MG Sports Talk

Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ - Finally! Paulie Malignaggi(27-3, 5 KOs) wins a notable bout (and the IBF light welterweight belt) and showcases his talent on a big stage. Yes, flamboyant and easy to hate, the Magic Man displayed his crafty style of stick and move against a promising Juan Diaz(35-3, 17 KOs), who had beaten Paulie just 4 months earlier.

After losses in his last 3 big fights, 1 from Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton each, the kid from Brooklyn had his chance to shine on neutral ground from the UIC Pavillion in Chicago and that he did. In an effort to redeem a controversial loss in Diaz’s hometown in August, Paulie went to work early using his signature jab and opted to take advantage of his height and speed. Diaz aka the Baby Bull fired things up in rounds 3-5, inticing Malignaggi to come close and brawling inside. The Magic Man hung in there, egging Diaz on with a tounge here and a bug-eye there, but kept his head and fought smarter as the fight progressed.

The hardest shots were absorbed by Malignaggi, no doubt, but the continuous work and movement shown by the elder fighter made way for a dominant result as Paul won the unanimous decision 116-111 across the board. No controversy here. And for anyone who saw both fights, you would likely agree that the Magic Man earned both of these and deserves the belt…for now.

Malignaggi reacts after hurting Diaz

Gone are the days of a 24 hour sports network. Say hello to the present day version of sports television, a new hybrid of sports, entertainment, drama, politics and touchy-feelyness have taken over your sets. 

I gave up on ESPN years ago but must continue to watch b/c of the games they have rights to (mostly college sports). If possible, I try to change the channel immediately after a game to avoid the gossipy bubble gum talk that often follows. I avoid Sportscenter and opt for more straightforward highlights on competing networks such as Fox Sports Net or I go online. I am done with the drama. I am done with the insignificant headlines and I am sick of the political correctness. The last straw was Sunday night’s drama-fest over the Tiger Woods’ fall from grace. Jeremy Schapp’s whiney voice magnifying a regurgitated story over soap opera music almost made me toss my cookies. Or perhaps it was the segment-long story of Tom Cable’s off the field accusations of domestic violence a couple weeks back, interviewing past lovers, that snapped me into reality. I checked the TV… “Is this Lifetime? Oxygen?” Nope. That’s your modern day “sports” network folks. Love it or leave it.

Are we women or men? Are we watching a sports network or E! television??? Do we care about an athlete’s performance on the field more than their love life? I hope so. I do, my sister doesn’t. Hey sports fans…men and women alike…we need to grow a pair! Turn ESPN off and let the sports back into your life. FESPN! Regardless of what you’re being told everywhere else…MG Sports Talk confirms:

“It’s ok to be straight!”

….Right, Jeremy? Right?

I heart drama and cry during dialogue

It has now been over a week since the news broke that Tiger Woods was in a car accident. I’ll admit when I first heard the news, I can taken aback. Could it be true? The best golfer to ever play the game injured? Is it bad? Can he play again? I’m sure these are questions everyone had about it. Luckily, it was just a car accident. But then slowly, more and more news started coming out. 2:30 am. Rumors of affairs. Wife Elin Nordegren busting out his back window with a golf club. Laying in the street half-awake. Which was made even better today by the news that he was snoring. All sorts of women coming out saying they were involved. What really happened in his house at that time? Will we ever
know? I don’t think we will but we’ll all come up with our own theories. I’m with the one that says his wife confronted him about the affairs and he tried leaving the house. She wanted to beat him down so she chased him out of the house which caused him to crash. She busted the window at some point but since Tiger and his wife are in agreement
that it was to get him out, who knows? But really, after hearing all of the news, are you really that surprised? I’m not. He travels the world and is rich as hell. Women will do what they can to get to him. He probably has crushed an insane amount of women. I might be a little surprised since we know so little about his personal life. His worse offense so far is that he swears on the golf course too much. That’s it?!? You know that no one lives a clean life so there just had to be something to him. And here it is. But how bad does it go? That we will never know because women are crazy. There are some out there that will do whatever it takes to get attention. Wasn’t one of these girls once on tv for a reality show? How shady is that? Sadly in our celebrity driven society, this news will stick around for a little bit. But just like Kobe, I think Tiger will eventually get away from this. If you ever saw the details about Kobe, it was pretty bad. But he went out and dribbled for everyone and it was all good. It cost Kobe $2 Mil or whatever it was. This could cost Tiger $5 Mil. Chump change to him so it’s not really a big deal. Tiger will win a few tournaments again and all will be back to normal. At least until the next scandal hits. Go Tiger!

