Just about every preview for a golf event mentions Tiger Woods as the defending champion, and this one is no different.  In fact, Woods has won this event five times, including three times in a row from 1999 to 2001.  This World Golf Championship event is one of three World Golf Championships, along with the Accenture Match Play, and CA Championship.  The WGC-Bridgestone was formally known as WGC-NEC Invitational, and before that was known as the World Series of Golf.

What makes this event unlike any other golf event is that it is an invite only tournament, and features only 72 players, unlike the 150 or so that are usually signed up for an event.  According the events official website, there are five ways to get in to the event.  Among them are if you were a part of the last International or America President Cup or Ryder Cup Teams.  Other ways to be invited are if you are among the top 50 players in the world according to the Official World Golf Rankings or if you had one of a bunch of listed events prior to this tournament.

This means that this tournament has a nice combination of the best players in the world, and also players that might not be the best, but are on a hot streak.  As noted, it will take one heck of a hot streak to beat Woods.

Another interesting fact about this event is the actual course it’s played on.  The golf course in Akron, Ohio, called Firestone Country club was actually built for employers of the nearby Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in 1929.  The entire course is actually made up of 54 holes, enough for even the most avid golfers.  My namesake, Robert Jones, redesigned the course in the 1960’s and it remains largely the same now.  Tournaments were first held on this course in 1954, and it officially became the home of the WGC event 1962, two years after another golf championship event was held there. 

The action gets started nearly one week from today, when the best golfers in the world take aim at one of the most prized championships outside of the PGA tour at one of the most challenging and beautiful courses in the world. 

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The fate of the Atlanta Falcons all depends on how the impending trial of their quarterback Michael Vick plays out.  If you’ve been away from the country for a while, Michael Vick has been indicted for his alleged role in a dog fighting ring.  The upcoming trial will most likely interfere with the NFL season, making it a distinct possibility that Vick might not play a single down this year.  To be honest though, the Falcons didn’t appear to be a powerhouse with Vick at the helms, but it is clear the team will suffer greatly without him.  The next choice for quarterback, if Vick is unable to play, is former Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphin Joey Harrington.  Harrington is generally looked upon as a decent quarterback, but is largely a career underachiever.  Harrington also has nowhere near the athletic ability as Vick, meaning the offensive line will have to be even better.  With Vick’s running ability he was able to avoid many sacks, and take more chances.  Being a sports blog we won’t concentrate so much on the legal matters, but there is a chance Vick could spend up to six years in jail, making the Falcons quarterback problems more of a long term problem.

Key Loses

The loss of former University of Virginia star Matt Schaub to the Texans may not have seemed like a bad idea at the time, but not Falcons fans are left to wonder.  Some Falcons fans, even before the Vick saga, wondered if the best quarterback on the team was sitting on the bench.  Schaub had impressed fans and scouts with his strong arm and his seemingly top-notch presence in the pocket.  Both of these traits, plus his apparent good accuracy, made him seem like he would be the starter on quite a few other teams.  But, Schaub hardly made it off the bench during his time with the Falcons.  It would have been interesting for Schaub to have gotten a chance for Vick, a job Harrington has likely secured if Vick is unable to play.  Schaub has spent time in the offense, and seemed confident playing that style.  But, the style has also appeared to chance to a run first offense with new coach Bobby Patrino taking over for Jim Mora Jr, so it might not have mattered anyway. 

Another loss of note to the Falcons this off-season was that of defensive end Patrick Kerney to the Seattle Seahawks.  The Falcons drafted Jamaal Anderson from Arkansas in an attempt to groom him into a starting defensive end.

Key Additions

Whoever is throwing the ball this year for the Falcons will have their first proven wide receiver in years to toss it to.  Joe Horn came over from the New Orleans Saints, and was hoping to make fireworks with Vick.  Horn may have lost a step in speed, but his work ethic, and his ability to run routes still makes him one of the biggest threats, and most consistent wide receivers in the league.

Fullback Ovie Mughelli was signed to be a lead blocker for Warrick Dunn.  Dunn can almost be described the same way as Horn.  He may have lost a step, but every year you can count on 1,000 yards plus. 

