Wednesday, September 30, 2009

U.S. Rugby Chat 17: Talking with Paul Keeler of SFGG


Another week has gone by and that means it's time for another episode of US Rugby chat with our good friends from Heavensgame.com. This week we had the honor of bring in the coach of the reigning RSL Champions San Francisco Golden Gate, Paul Keeler. Paul is the director of rugby out in SFGG, and he has plenty to talk about and a lot of interesting ideas for rugby.

Take a listen and as always let us know what you think.







Tuesday, September 29, 2009

College Football Chat: The Week of Upsets

Week 4 of the college football season was something special. There were plenty of top 25 match ups, and there were at on of upsets. Cal, Miami, Ole Miss, all fell, and there is plenty of turmoil in the polls.

So, don't just sit there, click on the podcast and take a listen there's some good stuff.






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Monday, September 28, 2009

Walker Sports College Poll: There's Plenty of Upsets


There were plenty of upsets this weekend across the college football landscape. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know there is plenty of movement in this week's edition of the Walker Sports College Football Poll, so let's not waste any more time and go right to the poll.

1)Florida Gators:Tim Teabow had the flu, but the Kentucky Wildcats were no match. A great first half and an average first half equals out to be another Florida win.

2)Texas Longhorns:UTEP never stood a chance. Colt McCoy and the Longhorns are on a mission that does not end until January.

3)Boise State Broncos:Yes you read this correctly, Boise State is in the top five in the country. The Bronco's are legit and they will be in a BCS game just watch.

4)Alabama Crimson Tide:Hanging around and now have the blueprint to knock off Florida in the SEC Championship game should they get there.

5)LSU Tigers:-See Bama-

6)Ohio State Buckeyes:Yet again the Buckeyes seem to be emerging as the cream of the cop in the Big 10, expect another lost in a BCS game to the Big 12.

7)Virginia Tech Hokies:Jumping up a few spots after a very impressive win against the Miami Hurricanes.

8)Oklahoma Sooners:Next week's game against Miami could very well tell the story for the Sooners 2009 season.

9)TCU Horn Frogs:Great win in a hostile enviornment and the Horn Frogs proved they may be best team in the Mountain West and ready to contend on the natinoal scene.

10)USC Trojans:Matt Barkley is back and the Trojans got themselves back on track just in time.

11)Oklahoma State Cowboys:Still need to find a way to get some defense or else this season will be a total lost.

12)Cincinnati Bearcats: At least someone is representing the Big East. Good luck in that rematch with Va Tech.

13)Penn State Nittany Lions:Yet again Iowa comes in to ruin the perfect season. Man that's trippy.

14)Georgia Bulldogs:The Bulldogs are better than I thought but still don't see much of a future in the SEC East.

15)Houston Cougars:This team is really taking off. Knocking off Texas Tech last week was impressive.

16)Iowa Hawkeyes:Two years in a row and the Hawkeyes have what it takes to beat Penn State. This time they did it in front of 90,000.

17)Cal Bears:Talk about choking. Nothing about Saturday's game was good.

18)Kansas Jayhawks:Still hanging around in the Big 12 North, this will be an interesting journey for the Jayhawks.

19)BYU Cougars:It will be great to see the game when the Cougars and the Horn Frogs match up.

20)Mississippi Rebels:Ole Miss may be the one team that the Cal Bears can look at and say, "I'm glad Im not them."

21)Michigan Wolverines:Rich Rod is putting the pieces together. Give him a few seasons and something big will happen.

22)Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets:Great win over the Tar Heels has Pau Johnson's crew back into the mix in the ACC.

23)Nebraska Cornhuskers:Rebounding after a heart breaker on the road last week. All the Cornhuskers have to do is focus and worry about beating out Kansas.

24)Oregon Ducks:Chip Kelly has his team back on track. It took a while to install his ideals, but now his players are responding.

25)Miami Hurricanes:This is still a good team. They just played a better and more experienced team on Saturday.



