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Will The Ravens Make It To The Big Game?

March 10th, 2010

The Baltimore Ravens are, what many sports enthusiasts would call, infants in the NFL. The originated in Cleveland, and after much debate, Art Modell finally got his wish of moving them to Baltimore. They did not have their own stadium, at first, so they plated in Memorial Stadium, home of the Colts. It only took two years for their stadium to be ready; although, the name of the stadium changed numerous times over the next ten years (it took some time for the team to settle in).

After they moved to their new stadium, the Ravens did not overly improve their game, not even with coach Marchibroda. Their first season ended at a 6-10 record, nothing overly impressive. After only two years, in their new stadium, the head coached was replaced with Billick. Billick’s first season, with the Ravens proved to be a difficult one. Once the team got over the hump of having a new coach, and a few rough years behind them, they ended their ‘99 season with a 8-8 record; the best they’d seen yet.

Not even ten years later, the 2008 season, the Baltimore Ravens nearly made it to the Super Bowl. In a fight on home turf against the Jaguars, they won their spot in the AFC playoffs placement. An unfortunate turn of events allowed them to slip out of the running for the Super Bowl, but they made it farther than they ever had.

After a phenomenal season in 2008, the team has a new saying — “Play like a Raven”. This saying is spreading quickly, especially around home. Those who witnessed play during training of the 2009 summer will vouch for the fact that the team busted their humps. So not only was the team pumped to play, but they also had 26th pick in the draft, which helped them a lot. Michael Oher was predicted to see some good field time in the ‘09 season with the Ravens.

The Ravens are a new team as they are just starting their 12th season on the NFL. Regardless, after some hard work, they have made their way to some big games and attention. Everyone is excited about the 2010 season. The tickets will sell quick so be sure get your tickets as soon as they go on-sale!

Written by Matt Ryan, sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass.com sells Baltimore Ravens Tickets, NFL Tickets, Sports Tickets and many more tickets to just about any event in the world.

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Colts Slip Past Jags In NFL Opener

February 28th, 2010

The Indianapolis Colts, finding their offense shut down by a relentless Jacksonville Jaguars attack, fought back in kind. The often maligned Indy stop unit matched the ferocity of their Jaguars counterparts play for play, and one touchdown pass from Peyton Manning proved to be enough to earn victory by a 14-12 margin in the NFL season opener for both teams. The victory was Manning’s 118th in a Colts uniform, tying the legendary Johnny Unitas for the franchise lead.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jaguars as +6 road underdogs were rewarded with the pointspread cover. Indianapolis dropped to 11-16 ATS over the past three years when favored. The 26 combined points went well UNDER the posted total of 45. Despite their reputation as an offensive juggernaut, the Colts have actually trended to the UNDER over the past three seasons, with 19 UNDERs in their past 35 lined games.

After the contest, Manning displayed his characteristic humility when asked about tying the franchise mark for wins and particularly comparisons to the iconic Unitas:

“I’ve never felt comfortable with comparisons with him. I think he’s kind of in his own category. But I am proud of those wins.”

Manning was more concerned about the welfare of receiver Anthony Gonzalez who left late in the first quarter with an injury:

“I askedRashean Matthis what happened and he said, ‘I didn’t even touch him . He has worked so hard in the offseason, I just hope it’s not a season-ending injury.”

Colts coach Jim Caldwell won his first game at the helm of an NFL team, and was pleased with the effort of the defense:

“Obviously, the defense played well and came up big at the end. We thought it would be a grind, and it was. I think our team certainly played tough, played hard, played with a lot of energy.”

Jacksonville wasnt overly discouraged after the contest either, pleased with the intensity and their effectiveness in shutting down one of the NFLs best offenses. Maurice Jones-Drew praised the tenacious Indy defense after the game:

“They just did a great job in the red zone stifling our offense. My hat’s off to them. But we have to learn how to finish.”

Quarterback David Garrard also gave credit to the tenacity of the Indy pass rush:

“I thought, ‘Here we go again, we have a great chance. You love to be in that situation. We were trying to get the ball to Maurice, but you’ve got to slow those pass rushers down. We did what we could do.”

