The recent news of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky at Penn State has now enabled the previously unthinkable. The release of Joe Paterno.
I cannot believe some of the comments I have come across concerning this.
Anyone who thinks that Paterno has nothing to do with does not understand it is his program, it happened under his watch, he did not follow up on the issue and it was his own coaching staff that committed this unforgivable crime.
In a time when programs are being busted by the NCAA year after year it is about time for a program to take control. While Penn State had this opportunity, they dropped the ball like every other program.
Sandusky allegedly raping young boys had been brought up before after there had been an eye witness and nothing was done to bring him to justice. That was Penn States first strike, and it was a big one.
Second strike, releasing a restriction on the media this morning not allowing the press to bring up this issue and only discuss "football" related topics.
Then Pen State shortly after cancels the press conference all together. Strike three.
Not that Penn State needed three strikes. Their first violation is enough to make me outraged.
The worse comment I heard all day was someone calling into the Dan Patrick show and saying that Paterno should not be let go because this does not concern him and is not football related.
Furry. That is all I could feel at this comment. Not only are comments like this not logical they are also not ethical and disrespectful to these victims.
In a time when Jim Tressel is forced out of his head coaching position at Ohio State because his players traded game memorabilia for tattoo's and Paterno should stay after an assistant coach under him has raped underage boys. The president has been set and Paterno's last hours are or at least should be ticking away.
It does not matter how long Paterno has been at Penn or what he means to the program, for something like this to happen under his watch and for him to not go to authorities with it but do the bare minimum to get it off of his hands is unacceptable as a head coach and a human being.
It is too late for Penn State to recover their image but they could at least get this one right and let go of Paterno with no strings attached. The president for violations not nearly as worse as this has been set and their is no question about it, Joe Pa's gotta go.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Raiders Go All In
The Oakland Raiders are not rolling over. Losing Jason Campbell is not going to slow down the silver and black on their quest for a playoff berth. But the question is, are they putting all their eggs in one basket?
Less than 48 hours after the injury of Jason Campbell the Raiders have drawn Carson Palmer out of his premature "retirement" in a trade with the Bengals.
Palmer has been an exceptional QB in the past putting up solid numbers and making the Bengals a team that you could not overlook. It is hard to tell if this move will indeed benefit the Raiders with so many questions revolving around this move.
Potentially two first round picks for Palmer.
There are several problems with this, the Raiders traded away two draft picks, one first round pick in the 2012 draft and a conditional pick in 2013 that can go as high as a first round. If Palmer takes the Raiders to the playoffs it can be seen as a worthwhile trade. But if too much rust has covered his throwing arm, then what?
What happens next year.
Are we going to see another QB controversy when Campbell is healthy enough to return. And if Palmer is not up to par and the Raiders record slips then they will not even have the plus side of coming away with a quality first round pick.
The Bengals definitely got the better end of this deal. Two draft picks, at least one a first rounder for a player that was never going to take another snap for your team. Talk about capitalizing on another teams misfortune. On the flip side though the Raiders had to do something, they are only a half game out of first place in the division and have been playing well rounded football.
Palmer will be a little rusty but he is a pure passer and can sling it down field to those speedy receivers the Raiders are in love with. As long as McFadden continues to run hard look for the Raiders make a run for the division and hope the loss of those two picks or a potential QB controversy don't bite them later on.
Less than 48 hours after the injury of Jason Campbell the Raiders have drawn Carson Palmer out of his premature "retirement" in a trade with the Bengals.
Palmer has been an exceptional QB in the past putting up solid numbers and making the Bengals a team that you could not overlook. It is hard to tell if this move will indeed benefit the Raiders with so many questions revolving around this move.
Potentially two first round picks for Palmer.
There are several problems with this, the Raiders traded away two draft picks, one first round pick in the 2012 draft and a conditional pick in 2013 that can go as high as a first round. If Palmer takes the Raiders to the playoffs it can be seen as a worthwhile trade. But if too much rust has covered his throwing arm, then what?
What happens next year.
Are we going to see another QB controversy when Campbell is healthy enough to return. And if Palmer is not up to par and the Raiders record slips then they will not even have the plus side of coming away with a quality first round pick.
The Bengals definitely got the better end of this deal. Two draft picks, at least one a first rounder for a player that was never going to take another snap for your team. Talk about capitalizing on another teams misfortune. On the flip side though the Raiders had to do something, they are only a half game out of first place in the division and have been playing well rounded football.
Palmer will be a little rusty but he is a pure passer and can sling it down field to those speedy receivers the Raiders are in love with. As long as McFadden continues to run hard look for the Raiders make a run for the division and hope the loss of those two picks or a potential QB controversy don't bite them later on.
Monday, September 26, 2011
NBA Updates
The NBA is very lucky that the NFL season started without a hitch. Of course even if the NFL was still in lockout they would currently be receiving the majority of the criticism.
November 1st is closing in fast and still there appears to be nothing positive to report. Instead we are stuck with more negative news from the league.
According to NBA.com training camps have been postponed indefinitely and 43 preseason games scheduled through October 15th have been canceled.
Honestly I am partially okay with this. I would rather lose more of the NBA preseason than the NFL preseason because I do not believe basketball players need as long of a preseason they are already given to prepare for a 82 game season.
And I did tell a white lie. Well I did if you count this as good news. Jay-Z has announced the official name change of the Nets to the Brooklyn Nets instead of New Jersey. And he will have multiple concerts in the new Barclay Center.
Be prepared to see Knicks fans jumping over to root for the Nets despite the Knicks still hoping to improve with the late addition of Carmelo Anthony.
Unless your a Jay-Z fan or at least live in the Brooklyn area there is not much reason to be hopefully about the 2011-2012 NBA season yet.
November 1st is closing in fast and still there appears to be nothing positive to report. Instead we are stuck with more negative news from the league.
According to NBA.com training camps have been postponed indefinitely and 43 preseason games scheduled through October 15th have been canceled.
Honestly I am partially okay with this. I would rather lose more of the NBA preseason than the NFL preseason because I do not believe basketball players need as long of a preseason they are already given to prepare for a 82 game season.
And I did tell a white lie. Well I did if you count this as good news. Jay-Z has announced the official name change of the Nets to the Brooklyn Nets instead of New Jersey. And he will have multiple concerts in the new Barclay Center.
Be prepared to see Knicks fans jumping over to root for the Nets despite the Knicks still hoping to improve with the late addition of Carmelo Anthony.
Unless your a Jay-Z fan or at least live in the Brooklyn area there is not much reason to be hopefully about the 2011-2012 NBA season yet.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Musical Conferences
The Pac-10 became the Pac-12, TCU decided to move to a BCS conference in the Big East, Nebraska shifted to the Big 10, Texas A&M is leaving for the SEC, Pittsburgh and Syracuse are swapping to the ACC.
These are all the official shifts that have occurred in the past year alone. Not to startle you but this could be the calm before the storm.
Now there is talk of a Pac-16, a merger between the Big East and Big 12 and the biggest shocker, Notre Dame finally breaking down and entering a conference. Although the Pac-12 voted against expanding any further they can just as easily vote to expand.
There are two scenarios that can play out from these potential “mega” conferences. The first is the BCS bowl system will be solidified and the second is that a playoff is inevitable.
The argument can arise that since there might end up being roughly four mega conferences that a playoff will not be needed because the top teams will already be at the top of their conferences and will be selected to play for the BCS championship.
The stronger of the two arguments is the second. If it were worked down to only four conferences and each already had their own conference championship games then from there you can put together a four team playoff.
For those of you sentimentalists do not worry. They can still easily keep the bowls in place. The four big bowls can be considered the conference championship games. For example the Pac-16 championship will always be the Rose Bowl while the SEC can have their championship game be the Sugar Bowl, the ACC can have the Orange Bowl, and whichever fourth and possibly fifth conference can use the Cotton and Tostitos Bowls.
Overall the changing of the conferences means little to me unless it provokes a change in postseason play, however, however it would be nice if everyone could settle down pick a conference so we can focus on the field and not conference politics.
These are all the official shifts that have occurred in the past year alone. Not to startle you but this could be the calm before the storm.
Now there is talk of a Pac-16, a merger between the Big East and Big 12 and the biggest shocker, Notre Dame finally breaking down and entering a conference. Although the Pac-12 voted against expanding any further they can just as easily vote to expand.
There are two scenarios that can play out from these potential “mega” conferences. The first is the BCS bowl system will be solidified and the second is that a playoff is inevitable.
The argument can arise that since there might end up being roughly four mega conferences that a playoff will not be needed because the top teams will already be at the top of their conferences and will be selected to play for the BCS championship.
The stronger of the two arguments is the second. If it were worked down to only four conferences and each already had their own conference championship games then from there you can put together a four team playoff.
For those of you sentimentalists do not worry. They can still easily keep the bowls in place. The four big bowls can be considered the conference championship games. For example the Pac-16 championship will always be the Rose Bowl while the SEC can have their championship game be the Sugar Bowl, the ACC can have the Orange Bowl, and whichever fourth and possibly fifth conference can use the Cotton and Tostitos Bowls.
Overall the changing of the conferences means little to me unless it provokes a change in postseason play, however, however it would be nice if everyone could settle down pick a conference so we can focus on the field and not conference politics.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
An Appeal to American Sports Fans
Dear American sports fans, I understand that you are “ready for some football”, you cannot wait for the fall classic to start, and once the NBA lockout is lifted all will be perfect. Allow me, for a moment, to show you a gem that has been sitting at your feet and waiting to be admired.
You would have thought we as Americans would have more fully discovered and embraced “the beautiful game” sooner than we are even beginning to now. Of course what I am referring to is soccer, the original “football” if you will. For as old as soccer is, it can be traced to the eighth century in England, and for how popular it is worldwide, soccer is the most watched and played sport globally, it is shocking that its popularity within the United States is lack luster in comparison. It is nearly impossible to trace the cause of this to one specific reason, although a few broad generic reasons do jump to mind.
The game is too slow. As Americans we like our fast paced lifestyles, and we are obsessed with speed in sports. We will over analyze the potential of a prospect in the NFL draft because they ran a forty yard dash time in 4.47 seconds and not in 4.38 seconds, and so the prospect might drop round in the draft because of those .9 seconds. Soccer is cluttered with phenomenal athletes. In most countries their best athletes are soccer players. A standard soccer pitch (field) is just as long as a football field if you include the endzones and a soccer field is nearly thirty yards wider than a football field. You also must keep in mind that unlike football, where the average play is roughly six to seven seconds long, soccer the majority of the time there is no dead time with the exception of fouls and say corner kicks, although even then the players are jogging to get into better position pre play. Overall soccer might not appear to be happening as fast as say basketball or football, but soccer has a different pace and therefore a different feel while watching it.
The scores are too low and there are not enough exciting moments over the course of the game. Well first of we call baseball our past time. And there can be no argument that says there are more exciting moments in the course of an average baseball game then a soccer game. Baseball like soccer, are both lower scoring games that can be both appreciated as such. Also look at it like this, the only true “high scoring” game is basketball. Sure football scores will read 28-14 or 42-28, but when you break down how many times each team actually scored, it looks more like 4-3 or 6-4. Not that much more coring then in soccer honestly, however I do view the “lack” of scoring in soccer to be a good thing, it builds tension as the game progresses. When every play and touch of the ball could easily win or lose the game for you or your team, the excitement while watching a play unfold can almost be unmatched by other sports.
What else is wrong with soccer? Do not tell me that it not being “American” is a problem now. Because it is not “our” game, get over yourself if that is the case. Once again remember America’s past time baseball? It’s just an adaptation of the English games of cricket. And basketball, the sport that we have for the most part had complete control in regards to international competition, well it was created by a Canadian who happened to be working in Springfield, Massachusetts. So please do not be that naive and even think that this is a legitimate reason.
Soccer’s popularity in the United States has seen a rise in the past few years. The men’s World Cup was watched by many and even the women’s World Cup was grabbing plenty of headline space. The MLS this year had two more expansion teams with the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. Yet still the support and media coverage that the game gets is lack luster in comparison to golf, basketball, football, and baseball. All I ask of you is to give it a chance if you have not already, turn on the MLS and watch a few games. Make a concerted effort to at least try to get into soccer, and if you do, I promise that you will be surprised with the results.
You would have thought we as Americans would have more fully discovered and embraced “the beautiful game” sooner than we are even beginning to now. Of course what I am referring to is soccer, the original “football” if you will. For as old as soccer is, it can be traced to the eighth century in England, and for how popular it is worldwide, soccer is the most watched and played sport globally, it is shocking that its popularity within the United States is lack luster in comparison. It is nearly impossible to trace the cause of this to one specific reason, although a few broad generic reasons do jump to mind.
