Kenny Britt gets arressted...... again

Well, Kenny you really have done it this time. While the entire sports world was busy wondering what’s wrong with Lebron, Britt was busy getting busted for the second time this year. Police in New Jersey say he was charged with resisting arrest after officers suspected he was carrying marijuana and tried to handcuff him in a New Jersey car wash this past Wednesday. This latest event came the day after he appeared in court for another resisting arrest traffic charge. This is what NFL coaches were afraid would happen with certain players as the lockout continues. Britt is becoming a head case following in the footsteps of former Titans greatest head case of them all, Adam “Pac Man” Jones. Jones pattern of behavior seemed more sinister than Britt’s, but he is developing his own recurring pattern that does not bode well for a guy the Titans thought was verge of becoming a star.

Britt’s first arrest was bad enough as he was ticketed for speeding, driving his Porsche 71 mph in a 55 mph zone and to top things off, he led authorities on a high speed chase. Stupidity like this makes you question how smart of an individual is this guy in the first place. This arrest came the day after a court appearance and you mean to tell me he is just casually walking around smoking weed? Come on Kenny you have got to do better. Britt has had several police involved incidents including being arrested last year for outstanding traffic tickets and was accused of not paying a bail bond he helped a friend secure and an alleged scuffle at a local Nashville night club. If I'm in Tennessee's front office I won't this guy as far as possible away from New Jersey because that where it seems Britt tends to lose his mind.

I remember seeing Britt’s record breaking performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last season when he caught 7 passes for 225 yards and saying to myself “This guy is going to be a beast”. He was the receiver the Titans have been missing in their offense since they came to Tennessee. Britt along with newly drafted QB Jake Locker and Chris Johnson were suppose to be the pillars of the offense for future of the Titans, but now Britt may be in limbo. Nashville, for all my readers who have never been here, is a small woven country community. Nashville is not use to having a scandal ridden athlete although we did get a crash course in that department thanks to Pac Man Jones.The local city media doesn’t have a lot to talk about other than its country music stars so when an athlete gives them a chance to get an exclusive for being arrested, it’s going to be major news here. If you don’t believe me just ask my old pal Vince Young.

Britt has to get his act together. While all the other Titan players have kept their nose clean during the lockout, Britt has become a head ache for the new coaching staff.New Head Coach Mike Munchak was quoted as saying Unfortunately, he’s had a few things that’ve come up for him in the offseason,” That’s something we’ll deal with when he comes in.” In other words that means that some type of discipline is coming Britt’s way as soon as the labor strife between the players and owners is over. Britt is an amazing talent this has the potential to become one of the better receivers in all of football. He has made bad decisions which we all have before so no one can judge him. But when you’re in the enviable position of being a highly paid athlete, you have to set yourself to higher standards. Britt is only 22 years old and obviously has some growing up to do but he better do it fast. I have a feeling the commish is going to chime in on Mr. Britt summer adventures as well.



Editors Note: There will be no Sportaholic Radio Show this weekend, as I will be traveling out of town to catch up with some family. Since I won't be able to able to post this weekend, I was interested in having someone come in and do some guest blogging for me. If your interested, shoot me an e-mail or drop a comment and we can work something out. Everyone have a nice and peaceful weekend.

Is the Ohio State Scandal Really Terrelle Pryor’s Entire Fault?

The Ohio State University is up to its teeth in scandal, as news of the ill fated football program has rocked one of the nation’s most prestigious college’s in the country. The coach Jim Tressel has been fired and starting QB Terrelle Pryor now has former attached to his title as he has announced that he will be leaving the program as well. Now the scandal itself has been well documented by numerous outlets you would have to be basically dead not to know what been going on in Columbus. Just in case you don’t know Pryor, along with several other OSU players have been trading memorabilia for tattoos, cash and everything else. This story was first uncovered by Yahoo and then blew completely open by Sports Illustrated. Pryor was the most celebrated Pryor since a funny guy name Richard but has now been disgraced as he has quit the team in hopes to somehow get in the NFL supplemental draft or play in Canada until next year.