The Jaguars will open their 2009 NFL home slate on Sunday as they host the Arizona Cardinals. The Colts will head to south Florida for a game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. Theyll return to Indy for a date with the Arizona Cardinals on the following Sunday.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and college football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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Vikings’ Adrian Peterson Suffers Minor Back Injury

February 28th, 2010

Brett Favre may get all of the headlines for the Minnesota Vikings, but NFL insiders are well aware that running back Adrian Peterson is the key to the teams offensive success. Peterson’s threat alone is enough to open up options for the passing game. He’s definitely more than a decoy, however–after winning the NFL rushing title last year hes already off to a great start with 272 yards and four touchdowns in only two games.

There’s been a good deal of concern this week in the Twin Cities media about Peterson’s health. Specifically, there are questions about the severity of a back injury suffered last weekend. Peterson has been limited in his practice activities all week as a precaution, though both he and QB Favre as listed as probable on the NFLs official injury report. Peterson’s back is the reason for his inclusion, while Favre is dealing with a minor finger sprain.

The NFLs leading rusher tried to downplay the significance of his injury in comments to reporters:

“God willing, I will be out there playing. Not a big deal at all.”

He launched into a comedy routine when asked for details on the injury. Asked when the injury occurred, Peterson quipped:

“It happened, like, a week back. But that’s all behind me now.”

Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell didnt sound too concerned:

“I’m comfortable with where he’s at. I know he’s been working hard to rehab. … Right now, I think he’s going to be OK, but we have to continue to go throughout the week with that.”

Peterson ran for 92 yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions last weekend. His presence alone makes things much easier for the Vikings passing attack”opposing teams often put 8 or 9 men along the line of scrimmage to try and stop him, giving QB Brett Favre a great opportunity to get the ball downfield to his receivers in single coverage.

The Vikings host a team known for their own potent running game this weekend, as the San Francisco 49ers come to town. The Vikings are a 6 point home favorite with the total set at 39. The line for the first half is Vikings -3, with a total of 20. Theyll remain at home the following week as the Green Bay Packers pay a visit for a game on Monday Night Football. A road game will follow, as the Vikings will head to St. Louis to face the lowly Rams on October 11th.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer specializing in travel, poker and NFL football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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Colts’ Manning Versus Brees Destine To Turn Out To Be Everything We Hope For

February 25th, 2010

Many will tell you that the key to a football team’s success is its quarterback. After all, someone who can successfully find receivers is bound to put points on the scoreboard for his team. Still, others will tell you that it’s defense that wins championships. This year, though, was the year of the quarterback.

Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are believed by many to be the best two quarterbacks in football. Typically drafted before any others in fantasy leagues, the two of them are reliably consistent year in and year out, giving their teams the best offensive units in football. When they go head to head at this year’s Super Bowl, we’re going to see a battle of quarterbacks above all else.

Neither of these teams lost a game until December, and it’s very rarely the case where one team, let alone two, goes unbeaten for such a long time. Due to the dominance of each team, experts labeled both of these the best in the AFC and NFC throughout the year.

Now, they have a chance to showcase their abilities once more in a game that is sure to result in a very high final score. This will be an offensive battle at its finest in Miami.

While both of them lost a few games during the last few weeks of the season, many would attribute this to the fact that they no longer needed to win more games in order to secure home field advantage.

This is different from the last few Super Bowl meetings we’ve seen. If you look at the previous two winners in the Steelers and Giants, both teams won the game on the heels of a strong defense.

This year, it looks like offense is the name of the game. While each team has an efficient defense that is largely responsible for the team’s success, it really comes to down to each quarterback’s poise, precision, and hunger on the field.

This may very well be one of the highest scoring Super Bowls we’ve seen in recent years. As great as defensive battles can be, this will be an extremely refreshing change from the usual.

In addition to sports, the writer additionally frequently writes on solar pool panels and solar panels best price.

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Cincinnati Wins Low Scoring NFL Preseason Battle At New England

February 22nd, 2010

When the biggest play of a NFL football game is an extra point, there’s a good chance it was a dull contest. The big play of the game? A point after touchdown by the Bengals backup kicker, none other than wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Ochocinco’s PAT would prove to be the margin of victory as Cincinnati beat New England 7-6.

