Red Wings get back to work (sort of)

Somewhere between watching the Blues game last Monday and sleeping through the Canadiens game (thankfully) due to a nasty sinus infection on Wednesday night, the man in charge offered a smart suggestion to someone who?s headed to the doctor for antibiotics today, and it translated to, ?Stay down.? So I did, but it?s time to get back to work today, and as it turns out, the Red Wings are doing things a little differently, per the team?s Twitter account:

The team is en route to Calgary this afternoon. Game vs. the Flames tomorrow night.

The Wings usually practice at the Joe after the All-Star break, but given that they?re about to board Red Bird II to head to Calgary (Tuesday at 9 PM), Vancouver (Thursday at 10 PM), and then Edmonton (Saturday at 10 PM) and Phoenix next Tuesday (likely after some sort of Superbowl viewing party), something tells me that Paul Boyer and the team?s equipment staff suggested that a team that won?t stop playing on an every-other-night basis till Valentine?s Day(!) might be better served by not stuffing wet equipment into the cargo hold of an MD-81 for a four-hour flight to somewhere?That?s actually warmer than the place they?re leaving from.

Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/tmr/comments/red_wings_get_back_to_work_sort_of/

New Jersey Devil New York Islanders New York Rangers Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins

The Pros And Cons Of Investing In A Sports Franchise

Investors in these uncertain economic times are looking for stability and predictability when they decide to invest extra dollars. Consider this investing proposition: You have a chance to invest in businesses that have been around since the 1920s and are growing in popularity. These companies have an intensely loyal consumer base; in some areas of the country, there is a waiting list of years to purchase products. Most rational investors would argue this is a compelling value proposition. 

The industry that I am referring to is professional sports, particularly its franchises and ancillary businesses. This seems like a slam dunk of an investment theme; however, to quote ESPN football analyst Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend!" It is true that professional sports leagues, with its derivative businesses such as athletic apparel and media conglomerates, have become a multi-billion dollar industries, but these businesses are not risk-free and in many ways can be more risky than traditional corporations. Today, we will look at the pros and cons of investing in big-time sports.

See: Value Investing

Pros

In economics, demand or "final demand" is defined as the ability and the desire to purchase goods and services. Professional and college sports programs strike a strong emotional chord with their audiences. There aren't a lot of companies that can claim a higher brand loyalty to their businesses, than big-time athletics. Typically, this means their dollars will follow their hearts. The National Football League (NFL) tends to market toward a more affluent or "able" customer base; an affluent family of four can easily spend over $1,000 while attending one sporting event. If this family attends 10 events per year, well, you get the picture. 

Likewise, people spend serious money renovating entire rooms of their homes to show support for their alma mater. Professional and collegiate sports have also successfully adapted to the ever-changing technological landscape that is part of our daily lives.Viewing of live sporting events on mobile devices is growing rapidly, as well as on satellite radio and pay-per-view showings. All of these distribution channels are revenue drivers for these businesses. 

In fact, the NFL started its own television network where it can realize more of the advertising revenue, instead of sharing with traditional networks (FOX, CBS, NBC and ESPN, to name a few). The networks charge premium prices that their loyal customers and sponsors are willing and able to pay. How many people thought there would ever be a golf or tennis channel around the clock?

Another tremendous advantage these major sports leagues have is lack of competition. It's simply a tough nut to crack or as economists would claim: "There are too many barriers to entry" to compete with Major League Baseball, European soccer or the National Football League. There have been some attempts to challenge these leagues, but all have failed. Some sports leagues are also protected legally by anti-competition legislation. 

The NFL in the U.S. has a special antitrust exemption. How many businesses can make a similar claim? One would suspect that is a very short list. Finally, these businesses enjoy repeat business; most people don't just own one t-shirt of their favorite team, they own several. Many families pass down season tickets to their children, instilling further brand loyalties for future generations. 

Cons

Sports teams and leagues are not immune from economic shocks. Demand for sports entertainment depends on the overall economic climate. The recent, prolonged weakness in the economy has hurt attendance at many sporting events. Some NFL towns struggle with mandatory blackouts due to low season ticket sales, as most average Americans view sports as good entertainment that can be enjoyed when there is extra income to spend. 

From an economist's perspective, demand for attending sporting events is elastic. In other words, a change in someone's income (downward) or a change in the products costs (ticket prices upward), will have a material impact on final demand (ticket, merchandise and pay-per-view sales). These are the hard economic facts about why sports investments can be risky, but perhaps less apparent are the exogenous or human factors that investors should be attuned to that present at least equivalent business risk. (For related reading, see Why We Splurge When Times Are Good.)   

