Bleacher Report - Articles by Aaron Schwartz

Baltimore Ravens Receivers Suffering

Aaron Schwartz — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:27:06 -0400

Now it is the off-season, but it is never too early to worry about injuries to football teams, and with what the Baltimore Ravens went through in 2008, it is time to start worrying.

The Ravens off-season injuries have been seldom, however, they have hit almost all of their receivers. From the wide outs to the tight ends, almost all of them have already landed on the injury report.

Wide receiver Derrick Mason, who played through a shoulder injury in 2008, went through surgery on the same shoulder during the off-season. His recovery from the surgery has been much slower than expected, and it may limit him from participating in training camp. However, Mason believes that he will be ready to play when the season comes around.

The number two wide receiver for the Ravens, Mark Clayton has also come up with an injury. He is suffering from a heel injury, plantar fascists, which has limited him during off-season workouts. Clayton says that the injury is healing well and should not limit him for training camp.

Another wide receiver with an injury for the Ravens is Demetrius Williams. He went through surgery in November for his left ankle, but has had a painful recovery so far. Coach Harbaugh stated that Williams had more on the line in June and July than anyone else on the team. So far it does not seem good for Williams.

The final wide receiver to get hit with an injury for the Ravens is Yamon Figurs. Figurs, who broke his foot in May, is recovering well and it is believed that he will be fully healthy for the start of training camp at the end of July.

As if those four wide outs being hurt was not bad enough for the Ravens, they also have three injured tight ends.

Todd Heap is the first of the injured tight ends. Heap is recovering from a back injury, that has taken away his explosiveness off of the line. The only thing that can help him recover is time, but it is beginning to run out as training camp approaches. We will have to wait and see if Heap can be ready to go for training camp, the preseason or the regular season.

The second injured tight end is the recently acquired L.J. Smith. Smith has been riddled with injuries over the past couple of years, and is working with an upset groin at the moment. He seems to be ready to play and is happy to be in Baltimore, claiming that the best will be brought out in him playing for the Ravens.

The final injury to a Raven tight end is Quinn Sypniewski. After having surgery at the end of May to repair an injured knee, he has been very limited and seems to be the no better then the third tight end when healthy, but at this point both Heap and Smith are hurt as well. The timetable for Sypniewski's return is really unknown, and more light may be shed on the matter during training camp.

The Baltimore Ravens are already walking on a tight rope with there injuries, and if they want to make a run at the Super Bowl this year, they will need a healthy team. After all, Only time will tell who will end up healthy for the regular season.

Steve McNair Dead at Age 36: Woman Identified

Aaron Schwartz — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:57:13 -0400

Three time Pro-Bowl quarterback, Steve McNair, of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, was found dead as a result of a gun shot wound.

McNair had multiple wounds, along with the believed fatal wound to the head.

It is believed to be part of a double homicide and more information will be given as soon as possible.

A woman was found dead as well along with McNair, identity released by police as Sahel Kazemi.

Kazemi and McNair were described by police as friends and Kazemi's Cadillac is also listed in McNair's name.

A witness saw McNair enter his home around 1:30 A.M. on July 4th.

Steve McNair was 36.

Americans Look to Sweep Wimbledon

Aaron Schwartz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:39:16 -0400

It was probably unthinkable to say that the Americans could sweep Wimbledon two weeks ago, or even a few days ago.

But now, it seems like there is a good chance as there is an American alive in every major category at Wimbledon, and even some not so major.

In the biggest surprise of all, Andy Roddick has made it through to the finals of the men's singles, where he will play Roger for the third time for the Wimbledon Championship.

Federer won both previous meetings in 2004 and 2005. The first meeting went four sets, and the second was a straight set win for Federer. For Andy Roddick, hopefully the third time is the charm.

In the women's singles, the Americans are guaranteed the title as the Williams sisters will meet in the Wimbledon finals for the fourth time. In the previous three meetings, Serena has won two back in 2002 and 2003, the second of which went to three sets.

