UFC 119: Frank Mir’s Knee of Victory

In front of a sold out crown at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Frank Mir proved once again why he is still a force to be reckoned with in the octagon.

Frank Mir defeated Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic with a devastating knee to the head late in the third round of their heavyweight main event fight. After being booed for the majority of the fight, Mir finally gave the crowd what they wanted with just under a minute left in the match. Cro Cop went in, and Mir put him right back down. Grabbing the back of Cro Cop’s head and forcing a vicious thrust to the head with his right knee, Mir sent him straight to the canvas.

Don’t hit a man while he’s down is not a rule to live by in the MMA. Frank Mir quickly jumped on Cro Cop and finished him off with a quick left-right to the chin before the match was ended by referee Herb Dean.

Mir entered the bout 13 lbs lighter, and in far better shape, then in his most recent fights. After losing 2 of his last 3 fights to opponents who out-sized him, Mir took a different approach at UFC 119. It looks like he learned his lesson after being pummeled by the likes of beastly Brock Lesnar in UFC 100 and Shane Carwin in UFC 111. A vegetarian diet and rigorous endurance exercising proved to be the right formula to top one of the world’s elite, but aging, martial artist in Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic.

On the other hand, let’s show some remorse for Cro Cop. Once haled as the best fighter in all of Russia, as well as all of Pride Fighting Championship, age and injury has become a factor. Not to mention the fact that he agreed to the fight less than 6 weeks prior, as a replacement for injured Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Getting thrown into a fight with such little time to train may not have been the best idea for the 36 year old.

After the fight, Cro Cop was very apologetic to all of his fans for his lack-luster performance. “I’m sorry like a dog! I could eat myself alive! I can only congratulate Mir, he really caught me with that knee,” Cro Cop said to Croatian site Index.hr. This likely spells then end for one of the most decorated fighters in this sport.

As for Mir, what does the future hold for the 31 year old trying to KO his way back to the top? He clearly did not show what it takes to be a UFC champion in this victory over Cro Cop. I know it, every fan watching in attendance or at home knows it, and without a doubt UFC President Dana White knows it. “I have no clue about Frank,” said White, in a post-fight interview. “To talk the stuff he does and then fight like he fought that’s a little frustrating.

In my opinion, if Frank Mir has the determination to continue his rigorous training regimens, he will get his chances to get back to the top. This however will not be an easy road, nor will it be a short one. Fighting Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was the fight Mir needed to re-establish himself. But that’s not what he got. Instead, he fought an end of the line fighter in Mirko Cro Cop, and barely kept the crowd awake (except for that devastating knee KO, of course).

Perhaps once Nogueira is done recuperating from injury, fight fans will get the match they wanted. Until then, only the future will tell what’s in store for Frank Mir.

For tickets and travel packages to Live UFC events, all over the country and around the world, be sure to visit Premiere Global Sports. Click here for more information.

The Hunt for Baseball’s Most Coveted Prize

October is fast approaching and every MLB fan realizes the significance of the upcoming stretch run; that is, the final week of the regular season.  In the American League, the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers have all but wrapped up their respective divisions while in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds have done so as well.

The American League East division crown is now up for grabs as the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays are separated by a mere .5 game.

In the National League West, the San Francisco Giants hold a slim .5 game margin over the San Diego Padres while the Colorado Rockies are lurking in the distance at 3.5 games behind S.F.

The Atlanta Braves maintain the N.L. Wild Card lead for now, but the Padres and Rockies are within striking distance, fighting for their postseason lives.

(Note: The San Francisco Giants visit the Colorado Rockies this weekend for a HUGE 3-game series.)

Now, if the postseason were to begin today, the American League matchups would look like this:

Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins

While the National League divisional series’ would shape up as follows:

San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds

The Yankees and Rangers split the season series at four games apiece; however the Rangers have some question marks entering this matchup.  Josh Hamilton, the team’s leader in batting average (.361) and home runs (31), is in the process of rehabbing a pair of broken ribs and it is unclear when or IF he will be available, though he will get the next 7-10 days to continue to rehab and rest for the postseason.

