JD's Sportscorner

The NFL Playoffs are here and it’ll be an exciting time as there will be four games in two days. Four teams; the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots, the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams will not play this weekend. That’s because they’re the highest two seeds in their conferences.

The Saturday match-ups will be pretty entertaining, as the first game will be on ESPN/ABC with a division rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts against the Houston Texans in the Lone Star State. The Colts started off 1-5, but have been scorching hot, and it started with a failed 4th Down gamble against the Texans in Indy months ago. The Texans got on a winning streak after that fluke in Indianapolis and never looked back. The Colts have been the better team on every side of the ball, and it showed when they won in Houston in the second game. The Colts will probably take this one, again by a three point win.

Another matchup on Saturday that features teams that played each other will be the Seahawks going to the northern part of Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys. Seattle won handily the first time around, although they were at home and Dallas did not have Wide Receiver Amari Cooper. While Ezekiel Elliott is healthy as well as most of Dallas’ Offensive Line, Seattle will be playing with a mostly healthy Offensive Line and Secondary. Although Earl Thomas is not playing this time, the Seahawks’ Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright will be, and Dallas will have to make sure the running game can be a factor. I see Seattle taking the W here if their offensive line can hold up throughout this game, as Russell Wilson is better than Dak Prescott.

Sunday will have two games as well. The first one will be in Maryland, where the Baltimore Ravens play the Los Angeles Chargers for the second time this season, but this time at home (same situation in a lot of ways like Seattle and Dallas). The Ravens defense suffocated the Chargers’ offense in L.A. last time, and that gave the Ravens offense enough time to get a double-digit lead. It possibly could happen again, because the Chargers Offense had no answer for that Ravens D, and I don’t think they will this time around in the Ravens’ home.

The last matchup is on Sunday night in which two red-hot teams clash on NBC. The Philadelphia “Miracle” Eagles, led by one “Saint” Nick Foles will come to Soldier Field and play the Chicago Bears. The Bears defense is one of the best units in the NFL, and they can get pressure consistently to knock Nick Foles around? Foles has bruised ribs and may not be as mobile as many expect. However, a lot of people are unsure of Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears’ starting quarterback on what his performance will be, or if the kicker Cody Parkey will have issues kicking the ball to score points. I do think the veteran Eagles have enough in the tank to win one playoff game, but it will be very low-scoring and very close.

This past week, four games were played in the two elimination rounds in the WNBA playoffs. The Phoenix Mercury had a solid win over the Dallas Wings and the Los Angeles Sparks upset the defending Champion Minnesota Lynx in the first round.

The second round was not as kind to the Sparks, as the Washington Mystics ran them out of the gym 96-64. As for the Mercury, they went up to Connecticut and beat the young Sun team 96-86 in a game that had multiple heated exchanges between Diana Taurasi and Jasmine Thomas. Taurasi would have the last laugh as she would improve her of winner-take-all record to 13-0 and set a series date with the best team in the WNBA, the Seattle Storm.

The Storm have the best player and coach (awarded by ESPN and Associated Press) as well as the Number One seed. With a 26-8 record, the Mercury will be the Storm’s first opponent in the postseason. The Storm and Mercury know each other well, as they played each other five times this season. The Storm took four games, but four of those (a stretch where they went 3-1) were early on in the season. Seattle though has had rest whereas Phoenix has not. While Breanna Stewart has been the MVP, veteran Guard Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, Natasha Howard and Jordin Canada have done a fantastic job playing together as a starting unit.

 

The Mercury have two of the best players in Taurasi and Brittney Griner, the towering center who intimidates her opponents. DeWanna Bonner and Yvonne Turner are compliments to both as they’ve been holding it down defensively (Turner and Bonner) and offensively (Bonner).

My pick is the Storm in 4. The Mercury have enough to take one game and that’s about it. The Storm have been the best team for a reason: they have the depth to give their best lineup rest, and it’ll pay off in this round, especially with a week off.

The Mystics will face the Atlanta Dream, the 2nd best team altogether. The Mystics were on a roll before the regular season ended and they showed no signs of letting down especially with Elena Della Donne at full health. The Dream aren’t so lucky as their best player in Angel McCoughtry tore her ACL and is done for the rest of the season. The Dream will have home court (as they won their division) and they still have a lot of talented players who made sure they held their number one spot. Jessica Breland is their best rebounder and defensive player while Renee Montgomery has taken over for the offense.

Prediction: However good the Dream were in the regular season, I don’t see them being as good against the Mystics in a series, especially with McCoughtry out for the season. The Mystics are hot right now and aren’t known to let their foot off the gas. This series will probably wind up going three games.

The first round of the NBA Playoffs were pretty predictable for almost every series. The second round has helped remove some of the clutter, but it looks like all but one matchup will be a breeze.

Golden State will get by New Orleans in four or five games. It doesn’t matter if Curry returns, the Warriors will shut down Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic and Rajon Rondo with Andre Iguodala, David West and Draymond Green, JaVale Mcgee and Shaun Livingston. the Warriors have way more weapons that the Pelicans have, they’ll make this fast.

