Goodbye Rex?

Rex Ryan's 41st career win as head coach could possibly be his last. On the eve of penultimate game of the 2013 Jets season, Rex's fifth with the team, Ryan told his players that "the word on the street" is that he's going to be fired after the season, and asked them to fight with him for the last two games of the season.

Midway through the second quarter of football against the hapless Browns though, it looked like Gang Green was ready to send Rex on his way for some parting goddamn snacks. The team rallied around their head coach, outscoring Cleveland 24-3 from that point forward on the way to a 24-13 victory. Geno Smith had an efficient game, finishing 20-36 for 214 and 3 total touchdowns (2 passing).

The criticisms of Rex are fair, he is a defensive minded head coach who has a hands-off mentality when it comes to the offense, his mouth can write checks his ass can't cash, and he has a history of blundered timeouts/challenges. However, you can't argue with the results. His .518 (41-38) winning percentage is third highest in Jets history (even though Al Groh shouldn't count since he was only a coach for one season). Ryan's four playoff wins is also a franchise high. You know going into the season that a Rex Ryan coached defense will always be ready to play on Sundays. Nobody expected this team to be competitive going into the season, let alone be in the playoff race going into Week 14. You can argue that Rex has gotten more out of his team than any other coach in the NFL this season.

I don't understand why John Idzik would bring Rex back for this year, and when he exceeds even the most optimistic Jets fans expectations, he is still on the chopping block. There is no doubt that players love playing for Rex and his unique style of motivation. As much as Mike Francesa thinks that Rex is a clown or a buffoon, his player universally love him.

If Rex only has 7 days left as Jets head coach he is going out like he came in. In the post-game presser, Ryan joked that the players will be out buying presents with Santa tomorrow and he doesn't care what the media thinks about giving the team a "victory Monday". He also praised cornerback Dee Milliner after riding the rookie through much of the season. If next week's game against Miami ends the reign of Sexy Rexy, I want to be the first person to thank him for all he's done in re-establishing pride in this franchise.

Same Old..... No No No Not Today

Jets-Bucs

They were on the brink of victory, when a boneheaded play by their linebacker cost them the game, Same Old ...... Bucs (What?!). The roller coaster of emotions Gang Green put their fans on during the last 5 minutes of Sunday's opener against Tampa Bay was nothing short of amazing.

Nick Folk hit a 30-yard field goal with 5:05 left in the game to give the Jets their first lead since 1:07 in the first quarter. Then, Josh Freeman led the Bucs on a nine play, 61 yard drive, sparked by a 37 yard reception by Vincent Jackson, to put Tampa back up 17-15 with just 34 seconds left in the game. After an incomplete pass, rookie Geno Smith fired a 25 yard completion to Kellen Winslow, and followed it up with a 10-yard run to the Tampa 45. Then, which brought back shades of Eric Barton in the 2004 playoffs, Lavonte David was called for a 15-yard personal foul, which set up Folk's game winning 48-yarder.

After hearing all offseason how they would be one of the worst teams in the league, Rex's crew came out to prove a point on Sunday, defeating a team many figured will compete for the NFC South title, thanks to the addition of former Jet, Darrelle Revis. The defense played a great game, which is expected by a Rex Ryan coached team. The question was, how would rookie Geno Smith play in his first career start. While there were some bumps in the road, Smith (24-38, 256 yds, 47 yds rushing) came up big when the moment called for it. After two first half turnovers, Geno settled down and showed tremendous poise battling back in the second half.

The offense showed signs of struggle, and there are a few issues for the long term, but for now football is back, and one New York team is 1-0, and they wear green.

 Week 1 Quick Notes

• Speaking of the Blue guys, Eli did his best Sanchez impersonation, throwing a pick to Demarcus Ware on his first throw of the season, the first of six turnovers for Big Blew It in their season opening loss to Dallas. Not even a clearly injured Tony Romo could rescue the G-Men from themselves. All that was missing was a butt-fumble.
• Chip Kelly unleashed his quick strike, no-huddle offense on the NFL Monday night, in a 33-27 win in Washington. The Iggles are going to be fun to watch this season. 
• In the biggest upset of Week 1, the Titans demolished the Steelers, who were shutout offensively, with a grand total of 2 points. 
• I hope none of my readers have the unfortunate situation I found myself in, with David Wilson and Steven Ridley rushing for a combined 65-yards on Sunday for my fantasy team. 
• After preparing all off-season for the read-option offense, Jim Harbaugh threw Green Bay for a loop, with Kaepernick throwing for 412 and 3 TD's in a rematch from last season's division round playoff. Kaep and RG3 have a target on their backs this season after the option offense befuddled defensive coordinators all of last season.
• "Tom Brady pulled out too early"- a Sportscenter anchor during Pats-Bills highlights
• Speaking of the Patsies, the Bills and rookie EJ Manuel gave them all they could handle, and now both Danny Amendola and Shane Vereen are out with injuries. 
• Falcons fans had nightmares of the NFC Championship Game, as Matty Ice failed to score from the Saints 7 yard line late in the 4th Quarter as Sean Payton gets a win in his return to the NFL.
• That Peyton Manning guy is pretty good. I think he has a bright future ahead of him.

Jets-Patriots

No rest for the weary, on Thursday when arch-nemesis' the Jets and Pats look to rekindle their rivalry in 2013. Gang Green has lost their last four against the Pats, with their last victory coming in the 2010 playoffs. The last time these two teams met was Thanksgiving 2012, in a game us Jets fans would like to forget. 

These aren't the same Pats that played that game 10 months ago. Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Vereen, and Woodhead will all be out of action, as will new acquisition Danny Amendola. Like a wounded animal, however, any team with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is always dangerous. 

The key to this game is for the Jets defense to hit Tom Brady early and often, as he is known to get rattled. Geno Smith should have an easier time moving the ball against the Pats than he did against Revis and the Bucs. 

I don't think the Jets are going to win, but this game is a hell of a lot closer than Vegas is predicting with a 12 1/2 point spread. Maybe Rex can keep preaching the message of us against the world to the locker room, and you never know what could happen when they take the field Thursday night. 

Prediction: Patriots 30 Jets 20

Ship-Rexed?

Another offseason has come and gone, and now, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!!

Gang Green has had a quiet offseason, by Rex Ryan's standards, and truth be told are in rebuilding mode. That isn't to say that there isn't anything to be excited about as a member of Jet Nation. We will see rookie Geno Smith get a chance to start this season, hopefully our young receiving corps will show some sparks, and as always with Sexy Rexy we'll have a hungry (for goddamn snacks) and aggressive defense.

Quarterback

The offseason competition between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith had a clear winner in my opinion, that was until Rex brought Sanchez in the 4th quarter, to take home the Snoopy Trophy in the annual MetLife Bowl, not the real Bowl game the stadium will be hosting in February. Jets fans know what you're going to get with Sanchez. When you ask him to be a game manager, he is an adequate player, but when asked to lead a team, he is a rumbling, stumbling, butt-fumbling turnover machine.

