Koi”victorious”uniemi

Special guest post by Dylan Chess 

 

            Mika Koivuniemi came into the Semi-Finals of the Japan Cup in Tokyo rather confident about his possible title chances.  His opponent happened to be Sean Rash, the very man Koivuniemi defeated in the 2011 World Series of Bowling Finals.  However, by the end of the match, the 45 year old Finland born bowling veteran was not so confident, in fact at one point he was shaking, as he watched his lead to the 30 year old from Anchorage Alaska slowly but surely evaporate.  Most of you were probably wasting your time watching Matt Ryan lead his team to an early halftime lead during this epic comeback but my question is why.  Let’s be honest with ourselves for a couple of moments and realize we know what’s going to happen in the NFC Championship, but on the other hand, no one could have predicted the outcome of this bowling match.  Nothing is unknown about this year’s NFC Championship.  Obviously, (take into account that I am writing this at 4:58 EST well before the end of the game) Matt Ryan is going to look like the best quarterback in the NFL for the first 2 and a half quarters but then, just like always, the dirty birds are going to become another punch-line of NFL “choke jokes” as Colin Kaepernick dances through their defense like it’s Spanish tango class all the way to the Lousiana Superdome. But let’s get back to things that actually matter.  Up 23 pins with 2 frames to go it looked like a championship berth was inevitable for Koivuniemi and the savvy veteran looked cooler than the other side of the pillow.  Rash would need a spare, 2 strikes and help to have any chance (preferably of course he was looking for 3 strikes).  Rash picked up his ball took his strides toward the lane and released for the first ball in the ninth frame and after seeing the result, a 4 – 9 split, the match was basically over.  Except it wasn’t.  The resilient young bowler banged out the 4-9 split to perfection giving him a chance.  He then stepped to the left lane for the tenth frame and proceeded to bowl 3 strikes masterfully.  However, as long as Koivuniemi collected 9 pins on his first ball in the tenth, coming off the spare in the 9^th, he would advance to the finals. But Koivuniemi only got 8… And worst of all he left himself with a 4-10 split needing 1 pin to tie and both pins to advance.  Now Mika faced a choice. Go for the win and risk missing both pins and taking the loss right then and there, or play it safe and take it into a roll-off.  This is like saying, tie game against the ravens, you have Peyton Manning at quarterback with 32 seconds left and 2 timeouts, obviously you go for the win.  Clearly however, Mika is a big John Fox fan so he took the 1 pin easily and played for the roll off.  The question is, will Koivuniemi end up like the Broncos?

            Koivuniemi being the higher seed, gets to bowl first in the roll off, as well as getting to choose which lane the bowlers will start from.  Koivuniemi chooses the right, seeing as Rash had just struck out the tenth frame from the left.  Mika’s first roll is an easy strike as he walks back to the bench looking like all confidence has returned.  The younger bowler answers Koivuniemi with a strike of his own.  Now they move over to the left lane, Rash’s stronger lane.  Koivuniemi doesn’t miss a step and bowls a second consecutive strike, but Rash answers once again.  Koivuniemi returns to the right and only comes up with 9, leaving the door wide open for Rash.  Disappointingly, Rash returns with a 9 of his own, sending it back to the left.  Koivuniemi regains his position of power and sends all 10 pins down for a strike , but seeing as Rash had 4 consecutive strikes from the left no one expected anything less. Rash picked up his ball, wiped it down, took the first two steps of his approach, and stopped.  Hesitation never seems to end well in any sport, as the nerves eat you alive the longer you allow them to flood your brain.  Rash wiped his ball for a second time and for his second approach, he did not falter, however, neither did the 9 pin, as Koivuniemi began his celebration.  The man who had seemed to have lost all momentum was advancing, regaining his swagger, ready to make a run for the Japan Cup. I advise you all to tune into the Japan Cup finals, if you want to see a sport with real entertainment. I’ll even save you some time for later tonight, the Ravens will win by 4.  Ray Lewis will have 11 tackles. Vereen, Woodhead, Ridley and whoever the hell else the Patriots pick up off the street and put at the running back position will be held under 100 yards collectively, and Brady will throw 2 picks.  Next time, try a real sport, like bowling, which isn’t so blatantly predictable.     

Eagles-Saints Thoughts

Oh my god there's blood everywhere someone make it stop.

