A Disturbing Tribute to Gilbert Arenas

I like Gilbert but not as much as this guy.

Week 12 Picks

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?

My Week 11 Picks

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

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

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!

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.