Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Bowlapalooza

College Football gives us 35 Bowls.  Most are important for only two fan bases and the extra practice and development time for the participating teams.  Without a playoff system, the bowls work in these ways, plus young men are rewarded for hard work by one more road trip, unless you are Hawaii, who hosts a game, which always seems a bit wrong.  Are there too many games?  Probably, but no one watches them all, so what harm is there in a Florida International vs Toledo game?  I think the worst part about the system is the automatic tie-ins, which rob us of some more intriguing match-ups.  Do we really need to watch Nebraska-Washington part II?  Would have been fun to see Boise State vs a BCS school, say Oklahoma State, who is stuck with a fading Arizona team.  The system is what it is.  They give us 35 Bowls.  Thus, I must pick 35 Bowls.  Heck, I will even do the confidence thing to further embarrass myself, with 35 being my most confident.  Shucks, I will probably have some random editorials as well.

35 - Holiday Bowl - Nebraska over Washington (One more chance for me to stick it to Jake Locker)
34 - MAACO Las Vegas Bowl - Boise State over Utah (Unless the game is decided by a FG)
33 - Alamo Bowl - Oklahoma State over Arizona
32 - KRAFT Fight Hunger Bowl - Nevada over Boston College (and enjoy a box of Mac'n'cheese if your stomach growls)
31 - Military Bowl - Maryland over East Carolina
30 - New Mexico Bowl - BYU over UTEP
29 - Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma over Connecticut
28 - Little Caesars Bowl - Toledo over Florida International (Pizza! Pizza!)
27 - GoDaddy.com Bowl - Miami (OH) over Middle Tennessee State (Otherwise known as the Danica Patrick Bowl)
26 - Liberty Bowl - Georgia over Central Florida (I being suckered by the SEC in this one)
25 - TicketCity Bowl - Texas Tech over Northwestern (Plenty of good seats still available)
24 - Insight Bowl - Missouri over Iowa
23 - Gator Bowl - Mississippi State over Michigan (How does Greg Robinson still have a job?)
22 - Poinsettia Bowl - San Diego State over Navy (A virtual home game for the Aztecs)
21 - Music City Bowl - North Carolina over Tennessee
20 - Chick-Fil-A Bowl - Florida State over South Carolina (Never ate at one of those.  Are they any good?)
19 - Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl - Southern Mississippi over Louisville (Son, when I was a junior we were 6-6 and played in the Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl.  Dad, you are just making that up - they would never name a Bowl something like that)
18 - Orange Bowl - Stanford over Virginia Tech
17 - Cotton Bowl - LSU over Texas A&M
16 - Rose Bowl - Wisconsin over TCU (In honor of Scott Tolzein's jersey number)
15 - BBVA Compass Bowl - Kentucky over Pittsburgh (Never heard of it)
14 - New Orleans Bowl - Troy over Ohio (Risky picking one man to beat an entire state)
13 - Sugar Bowl - Ohio State over Arkansas (Screw the Big Ten, I really want the Buckeyes to lose)
12 - Armed Forces Bowl - SMU over Army
11 - BCS National Championship Game Bowl - Oregon over Auburn (Staying with the Ducks 'til the end)
10 - Capital One Bowl - Alabama over Michigan State (Might have gone with the upset if Dantonio wasn't whining so much)
9 - Humanitarian Bowl - Northern Illinois over Fresno State (Isn't Boise beautiful this time of year?)
8 - Champs Sports Bowl - West Virginia over NC State
7 - Independence Bowl - Georgia Tech over Air Force (What ever happened to Poulan Weed Eater?)
6 - Pinstripe Bowl - Kansas State over Syracuse
5 - Meineke Bowl - South Florida over Clemson (First one to 10 wins)
4 - Sun Bowl - Notre Dame over Miami FL
3 - Outback Bowl - Penn State over Florida
2 - Texas Bowl - Illinois over Baylor
1 - Hawaii Bowl - Tulsa over Hawaii (First one to 50 wins)

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

30 YEAR BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

It seems inappropriate in December, but the last 30 year tournament to be played is Major League Baseball.  I saved this one due to the slight complication that I need to change pitching match-ups for each game.  Since there are only 30 teams in baseball, two teams will receive first round byes.  Since the best Milwaukee Brewer team was from their AL days, they will play in the AL side giving each 15 teams.  The first round will be a best of 5, all rounds after that a best of 7.  All teams will use a 4 man pitching rotation, since the effect of 3 days rest can not be factored.  Here are the match-ups.

American League
1993 Toronto (9) vs 1991 Minnesota (8) - winner to play 1998 New York Yankees (1)
2008 Tampa Bay (13) vs 2002 Anaheim (4)
1982 Milwaukee (12) vs 2005 Chicago White Sox (5)
2010 Texas (11) vs 2004 Boston (6)
1997 Cleveland (14) vs 1989 Oakland (3)
1985 Kansas City (10) vs 1983 Baltimore (7)
2001 Seattle (15) vs 1984 Detroit (2)

10 World Champs, 4 Runners-up and 116 win Seattle team in the AL Field.

National League
1997 Florida (9) vs 1981 Los Angeles (8) - winner to play 1986 New York Mets (1)
1984 Chicago Cubs (13) vs 2010 San Francisco (4)
2007 Colorado (12) vs 1990 Cincinnati (5)
2005 Houston (11) vs 2001 Arizona (6)
1992 Pittsburgh (14) vs 1995 Atlanta (3)
1998 San Diego (10) vs 2008 Philadelphia (7)
1994 Montreal (15) vs 1982 St. Louis (2)

9 World Champs, 3 Runners-up in the NL field (plus the best team of the season that never happened).

Play Ball!!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Top 10 Plays of the Badgers 2010 Football Regular Season

It turned out to be a special season for the 2010 Wisconsin Badger Football team as they ended an 11-year drought of both Big Ten Titles and Rose Bowl appearances.  Here are my Top 10 plays that helped shape this magical season. 

#10 - James White leaves Minnesota tackler in his waste on 25-yard run to the 1.  White juked the Gopher defender out of his shorts and actually scored a TD on the play but was ruled out at the 1.  He would score on the next play and of course, Wisconsin would go for the controversial 2-point conversion.  This play typified the impact of White as a second option in the backfield all season long.

#9 - Monte Ball weaves through Northwestern for a 44-yard TD.  This play put an
exclamation point on the season and the emergence of Ball over the last 5 games.  A seemingly harmless toss sweep turned into a beautiful long touchdown run, something no one would have expected from Ball after the first 7 games.  It is also a play that John Clay does not have in his arsenal.

#8 - Any play made by J.J. Watt the entire season, but I will specifically go with his sack on the final drive at Iowa.  Even though Iowa eventually picked up the first down, this play took yards and a time-out off the board.  Watt was also a one-man wrecking crew against Northwestern, was all over Terrelle Pryor and made an athletic interception against Michigan.

#7 - Jay Valai blocks the game-tying extra point against Arizona State.  The Sun Devils had just scored the apparent game-tying touchdown making it 20-19.  Valai proceeded to make that the final score, blocking the extra point and allowing the Badger offense the opportunity to run out the clock.  At a time of the season where the offense was struggling, overtime would not have been a welcome sight that day.

#6 - Montee Ball catches a low pass from Scott Tolzein on 4th and 4 to keep the game-winning drive alive against Iowa. Some forget the second 4th down the Badgers faced (I will get to the first one later). The 7-yard gain to the Hawkeye 27 kept the Badgers alive once again and set-up Ball's game-winning run.

#5 - James White takes it in from 23 yards out against Ohio State.  The Buckeyes had cut a 21-3 halftime lead to 21-18 and appeared to seize the momentum.  Then White broke a pair of tackles and burst into the end zone to make it 28-18 and take back that momentum.  Ohio State never threatened again.

#4 - Scott Tolzien somehow gets the ball to Isaac Anderson on 3rd and 7 against Iowa to set-up a 4th and 4.  When it happened, it was a nice play, but seemed like an effort for naught.  Keep in mind, it would have been 4th and 18 if he had been sacked.  Play #2 below would have never happened.

#3 - Two unsung special teamers stop Arizona State inches from the goal line before halftime.  Less than a yard avoided a huge momentum swing and kept Wisconsin from tripping up at home to what turned out to be a desperately mediocre Sun Devils team.  This play happened directly in front of me at Camp Randall and could have had disastrous consequences.

#2 - Brad Nortman executes a perfect fake punt on the game-winning TD drive at Iowa.  No one really saw this play coming - just punt it away and hope the defense can hold.  This may be Bret Bielema's defining moment as a coach though - the Badgers hadn't really stopped Iowa the whole game.  He rolled the dice and in the end, it came up roses.

#1 - David Gilreath takes the opening kickoff back for a TD against Ohio State.  Until that moment, the Badgers were a disappointment, sputtering past lesser teams and stumbling at Michigan State.  Gilreath's return announced to the rest of the College Football world that Wisconsin had finally arrived in 2010.  If you haven't heard the Matt Lepay call of this return, you should.  It gives me shivers every time.

Friday, December 10, 2010

COLLEGE BASKETBALL - 30 YEAR TOURNAMENT - CHAMPION: 1988 OKLAHOMA SOONERS

*Please note:  Certain teams are not available on the simulation website.  Substitutions will be made using discretion.  Please also note, boxscores are only good for 60 days.


