2012 USC Football Behind Enemy Lines
Q&A With UCLA Writer Peter Yoon
This is big time.
The winner of Saturday’s noon affair will win the Pac-12 South and earn the right to face Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game on Friday, Nov. 30. USC heads to Pasadena having won 12 of its last 13 against the rival Bruins, but for the first time since 2001, UCLA comes into the game with a better record and higher rank.
In last season’s head-to-head matchup, the Trojans notoriously mauled the Bruins, 50-0. Despite the drubbing, UCLA went on to play Oregon in the conference championship, because USC was ineligible for postseason play. This season, the Bruins, who are now coached by Jim Mora Jr., have improved considerably. Armed with a new coach and starting quarterback, the Bruins are 8-2 and have won their last four games. In the Bruins’ eight wins, they’ve averaged 42.5 points per game, while holding opponents to 22.1 points per contest.
Peter Yoon of ESPN LA has graciously agreed to come on for the second time in as many years to help us preview Saturday’s crosstown battle. Let’s get to it! Read more >>
2012 MLB Playoffs: Cincinnati Reds Q&A With Mo Egger
The Cincinnati Reds have bounced back from a sub-par 2011 campaign to win the NL Central and post the second-best record in the majors. The Reds begin their quest for a World Series title Saturday night against the NL West-winning San Francisco Giants. Mo Egger of ESPN 1530 stopped by to help us preview the series.
Aaron Fischman: From Cincinnati’s perspective, what are the primary keys to beating the Giants and advancing to the NLCS?
Mo Egger: The Reds bullpen has to be as good as it was all season. The one major advantage the Reds have is their relief pitching – as good as anyone in the game – in what’s likely to be close, low-scoring games.
The other is the offense…specifically how do the Reds, who are struggling offensively, score at AT&T? The Reds rely on the homer, but in the month of September hit only 16. AT&T Park yields the fewest per game in baseball. Can the Reds manufacture runs against a very good pair of starting pitchers?
This postseason, major league baseball is trying a new 2-3 format, where the team with the worse record hosts the first two games of the series. Although neither the Giants nor the Reds were much better at home this season, what, if any, impact could this have on the series?
Egger: I’m in the minority….I think it’s an advantage for the higher-seeded team. In this series, the Giants have the pressure of winning the first two at home, knowing that the series will never return to San Francisco. Read more >>
2012 USC Football Behind Enemy Lines
Q&A With Utah Writers
Dirk Facer, Utah Utes beat writer for the Deseret News, and Robert Jackson, online sports director for KSL.com, stopped by to help me preview the Southern California Trojans’ Thursday night meeting with the Utah Utes.
Aaron Fischman: Through Utah’s first three games, its defense was ranked 15th nationally before allowing Arizona State to score 37 points and gain 512 total yards. Specifically, what went wrong defensively in the loss to the Sun Devils and how, if at all, can the problems be mitigated or solved?
Dirk Facer: According to head coach Kyle Whittingham, the defensive breakdown was a combination of blown assignments and players not doing what they’re supposed to do. The disappointing effort in Tempe resulted in the most yards (512) and points (37) the Utes have allowed since joining the Pac-12. Two starters — defensive end Joe Kruger and free safety Eric Rowe — didn’t play against ASU and were sorely missed. Their return and a few tweaks on the depth chart should improve things dramatically.
Robert Jackson: It was surprising how quickly fan expectations went from contending for the Pac-12 South to wondering whether this team will be able to win another game after the “disaster in the desert.” Read more >>
2012 NBA Finals: Q&A With Thunder Writer Jessica Lantz
The 2012 NBA finals featuring the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder tip off Tuesday night and the excitement is palpable. If you enjoyed our Neon Tommy NBA finals preview, we have more for you.
Jessica Lantz writes for and maintains Free Lantz Sports, and she really knows the Thunder, inside and out. That’s why we’re so excited to present our latest Q&A with her.
Fischman: Kevin Durant had an amazing conference finals, as did LeBron James. What can we expect to see in the first NBA finals to feature a matchup between the NBA scoring leader and the league MVP since 1997 (Karl Malone’s Jazz vs. Michael Jordan’s Bulls)?
