Raymond Felton Incident Adding Big Distraction To Disasterous Knicks Season

Things really haven't been going great for the New York Knicks this year. Right now they sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, with a 21-36 record. This puts them just five games out of the final playoff spot in the East, which at the moment is held down by the Atlanta Hawks. Sure the Knicks still have an outside chance to make the playoffs, it is a possibility. At the same time, there are a lot of outside factors that could keep the Knicks from the playoffs. They have had so many problems on the team this year, what with injuries to key players, stupid stunts pulled by JR Smith on the court, all kinds of stuff. Now they have another incident to deal with, that being the off the court problems of Raymond Felton.

If you haven't heard the story already, Felton was arrested Tuesday for a felony weapons charge, with an unregistered hand gun in his possession. He was released from a Manhattan Criminal Court on $25,000 bail and could be back in the Knicks lineup for their next game against the Miami Heat. Felton faced the media on Wednesday after practice, speaking for less than a minute and saying basically that he didn't think this incident was going to be a distraction to the team.

Now its bad enough that Felton is having one of the worst seasons of his professional career. The Knicks are barely hanging on in the playoff race, and Felton has had trouble producing. He has been slowed by nagging leg injuries early, which have effected his play on the court. He's averaging a career-worst 10.4 points on 40.3 percent shooting, and his defensive play hasn't been as strong as it has been in seasons past. That has been bad enough for Felton. Now he has this off the court trouble to deal with.

As badly as Felton, and the rest of the Knicks for that matter, don't want it to be a distraction, I hate to break this but it is going to be a distraction. The media is going to be all over it and Felton will hear about it wherever he goes. This story won't go away and will cause a distraction. This whole off the court incident will not interfere with his playing time, as he is not due in Court over the incident until June 2nd and there is no action, as of yet coming down from the NBA because of this. Will the NBA take action over this, i don't know. I think they are going to let the court system and then the Knicks take care of it before the league really has to get involved. So for now it least, Felton can go about trying to help the Knicks try to get into the playoffs.

But there is more to it than meets the eye. This whole thing is just another strange episode in this 2013-14 New York Knicks Season. With this incident with Felton,. nobody in the organization is stepping up and apologizing for it. With Felton, he isn't taking any questions regarding this matter, which is a smart move legally, but still he should at least apologize for his sub par play and for allowing something like this to happen and cause whatever aftershock will occur from it. Then their's James Dolan and his executives. Dolan wasn't around at Knicks practice yesterday and wasn't available for comment on this story. That to me is a gutless move by the Knicks owner. Its making a couple of statements to me. First off, by not showing up and speaking about this it tells me that Dolan doesn't care about his fan base. Why? Because if he really cared about the fan base he would have shown up and let the fans know that he cares about the team and who plays for them. The fans are paying to watch this team play, and right now the team is struggling as is. Dolan really hasn't done much to fix that at the moment. Now with this going on with Felton, by not speaking about it, Dolan is telling me that he doesn't care what his players do on and off the court. If Dolan really cared he would have taken Felton out of the lineup and said that what he has done isn't allowed on this team. That is where Dolan really dropped the ball.

So there has been a lot going on around the Knicks this season, and with this story swirling around the club, things could get worse from here on out. Only way the Knicks can stop this kind of talk is by playing really well over the final 25 games of the season and getting into the playoffs. Right now this story will be hanging over their heads for a little while longer.

Fallout From Duke-Syracuse Calls

It was the call that was talked about most of the weekend. The Charge on C.J. Fair with 10.4 seconds left in the basketball game that allowed Duke to hang on to a 66-60 victory over Syracuse at Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday Night. From this one call, many people feel that it cost Syracuse the basketball game and many view the call as a bad call. Well lets face facts folks there is more to it than just that.

Just in case anybody hasn't seen the play yet, here's the call that we've all been talking about: 

The call got Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim ejected from the game, allowing Duke position, all but sealing the victory. There have been quite a few debates that have been made over the call itself. The most notable debate is to whether or not the call was the right one. A lot of people have been saying it was a bad call and that there was bias towards Duke by the refs when they made the call. I'm sorry people but there's really no argument to be made over the call. It was a judgement call by the officials that could have really gone either way, it was a bang bang play if you take another look at it. So did the refs get the call right? They might have yes.