Pryor was seen as the most audacious of all the players who got caught, so of course he becomes the whipping boy in all of this. But I pose the question to whoever is reading this, is Pryor the man that should be blamed for all of this? Granted he seemed to have taken the most and flaunted it more than any of the other players but just think about if you were in his position. He was the starting QB for the powerhouse Buckeyes. When Pryor looked in the stands of the Horseshoe, all he could see was his number two jerseys on fans backs. He receives no compensation for any of those jersey sells. He looks on the internet and notices that Ohio State’s football program made an estimated $63.8 million dollars last year and again he didn’t receive a nickel of that.

I know the cynics reading this are screaming at the top of their lungs that he received a scholarship with room and board and blah blah blah but that’s nothing compared to what his likeness is making for his school. It’s not even close. The modern day five-star recruited athlete sees a scholarship as nothing more than a given commodity. Not to devalue a free ride but top notch athletes field hundreds of offers from every school looking for the next great player. The school that is lucky enough to land a top recruit will make oodles of cash off his back so its no wonder recruiting is such a corrupt operation to begin with.

The culture of money and athletics go hand and hand. From the highest level athletic director to the lowest level street agent thug knows this. I’ve read over countless stories of older coaches giving players special “handshakes” and mowing lawns for exceptional amounts of money. Another aspect that goes unnoticed is the hip hop influence that infiltrates most every young athlete in America. It teaches that receiving money should be over anything and everybody. Pick a song from rap icons and you are sure to hear about money such as Lil Wayne’s “Got Money”, Kanye West “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” or 50 cents “I Get Money”. The major artists of hip-hop all showcase their jewelry and expensive cars because its just part of the culture. Does this sound like anybody we know here? The perception of hip-hip is to show off and show out whenever you get a chance and Pryor definitely seemed to live up that aspect of the music.

We can’t forget Jim Tressel as well in this situation as he cultivated this kind of pay for play atmosphere. As indicated in the Sports Illustrated story, this is not Tressel’s first rodeo. He was investigated at Youngstown State after another alleged scandal involving his star QB at the time by the name of Ray Isaac. Tressel projects himself as a high value devoted Christian man but if you read a few stories about him you will come to the conclusion that he most definitely has an alter ego. To win in big time college athletics it takes a certain type of demeanor. You rarely see choir boys leading teams out the tunnel, its usually fiery guys with intense personalities a la Urban Meyer. Tressel’s outside demeanor may not have fit that scene but he has a deep down fortitude of competition in him. It’s that very reason that Tressel may have let the type things that went on at OSU to continue. There is no way he couldn’t have known 28 or more players as named by Sports Illustrated were receiving benefits especially the tattoos. He saw his player everyday you mean to tell me he didn’t notice all of great new body art they were flashing? Give me a break.

Furthermore, if you take a look at college athletics around the nation, you would think you were reading a national enquirer. Scandals have broken out like chicken pox in a kindergarten class. Tennessee, North Carolina, USC, Uconn, Auburn, and even Boise State have all received that dreaded letter from the NCAA. No one wants to say it but college athletics are totally screwed up at this point. The little things you could get away with yesteryear will be on someone’s twitter, facebook, skype, or some forum on the internet nowadays. Hell look at what has just happened to Texas as former star QB Colt McCoy’s girlfriend decided to do a little radio interview and she eluded to some things that I’m pretty sure Mack Brown and co would have liked to keep quiet. The NCAA has stated that they would like to get tougher in light of all allegations that are coming at them left at right but from what I understand they are terribly understaffed. Its like fighting a fight with one hand tied behind your back.

In conclusion, like I stated earlier in the article it was 28 players in all indicated in the report. Terelle Pryor is only one man, by reading a few articles on the internet you would think he accounted for every one of the 28 in question. I’m not an apologist on Pryor behalf I’ve just read so many negative columns about him and it somewhat angered me, on how quickly those praising you can stick a dagger in you all in the same breath. Pryor was absolutely wrong in which the manner he conducted himself. He took outlandish gifts, he drove cars that weren’t his, and he put OSU on a downward spiral that has no ending in site. He has to take most of the blame because he was the highest profiled of all the players indicated in the report. Sorry to say it, but that just how it goes when you’re the best player. But don’t give me that it’s HIS ENTIRE fault. He is a teenager in the precarious position of being the most popular athlete in town. He wasn’t doing all these things by himself. He had manipulative grown men doing these things for him. So again I ask the question was it really all Terrelle Pryor’s fault? I think not