Opening Round Games
East Region - 2005 Washington 88 - 2000 Tennessee 78   Boxscore
(Nate Robinson scores 31 points to lead the Huskies to victory)
Midwest Region - 2002 Oregon 81 - 2006* Iowa 76   Boxscore
(Fred Jones scores 22, Luke Jackson adds 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists)
South Region - 2006* Boston College 65 - 2000* Auburn 46   Boxscore
(Craig Smith records a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds)
West Region - 2003* Notre Dame 66 - 2010 St. Mary's 58   Boxscore
(Matt Carroll's 25 points and 7 rebounds leads the way for the Irish)


First Round - East Region
1984 Georgetown 82 - 2005 Washington 73   Boxscore
(Patrick Ewing scores 15, David Wingate 13 to lead a balanced Hoya attack)
1981 Virginia 78 - 2004 Oklahoma State 64   Boxscore
(Ralph Sampson scores 23 points and grabs 18 rebounds, making 10-11 FG)
2009 Pittsburgh 89 - 1997 Arizona 78   Boxscore
(Dejuan Blair's 17 points and 13 rebounds lead Pittsburgh to the first upset of the tournament)
1996 Kentucky 93 - 2000* Purdue 72   Boxscore
(Antoine Walker's 19 and Tony Delk's 18 lead the way in the first round blowout)
2008 Memphis 70 - 2006 George Mason 61   Boxscore
(Chris Douglas-Roberts is the only Tiger in double figures with 22)
1987 Indiana 83 - 2009* Missouri 69   Boxscore
(Steve Alford pours in 22 making all four 3-pointers to pace the Hoosiers)
2006 LSU 90 - 1989 Seton Hall 87 OT    Boxscore
(Tyrus Thomas has 23 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks to outlast the Pirates in an OT thriller)
1982 North Carolina 69 - 2005* UW-Milwaukee* 57   Boxscore
(Sam Perkins has 24 points and 8 rebounds, freshman Michael Jordan adds 6 points and 9 boards)


First Round - Midwest Region
2000 Michigan State 78 - 2007* Vanderbilt 70   Boxscore
(Morris Peterson drops 19 points and adds 9 rebounds as the Spartans survive)
1996 Massachusetts 80 - 2010 West Virginia 65   Boxscore
(Donta Bright's 18 and Marcus Camby's 17 lead the Minutemen in a rout)
2010 Kansas State 85 - 1983 North Carolina State 70   Boxscore
(Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen each have 20 points and 7 assists to spark the second 12/5 upset)
2002 Oregon 84 - 2003 Syracuse 73   Boxscore
(Luke Jackson tallies 31 points as the Ducks shock the Orange)
1984 Houston 79 - 2000 Wisconsin 60   Boxscore
(Michael Young scores 22, Akeem Olajuwon adds 20 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks for the Cougars)
1994 Arkansas 91 - 2001* Temple 69   Boxscore
(Scotty Thurman scors 20, Corliss Williamson 19 in a blowout of the Owls)
1998 Utah 91 - 1992 Cincinnati 86   Boxscore
(Andre Miller is 1 assist short of a triple-double as the Utes squeak past the Bearcats)
2008 Kansas 93 - 2005* Wake Forest 78   Boxscore
(Sherron Collins leads 6 Jayhawks in double figures with 20 as Kansas cruises)

First Round - South Region
2006 Gonzaga 93 - 1992 Duke 88   Boxscore
(The 16 seed takes down the #1 - Adam Morrison's 26 points lead the upset as Gonzaga wins the FT battle)
1998 Stanford 100 - 2003 Texas 59   Boxscore
(Blowout city as all 5 Stanford starters hit double figures led by Mark Madsen's 15)
2004 St. Joseph's 83 - 1985 Villanova 70   Boxscore
(Jameer Nelson leads the way in the upset of the ultimate Cinderella with 18 points)
1989 Michigan 94 - 2006 Boston College 88   Boxscore
(Glen Rice pumps in 30 as Michigan survives the pesky Eagles and Jared Dudley's 27)
2005 Illinois 83 - 1987 Providence 68   Boxscore
(Roger Powell Jr. steps up with 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Illini cruise into Round 2)
1999 Connecticut 86 - 2000 Iowa State 71  Boxscore
(Richard Hamilton lights it up for 30 points and adds 4 steals for the Huskies)
1990 Georgia Tech 81 - 2010 Butler 69   Boxscore
(Dennis Scott hits 6-9 threes on his way to 25 points to lead the Yellowjackets to victory)
2007 Florida 89 - 2010* Brigham Young 59   Boxscore
(Taurean Green hits all six 3's and scores 25, while Jimmer Fredette is held to 9 for the Cougars)

First Round - West Region
1990 UNLV 90 - 2003 Notre Dame 78   Boxscore
(Larry Johnson and Greg Anthony each tally 17 points as the Rebels avoid the upset)
1997 Minnesota 87 - 2003 Marquette 78   Boxscore
(Bobby Jackson totals 17 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals to offset Dwyane Wade's 24)
1988 Oklahoma 112 - 1993 Florida State 96   Boxscore
(Stacey King leads 6 Sooners in double figures as they win an old-fashioned shootout)
1986 Louisville 87 - 2001 USC 76   Boxscore
(Milt Wagner scores 21 and Pervis Ellison snares a double-double for the Cardinals)
2007 Ohio State 81 - 1996 Mississippi State 78   Boxscore
(Greg Oden hits for 12 points and 11 rebounds as 6 Buckeyes hit double figures)
2010 Baylor 93 - 2002 Maryland 89   Boxscore
(Tweety Carter and LaceDarius Dunn combine for 50 points and 11 threes as Baylor pulls the huge upset)
1985 St. John's 67 - 1983 Georgia 53   Boxscore
(Chris Mullin scores 21 points and adds 8 rebounds to lead the Redmen)
1995 UCLA 80 - 2008 Xavier 78   Boxscore
(Tyus Edney puts back an Ed O'Bannon miss at the buzzer to stun the Musketeers - if you think I made that up, check out the play-by-play by clicking that arrow under the second half score)

Second Round - East Region
1984 Georgetown 80 - 1981 Virginia 72   Boxscore
(Patrick Ewing scored 20 points to lead the Hoyas, who shot 57.7% to victory. Ralph Sampson has 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers in a losing effort)
2009 Pittsburgh 98 - 1996 Kentucky 89   Boxscore
(DeJuan Blair was a monster with 31 points and 16 rebounds as the #12 Panthers forged into the Sweet 16.  Sam Young added 28 points and 11 rebounds as Pitt will face Big East rival Georgetown in the next round)
2008 Memphis 85 - 1987 Indiana 77   Boxscore
(The sixth-seeded Tigers rode 19 points from Chris Douglas-Roberts and 15 from Derrick Rose to the upset of the Hoosiers.  Despite making just 14-29 FT's, Memphis forced 19 Indiana turnovers in advancing to the Sweet 16)
1982 North Carolina 68 - 2006 LSU 65   Boxscore
(Jimmy Black had 16 points and 9 assists as the Tar Heels squeaked by the Tigers.  Michael Jordan and James Worthy added 12 points apiece for North Carolina, while Darrel Mitchell led LSu with 21)


Second Round - Midwest Region
2000 Michigan State 78 - 1996 Massachusetts 76   Boxscore
(Charlie Bell scored 22 points, including the game-winning jumper with :59 seconds left as the top-seeded Spartans tipped the Minutemen.  Carmelo Travieso scored 21 in a losing effort for UMass who had all 5 starters in double figures)
2002 Oregon 83 - 2010 Kansas State 81  OT   Boxscore
(Luke Jackson's jumper with 2 seconds left in overtime sent the 13th seeded Ducks into the Sweet 16 with their third victory of the tournament.  Jackson scored 26 points, including 10 in the extra session to offset a 31 point effort from the Wildcats Jacob Pullen)
1994 Arkansas 91 - 1984 Houston 90  OT   Boxscore
(The Cougars missed two shots in the last 5 seconds of overtime after Greg Anderson missed a FT and the Razorbacks held on to advance.  Corliss Williamson lead Arkansas with 23 points and added 8 rebounds.  Akeem Olajuwon had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 8 blocks in the loss for Houston)
2008 Kansas 73 - 1998 Utah 68   Boxscore
(Mario Chalmers led 4 Jayhawks in double figures with 14 and Kansas held off the Utes to move on to the Sweet 16.  Andre Miller had 19 points and 6 assists for Utah, but the Utes were no match inside for the bigger Jayhawks)

