Westbrook Enters In the History Books

On April 9, 2017 the people of Colorado witnesses a piece of history that is uncertain ever be broke again. Russel Westbrook Guard for Oklahoma City Thunder broke the long standing record for the most triple doubles in a single season with 42 triple doubles. Thunder vs Denver Nuggets was a highly anticipated game that it was a win or elimination from playoffs with the Denver Nuggets. Denver Nuggets came into this game with a lot of pressure of not being able to go to the playoffs if they lose.

With the highly anticipation of Russel Westbrook breaking the record it was a sellout crowd at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Russel Westbrook ended the game with a triple double breaking Oscar Robertson and a game winning shot to beat the Denver Nuggets. Which sends the Denver Nuggets fishing on vacation instead of going to the playoffs. This was a huge tip of the iceberg for Russel Westbrook to beat the record with a win finishing the game with 50 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assist to cap off an amazing game with a win.

Russel Westbrook puts his name in the hat of being heavily favored to win the 2017 NBA MVP for this year. Breaking the record of most triple doubles in a single season and have his team be contending for a playoff run at the 6th seed makes it very compelling. With one more game in the regular season to go. Russel Westbrook can continue this amazing run of excellence as the Oklahoma City Thunder will head into the playoffs this weekend. With the current standings in the Western Conference. Russel Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off his old teammate James Harden and the Houston Rockets in what will be an exciting match up with the two favored MVP candidates of the season.

-DJLeodawnus

Raiders Will Relocate From Oakland to Las Vegas

If there is one thing people can bet on is another NFL franchise will relocate in the coming future. The Oakland Raiders will pack their bags and play in Las Vegas in a couple years in a brand new stadium. Las Vegas also known as Sin City went from no professional team to two within one year (the other Las Vegas Golden Knights). This relocation started with a vote with the results 31-1 in the decision to allow Mark Davis to move the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas. The only owner who opposed the relocation was the Miami Dolphins owner named Stephen Ross.

The reason for this occurring is because the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams will receive a new stadium in a few years and the Raiders needed a new stadium to compete against other markets to gain revenue. Oakland stadium has been the laughing stock of the NFL. With unsafe conditions having the baseball field being in play during football games. Look at the reason why Chargers left San Diego. They left for the purpose of they were tired of playing in Qualcomm Stadium. Chargers needed a new stadium to play in to create revenue and boost the brand. When things did not go their way they swiftly went up north and relocated to Los Angeles. Raiders wanted to play in a new stadium and could not compete against other teams financially if they did not make a move to do something.

Las Vegas is the destination for gambling and nightlife so for the NFL to all of a sudden look past gambling as an issue shows that NFL doesn’t care as much as it seems to the public. At the end of the day it is all about the dollar signs. Fans think with their emotion, and owners think with their wallets. Overall, it is very sad for the fans of all these teams that have to deal with relocation, but it is business, whether we like it or not. With this move means the end of the Stadium Era, which is great but at the same time equally depressing for all the teams fans that were effected with the relocations. It blossoms the idea of giving people more ideas to go to Vegas.

 

Happy Trails to ‘Night Train’~~Javier Lopez

The Giants are saying goodbye to another member from the championship runs in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Javier Lopez recently announced that he is retiring from baseball after 14 seasons in Major League Baseball. Lopez finished his career with an ERA of 3.48 and accumulated 30 wins to go along with 17 losses. He pitched in 839 games which translates into 533 innings pitched (he became a lefty specialist with the Giants, and so did not always pitch a full inning). Javy also recorded 358 strikeouts. All in all, Javier Lopez had a very solid career.

Lopez broke into the big leagues on April 1, 2003 with the Colorado Rockies. He spent another 2 seasons with Colorado before going to Arizona where he finished the 2005 season. In 2006, he went to the Boston Red Sox and won his first of 4 championships there. He was there until 2009. In 2010, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates and then was subsequently traded to the San Francisco Giants mid season. This is where Javier Lopez finally really made a home for himself.

Once he landed with the Giants, Javy’s career took off. He consistently posted very low ERA numbers and became the Giants secret weapon against tough left handed batters like Ryan Howard, Jay Bruce, and Adam LaRoche just to name a few. Lopez became an essential assent to the Giants during their playoff runs in all 3 World Series wins. It is my honest opinion that without ‘Night Train’, the Giants probably don’t win a few of those titles.

