The Problem With Premature Super Bowl Predictions

So the lockout has been lifted in the NFL and we already have the match-up for the Super Bowl. Patriots vs. Eagles. Sorry everyone else, but the season is over.Well, at least that is what ESPN and others are boldly predicting.

The problem with their prediction is that they seem to have forgotten something.

With many assuming that these teams will be representing their conferences in the Super Bowl, one would think that both of the teams have shown promise in the playoffs in recent years. Actually, the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since the ‘07-’08 campaign and the Eagles haven’t won one since ‘08-09.

Yeah, these teams are clear-cut favorites.

Oh and here is another thing the media is conveniently forgetting: the two teams that were in the Super Bowl last year.

Anyone who says that the Packers are not the early season favorite to win the Super Bowl must have missed the 2010 season, or they are just foolish. So the Packers have all of their core returning, have one of the best QB’s in the game, and showed with their remarkable playoff run last year that they are the best in the NFL, but somehow they are not the favorite.

And then you have Pittsburgh. The Steelers have quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back for a full season this year and still have All Pro defensive talents in James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. They have won 2 Super Bowls in the time period since the Patriots won their last Super Bowl, and came close last season. How you can count out a team with a winning pedigree like Pittsburgh is borderline insanity.

Then of course you have teams that have actually won playoff games in the past years. The Colts and Saints are only 2 years removed from the Super Bowl and are definitely a threat come postseason, despite early exits last year. The Falcons and their dynamic offense will be ready to go again, and the NY Jets have played in the AFC Championship two years in a row, not to mention their playoff beatdown of the Patriots last season.

So why are the Eagles and the Patriots favorites?? Clearly they must have made bold off-season moves.

The Philadelphia Eagles have much more reason to claim that they are the team to beat. Signing Nnamdi Asomugha and trading for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie createsthe best 3 cornerback tandem possibly ever, in addition to Asante Samuel.
Having Michael Vick coming into the season as the starting QB and likely retaining star wide receiver DeSean Jackson will lead to another year of great offense. If the argument was for whom is the favorite in the NFC East, I’d definitely agree with the Eagles as the choice. The only problem is that the team needs to prove it can win a postseason game in the post-Mcnabb era before I am willing to say they are a “dream team”.

The Patriots defense last season was the team’s glaring weakness, and as Jets’ linebacker Bart Scott put it, “They couldn’t even stop a nosebleed”. Surely the Patriots must’ve made tons of upgrades on defense.

Well, uhm, yeah. They signed a big fat dude!


Yep Fat Albert Haynesworth is coming to New England to save the day.¤.¤. or maybe to eat a hotdog. Washington fans are happy to never see this guy put on a Redskin jersey again, and although talented, he truly does not care about football. I don’t care who Belichick is; he can’t save this guy.

And then you have the incredibly overrated Chad Ochocinco. Chad is a brilliant man, managing to manipulate the media into thinking he is still a relevant receiver by having a reality show, driving NASCAR, trying out for the MLS, and riding a bull. Unfortunately his skills have deteriorated and he is not even the Pats best receiver (Wes Welker). There has never been so much hype around a non #1 receiver and Chad figures to be average at best. Plus, you know he will only be able to live the “Patriot Way” for a few weeks, and then he will want all the spotlight on himself.

The Patriots and the Eagles are both very good teams, and have the potential to win their conferences and maybe even the Super Bowl. But it is way too premature and very foolish to crown champs long before the season started, especially when neither of these teams is the defending champion. The Packers are the team to beat and will be until they are eliminated from the playoffs.

Sorry Pats and Eagles, you will have to prove yourselves in January.

MLS All Star Game Shows US Soccer Still Far Away

The United States has been trying to convince the World that they are an up-and-coming soccer nation destined to contend with the big boys on the international scene. If last Wednesday’s MLS All Star game was any indication of how far the United States still has to go, the US still has a ways to go.

The MLS All Star game is a twist on the usual conference vs. conference type of game. Rather the league took its top stars and faced them against the legendary Manchester United club.

This seemed like a good idea for many reasons.

First, the MLS is certainly lacking in star-power. Outside of Thierry Henry and David Beckham, the casual soccer fan would have had a hard time recognizing many of the players in the game. Adding another squad of MLS “stars” to have a face-off would have just been a match of anonymity.
And then of course you grab much interest by having Manchester United, the second best club in the world, coming to play in the US. Fans love the opportunity to see World-Class players such as Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and Dimitir Berbatov.

All of this sounds great right? Well not exactly.

MLS players simply cannot compete with a team like Manchester United. It is a little unfair to say this, because the All Stars had not previously played together, and the core of Manchester United has been together for years. Still, the difference in the game was more than just chemistry issues.

Former Arsenal legend and current Red Bull striker Thierry Henry created quite the buzz when he came over from Europe to play for New York in 2010. However, after watching him match-up against defensemen like Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, it is clear why Henry left Europe for NY, and it has nothing to do with the bright lights. He is old and his skills have faded. Sadly, Henry was the worst player on the field for either squad and only played one half.

David Beckham was the biggest celebrity in the game, and proved he still had something left in the tank, but too many times players deferred to him. In the 7th minute, Mexican striker Omar Bravo had a great opportunity as he appeared in on goal, but instead chose to pass the ball backwards to Beckham, who shot wide.


The most alarming issue revolving around the game was the attitudes of those involved in American soccer. This includes MLS officials, event coordinators, and most of all fans.

Now this event was at Red Bull Arena and some crazy pre-game antics were expected.

Having two guys parachute out of an airplane into the stadium: cool.
Fireworks going off during the national anthem: somewhat cool.
Fireworks going off during the entire national anthem: borderline disrespectful.
Having two separate announcers give the starting lineups for each squad: starting to get annoying.
A juggling player to give the game ball: Now I'm bored

This wasn’t the Super Bowl, there were about 25,000 at the stadium, all of which wanted to watch soccer, “the beautiful game”, not all of these shenanigans.