Sunday, September 27, 2009

2009 College Football Pick'em Week 4 Recap


Week four of the college football season is complete, and there is plenty to talk about. You can rest assured, the Walker-Sports Top 25 poll, will be shaken up for sure. However, this is College Football Pick'em and we are here to talk about the games we picked last week.

Virginia Tech 31 def Miami 7: The Virginia Tech Hokies came out and played Beamer ball. Two defensive touchdowns and one on special teams was all it took for Virginia Tech to knock off the upstart Miami Hurricanes team. I was really surprised at the way Hurricanes quaterback Jaccory Harris struggled under pressure. To this point of the season he has handled it very well, but the Hokies got to him and forced turnovers. Turnovers means loses. That's why I was dead wrong on this one.

Georgia Tech 24 def. North Carolina 7: North Carolina has played some good football this year, but their shotty offensive was exposed. They could not get the ball into endzone. Combine that with their defense going into a shell and the Tar Heels had no chance to cover the two point spread.

Oregon 42 def. Cal 3: I had some concerns about this game, Cal as a six point favorite seemed a bit large. Juding form their performance on the field it looked like the Cal Bears were more concerned with taking on USC next weekend than handling business against Oregon. On another note, it appears that Chip Kelly has gotten his Oregon program back on track.

TCU 14 def Clemson 10: This was one of those strange games where Clemson was favored despite being unranked. That being said, I told everyone to make a big play on TCU. Having seen the Horn Frogs pay in person, I felt they had what it takes to knock off the Tigers. Clemson kept this game close and forced TCU to play from behind, but that simply was not enough.

Walker-Sports College Football Pick'em
Straight Up 8-3
Against the Spread 8-3



Saturday, September 26, 2009

USA 7's End of the Season Awards

Once again it is my honor to welcome in our favorite rugby sevens experts UR7s.com. This week the boys from across the pond are handing out some post season hardware. There are definitely some names on this list worth noting, and a few funny stories as well.

The following article has been supplied by UR7s.com - the online home for everything rugby 7s.

After handing out some European End of Season Awards last week, it's now the turn of the USA. It's proved another intensive but interesting rugby sevens season with the standards seemingly on the rise yet again. USA 7s coach Al Caravelli had much to ponder with so many players fairing well at both the USA Nationals Sevens and All-Star 7s Championships.

Plenty of discussion for you to interact on here; who have we missed out on? Who doesn't deserve their award? C'mon American Rugby fans let's hear your views...

Elite Team of the Year - Belmont Shore RFC

The only unbeaten 7s team in the country - winners of the Las Vegas Midnight 7s as well as the all important National 7s tournament.

Tournament of the Year - San Diego USA 7s

In what eventually proved to be San Diego’s swansong (for the next three years anyway) as hosts of the USA 7s, this year’s event was pretty special. The USA 7s were at their peak and stormed to the Cup last four to the delight of Petco Park - the home of Baseball’s San Diego Padres.

Kenya conspired to lose to Uruguay and beat New Zealand on the same day with Argentina opening up the IRB World Sevens Series with their first Cup win since Los Angeles 2004. Special mention - Las Vegas Midnight 7s, US All Star 7s

Tournament Experience - New York 'Thanksgiving' Sevens 2008

Played in some insanely freezing temperatures 100 teams from all over the world competed in seven divisions of play. With the skyline of NYC in the background it’s an incredible setting and illustration of just how far Rugby Sevens spans. Teams can train on central park in the days leading up to the tournaments and then taste 'Thanksgiving' in one of the most amazing cities in the world.

The Big Apple has a bright future as far as Sevens goes! Special Mention - Cape Fear 7s

Funniest Moment - San Diego Invitational

The San Diego Surfers caused much amusement with the beefcake Islanders turning out in board shorts and Hawaiian Shirts against the semi-pro Olorun ID made for interesting viewing. UR7s News Editor Robin Heymann pasty pins getting a run out for America’s All Blacks - Hyde School - caused some ripples too.