Last year, Venus defeated Serena 7-5, 6-4 to win in straight sets, and she has looked unbeatable this year. In Venus' last match she won 6-1, 6-0 overall the No. 1 seed Dinara Safina, which is the largest win over a No. 1 seed ever.

The women's doubles has the Williams sisters looking to claim the title again. They are three-time champions winning in 2000, 2002, and 2008. They will play Stosur and Stubbs, the Australians and No. 3 seed.

The Williams sisters won last year over Stosur, who played with Lisa Raymond. Raymond won in 2001 with Stosur's current partner Stubbs.

It seems hard to see the Williams sisters losing with how dominant they have been throughout the tournament, but it will be a great match to watch either way.

For the men's doubles, the Bryan brothers look to take the title for the Americans. They are the 2006 Wimbledon champions, but they will have their most difficult match yet when they play the defending champions, Nestor and Zimonjic.

Nestor has the career grand slam under his belt, and will look to defend his title at Wimbledon. However, the Bryans have been dominant of late, and it will be their title to lose as the No. 1 seed heading into the finals.

Last and probably least, but still impressive is the boys juniors finalist for America, Jordan Cox. Cox is ranked fourth national in the U.S.A. but that has not stopped him from running through the junior tournament.

He will meet Andrey Kuznetsov from Russia in the finals. It will not be an easy match by any means for Cox, especially coming off of a match where the final set went 30 games.

The Americans have shots at five championships at Wimbledon, and only time will tell how many they will win.

One is certain, and two others they are the favorite, but anything can happen in any match, especially when the Wimbledon title is on the line. It should be an interesting and exciting weekend in tennis for the Americans.

NFL Preliminary Predictions: Baltimore Ravens Win Super Bowl

Aaron Schwartz — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:17:50 -0400

This is a basic look at my predicted win/losses for the NFL in 2009, including the post-season.

AFC East:

New England Patriots: 11-5

Miami Dolphins: 9-7

Buffalo Bills: 8-8

New York Jets: 7-9

AFC North:

Baltimore Ravens: 13-3

Pittsburgh Steelers: 12-4

Cleveland Browns: 5-11

Cincinnati Bengals: 4-12

AFC South:

Tennessee Titans: 11-5

Houston Texans: 9-7

Indianapolis Colts: 8-8

Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-11

AFC West:

San Diego Chargers: 10-6

Kansas City Chiefs: 7-9

Denver Broncos: 5-11

Oakland Raiders: 4-12

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5

New York Giants: 9-7

Washington Redskins: 8-8

Dallas Cowboys: 6-10

NFC North:

Minnesota Vikings: 11-5

Chicago Bears: 10-6

Green Bay Packers: 8-8

Detroit Lions: 5-11

NFC South:

Carolina Panthers: 11-5

Atlanta Falcons: 11-5

New Orleans Saints: 7-9

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-13

NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals: 10-6

Seattle Seahawks: 8-8

San Francisco 49ers: 6-10

St. Louis Rams: 4-12

Wild Card Playoff Round:

Tennessee Titans defeats Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers defeat San Diego Chargers

Atlanta Falcons defeat Arizona Cardinals

Philadelphia Eagles defeat Chicago Bears

Divisional Playoff Round:

Baltimore Ravens defeat Tennessee Titans

New England Patriots defeat Pittsburgh Steelers

Minnesota Vikings defeat Philadelphia Eagles

Atlanta Falcons defeat Carolina Panthers

Conference Championships:

Baltimore Ravens defeat New England Patriots

Atlanta Falcons defeat Minnesota Vikings

Super Bowl:

Baltimore Ravens defeat Atlanta Falcons

Yes, that’s right. The Super Bowl this year in my completely biased, way too early prediction will be between the sophomore quarterbacks Joe Flacco of the Ravens and Matt Ryan of the Falcons. The Ravens will win the Super Bowl in a tight game where both quarterbacks are tested by strong defenses, but the play-makers on the Ravens will take over late and win the NFL Championship for the Baltimore Ravens.

