The much anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is this Saturday, May 2nd, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight is already the richest in boxing history, and is being dubbed by many to be the fight of the century, and for good reason. Mayweather is an undefeated 47-0, he has won ten world titles, and is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Pacquiao, the underdog in the fight, is 57-5, but was named boxer of the decade for the 2000s, and he will certainly be a challenge for Mayweather. Although Mayweather has been the steady favorite to win the fight in the weeks leading up to it, it should be a very competitive matchup and the fight should have no problem living up to all the hype.
Mayweather is 5 feet 8 inches, weighs in at 151 pounds, and has a 72 inch reach, and reach will be key in this fight. Mayweather has a 5-inch reach advantage over Pacquiao that will allow him to be more conservative and stay on the outside, rather than attack inside. Mayweather is a more defensive fighter than Pacquiao, and uses his speed and brilliant footwork to keep himself out of trouble in fights and maintain his virtually impenetrable defense. Mayweather is also superior when it comes to jabbing and power punching because of his speed, and he is very good at counter-punching. Mayweather's precise punching, impressive stamina, and incredible fighting instincts are what make him such an elite fighter, and if he is able to stay out of the corners and fight defensively like he always does, it will be hard for Pacquiao to pull of the upset.
Pacquiao is 5 feet 6 inches, weighs in at 144 pounds, and has a 67 inch reach. Pacquiao is a scrappy fighter, known for his devastating combination punches and high- energy throughout entire fights. Pacquiao is a much more offensive minded fighter than Mayweather, and the way he attacks opponents makes him a very exciting fighter to watch. Pacquiao has a southpaw fighting stance that allows him to attack his opponents from awkward angles and deliver incredible blows that are hard to recover from. Pacquiao, like Mayweather, has excellent stamina and it is unlikely that either of them will get tired during the fight. Pacquiao has the ability to throw staggering hooks and uppercuts, and these punches will take a toll on Mayweather quickly if he does not defend them, especially is Pacquiao is able to land combinations.
Overall, the fight is very evenly matched and the opposite fighting styles of Mayweather and Pacquiao should make an exciting fight that will definitely be worth the $100 to watch.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Celtics' Playoff Chances
Last night, the Boston Celtics clinched a playoff berth for the seven seed in the Eastern Conference with a 95-93 buzzer beater win over the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics are scheduled to face the two-seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, and expectations for the Celtics are not high for Boston fans. The Cavaliers are a powerhouse team, and although they are the two-seed, many people consider them to be the best team in the East. The Celtics may have been better off clinching an 8-seed and playing the Atlanta hawks in the first round, a team that Boston beat twice during the regular season, but there is still hope for the Celtics to pull off a huge upset against Cleveland.
The Cavaliers obviously have a lot of star power, with their "Big Three" of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. LeBron is one of, if not the, best basketball player in the world, and he is going to do all he can to put the Cavaliers past the Celtics, and I don't think anyone on the Celtics can guard him. Irving and Love however, can be stopped, Irving is coming off a minor injury, and Avery Bradley, the Celtics' best defender, will be guarding him. Bradley is excellent defender and should be able to take away Irving, putting more pressure on the rest of the Cavaliers to create offense. Love will most likely be matched up with Brandon Bass, and this is a good match-up for the Celtics. Bass is a very strong post-up player and he uses his size to his advantage on both offense and defense, and I think it will be very tough for Love to have his way whenever Bass is covering him.
Offensively, I think the Celtics have a great chance of success against Cleveland. The Cavs are a solid defensive team, but Boston has a few offensive weapons that have emerged over the past few months. Isiah Thomas, a sixth man guard that the Celtics acquired back in March, and he has proved to be a go-to guy for Boston, averaging 16 points per game and making big shots when needed. Evan Turner is another player who has been very solid offensively for Boston, and if he is able to be constant throughout the series, he will make things much harder for Cleveland. Although LeBron will most likely be able to shut down whoever he is guarding, Celtics players like 7 footers Kelly Olynk and Tyler Zeller will have to step up and dominate the paint for Boston.
The Cavaliers are, of course, the landslide favorite to win the series and the entire eastern conference, but the Celtics may be able to shock the world and send LeBron and the Cavaliers home. If Boston is able to shut down Irving and Love as much as possible, be constant on offense, and make it hard for Cleveland to rebound in the paint, the Celtics have a good chance at pulling off an unforgettable upset.
The Cavaliers obviously have a lot of star power, with their "Big Three" of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. LeBron is one of, if not the, best basketball player in the world, and he is going to do all he can to put the Cavaliers past the Celtics, and I don't think anyone on the Celtics can guard him. Irving and Love however, can be stopped, Irving is coming off a minor injury, and Avery Bradley, the Celtics' best defender, will be guarding him. Bradley is excellent defender and should be able to take away Irving, putting more pressure on the rest of the Cavaliers to create offense. Love will most likely be matched up with Brandon Bass, and this is a good match-up for the Celtics. Bass is a very strong post-up player and he uses his size to his advantage on both offense and defense, and I think it will be very tough for Love to have his way whenever Bass is covering him.