"I crush women all over the woooorld!"

Article by Josef Harrison

Here are some of the women that have surfaced in this Tiger Woods’ affair scandal. Really??? I like wifey better.                                  

Morgantown, WV - Mountaineer Field readies for the 102nd annual Backyard Brawl which pits interstate rivals West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Pittsburgh Panthers and remains the 14th longest running rivalry game in the country.

The Panthers come into Friday night with a record of 9-1 and are undefeated in conference play. A BCS bid is in sight and a win over Cincinnati, regardless of tonight’s outcome, will get the Panthers there. Pitt’s freshman running back Dion Lewis holds 4th on yards per game nationally averaging 129. Panthers QB Bill Stull is 4th nationally in passing with 18 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. I wish the same could be said for West Virginia’s signal caller. WVU’s Jarrett Brown has shown flashes of Daunte Culpepper but has looked more like JaMarcus Russell (in a Raiders uniform) of late.  The Mountaineer offense has been flat while the defense has allowed 100 yard rushers in their last 3 games. This is not a good trend on either side of the ball for Coach Bill Stewart’s squad.

The last time these two teams met for the Backyard Brawl at Mountaineer Field, Rich Rodriquez was outcoached and the #2 Mounties dropped the ball in arguably the biggest game in WVU history while blowing an opportunity to play for the 2007 National Championship. Pitt came in unranked that year. The 2009 Brawl gives the Mountaineers and their fans a chance to get a small piece of revenge for that horrific night.

Neither team will be effected greatly with a win or loss in regards to conference standings. This is a matter of pride for the 2 schools that are seperated by only 75 miles of highway and yes, a state border as well. Maybe not as hyped as the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry or the Auburn-Alabama intrastate tradition, fans of WVU and Pitt know the history, intensity and importance of this game.

Last game’s playcalling was horrendous and I refuse to sit back and let the WVU administration ho-hum around a mediocre football program just because the coach is a likeable, homegrown guy. I want a winner, not a friend. A loss today and Bill Stewart’s career as a coach at West Virginia should be, without a doubt, over. Is it obvious who I am going with today?

Pitt -1 is a lock. Thanks Bill Stewart. You are bound to blow this game.   Who do you have ?

Cincinnati, OH - Tonight will shape the top of the Big East picture. A win for West Virginia would not only crush the #5 Cincinnati Bearcats’ National Championship hopes, but could possibly open the door for the Mountaineers to steal the conference title. With #8 Pittsburgh and red hot Rutgers left on the schedule, WVU is still in the mix by the numbers.

The Bearcats will start a talented backup QB in Zach Collaros, a Steubenville, OH native. What up Cov. Collaros has played out of his mind in the backup role, throwing for 1100 yards with only one INT and a total of 12 TD’s in 3 plus games. WHAT?!?! Not only does the shaky WVU defense have to worry about Collaros as a dual threat, they also need to worry about first string QB Tony Pike coming back from a forearm injury tonight to replace Collaros when needed. UC Coach Brian Kelly does not want to force Pike back onto the field, and why should he? His backup threw for 480 yards last week. With Big East leading WR Mardy Gilyard giving back QB’s a big target, and Cinci averaging 40 point per game, the Mountaineer defense with have their hands full to say the least.

Still without Scooter Berry, who was suspended indefinitely for punching a cop and an injured Noel Devine, WVU will be looking for some0ne to step it up this game. Afterall, the Mounties struggled against lowly Louisville last week and I’m afraid the lack of discipline under 2nd year head coach Bill Stewart will rear its ugly head this Friday. WVU is a 10 point dog according to Vegas. I’m taking Cinci in a near-blowout and WVU will turn the ball over 4 times courtesy of inconsistent QB Jarrett Brown.