The game is too slow. As Americans we like our fast paced lifestyles, and we are obsessed with speed in sports. We will over analyze the potential of a prospect in the NFL draft because they ran a forty yard dash time in 4.47 seconds and not in 4.38 seconds, and so the prospect might drop round in the draft because of those .9 seconds. Soccer is cluttered with phenomenal athletes. In most countries their best athletes are soccer players. A standard soccer pitch (field) is just as long as a football field if you include the endzones and a soccer field is nearly thirty yards wider than a football field. You also must keep in mind that unlike football, where the average play is roughly six to seven seconds long, soccer the majority of the time there is no dead time with the exception of fouls and say corner kicks, although even then the players are jogging to get into better position pre play. Overall soccer might not appear to be happening as fast as say basketball or football, but soccer has a different pace and therefore a different feel while watching it.
The scores are too low and there are not enough exciting moments over the course of the game. Well first of we call baseball our past time. And there can be no argument that says there are more exciting moments in the course of an average baseball game then a soccer game. Baseball like soccer, are both lower scoring games that can be both appreciated as such. Also look at it like this, the only true “high scoring” game is basketball. Sure football scores will read 28-14 or 42-28, but when you break down how many times each team actually scored, it looks more like 4-3 or 6-4. Not that much more coring then in soccer honestly, however I do view the “lack” of scoring in soccer to be a good thing, it builds tension as the game progresses. When every play and touch of the ball could easily win or lose the game for you or your team, the excitement while watching a play unfold can almost be unmatched by other sports.
What else is wrong with soccer? Do not tell me that it not being “American” is a problem now. Because it is not “our” game, get over yourself if that is the case. Once again remember America’s past time baseball? It’s just an adaptation of the English games of cricket. And basketball, the sport that we have for the most part had complete control in regards to international competition, well it was created by a Canadian who happened to be working in Springfield, Massachusetts. So please do not be that naive and even think that this is a legitimate reason.
Soccer’s popularity in the United States has seen a rise in the past few years. The men’s World Cup was watched by many and even the women’s World Cup was grabbing plenty of headline space. The MLS this year had two more expansion teams with the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. Yet still the support and media coverage that the game gets is lack luster in comparison to golf, basketball, football, and baseball. All I ask of you is to give it a chance if you have not already, turn on the MLS and watch a few games. Make a concerted effort to at least try to get into soccer, and if you do, I promise that you will be surprised with the results.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
AFC West Preview
Last year’s AFC west was one of the most interesting competitive divisions in the NFL last year. The Chiefs won the division with a record of 10-6, the Chargers were a game behind at 9-7 while the Raiders surprised everybody at 8-8, the Broncos picked up the rear of the division and went 4-12. This year I ultimately see the Chargers winning the division because they have the best player at quarterback in the division.
The Oakland Raiders surprised everyone last year by going 8-8. Except for the die hard and out of touch reality fans, there was no one who saw that coming. Drafting Pryor will only cause more trouble for the Raiders. There is no outstanding quarterback for the Raiders now this will open the door for conversations of when and if Pryor should get the starting job after he serves his suspension. Jason Campbell has done a very good job managing the offense but he will not be leading the Raiders to any playoff appearances in the near future. The best part of last year for the Raiders was the improvement of running back Darren McFadden. McFadden was the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft and never rushed for me than 500 yards in his first two years in the league. Last year he rushed for 1,157 yards and 7 touchdowns, his best year by far statistically. The Raiders lost both defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha and left guard Robert Gallery to free agency this past offseason. Look for the Raiders to ride McFadden for around 1,200 yards again this year but also watch their wins drop as they go 3-13.
The Denver Broncos have had more preseason drama than any other team in the NFL. Maybe now that it appears that Kyle Orton will be the full time starter some of the drama will die down. The Broncos still have a good team but off field distractions will keep them from doing any better than last year. Their defense will win more games for them then their offense will. With Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins in the secondary you always have a chance to make big plays. Running back Knowshon Moreno needs to do better if they want to win, last year Moreno only put up 779 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns in thirteen games. Orton will be average in the passing game but not great, and with an average passing game, a sub-par rushing game and a good but not stellar defense, expect the Broncos to go 4-12 again this year.
Hello San Diego, and allow me to sympathize with you as you are going to finish second to the Chiefs and miss the playoffs again. First strike against the Chargers is the loss of Darren Sproles. I know I know the Chargers have Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert at running back. But neither Mathews nor Tolbert ran the ball like Sproles could. Sproles was only third on the team in rushing but he was first in receptions and third in receiving yards. Sproles had more receptions and yards than Mathews and Tolbert, combined. Plus his ability to return punts and kicks. So you cannot say that the Chargers will not miss Sproles. Phillip Rivers might not have had to rely so much on Sproles however, if Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, and Antonio Gates had been healthy enough (or Jackson decided to not hold out) to play all sixteen games last year. Between the three of them they only played in twenty six games, Gates 10, Floyd 11, and Jackson 5. Despite all of this Phillip Rivers still had one of his best years last year and you can expect him to have a similar year this year. Originally I figured the Chargers would win the division this year, but when I see how they have crumbled in the past in big situations I can’t see them edging out the Chiefs this year. Chargers go 8-8 and barely miss the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs surprised just about everyone by going 10-6 and winning the AFC west last year. I was not convinced the Chiefs would repeat as division champs this year until they acquired Steve Breaston and I remembered about Eric Berry. Matt Cassel has not looked impressive in the preseason and some analysts have doubted that he is ready to play this season. All I have to say is, remember 2008 when he had an amazing year in New England after he was thrown in the starting position when Tom Brady went down with a season ending knee injury, happened to be against the Chiefs too, oh how the sports world turns. Basically Cassel will be fine, he stepped in right away with no preparation as a starter then and he will be great this year with Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston at wide receiver and Jamal Charles in the backfield. All of a sudden the Chiefs are looking like they could almost, can’t believe I’m saying this, make a run in the playoffs. And that Eric Berry guy, in case you missed his stellar rookie performance last year, Berry had 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 interceptions and 1 touchdown. In one word Berry is a playmaker. Chiefs only go 8-8 and take the division but they won’t be a fun matchup for the visiting wild card team.
The Oakland Raiders surprised everyone last year by going 8-8. Except for the die hard and out of touch reality fans, there was no one who saw that coming. Drafting Pryor will only cause more trouble for the Raiders. There is no outstanding quarterback for the Raiders now this will open the door for conversations of when and if Pryor should get the starting job after he serves his suspension. Jason Campbell has done a very good job managing the offense but he will not be leading the Raiders to any playoff appearances in the near future. The best part of last year for the Raiders was the improvement of running back Darren McFadden. McFadden was the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft and never rushed for me than 500 yards in his first two years in the league. Last year he rushed for 1,157 yards and 7 touchdowns, his best year by far statistically. The Raiders lost both defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha and left guard Robert Gallery to free agency this past offseason. Look for the Raiders to ride McFadden for around 1,200 yards again this year but also watch their wins drop as they go 3-13.
The Denver Broncos have had more preseason drama than any other team in the NFL. Maybe now that it appears that Kyle Orton will be the full time starter some of the drama will die down. The Broncos still have a good team but off field distractions will keep them from doing any better than last year. Their defense will win more games for them then their offense will. With Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins in the secondary you always have a chance to make big plays. Running back Knowshon Moreno needs to do better if they want to win, last year Moreno only put up 779 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns in thirteen games. Orton will be average in the passing game but not great, and with an average passing game, a sub-par rushing game and a good but not stellar defense, expect the Broncos to go 4-12 again this year.
Hello San Diego, and allow me to sympathize with you as you are going to finish second to the Chiefs and miss the playoffs again. First strike against the Chargers is the loss of Darren Sproles. I know I know the Chargers have Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert at running back. But neither Mathews nor Tolbert ran the ball like Sproles could. Sproles was only third on the team in rushing but he was first in receptions and third in receiving yards. Sproles had more receptions and yards than Mathews and Tolbert, combined. Plus his ability to return punts and kicks. So you cannot say that the Chargers will not miss Sproles. Phillip Rivers might not have had to rely so much on Sproles however, if Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, and Antonio Gates had been healthy enough (or Jackson decided to not hold out) to play all sixteen games last year. Between the three of them they only played in twenty six games, Gates 10, Floyd 11, and Jackson 5. Despite all of this Phillip Rivers still had one of his best years last year and you can expect him to have a similar year this year. Originally I figured the Chargers would win the division this year, but when I see how they have crumbled in the past in big situations I can’t see them edging out the Chiefs this year. Chargers go 8-8 and barely miss the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs surprised just about everyone by going 10-6 and winning the AFC west last year. I was not convinced the Chiefs would repeat as division champs this year until they acquired Steve Breaston and I remembered about Eric Berry. Matt Cassel has not looked impressive in the preseason and some analysts have doubted that he is ready to play this season. All I have to say is, remember 2008 when he had an amazing year in New England after he was thrown in the starting position when Tom Brady went down with a season ending knee injury, happened to be against the Chiefs too, oh how the sports world turns. Basically Cassel will be fine, he stepped in right away with no preparation as a starter then and he will be great this year with Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston at wide receiver and Jamal Charles in the backfield. All of a sudden the Chiefs are looking like they could almost, can’t believe I’m saying this, make a run in the playoffs. And that Eric Berry guy, in case you missed his stellar rookie performance last year, Berry had 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 interceptions and 1 touchdown. In one word Berry is a playmaker. Chiefs only go 8-8 and take the division but they won’t be a fun matchup for the visiting wild card team.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
NFC West Preview
Last year’s NFC west was the worst division in the NFL by far. It was so bad that the Seahawks made the playoffs and home field advantage for the first round with a record of 7-9! Although the Seahawks did prove some of the doubters wrong by knocking of the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, regardless though it sparked a national conversation about changing the playoff seeding system. This year will be different for the NFC west, well a little different. No team will reach ten wins, but I think that at least two teams will make it to the .500 mark or above.
The San Francisco 49ers finished last year with a disappointing 6-10 record, unfortunately for the 49ers and their fans, this season will not be any better. The 49ers over the past several seasons have had winning personal that have underperformed or been plagued with injuries resulting in disappointing after disappointing season for the bay area. Enter Alex Smith, the number one over pick from the 2005 NFL draft has never played as well as anyone had hoped he would have. Especially if you compare him to Aaron Rodgers who was taken with the twenty fourth pick and even Kyle Orton who has put up better numbers the past two years then Smith and was drafted in the fourth round. Regardless though Smith is who the 49ers have currently behind center, although it does not seem like they have too much faith in Smith themselves; the 49ers drafted to quarter backs in the draft this year McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and Colin Kaepernick. Smith has never thrown for 3,000 yards or 20 touch downs in a single season and has not played in all sixteen games since 2006, he also has more career interceptions than touch downs. Do not expect the 49ers to be going very far with Smith at quarterback. The addition of wide receiver Braylon Edwards from the Jets will help Smith but ultimately will not put much a dent in the loss column. The 49ers do not have to worry about the running game, but they also cannot rely heavily on it either. Frank Gore has been good but has not come close to duplicating his year in 2006. The only consistent force the 49ers currently have right now is linebacker Patrick Willis, but he can only do so much. The 49ers are in a rut and will end up duplicating last year with a 6-10 record and that is still only because of their relatively weak division.
I just came across a preview of the NFC west on nfl.com saying that the Rams could potentially win the division. Well first, anyone has the potential to win their division or even the Super Bowl; second, I do see the Rams improving, but not winning the division. Sam Bradford put up very impressive numbers for a rookie and he started all sixteen games. Bradford eclipsed the 3,500 yard mark with 18 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a sixty percent pass completion rate. While Bradford did not have any outstanding receivers last year, Steven Jackson and the third most receptions and no one pulled in 700 yards; the good news though is that the two leading receivers, Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson, are both very young and have a lot of room to improve. Amendola is twenty five and Gibson is twenty four and neither have more than three years experience in the NFL. With a year of experience behind Bradford and a year to work on timing and chemistry, Bradford will have another big year and Gibson and Amendola will both have improved years. Steven Jackson will continue to carry the bulk of the carries for the Rams in the running game but with perhaps fewer carries than the previous years thanks to the newly added Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood. Williams never became a clear cut started in Tampa Bay but can still contribute valuable plays to a team. And Jerious Norwood started a handful of games two years ago for the Falcons injured Michael Turner and did a respectable job. With that said, Jackson can take a few more plays off leaving him with fresher legs towards the end of games and pushing his yard per carry up. The Rams future definitely looks bright, they will finally reach the .500 mark and go 8-8.
