One Man's Plea

Dear Mr. Billy Knight,

As the only Atlanta Hawks supporter that I'm aware of in my life at this moment, I am writing to request a little bit of effort on your part. Currently, there is a hall-of-fame level point guard who distributes, rebounds, defends, and runs with the best of them in this league on the market for a reduced price. His name is Jason Kidd. I have read more than one report today confirming what I already suspected in that, Mr. Kidd's services are very much within reach for the Hawks for a simple package of Josh Childress, Expiring Deals, and either Shelden Williams or draft picks. I feel this is a very reasonable price to pay to be an immediate home-court contender in the Eastern Conference. Please respect my opinion and get out of your chair and make some calls. Thank you

Brad

K-State, Bedard, etc.

• K-State in a mild upset over Kansas last night...yes, Kansas was undefeated but K-State has 2 of the most talented players (and maybe the best player) in the country in Michael Beasley and Bill Walker...and somehow I missed this before...but Beasley GUARANTEED a victory? wow....ballsy....well played sir
• Apparently the Orioles are trying to extend Erik Bedard now that Peter Angelos rejected the deal for the time-being....random
• Can't wait to see how wrong the all-star reserves list are....always a good time (named today)
• Keep hearing this 3-way trade for Jason to Kidd to end up in Dallas by way of Portland....I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to 3-way in season deals
• NBA Recap: Little breakout game for Al Thornton in a home win over the hawks (33 points)..good to see a guy who was supposed to NBA-ready coming into his own (he's already 23 after all)......Al Jefferson is officially a legit 20-20 threat every night (26-20 last night vs chicago) and an absolute beast.....Lebron with the killer down the stretch @ Portland...not shocking...he's absolutely unstoppable off the dribble and if he can ever find the shooting stroke....GL to the world
• RC Buford to the rescue.....for those of you who don't know who that is (probably 99% of the population) He's the GM for the San Antonio Spurs and once again pulls a rabbit out of his hat getting Damon Stoudamire to Texas to help cope with the loss of Tony Parker for an extended time...really like the move even for when Tony Parker gets back because it means no more Jacque Vaughn......That said, the Spurs need Parker sooner rather than later because Damon's a nice stop-gap but this certainly isn't the same team without parker full-strength as the 3rd scorer/main ball handler

More later....

Who wins in a fight?

Okay...so me and Ryan have this ongoing debate concerning who would win a fight between Austin Daye and Micah Downs of Gonzaga? They are both listed at ridiculously skinny heights/weights (Daye 6'10, 190 and Downs 6'8 180) Above are their pictures.....the 1st one is Micah Downs (#22 in the middle)...and the 2nd one is Daye (skinny on the right).....Please comment with your opinion

1/30/08: NBA Recap, Santana, Barbaro, etc.

• First...had a little time to digest Santana to the Mets (although people need to realize this deal isn't all the way done...still has to sign a deal); Granted, the mets just got infinitely better; but the rest of that rotation is one giant question mark led by noone knowing which Pedro is going to be there....Little less scared than yesterday, but Santana makes the Mets the clear front-runner in the NL East
• Barbaro's ashes to be spread at Churchill Downs......In one of the most worthless sports stories that I can ever remember, this is STILL being talked about....Horse racing is dead....no one cares....
• Every analyst I saw last night/this morning seems to be shocked by Seattle beating San Antonio at home last night....don't put me on that list.....SA was playing without Parker (meaning 30+ minutes) for Jacque Vaughn..and it was in Seattle...yawn
• I have no problem with Plax Burress's score prediction....is he really supposed to say they're gonna lose? Granted, I'd never advise someone to do this, but zero issue with it
• Greg Anthony was in the outlandish business last night on NBA Coast to Coast....ranging from totally throwing Lawrence Frank (Head Coach of the Nets) under the bus to calling the Miami Heat's performance last night "the worst of the decade"....umm, damn Greg....Miami was utterly atrocious losing by 30 at home to Boston without KG and Allen...but wow...so strong....That type of short memory makes me look cautious with my statements
• Some rumored deals for Jason Kidd don't make sense to me....but the deal all over ESPN with Kidd going to the Lakers for Odom, Vujacic and Crittendon does.....except when you factor in that the Lakers CANNOT trade Odom with Bynum out 2 months....it just cant happen
• I played against Senario Hillman (Guard at Alabama) in high school....wow....he's just openly dunking on people lately....For the record I've never seen anyone outside of Josh Smith at McEachern or Louis Williams jump like Hillman does LIVE on the court with me
• Get well soon Mike Wilbon....

