Playoff Predictions

The NFL season clearly has not turned out the way I expected it to. For one, two of the teams I picked to make it to the conference finals, the Jaguars in the AFC and Saints in the NFC missed the playoffs entirely, and the other two, the Eagles and Chargers didn't make it until the last game of the season. And nobody saw the Dolphins, Falcons, or Ravens making it with the Pats and Cowboys missing the playoffs altogether. But atleast my prediction of the Cowboys and Patriots not winning a playoff game will be correct. But anyway, here are my predictions.

NFC

First Round - Falcons over Cardinals, Eagles over Vikings

Second Round - Falcons over Panthers, Eagles over Giants

Conference Championship - Eagles over Falcons


AFC

First Round - Ravens over Dolphins, Chargers over Colts

Second Round - Chargers over Steelers, Ravens over Titans

Conference Championship - Chargers over Ravens


Super Bowl

Chargers over Eagles

Flying High

Without a doubt, the Atlanta Falcons appear to be headed in the right direction after a year of unbelievable turmoil. The Falcons had to go through unprecedented circumstances last season with their star quarterback, Michael Vick, being sent to prison on dog fighting charges. They subsequently suffered through a horrific 4-12 season. To top it all off, their new coach, Bobby Petrino, quit on them half way through the season. They were a clear mess.
Despite all of this, many Falcon fans remained loyal to Michael Vick and would wear his jerseys to their home games last year. Those same fans, and even others, were very skeptical of the Matt Ryan draft pick and even more skeptical of naming him the week one starter as a rookie. The reason you don't hear that anymore is because those people have yet to have their foot removed from their mouths, it's a long line.
The addition of star running back Michael Turner has also been a pleasant suprise. He had long been considered the best back-up in football during his career in San Diego, but there have been many back-ups who have held that title and done nothing once they got the big contract and became the man and done nothing, just look at Lamont Jrdan a few years ago. Turner has run for more than 1,200 yards and 13 td's.
To overcome what the Falcons have had to do with a rookie qb, rookie head coach, essentially a rookie running back, and all the off the field turmoil, to be sitting at 8-4 and a playoff team if the playoffs started today, is nothing short of a miracle.

Second Thoughts?

I would of loved to had been in a barber shop in Green Bay, WI today so I could have heard the chatter about Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. I wonder what Packer fans are feeling like today. The Jets and Packers have the same 2-2 record. And on Sunday, when Aaron Rodgers threw 3 interceptions in a loss, Favre threw a career high 6 touchdown passes in a Jets victory, which happens to be the same amount of td passes Rodgers has on the season. Oh, and Rodgers sprained his shoulder in the game and is questionable for next week, and if he doesn't play with that injury, the fans will explode, if they haven't already.
I would hate to be Ted Thompson or Mike McCarthy today. Brett Favre has looked great for the Jets, while Rodgers has been nothing more than ordinary for the Packers. Rodgers is clearly no Favre, nor will he ever be.

No Doubt About It

The SEC proved on Saturday night that they are clearly the best conference in the country, without a doubt. As good as USC and their defense looked two weeks ago against Ohio St., there is no denying that the best defenses in the country are in the South Eastern Conference. I'll admit that USC could hold their own in the SEC, but they are the only outside team that could. As good as Oklahoma, Missouri, and Ohio St. look in the regular season, on offense especially, there is a reason they get blown out in BCS games, especially by SEC teams. The reason is they play a cupcake schedule against nobody and soft defensive minded teams and don't get truly punched in the mouth all season long, while Florida, LSU, and UGA get punched in the mouth on every play of every game in league play. So, when an Oklahoma or OSU comes into a big time game against an SEC team, they don't have any idea of how to respond and shrink in the big moment. Nobody can tell me that after Saturdays games there are any faster or more physical defenses in the country than those of Georgia, Florida, LSU, or Auburn. Yes, USC has a great D, but it's no SEC defense. I mean wow, they held Ohio St. in check just a little bit better than win less Ohio University did. Oh, and let's not forget how great they were against a Virginia team that barely beat Richmond and then got beat 45-10 by Connecticut. The SEC plays a different style of ball, Florida coach Urban Meyer has instilled an NFL like approach to games in his team. His philosophy is special teams and defense first, put as much speed on the field as possible, and approach games like it is your job. And if you look at at UGA and LSU, they do things the same way. Those teams could care less about style points or running up the score, and that is why the SEC is great. They would rather win with defense 13-3, than blow out a scrub team 77-0, because they get it, defense wins championships, just like in the NFL. Just look at last years Super Bowl. So, have fun watching USC, OK, and Mizzu in the regular season, and I'll have fun watching them get punched in the mouth and cower in the corner in the BCS games against the SEC CHAMP.

He's Baaack!!!

Roger Federer put to rest any notions that his days of winning Grand Slams are over on Monday, with one of the most dominating performances in history. Granted, everyone will point out that he didn't have to face Nadal in the final, but that's not his fault. I'd venture to guess that in a moment of brutal honesty, even Nadal would admit that Federer couldn't have been beat on Monday night. You don't have to look any further back than the semi-final where Andy Murray destroyed Nadal, and then was subsequently destroyed by Federer. The most amazing thing, in my opinion, was that Federer was able to beat Murray in three sets in a faster time than the two set women's final.

I really hope people will now stop talking about how Federer is finished. He was in three slam finals, and the semis in the other, all while overcoming mono. He is the GREATEST.