Geno Smith is the question mark. He fell to the second round for a reason, and there are some questions about his leadership and work ethic. Scouts say he has good arm strength, but could struggle with accuracy, as you saw against the Giants in the preseason. He was announced the starter and will play the first game of the season. Despite that, Rex has said that the QB competition is ongoing, and the job isn't Geno's to keep, if he struggles early.

Grade: C-

Running Backs

Chris Ivory will get his chance after playing behind a variety of backs in New Orleans. After playing in only 24 games in 3 seasons with the Saints, Ivory will be given a chance to be a star in this run-first offense. Ivory's physical running style makes him susceptible to injury though. Second year back Bilal Powell showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year. He is a good runner and decent in the passing game.

Grade: B-

Wide Receivers/Tight End

The main question for this group is if/when Santonio Holmes will be back. Despite a rough 2011, Holmes was showing more maturity in the first few weeks of the 2012 campaign, before suffering a season-ending lisfranc injury. Holmes is a playmaker who has history of coming up in the clutch, and will be a play-maker in an offense in desperate need of one. Stephen Hill is going to have to improve from a rough rookie season. He was targeted 47 times, only catching the ball 21 times, and had a problem with the dropsies. Jeremy Kerley reminds me of a Jerricho Cotchery type player. He runs good routes and has great hands, a prototypical possession receiver.

Kellen Winslow and Jeff Cumberland will have to replace Dustin Keller in the offense. Winslow is an athletic tight end, but his age and injury concern leave legitimate question marks. Cumberland has had a good preseason, and we'll see if it carries into the season.

Grade: B-

Offensive Line

Pro Bowlers Nick Mangold and D'Brickshaw Ferguson are the anchors on the o-line. They are joined by Vlad Ducasse, Austin Howard and former Steeler Willie Colon. The big guys up front are going to have their work cut out for them on what will be a run-first offense.

Grade: B+

Defensive Line

The front-seven is the Jets strength. Mo Wilkerson has the makings of a star defensive end, and this could be his breakout year. Kendrick Ellis and Damon "Snacks" Harrison are the big bodies in the middle. Both guys have had a great camp. First round pick Sheldon Richardson will man the other end.

Grade: B

Linebacker

David Harris is going to have to step up his game after a poor 2012 season. Demario Davis is taking over for the retired Bart Scott, and should add some great speed to the linebacking corps. Calvin Pace returns for his 6th season in the green and white, and is still a good pass rushing outside linebacker. Quinton Coples will miss the first few weeks of the season with a hairline fracture of his ankle. Coples came on strong in the second half last season, playing defensive end, and may struggle a bit this year adjusting to his new position.

Grade: B-

Secondary

Revis who? Without the best cornerback in the league, the Jets were still the 2nd ranked pass defense in the league. Antonio Cromartie returns after a great 2012, and he is out to prove he is the second best corner in the NFL. Rookie Dee Milliner takes the other side of the field, and he has a lot of potential coming from the National Champions, Alabama. Kyle Wilson will move back to the nickle spot, after playing on the outside with Revis' injury last season. Dawan Landry will be replacing his brother LaRon in one safety spot, while preseason standout Jaiquawan Jarrett mans the other spot.

Grade: B+

The Jets are in a strange spot this season. They are in rebuilding mode, but they aren't good enough to compete for a playoff spot, and not bad enough to get a top 5 draft pick. After going 6-10, with some of the worst quarterbaThcking in the history of the league, you have to imagine Geno is going to be an upgrade. Plus, our younger players, Wilkerson, Hill, Kerley, and Coples ony getting better I think we're looking at an 8-8 season for Gang Green.

Week 1 Preview

Only the Jets will trade Darrelle Revis, and then have to play him on Opening Day, as the Bucs come to town. This game will be a good litmus test for the team, since Tampa is a decent but not great team. How they perform here will give us a good idea of what to expect the rest of the season. 

Tampa had the top run defense in the league last year, and they may force rookie Geno Smith to beat them. The good news for Jets fans is that it looks like Santonio Holmes is going to start for the first time since Week 4 last year. Rex Ryan already said that he's warned Smith not to test Revis, who is recovering from an ACL tear. 

Josh Freeman is going to struggle against our secondary, with Cromartie matching up well against Vincent Jackson. The Jets had problems against the run last season, and they will be tested by Doug Martin. 

This should be a close game, with either Geno or Freeman being forced to make a play late to win it. I think Gang Green makes the JetLife Stadium crowd happy with a home opener win, before going to New England on Thursday night.  

Prediction: Jets 20 Bucs 13

Hail to The Kings?

Avenged Sevenfold's sixth studio album, Hail to The King was introduced to the world via a free Itunes stream on Monday. After listening to the album a few times, and having some time to absorb it, I'm ready to give my review.

Shepherd of Fire sets the tone for the album, and is going to be a great song to open up concerts, with the ominous tolling of a bell and the sound of rain falling in the beginning. Their first single, and the title track Hail to The King has grown on me, and is a pretty damn catchy song. Doing Time checking in at 3 1/2 minutes is the shortest A7X song. It sounds like it would belong on Appetite for Destruction. This Means War follows in the footsteps of Metallica's Sad But True, and is the heaviest song on the album. Requiem finishes out the first half of the album strong, and is my favorite song so far. It is the most original song on the album, and I like M Shadows chanting/singing here. Synyster Gates adds a sick solo to the song.

Crimson Day is your typical rock-ballad. I think it's easily Avenged's worst ballad. Dear God, Seize the Day, and So Far Away blow this out of the water. Heretic is a good song, but sounds out of place on this album, It sounds more like a track from City of Evil, but that's not a bad thing. Coming Home is another solid track, but nothing really special. This is where the album falls off a cliff in my opinion. Planets isn't bad instrumentally, but I don't like anything about the lyrics or Shadows singing here. Acid Rain wins an award for the worst Avenged Sevenfold song ever. It sounds like a bad pop-rock song, and would be better on a Nickleback album.

I was skeptical about the album, hearing the band talk about putting out a stripped down record, and emulating the bands they grew up listening to. My hopes were raised when I heard critics praising the album as the band's best work. A7X is always evolving as a band, constantly experimenting and tinkering their sound, so hopefully this was just a bump in the road. To me though, this sounded as if Avenged Sevenfold were a cover band of 80's and 90's metal. They took out all the things that separated Avenged Sevenfold from every other band, the dueling guitars, fast drums, harmonizing vocals, and threw them out the window.

Overall I would give Hail to the King a 6/10. The album starts off really well, and Crimson Day is an average ballad, but the last two tracks were so bad, it knocks it down from an 7.5 to a 6 in my opinion. Shadows said in a few interviews that the writing process was tough without the help from Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan for the first time in their careers, and it showed here. Don't get me wrong, even though this album disappointed me, I still and am and will be an Avenged Sevenfold fan foREVer.

