College Basketball- Who's Hot, Who's Not?

Hot
Syracuse Orange (18-1) #3

The Orange are rolling right now. They've not only won 35 in a row at the Carrier Dome but have been successful on the road. Last Saturday, Cuse beat then #1 Louisville on their home court in a thriller. Syracuse's primary defense is a 2-3 zone which allows open shots for long range shooters. This always leaves me with doubt come tournament time. A hot shooting night and Cuse is done but for now Syracuse has stud Point Guard Michael Carter-Williams who leads the nation in assists. MCW led the team with 16 points including the go ahead steal and thunderous slam with under 20 seconds to play. Syracuse also won on MLK Day over ranked Cincinnati. Syracuse is atop the Big East standings and shows no signs of slowing down.

Kansas Jayhawks (17-1) #3
This may seem unusual but both Syracuse and Kansas are ranked in the polls at #3. Definitely the first time I've ever seen that. Anyways, great teams are ones that can play poorly and escape with wins. This weekend the Jayhawks traveled to Austin and fell behind by 10+ points in the second half. The Longhorns couldn't hold on as freshman sensation Ben McLemore led the comeback. McLemore is the best player in college basketball right now and could take Kansas back to the Final Four come March. Kansas continued the nation's longest win streak of 16 last night defeating rival Kansas State in Manhattan.

Not
Louisville Cardinals (16-3) #5
Louisville has dropped 2 in a row with their loss to unranked Villanova last night. The Cards are still my National Championship pick but are struggling in the midst of their Big East play. The Cardinals lost to a respectable aforementioned Syracuse team but fell on the road to a down Villanova squad. Is it the curse of the #1 that is sent Louisville in the wrong direction, possibly but they need to get back on track. They simply have been turning the ball over too much in critical stretches of the game. Can Peyton Siva and Russ Smith turn this bad stretch around, certainly. They only face 1 ranked team in their next 9 and need to win at least 7 of those to have a shot at the Big East crown. If Louisville wants to make a deep run into April, they need to put themselves in position for a top seed.

Kentucky Wildcats (12-6) Unranked

The defending champions are nothing near what they were last season. Freshman Nerlens Noel has shown no resemblence of Anthony Davis and this Wildcat team lacks the Senior leadership that Darius Miller brought to the team last year. Kentucky ranks 5th in the weak SEC which is being led by Ole Miss. Let me say that again, Ole Miss. The Cats are only 2-2 in their last 4. Do I think this team has any chance to contend? Probably not. But is there a chance to turn this season around and build for next season? Definitely. Kentucky has the talent to make a run through their SEC schedule and possibly make it to a Sweet 16 finishing this season as a stepping stone for next.

Other Notable Hots: Butler #9, Oregon #16, Miami #25
Other Notable Nots: UCLA Unranked, Illinois Unranked

NFC Championship Game Preview

Headline:
Colin Kaepernick and the Niners travel to the Georgia Dome to face Matty ice and the Falcons for a ticket to the Super Bowl

San Francisco 49ers:
Just like the Patriots, everyone is picking the Niners. Is it because of their over powering physicality compared to the Falcons? Or is it because Colin Kaepernick ran like a wild man last week? Whether its either of those things, the 49ers do have a lot going for them. Last year when they had Alex Smith at the helm, they made it to the same NFC Championship game. Obviously, that is a credit to their defense who clearly remains as the top unit in the playoffs. Now imagine the possibilities. Instead of a very good game manager, San Fran can win the game offensively which was never an option before. The Atlanta Falcon defense is a bit underrated but on the "fast track" Kaepernick will show his explosive speed. Finally, I want to point out two things that could hold the Niners back in this game. A report this weekend came about that WR Michael Crabtree was being investigated for sexual assault. While no one has been arrested or prosecuted, something like this so close to game day will always be at least a minor distraction. My last point comes by way of coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh went against all popular decision in the regular season when he decided to go with Kaepernick. Up to this point it has been an excellent decision. But what if this game comes down to the last drive, I know for sure Matt Ryan leads his team down the field but I don't know about Kaepernick.
Atlanta Falcons:
As a Falcon player, coach, or fan I would feel humiliated that my team is a huge underdog (by Championship game standards) in my own building. But then again, isn't this the story of Atlanta's season? Once again, the Falcons will have to prove that they belong and I feel like they've been playing with a chip on their shoulder. If this game was at Candlestick (SF home stadium) their is no doubt in my mind San Fran wins but Matt Ryan simply doesn't lose at home. I think the key to this game will be Julio Jones stretching the defense while Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez survey the open area underneath. I believe Atlanta has an excellent chance of protecting their home turf.

