UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller will be airing this Saturday, May 5th, live from East Rutherford, NJ.

The Nation got 4 of 6 right on his UFC 145 Predictions and is now 16 of 23 overall. For the record, even though the Nation got the Schaub-Rothwell result wrong, I did say Schaub’s inability to take a big punch could be a factor.

Pat Barry (7-4) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5)  – This should be a fun fight to watch. And this should be a short one also, with someone getting his lights knocked out. Barry has won 6 of his 7 fights by KO, while Johnson has 14 of 16 fights via the same route. Barry has some professional kickboxing experience under his belt, which gives him the technical edge in striking. In terms of pure punching power though, I might give the edge to Johnson. The size difference could be a factor also, as Johnson will have 5 inches and maybe 10-15 lbs. on Barry. Prediction: Johnson by 1st round KO.

Rousimar Palhares (14-3) vs. Alan “The Talent” Belcher (17-6) – Palhares is a submission specialist, with probably the most vicious heel hook in the business. Belcher has more well rounded skills, and has about  a 6-inch height advantage. In spite of that though, Palhares should have the strength advantage. Palhares is a beast on the ground, and once it goes down there, I can see Palhares’ superior submission skills getting him the win. Prediction: Palhares by 2nd round submission.

Josh Koscheck (17-5) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1) – Both Koscheck and Hendricks are great athletes with a great wrestling background. Not that many MMA fighters have better amateur wrestling credentials than Koscheck; Hendricks, however, is one of them. Hendricks won 2 NCAA Division I National Wrestling championships to Koscheck’s 1, and lost in the finals during his attempt for his 3rd straight title (he was 56-0 during the season until that point). In spite of that though, don’t be surprised if Hendricks ends this on the feet, as he has 7 KO’s in 12 wins, compared to only 5 KO’s in 17 wins for Kos. In fact, Hendricks knocked out Jon Fitch in 12 seconds last time he fought; an amazing fact considering Fitch’s toughness and winning streak until that point. I think both’s wrestling skills will neutralize each other’s and this ends up staying upright, at which point Hendricks’ punching power will make the difference. Prediction: Hendricks by 2nd round KO.

The Main Event: Nate Diaz (15-7) vs. Jim Miller (21-3) – This should be a great fight. Both fighters have great chins, great gas tanks, and will push the pace till the cows come home. Nate should have the advantage in the stand-up, although Miller’s ability to push things could give Nate trouble. On the ground, both are Black Belts in BJJ and have won their fair share of fights by submission (10 for Nate, 12 for Miller). Their ground skills will probably negate each other’s though, and I doubt we’ll see a submission victory for either. Both are tough as they come, although Miller’s losses have come against Benson Henderson, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard – respectively, the current UFC lightweight champion, the man Henderson beat for the title, and the man who came within a hair of beating Edgar for the title twice, and has only lost once in his career. In short, it takes an elite fighter to beat Miller. Is Nate elite? He’s moving his way up there, but I’m not sure if he’s there yet. It’ll still be a hell of a fight though. Prediction: Miller by decision

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Henrik *clap clap* Henrik *clap clap.

Game 7

NHL playoffs

Nothing like NHL and game 7 and the intense nature of the game. The on your edge, anything can happen in 3 seconds because of the speed and skill of the best of the best in the world at their sport. Add to that, the mystique of MSG, 19,000 fans who are starting to feel 1994 is the new 1940. A true sell out. Every ticket sold was used. Animosity between the teams because of one suspension and one should have been a suspension. Win or go home. All for the best trophy in all sports, the Stanley Cup

This is why I bought season tickets, to be there for these moments. The series between the Rangers and the Senators from Ottawa has been tense to say the least. My Ranger year has been a little Dodgy, 4 games 1 goal witnessed, 0-4 record. I was a little nervous about this and needed to change my routine. I dusted off my 35 – Mike Richter Jersey, got a hamburger and non Canadian beer. Pregame, my friend Chris and I tried to figure out when the “A-hole” chant to Chris Neil would happen. It did off the bat: 19:02, second shift of the game for the teams. Right on time. The Ranger fans mocked the Ottawa fans count down from 11:11 to 11:00 with an “5.4.3.2.1 Alfie Sucks” chant referring to Daniel Alfredsson, one of the more disliked players around the league even though he plays for a team that few people outside the hockey world knows even exists.

