Sports Then and Now

Until the fourth period of the final game of the weekend, it appeared that the four top seeds were going to hold serve in the second round of the playoffs.

Then, the upstart New York Jets sparked the most hope among their fans in more than 40 years with a shocking comeback to defeat the San Diego Chargers and advance to the AFC Championships Game.

Ironically, the Jets will face the team that was their opponent in the greatest game in franchise history, the Colts (the Baltimore Colts in 1969 and now playing in Indianapolis).

With the exception of the upset by the Jets, the divisional round games were surprisingly void of excitement or competition. The three top seeds claimed victory by an average of 26 points.

Entering the weekend, there had been an over abundance of discussion about whether the teams with the best records would be hurt by playing conservatively during the last weeks of the season and then rusty following a bye. Surprisingly, that really didn’t seem to be much of an issue.

Instead, the Cardinals looked worn down following their track meet with the Packers a week ago while the Cowboys and Ravens were dominated by superior teams.

With the NFC title game matching the top two teams in the conference and the upstart Jets looking for their second win over the Colts in a month, the conference title game promise to be very exciting and intriguing. Read the rest of this entry →

Lindsay Tarpley is a new edition for the Athletica.

The St. Louis Athletica completed a successful inaugural season in 2009 with a 10-6-4 record that included a playoff run. Boasting one of the strongest defensive lines in the league, the Athletica only struggled with goal scoring. In the 2010 WPS draft, the Athletica made the most of their late picks and selected several strong players who will make an impact in the second season.

Here are in-depth descriptions of each of the Athletica’s seven draft picks from January 15. Included are the International players drafted in September, 2009. Also profiled is a well-known player at the center of a surprising trade…

In a trade that came a mere 20 minutes before the draft began, St. Louis traded goalkeeper Jillian Loyden to the Chicago Red Stars for US International midfielder Lindsay Tarpley.

“This was a big opportunity for us to improve our club,” said Head Coach Jorge Barcellos in a WPS interview. “…we have received a midfielder that has world class credentials and ability. Lindsay Tarpley will be an amazing addition to Saint Louis Athletica.”

The Kalamazoo, Michigan native scored 30 international goals for the United States and scored 4 during her time with Chicago last year. Her strong presence in the midfield and her nose for the goal will improve the Athletica’s scoring position and offensive abilities. Read the rest of this entry →

Rafael Nadal will look to repeat his Australian Open success from a year ago.

There is certainly a lot to whet the appetite in this opening Grand Slam of the year, and judging from the intense preparations of all the top players, the competition will be fierce from the word go. Even before the Christmas presents were open, most had headed to training camps or tournaments in hot climates to get used to the punishing heat of Melbourne.

But the crystal-ball is even more misty than ever, this year, for all sorts of reasons.

There are old hands who are turning head-to-head records upside down: Nikolay Davydenko, for example, has notched up two consecutive wins over Roger Federer.

There are promising new kids on the block suddenly rising to the challenge of the Grand Slams: Juan Martin Del Potro won his first at Flushing Meadows; Robin Soderling made the final in Paris.

Injury cut a swathe through the top of the rankings: first Federer took time out, then Rafael Nadal disappeared from two Grand Slams with tendinitis.

Meanwhile some oldies-but-goldies have attacked the Tour and the rankings with renewed vigor: Andy Roddick almost won Wimbledon; Tommy Haas celebrated victories over  Novak Djokovic, a semi-final at Wimbledon, and a 60-place jump in the rankings.

JA Allen (JA), Marianne Bevis (MB) and Rajat Jain (RJ), try to take all this into account in our analysis and predictions for the men’s draw.

Click here to see our women’s predictions.

Roger Federer’s First Quarter

Not an easy draw—possibly the worst of the four—for the top seed. Even the ATP home page calls it “daunting.” A first round match-up against Igor Andreev, a gnat’s whisker outside the seedings, would not be the top of any player’s list.

Another dangerous non-seed and former finalist is Marcos Baghdatis. Deeper into the draw is Aussie favorite Lleyton Hewitt and, most dangerous of all, form player of the moment, Nikolay Davydenko. He, though, might have to contend with last year’s star performer, Fernando Verdasco, to make the quarters.

Read the rest of this entry →

Serena Williams will look for a repeat of her 2009 Australian Open championship.

In recent history there has never been more compelling drama promised than that offered in the 2010 Australian Open women’s draw. Consider all the possible story lines, what with the Williams sisters fit and fully engaged and Maria Sharapova back to compete hopefully at full strength once again.

Then there is the continuing saga of the “Come-back Queens”—Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin! Add to that the potential for Dinara Safina to finally find her missing courage.

For a pinch of entertainment enhance the proceedings with the ingenues Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki and you have all the ingredients for a first rate, blockbuster grand slam down under.

Rajat Jain (RJ), Marianne Bevis (MB), and JA Allen (JA) will present our analysis and predictions for the women’s draw—with the men’s draw to follow in short order.
Serena Williams’ First Quarter

As quarters go, Serena has almost a cake-walk to the quarterfinals unless she stumbles getting out of the gate. The rest seems fairly straightforward with the seeds progressing in order.
Best of the first-round matches

Urszula Radwanska vs. Serena Williams (1)

The two have met on the grass at Wimbledon where Serena won 6-4, 6-4 but Radwanska, seeded 190 at the time, played well. An early match against a seasoned opponent could prove dangerous for the No. 1 seed. (Unanimous choice.) Read the rest of this entry →

Happy 68th Birthday to three-time Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali.

In honor of the 68th birthday of one of the great sports personalities of the 20th Century, Sports Then and Now has selected some YouTube moments to remember the remarkable career of the self-proclaimed “Greatest of All-Time.”

Born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942 with the name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Muhammad Ali emerged on the boxing scene in 1960 when he won Light Heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.

He defeated Sonny Liston to win the Heavyweight Title on February 25, 1964 and held it for more than three years with nine title defenses before he was stripped of the title after refusing induction into the U.S. Army.

Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and claimed the WBA and/or WBC Heavyweight Championship two more times during his career. Overall, he went 56-5 in his career, including 22 wins where he either won or regained the WBA and/or WBC Heavyweight title.

Below are some videos featuring the greatness of Muhammad Ali:

Read the rest of this entry →

It was summer, in the late 1950s. I was a young kid about to enter the “Sandblasters”, an intermediate baseball league, just a step below Little League.

My old hand-me-down ball glove was feeling it’s age, so I was saving my money for a new one. The fact that all my friends were sporting new gloves may have fueled my motives as well…

Finally the day arrived when I had enough cash to plunk down $8.95 at the Montgomery Wards store and buy my very own mitt. I didn’t care that it was a Hawthorne, Wards’ economy “house brand”.

It had a great new-leather smell and it was a Stan Musial signature model.

After the initial thrill began to wear off, I noticed it was rather stiff and felt awkward in my hand. It had no “pocket”, like my old glove.

A pocket is important in a baseball mitt. It is the very heart of the glove—a vague, but tangible “sweet spot” inside the webbing, where every hit or thrown ball would ideally be captured.

In the mind of a yet unspoiled and innocent lad, the pocket held a certain mystique—a magnetic attraction to any spherical horsehide object in motion.

My older brother told me how I could quickly form a pocket in my new glove: oil the mitt generously with goose grease, place a ball in the web of the glove, then close the glove around the ball and tie it tightly with a rawhide shoelace.

For some yet unknown reason, it was also important to place the bundle under my pillow and sleep on it. Read the rest of this entry →