On the other side, the Yankees have some injury issues of their own as Mark Teixeira is nursing a broken toe and a sore right palm while continuing to play down the stretch.  On a more positive note, the Yanks will welcome back Any Pettitte from a long stint on the disabled list after he began the season 11-2 with a 2.81 ERA.

Tampa Bay will end the season against less than stellar competition and may steal the division from the Yankees, however, as it stands today, the Rays would travel to Minnesota to take on the Twins.

The season series gives a slight edge to the Rays at five games to three, nevertheless the Twins have the leagues best record and will continue to ride Jim Thome’s bat into the divisional round (Thome averages a homerun every 10.8 at-bats).  The Rays have depended upon a dominant rotation all season long and AL Cy Young candidate David Price (18-6, 2.84 ERA) will look to build upon his regular season success and previous postseason performance.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the hottest team in baseball, having won 10 in a row and have gone 44-15 since July 21 when they trailed Atlanta in the division by 7 games.  The acquisition of Roy Oswalt has paid dividends as he has gone 7-1 with a 1.76 ERA in 11 starts with the team.

In a rotation that already features Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, the Phillies appear poised for a deep run in October.  The San Francisco Giants will try to neutralize a potent Phillies offense with a superb pitching rotation of their own, which holds the leagues best ERA (3.39).

Two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum heads a pitching staff that has held opponents to three runs or less in their last 17 games, a MLB record since 1920.  The Giants haven’t been to the postseason since 2003 but they may become a legitimate threat in the National League if their offense can ride rookie sensation Buster Posey and keep pace with the teams dominant pitching.

This will be Bobby Cox’s final year as the manager of the Atlanta Braves, ending an illustrious managerial career, and the Braves would like nothing more than to send their beloved manager off with a diamond-studded ring.

Like the Giants, the Braves depend on their fourth-ranked pitching staff (3.57 ERA) to keep the team afloat while a mediocre offense may or may not show up.  The Reds are just the opposite.  Riding NL MVP candidate Joey Votto (.323 batting average, 35 HR’s, 106 RBI), the leagues fourth ranked offense looks to take manager Dusty Baker to the Promised Land.  In the postseason for the first time since 2000, the Reds will not waste this rare opportunity.

For tickets to these games or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premier Global Sports. Click here for more information.

NY Rangers 2010-2011 Season Preview

With training camp well underway, let’s take a look at a team gearing up for another season and a return to playoff contention.

After a disappointing end to the 2009-2010 campaign, the New York Rangers look to bounce back from a heartbreaking, playoff eliminating loss in the final game of the season and continue to push forward to claim a top eight spot in the Eastern Conference.

As the core of last season’s team remains intact, the Rangers and Coach John Tortorella believe the key additions they have made in the off-season will give them the support they need to stake their claim in the Atlantic Division. With several of the Eastern Conference teams making solid improvements this summer, the Rangers will have to keep focused on out-working and out-playing the opposition.

One man who can’t wait for October is franchise goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist. After another upsetting end to the season, Lundqvist remains optimistic about the season to come as he puts his reputation on the line in a recent interview. “Absolutely. We will (be in the playoffs). I promise, we will bounce back”, Lundqvist said in an interview with WFAN last week.

One thing all Rangers fans can be sure of is that King Henrik will have more rest this season. With management bringing in veteran goaltender Martin Biron this off-season, Coach Tortorella finally has a solid backup he can rely on. With nothing more than experimental backups last season, Lundqvist started 72 exhibition games, second only to Martin Brodeur’s 76. Without a trustworthy backup to take the load off, for at least 20 games throughout the season, there’s only so much one man can do before fatigue kicks in and performance staggers.

Moving to the offensive side, All-star forward Marian Gaborik looks to pick up where he left off with his team-leading 42 goals last season (20% of the teams’ goals scored all season). The question remains: who else will escalate their game and put goals up on the board? Last season that question went unanswered as the team relied heavily on Gaborik’s dominating shot throughout. This summer saw some new faces arrive at the Garden. Bringing in forwards Alexander Frolov from the L.A. Kings, grinder Todd White from Atlanta, and Norwegian sniper Mats Zuccarello-Aasen, seems to be the answer for the upcoming season, or at least that’s what they hope. The burden still falls on the underachieving likes of Captain Chris Drury, Sean Avery, and Brandon Dubinsky to pick up the slack. If only every player would play up to their potential and undeserving salaries…

Another concern for another consecutive season is the Rangers dismal, undisciplined defense, which remains young and learning. With the summer resigning of both Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, both look to get back on the ice with fellow youngsters Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy. The youth on the Rangers defense has put a huge chip on every one of their shoulders. Staal and Girardi must grow into their new contracts and make their names known as a premier defensive pairing in the NHL. The potential is sky high for 20 year old Michael Del Zotto as he gets ready for his sophomore year and Matt Gilroy will be looking to secure his spot as an every game player this year.