‘Hard as Nails’ Award - Pillars of Hercules

In the open final of the New York Sevens, these boys went straight from winning their semi-final to a Final that went on for 40 minutes including two periods of Extra-time golden try. When the deadlock was finally broken the side were almost to tired to celebrate! Funnily enough though only an hour or 2 later they were leading the charge in the bar at the After Party

UR7s USA All Star 7

1. Thretton Palamo - San Francisco Golden Gate

At 21 years old he already has 12 tournament appearances on the IRB World 7s Series. Palamo has captained the side recently, and has improved with each tournament, getting an increased amount of game time. He was a standout player for SFGG at Nationals. Special mention: Mark Roberts (Chicago Lions).

2. Kevin Swiryn - unattached:

One of the most talented rugby players in the USA, playing a major role in the USA 7s best outing in San Diego earlier this year. Swiryn has also captained the USA 7s side, and will do so again this coming season. Took a well deserved rest from 15s and 7s, with a rib injury only bringing him back during the ITT 7s competition. Special mention: Riaan Hamilton (Belmont Shore RFC).

3. Cory Blair - Belmont Shore RFC

Silenced his critics with a sensational performance at the National 7s competition for Belmont Shore. Blair was on form all season - not only a try scoring machine - but putting in monster hits.

4. Nesi Malifa - Belmont Shore RFC:

The classy halfback from Belmont Shore was a key member of the 2008/2009 USA 7s side, and proved vital in many of their historic wins. Malifa - like Swiryn - was told to rest during the domestic 7s season and returned to ITTs playing a few minutes. Special mention: Jeremy Nash (Chicago Lions).

5. Teddy Omondi - Denver Barbarians

The Kenyan 7s international was central to Denver’s success this season, and even though he didn’t lift the National 7s title (like last year with Aspen), he was still outstanding for his new club. Special mention: Tai Enosa (Tempe).

6. Peter Sio - Belmont Shore RFC

The Belmont Shore captain was unbelievable this season - earning the MVP award at Nationals with his breath taking try scoring ability. Sio was brilliant on defense, and by far the best player in the country at Nationals this year. Special mention: Jone Naqica (San Francisco Golden Gate)

7. Mike Palefau - Gentlemen of Aspen

One of the most experienced 7s Eagles, Palefau produced another storming season for Aspen. He was superb at Nationals and ITTs, and has plenty more to show in this coming IRB 7s season. Special mention: Jason Pye (Gentlemen of Aspen).

UR7s.com is the most comprehensive website dedicated to the game of Rugby Sevens worldwide. It is home to the World Tournament Calendar, through which you can access tournaments right across the globe, hundreds of teams, footage, features and chat. Over 100 tournaments and teams from the USA have already made their presence felt on UR7s.com - it truly is the only place for 'everything 7s'



Friday, September 25, 2009

2009 College Football Pick'em Week 4


Back for another week of college football action. The BCS got rocked last weekend thanks to the USC dropping a game, and the Tennessee Vols taught us, that Florida can be rattled. What can be expected in week four? That I don't know but you can believe that once again my picks will be spot on.

Miami Hurricanes vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
:The Hurricanes and the Hokies have combined for some great games in the Big East, however since both schools made the conversion to the ACC, the rivalry has cooled a bit. Saturday afternoon, the rivalry is back on. The Virginia Tech Hokies are coming off an impressive victory over a much improved Nebraska Cornhuskers squad. On the other side of the ball you have the Miami Hurricanes, who look to be regaining their swagger both on and off the field. There is no doubt this game will provide great theater.

The Hokies Tyrod Taylor finally had his breakout moment last weekend when he lead Virginia Tech on an 80 yard game winning drive. Taylor's emergence this season, has kept the Hokies offense on track this season while they wait for their young runningbacks to get adjusted to big time football. On Saturday he will face another aggressive defense, that is closer to the one he faced in the season opener against Bama.

The Miami Hurricanes are quickly becoming the darlings of the NCAA, which is strange if you think about it, but also very good for college football. There is no doubt that this Miami team is legit. Jaccory Harris should have his name tossed into the Heisman balloting. He is a very athletic quarterback who knows how to buy time in the pocket. However, what makes him special is Harris' ability to throw the ball downfield. Having a solid arm helps to keep the defense honest and calm some of the aggressive pass rush schemes.

