Miami and OKC show why they are the favorites to meet in the NBA Finals:

The Miami Heat had heard it all about Linsanity and the new look New York Knicks. Dwayne Wade for one said he was ready to guard the sensational point guard as soon as the Knicks plane landed. You could tell that both Wade and Lebron James would ratchet up the heat (Pun intended) for this game due to the nature of hype and anticipation. The result was a resounding 102-88 victory that saw them dismantle what is the hottest story in sports. Lin was assaulted all night as they forced him into 8 turnovers and just 8 points on 1 for 11 shooting. Miami clearly game planned for Lin as they hounded him relentlessly up and down the court I can't remember another game where it was hard to just take dribbles,'' said Lin and it showed.

Don’t think for one second the Heat didn’t see how Lin dropped 38 on Kobe and the Lakers and another 28 and 14 assists on Dirk and the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. They knew this kid could play but they wanted to see him up close and personal. Carmelo and Amare could only sit back and stare as the new found savior point of guard struggled most of the night. Melo is still trying to find his groove and finished 7 if 20 as he was caught in the line of fire that was the suffocating Miami defense. The Heat just wore them down with there intense defense some of the best rotations you will see just as they just smothered the Knicks high octane offense. Lebron would finish with 20 points 9 rebounds and 8 assists. His sidekick Wade added 22 points and 5 rebounds and third wheel Chris Bosh had 25 points and 8 rebounds for good measure. The Heat had heard about the story and couldn’t wait to tear it all to pieces which they did last night.

No one has a better fast break transition offense then the Heat. The only team that is even in the conversation is the Oklahoma City Thunder and they used their young legs to outrun and gun the Los Angles Lakers100-85. Kevin Durant is getting to the point in his career where you just can’t guard him. He dropped 33 on the Lakers and didn’t even seem to break a sweat. His trusty second hand man Russell Westbrook chipped in with 19 and they just overwhelmed Los Angeles. This is a young team that has had the chance to gel together and its starting to pay big dividends. What gets lost in all of the Durant and Westbrook talk is that quietly Serge “I’ll block ya” Ibaka is leading the league in blocked shots. He also is the perfect glue guy big man that cleans up on misses and does a lot of the dirty work for his superstar teammates. Another guy you can’t forget with the Thunder is the bearded Mohawk one himself James Harden. His versatility and wiliness to come off the bench creates a major problem for most teams they face. Harden had 16 points on an efficient 6 of 10 shooting and traded jabs with Kobe Bryant for most of the night. His competitiveness seemed to be contagious as his teammates all jumped in and they just took it the Lakers, making them look slow and old for the most part. Kobe was never able to get on track as OKC held him to 7 of 24 from the field.

So in summarizing, clearly the Miami and OKC are the best teams in the NBA at the mid-point of the season. They are tied for the best record in the league at 26-7 and don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. They both have transcendent talents on the wings and are the best fast break teams in the NBA. Both are not without their flaws as well as neither has a go to low post threat which could pose a problem in the playoffs when games tend to slow down. OKC is a jump shooting team that if the shots aren’t falling that night then they are vulnerable. Miami always is at the will of Lebron in the final minutes possibly choking and bad clock management which plagued them at the worst possible times last year. But even with that being said about both teams, it’s hard to pick against an OKC vs. Miami Finals match up. They have the superstars in Durant, James, Westbrook, Wade and Bosh. They have the high paced offenses with devastating fast breaks that would keep everyone glued to the seats. The question now is if they can both make it out of their respective conference and give the fans the collision course they are expecting in the Finals. Stay tuned as the both teams try to make it to the promise land and it appears all but inevitable.

Join me on The Sportaholic Radio Show on Beatknockin.com from 10 A.M to 12 P.M this Saturday

What a week of sports it has been as always. Football is back in a big way, as I can’t remember everyone being so happy just to see pre-season football. Baseball is in the thick of its pennant races and college football is ready to get revved up so you know the Sportaholics we’ll be covering it all. We have an exciting show lined up this Saturday. A lot of interesting topics to get into including the following:




NFL Rundown:




• Chris Johnson contract latest



• Tebow shows up and show out



• Tony Romo’s Back



• Philly unveils its ‘Dream Team



NBA:

Hall of fame class 2011 headlined by Dennis Rodman and Chris Mullin.



Lebron say it will be basketball in the NBA next year.



What will Dennis Rodman wear to his Hall of Fame introduction?