It seems that every day we hear about a sports scandal more sensational or unbelievable than the day before. Make no mistake, these scandals hurt business and at times present irreparable damage to reputations. Tiger Woods' extramarital affairs caused NBC's golf ratings to take a significant hit, that the network has yet to fully recover from. Recent allegations of sexual abuse at Penn State University not only hurt its reputation, but apparel sales dropped significantly as a result. Incidents such as the one where NBA players jumped into the crowd and brawled with fans (or "customers"), harms the reputation of the NBA brand. 

Furthermore, greed is everywhere in these businesses: Stars in these leagues make much more annually than the average consumer. The point here is that these businesses present risks to investors that are not traditionally part of business. If employees of  a major corporation went on strike, the company's stocks would most likely get hammered in the short-term. If the CEO of a blue-chip company decided he wasn't going to report to work for months, or hold out for more money, these companies would face serious repercussions from investors. (For more information, read Stocks Basics: What Causes Stock Prices To Change?)  

The Bottom Line

Investing in companies that benefit from the multi-billion dollar sports business can be an appealing and profitable proposition. High consumer demand, pricing power and lack of competition, are critical success and survival advantages that big-time sports leagues and teams command. It is also important to realize that these businesses have unique risks. So, the next time you are at a sporting event, look at the ancillary businesses that support your favorite team and see if they make sense in your financial playbook. 

Also realize that sports entertainment is generally considered a "luxury" and subject to the economics laws of elasticity. The same human or emotional factors that attract us to spend our dollars on their product, can quickly sour due to unforeseen events.

This post originally appeared at Investopedia. 

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• These Are The 100 Most Spectacular Pictures In Sports
• Presenting: The 50 Most Worthless Players In The NBA
• P&G To Lay Off 1,600 After Discovering It's Free To Advertise On Facebook

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/sportspage/~3/bpCw5NKsoow/the-pros-and-cons-of-investing-in-a-sports-franchise-2012-1

Jonathan Albaladejo Andrew Brackman A.J. Burnett Steve Garrison Phil Hughes Damaso Marte

Los Angeles Clippers: Lob City Blows by Oklahoma City Thunder, 112-100

The Los Angeles Clippers got ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder quickly Monday night and never looked back. They silenced the Thunder in a 112-100 beatdown.

The score is not very indicative of the game that was played in Los Angeles. The Clippers took an early lead and never looked back. A great start from Caron Butler gave Lob City a fantastic start and they took the game and ran with it. The Thunder never really stood a chance against Los Angeles.

The Clippers are finally close to 100 percent healthy and are beginning to play with great chemistry. That shined through against the Thunder as the Clips took down the team with the best record in the NBA.

At the beginning of the first quarter, the Thunder went up 7-5, but after Butler hit his second three-pointer the Clippers went up 8-7 and never looked back. The Clippers led 36-25 after the first and Butler had an 11-point first quarter, making three shots from outside the arc.

In the second quarter, the Clippers continued their dominance and efficient shooting. They hit five more three-point shots and finished the first half with 10 shots from long distance. The Clippers passed the ball very well and also played some great defense. At the end of the first half, the Clippers led the Thunder 64-46.

Coming into the third quarter, the Clippers kept up their high intensity pace and never gave the Thunder an opportunity to steal away the lead. Los Angeles continued playing well and finished the third up by 20 points.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Thunder were down 90-70 and looked as if they were already defeated. Oklahoma City cut the Clippers' lead down to 11 points with just under four minutes left in the game, but Los Angeles was not going to let this game slip away. The Clippers immediately scored four more points to go up 105-90 and essentially ice the game with only 2:43 left to play.

The final score ended up 112-100 as the Clippers won their third straight game and improved to 12-6 on the season. Los Angeles is now 10-2 at home and holds a 1.5-game lead over the city-rival Los Angeles Lakers.

On Monday night, Clippers fans got to see a great game from their team and it could just be the best game Lob City has played so far this season.

I expect to see these type of games consistently from the Clippers from this point forward. They have one of the best teams in the NBA and it was showcased against the Thunder. Los Angeles put together a highlight-reel game in many different facets and take down a league powerhouse. The rest of the NBA better take note of just how good the Clippers are playing right now.

We could be watching this team in the NBA Finals in just a few short months.

Follow @ZPGSports 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1046388-los-angeles-clippers-lob-city-blows-by-the-oklahoma-city-thunder

Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays chicago blackhawks

Do You Consider Erik Karlsson A Norris Candidate?

from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, It was Erik Karlsson?s time to shine.

While captain Daniel Alfredsson was the star of the NHL all-star show, the Senators defenceman also received top billing as the hockey world found out how good this 21-year-old has the potential to be.

If he wasn?t already getting consideration for the Norris Trophy as the NHL?s top defenceman, he certainly is now.

He probably won?t beat Zdeno Chara or Nicklas Lidstrom in voting, but at least Karlsson should be on the ballot.