Only time will tell what the future holds for the Broadway Blueshirts. I know I’m ready for another exciting year of hockey as opening night at Madison Square Garden inches closer and close.

For tickets to the game or travel packages to see your favorite team, be sure to visit Premier Global Sports. Click here for more information.

Week 2 in the NFL; check your pulse

Week one in the NFL conditioned even the weak fans to salivate. This
weekend features match-ups across the board where playoff teams from a year ago look to avoid a 0-2 start, the ageless wonder looks to regain his pro
bowl form, and the NFL’s best running back continues to chase history.

The game dominating the headlines is the much anticipated “Manning Bowl,”
where older brother Peyton will welcome Eli and his Giants to Indianapolis
on Sunday Night Football. This will mark the second time the brothers have
met with Eli attempting to even the series with his brother after Peyton and
the Colts took the first game back in 2006. You can be sure that the Colts
defense will look to rebound from a week one embarrassment, surrendering
over 250 rushing yards to the Texans in a loss. The Colts have not started
a season 0-2 since 1998 and with a very tough schedule and division; this
game may determine their season.

After mulling retirement once again this off-season, Brett Favre looks to
rebound from his disappointing week one performance against the Saints as
they look to avoid a 0-2 hole against the Miami Dolphins. Favre and his
teammates were not on the same page as he overthrew receivers and looked
every bit his age. On the other side, Miami enjoyed a week one victory in
Buffalo and look to get off to their best start since 2002. If Favre can’t
get it done, look for an explosive effort out of Adrian Peterson, vying to
reclaim his title as the NFL’s best running back-

Speaking of talented running backs, Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans
picked up right where he left off last season with another stellar
performance in the Titans week one victory over the Raiders. Johnson
extended his streak of 100+ yards rushing to 12 games (leaving him two shy
of Barry Sanders‘ record of 14) and will look to continue that success
against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has allowed only three 100-yard
rushers since 2006, an NFL best. As both teams come into this match-up 1-0,
the Steelers will once again lean on Dennis Dixon in place of the suspended
Ben Roethlisberger while the Titans hope to get off to a 2-0 start after
beginning last season with six straight losses.

Perhaps the most anticipated game of his career, Michael Vick will start
under center for the Philadelphia Eagles as Kevin Kolb will watch from
the sidelines after suffering a concussion in the Eagles week one loss.
This will mark the first time Vick has started a game since 2006 and after
coming up short in an exciting second half against Green Bay, Vick looks to
keep the adrenaline pumping as he attempts to keep the Eagles relevant in a
tough NFC East and avoid a 0-2 start against the Detroit Lions. However, the
Lions look to rebound from a controversial loss to the Bears in week one
where it appeared Calvin Johnson caught the winning touchdown with under a minute remaining, only to find out mid-celebration he failed to maintain
possession throughout the catch.

After an entertaining pre-season on HBO’s “Hard Knocks”, the NY Jets failed
to live up to their own expectations in an ugly loss to the Ravens on Monday
Night Football. This week will be the Jets shot at redemption, playing in
front of their home crowd once again, welcoming their most bitter rival in
the New England Patriots. Tom Brady enjoyed a terrific week one win against
the Bengals, throwing for 258 yards and three touchdowns; two to Wes Welker.  While the Jets will most certainly be fighting for their division lives, the Patriots young secondary will hope to continue to make things difficult in
the passing game for Mark Sanchez, who struggled mightily in week one,
throwing for just 74 yards.

If these games don’t get you fired up, check your pulse because every living
human being will be glued firmly to their couch this Sunday, expecting
another entertaining afternoon of football.