What also has been sticking in the craw of a lot of Syracuse fans was the non call that was made earlier in the game when Jabari Parker of Duke did the exact same thing to Michael Gbinije of Syracuse when Parker went up for a dunk. The ref called it a block and a turnover. So there was inconsistencies among the calls, I'll back the complaints that have been made by Syracuse fans about that. If you are going to call one then call the same thing in the same situation later in the game that's all. And if your not going to call the first play a charge, when it looked almost exactly the same as the video above, then don't call that a charge, call it a block and allow the bucket to stand.

Aside from whether or not the play was a bad call or not, there have been other questions that have arisen from that. The biggest question has to be did that call and the technical fouls to Jim Boehim cost Syracuse the game. The answer is no and I'll tell you why. First of all, there was still 10.4 seconds left on the clock, and had the shot counted, there would have been a free throw which in all likelyhood would have been made and given Syracuse a one point lead. There was still plenty of time for Duke to inbound the basketball, make a charge down the court and try to hit a game winning bucket. So there is no way you can honestly tell me that the call would have blown the game because Duke still would have been able to run down the court and score.

Another reason the call didn't cost Syracuse the game is because, in a way, Syracuse cost themselves the game. The reason I say this is because Syracuse got into foul trouble quite often in the basketball game and sort of took themselves out of it before this call could be made. If Syracuse had played the way they did in the first meeting between these teams back at the Carrier Dome at the beginning of February, then the Orange could have easily won the game. Both teams got into foul trouble at Cameron Saturday night, it wasn't just the Orange. Duke had foul trouble too, just like they did in the first meeting.

As far as the Boeheim ejection, there as no disciplinary action to come of it from the NCAA. It was the call that was made on the court nothing more nothing less. This also had an effect on the coaches polls, as both teams fell in the national rankings. Syracuse has fallen from #1 in the country to #4, as they had also been upset by Boston College earlier in the week. As for Duke, they fell from #4 to #6 in the nation, coupling the Syracuse game with the loss two days before to rival North Carolina. It's worth noting that both Boston College and North Carolina were not ranked in the top 25 teams in the nation in the Associated Press Coaches Polls, which is what lead to both Syracuse and Duke falling in the polls.

This game wasn't as intense as the first meeting that's for sure. And this one, more than likely, won't be the last time these two teams face off this season. Duke and Syracuse are the two best teams in the ACC, which I think is a safe assesment, and will more than likely, if everything goes right, face off again in the ACC tournament, even possibly the big dance and the NCAA tournament. So there is another chance for a rubber match between these clubs again this season!

USA Hockey Blows It On Olympic Stage

After running rough shot through the first round, and first two games of the medal round of the tournament, the US Men's Hockey team couldn't get the job done and bring home a medal at the Olympics. In fact, the US Women had the same trouble in the Gold Medal game against Canada, but we will touch on that in a little bit. The Men's Hockey team had been scoring like crazy through the first four games of the tournament, but in the final two games, when it really mattered the most, they just couldn't get the job done.

The Men's Hockey team had no trouble scoring at all in the first four games they played, scoring 7, 2, 5 and 5 goals respectively. Then they ran into a brick wall in Cary Price and were shutout, 1-0, in the semifinal against Canada. Then they met Finland in the Bronze, looking really snake bitten, getting shut out again 3-0.

Phil Kessel led the tournament in scoring with eight points on five goals and three assists. He and NHL teammate James van Riemsdyk powered the US offense. The team could score at will, but by the time the medal round rolled around they offense decided not to show up at all. Now the goaltending and defense looked good. Jonathan Quick played very, very well in the tournament. Sure Quick was beat a few times in games, but Quick was able to keep the team in the games. Ryan McDonagh too did a very good job at the blueline to keep the other teams off the board, for the most part. And lets not forget about TJ Oshie becoming an unsung hero in the tournament, especially in the opening round game against Russia in the shootout. So going into the game against Canada in the semifinal,. everything looked good for the United States.

