2014 Sochi Olympic Challenge

Welcome to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Challenge.

The 2014 Sochi Winter Games are officially underway with the Opening Ceremonies starting around 11 a.m. local time in Sochi, Russia on Friday. Qualifying events have started, and on Saturday the first medals will be handed out.

In total, 98 gold medals will be given out over 16 days. To make the competition that much more intense, we here at the blog has devised the Olympic Challenge.  Maybe we stole the idea, but we're making it our own anyway.

Each competitor chooses 12 athletes and/or teams.  They can be from any country or in any event.  If you pick wins a gold medal, you are awarded three points.  For a silver, two points, and for a bronze, one point.  The highest totals from their 12 athletes at the end of the Games will earn four-year bragging rights and an award to be named later.

For a the tiebreaker, playing by Price is Right rules, each contestant guessed how many gold medals they think the U.S. will take home.

Let's see what the line-ups are looking like for the inaugural Three if By Strike Olympic Challenge.

Jon
1 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
2 SWE - M Hockey
3 USA - W Hockey
4 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
5 USA - M Hockey
6 CAN - W Hockey
7 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing 
8 Hannah Kearney - USA - W Skiing
9 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing
10 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing
11 Tora Berger - NOR - W Biathlon
12 Sven Kramer - NED - M Speed Skating
 Tiebreaker is 11

Petty
1 CAN - M Hockey
2 Mao Asada - JPN - W Figure Skating
3 USA - W Hockey
4 CAN - W Hockey
5 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
6 Hannah Kearney - USA - W Skiing
7 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
8 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing
9 AUT - M Team Ski Jumping
10 CAN - M Curling
11 NOR - W XC 4x5 Relay
12 Emil Hegle Svendsen - NOR - M Biathlon
Tiebreaker is 7

Ike
1 Lara Gut - SUI - W Skiing
2 Jamie Anderson - USA - W Snowboarding
3 USA - M Curling
4 USA - W Curling
5 GBR - W Curling
6 Sara Takanashi - JPN - W Ski Jumping
7 USA - M Hockey
8 USA - W Hockey
9 RUS - M Hockey
10 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
11 USA - M Two-man Bobsled
12 Matthias Mayer - AUT - M Skiing
Tiebreaker is 9

Jordan
1 Bode Miller - USA - M Skiing
2 Martin Fourcade - FRA - M Biathlon
3 SUI - M Two-man Bobsled
4 CAN - M Curling
5 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M Speed Skating
6 Martins Dukurs - LAT - M Skeleton
7 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
8 Kamil Stoch - POL - M Ski Jumping
9 USA - W Hockey
10 David Wise - USA - M Skiing
11 Maddie Bowman - USA - W Skiing
12 Canada - M Hockey
Tiebreaker is 12

Sam
1 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboard
2 Ole Einar Bjorndalen - NOR - M Biathlon
3 Therese Johaug - NOR - W XC Skiing
4 GER - M Two-man Bobsled
5 Max Parrot - CAN - M Snowboard
6 Viktor Ahn - RUS - M Speed Skating
7 Lindsey Jacobellis - USA - W Snowboard
8 Jamie Anderson - USA - W Snowboard
9 Gregor Schlierenzauer - AUT - M Ski Jumping
10 Meryl Davis/Charlie White - USA - Pairs Figure Skating
11 RUS - M Hockey
12 Felix Loch - GER - M Luge
Tiebreaker is 8

McNulty
1 USA - M Hockey
2 SWE - M Hockey
3 CAN - M Hockey
4 USA - W Hockey
5 CAN - W Hockey
6 GBR - W Curling
7 SWE - M Curling
8 CAN - M Curling
9 CAN - W Curling
10 Meryl Davis/Charlie White - USA - Pairs Figure Skating
11 Yuna Kim - KOR - W Figure Skating
12 Martins Dukurs - LAT - M Skeleton
Tiebreak is 8

Bill
1 NOR - M Biathlon Relay
2 NOR - W Biathlon Relay
3 CAN - M Curling
4 CAN - W Curling
5 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
6 NED - M Speed Skating Team Pursuit
7 NED - W Speed Skating Team Pursuit
8 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing
9 Nick Goepper - USA - M Skiing
10 CAN - W Hockey
11 David Wise - USA - M Skiing
12 Petter Northug - Norway - M XC Skiing
Tiebreaker is 11

