Sports Central

Republic of Ireland v. Croatia: Balancing the two sides within Giovani Trapattoni's squad

Despite a continued level of consistent success during his tenure as manager of the Republic of Ireland football side, Giovanni Trapattoni has received some level of criticism for his stubbornness (some say loyalty) when selecting his sides.

Under Trappattoni, the team has rarely ever deviated from the 4-4-2 formation which has served them so well.

While it may not be the most adventrous strategy, there is no doubting that Trappattoni has got results as we approach the nation's first major tournament appearance since 2002. While many will point out that Ireland simply don't have the players to play expansive football, that is not the truth.

NBA All-Star Game once again proves to be a success

Despite another flop of a dunk contest—Seriously, next year's line-up has to be Russell Westbrook, Lebron James, John Wall and Dwight Howard—the NBA proved once again that it's all-star game is the most entertaining of any of the major sports in America.

Unlike the NHL, where the game is too dangerous to be played competitively, or the MLB where the actual stars don't see the field enough, or the NFL which combines both problems, the NBA has perfectly figured out the marquee event of a weekend full of fun.

The all-star game remains an exhibition game, but what does that really mean? What does that mean for the fans who tune in to watch the game?

New England Patriots free agency and draft gameplan

Bill Belichick is not the type of head coach to sit around licking his wounds after a devastating loss to end the season. Belichick will already have spent a few weeks determining what he can do during this off-season to take that final step which eluded the team last season.

The Patriots enter the off-season in good shape with roughly $20 million in cap space.

While most of their key contributors on both sides of the ball are under contract, there are some pivotal role players who the team will be desperate to sign. Despite drafting two running backs last year, BenJarvus Green-Ellis' value to the team should see him re-signed.

Boston Celtics are still only a shadow of what they want to be

Despite a recent run of good form entering February, the Boston Celtics have slumped to four losses in their last five games. Last night against the Chicago Bulls, without Derrick Rose, the Celtics were easily swept aside.

When you look at the Celtics season so far this year, things are actually much worse than their 15-14 record would initially imply.

The Celtics may have won 15 games, but look at the teams they have beaten: The Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Bobcats and Chicago Bulls.

Can the emergence of Jeremy Lin help the Boston Celtics?

Prior to breaking out as the next big thing in New York, Jeremy Lin was the fourth choice point guard on the Knicks' roster with no guarantee that he would still be with the team from week to week.

Lin is now a sure starter for the Knicks, but the guard rotation in New York will be somewhat muddled once Baron Davis returns. Davis and other veteran Mike Bibby were brought in as the prospective starter at the point.

However, there was another youngster who was getting quality minutes at the position before Lin took over.

Los Angeles Lakers remind Boston Celtics of their fatal flaws

The Boston Celtics winning streak came to an end after an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last night. Despite being the better team on the night, the Celtics lost out because of two recurring issues with the makeup of the roster.

Ray Allen's put-back attempt as time expired in overtime was blocked by Pau Gasol at the rim which moved the Celtics record to 14-11 on the season. In reality however, the Celtics should never have even gone to overtime.

Both teams shot the ball around 39 percent but the Celtics were much better from the three point line with 31.6 percent to the Lakers' measly 6.7 percent. The Celtics didn't miss a free throw as the Lakers were at 75 percent for the game.

Sport-Central's NFL Mock draft 2012 Edition One Part 2

Mock draft PART 2 is here. For PART 1 click here.

17. Cincinnati Bengals select - Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia.
The Bengals are set at both tackle positions but both of their starting guards are hitting free agency. I expect them to find one guard in free agency, while Glenn can become the other starter.

With another pick in the first round, the Bengals can wait to add a running back to replace Cedric Benson. Putting in place a talented guard to blow open holes for that whoever carries the ball, as well as to protect Andy Dalton, is just another positive step for an emerging franchise.

18. San Diego Chargers select - Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois.
Ideally, the Chargers would add an offensive linemen to keep Philip Rivers upright. However, without a tackle or guard worth taking. The Chargers jump at the chance of adding a pass rusher to complement Antwaan Barnes.

Barnes, despite being a situational pass rusher, was the only Charger to get more than four sacks last year. With Larry English once again failing to make an impact, playing only five games, the Chargers have to look to move on with Mercilus.

Sport-Central's NFL Mock draft 2012 Edition One Part 1

This is the first NFL Mock draft for 2012 from the Sports-Central blog. This year's draft projections will be broken into two articles. Here is the first of the season with some bold predictions.

*A special shout-out must go to Matt Miller of Bleacherreport and Newerascouting for providing in-depth draft grades and rankings. Be sure to follow Matt on twitter @NFLdraftscout


1. Indianapolis Colts select - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.
It's time to usher in the next era in Indianapolis. This is definitely the silver lining on the Colts' 2011 NFL season. Peyton Manning's injury may be a blessing in disguise in the long-term considering that Luck is rated as the best college prospect since Manning himself by most scouts.

With Luck under center next season, the Colts fortunes will likely take a hit. That shouldn't be a problem however as the Colts dependance on Manning, and his subsequent loss, will force them to rebuild and fully enter a transition period regardless.

Paul Pierce chose the perfect season to surpass Larry Bird

It was somewhat fitting that Paul Pierce surpassed Larry Bird on the Celtics' all-time scoring list this season. Pierce, with a 15 point performance against the Charlotte Bobcats, became the Celtics' second highest scorer in franchise history behind only John Havlicek last night.

During a season when many, including myself, had already written the Celtics off as old, slow and in trouble, Pierce has made the difference on the court for Doc Rivers' side.

With Pierce in the side, the Celtics are 14-7 on the year including the five game winning streak that they are currently enjoying. Without Pierce, the team started 0-3. It may have only been three games, but the contrast in the team without Pierce opposed to with him is startling.

Super Bowl 2012 - New York Giants must expose Tom Brady's fatal flaw

In 2008, the New York Giants sacked Tom Brady five times on the way to the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. While the Patriots aren't the juggernauts that they were back then, with Tom Brady's offense being a record breaking unit, the gameplan remains the same for the Giants to repeat with another victory.

With Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck on the outside, with Osi Umenyiora rotating, the Giants' pivotal players upfront haven't changed much. Tuck and Umenyiora remain, but Strahan's starting role has been filled by Jason Pierre-Paul.

Super Bowl 2012 - New England Patriots are the ultimate underdogs despite being favorites

When I last looked, the New England Patriots were favored by 2.5 points heading into the Super Bowl this weekend against the New York Giants. For most of the Patriots' roster, that is an unusual feeling.

Despite Tom Brady's career as a superstar in the NFL, Brady still holds onto the fact that he was the 199th overall draft pick in 2000 as motivation for his career. Brady's road to NFL stardom is a celebrated underdog story but there are plenty of other parts of the Patriots' roster who are going unnoticed.