Laurence Maroney vs. Hideki Okajima

The next battle in the Who's Now tournament is between two amazing rookies, Laurence Maroney and Hideki Okajima. Who is more Who's now? Lets find out:

Laurence Maroney:

- Runningback for the New England Patriots

- selected in the first round with the 21st overall pick

- Maroney racked up an 1,722 all-purpose yards in his rookie season while he was back up to Dillion

- Nickname: the Predator

- Has been in commercials

- He has been injured most of this season so he hasn't been a major factor for the Patriots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Maroney

Hideki Okajima:

- Pitched for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.

- Now pitches for the Boston Red Sox

- Pitching stats:

Japanese Professional Leagues
439 Games
34 Wins
32 Losses
41 Saves
3.36 ERA
681 Strikeouts
Major Leagues
3 Wins, 2 Losses
4/6 On saves
68.0 Innings Pitched
Hits Surrendered: 48
Runs Surrendered: 17
62 Strikeouts.
2.25 E.R.A.

- Has a pitch called the okey-dokey

- could possibly win rookie of the year

- has pitched amazingly in the playoffs

- Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game 2000, 2001, 2002

- Rookie of the Month of the American League for April 2007

-MLB A.L. All-Star Game 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideki_Okajima

My Vote: I am going to pick Hideki just on the fact that he has been more proven. I believe Maroney will become one of the great runningbacks in the league but he has to get stop getting injured. Also the fact that Okajima has pitched amazing in the playoffs has persuaded me to vote for him.

Read, discuss and vote now!!

Seymour destroys Dice-K

The Who's Now tournament has had another casualty in the form of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Richard Seymour wrecked his competition with an 11-2 vote. Apparently Dice-K has not been good enough to move on in this tournament, but my prediction is that in the long run he will be a great assest to the Red Sox franchise. As for Seymour, it was a good win but get ready for the next round because it might not be as easy.




Thanks for voting and get ready for the next battle!

Beckett Vs. Francis

Or is it Subzero vs. Scorpion? Beckett, aka SUBZERO, will pitch an MVP like game on Wednesday and freeze the Rockies hitters with his combination of fastball and his crazy breaking ball pitches. Jeff Francis, aka Scorpion, has been pretty dominant throughout the playoffs shouting "GET OVER HERE" to Phillies and Diamondbacks hitters, but can he go up against a man who eats, sleeps and shoots ice? The answer is no; Jeff Francis is all talk and no game. Beckett, the Cy Young award canidate, will slay the opponents while Francis, who is not use to the American League, will have a hard time against the patient Red Sox hitters, the greatest DH of all time, Big Papi and the #1 fans in the world, RED SOX NATION. The only thing that could cause a disturbance in the Red Sox force would be if we put Francis' Canadian brother from another mother, Eric Gange, into the game. Of course this will not happen because as previously stated I have kidnapped him and now he is chillin with Willy Mo Pena.

Keep the Faith!

3-1, we have faced tougher odds. the question is do we still have the same magic that we had in the 2004 postseason? The answer is yes but with both returning and new cast members. Pedro is no longer with us, but to take over his roll as a fiery leader Josh Beckett has stepped in. We also have new cast members in the bullpen, Okajima and Papelbon, who always give us faith during the end of close games. Lugo is the new Cabrera, Youk is a better Millar, Lowell is a better Mueller. Pedroia, aka the future, is the new and improved Mark Bellhorn, Jacoby is the new Dave Roberts and JD and Coco combined to create the new Trot and Damon. Then we have the returning members, VTEK- the captain of all captains, David Ortiz aka Mr. Clutch, Manny aka the Natural, Schilling aka the Godfather, and Wakefield aka the Iceman.

Now you may be asking the question, "how are the Sox going to win if they can't get runs?" Well did they score runs when they went down 3-0 to the Yankees is 2004? When their playoff life is on the line the sox come through, from the top of the order all the way down to the number 9 batter. You also might be asking, "how are we going to win without pitching?" Well Beckett is Mr. Automatic in the playoffs so he should do great against CC and the Sunshine Tribe. Schilling is always clutch when the game is on the line, with or without a bloody sock and Dice K didn't have an awful game in game 3, he just didn't have any offense behind him so expect a big game from him when we get to game 7.

If you still find it hard to keep the faith think about this. Unlike in 2004, after game 5 the Indians will have to play in Red Sox Nation which is a difficult task for any opposing team. Fact #2, The Indians do not have an overpowering offense, but the Sox can blow you away. Last but not least, fact #3 I kidnapped Eric Gange.

KEEP THE FAITH!!
GO SOX!!

Richard Seymour vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka

The next matchup in the Bobby Orr bracket of this who's now contest is the big man, Richard Seymour vs. the gun from the rising sun, Daisuke Matsuzaka. Now, here is some information that makes each one of these athletes now.

