Forrest won the light heavyweight title in a unanimous decision.

To this day, one of my favorite UFC matches of all time is Keith Jardine vs Forrest Griffin from UFC 66. In that contest, Jardine knocked Griffin out via punches in the first round. Griffin was so distraught with the loss he was crying uncontrollably immediately after the bout and walked out of the octagon without doing the typical post-fight interview.

Jardine's victory, to me, had been poetic justice for the preening, camera-mugging Griffin and fellow reality TV show star Stephan Bonnar. Here were two guys who had achieved absolutely nothing in the sport yet were posing and acting as though they were saviors of Mixed Martial Arts.

While Griffin received widespread notoriety, more deserving and proven fighters toiled in relative anonymity.

On the other side of my rooting spectrum from Forrest Griffin was Rashad Evans. Since I have never been a big Chuck Liddell supporter, Evans' spectacular one-punch KO of Liddell at UFC 88 had instantly vaulted the Michigan State alum far up into the reaches of my most-appreciated mixed martial artists.

Coming into tonight's match-up between Evans and Griffin, I both expected and wanted Griffin to lose. And the more spectacular the loss, the better.

However, two things happened tonight during and immediately after the fight which have made me reevaluate my feelings towards both Griffin and Rashad.

The first occurrence came with 3:38 left in the second round. Griffin was effectively pressuring Evans along the edge of the octagon fence. As Griffin retreated to set up for another assault, a rattled Evans put his hand to his mouth and kissed it, then proceeded to grab his crotch disdainfully towards Griffin.

Is was a less classy version of shaking your head 'no' when a guy hits you so as to signal you are ok and were not hurt by your opponent's strikes.

It was a ridiculous move by Evans. The gesture disgraced Evans himself, the sport, UFC and the bout. The announcers didn't want to comment on Evans' action but as soon as I saw it, I could no longer root for a man whom I was thrilled to support when he had KO'd Liddell.

Though Griffin easily controlled the first two rounds of the match, Evans took his opponent down in the third round and executed an effective ground-and-pound offense to score the stoppage victory. Rashad Evans is the new UFC light heavyweight champion of the world.

Though I had soured on Evans for the moment, I was still not yet truly behind Griffin. Evans had proven victorious in the contest but I was yet feeling pretty happy that Forrest had been, once again, exposed by a fighter whom Griffin had decided height and reach (at least in the legs, anyways) advantages over. This is when Griffin proceeded to claim a new fan by how he chose to deal with dropping his belt.

Instead of being bitter, dejected, angry over Evans' crotch grab or otherwise petulant, Griffin celebrated Evans' win and gave full credit to Rashad for the stoppage.

Griffin joked at his own expense, never mentioned the kiss-and-groin-tug maneuver by Evans and repeatedly, and sincerely, went out of his way to congratulate and celebrate Rashad. It was as if the Griffin who fled the ring after being beaten by Jardine never existed.

Forrest, your class and maturity earned you a new backer tonight. I still feel you're a limited, glorified TUF guy who doesn't really have the full set of tools necessary to compete at the highest levels of the UFC, but in terms of demonstrating poise and grace in defeat, you're top-shelf. I can honestly say I'll be looking forward to watching the next Forrest Griffin fight.

As far as goes Evans, let me just say this:

I don't think Rashad's a jerk or anything along those lines. It's a fight, and things happen. An MMA bout is a competitive situation and, at that point in time, Evans was getting the worse of it and was trying to show Griffin that he wasn't going to give in to Forrest's aggression.

I still like Rashad, still think he's good for the sport, still respect him and I congratulate him on his victory this evening. The two men touched gloves sometime later in the bout after a low blow and clearly had maintained their respect for each other after Evans' action. That's good enough for me.

Solid showing by the UFC tonight. Quinton Jackson got his revenge over Wanderlai Silva, Evans won the belt from Griffin and Frank Mir did the unthinkable by knocking out Antonio Nogueira. As we wait for tomorrow's games from the final week of the NFL's regular season, you can't ask for much more than that.

