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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
   
3. Dirk Nowitski- Remember him? The worst MVP of my lifetime? There's really nothing left to say.
   
4. 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.
   
5. Joakim Noah- I saw the word "overrated" and couldn't control myself.
   

5 Underrated:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.
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.

UFC and Lebron both fall short

Now more than ever, the question is being asked whether or not Ultimate Fighting should be up there with basketball, baseball, football and most importantly boxing as a legitimate sport. Last night, a showdown between Chuck Liddell and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson had the opportunity to officially propel the "sport" to the next level and possibly even replace boxing as the number one blood fueled entertainment spectacle in America.

Instead, like Chuck Liddell's title defense, the opportunity was squandered. Liddell was knocked out in the first 1:53 of the fight causing millions of fans to ask themselves, "Was that really worth 50 dollars?"

I have a good friend who is a die-hard UFC fan and we're always arguing over whether or not ultimate fighting is a sport or not. If last night's fight was a little more legitimate and Ultimate Fighting's headlining superstar (Liddell) ducked Jackson's right hook, the casual fan would be drawn to future pay per view fights. Instead the realization that these fights usually end in under 10 minutes will ultimately be a major turn off to the casual fan and seriously hurt the UFC in its attempt at jumping to the next level. Time will tell whether or not UFC is a flash in the pan.






On my 7 hour car ride from Delaware to Massachusetts yesterday, I pondered up a little basketball/hip-hop analogy (I realize the two barely ever intertwine with one another but bare with me).

Lebron James is like the Jay-Z of basketball circa 2000. Jay was an absolutely incredible talent with big hits like "Big Pimpin'" and "Hard Knock Life", but he hadn't quite reached that signature status of greatest rapper alive. Hov was surrounded by mediocre talent (Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek) and truth be told, those two were seriously holding him back. Not until Kanye West came along and blessed Jay with several tracks on the now classic Blueprint album was he able to call himself the greatest of his era.

Lebron needs that Kanye West type jolt of assistance on the Cavs. Only then can he beat the Detroit Pistons (more on them later). For the record, I haven't given up on Cleveland just yet but if they don't win tonight the series is over.

The Detroit Pistons are like the Wu-Tang clan. Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Rip Hamilton are individually above average players, but not quite at that "Lebron" level of excellence. When they get together and play as one entity, they are a very formidable opponent.

Sheed is like Method Man (if he was still alive, he'd definitely be ODB)...the face of the team and the most important piece of the puzzle. Detroit wouldn't have been to the past 5 eastern conference finals if it weren't for Rasheed Wallace and he instantly gives the team a swagger that can't be denied. Just like Meth did for Wu-Tang in '94.

Chauncey Billups is RZA...the architect and straw that stirs the drink. When he plays well Detroit is unbeatable just like no matter how good lyrically the Clan performs, they're only as good as the creative beats that the RZA concocts.

Tayshaun Prince is Raekwon...undeniably underrated and under appreciated throughout their entire careers. Prince was the one who shut down the red hot Luol Deng in their second round series and closed the Bulls out with some clutch offensive baskets in game 6. The first time I saw Tayshaun Prince play he was at Kentucky and in the first half with his team up by double digits, he pulled up at the 3-point line on a fast break. Of course the shot was nothing but net, but the point is that Prince is the type of player who knows what he's capable of doing and he won't hurt your team with costly turnovers or sloppy defense.

Rip Hamilton is Ghostface Killah...The Ghost has Richard Hamilton beat in nicknames (by my count Ghostface has at least 4 aliases: Sun God, Pretty Toney, Tony Starks, and Ironman) but it's hard to say who has been more consistent. Don't let his mask fool you, Richard Hamilton is a warrior. He comes off screens in the 4th quarter with the same burst of energy that he does in the 1st and seems to ALWAYS make his 15 footers.


So going by this analogy, which group do you think would put on a better show?

A tight Wu-Tang crew that consists of some real lyrical talent and a blend of different personalities that when united create something unique...

Or...

Jay-Z working his ass off doing the best he can, only to pass the mic off to incompetence every time he needs a breather.

The answer is simple, but deep down I'm still rooting for Lebron to pull out the next 2 home games and make this a competitive series.

That's Cool...