Freddy Galvis Has Fractured Back

Poor Freddy, and poor us. The electric and fun to watch 2B has been diagnosed with a Pars fracture in his back, an injury that has been described as "quite serious".


He will be receiving a second opinion.


He left the Phillies-Dodgers game midway through an at bat on Thursday night, and his injury was originally described as "lower back stiffness".


Now, Galvis will most likely be in a back brace for at least 6 weeks, and can conceivably be out much longer than that. 


The 22 year old was only hitting .226, but hit 3 HRs and drove in 24 RBIs. More valuable than his offensive contributions is what he can do in the field, making enough remarkable catches to fill a whole highlight reel.


Until Chase Utley returns to the Phillies (which he is due to return soon), Mike Fontenot will be carrying the load at Second. 

Get better soon Freddy.

Danny Mwanga Traded To Portland

Danny Mwanga in training with the Union. (Oregonlive.com)

The Danny Mwanga saga has come to an end. The Philadelphia Union have announced Mwanga has been traded to the Portland Timbers for Striker Jorge Perlaza.


A sad end for Mwanga in Philly, because he was never truly given a chance. The Union's first draft pick ever scored 20 goals in 61 appearances, but rarely played in 2012.


When asked if he was unaware of the trade by Union writer Chris Vito, Mwanga said "It was a surprise, yes."


It has been noted on numerous occasions that head coach Peter Nowak and Mwanga did not get along well. It usually ends up poorly for the player, a la Danny Califf.


Philadelphia also can't seem to carry large contracts, as the 20 year old was making 250k this year, and 500k next year.


The Union now only have three original players on their roster: Amobi Okugo (he has played minimally), Jack McInerney, and Roger Torres.  


He returns to Oregon, in which he played college soccer for Oregon State University.


Perlaza is 26 years old, and has been with Portland since 2011. He has scored 6 goals in 40 appearances. Before coming to the states, Perlaza played in his native country of Colombia.

Richards And Carter Were Never Meant To Hoist Cup In Philadelphia

On June 23rd, 2011, the course of the Philadelphia Flyers would be changed drastically. In a matter of minutes, star Forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were shipped out to Los Angeles and Columbus, respectively.

After they had been swept by the Boston Bruins the previous year, GM Paul Holmgren was ready to pull the plug on the Richards & Carter tandem.

For most of the season, the trades seemed to be pure genius. Richards and Carter were both struggling offensively, while Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, and Jakub Voracek (all of whom were acquired in the two trades) were excelling for Philadelphia.

At the trade deadline, Jeff Carter was able to wiggle his way out of a team in Columbus he never gave a chance, and was reunited with Richards in Los Angeles. Both teams made their way into the NHL Playoffs, with LA barely limping in.

However, both clubs’ situations would change drastically.

Read the rest of my story here: http://broadstreetbuzz.com/2012/06/05/richards-carter-never-meant-to-hoist-cup-in-philadelphia/

Phillies Draft Pitchers Gueller, Watson In Amateur Draft

New Phillies pitcher Shane Watson (Philly.com)

Monday night was the 1st night of the First Year Player Amateur Draft, and the Phillies had the 40th and 54th overall pick.


They decided to revamp their pitching with both picks.


Ruben Amaro Jr. and Company used the 40th pick on SP Shane Watson from Lakewood HS in California. In his Junior season, Watson went 10-2 with a 1.16 ERA for Lakewood, which is ranked in the top 10 HS baseball programs in America. Watson himself was also rated very highly, the 35th best HS baseball player in the US, according to ESPN.com


Watson boasts a Fastball which tops out at 93 mph, his scouting report notes. Earlier in the year, Watson committed to play baseball at the University Of Southern California.


The Phillies used their second and final selection on RHP/OF Mitch Gueller. Gueller attended W.F. West HS in Rochester, WA. In his Junior season, Gueller hit .506 and drove in 47 runs, while also holding a 8-0 record and amassing 67 strikeouts in 41 IP.


Gueller's Fastball hits 96 mph and has great location on his Curveball. He does have a Changeup, but does not throw it much. Like Watson, Gueller will have the hard choice of choosing between College or signing a pro contract, as he is committed to play at Washington State University.


The Phillies have now selected HS baseball players 5 years in a row in the first round, with current Phillies RP Joe Savery being the last College player selected.


The MLB draft continues Tuesday, and wraps up Wednesday night.