The game started and the first period ended same as the series has gone 0-0 with both goalies playing out of their minds. If I never have to watch the Rangers play vs. Chris Anderson (G-OTT) I will be fine with it. You would think he is in the same category as Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek after his performance in  this series.

The second period is where the scoring happens. Two ranger defensemen going to the net with 2 great goals, a power play goal by the Senators. Trapping, jostling and great hockey. Staal with a great finish off the wonderful play by 17 day veteran Chris Kreider, a slick passes pass from Derek Stepan and the goal. The Dan Girardi, who missed an open net in the first period, scored top shelf…so top shelf, if he was a foot further back, it would have been in the stands. Ottawa answered  with a nice goal setting up the last act.

The Third period was nerve racking. The Senators seemed to be on a 15 minute power play. The Rangers missed two or three open nets. In the end, the Rangers played their hockey; kept the puck out of the zone and won a thrilling 2-1 game…not we get 36 hours to rest until the Washington Ovechkins come to town.

view from my seats, the best tradition in sport, the end of series handshakes

Let’s Go Rangers!

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The Nation only got 5 of 9 correct on his UFC 144 Predictions and is now 12 of 17 historically. Clearly, some improvement this go around is in order.

John Alessio (34-14) vs. Mark Bocek (10-4) – Will have to go with Bocek here. Bocek’s 4 losses have come against Benson Henderson, Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller and Mac Danzig. In short, they’ve come against (respectively): the current UFC lightweight champion, the former UFC lightweight champ, the #1 contender for the belt if he beats Nate Diaz on May 5th, and Mac Danzig. Prediction: Bocek by 2nd round submission.

Mark “The Machine” Hominick (20-10) vs. Eddie Yagin (15-5-1): Hominick fought for the 145 lbs. title a year ago and made a good showing of himself in spite of the loss. On his next fight, he promptly got knocked out in 7 seconds by the Korean Zombie, Chan-Sung Jung. It’s rare for a fighter to not be cut by Zuffa after 3 straight losses, so Hominick should be in desperation mode here. Yagin, aka The Filipino Phenom, is fighting for the 2nd time in the UFC. As much as I’d like to root for the fellow Pinoy here, I think Hominick has too much to lose and will come out guns blazing and win. Prediction: Hominick by 2nd round KO.

Miguel Torres (40-4) vs. Michael McDonald (14-1) – I’m really torn here. Torres from his days as WEC champion was one of my favorite fighters. He was very aggressive, threw caution to the wind and finished people. Then he got knocked the f out by Brian Bowles and he’s changed his style to fighting for points. McDonald is young (21), and he finishes people (12 finishes in 14 fights). He is one of these next-gen fighters who have been training specifically for MMA from a young age, instead of just falling into the sport. If the old Torres somehow finds a way to show up and be the aggressive beast that he is at his best at, I think we’ll see a win for him as well as Fight of the Night. Otherwise, McDonald by decision. Prediction: McDonald by decision.

Brendan Schaub (8-2) vs. Ben Rothwell (31-8) – Schaub is a good prospect with very good athleticism. 7 of his 8 wins has come via KO; the problem is both his losses have come via KO also. In short, his chin could be a problem. Rothwell is a tough fighter, and one who does not get finished easily. I don’t think Schaub will be able to KO Rothwell, but neither do I think Rothwell can KO Schaub either. This will go to a decision, where Schaub’s superior athleticism will be the difference. Prediction: Schaub by decision.

