Well here it is. Tonight (Yesterday) the New England Patriots will try to finish the regular season undefeated. The game presents problems, but only for their opponent, the New York Giants. The Giants are a banged up team with running back Brandon Jacobs nursing a sore ankle. Wide receiver Plaxico Burress rarely practices anymore. Winning the game does nothing for the Giants, they'll still be playing the Tampa Bay Bucs next week, in Tampa. So really, what motivation do the Giants have? Sure, there is the competitive pride, the pride that every player has, but if the ultimate goal is to win in the playoffs, why risk injury just to keep a team from going undefeated in the regular season. Because trust me, Tom Coughlin will lose his job if the Giants lose their playoff game badly, regardless if they defeat the Patriots. The pros don't out weight the cons enough to play the starters for more than a half.
The above paragraph was written before the game started while the following was written post-game.
Well, guess that only playing the starters for a half thing was wrong. The Giants provided the Patriots(and the nation) with a great game. However, the Patriots prevailed and completed the first 16-0 regular season in league history. Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's touchdown passing record, and probably sealed his first MVP (regular season) award. Randy Moss also broke the touchdown reception record. Moss has spent this season proving doubters wrong, and has taken great joy in doing so.
Next up for the Patriots is the postseason. As much as this undefeated regular season is good, the Patriots won't be remembered unless they win it all. I'm not picking against the Patriots, that much I can say.
Oh yea, the Redskins and the Titans will grab the final two playoff spots. Enjoy the final week of the regular season!!!!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
December 26, 2007
Could the Lakers be a real contender in the Western Conference? That's a question I found myself asking while watching the Lakers play the Phoenix Suns last night. The Lakers defeated the Suns for the second time this season, behind Kobe's 38 points. Andrew Bynum contributed a career high 28 points, while adding 12 rebounds.
The Lakers also got solid contributions off the bench. The game had the feel of a playoff game with all of the intensity displayed by both teams. What impressed me the most was the way the Lakers rose to the occasion. Kobe got off to a slow start yet he didn't have to force any shot, because his teammates made enough shots to keep them in the game. I would have to see the Lakers play some other Western Conference powers before I can call them contenders. I do know that this start is keeping Kobe Bryant happy. The trade talk has simmered (though with the Bulls firing Scott Skiles, it just might heat back up) and the Lakers are playing well. It just mights be time to look a little closer. They may just have something out there in L.A.
The Miami Heat look bad, Shaq looks old, and without any shooters, opponents can just clog the lane, stifling Dwayne Wade. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, resemble a team on the rise. After fighting through early season injuries and dealing with the holdout of Anderson Varejao, the Cavs are showing the form that got them to the NBA Finals. That's a good sign in the always open Eastern Conference.
In the final NBA game on Christmas, two teams of the future squared off. The Portland Trailblazers faced the Seattle Sonics. The Trailblazers came into the game on a ten game winning streak. Second year guard Brandon Roy has been leading the way, averaging 24 points per game, during the streak. The Blazers have been a surprise this season, doing this without the services of Greg Oden, who was lost to micro-fracture knee surgery before the season started.
The Sonics have been playing better lately, but they still are a young team. In this game, the Sonics trailed by 16, during the third quarter, but cut the lead to 6 with 9:35 left in the game. The Blazers held tough, pushing the lead back to 156 with 5:45 left. From here, the Blazers kept the lead in double digits, and won 89-79. They now have an 11 game winning streak, and officially the hottest team in the NBA. Jarrett Jack and Brandon Roy lead the way with 17 points apiece.
Though the Blazers looked great, I'm not quite ready to put them in the playoffs yet. It's a long season, and I want to wait and see how they react to a losing streak. Now that the NBA Christmas triple header is over, I can focus on this last weekend of the NFL season. Check back later on for my thoughts on that.
Until next time, peace.
The Lakers also got solid contributions off the bench. The game had the feel of a playoff game with all of the intensity displayed by both teams. What impressed me the most was the way the Lakers rose to the occasion. Kobe got off to a slow start yet he didn't have to force any shot, because his teammates made enough shots to keep them in the game. I would have to see the Lakers play some other Western Conference powers before I can call them contenders. I do know that this start is keeping Kobe Bryant happy. The trade talk has simmered (though with the Bulls firing Scott Skiles, it just might heat back up) and the Lakers are playing well. It just mights be time to look a little closer. They may just have something out there in L.A.
The Miami Heat look bad, Shaq looks old, and without any shooters, opponents can just clog the lane, stifling Dwayne Wade. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, resemble a team on the rise. After fighting through early season injuries and dealing with the holdout of Anderson Varejao, the Cavs are showing the form that got them to the NBA Finals. That's a good sign in the always open Eastern Conference.
In the final NBA game on Christmas, two teams of the future squared off. The Portland Trailblazers faced the Seattle Sonics. The Trailblazers came into the game on a ten game winning streak. Second year guard Brandon Roy has been leading the way, averaging 24 points per game, during the streak. The Blazers have been a surprise this season, doing this without the services of Greg Oden, who was lost to micro-fracture knee surgery before the season started.
The Sonics have been playing better lately, but they still are a young team. In this game, the Sonics trailed by 16, during the third quarter, but cut the lead to 6 with 9:35 left in the game. The Blazers held tough, pushing the lead back to 156 with 5:45 left. From here, the Blazers kept the lead in double digits, and won 89-79. They now have an 11 game winning streak, and officially the hottest team in the NBA. Jarrett Jack and Brandon Roy lead the way with 17 points apiece.
Though the Blazers looked great, I'm not quite ready to put them in the playoffs yet. It's a long season, and I want to wait and see how they react to a losing streak. Now that the NBA Christmas triple header is over, I can focus on this last weekend of the NFL season. Check back later on for my thoughts on that.
Until next time, peace.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
November 18, 2007
Adam Jones. Do you know who that is? ‘Pacman’ Jones. I bet you know who that is. Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones is seen in newspapers but rarely heard when his name is spoken. Why is that important? Because calling him ‘Pacman’ only feeds his ‘street-cred’. How can you grow up when people refer to you as the name of a video game character? That’s something the media can do. Call him Adam Jones. That’s his name. As I type this, I see on ESPN’s NFL Countdown several instances where Adam Jones is referred to as ‘Pacman’. His name is Adam Jones. ‘Pacman’ is a nickname. Nicknames are cool, but when you start making more noise for off the field transgression, a little humility can be helpful. Let’s help him with that.
Week 11 NFL Picks:
Cincinnati, Green Bay, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New England, New Orleans, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Chicago and Tennessee.
College football is reaching the end of the season, yet the upsets continue. This week both Oregon and Oklahoma lost to unranked opponents, Arizona and Texas Tech, respectively. Both lost their quarterbacks to injury in the first quarter. And now both have had their national title hopes dashed.
The deeper story is the tragic end of Dennis Dixon’s collegiate career. The Heisman hopeful began the game on a high note, running for a touchdown and leading his team in position for another one. After a receiver dropped a potential touchdown, which deflected into the hands of an Arizona defender for an interception. Arizona scored but Dixon moved the Ducks quickly back into position for another score. Dixon tried to make a cut with his left leg and it buckled. That buckle tore his ACL and finished his season. His team wasn’t able to recover from the loss of their leader. Now the Ducks need some help to make it to the Rose Bowl. Though Oklahoma also lost their quarterback, they lost to Texas Tech for another reason. Their defense couldn’t contain Tech’s offense in the first half of the game. So the roller coaster college football continues. Stay tuned.
Week 11 NFL Picks:
Cincinnati, Green Bay, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New England, New Orleans, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Chicago and Tennessee.
College football is reaching the end of the season, yet the upsets continue. This week both Oregon and Oklahoma lost to unranked opponents, Arizona and Texas Tech, respectively. Both lost their quarterbacks to injury in the first quarter. And now both have had their national title hopes dashed.
The deeper story is the tragic end of Dennis Dixon’s collegiate career. The Heisman hopeful began the game on a high note, running for a touchdown and leading his team in position for another one. After a receiver dropped a potential touchdown, which deflected into the hands of an Arizona defender for an interception. Arizona scored but Dixon moved the Ducks quickly back into position for another score. Dixon tried to make a cut with his left leg and it buckled. That buckle tore his ACL and finished his season. His team wasn’t able to recover from the loss of their leader. Now the Ducks need some help to make it to the Rose Bowl. Though Oklahoma also lost their quarterback, they lost to Texas Tech for another reason. Their defense couldn’t contain Tech’s offense in the first half of the game. So the roller coaster college football continues. Stay tuned.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
October 4, 2007
The first Thursday is October is here. This weekend contains some important games in college football as teams now scramble to stay in the national championship race. The Oklahoma-Texas loser will lose their slim hopes for a national title and doubly bad, is the fact that the loser will miss out on the Big 12 championship game as well.