NCAA Predictions 2

I recently received a response to my NCAA Predictions calling me a homer for picking Florida as the National Champ and criticizing Mark Richt for his disciplinary methods in comparison to Urban Meyer. Let me start off by first commenting on the disciplinary. Two years ago when Florida was competing for a National Championship, in which they, ultimately won, Meyer kicked starting defensive tackle, and arguably the Gators best defensive player, Marcus Thomas off the team. Despite all of this, Thomas's talent was so great he was still taken in the draft by the Denver Broncos.
I was also criticized for calling Chris Rainey of Florida this year's Knowshon Moreno. Did you watch Saturday's game. The kid is unbelievable. Granted he is not a pro prospect because of his size, he is playing in the perfect system for his talents. I'm not saying he is better than Knowshon, because he isn't, I was merely saying that he will be the guy no one had heard of who will have a break out season. Although, after watching true freshmen Jeff Demps, who holds the record for the fastest 100 meters in high school history, I might have to change my mind.
While there is no question the Dawgs are loaded, I just don't think they have the speed to keep up with the Gators.
I'll also revise my pick of USC not making the title game. Trojan fans, book your tickets, you have a game to play against the Gators.

NFL Predictions

With the NFL Season set to kick off a week from today, it's time to talk predictions. In the AFC you have the usual suspects in the Colts and Patriots. While I see both of these teams winning their division and making the playoffs, I don't see either team making it past the second round. I see the Steelers and Chargers winning the other two divisions, with the Jets and Jaguars as the wild card teams. With both the Pats and Colts aging and injured, I look at two teams, the Chargers and Jaguars. These two teams are young, fast and athletic as any teams in the league. They play great aggressive defense, and punish you with the run, and both teams have vastly improved their passing game. I see the Chargers defeating the Jags 24-14 in the AFC Championship game to finally reach the Super Bowl.
As for the NFC, all the talk is about the Cowboys and Vikings. The Cowboys haven't won a playoff game in over a decade, and the Vikings will never win a Super Bowl with Tavaris Jackson at quarterback. I do see the Cowboys winning their division, with Green Bay, New Orleans, and Seattle winning their divisions. I think the Eagles and Giants will be the wild card teams. I know the Giants have lost allot of players since last season, but they always seem to find a way to go 10-6. Once again, I see the Cowboys failing to get out of the second round, getting upset by the Eagles. I then see the Eagles versus the Saints, with the Saints winning the NFC over the Eagles, 31-21. The Saints will have too much offense this season with a much improved defense with the addition of linebacker Johnathan Vilma.
So, I see a Saints vs. Chargers Super Bowl. It should be a great game. Two high powered offenses going up against one another. The deciding factor will be San Diego having a little better running game and defense. The Super Bowl Champion will Be the San Diego Chargers in a 28-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

NCAA Predictions

This plans to be another great year of college football. With the season set to kickoff tomorrow, it feels like Christmas eve. The Georgia Bulldogs are the favorite to start the season, but they have a really tough road ahead of them. Not only do they have to deal with the toughest schedule in the country, they also have to deal with injuries and off the field problems. They will have to find someone to protect QB Matthew Stafford's backside after Trinton Sturdivant went down with a season ending injury. Coach Mark Richt has also had to deal with off the field problems from many players. Luckily, he learned from the master, Bobby Bowden, about how to only punish players when you are playing against the weakest teams on your schedule. If they can find a way to get past all of this, and navigate through their schedule with zero to one losses, they will be playing for the title.
After saying all that, I can see the Dawgs losing up to as many as three games. The schedule is just too tough. Unfortunately I foresee one of the two proverbial BCS losers, Ohio State or Oklahoma, playing the champion of the SEC for the title. I know allot of people are very high on USC, but I'm just not sold on them or their quarterback. While I do think they will beat Ohio St., I think they will fall to either Arizona St. or Oregon, and maybe both. I can't see Ohio St. losing to anyone on their schedule other than USC, and because it will be so early in the season, they will have enough time to make up for it and pass USC in the ridiculous BCS. As for Oklahoma, I can't see them losing a single game in the Big 12 this year., and they play no out of conference teams that should be any kind of a threat.
As for the SEC, in my opinion, it's Florida's to lose. If Percy Harvin and Brandon Spikes can get healthy, there is no faster or more athletic team in the country. They have so much speed it's ridiculous and unfair. Not to mention they have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Tim Tebow. They lead the league in scoring last year and should be even better this year with the addition of wide out Deonte Thompson, and running backs Emanuel Moody and Chris Rainey, remember that name, Rainey will be the Knowshon Moreno of this season. They also add 5 star prospect Will Hill to a young and improving defense, along with stud defensive end Carlos Dunlap. While the defense won't be as good as two years ago, it should be close. The schedule is favorable, their only real challenge should be Georgia, and I think they will be up for that challenge.
To sum it up, if healthy, Florida will be playing for the National Championship versus either Oklahoma or Ohio State. If I was a beating man, I would put my money on the Gators. The sleeper team to keep your eye on that could take the place of OU or OSU is West Virginia. And the Heisman will go to either Tim Tebow or Percy Harvin.

