Walter Sebastian and Jay Doggett

Modern Tokyo Times

Next season the English Premier League and Europe will seem strange because the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson will no longer be part of the furniture. Manchester United prior to Ferguson joining this esteemed international football team was already famous but under this extremely astute manager they truly became unrivaled in English football for over two decades. Of course, in this timescale you had Manchester United eclipsing Liverpool and then each new challenger eventually was taken to the Ferguson sword. Arsenal, Chelsea and finally Manchester City all emerged to challenge the supremacy of Manchester United but each time they all became eclipsed by the dynamism of Ferguson’s visionary approach to football.

It is fitting that Ferguson will retire at the end of the 2012-2013 football season in England because Manchester United won the title in a canter. The new threat, Manchester City, became a poor second this season because Ferguson had no intent on leaving the reigns of Manchester United while any English team was close to their supremacy. In this sense, the legendary Ferguson leaves Manchester United on a very sound footing because you have so many young players with amazing potential. Therefore, the next manager of Manchester United will be gifted with a fantastic football team which looks set to maintain the benchmark of English football for the foreseeable future.

Ferguson joined Manchester United 26 years ago when this football club was a sleeping giant because Liverpool was by far the most powerful team in England. Liverpool also took Europe by storm because defensively this football team was unbelievable and this was matched by so many amazing midfield players and fantastic strikers. Therefore, Manchester United was in the firm shadow of Liverpool prior to Ferguson joining this club and with so many winless years without the English title then much had to be done. Ferguson, true to the man, took the hard option by focusing on youth and fashioning his own sense of purpose.

Prior to joining Manchester United it was Aberdeen where his greatness began because he turned this club into a fantastic team whereby Celtic and Rangers now had a new football contender to deal with in Scotland. Aberdeen under Ferguson became a dominant force in Scotland between 1979 and the middle of the 1980s whereby this football club won the Scottish Premier Division three times under this astounding manager. Also, Aberdeen won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup when they defeated Real Madrid in the final. This was a remarkable achievement and the style of play at Aberdeen was also fitting.

Ferguson before joining Manchester United in 1986 had turned down Arsenal, Rangers, Spurs and Wolves during various times in the earlier part of the 1980s before moving to Old Trafford. In this sense, Ferguson now appears to have been destined by his own intuition that Manchester United was the team for this outstanding manager. Of course, when Ferguson joined Manchester United nobody could predict that the next 26 years would be based on reshaping the history of English league football. After all, when Ferguson joined Manchester United they were 21 out of 22 in early November 1986 when he took over the management of this sleeping giant. Therefore, to finish the end of this season in eleventh position was a start of things to come but the early period was problematic for Ferguson because he needed to implement many major changes.

The following season witnessed Manchester United coming second but from the start of the 1988 football season to the end of the 1991 football season this period was far from easy. Two mid-table finishes and then coming sixth in the 1990-1991 football season witnessed great pressure being put on Ferguson. However, once the 1991-1992 football season began then Manchester United would never finish worse than being third under Ferguson until his retirement at the end of the 2012-2013 football season – whereby Manchester United won the title in a canter.

Therefore, Ferguson went from the demons of December 1989 when a banner at Old Trafford stated “Three years of excuses and it’s still crap … ta-ra Fergie.” Ferguson admitted that this period was “the darkest period [he had] ever suffered in the game.”

In the 1992-1993 football season the start of the Ferguson Empire was to begin because after waiting to win the title for 26 years the Old Trafford faithful were rewarded. It is unfair to point out one single individual within the Manchester United team during this season but it is true to say that Eric Cantona provided a real sparkle. By the middle of the 1990s “Fergie’s Fledglings” began to sparkle and this notably applies to David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. These players alongside Ryan Giggs and Lee Sharpe in this period provided a remarkable youthfulness about Manchester United.