The SEC has a couple of big games, starting with tonight’s battle between Kentucky and South Carolina. The teams have only one loss between them as they sit atop the SEC East. Both teams are dependent on their offenses but for different reasons. Kentucky, who relies on theirs, is led by quarterback Andre Woodson. He is grabbing the attention of many NFL scouts as he went 325 pass attempts without an interception, which was a new NCAA record. South Carolina, whose offense can be a hindrance at times, is led by head coach Steve Spurrier. Spurrier has had to rotate between two quarterbacks, Chris Smelley and Blake Mitchell as his usual offensive display has been muzzled. Though South Carolina’s defense is strong, I think Woodson leads Kentucky to victory and keeps them undefeated.
The “major” SEC battle looks a lot less important as Florida unexpectedly lost at home to Auburn. Even still, the Gators trip to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers has huge national title implications. The Tigers defense has been stifling, especially at home. For further proof, check the game earlier this season when Virginia Tech visited the Bayou. Florida was left licking its wounds as they got caught looking ahead to this game. Now they have the chance to show what they can do. Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow has looked good against inferior competition but he will have to play his best collegiate game as Florida not only tries to not only stay in the national championship picture but two losses will probably knock the Gators from the SEC title chase as well.
If its October, then its Major League Baseball playoff time. Three of four playoff series have started and I am comfortable in feeling that the Colorado Rockies will face the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. The Rockies have too much momentum, while the Red Sox have too much pitching. For the first round in the National League, the Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks will advance as the Chicago Cubs will pay for not leaving their ace, Carlos Zambrano in the game longer. In the American League, the Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians will advance as their pitching staffs are the most complete.
Well, October is a great month for sports fans. You have baseball playoffs, college and professional football and then at the end of the month, the NBA. October, ITS FANASTIC!!!!!!
The SEC has a couple of big games, starting with tonight’s battle between Kentucky and South Carolina. The teams have only one loss between them as they sit atop the SEC East. Both teams are dependent on their offenses but for different reasons. Kentucky, who relies on theirs, is led by quarterback Andre Woodson. He is grabbing the attention of many NFL scouts as he went 325 pass attempts without an interception, which was a new NCAA record. South Carolina, whose offense can be a hindrance at times, is led by head coach Steve Spurrier. Spurrier has had to rotate between two quarterbacks, Chris Smelley and Blake Mitchell as his usual offensive display has been muzzled. Though South Carolina’s defense is strong, I think Woodson leads Kentucky to victory and keeps them undefeated.
The “major” SEC battle looks a lot less important as Florida unexpectedly lost at home to Auburn. Even still, the Gators trip to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers has huge national title implications. The Tigers defense has been stifling, especially at home. For further proof, check the game earlier this season when Virginia Tech visited the Bayou. Florida was left licking its wounds as they got caught looking ahead to this game. Now they have the chance to show what they can do. Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow has looked good against inferior competition but he will have to play his best collegiate game as Florida not only tries to not only stay in the national championship picture but two losses will probably knock the Gators from the SEC title chase as well.
If its October, then its Major League Baseball playoff time. Three of four playoff series have started and I am comfortable in feeling that the Colorado Rockies will face the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. The Rockies have too much momentum, while the Red Sox have too much pitching. For the first round in the National League, the Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks will advance as the Chicago Cubs will pay for not leaving their ace, Carlos Zambrano in the game longer. In the American League, the Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians will advance as their pitching staffs are the most complete.
Well, October is a great month for sports fans. You have baseball playoffs, college and professional football and then at the end of the month, the NBA. October, ITS FANASTIC!!!!!!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Why Barry Bonds is a Hall of Famer
This is not the prevailing sentiment floating around baseball these days. Though his numbers will be quite worthy of Hall of Fame (HOF) admittance, people will use his surly attitude and his “steroid use” as detractions. Even though Bonds only had one season, 2001, where he hit over 50 home runs, and he was a two time MVP before 1992, Bonds will always be linked to steroids. Nevermind the fact that he has won 8 Gold Gloves, or that his batting average is a career .298. Bonds is the poster boy for steroids, and probably forever will be.
Add to that, the fact that Bonds is not very friendly with the media (or anyone else) and you have someone who is easily vilified. Take, for example, his decision to sit out Monday’s nationally televised game against the Chicago Cubs. Apparently a 42 year old with a history of leg problems can’t get a day of rest. But I digress at the moment. Back to why Bonds is a Hall of Famer. First, despite being constantly pitched around, he has had over 100 Runs Batted In (RBI) in 12 of his 21 years of playing Major League Baseball. He has also led his team deep into the playoffs, with the Giants being 5 outs away form winning the World Series in 2002. He is still the most feared hitter in baseball and has been for several years. Excluding the 2005 season (in which Bonds only played 14 games) Bonds has had more than 100 walks for six straight seasons.
With Bonds moving closer to this hallowed HR record, the detractors have become louder and fierce. As if the game of baseball has been clean in its entirety. Let’s just forget about the “greenie” stage where coffee was marked, letting players, coaches, etc. which coffee had the amphetamines in them. Or maybe let’s not remember the fact that a team attempted to throw a World Series. Some have stated that the honorable thing would be for Bonds to just stop playing and not break the record. So they would want him to quit, after blasting Ricky Williams for quitting on his team. The man has done everything you want from a baseball player during his career. He hit, stole bases, played the field, and led his team deep into the playoffs. Though he doesn’t have a World Series ring, he won’t be the first star player not to get one.
So the question becomes: Will they keep an 8-time Gold Glove winner, 7-time MVP, soon-to-be All-Time HR leader out of the HOF? And if so, for how long? I wonder will this discussion ever come up for a certain 43 year old pitcher still throwing smoke. Wonder why he gets a free pass.
Add to that, the fact that Bonds is not very friendly with the media (or anyone else) and you have someone who is easily vilified. Take, for example, his decision to sit out Monday’s nationally televised game against the Chicago Cubs. Apparently a 42 year old with a history of leg problems can’t get a day of rest. But I digress at the moment. Back to why Bonds is a Hall of Famer. First, despite being constantly pitched around, he has had over 100 Runs Batted In (RBI) in 12 of his 21 years of playing Major League Baseball. He has also led his team deep into the playoffs, with the Giants being 5 outs away form winning the World Series in 2002. He is still the most feared hitter in baseball and has been for several years. Excluding the 2005 season (in which Bonds only played 14 games) Bonds has had more than 100 walks for six straight seasons.
With Bonds moving closer to this hallowed HR record, the detractors have become louder and fierce. As if the game of baseball has been clean in its entirety. Let’s just forget about the “greenie” stage where coffee was marked, letting players, coaches, etc. which coffee had the amphetamines in them. Or maybe let’s not remember the fact that a team attempted to throw a World Series. Some have stated that the honorable thing would be for Bonds to just stop playing and not break the record. So they would want him to quit, after blasting Ricky Williams for quitting on his team. The man has done everything you want from a baseball player during his career. He hit, stole bases, played the field, and led his team deep into the playoffs. Though he doesn’t have a World Series ring, he won’t be the first star player not to get one.
So the question becomes: Will they keep an 8-time Gold Glove winner, 7-time MVP, soon-to-be All-Time HR leader out of the HOF? And if so, for how long? I wonder will this discussion ever come up for a certain 43 year old pitcher still throwing smoke. Wonder why he gets a free pass.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
July 11, 2007
MLB held its All-Star game last night. With a little less than two weeks before the NFL training camps open, this time of the year is reserved for MLB. So I have decided to blog about this game.
The pregame interview with Willie Mays was excellent. Fox did a great job and both Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr were genuinely interested in what Mays had to say. That interview alone garners more interest in the game.
However the ensuing “Swing for a Million” promotion drained most of that energy. The guy who attempted barely hit the ball out of the infield. The pregame introductions brought some of that energy back especially when Barry Bonds was introduced. The pregame tribute to Willie Mays was even more touching than the interview. It took me back to the summers when I read Satchiel Paige’s book and actually have a strong love to play baseball. This was before I struggled to catch up to fastballs, which eventually drained that said love. Now I’m a regular fan for the season and a highly interested fan for the playoffs.
Now that the game has finally started, there was some first time jitters as Prince Fielder dropped a routine throw at first base. That mistake was quickly made up for as third baseman David Wright of the NY Mets made a diving stop to end the inning. In the bottom of the first Jose Reyes led off with a single, which brought Barry Bonds to the plate. His first at-bat ended with a flyout to right field. Nevertheless, Griffey was able to come to the rescue with a single the brought home Reyes, and gave the National League (NL) a 1-0 lead.
Griffey then helped to preserve that lead by making a strong throw from right field to nail Alex Rodriguez at the plate to end the 3rd inning. Ichiro Suzuki provided some sparks as he delivered an inside-the-park home run to put the American League (AL) up 2-1. That happened to be the first inside-the –park HR in All-Star game history. The AL then added to their lead by a solo HR from Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford in the top of the 6th.
