Nadkarni's SportSpot

Redskins Seek Revenge On Vick

2011-10-14T17:09:00.003-04:00

We all know what happened last year on Monday Night Football at FedEx Field when The Eagles came to town. That Eagles team was supposed to be amazing this season. They aren't. Michael Vick's seven interceptions through five games has helped the 1-4 record. The Redskins, on the other hand, are 3-1 coming off a bye week and atop the NFC East. This could be a trap game, but let's hope that doesn't happen.

Eagles (1-4) at Redskins (3-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m.
FedEx Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Sam Rosen (play by play), Brian Billick (color), Laura Okmin (sideline)
Line: Redskins by 1
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-burgundy helmets, burgundy jerseys, gold pants. Eagles-green helmets, white jerseys, green pants.
Breakdown: At the time the schedule came out, everyone and their brother probably thought that this game would feature the worst team versus the best team in the NFC East. What they didn't figure, though, was that the Redskins would be leading the way with the Eagles in bringing up the rear.
The Redskins are coming off a 17-10 win in St. Louis two weeks ago in which they shut out St. Louis over the first three quarters, sacked Sam Bradford seven times, and got a monster performance from Ryan Torain, who figures to get the start at running back Sunday with Tim Hightower limited in practice this week. Torain saw his first action of the season against the Rams and rushed for a bruising 125 yards and a touchdown. Hightower is listed as questionable but optimistic about his chances of playing. Add third-stringer Roy Helu to that mix, and you've got one of the best rushing attacks in the league. The Eagles have been gashed by the likes of Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, and Fred Jackson in recent weeks. The Redskins have gotten more pass-happy in their last couple games, which I don't get, because the Eagles' secondary is a lot better than their run defense. Fortunately, Washington catches a break because Philadelphia will be missing their best pass-rusher, Trent Cole, who is out with a calf strain. Still, RUN THE BALL DOWN PHILLY'S THROAT.
On the other side, Michael Vick isn't having the crazy year everyone thought he would have. A lot of that has to do with the fact that opponents have been in his backfield all day every day. He won't get a respite with the likes of Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan, Adam Carriker, Stephen Bowen, and Barry Cofield coming at him. It also doesn't help that Jason Peters, who is regarded as Philly's best offensive lineman, is out with a hamstring injury. Peters' backup, King Dunlap (a great name), might also miss the game with back spasms. The Redskins need to get to Vick and knock him on the ground, or at least force him into mistakes, because Philly has some lighting-fast receivers, namely DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, who killed the Redskins last year. The Eagles also have a solid running back in LeSean McCoy, who draws comparisons to former Redskins great Clinton Portis.
A note on special teams-Redskins punter Sav Rocca (a great name as well, and my current man crush) will be playing his first game against his former team since signing with Washington this offseason. Rocca, who is averaging over 45 yards per punt this season and leads the NFL with 12 punts inside the 20 and zero touchbacks, spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Eagles. Why did they let him go?
Prediction: A lot of people like the Eagles here. Why? I don't. Redskins 21-13

Redskins Back in Action Vs. Rams

2011-09-30T13:57:00.003-04:00

As you can see, I was way too pissed off about the Redskins loss to Dallas on Monday that I didn't even bother to recap it. That's what happens when we lose to Dallas. I get angry.
Fortunately for you all, I'm back to preview this week's game in St. Louis against the 0-3 Rams.

Redskins (2-1) at Rams (0-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Edward Jones Dome
TV: Fox
Announcers: Chris Myers (play by play), Tim Ryan (analysis)
Line: Redskins by 2
Projected Uniforms: Redkins-burgundy helmets, white jerseys, burgundy pants. Rams-blue helmets, blue jerseys, white pants
Breakdown: The Redskins probably should have won on Monday. They surely outplayed the Cowgirls. You would think that the team that didn't give up a touchdown would win, but no. The Redskins got a touchdown and three field goals-16 points. The Cowgirls got six field goals-18 points.
For this week to not suck as much and for the Redskins to get a victory, the running game needs to pick up. Tim Hightower has been decent, but has yet to have that true breakout game that cements him as a top running back in the NFL. He's still definitely the first-stringer, although rookie Roy Helu has been getting consistent carries as well. Hightower knows this Rams defense well, having spent the first three seasons of his career with NFC West rival Arizona. St. Louis is ranked dead last in the NFL in rush defense, so we could have a field day for the two H's. The rams are much better defending through the air (19th out of 32 teams), so I think this one will have to be won on the ground if the Redskins want to come home happy.
On the other side of the ball, the Rams offense has looked downright putrid this season, scoring only seven points against Baltimore last week. Against a Redskins team that didn't allow a touchdown last game, they could be in for tough sledding again. Star running back Steven Jackson has battled an early-season injury and has only 76 yards on the season, but he should be a go for this game. The Rams also picked up Cadillac Williams in the offseason, and he's proved himself a viable option too. Many thought that Sam Bradford would follow up a solid rookie year with a breakout second season, but he's been blah this year, going just 55 for 108 with two touchdowns and an interception this year. A relatively inexperienced receiving corps has contributed to that, and they go up against a Redskins secondary that now has a healthy LaRon Landry. Also, former Ram Oshiomogho Atogwe will make his return to his old stomping ground, as he signed a 5-year deal with Washington in free agency, giving the Redskins one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. There's no doubt he knows Bradford's tendencies better than anyone on this defense, and that may play to Washington's advantage.
Prediction: Despite last week's blip on the radar, the Redskins should get by going into their off week. St. Louis is not Dallas. It won't be a cake walk, but I like the Skins here. 24-14, Washington.

Skins Ready For Glorified Bye Week

2011-09-23T22:12:00.002-04:00

A surprising 2-0 start for the Washington Redskins is about to get better. This Monday, the Skins travel to Dallas to take on the Cowgirls, the worst team in the NFL. Do we even need to show up?

Redskins (2-0) at Cowgirls (1-1)
Monday, 8:30 pm
Cowgirls Stadium
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Mike Tirico (play by play), Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski (analysis)
Line: Who cares, Dallas sucks
Breakdown: Wait, we're playing Dallas? Enough said.
Prediction: Redskins 47-3. Why? Because I said so.

That was easy

2-0

2011-09-18T20:58:00.002-04:00

I say all the time that I'm a results-based person. I don't care how something gets done, just if it gets done. The NFL is a results-based league. It's not like college football where you need style points to go to the best bowl game or be ranked the highest. The NFL is based on wins and losses.
With that said, I wasn't 100% elated with the Redskins 22-21 come-from-behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe 90-95%. The win is the important thing, no doubt about it. But there were some small, SMALL red flags.
First of all, the Redskins dominated in the first half, outgaining the Cardinals by almost 200 yards. But all they had to show for it was a slim 10-7 lead, courtesy of two interceptions thrown by Rex Grossman, a drive that stalled in the red zone, and a field goal that was blocked by Arizona's Calais Campbell just before halftime.
It got worse before it got better. The Cardinals took the second-half kickoff and marched down the field, with a Beanie Wells 2-yard touchdown run making it 14-10. The Redskins had another long drive that inevitably stalled and cut the lead to one on a Graham Gano field goal, but the Cardinals answered almost immediately with a pass from Kevin Kolb to Larry Fitzgerald for 74 yards and a touchdown. I thought it was over from there.
The Redskins yet again drove into Arizona territory, and yet again stalled. But this time, coach Mike Shanahan decided to leave the offense on the field. This was, for all intents and purposes, the game. And it paid off-Santana Moss caught a pass in the end zone, his first touchdown catch of the year, leaving the Redskins a two-point conversion away from tying the game. But the ensuing pass was knocked away, and the Redskins were running out of time.
But the defense came up big and forced a punt. Naturally, the next Washington drive stalled in Cardinals territory, but the Redskins were well within field goal range. Gano converted, and it was in the hands of the defense.
It didn't take long to find out what would happen. On Arizona's first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, Chansi Stuckey caught a short pass and ran towards the first down marker. He was hit by Byron Westbrook, who was only in the game because regular corners Josh Wilson and Kevin Barnes were stricken by injuries during the course of the game. The ball came loose, rookie Ryan Kerrigan pounced on it, and that was the ball game. I don't know how, but god dammit, we did it.
Listen, 2-0 is 2-0, but Arizona isn't a very good team. If the Redskins want to contend in the NFC East, these are the types of games that they need to cruise in. The interceptions and drives bogging down in the red zone need to stop.
However, that's not to say that I didn't see things I liked. Tim Hightower had a solid game against his former team, carrying 20 times for 96 yards, more than doubling his average from last week. Rookie Roy Helu saw significant action as well, getting ten carries for 74 yards, a whopping 7.4 average. That looks like a pretty good tandem, if I do say so myself. The Skins got good pressure on Kolb all afternoon, with Brian Orakpo getting his first sack of the season. So things are definitely looking up. And who do we have next week? The Dallas Cowgirls on Monday Night Football, that's who. Can you say 3-0?

Redskins Look To Build

2011-09-15T23:27:00.002-04:00

A big win, like the Redskins victory over the division rival New York Giants last Sunday, is often all for naught if it is followed up by a clunker in the next game. The Redskins have been experts at that over the years. Sunday's game against the visiting Arizona Cardinals will provide a good litmus test to see if Washington really has turned a corner under Mike Shanahan.

Arizona Cardinals (1-0) at Washington Redskins (1-0)
Sunday, 1 pm
FedEx Field
Line: Redskins by 4
TV: Fox
Announcers: Sam Rosen (play-by-play), Chad Pennington (color)
Last Meeting: September 21st, 2008, Redskins won 24-17 in Washington
Projected uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, burgundy jerseys, gold pants. Cardinals-White helmets, white jerseys, white pants.
Breakdown: This is familiar territory for Shanahan's Redskins, having last year beaten Dallas in the opening game and then playing another winnable home game the next week. They lost that game and the season ended up as a disaster. That is something that shouldn't happen on Sunday if the Redskins want to be seen as a contender this season. As well as the Redskins played, there's always still room for improvement. For instance, new running back Tim Hightower averaged a paltry 2.9 yards per carry. That's not going to get it done, particularly because Rex Grossman isn't going to throw for 300 yards every game. The Cardinals defense did a good job on Carolina's tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, so Hightower might be in for a rough time against his former team. Maybe not, though. Grossman found some good targets in addition to the usual Santana Moss, with Fred Davis going over the century mark for yards, and Jabar Gaffney and Anthony Armstrong catching touchdowns. The Redskins can be a legitimate passing team if those two in particular continue to shine. With a Cardinals passing defense that gave up over 400 yards to a rookie quarterback last week, why can't Grossman outdo his previous performance?
Flipping sides, the Redskins defense was, by their standards, tremendous on Sunday. They'll be facing a quarterback who they're somewhat familiar with-Kevin Kolb spent his first three years in Philadelphia with the Eagles before being traded to Arizona in the offseason. He played three quarters against Washington last year and almost led the Eagles to a comeback victory, but came up a little short. Fortunately for him, he has possibly the best receiver in the game-Larry Fitzgerald. With LaRon Landry possibly out again, the Redskins corners need to blanket Fitz, because Reed Doughty can't hang with him in single coverage. Running back Beanie Wells had a solid game last week, running for 90 yards and a score, but that was Carolina's defense, not Washington's. Still, he and the rest of the Arizona offense cannot be overlooked.
Prediction: I think this is one of those games where the Redskins just get it done. 27-13, Skins.

A New Season-Reprise

2011-09-11T20:45:00.002-04:00

A boring, predictable offense. A porous defense. Terrible personnel decisions. Coaches who don't know what they're doing. The doormat of the NFC East Sounds like the Washington Redskins of years past, right?
Well, this isn't years past. This is a new season, and these aren't the same old Redskins. The same old Redskins wouldn't have had a quarterback who threw for over 300 yards, two scores, and no interceptions. The same old Redskins wouldn't have completely dominated the second half. The same old Redskins wouldn't have beaten a division rival who had owned them in recent years by two touchdowns.
This version of the Redskins took control of the game shortly after halftime and held on for a 28-14 victory over the New York Giants, their first win against the Giants in the last seven tries. On the Giants' first drive of the second half, rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan tipped an Eli Manning pass high in the air and it came down in his arms, and he took it nine yards into the end zone to break a 14-14 tie. The score remained that way for the rest of the third quarter, and some of the fourth, until the Giants threatened to turn it around.
With the Redskins driving, Grossman was sacked by Jason-Pierre Paul and fumbled, with the Giants picking it up and taking it into Washington territory. But the Redskins defense came up big, stopping the Giants after three plays and holding them to a field goal attempt. That field goal was blocked by Brian Orakpo, keeping the margin at seven, and the Giants never really threatened again after that. The Redskins extended their lead to the final margin on a four-yard pass from Grossman to former college teammate Jabar Gaffney, who was playing in his first game as a Redskin.
The first half was evenly matched. After slow started by both teams, the Giants struck first on a two-yard wun by Manning, set up by a long completion to Hakeem Nicks. The Redskins answered by missing a field goal, but eventually tied it up on a Tim Hightower touchdown run from a yard out. Hightower, also making his Redskins debut, ran for a respectable 72 yards on 25 carries. After the Giants forged ahead on a run by Ahmad Bradshaw, Anthony Armstrong hauled in a pass from Grossman to tie it again.
Looking ahead, the Arizona Cardinals visit next Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Arizona pulled out a 28-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers today.

A New Season

2011-09-08T17:19:00.003-04:00

It's Thursday. Football season is right around the corner. You know what that means.

New York Giants at Washington Redskins
Sunday, 4:15 pm
FedEx Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Joe Buck (play by play), Troy Aikman (color), Pam Oliver (sideline)
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, burgundy jerseys, gold pants. Giants-Blue helmets, white jerseys, gray pants.
Breakdown: It's a new season. Last year's 6-10 odyssey is history, and anything can happen. The Redskins open the season with the same team they closed with last year-the New York Giants. It's a divisional test right off the bat.
Rex Grossman was named the Redskins starter for this season by coach Mike Shanahan, and he also started the final three games of last season, going 1-2 (each loss coming by 3 points). The Redskins have a new featured running back in Tim Hightower, who was acquired from Arizona during the offseason. The 4th-year man out of Richmond has more career rushing touchdowns (23) than the entire Redskins team does since Hightower entered the league (21). Ryan Torain is also expected to see significant carries too, though he was injured for much of the preseason. Santana Moss is back as the #1 receiver, and with a banged-up Giants secondary (Terrell Thomas and rookie Prince Amukamura are out) and pass rush (Osi Umenyiora is out with a knee injury, and Justin Tuck is listed as doubtful with neck trouble), who knows what might happen. The Redskins shipped defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon to Denver this offseason for Jabar Gaffney, who could emerge as a second option, as could third-round draft pick Leonard Hankerson. Chris Cooley and Fred Davis form a formidable tight end duo. The offensive line has solid continuity from last year, with Trent Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger, and Jammal Brown returning to their positions. The Redskins finally got rid of Casey Rabach, inserting former Virginia Tech standout Will Montogmery in the center position, and offseason free-agent signing Chris Chester at right guard is the only new member of the line.
On the other side of the ball, I think everyone's going to want to see how rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan fares. He forms a fearsome foursome at linebacker with Brian Orakpo, London Fletcher, and Lorenzo Alexander. The Redskins biggest defensive acquisition, nose tackle Barry Cofield, will go up against his former team with a revamped New York offensive line, so perhaps a sack-fest could be in the cards. He's joined by Adam Carriker and former Cowboy Stephen Bowen in Jim Haslett's 3-4 scheme. The secondary is anchored by DeAngelo Hall, who set a Redskins record for interceptions in a game with 4 in Chicago last year. The Redskins cut Carlos Rogers, and Philip Buchanon is suspended for the first four games, so either Kevin Barnes or former Baltimore Raven Josh Wilson will likely start opposite Hall at corner. Oshiomogho Atogwe, signed as a free agent, will make his Redskins debut as free safety, and with LaRon Landry out, Reed Doughty will cover the strong safety spot. The Giants still possess two dangerous running backs in Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, so the Redskins need to stop the run and make quarterback Eli Manning beat them in the air.
Graham Gano returns for his second full season as placekicker, and he didn't miss a field goal in preseason. The Redskins picked up former Australian Rules star Sav Rocca, who spent the last few seasons in Philadelphia, to be their punter, so it looks like a solid year for the special teamers too. Also back is diminuitive, lightning quick return man Brandon Banks, who took a punt back for a touchdown in the final preseason game against Tampa Bay.
Prediction: Redskins 20-17 with the home crowd behind them. Why not? It's a new season

*I'll get to my overview of my US Open trip soon. I've been sick this week and the Redskins are a more pressing matter

Something To Look Forward To

2011-09-02T22:27:00.002-04:00

Last year, I saw a total of zero NSEFTPC Angels in singles play at the US Open. Only one, Jelena Jankovic, even made it to the third round, and then she was placed on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Us regular folk can only swing the grounds passes, so I was unable to watch JJ play.
This year, three Angels are in singles play, all in action tomorrow. Again, I do not have stadium tickets. As I looked down the schedule for tomorrow, I saw the first match on Ashe is Caroline Wozniacki. Strike one.
"Not before 3 p.m." is Victoria Azarenka's clash with Serena Williams. I don't want to see my baby get massacred. Not that I'd be able to, anyway. Strike two. My heart was sinking fast. Surely the third Angel would be the night session on Ashe.
No. Jelena Jankovic's name did not appear under Arthur Ashe Stadium. Instead, she's second on Louis Armstrong Stadium, after Tomas Berdych and Janko Tipsarevic. My spirits leaped when I saw that. Imagine taking a nice, healthy rip of the most beautiful glass bong filled with the most amazing chiba and exhaling like a champ. That's how I felt. Excellent. I haven't seen Jelena the past two years, so this will be a nice treat for me.
After her, Mardy Fish, the highest ranked American male, is in action, so I'll probably be on Armstrong for a good portion of tomorrow. Then, the nightcap on the Grandstand is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, one of my favorite players, versus Fernando Verdasco, so tomorrow is looking like a very good day. I'll recap it all tomorrow night.

And Then There Were Three

2011-08-31T22:42:00.002-04:00

Today was a pretty light day when it comes to NSEFTPC, with only Kateryna Bondarenko playing. As she was facing the second seed in the tournament, Vera Zvonareva, I expected it to be a relatively straightforward loss and I could get on with my day. So when I got back from lunch and saw the score was 5-5, I was a little shocked. Could Kateryna pull off a surprise?
Well, she lost the first set 5-7 and then quickly fell behind 1-3 in the second. Other Angels might have quit in this situation. Not Kateryna. She's the scrappiest girl I know. She rattled off five straight games to take it to a third set.
But this isn't a fairy tale. She didn't win the match, dropping the final set 3-6, but god damn, she went down swinging. Can't really get angry. Oh well. Tomorrow's the real big day.
Both Andys won today, with Murray knocking off former UVa great Somdev Devvarman in straight sets, while Roddick beat Michael Russell in four. American hopeful John Isner also won, beating Marcos Baghdatis in four sets.
Tomorrow is the crazy day. It's the day that will determine who will be in New York when I get there. Holy crap, I'm going to be shitting bricks tomorrow.

Cabaret Matches:
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Gisela Dulko (ARG)-4th match on Armstrong Stadium
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Arantxa Rus (NED)-1st match on Ashe Stadium night session
[11]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Jelena Dokic (AUS)-1st match on Armstrong Stadium

Other Matches I Care About:
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Dudi Sela (ISR)-2nd match on Ashe Stadium day session
[1]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Carlos Berlocq (ARG)-2nd match on Ashe Stadium night session
[8]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Malek Jaziri (TUN)-3rd match on Armstrong Stadium
[11]Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Sergei Bubka (UKR)-3rd match on Grandstand

Azarenka Cruises, Mixed Bag on Day 2

2011-08-30T19:54:00.002-04:00

That picture is from Belarusian tennis star and my future wife Victoria Azarenka's match today. The caption was Vika's mentality during the match. The match took barely an hour, with the 4th-seeded Azarenka pushing aside Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-1, 6-3. It was largely cruise control for Vika, with the only lurch coming when she dropped two straight games early in the second set to trail 1-2, but lost only one game the rest of the way.
It's unfortunate, however, that Vika's potential third-round opponent is Serena Williams. Serena plays her first round match later, but it's difficult to see her losing her first two. I don't have stadium tickets for this weekend, only grounds. There is a 100% chance that Azarenka-Williams will be on Ashe Stadium. EFFFFF. Oh well. Nads doesn't give up that easy. Maybe Serena will lose. Or pull a muscle. Or get eaten by a pack of wolves. Anyway, Azarenka faces Gisela Dulko next, who she had to retire against at this very tournament last year. That won't happen again.
As for other victorious Angels, there were two more. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki had little trouble with Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-3, 6-1. Jelena Jankovic, of all people, had the easiest time of them all, demolishing America's Alison Riske (who isn't bad looking herself) 6-2, 6-0 in just 58 minutes. Compare that to last year when Jankovic needed over 3 hours for her first-round win. Perhaps an exrtended stay in New York for the 11th seed? I would love that. I would piss myself if I got to see her on Saturday. I've missed her the past 2 years.
Not all was rosy today, however. While Azarenka's match was going on, two others were getting beaten. Sorana Cirstea was spanked in the first set by Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer, but made the second competitive. The 20th seed was just a little too good, though, and Cirstea fell 1-6, 5-7. Alona Bondarenko also fell tamely, 3-6, 3-6 to 22nd-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany. A little later, Elena Vesnina went down 2-6, 4-6 to Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands. All of those losses, however, were more or less expected. What wasn't expected was 21st-seeded Daniela Hantuchova, who I've seen in some capacity every year since NSEFTPC's inception, bombing her first round match to France's Pauline Parmentier 2-6, 3-6. A US Open without Dani is like an American Pie movie without naked women. It can't happen. She better last long enough in the doubles.
In men's action, Roger Federer romped in a late match last night, while Novak Djokovic was thumping Conor Niland when the Irishman pulled out trailing 6-0, 5-1. James Blake ain't finished either, as he knocked off Dutchman Jesse Huta Galung in four sets, punctuating the match with a blistering forehand winner and a primal scream.
Tomorrow is a pretty light day for me, with Kateryna Bondarenko as the only Angel going. She opens the day on Ashe Stadium against second-seeded Vera Zvonareva. So after tomorrow, I'll likely only have three bullets left in the revolver. But, as Dave Matthews says, "If nothing can be done, we'll make the best of what's around." I'm gonna go up there, see who I see, and love every second of it.

Cabaret Matches:
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. [2]Vera Zvonareva (RUS)-1st match on Ashe Stadium day session

Other Matches I Care About:
Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs. Andy Murray (GBR)-2nd match on Ashe Stadium day session
[21]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Michael Russell (USA)-1st match on Ashe Stadium night session
[28]John Isner (USA) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)-4th match on Armstrong Stadium
[6]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Louk Sorenson (IRL)-1st match on Grandstand

Kvitova Upset on First Day

2011-08-29T21:25:00.002-04:00

Petra Kvitova, the newest member of NSEFTPC, was seeded fifth at the US Open, which began today in New York. Now if this were a men's match, it would be an easy victory for the fifth seed. No question.
But that wasn't the case here. Whatever the reason, Kvitova just didn't have it today. I'm not really sure why. But it's a little disappointing. The Wimbledon champion crashed out to Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 6-7, 3-6 to become the highest seeded victim, male or female, on the first day of the tournament. Maybe she was nervous. After all, playing in the Cabaret is a real honor, and maybe she was distracted by finally being able to do so.
Kvitova was one of only two Angels to play today, the other being Kateryna Bondarenko, who had a surprisingly easy time with Petra's compatriot Lucie Hradecka. Kateryna (whose sister Alona opens play tomorrow) blew threw the Czech like a hurricane 6-3, 6-0. I mean seriously, I blinked and that match was over. I doubt she'll be as lucky on Wednesday when she faces 2nd-seeded Vera Zvonareva, but who the hell knows?
Tomorrow, the action picks up big time. The remaining seven Angels play, including Belarusian tennis star and my future wife Victoria Azarenka, who's seeded 4th here. She kicks off the action at 11 am on Arthur Ashe Stadium. That's right as I get out of my first class tomorrow, so I know where I'm gonna be. It will be Vika's first Grand Slam match as my #1.
The rest of the (important) schedule tomorrow looks like this:

Cabaret Matches:
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Johanna Larsson (SWE)-1st match on Ashe Stadium day session
{1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)-2nd match on Ashe Stadium day session
[11]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Alison Riske (USA)-2nd match on Grandstand
[21]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Pauline Parmentier (FRA)-3rd match on Court 10
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs. [20]Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)-1st match on Court 7
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) vs. [22]Sabine Lisicki (GER)-1st match on Court 17
Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs. Arantxa Rus (NED)-3rd match on Court 8

Other Matches I Care About:
[1]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Conor Niland (IRL)-3rd match on Ashe Stadium day session
[2]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Andrey Golubev (KAZ)-1st match on Ashe Stadium night session
[11]Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Yeh-Hsun Lu (TPE)-1st match on Grandstand
James Blake (USA) vs. Jesse Huta Galung (NED)-4th match on Armstrong Stadium

US Open Kicks Off Tomorrow

2011-08-28T20:33:00.003-04:00

Where have I been the past 2 months? Don't worry about it.
What you should care about is the US Open, which starts tomorrow at 11 am. Only two NSEFTPC Angels are in action tomorrow, which is a good thing. Why? I'll get to that in a second. One of those two, however, is the newest Angel, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. The 5th-seeded Wimbledon champion goes second on Armstrong Stadium against Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania. The other Angel tomorrow is Kateryna Bondarenko, who takes on Lucie Hradecka third on Court 9.
I'll be doing my usual Labor Day weekend swing up to New York, for the 6th year in a row. Therefore, the possibility exists that I will get to see some of my favorite girls in action. I was saying it's a good thing that Tuesday is the starting point for many of the Angels, including Jelena Jankovic, Daniela Hantuchova, Alona Bondarenko, Elena Vesnina, Caroline Wozniacki, Sorana Cirstea, and of course Victoria Azarenka, who begins her debut Grand Slam as my queen. Anyway, it's good because those seven names I mentioned will only have to win two matches for me to see them, while Kvitova and Kateryna will have to win three, as I'm going on Saturday and Sunday as always. If I don't see any of these ladies, it will be a failure. A complete failure. There's always doubles, I guess, but it's not quite the same.
There's a men's tournament too, and notable names playing tomorrow include Roger Federer, Mardy Fish, and Gael Monfils, as well as my favorite Philipp Kohlschreiber. Here's a look at all the matches I give a damn about tomorrow.