Span
1 SWE - W Curling
2 Gracie Gold - USA - W Figure Skating
3 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing
4 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing
5 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
6 USA - M Four-man Bobsled
7 Mikael Kingsbury - CAN - M Skiing
8 CAN - M Curling
9 Kaya Turski - CAN - W Skiing
10 Charlie White - USA - M Figure Skating
11 Emil Hegle Svendsen - NOR - M Biathlon
12 Meryl Davis - USA - W Figure Skating
Tiebreak is 26

Fonz
1 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing
2 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
3 Marit Bjorgen - NOR - W XC Skiing
4 Norway - M XC Team Relay
5 Sweden - M XC Team Relay
6 Sin Da-Woon - KOR - M Speed Skating
7 Sven Kramer - NED - M Speed Skating
8 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating
9 CAN - M Curling
10 Germany - M Team Luge
11 Martin Fourcade - FRA - M Biathlon
12 Tora Berger - NOR - W Biathlon
Tiebreak is 10

Jay

1 USA - M Hockey

2 CAN - W Hockey

3 Alexis Pintaurault - FRA - W Skiing

4 Bode Miller - USA - M Skiing

5 Ole Einar Bjorndalen - NOR - M Biathlon

6 Marit Bjorgen - NOR - W XC Skiing

7 CAN - W Curling

8 Yuna Kim - KOR - W Figure Skating

9 Felix Loch - GER - M Luge

10 J.R. Celski - USA - M Speed Skating

11 Noelle Pikus - USA - W Skeleton

12 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboard

Tiebreak is 9

Cara

1 SWE - M Hockey

2 RUS - M Hockey

3 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing

4 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing

5 Olga Zaitseva - RUS - W Biathlon

6 Kikkan Randall - USA - W XC

7 GBR - W Curling

8 Mao Asada - JAP - W Figure Skating

9 Kate Hansen - USA - W Luge

10 CHN - M Speed Skating Relay

11 Lizzy Yarnold - GBR - W Skeleton

12 Sarah Hendrickson - USA - W Ski Jump

Tiebreak is 10

Jim

1 USA - W hockey

2 USA - M hockey
3 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing

4 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing
5 Gregor Schlierenzauer - AUT - M Ski Jumping

6 Felix Loch - GER - M Luge

7 Natalie Geisenberger - GER - W Luge
8 J.R. Celski - USA - M Speed Skating

9 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

10 CAN - M Curling

11 SWE - W Curling

12 Anna Gasser - AUT - W Snowboard

Tiebreak is 31...hahahahahahaha

Dan

1 Petter Northug - NOR - M XC Skiing

2 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
3 Gregor Schlierenzauer - AUT - M Ski Jumping

4 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

5 Hannah Kearney - USA - W Skiing

6 CAN - W Two-man Bobsled

7 Emil Hegle Svendsen - NOR - M Biathlon

8 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing

9 Marit Bjoergen - NOR - W XC Skiing

10 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M speed skating

11 Martin Fourcade - FRA - M Biathlon

12 Jorrit Bergsma - NED - M Speed Skating
Tiebreak is 10

Pat

1 RUS - M Hockey

2 USA - W Hockey

3 CAN - W Hockey

4 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding

5 Sven Kramer - NED - M Speed Skating

6 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M Speed Skating

7 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

8 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing

9 Julia Mancuso - USA - W Skiing

10 Kikkan Randall - USA - W XC Skiing

11 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing

12 USA - Four-man Bobsled

Tiebreak is 16

Max

1 USA - M Hockey

2 USA - W Hockey

3 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding

4 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating

5 Lindsey Jacobellis - USA - W Skiing

6 Germany - M Two-man Bobsled

7 Eric Frenzel - M Nordic Combined

8 USA - Team Nordic Combined

9 Yuna Kim - KOR - W Figure Skating

10 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing
11 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing  
12 NOR - Team Nordic Combined  
Tiebreak is 10

Richard  
1 Patrick Chan - CAN - M Figure Skating  
2 Mikaela Shiffrin - USA - W Skiing  
3 Shani Davis - USA - M Speed Skating  
4 Aksel Lund Svindal - NOR - M Skiing  
5 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding  
6 USA - M XC Relay  
7 USA - M Hockey  
8 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing  
9 Kikkan Randall - USA - W XC Skiing  
10 Li Nina - CHN - W Skiing  
11 Hannah Teter - USA - W Snowboarding  
12 Kim Yuna - KOR - W Figure Skating

Tiebreak is 11

Pete  
1 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding  
2 NOR - W 4x5 XC Relay
3 Marit Bjorgen - W XC Skiing

4 GER - M Team Luge

5 Natalie Geisenberger - GER - W Luge

6 GER - M Luge Doubles

7 Sven Kramer - GER - M Speed Skatin

8 Martina Sablikova - CZE - W Speed Skating

9 Lee Sang-Hwa - KOR - W Speed Skating

10 Netherlands - M Speed Skating Team Pursuit

11 Sara Takanashi - JPN - W Skiing
12 Canada - M Curling

Tiebreak is 12

Noah
1 Wolfgang Kindl - AUT - M Luge
2 Shaun White - USA - M Snowboarding
3 USA - Two-man Bobsled
4 Ted Ligety - USA - M Skiing
5 Ole Einar Bjorndalen - NOR - M Biathlon
6 CAN - M Hockey
7 NOR - W Curling
8 Robert Kranjec - SLO - M Ski Jumping
9 Todd Lodwick - USA - M Nordic Combined
10 Christoph Beller - AUT - M Nordic Combined
11 Charles Hamelin - CAN - M Speed Skating
12 Dara Howell - CAN - W Snowboarding
Tiebreak is 15
 
Stay tuned, we'll be keeping up with medal counts as often as possible.

Bobby Valentine Back to Managing?

Classic.

Former manager of multiple teams both in the MLB and Japan, Bobby Valentine will be starting a new job as the athletic director of Sacred Heart University in July.  In April, though -- as this commercial suggests -- he will be reporting to a new team.

The fantasy baseball team he manages on CBSSports.com.  Its a great set-up for a commercial, I just think his delivery could've been a little bit better when it came to the Boston situation.  But holding a beer while in the office is classic, overshadowed only by the black t-shirt, sunglasses and mustache he wore after being ejected from a Mets game in 1999.

Vladamir Tarasenko Gets His Clock Cleaned

Shame on me for thinking that this shortened hockey season would provide some respite for my 'fantasy curse.'

My number four pick Scott Hartnell went down with a foot injury, number six Tobias Enstrom took a hit from Pascal Dupuis and will be out for a few more weeks.  Number 12 Joni Pitkanen has missed a few games as has number 13 Brendan Smith.  The flu has made its way around my team, already causing Dan Boyle, Nathan Horton, Jonathan Toews and Ondrej Pavelec.

I've made a bunch of moves to combat the time missed by these players, and one of those moves was Vladimir Tarasenko, who is second among rookies with 12 points this season.  In the Blues-Avalanche game last night, Tarasenko got absolutely knocked out by Avs defender Mark Olver  The video above is pretty rough when they get to showing different angles.  Here's to hoping no more time will be missed by another one of my players...

The Ol' Fantasy Curse

So the NBA season tips off tonight, with the Celtics-Heat, Mavericks-Lakers and last (and definitely least...) Wizards-Cavaliers game.

NBA has always been the last of the four major US sports that I follow, becoming a Celtics fan by proximity then staying interested because of players like Ray Allen and Keyon Dooling.  But this season, with the NHL season looking bleak, I decided to try my hand in fantasy basketball.  Fantasy sports and me go together like the Sharks and the Jets, but its still fun.

Sometimes.

For years now, I am convinced that I am a star player's reckoning.  In 2005, I chose David Akers second round (yeah, I know) and he broke his leg during a kickoff.  The two years on either side of Jacoby Ellsbury's near-MVP season I picked him high, only to have him fold up like a paper bag.  Last year in hockey, my top two goalies were Ryan Miller and Kari Lehtonen.  A concussion and a serious groin injury sidelined them for too long to hold onto, and I suffered five straight losses.

This year, I thought, new sport, new results?  Good one.  Top pick: Kevin Love -- out for six weeks.  Second round pick: Dirk Nowitzki -- out six to eight weeks.  Third round pick: James Harden -- traded to the Rockets.

I mean if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.  While my recent picks have been dead wrong, I'll try my hand tonight, going with the Heat, Lakers and Wizards as the winners.  Hopefully the whole Allen-Celtics fiasco doesn't get blown out of proportion tonight, but it'll sure be awkward during the ring ceremony...

UPDATE: Steve Nash was taken out of the Lakers' second game Wednesday night with a leg bruise.  Hopefully it is nothing serious, but either way, my fifth round pick joins the ranks of the DL.

Gronk Will Lightly Bread You With an Elbow Drop

Even into September, the Summer of Gronk rolls on.  The NFL season officially kicked off yesterday with the Cowboys beating the Giants, 24-17.  A great start to the year.

Either way, I'll let you enjoy the video, and pray that you completed your draft already.