Leave your picks

As a boxing fan, you wade through all the muck for months, even years, to get to a fight like this. You tolerate all the beat around the bush fights, the meaningless mandatories, the over-hyped promo bouts. But Cotto vs Pacquiao is that fight you crave and the sport, after turning its back on its fans over and again, finally shows a little gratitude. Its gonna cost you $50 to watch but hey, its the thought that counts. Promoter Bob Arum will pit two of his own against each other in a battle of the best in the welterweight division. Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO) will step up in weight after  pummeling Ricky Hatton in the 2nd round in an unpredictable victory this past May. That fight was at 140lbs. Before that, Pac Man stunned De La Hoya in the biggest fight of his career one year ago. Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) knows a thing or two about winning. The Puerto Rican native and adopted son of New York City has notable wins over Paul Malignaggi,  Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and most recently up-and-coming Joshua Clottey via split decison in June.

Vegas line show Pacquiao at -250 to win and an over/under of 9.5 rounds. After seeing the godfather of The Philippines KO Hatton with ease, the public expects to see that same kind of power from the naturally smaller fighter. Pac Man hasn’t disappointed his rabid fan base but Cotto offers challenges in ways that will limit his attack. Junito has only one loss in his career for good reason. A heady fighter with a strong will, expect Cotto to step forward cautiously but consistently. Neither one of these fighters likes to hold, so expect action throughout.

This fight takes place this Saturday November 14 at 9pm EST at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV and airs on PPV .

I got Pacquiao winning by unanimous decision. Who will win this fight?

The Bronx, NY - It’s a hard pill to swallow for the rest of the country, especially Philadelphia, but the New York Yankees have clinched their 27th World Series Championship after winner Game 6 of the 2009 Series. Hate as you will, but the Yankees are nothing but players in the game of Major League Baseball and they play well. Bring on the “you buy your championship” complaints and I’ll tell you to talk to the Commish or Player’s Union, not a team and definitely not a fan.

After missing the playoffs a year ago, the Yanks scooped up two of the best pitchers, the best hitter and several other key additions in the offseason. Bottom line…the 2009 season was World Series win or bust for this Yankees squad. The Philadelphia Phillies came into the playoffs defending the 2008 prize but few expected the Phils to top their northern counterpart. Don’t feel bad, the Phillies are loaded with talent and will see their fair share of wins in the near term. And give it up to the team you love to hate. Go ahead and lie about how you would never want Derek Jeter, Hideku Matsui, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera to play on your team.

Here are the MG MVP’s of the 2009 World Series:

SS Derek Jeter 11 H, 5 R, .407 avg

DH Hideki Matsui 3 HR, 8 RBI, .615 avg

RP Mariano Rivera 5.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2 Saves

SP C.C. Sabathia 13.2 IP, 11 H, 12 SO

RP Domaso Marte 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0.00 ERA, 5 SO

2B Chase Utley 7 R, 5 HR, 8 RBI

SP Cliff Lee 2-0, 2.81 ERA, 13 SO

Thanks to the Yankees for a memorable season. Let’s start thinking about a 2010 title. This squad is too talented to not be favorites each and every year. And to all the true blue Phillies fans…did you really think you’d get 2 in a row? The National League, once again, must bow to their superior counterpart and the obnoxious Phils fans are left to cry in their Yuengling. I don’t feel bad. Thats what you get for using canned cheese on your steak sandwiches.

And yes, Pedro, we’re still your daddy.

NOVEMBER:  Katie Sue

Hello!  I’m Katie from Appleton, WI.  I am a 22 year old college student majoring in Marketing. I also work as a nanny and model!  And of course…I am a Green Bay Packers fan!!

To see more of Katie, visit the MG Sports Talk - Girls of the Month page.  Click on the Hot Girls link to see all of the MG ladies.

I guess you can drink at USF games...nice

Tampa, FL - It seems like every time these teams meet its a season-changing game for both. South Florida (5-2) started the 2009 campaign fast with a 5-0 out of the gates and a huge road win against ranked Florida State making their way into the AP Top 25 before falling consecutively to Big East leaders Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, currently ranked #6 and #16 respectively. #20 West Virginia (6-1) has also started the season strong with their only loss coming at Auburn in a game that saw the Mountaineers give up the ball 6 times. Yes, 6. A close win over an inspired and respected UCONN team last week moved the Eers up the polls but many of WVU’s toughest tests remain on the schedule.