Prediction:
I will again go against the grain and pick the Falcons. They proved me right last week and I expect the same today. This game, as they all do, will come down to 2 drives at the end of the game. First it will be Matt Ryan leading the Falcons to take the lead and then Kaepernick's inability to get the job done. Falcons in a tight one.

Final Score:
Atlanta-27 San Francisco-23

Line:
San Fran -4.5

Over/Under:
49.0

Is Joe Flacco Elite?

Is Joe Flacco Elite?

As we approach Sunday, some food for thought has come up about Raven's Quarterback, Joe Flacco. Flacco assumes the role of facing Tom Brady this weekend for a chance to play in Super Bowl 47. In facing a great like Brady, the question surfaces, is Joe Flacco elite?

Before we dive in, I would like to state that I believe their are about 4 classes of Quarterbacks which rapidly change based on performance over the season. For instance the bad, consisting of Blaine Gabbert and John Skeleton for example. The next class are the good/more than game managing Quarterbacks. For instance, Matt Stafford and Philip Rivers headline this class. The class that sits right below the Elites, consists of names like Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan. The gun-slingers in the final class are the best of the best. In no particular order, Brady, Manning, Brees, and Rodgers. I throw Eli in there because of his 2 rings and clutch moments. I'm satisfied with him in either class. Now to answer the question, does Joe belong in that category.

Plain and simple, No. Unfortunately he doesn't match up with the ranks of the Elites. These MVP candidates throw for 35+ touchdowns a season and are usually below the 10 interception mark. Fu-manchu and all, Joe only managed to pass for only 22 TDs. He definitely does not put up the numbers of an Elite quarterback but a legitimate rebuttal would be, like Tim Tebow, all he does is win.

In his 5 years in the league, Flacco has been to the playoffs every year including a victory each and every time. The one thing that holds him back in this category is his inability to advance to the Big game. Don't get me wrong, he outplayed Tom Brady in his own house last season but still has not won under the bright lights. Right now, it is essential for an Elite Quarterback to have a ring. While in the past, this wasn't the case (see Dan Marino), nowadays you simply can't be talked about in that class without some hardware.

So my final answer, No, Joe Flacco is not elite...BUT... talk to me in 3 weeks and if Joe has lifted the Lombardi Trophy, I'll be the first one to introduce him to his new buddies. 

NCAA Men's Basketball-Louisville Cardinals-New #1

Louisville Cardinals (16-1 Overall, 4-0 Big East) #1

Recent:
Their is a new Number 1 in College Basketball and it comes by way of the Louisville Cardinals. After the curse of the undefeated and Number 1 occurred over the past week, Louisville was the first team to win their game and therefore remain atop the standings. After a tough first half, because of star Point Guard Peyton Siva's foul trouble, Louisville came out with fire in the second half and ended up crushing the Huskies. Louisville has yet to defeat a very tough opponent as they have a loss to Duke. They have beaten Missouri but the Cardinals will be tested soon in their matchup against #6 Syracuse on Saturday.

Future:
Now the question can be asked, are the Cardinals a legitimate title contender? Many people would laugh at this question but it is my job to analyze this question. First, I will start with my answer, Yes. Why though? Louisville contains the best backcourt in the nation. Speed, scoring, and facilitation comes by way of Peyton Siva and Russ Smith (23 points last night). The great thing about my pre-season pick is that the Cardinals have the ability to defend the basket as well. Shot-blocker, Gorgui Dieng, and inside presences Wayne Blackshear/Chane Behanan, possess the ability to keep Louisville in games when Siva struggles. His erratic playing style forces him to cough up turnovers but teammate Russ Smith can carry the team when needed. I believe Louisville will lose 2 or 3 games in the Big East Conference play but will obtain a Number 1 seed on their road to the Title in March.