An Inside Look: Baltimore Ravens 2009 Coaching Staff

Aaron Schwartz — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:46:39 -0400

The Baltimore Raven coaching staff in 2009 has some newly familiar faces in new places. For example, with the departure of Rex Ryan, Greg Mattison has taken over the defensive coordinator position.

Mattison, who joined the Ravens in 2008 as the linebacker coach, has spent upwards of 35 years coaching on the collegiate level. Before 2008 Mattison had no experience as a coach in the NFL. Now, Mattison takes over one of the best defenses in the NFL, and is heading a post that has seen all past coaches to fill it go on to be head coaches in the NFL.

Mattison has some experience with the defensive playbook that Rex Ryan used last year for the Ravens, including the wild blitzes and coverage schemes that stifled so many offenses. The big question will be, can Mattison bring his own aspect to the Raven defense and still keep the defense at the level it has performed at in the past?

On the offensive side of the ball, the Ravens still have Cam Cameron heading the charge. Cameron who like Mattison joined the Ravens in 2008, will be spending his second year as the Baltimore offensive coordinator.

After a good run as the Charger offensive coordinator, where he helped develop Philip Rivers and Drew Brees, Cameron got a shot to be the head coach of the Dolphins. But as quickly as he was in, he was out, and the Ravens took full advantage in putting him on the coaching staff.

Cameron who is known for developing quarterbacks into pro bowlers, will continue to work on his young superstar and fan favorite Joe Flacco. Flacco has been called the answer for Baltimore's drought of quarterbacks that has gone back to their very beginning as a team.

Cameron has brought an effective offense to the Ravens that has not been seen from them in a long time. He also meshes well with the Raven head coach and his good friend John Harbaugh.

John Harbaugh who like his coordinators will be starting his second year on the Raven's staff, is a young, creative coach who came over from Philadelphia in 2008. In his first season as the Raven head coach, the team went 11-5 in the regular season and made it to the AFC championship game, despite injuries to key players and a rookie quarterback.

Harbaugh is only the third head coach in Raven's history, and is very different from his predecessor Brian Billick. Unlike Billick, Harbaugh seems to be content with letting the offensive and defensive coordinators call the plays during the game.

Sure he will give some input, but he leaves the final decisions to his staff. He is mainly known for being a special teams coach in Philadelphia, and that seems to be the main area where the Ravens need to improve in 2009.

The Raven defense was great as always in 2008, and the offense seemed to really start working well together towards the end of the season, especially in the running game. It will be Harbaugh's job along with special teams coach Jerry Rosburg's to fix the one weak area of the Ravens.

Rosburg, who is also the assistant head coach, fills out the main four from the Raven coaching staff, and believe it or not he also joined the team in 2008. After a great run with the Browns where his special teams averaged being ranked first in the league over a five year period, he spent one very successful year with the Falcons before joining the Ravens.

Rosburg has consistently led his special teams to top ten rankings in the league, and that is what will be expected of him this year for the Ravens.

With this young group of coaches now having a year together under their belts, they will look to improve for 2009 in hopes of winning a Super Bowl championship.

We will have to see if the Raven defense can be the same with Mattison, if the offense can continue to improve as they did last year, and if the special teams can bring the Ravens the extra step that they need to reach a Super Bowl.

Joe Flacco: Ten Questions for the Baltimore Ravens QB

Aaron Schwartz — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:46:39 -0400