?(All-star weekend was) great for him,? said teammate Jason Spezza.

Actually, it couldn?t be better.

continued

Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/do_you_consider_erik_karlsson_a_norris_candidate/

Tampa Bay Lightning Washington Capitals Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds

2012 Senior Bowl: BC's Donnie Fletcher Receives Mixed Reviews

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/1/30/2756913/2012-senior-bowl-nfl-draft-boston-college-donnie-fletcher

Hal Gill John Madden Petr Kalus Colton Gilies Justin Falk Robbie Eal

Boston College Football Recruiting Update: January 29

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/1/29/2757075/boston-college-football-recruiting-update-january-29

Wade Belak Martin Erat Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne

Super Bowl 2012: A Look at Some of the 350-Plus Bets Available

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest one-day sports-betting events year in and year out. Billions of dollars are spent wagering on the NFL championship game. 

One of the biggest reasons for this is the astronomical amount of bets that are available compared to other games. There are currently over 350 different Super Bowl bets available on one site alone.

The broad spectrum of available bets ranges from the length of Kelly Clarkson's rendition of the national anthem, to the longest punt in the game, to whether the Winnipeg Jets will have more shots on goal on Sunday than Tom Brady has completions.

Any bet you can think of is available to wager money on.

Aside from Las Vegas, there are numerous websites, such as Sportsbook.ag and Bovada.lv (formerly Bodog.com), that makes it simple and easy to wager.

Although the gambling sites are established overseas, the United States still generates $60 billion in revenue from online gambling every year. It is clear that Americans love to gamble from their living rooms.

Here are a few interesting bets that are available online less than one week away from the big game. 

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1045391-super-bowl-xlvi-a-look-some-of-the-350-bets-available

Vancouver Canucks Anaheim Ducks Dallas Los Angeles Kings Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks

Boston College Eagles In The NBA, January 30 Edition

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/1/30/2736459/boston-college-eagles-nba-reggie-jackson-craig-smith-jared-dudley

Anibal Sanchez John Baker Brad Davis Logan Morrison Mike Stanton Josh Bailey

The Pros And Cons Of Investing In A Sports Franchise

Investors in these uncertain economic times are looking for stability and predictability when they decide to invest extra dollars. Consider this investing proposition: You have a chance to invest in businesses that have been around since the 1920s and are growing in popularity. These companies have an intensely loyal consumer base; in some areas of the country, there is a waiting list of years to purchase products. Most rational investors would argue this is a compelling value proposition. 

The industry that I am referring to is professional sports, particularly its franchises and ancillary businesses. This seems like a slam dunk of an investment theme; however, to quote ESPN football analyst Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend!" It is true that professional sports leagues, with its derivative businesses such as athletic apparel and media conglomerates, have become a multi-billion dollar industries, but these businesses are not risk-free and in many ways can be more risky than traditional corporations. Today, we will look at the pros and cons of investing in big-time sports.

See: Value Investing

Pros

In economics, demand or "final demand" is defined as the ability and the desire to purchase goods and services. Professional and college sports programs strike a strong emotional chord with their audiences. There aren't a lot of companies that can claim a higher brand loyalty to their businesses, than big-time athletics. Typically, this means their dollars will follow their hearts. The National Football League (NFL) tends to market toward a more affluent or "able" customer base; an affluent family of four can easily spend over $1,000 while attending one sporting event. If this family attends 10 events per year, well, you get the picture. 

Likewise, people spend serious money renovating entire rooms of their homes to show support for their alma mater. Professional and collegiate sports have also successfully adapted to the ever-changing technological landscape that is part of our daily lives.Viewing of live sporting events on mobile devices is growing rapidly, as well as on satellite radio and pay-per-view showings. All of these distribution channels are revenue drivers for these businesses. 

In fact, the NFL started its own television network where it can realize more of the advertising revenue, instead of sharing with traditional networks (FOX, CBS, NBC and ESPN, to name a few). The networks charge premium prices that their loyal customers and sponsors are willing and able to pay. How many people thought there would ever be a golf or tennis channel around the clock?

Another tremendous advantage these major sports leagues have is lack of competition. It's simply a tough nut to crack or as economists would claim: "There are too many barriers to entry" to compete with Major League Baseball, European soccer or the National Football League. There have been some attempts to challenge these leagues, but all have failed. Some sports leagues are also protected legally by anti-competition legislation. 

The NFL in the U.S. has a special antitrust exemption. How many businesses can make a similar claim? One would suspect that is a very short list. Finally, these businesses enjoy repeat business; most people don't just own one t-shirt of their favorite team, they own several. Many families pass down season tickets to their children, instilling further brand loyalties for future generations. 

