New England Patriots Season In Review

By: Hunter Kossodo

The New England Patriots entered training camp coming off of a Super Bowl appearance the following year and featuring one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history.

Led by future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, this offense included two of the most dynamic tight ends in the game, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, as well as receivers Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd. Even the offensive line was a group expected to be one of the strongest coming into the 2012 season. The defense, which was arguably the worst in the entire NFL the following season, was bolstered by six of their seven draft picks including two first-round picks, defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

New England’s status as a Super Bowl favorite was quickly affirmed in their 34-13 Week 1 victory over the Tennessee Titans, in which both their offense and defense shined. The offense produced 398 yards of total offense and 3 scores while the defense also pitched in a touchdown with Hightower’s 6 yard fumble return.

However, the rest of the season would not be smooth sailing for the Patriots. They would lose to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 after a missed chip shot field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, their first loss in a home opener since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002.

New England would lose again the very next week to an emotionally charged Baltimore Ravens team following the death of WR Torrey Smith’s brother. At 1-2, this would be the first time the Patriots had been below .500 since starting the 2003 season 0-1.

All of a sudden, the Patriots went on a tear, winning nine of their next ten games, ending with a 42-14 win over the then 11-1 Houston Texans on Monday Night Football. During this stretch, the Patriots averaged 39 points per game, but the story of their midseason was a change made on the defensive side of the ball.

When the Patriots dealt their fourth-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for cornerback Aqib Talib, he was in the middle of a four-week suspension. After serving the last two weeks of his suspension, he made an immediate impact in the Patriots week 11 win over the Colts, where he had an interception return for a touchdown. Talib, thought to be a risky pickup for the Patriots, paid dividends for them in the end and brought much-needed stability in the secondary.

In their Week 15 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, the Patriots almost mounted a late game comeback after being down 31-10 by the start of the 4^th quarter. They would come up just short, eventually losing the game 41-34.

Despite the ugly loss, New England finished strong and won their next two games, ending the season with a 12-4 record and securing a bye week in the first round of the playoffs.

Entering the postseason with the No. 2 seed and a bye week, the Patriots were thought to be one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl along with Denver. With the dismantling of the Houston Texans in the divisional round, as well as Denver’s surprise loss to the Ravens, the Patriots were now the clear favorite to advance to the Super Bowl.

The Ravens were just as motivated as when they faced off in the AFC Championship Game. They were now playing for Ray Lewis, the face of that Baltimore franchise since 1996, who announced his retirement following the end of the regular season.

The Patriots figuratively ran into a brick wall, as they could never get into any rhythm on offense and the defense was torched by Ravens QB Joe Flacco, who threw for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions in the Ravens’ 28-13 win. Tom Brady threw two interceptions off of tipped passes and neither of the Patriots running backs could find any rushing room. Instead they found Bernard Pollard, who extended his “Patriots-killer” streak with a crushing hit on Stevan Ridley, which caused a fumble and caused Ridley to miss the rest of the game.

That play summed up the AFC Championship game.

Even though this season was not seen as a success by the Patriots players and the New England fanbase for failing to even reach the Super Bowl, there was a lot to be excited about. The 2012 season was a coming-out party for running back Stevan Ridley, who rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. This was the first season since Corey Dillon in 2004 in which a Patriots running back had rushed for over 1,000 yards.

2012 was also a big year for Bill Belichick, whose 205 career wins ties him with Marty Schottenheimer for sixth all time. Belichick also notched his 18^th career postseason victory, which is good for third in the all time list, behind only Tom Landry and Don Shula.

Tom Brady also racked up the accolades, including moving past the legendary Joe Montana for most playoff wins by a quarterback.

The Patriots still boast a powerful and well-balanced offense, albeit aging, as well as a young defense that will only get better with experience so they figure to be one of the Super Bowl favorites come next season.

Yet, there is an increasing sense of urgency for the New England Patriots to keep making Super Bowl runs, as it seems that there will only be a handful of years left of 35-year-old Tom Brady and the 60-year-old Bill Belichick leading New England.

Super Bowl XLVII Picks

With Super Bowl XLVII kicking off in less than 24 hours, here are picks from four of the writers on Top Shelf:

Kevin Brozek: Ravens 24, 49ers 13 (MVP: Ray Lewis)

Personally, I see this one going to the Ravens, who are led by one of the hungriest players in the game in LB Ray Lewis. As a defensive unit, we have seen the Ravens consistently rally behind their retiring linebacker to the point where they seem unstoppable. The emotional level of the game will certainly affect who will walk away with the trophy. I also believe that offensively, 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick has not been effectively presented with the level of pressure the Super Bowl offers. Ravens QB Joe Flacco is more than ready to prove himself as an elite quarterback, and rise to lead his offense to a strong game. Overall, the Baltimore Ravens are an emotionally supercharged team, ready to rally behind their star linebacker and take it to the 49ers.