Diss of the week: Rex Grossman predicting that the Redskins will win the NFC East this season. Yes he believes so

College Football:

• Texas A&M could be headed to the SEC


• Terrelle Pryor is not yet eligible for the NFL's supplemental draft


• Arkansas RB Knile Davis out for the year


• Joe Pa injured but still roaming the sidelines:



All this and more this Saturday from 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. on the Sportaholic Radio Show, make sure you are tuned in for the best underground sports radio show on the planet.

Special guess and former Tennessee Titans cheerleader Ashley Danielle joins me along with Gridiron Press magazine founder Don Merrimon.

Bummer of a Summer 2011 edition

                

I I posted my very first article last year entitled “Summer of Bummers” as I featured a summer full of scandals that were rampant this time last year. If you can remember way back when to 2010, we had the “luxury” of witnessing the annual Brett Favre watch, Lebron-a-thon, Albert Haynesworth’s fall from grace in DC, Ben Roethlisberger’s late night romp, and Tiger was still recovering from his own scandal from which he has seemingly never has fully recovered. To avoid confusion, I decided to call this issue, “Bummer of a Summer”. To be sure, this summer has seen it’s own share of scandals as well: as we have Frank McCourt running the once proud Los Angeles Dodgers organization into the ground; College Football is in shambles from its own self inflicted wounds; and Alberto Contador is looking to win his 4th tour de France with the biggest cloud of suspicion (yeah I watch a little cycling, don’t judge me) hovering over him. But worse than all of the scandals, are the crazy NBA and NFL lockouts, which make for a different set of circumstances of which most sport fans aren’t accustomed. The summer months of sports are usually dull in my humble opinion. Baseball, Tennis, and Golf just doesn’t stir up the same type of emotions for me as Football and Basketball. As bad as the summer of 2010 was, at least it was entertaining and we knew we could look forward to seeing Football and Basketball in the Fall.

As a matter of fact, looking back at last year’s summer to the summer of 2011 it makes one long for Big Al coming to camp overweight and uninspired in Washington, the annual Brett Favre watch, and even that stupid decision fracas Lebron and co put together. It at least gave us something to talk about until the season started. The NFL and now the NBA are in full-blown lockout mode and both have put their respective upcoming seasons in jeopardy. This is unprecedented as the two of top sports leagues in our country will be taking a hiatus for an unforeseen amount of time. On some levels I can definitely understand the owners of the NBA locking out their players. A report from SI.com stated that 22 of the leagues 30 teams are operating in the negative. The players’ salaries are bloated and the current model of the NBA is broken, there is just no way around it. But no one made the owners pay guys like Rahsard Lewis and Gilbert Arenas over 100 million dollars in the first place. The NFL’s situation is different as the owners and the players can’t figure out how split 9 billion dollars worth of revenue among the two parties. The NFL system is not broken but neither side seems to want to concede any type of concessions that could possibly push the sides closer.

As it is now, neither situation makes us fans happy. We want the business side of things to work themselves out so we can see our sports heroes do what they do best. We expect for Roger Goddell, David Stern, DeMaurice Smith, Billy Hunter and all of the lawyers involved to find a way to get deals in place, because quite frankly it’s their job to do so. The dialogue from both leagues is what scares me as a fan the most. You have Charles Barkley saying that the current labor situation in the NBA could possibly swallow up the entire year and Kevin Durant saying that the players are ready to go all the way until some concessions are made on the side of the owners. In other words, this one is going to be a dogfight just like the NFL’s and maybe even worse. The NFL has had its share of tough talk as players as prominent as Adrian Peterson have stuck their own foots in their mouths. DeMaruice Smith has made some statements that have made me think that this labor thing may never end.

The lockouts will destroy all the positive momentum both leagues had going for them. The NBA just had its best ratings since “His Airness” Michael Jordan roamed the court in 1998 (how awkward is it that he is now on the owners’ side of things instead of the players). Lebron’s decision last year, whether you liked it or not, has brought about a ratings boom for the league as it gave fans a team to hate and despise in Miami. The NFL just had one its flagship franchises in Green Bay win the Super Bowl. It’s the number one sport in America and still hasn’t reached its ceiling. Most fans understand that the owners and players will always have a certain level of distrust with one another. That is just the nature of these types of relationships. But to possibly take away an entire season from the fans in the name of greed for both sides is definitely a turn off to us fans. Real fans support their teams no matter what, when it comes to the product on the field or the hardwood. I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and last year, as everyone knows, was possibly the most painful season I have endured. But I still brought my Cowboy gear, watched the games, and if I could have given my right arm I would have just to travel to Jerry’s world in Dallas to watch and cover a game. I’m sure those who are reading this did mostly the same during the course of the NFL season. So when the league decides that it’s best for them to cancel everything until further notice it just doesn’t sit well with us. What would they do if we all decided to strike and refused to buy tickets and fill the stadiums?