Despite being the home team, the spread is favoring the Miami Hurricanes by three points. This is a big game both in the ACC standings and on the national scene. Frank Beamer's Hokies just came off a big win against Nebraska weekend and could be suffering from a bit of a hangover. Miami looked sharp last week against Georgia Tech. It definitely seems like the U has gotten their swagger back.

Winner: Miami Hurricanes win straight up and cover the three points.


North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Tar Heels are coached by Butch Davis who many consider the architect for the Miami Hurricane juggernaut of the 90's. After a brief stint in the NFL, Davis has settled in Chapel Hill, and after a few seasons of rebuilding he appears to be putting his mark on the Tar Heel program. UNC has plenty of questions on the offensive side of the ball. Mainly inconsistencies at quarterback have hammered North Carolina's attack. What Butch Davis has done for the Tar Heels is bring life to what is a very aggressive and dangerous defense. The speed and athleticism at the linebacker position make the Tar Heels a threat against any team.

Many thought the Yellow Jackets were the favorites to win the ACC in 2009. Paul Johnson has his version of the triple option running in high gear. Last week against the Hurricanes Georgia Tech was held in check. That was because the Cane's have more speed than your average defense. Against the Tar Heels, Georgia Tech will push the limits. The Rambling Wreck rushing attack has the opportunity to churn up yards on the ground and wear out the Tar Heels defense.

The spread on this game favors the Yellow Jackets by two and a half points, that's basically the cover the spread they give to any home team. However, despite the fact that North Carolina is the ranked team in this match up, Georgia Tech is still the better squad when it comes to executing X's and O's.

Winner:Georgia Tech covers the spread and wins the game.

Cal Bears vs. Oregon Ducks: This may be the most intriguing and underrated game on the weekend. During the preseason the Oregon Ducks were expected to make some noise both in the Pac 10 and on the national scene. All of those thoughts were put to rest when Oregon went down in burning flames in a season opener against Boise State. The damage done on the field was only out matched by post game altercations. All of that being said, the Oregon Ducks are not a terrible team, they just need to find their identity under new head coach Chip Kelly. Slowly but surely this Duck's team is coming together. Oregon got through their non-conference schedule 2-1 and all things said, that is nothing to be ashamed of.

The Cal Bears are a very hot team right now thanks to the efforts of runningback Jahvid Best. There is no question that the Bears have the horses and are prepared to make a legit run at the Pac 10 title. The key for the Bears this weekend will be focus. Everyone in the state of California is looking forward to the Bears and Trojans game next week. However, that game will not mean a thing if Cal cannot knock off the Ducks in Oregon.

The spread shows Cal as a six point favorite. Cal has the talent to win the game but, they don't have the focus to cover the six point spread.

Winner:Cal wins the game, but Oregon keeps it interesting and covers the spread.

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Clemson Tigers: The Horned Frogs are a good team. Unlike some of their Mountain West counter parts, the Horned Frogs go on the road, play good teams and they know how to win. TCU has already traveled east once this year to whip up on an ACC team. However, that was the Virginia Cavalier and I assure you, the Tigers will not be that bad. TCU has made a name for themselves thanks to a stellar defense. Their 3-3-5 scheme is something that opposing teams don't see very often and as a result they have a hard time preparing and executing against it.

Once again, there were high hopes in Death Valley. An early lost to Georgia Tech derailed some of that hype, but nonetheless the Tigers are a dangerous team. They still have argueably the best running back in the country with C.J. Spiller. He sat out part of Clemson's last game with a bum toe, but all indications show Spiller should be past that in time for Saturday's game.

This is another one of those unique matchups where the ranked team actually enters the game as an underdog. The spread favors Clemson by three points. One has to thing this advantage comes from the rawkus crowd that will be in attendance in Death Valley on Saturday evening. This is a very difficult game to chose, but I say go for the big play.

Winner: TCU wins the game outright and thus covers the spread.







