Arun Thinks

McNabb a Viking

2011-07-27T10:11:00.002-05:00

McNabb's Tenure in Washington Ends

It looks like McNabb is heading to Minnesota at least according to a tweet by one of the QBs of the Minnesota Vikings

cponder7: Excited to have McNabb join. Will learn a lot from a Pro Bowler. But that doesn't mean I'm not still fighting to start week 1!

Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/cponder7/statuses/96200633518014464

This is the classic case of the Redskins acquiring assets at a high price as they traded a 2nd round pick for him at around this time last year. While McNabb did an adequate job considering the Redskins offensive line was terrible, his play was not stellar and his attention to detail was seen to be lacking by Mike Shanahan.

Let's hope that the Redskins have learned not to trade hig draft picks when they are rebuilding for the future as the offseason progresses.

In the meantime, the Redskins will enter the season with Rex Grossman and Jon Beck. The latter was turned away by Redskins security at Redskins Park since they did not know he played QB for the Redskins.

If You Haven't Had Enough Caffeine

2011-07-26T14:29:00.004-05:00

It keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger...

The new Starbucks trenta coffee has been unleashed. It's 31 ounce size serving is bigger than the average stomach. And if you were already getting a venti coffee, it only costs an additional 50 cents to supersize it a bigger portion.

I already know one person who has had two servings in one day. For you math majors out there, that calculates to a grand total 62 ounces of coffee. An average person is supposed to consume 64 ounces of water a day. And theoretically, you are supposed to drink twice as much water to stream the coffee out of your body. So that's a grand total of 188 ounces of water that my friend should consume to remain hydrated.

Will this lead to success for Starbucks? I guess people may try out the new size portions, especially those who cannot phantom rising from their beds without the aroma of coffee. It could also make for some rapid conversations to follow at your local coffee shop.

John Wall and Sports Science

2010-06-21T23:12:00.003-05:00

Do the John Wall!

ESPN has a new feature called "Sports Science" where it examines unique strengths of extraordinary athletes. The one feautred recently is John Wall out of Kentucky, likely to be the the #1 pick by the Washington Wizards. The video claims that Wall is faster than point guards like Deron Williams and Chris Paul and has a vertical higher than Kobe Bryant. Wall also shows his court vision in an exercise although it would be interesting to see how well other point guards could complete a similar challenge. Of course, sports science doesn't bring the light of John Wall's biggest weakness, a consistent jumper, which he has been practicing all summer long.

Here is a link to the video.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5311494

Miss Cleo Predicts Where LeBron will End Up

2010-05-19T10:22:00.004-05:00

Miss Cleo is asked to pick between the Knicks and the Bulls, and picks a third team.

When Facing Elimination, Butler is Clutch

2010-04-29T16:16:00.008-05:00

Butler Hits a Game Winner in the 2008 Postseason in Game 5
against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Caron Butler performance in game 5 is surprising to some a few nights ago especially since he struggled so much before the series. He entered the game shooting below 40% from the field. He ended up finishing with 35 points and 11 rebounds in a 103-81 win against the San Antonio Spurs to help the Dallas Mavericks avoid elimination. While Butler's performance is impressive, it isn't the first time that he's performed well in the clutch in the postseason.

The last time Butler performed this well in the playoffs was also a game 5 victory for the Wizards against none other than LeBron James- the Wizards won 88-87. Entering the game, the Wizards were also facing elimination, trailing the Cavs 3 to 1. Butler put in 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists and served up the game winner against King James with 3.9 seconds left in the game. The Washington Wizards ended up losing game 6 and the series against the Cavaliers against the Cleavland Cavaliers.

Caron Butler Serves Up 32 Points & The Game Winner Back in 2008

Sports Guy Bill Simmons goes 0-4 in Playoff Picks

2010-01-11T12:17:00.003-05:00

Bill Simmons calls his podcast the BS report after his initials,
although his picks last week could be called bullshit

Bill Simmons is the face of ESPN.com and is a entertaining writing. But let's not assume that entertainment is synonymous with knowledgeable.

Let's review Bill Simmon's picks against the spread for the Wild Card

BENGALS (-2.5) over Jets
Eagles (+4) over COWBOYS
PATRIOTS (-3) over Ravens
Packers (PK) over CARDINALS

And let's review what really happened

Jets 24 @ BENGALS 14
COWBOYS 34, Eagles 14
Ravens 33, Patriots 14
CARDINALS 51, Green Bay 45

Assuming you that you followed any of Bill Simmon's picks when gambled this past weekend, you lost money. Yes I understand that no one is perfect and everyone has a bad week. But when you write an article that's 5,227 Words long, one would think you would get one right by accident.

The moral of the story: don't gamble, even if you are Bill Simmons.

Questions Remain if Redskins Hire Shanahan

2010-01-05T18:05:00.007-05:00

Will Shanahan bring more wins
to Washington or more of the same?

- With all the talk that Mike Shanahan has won 2 Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos as of the 2009 season, as far as head coaches are concerned, no head coach has won Super Bowls with different teams. Five head coaches have coached two different teams into the Super Bowl but neither won with two different teams.

- Mike Shanahan and Denver Broncos failed to make the playoffs during his last 3 season in perhaps the weakest division in the NFL in the AFC West which included bottom feeders such as the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. If Shanahan becomes the head coach of the Washington Redskins, he will coach in the strongest division in the NFL in the NFC East. The NFC East which has 2-3 playoff teams every year, holds the most Super Bowl wins out of any division with 11.

- As my friend John Manfreda says, genius has an expiration date. Can Mike Shanahan strategies still work in 2010 as they did back in 1997 and 1998 when he won back to back Super Bowls. Former Broncos QB Jake Plummer alluded that Shanahan's firing was "past due"and that his tactics had grown tiresome with several players.

- Given Shanahan's age at 57, will Shanahan make prudent long term decisions for this franchise or make short term moves in order to win now at all costs? Redskins fans have seen this before with Joe Gibbs 2.0 who chose to build through free agency rather through the draft and within.

- When Shanahan won his super bowls, he had a hall of fame quarterback in John Elway. Can Shanahan even be competitive with Jason Campbell or a new QB?

- Do the Redskins really want a head coach that is the primary decision maker in all personell decision. The Denver Broncos while talented were horribly constructed especially their defense which was one of the worst during Shanahan's tenure. Then again, it probably would be an upgrade over Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato making decisions.

Redskins in the Redzone vs. the Rams

2009-09-21T11:36:00.006-05:00

Jim Zorn's play calling appears questionable

after the Redskins fail to get a touchdown

in Week 2 against the St. Louis Rams

Here was the Redskins play calling in the redzone in a 9-7 victory against the Rams. Obviously, the Redskins failed to get a TD in the redzone; many have questioned the play call down the stretch.

1-10-STL19	(7:10) C.Portis left tackle to SL 8 for 11 yards (J.Laurinaitis).
1-8-STL8	(6:25) C.Portis up the middle to SL 7 for 1 yard (O.Atogwe, D.Vobora).
2-7-STL7	(5:50) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass short middle to C.Portis to SL 3 for 4 yards (C.Ryan). Shovel pass
3-3-STL3	(5:10) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short middle to D.Thomas.

Zorn called 2 run plays on 1st down. The shovel pass to Portis might as well have been looked as a delayed handoff. Campbell threw a pass on the money to Devin Thomas; however, the pass had a lot of heat on which made it difficult to catch and ultimately Thomas dropped the pass.

1-8-STL8	(8:55) C.Portis up the middle to SL 10 for -2 yards (L.Little).
2-10-STL10	(8:15) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short middle to M.Sellers (D.Vobora).
3-10-STL10	(8:10) (Shotgun) J.Campbell pass incomplete short right to A.Randle El (R.Bartell).

Campbell was hurt by a dropped pass by Mike Sellers. On 3rd down, there was pass interference on the play but because Jason Campbell threw it way over Randle El, the pass was deemed uncatchable and therefore no penalty was assessed.

1-7-STL7	(8:00) C.Portis left end to SL 7 for no gain (G.Gibson).
2-7-STL7	(7:25) C.Portis right guard to SL 5 for 2 yards (W.Witherspoon, C.Long).
3-5-STL5	(6:40) Lateral from 17-Cambell C.Portis pass incomplete short right to C.Cooley. Penalty on WAS-W.Montgomery, Offensive Holding, declined.

The Redskins ran the ball two times and even when they looked to pass, Portis made the throw, not Campbell. Even worse was the fact that since it was 3rd down, the Rams had to expect some sort of passing play from the Portis toss outside.

4-1-STL20	(3:47) C.Portis left tackle to SL 11 for 9 yards (J.Wade, O.Atogwe).
1-10-STL11	(3:00) L.Betts left end to SL 7 for 4 yards (J.Laurinaitis, J.Wade).
2-6-STL7	(2:20) L.Betts left end pushed ob at SL 4 for 3 yards (O.Atogwe).
3-3-STL4	(2:13) C.Portis left guard to SL 2 for 2 yards (L.Little, O.Atogwe).
4-1-STL2	(2:00) C.Portis left end to SL 4 for -2 yards (D.Vobora).

On the Redskins final drive, the Redskins chose to run it all 5 times in the red zone in an effort to kill the clock. Eventually the Rams caught on and stopped the Redskins on 4th and short.

Analysis

- Jason Campbell had 1 completions from 4 passes in the redzone. His only completion was a shovel pass to Clinton Portis which may has well been classified as a running play.

- 2 of Campbell's incompletions were the result of dropped passes. One of Campbell's throws was a throw away because of too much pressure

- The Redskins ran it 5 out of 5 times on 1st down inside the redzone.

- The Redskins averaged only 2.8 yards per carry inside the redzone.

- Redskins averaged only .57 yards per carry inside the 10 yard line on.

- The Redskins averaged .8 yards per passing play inside the redzone including Portis's pass to Cooley.

Overall, the Redskins were ineffectively a combination of the play on the field but also the play calling by head coach Jim Zorn.