Team USA Basketball’s Return to Dominance?

This past weekend has wrapped up another international basketball tournament, the FIBA World Basketball Championship.  Believe it or not, team USA left Istanbul with the gold.  Could this prove to be a return to the gold medal podium for good for our all-star studded cast?  Let’s take a look at the post-tournament wrap-up.

In the Gold Medal game, Team USA defeated Turkey 81-64 to take the gold.  Lithuania defeats Serbia 99-88 in a grueling third place game and Argentina edges Spain in a 5^th place game.  2006 silver medalists, Greece, didn’t even qualify for the elimination round.

It doesn’t take an NBA aficionado to realize that almost every international team in the tournament was what sports analysts call a “B” squad.  Off-season injuries as well as the grueling summer free agency period kept many of the worlds best basketball players out of this month long tournament in Turkey.

Team USA rolled through most of the competition without key players Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Dwight Howard.  Defending champions Spain, also without their superstar and NBA champion Pau Gasol who decided to take the summer off to rest his healing injuries.  Also some notable players that were missing from the tournament were China’s Yao Ming, France’s Tony Parker, Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki, and Argentina’s Manu Ginobili.

Despite the absence of some of the top players there was still plenty of competition.  After a not so stellar start to the tournament’s group round play, where USA just edged Spain by 1 point, they began to gain steam through their remaining games leading to the elimination round, winning every game by at least twenty points, led by All-star and scoring leader Kevin Durant.  The elimination round began with a mauling of Angola, followed by strategic victories over Russia and Lithuania, leading to the gold medal game against Turkey.  By this point, they had all the momentum needed and their hard work paid off with an 81-64 victory in the championship game.

Short-handed, as most teams were, this tournament proved to be exciting, fast-paced and competitive.  Underrated teams, such as Lithuania who pulled a dominant upset over top-rated Argentina, showed all viewers what it is like to play like a team.  Perhaps, team USA is all the proof we need.  Talent and determination, paired with strategic coaching and guidance, is exactly what it takes to take a team all the way.

USA’s dominance in the sport of basketball has indeed returned.  The competition will always be there internationally, year after year, but it seems that whoever we put on the court wearing a team USA jersey will put in the work and effort needed to win the gold.

The 2012 Olympics in London are the next test for team USA basketball.  You can be sure to expect the NBA elite to take part in this tournament and Premiere Global Sports can bring you there.  Offering several incredible packages to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, Premiere Global Sports will put you in the front seat to watch your team bring home the gold.

Sunday Football is Back

Your NFL Sunday’s are back this weekend but, first you’ll get a Thursday night treat. Thursday Night will open up the NFL season with a rematch of the NFC championship game last year. The Minnesota Vikings will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. This highly anticipated game will air on NBC. The Vikings brought back quarterback Brett Favre this off-season having dreams of a Super Bowl run. The Saints will look to win their home-opener by also raising the championship banner from last year’s amazing Super Bowl victory. This Thursday night showcase of the NFL will be the first of many exciting games this year.

Following Thursday night’s game, the rest of the NFL will play Sunday September 12th and two games on Monday Night September 13th. All teams will be in action, as some notable games are the Carolina Panthers at the New York Giants, the Indianapolis Colts at the Houston Texans, the Green Bay Packers at the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Redskins. The two Monday Night Football games are airing on ESPN. The first game will be the Baltimore Ravens at the New York Jets in the New Meadowlands Stadium. The second game will be the San Diego Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Both the Giants and Jets are opening their new Stadium, The Meadowlands, for everyone to see. The Giants will show off their big blue pride Sunday afternoon and the Jets will show their gang green spirit Monday night. Both teams hope to open their Stadium with wins.

This is gearing up to be a fantastic opening week in the NFL. Get ready for kick-off this weekend and don’t miss any of the action. Premiere Global Sports is a great resource whether you are looking for tickets to the game, a memorable travel package or a turn-key tailgate experience. For more information please click here.

College Football Kicks Off Tonight

Are you ready for some football? The 2010 college football seasons start tonight with continuing games throughout the weekend.