Giants fans soon came to love watching Lopez because of his fun and outgoing personality. When Jeremy Affeldt was with the Giants, (he retired at the end of the 2015 season) both Lopez and Affeldt seem to have a friendly competition to see who Bruce Bochy’s favorite left handed reliever was. It became YouTube material for fans to enjoy and appreciate. Lopez was instrumental in helping to maintain a clubhouse that had good chemistry. Every player got along with each other and having guys like Lopez, and Affeldt only helped to strengthen the relationship that the Giants players had then and still have today as we dawn upon the 2017 season.

There is some good news though for Giants fans. I recently heard that both Affeldt and Javier Lopez will be working in the Giants broadcast booth this season due to the health issues that Giants color commentator Mike Krukow is suffering from. Krukow said he is going to downgrade his workload to about 120 games this season, which will allow us fans to enjoy the vocal sounds of Mr. Lopez and Mr. Affeldt. It is sad that Mike Krukow has to work less because I have learned a lot about the game of baseball simply by listening to his commentary, and I still enjoy listening to him and Duane Kuiper, but at least we will be in good hands with the characters of these two former Giants.

So happy trails Javier Lopez! I hope that you enjoy life in retirement, I know your family will love having you around on a more permanent basis. I look forward to hearing you on the Giants broadcasts this season. Be well!

*insert Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing “Happy Trails to You” with a sunset image*

Super Bowl LI: Thank You For Being Like These Guys

Before the big game we saw this past Sunday, ESPN 1320’s “Rise Guys'” host Mark Kreidler wrote about how he did not want the Super Bowl to be one of the most boring championship games in the history of the the NFL. Among that list was a game we just saw a few years ago in Super Bowl XLVIII when the game was pretty much over when Peyton Manning fumbled the snap on the opening drive, resulting in a safety for the Seahawks.

Honestly, when the game was 14-0 in favor of the Falcons, I thought we were heading for another sleeper. Even though the great New England Patriots were having of their worst performances in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era, everyone still wants an exciting or at-least a good game if their team, like my now-Los Angeles Chargers, isn’t competing on of the biggest sports stages in the world.

So, in response to Mr. Mark Kreidler’s blog (http://www.espn1320.net/Dear-Super-Bowl-LI-Don-t-Be-Like-These-Guys/19475646?pid=531369&do=1&stnBlogPage=true), here is a list of why Super Bowl LI was like these guys.

The Five Most Exciting Super Bowls Ever:

5. Super Bowl XLIII. 2009

Arizona was trailing 20-7 at the start of the fourth quarter but scored 16 consecutive points to take the lead with 2:37 remaining in the game. If Santonio Holmes doesn’t make the game-winning catch, everyone would remember Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard go-ahead touchdown catch. Unfortunately when you leave 2:37 remaining on the clock and Ben Roethlisberger in his prime is your quarterback, you should have nothing to worry about. Ultimately Holmes had the game-winning touchdown to give the Steelers a 27-20 lead with 35 seconds left and was named Super Bowl MVP. Even though it was the Pittsburgh Steelers winning their sixth Super Bowl, what a finish right?

4. Super Bowl XXV. 1991

I wasn’t born when this game occurred, let alone that my parents weren’t even married yet. However, watching the ESPN 30 for 30 series can make a young sports fan like myself feel like I watched some of the greatest moments in American sports history from the 1970’s, 1980’s and early 1990’s. The Four Falls of Buffalo episode went into heavy detail on this Super Bowl because the Bills were so close and the next three Super Bowls that they lost wouldn’t have been less of a discussion. Let me break this down to those who haven’t seen footage of this game; it’s 20-19 in-favor of the Giants, there’s only  eight seconds left on the game clock in the fourth quarter and Bill’s kicker Scott Norwood lines up for a potential 47-yard game-winning field goal. Unfortunately, the late January Tampa Bay wind forced the kick to go just left on the goalpost upright. Fast forward 26 years later and this is still the only potential Super Bowl winning field goal attempt missed by a kicker.