After the game, the always entertaining Chad Ochocinco talked about his love for European soccer:

“‘Esteban’ Ochocinco is back, the most interesting footballer in the world. Everyone has to remember, I’ve always said that soccer is my No. 1 sport. I think Ronaldinho would be proud of me right now.”

To punctuate his fondness for the sport known as football in the rest of the world, Ochocinco whipped out his iPhone to display a picture of him with former England captain David Beckham. He then continued his comedy routine:

“Soccer’s my first love, Kicking’s easy … like riding a bike. I can kick them from 50, 60 yards, left or right hash mark. … I kicked all through high school.”

Ochocinco was pressed into service as a placekicker when Shane Graham complained of a sore groin in pregame warm-ups. Rather than take any chances, head coach Marvin Lewis let Ochocinco take his place.

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, who was pressed into emergency service as a placekicker while with the Miami Dolphins, wasnt buying Ochocincos talk about kicking being easy:

“It’s not easy. To kick that is something, and he got real good height on it.”

Cincinnati scored their only touchdown on JT OSullivans 24 yard pass to Chris Henry. That set up Ochocincos picture perfect extra point. OSullivan was also amused, but emphasized that his receivers athletic versatility is no joke:

“Nothing surprises me. All joking aside, he still kicked the ball through the uprights and it ended up winning the game. Some people might think its funny, but it’s important.”

Cincinnati will kick off their NFL regular season schedule on Sunday, September 13th as they host the Denver Broncos. The Patriots will get their campaign underway on Monday, September 14th as they play the Buffalo Bills at home.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer experienced in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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Jets Win Their First NFL Preseason Game By Beating Giants

February 22nd, 2010

A week after being named the New York Jets starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez rewarded his first year NFL coach with a victory. Rex Ryan got his first win at the helm of the Jets as his team held off a 4th quarter comeback to nip the crosstown rival New York Giants 27-25. Both teams are now 1-2 in NFL preseason play.

NFL preseason betting enthusiasts who took the Giants as +3 point underdogs were rewarded with the outright victory. The Jets improved to 2-1 against the pointspread, while the Giants dropped to 1-2 against the money as they dropped their second straight ATS verdict.

Sanchez finished with 149 yards on 13 of 20 passing and a touchdown pass to former University of South Carolina standout receiver Chansi Stuckey. After the game, he was pleased with his effort and the victory:

“You get a little more confidence when you know your coach believes in you and has named you the starter. It was similar to that at SC. Once you’re the guy, you talk a little different, you walk a little different and you act a little different.”

Giants defender Mathias Kiwanuka was even impressed with Sanchezs touchdown play:

“I thought we had him. It was a great play. You have to give him credit for seeing down the field with two guys in his face.”

Sanchez remembered it thusly:

“It was one of those plays where you get hit throwing it and you don’t really see what’s going on. You kind of listen. I knew if it was a big roar, it was probably a big play by the Giants, maybe an interception and I’d have to get up quick. But I heard a quiet roar and I said: ‘Oh boy, I think he caught it.’”

Winning coach Ryan commended his young QBs effort:

“He was poised. He is what we thought he was.”

Giants QB Eli Manning had something of an off game, finishing a touchdown and interception. He had receiver Steve Smith drop a perfect wide open pass that would have been a 50 yard touchdown play. Afterwards, he had no hard feelings:

“Sometimes it’s good to get those out of the way now. I know Steve feels bad about that. He hasn’t done that all training camp. I know he won’t drop it next time.”

The Giants will get the NFL regular season started with a big game against their divisional rivals as they host the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 13th. The Jets will start the season on the road as they travel to Houston for a game against the Texans.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer specializing in travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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New England Wraps Up NFL Preseason With Win Over NY Giants

February 21st, 2010

Undrafted Brian Hover played the entire game for the Patriots and may have earned himself a position as Tom Brady’s backup with a solid all around performance as New England topped the New York Giants 38-27 in the NFL preseason finale for both clubs. Hover passed for 242 yards and no interceptions on 18 of 25 passing. Most impressively, he didnt get rattled as the Giants broke from the gate quickly to post a 21-0 first quarter lead.

NFL football betting enthusiasts who took New England as +3 road underdogs cashed their tickets with the outright win. The Patriots evened their preseason ATS mark at 2-2, while the Giants dropped to 1-3 against the number. New York won and covered their first game of the preseason before dropping the next three straight up and against the spread.

