Best Male Athlete
Nominees: Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Aaron Rodgers, JJ Watt
Winner: Stephen Curry
I would've picked Watt over A-Rod between the two football players, but I think this category comes down to a debate between the two NBA players. The argument for James is the gaudy overall statistics that he put up, including leading both teams in the NBA Finals in points per game, rebounds per game, and assists per game. He was also carrying a bruised and disjointed group of supporting players for most of the season, while carrying the expectations of an entire city along with him. Curry, on the other hand, was simply an offensive juggernaut this year, leading the Warriors to a NBA-best 67 wins. He won the regular season MVP, and was likely the overall playoff MVP, even though the NBA only awards the MVP of the NBA Finals. Opponents were falling all over themselves to try and stop his deadly shooting and, even with hands in his face, he was still able to nail some huge shots. Add in the NBA Finals win, and I think Curry deserves this award.
Best Female Athelte
Nominees: Ronda Rousey, Breanna Stewart, Lindsey Vonn, Serena Williams
Winner: Serena Williams
Williams has absolutely dominated women's tennis in the past year, winning the US Open, Australian Open, and French Open against three different finals opponents. She has been ranked number one in the world for 200+ weeks and is the undisputed icon of women's tennis. Ronda Rousey could make an argument to win this award, although I thought she had a better body of work last year. She may have become more of a public figure, but based on on-court/in-ring performance, Williams was the better of the two.
Best Championship Performance
Nominees: Madison Bumgarner, Lauren Haeger, LeBron James, American Pharoah
Winner: Madison Bumgarner
This is probably the closest category at these ESPYS and I wouldn't be surprised if American Pharoah won, simply because of the Triple Crown factor. I think some people may have forgotten the significance and difficulty of what Bumgarner did because it took place back in October, so let me refresh your memory. As the Giants' ace in Game 1, he pitched seven innings of three hit, one run ball on the road to give the Giants a 1-0 lead in the series. Then, with the series tied at 2-2, Bumgarner pitched a complete game, four hit shutout, to give the Giants a 3-2 series lead with the final two games played in Kansas City. After a KC blowout in Game 6, Bumgarner was called in on two days rest to act as a reliever in the fifth inning with the Giants holding a 3-2 lead in the game. Neither team scored the rest of the way as Bumgarner notched a five innning, two hit save to clinch the World Series for the Giants. It was clutch, it was skillful, it was the best championship performance.
Best Breakthrough Athlete
Nominees: Odell Beckham Jr., Mo'ne Davis, Cardale Jones, Jordan Spieth
Winner: Odell Beckham Jr.
Another difficult category to choose from, but I have to go with Beckham. I'll admit that I am biased here because the NFL is my favorite sports league, and I pay close attention to the Giants because they are in the same division as my favorite team (Dallas Cowboys). While his catch against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football is what really got the hype going, that was only the beginning of the story. He broke multiple rookie and non-rookie NFL receiving records, he was voted to the Pro Bowl, was the offensive rookie of the year, is on the cover of this year's Madden, and did all that even though he missed the first four games of the season last year. I suspect we'll be hearing Beckham's name a lot this coming season, along with the three other very worthy nominees in this category.
Best Upset
Nominees: Georgia State over Baylor, Kansas City Royals win AL Pennant, Mississippi over Alabama
Winner: Georgia State over Baylor
Not the strongest group of nominees this year, but the Georgia State game was awesome to watch. GSU was a semi-popular upset pick to begin with because of NBA prospect RJ Hunter and Louisville transfer Kevin Ware. That said, Baylor was a three seed for a reason and led by 12 with two and a half minutes left to play. GSU had played them tough, but it looked like this was a Cinderella story that would not happen. Then, in the final minutes, Hunter came alive and scored 12 points in the final 2:39, including the game winning three pointer with three seconds left, to give the 14th seeded Panthers the win. It was everything you could want in a classic NCAA Tournament game...unless you're a Baylor Bears fan.
Best Game
Nominees: A's vs Royals (AL Wild Card), Spurs vs Clippers Game 7 (Western Conference Quarterfinals), Seahawks vs Patriots (Super Bowl)
Winner: Seahawks vs Patriots
Could it have been anything else? With all due respect to the other four teams nominated, this game wasn't just one of the best this year, but one of the best of all time. If this game doesn't win this category, then I'm boycotting the ESPYS for the rest of eternity. I would, however, like to add in a write in nominee for one of my favorite games that didn't make ESPN's nominations. I thought the Elite Eight game between Kentucky and Notre Dame was outstanding. It was back and forth action with Kentucky's undefeated season on the line. Kentucky's Andrew Harrison had to make two clutch free throws with six seconds left to seal the victory in my personal favorite game from the tournament.