South Region - Second Round
1998 Stanford 73 - 2006 Gonzaga 58   Boxscore
(The Stanford backcourt of Kris Weems and Arthur Lee combined for 33 points as Stanford ended the hopes of 16th seeded Gonzaga.  The Cardinal held the Zags to 37.3% shooting and outrebounded them 43-29 in the victory)
1989 Michigan 89 - 2004 St. Joseph's 74   Boxscore
(Trailing by 9 at halftime, Glen Rice would not allow the Wolverines to go quietly, scoring 20 of his 28 points in the second half as Michigan rallied past the Redhawks.  Delonte West led St. Joe's with 19, but Michigan shot a blistering 66% from the field for the game and advanced to the Sweet 16.)
2005 Illinois 72 - 1999 Connecticut 71   Boxscore
(Luther Head drilled a 3-pointer with 7 seconds left and Richard Hamilton missed on a 12 foot jumper as time expired sending the Illini to the round of 16.  Head and Deron Williams led Illinois with 17 apiece, while Hamilton and Khalid El-Amin combined to shoot 6-21 for the Huskies)
2007 Florida 84 - 1990 Georgia Tech 69   Boxscore
(Taurean Green continued his blistering tournament with 21 points to lead the Gators over the Yellowjackets.  Corey Brewer and Al Horford each added 17, while Kenny Anderson had 14 points, 11 assists and 5 steals for Tech)

West Region - Second Round
1990 UNLV 93 - 1997 Minnesota 91   Boxscore
(Down one, the Rebels turned to Larry Johnson and the future Grandma-ma knocked in a game-winning 3-pointer from the corner as time expired to send top-seeded UNLV on to the Sweet 16.  Johnson finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds.  Sam Jacobson appeared to be the hero hitting a go-ahead jumper with 5 seconds left before Johnson's heroics sent the Gophers home)
1988 Oklahoma 89 - 1986 Louisville 83   Boxscore
(Stacey King had 24 points and 7 blocks as the Sooners upset the #4 seeded Cardinals in round 2.  Mookie Blaylock added 16 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals as Oklahoma withstood a 23 point effort from Pervis Ellison)
2010 Baylor 76 - 2007 Ohio State 67   Boxscore
(LaceDarius Dunn hit 6 three-pointers on his way to 24 points as the #14 seeded Bears pulled off their second upset of the tournament.  Ekpe Udoh had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks as Baylor held Ohio State to 39% shooting in the stunner)
1995 UCLA 99 - 1985 St. John's 87   Boxscore
(Five UCLA players hit double figures as the Bruins avoided needing another buzzer in defeating the Redmen.  Tyus Edney and George Zidek paced UCLA with 17 points each, while Chris Mullin led St. John's with 25)

East Region Semifinals
2009 Pittsburgh 79 - 1984 Georgetown 74   Boxscore
(Levance Fields led five Panthers in double figures with 19 points and the upstart Panthers pulled the huge upset and eliminated the top-seeded Hoyas.  Sam Young added 14 points and DeJuan Blair contniued his monster tournament with 12 points and 12 rebounds as Pitt advanced to the East Region Final.  Patrick Ewing had 14 points for Georgetown but the Hoyas blew a 5 point halftime lead and were eliminated)
1982 North Carolina 80 - 2008 Memphis 72   Boxscore
(Matt Doherty hit 8 of 9 shots from the field for 20 points and the second-seeded Tar Heels advanced to the East Region Final against Pittsburgh.  James Worthy had 20 points 5 rebounds and 6 assists, while Michael Jordan chipped in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for North Carolina.  Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts led Memphis with 14 points apiece in the losing effort)

Midwest Region Semifinals
2000 Michigan State 86 - 2002 Oregon 76   Boxscore
(Mateen Cleaves had 24 points and 7 assists and the top-seeded Spartans dispatched the Ducks and ended Oregon's surprising run.  The "Flintstones" combined for 55 points as Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell added 16 and 15 points apiece for Michigan State who moves on to the Midwest Region Final.  Luke Jackson's superb tournament ended with 13 points)
2008 Kansas 82 - 1994 Arkansas 72   Boxscore
(Corliss Williamson burned the Jayhawks for 27 points but got no help and the Razorbacks were eliminated.  Arkansas players not named Corliss combined for only 13-53 shooting and Kansas used a balanced attack to move on to the Midwest Region Final against Michigan State.  Darrell Arthur had 19 points and Sasha Kaun 14 to lead the way for the #2 seed)

South Region Semifinals
1989 Michigan 83  -1998 Stanford 77   Boxscore
(Glen Rice was held to 15 points, but Rumeal Robinson and Terry Mills combined to hit 11 of 14 shots for 30 points to lead the fourth-seeded Wolverines into the South Region Finals.  Arhtur Lee and Kris Weems combined for 35 points to once again lead the Cardinals, but Michigan shot 53.6% and Stanford was unable to keep pace)
2005 Illinois 104 - 2007 Florida 93 OT   Boxscore
(Dee Brown scored 8 of his 29 points and Luther Head 7 of his 27 in the extra period as the sixth-seed Illini took the chomp out of the second-seeded Gators.  Joakim Noah hit a spectacular buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime, but Brown and Head took over for Illinois.  Al Horford had 19 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort for Florida, while Noah added 16 points)

West Region Semifinals
1988 Oklahoma 115 - 1990 UNLV 106   Boxscore
(The scoreboard operator was busy and the #5 seeded Sooners got busy eliminating the top-seeded Running Rebels.  Stacey King led 6 Sooners in double figures with 23 points and added 10 rebounds and Oklahoma shot over 57% in the win.  Mookie Blaylock had 17 points and 8 assists for the Sooners, who used a 63 point first half to establish the tempo.  Greg Anthony had 32 points in a losing effort for UNLV)
1995 UCLA 95 - 2010 Baylor 74   Boxscore
(Tyus Edney had 21 points and the Bruins halted the surprising run of the Bears.  Toby Bailey added 20 and the O'Bannon brothers contributed 15 points each as UCLA advanced to the West Region Final against Oklahoma.  LaceDarius Dunn had 21 points for Baylor as the #14 seed could not pull-off a third upset in the tournament)


EAST REGION FINAL
1982 North Carolina 88 - 2009 Pittsburgh 83   Boxscore
(All five North Carolina starters hit for double figures and the Tar Heels shot 65% to nip the Panthers and advance to the Final Four.  Michael Jordan led the Tar Heels with 18 points and Sam Perkins had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the #2 seed.  Pittsburgh shot 56% from the floor and was paced by 20 points from Sam Young, but the Panthers were outrebounded 34 to 21 and could not get back in the game after 2 Jordan free throws broke a 71-71 tie.)

MIDWEST REGION FINAL
2008 Kansas 81 - 2000 Michigan State 70   Boxscore
(Sherron Collins, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun each scored 12 points and the second-seeded Jayhawks upset the top seeded Spartans and will meet North Carolina in the Final Four.  Collins hit a pair of 3-pointers to start a 17-3 run that gave Kansas a 71-55 lead after the game was tied at halftime.  Andre Hutson had 13 points to lead Michigan State)

SOUTH REGION FINAL
2005 Illinois 92 - 1989 Michigan 88   Boxscore
(Luther Head erupted for 26 points, hitting 4 of 5 three-pointers and adding 5 steals as Illinois outlasted Michigan to crash the Final Four as a non-champion.  Deron Williams had 15 points and 7 assists as the Illini had five players in double figures.  Glen Rice had 19 points and Loy Vaught 18 for the Wolverines, who were done in by 18 turnovers)

WEST REGION FINAL
1988 Oklahoma 112 - 1995 UCLA 108   Boxscore
(Teams continue to try to run with the Sooners and it has yet to be successful.  Stacey King had 26 points and 6 Sooners hit double figures as Oklahoma upset UCLA and will battle Illinois in the Final Four in a battle of former runner-ups.  Oklahoma blew an 18 point second half lead as UCLA roared back to tie the game at 98.  Harvey Grant, who finished with 17 points, hit a floater to give Oklahoma the lead back for good at 100-98.  Tyus Edney had 22 and Charles O'Bannon 21 for the Bruins.)

FINAL FOUR
1982 North Carolina 65 - 2008 Kansas 62   Boxscore
(James Worthy scored 19 points and Sam Perkins 14 as the Tar Heels let a 24-point lead dwindle to one before holding on and advancing to the Championship Game.  North Carolina started the second half on a 15-4 run to extend their lead to 51-27 before the Jayhawks clawed back to 63-62 with a second remaining.  Brandon Rush had 20 points for Kansas, while Sherron Collins was the only other Jayhawk in double figures with 12.  Michael Jordan 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for Carolina.)

1988 Oklahoma 101 - 2005 Illinois 78   Boxscore
(Stacey King continued his run for tournament MVP with 20 points and Mookie Blaylock added 17 points, 6 assists and 6 steals as the Sooners ran past the Illini and into the Championship Game against North Carolina.  Harvey Grant had 12 points and 15 rebounds as Oklahoma held a 41-30 advantage on the boards and forced the experienced Illinois team into 17 turnovers.  Roger Powell Jr. led the Illini with 20 points, but the triumvirate of Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head combined for just 35 points and 8 of the aforementioned turnovers.)

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
1998 Oklahoma 89 - 1982 North Carolina 77   Boxscore
(Mookie Blaylock and Ricky Grace tallied 16 points and 7 assist apiece as the Sooners completed their improbable run with a Championship by defeating the Tar Heels.  The triumvirate of Sam Perkins, Michael Jordan and James Worthy has 20, 17 and 15 points respectively for North Carolina, who led by 3 at halftime but could not overcome 19 turnovers.  Stacey King had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 blocks and was the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.  The Sooners, runner-up in 1988 to Danny and the Miracles, defeated four former champions (Louisville, UNLV, UCLA, and North Carolina) en route to the 30 Year College Basketball Championship.)