Same thing can be said about the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz. Clint Capela and James Harden can get past Rudy Gobert easily, and he’s one of if not their best player. This shouldn’t go further than five.

In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers were drained of a lot of their energy since Coach Lue had only 10 players active. However, the Toronto Raptors have always shrunk away from LeBron James and whatever team he’s on, and although the Raptors look like the superior team, James knows their number, and I bet it won’t take the Cavs seven games. Probably five or six.

The best series is the last one mentioned. The wounded Boston Celtics come home to face the Philadelphia 76ers in TD Garden. The 76ers smashed the Miami Heat, so it would be surprising if Boston doesn’t put up more of a fight. These two teams are the future of the NBA, and this will probably be the first of many epic playoff series for years to come, but unfortunately for Boston, they don’t have the depth to stop Philly’s deep roster.

The NBA Playoffs are underway and given that I did predictions for the NBA Western Conference, my picks for the Eastern Conference should be a little bit easier.

The Raptors wrapped up their season becoming the number 1 seed in the East. They’ll play the spiraling Wizards, who thought they would clinch the South. Since Scott Brooks isn’t a good coach or no where close to being Steve Kerr, the Wizards will bow out early, but it will probably be a six game set since the Raptors are a sensitive team.

The Battle of Green will start in TD Gardens as the Boston Celtics will take on the Milwaukee Bucks. With Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward out for the season, the Celtics need players to step up, but only a certain amount of points can be scored for Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo will probably finish as a finalist of the NBA’s MVP award, something he deserves. I can’t see Boston containing the Bucks all series, but it will be a scrap. Bucks in 5

The old men Miami Heat will face off against the young and ripe Philadelphia 76ers. The last time the Sixers made the playoffs Derrick Rose was NBA MVP, Doug Collins was their coach and Jrue Holliday and Andre Iguodala were the top players. After being pathetic for most of this decade, the Sixers led by Joel Embiid are one of if not the hottest team in the NBA right now. The only thing that could slow them down would be a swing in momentum to the veteran Heat team they play, something Dwyane Wade is very familiar with in Coach Spoelstra. Still, Sixers have more talent and more energy, and may make this a five or six game series.

Last but not least, a divisional matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs aren’t as powerful as they would like, especially with a 10 man roster going in, but this is a team with LeBron James and a roster that fits his flow. The Pacers with Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, Lance Stephenson and Trevor Booker will be a scrappy matchup, especially since this is the only divisional matchup in the first-round in the East. While I don’t see the Pacers winning this series, they should take this to six games and give the King and his team fits, and wear them out throughout the course of the postseason.

The NBA season fantastically ended this past Wednesday, with most notably the Minnesota Timberwolves beating the Denver Nuggets in overtime 112-106 to get the last seed in the Western Conference. They’re penciled in to face the Houston Rockets in the first round. Speaking of which, that should lead me to start playoff predictions with this matchup.

The Rockets have the best record in the NBA this season and have the hottest offense in the entire NBA. It’s very hard to contain this team to under 100 points, but fortunately the T-Wolves have the best defensive minded coach in the league in Tom Thibodeau. The matchups involving James Harden, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon and Gerald Green, as well as a scorching bench against Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Taj Gibson and Jeff Teague will make this an exciting series. If the Wolves can lock down most of the roster and stay clear of foul trouble, I got them winning in seven.

Everyone knows the San Antonio Spurs have been struggling this season and Kawhi Leonard is probably going to leave after this season. The Golden State Warriors have been slumping a bit but their core has been resting, and they’re ready for the playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Warriors sweep the Spurs, but Coach Popp has shown to pull rabbits out of his coaching hat before.

The Portland Trailblazers won a decisive game at home against the Utah Jazz and will have the 3rd Seed. With that in mind, the New Orleans Pelicans aren’t a joke. Still, without Demarcus Cousins, the Pelicans have been up and down while the Blazers have been a legitimate title contender this season. The Blazers will probably make this a five game series.

Last but definitely not least in this conference the Utah Jazz have a thrilling matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder were made for the playoffs, as can be seen by their offseason acquisitions. Paul George and Carmelo Anthony will have a time against the Jazz, but I expect Rudy Gobert, Dante Exum and Jae Crowder to give them fits. Thunder in 7.

This season has been one of the better ones the NHL has had in recent years. Yes, there aren’t a lot of 90+ point teams with a few weeks left to go, but there’s a bastion of competition and second half stories to focus on.

What we know now is that the first year franchise Vegas Golden Knights will make the playoffs and unless collapse within the last 4 weeks, win their division. They’ve won an impressive number of home games and have yet to show signs of a slump.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference the Nashville Predators have won 10 straight as of when this was posted and lead the Central Division with no signs of slowing down. Right behind them is the improved, bullish and disciplined Winnipeg Jets, who seem to give anyone they’ll face in the playoffs chills and nightmares. Their physicality and loyal fanbase will make playing at Winnipeg a challenge.