More later....

Santana

Insert Expletive-laden tirade here.....Mets get Johan Santana....trouble for the braves in that the mets DIDN'T ALTER THEIR MAJOR LEAGUE ROSTER AT ALL.....effectively...this offseason the mets just dealt tom glavine for johan santana...and oh yea...they were better than the braves last year

NCAA Final Four, etc

Had a little dialogue with my confidant Ryan last night and decided to come up (with a little research) with my Final 4 predictions officially.....First off I wanna say that stats are a little less applicable in College because they are skewed with bad out-of-conference games, etc. So I won't cite alot of them here...

1. UCLA- first of all, this is the team I'd most hate to play in the country....best defensive team in the land (possibly challenged by Pitt or G-Town) and Kevin Love might be the best COLLEGE basketball player in the land (just has no upside). I feel like this team isn't necessarily the most talented, but they are extremely well-coached and their defensive-mindedness keeps them in every game. 
2. Kansas- This team is absolutely loaded.....I'm slightly skeptical of them because of their previous tourney experience (bill self terrifies me) but too much talent (especially at the guards) force my hand here....the tournament is all about guards and they have a wealth of them plus the experience of Brandon Rush and a deep frontcourt; Also, there are some serious battles in the Big 12 that will prepare them for tourney-like defensive play
3. Memphis- This team usually frightens me because of their conference schedule being so soft but Calipari went out of his way to schedule a wealth of sick non-conference games to prepare his team....Most athletic team in the country and they can press anyone at anytime plus have the ball-handlers and maybe the best Guard tandem in the Country in CDR and Derrick Rose.....Calipari is a very experienced mind who has this team running all over most people, and even though I have my doubts about their late-game close play (I.E. free throw shooting); I can't go away from them here
4. Washington State- First off....I took forever with this pick because I feel like the other 3 teams were locks for me and there were a bunch of teams with flaws that wouldn't allow me to go with them here.....Washington State is clearly the least talented team on this list but probably the most experienced and are very well-coached. The scales tip for me because of the experienced and steady guard play they get out of Derick Low and Kyle Weaver...Also, I think this team sets up for the tournament because they excel in the half-court as well as on the defensive end

Barely Missed and Why:

• Duke- Very talented..not enough size for me and Greg Paulus kills them regularly late in games....if one of the big guys stands up and plays with a pulse, they could be higher....also lack a go-to guy...Nelson almost gets there but he's a horrific FT shooter and has trouble against zone defenses because he is a mediocre shooter
• North Carolina- extremely deep...but depth is also a curse for inability to go to a cut and dry rotation in the tournament.....Also, I don't think they have the go-to guy down the stretch (its not hansborough) and I dont believe they have the experience necessary....That said, they have the most athletes of anyone as well as going 10 and sometimes 11 deep has its advantages...wouldn't surprise me if they made the final 4
• Georgetown- I originally picked them to make the Final 4 but was swayed by their lack of a go-to guy...also, I'm not a Roy Hibbert fan at all....I'm drawn to them b/c of their defense and depth at the guard sports...Elite 8 team

Almost posted a full-scale Tiger Woods vs. Roger Federer breakdown....I.e. Dr. Jack Ramsey....maybe another day

Media Day, NBA Roundup, Etc.

