The 2007 New England Patriots are the best team ever. Before the season began, I predicted that they wouldn't win a game by less than 21 points.
So far, so good.
For those who really know football, nothing that Randy Moss is doing should be a surprise. He went on a little two year sabbatical, all the great ones go through it. If he has three years as productive as he's been through the first three weeks, then he should line up opposite Jerry Rice on the NFL's all-time team.
Nothing that the defensive line (minus Richard Seymour) is doing should catch you off guard. Tom Brady was a lock to win his first regular season MVP award the day Dante' Stallworth climbed aboard, forget Moss and Wes Welker. Throw in the fact that Asante Samuel is playing out of his mind right now and the naked truth that this team runs the ball more than they throw it. You've got yourself a flawless team. They set up the play-action better than anyone, but they can also go 5-wide to open things up and pounce on you.
Looking around the league, from team to team, city to city, there's really no fan base that can consistently feel confident in their team blowing out the opponent like the good folks from the northeast. You could make this argument for the Dallas Cowboys, but only if you don't know football. Tony Romo is still their quarterback and his reckless style of play is hit or miss. He hasn't shown that he can pass from the pocket yet and with that above average defense behind him, he's usually playing with a lead. I'd like to see him form a comeback. People say that he's looking comfortable out there, a la Brett Favre, but who wouldn't with the weapons he has. Marion Barber shakes tacklers like Jay-Z brushing dirt of his shoulder, T.O. is having a nearly drama free start to the year (he's arguably the second best wide receiver in football), and Jason Witten is open on every single play.
Not to mention the fact that the Cowboys are in the NFC which is arguably more embarrassing than the National League. Also, Dallas is forced to host and lose to the Patriots on October 14th. Most likely by three or more touchdowns.
Alright here's my last Cowboy bashing comment. I said before that their defense is above average, but on Sunday Night Rex Grossman made their secondary look super human. Anthony Henry is a part time nickleback if he's in the AFC. Roy Williams is one horse-collar away from reaching a Bob Sanders level of overrated. Let's see this team win their division before we crown them ruler of the NFC.
Now back to the first sentence written. The 2007 New England Patriots are the best team ever. Although I wasn't alive to see most of them with my own two eyes, you could make the case that the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970's, Bill Walsh's San Fransisco 49ers, even Jimmy Johnson's Dallas Cowboys are the best team ever, but I've got news for you. The Patriots would absolutely spank all of them. One of sport's all-time greatest arguments, right alongside who would you rather have your daughter go on a date with, Mike Tyson or O.J. Simpson, is whether or not you can truly compare different generations of athletes and teams. It's not fair in most instances and for arguments sake I had to say that, but it's just too much fun. Jim Brown never had to stare down a freakish linebacker that's bigger and faster than some wide receivers (Adalius Thomas) but that's not taking anything away from Brown. As the years go by, the players get bigger, faster, and stronger. The fact that someday there will be a human being faster than Randy Moss just blows my mind, but it has to happen. Let's hope he suits up for New England.
Once more lets revisit that wonderful sentence. Let me clarify something. When I say they're the best team ever, I mean I wouldn't hesitate in comparing them to the 1992 Dream Team. The way New England goes out and absolutely embarrasses their opponents is scary. The only legitimate contest this year will be week nine at Indy. New England should only win by two touchdowns in that one. Nobody has ever dominated their sport since Michael Jordan left Chicago, like the Patriots this season.
Isn't LT supposed to be the best running back of all-time? Apparently he's just the loudest. I used to think the man was humble and very, very talented going back to his days at Texas Christian. Now he's looking like the biggest fantasy bust since Larry Johnson. This may read like a bitter article but as a die-hard Patriots fan, I feel it's my right to be as vindictive as can be. I'm reluctant to bring up "spy-gate" but unfortunately it must be done. What I will do is relay a message to all those who think there should be an asterisk next to the three Superbowl trophies. That somehow the New England Patriots "cheated" to get those rings and that they're tainted. Look at Charlie Weis right now. Do you honestly think he knows anything about cheating? It took Notre Dame FIVE WEEKS to throw a touchdown.
Quick side bar: Watching his team play so far this season has been pretty comedic, but I don't think the game against USC will be as bad a blowout if Clausen doesn't take another snap.
Ending on a positive note, there should be no more Patriots coverage for the rest of the season. All the "could they go undefeated" talk needs to stop right quick before Tom Brady's right arm is ripped from his body in a brutal car accident. Seriously though, this organization, from the owner on down to the long snapper, is a model one that should be studied by everyone else in the league. As a matter of fact, their example should be extended to all professional sports leagues in the world. The utter dominance and genuine professionalism that that they exemplify can easily transcend to nearly everything. When it's all said and done, the New England Patriots will undoubtedly be known as the best team ever.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Farewell Summer
The summer of 2007 has come to a conclusion and my three month vacation has officially ended. Gone are the care free 75 degree nights parading around Newton in a t-shirt, shorts, and boat shoes. Gone is the ability to consistently swing sticks at the Commonwealth golf course and pretend I'm better than Sergio Garcia. Gone is lemon balm, Raspberry Hefeweizen, and an incredibly easy/entertaining job working as a camp counselor.
But you know what they say: for every door that closes, a window is opened.
That window, of course, is this stunningly insightful sports blog. I decided to take a well deserved break (along with Michael Vick's conscience) and spend my 12 week sabbatical outside as opposed to cooped up in my room, hovering over my laptop and banging out entry after entry during a summer that was plagued with off the field news having virtually nothing to do with actual sporting competition. It was a huge disappointment. (Minus the superb play of the Boston Red Sox and the laughable imitation of a big league starting rotation by the New York Yankees)
So instead, I've decided to kick off the new year with a recap of the summer past.
It was a summer of blockbuster transformation and I don't mean Shia LaBeouf's breakout performance. Kevin Garnett (the real big ticket) coming to Boston and single handily re surging the most historic franchise in the history of professional basketball is something I've yet to grasp. He instantly made the Celtics not only relevant, but possibly dominant. Due to Bill Sharman (the hall of famer had his #21 retired by the franchise in 1966) Garnett will change his number to 5. A reference to the recent Adidas commercials that Kevin has appeared in which state that obvious fact, "it takes 5" to win a championship. According to Vegas, this is greater than just a possibility as they have Boston listed at 5-1 odds to win it all.
It was a summer of lies, deceit, and felony convictions. Surprisingly enough, I'm not talking about the Tour de France.
Tim Donaghy and Michael Vick embarrassed the world of sports and hijacked the headlines from those who were accomplishing things ON the field. I don't want to get too into this topic. The simple reason being that thanks to ESPN, the lucid mentioning of either Donaghy or Vick makes me throw up a little in my mouth. I will say that I applaud those around Michael Vick like Joe Horn for example, who refuse to turn their backs on a man who indubitably has tough times ahead. Officially moving on.
On a much lighter note, it was a summer of new beginnings and immutable successes. Tiger Woods and Tom Brady, arguably the two most competitive champions alive, shared in the joyous experience of having their first born. Jonathan Edwards Thomas Brady and Sam Alexis Woods both entered the world this summer with pretty big shoes to fill as they grow older. Even if they aren't blessed with the great athletic skill, mental toughness, and self-motivation that their fathers possess, at least they'll both be very attractive people.
For Woods, the summer was even more eventful. Tiger won his 13th major at the PGA Championship with a command of the green that may have created some doubters as to whether or not the man is, in actuality, a God. More importantly, this summer Tiger Woods won ESPN's "Who's Now?" bracket defeating the lovable Lebron James in dramatic fashion.
(P.S. This contest was without a doubt the most confusing, disturbing, and shameful program that I have ever witnessed on a television screen...except when Jessica Biel was there.)
Now onto the devastating issue that's been hovering over major league baseball like a permanent cumulonimbus cloud. Steroids. This summer Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run predictably during a home stand in San Fransisco. Neither Bud Selig (the commissioner of baseball) nor Hank Aaron (the former holder of the Herculean record) were at the game. Say what you want about Barry Bonds and the fact that he blatantly used performance enhancing drugs to break the greatest record in sports, but the fact of the matter is so did hundreds of other players. For a man who allowed steroid use to run rampant in baseball like a rhinoceros in Jumanji to not be in attendance for the most significant home run of my generation is disrespectful and embarrassing.
There were too many things that went on this summer for me to list right here. I just wanted to cover the most important and get on with some college, fantasy, and professional football posts that will be written in the all too near future.
But you know what they say: for every door that closes, a window is opened.
That window, of course, is this stunningly insightful sports blog. I decided to take a well deserved break (along with Michael Vick's conscience) and spend my 12 week sabbatical outside as opposed to cooped up in my room, hovering over my laptop and banging out entry after entry during a summer that was plagued with off the field news having virtually nothing to do with actual sporting competition. It was a huge disappointment. (Minus the superb play of the Boston Red Sox and the laughable imitation of a big league starting rotation by the New York Yankees)
So instead, I've decided to kick off the new year with a recap of the summer past.
It was a summer of blockbuster transformation and I don't mean Shia LaBeouf's breakout performance. Kevin Garnett (the real big ticket) coming to Boston and single handily re surging the most historic franchise in the history of professional basketball is something I've yet to grasp. He instantly made the Celtics not only relevant, but possibly dominant. Due to Bill Sharman (the hall of famer had his #21 retired by the franchise in 1966) Garnett will change his number to 5. A reference to the recent Adidas commercials that Kevin has appeared in which state that obvious fact, "it takes 5" to win a championship. According to Vegas, this is greater than just a possibility as they have Boston listed at 5-1 odds to win it all.
It was a summer of lies, deceit, and felony convictions. Surprisingly enough, I'm not talking about the Tour de France.
Tim Donaghy and Michael Vick embarrassed the world of sports and hijacked the headlines from those who were accomplishing things ON the field. I don't want to get too into this topic. The simple reason being that thanks to ESPN, the lucid mentioning of either Donaghy or Vick makes me throw up a little in my mouth. I will say that I applaud those around Michael Vick like Joe Horn for example, who refuse to turn their backs on a man who indubitably has tough times ahead. Officially moving on.