The NL cut into the lead following a triple by Carlos Beltran and a sacrifice fly by Griffey. The game moved along until the top of 8th inning when Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez hit a 2-run HR to push the AL’s lead to 5-2. The NL made a late push when Alfonso Soriano hit a 2-run HR to cut the lead to 5-4. Then the NL loaded the bases against Francisco Rodriguez. He was able to save the game and now the AL has 10 straight victories over the NL. This victory also gives the AL home-field advantage for the World Series.
Well I must say that this year’s All-Star game was quite entertaining and at the same time it was a well-played game. Bring on the 2nd half of the season.
The pregame interview with Willie Mays was excellent. Fox did a great job and both Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr were genuinely interested in what Mays had to say. That interview alone garners more interest in the game.
However the ensuing “Swing for a Million” promotion drained most of that energy. The guy who attempted barely hit the ball out of the infield. The pregame introductions brought some of that energy back especially when Barry Bonds was introduced. The pregame tribute to Willie Mays was even more touching than the interview. It took me back to the summers when I read Satchiel Paige’s book and actually have a strong love to play baseball. This was before I struggled to catch up to fastballs, which eventually drained that said love. Now I’m a regular fan for the season and a highly interested fan for the playoffs.
Now that the game has finally started, there was some first time jitters as Prince Fielder dropped a routine throw at first base. That mistake was quickly made up for as third baseman David Wright of the NY Mets made a diving stop to end the inning. In the bottom of the first Jose Reyes led off with a single, which brought Barry Bonds to the plate. His first at-bat ended with a flyout to right field. Nevertheless, Griffey was able to come to the rescue with a single the brought home Reyes, and gave the National League (NL) a 1-0 lead.
Griffey then helped to preserve that lead by making a strong throw from right field to nail Alex Rodriguez at the plate to end the 3rd inning. Ichiro Suzuki provided some sparks as he delivered an inside-the-park home run to put the American League (AL) up 2-1. That happened to be the first inside-the –park HR in All-Star game history. The AL then added to their lead by a solo HR from Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford in the top of the 6th.
The NL cut into the lead following a triple by Carlos Beltran and a sacrifice fly by Griffey. The game moved along until the top of 8th inning when Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez hit a 2-run HR to push the AL’s lead to 5-2. The NL made a late push when Alfonso Soriano hit a 2-run HR to cut the lead to 5-4. Then the NL loaded the bases against Francisco Rodriguez. He was able to save the game and now the AL has 10 straight victories over the NL. This victory also gives the AL home-field advantage for the World Series.
Well I must say that this year’s All-Star game was quite entertaining and at the same time it was a well-played game. Bring on the 2nd half of the season.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
July 8, 2007
Well Roger Federer has done it. He has joined the exclusive company, which winning 5 straight Wimbledon titles gets you. Though this time was much, much, much harder as Rafael Nadal pushed Federer to 5 sets, with Federer having to win two tiebreaks. This win also kept Federer’s grass court winning alive. It is now at 54 matches, with his last lost coming in 2002. This title also put Federer closer to catching Pete Sampras for most Grand Slam titles.
Federer has 11 titles which ties him with Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver for third all time. With Federer having won every title except the French Open, it seems that the only thing that will be able to stop him from passing Sampras is injury. He even seems close to winning a French Open title, as evident by his advancing to the finals the past two years.
Now Federer can, should and will enter the conversation of greatest tennis players of all time. Where he will rank will depend on the person(s) making the list, but he will be near the top. He has won on every surface, though not the Grand Slam at the French, and he transformed from a temperamental youth to an unflappable man. In today’s match he withstood Nadal’s best, and still he was able to finish the job.
When it’s all said and done, Federer will have more than 20 titles. He is only 25 years old, and has managed to say relatively injury-free. Though Nadal is closing the gap, I have no doubt that Federer will raise his game once again. One thing is for sure, the classic match-up provided by those provided that Federer earned his record tying Wimbledon title.
Federer has 11 titles which ties him with Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver for third all time. With Federer having won every title except the French Open, it seems that the only thing that will be able to stop him from passing Sampras is injury. He even seems close to winning a French Open title, as evident by his advancing to the finals the past two years.
Now Federer can, should and will enter the conversation of greatest tennis players of all time. Where he will rank will depend on the person(s) making the list, but he will be near the top. He has won on every surface, though not the Grand Slam at the French, and he transformed from a temperamental youth to an unflappable man. In today’s match he withstood Nadal’s best, and still he was able to finish the job.
When it’s all said and done, Federer will have more than 20 titles. He is only 25 years old, and has managed to say relatively injury-free. Though Nadal is closing the gap, I have no doubt that Federer will raise his game once again. One thing is for sure, the classic match-up provided by those provided that Federer earned his record tying Wimbledon title.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
July 7, 2007
Excuse me if this feels like déjà vu. I know its 2007, but it feels like years past. At least that’s what the fans at Wimbledon should feel. For the second straight year, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will square off for the men’s title. Both men overcame slow starts, with Nadal actually losing his first set against Novak Djokovic. Nadal was able to come back and win the second set 6-1 before a blister forced Djokovic to retire while trailing in the third 4-1. Federer was nearly pushed to a tiebreak by Richard Gasquet but he regained his form and won in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, and 6-4. Now the match-up is set, Federer versus Nadal. Federer is putting his 53 straight grass court wins (not to mention his four straight Wimbledon titles) up against the only man standing in between Federer and his quest to win every Grand Slam. (For the record, Nadal has won the previous two French Opens against Federer) Federer will win again and tie Bjorn Bork’s open era record of five straight Wimbledon titles. Nadal will provide plenty of resistance, but at the end of the day, Federer will have all the answers, especially on a surface where Federer is far more comfortable.
On the women’s side, Venus Williams joined an elite group of women. By defeating Marion Bartoli, Williams won her fourth Wimbledon title. That put her with Martina Navratilova (9), Steffi Graf (7) and Billie Jean King (4) as the only women to win four or more titles during the Open era. Williams definitely played better than her ranking coming into Wimbledon. During her run to the final, Venus was able to defeat the 2004 Wimbledon Champion (Maria Sharapova), the 2004 U.S. Open Champion (2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova) and the French Open runner-up (Ana Ivanovic). That left Williams well prepared for her Final opponent. While Bartoli was able to make the first set close, coming back to tie that set at 3-all. However, Venus took over from there winning 9 of the final 10 service games. With the U.S. Open up next, it will be great theatre if all the major players in the women’s game can compete, without any injuries. But when does that usually happen.
With Wimbledon wrapping up on Sunday, the focus will now turn to the MLB All-Star game. That takes place on Tuesday in San Francisco, and all eyes will be on Barry Bonds. Bonds is only four homers away from tying Hank Aaron’s HR record of 755. I just hope that the pitchers don’t begin to walk Bonds every time he steps into the batter’s box. Without running to the top of my soapbox, MLB needs to embrace Bonds, as he approaches this milestone. This is one of the only ways to move past this. Anyways, I also predict that Bonds will hit a HR in his park for the All-Star game. As for the result of the game, does anyone really care? The MLB brass wants to draw more interest to the game, so they attach home field advantage for the World Series to the game. Well since that rule has been implanted, I have watched less than before. I don’t see how letting the home field advantage for the World Series be decided by an All-Star game makes any sense. Especially when it is mandated that every team have a representative. I know that MLB is still trying to recover from their ill-advised strike, but isn’t a better way just to lower ticket prices, and have more fan-team interactions. Just my thoughts on that.
Well I’m off to go enjoy the day before the heat comes back.
On the women’s side, Venus Williams joined an elite group of women. By defeating Marion Bartoli, Williams won her fourth Wimbledon title. That put her with Martina Navratilova (9), Steffi Graf (7) and Billie Jean King (4) as the only women to win four or more titles during the Open era. Williams definitely played better than her ranking coming into Wimbledon. During her run to the final, Venus was able to defeat the 2004 Wimbledon Champion (Maria Sharapova), the 2004 U.S. Open Champion (2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova) and the French Open runner-up (Ana Ivanovic). That left Williams well prepared for her Final opponent. While Bartoli was able to make the first set close, coming back to tie that set at 3-all. However, Venus took over from there winning 9 of the final 10 service games. With the U.S. Open up next, it will be great theatre if all the major players in the women’s game can compete, without any injuries. But when does that usually happen.
With Wimbledon wrapping up on Sunday, the focus will now turn to the MLB All-Star game. That takes place on Tuesday in San Francisco, and all eyes will be on Barry Bonds. Bonds is only four homers away from tying Hank Aaron’s HR record of 755. I just hope that the pitchers don’t begin to walk Bonds every time he steps into the batter’s box. Without running to the top of my soapbox, MLB needs to embrace Bonds, as he approaches this milestone. This is one of the only ways to move past this. Anyways, I also predict that Bonds will hit a HR in his park for the All-Star game. As for the result of the game, does anyone really care? The MLB brass wants to draw more interest to the game, so they attach home field advantage for the World Series to the game. Well since that rule has been implanted, I have watched less than before. I don’t see how letting the home field advantage for the World Series be decided by an All-Star game makes any sense. Especially when it is mandated that every team have a representative. I know that MLB is still trying to recover from their ill-advised strike, but isn’t a better way just to lower ticket prices, and have more fan-team interactions. Just my thoughts on that.