This year’s “Bummer of a Summer” has taking on an entire different meaning from last years. The bummer is that two of top sports league’s in the world that feature some of the greatest athletes that have ever been produced, can’t come to an agreement, so that everyone in sports world can get on with their sports lives as usual. Writers and bloggers won’t have anything to write about, reporters won’t have anything to report about and fans won’t have anything to cheer about. And there is nothing that any of us can do about this but watch and wait. This summer has definitely become the the mother of all sports bummers.

Lebron's failure and the media's obession with it

Hope everyone enjoyed a nice weekend, as for me I’m recovering from a sprained Achilles and sprained ankle I suffered playing some pick up basketball over the weekend. Sometime the mind forgets how old the body is and in my case I was watching too much basketball here lately and thought I was Kobe or Dirk. In any case, I have missed the boat on writing about Dallas’s victory over Miami to claim their first title and as I can see from reading, everybody has had their say about Lebron and his failures and anything else they always wanted to say about the Miami Heat. So I won’t bash the boys from Miami too much who although they didn’t bring home a ring otherwise had a great season. Just to think that this team was put together in a year and went on to take the Eastern conference title and came within two games of winning it all.

The last I checked it was Dallas who won the championship but the more you read the more you notice how much this has become how Lebron and the Heat LOST and not so much on how Dirk and the Mavs WON. This is what’s wrong with the world these days, people are always more concerned the individual than they are with the overall big picture. Dirk, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion, Rick Carlisle, and hell even Mark Cuban deserved this on so many levels. Those players named played their hearts out, Carlisle out-coached everyone he faced in the playoffs, and Cuban spent the money and persevered through season after season of long and enduring disappointments to finally claim a title. The media has all but forgotten about the Mavericks already as they are ready to throw Lebron under the bus even though he has been ran over by the entire Greyhound fleet at this point.

Furthermore, to put all the blame on James’s burly shoulders is pure ludicrous. In the words of one my blogging pals Sports HR, those who all blame Lebron should be fired for that notion of thinking. Granted, Lebron did not do the things that have earned him the moniker of “King”. He was passive aggressive, he shot too many jumpers, he defer too much, he didn’t rotate on defense with the authority that we are use to seeing, and didn’t show up in the fourth quarter. Those are things the great ones ALWAYS do in championship moments. Lebron has been chastised to the point of no return in the media and it’s getting to the point of borderline obsession with him. Every sports outlet wanted to capture James in his moment of shame to mock him and criticize. He is human just like everyone else and did bring a lot of this on himself with the ill-advised decision massacre but enough is enough. Everyone that reads this column and knows me personally knows how much dislike I have for the Heat and Lebron, but me as a fan of sports knows the greatness of Lebron and that he is the greatest player on earth right now regardless of poor performance in the Finals.

Just to think that less than a few weeks ago, we were having the discussion of if Lebron was on the path of being the best player ever, even surpassing ‘His Airness” Michael Jordan. Scottie Pippen posed that argument and some people actually agreed that Lebron has a chance to be better than MJ. I think one of the greatest factors in Lebron’s performance is that he has never faced the pressure cooker of being of the big stage that is the Finals. Sounds ridiculous at first though right, but when you take a look at Lebron basketball past, you will notice that he really hasn’t had to face that much adversity in his career. Yes he did face the expectations of being a childhood prodigy, who was predicted as early as 10th grade to go number one in the NBA draft. Those were a different set of forecasts back then as all he had to do was go and play ball and the rest would figure itself out. Now James has the weight of being the best player in the league, an icon in his own right, and the pressure he has created with his antics. Lebron was so much better than his counterparts in high school that it was easy for him to vanquish them and win state titles. Could you imagine being a sophomore in high school and seeing a guy that was a step away from the NBA coming at you? Sheesh. Lebron never had to face the rigors of March Madness and everything that comes with it. Learning how to deal with pressure is different for everyone and unless you have experienced it, than you won’t know to respond to it.