Instead of studying for my Shakespeare and World History finals, I spent yesterday listening to "The Big Show" on WEEI. With the lottery just a few hours away, there was simply no chance my mind was about to focus on King Lear or the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Every 15 minutes, right before coming on the air from a commercial break they'd play a recording of some guy impersonating Tommy Heinson's reaction to what could happen.

"THEY GAVE US THE 5TH PICK?!?!?
WHAT A BUNCH OF BOLOGNA"

I laughed the first time I heard it...right now it's not that funny.


Now that the Boston Celtics landed the fifth pick in this year's draft and have virtually no shot at getting either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, this is the time Danny Ainge creates his legacy. With all the hype surrounding Oden and Durant, many have forgotten just how deep this draft is. The Celtics are still clearly able to get a future all-star with the fifth pick (Nowitski went 9, Amare went 9, T-Mac went 9, Dwyane Wade went 5) so maybe the situation isn't as bad as it seems.

Jeff Green, Julian Wright, Corey Brewer, Yi Jianlian, and Brandan Wright all look like they have the ability to be great players down the road; combining any of those five with the likes of Al Jefferson and Paul Pierce makes for a lethal front court.

I know Rajon Rondo is the future of the franchise at the point guard position and he's a fabulous player, but if Mike Conley Jr. is available at 5, don't you have to take him? Rondo can't shoot a lick and in today's drive and kick game, that simply doesn't cut it because no defense is going to respect Rondo once he gets into the lane. Conley Jr. reminds me of Tony Parker with the way he's able to penetrate the lane and shoot such a high percentage once he gets there. Both have poor outside shots but by drawing fouls and getting to the basket, it doesn't matter.

The options are endless for the Celtics and their fifth pick. They could trade it along with Theo Ratliff's expiring contract for a veteran like Jermaine O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, or Shawn Marion.

Or they could use the pick and continue with their youth movement. Either way, I'd really like them to sign Grant Hill.

To tell you the truth, I'm too depressed to talk about the Celtics right now. Instead I'll be giving a mock draft of the first 14 picks.

1. Portland- Greg Oden, a real no-brainer here. Greg Oden will win at least 5 rings before his NBA career is over.

2. Seattle- Kevin Durant, the next Jordan? Not in a small market like Seattle, Kansas City, or Oklahoma City (the latter two being possible destinations in the near future for the Supersonics).

3. Atlanta- Mike Conley Jr. is the smart decision here, but Atlanta doesn't make smart decisions (Chris Paul and Deron Williams). Expect them to go with Brandan Wright.

4. Memphis- Yi Jianlian, the mystery man of this year's draft. He's a 19 (or 22) year old 7-footer who plays like a small forward and would really compliment Pau Gasol.

5. Boston- This is clearly the pick that interests me the most so I've given it a lot of thought. If Conley Jr. is available the Celtics need to grab him. If not, I really like Corey Brewer from Florida. He's a mixture of Bruce Bowen and Manu Ginobili who knows what it takes to win.

6. Milwaukee- Jeff Green is the most NBA ready player in this year's draft and should immediately help Michael Redd and the Bucks get back to the post-season.

7. Minnesota- Al Horford should ease Kevin Garnett's pain with a helpful low post presence. Also, the return of Rashad McCants who was hurt all last season will make the Timberwolves a decent team next year.

8. Charlotte- Already possessing a big man in Emeka Okafor and a speedy point guard in Raymond Felton, the Bobcats should look for a future go-to scoring option. Al Thornton from Florida St. is looking like the next Shawn Marion and after spending four years in college should be ready to shoulder the load for a young Bobcats team.

9. Chicago- The Bulls are in desperate need of a low post scoring presence. Spencer Hawes out of Washington is a young offensively gifted 7-footer who would be a steal here for the Bulls.

10. Sacramento- Let the rebuilding begin for the Maloof brothers. Taking Joakim Noah here is the smart selection. Combine that with a big free agent signing like Rashard Lewis or Vince Carter and the Kings should be in decent shape.

11. Atlanta- The Hawks have their second selection of the first round and plenty of talent to choose from. If they didn't take Mike Conley with their 1st pick, then they should right here.

12. Philadelphia- Julian Wright could end up being the steal of the draft if he falls down to 12. Wright should be an all-star a few years down the road, but first he must get a consistent 15 foot jump shot. If this happens, he could soon develop into a more athletic Chris Webber.