Well I’m off to go enjoy the day before the heat comes back.
Friday, July 06, 2007
July 6, 2007
The final weekend at Wimbledon is here. On both the men’s and women’s sides of the brackets, there are surprises. First, take the women’s final which features Venus Williams versus Marion Bartoli. Coming into Wimbledon, Venus was a sleeper pick to reach the final. Having not played much this in 2007, her ranking has dropped to #31. But Venus is a different woman once she steps onto the grass of Wimbledon. After fending off match points in her first and third round matches, Venus caught fire against Maria Sharapova. She turned in a near flawless performance as she won 6-1, 6-3. Williams then went on to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic to earn her place in Saturday’s final.
Her opponent, Bartoli, is even more of a surprise. Bartoli, who is ranked #19th in the world, earned her spot by defeating #1 seed Justine Henin. Even more impressive is the fact that Bartoli lost the first 6-1 and was down 4-3 in the second. Bartoli then rebounded, won the second set, and pulled away to win 6-1 in the third set.
On the men’s side, the final four has more household names. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, seeded #1, 2 and 4th respectively, all have made the semifinals. The surprise comes from the fact that the 3rd seed, Andy Roddick, isn’t there. Roddick lost in five sets to Richard Gasquet. Even more surprising was that Roddick lost the match after being ahead by two sets. Add that to the fact that Roddick lost two straight tiebreaks after winning 18 straight tiebreaks, and you can see why Roddick was at a loss for words in his post-match press conference. Gasquet gets a great gift as he gets to face Federer in one semifinal while Nadal and Djorkic face off in the other.
So after several washouts, the final weekend has the possibility of providing some magic. Federer can match Bjorn Borg’s record of five straight Wimbledon championships, while Venus Williams can win her 4th championship. The win will be her first since 2005, when she also was ranked in the teens. Watching these two events is reason enough for me to tune in. What about you?
Her opponent, Bartoli, is even more of a surprise. Bartoli, who is ranked #19th in the world, earned her spot by defeating #1 seed Justine Henin. Even more impressive is the fact that Bartoli lost the first 6-1 and was down 4-3 in the second. Bartoli then rebounded, won the second set, and pulled away to win 6-1 in the third set.
On the men’s side, the final four has more household names. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, seeded #1, 2 and 4th respectively, all have made the semifinals. The surprise comes from the fact that the 3rd seed, Andy Roddick, isn’t there. Roddick lost in five sets to Richard Gasquet. Even more surprising was that Roddick lost the match after being ahead by two sets. Add that to the fact that Roddick lost two straight tiebreaks after winning 18 straight tiebreaks, and you can see why Roddick was at a loss for words in his post-match press conference. Gasquet gets a great gift as he gets to face Federer in one semifinal while Nadal and Djorkic face off in the other.
So after several washouts, the final weekend has the possibility of providing some magic. Federer can match Bjorn Borg’s record of five straight Wimbledon championships, while Venus Williams can win her 4th championship. The win will be her first since 2005, when she also was ranked in the teens. Watching these two events is reason enough for me to tune in. What about you?
Monday, July 02, 2007
July 2, 2007
The NBA draft has come and gone. There were a couple of trades made, but they didn’t involve the two players (Kobe and KG) that most wanted and/or expected. The trades that were made seemed to do little more than make sure the Western Conference will have young studs to continue their dominance. The first trade involved the Seattle Sonics and the Boston Celtics. Seattle received Boston’s 5th pick in the draft (Jeff Green), Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak in exchange for All Star Ray Allen and Seattle’s 35th pick (Glen Davis). A good trade on paper, but Allen is 32. The Celtics gave up two young players for one old one. Seattle gets two high rated players to rebuild around.
The next trade involved the New York Knicks and the Portland Trailblazers. Portland received Channing Frye and Steve Francis in exchange for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones. This is a major steal for the Blazers. Not only do they clear room for Greg Oden, but they also give Frye a chance to redeem himself, this time without the bright lights of New York. All in all, this draft has me excited for the NBA season. It has been awhile since I have felt like that.
The NBA free agent period has begun and there still remains the possibility that major action will take place. Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Gerald Wallace and Vince Carter are some of the names who will be on the market. Wait, scratch Carter from that list. Sources are reporting that he resigned with the Nets, his contract an estimated $60 million dollars for 4 years with a team option for a 5th year. Even without Carter, there are plenty of players who can help teams take that next step. Though not “stars” per se, they can do the things needed (rebound, defend, shoot) to get further than the first round of the playoffs. Of the names listed above, Lewis is closest to changing teams with the Sonics have Kevin Durant and Jeff Green playing the same position as Lewis. That will keep interest in this period fresh.
The MLB All-Stars were announced last night and Barry Bonds was voted a starter. So he will be able to play in his home park. I know Bud Selig was upset at that fact. With Bonds only 5 homers away from Hank Aaron, the pink elephant in the room continues to grow. As for the rest of the rosters, both look really even. I like that Magglio Ordonez made the team. He has been really crushing the ball for the Detroit Tigers. I hope they make the postseason again; they’re a fun team to watch.
Well it’s the first week in July, so football is almost upon us. I cannot wait. Really. I can’t.
The next trade involved the New York Knicks and the Portland Trailblazers. Portland received Channing Frye and Steve Francis in exchange for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones. This is a major steal for the Blazers. Not only do they clear room for Greg Oden, but they also give Frye a chance to redeem himself, this time without the bright lights of New York. All in all, this draft has me excited for the NBA season. It has been awhile since I have felt like that.
The NBA free agent period has begun and there still remains the possibility that major action will take place. Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Gerald Wallace and Vince Carter are some of the names who will be on the market. Wait, scratch Carter from that list. Sources are reporting that he resigned with the Nets, his contract an estimated $60 million dollars for 4 years with a team option for a 5th year. Even without Carter, there are plenty of players who can help teams take that next step. Though not “stars” per se, they can do the things needed (rebound, defend, shoot) to get further than the first round of the playoffs. Of the names listed above, Lewis is closest to changing teams with the Sonics have Kevin Durant and Jeff Green playing the same position as Lewis. That will keep interest in this period fresh.
The MLB All-Stars were announced last night and Barry Bonds was voted a starter. So he will be able to play in his home park. I know Bud Selig was upset at that fact. With Bonds only 5 homers away from Hank Aaron, the pink elephant in the room continues to grow. As for the rest of the rosters, both look really even. I like that Magglio Ordonez made the team. He has been really crushing the ball for the Detroit Tigers. I hope they make the postseason again; they’re a fun team to watch.
Well it’s the first week in July, so football is almost upon us. I cannot wait. Really. I can’t.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
June 28, 2007
Well, well well. It is finally that time. After numerous talks and mock drafts, the 2007 NBA draft is upon us. We know that the first two picks will be, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, but after that it’s anyone’s guess as how the draft will go. A lot really depends on which trades are made. You have just about everyone on the trading block, from Kevin Garnett, to Jermaine O’Neal to Mike Bibby, and of course Kobe Bryant. If any of these names are moved, the draft will move in a completely different direction, that previous thought. When it’s all said and done, I feel that Kobe will be in a Lakers uniform, and he will have Jermaine O’Neal with him. I don’t know if that will be enough to make Kobe happy, but it will be a start.
In other sporting news, football season is almost here. The NFL has been in the news year-round unfortunately. From Pacman Jones, to Tank Johnson, NFL players have been making the wrong kind of headlines. Some, more like most to all, of these events are the players own wrong doing. But I’m just sick of the way the players get treated after making a mistake. Apparently everyone else not in the NFL is perfect and never make mistakes. Like NFL players are the only people to drive drunk, or have fights at the club. Yes, I know playing in the NFL is a HUGE privilege and they should be grateful, but I think our society has placed them too high up on a pedestal. And this problem isn’t just in the NFL. Everywhere there are stories about “celebrities” and what they are doing. WHO CARES?!?!?!?!?! Why is it news when Paris Hilton gets out of jail? Why is that on Sportscenter?
When Charles Barkley stated that he was not a role model, I was young, anywhere between 8-12. Even at that age though, I agreed with him. I didn’t look up to him, MJ, or any other athlete when making moral choices. Parents need to raise their children, not athletes, actors, actresses or musicians. Nor should the TV. Not to say that sports doesn’t need a little bit of housekeeping itself, but the family structure in general needs help more.