What are your expectations for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009? The Ravens did better than expected in 2008 as they reached the AFC Championship game after an 11-5 regular season.
What is the one key change you made to your game to improve for the upcoming season? Flacco obviously was impressive in his rookie year for the Ravens, but he was definitely not perfect. He had 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 11 fumbles in 2008.
What are you going to do against the Steelers this year to get a win against them? Obviously, this is a big question as the Steelers defeated the Ravens three times in 2008, including in the AFC Championship game.
How do you plan to utilize Todd Heap and L.J. Smith in 2009? The tight ends were not used very much in 2008, it will be interesting to see if the addition of L.J. Smith will change that.
Is Mark Clayton ready for a breakout year in 2009? We have been waiting for Mark Clayton to have his breakout year, and this could be it, as Flacco seems to be a steady arm that is capable of the bomb.
How will the loss of Rex Ryan effect how the offensive playbook looks? Obviously the defense will have to change in some way, but that change in the defense could cause the offense to play differently.
Will the improved offensive line cause more running or passing in 2009? With the newly acquired Michael Oher from the draft and Matt Birk from the Vikings, the Ravens offensive line looks very different from 2008, but much improved as well.
How will Troy Smith be used this year, and will you and he be seen on the field at the same time? We saw some trickery in 2008 using both Flacco and Smith, and with the wildcat formation emerging, it could be a factor for the Ravens in 2009.
What is the game you are looking forward to playing the most this season? It can definitely be expected that Flacco will want to get another shot at those pesky Pittsburgh Steelers, but maybe he has another team or player he wants to go up against.
Will we see a twenty touchdown season this year for you, and will we see more rushing as well in 2009? With the experience and improved offense, it seems possible that we could see more passing out of Flacco this year, and maybe even some more miracle runs out of him.

Baltimore Ravens Defensive Playbook to See Big Changes in 2009

Aaron Schwartz — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:08:33 -0400

If there is one thing that will be completely different for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 season, it will be their defensive playbook. With the departure of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to the New York Jets, so too will depart the legendary playbook that held crazy blitzes and unreadable coverages.

Last season proved to be an amazing statistical year once again for the Baltimore Raven defense. In 2008 under Rex Ryan the Raven defense had 34 sacks, 26 interceptions, and 13 forced fumbles during the regular season. It is impossible to deny the fact that Rex Ryan brought a swagger to the Raven defense, and he will be missed.

The biggest question is whether or not Greg Mattison can come in and fill Ryan's shoes. The answer is probably not, but obviously they are big shoes to fill. But even if he can not bring the same swagger and complexity to the defense that Ryan brought, it does not mean that he can not effectively run the defense.

The Raven defense still has it's core of veteran players like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and they will be getting back Kelly Gregg and Dawan Landry who missed the 2008 season due to injuries. It seems to be the best scenario for Mattison to step into, a great defense that has experience together, and an emerging offense to help him out.

The offense of the Ravens should take some of the pressure off of the defense this upcoming season. Headed by sophomores Joe Flacco and Jon Harbaugh, the offense should be improved from last year, especially on the offensive line. This is key, because it will allow for the Ravens to keep the ball longer and give the defense a breather.

With Mattison stepping in, and the return of Kelly Gregg, we can look for the Raven defense to go back to it's old methods of being physical and having ball hawking safeties. It should be a great year for Ray Lewis as he will be able to rely on his defensive line, just as he did back when he played with Siragusa.

This should cause the Ravens to stay at the top of the league in run defense, and if that remains true, then we should see teams trying to air it out on the Ravens.

That is where the Ed Reed factor will come in to play. Reed has undoubtedly become the biggest playmaker on the Raven defense with his 9 interceptions last season, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

For the 2009 season, we can look for the Baltimore Raven defense to be a physical run stopping defense that also prevents the big play through the air.

Although Rex Ryan leaving for New York may have hurt initially, the entrance of Greg Mattison and the return to the old Raven style of defense may be just what the Baltimore Ravens need if they are going to win a Superbowl championship in 2009.

The 2001 Baltimore Ravens: My Favorite Team of All-Time

Aaron Schwartz — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:32:38 -0400

The 2001 Baltimore Ravens were the champions of Superbowl XXXV, and also the team that got me to follow football thoroughly.

I remember watching that season with my uncle, who was in the hospital at the time. Every Sunday I would visit him, and we would watch the Ravens play. I was young at the time, and I really did not know much about football—only that the Ravens were my home team and they were not that good.