Did Notre Dame belong in the National Championship

Did Notre Dame belong in the National Championship?

A lot of people are asking after last night's beat down, if the Irish should have been in the National Championship. Most of this concern comes from the over reaction of the blowout but I do believe it is a valid question.

In today's system, there was no other team in the land that deserved to be number one purely to the fact that the Irish went undefeated. Were they the best team in the country, clearly not but Notre Dame was the only team that took care of business and won every game. While their schedule obviously does not line up with an SEC schedule, the Irish played formidable opponents like Michigan and Stanford.

Everyone will point out the magical escape of the Pittsburgh Panthers in Triple Overtime but every championship team has a game like that over the course of the season. For example, tears and all, AJ McCarron led a comeback victory in Baton Rouge earlier in the season. Of course Pitt and LSU do not match up but the theme is winning a game they had no business in winning.

Playoff System:
Thankfully, the NCAA board or whoever made this decision has chosen to institute a 4 team playoff in the 2014 season. In this system, Notre Dame would have faced Oregon who, after seeing this game, would look like a Duck blowout. But in fact Notre Dame is similar to Stanford who were the Duck's kryptonite this season. Florida would've faced Alabama and probably showed up for the game in an SEC clash. An Alabama-Oregon championship was every fan's dream and in the new playoff system it would have been made possible.

Deserving?
I honestly do believe Notre Dame did belong in the title game. They set themselves up with tough opponents throughout the season and took care of business. You can't fault them for going undefeated. The final point comes from the talk that I saw this coming. My response to that is 20-20 vision. Unless you had it in writing before the game thats a load of ___. I was one of the people that thought Notre Dame's defense would be able to keep them in the game but the first quarter and 4 seconds proved me wrong. I'm proud enough to admit it but would you if you were wrong?

Alabama-42
Notre Dame-14

Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons Prediciton

Headline: The #5 seed, Seattle Seahawks travel to the Georgia Dome to face the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons.

Seattle Seahawks:
The surprise of the year is Russell Wilson, and even though I don't think he will win Rookie of the Year because voting occurred before the playoffs, he has a chance to advance to the NFC Championship game Sunday. The Seahawks will be without team sack leader, Chris Clemons but will have top corners Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman. These players will be part of the best matchup of the Divisional Round. Browner and Sherman will be lined up against stud Wide Receivers, Roddy White and Julio Jones. The winner of this matchup will win this game and even though I'm leaning towards the corners, I think the home field advantage will mightily help the Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons:
Now for the top seed. If Atlanta does not win this game, Matt Ryan will fall into the category of choker or "can't get it done". Matt Ryan has been excellent making the playoffs 4 out of his first 5 years in the league but he has yet to win a playoff game. Matty "Ice" will have to shut up all the critics and win this game. I am a fan of Matt Ryan and I think the key to their victory will be Mike Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers' success against the front 7 of Seattle. If they can run the ball successfully, that will open up space for the Julio and Roddy against the pro-bowl corners.

Prediction:
I think this game will be tight throughout and it will take a Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez connection to push Atlanta to a matchup with San Francisco next weekend.
Final Score:
Atlanta-31
Seattle-27

Line:
Atlanta -3

Over/Under: 
47.5

Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos Recap

+Baltimore Ravens -38
Denver Broncos-35
2OT


If you didn't see this game, you missed out on an instant classic. It's going to be tough to put into words the excitement of these plays but ill try. Lets begin with the first Raven's possession in which Anquan Boldin's drop forced a Sam Koch punt. The result of this, the longest punt return in postseason history. Trindon Holiday took the punt up the right side and wasn't touched for 90 yards. Holliday would later take back the opening kickoff of the second half for 104 yards, another postseason record. Holiday has the longest punt/kick returns in NFL postseason history and is the only player ever to return both kicks in a playoff game.
With the return, Peyton Manning did not take the field until after the score was knotted 7 apiece. Just three plays later, a tipped pass intended for Eric Decked resulted in Corey Graham's hands as he waltzed into the endzone. In about 8 minutes, their had been a 90 yard punt return, 59 yard bomb to Torrey Smith and an INT return by Graham.