Cabaret Matches:
[5]Petra Kvitova (CZE) vs. Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU)-2nd match on Armstrong Stadium
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Lucie Hradecka (CZE)-3rd match on Court 9

Other Matches I Care About:
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Santiago Giraldo (COL)-2nd match on Ashe Stadium night session
[8]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Tobias Kamke (GER)-1st match on Ashe Stadium day session
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. [23]Radek Stepanek (CZE)-3rd match on Court 11

For Real This Time

2011-07-06T21:53:00.003-04:00

No, really. I mean it. I'm really going to appoint a queen who's going to be around for a while. I need some continuity here, and the woman that I'm turning to offers it. Here she is:

Her shoes are still on! Get the Sharpie! Actually, that's a relatively shitty picture. Here's a better one:

That's Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. At age 21, she's the third-youngest member of NSEFTPC and at #4 in the world, she's the second highest ranked, a figure that isn't likely to change drastically anytime soon. Vika's coming off of her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon last week, where she fell to new Angel Petra Kvitova (who you'll meet tomorrow).
I think this is a solid match, if I do say so myself. I like girls who hit the ball hard and Vika sure does. Also, she says "Fuck" a lot. "I like girls who say "Fuck" a lot. Anyway, I'm tired, so tomorrow, a spotlight on Kvitova.

Azarenka Falls Short in Semis

2011-06-30T23:51:00.003-04:00

Victoria Azarenka had never been to a Grand Slam semifinal until this Wimbledon. Well, she broke that hex on Tuesday, so why not end her lack of a finals appearance too?
Not so fast. Petra Kvitova, a hard-hitting, six foot Czech lefty (NSEFTPC material indeed) stopped Vika in her tracks this morning (Eastern time). Kvitova took the first set easily 6-1, but Azarenka didn't quit, taking the second 6-3.
But as NSEFTPC Angels usually do, she didn't carry the momentum into the next set. Vika quickly fell into an 0-3 hole and that was pretty much it. 1-6, 6-3, 2-6 was the final as the last remaining (current) Cabaret member was bounced from competition.
Why do I say "current?" Well, you should be able to put two and two together, right? Petra Kvitova is going to become an NSEFTPC Angel. What's not to like? She's tall, blonde, and Eastern European. Like, where's she been hiding? She'll become the first lefty into the Cabaret. I'll formally introduce her after Wimbledon.
This comes at the expense of Agnieszka Radwanska, who I usually forgot about when talking about the Angels. To be honest, Radwanska was designed to be kind of a band-aid after Dinara Safina's game went to hell a couple years ago. I just didn't feel the fire with her. Oh well. Screw it.
And, the Jelena Jankovic experiment is over with JJ at queen. Jelena just wasn't cut out for the queen position. I've liked her so long, she's more like Daniela Hantuchova-a really good friend who's a girl, not a girlfriend. Anyway it was cool while it lasted, I guess.
I'm not going to reveal who my new queen is yet. You can probably guess though. Anyway, I'll have it for you soon.

Azarenka Clears Hurdle at Wimbledon

2011-06-28T22:47:00.006-04:00

Despite her near-continuous presence in the WTA top 10 the past couple years, Victoria Azarenka had yet to make a Grand Slam semifinal appearance in her career. She had been to four quarterfinals, but just couldn't seem to get over the hump.
No more. The only NSEFTPC Angel left at the All England Club thrashed Austrian qualifier Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-1 today in the quarterfinals to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. Vika dropped the first game on Court 1 when the rains came, and the match was moved under the roof on Centre Court, where the Belarusian's relentless groundstrokes netted her five straight games. After a small stumble, Vika closed out the set and broke early in the second, never looking back from there. The 4th-seeded Azarenka, the highest player left in the women's draw, will play 8th-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova on Thursday morning (my birthday, for that matter) for a spot in the final.
Speaking of Azarenka and Kvitova, I have some exciting news regarding them for after Wimbledon. That's all I'm going to say on that subject.
Tomorrow, it's all about the men, as Roger Federer faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Rafael Nadal takes on American Mardy Fish, Novak Djokovic goes up against 18-year old Australian Bernard Tomic, and hometown favorite Andy Murray plays Feliciano Lopez.

Keep On Trucking

2011-06-22T21:05:00.002-04:00

today was yet another day at the office for several NSEFTPC Angels, with everyone expected to win winning and two others putting up a fight but ultimately getting the short end of the stick.
The day was delayed by rain, but when it got underway, Agnieszka Radwanska didn't waste any time. The 13th-seeded Pole burned through the first set 6-0 against Olga Govortsova and was halfway to the second set when the Belarusian cried uncle trailing 6-0, 3-0. Radwanska has to turn around and play tomorrow, since her first round match originally scheduled for yesterday was pushed to today.
Victoria Azarenka also got a bagel first set, smoking Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-3. I mean, I blinked, and the first set was over. Damn, Vika, I might just drop Jelena Jankovic for you. I mean it this time. I think. The Belarusian bombshell will play another Angel in the third round on Friday.
That Angel is Daniela Hantuchova. The 25 seed started a little slowly versus New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, but won nine of the last ten games in a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Dani's win guarantees an Angel in the second week. I wish I could watch the Dani-Vika showdown-but alas, I'll be at a music festival in New Jersey. Hey-three nights of Dave Matthews Band? Hell yeah, son.
Cabaret casualties included Alona Bondarenko, who fell to 27th-seeded Aussie Jarmila Gajdosova 7-5, 6-3, and Elena Vesnina, who put up a fight in the second set versus 2nd-seeded Vera Zvonareva but ultimately succumbed 6-1, 7-6.
One more thing regarding the women-am I falling in love with Petra Kvitova? I caught a bit of the leggy 21-year old Czech lefty's straight-set win over Anne Keothavong today, and I like this girl. Big serve, beautiful groundstrokes, blonde hair. Kinda reminds me of another young Czech girl I fell in love with not terribly long ago. Surely you know who I'm talking about, right? Nicole Vaidisova? No, that can't be it.
In men's action, the expected results continued with top ten players Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, and Mardy Fish all advancing with no trouble at all. Straight sets all around.
Tomorrow, we keep on going.

Cabaret Matches:
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Virginie Razzano (FRA)-4th match on Court 2
[13]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Petra Cetkovska (CZE)-2nd match on Court 4
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Sara Errani (ITA)-1st match on Court 4

Other Matches I Care About:
[2]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Kevin Anderson (RSA)-1st match on Court 1
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA)-3rd match on Centre Court
[5]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)-1st match on Centre Court
Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs. [12]Mikhail Youzhny-3rd match on Court 14
John Isner (USA) vs. [16]Nicolas Almagro (ESP)-3rd match on Court 18

Which One Doesn't Fit

2011-06-21T22:51:00.002-04:00

Daniela Hantuchova. Victoria Azarenka. Caroline Wozniacki. Kateryna Bondarenko. Jelena Jankovic. Which one doesn't fit? If you guessed Jankovic, you'd be right. Why? Because all the other Angels mentioned won their matches today at Wimbledon, while Jankovic, my "future wife", lost.
Jelena took the first set by a hard-fought score of 7-5 against Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, but somewhere down the line decided she didn't want to win and pissed away the final two sets 4-6, 3-6. I mean seriously, what the hell? Jelena, when something goes wrong, do you automatically just mail it in? Why do you do this to me? All I do is support you and put my time into watching you and this is what you give me? Arrgh. Women.
Hantuchova was first on her court and was also locked in a three-setter with Russian qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko. Dani dropped the first set and the second went to a tiebreak, and the more experienced Hantuchova handled the pressure better and pulled it out. The third set was close for a while but Hantuchova got the crucial break and took it for a score of 4-6, 7-6, 6-3, and I exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Thank god for Dani. I don't know how many times she's bailed me out, but it's a lot. I love that woman.
Wozniacki, the top seed, had an easy time with another Spaniard, Arantja Parra Santonja, 6-2, 6-1, and Azarenka took the court for her continuation of yesterday's match against Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova and didn't have to be there long, as her opponent retired after slipping on the court with the score the same as it was yesterday, 6-4, 3-2. Even scrappy little Kateryna Bondarenko, who won her first set yesterday, got in on the act, finishing off Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-2. So, Jelena, what's your excuse?
Anyway, in men's action, there were no surprises, with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, and Robin Soderling all advanced. Also, in a rematch from the crazy match last year, John Isner cruised past Nicolas Mahut 7-6, 6-2, 7-6. They say the sequel isn't as good as the original. Caddyshack II, anyone? Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay ring a bell? I rest my case.
Tomorrow, it's a quick turnaround for Dani, Vika, and Kateryna, as they all must play their second rounders tomorrow. Elena Vesnina is also in action, along with Alona Bondarenko and Agnieszka Radwanska, who have yet to play their first round matches.

Cabaret Matches:
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Iveta Benesova (CZE)-3rd match on Court 12
[25]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Marina Erakovic (NZL)-Time and court TBA
[13]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Olga Govortsova (BLR)-1st match on Court 4
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Sara Errani (ITA)-4th match in Court 15
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) vs.[27]Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS)-1st match on Court 10
Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs. [2]Vera Zvonareva (RUS)-2nd match on Court 2

Other Matches I Care About:
[1]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Ryan Sweeting (USA)-2nd match on Centre Court
[8]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Victor Hanescu (ROU)-3rd match on Centre Court
[10]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Denis Istomin (UZB)-1st match on Court 2
[8]Petra Kvitova (CZE) vs. Anne Keothavong (GBR)-3rd match on Court 1

Rain Halts Day 1 After Cabaret Split

2011-06-20T22:41:00.002-04:00

Today, six NSEFTPC Angels were slated to play their first round matches today at Wimbledon. Because of the weather, however, you can break those six down into three categories, each consisting of two: Angels who completed their matches, Angels who were in the middle of their matches as the rains came, and Angels who didn't get on at all.
Sorana Cirstea and Elena Vesnina were first on their respective courts, and one of those girls won. And it wasn't Cirstea. All the progress she had been making came grinding to a halt in a 6-1, 6-3 loss to France's Pauline Parmentier. Damn. Fortunately, Vesnina finished soon after, knocking off Laura Pous Tio of Spain 6-4, 6-2. It's Lena's first Grand Slam victory this season and she meets second-seeded compatriot Vera Zvonareva in the next round.
In the second category, fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka had a 6-4, 3-2 lead over Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova when the rains came, and Kateryna Bondarenko had just come back to win the first set 7-5 against Alize Cornet of France. Both those matches will continue tomorrow.
Lastly, Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic was washed out, as was Daniela Hantuchova. This could be a blessing in disguise for Dani, as it gives her an extra day to rest a sore abdominal that forced her to pull out of Eastbourne. For JJ, however, it could just be delaying the inevitable.
In men's action, there were no upsets, as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Mardy Fish all advanced.
Tomorrow looks like this.

Cabaret Matches:
[15]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)-1st match on Court 3
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Arantja Parra Santonja (ESP)-2nd match on Court 1
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)-2nd match on Court 2
[25]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS)-1st match on Court 8
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Alize Cornet (FRA)-2nd match on Court 5
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS)-5th match on Court 11

Other Matches I Care About:
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Mikhail Kukushkin (RUS)-2nd match on Centre Court
[2]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Jeremy Chardy (FRA)-3rd match on Centre Court
[8]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Andreas Beck (GER)-1st match on Court 1
[5]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Philipp Petszchner (GER)-3rd match on Court 1
Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs. Denis Gremelmayr (GER)-3rd match on Court 8
[26]Maria Kirilenko (RUS) vs. Alberta Brianti (ITA)-5th match on Court 19
[8]Petra Kvitova (CZE) vs. Alexa Glatch (USA)-1st match on Court 14

Wimbledon Set to Begin, Cavs Victorious in Omaha

2011-06-19T19:46:00.002-04:00

This is the part of the year when I start to get sick of tennis. The French Open happened, and now, two weeks later, Wimbledon starts. And I have to soldier through it. Not many of my girls particularly like the grass courts, Daniela Hantuchova being the notable exception. Dani is one of nine NSEFTPC Angels in the tournament, which kicks off tomorrow.
Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic, who at 15th is at her lowest seed in a while, faces tricky Spanish lefty Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the first round tomorrow. I'm throwing Jelena to the wolves this tournament-the girl can't play on grass. With fourth-round points to defend, expect that ranking to tumble a little more. Sigh...
As for girls I actually have expectations for, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki opens against another Spaniard, Arantja Parra Santonja, on Tuesday. Victoria Azarenka, seeded 4th, starts against Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova. Speaking of Slovakia, the aforementioned Hantuchova, who pulled out of her semifinal in Eastbourne last week, gets Russian qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko and could play Vika in the third round. The last seeded Angel, Agnieszka Radwanska, opens against Azarenka's compatriot Olga Govortsova. Sorana Cirstea, who's been playing a lot better tennis recently, gets a matchup against France's Pauline Parmentier. The Bondarenko sisters are back to full health (I hope), and Kateryna plays tomorrow against another French player, Alize Cornet, while Alona takes on 27th-seeded Australian Jarmila Gajdosova. Last but not least, Elena Vesnina will go tomorrow against Spain's Laura Pous Tio, who clipped Lena on the clay in Paris four weeks ago. I think we could see payback.
Here's tomorrow's schedule. I'll be up at 7 a.m. to catch all the action. Rafa Nadal opens on Centre Court. Tomorrow's going to be a hectic day, I can tell you that.

Cabaret Matches:
[15]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)-4th match on Court 3
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)-3rd match on Court 2
[25]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS)-4th match on Court 17
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs. Pauline Parmentier (FRA)-1st match on Court 10
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Alize Cornet (FRA)-1st match on Court 8
Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs. Laura Pous Tio (ESP)-1st match on Court 7

Other Matches I Care About:
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. Denis Istomin (UZB)-1st match on Court 15
[1]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Michael Russell (USA)-1st match on Centre Court
[8]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Andreas Beck (GER)-3rd match on Court 1

In College World Series action, Virginia, the #1 overall seed, defeated California in opening round play by a score of 4-1. The game was scoreless through six and a half innings until John Hicks' RBI single in the bottom of the 7th. Virginia plated two runs in the 7th and 8th, and Cal's lone run in the top of the 9th wasn't enough. Senior righty Tyler Wilson picked up the win for Virginia, which plays again on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against South Carolina, a 5-4 winner over Texas A&M. The Cavaliers will send junior right-hander Will Roberts to the hill to face the Gamecocks, who are the defending national champions.

Cavaliers Ready for Super Regionals

2011-06-09T23:08:00.002-04:00

Last decade, baseball was not a priority at the University of Virginia. In fact, the athletic department was about to drop the sport down to club level. Nobody would have missed it. The team hadn't been successful in years.
Then Brian O'Connor took over in 2003, and it hasn't been the same. The Cavaliers have not missed an NCAA Tournament in O'Connor's eight-year tenure, advancing to the first College World Series in program history in 2009. On Saturday, UVa hosts UC-Irvine in hopes of advancing once again to college baseball's promised land.
Last year, hosting the first Super Regional in Davenport Field history and favored against Oklahoma, the Wahoos won the first game but dropped the next two in a disappointing finish. This season, however, with a dominating pitching staff and a small-ball factory of a batting lineup, the Cavs steamrolled their way through Navy, St. John's, and East Carolina by a combined score of 29-3 over three games, proving their status as the #1 national seed.
But the gaudy offensive numbers are rather misleading. Virginia is not a team that bashes the ball 500 feet every other batter. No, the Hoos will pick you apart methodically. The leadoff man singles, he steals second, and the next batter singles him home. The next inning starts with a double, a bunt moves him to third, and a sacrifice fly scores him. From there, the three-headed monster of Danny Hultzen, Will Roberts, and Tyler Wilson takes over on the mound. Pick your poison. And don't forget All-ACC closer Branden Kline.
Hultzen is expected to get the ball on Saturday for the first game against the Anteaters, who upset UCLA in the Los Angeles Regional to qualify for the Super Regionals. These two teams last met in 2009, when the Cavaliers were shipped to Irvine for the regionals, defeating San Diego State in the first game before defeating the Anteaters twice on their way to Omaha. Games will be at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and will be announced on Monday if necessary.

Today in tennis, Daniela Hantuchova defeated Alla Kudryavtseva 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals in Birmingham, while Caroline Wozniacki won 7-6, 6-3 over Angelique Kerber in her home tournament in Copenhagen.

Also, today is the 72nd birthday of Dick Vitale. Happy birthday, God.

And Then There Was One

2011-05-30T23:02:00.002-04:00

This is around the time when most of the NSEFTPC Angels are out of Grand Slams, and I'm yet again forced to wonder why no one I like can win anything of consequence. But there's always that once Angel I can cling to, I can hope for the Cabaret's maiden Grand Slam title.
In this year's French Open, it's Victoria Azarenka. The Belarusian Bombshell, who at 4th is the highest seed left in the women's draw at Roland Garros, easily disposed of Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals, where she'll face 6th-seeded Li Na on Wednesday. That means tomorrow, I get a nice day off. Hooray for sleeping past 5 AM for once!
Anyway, Agnieszka Radwanska fell 7-6, 7-5 to Maria Sharapova, confirming Vika as my lst hope this tournament. I gotta give that pollack credit though, that's a lot closer than I though the match would be. But now, it's the Victoria Azarenka show for at least two more days.
Sometimes I wonder why Vika isn't my queen. It seems like in most Grand Slams she's the last NSEFTPC Angel in it, much like this one, and I'm always stuck on her every second week of majors. Plus, she's only 21 (soon to be 22), and has a lot more firepower than current queen Jelena Jankovic.

Awww, man, it's tempting. It really is. But Jelena's been there for me longer than Vika has, despite her consistently worse results in majors. Vika's time will come, that's for sure.
Anyway, I'll take the day off tomorrow and then get back at it on Wednesday, when the lovely lady you see in that picture tries for her first career Grand Slam semifinal.

Jankovic, Hantuchova Come Up Short

2011-05-29T23:47:00.003-04:00

There are good days, and there are bad days.
Today was a good day off the tennis court. I stuffed myself with fried chicken and mashed potatoes, paid for by someone other than me, and saw The Hangover 2, which was funny but not the original. That's good.
What transpired in Paris today, however, wasn't good. The two NSEFTPC Angels in action were Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic, whose epithet speaks for itself, and Daniela Hantuchova, who several years ago was my original tennis player crush. When these two lose, it hits me a whole lot harder than if other Angels lose. So when both of them lost today, you can guess that it didn't sit well with me.
Jankovic faced off against defending champion Francesca Schiavone, and quickly fell behind 5-1 in the first set. She didn't recover in that set, dropping it 6-3, but Jelena jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second and took it 6-2, setting up a decider. The two were on serve until 4-4, when JJ cracked and couldn't break back, falling 3-6, 6-2, 4-6. Well, shit. I guess I'm a lot less upset with that result than I would be if she had just mailed it in after that first set. I guess I can't really complain. Jelena played well, her opponent just played better. Simple as that. Back to the practice court for the grass season.
Later, Hantuchova took on Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, in a toss-up match. The first set featured zero breaks of serve, with Dani saving two set points in the tiebreaker to take it 8-6, but that was wear the good stuff ended. The next two sets were rather pedestrian in Kuznetsova's favor, three and two. Final score, 7-6, 3-6, 2-6. SMH, as the kids are saying these days. I really hope Victoria Azarenka can hold down the fort tomorrow-I'm not giving Agnieszka Radwanska much of a chance vs. Maria Sharapova.
As for the pertinent men's action, Roger Federer downed compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, and Novak Djokovic took out hometown hopeful Richard Gasquet (or Dicky Gasket, as I and many others call him), both in straight sets. Those two are on a collision course in the semifinals.

Cabaret Matches:
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)-3rd match on Lenglen
[12]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. [7]Maria Sharapova (RUS)-4th match on Chatrier

Other Matches I Care About:
[1]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)-2nd match on Chatrier
[5]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. [18]Gilles Simon (FRA)-3rd match on Chatrier
[25]Maria Kirilenko (RUS) vs. [15]Andrea Petkovic (GER)-5th match on Lenglen

The Good, The Bad, and The Streak

2011-05-28T19:39:00.002-04:00

I have some good news about NSEFTPC, and I have some bad news about NSEFTPC. Bad news first? Okay.
The bad news is that Sorana Cirstea is back to her old self. The Romanian was leveled by 6th-seeded Li Na 6-2, 6-2 in just about an hour today. I remember saying that this match was a huge opportunity for Cirstea and that I liked her chances. How dare I be so optimistic! Still, seeing her win two matches in any tournament, let alone a Grand Slam, is an encouraging sign.
The good news is that Victoria Azarenka still is her old self. The 4th-seeded Belarusian ran through another inferior opponent today, downing 30th-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-3, 6-2, shortly after Cirstea fell, so the pain from Sorana's loss was quickly alleviated thanks to Vika. That leaves Azarenka as one of two Angels left in the bottom half of the draw, and I'd say she's the one with the best chance at winning. She'll play Russia's Ekaterina Makarova, an upset winner over 16th-seeded Kaia Kanepi, on Monday. Later in the day, Agnieszka Radwanska bested Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer to make it 2 out of 3 for the Cabaret. She'll face Maria Sharapova next.
As for the men, top-seeded Rafael Nadal mauled Croatia's Antonio Veic 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, and Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 42 matches dating back to last year by winning the final two sets against Juan Martin del Potro for a total score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, completing a match that was suspended by darkness yesterday. The Serb is now 40-0 this season.
Speaking of Serbs, my favorite one, Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic, plays tomorrow in a big 4th-round match against defending champion Francesca Schiavone. Daniela Hantuchova is the other Angel playing tomorrow, going up against Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Cabaret Matches:
[10]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. [5]Francesca Schiavone (ITA)-2nd match on Lenglen
[28]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. [13]Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)-4th match on Lenglen

Other Matches I Care About:
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. [14]Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)-2nd match on Chatrier
[2]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [13]Richard Gasquet (FRA)-4th match on Chatrier

Jankovic Through to 4th, Hantuchova Blasts Wozniacki

2011-05-27T16:54:00.002-04:00

I really don't like when two of my NSEFTPC Angels play against each other, unless it's for a title. Sure, I know one of them is going to win, but that also means one has to lose.
Daniela Hantuchova has often been on the wrong end of such Cabaret clashes, like last year at the French Open when she had been playing some of her best tennis, but ran into Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round, falling in straight sets. Earlier this year, she lost to Caroline Wozniacki in another one of these events.
Today, however, in this year's edition of the French Open, it was the 28th-seeded Hantuchova's time at the top. Playing the top-seeded Wozniacki once again, Dani took it to Caroline early and often and looked like the #1 ranked player, scoring a 6-1, 6-3 win to move into the fourth round, which is as far as she got last year. She'll take on Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia next, and with the type of tennis the Slovak Siren has been playing and the draw wide open, why not her?
Of course, this leads to a bunch of question marks for Wozniacki. Does she deserve the #1 ranking? Will she ever win a major? Screw that, she's only 20. She has plenty of time. Dani is 28, and her window is no doubt closing. I never like to see Caroline lose, though.
Earlier in the day, Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic cruised into the 4th round by whipping Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the highest-ranked American in the draw, by a score of 6-2, 6-2. JJ's been playing damn good tennis too, winning all six sets she's played by a score of no closer than 6-3. She'll face defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy on Sunday in a huge match-either way, someone's losing serious ranking points. Wouldn't it be awesome if it were a Dani-JJ semifinal?
In men's action, Roger Federer blasted Janko Tipsarevic in straight sets, but Mikhail Youzhny was soundly beaten by Albert Montanes. Novak Djokovic was 1-set all with Juan Martin del Potro before their match was suspended by darkness. They'll pick it back up tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Sorana Cirstea takes on 6th-seeded Na Li in what I see as a really big opportunity to put herself back on the map. I'm actually pretty excited about that match-could this be the tournament in which Sorana finds her way back to my heart? At the same time, 4th-seeded Victoria Azarenka takes on 30th-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy, so I'll be pulling double-duty tomorrow morning. Later, 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska is in action.

