Brazil Back to Dominant Form after Humiliating Loss?

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Brazil, as many know, suffered an embarrassing 7-1 defeat at the hands of Germany in the semi-finals of the World Cup last year. This was one of the worst losses in the history of Brazilian soccer, and potentially the most humiliating due to Brazil's lofty expectations and the fact that the game was played in Brazil. Many people thought that Brazil was done as a major powerhouse in the world of soccer after this defeat. This has so far, however, not been true in the slightest. They have won all their games since that embarrassing night, starting off 8-0.

They have scored eighteen goals and only conceded two in those 8 games. All of these games were considered friendlies, but no game is truly a friendly in the professional world. The competition they have faced has also been quite difficult, as they have had to face Chile, Argentina, and Colombia. They beat them 1-0, 2-0, and 1-0, respectively.

Neymar is shining for the national team, finishing eight of the eighteen goals that Brazil have scored. He has proved himself to be one of the best players in the world this season at Barcelona, scoring the third most goals in La Liga, only behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Roberto Firmino has also started to make a name for himself on the Brazilian National team, scoring the winning goal against Chile. He wasn't included in the World Cup squad but will surely continue to play for Brazil from now on.

Brazil was admittedly terrible at the World Cup in their home country, but they have perhaps turned it all around and once again became a powerhouse in the soccer world. Let's see if they can keep it up until the 2018 World Cup in Russia arrives!

NFL Strikes Out with Thanksgiving Football

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Playing games on Thanksgiving is a typical tradition for the NFL, but they struck out here in 2014. Three games were played on the day of giving thanks, and each and every one of them was a blowout. The Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears 34-17, while the Philadelphia Eagles annihilated the Dallas Cowboys 33-10 and the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 19-3. Hey, at least the Lions actually won on Thanksgiving for once. These 3 games, though, were scheduled on Thanksgiving because of the expectation of a close, tight, game. None of the games followed through though, with the 49ers, Cowboys, and Bears all miserably faltering. 

In the game in Dallas, the Eagles destroyed the Cowboys with 159 rushing yards from LeSean McCoy and 108 yards receiving from Jeremy Maclin. The Eagles' pass rush really shined through with 4 sacks on Tony Romo. 

Then, in Detroit, the Lions actually won on Thanksgiving, which seems to rarely ever happen. Calvin Johnson showed America why he is Calvin Johnson with 146 yards receiving on 11 receptions. The Lions had some success running the ball as well, with Joique Bell acquiring 91 yards rushing on 23 carries. 

Finally, in San Francisco (more like Santa Clara), the former Super Bowl champs were able to hold off the 49ers 19-3. Colin Kaepernick struggled mightily, throwing 2 picks and finishing with a QB rating under 40. 

NFL games on Thanksgiving tend to be very entertaining and close, but this year, the league really failed to entertain, with three straight blowouts.

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How to Shoot a Jump Shot in Basketball

Shooting is obviously a huge part of the game of basketball, and today I am going to be teaching you how to shoot a perfect jump shot. There are a few steps that are needed in order to perform a perfect jump shot. Keep in mind that the best professional basketball players in the world only score about 50 percent of their jump shots, so do not get discouraged if you miss a few. The following steps will help you improve your shooting percentage, though.

1) Create separation between you and your defender - In order to take a jump shot, there has to be space between you and your opponent, or else they can just block the shot. The first step, therefore, is just to create enough space for yourself so that you can take the shot. You can use quickness, speed, or dribbling moves in order to create space.

2) Square your body to the hoop - Once you have enough space, you must place your body so that you are facing the hoop.

3) Get into a shooting stance - Keep your feet about shoulder width apart with your toes facing the basket.

4) Bend your knees - Bending your knees will allow you to jump and create the right amount of power needed to take the shot.

5) Jump and shoot! - Extend your shooting elbow and snap your wrist. Your non-dominant hand should not add any power to the shot, it should only be used to balance the ball.

A Return to Posting

Hello, I'm Andrew, and I will be returning to this blog to write! In case that you have forgotten, I write about sports, from football, to basketball, baseball, soccer, and so on. There are lots of different news stories going on in sports right now, so there should be no shortage of information. Make sure to come back here to check on any sports news or information! I will be posting blogs on different sports related topics throughout the year, usually big news in the sports world. Sometimes I'll dive into little details or more analysis, but there will be always be information on the latest occurrences in the sports world, whether that be in the United States or any other country. The playoffs in baseball start soon, so that may be a possible topic for next time. Football and international league soccer are also both starting, so those may be future topics to write about as well. I'm looking forward to returning to write on this blog, so I hope you will enjoy!

Pacers vs. Heat: Round 4

Kail, Chad. Pacers vs. Heat. Digital image. All Sports No Life. N.p., 5 Jan. 2014. Web.

       

The Indiana Pacers are set to travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Friday, April 11th. The game will be broadcasted on NBATV at 7:30 ET. It will be the fourth time that these two teams have faced off, with the Pacers leading the season series 2-1. It has grown to be one of the best rivalries in basketball. 

The Pacers are ahead of the two time defending champions by half a game in the standings for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. Whichever team wins will most likely get that number one seed. This is a great benefit in the playoffs, as the team who gets it will be able to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. That will include a likely matchup between the Pacers and the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. In a seven game series, four games at home will be a great advantage to whichever team happens to get the number one seed. This was shown last year when the Heat beat the Pacers in Miami in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

These teams have faced off three times previously this season, with the home team winning in all three matchups (Pacers 2-1). This highlights the importance of the number one seed, which will most likely be determined by the winner of this game. 

In the first matchup of the year, the Pacers won by 6 points. Miami dominated in the 1st quarter, but the Pacers came back in the 3rd quarter to finish off the Heat. The Heat took the next battle in Miami, winning by three, one week later. On March 26, LeBron James missed a potential game winning shot, so the Pacers ended up with the win. All these games have been close, defensive battles, so the same should be expected for the game tomorrow. 

I am not a big Miami fan, but I still have to choose them to win this game, solely because the game is being played in Miami, and the home team has won all of the matchups so far. It will be a close game, but the Heat will win it in the end. 

New York Mets Interested in Stephen Drew

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There was a great article over at the SB Nation blog Over The Monster about how the New York Mets are interested in free agent shortstop Stephen Drew. Some sources are saying that the Mets have given Drew an offer, but others say that that is false information. Whatever the case, the Mets are interested in Drew. He played for the World Series winning Boston Red Sox last season, hitting 13 home runs to go along with a .253 average. He also got on-base at a clip of .333, which is exceptional for a major league shortstop. Drew also plays great defense, and that is one of the reasons that he was the Red Sox's starting shortstop throughout the playoffs. He did not do his best hitting during the postseason, but continued playing because of his somewhat magical defense.

The most probable reason that Drew is still on the market is because, due to a qualifying offer, any team that signs him will lose their first round draft pick. These draft picks are very valuable, potentially turning into baseball's next star player. The chance is slim, but that does not lessen the picks' value. A draft pick will be lost if a team signs Drew because he declined a qualifying offer ($14.1 million), thinking that he could get more money than that. The lost draft pick will be given to the Red Sox as compensation, unless of course the Red Sox end up signing Drew.

Xander Bogaerts, another shortstop/third baseman for the Red Sox, who is 21 years old, is why the Red Sox have yet to sign Drew. They could still sign Drew and play Bogaerts at third base, but they are not yet willing to theoretically lose a draft pick to sign Drew, unless he lowers his asking price. Bogaerts was ranked as the #2 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com, so the Red Sox would like to give him as much playing time as possible to let him develop.

Predicting 5 Major Sports Titles in 2014

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 Now that 2013 has ended, I will be predicting the 5 major sports titles, including the World Cup.

1)The Seattle Seahawks will win Super Bowl XLVIII. On February 2nd, the Seattle Seahawks will play against the Denver Broncos in New York for the Super Bowl. The Seahawks have the #1 defense in the league, while the Broncos have the #1 offense. In fact, led by Peyton Manning, the Broncos have the highest scoring offense in NFL history. I do believe, though, that the Seahawks will come out on top. I would favor the Broncos in normal weather conditions, because of their offense, but the Super Bowl is going to be played in an outdoor stadium, in New York, in the winter. The weather will be a factor, and I believe that it will slow down Manning and the Broncos offense. As usual, I think Manning will struggle in the cold, and the Seahawks will take advantage. On a side note, if your state legalizes marijuana, your football team is going to make the Super Bowl.

2) The Indiana Pacers will win the NBA Finals. The Indiana Pacers will defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. It will be a 6 game series. The Miami Heat, looking for three straight championships, will lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Pacers. The Thunder, led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (injured right now), will defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals, but end up losing to the Pacers. Their depth is exceptional and, led by Paul George, have enough talent to win their fourth ever title.

3) The Boston Red Sox will repeat as World Series Champions. The Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the previous World Series, and they will finish off the Los Angeles Dodgers in the next one. The Dodgers are a very talented baseball team, led by 2-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw. Their pitching is a strength, and should lead them to the World Series. They will be stopped, though, by the Red Sox in a 6 game series. The Red Sox have an exceptional offense, led by slugger David Ortiz, and their pitching is also above-average. It will be enough for them to defeat the Dodgers, even with Clayton Kershaw. He can't pitch every game.

4) There will be 2 repeat champions, as the Chicago Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks will defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL Finals in a 5 game series. They are the most dominant team in hockey, and they just finished off beating the Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks, two other top contenders. Sidney Crosby (Penguins) and Jonathan Toews (Blackhawks) will lead their team to the Finals, but it will be the Blackhawks and their superstars hoisting the Stanley Cup.

5) Brazil will win the World Cup. Brazil won the Confederations Cup in 2013, defeating Spain 3-0 in the final in a shock result. The World Cup will take place in Brazil, and they have not lost a competitive game at home since 1950. Neymar, who is arguably a top 5 player in the world at just 21 years old, will lead his team to victory. They will win the trophy for the first time since 2002. I have them defeating Argentina in the final, and Germany in the semi-final. Argentina will defeat Spain in the other semi-final. The South American teams have an advantage in this World Cup because the European teams are not used to the hot and humid climate of South America. This, along with Brazil's amazing talent, will lead them to their best ever sixth World Cup title.
                     

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