Then the wheels fell off. They played pretty well against Canada but were unable to solve Price in the Canadian net. There was a bit of an effort in that game, but it wasn't enough. Then against Finland in the Bronze medal game, the team just plain no-showed. There was no effort at all from anybody. Patrick Kane missed twice on the penalty shots, there was just no real pressure at all against Tuukka Rask, who was in net for Finland. They had their foot on the gas pedal during the early part of the tournament and it was taken off when it matters most, which shouldn't happen. The US needed to keep the pedal on the medal and they didn't do that.

Same thing can be said for the United States Women too, It happened both times for the Women when they played Canada in the tournament, both in the preliminary round and in the Gold Medal game. The US had leads in both games and couldn't hold them, finishing with Silver for the Women. They had the same problem as the guys, they took the foot off the gas and let up. There was no way the USA should have turned their back on a team, which is what they did against Canada. Had they kept Canada back on their heels, it would have meant Gold. But they took the foot off the gas, allowed Canada back in the game and the rest is history.

It was embarrassing for both hockey teams, the way they played on the national stage. Sure they gave their time to represent their country, and sure it's not really about winning and losing. How the US went about trying to finish the job was tough to watch. Had theyr eally left it all on the ice, then I wouldn't have this sour taste in my mouth.

Two Hockey Powers Battle For Gold

Ever since it became an Olympic sport in 1998, Women's Hockey has been dominated by two countries, the United States and Canada. This week the two countries will face off again with the Gold Medal on the line for the 3rd time since the first games in 1998. The United States won the inagural gold in 1998 in which they beat Canada, but since then, in 2002, 2006 and 2010 the gold has gone to Canada. In fact Canada has beaten the United States in 2002 and 2010.

This is nothing new for the sport as the US and Canada have been the dominate countries in the game since 1998. I mean lets face facts no other country can really challenge the United States or Canada on the ice in Olympic Hockey. So it comes as no surprise to anybody these two nations face off with gold on the line. It is safe to say this is the best rivalry in women's sports and is up there in the conversation of one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. Think about this. Besides their battles for Olympic medals, there have been fifteen world championships for women's hockey and each time it has been the US against Canada in the finals. Throw that in along with the fact that these countries have meet in three of the four gold medal games in the Olympics and I'd say its making a claim to becoming a really great rivalry.

This also goes to show how weak some of the other countries are by comparison when it comes to the women's hockey game on the international level. The only country to play for a medal on the international level that wasn't either the USA or Canada was Sweden who pulled off a big upset in 2006 by beating the US to get to the gold medal game, only to lose there to Canada. Otherwise its been the US and Canada for all the marbels. It would be great for the sport if some other countries could be able to push the US and Canada but at the moment that isn't really a question.

So now that everything has gone down over the last 12 days in the Olympics the USA and Canada are the only two left standing. These two teams met in the group stage of these games, with Canada skating away with a 3-2 win, the only loss suffered by the United States at these games. Canada is coming into this gold medal game having won 19 straight Olympic hockey games. Canada has had superb goaltending in the tournament, as Shannon Szabados and Charline Labonte have split duties in the nets, allowing just three goals on 97 shots (96.10 percent) in their four games. The offense for Canad has been powered by Meghan Acosta (three goals, one assist), Rebecca Johnston (two goals, two assists) and Natalie Spooner (two goals, two assists). So solid scoring and defense hasn't been a problem for Canada.

Same can be said for the United States. Jessie Vetter has played pretty well herself in the nets for the Americans, but sh hasn't really played quite as well as the Canadian counterparts. She's only faced 55 shots in four contests playing behind a stacked American squad led by defender and captain Julie Chu. The downside is that Vetter has allowed five goals. That adds up to a questionable 90.91 save percentage so far for Vetter, a number that bodes well for this high-powered Canadian attack. Just like Canada, the United States has a very high powered attack, with Amanda Kessel (three goals, three assists), Kendall Coyne (two goals, four assists) and Briana Decker (two goals, four assists) leading the high scoring charge for the team.

Both countries can roll four lines and are solid in their own defensive end. If the game between the two in the group round was any indication, this one is going to be a very close, tight checking game that will come right down to the wire. Sure Canada has been good, but the United States have been coming in red hot and will finally get the monkey off the back and take the gold!