Cabaret Matches:
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. [30]Roberta Vinci (ITA)-1st match on Chatrier
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs. [6]Na Li (CHN)-1st match on Lenglen
[12]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)-3rd match on Lenglen

Other Matches I Care About:
[1]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Antonio Veic (CRO)-2nd match on Chatrier
[10]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. [18]Gilles Simon (FRA)-3rd match on Chatrier
[5]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)-4th match on Lenglen
[25]Maria Kirilenko (RUS) vs. Arantxa Rus (NED)-4th match on Court 1

J. Geils Band Syndrome Cured

2011-05-26T20:58:00.002-04:00

In January in Australia, several of my NSEFTPC Angels were stricken by the evil J. Geils Band Syndrome, which occurs when a player wins one match and then loses in the second round. This is derived from the fact that, contrary to popular belief, J. Geils Band had only one good song, "Centerfold." Likewise, the player plays only one good match in the tournament. The idea is that my favorite players need to be like a band/musician with a lot of hits, like Jackson Browne.
Sorana Cirstea was one of those players. The Romanian hadn't advanced past the second round in a Grand Slam since the 2009 US Open, but she'll stay (just a little bit longer) this year in Paris as she knocked off 29th-seeded compatriot Alexandra Dulgheru 6-3, 7-5. Yep, I'm getting it for her again. It's crazy-as soon as I say I'm done with a girl, they start playing good tennis.
She's joined in the third round by 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who bested Sania Mirza of India 6-2, 6-4, and much later in the day Victoria Azarenka followed suit by blasting Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier off the court 6-0, 6-1. Each of those girls will play again on Saturday, while Caroline Wozniacki, Daniela Hantuchova, and of course Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic will play tomorrow.
As for the men, there was one upset today as 8th-seeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer fell in five sets to Czech qualifier Lukas Rosol. Rafael Nadal, Gilles Simon, and Mardy Fish all advanced with relative ease.
Tomorrow:

Cabaret Matches:
[10]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)-2nd match on Court 2
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. [28]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)-3rd match on Lenglen

Other Matches I Care About:
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. [29]Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)-2nd match on Lenglen
[2]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [25]Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)-4th match on Chatrier
[12]Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs. Albert Montanes (ESP)-3rd match on Court 2

Cabaret Holds It Down On Day 4

2011-05-25T21:46:00.002-04:00

I hate waking up early. It sucks. I can't imagine having to do it on a regular basis. But I guess when you get to see three of the absolute sweetest female tennis players in the world, it's not so bad. Yes, Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic, Caroline Wozniacki, and Daniela Hantuchova are in the upper echelon of NSEFTPC. That's why this morning was worth it.
It started with Wozniacki, the top seed, facing the similarly named Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, home country of my new favorite TV show, Kenny vs. Spenny. Watch it. It's awesome. Anyway, Caroline took the first set rather easily 6-3, but had some trouble in the second, eventually going to a tiebreaker and falling behind 3-6. I really didn't want a third set, and luckily, Wozniacki won 5 straight points to take the match and advance to the third round.
She wasn't the only one. Daniela Hantuchova, the 28th seed, smoked Sara Errani of Italy 6-1, 6-2, setting up a Cabaret clash with Wozniacki on Friday. Unfortunately, one of them has to go home, and I think it's going to be Dani.
Saving the best for last, Jankovic took a little time to exert her dominance over Russia's Vera Dushevina, but once she got going, there was no looking back in a 6-3, 6-2 win. Jelena advances to face Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the highest-ranked American in the draw with Venus and that other Williams out with injuries.
In men's action, Roger Federer blasted French wild card Maxime Teixeira 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, and Novak Djokovic advanced when Victor Hanescu pulled the ripcord down two sets and a few games into the third set. Speaking of that match, NSEFTPC Sorana Cirstea posted on her Facebook page that she wanted to watch Hanescu in that match. Is there something going on between these two Romanians? I wouldn't be opposed-Victor's a cool dude.
Anyway, Cirstea is one of three Angels going tomorrow, along with Agnieszka Radwanska and Victoria Azarenka. Both Radwanska and Cirstea are first on their respective courts, and Vika is last.

Cabaret Matches:
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Pauline Parmentier (FRA)-4th match on Lenglen
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs. Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU)-1st match on Court 17
[12]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Sania Mirza (IND)-1st match on Court 2

Other Matches I Care About:
[1]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Pablo Andujar (ESP)-2nd match on Lenglen
[5]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Albert Ramos (ESP)-1st match on Lenglen
[10]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Robin Haase (NED)-2nd match on Court 2

Azarenka, Cirstea Advance at French

2011-05-24T20:20:00.002-04:00

Today, there was no getting up early for me, as I did on Monday and have to once again tomorrow (read on), which meant I didn't get to see Elena Vesnina's 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 loss to Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain, which was probably a good thing, because that early in the morning would have made me very, very angry. Stupid Spanish clay-court specialists.
No matter. Victoria Azarenka, the 4th seed, made it better by grinding out a 6-3, 6-3 win over Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic. Vika is considered one of the favorites here at Roland Garros and after a bit of a slow start in both sets she pulled away and played the type of tennis expected from the player ranked 4th in the world.
One of the last matches to go on for the day was Sorana Cirstea, sitting at 99th in the world, attempting to best her result here from last year, which wouldn't be hard to do seeing as she lost in the first round. Her opponent was Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, and it took just over an hour for Sorana to...WIN? 6-1, 6-3? Wow. That was surprising, but I love it. Is a run in store for Sorana? God I hope so. And she looked so good on the court. It's like I'm falling in love with her all over again.
On the men's side, Rafael Nadal was pushed to the brink by John Isner but ultimately came out with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory in his first round match. 5th-seeded Robin Soderling was also a winner over Ryan Harrison, who replaced his scheduled opponent, Benjamin Becker, at the last minute. Philipp Kohlschreiber and Somdev Devvarman, however, were not so lucky, as each of them fell, the German in four sets and the Indian in three.
Tomorrow, we've got a busy day, but it's all early in the day, meaning I'll have to be up before the sun. Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic, Caroline Wozniacki, and Daniela Hantuchova all play their second round matches.

Cabaret Matches:
[10]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Vera Dushevina (RUS)-2nd match on Court 3
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN)-1st match on Chatrier
[28]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Sara Errani (ITA)-2nd match on Court 7

Other Matches I Care About:
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Maxime Teixeira (FRA)-1st match on Lenglen
[17]Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Igor Andreev (RUS)-4th match on Chatrier

Perfect Second Day For Cabaret

2011-05-23T22:13:00.002-04:00

Today, at 5 a.m., after less than five hours of sleep, I was forced to drag myself out of bed. Why? Because the genius schedulers at Roland Garros scheduled NSEFTPC Angel Daniela Hantuchova for the first match of the day. What about me and my needs? Huh?
By the time I had oriented myself, Dani had jumped out to a 4-0 lead over China's Shuai Zhang and she never really looked back from there, coasting to a 6-3, 6-3 victory. I really woke up when I caught a glimpse of the luscious-legged 28th seed, whose pink dress is one of her better choices, I must say. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I had kept her as my queen four years ago. Anyway, she's into the second round along with Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic and the two other Angels who played today.
Both of those ladies had an easy time as well, giving up a total of five games between them. Agnieszka Radwanska knocked off Austria's Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-1, 6-2, and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki rolled over 40-year old Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan, whose career began before Wozniacki was even born, by a score of 6-0, 6-2. Suffice to say it was a rather stress-free day for me, and I wish all days could be like that.
Hopefully tomorrow is that way as well. The remaining three Angels-Victoria Azarenka, Elena Vesnina, and, yes, Sorana Cirstea-play their opening round matches. Vesnina is first on her court, but I won't be rising early again. Lena, I love you, but not enough to rise at 5 two days in a row. Sorry babe.
In men's action, both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer advanced in straight sets, and Russia's Mikhail Youzhny progressed as well. Top-seeded man Rafael Nadal will open tomorrow, as will Robin (Bo Carl) Soderling, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Somdev Devvarman.
Tomorrow looks like this from my standpoint:

Cabaret Matches:
[4]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)-3rd match on Court 1
Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs. Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP)-1st match on Court 5
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs. Patty Schnyder (SUI)-4th match on Court 7

Other Matches I Care About
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. [24]Sam Querrey (USA)-2nd match on Court 7
Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs. Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)-1st match on Court 3
[5]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Benjamin Becker (GER)-3rd match on Court Lenglen
[1]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. John Isner (USA)-3rd match on Court Chatrier

Jankovic Victorious on First Day in Paris

2011-05-22T22:11:00.000-04:00

Going into today's opening day of the French Open, I knew that out of the three NSEFTPC Angels in action, one of them would win. Why? Because Serbian tennis star and my future wide Jelena Jankovic, seeded 10th at Roland Garros, was matched against fellow Angel Alona Bondarenko. Alona had only played one tour-level match this year after missing much of it with an injury, and it showed as Jelena cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory in just over an hour. Jankovic never faced a break point the entire match, and, possessing one of the best return games in women's tennis, that's a very good sign. She'll next face Russia's Vera Dushevina on Wednesday.
The other Angel to play today was Kateryna Bondarenko, and she fared no better than her sister, falling 6-3, 6-3 to Rebecca Marino of Canada. I wasn't exactly surprised-Kateryna's done next to nothing this year. Big deal, even if she had managed to win this one, she would've bombed the next round.
In men's action, Stanislas Wawrinka and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga were notable seeded players to advance, Tsonga in straights and Wawrinka in four. However, Marin Cilic was eliminated.
Tomorrow, three more Angels get their start, including top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki and my original heartthrob Daniela Hantuchova. They're joined by Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded 12th. On the men's side, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will play their first round matches, as will highest-ranked American Mardy Fish.

Cabaret Matches:
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN)-4th match on Court 1
[28]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Shuai Zhang (CHN)-1st match on Court 2
[12]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT)-3rd match on Court 3

Other Matches I Care About:
[2]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Thiemo de Bakker (NED)-2nd match on Court Chatrier
[3]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Feliciano Lopez (ESP)-3rd match on Court Chatrier
[10]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Ricardo Mello (BRA)-2nd match on Court 7
[12]Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs. Go Soeda (JPN)-1st match on Court 3
[2]5Maria Kirilenko (RUS) vs. Coco Vandeweghe (USA)-4th match on Court 3

French Open Set to Begin

2011-05-21T16:31:00.003-04:00

The French Open draw is out, and the action is set to begin tomorrow. It's the only Grand Slam with a Sunday start, and it gets underway at 5 AM Eastern time. That means I'll likely be getting up early for the next couple weeks.
All nine Angels of NSEFTPC are entered, headlined by Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic, who made the semifinals in Paris last year. Unfortunately for the Cabaret, someone's losing in the first round, as the 10th-seeded Jankovic is drawn against Alona Bondarenko, whose ranking has dropped all the way into the 70s during her lengthy injury layoff. This will be Alona's second tournament of the year, having fallen in the first round of Strasbourg last week. JJ is 10-1 against Bondarenko in her career, with their last meeting coming here last year, a 6-4, 7-6 Jankovic win.
As for the rest of the Angels, Caroline Wozniacki (who took the title in Brussels today) is the top seed and faces 40-year old Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan in the first round. Wozniacki made the quarters here last year, falling to eventual champion Francesca Schiavone. Victoria Azarenka is 4th and that's her highest seed at a Slam in her career, and she is up against hard-hitting Czech Andrea Hlavackova, who she beat in the second round of the Australian Open a few months ago. Daniela Hantuchova, seeded 28th, meets Shuai Zhang of China and could play Wozniacki in the third round. 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska plays Austria's Patricia Mayr-Achleitner and is the only Angel in the bottom quarter. The other three are unseeded, with Sorana Cirstea facing Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, Elena Vesnina against Spanish qualifier Silvia Soler-Espinosa, and Kateryna Bondarenko drawing Canadian Rebecca Marino. Kateryna is the only other Cabaret match tomorrow aside from Jankovic-Alona.
As for the men, it's a name matchup in the first round as defending champion Rafael Nadal draws 6'9" American John Isner. Second-seeded Novak Djokovic goes up against hard-hitting Dutchman Theimo de Bakker, while Roger Federer at three gets a tough matchup with Spain's Feliciano Lopez. Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber, unseeded at a Slam for the first time in a while, takes on American Sam Querrey, who is seeded 24th. Former University of Virginia standout Somdev Devvarman gets Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic. American hopeful Andy Roddick withdrew this week due to a shoulder injury sustained at a warmup tournament.

Here's what's on the agenda for tomorrow:

Cabaret Matches
[10]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)-3rd match on Court Lenglen
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs. Rebecca Marino (CAN)-2nd match on Court 17

Other Matches I Care About
[17]Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Jan Hajek (CZE)-3rd match on Court Chatrier
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) vs. Albert Montanes (ESP)-2nd match on Court Lenglen

General Update Redux

2011-05-17T22:16:00.002-04:00

I'm trying, I really am.
But after finally completing my freshman year at North Carolina State University, I'm burnt out. Or, I was burnt out. But I'm back now. I have to be. The French Open starts on Sunday, and NSEFTPC is expected to come out guns blazing in Paris. Three Angels are playing this week, and the most important one got a victory today, as Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic dispatched Anastasia Rodionova in Brussels, 6-2, 6-3. She will play tomorrow against Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden, and Caroline Wozniacki, the other Angel in Brussels, gets her start tomorrow, facing American Varvara Lepchenko after a first-round bye.
Another tournament is going on in Strasbourg, where Daniela Hantuchova still stands. The 6th-seeded Hantuchova takes on Mathilde Johansson of Sweden in her second round match tomorrow. And finally, Alona Bondarenko got back on the court today, falling to Stephanie Foretz of France, 6-4, 6-1, but it's good that she's back in action and presumably ready for the Roland Garros after a lengthy injury layoff.

In basketball, the ACC and Big Ten announced the matchups for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. In pertinence to this blog, NC State will host Indiana on November 30th. The Hoosiers bring top recruit Cody Zeller, brother of North Carolina's Tyler Zeller, to the RBC Center. The day before, Virginia gets a home game against Michigan, who made the NCAA Tournament as an eight seed last year and blasted Tennessee before falling to Duke by two in the second round.

Also, the Washington Wizards received the 6th pick in the NBA draft lottery.

General Update

2011-05-08T23:45:00.002-04:00

Yeah, so you've probably noticed I've been MIA the past week or so. It's just that when you're in college, you don't have as much time to blog. It's real life. And you might have noticed that Victoria Azarenka took the runner up in the Madrid Open this week, losing to Petra Kvitova 7-6, 6-4. It's okay, Vika, you did well. You're going to rise to #4 in the world, your career high, tomorrow. You made it the farthest out of all my Angels, so that counts for something. I like you a lot, babe, but you know that Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic is tops in NadkarniSportsNation.
As for Jankovic, my pride and joy, she and many other Angels are entered this week in Rome, including Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, Daniela Hantuchova, and Elena Vesnina. I'll try to cover that this week, as I'm almost done with school, but I can't promise anything. But Dani plays tomorrow, so I'll try to get that score to you.

Also, speaking of sweet tennis girls, Sorana Cirstea won a title this week, defeating France's Pauline Parmentier 6-7, 6-2, 6-2 in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, to win the Challenger there. Funny, isn't it? I drop Sorana from my throne, and she wins a title. Good work, babe, let's keep it up.

Mr. Kerrigan Goes to Washington

2011-04-28T22:53:00.004-04:00

The NFL Draft is always an exciting event. Even with the season all screwed up because of the lockout, it's still fun to see who's going where and who your favorite team is going to pick up.
That team for me is the Washington Redskins. The Redskins had the 10th overall pick in the draft, one after the rival Dallas Cowgirls. After Dallas picked offensive tackle Tyron Smith out of USC, the sweating began. What would the Skins do?
What they did was trade down. The Redskins swapped first round picks with the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving the Jags their 10th pick, which Jacksonville used to take Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. In return, the Redskins received the Jaguars first rounder at the 16th position, as well as the 49th overall pick in tomorrow's second round. Not a bad move, as we need picks, but it kept me sweating.
Half an hour later, my question was answered. Ryan Kerrigan, a combo linebacker-defensive end out of Purdue University, heard his name called. The 6-4, 267 pounder from Muncie, Indiana walked out onto the Radio City stage and posed with commissioner Roger Goodell.
At first I was a little puzzled, as I didn't think we desperately needed another linebacker, but having this guy opposite Brian Orakpo will be sick. Kerrigan was 4th in the nation in sacks this past college football season and is the Big Ten Conference's all-time leader in forced fumbles with 14. With uncertainty at the other outside linebacker position due to Andre Carter's release, Kerrigan will definitely fit the bill.
Tomorrow, the second and third rounds will be held, and with two picks in the second round, it is imperative that we pick up a quarterback. With four gone in the first round (Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Gabbert, and Christian Ponder), remaining possibilities include TCU's Andy Dalton, Greg McElroy of Alabama, Ryan Mallett of Arkansas, and Ricky Stanzi of Iowa.

Wozniacki Into Another Final

2011-04-23T23:04:00.002-04:00

Before I talk about what happened today in Stuttgart, I have to wish Daniela Hantuchova, my original tennis player crush and longest tenured NSEFTPC Angel, a happy 28th birthday (it's still technically April 23rd). What can I say about Dani? Not much that hasn't been said in the almost-four-year history of this blog. She's been there from the start. And if I hadn't stumbled upon Nicole Vaidisova that night at the US Open, she'd probably still be at the top.

Isn't she sweet? Happy birthday babe.

Now, turning to those who actually played today, Caroline Wozniacki defeated Agnieszka Radwanska in a Cabaret clash to advance to the final of the Stuttgart Grand Prix, an indoor clay event. Wozniacki will face Julia Goerges of Germany in the final tomorrow, going for her fourth title this season.

The Washington Capitals closed out their playoff series with the New York Rangers by winning 3-1 in DC today to take the series 4-1. They advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against either the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Pittsburgh Penguins. They'll get whoever's the lowest remaining seed out of those four.

Redskins Schedule Released

2011-04-19T23:29:00.002-04:00

Even though the NFL is currently in a lockout, I was still excited to learn that the schedule would be released tonight. That meant I'd learn when the Redskins would play every Sunday (or Monday, as this year's matchup in Dallas is on Monday Night Football). So, here it is. We open with the Giants for the third time in four years, but this one will be at FedEx Field. Here is the complete schedule:

Sept. 11th vs. New York Giants, 4:15, Fox
Sept 18th vs. Arizona Cardinals 1, Fox
Sept 26th at Dallas Cowgirls, 8:30, ESPN
October 2nd at St. Louis Rams 1, Fox
October 9th BYE WEEK
October 16th vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1, Fox
October 23rd at Carolina Panthers 1, Fox
October 30th vs. Buffalo Bills (in Toronto) 4:05, Fox
November 6th vs. San Francisco 49ers 1, Fox
November 13th at Miami Dolphins 1, Fox
November 20th vs. Dallas Cowgirls 1, Fox
November 27th at Seattle Seahawks 4:05, Fox
December 4th vs. New York Jets 1, CBS
December 11th vs. New England Patriots 1, CBS
December 18th at New York Giants 1, Fox
December 24th vs. Minnesota Vikings 1, Fox
January 1st at Philadelphia Eagles 1, Fox

So there it is. I'll do predictions later.

---------------------------------------------

In tennis, NSEFTPC is back at it this week in Stuttgart, Germany, headlined by Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?) thrashing lucky loser Beatriz Garcia Vidaganay of Spain 6-1, 6-2. Daniela Hantuchova and Agnieszka Radwanska were also victorious, and all three will be in action tomorrow, along with Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki, who will play their first matches of the tournament.

Wozniacki, Azarenka Complete Cabaret Sweep

2011-04-10T20:46:00.003-04:00

It's great enough when one NSEFTPC Angel wins a title on a given day. What's even better is when they're joined by another Angel who wins another title on the same day.
Now am I lucky enough for that to ever happen? Apparently so. Early this morning, Victoria Azarenka claimed the title in Marbella, Spain with an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over Irina Begu of Romania. It was Vika's second title in as many weeks, as she had bagged Miami last weekend for the second time in three years. The Belarusian bombshell will rise from #6 to #5 in tomorrow's rankings.
Now, that guaranteed a Cabaret sweep, because in Charleston, Caroline Wozniacki and Elena Vesnina were squaring off for the title. The top-ranked Dane, who was recently balled from the throne as my queen in favor of Jelena Jankovic (who she beat yesterday), cruised to a victory as expected, 6-2, 6-3. That is her third title this season, and making it six for the Cabaret in all-Daniela Hantuchova won in Pattaya City a couple months ago.
I get a break from the girls this week, as there are no tournaments scheduled due to Fed Cup matches. What am I going to talk about? Ah yes, the NHL playoffs begin this week, and my Washington Capitals are the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They'll open against the New York Rangers, the #8 seed.

Okay...

2011-04-09T02:39:00.007-04:00

...I've been lying this whole time. You might think I've been in love with Caroline Wozniacki, and that's why I made her my queen. But I can't do that. You know why? Because I'm in love with someone else, and I have been all along.
Yes, I admit it. I have, and have had, a crazy, major league, uncontrollable crush on Jelena Jankovic. I just can't help it. I've liked her a long time-since the 2008 French Open. Now I'm finally admitting it. Never mind that it's 2:45 am on a Friday night/Saturday morning for a college kid, and that it's very possible that I'm under the influence of alcohol at this moment-I'm crazy in love with Jelena Jankovic and I don't care who knows.
So this is the deal: My crowning Wozniacki queen was a cruel joke. But Caroline understands. She was in on it the whole time-she'll be a good sport about it. The Cabaret is still intact, but we just have a new leader, that's all.

Yes, there she is. Jelena Jankovic. I don't care if Wozniacki is ranked higher than her, I don't care if she has a boyfriend, I don't care if you think she's not pretty, I love her. And now she's Serbian tennis star and my future wife Jelena Jankovic.
The funny thing-she plays Wozniacki today in Charleston. But the outcome of that match means nothing-Jelena is my queen no matter what.
I'm glad I got that off my chest. I've wanted to for a while. Now just seemed like a good time. Caroline, I still love you, but I love Jelena a little bit more...

Cabaret Update

2011-04-07T21:29:00.002-04:00

Since the coronation of Danish tennis star and my future wife Caroline Wozniacki, NSEFTPC has done pretty well in the two tournaments in which Angels are entered. Most of them, including Wozniacki are in Charleston, one state away from me. Victoria Azarenka is in Marbella, Spain, on the red clay.
Wozniacki needed two tiebreakers to defeat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic, but she did it 7-6(6), 7-6(9) to move into the quarterfinals tomorrow, where she'll face 6th-seeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium. Jelena Jankovic was also a winner, 6-2 6-2 over Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa. Daniela Hantuchova fell 6-7, 1-6 to American Christina McHale, who Jankovic will face in the next round. Finally, Elena Vesnina pulled the biggest upset of the tournament thus far, knocking off Samantha Stosur, the second seeded Australian, with relative ease 6-4, 6-1. She'll take on Germany's Julia Goerges tomorrow.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Azarenka dispatched Laura Pous Tio of Spain 6-3, 6-2 and will take on my ex-future wife, Dinara Safina, in the quarters tomorrow. My most recent ex-future wife, Sorana Cirstea, lost in the first round of this tournament.
Speaking of Cirstea, it's her 21st birthday today, leaving Wozniacki as the only Angel who cannot yet buy me alcohol. Happy birthday babe, I still love you. I love all my Angels. But I HATE Yorkshire terriers...

REVOLUTION

2011-04-05T23:52:00.005-04:00

I've had it. I just have.
Adorable as Sorana Cirstea may be, that doesn't win you matches. Yesterday, Cirstea took the first set 6-1 over Sara Errani at the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella, Spain. What happened next? She lost the next two sets 4-6, 2-6 for another first round loss.
It's a broken record. Don't get me wrong, Sorana's perfect in every way other than tennis. She really is. But it's time for a change of direction. You know, someone who actually wins matches...
So where am I going? Well, I've been making noise about two Angels in particular-top ranked Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and #6 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. If Azarenka hadn't bagged the title in Miami last weekend, then this would be a slam dunk. No question, Wozniacki would be on the throne right now.
Caroline is prettier, no doubt about that (not that Vika isn't pretty), and ranked higher, but she's also more popular. More mainstream. I've never really been one to go mainstream. PBR is my beer of choice, for god's sake.
Wait. Am I actually having a debate about this? Better looking, better at tennis? Caroline, you're it!

Wow, that was easy.

As for Cirstea, she's still in the Cabaret, no question. But she's not queen material. She's been proving that for over a year now. Baby, you're
super sweet, but would it kill you to actually show up for tournaments every once in a while? Jesus. Down here it's just winners and losers, and don't get caught on the wrong side of that line.

----------------------------------------

NC State's coaching search came to an end today, as Mark Gottfried, the former Alabama boss, accepted the job as head men's basketball coach. Gottfried resigned from the Crimson Tide in 2009 after ten-plus years and eight postseason appearances, including five NCAA Tournaments. He had been out of coaching for a couple years and had been doing broadcasting. He clearly wasn't the first choice for AD Debbie Yow, but I still like this hire. Kinda like when you can't get the super pretty girl to go out with you, but there's always the cute girl you can fall back on. Like Victoria Azarenka. If Caroline gets hit by a train, I'll fall back on Vika. except I always bet my first choice. But all in all, I'm happy with this hire.

Azarenka Victorious in Miami

2011-04-03T00:00:00.002-04:00

The month of March features two relatively large tennis tournaments, Indian Wells and Miami. These are regarded as the two biggest tournaments outside of the Grand Slams. And while NSEFTPC is oh-fer on Grand Slams titles, they swept the two Little Slams in 2011.
Two weeks after Caroline Wozniacki captured Indian Wells for her second title of the season, Victoria Azarenka bagged Miami for her maiden trophy of 2011. The Belarusian bombshell topped Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4, the second time she has come out on top in the Magic City (she beat Serena Williams 6-3, 6-1 two years ago)
I actually only saw the last two games of the match-it started at 1 p.m., and I woke up at around 2:15. I guess I got there just in time. Azarenka had a 5-3 lead in the second and actually had two match points in the game, but lost them both. However, she broke Sharapova right back for the title. Vika is projected to rise to 6th in the WTA rankings on Monday.
This is great, make no mistake. But it puts me at even more of an impasse when it comes to my queen. Vika or Caroline? Or should I stick with Sorana? Oh well, I guess it's better than not knowing who to pick because everyone's losing.

The Situation

2011-04-02T01:47:00.007-04:00

So here's how it's shaken out-Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea hasn't done shit this year. That's just the truth. Oh, you made it to the second round of the Australian Open? Congratufuckinlations. You're still ranked 97th in the world. And you know, losing early in tournaments gets old. It's like watching the Redskins-I already know the end result before the game even starts.
Caroline Wozniacki is ranked 1st in the world, despite a surprise loss in the fourth round in Miami, just her third loss of the season. Victoria Azarenka is in the final in Miami, to be played later today (it's technically Saturday) against Maria Sharapova.
At the beginning of Miami, I was tempted to say that if Wozniacki won the thing, she'd be queen. Is that frontrunning? Sure. But women are supposed to provide happiness and joy, not losing and despair. Besides, I'm a Redskins fan who goes to NC State-I'm not getting shit from my NFL team or my school, that's for sure.
If Azarenka wins tomorrow, that complicates things further still. Other than Wozniacki, Vika has been the other Angel who's flirted with the possibility of taking the throne. Two years ago, she won Miami and was subsequently initiated into the Cabaret. Would 2011 be where she gets to the top? It would be tempting, that's for sure. Wouldn't it be great to have a woman who was a threat to win tournaments?
But with Cirstea, she's perfect in every way except on the court. When i think about it, I'm so in love with her.

