Monday, January 31, 2011

1/31: Finals Rematch, etc.

Greetings all... NBA first...
  • Boston 109, LAL 96... well, Boston was impressive... 60% from the field, 6 guys in double-figures, 43-30 rebounding edge... all on the road... Pierce/Allen/Garnett were ultra-efficient... combining to shoot 28 of 42 (66.6%) for 73 points, and were generally awesome... oh yeah, and their best player these days (Rondo) had 15 assists in the 2nd half... 15!... but the biggest key hasn't been stated yet... yes, Kobe shot 16 of 29 for 41 points... cool... but Boston held the rest of the team to 55 points on 20 of 52 shooting (which is abysmal) and Kobe finished with 0 assists... really a clinic put on by Boston... oh yeah... and I'm officially putting out an APB for Ron Artest...
  • Miami 108, OKC 103.... the Heat at full strength are still a pretty scary proposition... Wade/LBJ/Bosh combine for 75 points, 20 boards and 16 dimes... Lebron distributed beautifully (13 dimes) and they held OKC to 40% shooting... Durant was efficient despite his 7 of 20 shooting (because he shot 3-5 threes and 16-19 FTs), but Westbrook's 7 of 22 couldn't be overcome... an underrated subplot? OKC had to play Daequan Cook 31 minutes... read that again... and Ibaka only played 9 minutes, so this wasn't your typical OKC performance... that said, they aren't "there" yet...
  • Elsewhere in the L... Dwight Howard had a 20-20 game... in 26 minutes played against Cleveland... Cleveland is woeful... we'll move on... 23 and 14 for... Timofey Mozgov?... it was a weird night in NY... Greg Monroe had the best game of his young career as well (15 and 17)... and Phoenix holds off CP3 and company behind Gortat's 25 and 11... in only 24 minutes... wow... Paul had a typical 26 and 12, but it wasn't enough on the road...
  • The Pacers fire Jim O'Brien... not a huge surprise due to their record (17-27) and the bubbling chatter about some seeming incompetencies... he'll be replaced by an interim the rest of the year, but that could be a decent job opening in the summer....

Elsewhere...

  • Duke gets lit up... by St. John's?... 93-78 and the Red Storm led by 20+ for long stretches... SJU shot 58% from the field, and Duke just couldn't get stops.. cause for concern? Maybe, but the box score reads pretty fluke-ish... at any rate, Duke (minus Irving) isn't playing like the juggernaut many thought they'd be (including me)
  • Pac-10 Hoops!... Wazzu knocks off Washington thanks to some impressive offense... 87 points including 43 from their overshadowed backcourt while holding Isaiah Thomas to 3 of 13 shooting... nice win...
  • The Eagles will franchise tag Mike Vick... no surprise here... if there is a season to be using that tag in...
  • I got a few inquiries about the Pro Bowl... needless to say, I didn't see a second of it... or the NHL All-star game... the only all-star contest i'll watch ANY of it the NBA version... and that's just because it's basketball... no interest here...

What to watch for...

  • Texas @ Texas A&M - ESPN 9:00 - A&M coming off a tough loss over the weekend, but these are 2 pretty strong teams playing an in-state rivalry game... and the always-entertaining Rick Barnes is coaching... let's see if he can parlay a significant talent edge into a loss here...
  • Louisville @ Georgetown - ESPN 7:00 - It seems like there are about 17 ranked teams in the Big East, doesn't it?... here's 2 more...
  • Nuggets @ Nets - NBA-TV 7:00 - Why are the Nets on TV?... anyway, it'll at least be a measuring stick for what's going on in NJ for those of us that don't see them much.... and throw in the Melo subplot...

Enjoy..

Sunday, January 30, 2011

1/30: Wild College Hoops, etc.

Greetings... it was a big day on the hardwood especially in the collegiate ranks... so we'll stay on the court this morning... college first
  • Ohio State narrowly avoids being bounced by NW thanks to some faulty execution late by the Wildcats... a typical road test and even the most experienced teams catch these...
  • Louisville knocks off UConn in Storrs... Kemba Walker with an inefficient 7 of 23 for UConn, but the story for me was Peyton Siva for Louisville... played big-time with 19 and 7 dimes...
  • Georgetown knocks off Villanova... this was a weird game simply because both teams were out of timeouts with about 3 minutes to go... it was mass chaos on both ends down the stretch... Austin Freeman had 30 for Georgetown and was everywhere, but the Hoyas won this game in spite of some laughable execution...
  • Kansas blitzes K-State by 24... the purple and white are pretty bad right now... Frank Martin looks to be asleep at the wheel, and they had no chance in Lawrence last night... great story with Thomas Robinson 2 days after his mother's funeral keying the Jayhawks with 17 and 9... big-time performance by KU
  • Texas is the real deal... Rick Barnes has them playing well right now, and they took it to Missouri... right now? I have to give them the frontrunner nod for the 4th #1 seed with Ohio State, Duke, and Kansas...
  • Upsets abound... Texas A&M, BYU, Wisconsin, and Syracuse drop road games to unranked teams... A&M was actually a road underdog (Vegas-style), and none of the losses were shockers, but it just shows again and again how big home-court is in college hoops... especially in conference....
NBA Check...
  • Dallas knocks off ATL with help from a 25-13 4th quarter... some abysmal offense from the Hawks in the 4th quarter (a recurring trend), and the Mavs took advantage... Jason Terry with 11 dimes to lead Dallas... and despite Joe Johnson putting up another huge stat game (27/8/6) it wasn't enough...
  • Zach Randolph is so under-appreciated.... 24 and 20 for Memphis in their home win over the Wiz... yes, the Wizards are 0-23 on the road now... but Z-Bo needs more love... you can't argue with 20 and 13 on the season...
  • Same old story for San Antonio.... 6 guys in double-digits and a 13 point win over Houston... the Spurs are rolling..
What to watch for on a football-less Sunday...
  • Heat @ Thunder - 1:00 ABC - Sunday afternoon ABC games!... These 2 teams haven't played yet, and this matchup is really intriguing... 4 of the top 15-20 players in the league? Even without Bosh, That's enough for me...
  • Celtics @ Lakers - 3:30 ABC - Oh... just the finals rematch and the 2 most storied franchises in the NBA on national tv.... that's all...
  • Duke @ St. John's - 1:00 CBS - Remember when this game didn't suck?... Bootsie Thornton does...
  • Washington @ Washington St. - 10:00 Fox Sports - Pac-10 hoops on a sunday night... always enjoy this matchup...

Friday, January 28, 2011

1/28: Jeff Fisher, OJ Mayo, etc.

