Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday Lunch: It’s Always Sunny in D.C.
By Evan Ream
4:28 P.M.
On a Sunday.
Evan Ream: Ben Olsen to be named the head coach of D.C. United………..NICE!
Russell Jordan: No Shave November is now mandatory for D.C. United players.
4:28 P.M.
On a Sunday.
Evan Ream: Ben Olsen to be named the head coach of D.C. United………..NICE!
Russell Jordan: No Shave November is now mandatory for D.C. United players.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Friday Lunch Special: Russell’s Corner
By Russell Jordan
So the MLS Cup Champion was decided last Sunday, and apparently Dallas decided they didn’t need a trophy in their case when they subbed off Brek Shea with the game deadlocked at 1-1. But hey, it wasn’t all bad for Dallas, at least they didn’t blow the game on something stupid and heart breaking like an own goal… Oh, wait. I can’t imagine what it’s like to score an own goal to lose a championship, but I do share George John’s pain in having two first names. Nonetheless, I decided to create a top 5 list. So here it is:
So the MLS Cup Champion was decided last Sunday, and apparently Dallas decided they didn’t need a trophy in their case when they subbed off Brek Shea with the game deadlocked at 1-1. But hey, it wasn’t all bad for Dallas, at least they didn’t blow the game on something stupid and heart breaking like an own goal… Oh, wait. I can’t imagine what it’s like to score an own goal to lose a championship, but I do share George John’s pain in having two first names. Nonetheless, I decided to create a top 5 list. So here it is:
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday Lunch Special: NFL Week 12 Picks
Current Year’s Record
Dylan: 86-58
Evan: 85-59
Nick: 88-56
Will: 81-63
| NE at DET | NO at DAL | CIN at NYJ | GB at ATL | PIT at BUF | CAR at CLE | JAX at NYG | MIN at WAS | |
| Dylan | NE | DAL | NYJ | ATL | PIT | CLE | NYG | MIN |
| Evan | NE | DAL | NYJ | GB | PIT | CLE | NYG | WAS |
| Nick | NE | NO | NYJ | ATL | PIT | CLE | NYG | MIN |
| Will | NE | NO | NYJ | GB | PIT | CAR | NYG | MIN |
| TEN at HOU | KC at SEA | MIA at OAK | STL at DEN | PHI at CHI | TB at BAL | SD at IND | SF at ARI | |
| Dylan | HOU | SEA | OAK | DEN | CHI | TB | IND | SF |
| Evan | HOU | KC | OAK | DEN | PHI | BAL | IND | SF |
| Nick | HOU | SEA | MIA | DEN | CHI | BAL | IND | ARI |
| Will | TEN | KC | OAK | DEN | PHI | BAL | IND | SF |
Wednesday Lunch: The Senior Conundrum
By Dylan Davis
This Saturday, fellow Sack Lunch writer Will Robinson and I will travel to Berkeley, Calif. to take in the Cal football game vs. Washington (yes, this will produce the first non-soccer game report in TSL history.) Before the season when I was deciding which Cal home game looked the most appealing, a few jumped out at me right away. The last three home games of the season were visits from Oregon, Stanford, and Washington. It’s almost impossible to get tickets for The Big Game, so I crossed that off the list immediately. That brought it down to a choice between Oregon and Washington. That decision isn’t even close in hindsight: Oregon is the number 1 ranked team in the nation while Washington has struggled to a 4-6 record, but you know what they say about hindsight, and I didn’t want to miss a chance to see a potential future NFL legend when Jake Locker came to town with his Huskies.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Tuesday Lunch: The Vince Young Situation
By Will Robinson
After another fantastic weekend in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, there seems to be one story with employed (sorry, Chilly) football players and coaches that overrode all others: the Vince Young and Jeff Fisher dispute. 
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday Lunch Special: TSL 2010 MLS Cup Predictions
By TSL Staff and Friends
As the MLS Cup is nearly upon us, The SACK Lunch reached out to our writers and friends to express their opinion of what will happen Sunday in Toronto. We hope you have enjoyed our first MLS Cup Week, and hope you will enjoy our future blog specials, the next one scheduled for the BCS. Note: some people are more informed than others.
