April Sports Update Part 2
NHL Playoffs
So here is the breakdown. We are already in the semifinals of each conference. The Pittsburgh Penguins face the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens play the Philadelphia Flyers in the East. In the West Conference, the San Jose Sharks play the Dallas Stars, and the Detroit Redwings play the Colorado Avalanche. My prediction is that the second-year sensation Sydney Crosby will lead his Penguins to the Stanley Cup.
NBA Playoffs
Who I predict will win the championship this year? Surprisingly in my opinion the top two teams in the NBA are the New Orleans Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers. Also, Kobe Bryant has won his first MVP award. Hmmmm, I believed I picked Kobe to win at the beginning of the season. The playoffs are even more exciting because really any team can still win it and there is no clear cut victor. The competition in the NBA has gotten better than ever and finally teams are embracing the “team” concept more and more and not relying on an individual superstar to win games for them (well, except Cleveland. Sorry, Lebron). Also, has anyone else noticed how cool the commercials have been for the Playoffs? This year they are putting the faces of rival NBA players reading the same script talking about the ultimate goal of winning a championship.
NFL Draft
The NFL draft recently took place and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers grabbed the much coveted cornerback Aqib Talib of Kansas with the 20th pick in the first round. Talib will immediately compete for a starting position with Philip Buchanon. The Bucs also drafted wide receiver Dexter Jackson of Appalachian State in the second round. Jackson, perhaps the fastest receiver in the entire draft should add a much needed kick to the Buc’s passing game and will be able to develop under Joey Galloway. The Bucs also drafted quarterback Josh Johnson in the 5th round giving the Bucs a total of 6 QB’s. I guess some people like to collect stamps…Jon Gruden collects quarterbacks.
Steal of the Draft: The Baltimore Ravens selected one of my favorite NCAA players, running back Ray Rice out of Rutgers. He is a powerful north-south runner and has the stamina to be an every down back. And the best part is they got him at pick 55.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of 4-H Youth Mentor, Eric Yuan. Do you disagree or have something to add? Click here to have your message posted on our website.
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