Greetings...
  • Jeff Fisher out as Titans Head Coach after 17 years... not a huge shock given the turmoil in Tennessee this year with him and Vince Young, but 17 years is a long, long time to be coaching a professional franchise... It seems like Tennessee has to go in-house because it is so late in the game already... interesting to see who's coaching (and playing QB) for them in 2011 if there's football....
  • OJ Mayo suspended 10 games for steroid use... this has somehow flown under the radar because it's 1) not baseball, and 2) not in a major market... but I can't fathom how this isn't a huge story... Mayo is a top 50-75 guy in the league (off the top of my head) and has been a big story in the past for USC sanctions, etc... If this was baseball, this would lead every news outlet for days...
  • The NBA all-star starters were announced last night... Rose/Wade/LBJ/Amare/Dwight for the East, and Paul/Kobe/Durant/Melo/Yao for the West.... obviously Yao is out for the West and David Stern gets to pick the replacement (hmm), but Melo getting the nod in the West (although not a surprise) is the only issue I have... check out my post from yesterday for my squads...
  • Tiger Woods is 5 back at Torrey Pines... bogey-free round of 69 yesterday, but he couldn't make any headway on the Par 5's... looked good though.... I stand by my 7 win/2 major prediction...
  • There's a report that Maurkice Pouncey has a broken ankle for the Steelers... that would end his season..... it's been widely reported that he'll "try" to play in the Super Bowl, but the all-pro center isn't playing if it's broken...
  • NBA Check - New York knocks off the Heat 93-88 at MSG... they held Lebron to 7 of 24 shooting, and despite Dwyane Wade's 34/16 performance (wow), Amare and company get the win with much ado to Landry Fields (19/13/6)... Boston knocks off the Blazers at the Rose Garden by 10... typical grinding Boston/Portland game that saw 5 guys in double-figures for the C's.... Nic Batum exited early with an injury and that set back Portland a bit IMO... and finally, Dallas hangs on to beat Houston.... SEVEN guys in double-digits for Dallas led by Tyson Chandler's 21 and 15... and they 30 points combined from Pavlovic and Barea... that's like stealing... one note on Houston... Luis Scola is a man...
  • College Hoops Look-in - Michigan hadn't beaten Michigan State in football or basketball in 1,181 days until last night... and then Zack Novak went crazy... 6 threes for the Junior to lead the victors... Gonzaga on the bubble? or even worse?... that's the story in Washington... they dropped (another) home game... this time to St. Mary's by 2... it's not the same type of talent base that they are use to having and preseason all-american Elias Harris has been a letdown... Indiana upsets Illinois at home... 52-49 is pretty ugly, but give credit to the Hoosiers for holding McCamey to 2 of 11 shooting...

What to watch for on Friday...

  • Knicks @ Hawks - 7:30 SportSouth - I'll be in the building and it's apparently (gasp) close to a sell-out... that means 40% Knick fans... should be an entertaining game....
  • Celtics @ Suns - 10:30 ESPN - Road back-to-back for Boston... but Phoenix is really scuffling right now and sit at a paltry 20-24...

Thursday, January 27, 2011

NBA All-Star Selections

Greetings all... I'll be breaking down my version of the ASG picks here... I say this every year, but the G-G-F-F-C format kind of baffles me... simply because there aren't enough "centers" to fill the rosters accurately, and because there's too many situations where you end up with Carmelo/Durant as your forwards and 2 6'6 shooting guards in the backcourt... alas... let's get to it...

EAST

Starters

  • C - Dwight Howard - The lock of all locks really... career high 22 ppg, 2nd in the league in boards, 2.2 blocks, over 1 steal, and the best defensive center alive... done...
  • PF - Amare Stoudemire - Leading the East in scoring at 26 ppg leading a decent Knicks team to an above .500 in the first half... decent rebounding (9 rpg), and he's become the leader of the squad... the clear pick in a weak year for PFs...

  • SF - Lebron James - Best player on earth... I can stop there but let me share his numbers... 26/7/7 averages on a team with a different elite scoring option... wait, why am I explaining this?...

  • SG - Dwyane Wade - 25 a game, an efficient 49% FG, and even defending at a extremely high level... there's a big gap between him and the rest in the East...

  • PG - Derrick Rose - This would've been tough a month ago, but Rose has been unbelievable... 25/8/5 averages leading Chicago to possible home-court in the first-round, and he's doing it without Noah right now... might be my MVP of league...

Bench

  • PG - Rajon Rondo - the league's assist leader... 52% FG despite that horrendous jumper (lol), and maybe the best defensive PG in the league... pencil him in...

  • PG - Raymond Felton - I wish Nash or Westbrook was in the East... but Felton gets the nod here... 18 and 9 a game and doing everything for that NY team... honestly, surpassing everyone's expectations upon his arrival there...

  • SG - Joe Johnson - 27 a game in January, and the best offensive player on an upper-tier East team... I went back and forth with Ray Allen for this spot, but Joe continues to answer the bell (and Boston doesn't need 4 all-stars lol)...

  • SF - Paul Pierce - ultra-efficient 19/5/5 shooting 51/43/85... the stalwart of that Boston team, and even with as ugly as his game can be, he's still quite effective...

  • PF - Chris Bosh - Surprisingly, I find myself inserting Bosh without much thought... 19 and 8 as the 3rd option is pretty impressive, but he's turned it up recently on the defensive end, and gotta give him the nod over someone like Granger...

  • PF - Kevin Garnett - 15 and 9 doesn't seem especially All-star worthy, huh?... If you think that, you haven't watched KG... he's still an elite defender, the most irreplaceable part on a team full of irreplaceable parts, and he makes them go... an automatic inclusion even before you consider his 54/82 FG/FT splits...

  • C - Al Horford - 16 and 10 with 57% FG (top-5 in the league) and he's a fantastic/versatile defender even when the Hawks put him in impossible switches (like guarding Chris Paul for an entire half)... clearly the 2nd best center in the East....
Tough Omissions - Ray Allen (shooting unbelievably with 51/45/87 percentages), Danny Granger (21 a game for a playoff contender but an ugly 42% FG)
WEST

Starters
  • C - Pau Gasol - "Bending" the center position a bit... but when Bynum misses games like it's going out of style, Pau plays center, and does so fantastically...

  • PF - Dirk Nowitzki - Hear me out again... I know Dirk has missed 9 games... but listen to this... The Mavs went 2-7 without him, and 27-8 with him... he was a legit leading MVP candidate until the injury and may get back there if they win 55+... 52/39/87 percentages to go along with 23 a game on a team where everything runs through him.... I think it's clear

  • SF - Kevin Durant - league's leading scorer... had a bit of a "slow" start (for him) but has picked it up in January, and you can't argue with a guy who shoots 90% FT taking 9 a game....

  • SG - Kobe Bean Bryant - Best 2-guard alive (still), and still giving it to you on both ends... 25/5/5 averages, and he's adapted his game immensely to age more gracefully... pencil it in

  • PG - Chris Paul - Still the #1 PG for me... 16 points, 10 dimes per with a league-leading 2.7 steals, and suddenly shooting 47% from three... leading NO to 30 wins at time of print here, and carrying them to the playoffs...
Bench
  • PG - Deron Williams - Getting "best PG alive" buzz as usual and I can't necessarily hate on it... 22 and 9 and keeping them competitive if not slightly underachieving...

  • PG - Steve Nash - Sorry Russell... I can't leave off Nash... not in a year where he's strapped Phoenix to his back... 53/40/92 percentages... wow... he might be the best shooter in the league, and he's still giving you 11 assists a game... Toughest call of the year, but Russ can wait a year...

  • SG - Manu Ginobili - Elite crunch-time guy... 19 a game in only 31 minutes per... it's tough to leave off Monta Ellis & Eric Gordon, but can't ignore the "best" player on the best team in the league... And for my colleague, Ryan... Manu's PER? 22.9... Mr. Ellis? 19.6...

  • SF - Carmelo Anthony - 24 points, 8 boards a game... and while I don't love his game by any stretch... you can't leave off an elite scorer who's currently got Denver in the playoffs with that roster simply because there isn't a better SF option even if there are guys (Westbrook, Ellis, Aldridge) who I feel are having better years

  • PF - Blake Griffin - Probably the best rookie I've ever seen with my 2 eyes.... at least since Duncan... 23 points, a ridiculous 13 boards, and shooting 52% while attacking the rim with vigor that doesn't exist elsewhere...