As the MLS Cup is nearly upon us, The SACK Lunch reached out to our writers and friends to express their opinion of what will happen Sunday in Toronto. We hope you have enjoyed our first MLS Cup Week, and hope you will enjoy our future blog specials, the next one scheduled for the BCS. Note: some people are more informed than others.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday Lunch: The Madden Curse
By Nick Gallaudet
When I was a kid, I remember being at the store with my dad when something caught his eye. Like me, my dad loves football, and it was his love of football that was about to catapult me into a wealth of childhood memories. The gem we found was John Madden Football for the Super Nintendo. I had never played a video game before, but that day, my dad bought me the console and the game, and we would play against each other for hours. Ever since then, I have been all about sports video games and it wasn’t long until the rest of the world caught up. Here we are, over 20 years later, and Madden has become the ninth biggest video game franchise in the world and sells millions of copies every year. However, its popularity is not the only thing that makes the game famous. Ever since the Madden franchise began putting players on its cover, there has been talk of the Madden Curse. Similar to the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx, the legend is that any player on the cover of the game is destined to have a terrible season. I am here, boys and girls, to look into the validity of this myth and examine every player ever featured on a Madden cover and prove, once and for all, whether the Madden Cover Curse is fact or fiction.
Thursday Brunch: NFL Week 11 Picks
Current Year’s Record
Dylan: 78-50
Evan: 73-55
Nick: 77-51
Will: 69-59
| CHI at MIA | BUF at CIN | DET at DAL | WAS at TEN | ARI at KC | GB at MIN | HOU at NYJ | OAK at PIT | |
| Dylan | CHI | BUF | DET | WAS | ARI | MIN | NYJ | OAK |
| Evan | MIA | CIN | DET | TEN | KC | GB | NYJ | PIT |
| Nick | CHI | CIN | DAL | TEN | KC | GB | HOU | PIT |
| Will | MIA | BUF | DET | TEN | KC | GB | NYJ | PIT |
| BAL at CAR | CLE at JAX | TB at SF | SEA at NO | ATL at STL | IND at NE | NYG at PHI | DEN at SD | |
| Dylan | BAL | CLE | SF | NO | STL | NE | NYG | SD |
| Evan | BAL | JAX | TB | NO | ATL | NE | PHI | SD |
| Nick | BAL | JAX | TB | NO | ATL | IND | PHI | DEN |
| Will | BAL | CLE | SF | NO | ATL | NE | PHI | SD |
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wednesday Lunch Special: MIXing it up with the Red, White, and TEAL
By Evan Ream
…But seriously, this article is mostly going to be about Juan Agudelo, I just wanted to include those puns as well as this picture courtesy of The Offside Rules.
…But seriously, this article is mostly going to be about Juan Agudelo, I just wanted to include those puns as well as this picture courtesy of The Offside Rules.
Wednesday Lunch: All Eyez on Me
By Dylan Davis
Oregon, Auburn, and TCU had all eyes on them this past weekend, and they didn’t totally satisfy the voters. In week ten, all of the top ranked teams blew away their competition and it seemed as if the top four were untouchable. Then week 11 rolled around, and suddenly everyone seemed imminently beatable. Top ranked Oregon survived a scare at Cal, needing a late Golden Bears missed field goal to escape with a two-point victory. Second ranked Auburn looked horrendous on defense against Georgia, and the game wasn’t fully in hand until defensive tackle Nic Fairly injured Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray with a brutal cheap shot to the knees. TCU survived a scare late at San Diego State, although the five-point victory they secured was actually not as close as it sounds. Only fourth ranked Boise State was able to escape the weekend without a close game, as they dominated Idaho from the get-go on Friday night. These results just go to show that no one is untouchable in college football, and this year there are no perfect teams. Oregon and Auburn both have suspect defenses, and TCU and Boise State have yet to show their dominance against a top-flight schedule. Two weeks ago, it seemed impossible that Oregon and Auburn wouldn’t both be in the title game at seasons end, but now it seems increasingly likely that one, and possibly both, could lose and be locked out of the title race. Both play rivalry games on the road to close the season and either TCU or Boise would step in if they stumbled. As it stands right now, and looks to continue this way no matter what, if the Ducks and the Tigers win out, they would stay ahead of the non-AQ schools and meet in Glendale. But, as that one guy once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Oregon, Auburn, and TCU had all eyes on them this past weekend, and they didn’t totally satisfy the voters. In week ten, all of the top ranked teams blew away their competition and it seemed as if the top four were untouchable. Then week 11 rolled around, and suddenly everyone seemed imminently beatable. Top ranked Oregon survived a scare at Cal, needing a late Golden Bears missed field goal to escape with a two-point victory. Second ranked Auburn looked horrendous on defense