Jets Preseason Under Way

The Jets season unofficially started on Friday night with their first preseason game against the Lions. While the final score of these games don't matter, it is important to see who is improving or declining, and look at various position battles. I'm going to break it down into 3 categories, the good, the bad, and the buttfumbles.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!

Good

• I really like what I saw from our new offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. For the first time in God knows how long, the offense looks fluid with a good mixture of passing and running plays. Mornhinweg's West Coast offense is a quarterback-friendly system, with a lot of high percentage passing plays.
• The 7-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter. Sanchez bounced back nicely from a terrible interception, capping it off with a 26-yard strike to tight end Jeff Cumberland. 
• Kellen Winslow looked really good on Friday night. If the 9-year veteran can stay healthy he could be the most explosive weapon on this offense. 
• The defense did a good job of getting after Matt Stafford. Quinton Coples and Mo Wilkerson provided a consistent pass rush. Rex has a lot of young talent to work with in the front seven.
• Dee Milliner looked good in his first taste of NFL action, tipping a pass away in the end zone. The first-round pick from Alabama has a lot of expectations, replacing Revis Island, who is now a butt-pirate. 

Bad

• Jet Nation held their collective breath when we saw Geno Smith hobbling away after diving out of bounds on a play early in the 3rd quarter. Geno finished his day 6-7 for 47 yards, however only led the team to two first downs on 3+ possessions before his injury. The good news is he is reportedly in pads for Sunday's practice, so hopefully we'll get a better look at the rookie on Saturday. 
• Mark Sanchez looks like an assclown with that long hair and goatee. He is doing naked butt dances in ladies apartments, so what the hell do I know?
• The running game had a rough time getting going, with 16 carries for only 37 yards. Chris Ivory and Joe McKnight were held out of the game though, with injuries.  
• I don't know what the coaches were thinking leaving Braylon Edward on the field late into the 3rd quarter. I understand that they would want Geno Smith to work with our best wide receiver, but after he went down it was an unessacary injury risk. 

Buttfumbles

• On the offense's first possession of the new season, we started off right where we left off last year. Mark Sanchez was under duress, and threw a pass right into the hands of Ziggy Ansah, who returned it 17-yards for a touchdown. The only other player near the ball was Ndamukong Suh, another Lions defensive lineman.
•  The backup offensive line was getting Greg McElroy murdered. McElroy took a couple huge hits, and also fumbled the ball once. 

Goodbye A-Rod, Hello Geno

MLB

On the heels of Ryan Braun's suspension, in the ongoing Biogenesis scandal, The New York Post has reported that Major League Baseball has come to a decision, and is ready to hand out suspensions this week. The report states that 15 as of yet unnamed players, have cut a deal to serve a 50-game suspension, which will put them out for this year, but able to play Opening Day 2014. Alex Rodriguez isn't going to be so lucky. A-Rod is looking at the best, a 200+ game suspension, that will keep him out until Opening Day 2015, where he would likely retire, and collect a $60 million check from the Yankees for the 2015-2017 seasons. If A-Rod refuses to accept that deal, then he is facing a lifetime ban, which essentially tears up his contract.

When the suspension drops, it puts an end to a tumultuous nine years for A-Rod in the Bronx. Rodriguez has experienced the highs (two MVP seasons and a World Series ring), and the lows (benched by Joe Girardi in the 2012 Playoffs and his struggles with the New York fans and media) of playing in the Bronx. His ten-year extension that he signed in 2007 will go down in history as one of the last moves made by late owner George Steinbrenner. Rodriguez will finish 5th on the All-Time Home Run list with 647 long balls, and he leaves an additional $30 million on the table for failing to hit milestone homers 660 (Griffey), 714 (Ruth), 755 (Aaron), and 762 (Bonds).

The suspensions will likely be one of the last major moves made by commissioner Bud Selig, who is retiring after his 21-year run as commissioner. Selig will forever be connected to the steroids scandal, which rocked the sport since the early 2000s. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are likely never going into the Hall of Fame because of their reported steroid use, and other players such as Mike Piazza may never get in because of strong rumors that he was on the juice. The game is considerably cleaner than it was ten years ago, but there is always going to be a cat-and-mouse game between new drugs and tests that are able to catch them.

NFL

Thank God Football is Back!!!!! The Jets began their training camp this week, and I am optimistic about their 2013 campaign. They should be the the second best team in a very weak division. I'll go over this in more detail in the coming weeks with my NFL Preview, but the Jets have a solid defense, and an offense that has to improve from last season. 

One of the main stories in camp this year will be the quarterback competition between rookie Geno Smith and veteran Butt-Fumbler Mark Sanchez. I'm torn on my feelings here. While Mark Sanchez played some of the worst quarterbacking I've ever seen last year, I feel like a lot of it had to do with the fact that he had a revolving door of receivers to throw to. Even if Santonio Holmes isn't able to play the first quarter of the season, Braylon Edwards has great chemistry with Sanchez, Stephen Hill can hopefully show some improvements catching the ball, since he's proven that he could get open, and Jeremy Kerley, who I like, I like a lot (but not more than Brandon Inge) in the slot. At this point, Sanchez is really playing with house money, as most Jets fans expect him to be God-awful, so there aren't any high expectations playing games with his mental state. 

On the other hand, you have Geno Smith, whose draft stock fell considerably during the second half of his last season at West Virginia. We don't know how he's going to fit in the NFL, and how he is going to deal with the pressure of playing in New York. With the success last season of Luck, RG3, and Russell Wilson, you have to remind yourselves that this is a boy entering a man's game, and just five years ago most rookie quarterbacks weren't expected to start Week 1 of their first season. We'll get our first real taste of Geno on August 9th when the Jets kick off the preseason against the Lions. 

While I'm on the subject, the fact that there is a controversy whether Rex Ryan or John Idzik have the final say on who the starting quarterback is going to be, proves that you either have to give Rex some job security or just fire him now. I'm a big Rex supporter, and the front office isn't doing the right thing leaving him twisting in the wind. The team is not built to win now, so while it would be beneficial to begin giving younger and unproven players a larger role, Rex is trying to save his job by playing the veterans. That is especially the heart of the issue in the quarterback competition. 

In more Jets camp news, we have a cornerback holding out, and his name isn't Darrelle Revis. Rookie Dee Milliner is already reminding fans of the ex-Jet by looking for more guaranteed money in his rookie contract. Milliner is one of just four first-round picks that are still unsigned. Hopefully the two sides can reach an agreement soon, since we are counting on Milliner to start Week 1 opposite Cromartie, and he can't afford to miss too much practice.

UFC

UFC on Fox 8 happened last night, and it doesn't really seem like anyone cared. If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?