  • PF - Kevin Love - Best rebounder on Earth... and somehow putting up a 22/16 PPG/RPG in an effort to make my head explode... 44% 3-point as a power forward with 88% FT as well... can't leave him off...

  • C - Tim Duncan - I can't be swayed... it helps that there isn't another real option and I feel that you have to have a backup C... Duncan isn't "DUNCAN!" anymore, but he's one of the smartest players in the league on both ends, still averaging a 14/10 in 29 minutes per, and if you want to put Nene ahead of him... good luck to you... I'll take the top-10 guy of all-time with a little left in the tank
Tough Omissions - Russell Westbrook (single most brutal leave-off... 23/8/5 on a team battling for home-court in the first-round... attacks and attacks...), Eric Gordon (24 a game and filling it up nightly, but now injured and can't have 2 Clips), LaMarcus Aldridge (brutal year for PFs, but 21 and 9 carrying Portland without Roy shouldn't be ignored), Monta Ellis (26 points, 6 dimes... plays 2 spots, and is unquestionably playing better than ever)
And there it is... feel free to argue with my in the comments... I love the banter...

1/27: Jimmer, Durant, etc.

Greetings all... let's get straight to it...
  • Jimmer Fredette and BYU have captured the nation... I'm only a little bit kidding... as twitter/ESPN have exploded with news of the guard's play... Jimmer had 43 last night as 20-0 BYU knocked off previously unbeaten San Diego State... 43 of the team's 71 points and the buzz is semi-outrageous... first for SDSU, that's a talented team, and they shouldn't be written off... but back to BYU... they are a threat b/c they aren't a 1-man show (there are legit guys around him) and because they have a guy who can get his shot whenever he wants it.... alot of talk on his NBA stock though, and let's all agree to take a step back... he's a 6'2 (maybe) off-guard who can't guard anyone at the next level... he may be able to stick as an energy scorer off someone's bench, but this isn't JJ Redick (who has shown himself capable of defending opposing 2's and has more legit size) and Jimmer isn't a point guard... there it is....
  • Roger Goodell will cut his salary to $1 in the event of a lockout... umm... ok?... I guess this means he "means business" on the negotiations... but I'm not sure how a guy who made $18 million last year and runs the freaking NFL can make any sort of plea declaration by cutting his own salary... forgive the cynicism...
  • NBA Check - Kevin Durant is a man.... 47 points, a career 18 boards, and repeated daggers in their OT win over Minnesota... somehow managing to upstage another ludicrous game from Kevin Love (who had 31 and 21)... The Hawks took a beating in Milwaukee... the Bibby conundrum continues as Earl Boykins goes off for 20 off the bench... that's laughable... but the key? Josh Smith and his 6 for 20 including 1 of 5 threes... here's an idea... go to the rim... San Antonio holds off Utah by 7 in Salt Lake... Deron Williams did what he could with 39 and 9 (legit unguardable for T. Parker) but the Spurs are scary efficient... and 2 more crazy PG games... Steven Q. Nash throws up a 27/15/5 (in a loss somehow), and CP3 puts up an 18 point, 17 dime (on 7/9 FG) game in NO's win....
  • Providence takes 'Nova to the woodshed... 83-68 victory for the Friars in a weird game... Providence shot only 38% but held Villanova to a paltry 32.5% from the field, and shot 31 of 38 from the free throw line... the 2 Corey's (lol) for Nova combined to shoot 4 of 26... yikes...
  • Golf officially kicks off 2011 today... mostly because Tiger Woods is in the field at Torrey Pines... I have to get this on record... I think he wins 7 tournaments and 2 majors... he's coming...

What to watch for...

  • Heat @ Knicks - TNT 8:00 - Miami may score 120 against that Knicks defense... and it's always a show when Lebron walks into MSG... he's capable of just about anything... but it'll be interesting to see how the dynamic has changed for him there since he balked at NY this summer...
  • Celtics @ Blazers - TNT 10:30 - Portland is strong at home, but they'll need a 100% Aldridge to have a shot here, and I'm not sure they'll get it with his hip ailment...
  • Michigan @ Michigan State - ESPN 7:00 - I'm the only one who will watch this... but it's always a good time when these 2 get together... oh... Michigan is 1-6 in the Big 10.. er....
  • St. Mary's @ Gonzaga - ESPN2 11:00 - This is really a PSA for West Coast Hoops... this is the battle for WCC supremacy year in and year out, and while Gonzaga is "down" with 7 losses already, they've played a pretty brutal schedule for a small school (SDSU, K-State, Illinois, @ND)... STM is legit though...

Enjoy...

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

1/25: Cutler, Hoops, etc.

Greetings all... yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind... so what do I do when I'm awake at 3:30 am? This....
  • Jay Cutler... What do you say?.... My initial reaction was actually laughter... but that's a bit mean-spirited from a guy who doesn't see Cutler in the best of lights... then? I was semi-defending him... If he had a more "positive disposition" in general, there's absolutely no way he would've been crucified how he was on Sunday night regardless... Now that that is out of the way, my biggest condemnation of Cutler had to do with body language... but let's please realize that his body language is ALWAYS horrendous... so why crap on it now?... Sprained MCL is the diagnosis which helps his case mildly, but the cavalcade of former players taking shots at him isn't going to end based on "sprained"....
  • Some quick thoughts on the Title games.... Ben Roethlisberger didn't play particularly well IMO, but some of those 3rd down scrambles late were typical of him... he makes plays... I was actually impressed with Sanchez's play.... Can we all slow down on Aaron Rodgers?... just a bit?.... and if GB had lost that game, it would've been 100% on Mike McCarthy... it's the elephant in the room and the reason I'll likely be picking the Steelers...
  • NBA Check - Cleveland has lost 17 straight games... I think the debate is over on the worst team in the league (Varejao's injury is the culprit, but still)... Just when Orlando was getting some buzz back, they drop a game at home to suddenly "decent-ish" Detroit... the Pistons have a couple nice wins lately which have coincided with Greg Monroe getting off the pine... Rudy Gay dropped a beautiful game-winner in Toronto... I don't like him, but he's about as smooth as they come... New Orleans with 3 straight huge wins... blowouts over ATL and SA, and then a tough, grinding 2-point win over OKC behind Paul's 24 and 9 last night... Sacto with a 15-point road win? 96-81 over Portland... Stat of the day? Joel Pryzbilla managed to play 22 minutes and not attempt a FG.... Big-time injury scare for Tim Duncan who was rolling around in pain last night clutching a knee... but he returned in the 2nd half, and SA cruised to a road win in Oakland behind 6 guys in double-digits...
  • 2 decent games in college last night.... Notre Dame upset Pitt on the road thanks to some clutch play from Ben Hansborough... very nice win for Mike Bray... and K-State beat Baylor by 8... that game was a bit of an abomination from the jump honestly... 2 teams that were overrated preseason converging on underwhelming play....
  • Anybody see Antonio Cromartie's comments on the union and the pending CBA negotiations? I'm sure the NFLPA really wants Antonio commenting publicly... great spokesperson...

What to watch for...

