Normally in sports, ‘Crunch Time’ refers to the final moments in a game when teams need to step up.

In the NHL, there’s another meaning to the phrase and it comes in the form of high-flying athletes on ice greeting each other with elbows and sticks at center ice.

Here’s a look at the top 10 NHL hits of recent:

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

MIAMI, Fla. – The New Orleans Saints aint the Aints anymore, they are the Super Bowl champions after matching the largest comeback in Super Bowl history and defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.

Going into the game as five-point underdogs Coach Sean Payton pulled a few tricks out of his hat including an onside kick to start the second half. The Saints were trailing 10-6 at the time and recovered the kick then went down to score to take their first lead of the game 13-10.

“I just told our guys you’ve got to make me look good on this,” Payton said. “That really becomes like a turnover.”

The Saints embraced their Lombardy Trophy carrying the entire city of New Orleans on their backs and through the playoffs. The city had a parade planned for Tuesday regardless of the outcome ready to celebrate their team’s turnaround and success.

With a championship under their belt, the people in the city of jazz can certainly tuck away their paper bags forever.

Saints’ quarterback Drew Bress who was last year’s AP Offensive Player of the Year won the MVP. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions and was 32-of-39 for 288 yards 2 TDs and no picks.

“We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us,” said Brees. “What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time, and it’s better than expected. “Four years ago, who ever thought this would be happening when 85 percent of the city was under water from (Hurricane) Katrina. Most people not knowing if New Orleans would ever come back or if the organization and the team would come back. … This is the culmination of that belief.”

Going up against the league’s 25th ranked defense, most expected a higher offensive output by Peyton Manning and the Colts but New Orleans defense held strong throughout the game making several key stops including the back-breaker, Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the final quarter.

The Saints (16-3) this season won three postseason games this year after winning only two over the previous 42 years.

This championship comes four years after Katrina destroyed the city and chased the NFL franchise from their home. After the NFL refused to abandon the city, the team played in various other stadiums while the Superdome was repaired.

Coach Payton summed it up after the game, “Everybody back in New Orleans gets a piece of this trophy,” he said.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

Below is a statement just released by Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell concerning signing Ilya Kovalchuk:

Our goal from the start of this negotiating process was to sign Ilya Kovalchuk to a long-term contract. During the process, Kovy affirmed his desire to be a Thrasher for life. We’ve spent several months exploring scenarios with Kovy and his agent to reach a mutually beneficial agreement, and offered many lucrative packages in an attempt to meet his financial objectives. Unfortunately, we’ve reached an impasse and at this point he has declined all of our proposals and we can’t reasonably go any higher.

Ultimately, we offered Kovy more than $101 million over 12 years, which would have been the highest contract signed by an impending unrestricted free agent in the history of the league. If accepted, this contract would have been the second highest offer ever to any NHL player. We also met his desire to be the highest paid player based on average annual salary with a separate offer of 7 years at $10M per year ($70M). This offer is $0.5M higher per year than any other player.

If we went beyond these offers, we would not be able to retain the young players on our roster when it came time to sign them, or invest in other top tier players needed to assemble a truly competitive team. Therefore, we are aggressively exploring all of our options as we move forward.

Other Thrashers Articles:

Kovalchuk Showing Great Leadership in Atlanta

Atlanta Goalie Allows 180-foot Shot to Score in Loss

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

NEW YORK – The New York Jets fined their coach Rex Ryan $50,000 for making the obscene gesture that involves the middle finger while at a martial arts fight in South Florida over the weekend.

Nowadays everyone is walking around with a cell phone with photo and video capabilities. You would think these professional coaches and athletes would learn over time that they are always under the watchful eye of the public.

Ryan voiced what the rest of the world must have been thinking when he apologized the following day saying, his actions were “stupid and inappropriate.” General manager Mike Tannenbaum had said the organization was disappointed and would address the matter internally which he did today by levying the fine.

The coach also could be fined by the NFL under its personal conduct policy.

Ryan’s image drew loud boos from the crowd when a ringside Showtime interview was shown on the Bank Atlantic Center video scoreboard.

Of course in Ryan fashion, the coach also trash-talked even though his season is over saying “I want to just tell everybody in Miami, hey, we’re coming to beat you twice next year.”

