Western Conference

In the west, through the first two games, it is very apparent who the better team has been. The Los Angeles Kings went into Phoenix and basically did whatever they wanted against their Pacific division rivals. The Kings have been amazingly dominant on the road, and in this series, that theme continued as Los Angeles heads home to Staples Center with a 2-0 series lead. As one watched the first two games, they began to wonder if Phoenix had an answer for anything the Kings were doing, but most importantly, Phoenix has had no answer for the Kings fore-check.

The Coyotes have not done themselves any favors either, especially in game two. Already down a game in the series, Coyotes captain Shane Doan took a major penalty for boarding when he hit Trevor Lewis from behind with just under five minutes left in the second period. It didn’t get any easier for the Coyotes when former Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Mike Smith took a slashing penalty. That call was not as costly due to a bad diving call to even things up.

Things didn’t get any better for the home team in the third as alternate captain Martin Hanzil got shown the door for a boarding penalty. That was particularly costly as Hanzil will miss game three with a one game suspension.

The Coyotes are in a particularly bad spot heading into Staples Center for games three and four. It appears Los Angeles is in their heads, and more specifically, in Mike Smiths head. At times it has seemed his main concern has been getting a piece of whatever King is close to his crease as opposed to stopping pucks. This has to change in a hurry if Phoenix is going to climb back into the series.

Eastern Conference

Everyone knew going into this series that nothing would come easy, and that is exactly how the Eastern Conference Final is starting to shape up after the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils split the first two games of the series at Madison Square Garden.

If the first two games of the series are any indication of how the next five will go, this is going to be fun to watch.

Between complaints about shot blocking, alleged suggestions of shooting pucks at heads, and a penalty box door that refused to open or close mid game, we already have had more craziness in this series than any other in the postseason.

The Rangers took game one with ease at the strength of Henrik Lundqvist and their shot blocking to win 3-0.  Game two saw the Devils push back, as they were the better team throughout. These are the types of ebbs and flows that are to be expected in a series like this. When one team pushes, the other team pushes back.

Everything in this series will be earned, and that is what makes this exciting. Not to mention the off the ice comedy of the John Tortorella press conferences, which are always good for a laugh or two.

Looking ahead to game three, one would think it’s the Rangers turn to be the team to push back as the series shifts back to Newark. Obviously, game three in this series is a big one, and with both teams proving already they prepared to leave everything on the ice, it should make for an interesting 60 minutes of hockey.

Are the New Orleans Saints making a massive mistake right now as they slow negotiation talks with their most important asset, Drew Brees? Marc Daniels and Jerry Greene debate in this segment of The Beat of Sports…

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Group A

1. Russia

2. Greece

3. Poland

4. Czech Republic

This is the group no one really knows about.  I’m going to give Russia the benefit of the doubt that they have become strong enough not to slip up to lesser opponents, and although I would love to pick Robert Lewandowski and co-hosts Poland to advance, I have a feeling Greece are going to lock down defensively and do enough to finish second.

Group B

1. Germany

2. Netherlands

3. Portugal

4. Denmark

The group of death is going to prove formidable for all those involved.  The difference is going to be depth, confidence, and understanding between the players.  In these three areas, I give Germany and the Dutch the edge over Portugal.  Christiano Ronaldo is obviously the best player in this tournament, but his team isn’t as deep as the other two.  The Germans are on the cusp of something special, so I have them as the favorites to win the group.

Group C

1. Spain

2. Italy

3. Croatia

4. Ireland

The Spaniards are still number 1.  Until someone knocks them off that pedestal, they will come into any tournament as the favorites to win the whole thing.  However, watch out for Italy.  They are going to surprise some people if they play the correct lineup with several players from Juventus, who finished the year unbeaten in Serie A.  It won’t be enough to topple Spain in the group, but they should advance comfortably.