Now that I’ve stepped down off my soapbox (for now), there are reports that the NFL rookie symposium had 100% attendance. That should have been expected with new commissioner Roger Goodell throwing out suspensions like Peyton Manning throws touchdowns. I did not expect that Troy Smith would be engaging Goodell in debate about whether or not the league focuses too much on negative stories. I like that because it’s a sign that Smith is aware of what is going on around him. I just hope that he continues to strive to be one of the success stories, rather than become one of the negative ones.
With the baseball season moving towards the All-Star break, the season has had some surprises. No, I’m not talking about the Yankees not being very good, I’m more so talking about the Brewers leading the Central, the White Sox’s freefall, and how mediocre the NL East is. Also, surprises for this cannot be talked about without mentioning Sammy Sosa. He achieved another milestone, going past the 600 Home Run mark earlier this month. In any other era, that would be an automatic pass into the Hall of Fame. Of course, there has been much speculation that he may not receive first ballot entry. Of course I think that this is ludicrous. The man took a year off, got re-charged and now is back to his old self. The whole steroids issue bugs me anyways. In addition to the extra attention focused on Barry Bonds, I’ve wondered why its always assumed that hitters were the only players using. A power pitcher like Roger Clemens is still playing at the ripe young age of 43 and there isn’t any speculation. I could go play the race card here, which would be very valid, but I will refrain from doing so. However, the fact is that pitchers used just as much as hitters, and all things equal, hitting a baseball is still not easy. I would consider it a travesty if they started to put asterisks by the records these players are achieving. They didn’t put asterisks when the mound was too close or not high enough. So they shouldn’t do it now. I think I’ll stop here before I get all angry and such.
Look for a NBA Draft post later tonight or early tomorrow.
In other sporting news, football season is almost here. The NFL has been in the news year-round unfortunately. From Pacman Jones, to Tank Johnson, NFL players have been making the wrong kind of headlines. Some, more like most to all, of these events are the players own wrong doing. But I’m just sick of the way the players get treated after making a mistake. Apparently everyone else not in the NFL is perfect and never make mistakes. Like NFL players are the only people to drive drunk, or have fights at the club. Yes, I know playing in the NFL is a HUGE privilege and they should be grateful, but I think our society has placed them too high up on a pedestal. And this problem isn’t just in the NFL. Everywhere there are stories about “celebrities” and what they are doing. WHO CARES?!?!?!?!?! Why is it news when Paris Hilton gets out of jail? Why is that on Sportscenter?
When Charles Barkley stated that he was not a role model, I was young, anywhere between 8-12. Even at that age though, I agreed with him. I didn’t look up to him, MJ, or any other athlete when making moral choices. Parents need to raise their children, not athletes, actors, actresses or musicians. Nor should the TV. Not to say that sports doesn’t need a little bit of housekeeping itself, but the family structure in general needs help more.
Now that I’ve stepped down off my soapbox (for now), there are reports that the NFL rookie symposium had 100% attendance. That should have been expected with new commissioner Roger Goodell throwing out suspensions like Peyton Manning throws touchdowns. I did not expect that Troy Smith would be engaging Goodell in debate about whether or not the league focuses too much on negative stories. I like that because it’s a sign that Smith is aware of what is going on around him. I just hope that he continues to strive to be one of the success stories, rather than become one of the negative ones.
With the baseball season moving towards the All-Star break, the season has had some surprises. No, I’m not talking about the Yankees not being very good, I’m more so talking about the Brewers leading the Central, the White Sox’s freefall, and how mediocre the NL East is. Also, surprises for this cannot be talked about without mentioning Sammy Sosa. He achieved another milestone, going past the 600 Home Run mark earlier this month. In any other era, that would be an automatic pass into the Hall of Fame. Of course, there has been much speculation that he may not receive first ballot entry. Of course I think that this is ludicrous. The man took a year off, got re-charged and now is back to his old self. The whole steroids issue bugs me anyways. In addition to the extra attention focused on Barry Bonds, I’ve wondered why its always assumed that hitters were the only players using. A power pitcher like Roger Clemens is still playing at the ripe young age of 43 and there isn’t any speculation. I could go play the race card here, which would be very valid, but I will refrain from doing so. However, the fact is that pitchers used just as much as hitters, and all things equal, hitting a baseball is still not easy. I would consider it a travesty if they started to put asterisks by the records these players are achieving. They didn’t put asterisks when the mound was too close or not high enough. So they shouldn’t do it now. I think I’ll stop here before I get all angry and such.
Look for a NBA Draft post later tonight or early tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
May 23, 2007
It has been an extremely long time since I did a blog. A lot of things have happened in the sports world. The NBA season finished, MLB started, and March Madness occurred. The NBA early draft entry deadline has passed, and now the NBA draft lottery took place.
The draft lottery was held last night and did not go anywhere near the correct form. The teams with the three worst records (Memphis, Boston, and Milwaukee) did not finish in the lottery. Instead they got picks 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively. This caused major uproar in Boston where it was widely hoped Greg Oden would come there and become the second coming of Bill Russell. The situation isn’t as dire in Memphis, where they’re only a season removed from making the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. Basically the only reason Memphis is in the lottery is because Pau Gasol was hurt to begin the year. Milwaukee is also coming off an injury filled season as well.
Now the talk shifts from who will get the first pick to who will be the first pick. Most people around the league think it’s a done deal that Portland will choose Oden first. Me, I’m not so sure. I really think, actually hope that the Blazers really study this pick. Look, you can’t teach size. But Oden won’t be able to push and just be physically better than everyone else in the NBA. His offensive game isn’t polished enough to control the paint in any way other than defense and rebounding. However, after typing that down, Oden seems like the perfect fit for a team that already Brandon Roy, the reigning Rookie of the Year, Zack Randolph, and La Marcus Aldridge. Oden would actually be able to grow without the weight of the franchise on his shoulders.
The second pick of the draft went to the Seattle Sonics, who desperately needed it. The team was recently sold, and there is growing talk the team may be moving to Oklahoma City. With the second pick, they have the opportunity to get Kevin Durant (if Portland takes Oden), who is an instantly marketable face. He took the campus of Texas by storm and there isn’t any reason that he won’t do the same for the city of Seattle. Pair him with Ray Allen, and the Sonics shouldn’t lose 51 games this season.
Well enough on the draft, there will be plenty of talk about that for the next month. I want to vent about the “policing” the NFL has engaged in. The suspension of Adam Jones and Chris Henry, I agree with. If the league does decide to suspend Tank Johnson, I will understand and slightly agree as well. But I ask: where will it end? It seems Michael Vick will be the next athlete caught in the whirlwind.
The issue of dog fighting has me torn. On one hand, I see and understand the cruelty done to the animals. On the other hand, what’s the difference between dog fighting and horse racing? I’ll tell you the difference. The difference is that horse racing brings in millions of dollars through sponsors and television ratings and whatnot. Both are cruel to animals. The only horse that was saved from certain death was Barbaro and even he was “put down”.
Personally I think that this goes into a deeper issue within sports and society. There is a disconnect between most of the players and most of the fans that come watch them. The divide will only get deeper if these athletes are perpetrated to be “hoodlums” by the media, their teams and to some degree the leagues. I understand the nature to clean up sports, but that will fully occur once society gets cleaned up. These athletes are unfortunately continuing behavior that they’ve learned while growing up. And while they should know that their status puts them in a larger spotlight, the fact of the matter is that they appear not to.
Well I want to close that disconnect through my writing. I am just searching for that opportunity. Until next time.
The draft lottery was held last night and did not go anywhere near the correct form. The teams with the three worst records (Memphis, Boston, and Milwaukee) did not finish in the lottery. Instead they got picks 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively. This caused major uproar in Boston where it was widely hoped Greg Oden would come there and become the second coming of Bill Russell. The situation isn’t as dire in Memphis, where they’re only a season removed from making the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. Basically the only reason Memphis is in the lottery is because Pau Gasol was hurt to begin the year. Milwaukee is also coming off an injury filled season as well.
Now the talk shifts from who will get the first pick to who will be the first pick. Most people around the league think it’s a done deal that Portland will choose Oden first. Me, I’m not so sure. I really think, actually hope that the Blazers really study this pick. Look, you can’t teach size. But Oden won’t be able to push and just be physically better than everyone else in the NBA. His offensive game isn’t polished enough to control the paint in any way other than defense and rebounding. However, after typing that down, Oden seems like the perfect fit for a team that already Brandon Roy, the reigning Rookie of the Year, Zack Randolph, and La Marcus Aldridge. Oden would actually be able to grow without the weight of the franchise on his shoulders.
The second pick of the draft went to the Seattle Sonics, who desperately needed it. The team was recently sold, and there is growing talk the team may be moving to Oklahoma City. With the second pick, they have the opportunity to get Kevin Durant (if Portland takes Oden), who is an instantly marketable face. He took the campus of Texas by storm and there isn’t any reason that he won’t do the same for the city of Seattle. Pair him with Ray Allen, and the Sonics shouldn’t lose 51 games this season.
