Saturday, November 29, 2008

An NBA overview....

I got to looking at the state of the NBA right now....and here are my thoughts.....First from a player standpoint
  • Dwyane Wade is a consensus Top-3 player in the league at the moment with Kobe and Lebron....this was debatable (for sure) prior to this year due to injury, etc....but he's made the leap back to the conversation....and for my money, he's playing better than Kobe is so far this year (no, he isn't the better player, slow your roll)
  • Umm....I need more Chris Bosh talk.....27.7 points and 10.5 boards almost a quarter into the year....that's legit folks....With apologies to Tim Duncan, he may be the NBA 1st-team PF if the season ended today
  • Other guys that need more love: Danny Granger, Stephen Jackson, John Salmons, Devin Harris.....all 4 guys are tearing it up to clips that they need to be discussed
  • Here's a list of the #5 thru #10 ALL-TIME CAREER LEADERS in 3-point field goals made....ready? 5. Eddie Jones, 6. Tim Hardaway, 7. Nick Van Exel, 8. Peja, 9. Antoine Walker, 10. Jason Kidd.........Other than Peja, how IN THE WORLD are these other 5 guys on this list? My head is spinning.....
  • Was there any doubt that Baron Davis would take a step back after a contract extension?
  • Has there ever been a guy who did less outside of scoring than Ben Gordon? He's a 6'1 (sorry, he's not 6'3) 2 guard who can't handle or distribute....sigh
  • This is the best rookie class since the 03 draft....Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, and Michael Beasley (and obviously Greg Oden, more on him in a second), get the love......but guys like Rudy Fernandez, Marc Gasol, DJ Augustin, Jason Thompson, Brook Lopez and even George Hill are playing very, very well.....
  • That brings me back to Oden.....can we all agree he'll never be an elite offensive option now? Thanks....I like what he brings on defense and rebounding obviously, but the Blazers inexplicably get worse when he's on the floor....it's a small sample size though so I'll hold off

Okay...more team-orientated stuff now....

  • I honestly cannot tell how Orlando wins games.....yes, Dwight is good and they have great scoring forwards.....but there's no depth....and literally....NO guardplay to speak of....and yet they're 12-4....inexplicable....some of it is schedule so I'm hoping I can either figure out what's happening or they'll fall off.....That said, Dwight Howard's 21, 14, and 4 blocks is patently insane....
  • Miami still intrigues me....they have the scorers....I think it depends on what they get from Mario Chalmers going forward on whether they hold onto a playoff spot....
  • I left New York and New Jersey for dead....I was wrong.....so far....I think New York is actually sustainable pending injury concerns.....They're getting alot from Wilson Chandler and the swingmen....but I hated the trade for them....so I think they probably fall off....New Jersey is directly tied to the health of Devin harris and the suddenly inspired play from VC...i don't trust him for a second lol
  • Swing and miss on Philly for me.....but Patting myself on the back for Washington....I'll break even lol

To the West....

  • Phoenix is better than I thought....7-2 on the road is darn good....but this whole rest Shaq every time they have a back-to-back thing is kinda weird....Amare's playing at a high level but Nash CANNOT get hurt.....that goes without saying
  • Denver is a nice story...I didn't like the deal for them initially but I'm looking wrong....Billups has brought a little floor leadership.....if George Karl would just put JR Smith on the floor, I'd like them more.....The key for me is Nene's health...he's a heckuva player up front but has no healthy track record to speak of
  • 2 title contenders....2 different routes....New Orleans has started slow (9-6) and look to have regressed after last season....too early to tell but some teams never really get over that 2nd round bubble....Still love what Mr. Paul is doing.....and then there's San Antonio....Also 9-6....but 9-6 exceeds almost all expectations when Parker has missed 10+ games and so has Ginobili....Roger Mason has played well and they've gotten good production from George Hill and Mike Finley....but it's all about Timmy D folks....
  • The Team Kevin Durant Plays for is worse than I thought.....and that says alot....
  • Mike Dunleavy has personnel power.....and head coach status...only guy in the league....correlation to them being bad? I'm just saying.....Camby doesn't fit.....Baron's not playing well or hard....On the bright side, Eric Gordon should see the floor extensively now and that can't hurt.....I'd whole-heartedly argue against them dealing Kaman (as rumored) but I don't think they can get rid of Camby and Randolph isn't moving again I wouldn't imagine....seems like a destined logjam
  • After all that....there are 3 favorites for the title (Boston, LA and Cleveland)....LA is by far the most talented and today, I'd still pick them.....The only other legit threats IMO are Utah (when all the way healthy), New Orleans (ditto), and San Antonio IF they make a move and give the Big 3 some help....that's it....so don't get your hopes up.....lol
  • Oh yea...I am really excited about the Hawks in case you were wondering....I could probably write a thousand words on just them....but I'll save that....just know that Josh Smith can't get back fast enough....

Friday, November 28, 2008

11/28: A Thanksgiving Dud....