Peyton responded easily by marching down the field and finding Brandon Stokley on a beautiful touch pass in the corner of the end zone. Each team then added a score before half. In the first half, it is important to note that 12 time pro bowler, Champ Bailey, was being eaten alive by Torrey Smith.
As I mentioned before, the 2nd half began with the kick return at which point you though the Broncos had grabbed all momentum. After a great defensive quarter, Ray Rice found the end zone from 1 yard out with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter.

A Demaryius Thomas touchdown mid way through the 4th pushed the Broncos ahead. Joe Flacco and company then had 3 minutes around the Denver 30. They faced a 4th and 5, in which, the Denver defender made an excellent play that broke up a pass intended for Dennis Pitta.

The Broncos took over on downs and this is when it hit me. Could Ray Lewis really be taking the field for the last time ever? Denver runs for a first down, is it all over. With limited timeouts and the two-minute warning, Baltimore did stop the Broncos and got the ball back. This is it Joe you have one minute to take your ravens down the field to tie the game. First down-nothing, second down-7 yards, clock running, 30 seconds remaining, stop the clock. No, Joe steps up in the pocket launches it 55 yards down the field. Safety Raheem Moore for the Broncos completely whiffs the ball as the ball travels and lands perfectly into Jacoby Jones hands as he runs 15 more yards to tie the game at 35 a piece.

Unbelievable, play of the year, instant classic! And we still have overtime. 

Overtime began with a Raven's possession but after drives stalled for both teams, OT became a field position battle. Finally, on his own 30 yard line, Peyton Manning makes an ill advised pass as Corey Graham gets his second interception of the day. Baltimore runs Ray Rice for the 28th, 29th, and 30th time of the day as they scamper inside the 30. And here comes rookie Justin Tucker. All Baltimore fans quickly flashback to last years AFC Championship game. Billy Cundiff no more as JT knocks through the 47 yarder and Ray Lewis' career continues. What a game!!

Sportacular Sports Morning Newspaper

This is the first edition of the Sportacular Sports morning newspaper where Sportacular Sports will recap yesterday's headlines.
Thursday, January 10th

2 unbeatens remain as Arizona falls to Oregon in Eugene
-With Chip Kelly in the house, the unranked Ducks put on a show Thursday night. After the 'Cats scored the first 11 points of the game, Oregon and its crowd rebounded for a 40-19 run ending the half up 11. The Wildcats had no quit in them though as they cut it to 3 with under a minute. After a missed Oregon shot, the Wildcats had a chance to tie it or cut the lead to one but a bad turnover by the Point guard and it was clutch free throws from there on out. There was one last thing to do: Storm the funny looking court Oregon has!
Player of the game: E.J. Singler 14 pts 7 reb 7ast
Final score: 70-66 Oregon

Heat fall to the Blazers as LeBron passes up the last shot (yet again)
-From this headline I purposely make LeBron look bad because I believe he should be taking last shots not Mario Chalmers. But if you didn't see the highlights, James actually made the right play in dishing the ball to Chris Bosh who found Chalmers wide open for the would be game winning 3. Chalmers is usually clutch in those situations but the Heat came up short for the 3rd time in the last 5 games. The Heat aren't playing good basketball and look like they're coasting to the playoffs. The Blazers on the other hand could be scary in the postseason. Rookie sensation Damian Lillard and players like Nic Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge set up a pretty solid squad. Now let us all ponder if they had taken Durant over injury prone Greg Oden in the 08 draft. Oh boy.
Player of the game: Nicolas Batum 28 pts
Final score: 92-90 Trail Blazers

Tar Heels fall at home to the Hurricanes, 10-5 overall
-North Carolina does not look even remotely close to the National Championship contender they were last season. I guess it's tough when you lose your entire starting lineup but still this is UNC. The Tar Heels blew an early lead to a mediocre Miami team at home. The Tar Heels are now 0-2 in conference with bad losses to Virginia and now Miami. Lets see if the Hesls can turn this season around and make the Big Dance.
Player of the game: Kenny Kadji 18pts 9reb
Final score: 68-59 Miami

In early morning news, the Cleveland Browns hired former Panthers offensive coordinator Chudzinski in addition to former Chargers head coach Norv Turner as their OC. These signings brings an aerial attack to the Browns but how will they paid that with Trent Richardson? I guess we will find out.