3. Super Bowl LI. 2017

Do I really have to go into too much recap of a game that happened not even three days ago? You must really don’t care about football or sports in general if you didn’t hear about this game. Greatest comeback in Super Bowl history and the only Super Bowl to go into overtime. Must I say more?

2. Super Bowl XLIX. 2015

I can’t put this past Super Bowl ahead of this one and my number one simply because Super Bowl LI was basically a blowout in the first half. This game was exciting from the start with no points scored in the first half, tied at 14 going into the half (Katy Perry halftime show I believe), the Seahawks having a 24-14 lead after three but due to some bad play-calling, on the 1-yard line to be specific, the Patriots found a way to win another close one on one of the biggest sports stages in the world. You’d think this would be history and everyone has forgotten (except Seahawk fans), but this Super Bowl is drawing a lot of comparison to this one. I wonder why?

1. Super Bowl XLII. 2008

Maybe I’m still bitter over this one because the Patriots defeated the Chargers in the AFC Championship but I am forever grateful for the “helmet catch” of David Tyree. We don’t need perfection in the day and age of sports and we don’t need old records to get broken. If records keep getting shattered then what’s the point of keeping track and frankly what’s the point of watching anymore? As sports fans we expect the great ones to rewrite history sometimes but not every year. We want the excitement of the possibility but we don’t want it to happen. I’d be telling a lie if I said I fully supported the Warriors to have the greatest regular season record of all-time and win the championship. The reason for that is, look at NBA fans now. We are expecting the Warriors to achieve greatness and rewrite history but will it happen? Probably not. That’s why the 2007 New England Patriots with a record of 18-1 is a great part of sports history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No more football. Oh no!

Football season for the 2016/2017 is now over. What are we going to do when football teams are on their offseason? Wait, I have to admit that every team did their best this season, such as Cleveland Browns that broke their winless streak when the won against the San Diego Chargers, which are now Los Angeles Chargers. It’s amazing to see that what the football teams have done from the beginning of the season until the end of the season.

First, the NFC teams that I am happy that made the playoffs were Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks, which all of the teams lost which was quite unfortunate because I wanted to see either Dallas or Seattle in the championship game that occurred on Sunday, February 5, 2017. The teams that competed in the championship game were New England Patriots from AFC and Atlanta Falcons from NFC. When I was watching the game, I thought that Atlanta had it, but they blew off a 28-3 lead that ended up with 34-28 New England at the end of the game. It wasn’t an easy game, but it was worth it because the first time in history the game went to overtime in which that almost does not happen in football championships.

Now that football is over, what do we do? Well, hockey and basketball are going on and soon baseball will be on too. One of the recent basketball games was when Sacramento Kings faced the Golden State Warriors at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA. I was impressed with the game, not that I didn’t watch it, but the fact that it went to overtime. Sacramento Kings won the game with 109-106 in an overtime. It was a surprise to see that the Sacramento Kings won that game, well they are the NBA team in Sacramento. When will Sacramento get a WNBA team? We never know.

Baseball is almost here. Now that football is over, who is ready for baseball? I know I am! My favorite baseball team is Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles Dodgers recently added Sergio Romo to their team roster for the season. I wonder what’s in store for Chicago Cubs this season whether or not they are going for another championship. We will wait and see how the season goes.

Super Bowl Heartbreak

Well that was an intense Super Bowl we all witnessed! The Falcons got off to a blistering start which was clearly leaving the Patriots a bit bewildered. The first half was nothing short of surprising because the Patriots were not supposed to trail by that much; granted we all knew the Falcons had an explosive offense…but so to did the Patriots. The amazing thing though, was it was not the falcons offense that gave them that big lead, it was their defense. Brady threw two picks, one which was returned for an 82 yard touchdown. Coming into the game, the Falcons defense actually ranked closer to the bottom of the league (according to nfl.com), so when Dan Quinn’s defense came out with those 2 picks and the 3 or 4 sacks of Tom Brady, I was a bit surprised.

Then came the 4th quarter…and literally everything changed like I knew it would. The Patriots were just too good to play that poorly and I knew they would at least make a game out of it…and boy did they ever! As soon as Julian Edelman made that ridiculous catch, I knew the Falcons were going to lose. Everything was going the Patriots way at this point and there was going to be no way that the Falcons defense could with-stand the Patriots onslaught.