Clint Cavey: Ravens 24, 49ers 17 (MVP: Ray Lewis)

Super Bowl XLVII could go down as one of the more interesting Super Bowl to date, if it hasn’t already. For the Ravens to win this game, which I believe they will, it rests on the shoulders of QB Joe Flacco. RB Ray Rice will get around 75 yards on the ground against the brutal Niners defense; Flacco will need to pick apart the same defense over the air if the Ravens are to win. Flacco will outperform his QB counterpart, Colin Kaepernick, whom I predict will make multiple mistakes. With Kaepernick struggling, the 49ers will rely on Gore, who will get around 100 yards. This also relates to kicking field goals, which Akers will miss at least one. The MVP of this game will be Ray Lewis, who in all honestly needs the Ravens to win and only 5 tackles to win this award.

Hunter Kossodo: Ravens 24, 49ers 20 (MVP: Joe Flacco)

Joe Flacco has not thrown a single interception in the postseason. The Baltimore Ravens, known for their stout defense, allowed only 13 points from the New England Patriots and their league-best offense in the AFC Championship Game. On the other side of the ball, the Ravens’ offense has put up 90 points in their three postseason games combined. It seems the entire Ravens team has been playing at another level ever since LB Ray Lewis announced that this would be his final year. The last time the San Francisco 49ers faced a defense this strong, they were on the wrong end of a 42-13 beat down against Seattle. The 49ers are also a well-balanced team and great in all phases of the game like the Ravens, but dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick will find little running room against Terrell Suggs, Lewis and the Ravens defense, forcing him to rely on his arm. Kaepernick is a solid passer, but he hasn’t even started 10 games in his career yet and the stage might be too big for him. Look for Joe Flacco to capture the MVP trophy simply because he has to have an MVP-type performance to beat this vaunted 49ers defense.

Chris Schubert: Ravens 27, 49ers 13 (MVP: Ray Rice)

In a battle of two great defenses, the offensives are going to be a key. Flacco vs. Kaepernick, Rice vs. Gore, and Moss vs. Boldin are the match ups people need to watch for. The big key: getting Ravens RB Ray Rice involved early. He's the key to the offense; his play will dictate the play of Flacco and the rest of the offense. His big day will lead the Ravens to holding up that Lombardi Trophy. 

NHL Perspective: The First Two Weeks

By: Greg Cameron

After a 119-day lockout, the 2012-13 NHL season is upon us, and it couldn’t have begun any hotter.  Due to the shortened 48-game schedule, this season will be determined by the teams that get off to a quick start and by the key players that can stay healthy.  While typical pack leaders like Boston, Pittsburgh and San Jose can be found in their usual spots in the standings, other teams like San Jose and Tampa Bay have burst out of the gate; meanwhile, disappointing starts like those of Washington, Philadelphia and Phoenix have brought about an early setback on the road to the playoffs.  Here are some surprises thus far and some teams to watch as the season turns two weeks old.

The most surprising start to the season is that of San Jose Sharks LW Patrick Marleau.  He became the second player in NHL history to open a season with four straight multi-goal games, and his league-leading nine goals is four more than the next closest players (five tied at five goals).  Marleau and linemate Joe Thornton are tied for the league lead in points with 13, and their other linemate, Joe Pavelski, is tied for third with 10 points.  To illustrate their impact on the team, the line of Marleau-Thornton-Pavelski currently accounts for half of the Sharks’ point totals (33 of 67 points).  This unprecedented scoring will keep coming so long as the Sharks stay solid on defense and in net.  It will be interesting to see how teams match up against this high-powered scoring line. 

The team to watch is the Chicago Blackhawks.  They lead the league and the Western Conference in points with 12 and have started the season with an impressive six-game win streak.  The ‘Hawks opened the season in Los Angeles against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings, a tough task which they took in full stride, scoring three goals in the first period alone, followed by a fourth that came one minute and 16 seconds after the first intermission.  They would go on to win by a score of 5-2.  One day later, Chicago came to Phoenix and beat the Coyotes in their home opener, 6-4.  Their next four wins against St. Louis, Dallas, Columbus and Detroit came by scores of 3-2, 3-2 (OT), 3-2 and 2-1 (OT) respectively.  What makes this team dangerous?  First, examine their star power at the forward positions.  Their top two lines contain potent scorers in captain Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane.  Fittingly, the top four point-getters for the Blackhawks are: Kane (9 pts.), Hossa (8), Sharp (6) and Toews (6).  Second, their inconsistent goaltending issues of years past seem to have vanished.  Starter Corey Crawford already has a notable stat line of five win sin five starts, with a 1.78 goals against average (GAA) and a .933 save percentage (SV%).  His backup, Ray Emery, who started over a struggling Crawford for a portion of last season, registered a win in his only start thus far against the Phoenix Coyotes.  A collapse similar to those in years past is possible, but expect the Blackhawks to hold a top-two spot in the Central Division, as the Blues look to be their only legitimate competition in division.

The closest divisional race down the stretch looks like it will take place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division.  This division is full of struggling teams that are usually strong playoff contenders, but there is no clear front-runner right now.  New Jersey leads the division with seven points, followed by Pittsburgh with six, the NY Islanders with five and the NY Rangers and Philadelphia tied with four.  Last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs saw four Atlantic teams earn playoff berths.  The Penguins and Flyers provided hockey fans with an unbelievable cross-state rivalry series in the first round that saw the Flyers take the series in six games.  The Flyers then met the Devils in the conference semi-finals and lost in five games.  The Devils and Rangers faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Devils winning the series four games to two and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Atlantic Division is historically one of the stronger and more competitive divisions in the league, and it is shaping up to be so this year as well.  This division has sent three or more teams to the postseason every year since the 2005-06 season; the expectation is for them to do the same this season, but we will not know which teams until the last couple weeks of the season.

NBA Midseason Awards

By: Nick Pope

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As January ends, so does the first half of the NBA regular season. In the first full season since the lockout, teams around the league are shifting their focus on the second half of the season and making a push toward the playoffs. With every team having played at least 41 games, here is the way things stand.

MVP - Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

The OKC swingman has only picked up where he left off after winning his third straight scoring title last season. Durant is on pace to win his fourth straight, averaging 29.6 points per game. He also has the Thunder tied for the best record in the NBA at 34-11. After losing in the NBA Finals last season, Durant has his team poised for a return to the grand stage in June.

Honorable Mention - LeBron James, SF, Miami Heat; Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks.

Coach of the Year - Mark Jackson, Golden State Warriors

The former ESPN analyst has found his footing as an NBA coach. After a disappointing 23-win season in his first season, Jackson has the Warriors at 27-17, currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Jackson hopes to return the Warriors to the playoffs for the first time in six years.

Honorable Mention - Mike Woodson, New York Knicks; Vinny Del Negro, Los Angeles Clippers

Rookie of the Year - Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers

Lillard has immediately become the star in Portland after being drafted sixth overall last June. Averaging 18.3 points per game, along with 6.6 assists, the Trail Blazers are only a game out of the Western Conference playoff picture.

Honorable Mention - Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Hornets; Harrison Barnes, SF, Golden State Warriors

Comeback Player of the Year - Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors

Curry only managed to play in 26 games last year due to an ankle injury, resulting in the Warriors only having 23 wins last year. Despite being an All-Star Game snub, Curry is averaging 21.0 points per game this season, which makes him the team’s leading scorer. With the Warriors on the rise, Curry looks like he is healthy and ready to make a run come playoff time.

Honorable Mention – Brook Lopez, C, Brooklyn Nets

Most Improved - Jrue Holiday, PG, Philadelphia 76ers

Although Philadelphia is in the middle of a disappointing season, don’t blame it on their point guard. Holiday is averaging six more points per game this season than last year, along with an average of nine assists a game. Holiday is doing his part to make up for the losses of Andre Iguodala and Louis Williams, along with the unavailability of newly acquired center Andrew Bynum.

Honorable Mention - J.R. Smith, SG, New York Knicks

Sixth Man - J.R. Smith, SG, New York Knicks

Smith is one the main reasons for the Knicks success this season, averaging 16.2 points per game, which is 4 points up from his career average. But where J.R. has improved the most this season is his team play. He has improved his shot selection and defense, two areas where he has been criticized in past seasons.

Honorable Mention - Jamal Crawford, SG, Los Angeles Clippers

Defensive Player of the Year - Joakim Noah, C, Chicago Bulls

Noah is known as the “most annoying player in the NBA,” but not without good reason; the former Florida Gator is averaging 7.2 defensive rebounds per game along with 2.1 blocks a contest. Noah is a key reason why the Bulls are 3^rd in the East, despite the absence of Derrick Rose.

Honorable Mention – Tyson Chandler, C, New York Knicks

Rapid Reaction: ASU vs. UCLA Men's Basketball

By: Jake Gadon

With the last seconds of the Arizona State-UCLA game ticking away, it wasn’t just the block by Carrick Felix stopping a last second lay-up that made the crowd in Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, AZ go crazy - it was the stunning win that the team put up against a very good, but young UCLA team. After coming off a narrow OT victory against a non-threatening USC team last Thursday night, and the loss to a top-5 Arizona team the Saturday before, many speculated if this Sun Devil team was as good as advertised. Those critics were silenced on Saturday when the Sun Devil team came out to play.

According to sources, Carrick Felix, the senior forward on ASU and dominant team leader, was very upset with his team’s performance and his own performance these past two games and vowed to be more ready to come out and be competitive against the UCLA squad. Well, if 23 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks meant being ready, Carrick Felix was on his game. Right from the tip, Felix and freshman sensation Jahii Carson set the tone for the game and worked the offense to perfection. As the game rolled on, you could tell this wasn’t going to be a normal Arizona State basketball game; it was going to be something more. The reason for it was from the 7’2” center Jordan Bachnyski. Bachnyski, in his last two games, had looked soft and sluggish as if he had a hangover. But like Felix, Bachnyski stepped up his game big time with one of his best games this season. The junior had 22 points, 15 rebounds, 1 steal and 6 blocks, something we all knew that Bachnyski had in him, but never performed to expectations.

Junior guard Evan Gordon had a fantastic game with 12 points, 3 rebound and 2 steals. If he only didn’t give up 5 turnovers and go 2-7 from 3-point range, the junior guard would have a game like Felix or Bachnyski. Forward Jonathan Gilling chipped in 7 points and 12 rebounds, but also had a poor night from behind the arch. The Sun Devil bench seemed non-existent, as for all five starters played over 30 minutes. Guard Jahii Carson had a sub-par night on the stats sheet with 12 points and 8 assists, but played a pivotal role all game long by commanding the Sun Devil offense and really slowing down UCLA star: Shabazz Muhammad. The other freshman sensation in the Pac-12 had 18 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists against ASU and was really UCLA’s only offense all game along with Kyle Anderson (19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals). Overall, the Sun Devils shut down the Bruins by making them take outside shots and lose in the inside battle with rebounds and put-backs. One of the most interesting notes on this game was that if Carson had two more rebounds and Gilling had three more points, four out of five Arizona State starters would have recorded double-doubles.

What’s next for this ASU team? Well, being ranked 4th in the Pac-12 rankings and having there first big win under their belt; I can definitely see this Sun Devil team doing big things in conference play and make a push for a ticket to March Madness. Their next opponent is Washington State this Thursday in Washington and I believe they will take care of business and come back to Tempe with a win.

The Ultimate Fighter: Season Premiere Recap

 By: Dakota Cleland

The new season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered Tuesday night, and with it are two polarizing coaches in Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen, and 14 middleweight fighters looking to make it into the big leagues.

This 17th season will chronicle the road to the two coaches' title fight on April 27 at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J., as well as the middleweight tournament for a UFC contract, which will be given to the tournament winner two weeks prior.

This title fight has become more emotionally charged after Jones refused to fight Sonnen when Sonnen attempted to step in to replace the injured Dan Henderson at UFC 151 back in August, which then caused the entire card to be cancelled.

As announced by UFC president Dana White, the grand prizes of the show include a custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle for both the winning coach and the fighter, and of course a six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

There will also be bonuses aplenty in this show, with a $5,000 bonus for every time someone gets a knockout or submission finish and a $25,000 bonus for best knockout, best submission and fight of the season.

The first episode was all about setting the stage for the season. 28 men were set to fight each other in order to gain entry into the middleweight tournament and TUF house. It is hard to comment on what happened specifically in the fights, as there were 14 fights broadcasted between documentary-style footage and commercials over the course of two hours. As such, all of the fights were heavily clipped.

But the UFC certainly didn't fail to give us some noteworthy highlights:

•       One of the fastest finishes in TUF history occurred when Zak Cummings hit Nik Fekete with a right hand and got a TKO in seven seconds in the very first round.