Jessica Lantz: If we can take anything from the historical significance, impact and amazingness the 1997 finals brought to the table, as a basketball fan you should be salivating right now. In 1997, some of the best to ever play and coach the game were on the sidelines. Not only Jordan and Malone, but there were also Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Dennis Rodman, Robert Parish, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan and Tex Winter. But who doesn’t know about the opening contest’s Jordan buzzer-beater or the “Flu Game”? Great, great basketball.
Who knows? In a few short decades we might very well be rattling off a cattle call of Thunder and Heat players that made it to Springfield, Mass. I expect the best of the best to show why they’re in the finals and give us a matchup for the ages. Read more >>
2012 NBA Playoffs Opening Round: Grizzlies-Clippers Q&A
The No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies and No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers are set to begin what has now become a five-game series. Whichever team is the first to win three more games, earns the right to advance to the second round. The victor will meet the winner of the Spurs-Jazz match-up.
In Game 1, the Clippers fell behind by as many as 27 points, but managed to mount a historic comeback victory. In the second contest of the series, Chris Paul came ready to score, but the Clippers’ collective effort was lacking, to say the least. The Grizzlies grabbed 16 offensive rebounds (four times as many offensive rebounds as the Clippers were able to record), while their road opponents committed 20 turnovers. Read more >>
2012 NBA Playoffs Opening Round: Spurs-Jazz Q&A
The top-seeded San Antonio Spurs cruised to two easy victories over the Utah Jazz this week.
Tim Duncan is now 36 years old, and Manu Ginobili is still not 100 percent, but the Spurs’ impressive depth has caused problems for the Jazz. Point guard Tony Parker has also played spectacular basketball.
To recap the first two games and look forward to the rest of the series, Clint Peterson and Michael De Leon have joined us for a discussion. Peterson writes for a number of websites, including Hardwood Paroxysm and The Utah Jazz Blog, while De Leon is the founder of Project Spurs. Read more >>
2012 NBA Playoffs Opening Round: Lakers-Nuggets Q&A
The Lakers seem to be playing at ease despite the absence of World Peace (pun intended). Reserve small forwards Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks have filled in nicely for the suspended MWP, and of course, the Lakers are dominating inside thanks to their twin towers, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Game 2, however, was considerably closer than Game 1. Does Denver have any fight left?
Rey Moralde and Bryan Douglass were kind enough to fit us into their busy schedules. Moralde covers all-things-Lakers at The No Look Pass, while Douglass serves as the content manager at the social networking website Wayin.
Aaron Fischman: It’s no surprise that Andrew Bynum has been dominant inside through the first two games. As the Nuggets return home, what, if anything, can they do to mitigate his inside dominance? Read more >>
2012 NBA Playoffs Opening Round: Thunder-Mavericks Q&A
The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the defending champion Dallas Mavericks two games to none, but the series is much closer than that count may indicate. OKC’s two wins have come by a combined four points, and who will win the series is far from certain.
NenaMarie G and Jessica Lantz were gracious enough to join us to discuss this riveting series. NenaMarie G covers the Mavericks on her website, while Lantz has been “Thundering-up” all season long at Free Lantz Sports.
Aaron Fischman: Although the Thunder lead the series 2-0, each game has gone down to the final possession. What will it take for the Mavericks to finally get over the hump as they return home? Read more >>
2012 NBA Playoffs: Q&A With Clippers Writer D.J. Foster
The Los Angeles Clippers clinched a playoff berth Monday for the first time in six seasons, earning them just their second playoff appearance since 1997.
When the Clippers won the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery, drafting star big man Blake Griffin out of the University of Oklahoma was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, during the final preseason game, the team’s most promising player incurred a stress fracture in his left knee forcing him to miss the entire season.
Griffin’s rookie season would have to wait until 2010-11, but the 6-foot-10 power forward quickly proved he was worth the wait. Griffin won Rookie of the Year honors, but the Clippers finished an uninspiring 32-50.
However, the reigning Rookie of the Year was rewarded with considerable help when the Clippers acquired Chris Paul after the Lakers’ trade for the five-time All-Star was vetoed four days earlier. Read more >>
2011 USC Football Behind Enemy Lines
Q&A With UCLA Writer Peter Yoon
More than bragging rights are at stake this time around as the Trojans prepare to host the UCLA Bruins on Saturday night.
After Colorado upset Utah on Friday, UCLA found themselves having clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game before taking the field for their final game.
But before the Bruins face off against Oregon in the inaugural title game, there are still some details to be sorted out. Read more >>