The Falcons clearly lost more then they gained this off-season, and that’s not including what happens with their franchise player Vick.  This generally isn’t a good sign if you are trying to build a cohesive unit.  But, the good news is that Patrino has made a career out of helping players on a B-level, play like A-level players. 

The bottom line is with Vick they may make the playoffs, without him they might only win a handful of games. 

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Can you believe it?  Preseason football is only three weeks away.  While it’s true that the preseason is usually just used for coaches to decide between players who are on the fence of making the team, it still gives the fans the first taste of what’s to come for nearly the next six months.  American football has easily surpassed any other sport in the country as being the most popular.  Baseball may be known as “America’s past time,” but football is “America’s present.”

The first question that is on everybody’s mind as a new season starts is if the Indianapolis Colts can make it back-to-back Super Bowl Championships.  Since the arrival of Peyton Manning, the Colts have always been in the running, and since they were finally able to get the monkey off their back and defeat the New England Patriots in the playoffs, there is no telling if anyone will be able to stop them at all.  One thing is for sure though, many teams in the AFC will try their best to prevent anyone but themselves for winning the 2008 Super Bowl.

AFC Preview

New San Diego coach Norv Turner has been given the keys to a fancy sports car, and all he has to do is drive it across the finish line.  The Chargers finished last year with the league’s best record at 14-2.  After clinching home field advantage for the entire 2006 playoffs, the Chargers stalled in the first round against the New England Patriots.  While it’s no shame to lose to the Patriots, being nearly everyone has in the last few years, they expected no less than at least a Super Bowl Appearance.  But, as the saying goes, there is always next year.  With running back LaDanian Tomlinson, a star who broke numerous scoring records last season, it’s no great shock that many experts are predicting another good season for the Chargers. 

Another AFC team that looks like they are ready to make a serious move towards the elite is the Baltimore Ravens.  The Ravens always feel one of the best defenses in the league, and this year will be no different.  Ray Lewis is again, but he has young, solid help around him in the form of fellow linebackers Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott.  Last year Suggs and Scott combined for 19 sacks, and Lewis added nine.  The offense is also looking solid.  Steve McNair will have Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton to throw the ball too, both solid options.  Also, tight end Todd Heap is looking to return to form after battling nagging injuries the last couple of years.   

The AFC is a hard league to predict, because even good teams will struggle to make .500 this year.  Vince Young could possibly lead the Tennessee Titans into the playoffs after a stellar first season last year.  The New York Jets, who were predicted to finish near the bottom of the league, was the surprise of they year finishing at 10-6.  Will they be able to rebound?  Also, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburg Steelers hope to make a return to the playoffs after they both finished a disappointing 8-8.

NFC Preview

Last year the Chicago Bears represented the NFC in the Super Bowl.   Yet, throughout the entire year experts always made references to them either being lucky, or overachieving.  The Bears have a tough offseason, constantly fielding questions about Tank Johnson’s arrest, and subsequent release, and from Lance Briggs, who has refused to every play another down with the Bears.  Also during the off-season some players questioned if quarterback Rex Grossman was right for the team.  Grossman was the biggest question mark all year.  One game he would play like a Pro Bowl player and the next game he would play like a rookie.  But the Bears aren’t the only team with problems in the NFC.

The Atlanta Falcons have just heard their star player, and starting quarterback, Michael Vick was indicted by the federal government for his role in a dog fighting ring.  On football terms it seems like it would be very hard for Vick to play this season when the trial starts.  The Falcons back up quarterback is Joey Harrington, a player who has shown positive results, but has largely disappointed since coming into the league.

The NFC is really so wide open that any team seems like it could make a run.  To show how true this statement is, only the Bears finished with more than 10 wins last year.  This either proves that the Bears were that much better than everyone in the NFC, or all the teams were evenly matched.     Last year the New Orleans Saints made it deep into the playoffs, right off the heels of the Katrina catastrophe.  Reggie Bush and company look to show that last year wasn’t a fluke.  Also, if quarterback Drew Brees can come even somewhat close to duplicating his results of last year the team will still be very good. 

Brett Farve is back for another season for Green Bay.  Last year the Packers finished 8-8, including four in a row to end the season, so they may be on the right track.  The Packers are surrounded by a slew of young players who have not yet experienced playoff football, but with Farve as their leader that could change to.