It was painful to watch the Falcons lose control of that game. As a 49ers fan, I was only rooting for the Falcons because their offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, was going to be our new head coach, which should be cause for excitement for Niner fans, but that is another blog for another time. The Falcons just simply ran out of gas, and against a team like New England, that is asking for trouble.

Overall, it was an exciting game to watch. This game seemed to have all the drama that a sports nerd could want. It had the excitement of the team you rooted for getting off to a sizzling start, then it had the moments of nervousness as you watched the opponent start to come back, and finally it had that disastrous moment of heartbreak, when you lose in overtime. This game had every emotion you could ask for. This is why we love watching sports. Yes, our teams will have moments of glory, but there are those other times when they (in this case the Falcons) must endure gut wrenching moments that sting you for the entire off season.

On the bright side, the Falcons still look poised to make another championship run, if they keep their core players intact and they can stay healthy, then I think they have a legit shot of returning to the super bowl. However, losing their offensive coordinator is going to be huge for them because Matt Ryan had a really good relationship with him and they both worked very well together. Whoever becomes their new OC will have to try and emulate the success that Matt Ryan and Kyle Shanahan built. Not an easy task.

Super Bowl

I am not a huge fan of football, but watching the Super Bowl last year had me interested in watching it this year. The half-time show was interesting to watch because I didn’t expect so much entertainment during the game. I was with my roommates at the time and they were telling me how they were ready to see the performers during the half-time show. I asked why were they so thrilled and they provided a video from the 2015 Super Bowl half-time show. It was Katie Perry performing “fireworks” and she put on a great show. Last year Coldplay, Beyonce’, and Bruno Mars performed. It was a great performance, I didn’t expect the Super Bowl to be so live. After watching the performances from last year and 2015, i was ready to watch the Super Bowl to see who will perform this year. Lady Gaga performed and she did an amazing job. However, I expected to more performers than one so I was kind of disappointed. That is my fault because I was more interested in the half-time show than the actual game.
In contrast, the football game was interesting to watch. Of course I didn’t pay attention to the  entire game, but it got heated at the end. Both teams were tied and that made me want to watch the game. The Falcons and Patriots were tied for ten or more minutes and I was curious to see how either team would win. Of course they would be tied once the game is close to being done. The Patriots won the game and many fans were happy that their team won. There are many other games coming up but this game as interesting as last year. I am going to look out for more performances and commercials for the Super Bowl half-time shows. Hopefully it gets more interesting than this one game and performance.

 

Me and Baseball

Hello world! My name is Matthew (Matt) Wilkie and this is my very first blog on here. I am pretty new at doing this so please bear with me. I think a good place for me to start on my first blog is to give a nice introduction about who I am and what I am doing with myself.

First of all, I am an older student at Sacramento State. I have my reasons for starting a bit later in life but those reasons I will keep to myself if you all don’t mind! haha. Anywho, I am a communications major with a emphasis in mass media. It is my goal to get into the broadcasting field, specifically into the sports arena. Sports is my life, and discussing sports is probably the one thing that helps me get out of my shell. If my friends discuss anything else, I basically become a bump on the log.

My love for sports is also what attracted me to become a DJ on KSSU. As soon as my training is complete, there will be a new sports/country music show that my listeners can tune into. The show date is still to be determined so please be on the look out for when that happens.

My favorite sport by far is baseball. There is just something about baseball in general, the smell of the grass, the crack of the bat and managers and players getting ejected that creates a special allure to me. In hockey, people sometimes say “we went to a fight and a hockey game broke out;” this is sometimes true in baseball too. Brawls are a fairly common occurrence and this adds to the appeal of baseball. However, it is not the ejections or the brawls that really captures my attention; I think it is the suspense of what will happen on the next pitch that really causes me to stop what I am doing and pay attention.