  • #12 Purdue @ #1 Ohio State - ESPN 9:00 - The undefeated Buckeyes are the unanimous #1 right now and have the best freshman in the country in Jared Sullinger... interested to see if Jajuan Johnson can pull him away from the basket...
  • Florida @ Georgia - ESPN 7:00 - Two fringe top-25 teams square off and I mention it here because I know alot of Georgia fans... it's time to recognize that this is a real basketball team...
  • Jazz @ Lakers - 10:30 NBA TV - Utah is really struggling lately... but this is a matchup that is usually fun to watch... Deron Williams can do whatever he wants against Fisher and that's the x-factor...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

NFL Championship Sunday Preview

Greetings all... Let's get to the games.... 58-47-3 on the year (1-3 last week) for THE PICKS!
  • Green Bay @ Chicago - 3:00 FOX - 2 old-school rivals mixing it up... let's break it down simply... Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers and Chicago has Jay Cutler... my discomfort with Cutler is well-documented... he's always capable of throwing the ball to the opposition, and while I like Matt Forte, I'm not sure Mike Martz can build a capable game-plan around the run game... add it up and I don't trust the Bears offense to match points with GB... now that I've said that, we all need to take a deep breath on Green Bay... granted, I picked them to go to the Super Bowl preseason, and Rodgers played as well as I've ever seen a QB play (really... ever) last week... but this team still only won 10 games, they have no running game, they lost an elite TE for the season 4 months ago, and they're on the road in hostile territory... I can't, in good conscience, pick Cutler in this type of spot, so I'll reluctantly take GB -3.5 and outright... but I expect a single-digit outcome either way here...
  • NY Jets @ Pittsburgh - 6:30 CBS - Really nice game... I'm high on Pittsburgh (as always) due to the normal reasons... I love Mike Tomlin, I love that defense, and I think Ben Roethlisberger is legit great in big games/moments... add in the homefield, and it's a pretty mounting case for Pittsburgh... on the Jets end, they played fantastically last week, containing Brady and company with a million DBs, Sanchez made plays when he needed them, and they generally outcoached NE... I even like that NYJ is playing the deferential card in the media to Pittsburgh this week b/c you don't want to anger the Steelers... I like what Rex has done.. I really do... but are we forgetting that 1) Pittsburgh is the better team, 2) Pittsburgh is at home, 3) Pittsburgh has the better (and SB-winning) QB, and 4) they are somehow getting less hype than the other team...?.... I love the Steelers here... Add them at -3.5 to my picks as well....

Enjoy the big-time Sunday...

Friday, January 21, 2011

1/21: Thursday Night Hoops, Brady, etc.

Greetings all... My apologies on lack of content... First, to last night's action on a slow day...
  • NBA Round-Up... Chicago continues to play well.... 82-77 winners over skidding Dallas behind Rose's 26/9/7 outing... panic for the Mavs? They've lost 6 of 8, and Dirk had 2 rebounds last night... 2.... Funny note... Rose was the only Bull in double-figures... Elsewhere, Portland gets a nice win by 15 over LAC... the Blazers ended the game on a 16-4 run, and they got 28 a piece from Aldridge (who was great) and Matthews... LAC got great contributions from Gordon (35 points, 7 threes), and Griffin (20 and 18) but not much else... and I have exactly one note on the Charlotte/Philly game... DJ Augustin can play, and it's showing through in the Paul Silas era... he had 31 and 8 last night, and is quietly averaging 15 and 6 for the year...
  • Washington is the class of the Pac-10... the Huskies beat up on #25 Arizona by 17 last night in Seattle.. Thomas and Holiday went for a combined 44, and they managed to corral the 'zona offense outside of Derrick Williams (who got a customary 22/11)...
  • Tom Brady has foot surgery... hmm... his ludicrous 36 TD/4 INT season looks even crazier now, right?... but in all seriousness, he looked a little limited mobility wise in the game against NYJ, and maybe this explains it...
  • Andruw Jones signs with the Yankees... I got nothing here except to say that I miss skinny Andruw galloping around in CF in the 1996 world series...
  • I have to comment on the bizarre WWE-ish presser from the Mad Russian the other day... the Nets have officially bailed on the 'Melo talks leaving him to contemplate life in Denver, but it was a wild scene there... at any rate, I still think Melo gets dealt... but I honestly think a team like Houston could put together an even better package than NY even with the assumption that he won't sign an extension.... that's how underwhelming the NY package is...

What to watch for...

  • Hornets @ Hawks - 7:30 SportSouth - Chris Paul comes to town... ATL is probably without Horford and Marvin Williams and that gives the slight edge to NO simply on the basis of extended minutes from Collins and Powell... but it'll come down to if the Hawks can "semi"- contain Paul...
  • Knicks @ Spurs - 8:00 ESPN - Nice style match-up here... SA is playing the best ball in the league, but NY is capable of throwing up 130 on you on any night...
  • Lakers @ Nuggets - 10:30 ESPN - Carmelo is still playing in Denver... these 2 teams usually play big-time games, especially in Denver, so if you're a night owl....

Enjoy...

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

1/18: Wall-to-Wall Hoops...

Greetings... NBA First...
  • Boston 109, Orlando 106 - Fantastic battle last night in Boston... Orlando got 33 and 13 from Dwight, but Boston was back at full-strength on KG's return, and they used 6 guys in double figures to get the W... Saw some nice things from Orlando when they went to the Anderson/Turkoglu lineup stretching the floor and getting back to what they used to do... they also only went 8 deep last night... Typical Boston really... and they managed to beat a team led by Dwight Howard with only one center getting minutes (Shaq with 26) thanks to contributions from "Baby Davis" (copyright Hubie Brown) and even Luke Harangody (huh?)....
  • LAL 101, OKC 94 - Another nice game here... LA has a real matchup problem vs. Westbrook (32/12/5), but they were able to contain Durant to 8 for 24 shooting, and got efficient play from Kobe, Odom, and even a nice game from Fisher (5 of 10, 15 points)... OKC's best lineup even against the lengthy frontline of LAL? Westbrook-Harden-Green-Durant-Ibaka...
  • Blake Griffin had a league (season)-high 47 points, and 14 rebounds.... 47!.... He unleashed a fury of Duncan-like bank-shots and managed to put up these numbers with only 1 dunk... the kid is a player...
  • Elsewhere in the L... Atlanta squeaks out a win over Sacto... Josh Smith slept walked for 3 quarters, but had a nice 4th, and Joe Johnson dropped 36 including 2 game-winning FTs (all tapes have been destroyed of the foul).... Boris Diaw dropped a triple-double on Philly with 25/11/11 in their road loss... I've been crapping on Diaw for years, so here you go, Boris... Dallas falls to... Detroit?... by 14?... with Dirk!?... Dirk returned in full force with 32, but the Mavs don't exactly have it going right now... slipping to 26-14.... and Lamarcus Aldridge threw up a career-high 37 to go along with 12 boards in Portland's 113-102 win over Minny.... another noteworthy thing in that game? Minny's last 2 lottery picks: Wesley Johnson (DNP-CD) and Jonny Flynn (15 minutes, 2 points)... David Kahn everybody!

College...

  • Pitt 74, Syracuse 66.... One of the weirder starts to a game in recent memory... Pitt opened up a 19-0 lead... then Syracuse scored 17 straight to make it 19-17... huh?... anyway, Pitt held the Cuse to under 40% shooting, and the Orange really missed Kris Joseph... Pitt is typically deep, gritty, and defensive-minded as well...
  • Uconn 61, Nova 59... Uconn did what I didn't think they could do... they beat a good team on a bad shooting night from Kemba Walker... he went 6 of 18 for "only" 24 points, but hit the 2 biggest shots of the night down the stretch... both teams shot sub-37% from the field (yikes), but the key was UConn's ability to totally shut down Corey Stokes... 0-6... 3 points...
  • Missou 75, K-State 59... I got my answer on Missou... that's a legit team... 6 guys had 9+ points, and held Curtis Kelly and Pullen to a total of only 20 points... and no amount of Frank Martin staredowns can override that...

