Tim's Two Cents-February 1

Lakers Stun Celitics.  Kobe does it again.  Ray Allen played about as good on defense as you could possibly play and it still didn't phase Kobe with 7.3 seconds left as the Lakers commit grand theft with a 90 to 89 triumph against their rivals from Beantown.  They were down at one point 81 to 70 in the fourth quarter.  Ron Artest set the tone before the game even started.  It was nice to see him jawing with Paul Pierce from the get go.  That's how you show your opponent that you're not going to be pushed around.

With the win, my original prediction for the road trip is still intact.  If they beat the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, which they should, the Lakers will finish having won 6 out of 8.

Roger Federer Sparkles Down Under.  New year, familiar result.  Make it 16 and counting for the Swiss gem.  The latest victim was Andy Murray as the Australian Open came to a close yesterday.  We didn't get to see the Federer-Nadal matchup due to Nadal retiring in an earlier match with a knee injury.  That definitely increased the odds in Federer's favor. 

Federer will most likely go down in history as the greatest men's tennis player ever once his story comes to an end.  For right now, his story will continue in May on the clay of Roland Garros, where he will defend last year's title.  It was special last year because it was his first title in Paris, completing the career grand slam, having won in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and New York.

Photos courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison from Kinston, USA under CC-SA 3.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Steve Collis from Melbourne, Australia under CC-BY 2.0 License 

Wide World of Sports Venues-January 17

Rod Laver Arena

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Opened: 1988
Construction Cost $94 Million (Australian Currency)
Capacity: 16,820
Home Teams: Australian Open (Tennis) 1988-Present, Melbourne Tigers (NBL) 1992-2000, South East Melbourne Magic (NBL) 1992-1998 Victoria Titans (NBL) 1999-2000
Events Attended: None.  2010 Australian Open starts today.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and SimonEast under CC-SA 3.0 License

Tim's Two Cents-January 15

What I'll Be Watching This Weekend.  In an effort to do something different today, here's what I'll be watching this upcoming weekend in sports.

NFL Divisional Playoffs.  Another great weekend of playoff action is almost upon us. 

Will the Cowboys continue their recent hot streak against the Minnesota Vikings?  I certainly hope so if for no other reason than to see Brett Favre lose again.  If that happens, Favre will start crying like the prima donna that he is.  By this time next Monday, I hope Brett Favre is back in Mississippi where he belongs.

Will the Colts take advantage of home field or will rust kick in?  My gut feeling right now is the latter.  History over the last few years has shown that the Colts have had little success as the top team in the postseason.  Peyton Manning, the talented quarterback that he is, has only one Super Bowl victory in his career so far.  He is the face of the Colts.  One could argue that without Peyton Manning, the Colts would not be the good team that they are.  I'll go with the upset and the Ravens because rust will be a big factor for the Colts as usual.

Will the Saints have a party in the Big Easy?  This is a tough one that I think could go either way.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints offense breaks out in front the home crowd.  As for their opponent, the Cardinals.  We saw what they're capable of last week against Green Bay.  This one's a coin flip.  I'll go with the upset pick once again and the Cardinals just to mess everything up and make things more interesting.

As for the Chargers and Jets, let's keep it simple and sweet.  The Chargers will continue their late season surge and I think they will host the AFC Championship game next week against the Ravens.  

Australian Open in Melbourne.  You probably wouldn't think of me as a tennis fan at first glance, but I am.  The Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, marks the beginning of the new year in tennis as it is the first grand slam event.  As usual Roger Federer enters the tournament as the number one seed on the men's side.  Barring an unforseen turn of events, it will be another Federer-Nadal final in two weeks time.  If history is any indication, it should be epic if it were to happen.   

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Steve Collis under CC-BY 2.0 License