against Georgia, and the game wasn’t fully in hand until defensive tackle Nic Fairly injured Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray with a brutal cheap shot to the knees. TCU survived a scare late at San Diego State, although the five-point victory they secured was actually not as close as it sounds. Only fourth ranked Boise State was able to escape the weekend without a close game, as they dominated Idaho from the get-go on Friday night. These results just go to show that no one is untouchable in college football, and this year there are no perfect teams. Oregon and Auburn both have suspect defenses, and TCU and Boise State have yet to show their dominance against a top-flight schedule. Two weeks ago, it seemed impossible that Oregon and Auburn wouldn’t both be in the title game at seasons end, but now it seems increasingly likely that one, and possibly both, could lose and be locked out of the title race. Both play rivalry games on the road to close the season and either TCU or Boise would step in if they stumbled. As it stands right now, and looks to continue this way no matter what, if the Ducks and the Tigers win out, they would stay ahead of the non-AQ schools and meet in Glendale. But, as that one guy once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday Lunch: Vick is Finally On Top
By Will Robinson
Here are some plays Michael Vick made last night. Just PHE-nomenal. I will discuss him later.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday Lunch: MLS Cup Week
By Evan Ream
Hello everyone, and welcome to The SACK Lunch’s MLS Cup Week. We are going to up our coverage this week to an unprecedented amount in anticipation of Sunday’s final. Here’s a look at what to expect for the rest of the week:
Monday: This article (obviously)
Tuesday: Will’s NFL Recap, Colorado Rapids Team Preview
Wednesday: Dylan Jamaal Davis’ College Football Recap, USMNT vs. South Africa Recap
Thursday: Nick’s weekly article, NFL Predictions, FC Dallas Team Preview
Friday: MLS Cup Predictions from everyone who has ever written for The SACK Lunch
As you can see, we are pulling out all the stops this week to ensure that you guys are well-informed come Sunday night in what will undoubtedly be an epic match-up. With all this being said, today I would just like to take a quick look at this weekend’s games.
Hello everyone, and welcome to The SACK Lunch’s MLS Cup Week. We are going to up our coverage this week to an unprecedented amount in anticipation of Sunday’s final. Here’s a look at what to expect for the rest of the week:
Monday: This article (obviously)
Tuesday: Will’s NFL Recap, Colorado Rapids Team Preview
Wednesday: Dylan Jamaal Davis’ College Football Recap, USMNT vs. South Africa Recap
Thursday: Nick’s weekly article, NFL Predictions, FC Dallas Team Preview
Friday: MLS Cup Predictions from everyone who has ever written for The SACK Lunch
As you can see, we are pulling out all the stops this week to ensure that you guys are well-informed come Sunday night in what will undoubtedly be an epic match-up. With all this being said, today I would just like to take a quick look at this weekend’s games.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday Lunch: TSL’s Gold Glove Awards
By Nick Gallaudet
Note: Check out this post on our NEW site!
If I were to tell you that a particular second baseman had the second best career fielding percentage at the position with at least 750 games played, how many Gold Gloves do you think he would have won? Three? Four? The correct answer is zero. Oakland A’s 2nd baseman, Mark Ellis, was snubbed yet again this year as the 2010 American League Gold Gloves were announced this week. As an A’s fan, this is a travesty, because Mark Ellis plays the most consistent 2nd base in Major League Baseball, but he rarely makes the flashy plays. That goes for the whole Oakland infield, none of which won a Gold Glove this year. I was certainly disappointed by the fact that none of the deserving Oakland candidates received the award, but the recipients were deserving, right? Not so fast. With the age of sabermetrics upon us, and the fact that there are now widely accepted statistics to quantify fielding, we should be in an age where reputation is not a deciding factor in who wins this supposedly prestigious award; but unfortunately that is not the reality. The Gold Glove awards are voted on by managers and coaches from the various teams, and that is a privilege they should be stripped of, because these voters most certainly do not do their due diligence when casting their votes, and it shows. No example is more damning than the fact that Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter received his fifth Gold Glove this year. That is simply inexcusable. Jeter’s Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR-widely considered one of the most telling defensive statistics…but I have no idea how they figure it out) was third worst among AL shortstops that qualified for the award. Not only that, but Jeter consistently ranked below the league average in almost every other defensive category, except fielding percentage, which demonstrates how misleading that stat can be.