Well...that was an uneventful day....here's what transpired in my head....
  • Either the Lions run D is as bad as I've heard, or Chris Johnson is Walter Payton....either one....lol I'm gonna lean toward the former....
  • I can't believe that my preseason NFC West pick is actually 2-10....That doesn't make sense even knowing Seneca Wallace started half the games...
  • I won't claim to have seen the Arizona/Philly game (die Charter Cable)....but that score baffled me....Arizona can't legitimately claim to be an NFC contender playing pass D like they did last night....They're gonna win the NFC West by default, but I'd bet money that the Wild card will be favored over them in the playoffs....And....Welcome back Donovan and Brian Westbrook....nice to have you back at the party
  • Texas A&M is flat out abysmal...I have no idea why one of the most well-funded, prominent programs in the country gets to be this bad for a number of years (insert Michigan joke here but realize that was one year with a new scheme)....College Station is the picture of a college town and they have millions of dollars behind that program along with fantastic facilities....inexplicable to have that lack of talent, especially on defense
  • Knicks suspend Steph Marbury for refusing to enter the game.....For once, I'm with the angry player on this one....don't tell me I'm gonna be inactive for reasons other than performance then wanna put me in the game when it suits you....no thanks
  • If they had announced prior that Michael Curry would've made the Pistons practice Thanksgiving morning, what would have been the betting line on Allen Iverson skipping it? I would've laid 3 to 1 on it....lol
  • I really like Gonzaga this year....very balanced....talent everywhere.....This isn't your dad's Gonzaga.....I'm on the limb that this is one of the 5 deepest/most talented teams in the nation....if they defend when they need to, this is a definite final four contender....
  • Line of the night in the NBA: JR Smith.....32 minutes, 13-21 FG, 5-9 3pt, 32 points, 5 boards, 4 dimes.....and he doesn't start in favor of......Dahntay Jones....kill me George Karl
  • The Wizards are becoming a laughing stock....any team that starts the immortal Dee Brown at point guard can't be taken seriously by me....On a brighter note, it's great to see Etan Thomas play and play effectively....his story of coming back from heart surgery has been buried, and I'll help bring it to light
Enjoy the day

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Weekend Football Preview: Thanksgiving Edition!

Happy Thanksgiving folks....let's get it poppin
First....as always....THE PICKS

YTD (Entering): 43-42-3
  • Virginia +8 over Va. Tech....ACC is too topsy-turvy...
  • Oregon +3 over Oregon State....No Jacquizz Rodgers....no Pac-10 Title
  • Notre Dame +32 over USC....This number just looks outlandish lol....
  • Fresno State +21 over Boise State....sense the underdog theme?
  • Arizona Cardinals +3 over Philly...Vegas gives Philly way too much love
  • Indy -4.5 over Cleveland....Derek Anderson makes me yawn and Indy is ratcheting it up
  • NYG -3.5 over Washington....time to ride the Giants

That'll do it.....to the games
  • The Thanksgiving game for college is.....the once-impressive Texas and Texas A&M matchup....except A&M is now dreadful....Texas by 30+
  • Georgia Tech @ Georgia....much anticipated matchup where I live (obviously) and I'm really looking forward to it actually....I like Tech in this one because UGA's defense has a propensity to be undisciplined...and that's bad news against this triple option
  • Florida @ Florida State.....On paper this looks ugly....but Florida State has a fast defense and this one could be competitive in Tallahassee....I'm not gonna pick the Noles but I think they hang around
  • Auburn @ Alabama...obligatory mention because I respect the rivalry....Auburn is abysmal.....especially on offense....Bama cruises
  • Oregon @ Oregon State....The Beavers are playing for the Pac-10 title and the Rose Bowl....but without Jacquizz Rodgers....the "Civil War" may go the other way....and I just can't stomach the thought of a Oregon State/Penn State rematch in the Rose Bowl lol
  • And....the headliner....Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State in the Bedlam game...Oklahoma needs to win and win big....if they do that, I'd assume they jump Texas in the BCS and thus, jump into the Big 12 title game....I think they do
To the Pros...
  • Quickly for Thanksgiving....Titans smash the Lions....Seattle hangs around for longer than you'd think and loses to Dallas.....Arizona beats Philly.....
  • NYG @ Washington....Huge matchup for the Skins....and I think they fall
  • New Orleans @ Tampa....Must-win for the Saints playoff hopes....and again, I think they fall
  • Carolina @ Green Bay.....Must-win for the Pack in the NFC North race.....and I think they win....Jake Delhomme has been a wreck lately....and it won't get easier against Charles Woodson and co.
  • Pittsburgh @ New England...Love these kind of games.....could be ugly...could be pretty....no one really knows but this is a big test for Matt Cassel
  • Denver @ NYJ....Somehow this is a battle of division leaders...Denver isn't good....but no one in the AFC West is.....NYJ easy here
  • Monday night....Jacksonville @ Houston.....Geez, that smells....anyway....Houston is a good home team generally but Sage is pretty darn bad....I really have no idea
Enjoy the 5 straight days of football....

Monday, November 24, 2008

11/24: Eddie Jordan, NFL Wrap, etc.

Here we are again....gathered together lol
  • First....Eddie Jordan fired as Wizards coach....this seems like an inordinately quick trigger for the longest tenured coach in the Eastern Conference...1-10 is flat-out dreadful and there's no defending it....but without their superstar (Gil) AND last year's break-out center Brendan Haywood...I feel like he should've gotten a longer leash....
  • Bill Snyder RE-hired as Kansas State football coach....umm....this wreaks of Joe Gibbs to me....old, out-dated coach (and noted cheater) returns to try and save a floundering program......I don't think this one works...call it a feeling

To the NFL....anddddd....THE PICKS wrap

YTD (Entering): 42-38-3

  • Michigan +20.5....I don't wanna talk about it yet but...Loser!
  • Washington -7....Loser! (in fairness, I thought Jake Locker was playing)
  • Michigan State +15.5.....Loser! (stop me when you see a trend)
  • Cleveland Browns -3.....Loser!
  • Seattle +3.5....Winner son! lol

Terrible....indefensible.....