On a much lighter note, it was a summer of new beginnings and immutable successes. Tiger Woods and Tom Brady, arguably the two most competitive champions alive, shared in the joyous experience of having their first born. Jonathan Edwards Thomas Brady and Sam Alexis Woods both entered the world this summer with pretty big shoes to fill as they grow older. Even if they aren't blessed with the great athletic skill, mental toughness, and self-motivation that their fathers possess, at least they'll both be very attractive people.
For Woods, the summer was even more eventful. Tiger won his 13th major at the PGA Championship with a command of the green that may have created some doubters as to whether or not the man is, in actuality, a God. More importantly, this summer Tiger Woods won ESPN's "Who's Now?" bracket defeating the lovable Lebron James in dramatic fashion.
(P.S. This contest was without a doubt the most confusing, disturbing, and shameful program that I have ever witnessed on a television screen...except when Jessica Biel was there.)
Now onto the devastating issue that's been hovering over major league baseball like a permanent cumulonimbus cloud. Steroids. This summer Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run predictably during a home stand in San Fransisco. Neither Bud Selig (the commissioner of baseball) nor Hank Aaron (the former holder of the Herculean record) were at the game. Say what you want about Barry Bonds and the fact that he blatantly used performance enhancing drugs to break the greatest record in sports, but the fact of the matter is so did hundreds of other players. For a man who allowed steroid use to run rampant in baseball like a rhinoceros in Jumanji to not be in attendance for the most significant home run of my generation is disrespectful and embarrassing.
There were too many things that went on this summer for me to list right here. I just wanted to cover the most important and get on with some college, fantasy, and professional football posts that will be written in the all too near future.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
'04 Destiny vs. '07 Dominance
I've always felt that a baseball team can't be judged until the mid summer classics final out is made. You can't get too high or too low on any player (except Wily Mo Pena who can't throw, catch, hit, run, jump, or breathe like a normal person) or be too content with what may seem like an insurmountable lead in the divisional standings. Now that the Boston Red Sox are starting to round themselves out and are really looking like a team that could cause some commotion in October, I've decided to compare this year's team to the 2004 World Series Champions. The only way to ultimately determine which team is better would be to break down the two teams and then stack them back up. The categories to do this are: starting rotation, bullpen, hitting, defense, and the rest of the competition.
Starting Rotation- 2004- Derek Lowe, Pedro, Schilling, Wakefield, and Bronson Arroyo.
2007- Josh Beckett, Schilling, Dice-K, Wakefield, and Julian Tavarez.
Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield are the two constants on both rotations but while Wakefield is currently banging out another consistently productive year, Curt Schilling has only won 6 games this season and is currently on the DL with a shoulder problem. He won 21 games in '04 and but it's not something to be too concerned about if your a Red Sox fan. If the Yankees were within a game or two of Boston, Schilling's return would be much more imminent, but since we're ahead by 9, Theo Epstein and Terry Francona are able to slow his return back and get him comfortable for the playoffs.
Josh Beckett will be at the top of the Cy Young candidate list by the end of the season. He's 13-4 with an ERA under 3.30 and is just starting to reach his potential as a dominant power pitcher in the American League. Not to mention he's only 25.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is one of the most impressive pitchers on the entire staff and not counting his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays, has pitched pretty good lately. Dice's game is often likened to Pedro Martinez being that both of them use a lot of off speed pitches while at the same time are able to rear back in the 7th inning and fire a 95 mph fastball.
The number 5 pitchers are a wash, although I personally prefer Tavarez and in the end Dice-K and Josh Beckett are much better than an aging Pedro Martinez and an inconsistent Derek Lowe. Throw in the return of Jon Lester and you've got arguably the best rotation in baseball.
Edge- 2007
Bullpen- What do David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, and Dave Roberts all have in common? Not one of them was more important to the Red Sox winning the World Series than closer Keith Foulke. He may not have the best stuff or the most intimidating wind up, but Foulke was brilliant in 2004 when the Red Sox needed him the most. With that being said, the three headed dragon consisting of Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon is the surest plan for success since the 2007 New England Patriots. Today's addition of Eric Gagne only makes this bullpen deeper and more dangerous. If the Red Sox go into the 6th inning with any kind of lead the opposition might as well pack it in.
Edge- 2007
Hitting- This is a very tough category to breakdown without relying solely on statistics but I'll do my best. Both lineups revolve around David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez's power production although the two haven't been hitting as well as they can so far this season. Manny will turn things around but I'm not so sure about Big Papi. Barry Bonds told him that the moment he hit 50 home-runs in a season, managers weren't exactly jumping at the chance to throw too many strikes his way regardless of who was batting behind him. Add that to the fact that he's playing on a torn meniscus and is planning on having surgery once the seasons over and you might conclude that the days of David Ortiz hitting 40 home runs in a season are behind us.
Starting Rotation- 2004- Derek Lowe, Pedro, Schilling, Wakefield, and Bronson Arroyo.
2007- Josh Beckett, Schilling, Dice-K, Wakefield, and Julian Tavarez.
Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield are the two constants on both rotations but while Wakefield is currently banging out another consistently productive year, Curt Schilling has only won 6 games this season and is currently on the DL with a shoulder problem. He won 21 games in '04 and but it's not something to be too concerned about if your a Red Sox fan. If the Yankees were within a game or two of Boston, Schilling's return would be much more imminent, but since we're ahead by 9, Theo Epstein and Terry Francona are able to slow his return back and get him comfortable for the playoffs.
Josh Beckett will be at the top of the Cy Young candidate list by the end of the season. He's 13-4 with an ERA under 3.30 and is just starting to reach his potential as a dominant power pitcher in the American League. Not to mention he's only 25.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is one of the most impressive pitchers on the entire staff and not counting his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays, has pitched pretty good lately. Dice's game is often likened to Pedro Martinez being that both of them use a lot of off speed pitches while at the same time are able to rear back in the 7th inning and fire a 95 mph fastball.
The number 5 pitchers are a wash, although I personally prefer Tavarez and in the end Dice-K and Josh Beckett are much better than an aging Pedro Martinez and an inconsistent Derek Lowe. Throw in the return of Jon Lester and you've got arguably the best rotation in baseball.
Edge- 2007
Bullpen- What do David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, and Dave Roberts all have in common? Not one of them was more important to the Red Sox winning the World Series than closer Keith Foulke. He may not have the best stuff or the most intimidating wind up, but Foulke was brilliant in 2004 when the Red Sox needed him the most. With that being said, the three headed dragon consisting of Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon is the surest plan for success since the 2007 New England Patriots. Today's addition of Eric Gagne only makes this bullpen deeper and more dangerous. If the Red Sox go into the 6th inning with any kind of lead the opposition might as well pack it in.
Edge- 2007
Hitting- This is a very tough category to breakdown without relying solely on statistics but I'll do my best. Both lineups revolve around David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez's power production although the two haven't been hitting as well as they can so far this season. Manny will turn things around but I'm not so sure about Big Papi. Barry Bonds told him that the moment he hit 50 home-runs in a season, managers weren't exactly jumping at the chance to throw too many strikes his way regardless of who was batting behind him. Add that to the fact that he's playing on a torn meniscus and is planning on having surgery once the seasons over and you might conclude that the days of David Ortiz hitting 40 home runs in a season are behind us.
The Red Sox of 2007 are in desperate need of another big bat. Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, and Kevin Youkilis have all been great so far but do those three combined with Manny and Papi have what it takes to take the crown? Only time holds the answer but no sane Red Sox fan would turn down another legitimate bat presence. Guys like Jermaine Dye, Ken Griffey Jr., or Mark Teixera would be great additions to the team but not at the expense of a Jon Lester or Clay Buckholz. Parting with Kason Gabbard looks like the most logical option.
The team of 2004 had a great lead off hitter, a better Jason Varitek, and a healthy David Ortiz.
Edge- 2004
Defense- Baseball writer Bill James once said that an error is "the only major statistic in sports which is a record of what an observer thinks should have been accomplished". Starting with the outfield: in left, Manny's been Manny since day 1 (as shown in this wildly entertaining clip). He has his fair share of critics but Manny only gets better every year playing in the Green Monster's shadow. He knows how to play the wall better than anybody in the game but never receives his due credit. His quick flick of the elbow throw to the infield looks like a second basemen turning a double play but the ball still gets there with pin point accuracy 9 times out of 10.
Out in center, Johnny Damon displayed fairly consistent defense while holding down center field but his arm was definitely suspect. Any fly ball to Damon with a man on second or third resulted in a sacrifice because absolutely no base runners are going to respect a player who throws like a T-Rex. Right now we have Coco Crisp roaming center. The way he chases what seem like certain base hits reminds me of a bullfrog settled on a lily pad snatching an unfortunate insect out of the sky. His arm isn't the greatest, but his superior athleticism compared to Johnny Damon puts him over the edge.
Out in right field we had one of the biggest Boston sports cult figures of all time with Trot Nixon. When I say cult figure, I mean that Nixon had such a great legion of loyal fans but with no other reasons other than his name was "Trot Nixon" (one of the greatest baseball names of all time) and the fact that every single night he hustled harder than Killa Cam.
It's 2007 now and the Red Sox are stuck with J.D. Drew. In the field, he's looked fine, but at the plate it's a whole different story. If the Red Sox needed a big hit with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Drew would be the absolute last player I'd want to see in the batters box. Statistically he's headed for one of the worst seasons in his career, but I still have an elephant's brain worth of hope that he'll start playing like a guy making 14 million dollars sometime in September.
Our infield this season has been great with Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Julio Lugo gobbling up ground balls, but Mike Lowell's had a forgetful season defensively. With his contract ending after this season, more than likely he won't be in a Red Sox uniform next season.
Edge- Wash
Opponents- Coming off their first round sweep of the Angels in 2004, the Boston Red Sox looked very, very solid. All they had to do was defeat the dreaded Yankees in what had looked like to most Sox fans as a "Groundhog's Day" American League Championship Series. Through some clutch hits, serious perseverance, and an important stolen base or two, Boston came back from a 3-0 deficit in the series to win in 7 games. What they achieved was nothing short of magical and could not have been scripted better. They then went onto sweep Tony La Russa's Cardinals in the World Series and complete one of the greatest two week spans of my life.