Nobody expected the Ravens to accomplish what they did that year, and this is evident by the video games of that year. In the NFL Blitz game for that season, the Baltimore Ravens were given the worst possible ranking for defense. Needless to say, that was not quite accurate.

Even when the Ravens made the playoffs that year, no one expected them to really have a shot at a Superbowl championship. It was enough of a shock that they came away with a win in the wild card round, when they dominated the Broncos 21-3.

Then, they had to go to their division rivals the Tennessee Titans. The Titans had gone 13-3 in the regular season and were expected to win the game easily. But after a blocked field goal was returned for a touchdown by Anthony Mitchell, the Ravens took the lead, and then Ray Lewis secured the win with an interception return for a touchdown.

The Ravens then were dominate against the Raiders for the AFC title, as they only allowed three points in the game, and they knocked out Rich Gannon early on. After the performance, the Ravens were ready to go to the Superbowl to face the New York Giants.

The game was just as easy as the past one, as the Ravens won 34-7 by forcing five turnovers. The most memorable moments of the game were, undoubtedly, the three touchdowns in twenty seconds. Duane Starks returned an interception for a touchdown, then on the kickoff Ron Dixon returned the ball for a touchdown. Immediately after on the next kickoff, Jermaine Lewis scored another touchdown, to cap off the 21-point series with twenty seconds coming off the clock.

The improbability of the Ravens Super Bowl win was enormous. It brought life to the city of Baltimore, and led me to follow football.

The Baltimore Ravens Have Championship Expectations in 2009

Aaron Schwartz — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:36:09 -0400

After coming off of what can only be said to be a surprising 11-5 season in 2008, that had the Baltimore Ravens heading to an AFC Championship game, there is great anticipation for what the upcoming 2009 season will bring.

With the spirited second year quarterback Joe Flacco leading the way for the Ravens, 2009 looks to be a year where a Super Bowl Championship is the goal.

The Ravens look to continue where they left off from last season, constantly improving with every game and stunning opponent after opponent with their stonewall defense and quick hit offense.

The Baltimore Ravens have a lot in their favor in the upcoming season, including a relatively easy schedule and another year of experience under the belts of their young stars.

The Ravens schedule has them playing the AFC West and the NFC North, Colts and Patriots along with their division.

The AFC West is undoubtedly considered the weakest division in the AFC—if not all of football—as last year they failed to have a single team above the .500 mark, with San Diego winning the division at 8-8 in a tiebreaker over the Denver Broncos, and the Raiders and Chiefs limping through the season at 5-11 and 2-14 respectively.

It does not appear to this point in the offseason that any of the AFC West teams have improved in any significant way.

In fact, the Broncos recently lost their franchise quarterback Jay Cutler in a trade to the Chicago Bears who are also an opponent of the Ravens this upcoming season.

The NFC North is the second weakest division in the NFC as the Minnesota Vikings took the division with a 10-6 record in the last week from the Bears, who finished at 9-7.

The Packers struggled to maintain their normal level of excellency, with Aaron Rodgers taking over the quarterback position after Favre was traded to the Jets, as they finished the season at 6-10.

And of course everyone knows about the infamous and now legendary 0-16 Detroit Lions.

The Bears seem to be the only ones who have greatly improved so far as they acquired Cutler, but the Vikings could also look a lot better if they do eventually sign Brett Favre.

The Colts and Patriots are always tough opponents, and this year should not be any different.

Now the Colts did lose soon to be hall of fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison to retirement, but they have the emerging Anthony Gonzalez to help out pro bowl wide out Reggie Wayne.

The Colts should be able to maintain their performance from last year, when they finished the season at 12-4.

The Patriots, however, will be getting back Tom Brady after losing him for all of the 2008 season in their first game last year. The Patriots should be even better with Brady back and the same core as last year when they went 11-5.

The Ravens own division, the AFC North, should be very split as it was last year, with the Ravens and Steelers coming in with double-digit wins, while the Browns and Bengals struggle to avoid double-digit losses.