Ryan has made headlines all season with his trash-talking and going way out there like when he cried at a team meeting in front of his players. His team went 9-7 during the season and went on to make the playoffs. His prediction about the Jets saying the team should be the favorite to win the Super Bowl was brushed off as just Ryan being Ryan.

Last weekend at the Pro Bowl in Miami, several of the Jets’ players supported their coach.

“He’s one of those guys who if you come at me, I’m coming at you. It was all in fun. They were probably yelling and talking stuff at him and it ticked him off. Fans can be like that,” defensive end Shaun Ellis told the New York Post.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

MOBILE, Ala. – Florida quarterback Tim Tebow had a dismal performance in yesterday’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama and it comes as no surprise to most NFL scouts. Under the watchful eye of the Miami Dolphins’ coaching staff and scouts coast-to-coast, Tebow was playing in a pro-style offense and with a questionable NFL arm, his stats were, well, let’s just say not Tebow-like.

Tebow finished 8-of-12 for 50 yards and two fumbles. His longest completion was 11 yards and he was held to just 4 yards on four rushes.

“I think I’m definitely open to improving my fundamentals,” Tebow said. “I think I definitely showed that by being here. If you just watched the way I played, you could see there is room for improvement and what I need to work on.”

Now that all the hype and glory of college ball is behind him, Tebow has a more challenging task at hand, impressing NFL scouts who are good talent evaluators and certainly know the huge difference between a college and an NFL quarterback, and it will take a lot more than looking good with your shirt off.

While some unaccountably compare Tebow’s career path to NFL Hall of Fame QB Steve Young, more questions than answers have surfaced recently. Bottom line is, Tebow’s stock has dropped, spiraled back down to earth now that it is crunch time and his performance in the Senior Bowl supported what most pro scouts already knew.

Some have talked about a possible position change maybe moving him to tight end or halfback but when it comes down to picking especially in the higher rounds, don’t expect a team to waste it on a player they would have to train in a new position.

Tebow’s best football may very well be behind him and his best chance of going high in the draft was being chosen by a Florida team like Jacksonville, Tampa Bay or Miami. After his Senior Bowl performance under Coach Tony Sparano and the Dolphins’ staff, you may want to scratch Miami off that list.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

NEW ORLEANS – Who Dat in the Super Bowl? It’s Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints but it took overtime to get there.

After being frustrated by a swarming Vikings defense most of the game, Drew Brees lead his offense down the field on his team’s first possession in overtime to set up a 40-yard game-winning kick by New Orleans kicker Garrett Hartley and claim the NFC Championship.

The 31-28 victory didn’t come easy for the Saints. Brees and the Saints offense lead the NFL with over 500 yards per game in the regular season but were swarmed by the Vikings defense from the start, struggling to finish with just 257 yards for the game, including overtime.

Some will say the game was won by a Saints’ blitz-heavy defense who pressured Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre from the start. Favre wasn’t officially sacked in the game but found himself flat on the turf on several occasions, taking several shots throughout the game including a few vicious hits early in the game.

Favre is a warrior and there’s a reason the 40-year-old slinger has a current record starting streak of over 300 games. Battered, he got back on his feet and lead the Vikings to touchdown drives on their first two possessions for a 14-7 lead.

Minnesota finished with 475 total yards but their demise was the turnovers. In all the Vikings fumbled the ball 6 times, losing 3 of them and Favre was intercepted twice including on a drive-ending play with 12 seconds left in regulation that took away an opportunity for Ryan Longwell to ice the win in regulation.

In what was expected to be a battle of the slingers, Favre finished the game 28-of-46 for 310 yards, 1 TD and 2INT while Brees was 17-of-31 for 197 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT. Favre who took a relentless physical beating compliments of  the aggressive Saints defense had to be helped off the field later in the game but returned with a limp after the Vikings’ medical staff evaluated the injury and wrapped his ankle.

Adrian Peterson who has taken the back seat to Favre’s passing game much of the season had a solid game with 25 carries for 122 yards and 3TD’s. He was responsible for 2 of the Vikings fumbles but both of those were recovered by purple jerseys.