Idiocracy

I've never heard a dumber conversation on a sports talk show then I did today. I heard a question posed about whether or not an asterisk should be placed by the name of the winner of the PGA Champion because Tiger isn't playing. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. If that is the case, then Tiger should have an asterisk by everyone of his titles because Jack Nicklaus is retired, Nicklaus should have an asterisk because Bobby Jones wasn't around when he played, Montana and Walsh should have an asterisk because Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi were no longer around.
Don't for a second think I'm knocking Woods, because I'm not, but I must have missed were he's won every tournament he's entered. While he may be the two time defending champion, he's not the twelve time defending champion. I'm just getting so sick and tired of all the, golf can't survive without Tiger. Golf has been around forever, it didn't start in the nineties when Woods came along. Stars come and go in all sports, and new stars come in and take their place. The NBA has done just fine since Jordan, Magic, and Bird left. Now there is Kobe, LeBron, Melo, and D-Wade. I hear the same people complaining about the Favre situation and talking about how he's not bigger than the game, and that no one in any sport is bigger than the game, yet they are making Tiger bigger than the game. It is so unfair to all the other players on tour. Sure, they'd rather Tiger be there, because as a competitor you always want to beat the best, but there's nothing they can do about it. Tiger has only won four of the last fourteen majors he's entered. He went all of 2003 and 2004 without a major. So PLEASE give the whole, it doesn't matter without Tiger a rest. It's just plain stupid.

JET-ing Out Of Green Bay

After 17 years the New York Jets finally get their man. Back during the 1991 NFL Draft the Jets had Brett Favre rated as their number one player, but didn't have a first round pick. The Atlanta Falcons went on to select Favre in the second round, one pick before the Jets. Seventeen years and fifteen starting quarterbacks later, Favre is finally in the Big Apple. The messiest divorce in sports history has finally come to an end. And might I add that the Packers managed to add another piece of classlessness to the situation by stipulating that if the Jets traded Favre to Minnesota that they would have to give the Packers three first round picks. Make up your mind Green Bay, is Favre washed up, or the second coming of Johnny Unitas.
Personally I see this going one of two ways. Without a doubt Favre is going to be motivated like never before. Favre will either use this motivation to play like he did last year when he was the runner up for the league MVP, or he will try so hard to prove himself that he will struggle immensely. The thing that has always made Favre who he is has been his gunslinger mentality. This can be both good and bad at times. If Brett is able to keep his emotions in tack in the proper way, while still playing like he always has, the Jets should be a playoff team. You never want him to lose his gunslinger mentality, because that's who he is, he just needs to make sure he doesn't try and do too much. The Jets spent over $100 million on free agents this off season, most importantly improving their offensive line immensely, and also had a good draft. (as long as Vernon Golston pans out) With all the parity in the NFL today, it's not unrealistic to say the Jets are Super Bowl contenders. Favre lead the Packers from 8-8 to 13-3 and hosting the NFC Championship game. If I'm not mistaken Favre is 22-4 in his last 26 regular season games. Take from this trade what to will, but I see great things coming.

The Favre Chronicles

The end of an era appears to be inevitable. After 16 seasons with the Packers, it appears that Brett Favre is moving on. It is truly a sad day to be a Packer fan, and football fan for that matter. After more than four months of this mess I still don't get it. Like many of you, I have listened to countless experts opinions on the situation. I have agreed with some, and strongly disagreed with others. I could not have agreed more with Mike Golic today on Mike and Mike in the morning when he expressed the same feelings and thoughts on the situation that I have had. Just as I have been saying all along, and Golic said as well, what has really changed since Favre retired, nothing. No games have been played, no passes thrown. Like I've said since this all started, it's not like the Packers passed on a Peyton Manning type quarterback in the draft and then the next day Favre retired and left the Packers high and dry. They drafted his replacement, Aaron Rodgers years ago, and then drafted Brian Brohm this year, both of whom were at one time projected to go number one overall, and also drafted Matt Flynn, who quarterbacked the LSU Tigers to the National Championship this past season. So please, stop calling Favre selfish. I was listening to ESPN radio today and I actually heard Doug Gottleib compare this situation to the Manny Ramirez situation in Boston were he all but quit on his team. He all but called Brett Favre a selfish baby. He even went so far as to say that Favre only played in games when injured to set records. He said something along the lines of, "we'll never really know how injured his thumb really was and whether or not he hurt his team by playing." Yeah, cause Craig Nall would of been a much better choice to play. Gottleib should have been fired on the spot for idiocy. To disrespect the man who has thrown for more touchdowns, more yards, more completions, won more games, one of only three qb's to defeat all 31 teams, and the only three time MVP, while never missing a start, is absurd. Now it's time for me to give it to the Packers. I've made no secret of the fact that Favre is my favorite all time player, but I've been a Packers fan since before I even knew who Favre was, but no more. I wonder if the Packers were owned by one person, instead of a large group of shareholders, if this would be happening. I guarantee you if the Packers had an owner like Dan Rooney of the Steelers, this would not be happening. A classy organization, such as the Steelers, would either welcome Brett back with open arms, or have the balls to just say we don't want you, we think we are better off without you, and grant him his release. Which brings me to the biggest problem I have with the Packers. If they think they have a better chance of winning without Favre, and a better qb in Rodgers, then why are they so f-ing scared to just release him? So scared that they were willing to pay him $25 million to stay away. If they beat the Vikings twice last year and tied for the best record in the conference with Favre last year, and now have Rodgers,who they think is better, than what's the problem? How can you say you don't want Favre, but you're scared to play against him? Never will you here more boo's for the home team than every time Aaron Rodgers throws a pick, or when Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy are shown on the jumbo tron this year at Lambeau. My boo will be the loudest.