NFL - 30 YEAR PLAYOFFS - CHAMPION: 1999 ST. LOUIS RAMS

NFC - First Round
1989 San Francisco 49ers 35 - 1991 Detroit Lions 10   Box
(Roger Craig totals 131 yards and 3 TD's to lead the 49ers over the Lions.  Joe Montana threw for 346 yards and 3 scores and the San Francisco defense held Barry Sanders to 51 yards on 18 carries.)
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 - 1986 New York Giants 3   Box
(The Buccaneer defense suffocated the Giants all day, allowing New York only 217 yards total offense.  Brad Johnson threw 2 TD's and Michael Pittman totaled 111 yards and a TD in the victory)
1996 Green Bay Packers 27 - 2005 Seattle Seahawks 17   Box
(Brett Favre hit on 24 of 29 for 255 yards and a score and the Packers picked off Matt Hasselbeck 3 times.  Shaun Alexander rushed for 146 yards a score in the loss for the Seahawks)
2004 Philadelphia Eagles 27 - 2009 New Orleans Saints 24   Box
(Brian Westbrook ran for 146 yards and the Eagles held off a furious Saints rally to pull off the upset.  The Eagles rush for 234 yards and sack Drew Brees 4 times in the win)
1992 Dallas Cowboys 30 - 2003 Carolina Panthers 27 OT   Box
(Lin Elliott's 42 yard FG in overtime helps the Cowboys survive and advance.  Emmitt Smith totaled 222 yards and 2 scores and Troy Aikman hit Michael Irvin for 22 yards on 3rd in 10 to set-up the game-winner from Elliott)
1999 St. Louis Rams 44 - 1998 Minnesota Vikings 13   Box
(Kurt Warner dissected the Vikings defense for 302 yards and 4 TD's, while Marshall Faulk added 163 yards on the ground and caught a TD in the blowout.  Randall Cunningham threw 2 INT's and Minnesota gave up 492 yards in the loss)
1991 Washington Redskins 21 - 1998 Atlanta Falcons 7   Box
(Earnest Byner rushed for 103 yards and scored 2 TD's as the Redskins D shut down the Falcons all day.  Mark Rypien threw for 2 scores for the winners)
1985 Chicago Bears 45 - 2008 Arizona Cardinals 10   Box
(The Bears out rushed the Cardinals 247-41 in an easy victory.  Walter Payton rushed for 128 yards and 2 TD's, while Jim McMahon had 304 yards and 3 TD's for Chicago)

AFC - First Round
2007 New England Patriots 27 - 1986 Cleveland Browns 20   Box
(Tom Brady threw for 267 yards and 2 TD's as the Patriots held off the Browns.  Bernie Kosar had 304 yards and 3 TD's in the loss, but was sacked 7 times, including twice on the potential game-tying drive)
2006 San Diego Chargers 24 - 1999 Tennessee Titans 16   Box
(LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 174 yards and 2 TD's for the victorious Chargers.  Steve McNair overthrew Eddie George on 4th and 11 with a minute to go to seal the Titans fate)
1988 Cincinnati Bengals 21 - 1983 Los Angeles Raiders 9   Box
(Ickey Woods shuffled for 3 TD's and the Bengals defense held the Raiders to 9 points in the win.  Marcus Allen ran for 147 yards, but Los Angeles made mistake after mistake in Cincinnati territory)
1998 New York Jets 48 - 2006 Indianapolis Colts 27   Box
(Curtis Martin gashed the Colts for 222 yards and 3 TD's, while Leon Johnson added 151 yards and a score on just 9 carries as the Jets shocked the Colts a la Super Bowl III.  Peyton Manning threw 2 TD's in the loss, but could not overcome 388 yards rushing from New York)
1998 Denver Broncos 24 - 2009 Houston Texans 21   Box
(Terrell Davis scored from 12 yards out with 1:29 to play, his second TD of the 4th quarter, to lead the Broncos to victory.  Houston could not muster anything on a final drive and wasted 364 yards passing by Matt Schaub.  John Elway hit Rod Smith for 15 yards on 4th and 8 prior to the winner from Davis)
2008 Pittsburgh Steelers 19 - 1990 Buffalo Bills 0   Box
(The Steelers defense held Buffalo to 184 total yards and pitched a shutout on the high-powered Bills offense.  Jeff Reed kicked 4 FG's and Willie Parker had the lone TD in the win)
1999 Jacksonville Jaguars 27 - 1984 Miami Dolphins 24   Box
(Mike Hollis hit a 54 yard FG as time expired as the Jaguars shocked the Dolphins in the first round.  Jacksonville rushed for 232 yards and Mark Brunell passed for a pair of TD's and also hit two passed for 42 yards to set-up Hollis for the game-winner)
2000 Baltimore Ravens 62 - 2003 Kansas City Chiefs 10   Box
(Jamal Lewis ran for 210 yards and 4 TD's as the Ravens thumped the Chiefs.  In an oddity, Priest Holmes the Raven outgained Priest Holmes the Chief 126-50 as Baltimore tallied 384 yards rushing)


NFC - Second Round
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19 - 1989 San Francisco 49ers 14   Box
(Mike Alstott's 3 yard touchdown plunge with 1:40 left lifted Tampa Bay to a surprise victory over the 49ers in Round 2.  Joe Montana drove San Francisco to the Tampa 30, but was sacked on 4th and 6 to end the hopes of San Fran.  Michael Pittman ran for 109 yards, including a key 40 yard scamper on the game-winning touchdown drive.  The 49ers were held to 198 yards total offense and 1.9 YPC in the defeat)

1996 Green Bay Packers 31 - 2004 Philadelphia Eagles 20   Box
(Brett Favre threw for 216 yards and 3 TD's, including two to Antonio Freeman and the Packers clipped the Eagles to advance to play Tampa Bay.  The Green Bay defense held Philadelphia to 267 yards of total offense and sacked Donovan McNabb 4 times in the win.  The Eagles scored 17 points in the 4th to make the game close, but did not have enough to move on)

1999 St. Louis Rams 21 - 1992 Dallas Cowboys 17   Box
(Justin Watson became an unlikely hero scoring from 11 yards out with 1:10 to play and vaulting the Rams to a mild upset over the Cowboys and into the Quarterfinals.  Dallas drove to the St. Louis 13 before a Kevin Carter sack derailed the potential game-winning drive.  Kurt Warner threw for 207 yard and 2 scores for the winners, while Michael Irvin had 175 yards receiving and a score for Dallas)

1985 Chicago Bears 16 - 1991 Washington Redskins 12   Box
(Jim McMahon hit Willie Gault on a 7 yard TD pass early in the 4th quarter for the only touchdown of the day to lead the Bears over the Redskins in a defensive battle.  Walter Payton ground out 81 rushing yards setting up three Kevin Butler FG's.  Chip Lohmiller kicked four FG's for the 'Skins to provide their only points of the day)

AFC - Second Round
2007 New England Patriots 24 - 2006 San Diego Chargers 23   Box
(Tom Brady hit Jabar Gaffney with an 11-yard TD pass with 32 seconds left to vault the Patriots into the Quarterfinals.  Brady passed for 253 yards and 2 TD's, and made three key plays on the game-winning drive.  First he hit Wes Welker for 5 yards on 4th and 1 to keep the drive alive, then hit Randy Moss with a big 31-yard gain that set-up the TD to Gaffney.  LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 129 yards for the Chargers but it wasn't enough)

1998 New York Jets 23 - 1988 Cincinnati Bengals 22   Box
(John Hall kicked a 27-yard FG as time expired and the Jets continued their surprising run with a victory over the Bengals.  Aaron Glenn intercepted a Boomer Esiason pass with 1:48 to go and Vinny Testaverde led the Jets on a 9 play 57 yard drive culminating in the Hall FG.  Curtis Martin rushed for 112 yards and a TD for New York.  Jim Breech kicked 5 FG's in the losing effort for Cincinnati)

2008 Pittsburgh Steelers 23 - 1998 Denver Broncos 15   Box
(Ben Roethlisberger outplayed John Elway to lead the Steelers over the Broncos and into the NFL Quarterfinals.  Roethlisberger passed for 234 yards and 2 first half scores as Pittsburgh led 17-0 at the break.  Elway threw for only 91 yards on the day and his only TD came with 1:21 to play in the game.  Pittsburgh recovered the ensuing on-side kick and ran out the clock)

2000 Baltimore Ravens 13 - 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars 9   Box
(The relentless Raven defense held the Jaguars to 193 total yards and Kim Herring intercepted Mark Brunell twice as the Ravens scored enough to support the defense and advance.  Obafemi Ayanbadejo barreled in from 2 yards out in the second quarter for the only TD of the day.  The Jaguars got to the Raven 32 on their final possession, but a Peter Boulware sack of Brunell put a nail in the Jaguars)


NFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
1996 Green Bay Packers 20 - 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7   Box
(Andre Rison took a quick screen pass 91 yards for a touchdown on Green Bay's 2nd offensive play and the Packers never looked back in advancing to the NFC Championship Game.  Brett Favre added a 2nd TD pass to Don Beebe later in the first quarter and ended the day 14-26 for 278 yards and zero interceptions.  The Buccaneers closed the gap to 14-7 on a 2 yard TD pass from Brad Johnson to Keenan McCardell, but Tampa was held out of the endzone the rest of the day.)