Richard Seymour:
-Was selected two times to the All-Southeastern Conference first-team (1999-2000).
- Was named All-American first-team selection by the American Football Coaches Association and Walter Camp.
- Drafted by the Patriots in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft.
- He has been selected to five consecutive NFL Pro Bowls and three consecutive AP all-pro teams.
- Many consider Seymour to be the best defensive linemen in the NFL
-Nicknamed "Big Sey"
-Married to his high school sweetheart Tanya. Three children: R.J., Kayla, and Kennedy.
-Spends much of his offseason at his home in South Carolina.
-Didn't play football until he was in ninth grade because he was too big to play in Pop Warner -with children his age.
-Created the Richard Seymour BGC (Blessing God's Children) Foundation which holds youth -camps and a health fair where doctors other health professionals were brought together to screen kids, some of whom had not seen a doctor in years. The foundation operates in Columbia, Boston, and Atlanta.
-Plays the trombone.[6]
-Majored in housing and consumer economics at Georgia.[7]
-Lost his father in 2004 to what has been classified by authorities as a murder-suicide.[8]
-Spoke to the draftees from the 2002 NFL Draft about life as an NFL rookie at the NFL's annual rookie symposium.[9]
-Favorite team growing up was the Oakland Raiders.[10]
-Hobbies include reading and DJing.[11]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Seymour

Daisuke Matsuzaka:
- Previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League.
- He was selected the MVP of the 2006 World Baseball Classic and is an Olympic bronze medalist
[edit] Awards in Japan
1999
Pacific League Rookie of the Year (Sai-Yushyu-Shinjin), Best Nine, Gold Glove, Wins champion of the Pacific League
2000
Best Nine, Gold Glove, Strikeouts and Wins champion of the Pacific League
2001
Sawamura Award, Best Nine, Gold Glove, Strikeouts and Wins champion of the Pacific League
2003
Gold Glove, ERA champion of the Pacific League(2.83), Strikeouts champion of the year
2004
Gold Glove, ERA champion of the Pacific League(2.90)
2005
Gold Glove, Strikeouts champion of the year
2006
Gold Glove
All-Star Game of Nippon Professional Baseball
1999, 2000, 2001, 2004(MVP), 2005, 2006
Matsuzaka pitched his first complete game in the major leagues on May 14, 2007, a 7-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers; he had pitched well over 60 complete games in Japan.
Daisuke Matsuzaka recently signed a multi-million dollar exclusive deal with Sport Card Giant Upper Deck. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
On August 10, 2007 Daisuke Matsuzaka broke the Red Sox rookie record for the most strikeouts in a season with 156 strikeouts. He now has 201 strikeouts as of September 28, 2007.
On September 28, 2007 Daisuke Matsuzaka went eight innings and threw 119 pitches. He allowed six hits and two runs while striking out eight. With the win against the Minnesota Twins to secure the Red Sox's place as the winner of the Division, he closed out his first Major League season with a record of 15-12 and an ERA of 4.40.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisuke_Matsuzaka

My Pick: Im going to have to go with Seymour on this one. He has helped the Pats get to and win three superbowls. Dice-K has been Mediocre at best and hopefully he will perfrom like his MVP self next year.

Voice your opinions and vote now!

Manny Wrecks KG

This battle wasn't even close. Of course we only had five votes but still Manny won by a landslide beating KG 5-0. I guess Boston Celtics fans are still weary of how KG will perform during the regular season and if he will live up to his nickname, "the BIG TICKET."

Trap Game?

This Sunday The 4-0 Patriots take on the 2-2 Browns. Is this a possible trap game? Yes, for any team but the Patriots. The Patriots take it one game at a time and are prepared for Jamal Lewis, derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards. The Browns also have one of the worst defenses in the league, which should make this a field day for Brady and Moss. Another key element to the Patriots winning will be Runningback Sammy Morris so watch out out for his game breaking capability. My prediction for Sunday's game is 38-3. Why such a low score for the Brown's? I can tell you the answer in four words: Rodney Harrison is back. Look for Harrison to have a big emotional lift on the Pats.

Can Schilling get the Sweep?

The 9-8 Curt Schilling tries to go for the sweep against the 13-7 Jered Weaver on Sunday. The Angels have homefield advantage on their side this time and they have proved that it was useful during the regular season going 54-27 at home. Both lineups may take a hit in the 3rd game of the series too. Dustin Pedroia, who usually would bat leadoff, might not play on Sunday do to an injury that took place during an attempt to make an amazing catch during yesterday's game. This will impact the Red Sox lineup but Alex Cora has proven to be an All Star utility player and a great back up second baseman. While Pedroia will be a huge loss, the Angels might lose their best power hitter, Vlad the Impaler. Sure Guerrero has not been a huge factor in the first two games but he is always a threat. Vladi got injured on a fastball thrown by Manny Delcarmen during game two and even if Guerrero is back you have to wonder if he will be 100%.