Well enough on the draft, there will be plenty of talk about that for the next month. I want to vent about the “policing” the NFL has engaged in. The suspension of Adam Jones and Chris Henry, I agree with. If the league does decide to suspend Tank Johnson, I will understand and slightly agree as well. But I ask: where will it end? It seems Michael Vick will be the next athlete caught in the whirlwind.
The issue of dog fighting has me torn. On one hand, I see and understand the cruelty done to the animals. On the other hand, what’s the difference between dog fighting and horse racing? I’ll tell you the difference. The difference is that horse racing brings in millions of dollars through sponsors and television ratings and whatnot. Both are cruel to animals. The only horse that was saved from certain death was Barbaro and even he was “put down”.
Personally I think that this goes into a deeper issue within sports and society. There is a disconnect between most of the players and most of the fans that come watch them. The divide will only get deeper if these athletes are perpetrated to be “hoodlums” by the media, their teams and to some degree the leagues. I understand the nature to clean up sports, but that will fully occur once society gets cleaned up. These athletes are unfortunately continuing behavior that they’ve learned while growing up. And while they should know that their status puts them in a larger spotlight, the fact of the matter is that they appear not to.
Well I want to close that disconnect through my writing. I am just searching for that opportunity. Until next time.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
February 6, 2007
Its been a couple of days since the Super Bowl has ended, and I have used this time to really sit back and, free of the emotion of the game, study what happened. Since I do not have access to the coaches’ tape, I can only use what I saw during the game’s telecast. Looking back, I really think that Rex Grossman is getting a raw deal. I definitely am not saying that he played spectacular or even good. At best, he was serviceable. However, how much can you expect from a rookie QB?
That inception he threw is beyond explanation. He blew that play. It was a safe call. If the corner doesn’t bite, throw the ball away or check down. Rex did neither; he forced the ball and then didn’t even get over to stop the Colts from returning it for a score. That second interception was a by-product of the weather. If Rex can do one thing well, its fling the ball around. That ball got caught in the wind and rain, and held up so that Bob Sanders could make the pick.
I am amazed however, at the fact that it’s Rex’s fault that the defense allowed 81 plays!! I mean how is that possible?!?!?!? Rex didn’t allow the Colts to rush for 191 yards and for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. He didn’t allow the Colts to convert on 44% of their third down. Look the Bears played passive defensively; they only sacked Peyton Manning once and rarely sent any type of blitzes at him. Peyton responded by sitting back there and picking the Bears apart. And when they tried to stop the pass, the Colts running game pounded them. It seemed to me as if Lovie was afraid to go after Peyton. I hope not because I think he has the athletes and hitters to punish the Colts. For all of the “physicality” the Colts showed this season. The receivers still moved away from contact during the Super Bowl.
And what about the play calling? On a 2nd & 1 play, when you are having success running the ball, would you call a pass play in the rain? Even after Cedric Benson got hurt, you could still run Thomas Jones and pick up a yard. I think the Bears play calling played a role in Rex playing bad.
To wrap this up, congrats to Peyton, Tony Dungy and all of the Colts. They truly deserved to win the Super Bowl. They survived all of the ups and downs of the season and wound up on top. As for the Bears, they seem to have major issues. First they have to re-sign Coach Lovie Smith. Then they have to either franchise LB Lance Briggs or look to trade him before he hits the free agent market. Also, defensive coordinator Ron Rivera may leave to become either the head coach or defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. And as if the list wasn’t long enough, look for the “Get Rid of Rex” chants to grow louder and louder as we get closer to the draft. That I think would be a safe thing to do. Maybe not a first round QB, but a second and definitely a third. At best, this motivates Rex, who is in the final year of his contract (i.e. money year), who plays more consistent and with the combination of the return of Tommie Harris and Mike Brown plus the still watered down NFC, the Bears could be right back in Super Bowl XLII.
Now that football is on hiatus for awhile, L , we can turn our attention to the NBA. First let’s start with the All Star selections. I think it would be a travesty if Carmelo Anthony is not added to the All-Star team. He is leading the league in scoring. That would be absurd. If it does happen, it will speak to larger problem. A growing divide (and power struggle) between the brass of the league and the players in it. First it was the dress code, then it was the switching and then switching back of the ball. I just hope that both sides remember that without the fans none of them would have a job. I think David Stern will do the right thing and add Carmelo.
As for ‘Melo’s regular team, the Nuggets are in the midst of a bad injury stretch which has comprised the plan for AI and ‘Melo to mesh together. Luckily for them, though it is only early February and the season does not end until April. They don’t have much time to get their act together. Game on Nuggets, Game on.
That inception he threw is beyond explanation. He blew that play. It was a safe call. If the corner doesn’t bite, throw the ball away or check down. Rex did neither; he forced the ball and then didn’t even get over to stop the Colts from returning it for a score. That second interception was a by-product of the weather. If Rex can do one thing well, its fling the ball around. That ball got caught in the wind and rain, and held up so that Bob Sanders could make the pick.
I am amazed however, at the fact that it’s Rex’s fault that the defense allowed 81 plays!! I mean how is that possible?!?!?!? Rex didn’t allow the Colts to rush for 191 yards and for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. He didn’t allow the Colts to convert on 44% of their third down. Look the Bears played passive defensively; they only sacked Peyton Manning once and rarely sent any type of blitzes at him. Peyton responded by sitting back there and picking the Bears apart. And when they tried to stop the pass, the Colts running game pounded them. It seemed to me as if Lovie was afraid to go after Peyton. I hope not because I think he has the athletes and hitters to punish the Colts. For all of the “physicality” the Colts showed this season. The receivers still moved away from contact during the Super Bowl.
And what about the play calling? On a 2nd & 1 play, when you are having success running the ball, would you call a pass play in the rain? Even after Cedric Benson got hurt, you could still run Thomas Jones and pick up a yard. I think the Bears play calling played a role in Rex playing bad.
To wrap this up, congrats to Peyton, Tony Dungy and all of the Colts. They truly deserved to win the Super Bowl. They survived all of the ups and downs of the season and wound up on top. As for the Bears, they seem to have major issues. First they have to re-sign Coach Lovie Smith. Then they have to either franchise LB Lance Briggs or look to trade him before he hits the free agent market. Also, defensive coordinator Ron Rivera may leave to become either the head coach or defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. And as if the list wasn’t long enough, look for the “Get Rid of Rex” chants to grow louder and louder as we get closer to the draft. That I think would be a safe thing to do. Maybe not a first round QB, but a second and definitely a third. At best, this motivates Rex, who is in the final year of his contract (i.e. money year), who plays more consistent and with the combination of the return of Tommie Harris and Mike Brown plus the still watered down NFC, the Bears could be right back in Super Bowl XLII.
Now that football is on hiatus for awhile, L , we can turn our attention to the NBA. First let’s start with the All Star selections. I think it would be a travesty if Carmelo Anthony is not added to the All-Star team. He is leading the league in scoring. That would be absurd. If it does happen, it will speak to larger problem. A growing divide (and power struggle) between the brass of the league and the players in it. First it was the dress code, then it was the switching and then switching back of the ball. I just hope that both sides remember that without the fans none of them would have a job. I think David Stern will do the right thing and add Carmelo.
As for ‘Melo’s regular team, the Nuggets are in the midst of a bad injury stretch which has comprised the plan for AI and ‘Melo to mesh together. Luckily for them, though it is only early February and the season does not end until April. They don’t have much time to get their act together. Game on Nuggets, Game on.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
January 24, 2007
With a little under two weeks before Super Bowl XLI, there will plenty of time to dissect the X’s and O’s of the game. Right now though all eyes should be on the two head coaches, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith. These two head coaches have just made history. They are now the first African American head coaches to lead their teams to a Super Bowl. And it’s only fitting that the two coaches are friends with each other. Actually it’s more than that. It’s a mentor-mentee type of relationship that first began when Dungy hired Smith way back in 1996.
That staff for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is now starting to take shape and many coaches from that staff are starting to shine. In addition to Smith, other coaches from that staff to get jobs include Herman Edwards, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs; Rod Marinelli, head coach of the Detroit Lions; and Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With such a new, young crop of coaches, it’s time to sit back and watch them shine.
In other NFL news, it’s time to once again bid adieu to Bill Parcells. Parcells retired on Monday, for the third time. All indications to a more permanent break from the sideline coaching. Never one to miss an opportunity to talk junk about someone, TO once again trashed someone, taking shots at Parcells saying “We underachieved this year………..”
Now sometimes I defend TO, hell sometimes I agree with TO, but this is out of line. Granted TO is slightly correct. The Cowboys did underachieve, however some of that has to be attributed to the league-leading 18 drops TO had during the year. I know one game personally where his drop affected the outcome (against the Redskins) and I saw numerous drives end with TO drops. TO needs to just rehab his injured finger and try not to drop so many passes next year.