1999 St. Louis Rams 20 - 1985 Chicago Bears 10   Box
(Arguably the greatest offensive force in the last 30 years won out over arguably the greatest defensive force.  Marshall Faulk escaped the Bears defense for two long TD runs and the Rams advanced to the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay.  For the day, Faulk had 110 yards on 18 carries, but he was bottled up for most of the day except for the two defining plays.  Faulk took a hand-off 52 yards for the games first TD in the 2nd quarter and put away a 13-3 game in the 4th quarter with a 23 yard TD scamper.  The Bears finally got a TD on a 66 yard pass from Jim McMahon to Willie Gault, but had no offensive answers in the games first 55 minutes)

AFC DIVISONAL PLAYOFFS
2007 New England Patriots 30 - 1999 New York Jets 27 OT   Box
(Stephen Gostkowski connected on a 35 yard FG in overtime to vault the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game.  Tom Brady threw for 283 yards and 2 TD's, both to Wes Welker for New England.  Vinny Testaverde had 4 TD passes to keep the Jets in the game, including a 15 yarder to Wayne Chrebet with 6:39 to play to tie the game at 27.  Both teams went 3 and out on their first OT possession before the Patriots marched 39 yards to set-up Gostkowski's game-winner.)

2008 Pittsburgh Steelers 14 - 2000 Baltimore Ravens 10   Box
(One-third of the Steelers yards came on one play, but that was the play they needed to advance to the AFC Championship against New England.  Ben Roethlisberger connected with Hines Ward on a 79 yard TD catch and run to give the Steelers a 14-10 lead early in the 3rd quarter, a margin that stood-up over the final 26 minutes.  Tony Banks hit Shannon Sharpe from 17 yards out on Baltimore's first possession, but that would be the last TD of the day for the Ravens.)


NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
1999 St. Louis Rams 37 - 1996 Green Bay Packers 23   Box
(Kurt Warner threw for 256 yards and two long TD passes and the Rams scored the last 20 points and downed the Packers to advance to the NFL Championship.  Warner hit Marshall Faulk for a 71 yard score and then Torry Holt for a 66 yard score, Holt's putting the Rams ahead for good 30-23 on the last play of the third quarter.  Brett Favre was intercepted 3 times for Green Bay, who could only muster 281 yards of offense.  Marshall Faulk had 78 yards rushing and 103 receiving for St. Louis.)

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
2008 Pittsburgh Steelers 29 - 2007 New England Patriots 27   Box
(Jeff Reed's 38 yard field goal as time expired sent the Steelers over the Patriots and into the NFL Championship Game against St. Louis.  Tom Brady had put the Patriots ahead 27-26 with a 15 yard TD pass to Jabar Gaffney with 1:40 to play, but Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker led the Steelers 56 yards to set-up Reed's game-winner, his 5th FG of the day.  Roehtlisberger finished the day with 260 yards passing and 2 TD's, while the Pittsburgh defense held Tom Brady to just 154 yards passing and New England to just 265 yards total offense.  The defensive effort appeared to be wasted after the Gaffney TD, but the Steelers had one more scoring drive left in them.)

NFL CHAMPIONSHIP
1999 St. Louis Rams 16 - 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers 14   Box
(The "Greatest Show of Turf" relied on a surprisingly suffocating defense and the St. Louis Rams knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the 30 Year NFL Championship.  The Rams defense held the Steelers to 247 total yards and intercepted Ben Roethlisberger 3 times.  The St. Louis offense could only muster 226 yards on the day and did not break into the end zone until Marshall Faulk ran in from 14 yards with 2:15 seconds to play.  The Rams won the field position battle in the first half, but had to settle for 2 Jeff Wilkins FG's and a 6-0 halftime lead.  Pittsburgh broke on top on the 2nd play of the fourth quarter on a TD pass from Roethlisberger to Mewelde Moore.  St. Louis responded with a drive culminating in Wilkins 3rd FG of the day to make it 9-7.  After the Steelers punted, the Rams took it 50 yards, with Faulk covering the final 14 to make it 16-7.  Pittsburgh scored a TD on the games final play to account for the final margin.)

Thursday, December 9, 2010

COLLEGE FOOTBALL - 14 YEAR TOURNAMENT - CHAMPION: 2008 FLORIDA GATORS

East Region - First Round
2009 TCU 32 - 1998 Arizona 7   Box
(Ross Evans kicks 6 FG's and the Horned Frogs defense is stingy in a rout of the Wildcats)
2007 Boston College 14 - 2004 Auburn 10   Box
(Matt Ryan throws for 325 yards and 2 TD's, including the go-ahead TD to Rich Gunnell with 6:57 left in the fourth to propel the Eagles)
1998 Air Force 47 - 1998 UCLA 34   Box
(The Falcons outrush the Bruins 462-76 to pull off the upset)
2002 Iowa 27 - 2003 Kansas State 10   Box
(Brad Banks throws for 3 TD's and the Hawkeyes hold the Wildcats to 273 yards in the victory)

South Region - First Round
2006 Rutgers 41 - 1996 Northwestern 20   Box
(Ray Rice carries 34 times for 214 yards and 2 TD's to lead the Scarlett Knights)
2006 Boise State 28 - 2009 Oklahoma State 23   Box
(Ian Johnson rushes for 141 yards and 2 TD's as the Broncos hold off the Cowboys)
2007 Missouri 40 - 1998 Tulane 30   Box
(Jeremy Maclin catches and rushes for a score as the Tigers win a shootout)
1997 Washington State 28 - 2002 Georgia 19   Box
(Michael Black totals 116 yards and 3 scores for the Cougars in an upset of the favored Bulldogs)

Midwest Region - First Round
2005 Notre Dame 28 - 1998 Texas A and M 13   Box
(The Fighting Irish erupt for 3 fourth quarter TD's to put away the Aggies)
2000 Washington 20 - 2001 South Carolina 17   Box
(The Huskies ride 80 yards and a TD from Rich Alexis to squeak past the Gamecocks)
1996 BYU 44 - 2000 Purdue 9   Box
(Steve Sarkisian goes 22-26 for 283 yards and 3 TD's leading a Cougar rout of the Boilermakers)
2004 California 49 - 2009 Georgia Tech 17   Box
(J.J. Arrington erupts for 282 yards and 4 TD's as the Golden Bears cruise)

West Region - First Round
2008 Texas Tech 50 - 2006 Arkansas 33   Box
(Graham Harrell passes for 352 yards and 5 TD's as the Red Raiders score 33 first half points)
1999 Wisconsin 46 - 2004 Pittsburgh 14   Box
(Ron Dayne plows for 182 yards and 4 TD's to spearhead a Badger rout of the Panthers)
1999 Virginia Tech 68 - 2007 Illinois 7   Box
(Michael Vick totals 5 TD's [3 rushing, 2 passing] and the Hokies destroy the Fightless Illini)
2009 Oregon 37 - 2007 Hawaii 3   Box
(LaMichael James total 172 yards and TD on the ground and the Ducks stifle the high-powered Rainbows)

East Region - Second Round
2009 TCU 22 - 2005 Texas 20   Box
(A frustrating day ended just short of the goal line for Vince Young and the Longhorns were stunned by the Horned Frogs in Round 2.  Young's run for the game-tying 2-point conversion was stopped just short and TCU recovered the ensuing on-side kick to seal the victory)
2007 Boston College 20 - 2005 Penn State 14   Box
(Matt Ryan threw for 397 yards and 2 first quarter TD's and the Eagles upset the Nittany Lions to advance to the Sweet 16.  Despite being outgained 198-71 on the ground, B.C. dominated the time of possession and rode Ryan's arm to victory)
2001 Miami FL 70 - 1998 Air Force 6   Box
(Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, and Frank Gore combined for 327 yards and 6 TD's as the Hurricanes were the first team with a bye to breakthrough in the region.  Ken Dorsey threw 4 TD's as the Falcons had no answers from the start)
1998 Tennessee 41 - 2002 Iowa 13   Box
(Travis Stephens and Travis Henry each went over 100 yards rushing and Jamal Lewis added two TD runs and the Volunteers blew past the Hawkeyes and into Round 3)

South Region - Second Round
2009 Alabama 35 - 2006 Rutgers 13   Box
(Mark Ingram gave the Tide the lead for good with a 73 yard TD scamper and finished the day with 194 yards and 2 TD's.  Ray Rice tallied 157 yards rushing and a score for Rutgers who could not capitalize on four Alabama turnovers)
2006 Boise State 41 - 1996 Arizona State 35   Box
(Jake Plummer overthrew Steve Bush on fourth down with 1:18 to play and the Broncos rode the big-play legs of Ian Johnson to the mild upset.  Johnson scored on TD runs of 79, 72 and 45 yards while totaling 282 yards on the day.  Plummer had 3 TD passes in the loss for the Sun Devils)
1997 Michigan 38 - 2007 Missouri 14   Box
(Brian Griese tossed 2 first quarter TD passes and Chris Howard ran for 154 yards and 2 scores as the Wolverines downed the Tigers.  The Michigan defense harassed Chase Daniel all day and held the Tigers to just 243 yards of offense)
1999 Florida State 44 - 1997 Washington State 37   Box
(The Seminoles raced to a 34-7 halftime lead and hung on for dear life to beat the pesky Cougars and advance to face Michigan.  Peter Warrick had 189 yards receiving and 2 TD's while Travis Minor added tow TD's on the ground for FSU.  Ryan Leaf threw 3 TD's and Washington State had 575 yards of offense but ran out of time against the Seminoles)