The Seattle Seahawks, the team that had a losing record, still went to the playoffs and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions in the most dramatic fashion, via Marshawn Lynch running through every Saints defender. Now the Seahawks have to attempt to repeat as division champions, if Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu were both returning I would day that they were the division favorites, but now with the loss of Tatupu’s leadership in the middle of the defense and the experience of Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks will have to play that much better if they want to repeat last year’s playoff run. The biggest question mark is and still will be for a while is how well will Tarvaris Jackson play, Jackson has never started more than twelve games in a season. Jackson has only started a combined twenty games in his five year career. So while it is hard to gauge how Jackson will be as a full time starter, the one positive is that at least he can be mobile and get out of the pocket if he gets in trouble or the protection breaks down. Like the Rams the Seahawks have a crew of young receivers, a reborn Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu, and Golden Tate are all talented receivers that have the ability to make Jackson’s first year in Seattle a little easier. Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett it looks like will still share the responsibility to carry the ball. While it can be a very good thing because it allows each to stay rested and to mix up running styles against the defense, it is also a slight problem; the Seahawks do not have a clear go to rusher when it counts. Defensively the Seahawks have almost never ceased to under achieve from their talent level. Hopefully it will start to change with some of the younger players becoming leaders. Line backer Aaron Curry, third year, and safety Earl Thomas, second year, can both make some big plays and will continue to improve over the next few seasons. And who can forget trusty Marcus Trufant, Seahawk since his rookie year in 2003. Trufant will continue to be a reliable cover man and give some freedom for Curry and Thomas to make big plays. The Seahawks will be just short of the division title but win one more game than last year and finish at 8-8.
Think Hercules this year with the Arizona Cardinals, you know, the whole
“zero to hero” thing. Last year they brought up the rear in the division going 5-11, the primary difference will be the arrival of Kevin Kolb. Kolb will for sure put up better numbers than Anderson’s 2065 yards, 7 touch downs and ten interceptions. No doubt Kolb’s leading receiver will be Larry Fitzgerald, and with the addition of Todd Heap they will now have a tight end that can put up numbers to compensate for the loss of Steve Breaston. If Beanie Wells can stay healthy then the Cardinals will not have to worry about their rushing attack. Based on their improved offense attack the Cardinals will get back on track and sit on top of the NFC west by the end of the year with a record of 10-6.
The San Francisco 49ers finished last year with a disappointing 6-10 record, unfortunately for the 49ers and their fans, this season will not be any better. The 49ers over the past several seasons have had winning personal that have underperformed or been plagued with injuries resulting in disappointing after disappointing season for the bay area. Enter Alex Smith, the number one over pick from the 2005 NFL draft has never played as well as anyone had hoped he would have. Especially if you compare him to Aaron Rodgers who was taken with the twenty fourth pick and even Kyle Orton who has put up better numbers the past two years then Smith and was drafted in the fourth round. Regardless though Smith is who the 49ers have currently behind center, although it does not seem like they have too much faith in Smith themselves; the 49ers drafted to quarter backs in the draft this year McLeod Bethel-Thompson, and Colin Kaepernick. Smith has never thrown for 3,000 yards or 20 touch downs in a single season and has not played in all sixteen games since 2006, he also has more career interceptions than touch downs. Do not expect the 49ers to be going very far with Smith at quarterback. The addition of wide receiver Braylon Edwards from the Jets will help Smith but ultimately will not put much a dent in the loss column. The 49ers do not have to worry about the running game, but they also cannot rely heavily on it either. Frank Gore has been good but has not come close to duplicating his year in 2006. The only consistent force the 49ers currently have right now is linebacker Patrick Willis, but he can only do so much. The 49ers are in a rut and will end up duplicating last year with a 6-10 record and that is still only because of their relatively weak division.
I just came across a preview of the NFC west on nfl.com saying that the Rams could potentially win the division. Well first, anyone has the potential to win their division or even the Super Bowl; second, I do see the Rams improving, but not winning the division. Sam Bradford put up very impressive numbers for a rookie and he started all sixteen games. Bradford eclipsed the 3,500 yard mark with 18 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a sixty percent pass completion rate. While Bradford did not have any outstanding receivers last year, Steven Jackson and the third most receptions and no one pulled in 700 yards; the good news though is that the two leading receivers, Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson, are both very young and have a lot of room to improve. Amendola is twenty five and Gibson is twenty four and neither have more than three years experience in the NFL. With a year of experience behind Bradford and a year to work on timing and chemistry, Bradford will have another big year and Gibson and Amendola will both have improved years. Steven Jackson will continue to carry the bulk of the carries for the Rams in the running game but with perhaps fewer carries than the previous years thanks to the newly added Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood. Williams never became a clear cut started in Tampa Bay but can still contribute valuable plays to a team. And Jerious Norwood started a handful of games two years ago for the Falcons injured Michael Turner and did a respectable job. With that said, Jackson can take a few more plays off leaving him with fresher legs towards the end of games and pushing his yard per carry up. The Rams future definitely looks bright, they will finally reach the .500 mark and go 8-8.
The Seattle Seahawks, the team that had a losing record, still went to the playoffs and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions in the most dramatic fashion, via Marshawn Lynch running through every Saints defender. Now the Seahawks have to attempt to repeat as division champions, if Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu were both returning I would day that they were the division favorites, but now with the loss of Tatupu’s leadership in the middle of the defense and the experience of Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks will have to play that much better if they want to repeat last year’s playoff run. The biggest question mark is and still will be for a while is how well will Tarvaris Jackson play, Jackson has never started more than twelve games in a season. Jackson has only started a combined twenty games in his five year career. So while it is hard to gauge how Jackson will be as a full time starter, the one positive is that at least he can be mobile and get out of the pocket if he gets in trouble or the protection breaks down. Like the Rams the Seahawks have a crew of young receivers, a reborn Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu, and Golden Tate are all talented receivers that have the ability to make Jackson’s first year in Seattle a little easier. Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett it looks like will still share the responsibility to carry the ball. While it can be a very good thing because it allows each to stay rested and to mix up running styles against the defense, it is also a slight problem; the Seahawks do not have a clear go to rusher when it counts. Defensively the Seahawks have almost never ceased to under achieve from their talent level. Hopefully it will start to change with some of the younger players becoming leaders. Line backer Aaron Curry, third year, and safety Earl Thomas, second year, can both make some big plays and will continue to improve over the next few seasons. And who can forget trusty Marcus Trufant, Seahawk since his rookie year in 2003. Trufant will continue to be a reliable cover man and give some freedom for Curry and Thomas to make big plays. The Seahawks will be just short of the division title but win one more game than last year and finish at 8-8.
Think Hercules this year with the Arizona Cardinals, you know, the whole
“zero to hero” thing. Last year they brought up the rear in the division going 5-11, the primary difference will be the arrival of Kevin Kolb. Kolb will for sure put up better numbers than Anderson’s 2065 yards, 7 touch downs and ten interceptions. No doubt Kolb’s leading receiver will be Larry Fitzgerald, and with the addition of Todd Heap they will now have a tight end that can put up numbers to compensate for the loss of Steve Breaston. If Beanie Wells can stay healthy then the Cardinals will not have to worry about their rushing attack. Based on their improved offense attack the Cardinals will get back on track and sit on top of the NFC west by the end of the year with a record of 10-6.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
NFC East Preview
The NFC East will once again be a battle between great teams for the divisional title. Overall I see the division winning more games this year than last year but at the expense of one team dropping a few more wins. After going through the season schedule and going through the tie breaker process after picking each individual game, all four teams will finish in the same order but this year three teams from the NFC East will be going to the playoffs.
The one team that will not make the playoffs out of the NFC East, and the team that will drop a few more wins from last year are the Washington Redskins. Surprised? I doubt you are. The Redskins look to be a mess right now, and playing the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys twice a year means you have to have it together to survive. Last year the Redskins went 6-10, this year their win total will only be half that. Just looking at the Redskins offensive personal is enough to see that immediate success is not coming. Tim Hightower will be playing in Washington for the first time, and while Hightower has played well in Arizona, he has yet to surpass 750 yards in a season and only reached 10 touchdowns once in his three year career. The good news for Hightower is that Mike Shanahan has made average running backs in the NFL into MVP candidates. However, that is about all the good news the Redskins have offensively. Santana Moss has been one of the most productive and consistent wide receivers in the league for the past eight years, Moss is the Redskins number one weapon offensively. Moss will continue to be very productive but his numbers will definitely not be better than before and if anything will fall off slightly. Two things will affect Moss this year and the years following, first is his age, Moss is now 32, and second is the guy throwing him the ball. Rex Grossman is not a step up from Donovan McNabb, as much as Mike Shanahan wishes he was. Grossman has not played in all sixteen regular season games since 2006 with the Chicago Bears, since then Grossman has only played in seventeen games and started in just eleven of those. Grossman is not going to be leading the Redskins to any playoff or even winning seasons in the near future. Even with the addition of Donte Stallworth, not because Grossman is horrible but because Stallworth would not help any quarterback at this point in his career. Stallworth has jumped from four different teams in the past four years and his production has gotten worse each year. The Redskins do not have much to offer and are going to leave their fans with another losing season as they go 3-13 this year.
If we awarded Super Bowl wins from hype and looking at teams “on paper”, then the Dallas Cowboys should have won about two Super Bowls in the past five years. Last year was a large disappointment for the Cowboys, not only did they start poorly but they also saw Tony Romo go out for the rest of the season due to injuries after just six games. Jon Kitna did a good job filling in for Romo but the hole was already too deep and Kitna was still no Romo. This year if Romo can stay healthy the Cowboys will put up a much better record than their lack luster 6-10 performance from last year. The running game is the one area that the Cowboys could use more production out of offensively. Felix Jones is a capable back but needs to step up or the Cowboys need to come up with a better way to utilize Jones in their system. Dropping Roy Williams was one of the best decisions that the Cowboys made thus far this year. Williams was dead weight in payroll and taking up a roster spot. Romo has plenty of options to throw too, Miles Austin has exploded onto the season two years ago and will continue to perform well, and Dez Bryant is a consistent contributor that will be an excellent number two receiver. Romo’s favorite target might be tight end Jason Witten, Witten is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and has hauled in over a thousand yards each of the past two years along with a combined eleven touchdowns. The ‘D’ in Dallas will be present as always. The line will still be anchored by Marcus Spears and DeMarcus Ware will be head hunting running backs and occasional quarterbacks from the blind side. Cowboys bounce back this year and sneak in the playoffs over the Saints with the tie breaker and go 10-6.
The Giants missed the playoffs based on the tie breaker as the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers pushed them out and took the sixth seed. This year will be a little brighter for the Giants. They have not dramatically improved from off season moves but they are a good enough team that they do not need more help to produce a playoff berth. The Giants still have one of the top defensive lines in the NFL; expect Osi Umenyiora to have another year with double digit sacks. The running game will be just as strong if not stronger than last year with the one-two punch of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw ran for just over 1200 yards last year and Jacobs just over 800 yards; they also combined for 17 rushing touchdowns and just under 400 receiving yards. Eli Manning will have his top two receivers returning as Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks both looks to have close to or above thousand yard receiving seasons. Manning had a good year last season; throwing fewer interceptions would have made it a great year. He threw for just over 4,000 yards, the second most in his career, the most touchdowns with four more than any year previous but also for five more interceptions than any previous year also. Like his brother Peyton, Eli will only get better and smarter over the next few years; Eli’s interceptions will dwindle slightly this year as the rest of his numbers stay the same. Giants will go 10-6, and have the tie breaker over the Cowboys for the fifth seed in the playoffs.
The Philadelphia Eagles are already being given the passage to the Super Bowl and some even say the Lombardi Trophy. It is difficult to not pick them immediately as being at least the NFC champions I admit, but for right now I am putting them at the top of the NFC East. It is near impossible to find a weakness in the Eagles in more than one or two positions offensively or defensively. They do have three of the best corner backs in the league now, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Asante Samuel. I would actually look to Samuel as having the biggest year out of the three as far as interceptions go if he starts in the slot position. Basically whoever will be in the slot position out of the three will end up with a lot of picks. They will most likely have more freedom and will not be covering as talented receivers compared to the other two outside. Between Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie, and Samuel, and the Eagles ridiculous blitz packages they bring, good luck ever having success passing the ball against them. On the opposite side of the ball the Eagles also now have three receivers that one could say compliments the three cornerbacks in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and newly signed Steve Smith. If a defense comes up with a scheme to cover Jackson, Maclin and Smith well they still have to deal with LeSean McCoy and now Ronnie Brown out of the backfield. McCoy averaged over five yards a carry last year and had almost 600 yards receiving, not bad for a running back. Ronnie Brown will bring more size to the Eagles backfield when McCoy is taking a breather. Although do not be surprised if the Eagles begin to run a few wildcat formations. Brown is already familiar with the wildcat from Miami, McCoy is beyond athletic enough to run it and the Eagles already have a speedy running back with a cannon arm playing quarterback in Michael Vick to begin with. Vick is what brings this offense together, he is the best scrambling quarterback the NFL has ever seen and has one of the strongest arms the NFL has ever seen as well, making it easy to fling it way downfield when the defense breaks down. As long as Vick stays healthy, oh wait, that’s right they also have Vince Young who is just the bigger slightly slower version of Vick at backup. I must admit, I almost convinced myself the Eagles will win the Super Bowl after just writing this brief preview of their team. Eagles will go 12-4 with the second seed in the NFC only because of play in their tough division.