Cons

Sports teams and leagues are not immune from economic shocks. Demand for sports entertainment depends on the overall economic climate. The recent, prolonged weakness in the economy has hurt attendance at many sporting events. Some NFL towns struggle with mandatory blackouts due to low season ticket sales, as most average Americans view sports as good entertainment that can be enjoyed when there is extra income to spend. 

From an economist's perspective, demand for attending sporting events is elastic. In other words, a change in someone's income (downward) or a change in the products costs (ticket prices upward), will have a material impact on final demand (ticket, merchandise and pay-per-view sales). These are the hard economic facts about why sports investments can be risky, but perhaps less apparent are the exogenous or human factors that investors should be attuned to that present at least equivalent business risk. (For related reading, see Why We Splurge When Times Are Good.)   

It seems that every day we hear about a sports scandal more sensational or unbelievable than the day before. Make no mistake, these scandals hurt business and at times present irreparable damage to reputations. Tiger Woods' extramarital affairs caused NBC's golf ratings to take a significant hit, that the network has yet to fully recover from. Recent allegations of sexual abuse at Penn State University not only hurt its reputation, but apparel sales dropped significantly as a result. Incidents such as the one where NBA players jumped into the crowd and brawled with fans (or "customers"), harms the reputation of the NBA brand. 

Furthermore, greed is everywhere in these businesses: Stars in these leagues make much more annually than the average consumer. The point here is that these businesses present risks to investors that are not traditionally part of business. If employees of  a major corporation went on strike, the company's stocks would most likely get hammered in the short-term. If the CEO of a blue-chip company decided he wasn't going to report to work for months, or hold out for more money, these companies would face serious repercussions from investors. (For more information, read Stocks Basics: What Causes Stock Prices To Change?)  

The Bottom Line

Investing in companies that benefit from the multi-billion dollar sports business can be an appealing and profitable proposition. High consumer demand, pricing power and lack of competition, are critical success and survival advantages that big-time sports leagues and teams command. It is also important to realize that these businesses have unique risks. So, the next time you are at a sporting event, look at the ancillary businesses that support your favorite team and see if they make sense in your financial playbook. 

Also realize that sports entertainment is generally considered a "luxury" and subject to the economics laws of elasticity. The same human or emotional factors that attract us to spend our dollars on their product, can quickly sour due to unforeseen events.

This post originally appeared at Investopedia. 

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• These Are The 100 Most Spectacular Pictures In Sports
• Presenting: The 50 Most Worthless Players In The NBA
• Why The Obama Recovery Has Been Much More Impressive Than Reagan's

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/sportspage/~3/bpCw5NKsoow/the-pros-and-cons-of-investing-in-a-sports-franchise-2012-1

Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays chicago blackhawks columbus blue jackets

Sweep! Boston College Hockey Tops UNH In Overtime, 3-2

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/1/29/2756429/sweep-boston-college-hockey-tops-unh-in-overtime-3-2

Jhan Marinez Anibal Sanchez John Baker Brad Davis Logan Morrison Mike Stanton

GAME ON: America's Best Tailgating Cities

This post originally appeared at Food & Wine.

The term refers to partying in a parking lot, but college and NFL football fans across the country treat tailgating as over-the-top celebrations with enviable food.

"We want to dispel the notion that it's a college kegger party," says Paula Dillon, a Chicago Bears season-ticket holder who, with her husband, John, has been tailgating outside of Soldier Field for close to two decades. Despite their allegiance to the Bears, the Dillons plan menus that reference the visiting team, like barbecue when the Kansas City Chiefs come to town.

Cooking food influenced by the opposition is common practice, but stadium-goers also prepare their own regional tailgate foods among the ubiquitous hot dogs, burgers and grilled steaks. Patriots fans take pride in bringing New England seafood; Mexican food dominates at Chargers games in San Diego; and Southern tailgaters, like those on Duke University's campus in Durham, NC favor fried chicken, deviled eggs and hush puppies.

The recurring theme across tailgating scenes nationwide: devotion—not just to football teams, but also to the pregame tradition. Loyal fans like to make the case that their city pioneered tailgating: "We have some unscientific evidence that it was invented here," says Aaron Popkey, a Green Bay Packers spokesman.

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Perhaps the strongest arguments come from the students of the University of Mississippi. Ole Miss calls its dedicated tailgating grounds The Grove; fans serve fried chicken on silver platters, and it's not uncommon to see students tailgating in their Sunday best: dresses and high heels, suits and ties. Alumni even talk about the venue in spiritual terms: "You've probably heard it called 'the holy grail of tailgating' or 'the Mecca of tailgating' or some other religious metaphor that, in truth, is not overblown," says alum Matt Eichelberger.