13. New Orleans- Chris Paul is my favorite player in the NBA, but in order for him to finally get over the hump and take the Hornets to the playoffs, he needs a consistent scorer by his side for the next 7-10 years. Thaddeus Young is extremely raw, but with a point guard like Paul he'll develop sooner rather than later.

14. L.A. Clippers- With Shaun Livingston's future in limbo, the Clippers need to go point guard with this pick. Acie Law IV is a golden choice; if available he will instantly revive the Clippers after their down year.

I Don't See a Fat Lady

As you've probably already heard, Robert Horry hip checked Steve Nash in game 4 causing Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw to run out onto the court in his defense and get suspended for tonight's Game 5. Horry was also suspended for games 5 and 6. The Suns are now missing their leading scorer and a very important role player, but don't expect them to wave any white flags.

Today's reaction by nearly everyone in the basketball world was one of surprise and outrage. From Charles Barkley to Mike D'Antoni, everyone seems to think that David Stern and Stu Jackson are gift wrapping this series and mailing it to the Spurs.

I don't buy it.

The biggest and easiest point that needs to be made is that this exact same thing happened 10 years ago when P.J. Brown helped Charlie Ward do a cart wheel into the third row. More players were suspended on the Knicks than the Heat and Miami ended up winning that series. That game makes the Amare/Boris suspensions acceptable and not as ridiculous as everyone is saying, but the fact of the matter is that they broke a clearly stated rule. I expect once this season is over, especially if the Spurs end up winning this series, that this rule is changed.



I have the Spurs winning the championship, but I'll go out on a limb and say that Game 5 is definitely not a lock. The Suns will go short: Steve Nash (1), Barbosa (2), Raja (ding-a-ling) Bell (3), Shawn Marion (4), and Kurt Thomas (5), but expect him to get into foul trouble real quick. They'll run and gun for 4 quarters with a ride or die attitude AND they're playing at home. On top of that, Barkley is guaranteeing a Suns win (just look at his gambling record...this one's a lock).

I still think that the Spurs will win, but the game will be undecided headed into the 4th quarter. There's no chance for a blow out.

In order for the Suns to pull out a victory, Leandro Barbosa must drop at least 25 points and hit at least 10 free throws. Barbosa's the key to the Suns tonight...mark my words.



Now I've got some other Playoff points to make...

• I'm more relieved than Tony Soprano when Christopher died now that the Jazz/Warriors series is over. It was way too predictable and painful to watch, not to mention the fact that Utah's Gordon Giricek looks like the last person I'd expect to see playing in an NBA game. Not since Chris Dudley have I had to Google a player just to make sure the NBA hadn't started a raffle that would allow fans to come out of the stands and play for their favorite team.
• Speaking of Utah, in last night's game, Doug Collins compared Paul Millsap to Moses Malone because he missed a lay up, got his own rebound and was fouled. I know Doug Collins knows his stuff and I'm not picking on just him, but I swear every time a player gets their own rebound an announcer makes a comparison to Moses Malone. This needs to stop.
• I've been saying this all my life. In the future, professional athletes will have mics on at all times and we'll get to hear what they're saying during games. I'm really looking forward to whenever this happens, but I'm pretty sure the NBA's waiting for Rasheed Wallace and Stephen Jackson to retire. These two guys do NOT stop talking.
• Vince Carter is nearly a lock to be in a Nets jersey next season unless the Bobcats decide to pony up and over pay for a very overrated basketball player. He's played like crap against the Cavs.
  
• This will be my last post before Tuesday's lottery. Until then I'll be studying for my finals and praying in solitude.
  

Take Your Pick

As expected, the aftermath of Dallas getting eliminated from the playoffs caused many to speculate whether or not Mark Cuban would keep this team together or switch a few things up in the off-season. Since the Mavs won 67 games in the regular, there probably won't be any seismic shake-ups, but expect there to be some changes in the upcoming months. The most interesting rumor I read had Dallas trading Dirk for KG straight up. Due to the huge sums of money involved and the fact that trading one superstar for another doesn't necessarily make you a better team, trades like this are extremely rare in the NBA. Dirk for KG got me thinking what would happen if some other superstars were to switch places for just one season.