What to watch for...

  • Hawks @ Heat - 7:30 NBATV/SportSouth - All 3 Heat stars are questionable/doubtful so this one could get interesting... I like the Hawks in the game if any of the 3 don't play... but ATL is on a back-to-back on the road, so pretty unpredictable...
  • Michigan State @ Illinois - ESPN 7:00 - Nice matchup here... I'm still a believer in Sparty, but McCamey can do them in all on his own if he needs to...

Enjoy the day...

Monday, January 17, 2011

1/17: NFL Wrap, MLK Day Basketball, etc.

Greetings...
  • Jets 28, Patriots 21 - The biggest shocker of the weekend IMO... Mark Sanchez played mostly error-free (3 TD, 0 INT), and the Jets D managed to keep Brady in check with the help of some huge drops... the Santonio Holmes catch was (another) one for the ages, and everything seemed to go their way... Gotta kill the Pats a bit for that late drive that ate up 8 minutes of clock time and came away with 0 points... some questionable play-calling there down 2 scores... but the Jets made plays, and they get to go to Pittsburgh...
  • Chicago 35, Seattle 24 - This wasn't that close... it was 28-0 Bears at one point, and Chicago did the one thing they needed to do to win... and that was have Cutler play mistake-free... 4 total TDs for Cutler with 0 INT, and that was enough in itself... Seattle couldn't run the ball at all (34 total yards, only 4 for Lynch), and while Hasselbeck had nice numbers, they were mostly garbage-time catchup after Seattle punted on their first EIGHT drives... Better team won here....
Elsewhere....
  • Denard Robinson will officially not be transferring... I can hear the exhales from Ann Arbor...
  • NBA Check - The Clippers take the battle of LA 99-92... Griffin and Gordon combined for 48 points, and Blake had another 15 boards... marred by the late scrum between Odom and Griffin, but a helluva win for LAC.... San Antonio rolls on... 30 points for Tony Parker, 16 boards for Duncan, and another double-digit win over Denver....
  • 2 top 10 upsets in NCAA Hoops... West Virginia takes down Purdue 68-64 behind led by Kevin Jones 17... the Mountaineers are a battle-tested team that is always dangerous... and St. John's mauls #9 Notre Dame by 18... domination from the jump...
  • And this just in... Brett Favre files retirement papers... let's just hope that's true....
What to watch for on MLK Day...
  • Magic @ Celtics - TNT 8:00 - Fantastic game as usual...
  • Thunder @ Lakers - TNT 10:30 - Rematch of the great series from last year's playoffs... LAL is off a back to back but it's at home, so should be entertaining...
  • #7 Villanova @ #9 UConn - ESPN 3:30 - top-10 Big East battles are must-watch...
  • #4 Syracuse @ #5 Pitt - ESPN 7:30 - See above...
  • #20 K-State @ #12 Missou - ESPN 5:30 - I'm not sure how good Missouri is, but this is a nice test against Pullen and the Wildcats...
  • #3 Kansas @ Baylor - ESPN 9:30 - Baylor has been one of the more disappointing teams in the country this year after being top 10 preseason, but they are fully capable of beating KU at home...
  • Bulls @ Grizzlies - ESPN 1:00 - National TV on Monday at 1:00... I love it... the Derrick Rose traveling road show rolls on...
  • Kings @ Hawks - SportSouth 4:00 - I'll be in the building... the MLK tradition continues even against the league's worst team...
Tons of action on Monday... take advantage of the holiday and follow the action...

Sunday, January 16, 2011

1/16: Doomsday...

Greetings all...
  • In typical deflating fashion, the Atlanta Falcons get the doors blown off 48-21 last night to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers... first of all, big ups to Rodgers who was unbelievable from the jump last night... 31 of 36 for 366 and 4 total TDs... there was really no answer for him at any point... the game started pretty promising with the forced turnover on the Jennings fumble followed by the Turner TD, and, after the Pack evened it up, Eric Weems took a kickoff 102 yards to the house... 14-7... that was a nice spot... until the Packers scored 28 unanswered... Numerous opportunities to get Rodgers on the ground were missed, and no one was exempt from Abraham down... Matt Ryan was underwhelming with 2 INTs (although I maintain the first one wasn't his fault), Turner was held to sub-40 yards, and it seemed to me that Ryan was forcing the ball to Jenkins in an effort to avoid Charles Woodson... oh... I still haven't mentioned the pick-6?... Well, the clear turning point of the night was Matt Ryan's pick-6 to end the 1st half... I understand the skepticism on Mike Smith's choice to not kick the 53-yarder, but Matt Bryant isn't a guy with a huge leg, so I understood it... this one is on Ryan... you can't force that long of an out route after staring down the receiver all the way... 28-14 going to the half, and when Aaron Rodgers got the ball and converted on 3rd and 13 on the first 2nd half drive, it was all over..... Such a brutal night overall... Huge disappointment to get blown out in your own backyard....
  • Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 24 - Remember when I wrote that I didn't trust Joe Flacco on the road in my preview column?.... uh... that stands... his general implosion pretty much murdered Baltimore... in his defense, Ray Rice was held to under 40 yards rushing, and Big Ben made plays when he needed to in the 2nd half, but I put this one on Flacco... I have to say that Big Ben just seems to win these games...
Short on time this morning... but had to get a few comments in on the Falcons... Enjoy the day, folks...

Friday, January 14, 2011

NFL Divisional Round Preview!

Greetings all... My apologies on the spottiness... its' been a wild week in the ATL.... let's get to the games...
  • Baltimore @ Pittsburgh - Saturday 4:30 NBC - The dream matchup if you like hard-hitting football... these 2 teams legitimately don't like each other, and it usually shows... Baltimore's defense is a bit overrated these days (especially in pass D where they rank 21st in yards allowed), but they still pressure the quarterback, and Pittsburgh's O-line is among the worst in the league (really, their only weakness)... for Pittsburgh, Polamalu seems to be ready to go and that's huge for them as that defense takes on a whole different mindset when he's out there.... I like Pittsburgh close here... I trust Ben more than Flacco, and I think Pittsburgh has the better defense... One way Baltimore can steal this one is to get Ray Rice going though, as teams continually fail to establish the ground game against PIT, but Rice is shifty and if they can get him in space it'll help....
  • Green Bay @ Atlanta - Saturday 8:00 NBC - The Dome will be rocking... that much is for certain... let's get this out of the way... I'm not at all scared of James Starks... his 100+ yard outburst last week was a result of horrendous tackling by Philly (a bad run D), and if he goes north of 60 yards this week, I'll be surprised... that said, Aaron Rodgers is playing fantastic football, and Atlanta must bottle up the ground game in order to attempt to slow Rodgers... one-dimensional is a good thing to see for a defense, even if it's a very good dimension.... for Atlanta, I think Michael Turner is the key... he had a good/productive game last time against GB, but the Packers defense is very stingy... the Falcons offensive dynamic is entirely based on how productive Turner is because well, Mike Mularkey is going to hand him the ball whether he has it going or not.... I like Matt Ryan at home, but anyone that says they know what he'll look like here is lying... he's got 1 playoff game under his belt (yes, I know Arizona had the snap count) and he wasn't fantastic that day... Gun to my head? I like the Falcons at home, but this is the most evenly matched game of the weekend IMO...
  • Seattle @ Chicago - Sunday 1:00 FOX - What a weird matchup... I'm always too high on Seattle, and I've been too tough on Chicago... The Seahawk "weapons" are being vastly overrated this week... Marshawn Lynch was great on the run at the end of the NO game, but he's been a dissapointment for the most part in Seattle, and the receiving corps is still below average... Hasselbeck does have some playoff success on his resume, so there's a little trust there, but he'll have to show everyone again... for Chicago, I think it comes down to Mike Martz... Cutler has been so much more effective when Martz has gotten him out of the 7-step drops/deep balls that he's obsessed with, and let him make quick decisions in 3 and 5 step drops to deliver the ball to their undersized receivers (led by Knox)... if Chicago doesn't abandon the run and the quick passing game, I like their chances alot... they have, by far, the better defense, and they are playing at home... a lot has been made of Seattle going in there and winning in Week 6, but that was 3 months ago, and I'm not sure how much bearing it'll have... give me the Bears....
  • NY Jets @ New England - Sunday 4:15 CBS - 45-3 last time... that's what you'll get buried with in the media this week, and I'm not going to tell you differently... it happened... it's out there... I think NE is flat-out better... they have the best QB alive, they have the better head coach, and they have homefield... but most of all? Mark Sanchez is on the road, and I can't possibly pick him against Tom Brady with how he's looked recently... I think NYJ will actually show up and not get blown out completely here, but look for Brady to be workmanlike in a 27-30 point effort... Love the Pats...