Kansas City, MO

NFL: Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Stadium

Before each game, Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt strolls through the grounds visiting fans, a tradition started by his father, team founder Lamar Hunt. Kansas City–style barbecue is a draw, but Hunt believes Arrowhead Stadium's massive facilities are a primary reason that Chiefs tailgating is so popular. "We can park 25,000 cars and still have plenty of room for tailgating," he says.

Chicago, IL

NFL: Chicago Bears, Soldier Field

"You don't really have a football game without a tailgate. They go hand in hand," says Paula Dillon, who has been tailgating with her husband, John, for 18 years. The Dillons love the camaraderie in the lot. "Everyone knows each other," John says. Grilled Krispy Kreme donuts are an unusual specialty here. Bears fanatics also go for Chicago-style hot dogs: Vienna beef dogs topped with onion, relish, tomato, mustard, celery salt, pickles and pickled sport peppers (a small, medium-hot variety).

Buffalo, NY

NFL: Buffalo Bills, Ralph Wilson Stadium

Buffalo is the birthplace of wings, and Bills fans eat their share, though "beef on weck"—a steak sandwich on a kummelweck (Kaiser) roll—is also popular. For more than 20 years, superfan "Pinto Ken" has cooked with improvised grills on and around his 1980 Pinto (he bakes pizzas in a converted file cabinet). He recently faced scrutiny from officials for serving shots of liquor to other fans via the thumbhole of a bowling ball.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

• PRESENTING: The Best Cities For Street Food
• ROAD TRIP: 1,700 Miles To Discover The Best Wineries In Europe
• Here Is The Anti-Obama Administration Letter That Was Read To Almost Every Catholic Sitting In Church On Sunday

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/sportspage/~3/UlhDC4kdi7A/game-on-americas-best-tailgating-cities-2012-1

Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne Mathieu Carle Lars Eller Hal Gill

Sunday morning Rangers stuff

Source: http://www.lonestarball.com/2012/1/29/2756272/sunday-morning-rangers-stuff

Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Dodgers Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Oakland Athletics

Picture of Alex Morgan Bathing in Ice

Alex Morgan tweeted this out yesterday.� A pic of her and soccer team mate Whitney Engen taking an ice bath. Enjoy after the jump Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He?s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, [...]

Source: http://www.thesportsbank.net/soccer/picture-of-alex-morgan-bathing-in-ice/

Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne Mathieu Carle Lars Eller

WWE Royal Rumble 2012 Results: What We Learned from Sheamus' Win

The night is over, and we have a new star headed to WrestleMania.

In the end, it wasn't Randy Orton who couldn't even make it to the final two despite being the hometown hero. It wasn't the end of the world with a Chris Jericho win. No, Sheamus is going to WrestleMania.

After facing off in an epic final showdown with Jericho as the last two, Sheamus would take that final step and become the Royal Rumble winner with a chance to co-main event WM (beside Rock vs. Cena).

The question is: what does this all mean going forward?

WrestleMania is right around the corner with only three men confirmed for the event: The Rock, John Cena and Sheamus.

That means that next to the two biggest stars for WWE today, Sheamus is getting his rub. Not Orton who seems a likely favorite. Not Jericho, the dependable veteran.

Sheamus has gone down a long road to get to this moment. He came to the WWE on fire. After a short but successful run as a monster in ECW, Sheamus came to Raw and was given a "go straight to the main event" card like you only see once in five or six years at the least.

Sheamus won a battle royal orchestrated by Raw guest host Jesse Ventura where he was given a main event match against the WWE Champion at TLC in a tables match which, to the shock of everyone, Sheamus won.

This would be Sheamus' ticket as he eventually became a two-time WWE Champion, and he never seemed to be ready to slow down. This would cause many to hate Sheamus because they felt he wasn't ready for the main event scene.

Sheamus would hit a slump soon, though, thanks to politics and become the ridiculous King Sheamus decked out in red "royal" attire. This lead to a series of bad losses with Sheamus finally being drafted to SmackDown.

By this point, most who had been against Sheamus early in his career had begun giving him more credit. They pulled for him, and Sheamus rose to the occasion. He became a consistent presence on SmackDown after a huge face turn that radically changed Sheamus' career outlook.

Sheamus would go on a tear that was only seen by stars like Cena and Orton where Sheamus simply seemed unable to lose. The problem was that Sheamus fit nowhere. Too good for the midcard scene but not fitting as a main event challenger.

Sunday, that changed as well. Sheamus has turned everything into this moment. While some would say that Sheamus as a two-time WWE Champion is already a serious main eventer, only now is Sheamus almost at the level to consistently fit for that title.

With a Rumble win, Sheamus books his ticket to face a champion of his choosing and finally become a star. This is the moment where WWE creative has given the Celtic Warrior the green light.