Midwest Region - Second Round
2005 Notre Dame 38 - 2002 Ohio State 21   Box
(The Buckeyes became the second top seed to fall as the Irish got 170 yards and a score on the ground from Darius Walker and 3 TD passes from Brady Quinn to pull the shocker.  Craig Krenzel threw 2 INT's and had a miserable game as OSU fell behind 21-0 and could never get even with Notre Dame)
2005 West Virginia 37 - 2000 Washington 21   Box
(Steve Slaton gashed the Huskies defense for 293 yards and 2 TD's and the Mountaineers ran for 451 yards in disposing of Washington in Round 2.  Rich Alexis and Willie Hurst each ran for 100 yards for the losers, but Slaton was too much and West Virginia advances)
1996 BYU 31 - 2003 LSU 28   Box
(Ryan Gaudet had a day to forget, missing 3 FG's and an XP in the Tigers 3 point loss to the Cougars.  BYU stunned LSU with 28 second quarter points and then held on to pull another second round upset)
2000 Oklahoma 21 - 2004 California 13   Box
(There will be better days for Aaron Rodgers.  The Cal QB threw 2 INT's and could only direct the high-powered Bears offense to 13 points.  Josh Heupel threw for 325 yards and a couple scores as the Sooners smothered California and moved to Round 3)

West Region - First Round
2004 USC 76 - 2008 Texas Tech 20   Box
(LenDale White lumbered for 230 yards and 5 TD's and the Trojans intercepted Graham Harrell 6 times and pummeled the Red Raiders.  Matt Leinart added 312 yards passing and 4 TD's as the Trojans eclipsed 700 yards of offense and dash into the 3rd Round)
2008 Utah 30 - 1999 Wisconsin 10   Box
(Utah outgained the vaunted Badger rushing attack 269-195 and cruised to a victory over Wisconsin.  QB Brian Johnson hit 17 of 21 passes for 160 yards and a score as the Utes move on to face the Trojans)
1997 Nebraska 20 - 1999 Virginia Tech 12   Box
(One pass is all it took.  Ahman Green scored on TD runs of 62 and 50 and Nebraska completed the only pass they attempted in dismissing the Hokies.  Virginia Tech could only muster 4 Shayne Graham FG's after scoring 68 points in Round 1)
2008 Florida 45 - 2009 Oregon 21   Box
(Midway through the 3rd quarter the Ducks were sitting pretty - then the Gators started chomping.  Florida finished the game with 35 unanswered points after Oregon took a 21-10 lead.  Percy Harvin ran for 155 yards and scored on 2 long TD runs, while Tim Tebow scored 2 short TD's to pull the Gators through to Round 3)


East Region Semifinals
2009 TCU 16 - 2007 Boston College 0   Box
(Andy Dalton hit Logan Brock with a 17 yard TD pass in the 1st quarter for the games only TD and the Horned Frogs defense pitched a shutout as TCU advances to the East Region Final with a dominating performance.  Matt Ryan was just 17-37 for 167 yards and was intercepted twice as the TCU defense frustrated him all day.  Dalton finished with 214 yards passing and the TD to Brock)
2001 Miami FL 28 - 1998 Tennessee 10   Box
(Ken Dorsey threw for 293 yards and a 2 yard TD to Willis McGahee and the Hurricane defense used a bend but don't break approach to thrust Miami into an East Region Final matchup with TCU.  Clinton Portis had 112 yards of total offense and a 5 yard TD run for the Hurricanes, who also got 5 FG from Todd Sievers.  Jeff Hall missed 3 FG's for Tennessee that could have kept them in the game)

South Region Semifinals
2009 Alabama 34 - 2006 Boise State 6   Box
(Boise State - meet Mark Ingram.  Ingram ran for 159 yards and three TD's and added a fourth score on a 41 yard TD catch and the Crimson Tide cruised into the South Region Final.  Greg McElroy was an efficient 15-20 passing for 169 yards and the TD to Ingram.  Boise State could only muster 221 yards total offense and two field goals against the Tide defense)
1997 Michigan 27 - 1999 Florida State 13   Box
(Brian Griese tossed 3 touchdown passes and the Wolverines chopped down the Seminoles and advanced to play Alabama in the South Region Final.  Chris Weinke had a forgettable day for Florida State, hitting just 16 of 44 passes with two interceptions.  Chris Howard ground out 128 yards for Michigan who held Florida State to just 70 yards rushing on the day)

Midwest Region Semifinals
2005 Notre Dame 28 - 2005 West Virginia 23   Box
(Chinedum Ndukwe intercepted a Pat White pass in the end zone with 32 seconds remaining as the Fighting Irish staved off the Mountaineers and forged into the Midwest Region Final.  Darius Walker ran for 130 yards and 2 TD's for Notre Dame, who also got 242 yards passing and 2 scores from Brady Quinn.  West Virginia rushed for 276 yards, but had to settle for 3 FG's while the Irish were able to cash in touchdowns)
2000 Oklahoma 27 - 1996 BYU 7   Box
(Quentin Griffin exploded for 213 yards rushing and 4 TD's as the Sooners ran past the Cougars into the Midwest Region Final against Notre Dame.  Oklahoma ran for 333 yards as a team, with Renaldo Works adding 111 to Griffin's superb day.  Steve Sarkisian threw for 296 yards in the losing effort, but was intercepted 3 times as BYU never posed a threat)

West Region Semifinals
2004 USC 44 - 2008 Utah 20   Box
(Matt Leinart threw for 366 yards and 5 scores and the Trojan offense marched their way into the West Region Final with a victory over the Utes.  Utah kept the game within reach, rushing for 283 yards and cashing in 2 touchdowns.  After Utah cut the score to 17-14 early in the 2nd quarter, Leinart and Steve Smith took over with 3 TD's between the duo as the Trojans eventually pulled away for the victory)
2008 Florida 31 - 1997 Nebraska 27   Box
(Jeffery Demps broke through the Cornhusker defense for a 70 yard TD run with 1:41 to play and the Gators defense made it hold up as Florida squeaked into the West Region Final against USC.  Ahman Green ran for 234 yards and 2 scores, including a go-ahead TD with 2:28 to play before Demps heroics.  For the day, Nebraska gashed the Gator run defense for 394 yards, but had to settle for 4 FG's that kept Florida in the game)

EAST REGION FINAL
2001 Miami, FL 24 - 2009 TCU 17   Box
(Clinton Portis scored on a 1 yard TD plunge in overtime as the Hurricanes survived a stern test from the Horned Frogs but advanced to the Final Four.  TCU got the ball first in overtime, but Andy Dalton was intercepted by Phillip Buchanan on the first play and Miami marched it in culminating with the Portis run.  For the day, Portis rushed for 195 yards and 2 TD's.  Edward Wesley scored 2 TD's for TCU, as both teams struggled passing all day.  Dalton ended with 3 INT's, his last the most costly.)

SOUTH REGION FINAL
2009 Alabama 21 - 1997 Michigan 13   Box
(A defensive struggle turned on three key plays, as Alabama downed Michigan despite being outgained 350-141.  Javier Arenas was responsible for two of the plays, returning a first quarter punt to the Michigan 3 where Trent Richardson took it in one play later.  Arenas also set up a FG with an interception at the Michigan 20.  Mark Ingram finished off the big plays with a 35 yard TD scamper in the 3rd and the Crimson Tide held off the Wolverines to set-up a Final Four match-up with Miami FL.  Chris Howard was the offensive bright spot of the day with 187 yards on the ground for Michigan, but the Wolverines last gasp was halted with 44 seconds left as they turned it over on downs.)

MIDWEST REGION FINAL
2000 Oklahoma 27 - 2005 Notre Dame 19   Box
(Oklahoma erupted for 21 second quarter points and held on to beat Notre Dame and advance to the Final Four.  Josh Heupel threw for 313 yards and 2 scores and the Sooner defense intercepted Brady Quinn 3 times in the win.  The Fighting Irish got 71 yards and 2 TD's on the ground from Travis Thomas, but 4 turnovers and a missed FG proved too much to overcome.)

WEST REGION FINAL
2008 Florida 35 - 2004 USC 20   Box
(Florida scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to stun the Trojans and advance to play Oklahoma in the Final Four.  Jeffrey Demps ran for 3 second half scores as the Gators pounded the USC defense for 428 yards on the ground.  USC was staked to a 20-7 halftime lead with a balanced attack.  Matt Leinart threw for 236 yards and LenDale White ran for 158 as the Trojans looked strong early.  The Gators were much too strong despite only 2 completed passes all day by Tim Tebow)

FINAL FOUR
2009 Alabama 22 - 2001 Miami, FL 21   Box
(Alabama came from 21-13 down in the 4th quarter and Leigh Tiffin's 29 yard FG with 4:14 left provided the winning score as the Crimson Tide nipped the Hurricanes and advanced to the Championship Game.  Mark Ingram rushed for 182 yards and a 5 yard TD that cut the Miami lead to 21-19 with 12:58 left.  Two possessions later Tiffin kicked the game-winner.  Clinton Portis ran for 177 yards and a TD for the Hurricanes, but Todd Sievers missed two FG's that proved costly in the end for Miami.)

