Lakers squeeze into the playoffs   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 16 April 2007 - 9:04am - 0 comments - Edit NBA: Lakers squeeze into the playoffs Kobe Bryant carried the Los Angeles Lakers into the playoffs and left the Clippers and Golden State Warriors to fight it out for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Bryant finished with 50 points on 18-of-25 shooting Sunday night to carry the Lakers to a 109-98 victory over Seattle that clinched a playoff spo... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 112 times - make a comment -

Let the NCAA Madness begin...   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 27 February 2007 - 3:23pm - 1 comments - Edit Let the Madness begin To college basketball junkies, today marks the real start of "March Madness." That's because it's the start of the "lesser" conference tournaments -- in the leagues in which you must win to get in the Big Dance. Here's a look at the tournaments that start today. BIG SOUTH: The final is Saturday (ESPN, 2 p.m.). The league will get at least... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 482 times - make a comment -

FBI Freezes NETeller Funds   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 06 February 2007 - 3:23pm - 0 comments - Edit FBI Freezes NETeller Funds The FBI has frozen funds held in customer accounts at NETeller, the "virtual wallet" payment processor, as part of its case against the firm's two Canadian founders who were last month arrested and charged with racketeering and money laundering. NETeller refused to disclose how much had been frozen but company filings make clear huge... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 523 times - make a comment -

2006/07 Superbowl Preview   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 27 January 2007 - 9:23am - 0 comments - Edit 2006/07 Superbowl Preview The word was that Colts head coach Tony Dungy couldn’t win the big one. His protégé Lovie Smith, head coach of the Bears, was starting to hear the same sort of stories after his team folded at home in the playoffs last season and then stumbled badly down the stretch of the regular season this year. But both are now standing in the spotligh... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 482 times - make a comment -

Job number one for Brady on Sunday will be avoiding the oncoming rush of Indianapolis ends Dwight Freeney (29 tackles, 5.5 sacks) and Robert Mathis (65 tackles, 9.5 sacks), who have played with a renewed enthusiasm in the 2006 postseason. After exhibiting inconsistent play during the regular season, Freeney and Mathis have combined for three-and-a-half sacks in two 2006 postseason contests. Mathis had five tackles, a sack, and a forced Steve McNair fumble in last Saturday's win over Baltimore. The improved work of the pass rush has made life easier for the Indy secondary, which has four interceptions in its two playoff wins. Rookie safety Antoine Bethea (90 tackles, 1 INT) has two of the picks, including one that stymied a Baltimore drive at the goal line last week. Bethea had an interception of Brady in the Colts' Week 9 victory. Cornerback Nick Harper (75 tackles, 3 INT) posted three tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble against the Ravens, but is regarded as questionable for this week with an ankle injury.

One week after struggling to establish the run against the Chargers, New England's three-headed rushing monster of Corey Dillon (812 rushing yards, 13 TD, 15 receptions), Laurence Maroney (745 rushing yards, 22 receptions, 7 TD), and Kevin Faulk (123 rushing yards, 43 receptions, 3 TD) will try to fare better against Indianapolis on Sunday. Dillon and Maroney were shut down to the tune of 23 yards on 13 combined carries, with third-down back Faulk out- performing both players by totaling 25 yards on his six totes. Faulk will be seeking a stronger effort than the one he displayed against Indianapolis in Week 9, when his mishandled attempt at a reception went for a decisive Colts interception. The trio combined for 135 yards on 30 combined rushing attempts in that loss, and Dillon found the end zone twice. New England was 12th in NFL rushing offense (123.1 yards per game) during the regular season.

After becoming infamous for an inability to stop the run during the regular season, the Colts have stopped the run extremely well in the playoffs. A team that surrendered a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry in 2006, the worst figure for an NFL team since 1961, Indy has held running backs Larry Johnson and Jamal Lewis to a total of 85 ground yards in the past two games. Much of the credit for that improvement is owed to strong safety Bob Sanders (27 tackles, 1 INT), who has posted 13 tackles in two games following an injury-plagued regular season. Linebacker Cato June (142 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack), who had two picks of Brady back in Week 9, leads Indianapolis with 15 postseason tackles thus far. Linebackers Rob Morris (55 tackles) and Gary Brackett (120 tackleS) have also helped with the run, and defensive tackles Anthony McFarland (33 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Raheem Brock (47 tackles, 3 sacks) have provided a presence in the trenches.

