How about that?  Arizona takes it to Atlanta, rattles rookie Matt Ryan, and (gasp) even establishes a running game, as they win a gutsy 30-24 thriller versus the Falcons

SCOTT JACOBS

Instant analysis from Arizona’s big wild card victory over the Falcons:

*Never dismiss the home team.  Especially one who’s as good at home as the Cardinals.  Arizona was 6-2 this year, yet they were a 1.5 point underdog to the road team, Atlanta.  Well today?  Arizona looked like the team that won 11 games, they made huge plays (more on that in a minute), and they dodged the usual collapse that they looked like they were headed for late in the fourth.

*So they do have defense!  Arizona played its best defensive game all season shutting down Matty Ice (ha), and really making it a difficult day for him all day.  Ryan was hit, pestered, sacked for a safety, and Ryan also threw two picks.

*Rookie quarterbacks (no matter how good they are) are still rookie quarterbacks.  Ryan, who looked poised and in control all season clearly looked rattled in the second half (along with Atlanta’s entire offense) and it affected his play.  Ryan held on to the ball too long (evidenced by a crucial safety in the fourth when Ryan held onto the ball for too long), made some poor throws, and tried to force some things.  Yes, he had a nice late drive to put the Falcs within striking distance, but the Cardinals never gave up the ball from there. (more…)

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Houston Nutt completes an incredible first season with a good ole fashioned whooping of No. 7 Texas Tech

SCOTT JACOBS

Well how about dem cottons?

Ole Miss dashed, slashed, and crashed any hopes Texas Tech had of finishing their dream season on Friday, as they obliterated the defenseless Red Raiders, in a stunning bowl victory, that one would argue is the most stunning this bowl season.

Sure, you can call Vandy’s win over Boston College a shocker, but this one featured a top 10 team getting beatdown, and putdown, and any argument Texas Tech ever thought they had of being national title worthy– is gone out the window with this pitiful performance.  What a job Houston Nutt has done with this Ole Miss team.  With their win in the Cotton Bowl the Rebels can lay claim to being the only team to beat Florida (in the regular season) and just the second team to knock off the Red Raiders.  Two top 10 wins in a season where the Rebels were supposedly rebuilding?  Now that’s something folks. (more…)

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Well, it’s the end of Juiced Sports Blog’s first full year, and what a year it’s been!

MITCH BLATT

Congress proposed a bill to outlaw the BCS, Kevin Garnett proved that “ANYTHING IS POSSSSIBLE!!!” (if you put together a team with three All-Star by trades), terrorists infiltrated Facebook, the Olympics had human rights problems, Stephen A launched a blog, JSB confirmed the Sabathia trade, JSB got bitch slapped by Brits for saying they don’t care about football, Brett Favre kept playing, Pacman kept getting into fights, and, oh yeah!, Juiced Sports Blog was named a Blog of Note!

JSB remembers the year:

Juiced Sports Blog’s Most Popular Posts (as of November)
Top 100 Most Valuable Sports Blogs - 20,704 views
ESPN Blog is Inappropriate for Kids - 2,889 views
CC Sabathia Trade Confirmed - 2,819 views
Don’t Get Fooled Again (Sports Illustraded on the Cubs) - 2,762 views
London Doesn’t Care About the NFL - 2,098 views
Top 20 Athlete-Bloggers - 1,608 views
Chinese Olympics - Here We Go for Human Rights - 1,528 views
John Elway Donated to John McCain - 1,520 views
Taylor Green Player to be Named in CC Deal - 1,339 views
Cris Collinsworth Unpatriotic Questions - 1,309 views

Year in Review Through Juiced Eyes

January
Roger Clemens Tries Denying Steroid Use
New England’s Almost Perfect Season
OSU’s Second Straight Nat’l. Title Loss

February
The Pats Ain’t Perfect! They Lose the Super Bowl.
Shaq Traded to the Suns
Bobby Knight Retires; Isiah Thomas Rips Him
(more…)

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Just how did college football get to where it is today with this whole, well you know — explosion of bowls?

SCOTT JACOBS

If you can believe it, we’re now half way to the end of bowl season.  Half way folks!

With 34 bowl games, 68 bowl teams, and other random warm and cold weather cities lining up each and every year your guess is as good as mine when it will end.  If my interview with the EagleBank Bowl back in the fall was any indication, bowl games aren’t so much about wins and losses as they are with tourism, charities, and rewarding teams with another game (because everyone likes an extra game).

The bowl field, once a prestigious one, is now such a long list that it takes time and dedication just to slug through it.  Bowl games, once strictly played at warm weather sites, like the first Rose Bowl game played in 1916 and always played on New Years Day are becoming few and far between.  There is no consistency with the bowl schedule.  It’s become a free for all, and thus every year the date of bowl games seem to– and do change.

But how did this happen?  When did the sacred bowl system become a mediocrity plate shoved down our throat?  How I ask, how! (more…)

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JSB caught up with ESPN analyst and Nostradamus, Shaun King to get his brief take on a memorable week 17. 

SCOTT JACOBS

Jacobs: WHAT AN INCREDIBLE WEEK 17. The most amazing week of football I can ever remember.

King: I know right.

Jacobs: I don’t think it gets any better than this. What the heck happened to Dallas? It’s like they forgot to show up?

King:  Just hope for a great game tonight.

Jacobs:  I am, but it doesn’t even matter at this point. The NFL couldn’t have dreamed up a better final week to the regular season. And wow, do I owe you props: MIAMI: AFC EAST CHAMPS. All hail Nostradamus.

King:  Yea how about Tampa, they suck.

Jacobs: What happened to them? They laid an egg today against of all teams — OAKLAND? So which matchup next week intrigues you the most, of the three already etched in stone (obviously San Diego-Indy would be the best matchup).

King: AZ vs ATL

Jacobs:  I agree.  Arizona saved face by winning today and Atlanta struggled with the Rams.  That game could be first to 35.

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What an NFL season its been, and what a final week it should be.  Juiced Sports has you covered all day, as we bring clarity to one heck of a big mess

SCOTT JACOBS

1:03

ESPN analyst Shaun King who picked the Dolphins to win the AFC East, apparently has no plans on jumping ship now.  When I asked him who he’s picking to win the Phins-Jets clash at the Meadowlands, King didn’t think twice:

“im nostradomus lol dolphins by 10″

And so with that, we start our coverage on an unbelievable week 17.  This should be a season finale for the ages.

1:08

O dear, Buffalo’s first punt of the game in the swirling winds of Ralph Wilson Stadium goes 13 yards.  This game is not for the kicker’s faint of heart, so if I was either team I wouldn’t be hoping that this game comes down to any kind of kick.

1:15

Wow, the Bills dodge a huge bullet.  Bills punt returner Leodis McKelvin muffed Chris Hanson’s punt, and it was a free for all from there, as the Pats failed to recover it in the endzone, and instead, Fred Jackson saves the day for the Bills for a rather harmless, but heart stopping touchback.  Still 0-0.

1:19

Start the countdown to 0-16.  The Packers are on the board as DeShawn Wynn goes 73 yards.  7-0 Pack.

1:29

I know it’s early, but the Rams are beating Atlanta 7-3.  Any chance of a letdown after an emotional playoff clinching win last week over Minnesota? (more…)

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From all of us here at Juiced Sports Blog, we’d like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season

SCOTT JACOBS

So you had the Dolphins winning 10 games this year right?  Ya, me too!

Well, we’re six bowls games in, and JSB is just 3-3, losing all three contests by a combined 9 points!  Boise State, Troy, and Fresno State are all getting coal in their stockings this year.

So the Lions have finished playing their home slate of games for 2008.  But you don’t have to wait too long if you want to see more mediocre football at Ford Field: Central Michigan and Florida Atlantic play there in the Motor City Bowl on Friday.

NBC opted to flex the Broncos-Chargers game to primetime, over Chad Pennington’s return to New York (ahem, New Jersey) with the greatest single season turnaround in NFL history on the line? Look, Miami hasn’t played a lot of great teams this year, and they’re not exactly a star studded squad, but c’om, the Chargers at 7-8!  Since when did the bowl system follow up into the pro ranks? (more…)

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Juiced Sports has learned that the Yankees don’t find Major League Baseball’s teams worthy enough of their competition, so they’re leaving MLB to take their act worldwide

JSB WIRE REPORTS

In a stunning development that has turned the sports world on its head, the Yankees are leaving Major League Baseball.

The announcement came shortly after the Yankees agreed to an 8 year deal worth approximately $180 million with slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira.  Sources close to the team say that the Yankees are fed up with the current financial climate hovering around most of MLB’s other 29 teams, and have decided that they could do better playing games against teams around the world.

“We’d like to take over the world, enough of this MLB crap,” said one source who chose to remain annonymous.  “We feel that with our continued growth, and our worldwide appeal that we can make this a very successful business venture.” (more…)

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