Group D

1. France

2. England

3. Sweden

4. Ukraine

English fans hide your eyes.  The hiring of Roy Hodgson a month before the tournament, coupled with the selection of a very similar team to the one that flamed out of the World Cup two years ago doesn’t sit well in my mind.  Many people think France could struggle with Loic Remy injured and likely watching from home, but I like the way they are constructed.  If they play Franck Ribery and Samir Nasri on the wings with Karim Benzema up front, they could have Hatem Ben Arfa in central attack and two deeper central midfielders to protect an already potent back line.  Watch out for Olivier Giroud who is having a tremendous season leading Montpellier to a surprise Ligue 1 title over PSG.

Quarterfinals

Russia 1-2 Netherlands

The dutch are a fluid team with terrific understanding of each other.  Russia gets a goal, but the Netherlands advance based upon this and better depth.

Spain 2-0 England

The Three Lions suffer by finishing second in their group with a matchup against mighty Spain.  England has traditionally disappointed in international competitions and Euro 12 proves to be no different.

Germany 3-0 Greece

As I stated before, Germany is on the verge of something special.  Their fluidity, along with the talent of their midfield make up for what could be a suspect back line if Per Mertesacker can’t play.  They face a Greek team that won’t attack as much as they could which will help that fact as well.  Mesut Ozil is going to take over this tournament.

France 0-1 Italy

Italy locks down and France can’t finish.  Eventually, Balotelli enters the game and finds a goal then subsequently gets a red card after a dirty unnecessary tackle and a French flop.  After a few clutch saves from Gigi Buffon and a hectic finish, Italy progresses.  (Obviously, everything I just said is facetious outside the first sentence.  But seriously, it could happen.  Would you really be surprised?)

Semifinals

Netherlands 1-1 (4-3) Spain

The Dutch shock the world and beat Spain on PK’s.  Not sure I have a rhyme or reason for this one, I just want to pick an upset and I think if the Netherlands play the way they should and not how they did in the World Cup Final two years ago, they just might be able to do it with the absence of a clinical Spanish striker on that entire roster.  The wildcard is if Fernando Torres is included and somehow becomes the Torres of old.

Germany 2-1 Italy

I would actually love to pick Italy in this one, but I think Germany is going to be more powerful over the course of 90 minutes.  The better team progresses here, setting up a matchup with their bitter rivals in the final.

Final

Netherlands 1-2 Germany

Die Mannschaft win Euro 12.  Why?  Germany has the best collection of young talent that fit their system in the world.  It is very similar to the way Spain came together in Euro 2008 before entering the 2010 World Cup as favorites.  I see the same thing happening here.  The progress the Bundesliga has shown as a whole by overtaking Italy as the third best league in the world cannot be overstated.  Then the emergence of Borussia Dortmund as a world class club to push Bayern Munich to greater heights will payoff dividends this summer if my psychic abilities are working properly.  The possibility that Munich could improve their domestic showing and get back ahead of Dortmund next year by adding a bit of depth in the transfer market, coupled with a possible Champions League win over Chelsea at home Saturday, could lead them to become the new dynasty of Europe.  How’s that for predictions?  Above all, the mesmerizing young Mesut Ozil pulling the strings to Joachim Low’s brilliant tactics together leads me to believe Germany will conquer this tournament and set themselves up to be the favorites in Brazil at World Cup 2014.

U.S. networks televised all 10 games Sunday on seven English-language networks, two Spanish-language networks and three Internet streams, up from coverage on two networks each in English and Spanish plus the Internet last year.

The largest rating was for Manchester City’s title-winning 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers, which was seen by an average 600,000 viewers on ESPN2 and 189,000 on ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Source: Associated Press

Quarterly accounts show they dropped from $80 million at the end of 2011 to $41 million by March 31. The figure had stood at $238 million at the end of 2010.

United was deposed as Premier League champion by Manchester City on Sunday and eliminated from the lucrative Champions League at the group stage.

But United remains English soccer’s biggest moneymaker, with commercial revenue rising 15 percent to $43.4 million year-on-year. Wages rose 9 percent year-on-year to $178 million.