Dawg Gone It!!!

As maybe the biggest Florida Gator fan of all time, it pains me to see the Georgia Bulldogs as the preseason #1 team in college football. It pains me even more to say that I have to agree. Georgia is coming off a great season and has many returning starters, most notably Heisman hopeful running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Although, they will have to navigate their way through the nations toughest schedule if they are to end the season were they will start it. The Bulldogs will face eight teams whose coach has won a National Championship. They will also have to deal with road games at South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU, and Auburn, and a neutral site game with Florida. That means they will have to play on the road against the last two National Champions. If the Bulldogs are able to pull off this feat, they may go down as having had the greatest Championship run of all time. One good thing going for the Dawgs is that by starting off #1 and having the nations toughest schedule, they are the one team that can afford a loss during the season and still have a very realistic chance of making the title game. It reminds me allot of Florida's title run two years ago when they had the nations toughest schedule and finished with one loss. If they are able to just win the SEC, I think they should play for the title. I really think that a knew rule should be instated saying that the winner of the SEC should play for the title every year. The only team I can truly imagine beating them is Florida. I've been saying since last season ended that I think both Georgia and Florida will go into their Nov. 1st meeting both undefeated, for the first time ever, and that the winner will play for the Championship and the Heisman winner will also come from that team, whether it's Moreno or Stafford from UGA, or Tebow or Harvin from the Gators. Last years season was one of the best in history, their were more upsets than any year in memory. I truly believe this year will top it. I don't see as many upsets happening as last year because I think that there are so many good teams, in the SEC in particular, that even if Georgia loses to Florida or LSU, it's not an upset. I've read some comments calling the SEC the greatest conference ever, and I have to agree. I for one can't wait. This season is going to be great, as long as Ohio State doesn't play in the title game again.

As The Favre Turns

For as long as I can remember the Green Bay Packers have been my favorite NFL team. As far back as the days of Don Majokowski, Sterling Sharpe, and Chuck Cecil. Without a doubt, my all time favorite player, like most life long Packer fans, is Brett Favre. This is what makes this dilemma so difficult for me. I hear all the talk about how selfish Favre is being, and has been over the past few years, with his constant procrastination about whether to play another season or retire, and I just don't get it. I hear everyone say how unfair it is to the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, which is ridiculous.
A lot of the media the past few years has likened the situation to Favre holding the Packers hostage. To me, this is ludicrous. Brett Favre is in his late thirties mind you, and has played in the league for 17 years, while making an NFL record 275 consecutive starts, including playoffs. He has played with multiple injuries, including a broken finger on his throwing hand. To say that it is selfish of him him to want to sit down at the end of a season and see how his body is able to recover from all those years of abuse, is unfair. It would be one thing if the Packers had the number one pick in the draft and passed on a Peyton Manning or Carson Palmer type of quarterback, and then the next day Favre retired, but that's not the case. For the Packers have already drafted highly touted replacements for Favre in Aaron Rodgers and Brian Brohm. it would also be a different story if it was week three and Favre said he wanted to come back and play, but the fact is, training camp hasn't even started yet. The Packers say they have invested all their time this off season to preparing Aaron Rodgers to be the starter, I wonder how much more time they spent with him this off season than the previous. I've heard the offense has changed somewhat. Well, the only way it could have changed would have been to simplify it. Do you mean to tell me they made their offense more complex for a first year starter than it was for a hall of fame quarterback who has won more games, thrown for more yards, and more touchdowns than anyone in the history of the league? Give it a rest Packers, you were one win away from the Super Bowl last year, are you seriously saying you would rather have an unproven Aaron Rodgers than arguably the greatest quarterback of all time? If so, then have the balls to just say it.
A lot of the media also says it's unfair to Rodgers. I disagree. Rodgers has done nothing to prove he is worthy of being a starting quarterback in the league. If anything, Rodgers is lucky to have been a backup to Favre for this many years. Not only has he gotten to learn from one of the best, if not the best, but he also has the best job in the world, Brett Favre's backup, the man never misses a game. I would kill to get get paid the salary of a first round pick and only have to hold a clip board. I just don't get it. If there was ever to be a logo for the NFL, like the NBA has with Jerry West, it would be Brett Favre. Aaron Rodgers time will come, he'll get his chance to prove what he can do, playing behind Brett Favre can only help him. The worst thing that can happen for Rodgers is to start his career as the guy the Packers picked over Favre. Don't get me wrong, I think Rodgers will do fine, but he's no Favre.
I have to say that there has been no worse way for a team to treat a legend than the way the Packers are treating Favre. He is Green Bay. He epitomizes everything sports are about. For the Packers to say they will welcome him as a back-up, is a slap in the face. I always said that I would remain a Packers fan even when Favre retired, but they are quickly losing my allegiance as a fan. While my opinion probably doesn't matter at all to the Packers, I'd pay to see the first time coach McCarthy or GM Ted Thompson went out for dinner in Green Bay after what they are doing to Favre. While I don't know all the facts, I feel I know enough to say that the Packers are in the wrong. At a certain point, a player earns the right to do what Favre is doing.

The Greatest Match Ever Played?