The one team that will not make the playoffs out of the NFC East, and the team that will drop a few more wins from last year are the Washington Redskins. Surprised? I doubt you are. The Redskins look to be a mess right now, and playing the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys twice a year means you have to have it together to survive. Last year the Redskins went 6-10, this year their win total will only be half that. Just looking at the Redskins offensive personal is enough to see that immediate success is not coming. Tim Hightower will be playing in Washington for the first time, and while Hightower has played well in Arizona, he has yet to surpass 750 yards in a season and only reached 10 touchdowns once in his three year career. The good news for Hightower is that Mike Shanahan has made average running backs in the NFL into MVP candidates. However, that is about all the good news the Redskins have offensively. Santana Moss has been one of the most productive and consistent wide receivers in the league for the past eight years, Moss is the Redskins number one weapon offensively. Moss will continue to be very productive but his numbers will definitely not be better than before and if anything will fall off slightly. Two things will affect Moss this year and the years following, first is his age, Moss is now 32, and second is the guy throwing him the ball. Rex Grossman is not a step up from Donovan McNabb, as much as Mike Shanahan wishes he was. Grossman has not played in all sixteen regular season games since 2006 with the Chicago Bears, since then Grossman has only played in seventeen games and started in just eleven of those. Grossman is not going to be leading the Redskins to any playoff or even winning seasons in the near future. Even with the addition of Donte Stallworth, not because Grossman is horrible but because Stallworth would not help any quarterback at this point in his career. Stallworth has jumped from four different teams in the past four years and his production has gotten worse each year. The Redskins do not have much to offer and are going to leave their fans with another losing season as they go 3-13 this year.
If we awarded Super Bowl wins from hype and looking at teams “on paper”, then the Dallas Cowboys should have won about two Super Bowls in the past five years. Last year was a large disappointment for the Cowboys, not only did they start poorly but they also saw Tony Romo go out for the rest of the season due to injuries after just six games. Jon Kitna did a good job filling in for Romo but the hole was already too deep and Kitna was still no Romo. This year if Romo can stay healthy the Cowboys will put up a much better record than their lack luster 6-10 performance from last year. The running game is the one area that the Cowboys could use more production out of offensively. Felix Jones is a capable back but needs to step up or the Cowboys need to come up with a better way to utilize Jones in their system. Dropping Roy Williams was one of the best decisions that the Cowboys made thus far this year. Williams was dead weight in payroll and taking up a roster spot. Romo has plenty of options to throw too, Miles Austin has exploded onto the season two years ago and will continue to perform well, and Dez Bryant is a consistent contributor that will be an excellent number two receiver. Romo’s favorite target might be tight end Jason Witten, Witten is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and has hauled in over a thousand yards each of the past two years along with a combined eleven touchdowns. The ‘D’ in Dallas will be present as always. The line will still be anchored by Marcus Spears and DeMarcus Ware will be head hunting running backs and occasional quarterbacks from the blind side. Cowboys bounce back this year and sneak in the playoffs over the Saints with the tie breaker and go 10-6.
The Giants missed the playoffs based on the tie breaker as the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers pushed them out and took the sixth seed. This year will be a little brighter for the Giants. They have not dramatically improved from off season moves but they are a good enough team that they do not need more help to produce a playoff berth. The Giants still have one of the top defensive lines in the NFL; expect Osi Umenyiora to have another year with double digit sacks. The running game will be just as strong if not stronger than last year with the one-two punch of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw ran for just over 1200 yards last year and Jacobs just over 800 yards; they also combined for 17 rushing touchdowns and just under 400 receiving yards. Eli Manning will have his top two receivers returning as Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks both looks to have close to or above thousand yard receiving seasons. Manning had a good year last season; throwing fewer interceptions would have made it a great year. He threw for just over 4,000 yards, the second most in his career, the most touchdowns with four more than any year previous but also for five more interceptions than any previous year also. Like his brother Peyton, Eli will only get better and smarter over the next few years; Eli’s interceptions will dwindle slightly this year as the rest of his numbers stay the same. Giants will go 10-6, and have the tie breaker over the Cowboys for the fifth seed in the playoffs.
The Philadelphia Eagles are already being given the passage to the Super Bowl and some even say the Lombardi Trophy. It is difficult to not pick them immediately as being at least the NFC champions I admit, but for right now I am putting them at the top of the NFC East. It is near impossible to find a weakness in the Eagles in more than one or two positions offensively or defensively. They do have three of the best corner backs in the league now, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Asante Samuel. I would actually look to Samuel as having the biggest year out of the three as far as interceptions go if he starts in the slot position. Basically whoever will be in the slot position out of the three will end up with a lot of picks. They will most likely have more freedom and will not be covering as talented receivers compared to the other two outside. Between Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie, and Samuel, and the Eagles ridiculous blitz packages they bring, good luck ever having success passing the ball against them. On the opposite side of the ball the Eagles also now have three receivers that one could say compliments the three cornerbacks in DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and newly signed Steve Smith. If a defense comes up with a scheme to cover Jackson, Maclin and Smith well they still have to deal with LeSean McCoy and now Ronnie Brown out of the backfield. McCoy averaged over five yards a carry last year and had almost 600 yards receiving, not bad for a running back. Ronnie Brown will bring more size to the Eagles backfield when McCoy is taking a breather. Although do not be surprised if the Eagles begin to run a few wildcat formations. Brown is already familiar with the wildcat from Miami, McCoy is beyond athletic enough to run it and the Eagles already have a speedy running back with a cannon arm playing quarterback in Michael Vick to begin with. Vick is what brings this offense together, he is the best scrambling quarterback the NFL has ever seen and has one of the strongest arms the NFL has ever seen as well, making it easy to fling it way downfield when the defense breaks down. As long as Vick stays healthy, oh wait, that’s right they also have Vince Young who is just the bigger slightly slower version of Vick at backup. I must admit, I almost convinced myself the Eagles will win the Super Bowl after just writing this brief preview of their team. Eagles will go 12-4 with the second seed in the NFC only because of play in their tough division.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
AFC East preview
Before the arrival of Rex Ryan the AFC east was a little quieter. Not many players or coaches stirred the pot as the Patriots would often walk away with the division title. Now Rex Ryan has been giving energy and assembling a team to contest the Patriots for the division title, last year only coming two divisional games short. With all eyes fixed on the Jets and Patriots, do not be surprised if one of them falls off their high horses and the Dolphins or Bills creep up.
The Miami Dolphins are a team that should at least be entertaining to watch this year. If Chad Henne can lower his TD to INT ratio then maybe they can win a few more games as well. The Dolphins finished last year with a 7-9 record, but went only 2-4 in the division. They have added Reggie Bush to their plethora of running backs; perhaps Bush will flourish more if the Dolphins continue to run the wild cat. Overall I do not see much potential in the Dolphins this year, Henne needs to find 6’4” Brandon Marshall more than three times in the end zone this year otherwise the Dolphins will be the bottom feeder in the AFC east, which is where I have them finishing with a 3-13 record.
The Buffalo Bills are my “dark horse” in the AFC east. I do not have the Bills going to the playoffs or winning the division. (I’m not that crazy) I do think the Bills can do some damage this year with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback and Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller in the backfield. What really sets apart the Bills from the Dolphins is the defense. The Bills have a strong line backing corps with Nick Barnett leading the way and if Shawne Merriman can be half of what he used to be, they could cause some real problems for opposing offenses. The Bills also drafted Marcell Dareus out of Alabama at the defensive tackle position who will also give offensive lines headaches. Fitzpatrick will continue to lead the team, Spiller is more familiar with the offense after his rookie season, and the Bills defense will keep them in most games. Look for the Bills to hover around .500; I have them at 8-8.
As mentioned earlier Rex Ryan is yet again ready to lead the Jets this season with his bold predictions and sailors mouth. Guaranteeing a Super Bowl win is almost not surprising since that is what we expect from Ryan. What we can also expect from the Jets this year is a good year that will lead them to the playoffs. The Jets have the players needed to make a super bowl run. Mark Sanchez is not great but he plays well and can manage a game well. Resigning Santonio Holmes and acquiring veterans Derrick Mason and 6’5” Plaxico Burress will only help make Sanchez’s job a lot easier. The Jets backfield is one of the tops in the league depth wise; they have LaDanian Tomlinson, Joe McKnight, and Shonn Greene. Between the well rounded offense the their attacking defense, the Jets will once again challenge the Patriots for the division title but will once again fall just short going 12-4 and advancing to the playoffs with the fifth seed.
First thing I thought of when I heard Ochocinco signed with the Patriots was Moss in 2007, I know the numbers will not be that big, but I do think that there is potential for Brady and Ochocinco to become one of the top QB-WR connections this coming season. Even if not Ochocinco can be a threat along the sidelines and deep middle of the field which is why Wes Welker is licking his chops right now, Welker also had an outstanding year in 2007 thanks to Moss opening up the flats and short middle of the field. By week four the Patriots no doubt will be making opposing defenses look helpless. As Dan Patrick pointed out on his radio show, if anyone else signed Albert Haynesworth than they would have been criticized. But not the Patriots, because somehow they seem to always make it work with “troubled” players. The system, coach and work ethic that the Patriots are known for account for most of it, and the fact that they are not afraid to cut or not pay anyone, except Tom Brady of course. Remember Ty Law? Played cornerback and helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl, he wanted more money and the Patriots said see ya! Law has not done anything as big since and the Patriots have continued to do just well defensively without him. That is why the Patriots will win the AFC east again this year, they have a great system and great players to put into it. And the competiveness to get playing time is off the charts, they currently have nineteen defensive linemen on their roster, 19! And if Haynesworth was not enough of an addition to fuel the competiveness, they also signed Shaun Ellis, and you know he will bring it against the Jets. Patriots will sneak by the Jets, win the division, and go 13-3.
Over the next few weeks I will be posting previews of the other seven NFL divisions. I hope that you will enjoy reading them and give me feedback from time to time. Let me know what you think about my previews, leave comments below or on my twitter, @thelawonsports.
The Miami Dolphins are a team that should at least be entertaining to watch this year. If Chad Henne can lower his TD to INT ratio then maybe they can win a few more games as well. The Dolphins finished last year with a 7-9 record, but went only 2-4 in the division. They have added Reggie Bush to their plethora of running backs; perhaps Bush will flourish more if the Dolphins continue to run the wild cat. Overall I do not see much potential in the Dolphins this year, Henne needs to find 6’4” Brandon Marshall more than three times in the end zone this year otherwise the Dolphins will be the bottom feeder in the AFC east, which is where I have them finishing with a 3-13 record.
The Buffalo Bills are my “dark horse” in the AFC east. I do not have the Bills going to the playoffs or winning the division. (I’m not that crazy) I do think the Bills can do some damage this year with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback and Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller in the backfield. What really sets apart the Bills from the Dolphins is the defense. The Bills have a strong line backing corps with Nick Barnett leading the way and if Shawne Merriman can be half of what he used to be, they could cause some real problems for opposing offenses. The Bills also drafted Marcell Dareus out of Alabama at the defensive tackle position who will also give offensive lines headaches. Fitzpatrick will continue to lead the team, Spiller is more familiar with the offense after his rookie season, and the Bills defense will keep them in most games. Look for the Bills to hover around .500; I have them at 8-8.
As mentioned earlier Rex Ryan is yet again ready to lead the Jets this season with his bold predictions and sailors mouth. Guaranteeing a Super Bowl win is almost not surprising since that is what we expect from Ryan. What we can also expect from the Jets this year is a good year that will lead them to the playoffs. The Jets have the players needed to make a super bowl run. Mark Sanchez is not great but he plays well and can manage a game well. Resigning Santonio Holmes and acquiring veterans Derrick Mason and 6’5” Plaxico Burress will only help make Sanchez’s job a lot easier. The Jets backfield is one of the tops in the league depth wise; they have LaDanian Tomlinson, Joe McKnight, and Shonn Greene. Between the well rounded offense the their attacking defense, the Jets will once again challenge the Patriots for the division title but will once again fall just short going 12-4 and advancing to the playoffs with the fifth seed.
First thing I thought of when I heard Ochocinco signed with the Patriots was Moss in 2007, I know the numbers will not be that big, but I do think that there is potential for Brady and Ochocinco to become one of the top QB-WR connections this coming season. Even if not Ochocinco can be a threat along the sidelines and deep middle of the field which is why Wes Welker is licking his chops right now, Welker also had an outstanding year in 2007 thanks to Moss opening up the flats and short middle of the field. By week four the Patriots no doubt will be making opposing defenses look helpless. As Dan Patrick pointed out on his radio show, if anyone else signed Albert Haynesworth than they would have been criticized. But not the Patriots, because somehow they seem to always make it work with “troubled” players. The system, coach and work ethic that the Patriots are known for account for most of it, and the fact that they are not afraid to cut or not pay anyone, except Tom Brady of course. Remember Ty Law? Played cornerback and helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl, he wanted more money and the Patriots said see ya! Law has not done anything as big since and the Patriots have continued to do just well defensively without him. That is why the Patriots will win the AFC east again this year, they have a great system and great players to put into it. And the competiveness to get playing time is off the charts, they currently have nineteen defensive linemen on their roster, 19! And if Haynesworth was not enough of an addition to fuel the competiveness, they also signed Shaun Ellis, and you know he will bring it against the Jets. Patriots will sneak by the Jets, win the division, and go 13-3.