Baseball has received a bad rap for being “too slow.” I will agree it is generally not fast paced like football or basketball is, but it is a game that requires strategy, which is something I love. Now you might ask “how on earth is there strategy in baseball, I mean for crying out loud, all you have to do is hit the ball and run?” Well there is a lot more to this glorious game than that. First of all, the batter does not swing at just any pitch; he needs to be selective. It is imperative for a good baseball player to have a “good eye at the plate.”Secondly, the pitcher does not just throw one type of pitch, he usually has at least 3 or 4 different kinds of pitches he can use to try and confuse the hitter in hope of getting him out. Thirdly, base runners try to read the pitcher in a way that allows him to get a “good jump” in order to steal a base. These are just a few different kinds of strategies that baseball has and I could probably write another 1,000 words getting into more details about baseball, but I will end it here.

So that is a little about me and my passion for baseball. Please stay tuned for more blogs later on during this semester.

2016-17 FULL NBA PREDICTIONS

The MLB regular season is long over, the NHL just began a few weeks ago, the NFL is in mid-season and college football is about to release the playoff polls. That can only mean the NBA season is back! After one of the most dramatic off-seasons and just four months removed from one of the most eventful NBA Finals in NBA history, the season is finally here. Recently on “Double Coverage”, show host Noah Alvarez invited new KSSU DJ Chris Bullock and myself to his show to do a full season NBA predictions with former sports director Andrew Pasquini sending in his picks to the show as well. The season predictions and playoffs picks go top to bottom in the order of my myself, Andrew, Noah and Chris.

ALEC ROMERO’S PREDICTIONS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: 56-26

The defending NBA champions are back, are we looking at another Warriors-Cavaliers matchup in June?

2. Toronto Raptors: 54-28

Lost Bismack Biyombo but were able to keep Demar Derozan. They’re barely a playoff team if they played in the West but luckily for them they play in the East 

3. Charlotte Hornets: 52-30

Kemba Walker and Nicholas Batum are the future for this team. 

4. Boston Celtics: 46-36

Big 3 days are over, Rondo is gone but they have rebuilt well 

5. Atlanta Hawks: 43-41

Taking a big chance on Dwight Howard. What happened to the team that took first place in the East back in 2015? 

6. Chicago Bulls: 42-40

From Rose and Noah to Wade and Rondo. Time for Chicago to get back in the playoffs  

7. Washington Wizards: 41-41

Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr. and John Wall. Just give it a year or two and watch out for these guys. 

8. Indiana Pacers: 39-43

They have enough with Teague, Ellis and George to sneak into the playoffs again. 

 

9. Detroit Pistons: 38-44

Andre Drummond led the league in rebounding and double-doubles last year. He has some premier shooters around him now, they’ll barely miss the playoffs.

10. New York Knicks: 36-46

I said it on the air and I’ll say it again. This is a very overrated basketball team! 

11. Miami Heat: 35-47

Time to bring in or draft rebuilding talents to south beach 

12. Orlando Magic: 32-50

This team basically disappeared themselves after Dwight Howard was traded in 2012. 

13. Milwaukee Bucks: 29-53

The O.J. Mayo era didn’t work and they traded away Michael Carter-Williams. At-least you have Wisconsin basketball.  

14. Philadelphia 76ers: 24-58

Ben Simmons is probably out for the year, Joel Embiid is finally starting to play two years after he was drafted and who hears about Jahlil Okafor anymore?

15. Brooklyn Nets: 17-65

Hey New York, at-least you have the Islanders and Rangers right?

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Golden State Warriors: 67-15

Lost some key pieces from their bench last year which will stop them from repeating their record breaking season last year, however they averaged 115 points a game last year and now add in KD’s 28 PPG he had last year in Oklahoma City.

2. San Antonio Spurs: 59-23

Now that Tim Duncan is gone it is becoming a new era with Kawhi Leonard. He will finish second in MVP and win defensive player of the years. 

3. Utah Jazz: 51-31

Good head coach and new players such as George Hill. I don’t know why but I see this team being a contender in the West this season. 

4. Minnesota Timberwolves: 49-35

They’re going to be the most improved team in the NBA this season. They were the laughing stock of the NBA for awhile now that have rebuilt with Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach Lavine and Andrew Wiggins, they’ll be laughing at the NBA for years to come. 

5. Los Angeles Clippers: 48-34

Can’t talk about getting to the NBA Finals if you can’t make the Western Conference Finals

6. Portland Trail Blazers: 46-26

Lillard keeps getting better and they added Festus Ezeli, Shabazz Napier and Evan Turner. Look for them to keep it up all season.  