COLTS OFFENSE VS. PATRIOTS DEFENSE

The Colts' run to the AFC Championship game has been strange in that the contribution of the team's best player, quarterback Peyton Manning (4397 passing yards, 31 TD, 9 INT), has been minimal. Manning has just one touchdown pass versus five interceptions in the 2006 postseason, did not engineer a single touchdown drive in Baltimore last Saturday, and has a subpar passer rating of 58.3 in this year's playoffs. Manning's greatest triumph of the postseason to date likely came in the fourth quarter of the win over the Ravens, when he engineered a seven-plus-minute, 13-play drive that led to a decisive Adam Vinatieri field goal. Top wideouts Marvin Harrison (95 receptions, 12 TD) and Reggie Wayne (86 receptions, 9 TD) have both made big catches in the two playoff games, but tight end Dallas Clark (30 receptions, 4 TD) has served as Manning's top target. Clark's 11 receptions and 144 yards are both Indianapolis 2006 postseason bests. After being sacked a league-low 15 times in the regular season, Manning has been dropped just twice in the playoffs.

The New England secondary was victimized by Manning back in Week 9, when the All-Pro completed 20-of-36 passes for 326 yards with two touchdowns and an ultimately inconsequential Chad Scott (46 tackles, 2 INT) interception. Scott has since been replaced in the lineup by Ellis Hobbs (44 tackles, 2 INT), and Hobbs and fellow corner Asante Samuel (64 tackles, 10 INT) will be charged with the task of slowing Harrison and Wayne on Sunday. With Rodney Harrison (49 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) considered doubtful due to a lingering knee injury, James Sanders (44 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) is likely to again be featured at the safety slot along with Artrell Hawkins (71 tackles, 1 INT). Sanders and Hawkins combined for 13 tackles and a pair of sacks against San Diego last week. The Patriots did manage to sack Manning three times in the Week 9 loss, with outside linebacker Roosevelt Colvin (8.5 sacks) breaking through to the quick-triggered signal-caller for a sack-and-a-half.

With the Patriots likely to concentrate most of their defensive efforts on stopping Manning and the Indianapolis passing game, Colts running backs Joseph Addai (1081 rushing yards, 40 receptions, 8 TD) and Dominic Rhodes (641 rushing yards, 5 TD, 36 receptions) have the potential to do some damage on Sunday. The two were terrific against Kansas City in the Wild Card round, totaling 190 yards in a winning effort, and kept Baltimore's top-notch defense honest with 95 ground yards on 32 tough carries last Saturday. Addai has also been a major factor in the passing game during his first postseason, as his 10 catches are tied with Wayne for second-most on the team. The Colts were 18th in NFL rushing offense (110.1 yards per game) during the regular season.

The Patriots were able to win in San Diego despite never finding much of an answer for LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers' running game. Tomlinson had 187 combined yards (123 rushing, 64 receiving) on 25 touches with two touchdowns for the day, while backup Michael Turner added 24 ground yards and a TD of his own. The three-man New England front of Vince Wilfork (50 tackles, 1 sack) in the middle and Richard Seymour (40 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 INT) and Ty Warren (84 tackles, 7.5 sacks) on the ends will seek to slow Addai and Rhodes at the point of attack. Warren had seven tackles against the Chargers last week, but Wilfork and Seymour were both quiet in the win. Inside linebackers Tedy Bruschi (112 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) and Mike Vrabel (89 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 INT) will try to make some plays behind the front line. Bruschi posted a team-high 11 stops in San Diego, while Vrabel made an impact with six stops, a sack, and a forced fumble. The Patriots were fifth in the league against the run during the regular season (94.2 yards per game), and held Addai and Rhodes to 56 yards on 22 combined carries back in Week 9.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski (20-26 FG) has experienced a solid first postseason for the Pats, connecting on all six of his field goal attempts and hitting a 31-yard game-winner against the Chargers last Sunday. Gostkowski, who also nailed a 50-yarder in San Diego, was 2-for-3 on trifectas against Indy on Nov. 5th. Punter Todd Sauerbrun (40.8 avg.) has been steady, averaging 42.6 yards on nine boots. Laurence Maroney (28.0 kickoff return avg.) and Ellis Hobbs (36.0 kickoff return avg., 1 TD) have taken turns on kickoff returns during the postseason, while Kevin Faulk (10.6 punt return avg.) has been handed punt return duties. New England allowed two punt returns for touchdowns during the regular season.