• Go ahead and get it out of the way here...Media Day entertains me from a non-sports perspective (ex: Ray Buchanan and Shannon Sharpe going at it in 1998, etc.) but from a pure sports standpoint its 99% irrelevant so i won't cover it
• Man Chris Paul is good....people keep sleeping on the Hornets and they went and beat up on another west playoff team in Denver last night....If they only had some frontcourt depth, I'd be real scared of them
• I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Big West game (Pacific vs Cal Poly) last night on the duece....Props to the Network for putting it on for people like me and Ryan
• Warriors sign Chris Webber....not quite as opposed as I was earlier in the week thanks to a couple people for putting rational arguments out there (Chris Sheridan, Ryan, John Hollinger)
• Speaking of Hollinger....his playoff odds thing is up again (I had forgotten about it)...and the spurs are only 75% to make the playoffs? ummm...what? (The hawks are 68% for reference)....the only chance the spurs have of missing the playoffs is Duncan going down for like 25-30 games....In his defense, its a purely stat-based system so clearly there are flaws here
• Erik Bedard deal hasnt happened yet...paging Peter Angelos.....He's known for declining deals his baseball people endorse...damn owners
• Upset in CBB: St. Mary's (the only challenger to Gonzaga) goes down in a game most people don't care about but I wouldve watched had it been on TV.....slight degration for them
• Oh yea...Rod Thorn....rid yourself of Jason Kidd....he doesn't wanna be there and I really hope he can compete for a title......Man, I wish Vince Carter didnt have that ridiculous deal that makes him immovable
• Last thing....Really Weird saga with Rich Rodriguez and his buyout from WV.....I've been following this from obvious Michigan fan reasons....Looks like he's gonna finally pay some but there's def. shadyness going on....I'm not excited about this type of behavior even if it's not his fault necessarily

More later....

NBA Recap, Clemens, Al Davis, etc.

• Funniest story of the weekend for me was Al Davis asking Lane Kiffin to resign.....word? He shouldn't have been hired in the first place IMO...but Davis was the one who hired him and who in their right mind would resign when they could just wait to be fired and collect their money? Al is a thousand years old...just ride off into the sunset
• Was alerted this morning (and later corroborated by Dan Shanoff) that the Mariners are about to trade for Erik Bedard....Ryan's skeptical...I'm not but only if they can lock him down long-term...any prospect that I've actually heard of has to be kind of a big deal
• Roger Clemens' Lawyer put together a huge rebuttal report on his boy.....funny....how bout just..i dunno...testifying under oath? or...talking to George Mitchell?
• NBA Wrap: Hedo with the killer! Real nice step-back for the win for Orlando in a semi-interesting game....New Orleans smashes the Spurs....wow...didnt see that coming.....The Hawks delivered another epic (ho-hum) collapse blowing a 19-point 2nd half lead in Portland...not shocked, still angered....Just utterly stopped defending....Okay I'm done
• Some pretty good college games this weekend (Zags/Memphis was semi-disappointing)...Florida's better than I thought, Duke stood up to Maryland's best punch, UConn impressed me alot on the road at Indiana....just miscellaneous thoughts really

More Later...

Webber

Okay...bout to rant here....

Why in God's name would a contender want Chris Webber? He's a career loser...can't run up and down (drags his leg behind him)...has no lift....can't defend because he can't move....It makes no sense..ESPECIALLY for Golden State (his rumored destination covered on sportscenter today) because they run CONSTANTLY and he can't run with them for even 15 min a game.....and before you ask, yes, i hate chris webber....but i think i'm right either way here

NBA Midseason Report, Pt. 3 (Final)

Aight...We've reached the end of the midseason report....Basically just awards and Some playoff seeding predictions...Enjoy

AWARDS:

• MVP-Kobe Bean....Yea, I know bynum played better...but that roster shouldnt have a top 4 record in the West...and he's the best player in the league not named Duncan; Enjoy
• Rookie of The Year- Kevin Durant....Almost went Horford here but he's regressed a lil lately....Durant the popular choice because of the scoring but he isnt efficient at all yet...needs to put weight on and take smarter shots (part of this isnt his fault b/c the sonics have no scorers)
• Defensive Player of the year- No selection....I'm not gonna act like I know who this award should go to...and neither should anyone else.....Props to Camby, Chandler, Bowen, and the usual suspects
• First Team All-NBA (Positions Please....none of this G, G, F, F stuff)........PG-Paul(sorry steve), SG-Kobe, SF-Lebron, PF-Duncan, C-Dwight.....not hard picks there
• 2nd team......PG-Nash, SG-AI (closest and worst position), SF-Dirk, PF-KG, C-Yao
• East Projected Seeding: 1) Boston, 2) Detroit, 3) Toronto, 4) Cleveland, 5) Orlando, 6) Washington, 7) Atlanta, 8) Chicago (yes, still marginal faith in them)
• West Projected Seeding: 1) Phoenix, 2) SA, 3) Dallas, 4) NO, 5) LAL, 6) Utah, 7) Denver, 8) Golden State.....i'm sorry to Portland and houston who are top 3-4 teams in the East, no justice
• Boston over Chicago, Detroit over Atlanta, Toronto over Washington, Cleveland over Orlando
• Phoenix over GS in 7, SA over Denver, Utah over Dallas (upset), and LAL with Bynum back full-strength over NO
• Boston over Cleveland (For the record, i think boston's picking up a vet before the playoffs, Cassell or someone), Detroit over Toronto
• LAL over Phoenix, SA over Utah
• Boston over Detroit, SA over LAL
• SA over Boston...I can't pick against Timmy D....Ever.....

Last Second add-in/oversight....Coach of the Year...Byron Scott....not close

Super Bowl Boycott, Federer, CBB, etc.

• Okay, from this point until at least Friday of next week....I'm boycotting Super Bowl coverage on TV...BRADY IS PLAYING STOP IT! okay, i'm calm
• CBB Recap: Arizona beats Wazzu in a mild upset at home....Doesn't surprise me really as Arizona has loads of talent, just has to put it all together and they can beat anyone on any night...........UCLA fights back and takes care of Oregon in a game I only caught the second half of but very entertaining....Malik Hairston was going off until cramping and that could've changed the outcome had he been full-strength; Also, Kevin Love is an animal with 26 and 18 (breaking the UCLA freshman record for boards in a game)
• Update on OJ Mayo: Tim Floyd takes responsibility....good to see a coach not throw his guy under the bus...props to Tim Floyd (except for that whole thing about running the Chicago Bulls into the ground...story for another day)
• Roger FEDERER Loses????!?! Rarity but when it happens its definitely news (especially when its not to Nadal)...I won't cover alot of tennis here but anytime Federer (the Tiger Woods of Tennis) loses on a hardcourt...its definitely worth mentioning
• NBA All-Star Starters Announced.....Only real surprise was AI's last-minute comeback in the voting to pass T-Mac.....Iverson shouldn't start either but he's definitely more deserving than T-Mac

Actual Starters:

West: Iverson, Kobe, Melo, Duncan, Yao..............East: Kidd, Wade, Lebron, KG, Dwight

Guys that should be starting IMO:

West: Paul (slight over Nash), Kobe, Boozer, Duncan, Yao........East: Billups, Wade (begrudgingly), Lebron, KG, Dwight

Not the best the fans have ever done...but certainly not the worst (YAY NO SHAQ!)

• Big weekend of college basketball...I'll be watching for the majority of Saturday.....Go Zags and Blue Devils......More Later.....

NBA Midseason Report, Pt. 2

This part of the midseason report will target players mostly...less team talk for now

BREAKOUT SEASONS (In no Order):

• Richard Jefferson- In the shadows of Kidd and Carter, Jefferson has been the best player on the Nets this year and he's enjoying his best season averaging 23.7 per and picking up the load from Carter...That said, this is a bad team, so all stats should be taken with a grain of salt
• Chris Paul- Yes, I know he was already a very good player...but now he's a GREAT player and I believe he's the best PG in the league (Nash is clearly right there, but I digress)....Leading the hornets to a high potential seed in the West while averaging 20 and 10 dimes per; He's absolutely unguardable off the dribble and his jumper is improving still (while already very solid)
• Al Jefferson- McHale must have seen this coming (and he was big at the end of last year in Boston) but he's the lone consistent option for Minnesota averaging 21 and 12 and he absolutely exploded for 39 and 15 last night against PHX in a win (Wow). He's the only reason the Garnett trade won't be a top 5 worst all-time deal because Jefferson is without question a top 5 young Big in the L.
• Rudy Gay- Let me preface this with the fact that I don't like his game at all.....but Gay has put together some consistent numbers (nearly 20 ppg) and at times has been Memphis's best player with Pau somewhat scuffling
• Hedo Turkoglu- This one made me laugh aloud at its inclusion initially...until you realize he is averaging 19 and 6 for the playoff-bound Magic and has been a legitimate 3rd scorer for them....Take it for what it's worth
• Andrew Bynum- Hurt my heart when he went down...the league needs centers and he has already become a huge factor in the middle and one of the best legit centers in the league....wishing him a speedy recovery, GO HELP KOBE OUT!