As good as we are this season, the competition around the league has also risen. The American League Central has officially overtaken the A.L. East in becoming the toughest division in baseball. The Angels out west are looking very tough to beat with one of the best bullpens in the league and a former Red Sox mercenary at short.
The Indians and Tigers are looking very tough right now with their starting pitching, strong bullpens, and timely hitting, but the Sox can definitely compete with the best.
Edge- 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Paul Pierce a GM?
Before we get into the winners and losers of the draft I have to get something off my chest. The NBA is headed towards an era where the players are emulating general managers. Players need to play and those running the franchises need to make the best decisions for their teams and their fanbase.
When Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion refused to come to Boston they gave themselves a sense of entitlement that in reality they don't have. Neither of them have no-trade clauses in their contracts and both of them stand to make between 15-20 million dollars no matter what uniform they're in. I hate to say it because I love both of their games, but both players came off as spoiled brats. A player shouldn't be able to decide which team they play for, if that were the case then nobody would be on the Kansas City Royals or the Charlotte Bobcats.
When Paul Pierce said he would demand a trade out of Boston if they didn't acquire a veteran for some assistance next season, he handcuffed Danny Ainge and put the organization in a tough situation. Paul Pierce is not the GM of the Boston Celtics. The Boston Celtics were around long before we drafted him out of Kansas and they'll be around long after he's gone.
I realize in the Kevin Garnett case that if he were unhappy as a Celtic he would simply opt out of his contract and be gone after one season, but the window of winning with Pierce in his prime is only a couple of years anyway. For the Celtics to become relevant, all they had to do was draft Yi Jianlian or Corey Brewer. It was a simple choice and the team would be better off in the long term for it.
Before I stab myself in the pupil with a pair of scissors, let me get to my winners and losers of this years draft.
Winners:
3. Isiah Thomas- He realized that he was holding all the cards when making the trade for Zach Randolph and got a guy who should average 25 and 10 next season. Teaming him up with Eddy Curry should be a successful venture unless the two butt heads. Speaking of Curry, the Bulls ended up taking Joakim Noah with their number 9 pick (that they got from New York) instead of Spencer Hawes. Noah's a less athletic version of Tyrus Thomas so this doesn't make sense unless Chicago's thinking of dealing for KG down the line.
2. New Orleans Hornets- They didn't necessarily make any great decisions, but were lucky enough to have Julian Wright fall into their laps. Playing with Chris Paul could make him an all-star at some point in his career.
1. Seattle Supersonics- Imagine how many championships Michael Jordan would have won if him and Pippen were drafted together. The Sonics had the easiest pick in the history of the draft and then dealt a Ray Allen (who would only take Durant's shots) to the Celtics for our number 5 pick. They then took the perfect complimentary player for Durant to play alongside in Jeff Green. He rebounds, passes extremely well, plays defense, and is a reliable scorer if it's needed. Those two could make it very difficult in the future for Greg Oden to win any championships.
Losers:
3. Charlotte Bobcats- Taking Brandan Wright was a smart pick. Immediately moving him for Jason Richardson? I'm not so sure.
2. Phoenix Suns- The good news is they still have Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion. The bad news is they aren't significantly better as a team and their stars of the future are probably pissed off that the Suns were publicly shopping them for Kevin Garnett.
1. Boston Celtics- Sitting in my living room on draft night decked out in my Ryan Gomes jersey, with a bowl of popcorn and a heavily perspiring can of soda, my jaw hit the floor when Andy Katz came on the screen and told me that the Celtics weren't trading their 5 pick for Kevin Garnett or Shawn Marion, but instead Ray Allen. My reaction lied somewhere between hurling everything within my reach at the television and pondering whether or not a Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson trio could take this team deep in the post season. I still would have preferred it if the C's took Brewer, but if Allen's ankles are "perfect" like he says they are and Danny Ainge can land Andrei Kirilenko, maybe the Celtics can get out of the first round in next year's playoffs.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
First Round Mock Draft
The NBA draft is must see TV and this year's selection show blows almost all of the other ones in my lifetime right out of the water. If you like basketball, how can't you be interested? There are so many compelling stories and possible future franchise players entering the league that will definitely make Thursday a night for the ages.
As of this moment, the Portland Trailblazers are said to be 50/50 on whether to take either Kevin Durant (the next MJ?) or Greg Oden (the next Duncan?) with the first pick.
Trade rumors are swirling about Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Kobe Bryant. If even one of these actually happens it should involve at least 3 teams and will seriously shakeup basketball's landscape.
Nobody wants to play for the Boston Celtics. Garnett and Marion both said they would opt out of their contracts next season if they were to be acquired by Boston which begs the following question to be asked. Why is it that a guy like Garnett would not want to come to Boston? If he teams up with Paul Pierce, they would be better than Williams/Boozer, McGrady/Ming, and Anthony/Iverson (all teams in the western conference by the way). He'd be moving to the east which is officially a running joke right now after Lebron James single handedly went to the finals.
Kevin Garnett could resurrect the most storied franchise in basketball history and seriously alter his current legacy. If he ends up in Phoenix, somehow goes through the gauntlet of power houses in the west, and wins an NBA championship he'll be seen as a mercenary. The Suns are Steve Nash's team and nobody in the league can come in and take that from him. Garnett's still in his prime and should be up to the challenge of turning around a team on the decline like the Boston Celtics.
So anyway here's my mock draft for the entire first round, not counting inevitable trades that will certainly shake things up.
As of this moment, the Portland Trailblazers are said to be 50/50 on whether to take either Kevin Durant (the next MJ?) or Greg Oden (the next Duncan?) with the first pick.
Trade rumors are swirling about Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Kobe Bryant. If even one of these actually happens it should involve at least 3 teams and will seriously shakeup basketball's landscape.
Nobody wants to play for the Boston Celtics. Garnett and Marion both said they would opt out of their contracts next season if they were to be acquired by Boston which begs the following question to be asked. Why is it that a guy like Garnett would not want to come to Boston? If he teams up with Paul Pierce, they would be better than Williams/Boozer, McGrady/Ming, and Anthony/Iverson (all teams in the western conference by the way). He'd be moving to the east which is officially a running joke right now after Lebron James single handedly went to the finals.
Kevin Garnett could resurrect the most storied franchise in basketball history and seriously alter his current legacy. If he ends up in Phoenix, somehow goes through the gauntlet of power houses in the west, and wins an NBA championship he'll be seen as a mercenary. The Suns are Steve Nash's team and nobody in the league can come in and take that from him. Garnett's still in his prime and should be up to the challenge of turning around a team on the decline like the Boston Celtics.
So anyway here's my mock draft for the entire first round, not counting inevitable trades that will certainly shake things up.
- Portland TrailBlazers- Greg Oden
- Seattle Supersonics- Kevin Durant
- Atlanta Hawks- Al Horford
- Memphis Grizzlies- Mike Conley Jr.
- Boston Celtics- Corey Brewer
- Milwaukee Bucks- Jeff Green
- Minnesota Timberwolves- Brandan Wright
- Charlotte Bobcats- Al Thornton
- Chicago Bulls- Yi Jianlian
- Sacramento Kings- Julian Wright
- Atlanta Hawks- Acie Law IV
- Philadelphia 76ers- Spencer Hawes
- New Orleans Hornets- Thaddeus Young
- L.A. Clippers- Javaris Crittenton
- Detroit Pistons- Nick Young
- Washington Wizards- Derrick Byars
- New Jersey Nets- Jason Smith
- Golden State Warriors- Tiago Splitter
- L.A. Lakers- Rodney Stuckey
- Miami Heat- Gabe Pruitt
- Philadelphia 76ers- Morris Almond
- Charlotte Bobcats- Josh McRoberts
- New York Knicks- Sean Williams
- Phoenix Suns- Marco Belinelli
- Utah Jazz- Josh McRoberts
- Houston Rockets- Aaron Brooks
- Detroit Pistons- Taurean Green
- San Antonio Spurs- Jared Dudley
- Phoenix Suns- Marc Gasol
- Philadelphia 76ers- Arron Afflalo
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The Long Awaited
Here's my long awaited list of the 15 most overrated athletes in the world today and the credentials I used to pick them.
Alright so now that the credentials are set, here's my list for the top 15 most overrated players in the world of sports today.
15. Roger Clemens- Sure he has 7 Cy Young awards, 349 career wins, 4619 strike-outs, and a living legend aura about him, but the Rocket is making a million dollars for every 6 innings he pitches. I would get into this further but your better off watching this video which proves my point perfectly.
14. Eli Manning- You know that Reebok commercial where Peyton Manning says he knew he was for real when people stopped calling him Archie's son and started calling himPeyton. Eli needs that same revelation to happen very soon. From the moment he came into the NFL and refused to play for the Chargers I haven't liked him. He passed up playing with LT and Antonio Gates, came off as a spoiled brat, and is currently on his last limb to show the Giants organization that he can be a consistent quarterback in the NFL.
13. Aaron Rowand- My buddy Stevo and I have created the Aaron Rowand label. A player who works really hard and overachieves to great lengths, but has a cement ceiling over their head preventing them from ever being that good of a player is labeled the Aaron Rowand of their profession. For example lets say a plummer studies the parts of a sink all day and all night, takes his job very seriously and shows up to work with "business" labeled all over his face, but continuously fails to actually fix sinks would be labeled the Aaron Rowand of plumming. Ever since "the catch" at Citizens Bank people started to believe the obliteration of his face made him a good baseball player. In 2006 Rowand was traded from the White Sox to the Phillies for Jim Thome. Comparing their stats for the following season isn't exactly fair to Rowand but I'm doing it anyway.
Rowand
12/47/.262
Thome
42/109/.288
12. Joe Dumars- I realize he's long retired, but here are two things I can't understand about Joe.
10. Michele Wie- See Danica Patrick and apply to the LPGA.
9. Brady Quinn- He dropped all the way down to 22 in the draft so some justice was served, but Brady Quinn is still an extremely overrated quarterback. I can guarentee Joe Thomas will be the cornerstone for the Cleveland Browns from this years draft and not Quinn. They should've kept next years pick and taken Troy Smith in a later round.