The sizeable free agent contract the Colts gave ex-Patriot Adam Vinatieri (25-28 FG) during the offseason paid major dividends last week, when Vinatieri scored all of Indianapolis' points in a 5-for-5 field goal performance that included kicks of 51 and 48 yards. Vinatieri, who played in four Super Bowls as a member of the Patriots from 1996 through 2005, was just 2-of-4 on field goals against his former team in Week 9, missing on kicks of 37 and 46 yards. Punter Hunter Smith (44.4 avg.) has been reliable as usual, averaging 42.7 yards per kick in the postseason. Return man Terrence Wilkins (9.2 punt return avg., 1 TD, 24.5 kickoff return avg.) has done a good job getting the Colts advantageous field position, though he had trouble fielding the football cleanly last week in Baltimore.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Colts' defensive performance of the last two weeks has led some to believe that their run-stopping woes are a thing of the past, though that analysis glosses over some important facts. Indy has undoubtedly been better in that area since Bob Sanders' return to the secondary, but has also benefited from playing against Larry Johnson and Jamal Lewis, a pair of one-cut, between-the- tackles rushers. The Patriots' running backs (especially Maroney) offer a different set of problems for the Colts, who had their biggest struggles against multi-back attacks like those of the Jaguars and Titans. For that reason, look for New England to have terrific success on the ground, in turn keeping the ball out of Manning's hands for long stretches. When the Indianapolis offense is on the field, Manning will be able to do some damage against a New England secondary that misses Rodney Harrison. But Belichick will throw enough wrinkles at the Colts attack to force Manning into making a major mistake with the game on the line.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Patriots 24, Colts 20

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Patriots-Colts Rivalry Resumes in AFC...   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 19 January 2007 - 11:30am - 0 comments - Edit Patriots-Colts Rivalry Resumes in AFC Title Game *** BET THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AT BETUS FOR THE BEST ODDS   CLICK HERE  60% SIGN-UP BONUS*** (Sports Network) - The NFL's two most consistent teams of the current decade will be in familiar high-stakes roles at the RCA Dome on Sunday night, when the Indianapolis Colts play host ... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 587 times - make a comment -

Pacers and Warriors make 8-Player Trade   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 17 January 2007 - 12:22pm - 0 comments - Edit Indiana Pacers announce 8-player deal with Golden State Warriors INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers and Golden State have made an eight-player deal that would send troubled Pacers guard Stephen Jackson to the Warriors in exchange for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy and two other players, the Pacers announced Wednesday. The Warriors have agreed to trade forwards Mur... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 502 times - make a comment -

Beckham Signs $250-Million Contract   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 11 January 2007 - 3:11pm - 0 comments - Edit The 31-year-old Beckham has agreed to a five-year deal worth $250 million to play in Los Angeles for the Galaxy. Madrid, Spain - English soccer star David Beckham will not return to Real Madrid and is set to play in the United States for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Real Madrid released a statement Thursday, saying the team and Beckham decid... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 816 times - make a comment -

Gators, Buckeyes to face off in Glendale   Posted By SportsAnnouncer - 04 December 2006 - 9:10am - 0 comments - Edit Buckeyes to meet Gators for BCS title *** BET THE BOWL GAMES AT VIP FOR THE BEST ODDS CLICK HERE *** COLUMBUS (AP) - More than two weeks after its biggest game of the season, top-ranked Ohio State finally found out Sunday that it will face Florida in the national championship game. The final Bowl Championship Series rankings had the... Read More   Add to Favorites       Read 872 times - make a comment -

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