by Tom Weppel
Random thoughts from a cluttered mind...
After the Championship games have been played, we will now look to the rematch between the Giants and Patriots. I’m sure we’ll hear so much about the last regular season game played between these two squads, with New England of course, winning. We’ll see every play dissected and broken down for us to get the ins and outs of both teams and we’ll hear how the Patriots are a team of destiny. We’ll hear from Tom Brady and Randy Moss. EVERYONE will get in on the Super Bowl.
So, I would suggest everyone do their best to rest their ears for at least this week, because it’s gonna’ get nasty. The coverage of the Super Bowl has gotten so out of hand, it’s ridiculous. I am thankful I don’t have to be a part of the mess of media covering the event.
All you need to know is that the Patriots are heavily favored to win this one and it will take a lot for the Giants to overcome New England. Meanwhile, on a local level, I’m guessing there are a lot of Jaguar fans that still have a fondness for Tom Coughlin and are reveling in the Giants winning the NFC. Coughlin has taken the Giants far this year, especially on the road, where New York has won ten straight games! That is simply unheard of in the NFL, but the Giants did it and they deserve congratulations. Tom Coughlin deserves props for doing his job, especially when no one thought he would.
Down in Australia, where it is summertime, they are playing the first major tennis championship of the season. On the Men’s side, all-comers are trying to beat Roger Federer, who has dominated the competition for the last few years, sans the French Open. Federer is simply incredible in his play, and I he’ll be tough to defeat. With the loss by Andy Roddick in the first week, we saw a guy who is continuously eroding his reputation as being and up-and-comer. Roddick simply does not have the game to play at the highest level and beat the top players in the world.
The Women’s side is more balanced, with a number of players capable of winning the title. Justine Henin is clearly #1 in the world, but others can pull off the upset and claim the title in Melbourne. Look for Serena and Venus Williams to make a statement as they show their talents in singles and in doubles.
Schools have started Conference play in college basketball. We are starting to see upsets around the country, as competition heats up. On a local level, we see that the Florida Gators have a team that is competitive and young, but also has the skill to come out and win better games. Billy Donovan is using this season to groom his boys for next year. That is justified, after winning the past two National titles.
The Florida State Seminoles are roughing it out in the ACC. They have a competitive team, but aren’t at the top of the ACC, as you see Duke and North Carolina continue to rule the conference.
In town, UNF is bad and JU is trying their best, winning a few games in the conference. Both will only get into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Conference Tournament at the end of the season.
If you take a quick look at the standings, you’ll see that the Miami Heat suck. That’s right, the team that still has Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal and Pat Riley is absolutely terrible. They are at the bottom of the barrel in the NBA, having lost thirteen consecutive games at one point. In the last year or so, team Management has let the roster unravel and, combined with injuries to both O’Neal and Wade, have turned a team that won the NBA title only a few years ago into a pathetic squad. It’s amazing how things can change so quickly in the NBA, but it also proves that you have to have damn good players who are willing to play as a team in order to win. That’s not the case down in Miami. And my guess is that it might be a long time before we see the Heat turn around and become a respectable outfit.
Tom Weppel talks trash with Greg Larson, Lonnie Marts, Eugene Chung, Artis Gilmore, and Ron Duguay on SportsAvengers.com 24/7.
|