Notable scores: Michigan state 62 Iowa 59- Iowa led for the first 32 minutes but couldn't hold on against #22 MSU
Indiana Pacers 81 New York Knicks 76

Sportacular Sports January 9th Morning Recap

Wednesday, January 9th Headlines
(Recapping the headlines from Tuesday, January 8th)


RGIII to have knee surgery Wednesday
-Many rumors have circulated about the degree of Griffin's injury and the length of time he would be sitting out. ESPN's Chris Mortensen has reported that RG3 has indeed torn his ACL in addition to his LCL. The Redskins had confirmed a tear of the LCL but the MRI Tuesday confirmed the second. I do not completely understand the doctor behind everything but apparently Griffin is now in better shape. The professionals were saying Griffin could be done for up to 18 months. Now, he is rumored to be out 6-8 months barring any set backs. A little known fact is that RGIII actually had a similar injury in his career at Baylor. The knee that had been reconstructed through a patella like structure had been torn through and that will need to be repaired as well. When we are in this category, nothing seems like good news but for the Redskins (and Mike Shanahan), they are satisfied knowing they'll have their Quarterback for next season.

Rob Ryan fired as Defensive Coordinator in Dallas
-After spending only 2 seasons in Big D, Rob Ryan has been fired by the Cowboys. Ryan's defense allowed the most yards in Cowboy's history this year and ranked in the bottom 5 last year. Ryan believes that his defense struggled nightly because of injuries which may be true. Also, Ryan is not scared and is outspoken like his brother Rex, "I'll be out of work for like 5 minutes". Rob Ryan said this in response to his firing and does not fear he will be jobless for much longer.

Duke destroys Clemson 68-40
-Quinn Cook after shooting 0-11 Saturday against Wake Forest rebounded by scoring 27 points Tuesday night. The Tigers managed to only score 10 first half points. Ryan Kelly, who outscored Clemson 12-10 in the first half, sat in the 2nd with a right foot injury. Duke will remain Number 1 for now but plays 9 of its last 16 games on the road.

All ranked teams win, except for Georgetown.
-Teams like Missouri and Ohio State took care of business last night but it was the low scoring Hoyas who got crushed on Tuesday. Pittsburgh, on the road, won 73-45. The Hoyas dropped their second in a row in addition to only scoring 45 points. If you follow College Basketball you know the Hoyas don't score very often and unless it gets fixed, they will go no where in the Tournament.

Heat and Lakers both fall on the road
-The Heat have not been playing well as of late but more importantly what is wrong with the Lakers. I understand Dwight and Pau were both out last night but this team is going in the wrong direction. The Heat simply couldn't hit shots last night, falling 87-77. LeBron continued his 20+ point streak and is 85 points away from 20,000 career points. The Heat are fine, but for the Lake show who fell 125-112, I see trouble. Mike D'Antoni has been no help and allowing 125 points in a night is not getting the job done. The lakers struggle the most in two area, transition and production from the bench. The Lakers keep getting beat down the court for easy buckets. This makes them tired but their is no bench production when Kobe and Steve Nash take a seat. They need to find production from within because all the Laker's money is with KB and Dwight Howard. I'm scared for the Lakers.

Sportacular Sports Morning Recap

Tuesday, January 8th Morning headlines
(Recapping the Sports headlines from Monday, January 7th)

Alabama Crimson Tide-42
Notre Dame Fighting Irish-14
Obviously the big news comes from the National Championship blowout last night. Alabama destroyed Notre Dame 42-14. Under appreciated quarterback, AJ McCarron threw for 4 touchdowns and improved to 25-2 as a starter. He now has 2 National Championships under his belt and looked extremely poised in his untouched pocket last night. The kids awesome and his girlfriend is beautiful as well. I feel bad for Senior Linebacker Manti Te'o who's unbelievable defense got lit up on National Television. Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon were superb and Nick Saban captured his 3rd title in 4 years. It's hard to imagine any top recruit looking for a ring won't be headed to Tuscaloosa. The best way to recruit would be to keep winning National Championships. Nick Saban is not going to leave this dynasty for the Cleveland Browns, so recruits definitely have some security. Roll Tide!

Washington Wizards-101
Oklahoma City Thunder-99

I didn't get a chance to watch this game but just from my readings I know the Wiz played a great game. Durant dropped 29 being himself but the Wizards captured another magical victory Monday Night. This all comes without star Point Guard John Wall. With wins over Miami and now OKC, the Wizards could have some positives going forward.

Rookie of the Year Debate-Sportacular Sports

Rookie of the Year Debate
Andrew Luck    Robert Griffin III   Russell Wilson

Honorable Mentions:Alfred Morris, Doug Martin, Matt Kalil

Point System
I will grade the rookies by their statistical categories with each category maxing out at 3 points. Each player will be graded on statistical categories in addition to what I feel makes a ROY.

The Rookie of the Year is similar to MVP and is usually graded upon the same guidelines but it is not the Most Valuable Player yet it is the best Rookie in the league regardless of team performance. Although not one of the 3 rookie's teams made the playoffs last season, Indianapolis posted a 2-14 record. Therefore, if this award was based off of value to a team, the award would go to Luck for turning them into a playoff team. But, the distinction leaves the chance for RGIII and Wilson to still win the award. Now lets look at the candidates.

Andrew Luck-Indianapolis Colts
11-5
5th seed in the AFC
Broke Cam Newton's rookie record for passing yards with 4,374 yards.
Colts 2011 (2-14) --->Colts 2012 (11-5)

Robert Griffin III- Washington Redskins
10-6
4th seed in the NFC
Won NFC East
Selected to the Pro Bowl
Redskins 2011  (6-10)--->Redskins 2011 (10-6)
Redskins first division title in 9 years.

Russels Wilson-Seattle Seahawks
11-5
3rd round draft pick
5th seed in the NFC
Seattle 2011 (7-9)--->Seattle 2012 (11-5)


Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Month in December ending the season on a hot streak. Wilson along with Golden Tate, will infamously be known for their Hail-Mary pass against Green Bay that forced the NFL to get rid of the replacement officials.

Passer Rating

The most important statistic to look at when comparing these 3 quarterbacks is passer rating. Passer rating is "a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers". As you can see above, Griffin led with his mark of 102.4 with Wilson trailing at an even mark of 100. Because passer rating is "calculated using each quarterback's completion percentage, passing yardage, touchdowns and interceptions", Luck's large deficit of 76.5 is a crucial number to pay attention to.

Griffin-3

Wilson-2

Luck-1

Total Yards (Passing and Rushing)

Next we will look at the offensive yardage output that the candidates produced. Andrew Luck threw for more than a 1,000 yards than both Griffin and Wilson but they are known for their dual threat capabilities. Griffin rushed for 815 yards, 326 more yards than Wilson and 560 more yards than Luck. Griffin clearly wins the rushing dual as Wilson does not gain much ground on Luck. A Quarterback's ability to move the ball down the field is what these guys are payed for. Wilson had the aid with an experienced Marshawn Lynch. While RG3 did have Alfred Morris, it was more Griffin's abilities that opened up things for Morris than Lynch's abilities that gave space and time for Wilson. 

Luck-2
Griffin-2
Wilson-1

Total Touchdowns

Another obvious number to analyze would be Touchdowns. This is the number that might surprise you. Not Luck nor Griffin but Russell Wilson tied Peyton Manning's rookie record for passing touchdowns. Luck trailed by only 3 and RGIII had 20 himself. A tough decision in this process is weighing Griffin and Wilson's legs against just Luck's arm. I believe a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown count for the same amount of points, therefore, I will weigh them evenly. Griffin led all runners with 7 touchdowns while Andrew Luck actually beat Wilson with 5 compared to his 4.

Total Touchdowns
Wilson-30
Luck-28
Griffin-27

Wilson-3
Luck-2
Griffin-2

We now have two remaining statistics to look at. First we will begin with completion percentage. I believe this does measure the quarterback's performance but not on as large a scale as the other numbers. The candidates will only receive half the point value they gain.

Completion Percentage

RgIII and Wilson both completed about 65% of their passes while Luck completed only 54%. The 65% numbers are good enough but a 54% number is not high enough. This stat won't create a large gap but I don't like this number for Luck.