At the start of the 1995-1996 football league season Alan Hansen commented that “you can’t win anything with kids.” How wrong he was because for the next six seasons it was the “kids” which shone out and this can be seen by Manchester United winning 5 out of the next 6 titles in England which applies to the 1995-1996 to 2000-2001 football seasons. Simply put, the rest is history because Manchester United would constantly win titles and trophies right up until the retirement of Ferguson was announced.

Ferguson commented after announcing his retirement that “It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so…The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one.”

Throughout Ferguson’s management at Manchester United he was never afraid to alter the squad therefore no big name player could ever rest on their laurels because he always knew the right time to change direction. Great managers can create amazing football teams but a true legend can re-create new teams in order to meet the demands of a highly competitive sport. Ferguson did this time and again and this can be seen by winning the English title 13 times during his management period at Manchester United.

Ferguson stated that “In my early years, the backing of the board, and Sir Bobby Charlton in particular, gave me the confidence and time to build a football club, rather than just a football team.”

Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Brian Clough enriched football and these true giants will always stay in the memory of all people who revere football in England, Scotland and throughout the world given the pulling power of British football. Alex Ferguson is the last surviving great. His achievements will probably never be surpassed because of the longevity of keeping Manchester United at the top of the ladder in England and being a major powerhouse internationally. Therefore, the 2013-2014 season of football in England will seem “empty” without the legend managing Manchester United because he truly is “a great” of the beautiful sport of football.

Lee Jay Walker gave support to both main writers

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

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Hiroshi Saito and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Yoshihide Kiryu appears to be a future 100 meters star in the making because at such a tender young age he just clocked 10.01 seconds to equal the World Junior Record. Kiryu is only 17 years old and clearly he is blessed with enormous talent. Therefore, with other promising young sprinters in Japan like Ryota Yamagata who is only 20 years old; then suddenly Japan is looking like a nation which will impact on the blue ribbon event.

It is abundantly clear that the strong area for Kiryu is his amazing pick-up around the 50 to 60 meters mark. Once he reaches this area then he enters a new dimension which is rarely seen in someone so young.

Of course, it is essential to nurture Kiryu and other athletes like Yamagata because clearly both talented youngsters have enormous potential. Hopefully, these two athletes will not only spur each other on but also other up and coming young Japanese 100 meter sprinters.

Kiryu became the fastest ever 17 year old in world history when he clocked 10.01 but in many ways it was the next race which was more telling. After all, Kiryu achieved 10.01 in the heats but in the final he knew he would meet Yamagata who reached the Olympic semi-finals in London. Therefore, with all the great expectations building up on Kiryu then people wanted to know how this prodigious young athlete would cope with another amazing young sprinting star from Japan.

He certainly didn’t disappoint because despite being pushed all the way to the line by Yamagata he emerged victorious. Clearly, both athletes will be looking forward to future meetings whereby they can pit their amazing skills. Yamagata clocked a wind assisted 10.04 to Kiryu who just won in 10.03. This single race proved the tenaciousness of both athletes and clearly the experience gained by Yamagata at the Olympics didn’t impinge on the young teenage Kiryu. If anything, it appeared to highlight the need to move on into the next realm.

Kiryu first hit the headlines last year when just 16 because he twice broke the World Youth 100 meters best. He first clocked 10.21 and this was followed by 10.19 near the end of 2012. Clearly, since this period he continues to show rapid development which can be seen by his 10.01 clocking and then beating Yamagata in a wind assisted 10.03.

The young sensation stated “Thank you for cheering me in today’s race…It was a great performance, way beyond my expectation. I won’t be satisfied with this performance and I will continue to work hard for even better performance.”

It is hoped that Kiryu and Yamagata will ignite the athletics sprinting scene for many years to come and that both athletes will inspire other young talents in Japan. Of course, it is always dangerous to expect too much from gifted young individuals because pressure and other factors can change quickly. Despite this, the example of Yamagata in reaching the semi-finals of the Olympics at such a tender age and now with Kiryu emerging; then the omens do look very positive for Japanese sprinting.