Couple guys nearly made this list but outside circumstances kept them off: John Salmons (the return of their big 3), Monta Ellis, Brandon Roy (he was already very good), Travis Outlaw (need more consistency), and Mo Williams

GUYS WHO HAVE TAKEN A STEP BACK:

• Kirk Hinrich- See post below this one....This year has been a marked regression (although the numbers from the first month of the year are weighing him down); Unexplainable really has his shooting numbers have always been adequate to good for a PG; I expect a small resurgence
• Vince Carter- Yes, he's always an enigma...but I think he's having his worst season since his rookie year and seems to be lacking (once again) the passion to play
• Lebron James- Just kidding......
• Lamar Odom- This coincides with Bynum's explosion onto the scene but Odom has seen a sizable dip in production..should be interesting to see if he responds in Bynum's extended absence.

More later including Midseason Awards and Playoff Seeding Predictions....

Tiger, Mayo, NBA Recap, etc.

• Looks like most of the country missed the CBB game of the year so far....Baylor wins in 5OT over Texas A&M; Highlights seem pretty outstanding...a shame for sure that most of the country missed it
• I have no problem whatsoever with OJ Mayo taking ticks from Carmelo Anthony to a game....Melo's not recruiting him; they're friends....No outrage necessary
• Falcons officially hire Mike Smith- Skepticism ensues.....I'm not totally opposed to this hire (lack of knowledge on the guy really) and noone else was jumping on the job so I give him the benefit of the doubt for now....and wow, Marcellus Wiley went a little overboard I thought...def. scared me
• NBA Recap: Kirk Hinrich Lives! I have a running dialogue about how bad he's been this year with my friend and mental equal Ryan so it was good to see Hinrich come strong with 38 pts, 7 rebs, 10 dimes....hopefully a sign of a recovery for him; Josh Smith came with another tantalizing good line/bad game performance hanging a triple double (and nearly a 5x5) in a loss and committing SEVEN game-killing turnovers in the process....It's a nightly battle for me on Smith as he will drive a fan crazy with his mental mistakes....Jose Calderon is a beast....another 20+ 10+ dimes game for the guy I've always maintained is the best PG on that team (even with a healthy Ford) and a top 10-12 PG in the league at this point
• Jim Brown calls out Tiger Woods on his reaction to Kelly Tilghman....word? It's Woods friend...so I can't see him throwing her under the bus at any point but I guess I can see the outrage from some older African-Americans because "lynch" is just not a word that should be used....ever.....maybe this will spur Tiger to speak out more...but i doubt it.
• Apparently Miami is listening to offers for the #1 pick......Shocking.....Oh really? You want to trade the #1 pick for more picks in a year where there is no clear #1? Vintage...

More later...

NBA Mid-Season Recap Part 1 (Team Surprises)

I'm gonna split this up into different parts or it'll be incredibly long....

TEAM SURPRISES:

New Orleans- This one doesn't surprise me much as I am a huge Chris Paul supporter (damn you Billy Knight) but their current record outshines most anyone's expectations for their arrival. David West is one of the most underrated players in the L and Tyson Chandler does exactly what they need him to do (defend, rebound, dunk). Wouldn't surprise me if they went on a semi-deep playoff run on the back of Paul.