OT: Obama calls Kanye West a Jackass

2009-09-16T14:25:00.007-05:00

Nearly four years after saying that George W. Bush doesn't care about black people, President Obama calls Kanye West a "jackass" for West's conduct at the VMAs. Obama's comments were supposed to be kept off record until Terry Moran of ABC News tweeted about; the tweet from Moran's twitter account has now been removed.

It would be funny if the Republicans began to reach out to Kanye West. But I don't think West's outburst was that bad and it wouldn't surprised me if it was staged by MTV.

The Washington Wizards' Players Predictions Before the Season

2009-09-16T13:52:00.006-05:00

Arenas, Butler, and Jamison have different approaches

as the 2009-10 season begins

Here is what Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison have to say about the upcoming 2009-10 Washington Wizards season before it opens and each have different levels of optimism before the season starts.

Gilbert Arenas has been known to make bold predictions in the past; he predicted big things for the Wizards in the 2007-08 season before re-injuring his knee. Now Gilbert Arenas understands that his team needs to prove it on the court before they get any accolades.

Arenas in a Washington Times article says this:
"Where did we finish in the East last year?" [Arenas] asked. "Last. Then until we prove ourselves, that's what we are. You can't predict. Anyone can guess where we're gonna be at. But until the ball goes up in the air, we're last in the East. We took some steps in the right direction this summer, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what I saw. If you wanna say stuff, it's just for conversation, just for the chat rooms. And it's all great and wonderful, but it doesn't mean anything."

Caron Butler is a little bit more bold in a Washington Wizards Interview citing that this team: he believes the Wizards are ready to compete this season.

Now that [Arenas] has the confidence, I think the sky is the limit. You can expect big things out of Agent Zero. We definitely need him because we are ready to win this season.

Surprisingly, the most bold teammate is none other than the veteran leader and captain Antawn Jamison. Here's what he has to say in Wizards Insider.

"I've been around here for six years and championship talk wasn't a norm around our locker room. That's all we're talking about now," Jamsion said, with less than two weeks remaining before training camp. "If we stay healthy, I think we can compete with the upper echelon of the NBA."

And don't try to tell him that he is raising the bar too high.

"I don't care," Jamison said. "What you mean raising the bar too high? We won 19 games last year and I'll be honest with you, we didn't have a lot of our horses. But I don't have anything else to play for. I'm not going to sit here and sugar coat things because it's not the right thing to say. I believe it.

"I believe playing the game the right way and staying healthy, we can compete with Boston, we can compete with Cleveland and Orlando and if you can compete with those teams, you can put yourself in that category as far as teams that can contend for a championship," he said.

While it's technically true that all team's are championship contenders from the first game of the season, they are realistically 5-6 teams that are truly considered contenders given the lack of parity in basketball. At this point, the Wizards are not among them: the short list among most experts includes:

1. The LA Lakers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Denver Nugggets
4. Orlando Magic
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. San Antonio Spurs

Still, nothing is to say the Wizards cannot move up in that list, especially if Gilbert Arenas is back close to 100% as noted by LeBron James, Andre Iguodala via twitter, and Wizards' coach Flip Saunders. Upsets can happen; for instance, few predicted that Orlando would make it to the NBA finals at the beginning of the 2008-09 season.

It may be surprising that Jamison is the one who makes the more assertive predictions. However, he is already 34 years old and even if his game relies on his craftiness as opposed to his athleticism, he relizes that he only has a few years left in his prime to compete for a championship.

Footage of Gilbert Arenas Playing in DC

2009-08-28T00:12:00.004-05:00

It looks like Gilbert Arenas is healthy- skip to 5:38 to see Arenas doing a monster slam in pickup game Goodman Summer League in Barry Farms, Washington DC.

New Jersey Nets Brilliant Marketing Strategy

2009-08-13T10:48:00.007-05:00

The New Jersey Nets obviously do not think much of their team as indicated by their new season tickets promotion. They are offering 5 reversible jerseys- one side is a Nets jersey, the other is a team they will be playing in those games. Devin Harris turns into Dwyane Wade, Courtney Lee into Kobe Bryant, Brook Lopez into Dwight Howard, etc. If the Nets are getting blown out, fans can simply switch sides.

The "come and see the other team strategy" will most likely offend the die hard Nets fan. The marketing scheme is also ruining expectations of an average Nets fan; who would only want to show up if their team is winning. Even if you are a fair-weather fan, why would you ruin a Kobe or Wade jersey with a New Jersey trademarks.

Pistons Hire Kuester as their Head Coach!?

2009-07-07T15:05:00.008-05:00

The Detroit Pistons: Where Mediocrity Happens

The Detroit Pistons just hired John Kuester as their head coach. Kuester is the same guy who led George Washington University to a 1-27 record, one of the worst ever in NCAA history.

One has to wonder what the Detroit Pistons are doing, they have had their share of dubious moves in the past. Like firing Flip Saunders and replacing him Curry, or trading Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. Detroit had made it to the conference finals the past 5 years but this past season failed to record a playoff victory in their first round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Ben Gordon signing for $55 million is also a questionable move. Gordon is bit redundant on a roster that already has Richard Hamilton. Sure Gordon is a few years younger than Hamilton, but he's also smaller and less of a defender. Also factor in that the Pistons had given Hamilton an extension last season. The Charlie Villanueva deal could work out in their favor, he had a solid year for the Bucks, although at this point in career he doesn't play much defense.

The Pistons figure to be nothing more than a mediocre team. In fact, they could be on the outside looking in when the playoffs roll around.

Hedo Turkoglu: from Orlando to Portland to Toronto: Part 2

2009-07-04T01:59:00.005-05:00

Hedo attempts to play solid defense

2. Portland Trailblazers

Yes, Portland almost signed Turkoglu because they believed that he could lead the Blazers deeper into the playoffs. The Blazers lost a 5 game series to the Houston Rockets; although the Blazers may be better than the Rockets by the fault with Yao Ming potentially being injured for the nextseason and Ron Artest leaving for the Lakers.

I still don't know whether sigining Turkoglu would have lead for a legitamate chance for a ring. After all, Portland already has incredible depth in the small forward position with guys like Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum, and Martell Webster who are all several years younger than Turkoglu.

You may remember Rudy Fernandez playing ion Spain's Basketball team and posterizing Dwight Howard. Fernandez is also an exceptional 3 point shooter. If the Turkoglu deal was to be consumated, reports were that he was "unhappy" and could have pushed for a trade out of Portland. Such a trade probably would have had Portland not receiving fair value to Fernandez who the Trail Blazers value quite highly.

Rudy Fernandez: the Spaniard Who can Dunk

Still, Portland already has a lot of young talent with players like Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Fernandez, Batum, Bayless, Outlaw, and Webster. It may have been wise for them to have a quality veteran on the team like Turkoglu. A deep run in the playoffs for these young guys would be indispensiable for them moving forward.

3. The Toronto Raptors

Chris Bosh's respone to Turkoglu signing via twitter

@chrisbosh: IF IT'S TRUE..Let's get it cracking H Turk!!

Brian Colangelo also overpaid to get 30+ year old international player in Steve Nash when he was the GM of the Suns. They already have a franchise caliber big man in Chris Bosh and a reliable point guard in Jose Calderon. They drafted DeMar DeRoazan out of USC, who instrumental in the Trojans sucess of winning the Pac 10 tournament and been compared to a much rawer version of Vince Carter,. And let's not forget about Andrea Bargnani, the number 1 pick of the 2006 NBA draft, who is playing in a contract year. It looks like Toronto have the pieces to be competitive for a playoff spot.

It is possible that Chris Bosh bolts to another team and the Raptors would be stuck rebuilding around a 30+ year old swingman. Toronto best case scenario is probably the 2nd round of the playoffs since the Eastern Conference is top heavy with the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic.

Hedo Turkoglu: from Orlando to Portland to Toronto: Part 1

2009-07-04T01:18:00.012-05:00

Turkoglu Laying Out Kobe

After giving a verbal commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers, Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind to sign with the Toronto Raptors . Turkoglu is scheduled to make $53 million over 4 years, and only $3 more million over the life of his deal in Toronto; and it's questionable whether Turkoglu will acutually receive more money since tax rates may be higher in Canada.

Turkoglu, a native of Turkey, is believed to have signed with like Toronto because it has a diverse internation community, including a Turkish contingent. Signing with the Raptors also allows him to stay in the Eastern Conference, where he's more familiar with his opponents especially since he's spent the past 5 years in Orlando.

Let's see how this signing determines the following teams that Turkoglu has affected;

Too bad Orlando doesn't have an anti-aging machine to get this Vince Carter

1. Orlando Magic

Turkoglu was key in Orlando's run to the finals especially in running the team's offense with Jameer Nelson injured for most of the postseason. Yes the Magic did acquire perennial all star Vince Carter who overall is a better player than Turkoglu. However, it remains to be seen if Carter can be an equal facilitator and have similar chemistry like Turkoglu had with his teammates.

Even if Carter is an adequate replacement for Turkoglu, there is a chance that they will not be as deep as they were last season since they had to give up pieces to get Carter. They traded Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston, and Tony Battie for Carter and Ryan Anderson. The Magic may also risk losing Marcin Gortat, a quality big man who was offered more than $30 million over five years. So in recap, the Magic have acquired Carter and Ryan Anderson but will lose 3 starters from the team that made their run to the Finals in Turkoglu, Lee, and Alston and could lose up to 2 quality backup bigs in Gortat and Battie.

Orlando's sucess this year will hinge upon

1. How Vince Carter will mesh with his teammates.

2. If Jameer Nelson can recover from shoulder surgery; Nelson made the all star team prior to his injury

3. Role players develop like Pietrus and Anderson into bigger roles

4. If Dwight Howard develops his inside game; remember he's only 23

5. Whether Orlando can acquire a solid piece in free agency like Rasheed Wallace or Shawn Marion

6. Whether Orlando can resign Gortat.

Zach Morris Interview

2009-06-09T13:40:00.001-05:00

Zach Morris talks about his new tv series and a possible reunion with the class from Saved by the Bell

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Kobe's Angry Face

2009-06-08T10:57:00.001-05:00

Or is it his constipated face...