Who Didn't See This Coming?: Mike Hamilton Steps Down As University of Tennessee’s AD:



The news of Mike Hamilton stepping down as UT’s AD should really not come as a surprise to those who closely monitored the situation. His tenure as AD was the most tumultuous in Tennessee’s long and storied athletic department history. He oversaw three coaching changes in Tennessee’s usually stable football program including the firing of UT legend Phil Fulmer and the hiring of Lane Kiffin (Kiffin is a curse word around these parts). Kiffin replaced Fulmer and everyone knows how that one ended. Derek Dooley is still working to get the Kiffin’s stench out of Knoxville. Hamilton also hired and fired former men’s beloved basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl was Hamilton’s best hire until Pearl’s scandal and allegations led to his eventual firing amid a media firestorm. Tennessee has been charged with 12 major violations since Hamilton has taken over in 2003. There were multiple player suspensions from the likes of fighting, robbery, drug charges, gun charges and many more. Now all of this wasn’t his fault, as it was the coaches’ job to control their players. But Hamilton DID hire those coaches who were take care of that side for him. He has always been accustomed to change as AD of Tennessee, because it was the one constant he has dealt with while serving.

Furthermore, Hamilton hasn’t had the support base of the Tennessee family for some time now. His handling of the Fulmer and Pearl situation left many doubters. He always seemed a step behind when it came to having the right amount of fortitude and leniency on his coaches. Kiffin was able to get away with many violations right under Hamilton’s nose and the same can be said about Pearl. Those two were direct hires of Hamilton’s. Just listen in to one the sports shows in town and when someone mentions Hamilton the conversation immediately takes a downward spiral. There are websites dedicated to Hamilton titled “FireHamilton.com” and some other ones I can’t even mention due to vulgar language. He will join the long list of coaches who were bought out by UT including Fulmer, Pearl, former baseball coach Todd Raleigh. The sum of those parts are costing the University $3.1 million dollars annually and when you throw in Hamilton’s projected buy out at $1.3 million, your looking at a staggering amount of money for guys who are not on the sidelines.

It will be interesting to see what Hamilton’s legacy is remembered for at UT. He did hire the most successful men’s basketball coach in the school’s history in Pearl. He did fire one of the most loved coaches in UT history as well in Phil Fulmer. The school was always in the media rather it is for the right or wrong things. He wasn’t the most well like man but he had the have support of the right people at UT and that has to be one of the reasons he kept his job as long as he did. Chancellor Jimmy Cheek had to know inevitably this day was coming soon. From what he said in the press conference lets you know as much as he stated he did not force Hamilton out BUT DID NOT TRY TO CONVINCE HIM TO STAY EITHER. Wow, that about sums it up best. No one in Tennessee wanted to force him out but now that he is gone most of the Tennessee faithful are breathing a sigh of relief.

The Weekend Run-down June 6, 2011

It was another wild weekend in sports. The French Open crowned a new champion and first ever Asian winner on the women’s side in Li Na. The men’s side was more of the same as Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer for his 6th French title. The NBA Finals continue to roll on as Miami pulled out a close win with a questionable call. Vancouver took a 2-0 lead against the Boston Bruins thanks to a guy who many think shouldn’t even be playing. And in local news, Vanderbilt defeats Belmont in a game of hometown favorites to advance to the college baseball super regional.

Let’s jump right into it:

Women’s French Final: Li Na and Rafael Nadal win the French Open: Li Na made history as she became the first major winner, man or woman, from Asia. The country of 1.3 billion hasn’t fully embraced the game of tennis yet but maybe this will generate some buzz as Na looks to be at the top of the game now. She defeated defending champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6(0). Na admitted on Twitter how nervous she was but said she never showed her opponent. Its great to see history made and Na will rise to no.4 in the next WTA rankings as career looks to continue rising. The French may not yet be use to giving her the winner’s trophy as they mistakenly gave Na the winner’s up hardware instead. When you make history people have get accustomed to something new but more than likely it was just a simple mistake.

Men’s French Final: Rafa and Roger treated us to yet another great finals match-up. Both seemed to struggle just to make it here but they both showed us why they are considered two of the best to ever play the game. Federer came out and set the tone for the match as he hit a number of his signature forehands. Federer would lose steam though as he had a drop shot that went just wide. Rafa would take over from there displaying his defensive style of tennis and would go on to take the match 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1. The win gives Nadal his 10th major championship and his numbers at Roland Garros are just astonishing. He is 45-1 all-time on clay and his latest major performance against Federer makes him 6-2 against him in major finals. He now is creeping into the talk of greatest ever and at age 25 he should have a lot left in the tank to take a run at Federer’s all-time major wins mark of 16.

NBA Finals:

Miami 88 Dallas 86: The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks 88-86 to take a 2-1 game lead in the final series of the NBA season. Dwayne Wade was the difference make in this one as he torched the Mavs for 29 points and 11 rebounds. He dominated early as he scored 19 points in the first half as Dallas could do nothing to prevent the ultra quick Wade from getting to the basket. Miami would take a big lead down the stretch just as they did in game 2 and Dirk would take over for the Mavs again. He would score 12 straight Dallas points to get them tied at 86. The much maligned and Dallas native Chris Bosh broke the tie as he swished a 16 footer with seconds left to play. Nowitzki would have a couple chances for the tie and the win but couldn’t break the steady defense of Miami’s Udonis Haslem.

If the Mavericks are going to win this series, they will have to get Dirk more help. He scored 34 but his next three closet teammates combined for the same amount. Dirk also had his faults in this game as couldn’t get off the screen that allowed Haslem to put a hand in his face and he had a chance to pass to an open Jason Terry but he didn’t and I can’t say that I blame him. Mario Chalmers was also credited on a shot that clearly should not have counted but none of that is here nor there at this time. Fact of the matter is that the winner of game 3 in a Finals series that was tied 1-1 has gone on to win every series in history. Dallas again has their backs against the wall, what will they do Tuesday night?

Stanley Cup Finals:

Vancouver 3 Boston 2 Vancouver leads 2-0: This was just a crazy game from start to finish. Alex Burrows aka biter x thoroughly dominated as he had a hand in all of the Canucks scoring finishing with 2 goals and 1 assist. Burrows, as you know was accused of biting the Bruins Patrice Bergeron who had to be restrained afterwards. Maybe the Bruins should have made sure he was suspended because he just ran through Boston’s defense all night long. Burrows scored on a power play in the first period and helped tie the game midway through the third with an assist to Daniel Sedin. Burrows would cap his busy night by scoring 11 seconds into overtime to give Vancouver the win. Boston now goes home in a two game hole but this not an unfamiliar position for the Bruins as they came back to beat Montreal after dropping the first two homes games of the series. The Bruins played physically again against the Canucks but Burrows was the difference as his speed and precision has been too much for them. Even top defensemen Zdeno Charo has had a problem with the speedster Burrows. Ironically Vancouver hasn’t lost since they were defeated by Nashville on May 7th. I think we lost the game ourselves,” Boston forward David Krejci(notes) said. “Obviously they played well, but we had the game in our hands and we just gave it away.”

The two teams next face each other tonight at 8:00 pm eastern time. Make sure to tune in.

Vandy defeats Belmont to advance to Super Regionals: Vandy got a career high 13 strikeout performance from Taylor Hill as they defeated Belmont 6-1. After beating Troy 10-2 and Belmont 10-0 earlier all the Commodores had to do was beat the Bruins one more time to advance. They had the warm embrace of Hawkins field and Coach Tim Corbin made sure he stayed on top of things. Jason Esposito was named regional MVP as he had three hits with one home run. The win puts Vandy within two victories of their first College World Series, which frankly is hard to believe with all of the success the program has enjoyed over the last few years. A lot of credit has to be given also to the scrappy Belmont Bruins. They faced the tall task of having to win two of three games against regular-season champion and 17th-ranked Stetson to grab the sixth and final spot in the tournament of the Atlantic Sun. As for Vandy, they will face Oregon State as the host but the date and time has yet to be determined. Make sure to go out and support the Commodores.



Hopefully everyone enjoyed there weekend and now unfortunately back to work. At least we sports fans have a week of NBA Finals, Stanley cup finals, and baseball to look forward to. Also Plaxico Burress was released today it will be interesting to see where he lands whenever the lockout ends. Hope everyone has a great week.

Farewell to "The Diesel", "Shaq Fu", "The Big Daddy", "Superman", "The Big Agave", "The Big Cactus", "The Big Shaqtus", "The Big Galactus", "Wilt Chamberneezy", "The Big Baryshnikov", "The Real Deal", "Dr. Shaq" "The Big Shamrock", "The Big Leprechaun", and "Shaqovic."

Say anything you want to about Shaquille O’Neal but, you can’t say that he wasn’t one of the funniest players ever to grace the NBA court. You could always count on a quote from whatever moniker he was going by at time and he would say it in his often inaudible monotone voice. Shaq’s personality nearly overshadowed his game, which is saying a lot for a guy who dominated in a way the league hadn’t seen since the great Wilt Chamberlain roamed the court. Shaq was an immovable force who put up 28,596 points, gobbled up 13,099 rebounds, batted down 2,732 shots and broke numerous backboards. He used his power and surprising agility to overwhelm opponents. O’Neal is firmly entrenched as one of the best centers ever thanks to those talents but it was his off court persona that most will miss.

Shaq’s lovable character made him an easy marketable player as he went on to star in such (bad) movies as Blue Chips, Kazaam, and Man of Steel. He had his own Kung-Fu video game titled “Shaq-Fu” and even his rap group “Fu Schnickens”. Shaq and Kobe’s memorable feud will always be a touchy subject for most because you were either for one or the other, no in-between. For me personally as a Laker fan, I will always be disappointed with the way things played themselves out with those two because they could have continued to win championships if it wasn’t for their ego infused dislike for each other. But that’s just the way it goes for Shaq. (So I guess its safe to say Kobe won the battle of the rings with 5 and Shaq retiring with 4.) 

The Shaq train made stops in Orlando, L.A., Miami, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Boston and he took each city for a ride each time. Yes, his career probably went a few seasons too long and fizzled out in the end and maybe it wasn't the best idea to pair him with Steve Nash in the Phoenix (Great idea Steve Kerr) but no one will remember those parts of his career. His legacy will always be that of gentle giant who was a physical specimen to behold but had a heart as soft as a marshmallow.

O”neal had some many funny encounters its hard to remember every one of them. Who can forget his memorable entrance in the 2009 All-Star game with the Jabbawockeez dance crew? How about his infamous “Tell me how my ass tastes” song he performed in a Miani night club to mock Kobe after winning a championship with the Heat. And who can forget him referring to the Sacramento Kings as the Queens, or calling Erick Damipier Erica Dampier (That was funny I must say). Shaq has never been short for words as you can see and it made him into one of the giants of the game both physically and mentally.

Happy trails to the big fella, I’m sure he will try his hand at movies, reality TV and law enforcement as he always reiterated he would do when his career was over. But none of that will take the place of actually hearing Shaq in the heat of moment interviews. That is where he was at his best. Shaq was more than a basketball player, he was an entertainer. He will add one more title to his laundry list of names, that is Hall of Famer and that’s the best one of all.

2011 NBA Finals Breakdown and Prediction

While most people are still picking Bar-b-que out their teeth this morning, the Miami Heat prepare to do battle with the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA title. This is the second time for both teams making the NBA finals and ironically enough the last time both made it they faced each other in 2006. A lot has changed since that time but a lot has stayed the same as well. Franchise cornerstones Dwayne Wade and Dirk Nowitzki still play for their respective franchise’s as does to key role players in Udonis Haslem and Jason Terry. Everyone else will be new to championship party including the King himself Lebron James and Chirs “Bosh Spice” Bosh.

The match-ups in this series couldn’t be more fascinating as these two teams feature four of the top 15 players in the world. The first question I asked myself when both teams laid to rest their conference finals foes was who will guard Dirk for Miami? In that same line of thinking my second question was who would guard Lebron for Dallas? Can the two coaches making their Finals debut find a way to gain an edge on his opponent? Can Miami’s superstar cast overcome Dallas’s experience and depth? And finally can Miami’s hard nosed defense contain Dallas’s high-powered offensive attack? A lot of questions will be answered in the upcoming days as the teams face each other.

Now lets breakdown who has the advantages in the most important categories and make a (humble) prediction on who will take the series:



Defense:

Miami may have three of the best offensive players in the world at their position but as the season wore on their calling card begin to be their stifling defense. They ranked 5th in defensive efficiency, 2nd in opponent’s field goal percentage, and 9th in blocks per game. That tells you that the Heat are long and athletic on the defensive side. When you have the perimeter pit-bull combo of Dwayne Wade and Lebron James, you can create endless match-up possibilities. One of Lebron’s most overlooked specialties is his ability to check 1-5 positions on the floor. James has been able guard the likes of MVP Derrick Rose to Portland’s big man Marcus Camby and done so effectively. Chris Bosh and Joel Anthony also are very active and block shots that James and Wade concede, so Miami is always able to get hand in the face of the opposing player. Dirk is the big concern for Miami because of his length and ability to create his own shot at multiple angles (How many times have you’ve seen this guy falling all over the place only to make the shot?). Miami will throw Haslem at Dirk the most because of his quote on quote success he has had in defending Nowitzki. Haslem limited Dirk to 13-of-42 shooting in the 2006 finals. Don’t be surprised if you see James on Nowitzki as well in those crunch moments of the fourth quarter as well. Bottom line is that the Heat play great team defense and its one of the main reasons they are in the finals.

Dallas always has lived with the stigma of having a soft defense that dates back to the early years of Erick Dampier (Who actually is on Miami’s roster now) and Shawn Bradley. They bolstered that department by adding Tyson Chandler who has been a god send for the Mavericks. He has transformed them into a pretty formidable defensive team. The Mavs defensive ranks are comparable to Miami’s as they rank 8th in opponent’s field goal percentage, 7th in defensive efficiency, but only 21st in block shots. The construction of this team makes for a tough veteran savvy team defensively. Lebron creates a match-up problem for Dallas (And every other team for that matter). The Mavs will have to throw bodies at James as they have Shawn Marion, Deshawn Stevenson and even Corey Brewer for Lebron at times. Dallas knows that James, Wade, and probably even Bosh will get theirs. They have to contain them enough to give themselves a chance to win.

Advantage: Miami

Offense:

Miami will always be able to score points with anybody with the combination of James, Wade, and Bosh. The best thing about this unit though is their efficiency. When you have a roster full of superstars the concern always becomes is there enough to go around for everyone to be happy. The Heat check in at 3rd in the league in efficiency as they racked an average of 102.6 points a game. The offensive firepower this team has is on par with some of the best teams that have ever graced an NBA court. James is one best players of all-time (or the potentially the best ever as Scottie Pippen suggested over the weekend), and can breakdown any defense with his size, speed, and court vision. The same goes for Wade as he can make you look silly at times on offense as well (Just ask Kevin Garnett). Chris Bosh has stepped his game up and has matched James and Wade’s intensity. He absolutely took it to Carlos Boozer as he had a couple of 30 point outbursts on the most overrated PF in the game, so look for him to continue his hot steak.

Dallas has been on an offensive tear every since the first game of the playoffs. Dirk’s renaissance has a lot to do with it of course but he now is getting help from some reliable sources on his team that he use to not have. Jason Terry is lethal when left open, Jason (formally “Ason” for no J) Kidd is burying open 3-point shots, J.J Barea is a scat back point guard who obliterates the pick and roll and Shawn Marion is still effective enough to get the job done. This is not even mentioning Dallas’s bench as they can bring spot up shooters Peja Stojakovic and Deshawn Stevenson off the pine. They also have serviceable but overpriced big man Brendan Haywood off the bench. As a matter of fact he and Tyson Chandler present the biggest problem for Miami outside of Dirk. I really am impressed with this offense of Dallas as they have been able to put up points at will against everyone they have faced in the playoffs thus far. Can they continue it against a long and athletic Miami unit?

Advantage: Dallas






Bench:

Miami’s bench has long been the weak link for them this season. Injuries and players not playing to their ability have limited Coach Eric Spolestra’s rotations. Miami’s has used so many different units it makes you think they just aren’t comfortable with certain players on the court, but its hard to blame him when you look down and see Juwan Howard or Erick Dampier looking back at you. They did get a boost in the playoffs as Udonis Haslem has come back and showed what the Heat were missing with his gritty play. Mike Miller has also become more involved of late but his jump shot has still been inconsistent at best.

Dallas has one of the deepest teams in all of the NBA. They can send players at you in waves and tire out a team that isn’t conditioned well or doesn’t have a deep bench. Peja Stojakovic has seemingly found the fountain of youth, J.J Barea is a pest that stays in paint like an insects stay around cookouts, and Brenden Haywood as I mentioned earlier has a chance to become an X-factor in this series. Dallas has the clear advantage in this one.

Advantage: Dallas






Intangibles:

Miami will be chasing only their second ring ever in franchise history. Lebron will be attempting to get his first ring so you know he will be motivated from the start to come out strong against the Mavs. Dwayne Wade has been here before and knows exactly what to expect. Miami’s strong leadership and also motivation for being spotlighted in the media should heed them well. James and Wade both have the “IT” factor and will definitely be locked in for this one.

Dallas has the motivation of losing to this very team last time they were here. They have be relishing the opportunity to get another crack at Miami to avenge their series collapse against them in ‘06. Dirk has a chance to put a stamp on his career and not join the great career but no ring club. I think Dirk will be ready to have the series of his life and cement his legacy. The Mavs have an entire team full of players who have gotten close to holding up the Larry O’Brien trophy but haven’t done it yet. Looking at their roster you have Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and of course Dirk you know these guys know this may be their last shot at a championship.

Advantage: Dallas






Coaching:

Miami’s Erik Spoelstra has been second guessed on everything from his choice of bagel for breakfast to his constant changing of Miami’s starting lineup. He has been rumored on the hot seat and off the hot seat more than an Oakland Raiders coach as everyone expected Pat Riley to jump back into the saddle. But Spo has handled everything thrown at him and has managed to get his team all the way to the championship. His offense creativity has blossomed as time went on as he now incorporates plays for both James and Wade. His team has also bought into his defensive scheme and it shows as they play some of the best perimeter defense in the league. Spolestra will be tested by Rick Carlisle but after everything he has endured this year this last part should be a piece of cake.

Dallas’s Rick Carlisle is a Jim Carrey look-a-like but this guy can really coach. He has always been one of the better coaches since his days in Detroit and it’s good to see him finally break through and reach an NBA Finals. Carlisle out coached Phil Jackson in the conference semi-finals and sent him to Montana for good. He has his team focused and playing great defense that has to make former Dallas coach Avery Johnson proud. Look for Carlisle to try and exploit Miami’s lack of depth by keeping his players rotated in and out of the game. Carlisle also will utilize Dirk in multiple positions on the floor to spread out the defense of Miami.

Advantage: Miami

So there you have it. Miami looks to be a better defensive team and I give Spoelstra a slight advantage over Rick Carlisle in the coaching department. Dallas’s offense and the motivation they have from avenging the franchises lone final appearance against the Heat should give them the edge in those two categories. Everyone that reads my articles knows that I am not a Miami fan, but I do respect them because lets face it they have earned it at this point. This series will come down to Miami being able to rotate defensively against Dallas’s vaunted offensive firepower. Miami will want to keep the games close until the fourth quarter when they can unleash their thoroughbreds in James and Wade. Nowitzki is also one of the best closers in the game as well so it will be interesting to see how that strategy plays out. Miami will try and make some these games ugly with their defensive style as they try and impose their will on the Mavericks. Dallas has to be able to withstand Miami’s defensive pressure but if they are able to create open shots then they have a chance to take the series. If not then the Miami Heat will celebrate on Biscayne Bay with their 2nd championship in franchise history. I see the latter of the two happening.

Prediction: Miami in 7

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