The rest of the conference is up for grabs but Minnesota has finally clicked and the Dallas Stars are a potent team that can give anyone a challenge. There’s also the Ducks who’ll have their main stars Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, for example, back by the time the playoffs start, and the Ducks have stuck in the race longer than expected.

In the East Tampa Bay and Boston look to be the best teams, although the Bruins have had some injuries of late. Tampa looks to be the best team in the NHL, although when Pittsburgh gets in, they’ll be tested. Speaking of Pittsburgh, they’re heating up right now, and nothing proved they’re ready as when they beat the competent Philadelphia Flyers, who’ll be pesky when they get in. The Leafs and Devils, barring a meltdown seem to be ready for battle in the postseason as well.

I recently did a sports commentary that I will basically write on here. The New York Giants have fallen from grace not with what they’ve said about the National Anthem or Josh Brown, but to how the Owners have ran their team, and please, hear me out.

When the Giants won their second Super Bowl in 2011, they, as well as their fan base, probably thought they were on top of the world and no one could stop them. They were the New England Patriots’ kryptonite, and no one could take that away from them.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t last much longer. The Giants have crumbled since that moment and have become a laughingstock in the League. To having a valuable and respectful man and head coach in Tom Coughlin to having someone who’s last name rhymes with Whackado and can’t control a locker room, even some of his core players, the Giants have become probably the second worst team in the NFL. Nothing showed how bad this team was like giving up a screen pass to Robert Woods on 3rd and 30-something and Woods getting a touchdown because no one could tackle. Throw in the loss to the winless Niners and C.J. Beathard and this team needs the reset button before the first half of November ends.

The Owners John Mara and Steve Tisch need to fire everyone, and maybe each other for what’s happened. Reese did well drafting last decade, but he’s the reason mostly for this decay. McAdoo will probably be fired at the end of the season (possibly), and Eli Manning’s future may be up for grabs. The only saving grace is that it’s this season and not next season or the one after.

I have no bias towards the owners. I am surprised the reset button wasn’t hit in a year like 2014 when this could have been avoided. Maybe the Giants will use this decade as a building block in the future. It’d be wise for the franchise to mark this as a time when even one of the calmest and mostly stable franchises can be tumultuous and go through a seismic shift in head staff. Change is needed most when things become too routine, and the Giants were asleep for a little bit too long.

As I’ve covered floor hockey throughout my tenure at Western Illinois University there are some things that I’d like to put out to readers. Some will be tips, and some are basics.

Let’s start with basics. First, know what sport you’re covering. In this instance, it’s floor hockey. Know the rosters, especially the opposing team’s, stats, and general rules that may come in handy, especially if one position is really hard to pick who’s better. Take goalie for example. Two teams could have sensational goalies, so both would need critical analysis, especially if one is used to playing defense nonstop versus the other.

Here are some tips that bloggers and writers should know, especially with floor hockey.

There’s no skating, but the competition revolves around who is coordinated to play the ball well just like a professional would play the puck on ice. Balls rolling make this kind of sport much faster with less of a room or error.

Game clocks may be different. When covering a game this year, the clock never stopped ticking. Memorize times if that’s the case and do it right when a whistle is blown. If the clock stops, there’s no reason to panic over time.

Jargon is different for every sport. Floor hockey usually has the same jargon as ice hockey, except there is no ice. the names of the players are the same, as is most of the rink, but the ice is one of few exceptions.

Some players or teams don’t really want to interview right after the game. Some want to blow off steam, so throwing a third party right there who isn’t equipped with sticks can leave one in a bad situation.

Finally, relax and don’t worry about no one talking to you, especially players. They don’t bite.

Going to floor hockey games in this semester has been different for me. First off because i’m going to them with other people critiquing. The other reason would be I’m now talking to the players, officials and Captains both before and after their games.

Talking with players both new to and very familiar with the game has also given me new insight into how college players think and play. Obviously a goalie has the mentality of positivity first, forget the goal just scored second. For Centers and defensive men, it’s a mix of both experience (or lack thereof at times) and how fun it is just to get the opportunity to play a sport that really isn’t put out to the public on campus.

While floor hockey should be promoted a little more on campus life, it fits the the profile of those who attend: Interested enough and in need of either relief or refreshment. It’s common for the big sports on campus to get a lot of attention because they’re competitive both regionally and nationally across the country. Some people aren’t into that, and it’s ok. Some people like a strategic game that not too many people will show up at that also features fun and a sigh of relief. It’s a sport that while it has a small following, could have a lot of interest depending on who finds out and spreads the word.

This is the first time I’ve written a blog post on my own. I am a student at Western Illinois University in my last semester, and I major in Sports Broadcasting. Over time, I will discuss not just sports and personal experiences but i will go into more broader topics such as news, international topics and future concerns that can either be personal or public and try my best to clarify some misunderstandings and at times put out some potential hazards. Like you, I’m hoping this will be a very fun experience.