The Saints will be making their first trip to the Super Bowl where they will face the Indianapolis Colts in Miami on February 7th.

Can the journey continue for Brees and his Saints? We’ll have to wait and see if the country will be saying “Who Dat with the Super Bowl crown!”

Related Articles:

Manning Dissects Jets’ Defense Leading Colts to AFC Championship

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

NEW YORK – The results of the fan balloting are in for the NBA All-Star game and this year like most other years reminds us how the best or most deserving players do not always make it to the game.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson was voted to start for the Eastern Conference alongside Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. Garnett has missed a good portion of the season and A.I. well, we know all about A.I.

He’s only played in 19 games and is having the worst season in his career averaging just 14.8 point a game for the 76ers.

“I just want to thank everybody for their support this season and it’s an honor that the fans have voted me into the All-Star Game as a starter,” said Iverson. “The fans are who make us and make the NBA so popular. This year is even more special because I’ll be representing a city and fans that I love and a team that has been such a big part of my life throughout my career.”

Other starters for the East are Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James.

James became the first player to obtain 2.5 million votes three times and will start for the East for the sixth time in his career.

“The fans still love and see what I do every night and they appreciate it, and I appreciate them for electing me as an All-Star starter,” said James. “It’s still special.”

Steve Nash and Tim Duncan also earned enough votes to gain starting positions for the Western Conference. They will be joined by Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire and Denver forward Carmelo Anthony.

The reserves will be chosen by votes from the head coaches in each conference and will be announced on Thursday.

The game will be played on Feb. 14 game at Cowboys Stadium where a record crowd of 80,000 are expected to see the game.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

WASHINGTON – Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty Friday for carrying a pistol without a license in D.C. That charge is a felony and the player awaits to see what effect the felony conviction will have on his personal life and NBA career.

In December, Arenas admitted to storing guns in his locker at the Verizon Center and an incident occurred with teammate Javaris Crittenton around that same time.

NBA commissioner David Stern has suspended Arenas indefinitely after the player made a sarcastic gun gesture before a game in Philadelphia while he was awaiting the investigation to be completed.

Arenas’ defense attorney Kenneth Wainstein said that prosecutors agreed not to seek a sentence longer than the low end of sentencing guidelines which indicates Arenas would spend no more than six months in jail.

The three-time All-Star said the guns were in his locker to keep them away from his children and went on to say he was not aware it was a violation of D.C.’s gun laws.

According to earlier reports, Arenas and Crittenton had an ongoing conflict concerning a gambling debt. Their dispute escalated to the point Arenas pulled the weapons out while in the locker room and displayed them for Crittenton to see. Some reports said Arena left a note that said, “Pick One” for his teammate to see.

If Arenas avoids jail, this incident and conviction is sure to jeopardize his NBA career at least in the short run. There is speculation that the Wizards may attempt to skate out of the $111 million contract they signed with Arenas recently.

Related Articles:

Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week Arenas & His Guns – Sports Climax

Stern Suspends Arenas Indefinitely – Sports Climax

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

Mark McGwire decided to come clean and finally admitted using steroids throughout his career, including the year he broke the single-season home run record.

McGwire had basically fallen off the map since dodging the steroid question in front of a congressional committee in March 2005. Now that the former Major League Baseball player is preparing to coach this season for the St. Louis Cardinals he must have thought it was best to address the issue prior to the season to avoid a media circus when spring training starts (Google Alex Rodriguez).

During an interview with the Associated Press, McGwire apologized. “The toughest thing is my wife, my parents, close friends have had no idea that I hid it from them all this time,” said McGwire. “I knew this day was going to come. I didn’t know when.”

McGwire went on to admit using steroids and HGH throughout a decade and during the time he broke Roger Maris’ home run record in 1998.

“I wish I had never touched steroids,” McGwire said. “It was foolish and it was a mistake.”

According to the AP, McGuire called Commissioner Bud Selig, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa and Maris’ widow, Pat to personally break the news then called the AP for the interview.

“It was a wrong thing what I did. I totally regret it. I just wish I was never in that era,” he said.

McGwire finished his career with 583 home runs, tied for eighth on the all-time list. His record of 70 home runs in 1998 only held up for three years then it was surpassed by Barry Bonds’ 73 homers in 2001. In addition, his resume includes 1987 AL Rookie of the Year and 12 trips to the All-Star Game.