Pittsburgh looks very similar to their championship team from last year, which went 12-4 and defeated the Ravens twice in the regular season, and won a tough battle in the AFC Championship game over Baltimore, although all three matches were very competitive.

The Browns and Bengals have not shown much improvement over the offseason, which will certainly be necessary if they want to be competitive in the division in the upcoming season.

The Browns, who finished 4-12 last year, have not made any substantial moves to improve their team, which lacked all around last season.

The Bengals are much of the same. Finishing at 4-11-1, they have not improved and there are questions over whether either of their star wide receivers will be with them at the beginning of the season.

The Ravens should look to and expect to be able to sweep both the AFC West and NFC North matchups, as well as the four matches against the Browns and Bengals.

With these expectations, they should be looking for at least a 12-4 season with 10-6 being their absolute worst outcome and a 13-3 or 14-2 season as a possibility this year.

In order for this to happen, they will need Flacco to play like he did last season, but that should not be to much to ask for as he has a year of NFL experience now and an easier schedule.

The draft may prove to be a big help to the offensive line, which has struggled over the past few years as Ogden aged, and retired.

The Ravens have also showed interest in acquiring Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals, and if they get him then it will make Flacco's job much easier, as last year he only had to receivers to work with in Mason and Clayton.

Flacco should also have some more help from the tight end position this year as he will have a fully recovered Todd Heap and the recently acquired L.J. Smith from the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Ravens' defense will be getting many players back that they did not have for the whole season last year, such as safety Dawan Landry and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg.

Another bonus for the Ravens is the offseason signings of Ray Lewis and Samari Rolle, which will keep a core group of veterans on the Ravens defense.

The final key to the Ravens puzzle may be in the coaching. Although they lost the great defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, they had a rookie head coach last year in Jon Harbaugh, but now he has experience and will need to use it well with Ryan leaving for the Jets.

All of the pieces are there for the Baltimore Ravens to make a run at the NFL Championship in the 2009 season.

If they can perform like they did last year and see improvement from their young players and their coaches, then Baltimore should have an exciting and competitive year as they look to take home the championship, which the rival Pittsburgh Steelers won in 2008.

Championship Weekend: The Trilogy Concludes and the Birds Battle in the Desert

Aaron Schwartz — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:45:16 -0500

I had originally predicted before the playoffs that if this was the scenario on Championship weekend, then the Ravens and the Cardinals would win these games, with the Ravens winning the Super Bowl. However, the more I look at this week's games, the more I see the Steelers and the Cardinals meeting in the Super Bowl with the Steelers winning it.

The key for the Ravens to win this week will be their ability to stop Willy Parker from getting to the outside. Parker is a similar runner to Chris Johnson of the Titans who last week was running all over the Ravens until he got hurt midway through the game.

It may have been an advantage for the Ravens to get to play Johnson, so that they could figure out how to stop a running back like that. Another key for the Ravens will be if Terrell Suggs can play, because he is an athletic player that can definitely help keep Parker from getting to the corner.

If the Steelers can get pressure on Joe Flacco early, then they can get him uncomfortable in the pocket, even if they don't get him to turn the ball over. The biggest threat that the Steelers have to winning is if Mark Clayton can get by Ike Taylor for a big play, because Clayton has the speed to make the deep play happen, as we have seen before this year, and Flacco is willing to throw it deep.

It will be a low-scoring game, so if the Steelers can get the run game working well early, then they should be able to win this game, but also as we saw last week they must not turn the ball over, especially in the red zone, or they will lose.

For the Eagles to win, they will need Brian Westbrook to be able to get into open space, whether it is running the ball or on screens. Westbrook is someone that can score on any play if he can get just a little help, however, with Boldin coming back and the Cardinal defense and running games stepping up in the playoffs, I don't see the Eagles winning anyway.