My Prediction:
The Sox will sweep the Angels but it will be a close game. Schilling will probably only last 6 innings but he will only give up around 4 runs. Weaver will fold with all the pressure and the dynamic duo of Ortiz and Manny will take advantage of this. Boston's bullpen will continue to be the best in baseball and take a guess of who will be MVP of the game? Thats right, JD Drew.
Lets hope my prediction is right!

Big Ticket vs. The Natural

Here we go, The Bobby Orr bracket starts off with two amazing athletes: Kevin Garnett and Manny Ramirez. Lets give some facts about these superstars.

Kevin Garnett:
Nickname: The Big Ticket or KG
Position: Power Forward of the Boston Celtics
Height: 6ft 11in
NBA Most Valuable Player: 2004
NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2003
10-time NBA All-Star: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
8-time All-NBA:
First Team: 2000, 2003, 2004
Second Team: 2001, 2002, 2005
Third Team: 1999, 2007
8-time All-Defensive:
First Team: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Second Team: 2006, 2007
NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1996
4-time NBA regular-season leader, rebounds per game: 2004 (13.9), 2005 (13.5), 2006 (12.7), 2007 (12.8)
2-time NBA regular-season leader, rebounds: 2004 (1,139), 2005 (1,108)
5-time NBA regular-season leader, defensive rebounds: 2003 (858), 2004 (894), 2005 (861), 2006 (752), 2007 (792)
NBA regular-season leader, points: 2004 (1,987)
NBA regular-season leader, field goals made: 2004 (804)
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: 2006
Career triple-doubles (regular season): 16 (as of March 4, 2007)[14]
Career triple-doubles (post-season): 3 (as of 2006)
First player in NBA history to:
average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game for 6 consecutive seasons. (1999-2005)
average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for 9 consecutive seasons. (1998-2007)
reach at least 18,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 4,000 assists, 1,200 steals, and 1,500 blocks in his playing career.
Holds Minnesota Timberwolves franchise record for most points in one game with 47 vs. the Phoenix Suns on January 4, 2005.
Holds Minnesota Timberwolves franchise career records for points, 19,041; rebounds, 10,542; assists, 4,146; blocked shots, 1,576; steals, 1,282; and games played, 927.
Ranked #70 on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of All Time in 2003.
Achieved 10,000 total rebounds in his career on January 13, 2007.
Career stats (regular season): 927 games, 20.5 ppg, 11.4 rbg, 4.5 apg, 1.7 bpg, 1.4 spg, 0.491 FG%, 0.289 3FG%, .780 ft%
Career stats (post-season): 47 games, 22.3 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.9 bpg, 1.3 spg, 0.458 FG%, 0.333 3FG%, .761 ft%
Put the excitement back into Celtics Basketball
Is good friends with Paul Pierce and David Ortiz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Garnett
Manny Ramirez:
"Manny Being Manny"
One of the most natural hitters of all time
11-time All-Star (1995, 1998-2007)
World Series Champion (Boston, 2004)
World Series MVP Award (2004)
2-time Hank Aaron Award (1999, 2004)
8-time Silver Slugger Award (1995, 1999-2006)
American League batting crown (2002, .349)
Led AL in home runs (2004, 43)
Led AL in RBI (1999, 165)
3-time led AL in slugging percentage (1999-2000, 2004)
3-time led AL in OPS (1999-2000, 2004)
3-time led AL in on base percentage (2002-03, 2006)
Twice led AL in intentional walks (2001, 2003)
8-time Top 10 AL in total bases (1996-99, 2001,2003-05)
8-time Top 10 AL MVP (1998-2004)
9-time Top 10 AL in home runs (1998-2006)
8-time Top 10 AL in RBI (1995, 1998, 1999-2001, 2004, 2005)
5-time Top 10 AL hitters (1997, 1999-2000, 2003, 2006)
6-time Top 10 AL in times on base (1997, 1999, 2003-05)
Member of Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team
28-game hitting streak in 2006
Loves the game of Baseball
Comes up with really cool handshakes
Favorite movie is The Matrix
Nickname for Manny and Ortiz: The Dynamic Duo
This pretty much sums up Manny: "I don't worry about my numbers. I'm just going out there having fun. You only live one time. You want to make sure you go out there and play hard and have fun. That's what it's all about."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Ramirez
My Vote:
My vote goes to Manny do to the fact that I have not seen KG during the regular season as a member of the Celtics and Manny is one of the greatest hitters of all time.

Vote NOW!!

Hobbs beats Allen 4-1

Ellis Hobbs beat Tony Allen in the lastest edition of the who's now tournament. Lets see how far this underated cornerback can make it in this contest.