Rory MacDonald (12-1) vs. Che Mills (14-4-1) – MacDonald is another young phenom who’s destined for future glory. His only loss was against Carlos Condit; he was winning the match until Condit finished him in the last seconds of the last round. Good stand up, good submission, no way Mills wins. Prediction: MacDonald via 1st round KO

For The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: The Challenger: “Suga” Rashad Evans (17-1-1) vs. The Champion: Jon “Bones” Jones (15-1) – Former friends and training partners, this fight has taken on a personal nature. There’s the whole “we agreed that we would never fight each other”, plus “my coaches betrayed me”, amongst other things. In any case, Evans has only lost once, to Lyoto Machida. And when you consider how deep UFC’s 205 lbs. division is, that’s impressive. Jones also has only one loss, but it really wasn’t. He was destroying Matt Hamill when he got DQ’d for illegal elbow shots. As good as Evans is, Jones is just on another stratosphere. The reach and height advantage will prove to be too much on the feet, and if it goes to the ground, I don’t see Evans faring any better than Shogun, Hamill, Vera, Bader, Rampage, etc. did. Prediction: Jones by 3rd round TKO

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I’ve been out of commission for a bit, but now I’m back in business.

It’s been a really great month or so.  Two awesome family trips back-to-back. First, Orlando…Disney for a LOOONG day (10AM-11PM), Sea World, and LEGOland.  All were a ton of fun, all highly recommended, really.  Very nice.  Even spent some time in the pool at the Sheridan Buena Vista.

Next up, the gorgeous Amalfi Coast of Italy.  What can you say?  gorgeous, great people, wonderful towns, fantastic people, history, and culture.  Not enough words.  PLUS, the kids were awesome…total troopers with the hills, steps, long flights. I guess pastry for breakfast and gelato two times a day helps…plus pasta and pizza out the wazoo!

The Eden Roc hotel in Positano is THE BEST…highly recommend that, Pompeii, Ravello, Amalfi, Sorrento, Mt. Vesuvius, and more.  Get a driver to take you around…better than driving those crazy roads (and Italian drivers) and better than a tour. Also, fly into Naples if possible…so easy.

So now, I’m back…craving gelato and cappuccino, but other than that…it’s good to be home.

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This is pretty brilliant, to be honest.  I kind like it.  If you don’t know it’s coming, it’s even better…

Are you one of them??

Check out the video here.

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On March 20th, 2012, the great Lionel Messi broke César Rodríguez‘ all time scoring record of 232 goals for FC Barcelona in competitive matches.  Personally, I’m an Arsenal fan, but I love watching Barcelona play and they’re my 2nd favorite team in soccer. It’s pure fun watching Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc and co. work their magic.

Messi breaking the record got me looking into Barça’s history, and I discovered that while Messi is the all-time goal scorer in competitive matches, he’s not the all-time goal scorer in all competitions and friendlies. That honor belongs to Paulino Alcántara with 369 (including 137 in competitive matches, 6th all time for the club).

I started reading more about Alcántara and discovered that while his father was Spanish, his mother was Filipino. Also, he was born in Iloilo City, Philippines, the same place where I was born. He lived a fascinating life. He moved to Barcelona at age 3, debuting for Barcelona at 15, becoming the youngest goal scorer ever in team history. His parents moved back to the Philippines when he was at age 20, and against his wishes, he had to move back with them. He spent 3 years over there, helping his club win two Philippine championships. He was also chosen to be part of the Philippine National Team and was a part of the team which defeated Japan 15-2 in the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo. In his spare time, he represented the Philippines in International Competitions for Table Tennis. He returned to Spain in 1919, and was back on the Barcelona team for good. He was studying to be a doctor at the same time, and even declined to represent Spain in the 1920 Olympics because it was interfering with his studies in medicine. He retired as a player in 1927 and soon embarked on a long career as a doctor, while serving as Barça’s Club Director from 1931 to 1934. He even managed the Spanish team for a short period of time in 1951.

For more on Alcántara, check out these links:

Wikipedia

Total Barca

Philippine Inquirer

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Research shows that most men who style their facial hair think the process is frustrating and complicated – and believe it or not, the average guy uses many different tools to get his look just right. The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler simplifies the process as the 3-in-1 grooming tool helps men trim evenly, shave closely and edge accurately – allowing your man to showcase his personal style with just one tool.