Eventually LBJ will figure it out because he is too great of a player not to. Michael Jordan had to find a way to harness his scoring ability to go along with the team aspect and ditto for Kobe Bryant. Magic Johnson failed miserably in his first attempt in the Finals against Bird and the Celtics (I know this James second try, but he really didn’t have a chance his first time with the Cavs facing the Spurs). The great ones have to experience failure on a level that they never have experienced before to humble them and motivate them in a way that will bring out the beast in them.

Lebron says that he doesn’t listen to all of the negativity but I would put my bottom dollar on it that some does seep into his brain from time to time. His time will come and one day he will perform to the level that we have set for him in expectations. He will also appreciate his championship much more than he ever would have had they won this year when he would have thought “ I did things my way and still won, to hell with everybody and what they think” Lebron has learned a valuable lesson not just in basketball but in life altogether. It’s the best thing for us basketball fans because I guarantee you Bron will be back with a vengeance next year to prove everyone wrong. He has everything in the world but the one thing that would make it complete is a championship. Until then the Lebron hate will go on, but deep down in the heart of every Lebron hater, they know this man will eventually get his. So hate and admonish all you want people but leave yourself a little wiggle room for when he does become a champion.

So it all comes to this: The NBA Finals Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

vs.

An epic NBA season comes down to a team everyone expected to be here and another no one saw coming. Miami has been the projected favorite every since the announcement of Lebron taking his talents to South Beach. The pairing of James, Wade and Bosh put everyone on notice that Miami would be a team to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future. Their union has been more celebrated than that of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Lebron said in his own words that he came to Miami to win “"Not one, Not two, Not three, Not four, Not five, Not six, Not seven...". James has more than backed his quote as he has averaged 25.2 Points 8.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists. His clutch play and great defense on Derrick Rose against the Chicago Bulls is the main reason that Miami will be playing in their first finals since 2006. Dwayne Wade has averaged a mere 24 points and 7 rebounds himself in the playoffs and after struggling mightily to live up to the standards of James and Wade while enduring most of the media’s siege on the Heat, Chris Bosh (or as some like to call him Bosh Spice) has surfaced and put up a 20 and 10 average in the playoffs. No team over the last ten years except maybe the Lakers of the early 2000s with Shaq and Kobe endured more media scrutiny then this team.

They did bring a lot of that heat (no pun intended) on themselves by saying things like: We enjoy the bullseye. Plus, there's going to be times when we lose 2-3 games in a row, and it seems like the world has crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade is coming down again, but it's not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games." (Said Dwayne Wade). Lebron on racism playing a factor in his the backlash he received: I think so at times. It’s always a race factor,” And then there was Chris Bosh’s whole ‘Crygate” situation. This team had no time to learn things together. As soon as the season started they had a bull’s-eye on their back for those statements and gestures they made. The best thing about that is how it made the Heat focus even more and take those shots from the media as motivation. It has served them well and they now find themselves four games away from what Pat Riley envisioned when he blew up his entire roster and signed the best free agent class in history of James, Bosh, and Wade.

Dallas on the other hand could not have been further under the radar going into this season. The L.A. Lakers were anointed by everyone (including myself) as the team that would come out the west and there were no and’s, if’s or but’s about it. Dallas just sloughed through the season without anyone really taking notice because lets face it, we all thought we knew what the Mavericks were about. The injury to Caron Butler only reaffirmed those thoughts as he was their toughest perimeter defender. Not to mention that emerging star Roddy Beaubois broke a bone in his foot and was rendered ineffective for most of the season. Their aging and arthritic roster screamed post-season meltdown with the likes of Shawn Marion (old), Jason Terry (older) and Jason Kidd (ancient). Mark Cuban has never been cheap and he overspent on a few players like Brendan Haywood (six years for $55 Million, really Cuban?) and Tyson Chandler but his willingness to spend has made for a team with experience and depth. Chandler has fortified a once porous nerf soft defense for the Mavs. His contributions don’t always show up in the box score but his energy and hustle as a big man have set the tone many a night in Big D.