LeBron Sitting at Home (More Puppets)

2009-06-05T03:23:00.001-05:00

Reddick vs Morrison in the NBA Finals

2009-06-03T13:42:00.005-05:00

NBA Finals brings Back Marquee College Players- Sort of

In 2006, JJ Reddick and Adam Morrison were the two leading scorers in the nation. Now, the two players will each have opportunity to get a ring but in much smaller roles. Reddick's playing has diminished as Courtney Lee has returned from a broken nose. Michael Pietrus has also essentialy relegated Reddick to the bench with his superb bench play; he alone outscored Cleveland's bench in the Eastern Conference finals.

At least Reddick has played in 12 games and has started in 8 of those games. Morrison, a number 3 pick, is not even on the LA Lakers active roster. Shannon Brown, what was thought to be a throw in in the Radmonovic for Morrison deal with the Bobcats has been a pleasant surprise to the LA Lakers and has really helped their depth in the point guard position. Brown's dunk over the Chris "Birdman" Anderson catapulted a comeback

Morrison's biggest mark on the team has been in practive but not in a positive way. Morrison fought with fellow teammated Sasha Vujajic in practice as described in the story below.

Vujacic and Morrison were guarding each other in the Lakers’ 4-on-4 halfcourt practice, and Morrison loudly and angrily told Vujacic that he was sick of Vujacic’s grabs and elbows. Vujacic argued that Morrison was the one who initiated the problem by wrongly using his knee. The two argued for several minutes despite teammates and coaches trying to intervene, and when play resumed the two continued to go at each other with Morrison grabbing Vujacic’s jersey and the arguments sparking anew several times later.

* * *

Sitting on the baseline, Kobe Bryant was smiling. “I wasn’t even going to move,” he said later. “A lot of meowing going on out there. The claws coming out.”

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=4244

Morrison had a reputation for being soft even when he came into the NBA. He famously started to cry when his team was eliminated in 2006 NCAA tournament. Here is how NBA Live chose to market him when Morrison was a rookie.

'And when I get to the NBA, more people will cry'

It will be interesting to see which former college super star can luck out and piggy-back on his team success and get that NBA ring.

ESPN Experts Jinx?

2009-06-02T23:18:00.002-05:00

The so called experts at ESPN have mostly picked the LA Lakers to defeat the Orlando Magic as shown below.

However let's look at what the experts have said in the past. Here's what the experts predicted in the Eastern Conference Finals.

To top it off, here are ESPN experts' picks for the NBA Finals in 2008 where the Boston Celtics prevailed in 6 games against the LA Lakers.

So even if the Lakers are the favorites, the game still has to played on the court and if Orlando has to like their chances.

Obama dooms Magic?

2009-06-02T23:12:00.004-05:00

President Barack Obama has picked the LA Lakers in 6 games to beat the Orlando Magic in 6 games. This could scare some Magic fans since Obama correctly picked the NCAA Men’s Basketball winner earlier this Spring. This shouldn’t be shocking news considering that Obama proclaimed Kobe Bryant as the best player nearly a year ago.

But maybe Obama, like most experts is underrating the Magic. After all, Dwight Howard and company just pulled off an upset against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Howard has been overlooked all season long over more star powered perimeter players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade. It will also be up to the rest of Magic starting five and bench to continue to play solid offensively with their point shooting and solid defense. I'm picking the Magic to win especially if they get all star point guard Jameer Nelson back.

LeBron/Kobe Puppet Ad Spoof

2009-06-02T13:17:00.002-05:00

Ryan Zimmerman has a hitting streak going; does anyone care?

2009-05-12T10:40:00.004-05:00

Zimmerman has a 29 hit streak going but
has received little national coverage

After Ryan Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 29 games against Randy Johnson by putting together a 4 hit game with 2 home runs, the Nationals 3rd baseman has not drawn the headlines from national media. You have to figure that a player doing this in a bigger media market like New York would be leading off Sportcenter.

Even fans in Washington are having trouble showing up to games. Attendance is down from 29,005 to 19,409; one year after opening up a new state of the art stadium, Nationals Park. Who can blame them since the Nationals have the worst record in the league at 10-20. The Nationals need to start winning games for their fans to show up but it's hard to do when the talent isn't there, especially in the pitching department.

Kobe just being Kobe

2009-05-07T06:14:00.003-05:00

The real question is what will Kobe have to do to actually get suspended.

"That's Kinda of Gay"

2009-03-17T01:58:00.001-05:00

Redskins vs. Cowboys Miracle Finishes

2009-03-11T01:27:00.001-05:00

Dwayne Wade's Game Winner Against the Bulls

2009-03-10T15:02:00.004-05:00

In the closing seconds of double overtime, Wade steals the

ball from John Salmons and hits a game winning 3 at the

buzzer.

Bills Could Benefit by signing Owens

2009-03-08T03:30:00.008-05:00

The Buffalo Bills have just signed T.O. to a 1 year deal worth $6.5 million. This isn't a bad proposition for the Bills if T.O. still has anything left in the tank at 35 years of age. Owens should be extra motivated to prove his critics wrong and earn another big payday this following offseason. The Bills would clearly be the beneficiaries in the 2009-10 season.

Terrell Owens is generally regarded as a lockerroom cancer, but evidence suggests that teams play worse without him, where it matters most in wins and losses. The San Francisco 49ers during T.O.'s last season were 7-9 but were 2-14 the following season without the disgruntled wide receiver. The Philedelphia Eagles started the season 4-3 but after they suspended Owens for the rest of the season, the Eagles finished the season 1-8. While the Philedelphia Eagles finished the following season 10-6, people tend to forget that the team started 5-6 and only went on winning streak with Jeff Garcia at the helm instead of Donovan McNabb. As a Redskins fan, I hope this trend continues with the Dallas Cowboys.

Terrell Owens is generally seen as a scape goat for a team's failure in recent years. Perhaps its easy for the national media to criticize Owens when he is often outspoken. His brash comments usually offend his starting quarterbacks who are not used to such crticism.

Still, it remains to be seen how Terrell Owen's is the root of all the Cowboy's problems. For instance, I fail to see how Tony Romo's decision making will improve simply with T.O.'s departure. Maybe the Cowboy's problems weren't a lack of chemistry but a lack of talent.

T.O. Cut by the Cowboys

2009-03-05T00:33:00.006-05:00

It turns out Dan Snyder didn't get

the biggest name in free agency... yet.

ESPN is reporting that wide receiver Terrell Owens has been cut by the Dallas Cowboys after three seasons. T.O. has been blamed by many in the national media for Dallas's lack of chemistry, which barely missed the playoffs in tough NFC East. It has been reported by ESPN that Ownes has been complaining about not getting as many touches and even indicated that tight end Jason Witten gets so many passes because he's good friends with QB Tony Romo.

Still, not all of Dallas's problems can be blamed on T.O. When the team had a chance to clinch a playoff berth against the Eagles, the Cowboys ended up getting blown out 38-3. It will be interesting to see how well Dallas can play without him.

If Dallas ends up moving on, they already have some pieces in place. They gave up multiple picks last mid-season for 1 time Pro Bowler Roy Williams. They already have Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton. Look for Dallas to run the ball more with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice.

In the meantime, Dallas has certainly hurt T.O.'s options in free agency. Teams like Seattle and Cincinatti could have wanted the six time pro bowler but have already spent big money on other free agent wide receivers (TJ Houshmenzadah and Laverneus Coles). I doubt teams like the Eagles and 49ers, who have plenty of cap room and have big needs to fill the wide receiver position, will recruit Owens since they have already had the pleasure of dealing with his on and off the field. It will be interesting to see whose Owen's potential suitors will be.

Kobe Raps with Tyra Banks

2009-03-04T16:08:00.003-05:00

Kobe is so hardcore that he even has a verse in Italian.

Breaking Down the Haynesworth Deal

2009-03-03T11:57:00.006-05:00

Jim Zorn Introduces another high profiled player in Washington

The Washington Redskins made a big splash in free agency yet again by going after the biggest name in free agency. The Redskins ended up offering Haynesworth a 7 year deal that could be worth up to $105 million and $115 with incentives. However, the Redskins have in essence signed Albert Haynesworth to a 4 year deal worth much less.

Peter King from SI explains:

Haynesworth, barring a miracle, will never see the fifth year of the contract. In essence, he signed a four-year, $48-million contract Friday with the Redskins. That will carry him through his 11th season, in 2012 (barring a work stoppage in 2011, which is a real possibility).

So essentially, the Haynesworth signing turns out to be $12 million a year for the first 4 years. Dan Snyder, owner/GMs, lures free agents is by offering more guaranteed money than other team. These contracts are often backloaded and restructured later if a player stays longer than 4 years (see Clinton Portis, Chris Samuels, Jon Jansen, Cornelius Griffin). And other times a player are just let go if the team does not want to extend the contract (Marcus Washington and Shawn Springs in 2008).

The signing did address a glaring weakness of the Washington Redskins defense; the inability to create pressure on quarterback without sending an extra defender and stopping power runners. While the Redskins defense ranked 4th overall in yardage allowed, they were 28th in the league in forcing turnovers. The Redskins were also overpowered by teams with power running games. The Redskins lacked size on their defensive line especially with two finesse rusher in Andre Carter and Jason Taylor. Tennessee was 22-7 the past two seasons (including postseason games) when Haynesworth was on the field and 1-4 when he wasn't.

The Haynesworth signing is still a high risk proposition. Haynesworth has not played a full season in the 7 years since he has been in the league. His attitude both on and on off the field has been questioned. He received a 5 game suspension for stomping Dallas Cowboy's Andre Gurode who is still on the Dallas Cowboys. The incident is cited as turning point in Haynesworth's career who underwent anger management, and has been a more effective player on the field since.

