Australian Open: Iron Stan

Getty Images

Breakthrough.

That is what we witnessed during the Australian Open final that just ended a few hours ago. Many expected it to be a routine win for one of the all time greats, but what we got was something much more different than that.

Stan Wawrinka completed one of the more improbable grand slam runs in recent memory as he knocked off an ailing Rafa Nadal in 4 sets (6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4). Even before taking down Rafa, he had to go through 4-time champ Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, and a rejuvenated Tommy Robredo just to get to the final. He did receive some help in his path to the championship match (1 retirement and a walkover), but it was not easy regardless.

Stan's been in the form of his life for the past year, and last night was no different. Although he served poorly in the 1st set (below 50%), his powerful groundstrokes helped him control the points. Even though his level slipped in the 3rd set, his improved mental toughness helped him close the match out in the 4th. And although his celebration was a bit subdued, you could tell this huge win meant a lot to him. With this win, he moves to #3 in the world (5 spots above Roger Federer) & is arguably the hottest player in the game right now, with 2 titles along with an undefeated record in 2014. This could be a big year for him. I feel like he's capable of making another deep run or two, possibly at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

As for Rafa, you can't help but wonder what could have been if he didn't tweak his back during the final. He said he tweaked it during warm ups, and it really got worse during the second set when he had to call a trainer. I honestly thought he was going to retire, but miraculously enough, he ended up winning a set, which shows the grit and toughness he has. This major hasn't been the kindest to him, and he knows that. Even though I'm a Federer fan at heart, I hope he gets to 100% before defending his French Open title.

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." This is a quote from Samuel Beckett that Stan has tattooed onto his left forearm, and considering all that he went through last year, it could not be more relevant.

Congrats, Stan!

Baseball News: Masahiro Tanaka Signs for Yankees

Photo via outsidepitchmlb

It seems that the race to sign Masahiro Tanaka is over.

The Japanese pitching star was highly recruited by many MLB teams, until news broke today that he has decided to sign for the New York Yankees.

Tanaka fills a huge need for New York, as pitching has been their weakness the past few seasons. Many media reports are indicating that it's a 7 year, $155 million deal. He's not cheap, but if he lives up to the hype, then he will work out very nicely for the Bronx Bombers.

He was highly coveted due to his staggering record and ERA while pitching in the Japanese league last season. While some feel his transition to the big leagues will be more Daisuke than Darvish, I feel like he will be just fine in a rotation that previously had CC Sabathia as it's ace. Now he and CC will lead the staff, which should get the Yankees into playoff contention for this season.

What are your thoughts on this move? Let us know in the comments! 

Video via YES Network:

Video: Roger Federer & ESPN

After his easy 6-2 6-2 6-3 third round win last night at the Australian Open, Roger Federer stopped by the ESPN desk to talk with Brad Gilbert and Chris McKendry. Check out what he had to say in a little interview that ranged from his side of the draw to life with his new racquet.

Note: Roger plays Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in round 4.

NFL Conference Championships: Predictions

Photo via ladylovespinstripes

As we get deeper into the NFL playoffs, we have come down to the final four: the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and New England Patriots. Only 2 will remain after Sunday night, and I am here to give my quick thoughts & predictions for these huge battles. Let's begin.

Sunday, 3:00 PM EST - New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos

Bovada line: NE +4

Bovada Over/Under: 56

Thoughts: Manning and Brady meet for again this season, this time with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Both teams will need to execute to perfection to win this game. New England cannot afford to go down 24-0 like they did in December vs. Denver, or else this one will be over. Normally I would lean with Brady in this game because of his head to head record vs. Peyton, but I have a feeling that M-V-Peyton will get it done this week.

Predicted Score: Denver 34, New England 24

Sunday 6:30 PM EST - San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks

Bovada line: SF +3

Bovada Over/Under: 39.5

Thoughts: This completely reminds me of a classic Ravens vs. Steelers battle. Physical defenses with quarterbacks who can make plays when need be. The only thing that worries me about San Francisco is the fact that they have been outscored 72-16 in their past 2 trips to Seattle. For whatever reason, Colin Kaepernick struggles there, and I'm not sure if his nightmares will end. I know that they'll ride Frank Gore most of the night, but I don't know if that will be enough. Seattle's "Legendary Secondary" shut down the 49ers receivers in the previous meeting this season, and I predict that to happen again. 

Predicted Score: Seattle 24, San Francisco 19

---------------------

Well there you have it. I have the home teams (Denver, Seattle) heading to NY for the Super Bowl. How do you see it? Let us know in the comments!

NFL Coaching Carousel: Updates

As the NFL playoffs continue, we are seeing the eliminated teams make some significant coaching changes. In the post below, I'll list a few of the head coaching changes that have occurred for some teams in the past week, and give my analysis. Let's begin.