Best Comeback Athlete
Nominees: Rob Gronkowski, Alex Rodriguez, Derrick Rose, Lindsey Vonn
Winner: The Gronk
After a nasty ACL and MCL injury in 2013, Gronk returned to dominant form in 2014, easily outclassing every other tight end in the NFL. He led all tight ends in receiving yards, and even proved to be a capable blocker, which is something that cannot be said for other elite pass catching tight ends (Jimmy Graham, Julius Thomas). He is a matchup nightmare, and for that reason, is one of the most unstoppable forces in the NFL along with JJ Watt. The comeback from injury is complete, now expect the domination to continue.
Best Coach
Nominees: Geno Auriemma, Bill Belichick, Steve Kerr, Mike Krzyzewski, Urban Meyer
Winner: Urban Meyer
While all five coaches won a championship this year, I think Meyer should win this easily. And that's coming from someone that has disliked Ohio State all my life. Consider that Auriemma has the best women's basketball team year in and year out, Belichick had the Golden Boy and Gronk, Kerr had the Splash Brothers, Coach K had Jahlil Okafor and Justice Winslow, and Meyer had a third string QB. While he turned out to be a stud, it takes great coaching to have a third string QB ready when the two QBs ahead of him had already excelled. Not only that, but he had to conquer the pro style of Nick Saban's Alabama squad, only to get the Heisman Trophy Winner and the faster-than-a-speeding-bullet Oregon team. He was able to make adjustments, put his players in positions to excel, and won the National Championship.
Best Team
Nominees: Chicago Blackhawks, San Francisco Giants, New England Patriots, Golden State Warriors, UConn Women's Basketball, Duke Basketball, Ohio State Football
Winner: Golden State Warriors
As of this writing, they don't have this category posted for some reason. I think it's because the Women's World Cup is still going on and they might want to include the US Women's Team if they win it all. With that in mind, I chose the teams I could remember that won a title, so I apologize if I missed someone important, though I don't think I did. Regardless of if the US wins the World Cup, I'm still going with the Warriors. They got close to the 70 win mark with 67 of them and only lost a ridiculous two games at home all regular season. Curry was the MVP and leader of an attack that averaged 110 points per game. It was a shooting display every night they hit the floor and brought a lot of attention back out west after the Lakers went in the tank. They swept the Pelicans, battled back from a 2-1 series deficit against the Grizzlies, beat the Rockets in five, then came back from another 2-1 series deficit against the Cavs to win the NBA Title.
Don't forget, the ESPYS take place July 15th at 8pm Eastern. Click here to vote for your favorite athletes and teams!
Matty O
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
2015 NHL Wrapup
2015 Stanley Cup Champions: Chicago Blackhawks
As much as the players tried to brush off the question in the post game interviews, this team is certainly worthy of the label of dynasty. Although they haven't been able to win a Cup in back to back seasons, they have been able to capture three in the past six years. The last team to accomplish such a feat was the Blackhawks' long time rival Detroit Red Wings. The Wings won three Cups from 1997-2002, and were the last team to repeat as Cup Champions when they won in 1997 and 1998. It's not an easy feat to say the least, particularly with the yearly changes of personnel each team has to endure. This year, the Hawks made two personnel acquisitions that were important reasons why they won the Cup.
The first acquisition was at the start of the season by picking up free agent Brad Richards. The 35 year old forward had already won a Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy, coincidentally with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was brought in to provide leadership, experience, and a relatively consistent scoring threat to the team. While his regular season point total was the lowest in any season that he played at least 70 games, he was able to rise to the occasion in the playoffs, particularly in the series against Anaheim. He registered seven points against the Ducks, in a series that required plenty of scoring against a loaded Anaheim team. While his production dipped in the Cup Finals, he was able to assist on both goals in the clinching Game 6 against Tampa Bay. Veteran guys who may not put up the numbers, but can just get it done, are always valuable down the stretch.
