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- Round 3 Matchups and Predictions:

- Eastern Conference:

- Pittsburgh(2) v. Philadelphia(6)

* Pittsburgh in seven games.

- Western Conference:

- Detroit(1) v. Dallas(5)

* Dallas in six games.

- My Predicted Stanley Cup Final:

* Pittsburgh (Eastern Conference champions) v. Dallas (Western Conference champions)

Manchester United were the best team in either of the semifinals. They shut down some of the best players, including Lionel Messi, Deco, Thierry Henry, and Xavi. Their defense was outstanding, even without Nemanja Vidic, one of their top defenders. Also, United have not had team captain Gary Neville for many of their recent games in any kind of competition. Patrice Evra has been the best of them all, while Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand and the rest have done very well to give Vidic and Neville plenty of time to get back in the lineup. There are only two games left in the Premier League season, and the Champions League final later this month left on the schedule. Neville should be back for the final at least. Paul Scholes, my favorite United player, made the difference with the only goal of their semifinal with Barca. If you missed it, that’s a shame. It was a real cracker!

Chelsea have finally made it to a final in this competition. They had a pretty good performance against Liverpool, and managed to make it through. The Liverpool matchup brought exciting drama we don’t usually see from these two sides. Both sides had several great chances for even more goals to be scored. Frank Lampard’s penalty, and the second extra-time goal were crucial, since they won the semifinal by one goal. Liverpool made a good comeback to get a goal of their own in extra time to make Chelsea sweat it out and not relax. Chelsea, for the most part, played good defense. They do have to step it up to beat United in Moscow.

Detroit and Colorado have had a couple of one-goal games, and one game that was 5-1 Detroit. The series could easily be 2-1 Colorado, or anything other than 3-0 Detroit. The Red Wings have been the better team, for sure. Johan Franzen is on fire for them. They’ve played some great defense at the most crucial of times. Last night, Colorado had a horrible time getting their goalkeeper to the bench for the extra attacker because of Detroit’s pressure. Detroit is so experienced in playoff play.

San Jose and Dallas have played two overtime games, Dallas obviously winning both of them. Dallas continues to roll over teams, and prove doubters about their playoff possibilities wrong. This has been the closest of the lopsided series. Both teams have had a chance to win each game. The Stars’ leaders and best players are really stepping up to put their team ahead.

Pittsburgh and New York have not had as close of a series as the Stars-Sharks series has been. The Rangers just can’t seem to show up, while the Penguins do everything they can to get wins. They’ve blocked a lot of shots. They score timely goals. They kill penalties like their season is on the line every second. They want to win the series, while the Rangers have only had a few players show up and play hard.

I don’t know what to expect from the remaining games. I know that the three series that are 3-0 are toast. They’re done. Let’s hope the Flyers-Habs series goes seven games so we have something to watch.

- Really quick Round 1 recap:

- Best player (points): Daniel Briere (Philadelphia)
- Best goalkeeper: Chris Osgood (Detroit)
- Best team: Pittsburgh
- Best series: Calgary v. San Jose (Sharks won series 4-3)

- Round 2 Matchups and Predictions:

- Eastern Conference:

- Montreal(1) v. Philadelphia(6)

* Philadelphia in six games.

- Pittsburgh(2) v. New York Rangers(5)

* Pittsburgh in seven games.

- Western Conference:

- Detroit(1) v. Colorado(6)

* Detroit in seven games.

- San Jose(2) v. Dallas(5)

* Dallas in six games.

+ Let’s hope for great games again!!!

“What you talkin’ ’bout, (my name here)?”

“It’s true, trust me. I’ve got nothing new or interesting to say about Tiger anyway. I hear enough from everyone else about him, I’d just be repeating them.”

The biggest story this year is that Gary Player is competing for the 51st. time in The Masters, breaking Arnold Palmer’s(aka The King) record of fifty. Gary Player is a very classy person, and just a great ambassador for golf. He’s won this tournament three times(1961, 1974, 1978), holds the career grand slam(9 titles altogether), and has been the captain multiple times for the International Team in the President’s Cup. He’s one of the best players and people the game has ever known.

Now, on to this year. We’ve got a great field, with a bunch of first-time players in the tournament. Among them are Liang Wen-Chong of China, Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, and Jeev Milkha Singh of India. These three all received special invites to play in the tournament this year. Drew Weaver is also a first-time participant. He is eligible by being the current British Amateur champion. Weaver was a member of the Virginia Tech golf team.

Here are my five players to watch at the tournament this year:

Drew Weaver (as you know now, it’s his first trip. it won’t be his last.)

Adam Scott (just waiting to break through at a major.)

Tiger Woods (how’s he not one of them? how hot has he been?)

Phil Mickelson (former champion always a threat to win it again.)

Sean O’Hair (very talented, may compete for the title)

Bonus player to watch!

* Gary Player (he won’t play on the weekend, but it’s always great to see a legend in action.)

