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.
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