Maybe Dan Snyder signed Haynesworth

because he hates the Cowboys

Haynesworth has also been allowed to free-lance in Tennessee meaning he is often allowed to rush the passer instead of staying back to stop the run. One has to wonder if Haynesworth will be given the same privledge under defensive coordinator Greg Blatche, who gears his defense to stopping the run first and then the pass. Blatche has been more stringent in the past especially with ex Redskins Jason Taylor, who was forced to play out of his natural position. If Haynesworth plays out of a team concept, one has to wonder if the Redskins scheme be as effective, which was 4th overall.

At the end of the day, the Redskins look like they have upgraded their defense with this particular signing that will force turnovers. There are still many questions that need to be answered.

Devin Harris with an insane buzzer beater

2009-02-24T00:44:00.005-05:00

Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets hits an incredible shot with 1.8 seconds left. The Nets did not have any timeouts to advance the ball. Iguodala appears to have knocked the ball out of Devin's hands, then Harris grabbed out of the air and threw up a shot that gave the Nets a 98-96 victory.

Christian Bales Goes Crazy

2009-02-03T20:35:00.004-05:00

Christian Bale, star of the new Batman series, goes on a tirade for someone walking on the set of the Terminator 4 movie. Bale uses a few bad words...

Michael Phelps is a Hippie

2009-02-01T13:20:00.008-05:00

Maybe all the potheads will start buying Michael Phelp's endorsed speedo

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Olympic great Michael Phelps has acknowledged “regrettable” behavior and “bad judgment” after a photo in a British newspaper showed him smoking marijuana.

In a statement released to The Associated Press, the swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games conceded the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Sunday by the tabloid News of the World.

Phelps said: “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”

A Disturbing Tribute to Gilbert Arenas

2008-12-08T23:33:00.002-05:00

I like Gilbert but not as much as this guy.

Week 12 Picks

2008-11-18T21:55:00.005-05:00

Record for Week 11 - 9-7

Cincinnati (+10) – I like the Bengals to close the spread against a division rival. Their defense has looked a lot better.

Houston (+3) – The Texans should beat the Browns, who played a competitive game against the Colts last week.

The 49ers (+11) - That’s too many point for a Dallas team that barely beat the Redskins, who played like garbage for most of the game. The 49ers just blew out the Rams, and some of that momentum should carry on into this game.

Buffalo (-3)- The Bills played like garbage on Monday night but it was still a close game in the end. Still, they usually pull out wins against teams below .500 team and KC is one of them.

Chicago (-8) - The Rams look terrible plus the Bears are due for a good game after getting killed by the Packers.

Miami (-2.5) - New England looks a bit worn out due to their injuries. It will be tough for them to win on the road against Miami.

Tampa Bay (-8 ½) – I don’t like the Lions to close the spread two weeks in a row. After almost beating the Panthers, I think the Lions will have difficulties keeping this one close.

Tennessee (-6) – They’re supposed to lose at one point, right? Well I’ll keep picking them to win.

Jacksonville (-2.5) – I look for them to rebound after a tough loss to the Titans

Baltimore (-1.5) – The Ravens got blown out by the Giants. So did the Eagles. The Eagle’s offense is struggling and the Ravens have a MUCH better team than the Bengals

Oakland (+9.5) – It’s the Broncos and their defense is still bad. The Raiders get to play the role of spoilers.

Carolina (-1) – I like the Panthers chances after a scare against the Lions. I like their two headed rushing attack with Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to lead them to victory.

New York Giants (-3.5) – I think they will get a good pass rush on Kurt Warner and they will continue to run the ball effectively.

Washington (-3.5) – The Redskins haven't done that well in Seattle in recent history. Still, this is a much different Seattle team whose defense is nowhere near as good and an ineffective running game.

Indianapolis (+3) – The Colts are on a winning streak, and the Chargers are on a losing streak.

Green Bay(-2.5) – Reggie Bush is still a question mark and the Packers defense should be up to the task against Drew Brees.

How are you coming on that novel you've been working on?

2008-11-12T14:56:00.003-05:00

My Week 11 Picks

2008-11-11T20:00:00.003-05:00

New England (-3) – The Patriots always seem to have the Jets number. It also depends upon which Brett Favre decides to show up.

Denver (+5) – While the Falcons beat up the Saints, the Broncos put together a great 4 quarter where Cutler threw for over 200 yards. While the Falcons secondary was able to shut down Saints passing game, I think the Broncos aerial attack is much more impressive. The Bronco’s defense is really bad, so this is far from a lock.

Philadelphia (-9) – The Eagles have a propensity of blowing out mediocre teams and the trend should continue with Carson Palmer out for the year.

Houston (+9)- The Texans just matches up well with the Colts, partly because they are division rivals that see each other twice a year. The Colts needed a miracle to win their last game against the Texans by 4 points.

New Orleans (-5) – Both teams get back their starting running backs (Johnson and Bush). I think the Saints rebound after a tough loss to the falcons.

Oakland (+10.5) – Oakland kept it close for most of the game against the Panthers. I think their defense is underrated and the Dolphins have a tendency to play down to their opponents.

Baltimore (+6.5) – I like the Ravens chances of keeping this one close. The Ravens defense is on whole another level. It will be up to Joe Flaco to see if he can make plays.

Tampa Bay (-4) – I think the Bucs defense will give the Vikings problems. Adrian Peterson is the X factor, but the Bucs are a much better team at home.

Detroit (+14) – While Carolina plays much better at home, the Lions defense can probably keep this close after a humiliating loss to the Jaguars. The Lions even have a chance to pull out a W, given how inconsistent Carolina can be.

San Francisco (-6)- The 49ers were impressive in a loss against the Cardinals that could have been a win. I think the Rams peaked in a 3 week span against the Redskins, Cowboys, and Patriots.

Seattle (+3) – the Seahawks get key players back like Hasselbeck and Deion Branch. Plus the Seahawks are at home.

San Diego (+4.5) – When the Chargers come in as underdogs, they usually exceed expectations. The Steelers, while solid, are by no means invincible at home as proven last week against the Colts.

Tennessee (-3) – The Titans are simply a really good team and I don’t see them letting down against a divisional rival.

Washington ( pick’em) – Portis is questionable and Tony Romo is coming back. I don’t feel like any team has a big advantage over the other, so I’ll use homefield as a tiebreaker.

Buffalo (-5) – Buffalo has been struggling as of late. It makes sense that a tough Patriots defense would shut down the Bills. I don’t see the same thing happening against the Browns. Plus I think the Bills will be able to game plan against Brady Quinn after his 1^st game in the NFL.

Tank Johnson Talks about Class

2008-09-28T23:17:00.005-05:00

A mug shot of Tank Johnson:
Defensive tackle of the Dallas Cowboys

After the Washington Redskins upset the Dallas Cowboys 26-24 at Texas Stadium, special teams player Rock Cartwright stood on the star at 50-yard line and celebrated the victory. Tank Johnson had to be restrained from attacking Cartwright after the game.

When asked about it by reporters, Tank Johnson criticized Rock Cartwright:

"This is how it is. When you win, you win with class. When you lose, you lose with class. One of their guys, Cartwright, took it upon himself to celebrate on our star.

"It's the fourth game of the season. No one has accomplished anything but a win. That's just disrespectful and I don't think we'd do that to them. And I'm surprised he did that to us."

Unfortunately for Tank Johnson, his criminal record may question his ability to testify on class. In the past few years, Johnson has been arrested numerous times. He has been charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and possession of unlicensed weapons and drugs which resulted in an 8 game suspension from the NFL. . This may pale in comparison to Pacman Jones but it certainly refutes his standing to speak about class.

Tank Johnson, perhaps unknowingly, also insulted current teammate Terrell Owens and brought up more bad memories for Cowboy fans. In September 2000, Owens, then a member of the 49ers, was widely criticized for celebrating at Texas Stadium's 50 yard line. In contrast to Cartwright, Owens celebrated not once but twice at the Dallas star at midfield during the actual game. When then Cowboys' safety George Teague tried to knock him out when Owen's was running to midfield after his 2nd TD catch of the game, Owens continued to celebrate and taunt the fans at the Dallas star while the cowd booed .

Here is a clip of the celebrations posted on youtube.

Owens went to the Dallas star, not once, but twice!

As for Johnson stating this was just any other game, he has to be kidding himself. A win against your biggest rival at their home stadium is as big as they come in the regular season. And what exactly do these Dallas Cowboys know about winning bigger games? They have not won a playoff game since 1996. Maybe the Cowboys should be more concerned on what they need to improve upon to win rather than critcizing their opponent's celebrations.

The Lakers Choke; Celtics Take 3-1 Series Lead

2008-06-13T00:24:00.010-05:00

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce
Celebrate an Improbable Victory

How did the Los Angeles Lakers end up losing after having a lead by as many as 26 points in the 2nd quarter? After what may be the biggest collapse in NBA finals history, the Boston Celtics take a 3-1 series lead and are now only 1 game away from a NBA title.

When the Lakers opened up a 21 point lead against the Boston Celtics in game 4 in the 1st quarter, I thought that the Lakers had already evened the series at 2-2. The Celtics even made a bit of a run in the 2nd quarter and cut it to 12. But to close out the half, Jordan Farmar hit a 3 to put the lead back up to 18. Lamar Odom, who had been non-existent in the playoffs, had made all 7 of his shots. Things were looking good for the Lakers.

Larry David observes what looks
like a convincing win for the Lakers

But all went downhill from there for them. Here are some one word explanation on how LA lost this game:

Choked. Gagged. Impeded. Suffocated. Collapsed.
Breakdown. Stifled. Quashed. Imploded.

Of course, the Celtics played well and got a bit lucky to pull off such a comeback. It all started when Celtics' center Kendrick Perkins hurt his shoulder in the 3rd quarter, and the Celtics still trailed by 20. Coach Doc Rivers inserted four shooters into the lineup capable of knocking down 3 pointers (House, Posey, Allen, Pierce) with Kevin Garnett protecting the paint. They were able to spread the floor and expose the Lakers' defense.