Dallas Cowboys Get X-Mas Scheduling Gift For Crucial Philadelphia Eagles Tilt

Paul F. Villarreal — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:54:52 -0500

To some, the just-announced decision by the NFL (and, presumably, FOX network) to change the start time of the critical Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles contest from the original 1 PM ET kickoff to 4:15 PM ET will seem a relatively unimportant development.

It is anything but that.

There is at least one team, and possibly two depending on the result of tonight's Monday Night Football game, that will be playing at 1 PM ET next Sunday that could render the Eagles' performance against hated rival Dallas utterly moot.

Those teams are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) and the Chicago Bears (8-6).

If Tampa Bay wins their early game at home against woeful Oakland next week, then the Eagles will head into their contest knowing that they are officially out of the playoff picture.

Similarly, if Chicago wins tonight in the Windy City against listless Green Bay, then the Bears also could have the opportunity to knock Philly out of the playoff race with a victory this weekend at Houston provided that desperate Minnesota is able to secure a home triumph against a New York Giants squad that has already wrapped up the best record in the conference. (Update: Chicago defeated Green Bay in overtime, 20-17)

The NFL undoubtedly made this switch to the 4:15 PM ET slot because they want to harness the exceptional drawing power of the possibly playoff-bound Cowboys. There will be cries of 'conspiracy' (to help Dallas get into the postseason, that is), I am sure, but this was a very simple business decision by the league. That is, Dallas sells.

It is not a coincidence that last week's match-up in Texas Stadium against the New York Giants was the most-watched Sunday Night Football game ever. The league isn't into conspiracy; they are, however, into maximizing revenue.

What better way to do so than to feature the Cowboys, as they shoot to make the playoffs against rival Philadelphia (who also could hypothetically be alive for a postseason spot when the game begins)? We haven't even touched on the Terrell Owens-Donovan McNabb subplots.

The National Football League made the right call here in moving the game to the 4:15 PM ET spot. That said, this action undoubtedly raises Dallas' chances to win the contest, in my opinion.

Why do I say this? In such a bitter rivalry, it would seemingly mean little for the Eagles' efforts to keep Dallas out of the postseason even if Philly's own playoff chances were ended before the game begins. That is the conventional wisdom.

I assert that Philadelphia's performance against Dallas next Sunday could suffer due to the scheduling change because of how two players may or may not be used in the game: Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook.

It is doubtless that McNabb will be highly motivated to keep former teammate Terrell Owens from reaching the postseason. However, the decision may not all be his.

There has been wide speculation that Eagles management is seriously considering moving McNabb in the upcoming off-season. If the Dallas game becomes a meaningless one for the Eagles by kickoff time or shortly thereafter, it is quite likely, in my opinion, that you will see Kevin Kolb at some point in the contest.

Philly brass does not want to see a possible trade asset injured in an irrelevant game for the franchise. Many fans and those in the media would likely scoff at such a suggestion, but the Eagles executives, similar to the NFL schedule-makers who changed Philly-Dallas to 4:15 PM, would be making a dispassionate decision based on their own business interests.

As regards Westbrook, he clearly looked less than one hundred percent against the Redskins. He is the Eagles' best player, but one prone to injury. If he is already hurting and you want to protect your investment in him going forward, you may well want to either shut him down or greatly reduce his role in what would be a glorified exhibition match.

If the Eagles do decide to take the steps I think they might regarding limiting the potential injury risk to McNabb and Westbrook pending the results of the Tampa and possibly Chicago games next week, expect such moves to be made as subtly as possible.

For example, possibly Westbrook is 'reinjured' during the game and rested, say, for the second half as a precaution. Or, possibly, he plays the whole contest but receives a relatively light workload.

Kolb may be played extensively and then Andy Reid could say in the post-game press conference that this was done to see how Kolb would perform. Reid would likely add that since the game was 'meaningless,' if Tampa and/or Chicago win(s), that he felt justified in making such a switch.

You get the idea.

