Sports Blog of the Day

 The Associated Press Rookie-of-the-Year vote is in and after receiving 44 votes, Atlanta Falcon quarterback Matt Ryan won it by a landslide.

Second to Ryan was Titans’ running back Chris Johnson (3 votes), Broncos’ offensive tackle Ryan Clady (2 votes) and the Bears’ Matt Forte (1 vote).

In what many speculated to be a tight race, Ryan ran away with this year’s award after leading the Falcons, who were 4-12 last season, to a 11-5 record and a trip to the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco was ignored by the AP after starting all 16 games and leading his Ravens into a playoff spot. Others who had impressive seasons but neglected to receive a vote were Broncos WR Eddie Royal and Texans RB Steve Slaton.

 Three NFL coaches were axed on Monday morning, less than 24 hours after the regular season ended.

The firings of Rod Marinelli of the Detroit Lions (0-16) and Romeo Crennel of the Cleveland Browns (4-12) came as no surprise but joining them was a coach with a winning record, Eric Mangini of the New York Jets (9-7).

Mangini’s head ended up on the chopping block after Brett Favre threw for three interceptions and the Jets lost its final home game to division rival Miami Dolphins. With that win, Miami took the division title while eliminating the Jets and New England Patriots (11-5) from post season play.

Ex-Steeler coach and Super Bowl winner, Bill Cowher was contacted by the Browns and refused an interview but is said to be preparing to meet with the Jets in New York.

 CHICAGO - The New Year will start off with a bang for the NHL and its fans who have been anxiously awaiting the Winter Classic game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks which will be played outdoors at historic Wrigley Field.

Thursday’s matinee game will be the 701st time these two original six teams have met.

Last year’s outdoor contest between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium before more than 72,000 fans and ended with a Pens win when Sidney Crosby buried a shot during a shootout.

Many of the players of past outdoor contests said the biggest challenge is staying warmed up while on the bench between shifts and skating into the wind.

The Red Wings currently occupy first place in the Central Division standings just four points ahead of second-place Chicago.

This weekend’s NFL line-up has NFL fans salivating as several teams still fight for a playoff spot. With so many teams still in the mix, final playoff match-ups will not be determined until the final seconds tick off the clock in the Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers SNF game. The winner of that game wins the AFC West and advances to the playoffs.

In addition to the Chargers and Broncos, the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins all control their own destiny and will advance with a win.

Other teams like the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles need a win and some help from some of the other games on Sunday. If the Bears win and the Vikings lose, then the Bears advance. The Eagles need a win plus a Bears loss and a Tampa loss to advance.

In addition to the Chargers and Broncos playing for the division title, the winner of the Jets and Dolphins game wins the AFC East. Another division title not determined yet is the NFC South. If the Falcons win and the Carolina Panthers lose, the Falcons take over the top spot and receive a bye in the playoffs.

Teams coming off the bye week in the NFC are 16-4 in the first playoff rounds over the past 20 games.

ATLANTA - Every year in the NHL there are a few Cinderella teams and this year the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins appear to be one of them.

The Thrashers who are coming off a tough 5-4 loss to Carolina Friday night will face a difficult challenge when the Bruins visit Philips Arena on Sunday.

The Bruins stormed out of the gate with a vengeance this season, winning 25 of 34 games while compiling some dominating numbers. The Bruins who play Carolina on Saturday night, lead the NHL in goals (126) and are on a hot streak (9-1) over the past ten games.

The signings of free agents center Marc Savard and defenseman Zdeno Chara in 2006 is beginning to pay dividends for the Bruins who have surrounded the two veterans with young players who are suddenly making a mark in the league.

Twenty-one-year-old American Philip Kessel is having his best season yet in the NHL and leads the Bruins in goals with twenty-one. Kessel from Madison, Wisconsin isn’t the only young Bruin having a break-out season. Twenty-two-year-old David Krejki (13-24-37), 20-year-old Milan Lucic (10-14-24) and 22-year-old rookie Blake Wheeler (11-9-20) are also greatly contributing to the NHL’s hottest offense.

Winning consistently in the NHL takes great goaltending and the tag team of Tim Thomas (2.04 GAA) and Manny Fernandez (2.09 GAA) have been a wall for the Bruins (25-5-4-54pts).

If the underdog Thrashers (12-19-4-28pts) can bounce back from the Carolina loss and get a win against Boston, it would be a huge confidence boaster before they pack up and go on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Hurricanes next week.

Don’t crown the Boston Celtics just yet with another NBA title to go along with the 17 they have already won.

The L.A. Lakers made a statement on Christmas Day with a 92-83 win against the Celtics, ending the guys in green’s record 19-game win streak.

Kobe Bryant finished with 27 points and was aided by teammate Pau Gasol’s 20 point effort.

This was the first meeting between these teams since Boston beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals last year and the Lakers played like they wanted to be heard loud and clear.

The overachieving Atlanta Hawks who took the Celtics to seven games in a playoff series last year, tried to make a statement of their own earlier this season but fell short on two occasions when the Celtics won both contests between these teams both in the waning seconds. The Lakers got over their hump by coming out with the win.

The Lakers reminded everyone it is a long journey to a title in the NBA.

The Cleveland Cavaliers also a top contender for a title also earned a victory on Christmas; a 93-89 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The most intriguing game of the week in the NFL takes place in the Meadowlands this Sunday when Chad Pennington leads his first-place Miami Dolphins (10-5) against his old team the New York Jets (9-6).

How ironic that Pennington gets handed an opportunity to prove the Jets’ organization and fans wrong. With a victory on his former field, Pennington and the Dolphins will clinch the division title and be heading into the playoffs. Miami is one of the hugest turn-around stories in sports after posting a league-worst 1-15 record last season.

Going into this game, Pennington is the No. 2 rated QB in the AFC and Favre sits at No. 18 and leads the division in interceptions with 19. Favre has been struggling, throwing 6 interceptions and just one TD over the past 4 games.

Earlier this season in week one the Jets went into Miami and won 20-14.

The Chicago Bears managed to remain in the playoff hunt with a 20-17 overtime win at home against their division rival Green Bay Packers in a MNF game played in below-zero chill factor conditions.

It was a game the Bears clearly deserved to lose. Like much of the season, the Bears’ offense was non-existent Monday night, compiling just 48 total yards in the first half and less than 200 at the end of regulation but in typical Bears fashion, they remained in the game when an errant punt hit the back of a Packer setting up an easy field goal, then Alex Brown blocked a Green Bay field goal attempt at the end of regulation.

This game reminded me of when the Arizona Cardinals blew an obvious win on MNF against these same Bears and ex-coach Green’s post-game “They were who we thought they were”!

Robbie Gould’s 38 yard field goal in OT was the deciding factor.

The Bears need a win at Houston and a Minnesota loss at the New York Giants this final week to win their weak NFC division.

At the end of last season, rebuilding the Atlanta Falcons and their 4-12 record seemed like a several year plan. Their rookie coach Bobby Petrino had deserted the players, sneaking out of town with games remaining on their schedule and their star quarterback Michael Vick was in prison garb.

The team was in total disarray with their stars asking to be traded with some trash-talking the organization.

How so much can change in a short time!

Along came new GM Thomas Dimitroff, rookie NFL coach Mike Smith and first-round draft pick, quarterback Matt Ryan with the task of putting together the broken puzzle.

After cleaning house and stock-piling the team with young, fresh talent, the Falcons (10-5) clinched a playoff spot with a road win in Minnesota yesterday. And they did it without familiar faces like Vick, DeAngelo Hall, Alge Crumpler and Joe Horn in the line-up.

The Falcons return home on December 28 to face the St. Louis Rams in the final game of the regular season.

Heading into Week 17 in the NFL, it is crunch time for several teams as they try to snag a spot in the playoffs.

After last night’s game in Dallas, it looks like the Baltimore Ravens are a bit more interested in playing into January than the Cowboys.

The Ravens kept right in the playoff hunt with a victory last night in Dallas against Jerry Jones’ faltering ‘Boys and rookie QB Joe Flacco stayed on his torrid winning pace, coming out with another tough road win.

This season Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo has continued to add to his less-than-impressive December statistics, losing another crucial game at home.

Give some credit to Romo though. Under tons of pressure, he led his team back with just minutes to play but both times he put seven points on the board, the Ravens responded with record rushing touchdowns, one by Willis McGahee for 77 yards and the next one by Leron McClain for 82 yards.

McGahee’s tied the record for the longest TD run in the history of Texas Stadium and on the very next offensive play by the Ravens, McClain reset that same record.

The Ravens are 10-5 and the ‘Boys sit at 9-6.