A free agent pickup out of Michigan State, Hover threw for one touchdown and led three more long drives that culminated in paydirt. BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for three touchdowns and after the game gave his endorsement of Hover’s play:

“Brian did a good job of controlling our offense. We mixed it up.”

Green-Ellis had an impressive game himself, with 125 yards on 29 carries to go with the three rushing touchdowns. Afterwards, Patriots coach Bill Belichick had clipped but positive comments about his play:

“Ben does a lot of things for us going back to last year.

As well as the performance of QB Hover:

“Not bad. He handled the ball fairly well, threw it accurately.”

The Giants biggest personnel decision at the moment is their third string QB, where Andre Woodson went 6 for 19 for 98 yards with one interception. Afterwards, he gave his take on the game:

“It took me a while to get into my rhythm and it was the worst possible game to have that happen. Last year I knew I was going to be cut. … This year is different. It’s going to be tense.”

Starting QB Eli Manning played one series and backup David Carr played three. Afterwards, Manning summed up his teams mindset:

“I think everyone is ready for the season to get going and start playing for real.

The Giants will start playing for real next Sunday as they host the Washington Redskins in a NFC East battle. Theyll head to Dallas in week two for another divisional tilt against the Cowboys. The Patriots will start their regular season next Monday night as they host the Buffalo Bills.

Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer specializing in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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Tennessee Tops Buffalo In NFL Hall Of Fame Game

February 17th, 2010

The NFL preseason got underway on Saturday with the annual Hall of Fame Game, and the Tennessee Titans earned the victory as they built a 21-3 first half lead before holding off a late Buffalo Bills comeback to prevail 21-18. The Titans offense looked sharp in the first half, while the Bills never really got anything going in their offensive efforts. Buffalo didnt score an offensive touchdown, and thats not going to get it done in the NFL regular season.

Tennessee starting QB Kerry Collins and backup Vince Young both looked sharp as they combined to lead the Titans offense to three first half touchdowns. Collins sounded optimistic about his teams prospects this year based on the positive early results:

“I’m encouraged. It doesn’t take as long to get ready, but I’ll take advantage of the work I’m going to get.”

Young struggled early with his touch, but recovered to hit Paul Williams on a second quarter TD that staked Tennessee to a 21-3 lead. After the game, he admitted that getting back in the groove was just the nature of the beast in the NFL preseason:

“It happens, man. I know everybody wants me to go out and be perfect, but it’s not happening like that. You can’t just jump into it.”

The only memorable offensive production for Buffalo came courtesy of Terrell Owens. T.O. was only on the field for one possession, but had two catches for 27 yards from Trent Edwards. After the game, Owens shrugged off talk of it being a statement:

“It was just what was open, Trent saw it and threw it to me. Whether or not it was a statement remains to be seen. I feel comfortable with the offense. I like it in Buffalo, but we all have a lot of work to do.”

Bills QB Edwards focused on the positives he saw in his team’s opening offensive series:

“We can build off that one opening series. Preseason is about getting comfortable. You make mistakes, then work on them. But you can take a good drive like that and go with it, too.”

The NFL preseason continues for both teams this Saturday, with Buffalo hosting the Chicago Bears and Tennessee taking on Tampa Bay at home.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer specializing in travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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Jacksonville Jaguars Will Start 2009 With A Vengeance

January 16th, 2010

Jacksonville, Florida – at a point in time in history – had stated that they could not support a professional football team. However, ticket sales for the Jacksonville Jaguars have proven otherwise and have successfully supported the NFL franchise for years. Jaguar fans are dedicated and continue to purchase tickets and show up to all their home games regardless of their season record.

The NFL was looking for a city to start a new franchise in back in’92. They had their hopes on Charlotte, NC, St. Louis, MO, Baltimore, MD, Memphis, TN, or – their last choice – Jacksonville, FL. Florida already had two pro-football teams; there was really no need to add another.

Jacksonville, Florida was not a favorite pick for the NFL, for many different reasons. Besides the fact that Florida was full of professional sports teams, television ratings were low, the city was small, and it Jacksonville just did not quite match up to the other cities. Residents; however, were thrilled at the idea and bought 10,000 season tickets within a 10 day span. This event proved that Jacksonville was the best spot for the new franchise.