Kevin Durant Putting Pressure On Lebron James

For a long time now, it has been known that Lebron James is the best player in the NBA. In fact he could possibly go down as one of the greatest of all time, with the championships, MVP's, scoring titles and what have you. During all of this, there is another player who is making a big time push for being the best in this game. He has been getting better and better over the last few years, his name is Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant could be next in line, if you will, to take over as the best player in the game after Lebron is all done with his career. Lebron, right now is looking at his career as a whole, while Durant is focused on here and now.

Over the last week or so, Lebron has been talking about his legacy in the game of basketball, which is a damn good one I'll give him that. But if Lebron can stop worrying about his legacy as a whole, and get back to worrying about his competition here and now in Durant, he will be better off. Sure Lebron will go down as one of the greatest to ever play this game, theer is no doubt of that. But if he really wants to cement that legacy, he needs to be able to fend off Durant, who has been playing on a near par level with the King.

Lebron is four years older than Durant, and has played longer in the league, 13 years compared to the seven year tenure for Durant. Both guys have almost the same career points per game average, Lebron is 27.5 and Durant is 27.1. Both guys have won rookie of the year, as well as a few scoring titles, Lebron has one while Durant has three. At the same time Lebron has the league MVP's and two NBA titles to his credit as compared to none in either category for Durant. Despite not winning the bigtime awards, Durant has actually had better years during his early career than Lebron, which is posing a challenge for the King, much like James did for Kobe Bryant when Lebron started out.

the difference between the two is this; their nature. Lebron is not only good and what he does, but he likes to brag about it too. Lebron has the spotlight for his talents, almost seeming to draw attention from media where he goes. He has the talent to back it up sure, but he isn't afraid to show off in front of a camera. Durant is the opposite. Kevin Durant is the 2nd best player in the league and he lets his game do his talking for him. Durant has become the quiet superstar in the sport, which is the complete opposite of Lebron.

Both guys want to go down as some of the greatest to ever play the game. Lebron wants to go down as the greatest of all time and is making a strong case for that. Durant has the talent, the overall numbers, and a long career ahead of him to possibly overtake James as King. Durant is having a big year, thus putting pressure on Lebron. If Lebron really wants to go down as the greatest of all time, focus on the task at hand. Stop talking about being the best and go out and lead the Heat and be the best. Play your game, let your play speak for you and help lead the Heat to another title, just like Durant is trying to do with the Thunder.

Goodbye To The Captain! Derek Jeter Calls It A Career

He is the last active member of the dynasty teams of the late 1990's. He is the captain of the New York Yankees. After the 2014 season, Derek Jeter is calling it a career. Jeter debuted on May 29th 1995 and played every single game in his big league career with the same team, the Yankees. And what a career its been.

During his 19 years in the big leagues, he is a career .319 hitter, with 3316 hits (10th all time at this moment), 256 career homers and 1,216 RBI's to go along with 348 stolen bases. Jeter's best year came in 1999 when he finished the year leading the league with 219 hits, 24 homers, 102 RBI's and a .349 batting average. Jeter was a bigtime winner, walking away with, at the moment, 5 world series titles, over 3,000 hits, including the most hits ever by a Yankee player. In fact, Jeter ranks first in Yankees history in games played, at-bats, hits and stolen bases. He won the 1996 AL Rookie of the Year and would be eligible for the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot, which he is almost a lock for.

Jeter will go down in history as one of the top ten greatest Yankees ever, and in my book is the greatest shortstop of my generation. There are a few things that really set Jeter apart from other big name players in the game of baseball. No superstar in sports is more accessible than Jeter, who is available by his locker before and after almost every game, mainly to take pressure off teammates. When Jeter was interviewed, he was never able to be baited into saying something that will linger as a story. He does not raise his voice, rarely shows irritation and never goes off the record. He was also always there to make younger guys feel welcome. Jeter wasn't a brash star, he knew his role, knew it very well, and played that role to perfection. That's what sets him apart from other players in not just baseball, but in all sports.

Jeter had solid offensive numbers during his career, he never had the numbers that really jump out at you like say Nomar or A-Rod, but he was always consistent. Also think about this, during his career, Jeter played in the playoffs 16 times, in a total of 33 series. He hit 20 home runs, drove in 61 runs and hit .301 lifetime in the postseason. And of all of that, Jeter played in seven World Series, with 3 homers 9 RBI's and a .321 career hitter in the Series alone!