Wednesday, September 23, 2009

U.S. Rugby Chat 16: NCAA & U.S. A. Rugby


We are back again for another episode of U.S. Rugby Chat, and as always we are joined by our friends from Heavensgame.com. With fall arriving here in the States this week, we felt an appropriate topic of discussion for this week would be college rugby. No we aren't ranking teams, but we are talking about the state of college rugby and what can be done to grow the game. As always I think Heavensgame provided us with some unique insights and we have a great topic.

Take a listen and enjoy.

PS: You can now take US Rugby chat on the road with you. Check us out on iTunes and download the latest podcast today.




Tuesday, September 22, 2009

College Football Chat: Pete Carroll and USC Choke Again

Another week is in the books on the college football season and the upset wheel is now churning. Of course here at Walker Sports College Football Chat, we are talking about Washington upsetting USC. But we are also talking about the re-surging Miami Hurricanes, the Cal Bears are on the hunt, and of course the woeful Virginia Cavaliers.

Let's not waste any more time, check out the latest edition of Walker Sports College Football Chat.





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Monday, September 21, 2009

Walker Sports College Football Poll: USC Takes a Tumble


Week three of the college football season saw plenty of top 25 action and a few upsets. With all that action, you know there was some shifting going on in the Walker-Sports College Football Poll.

1)Florida Gators: To be frankly honest, Florida did not look all that great against Tennessee, but they managed to get the win, keeping them perfect and keeping them atop the poll.

2)Texas Longhorns: The Longhorns accomplished something special in this week's poll and that was done when they leaped froged Penn State for the second spot in the weeks poll. Playing legitimate teams is worth something.

3)Penn State Nittnay Lions: The Nittnay Lions won again this past weekend, but they slipped in the rankings. That's what happen when you play Akron, Syracuse and Temple. Penn State needs to get into their Big 10 schedule.

4)Ole Miss Rebels: Chalk up another win for this team. The QB is legit but I'm not sold on the team as a whole.

5)Cal Bears: This is the best Cal team in years. However, I'd like their overall chances a lot more if Washington hadn't knocked off USC this weekend. I don't see the Trojans dropping two conference games.

6)Boise State Broncos: With BYU being embarrassed this weekend, the Broncos just improved their chance to be a BCS buster once again.

7)Alabama Crimson Tide: The schedule is about to kick into high gear for Bama when they enter the SEC schedule next week. It will be interesting.

8)LSU Tigers: The other talented team in the SEC West looking to reclaim some of their greatness of just a few years ago. I expect big things from the Tigers.

9)Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes have shaken off the affects of the lost to USC. While I'm not crazy about this squad they still have what it takes to make a play for the Big 10 Championship.

10)Oklahoma Sooners: Still relevant, but they need to get healthy soon. Miami will be a hell of a test for the boys.

11)Virginia Tech Hokies: Knocking off Nebraska gave this team some legitimacy. However after watching Miami and Florida State, the Hokies are the third best team in the ACC at best.

12)TCU Horned Frogs: I like this teams chances to win the Mountain West. They are good and the defense is flat out amazing.

13)USC Trojans: Once again the Trojans manage to choke away again against a weak Pac 10 opponent.

14)Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys are still hoping to stay relevant in the Big 12, and I believe they can.

15)Cincinnati Bearcats: The only team from the Big East in the poll, and that will remain the case for the rest of the year.

16)Georgia Bulldogs:I'm not sure exactly how they fit in with all the talent in the SEC but for now the Bulldogs have a home on the Walker Sports poll.

17)Miami Hurricanes: The Canes are on the comeback trail. The ACC and the rest of the country should be on notice.

18)North Carolina Tar Heels: Butch Davis is doing his best to put this program on the map.

19)Florida State Seminoles:Miami is on the way back, and so are the FSU Noles. It would be great to see Bobby Bowden go out on a high note.

20)BYU Cougars: Apparently I over calculated how talented the Cougars are. BYU proved they are a good mid-major team.

21)Kansas Jayhawks: Nebraska dropping a game this weekend at the very least makes the Jayhawks look stronger. The key for them will be solidifying their defense.