As good as the fall/winter is going to be, the 2 August Pay-Per-Views combined with a stacked Fox Sports 1 Debut card on August 17, left last night's show lacking something. It isn't Dana White's fault that the Rory MacDonald- Jake Ellenberger put the crowd to sleep, but I don't like headlining these Fox shows with the Flyweight Championship. No disrespect to Demetrious Johnson, but the division has less than 10 fighters in it. The challenger, John Moraga had previously only fought on the prelims. 

Fox could be a very beneficial tool when used to build young fighters, or set up big championship fights that people would want to order on pay-per view. It doesn't help the company when you just throw together a second rate card. Once people think that the fights are skippable, than you start to lose your base audience. 

Hail to the King

Hail to the King

This week, Avenged Sevenfold released the title track to their sixth studio album, Hail to the King. At first, I wasn't really blown away by it, but after replaying it a few times, and doing some research into the album I am slowly beginning to like it. Before I go any further, take 5 minutes to listen to it for yourself

It's obvious reading and listening to interviews with the band that Hail to the King will be different from every other Avenged Sevenfold record. Sounding the Seventh Trumpet and Waking the Fallen were classic metal albums. Then, the band underwent a change before City of Evil, in 2005, moving away from the hardcore and more to a heavy metal/hard rock sound. 2007's Avenged Sevenfold, saw the band add a more melodic tone to their music and experimented with everything from country music to an orchestra. 

A7X was riding high, before the unfortunate passing of their drummer and friend Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan in 2009. As a result of that, Nightmare, which was released less than a year after The Rev's passing was an emotionally heavy album, and you can tell that the band was in a dark place during that period.

While Jimmy will never be forgotten, the time has come for the band to move on. Arin Ilejay was brought in to be the the band's next full-time drummer. Matt Shadows has said in various interviews that the band decided to go back and listen to a lot of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and have come out with a more blues-rock and classic metal sound. 

It looks like the band is going through it's most drastic change since 2005. That being said, I'm looking forward to hearing the entire album on August 27th before I pass any judgement. A7X has never let me down before, and I'm expecting whatever they put out to be good. 

MLB

From the kings of modern day metal, to the king of relief pitching. Mariano Rivera had one more last this week, his last MLB All Star Game. As unlikely as it seems now, unless the Yankees make the World Series, this will be the last time all of Major League Baseball gets to show thanks and say farewell to the greatest closer of all time.

It was a touching moment at Citi Field Tuesday, as every player stood on the top step of the dugout as Rivera ran out to the field with his typical entrance theme "Enter Sandman" blaring through the speakers in Queens, just miles away from his home in the Bronx. A visibly emotional Mariano pitched a perfect 8th inning, en route to being voted the All Star Game MVP, completing the Triple Crown, of All-Star Game, ALCS, and World Series MVP.

The Yankees only have 67 games left on their regular season schedule, and now each appearance Mariano makes in the game will become more special, culminating on September 26th, the team's last home game. Mo will be missed.

On another note, Citi Field and the Mets were great hosts to the Mid-Summer Classic. Matt Harvey and David Wright starting for the NL is a bright spot for a franchise that has had so much go wrong for them the past 6 years. As a Yankee fan, baseball season hasn't been as much fun without our inner-city rival, so I hope that the Amazins' are on the rebound.

Spider Squashed

History was made at the MGM Grand Saturday night, as the nearly 7-year title reign of Anderson Silva came to an end at 1:14 of the second round. Chris Weidman, who's record improved to 10-0, has become the 6th UFC Middleweight Champion, and with one fight, will be remembered forever.

Leading up to the fight, a lot of UFC fighter, including Frankie Edgar, GSP and Chael Sonnen, thought that the Long Island native could put an end to the Brazilian's win streak, with a strong wrestling base. The beginning of the first round went exactly as they predicted, as Weidman easily got a takedown and began a vicious ground and pound, similar to Sonnen's first fight with Silva. After Anderson wiggled out of a heel hook though, it appeared that Silva was trying to goad Weidman into his style of fight. Silva was taunting Weidman by keeping his hands down and bobbing and weaving, hoping to find an opening like he's found countless times before. As the first round ended, it looked to me like Weidman was becoming frustrated, as Silva hugged and kissed him.

The second round started like the first round ended, with Silva showboating, with his Matrix-like defense. However, after Silva taunted Weidman by pretending to be out on his feet, Weidman hit Silva right on the button, knocking him down and out.

The Brazilian-heavy crowd turned on their national hero after the fight, cheering for Weidman and booing Silva during Joe Rogan's post fight interviews. Silva gave off a weird vibe during his interview, congratulating Weidman, and hinting that the title had become a burden on him, initially turning down an immediate rematch. At the post-fight press conference, Dana White said he respects Anderson's decision to take some time off before deciding what his next move is going to be. 

It has been almost 24 hours since the fight, and I'm still speechless. Even though I thought Weidman had a legit chance at the upset, I never saw it ending the way it did. This loss will quiet all the talk of superfights with everyone from Georges St Pierre to Jon Jones, and even a proposed boxing match against Roy Jones Jr. As far as Anderson's legacy is concerned, I really don't feel like this loss did too much damage. In combat sports it is nearly impossible to keep a winning streak alive, since one slip-up can leave you staring up at the lights. This just makes what Floyd Mayweather has done even more impressive.

I agree with Dana, that the idea the fight was a fix is a "fucking joke", but Anderson didn't seem to be taking Weidman as seriously as he should of leading up to and during the fight. If anything, let's hope that his actions teach the up-and-coming stars that those types of antics are a no-no in the cage. The only damper on the night, is that a lot of MMA pundits aren't giving Chris Weidman enough credit, instead saying that Anderson cost himself the fight. Weidman has had a rough year, since his house was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and this win is life-changing. 

I will be shocked if Anderson doesn't change his mind, and these two men will enter the Octagon one more time soon (it's been rumored already by Dave Meltzer that they may main event in New Jersey Super Bowl weekend). If we don't see the rematch, Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami are two potential challengers for the belt.

The main event overshadowed what was a really fun show. In the co-main event, Frankie Edgar and Charles Oliveira put on a war, with non-stop action that has become the norm when "The Answer" fights. Frankie used a combination of boxing and wrestling to stop the Brazilian, and get his first win at 145 pounds. An elated Edgar said "T.R. (Toms River), NJ, take this ride with me again. Let's go!!!". I think either Ricardo Lamas or Chad Mendes makes sense as potential future opponents for Edgar as he tries to climb the ladder for a rematch with Jose Aldo.

It was a great night for the 145-pounders as Cub Swanson and Dennis Siver had a great fight (Edgar and Swanson both won Fight of the Night) as Swanson knocked Siver out at 2:24 of the third round. With this win, Swanson may have done enough to earn a shot against the winner of Aldo-Korean Zombie.