As good as Asante Samuel is he will get beat by Larry Fitzgerald at some point during this game, and possibly more than once. Fitzgerald much like Westbrook is someone who can score on any play, he is the most athletic receiver out there, and he is capable of catching anything thrown his way. Boldin on the other hand is a guy that can make defenders miss once he gets the ball, as we saw against the Falcons in the wild card playoff game.

Beijing '08 Medal Count Will Go Down to the Wire

Aaron Schwartz — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:07 -0400

Before I even begin, I know that many people will say that, a) the overall medal count is the only one that counts, or b) the gold medal count is the only one that matters. But let us add a little excitement to the final weekend of the Olympics.

The weighted medal count is probably in most people's minds the least important of the three medal counts that I have mentioned. However, it can be the most useful as it gives credit to the other medal counts.

For those who are not sure what I am talking about, the weighted medal system gives a country three points for a gold medal, two points for a silver medal, and one point for a bronze medal.

After all of Friday's competitions were completed in Beijing, the overall medal count was 102-89 with the U.S.A. leading China, and the gold medal count was 47-31 with China leading the U.S.A.

If we look at each individual medal count, China has 47 gold medals, 17 silvers, and 25 bronzes. The U.S.A. has 31 gold medals, 36 silvers, and 35 bronzes.

Now let's follow the points system for the two countries. China gets (3*47+2*17+1*25) and the U.S.A. gets (3*31+2*36+1*35). I will be kind and save you the time of calculating the results. It simply comes down to the fact that China has 200 points and the U.S.A. has 200 points. How cool is that? A perfect tie.

This is about as good as a baseball season closing out with a Yankees-Red Sox series with the two teams tied for the division lead, or the Colts and Patriots playing each other in week 17 for homefield advantage.

Every single event could make the difference in deciding which country ends up winning the points race. One point could decide it.

So let's forget all of the controversies that have occurred over the past two weeks and enjoy the two days that we have left. After all, the Olympics are supposed to be about uniting the world for one great competition.

Roger Federer is No Longer an Olympic Gold Virgin

Aaron Schwartz — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:10:33 -0400

Roger Federer has been the No. 1 player in the tennis world for what seems like a lifetime, but there are two things that have eluded him throughout his career: a French Open Championship and an Olympic gold medal. But now Federer is down to just one.

Federer and Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinka defeated the Swedish team of Aspelin and Johansson in the men's doubles Olympic gold medal match in Beijing Saturday night. The Swiss won in four sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3.

After Federer lost to American James Blake in the quarterfinals of the men's singles tournament, many thought that it would be another Olympics for Federer without a gold.

But as big of an upset as Blake pulled off by beating Federer, Federer would return the favor right back to the Americans by having an epic upset of the Bryan brothers in the men's doubles semifinals. The Bryan brothers were forced to settle for the bronze, while Federer got his shot at the gold.

Federer, who has been predominantly a singles player throughout his career, made his mark in Olympic history with an overwhelming performance in the men's doubles tournament.

After breezing through the first two sets in a combined 71 minutes, they struggled to break serve in the third set losing in a tiebreak 7-4, in a set that took 64 minutes, almost as long as the first two sets combined.

After seeing that the Swedes were not going to go down without a fight, Federer turned his game on. He started his team in the right direction in the fourth set by helping his teammate hold serve in game 1 with a powerful volley to close out the game.

The Swiss jumped on the Swedes' serves and managed to break them in the fourth game to go up 3-1 in the set. From there, the teams exchanged holds until the Swiss won the set 6-3, ending the match and giving Federer his first Olympic gold medal.