Speaking of veteran guys, the second acquisition that worked out was trading for forward Antoine Vermette at the trade deadline. It is debatable if they would have even gone after Vermette had Kane not gotten injured, but it all worked out in the end. To reap the rewards of this trade, however, would require a lot of patience. Vermette, a point producer on a terrible Coyotes team, looked like a shell of himself with the Blackhawks, registering a mere three points in 19 regular season games. It got even worse at the start of the playoffs, as he started out as a healthy scratch. Like a stable veteran, however, he simply waited and remained prepared for his turn. While his four goals won't wow anybody, they came at critical times. His second goal came in Game 4 of the Anaheim series with the Ducks threatening to go up 3-1. He scored in double overtime to even up the series. His third and fourth goals came in the Stanley Cup Finals in Games 1 and 5, respectively. Both were in the third period, and both were game winners. Those are three big playoff wins at the cost of giving up a first round pick. Worth it.
The last player I want to point out is Kimmo Timonen. He certainly couldn't be called a key acquisition, as the Hawks could have likely won the Cup without him. It's just always good to see old veterans who play the game right, finally get their chance to raise the Cup. I was glad Toews gave it to him second, as the team urged Timonen to skate around with the Cup. Most 40 year old players with blood clots in their legs would have just called it a career, but he put in the work to get back into playing shape, and I was glad that someone picked him up. It just so happened to be the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.
A Storm Is Coming
Brent Seabrook mentioned in a post game interview after the Hawks won the Cup that the Lightning are a team that could enjoy the Hawks' type of success in the coming years. He is absolutely correct. Apart from the obvious name of superstar Steven Stamkos, other players have emerged from this team to become stars in their own right. The Triplets line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Nikita Kucherov was arguably the best line of any team in the playoffs this year. None of them are over the age of 24. Defenseman Victor Hedman, age 24, might have been the Conn Smythe winner if the Lightning had won the series, and did an excellent job of frustrating and limiting Patrick Kane. Jonathan Drouin, inserted late in the Chicago series to try and produce more offense, was the third overall pick in 2013. Unpolished now, he has the skills to be a star in the future. While Seabrook and the Hawks won't have to worry about the Lightning until the Cup Finals, the entire Eastern Conference needs to be on alert as this Lightning squad have the players to dominate in the years to come.
MVP Curse
The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the MVP of the NHL each year. If your goal is to win the Stanley Cup, however, you might not want to win it. In fact, no team that had the eventual Hart Trophy winner has even made it to the Cup Finals since 2004 when Martin St. Louis did it with the Lightning. The three candidates this year are Carey Price (Montreal), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), and John Tavares (Islanders); all of whom were on teams that didn't even reach their Conference Finals. This emphasizes the team aspect of hockey, and how great chemistry and depth will beat a superstar with out-of-place players around him any day of the week.
Canadian Drought Continues
Five Canadian teams made the playoffs this year, and while two of the matchups in the first round were all Canadian affairs, there was still a good shot for one of them to make the Cup Finals. Winnipeg got the harshest draw as they had to face the top seeded Ducks. They may have had the best environment in the playoffs for the two games that they hosted, but they were too young of a team and got swept. The Calgary-Vancouver series was easily the feistiest series with plenty of hits and after the whistle dust ups. I thought that series took a lot out of both teams as the also-young Calgary Flames were disposed of in five games by the Ducks. The Montreal-Ottawa series provided the most hope, regardless of who won. While Ottawa may have been the "seventh" seed, there were a lot of people that thought Ottawa would win the series, and for good reason.
Goalie Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere and dominated down the stretch, finishing the regular season with a 20-1-2 record and a 1.79 goals against average. Rookie Mark Stone started playing like a rookie of the year and the Sens surged down the stretch to clinch a wild card spot. Montreal, meanwhile, countered with Hart Trophy candidate Carey Price in net, PK Subban on defense, and an overall solid group of lines one through four. The Habs won the series, as it was too much, too soon for this young Sens squad. The next series saw the Habs get shelled in Games 2 and 6, and were ousted in six games in relatively easy fashion to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Even though the Lightning would go on to be the Stanley Cup runner up, I was expecting more fight from Montreal.
A Canadian team hasn't won a Cup since the Canadiens did it in 1993, and have only sent five teams to the Finals in that same time period. The three Olympic gold medals for Team Canada in that same time period might have helped to ease the pain, but I'm sure Canadians are getting restless about their NHL squads. I think it will be sooner rather than later as all five Canadian teams that made it this year will still be good next year, along with a Toronto team that I think could surprise some people with new head coach Mike Babcock.