Jeter has had so many memorable plays, like the Leadoff homer against Bobby Jones in Game 4 of the 2000 World Series, the 1996 home run against Baltimore (Jeffrey Maier homer), the flip play against the Oakland A's during the 2001 playoffs, and the one play that stands out to most fans is him launching himself into the crowd in 2004 to make a catch in the 12 inning against the Red Sox. The guy was a hard nose player who would do anything he had to do to win a baseball game.

There is a good chance that Jeter will be honored at every opposing ballpark, just like Mariano Rivera got last year. The big question for Jeter is to how well he is going to play coming off the injuries he has suffered through the last few years. It would be a great ending for a great player for Jeter to go out with a good year. Regardless of what happens, personally I'm pulling for a good year from Jeter and he stays healthy, but whatever happens Jeter is going out on top as the greatest shortstop of this generation and one of the greatest shortstops ever!

Olympic Men's Hockey Schedule

The time of year has arrived. Every four years, the best athletes in the world converge to one place for the Winter Olympic games. There are so many different events to pay attention to during the games, that its hard to be able to watch them all, or even know when there all on for that matter. So we are here to help, with one event at least. That event is Men's Ice Hockey. The NHL is on break at the moment for the games, with most of their players over in Russia for the games. So with that in mind, here is the TV schedule for all Men's Hockey games during the Olympics.

2014 Olympic Hockey Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 12 Noon C Czech Republic vs. Sweden USA
Wednesday, Feb. 12 Noon C Latvia vs. Switzerland MSNBC
Thursday, Feb. 13 3 a.m. B Finland vs. Austria NBCSN
Thursday, Feb. 13 7:30 a.m. A Russia vs. Slovenia MSNBC
Thursday, Feb. 13 7:30 a.m. A USA vs. Slovakia NBCSN
Thursday, Feb. 13 Noon B Canada vs. Norway USA
Friday, Feb. 14 3 a.m. C Czech Republic vs. Latvia MSNBC
Friday, Feb. 14 7:30 a.m. C Sweden vs. Switzerland NBCSN
Friday, Feb. 14 Noon B Canada vs. Austria USA
Friday, Feb. 14 Noon B Norway vs. Finland MSNBC
Saturday, Feb. 15 3 a.m. A Slovakia vs. Slovenia MSNBC
Saturday, Feb. 15 7:30 a.m. A USA vs. Russia NBCSN
Saturday, Feb. 15 Noon C Switzerland vs. Czech Republic NBCSN
Saturday, Feb. 15 Noon C Sweden vs. Latvia USA
Sunday, Feb. 16 3 a.m. B Austria vs. Norway USA
Sunday, Feb. 16 7:30 a.m. A Russia vs. Slovakia USA
Sunday, Feb. 16 7:30 a.m. A USA vs. Slovenia NBCSN
Sunday, Feb. 16 Noon B Finland vs. Canada USA
Tuesday, Feb. 18 3 a.m. Qualification Round NBCSN
Tuesday, Feb. 18 7:30 a.m. Qualification Round USA
Tuesday, Feb. 18 Noon Qualification Round NBCSN
Tuesday, Feb. 18 Noon Qualification Round MSNBC
Wednesday, Feb. 19 3 a.m. Quarterfinal NBCSN
Wednesday, Feb. 19 7:30 a.m. Quarterfinal NBCSN
Wednesday, Feb. 19 Noon Quarterfinal USA
Wednesday, Feb. 19 Noon Quarterfinal MSNBC
Friday, Feb. 21 7 a.m. Semifinal NBCSN
Friday, Feb. 21 Noon Semifinal NBCSN
Saturday, Feb. 22 10 a.m. Bronze Medal Game NBCSN
Sunday, Feb. 23 7 a.m. Gold Medal Game NBC

So there you have the full hockey slate for Men's Hockey for the Olympics. In the preliminary round there are a few intriguing matchups to look at. The ones that stand out to me the most are USA vs. Russia on the 15th and Canada and Finland on the 16th.