After a rough year, it was nice to see Mark Munoz rebound with an impressive performance against Tim Boetsch. Munoz seemed to be in great shape, and was very aggressive on his way to a unanimous decision. Edson Barboza is shooting up the Lightweight ranks, with a violent win against Rafaello Oliveira, chopping him down and eventually finishing him with leg kicks. 

Turning the Page

As the calendars change from June to July, the sports world begins to heat up. Baseball is reaching the mid-way point of the season and NFL talk is heating up as training camps open at the end of the month.
The Heat walk away back-to-back NBA Champions after a really fun NBA Finals with the Spurs, and CM Punk's team, the Chicago Blackhawks win Lord Stanley's Cup.

UFC

This weekend is UFC 162 from Las Vegas. The July 4th weekend card is now a staple of the UFC year, and it is no different this year. Pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world Anderson Silva defends his Middleweight strap against Chris Weidman. Silva is putting his incredible 17-fight win streak and 10 consecutive successful title defenses up for grabs as well. Love him or hate him, just like when Floyd Mayweather or GSP fight, you have to watch even if it is just for the small chance of seeing his historic reign come to an end.

Either the UFC is really selling "wolf tickets" (thanks Nick Diaz), or the 9-0 Chris Weidman really has the secret formula to squash The Spider. The Long Island born fighter is looking to pull off the shocking upset, much like his trainer Matt Serra did to GSP many years ago. With a strong wrestling base, Weidman does have a chance if he can keep the lanky Brazilian on his back, much like Chael Sonnen did in their first fight. Win or lose though, Weidman is very confident in his abilities and this should be a very entertaining fight.

In the co-main event is my boy, Toms River's own, Frankie Edgar. The Answer is on a three-fight losing streak, with two losses to Ben Henderson, and another to Jose Aldo, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Frankie should get back in the win column this time around, against Charles Oliveira. "Da Bronx" has a good ground game, winning nine fights by submission, but I don't think he will be able to stand and trade with Frankie.

It is clear that Frankie Edgar needs a win here. A loss won't put him on the chopping block, but will put him further away from every fighter's goal, 15 pounds of gold around your waist. Even with a  win against Oliveira, Edgar is still probably two more wins away from a potential rematch with Jose Aldo for the Featherweight title.

Barring injuries, UFC should finish off 2013 strong, with Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustaffson scheduled for 165 in September, the trilogy with Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos concluding at 166 in October, and GSP and Jonny Hendricks slated for 167 in November.

Geno's Coming to Town

 NFL Draft

The Jets made a big splash at the 2013 NFL Draft, with the ripple effect still taking place today. With the 39th pick, Gang Green selected Geno Smith, the quarterback from West Virginia, who looked like he was in agony in the green room, as all 32 teams passed on him in the first round. I like the pick, and when he practically fell into our lap in the second round, it was a no-brainer to take him. After a 2012 which saw some of the worst quarterbacking I've seen in 25 years of watching football, Smith has to be an upgrade. 

Geno joins a list that includes Richard Todd, Ken O'Brien, Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington, Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez as the next quarterback to possibly lead the franchise to it's first Super Bowl since Broadway Joe did it in 1969. According to his scouting report, Smith is a work-horse in the gym and in the film room, with a decently strong arm, but he needs to improve his accuracy. I don't think he should start this year, instead let him learn on the sidelines for a couple years behind David Garrard and Mark Sanchez. 

News broke this morning that Tim Tebow was the first casualty of this draft, after the Jets realized no other franchise wanted the Cinderella story of 2011 (except for a few teams that wanted him as a tight end). This ends the Jets career of the most publicized and popular punt protector in NFL history. However you slice it, the Tebow trade was a monumental disaster for all parties involved. Woody Johnson looks like a fool, Mike Tannenbaum and Tony Sparano have been fired, Rex Ryan is a lame duck head coach, Mark Sanchez's career took a hit, and Tim Tebow may not even find a job in the NFL next season. HIT THE BRICKS TIMMY!!!!

Geno Smith overshadowed the Jets' two first round picks of Dee Milliner and Sheldon Richardson. Dee Milliner has big shoes to fill, stepping in for Revis Island, but he's used to the pressure at Alabama. Jets doctors were convinced that his shoulder injury won't be a problem. Milliner was at the top of my wish list, and I was happy he was still available when we picked. On the other hand, I wasn't so happy with the Sheldon Richardson pick. Nose tackle was one of our needs this season, after releasing Pouha, but this pick stinks of Rex Ryan, and not what would have been better for our team. Richardson may be a good pro, but the scouts say he is a better fit in a 4-3, as opposed to nose tackle in a 3-4, Ryan's base defense. If Richardson does turn out to be a good player, than we have the makings of a good young defensive line with him, Quinton Coples and Mo Wilkerson.  

You can't really tell if the draft is a success for at least 3 years, but I feel like the Jets have two very good prospects in Geno Smith and Dee Milliner and a project in Sheldon Richardson. In addition to those picks, the Jets traded their fourth round pick to the Saints for Chris Ivory, who will probably be our starting running back this season. Ivory was never given a chance in New Orleans, and saw his production drop every year. Ivory has the size and speed to be a good running back, and I'm anxious to see how he plays now that he will be given a chance.

UFC 159

UFC 159 from the Prudential Center in Newark may go down as the most cursed/strangest pay-per views ever, with 2 fight endings due to an eye poke, one fight stopped from a broken thumb, and a title almost switching hands because of a broken toe. Before we get into that though, I want to go back to the day before, when I attended the weigh-ins.

Thanks to popular MMA message board, the UG, I was able to attend a special meet and greet with Dana White following the UFC 159 weigh-ins. The UFC set us up with kick-ass seats to see the Fight Club Q and A with Middleweight #1 Contender Chris Weidman. The Long Island native seemed confident going into his July fight with Anderson Silva. After the Q&A ended, I got to experience the UFC weigh-ins for the first time. They were alright, but not really anything I would care about seeing in person again. They just call each fighter up, they step on a scale and face off with their opponent. After the weigh-ins were over, we waited patiently for Dana White. (Ariel Helwani even stopped by and visited us for a few minutes as we waited)

I doubt he is ever going to see this blog, but I can't thank Dana White enough for everything he does for the fans of the UFC. He spent over an hour answering questions and telling stories. He covered everything from what type of razor he uses to shave his head, to his thoughts on the relationship with Fox, to a behind-the-scenes recap of a proposed boxing fight with Tito Ortiz. After that, we were all able to come down and get a picture and/or autograph with the UFC President. It was an awesome experience overall, and one I'll never forget.

UFC 159 the next night was a whole other story. The undercard was underwhelming, with one-sided fights and some strange stoppages. However, the main event could have been a possible disaster for the UFC. Jon Jones dominated Chael Sonnen like most people thought, finishing him with a flurry of punches at 4:33 of the first round. Then, when Jones went for his post-fight interview he saw blood leaking onto the canvas. That was when he noticed that his toe was broken, and the bone had punctured his skin. 