The prediction seems that the AFC will once again be the league to beat.  It seems every team has a potential MVP candidate.  It doesn’t matter though because the excitement of the football season brings many million fans together to celebrate the beginning of a sure to be wild and crazy year.

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Last season the Oakland Raiders were the butt of a lot of jokes.  Winning the two games they did win was two more wins than most thought they would get.  It would probably to optimistic to think they could turn it around and make the playoffs next season, but after finishing with the worst record in the league they have nowhere to go but up.  The Raiders offense was only able to put up 168 points for the season, by far the worst in the league.  Their defense was a little better, finishing among the middle of the pack for points against.  That is a good thing, because as the saying goes “defense wins championships.”  Sure, you need a little offense to win games, but it may not be as much as you think.  Nearly every NFL champion, with the exception of the St. Louis Rams, had a middle of the pack offense and a top two or three defense.  On further note, the Raiders may not be to far away then we originally thought.

Key Loses

When you had the worst record in the league, and fans who don’t like to put up with losing, there probably aren’t too many key loses.  In fact, the fans, known as “The Raider Nation,” wouldn’t mind seeing the entire team replaced.  The biggest loss could possible be quarterback Aaron Brooks.  Brooks was brought in to try to give the quarterback position a running presence, but Brooks really never got acclimated with the offense. 

Another player that didn’t get acquainted with either the offense, or the team was Randy Moss. Moss is a superstar in his own right, but his numbers have been less than stellar during his time with the Raiders.  The New England Patriots are taking a big chance on him.  Hopefully he’ll play every down for them, because he often said he didn’t really feel like playing because the team was so bad.  Not exactly the type of player you want representing your team.  

They also lost right tackle Langston Walker.  Much like Brooks, Walker was also never really able to get a grasp, and preformed largely unproductive for the majority of the season.  But, this upcoming season isn’t about the loses, but it’s about what they can do with their key additions.

Key Additions

The Raiders were able to keep wide receiver Jerry Porter, and he will be needed as LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell was the Raiders first pick, and the first overall pick in the draft.  Russell has wowed NFL talent scouts with his throwing power and overall strength.  In one impressive display he has shown he can throw the ball over 50 yards, while sitting on the ground.  Many have joked that he will need to use that strength, because with the poorness of the offensive line he can expect to be on the ground a lot.  In all seriousness though not many quarterbacks excel right out of college, and Russell will probably play every down of the upcoming season as long as his health holds up. 

Another big off-season signing was that of running back Dominic Rhodes.  Rhodes brings his experience of playing on a Super Bowl team.  Rhodes won’t be the featured back, that is Lamont Jordan, but he is a very nice option on third down situations, and if Jordan gets a little beat up.

The prediction here is that their team is a little better.  They maybe get up to five wins, but not much better.  They are relying on a rookie quarterback and a defense, while serviceable, didn’t get much better.  As long as “Raider Nation” realized their team is a work in progress, they should enjoy this season much more than last year. 

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For the last few seasons the Arizona Cardinals have entered a fresh season with big dreams and predictions from the football media that they could be competing for a Super Bowl.  Year after year the Cardinals fail to live up to the hype, despite a solid looking roster on paper.  Last year was no exception as the Cardinals finished 5-11, and in last place in the NFC West, a reoccurring theme.  As another season looms not to far off in the future, Cardinals fans are left to wonder what will be the difference between this year and the past years.  Once again experts are predicting good things for the Cardinals, but the big difference between this year and the past years could be the actual players believe in themselves.  It’s no secret that when teams are in the middle of a losing streak they often adopt a losing personality.  But, when your quarterback is a confident kid from sunny, southern California your outlook as a team begins to change.

Key Losses

The Cardinals really didn’t lose too many players between this year and last year, so that’s a good sign.  Whenever you can keep a unit together for a couple years good things are bound to happen.  Teams have a chance to form into a cohesive unit, something hardly happens on any professional sports team.

The Cardinals did lost left tackle Leonard Davis to the Dallas Cowboys.  Losing a key part of your offensive line is usually a call for a big concern, but since Davis has arrived he has been an underachiever.  With or without him the line still gave up way too many sacks and didn’t form enough holes to allow running back Edgerrin James to rack up the same kind of yards he did as a member of the Colts.  So, the line obviously needs improvement, but even if they can improve a little bit, it will go a long way to them being contenders.  This team is clearly built around offense anyways, so any stops the defense can make at all will be helpful and potentially dangerous to the opponents.

Key Additions

New head coach Ken Whisenhunt was brought in for one major reason.  His success in Pittsburg as an assistant coach saw him groom quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into one of the top quarterbacks in the league.  If he can have similar success with second year quarterback Matt Leinart, the Cardinals are bound to make it far.

To go back to the fact that the loss of Davis was not a major concern, they replaced him with offensive tackle Levi Brown out of Penn State.  Brown made plenty of highlight reels in his college career by his ability to hold off opposing rushers with relative ease.  With Whisenhunt’s commitment to running the ball, this is also good news for James, who is looking to return to his old form. 

Other Intangibles

The wide receiver trio of Anquan Bolden, Bryant Johnson, and Larry Fitzgerald is easily one of the tops in the league.  But the question here remains with coach Whisenhunt, a coach who likes to run, will they still be used in the offense?  Leinart is a quarterback who seems he would benefit from getting a lot of touches and working himself into a nice steady rhythm.  It will be interesting to see how the staff of the Cardinals keeps everyone happy with only one football.  The team surely has potential.  Ironically enough the Cardinals had the best record in their division, something that is needed to ensure a good team.  Unfortunately for them they didn’t win a single out of conference game, something they will surely need to do in order to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1998. 

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The British Open returns to Carnoustie, Scotland for the first time since 1999. That tournament, won by Paul Lawrie, is also well known for Jean Van de Velde having to roll up his pants and enter the water in an attempt to save a poor shot. For reasons such as this, and the fact that the course is considered one of the toughest in the world, locals and pros alike have dubbed this course “Car-nasty.” The British Open is the oldest golf championship in the world, so it’s only fitting that it is also traditionally known as the hardest to win.

Despite the expected tough course conditions and the always rainy/foggy weather that is expected in Scotland this type of year, Tiger Woods is the expected favor. In fact, Woods is a favor in any event he’s in, so no surprise there. One thing that may be affecting Woods is the backlash he received while playing in last months Masters while his wife was in the hospital expecting their first child. His wife was admitted a few days early before the birth of their child, and right around the first day of the tournament. Doctors and more importantly Woods’ wife told him it was OK for him to play and their was nothing he could do anyway. Either way, despite he apparent incredible ability to focus, you have to wonder if that was one of the reasons he fell second in the event.

But, as much as the other players would like to not believe it, Woods is well rested, both mentally and physically. He looks to be primed to when his third British Open in a row, and his fourth in his already storied career. Only Tom Watson has won the Silver Claret Jug (the trophy awarded to the winner) that Woods.

Another fan favorite, and generally a top challenger to Woods, is Phil Mickelson. Despite only finishing in the top ten once at the British Open, Mickelson is feeling pretty confident. Earlier in the week he went against what most people think of the course in Carnoustie and said how “wonderful” the course was. Mickelson is famous for the amount of time he spends studying a course before playing it, so by him thinking this is a wonderful course could mean trouble for the other competitors.

Predicting who will win a golf tournament, especially one with so many determining factors like a tough course and the unpredictable weather, is nearly impossible. 156 hopefuls will tee-off on Thursday morning, with all them capable of taking home the championship.

If you think the British Open is old, first starting in 1860, then what will you think about golf at Carnoustie? The first mention of golf in the city of Carnoustie dates way back to the 1520’s. The actual golf club that is there today is even older than the British Open opening in 1842.

The action starts Thursday, with your usual favorite, but the chance anyone can win it. What else can you ask for in one of the most popular golf championships in the world?

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Ultimate Fighter Season two winner Rashad Evans will take on his toughest challenge when he takes on “The Huntington Beach Bad boy” Tito Ortiz at UFC 73, at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.  Also on the card are two world champion fights.  The “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk will defend his lightweight title against Hermes Franca and middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva will face Nate “The Great” Marquardt. 

Evans (15-0 MMA Record, 5-0 in the UFC) will put his undefeated record on the line as Ortiz (15-5) takes another chance at climbing up the light heavyweight rankings in an attempt to win another title.  Ortiz will hold some considerable advantages in the fight.  He will be the older more experienced fighter, but is four years older, and 32 to 28.  Ortiz will also have a four inch height advantage, perhaps allowing him an advantage in striking as well.  Striking isn’t a problem for Evans though, in his last two fights, he’s won them both by knockouts.  Back in January of this year he defeated Sean Salmon with a kick in the second round and about three months before that he beat Jason Lambert in a second round KO, this time with punches.  So, it’s clear he can do it all.  Ortiz on the other hand hasn’t had a much success lately.  In his last outing, in December of ’06, he lost to Chuck Liddell for the second time.  Prior to that fight though, he had won his last five matches, including Ken Shamrock twice.  How will his last defeat hurt him in his future?  Will he be able to rebound and make one last push for a championship?  We’ll have to tune and to see.

Sherk, the lightweight champion, also sports one of the most impressive records in MMA today, with 31 wins and only two losses.  He won the lightweight title back in October 2006 with a unanimous decision over Kenny Florian at UFC 64.  This will be his first fight since then. Franca, out of Brazil, has been on a winning streak of late, winning his last eight, all by submission or knockout.  Franca is a black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and will probably prove to be a tough challenge to the champion.

Middleweight champion Silva is one of the best strikers in the world today and he will need every advantage he can get when faces Marquardt.  Silva won the title in November of 2006 when he knocked out UFC legend Rich Franklin in the very first round.  In his 18 wins, with just four losses, he has an impressive 10 knockouts, a very high percentage in the world of MMA.  Challenger Marquardt hasn’t lost a MMA match since 2003.  He holds an overall impressive record of 25-6-2.  He is undefeated in UFC competition at 4-0 with three decisions victories, and one submission.  In his last outing he defeated UFC regular Dean Lister to earn a shot at the middleweight championship As his record indicates, Marquardt is more of a technical fighter, which should be a great style of contrasts against the knockout artist Silva. 

The action begins this Saturday.  Make sure to check out Islandcasino.com for the latest odds. 

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Three years ago Wladimir Klitschko (48-3 43 KO’s) took on a fighter that seemed to most to be little more than a warm-up and a confidence building for the Ukrainian fighter who goes by Dr. Steelhammer. After all, Lamon Brewster (33-0 29 KO’s) had troubles in the past with the same types of fighters Klitschko routinely dispatches of in just a couple of rounds. Many boxing experts said Brewster only had one chance of winning this fight, and that was a “punchers chance.” “Punchers Chance” is a term that is thrown around fairly easily in the fight game to describe the chances of a considerable underdog, and that fighter with the “punchers chance” hardly ever comes up on top. The same can’t be said for Brewster, who took advantage of his opportunity by knocking Klitschko out at the end of the 5^th round.

Many rumors have swirled around this defeat for Klitschko, ranging from high blood sugar, to poison. It’s true that Klitschko did seem unusually tired for only the 5^th round of the fight, and did appear to fall on the canvas more from exhaustion then anything Brewster had to offer. But, Brewster did land some heavy shots in the 5^th round, that probably had something to do with it.

Brewster should be commended for the amount of punishment he took from Klitschko in the first four rounds. Klitschko landed at will on the heavyweight out of Vero Beach, Florida. But Brewster should a great chin, one that allowed him to come out still standing on the other side of Klitschko’s attacks.

Since their fight on April 10^th 2004, each fighters career has taken a much different path. Klitschko has gone undefeated in six fights, and that should be noted because many experts predicted he would never be the same after the Brewster loss. Just three fights before the Brewster loss, in the early Spring on 2003 Klitschko shockingly lost to Corrie Sanders. Sanders was a fighter who had already been in part-time retirement to pursue a golf career. After setbacks like that, it’s easy to see why one time believers had their doubts.

Fast forward to 2004, and Klitschko has seemed like the fighter most always thought he was capable of. He’s defeated then undefeated knockout artist Sam Peter, Chris Byrd, for the second time, and undefeated prospect Calvin Brock. Most recently, 4 months ago, he defeated spoiler Ray Austin in a mismatch. In the Byrd fight he won the IBF heavyweight title, and is now considered to be the number one rated heavyweight in the world.

Brewster on the other hand hasn’t been quite as successful. In his first fight after the Klitschko upset he took unheralded Australian heavyweight Kali Meehan. Surprisingly Brewster had to fight tooth and nail, and appeared to be out on his feet a couple of times, just to earn a split decision. Many ringsiders thought Meehan deserved the victory. Meehan proved to be a fluke, when just a few months later he was knocked out by former Lennox Lewis conqueror Hasim Rahman. Brewster bounced back beautifully though when he defeated Andrew Golota in Chicago in front of a packed house of Golota fans in just one round on May 21^st 2005. The victory was impressive, but Golota has been known to choke up before, and his face heading into the ring bore the expression of a man who wasn’t ready to fight. Just four months later Brewster traveled to Germany to take on Luan Krasniqi. In a back and forth fight, that saw Krasniqi leading on the scorecards going into the 8^th, Brewster ended matters by his own fists. He first knocked Krasniqi down in the eighth round, and followed that up with a barrage in the 9^th.

In his last outing, which will be 15 months prior to his July fight, Brewster would lose to Sergui Lyahkovich in a fight of the year candidate by unanimous decision. To his credit, Brewster fought nearly the entire fight with a detached retina and still forced Lyahkovich to take a knee in the 7^th. Lyahkovich would go on to lose his next fight in dramatic fashion when Shannon Briggs knocked him out, and out of the ring, with seconds remaining in the fight.

The questions to this fight are just as fun to answer as the fight itself is going to be. Will Brewster be able to bounce back after over a year away from the ring, and a serious eye injury? Will Klitschko be able to shake the memory of being defeated by the foe standing across the ring from him? The bookies think so, and they have instilled Klitschko as over a 3 to 1 favorite. The brutal nature of Brewster’s last handful of fights probably helped added to their decision.

The Summer of exciting fights continues on July 7^th in Germany!

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Barry Bonds is an All-Star, and it’s all thanks to you.  Despite the apparent distain most have for the slugger, he was still voted in by the fans to start the game in left field in front of his hometown fans in San Francisco.  At the time of this writing, Bonds stands just five home runs away from being the all-time record holder for home runs.  Even though Bonds is constantly surrounded by steroid allegations many people around Major League Baseball see this as a chance to celebrate a player who is a surefire first ballot hall of famer, and will go down as one of the greatest baseball players ever.  Even though the all-star game is fairly certain to revolve around Bonds, there is an even more important deciding factor among the players.

The all-star game victor now determines who has home field advantage in the World-Series.  Even though the World-Series is just between two times, it is a matter of pride between the National and American league players.  Speaking of pride, or lack there of, the American league has won the last nine completed all-star games, not including the game that ended in a tie.  If the National league hops to get back in the win column, it will be on the strength of young pitching, and veteran hitting.

Brad Penny of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres will both be making their second all-star appearance, and it is likely one of them will be the starting pitcher.  Penny is 10-1 with a miniscule 2.00 ERA.  Peavy is not far behind with a 9-2 record and a 2.09 ERA.  The veteran of the National league pitching staff is John Smoltz, who will be making his 8^th all-star appearance.  Along with Bonds, the offense will count on the bats of All-Star game regulars Ken Griffey Jr., Albert Pujols, and Alfonso Soriano.

Four of the nine starters on the American League team will be making their eighth or more start.  Vladimir Guerrero, and Derek Jeter making their 8^th start and Jeter’s teammate Alex Rodriguez making his 11^th.  Leading all all-star appearances on the American League is Ivan Rodriguez, making his 14^th game as catcher. 

The American League pitching staff has a whole slew of stars making their first appearance.  The pitchers making their first appearances are Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Justin Verlander, Dan Haren, Gil Meche and J.J. Putz.  Out of the rest of the pitching staff only two players have more than two all-star appearances, and they are Johan Santana and C.C. Sabathia.  The pitchers on both sides of the dugout make this an all-star game that will showcase the future of major league baseball.

The voting for players isn’t quite over yet.  From now until Thursday you can still vote for the last player in at ESPN.com.  Be sure to tune in a day before the all-star game to watch the Home-Run Derby, one of the most exciting spectacles in sports.

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