Paul Pierce asked his to for the duty of guarding Kobe in the 2nd half. Because he was bigger and stronger than Ray Allen, he forced Bryant to take more difficult shots and was unable to post him up. Bryant was held scoreless in the 3rd quarter and never got into a good rhythm in the 2nd half. The rest of the Celtics defense also stepped up collectively and slowed down the Laker's role players. Byrant was held scoreless in the 3rd quarter as the Celtics outscored the Lakers 31-15 in the 3rd quarter.

38 year old P.J. Brown throws down
a facial on Kobe Byrant

Phil Jackson appeared drunk in the interview between the 3rd and 4th quarter.

Question: What is the explanation for the Celtics comeback
Phil Jackson: "I dun-no, you tell me"

Question: The Celtics appear to have the momentum.
Phil Jackson: "Momentum is a strange girl...."

After several opportunities, thee Celtics fought hard and eventually took the lead late in the 4th quarter with an Eddie House jumper. Not only did Pierce slow down the MVP, he also scored 18 of his 20 points in the 2nd half. KG stretched the lead by finally hitting a shot down in the post.

Ray Allen was also spectacular down the stretch who played all 48 minutes in the game. On one play, he skyed for his 9th rebound and then converted a reverse layup over the much taller Pau Gasol. Allen, , clinched the game for the Celtics by crossing up Vujacic for a much easier layup.

Ray Allen, aka Jesus Shuttlesworth
with the pretty reverse layup.

Afterwards, Vujacic threw a tantrum. Kobe Byrant was visibly upset. Pau Gasol, in the words of Stephen A. Smith, was softer than tissue paper. The Lakers lost. The Celtics are only one game from clinching a championship.

Kobe Bryant's press conference brought this historic game in unique perspective. Bryant said he would get some wine, beer, and 20 shots to wash down the loss and come back to work the next day. He described the Lakers collapse in the 3rd quarter a kid who peed in his bed and was caught by his parents. The mess was so bad he could not hide it, even with a large towel.

Kobe also said that for the Lakers to comeback, they have to take it one game at a time. However, his demeanor told a different story. Their hope for a championship looks bleak.

The NBA is Rigged?? Shocking!

2008-06-11T15:27:00.006-05:00

I was telling people a few weeks ago that the NBA was rigged. How come road wins for teams in the playoffs were few and far between? How could LeBron James not be called for traveling during the Wizards/Cavs series but get called for it twice in the 1st game of 2nd round against the Celtics?

Most people just laughed it off saying the idea was far fetched. Only a few people agreed with me. They agreed that out of all the major sports, the one that is most likely to be rigged is the NBA.

Well, this week Tim Donaghy just admitted this week that the fix was in for several games. Donaghy, who has pleaded guilty for betting on several games which he officiated, has just confessed that several games were influenced by league officials. The fix includes the Kings/Lakers series in 2002. In game 6, the Lakers got to the free throw line 27 times in the 4th quarter. The Lakers ultimately went on to win the NBA finals in 2002. Donaghy also hints that game 7 of that series was also rigged to the Lakers as well.

Rick Adelman expressed his frustration about the officials after game 6 of the Western Conference finals:

"Our big guys get 20 fouls tonight and Shaq gets four? You tell me how the game went," Adelman said. "It's just the way it is. Obviously, they got the game called the way they wanted to get it called."

Your 2001-02 Champions
the Sacramento Kings?!

Another series that Donaghy accuses the league of rigging was the 2005 1st round match up between the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, where Yao Ming mysteriously started to pick up fouls for setting screens. Perhaps the league wanted to see a matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns, where the MVP of the league Steve Nash would play his former team. Here is a clip of the game below indicating how one sided the officiating became:

The Houston Rockets vs. the Dallas Mavericks
Game 5

Stern denies the allegations, but why should we believe him? If Donaghy is wrong, there is a good chance that he could face a jail sentence longer than 34 months. If Dongaghy is thinking in his own self interest, he will tell the complete truth to minimize his time in jail.

Given Donaghy's recent allegation of the league, it also does not seem far fetched that the Celtics/Lakers finals was more than just coincidental. Just look at the ending of game 4 of the Spurs/Lakers series where a foul should have been called on the Lakers. Of course the explanation was that "he did not sell the foul".

TNT debates whether of not Brent Barry was fouled.

Cavs Too Much; Wizards Lose

2008-05-04T17:17:00.003-05:00

Caron Butler could not repeat his performance in game 5
as the Wizards lose decisively in game 6: 105-88

The Washington Wizards best effort was not enough. The Cleavland Cavaliers end up disposing the Wizards in a six games. Darius Songaila was suspended for touching the King in the face. Of course, it was incidental contact. But LeBron James cried his way into getting the Wizards role player suspended.

In addition to Songailia's suspension, all star Gilbert Arenas and Etan Thomas were out due to injuries. As a result, the Wizards only fielded 10 players and Eddie Jordan ended up cutting his rotation to 7 playersin a 17 point loss.

LeBron James did his thing. Of course, he traveled his fair share of number of times game but he also dropped a triple double (27 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists). Role players like Wally Szerbiak and Boobie Gibson converted open shots. The Cavs shot 49% from the fieldwhile the Wizards only shot 39%.

It will be interesting to see what the Wizards will do this coming offseason since Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison are both free agents. What moves will they make to counter LeBron James and the Cavs, who have knocked the Washington out of the postseason for 3 straight years?

The Cleavland Cavaliers go on to play the Boston Celtics, who had the best record in the NBA. Led by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and a solid supporting cast, I expect the Celtics to take out the Cavs in 5 games.

"DeShawn ain't a Rapper"

2008-05-02T13:39:00.005-05:00

Pro'Verb, a local DC rapper, responds to Jay-Z's diss record and backups Deshawn Stevenson of the Washington Wizards.

"I don't even know DeShawn; that wasn't really the point," Pro'Verb said. "It wasn't even about DeShawn, it was about Jay coming at DeShawn and him not even being a rapper... After not responding to so many rappers who come at you, now you come at a basketball player? It's not cool. That's a bama move to me."

Pro'Verb's Diss Track

The Washington Wizards Hope Remains Alive

2008-05-02T00:22:00.011-05:00

James misses the eventual game winner.
Perhaps, Caron Butler got in his head.

LeBron James was just as confident and cocky as usual last Sunday afternoon. He gave a resounding "No" on Washington's chances coming back from the 3-1 series deficit. But after the Wizards' 88-87 victory in Game 5, there could be some doubt lingering in the back of LeBron's mind. Cleavland lead in the series has now narrowed to 3-2.

LeBron had a chance to end right there with 3.9 seconds left in the game. He had already hit 2 game winners against the Wizards in his postseason career. Right before the game deciding play, Caron Butler whispered a few words of wisdom in LeBron's ear .

"Let's make it interesting. Let's take it back to DC."

LeBron responded by laughing, probably thinking Washington season was at an end. However, James was not clutch in this instance. Lebron drove to basket and missed the game winner at the buzzard. James complained to that he was fouled at the end. The refs held their whistles since they are less likely to call a foul on a game deciding play. If anything, LeBron had traveled and initiated the contact on Songailia.

Before the game, 3-time All Star Gilbert Arenas decided to shut it down for the rest of the postseason. He stated he was only at 25% after coming off his 2 knee surgery in 7 months. Still, the Wizards responded with a solid effort. Caron Butler stepped it up to another level, reminding LeBron that he is two time all star himself. He hit what turned out to be the eventual game winner.

LeBron's nemesis, DeShawn Stevenson, dropped 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He played great defense especially on the Cav's final possession. Stevenson will have to continue to perform well if Washington even conceives the thought of taking it back to Cleavland for a game 7. Don't be surprised to see Soulja Boy to attend game 6 in Washington D.C.

So the big question is how will LeBron respond? Maybe LeBron's pride is preventing him from taking the Washington Wizards seriously. LeBron wmay need to carry the team on his back yet again for them to terminate Washington's postseason aspirations. Excluding Zdrunas Illgauskas, his teammates shot a combined 25% from the field in Game 5. If Cleavland loses yet again, LeBron and company could find itself in a do or die scenario in Game 7.

The Butler Serves the King

2008-05-01T02:21:00.005-05:00

Caron Butler puts in 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists and serves up the game winner against King James with 3.9 seconds left in the game. The Washington Wizards end up winning game 5 against the Cleavland Cavaliers 88-87 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Caron Butler Serves Up 32 Points & The Game Winner

DeShawn Stevenson Fined $25,000

2008-04-28T22:19:00.003-05:00

DeShawn Stevenson was fined $25,000 for making "menacing gestures" as seen above. Stevenson was simply responding to Jay-Z diss record. I wonder if commissioner David Stern will also fine Jay-Z, who is a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets. There is a response to Jay-Z's diss record by a rapper named Proverb; it is much more thought out and witty than Jay-Z's track.

The Wizards are down 3-1 and LeBron James already thinks this series is over. LeBron also stated in 3rd person fashion that "they want to hurt LeBron James".

Brendan Haywood has added responded adding to a series with an abundance of trash talking.

"Oooh, they're trying to hurt me! C'mon man, this is the playoffs! He wears 23 and he wants to be Michael Jordan. I respect that because he's a great player. But look what Mike went through. Mike got fouled way worse than this. You know what I'm saying? Nobody is trying to hurt him. Everybody is trying to play basketball, trying to win, trying to play tough. Leave it alone. OOOOH, THEY'RE TRYING TO HURT ME!"

Maybe now LeBron will respond by complaining less. However, there is a good chance that the King's whining will rise to epic proportions. Given James's overconfidence and the Wizards' never give up demeanor throughout their injury riddled season, expect the Washington to put up a good fight in game 5 against the Cavs.