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played a tennis match for the ages this past Sunday at Wimbledon. It's taken me almost a week to gain a true perspective on what I witnessed in the final. In my opinion it was the greatest tennis match I have ever witnessed. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the match, and when I wasn't, I was jumping up and down cheering. It had all the drama anyone could have asked for. Although, I decided to wait a while and let it settle in my mind before coming to the conclusion that it was the best ever. Too many times we tend to live in the moment too much when we witness something great. We tend to immediately declare it the best thing we've ever seen. I find this to be most true in sports. It seems that anytime a Super Bowl ends where a team loses by seven points or less, it is called the greatest Super Bowl ever. Anytime a baseball player makes a great diving catch in deep center field, Sportscenter does a top ten countdown of the greatest catches ever made. I myself have been guilty of this at times, which is why I decided to wait and let this match sink in before writing about it.
If you were lucky enough to witness Roger vs. Rafa on Sunday I hope you appreciate what you saw. It was not only the longest Wimbledon final ever, but the best. Don't just take my word for it, tennis legends John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg both share my feelings. If you listened to all of the talk shows on the Monday that followed, they agreed as well. Federer and Nadal just may have brought the interest in tennis back to America. That match may end up having the same effect that the Bird vs. Magic NCAA final had on the revival of the NBA. The final had it's highest T.V. rating in eight years. For this to happen though, Federer and Nadal have to maintain this level of play and keep meeting in finals.
There's no doubt that Nadal is getting better and better each year, but he still has to prove he can win at the U.S. Open. Nadal has yet to make it to the final at the U.S. Open or the Australian Open. If he can progress on the hard court the way he has on grass, we may get a third Federer vs. Nadal final this year. If he is able to do so, he may take over Federer as the best in the game. Personally, I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
I really can't understand why there is so much talk about Federer being finished. Do you realize that since 2005 the worst Federer has done in a major is lose in the semis three times, all three to the eventual champion, and lose four times in the final, while at the same time winning 8 majors. If you date back to the year 2004, there have been three years were he was only one major short of completing the year grand slam. I really believe that Federer is just now getting healthy for the first time all year. I think you will finally see him completely healthy at the U.S. Open. I know he's getting to the age were most tennis players start to decline and that's why there is all the talk of him being finished, but ask anyone, other than Nadal, if they would trade the year they've had for the year Federer has, and I guarantee they choose Federer's year.
I really hope Federer and Nadal can both make it to the finals of every major for the next ten years, because after careful consideration, I came to the conclusion that there has been no greater match ever played, and there is no greater rivalry in sports today. It was the two greatest at what they do going at it for nearly five hours. The only thing I can think of that would even compare to it would be if you had Jack Nicklaus in his prime vs. Tiger Woods in his prime, playing in the final group on Sunday at Augusta National. It was great theatre and I hope there is much more to come.

Blazing The Trail 2

I recently received a comment on my last posting about the Portland Trail Blazers and the NBA draft. The person who made the comment strongly disagreed with my prediction that the Blazers, if healthy, would be a top three team in the Western Conference. My favorite part of his argument was that the Lakers and the Hornets were the clear favorites. Funny thing about that, the Lakers had been no better than a seven seed the last three years, and the Hornets hadn't even sniffed the playoffs before this year. Yet, they finished number one and two in the conference last year, did anybody honestly see that happening? This person said that the Blazers would be lucky to finish with a .500 record. Well, they did that last year without Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Jarreyd Bayless, and Ike Diogu. They were also .500 in their conference. To believe that they will not improve on that is idiotic. This person also mentioned the injury problems Oden has endured in his brief career, but at the same time mentioned the fact the Rockets will be bringing back Yao Ming and T-Mac. I can't remember but a handful of games those guys played together last year. T-Mac suffers from chronic back problems and Ming is coming off season ending foot surgery, and is planning to play in the Olympics this summer right after finishing rehab, that will not be a good decision. Oh, and by the way, neither of those guys has ever won a playoff series, and it took a 20+ game winning streak just to get them in the playoffs last year. Personally, I don't see that happening again. Then we come to the Suns, Spurs, and Mavericks. No three teams are ageing faster in the NBA than these teams. And the Nuggets, they play absolutely no defense, and you factor in the trade rumors about Anthony, and how Coach George Karl doesn't get along with Anthony or Kenyon Martin, this is a team ready to com bust internally. I wouldn't be surprised to see them get off to a horrible start and fire Karl. He also mentions how Oden is unproven. No kidding, he hasn't played a game yet. Which is the reason why I said the Blazers have done a good job in putting scorers around him so that all Oden has to concentrate on is playing defense and rebounding, just like Tyson Chandler does for the Hornets. While it can be argued that he was not totally dominant in college, an argument can also be made that the only time he played, while healthy, against legitimate NBA big men was in the National Championship game against Florida, when he dominated Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Chris Richard, and Mareesse Speights. All of who are now in the NBA, with three of them being top 15 picks. Oden was so dominant that Billy Packer predicted he would be the MOP, despite the fact his team lost. While I'm not predicting a championship for the Blazers next year, I do stick by my prediction of a top three seed if their players stay healthy. Remember this, out of the two teams who played in the finals this year, only one made the playoffs last year, and that was as a seven seed. Besides, it's no fun to make the safe prediction.