The Russia and USA battle is probably going to be a medal round preview, both teams being talent loaded. The US got a tad unlucky being put in the same group as Russia, who is a favorite in the tournament. Then again just look what happened between Canada and the US in the Vancouver games in 2010. From a pure talent perspective, it is tough to beat Russia. The Russians boast some of the most dynamic offensive players in the world in Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk. Because of that and the home ice factor, former Russian Olympian Sergei Fedorov believes there is a great deal of pressure on Russia to succeed, according to the Associated Press. "Just like the Canada guys in Vancouver 2010, a lot of pressure," Fedorov said. "Maybe more. Our fans might be a little tougher." It's tough to argue with Fedorov's assertion, especially since Russia hasn't tasted gold since the Unified Team won it all in 1992. Winning it all at home would be sweet, but falling short would be bitter. Russia has a chance to set the tone by beating one of its biggest rivals; however, Team USA will have something to say about that. The Americans won't be able to match Russia's top-flight scoring, but they will have the edge in net with either Ryan Miller or Jonathan Quick. Whichever goalie starts will have to be on top of his game.

That's what could be the deciding factor for the USA this year is if the goaltending can hold. I only say that because because of how off Ryan Miller looked this year. Miller hasn't really looked like his old self, but that may have something to do with the Buffalo team playing in front of him. Miller should be able to find his game, same thing with Jonathan Quick. The US should still be able to medal.

Canada and Finland could also be another medal round preview. Much like the USA having to deal with Russia in their group, Canada will have the same kind of trouble with Finland in their group. Sure Canada is probably going to be coming into this game a confident bunch, but Finland is no slouch. The Finns have a ton of talent and have some of the best goalies in the tournament, including one of the best in the NHL Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins. At least on third of the Fins roster is coming from non-NHL clubs, but they are still a very talented team and could make a lot of noise in this tournament. With Canada, they are the most talented team in this tournament, having a deep forward core and just as deep a defense crop. The question at the moment, just like the US is the goalies. Carey Price hasn't been playing that great as of late, so there is a question mark with him. But you also have the goaltending hero from the last Olympics in Roberto Luongo still on the roster, so if Price begins to faulter, you could see Luongo step in and possibly steal the show again like he did last time.

So there is your Olympic schedule, so sit back relax and enjoy the games!

2014 NFL Hall Of Fame Class Announced

The highlight of this weekend in pro football wasn't just Super Bowl 48. No. There was also the announcement of the newest inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In total, there will be seven new inductees into the Hall in Canton, Ohio. Those seven people are Wide Receiver Andre Reed, Offensive Tackle Walter Jones, Defensive Ends Michael Strahan and Claude Humphrey, Linebacker Derek Brooks, Safety Arenas Williams and Punter Ray Guy. These greats will be inducted into the Hall on August 24th, 2014. So here's a little bit about the guys who got the call they've been waiting for.

First up is Andre Reed, a 16 year wide receiver in the pros, playing from 1985 to 1999 for the Buffalo Bills and 2000 in Washington for the Redskins. Reed helped lead Bills to four straight Super Bowls during the early 1990's. He was selected to seven pro-bowls, had 951 receptions for 13,198 yards and 87 touchdowns in his brilliant career, including four seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards. Reed was one of the favorite targets of Bills QB Jim Kelly.

Next up is Walter Jones, a twelve year offensive tackle in the pros. During his career, he played from 1997 to 2008 for the Seattle Seahawks, a nine-time Pro Bowler, and a first team All-Pro four times and the 2005 Offensive Lineman of the year. He played in 180 games while the Seahawks won five division titles and one conference championship which was in 2005 when he helped lead the Seahawks to the Superbowl loss to the Steelers.  He was a solid talent, able to help keep the Seahawks Quarterbacks upright and safe in the pocket.

Next up is former New York Giants Defensive End Michael Strahan.  Strahan spent his entire career with Big Blue, playing for the Giants from 1993 to 2007. He holds the single season record for Sacks with 22.5 sacks in 2001, and had 141.5 in his entire career. Strahan was a seven time pro bowler, a six time all pro, won the NFL defensive player of the year in 2001 and won NFC defensive player of the year in 2001 and 2003. He has a Super Bowl ring to his credit with the Giants in 2007. Strahan has been on of the best pass rushers off the D-Line in our generation, and has been the face of the Giants defense during his playing career here in New York.