Jay Z's Diss Track on DeShawn Stevenson

2008-04-28T13:04:00.003-05:00

Jay Z takes the side of LeBron James and makes diss record DeShawn Stevenson. The song was played Friday Love, a local DC night club. Witnesses as the night club also said Damon Jones, LeBron's teammate, made unsavory comments at the night club when the DJ handed him the microphone. Caron Butler left the club in disgust after the club had played the song over and over again.

LeBron James: the Crying King

2008-04-23T22:42:00.003-05:00

LeBron James trying to flop for a foul

It's official. LeBron James has reached the status of a superstar at least in the eyes of the referees. He can take 3 steps and not be called for a traveling. When he stumbles into the lane and knocks over defenders, he gets rewarded to go the free throw line. If a defender gets physical, he can dish out an elbow and not get called for an offensive foul. What the NBA wants people to learn is that if you are popular, you can get what you want.

LeBron supporting the Yankees
Even though he has spent most of his life in Ohio

It gets even harder to root for somebody who exaggerates contacts. For someone who is built like an all pro linebacker at 260 pounds of muscle, he cries like a kicker. No matter how insignificant the contact is, expect James to complain. He will often grab his mouth or flop to to the floor like a child in a tantrum in order to get what he wants. James often yells "Heeeeey!" to the officials and the refs call a late foul on the defender to appease the King. He has established himself as one of the biggest whiners in the league.

Oleksiy Pecherov aka Stewie Gets Posterized

2008-03-29T01:33:00.002-05:00

Oleksiy Pecherov, a 7 footer from Ukraine, bares resemblance to Stewie from the TV show, family guy. Here is Pecherov getting dunked on by Andres Nocioni with commentary from Stacey King.

The Rockets Imitate Dikembe

2008-03-12T00:46:00.002-05:00

The players of the Houston Rockets do their best impersonation of the veteran Dikembe Mutombo, who sounds like the Cookie Monster.

Kobe is a Genius?!?

2008-03-08T02:11:00.004-05:00

Here is one of Kobe Bryant's "Pure Genius" ad campaign for his Air Nike Zoom shoes. Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and George Washington Carver are rolling over in his grave. At the end of the commercial, the kid says "You don't have to be a genius to buy these shoes". I concur; by my evaluation you would be an idiot to buy these shoes because of this commercial.

Kobe Dishing Out the Towels

2008-03-07T02:15:00.003-05:00

After a postgame interview, Kobe Bryant throws a towel into the face of an old lady.

Random Thoughts on Fantasy Football

2007-09-06T17:08:00.000-05:00

A Redskins fan taking Tony Romo in his fantasy draft?

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was the 6th round in my fantasy draft and I still had not picked a quarterback. 9 of them already had been taken, so I figured I should take the best quarterback that I had on the board. I decided to take Tony Romo, starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

What seemed like a solid pick in my mind, was criticized by everyone else in the draft lobby, most of whom were Redskin fans like myself . The chants of "Tony Homo" were prevalent in the draft lobby. One league owner (who also drafted Redskins QB Jason Campbell, Redskins RB Clinton, and Redskins WR Santana Moss) went as far to say "I would never pick Tony Romo".

However, I felt like I was the one who had just gotten one of the sleepers in the draft. Romo, who made the pro bowl last year, will probably improve in his 2nd season NFL staring quarterback. With a below average running game, the Cowboys will more likely look to pass than run especially at the goal line. With great red zone targets in Owens and Witten, I look for Romo to have a good year fantasy wise.

I think it's amusing that some fans in fantasy football allow their feelings for their favorite team to get in their way of getting the best player available. Imagine being in a league filled with Patriot fans where Peyton Manning is picked in middle of the draft. What about a Texan fan league where Matt Schaub is projected as a 1st round pick and Ron Dayne is considered a steal for the 2nd round pick.

Michael Vick in Trouble

2007-06-13T23:42:00.000-05:00

Atlanta's Quarterback Michael Vick was recently cited as of May 31st by ESPN.com as being one of the "heavyweights" of the dogfighting world. Below is a music video which makes references Michael Vick's past incidents. Explained below that is how Vick's life has been in turmoil for the past year.

Nov 26th- Vick Gives the Middle Finger

After the Falcons preceded to lose their fourth consecutive game while fans heckled the Falcon's QB, Vick gave the Falcons' fans the finger. The Falcons missed the postseason for the 2nd straight year with a 7-9 record. Despite being an excellent rusher, Vick was 20th in the league with a passer rating of 75.7.

January 11th 2007 - The water bottle incident
Vick was "reluctant to turn over his water bottle during the screening process" at Miami International Airport (the athlete was booked on an AirTran flight to Atlanta). Vick subsequently relinquished the 20-ounce Aquafina bottle, which was placed in a recycling bin by a Transportation Security Administration screener. Suspicious as to why Vick hesitated in handing over the bottle, TSA screener Gertrude Joseph retrieved the bottle, notified her supervisor, and brought the item to the TSA operations center. There the officials discovered that the bottle's label "contained a seam which separated the top and the bottom of the bottle. Both ends were sealed by clear partitions and what appeared to be a silicone sealant." The concealed compartment, the report notes, contained "a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with Marijuana." No charges were filed.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0118071mexico1.html

May 31st, 2007- Heavyweight in Dogfighting
Sources tell ESPN that Vick involvement in the sport, making as much as $40,000 for each dog fight.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2884063

Spurs/Cavs Thoughts

2007-06-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

Too bad Cleavland gave their best effort against

the San Antonio Spurs, as the Cavs
won both games in the regular season.
Now the Spurs will not take them likely.

I have San Antonio Spurs in 5, while it could be 6. I feel the Spurs have done a good job in keeping down penetration throughout the series whether it be Carmelo Anthony and AI of the Denver Nuggets or Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns. Denver, Phoenix, and Utah all had better big men than the Cavs in my mind and Tim Duncan and company disposed of them easily.

I also find it odd that the player with the most offensive success against the Cavs has been Antawn Jamison, 2nd to scoring only to Kobe with 32 ppg. Even Mikki Moore and Rasheed Wallace enjoyed mild sucess against Cleavland's defense. The ex factor in this series will be Ginobli whose unorthodox style will be difficult and I suspect that the Cavs will not be able to stop him.

What would scare me most about Cleavland is that they have gotten better throughout the postseason. But does the Pistons loss to the Cavs really say that they are that good or were the Pistons really that overrated? The Nets were not that good and the Wizards were without their two best players in Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Cleavland may have has simply won the east because.... well somebody had too!

3 more things to consider
1. Tony Parker may be the guard that will create havoc for Cleavland. The Cavs have struggled in keeping combo guards like Gilbert Arenas and Dwayne Wade in the past.

2. Tim Duncan is better than any big that Cleavland faced. Duh! he's the best big in the league.

3. Bruce Bowen is the biggest cheap shot artist and will probably get under Lebron's skin who tends to complain to refs. I wonder how the league will react if Bowen nails LeBron's balls

The odds in Vegas (according to my friend):

If you bet $475 on the Spurs, you can get back a grand total of $100 more dollars.
If you bet $100 on the Cavs, you get back a total of $375.

The Portland Trailblazer win the Lottery

2007-05-24T14:05:00.001-05:00

Here is footage of the Trail Blazer's draft party where the fans go crazy at Venue Bar & Grill in Portland. After winning the draft lottery, they have the first pick in the 2007 NBA draft and will get to choose either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant.

SNL- Zach Braff

2007-05-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

Dontblinkmixtape 2006-07

2007-05-18T18:40:00.000-05:00

A highlight video of the 2006-07 NBA Season done by ESPN.

Suns Claim Game 4 as Chaos Ensues

2007-05-15T00:27:00.000-05:00

Robert Horry body checks the much smaller
Steve Nash in the closing moments of the game

The Phoenix Suns overcame a double digit point deficit in the 4th quarter as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs to even the series as 2 games apiece. Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, the 2 time MVP, orchestrated the comeback with great passing and hitting clutch shots. He finished with 24 points and 12 assists while Amare Stoudemire dropped in 24 points.

Robert Horry looked to give a dirty foul when the Spurs had essentially lost the game. With 18 seconds to go, he body checked Steve Nash. The 6'10 Horry outweighs the 6'3 Nash by nearly 50 pounds. Nash ricocheted off the scorers table and fell awkwardly to ground. While the fall could have been season ending with potential injuries to his shoulder or head, Nash did not suffer any injuries. In fact Nash got up immediately and had to be restrained. Horry was given a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected. Oddly enough, Horry's nick name given to him by hitting clutch baskets is "Big Shot Rob".

Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw may be suspended in game 5 because they left the bench after the hard foul ensued. Leaving the bench according the league's rules would automatically result in a 1 game suspension. Diaw took 2 step forward and suddenly remembered the league's rule while Stoudemire had to be restrained by the Phoenix Sun's assistant coaches. This could be disastrous for the Phoenix Suns if they lose their two starters in the tightly contested series. While Stoudemire and Diaw ultimately did not escalate the altercation and in my mind should not be suspended, far less has been done in the past that has deemed worthy of a suspension. The league official will ultimately decide the fate of the Phoenix Suns.

The game was the Spurs game to win but ended up choking away their 4th quarter lead. Phoenix overcame a psychological hurdle and are the favorites to win the series barring any suspensions to Stoudemire or Diaw.

Oh yeah that other game: The Nets lose again to the Cavs. The Nets big 3 of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson , and Vince Carter combined to shoot 11 of 48, less than 25 percent. The Nets compounded problems by missing free throws and missing easy shots. Richard Jefferson, himself, failed to convert a layup and 2 dunks. On the Nets last possession with 11 seconds to go down 87-85, Carter attempted to post up Eric Snow , which is not a part of his game. Snow knocked the ball off of Carter giving the Cavs the ball back the ball and the victory. The Cleavland Cavaliers are now up 3 to 1 and will likely advance the Eastern Conference finals.