YTD (Current): 43-42-3....and now losing money to the juice....sigh

  • I'll start with Philly....getting shellacked by Baltimore is one thing....and Donovan was flat-out awful....but I can't figure out what Andy Reid is doing....both in general and with Donovan...now he starts again this week? Please clarify....
  • Buffalo hanging 54 points on anyone just shouldn't happen.....
  • Welcome back to the party Cowboys passing game.....we didn't miss you at all
  • Detroit goes up 17-0 in the first....and loses 38-20 lol.....If you can't see the hilarity in that, I don't know what to do with you
  • Down goes Tennessee.....no one should be shocked by the loss....just by the way they went about it....failure to run the ball....Kerry Collins winging it for dear life.....they looked bad
  • New England, however, looks poised and ready to come.....Matt Cassel is going to sign a huge contract with someone this offseason (and battle with Donovan McNabb as the 2 available QBs)....Minnesota anyone?
  • Okay, I'm done with Jacksonville
  • Umm....don't look now but the Falcons may make the playoffs.....I still wouldn't pick them as of today....but if they go into San Diego and win....count me in
  • NY Giants and Arizona played the game of the day-time....The Giants look pretty strong....but impressed with Arizona's effort...they are fairly legit (as much as you can be in that division)
  • Who wins the AFC west? Denver looked God-forsaken this week....and still has a 2 game lead....kick them all out of the league lol
  • Adam Vinatieri....ice cold.....Indy is still in it....San Diego.....you are not....so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE roll over and lay down this week with my Falcons coming to town....Thanks!

All for now...

Sunday, November 23, 2008

CFB Thoughts...

First, I'll wrap up the Picks tomorrow but let's just say I didn't win a game yesterday....sigh
  • Ohio State thoroughly smashes Michigan....okay, so I'm not surprised by this....but I digress....Nick Sheridan was absolutely awful (as predicted) going 8 of 24 for 87 yards and running for -10 yards in a system that needs QB running....The defense was fairly bad...but was set up time and time again by terrible offense leading to bad field possession.....On the bright side, we'll undoubtedly be suiting up another True freshman QB next year and probably go 4-8 instead of 3-9....
  • Why is Florida playing the Citadel at the end of November? That's gotta be addressed
  • Penn State is going to the Rose Bowl...they've been the class of the Big 10 all year and deserve it....although they'll get thoroughly pounded by USC (if Oregon State loses), they've already beat up on Oregon State once this year
  • Referencing the Penn State victory.....every single time anyone thinks Michigan State is gonna turn it around....they lose and usually get embarrassed in a big game.....
  • Utah takes it to BYU....and SHOULD get a BCS bid...they undoubtedly will and deserve it....
  • Boise State squeaks by Nevada....please don't tell me they should be in the BCS....play somebody...Their "quality" win was beating Oregon who was playing their 3rd string QB and is a only a decent Pac-10 team regardless.....Utah has beaten BYU and TCU (who would both win the Big East IMO, lol), AND Oregon State (who may win the Pac-10)......BUT You know who should be ranked ahead of Boise State (if they run the table, of course)....Ball State....the MAC is better than the WAC.....AND they have to play a championship game at a neutral site that would place them 13-0 with a better schedule than Boise would play....just a thought....and watch out for the best QB you haven't heard of in Nate Davis from Ball State
  • Cincinnati takes control of the Big East by beating Pittsburgh....The Big East is crap-tacular....
  • Can anyone make sense of the ACC? The team with the best resume in the league (Maryland) gets smashed by 30+ at home by an average Florida State team yesterday....sigh
  • And the highlight game of the day.....was a complete pounding....Oklahoma takes it to Texas Tech...exposing a tired, outclassed team that just had to run the gauntlet....Oklahoma will likely get the Big 12 South nod now after getting the respect of that win, and likely vaunting to the head of the BCS standings (the tiebreaker for the Big 12 south)
  • LSU still sucks....does everybody see that now? Getting beat by a fairly average Ole Miss team by 18 at home.....Go away LSU.....can't say I'm angry about you floundering Les Miles....you've been exposed sir

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Fastest Football Preview ever....

Work has been ridiculous this week....so abbreviated....I apologize in advance

THE PICKS
YTD (Entering): 42-38-3
  • Michigan +20.5.....Yes, I'm a homer....but this is too many points...OSU's offense is average, and no matter how bad Nick Sheridan has been, Ohio State could be held under 20 themselves
  • Washington -7....Washington State is abysmal still....I'll take the Huskies
  • Michigan State +15.5.....This line stunned me....really over 2 touchdowns? Which Penn State team have they been watching? 
  • Cleveland Browns -3.....Houston is awful on the road...Sage is awful anywhere....Brady Quinn looks efficient at least
  • Seattle +3.5....Call it a feeling....
Games I'd watch if I were you....
  • Michigan/Ohio State....I'm a big proponent of rivalry games.... I won't hate you if you don't watch this game this year b/c Michigan is terrible....but that said, it's still the game
  • Michigan State/Penn State....It's for the Rose Bowl...enough said
  • Oregon State @ Arizona....if you can get this game....watch it
  • BYU @ Utah....Mountain West title and a BCS bowl bid (for Utah) on the line....2 very good teams
  • Texas Tech/Oklahoma.....Game of the week....I'm picking Oklahoma for the record....Texas Tech being a 7 point dog as an undefeated team is ludicrous though if you ask me
  • Jets/Titans...Best of the early matchups....I think the Jets have a legit shot here b/c they can stop the run....
  • Giants/Cards.....Probably 2 of the top 3 seeds in the NFC playoffs go at it....big test for the Giants secondary
  • Panthers/Falcons....Win or go home for the Falcons IMO....a loss puts them staring at 8-8 squarely in the face...and btw....if you said 8-8 preseason, I woulda jumped up and down
Sorry for the brevity....Enjoy

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

11/18: Bills/Browns, Pujols, etc.