•       The youngest fighter in TUF history gained entry into the house in 21-year-old Kelvin Gastelum from Yuma, Ariz.

•       Jimmy Quinlan defeated Mike Persons via first round TKO. Jones described Quinlan as having, “the best wrestling he's seen on the show thus far.”

•       Uriah Hall looked impressive in defeating Andy Enz and, according to Dana White, is the guy to beat this season.

•       We have a giant in the ranks in Englishman Luke Barnatt, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall. He will certainly be a challenge for fighters to defeat this season.

•       Gilbert Smith showed dominance when he kept Eric Wahlin on the ground for most of the fight.

In addition to the 14 fighters who advanced into the tournament, there will be two wild card entries who will appear next week.

After Jones and Sonnen picked teams, the first fight was booked for next week, which will be Luke Barnatt (S) vs. Gilbert Smith (J). This will be an interesting fight, seeing as Barnatt has a nine-inch height advantage over Smith.

This season also marks a new time slot for The Ultimate Fighter, a move planned to help save the show from getting abysmal Nielsen ratings like the past two seasons garnered on FX. So far, this strategy has worked, with the name value of the two coaches and the new time slot helping the season premiere get one and a half million viewers.

Team Jones

Clint Hester

Josh Samman

Bubba McDaniel

Gilbert Smith

Collin Hart

Adam Cella

Dylan Andrews

Team Sonnen

Luke Barnatt

Uriah Hall

Zak Cummings

Tor Troéng

Jimmy Quinlan

Kevin Casey

Kelvin Gastelum

Results from all of the fights:

Adam Cella vs. Jake Heun - Cella wins via first round submission (armbar).

Nik Fekete vs. Zak Cummings  - Cummings wins via first round TKO.

Kevin Casey vs. Eldon Sproat - Casey wins via submission (rear naked choke).

Tor Troéng vs Scott Rosa - Troéng wins via submission (rear naked choke).

Clint Hester vs Fraser Opie - Hester wins via decision.

Bubba McDaniel vs. Ryan Bigler - McDaniel wins via second round TKO.

Josh Samman vs. Lou Bercier - Samman wins by second round TKO.

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Kito Andrews - Gastelum wins via decision.

Jimmy Quinlan vs. Mike Persons - Quinlan wins via first round TKO.

Uriah Hall vs. Andy Enz - Hall wins by decision.

Eric Wahlin vs. Gilbert Smith - Smith wins via first round submission (arm triangle choke).

Luke Barnatt vs. Nicholas Kohring - Barnatt wins via decision.

Tim Williams vs. Dylan Andrews - Andrews wins via decision.

Collin Hart vs. Mike Jasper - Hart wins via first round submission (rear naked choke).

ASU Basketball Recap: Arizona Wildcats

By: Kevin Brozek

Last Saturday, the Sun Devils were dealt a major loss at home as they came up short against the University of Arizona, 71-54. This puts ASU’s record at 14-4, with a 3-2 record in the PAC-12. U of A stands 16-1, with a 4-1 in-conference record.

U of A was led by Mark Lyons, who put up 24 points with 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. Lyons was also assisted by sophomore guard Nick Johnson with 19 points, and senior forward Solomon Hill, who had 13 points. Freshman Brandon Kelly put forth a phenomenal defensive effort, as he held his matchup, Carrick Felix, to only five points. The Wildcats shot 46.3 percent and also made 13 of their 15 free throws. The ‘Cats also had a great game on the boards, as their starting center Kaleb Tarczewski had 8 rebounds in the game.

Unlike the Wildcats, ASU struggled to find a workable offensive strategy, as the team shot only a 39.1 percent from the field.Much of the blame for the poor shooting effort fell on senior Carrick Felix and junior Jordan Backynski. Felix managed to only make one field goal on his eight attempts, while Bachynski only had 3 points throughout the game. Felix also led the team in turnovers, giving the ball away 7 times. Overall, the Sun Devils turned the ball over 17 times, leading to 18 points for the Wildcat’s. All of this overshadowed a strong performance from freshman guard Jahii Carson. Carson had 22 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists, but picked up four fouls along the way. Carson’s early foul trouble had a major impact on the Sun Devils' offensive performance, as Carson went to the bench after his fourth foul early in the second half.

With this win, the Wildcats are now ranked sixth in the NCAA rankings as they look to redeem their loss to Oregon back on Jan. 10. The Wildcats and Sun Devils will square off again March 9 in Tucson as U of A will have the home court advantage.