The Nets Blow It Again

2007-05-09T00:18:00.000-05:00

Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets suffered either
leg and/or menstrual cramps in the
4th quarter of a game 2 loss to the Cleavland Cavaliers

The New Jersey Nets lost Tuesday night to the Cleavland Cavaliers 103-93, who take a 2-0 series lead. The Cavs were lead by LeBron who dropped in 36 points and dished out 12 assists. Game 3 takes place back in New Jersey where the Nets have not lost so far in 2007 postseason.

The Nets have to be concerned considering that they shot over 50% from the field and still lost by 10 points. In game 1, the Nets shot less than 40% from the field and they only lost by 4 points.

Cleavland outrebounded New Jersey 49-32. As a result, Cleavland took 20 more field goal attempts and 8 more free throws. "They are just kicking our tails on the boards," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said, who does not want to get scolded by his grade school for saying ass.

The game was a lot closer until Vince Carter suffered a leg cramp with only few minutes remaining. Maybe Carter was dehydrated from a night of drinking. I cannot recall any time this has happened to a star player on a basketball court in the NBA playoffs. Somebody on New Jersey should be accountable for not keeping their star player hydrated during the game.

Jason Kidd had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists for the Nets but he also had 8 turnovers. Kidd has to do a better job of making the Nets role players better who are not that good.

Perhaps Kidd should take a lesson from Charles Oakley who was a teammate of Carter during the 2001 NBA playoffs with the Raptors. Oakley constantly criticized teammate Vince Carter and even exchanged words with Carter's mother. This was rumored to be over Carter letting Oakley and other teammates down during crunch time. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Although the Nets will look to rebound when the series resumes Saturday night at New Jersey, they have to be upset at themselves considering that they could have easily won a game. Still this series is far from over.

Anderson Varejao, left, is a little too happy from winning
the game as he take any excuse he can to hug his teammate
LeBron James. Still, one lover isn't enough for LeBron as he
invites Donyell Marshall (right) to complete the love triangle.

Die Hard Music Video

2007-05-07T22:12:00.000-05:00

Guyz Nite made a cool music video in tribute to the Die Hard series. The lyrics are catchy especially the part where they say "John McLean kicks ass".

The Redskins Favor Players with Family Ties

2007-05-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

Laron Landry, the Redskins' 1st overall

pick is introduced at a press
conference with Joe Gibbs

With only five pick in the 2007 NFL draft, the Washingon Redskins ended up acquring players who already have relatives that have had sucess in the NFL. Washington's management official stance is betting that a good pedigree will produce sucess, for a team that was 5-11 in the 2006-07 season. Take a look four of players the Redskins have recently acquired:

With their 1st round pick, the Redskins selected Laron Landry, safety from LSU, who is the younger brother of Dawan Landry, a strong safety for the Baltimore. Laron is expected to be a much superior player than Dawan, who was considered a special teams player for the Ravens.
HB Blades, linebacker from Pittburgh was taken in the 6th round in the draft. His father was an all pro linebacker with the Seahawks and his uncle also played in the NFL. Despite his father and uncle's past sucess, his lack of size at 5'10 is the main reason was drafted so late despite being the Big East defensive player of the year.
Jordan Palmer quarterback was taken in the 6th round and is the younger brother of the Carson Palmer, the starting quarterback of Cincinnatti. Despite his brother sucess in the NFL, most draft experts are skeptical of Jordan's career, projecting him at best to be a NFL backup. Jordan Palmer will also find it difficult to make the Redskins' active roster considering that Washington already have three quarterbacks under contract (Jason Campbell, Mark Brunell, Todd Collins).
If that wasn't enough, the Redskins also signed Byron Westbrook an undrafted free agent cornerback from Salisbury , who is the younger brother of the Philedelphia Eagles starting running back, Brian Westbrook. While Byron has the potential to make the team, he will have to defy the odds considering no player from Salisbury, a division III school, has ever made a NFL roster.

Most likely, the Redskins have adopted a strategy of nepotism, the act of favoring relatives or friends rather than abilities. Hopefully, I'm wrong and the Redskins will go 19-0 and win the Super Bowl in 2008.

Cinco de Mayo; An Excuse to Get Drunk

2007-05-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

Alcoholics everywhere agree. Cinco de Mayo should become a national holiday in the United States. While nobody gives a crap about the meaning of the Mexican holiday, it has become a great excuse to get drunk. Americans share a deep bond to their neighbor from the South. This relationship has been established by Americans taking a basic Spanish course and eating at Taco Bell. People should also share a deeper appreciation from ordering an extra value meal from McDonalds prepared by a Mexican immigrant.

May already has Memorial Day Weekend to get plastered, but feelings across the nation indicate that Cinco de Mayo would help unite a divided nation. Protesters against the War in Iraq and want our troops to come home and feel guilty for drinking.

President George W. Bush should definetely consider this proposal to mediate tensions in time of crisis. Being a former alcoholic himself, Bush can sympathize with his constituents and set forth a new pplan that will also raise his approval ratings from record lows. He can live up to his catch phrase of being "a uniter, not a divider". He should set forth a order from the executive branch that will make Cindo de Mayo a national holiday. This will allow for the American worker to recuperate from a massive hangerover on Monday. The policy for a three day weekend should also be extended to St. Patrick's day and Super Bowl Weekend.

Yippee Kaye!

2007-05-03T14:25:00.000-05:00

Bruce Willis shares his thoughts at a basketball game and comments on his upcoming movie. It may be the most hilarious interview ever.

Stop Crying!

2007-04-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

Maybe you think crying in front of your girlfriend while watching "Old Yeller" will help save your relationship by assuming a reputation as a sensitive guy. However, 93% of the time, it will result in your girlfriend dumping your sorry ass and telling you that she needs a real man. The same goes for crying and sports; they only go together when:

1) You win a championship
2) You've made more money than you have ever dreamed of
3) You get hit in the balls

Cartman savors the tears
of unfathomable sadness.

Crying is best explained in an the South Park episode "Scott Tenorman Must Die". Crying not only indicates that you are at your breaking point and exposing your highest level of vulnerability but it also may also allow someone to "taste your tears" like Eric Cartman.

Let's take a look back at a few of these crying moments that have led to diminished productivity.

1. Kwame Brown, 2001-02 Season

Brown was the number 1 pick in the 2001 draft with a lot of potential to turn around the Washington Wizards franchise along with an older Michael Jordan. Brown was slow to achieve results. At one practice, Brown complained of a hard foul committed by Jahidi White. Jordan's patience wore down as he proceeded to call Brown a flaming faggot.

Perhaps Jordan's intentions were to make Brown a better player by insulting him as a motivational tactic, but Brown began to cry and ran away to sob in the locker room. Since that point, Kwame Brown has been a disappointment in the league for the Wizards and now the Lakers. His off the court incidents include a DUI and throwing a man's birthday cake to ground.

2. Kobe Bryant, The Summer of 2003

The Los Angeles Lakers were about to lose to the San Antonio Spurs, ending their bid to win their 4th consecutive title. As the game wound down to a close, Kobe Bryant was seen crying on the bench.

Perhaps Kobe lost a little more than self respect for himself. Maybe one of motives for committing adultery with a girl from Colorado could have been to redeem his reputation as a man. This backfired miserably as the girl accused him of rape. Kobe also proceeded to cry in a press conference as seen above.

The Lakers made it to the finals in the 2003-04 season but it became the last year that Kobe played with Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq had probably lost what little respect he had for Kobe. Bryant’s outburst of crying in public was probably the main reason that Shaq had demanded a trade. Since that time, the Lakers and Kobe have never threatened to win a title.

3. Andrei Kirilenko, 2007 Postseason

Andrei Kirilenko, nicknamed as AK47, was once considered a top talent in the league. He could score in a variety of ways and renowned as top defender in the league.

As of late, his play has declined in the postseason. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Kirilenko used a towel to wipe tears from his red and swollen eyes Sunday while discussing his minimal role in the Jazz's 84-75 loss to the Houston Rockets in Game 1. Kirilenko played only 16 minutes - including only the last seven seconds of the fourth quarter.

Kirilenko, the team's highest paid player at 12.3 million a year, stated that he wanted to live up to his potential. Well he can start by playing better, not crying in front of his teammates. It certainly does not help intimidate your opponents. The Jazz proceeded to lose the next game in the series against the Houston Rockets. Kirelinko's crying does not serve as a good omen for the Jazz.

----------------------------------------

So if you are a professional athlete, avoid crying in public at all costs. Your career will most likely take a hit and more importantly, people like me will make fun of you.

Can Anthony and Iverson lead the Nuggets past the Spurs?

2007-04-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Denver Nuggets success will depend upon the performances of star players Carmelo Anthony (left) and Allen Iverson (right)

The Denver Nuggets will be underdogs heading into a series against the San Antonio Spurs. Still, the Nuggets will relish the opportunity to upset to upset the 3 time NBA champions (1999, 2003, and 2005). The Denver Nuggets have changed its identity by acquiring Allen Iverson, and having two star players in Anthony and Iverson who are in the top 10 in scoring.

Brief Season Recap

The Denver Nuggets started the 2006-07 seaon strong but struggled after their team had a brawl with Knicks Anthony was suspended for 15 games and JR Smith was suspended for 10 games. The Nuggets, shortly thereafter, sent Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two 2007 first-round picks to the Philedelphia 76ers for Iverson and Ivan McFarlin. Once, Anthony returned from suspension, it took a while for the team to mesh. As of late though, the Nuggets have finally gotten their act together and have won 9 of their past 10 games.

Footage of Knicks/Nuggets Brawl

Prior Postseason Success

While the Spurs playoff experience speaks for itself, the Denver Nuggets also have their share of playoff experience. Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby were part of the Nuggets' teams that have made it to the playoffs for the past three seasons. The Nuggets have not made it past the 2nd round since 1994 where the Nuggets led by Dikembe Mutumbo won as an 8th seed against the Seattle Supersonics who were the 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Supersonics were coached by George Karl, who is now the coach of the Denver Nuggets.