If the referee had let the fight continue, which was arguably the right call since Sonnen was intelligently defending himself, and the first round ended, Jones would not have been able to continue. Since the fight wouldn't have been stopped because of an accidental foul, like the Bisping-Belcher co-main event, but because of an injury, then Chael Sonnen would have been awarded the victory and the Light-Heavyweight Championship, in what would be another asterisk on Jones' career record. Could you have imagined the trash talk Sonnen would have spewed if he had 20 pounds of gold around his waist? 

Catching Up

FINALLY....... COSTA'S IN THE CAGE HAS COME BACK!!!!!

After the sports purgatory of February/March, there is a lot to talk about so far in April.

 NFL

We start with today's breaking news, the Jets' trade of Darrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Bucs, for this year's first round pick (13th overall) and a conditional 4th or 3rd round pick next season. Revis signed his John Hancock on a 6-year $96 million contract that puts him in Tampa until he's 33. It will be hard to determine who got the better of this deal until we see who the Jets take on draft day Thursday, and how well that player performs in his first couple seasons in the league, and how well Revis comes back from his torn ACL.

The fact of the matter is the Jets knew that Revis was going to get big money on the open-market, and with a dozen holes on the team they couldn't give one player the type of money he was going to be looking for. There is no denying that the 2013 Jets team has gotten weaker because of the loss of arguably the best defensive player in the league, but Jets fans know we don't have a team that is going to be very competitive this season. I have faith that John Idzik could turn this franchise around (if not Jets fans can boo two first-round picks this year instead of just one) and this trade sets us up better for the future.

Putting the bottom line on Darrelle Revis' Jet career is bittersweet. On the field there was no denying that he could have been the best Jet to ever put on the uniform. However, he left a sour taste in my mouth after two holdouts, plus him forcing our hands this off-season. It's clear the only person Darrelle Revis cares about is Darrelle Revis, and because of that I say goodbye and good riddance.

NBA

The Knicks started off there first-round series against the Celtics with a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd this weekend, hungry for a deep playoff push. A date with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals is a realistic goal for even the most pessimistic Knicks fan. Carmelo Anthony has been playing out of his mind the final month of the regular season, and this team can only go as far as Melo is willing to take us. JR Smith is really our only other consistant scoring threat, as Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert both have their good and bad days, and Stevie Novakaine is a non-threat against good teams.

I made jokes when we first made the move, but Kenyon Martin has been the cure for our supposed soft team. K-Mart brings a great energy to the court and provides the role of "enforcer" on the team, stepping in if the opposition is a little to physical with Melo. 

WWE

I had a great time at Wrestlemania weekend at the Meadowlands. Fan Axxess was hit and miss, with the autograph lines a little too crowded on the Saturday afternoon session. I decided to spend the day ringside where they had matches with younger talent, like Chris Hero aka Kassius Ono, had fans doing some fun competitions, and the highlight of the day, a Q and A session with CM Punk and Paul Heyman. Looking back on it the money would have been better spent going to the Hall of Fame, which I heard was awesome. 

Wrestlemania itself is an awesome live event experience, as Jet-Life Stadium was breath-taking when I first saw the set. This year's Mania was hurt by being a little too predictable, and I don't think I would've loved the show if I ordered it on pay-per view. There must have been a timing issue, because you didn't get any backstage promos or skits that you come to expect at Wrestlemania. Being there in person though, it was amazing. The highlight of Wrestlemania was the CM Punk-Undertaker match, as the Deadman continued his winning streak at the Showcase of the Immortals to 21-0.

Raw the night after of Wrestlemania was the most fun I've ever had a wrestling show, and I couldn't believe I was going to skip it. Dolph Ziggler cashing in his Money in the Bank was a moment I'll never forget, but the Sheamus-Randy Orton match was unforgettable for another reason. I can't pinpoint an exact reason why (the fans being fed up and just decided to entertain themselves is most likely), but we started by doing a Yankee Stadium like roll-call of the announcers, referee and ring announcer, then just started chanting for random wrestlers. I think April 8, 2013 will go down in history as Fandango Monday. The fans were humming Fandango's entrance during his match, the main event, after the event. leaving the arena, and even in their cars as they left their parking lot capping off a great weekend.

MLB

The small-market Yankees are doing an excellent job holding down the fort until the calvary can return.  Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, Lyle Overbay, and Kevin Youkilis are all playing above their expectations. Combine that with the fact that Andy Pettite, CC Sabathia, and Hiroki Kuroda all have ERA's under 3, if we can avoid any more injuries the Yanks might surprise some people who wrote them off this year.

With news that Derek Jeter had another set-back in his recovery from a broken ankle, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Captain is no longer an everyday shortstop. If Jeter can accept a role as DH then he can still play for a few more seasons, if not, can you think of a better ending than having Jeter, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera all take their final bows together at the end of this season?

UFC 158 Diaz vs St-Pierre

UFC 158 on Saturday is headlined by the on-again off-again Welterweight Championship fight between Nick Diaz and champion Georges St-Pierre. The fight, originally scheduled for UFC 137 in October of 2011 was canceled because Diaz missed several press appearances for the UFC. Carlos Condit was given the title fight (which GSP missed due to an injury) and Diaz defeated BJ Penn in what was the new main event. After the fight, Diaz called out GSP, which made the French-Canadian furious and demanded Dana White give him the next shot in February of 2012. St-Pierre's injury was worse than expected and he had to drop out of that fight as well.

Diaz and Carlos Condit fought for the Interim Welterweight belt at UFC 143 on that show instead. Diaz lost a controversial decision, and threatened to retire in his post-fight interview. It was later announced that Diaz tested positive for marijuana and would be suspended for 12 months. GSP made his comeback and beat Carlos Condit at UFC 154 in October. GSP requested that his next title defense would be against Nick Diaz, and here we are.

UFC 158 features 4 of the top 5 Welterweights in the company, and the immediate future of the division will be determined by the top 2 fights. All four of these men have a lot to gain and/or lose on Saturday.

1) Georges St-Pierre

GSP is entering this event on a ten-fight (almost six year) winning streak, since being upset by Matt Serra in 2007 (at one point he won 33 straight rounds, which is unheard of). Along with Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, you can make a case that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. A win against Diaz will further cement his legacy as the best ever, and possibly set up a super-fight that has been rumored for years between him and Silva. GSP has shown a more ruthless side of his personality in the build to this fight, at one point calling Diaz "an uneducated fool" and saying "he's the most disrespectful human being I've ever met and I'm going to put the worst beating on him you've ever seen in the UFC". A lot of pundits are questioning if Diaz was successful in getting into the Champ's head.