Dirk Nowitski vs. Kevin Garnett-
If the Mavericks had Kevin Garnett they wouldn't necessarily be a lock to go to the finals, but at least he wouldn't get shut down by Stephen Jackson. I don't really have anything to say here except Garnett makes more money (5 million), but Minnesota would be even worse causing Dirk to pack his bags and head back to Germany...on second thought forget the money. Somebody needs to put Kevin Mchale and Mark Cuban in a closet somewhere and not let them out until this deal goes down.
Edge- Kevin Garnett/A legitimate MVP next year


Kobe vs. Lebron

It's the battle of first name recognition. If these two guys were to trade places before the 2006-07 season where would their teams be right now? Even though they don't play the same position and are in two separate conferences, there are still many parallels: neither has won an MVP even though they're probably the two most talented basketball players on the planet and both don't have enough help around them to win a championship (both clubs were rumored around the trade deadline to acquire either Mike Bibby or Jason Kidd but neither team pulled the trigger). The number one question surrounding these two (especially Kobe) is do they know how to balance their scoring capability while still getting their teammates involved? Kobe takes bad shots because the only teammate he currently has any faith in is Lamar Odom and Lebron doesn't care who he's dishing it to, if your open your getting the ball. Both guys can score at will, Kobe's the better defender, Lebron's the better passer and rebounder, the Lakers play with the big boys in the Western Conference, Lebron gets to coast through the regular season in the much weaker East. It's really tough to say which is the better call but just imagine Lebron in a Laker uniform (Magic Johnson resurrected). He'd be forced to play hard every night in one of the biggest basketball cities in the country and instead of Larry Hughes as his sidekick, he'd have the multi-talented Lamar Odom. If these two superstars were to be traded, the Lakers would instantly become an elite team in the West.
Edge- Lebron

Jason Kidd vs. Steve Nash

I'm not sure why, but Jason Kidd continues to be the second most underrated player of my time (behind Tim Duncan). He now has more playoff triple doubles than Larry Bird and should be a first ballot hall-of-famer. He's a better defender (first team defense) and rebounder than Nash and is stuck with the selfish play of Vince Carter instead of Shawn Marion's selfless game. Kidd has vastly improved his outside shot as his career has gone on, but offensively can't compete with Nash who had the chance to win three straight MVP awards. Nash has the ability to take over a game by himself which is something Kidd could never do, but neither of them are shoot first point guards and do a great job of making everyone around them better. This is a really tough call since both guys play the point guard position at such an elite level, but Kidd is making 9 million more dollars than Nash next season.
Edge- Steve Nash by a hair


Jessica Alba vs. Eva Longoria-

Alba has been court side in the Bay Area since the playoffs started while Eva's been a Spurs fan her whole life (and happens to be marrying some French guy this summer). In terms of acting skill, I'll give the nod to Jessica for the simple reason that she helped Entourage get off the ground way back when. She's also about to go on the market.
I've got much love for Eva Longoria, but she's a gawd awful actress. I've never seen an episode of Desperate Housewives in my life and don't plan on it anytime soon, but I did see her in Harsh Times with Christian Bale (great flick) and I found myself hitting the mute button whenever she graced the screen with her presence. Also, what would get you more fired up if you were a Golden State Warrior: 20,000 screaming fans donning yellow t-shirts, or a seductive wink from Jessica Alba during a 20 second time-out? My point exactly.
Edge- The mildly attractive Jessica Alba

Action Packed Weekend (including Thursday)

The first 8 over 1 upset in a seven game series the NBA has ever seen, the greatest athletic event that isn't headlined by human beings, and the fight to "save boxing"...this weekend was stuffed to the brim with great sporting events.

The Golden State Warriors have single handedly rejuvenated playoff basketball to the point where even the most casual fan was forced to take notice. They play a style of basketball that can only be described as "five guys emulating decapitated chickens", but they have the athleticism and talent to make what I just said a compliment. They run up and down the court, fill their lanes, and shoot rapid fire three pointers, making more than they miss. What allowed them to win the series was their ability to grab necessary offensive rebounds and get multiple second chances. I look at Matt Barnes as the glue guy on this squad; he seemed to play flawless basketball, especially in game 4. Baron Davis was hands down the league wide best player in the first round, but Stephen Jackson was Golden State's unsung hero. He never let the "soon to be MVP" Dirk Nowitzki get in any sort of rhythm and acted as a productive pest for the first six games.