2008 Florida 36 - 2000 Oklahoma 7   Box
(Trailing 13-7 with 8 minutes left, the Sooners had the Gators pinned on their own 10 after a punt.  5 plays later Chris Rainey broke through for a 65 yard TD run and the Gators added 16 more points in the final 6 minutes to thrash Oklahoma and set-up an all-SEC Title Game against Alabama.  Rainey ran for 102 yards and 2 scores and Major Wright returned an interception 75 yards for the Gators.  Despite 368 yards of offense, the Sooners could only muster a 36 yard TD from Quentin Griffin to open the scoring.  Florida scored the final 36 points as the Sooners turned the ball over 4 times in the rout.)

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
2008 Florida 31 - 2009 Alabama 24   Box
(Tim Tebow connected with Louis Murphy on a 15 yard TD with 58 seconds remaining to crown Florida as the 14 year College Football Tournament Champion.  Alabama was unable to move the ball on the ensuing possession and a Greg McElroy pass fell incomplete on 4th and 15 allowing Florida to take the title.  Jeffery Demps scored two long TD's, a 55 yard catch and run to open the scoring and a 40 yard scamper to even the score at 24.  Alabama roared back with 21 unanswered points after falling behind 14-0, but could not hold the lead against the big-play Gators.  Tebow finished with 194 yards passing and 2 TD's, while his counterpart McElroy had 218 and 2 scores.  Florida won the title by defeating 4 former undefeated National Champions in their last 4 games (Nebraska, USC, Oklahoma and Alabama).)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

NBA - 30 YEAR PLAYOFFS - CHAMPION: 1995-96 CHICAGO BULLS

Eastern Conference - First Round
1999-00 Indiana Pacers defeat 1993-94 New York Knicks 4 games to 2
Game 1:  New York 107, Indiana 104   Box
Game 2:  Indiana 123, New York 105   Box
Game 3:  Indiana 104, New York 91     Box
Game 4:  Indiana 105, New York 102   Box
Game 5:  New York 95, Indiana 88       Box
Game 6:  Indiana 106, New York 98     Box

Indiana:  Reggie Miller 18.2 ppg, 13-28 3-pointers, Mark Jackson 15.5 ppg, 7.8 apg
New York:  Patrick Ewing 25.5 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 4.0 bpg, John Starks 15.0 ppg, 7.2 apg

2005-06 Miami Heat defeat 1986-87 Atlanta Hawks 4 games to 1
Game 1:  Miami 107, Atlanta 98     Box
Game 2:  Miami 105, Atlanta 100   Box
Game 3:  Miami 128, Atlanta 103   Box
Game 4:  Atlanta 94, Miami 92       Box
Game 5:  Miami 119, Atlanta 100   Box

Miami:  Shaquille O'Neal 22.8 ppg, 9.6 ppg, 2.6 bpg, Dwyane Wade 21.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.0 apg
Atlanta:  Dominique Wilkins 22.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, Doc Rivers 11.8 ppg, 8.2 apg

1994-95 Orlando Magic defeat 2000-01 Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 1
Game 1:  Orlando 121, Milwaukee 106   Box
Game 2:  Orlando 122, Milwaukee 86     Box
Game 3:  Orlando 108, Milwaukee 99     Box
Game 4:  Milwaukee 117, Orlando 108   Box
Game 5:  Orlando 106, Milwaukee 84     Box

Orlando:  Shaquille O'Neal 24.6 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 3.0 bpg, Anfernee Hardaway 19.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.6 apg
Milwaukee:  Glenn Robinson 21.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, Ray Allen 19.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.8 apg

2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers defeat 2002-03 New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0
Game 1:  Cleveland 105, New Jersey 95     Box
Game 2:  Cleveland 107, New Jersey 91     Box
Game 3:  Cleveland 123, New Jersey 113   Box
Game 4:  Cleveland 87, New Jersey 80       Box

Cleveland:  LeBron James 28.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 6.5 apg, Zydrunas Ilgauskas 13.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg
New Jersey:  Jason Kidd 18.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 9.3 apg, Kerry Kittles 16.8 ppg, 10-22 3-pointers

Western Conference - First Round
2005-06 Dallas Mavericks defeat 2001-02 Sacramento Kings 4 games to 3
Game 1:  Dallas 104, Sacramento 95     Box
Game 2:  Sacramento 105, Dallas 102   Box
Game 3:  Sacramento 106, Dallas 97     Box
Game 4:  Sacramento 110, Dallas 99     Box
Game 5:  Dallas 109, Sacramento 107   Box
Game 6:  Dallas 102, Sacramento 86     Box
Game 7:  Dallas 103, Sacramento 93     Box

Dallas:  Dirk Nowitzki 23.4 ppg, 11 rpg, 11-21 3-pointers, Josh Howard 18.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Sacramento:  Chris Webber 22 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 4.0 apg, Peja Stojokovic 16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 14-26 3's

1996-97 Utah Jazz defeat 1991-92 Golden State Warriors 4 games to 1
Game 1:  Utah 117, Golden State 97     Box
Game 2:  Utah 95, Golden State 94       Box
Game 3:  Utah 151, Golden State 149  2OT   Box
Game 4:  Golden State 102, Utah 99     Box
Game 5:  Utah 119, Golden State 107   Box

Utah:  Karl Malone 33.2 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 6.0 apg, John Stockton 15.8 ppg, 9.6 apg
Golden State:  Chris Mullin 23.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, Tim Hardaway 23.2 ppg, 8.8 apg

1992-93 Phoenix Suns defeat 2003-04 Minnesota Timberwolves 4 games to 2
Game 1:  Phoenix 110, Minnesota 100   Box
Game 2:  Phoenix 105, Minnesota 85     Box
Game 3:  Phoenix 114, Minnesota 105   Box
Game 4:  Minnesota 108, Phoenix 99     Box
Game 5:  Minnesota 109, Phoenix 99     Box
Game 6:  Phoenix 107, Minnesota 95     Box

Phoenix:  Charles Barkley 22.7 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 5.2 apg, Kevin Johnson 15.5 ppg, 7.2 apg
Minnesota:  Kevin Garnett 20.0 ppg, 16.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.5 spg, 1.3 bpg, Sam Cassell 20.5 ppg, 7.3 apg

1995-96 Seattle Supersonics defeat 1984-85 Denver Nuggets 4 games to 3
Game 1:  Seattle 124, Denver 108   Box
Game 2:  Seattle 119, Denver 96     Box
Game 3:  Denver 134, Seattle 119   Box
Game 4:  Seattle 136, Denver 127   Box
Game 5:  Denver 126, Seattle 123   Box
Game 6:  Denver 115, Seattle 112   Box
Game 7:  Seattle 119, Denver 109   Box

Seattle:  Gary Payton 22.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 8.1 apg, Shawn Kemp 16.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg, Hersey Hawkins 20.3 ppg, 19-39 3's
Denver:  Alex English 24.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, Calvin Natt 22.1 ppg, 10.9 rpg, Fat Lever 13.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.1 apg

Eastern Conference - Second Round
1995-96 Chicago Bulls defeat 1999-00 Indiana Pacers 4 games to 3
Game 1:  Chicago 106, Indiana 92      Box
Game 2:  Chicago 110, Indiana 80      Box
Game 3:  Indiana 107, Chicago 96      Box
Game 4:  Indiana 95, Chicago 89        Box
Game 5:  Chicago 105, Indiana 96      Box
Game 6:  Indiana 108, Chicago 101    Box
Game 7:  Chicago 113, Indiana 102    Box

Chicago:  Michael Jordan 27.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, Scottie Pippen 20.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 6.6 apg, Dennis Rodman 7.3 ppg, 17.1 rpg, 3.0 apg
Indiana:  Reggie Miller 14.7 ppg, 16-40 3-pointers, Jalen Rose 17.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 5.3 apg

2005-06 Miami Heat defeat 1988-89 Detroit Pistons 4 games to 0
Game 1:  Miami 115, Detroit 107          Box
Game 2:  Miami 126, Detroit 115 OT    Box
Game 3:  Miami 106, Detroit 99            Box
Game 4:  Miami 135, Detroit 130 OT    Box

Miami:  Dwyane Wade 28.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 8.5 apg, Shaquille O'Neal 25.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.8 apg
Detroit:  Isaiah Thomas 22.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 9.8 apg, Bill Laimbeer 14.2 ppgit:  Isaiah Thomas 22.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 9.8 apg, Bill Laimbeer 14.2 ppg, 13.8 rpg, Joe Dumars 16.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.5 apg

1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers defeat 1994-95 Orlando Magic 4 games to 1
Game 1:  Philadelphia 107, Orlando 106    Box
Game 2:  Philadelphia 118, Orlando 109    Box
Game 3:  Philadelphia 120, Orlando 110    Box
Game 4:  Orlando 140, Philadelphia 130    Box
Game 5:  Philadelphia 126, Orlando 117    Box