2) Nick Diaz

The person who eventually unseats GSP as Welterweight Champion will immediately have a huge mark on his resume. Diaz may pose the biggest threat out of any opponent that St-Pierre has faced. He is a dangerous striker and Jiu-Jitsu black belt. GSP will be able to take him down and out-wrestle him, but he must be aware of Diaz, who is great at getting submissions on his back. With all the fame, glory, and money to be gained if he wins, Diaz could possibly cost himself his UFC career with a loss. It's no secret that Dana White doesn't get along with the brothers from the "209", and the only reason White has put up with Diaz's antics was because he knows he can make a ton of money off of this fight. If Nick loses he will certainly have 2 strikes against him and a future slip-up could be costly.

3) Johny Hendricks

Hendricks, who was originally scheduled to face Jake Ellenberger, but after an injury to Rory MacDonald, is going to fight Carlos Condit instead. Hendricks feels like he should be the number one contender to GSP's belt after knocking out Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann in the first round of their fights. With a win on Saturday, against the former #1 Contender will almost guarantee that Hendricks gets his wish for a date with St-Pierre. Condit is a dangerous fighter in his own right, and has one-punch knockout power as well. A loss will knock Hendricks down a couple pegs and he will have to be patient for a potential title fight.

4) Carlos Condit

"The Natural Born Killer" is looking to get back in contention after a war with St-Pierre in October. Condit is in a strange position, because the last person who had a title rematch against GSP was BJ Penn in 2009, and usually after a loss to St-Pierre, a lot of fighters never reach the top again (Koscheck, Dan Hardy, Thiago Alves, Jake Shields for example). Condit's original opponent, Rory MacDonald made more sense, since Rory doesn't want to fight his training partner GSP, thus a loss by either fighter won't hurt a potential #1 contender.

Yankees Injuries, Revis Trade Rumors, and More

MLB

The greatest closer of all-time Mariano Rivera officially announced that he will be retiring at the end of the 2013 season. Mo has done it all in his career, making the final out in 4 World Series, has a 0.70 postseason ERA, and is the all-time saves leader with 608 and counting.  As a Yankee fan it's been a reassurance that if you have a lead after 8 innings that you pretty much have the game in hand. It is going to be a rude awakening next year when "Enter Sandman" isn't going to play over the Stadium speakers with #42 running out of the bullpen and mystifying batters with his legendary cutter. Thank You Mariano.

Now though, with Opening Day 2013 approaching quickly, the Yankees have caught the injury bug. A  little less than a month into Spring Training and the Bronx Bombers will be without Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, and Michael Pineda on their Opening Day roster. Derek Jeter is recovering well from a broken ankle, and barring a set-back should be ready to play against the Red Sox on April 1. I will have a Yankees season preview in the next couple of weeks, but this team has me worried. 

NFL

Like I predicted here in October, it is looking like a trade for Darrelle Revis is imminent after the 2013 NFL league year begins later this week. As good as a player as Revis is, it's sad that he is so selfish and driven by greed. He held out as a rookie, held out again after making the AFC Championship Game in 2009, and if not for a clause in his contract would have threatened to hold out again last season. It is especially telling that while Revis is trying to squeeze every last penny out of the Jets organization, (as much as I hate to admit it) the greatest quarterback of our era, Tom Brady, is taking a pay cut to help ease his cap hit on the Patriots.

The question now is where does Greedvis go to play next season and what should the Jets asking price be? With one-year left on his contract and his past history, whatever team trades for him has to have a lot of cap space to give him Mario Williams money. You also have to factor in the fact that he sat out most of last season after suffering from a torn ACL (but like Adrian Peterson proved last year that they aren't career-enders anymore). According to Jason LaCanfora, potential suitors include the 49ers, Redskins, Bucs, and Colts. Teams know that the Jets are desperate to ship him off, so that could hurt their asking price, but I still expect us to at least get a first and third round pick for him. 

As for the 2013 Jets, they need a lot of work to begin rebuild from a terrible 2012 season. I don't expect Revis, Dustin Keller, Shonn Greene, and LaRon Landry to return to the green and white next year (and we already cut Bart Scott and Calvin Pace), which leaves us with a lot of holes and not a whole lot of cap space to maneuver. It's been reported that we asked Santonio Holmes to take a pay cut (excuse me while I laugh uproariously). John Idzik has his work cut out for him.

UFC

• Frankie Edgar lost a decision to Jose Aldo on Super Bowl weekend in a hard fought fight against one of the top pound for pound guys in the sport. Edgar has to move down the ladder a little after losing three title fights, and is rumored to fight Cub Swanson over the spring/summer. A win against Cub would put Edgar in the same shoes as Urijah Faber. They are both good popular fighters who dominate their weight class, but fans are tired of seeing them get title fights. I think Frankie is going to need to get back on a little win streak before facing the Featherweight Champion again.
• Dana White shocked everyone when he announced that Anthony Pettis wants to fight Jose Aldo next. After an impressive win against "Cowboy" Cerrone it was expected that Pettis would be next in line for a shot against Ben Henderson, but "Showtime" wants to move down and unseat Aldo. This should be a great fight.
• Ronda Rousey is a certifiable star, and is just behind GSP and Anderson Silva as the most house-hold name in MMA. I enjoy women's MMA, but Rousey faced a lot of backlash from internet MMA fans who felt like women don't belong in the Octagon. Rousey's debut against Liz Carmouche was everything her and Zuffa could have asked for, an exciting fight that saw Rousey finish Carmouche with another first-round armbar. I can't predict what will happen if/when Rousey loses the belt, but WMMA is going to be strong as long as she is still champion. 
• I will have a full preview later this week, but if you haven't heard it yet, go out of your way to listen to the GSP/Nick Diaz conference call. These guys really hate each other and it is going to be a great fight.
• The UFC lost it's second big fight of this year when Alistair Overeem had to drop out of his fight against Junior Dos Santos after an undisclosed injury. Mark Hunt, fresh off his knockout of Stephen Struve has stepped up in what is a potential #1 contender fight.
• UFC is scheduled to have a busy April, with a card every week, headlined by the Fox show with Ben Henderson v Gilbert Melendez and Frank Mir v Daniel Cormier. Than, UFC 159 in Newark is headlined by TUF Coaches/Title fight between Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones. 

Road to Wrestlemania: First Stop

In WWE the Road to Wrestlemania ends at Jet-Life Stadium on April 7, but began on Sunday at the Royal Rumble. The Wrestlemania main event is pretty much set now, with a rematch between The Rock and John Cena. The internet wrestling community is up in arms over Cena's Rumble win and The Rock ending CM Punk's 435 day run as WWE Champion. I'm a Punk fan, but understand that Rocky winning is the right move for business in what could be the highest grossing Wrestlemania of all-time. Rock being champion is just going to add awareness into the product as he promotes his current crop of movies while wearing the spinner-belt. You had to be gullible to think last year's main even was really going to be Once in a Lifetime, and  I'm sure that WWE has a good plan set to make this year's Rock-Cena build different than last year's.