Then we have fans chanting “USA, USA”. Meanwhile around half of the MLS All Stars were not even American. Fail. Fans seemed even more confused when a ball was booted into the crowd, and a fan threw the ball back onto the field after a new ball had already been put in play. And then to further distinguish the class of the American fan, fans chanted “You suck asshole” following goal kicks taken by Manchester United.

American fans constantly ask for the respect of the international community, yet we have certain fans mocking the world’s most popular game. Not a good way to garner respect.


US soccer is in a state of limbo, as it is not ready to take the step to an elite program, but is far from an afterthought. Despite the firing of Bob Bradley for a German, Jurgen Klinsmann, the country still has a ways to go.

As seen in the MLS All Star Game, most of the US’s top talent are not playing in our own league, and the few that are playing domestically looked drastically overmatched against top-tier talent.

The United States has the athletes and resources available to create an outstanding men’s soccer team, but it would require a change in culture. Our domestic league, although improving, is not up to par with that of Europe. Soccer is still far behind of football and basketball and baseball in popularity. In the end, the money isn’t there to attract top players and youths to pursue a career in American soccer.

Unfortunately that is what it comes down to. Klinsmann will improve the squad, players like Henry and Beckham will generate interest in the MLS, but until our soccer players are making big money, the US will not be able to compete for international competitions.

The Overrated Antonio Cromartie

In the NFL, it is hard to live off of one great season, as contracts are not guaranteed. Somehow though, cornerback Antonio Cromartie is receiving recognition as a game-changing cornerback, when in reality he hasn’t had a great season since 2007.

2007 was an incredible year for Antonio Cromartie. He started only 8 games, but managed to rack up an amazing 10 interceptions that year. Cromartie would be named to the Pro Bowl and was 1st Team All Pro. Since that season, his on-field production hasn’t exactly remained steady.


A stat like 10 interceptions is hard to replicate, but in 3 seasons since 2007 (2 with San Diego, 1 with NY Jets), Cromartie has combined for a total of 8 interceptions. That is less than three interceptions per season and just plain mediocre.

Also add to the equation that Cromartie played across from the best cornerback in the NFL in 2010, in Darelle Revis. With seemingly no quarterback wanting to even test Revis, Cromartie was often targeted, and never consistently held coverage.

And then we bring in the off-the-field issues.

Antonio has never been seen as a role model since his playing days at Florida State. In 2009, Cromartie was arrested for an altercation at a bar that had him allegedly throwing a bottle of champagne at someone’s head. In 2010, the NY Jets appeared on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” and Cromartie baffled viewers as he struggled to remember the names of his children. Then before facing Tom Brady and the Patriots in the playoffs, Cromartie went on to call Brady an asshole before saying, “"F#$k him”.

So with poor production during the last 3 seasons and off-field concerns, why is Cromartie’s name frequently thrown in with the top defensive players available.

Cromartie is a free agent and has already specified that he will not be giving the Jets a “hometown discount”.

The Jets should reply, “Thank you”.

The Jets owe Cromartie nothing and can search for more affordable options at cornerback. The Jets have more urgent priorities to address this off-season including the resigning of wide receiver Santonio Holmes and linebacker David Harris. The Jets drafter cornerback Kyle Wilson with their first round pick in 2010 and although his rookie season was far from promising, it would make sense if they wanted to save money at the position, especially with the highly-paid Revis on the opposing side.

If Cromartie doesn’t want to take a discount to play with an elite team in the NFL, then let him walk.

Fortunately for Cromartie, he will get paid, and paid nicely by some team. This team will likely be another one of those teams whom seems to spend money in all the wrong places every season. You know, the Redskins, Cowboys, Dolphins, and other teams who seem to get stuck with bad contracts.

Cromartie is a good corner, but he is very far from elite. At the right price, he is a valuable asset to a team. But he is not worth the big bucks.

2 Terrible Central Divisions

We often hear how the media on the East and West Coast is creating a bias that forgets about sports in the middle of America. Well if baseball teams had a problem with this, they certainly aren’t showing it, as the NL and AL Central divisions are exhibiting some of the worst play in the league and are truly wide-open.

The NL Central has been a division controlled by the Cardinals over the past decade. With the Cincinnati Reds surprising most by winning the division in 2010, and with the Brewers adding key pieces to the roster, much was expected from the Top 3 teams in this division. However, the NL Central has been filled with a plethora of injuries, miscues, and under-performing.

First, we will quickly cast-off the Houston Astros, as most fans cannot name 5 players (Hunter Pence, Carlos Lee.¤.¤.???). To put it simply, the Astros are a joke. Then you take the Cubs, and we all know about the Cubs. It’s been a long time since they won a World Series, and they continue to be hampered by bad contracts like Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome. Without a plan as to where they are going, the Cubs will continue to be the lovable losers for a time to come.

Now, onto the supposed top 3.

The Milwaukee Brewers made a few splashes in the off-season, acquiring pitchers Shaun Marcum and former Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke, via trades. The two combined are 15-6, but Greinke’s ERA of 5.06 isn’t fooling anybody. Recently the team traded for Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez and will help close games for Milwaukee with John Axford. Despite all this, an MVP-caliber season from Prince Fielder, and another All-Star season from Ryan Braun, the Brewers are only 5 games over .500 and are battling a top the division.

Who are they battling with? Not last year’s division-champion Cincinnati Reds, who sit at 47-50 and have even resorted to using Dontrelle Willis (who knew he was still around?) as a starter this year. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce have provided the club with solid offensive production, but the pitching staff has been more then iffy. Volquez, Wood and Arroyo all have ERA’s over 5 and veteran closer Francisco Cordero has shown signs of age. The Reds have the talent to contend, but are cruising well below expectations in 2011.

The Cardinals have the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols, and despite star pitcher Adam Wainwright not pitching this season, and many other injuries occurring during the season, including Pujols, the Cardinals are still fighting for the division lead. Pitching Coach Dave Duncan and manager Tony LaRussa are two of the best coaches in the game and will always have this team contending.