Josh Howard's a dirty player, Dirk is the most overrated front running MVP candidate of my lifetime, and Mark Cuban (although entertaining) has enough bad karma against him that as long as he's the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, they will never win a title. I could not imagine what would happen if Cuban bought the Chicago Cubs (which was rumored to be a possibility earlier this year). Wrigley Field would implode like a dwarf star and a black hole would probably form in its place.

In other words, I'm giddy like a school girl now that Dallas has been eliminated.



I know about as much about horse racing as my mom does about the west coast rap scene, but every year I make it a point not to miss the Kentucky Derby. I don't know what it is but I love the whole thing. It's debatable as to what is the most exciting two minutes in all of sports, but this has to be up there.

Maybe, and I'm just going on a hunch here, but juuuust maybe it has to do with the gambling related thrill. 4 buddies and I decided to make the race a little more interesting with a "two- dollar-a-head" pot on the floor (there were 8 quarters, Andrew Jackson, and three wet, crumpled up dollar bills...needless to say the stakes were huge). Since there was absolutely no chance one of our horses would actually win, we had the first to finish taking the pot. I chose "Nobiz like Showbiz" for the sole reason that I read an article in last week's Sports Illustrated all about him; figured I had a leg up on the competition. I don't really want to talk about where he placed, but the important thing is that we all had a good time.

The race was great, but just potato skins and mozzarella sticks in comparison to the Lobster Risotto that was Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
With months and months of heavy anticipation, its own reality show on HBO, and a steep price tag ($54.95), I had myself wondering if in fact this showdown could possibly live up to all the hype. What ended up being witnessed by millions was a careful Floyd Mayweather not going out and winning the fight, but instead making sure he wouldn't lose. Mayweather doesn't spar like the greats. He has unbelievable quickness; his hands move so quickly that I was regretting not shelling out the extra $10 to watch it in HD for fear that I wouldn't be able to see whether or not his jabs were actually connecting (they were), but he's not able to knock his opponents out with the ferociousness and consistency that all the greats have had (24 in 38 fights). I'm not even touching on his personality. I know most of it’s an act, but how can anybody like this guy? He refuses to respect his opponent and is a big reason why boxing is in such a low place right now. When the best pound for pound fighter in the world is a light weight and can't be liked or respected by the casual fan there's a huge problem. Putting athletic skill aside and just focusing on the type of person he is, besides A.J. Pierzynski and Sergio Garcia, Mayweather has got to be my least favorite professional athlete.

I'm not going to say this was the last big fight on the horizon because Hopkins vs. Wright is happening this summer, but it's definitely in nearly extinct company. In order to attract the casual fan, boxing must reinstate the heavy-weight division. Don King is currently doing his best to get a unified champion of the world, but the odds aren't in the favor of an American winning and until a popular, hard-hitting, citizen of the United States is the undisputed champion of the world, boxing will remain in the embarrassing state it currently resides in.

Basketball Blog

What's next for the Miami Heat?

After suffering a shocking first round sweep at the hands of the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat organization is facing a crossroad. Will Pat Riley return? How much fuel does Shaq Diesel have left in the tank? How's Dwyane Wade's shoulder holding up? And most importantly, who can come in and rejuvenate an aging team that most likely will not have the veteran leadership of Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning next season?

Nobody knows right now whether or not Pat Riley will return to the team, not even Riley, but it really doesn't make a difference. The team is in great hands under General Manager Randy Pfund and owner Mickey Arison, during their tenure together over the past 11 years, the Heat have only missed the playoffs once. If Miami wants to remain a contender, they must get Dwyane Wade some more help. Jason Kapono, James Posey, and Gary Payton are officially off the books, and re-signing the 3-point specialist Kapono is a top priority. Free agency probably isn't the answer with all of the players worth signing having a very large price tag (Rashard Lewis). Fortunately for Miami, this year's draft is absolutely loaded. Unfortunately they only have one pick (#20), but they should utilize it well and look for either a point guard or future big man. I like point guard Javaris Crittenton out of Georgia Tech to be a great fit for this squad. They need someone to replace Jason Williams whose career is nearing an end and they've got no realistic in-house solutions. At 6'5", Crittenton is definitely a tall point guard but he plays the position the right way, getting everyone else involved before he gets his points. A team with Dwyane Wade must have a point guard who can run the offense and get everyone else involved. Shaquille O'Neal says he's playing until his contract expires because he's an honest man, but honesty won't help him when he's up at night tending to his throbbing knee. The Heat must look towards the future and they might focus in on getting a big man, but all the worthy centers will most likely be gone by the 20th pick.