22)Michigan Wolverines: Rich Rodregiez is putting this program back on track. The Wolverines won't climb too high in this poll but Rome wasn't built in a day either.

23)Oregon State Beavers: Washington stole their roll as the PAC 10 giant killers, but they are still a force.

24)Washington Huskies: Knock off a top five team and you get noticed.

25)Nebraska Cornhuskers: Tough lost to Virginia Tech, but I like this team.



Sunday, September 20, 2009

2009 College Football Pick'em Week 3 Recap


Week three of the college football season has come to a conclusion, and once again we saw some great games. Anyone who missed the Michigan State/Notre Dame game missed something special. Oh and there was a great upset out on the West Coast when Washington knocked off USC. Oh yeah, I warned you that Florida State was back. However, we are here to talk about the College Football Pick'em pool, let's take a look to see how I fared this weekend.

Florida23 def. Tennessee 13:
The spread on this game was a massive 29 points, and I was foolish enough to take the bait. Sometimes one should simply follow their gut instincts. 29 points is a lot to cover even if you are the Chosen One Tim Teabow. I'll admit it the Vols were far more impressive than I thought, and they were able to keep this game interesting. What will be forgotten is Tennessee was one late pick away from making this a three point game. Maybe Lane Kiffen isn't as crazy as we thought he was.

Virginia Tech 16 def. Nebraska 15:
This ended up being a great game. And to be completely honest, I am not sure what I can take out of it. Virginia Tech and Nebraska are very similar teams, in terms of their make up and what they can accomplish. The spread favored the Hokies by five and a half points, but the Cornhuskers handled their business and kept this one tight. It will be interesting to see what Nebraska can accomplish in the Big 12 North.

Texas 34 def. Texas Tech 24:
The Texas Longhorns have one goal this year, and that is winning a national championship. Knocking off the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday night was a nice bit of retribution for what happened last year. The spread favored the Longhorns by 18 points, but that was too much for Texas to cover.

Walker-Sports College Football Pick'em
Straight Up 6-1
Against the Spread 5-2



Saturday, September 19, 2009

Inside the Latest U.S.A. Sevens Camp

As we continue to expand our rugby coverage here on Walker-Sports, I am happy to bring in the sevens experts of UR7s.com. Today we are honored to have Dallen Stanford who had the opportunity to sit down with USA 7's head coach Al Caravelli and have a discussion about the latest USA 7's camp.


The following article has been supplied by UR7s.com - the online home for everything rugby 7s.

Dallen Stanford

The 2009/2010 IRB 7s season is almost amongst us, with many of the international teams holding selection and training camps.

I was fortunate to speak to USA 7s head Coach Al Caravelli at length yesterday about his upcoming training camp.

About 32 players will be attending the 3-day assembly, which starts today, running from 11-13 September, at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, San Diego. This marvellous facility has been used by the USA 7s team over the past 3 seasons, and provides an amazing atmosphere for young sportsmen aspiring to be full time professional athletes.

The US fielded one of the youngest 7s teams in London and Scotland last year (the final leg of the IRB 7s series). This experience bodes well for 2009/2010 with Caravelli’s goal to use 20 players during the entire season (less than 20 would of course be ideal he said, but injuries and availability are always issues). This past season more than 30 players represented the USA 7s team.

It sounds a lot but in part that larger number occurs in a World Cup year, with several players retiring and the latter part of the season being used as a rebuilding phase.

When I was first invited to a USA 7s training camp it was also the first time Caravelli had the opportunity to select his own squad. About 60 players were invited to that camp in 2006, which took place at West Point Military Base. Since then Caravelli has kept a detailed list of players on his radar, and has travelled the country high and low in search of potential stars especially enjoying the USA Nationals 7s Championships.

“This year’s Nationals were extremely competitive, with the quarter finals producing some of the best club 7s I have seen,” enthused Caravelli

“I was impressed with the level of fitness and speed”.