Debt dropped to $673.8 million.

Source: Rob Harris, Associated Press

Evergrande released a statement Thursday saying it had hired the World Cup-winning Italian coach until November 2014. Lippi later appeared at a news conference broadcast live on Chinese television to discuss his appointment.

Lippi replaces South Korean manager Lee Jang-soo, who took Guangzhou to promotion and then the 2011 Chinese Super League title. Evergrande is also through to the last 16 of the Asian Champions League.

Lippi led Juventus to five Italian titles over the 1990s and 2000s and Italy to the 2006 World Cup title.

Source: Associated Press

That’s a good question. The Bulls have 13 seniors on the roster this season and some of them could be included in next year’s draft, but not many.

Let’s start on defense first. Senior linebacker Sam Barrington could slip into the 2013 draft, in one of the later rounds. Barrington might not have standout numbers, but he has consistent ones. In his last three seasons with the Bulls, the linebacker has totaled 102 solo tackles and 178 total tackles. In 2011, Barrington had 72 total tackles. It wouldn’t be surprising if Barrington got picked up in the sixth or seventh round.

On offense, Demetris Murray has the numbers to potentially get him into next year’s draft also in one of the later rounds. In four seasons with USF, the running back has added 1,122 rushing yards, including two back-to-back seasons with 500 or more rushing yards. Murray can also be used as a wide receiver, totaling 358 receiving yards in four seasons. Murray’s versatility could secure him a spot in the draft’s late rounds.

The biggest question though, is will B.J. Daniels be a draft pick in 2013? Daniels is now in his senior season at USF and has posted better numbers each and every year, showing his improvement and growth since he started with the Bulls as a freshman. Since his first game in 2008, Daniels has thrown for 6,339 yards, scored 38 touchdowns and has had 29 interceptions. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely for Daniels to be picked in the 2013 Draft regardless of how he plays this season. His predecessor at quarterback, Matt Grothe, who had much better numbers, wasn’t even a draft pick. Grothe threw for a staggering 8,669 yards for USF and had 42 touchdowns in four seasons. After not being selected in the draft, Grothe went to play for the Tampa Bay Storm in the Arena Football League. The only quarterback in USF’s program history to be drafted in the NFL was Marquel Blackwell, who holds almost every record at quarterback for the Bulls. The most standout stat is the 9,108 passing yards he had while at USF, including 67 touchdown passes.

There will sure be surprises in the 2013 NFL Draft, but for the Bulls to be involved in it is solely dependent on how their 2012-2013 season goes. If USF wants any football players to be draft picks, they MUST advance to a bowl game. If the upcoming season unfolds like last season’s 5-7 one did, don’t expect any Bulls players in the 2013 NFL Draft.

81. Dwayne Bowe, Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs

Dwayne Bowe is one of the most consistent targets in the NFL despite not playing with anything close to an elite quarterback. Bowe’s 1,000+ yards in 2011 is every bit as impressive as Larry Fitzgerald’s numbers, considering his situation.

82. Sean Lee, Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys

The phrase “nose for the ball” is often overused, but it certainly applies when talking about Sean Lee. In his first two seasons, Lee has forced seven turnovers while ascending toward Pro Bowl caliber in 2011. Sean Lee is certainly one of the bright spots of the Cowboys defense.

83. Corey Webster, Cornerback, New York Giants

With stud linemen such as Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora on the Super Bowl champs defense, it’s easy to forget about the best player on the back end, Corey Webster. Webster is one of the league’s better cover guys and has had 10 interceptions over the past two seasons.

84. Adrian Wilson, Safety, Arizona Cardinals

Adrian Wilson has been a great safety for many years without a lot of publicity. Wilson remains one of the most intimidating players on any football field and is still playing at a very high level at 32 years of age.

85. Marcel Dareus, Defensive Tackle, Buffalo Bills

The Bills could be the surprise team of 2012 as their defensive line is loaded, thanks to Kyle Williams, Mario Williams and last season’s first-round pick, Marcel Dareus. Dareus can play in any scheme and is able to pressure the quarterback from the defensive tackle position.