Bottom line…tonight’s game, which will be televised at 8pm ET on ESPN2, is a must win for both teams if either wants a chance at the Big East title. The Mountaineers still have tough games to play at Cincinnati and at Rutgers with the Backyard Brawl vs. rival Pitt in Morgantown this year. And WVU fans remember all too well what happened the last time the Panthers came to Touchdown City. USF is in the midst of arguably the hardest 3 game lineup of any team this year but could stay afloat with a home win under the lights at Raymond James Stadium.

Here is what to look for:

WVU RB Noel Devine is the most exciting player in the country. Averaging 130 ypg, #7 is liable to take it to the house everytime he touches the ball. Expect WVU to get creative on offense by using Devine in multiple sets and even splitting him out as a slot receiver to avoid USF’s D line.

USF has 2 defensive ends headed to the NFL in George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul. The young Mountaineer O line will have their hands full, especially on pass plays, where these 2 monsters excel. Conversely, the Bulls have the 2nd worst rush defense in the Big East so look for big numbers on the ground for Dub Vee.

WVU QB Jarrett Brown ranks 23rd in passer rating nationwide, proof that West Virginia has opened up their offense to a good mix. Brown’s obvious downfall is in his inability to hold on to the ball and his decision-making through the air has been shaky. For tonight, I would give him the green light to tuck and run early and often. Expect to see a similar style on the other side of the ball with USF backup QB B.J. Daniels. Matt Grothe’s replacement, has seen mild success in both the air and ground game. Against Florida State, Daniels ran for 127 yards, looking an awful lot like the injured USF starter. Although, Daniels has had his trouble through the air with 4 INTs in his last 2 starts.

Also…look for hot girls in the crowd. Supposedly, the girl pictured, Jen Sterger goes from game to game with the home teams’ colors on and sits up front to get TV time. Now thats a true fan….of herself. I’d be a fan too if you chopped off that mug or if she was wearing Blue & Gold. See more of superfan Jennifer Sterger.

Expect an exciting game tonight, as these two teams have formed somewhat of a fierce rivaly in 5 short years. The series is tied 2-2 and USF seems to have WVU’s number on defense. The Mountaineer offense has been held to under 20 points in all 4 previous games. I expect a close game with WVU beating the spread of -3

WVU 24
USF 20

Jenn says…Leave your picks!

With the Lincoln Tunnel at Exit 17 and the Walt Whitman Bridge at Exit 3 the 2009 World Series is also the “Battle of the New Jersey Turnpike”. Its cheesesteaks vs. cheesecakes, cream cheese vs. bagels, hoagies vs. heroes, ”wuddur” vs. “wuttah”.

The NL Champs Philadelphia Phillies will defend their 2008 crown against the AL Champs New York Yankees in this year’s World Series. Game 1 is tonight with C.C. Sabathia on the mound in the Bronx facing new Phils ace Cliff Lee. A big surprise came when the Phillies announced that they would start old-timer Pedro Martinez in Game 2 in place of last year’s Series MVP (and Rancho Bernardo native) Cole Hamels, who has struggled on the road this year. Pedro, of course, has plenty of experience facing the pinstripes in a hostile enviroment and has pitched well down the stretch. He will go up against the streaky A.J. Burnett on Thursday night, with Hamels and Pettitte to start in Game 3. Let’s take a look at the matchup advantages:

Pitching
NY starters have been better than expected in the postseason and with C.C. going 3 times if needed, the Phillies will have their work cut out. Philly’s starters match up well but the Yanks bullpen, up until late, have been strong. Closer Brad Lidge has held his own but is known to crumble under pressure whereas Mariano Rivera revels in it.
Advantage: Yankees

Offense
The bats are alive on both sides and the timing couldn’t be better. Arod has showed his worth so far this October…can he keep it going when it counts most? Other than Nick Swisher and Mark Texiera, the Yankee bats are taking care of business, which spells trouble for the team down south. Philly will look to see more production out of Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins and hope Victorino and Werth can stay hot. The Yankees power gives them the edge in this category.
Advantage: Yankees