Detroit Lions - Jim Caldwell: This news broke yesterday via ESPN, and to me, it makes a lot of sense. The Lions are a team of immense talent, but lack discipline. Caldwell brings Tony Dungy-esque leadership and discipline, which should bode well for Detroit. They should become immediate contenders for the NFC North title.

Minnesota Vikings - Mike Zimmer: This move happened earlier this morning, and seemed like a bit of a surprise. I didn't think Coach Zimmer was going to get a HC job this season, but I'm glad he did. As a Cowboys fan, I always enjoyed his defensive work when he coached the Cowboys defense, and I was a fan of what he did with Cincinnati. However, this team is need of a lot of pieces right now, so it will be interesting to see how he will handle it as a rookie head coach.

Tennessee Titans - Ken Whisenhunt: Arguably the most surprising HC move of the week. It seemed certain that Whiz was going to Detroit. But, in a shock movie, he chose the Titans. Of the 3 coaches that I've mentioned, he's the most successful (multiple playoff trips with ARI), so I will be curious to see how he will do with Tennessee team that can't get over the .500 mark. They are a few steps away from being a playoff team, so a lot of us will be watching carefully to see if he can get them to the postseason.

--------------

Alright, well these are the latest and greatest NFL HC updates. Stay tuned for more coaching updates from us. But until then, stay tuned for a few more posts from us in the coming days. See you soon!

2014 Australian Open: Our Predictions

Alright tennis fans, the 2014 season is finally underway down under! The Australian Open always gives us great drama, and we should expect nothing less from this year's event. Since the tournament has begun, I'd like to share with you my guesses of who will take home the Men's & Women's singles titles. I'm not a tennis expert, but I am a big tennis fan who loves to give input about the game. Let's do this!

Photo via keithprowse.eu

Men's Singles

Dark Horses: Tommy Haas (12), Grigor Dimitrov (22), Mikhail Youzhny (14)

Upset Alert (4th round or earlier) : Roger Federer (6), David Ferrer (3)

Semi-finalists: Rafa Nadal (1), Andy Murray (4), Novak Djokovic (2), Tomas Berdych (7)

Final: Rafa Nadal v. Novak Djokovic

Winner & Score: Novak Djokovic def. Rafa Nadal, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6

Women's Singles:

Dark Horses: Ana Ivanovic (14), Sloane Stephens (13)

Upset Alert (4th round or earlier) : Sara Errani (7), Jelena Jankovic (8)

Semi-finalists: Serena Williams (1), Petra Kvitova (5), Victoria Azarenka (2), Maria Sharapova (4)

Final: Serena Williams v. Victoria Azarenka

Winner & Score: Serena Williams def. Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 7-5

------------------

These are our picks. Who do you have winning? Let us know in the comments!

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round: Saturday Game Predictions

Since we are into the second round of the NFL playoffs this week, I've decided to give my take of what will happen. In case you didn't know, there will be 2 games on Saturday, and 2 games on Sunday. I'll share my own analysis and predictions for the Saturday games.

January 11 Games:

New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks (H)

Game time: 4:35 PM EST

BOVADA Spread: Seattle (-8)

BOVADA Over/Under: 45

Analysis: After annihilating New Orleans on MNF last month, the Seahawks will look to repeat that performance to head to the NFC Championship game. Their 12th man combined with the best defense in the playoffs and a steady offense will be a tall task for Sean Payton's team. I certainly anticipate the Saints offense to put up more than 200 total yards this time, but I still can't see them winning this game. Playing in Seattle in a playoff game just seems a losing situation. Expect Russell Wilson to lead his team 1 step closer to the Super Bowl.

Predicted Score: 28-20, Seahawks

Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots (H)

Game time: 8:15 PM EST

BOVADA Spread: New England (-7.5)

BOVADA Over/Under: 51

Analysis: After a stunning comeback vs. Kansas City last week, Andrew Luck now has the challenge of facing Tom Brady in Foxboro. Luck got his first playoff win last week, which should increase his confidence. But, the fact that he's going up against Brady, who is very close to setting the NFL record in playoff wins doesn't bode well. I understand that New England is decimated with injuries, but I still think they'll play a great game and come out fully prepared. Of the two games on Saturday, this could the closer one (with more upset potential), but I don't see it happening.

Predicted Score: 35-24, Patriots

------------

These are my predictions of the Saturday set of NFL playoff games. I see the home teams advancing without any trouble for the most party. What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments!

NFL Draft: Johnny Football Joins the Party

Photo via sbnation

It's (pretty much) official: Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel has entered the 2014 NFL Draft.

Most media outlets are reporting this news now, but ESPN was the first place I saw the reports coming from.