Come on, that doesn't sneak up behind you and smash you in the back of the knees, causing you to drop and be unable to get up for a short period of time?

Can you tell why I'm having such a hard time? It's not easy being me, you know.

Also, I like VCU to beat Butler, and Kentucky over Connecticut

And here's a picture of Emilio Estevez to finish us off for the night. Why? Why not!

State's Next Coach Still a Mystery

2011-03-28T20:01:00.002-04:00

Since Sidney Lowe resigned as head coach of North Carolina State's basketball team two weeks ago, a lot has been made of who's going to be next. People have been throwing around names left and right. but everything is merely speculation. Athletic director Debbie Yow hired a search firm to find a new coach, and the negotiations with whoever the guy will be have been largely under wraps.
That's not to say there aren't names that people want to see. VCU's Shaka Smart, whose Rams are in Houston for the Final Four this week, has suddenly become a hot name in Raleigh. I'm not sure how likely it is that he'll come here, but no one knows about anyone at this point. Arizona boss Sean Miller, a former Wolfpack assistant, has stated that he is not interested in leaving Tucson, while Texas head man Rick Barnes is staying in Austin. That has led to names such as Butler's Brad Stevens, Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon, and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall being thrown from one person to another here in the Triangle.
A couple candidates were taken off the table recently. Today, Georgia Tech picked Dayton's Brian Gregory to be their next coach, in a classic mid-major to major program move. Gregory replaces Paul Hewitt, who was fired on March 12th after nine seasons in Atlanta. This came after Chris Mooney, the coach at Richmond, signed a ten year extension to remain with the Spiders, just a day after taking his team to the Sweet 16, where they were bested by top-seeded Kansas on Friday. Mooney had been a known candidate for many jobs around the country.
I will say this-time and time again, you see a guy who's built a program at a mid-major school get hired at a major school and build that program too. The examples are endless. There's Mike Krzyzewski (Army to Duke), Jim Valvano (Iona to NC State), Dick Bennett (UW-Green Bay to Wisconsin), Bobby Cremins (Appalachian State to Georgia Tech), to name but a few. I also know this: Yow's going to get it right. She can't afford to screw up, and she knows that.

In Miami, which I've neglected to report on the past few days, Victoria Azarenka, Jelena Jankovic, and Agnieszka Radwanska remain in the draw. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki was upset 5-7, 6-3, 3-6 today by Germany's Andrea Petkovic. Oh well-she can't win them all. Jankovic cruised past Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-1, 6-3, while Radwanska destroyed Italian Francesca Schiavone 6-0, 6-3. Azarenka overcame a first-set loss and a rain delay to knock off Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Wozniacki Headlines Perfect Day in Miami

2011-03-24T22:44:00.002-04:00

As poorly as the Sony Ericsson Open started off (with a Sorana Cirstea loss on Day 1), it couldn't have gone much better since then. That loss by the queen (sonn-to-be former queen?) was the only NSEFTPC loss in the tournament thus far. Four Angels made sure of that today.
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who I'm starting to get it for again (I can't! I must not! The last time this happened she blew a chance at a Grand Slam title!) survived a second-set speed bump to defeat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 7-5. The Indian Wells champion was serving for it at 6-2, 5-4 but dropped serve, only to break right back and close it out on her second try.
Earlier in the day, Daniela Hantuchova cruised past another American, Melanie Oudin, by a score of 6-1, 6-3, and Jelena Jankovic defeated Romania's Monica Niculescu with similar ease 6-3. 6-1. Elena Vesnina finished off the day by upsetting 23rd seed Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. The Russian served for it at 5-4 in the second, but like Wozniacki, got broken and it looked like the Belgian would run away with it. But Elena came through to make it a perfect day for the Angels.
Tomorrow, Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska will get their first action as they play their second round matches.

Miami
Second Round

[8]V. Azarenka (BLR) vs. L. Hradecka (CZE)-5th, Court 1
[9]A. Radwanska (POL) vs. B. Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)-1st, Court 1

NCAA Tournament
Sweet 16

Newark (CBS)
[11]Marquette vs. [2]North Carolina-7:15 pm
[4]Kentucky vs. [1]Ohio State-approx 9:45 pm

San Antonio (TBS)
[12]Richmond vs. [1]Kansas-7:27 pm
[11]Virginia Commonwealth vs. [10]Florida State-approx 9:57 pm

Vesnina Wins, March Madness Resumes Tomorrow

2011-03-23T22:40:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea started off the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami poorly, losing to Jie Zheng in three sets. Today, maybe we saw a bit of a turnaround.
Elena Vesnina, the only unseeded Angel left in the tournament, rolled to a surprisingly easy 6-1, 6-3 victory over Argentina's Gisela Dulko. She'll turn around tomorrow and join three other NSEFTPC Angels in second round play. Here's what the agenda's looking like for tomorrow:

Miami
2nd Round
[1]C. Wozniacki (DEN) vs. B. Mattek-Sands (USA)-3rd, Stadium
[6]J. Jankovic (SRB) vs. M. Niculescu (ROU)-2nd, Court 1
[29]D. Hantuchova (SVK) vs. M. Oudin (USA)-1st, Court 2
E. Vesnina (RUS) vs. [23]Y. Wickmayer (BEL)-4th, Court 1

The Sweet 16 also kicks off tomorrow, with top-seeded Duke headlining the action.
Anaheim (CBS)
[3]Connecticut vs. [2]San Diego State-7:15 pm
[5]Arizona vs. [1]Duke-approx. 9:45 pm

New Orleans (TBS)
[3]BYU vs. [2]Florida-7:27 pm
[8]Butler vs. [4]Wisconsin-approx 9:57 pm

Party In The City Where The Heat Is On

2011-03-22T16:12:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I've been pretty busy lately. Going to college and dealing with criminal charges takes a lot of time. Thus, I haven't had time to blog. But, I can tell you that the next couple weeks will be relatively light, so I'll have time to cover the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami as well as the NCAA Tournament.
By the way, Caroline Wozniacki won the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Sunday, giving NSEFTPC another title on the year. This week, almost everyone's in Miami, with the exception of the Bondarenko sisters. What happened to them?
Anyway, Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea was given a wild card and she faced Jie Zheng of China in the first round. And lost 3-6, 7-6, 3-6. What a surprise. This is getting a little repetitive, isn't it? Oh well, looks like I'll be turning to the others, as usual.
The only other Angel in this tournament to play a first round match is Elena Vesnina, who takes on Gisela Dulko tomorrow. The rest-Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, Jelena Jankovic, Daniela Hantuchova, and Agnieszka Radwanska all have first round byes and will play the winners of first round matches.

And, because this song is awesome, here's Will Smith's "Miami"

Early March Madness Thoughts

2011-03-16T23:26:00.002-04:00

Okay, so the NCAA Tournament has officially started. Yeah, you could say that, I guess. Officially, yes. Truly, though? Not at all.
You see, with the expansion to 68, three more play-in games were added in Dayton, Ohio. Those games are demeaning. They say, "Well, you're in, but really, you have to win one more game to REALLY be in". So instead of the day-before practices and press conferences, the dunk contests, the thrill of being at a true NCAA Tournament site and playing in the big dance, they get to play one more regular season game. Here's four schools for you-Arkansas-Little Rock, Alabama-Birmingham, Alabama State, Southern California. Those are the four teams that lost in the "First Round" in Dayton. They were robbed of a chance to play in the tournament that every college basketball player dreams to win. Shame on the big wigs of the NCAA for teasing these teams. That's like Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea stripping down to her underwear and then telling me "You have to wait for more." I mean, come on, man. That's not cool. Just cut it down to 64 like it should be. No more play-in games or anything like that
And then, you have the bracket. Everyone with red blood fills out a bracket. It's just a way of life. Hell, even President Barack Obama (who WAS born in the United States!!!) filled one out on Sportscenter. He has Kansas winning it-as do I, so hopefully, that will happen. Me? I don't have too many upsets. The main one I've got is Richmond over Vanderbilt in the first round. Then there's Missouri over Cincinnati, and Marquette over Xavier, which aren't too big, considering 11 seeds over 6 seeds aren't too much of upsets. The one big one? 7th-seeded Washington over 2nd-seeded North Carolina in the 2nd round. Seriously, it could happen. The Huskies are a hell of a lot more experienced than the Tar Holes, and it would be great if UNC lost because it would shut all their "fans" up. UNC fans are like people who hear the song "For What It's Worth" and decide that Buffalo Springfield is just AWESOME, even though that's the only Buffalo Springfield song they've heard. Seriously, UNC fans can go to hell.
In tennis, Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki play tomorrow, guaranteeing NSEFTPC a spot in the Indian Wells semifinals. Cirstea lost in the first round (as usual), but she's still cute enough to maintain her spot at my queen. Funny how stuff works, isn't it?

Bracket Out, Questions Abound

2011-03-13T21:25:00.003-04:00

Going into tonight's NCAA Tournament selection show, I felt pretty good about the field of 68 I had put together. For the past two years, I've gotten all 65 teams right, and even with the expansion this season, I still had faith I'd get a perfect 100%.
Well, not quite. This expert still got 65 teams correct, like in years past, but because of expansion, I was three off. I had in my field Alabama, Virginia Tech, and Colorado, but those three were left out in favor of VCU, Georgia, and UAB. Perhaps Alabama was an unwise choice, but Tech and Colorado certainly had compelling cases. The Buffaloes, for one had six wins over the RPI top 50, including three wins over tournament participant Kansas State and a victory over Texas. The Buffs got ripped for their out-of-conference schedule, and rightfully so-their best nonconference win came over in-state rival Colorado State. Still, I think they did enough in-conference to make it.
Tech's overall computer profile wasn't as good overall, and their only true signature win came over Duke two weeks ago, but the Hokies made it to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament this past week. Still, Seth Greenberg's team was left out of the field for the fourth straight season, this coming after being picked as high as second in the ACC in some publications. I'm happy-the longer Virginia Tech stays out, the better.
Alabama was an interesting case, especially after beating Georgia (who made the field) in the SEC Tournament on Friday. The Crimson Tide went 12-4 in the SEC, but that was a benefit of playing in the SEC West, where the Tide were the only team with a snowball's chance of making it into the field of 68. A blowout loss to Kentucky on Saturday didn't help, and neither did a horrendous RPI and strength of schedule. Bama's best nonconference win? Um, well, really none. A 68-66 win over Kentucky at home in January was their only win to write home about, but I still thought they passed the so-called "eye test", or "do they look good enough to compete in the tournament?"
There was much mayhem about the inclusion of UAB, VCU, and USC. ESPN's talking heads ripped the committee, but you can't please everyone. What the committee got right was pretty much everything else-the #1 seeds (Pitt, Duke, Kansas, Ohio State-I got thee four correct as well), and the "First Four" games, which begin on Tuesday. Texas-San Antonio and Alabama State square off, followed by Clemson and UAB on Tuesday, then on Wednesday, UNC-Asheville and Arkansas-Little Rock will play, followed by USC and VCU.
As for me, like I already said, I got 65 out of 68. I also correctly predicted two matchups, seeding and all-the Syracuse vs. Indiana State game (a 3 vs. a 14), and the Wisconsin-Belmont clash (a 4 vs. a 13). So next year, I'll see if I can get all 68.
-------------------------------------

In Indian Wells, defending champion Jelena Jankovic defeated Julia Goerges of Germany to advance. Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, and Agnieszka Radwanska play tomorrow.

Cirstea Qualifies for Indian Wells

2011-03-09T00:01:00.002-05:00

Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea took a step towards curing her nagging case of J. Geils Band Syndrome today, defeating Puerto Rico's Monica Puig in three sets to qualify for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. This came on the heels of another three-set victory over Sabine Lisicki in the first round of qualifying, meaning Cirstea actually won two matches in a row. Now, we need to make that happen in the main draw of a tournament. Do that a couple times, and JGBS is gone.
Sorana joins a field that includes six other members of NSEFTPC-top seed Caroline Wozniacki, defending champion Jelena Jankovic, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska, Elena Vesnina, and Daniela Hantuchova. Cirstea will open play tomorrow in the first round against Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia, while Vesnina takes on American Melanie Oudin. They are the only two Angels who will go tomorrow.
I'll try to stay updated and blog about it each day, but I'm headed down to Greensboro for the ACC Tournament on Thursday, which might make that difficult. I'll do my best for Sorana's sake, but in March, college hoops comes before the Angels.

Redskins Cut Portis After Seven Years

2011-02-28T19:35:00.003-05:00

The Washington Redskins cut ties with running back Clinton Portis today, ending an era that saw the former University of Miami star lead the Redskins to the playoffs twice as well as earning two Pro Bowl appearances. This ends a seven-year period where the Redskins had a true team leader, a franchise player, and a character in the locker room, as CP would often dress up in ridiculous costumes such as "Southeast Jerome", "Sheriff Gonna Getcha", and "Dr. I Don't Know."
"It was kind of a mutual decision," Portis said. "They could have sat and held on and played around. They gave me an opportunity to further my career and go somewhere where I can help."
Portis was due more than 8 million dollars this upcoming season and coach Mike Shanahan decided that that figure wasn't worth paying to an injury-prone back approaching thirty years old. Portis had had his past two seasons abbreviated due to injury, a severe concussion in 2009 and a groin injury last season. That led to the emergence of Ryan Torain as the starter, as the third-year back played well in Portis' absence.
The Redskins traded cornerback Champ Bailey to Denver in 2004 (coached by Shanahan at the time) for Portis and a second-round draft pick in 2005. Portis' first carry as a Redskin was a 64-yard touchdown run on a counter play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004, on the Redskins first offensive play from scrimmage in a 16-10 win.
Assuming the Redskins don't pick anyone up in free agency or via the draft, they'll have Torain as the starter next year, backed up by Keiland Williams and James Davis.
----------------------------------------------

That's enough sad news for the day. Here's some good news. Today is the 26th birthday of NSEFTPC Angel Jelena Jankovic. The 6th-ranked Jankovic is the top seed in Monterrey this week, and she is the only Angel in action. So theoretically, this week should be all about her. Theoretically. Happy birthday, babe.

J. Geils Band Syndrome Continues

2011-02-24T23:37:00.002-05:00

I was too focused on NC State's basketball game against UNC yesterday to write about Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea losing in the second round--AGAIN. What the hell, man?
Oh well. As my dear friend Dave Matthews once said, "And if nothing can be done, we'll make the best of what's around." Now that's a man of true wisdom right there.
Carolina Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic are in the semifinals in Doha tomorrow. If they both win, we'll have a guaranteed third-straght Cabaret title. More on that tomorrow. Probably.

Speaking of Cirstea, this is my new song for her. James Taylor is a god.

Tell me that's not the greatest song for a woman ever written

Cabaret Recap

2011-02-22T22:25:00.005-05:00

I'm too lazy to do a write-up of all the tennis that happened today and that's going on tomorrow, so here's the short version.

Doha
D. Hantuchova (SVK) d. V. Azarenka (BLR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
J. Jankovic (SRB) d. F Al Nabhani (OMA) 6-1, 6-3

Tomorrow
J. Jankovic vs. S. Mirza (IND)-2nd, Centre Court
C. Wozniacki (DEN) vs. N. Petrova (RUS)-3rd, Centre Court
D. Hantuchova vs. V. Dushevina (RUS)-1st, Court 2

Also, Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea will play her second round match at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, where thus far she has been safe from the drug violence that the tennis governing bodies warned the players about. She'll take on Laura Pos Tio of Spain, a winnable match. Wouldn't it be great to make it past the second round of a tournament for the first time this year, Sorana?

I don't feel great right now. Maybe I'm nervous about NC State's game with UNC tomorrow. Maybe I'm afraid of an NFL lockout. Whatever it is, a cute picture of Sorana always makes me feel better. So here it is.

I really like her. A lot. See, you think this world is doomed, you think that war and hunger will destroy our planet, and then you remember that God created a girl as lovely as Sorana. And you realize that everything is going to be okay

See you tomorrow

Cirstea Looks to Cure J. Geils Band Syndrome

2011-02-21T23:20:00.002-05:00

I could get used to Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea winning her first round match in a tournament. In fact, that's happened in the past three tournaments she's played in-the first round hasn't been an issue. That includes today, as Sorana moved into the second round in Acapulco with a routine 6-2, 6-4 win over Austria's Patricia Mayr. She will not play again until Wednesday, as her second-round opponent will be determined tomorrow.
This is another one of those deals where she should get a little further than the second round. J. Geils Band Syndrome is a terrible disease, and it gets frustrating, especially when you're losing to less-than-elite players. Not even two years ago Sorana made the quarterfinals of the French Open. That was on red clay-the same surface as this tournament. A run here would be nice. It would be really cool if she could get out of the 90s in the rankings.
In Doha, Kateryna Bondarenko and Elena Vesnina failed to qualify, and Agnieszka Radwanska was upset by Lucie Safarova. Great day there. Fortunately none of that matters because Sorana won. Tomorrow, Victoria Azarenka and Daniela Hantuchova face each other in a first round Cabaret clash, while Jelena Jankovic plays Fatma Al Nabanhi of Oman after that. One Angel has to lose tomorrow-and Jelena better not make it two.
Also, as far as I know, Sorana has not been kidnapped by any Mexican drug lords. I talked about that last post. Let's keep it that way.

Wozniacki Gets Cabaret's Second Straight Title

2011-02-20T23:11:00.003-05:00

Last week, Daniela Hantuchova won in Pattaya City for NSEFTPC's first title of 2011. Today in Dubai, Caroline Wozniacki doubled that total with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova, getting her first title of 2011 and with it the world #1 ranking, which had been taken over by Kim Clijsters last week. It is the Dane's 12th career title.
Now, the focus shifts to Doha, where five Angels (including Wozniacki) are entered, and Acapulco, where Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea is playing. Victoria Azarenka, Daniela Hantuchova, Jelena Jankovic, and Kateryna Bondarenko joing Caroline in Qatar. Vika and Dani actually play each other in the first round, while Jelena takes on wild card Fatma Al Nabanhi from Oman (OH NO, TERRORIST!!!!). Kateryna is still in the qualifying rounds, while Caroline gets a first-round bye.
Sorana, meanwhile, plays tomorrow against Austria's Patricia Mayr. That's winnable. Come on Sorana, let's at least make an effort to make it into the top 90. Besides, this tournament is on clay, and that's one of her better surfaces.
Something I found interesting about this Acapulco tournament-the ATP and WTA issued a warning to players due to the ever-increasing drug violence in Mexico. That makes me want to go down there for the tournament. I know Sorana wants me to protect her, and I want to score some real Mexican kush. See, everybody wins if that happens. Besides, get enough alcohol in me and I can take down a bull elephant. Drug violence. That's child's play.
Have I gone crazy? Oh well, life wouldn't be nearly as much fun if I weren't crazy.

J. Geils Band Syndrome Strikes Again

2011-02-16T15:53:00.002-05:00

J. Geils Band Syndrome, or in tennis terms, winning your first match in a tournament and then losing the next one, haunts players from time to time. The name of the disease is attributed to the fact that, contrary to popular belief, the J. Geils Band had only one good song ("Centerfold"). This past month or so, It's been hitting Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea.
Cirstea won her first match at the Australian Open 6-2, 6-2. Then she lost her next match, albeit to the number ten player in the world, Shahar Peer. That's understandable, I guess.
About a month later in Memphis, Cirstea won her first match by that same 6-2, 6-2 score. Then she played her second round match today. And, predictably, lost. This time to a less-than-heralded opponent, Canada's Rebecca Marino. 2-6, 6-4, 3-6. She was actually up a break in the third, but, of course, that means nothing in women's tennis.
At least she's getting wins. Around this time last year, Sorana was plummeting. Just stay in the top 100, that's all I ask.
Fortunately, all the way in Dubai, four Angels in action won their matches today. This came after a 0 for 2 day yesterday. On Tuesday, Daniela Hantuchova and Elena Vesnina both lost in straight sets (Dani gets a pass because she won a title last week, but Elena-what the hell?). Today, however, was a different story.
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki advanced when Anna Chakvetadze (who beat Hantuchova yesterday) pulled out at 6-1, 3-5. Victoria Azarenka survived a third-set tiebreak to beat China's Shuai Peng 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5), and Agnieszka Radwanska topped Anastasija Sevastova 6-4, 7-5. But the real surprise came when Jelena Jankovic won ,not just won, but won convincingly, defeating South African Chanelle Scheepers 6-2, 6-3. So, despite Sorana's gaffe, it wasn't too bad a day.

Here's tomorrow's schedule for Dubai.
V. Azarenka (BLR) vs. F. Pennetta (ITA)-3rd, Centre Court
C. Wozniacki (DEN) vs. A. Morita (JPN)-4th, Centre Court
J. Jankovic (SRB) vs. K. Kanepi (EST)-5th, Centre Court
A. Radwanska (POL) vs. Marion Bartoli (FRA)-1st, Court 3

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:14:00.004-05:00

I was talking yesterday about how stupid Valentine's Day is, and how the only way I would appreciate it is if Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea got a win in her first round match in the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Tennessee. That's 754 miles on I-40, or about a 12 hour drive, from Raleigh, North Carolina. That's kind of far, but shit, it's a lot closer than Dubai, where the rest of the Cabaret is this week.
Anyway, Cirstea did what I asked, scoring a 6-2, 6-2 win over Catherine Harrison, a 16-year old American. There was never really much doubt in my mind-she knew I needed a win for Valentine's Day. After that hell hole of a Redskins season I deserved it. That's what a good woman does. They do the things you need them to do.
Cirstea will next play Rebecca Marino of Canada, the tournament's six seed. That match will be Wednesday. Call me crazy, but maybe she can win the whole damn thing. The top seed is 56th ranked Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, and once you get outside the top 30 in women's tennis, it's pretty much a crapshoot. Why not Sorana?
And now, we'll finish with a Valentine's Day picture that some toolbag posted to her Facebook page. I'm not that crazy-I know damn well that's not Sorana providing those updates. Anyway...

Isn't she adorable? Who needs a real Valentine when you can pretend Sorana's yours?

---------------------------------------------

Tomorrow
Dubai
First Round

D. Hantuchova(SVK) vs. A. Chakvetadze (RUS)-2nd on Centre Court
E. Vesnina (RUS) vs. R. Vinci (ITA)-1st on Court 7

Hantuchova Captures Cabaret's First Title of Season

2011-02-14T00:27:00.002-05:00

I hate Valentine's Day. Its stupid. Remember, she won't love you unless you buy her expensive shit you can't afford. Love isn't measured in gifts.
Anyway, today-well, yesterday, officially-Daniela Hantuchova, my first tennis love, was playing in the championship match of the PTT Open in Pattaya City, Thailand. It was the first title match for an NSEFTPC Angel of this young season, and so far, I'm one for one.
The 27-year old Slovak demolished Italy's Sara Errani 6-0, 6-2 for a bit of an early Valentine's gift, taking the first Cabaret title of the year and getting her first trophy since 2007. It really wasn't ever close-the only amount of doubt was when Dani was broken in the opening game of the second set, but she rattled off four straight games to quash any uncertainty.
Before I get too carried away with Dani a la Caroline Wozniacki in Australia, I must remember that Sorana Cirstea is playing tomorrow well, today) in Memphis, and today is actually Valentine's Day. Since no girls at NC State appreciate this blogger quite yet, it would be sweet of Sorana to get a victory for me. She plays second on Grandstand against unknown American wild card Catherine Harrison. Please win that, Sorana. For me.
Going back to the subject, Hantuchova, well, she proved that she hasn't forgotten me. I remember way back when I first started following women's tennis and there was no Cabaret, just Daniela Hantuchova. She also had a brief second stint as my #1 back in the 2009 Australian Open, cleaning up the mess left behind my Nicole Fucking Vaidisova, and she'd probably still be queen today if I hadn't fallen for Dinara Fucking Safina. Dammit. Why did I do that?
Anyway, I'll update you on my current queen, Cirstea, tomorrow.

Cabaret Nears First Title of Season

2011-02-12T21:10:00.002-05:00

Even though I'm too lazy to blog about it, I've been following the tournament in Pattaya City, Thailand this week. Daniela Hantuchova defeated top-seeded Vera Zvonareva 7-6, 6-4 yesterday to advance to the final of said tournament. Dani will gun for the NSEFTPC's first title of the season and her first since 2007 in Linz, Austria. Her opponent will be unseeded Italian Sara Errani, so it's very possible that we could have our first champion of the year.
Next week, most of the girls are in Dubai, but Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea is in Memphis for the Cellular South Cup.

Redskins Offseason Needs

2011-02-08T20:10:00.003-05:00

I'm sick of the offseason already. The Redskins are what drive this blog, so I need to write about them as much as possible. So here's my take on what we need to do with our offseason in regards to personnel, focusing on the draft rather than free agency.