7. Oklahoma City Thunder: 45-38

Westbrook is the MVP if the Thunder make the playoffs. He is all in for Oklahoma City despite everything that happened in the offseason. 

8. Memphis Grizzlies: 42-40

Still have the core of Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol since 2010, but they lost nine players, added nine players and they have a new head coach. 

 

9. Dallas Mavericks: 41-41

Dirk Nowitzki and who else? 

10 .Denver Nuggets: 40-42

They need a superstar to get into the playoffs. No one has taken on that role in Denver since Carmelo Anthony and he was traded almost six years ago. 

11. Houston Rockets: 37-45

They lost not only Howard but Michael Beasley, Terrence Jones and Josh Smith. James Harden will have more points but it’ll be similar to Demarcus Cousins who averaged 27 PPG and the Kings are terrible. 

12. New Orleans Pelicans: 36-46

Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson are gone. They have to build around Anthony Davis who has a great shot at winning MVP this year. 

13. Sacramento Kings: 27-55

One of the best arenas in American sports for one of the worst teams in American sports. 

14. Phoenix Suns: 26-56

The Steve Nash days have been done for a long time. Has the front office realized that yet? 

15. Los Angeles Lakers: 25-57

Great draft pick on Brandon Ingram from Duke University. He’ll probably win rookie of the year and the Lakers will improve, but we have to remember this team only won 17 games last year. 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards

Toronto Raptors in 6 

Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls in 7 

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics in 7 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND 

Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Golden State Warriors in 5 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

San Antonio Spurs in 6 

Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers in 7 

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Los Angeles Clippers in 5 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS 

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics

Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 

Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls

Toronto Raptors in 7 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS 

Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Golden State Warriors in 7 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers in 7 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Cleveland Cavaliers over Toronto Raptors in 5

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Golden State Warriors over Portland Trail Blazers in 6

 

NBA FINALS: Golden State Warriors over Cleveland Cavaliers in 7

 

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ANDREW PASQUINI’S PREDICTIONS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Toronto Raptors
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Chicago Bulls
7. Milwaukee Bucks
8. Washington Wizards
9. Miami Heat
10. Detroit Pistons
11. New York Knicks
12. Philadelphia 76ers
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Orlando Magic
15. Brooklyn Nets

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Golden State Warriors
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. San Antonio Spurs
5. Portland Trail Blazers
6. Houston Rockets
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
8. Utah Jazz
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
11. New Orleans Pelicans
12. Sacramento Kings
13. Phoenix Suns
14. Denver Nuggets
15. Los Angeles Lakers

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards: Cleveland Cavaliers 

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Boston Celtics 

Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls: Chicago Bulls 

Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers: Indiana Pacers 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz: Golden State Warriors

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Los Angles Clippers 

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Houston Rockets: Memphis Grizzlies 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Portland Trail Blazers 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers: Cleveland Cavaliers 

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls: Boston Celtics 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Golden State Warriors 

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Los Angeles Clippers 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics: Cleveland Cavaliers 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Golden State Warriors

 

NBA FINALS: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Golden State Warriors 

 

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NOAH ALVAREZ’S PREDICTIONS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Toronto Raptors
3. Boston Celtics
4. Indiana Pacers
5. New York Knicks
6. Chicago Bulls
7. Charlotte Hornets
8. Milwaukee Bucks
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. Washington Wizards
11. Detroit Pistons
12. Miami Heat
13. Orlando Magic
14. Philadelphia 76ers
15. Brooklyn Nets

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. Houston Rockets
8. Utah Jazz
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Phoenix Suns
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
12. New Orleans Pelicans
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Los Angeles Lakers
15. Denver Nuggets

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Cleveland Cavaliers 

Toronto Raptors vs. Charlotte Hornets: Toronto Raptors 

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls: Boston Celtics 

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks: Indiana Pacers 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz: Golden State Warriors 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets: San Antonio Spurs 

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Portland Trail Blazers 

Oklahoma City Thunders vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Oklahoma City Thunder 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers: Cleveland Cavaliers 

Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics: Boston Celtics 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Golden State Warriors 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Portland Trail Blazers 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics: Cleveland Cavaliers 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Golden State Warriors