With the NFL only a week away, get into your  football spirit with watching some of the best teams in the country compete against each other. ESPN kicks off the action tonight at 7 PM/ ET with the South Carolina Gamecocks hosting the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Second ranked Ohio State is also starting tonight along with thirteenth ranked University of Miami (FL), fourteenth ranked USC, and fifteenth ranked Pittsburgh.

The second ranked Ohio State Buckeyes host the Marshall Fighting Herd tonight at Ohio Stadium (The Horseshoe) in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio Stadium is one of the largest venues in the country with capacity at 102,329 fans. The thirteenth ranked Miami Hurricanes open the season tonight hosting the Florida A&M Rattlers.

The fourteenth ranked USC Trojans travel to Hawaii for their game with the Warriors. Lane Kiffen will make his USC debut tonight and will look to rebound from the schools recent suspension from the NCAA for violating rules. The fifteenth ranked Pittsburgh Panthers will travel to Utah to take on the Utes. It looks like a great start to the college football season.

Saturday will be the first start to the fun and exciting weekends of fall and winter. Saturday kicks off at 12 PM/ET on ESPN with the fourth ranked Florida Gators hosting the Miami (OH) Redhawks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp). That game is followed by fifth ranked Texas traveling to Rice to play and first ranked Alabama hosting San Jose State looking to defend their National Championship Title.

The two show case games of the night are twenty-fourth ranked Oregon State traveling to sixth ranked TCU in a top 25 match up and twenty-first ranked LSU traveling to eighteenth ranked North Carolina in a South showdown on ABC at 8 PM/ET.

The opening weekend of college football will conclude with a Monday Night game on ESPN. Third ranked Boise State will take on tenth ranked Virginia Tech on a neutral site FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Don’t miss any of the action this weekend, starting tonight. Premiere Global Sports is a great resource whether you are looking for tickets to the game, a memorable travel package or a turn-key tailgate experience.

The Two Best Teams in the League?

To most the Yankees are the “evil empire” and many believe that they bought their team, but be that as it may, it is evident that they have been the most consistent team in baseball for over a decade. It is hard to argue how good they really are, and baseball is a team game, and they are by far the definition for team. But what I think is the most intriguing situation that has risen up is the play of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In a crowded AL East, it has been the Yankees or the Red Sox and then everyone else. And now that the division is more competitive and the uprising of the Rays stands to show how well mid-level teams have come along in sports these days. For two weeks now every time I put on ESPN or MLB Network I see the competitive spirit that shows that baseball is alive and kicking.

The play of the Rays has out-shinned the consistent and hard-working Yankees, and the Red Sox are now an after thought. With names like Derek Jeter, who has over 2,000 hits and over 200 homeruns, and Alex Rodriguez who recently hit his 600th homerun, and the acquisitions of both C.C Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, coupled with the career year of Robinson Cano, the Yankees always are a threat on the field. But when one looks at the Rays they see a team anchored by a young and most talented pitcher in David Price, who is competing for the coveted award of a Cy Young, and a powerful bat in Carlos Peña in the middle of the order, as well as the ever reliable Carl Crawford is going to steal a modest 50 plus bases a year.

These two teams are showing the world why baseball is America’s past time. Though the Yankees win with style and grace, the Rays do their work under the radar and with grit. Two different personalities, two great outcomes all to compete for the most coveted trophy in sports, the World Series Trophy.

The sad thing is that the large discrepancy between the average attendance of games between the two best teams in the league. The Yankees as always have their ruthless but always loyal fans that come on a game by game basis at a cool 46,399 people a game, whereas the Tampa Bay Rays pull in a meek 22,794, putting the Rays in the bottom 8 in the league. Let’s face it…even Mets fans believe enough in their always sputtering team to come out with almost 34,000 fans a game.

Whether you’re a Yankee, Rays, Mets or even just a fan of baseball or all sports for that matter, one can see that both these organizations should be praised for playing a great brand of baseball. And with three games left between both of these teams it sure to be a great stretch.

When the playoffs start to be shocked if both these teams square off in the ALCS game to determine who goes to play for the World Series. And as a fan there are great opportunities to get to an upcoming event around both Yankee Stadium and Tropicana Field, and to grab your playoff seat and find any other event plans visit Premiere Global Sports for any other information needed.