Let's get to it...
  • Before I really begin, I'll shamelessly tell you that I drilled my Marshawn Lynch breakout pick from last night....but at least I missed the game prediction....so all's right with the world
  • Brady Quinn is pretty good so far....not really surprised....they waited about 4 weeks too long....oh, you think they should've just let Derek Anderson go after he had more INT than TD for the entire 2nd half of last year while their 1st-round QB sat? and THEN gave him a huge extension? Yea....You're right
  • RIP Pete Newell....the well-known basketball coach dies at 93....he is best known for his Big Man camp and has worked with all kinds of hall of fame centers.....
  • Mark Cuban is insider trading? Isn't he richer than rich? lol
  • Albert Pujols wins the NL MVP....yea, I don't care that they didn't make the playoffs.....there was no real candidate on a playoff team in the NL and his numbers are utterly stupid.... how bout a .357 average, 37 HRs, and 116 RBI? Nobody can get near these numbers when you realize that .357 is an absolutely unbelievable number
  • NCAA Basketball is going for the new concept of a 24 hour debut for the season....I don't hate the idea but I don't know who's watching the 4 am game? Or really who (other than me) is watching St. Mary's and Fresno at 2 am (Patrick Mills was awesome last night lol)....The highlight of this are coming tonight with UNC and Kentucky (even though Kentucky isn't good, people will watch this)
  • Kevin Durant is very, very special.....his team....is not....
  • Tim Duncan has quietly gone back to early decade form with 24 and 10 right now....quietly keeping the Spurs around at 5-5 and battling each day without his 2 star guards...I've said it before and I'll say it again....he's the best power forward of all time and definitely in consideration for the best player of the post-MJ era (so far)
Aight that's all i got...

Monday, November 17, 2008

Weekend Football Wrap-up!

Disclaimer: I'm blogging via iphone on the go (not mine btw, lol) so ignore any errors
First....there were 2 ridiculously bizarre gambling events...and BOTH went against me in the same week.....the Stanford ridiculous back-door cover when they pulled their FG unit off the field and threw a prayer TD at the buzzer....and the pittsburgh INT TD reversal that was proven to be a bad call....that also went against me.....yikes....
  • Indiana +35.5.....Winner!
  • Auburn +10.....Winner!
  • South Carolina +22....Huge, ridiculous loser! lol
  • USC -24....somehow a loser
  • Pittsburgh -5....somehow a loser
  • Dallas -1.5.....Winner!
  • Indy -8....Loser!

YTD (Current): 42-38-3....bleh....2 breaks and i'm 44-36-3

To the NCAA:

  • Texas pounds Kansas....indifferent on the result for Texas....they are good, we all know this....Kansas is 6-5...that's awful for a supposed contender with everyone coming back.....and no one is killing them....kill them already
  • Georgia over Auburn.....good, but ugly game.....Auburn's offense is pretty awful...but at least Kodi Burns is playing
  • Maryland beats another Top 25 team at home....in the process takes control of its ACC division....no one is good in the ACC...most teams are fair....average maybe....
  • Um...don't look now...Oregon State may win the Pac 10....that USC loss doesn't look so bad now does it?
  • Florida absolutely dismantles South Carolina....umm....knew they'd win....but you just can't turn the ball over if your SC in that game...it got ugly really fast
  • LSU got down 31-3 to Troy somehow.....at least they won....but wow....how does that even happen? lol they are terrible....don't forget who told you first...and Jarrett Lee is the worst starter on a supposedly good team in the nation....

To the National Football League (quoting Jaws).....

  • My Falcons layed down....bound to happen....all these inflated expectations throughout this city...I still think 9-7 is the ceiling...and i'm gonna predict 8-8.....Only favored in 1 game the rest of the year (St. Louis at home), play 2 teams that are better than we are (Carolina and Tampa) at home, and 3 teams that are around the same as we are on the road (San Diego, Minnesota, New Orleans)....I'd be ecstatic with 3-3 down the stretch....4-2 and a playoff spot is a dream....but hey.....we can hope
  • The Giants get alot of love....they need more.....if they played Tennessee on a neutral field, they'd be a 7 point favorite.....that's all you need to know
  • My NFC darkhorse? Green Bay....managable schedule....Ryan Grant is heating up.....some bad breaks this year have misled their record....I can see them finishing 5-1 and making the playoffs
  • Pittsburgh and San Diego set the league back 10 years....lol.....
  • Is it me or is Arizona bound to lose at home even if they get a playoff bye? Welcome back Matt Hasselbeck btw...we missed you
  • All that balleyhoo about Washington....now you have a 6-4 team with a legit possibility to finish the slate 2-4 if they lose @ Seattle this week (don't laugh with Hasselbeck back and their notoriously good home field)
  • MNF pick....Buffalo 23-17 over Cleveland...Marshawn Lynch explodes.....finally

Friday, November 14, 2008

Weekend Football Preview!

Sorry for the lack of production this week...it'll never happen again lol....To America's favorite running segment....THE PICKS

YTD (Entering): 39-34-3
  • Indiana +35.5 over Penn State....Before I start, Indiana is awful, I won't argue with you...but Penn State may not score 35 total regardless
  • Auburn +10 over Georgia....Got a feeling they play tough....this is their best shot at a bowl game and they play better at home
  • South Carolina +22 over Florida.....Apparently I like the underdogs this week...but I think this spread is at least a field goal too high b/c everyone is suddenly in love with Florida....South Carolina plays D and teams that play D can generally cover 20 point numbers
  • USC -24 over Stanford....They remember last year.....Trojans by 40....
  • Pittsburgh Steelers -5 over San Diego....San Diego still isn't good....Ben's practicing....Steelers by 10
  • Dallas -1.5 over Washington.....No Portis for Washington....don't think Campbell can do enough
  • Indy -8 over Houston.....Sage the Great on the road.....Indy's offense looks to be getting it together....