The most important factor in Dallas’s run has to be the resurgence of Dirk Werner Nowitzki. The German assassin has always been mentioned in the same breath as the greats of the game today but he always had the monkey on his back of being a choker. Ironically, the team that mostly put that title to Dirk was the Miami Heat. Dirk’s Dallas’ team in 2006 infamously collapsed against the Dwayne Wade/Shaq led Heat team after building a 2-0 lead against Miami. Even though it wasn’t entirely Nowitzski’s fault (The man averaged 27 points and 12 rebounds for the series for goodness sake) he became the scapegoat. When you’re the best player on your team, right or wrong you have to take the brunt of blame. I’m sure Mark Cuban would argue with me that the refs had a lot to do with them losing the series but I’m not buying that. Dirk has had a certain look in his eyes this post-season. They show a man who is determined to clear his name and bring home a ring. He has been nothing short of awe inspiring in these playoffs as he just torched his opponents. He surgically dismantled the Lakers defense with an array of fadeways, pick and pops, and dead on shooting. He did the same against a younger more athletic Thunder team that threw everyone in Oklahoma short of Brian Bosworth at him. Dirk has always had the talent but now he has the will and toughness it takes to win. That’s something that has to be learned and can’t be taught. As evident by his 28.4 points a game this post-season, Dirk has come ready to put a stamp on his legacy. He doesn’t want to join the Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Karl Malone club of great careers with no ring to show for it club.

It’s hard to imagine that these two teams are facing each other for the second time in six years for the NBA championship. These two teams made their own path to the Finals but both got here. The differences between the two teams are amazing. Miami is the young and flashy crew that make them look like L.A. of the east coast (Joakim Noah said it best “They are Hollywood as Hell.”). Dallas is the old man band of thirty-somethings that no one saw coming. Mark Cuban is one of the most well known owners in any sport and Miami’s Mickey Arizon couldn’t be spotted if he walked right in front of you waving his hands. Miami wins with superior defense and its closers in Lebron and Dwayne Wade. Dallas attacks you at just about every position offensively and will score 150 on you in a heartbeat. Lastly, Miami was supposed to be here, Dallas wasn’t.

In summarizing, this was the most competitive and balanced season I have witnessed. A number of teams had legitimate shots at the title including Boston, L.A., Orlando, Miami and Chicago. Miami went through a gauntlet of challengers in the east as they took down a better than most people know Philadelphia team, the battle tested Celtics and the almost there but not there yet Bulls. Dallas had to endure a tough path as well as they downed the always tough Portland Trail Blazers, the two- time defending champs L.A. and a young up and coming OKC team. Both teams have had to endure there share of turmoil and doubters but in the end all the marbles will be going to either South Beach or Big D. Can the big 3 take the title in their first year of existence or will it finally be Dirk’s day of redemption. One thing is for sure, one of the greats of our time will get there first ring in Dirk or Lebron. The time is now for both men but only one can win. This is a fitting ending to an unpredictable yet highly appealing NBA season.

Editor’s note: I will be breaking down the match-ups in my next post.



Make sure to tune in to blogtalkradio for the Sportaholic Radio Show as special guest Robert Snelling joins me to discuss the NBA Finals and other sports topics this Saturday May 28, 2011 at 3:30 central time.



The link for the show is www.blogtalkradio.com/sportaholic

The Weekend Run-down

The Mesmerizing Masters: What a captivating weekend finish we witnessed on golf’s grandest stage. Rory McIlroy played brilliantly thru the first three days and looked as if he would don his first green jacket as he had a four stroke lead heading into Sunday. But the young Irishman could not handle the pressure and the wheels on his game fell completely off. McIlroy shot a 43 on the back nine that opened the door for everyone else. The stage was set for an epic battle as Tiger Woods showed he still has considerable game and growled his way back from 7 strokes down to take the lead at -10. Everyone surely takes notice when Tiger is in position to pounce on Sunday’s at a major. Tiger would miss some key putts along the way that could have made for an even better score but it was good to see him rounding into form. After Tiger’s round, things heated up for a trio of younger but fearless challengers. Adam Scott, Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel all shared or lead on the 16th and 17th holes. Scott took command as he made an array of dazzling shots. Not to be one upped, Day and Schwartzel were hot on Scott’s tail. In the end it would be Schwartzel finishing with four straight birdies to take the championship. Great stuff from Augusta this year; it surely was one of the best I’ve ever witnessed.

NBA: Top Teams Battle for Playoff Positioning.

Chicago 102 Orlando 99 - Chicago held on for a 3 point victory over Orlando and the win all but locked up the number one seed in the east for the Bulls. Derrick Rose also put the final touches on his MVP caliber season as he pasted the Magic for 39 points and five assists. The Magic were without their MVP candidate Dwight Howard who was suspended for this game due to receiving his 18th technical foul of the year.