Quarterback: The Donovan McNabb experiment failed, and he's likely gone. Rex Grossman took over and didn't play poorly through the last three games, but to say he's a franchise quarterback is a stretch. Rex will likely be the opening day starter-I don't see us taking a QB in the first round, but we need one in this draft.
Need: High
Possibilities: Blaine Gabbert (Missouri), Andy Dalton (Texas Christian), Greg McElroy (Alabama), Ricky Stanzi (Iowa)

Running Back: Clinton Portis was injured yet again, leading to the emergence of Ryan Torain, who's also a little injury prone himself. It's unclear if Portis will return next season, as Torain is the likely #1 guy. If Portis does leave, Keiland Williams and James Davis are decent backups, and as everyone becomes more used to Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme, the running game could emerge as a threat. If we do take a running back, it won't be till the later rounds.
Need: Low
Possibilities: Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech), Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh)

Wide Receiver: Santana Moss' contract was voided, making him a free agent, though it's very possible that we re-sign him. The Redskins struggled to find a third receiver behind Moss and Anthony Armstrong this season. Malcolm Kelly will return from a season-long injury next year and maybe he could be the guy, but I've been thinking that this could be our first round pick.
Need: Moderate
Possibilities: AJ Green (Georgia), Julio Jones (Alabama)

Tight End: Chris Cooley and Fred Davis are one of the best tandems in the league, and rookie Logan Paulsen also had a touchdown catch in the Tampa Bay game. No reason to waste any money here.
Need: Non-existent

Offensive Line: The slogan for the Redskins offensive line should be "A Constant Work in Progress". The biggest need seems to be on the interior-specifically at center and right guard. Casey Rabach was atrocious, as was Artis Hicks. A smart move would be to insert Will Montgomery into the starting lineup, where he can play guard or center. Whichever position he doesn't take over should be addressed in the draft. The tackles are set, with Trent Williams and Jammal Brown, though re-signing Brown is a top priority. Kory Lichtensteiger took over the left guard position early in the season and performed well. His familiarity with the zone blocking scheme is a definite plus for this line.
Need: High (interior), Low (tackles)
Possibilities: Mike Pouncey (Florida), Rodney Hudson (Florida State), Stefan Wisniewski (Wisconsin)

Defensive Line: We all know about Albert Haynesworth. He's gone. Screw him. His replacement at nose tackle, Maa'ke Kemoeatu, didn't stand out either way. Not too good, not too bad-he's worth keeping, but this will be a place where the Skins upgrade. Adam Carriker emerged as one of the better defensive ends in the NFC, but Washington is unlikely to keep an aging Philip Daniels as a starter, making defensive end a priority as well. It's possible that this will be addressed in free agency rather than the draft.
Need: Moderate
Possibilities: Cameron Jordan (California), JJ Watt (Wisconsin), Nick Fairley (Auburn), Marcell Dareus (Alabama)

Linebacker: Brian Orakpo and London Fletcher are staying. No question about it. Rocky McIntosh is less secure, and he hasn't exactly proved himself worth keeping. Andre Carter is likely gone as well-he didn't fit into the 3-4. We'll keep Lorenzo Alexander, but will he start? H.B. Blades or Perry Riley, perhaps? We've got enough depth on the roster here, but a couple depth guys couldn't hurt.
Need: Low
Possibilities: Von Miller (Texas A&M), Robert Quinn (North Carolina),

Defensive Backs: Re-signing Carlos Rogers will be the key to seeing if we need to draft anyone here or pick up a free agent. DeAngelo Hall is definitely our best guy here. If LaRon Landry can stay healthy, we have one of the best safeties in the league, but we have to get a guy to complement him. Philip Buchanon is a good depth guy at corner, as is Byron Westbrook.
Need: Moderately low
Possibilities: DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson), Jerrard Tarrant (Georgia Tech)

Special Teams: Three punters were used, and none were great, but incumbent Sam Paulescu is probably the best we can do. Graham Gano had his ups and downs, like all kickers. Like Paulescu, I don't think there's any reason to get rid of him. Brandon Banks emerged as one of the top return men in the league and he should be for years to come.
Need: Low

So there you have it. Only two and a half months till the draft.

----------------------------------------
NSEFTPC
Pattaya City
First Round

D. Hantuchova (SVK) d. K. Nara (JPN) 6-2, 6-1

Tomorrow
Paris
First Round

E. Vesnina (RUS) vs. Y. Wickmayer (BEL)

It's Finally Over

2011-02-06T22:34:00.002-05:00

I can never thoroughly enjoy the Super Bowl because in the back of my mind I know that it's the last football game for six months. In fact, that period could be longer, depending on the new collective bargaining agreement. But it happened tonight, and I have to wait till at least August once again.
The Green Bay Packers (who my Redskins beat 16-13 in Week 5) defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 45th edition of the big game by a score of 31-25. I had no real rooting interest in this one-I just wanted to see a good game. And I got one. The Steelers fell behind early, with the Packers first 14 points coming off of Ben Roethlisberger interceptions, but Pittsburgh managed to turn a 21-3 deficit into a 21-17 one bridging halftime.
The Steelers drove into Packer territory in the third quarter, but linebacker Clay Matthews forced a Rashard Mendenhall fumble and Green Bay recovered, eventually taking it all the way for a touchdown from Aaron Rodgers (your MVP) to Greg Jennings, who dragged his right foot for the score. The Steelers came right back with just under eight minutes, however, and converted the two point conversion for a 28-25 game. But they were unable to stop the Packers on the next drive, as the guys in green got a field goal for the final margin. Pittsburgh ran out of time-well, they turned it over on downs, but the fact that they had barely a minute left contributed.
All in all, I'm okay with this. I didn't have an interest either way, so that's why this recap isn't too spirited, but the Packers deserve it and here's to hoping that they get a new CBA in place so we can play football next August.

More Isn't Always Better

2011-02-01T19:57:00.002-05:00

If you haven't heard that the NFL's collective bargaining agreement expires in March, then you live under a rock. If they don't get a new one, then there won't be a season in 2011. And that would be bad. Very bad.
The biggest argument between the players and owners is the idea of eliminating two preseason games and turning them into regular season games. So, instead of the current format of four exhibitions followed by a sixteen game regular season with one bye week, you'd have two preseason contests, then eighteen games, presumably with still one bye week.
The argument that the owners are making is that more money can be made with eighteen games. And that's certainly true. More TV revenue, more parking and concession money, et cetera. An exception to that is ticket revenue-season ticket buyers are required to purchase tickets to the team's two home preseason games as part of their season ticket packages. That means that there's no difference in price between exhibition tickets and regular season tickets.
Another point is that, well, exhibitions are meaningless to just about everyone not on the field. And even then, the stars don't give a damn. They'll play for a quarter or so, and then that's all she wrote. The only thing they're good for is paring down the roster for final cuts. And the fans hate the fact that they have to pay full price for a ticket. And can you blame them? People pay to see Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, not Curtis Painter and Brian Hoyer. That's like having to pay the same amount for a night alone with Caroline Wozniacki as for one with Rosie O'Donnell. No disrespect to Rosie O'Donnell. Wait, I take that back.
But there's one obstacle-the players union. The vast majority of NFL players do not want to extend the regular season. Can you blame them? Have you ever played football? You can die, man. Well, maybe not that far, but the number of players placed on injured reserve this season increased by nearly a hundred from last year. There's the argument of expanding rosters, but that dilutes the talent pool. And there are already players who don't belong on an NFL team. Am I right, Casey Rabach?
And then you have the crackdown on hard hits. The NFL began stricter monitoring of hits they deemed "illegal" and handed out hefty fines as punishments. This was presumably to cut down on injuries. Well, if you add two games to the regular season, what does that do? Add risk of injury. Make up your mind, fellas.
"To say the league really cares? They don't give a fuck about concussions. And now they want to add on two extra games? Are you kidding? Come on, let's be real. Now that these new guidelines are in place, you'll see more and more guys lying to doctors to stay on the field." said Hines Ward, whose Pittsburgh Steelers play in Super Bowl XLV on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers
I want them to keep it as is. I don't like change (yet I vote Democrat-imagine that), at least not in sports. This works out perfectly. When would you start the season? Would the Super Bowl be pushed back? When would the season end? How would the opponents in the other two games? There's just too much crap to be figured out for this to work. Money be damned here-the NFL already makes enough. If it isn't broken, don't fix it.

Elvis Is Everywhere, Elvis Is Still The King-Well, Kind Of...

2011-01-27T00:04:00.006-05:00

What, you ask? Well, a few days ago I said that Caroline Wozniacki would be the new queen of NadkarniSportsNation, replacing Sorana Cirstea. But after I watched Caroline collapse in the semifinals of the Australian Open, she's not ready, and I'm not ready.
The scenario-Caroline was cruising, and was serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Up until now, it had been smooth sailing-she won the first set easily over Li Na (I HATE CHINA SO MUCH), 6-3, and now she held a match point. But she blew it. Not only that, but she blew the set 5-7, and only held her serve once in the third, despite breaking several times. 6-3, 5-7, 3-6. It was frustrating, it really was. But it's par for the course, I suppose. Once you get in the Cabaret, you automatically learn how to blow leads. I've never seen this from Wozniacki before.
One problem with her game I have is that she's too passive. She plays not to lose, she doesn't play to win. And as Herm Edwards once said, "YOU PLAY. TO WIN. THE GAME." She doesn't go for shots. It's like watching Jelena Jankovic.
The bottom line is this-you don't blow match points in Grand Slam semifinals. You just don't. I don't let it fly anymore. Caroline's learning that the hard way.
So, this is what I have decided. Cirstea is still my queen (hence the title of this post). Why? Because there's no drama. I've had enough drama in my life for now. I can't go falling in love with the world's #1 tennis player, with all the scrutiny she gets. With Sorana, it's pretty straightforward-one win at most, and then she's out of the tournament. You might say, "well she loses a lot", but shit, so do the Redskins, and you don't see me running to another team. It's pretty simple-Caroline wears high heels, Sorana wears sneakers. What I'm looking for has been here the whole time. The moral of it all is don't fall in love too fast, and that's just what I did.
Besides, how can you leave this?

So, not yet, Caroline. Check back with me in a couple months. And you, Sorana, keep doing what you're doing.

Legalize It, and I Will Advertise It

2011-01-25T01:30:00.004-05:00

Got a little sidetracked from my Peter Tosh reverie over the last couple posts-but I'm back at it.

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki wobbled her way into the semifinals of the Australian Open just minutes ago, coming back from a 3-6, 1-3 deficit to 6th-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone to prevail 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. I don't know what was up in the first half of the match-maybe she was high, and it wore off at 1-3. I can attest to playing tennis while under the influence of marijuana-it's not easy to put the ball where you want it or move as fast as you want to move. Actually, it can be quite fun, if you're into that sort of thing.
ANYWAY, I was about to turn the match off. I have class at 9 this morning. Right now, I'm staring at about six hours of sleep. But Caroline held to 2-3, and then broke at love for 3-all, and it was basically a new match. That began a streak of seven straight games by Wozniacki, until she was broken in the second game of the third set. But she broke the 30-year old Italian right back, and, except for a little hiccup serving for it at 5-2, controlled the rest of the match.
Early on, Caroline was just dead. It was like watching Jelena Jankovic. Jesus Christ, I wanted to get over to Australia and smack the shit out of her. She wasn't doing anything right. At all. But she flipped the switch just in time.
This win also carries something else for Caroline-she gets to keep her #1 ranking, based on all the points and that type of stuff. But I'm sure that the quest for a maiden Grand Slam title means more.
Tomorrow, Agnieszka Radwanska, the forgotten Angel, if you will, takes on third-seeded Kim Clijsters. Yeah, she has no chance. But like I said in the previous post, I've still got Caroline.

Wozniacki Wins, Seals Crown With Azarenka Loss

2011-01-23T02:28:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I told you that whoever went further in the Australian Open between Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki would become my new queen. It's not that Sorana Cirstea had done anything horribly wrong, it's just that it's time for a change. Cirstea's still in the Cabaret, no doubt. Hopefully the reduced roll leads to more success for the Romanian.
Wozniacki, the top seed in Melbourne, took on unseeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in the fourth round and fell behind 3-1 early. However, she won the next five games to take the set 6-3, and broke early in the second set as well. But she struggled to hold her serve, much like she had done in her previous matches as well. It was neck and neck for most of the set, but Caroline was able to close out the match 6-3, 6-4 to move into the quarterfinals.
Azarenka, seeded 8th, had a much stiffer challenge, #9 Na Li. And she failed. That's pretty much the long and short of it. The Belarusian never really challenged in a 3-6, 3-6 loss. Perhaps the pressure got to her. I don't know. But when that match went final, Wozniacki breathed a sigh of relief, as she knew she would become the fifth queen of NadkarniSportsNation. I won't make it official until the end of the Australian Open, but you get the idea.
Tomorrow, Agnieszka Radwanska, the forgotten Angel of NSEFTPC, goes against Shuai Peng, who's already taken out two other Angels (Kateryna Bondarenko and Jelena Jankovic). That match is third on Margaret Court Arena. Hopefully the third time's a charm. If not-oh well, I've got Caroline.

Radwanska Wins, Wozniacki and Azarenka Tomorrow

2011-01-22T02:10:00.002-05:00

Agnieszka Radwanska crushed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-2 in the third round of the Australian Open, keeping the number of Angels in the tournament at three. I'm about to pass out, so here's the Cabaret schedule for tomorrow:

[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT)-1st match on Rod Laver Arena
[8]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. [9]Na Li (CHN)-2nd match on Rod Laver Arena

By the way, I've decided that whoever gets further between those two is my new queen. It's time for a change, I'm just not feeling the fire with Sorana Cirstea anymore. I need some excitement. Ideally, Caroline and Victoria would meet in the semifinals for the crown, but in case that doesn't happen, whoever gets further will take the cake.

Ketchy Ketchy, Shuby Shuby Tonight

2011-01-20T23:49:00.003-05:00

What the hell does ketchy shuby mean? I'm not Peter Tosh (though sometimes I wish I was), so I have no idea, but given what happened tonight, I'm going to say that it translates to "Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka keep kicking ass".
Wozniacki, the top-seeded Dane still looking for her first Grand Slam title, took the court first against 29th-seeded Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia, who stands about 3 feet tall yet hits the ball harder than the 5'10" Wozniacki. The Slovakian had beaten Wozniacki a week earlier in Sydney in a warm-up tournament in straight sets, but tonight was different. The first set was full of breaks, like any other women's match, but Caroline got one more than her opponent and took it 6-4. She was in control for much of the second set, breaking for 4-2 but getting broken right back. Fortunately, Cibulkova could barely hold her serve all match and Caroline didn't drop another game, advancing to the fourth round 6-4, 6-3, where she'll play young unseeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.
Azarenka, the 8th seed, had a much easier match on paper, and it was pretty routine as well. She was broken in the first game, but got it right back and took the next four games over unseeded South African Chanelle Scheepers. From there, it was pretty much cruise control. After taking the first set 6-3, the Belarusian bombshell grabbed a 3-0 lead in the second and closed it out 6-3 as well. She'll play 9th-seeded Li Na in the 4th round-ugh. I hate Li. She always seems to beat my favorites. Hopefully Vika can weather the storm and stay on track to face Wozniacki in the semis.
Tomorrow, Agnieszka Radwanska, the only other Angel left in the draw, takes on 19-year old Romanian Simona Halep. The 12th-seeded Pole is the only Cabaret member on the opposite side of the draw from Vika and Caroline.
Also, it's worth noting that yesterday, Greensboro, North Carolina native John Isner bashed Osama bin Radek Stepanek 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 in an ultimate battle of good versus evil when it comes to tennis. I'm tired, and the actual schedule isn't out yet, so I'll post that in between classes tomorrow.

When Your Well Runs Dry

2011-01-20T01:16:00.002-05:00

I wasn't joking about that Peter Tosh thing...

Yesterday, there wasn't much to complain about with my women. Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka took care of business in straight-set victories. If only today were that simple.
I didn't see any of these matches-my NC State Wolfpack took on Duke in Raleigh and lost 92-78, but I got on ESPN, so that was pretty cool.
Anyway, Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea was downed 3-6, 2-6 by tenth-seeded Shahar Peer. This wasn't a surprise, so I'm not too upset. Cirstea hung with the 23-year old Israeli early on, but got broken at 3-4 in the first and never recovered from there. The Romanian didn't convert a single break chance, going 0-7 in that category. But she got to the second round-something she hadn't done in a Slam since last year's Australian Open. By her standards, that's a quality performance.
Seventh-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic, however, did not put forth such a performance. The enigmatic yet lovable butter face held a 5-2 lead in the first set, but pretty much quit from there and lost to China's Shuai Peng 6-7, 3-6. It was the second Angel Peng has taken out in a row, after she outlasted Kateryna Bondarenko in the first round 8-6 in the third. This is becoming more typical out of Jankovic, but that doesn't make it excusable. Fortunately, with the addition of Wozniacki, I'm not as reliant on Jankovic to give the Cabaret credbility. So, she's somewhat out of my spotlight, if you will. Still, she needs to get back on form, and quick.
18th seed Maria Kirilenko blew her Cabaret audition by getting plastered by Iveta Benesova 3-6, 1-6, making the day that much worse. The Russian was filling in for the ailing Alona Bondarenko and I picked her because I thought she could get deep in the draw, but nope. Sorry, Maria, you're off the radar for now.
I remember asking myself at the beginning of the tournament why Agnieszka Radwasnka was in the Cabaret. Well, she might not be as good looking as Wozniacki or Daniela Hantuchova or Elena Vesnina, but god dammit, she wins the matches she's supposed to. And she disposed of young Croatian Petra Martic with ease, 6-3, 6-4, giving the Cabaret a little credibility. The 12th-seeded Pole is one of just three Angels remaining in the draw, along with Wozniacki and Azarenka, who play tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow:

Cabaret Matches:
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. [29]Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)-1st match on Rod Laver Arena
[8]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)-2nd match on Show Court 3

Other Matches I Care About:
[2]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Xavier Malisse (BEL)-3rd match on Rod Laver Arena
[3]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [29]Viktor Troicki (SRB)-1st match on Hisense Arena
[8]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Robin Haase (NED)-2nd match on Hisense Arena

Legalize It, Don't Criticize It

2011-01-19T00:54:00.003-05:00

Here's something pretty stupid: From now on, I'm going to name my posts after Peter Tosh lyrics. Let's see how far I can get before I lose interest.

Sometimes, watching women's tennis can be like a hangover. It can be absolutely miserable, and you never want to do it again. But once you get through it, you're back on the booze the very next night, only to suffer the same consequences the morning after. But you can't stop!
That didn't apply to top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki's match versus Vania King, as the golden-haired Dane who looks more suited to a Disney princess movie than a tennis court zipped past the young American in just 58 minutes, 6-1, 6-0. Caroline hit 23 winners, versus just eight unforced errors. That's less than one error a game. Boy, am I glad I picked her up. Depending on what happens in the rest of this tournament, we could be looking at my next queen. She next takes on Dominika Cibulkova on Thursday, to whom she lost in Sydney last week. But that wasn't a Grand Slam. I'm confident it'll be different this time.
My hangover analogy was much more suited to Victoria Azarenka's tussle with unheralded Czech Andrea Hlavackova (pronounced Hla-VOTCH-ko-va), who wasn't terrible looking. It should have been a match Vika won with ease, but the 8th-seeded Belarusian was sloppy today, committing 20 unforced errors and getting broken five times. Fortunately, she broke the Czech on seven occasions, and that was the difference each set. However, as the stats might indicate, the 6-4, 6-4 pillow fight wasn't very fun to watch, and on multiple occasions the Belarusian's antics made me want to toss the computer out the window. But then again, that happens with all my girls from time to time, some more so than others (Jelena...). Vika's next match is against unheralded South African Chanelle Scheepers, and that better be a clean one. It would be amazing if she and Wozniacki met in the semis.
Much like yesterday, I'll be back tomorrow with a men's recap and the full pertinent schedule, but here's the Cabaret:

Cabaret Matches:
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs. [10]Shahar Peer (ISR)-1st match on Margaret Court Arena
[7]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Shuai Peng (CHN)-1st match on Hisense Arena
[12]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Petra Martic (CRO)-2nd match on Show Court 2
[18]Maria Kirilenko (RUS)* vs. Iveta Benesova (CZE)-2nd match on Margaret Court Arena
*denotes replacement

Cirstea...Wins?

2011-01-18T01:00:00.003-05:00

A Washington Redskins fan. A student at North Carolina State University. Sorana Cirstea's future husband. Yeah, someone like me likely isn't going to find a lot of athletic success when it comes to results of who he follows. But, every dog has his day, and, in the case of the Australian Open, every not-so-successful tennis player has hers.
Cirstea, ranked in the low 90s, took on Mirjana Lucic in her maiden match of this first Grand Slam of the year, and did something that I haven't seen her do very much of in a while-win a match. Not only that, but she did it easily, by a pedestrian score of 6-4, 6-2 in just 63 minutes. It was incredibly efficient-Cirstea hit 60% of first serves, and fired five aces with no double faults. Maybe, just maybe, the nightmare of last year is over, and perhaps a run is in store?
That was actually the last NSEFTPC match of the day, and it capped a pretty good second day. Earlier, Agnieszka Radwanska outlasted Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, coming back from a 1-4 third set deficit. A rather funny moment came deep in the third set when Radwanska's racket, which had been bashed on the court multiple times throughout the match, snapped as she returned a ball and the head flew off, leaving just the handle in the 12th-seeded Pole's hands. But no matter-she's through to the second round.
Later, Jelena Jankovic took the Hisense Arena court and smashed Alla Kudryavtseva 6-0 in the first set, but it was a different story in the second set as JJ fell behind 0-4. Typical shit, right? Well even though it looked like a beeline for a third set, Jankovic battled back to force a tiebreak, then won it 7-5 to make it to the second round, 6-0, 7-6(5). That's the Jelena Jankovic I know. Wait, no it isn;t Maybe she's gonna make a run too.
Way out on Court 18, Cabaret fill-in Maria Kirilenko, the 18th seed only in the Cabaret for this tournament because of Alona Bondarenko's knee surgery, nearly blew her audition against Italy's Romina Oprandi, but recovered to take the match 6-3, 5-7, 8-6 after being down 5-6 with Oprandi serving for the match. Anything Kirilenko does is icing on the cake-but if she wins the tournament, I might just have to let her in.
The only Cabaret casualty was Alona's sister Kateryna Bondarenko, as the unseeded Ukrainian dropped a heartbreaker to Shuai Peng, 6-2, 3-6, 6-8. Even with that, thee other Angels (including the most important one) and one semi-Angel got their jobs done, so it was a good day. plus, Jankovic will avenge that next round as she faces Peng on Wednesday.
In men's action, top-seeded Rafael Nadal didn't give up a game, advancing when Marcos Daniel pulled the ripcord at 6-0, 5-0. 4th-seeded Swede Robin Soderling crusied past Italy's Potito Starace, and John Isner defeated France's Florent Serra in straights as well. That sets up a clash with Osama bin Laden for the Greensboro native, as Radek Stepanek will be his opponent in the second round.
Today's menu looks like this:

Cabaret matches:
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Vania King (USA)-1st match on Hisense Arena
[8]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Andrea Hlavackova (CZE)-2nd match on Margaret Court Arena

Other Matches I Care About:
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. [6]Tomas Berdych (CZE)-1st match on Margaret Court Arena
[2]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Gilles Simon (FRA)-5th match on Rod Laver Arena
[3]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Ivan Dodig (CRO)-4th match on Hisense Arena
[8]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Igor Kunitsyn (RUS)-2nd match on Rod Laver Arena
[16]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Tommy Robredo (ESP)-1st match on Show Court 3

It's Only Day 1, And...

2011-01-17T01:31:00.003-05:00

...I'm already frustrated with the Australian Open. It started off okay-Caroline Wozniacki, the top seed, did what she had to do, knocking off Gisela Dulko 6-3, 6-4 in a match that was a lot longer than a scoreline like that would indicate. Still, a win's a win, and Caroline's quest for a maiden Grand Slam title (and possibly the position of Queen of NadkarniSportsNation?) is still going on. But the good stuff stops there-for now.
I don't usually get too upset when my girls lose a match in three sets, because that indicates that they fought and at least had a chance. But today, two of my girls just blew it. Elena Vesnina took the first set 6-4 over Virginia Razzano, then pretty much decided to not show up for the final two sets and lost 6-4, 3-6, 3-6. That wasn't exactly an unexpected result, but the way it happened sucked. If you can win one set, you can win two. Shit, my fat ass, who hasn't picked up a racket in three months could have gone out there and smacked Elena good, the way she played those last two sets.
But if you think that's bad, you didn't see Daniela Hantuchova's match versus Regina Kulikova. The 28th-seeded Slovak, usually solid as a rock, wasn't herself at all. Normally calm and collected, Dani argued with the chair umpire on more than one occasion after calls didn't go in her favor (she was on an outside court-no video review), yelled at herself, and showed signs of exasperation that I'm not accustomed to seeing from my longest-tenured Cabaret Angel. Still, she had her chances to win in a third set that had more twists and turns than The Departed. Dani was up a break and seemed to be in control. Usually Dani doesn't blow leads. But she wasn't herself today. Kulikova broke back, and it was neck and neck until Hantuchova dropped her serve at 7-7. From there, I stopped watching. I couldn't watch one of my crown jewels go down in such a heartbreaker. Well, she did, 6-7, 6-3, 7-9, and that, coupled with Vesnina's collapse, nearly killed the high from Wozniacki's opening win.
So that left Victoria Azarenka as the last Angel to go today. It was up to Vika, the 8th-seed, to salvage a .500 first day for NSEFTPC. She took on German qualifier Kathrin Woerle, ranked 166th in the world, so I was expecting a walk in the park. Well, I got a walk in the park. It was like magic--6-0, 6-2. When Vika's on, she's on. My god, that was beautiful to watch. Forget Hantuchova and Vesnina-did they even play today? If Azarenka and Wozniacki played in the semifinals, now that would be like NSEFTPC's Super Bowl (unless, of course, Sorana Cirstea was in the other semi)
In men's action, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick were both straight-set winners. Mardy Fish and Philipp Kohlschreiber both came back from two sets down, but Somdev Devvarman wasn't so lucky, falling to Tommy Robredo in three.

Tomorrow, the other four Angels entered in this tournament go, including Cirstea. Also, the first replacement Angel, Maria Kirilenko, takes the court, filling in for the injured Alona Bondarenko. Here's what the schedule looks like for tomorrow:

Cabaret Matches:
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs. Mirjana Lucic (CRO)-3rd match on Court 13
[7]Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)-2nd match on Hisense Arena
[12]Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN)-1st match on Court 6
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)vs. Shuai Peng (CHN)-1st match on Court 8
[18]Maria Kirilenko (RUS)* vs. Romina Oprandi (ITA)-2nd match on Court 18
*-denotes replacement

Other Matches I Care About:
[1]Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Marcos Daniel (BRA)-2nd match on Rod Laver Arena
[4]Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Potito Starace (ITA)-4th match on Margaret Court Arena
[20]John Isner (USA) vs. Florent Serra (FRA)-3rd match on Court 6
[10]Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs. Marsel Ilhan (TUR)-1st match on Court 13

Australian Open Day 1 Schedule

2011-01-16T15:01:00.002-05:00

The first Grand Slam of 2011 starts today, and here's a look at the pertinent schedule for the first day.