8. Andruw Jones- He's never been a great hitter but then he hit 51 homers two years ago, finished second in the MVP race to Albert Pujols, and remained the best defensive center fielder in the national league. People don't remember that he only batted .263 that season and is currently under .200. He's in the last year of his contract with Atlanta and was probably expecting to clean house in free agency this winter, but if he doesn't get his bat off his shoulder he can kiss a sweet payday goodbye.
7. Joakim Noah- If this were 5 years from now and a list of players taken in the lottery who end up becoming second fiddle role players, Joakim Noah would be right at the top. I swear on my life if Boston takes him and keeps Pierce, I will never watch another Celtics game for as long as I live.
6. Chauncey Billups- He's officially opted out of his contract and Joe Dumars (refer to #12) says re-signing him is his top priority, but it would definitely be a mistake. Billups is a pretty good point guard but an aging one. The Pistons best bet would be trading up and drafting Acie Law or Javaris Crittenton. Let Billups go to either the Bucks or the Magic and be done with the relationship. He's only a 2 time all-star and owns the most undeserved nickname in all of sports.
5. Jake Delhomme- Here's a quarterback who at one point in his career drew comparisons to Brett Favre. Today he's a few bad games away from getting replaced by new backup QB David Carr.
4. Ted Ginn Jr.- He should probably be higher on this list but I still can't get over his getting picked #9 by the Dolphins. It's obviously not his fault but his career will most likely be a bust based on the success of those picked after him.
3. Duke Basketball- I'd be stupid to say Coach K is overrated or that players like Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, and most recently Carlos Boozer don't have what it takes to be successful at the next level, but the majority of players who thrive there are overrated. While in the Duke system players are not asked to beat their man one on one, but instead play and unite as a team. In the NBA, if you can't beat your man and take it to the basket you better find a role and get real good at it. The result of this is having their all-time leading scorer strut around as a one dimensional 3 point shooter.
2. Dirk Nowitzki- The least deserving MVP of all-time.
1. Tony Romo- The least deserving pro-bowl quarterback of all time. He'll never make another one and probably won't be the Dallas Cowboys quarterback after this season. With all the hoopla surrounding him as a possible love interest for blonde bombshells Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson, the media decided he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league when in reality he wasn't good enough to beat out Drew Bledsoe for the starting job in training camp.
- Potential- A player's potential makes it difficult when deciding if they're overrated or not. For example 16 months ago people were starting to say that Al Jefferson was overrated and that Danny Ainge needed to ship him out while his stock was so high. Right now people are questioning whether or not Danny Ainge should risk the future of the franchise and trade him for Kevin Garnett. Andrew Bynum is another good example here. Many are saying that he's overrated because the Lakers wouldn't give him up for Jason Kidd but the fact of the matter is that he's only 19 years old. The kid is banging bodies with Shaq, Yao Ming, and Amare Stoudemire. Give him a few years and he might turn into the next Kareem (or maybe not).
- Money- Another important factor in determining whether or not an athlete is overrated or not can easily be determined by his salary. Barry Zito is currently under .500, he's won 20 games just once in his 7 year career (23 in 2002), and has posted 10 or more losses since 2003 yet he somehow becomes the richest pitcher in the history of baseball. This isn't Barry's fault, but it does put a bulls-eye on his chest every time he pitches and when your making upwards of 126 million dollars your record shouldn't be 6-8 with a 4.83 ERA.
- Playing the Card- Once a player is touted too long as being "underrated" he miraculously leaps to being "overrated". It's an unexplainable phenomenon like the Loch Ness Monster or Global Warming. David Eckstein is a perfect example here. Because he's 5'6", sprints to first base when he walks, and creates a twinkle in Joe Buck's eye, Eckstein has been touted as a little scrapper but that tag eventually snowballed into him winning the World Series MVP last year. Everyone started to talk about how underrated a player he was until they glanced at his stats and saw he's never batted better than .294 in his entire career.
- Media Attention- When Terrell Owens broke up the Philadelphia Eagles locker room and then dashed to the division rivals in Dallas, he brought with him a media circus (biggest understatement I've ever written). There was the whole suicide drama, the spats with Bill Parcells, and most importantly the dropped balls. When Terrell Owens started dropping balls he instantly was tagged as an overrated player who isn't worth the headache. I agree with that 400%, but he's still one of the top 10 wide receivers in NFL history. If T.O. was a quiet, to himself type of person like Marvin Harrison, he'd instantly be a first ballot hall of famer. He still might be but because of all the attention he craves, he's overrated.
- Actual Accomplishment- This is pretty straight forward. Look at what someone has actually done within the realm of their sport. Saying Barry Bonds or Alex Rodriguez is overrated is quite a bold and false statement. Even if they are pretentious, arrogant, pompous jerks. When all else fails look at the stats.
Alright so now that the credentials are set, here's my list for the top 15 most overrated players in the world of sports today.
15. Roger Clemens- Sure he has 7 Cy Young awards, 349 career wins, 4619 strike-outs, and a living legend aura about him, but the Rocket is making a million dollars for every 6 innings he pitches. I would get into this further but your better off watching this video which proves my point perfectly.
14. Eli Manning- You know that Reebok commercial where Peyton Manning says he knew he was for real when people stopped calling him Archie's son and started calling himPeyton. Eli needs that same revelation to happen very soon. From the moment he came into the NFL and refused to play for the Chargers I haven't liked him. He passed up playing with LT and Antonio Gates, came off as a spoiled brat, and is currently on his last limb to show the Giants organization that he can be a consistent quarterback in the NFL.
13. Aaron Rowand- My buddy Stevo and I have created the Aaron Rowand label. A player who works really hard and overachieves to great lengths, but has a cement ceiling over their head preventing them from ever being that good of a player is labeled the Aaron Rowand of their profession. For example lets say a plummer studies the parts of a sink all day and all night, takes his job very seriously and shows up to work with "business" labeled all over his face, but continuously fails to actually fix sinks would be labeled the Aaron Rowand of plumming. Ever since "the catch" at Citizens Bank people started to believe the obliteration of his face made him a good baseball player. In 2006 Rowand was traded from the White Sox to the Phillies for Jim Thome. Comparing their stats for the following season isn't exactly fair to Rowand but I'm doing it anyway.
Rowand
12/47/.262
Thome
42/109/.288
12. Joe Dumars- I realize he's long retired, but here are two things I can't understand about Joe.
- Why was he inducted into the hall of fame? He was the Michael Jordan stopper on the Pistons bad boys team in the early 90's, but offensively his stats are better than what they seem because he was playing alongside one of the greatest playmakers of all time (Isiah Thomas). He was on 6 all-star teams but Tim Hardaway was on 5 and Grant Hill was on 7, both those guys have no chance of making the hall so why is Joe there? (besides the 2 rings)
- As a GM, Dumars is considered one of the best in the league for creating the dominant Pistons teams of the past 5 years. Lets be serious though, Joe Dumars made some terrible decisions that he's currently reaping (Letting Okur go and not drafting Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, or Chris Bosh). He let Ben Wallace go and I can't blame him for it, but replacing him with Chris Webber was a mistake and Lebron James showed everyone just how big it was. He brought in Rasheed Wallace and won a ring but he's probably played his last game in a Pistons uniform. Detroit's been posing since Larry Brown bounced.
10. Michele Wie- See Danica Patrick and apply to the LPGA.
9. Brady Quinn- He dropped all the way down to 22 in the draft so some justice was served, but Brady Quinn is still an extremely overrated quarterback. I can guarentee Joe Thomas will be the cornerstone for the Cleveland Browns from this years draft and not Quinn. They should've kept next years pick and taken Troy Smith in a later round.
8. Andruw Jones- He's never been a great hitter but then he hit 51 homers two years ago, finished second in the MVP race to Albert Pujols, and remained the best defensive center fielder in the national league. People don't remember that he only batted .263 that season and is currently under .200. He's in the last year of his contract with Atlanta and was probably expecting to clean house in free agency this winter, but if he doesn't get his bat off his shoulder he can kiss a sweet payday goodbye.
7. Joakim Noah- If this were 5 years from now and a list of players taken in the lottery who end up becoming second fiddle role players, Joakim Noah would be right at the top. I swear on my life if Boston takes him and keeps Pierce, I will never watch another Celtics game for as long as I live.
6. Chauncey Billups- He's officially opted out of his contract and Joe Dumars (refer to #12) says re-signing him is his top priority, but it would definitely be a mistake. Billups is a pretty good point guard but an aging one. The Pistons best bet would be trading up and drafting Acie Law or Javaris Crittenton. Let Billups go to either the Bucks or the Magic and be done with the relationship. He's only a 2 time all-star and owns the most undeserved nickname in all of sports.
5. Jake Delhomme- Here's a quarterback who at one point in his career drew comparisons to Brett Favre. Today he's a few bad games away from getting replaced by new backup QB David Carr.
4. Ted Ginn Jr.- He should probably be higher on this list but I still can't get over his getting picked #9 by the Dolphins. It's obviously not his fault but his career will most likely be a bust based on the success of those picked after him.
3. Duke Basketball- I'd be stupid to say Coach K is overrated or that players like Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, and most recently Carlos Boozer don't have what it takes to be successful at the next level, but the majority of players who thrive there are overrated. While in the Duke system players are not asked to beat their man one on one, but instead play and unite as a team. In the NBA, if you can't beat your man and take it to the basket you better find a role and get real good at it. The result of this is having their all-time leading scorer strut around as a one dimensional 3 point shooter.
2. Dirk Nowitzki- The least deserving MVP of all-time.
1. Tony Romo- The least deserving pro-bowl quarterback of all time. He'll never make another one and probably won't be the Dallas Cowboys quarterback after this season. With all the hoopla surrounding him as a possible love interest for blonde bombshells Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson, the media decided he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league when in reality he wasn't good enough to beat out Drew Bledsoe for the starting job in training camp.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
There's No Taming Oakmont
Founded in 1903 and located about 12 miles north of Pittsburgh, Oakmont Country Club is the greatest challenge that the foremost golfers in the world have faced in a long time. Every green plays like your putting on a basketball court and every ball that finds the rough does its best groundhog impersonation, not to be seen by the television audience. The picturesque church pew bunkers on the par 4 hole 3 and the 609 yard par 5 hole 4 are psychologically daunting. The 667 yard par 5 number 12 is the longest hole in the history of major championships and makes even the longest players bow down.