MLB Recap: April 3, 2008

Aaron Schwartz — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:55:31 -0400

Results

Away Team Score, Home Team Score

American League

White Sox 2 , Indians 1

Royals 4, Tigers 1

Angels 5, Twins 4

Blue Jays 2, Yankees 3

Rays at Orioles Postponed

National League

Diamondbacks 2, Reds 3

Nationals 7, Phillies 8 (10 innings)

Rockies 0, Cardinals 3

Brewers 3, Cubs 6

Astros 2, Padres 3

Pirates 4, Braves 3

Homeruns

American League

J. Crede (1), J. Uribe (1), A. Gordon (2), M. Teahen (1), B. Inge (1), M. Napoli (2), T. Hunter (1), G. Matthews (1), J. Kubel (1)

National League

J. Upton (1), J. Keppinger (1), C. Coste (1), A. Ramirez (1), K. Kouzmanoff (1)

Winning Pitchers

American League

O. Dotel (1-1), Z. Greinke (1-0), E. Santana (1-0), J. Chamberlain (1-0)

National League

J. Cueto (1-0), C. Condrey (1-0), B. Thompson (1-0), R. Dempster (1-0), E. Gonzalez (1-0), T. Yates (1-0)

Saves

American League

B. Jenks (1), J. Soria (2), F. Rodriguez (2), M. Rivera (2)

National League

F. Cordero (1), J. Isringhausen (1), K. Wood (1), T. Hoffman (2), M. Capps (1)

Butler Bulldogs Make for March Madness Cinderella

Aaron Schwartz — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:58:41 -0400

The team went a spectacular 29-3 on the year, and is ranked in the top 10.

I'm not even sure they should be considered a Cinderella team if they make a run in the tournament, but with a No. 7 seed, Butler has been shown no love.

I'm here to change that.

Butler is an elite team that gets everybody into the action. They have four players who average double digits in points per game in Mike Green, A.J. Graves, Matt Howard, and Pete Campbell.

With the lack of a lone superstar, there is no way to take this team out of a game, other than to outplay them man for man.

Butler is full of talented players with a solid core of seniors who know how to get the job done and win.

Freshman Matt Howard is the key to the Bulldogs' success. He has turned up his shooting in the latter half of the season, shooting above 50 percent from the field in the past 18 games.

Over the season, he has developed in all aspects of the game. He has learned patience on defense, only fouling out once in the past 21 games after fouling out of four of the first 11.

With a group of strong and experienced seniors leading the way and some freshly developed talent backing them up, Butler is ready to make a run in this year's tournament.

They have their first round match against South Alabama on Friday.

2008 MLB Predictions

Aaron Schwartz — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:24:13 -0500

Got a few predictions to make with the start of Spring Training Games. Please feel free to leave comments on anything that you like or that you may disagree with.

AL East:

Boston Red Sox 96-66
New York Yankees 91-71
Toronto Blue Jays 85-77
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 71-91
Baltimore Orioles 67-95

AL Central:

Cleveland Indians 93-69
Detroit Tigers 89-73
Kansas City Royals 80-82
Chicago White Sox 75-87
Minnesota Twins 70-92

AL West:

Seattle Mariners 90-72
LA Angels of Anaheim 86-78
Oakland Athletics 78-84
Texas Rangers 63-99

NL East:

New York Mets 101-61
Atlanta Braves 92-70
Phildelphia Phillies 84-78
Washington Nationals 80-82
Florida Marlins 74-88

NL Central:

Chicago Cubs 93-69
Milwaukee Brewers 87-75
St. Louis Cardinals 82-80
Cincinatti Reds 70-92
Houston Astros 69-93
Pittsburgh Pirates 64-98

NL West:

LA Dodgers 91-71
San Diego Padres 88-74
Arizona Diamondbacks 82-80
Colorado Rockies 76-86
San Fransisco Giants 63-99

AL Divisonal Playoffs:

Seattle Mariners over Boston Red Sox

New York Yankees over Cleveland Indians

NL Divisional Playoffs:

New York Mets over LA Dodgers

Chicago Cubs over Atlanta Braves

ALCS:

New York Yankees over Seattle Mariners

NLCS:

New York Mets over Chicago Cubs

World Series:

New York Mets over New York Yankees

AL MVP - Ichiro Suzuki

NL MVP - David Wright

AL Cy Young - C.C. Sabathia

NL Cy Young - Johan Santana

Tell me what you think will happen this year, leave a post with your World Series teams.