If you're the Eagles, you would not come out and admit to the public that you are doing your best to ensure McNabb doesn't suffer an injury which could affect his market value. You simply say something such as, "We wanted to give Kolb a chance and we knew that we had been eliminated from playoff contention," or something similar.

Because of one legitimate money-driven decision made by the NFL, and because of what could be a choice made by the Eagles organization to protect and maximize its assets, Schedule-maker Santa Claus possibly just gave the Dallas Cowboys a perfect playoff-push Christmas present.

Unstoppable: Bernard Hopkins Dominates Kelly Pavlik

Paul F. Villarreal — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:17:49 -0400

Boxing legend wins lopsided unanimous decision over fighter 17 years his junior

Bernard Hopkins thoroughly outclassed Kelly Pavlik in all facets of their matchup on Saturday night in Atlantic City. The pride of Philadelphia demonstrated superior speed, power, movement, defense, combination punching and ring generalship.

This performance by Hopkins—all 43 years of him—was one of the most inspiring, truly remarkable feats you will ever witness in any field of sport. A visibly emotional Hopkins clearly understood the magnitude of what he had accomplished, and he justifiably relished in his masterful outing at the end of the bout.

At best, Pavlik won three of the scheduled twelve rounds. A more accurate figure would be one round, and that is only because Hopkins took the stanza off to rest.

Pavlik was befuddled, could not get off, suffered a nasty gash over his left eye later on in the fight and was so completely routed that he chose not to speak with a reporter from the network I saw the bout on after the contest.

Hopkins said in his own post-fight interview that it was his finest performance ever, and I have to agree. The Executioner repetitively hurt Pavlik and received nary a scratch himself after thirty-six minutes of combat with the hard-punching, previously-unbeaten middleweight champion.

Pavlik falls to 34-1 with the defeat. Hopkins' record improves to 49-5-1. The bout was fought at a catchweight of 170 pounds, and Pavlik's titles were not on the line. Neither fighter was knocked down during the match. Each man received a one-point deduction from the referee (Pavlik for hitting behind the head, Hopkins for excessive holding).

The official scores for the fight were 119-106, 118-108 and 117-109. For the boxing layperson, this means that the judges gave Pavlik one, two and three of the twelve rounds, respectively.

I thought Hopkins could win this bout, but only by stoppage if Pavlik got careless. I could not have been more wrong. Bernard Hopkins dominated Pavlik, and was as carefree and relaxed between the ropes as he has been since at least his TKO victory over Felix Trinidad in 2001.

Vitali Klitschko Destroys Sam Peter, Silences Critics

Paul F. Villarreal — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:28:28 -0400

It had been a long four years for the Ukrainian giant nicknamed Dr. Ironfist.

Since his eight round destruction of Danny Williams in 2004, then-WBC Heavyweight Champion Dr. Vitali Klitschko was forced to endure years of what he likely perceived to be betrayal.

In the wake of his dismantling of Williams, Klitschko was let down both by his body and the fickle fans of the sweet science. The same people who called Klitschko a "quitter" after a torn rotator cuff forced a premature end to his 2000 bout with Chris Byrd reappeared in droves when a series of injuries made Vitali postpone a planned fight with Hasim Rahman. Eventually, the proud warrior had to announce that he was leaving the sport because of his physical limitations.

Those who doubted the elder Klitschko's heart, however, would have been wise to review the events of June 21, 2003.

On that summer night in Los Angeles, Vitali Klitschko forever erased any concerns about his will or ability. The Ukrainian battered heavyweight titlist Lennox Lewis from pillar to post and was, at most, a few rounds away from knocking out the proud British champion.

Unfortunately for Klitschko, he had suffered a horrific cut during the third round. The laceration cost him the fight and spared Lewis a humiliating defeat.

The bout was stopped after the sixth round on the advice of the ringside doctor. At the time the contest was halted, Klitschko led four rounds to two (58-56) on all three official scorecards. Though Vitali's ability to see was becoming increasingly hampered, he was in firm control of the contest, and a fading Lewis was on his last legs as he dropped onto his stool after the end of the sixth.