Note: Check out this post on our NEW site!
If I were to tell you that a particular second baseman had the second best career fielding percentage at the position with at least 750 games played, how many Gold Gloves do you think he would have won? Three? Four? The correct answer is zero. Oakland A’s 2nd baseman, Mark Ellis, was snubbed yet again this year as the 2010 American League Gold Gloves were announced this week. As an A’s fan, this is a travesty, because Mark Ellis plays the most consistent 2nd base in Major League Baseball, but he rarely makes the flashy plays. That goes for the whole Oakland infield, none of which won a Gold Glove this year. I was certainly disappointed by the fact that none of the deserving Oakland candidates received the award, but the recipients were deserving, right? Not so fast. With the age of sabermetrics upon us, and the fact that there are now widely accepted statistics to quantify fielding, we should be in an age where reputation is not a deciding factor in who wins this supposedly prestigious award; but unfortunately that is not the reality. The Gold Glove awards are voted on by managers and coaches from the various teams, and that is a privilege they should be stripped of, because these voters most certainly do not do their due diligence when casting their votes, and it shows. No example is more damning than the fact that Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter received his fifth Gold Glove this year. That is simply inexcusable. Jeter’s Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR-widely considered one of the most telling defensive statistics…but I have no idea how they figure it out) was third worst among AL shortstops that qualified for the award. Not only that, but Jeter consistently ranked below the league average in almost every other defensive category, except fielding percentage, which demonstrates how misleading that stat can be.
Thursday Lunch: NFL Week 10 Picks
Current Year’s Record
Dylan: 69-45
Evan: 65-49
Nick: 67-47
Will: 62-52
Dylan: 69-45
Evan: 65-49
Nick: 67-47
Will: 62-52
| BAL at ATL | DET at BUF | MIN at CHI | NYJ at CLE | CAR at TB | HOU at JAX | CIN at IND | TEN at MIA | |
| Dylan | ATL | BUF | MIN | NYJ | TB | JAX | IND | TEN |
| Evan | ATL | DET | MIN | NYJ | TB | JAX | IND | MIA |
| Nick | ATL | BUF | MIN | NYJ | TB | JAX | IND | MIA |
| Will | BAL | DET | MIN | NYJ | TB | HOU | IND | TEN |
| KC at DEN | DAL at NYG | SEA at ARI | STL at SF | NE at PIT | PHI at WAS | |||
| Dylan | DEN | NYG | ARI | STL | NE | PHI | ||
| Evan | KC | NYG | ARI | STL | PIT | PHI | ||
| Nick | DEN | NYG | ARI | SF | NE | WAS | ||
| Will | DEN | NYG | SEA | STL | PIT | PHI |
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday Lunch: So Appalled
By Dylan Davis
Since the creation of the BCS, there have been debates almost every year about its abilities. Most years, fans of one team or another have been absolutely appalled, especially fans of non-BCS schools. Well, we may finally have the definitive answer on whether or not a non-BCS school can make the national title game over a BCS conference school if they have similar resumes. The answer is a resounding and deafening NO. TCU obliterated fellow Mountain West conference member, and number six ranked, Utah by a shocking score of 47-7. Auburn, who is ranked one spot ahead of TCU in all the polls played a decent game against 1-AA Chattanooga and won 62-24, but come on, it’s Chattanooga; they should beat them by at least 38. If Auburn had won by 40 against a top-ten team, we would be discussing them as the no-doubt number one team in the country over Oregon.