Watch out because no matter who Sheamus faces there is no one who will stop his rise. In order to complete this journey, Sheamus will almost certainly beat whoever he faces at WrestleMania whether it be Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Wade Barrett, Randy Orton or even Dolph Ziggler.

Sheamus will finally end the Royal Rumble winner losing streak if this win means anything, and I can think everyone can agree at least in some fashion that Sheamus has paid his dues to make it to that pinnacle.

What do you think? Will Sheamus become World Champion at WrestleMania? Does he deserve to be champion? Who will he face?

Leave any all ideas and comments down below. Thanks for reading!

Follow @Draco711

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1044536-wwe-royal-rumble-2012-results-what-we-learned-from-sheamus-win

Javier Lopez Alex Hinshaw Ramon Ramirez Sergio Romo Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside

Oilers Season Small Improvements

Nothing happens as quickly as we would like it to. The week is too long, and the weekend too far away. A vacation is never long enough and again always seems much too far away. And so for the Edmonton Oilers, once again being a contender seems much too far away.

The rebuild has or hasn?t been rolling along according to plan, depending on who you speak to. The wins haven?t exactly been piling on top of one another and it?s not as though the revolving door to the infirmary has been immobilized. But, there have been some positives, something more that can be discussed beyond whether or not Tom Renney and Steve Tambellini should be replaced this off-season.

Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/patch/comments/oilers_season_small_improvements/

Francisco Cervelli Chad Moeller Jorge Posada Lance Berkman Reegie Corona Juan Miranda

Boston College Vs. Maine Football Set For September 8

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/1/28/2754156/2012-boston-college-football-schedule-maine

Anibal Sanchez John Baker Brad Davis Logan Morrison Mike Stanton Josh Bailey

Mike Newman on Roman Mendez

Source: http://www.lonestarball.com/2012/1/27/2752988/mike-newman-on-roman-mendez

Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Dodgers Minnesota Twins New York Yankees

Here Are This Week's Winners And Losers In Sports

This week was the calm before the wild Super Bowl week storm that's going to hit on Monday.

Luckily, some big names made headlines to keep us entertained.

A Pats star got engaged. A Yale star had his Rhodes scholar lie (maybe) exposed. And Novak Djokovic's girlfriend proved to be the most diehard fan in Melbourne.

WINNER: Jelena Ristic

Jelena made a name for herself this week by being super-intense during her boyfriend Novak Djokovic's matches.

Good for her. She's as much of a fan as we are.

WINNER: Eli Manning

Remember when Eli Manning was a joke?

Look at him now: people are saying that he's better than Tom Brady after his amazing run through the NFC playoffs.

WINNER: Wes Welker

Welker got engaged.

Scratch that, Welker got engaged to a former Miss Hooters who famously makes him breakfast in bed.

Well done.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

• WATCH: David Ferrer Nails Unsuspecting Australian Open Chair Umpire In The Head
• AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Sharapova Smashed Some No Name, Djokovic Dominated And Everything Else You Missed Last Night
• AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Serena Got Upset, Federer Killed Tomic-Mania And Everything Else You Missed This Weekend

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/sportspage/~3/okq2fwWggnA/here-are-this-weeks-winners-and-losers-in-sports-2012-1

Wade Belak Martin Erat Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne

All-Star 'Fantasy' Draft Sucks

Source: http://www.milehighhockey.com/2012/1/27/2752122/all-star-fantasy-draft-sucks

Alex Hinshaw Ramon Ramirez Sergio Romo Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside Mike Fontenot

Miami 76, Boston College 54: Another Complete 35 Minute Performance

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/1/29/2756568/miami-76-boston-college-54-another-complete-35-minute-game

Pat Burrell Jhan Marinez Anibal Sanchez John Baker Brad Davis Logan Morrison

Giants vs. Patriots: Pats in Perfect Position for Super Bowl 2012 and Beyond

The New England Patriots are set up perfectly to win Super Bowl 46 and are also set up for another great run in the next few years. The following two factors make the Patriots the favorites on Super Bowl Sunday and in great position for the next few seasons:

 

Improving Run-Defense

The Patriots' run-defense was terrible in the regular season, but in the playoffs it has been noticeably better. During the regular season, the Patriots gave up 4.6 yards per carry; through two postseason games against great rushing teams, they have only allowed 3.5 yards per carry.

If the Patriots can slow the Giants' running game, it will prevent New York from controlling the tempo. The Giants have a very good passing attack with Eli Manning, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, but they cannot defeat the Patriots in a shootout. Manning threw for 4,933 yards this year, but Brady's totals of 5,235 yards and 39 TDs were second only to Drew Brees.

Brady said he "sucked" against the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. Well, the Patriots still won, and Brady didn't have one of his best days, with only 239 yards, zero TDs and two INTs. That win was the product of the Patriots' run-defense's ability to slow Ray Rice and the Ravens.