Okay, on to the action....First of all....this college football slate looks to be the worst in weeks....that said, usually these are the type of weeks that total chaos usually takes place on.....

  • Texas @ Kansas (12:30).....Lost in the Big 12 hype this year is the fact that Kansas is still a fraud...just one that doesn't win every close game like last year's squad.....That said, playing at home, this could be an upset alert for Texas
  • Georgia @ Auburn (12:30)....Spoke about this one already.....but should be competitive at least
  • South Carolina @ Florida (3:30 CBS)....Somehow this is the game of the day on paper....remember when I said it was a bad week?
  • Boston College @ Florida State (8:00)....This is the primetime matchup, lol....2 pretty decent ACC teams but Florida State is missing 5 players due to suspensions....I like the Eagles on the road....

To the NFL....

  • Denver @ Atlanta....I obviously am following this one closely....Cutler will likely throw for over 300 but I still like Atlanta....Michael Turner continues to eat up bad defenses and Denver's run D is as bad as they come....
  • Baltimore @ NYG....I bash rookie QBs regularly (save Matt Ryan) but Joe Flacco has been good lately....look for that to come to a screeching halt on the road against the most intimidating pass defense in the league in the Giants
  • Minnesota @ Tampa....Loser is in deep trouble in terms of playoff possibilities so this one is big...regardless of it being borderline unwatchable....
  • Arizona @ Seattle...The return of Matt Hasselbeck! LOL Sorry that was for you Ryan...no other reason to mention this game
  • Tennesssee @ Jax....People are picking Jacksonville to end the streak.....I don't know what evidence they have b/c Jax has been pretty putrid...but hey....it's possible
  • Cleveland @ Buffalo....Oh yea....Cleveland is on monday night like 4 times this year....congratulations to the NFL on somehow not seeing through them preseason like I did....This may be a turn-off game....even for me

Enjoy the slate

Some ramblings from the world of non-football....

Yes, the NBA season is in full swing....I'm not discussing it at length yet, but I'm definitely watching....Trying to incorporate it while still touching on football in my limited time.....here we go
  • Somehow I lead with hockey.....Barry Melrose gets fired....Barry is the famous (and formerly ONLY) hockey analyst for ESPN....that left to get fired in 16 games....sorry Barry...sportscenter needs you though lol
  • The Rockets-Suns "fight" from the other night (Charles Barkley said it best when he said this was a "scuffle" since no one actually threw or landed a punch and the thing ended when Shaq stepped in)....results in 3 suspensions...Matt Barnes and Skip Alston for 2 games....and Steven Q Nash for one.....Seems...right? Although I'm not sure what any of them did that was worse than T-Mac or Shaq? Eh....
  • Lebron is ridiculous....he's topped 40 in 3 of his last 5....he's averaging 29, 8, and 7 and he's not even shooting the ball well...BUT props to him for realizing he should cut down on his 3 attempts (only taken 30 all year) because he's shooting 20% and he finally shows the understanding that he can get to the rim at will, so why stand out there and brick jumpers?
  • As I write this....Indiana is up 22-2 on Philly....yes, 22-2....Just thought I'd tell you
  • And to my beloved Hawks....I haven't been this excited in years.....yes, years....If Paul Pierce didn't dagger my heart, the Hawks would stand at 7-0....as it stands, 6-1 and tied for the #1 seed (laughter, 7 games in and I'm seeding people).....and most of this has gone down without Josh Smith....Do I think this is sustainable? No.....Do I think we could be battling for the 4 or 5 seeds in an Eastern conference with only 2 title contenders (Boston and Cleveland)? Yes...
  • Danny Granger is so nice......Learn his name....learn his game....
  • Dwight Howard is pushing for that Mega-super-duper-star label.....24 and 15 for the year so far...oh yea....and 4.4 blocks...if he defends and intimidates like he's been doing....wow....
  • Memo to Nellie: Andris Biedrins is killing people....14.8 boards? Please play this guy 35 minutes a night....He's all you have
  • How bout the Knicks sneaking around? The mix D'Antoni is playing seems to be working....Randolph is delivering his 19 and 10...Eddy Curry's buried...and Wilson Chandler is the homeless man's Shawn Marion....if they can get reasonable production out of the guard trio of Crawford-Robinson-Duhon....they'll be a .500 team...and that's a huge step up
  • Ah...I should've seen the post-contract Baron Davis season coming.....The Clips are 1-7 and BD is averaging 15 and 7....At least Al Thornton is playing well.....
  • The Team Kevin Durant Plays For.....is the worst in the league...thought you should know....somebody help him!
  • Wait....Washington may be as bad....::pats self on back::

and...this....The NBA is FANNNN-TASTIC! I love this game!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Fastest NCAA Basketball Preview in the Business

Ready for this?