Still, the most telling reason for why this division stinks is that the Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place. Yes, the same Pirates who haven’t had a winning season since 1992. Now you can sit there and try to tell me that Andrew McCutchen is a great player, and that the Pirates have built this team over the years, but the truth is the Pirates still really aren’t that good. Their pitching staff is incredibly mediocre, with names like Kevin Correia spotlighting the staff. Despite some talent, the Pirates have no business being in a division race this late in the season, and the NL Central is just awful. Sure the Pirates are a feel-good story, but they should not be leading a division in the second half of the season. Especially a division of 6 teams!
Now on to the AL Central, which has is seemingly going to be won by default by the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers have one of the best pitchers in the AL in Justin Verlander, and the offense is filled with many talented veteran bats including Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Magglio Ordonez. Yet despite all this, the team finds themselves at 51-45. This team is certainly the favorite to win the division, but some more consistency is going to be needed.

The Royals, well they suck.

The Twins have somehow managed to battle in the division every year, despite a less-than-decent pitching rotation and 2 all-star bats. This year, the injuries have just caught up to them, with key injuries to Mauer and Morneau, not even the great Ron Gardenhire can pull this one out.

The White Sox are filled with veterans, and certainly should be at least a .500 team, if not contending for the division. But the team is playing sloppy and careless ball and manager Ozzie Guillen might be in his last season as skipper of the White Sox. I wouldn’t count this team out, but they need to get going, especially Adam Dunn.


And now to the Indians, a team similar to the Pittsburgh Pirates because no one saw this one coming. They are currently tied atop the division with the Tigers and it’s hard to figure out how. Grady Sizemore has been injured and bad, their closer is journeyman Chris Perez, and their top starter is Fausto Carmona. The only answer to how this is possible is that the division is terrible. The Indians jumped out to an incredibly fast start, having the best record in baseball for quite sometime. Since then reality has set in, and the team has come back to Earth. Still, they find themselves in contention, and with a few deadline deals, they could steal this division. Heck, why not?

Sure the MLB will promote these division races as exciting and great baseball, but the truth is, both of these divisions stink. Two of these teams will make the playoffs, but I don’t expect them to last much longer then that. They are all far from the level of the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Phillies, Giants, and Braves and I expect to see the winner of the two Central divisions eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Sorry to Middle America, but your baseball is terrible.

The ESPY Awards, Ugh

Oh the Espy Awards.

How everyone hates them but yet all sports fans end up watching them. Damn ESPN for placing upon us this dreadful show and placing it on the day of the year where there are no sports!! How can a sports fan resist this garbage.
I admit, the idea for the show isn’t that bad. They bring athletes from all sports together, mix in some celebrities, and its supposed to be a celebration of the year in sports. It is usually somewhat funny, with memorable hosting appearances by Justin Timberlake, Seth Meyers, and Jamie Foxx, but the awards themselves are truly what is horrendous.

There is almost no award on the show that is incredibly dumb and makes no sense.
Best NFL Player? Didn’t Tom Brady win the NFL MVP? Do you think Aaron Rodgers really cares that he was the ESPY award winner? Congrats on winning the award that should be better named "Best White Quarterback on a Successful NFL Team"

How about Best Team? Now ESPN asks us to compare all teams that have won championships, and say who the best team was. That makes no sense. How are the Dallas Mavericks better then the San Francisco Giants? The only way this determination could be made would be to rate each team’s success in its own sport, and as both were champions, they are therefore both the best. So instead the award goes to Dallas, who satisfied the nation the most by defeating LeBron James and the Heat. This award should be named "Best Team to defeat a hated team or "team that Least pissed off the nation"

There are some entertaining awards such as best game, best play, best upset, and the best breakthrough athlete.

It is just that the awards are often won based upon proximity to the ESPYs. A prime example is the US Women’s Soccer Team winning the ESPY for best play for their goal in the Women’s World Cup. The play was so recent that it didn’t even make the original ballot and was only added after a rush of fans pushed for its nomination. An event that recent is almost impossible to stop from winning.

As are the NFL and NBA. The NFL is the most popular league in the country, and the NBA season ends relatively close to the ESPY awards. This leads to most of the awards going to players/plays/teams in these two major sports.

The award show could be made more entertaining if it was made less.¤.¤.bland. How about awards for Best Uniforms, best pre-game ritual, funniest moment, and most quotable coach. Stuff like this is far more interesting and is far more humorous than the typical *best athletes awards.

So step it up ESPN. We know you are aware that the sports fan will still watch your show, but is there really anyone out there who cares which male college athlete is better. Because after all, if winning the Heisman and College Football Championship clearly doesn’t warrant the award (Cam Newton), then the award is truly stupid as is your show, and this outfit as well...

The Joke that is the MLB All Star Game

In the past 10 years, the MLB All Star game has gone from an exciting exhibition showcasing the game’s brightest stars to an over-hyped bore-fest featuring players that the average fan have probably never heard of.

Many will blame the tie in 2002 for the change in the attitude towards the All Star Game,others will blame Commissioner Bud Selig’s overreaction to that tie by making the following All Star Game determine home-field advantage in the World Series. However, what most don’t realize is that the winner of the All-Star Game (the AL in every year but 2010), would’ve had home field advantage anyway based upon a better record in every year except 2004. Although I agree both ideas were stupid and should have been avoided, there is a multitude of reasons why the MLB All Star Game is now garbage.
It is often noted that every team has to have a representative. This means even the lowly Astros, Orioles, Royals, and Padres will be sending a player to this year’s game. This also means that the AL roster has 14 guaranteed spots, while the NL has 16 guaranteed spots, giving the AL a clear advantage, offering less spots to players from terrible teams, and allowing more Yankees, Red Sox, etc. to be selected by the players and the managers. Normally a competitive advantage in an exhibition would be irrelevant, but “This one matters” now, so it the game has something riding on it, it should be fair.

This season there were 84 All Stars named, the most ever. This is due to the addition of more spots on the roster, player injuries, and many players not even caring about the game.