The seeds to another main match were planted the following night on Raw when Brock Lesnar returned to attack Vince McMahon, who was about to fire his agent, Paul Heyman. (By the way, Heyman has been gold on the mic since returning to WWE last year.) The next logical step is to have Vince's son-in-law, Triple H step-in to seek revenge for the chairman and avenge his Summerslam loss by challenging Brock to a match at 'Mania. Rumors have it that Lesnar has signed a new 2-year deal to keep him in the WWE in a part-time role through Wrestlemania 31, so it wouldn't make sense for him to lose, but marrying the boss' daughter has it's perks and I doubt HHH goes 0-2 against Lesnar. Another possibility is for Triple H to step aside and book Lesnar against an unstoppable monster like Ryback.

It's disappointing as someone attending this year's Mania, to hear that Undertaker may not be able to defend his undefeated streak this year because of ongoing injuries. Reports are that 'Taker may sit out after having 4-straight match of the year candidates at the Grandaddy of 'Em All , instead of going through the motions and having a match that won't live up to his expectations.

CM Punk who was rumored to be 'Taker's opponent might be looking for a Wrestlemania match after being champion for all of 2012. You can throw him in with Cena and Rock, making it a triple threat, or possibly part of a big 8-man fight with the Shield against 4 good guys. 

Finally, at this point it looks like Alberto Del Rio will keep the World Heavyweight strap into Wrestlemania. There have been a couple of opponents rumored for him,but I would go with Dolph Ziggler cashing in his briefcase for a title shot at WWE's showcase event.

Super Weekend Preview

The Super Bowl matchup between the Ravens and 49ers is sharing this weekend by a UFC super-fight between the 145-pound champion and a man that got screwed over twice by the judges and should still be 155-pound champion, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar. I'm going to preview both events so you get ready for Super Weekend 2013!!!

UFC 156

If you want, you can go back to my posts in February and August to read up on why I thought Frankie Edgar was on the wrong end of the decisions in his title fights against Ben Henderson, but that is in the past now. UFC 156 is a stacked card, and I will list the 5 fighters with the most to gain in their fights.

1) Frankie Edgar

"The Answer" is making his featherweight debut and has a chance to join Hall of Famers BJ Penn and Randy Couture as the only men to hold titles in two different weight classes. Fair or unfair, many people, including Dana White, feel like the 145-pound division is where Edgar is "supposed to be", thus making his accomplishments at lightweight even more impressive. A lot of people are counting Edgar out against one of the best pound for pound fighters in the Octagon, but those same experts said he couldn't beat BJ Penn, and he did (twice!!!). It will be interesting to see how Edgar fights at the lighter weight class, perhaps losing his speed advantage but being more equal in the power game. A win on Saturday will cement his legacy as one of the best fighters in the sport. A loss however would put him at a crossroads in his career as he would have to start in the back of the line of title contenders. 

2) Alistair Overeem

The former Dream and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion had an impressive debut last December against Brock Lesnar, abolishing him back to the WWE with a first round knockout. He earned a title shot against Junior dos Santos, but a failed drug test cost him his chance, and was suspended for the rest of the year. Now he is back and ready to get his career back on track against "Big Foot" Silva. Silva will be a good test for Overeem, having knockout power (as witnessed in his win against MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko), but he tends to have trouble against top level talent. A win against Silva will put the "Demolition Man" back in the hunt for the UFC belt, with either a grudge match against dos Santos or a title fight against Cain Velasquez awaiting him.

3) Jose Aldo

Aldo is looking to extend his 14-fight win streak, but has his toughest test to date against Frankie Edgar. There is no denying that Scarface is one of most dangerous and dynamic fighters in the sport, but is often overlooked, doing it in the less popular featherweight division. It is possible that Aldo may have a little bit of ring rust, not fighting since January due to several injuries. 

4) Rashad Evans

Evans is making his return to cage, after losing his title fight against Jon Jones, and is hoping to get back in contention for another title fight. It just might not be the light-heavyweight belt that he has his sights on. In the build to this fight, Evans has said that he would like a chance to fight Anderson Silva for the Middleweight championship, as well as a possible rematch against his rival "Bones" Jones. First, he is going to need a win against Little Nog to begin the chase toward either one of those potential fights.

5) Demian Maia

Maia is trying to get into the list of contenders for Georges St. Pierre's welterweight title. He is 2-0 in the division since moving down from middleweight, with wins against Don Hyung Kim and Rick Story. Jon Fitch is a tough test for him, with his only two UFC losses coming against GSP and Johnny Hendricks. Jon Fitch relies on his wrestling, but has to be careful going to the ground against the Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

Super Bowl 47

Following Saturday's mega-fight, the nation will turn it's eyes to the biggest event in sports, the Super Bowl. This year matches up the Baltimore Ravens, looking for their second ring, and the 49ers, who are in their first Super Bowl since 1994, and could tie the Steeler with the most Super Bowl wins in history. 

The Ravens were the hottest team in the first half of the season, collecting a 9-2 record. The second half wasn't kind to Baltimore, as they finished 1-4, costing offensive coordinator Cam Cameron his job. Before the playoffs started, linebacker Ray Lewis announced his retirement at the end of the season, and looking back on it now fired up his squad. The team beat rookie Andrew Luck in the first round, and had a classic game in the second round against Peyton Manning's Broncos. With just over 30 seconds left, Joe Flacco threw a hail mary to Jacoby Jones to force overtime. Then, a Manning interception in overtime led to Justin Tucker's game winning field goal. Next up was a rematch from last year's AFC Championship Game with the Pats. The Ravens defense made Tom Brady uncomfortable all game, forcing him to throw 2 interceptions. Joe Flacco joined Mark Sanchez as the only two quarterbacks to defeat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the same post-season. 

The 49ers were pre-season favorites to get here, but they also took an unconventional route. After Alex Smith got injured during their Week 10 game against the Rams, second year pro Colin Kaepernick took over, and the team hasn't looked back since. After earning a bye in the first round, Kaepernick had a historic playoff game against the Packers, coming back from a pick six on his first drive of the game to pass for 263 yards and tack on another 181 yard on the ground, while scoring 4 total touchdowns. The 49ers found themselves in a 17-0 hole in the NFC Championship Game against the Falcons, and scored 28 of the games' final 35 points to walk away winners 28-24. 

Both of these teams are pretty evenly matched on both sides of the ball, except for one thing, which I think will determine the game. The 49ers are a younger and quicker squad, especially offensively, and feel that the Ravens defense will tire out as the game wears on. That being said, Baltimore has been deep in the playoffs the past five seasons, and Flacco has more big game experience than Kaepernick The Ravens defense was ranked 20th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed this season, and losses to the Eagles (Vick) and the Redskins (Griffin) show that they have trouble with rushing quarterbacks. I can see the first half being low-scoring, but the offenses take over towards the end. 

Prediction: 49ers 27 Ravens 17