The USA All-Star 7s competition also showed a higher quality tournament, with several players impressing enough to get an invite to the USA 7s camp. Caravelli was able to get a look at some youngsters playing for the collegiate teams, and kept an eye on returning injured Eagles like Kevin Swiryn and Nese Malifa.

One aspect, which didn’t help though, was that not all the best players in the country were available to play in the All-Stars in New York. This is something, which happens each year, and many people have talked about doing way with the tournament, or making changes.

The pool of rugby players in the United States is of course very limited, with many of the other competing IRB Sevens teams contracting full time professional 7s players.

South African 7s coach Paul Treu - whom Caravelli is often in contact with - has successfully secured the budget to contract his squad of full time players in Stellenbosch, just outside of Cape Town. This is one of the reasons why Treu only used a very small number of core players and eventually won the 2008/2009 IRB 7s title.

The Olympic 7s decision happens next month, and with a positive outcome the hope is to contract a certain number of professional rugby players in the USA, taking a massive step in the right direction.

In San Diego this weekend the squad of 32 players will undergo an extensive fitness test, as well as working on both defensive communication, and offensive patterns.

They are set to play 3 matches against each other on Sunday, and will as always be fiercely contested. These games, together with many of the training sessions, are filmed for coach and player review.

Not all of the squad will take the field, with injured 7s Eagles Matt Hawkins, Shalom Sunuila and Tai Enosa in attendance. These players will be carefully reviewing any updated changes to the current system, which means that they will be up to speed for the next assembly.

USA Sevens Training Squad:

Cory Blair; Matthew Byrd; Benjamin Haapapura; Keikiokalan Misipeka; Brian Naqica; Leonard Peters; Mark Roberts; Dallas Robinson; Peter Sio; Kevin Wiggins; Fred Wintermantle; Marco Barnard; Ben Catania; Elliot Rechtin; Trevor Richards; PJ Komongnan; Ata Malifa; Iopu Sanonu; Shalom Suniula; Valenese Malifa; Jone Naqica; Mile Pulu; Efthimiou Dimitri; Jonathan Pratter; Michael Nelson; Suli Holani; Alex Ross; Eric Walton; Clint Whittler; Matt Hawkins; Tai Enosa and Kevin Swiryn.

www.pakiscorner.com



UR7s.com is the most comprehensive website dedicated to the game of Rugby Sevens worldwide. It is home to the World Tournament Calendar, through which you can access tournaments right across the globe, hundreds of teams, footage, features and chat. Over 100 tournaments and teams from the USA have already made their presence felt on UR7s.com - it truly is the only place for 'everything 7s'




Friday, September 18, 2009

College Football Pick'em Week 3


Welcome back folks after taking a week off (sorry we didn't like enough of the games to place wagers last week). We are back for another edition of Walker-Sports College Football Pick'em. As always we are scanning the NCAA for the most intriguing football games, and giving our opinions and picks.

Florida vs. Tennessee: The Tennessee Volunteers are making the trip down to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. This game is has a massive 29 and half point spread. Typically this is the sort of the scenario that I always tell you guys to stay away from. However, there is something different about this weeks match up. It's personal. Tennessee's coach Lane Kiffen woke the sleeping giant when he accused Urban Myer and Florida of cheating. Now Myer's is angry and you can ask the Georgia Bulldogs what happens when he becomes upset. Tim Teabow told the world last year that he no one would work harder than him. We the world will see an example of that on Saturday.

Winner: Florida Gators to win and to cover the 29 point spread.

Nebraska vs. Virginia Tech:
This is a very interesting game that has a lot of potential to get ugly and I mean that in a good way. Virgina Tech and Nebraska are two similar teams. Both pride themselves on their defense and their intensity. Virginia Tech blew their first opportunity on the big stage earlier this season when they fell to Alabama. This is their shot at redemption. Va. Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor is missing that "magical game moment" from his repertoire. He has always been a good athlete but he has yet to make his mark on a game where he can take over and put the Hokies on his back.

The line for this game favors the Hokies by 5 and a half points. One has to think that three of those points have to be accounted for the fact that Lane Stadium and the Hokies have one of the best home crowds around. The black shirt defense of Nebraska is back, but the hometown crowd will give Virginia Tech just enough of a lift to overcome.