So whether your guy “trims it up,” “edges it down” or is simply looking to shake up his style, give him the power to create his own look by putting limitless design options at his fingertips. The Fusion ProGlide Styler features:

• Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor with Gillette’s most advanced razor blade technology, for incredible closeness and comfort.
• Braun-Engineered Power Trimmer includes three slim combs which maneuver effortlessly through facial hair, trimming evenly at three custom but consistent lengths.
• Precision Edging Blade to help sculpt crisp and defined facial hair lines.
• Battery-Powered Design for easy use anytime and anywhere with no cords or charging time.
• $19.99 and is perfectly paired with the new Fusion ProGlide Clear Shave Gel ($3.99)

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On March 3, 2012, 4 minutes and 27 seconds into the first round of her 5th professional MMAfight, Ronda Rousey beat Strikeforce 135 lbs. women’s champion Miesha Tate by submission via armbar to become the new champion.

Rousey, however, became more than just the new champion with that result. She solidified her standing as the new face of women’s MMA.

Women’s MMA is a niche sport right now, and quite frankly, if Showtime had not renewed its contract with Strikeforce for 2012, chances are it would have gotten dropped because Zuffa did not seem like they wanted to absorb the women’s division into the ranks of the UFC.

What had made matters worse for women’s MMA in terms of gaining more popularity was that Gina Carano, its biggest and most recognizable star, is now making movies. And the woman who beat her, Cris Cyborg, got suspended for steroids. Carano got more attention for her looks than for her fighting skills (which is not bad, really, it’s not just at an elite level). Cyborg, on the other hand, got more attention for the pure violence she brought to her fights. When those two met in August 2009, the end result was Cyborg totally destroying Carano by TKO in the first round;  that event became the highest rated Strikeforce show on Showtime until that point (it is now only the 3rd highest rated).

Cyborg’s victory however did not make her the popular draw that Carano was, as her next fights did not get anywhere near those ratings levels. Maybe it was because she was too overwhelming against her opponents and no one thought she could lose, or that a lot of people thought she was on steroids,  or that she just wasn’t as good looking as Carano, or that her personality did not seem that engaging since she was not a native English speaker.

Enter Ronda Rousey.

Rousey, like her mother Ann Maria Rousey DeMars, is one of the most decorated women’s judoka in history. In 1984, Ann Maria became the first American – not first American woman, but first American – to ever win the World Judo Championships.  Ronda, meanwhile, became the first American woman to win a medal in Judo in the Olympics when she won Bronze in 2008 at the Beijing Games.

Rousey then started fighting in amateur MMA fights in 2010, fighting in a total of 3. She won all of them by armbar in the first round; her first fight lasted 23 seconds, her second 57 seconds, her third 24 seconds.

She then turned pro in 2011 and once again her judo skills were at such a high level that she was beating everybody in the first round via armbar. Prior to the Tate fight, she fought 4 times, winning by armbar submission in the first round each time. The length of those fights? 25 seconds, 49 seconds, 25 seconds, 39 seconds.

Rousey was getting some attention now. Here was an attractive  young lady with a legitimate athletic background, who was plowing through her opponents with ease in spite of her inexperience. And she was doing that by using a trademark finishing move. Ronda also showed this charismatic personality in her interviews which made people even take notice of her more.

The original plan was for Rousey to get more experience then eventually fight Cyborg in a super fight. Then Cyborg got popped for steroids. Rousey started lobbying for a match against Miesha Tate, who felt Rousey did not deserve a title shot 5 fights into her tenure. But Rousey got her wish, and the build up for the title fight was one of the most memorable in recent MMA history, with Rousey doing an amazing job selling the fight via the press with quotes like this one and this one. This led to legitimate bad blood between the two. Rousey and Tate even ended up forehead to forehead at the weigh-ins the day before.

The fight itself was a very good one. And while it lasted longer than all of Rousey’s previous fights combined, the result was the same – a Rousey submission win by armbar in the first round  (be forewarned, it’s rather graphic).