Claude Humphrey gets a call he's been waiting a long time for. The defensive end played for over ten years in the NFL, playing for the Atlanta Falcons from 1969 to 1974 and then again from 1976-78 and also he played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1979 to 1981. He was elected to six pro bowls and was a nine time all pro, and won the defensive rookie of the year in 1968. During his time in football, Humphrey was a revolutionary pass rushing defensive lineman who paved the way for players like Reggie White, Bruce Smith and fellow 2014 NFL HOF inductee Michael Strahan.

The only linebacker to be inducted into the Hall this year is Derrick Brooks. Brooks played his entire 14 year career, from 1995 to 2008, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During that time, he was elected to 11 pro bowls, was a nine time all pro, was on four division championship and one Super Bowl winning team while in Tampa. Brooks also had 25 career interceptions, six returned for TDs. During his career, Brooks was a bigtime playmaker from the Linebacker position. He may not have been as hard hitting as some other linebackers of his day, but he still had a very big impact on the game and the teams he played for.

Areneas Williams gets into the Hall, after spending 14 years in pro football, playing from 1991 to 2000 with the Arizona Cardinals, and then from 2001 to 2004 with the St. Louis Rams. Williams was elected to 8 pro bowls and was an all pro five times. Over his career he accumulated a staggering 12 defensive touchdowns (9 interceptions returned for a touchdown, and 3 fumbles recovered for touchdowns), and 55 career interceptions, cementing his place as one of the most dominating defensive backs of his era. He also recovered 23 fumbles and gained 1,075 total defensive return yards (807 from interceptions and 268 from fumbles). He was also a 4-time All-Pro selection. His 268 fumble return yards are an NFL record.

Now there were some notable snubs for this years election. Marvin Harrison, Jerome Bettis and Tony Dungy are the biggest names left out of the Hall this season. Harrison was one of the favorite targets of Peyton Manning in Indanoplis and will eventually get into the Hall. Bettis was a pound and ground type runner who could get the hard earned yards going as a sort of North and South type of runner. Tony Dungy was one of the better coaches of all time, and a big reason the Colts had success during his years in Indy. He not only helped get the Colts into a sort of elite team in this league, Dungy also helped put the Tampa Bay Bucs on the map.

So there you have it, the 2014 NFL hall of fame class!

Championship to Seattle, Seahawks Win Super Bowl 48!

For the first time in team history, and the 2nd time in Seattle sports history (Seattle SuperSonics 1978-79 season), a championship has come to the city. the Seattle Seahawks claimed their first Super Bowl championship in team history, beating the Denver Broncos 48-3 in the big game. This is the 1st title for the Seahawks, in only their 2nd appearance in the big game, losing the other one in 2005 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game got off to a start that nobody really saw coming.

On Denver's first play, center Manuel Ramirez snapped the ball out of shotgun formation while Peyton Manning was in the process of calling an audible, resulting a fumble that went into the end zone. Running back Knowshon Moreno recovered the ball to prevent a Seattle touchdown, but he was downed for a safety to give the Seahawks a 2–0 lead. Seattle's score just 12 seconds into the game was the quickest to start a game in Super Bowl history. Following the free kick, receiver Percy Harvin gained 30 yards on an end around run to set up Steven Hauschka's 31-yard field goal, making the score 5–0. Denver was forced to a three-and-out on their next drive, and after the Denver punt, Russell Wilson completed a 37-yard pass to Doug Baldwin, leading to another Haushchka field goal, this one from 33 yards, that increased the lead to 8–0. On the third play of Denver's ensuing possession, Manning was intercepted by Kam Chancellor, giving Seattle a first down on the Denver 37. Aided by a 15-yard run from Harvin on the first play, Seattle quickly got the ball into the red zone. The Broncos defense eventually managed to force an incomplete pass on third down, but defensive back Tony Carter was flagged for pass interference in the end zone, giving Seattle a first down at the 1. One play later, Marshawn Lynch crashed into the end zone, hitting the line so effectively that he ended the play on his feet, scoring a 1-yard touchdown run that made the score 15–0 three minutes into the second quarter.