Big 10
  • Champ: Michigan State
  • #1 Challenger: Purdue
  • POY: B.J. Mullens, Freshman, Ohio State
  • Player to watch: Robbie Hummel, Purdue

Pac 10

  • Champ: UCLA
  • #1 Challenger: Arizona State
  • POY: James Harden, Arizona State
  • Player to watch: Demar Derozen, Frosh, USC

Big 12

  • Champ: Texas
  • #1 Challenger: Oklahoma
  • POY: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
  • Player to watch: AJ Abrams, Texas

SEC

  • Champ: Kentucky (this conference is flat-out awful)
  • #1 Challenger: Tennessee
  • POY: Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
  • Player to watch: Tyler Smith, Tennessee and Tasmin Mitchell, LSU

ACC

  • Champ: UNC
  • #1 Challenger: Duke
  • POY: Anyone but Tyler Hansborough please (I'll go Kyle Singler, Duke)
  • Player to watch: Jack McClinton, Miami

Big East

  • Champ: UConn
  • #1 Challenger: Pittsburgh (stacked conference)
  • POY: Luke Harongody, Notre Dame
  • Player to watch: Hasheem Thabeet, UConn

Best of the rest (in order):

  • Gonzaga, UNLV, Davidson, UAB, St. Mary's, Memphis, Xavier

All- "Best of the Rest teams:

  • 1st team: Stephen Curry (Davidson), Austin Daye (Gonzaga), Paul Delaney (UAB), Patrick Mills (St. Mary's), Eric Maynor (VCU)
  • 2nd team: Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga), Derrick Brown (Xavier), Robert Vaden (UAB), Luke Babbitt (Nevada)

Preseason Final 4 (btw, I have no idea here):

  • UNC, UConn, Pittsburgh, Duke

All-Freshman Team

  • DeMar Derozan- USC
  • Jrue Holiday- UCLA
  • BJ Mullens- Ohio State
  • Tyreke Evans- Memphis
  • Greg Monroe- Georgetown OR Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest)

Preseason All-Americans

  • 1st team: Tyler Hansborough (UNC), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), James Harden (Arizona State)
  • 2nd team: Kyle Singler (Duke), Austin Daye (Gonzaga), Hasheem Thabeet (UConn), Patrick Patterson (Kentucky), Patrick Mills (St. Mary's)
  • 3rd team: Ty Lawson (UNC), Darren Collison (UCLA), Tyler Smith (Tennessee), Chase Budinger (Arizona), Earl Clark (Louisville)

There it is.....Have a good year!

11/11: Quick Football Wrap....

Without any ado....THE PICKS 

YTD (Entering): 35-32-3
  • Kansas +1....Loser!
  • Alabama -3.5.....Winner!
  • Wazzu +41.....Winner!
  • Kansas State +27.5....Winner!
  • Houston Texans +1....Loser!
  • NYG +3....Winner!
4-2 for the week
39-34-3 YTD....$$$$$

Teams that impressed me (College): 
  • Utah (big comeback to give them a chance to BCS)
  • Pittsburgh (looking suddenly very strong)
  • North Carolina (forgotten ACC front-runner)
  • Texas Tech (can't be stopped it seems)
  • Florida (Vandy isn't terrible, and that wasn't even contested)
Teams that layed eggs (College):
  • LSU (namely Jarrett Lee)
  • West Virginia (wave bye-bye to the Big East lead)
  • OK State (at least put up a fight defensively...)
  • Georgia (and yes, they won)
  • Penn State (obv)
Teams that impressed me (NFL):
  • Atlanta (keep on keeping on)
  • Baltimore (a big-time road win...GIVE WILLIS MCGAHEE THE BALL!)
  • The Jets (jeez)
  • The Giants (best team in the league, sorry Titans)
Teams that layed eggs (NFL):
  • New Orleans (God-forsaken defense and no running game)
  • Houston (bleh Sage)
  • St. Louis (47-3?)
  • San Diego (and yes they won....they aren't good)
  • Arizona (and they won too)
All I got time for for now....enjoy the week...

Sunday, November 9, 2008

College Football.....And the Playoff System

First off....I'll wrap up THE PICKS, etc. following the NFL slate....Just a little essay that was on my mind....

All this talk of a college playoff system got me to thinking....I know this has probably been discussed, and I may be on the limb here, but I don't see a reason for an 8 or 16 team playoff....hear me out....The College Football REGULAR season is the best of ANY sport..... got me? No? Okay then, I'll explain.....What sport has the week-to-week, game-to-game importance of a college football saturday? Where games mean everything to someone, every week....I won't give you the "pageantry" and "tradition" arguments that most would....I'll just say that every game matters more...and I'll be right....In the NFL you can go 10-6 and win the Super Bowl...it's been done....someone can lose SIX games...and be the champs.....College football? 2's the max...and that's historically rare.....like once every 50 years rare.....Yes, the game is more subjective.....but in this age of parity, if you win every game you play....you generally win the national title....only once since the BCS was implemented has a team that ran the table gone without the title....and that was only because there were 2 historically good teams besides them in that same season.....Yes, we all hate the subjectivity....I'm with you on this....but if you make an 8 or 16 team playoff....the regular season diminishes....and listen to me now.....College football LIKES the fact that everyone hates the BCS.... Just think about it....would we be yelling and screaming as much in September and October if we knew the teams we were arguing about were gonna play in the 16 team playoff? Yes, I know the playoff would garner huge ratings (March madness style), but at what expense? We've all seen what has happened to college basketball...the regular season generally means next-to-nothing and ratings and discussion of it reflect that....College football has a niche....great regular season....and I don't see that going somewhere? If you wanna give me the plus-one argument? Meh....what happens if there's one undefeated team at the end of the BCS and they, for some reason, have to go play a 2-loss team in the plus-1 and lose? What does that solve? There is no good solution.....yes, the playoff would crown the "real" champion, but I'm going to continue enjoying the week-to-week excitement of the current system, and as a realist, I'll take it for what it's worth....You may hate it, but it isn't going anywhere because of the reasons stated above......Just one man's opinion....

Comment plz (trying something new here, I feel like Rick Reilly or something)

Saturday, November 8, 2008

11/8: Some Thoughts...