Portland- This one is a shock to most people...the youngest team in the league and showing up on a nightly basis....Clearly defined roles help this team out (I saw them live monday and was impressed) with the only real downfall being the point guard situation with the 3-headed monster of Steve Blake, Jarrett Jack and Sergio Rodriguez (none of which is an NBA starter). Brandon Roy is a jack-of-all trades type of guy who really does it all for this team and carries them on nights where Lamarcus Aldridge disappears without warning. Travis Outlaw is in the running for Most Improved Player and proving people like me wrong.....I wouldn't bank on a long playoff run but when Oden gets there next year....really dangerous team

Washington- The record itself isnt the surprise here....but the ability to play without Gilbert Arenas surprises most people (including me to the point where I'm not sure they arent better off without him....dont kill me Ryan). Caron Butler is playing at an all-star level and with some help from Antawn Jamison they are solidly in the playoff picture awaiting Agent Zero's return.

Miami- No, I did not think it was a very good team this year...but the fall from grace for the Heat has been shockingly fast....Shaq is a shell of himself and the additions of Ricky Davis, et. al haven't worked....Also the most unwatchable team in the league IMO and a waste of D-Wade's skill set

Atlanta- Let me preface this by saying i'm not surprised this team is currently in the playoffs (I'm a hawks fan) but a majority of people are shocked by this team's appearance as a playoff contender; The roster is talented (especially the wing depth which is the best in the L) but there is still the glaring hole at the point guard position. The 3-man PG rotation of the crafty vet Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue and the rookie Acie Law isn't working for a playoff team in the NBA. An average NBA starting point guard would put this team in the top 5 in the East IMO. That said, the hawks are a mild surprise and should be in the backend of the East Playoffs for the first time since 1996-1997 (Insert Laughter Here).

Couple More Mild surprises for me:

Cleveland- I have no idea how this roster is competitive...Lebron's really really good

Chicago- Not a big fan of the roster makeup (no post scoring, etc.) but they shouldn't be this bad in the East

Seattle- Didn't see this as a playoff team but at 9-32 either

More Later....

Terrelle Pryor, Majerus, Brady's Foot, The Falcons' Supposed Hire, etc.

• Rick Majerus is in the news for all the wrong reasons...He's being called out by the Archbishop of Saint Louis for making his views on abortion known at a Hillary Clinton Rally...Apparently his personal opinion isn't in line with the school he coaches for (SLU)....ummm, this is news why? The archbishop needs to go ahead and let this one go b/c Majerus isn't going anywhere (he's the best thing to happen to that program in years) and although the institution is private (as are many others who wouldn't care at all) they shouldn't think they can sanction their BASKETBALL COACH of all people on his views
• Okay, I'm done with the whole Tom Brady in a walking boot thing....that said, I really was taken aback by Mike Greenberg (of Mike and Mike fame) and his take that he thinks Brady is faking....umm, hadnt thought about it that way? If he is faking, I think it's brilliant as it's not going to distract the patriots at all and he is probably enjoying every minute of it. If he's not faking, who cares? its a walking boot, he was seen walking without it and there's TWO WEEKS TIL THE GAME...rant over
• As I was sitting in class this morning, the falcons supposedly have decided to hire Jacksonville D-C Mike Smith as their head coach....I am an unabashed Atlanta sports enthusiast (the only one left it seems) and this hire..umm..does nothing for me. Why drag out a search for weeks and weeks and still not make a splash at all? This is the best you can come up with? I don't know anything about Mike Smith as a football coach...he could very well be a good one...but i'm uninspired for now and the Falcons just dropped another notch in my consciousness....paging Mike Singletary.....
• This Reggie Bush story needs to have more legs....it could end with a loss of national titles and the heisman and NOONE is talking about it....
• Wow...Reading one of my staple blogs this morning (MGoBlog written by Brian Cook) and came across a rumor mill consisting of a wide-ranging pull implicating a Pennsylvania Rich business man possibly in conjunction with Ohio State's recruiting of #1 Prospect QB Terrelle Pryor...hmmmm....Full writeup at mgoblog.blogspot.com

More Later....

Game on

Okay, I've decided to take this on semi-full time.....Sports covered here will be mostly relegated to (but not 100%) college/pro football, college/pro basketball, and MLB with maybe a lil golf sprinkled in. Hockey couldn't interest me less and the same goes for auto racing. Sorry? Haha......Starting this week (likely tomorrow) I will be trying to get some thoughts up daily....Good luck to us all

Possible Introduction

For now...a link to Ryan's; I may start letting the world in my mind on sports soon....

http://indiesports.blogspot.com