The Heat have a lot to look forward too, Udonis Haslem has a consistent mid-range jump shot and is tenacious on the glass, Wade is one of the league's best players, and Shaq will be motivated to make at least one more run at the championship.


Three Disapointments

1. Chris Bosh- In what could have been the Raptors final game of the season, last night's game 5 was a no-show for Chris Bosh. He shot 3-11 from the field, finishing with only 11 points and 8 rebounds. Bosh made a huge mistake admitting he was nervous in his first playoff series and has sure played like it. He's been getting into foul trouble way too early in this series and if he wants a shot at Lebron, he's got to step it up on the offensive end.
   
2. Dirk Nowitzki- I know he finally decided to show up at the end of last night's game 5, but Dirk was a ghost 45 minutes of the game. He's proven to everyone watching this series that he's clearly not an MVP candidate (I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this).
3. The Denver Nuggets- They went out and got one of the best scorers in the NBA only to run into a brick wall in San Antonio and have not improved one bit since last season. Carmelo Anthony is too good of a player not to have advanced past the first round in his career. Also, George Karl's treatment of J.R. Smith was completely out of line, I wouldn't be surprised to see him in a commentator booth at this time next year.
   

Laurence Johnson's Champions League Preview

Manchester United vs. A.C Milan

Chelsea F.C vs. Liverpool F.C

With Cristiano Ronaldo in endless good form and the influence of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, Milan will have their hands full. While 3 of the 4 remaining teams reside in England, Manchester looks likely to bring the trophy back to English soil. After the Pillaging of Roma in a 7 to1 victory there is no doubt United will still view Milan, a team who sits 15 points back from Roma in Serie A , as a tough team with much experience.

After a long summer of kidnapping and bribery scandals in Serie A, Milan’s Manager Carlo Ancelotti, must be happy with the resilience of his team to this point and their ability to handle media pressure. For Milan to reach the finals in Athens, they will need a top draw performance from Kaka. He is easily the most fluid and controlled individual in football today and is great to watch. Plus after the Departure of world class striker Andriy Shevchenko this past summer to the scum sucking evil midnight dark blackness shady Chelsea F.C, Milan have had problems finding the net. However, Kaka has taken Milan on his back and is truly the reason for their progress during this competition. But, all dreams of having a spring time party in Milan look bleak, as the first leg at old Trafford will end just like a Shakespearean tragedy. Manchester United 2, Milan nil.

The European Champions Cup belongs to this man Steven “The stick up kid” Gerrard. I have counted the importance of his goals in this competition through all games and it goes as follows: 5 goals to tie a game with less then 45 minutes, 10 goals to take a lead with more then 15 minutes left, and 4 goals with 90+ minutes played. Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard has a immaculate record in this competition and will no doubt show his class against premiership rivals Chelsea. As for the evil empire, excuse me Chelsea, they will fall fate to the singing of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Liverpool is in the running for no other competition, this is it for the reds and there is no doubt they will bring it to Chelsea for 180 minutes. Chelsea fans must be concerned with Frank Lampard's inability to handle pressure for England, his confidence has died out and it seems the more his English brothers watch him play, the worse he does. Chelsea will need a strong performance from both Drogba and the 2^nd all time goal scorer in the competition Andriy Shevchenko if they want to steal a goal at Anfield. I was in London when Liverpool played Chelsea on January 20^th this year and saw a one sided match as once again Steven Gerrard bossed the midfield and Liverpool won 2 to nil. Not much has changed since then; the game will have a similar feel as their meeting in mid January. The question will be how many goals Liverpool can secure before heading back to London for the second leg. Liverpool wants to have an all red tango final with United, and whats a better setting than Athens. In the end their will only be one team standing. All I can say for now is that there will be an English team labeled as champions, but who? Only time can tell.

That’s my word.