Blazing The Trail

The Portland Trail Blazers have once again made a huge splash in the NBA draft. If all of the trades get approved by the league, the Blazers got a steal in Jerryd Bayless and Darrell Arthur. They will also receive Ike Diogu from the Indiana Pacers. They also got what I believe was a huge steal when they drafted Joey Dorsey in the second round. Dorsey should be a great energy player off the bench with his rebounding and defensive intensity. I'm gonna go on the record right now and say that if the Blazers stay relatively healthy this year, Greg Oden and Brandon Roy especially, the Blazers will not only make the playoffs, but be a top three seed in the Western Conference. If Bayless and Arthur can live up to their potential as rookies, this will be a great roster. You could have a line-up with Bayless at point, budding superstar Roy at the two, then either Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster, or even Arthur at small forward, then another budding superstar in LeMarcus Aldridge at power forward, with Oden at center. They also have a veteran point gaurd in Steve Blake who they can start if they want to bring Bayless of the bench. What the Blazers have done in the draft the last three years has been nothing short of brilliant. The most impressive thing they have been able to do in my opinion, is surround Oden with enough scorers and playmakers that will allow for Oden to simply focus on defense and rebounding and not have to worry about being an offensive force. Not having to worry about being the "man" can only help him develop into a better player. If Roy and Aldridge continue to show the progress from year to year as they have done, and Bayless, Arthur, and Dorsey can make reasonable contributions as rookies, this will not just be a team of the future, but a team of the present.

Draft Winners:

Portland- Great value picks, met all thier needs

New Jersey- Stole Brook Lopez with the tenth pick, stole Chris Douglas-Roberts in the secound round, also picked up underrated Ryan Anderson out of Cal, who averaged more points than O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love in the PAC 10 this year.

Miami- Picked up a beast in Michael Beasley, two proven winners in Kansas teammates Darnell Jackson and Mario Chalmers. They were able to get a tenacious rebounder and scorer to add to their starting line-up while also improving their bench.

Milwaukee- Was able to add a proven star in Richard Jefferson via a trade with the Nets, got one of the best athletes and hardest workers in Joe Alexander, and maybe the best defender in Luc Richard Mbha a Moute.

Phoenix- They didn't make a huge splash, but did meet some glaring needs by picking Robin Lopez. In Lopez they get a tenacious rebounder and defender that can come off the bench and spell Shaq and add a ton of energy.

Pacers- I f all the trades go through, they were able to get rid of Jermaine O'neal's huge contract and injury riddled body, while getting a steady point gaurd in T.J. Ford. They also get a proven winner in versatile swingman and good defender with Brandon Rush, along with Jarrett Jack, who should be a good back-up to Ford. If they can unload troubled point gaurd Jmaal Tinsley, it may become a great draft.

Boston- I love the trade for Bill Walker. If not for an injury last year he would have been a lottery pick. Got great value and much more athletic.

Minnesota: If the trade is approved, they will have gotten Kevin Love and also picked up Mike Miller from Memphis, giving them an inside and outside combo to go along with young stars in Al Jefferson, Corey Brewer, and Randy Foye, while getting rid of the outrageous contract of Marko Jaric.

Losers:

Cleveland- In my opinion they made a huge mistake by passing on Chris Douglas-Roberts, I don't know how good J.J. Hickson will be, but I can't help but think of the possibilities of LeBron at the three and CDR at the two gaurd with all of their athleticism. LeBron would have finally had a great running mate who can run the floor, play defense, and is a proven winner.

Seattle- What were the Sonics thinking? They made a huge reach with Russell Westbrook at number four overall. They then spent the rest of their picks on foreign players who most likely won't play in the NBA for two or three years. I wonder if they forgot they just had the worst season in franchise history?

Memphis- This is more based on their moves over the last two years. I like the trade for Mayo, but it would have been alot better if they hadn't signed Darko Milicic and traded Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown. Can you imagine a line-up of Mike Conley Jr., O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, and Pau Gasol? That would have been a young line-up that could have contended right away, like Portland.

Simply The Best

The Boston Celtics have completed the greatest one season turnaround in NBA history with an NBA championship. In one of the most dominating finals clincher in NBA history, the Celtics completely overwhelmed the Lakers from start to finish, winning game six by 39 points. The big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen was brilliant tonight. All I hear is how Kobe Bryant is the best player in the world. I have never heard Paul Pierce anywhere near that conversation. Yet Pierce dominated Kobe throughout these finals. While Bryant did average a little less than four more points per game in the series, Pierce shot a better percentage from the three point line, foul line, and everywhere else on the court. Pierce did all of this while playing lock down defense on Bryant when called upon to do so. I'm not for a second saying that Paul Pierce is the best baller in the world, for my money I'll take LeBron all day everyday, but the fact of the matter is Kobe Bryant is without a doubt, not the best player in the world. I think people can stop with the Michael Jordan comparisons for good now. No Jordan team would have lost a twenty point lead at home and then gotten beat by 39 points in the series clincher. Don't get me wrong, Kobe is a great player. But the fact of the matter is, the best all around player om the court during the finals was Paul Pierce.
ESPN.com had a piece on the greatest finals perfomances ever last week, ranking D-Wade number one. Personally I believe that piece will need a revision. Pierce deserves the number one spot now. Wade, nor Jordan, ever had to have the added responsibility of gaurding the likes of a Kobe Bryant. What Pierce was able to do against the league MVP was phenominal. Pierce has without a doubt put his name in the history books, as have these Celtics.