The Raiders finally have a head coach now, which is good. On the other hand though, they have taken a giant risk. Lane Kiffin, though he has good pedigree as a coach and he is succeeding now, has zero NFL coaching experience which makes his hire one giant risk.
The Bumbling Bengals have returned. This time the Bengals are bumbling outside of the playing field. CB Jonathan Joseph became the 9th Bengal’s player arrested in the last nine months, when he was arrested on marijuana possession. His arrest caused Bengals QB Carson Palmer to come out and voice his displeasure about this issue. I applaud Palmer for doing this. He is setting a standard of behavior both on and off the field. What this also does is put pressure on head coach Marvin Lewis and general manager Mike Brown to get players who have good character. We shall see where this issue goes from here.
That staff for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is now starting to take shape and many coaches from that staff are starting to shine. In addition to Smith, other coaches from that staff to get jobs include Herman Edwards, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs; Rod Marinelli, head coach of the Detroit Lions; and Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With such a new, young crop of coaches, it’s time to sit back and watch them shine.
In other NFL news, it’s time to once again bid adieu to Bill Parcells. Parcells retired on Monday, for the third time. All indications to a more permanent break from the sideline coaching. Never one to miss an opportunity to talk junk about someone, TO once again trashed someone, taking shots at Parcells saying “We underachieved this year………..”
Now sometimes I defend TO, hell sometimes I agree with TO, but this is out of line. Granted TO is slightly correct. The Cowboys did underachieve, however some of that has to be attributed to the league-leading 18 drops TO had during the year. I know one game personally where his drop affected the outcome (against the Redskins) and I saw numerous drives end with TO drops. TO needs to just rehab his injured finger and try not to drop so many passes next year.
The Raiders finally have a head coach now, which is good. On the other hand though, they have taken a giant risk. Lane Kiffin, though he has good pedigree as a coach and he is succeeding now, has zero NFL coaching experience which makes his hire one giant risk.
The Bumbling Bengals have returned. This time the Bengals are bumbling outside of the playing field. CB Jonathan Joseph became the 9th Bengal’s player arrested in the last nine months, when he was arrested on marijuana possession. His arrest caused Bengals QB Carson Palmer to come out and voice his displeasure about this issue. I applaud Palmer for doing this. He is setting a standard of behavior both on and off the field. What this also does is put pressure on head coach Marvin Lewis and general manager Mike Brown to get players who have good character. We shall see where this issue goes from here.
January 24, 2007
With a little under two weeks before Super Bowl XLI, there will plenty of time to dissect the X’s and O’s of the game. Right now though all eyes should be on the two head coaches, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith. These two head coaches have just made history. They are now the first African American head coaches to lead their teams to a Super Bowl. And it’s only fitting that the two coaches are friends with each other. Actually it’s more than that. It’s a mentor-mentee type of relationship that first began when Dungy hired Smith way back in 1996.
That staff for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is now starting to take shape and many coaches from that staff are starting to shine. In addition to Smith, other coaches from that staff to get jobs include Herman Edwards, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs; Rod Marinelli, head coach of the Detroit Lions; and Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With such a new, young crop of coaches, it’s time to sit back and watch them shine.
In other NFL news, it’s time to once again bid adieu to Bill Parcells. Parcells retired on Monday, for the third time. All indications to a more permanent break from the sideline coaching. Never one to miss an opportunity to talk junk about someone, TO once again trashed someone, taking shots at Parcells saying “We underachieved this year………..”
Now sometimes I defend TO, hell sometimes I agree with TO, but this is out of line. Granted TO is slightly correct. The Cowboys did underachieve, however some of that has to be attributed to the league-leading 18 drops TO had during the year. I know one game personally where his drop affected the outcome (against the Redskins) and I saw numerous drives end with TO drops. TO needs to just rehab his injured finger and try not to drop so many passes next year.
The Raiders finally have a head coach now, which is good. On the other hand though, they have taken a giant risk. Lane Kiffin, though he has good pedigree as a coach and he is succeeding now, has zero NFL coaching experience which makes his hire one giant risk.
The Bumbling Bengals have returned. This time the Bengals are bumbling outside of the playing field. CB Jonathan Joseph became the 9th Bengal’s player arrested in the last nine months, when he was arrested on marijuana possession. His arrest caused Bengals QB Carson Palmer to come out and voice his displeasure about this issue. I applaud Palmer for doing this. He is setting a standard of behavior both on and off the field. What this also does is put pressure on head coach Marvin Lewis and general manager Mike Brown to get players who have good character. We shall see where this issue goes from here.
That staff for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is now starting to take shape and many coaches from that staff are starting to shine. In addition to Smith, other coaches from that staff to get jobs include Herman Edwards, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs; Rod Marinelli, head coach of the Detroit Lions; and Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With such a new, young crop of coaches, it’s time to sit back and watch them shine.
In other NFL news, it’s time to once again bid adieu to Bill Parcells. Parcells retired on Monday, for the third time. All indications to a more permanent break from the sideline coaching. Never one to miss an opportunity to talk junk about someone, TO once again trashed someone, taking shots at Parcells saying “We underachieved this year………..”
Now sometimes I defend TO, hell sometimes I agree with TO, but this is out of line. Granted TO is slightly correct. The Cowboys did underachieve, however some of that has to be attributed to the league-leading 18 drops TO had during the year. I know one game personally where his drop affected the outcome (against the Redskins) and I saw numerous drives end with TO drops. TO needs to just rehab his injured finger and try not to drop so many passes next year.
The Raiders finally have a head coach now, which is good. On the other hand though, they have taken a giant risk. Lane Kiffin, though he has good pedigree as a coach and he is succeeding now, has zero NFL coaching experience which makes his hire one giant risk.
The Bumbling Bengals have returned. This time the Bengals are bumbling outside of the playing field. CB Jonathan Joseph became the 9th Bengal’s player arrested in the last nine months, when he was arrested on marijuana possession. His arrest caused Bengals QB Carson Palmer to come out and voice his displeasure about this issue. I applaud Palmer for doing this. He is setting a standard of behavior both on and off the field. What this also does is put pressure on head coach Marvin Lewis and general manager Mike Brown to get players who have good character. We shall see where this issue goes from here.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
January 23, 2007
Today I wanted to try something else with my blog. Periodically, I will put up game reports of recent games that I have covered. I always enjoy doing live coverage of a game in any sport. Without further ado, here it is:
Roller Coaster Season Continues
By:Alfons Prince
Roller Coaster Season Continues
By:Alfons Prince
As the calendar moves further in 2007, the UDC Firebirds continue to have a roller coaster season. After starting the season with 7 wins and only 1 loss, the Firebirds lost 3 of their next 5 games, before they started their current five game homestand on January 16th. Heading into their Monday, January 22nd game against West Chester University, UDC has one win against two losses, with their win coming against Felician College.
Though UDC has lost their last two games, the games have been close, and entertaining games; games that have allowed their fans to come out and be able to happily cheer for their team.
The first loss, which took place on January 18th, came against their arch rival, the Virginia Union Panthers. The Panthers first defeated the Firebirds only a week earlier on January 11th, so there was a feeling of revenge as the game began. UDC took advantage of this energy to jump out to an early 6-0 lead. They maintained this distance throughout the first half until a late spurt left UDC ahead at the half with a 33-24 lead. Even though the Firebirds got four 3-point shots from guard Charlie Smallwood, the Panthers were able to keep the game close because of their dominating rebounding edge. At the half, Virginia Union held a 15-3 advantage in 2nd-chance points.
Virginia Union came out hot to begin the second half, going on a 14-5 run to tie the game at 38 with 14:29 left in the game. The two teams then begin to battle each other as neither team took more than a six point lead. The game began to get more chippy and feisty as the referees let play become more physical. An offensive foul call on Antwon Hawkins of UDC gave Virginia Union the ball with 2:26 remaining and a six point lead. Despite a valiant effort, UDC was never able to get any closer as Virginia Union made timely free throws and go on to win 74-69. Although UDC was able to shoot 40% from the field, the Firebirds left too many opportunities at the free throw line where they missed 11 of their 26 free throw attempts. This combined with Virginia Union’s rebound advantage (48-40) provided to be too much for the Firebirds to overcome.
Since the Firebirds are in the middle of a homestand, they did not have time to be down about their previous loss. Two days after the game against Virginia Union, UDC took the court against the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Mountain Cats. The Firebirds once again displayed tremendous heart, however again they lost, this time on a jump shot by Mountain Cat guard Dwight Hines with 8 seconds left. The Firebirds allowed the Cats to shoot 42% from the field and an astonishing 54% from 3-point range.
UDC had a much harder time shooting the ball. While the Firebirds shot a comparable 41% from the field, they only shot 24% from 3-point range. In this game the Firebirds were led in scoring by guard Antwon Hawkins, who had 26 points. Other key contributors were guard Frank Petersen, who added 15 points and forward Willie Shaw, who added 14 points.