All those holes are historically significant and extremely difficult, but I would say the hardest is the par 3 no. 8 which measures a ridiculous 288 yards from tee to pin.
USA Today had a full page feature on the hole and why its so laughable (only for the spectators).
38% of the players on tour average 288 yards or more in driving distance which means it's not impossible to par, but if you need a birdie this isn't the hole to gain on anybody.
According to Oakmont's official website:
Few venues in the world of golf have the championship tradition of Oakmont. Introduced in 1903 by designer Henry Fownes, Oakmont Country Club has hosted more major Championships than any other course in the U.S., including seven United States Opens, five U.S. Amateurs, three PGA Championships, and one U.S. Women’s Open.
Oakmont remains perhaps the most difficult course in North America, with 180 deep bunkers (personified by the Church Pews), hard and slick greens that slope away from the player, and tight fairways requiring the utmost precision. Oakmont was the site of “the greatest round of the 20th century”: Johnny Miller’s final round 63 at the 1973 U.S. Open. Golf Digest ranks Oakmont #5 in its most recent version of America’s Top 100 courses.
The course has sent several big name players home early including; Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott, Colin Montgomerie, and the number 2 player in the world Phil Mickelson. The course is so intimidating and unyielding, that when Paul Casey shot a second round 66 he received a rousing standing ovation from his peers. They're the only ones who can truly appreciate that effort.
Due to the golf course's demands and the fact that Tiger Woods is lurking just 2 shots back headed into the final round, I wouldn't be surprised to see a historical collapse (ala Jean Van De Velde at the 1999 British Open).
My money's on Tiger to win it by a stroke and since the final round coincides with Father's Day, it should set the scene for an emotional day. I know many people can't stand watching golf and others don't even consider it an actual sport, but the final round today epitomizes everything I love about sports. The intense competition, the man vs. machine (or in this case, golf course) aspect, and the drama that will wrap itself around the greatest athlete of my generation and the quest for his 13th major on Father's Day.
It should be noted that the last course to cause such a stir at the U.S. Open was Bethpage Black in 2002. The winner? Tiger Woods.
Oakmont remains perhaps the most difficult course in North America, with 180 deep bunkers (personified by the Church Pews), hard and slick greens that slope away from the player, and tight fairways requiring the utmost precision. Oakmont was the site of “the greatest round of the 20th century”: Johnny Miller’s final round 63 at the 1973 U.S. Open. Golf Digest ranks Oakmont #5 in its most recent version of America’s Top 100 courses.
The course has sent several big name players home early including; Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott, Colin Montgomerie, and the number 2 player in the world Phil Mickelson. The course is so intimidating and unyielding, that when Paul Casey shot a second round 66 he received a rousing standing ovation from his peers. They're the only ones who can truly appreciate that effort.
Due to the golf course's demands and the fact that Tiger Woods is lurking just 2 shots back headed into the final round, I wouldn't be surprised to see a historical collapse (ala Jean Van De Velde at the 1999 British Open).
My money's on Tiger to win it by a stroke and since the final round coincides with Father's Day, it should set the scene for an emotional day. I know many people can't stand watching golf and others don't even consider it an actual sport, but the final round today epitomizes everything I love about sports. The intense competition, the man vs. machine (or in this case, golf course) aspect, and the drama that will wrap itself around the greatest athlete of my generation and the quest for his 13th major on Father's Day.
It should be noted that the last course to cause such a stir at the U.S. Open was Bethpage Black in 2002. The winner? Tiger Woods.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Dare I Say the Fat Lady Has Sung
Before Game 4 takes place tonight and I more than likely lose $10 out of my back pocket, let me go over the travesty that was Game 3. I spent the past two days golfing in New Hampshire so I haven't really been able to update and give my feedback on the contest, but the night definitely was one to remember. I spent it with my buddy Jeremy (who we all call "the lesbian" to his face...but that's another story) who's the same guy I've made my bet with. We watched the first half and then went out for ice cream (just kidding...) but returned just in time for the end of the 3rd. Here are my thoughts on the night.
Game 3 was crap.
Lebron was fouled, Mike Brown has half his salary bet on the Spurs, and Varejao took the worst shot in NBA finals history.
Before the game even started, I had jotted down a few predictions that I could refer back to at the end of the game.
Speaking of Bruce Bowen...how is it that Bob Delaney did not call a foul on the last play of the game?? Seriously how did that happen? A guy notorious for defending a little too close for comfort raked his hands across Lebron's arms, forcing him to fade left and away from the basket, and on the biggest play of the game, IN CLEVELAND, there's no call? I'm a big believer that games are won in the first 47 minutes not in the last 1, but a foul is a foul.
Now onto Mike Brown's coaching gaffes...
Now I'd like to end this column with a quote from color man Jeff Van Gundy, "I think the new way to get a time-out should be to cut yourself! Just pull a razor out, shed some blood and you won't have to waste a 20."
After this comment was made, basketball was permanently banned from every mental hospital in America
My prediction for game 4:
Cavaliers-85 Spurs-81
Game 3 was crap.
Lebron was fouled, Mike Brown has half his salary bet on the Spurs, and Varejao took the worst shot in NBA finals history.
Before the game even started, I had jotted down a few predictions that I could refer back to at the end of the game.
- Daniel Gibson, along with the rest of the Cavs, will shut down Tony Parker and hold him under 20 (Parker's line was 17 points on 7/17 shooting from the field although he did hit a big 3 pointer in the fourth and beat the buzzer with a teardrop before halftime).
- Tim Duncan will have a huge 30/15 game due to the Cavs focus on Parker as well as his ability to consistently elevate his play on the road (Duncan finished with just 14 points on 6/17 from the field and 9 rebounds. He started hot, but quickly ran into foul trouble).
- Stating the obvious, the Cavaliers role players would play a lot better at home than they did in San Antonio (Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 10 offensive rebounds, 18 total...Drew Gooden had a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards. Both players performed above their averages from the first 2 games)
Speaking of Bruce Bowen...how is it that Bob Delaney did not call a foul on the last play of the game?? Seriously how did that happen? A guy notorious for defending a little too close for comfort raked his hands across Lebron's arms, forcing him to fade left and away from the basket, and on the biggest play of the game, IN CLEVELAND, there's no call? I'm a big believer that games are won in the first 47 minutes not in the last 1, but a foul is a foul.
Now onto Mike Brown's coaching gaffes...
- Not playing Lebron James for 48 minutes. I don't care if he gets a technical, 2 flagrants, and kills Jacque Vaughn...Lebron James needs to play every second of the NBA finals from here on out. In the words of the great Steven A. Smith, when Lebron's not on the floor, the Cavs look mystified, flummoxed, and discombobulated.
- Not getting a time-out called on the second to last offensive possession of the game. Would a Phil Jackson or Pat Riley coached team run up the floor and settle for a wild horse-shoe toss at the basket by their worst offensive player? It would never ever happen. Leaving Varejao in the game was alone a huge mistake. Why wasn't Ilgauskas there instead? I don't get what goes through Mike Brown's head. I know he's a young guy, but he's the worst head coach in NBA finals history.
- This one is in hindsight, but starting Daniel Gibson over Eric Snow was a huge mistake. I know Brown didn't want to do this because without Boobie coming off the bench, Cleveland has no offensive spark, but if he started Eric Snow instead, the media would have absolutely crushed him so I can't blame him that bad for his call here. (Gibson finished with 2 points on 1/10 shooting and missed all 5 of his 3 point attempts.)
Now I'd like to end this column with a quote from color man Jeff Van Gundy, "I think the new way to get a time-out should be to cut yourself! Just pull a razor out, shed some blood and you won't have to waste a 20."
After this comment was made, basketball was permanently banned from every mental hospital in America
My prediction for game 4:
Cavaliers-85 Spurs-81
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sopranos and Celtics
I know it's a day late, but here's my Sopranos reaction along with some Celtics talk:
What happened after the fade to black? Was it Meadow who last made the door bell jingle at Holsten's? Is Paulie Tony's greatest concern? Does the sketchy guy from the bar headed for the bathroom pull a Michael Corleone or is he really just taking a leak? What's the deal with the cat?
The Sopranos finale created more questions than it did answers and most of the simple minded fans who tuned in (including myself) were probably more than disappointed when the show abruptly cut to black immediately following Steve Perry singing the two words "Don't" and "Stop".
My personal belief is that the Soprano family survived the storm. Sil, Bobby, Christopher, Uncle Junior, and Phil Leotardo are just a few on a long list of characters who have either expired or are currently residing in some sort of hospital.
Meadow's looking like she's got a very bright future. She's situated with a stable boyfriend who's financially set and looking about ready to settle down and start a family of her own.
A.J. went from taking the bus and not caring to contribute in America's gas guzzling society to carelessly cruising around in a brand new BMW. Not to mention he's dating a smoking hot model and instead of joining the army, he's decided to work in the film industry. Not too shabby.
Carmela is as affectionate towards Tony as she's ever going to be. I was never a fan, but in her case she's happy...I think.
Which leads us to the head honcho of the Soprano syndicate. Tony is more than likely headed to prison unless he can somehow get to Carlo and put him 6 feet under. He does however have the best lawyers money can by so prison isn't necessarily a definite.
After watching the ending 4 or 5 times, I've gained a clearer understanding of what I think it meant. The high octane intensity that David Chase created for the audience was remarkable. A.J. ordering onion rings and Meadow trying over and over to parallel park her Lexus were mundane activities, but at the same time they had me on the edge of my seat. Never in my life would I say watching something like that could get my blood pressure rising, but it definitely did. I believe the point of all of this was to put the audience right in Tony Sopranos' shoes. After whacking Phil Leotardo, Tony was forced to constantly look over his shoulder, more often than usual. His family was deteriorating to the point where Paulie was offered one of the top spots on the food chain.
(Side Note: Remember this is the same Paulie who honestly thought Tony was going to kill him on the boat when they were down in Florida.)