After 16 years on the field, the Jacksonville Jaguars still have not made it to a Super Bowl game, although they have come close. In’96, and again in’99, the team played for their AFC Division title – they did not win, but they played hard. In their first four years as a franchise, they made it to the playoffs three times, and NFL record.

The 2007 season proved to be another profitable year for the team as they closed the season with only two losses. Everyone expected this streak to carry into the next season – 2008 – but were proven wrong. The 2008 season ended up being the teams’ record worst and is one they wish they could replay.

Fans expected to see their team in the Super Bowl in 2008, or at the least, in the playoffs again. With multiple injuries and the players just not working as a team, it became apparent that the team was not going to get far this year. What closed the deal on this was when the Jaguars lost against the Bengals, who had not won a game all year. Sad thing is, they only lost by three points, which was even more devastating to the team.

Just because the team experienced a rough year does not mean they did not play hard – they did – there were just opportunities to be taken that were continually missed game after game. The entire team took a beating in the 2008 season, so much so that it gave them an adrenaline boost by the end of the year. They were able to beat the Detroit Lions – by a field goal – at the last minute, which also happened to be one of their last games of the season.

With a 5-11 record the Jaguars hung their heads and moved on. The 2009 season brings back many injured players, along with some new blood. Fans are hopeful that the combination of these two advantages will give the Jaguars the edge they need to get back into the game. Ticket sales are expected to be as high – if not higher – as normal, and those who do not rush to the box office may miss their chance to see the Jaguars play – live.

By Matt Ryan, sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells Jacksonville Jaguars Tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets, NFL Tickets and more to just about any event in the world.

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Say Goodbye to Giants Stadium

January 15th, 2010

Beginning with the season opener against Washington, the Giants appear to be playing the same schedule that they did in the ‘08 – ‘09 season. Not only will they be playing all three of their NFC East rivals during weeks- through 15, but they will be hosting the games against the Eagles and the Panthers. These are just a few of the highlights Giants fans can look forward to this year, even if it is the same as it was last season, the details of the games will be different.

The two weeks of preseason practices and games made it appear, to the fans and coaches, that the Giants had an unbreakable defense this year. Upon winning their first preseason game, against the Panthers, this would prove to be true; the Giants defense is strong and other teams should be prepared.

Coach Tom Coughlin plays a big role in the strength of the Giants this year. He was asked, during preseason, who he believed were his strongest players this year. While he gave kudos to a number of players, mostly on the defensive line, Sintim, Leger Dougable, Bruce Johnson, and Tommie Hill were at the top of the list.

The ‘09 season will be nothing short of memorable for fans, staff, and team members. They started with the amazing win of their first preseason game, along with the return of a great receiver – David Tyree. Tyree suffered a severe knee injury shortly after Super Bowl XLII, and had to sit on the sidelines during the ‘08 season. This put the team in a bit of bind, forcing them to find new talent, which they did.

Tyree, despite of the threat of new blood on the team, appears to be confident with his position on the team. He is promising his team, and fans, that he will perform as he did prior to his injury, and that they have nothing to fear. He believes he is valuable to the Giants, and if they do not see that, that he will be just as valuable to any other team in the NFL.

All of this said, Tyree missing an entire season, should not affect the team or how he plays. According to him, if the team is affected, it is not due to his lack of skill as he believes the injury has not harmed his abilities to perform. The first preseason game would prove this to be true, but there is still a whole season for him to play.

This season, 2009, is the Giants’ 85th anniversary in the NFL. This being said, it is also the last season they will play in their current stadium. Beginning in the 2010 season, the Giants will share a stadium with the Jets; they will play in the Meadowlands Stadium. Fans, loyal or not, this is your last chance to see the Giants play in their stadium.

This season brings a lot of excitement for fans across the world. Old players back on the field, anniversary, and closure on a part of the team. StubPass.com has all of the information, necessary, for upcoming games and events. This is the time to get into the stadium before its time to say goodbye. Help the Giants walk out of their stadium with glory.

Written by Matt Ryan, article sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells New York Giants Tickets, sporting event tickets, concert event tickets, theater tickets, NFL Tickets and more to just about any event in the world.

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