Over the next few weeks I will be posting previews of the other seven NFL divisions. I hope that you will enjoy reading them and give me feedback from time to time. Let me know what you think about my previews, leave comments below or on my twitter, @thelawonsports.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
NBA's Unintentional International Exposure
NBA commissioner David Stern has always pushed for international exposure, Stern even had eventual overseas expansion on his mind. Unfortunately for us in the states and for Stern, the NBA might be going more international sooner than expected, or is it unfortunate for the commissioner?
According to Ian Thomsen, of SI.com, in 2008 a league “source” told SI.com that David Stern was planning on creating a complete NBA European division within ten years. While those are very lofty goals, Stern has been taking baby steps ever since. This past season there was an exhibition preseason and regular season game that were all played in Europe. The Lakers played the Timberwolves in London for a preseason matchup and also played an exhibition game against FC Barcelona in Barcelona. During the regular season, the Nets and Raptors played a game in London, why these two bottom feeder teams were sent, I don’t know.
These have all been moves by David Stern to push towards NBA exposure and eventual expansion into Europe. And why not? There are over thirty five countries represented in the NBA now, and two of the past five NBA Finals MVP’s have been international players, Tony Parker of France, and Dirk Nowitzki of Germany. It seems like the move towards eventual expansion might be inevitable. Then came the lockout, and the international exposure might be coming a little sooner than expected.
With the lockout well under way and talk of there being a shortened season or possibly not a season at all, NBA players are seriously considering crossing the pond to keep the rust off their game and their bank accounts full. Just today, it was reported on ESPN that Steve Nash was open to playing in Europe, Deron Williams is on record for saying that he would play in Turkey if the lockout lasted through November, Amare Stoudemire said if his back was better he would consider his European options, and Kevin Durant stated he would “like to try something new”, but he prefers the NBA saying it was, of course, his first choice.
What will be interesting to see when the time comes is who will be the first to go international, and how quickly others will follow. As we have looked at, David Stern has always been the driving force behind the NBA’s international exposure. If Stern wants this NBA season to be a full one or for there to even be one at all, the cards are stacked against him and the NBA owners. The players now seem to have a back up in playing overseas and none of them are opposed to it. In fact, many of them have been embracing the idea, viewing it as a “once in a life time opportunity”, which it is, and will willingly go as soon as there is a sign of a shortened season. This gives the owners a lot less leverage in these bargaining agreements and might have to give more to the players then they had hoped. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, the owners will begin to lose money on the lockout and the players will be fine between their endorsements and opportunities to play basketball abroad.
According to Ian Thomsen, of SI.com, in 2008 a league “source” told SI.com that David Stern was planning on creating a complete NBA European division within ten years. While those are very lofty goals, Stern has been taking baby steps ever since. This past season there was an exhibition preseason and regular season game that were all played in Europe. The Lakers played the Timberwolves in London for a preseason matchup and also played an exhibition game against FC Barcelona in Barcelona. During the regular season, the Nets and Raptors played a game in London, why these two bottom feeder teams were sent, I don’t know.
These have all been moves by David Stern to push towards NBA exposure and eventual expansion into Europe. And why not? There are over thirty five countries represented in the NBA now, and two of the past five NBA Finals MVP’s have been international players, Tony Parker of France, and Dirk Nowitzki of Germany. It seems like the move towards eventual expansion might be inevitable. Then came the lockout, and the international exposure might be coming a little sooner than expected.
With the lockout well under way and talk of there being a shortened season or possibly not a season at all, NBA players are seriously considering crossing the pond to keep the rust off their game and their bank accounts full. Just today, it was reported on ESPN that Steve Nash was open to playing in Europe, Deron Williams is on record for saying that he would play in Turkey if the lockout lasted through November, Amare Stoudemire said if his back was better he would consider his European options, and Kevin Durant stated he would “like to try something new”, but he prefers the NBA saying it was, of course, his first choice.
What will be interesting to see when the time comes is who will be the first to go international, and how quickly others will follow. As we have looked at, David Stern has always been the driving force behind the NBA’s international exposure. If Stern wants this NBA season to be a full one or for there to even be one at all, the cards are stacked against him and the NBA owners. The players now seem to have a back up in playing overseas and none of them are opposed to it. In fact, many of them have been embracing the idea, viewing it as a “once in a life time opportunity”, which it is, and will willingly go as soon as there is a sign of a shortened season. This gives the owners a lot less leverage in these bargaining agreements and might have to give more to the players then they had hoped. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, the owners will begin to lose money on the lockout and the players will be fine between their endorsements and opportunities to play basketball abroad.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Why NFL and NBA Players and Owners Picked the Wrong Time to be Greedy
We have seen strikes, labor disputes and lock outs before in professional athletics. The issues sometimes differ but the main motivation behind these issues has always been the same, money. Because of this the general public has and still does normally view both sides as just being wealthy babies that need to get their acts together.
If you were in their shoes though would you so willingly take less money? Doubt it. If it is a hundred more dollars a week, a thousand, or ten thousand you would always be willing to put some more effort into getting your way. Same goes for the NBA and NFL owners and players. This time though, they picked they picked the worst possible time to be fighting over their multi-billion dollar industry and this is why.
According to the 2010 census the average American household income was barely above $50,000 a year. And as we all know this recession has forced many people to fight for their jobs, houses, or even to afford to keep their families together. It has been the worst recession period since the Great Depression and we are still waiting to see the sun rise.
For the majority of Americans, including myself, it is hard to imagine the lowest amount of money you could make in a year would be anywhere from $295,000 to just under $500,000. The first is the minimum salary of a NFL player and the second a NBA player. Let me make this clear, those numbers are not the average salaries but the bare minimum of what these players make a year. Yeah that guy who rides the bench all nine years and plays less minutes in his career then a starter in one year is making at least a quarter of a million dollars a year. The Federal minimum wage per hour is only $7.25, at that rate you would rake in a total of $290 a week BEFORE taxes, the minimum per week for a NFL player is $5673.
The highest paid athletes I will not even dive into, the average paid football and basketball players I will however, if the minimum salaries did not surprise you the averages will. The average NBA salary this past year was $4.79 million according to sportingintelligence.com. Just shy of five million, shy in this case means four years of the average Americans income!
It was already well known that NBA and NFL players made millions of dollars; these numbers are not including endorsement deals either. However, when families across the country are fighting to keep their car or choose to start taking public transportation while players and owners want to buy a Ferrari instead of a Corvette, or when families try to cling on to their homes while players and owners are having thoughts of purchasing their second third or fourth homes. We say enough is enough, meet in the middle and make an agreement, because no one feels sorry for any of the players or owners.
If you were in their shoes though would you so willingly take less money? Doubt it. If it is a hundred more dollars a week, a thousand, or ten thousand you would always be willing to put some more effort into getting your way. Same goes for the NBA and NFL owners and players. This time though, they picked they picked the worst possible time to be fighting over their multi-billion dollar industry and this is why.
According to the 2010 census the average American household income was barely above $50,000 a year. And as we all know this recession has forced many people to fight for their jobs, houses, or even to afford to keep their families together. It has been the worst recession period since the Great Depression and we are still waiting to see the sun rise.
For the majority of Americans, including myself, it is hard to imagine the lowest amount of money you could make in a year would be anywhere from $295,000 to just under $500,000. The first is the minimum salary of a NFL player and the second a NBA player. Let me make this clear, those numbers are not the average salaries but the bare minimum of what these players make a year. Yeah that guy who rides the bench all nine years and plays less minutes in his career then a starter in one year is making at least a quarter of a million dollars a year. The Federal minimum wage per hour is only $7.25, at that rate you would rake in a total of $290 a week BEFORE taxes, the minimum per week for a NFL player is $5673.
The highest paid athletes I will not even dive into, the average paid football and basketball players I will however, if the minimum salaries did not surprise you the averages will. The average NBA salary this past year was $4.79 million according to sportingintelligence.com. Just shy of five million, shy in this case means four years of the average Americans income!
It was already well known that NBA and NFL players made millions of dollars; these numbers are not including endorsement deals either. However, when families across the country are fighting to keep their car or choose to start taking public transportation while players and owners want to buy a Ferrari instead of a Corvette, or when families try to cling on to their homes while players and owners are having thoughts of purchasing their second third or fourth homes. We say enough is enough, meet in the middle and make an agreement, because no one feels sorry for any of the players or owners.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
NBA free agents
This year’s NBA free agent market will automatically be less ‘exciting’ than last years, primarily because there will be no Decision 2011, at least as far as I know. There are, however, plenty of big names and players that can turn a mid level team to a conference or NBA title contender. Here are my top five unrestricted free agents this summer. These players are not listed in any particular order.
1. Michael Redd
Michael Redd had a down year due to injury. Six of Redd’s eleven NBA seasons he averaged twenty plus points per game and every year except his first (which he was also hurt) and this previous year he has averaged over eleven points per game. Redd is labeled as one of those “knock down shooters”. Redd is a Ray Allen or Jason Terry type of player that can boost any teams offensive production.
2. J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith has averaged over ten points a game six of his seven seasons. What Smith brings is a very versatile player that can use his athleticism on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Smith is only twenty five years old and has shot at least 39% from the three in four seasons. Smith is a streaky player who can either put up five points or twenty five points with little effort.
3. Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford has a career average of 15.4 points per game. Crawford was the sixth man of year in 2010 and this past postseason aided in the take down of the Magic and helped give the Bulls a struggle. Crawford like Smith is a streaky player who can be streaky but plays the one or two position instead of the three.
4. JJ Barea
JJ Barea has not averaged over ten points in a single of his five seasons. It’s not the past five years that anyone cares about. It is the past two months that is what most teams are looking at. Barea made the Lakers defense look slower than a desert tortoise on a hot day, kept up with Russel Westbrook and made the Heat’s amazing defense look lack luster. Bonus is that he is twenty seven years old and his better years are still ahead of him. His quickness and ability to get to the rim is similar to Tony Parker.
5. Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler is also on this list because of what he has done in the recent past and because of his size. Two of ten seasons Chandler has averaged over ten points, and only twice he has also averaged over ten rebounds a game. But because of his size, 7’1”, he is an addition to any team that can use his size and better yet his defensive presence he brings to the game.
Sadly not of this matters in the near future since the NBA has joined the NFL and is officially locked out.
1. Michael Redd
Michael Redd had a down year due to injury. Six of Redd’s eleven NBA seasons he averaged twenty plus points per game and every year except his first (which he was also hurt) and this previous year he has averaged over eleven points per game. Redd is labeled as one of those “knock down shooters”. Redd is a Ray Allen or Jason Terry type of player that can boost any teams offensive production.
2. J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith has averaged over ten points a game six of his seven seasons. What Smith brings is a very versatile player that can use his athleticism on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Smith is only twenty five years old and has shot at least 39% from the three in four seasons. Smith is a streaky player who can either put up five points or twenty five points with little effort.
3. Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford has a career average of 15.4 points per game. Crawford was the sixth man of year in 2010 and this past postseason aided in the take down of the Magic and helped give the Bulls a struggle. Crawford like Smith is a streaky player who can be streaky but plays the one or two position instead of the three.
4. JJ Barea
JJ Barea has not averaged over ten points in a single of his five seasons. It’s not the past five years that anyone cares about. It is the past two months that is what most teams are looking at. Barea made the Lakers defense look slower than a desert tortoise on a hot day, kept up with Russel Westbrook and made the Heat’s amazing defense look lack luster. Bonus is that he is twenty seven years old and his better years are still ahead of him. His quickness and ability to get to the rim is similar to Tony Parker.
5. Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler is also on this list because of what he has done in the recent past and because of his size. Two of ten seasons Chandler has averaged over ten points, and only twice he has also averaged over ten rebounds a game. But because of his size, 7’1”, he is an addition to any team that can use his size and better yet his defensive presence he brings to the game.
Sadly not of this matters in the near future since the NBA has joined the NFL and is officially locked out.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Why the Mavericks Should Thank the Blazers
The Dallas Mavericks just won their first NBA championship. They did it by torching the defending champion Lakers, taking on the youth and explosion of the Thunder and finally showed the big three in Miami that their talents weren’t enough to stop Dallas’ experience and perseverance. The Mavericks earned this championship, they worked hard for it and kept their cool under pressure.
But before the Finals, before the Thunder and before the Lakers, it was the Portland Trail Blazers that were first team sent packing by the Mavericks. That first series against the Blazers is what really gave the Mavericks the confidence to continue their quest for the championship.
It was game four of the first round when the Blazers scored an outrageous thirty five points in the fourth quarter to the Mavericks fifteen. Ever since that game the Mavericks have not been their previous “soft” and “choking” selves. Thanks to Brandon Roy and the rest of the Blazers the Mavericks were fed up with their poor ability to finish games and series. The Mavericks went on to win the next two against the Blazers and never looked back.