Changing Of The Guard?
Boston, Los Angeles, and San Jose, three playoff mainstays in recent years, missed the playoffs in 2015. Boston couldn't score enough, San Jose couldn't stop enough, and LA seemed to think their spot in the playoffs was reserved, and didn't have to be earned. The Boston Bruins finished with 213 goals for, which was lower than six other teams that did not make the playoffs, despite the Bruins having the most points (96) of any team that missed the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks finished seventh worst in goals against per game, despite facing the 15th most shots against. The LA Kings didn't have any glaring statistical weaknesses, they just seemed to think they could coast into the playoffs. Instead, they dropped five of their last eight games and allowed the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild to sneak in the back door and claim the two wild card spots.
Perhaps this was just an off season for these teams, with a few bad bounces here and there. They should be aware of how quickly things can change, however, and attack their off seasons accordingly. Seven teams that made the playoffs last year did not make it this year, including the division winning Colorado Avalanche, who wound up in last place in their division in 2015. Less than ten years ago, the Stanley Cup Finals matchup was Edmonton and Carolina. In 2015, Edmonton and Carolina have the first and fifth overall picks, respectively, in the upcoming draft. I probably have the most confidence in Boston to bounce back, as they have played at a high level more consistently, but young teams like Calgary, Winnipeg, and Ottawa aren't going anywhere.
Way Too Early Stanley Cup Finals Prediction For 2016: Blackhawks vs Capitals
Matty O
As much as the players tried to brush off the question in the post game interviews, this team is certainly worthy of the label of dynasty. Although they haven't been able to win a Cup in back to back seasons, they have been able to capture three in the past six years. The last team to accomplish such a feat was the Blackhawks' long time rival Detroit Red Wings. The Wings won three Cups from 1997-2002, and were the last team to repeat as Cup Champions when they won in 1997 and 1998. It's not an easy feat to say the least, particularly with the yearly changes of personnel each team has to endure. This year, the Hawks made two personnel acquisitions that were important reasons why they won the Cup.
The first acquisition was at the start of the season by picking up free agent Brad Richards. The 35 year old forward had already won a Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy, coincidentally with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was brought in to provide leadership, experience, and a relatively consistent scoring threat to the team. While his regular season point total was the lowest in any season that he played at least 70 games, he was able to rise to the occasion in the playoffs, particularly in the series against Anaheim. He registered seven points against the Ducks, in a series that required plenty of scoring against a loaded Anaheim team. While his production dipped in the Cup Finals, he was able to assist on both goals in the clinching Game 6 against Tampa Bay. Veteran guys who may not put up the numbers, but can just get it done, are always valuable down the stretch.
Speaking of veteran guys, the second acquisition that worked out was trading for forward Antoine Vermette at the trade deadline. It is debatable if they would have even gone after Vermette had Kane not gotten injured, but it all worked out in the end. To reap the rewards of this trade, however, would require a lot of patience. Vermette, a point producer on a terrible Coyotes team, looked like a shell of himself with the Blackhawks, registering a mere three points in 19 regular season games. It got even worse at the start of the playoffs, as he started out as a healthy scratch. Like a stable veteran, however, he simply waited and remained prepared for his turn. While his four goals won't wow anybody, they came at critical times. His second goal came in Game 4 of the Anaheim series with the Ducks threatening to go up 3-1. He scored in double overtime to even up the series. His third and fourth goals came in the Stanley Cup Finals in Games 1 and 5, respectively. Both were in the third period, and both were game winners. Those are three big playoff wins at the cost of giving up a first round pick. Worth it.
The last player I want to point out is Kimmo Timonen. He certainly couldn't be called a key acquisition, as the Hawks could have likely won the Cup without him. It's just always good to see old veterans who play the game right, finally get their chance to raise the Cup. I was glad Toews gave it to him second, as the team urged Timonen to skate around with the Cup. Most 40 year old players with blood clots in their legs would have just called it a career, but he put in the work to get back into playing shape, and I was glad that someone picked him up. It just so happened to be the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.