- Chelsea v. Liverpool:

* This is another all-England tie. It is the second English team in a row for Liverpool to deal with. This is a rematch of last year’s semifinal, with Liverpool getting the better of Chelsea last year. Liverpool lost in the final to AC Milan after that, with very pathetic and boring/predictable play throughout most of the game. They’ll need to do MUCH better in order to get to the final, and win if they make it to the final. Chelsea are saying how this isn’t a revenge matchup, that they’re just focused on beating whoever they’re against. Ha! They’d love to get revenge on a team from their own league. Games in the Premier League between the top teams always turn out as expected. If they pretend it’s a Premier League game, I expect this one to be rough and both teams to show up with their best form. They ARE vying for a spot in Europe’s premier club competition, you know.

- Barcelona v. MANCHESTER UNITED:

* This could be a pretty good defensive battle. Neither team lit up the scoreboard last round, but didn’t let their opponents score at all. I see both teams scoring, but not very much. Manchester United have everyone who was injured back and healthy. The problem is that Nemanja Vidic, one of their best defenders, went down with an injury, and he’ll miss the semifinal games. Carlos Tevez has been one of United’s unsung heroes this whole competition. He’s gotten goals in half of their contests. Barca may or may not have Messi, so Thierry Henry’s improving form needs to keep improving to try and score more than once in each of these games. Both teams just need to keep defending as they have been, and sprinkle just a bit more offense on top of that to really make a great two games out of this.

Here’s a video from youtube.com of their first single on “Accelerate”, “Supernatural Superserious”:

- Matchups and Predictions:

- Eastern Conference:

- Montreal (One) v. Boston (Eight)

* Montreal in five games.

- Pittsburgh (Two) v. Ottawa (Seven)

* Pittsburgh in four games.

- Washington (Three) v. Philadelphia (Six)

* Philadelphia in five games.

- New Jersey (Four) v. New York Rangers (Five)

* New Jersey in six games.

- Western Conference:

- Detroit (One) v. Nashville (Eight)

* Detroit in seven games.

- San Jose (Two) v. Calgary (Seven)

* Calgary in six games.

- Minnesota (Three) v. Colorado (Six)

* Minnesota in five games.

- Anaheim (Four) v. Dallas (Five)

* Anaheim in seven games.

+ Let the games BEGIN!!!

When Barca had the ball(they had the ball? I don’t remember them having the ball.), the Schalke defense quickly took care of the passer and got the ball to their midfielders. Schalke had a few great looks, with a couple of headers going just off target. They failed to take advantage of their best opportunities, and some of the less prominent ones they did little with as well.

Schalke could’ve easily won this game, and by two or three goals. They played some great crosses into the box, while they also played their strikers through on goal a few times very well. It was a game of missed opportunities.

Now, Barca is the home team for the second leg next week. They are up on aggregate 1-nil, and have an away goal in their pocket. Schalke still has a chance to advance. They’re one goal down, and a 1-nil game in Spain is all they need to pull even. If the game is any draw, Barca would move on. It’s a steep but climbable hill for Schalke with the way they played yesterday. They just need some of their shots to go in.

On the other hand, Barca played outstanding defense, and did help themselves by making things difficult for the Schalke strikers once they got into a position to score. They did pull out an escape as a few of the chances Schalke had were pretty good.

The game between Manchester United and Roma ended 2-nil to Man. United. Roma seemed lost without Francesco Totti, and my fantasy team suffered(thanks a lot, pal!). Striker Mirko Vucinic(who is on my fantasy team) didn’t get nearly the quality opportunities without Totti’s great passing ability.

I’m really looking forward to the games today and all of the ones next week.

1. The World Cup:

- What’s better? Nothing. It’s the “Beautiful Game” for goodness sake. More people watch the draw for The World Cup than almost anything else. Imagine how many people watch the actual games. The greats of football, or soccer depending on where you are, bring out their best in this event, and truly make this a really enjoyable competition. It’s definitely the most spectacular event of any kind in the world.

2. The Stanley Cup Playoffs:

- The Stanley Cup Playoffs is the most intense and dramatic thing in sports. The play is usually awesome, and the refs don’t call ticky-tack fake penalties. That makes it better, and all the more worth watching. Especially when watching one of the greats, the Stanley Cup is a grueling contest of grit, skill, and drama. It’s the hardest thing in sports to win.

3. NCAA Basketball Tournament:

- Almost nothing beats “March Madness.” The players on the teams in the tournament seem to actually have something to play for besides the name on the back of their jerseys. The pride, passion, and drama of every game, and not to mention the upsets, makes tuning in during school worth it. So what if I miss my final exam, right? Hahaha.

4. The Masters:

- It’s “a tradition unlike any other,” don’t you know. This is the classic golf tournament on a great course designed by the classic of all golfers, Bobby Jones. Augusta National (as well as St. Andrews, of course) is the Wrigley Field, and Yankee Stadium of golf. This is one of only a handful of things I’ll get out of doing anything to watch. “No, I CAN’T go to Italy. The Masters is on.”