86. Troy Polamalu, Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers

Troy Polamalu will enter the Hall of Fame five years after his playing days are over, but he is no longer the most dominant force on the football field. Injuries have slowed Polamalu to where quarterbacks are beginning to bait him with success. Make no mistake, Troy is still a big play guy but more risk comes with those big plays.

87. David Harris, Linebacker, New York Jets

It’s tough to imagine an underrated New York Jet, but if there is one it’s David Harris. Harris is one of the better linebackers in football as he’s all over the field with true sideline to sideline ability.

88. A.J. Green, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals

A.J. Green had one of the best rookie seasons ever for a wide receiver as he looked comfortable from day one. As fellow rookie Andy Dalton improves, Green’s number will get better as he still had over 1,000 yards as a rookie, often facing rolled coverage.

89. Earl Thomas, Safety, Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks haven’t regretted their first-round choice of Earl Thomas as he turned into a Pro Bowler in just his second season. Thomas cut down on his rookie mistakes from his first year to second, and could be one of the very best at his position in his third year.

90. Sean Weatherspoon, Linebacker, Atlanta Falcons

After playing sparingly as a rookie in 2010, Weatherspoon showed why the Falcons made him a first-round pick in 2011. Weatherspoon is already one of the best linebackers in football in pass coverage and can also be very effective in blitz packages. Weatherspoon will likely be the Falcons best defensive player in 2012.

To see the players from 91-100, click here.

Charlie Bernstein is the NFL Insider for ESPNFlorida.com and ESPN 1080 and 1040 in Orlando/Tampa and Editor-in-Chief of Sports Media Interactive, covering the National Football League, NCAA, and National Basketball Association. Charlie covers the Jacksonville Jaguars for FoxSports and has been featured on the NFL Network and Sirius NFL Radio. Charlie is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Charlie on Twitter @nflcharlie

Thompson has played professional baseball for 13 years since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 amateur draft. He is accumulated 5,681 plate appearances in his career. Of those plate appearances, just one has come at the major-league level; a double-play groundball off former Devil Rays’ backup catcher Tim Laker in the ninth inning of a blowout during the 2004 season.

The 33-year-old’s return to the show is certainly a feel good story, but the Rays would not make a move just to make a random minor-leaguers dream come true. Without Desmond Jennings, and now Brandon Guyer, the Rays had a need for a legitimate fourth outfielder on the roster. Because of all the injuries, Ben Zobrist has all but abandoned his post at second base for a perch in right field, and Stephen Vogt is an outfielder by title more than anything else. The addition of Thompson gives Rays’ Manager Joe Maddon a true pinch-running option as well as some late-inning defensive flexibility.

Despite being 6-foot-3, Thompson does not generate much power from his 185-pound frame. What he lacks for in power, he makes up for with decent on-base skills (.355 career on-base percentage) and the ability to move quickly around the bases once aboard.

Splitting time with four organizations (Toronto, Pittsburg, Arizona, and Philadelphia), Thompson has stolen 442 bases in 534 attempts (82.7%). He stole 40 or more bases in seven seasons – including 48 last season which was tops in the International League. The left-hander is a career .280 hitter, who earns a decent amount of walks to go with the occasional strike out. Defensively, Thompson has covered all three outfield positions, but has primarily played center field. He has played defensively in 27 games for Lehigh Valley (Triple-A) this season with 21 of them in center.

The length of Thompson’s stay in Tampa Bay is to be determined. Even if Desmond Jennings returns in two weeks, Thompson skill-set likely holds more value on the bench than a player like Stephen Vogt. As Brandon Guyer, Evan Longoria, Brandon Allen, and Jose Lobaton start to return from injury, space on the 25-man roster will eventually become limited. At that point, Thompson may once again find himself on the outside looking in.

Until that happens, Thompson is a major-league outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Good luck, Rich.