Miami 100 Boston 77 - The Miami Heat finally beat the Boston Celtics and did it emphatically. Boston had previously owned the Heat this season as they pounded and punked them in their three previous meetings. This time Miami was having none of it. Lebron lead all scorers with 27 and he set the tone for Miami early. The Heat outrebounded the Celtics 42-26 and that was a season low for Boston. Miami was superb defensively as Dwayne Wade rejected Ray Allen on numerous occasions and closed out on his three point attempts. In what was likely a preview of the Eastern conference semifinals, this game was physical as the teams scuffled after a hard foul by Jermaine O’neal on Lebron James that led to some pushing and shoving under the basket. The playoff intensity showed but it was Miami taking control of the number two seed in the East.

OKC 120 L.A. Lakers 106 – This is the fifth straight loss for the two-time defending champions and it officially is a sign of panic in tinsletown. After beginning the post all-star break at 18-1, the Lakers lackadaisical play of late has them reeling. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook controlled the game and combined for 57 points as the Thunder won their fourth in a row and their first against the Lakers on the road since March 12, 2006. The Lakers looked sluggish out the gates but came on in the fourth quarter and took the lead but the Thunder would close the game out on a 16-2 run. Kobe Bryant finished with 31 points and Pau Gasol added another 26 but it would not be enough. The danger the Lakers now face is in the standings. The Lakers latest loss has them tied with Dallas in the standings and the surging Thunder are now only one game back for the number two seed in the West.

NHL: Nashville Predators nab the 5th seed in the West - The Preds have scratched and clawed their way to yet another playoff berth. For the sixth time in seven years, Nashville will be chasing Lord Stanley, this time as the 5th seed in the West. The Predators finished the season 14-4-3, moving from 11th going into a game on March 10 to their current position and clinched their playoff ticket with a win over Columbus this past Friday. Nashville will face the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the four vs. five match-up. It bodes well for the Preds as they have beaten the Ducks 3 out of 4 times this year. Nashville has been in this position before and knows it’s time to bring a playoff victory to music city. “For us, it’s the next step,” Nashville coach Barry Trotz said Sunday. “Sooner or later we’re going to break through that, and that’s been our goal since losing out last year is to take the next step. Hopefully, we’ll take it this year. From our standpoint, that’s our goal.” Hopefully this is the year that Smashville tastes some playoff success. Coach Trotz and the Predator faithful deserve it.

Lebron James Mother Arrested for Assualt



So Lebron James mother Gloria James was arrested this morning after an apparent incident at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. She was charged with assault but police haven’t giving out any other details about her arrest. This isn’t her first brush with the law either as she was arrested on DWI charges in Cleveland back in 2006.



The timing of Ms. James arrest comes a day after Lebron landed an historic partnership with the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group that gives James a minority stake in the soccer club Liverpool. This is the first time a athlete in the prime of his career has taking a ownership stake in a major professional team.


As for James’s mother, she was released early Thursday morning and further details should be coming soon. What does King James say to his mother in situation like this? I’m pretty sure his publicist will find a way to shield Lebron on this one anyway. One thing I do wonder is if Delonte West will be posting bail? He has a thing for Ms. James you know.

What do you guys think?

Heat vs. Knicks brings out the stars.

The Oscars wasn’t the only place filled with stars Sunday night. The New York Knicks vs. the Miami Heat made for a star-studded night in South Beach as well. The Heat with Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh always attract stars when ever they play. New York’s trade for Carmelo Anthony and combining him with Amar’e Stoudemire has made the Knicks one of the marquee franchises in the league once again. Before Carmelo and Stoudemire arrived, the only guaranteed celebrity that would in be the house was Knicks superfan Spike Lee (who of course was in attendance). The list of stars for this game include: Lil Wayne, Birdman, Fat Joe, Floyd Mayweather with his fiancé, Chad Ohcocinco with Evelyn of real basketball wives, Timberland, Michael Clarke Duncan, Venus Williams, Fat Joe and son,DJ Khaled, and even Omarosa showed up. They say Miami is a front-runner city and from the look of this game the reports may be right.

The game itself was a thriller as the Knicks came back from a 16 point deficit to stun Miami. Amare’e Stoudemire’s block in the final seconds sealed the win for the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony led New York with 29 points. Amar’e Stoudemire added 16 points and 10 rebounds. The big three of Miami was only the big two for this game as Lebron scored 27, Chris Bosh had 20 points and 12 rebounds but Dwayne Wade was limited to just 12 points. The Knicks forced 20 turnovers from the Heat in this possible playoff match-up.