 

NBA FINALS: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Golden State Warriors

 

 

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CHRIS BULLOCK’S PREDICTIONS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Indiana Pacers
3. Boston Celtics
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Charlotte Hornets
6. Chicago Bulls
7. Atlanta Hawks
8. New York Knicks
9. Washington Wizards
10. Detroit Pistons
11. Milwaukee Bucks
12. Orlando Magic
13. Miami Heat
14. Philadelphia 76ers
15. Brooklyn Nets

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE 

1. Golden State Warriors
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
7. Utah Jazz
8. Memphis Grizzlies
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Houston Rockets
11. New Orleans Pelicans
12. Los Angeles Lakers
13. Phoenix Suns
14. Sacramento Kings
15. Denver Nuggets

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks: Cleveland Cavaliers 

Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Indiana Pacers 

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls: Boston Celtics 

Toronto Raptors vs. Charlotte Hornets: Toronto Raptors 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND

Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies Golden State Warriors

San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz: San Antonio Spurs 

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Portland Trail Blazers 

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Los Angeles Clippers 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors: Cleveland Cavaliers 

Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics: Indiana Pacers 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Golden State Warriors 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Portland Trail Blazers

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers: Indiana Pacers 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Golden State Warriors vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Golden State Warriors

 

NBA FINALS: Golden State Warriors vs. Indiana Pacers: Golden State Warriors 

2016-2017 NHL SEASON and STANLEY CUP PREDICTIONS

It is October and for sports that means the MLB postseason is here, the NFL is in full swing, the NBA is just around the corner and the NHL is back. Recently on my show “The Weekly Sports Report,” I did a full prediction show for the 2016-17 season including Stanley Cup playoff picks and who will win the cup this year. I also read the final standings predictions and Stanley Cup champion pick from Mario Arroyo, our station manger at KSSU.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Tampa Bay Lightning: 52-25-5 [109 PTS]

Made it to the Stanley Cup in 2015, fell short last year in the Eastern Conference Final last year, they will be a top contender not only for the East but all of hockey. 

Montreal Canadians: 45-30-7 [97 PTS]

Only NHL team in Canada that will make the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

Florida Panthers: 44-30-8 [96 PTS]

Despite their centre Jonathan Huberdeau out for 3 to 4 months, they still have Jussi Jokinen and Jaromir Jagr to be a threat in this division and the entire conference  

Detroit Red Wings: 40-34-9 [88 PTS]

25 straight years of making the playoffs, why not make it 26 

Ottawa Senators: 38-32-12 [88 PTS]

They have offense but need to step it up on defense (fifth most goals allowed in hockey last season)

Boston Bruins: 37-37-8 [82 PTS]

Unfortunately they have to be the one Boston sports team not be successful in the regular season 

Buffalo Sabres: 35-37-10 [80 PTS]

Good mix of talented young players and experienced veterans but they will have nearly the same record as last season 

Toronto Maple Leafs: 33-43-6 [72 PTS]

Youngest team in hockey, give them a couple of years 

 

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

Washington Capitals: 53-22-7 [113 PTS]

Talented roster who seem to all have the pieces, but they can’t get over the hump of even making it to the cup finals. However they will win the Presidents’ Cup again. 

Pittsburgh Penguins: 46-22-10 [102 PTS]

Still the best defensive team in hockey and not to mention Sidney Crosby is still a top five player in the NHL. Will contend for back-to-back cups to possibly be the first team to achieve this since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. 

Columbus Blue Jackets: 46-26-10 [100 PTS]

This young team is scary when healthy, almost the Minnesota Timberwolves of hockey. Will have the most improved record in the NHL from last season.  

New York Islanders: 45-27-10 [100 PTS]

John Taveras and Jaroslav Halak will lead them to the postseason once again. 

New York Rangers: 45-28-9 [99 PTS]

It seems they haven’t recovered from losing in the cup finals back in 2014. 

Philadelphia Flyers: 38-31-33 [89 PTS]

New head coach, new system and their key players who made playoff runs a few years ago are getting older. 