The Giants need to establish a run game to create balance. The better the Patriots' run-defense is, the less likely the Giants can attain that balance. The Patriots will win the Super Bowl behind an improved defense and an offense that scores and moves the ball—even on Brady's bad days.

 

Multiple First-Round Picks

Brady and Bill Belichick are the cornerstones, and they make contention possible, but the pieces still have to be there to win. The Patriots have two first-round picks, and there are several players who could be available when the Pats make their selections.

A team that is already championship-caliber with multiple picks—and with few players set to leave via free agency—is a gold mine. Wes Welker is a free agent, but I really believe he will return on a two or three-year deal. 

New England has few spots that need to be improved. The secondary is an obvious need, though. The team was last in the NFL against the pass, and there are two cornerbacks who figure to be available when the Pats choose:

 

Stephen Gilmore, South Carolina

Gilmore is a cornerback with good size and decent athleticism who reminds me of Charles Tillman.

Chase Minnifield, Virginia

Minnifield is a second generation player (his dad Frank played for the Cleveland Browns) who has great ball skills.

As far as the other first-round selection, the Patriots could choose to add a playmaker at receiver. Chad Ochocinco will probably not return, and a speedster would be a great add to complement Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski.

The Patriots could go for Kendall Wright of Baylor. He has upside as a home run threat and is also a dynamic return man. Imagine giving Brady premium field position—that would make the attack that much more deadly.

The Patriots are in the Super Bowl now, and they have the flexibility and draft picks to get even better. Barring major injuries, get ready to see New England playing deep in to January and February for the next few years.

 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1043911-super-bowl-2012-new-england-patriots-are-in-perfect-position-to-win

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Before Winning Super Bowls And Marrying Gisele, Tom Brady Was A Can't Miss Baseball Prospect

Tom Brady is a little more than a week away from playing in his fifth Super Bowl, but he wasn't always the all-world quarterback married to a super model wife.

Did you know he was once a promising baseball prospect whose high school coach thought was even better than Major League Baseball's eventual all-time home run leader?

That's the case, according to Jeff Bradley's column in The Star-Ledger.

When he was the junior varsity coach, [former Junipero Serra High School (San Mateo, California) baseball coach Pete] Jensen was around a pretty solid all-around player, a lefty-hitting outfielder with speed and power. Kid’s name was Barry Bonds.

But there was this other player, a big, 6-4, 200-pound, lefty-hitting catcher, who, in Jensen’s eyes, stood out above the rest. The player’s name was Tom Brady.

[...]

“As good a football player as he was, I thought he was a better baseball player in high school.”

The Montreal Expos drafted him out of high school in the 18th round of the 1995 amateur draft and tried really hard to sign him. (He went so low in the draft because there were questions about actually being able to sign him, since he was committed to play football and baseball at the University of Michigan.) One long time major league scout even went as far as saying "there was no doubt" Brady would have a great career.

Of course Brady went on to have a solid, but unimpressive, four years at Michigan before being taken in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, and the rest is history.

It isn't unusual to hear stories about professional athletes who could've been great in a different sport. What is weird, though, is to think that the dude in the image below looked like a surefire pro anything a few years prior.

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See Also:

• The Fabulous Life Of Tom Brady (Or, Why Everyone Thinks He's A Pretty Boy)
• REMINDER: Pretty Much Every College Coach Who Has Jumped To The NFL Has Failed Miserably
• The Most Powerful Athletes In 2012

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/sportspage/~3/AtysmbahbmQ/tom-brady-high-school-baseball-prospect-2012-1

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WATCH: A 70-Foot Buzzer-Beater Sent A Euroleague Game Into Overtime

The Euroleague, a World Cup-like basketball tournament for the best basketball teams in Europe, is underway, and the Greek club Olympiacos provided a highlight that translates into any language.

After Turkey's GS Medical Park sank a free throw for a three point lead with just two seconds remaining, Olympiacos inbounded the ball and sank a game-tying three-pointer from about 70 feet away. Unfortunately for Olympiacos, they would go on to lose the game in overtime.

It is worth noting that Matt Howard, who led the Butler Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Championship games, is listed on the Olympiacos roster, but did not play in this game (note: as pointed out in the comments, Howard was recently released by Olypiacos).

Here is the video...

 

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See Also:

• SPORTS CHART OF THE DAY: Is Prince Fielder Worth $214 Million?
• WATCH: Dunk Of The Year Candidate Leads To Player's Ejection
• SPORTS CHART OF THE DAY: Without Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh Looks Like An All-Star Again

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/sportspage/~3/5eV5Wl13bPI/watch-a-70-foot-buzzer-beater-sent-a-euroleague-game-into-overtime-2012-1

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The Latest On The CBA Talks

from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail, Neither Fehr nor Bettman would discuss what each felt were the major issues. Bettman said he only hopes they can reach an agreement quickly once the talks begin.

