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The NFL is off to a wild and crazy start.  Who would have thought that Green Bay would be 3-0 right now, while the Chargers have already matched their loss total of last year at 2.  Also, Detroit, Houston, and San Francisco all have winning records heading into week four.  When is the last time that happened?  Another team that has had a bit of resurgence is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The Bucs (2-1) have used a balance attack of power football, mixed with great defense to start the season well.  Carolina has had a great defense of late, but not a lot of people expected them to be 2-1 in the early season.  While it’s early in the season, these teams are currently tied for first in the NFC South and are looking to take any advantage they can get to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, including the struggling New Orleans Saints. 

After losing 20-6 in Seattle on opening week, Tampa Bay has rebounded, beating both New Orleans (31-14) and St. Louis (24-3) at home.  A lot of people have suggested that the Bucs defense is old, but as of right now they are looking fresh, and sporting a top 10 defense.  Jeff Garcia has enjoyed a career revival, first with the Saints, and now with the Bucs.  While he hasn’t looked spectacular, he has been solid, connecting on 66.2 percent of his passes for two touchdowns.  Running back Cadillac Williams has also been picking up steam of late, but went down with a rib injury against St. Louis.  He is currently listed as questionable for the Carolina game.  Backup Earnest Graham however performed admirably in the absence of Williams, scoring two touchdowns on 75 yards.  Even if Williams is deemed healthy you can bet Graham will see more of the field then he had been used to.

Carolina’s lone loss came against the new and improved Houston Texans, at home, 34-21.  Last week they bounced back against the Falcons, in Atlanta by a score of 27-20.  Wide receiver Steve Smith, to this point, is enjoying an injury free season and averaging over 17 yards per catch.  Jake Delhomme, in my opinion one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league, has thrown for eight touchdowns on just one interception.  The concern here is that the defense has taken a step backwards from years past, and they are also suffering from some injuries in their secondary. 

Despite the game being in Carolina I am leaning towards the Bucs.  It is still early enough for the old legs on the defense to keep things going for another week.  In a fairly low scoring game I expected the Bucs to prevail something like, but not necessarily 20-14.

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First of all, a lot of you probably laughed when you saw this game was chosen for game of the week.  After all, how can a team that just won the Super Bowl be expected to have any problems with a team that has trouble winning five games a year?  I’ll admit, it felt funny typing “game of the week,” and “Texans,” in the same sentence, but I have next for you, these aren’t the same old Texans.  In what may go down in one of the worst trades in NFL history, the Texans were able to pick up quarterback Matt Schaub for relatively little.  In hindsight it’s easy to go back now that we know the Michael Vick situation, but even before Vick was suspended even diehard Falcons fans were questioning weather or not Schaub should be the started.  Well, now he is a starter, and he has the Texans at 2-0.  Schaub has completed 72 percent of his passes this season, with three touchdowns and one interception.  Those numbers sound familiar, maybe you’re thinking very Manning like?

The Colts are also 2-0, and many people think they are even better than last year.  The defense has improved, thanks to a healthy Bob Sanders.  Sanders already has 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the early season.  Running back Joseph Addai has filled in nicely for the departed Dominic Rhodes, average 4.6 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns.  The ageless wonder Marvin Harrison hasn’t appeared to lose a step either, catching ten passes with a TD. 

Schaub and company are 5.5 point underdogs, and some of that may be to the unknown status of star wide receiver Andre Johnson.  Johnson left last weeks victory of the Panthers with a sprained knee, and as of this writing it is unsure if he will play in next weeks game.  His loss would be huge, as he has already scored three touchdowns on just 14 catches.

It’s hard to pick against the Colts here.  After all, could you ever expect the Texans to beat the Colts.  That’s just a joke, but I can imagine it would be hard for bettors to plop down their money on the Texans beating the Colts.  The Texans will have the home field advantage, and will play inspired, because for the first time in their existence the team and the fans feel like they can play some ball.  I like the Colts by a touchdown or more in this game, but an early season upset wouldn’t shock me as well. 

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UFC 76: Knockout Chuck Liddell vs. Keith Jardine

This Saturday, September 22nd at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Chuck Liddell makes his first appearance since being unceremoniously knocked out by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson back on May 26th of this year. The “Iceman” has compiled a very impressive MMA record of 20-4 in his over ten years in the sport, but more than a few UFC experts think he may have hit the end of the line. Those same experts also think that Liddell might have gotten caught up in the life of a celebrity after appearing on TV Show’s such as HBO’s “The Entourage,” and having various features of him in such magazines as “ESPN’s The Magazine.” At 37 years old it’s hard to blame Liddell of taking advantage of some of the popularity he worked hard to gain over the last decade, but it all probably led to his first round knockout loss. Immediately following the loss Liddell was back in the gym before he even had an idea who his next opponent would be. It was that desire that originally got him to this stature, and with that renewed vigor he may be able to recapture some of the glory of the past. Some of that glory includes impressive wins over top UFC fighters, including Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz. Prior to the loss to Jackson it had been over 4 years since Liddell had lost an MMA fight, and that once again was a match against Jackson, this time a PRIDE fight. Liddell is 7-1 in UFC competition with all seven wins by knockout, and of course his loss by knockout. His opponent, “The Dean of Mean,” Keith Jardine is also coming off a knockout loss. Out of all the endings possible, it’s hard not to imagine this one not ending with somebody knocked out.

Jardine holds an impressive MMA record of 12-3 with six victories coming inside the distance. But, as of late he has shown he is vulnerable, going 2-2 in his last four. In his last outing he was quickly knocked out, lasting only 48 seconds against a fighter making his UFC debut, Houston Alexander. While Alexander has compiled an 8-1 record, it still came as a shock when he made short work of Jardine. Jardine’s other recent loss came three fights ago against Stephan Bonner in which he lasted the distance, losing an unanimous decision. Jardine’s biggest win came against Forrest Griffin, a KO victory just one fight before his last loss. Griffin is respected as one of the best fighters in the world, so as you can see Jardine has had a very up and down UFC career.

What’s clear about this fight is that it should be action packed. Every once in a while there comes a time in fighters careers that the stars seem to align for a perfect fight for the fans. Both of these fighters are stand up strikers, and both hit very hard. They have both been knocked out very recently, so that is also weighing on the fighters minds. Also, the loser of this fight will probably be left on the outside looking in and will have a very long road back to the top if they drop this one. Liddell is currently about a 3 to 1 favorite and that seems about right. Liddell has proven that he can bounce back from adversity before. He also seems he has put aside the television appearance and interview requests to concentrate on what got him here, fighting.

The undercard will provide us with a very interesting fight and also features the UFC debut fight of Mauricio Rua. Rua is clearly one of the best, and most feared fighters in the world today. He has compiled an MMA record of 16-2, with 13 of those wins coming by knockout. The Brazilian Rua, known as “Shogun,” has only lost one fight in the last four years, and that was because he broke his arm. That fight was against Mark Coleman. Some of Rua’s biggest wins have come against Kevin Randleman, Quinton Jackson, and Eric Wanderlei. Rua is also showing he has know fear, in his very first UFC fight he is fighting of one the best the organization has to offer, Forrest Griffin. At one time Griffin was considered one of the best technical fighters, but as of late has suffered two loses in his last four fights. He is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over Hector Ramirez at UFC 76. In the fight before that fight he lost to Keith Jardine via first round KO. Griffin specifically asked to fight Rua when PRIDE and UFC merged, citing a feud dating back a few years. If Griffin hopes to return to the MMA spotlight a victory over Rua will do it. Rua is about currently a three to one favorite, but some experts think that the change from the PRIDE ring to the UFC octagon may be tough for Rua. Rua is known as for his devastating knee strikes, which are illegal in the UFC.

Also on the under card Diego Sanchez returns from his loss from Josh Koscheck, to face John Fitch, who has won 12 fights in a row. This fight is currently hovering around even money.

The name of this card is called “Knockout,” which is probably fitting with all the power on this card, but to me, it could have just as easily been called “Redemption.”

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Oleg Maskaev vs. Samuel Peter
  Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera

It’s not everyday you get a world championship boxing match, and you hardly ever get two on the same day.  If you are a true boxing fan then this is the day you’ve been waiting for.  The first championship match will take place at Madison Square Garden and will pit WBA heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev vs. challenger Samuel Peter.  The second title match of the evening sends us all the way across America to Las Vegas.  Manny Pacquiao, WBA super featherweight champion, will face Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch of Pacquiao’s 11th round knockout of Barrera almost four years ago.

Oleg Maskaev (34-5 26 KO’s) has had one heck of an up and down roller coaster of a career.  The former Russian soldier started his career in 1993 against an undefeated fighter who was 21-0, and knocked that unlucky guy out in three.  Many people have said that Maskaev was one of the worst managed fighters ever, and with matchmaking like that it’s no telling why.  In just his seventh fight he was pitted against former world champion Oliver McCall, but was knocked out in the first round of this fight.  In fact all five of his loses have came by knockouts, but it’s been five years since his last loss.  In August of 06’ he knocked out Hasim Rahman for the second time, and has only had one fight since then, a 12 round decision over overmatched Peter Okhello.  Some believe that Maskaev’s chin has been a result of a mental problem, and that he may have overcame that in his later years.  The now 38 year old will have to hope it’s mental, because his challenger is one of the hardest hitters in the game.

“The Nigerian Nightmare,” Samuel Peter (28-1 22 KO’s) brings with him the ultimate equalizer in boxing, power.  Peter’s only loss came against the best heavyweight in the world Wladimir Klitschko.  Since that loss, a 12 round decision in which he knocked Klitschko down three times, he has won his next four.  In his last two fights he has beat James Toney.  In their first encounter Peter won a disputed 12 round split decision.  In the next fight Peter came in eight pounds lighter and won a much easier decision.  Some people credit this to Toney being past his prime, and others say Toney has greatly improved.  I think it’s a bit of both, but I do favor Peter in this one due to the age of Maskaev, and Peter’s power.

If you get a quick enough flight you can fly across America just in time for Pacquiao and Barrera.  Manny Pacquiao (44-3-2 35 KO’s) is the best and most exciting little fighter in the world today.  Many are wondering why this fight would turn out any different then the first fight, being that Pacquiao thoroughly dominated the first fight en route to knocking out the Mexican legend in 11 one-sided rounds.  Also adding to that is challenger Barrera (63-5 42 KO’s) is no “Baby Faced Assassin,” anymore, being now 33 years old.  But, let’s not jump ahead so quickly.  Pacquiao is facing many distractions heading into this fight.  He has just ended a failed run at office for a Philippine government position that apparently cost him more money then he expected.  There are also questions as to how seriously Pacquiao is taking training.  He has already made various trips across the oceans between America and the Philippians training, but has obviously not stayed in one place long enough to focus.  There are also reports that Pacquiao likes the nightlife, and is quick to bet a few bucks on a pool game or a chicken fight.  What also must be remembered is that before their first encounter Barrera had a major distraction of his own.  He was constantly being pulled aside for questioning regarding a brain surgery procedure he had many years ago.  Barrera is legendary for how hard he trains, and with those distractions he was unable to complete training the way he likes to.  This time it’s Pacquiao with the distractions and Barrera with the clear head.  Barrera is coming off of a loss against Juan Manuel Marquez, but many people that Barrera earned that decision.  Pacquiao will be the favorite, and rightfully so, but an upset here wouldn’t shock yours truly.  Barrera has only the one knockout loss on his record.  What should also be taken into account is that Barrera is ending the near of his career, and many Mexican legends, including his long time rival Erik Morales, have found away to put everything together for one last great fight, knowing they have the rest of their lives to recover.

This should be a great night for boxing fans.  If you aren’t a boxing fan I can’t think of another night of boxing that you shouldn’t try out to at least try to make you a fan.  Enjoy October 6th, hopefully it is the start of a red hot winter of boxing

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It has been argued by some of the most respected journalists in sports that the brother tandem of Juan Manuel Marquez and Rafael Marquez is the greatest sibling coupling in the history of boxing.  Some would argue that the Spinks brothers, Michael and Leon hold that distinction, but what can’t be argued is the longevity of the Marquez’s brother’s success has far out done that of the brothers Spinks.  But, with Rafael losing his last fight, it is up to Juan Manuel to keep up the tradition for the surefire hall of fame combination.

It can be argued that Juan Manuel Marquez (47-3-1 35 KO’s) hasn’t lost a fight since September of 1999.  With the exception of a loss in his very first fight by disqualification way back in 1993, he does have one other loss on his record to current WBA featherweight champion Chris John.  Marquez traveled to John’s home country of Indonesia to challenge for that title, and seemed in control of the fight before strange circumstances seemed to turn the tide in John’s favor.  The first nine rounds were fought fairly even, but it seemed Marquez was starting to pull away when all of a sudden the ref took a point away for a low blow for Marquez.  Shocked, because it didn’t even seem close to a low blow, Marquez fought on, only to be deducted another point in the 11^th round.  Needless to say, Marquez would go on to lose a very suspicious and debatable decision, but even in the loss he didn’t lose any respect, and most people took it for what it was.  Marquez has bounced back just fine, earning KO wins in two of his three fights since, and a 12 round decision victory this past March over the Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera.  While the wide scores of that fight turned some heads, it is generally accepted that Marquez did enough to earn the decision.  Marquez’s opponent on the 15^th has also fought Barrera, but has lost to him, twice.

Rocky Juarez stormed out of the gate in his early career, leading many to believe he would be one of the better smaller fighters for years to come.  His powerful punching and his come forward style also added an excitement factor.  Juarez’s first real test came against unheralded Zahir Raheem in front of his hometown fans in Houston, Texas.  Raheem seemed to outwork Juarez throughout the majority of the fight, but much like the suspicious ending to the Marquez John fight, the same thing happened here.  The referee in this instant began taking points away from Raheem for “phantom” fouls, including holding behind the head.  Juarez would back bounce nicely though, winning both of his fights in two and one round knockouts.  But, his first loss of his career would come against Humberto Soto, a rangy fighter, who seemed to control the action from the opening bell.  Soto won by only one point on two cards, and two on the other, but some major concerns started coming out of camp Juarez after this loss.  However, Juarez once again bounced back with two early round KO’s then earned a shot with Barrera.  As mentioned earlier, Juarez lost both of his matches with Barrera, but in the first fight he gave it his all, losing a very close decision, perhaps winning 5 of 12 rounds.  In the immediate rematch many were picking Juarez to win, but instead Juarez seemed to clam up, throwing only one or two punches few and far between.  The decision was much wider this time, and many were left wondering what was wrong with Juarez.  Once again though, Juarez has won two fights since then, this time a KO and a decision.

Marquez is currently about a 3 to 1 favorite.  If you knew nothing about these fighters you might be prone to put your money on the underdog.  Juarez is younger by seven years, and has been in far fewer tougher fights.  But, if you have ever seen Juarez fight you know he has a tendency to sleepwalk through some of his fights.  Marquez will make short work of Juarez if he decides to pack it in this fight.  At the same time though, Juarez knows this is one of his last chances to ever been seen as a top fighter on the world stage.  If he loses this one he may be left to reexamine his career choice.

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Basketball Hall of Ceremony September 8th

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