Still, members of the Denver Nuggets have seen success in the postseason. Coach George Karl led the Supersonics to the NBA finals in 1996. He also helped lead the Milwaukee Bucks to Eastern Conference Finals in 2001. Camby was also part of the 1999 New York Knicks, who helped his team to an improbable run to the NBA finals as an eight seed where they lost Tim Duncan's Spurs in a 5 games. Iverson had led the 76ers to playoffs several times, which was highlighted with a MVP award for 2000-01 season and a trip the NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001. In addition, Eduardo Najera, Reggie Evans, and Steve have been role players to respective teams (Dallas, Seattle, and Washington) that have made it past the 1st round.

Keys for the Nuggets

What will work to Anthony and Iverson's advantage is their ability to score in a variety of ways. They can both create a shot by themselves and have the ability to find the open man who can convert for the easy basket. Anthony and Iverson are among the league leaders at getting to the free throw line. This will not only help them score efficiently but also put the Spur's key players into foul problems. The Nuggets also have effective low post players in Camby and Nene Hilario. Steve Blake is effective at running the team's offense, while JR Smith can provide a scoring punch off the bench. Reggie Evans and Eduardo Najera are players who bring energy who hustle for loose ball and play stingy defense.

The Spurs will be up to the challenge to stop them since they have one of the best league defenses anchored by Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen. Still, the Spurs best perimeter defender, Bowen does not match up well with either Anthony or Iverson; Anthony is too big and will use his strength to overpower Bowen while Iverson will use his quickness and ball handling skills to elude him. The Spurs will most likely have to rely on team defense to contain both of them. Still, the Spurs have to watch out for the Nuggets role players who can also find ways to put it in the basket.

The Nuggets biggest weakness as of late has been their team defense. The Nuggets have good overall team defenders in Camby, Nene, Evans, and Najera who could slow down Tim Duncan. But they will have to rely on their scorers in Anthony and Iverson to step it up on the defensive end as well. The Nuggets will likely put Iverson on Bowen in order to mask his defensive liability. Anthony will have to pick it up on the defensive end against Manu Ginobli who is capable of going off with huge scoring outbursts.

Conclusion

While the Nuggets enter the series as underdogs, they still recognize the opportunity to grow into legitimate contender. If they can take the Spurs to 6 or 7 games, they could be content going into next season with better team chemistry and higher expectations, especially with the return of a healthy Kenyon Martin. If they can somehow manage to beat the Spurs in the 1st round, they would put themselves as one of the favorites to win it all this June.

The Lakers Make the Playoffs!

2007-04-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

Kobe is Flying High after he leads the Lakers to Victory

The Laker fans are celebrating today since their best player did just enough for the Lakers to squeak into the playoffs. They clinched a playoff spot by defeating the Seattle Supersonics who were without their best player in Ray Allen (aka Jesus Shuttlesworth in "He Got Game").

If the season ended today, they would be slated for a rematch against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers took the Suns to 7 games last year but the Lakers are struggling while they enter the postseason. The Suns will also have a healthy Amare Stoudemire, who missed the majority of the 2005-06 season. Still, the series has the potential to re-ignite an exciting matchup from last year.

Take a look at clips from the the 2006 series:

The Lakers come back in dramatic fashion in game 4 and beat the Suns to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

In game 5, tensions escalted. As Kobe posts up Raja Bell, Bryant elbows Raja Bell in the face. Laker fans have claimed this was a "phantom elbow".

Shortly thereafter, Raja Bell retalliates against Kobe Bryant and knocks him to the floor. The Suns go on to win the game to keep the series alive, but the league suspended Raja Bell in game 6.

The Lakers were heavily favored to win the game against Suns, since Phoenix was without it's best defensive player in Raja Bell and Game 6 was at LA. Still, Phoenix kept it close and Tim Thomas hit a clutch 3 pointer which forced the series into a 7th game.

In game 7, the Lakers get blown out. NBA analyst, TNT's Charles Barkely accused Bryant "selfish" for only shooting three times in game seven versus Phoenix. Barkely shortly apologized after Kobe appered as a guest on TNT's Inside the NBA.

The Lakers will be massive underdogs in a 1st round matchup in this year's matchup against either Phoenix or Dallas. Either way, look for Kobe to try to will his team to victory.

Stop Showing Stupid Kids at Sporting Events

2007-04-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

I was watching the Pistons/Knicks game on my friend's league pass last night. After coming back from a commercial break, the television crew decided it would be nice to show two "adorable" kids watching the game. This was done as an attempt to lure the fans of the NBA to come to the game with their families.

Seriously, what moron would buy NBA tickets simply from this image?

Oh but it's necessary for the organization to distribute their tickets!

I don't see the NFL resorting to subjugating kids to propagate a marketing campaign during their respective games. That's the problem with the NBA and also MLB. They expect to create some sort of family image by showing random young kids dancing at the stadium in attempt to lure fans to the game. The NFL prescribes to the theory that the games are so damn important so you better watch it unless you're retarded. The NBA and MLB try to infiltrate those from the "Full House" school of values, which sickens me. A huge proportion of their fans are thinking, "If family values are so important to me, why am I watching the game?"

"Enjoy the game", says New York Knicks center Eddy Curry.
"If your children keep annoying you, I'll gladly eat them."

The NBA and MLB should not be marketing as a great family activity. In the case of the NBA, families can certainly find a way to create family time at less than $90 per person. This may include, where additional charges may apply, giving your whiny kids some ice cream or cotton candy, and then giving a foam finger or hat that will be buried in their closet forever. If you get a cheaper ticket, you become a bad parent. In years to come, your kids will enter therapy and blame their depression and lack of motivation for not getting better seats.

If the only way you relate to your kid is by taking him to sporting events, you have problems. Instead of taking him to the game and giving him hot dog after hot dog, teaching him a life of obesity and laziness, maybe you can take him to, I don't know, OUTSIDE and teach him how to play that specific sport.

Stop making your kid a fat ass!

Fans should come to the games to enjoy them, it shouldn't be some poor excuse to bring your family to make up for lost time. If your family wants to come along on their own, that's fine but the NBA should not deem fans as bad parents for not bringing their kids who simply may be spoiled brats.

Thoughts on the LA Lakers and Kobe

2007-03-30T14:52:00.000-05:00

Can Kobe propel the Lakers to more postseason Success?

The Los Angeles Lakers and their leader Kobe Bryant have been intertwined with drama throughout the season. Phil Jackson has been playing his mental games as usual, taking shots at Shaq, the refs, the league, and his own players like Kwame Brown. Kobe, once touted as the next

Jordan

, has created his own identity in the NBA as a top player and 3 championship rings.

Don't Invite Kwame Brown to Your Birthday Party Brown, the #1 pick of the 2001 draft who IS

one of the biggest bust of all time, has been making news
of his own, in January 2007, he was accused of throwing
a man's birthday cake to the ground and driving away in a limo.

Although Kobe's legacy is nowhere near

Jordan

's, he is a great player in his own right. He leads the league in scoring with 30.8 points per game and is also known as a solid defender. Still, Kobe has still managed to preserve his identity as a "love him or hate him" player. He is still criticized for his role in the Lakers trading Shaq to the Heat; all the Lakers have to show for that trade is Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown. His off court allegations of rape also linger in the background. Even Phil Jackson is on the record for having said that Kobe could have committed the act of rape. Kobe has since been proven innocent since the accuser had like 100 different men's sperm in the tests.

Arenas Schools Kobe

Kobe has drawn controversy this year as well. After Washington Wizards' point guard Gilbert Arenas scored 60 points to take down the Lakers, Kobe did not praise Arenas but criticized his game on what he considered a lucky feat. Kobe stated after the game, "It's funny, he doesn't really seem to have that much of a conscience. I really don't think he does. Some of the shots that he took tonight, you miss those, they're just terrible shots, awful shots. You make them and they're unbelievable shots." Kobe has also drawn suspensions for one game apiece for elbowing Manu Ginobli and Marco Jaric in the face.

Brian Cook clearly loves Kobe.
The performance of the team, like the drama that has ensued, has been anything but predictable. The Lakers were exceeding most experts' expectations with a 26-13 start after consecutive victories against Shaq-less Miami and title contender San Antonio. The Lakers were brought down to earth shortly there after when Dallas blew them out by 19 points. Injuries further depleted the Lakers including those to Lamar Odom and Maurice Evens who suffered knee injuries (and no they will not visit Colorado like Kobe did), and Luke Walton, Kwame Brown, and Chris Mihm are all suffering ankle injuries. Even Vladimir Radmanovic suffered a shoulder injury due to a snowboarding fall (seriously, what was he thinking).

Phil Jackson's Crazy New Plan

After the Lakers proceeded to lose 7 straight games and fell to a record of 33 wins and 32 losses, Phil Jackson and company decided to go to an interesting and bold strategy, pass it to Kobe and let's see what happened. Kobe did not disappoint as he scored over 50 points in 4 straight games and as many as 65 points in an OT win against the Portland Trailblazers. While Kobe's tear of 4 straight games with 50 or more points is amazing, it happened against 4 teams who are currently on the outside looking in for the playoffs. A lot will be said on how Kobe's shoot first strategy will excel against teams like the Houston Rockets, whom the Lakers face tonight. They are not only considered to be a threat in the postseason with the re-emergence of Tracy McGrady but also one of the best defensive teams in the league.

"I Learned How to FLUSH!!!"

Kobe also has an interesting metaphor on how to not to get caught up in the downfalls in the past. After being told that Lamar Odom was really down on himself for not securing the rebound Tim Thomas eventually converted into a trey (which led to OT and the loss in the 2006 postseason), Kobe was asked how he keeps guys from dwelling on mistakes. "You just put it behind you. There's nothing you can do about it. You know what I mean? After you go to the bathroom, you don't stand there and look at what you just dropped in there. At some point, you gotta flush it, man." Let’s see if Kobe can “flush it” for the Lakers to continue with success down the road.