With the weekend football preview up, I figured I'd hit some bullets on other stuff
  • Tony Parker, first of all, shouldn't be scoring 55 on anyone....but his ankle injury will absolute kill an already depleted Spurs roster....They may not win another game until he gets back when I look at the schedule....and yes, Tim Duncan, is very, very, very good still....
  • 2 team records I feel smart about.....Hawks 4-0, Wizards 0-4......and yes, it's way too early for this bullet....and now Josh Smith is out 2-4 weeks with a sprained ankle....right before a 4 game road trip that could easily even the record at 4-4 (I'd honestly be satisfied winning 1 of the 4, not a joke)
  • Dwyane Wade is killing it....25, 6 and 8 so far....I saw this coming in the summer, and he looks like the old Dwyane Wade....I still like Miami
  • I have no idea what to make of Chicago....so many guards....so many 4's.....I don't even know what they are....but they look good some nights....
  • Kevin Love with 20 and 8 last night.....smiles all around
  • Under no circumstances should a point guard, much less Devin Harris, attempt 24 FTs in a regulation game.....I didn't see this one....but that seems utterly ridiculous...he ended with 38 and I give him the credit, but yikes
  • One random NBA thought....Good luck Redskins....Deangelo Hall? Vintage Daniel Snyder move....they don't even have a pressing need at corner...he just couldn't resist
  • Quick, who's the leading rebounder in the NBA? Dwight Howard? Nope.....Kevin Garnett? Nope.....How bout Andris Biedrins.....do you know who that is? Be honest with yourself and if you don't, go look it up
  • I watched pretty much the entire Nuggets/Mavs game last night....JR Smith is everywhere....he can look absolutely amazing on the offensive end at times...fluid, with range, athletic as all get out.....then make you scratch your head too....Hey, George Karl....Dahntay Jones? Get out of here....please

Friday, November 7, 2008

Weekend Football Preview!

Welp...self-explanatory.....THE PICKS!
YTD (Entering): 35-32-3
  • Kansas +1 over Nebraska....I didn't get this line...still don't...Kansas definitely the better team....Will overcome the home field...
  • Alabama -3.5 over LSU....not enough points to lay...if it was -7 I'd pause...but LSU has looked bad recently..
  • Washington State +41 over Arizona....taking the plunge....I've ranted and raved about how bad they are....but Arizona shouldn't lay 40+ to a high school team on the road
  • Kansas State +27.5 over Missouri....Tooooo many points...say it with me now
  • Houston Texans +1 over Baltimore....yes, I know it's Sage the Great at QB...but at home, I like them
  • NY Giants +3 over Philly....this was a line that I said "huh?" after....A good sign

Okay....Games to watch....First in the NCAA

  • Georgia Tech @ UNC....Best of the Early slate and very important for the ACC title...which looks more like a charity prize than anything at this point....should at least be a close game
  • Penn State @ Iowa AND Alabama @ LSU.....2 undefeated title contenders playing at 3:30...both on the road vs. inferior opponents....both could be beaten.....must-see TV IMO
  • Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech.....Game of the day by far....Prime-time...I think TT gets through this one....only to fall to Oklahoma....but that's me

NFL....

  • Tennessee @ Chicago...Best game at 1:00 for sure....Everyone seems to sleep on Chicago here...and with good reason....hear me out...if Orton plays, I would've almost liked the Bears....but with the famous Gross...Man.....Titans please
  • New Orleans @ Atlanta....This looks almost watchable....First of all, I'd be shocked....SHOCKED....if Brees didn't go for 350+ yards in this game....That said, I sort of like Atlanta's chances at home....New Orleans can't stop the run and Michael Turner turns into Walter Payton against bad defenses....
  • Indy @ Pittsburgh....if Ben plays, I like Pittsburgh.....if Byron plays, I like Indy.....
  • NYG @ Philly...I'm picking the Giants....but this is the game of the week, watch it....

Enjoy everyone

Thursday, November 6, 2008

11/6: Here come the Hawks?

At work so gotta make this one short and sweet....
  • Gotta talk about the Hawks this morning coming off a shocking (at least to me) ROAD victory over West-contending New Orleans....going to 3-0 isn't huge....it's how they've done it....2 road wins over playoff teams and a solid home comeback win over East likely-playoff team Philly.....And the bench (albeit short in nature) has actually been reasonable....I, for one, am excited to see what goes down here.....
  • Is there a reason Chauncey Billups hasn't taken a physical? Seems weird to me...
  • LA isn't keeping Manny...stop all this....Scott Boras isn't just gonna have him sign there because he liked it there....He'd have to fire him first....
  • I know that none of you care about Ball State....but you should....not necessarily about the undefeated record....but their QB Nate Davis is absolutely for real.....and MAC QB's have a track record....Just saying....

Sunday, November 2, 2008

NFL Week 9 Wrap....

Well here we are again....First things first...I'll wrap-up the picks....
YTD (Entering): 32-27-3
  • West Virginia -3.......Winner!
  • Pitt +5........Winner!
  • Washington +46....Loser!
  • KC Chiefs +9......Winner!
  • Cleveland -1.5....Loser!
  • Indy -6.....Loser!
  • Oakland +2.5......Gladly a Loser!
  • Seattle +6.5....Loser!
Started off hot....baddddd day sunday.....
YTD (Current): 35-32-3.....Pretty much break-even
  • My Falcons utterly cruise.....Oakland may have had the worst offensive performance I can ever remember....they had 2 yards at halftime....and Jamarcus Russell isn't good....he'll never be good...there, I said it....
  • Buffalo goes down again....Coupled with NE losing and NYJ winning....a cute little 3-way tie in the AFC East...and for the life of me, I have no freaking idea who the best team is here....
  • Arizona still looks good....especially on offense....that's for sure....
  • The Giants look the best team in the league to me....with apologies to the undefeated Titans who continue to win close ones behind that great defense...if they played today...Give me the giants
  • I can't decide what division is worse....NFC West or AFC West.....The pu pu platter of San Francisco, St. Louis and Seattle vs. the pu pu platter of Kansas City, Oakland, and Denver.....advantage AFC West....but Arizona is better than San Diego....I digress
  • Game of the week is still to come tomorrow.....so stay tuned


Some college football notes...