With three games left on the current homestand, the Firebirds need to season to begin another upswing. After January 29th, UDC only has two more home games before the end of their regular season. Playing on the road has been a bit of a problem for UDC, evident by the team having lost 3 of the 6 “true” (Non-tournament, holiday or classic) road games. If this team wants to continue their improbable season, they need to finish this season stronger, especially on the road.
I hope that you enjoyed the game recap that I submitted for my blog. Until next time, peace.
Monday, January 08, 2007
January 8, 2007
With the 1st week of 2007 completed, things are not only hot with the weather, but within the sports world as well. The NFL playoffs just finished their opening weekend, providing intriguing match-ups including two divisional games. The NBA has switched back to the old ball for the remainder of the 2007 season and it has interesting storylines such as Allen Iverson now playing for the Denver Nuggets, whether or not the Phoenix Suns can actually win the Western Conference, and is the Eastern Conference really that bad.
In addition to the stories that take place within the lines of play, there have been a couple of important off the field stories. First, I would like to send my heartfelt prayers to the family of Denver Broncos Cornerback (CB) Darrent Williams. Williams was murdered the morning of January 1st in Denver, the victim of a drive-by shooting. When I first heard about this, I felt a couple of different emotions. I immediately felt sadness for both of his families (the Denver Broncos and his blood relatives). Next I felt anger and despair at the fact that the New Year began with the murder of another young black athlete. When we closed 2006 talking about athletes and guns, members of the media wondered, and often asked “Why are athletes making millions of dollars out partying late at night?” Being the ripe old age of 25, I understand both sides of the argument. After a long week of working, you often want to go out and do some partying before the next work week begins. However, everyone who goes out should, actually, must be aware of their surroundings.
In the end, athletes will always be susceptible to this type of violence. A main reason is the way our society is shaped. We place a lot of emphasis on athletes, actors and other entertainers. We study their life, how much money they make, How much they spend, etc, so to me it’s, unfortunately, not really a shock to me when they sadly are attacked or involved in some form of violence. I could go on about this further, but there is more to talk about.
The next major off the field move is Nick Saban and his departure from the Miami Dolphins to the University of Alabama. If you haven’t heard, Nick Saban will be the new coach at the University of Alabama for the 2007 season. He resigned from his former job as Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins on January 3, 2007, after saying, rather emphatically, that he would not do so. There are other circumstances such as the contract ($32 million guaranteed) and Saban’s NFL record (a mediocre 15-17) but the bottom line is that: 1) Saban loved to coach college football; 2) Saban was/is better at coaching college football and 3) the contract was for $32 million dollars guaranteed. I’m sorry but there aren’t a lot of people in the world who wouldn’t switch jobs for $32 million dollars. I think there are some in the Dolphins organization who understand Saban’s decision and of course some who don’t, but if Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga can wish Saban well then the rest of us should……should being the operative word there.
While on the subject of college football, let’s talk about the bowl season. The BCS, though far from perfect, can at least say that they provide great games. The #1 game thus far has been the Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma. The Broncos scored on a hook and ladder (not lateral, thanks Around the Horn © ESPN) play with seven seconds left to tie the game. This was after Oklahoma rallied from a 28-10 deficit to take a 35-28 lead. The suspenseful game continued into the overtime session as Oklahoma scored on their very first play. Boise State once again rallied to score, this time on a Wide Receiver pass on 4th and 2. This time Broncos Coach Chris Petersen decided to go for the two point conversion and the win. He called a modified version of the famed Statue of Liberty play and his players ran it to perfection which allowed Running Back Ian Johnson to run in the winning conversion. Then the storybook ending became complete when Johnson proposed to his girlfriend on the sidelines, who said yes, naturally.
Now if storybook endings aren’t your thing and you like total domination, the BCS has provided that as well. LSU and USC both followed similar blueprints as they defeated their BCS opponents; Notre Dame and Michigan, correspondingly. Both teams had dominant 2nd half performances led by juniors who are expected to leave early for the NFL. (QB JaMarcus Russell for LSU and WR Dwayne Jarrett for USC) Both teams also left themselves open to questions as to why these performances weren’t more prevalent during the season. In any event, both teams turned pre-game thrillers into laughers that tried to make you change the channel.
Wrapping up college football, I think the BCS title game, tonight at 8 PM, has a lot to live up to. I also think that it will live up to that billing. I think that Florida will shock the Buckeyes with their speed, plus the Gators will have a huge chip on their shoulder. Those two factors will allow the Gators to win 31-28.
With each passing year, one hopes to get wiser, contribute a little bit more, and leave a deeper mark. In that spirit I am trying to set this blog in a more concise manner. By the 13th of January, I would like to have a daily format to my blog so that I not only get my opinion out there, but I also touch upon a lot of subjects thus gaining knowledge about that sport and that topic. So that the beginning of my plan for this New Year. Check back later today as I talk about the first round of the NFL Playoffs, the NBA and other issues. Until then peace.
In addition to the stories that take place within the lines of play, there have been a couple of important off the field stories. First, I would like to send my heartfelt prayers to the family of Denver Broncos Cornerback (CB) Darrent Williams. Williams was murdered the morning of January 1st in Denver, the victim of a drive-by shooting. When I first heard about this, I felt a couple of different emotions. I immediately felt sadness for both of his families (the Denver Broncos and his blood relatives). Next I felt anger and despair at the fact that the New Year began with the murder of another young black athlete. When we closed 2006 talking about athletes and guns, members of the media wondered, and often asked “Why are athletes making millions of dollars out partying late at night?” Being the ripe old age of 25, I understand both sides of the argument. After a long week of working, you often want to go out and do some partying before the next work week begins. However, everyone who goes out should, actually, must be aware of their surroundings.
In the end, athletes will always be susceptible to this type of violence. A main reason is the way our society is shaped. We place a lot of emphasis on athletes, actors and other entertainers. We study their life, how much money they make, How much they spend, etc, so to me it’s, unfortunately, not really a shock to me when they sadly are attacked or involved in some form of violence. I could go on about this further, but there is more to talk about.
The next major off the field move is Nick Saban and his departure from the Miami Dolphins to the University of Alabama. If you haven’t heard, Nick Saban will be the new coach at the University of Alabama for the 2007 season. He resigned from his former job as Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins on January 3, 2007, after saying, rather emphatically, that he would not do so. There are other circumstances such as the contract ($32 million guaranteed) and Saban’s NFL record (a mediocre 15-17) but the bottom line is that: 1) Saban loved to coach college football; 2) Saban was/is better at coaching college football and 3) the contract was for $32 million dollars guaranteed. I’m sorry but there aren’t a lot of people in the world who wouldn’t switch jobs for $32 million dollars. I think there are some in the Dolphins organization who understand Saban’s decision and of course some who don’t, but if Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga can wish Saban well then the rest of us should……should being the operative word there.
While on the subject of college football, let’s talk about the bowl season. The BCS, though far from perfect, can at least say that they provide great games. The #1 game thus far has been the Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma. The Broncos scored on a hook and ladder (not lateral, thanks Around the Horn © ESPN) play with seven seconds left to tie the game. This was after Oklahoma rallied from a 28-10 deficit to take a 35-28 lead. The suspenseful game continued into the overtime session as Oklahoma scored on their very first play. Boise State once again rallied to score, this time on a Wide Receiver pass on 4th and 2. This time Broncos Coach Chris Petersen decided to go for the two point conversion and the win. He called a modified version of the famed Statue of Liberty play and his players ran it to perfection which allowed Running Back Ian Johnson to run in the winning conversion. Then the storybook ending became complete when Johnson proposed to his girlfriend on the sidelines, who said yes, naturally.
Now if storybook endings aren’t your thing and you like total domination, the BCS has provided that as well. LSU and USC both followed similar blueprints as they defeated their BCS opponents; Notre Dame and Michigan, correspondingly. Both teams had dominant 2nd half performances led by juniors who are expected to leave early for the NFL. (QB JaMarcus Russell for LSU and WR Dwayne Jarrett for USC) Both teams also left themselves open to questions as to why these performances weren’t more prevalent during the season. In any event, both teams turned pre-game thrillers into laughers that tried to make you change the channel.
Wrapping up college football, I think the BCS title game, tonight at 8 PM, has a lot to live up to. I also think that it will live up to that billing. I think that Florida will shock the Buckeyes with their speed, plus the Gators will have a huge chip on their shoulder. Those two factors will allow the Gators to win 31-28.
With each passing year, one hopes to get wiser, contribute a little bit more, and leave a deeper mark. In that spirit I am trying to set this blog in a more concise manner. By the 13th of January, I would like to have a daily format to my blog so that I not only get my opinion out there, but I also touch upon a lot of subjects thus gaining knowledge about that sport and that topic. So that the beginning of my plan for this New Year. Check back later today as I talk about the first round of the NFL Playoffs, the NBA and other issues. Until then peace.
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