It was only a matter of time before Lewis was finished off, and both fighters knew it.

Klitschko was incensed at the stoppage, and was immediately in Lewis' face demanding a rematch. Lennox agreed to give Klitschko a return bout.

Shortly thereafter, Lennox Lewis retired from boxing. There would be no Lewis-Klitschko II.

Many have since said that Vitali Klitschko retired Lennox Lewis, and based on Lewis' petty actions and statements towards Klitschko since their match in 2003, I cannot disagree with that sentiment. In short, Lewis has doth protested too much—far too much—since his matchup with Vitali Klitschko for me to be able to reach any other conclusion except that the British pugilist understood that Klitschko had his number, and that he wanted no part of a rematch with the massive Ph.D.

You would have thought that boxing fans and scribes might recall that series of events as we approached the Samuel Peter-Vitali Klitschko fight. Unfortunately, most did not.

Some overestimated Peter's skill, others said the time away from the ring would be Vitali's undoing against his younger foe. There were those who bemoaned the fact that Klitschko was getting a crack at Peter in the first place.

Whatever their varied reasons, a good number of so-called boxing experts favored Samuel Peter over Vitali Klitschko as Saturday, October 11th loomed. Thankfully, I was not part of that erroneous contingent.

Here was some of my reasoning from that post:

Peter is made for Vitali. His style, lack of defense and lack of stamina are perfect for Vitali. Yes, Vitali will have some rust and, yes, Vitali is older. But he is going to forever end the Peter hype and any questions anyone had about Rahman.

This was how the fight played out. Peter was forced to walk to Klitschko due to his relatively short stature. The only way Sam could hope to land a punch was to close the distance between himself and his towering opposition.

This played into Klitschko's hands as he repetitively scored with thudding counter-punches while Peter advanced and sometimes launched attacks that touched nothing but air. Klitschko had little trouble landing his shots and Peter's resolve and energy level gradually waned as the contest continued.

By the conclusion of the eighth round, Peter had had enough. An announcement was made over the public address system that Klitschko was far ahead on all official scorecards. At this point, a swollen-eyed and fading Peter made the decision that he would not be coming out for the scheduled ninth round.

With his victory, Vitali Klitschko became a three-time world heavyweight boxing champion. Vitali also joined his brother Wladimir in becoming the only brothers in boxing history to simultaneously hold heavyweight championship belts. The two men had long dreamt of achieving this accomplishment, and it had finally been realized.

Vitali Klitschko listened to the critics. He heard the doubters. He kept his poise while the haters launched their verbal tirades in the months and weeks leading up to his fight with Samuel Peter.

And then he went out this past Saturday night and gave Peter one of the most lopsided thrashings you will ever see in boxing.

Peter won one round, total, on the the three ringside judges' scorecards. And that was a gift. Following the eighth and final round, the official tallies were 80-72, 80-72 and 79-73.

No one should have been surprised at what took place in Berlin. This is who Vitali Klitschko is, and what he does.

Klitschko has the highest knockout percentage (92%+) in heavyweight history. Only one of his opponents (Timo Hoffman) has ever lasted the distance with the aptly-named Dr. Ironfist. Klitschko's two losses were the result of injuries, and he led on all scorecards when those two fights were stopped.

In other words, unless Klitschko gets injured (including during his training camps), he wins his fights. And he usually wins them by knockout.

On Saturday night, Vitali Klitschko resoundingly answered his detractors with a comprehensive defeat of Samuel Peter.

***

If you would like to view the fight in its entirety, I have posted it to my Youtube channel (courtesy of Germany's RTL Television). I will not post all of the various links for each round, but here are the links to the first and the eighth (final) rounds:

Round 1

Round 8 (final round)

At the end of each video is an annotation with a link to the video of the next round, all the way through the final round and the aftermath of the fight.

Until next time, protect yourself at all times, and see you at the fights!