For just a 9-inning game, each squad has 35 players. 35 PLAYERS?!?! Why are there so many players, when you can only carry 25 in a regular season game? Fans want to see Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton and Prince Fielder play more than half of the game. Fans want to see closer Brian Wilson facing David Ortiz in the 9th inning of a tight ballgame. What they don’t want to see is Tyler Clippard facing Michael Cuddyer, or Alexi Ogando facing Starlin Castro. These matchups are a bore, and will turn fans off the TV.

And then there is the over-managing. So many pitchers mean many pitching changes, which means many calls to the bullpen, which means many commercials. BORING. This also means many crazy double-switches, and star players being substituted after only one at-bat.

Now we add in that players are simply deciding not to come. Reasons such as “soreness”, “exhaustion”, and “fatigue” really mean, “I don’t care”.
It’s sad to see Derek Jeter miss the All Star Game this season, after coming back from injury to get his 3000th hit in dramatic fashion at Yankee Stadium last weekend. His popularity would be at an all-time high and the All Star Weekend would have been a continuation of the celebration of Jeter’s career. Instead, Jeter chose to skip out on the festivities and not even reward the fans who somehow voted him ahead of more deserving candidates such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta, and seemingly every other AL shortstop. Why have a fan vote if the most popular players are allowed to just opt not to play.

Now there are always injuries, and that is not the fault of the MLB. Stars like Jose Reyes and Alex Rodriguez have recently went on the DL, but still these players should make an appearance and acknowledge the fans. This season, many star pitchers also pitched on the Sunday prior to the All-Star break, making them ineligible to pitch in the game and thus requiring a replacement. Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is one of these pitchers, and despite being named to the team, he had already booked a trip to the Caribbean and will not be appearing in Arizona. Simply being unable to pitch is not an excuse to not come.

Fans want to see the best players, even if they just show their faces. Sure the game is not the same as when there was no inter-league play, or even before the times where every team could be seen on TV or internet and the ASG was the only time fans could see some of these players. However, the game is still for the fans, is still fun, and many people want to watch.

Therefore, we need to stop continually expanding the roster. It’s very annoying to hear about players being snubbed from the team when 10 percent of players in the league are being dubbed “all stars”. It’s very similar to NCAA Basketball analysts complaining about a team not receiving an invite into March Madness. There are 68 openings, if you can’t prove you belong, then you probably don’t. But that debate is for another time.

The All-Star game will still continue to generate fan interest, and Bud Selig is not killing the game of baseball. But we just need to make things simpler. The best players need to play, and play the whole game. Lesser players can be invited, but they do not have to be given playing time. Players will play for pride and put on a show for the fans, because that is all the ASG is, a show.

Let’s go back to the way it used to be and stop diluting it.

The Year of LeBron's Mistakes

July 8, 2010: a day that changed the landscape of the NBA for years to come.

It was the day that LeBron James announced his decision to leave Cleveland and to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the day that created the BIG 3 and the day that would start the beginning of ESPN’s over-coverage of Miami and all things involving the Heat.

It still amazes me how people cannot hate LeBron James and often run to his defense. They say things like, “LeBron just wanted to win” and “At least he donated the money to charity for his TV show”.

All of these comments are garbage.

LeBron is a self-centered boy in a man’s body who seeks attention wherever he can get it.

Don’t get me confused, I do not care that he left Cleveland and went to Miami. It’s exactly how he carried himself that makes him completely worthy of all the criticism and “hate” he has received since.

In Cleveland, LeBron was a hero that quickly became arguably the most popular player in the NBA. He was able to take a cast of sub-par characters including the crazy-haired Anderson Varejao, the incredibly average Mo Williams, and the alleged mother lover Delonte West to 60 win seasons and deep playoff runs.

Of course, I never liked him. Whether it was the title “King James” or the throwing of powder before his games, or just his foolish looking smile, I never rooted for LeBron. Sitting and watching “The Decision”, I was very split on what I wanted James to choose. My team, the Knicks, could really use a star player like LeBron (who couldn’t) but something about him has always rubbed me the wrong way. I would have had no problem with him choosing to stay in Cleveland.

But that’s not what happened.

And this made me furious. What arrogant jerk thinks its OK to hold numerous teams (Chicago, NY, NJ, Clippers, Cavs, etc.) hostage until the second week of July, making it impossible for those teams to make any moves until then? The answer is LeBron James. Who thinks it’s a great idea to have a television show on ESPN to announce his decision, as if he is that important? Once again, Lebron James. Don’t give me the crap about how it was for charity; he could have easily written a check.

It’s amazing how another superstar, Kevin Durant, would tweet days later that he would be signing a contract extension to remain in Oklahoma City. Class act Kevin.

So jerseys were burned, every city that had planned for LeBron now hated him, and LeBron was quickly becoming less popular. There was clearly only one to solve this scenario:

Hold a celebration for the formation of the BIG 3 and then say it would be easy to win more then 7 championships. Congratulations LeBron, now everyone who didn’t hate you, now hates you. Well, except for those loyal Miami Heat fans. The fans so loyal that they let Dallas fans take up over 5,000 seats in a must-win Game 6 in the NBA Finals. Yep, those Miami fans, which will be quick to forget about the Heat if they don’t win in the next two years.
As the season began, the Heat struggled and fans and media were quickly to call this Big 3 project a bust. But the talent on the team is undeniable and LeBron and co. would turn the ship and lead the team to the NBA Finals.

And then came “The Cough”

As everyone in America rooted against the Heat, they made themselves even less likeable when LeBron and D-Wade produced fake coughs, mocking the Mavericks’ superstar Dirk Nowitzki. Immaturity showed once again, and James couldn’t even back up the mockery, as the Mavericks would win the NBA title in 6 games.

It has been very frustrating watching such a talented man bring all this attention to himself, only to fail.
There are many athletes who thrive on people disliking them, and enjoy playing the bad guy. LeBron has repeatedly choked under the spotlight, and this makes me wonder why he continues his antics to bring the spotlight on him. Sure the media would have covered Miami, but it was his childish antics that created a hate towards the Heat and James, and unfortunately for James, the nation got their way.