Indeed, with only a modicum of improvement then both athletes should be in the mix when it comes to reaching major international events. However, it is hoped that both athletes will improve by more than a modicum in order to shake up the Jamaican and American stranglehold on international sprinting. Of course, the road will not be easy but clocking 10.01 at 17 years of age is a world’s first therefore it is a possible dream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oCe6_ocbeg 10.01 World Junior Record

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8stErvnAoU Kiryu and Yamagata 

leejay@moderntokyotimes.com

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Horace C. White

Modern Tokyo Times

The Kick-off iPad app designed and published by Leading Brands Publishing is a state-of-the-art, top-notch, illustrative, e-book app that gives a colorful overview of the “evolution of the beautiful game” of football from 2 B.C. to 1962.

Packed with 34-pages of historical facts, including video, sound, and football legends and photos, the Kick-off app is a must have for football fans, tech-savvy iPad enthusiasts, historians, and educators from around the globe who crave a better understanding of the roots of modern day football.

Find out why as early as 1314 football was forbidden to be played in major city limits. Discover how in 1866 the introduction of the “three player rule” came into existence. Learn how Billy “Fatty” Foulke contributed to the game of modern day football and had fans inquiring, “Who ate all the pies?”

The Kick-off app comes with the ability to browse articles, swipe to read functionality, play video controller, and bookmarking capabilities, with a very easy to understand, visually appealing, help menu to allow all readers to enjoy the history and evolution of modern day football through the comfort of their fingertips, whether offline or online.

Once the Kick-Off app has been downloaded, readers have the option of entering a “Signed by the World’s Best” competition in which one lucky winner, on November 10, 2012, will win a signed autograph by the man responsible for the “World’s Best Save,” during the 1970 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico, between Brazil and England.

The Kick-Off app provides an in-depth, relevant passage of time and detailed archive of football from 2 B.C. to 1962 in a very user-friendly, multicolored, picturesque, iPad app in which downloaders can also explore, “Who was the striker that headed the ball that led to Gordon Banks’ impressive save?”

Regardless, if you are a “Samurai Blue” or “Nadeshiko Japan” fan in Japan, or favor another football team from around the world, the Kick-Off app supplied by Leading Brands Publishing is a must download to garnish a better understanding and detailed appreciation for the history and love of football.

Kick-Off App

www.leadingbrandspublishing.com

http://twitter.com/#!/LeadingBrandsP

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James Jomo and Jay Doggett

Modern Tokyo Times

Fukushima horse racing returned this weekend (Apr 7-8) to the delight of horse racing fans throughout the Tohoku region. The symbolic importance was more important than the quality racing on show because it highlights the return to normality of this part of Japan. Therefore, the reverberations could be felt not only within the horse racing community but throughout Japan where all positive news is welcomed with regards to the Tohoku region.

The events of March 11, 2011, devastated so many parts of the Tohoku region. Also, the nuclear debacle at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains to be a lingering problem for the nearest towns and villages. However, in many parts of this beautiful prefecture you have amazing tourist places to visit whereby the nuclear issue isn’t a factor. This being the case, meant that many individuals throughout Japan were relieved to see horse racing return to Fukushima.

After the March 11 earthquake in 2011 this racing facility was badly damaged and much work was needed to redevelop areas which were hit by the earthquake. Also, the nuclear crisis related to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meant the race course was left vulnerable to possible contamination. Therefore, great strides have been put in place with regards to decontamination and other areas related to earthquake resistance.

The upshot of all this is the restoration of a beautiful horse racing facility which welcomed horse racing enthusiasts back. This is a far cry from being used as an evacuation facility after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit Japan last year.

Also, the Fukushima horse racing course is the only one in the Tohoku region which is run by the Japan Racing Association. This meant that some of the races were highlighted on several television channels this weekend. Therefore, people throughout Japan had the chance to get a positive glimpse of Fukushima – this is very important because the Tohoku region needs many re-investments and new business development plans.