A Storm Is Coming
Brent Seabrook mentioned in a post game interview after the Hawks won the Cup that the Lightning are a team that could enjoy the Hawks' type of success in the coming years. He is absolutely correct. Apart from the obvious name of superstar Steven Stamkos, other players have emerged from this team to become stars in their own right. The Triplets line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Nikita Kucherov was arguably the best line of any team in the playoffs this year. None of them are over the age of 24. Defenseman Victor Hedman, age 24, might have been the Conn Smythe winner if the Lightning had won the series, and did an excellent job of frustrating and limiting Patrick Kane. Jonathan Drouin, inserted late in the Chicago series to try and produce more offense, was the third overall pick in 2013. Unpolished now, he has the skills to be a star in the future. While Seabrook and the Hawks won't have to worry about the Lightning until the Cup Finals, the entire Eastern Conference needs to be on alert as this Lightning squad have the players to dominate in the years to come.
MVP Curse
The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the MVP of the NHL each year. If your goal is to win the Stanley Cup, however, you might not want to win it. In fact, no team that had the eventual Hart Trophy winner has even made it to the Cup Finals since 2004 when Martin St. Louis did it with the Lightning. The three candidates this year are Carey Price (Montreal), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), and John Tavares (Islanders); all of whom were on teams that didn't even reach their Conference Finals. This emphasizes the team aspect of hockey, and how great chemistry and depth will beat a superstar with out-of-place players around him any day of the week.
Canadian Drought Continues
Five Canadian teams made the playoffs this year, and while two of the matchups in the first round were all Canadian affairs, there was still a good shot for one of them to make the Cup Finals. Winnipeg got the harshest draw as they had to face the top seeded Ducks. They may have had the best environment in the playoffs for the two games that they hosted, but they were too young of a team and got swept. The Calgary-Vancouver series was easily the feistiest series with plenty of hits and after the whistle dust ups. I thought that series took a lot out of both teams as the also-young Calgary Flames were disposed of in five games by the Ducks. The Montreal-Ottawa series provided the most hope, regardless of who won. While Ottawa may have been the "seventh" seed, there were a lot of people that thought Ottawa would win the series, and for good reason.
Goalie Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere and dominated down the stretch, finishing the regular season with a 20-1-2 record and a 1.79 goals against average. Rookie Mark Stone started playing like a rookie of the year and the Sens surged down the stretch to clinch a wild card spot. Montreal, meanwhile, countered with Hart Trophy candidate Carey Price in net, PK Subban on defense, and an overall solid group of lines one through four. The Habs won the series, as it was too much, too soon for this young Sens squad. The next series saw the Habs get shelled in Games 2 and 6, and were ousted in six games in relatively easy fashion to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Even though the Lightning would go on to be the Stanley Cup runner up, I was expecting more fight from Montreal.
A Canadian team hasn't won a Cup since the Canadiens did it in 1993, and have only sent five teams to the Finals in that same time period. The three Olympic gold medals for Team Canada in that same time period might have helped to ease the pain, but I'm sure Canadians are getting restless about their NHL squads. I think it will be sooner rather than later as all five Canadian teams that made it this year will still be good next year, along with a Toronto team that I think could surprise some people with new head coach Mike Babcock.
Changing Of The Guard?
Boston, Los Angeles, and San Jose, three playoff mainstays in recent years, missed the playoffs in 2015. Boston couldn't score enough, San Jose couldn't stop enough, and LA seemed to think their spot in the playoffs was reserved, and didn't have to be earned. The Boston Bruins finished with 213 goals for, which was lower than six other teams that did not make the playoffs, despite the Bruins having the most points (96) of any team that missed the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks finished seventh worst in goals against per game, despite facing the 15th most shots against. The LA Kings didn't have any glaring statistical weaknesses, they just seemed to think they could coast into the playoffs. Instead, they dropped five of their last eight games and allowed the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild to sneak in the back door and claim the two wild card spots.
Perhaps this was just an off season for these teams, with a few bad bounces here and there. They should be aware of how quickly things can change, however, and attack their off seasons accordingly. Seven teams that made the playoffs last year did not make it this year, including the division winning Colorado Avalanche, who wound up in last place in their division in 2015. Less than ten years ago, the Stanley Cup Finals matchup was Edmonton and Carolina. In 2015, Edmonton and Carolina have the first and fifth overall picks, respectively, in the upcoming draft. I probably have the most confidence in Boston to bounce back, as they have played at a high level more consistently, but young teams like Calgary, Winnipeg, and Ottawa aren't going anywhere.
Way Too Early Stanley Cup Finals Prediction For 2016: Blackhawks vs Capitals
Matty O
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