Don’t play the villain if you can’t deal with the hype surrounding yourself. Don’t say you are going to win 7 championships until you have won 6. All of these are common sense and until LeBron takes a look at himself and realizes he just needs to let his game do the talking and keep quiet, he will never be adored and cant win.

When the NBA does resume, he needs to make a decision to keep his mouth shut and just play basketball.

Deron to Turkey? This is Crazy

The NBA lockout has been upon us for a few days, but already NBA players are getting ready to gear up.¤.¤. just in another country.

Nets star Deron Williams has agreed to play for the Turkish team Besiktas in the fall, assuming that the lockout is still occurring.
This can’t be a good sign of things to come if you were a fan hoping for a NBA season this year.

Whether or not Williams even ends up playing in Turkey is not the issue here. It’s more that players are already feeling strongly enough about the seriousness of the lockout that they are seriously considering alternate jobs.

During last season, Brandon Marshall joked (or at least I hope it was a joke) that he would like to play for the Miami Heat in case of a NFL lockout. However, the NFL has been locked out for months now, and we have not heard any noise from NFL players about an alternate job since it began. Players and fans alike realize that the NFL season WILL be played in 2011 and there is no need to scramble for a new job. Sure things are boring in football-land, but this season will occur.

The only action we are getting out of NFL players is there involvement in a "Field of Dreams" parody.

And then there’s the NBA, who had Ron Artest, or the MWP, say that he had considered playing in Finland in the fall. Deron Williams and Artest will not be the only players who will likely flock overseas in the event of a continued lockout, but it is awfully alarming that these players are planning this in July! The planned NBA season opener is still months away and there would be no reason to openly state an important decision this early, unless.¤.¤.

The NBA is not having a season in 2011
And it’s fairly obvious too. Besides the many reports from the media saying that the owners and the players are very far separated in their discussion, a star player has basically admitted he is very skeptical of the season occurring.


Deron Williams is a star in the league and is easily a Top 3 point guard. The Nets took a huge risk in trading for him last season, offering the Jazz high draft picks and established veterans in the hopes of building a team around Williams. This was all without knowing that D-Will would even want to play for the NJ-soon-to-be-Brooklyn Nets once his contract expires.

It can’t be too comforting for Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov to see his key investment (and a necessary piece if the Nets have any hopes of attracting other star players) playing for another club during this lockout. Anything can happen while playing, and an injury could be disastrous for the Nets.

The Turkish club says it doesn’t just plan on bringing in Deron Williams to play though, it has its eyes on an even bigger prize, Kobe Bryant. This seems crazy to me too and I can’t think of any reason Kobe, an aging superstar who’s won 5 championships and has more money then he will ever need, would possibly want to go to play in Turkey, where they can’t even offer him a money offer that he can’t refuse.

The whole lockout situation in the NBA is more then a mess and bizarre things will keep occurring as long as the season lays in serious jeopardy. Fix it boys.

Reflections on the 2011 NBA Draft

The only thing worse than the actual NBA draft is the constant breakdown of it prior and after. It blows my mind how in every draft, people can jump the gun and say great pick and terrible pick. The truth is, no one really knows.

There are only two things that can be evaluated in the immediate aftermath of the NBA draft:

1.)Where was the player projected to be drafted?
- If you take a player likely to have fallen into the second round with a lottery pick, you probably deserve some criticism, just as if a "top-ten worthy pick" drops to your team in the late first round and you nab him, your team will be given praise.

2.) Did it fill your team’s needs?
- Drafting the best available player is not always the best option. When your team has 3 point guards, it doesn’t make sense to draft a fourth, even if he is the best player.

These two points are common sense, but why are all these other factors brought in. How can the average fan gauge what kind of impact a player from Europe or Africa will have in the NBA. I can’t believe how many fans were clamoring for the likes of Bismack Biyombo and Jonas Valanciunas without ever having seen them play. Relying strictly on the words of writers and analysts, fans are criticizing their teams’ picks without ever having seen these guys play.

Its OK to be mad if your team didn’t select your favorite NCAA player, but hey give the new draftee some time (maybe a game??).

Knicks fans booed Iman Shumpert, mostly because he wasn’t the sexy pick at 17th overall. Although many believe that Shumpert could have went as late as the second round, the most important factor in determining a good draft pick is how he benefits his team. The Knicks felt they needed a defensive guard and not another 3-4 player, like fan-favorite Chris Singleton (In case you forgot Knick fans, you already have Carmelo Anthony).

My overall favorite is the giving of an "A" grade to the team with the number 1 and 4 picks. Why even bother with draft grades. The Cavs picked the consensus #1 and then selected a big guy out of Texas. Congratulations your team sucked so badly it had such high picks, therefore you deserve an A. A three-year old could have watched ESPN and picked Kyrie Irving.

And then it gets worse as the media grades the other team’s selections based basically off if they matched their own personal mock drafts. If the team went in another direction in which you thought they would’ve, it’s an instant F from that author.

Garbage

In the situation the NBA is currently in, with no certainty of when the season will begin, if ever (not to mention we still have free agency), how can you criticize a team over 1-2 picks in an incredibly anonymous draft. The answer is, you can’t. This isn’t football, where a player in any round can make an impact on the roster; this is the NBA where likely ¾ of these guys wont be playing in 6 years.

One thing that is certainly disappointing to those who like the college game was the amount of foreigners taken in the draft. Fans saw Big East standouts and March Madness heroes continue to get overlooked and exchange fans heard names had never heard of and couldn’t even pronounce.

Does this mark the beginning of the end of NCAA sports generating superstars? No, of course not. But it does serve as a wakeup call to American athletes that maybe the USA isn’t the only country that can contribute basketball talent, and our kids need to step up their game.

In the end though, this was a boring draft. I can’t remember being less enthused and having less knowledge of the players. But this doesn’t mean this won’t be an important draft. We have to wait and see how many Hall of Famers come out of this crop and how many busts are made. The strength of this draft won’t be determined in 2011. Instead let’s wait until 2021.

The Mets' Decision Should be clear

The New York Mets had been stuck in a place where no team likes to be: uncertainty. After surging to a .500 record at 34-34, the team suddenly had hope again. The Mets thought they might be able to make the playoffs, a feat that would be truly remarkable considering all that has gone wrong for the franchise in recent years. The Mets have seen corner infielders, Ike Davis and David Wright miss considerable time with no exact date set for their return. Ace of the staff Johan Santana has missed the entire season and August is his earliest return time. Yet despite a pitching staff featuring names like Gee, Capuano, and Dickey, the Mets were right there. Or at least they though they were.

Now having lost three of their last four, the Metropolitans find themselves 10 ½ games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East. More bad news comes as potential MVP candidate Jose Reyes has recently announced that he won’t engage in contract negotiations until the end of the season.

Although I say bad news, this actually may be a blessing in disguise for the Mets. It now seems much more obvious that the Mets should be sellers and look to rebuild this franchise. With the owner Fred Wilpon in financial troubles, and the team realistically out of contention, the first thing that needs to be done is trade Jose Reyes. This will be a difficult task for GM Sandy Alderson who will know he would be trading away a fan favorite and the main attraction to come see the Mets play. However, if Alderson can land talented youth in return, the fans would quickly get over the loss of Reyes.

Mets fans need to realize that this team is going nowhere this season. It’s been great to see new manager Terry Collins lead this bunch of players to a respectable position in the standings, but that doesn’t mean this team is a title contender. With this roster, the Mets are at best a slightly above .500 team. This means they will fall short of the playoffs even with the eventual addition of Wright, Davis, and Santana. Alderson should be trying to dump as many overpriced and expiring contracts as he can. This includes getting whatever he can for Carlos Beltran, trying to get rid of closer K-Rod, and perhaps somehow enticing some crazy team to take Jason Bay away from New York (wow he is awful).

Ticket sales are a concern right now, and the Mets might be hyping themselves up to be more then they are just to keep the fans interested. However, when these trades are made, and they will come eventually, fans will cast aside the 2011 NY Mets season. This is unfortunate, but the fans would be willing to cast aside a team with Reyes, Beltran, and K-Rod if the team wasn’t performing. A .500 record is a good season, due to the expectations on the team this year. If you go back to 2008 though, a .500 record would be far from satisfactory. The best thing the Mets can do is throw in the towel on a chance to make the playoffs, trade some of their veteran talent, acquire youth, and have the remaining team continue to play hard. \

Sure there will be no “Jose, Jose, Jose.¤.¤.” chants next season. But if promising trades are made, at least there may be a winning buzz at Citi Field in 2012.

Dont Be So Quick to Name Rory the Next Tiger

Rory McIlroy was sensational this past weekend at Congressional, where he took home the US Open Championship. Winning by 8 strokes and setting the lowest score in US Open history at –16, he is definitely worthy of much praise. But to call him the next Tiger Woods? Let’s relax here.

As brilliantly as McIlroy played this past weekend and how quickly he recovered from a meltdown at the Masters earlier this year, many quickly jumped the gun and named Rory the next Tiger. Heck, some even said he would surpass Tiger and catch Jack Nicklaus’s mark of 18 major titles.

This is all after he had won ONE major. Yes he was great, yes he was dominant, and yes he is still very young. But it is very difficult to win majors. At the Masters this year, he held the lead going into the final round, until he shot an 80 and finished well off the lead. It is hard to win majors, hence why they are called MAJORS. Players like Woods and Nicklaus are once in a generation players.

And Woods’ reign surely isn’t over. He will return healed from his current leg injury either later this year or next season and you can bet that this talk of a new golf king will be enough motivation to get Tiger going. During Tiger’s absence, no golfer has really stepped up and emerged as the next in line. Now with McIlroy seizing the moment, many have deemed him the likely successor. Surely Tiger will not hand the throne over gracefully, however.

Although McIlroy appears to be fed up with all the comparison to golf’s historic players, the media continues to ask ridiculous questions. Some are implying that he could create his own “Rory Slam” by winning the Open Championship, the PGA, and next year’s Masters. How about we wait and see if he can win the next one before asking if he will win the next three. You don’t talk Triple Crown after a horse wins the Kentucky Derby and you don’t need to talk Grand Slam until McIlroy proves himself in more than one major.

The kid is talented, very talented. He will surely win more majors, But let’s not rush to dub him the next great thing and instead let us let his career unfold.

And remember, in the distance, a Tiger lurks.

Why the Hype Surrounding Kolb

During this NFL offseason of uncertainty, many things remain up for questioning. However, one thing that many scouts and analysts seem to be deemed as a lock is the rise of Kevin Kolb.

Kevin Kolb?

You know, the guy who backed up Donovan McNabb for three years and showed a decent ability when needed. Then, when he was given the starting job last year, he quickly lost it to Michael Vick. Although this was partially due to the concussion he suffered in Week 1 and the amazing play of Vick, Kolb is far from a shoe-in to becoming an elite NFL QB. Yet over and over again, Kolb seems to be the guy many teams without quarterbacks continue to focus on.

This actually probably says more about the QB desperation many teams are feeling. It’s hard to compete in the NFL without a solid quarterback. Just look at all the playoff teams from last season, almost all of which had franchise-caliber gunslingers. Having an elite qb is almost required to being an elite team (Exception: 2000-2001 Ravens).

But why is Kevin Kolb the guy? Im not sure. Maybe the media is just desperate for something to write in the lockout times. Although Kolb certainly has some ability, there isn’t much that seperates him from the rest of nobody quarterbacks out there: Jake Delhomme, Alex Smith, Vince Young, etc.

One thing is for certain, Kolb will get traded, and some team will likely overpay for him. However, it is far from a lock that Kolb will be a huge success in the NFL. Let him play a full season in the NFL before we declare him on the path to becoming a top QB. He still has a long, long way to go.

Ricky Rubio is Coming

Why should I care about Ricky Rubio?

The answer simply is: I shouldn’t. The 5th overall pick in the 2009 draft has recently decided he will leave Barcelona and join the Timberwolves.

Finally!

But Ricky hasn’t exactly panned out to be what all the scouts had envisioned him to be in 2009. Sure, he’s only age 20, but he managed only 6.5 points last season with Barcelona and couldn’t even keep his starting spot. Don’t even try to argue; The Spanish league is far inferior to the NBA. Analysts will tell you that the smaller court and game-style that doesn’t revolve around guard play has hurt Rubio, but I’m sorry Ricky: GOOD is GOOD, and quite frankly you stink.

An ESPN poll had more than half of the fans thinking the Timberwolves could contend for a title with a lineup consisting of Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Rubio, and consensus #2 pick Derrick Williams. I guess this just shows you that average sports fan is a moron. Unless Williams turns out to be the next Jordan, I’m positive the T’Wolves will still be miserable. After all they are the Timberwolves, a perenially bad team. Even when they had talents like Garnett, they never amounted to anything.

And now a reserve point guard in Spain is going to change that?

No.


Saying the Timberwolves will be good is like saying it is a good idea to draft 2 point guards with the #5 and #6 pick (Rubio/Flynn). Good job Minnesota, no wonder you are terrible. And when one turns out to be lousy (Flynn) and the other hasn’t even played in the USA(Rubio), that’s a recipe for the worst record in the league.

So don’t get too excited Minnesota. The Timberwolves will still stink. You have a better hope of Brett Favre coming back to QB one more season for the Vikings.

The NBA's Top 5

Over the past week, a number of conversations have broken out about the best NBA players. It’s amazing how in two weeks, many people have altered their top 5 completely, and some have even been ludicrous enough to take Lebron James off this list. What? The 2-time MVP, who lead the pathetic 2007 Cavaliers to the NBA finals, and is just as dominant on the defensive side as he is offensively?? You can’t be serious.
Yes I agree: Lebron is a jerk, and that may even be an understatement. His “decision” to go to Miami, his fake coughs with D-Wade, and his inability to understand why people hate him is more then frustrating. Add that to his consistent failure to deliver in the clutch and a putrid performance in the 2011 NBA Finals and now you have given people a reason to forget his talent.

James is an unbelievable athlete and can seemingly score at will. He averaged 26.7 pts, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists in 2010-2011, and oh yeah, he shared the court with 2 other superstars in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He helped lead the Heat all the way to the NBA Finals, putting up big numbers against Boston and Chicago along the way. Throw in the fact that he not only shut down the “MVP” Derrick Rose at the end of numerous games in the Eastern Conference Finals, James made Rose look more like Malik Rose (my apologies to the former Knick).

So James shuts down Rose, his team advances further, but Rose is in the Top 5, and LeBron is not? That’s moronic. What terrible memory people have. Maybe we should be giving Coach Carlisle and the Mavericks credit for completely taking LeBron out of his rhythm and doing what so few have been able to do: make James look ordinary.

Obviously, LeBron is in my Top 5, but who joins him. I’ve always been a Dirk fan,
and his run this playoffs, including a remarkable Game 1 against the Thunder, flu-like symptoms in the Finals, and a Finals MVP award has to make Dirk a part of my list. Dirk has somehow been flying under the radar for years, despite everyone knowing that the guy has game. Now that the monkey is off his back and the championship is his, he will never be dissed again. Although he is not the Top 10 all-time player his coach thinks he is, he is definitely a stud and at times the true definition of being unguardable.

My man the Black Mamba deserves to be on this list. I don’t care of you think he’s past his prime, and that the Lakers were a huge disappointment against Dallas this season, Kobe is the best shot-maker in the game. Oh and not to mention he has won 5 titles, including 2 and 3 years ago!!! People are talking as if the Lakers dynasty is over and the team needs to be broken up. Prior to this season, they had been to the Finals for three years in a row, and Kobe had lead them strongly. A clutch player with a tremendous work ethic, it’s hard not to like Bryant. Yes he made mistakes when he was younger, but for those not concerned with off the court drama and are just interested in Kobe Doin Work, Bryant cannot be passed up on this list. His career alone warrants at least another year on this list.

Next on my list is the Durantula, the Backpack kid, Kevin Durant.
It would be foolish to leave the NBA scoring champion of the past two seasons off this list. Durant led the young Thunder to the Western Conference Finals and battled with the Mavericks before eventually losing. Everytime he takes the court, Portland fans think about the possibilities of what could have been had they chose KD over the injury-prone Greg Oden. Durant can score the basketball better then anyone else, and he has to be included on this list.

This list cannot be complete without the only true dominant center in the NBA, and that is Dwight Howard. Superman is much more then just a former slam dunk champion, the man is a beast. His ability to rebound and his defensive intensity/shot blocking ability make him a feared player.
Although recently, Dwight seems to be drinking some of the LeBron/D-Wade immaturity juices and is creating a scene in Orlando, his dominance cannot be overlooked. In 2009 he led the Magic to a NBA Finals appearance and he has only continued to improve his play.
Players just falling short of the list include Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Derrick Rose.

I was very impressed by CP3’s ability to lead a mediocre Hornets team to battle the defending champion Laker team in this year’s playoffs. However, I soon became less impressed as even JJ Barea had his way with the Lakers in the next round of the playoffs. D-Wade is just way too into himself and never looks to even be trying on the court. Yes, he’s incredibly talented, but I’d still take LeBron of D-Wade and I can’t take two players from the same team. That wouldn’t be fair. D-Rose lost all points from me for getting completely destroyed late in games by LBJ and Miami and looked borderline pathetic. I know his supporting cast isn’t the greatest, but it’s called passing the ball. Why was Russell Westbrook crucified for taking too many shots when surely Rose’s were much worse in the playoffs. D Rose got rejected by James numerous times and it was getting close to embarrassing. Sorry Derrick, you just miss the cut.

Boudreau, Fans Need to Shut It

Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau is under a lot of pressure. For the second year in a row, his Capitals are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and are faced with huge expectations. Last year, Washington fell in 7 games to the eighth seeded Canadiens in a devastating upset.Boudreau took much of the heat, as it is rare for the Presidents Trophy winner to go out in the first round.

This year the Capitals were looking to shake off the continued postseason disappointment. Jumping off to a quick 2-0 lead in the series, including an overtime win in which Alexander Semin, known for his lack of postseason scoring, was able to put away the winner.

The series then headed to New York where the Rangers were able to pull out a gritty win in Game 3, winning 3-2 on a late Brandon Dubinsky goal. Game 4 was a pivotal game, with New York trying to hold home ice in the series.

Prior to the fourth game, Coach Boudreau appeared to be feeling the heat. He blasted the referees for their soft calls and questioned the toughness of certain Ranger players. When he appeared on a local radio station, he chose to rip Madison Square Garden and the Garden faithful. Excuses appeared to be flying left and right as Boudreau cited: "The locker rooms are horrible. The benches are horrible. There’s no room for anything" He would even go on to say that the Verizon Center fans were much louder than the fans at Madison Square Garden.

Whether you agree with Coach Bruce or not is not the issue. The issue instead is that why would you provoke the fans of another team when you were guaranteed to play at least one more game in their arena, and possibly two. It would be one thing if the Capitals were heading home and wanted to inspire their fans, but come on Bruce, the Caps were playing in NY in two days. Why give the team and its fans bulletin board material???

As you can imagine, the Rangers and their fans were just a little bit ticked off. An incredible second period saw the Rangers jump out to a 3-0 lead with goals by Artem Anisimov, Marian Gaborik, and Brandon Dubinsky. Feeling that a win was in the books, Rangers fans began chanting "Can you hear us" and other word play based off Coach Boudreau's comments prior to the game.

The only problem was that the game was not over. The Caps quickly made it a 3-2 game, and a second goal by Marcus Johansson tied the game at 3. Suddenly there was silence at Madison Square Garden. Now it is harder to condemn fans for supporting their team, as they cannot back it up themselves, but once again, it is unbelievable how people continue to run their mouth well before the result is in hand. Granted that a 3-0 lead at home after two periods should be as concrete as possible, the Rangers made their fans look foolish, and made Coach Boudreau look like a hero. Im not sure what Boudreau said to his team in between the 2nd and 3rd period, but it sure made him look like a hell of a coach.

The Rangers would go on to lose in Double OT on an incredibly flukey goal scored by Jason Chimera in which Marian Gaborik and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist appeared to have a miscommunication. A terrible loss for the Rangers, leaving them trailing 3-1 in the series and headed to Washington.

The lesson here is don't run your mouth unless you can back it up. In Boudreau's case, he got lucky and his team was able to bail him out. He would later retract his comments and apologize for his stupidity. Although he will receive a break from media and fans, his unnecessary risk to try and inspire the opposing team and fans almost bit him in the behind. If it wasn't for a comeback lead by everyone but star Alexander Ovechkin, Boudreau could be looking at a 2-2 series, and a flaming hot seat for a job.

A lesson to Rangers fans, be sure your team is going to win before mocking the opposing team. Although it is the playoffs, and it is unlikely to see a team lay down and admit defeat regardless, why would you want to give the Capitals players added motivation. Clearly they came to play in the third period and the Rangers fans helped the Capitals nearly end the series.

I admit, I was ready to pronounce Boudreau, Ovechkin and the Capitals dead after the second period of Game 4, but instead Im left saying, "Damn Rangers fans, you gave it to the Caps".

We will never know how the game would have ended without the crowd instigation, but the Rangers can now only hope the MSG will even get to see another game, as they fight for their series lives in DC for game 5. The lesson here, dont talk until you are sure you have won, or you are sure you wont have to see your opponent again.

NBA Goes Too Far with Latest Kobe Controversy

Who is the most prominent star in the game? If you didn't say Lebron James, then most likely you picked this guy, Kobe Bryant. Kobe has dominated the NBA pretty much since he skipped college and entered the league at age 18. Despite 5 rings on his hand, and challenging for another title this season, Bryant has faced his share of difficulties since joining the league.

We all remember the incident in Colorado that almost cost Kobe his marriage and almost landed him in jail. But he's a super talented and super rich guy, so with a good lawyer, and an expensive gift for his wife, Kobe moved past the rape accusations.

Most would forget his demons, as he brought LA many championships, and a new persona was created for Kobe.
No longer was it cute and young Kobe with a bit of an afro;now there was the mean Kobe Bryant, rocking the snarl across his face.

Which leads us up to the present day, where Kobe continues to establish himself as a brilliant player. The Lakers were backing into the 2 seed of the playoffs when Kobe was engulfed in a new controversy regarding questionable word choice in a heated situation.

If you havent seen it, here is what's causing all the buzz.

Did Kobe make a mistake in using the "other F word"? Yes. But is it a $100,000 mistake? Absolutely not. It is clear the NBA is trying to make an example out of Kobe and show Gay Rights organizations that the NBA is not at all homophobic. But c'mon Mr. Stern and all those who believe that Bryant was being malicious: he was in the heat of the moment. Does he really think that the referee is gay? Of course not. He was mad and that is the word that came out of his mouth.

I truly believe that Kobe was sincere in his apology and don't believe he should've been punished at all. Bryant got unlucky; he got caught on camera. That is a word that is likely often heard on benches across the NBA and other leagues during games. The truth is that these are grown men, and they are involved in a high-intensity sport involving lots of contact and requires high levels of fitness. They do not have the time to think through all their decisions in the spur of the moment. Kobe regrets his decision, and that is that.

Please America, lets not take this out of control and have groups protesting Bryant as a monster and hateful person. He messed up, got unlucky, and apologized. Let's drop it. Rather than fine him $100,000, we should just pretend it never happened. If we all had a camera on us, we would not want to justify every word we chose in the heat of the moment.

And please dont say that $100,000 is nothing to Kobe. Regardless of his financial status, that is a lot of money, and is a beyond ludicrous amount to ask any player to have to pay. The punishment doesn't fit the crime, and this just may make Kobe mad. Good news Lakers fans, opposing teams don't like to see Kobe mad.