Rousey has since appeared on ESPN and other mainstream publications and media since that victory, and it’s become clear that the immediate (and possibly long-term) future of women’s MMA is in her armbar applying hands. She could potentially become a bigger star than Carano ever was, mostly because she has the athletic credentials that Carano never had, and she has a much more engaging personality than Carano as well, as evidenced by their interviews.

Of course, for this to happen, Rousey has to keep winning. If she does, that super fight with Cyborg when she comes back from suspension just might finally happen and be the next step in making women’s MMA less of a niche.

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Liam is 4 1/2 now, and he’s really sowing his boy-ish oats. He’s all into it, and he LOVES Transformers.  He plays with all different types all day long. So, when we had the chance to check out this Blu-ray, we jumped at it! It’s great. It’s all you would expect…cool characters, lots of action, just a fun time. I remember loving Transformers to death when I was little and I’m so happy to see that they are still around and still strong. There’s something to be said for being able to see your kids enjoy something that you took such pleasure in when you were their age…a long time ago. It’s worth checking it out, for sure.

Here’s a preview and some more info:

Both the DVD and Blu-ray collections of TRANSFORMERS PRIME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON boast all 26 action-packed episodes (including the 5-part miniseries Darkness Rising) and special bonus content. For a limited time only, TRANSFORMERS PRIME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Limited Edition 4-Disc Blu-ray contains a 96-page IDW graphic novel based on this hit series.

Delivering a new level of heavy metal action and family entertainment for all ages, the limited edition Blu-ray collection is priced to own at $64.99 SRP. The deluxe 4-DVD set is sold separately and has a suggested retail price of $ 29.93 SRP.

The TRANSFORMERS saga starts a new chapter as old foes return, legendary heroes rise, and new ones are found in unlikely places. The new EMMY Award winning series TRANSFORMERS PRIME, A Hasbro Studios production, currently airs on The HUB television network in the U.S. and Teletoons in Canada, deepens the epic mythology of both the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS, while starting a new chapter for a new generation of fans.

In early 2011, loyal TRANSFORMERS fans, as well as families and kids, were introduced to this visually stunning five-part miniseries on The HUB. OPTIMUS PRIME,BUMBLEBEE, ARCEE, AUTOBOT RATCHET, BULKHEAD, and many others are back to “roll out” against MEGATRON’s latest attempt to conquer Earth. AndMEGATRON proves to be more powerful than ever, having acquired a rare element that allows him mastery over life itself. OPTIMUS PRIME and the AUTBOTS may be few against the DECEPTICON hordes, but they find increased strength through bonds forged with three human teenagers.

Season One of TRANSFORMERS PRIME boasts an all-star voice cast, including Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Steve Blum, Jeffrey Combs, Adam Baldwin, Markie Post, Ernie Hudson, among other notables. TRANSFORMERS PRIME is produced by Hasbro Studios, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Kline serving as executive producers. Kurtzman and Orci served as writers for the feature films TRANSFORMERS and TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME recently garnered two Emmy^® Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation and six Emmy nominations.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Bonus Content

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The big day is tomorrow!  Everyone’s a little Irish, and that’s a good thing. Good food, good drink, family and friends, and good times.  That’s what it’s all about!!!

This St. Patrick’s Day, get a taste of the Irish with classic St. Patrick’s Day recipes and modern-twist dishes from MyRecipes. Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever)! Can’t wait to try…it all looks outstanding.

5 Classic Irish Favorites

Pay homage to the Emerald Isle with these five classic Irish dishes, such as Irish Potato Soup, Shepherd’s Pie and Creamy Oatmeal.

http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/5-to-try/classic-irish-recipes-10000001969165/

Luck O’ the Irish Menus

Raise your (green) beer and toast these classic Irish dishes, such as Horseradish-Crusted Corned Beef and Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel-Whiskey Sauce.

http://www.myrecipes.com/holidays-and-occasions/st-patricks-day-recipes/luck-o-irish-menus-00420000001285/

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