Nicknamed "Johnny Football", Manziel won the Heisman in 2013 and has been a very polarizing figure in the world of college football. His electrifying ability on the field combined with his off field controversies has the sports world divided on whether they hate or love him. His stature is similar to Tim Tebow, the New York Yankees, and the Dallas Cowboys: you either root for them, or want them to fail miserably, there is no in-between.

This can also be seen in his draft stock, where some project him to go as a top-5 pick (possibly to Cleveland or Oakland), to as far as the second round, solely because of his off-field persona & lack of size/durability questions.

In my opinion, I'd take him first overall, over other QBs Teddy Bridgewater & Blake Bortles. Yes, Bortles & Bridgewater possess the more traditional "NFL requirements", but, the way I see it, Manziel has the highest upside. His risk/reward is so great that he could either end up as the next Brett Favre, or he could combust into another Ryan Leaf. If I were the Houston Texans, the potential is too great to pass up. Plus, he's a Texas kid, so that could sell tickets and add more hype to a franchise that had a nightmare season. Give him weapons such as Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, and DeAndre Hopkins, and let's see what plays he can make at the highest level.

Where do you think Johnny will go, and how do you think his career will end up? Let us know in the comments!

Check out his last college game, vs. Duke in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl, below:

BCS Recap: FSU defeats Auburn

Getty Images

So instead of posting the "About Me" blog today, we are pushing that to tomorrow (Wednesday) and giving you a recap of the incredible BCS national championship game from last night. So, go ahead and read our take of the game, and then stay tuned for a few different updates for tomorrow.

Last night, we ended the controversial BCS-era of college football with a bang. After a 60 minute roller coaster of top tier college football, the Florida State Seminoles defeated the Auburn Tigers by a score of 34-31, with the TD pass from "Famous" Jameis Winston to Kelvin Benjamin being the game winner.

Auburn dominated the first half by a score of 21-3, but couldn't sustain their play throughout the entire game. Slowly but surely, FSU clawed back into the game, with the momentum completely changing late in the 4th quarter when they returned kickoff for a touchdown. Auburn responded with a Tre Mason TD run, but that's when Winston worked his Heisman magic and led his team down for the game clincher. Auburn simply ran out of magic, and FSU became the last ever BCS champions (2015 will be the first year of the 4 team playoff system).

The main storyline heading into this game was how well Auburn would do. They were 10.5 point underdogs and many people thought they were going to get blown out on national TV, much like Notre Dame did vs. Alabama last year. It turned out that they were very wrong. Tre Mason & Nick Marshall show why their offense helped them get to the title game, and the Tigers defense was ruthless all night, sacking Famous Jameis 4 times and causing a fumble. Auburn came to play, and FSU didn't really show up until the 4th quarter.

But, that's exactly when they needed to show. That's when Winston finally woke up and began making plays. He came up big and threw 2 TDs in the 4th, which quieted that haters that questioned his Heisman trophy winning season.

The sky is now the limit for Winston and Co. He's only a redshirt freshman, so he has at least 1 more year of eligibility to see if he can defend his title in the new playoff format next year. With the talent that this Seminole team has, I wouldn't be surprised if did.

Congrats, Jameis Winston. And congrats, Florida State University!

Chceck out a video highlight of the crazy ending, courtesy of ESPN:

the return.

Welcome back, everybody. And to new readers: welcome to this site for the first time!

First off, I'd like to apologize for leaving on an unannounced hiatus since the PGA Championship. Priorities got shuffled around, and next thing you know, it's mid-December and I hadn't written a blog post in months. I feel bad for not being as committed to this as I was before, but after such a long break (and prioritizing), I'm ready to get back to blogging!

I'll admit that I'm not 100% sure how organized and consistent my blog will be this year. But, I can admit that I'm going to do my best to give you at least 1 blog post every day. I'm a fan of constant content, so I feel that 1 post per day is the least I could do.

That's where things might get tricky. I'm not sure how "organized" my posts will be. I haven't decided yet on whether I'm going to be like Grace Helbig and have certain topics on certain days, or if I'm going to be on a more random route, where I'd have more freedom in my topic each day. I'll probably start off with the later, then eventually make a decision and roll with it.

I do know how this week will go down though. Looking back on our previous posts, I noticed that I never really introduced myself to you guys (the readers). So, to fix that, tomorrow (Tuesday) you can expect a little About Me post, where you can learn a little bit more about the person that is going to write the stuff that you might/might not read. Then, on Wednesday, you'll be treated to a new little change (can't give it away just yet). Thursday, we'll give you an About HTWD post, and Friday will also be another special little event.

Until then, I'll catch you guys later. It was really fun to write this, and I hope you all will enjoy what we have to say about sports in 2014.

Stay tuned!

- J.J. Sanchez