THE PICKS! (57-44-3 after the Oregon/Auburn push)... I'm picking every game this week... just because I feel led...

  • Pittsburgh -3... I don't trust Flacco... still....
  • Seattle +10... They make it close enough, and there's always the possibility of Cutler throwing the ball to the other jersey...
  • Atlanta -2.5
  • NE -8.5.... I'm thinking 31-20...

Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

1/11: BCS Champs, etc...

Aloha...
  • Auburn is your BCS champion... 22-19 via a last second FG, and the title resides in Alabama... it wasn't the full-on fast break offensive battle that most people (myself included) thought it'd be, but there were some very exciting moments throughout, and the teams seemed to be even, with Auburn dominating up front, but Oregon winning the battle on the edges... The X-Factor to me was Auburn's ability to run the ball (255 yards) including Michael Dyer taking over late... Oregon never really got the run game going (81 yards) and although D. Thomas made alot of plays, it was spotty at times... overall, a very entertaining game from an excitement standpoint, and although it could've been better played, I enjoyed it... congrats to Auburn, condolences to Oregon (and my man, Ryan) and let the unnecessary SEC pimping begin...
Elsewhere...
  • Les Miles meets with Michigan AD Dave Brandon... I'm inconsolable at this point... I can't talk about it until after it's over, and we'll see at that point...
  • Pitt hires Tulsa HC Todd Graham... I'm surprised Pitt didn't swing up with a bigger hire i.e. Rich Rodriguez or Mike Leach, but they went low-key after having fired their previous "hire"...
  • NBA Check - The Rockets get a huge road win in Boston... they got 41 combined points from Brooks and Lowry, and overcame the absence of Kevin Martin to beat the C's... and Derrick Rose is a player... 29 and 7 is suddenly a ho-hum night for Rose...
  • The Carmelo 3-teamer is reportedly back-tracking a bit... there are rumors of the Nuggets pulling back and threatening to ship Melo to the Knicks instead... I don't know what's going on over there... but keep an eye on Houston, who has reportedly re-entered the derby... they have a ton of assets/cap relief to offer like Yao/Battier/Jeffries, and they could package them with Martin or Brooks... I don't really like the fit with Melo in Denver because he's so one-dimensional (and I hate it more if Martin stayed in Houston), but they may pilfer him...
What to watch for...
  • Bucks @ Hawks - 7:00 SportSouth - This game still may get cancelled due to weather... but a nice matchup actually... Milwaukee is playing better recently, but the main advantage Milwaukee has had previously against the Hawks (Jennings getting wherever he wants on Bibby/Crawford) is gone with the Jennings injury...
  • Suns @ Nuggets - 9:00 NBA TV - Well, it'll be more noteworthy if the guys are shipped out of Denver before 9:00...
  • Wisconsin @ Michigan State - 7:00 ESPN - A nice Big 10 matchup... Wisconsin is perpetually underrated, and I'm still convinced that Sparty will get it together...

Monday, January 10, 2011

1/10: BCS Preview, NFL Wrap

Greetings all... Nice to be back... big-ups to Ryan for filling in over the weekend... let's get to it...
  • Ravens 30, Chiefs 7 - Full disclosure... I liked the Chiefs here... and it looked good early, but Baltimore's defense stiffened, and Matt Cassel and company weren't up to the challenge... 70 yards passing for KC.. 70!... and Joe Flacco played much better than I thought he would (250+ and 2 TDs)... sets up a hard-hitting matchup with Pittsburgh... those are always fun...
  • Packers 21, Eagles 16 - A mild upset here... Aaron Rodgers had a QB rating of 122.5 and he was fantastic with 3 TDs and 0 picks, but the story for me on the GB side was James Starks... 123 yards on 23 carries, and they had a legit running game that they haven't had... Alot of people will pin the loss on David Akers' 2 missed FGs but Philly just couldn't make enough plays offensively... Vick was effective, but he wasn't as electric as he had been mid-season, and they needed him to be that electric player that carries them... The Pack come to Atlanta....
Elsewhere...
  • The Carmelo Anthony saga is in flux again... it is now reported that the Nets are close to a gigantic 15-player deal that would send Melo, Rip Hamilton, and Billups to NJ with Detroit ridding themselves of the Hamilton albatross contract, and Denver getting Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, etc.... it isn't "done" yet, and there are reports now that Denver wants to include Al Harrington, but I'm just done with this story... let me know when it happens...
  • NBA Box Score Check - Lebron James throws up a 44/13/6 in a road win OT win in Portland... he was dominant in every phase (leading the Heat in all 3 categories) and it was nice to see some cutthroat play from him... The Lakers beat up on NY by 22... put the panic on pause for LA, as Kobe (27 points) and Lamar (18 boards) get right against a pretty good Knicks team... and Break up the Clippers! Blake Griffin with 23 and 12 in the Clips home win over GS... LAC is now 11-11 in their last 22 and really, I'm not sure they qualify as a bad team anymore... tons of talent, and Blake and Gordon give them a chance every night...
  • College Hoops - Kansas pushed to the brink @ Michigan... the Wolverines put together a long, fierce rally to force OT (despite shooting 4 for 28 from 3, sigh), but Marcus Morris (22 and 10) and company were too much... Duke remains unblemished... Maryland always gives them fits, but Kyle Singler (25 and 10) was fantastic, and they were able to outlast a brutal shooting day from Nolan Smith... Ohio State is very, very good... they have the freshman stud Sullinger (15 and 12 last night), but this is a talented, VETERAN team that scares me if I see them on the other side... Minnesota showed some fight last night, but OSU is a beast...
What to watch for...
  • BCS Title Game - Oregon vs. Auburn - ESPN 8:00 - Obviously this steals all the headlines today... 2 incredibly talented offenses make this game fun to watch in addition to important to watch due to shear magnitude... Auburn's secondary will be the key for me, and I think they are a sub-standard unit that Oregon will expose... Cam Newton will make plays, as he always done, but I think Oregon can keep Newton in the pocket with their speed, and I'm not sure Newton is "elite" if he's contained in the pocket... I like the Ducks here... 38-34 Oregon... and Add Oregon +3 to my picks (57-44-2 right now)
  • Rockets @ Celtics - NBA TV 7:30 - Nice matchup here... I wish Aaron Brooks was healthy, but Houston is playing much better basketball recently...
Enjoy it...

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Wild Card Weekend Part 2!

You're still reading this?...It's Ryan again day 2 of substitute teaching and...soooo..yeah I went 0-2 in my picks..but its been a while picking games..I'll credit it towards being rusty.Anyways he's a small recap of what the hell happened yesterday.

Seahawks over Saints 41-36
....Yeah...wow..well I'll say as a Seahawk fan that is the best game we've played against a top team in years.Hasselbeck played as good as any QB in the league with some of the throws he was making out there.The Saints defense had nothing for him at all and it showed. But I was also surprised that the defense played as well as it did.They gave up alot of yards but they swarmed and didn't give up the big play which helps tremendously. The run game for New Orleans was....not so great..which is why Brees throw 60 times(yes 60).Great great win for Seattle and to dry up all the laughter from everyone..its not so funny now lol.

Jets over Colts 17-16
This came down to the last play which makes for an interesting game right?...eh..the 1st half was a sleeper..mainly doing the field position thing..the 4th quarter was the standout but really the Jets were able to run the ball effectively(LT 82yds 2TDs,Greene 70yds) and Sanchez played just okay(again) and it was enough.Peyton didn't really throw like I thought he would(26 attempts) but that was the pass coverage of the Jets doing their thing I suppose.Anytime you look at the boxscore and see Wayne 1 catch for 1yd...something was up.Very clutch kicking on both sides though.

And onto today's action

Baltimore@Kansas City
I think going into this game I was on the fence..until Kansas City laid down to Oakland in the last game of the season..that tempered my expectations for them even though they were 7-1 at home(although the schedule was a little on the cakey side)..so I looked back at their schedule to see whom they've beaten to get to 10 wins...well..Seattle and Indy are he only playoff teams they've played(Beat Seattle) and they've only played one team over .500...ew..I can't hold confidence in that..but on the other side Baltimore isn't without fault..their cornerbacks could be alot better but when you have top ballhawk Ed Reed back there..it helps..the front 7 is stout(I like saying that) but if Baltimore can stay away from being overaggressive and having mental breakdowns..they should have it in the bag.
Ravens over Chiefs

Green Bay@Philly
This is the heavyweight matchup in my eyes in the Wild Card round. Two of the top QBs in the league going at it as well as top defenses in the way trying to stop them.Going on Green Bay's side the run game could be a little better as well as their special teams..far too many times this year one or both of those have held Green Bay back from winning games. But if the run game is solid it will keep Rodgers from being the only running option and keep him doing what he does best which is throw the ball all over the field.On the other end just Mike Vick..the most unique,dynamic weapon to ever play in the NFL.Everything has to fall off of this guy in order for Philly to win.He is the literal engine that drives them and has to be protected in the pocket in order for him to excel there as well.Against Minnesota they tagged him pretty good(6 sacks and 2 fumbles) and made him throw 43 times..thats a good recipe..and I think that Green Bay will be the team to do it.
Packers over Eagles

If yesterday was any indication of how the games will be I wouldn't miss a second of what is in store for today..enjoy everyone.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Saturday's Wild Card Weekend!

Hey everyone..its everybody's favorite substitute sports teacher Ryan filling in for Brad for the weekend. Enough about me..its that time of the year..football playoffs..and games that actually matter on a Saturday(Small shot at college but whatever).

Saints@Seahawks 4:30pm
Well this is a bit of a mismatch..not really because the Saints are "great" this time around but more so because the Seahawks aren't very good.We all know about the 7-9,being the first sub .500 team blah blah blah...One thing I thought the Seahawks could do was slow the run..well Pierre Thomas nor Chris Ivory won't be playing any playoff football this season..so Reggie Bush and Julius Jones would be the only guys "running." Great..so that means the Drew Brees show will commence by throwing all over the field..which isn't a strong suit for my Seahawks.If Seattle can slow the Saints by simply keeping them off the field..I think that would give them a slither of hope.Hasselbeck did throw for 366yds and a 1TD against them in New Orleans so its not like they can't be thrown on.But when it comes down to it I think that the Saints will still prevail despite the keep off the field tactics of Seattle.

Saints over Seahawks

Jets@Colts 8pm
This is a weird matchup for me.I was back and forth mainly because of the Jets. The Jets have all the talent in the world,especially on the offensive side but yet...they are more than capable of putting up single digit points.So with that being said you'll never quite know which team shows up:the one that goes to Pittsburgh and wins 22-17 or the one that loses at home to Miami 10-6...right..well on the other side of the ball is Peyton Manning,heard of him?...yeah..the Colts and Manning have won their last 4 games just to hold off the Jags to get into the playoffs.Anything that the Colts will do offensively will have to come at the hands of Manning.The run game is shaky but if you're looking for a throw and its a run..it'll throw you off a bit.Factor in the dome aspect and when it comes down to it I would rather trust Manning over Sanchez even though the Jets have more talent and have less injuries..sorry..they have to show me.

Colts over Jets

Whew...that was tiring..I'll be back tomorrow with predictions for tomorrow's game and maybe some breakdown of yesterday..we'll see.Enjoy the Saturday everyone.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Technical Difficulties...

Greetings all... It's a crazy week over here... was moving (no internet) the last 2 days, and now headed out of town with a real possibility of no internet again... I'll do my best to at least get an NFL playoff preview up before Sunday... stay tuned, and thanks for your continued patronage...

Monday, January 3, 2011

1/3: NFL, Bowls, etc.

Greetings all... it's been a long weekend... NFL First...
  • Seattle wins the NFC West... Clipboard Jesus aka Charlie Whitehurst looked... average? and in the end, the first drive of the game resulting in a TD was the clincher... I can't figure out why STL abandoned the run (11 carries for S-Jax) but big-ups to the Seattle defense holding the Rams to 184 total yards... 7-9 is the ticket...
  • The Falcons are the #1 Seed... Big hype in Atlanta for the franchise's first #1 seed and deservedly so... took care of business against a putrid Panthers team, and have secured the right to have the road to the Super Bowl go through the dome... no real reason to break this game down (nice INT from Dunta Robinson though, encouraging), but a week off to get right, and a Saturday night kickoff in the divisional round...
  • Indy wins and they're in... the Colts didn't rely on Jacksonville (who actually lost anyway) to get in... taking care of the Titans by 3, and that could be a dangerous team going forward... they've been able to run it a little recently, and that defense is getting healthy with guys like Brackett coming back...
  • Green Bay sneaks in.... the Giants go home... NY held up their end beating the Redskins (barely), but GB made plays late headlined by the Rodgers to Jennings bomb on the touchdown drive and they will go to Philly as the 6 seed next week... that'll be a fantastic game... heart-breaking for the Giants...

Bowls...