Cabaret Matches:
[1]Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Gisela Dulko (ARG)-2nd match on Rod Laver Arena
[8]Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. Kathrin Woerle (GER)-4th match on Show Court 2
[28]Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Regina Kulikova (RUS)-2nd match on Margaret Court Arena
Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs. Virginie Razzano (FRA)-2nd match on Court 8

Other Matches I Care About:
Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs. Tommy Robredo (ESP)-3rd match on Court 7
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. Tobias Kamke (GER)-2nd match on Court 12
[2]Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Lukas Lacko (SVK)-3rd match on Rod Laver Arena
[3]Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)-5th match on Rod Laver Arena
[8]Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Jan Hajek (CZE)-2nd match on Hisense Arena
[16]Mardy Fish (USA) vs. Victor Hanescu (ROU)-2nd match on Show Court 3

Australian Open Draw Released

2011-01-13T19:50:00.002-05:00

I'm back, tennis is back, Nadkarni Sports European Female Tennis Player Cabaret is back. The Australian Open starts on Sunday night (Monday morning in Australia), and it's good to see the babes back on the court. After a thoroughly shitty Redskins season, maybe something will go right this Open. Probably not, though, but shit, I can dream, right?
Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea, ranked 94th after a disastrous 2010, barely gained direct entry into the tournament, but god dammit, she did it. She plays Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic in the first round, which is a winnable match, but the Redskins playing the Lions was a winnable game, and look how that turned out. The seed in Sorana's pod is 10th-ranked Israeli Shahar Peer, so I guess it could be worse, she could have gotten stuck with Kim Clijsters. Cirstea won her first round match here last year, her only Grand Slam win of the season, so she needs just one win to avoid a loss of points. It would be nice if she could get a few more, though.
There are seven other Angels taking part in this tournament, too, and one of them is the top seed. Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark got kind of a tough first round match, Argentina's Gisela Dulko. The funny thing about Grand Slam tennis is that even if you're seeded, you can still draw a dangerous player in the first round, and that's what happened to Caroline. But she's a lot mentally tougher than the rest of the Cabaret. The next-highest seeded Angel is, believe it or not, number 7 Jelena Jankovic, who starts against Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia in the first round. Jelena's game pretty much went to hell after Wimbledon last year, so my expectations are very low, but that's par for the course I suppose. if she does win her first match, she could take on fellow Angel Kateryna Bondarenko, who draws China's Shuai Peng. Such a matchup would guarantee an Angel in the third round of the tournament. Right behind Jankovic is 8th-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who has lost to Serena Williams (who's out this year with a "foot injury") in the past three Australian Opens. The Belarusian's opponent is yet to be determined, as Vika will play one of the many qualifiers in the tournament, but she's in a rather cushy section of the draw. A possible third-round opponent for Azarenka is 28th-seeded Daniela Hantuchova, which would be a dream matchup. Dani also has a rather smooth road to a clash with Vika, opening against young Russian Regina Kulikova and then getting one of two unheralded players in the second round. Elena Vesnina is unseeded and gets France's Virginie Razzano in the first round, and could face Maria Sharapova in the second if she gets there. Agnieszka Radwanska, the red-headed stepchild of the Cabaret (why is she in there again?) is seeded 12th and faces 39-year old Japanese Kimiko Date Krumm.
You might have noticed one name missing from that ridiculously long paragraph. Alona Bondarenko, Kateryna's sister, is out of this tournament with a knee injury (and will drop fourth-round points from last year). You know what that means-I must find a replacement. And I did-Russia's Maria Kirilenko, who is seeded 18th, will step into the Cabaret for this Australian Open. Who the hell knows? Maybe she'll stay. The 5'8" blonde starts against Italian Romina Oprandi.
There is a men's draw as well, and I will be following that as well (for the tennis, not necessarily the players). Rafael Nadal is the top seed and plays against Brazil's Marcos Daniel. Roger Federer, my pick to win it all, takes on Lucas Lacko of Slovakia, while third-seeded Novak Djokovic opens against Marcel Granollers of Spain. Djokovic is on Federer's side of the draw. Nadal's side features fourth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling, who gets Italian Potito Starace in his first match. Former UVa standout Somdev Devvarman got direct entry into the draw, and plays unseeded Tommy Robredo, another Spaniard, and if he wins that, he'll likely play Mardy Fish, the 16th-seed (who, coincidentally, plays yet another one of my favorites, Romania's Victor Hanescu). Top American Andy Roddick is 8th and draws Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic. Philipp Kohlschreiber is unseeded for the first time in a while and draws compatriot Tobias Kamke, and if he wins that, it's possible that he'll get stuck with 6th-seeded Tomas Berdych. Still, Philipp is a dangerous floater, knocking out Roddick here a few years ago. 20th-seeded John Isner takes on Florent Serra of France, and if the 6'9" American (whose father is a graduate of NC State) wins that, he could take on Radek Stepanek, the Osama bin Laden of tennis. I'd love to see Big John eat that motherfucker alive.
Wow, that was exhausting. Play starts Sunday night-I'll be watching, that's for damn sure

Notice

2011-01-06T19:25:00.003-05:00

You might have noticed that I've been thoroughly neglecting this blog over the past few weeks. Lack of motivation is the primary reason. But the Australian Open starts soon, and the draw comes out in a week. So I'll be back to break that down next Thursday. But I'm still on self-professed vacation until then. So deal.

The Redskins...Win?

2010-12-26T22:47:00.002-05:00

Yes. Even on the very rare occasions when the Washington Redskins manage to score more points than the other team, even the most optimistic fans have to ask that question. Did that just really happen? More applicable to this week, did Graham Gano really make that 31-yard field goal not even three minutes into overtime to give the Redskins their first win in over a month?
Yes, yes he did. Gano's kick accounted for the final three points of a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in North Florida. The win, in which the Redskins never trailed, was the Redskins sixth of the season and third in overtime, having also beaten the Packers and Titans in an extra session. The win over Tennessee on November 21st was the last win for the Skins until today.
Coming into the game, it was hard to see Jacksonville losing. The Jaguars were playing for their playoff lives, and the Redskins, at 5-9 on the year, were missing several key defensive players, including Brian Orakpo, LaRon Landry, Reed Doughty, Maake Kemoeatu, Philip Daniels, and Kareem Moore-nearly half their starting lineup and a guy already filling in (Doughty). The Redskins had to start Kevin Barnes, a cornerback by trade, at free safety. How Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard didn't throw for 500 yards and 6 touchdowns is beyond me.
Okay, I was joking about that. The answer is simple-starting running back Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the top backs in the league, was out. Without him, the Jaguars were unable to establish the run to open up the airways for Garrard. The just-as-bruising though much less experienced Rashad Jennings started in his place and the Redskins patchwork defense limited him to 32 yards on 15 carries. Garrard also ran several times, including a 20-yard touchdown scamper that tied the game at 17, but it wasn't enough as the big veteran from East Carolina was harassed in the backfield by Washington defenders throughout the game, leading to two costly interceptions. He did have 299 yards and a touchdown to Mike Thomas, but his two picks led to ten Redskin points.
His first came on the Jaguars' first possession of the game, overthrowing Mike Sims-Walker on third down. The ball landed in the hands of Carlos Rogers, who returned it inside the Jacksonville 20. The Redskins already led 3-0 at that point and extended that lead to 10-0 when Fred Davis caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Rex Grossman, who was making his second straight start for the Skins. The Jaguars managed a touchdown in the second quarter, and tied it at 10 on Josh Scobee's 34-yard field goal midway through the third, but Ryan Torain (20 carries, 65 yards) broke the tie for Washington with a 1-yard run on fourth down in the early stages of the final period. After Garrard's touchdown run, neither team scored again and the game went to overtime. There, the Jaguars made their second costly mistake.
On third down in the first possession of the extra period, Jacksonville had the ball inside their own 20. Garrard lofted a pass for Jennings, but Barnes swooped in and intercepted the pass. Two Torain runs later, the Redskins sent out Gano, who has two game-winning OT kicks this season. He made it three as he nailed this 31-yarder with relative ease, leaving the Jaguars desperate for a win and some help to get into the playoffs. What did Sorana have to say about this win?

You can't do much else but smile. Yeah, we're not going to the playoffs, and yeah, this win doesn't really mean a whole lot, but you still like to see your team compete and beat a more talented team that's in the thick of the playoff race. So you appreciate the win and get ready for the next game.

The Redskins close out the season at FedEx Field against the division rival New York Giants next Sunday. Currently the game is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff but the NFL may change that. Let's play spoiler again, eh?

It's Almost Over

2010-12-23T19:57:00.003-05:00

The Redskins play their second-to-last game of the season Sunday in Jacksonville. The season's almost over. Come on. Just two more games

Jacksonville, Florida

Andrew Jackson, namesake of the city and my favorite president.

Population: 813,518 (1st in Florida, 13th in US)
Nicknames: The River City, Jax, J-Ville
Area: 885 sq mi (2,292.15 km2)
Mayor: John Peyton
Demographics: * White: 62.3% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 58.3% )
* Black or African American: 30.1%
* American Indian: 0.3%
* Asian: 3.5%
* Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
* Some other race: 1.8%
* Two or more races: 1.9%
* Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 6.2%
Famous Jacksonvillians: John Chaney, Ottis Toole, David Duval, Arthur "Blind" Blake. Also, Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed there.
-------------------------------------------------------

Redskins (5-9) at Jaguars (8-6)
Sunday, 1 pm, EverBank Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Sam Rosen (play by play), Tim Ryan (color)
Line: Jacksonville by 7
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, white jerseys, burgundy pants. Jaguars-Black helmets, teal jerseys, white pants
Breakdown: For all the shit people gave Rex Grossman before he started last week in Dallas, he didn't play that bad. He threw for four touchdowns with the absence of a running game (Ryan Torain only gained 55 yards). The Redskins played well enough to win at times-just not the whole game. They can't go digging themselves a hole like last week in Dallas. A big part of that was the failure to establish the running game early-they started off with three straight passes, and that's not Mike Shanahan's modus operandi. Torain's a solid back. The Jaguars are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to rush defense. This is a team a guy like Torain should be able to have success against, and, as I've been saying all season, that opens the airways for any quarterback.
On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville is a run-first team as well, with Maurice Jones-Drew as one of the top backs in the NFL. Second-year backup Rashad Jennings is no slouch himself, and considering the success teams like the Giants had running the ball versus Washington, it could be a long afternoon if the Redskins don't set the tone early. Quarterback David Garrard isn't a bad scrambler despite his size, so sacks may be hard to come by. The Jaguars lack big-name receivers, but Mike Sims-Walker is a legitimate deep threat, as is Mike Thomas. This team can put up a lot of points, and the Redskins like to allow a lot of points.
Prediction: It won't be a bad game. The Redskins will keep it close for the most part, but fall 24-20.

The Brutal Truth

2010-12-21T15:24:00.002-05:00

People like to sugarcoat things all the time. It's not necessarily lying, it's just presenting information in a way not to hurt anyone's feelings. This post isn't sugarcoated, but it's not designed to hurt feelings either. It's merely the truth. If you're offended by it, you're too blind to consider realistic factors and that's your own fault.
The University of Connecticut women's basketball team is unquestionably the best women's basketball team in the world. Led by legendary coach Geno Auriemma and all-universe star Maya Moore, they hold an NCAA record for any team, men's or women's, with 88 straight victories, including postseason. And they haven't just beaten people, either-they've destroyed the vast majority of competition. It's amazing, yes. This isn't intended to discredit what the Huskies have accomplished. It's just that, well, it's women's basketball.
On March 20th, the Northern Iowa Panthers, a nine seed, upset top-seeded Kansas in the second round of the men's NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were picked by many to win the national title. UNI's Ali Farokhmanesh hit a three with about thirty seconds left that literally brought tears to the eyes of any college basketball fan, it was so beautiful. But I ask, when would that ever happen in the women's game? It wouldn't. If you think there's a team good enough in the entire country to knock off the Lady Huskies, you are crazy. This team is going to roll to another undefeated season and another national title and that's not even a debate.
But therein lies the problem-there's no competition. Add to that the fact that it's women's basketball, and, well, not many people are going to give a damn. Would you watch your team play if you knew they were going to lose anyway? And it's not exactly the "greatest streak in sports history", like some are saying. And coach Auriemma said a few days ago that all the "negative attention" being given to his team was because they were women. Not exactly the case, Geno.
The unfortunate reality of this is that while the Huskies might be the greatest WOMEN'S basketball team in the history of the planet, they're not even close to the greatest BASKETBALL team. I don't know how many men's teams there are in this country-probably over a thousand when you add up Division 1, D2, D3, NAIA, NJCAA, and whatever else. But I can guarantee you that every single one of those teams would take UConn behind the woodshed. No exceptions. Men are taller, faster, and stronger than women. Period. Sexist? No. THAT'S THE GOD DAMN TRUTH! UConn's tallest player? 6'-5" Stephanie Dolson. Virginia's Joe Harris is 6-6 but plays guard for the UVa men.
It's not just limited to basketball, either. I hate to pick on Caroline Wozniacki, but she's the women's #1 in tennis right now, and despite that fact, any male player in the top 1000 would wipe the floor with her in a two-out-of-three set match. Men hit the ball harder than women. They're better at the net (women don't volley-they just don't). They get more zip and spin on their serves. There's no getting around it.
So, it's impressive. 88 wins in a row is impressive. But you have to consider everything. And you have to keep apples and oranges separate. Men's sports are one thing, and women's are another. Greatest streak in women's sports, yes. Greatest streak in sports-not even close.

Redskins Lose

2010-12-19T21:37:00.003-05:00

What else is new? But this time it was to Dallas. This is what happens when we lose to Dallas.

Yep. I hate those sons of bitches. But hey, this season's gone by the wayside anyway. And it's almost Christmas!

Round 2

2010-12-16T22:18:00.002-05:00

We beat Dallas in Week 1 13-7. We're better than them. Therefore, this will be a short preview of Sunday's game, shorter than most. Here's what you gotta know.

Sunday, 1 p.m., Cowgirls Stadium, televised by Fox. Kenny Albert handles play-by-play, Daryl Johnston is in the booth with him doing analysis, and Tony "The Walking Heart Attack" Siragusa down at field level also providing analysis.
The Redskins will wear burgundy jerseys with gold pants, in all likelihood. The Cowgirls will wear white.
Breakdown? I don't need to. Dallas sucks.
Prediction: Redskins 117-0. That was easy.

Only the Redskins...

2010-12-12T22:13:00.002-05:00

Here's all you need to know about today's Redskins game: ONLY we could do that.
What's "that"? Well, down 17-10 with about ten seconds to go, Donovan McNabb hit Santana Moss from about six yards out to pull the Skins within one, pending the extra point. PENDING THE EXTRA POINT.
You know what happened next. Nick Sundberg's snap went through the hands of holder Hunter Smith. Kicker Graham Gano attempted to retrieve the ball-if the Redskins somehow got the ball into the end zone, they'd win 18-17. There was still hope.
No. Gano got knocked out of the way and the Bucs fell on the ball. That was all she wrote.
The funny thing is, I'm not even that mad. We weren't in playoff contention. We weren't really playing for much. Plus, this season's been such a comedy of errors that really, all one can do here is laugh it off. Right, Sorana?

Yeah, laugh this one away. Besides, we've got Dallas next week. Easy win right there. Hate week round two begins now!

Skins Last Stand?

2010-12-09T15:07:00.002-05:00

If the Redskins lose this Sunday to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then the season's over. The team's going to mail it in like they did last year. But they have a fighter's chance in this game, so don't be surprised if they actually show up.

Buccaneers (7-5) at Redskins (5-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m., FedEx Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Kenny Albert (play by play), Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa (analysis)
Line: Bucs by 2
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, burgundy jerseys, gold pants. Bucs: Pewter helmets, white jerseys, pewter pants
Breakdown: A week after pretty much everything went wrong in New York, one has to wonder how much worse it can get for the Redskins. The offense did absolutely nothing until the game was well past decided. I attribute that to the lack of a running game. Nobody can win in the NFL without one. Washington is expected to get Ryan Torain back, giving them a thunder option to the lightning of Keiland Williams and James Davis. The Bucs rank in the bottom third (26th) in rushing defense, so maybe the Redskins finally get their run game going. Tampa Bay is much better against the pass, ranking 7th and giving up just over 200 yards a game through the air. If the Redskins are going to win this game, it's going to be on the ground.
These aren't last year's Buccaneers-Tampa Bay has finally found an offense, led by quarterback Josh Freeman, a dual-threat guy. They rank 11th in the NFL in rushing offense, and having guys like LeGarrette Blount, Cadillac Williams, and Freeman definitely help that number. The Redskins got gashed on the ground last week, with Giants running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw both getting two scores. The Redskins need to stop the run-period. Freeman isn't going to be easy to sack, either. This isn't the Chicago's offensive line, and it's not Jay Cutler under center. The Bucs receivers are good, but they're young. As poor as the Redskins defensive backs have looked recently, they have the experience advantage over Tampa's pass catchers. If defensive coordinator Jim Haslett is smart, he'll stick eight in the box and make Freeman beat him with his arm rather than his legs.
Prediction: This is our last stand. The Bucs are looking for a playoff spot, and we're not gonna let them have it. Redskins 20-17

Redskins Made Right Call

2010-12-07T17:57:00.003-05:00

The Redskins shut down Albert Haynesworth for the year today. We don't need him. But he had it coming. I have no sympathy for the guy.
If a team is willing to spend 100 million bucks on you, you'd better perform. And even if you don't perform, you better at least give effort. This shit dated back to last year, when even though Haynesworth wasn't the star many expected him to be, he wasn't a prima donna or a distraction in the locker room. Last year's team was loaded with problems, and Haynesworth wasn't even a concern. But this offseason, he turned into today's Terrell Owens.
First of all, he refused to report to training camp when the Redskins announced they'd be transitioning to a 3-4 defensive scheme. Right then and there, they should have cut him. I wouldn't have cared-it wasn't my money they paid for him. But by keeping him around, they were playing with fire.
I've heard many different things. That he refused to practice, that he showed up to team meetings hung over, that he wouldn't speak to coach Mike Shanahan. But two things led me to believe something like this was coming.
First, on Sunday, Haynesworth was inactive for no apparent reason for the game against the New York Giants, which the Redskins lost. Then, teammate Philip Daniels called out Haynesworth, commending him as a person but saying his work ethic and selfishness hurt the team. And he was right.
And so were the Redskins. Shanahan, Bruce Allen, Dan Snyder, whoever made the decision. The coach coaches, the player plays. If you don't agree to it, get the hell out. That's all I have to say here. Hopefully the team shows up on Sunday.

A Picture's Worth 1,000 Words

2010-12-05T21:18:00.004-05:00

And here it is. This week's 31-7 loss at the Giants wasn't even worth a picture of one of my nine NSEEFTPC Angels. Instead, I present to you my new Facebook picture, created by yours truly on Fireworks

Next week we have Tampa Bay at home. If we lose that, I'm going to snap.

In good news, Virginia beat Virginia Tech in basketball today. Have fun in the NIT again, Seth Greenberg.

Redskins Head North to Face Giants

2010-12-02T13:48:00.002-05:00

Since tennis season is over a month away, and pertinent college football has pretty much dried up, there really hasn't been much worth blogging about besides the Redskins, and even that's stretching it a little. Maybe I'm just lazy. But we've got to go to New York this week to play the Giants, and it's Thursday, so here we go.

Redskins (5-6) at Giants (7-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Meadowlands Stadium
TV: Fox
Announcers: Kenny Albert (play by play), Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa (analysis)
Line: Giants by 7
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, white jerseys, gold pants. Giants-Blue helmets, blue jerseys, gray pants
Breakdown: You can't predict the NFL. Just last week, after a tough win in Tennessee, the Redskins lost at home to a reeling, though talented, Vikings team. The Redskins better hope that luck applies this week. The Giants are tied for the division lead with Philadelphia after coming from behind to beat Jacksonville at home. The Redskins running game was pretty awful last week, with James Davis and Keiland Williams combining for 24 yards total on the ground. That's not going to work if they want to upset the Giants. They can't expect to pass the ball every down and get caught in third and long situations and think they can be successful. Donovan McNabb better watch out, too, because the Redskins offensive line sucks, and the Giants pass rush, led by Osi Umenyiora, is pretty disgusting. Not having Clinton Portis in the lineup hurts. Additionally, Ryan Torain sat out yesterday's practice and his status is in doubt as well.
The Giants offense is also pretty good, led by Eli Manning. The Redskins have already lost one game to a Manning this season-brother Peyton won at FedEx Field in Week 6. New York has won the last four meetings between the teams. They do have some weaknesses, though, and most of it is injury related. Top receivers Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks are out for this game, and starting offensive linemen Shaun Andrews (guard), David Diehl (tackle), and Shaun O'Hara (center) have not participated in practice this week. If the Redskins can get to Manning with Brian Orakpo and Company, they could have a successful day. Ahmad Bradshaw is the starting running back, and he's complemented by the bruising Brandon Jacobs. The Giants rank third in total offense with 387 yards per game, so it might be a long day if the Redskins don't set the tone early.
Prediction: We have a chance, just not a big one. Giants 28-13.

Redskins Flub Game Away at Home

2010-11-28T21:59:00.004-05:00

The Washington Redskins opened Sunday's game versus the Minnesota Vikings at FedEx Field with a touchdown drive that covered over 80 yards and took up half the first quarter. Against a reeling Vikings squad coming off an embarrassing home loss and playing their first game with a new coach, maybe a rout wasn't out of the question.
But Donovan McNabb's 10-yard touchdown pass to Fred Davis was the only time that the Redskins would see the end zone in a disappointing 17-13 loss to Minnesota that wasn't decided until Brett Favre scrambled for a first down to take it to the two-minute warning with Washington out of timeouts.
After the Redskins touchdown, the Vikings marched down the field and tied the game at 7 when Adrian Peterson barreled in from 5 yards out. The score remained tied until the third quarter, when the Vikings scored 10, aided by an interception off a pass that should have been caught by Santana Moss. The Redskins managed only two field goals in the fourth quarter, but should have won the game.
After forcing the Vikings to punt with about 7 minutes to go, and trailing 17-13, Brandon Banks took Chris Kluwe's kick back 70-something yards for a touchdown. Play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton said emphatically "There are no flags in the field!" as Banks ran into the end zone. Only, he was wrong. Way back, basically where the Raleigh native caught the punt, Perry Riley threw an illegal block, and a flag was thrown. Three-and-out, game over. The Redskins didn't get the ball back after that.
McNabb was 21 of 35 for 211 yards, but the Redskins got only 29 rushing yards. James Davis was the team's rushing leader with 11 yards on six carries. That's just not going to get it done. I've decided that Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea is only for wins, so another Angel will be used for my weekly picture conveying how I feel about the game. Daniela Hantuchova, to be exact.

Yep, we fucked that one up. Not much else we can say here. Dani's still cute, though.

Next week, we play the New York Giants for the first time this season. On the road. Gotta show up for that one.

Redskins Bow Down to Lord Favre

2010-11-26T17:56:00.005-05:00

A day late due to the Thanksgiving holiday (but who reads this anyway?), but here's my preview of Sunday's Redskins game. This week-Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, who just fired coach Brad Childress and put defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier in command.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Population: 385,378 (1st in Minnesota, 48th in US)
Nicknames: City of Lakes, Minny, Mill City
Area: 58.4 sq mi (151.3 km2)
Mayor: R.T. Rybak
Demographics:
* White: 70.2% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 64.2%)
* Black or African American: 17.4%
* American Indian: 1.7%
* Asian: 4.9%
* Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: <0.1%
* Some other race: 2.8%
* Two or more races: 3.0%
* Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 9.2%
*High Scandinavian and Chippewa populations
Notable People from Minneapolis: Charles M. Schulz, Prince, Jesse Ventura, Josh Hartnett, George Morrison
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Vikings (3-7) at Redskins (5-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. FedEx Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Dick Stockton (play by play), Jim Mora and Charles Davis (analysis)
Line: Redskins by 1
Projected Uniforms: Vikings-Purple helmets, white jerseys/pants. Redskins-Burgundy helmets/jerseys, gold pants
Breakdown: I don't think anyone expected the Redskins to bounce back like they did last week in Tennessee. Coming off an embarrassing home loss and going on the road, the last thing anyone could see coming was a Redskins win. But it happened, and the Redskins have to be careful of having that happen to them this week, with the Vikings coming off of a 31-3 loss to the rival Packers at the Metrodome. If Donovan McNabb plays like he did last week, they won't-Donovan was 30-50 for 376 yards and a touchdown last week, and despite one interception, it was arguably his best game of the year. He won't have a proven running back at his disposal-Clinton Portis went to injured reserve last week after aggravating an injury and Ryan Torain is also out. Rookie Keiland Williams performed well last week in Portis' absence and has shown he could possibly be a weekly starter. Backing him up will be second-years Darrel Young, who was a linebacker in college, and James Davis, who just got called up from the practice squad. Better hope Williams stays healthy. Through the air, it'll be interesting to see if Santana Moss can continue his solid play. Moss caught just his third touchdown of the year in Nashville. Also, the offensive line, all thrown out of place last week, has to find a way to contain defensive end Jared Allen, who likes to throw quarterbacks to the ground and is pretty good at it.
On the other side of the ball, the Vikings are talented. There's no question about that. Brett Favre may be 41 years old, but he's still Brett Favre and if the Redskins aren't careful then he'll burn them. Adrian Peterson is the running back and though he has trouble holding onto the ball at times, he reminds many fans of Portis back in CP's first couple years as a Redskin. Sidney Rice, who just came off the injured list, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian are talented wide receivers, and the Redskins secondary could be without LaRon Landry and Carlos Rogers. But the Vikings just don't play well as a team, and their record shows it. Part of that could be attributed to the fact that Childress wasn't popular as a coach, and maybe having an interim guy helps out Minnesota's chances. But the Vikings haven't been playing well lately, and everyone can see that. Favre is far from mobile and the Vikings offensive line isn't great, so if Brian Orakpo and Company can get in the backfield, it could be a good day for the defense.
Prediction: The Vikings will give a much better effort than the past couple weeks, but it won't be enough. Redskins 24-17.

