A new Sports Talk feature is the daily roundup serving the readers a review of each days’ sports news and an opinionated remark on each. Check back daily for a new Sports Roundup. Here is today’s:
Today was a very light day in sports as it is the day after Christmas, so here is a recap of the few stories that made news today.
Clemens’ Lawyer Begins Fight: After being accused in the Mitchell Report of using performance-enhancing drugs, Roger Clemens has begun his fight. His lawyer has begun his own investigation and has found that, “to our surprise, we have identified several people who logic dictates the Mitchell team should have talked to but did not. That’s troubling”. Clemens has vehemently denied the allegations since they first came out. If any other evidence turns up indicating that Clemens used steroids, he will never be able to recover his reputation. Unless he is certain that he can be proved innocent, he should not make these comments as they are only going to cost him later.
Motor City Bowl: Tonight is the Motor City Bowl where currently Purdue and Central Michigan are tied at 41 at the end of the 3rd quarter. This game has been a shootout (obvious by the score) with Central Michigans’ quarterback Dan LeFevour throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for two. Central Michigan finished the year strong winning four of their last five, including a victory over Miami (OH) in the MAC Championship. Purdue was nearly the opposite, winning their first five games and then losing their last three. Though neither team is ranked in the top 25, it has been an exciting game and is set up for a great ending Read more…
With over a month of the NBA season complete, the top of the league is a crowded. The usual Western Conference powerhouses, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas, are all up there, but the Eastern Conference is finally making some noise. Detroit is good as always, but Boston and Orlando have burst on to the scene as title contenders. Orlando cente
r Dwight Howard has become one of, if not the best, big man in the NBA. He averages 23 points and 15 rebounds per game, and his supporting players have picked up their play as well. Rashard Lewis is averaging 18 points per game and Jameer Nelson is averaging 12 points and 6 assists. After a 40-42 season last year, Orlando has jumped out to a 18-10 record this year and is poised to make a run at an Eastern Conference title. Read more…
Remember that game with ice and pucks? With power plays and goals? Yes that game. The NHL season actually began over a month and a half ago, but how many people actually know that. ESPN pays no attention to the dying sport. The NHL’s decision to use Versus to broadcast national games was terrible. Few people know what channel Versus is and those that do hate the station. Had the NHL chosen ESPN over Versus, the sport would have gained much more publicity and increased its fan base. Though its fan base is small, I consider myself one of the lucky ones who watch the sport. The games have been exciting this year with young players such as Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin taking over the sport. Let’s take a look at the beginning of the season:
1. Best Team
This choice was pretty simple, but it was not 100% clear either. The Ottawa Senators started the year on a roll, winning fifteen of their first 17 games. All of a sudden, they lost seven in a row, came back to earth, but they have won their last five in a row. The Detroit R
ed Wings, on the other hand, have played consistently excellent hockey all year giving them a league-leading 49 points. With Ottawa being too inconsistent and having only 45 points, the Red Wings have been the best team so far this season. Left Winger Henrik Zetterberg is having a great season, second in the league in both points and goals (43 and 23 respectively). Goalie Chris Osgood has been phenomenal, leading the league with a 1.76 GAA. Of the 20 players who have played at least 20 games for the Red Wings this season, only two have a negative +/-. The most telling statistic may be average goal differential in which the Red Wings average margin of victory is 1.22 goals per game. The second-place Ottawa Senators average margin of victory is .97 goals per game, a quarter goal less than Detroit. Read more…