Ironically this admission comes just days after the latest Hall Of Fame vote that saw McGwire get a mere 23 percent vote, well below the 75 percent necessary to make it to Cooperstown.

“This has nothing to do with the Hall of Fame,” he said. “This has to do with me coming clean, getting it off my chest, and five years that I’ve held this in. There’s no way a pill or an injection will give you hand-eye coordination or the ability or the great mind that I’ve had as a baseball player,” he said. “I was always the last one to leave. I was always hitting by myself. I took care of myself.”

He said he first used steroids between the 1989 and 1990 seasons, after helping the Oakland Athletics to a World Series sweep when he and Jose Canseco formed the Bash Brothers.

“When you work out at gyms, people talk about things like that. It was readily available,” he said. “I tried it for a couple of weeks. I really didn’t think much of it.”

He said he returned to steroids after the 1993 season after being told steroids might speed his recovery.

“I did this for health purposes. There’s no way I did this for any type of strength purposes,” he said.

McGwire’s 70 homers in 1998 was part of a head-to-head battle with Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa who finished with 66. Sosa, like McGuire, has brushed off and denied using steroids thus far and was reprimanded when he was caught using an illegal bat around that same time.

Selig praised McGwire, saying, “This statement of contrition, I believe, will make Mark’s re-entry into the game much smoother and easier.” If anyone knows about damage control it’s Selig. The commissioner has had his hands full over the years with the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez admitting using steroids, Bonds facing criminal charges accused of lying when questioned about steroids and Roger Clemens currently being investigated for possibly lying to Congress concerning his involvement in steroid use.

Rafael Palmeiro is another player who denied using steroids but then tested positive for one later that year.

“I’m sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids,” McGwire said. “I had good years when I didn’t take any, and I had bad years when I didn’t take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn’t have done it and for that I’m truly sorry.”

Related Articles:

It’s Time to Decorate Cooperstown with a Variety of Asterisks – Sports Climax

Aaron Says Bonds Should Keep Home Run Record – Sports Climax

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

CINCINNATI, OH. – The New York Jets and Mark Sanchez are making believers out of the football world. Their 24-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Saturday’s AFC Wild Card game was their first playoff win since 2004 and extended their season at least for one more weekend.

The rookie Sanchez connected on 12-of-15 passes for 182 yards and no interceptions, becoming only the fourth rookie quarterback since 1950 to start and win a playoff game. Others in that group include Ben Roethlisberger who went on to win the Super Bowl, Shaun King and Joe Flacco.

You have to wonder what USC Coach Pete Carroll is thinking after blindsiding Sanchez with negative comments at the press conference when Sanchez decided to enter last year’s NFL Draft. Carroll insisted in front of the media that Sanchez was not ready or prepared to handle the NFL.

After leading the AFC in interceptions with 20, Sanchez knew the importance of not turning the ball over on the road against the Bengals and managed the game well. His passer rating was an astounding 139.4.

“He just kept getting better as the season went along,” Jet coach Rex Ryan said. “I told him this was his second season now. His first season is over. This is the playoffs.” The win was also the first playoff victory for Ryan who is in his first season as an NFL head coach.

The Bengals (10-7) got a team playoff-record 169 rushing yards from running back Cedric Benson but never got a flow going with their offense, being disrupted by constant blitzes and a variety of schemes by Ryan and the Jets defense.

In last week’s game between these same two teams, the Bengals managed a mere 72 total yards on offense. In that game Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was 1-of-11 for 0 yards and Chad Ochocinco was shut out of the stat sheet literally with zero catches.

Saturday looked better on paper but that tandem was never able to get a flow going for their offense. Ochocinco finished with just two catches for 28 yards and Palmer was 18-of-36 for 146 yards, one touchdown and one INT.

Cincinnati added to their 19 year stretch without a playoff win.

Related Articles:

N.Y. Jets and Cincinnati Bengals Game Center – NFL.com

Cowboys Dominate Eagles for First Playoff Win Since 1996 – Sports Climax

USC Coach Carroll Shows Bitterness at Press Conference Towards Sanchez – Sports Climax

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax