NBA Edition pt.2 05/28 by Sportaholic | Blog Talk Radio

NBA Edition pt.2 05/28 by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio

The Sportholic weighs in on the Lakers hiring of Mike Brown to replace Phil Jackson as their new head coach, is that a good move and what does Kobe really think about it? You don't want to miss my reaction to this one and also we breakdown. We also cover Dirk's resurgence and Oklahoma City (Or as some are saying Choklahoma) collapse. Lastly we take look at the possible matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Special Co-host Robert Snelling joins me for the discussion make sure to tune in for the best sports talk radio show on blog talk radio.

The Mid-Week Rundwon

I haven’t been able to write as much as I would have liked this week, due to me being in Memphis helping out family and friends affected by the flood. Remember to keep those victims of the Spring tornadoes and flooding in your prayers as they need your strength their this time of need.

Dallas Mavericks march on to NBA Finals: Dallas defeated the OKC Thunder 100-96 last night to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. Dallas got a dagger 3-point shot by Dirk Nowitzski with 1:14 left to cap a 14-4 run and to seal the series. The Mavs have been the surprise team in the NBA playoffs this year as they knocked off the two-time defending champs L.A and have been on a roll every since. The Thunder are a group of young dynamic players as evident by the exploits of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. In the end Dallas just had too much experience and as the young Thunder wilted under the pressure. The Thunder will be a team to be reckoned with in the future as this lost is only a growing pain that will make them better. Dirk has proved this entire post-season that he wants his ring and he wants it now. The time is now for the German assassin and the rest of the grizzled vets like Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. Congrats to Dallas for an outstanding post-season run thus far.

L.A Lakers hire Mike Brown to replace Phil Jackson: In a stunning turn of events, the Lakers brass has found their man for their coaching vacancy signing Mike Brown to a four-year $18 million dollar contract. Brown as you may remember was the coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Lebron years and had an overall record of 272-138 in five seasons that included two Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals trip. Brown was also the NBA coach of the year in 2009. My personal take on the signing of Brown is this: Although he is a defensive wizard (His teams were in the top 10 defensively 3 out of 5 years he coached), his offense scares me because it often was stagnated and went all points through Lebron. Granted, the Cavs really had no choice because Lebron was clearly the best option on every possession. I just hope he can be a little more creative now that he has more talent at his disposal. Also he has the reputation as a pushover in the locker room as seen by his treatment of James. Kobe will be a different animal to contain. You’re talking about a champion and an MVP who doesn’t care that father time has caught up with him. He will still try and take over a game if he feels it necessary. If Brown can somehow found a common ground with Bryant and show some flair on offense then he should be just fine. Lebron’s comments on the hire: Good move.

Local Sports News:

Vandy downs Georgia 10-0: The freshmen duo of T.J. Pecoraro and Kevin Ziomek shut down the Bulldog bats as the Commodores shut out Georgia to opener of the SEC Baseball tournament. The game was actually stopped thanks to the mercy rule that goes into effect when on team leads by 10 or more runs after seven innings. The only negative about the thumping on Georgia was that Pecoraro’s forearm which forced him out of the game in the fourth inning. In came Ziomek, and he was in trouble to start as he inherited a batter that he walked and walked another to load the bases. He would get out of the inning by striking out Curt Powell and Jay Delmonico and kept the 3-0 lead for the Dores. Vandy will now take on number one seeded South Carolina today at 7:30 pm make sure you tune in.

Nashville Sounds Update: Wednesday’s scheduled game between the Nashville Sounds and Tacoma Rainiers was rained out and will be made up as part of an 8 p.m. doubleheader on Thursday. The teams will play a pair of seven-inning games Thursday to close out their four-game series. Right-hander Amaury Rivas (3-3, 3.73) will start for Nashville in the opener and face Tacoma right-hander Blake Beavan (1-1, 5.76). Left-hander Sam Narron (2-1, 3.30) will pitch for the Sounds in the nightcap to square off against Rainiers right-hander Charlie Haeger, who will make his first appearance of the season.

Editor’s note: For more content make sure you go to www.noomizo.com/sports.com as I continue my partnership in covering the sports section for them. Feel free to make any comments in that section as well and I will surely respond.

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic | Blog Talk Radio

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio

Eastern Conference Game 2 Quick Observations:

                  Miami 85              Chicago 75

Miami finally defeated the Chicago this season after previously being 0-5 against them. Its wasn’t pretty as both teams struggled to put points on the board but Miami pulled away in the fourth thanks to Lebron James. Miami played with the intensity and heart of a champion last night and the Bulls who had all the energy and extra pep in their step in game 1 couldn’t respond.

Here are a few quick notes on last night’s thriller:

 Udonis Haslem asserted himself as the potential X-factor of the series for Miami. As good as Taj Gibson played for the Bulls in game one, Haslem was even better for Miami in game 2. His contribution of 13 points, 5 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block was more than enough to get the Heat over the hump against the Bulls. He is the type of player who doesn’t need to ball to be effective. Every team needs a player like Haslem, who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work the superstars won’t do. His toughness has sorely been missed by Miami this year and if he continues to play at this level, it will be hard for the Bulls to win the series.

 Chicago only shot 34.1 percent and were outrebounded 45-41 by Miami for the first time in five meetings this year. The Bulls usually pound Miami on the offensive glass and it leads to second chance points but Miami finally came to rebound and thus were able to take home court from Chicago.

 MVP Derrick Rose wasn’t on top of his game. He scored 21 points on 7 of 23 shooting (only 2 points in the fourth quarter) and was fell victim to a couple of dunkface dunks by Haslem and of all people Jamaal Malgoire. Rose has to the offensive star that he is in order for Chicago to be able to win. He is only player the Bulls have that can create his own shot and even with Miami double teaming him and trapping his every move, he has to find a way to rise above and show why he was voted the most valuable player this year.

 When two teams are as evenly matched as these two are its all about the hustle, energy and effort. Chicago usually dominates most teams in that department as they did in game 1 against Miami. However game 2 was a totally different story as Haslem led a determined effort for the Heat. Miami was the team that was beating Chicago for loose balls and seemed to win every “50-50” play. Lebron even got in on the action as hit the deck a few times and battled the gritty Bulls for possession of the ball.

 So much has been made about how Lebron doesn’t have that clutch gene (as ESPN’s Skip Bayless so eloquently put it). Lebron nearly outscored the Bulls himself in the fourth quarter as he had 9 point to the Bulls 10. James broke opened the 73-73 tie as he made a tough 3-pointer and another tough shot over Derrick Rose. James fueled Miami’s 12-2 that sealed the game for them. I can remember watching and saying one of the three superstars on the court has to take over rather it be Derrick Rose, Lebron James, or Dwayne Wade (sorry Chris Bosh). It was James and this is the exact reason and moments that he was the most coveted free agent in basketball history. If these games continue to be tough grind it out types that always come down to the fourth quarter (as they should), it will be up to James, Wade, or Rose to finish off the other team. On this night it just happened to be King James getting his due.

Above all else it was highly entertaining game. Miami can now breathe easier as they finally beat Chicago and go back to South Beach tied 1-1. This series will only get more intense as both teams rest up and make adjustments. Next game is this Wednesday night and I can’t wait.

Meet Jake Locker: The Anti-Vince Young

It was only 5 years ago that a highly touted QB from Texas was selected by Tennessee with the third pick in the 2006 NFL draft. At the time, the writing was on the wall for starter Steve McNair (RIP). Injuries and age began to curtail one of the toughest QBs ever. The heir apparent to the Titans QB throne was the scintillating Vince Young. Young was coming off an epic MVP performance in the National Championship/Rose Bowl game that saw him grow into a folk legend in Texas. Young just went bonkers on USC going off for 467 total yards including 19 rushes for 200 yards and went 30 of 40 for 267 yards thru the air. His Rose bowl performance was the icing on cake to one of the greatest college careers ever. Young was 2nd to Reggie Bush in the Heisman trophy voting his senior year and had set numerous NCAA records as he jumped early to the NFL. Titans owner Bud Adams with his Texas ties was captivated by the potential he saw and hand selected Young to replace what most would say was the best Titans QB ever.

As a result of his heroic season and career at the University of Texas, Young was seen as a revolutionary at his position of QB. Never before had the NFL seen such a hybrid mix of athleticism and throwing ability. NFL execs questioned his mechanics but a most thought he would eventually develop into an all-pro in the league someday. Young’s rookie season proved his pundits wrong as he would go on to win Rookie of the Year. Young set the NFL record for rushing yards by a QB finishing with 552 yards and would be named to his 1st Pro Bowl.

Young’s career with the Titans from that point would be considered up and down at best. To illustrate Young’s high and lows take a look at the chart below:

• He was benched for the first exhibition game in 2007 by Head Coach Jeff Fisher after he broke one of the team rules.

• Young led the Titans to a 10-6 record in 2007 and to their first playoff appearance since 2004

• In the first game of the 2008 season Young would injury his knee and refuse to go back into the game after being booed by the home crowd at LP field

• The on field incident would lead to a suicidal episode that Young denies but according to his mother was somewhat true.

• Kerry Collins would be named the starter for the remainder of the 2008 season and he led the Titans to a 13-3 record and the AFC divisional round in the playoffs.

• Young would reclaim his starting job in 2009 after the Titans started a dismal 0-6.

• He led a stunning comeback against the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals that cemented his status as the starting QB.

• He started the 2010 season with a 103.1 QB rating through 7 games, second only to Michael Vick.

• In week 11 of 2010 Young was booed again against the Washington Redskins for under performing and would injure his thumb on a throw, resulting in a season ending torn flexor tendon. Young became visibly upset with the coaching staff and trainers after they would not allow him to re-enter the game

• Young would respond by: antagonizing the crowd, throwing his helmet and shoulder pads into the stands, walking past reporters and brushing off a teammate who tried to talk to him before he left the stadium.

• Young would also storm out of the locker room during Jeff Fisher’s post-game speech, reportedly saying he was quitting on Fisher.

The last chapter of events effectively ended the Vince Young experience in Tennessee. The franchise has said it will depart with the 3rd pick of the 2006 draft after and it also fired head coach Jeff Fisher. Young and Fisher never were on the same page and it’s a shame because the relationship never reached a level of trust for either. The two were intertwined even if they didn’t like each other and their mistrust and miscommunication led to both being ousted in Tennessee. Young always seemed to lack accountability, consistency, and the leadership skills needed to succeed in the NFL. By the end of his term with Tennessee, most had labeled him a thin-skinned, injury prone, disinterested, and unstable player. What a turnaround in opinions from when Young was first drafted.





Now enter Jake Locker and newly minted head coach Mike Munchak. Just as Fisher and Young will be forever connected, so will Locker and Munchak. The Titans were said to be enamored with former Washington Huskies’ QB and took him with the eighth pick of the 2011 NFL draft. Locker was the projected top pick in 2010 had he skipped his senior season at Washington. Locker was the most polarizing player in the 2011 NFL draft. His draft stock plummeted his senior year due his regression in passing accuracy. His completion percentage dove from 58.2% as a junior to a disappointing 55.4% as a senior. He had a miserable performance on the national stage against the Nebraska Cornhuskers going 4 of 20 in the blowout loss. Locker would recover from the lackluster performance and lead the Huskies to the Holliday Bowl.

As Locker prepared for the draft, opinions on his NFL potential varied from extremely good to extremely bad. He spent most of pre-draft process working with ex-NFL QB Ken O’Brien on his mechanics and throwing motion. Many questioned his physical reckless abandon style of play as many of his highlights were him running over DBs instead throwing touchdown passes to receivers. Locker was often injured because of his style of play but it also gave him the label of being tough, a word that never associated with Young. And as much as critics criticized Locker’s mechanics and accuracy, most marveled at the intangibles he brought to his team. The one thing that can not be measured at the combine is what makes a player tick on the inside. Former coaches and teammates all raved at the leadership and resiliency that Locker played with. Again these are two things that were never associated with Young. Locker mental make-up seems to be what GM Mike Reinfeldt and Coach Mike Munchak liked best about him.

Furthermore, it seems Tennessee wanted to distance itself away from the Vince Young era as much as possible. The franchise wants to do it so bad that they drafted the exact opposite person in terms of mental construction. Locker in many ways is the anti-Young .He symbolizes everything that Young wasn’t as a tough, hardworking, and leader of men. Young is a great athlete there is no denying that but as it has been proven in the NFL, it takes more than that to cut it as a QB. Young was a celebrated star at Texas who compiled a record of 30-2 and won a national championship. Locker went through a 0-12 season and his teams never contended for the Pac-10 title much less a national title. The more you compare the two, the more you see differences in each other. Locker did not have the success of Young in college but that isn’t such a bad thing all things considered. It might actually turn out to be good that Locker had to face adversity as he will surely face plenty of it in the NFL.

One thing is clear here, the Titans needed a clean slate to start off a new era of Tennessee football. They needed to get someone who was in no shape, form, or fashion what they were trying to get away from. For everything that Young was, Locker appears not to be. Both men are supremely talented athletes but that seems to be the only things they have in common. The Titans took a gamble on guy that they trust to lead the franchise for the future. They may have reached in taking Locker at eight in the draft but they have set the course for a change in philosophy and culture within the locker room. No more VY or Jeff Fisher to blame as the scapegoat. This will be a different team that will hopefully reflect its tenacious former offensive linemen coach Munchak and the toughness and assiduous of its new QB in Locker.

In closing, I believe the Titans selected Locker with the reason of him being the exact antithetical person Young was. The Titans now have a person of strong character that won’t t be distracted every time he is booed or needs to go on suicidal watch after a bad game. Young and Locker’s physical attributes are similar but mentally these two couldn’t be further opposite from one another and that’s exactly what the Titans front-office had in mind. To all Titans fans, meet your future starting QB Jake Locker, the anti-Vince Young.

The Weekend Run-down May 16, 2011

The NBA and NHL playoffs took center stage this weekend as both leagues are now in the conference finals. In the NBA, one of the most anticipated match-ups of the playoffs turned into a laugher as Chicago behind its stifling defense and a couple of monster dunks by Taj Gibson of all people took game 1 from Miami and its big 3 of James, Wade, and Bosh. Memphis tried its best but finally lost their Cinderella slipper as OKC eliminated them in game 7 of the Western semi-finals. The “Believe Memphis’ campaign comes to a bittersweet end as the Grizzlies enjoyed their best season ever and look to have a bright future ahead of them.

In the NHL, Vancouver rallied late to push past the San Jose Sharks, to take the first game of their series. San Jose’s penchant for blowing leads was never more evident then in this game, but more of that later. The Boston Red Sox demise has been greatly exaggerated as they swept the New York Yankess and finally get back to .500. On top of getting swept, the Yankees are dealing with Jorge Posada’s refusal to go into the game after being placed at the 9 spot in Joe Giradi’s lineup card. A circus has ensued as the ageing Posada and his wife took to social media (which never makes anything better) to vent their frustration. Just another day in Yankee land right?

Now for the rundown:

NBA:

Eastern Conference Finals Game 1: Chicago 103 Miami 82 – The Bulls came out and made this one a street fight. Chicago doesn’t have the glitz and glamour of three of the games superstars but they proved that they will be a tough match for Miami. MVP Derrick Rose scored 28 points and Luol Deng chipped in 21 as for Chicago. The Bulls vaunted Tom Thibodeau defense held Lebron James and Dwayne Wade to just 33 points combined. The Bulls just outhustled Miami all over the floor as they dove for loose balls and boxed out Miami on multiple occasions. The isolation plays Miami ran with so much precision and efficiency against Boston were met with double teams as Joakim Noah packed the paint and didn’t allow James and Wade to attack the basket. This is the blueprint for Chicago. Miami may have the stars but Chicago has the depth and will look to wear down the Heat. So far so good as they take game 1 and look to carry their momentum into game 2 Wednesday.

Western Conference Semi-Finals Game 7: OKC 105 Memphis 90 – Kevin Durant was mad at himself for letting his team down in game 6 and came out took it to the Grizzlies in game 7. Durant scored 39 as he saved his best game of the series for the most important one. Durant’s Dr.Jerkyll-Mr.Hyde sidekick Russell Westbrook also turned in his best performance as he notched his first postseason triple double with 14 points 10 rebounds and a season high 14 assists. You never know what you will get from Westbrook but when he plays under control like this, he makes the Thunder as good as any team in the league. The Grizzlies battled but an 18 for 23 stretch that extended from the first quarter to the second quarter all but doomed their chances. Mike Conley scored 18 to lead Memphis and would cut the Thunder’s lead to 52-49 on a 3-pointer in the third. That would be as close as Memphis got as Durant got hot again as he scored eight points in a 14-2 run for OKC that all but sealed it up for the Thunder. Oklahoma City now will face Dallas in the Western Conference Finals. Memphis fades off into the sunset but they had their most successful season ever. They return 20 point a game scorer Rudy Gay and now have fan support that hasn’t been there for years in Memphis. Things are looking up and as long as they can sustain their success, things will only get better for the Grizzlies. Congrats on a great season Memphis.

NHL:

Western Conference Finals Game 1: Vancouver 3 San Jose 2 – When your making your first conference finals appearance in 17 years, your not going to let a little 2-1 deficit hold you back right? The Canucks scored two goals in the third to take game 1 of the Western Finals. This continues an ugly trend for San Jose. They have blown three leads in these playoffs when leading in the third period of the game. Vancouver capitalized in the final period as Henrik Sedin set up Kevin Bieksa’s tying goal and Bieska would score the winning goal as well. San Jose looked a bit sluggish at times which was understandable after their emotional game 7 win over Detroit. Anitti Niemi kept San Jose in the game as he stopped 35 of 38 shots but it wasn’t enough. Game 2 is Wednesday in Vancouver and I’m sure San Jose will respond with more rest under their belts.

MLB:

Boston Sweeps New York – The Boston Red Sox were suppose to win over 100 games this year, run roughshod over the American league and meet the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Armed with the acquisitions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez this is what you were told to believe coming into this season. However things started out rough, as a matter of fact very rough for the Sox. After starting out a major league worst 3-10 after, the Sox have slowly crept back up the standings.

They completed their sweep of the hated Yankees last night as Jon Lester pitched 6 innings and struck out 7. New York now is the team struggling as they have lost 5 in a row and have a drama developing in the club house with Jorge Posada. Posada went out of his way to apologize but the damage has already been done to his reputation. He refused to go into the game after being dropped to 9th in the lineup but what can you expect after hitting just .165? New York’s defense has also abandoned them as they now have made 13 errors in 10 games. A-Rod allowed a ball roll to through five hole in the seventh and it stretch the Red Sox lead to 6-4. Jonathon Papelbon came in and got the save the in the ninth to preserve the sweep.

The Sportaholic Show Online Radio by Sportaholic

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio

The Sportaholic show Online Radio by Sportaholic Blog Talk Radio
Updated May 13, 2011: Tomorrow is the first show, make sure you tune in. This weeks's show includes NBA playoff matchups Chicago vs. Miami and new Tennessee QB Jake Locker is he the anti-Vince Young?

I would like to invite all my viewers to join me in the conversation as I launch the Sportaholic Radio Show. Sports is one thing in life that can be fun for all. Each day we go through the motions of life and try to keep sane while facing our everyday challanges.Sports is the one constant many of us have in our lives. In the inaugural Sportaholic radio show, I would like to address the effect sports has one's life. Most people who played team sports at one time or another in their life, know the benefits they've received of being part of a team with one united goal. This along with the NBA Playoffs, NFL Lockout and local sports topics will all be chronicled on the debut show of Sportaholic radio. Be sure also check me out at http://www.sportaholic2112.blogspot.com and http://www.noomizo.com/sports. The initial show date will be held on Saturday, May 14th at 11:30 A.M. All opioions are welcomed, so get ready for a good laugh or two and an even better time. If you would like to call in and let your voice be heard on the weeks hottest sports topics, the number is 714-464-5225. Thanks Nashville for all your continued support.