Winner: Virginia Tech wins and covers the spread.

Texas vs. Texas Tech: Believe it or not, there are a lot of similarities between this game and the Gators and Vols game, mainly revenge. Last year the Red Raiders ruined the Longhorns shot at a national title. Everyone remembers the the amazing catch Michael Crabtree had on the sideline to win the game. This year the rematch is earlier in the season, and the results will not be the same. You can expect this game to be Colt McCoy's first portfolio piece for his 2009 Heisman bid. The spread is a massive 18 points, and that makes me nervous.

I truly believe that Texas will punish Texas Tech, especially with the home crowd behind them. However, I don't feel they can cover the 18 points.

Winner:Texas wins straigh up but fails to cover








Walker Sports College Football Poll: The Gators Keep on Chomping


Week three in the NCAA is already under way in the college football season, so lets not waste any time and jump right into this week's edition of the Walker-Sports College football poll.

1)Florida Gators: Florida is the top team in the country until someone can knock them off. This weekend, the Vols get a shot at that... yeah right.

2)USC Trojans: The game against Ohio State was tougher than most people, including myself thought, but nonetheless the Trojans knocked off a good team and held onto their #2 ranking.

3)Penn State Nittany Lions: Still playing horrible teams, and still holding onto their top five ranking.

4)Texas Longhorns:If Colt McCoy is calling the shots, then this team is legit. I cannot wait for this year's Red River Shootout.

5)Ole Miss Rebels: They are hanging in there, but the true test will come when the Rebels enter their SEC schedule, best of luck to them.

6)Cal Bears: I really like this team. Best is a stud running back and he still has my back for a Heisman vote.

7)Boise State Broncos: I love this team, BYU may be burning up the charts as the BCS busters for this season, but don't forget the original Boise State Broncos.

8)BYU Cougars: The Cougars still have a lot of work to complete if they want to find their way into a BCS game or a national championship game, but I think they may just have what it takes.

9)Alabama Crimson Tide:Bama has a chance to make up for their embarrassment last season in the Sugar Bowl. I don't know what it is, but I just get the vibe from this team.

10)LSU Tigers: The Tigers keep trugging along. The SEC West is wide open, and Les Miles' boys have a chance they just need to hang in there.

11)Ohio State Buckeyes: Yes the Buckeyes lost to USC on Saturday night, but they put up one hell of a fight.

12)Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners are not the team I thought there were a few weeks ago, but nonetheless they still have some talent. Now if they could only get healthy.

13)Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies are a good team, but I can see them toppling form their spot in the poll and atop the ACC.

14)Georgia Tech:I like the tripple option and I like Paul Johnson, just not sure this attack will work against some of the speed defenses in the ACC.

15)TCU Horn Frogs:Okay so they beat the hell outta UVA, I can't say that's too impressive. However, on the whole TCU is an impressive team.

16)Oregon State Beavers: I'll admit this team is overrated.

17)Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy's boys let me down against Houston, but I don't think we have heard the last of the Cowboys.

18)Cincinnati Bearcats:If Brian Kelly is coaching this squad you have to think they have a chance at winning the Big East.

19)Texas Tech Red Raiders: This is not the team that we loved to watch last season, but there is a certain something. We shall see what they come up with against the Texas Longhorns this weekend.

20)Georgia Bulldogs: I'm just not convinced with this team. Truth be told, I think Mark Richt's job is on the line.

21)Miami Hurricane: I've said it once and I will say it again, the Canes are back. Watch out ACC.

22)North Carolina Tar Heels: The Heels are working it, but they are still a middle of the pack team overall.

23)Florida State Seminoles: They've suffered one lost and that trip to BYU doesn't make things any easier.

24)Kansas Jayhawks:2-0 and cranking out quiet wins in the Big 12 North. Be careful because before you know it the Jayhawks could end up in the Big 12 Championship.

25)Missouri Tigers: See Kansas Jayhawks.