5. The World Series:

- Baseball’s a grand spectacle when it gets to the World Series, especially when a real baseball city like St. Louis, Chicago (best sports city in America, period), or Boston is represented. Some of the most famous moments in sports happen on the diamond in the World Series. Don Larsen’s perfect game, the “Shot Heard ’Round the World,” plus many others.

6. The Super Bowl:

- You used to get more bang for your buck with the Super Bowl. One watched for both the game and the commercials. At least they still have a game.

7. Wimbledon:

- Wimbledon is the best tennis tournament of the year because you get to see tennis more like the way it’s meant to be played. You get a combination of the baseline play along with net play. Some of the greatest athletes ever haven taken the greatest stage in tennis.

8. The Tour de France:

- Wait. You don’t even know what sport The Tour is? Tisk tisk! You’re missing out. Not only do you see great cycling, you see the fantastic French countryside. The Tour is the hardest thing in sports to win besides the Stanley Cup. Did I mention it’s cycling?

9. Summer and Winter Olympics:

- The Olympics aren’t half what they used to be, but still make the list due to the greatness of the athletes who aren’t on anything.

10. BCS National Championship:

- College football’s title game barely makes the list.

1.    R.E.M.
2.    The Who
3.    The Stone Roses
4.    The Clash
5.    Coldplay
6.    Editors
7.    U2
8.    Kasabian
9.    Genesis
10.  Queen

How the heck do I forget The Who and The Clash?! They’re two of my all-time favorites, and somehow, I forget to include them. I must’ve had a brain lapse or something.

Here is the draw for the Quarterfinals and Semifinals:

- Quarterfinals:

- Arsenal v. Liverpool:

* This is the all-England tie in the Final 8. These two teams had the most difficult challenges in the previous round. Arsenal had to defeat the defending champions, AC Milan. Liverpool had to go against Inter Milan, a tough task. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have proved they’re worthy of winning this competition with their performances to date. Both have been stellar, and this could be the best matchup of this round.

- Roma v. MANCHESTER UNITED:

* This is a rematch from last year. Roma were embarrassed in the second leg, when Man. U. put up a 7 spot on them. Roma would love to get revenge. Manchester United look so solid, revenge is going to be very hard for Roma. Christiano Ronaldo, the best player in the world, has played like the best player in the world by carrying Man. U. to this point. These two sides have different styles. Roma plays the Italian defense-first style, while Man. U. likes a little bit more offensive approach. I’m looking forward to the two games with these two teams.

- Schalke v. Barcelona:

* Schalke is a sleeper team who have played great in Europe, and have also done well in the German Bundesliga as of late. If any kind of surprising result were to come about in the Final 8, this is where I’m looking. Barcelona’s Messi, the dynamic playmaker, is questionable for this round’s games. That’s gonna be a huge loss if Barca were to not have him. Keep a close eye on this tie.

- Fenerbahce v. Chelsea:

* If Chelsea lose this tie, they should kick themselves. Fenerbahce is a good club, but Chelsea is one of the premier clubs, with the stars to win this competition several times. Plus, they’re on very good form. Their potential matchup with Liverpool in the next round should give them a little motivation to seek revenge from their loss to the Reds last year.

- Semifinals:

- Arsenal/Liverpool v. Fenerbahce/Chelsea

- Roma/MANCHESTER UNITED v. Schalke/Barcelona

+ I’ll have comment on the semifinal matchups after the Final 8 round is over. This should be a couple of great weeks.

- MANCHESTER UNITED (Eng.)
- Fenerbahce (Tur.)
- Shalke (Ger.)
- Roma (Ita.)
- Liverpool (Eng.)
- Chelsea (Eng.)
- Barcelona (Sp.)
- Arsenal (Eng.)

Here are the matchups that we would all like to see when the draw for this round comes out:

- Arsenal v. Barcelona:

* Who wouldn’t want to see two of the brightest young stars, Francesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi, go against each other, provided Messi is healthy? It’s still a matchup of two similar sides. Both teams are on a tear in European competition, as Arsenal dispatched AC Milan, the champions of this competition last year.

- Shalke v. Fenerbahce:

* One of these teams has to survive the English invasion in the Final Eight. These are two teams you don’t hear a lot about, and have been very good to get this far. Both faced tough tests in the last round to get here.

- MANCHESTER UNITED v. Roma:

* I think this matchup will be better this time around. Roma got destroyed 7-1 in the second leg of this encounter last year. Roma have gotten more from their supporting cast around Francesco Totti, the best Italian player in the world. Vucinic has been the best of those supporting players, producing most every game. It would be interesting to watch.

- Liverpool v. Chelsea:

* This would be the second rematch from last year. The two teams went to penalty kicks in the second leg to decide it. There is an intensity to this matchup that brings out the best in both teams when they’re up against each other.
These teams just rolled through the last round. Let’s hope these two meet, since both have played very well, so we can see two great games between these teams.