The audience was forced to see things the way Tony does, with constant suspense and paranoia. Everyone in America thought he was getting whacked in the end, even Tony.
My mom liked it because she thought it opened up the possibility for a 7th season to which I laughed and said the only similar, realistic possibility would be a movie. Even though nearly all the important characters are dead, after an ending like that, the silver screen would be a perfect conclusion to the Sopranos great run.
Now onto an even more depressing situation...the Boston Celtics.
As the draft nears, Danny Ainge has 3 options on which direction he plans to take the team.
If the Celtics go with option #1, chances are they'll take a strong look at China's Yi Jianlian, but I personally think the surest thing available would be Corey Brewer out of Florida. Anyway, the first option is the worst Danny Ainge can go through with because it essentially forces Paul Pierce halfway out the door and leaves the team back at square one for next year's lottery.
The second option is where things get very interesting. Here are some possible trade scenarios.
Option 3 might seem like the most hopeless and least desirable alternative, but depending on what the Celtics get back for Pierce, it could be their best choice. Here's a scenario I just thought up involving the Chicago Bulls who are seriously lacking a go-to scorer like Pierce.
The Bulls would have to be willing to give up Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon. It's quite a steep price to pay, but what they'd be getting in return is a superstar who I honestly believe would take them to the NBA finals next season. The Celtics would also package Allen Ray and Leon Powe in the deal and the two teams would trade picks. Catapulting the Bulls up to number 5 which will allow them much more flexibility with where they want to go.
No matter what the Celtics do I'll be behind them 100%, except of course if they draft Joakim Noah.
One more random fact of the day:
Only two players are currently batting worse than Red Sox lead off man Julio Lugo. Utility man Eric Hinske and back up catcher Doug Mirabelli. So what's Francona waiting for? Did someone dare him to set some kind of awful lead off man record? Youkilis needs to be batting first before the Yankees get any closer. He just has to.
What happened after the fade to black? Was it Meadow who last made the door bell jingle at Holsten's? Is Paulie Tony's greatest concern? Does the sketchy guy from the bar headed for the bathroom pull a Michael Corleone or is he really just taking a leak? What's the deal with the cat?
The Sopranos finale created more questions than it did answers and most of the simple minded fans who tuned in (including myself) were probably more than disappointed when the show abruptly cut to black immediately following Steve Perry singing the two words "Don't" and "Stop".
My personal belief is that the Soprano family survived the storm. Sil, Bobby, Christopher, Uncle Junior, and Phil Leotardo are just a few on a long list of characters who have either expired or are currently residing in some sort of hospital.
Meadow's looking like she's got a very bright future. She's situated with a stable boyfriend who's financially set and looking about ready to settle down and start a family of her own.
A.J. went from taking the bus and not caring to contribute in America's gas guzzling society to carelessly cruising around in a brand new BMW. Not to mention he's dating a smoking hot model and instead of joining the army, he's decided to work in the film industry. Not too shabby.
Carmela is as affectionate towards Tony as she's ever going to be. I was never a fan, but in her case she's happy...I think.
Which leads us to the head honcho of the Soprano syndicate. Tony is more than likely headed to prison unless he can somehow get to Carlo and put him 6 feet under. He does however have the best lawyers money can by so prison isn't necessarily a definite.
After watching the ending 4 or 5 times, I've gained a clearer understanding of what I think it meant. The high octane intensity that David Chase created for the audience was remarkable. A.J. ordering onion rings and Meadow trying over and over to parallel park her Lexus were mundane activities, but at the same time they had me on the edge of my seat. Never in my life would I say watching something like that could get my blood pressure rising, but it definitely did. I believe the point of all of this was to put the audience right in Tony Sopranos' shoes. After whacking Phil Leotardo, Tony was forced to constantly look over his shoulder, more often than usual. His family was deteriorating to the point where Paulie was offered one of the top spots on the food chain.
(Side Note: Remember this is the same Paulie who honestly thought Tony was going to kill him on the boat when they were down in Florida.)
The audience was forced to see things the way Tony does, with constant suspense and paranoia. Everyone in America thought he was getting whacked in the end, even Tony.
My mom liked it because she thought it opened up the possibility for a 7th season to which I laughed and said the only similar, realistic possibility would be a movie. Even though nearly all the important characters are dead, after an ending like that, the silver screen would be a perfect conclusion to the Sopranos great run.
Now onto an even more depressing situation...the Boston Celtics.
As the draft nears, Danny Ainge has 3 options on which direction he plans to take the team.
- Keep the draft picks, deal with an unhappy Paul Pierce for the entire season and hope Big Al, Pierce, and the fifth pick can co-exist and be successful
- Trade the fifth pick for a veteran who can come in, make Pierce happy, and quickly contribute in making the Celtics a perennial playoff team.
- Trade Pierce, get as much as you can back for him, and build around those spare parts along with Al Jefferson and the fifth pick.
If the Celtics go with option #1, chances are they'll take a strong look at China's Yi Jianlian, but I personally think the surest thing available would be Corey Brewer out of Florida. Anyway, the first option is the worst Danny Ainge can go through with because it essentially forces Paul Pierce halfway out the door and leaves the team back at square one for next year's lottery.
The second option is where things get very interesting. Here are some possible trade scenarios.
- Phoenix Suns- Celtics would get Shawn Marion for Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, and the #5 pick. This trade looks very good for both teams. The Celtics get an all-star caliber forward that is defensively the best in the business and an experienced veteran when it comes to playoff basketball. The Suns get an expiring Theo Ratliff contract (not to mention a 7 footer who can help out in an inevitable Tim Duncan showdown next season), Sebastian Telfair who is one of the quickest players in the NBA and would most certainly benefit in Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo style of play, and the 5th pick which is the most important asset in the deal. The Suns would look to replace Marion and take a player like Corey Brewer or Julian Wright, both would contribute almost immediately. Plus Marion seems tired playing second fiddle to Amare and Steve Nash.
- Golden State Warriors- Word on the street is the Warriors are extremely interested in Yi Jianlian and it just so happens the Celtics have the pick to make everyone a happy camper. The Warriors are loaded with an athletic roster and the Celtics would be more than happy to take one of the pieces that helped upset Dallas off of their hands, specifically Jason Richardson. The Celtics could throw Wally Szczerbiak along with the pick to land JRich. I'm not sure the Warriors would be happy with Wally, but if they want Yi, Danny Ainge could play a little hardball and get rid of his ludicrous contract.
- Seattle Supersonics- The Sonics are definitely not giving up the number 2 pick, but what they can do is a sign-and-trade involving Rashard Lewis. The Sonics would be losing him regardless so this situation is one of the best for the Celtics. Giving them Ratliff and either Delonte West or Tony Allen would be very desirable for the C's.
Option 3 might seem like the most hopeless and least desirable alternative, but depending on what the Celtics get back for Pierce, it could be their best choice. Here's a scenario I just thought up involving the Chicago Bulls who are seriously lacking a go-to scorer like Pierce.
The Bulls would have to be willing to give up Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon. It's quite a steep price to pay, but what they'd be getting in return is a superstar who I honestly believe would take them to the NBA finals next season. The Celtics would also package Allen Ray and Leon Powe in the deal and the two teams would trade picks. Catapulting the Bulls up to number 5 which will allow them much more flexibility with where they want to go.
No matter what the Celtics do I'll be behind them 100%, except of course if they draft Joakim Noah.
One more random fact of the day:
Only two players are currently batting worse than Red Sox lead off man Julio Lugo. Utility man Eric Hinske and back up catcher Doug Mirabelli. So what's Francona waiting for? Did someone dare him to set some kind of awful lead off man record? Youkilis needs to be batting first before the Yankees get any closer. He just has to.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Don't Sweat It
In my playoff predictions article from April, I had the Spurs defeating the Cavs in 5 games. Since then, I've made a 10 dollar bet with a buddy of mine that the Cavs will at least take this series to 6. Last night we watched game 1 together and the trash talk was flying throughout the entire game, but you wouldn't have been able to find one drop of sweat on my body.
Here's why...
The biggest mismatch in this series is Tony Parker vs. whoever is guarding him. Larry Hughes is playing hurt with an injured heal, Daniel Gibson is too inexperienced to try and stop one of the quickest point guards in the game, Eric Snow is a great on the ball defender but when he's in the game it's like the Cavs are playing 5 on 4 when they have the ball, and Lebron taking him on allows TP to pass the rock off to one of his many competent teammates and let them get the job done.
With all of that being said, the Cavs MUST keep Tony Parker out of the lane if they want any chance at winning this series. What Cleveland must do is let Parker know that the lane is a restricted area and if he wants to take it down low he'll have to pay a price.
(Speaking of Tony Parker, back when he was a rookie I gave him the nickname "The Magnet" because of the way he's able to finish around the basket no matter how difficult the shot. It was the first alias I'd ever given to someone and something I've been pretty proud of. All of this came crashing down when David Blaine's started plugging those stupid NBA playoff commercials. I nearly had a heart attack when he started talking about Manu Ginobili and Baron Davis having secret magnets attached to their fingers. If he put those magnets on Tony I'd plot some way to take Blaine out, if only he was human).
In the first quarter of last night's game, Parker blew by Sasha Pavlovic for the third straight layup and Sasha, fed up with Parker's dominance, gave him a very hard foul that sent both of them into the camera crew along the baseline. The Cavs need to intimidate Parker every single time he penetrates so that by games 4, 5, and hopefully 6, he'll be thinking twice as to whether or not he should drive the lane or settle for a jump shot.
(I'm not talking about Drew Gooden grabbing the scruff of Ginobili's neck like he's his dog and then getting charged with a flagrant foul, I'm talking about good hard fouls that are clean but at the same time, send a message.)
Lebron James averaged 27/7.5/4.5 in the 2 regular season games the Cavs played against the Spurs in the regular season. The final scores of those two games were 88-81 and 82-78, both won by the Cavs. As he did in the last series against the Pistons, Lebron must establish himself as the best player in the arena in all the games that his team plans on winning. Last night he wasn't close to being the best player in the house until his team was down double digits. I expect Lebron to come out strong in Game 2...as long as he can keep it close for 3 quarters, the game favors Cleveland because they have Lebron James. He's the Mariano Rivera, the Jonathan Papelbon, the Adam Vinatieri of basketball. He's now proven that he can close games out against a great defense and should do it in at least 2 games in the series.