  • The Big 10 Massacre... heard that named coined for New Years Day 2011 and it certainly fits... Michigan State headlines the carnage as a supposed national title contender at one point (laughable then, laughable now) getting blitzed by 42, but of course, the most "hyped" calamity happened in front of my eyes in Jacksonville with the Victors not being so... victorious... Miss. State did whatever they wanted all day offensively, and likely cost Rich Rodriguez his job... but hey! At least Penn State competed!... sigh...
  • TCU wins the Granddaddy of them all.... some curious decision making by Wisconsin (shotgun on the 2-point conversion? huh?) including waiting til the final drive to just maul TCU on the ground, but big-ups to the Horned Frogs athletic defense for containing them, and Andy Dalton made enough plays... Wisconsin was a real, live opponent, and the skepticism for TCU should be non-existent now...
  • Oklahoma 48, UConn 20... Well... it was apparent that this game wouldn't be competitive before it started (highest Vegas line for a BCS game ever, etc.), but it really... wasn't.. competitive... Landry Jones threw for 4 bills, and UConn was never really threatening... One star for the Big East...

THE PICKS! 48-43-2 entering the Bowl Picks and Week 17...

  • Iowa +3... Win!
  • OK State -5... Win!
  • Washington +14... Outright win!
  • Miami -3... Loss!
  • UGA -6.5... loss!
  • FSU +3... Win!
  • Northwestern +10.... Win!
  • Alabama -9.5... Win!
  • Wisconsin +3... Win!
  • UConn +17... Loss!
  • NE -3.5... Win!
  • Pitt -6... Win!
  • Jax -1.5... Loss!

9-4 for the week, and 57-44-2 total... the kid is hot...

Elsewhere...

  • Randy Edsall hired at Maryland... I am vehemently against the firing of Friedgen... but this is a good hire... Edsall built the UConn program from scratch, has won the Big East twice (at Uconn!) and won 8+ games 4 years in a row...
  • The Vikings will hire Leslie Frazier... no issue with this at all... Frazier has been a "hot" assistant name for years, so it's not a knee-jerk hire of the interim coach and that Philly win probably got him this job.....
  • Charlie Weis to Florida... kind of a weird fit... Weis is installing a pro-style offense, and while they have a QB on campus for it (John Brantley), he had been threatening transfer, and they don't have the down-hill running game for it right now... that said, Weis as a college OC is pretty crazy... guy can coach offense
  • Caron Butler out for the year... this one stings Dallas a bit... I don't think it'll kill them, but it'll be interesting how they respond without the ball stopping every time Caron touches it... oh...
  • NBA Box Score Check - Joe Johnson with a free throw explosion (14 of 17 in the game) and 29 points to lead the Hawks to a road win in LAC... a 37 point 4th quarter that more showed the ineptness of the Clips down the stretch, but wins are wins... Blake Griffin with a ho-hum 31 and 15... goodness... Rajon Rondo returned for Boston, but Paul Pierce led the Celts in their road win in Toronto with 30... Dallas gets a road win in Cleveland without Dirk and Butler... despite Antawn Jamison's throwback 35 and 10 for CLE, the Mavs balanced attack won out (despite Dominique Jones' random 2 for 10 outing)... and the Lakeshow is "cover-your-eyes" bad right now... a 104-85 blowout HOME loss to Memphis causing Phil to berate Kobe postgame... the funny thing is... Kobe had a decent game... 10 of 22 for 28 points... yeah.... I maintain that the most important "drop-off" for LAL this year is Ron Artest... shooting sub-40% from the field, and numbers down across the board including a career-low 7.5 points per... just saying...

What to watch for...

  • Orange Bowl - Stanford vs. Virginia Tech - ESPN 8:30 - really nice matchup here... Tyrod Taylor has been quietly fantastic and doesn't take a backseat (college-wise) to Andrew Luck... plus VT has been one of the hottest teams in the country having gone undefeated in the ACC... that said, I like Stanford close here... Luck makes enough plays, and they have a better offensive line...
  • Sixers @ Hornets - NBATV 8:00 - Philly has interesting dynamics... but if you're watching, the selling point is Chris Paul...

Done and done...

Saturday, January 1, 2011

NFL Preview Week 17

Greetings all... I'm only touching on games with SOME relevance, and this is definitely the hardest week to break down with all the uncertainty... winners in bold...
  • Cincy @ Baltimore - 1:00 - Baltimore needs this one... a win for them combined with a Pittsburgh loss would give them the #2 seed and a bye... I like them in the game because... well... Cincy isn't very good... look for Carson to give it away a couple of times, and Ray Rice could go nuts here for Baltimore...
  • Tampa Bay @ New Orleans - 1:00 - Is it crazy that NO could still get the #1 seed?... This game means at least SOMETHING to both teams (TB has a crazy backdoor playoff chance I believe), but look for NO to go out and take care of business... Tampa Bay has beaten the teams that they should've beaten all year, but going on the road here in a game NO needs isn't favorable... but hey, Josh Freeman wins football games...
  • Pittsburgh @ Cleveland - 1:00 - The Steelers win? 2 seed and a bye... that's incentive enough for me... Cleveland's offense has really packed it in... teams are keying on Peyton Hillis now, and their passing game can't do enough to win... especially against Pittsburgh...
  • Carolina @ Atlanta - 1:00 - Well... ATL is a 15 point favorite (that has to be the biggest line I've ever seen on a Falcons game), and should beat Carolina... that said, it's still an NFL team on the other end, so it's not a gimme... all signs point to a workmanlike win here and the number 1 seed...
  • Tennessee @ Indy - 4:00 - The Colts are playing for the AFC South... Tennessee has pretty much packed it in... Indy will put up 30+ here and barring a crazy breakout game from Chris Johnson (in play btw), they should win this one going away...
  • Jacksonville @ Houston - 4:00 - Tough spot here.... MJD may not play... Garrard is out... but do I really think Houston, a team that's quit on Kubiak without Andre Johnson, is winning here? Absolutely not... Give me Trent Edwards and Rashad Jennings!
  • NY Giants @ Washington - 4:00 - Upset special... yes, the Giants are still alive... but I think that's a deflated football team, and on the road, I think they lay yet another egg here and cement Coughlin's fate... just a gut call...
  • Chicago @ Green Bay - 4:00 - Chicago is locked in the 2 seed... they'll be resting guys and while they won't fully mail it in (I don't think), Green Bay is the better team IMO playing at home with something on the line... Aaron Rodgers looked to be 100% last week, and he puts up enough points to win here...
  • St. Louis @ Seattle - 8:20 - This is such an impossible spot... full disclosure? I think St. Louis is the better team here and it's not that close... but there are 3 factors working... 1) Sam Bradford is a rookie QB playing on the road at night with the season on the line.... 2) Qwest Field is one of the best home-field advantages in the league (that's for you James), the game is outside (STL is a dome team) and at night... and 3) Charlie Whitehurst is playing QB for Seattle... What do we make of all this?... If Hasselbeck was playing? No-brainer I take the Seahawks because of reasons 1 and 2... there just isn't a great track record for rookie QBs on the road in big games... but Whitehurst has been SO bad this season that it gives me pause... I like Sam Bradford, I like Steven Jackson, and the Rams have done a fantastic job this year... but in the end, flip a coin, and give me the Seahawks at home...

THE PICKS! (48-43-2 before Bowl picks begin)

  • New England -3.5 over Miami - I know I didn't even mention this game above (because it means nothing) but NE will play their starters for at least a half I believe because they have the bye coming, and they'll be up 14-17 by then...
  • Pittsburgh -6 over Cleveland
  • Jacksonville -1.5 over Houston - Trent Edwards on the road? No Problem!

Enjoy the slate...