Pierce-ing Defense

The Boston Celtics have just completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Trailing by the largest 1st quarter and half time margin in finals history, the Celtics played one of the most dominating defensive second halves in playoff history. The defense that Paul Pierce played against MVP Kobe Bryant in the second half is the thing that legends are made of.
What should not be lost in this game is the fact that the man with 9 rings and widely regarded as the best coach in NBA history, was badly outcoached by Doc Rivers. Rivers made every right move in the second half while Jackson sat on the bench completely helpless. Everything Rivers did worked to perfection, while Jackson had no answers, despite having the best player in the world on his team.
Let's also not forget about the Celtics bench. James Posey and Eddie House were huge. Posey hit countless big threes in the fourth, and House hit the huge jumper late in the fourth to give Boston its first lead of the game. The decision to play Posey and House in the fourth quarter was as big a part of this win as anything.
The true story of the game though has to be the defense on Kobe. The Celtics were able to hold Bryant to just 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting, 0-2 from three point range. The main reason for this was Paul Pierce. In the first half Kobe strictly focused on distributing the ball and had no field goals, but it didn't matter because the Lakers were up by 18. The second half was a much different story. At half Pierce told Rivers he wanted to gaurd Bryant, and gaurd him he did. Pierce was spectacular in the second half against Bryant. Despite Kobe trying his hardest to impose his will on the game in the second half during the enormous comeback, Pierce would have none of it. Even when Kobe would hit a shot, Pierce would come back down and match him shot for shot. It's only fitting this game took place in L.A. in front of all the stars of Hollywood, because a comeback like this only happens in the movies.

History Vs. History

The French Open on Sunday is going to be history making no matter what happens. If Federer wins he will complete the career grand slam and be crowned once and for all the greatest of all time. If Nadal wins he will be crowned the greatest clay court player of all time.
In my opinion both of those statements are true no matter the outcome on Sunday. Nadal won a record 81 cosecutive matches on clay, until Federer finally beat him. Nadal is unbeaten at the French, 27-0. If he wins Sunday he will tie Borg by winning his 4th straight French Open title. The difference is Nadal will have done it with an overall undefeated record, and will have beaten Federer 4 times in doing so, 3 times in the finals.
Federer on the other hand is already the greatest in my mind. He has 12 major championships, second all time. He has won 5 straight Wimbledon titles, 4 straight U.S. Opens, and has set a record for being ranked #1 227 weeks in a row. Even though he has yet to win the French Open, his all time greatness should not be taken for granted. He is in his third straight French final, and made it to the semis the previous time. The only player he has been unable to beat is Nadal, who is the best ever on Clay. Yet he has been able to defeat Nadal in every other major they have played, all while setting a record for consecutive semi-finals and finals played in majors. Even though his record against Nadal is a losing one, the majority of those have come on clay. The thing that gets lost in this rivalry and hurts Federer is that Nadal has only made it to the finals in two of the four majors, were as of today they are 2-2 against each other, each winning on their favorite surface, clay and grass. But Federer has made it to the finals and won the Australian and U.S. Open, while Nadal has not made it to the finals in either. Federer is a master of all courts while Nadal is a master of only one.
It's funny to me how just a year ago there was a debate among people as to whom was the greatest athlete in the world, Tiger or Federer. Last year Tiger won only one major while Federer won three. Now to start this year, Tiger was awesome, and Federer was perseived to have been a failure because he lost in the semis of the first slam of the year and has since struggled, due in part from recovering from mono. Yet Tiger also didn't win his first major of the year, but because of knee surgery that followed that event he is looked upon as courageous and that most have been the reason he lost, while everyone says Federer is through and past his prime. I hear the arguements all the time about golf versus tennis and which is harder to win. I never hear an arguement for tennis. They say it is harder to win against the field in golf. But I strongly disagree. If Federer or Nadal have one bad day they are most likely done and gone from the tourney. Tiger on the other hand can essentially have the sixth best score on all four days of a tournament and still win it. Tiger also doesn't have to deal with multiple surfaces and players who are specialists on those surfaces.
So, I guess the point of this is to say that if Tiger Woods can be widely regarded as the best golfer ever, even though he doesn't have the most majors or the most Masters, then why can't Federer be the best tennis player and Nadal the best clay court player without having the most majors or French opens?

The Wing Dynasty

For the fourth time in eleven years the Detroit Red Wings are hoisting the Stanley Cup. Over those eleven years the Wings have been the model of consistency in the NHL. During that span the Red Wings have finished in first place eight times and second place in their conference the other three times. Going back even further, they haven't finished worse than second place since the 1990-1991 season, when they finished third. Detroit has been the best sports franchise over this span. No other sports team has more championships or been as dominant. Only the Spurs and Yankees can match them with four titles during this period. Some people might argue the Patriots wining 3 Super Bowls in 4 years and nearly completing a perfect season is the most dominant, but I strongly disagree due to the fact that the year they didn't win, they missed the playoffs altogether, which in my mind takes them out of the discussion of a true dynasty. Not to mention they have admitted to cheating during those seasons.
What seperates the Wings and the Yankees to me is their lack of recent playoff success since their last championship. They have lost the last two World Series they were in and also let the Red Sox come back from down 3-0 in the American League Championship to beat them. They have gone away from what made them great in the late ninties and tried to buy championships with the largest payroll in sports, instead of building within, which is what lead them to greatness during their run. The Wings on the other hand have kept a great nucleus together while also building through the draft and bringing players along slowly. While they don't always have great playoff success, the Wings have been able to win championships more consistently over time instead of just one quick flurry. Their three best youg players, including playoff MVP Henrik Zetterberg, were all late round steals in the draft.
The Spurs are the next best franchise in my opion. The two teams are nearly carbon copies of each other in the way they are run. The Spurs have even won four trophies in nine years as appossed to eleven. But, when you look at it as a whole, the Wings have been doing it longer, and set the standard of excellence first and are poised for many more runs, while the Spurs look to be fading, and fading fast. It's a shame that the Red Wings franchise will never truly get the respect that it deserves. They have been so great for so long that even the hockey fans take them for granted. In sports today everything is questioned when a team or a player acheives greatness because of all the scandals in the sports world. Congress even holds hearings on steroids and other cheating in sports these days. Yet, no hockey player has ever been called. They say that sports are tainted. That they are doing it for the kids. Well , here's an idea, take your kids to a Red Wings game next year,then they will learn what true sports greatness really is.