New Jersey Devils: 39-35-8 [86 PTS]

Step it up on scoring (last in hockey for goals scored last season) 

Carolina Panthers: 32-35-15 [79 PTS]

Who stands out on that team? Worst defensive team in hockey as well 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CENTRAL DIVISION

St. Louis Blues: 50-22-10 [110 PTS]

Ken Hitchcock’s last season with the team, trying to get his first Stanley Cup since 1999 when he won it with the Dallas Stars. If it weren’t for San Jose they would’ve beat Pittsburgh in the cup finals last year. 

Dallas Stars: 48-25-9 [105 PTS]

Went to game 7 with St. Louis last year in the second round, led he NHL in goals last year, but they have ineffective goalie in Antti Niemi. 

Chicago Blackhawks: 48-26-8 [104 PTS]

Artemi Panarin won the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year), Patrick Kane won the Hart Trophy (MVP in the regular season) and Corey Crawford is still a top goalie in the NHL. 

Nashville Predators: 41-27-14 [96 PTS]

Shea Weber traded for PK Subban in the offseason. They’ll still finish with an identical record as last season. 

Winnipeg Jets: 42-30-8 [92 PTS]

Yes, the Winnipeg Jets will make the playoffs but will get swept again (see below) 

Minnesota Wild: 40-35-7 [87 PTS]

They need a little more than the production from forward Zach Parise 

Colorado Avalanche: 35-36-11 [81 PTS]

New head coach, they’ve fallen off the map since their division title in 2014. It’ll be another rough season in Colorado 

 

PACIFIC DIVISION

San Jose Sharks: 50-27-5 [105 PTS]

A lot of pressure on them to get back to the cup finals. They’ll win this division for the first time since 2011. 

Los Angeles Kings: 47-28-7 [101 PTS]

Drew Doughty won the Norris Trophy last year and it’s Jonathan Quick’s time to win the Vezina Trophy. 

Anaheim Ducks: 42-28-12 [96 PTS]

Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and they rehired head coach Randy Carlyle who took them to the cup victory in 2007. 

Arizona Coyotes: 39-39-4 [82 PTS]

Anyone else sill find it surprising that Arizona has a decent hockey team? 

Edmonton Oilers: 37-38-7 [81 PTS]

Just signed Milan Lucic and their captain Connor McDavid will only get better. Going to be one of the most improved teams in hockey this season. 

Calgary Flames: 31-38-13 [75 PTS]

Jiri Hudler traded last season, Joe Colborne signed with the Avalanche and head coach Bob Hartley was fired. Eighth straight year without qualifying for the playoffs. 

Vancouver Grizzlies: 31-43-10 [72 PTS]

Worst team in hockey along with the Maple Leafs…CANADA WHERE IS YOUR PRIDE? 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS-FIRST ROUND

Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers

Washington Capitals in 6 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Islanders

Tampa Bay Lightning in 7 

Montreal Canadians vs. Florida Panthers

Montreal Canadians in 6 

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Pittsburgh Penguins in 5 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS-FIRST ROUND

St. Louis Blues vs. Winnipeg Jets

St. Louis Blues in 4 

San Jose Sharks vs. Nashville Predators

San Jose Sharks in 7 

Dallas Stars vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks in 7 

Los Angeles Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks

Los Angeles Kings in 6 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS-SECOND ROUND

Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadians

Washington Capitals in 6 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Tampa Bay Lightning in 7 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS-SECOND ROUND 

St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks in 6 

San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings in 7 

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: Washington Capitals over Tampa Bay Lightning in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: Los Angeles Kings over Chicago Blackhawks in 7

STANLEY CUP FINAL: Washington Capitals over Los Angeles Kings in 7

———————————————————————

MARIO ARROYO’S PREDICTIONS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC DIVISION

1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Montreal Canadians
3. Florida Panthers

 

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

1. Washington Capitals
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. New York Islanders

 

WILD CARD

1. Ottawa Senators
2. New York Rangers

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE 

CENTRAL DIVISION

1. Nashville Predators
2. Dallas Stars
3. Chicago Blackhawks

 

PACIFIC DIVISION

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Anaheim Ducks

 

WILD CARD

1. St. Louis Blues
2. Minnesota Wild

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Tampa Bay Lightning

WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Los Angeles Kings

STANLEY CUP FINAL: Tampa Bay Lightning over Los Angeles Kings