Redskins Fight Through For Win

2010-11-21T23:29:00.003-05:00

A team coming off of a blowout on a short week. An angry opponent with an explosive offense that's also lost two straight games, playing in front of its home crowd. A series of off-the-field issues, culminating in a puzzling contract extension for a quarterback on the downswing of his career. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, doesn't it?
Not in the National Football League. One of the reasons I love pro football is that everything is week-to-week. A novice fan who saw last week's blowout loss to the Eagles wouldn't have given the Washington Redskins a chance in hell on the road against the Tennessee Titans, who despite a pedestrian 5-4 record still had a lot of potential. The Redskins, on the other hand, had gotten gashed by a division rival and just about everyone including this guy had pretty much given up on the season. You can't do that in the NFL.
Donovan McNabb, signed last week to a five-year, 78 million-dollar extension to remain in DC, was 30 for 50 for 376 yards and a touchdown (but also a pick), and the Redskins fought through a game where seemingly the entire team got hurt to get past Tennessee 19-16 in overtime. Kicker Graham Gano atoned for a miss as regulation expired with a 48-yard field goal to end the game. It came after a hectic overtime drive that included 35 yards in penalties by the Titans. Tennessee won the toss in the extra period but the Redskins held them to one first down and took the ball. A few plays into Washington's drive, a McNabb pass appeared to be intercepted by Tennessee's Alterraun Verner in Redskins territory. However, the play was overturned when replay showed the ball hit the ground. After the play, however, Titans defensive end Jason Babin was flagged for tearing off the helmet of Redskins guard Kory Lichtensteiger, giving the Skins an automatic first down. On the next play, McNabb's pass to Chris Cooley was dropped by the tight end, but linebacker Will Witherspoon went helmet-to-helmet with McNabb after he released the ball, giving Washington another fifteen yards. An illegal contact penalty accounted for the final five yards a few plays later. Gano's kick with 8:17 to go in the extra session pulled the Redskins to .500 and dropped Tennessee to the same mark.
In a game where neither team really seemed interested in taking control, the Redskins had a chance to win in regulation, but Gano's kick from 47 yards landed short of the goalpost. His kick in overtime would have been good from about 55 yards. It was a very even game-the score was tied after each quarter, and overtime was the only period where both teams didn't score the same amount of points.
Midway through the first quarter, Titans return man Marc Mariani took a punt back 87 yards to open the scoring, the Titans only touchdown of the game. But the Redskins marched right down the field, punching back by virtue of a 5-yard pass from McNabb to Santana Moss (6 catches, 106 yards, and the score). It was a field goal fest from there-both teams repeatedly drove into the other's territory, but both defenses bore down when it counted. The score was tied at seven after one quarter, 10 after two, 13 after 3, and 16 after regulation. The Redskins didn't yield an offensive touchdown and held Randy Moss, playing in his second game with the Titans, to zero catches. Moss had a touchdown called back by an obvious offensive pass interference call.
The Redskins outgained Tennessee 465-373 and held the ball for 40:09 compared to 26:34 for the Titans. Clinton Portis came back for a quarter-then aggravated a groin injury and sat out the rest of the game. With second-stringer Ryan Torain inactive, the Redskins turned to rookie Keiland Williams, who played relatively well, running for 68 yards on 23 carries and catching 6 passes for 27 yards out of the backfield.
Overall, it was a costly game. Starting on the offensive line, the Redskins lost starting center Casey Rabach, forcing guard Will Montgomery, who doubles as the team's backup center, to move over. Derrick Dockery, taking Montgomery's spot at guard because Artis Hicks was inactive, was hurt soon after, forcing Stephon Heyer, who normally plays tackle, to come in at right guard to replace him. Left tackle Trent Williams, right tackle Jammal Brown, and Lichtensteiger, the left guard, rounded out the line at their regular positions, which actually played pretty well, giving up only two sacks to a defense that came in ranked 8th in the NFL in that department. On defense, it was like a roll call for injuries-Kedrick Golston, Rocky McIntosh, and DeAngelo Hall all went down with injuries, though none were serious and they all returned. Starters LaRon Landry and Carlos Rogers didn't even suit up, which makes me wonder who the hell even played in the secondary? Actually, I know-Philip Buchanon, Reed Doughty, and Byron Westbrook were brilliant. H.B. Blades was brilliant in place of McIntosh. The backups played damn well.
For the Titans, starting quarterback Vince Young tore his right flexor tendon when his throwing had collided with the helmet of Washington nose tackle Maa'ke Kemoeatu. He was replaced by rookie Rusty Smith, a sixth-round pick from Florida Atlantic, who didn't play horribly but had one critical mistake-he overthrew a Moss badly in the fourth quarter, leading to a long interception return for Buchanon. If Young makes that throw, maybe it's a touchdown. I don't know.
I haven't forgotten about Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea. She definitely approves.

It wasn't a perfect game, but at the end of the day, all that matters is the team came together and fought like matadors against an overall more talented team and came away with a victory. What a way to bounce back from Monday's freak show.

Next Sunday, we go home face a team with some off-the-field issues of their own-Brett Favre's Minnesota Vikings, who were embarrassed in Minneapolis today 31-3 by the Green Bay Packers. Will Brad Childress be their coach when they play us? We'll see next week.

Skins Step Out of Conference

2010-11-18T13:41:00.002-05:00

Monday night was perhaps the most embarrassing game in Washington Redskins history. They fell behind 35-0 to Philadelphia roughly 15:15 into the game and, as Marv Albert would say, the game featured "extended garbage time). This week in Tennessee, can it really get much worse?

Nashville, Tennessee

Population: 635,710
Nicknames: The Music City, Athens of the South, Cashville, The Buckle of the Bible Belt
Mayor: Karl Dean
Area: 526.1 sq mi (1,362.5 km2)
Demographics: 66.99% White, 25.92% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.42% from other races and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.58% of the population. Nashville also has the nation's largest Kurdish population at over 11,000. No whey!
Notable Nashvilleans: Duane and Gregg Allman, Bill Belichick, Miley Cyrus, Hank Williams III, Young Buck, Alton Frye
Other Facts: Nashville is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame, pictured above. It is also home to over 700 churches. Scary.

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Redskins (4-5) at Titans (5-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m., LP Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Dick Stockton (play by play), Jim Mora and Charles Davis (analysis)
Line: Titans by 7
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, white jerseys, burgundy pants. Titans-White helmets, light blue jerseys, dark blue pants.
Breakdown: One would think that there's nowhere to go but up after that terrible showing on Monday night. I guarantee you the Redskins defense won't give up 59 points again. Quarterback Donovan McNabb, just signed to a five-year, 78 million dollar extension on Monday before the game, didn't do much to warrant it in his first game post-signing. Basically all of the Redskins offense came after the game was decided-after about a quarter or so. The Redskins were without their top two running backs, Clinton Portis and Ryan Torain, so rookie Keiland Williams had to fill in and did okay, scoring three touchdowns (two on the ground, one off a catch). But that was during garbage time. Torain didn't participate in practice yesterday, and Portis was limited. We'll see how the week progresses. Two offensive linemen, Jammal Brown and Artis Hicks, have been battling injuries as well, and if either of them can't go then the Redskins could be in trouble.
On the other side, the Redskins have three Pro Bowl-caliber players to deal with: quarterback Vince Young (whose first NFL win came against the Redskins four years ago), who's a lot like Michael Vick except he's not a thug, running back Chris Johnson, the dreadlocked East Carolina product who might be the fastest running back in the NFL, and newly-acquired receiver Randy Moss, who the Titans picked up off waivers when top target Kenny Britt went down with a season-ending injury. Tennessee is coming off a two-game losing streak of their own, falling at San Diego and Miami along with a bye week in the middle. Something's gotta give here. They're not a great team, but they're explosive. Who knows, maybe they will put up 59. Oh, they can have Albert Haynesworth back too.
Prediction: The Redskins will play better than people expect, but the Titans have too much firepower. Washington needs to keep the score down to win, and that's not going to happen here. Titans 31-17.

ACC Atlantic Division Update

2010-11-16T21:01:00.002-05:00

In trying to forget last night's debacle at FedEx Field, I nearly forgot to update you all on the standing of the NC State Wolfpack in the ACC Atlantic division race. One team in contention last week has been eliminated, and the Wolfpack still control their own destiny.
State recovered from a sluggish first half on offense to thump Wake Forest 38-3 at Carter-Finley Stadium, boosting their overall record to 7-3, but even more importantly, gave them a 4-2 conference record. So, they still can go to Charlotte for the ACC Championship game if they win out, and we have a big rivalry game in Chapel Hill on Saturday against the Tar Holes. That will be a noon kickoff at Kenan Stadium.
Maryland also won, using three fourth-quarter touchdowns to knock off Virginia 42-23 on the road to keep pace with the Wolfpack, making their next two games absolutely critical. That evening in Tallahassee, Florida State used a 55-yard field goal at the gun from Dustin Hopkins to eliminate Clemson from contention with a 16-13 win over the Tigers. That pushed FSU's record to 5-2 in the conference, keeping them a half game ahead of Maryland and NC State. The Seminoles and Terrapins square off Saturday night in College Park, Florida State's final conference game of the season (they close two days after Thanksgiving with the traditional game against SEC rival Florida).
If NC State beats Carolina on the road, then all we'd need to do is take care of business the next week at Maryland. If we lose, then we'd need Maryland to beat Florida State that night. The Wolfpack hold the tiebreaker over FSU, remember, so if they finish with the same record, then NC State would get the nod. Obviously, the winner of the State-Maryland game would have the advantage.
But if State loses AND FSU beats Maryland, that would seal up the division for the Seminoles. Florida State would have a record of 6-2 in the conference, and the best that the winner of NCSU-Maryland could do would be 5-3. Not good enough. So, I'm hoping we can get it done, and if we can't, I'll be the biggest Maryland fan outside of College Park on Saturday night

Game Over

2010-11-15T22:31:00.002-05:00

The Redskins are down 45-14 at halftime to the Philadelphia Eagles. Yep. Game over. No recap. Join me tomorrow for an ACC Atlantic division breakdown.

McNabb Bowl II

2010-11-11T19:14:00.003-05:00

In Donovan McNabb's return to Philadelphia on October 3rd, the Washington Redskins knocked out Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick on the way to a 17-12 victory. That brought Washington's record to 2-2, and four games later, they're still at .500 going into a Monday Night rematch with those same Eagles, this time at FedEx Field. Vick's healthy again and he just led the Eagles to a 26-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, and Philly is a game ahead of the Redskins in the NFC East.

Eagles (5-3) at Redskins (4-4)
Monday, 8:30 pm, FedEx Field
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden (analysis), Michele Tafoya (sidelines)
Line: Eagles by 3
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, burgundy jerseys, gold pants. Eagles: Green helmets, white jerseys, green pants
Breakdown: Coming off a bye week that wasn't as relaxing as Redskins fans and players alike had hoped, the Redskins hit the field for a big divisional game. We know they have the offense to stay with the Eagles-they've showed it in a few games. No official injury report has been released as of yet, but it's possible that Clinton Portis could return from his groin injury for this game. Ryan Torain, who's filled in nicely, injured his hamstring in Detroit two weeks ago but the injury was not serious and he will definitely play. Having both of their top running backs healthy could take some pressure off of the suddenly embattled McNabb, whose benching in Detroit still hasn't been fully explained by coach Mike Shanahan. McNabb is still the starter, and I seriously doubt he'd be pulled again, at home, against his old team, unless something goes horribly wrong. The Redskins discovered a new weapon last game, as 5'6" Brandon Banks took a kickoff back for a touchdown and would have had another if not for a questionable block in the back call. He also set up a Redskins field goal with a long punt return. The former Kansas State University speedster who grew up right here in Raleigh gives the Skins a decided advantage in the return game.
On defense, I'm not counting on us injuring Vick again. It would be nice, but it's not going to happen. Without a real dominant running back (LeSean McCoy's good, but he's not that good), Vick is Philadelphia's premier rusher and is as much of a threat on the ground as he is through the air. In the first matchup, Washington's defensive backs bullied the Eagles smaller receivers and forced the Eagles to beat them with McCoy-they obviously didn't. Still, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson are probably the fastest receiving tandem in the game, and it's going to be a different game plan with Vick in there for four quarters. We need to get pressure on Vick, and we need to force him into mistakes. Stick a spy on him every play to make sure he doesn't kill you with his legs, and take your chances with the rest of the Eagles.
Prediction: Shanahan's teams always do well when they've had extra time to prepare for a game. Off-field issues aside, I think the Redskins pull out a 24-19 win at home.

ACC Atlantic Division Heats Up

2010-11-08T16:34:00.002-05:00

After enjoying a nice weekend off, just like the Redskins, it's time to get back to blogging.
Growing up as a Virginia fan, I always followed the Atlantic Coast Conference. When the league split into two divisions following expansion in 2005, the Cavaliers were placed in the Coastal Division along with Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Miami. North Carolina State, Florida State, Maryland, Boston College, Wake Forest, and Clemson made up the Atlantic Division. Since Virginia and the two schools I hated the most (Virginia Tech and North Carolina) were all in the Coastal, I paid virtually no attention to the Atlantic.
Now I'm a freshman at NC State, and the shoe is on the other foot. Maryland is my most hated team in the Atlantic, but I still put Tech and UNC before them. Still, with the Wolfpack in the thick of the race for the division and a trip to Charlotte on December 4th for the ACC Championshp game and a likely rematch with Virginia Tech, all eyes are on the Atlantic for me.
Two days ago with a 3-1 record in conference play, State took on Clemson in Death Valley. Florida State, who we beat on October 28th, headed the division by a half game at 4-1. Maryland also had a 3-1 record (State travels to College Park in the last game of the season on November 27th). What that meant was that if NC State won out, they'd go to the title game no matter what, because they already owned the tiebreaker over FSU courtesy of the primetime victory and winning out would obviously require a win over Maryland. Clemson, the next closest team, stood at 2-3 in the ACC.
Well, we fell by a point on the road to the Tigers, meaning Maryland and Florida State could pull further ahead. Fortunately, Miami scored a late touchdown to knock off the Terrapins 26-20, making both us and Maryland 3-2 with three games to play. Florida State, which played later,could really get in the catbird seat with a home win over North Carolina. That would have given them a game-and-a-half lead with a 5-1 conference record (the reason they've played more ACC games is due to the fact that their rivalry game with Florida, an SEC team, is always played on the last weekend of the season-same goes for Clemson, who takes on South Carolina on the 27th). But a field goal attempt by FSU's Dustin Hopkins at the gun sailed wide right, and the Seminoles fell 37-35. So now, here are all the Atlantic Division contenders and their ACC records. Wake and Boston College are eliminated from contention.

Florida State (4-2)
NC State (3-2)
Maryland (3-2)
Clemson (3-3)

Clemson holds the tiebreaker over both Maryland and NC State by virtue of head-to-head wins, and NC State would top FSU in that category as well. Here is the schedule for the remainder of the season for these teams.

November 13th:
Wake Forest at NC State
Clemson at Florida State*
Maryland at Virginia

November 20th:
NC State at North Carolina
Florida State at Maryland
Clemson at Wake Forest

November 27th:
NC State at Maryland
Florida at Florida State**
South Carolina at Clemson**

*If Florida State wins this game, Clemson is eliminated from contention
**Non-conference game

Because all three teams at the top lost on Saturday, NC State still controls its own destiny. If the Wolfpack win out, they're in the title game-it's a simple as that. They should be able to beat Wake, who gave up a whopping 62 points at Maryland. That makes the UNC game on the 20th absolutely huge. If we slip up at Carolina, then we'd need Maryland to beat Florida State, because we can settle the score with the Terps the following week. Don't rule out Clemson just yet, however-if they upset FSU on the road, they would own the tiebreaker over Maryland, NC State, and Florida State, meaning that they'd trump each of those teams if all four finish with the same record. Still, a loss to either the Seminoles or Demon Deacons, and the Tigers are finished.
If NC State loses on Saturday to Wake, and Florida State beats Clemson, then all the Seminoles would need to do is beat Maryland the next Saturday and the division would be theirs. If Maryland wins out, they would take the crown, because in that case they would own the tiebreaker over both NC State and FSU and still be a game ahead of Clemson, who has the breaker over them.
Does that all make sense?

Redskins Midseason Report

2010-11-04T19:08:00.003-04:00

Today's Thursday, and that usually means my weekly Redskins game preview. But, this Sunday is their bye week, and that means there's no game to preview.
So the Skins sit at 4-4, which is probably better than most people expected halfway through the season. There have been good things-such as the emergence of the likes of Ryan Torain and Anthony Armstrong as offensive weapons, and the bend-don't-break play of the defense. There have also been bad things-like continued struggles on the offensive line and off-the-field shit with Albert Haynesworth and more recently, Donovan McNabb. So here's what I have to say about the season so far.

Quarterback: B. When the Redskins acquired McNabb last offseason, a lot of people thought they would turn into a pass-heavy team and McNabb would lead them every game. Not so. He's been solid, and is a definite upgrade over Jason Campbell-much more mobile and a lot more mentally tough in the pocket. Last week's benching in the final two minutes in Detroit was pretty stupid, and I put the blame on the coaching staff for that. Donovan could be better, but he could be a whole lot worse.

Running backs: B+. In the fourth game of the season against Philadelphia, Clinton Portis went down with an injury. What else is new? Luckily, Torain knows Shanahan's running scheme and has been brilliant since then, emerging as one of the NFL's top young rushing threats. He's a bruising alternative to the shifty Portis, who could be back next Monday against those same Philadelphia Eagles. Third-stringer Keiland Williams has mainly been used on third downs for pass protection, something Portis does better than anyone in the league.

Receivers: C+. Santana Moss, a huge touchdown threat in years past, has just two touchdowns this season. He's not that old and he's still blazingly fast, but the game is evolving to favor taller receivers, as witnessed by Detroit's Calvin Johnson. He's still this team's top receiver, though. Armstrong, another little guy, could be the next Moss, but he's still pretty raw. Old man Joey Galloway hasn't done much this season. Chris Cooley and Fred Davis are a solid tight end combo, though the more experienced Cooley is a much better blocker.

Offensive line: C. Rookie Trent Williams has performed well given his inexperience, and he's probably the best lineman we've got. That's good, too, because he's protecting McNabb's blindside. Our guards are suspect-Artis Hicks is getting up there in years and Kory Lichtensteiger, a former Denver Bronco from when Shanahan was there, has been the surprise starter over veteran Derrick Dockery and has been so-so. Center Casey Rabach, the only starter from last year's line, is also getting old, and he's had trouble with holding penalties this season. At right tackle, it's been a platoon between Stephon Heyer, who's garbage, and Jammal Brown, who's proved himself as one of the better guys on the line this season. Not that he has much competiton.

Defensive Line: B-. When Haynesworth actually tries, he does well-see a couple Sundays ago in Chicago. Offseason acquisition Maake Kemoeatu has done okay, but he's the starter over Haynesworth at nose tackle due to his much better work ethic. Adam Carriker, an offseason pickup from the Rams, is likely the best defensive lineman we've got, and Philip Daniels has been solid as well despite being old. I still think we should keep Andre Carter on the line full-time. He's much better there than at linebacker.

Linebackers: A. I'd be willing to argue that the Redskins have the best linebacking corps in the league. Brian Orakpo is even better in his second year, and he's likely to eclipse his sack total of eleven from last year. London Fletcher, the hardest worker in the NFL, shows up every day, plays his heart out, and leads the team in tackles yet again. Rocky McIntosh is as solid as ever, despite being a bit injury-prone. And former special teams star Lorenzo Alexander has probably been the most pleasant surprise of the season. The fourth-year man from Cal has adjusted very well to the 3-4 scheme and will do just about anything you ask him-he's supplanted Carter at the starting outside linebacker position along with Orakpo. And he's still making hits on kickoff coverage too.

Secondary: B+. They give up a lot of yards, but they hunker down when it really matters. DeAngelo Hall's four interceptions in Chicago were just a continuation of this unit doing what they do best-take the ball away. The Redskins have 19 takeaways this year-tops in the NFL. Hall is the best overall corner-Carlos Rogers is a little better in coverage but he can't hold onto interceptions to save his life. Kareem Moore has been pretty good since coming back from his injury, but LaRon Landry is the best safety on the team. Once considered a bust, he's had a renaissance this season and has evolved into one of this team's leaders.

Special Teams: A-. After last season's adventure at placekicker with Shaun Suisham, the Skins seem to have found a long-term guy in Florida State product Graham Gano. The Scot is 15-20 this season, but two of those misses were from 50 yard or longer and another was blocked when Fred Davis missed his assignment off the edge. So really, he only has two legitimate misses this season. He's gotten good depth on kickoffs this year too and kickoff coverage has been superb, led by Alexander and Mike Sellers. Washington started this year with Josh Bidwell as punter, but he was ineffective and was replaced by last year's guy, Hunter Smith, who's much better. The return game, once dormant, has been revived by Raleigh's own Brandon Banks, whose mother was present at Hi-5 Sports Bar, where I go to watch games, for the Chicago game. Banks really awoke this week in Detroit, where he took a kickoff back for a touchdown and celebrated by doing the John Wall dance (both are Raleigh natives, both play in DC-Wall is a rookie for the NBA's Wizards). Suffice to say that the little guy out of Kansas State will have an impact on games this season and in the future.

Coaching: B+. Everyone knew this would be a transition year under Shanahan. He's a much better coach than Jim Zorn-that's for damn sure. The his-way-or-the-highway mentality has had a definite effect on the players-the team is much more disciplined this year-but can cause controversy, such as Haynesworth's offseason fiasco and the benching of McNabb. New defensive coordinator Jim Haslett's blitz packages have confused quarterbacks in some situations, and gotten the Skins burned in others.. even so, it's a clear step up from the previous regime.

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Unrelated to the Skins, baseball lost one of its truly good guys today, as the great Sparky Anderson passed away at the age of 76. Yesterday, Anderson had been placed in hospice care in Thousand Oaks, California after a battle with dementia. Known as Captain Hook for his tendency to quickly pull pitchers, he won the World Series with the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati in 1975 and 76, and again in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers, making him one of only two managers (along with current St. Louis Cardinals skipper Tony LaRussa) to win the Fall Classic as a manager in both the American and National Leagues. I wish I could have been alive when he was a manager-Sparky was a class act. RIP.

You're Dead to Me

2010-11-01T16:47:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow, November 2nd, is Election Day in the US, but it is also the famous Mexican holiday, El Dia de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead. And this year in NadkarniSportsNation, we're going to celebrate that day by detailing who and what is dead to me in the world of sports.

1. Jelena Jankovic-Stop the ride, I want to get off. The once proud Serb's roller-coaster season quickly turned into Kings Dominion's Drop Tower. Ranked as high as 2nd in the world this summer after winning Indian Wells and getting to the semifinals of the French Open, she finished the season ranked 8th on a 5-match losing streak, losing her final 10 sets. Jelena will be playing for her Cabaret life in Australia next January.

2. Virginia football-I'm at NC State now, and while I watch UVa when I can, it just doesn't matter to me like it used to. Especially with State as a legitimate contender for the ACC title. yes, the Cavs upset Miami at Scott Stadium on Saturday, and I was happy, but it's still going to take some time for them to be relevant again.

3. Dick Stockton-He used to be one of my favorite sportscasters, but the game has passed him by. It's time for Count Stockula to hang up his mic. Hearing him do an NFL game is painful-he makes so many mistakes-misidentifying players, not knowing where the ball is spotted, messing up the rules, and just not keeping up with the game in general. Think of him like the Al Davis of broadcasting.

4. Raycom Sports-When I was younger, I always liked Raycom for college football just because it was a noon game (and an ACC game at that) and I was sick of waiting for football to start. Now, I just realized how badly their coverage sucks. Getting rid of the awesome Doc Walker as color commentator was the nail in the coffin for me-the announcing sucks, the production is third rate, and it Raycom is just terrible.

5. Kateryna Bondarenko-The younger Bondarenko sister in the Cabaret started the year in the top 30. Where is she now? 113th. Why is she still in? I have no idea. Maybe because I love the name Kateryna.

6. Dallas Cowgirls-It's almost not fun to hate them because they're so bad. I kinda feel for them. NOT. Now you know how Skins fans have felt for much of the past 20 years, you hacks! Burn in hell, bastards.

7. Brett Favre-If he takes one more hit, he might actually die. Wait, that's not funny.

And if you're reading this on or before Election Day, go out and vote. Do it. Political participation is important. And you folks in California, VOTE FOR PROPOSITION 19! Please. For heaven's sake, end this fucking war on drugs. The fact that marijuana is illegal is almost as big a crime as what's going on in Darfur right now. If California legalizes it, some other states shouldn't be far behind. Just stop this pointless war. It's not the police or anyone else's business if I want to take a few bong rips with my friends one night. Come on now people. This is 2010. People don't go home and beat their wives because they're stoned (right Sorana?), you don't die in a car accident because the driver that hit your car was high, and there is no such thing as "marijuana poisoning". People who smoke know what they're doing. They know the risks (and those risks are much more minimal than those of alcohol use).And it's not like stoners force non-stoners to smoke it, either. I know plenty of people who don't ever want to smoke weed, and that's perfectly fine with me. I respect that. I'm not going to force my friend to smoke if he doesn't want to. But you have no right to tell me that I can't enjoy something that grows in the dirt just like the salad I eat every night at the dining hall. That's just ridiculous. Hopefully the people of California agree with me.