A New Low

The NBA has resached a new low when it comes to officiating. How they can give Rasheed Wallace a $25,000 fine for criticizing the officials for calling fouls on what were clearly flops by the Celtics and then announce the same day that they are going to institute fines for flopping next season is unforgivable. It also comes one day after the league office admitted a two shot foul should have been called at the end of game four of the Spurs and Lakers series. Wallace was clearly punished for his past indiscreations, so why then was official Joey Crawford not suspended or fined for not making the correct call when he has a past history with the Spurs? The NBA is acting as ignorantly as possible. As I mentioned in my last blog, it is beyond belief how the NBA can be so smug to think that with the ongoing referee scandal that they can allow this to go on. David Stern has allowed the dignity of the game to come into question which as Commissioner is ludicrous.

OS-GREAT

The Detroit Red Wings are on the brink of Stanley Cup greatness and Chris Osgood is the main reason why. He is shutting up all of his critics with his back to back shutouts to open the finals. Up against arguably the games greatest player in Sidney Crosby, the reigning MVP, and a host of other great young stars, Osgood has been superb. Osgood has widely been regarded as the worst goalie to ever win a Stanley Cup, even though his career statistics are Hall Of Fame worthy. Despite the fact that Detroit won the first two games by a combined score of 7-0, it was clearly the greatness of Osgood that was the difference in the two games.
Osgood is a bit of an oddity, a two time cup champion who reinvented himself to become an even better goalie than before. He has improved his speed and perfected the butterfly technique, which shows his dedication to the game, considering he is a 300 game winner and ranks first in winning percentage among goalies in career wins in the regular season.
The knock on Osgood is the talent he has played with during his career, which is completely unfair. Every player in any sport is only as great as the people around them. Would Michael Jordan be the greatest without Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson? Would Magic have been as great without Worthy and Kareem? Probably not, but we will never know.
The fact of the matter is, Chris Osgood is a terrific goalie with championship rings, and in this postseason alone has replaced a legend in the Dominator, and led the Wings to within two games of the championship, while stopping all 41 shots thrown his way in the finals. He is 12-2 in the playoffs this year alone. To take that for granted is completely ludicrous. Greatness is defined by being remarkable in magnitude or effectiveness, which Osgood has been guilty of without a doubt.
I’m not for a minute saying that Chris Osgood is the greatest of all time, because he isn’t. My point is that he should not be punished because of who he has played with. For example, Patrick Roy won two Cups with Sakic and Forsberg along with other greats and he is regarded as the best to ever mind the net. In today’s society too many people want to search for the flaw in the greatness of a player because of all the steroids and other drugs destroying the purity of the game. Hockey has taken a back seat to all the other major sports because of the lock out, and soccer has never been accepted in the main stream, funny thing is, those are the only sports where steroids have not been an issue.
So, I guess the point of this article is to say that in today’s society true greatness is taken for granted too much. It’s a shame because Ozzie is a great player and a great story, but because he isn’t flashy and doesn’t draw any undo attention to himself, no one will ever know or appreciate his greatness.

Stealing The Heart Of A Champion

The referees have destroyed what should have been one of the greatest series in the history of the NBA. If the name on the back of Brent Barry's jersey had been Garnett, Bryant, or Jordan he would have been shooting three free throws, and the teams would be sitting at 2-2, instead of going back to L.A. 3-1. Maybe if the Spurs were a little flashier and the NBA didn't desperately want the Lakers to play the Celtics in the finals they would have gotten the call. The NBA cares more about T.V. ratings than fair play. The last time the Spurs and Pistons played in the finals they had horrible ratings, even though it was a great seven game series with all the drama you could have asked for. Then last year against the Cavs the ratings were even worse. It's not hard to imagine that their could be some favorable officiating going on due to the recent scandle with former official Tim Donaghy and Commissioner David Sterns refusal to look into other allegations made by said referee about officials favoring certain players and coaches. The fact alone that Joey Crawford was officiating the game and was the primary official closest to the play is ridiculous. It has barely been a year since Crawford was suspended indefinately for his actions against Tim Duncan of the Spurs. How the NBA can allow this to happen with it's on going scandal is absolutely absurd, it is worse than the steroids in baseball, because it could have easily been prevented. While there is no true proof of any cheating going on, it's the stinch of suspicion, just like in baseball when a player has a career year, there is that shadow of doubt, fair or unfair, it is undeniable because of the smugness of the commisioner in each sport.