The Spurs defensive game plan was to get the ball out of Lebron's hands and let his teammates try and kill them. It's exactly what the Pistons did in the first 2 games of the Eastern Conference Finals, but once James adjusted, the Cavs were unstoppable. The only real difference defensively between the Spurs and the Pistons is the big man down low...Tim Duncan. The Pistons used to have that same presence with Ben Wallace, but they let him go and Lebron was allowed to do as he wished when penetrating. Tim Duncan made his presence felt 14 seconds into this clip, but that doesn't mean he can't conquer Mount Duncan (Don't think Timmy's forgotten this throw down).
Bron Bron showed in game 1 that he's got incredible court vision and was able to make some nonchalant skip passes to his supporting cast that were a lot more difficult than he made them seem, but what he needs to do for the rest of these finals is think quicker. Lebron isn't as effective (especially against a team that rotates as quickly as the Spurs do) stalling on the perimeter and patiently waiting to attack. He needs to either get the ball on the wing and quickly isolate himself one on one with Bruce Bowen, or run the secondary break and attack the basket before the Spurs can adjust. Lebron had game 1 jitters, it's not something to worry about if your from Cleveland or can't stand San Antonio.
The Cavaliers will make this a series, but Lebron dropping 35 a game isn't all that they need. The Spurs out rebounded the Cavs 43-32. They need to box out better (especially on missed free throw attempts where they allowed Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to both grab a miss and put it back. That's 4 points that should have gone the other way).
Even if the Cavs lose Game 2 (which I don't think they'll do), with Lebron James on your team, there is no such thing as a "must win" game unless your facing elimination.
Here's why...
The biggest mismatch in this series is Tony Parker vs. whoever is guarding him. Larry Hughes is playing hurt with an injured heal, Daniel Gibson is too inexperienced to try and stop one of the quickest point guards in the game, Eric Snow is a great on the ball defender but when he's in the game it's like the Cavs are playing 5 on 4 when they have the ball, and Lebron taking him on allows TP to pass the rock off to one of his many competent teammates and let them get the job done.
With all of that being said, the Cavs MUST keep Tony Parker out of the lane if they want any chance at winning this series. What Cleveland must do is let Parker know that the lane is a restricted area and if he wants to take it down low he'll have to pay a price.
(Speaking of Tony Parker, back when he was a rookie I gave him the nickname "The Magnet" because of the way he's able to finish around the basket no matter how difficult the shot. It was the first alias I'd ever given to someone and something I've been pretty proud of. All of this came crashing down when David Blaine's started plugging those stupid NBA playoff commercials. I nearly had a heart attack when he started talking about Manu Ginobili and Baron Davis having secret magnets attached to their fingers. If he put those magnets on Tony I'd plot some way to take Blaine out, if only he was human).
In the first quarter of last night's game, Parker blew by Sasha Pavlovic for the third straight layup and Sasha, fed up with Parker's dominance, gave him a very hard foul that sent both of them into the camera crew along the baseline. The Cavs need to intimidate Parker every single time he penetrates so that by games 4, 5, and hopefully 6, he'll be thinking twice as to whether or not he should drive the lane or settle for a jump shot.
(I'm not talking about Drew Gooden grabbing the scruff of Ginobili's neck like he's his dog and then getting charged with a flagrant foul, I'm talking about good hard fouls that are clean but at the same time, send a message.)
Lebron James averaged 27/7.5/4.5 in the 2 regular season games the Cavs played against the Spurs in the regular season. The final scores of those two games were 88-81 and 82-78, both won by the Cavs. As he did in the last series against the Pistons, Lebron must establish himself as the best player in the arena in all the games that his team plans on winning. Last night he wasn't close to being the best player in the house until his team was down double digits. I expect Lebron to come out strong in Game 2...as long as he can keep it close for 3 quarters, the game favors Cleveland because they have Lebron James. He's the Mariano Rivera, the Jonathan Papelbon, the Adam Vinatieri of basketball. He's now proven that he can close games out against a great defense and should do it in at least 2 games in the series.
The Spurs defensive game plan was to get the ball out of Lebron's hands and let his teammates try and kill them. It's exactly what the Pistons did in the first 2 games of the Eastern Conference Finals, but once James adjusted, the Cavs were unstoppable. The only real difference defensively between the Spurs and the Pistons is the big man down low...Tim Duncan. The Pistons used to have that same presence with Ben Wallace, but they let him go and Lebron was allowed to do as he wished when penetrating. Tim Duncan made his presence felt 14 seconds into this clip, but that doesn't mean he can't conquer Mount Duncan (Don't think Timmy's forgotten this throw down).
Bron Bron showed in game 1 that he's got incredible court vision and was able to make some nonchalant skip passes to his supporting cast that were a lot more difficult than he made them seem, but what he needs to do for the rest of these finals is think quicker. Lebron isn't as effective (especially against a team that rotates as quickly as the Spurs do) stalling on the perimeter and patiently waiting to attack. He needs to either get the ball on the wing and quickly isolate himself one on one with Bruce Bowen, or run the secondary break and attack the basket before the Spurs can adjust. Lebron had game 1 jitters, it's not something to worry about if your from Cleveland or can't stand San Antonio.
The Cavaliers will make this a series, but Lebron dropping 35 a game isn't all that they need. The Spurs out rebounded the Cavs 43-32. They need to box out better (especially on missed free throw attempts where they allowed Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to both grab a miss and put it back. That's 4 points that should have gone the other way).
Even if the Cavs lose Game 2 (which I don't think they'll do), with Lebron James on your team, there is no such thing as a "must win" game unless your facing elimination.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Alex being Alex
The Boston Red Sox played the New York Yankees for what seemed like the 67th straight weekend series this past Friday and almost all went as expected. I knew Wakefield would get roughed up pretty bad and the Sox would have mild success off of Wang, but not enough for a win; Curt Schilling didn't pitch all that well, but we still managed to blow them right out of the water.
What I didn't see coming was A-Rod hitting a game winner on Sunday night off of the best relief pitcher in baseball. To put his home-run in perspective on just how difficult and timely it was, he stroked it, opposite field, right over Coco Crisp's head into the bullpen. The very next inning, Papi smacked a ball that looked like it had a chance to go out the second it came off his bat, but because of the awful weather it fell just short right into Bobby Abreu's glove (speaking of Abreu, trade rumors came out today stating he was on the block in a deal that could send him to the Chicago White Sox for Jermaine Dye...it looks like Cashman's getting rid of all the mercenaries he's obtained in recent years that are a symbol of his failure). I have no idea how Alex did what he did, but it just goes to show you that no matter how spoiled, arrogant, and obnoxious the guy is off the field, he can destroy a baseball.
Some more notes from the weekend series:
Now that Billy Donovan probably isn't going to Orlando and the team's post Shaq curse is stamped official, the Kobe Bryant trade I proposed last week is more unlikely to go down than ever before! I still think that after witnessing Lebron torch the East, Kobe probably said to himself, "His first round series was against Antawn Jamison and Etan Thomas, mine was against the Phoenix Suns...does anybody else see a problem?"
So if Orlando isn't the place to be, I'm thinking Kobe might not have a problem going to the city of Brotherly Love. Billy King has got the draft picks and the contracts to acquire Kobe (who went to Lower Merion High right outside of Philadelphia).
The Sixers would give up Iguodala, Dalembert, Korver, Kevin Ollie, Rodney Carney, and their 12th pick.
The Lakers would give Kobe and Radmanovic.
This looks to be a win/win situation for everyone involved, the Lakers would have to eat Dalembert's contract which wouldn't be pleasant, but they'd get a pure sharp shooter in Kyle Korver and two first round draft picks. The rebuilding process would go a whole lot smoother for the Lakers.
As for Philadelphia, their season ticket sales would go way up and regardless of how the team performs, Kobe Bryant will put fans in the seats. Adding Kobe WILL make the Sixers a serious Eastern Conference contender.
I swear that's my last Kobe trade scenario, next up I'll have a few for the Celtics.
What I didn't see coming was A-Rod hitting a game winner on Sunday night off of the best relief pitcher in baseball. To put his home-run in perspective on just how difficult and timely it was, he stroked it, opposite field, right over Coco Crisp's head into the bullpen. The very next inning, Papi smacked a ball that looked like it had a chance to go out the second it came off his bat, but because of the awful weather it fell just short right into Bobby Abreu's glove (speaking of Abreu, trade rumors came out today stating he was on the block in a deal that could send him to the Chicago White Sox for Jermaine Dye...it looks like Cashman's getting rid of all the mercenaries he's obtained in recent years that are a symbol of his failure). I have no idea how Alex did what he did, but it just goes to show you that no matter how spoiled, arrogant, and obnoxious the guy is off the field, he can destroy a baseball.
Some more notes from the weekend series:
- Forget Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Gary Sheffield, George Mitchell might have bigger fish to fry...Of course I'm talking about Scott "Chainsaw" Proctor who is not only a serious head case and dangerous individual, but he's also a below average relief pitcher who's got no command. His role in that bullpen is enforcer...if you plunk someone on the Yanks watch out because Proctor will get you. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing for a team 67 games behind in the standings. I can picture him and Brendan Donnelly running into one another in a shady alley somewhere illegally buying clean urine.
- If Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell both end the season batting over .300, there's no chance the Red Sox don't go to the World Series.
- Ever since Damon's departure, the Red Sox have seriously struggled in filling that leadoff spot. Lugo is batting in the low .200's and even though he's speedy, the only time he gets an RBI is when there's a man on third and he grounds out to a middle infielder who has no play at the plate. He is, however, stealing bases and doing a pretty good job defensively...and we're up 12.5 so how can I complain.
Now that Billy Donovan probably isn't going to Orlando and the team's post Shaq curse is stamped official, the Kobe Bryant trade I proposed last week is more unlikely to go down than ever before! I still think that after witnessing Lebron torch the East, Kobe probably said to himself, "His first round series was against Antawn Jamison and Etan Thomas, mine was against the Phoenix Suns...does anybody else see a problem?"