At this point, the Broncos offense finally managed to get moving, picking up a first down for the first time in the game at 10:37 and moving the ball to the Seattle 35. But on third and 13, Manning was hit as he tried to throw a pass to Moreno, causing a high short floater that was intercepted by linebacker Malcolm Smith and returned 69 yards for a touchdown. Following a Seattle punt, Denver mounted their best drive of the game. Aided by Demaryius Thomas's 19-yard reception on 3rd down and 5, Denver managed to get the ball all the way to the Seahawks 19-yard line. With just over a minute left in the half, Denver faced 4th down and 2. Rather than kick a field goal, they tried to pick up a first down, but Manning's pass was incomplete and the score would remain 22–0 at the end of the half. The 22-point deficit was the largest faced to by the Broncos all season.

In order to avoid a big kickoff return, Matt Prater kicked the second half kickoff short, hitting the ground near the Seattle 10. But it did not stop Harvin from picking the ball out of the air and taking off for an 87-yard touchdown return that increased Seattle's lead to 29–0. The touchdown took place 12 seconds into the second half, exactly the same amount of time that they took to score the safety in the first half. After an exchange of punts, Eric Decker gave Denver good field position with a 9-yard return to the Denver 45. Two plays later, Manning completed a 23-yard pass to Thomas, but cornerback Byron Maxwell knocked the ball out of his hands and Malcolm Smith recovered it, returning the ball 7 yards. An unnecessary roughness penalty against Denver added 15 more yards onto the end of the play, giving Seattle the ball at the Denver 42-yard line. Then Russel Wilson went to work, hitting receiver Luke Wilson for a 12-yard completion on 3rd and 7 and later completing a 19-yard pass to Ricardo Lockette. On the next play, he threw a short pass to Jermaine Kearse, who broke four tackles as he took off for a 23-yard touchdown reception.

Denver finally managed to respond on their next drive, advancing the ball 80 yards as Manning completed 6 consecutive passes, including a 22-yard completion to Wes Welker, and finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown toss to Thomas on the last play of the third quarter. Then Welker caught a pass for a successful 2-point conversion, cutting the score to 36–8. However, any momentum Denver might have gained was quickly snuffed out as Seattle tight end Zach Miller recovered Prater's onside kick attempt on his own 48-yard line. He also caught a 10-yard reception as the Seahawks subsequently drove 52 yards, featuring a 24-yard reception by Kearse, and scored on Wilson's 10-yard touchdown pass to Baldwin, increasing their lead to 43–8. There were more than 11 minutes left in the game, but this would be the final score, as Denver's last three drives would result in a turnover on downs, a Manning fumble that was forced and recovered by Seattle defensive end Chris Clemons (the only sack of the game for either team), and time expiring in the game.

Wilson finished the game 18/25 for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Baldwin was his top receiver with 5 catches for 66 yards and a score, while Kearse added 4 for 65 and a touchdown. In addition to his 87-yard kickoff return touchdown, Harvin was Seattle's leading rusher with 45 yards, even though he only carried the ball twice. Chancellor had 9 tackles and an interception. Manning completed 34/49 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown, with 2 interceptions. His top target was Thomas, who caught 13 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Welker added 8 receptions for 84 yards. Linebacker Danny Trevathan had 12 tackles. Moreno was Denver's leading rusher, but with just 17 yards. Overall, Denver's record setting offense gained only 306 yards, with just 27 yards on the ground.

The Seahawks' Smith was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, only the ninth defensive player to win the award. Denver fell to 2–5 in Super Bowls, while five-time league MVP Manning dropped to 11–12 in the playoffs, and 1–2 in the Super Bowl. Manning's 34 completions and Thomas' 13 receptions were both Super Bowl records.

With Malcom Smith winning the MVP award, it marks the 9th time in history that a defensive player has won the MVP award, and he became the 3rd linebacker to win MVP. The other two linebackers to win MVP are Ray Lewis in 2001 (Ravens) and Chuck Howleyin 1971 (Cowboys). In fact, since 2000, there have been only theree defensive players to win MVP, Smith (2011) Dexter Jackson (2003 and Lewis (2001). Otherwise its been either Quarterbacks (who won 9) and Wide Receivers (who won 3).

So congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks on their victory on Super Bowl 48!