Philadelphia:  Moses Malone 24.4 ppg, 20.0 rpg, Julius Erving 22.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.2 apg, Maurice Cheeks 15.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 10.6 apg, Andrew Toney 24.2 ppg
Orlando:  Shaquille O'Neal 25.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, Anfernee Hardaway 25.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 9.0 apg, Horace Grant 13.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 4.2 apg

2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers defeat 1985-86 Boston Celtics 4 games to 2
Game 1:  Boston 107, Cleveland 96      Box
Game 2:  Cleveland 101, Boston 80      Box
Game 3:  Cleveland 95, Boston 90        Box
Game 4:  Cleveland 122, Boston 94      Box
Game 5:  Boston 132, Cleveland 128    Box
Game 6:  Cleveland 120, Boston 96      Box

Cleveland:  LeBron James 28.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.7 apg, Drew Gooden 11.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg
Boston:  Larry Bird 24.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 6.2 apg, Robert Parish 14.7 ppg, 11.3 rpg, Kevin McHale 17.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg

Western Conference - Second Round
1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers defeat 2005-06 Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 2
Game 1:  Dallas 122, Los Angeles 91      Box
Game 2:  Los Angeles 112, Dallas 111    Box
Game 3:  Dallas 121, Los Angeles 108    Box
Game 4:  Los Angeles 105, Dallas 96      Box
Game 5:  Los Angeles 114, Dallas 111    Box
Game 6:  Los Angeles 118, Dallas 108    Box

Los Angeles:  Magic Johnson 20.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 11.7 apg, James Worthy 16.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 15.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, Byron Scott 17.3 ppg
Dallas:  Dirk Nowitzki 25.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, Josh Howard 15.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, Jason Terry 20.8 ppg

1996-97 Utah Jazz defeat 1991-92 Portland Trailblazers 4 games to 2
Game 1:  Utah 107, Portland 106        Box
Game 2:  Portland 110, Utah 107 OT  Box
Game 3:  Utah 109, Portland 102        Box
Game 4:  Portland 101, Utah 100        Box
Game 5:  Utah 107, Portland 106        Box
Game 6:  Utah 118, Portland 97          Box

Utah:  Karl Malone 29.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.3 apg, John Stockton 15.8 ppg, 10.0 apg, Jeff Hornacek 14.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.3 apg
Portland:  Clyde Drexler 28.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.5 apg, Terry Porter 21.5 ppg, 4.7 apg

1992-93 Phoenix Suns defeat 1994-95 Houston Rockets 4 games to 3
Game 1:  Houston 125, Phoenix 122    Box
Game 2:  Phoenix 116, Houston 107    Box
Game 3:  Phoenix 122, Houston 113    Box
Game 4:  Houston 110, Phoenix 94      Box
Game 5:  Phoenix 115, Houston 112    Box
Game 6:  Houston 118, Phoenix 108    Box
Game 7:  Phoenix 121, Houston 104    Box

Phoenix:  Charles Barkley 24.3 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 6.1 apg, Kevin Johnson 12.9 ppg, 7.4 apg, Dan Majerle 17.4 ppg
Houston:  Hakeem Olajuwon 28.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.9 bpg, 1.6 spg, Clyde Drexler 18.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 5.9 apg, Otis Thorpe 13.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg

1995-96 Seattle Supersonics defeat 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 2
Game 1:  Seattle 103, San Antonio 83     Box
Game 2:  San Antonio 108, Seattle 106   Box
Game 3:  Seattle 102, San Antonio 90     Box  
Game 4:  San Antonio 104, Seattle 98     Box
Game 5:  Seattle 107, San Antonio 97     Box
Game 6:  Seattle 105, San Antonio 95     Box

Seattle:  Gary Payton 17.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.7 apg, 2.8 spg, Shawn Kemp 17.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg, Hersey Hawkins 16.3 ppg
San Antonio:  Tim Duncan 20.2 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 5.2 apg, 3.3 bpg, Tony Parker 12.2 ppg, 6.2 apg, David Robinson 10.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg


NBA Conference Semifinals (to be played)
2005-06 Miami Heat vs 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers vs 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers
1996-97 Utah Jazz vs 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers
1995-96 Seattle Supersonics vs 1992-93 Phoenix Suns


EAST CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
1995-96 Chicago Bulls defeat 2005-06 Miami Heat 4 games to 0
Game 1:  Chicago 111, Miami 101    Box
Game 2:  Chicago 109, Miami 97      Box
Game 3:  Chicago 96, Miami 91        Box
Game 4:  Chicago 96, Miami 93        Box

Chicago:  Michael Jordan 27.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, Scottie Pippen 21.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, Dennis Rodman 7.5 ppg, 13.8 rpg
Miami:  Dwyane Wade 23.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 6.5 apg, Shaquille O'Neal 19.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg, Jason Williams 14.8 ppg, 4.3 apg

1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers defeat 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1
Game 1:  Cleveland 109, Philadelphia 102    Box
Game 2:  Philadelphia 111, Cleveland 102    Box
Game 3:  Philadelphia 101, Cleveland 90      Box
Game 4:  Philadelphia 111, Cleveland 109    Box
Game 5:  Philadelphia 111, Cleveland 101    Box

Philadelphia:  Moses Malone 22.2 ppg, 18.0 rpg, Julius Erving 17.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg, Maurice Cheeks 14.4 ppg, 7.4 apg, Andrew Toney 19.2 ppg
Cleveland:  LeBron James 30.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 6.8 apg, Larry Hughes 12.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, Drew Gooden 11.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
1996-97 Utah Jazz defeat 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2
Game 1:  Los Angeles 114, Utah 102    Box
Game 2:  Los Angeles 114, Utah 107    Box
Game 3:  Utah 120, Los Angeles 114    Box
Game 4:  Utah 128, Los Angeles 112    Box
Game 5:  Utah 99, Los Angeles 92        Box
Game 6:  Utah 99, Los Angeles 80        Box

Utah:  Karl Malone 32.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.0 apg, John Stockton 14.2 ppg, 12.2 apg, 2.0 spg, Jeff Hornacek 12.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.0 apg
Los Angeles:  Magic Johnson 22.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 10.2 apg, 2.3 spg, James Worthy 15.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, Byron Scott 15.8 ppg, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg

1992-93 Phoenix Suns defeat 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics 4 games to 1
Game 1:  Phoenix 118, Seattle 100    Box
Game 2:  Seattle 116, Phoenix 106    Box
Game 3:  Phoenix 118, Seattle 114    Box
Game 4:  Phoenix 107, Seattle 98      Box
Game 5:  Phoenix 103, Seattle 101    Box

Phoenix:  Charles Barkley 24.4 ppg, 14.2 rpg, 4.0 apg, Kevin Johnson 14.0 ppg, 7.4 apg, Dan Majerle 15.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.2 apg
Seattle:  Gary Payton 18.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 10.4 apg, 3.8 spg, Shawn Kemp 16.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, Hersey Hawkins 14.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, Detlef Schrempf 14.2 ppg, 6.0 apg, Sam Perkins 18.2 ppg


Eastern Conference Finals
1995-96 Chicago Bulls defeat 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 0
Game 1:  Chicago 127, Philadelphia 103    Box
Game 2:  Chicago 111, Philadelphia 106    Box
Game 3:  Chicago 109, Philadelphia 90      Box
Game 4:  Chicago 101, Philadelphia 96      Box

Chicago:  Michael Jordan 35.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.8 spg, Scottie Pippen 17.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, Dennis Rodman 6.5 ppg, 17.3 rpg
Philadelphia:  Moses Malone 19.0 ppg, 15.5 rpg, Julius Erving 19.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 6.3 apg, Andrew Toney 17.3 ppg

Western Conference Finals
1996-97 Utah Jazz defeat 1992-93 Phoenix Suns 4 games to 3
Game 1:  Utah 119, Phoenix 115    Box
Game 2:  Utah 117, Phoenix 107    Box
Game 3:  Phoenix 119, Utah 100    Box
Game 4:  Phoenix 103, Utah 98      Box
Game 5:  Utah 106, Phoenix 86      Box
Game 6:  Phoenix 120, Utah 114    Box
Game 7:  Utah 116, Phoenix 88      Box

Utah:  Karl Malone 29.3 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 5.6 apg, John Stockton 16.7 ppg, 9.6 apg, Jeff Hornacek 13.9 ppg, 6.7 apg
Phoenix:  Charles Barkley 19.4 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, Kevin Johnson 16.0 ppg, 9.6 apg, Dan Majerle 16.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.6 apg

NBA FINALS
1995-96 Chicago Bulls defeat 1996-97 Utah Jazz 4 games to 1
Game 1:  Chicago 101, Utah 93            Box
Game 2:  Utah 111, Chicago 104 OT    Box
Game 3:  Chicago 103, Utah 92            Box
Game 4:  Chicago 105, Utah 86            Box
Game 5:  Chicago 104, Utah 94            Box

Chicago:  Michael Jordan 28.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 3.6 spg, Scottie Pippen 21.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.0 apg, Dennis Rodman 6.2 ppg, 13.6 rpg
Utah:  Karl Malone 27.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.0 apg, John Stockton 13.6 ppg, 10.6 apg, Jeff Hornacek 14.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.0 apg

MVP:  Michael Jordan (20 games) 29.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.9 apg