Super Bowl Hangover

The Super Bowl hangover is now in full effect. We now have no football until at least August and quite possibly longer than that with looming NFL labor strife with the players union and the owners. What is a die-hard fan to do in the lulls of winter boredom? If you’re like most fans including myself, you will just turn your attention to the other major sports but the only thing in full swing is basketball. I am an avid basketball fan as well but regular season basketball just doesn’t tickle my fancy as much as a regular season football game. Of course, you are going to have your deep 3-pointers and high-flying dunks with animated commentators such as Marv Albert with his signature “Yes!” .Also in college basketball with Dickie V’s over the top bragging about any player he sees fit for his praise but it not enough for to fill football void. Basketball is my yang and football and is my ying. I’ve always followed both with die-hard status but it always hard to just change my viewing pleasure to mid-season basketball.




It makes it even harder when one person is dominating the headlines of the NBA as much as Carmelo Anthony is right now. So after countless trade rumors about Melo going to the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, am I suppose to believe that the Los Angeles Lakers have joined the discussion? So I guess now the NBA is in line for its version of super-teams that was ushered in by Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. I just wish he would land somewhere so every time I watch sportscenter I don’t have to hear about it anymore.



College basketball isn’t good until March although The Jimmer is making a case for me to watch a BYU game. I want to catch the latest outfit of one and done players Coach Cal has put together at Kentucky before its too late. North Carolina and Duke games are always good and are about the closest thing to hard hitting you will see in college basketball. But again, I can wait until March in most cases before I tune in for college basketball.



What about baseball you ask? Spring training is right around the corner. The Boston Red Sox have reloaded by adding two of the best young hitters in the game in Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. Philadelphia added ace Cliff Lee after he spurned offers from the Yanks and Texas. And speaking of the Yankees, now what are they going to do without Andy Pettitte? Baseball peaks my interest but again not enough for my football fix. For the life of me I cannot watch an entire nine inning game of baseball. I have tried and tried but I always end up doing one of the following: A.) Falling asleep B.) Hopping on the computer or C.) Flipping the channel after watching a guy foul off 10 pitches. It’s just not the same as seeing Troy Polamalu come off the edge for a blitz or Peyton Manning pump faking the defense for a bomb to Reggie Wayne.



As far as all the other so-called spring and summer sports (Tennis, Race-car driving, Golf etc.), none can come close to the action on the gridiron. For those of us who are die-hard football fans, nothing else can touch the pigskin. The worst Sportcenters are in the summer, tune in to one if you don’t believe me. I call this period of non-football the drought. I find myself sometime watching old college football games with players who are either in the league or doing something entirely different with their lives. I watch the NFL network games just to get a taste of what I’m missing even though I know who is going to win. The only good thing that comes from this is that it makes you tune back in to your regular life. You know like work, your family and the outdoors. One person who never complains when football season is over is my girlfriend, she says this is the only time she can get my attention and maybe she is right.



So in summarizing the only thing for us football fans can do is the things we did before football like enjoying the nice spring weather and our family and friends. That is until football returns.

NBA season tip-off

The NBA season gets underway tonight with two games featuring three of the prohibitive favorites going into this season.

The Miami Heat face-off with the defending Eastern conference champions Boston Celtics and the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers take on the Houston Rockets.

After an off-season in which they dominated the headlines with the free agent signings of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh; Miami finally gets the chance to state their case for the championship. I wasn’t at all thrilled with the choice of Lebron James and the whole “Taking my talents to South Beach” thing. It changed my view of James, who I thought was more of a Michael Jordan type leader. The decision to join forces with Wade and Bosh seems like an easy out for him. Everyone had something to say rather it be negative or positive with his choice. I’m not going to bash the guy for using his rights as a free agent to pick the team of his choice. But I will never view him as the fierce competitor on the level of Jordan, who took his team on his shoulders and carried them to multiple rings. I guess we all should have seen have as more of a Magic Johnson type player.

Boston has flown under the radar as much as a conference winner can. They did add Shaquille O’neal (not the big diesel anymore, more like the big unleaded.), Jermaine O’neal and Delonte West. Those additions will make them one of if the not the deepest team in the league. Their season will hinge on health issues of course as they are one of the oldest teams in the league. The big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen still have their say in the Eastern conference. They are like the old men in the neighborhood who still have enough fight in them to be a cause for concern. The most important player of the team now is Rajon Rondo. His play last year was elevated to an all-star level.This team could very well win the championship OR have multiple injuries and limp to the finish line with nothing.