Wilson-3/2=1.5

Griffin-3/2=1.5

Luck-1/2=.5

Total Turnovers (Interceptions and Fumbles)
The final numbers statistic that we will look at is the amount of turnovers that each candidates committed. Andrew Luck led all 3 rookies with 18 interceptions and not to mention 9 lost fumbles. That is a loss of 27 possessions for Indianapolis. Russell Wilson only totaled 14 turnovers including 10 picks. One of the main problems with rookies in the league is decision making. The reason Griffin owns this category is his ability to take care of the football. Griffin only threw 5 interceptions. Which not only was lowest by rookies but also by the top NFL starters. Including his 5 lost fumbles, Griffin totaled only 10 lost possessions.

Griffin-3
Wilson-1
Luck-0

After pure statistics, the count is.
Griffin-11.5
Wilson-8.5
Luck-5.5

The Rookie of the Year will be decided 90% on statistics and from my experience, the other 10% comes from a popularity standpoint. I definitely do not want to take credit away from Johnny Manziel but, for example, popularity aided Johnny "Football"'s Heisman run. In this case, popularity belongs to RG3, who took the world by surprise and became the most known QB on the planet. ESPN's phase of Tim Tebow shortly became Robert Griffin 3rd. I'm convinced RGIII's popularity will push him to the top, but will he win?

Before I crown "my" Offensive Rookie of the Year, I would like to point out Cam Newton's stats from last season.

If you can just focus in on the 2011 statistics, the year Newton won the award, Luck's numbers besides the rushing would beat Newton's, Wilson's would almost match his, and Griffin's would surpass Newton. This was the best draft class of the decade and unfortunately for two men, they will not win the award they would have received in any other year.

If you have been following my words, you can guess who I have as Sportacular Sport's Rookie of the Year. This has been an excellent season and I cannot wait for the 3 rooks to play in the playoffs. I'll honor Russell Wilson as the best steal of the draft. In addition, if this was an MVP race, Luck would win. Unfortunately it is not, and Sportacular Sport's Rookie of the Year is....

Robert Griffin III

Ray Lewis's 5 Greatest Moments

Ray Lewis-#52-Announces his retirement

The greatest linebacker ever to play in Baltimore and possibly of all time (in my opinion) has announced his retirement after this seasonSportacular Sports recaps the top 5 greatest moments of Ray Lewis' career but first we will look at #52's accolades. 

Ray Lewis is the only player in NFL history to have 40+ career sacks and 30+ career interceptions.
-Won the 2000 and 2003 Defensive Player of the Year
-Super Bowl champion and MVP
-13 Pro Bowls
-10 AP 1st team Defense
-100+ tackles in 13 of his 17 NFL seasons

Ray Lewis's greatest moments

5. Ray Lewis wins Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career, 2000 and 2003. This photo shows Ray tackling eventual teammate Steve McNair.

4. Ray Lewis knew how to hit during his NFL career. He was and always will be one of the most physical players in the history of the league. His top hits in my opinion were laid upon Darren Sproles, Dustin Keller, Chad Ochocinco/Johnson, and look for his hit on Chris McCallister's record setting touchdown. 

3. An iconic image of Raymond Lewis is his dance to Nelly's "It's Gettin' Hot in Here" coming out of the tunnel. Having experienced the dance in person, it is the most exciting moment I have ever experienced. Watch as Ray comes out of the tunnel and you will feel the goosebumps.

2. Why is Ray Lewis the greatest linebacker of all-time? Mostly because of his hard work, dedication to the game, and his physicallity. Their are so many great parts to his game but the thing that puts him above the rest is his ability to motivate. Ray Lewis is the best inspirational speaker I have ever seen and not only can get the team pumped but also elevates the play of his teammates. My favorite Ray Lewis speech came after the heartbreaking loss to New England last season.

1. Number 1 on the list belongs to Baltimore's lone Super Bowl win and Ray's Super Bowl MVP. While the offense did have an explosion in the Championship game, the Ravens had been carried by their defense the entire year. The reason why, Ray Lewis. Number 52 is the greatest player to play the game and one of the greatest men to play the game. RayRay will sadly be missed by the Ravens and the League. Let's all wish him best of luck in the rest of his life. Hail #52!