Some of the horses were evacuated to the leafy Setagaya ward in Tokyo after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on March 11 in 2011. This highlights the genuine care of the horses which were trained locally.

Atsunobu Tokito, who is the Racecourse Director, is optimistic that horse racing lovers and other individuals will support all the hard work and visit the race course. He commented that “We’ve improved the environment so visitors can safely enjoy horse racing.” Also, you have great facilities related to dining, places for children to play, and so forth.

It is also essential that all positive developments in the Tohoku region are supported because the region needs both re-investments and new enterprises to help the region to recover. Also, you have stunning tourist places to visit in Fukushima. Therefore, while the road to recovery is still ongoing, it is clear that great progress is being made.

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Jeff Smith

Modern Tokyo Times

The 2012 NBA season has been one that has been filled with some incredibly interesting stories, and also a TON of games due to the shortened season thanks to the NBA Lockout.  Many teams have improved, and many other teams have taken some large steps backwards.  One team that catches my eye right off the bat though is the Philadelphia 76ers.  Philly ended last season with a 41-41 record overall, which was good for the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs thanks to the fact that the conference was VERY weak.  While the East isn’t incredibly strong this season once again, the 76ers seem to be a completely new team though.

Philadelphia currently sits just one game back of the Boston Celtics for the lead in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division with a record of 29-23, and they are jumping back and forth in the standings between the 4th seed in the East and the 7th seed.  Regardless of where this team ends up when playoff time does roll around, they really do have the talent to be able to compete with any team out there, and a lot of it is thanks to the incredibly strong starting lineup that the front office has put together, as well as the great coaching job that Doug Collins has done.

When you look at the starting roster that the 76ers have put together you see a group of players who can really do just about anything.  They are led by a super talent in Andre Iguodala, two strong big men in Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes, and their two young guns in Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner.  Overall, this is a very strong starting lineup, but the bench behind them is probably one of the strongest out there and it includes players like Louis Williams, Jodie Meeks, Thaddeus Young, Sam Young, and Nikola Vucevic, who are all players that can score the ball and do quite a bit for this team.

Many people are asking if the 76ers could get a first round win this season in the playoffs, and also if they could potentially make a deep run towards the 2012 NBA Finals.  The real answer to those has to do with their potential match-ups come playoff time, but even more important than that is the question of whether or not the team can be 100% healthy when the playoffs come, because if so it seems that the Philadelphia 76ers could be capable of shocking quite a few people this year in the NBA Playoffs.

With the 2012 NBA season shortened, be sure to remember that this season only has about 14 games left, so we are definitely down to crunch time for the teams who are looking to lock up not only playoff spots this year, but also to get home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  For a young team like the 76ers, being able to play in front of their home crowd would be huge and could help propel them into the second round potentially.

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Jeff Smith

Modern Tokyo Times

With the Final Four officially set in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, we have four teams remaining that feature some of the best coaches in all of college basketball.  The Kentucky Wildcats (John Calipari), Louisville Cardinals (Rick Pitino), Ohio State Buckeyes (Thad Matta), and Kansas Jayhawks (Bill Self), have all done their jobs and pushed their teams over the top and into the Final Four after a tough two week stretch, and it’s now time to take a look at the two Final Four match-ups this coming weekend.  Both of these match-ups will take place on Saturday, March 31st in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Kentucky Wildcats (1 Seed, South Region) vs. Louisville Cardinals (4 Seed, West Region)

Probably the most talented team in the entire country up against the hottest team in the country, and we’re all excited for it.  The Cardinals pulled off four wins in four straight days in the Big East Tournament to win it, and have continued that hot run through the NCAA Tournament and now find themselves up against the NCAA Tournament favorite Kentucky Wildcats.  The Wildcats lost two games all year, one of which was at Indiana (who they beat in this tournament), and the other was against Vanderbilt in the SEC Conference Championship game.

It’s hard not to like John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats here, mainly because of their incredible talent all around.  They have a player in Anthony Davis who is essentially a lock to be the number one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, as well as stud players like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Doron Lamb, and Terrence Jones as well.  Louisville will definitely have their hands full against this Kentucky team, and I’m expecting Kentucky to end up in the National Championship game on Monday night.

Kansas Jayhawks (2 Seed, Midwest Region) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (2 Seed, East Region)

This has been called one of the best coaching jobs ever by Kansas’ coach Bill Self, mainly because of all of the talent that his team lost last year.  While the Jayhawks have relied heavily on Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor, the two have stepped up big time when it matters most for this team.  They’ll be in for a battle though against an Ohio State team who really came into this tournament flying under the radar.  The Buckeyes may not have been the popular choice to win it all, but they are absolutely getting some love now.  I’m excited to see Jared Sullinger go up against Robinson for Kansas here and also to see if the Buckeyes starters can carry this team through to the National Championship.

The Buckeyes get the edge in my book here, but it’s going to be a close game.  Kansas is the real deal this year (obviously), but I don’t think that the Jayhawks role players are going to be able to outdo the role players for the Buckeyes in the end.  I’m anticipating a Wildcats vs. Buckeyes National Championship that could potentially be a game that we remember for a long time.

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Modern Tokyo Times

Jeff Smith

The NCAA Tournament is probably the most talked about sporting event in the United States these days, and is one of the few things that can really rival the NFL’s Super Bowl.  One of the reasons for this is the hype that surrounds this incredible stretch of college basketball.  You’ll find that the opening rounds (Thursday and Friday) feature some incredible games, and some of the most thrilling basketball that you could imagine.  On top of that, we always love seeing a big time upset as well, and the 2012 NCAA Tournament looks poised to have quite a few of those.

Today, we are going to take a look at a few teams who could potentially make a　“Cinderella” run through the NCAA Tournament, and the bulk of them are teams who enter the big dance flying under the radar.  The most common type of team that we are looking for here is one that has a seed under 7 or 8, but has been playing strong basketball and has the potential to do some special things in March Madness.

NC State Wolfpack

Do not sleep on the NC State Wolfpack.  This team was one bad call away from knocking off one of the favorites to win it all, the North Carolina Tar Heels over the weekend in the ACC Tournament.  The Wolfpack have talent both inside and out, and have two or three incredibly talented players in forward CJ Leslie and point guard Lorenzo Brown.  Both of these players are going to have big time tournaments, mainly because they are big time players.  NC State wins games that they should win, but recently they’ve been showing up big in big time games as well.  NC State enters the tournament as an 11th seed and this team is up against the San Diego State Aztecs in round one.

Memphis Tigers

The Memphis Tigers are in a spot where they haven’t been in recent years, which is NOT in the spotlight.  This team always has a ton of hype surrounding them, but this year the hype simply didn’t follow them around.  They won’t have an easy walk towards being a “Cinderella” though, because if they knock off St. Louis in round one, then they have a match-up with a number one seed in Michigan State who is simply playing incredible basketball right now.  If Memphis is able to beat Michigan State though, then it could put them back on the map and they could be looking at doing big things this year.

South Florida Bulls

South Florida may have been one of the last teams into the big dance, but it wasn’t because of their conference record.  They went 12-6 in a tough Big East, but just seemed to be up and down throughout the year.  The team is incredibly talented, and won their opening round play-in game against California by 11 points.

Even better news about that though, is that they looked very compact when achieving this victory.  USF has an interesting match-up now against the 5th seed in Temple, and if they are able to win that game, then this 12th seed will need to beat either Michigan or Ohio to represent the Midwest as one of the Sweet 16 teams.

Jeff Smith

Modern Tokyo Times

Right about this time of the year is when the questions about potential playoff teams begin to arise in the NBA.  On top of that though, this is also when the real contenders begin to separate themselves from the pretenders in the NBA, and we start to actually see which teams could seriously compete for their conference championship, and even for an NBA title.  With the 2011-2012 NBA season being shortened because of the lockout, this season’s playoff race is tighter than ever, and you’ll find that there are quite a few teams who might get into the playoffs that could shock you a bit.  We are going to take a look at a few teams to keep your eye on when/if they are able to make it into the postseason.

New York Knicks

The Madison Square Garden bunch is the real deal right now.  This team has talent for days, and it is just a matter of time before they all finally begin to click.  The team finally found their point guard in Jeremy Lin, but they had to wait for Amar’e Stoudemire to return and Carmelo Anthony to get back from injury to get them all in the lineup together.  This has finally happened and it looks like they are beginning to figure each other out.  This type of talent can’t go overlooked, so watch out from them when playoff time rolls around.

Portland Trailblazers

The Trailblazers are a tough team to figure out all-around.  This team is incredibly talented, and they have players like LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace, so it’s definitely hard to bet against them.  On top of that though, new starting point guard Jamal Crawford has been strong for the team, and could play a huge role in their potential playoff success.  The Trailblazers are just on the outside looking in right now, but if they make it into the playoffs then they could be a team that could do more than just pull off a first round upset when all is said and done.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves are another team who are currently on the outside looking in, as they are tied with the Blazers for the 9th seed currently.  Both of these teams have the potential to get in though because everything is so close, and the Wolves’ have the talent to knock off some top teams right now.  Their combination of youngsters in Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio is a great starting point, but they also have a great supporting cast, and a new found center in Nikola Pekovic who has been a great addition to their inside game when pairing him with Love.

While we did “just” begin the second half of the NBA season, these three teams listed above I see as being teams who could lock up a bottom three or four seed in their conference, but could pull off some upsets in the first round.  They have strong all-around teams, but most importantly they are gelling at the right time and are all beginning to play together right at about the time when it matters most.

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Jeff Smith and Horace C. White

Modern Tokyo Times

The story of Jeremy Lin is one that almost anyone who has seen an NBA game within the past two weeks knows about.  The Harvard Graduate made his way up through the D-League, and was cut by his past team, before landing with the New York Knicks.  The Knicks were close to cutting the point guard as well, but decided to hold on to him to give him a chance.  When things just started going south for New York, they decided to turn to Lin to give him a shot, and did it ever pay off.  Lin has been incredible while leading his Knicks team to a seven game win streak.  What makes their run even more impressive is the fact that he did a lot of it without Amare Stoudemire, and almost all of it without an injured Carmelo Anthony.

Lin has averaged 24.4 points per game through that seven game span, and has also averaged an impressive 9.1 assists per game as well.  Overall, he has made life for everyone on his team a bit simpler and has the entire state of New York, and the country, in a complete frenzy about the name Jeremy Lin.  Many people are curious as to how he’ll coexist with Carmelo Anthony when he returns from injury, but both sides seem to have almost no worries about the situation whatsoever, and actually look forward to being out on the court at the same time as well.

With Lin playing incredibly well and coming onto the scene with popularity, it made me think about a few other Asian players who have made NBA history in their careers.  We’ll take a look at a few below, and explain how they made an impact on the NBA.

Ha Seung-Jin

Ha Seung-Jin was the first Korean player to ever play basketball in the NBA, and played in both the league itself and the NBA D-League as well.  Seung-Jin was an incredible 7 feet 3 inches tall, and weighed 305 pounds.  When he first entered the league he was drafted in the second round, as the 46th overall pick to the Portland Trail Blazers back in 2004.  Seung-Jin was not only the first Korean player, but was one of the tallest NBA players to ever play in an NBA game as well.  He averaged 5.5 minutes per game in his first season with the team, and 7.9 minutes per game in his second season.

Yuta Tabuse

Yuta Tabuse was the first ever Japanese-born player to take part in an NBA game when he played for the Suns back in 2004.  One of the most incredible parts of Tabuse’s run to the NBA is the fact that he was only 5 feet 9 inches tall and 165 points!  While Tabuse didn’t remain in the NBA long, he still plays the game he loves overseas in the Japanese Basketball League.

Sun Yue

Sun Yue was the fifth Chinese basketball player to play in the NBA, and while he originally played for the Beijing Olympians in China from 2003-2008, he made the move to the NBA and played with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008-2009.  He took part on both their NBA D-League team, and also the NBA team as well.  Yue is 6 feet 9 inches tall, and was born on November 6th, 1985.  Yue played a total of ten games with the Lakers NBA team, before he moved to the Developmental League.

Yao Ming

Yao is one of the most well-known basketball players worldwide today.  While he currently has retired from the NBA, Yao Ming is the tallest player to have ever played in the NBA at 7 feet 6 inches tall.  He played his NBA career with the Houston Rockets, where he was an eight-time NBA All-Star, and was the first overall pick of the draft back in 2002.  Ming originally played with the Shanghai Sharks as a young player in his career, and won a championship with the team in the Chinese Basketball Association in his final season with the team.  This was when Yao moved to the NBA, and had quite an impressive career in which he averaged 19 points per game, and 9.2 assists per game.  Yao Ming was also named to the All-NBA team a total of five times in his career as well.

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Jeff Smith

Modern Tokyo Times

This is the Super Bowl that half of the NFL fans out there are incredibly excited to see, and the other half were hoping to avoid.  Both sides have their own arguments for this, as the half who were hoping to see it remember the excellent match-up between these two teams back in 2008, and the other half simply are really anti-New York Giants and anti-New England Patriots!  But the real question here is which team between the Giants and Patriots is going to take down Super Bowl 46?  The early favorite is the Patriots, but many people feel that this Giants team is so hot right now that they’ll be tough to stop.  We are going to take a look at both teams and give our thoughts on the potential winner here.

New York Giants

Oh the New York football Giants.  This team was one game away from being left out of the playoffs, but they managed to win their week 17 match-up with the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East.  Since that point, they have been hotter than anyone and aren’t looking back.  They are led by an excellent passing game with quarterback Eli Manning, and wide outs Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham.  Also, this team has one of the stronger defensive lines, and is led by one of the best pass rushers in the game in Jason Pierre-Paul.  Their biggest weakness though is their secondary, which could definitely be a problem as they are up against Tom Brady and his incredibly talented receivers and tight ends.

New England Patriots

It’s tough to bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.  These two remember that incredibly tough loss back in 2008 and I think they’ll definitely have revenge on their mind on Sunday, February 5th.  Aside from Brady though, this team has a combination of wide outs and tight ends in Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez, who have been giving teams fits all season.  Expect them to come out firing on all cylinders once again during the Super Bowl.  Interestingly though, the Patriots biggest weakness is their secondary as well, but they have looked much improved since getting into the playoffs, which is a great sign for their team and their chances.

Winner

It’s a tough one, it really is, but I think the win by the Giants over the Pats back in 2008 is something that this Patriots team won’t forget easily.  While both teams currently have secondary issues, I think that the Patriots will be able to slow down Eli and company a bit more than the Giants will be able to slow down Tom Brady.  In the end, I picture this one being about a three or four point game with the New England Patriots winning the big game.  Not only that, but I’ll be looking for none other than one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL (Brady) to win this year’s Super Bowl MVP as well.

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Jeff Smith

Modern Tokyo Times

This is definitely the biggest question that’s going around the NFL currently, as the rumblings of the NFC and AFC Championship games are in full effect days before the final two games kick off.  We have the final four teams in the NFL, and each game has two teams that play completely different styles of play.  For instance, the NFC Championship game will feature the New York Giants heading to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.  These two teams are known for completely different things, as the Niners’ are well-known for hard nose defense, and the Giants have one of the best passing games in the NFL today.

In the other match-up, we have the Baltimore Ravens traveling to play the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.  This one is very similar to the story above, as the Ravens have a very strong defense and a strong running game, and the Patriots are focused on throwing the ball constantly with their MVP caliber quarterback Tom Brady.  Both games should feature some interesting match-ups, especially between some of the wide receivers and tight ends against the defensive backs and linebackers.

NFC Championship Game

To me, this game has the potential to be one of the most exciting games of the year, even though many people are choosing the other game as their favorite of the weekend.  The Giants and 49ers both have to be riding quite a bit of emotion right now.  The Giants got into the playoffs as the 4th seed, and did so in the final game of the regular season with a big win against the Dallas Cowboys.

The 49ers on the other hand really didn’t get as much respect as they deserved, even though they got the number two seed in the NFC.  I really like the 49ers defense in this game, and even more than that, I like the fact that they get to be the home team.  While I think that this one will be very close, and I see it being a three or four point game, I like the 49ers to move on to play in the Super Bowl with their first year head coach.

AFC Championship Game

This one has quite a few big names in it, and that includes both sides of the ball.  The Ravens defense is made up of All-Stars including Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, while the Patriots have Brady, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and many other weapons on offense.  The Ravens have a tough task here on the road, as the Patriots offense is definitely hitting on all cylinders right now.

The proof of this is their 45-10 win last weekend against a solid defense in the Denver Broncos.  The most important things to watch in this game are how the secondary of Baltimore handles Tom Brady, and also how the Patriots defense can hold up against one of the best running backs in the NFL in Ray Rice.  I think it’ll be closer than most people are anticipating, but that the Patriots will get the job done and move on to play in the Super Bowl final.

In the end, it’s tough to bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.  These two have been producing results for years on end now, and I think that same story will stand true when the 2011-2012 NFL season comes to an end.  I’m going with the New England Patriots to win it all.

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Jeff Smith

Modern Tokyo Times

When it comes to the NFL Playoffs, there are always a few teams no one wants to be matched up against in the early rounds.  Last year for example, the Green Bay Packers were a scary thought for anyone who would be forced to play them.  The Packers had won two games in a row against two strong teams in the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears before the playoffs, but their biggest test would come against Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles in round 1.  Aaron Rodgers and company got a huge win, and it was history from there as they went on to win the Super Bowl.  This just shows that even if a team enters the playoffs as the final seed, they can still be an incredibly tough early round opponent.

The real question though, is which potentially low-seeded playoff teams could cause some serious problems for opponents?  Of course, these teams’ chances will all depend on whether or not they make it into the playoffs in the first places!

Atlanta Falcons

What can we say about the Atlanta Falcons and Matt Ryan?  After losing two of their first three games of the season, the team is now 9-5, and their other losses came against three of the top teams in the NFL in the Packers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Houston Texans.  The Falcons offense is incredibly scary with Ryan having excellent options in Roddy White and Julio Jones, and also having a great running game with Michael Turner.  Keep an eye out for Atlanta in the 2011-2012 NFL Playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys

After last week’s tough loss to the New York Giants, it seems that many people simply threw in the towel on the Cowboys.  This team is one of the most talented in the NFL, and if they had one or two things go differently in the past two weeks, then you are looking at a team who has already locked in a playoff spot.  I think that the Cowboys are going to get it together this week, and that they’ll find themselves in the playoffs at the end of the season.  Regardless of how they get there, whether it is as the NFC East Champion or as a Wild Card, you can bet that many teams would like to avoid playing them in the first round.

Denver Broncos

It’s almost too easy to pick the Denver Broncos here, but they have to be on the list.  Tim Tebow has injected life into this team in the past eight games, as the team has gone 7-1 since he became the starter.  This team just keeps winning, and Tebow’s will to win is a huge part of that.  To top it off for Denver, their defense is playing incredible during this stretch, and at 8-5, the Broncos look like a potential playoff team.  If the Broncos can hold on and push into the playoffs, they will definitely cause some serious issues for AFC playoff teams.

http://www.nfl.com/

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