Defense
Not since Tino Martinez, have Yankees fans seen solid play at 1st base. Texiera has brought that back for NY but the Phillies are loaded with athletes on this side of the ball. The Yanks benefited off of Angels errors in the ALCS, but shouldn’t rely on the same in the World Series. As good as Jeter is overall, he still struggles going left and is a liability in that one groundball situation. Add in Cano’s laziness and Arod’s likelihood to botch a big moment, I give the Phillies the edge here, especially on the infield.
Advantage: Phillies

X-factor
Neither team thinks anyone can beat them right now, and who could blame them? The World Series sets the stage for a new hero to step up. Both teams are loaded with stars, but who will be the role player who breaks it open this week and leads their team to a championship by overachieving? Pedro? Melky? Swish? Considering a potential 3 games without a DH, the Yankees may have to rely on the little guys to win games, as they have done in the past (Scott Brosius! Aaron Boone!). The Phillies were in this situation last year and edge the Yanks in championship experience (hard to believe, I know) but New Yankee Stadium will become the House that Tex Built this November. You heard it here first.
Advantage: even

I like my Yankees taking the Series in 6 games at home and Mariano Rivera to win the Series MVP. Leave your picks.

I don’t think it’s too early to start the ‘Noel Devine Heisman in 2009′ campaign, do you? We’ve already heard the Colt McCoy love-fest pre-season and the now meaningless Sam Bradford conversation. Cal RB Jahvid Best gets a weekly dousing of overrated praise for having the 13th best yards per game, but that’s typical Pac-10 snifferage. I figure my argument is as good as anybody’s over the hotly debated subject…Heisman Hopefuls for 2009.

I’m throwing West Virginia RB Noel Devine into the mix for Heisman hopefuls and why not? The junior speedster is averaging an NCAA 3rd best 130 yards per game with 11 scores. The country will get plenty of opportunities to peep Devine’s skills before the season is over as the Mountaineers will be nationally televised in 4 of their final 5 games.

At this point in the season, there is no clear cut race for Heisman…it’s up for grabs league-wide. So why not Noel Devine?  Leave your Heisman picks here.

Noel Devine For Heisman video

WVU bars nationwide

Tampa, FL - This Thursday night, while everyone looks forward to the over-hyped USC vs. Notre Dame matchup, the pollsters will have to watch some college football with egg on their face. After denying any Big East team a spot in the pre-season top 25, the overpaid, self-inflated sports “experts” will have to come to grips with the fact that one of tonight’s teams, if not both, is in-fact worthy of national recognition. Can you believe anybody gets paid for being a sports “analyst”? What a joke. From now on, lets just call them ”bloggers”. It’s much more fitting.

Reigning Big East champs #8 Cincinnati head south before winter to take on #21 USF in a Thursday night game under the lights at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Each comes into tonight undefeated at 5-0, with a 1-0 conference record. Both teams have surprised the country with strong play early in the season… Coach Brian Kelly has Cinci beating Oregon State on the road and South Florida notching a win at Florida State at the helm of Jim Leavitt. Well someone is going home with a loss tooonite!

Here is what to watch for:

*  UC WR Marcus Gilyard leads the nation in all-purpose yards with 166 ypg
*  Cinci’s defense ranks 1st amongst D-I teams with 4.5 sack/game
*  South Florida’s defense ranks 5th in the country with 9.5 ppg (thats less than 10 points a game, Pac-10. It’s called defense. Try it some time)
*  UC quarterback Tony Pike ranks 1st in the Big East with 306 ypg. The senior also has 13 TD passes to 3 INT’s
*  USF Frosh QB B.J. Daniels has done well in replacement of injured Matt Grothe compiling 9 total TD’s and only 2 turnovers
*  USF D Coordinator Joe Tresey is former Cincinnati D Coordinator and was let go by the Bearcats 2 years back. Paybacks a bitch…when you can dish it out.

With South Florida’s stout defense ready to fend off Cincinnati’s hi-octane offense, something has got to give tonight. Look forward to an exciting game from Tampa, but expect the Bearcats to come away with a win and solidify themselves as the team to beat in the underrated Big East.

How many Big East teams will finish the season in the Top 25 poll?