?My hope is that we can reason together and that collective bargaining will be painless and quiet and quick,? Bettman said following an NHL board of governors meetinf. ?That would serve everyone?s best interest.?

Union sources say a quick resolution is possible but only if the players present a united front to the owners. That might be enough to convince the owners to avoid a lockout, which could severely damage a league that is still recovering in some markets from the season-long lockout in 2004-05.

The two biggest issues involve revenue sharing. The owners want to reduce the players? take of hockey-related revenue from the current 57 per cent to less than 50 to mirror the agreements recently reached in the NFL and NBA. The players want the owners to radically change their system for sharing revenues between richer and poorer teams and increase the amount of shared revenue.

Fehr said just because the NBA and NFL players agreed to reduce their overall share of league revenue it does not mean the NHL players will follow suit.

more

Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/the_latest_on_the_cba_talks/

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WWE Royal Rumble 2012: Daniel Bryan Continues His Improbable Run

It has seemed like Daniel Bryan has been World Heavyweight Champion for a long time. It was only at the last pay-per-view that Bryan cashed in Money in the Bank to win the world title from the new champion, Big Show. In the last few weeks of 2011, all three of these men were the champion at some point. Since winning it, Bryan has seemed to wish upon a few shooting stars and be granted some Christmas miracles a few weeks after the fact.

Big Show wants one more run and probably won't get it. His accident with AJ is giving him so much grief that it may be the thing that breaks the giant emotionally. As for Mark Henry, he was injured on this past Smackdown and was covered up on the TV airing. I would imagine that Henry gets his injury written into tonight's match or even by not making it to the ring.

Bryan is the only one not emotionally or physically scarred at the moment, so he is an easy win. It also seems real easy to me to say that he needs someone new to brawl with for WrestleMania. At least in my mind, that spells a Smackdown guy winning the Royal Rumble.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1043577-wwe-royal-rumble-2012-everything-you-need-to-know-before-tonights-event/entry/166898-wwe-royal-rumble-2012-daniel-bryan-continues-his-improbable-run

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ESPN?s Jill Montgomery: the New Erin Andrews Possibly?

When walking onto press row for Illini versus Michigan State last night, out of the corner of my eye I noticed what I thought was Erin Andrews and thought to myself “well, I guess EA dyed her hair.” Turns out it wasn’t EA at all, but a ESPN newbie who’s taking a lot of the [...]

Source: http://www.thesportsbank.net/college-bball/espns-jill-montgomery-the-new-erin-andrews-possibly/

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Belated Two O'clock Numbers: 0, 18

Source: http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2012/1/27/2752961/two-oclock-number-hartnell-is-carrying-giroux

Josh Bailey Mark Eaton Trent Hunter Andy Hilbert Bruno Gervais Dustin Kohn

Boston College Football Recruit Jaxon Hood Will Announce Decision Wednesday On FS Arizona

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2012/1/28/2754798/2012-boston-college-football-recruiting-jaxon-hood-arizona-state

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The All Stars - Colorado Avalanche's Past.

Source: http://www.milehighhockey.com/2012/1/27/2721788/the-all-stars-colorado-avalanches-past

zach Parise bryce Salvador Wade Belak Martin Erat Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark

'RUNNERS CLOSE OUT SEASON ON TOP OF NAHL

Source: http://www.americanjuniorhockey.com/2011/03/runners-close-out-season-on-top-of-nahl.html

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CBS Sports Fires Blogger Who Prematurely Reported Joe Paterno's Death

CBS Sports has fired blogger Adam Jacobi for reporting Joe Paterno's death before it actually happened. The report proved to be unsubstantiated, leading to an apology from CBS Sports.

Here's what Jacobi had to say on the matter:

I had an awesome 17 months with CBSSports.com. I'm sorry to everyone, most importantly the Paterno family, for how it ended.

— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) January 27, 2012

In the end, CBS had to let me go for the Paterno story going out the way it did, and I understand completely. Thanks, everyone, for reading.

— Adam Jacobi (@Adam_Jacobi) January 27, 2012

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See Also:

• Being A Legendary Football Coach Doesn't Make You A Good Person, So Let's Stop Whitewashing Joe Paterno's Legacy
• Joe Paterno Has Died
• Penn State Students: Joe Paterno 'Killed By Trustees'

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/sportspage/~3/K0XEMJWnVFk/cbs-sports-fires-blogger-who-prematurely-reported-joe-paternos-death-2012-1

Javier Lopez Alex Hinshaw Ramon Ramirez Sergio Romo Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside