Barry Sanders Wins Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote

Legendary Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders has won the cover vote for Madden NFL 25, EA Sports' football video game for the 2013-14 season.  Madden NFL is the most famous and authentic NFL video game franchise ever.  This year's game is called Madden NFL 25 rather than Madden NFL 14, due to the fact that this game will mark the 25th anniversary of the Madden NFL football franchise.  Sanders beat out 2012-13 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson in the final vote for cover honors.  The cover vote had two branches, the old school branch and the new school branch, and the winner of each branch would compete for the cover.

Barry Sanders is excited about being featured on the cover of Madden NFL 25.

Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders played ten years in the NFL for the Detroit Lions.  He rushed for 15,269 yards and ran for 99 touchdowns.  He has been widely considered the best running back of all time, and some even call him the best football player to ever live.  Madden NFL 25 will be released on August 27, 2013 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.  To this point, it has not been confirmed for any other platforms.  I would not only hope, but expect to see this released for Playstation Vita and PC as well. 

Who's the MVP in the NBA?



So it is about time for the NBA season to come to a close, and with that, we will name a new MVP.  Who will this be?  Who is the Most Valuable Player in the NBA?  Well, its really anyones guess.  Will LeBron James collect his second consecutive MVP, or will Kevin Durant take it all?  Does scoring leader Carmelo Anthony have what it takes, or is Tony Parker deserving?  At this point, it really could go to anyone.  Here's a look at who has a shot at claiming the 2013 NBA MVP award.

Who will hoist this trophy after the season
concludes?

LeBron James





LeBron James

LeBron can do it all.  Simple as that.  He's a big guy, but he's fast and handles the ball like no one else.  He can drive to the rim and nobody can stop him, yet he's a dead eye shooter from the field and outside.  He makes his team better, and he's the exact kind of guy you want to center your gameplan around.  He is also loaded with awards, including 2009, 2010, and 2012 MVP, 2004 Rookie of the Year, 2006 and 2008 All-Star MVP, and, his personal favorite, 2012 NBA Finals MVP.  He's fourth in the league in scoring, with 26.8 points per game, which is actually rather low by his own standards, his third lowest points per game total through his ten year career.  He is also fifth in the NBA in field goal percentage at .565, his highest FG% of his career.  LeBron blew his previous best three point percentage, .362 last year, out of the water in 2013 at .406, and put up his best rebound total of his career with 8 per game.  If you ask me, LeBron James is the very definition of a Most Valuable Player.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant

If LeBron is not the best shooter in the NBA, it is definetly Kevin Durant.  He can just shoot the lights out.  He drains field goals, he drains free throws, and, let me tell you, he drains threes.  In case you do not remember, last year's NBA Finals matchup was the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Miami Heat.  Many were reffering to the Finals as LeBron versus Durant, because these guys almost run their teams and are their team's best players.  Last year, LeBron and the Heat won the Finals, as LeBron won both Finals MVP and league MVP and KD walked away empty handed.  Is it time for KD's revenge?  Will he lead his Thunder back to the Finals, win a championship and claim all the glory that LeBron got last year?  It's very possible.  Sure, the Thunder don't quite have the skills they had last season, due to the loss of forward James Harden mid-season 2013.  But KD is not going to stop, he wants what he barely let slip through his fingers last year.  A Finals win for Durant would surely solidify him as an NBA MVP, but to this point in the season, does he have the stuff and the numbers to be MVP?  In short, yes.  He certainly meets the criteria.  He's second in the league in scoring to Carmelo Anthony, as KD averages out at 28.1 points per game, beating LeBron by 1.3 points per game.  He also tops out LeBron in three-point percentage at .416.  If you ask me, he's the league's best shooter.  He may not be the best basketball player, or have the all-around skills of LeBron James, but I think it is safe to say Kevin Durant is the best shooter in the NBA.  Is he an MVP?  Maybe not, but he has a decent chance. 

Chris Paul





Chris Paul

Is CP3 the 2013 league MVP?  Well, he leads the league in steals with 2.41 per game, and placed second in the NBA in assists at 9.7 per game, but aside from that, his stats are not overwhelming.  There is no denying that Chris Paul is a terrific point guard, and he is MVP material, but I'm having doubts that this is his year.  He averaged 16.9 points per game in 2013, his third worst scoring season of his eight year career.  He nailed .885 of his free throws this year, a career high in that category.  Chris Paul is an assist machine, dishing guys the ball at the right time constantly and keeping his team flowing nicely because of this.  His second best 9.7 assists per game is not a shocker, as it's only his fourth best assisting year.  So CP3 gets steals and dishes assists.  He can score too, but it's not his strength.  He is an ideal point guard, he does just what you want out of his position.  He is a really strong scorer, better than most, don't get me wrong.  But there are plenty of other guys deserving moreso than Paul.  CP3's time should come, but it's not now.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo has had an epic season.  He led the league in scoring at 28.7 points per game, and had a solid three-point percentage at .379, his second best three-point year of his ten year career.  But it was an epic season rather than an MVP season this year.  He didn't outdo all competition in all categories, but only in scoring.  Of course, scoring is the most recognized category in the game, so leading the NBA in scoring is huge, but that doesn't make him an MVP.  Leading the NBA in points does not make you the Most Valuable Player in the league.  I am not talking down Carmelo.  He had an epic season.  But he is not the MVP.  

Dwight Howard

This has been the weirdest year of Howard's career.  After eight comfortable years in Orlando as the head honcho, he goes coast to coast and hits LA to play for a revamped Lakers team.  Suddenly, he was surrounded by Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and other big shot NBA stars.  Suddenly, Dwight Howard wasn't the lead guy, and he did not take very kindly to that.  He made many complaints and stirred up lots of off-the-court drama throughout the season.  He complained about everything from the coaching staff and coaching decisions to his minutes to his touches to Kobe Bryant.  He ran his mouth all year and threw his team's chemistry off balance.  He wins my LVP, least valuable player award for his performance off the court.  But does he deserve MVP honors for his performance on the hardwood in 2013?  Well, Dwight led the NBA in rebounds with 12.4 per game.  This rebound total is rather unimpressive by Howard's own standards, as it is his third worst rebound total over his nine year career.  He placed second in the NBA in field goal percentage at .578, and he also placed fifth in the league in blocks with 2.45 per game.  But if you want to know if Dwight Howard is MVP material, all you have to do is look at the very definition of MVP.  Is Dwight Howard the Most Valuable Player?  Heck no, as a whole he ruined his team off the court.  But if you want to base it off his performance on the court, is he MVP?  He's definetly one of the frontrunners, a contender, but he's not my pick.  Not the one...

Kobe Bryant

Kobe.  That name is legendary in the world of basketball forever.  In the later years of his career, can the Black Mamba still win an MVP?  He just recently suffered a ruptured achilles, but he made it through the regular season, so he's still got a shot.  He managed to place third in the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.3 points per game.  His year was plain-as-day obvious, yet surprising.  Many, including me, thought this was going to be the year Kobe started to crumble.  But instead, he put up his normal high-20s PPG total and laid another year in the books, making a statement that 34 is not too old for Kobe.  Sure, considering his age, Kobe had a great year, but he just doesn't stack up to everyone else.

So who is the 2013 NBA MVP?  If you ask me, it's LeBron James.  He has the best skill set ever.  He can literally do it all, and he is such a great leader, it has to be LeBron again in 2013.  My prediction is in!  We will see if I am right!



If I am right, he'll be holding a fourth trophy
before long.

Will the Chicago Cubs Win the World Series in the Next Five Years?

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have not won a championship since 1908.  You could point fingers at many different reasons why its been so long.  Some people prefer to point fingers at Steve Bartman, the man that robbed a Cubs left fielder of a foul ball in a critical postseason situation, causing them to lose the game and get knocked out of the postseason and losing hopes of a World Series victory.  Bartman recieved death threats for years, and had to be disguised and escorted out of the stadium after the game for his own safety.  But whether Bartman is part of the championship drought or it's just because of the fact that the Cubs have not been very good over the last century, some say the drought may be ending soon.  The Cubs have spent the whole drought in Wrigley Field, which opened in 1916.  Wrigley Field is such a reminder of the past, so legendary that every little change, every small renovation angers people.  They want to see Wrigley last forever the way it is.  But Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts says some updates are coming to Wrigley in the near future.  "This massive investment will help us generate the resources we need for our baseball operations to develop championship-caliber players," Ricketts said at a news conference at Wrigley. "If this plan is approved, we will win the World Series for our fans and our city."  The renovations are estimated to cost around $500 million, and it includes a huge electric scoreboard nearly three times the size of the hand-operated scoreboard that has been there for a century.