Since game four, the Mavericks were never outscored by double digits in a fourth quarter and in the following seventeen games the Mavericks outscored their opponents by combined 43 points in the fourth quarter. Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks on being crowned NBA champions, and a minor congrats to the Blazers for giving them the kick start they needed.
But before the Finals, before the Thunder and before the Lakers, it was the Portland Trail Blazers that were first team sent packing by the Mavericks. That first series against the Blazers is what really gave the Mavericks the confidence to continue their quest for the championship.
It was game four of the first round when the Blazers scored an outrageous thirty five points in the fourth quarter to the Mavericks fifteen. Ever since that game the Mavericks have not been their previous “soft” and “choking” selves. Thanks to Brandon Roy and the rest of the Blazers the Mavericks were fed up with their poor ability to finish games and series. The Mavericks went on to win the next two against the Blazers and never looked back.
Since game four, the Mavericks were never outscored by double digits in a fourth quarter and in the following seventeen games the Mavericks outscored their opponents by combined 43 points in the fourth quarter. Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks on being crowned NBA champions, and a minor congrats to the Blazers for giving them the kick start they needed.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Heat Strike Back in Dallas
The stat of the night was since the NBA finals format changed to 2-3-2 from 2-2-1-1-1 that whenever the series was tied 1-1 the team who won game three went on to win the championship all eleven times. While it might prove it is likely the winner of game three will win the championship these stats are always there to be broken. Cause no one wins until they win their fourth anyway, especially in a series like this with Lebron and Wade on one team and the experience of Dirk and Kidd on the other.
Game threes first quarter was very similar to game twos. High shooting percentages by both teams, and the Heat had a handful of highlights plays already. Mavericks “manufactured” points while the Heat continued to attack the paint. Mario Chalmers even had a quarter court shot at the buzzer to put the Heat up by seven points.
The out come and how it ended was, however, very different then that of game twos. Despite even the third quarter being eerily similar when the Heat pulled away and the Mavericks brought it back.
The fourth quarter is what was drastically different. Not better or worse, just different. Instead of a amazing comeback, it was a tight finish down the stretch that the Heat pulled out.
There were two things that I noticed the Heat did differently that contributed to their success tonight.
1. No early celebrations.
There was not nearly as much hoopla by the Heat before the final buzzer compared to game two. Not being at home might have been a factor but the Heat also looked more focused (minus that 3rd quarter meltdown) and ready to finish the game. I mean Bosh did not even yell after he had a monster dunk in the first half, that's as rare as MJ not sticking his tongue out as he drove the the bucket.
2. The Heat went with the hot hand
In this case, as was the case in game two, it was Dwayne Wade. What gave the Heat their initial lead and allowed them to hang on in the fourth was Wades great play and energy he brought. Game two they did not go to Wade as often late as they should have. Game three was a different story as Wade put up seven straight Heat points.
With the Heat winning game three they are the automatic favorites to win it all. Being up 2-1 helps and with the previously mentioned stat. I will stand by what I also said though, don't count the Mavericks out of it. Remember when we all did that in game two?
Game threes first quarter was very similar to game twos. High shooting percentages by both teams, and the Heat had a handful of highlights plays already. Mavericks “manufactured” points while the Heat continued to attack the paint. Mario Chalmers even had a quarter court shot at the buzzer to put the Heat up by seven points.
The out come and how it ended was, however, very different then that of game twos. Despite even the third quarter being eerily similar when the Heat pulled away and the Mavericks brought it back.
The fourth quarter is what was drastically different. Not better or worse, just different. Instead of a amazing comeback, it was a tight finish down the stretch that the Heat pulled out.
There were two things that I noticed the Heat did differently that contributed to their success tonight.
1. No early celebrations.
There was not nearly as much hoopla by the Heat before the final buzzer compared to game two. Not being at home might have been a factor but the Heat also looked more focused (minus that 3rd quarter meltdown) and ready to finish the game. I mean Bosh did not even yell after he had a monster dunk in the first half, that's as rare as MJ not sticking his tongue out as he drove the the bucket.
2. The Heat went with the hot hand
In this case, as was the case in game two, it was Dwayne Wade. What gave the Heat their initial lead and allowed them to hang on in the fourth was Wades great play and energy he brought. Game two they did not go to Wade as often late as they should have. Game three was a different story as Wade put up seven straight Heat points.
With the Heat winning game three they are the automatic favorites to win it all. Being up 2-1 helps and with the previously mentioned stat. I will stand by what I also said though, don't count the Mavericks out of it. Remember when we all did that in game two?
Friday, June 3, 2011
Too Hot for Heat, Mavs Tie Series
I began to check my email and think about going to bed early, the game was practically over anyway. Apparently the Heat were thinking the same thing I was.
The Mavericks went on a rampage out scoring the Heat 22-5 in the last half of the fourth quarter.
It was an absolute meltdown by the Heat.
I don't know if you caught Dwayne Wade on the floor after his last shot at the end of the game. Wade fell to the hardwood after his last second heave and watched the ball fly all the way until it came off the back rim. As soon as it did, he rolled over facing a referee, put on his puppy dog face,held his eye and held out his hand looking for referee to come to the rescue and bail him out.
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Playing the last five minutes of the game like Wade played the first forty three minutes would have easily prevented Wade from being in this situation and he and Lebron would be two games away from a NBA championship.
But they didn't.
The Mavericks went on a rampage out scoring the Heat 22-5 in the last half of the fourth quarter.
It was an absolute meltdown by the Heat.
I don't know if you caught Dwayne Wade on the floor after his last shot at the end of the game. Wade fell to the hardwood after his last second heave and watched the ball fly all the way until it came off the back rim. As soon as it did, he rolled over facing a referee, put on his puppy dog face,held his eye and held out his hand looking for referee to come to the rescue and bail him out.
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Playing the last five minutes of the game like Wade played the first forty three minutes would have easily prevented Wade from being in this situation and he and Lebron would be two games away from a NBA championship.
But they didn't.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The love hate relationship that is the NBA lottery
This past week was the NBA draft lottery. If you are not familiar with the lottery system it is when all NBA teams who did not make the playoffs are ranked in order of record and are given odds to win accordingly. For example, the team with the worst record will have the highest percentage out of a 1000 possible combination's in order to obtain the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. The highest percentage is normally 25% with the exception of a tie for the worst record.
Now lets get to why this system is the definition of a hate love relationship.
Minnesota Timberwolves President David Kahn was not the Lottery's biggest fan Tuesday night. After the Timberwolves had the highest chance of "winning" with 25%. The number one spot was instead taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers not with their 19.9% chance but with the pick acquired from a trade with the L.A. Clippers with only a 2.8% chance. Cleveland also walked away with the fourth overall pick. Cleveland was represented by the owners 14 year old son who was born with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes tumors to grow anywhere on the body. Nick has already undergone brain surgery once as well as multiple rounds of chemotherapy. This made a great story and seemed to bring some joy back to Cleveland for the first time since "The Decision".
David Kahn however was not pleased with the Timberwolves missing the first overall pick again (they have never had the first overall pick) despite being in the lottery numerous times. Kahn said this, "This league has a habit -- and I am just going to say habit -- of producing some pretty incredible story lines". While I can see Kahn's frustration with missing out on the top pick, I do not think that there is some sort of conspiracy concerning the lottery. In Kahn's defense, he later said that:
"I joked last night that it's a heck (of a) better story for a 14-year-old kid to beat out a couple of middle-aged executives standing together on a stage on national TV -- and that our league seems to always have its own share of luck in being a part of these stories."
Personally I do not believe that Kahn was joking while he made these comments. I am also not sure that he was accusing the NBA of rigging the lottery however, his frustration from the lottery got the best of him after wards.
This is an example of why you might disagree or even hate the lottery, if you have been a team struggling and are the worse in the league and you are not given the first pick.
The lottery can be your worst enemy or best friend. And in Cleveland's case they are loving it. Every team has a chance to win big in the lottery and it is all chance. Which is fair?
This is why I like the lottery, you are not automatically awarded for being horrible, unlike other professional sports leagues. At the same time it does help combat the issue of having a lopsided league. Only non playoff teams are automatically entered into the lottery and the odds still say that if you are the worst you have the best chance to "win" but there are no guarantees. This makes organizations, managers, coaches and players have to do more on their own to resurrect fallen franchises instead of being given the first pick with a pretty bow on top.
The NBA lottery might be the purest definition of a love hate relationship. You love it and/or hate it for the exact same reason. It just depends on how it treats you that one night of the year.
Now lets get to why this system is the definition of a hate love relationship.
Minnesota Timberwolves President David Kahn was not the Lottery's biggest fan Tuesday night. After the Timberwolves had the highest chance of "winning" with 25%. The number one spot was instead taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers not with their 19.9% chance but with the pick acquired from a trade with the L.A. Clippers with only a 2.8% chance. Cleveland also walked away with the fourth overall pick. Cleveland was represented by the owners 14 year old son who was born with neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes tumors to grow anywhere on the body. Nick has already undergone brain surgery once as well as multiple rounds of chemotherapy. This made a great story and seemed to bring some joy back to Cleveland for the first time since "The Decision".
David Kahn however was not pleased with the Timberwolves missing the first overall pick again (they have never had the first overall pick) despite being in the lottery numerous times. Kahn said this, "This league has a habit -- and I am just going to say habit -- of producing some pretty incredible story lines". While I can see Kahn's frustration with missing out on the top pick, I do not think that there is some sort of conspiracy concerning the lottery. In Kahn's defense, he later said that:
"I joked last night that it's a heck (of a) better story for a 14-year-old kid to beat out a couple of middle-aged executives standing together on a stage on national TV -- and that our league seems to always have its own share of luck in being a part of these stories."
Personally I do not believe that Kahn was joking while he made these comments. I am also not sure that he was accusing the NBA of rigging the lottery however, his frustration from the lottery got the best of him after wards.
This is an example of why you might disagree or even hate the lottery, if you have been a team struggling and are the worse in the league and you are not given the first pick.
The lottery can be your worst enemy or best friend. And in Cleveland's case they are loving it. Every team has a chance to win big in the lottery and it is all chance. Which is fair?
This is why I like the lottery, you are not automatically awarded for being horrible, unlike other professional sports leagues. At the same time it does help combat the issue of having a lopsided league. Only non playoff teams are automatically entered into the lottery and the odds still say that if you are the worst you have the best chance to "win" but there are no guarantees. This makes organizations, managers, coaches and players have to do more on their own to resurrect fallen franchises instead of being given the first pick with a pretty bow on top.
The NBA lottery might be the purest definition of a love hate relationship. You love it and/or hate it for the exact same reason. It just depends on how it treats you that one night of the year.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
NBA Eastern Conference Finals Preview
The last time the Bulls or the Heat reached the Eastern Conference Finals each went on to win the championship. The Heat in 2006 led by Dwayne Wade, and the Bulls? They have to go back to the reign of His Airness Michael Jordan.
Both teams at the beginning of the season were Eastern Conference favorites. At the beginning of the postseason they were still favorites and now they will decide who will represent their conference in the finals.
The Bulls came into the playoffs looking like they could take out the Heat with their superior team play on defense and with Rose orchestrating their offensive attack. The past two rounds have shown the opposite however. The Bulls have been struggling defensively against the Atlanta Hawks. They were not bad but they did not play up to the level they had all season. While the Heat put away the Boston Celtics last round like it was a first round match up and not a brutal series against the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Despite the Bulls lack of dominance thus far in the playoffs they still have the NBA's MVP in Derrick Rose who has been leading the Bulls charge. Rose's teammates have not been playing well enough to be able to have a chance against the Heat. Rose is good, but the Heat have these tow guys named Wade and James, and they are pretty good as well.
I thought that the Bulls having a stronger supporting cast, deeper bench and better team defense would be able to advance past the Heat at the beginning of the playoffs. While I still believe they can, I do not think they can if they continue to play at the level they have the past two rounds.
Regardless of who comes out on top, this is going to be a series that will go at least six games. If it doesn't it is because Wade and James will go off and the Bulls will not respond accordingly.
Sunday will tell a lot about if the Bulls have come to play or not this series. And if not, at least they have until Wednesday since Oprah will be taking over the United Center Monday and Tuesday.
Both teams at the beginning of the season were Eastern Conference favorites. At the beginning of the postseason they were still favorites and now they will decide who will represent their conference in the finals.
The Bulls came into the playoffs looking like they could take out the Heat with their superior team play on defense and with Rose orchestrating their offensive attack. The past two rounds have shown the opposite however. The Bulls have been struggling defensively against the Atlanta Hawks. They were not bad but they did not play up to the level they had all season. While the Heat put away the Boston Celtics last round like it was a first round match up and not a brutal series against the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Despite the Bulls lack of dominance thus far in the playoffs they still have the NBA's MVP in Derrick Rose who has been leading the Bulls charge. Rose's teammates have not been playing well enough to be able to have a chance against the Heat. Rose is good, but the Heat have these tow guys named Wade and James, and they are pretty good as well.