Offensively, I think the Celtics have a great chance of success against Cleveland. The Cavs are a solid defensive team, but Boston has a few offensive weapons that have emerged over the past few months. Isiah Thomas, a sixth man guard that the Celtics acquired back in March, and he has proved to be a go-to guy for Boston, averaging 16 points per game and making big shots when needed. Evan Turner is another player who has been very solid offensively for Boston, and if he is able to be constant throughout the series, he will make things much harder for Cleveland. Although LeBron will most likely be able to shut down whoever he is guarding, Celtics players like 7 footers Kelly Olynk and Tyler Zeller will have to step up and dominate the paint for Boston.
The Cavaliers are, of course, the landslide favorite to win the series and the entire eastern conference, but the Celtics may be able to shock the world and send LeBron and the Cavaliers home. If Boston is able to shut down Irving and Love as much as possible, be constant on offense, and make it hard for Cleveland to rebound in the paint, the Celtics have a good chance at pulling off an unforgettable upset.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Why We Love March Madness
March Madness is a sporting event that is always exciting, and it never fails to leave you wanting more. The idea of watching sixty-four of the best college basketball teams in the nation battle it out for the championship and a spot in basketball history is as entertaining as it gets, and in my opinion, no sporting event will ever be as consistently fun to watch as March Madness. Players in the NCAA tournament play as hard as they can at all times, because for many of them, it is the last time they will ever play basketball, and that is what makes March madness so great. NBA basketball, even in the playoffs, comes nowhere close to the intensity and effort of the players in the NCAA tournament. College players are not playing for money like NBA players, instead they are simply playing because they love basketball and because they love winning. March Madness seems to get better every year, and this year was no exception.
This year's March Madness was one of the most exciting tournaments I can remember, and it was full of upsets, last-second wins, and incredible individual performances. Right from the start, in one of the first games of the tournament, Iowa State, considered by many to be a contender for the championship, was upset by UAB, and Baylor was upset by Georgia State in another bracket- busting game. There were countless nail-biting games throughout the tournament, and every single one was great to watch. There was the cinderella team, seven seed Michigan State, that made it all the way to the Final Four, knocking off powerhouse teams such as Louisville and Virginia on their way to the semi-final game with Duke. There were standout players like Sam Dekker of Wisconsin, who had the best game of his career against Arizona, Frank Kaminsky, who was constantly great throughout the whole tournament, and Tyus Jones, who had 19 points in the second half for Duke in their championship win over Wisconsin. There was also one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history, when Wisconsin beat the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four. Kentucky was by far the favorite to win the entire tournament, and was 38-0 by the time they faced Wisconsin, and in a classic all out battle, Wisconsin was able to break Kentucky's historic streak. This year had all the aspects of a typical March Madness, and it produced some unforgettable games.
Between the close games, the great players, and the tension of watching your favorite team trying to win and keep their season going, March Madness creates an experience that is impossible not to become attached to, so in the end, how could you not love March Madness?
This year's March Madness was one of the most exciting tournaments I can remember, and it was full of upsets, last-second wins, and incredible individual performances. Right from the start, in one of the first games of the tournament, Iowa State, considered by many to be a contender for the championship, was upset by UAB, and Baylor was upset by Georgia State in another bracket- busting game. There were countless nail-biting games throughout the tournament, and every single one was great to watch. There was the cinderella team, seven seed Michigan State, that made it all the way to the Final Four, knocking off powerhouse teams such as Louisville and Virginia on their way to the semi-final game with Duke. There were standout players like Sam Dekker of Wisconsin, who had the best game of his career against Arizona, Frank Kaminsky, who was constantly great throughout the whole tournament, and Tyus Jones, who had 19 points in the second half for Duke in their championship win over Wisconsin. There was also one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history, when Wisconsin beat the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four. Kentucky was by far the favorite to win the entire tournament, and was 38-0 by the time they faced Wisconsin, and in a classic all out battle, Wisconsin was able to break Kentucky's historic streak. This year had all the aspects of a typical March Madness, and it produced some unforgettable games.
Between the close games, the great players, and the tension of watching your favorite team trying to win and keep their season going, March Madness creates an experience that is impossible not to become attached to, so in the end, how could you not love March Madness?
Monday, April 6, 2015
Reflection on "Some things you just don't forget"
"Some things you just don't forget" by Matthew Berry was an interesting article, and although Berry made some great points about how bullying creates fear and stress, overall I believe that the article is not relevant to the situation of Martin and Incognito. Berry's stories about him being bullied as a child were moving and they made me feel bad for him, but they are in no way relatable to a "bullying" situation in an NFL locker room. Conflicts between teammates on an NFL team are probably common, and I think that the things Incognito and Martin said to each other are awful, but it was going both ways, and Martin was not the only one being abused. I do not feel bad for Martin, and I think he is a coward for walking out on his team instead of doing what, in my opinion, every other professional football player would have done, and stood up for himself. I can understand Berry being scared as he was bullied as a child, but a grown man in the NFL should not be affected by bullying, no matter how abusive it was.
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