Since the creation of the BCS, there have been debates almost every year about its abilities. Most years, fans of one team or another have been absolutely appalled, especially fans of non-BCS schools. Well, we may finally have the definitive answer on whether or not a non-BCS school can make the national title game over a BCS conference school if they have similar resumes. The answer is a resounding and deafening NO. TCU obliterated fellow Mountain West conference member, and number six ranked, Utah by a shocking score of 47-7. Auburn, who is ranked one spot ahead of TCU in all the polls played a decent game against 1-AA Chattanooga and won 62-24, but come on, it’s Chattanooga; they should beat them by at least 38. If Auburn had won by 40 against a top-ten team, we would be discussing them as the no-doubt number one team in the country over Oregon.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday Lunch: Midseason Awards
By Will Robinson
By this week, every NFL team has played at least eight games. Therefore, I will be handing out my midseason All-Pro team and awards. I’ll factor in performance, how well the team is doing, and a bit of personal preference. I’ll pick one at each position, but since there has been a lack of importance of fullbacks in the modern NFL, I’ll put up three wide receivers.
By this week, every NFL team has played at least eight games. Therefore, I will be handing out my midseason All-Pro team and awards. I’ll factor in performance, how well the team is doing, and a bit of personal preference. I’ll pick one at each position, but since there has been a lack of importance of fullbacks in the modern NFL, I’ll put up three wide receivers.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday Lunch: Upsets in MLS
By Evan Ream
MLS executives have to be happy with this last weekend. Despite the fact that New York (along with Henry and Marquez) were knocked out of the playoffs, there were three excellent series that came down to the last minute as well as one game that, although a blowout, featured some of MLS’ best stars at their best.
MLS executives have to be happy with this last weekend. Despite the fact that New York (along with Henry and Marquez) were knocked out of the playoffs, there were three excellent series that came down to the last minute as well as one game that, although a blowout, featured some of MLS’ best stars at their best.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Saturday Lunch: NFL Week 9 Picks
Current Year’s Record
Dylan: 63-38
Evan: 57-44
Nick: 58-43
Will: 56-45
| TB at ATL | CHI at BUF | NE at CLE | NYJ at DET | NO at CAR | MIA at BAL | SD at HOU | ARI at MIN | |
| Dylan | ATL | BUF | NE | DET | NO | MIA | HOU | MIN |
| Evan | ATL | BUF | NE | DET | NO | MIA | HOU | MIN |
| Nick | ATL | CHI | NE | NYJ | CAR | BAL | SD | ARI |
| Will | TB | CHI | NE | DET | NO | MIA | HOU | MIN |
| NYG at SEA | IND at PHI | KC at OAK | DAL at GB | PIT at CIN | ||||
| Dylan | SEA | IND | OAK | GB | PIT | |||
| Evan | NYG | IND | OAK | GB | PIT | |||
| Nick | NYG | IND | KC | GB | PIT | |||
| Will | SEA | IND | KC | GB | PIT |
Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday Lunch: The LeBron Situation
By Nick Gallaudet
Everyone has an opinion about LeBron James, and if you’re like me, you’re probably tired of them and just want to see what the guy can do on the court; but regardless of what you think of “The Decision” and the way he treated Cleveland fans, there is something that deserves discussion. If you haven’t seen it yet, here is LeBron’s new Nike commercial (below), and I have to be honest, I love it.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Thursday Lunch Special: SJ vs NY Game Report
With the second leg of the San Jose-New York playoff series to be played in a little under two hours, it makes sense to (finally) release our game report from the first leg. Despite being just a 1-0 victory, it was a very entertaining game with an amazing atmosphere. This would be all of our inaugural MLS Playoff games as well as a memorable one. Although I didn't get any good shots of him, this was 17-year-old Juan Agudelo's first MLS start, and all I have to say is watch out world, this guy could be better than Jozy. If you have ever wondered why New York isn't going to resign Juan Pablo Angel, Agudelo is your answer. Now without further ado, here are my photos:
TSL fan (and almost writer) Russell Jordan
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tuesday Lunch: Randy Mossing it This Week
By Will Robinson
I had to put this picture in. It makes me laugh.
I had to put this picture in. It makes me laugh.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday Lunch: Playoffs?!?!?!?!?!?!?
By Evan Ream
Before I get to the MLS Playoff recap, I think that Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, and especially Clint Dempsey all deserve props for scoring goals over the weekend and helping their team obtain results. Here is the impressive Edu goal.
Before I get to the MLS Playoff recap, I think that Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, and especially Clint Dempsey all deserve props for scoring goals over the weekend and helping their team obtain results. Here is the impressive Edu goal.
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