I thought that the Bulls having a stronger supporting cast, deeper bench and better team defense would be able to advance past the Heat at the beginning of the playoffs. While I still believe they can, I do not think they can if they continue to play at the level they have the past two rounds.
Regardless of who comes out on top, this is going to be a series that will go at least six games. If it doesn't it is because Wade and James will go off and the Bulls will not respond accordingly.
Sunday will tell a lot about if the Bulls have come to play or not this series. And if not, at least they have until Wednesday since Oprah will be taking over the United Center Monday and Tuesday.
Friday, May 13, 2011
The Law on Sports is expanding
Dear readers and fellow sports fanatics.
For the past eleven months I have been sharing my thoughts and analysis' on various sports topics. It originally started as a hobby that I did for fun. However over the past eleven months I have officially changed my major to sports broadcasting and want to pursue a career in covering and presenting sports.
With this being said I am still writing entries in my blog. I also now have a Twitter account that I update more frequently with random thoughts and opinions. My user name is @TheLawOnSports but you can also view my recent Tweets and follow me right on the homepage of my blog right here >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You can also subscribe to my blog via email right below my twitter feed.
I have also been writing weekly articles for www.oregonsportsnews.com I update my twitter with the link to my articles with the direct link so you can access them easily.
I hope that you enjoy my various opinions and thoughts on the sporting world and its current events. Thank you for all your support and I hope you continue to follow me.
Nick Law
For the past eleven months I have been sharing my thoughts and analysis' on various sports topics. It originally started as a hobby that I did for fun. However over the past eleven months I have officially changed my major to sports broadcasting and want to pursue a career in covering and presenting sports.
With this being said I am still writing entries in my blog. I also now have a Twitter account that I update more frequently with random thoughts and opinions. My user name is @TheLawOnSports but you can also view my recent Tweets and follow me right on the homepage of my blog right here >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You can also subscribe to my blog via email right below my twitter feed.
I have also been writing weekly articles for www.oregonsportsnews.com I update my twitter with the link to my articles with the direct link so you can access them easily.
I hope that you enjoy my various opinions and thoughts on the sporting world and its current events. Thank you for all your support and I hope you continue to follow me.
Nick Law
Friday, May 6, 2011
Five Reasons the Mavericks Have the Lakers Down 3-0
Reviewing the past three games, the Lakers need to reverse their game plan in order to make NBA playoff history. However, for the sake of this entry, here are five reasons that the Mavericks have an opportunity to sweep the Lakers come Sunday.
1. The Mavericks have had better team defense.
As a team the Mavericks have been better defensively than the Lakers. In game 3 the Mavericks showed the Lakers early how to play team defense WITH FULL ROTATIONS. After a screen switch Kidd ended up guarding Odom with the ball on the right block. After Odom kicks it out to Kobe, then Kobe to Fisher, then Fisher to Gasol in the left corner, who was guarding him? Kidd. The Mavericks rotated all the way around and Kidd went from one side of the court to the other to pick up the open man. A second example of team defense was when Dirk and Kidd doubled Gasol baseline and Chandler took away the passing lane and was able to get the steal.
2. The Lakers lack of team defense
Just as impressive as the Mavericks team defense has been, the Lakers have been almost the complete opposite. Between Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Odom, and Artest, the Lakers not only have excellent defenders but length and athleticism at their disposal. Now if someone could only get them to play team defense. After game two, Bynum told the media that the Lakers had "trust issues". When Kobe was asked about this he attributed it to the lack of help defense. The play where Barea split the lane and Bynum gave perfect help only for his man to get a sideline slam is a perfect example. One rotation is not enough! You make the required rotations when you gain possession of the ball.
3. The Mavericks have a plethora of three point shooters, oh yeah and they make them!
The big four of course are Dirk, Kidd, Terry and Peja. In each game they have had way too many wide open looks. Dirk alone had three three point shots he drained when there wasn't a Laker within almost ten feet of him in game three. Those four combined are shooting just below 42% from the three point line. While the Lakers have not shot better then 26% from three and as bad as 10% in game two. Give it to the Mavs, they are hitting from deep and the Lakers defensive is helping them out.
4. Freaky Friday has become reality
As far as I am aware, the Lakers were still in possession of the better and more experienced Gasol brother, right? Either way, Pau Gasol is no where to be seen this postseason. His numbers have dropped from last year’s playoffs and this year’s regular season as if he had a critical injury. FG% down 10 percent, rebounds down 2 a game, and points down 5 a game in comparison to the regular season. I was under the impression that stars and leaders of teams played better in the postseason. (See Derrick Rose and Dirk Nowitzki)
5. Dirk Nowitzki
I never expected Dirk Nowitzki to play the way he has been this series; better than I have ever seen. Shooting, passing, driving, and yes, even defensively. And before you bring up the choke in the finals, Dirk and his Mavericks have out scored the Lakers in the fourth quarter every game this season. Like Kobe, Dirk is basically impossible to guard. And game three he drove and drew fouls as well as passed it out of the double team extremely well. You can't stop Dirk, but you don't have to give him wide open looks from the three point line.
1. The Mavericks have had better team defense.
As a team the Mavericks have been better defensively than the Lakers. In game 3 the Mavericks showed the Lakers early how to play team defense WITH FULL ROTATIONS. After a screen switch Kidd ended up guarding Odom with the ball on the right block. After Odom kicks it out to Kobe, then Kobe to Fisher, then Fisher to Gasol in the left corner, who was guarding him? Kidd. The Mavericks rotated all the way around and Kidd went from one side of the court to the other to pick up the open man. A second example of team defense was when Dirk and Kidd doubled Gasol baseline and Chandler took away the passing lane and was able to get the steal.
2. The Lakers lack of team defense
Just as impressive as the Mavericks team defense has been, the Lakers have been almost the complete opposite. Between Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Odom, and Artest, the Lakers not only have excellent defenders but length and athleticism at their disposal. Now if someone could only get them to play team defense. After game two, Bynum told the media that the Lakers had "trust issues". When Kobe was asked about this he attributed it to the lack of help defense. The play where Barea split the lane and Bynum gave perfect help only for his man to get a sideline slam is a perfect example. One rotation is not enough! You make the required rotations when you gain possession of the ball.
3. The Mavericks have a plethora of three point shooters, oh yeah and they make them!
The big four of course are Dirk, Kidd, Terry and Peja. In each game they have had way too many wide open looks. Dirk alone had three three point shots he drained when there wasn't a Laker within almost ten feet of him in game three. Those four combined are shooting just below 42% from the three point line. While the Lakers have not shot better then 26% from three and as bad as 10% in game two. Give it to the Mavs, they are hitting from deep and the Lakers defensive is helping them out.
4. Freaky Friday has become reality
As far as I am aware, the Lakers were still in possession of the better and more experienced Gasol brother, right? Either way, Pau Gasol is no where to be seen this postseason. His numbers have dropped from last year’s playoffs and this year’s regular season as if he had a critical injury. FG% down 10 percent, rebounds down 2 a game, and points down 5 a game in comparison to the regular season. I was under the impression that stars and leaders of teams played better in the postseason. (See Derrick Rose and Dirk Nowitzki)
5. Dirk Nowitzki
I never expected Dirk Nowitzki to play the way he has been this series; better than I have ever seen. Shooting, passing, driving, and yes, even defensively. And before you bring up the choke in the finals, Dirk and his Mavericks have out scored the Lakers in the fourth quarter every game this season. Like Kobe, Dirk is basically impossible to guard. And game three he drove and drew fouls as well as passed it out of the double team extremely well. You can't stop Dirk, but you don't have to give him wide open looks from the three point line.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Portland Timbers Stand Tall at Home
I will be the first to admit that I did not have much faith in the Timbers at the beginning of the season. Not many people do in an expansion team, mostly because they normally take a few years to get going. Just look at the Grizzlies in the NBA, they finally got their first playoff victory (and almost knocked out the Spurs last night) since they began in 1995. I made other arguments or “excuses” why the Timbers would not have an outstanding season. To put it simply I was wrong.
The Timbers lost their first two games of the year, but both were away. Little did I know that the Timbers would bring their “A” game along with their own “army” while playing at home. Now I am not going to take a complete 180 and say the Timbers will make a playoff run. But I do want to give them credit.
They tied the New England Revolution in New England, and then won two in a row at home against the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas. And they did it in exciting fashion, scoring a combined seven goals between the two games. Sure being comfortable while playing on your own field helps, but I think a lot of it goes to the support behind the Timbers as well. The energy a crowd brings can help or hinder a team more than one might think. And the Timber “army” is LOUD. It helps when your mascot is a giant rugby playing, ex bare-back bronco riding, chainsaw wielding man. Timber Joey is his name, and he made me want to start yelling and jumping around and I was sitting on my couch a few hundred miles away from JELD-WEN Field.
There are still plenty of games left. The Timbers could move to the top of the standings, they are already tied for fifth with Dallas, they could tank and fall, or they could stay right where they are. It is hard to tell but one thing is for sure, if they continue to play at home with the energy and passion they have thus far it will be hard to keep them down.
The Timbers lost their first two games of the year, but both were away. Little did I know that the Timbers would bring their “A” game along with their own “army” while playing at home. Now I am not going to take a complete 180 and say the Timbers will make a playoff run. But I do want to give them credit.
They tied the New England Revolution in New England, and then won two in a row at home against the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas. And they did it in exciting fashion, scoring a combined seven goals between the two games. Sure being comfortable while playing on your own field helps, but I think a lot of it goes to the support behind the Timbers as well. The energy a crowd brings can help or hinder a team more than one might think. And the Timber “army” is LOUD. It helps when your mascot is a giant rugby playing, ex bare-back bronco riding, chainsaw wielding man. Timber Joey is his name, and he made me want to start yelling and jumping around and I was sitting on my couch a few hundred miles away from JELD-WEN Field.
There are still plenty of games left. The Timbers could move to the top of the standings, they are already tied for fifth with Dallas, they could tank and fall, or they could stay right where they are. It is hard to tell but one thing is for sure, if they continue to play at home with the energy and passion they have thus far it will be hard to keep them down.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
NBA Finals Predictions
The NBA playoffs are upon us. And this year has the potential to be one of the most competitive and entertaining playoffs in the past decade. There are 3-4 "champion contenders" coming out of each side of the bracket. So I thought I would attempt to sort through it all and make some predictions.
I'm going right to the conference finals and on.
West: Thunder vs Lakers
The Thunder will have a tough series against the Spurs, going 6-7 games but will continue on with their high tempo style of play and younger legs.
The Lakers will have a harder time coming out of the bottom half of the bracket then some might think. Chris Paul won't roll over and the Mavericks or Blazers (I think it will be the Blazers) will also take the Lakers to 6 games.
Advancing: The Thunder shake up the purple and gold and advance to the finals.
East: Bulls vs Heat
The Bulls will run through the Pacers and be delayed by the beast that is Dwight Howard but push on to the semis.
The Heat will also push through Philadelphia and be pushed to 5-6 games by either the Celtics or Knicks (upset alert).
Advancing: This will be a very hard fought series going to 7 games. Ultimately the better team work and point gaurd play of Derrick Rose will be the difference (as well as the home court advantage) at the Bulls return to the first time since his "Airness" retired.
Finals: Thunder vs Bulls
This will be one of the most non Laker vs Celtic finals in the past decade. Series will go to at least 6 games. Both teams will be tired coming from long semi-final rounds previous. While originally the Thunder seemed like the better pick. The defense and teamwork of the Bulls will be enough to slow down the Thunder as the NBA championship returns to the Windy City.
I'm going right to the conference finals and on.
West: Thunder vs Lakers
The Thunder will have a tough series against the Spurs, going 6-7 games but will continue on with their high tempo style of play and younger legs.
The Lakers will have a harder time coming out of the bottom half of the bracket then some might think. Chris Paul won't roll over and the Mavericks or Blazers (I think it will be the Blazers) will also take the Lakers to 6 games.
Advancing: The Thunder shake up the purple and gold and advance to the finals.
East: Bulls vs Heat
The Bulls will run through the Pacers and be delayed by the beast that is Dwight Howard but push on to the semis.
The Heat will also push through Philadelphia and be pushed to 5-6 games by either the Celtics or Knicks (upset alert).
Advancing: This will be a very hard fought series going to 7 games. Ultimately the better team work and point gaurd play of Derrick Rose will be the difference (as well as the home court advantage) at the Bulls return to the first time since his "Airness" retired.
Finals: Thunder vs Bulls
This will be one of the most non Laker vs Celtic finals in the past decade. Series will go to at least 6 games. Both teams will be tired coming from long semi-final rounds previous. While originally the Thunder seemed like the better pick. The defense and teamwork of the Bulls will be enough to slow down the Thunder as the NBA championship returns to the Windy City.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
It's Only A Matter Of Time
Charl Schwarztel did what no other player has ever done previous at the Masters, birdie the remaining four holes to walk away with the green jacket.