Not a full weekend wrap just yet...but just some stuff....the Picks, etc. will come Monday....
  • Well, Texas Tech showed the country they are for real...we all saw that...and that Texas Pass D (that I mentioned in the preview) came up small yet again....I was actually impressed by Colt McCoy and Texas in their comeback but their pass D just wouldn't let them win this thing.....Just one thing that I haven't heard anyone mention...I was looking at the Texas Tech 2-deep depth chart...my goodness....They're like...all...seniors...That's a good thing (for this year) last I checked....With the exception of Crabtree, all of their playmakers/leaders are at least upperclassmen if not seniors and that bodes well for their chances....what doesn't bode well is the fact that they still have to get through OK State, Oklahoma, and likely Missouri in the Big 12 title game to go unbeaten....I don't see it...but for now, they should be ranked at least #2 IMO with only Alabama having a comparable resume (sorry Penn State)....
  • There is zero...and I mean zero...doubt in my mind that Florida and USC would beat any of the 3 major unbeatens...however, please get away from me with this talk of a 1-loss SEC or Big 12 team getting the national title nod over an undefeated Penn State....it's NEVER going to happen....Penn State would be ranked higher in both human polls...and that's enough to ensure a top 2 spot...so please, stop....
  • Speaking of Florida....They looked out-of-this-world good again....not necessarily surprised as Georgia had their hands full all day, and hasn't particularly impressed anyone all year outside of beating up on a vastly over-rated LSU defense....Yes, there was definitely some spotty officiating in the 1st half....but you can't fake 49-10 (and it was 49-3 until a late TD)....
  • I had seen exactly ONE hook-and-ladder play actually work in college football....until Purdue ripped my heart out with one yesterday....I can't even talk about it anymore
  • I will now say...with conviction, no less....that this year's Washington State team is THE WORST, and I mean it....THE WORST TEAM IN A BCS-CONFERENCE IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL.....Yes, I know, the athletes are better now so they'd beat up on bad teams previous....I'm talking about in comparison to today's teams....they lost by 55+ to STANFORD.....Their closest Pac-10 game was a 28-3 loss to UCLA who was playing without their starting QB and RB....Their combined score against Pac-10 teams is 350-33.....That's an average score of 58-5....Utterly inconceivable to me how they could be this bad....At least they get to play Washington at the end of the year....Maybe they'll lose by less than 30
  • I'm sick of Missouri.....their best win was a "neutral" field win over Illinois in which they allowed 42 points to a mediocre offense....they've lost to the 2 ranked teams they've played by a combined 30 points....stop somebody.....and then I'll discuss you further
  • The Mountain West is still better than the Big East....just thought you should know
  • Team most like to be the "BCS-Buster"....No, it's not Utah (although the Utes are legitimately good and much better than this team).....it's Boise State....it's all scheduling folks....Utah still has to play BYU and a very, very scary TCU team....while Boise gets...Fresno State...at home on the blue turf....I never hear them mentioned....You'll hear it more soon
  • I've never seen a conference like the ACC this year....There are about 10 teams in that conference that are 7-5 teams lol....10 of the 12 teams are between 2-3 and 4-2....TEN of the 12....and Duke is 1-3 with wins over Navy and Vandy.....Weirdest thing I've ever seen....11 of the 12 teams are alive....

Okay...enough ranting....Enjoy the NFL Slate...full wrap on that Monday featuring the Picks

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Fast Weekend Football Preview....

Sorry for the brevity....been a whirlwind week....

THE PICKS
YTD: 32-27-3
  • West Virginia -3 over UConn....not a believer in the Huskies without Lorenzen...
  • Pittsburgh +5 over ND.....Pittsburgh coming off a bad loss will be motivated...
  • Washington +46 over USC....I expect some small fight from them...will still lose by 35-ish
  • Kansas City Chiefs +9 over Tampa....Tampa wins..but not by 10 on the road
  • Cleveland -1.5 over Baltimore....Cleveland looks better all the sudden...and Joe Flacco, as always, on the road
  • Indy -6 over NE....this one just seems obvious to me....dont know why
  • Oakland +2.5 over Atlanta....I hope I'm wrong....
  • Seattle +6.5 over Philly....long trip...good home team....
Quickly...Games to watch
  • Texas @ Texas Tech...Obviously a big one here....I don't think The Red Raiders win this one...but that Texas Pass D is AWFUL....people won't discuss it...but Harrell goes for 400+ here...
  • Florida vs. Georgia in Jacksonville....I think Florida wins this one...too much speed...the revenge factor from last year...they'll be ready...
  • Wisconsin @ Michigan State...I have no idea how this is the best early game...but it is...
NFL...
  • NYJ @ Buffalo...Actually an important AFC East battle...I'm not a fan of what Brett Favre has looked like lately...and Buffalo is forgotten about....they're still 5-2....I like buffalo
  • Green Bay @ Tennessee....Tennessee has to lose sometime...I doubt it's here without a special performance from Aaron Rodgers....
  • Dallas @ NYG.....Dallas goes down...and goes down hard again here....paging Tony Romo...
  • Philly @ Seattle....Upset of the week....take Seattle....No, I have no reasoning....
Enjoy the slate