You're Welcome, Lions

2010-10-31T17:20:00.003-04:00

On the Washington Redskins first play from scrimmage on Sunday in Detroit, Donovan McNabb took the snap and fell down. Yep, it was going to be a long day.
But the Redskins actually held a 25-20 lead in the 4th quarter thanks to a 96-yard kickoff return by Raleigh's own Brandon Banks. then, they stopped the Lions and got the ball back with less than 5 minutes. That's when they decided to just give the game away.
After one running play gained a couple yards, McNabb decided to throw. and it was intercepted. The Lions scored a few plays later, and that was basically the game. The Redskins weren't going to come back.
It's one thing when a team completely outplays you, but that wasn't the case here. The Redskins served the Lions this game on a silver platter. You've gotta be fucking kidding me. I don't want to write about it-it was that disgusting. I couldn't find an angry enough picture of Romanian tennis star and my future wife Sorana Cirstea. In fact, none of my girls, not even the volatile Victoria Azarenka, can express my fury, so here's Roger Federer.

See how smashed that racket is?

Next week, a bye. Thank the fucking lord.

Huge Swing Game for Skins

2010-10-28T10:45:00.003-04:00

I said in last week's game preview that this two-game stretch against Chicago and Detroit would be crucial in deciding where the Redskins are headed this season. Last week wasn't pretty, but we got past the Bears. Now, it's to Detroit to face another NFC North opponent, the 1-5 Lions, going into the bye week.
I've done a CityView on Detroit two years running now, and you know it's a piece of shit. Therefore, right to the game.

Redskins (4-3) at Lions (1-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Ford Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Sam Rosen (play by play), Tim Ryan (analysis)
Line: Lions by 2.5 (what in the FUCK?)
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-Burgundy helmets, white jerseys, burgundy pants. Lions: Silver helmets, blue jerseys, silver pants
Breakdown: Yeah, I know. Last year, the Redskins went into Ford Field and handed the Lions their first win in 19 games. But that was last year, and anyone stupid enough to think that game will affect this one at all just doesn't know the NFL. Last year's Redskins team didn't have Mike Shanahan as its coach, or Donovan McNabb as its quarterback. Washington is a much better team from last year, and their record shows it. The Redskins offense hasn't been tremendous this year-in their four wins, the Skins have put up 13, 17, 16, and 17 points. Still, the game plan should be Ryan Torain establishing the run first and foremost. The Lions rank 27th in the NFL in rush defense, and if you consider that Torain gashed Chicago's top-10 rush defense for 125 yards last week, he could be due for a big day. The Redskins have to be wary, however, of Detroit's Ndamukong Suh, a first round pick out of Nebraska who tore up the Big 12 last year. The huge defensive tackle, in the physical mold of Albert Haynesworth, is a future Pro Bowler. But if Torain can get going, that'll open up the airways for McNabb and the always reliable Santana Moss and Chris Cooley.
On the other side of the ball, Detroit will get second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford back for the first time since he hurt his shoulder on opening day in Chicago. I hate Stafford-he's a prick-but he's not going to throw four interceptions to DeAngelo Hall like Jay Cutler did last week. He has a lightning-quick rookie running back in Jahvid Best, who's yet to really take off (the Lions are 31st in rushing offense) but no one in the league should be taken lightly. And of course, there's man-child Calvin Johnson at the receiver position. The 6-5 leaper, nicknamed Megatron, is pretty much the only player on the Lions who should really scare this Washington defense. The Redskins will definitely stick Hall on him in man coverage, and may have to consider double-teaming Johnson if the situation warrants it. And the Redskins can't bank on Brian Orakpo and company getting to Stafford every play-the Lions rank 8th in the NFL in sacks allowed with just 11-less than two per game. This could be a game where the Redskins need to put up a lot of points to win.
Prediction: We're 4-3. They're 1-5. But the Lions have been in every game this season, and there's no reason to believe that this game will be any different. But these Redskins are different than last year's, and this team knows how to win close games. 27-21, Redskins.

Hall Leads Redskins' Escape From Chicago

2010-10-24T17:09:00.003-04:00

The Washington Redskins were outgained by the Chicago Bears on Sunday. They committed one more penalty than the Bears. Chicago racked up 19 first downs to Washington's 13. The Bears held the ball for about a minute more than the Skins. So why were the Redskins able to get out of the Windy City with a 17-14 victory over the homestanding Bears? Because they have DeAngelo Hall and the Bears don't.
Hall's 92-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter gave the Redskins the lead and despite doing everything possible to blow the game in the final quarter, the Redskins made it stand up to move to 4-3 on the season.
The Bears. leading 14-10 at that point, faced a third down deep in Redskins territory, looking to extend their lead. The Redskins got pressure on quarterback Jay Cutler, who lofted a pass intended for receiver Johnny Knox. But Hall swooped in and made a one-handed interception and raced down the sideline untouched to give Washington what would be the final margin. It was the second of four interceptions by the former Virginia Tech standout, who pretty much singlehandedly won the game for the Redskins.
Ironically, it was the second interception returned for a touchdown in the game. Chicago opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Israel Idonijae tipped Donovan McNabb's pass and D.J. Moore picked it off and ran 54 yards for a 7-0 lead. The Redskins came right back and marched down the field, tying it at 7 on a 24 yard pass from McNabb to Santana Moss. It was Moss' second touchdown catch of the year. We at Hi-5 in Raleigh went crazy-it was a good crowd today. And I cheered and yelled and booed and cursed and ate wings and drank Pepsi and sang Hail to the Redskins with the rest all afternoon long. The Redskins tacked on a field goal to make it 10-7 in the middle of the second quarter, but Chicago struck back with a pass from Cutler to Knox from nine yards out to make it 14-10 at halftime. Then, the game got sloppy.
The Bears had zero turnovers at halftime. The finished with six. They seemed bent on extending their lead, and almost did when Earl Bennett nearly scored of a long pass. But he was ruled just short of the goal line, and instant replay upheld the call. Then came one of the many twists and turns. Cutler tried the quarterback sneak, but Albert Haynesworth came up and stopped him short, and the ball popped out, with Washington recovering. The Redskins ended up punting, but then came the first of Hall's picks.
After another punt, and Hall's big return, the Redskins got the ball back when they forced the Bears to punt. They looked like they were about to take control of the game, but Ryan Torain, who had 125 yards on 21 carries, fumbled in Chicago territory. no matter-Hall picked off Cutler two plays later, and it seemed inevitable that the Redskins would go up by two possessions. Nope-after being forced to settle for a field goal, Graham Gano doinked it off the upright. It wouldn't be Redskins without shit like that.
The Bears drove down into Redskins territory, but Matt Forte fumbled and the Redskins recovered, dodging yet another bullet. By then, I knew we were going to win. Hall made one more interception for good measure, and two first downs by the Redskins ended the game. McNabb had an okay day, throwing for 200 yards and the aforementioned touchdown and interception. The Redskins defense was all over Cutler, sacking him four times, two by Brian Orakpo.

Victoria Azarenka defeated her doubles partner Maria Kirilenko in the Kremlin Cup final to wrap up NSEFTPC's sixth title this season. For that reason, you see Azarenka's picture instead of the usual Sorana Cirstea.

It wasn't pretty, but this is not the BCS. There's no such thing as style points in the National Football League. It's not how you win, it's if you win, and the Redskins got the win. So Vika's pumped. And so am I.

We go to Detroit next Sunday for a 1 p.m. kickoff with the Lions. That's a game we should be able to win. We can be no worse than 4-4 going into our bye week, but 5-3 looks so much better.

Redskins Open Big Two-Game Stretch

2010-10-21T16:36:00.004-04:00

At 3-3 going into a two-game road swing against NFC North opponents followed by a bye week, the Washington Redskins have to be feeling okay about themselves. If it were up to the experts, they'd be 0-6 right now. On Sunday, Chicago native Donovan McNabb comes home to take on the Bears in a big swing game for the Skins.

Chicago, Illinois

Population: 2,853,114 (1st in Illinois, 3rd in US)
Nicknames: Chi-Town, The Windy City, Second City, City of Big Shoulders, The City That Works
Area: 234.0 sq mi (606.1 km2)
Mayor: Richard M. Daley
Demographics: 39.9% White (Non-Hispanic Whites: 31.5%), 34.6% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 4.9% Asian, 18.6% from some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos (of any race) make up 27.8% of the population.
Notable Chicagoans: Donovan McNabb, Mike Shanahan, Michael Crichton, Dennis DeYoung, Hillary Clinton, Rod Blagojevich, Stuart Scott, Skee-Lo, R. Kelly, Hugh Hefner, Charlton Heston, Bernie Mac, Vince Spadea
WARNING: If you go down there you better just beware of a man named Leroy Brown

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Redskins (3-3) at Bears (4-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m., Soldier Field
TV: Fox
Announcers: Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analysis), Pam Oliver (sideline)
Line: Chicago by 3
Projected Uniforms: Redskins-burgundy helmets, white jerseys, burgundy pants. Bears: Navy helmets, navy jerseys, white pants
Breakdown: Both teams are coming off of one-possession home losses, though the Redskins 27-24 loss to the Colts wasn't a surprise result. Ryan Torain will get the nod at running back again, coming off his impressive 20 carry, 100 yard, 2 score performance on Sunday night. It's been Mike Shanahan's modus operandi his whole coaching career: establish the run, set up the big play through the air. That might not be easy-the Bears rank third in the NFL in rush defense, and eighth in total defense. Linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs are two of the hardest-hitting defenders in the game, and Julius Peppers is a feared pass rusher. If there's a weakness in this Chicago defense, it's the secondary, as the Bears rank 18th in pass defense-not terrible, especially when you consider that teams have only scored three touchdowns through the air on the Bears all season long. Points could be at a premium on Sunday. Moreover, the Redskins have struggled to find a consistent reliable receiver this season. One week, Anthony Armstrong will step up, another week it'll be Santana Moss, and then maybe Joey Galloway. Whose turn is it this time?
On the other hand, the Redskins defense, ranked dead last in the NFL, might be happy to see the Bears this Sunday. Chicago's offense has been plagued by the problem Washington had last year-a horrific offensive line. The Bears have given up a whopping 27 sacks through six games, by far the highest total in the league. Six of those came last week against a less-than-impressive Seattle defense. Brian Orakpo has to be licking his chops-I predict one of two things this week: A lot of sacks for the Redskins, or a lot of holding penalties on the Bears linemen. Quarterback Jay Cutler has been solid this season-he has only three interceptions compared to six touchdowns-but when you don't have a line protecting you, you can't play your best football. The Bears have good skill players too. Matt Forte is a good dual-threat running back, and the speedy Devin Hester is a dangerous wide receiver who's also an expert at taking kicks and punts back for scores. The Redskins can't sleep on this Chicago offense-the Bears are a good team, and this game won't be easy.
Prediction: We will get a lot of pressure on Cutler, but unless the passing game steps up, we're not going to beat the Bears. I'm taking Chicago 21-17.
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In tennis, it probably couldn't have been a worse day for NSEFTPC. In Moscow, Elena Vesnina was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by compatriot Vera Dushevina, and Kateryna Bondarenko got annihilated 6-0 6-0 by Maria Kirilenko. But the real embarrassment was top-seeded Jelena Jankovic falling to 17-year old Kazakh Zarina Diyas, who hadn't won a tour level match until this week. Seriously, what the fuck? This girl just turned 17. I'm 18. That's like me going out and kicking the shit out of Andy Roddick. That really makes no sense.
Later on in Luxembourg, I figured Daniela Hantuchova would give the Cabaret a sliver of dignity by defeating Angelique Kerber of Germany, and for a while, it looked that way. She took the first set, but then it took a turn for the worse and Dani fell 6-3, 3-6, 1-6. That was the perfect cap to a miserable day for my girls.
That leaves Victoria Azarenka as the only Angel still in action this week. Principal Victoria (my new South Park-oriented nickname for Vika) booked a spot in the year-end championships in Qatar next week by winning yesterday, and she'll play tomorrow in Moscow. Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki are the other Angels in that tournament.

Whoo, NASCAR!

2010-10-20T12:41:00.002-04:00

Even though I'm no fan of NASCAR, I've always been told that you have to experience a race once in your lifetime, no matter how stupid you think the "sport" is. Every NASCAR fan I know (and I'm originally from Virginia and now I'm in North Carolina, so that's a lot) has told me that TV doesn't do it justice and you have to be there. I'll agree with them there-once you've been to any sporting event, you feel like TV doesn't do it justice. I can hardly watch the US Open on TV because of this.
But back to the point of this post. This past Saturday, one of those NASCAR-loving friends decided to drive his point home (no pun intended) and take me to the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I actually wound up looking forward to it and having a good time-it's very true that the experience goes a lot farther than cars driving around in circles.
Now, Charlotte Motor Speedway is actually about 15 miles up I-85 in Concord, which means there's a lot more room for all the activities that take place before the race. The race is just one of the things that make up the day-you won't believe how expansive this stuff is. We parked about half a mile away from the actual track at about 1 in the afternoon for a 7:30 race. As soon as you get out of your car, there's all kinds of shit going on. Every racing team has a truck set up with (overpriced) merchandise, there are cars on display, there's food, and a lot of the sponsors are giving away free stuff. My favorite place was the Time Warner Cable tent,s where they had about 10 TVs set up all tuned to college football games, so I could watch the NC State-East Carolina game while I waited (we lost 33-27 in overtime-oh well, it's not a conference loss). All in all, killing six hours before the race really isn't as hard as you might think. And, of course, you've got your tailgaters. It's akin to a State football game, though missing a lot of the red and white. People in pickups and SUVs with grills, beer, and tents. I didn't see anything extraordinary when it comes to tailgating.
We went into the track about an hour before the race started, and, well, I've never been to another NASCAR race in my life, so I don't really have anything to compare the speedway to. It's a racetrack, I guess. It's one of the bigger tracks in NASCAR, seating a whopping 165,000 spectators, nearly twice the size of FedEx Field. The main oval is 1.5 miles long, so there's only one deck of seating except for one section. Additionally, unlike most pro football stadiums, seating only goes around for three-quarters of the track. In the middle, in between the track, you have all the people who come days in advance to put their campers in the middle-diehard NASCAR fans, I guess. Wonder how much a pass there costs.
Our seats were relatively high up, but that's really better, because the higher up you are, the more of the track you can see. As a result, we could see everything. The people in our section were a mixed bag-I will say that to an extent, the stereotype of a beer-guzzling, tobacco-spitting camo-wearing redneck at a race is true-there were many of those around us. But there were also people just like us-normal folks who just want to have fun and see a good race. Another good thing is that there's pretty much no ushers anywhere to be found, at least where we were. So theoretically, you could sit somewhere else, but our seats were fine. You could still tell who was who, but a NASCAR race is so fast-paced that a novice like me loses himself more often than not. Fortunately, my friend brought a portable scanner, which allowed us to listen to an in-house radio broadcast of the race so we knew what was going on all the time. A scanner is a must if you ever find yourself at a race. As for the race itself, Jamie McMurray won it, but I didn't really care all that much.
And now, to the food. My friend and I hit up Bojangles on the way down and got way too much fried chicken and biscuits, so we didn't eat much before we went in, so I can't comment on the food outside the track, but inside, I had my stadium necessity of chicken tenders and fries, and let me tell you something-they were AWFUL. 8 bucks for that shit. The tenders looked like they had been bought at the grocery store and dropped in boiling water-the skin wasn't crispy, the meat wasn't of a desirable texture, and ubiquitous amounts of ketchup and mustard were needed to give these things a decent taste. The fries weren't much better-they were pretty soggy and also needed condiments-and if McDonald's-style fries need condiments, then you know we have trouble. Oh Arthur Ashe Stadium, I long for you. The one positive was the ice cream-it was wonderful, but maybe it felt that way because the main course was so damn bad. They serve Coke at the track, but we brought in our own cooler of Pepsi One, so that was taken care of.
All in all, the race was a fun experience. Are the people who say you have to be there right? Yes. It's infinitely more fun when you're there as opposed to watching on TV Is it something I'm going to do again soon? Probably not (it takes up a whole day, you get tired, and it isn't cheap!). But the guys with generic names in cars driving around in circles for four hours is only part of the fun.

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NSEEFTPC
Moscow
2nd Round

[2]V. Azarenka (BLR) d. A. Petkovic (GER) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
M. Martinez Sanchez (ESP) d. A. Bondarenko (UKR) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1

Tomorrow
2nd Round

[1]J. Jankovic (SRB) vs. Z. Diyas (KAZ)
E. Vesnina (RUS) vs. V. Dushevina (RUS)
K. Bondarenko (UKR) vs. M. Kirilenko (RUS)

Luxembourg
Tomorrow
2nd Round

[5]D. Hantuchova (SVK) vs. A. Kerber (GER)

Can't Win Them All

2010-10-18T00:16:00.003-04:00

It's cliche, but it's true. Sometimes you play a decent game, but it just isn't enough to win. And you're somewhat upset with the result, but the process wasn't all that horrible.
The Washington Redskins knew they had a tall order in facing the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, as the Colts possess the best quarterback in the game. This is a game that many previous Redskins teams would've gotten run over in. But this is a different Redskins team. It might have ended in a 27-24 loss, but I'm not real upset with this one.
The Redskins first drive looked promising, but Donovan McNabb threw an interception and on the very next play, Manning hit Pierre Garcon for a 57-yard touchdown. After the teams exchanged punts, the Redskins marched 90 yards down the field and tied it at 7 on a nine-yard run by Ryan Torain, the starter while Clinton Portis nurses a groin injury. Torain had a good game, carrying the ball 20 time for 100 yards on the dot and two scores. But the Colts scored the next 10 points to take a 17-7 lead into the locker room.
Torain got his second score, this time from a yard out, set up by a strip-sack of Manning by Brian Orakpo, but the Redskins defense relaxed a little too much on the next possession. They paid for it-Indy's Joseph Addai took it in from thirteen yards out. The Redskins managed a field goal after recovering another fumble, but the Colts got it right back to stretch the lead to ten once more.
But the Redskins didn't quit. In the NFL, as a professional football player, you play to the final whistle, and the Redskins took the ball down the field again and scored on a short pass to backup running back Keiland Williams. 27-24. Not only that, but the Colts threw three straight incompletions, giving Washington the ball back with all three timeouts and over two minutes to go.
But I mentioned the final score in the beginning, and the Redskins just didn't have anything left. An interception by Indy's Aaron Francisco ended the game, and we came out on the short end.
But even in the loss, I saw some things I liked. Three turnovers forced. We had a running game, for once. And we played till the end. Even if you don't win, you still gotta play. And I admire what I saw from the Skins in that respect.
Of course, there were the four dropped interceptions, two by Kareem Moore and two by Carlos Rogers. Then there was the defense giving up 469 yards and 27 points. But that's life when you play an offense like Indianapolis. We weren't supposed to win this game, but we damn sure tried. So this is my Sorana Cirstea symbolic picture of the week:

Just playing. Not happy, not upset. Just keep plugging away. Just keep playing. We go to Chicago next Sunday for a 1 o'clock game. Get back on the practice field, keep on working, and get ready for the game.

Bobby Cox-Gone But Not Forgotten

2010-10-15T17:03:00.003-04:00

Notice: I was originally going to do this post on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I felt under the weather early this week and yesterday was Thursday, my designated day for the Redskins weekly game preview.

The Atlanta Braves are my favorite baseball team. Always have been, always will be. I remember refusing to come to dinner if a game was on back in their TBS days. Now, they're relegated to regional TV just like everyone else, and aside from the occasional ESPN or Fox appearance, I can't watch very many of their games.
When longtime manger Bobby Cox announced that the 2010 season would be his last, I decided that it would only be right for the Braves to make the playoffs. It would not be fair for one of the greatest managers in the game to go out without a fight. I didn't need a World Series title-it would have been nice, but the Braves won only one Series during his time in Atlanta, so it's not like that's what defined him. The Braves won fourteen straight division titles from 1991-2005 (not including the strike-shortened 1994 season), all under Cox. And for a while, they led the National League East. They ended up relinquishing that to the rival Philadelphia Phillies, but grabbed the NL Wild Card spot on the last day of the season to sneak into the playoffs, where they drew the San Francisco Giants. I had what I wanted-the Braves were headed back to the playoffs.
Every game in the series was decided by one run, but Atlanta finished the series at a minus-2 in scoring. And when a groundout to third by the Braves' Melky Cabrera ended Cox's career, my heart couldn't help but sink a little. This guy had been the manager of the Braves longer than I've been alive. The Braves hired Fredi Gonzalez, one of Cox's former assistants, as their next manager a couple days later. Even so, not seeing the Tulsa, Oklahoma native with the number 6 jersey in the dugout is going to take some getting used to.
Perhaps the signature stat of Cox's managerial career is his record 161 ejections (including postseason). But contrary to that gaudy number, Cox wasn't a hothead or a loudmouth or a jerk. He never threw any of his players under the bus, he never downgraded an opponent through the media, and he never got angry at an umpire without a good reason. Basically all of his ejections resulted because he was simply protecting his players, basically saying, "Chipper, if anyone's getting ejected from this game, it's going to be me and not you." That's one of my favorite qualities in a coach in any sport-the players play, the coaches deal with the officials.
And of course, there was his injury policy. The late Skip Caray, longtime Braves play-by-play man on TBS, alluded to this all the time. If a player was injured and missed a few games, and then told Cox he was ready to go, Cox would always tell him, "Good, take this game off." It's just one of those little things that made him who he was.
So this is goodbye, Bobby. Thanks for all the memories. You will be missed.

Second Sunday Nighter at FedEx

2010-10-14T18:42:00.003-04:00

When the NFL schedule came out on 4/20, fans were probably perplexed as to why the Washington Redskins were scheduled for two primetime games in the first six weeks of the season. Yeah, the opponents are the Dallas Cowgirls and the Indianapolis Colts, and the Skins had acquired Donovan McNabb as quarterback and hired Mike Shanahan to be the coach, but this team went 4-12 last season. Why is NBC doing this?
Well, the Redskins have started 3-2, the same record as Sunday's opponent, the Colts. Not only that, but they're atop the NFC East by virtue of their 2-0 divisonal record. So now, NBC doesn't look as foolish.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Population: 807,584 (1st in Indiana, 14th in US)
Nicknames: Indy, Circle City, Naptown, Racing Capital of the World
Area: 372 sq mi (963.5 km2)
Mayor: Gregory A. Ballard
Demographics: 69.34% White, 25.29% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.02% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.88% of the population. Indianapolis has around 10,000 immigrants from the former Yugoslavia.
Notable People from Indianapolis: David Letterman, Jared Fogle, Kurt Vonnegut, John Hiatt, Ted Stevens, Brendan Fraser

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Colts (3-2) at Redskins (3-2)
Sunday, 8:20 pm, FedEx Field
TV: NBC
Commentators: Al Michaels (play by play), Chris Fuckhead Collinsworth (analysis/kissing the Dallas Cowgirls collective ass even though they're not even playing), Andrea Kremer (sideline)
Distribution: Full national
Line: Colts by 3
Projected Uniforms: Redskins: Burgundy helmets/jerseys, gold pants. Colts: White helmets/jerseys/pants
Breakdown: I think it's safe to say that no one expected either of these teams to be 3-2 going into this games-experts probably had Indy at 5-0 with the Redskins at 0-5. Not the case. The Colts haven't played that well on the road this year, losing at division rivals Houston and Jacksonville while defeating Denver, and the Redskins are 2-1 at FedEx, beating Dallas and Green Bay while falling to Houston in overtime. Having McNabb at quarterback has been a big reason for that-he doesn't put up huge numbers every week, but he just brings that "it" factor that Jason Campbell lacked. He can run, he can get away from sacks, he's not afraid to chuck the ball downfield. Which Redskins receiver will step up Sunday will be a big question-will it be Anthony Armstrong, who had a 48-yard TD catch last week to ignite the comeback over the Packers, old man Joey Galloway, who proved he has a lot left in the tank, or the ever-present Santana Moss, who loves primetime games. The Redskins have only rushed for over 100 yards as a team once this season, at Philadelphia, and bruising running back Ryan Torain, who's holding the fort while Clinton Portis is out with an injury, didn't take off like he was supposed to last week. If the Redskins are going to win this game, it's going to be because of McNabb and the passing game. Indy's secondary isn't awful, but they'll be missing Bob Sanders, known as "The Eraser" for obvious reasons. Indy also has one of the top pass rushers in the league, Dwight Freeney, and Washington tackle Trent Williams may not play due to a toe injury sustained on the final play of regulation in the Packers game. If he can' go, the awful Stephon Heyer will start. Please, god no. On the positive side for the Skins line, right tackle Jammal Brown participated fully in practice today and will play.
On offense, the Colts revolve around one guy. Quarterback Peyton Manning. Heard of him? It might be on his shoulders even more, as his top two running backs, Joseph Addai and Donald Brown, didn't practice today with injuries. Additionally, #2 receiver Austin Collie sat out. Now, even I could catch 20 passes for 300 yards and 5 touchdowns if Manning were throwing to me, but it'll definitely be tougher without a few of his weapons. The Colts, of course, still have Reggie Wayne and second-year man Anthony Gonzalez, so DeAngelo Hall, LaRon Landry, and company will have to patrol the air. The Redskins gave up a lot of yardage last week, but only 13 points, meaning the defense stiffened when it mattered. If it weren't for a fluke 80-something yard run by Green Bay's Brandon Jackson, they probably would've won the game in regulation. One player of note has been Lorenzo Alexander, who has eclipsed Andre Carter for the starting outside linebacker spot in Shanahan's 3-4 scheme and saved a touchdown last week by knocking away a pass in the end zone on fourth down. And of course, Brian Orakpo was all over the field, sacking Aaron Rodgers on a critical fourth down in overtime. But this is a different animal-Manning. One of the greatest quarterbacks and a surefire Hall of Famer when his career ends. Game on.
Prediction: The Redskins find a way to win another close one, 20-17.