There's Bartman!  Get him!

Anthony Rizzo is a stud,
but he needs to be more
consistent.

Okay, sure, the Cubs are getting a major update at Wrigley, but does that mean that the Cubs are going to "win the world series for their fans and their city"?  Do they have the right tools?  Well, they have plenty of young studs, such as Starlin Castro, Jeff Samardzija, and Anthony Rizzo.  Alfonso Soriano is pretty good, too.  But the fact is, they don't have enough.  To become legitimate contenders, they are going to have to make some trades and get some starters.  Make some good draft picks and some trades for a superstar or two, and they are a top team.  But certainly not right now.  They simply don't have all the weapons that teams like the Yankees and the Nationals have.  They will win a World Series eventually, and though I would like to see it in a classic Wrigley Field, it will probably happen in a much more updated and upgraded Wrigley.  I would expect to see it in about seven to ten years, but not within the next five.

Starlin Castro is a great young shortstop.  I see him becoming the next
Derek Jeter.

Pittsburgh Steelers Not Looking Good for 2013

Don't expect to see THIS
after the 2013
season!

Troy Polamalu is not getting
any younger.

Last year was ugly.  No doubt.  But the Steelers went 8-8.  That's not that bad, right?  No, the record alone isn't bad.  What was bad about last season was that the losses Pittsburgh did suffer were pretty embarrassing, including a loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Dallas Cowboys, and a mere overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs.  Yeah, that's pretty ugly.  But here is the worst part; this year looks much, much worse.

 

 



James Harrison was a BEAST.  But then again,
like the rest of this team, his days were numbered,
so I guess it he wasn't here much longer, anyway.

Losing Mike Wallace
was not good news for
the Steelers.

Why do the Steelers look bad this year, you might ask.  Well, the answer is simple; all the weapons they had last year are gone.  Mike Wallace, James Harrison, Rashard Mendenhall, everybody's gone.  Even Emmanuel Sanders is likely on the way out.  He is currently a free agent, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wants him back, but it does not look like the Steelers are going to re-sign him.  Mike Wallace was traded to the Miami Dolphins and James Harrison is a free agent.  Mendenhall is an Arizona Cardinal.  Willie Colon is a New York Jet.  Casey Hampton is a free agent.  My opinion of Ben Roethlisberger is not all that high, either.  He is well past his prime, and he will never put up the numbers he used to.  In his prime, he could move out of the pocket, shake tacklers and make throws on the run.  He still tries this often, because it is what he is used to, but now he is either brought down or forced to throw quickly, leading to an inaccurate pass and an interception.  After Jerome Bettis left, nobody could really say the Steelers strong suit was their running game, either.  Mendenhall was mediocre at best, but now that HE is gone, they have absolutely nothing in their running game.  Isaac Redmen is a free agent, as well, and he would be next in line after Mendenhall.  Let's face it, it's time for the Steelers to start rebuilding.  Ahmad Bradshaw, Michael Turner, and Peyton Hillis are a few players I would suggest the Steelers look at to hold down their running game for two, three, four years or so to hold down the running game while they look for a younger back to draft that can make your running game successful for a long time.  Quarterback wise, I'd say they should just keep their eyes open for someone young who they could draft that fits their style, such as Johnny Manziel.  But it is definetly time to start rebuilding.

 

Ben's prime is well behind him.  He will get you a few more years,
which the Steelers can spend looking for their next great quarterback. 
A young stud such as Johnny Manziel would be nice and would get Pittsburgh
many years.

Are the Nationals or the Braves the Best Team in the NL East?

Before the season, the Nationals were everyones favorite to not only win their division, but the World Series.  They have a stacked pitching rotation, a deep bullpen and loud bats.  They won the NL East last year.  Almost every guy on their team is young and ready to do damage for a long time, guys including Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.  The Nationals also had the best record in baseball last year, finishing at 98-64.  The last time Nationals coach Davey Johnson finished a season with 98 wins was with the Mets in 1985, and the following year went on to win the World Series.  The Nationals first swept the Miami Marlins to begin the year, then lost an ugly series in Cincinnati against the Reds.  They then swept the White Sox.  The Nats are certainly the favorites, with good reason. 

 

 

Will we see this flag flying again after 2013, or
will this years flag host a Braves logo?

 

Jason Heyward

However, the Nats are 6-2 to start out 2013, and the Atlanta Braves are on an epic hot streak, with their record standing at 8-1.  The Braves have swept the Marlins and the Cubs thus far, and won another series against the Phillies two games to one.  Like the Nationals, the Braves have a great set of bats penciled in their lineup, with names such as Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, BJ Upton, Dan Uggla and more.  But the real thing that is clicking in Atlanta this year is their pitching.  Tim Hudson and Kris Medlen rule the rotation, while Eric O'Flaherty and Luis Avilan are a couple of their better bullpen guys and Craig Kimbrel coming out to close games in the ninth in epic fashion.  This whole pitching staff has been clicking to begin the year.  But are they better than the Nats???

Ryan Zimmerman

 

Nationals vs. Braves Comparison

 

Washington Nationals

 

Lineup

1. 

   

   Jayson Werth

   CF  Denard Span
2. RF  Jayson Werth
3. LF  Bryce Harper
4. 3B  Ryan Zimmerman
5. 1B  Adam LaRoche
6. SS  Ian Desmond
7. 2B  Danny Espinosa
8. C  Wilson Ramos
9. P  Stephen Strasburg

 

Starting Pitching Rotation

1. RHP  Stephen Strasburg
2. LHP  Gio Gonzalez
3. RHP  Jordan Zimmermann
4. RHP  Dan Haren
5. LHP  Ross Detwiler

 

Bullpen

1. RHP  Rafael Soriano
2. RHP  Drew Storen
3. RHP  Tyler Clippard
4. LHP  Zach Duke
5. RHP  Craig Stammen
6. RHP  Ryan Mattheus
7. RHP  Henry Rodriguez

 

Manager

Davey Johnson

 

Davey Johnson

 

Atlanta Braves

Justin Upton

 

Lineup

1. CF  BJ Upton
2. RF  Jason Heyward
3. LF  Justin Upton
4. 1B  Freddie Freeman
5. 2B  Dan Uggla
6. C  Brian McCann
7. SS  Andrelton Simmons
8. 3B  Juan Francisco
9. P  Tim Hudson

 



Starting Pitching Rotation

1. RHP  Tim Hudson
2. RHP  Kris Medlen
3. LHP  Paul Maholm
4. LHP  Mike Minor
5. RHP  Julio Teheran

 

Craig Kimbrel

Bullpen

1. RHP  Craig Kimbrel
2. LHP  Eric O'Flaherty
3. LHP  Luis Avilan
4. RHP  Jordan Walden
5. RHP  Cory Gearrin
6. RHP  Luis Ayala
7. RHP  Anthony Varvaro

 

Manager

Fredi Gonzalez



Fredi Gonzalez

BJ Upton

Bryce Harper

The Nationals and the Braves are currently playing a three game series.  Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann are both on the Disabled List.  In game one yesterday, the Nats jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, and held that lead until the 8th inning, when Tyler Clippard loaded the bases and walked in a run, then Drew Storen came in and gave up a few runs before ending the inning.  By the time the Nationals were coming off the field after the top of the 8th, the score was tied 4-4.  The Nationals bats did nothing in their half of the eighth, and in the top of the 9th, Ramiro Pena hit a two-run homer off of Craig Stammen to make the score 4-6 Braves, and Craig Kimbrel came in and shut the Nationals down to get the win.  The Braves won game two today, as well.  We will have to see what happens tomorrow, when the Nats try to avoid getting swept.  Game one of this series was a really bad outing for the Nationals bullpen.  The starter Ross Detwiler pitched a gem of a game, but the relievers came in and it just fell apart.  That game really shed light on one thing the Nationals do lack; lefties in their bullpen.  Aside from Zach Duke, the Nationals have no left-handed pitchers in their bullpen.  In my opinion, the only reason Zach Duke is playing for the Nats rather than their AAA affiliate Syracuse Chiefs is because the Nats would not have a single left-handed relief pitcher without him.  But even though he is very useful to the Nationals bullpen because of the arm he throws with, he is definitely not one of the better relievers in that bullpen.  But the lack of any good left-handed relievers really hampers the Nats.  Another lefty or two in that bullpen would be a huge benefit.  If the Nats would have had just that in game one of this Braves series, that could have been the difference.

Stephen Strasburg

Kris Medlen

Ian Desmond

So are the Braves the better team in the National League East?  For starters, the Braves are playing great right now.  They are on an 8-game winning streak, and Justin Upton is probably the hottest hitter in baseball right now, and that's without two of their top players in McCann and Freeman.  They may have the best fielding in the Majors, hosting both Upton brothers, with BJ in center, Justin in left and Jason Heyward in right.  On paper, the Braves don't look like they have a stellar rotation, but they are pitching like they are at the moment.  The only guys in the Atlanta rotation I'd say are good are Kris Medlen, Tim Hudson, and maybe even Paul Maholm at times, but they are pitching as if they are flawless at the moment.  Infielding is good in Atlanta, though third base isn't very stable after Chipper Jones retired after 2012.  But Uggla is good, Simmons fields well, and Freeman plays a solid first base when he's healthy.  McCann is a good catcher, and Gattis isn't bad either.  It can be argued that Kimbrel is the best closer around, and the rest of the bullpen is probably on the better side of mediocre.  But can they stack up to the Nats?  Well, the Nationals are definitely not on a hot streak.  They are actually in a slump right now, and losing two games in a row is a bad slump for the Nats, then they must be pretty good, right?  On paper, the Nats are the better team, no doubt.  Their outfield is probably just about equal to that of Atlanta, with 2012 NL Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper, who Sports Illustrated projected to win the NL MVP award this year, in left, Jayson Werth in right and Denard Span in center.  The Nationals also have the best rotation in the Majors, in my opinion.  If Ross Detwiler is their number five starter, and his ERA over his career is 3.63, and this year he's put up a 0.69 ERA so far, then their rotation has to be pretty good.  Sure, Dan Haren has struggled in his first two starts this year, but perhaps traveling from Anaheim to DC took something out of him, or maybe age is starting to take it's toll on him.  Whatever the case, he's a great pitcher who is aging and hasn't pitched good this year.  Hopefully that will change.  But the Nats rotation is amazing.  Stephen Strasburg is their ace, followed by Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Dan Haren and Ross Detwiler.  Their infield can hit, no doubt, and they also have loads of fielding ability that they are not using, currently leading the league in errors.  I just can't comprehend how one of the best looking infields in the fielding department can lead the league in errors.  They need to get their heads on straight.  The crew of catchers they have is having an epic year that nobody seen coming.  Wilson Ramos is swinging a smoking hot bat, playing better than he has through his whole career after being kidnapped in Venezuela and injuring his knee so bad that it required three surgeries.  Kurt Suzuki is also playing really well right now.  The Nats bullpen looks good on paper, but they are not playing well at all this year.  It's just not coming together for them out of the bullpen this year, and hopefully that changes very soon, as your bullpen is essential to a team's success.  Their rotation may be good, but they can't throw nine innings every game without getting completely burned out.  So who is the best team in the NL East?  Is it the Nationals, the Braves, or someone else?  The Braves are the hottest team in the NL East, but not the best.  The Nationals have to be the best team in the NL East.  There is no touching that rotation, it reminds me of the 2011 Phillies rotation when they had Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton.  They are just that good.  But not only is their rotation amazing, but so are their bats.  Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond... need I say more?  I hope not.  If the Nationals can turn things around and show the Braves up a couple times this season, then they will do big things in October.