In the second game of the doubleheader, The Los Angeles Lakers will face off with The Houston Rockets

The Lakers are looking for a three-peat following their championship run of last year. The biggest question mark for this team is the health of their leader Kobe Bryant and starting center Andrew Bynum. Bryant had off season knee surgery and the same goes for Bynum. Kobe was quoted as saying he thinks his knee is 75 -80% going into this season. Andrew Bynum on the other hand will be out until at least late November. The Lakers made some good off season pickups to pick up the slack with Matt Barnes, Steve Blake and Theo Ratliff. Even with Kobe not at 100% they should easily win the Western conference crown. I look for Pau Gasol , Derek Fisher and Ron Artest(as crazy as he is) to hold down the for fort until Kobe is back to 100% and Bynum is returns. A three-peat is likely as this team has the experience and talent to duplicate last year’s results.

The Houston Rockets are a team that hinges on the health (this is becoming redundant) of its big man Yao Ming. He looks to recover from a broken foot that has hindered him all of last year. Aaron Brooks took control of the team in his absence and the Rockets also traded for the sharp shooter Kevin Martin. Luis Scola had a nice tournament in the FIBA world championships, leading the tournament in scoring. This team has a lot of moving part but if it comes together and by that I mean in large part the health of Ming, they should be right in the thick of things for the Western conference.

The opening tip-off games are usually good match-ups and this year is no different. I look for Miami to pull out the victory over Boston and the Lakers to overmatch the Rockets. Enjoy the games, I know I will.

Jordan would have not won 6 rings in this era

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, his airness, flight 23, simply put  the greatest player to grace the court ever. In my opinion that is not up for debate, however I do question in this time and era would he be able to dominate opponents as he did that are just as athletic and some just as talented as he. Please don't get me wrong on this, its not an indictment on MJ. His on the court ferocity and tenacity is what most set him apart from his foes. No one stepped on the throats on his opponents like Jordan. He was going for the jugular in the second quarter of most games. I just believe that the competition in today's league would be much more fierce. Rather if you agree with me or not, I think we can all agree that the NBA's talent pool has been raised over the last decade, from the AAU circuit and the impact of international players. With likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, and Brandon Roy to name a few the league is as deep and talented as its ever been at the wing position. It also has its share of long and strong defenders like Ron Artest, Trevor Ariza, Thabo Sefolosha, and Shane Battier. Now I know Jordan would have his way with a few of these guys, but thats not all what I am debating. It would be harder facing this competition day in and day out.

For the sake of argument, lets take a look at the competition Jordan faced during his title reign. The names don't jump out at you: Alex English, Clyde Drexler, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, Dominique Wilkins, and Reggie Miller. I will say that those are Hall of Fame players, but would also argue that aren't capable of checking Jordan. In the six tittles that Jordan won these are the teams he faced in those finals: 1991 defeated LA Lakers with Byron Scott as main defender, 1992 defeated Portland Trail Blazers with an Danny Ainge and Cliff Robinson trying to defend, in 93 defeated the Phoenix Suns with Dan Majerle, Xavier McDaniel and Jeff Hornacek in platoon defense. That was MJ's first three year run. After that little baseball thing he came back for a second round of terror defeating Seattle in 96 being defended by Nate McMillan and Xavier McDaniel (again). His last two titles came against Utah and we all know they had no one to contain "His Airness".

Furthermore and to reiterate I am huge Micheal Jordan fan. I had his jersey, cards, shoes and anything else you can think of. Jordan changed the game in so many ways, from the style he implemented (baggy shorts anyone?) to his pitch man status for endorsements and to his charismatic personality and his determination and drive. If you put all of those things together you get a brand of its own, as Jordan proved. No one has been able to market themselves as well as Jordan then and arguably now. Only Lebron James comes close, and he didn't add many fans with the whole "Taking my talents to Miami" thing.

There is no doubt in my mind that MJ was the best player to ever play, there also no doubt in my mind that he came into the game in a perfect timing of sorts. His talent was above and beyond those who he played with in his generation. To his credit, none of that is his fault. He played that cards that were dealt to him to the fullest. But again, in this new generation of players that are just as athletic and skilled (although none are of the level of sheer will to win) as he was. He was the first of the new breed of wing player in the NBA.

What do you guys think? I know many will disagree with me on this one but i will debate with anyone on this subject? As a matter of fact I always say what if you put Kobe on the Bulls teams that MJ won his titles with? Do you think Kobe with those same teams would win as many rings as MJ? Always good to hear different views on that.