However, what might have proven to be more insightful to golfing future then Schwartzel's win, was Tiger's "comeback". Yes Tiger still came up short, yes he still hasn't won that major while coming from behind, and yes according to "Tiger" standards he choked on the back nine. If I was on the Tour, I would be worried that the only thing that stood between Tiger roaring back and taking the Masters were a few puts that were within ten feet. Because if that is all that is standing between Tiger and his old self then it won't be long.
Lets go back a little bit. Remember when Tiger first left the game of golf for his "personal" issues. Then and upon his return Tiger surpassing Nicklaus for 18 career majors was put into question. And after the first full year of Tiger playing, his own talent and greatness in the game of golf was also questioned. Obviously Tiger was not what he once was but that's what happens when you take time off. It took Michael Jordan a year and a half before he got back to championship form after his first stint away from basketball.
The point is, Tiger is gaining his stride and he still has plenty of time to cement his legacy. He is only 35 years old and only four majors away from tying the great Jack Nicklaus. Oh and by the way, Nicklaus won his last major at the age of 46. You better believe Tiger is capable of winning one at that age to if his knee doesn't fall apart by then. Tiger has roughly a decade left, give or take a few years possibly, to win four or more majors. He is gaining his stride, and it's only a matter of time.
However, what might have proven to be more insightful to golfing future then Schwartzel's win, was Tiger's "comeback". Yes Tiger still came up short, yes he still hasn't won that major while coming from behind, and yes according to "Tiger" standards he choked on the back nine. If I was on the Tour, I would be worried that the only thing that stood between Tiger roaring back and taking the Masters were a few puts that were within ten feet. Because if that is all that is standing between Tiger and his old self then it won't be long.
Lets go back a little bit. Remember when Tiger first left the game of golf for his "personal" issues. Then and upon his return Tiger surpassing Nicklaus for 18 career majors was put into question. And after the first full year of Tiger playing, his own talent and greatness in the game of golf was also questioned. Obviously Tiger was not what he once was but that's what happens when you take time off. It took Michael Jordan a year and a half before he got back to championship form after his first stint away from basketball.
The point is, Tiger is gaining his stride and he still has plenty of time to cement his legacy. He is only 35 years old and only four majors away from tying the great Jack Nicklaus. Oh and by the way, Nicklaus won his last major at the age of 46. You better believe Tiger is capable of winning one at that age to if his knee doesn't fall apart by then. Tiger has roughly a decade left, give or take a few years possibly, to win four or more majors. He is gaining his stride, and it's only a matter of time.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Timbers Fall Short Against Defending Champs
This being the Timbers first season in the MLS it would be hard to say what they are capable of this season. The preseason definitely showed some promise for the Timbers as they went 1-4-0. And while that is not enough to get too excited about, it is definitely more of a positive then a negative.
The Timbers have a lot to overcome, history being the biggest obstacle. Expansion teams have not had the best track record in their debut years. In 1998 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays lost 99 games, 2002 the Houston Texans went 4-12, and in 2004 the Charlotte Bobcats went 18-64 in their first season.
The Timbers could be the team to come out strong in their first year but so far it doesn’t look good. The Timbers could not keep up with the Colorado Rapids, which shouldn’t be surprising since the Rapids are the defending MLS champions. The bright side is that there was a very slight glimmer of hope in the game. Portland’s goalkeeper Adin Brown was about a finger away from stopping the Rapids second goal. The Timbers Jorge Perlaza had the opportunity to pop the ball right over the Rapids goalie for an easy goal but he floated it just too high. Those were about the only positives however and they didn’t even happen. And on the flip side the rest of the game was almost a disaster for the Timbers. The Rapids outshot them 12-5 and had seven shots on goal compared to the Timbers one.
Basically there is no way to know if they will be successful or not this season after just one game; in a few weeks, maybe. And although there is not much evidence to get excited, there also isn’t any reason anyone should be yelling timber just yet.
Read this article and others on Oregon sports at http://www.oregonsportspodcast.com/
The Timbers have a lot to overcome, history being the biggest obstacle. Expansion teams have not had the best track record in their debut years. In 1998 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays lost 99 games, 2002 the Houston Texans went 4-12, and in 2004 the Charlotte Bobcats went 18-64 in their first season.
The Timbers could be the team to come out strong in their first year but so far it doesn’t look good. The Timbers could not keep up with the Colorado Rapids, which shouldn’t be surprising since the Rapids are the defending MLS champions. The bright side is that there was a very slight glimmer of hope in the game. Portland’s goalkeeper Adin Brown was about a finger away from stopping the Rapids second goal. The Timbers Jorge Perlaza had the opportunity to pop the ball right over the Rapids goalie for an easy goal but he floated it just too high. Those were about the only positives however and they didn’t even happen. And on the flip side the rest of the game was almost a disaster for the Timbers. The Rapids outshot them 12-5 and had seven shots on goal compared to the Timbers one.
Basically there is no way to know if they will be successful or not this season after just one game; in a few weeks, maybe. And although there is not much evidence to get excited, there also isn’t any reason anyone should be yelling timber just yet.
Read this article and others on Oregon sports at http://www.oregonsportspodcast.com/
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Go East, Young Man
The past decade the Western conference in the NBA has dominated the league.
The Eastern conference has not taken long to reply this decade. The thunderous threesome in Miami is relatively old news and they all came from the East anyway. However the loss of Boozer and Stoudemire from the Jazz and Suns weakened both teams enough to where playoffs are most likely not going to be in either ones immediate future.
Lebron James might still be disliked by some of you by his antics over the summer, but you cannot deny his ability to see the future. James had this to say after "Taking his talents to South Beach;
"We came here to team up and we knew we were starting a trend. Teams are going to have to load up because the competition level is rising." -Lebron James-
No denying that. Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams have now joined in the party. Anthony to the Knicks and Williams to the Nets. Oh yeah the Knicks also got a veteran point guard who happens to be one of the best clutch shooters in Chauncey Billups.
So what remains in the West? Spurs, Lakers, Thunder, and the Mavericks(but we all know how Dallas will choke first or second round in the playoffs anyway).
Who does the East have? The Heat, Bulls, the newly improved Knicks(Atlanta has a better record then the Knick but i am not going to jump the gun on the Hawks and say they have proven themselves yet), the Magic, and of course the Celtics. Sure that is really only one more "elite" team that the East have that the West doesn't. But think of next year and two years from now. All the young talent is going East. The Lakers, Spurs, and Mavericks are aging, and the Blazers cannot stay healthy for longer then a quarter. The Thunder is the West's own team of the future currently. While every power team in the East is young, with the exception of Boston.
This decade might be a little different then the last. L.A. is not going to be getting championship parades every other year or any other Western conference team. If you want to be under the spotlight in the NBA, go East.
The Eastern conference has not taken long to reply this decade. The thunderous threesome in Miami is relatively old news and they all came from the East anyway. However the loss of Boozer and Stoudemire from the Jazz and Suns weakened both teams enough to where playoffs are most likely not going to be in either ones immediate future.
Lebron James might still be disliked by some of you by his antics over the summer, but you cannot deny his ability to see the future. James had this to say after "Taking his talents to South Beach;
"We came here to team up and we knew we were starting a trend. Teams are going to have to load up because the competition level is rising." -Lebron James-
No denying that. Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams have now joined in the party. Anthony to the Knicks and Williams to the Nets. Oh yeah the Knicks also got a veteran point guard who happens to be one of the best clutch shooters in Chauncey Billups.
So what remains in the West? Spurs, Lakers, Thunder, and the Mavericks(but we all know how Dallas will choke first or second round in the playoffs anyway).
Who does the East have? The Heat, Bulls, the newly improved Knicks(Atlanta has a better record then the Knick but i am not going to jump the gun on the Hawks and say they have proven themselves yet), the Magic, and of course the Celtics. Sure that is really only one more "elite" team that the East have that the West doesn't. But think of next year and two years from now. All the young talent is going East. The Lakers, Spurs, and Mavericks are aging, and the Blazers cannot stay healthy for longer then a quarter. The Thunder is the West's own team of the future currently. While every power team in the East is young, with the exception of Boston.
This decade might be a little different then the last. L.A. is not going to be getting championship parades every other year or any other Western conference team. If you want to be under the spotlight in the NBA, go East.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Rooney Kicks The Critics
Yes, I am writing about soccer. Living in Europe for several months straight will do that. I do not believe I will ever go away from following "the beautiful game". It has to do with better understanding of the game and my obsession with anything to do with sport and competitiveness.
Wayne Rooney, plagued in recent months with injuries and being benched following a worse then poor performance in the World Cup, might have quieted all of his critics with one kick. Well maybe not all of them, but he has to have come close to it. In case you are not sure what "kick" I am talking about, see the video below.
The context of this goal makes it even better, if that is even possible. This heated rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City is the first time in a few decades that the game could affect the league champion between the two teams. Man U was number one and Man City was third and only five points (a victory counts as three and a tie as one in the league standings) away from Man U.
Fast forward to the 78th minute, the score is tied 1-1 and it almost looked like Man City was about to take the momentum and the lead. Until Mr Rooney unleashed the best timed bicycle kick in the history of the game. It was so utterly ridiculous that the goalie did not even move his feet. Even if he had reacted however, the reply shows how Rooney placed the ball in the top right corner of the net, making it almost, if not entirely, physically impossible for it to be saved anyway.
That was only Rooney's fifth goal in the Premier league this season, but it was one that could have very well clinched the league title for Man U. If anyone deserved it, it was Rooney. I have been watching and playing sports my whole life, and even though I have only picked up watching and playing soccer in the past few months I could still tell that Rooney is one of the hardest working players on the field. If there was ever a chance for him to get the ball of make a play he never passed on the opportunity to at least try and make something happen. I think that Lionel Messi's quote about Rooney's passion for the game sums up my point well;
"We all know football players at the top level are blessed with high wages, it's no secret. But Rooney would play for 100 euros-a-week. You can see the fire in his eyes. It's that fire which makes him the best of the best."
So to all of those who did not believe in Rooney, I myself was a little concerned but never stopped rooting simply because of the passion and energy he brings, take another look at the video above and tip your hat at one of the worlds best.
Wayne Rooney, plagued in recent months with injuries and being benched following a worse then poor performance in the World Cup, might have quieted all of his critics with one kick. Well maybe not all of them, but he has to have come close to it. In case you are not sure what "kick" I am talking about, see the video below.
The context of this goal makes it even better, if that is even possible. This heated rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City is the first time in a few decades that the game could affect the league champion between the two teams. Man U was number one and Man City was third and only five points (a victory counts as three and a tie as one in the league standings) away from Man U.
Fast forward to the 78th minute, the score is tied 1-1 and it almost looked like Man City was about to take the momentum and the lead. Until Mr Rooney unleashed the best timed bicycle kick in the history of the game. It was so utterly ridiculous that the goalie did not even move his feet. Even if he had reacted however, the reply shows how Rooney placed the ball in the top right corner of the net, making it almost, if not entirely, physically impossible for it to be saved anyway.
That was only Rooney's fifth goal in the Premier league this season, but it was one that could have very well clinched the league title for Man U. If anyone deserved it, it was Rooney. I have been watching and playing sports my whole life, and even though I have only picked up watching and playing soccer in the past few months I could still tell that Rooney is one of the hardest working players on the field. If there was ever a chance for him to get the ball of make a play he never passed on the opportunity to at least try and make something happen. I think that Lionel Messi's quote about Rooney's passion for the game sums up my point well;
"We all know football players at the top level are blessed with high wages, it's no secret. But Rooney would play for 100 euros-a-week. You can see the fire in his eyes. It's that fire which makes him the best of the best."
So to all of those who did not believe in Rooney, I myself was a little concerned but never stopped rooting simply because of the passion and energy he brings, take another look at the video above and tip your hat at one of the worlds best.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
"Decision 2011"
Oh what has become of our instant news and media information society. Signing day has begun in the college football world and as I logged into the ESPN homepage the front story and video is how Jadeveon Clowney, the number 1 prospect according to ESPN, has still not committed. Clowney seems like a stand up guy, nothing against him at all, however do we need to turn this into "decision" part 2?
Let me play devils advocate for a second. Maybe we do need it, or at least we want it. Both Lebron's "decision" and Clowney's would not be front page stories if nobody cared. As sports fans, fans as in fanatics, we are always wanting to know more and hear about it first. So going to the source is really the best way to go about it.
Minute to minute updates might be a bit overboard at the same time however. Yet I am sitting here writing a blog within five minutes of watching the video and giving my opinion on it. I guess I just need to stop being so hypocritical and enjoy the fact we have the ability to have a "decision" 2010 or 2011.
Let me play devils advocate for a second. Maybe we do need it, or at least we want it. Both Lebron's "decision" and Clowney's would not be front page stories if nobody cared. As sports fans, fans as in fanatics, we are always wanting to know more and hear about it first. So going to the source is really the best way to go about it.
Minute to minute updates might be a bit overboard at the same time however. Yet I am sitting here writing a blog within five minutes of watching the video and giving my opinion on it. I guess I just need to stop being so hypocritical and enjoy the fact we have the ability to have a "decision" 2010 or 2011.
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