So if Orlando isn't the place to be, I'm thinking Kobe might not have a problem going to the city of Brotherly Love. Billy King has got the draft picks and the contracts to acquire Kobe (who went to Lower Merion High right outside of Philadelphia).
The Sixers would give up Iguodala, Dalembert, Korver, Kevin Ollie, Rodney Carney, and their 12th pick.
The Lakers would give Kobe and Radmanovic.
This looks to be a win/win situation for everyone involved, the Lakers would have to eat Dalembert's contract which wouldn't be pleasant, but they'd get a pure sharp shooter in Kyle Korver and two first round draft picks. The rebuilding process would go a whole lot smoother for the Lakers.
As for Philadelphia, their season ticket sales would go way up and regardless of how the team performs, Kobe Bryant will put fans in the seats. Adding Kobe WILL make the Sixers a serious Eastern Conference contender.
I swear that's my last Kobe trade scenario, next up I'll have a few for the Celtics.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
King James, Kobe, and Who's Overrated?
If you didn't see game 5, I don't know what to tell you. Lebron James has arrived; doing things that I expected to see 4 or 5 years from now. The 48 point performance on the road in a conference finals game (only Wilt the Stilt and Elgin Baylor did him better) against one of the best defensive teams in the league, the 7 out of his teams 13 total assists, 25 STRAIGHT points in the 4th quarter (including 29 out of his team's last 30), and 9 rebounds.
Lebron's performance should be placed in the NBA's official time capsule, right next to Michael Jordan's flu game and Magic Johnson's 42 point game 6 as a rookie in the 1980 finals at the tender age of 21. I was 9 when MJ had the flu and a twinkle in my father's eye when Magic had to fill in at center, but last night I was a witness (no pun intended). It was without a doubt the greatest basketball performance I'd ever seen and an unexpected gift for everyone who tuned in. I watched the game with two buddies and we were awestruck...hopping up and down on the couch in my basement with every basket Lebron put through the hoop. He seemed to out do himself after every play...only the greats are able to do that.
The world of sports is currently stale. The Red Sox are a broken record, dominating every team that they play, there's no Celtics draft development until the damn thing goes down a month from now, Kobe Bryant is involved in drama that means nothing, and A-Rod proved to the world that he's actually a classy guy.
So I've decided to make a list of the top 5 most overrated and underrated players in this year's playoffs. Also a few comments on Kobe and Giambi and Michelle Wie.
5 Overrated:
5 Underrated:
I know I said earlier that Kobe Bryant's drama isn't real news, but on the cusp of Billy Donovan's surprise hiring by the Magic, it got me thinking...
Kobe Bryant to Orlando?
After watching Lebron dominate last night in the Eastern Conference, Kobe must have felt a wee bit jealous. The west is clearly a better conference and Kobe has to be intrigued with heading East and playing with a team on the rise (not to mention teaming up with a humble Dwight Howard).
Here's one trade possibility I pondered up....
Orlando Gets: Kobe Bryant
L.A. Gets (deep breath): Tony Battie, J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, and two second round draft picks.
For this trade to go down, Mitch Kupchak would have to have his second lobotomy because it wouldn't be in the Lakers best interest. We ARE talking about the same guy who traded Shaquille O'Neal to Miami and then Caron Butler (would've been Kobe's Pippen) for Kwame Brown, but the deal probably would never, ever happen.
Here's a question for you. Which injury is sketchier...Jason Giambi missing the rest of the season with a foot injury? Or Michelle Wie dropping out of the Ginn tribute with a wrist injury because she was afraid of scoring the dreaded 88.
Giambi disgusts me. Cashman realizes the guy is a terrible distraction and benching him for the rest of the season should be a good thing for the struggling Yanks (38.5 back by my count).
Wie's father is ruining her career before it started. If she shot an 88 yesterday, she would've been thrown off the LPGA tour for the rest of the season. She needs to stop competing with men RIGHT NOW. I'm so sick of hearing her make excuses that she shouldn't have to make because of her father's mismanagement. He embodies everything that's wrong with sports and someone seriously needs to step in because the girl has the best pure golf swing in the world (Tiger included) and it's going to waste.
Lebron's performance should be placed in the NBA's official time capsule, right next to Michael Jordan's flu game and Magic Johnson's 42 point game 6 as a rookie in the 1980 finals at the tender age of 21. I was 9 when MJ had the flu and a twinkle in my father's eye when Magic had to fill in at center, but last night I was a witness (no pun intended). It was without a doubt the greatest basketball performance I'd ever seen and an unexpected gift for everyone who tuned in. I watched the game with two buddies and we were awestruck...hopping up and down on the couch in my basement with every basket Lebron put through the hoop. He seemed to out do himself after every play...only the greats are able to do that.
The world of sports is currently stale. The Red Sox are a broken record, dominating every team that they play, there's no Celtics draft development until the damn thing goes down a month from now, Kobe Bryant is involved in drama that means nothing, and A-Rod proved to the world that he's actually a classy guy.
So I've decided to make a list of the top 5 most overrated and underrated players in this year's playoffs. Also a few comments on Kobe and Giambi and Michelle Wie.
5 Overrated:
- Chauncey Billups- He's played terrible in the Cavs series (averaging 4.6 turnovers to 4 assists a game). I really think his "Mr. Big Shot" nickname is undeserved which probably isn't his fault. He did hit a big 3 to put the Pistons up by 2 late in the game and then was bailed out by the refs by sinking 2 free throws to send it into double overtime, but Chauncey also had a chance to win at the end of regulation and missed on a double pump 3 pointer with Eric Snow's hand in his eyes. Terrible decision. Billups also missed a runner in the lane at the end of double overtime that was deflected by Varejao. It's looking more and more unlikely that Chauncey will get max contract money next season, but none the less he'll still opt out and not be in a Pistons uniform next season.
- Leandro Barbosa- I love Barbosa. He's fast, exciting, and a consistent scorer...that is until San Antonio came to down. Barbosa struggled when the lights shined the brightest and proved himself expendable if the Suns choose to make a move and draft a pure point guard. In my opinion, it was a crime that Ginobili didn't win the 6th man award.
- Dirk Nowitski- Remember him? The worst MVP of my lifetime? There's really nothing left to say.
- Luol Deng- I wouldn't say he's overrated per say because he's actually a very, very good player, but everyone expects him to be the go-to scorer for the Bulls which he's not. Chicago is valuing Deng at a much higher level than what he really is. He's not a Carmelo or a Lebron and when Chicago didn't move him at the trade deadline it told me that they think he's the cornerstone. A huge mistake.
- Joakim Noah- I saw the word "overrated" and couldn't control myself.
5 Underrated:
- Lebron James- How can the most hyped player in basketball history be underrated? After game's 1 and 2 King James received incessant criticism from just about every media outlet on the planet. He responded with the greatest playoff performance I've ever seen and made Flip Saunders look very, very stupid.
- Sasha Pavlovic- The knock on this guy was his defense, but he's done a 180 with his performance this postseason. He showcased his athleticism with that game saving Jason Kidd block (the second best of the post-season, here's the first), he gave Vince Carter a head-ache throughout the Nets series, and he's doing a fairly decent job on Richard Hamilton, one of the toughest players to shadow in the NBA.
- Antonio McDyess- The turning point in last night's game wasn't the middle of the 4th quarter when Lebron decided to take over, it was at the end of the 1st when McDyess clotheslined residential flopper Anderson Varejao. McDyess is known as a good guy around the league and was once one of the best power forwards in the game. He's been underrated his entire career and has the option to opt out of his contract after this season's over (Let's hope someone informs Danny Ainge).
- Deron Williams- 19.2 points/4.3 rebounds/8.6 assists a game. Along with Carlos Boozer (who only shined when going up against the under-sized Warriors), Williams surprised the league by taking the Jazz all the way to the Western Conference finals. I still think Chris Paul is a better pure point guard, but Williams is definitely in the top 5.
- Mickael Pietrus- I had to put someone from Golden State on this list, but nearly everyone on the team had already been given the underrated card. Besides Baron Davis, my favorite player to watch on the Warriors is Mickael Pietrus (even though he spells his name wrong). He's just such an incredible athlete and a joy to watch on the basketball court. I'm not so sure he'd thrive in a different system with a slower tempo, but he's found a match with Don Nelson in the Bay Area and hopefully they lock him down with an extension. Also any guy with his own website is cool.
I know I said earlier that Kobe Bryant's drama isn't real news, but on the cusp of Billy Donovan's surprise hiring by the Magic, it got me thinking...
Kobe Bryant to Orlando?
After watching Lebron dominate last night in the Eastern Conference, Kobe must have felt a wee bit jealous. The west is clearly a better conference and Kobe has to be intrigued with heading East and playing with a team on the rise (not to mention teaming up with a humble Dwight Howard).
Here's one trade possibility I pondered up....
Orlando Gets: Kobe Bryant
L.A. Gets (deep breath): Tony Battie, J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, and two second round draft picks.
For this trade to go down, Mitch Kupchak would have to have his second lobotomy because it wouldn't be in the Lakers best interest. We ARE talking about the same guy who traded Shaquille O'Neal to Miami and then Caron Butler (would've been Kobe's Pippen) for Kwame Brown, but the deal probably would never, ever happen.
Here's a question for you. Which injury is sketchier...Jason Giambi missing the rest of the season with a foot injury? Or Michelle Wie dropping out of the Ginn tribute with a wrist injury because she was afraid of scoring the dreaded 88.
Giambi disgusts me. Cashman realizes the guy is a terrible distraction and benching him for the rest of the season should be a good thing for the struggling Yanks (38.5 back by my count).
Wie's father is ruining her career before it started. If she shot an 88 yesterday, she would've been thrown off the LPGA tour for the rest of the season. She needs to stop competing with men RIGHT NOW. I'm so sick of hearing her make excuses that she shouldn't have to make because of her father's mismanagement. He embodies everything that's wrong with sports and someone seriously needs to step in because the girl has the best pure golf swing in the world (Tiger included) and it's going to waste.
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