Iguodala Trade Carousel

In an earlier story, I addressed what should be on the Sixers Offseason To Do List. One of the tasks suggested: trade Andre Iguodala. Philadelphia must get what they can for him, and this Offseason is the year to do that.


I attempted to take the time to compile some trade partners for the Sixers, as well as possible trades.


Sixers trade Andre Iguodala to Golden State Warriors for PF David Lee and SF Dorell Wright. 


A pretty decent trade for both sides. In return for Iguodala, the Sixers acquire a much needed big man, as well as a SF replacement. Lee averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, numbers that are much needed for the Sixers to be successful. Philadelphia is a team that loves to get out and run the floor, and Lee can absolutely do that. Although being somewhat injury prone in his first few pro seasons, Lee played 81 regular season games from 07-11. 


Dorell Wright would be a downgrade from Iguodala, but that is the price that must be paid to acquire a big man. Wright had a pretty modest season averaging a little over 10 points a game, but put up 16 in 2010-11. The 7 year vet also can knock down the 3 ball, scoring 37% throughout his career, in comparison to Iguodala's 33%. For the Sixers to be successful in 2013, they need to cut down on their turnovers. Iguodala averaged about 2 turnovers a night, while Wright had .87. Philadelphia will be losing a shut down defender in Iguodala, but the possibility of acquiring Wright with Lee is too good to pass up.


For Golden State, the deal would make sense as well. They acquired Andrew Bogut at the trade deadline, which would make it easier for the Warriors to part with Lee. With Iguodala, you now have a second option for Stephen Curry, who lost his PIC in Monta Ellis. Golden State needs a guy who can attack the basket, and Iguodala is the man for the job. The Warriors could easily find a replacement for Lee through the draft by taking Ohio State PF Jared Sullinger at Pick 7.


Sixers trade Andre Iguodala to Phoenix Suns For C Marcin Gortat and SF Jared Dudley.


This deal helps the Sixers fill a massive hole at Center. The 28 year old Gortat averaged 15 points along with 10 rebounds a night. 2011 was truly a breakout season for Gortat, as he played very strongly for a poor Phoenix Suns team. Spencer Hawes was a complete mess all season, and really struggled to assert himself under the basket. With the addition of Gortat, they immediately upgrade the position. Jared Dudley was another one of the few bright spots for the Suns, averaging close to 13 points a game. Dudley is a career 40.9% 3 point shooter, and the Sixers really lacked in that area during the Playoffs. The 26 year old is a more consistent shot than Iguodala, scoring 48.5% of the time. In his last three seasons, Jared Dudley has only missed 1 game, a very good sign after an injury prone first few years of his career. 


Phoenix could be willing to part with Gortat, as they also have Centers Channing Frye and Robin Lopez. By bringing in Iguodala, they are getting an All-Star player who should be a better option at the SF position than Dudley. Furthermore, Steve Nash has vocalized his disappointment with the Suns franchise, and is willing to leave if they do not make some serious changes. If Phoenix trades for Andre Iguodala, that's a good start to convincing Nash to return.


Sixers trade Andre Iguodala and 2nd Round Pick (45th Overall) to Portland Trailblazers for G Wesley Matthews, 1st Round Pick (6th Overall).


In this trade, the Sixers would be solving their two guard woes. With Lou Williams almost inevitably on his way out of Philadelphia, Matthews would make a fantastic SG. The 25 year old average close to 14 points a game with the Trailblazers. Wesley Matthews can move extremely well without the ball, and loves to knock down the baseline shot. He also gets out extremely well in transition, and isn't afraid to attack the net. Although Matthews would be a fantastic addition, the true prize to this trade would be the 6th overall pick. Several highly touted prospects could be there around that pick, but UCONN Center Andre Drummond should be the target. As only a Freshman, Drummond averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds, and dominated Big East competition. His upside is remarkable, and Philadelphia has a definite need at the Center position.


For Portland, it may be easier to part with the 6th pick, considering they also have the 11th overall pick. Also, the Trailblazers SF Nic Batum is a Restricted Free Agent, but could very well be snatched away. Portland would be taking a lot back in salary with Iguodala, but have plenty of room to do so. If Batum did return to the Trailblazers, he could easily be moved to SG, while Iguodala takes over at starting SF. The threesome of Batum, Iguodala, and PF Lamarcus Aldridge would be pretty formidable for Western Conference teams. 


Let me hear your trades in the comment section.