Monday, April 30, 2012

Bumped Out

The NBA League Office has spoken. Rajon Rondo will be suspended for the apparent "bump" on an official in the opener of the Eastern Conference playoffs Sunday. The Hawks were up by as many as 19 points in this game and the Celtics scratch and clawed its way back into the game. With about 41 seconds to go in the game, Rondo lost his cool. While Brandon Bass and Josh Smith were fighting for a loose ball, the referee called Bass for a foul. Rondo didnt like the call and began to yell at the official. The yelling led to a technical foul and the technical foul led to a "chest bump" by Rondo. As you look at the video replay, it looks as if Rondo tripped over the heel of the official Marc Davis shoe and bumped into him. Seems as if it was unintentional, but why was he that close to him anyway. In the rule book, it states no player should touch a referee. NBA commissioner David Stern stated, "We have a hard and fast rule, unless somebody trips you and sends you into him..nobody touches a referee. Thats the propostion." With all of that mumbo jumbo, Rondo will not be playing in game 2 versus the Hawks tuesday night.

INJURY BUG

The playoffs are here and lets just say, it hasnt got off to a good start for a few teams. Not to over look Andrew Bynum's triple double, Kevin Durant's game winnning shot against the Mavs, or even the Clippers 1 point win after being down by 27...but the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls are in big trouble and we're only one game into the playoffs.

Lets start with the Knicks. With 6:08 to go in the 3rd quarter, rookie Iman Shumpert was on the fast break...went into his crossover, but never finished it.  He tore a lateral meniscus and is expected to miss approximately six to eight months. Shumpert is their best on ball defenders and the guy they were going to use to guard Heat superstar Dwyane Wade. When the injury happened, the Knicks were down 66-40. They would go on to lose the game 100-67. With Shump being out, that means New York will have to step up their team defense and be better on the offensive end. What I mean by that is, limit the TURNOVERS. In the 2nd quarter, they had 13 turnovers. You wont win any game if you have that many turnovers in a quarter, yet alone against the Heat. Thats what they want you to do, they swarm to the ball and make you play faster than you want which leads to fastbreak points. Game 2 tonight at 7pm Heat vs Knicks.

Now, to the Bulls. Anyone who is a basketball fan, is crushed to see it happen or even hear the news. Late in the 4th quarter the 76ers were making a run and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau put his starters back in to close the game out and not give Philly any type of momentum going in to next game. Not that it was a bad decision...most coaches would have done the samething in a playoff game. Only in this decision, the Bulls would lose their Superstar and 2011 league MVP in the process. Derrick Rose drove the lane and went into his jump stop that he uses so often, and he went down...and did not get up. His left leg buckled and at the point as a Bulls fan and NBA fan, you did not want to see that happen. D.Rose season is over. Now people are starting to wonder how far the Bulls can go without their superstar. I think they should make it to the next round, but the series might go a litte longer than expected now. I can tell you this though, the chances of them winning an NBA Championship this year is a very high 0!!! And probably not next year either. It was just a routine basketball play that went bad. But with the shortened NBA season this year, there were far more injuries that happened versus a full 82 game season. I can certainly tell you this, the Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be interesting to watch.

Friday, April 27, 2012

CHARLOTTE BADCATS



Who would've ever thought Michael Jordan...yes Michael Jordan would make history again, except this time he didn't win anything. This time as the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, his team had lost their 23rd consecutive game, had the worst record in the NBA (7-59) and the lowest win percentage in NBA history .106. If you want to put a positive twist to it, at least it wasn't a full season. Maybe they could've snuck in 3 more wins to finish up 10-72 to avoid the worst winning percentage in NBA history since the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1972-1973 season when they finished 9-73 (.110). Maybe it wasn't the teams intention to lose 59 games, or maybe it wasn't their plan to be unproductive, uncompetitive and unwatchable. But, at the end of the day thats what they were. On another note, they will have the most lottery balls in the draft this year...which means they have a pretty good chance at getting Anthony Davis. He's only one player though, they will still need to make trades and get some type of veteran leadership in the locker room.Corey Maggette (12 years) and Eduardo Najera (11 years) are the longest tenured players on the team. Before any trades are made or they can think about draft picks, im sure they will be looking for a coach. Paul Silas coached the remainder of the year after Larry Brown was fired. I cant really give you an outlook on how the team will do next season, all I can do is stay optimistic and pray that they dont have another debacle like this year.

NFL DRAFT 2012


All speculation can go away as to who is going to be the number one pick in this years draft. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III went #1 and #2 as expected  last night. With Peyton Manning and the Colts parting ways this off season, Luck will try to give the city something to give the city something to cheer about after the Colts worst season since 1991. The Colts were the first team to start the season 0-13, since the 2008 Detroit Lions (I love my team). Luck has already said, "I realize you don't really replace a guy like that. Those shoes to fill are huge. I'm not going to go crazy trying to do everything that Peyton did. I realize we're different personalities. So, I'll put my best foot forward and try to work hard every day. If one day I can be mentioned alongside Peyton in quarterback history, it would be a football dream come true." Manning was someone Luck looked up to growing up, now he gets to play for his former team and get the team back to the playoffs.
RG3!!! Robert Griffin the 3rd!!! The Washington Redskins have finally got themselves a starting QB. Things didnt quite work out with Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan, and from there it was just a sticky situation at the quaterback position for the remainder of the season. After winning the Heisman Trophy last year at Baylor, Griffin will now try to bring some of his magic to the NFL. RG3 ran a 4.41 at the NFL combine, but thats not what makes him special. The fact that he is a pocket quarterback already, will make him very dangerous once he learns the system and gets familiar with defensive schemes in the NFL. Although the Redskins traded away their 2nd round pick this year and 1st round picks in 2013 and 2014, you have to believe it was worth it. They're getting a very versatile player and coach has already said they will adjust the offense to take advantage of Griffin's skills.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Throwback Tuesday

This is a new segment I want to start with my blog. It will either be a throwback moment of a professional athlete or something that has occured in my own life. Basically, just driving down memory lane. This week for my first installment of Throwback Tuesday, im gonna go with argubably one of the best...if not the best PG in the NBA, Chris Paul aka CP3.

Chris Paul has a very unique story. Most people would say that about most athletes, but im not sure it can top this one. In high school Chris played varsity basketball for only 2 years. Who wouldve thought he'd even get offers from D1 colleges for only playing 2 years of Varsity basketball. Over the summer, before his junior year he grew 8 inches (pause). In his junior year he averaged 25 ppg, 5.3 assists, and 4.4 steals a game. He led his team to the State Semi- Finals and a record of 26-4. Going into his senior year, he emerged as a heavily recruited point gaurd. Before the school year started, CP3 had made a decision on what school he would attend. Chris signed his letter of intent to play for Wake Forest. A day after he signed his letter, he found out that his best friend died. His best friend was his grandfather, Nathanial Jones.


The next day, his aunt told him to try and score 61 points in honor of his grandfather. CP3 didnt think it was possible, but he scored one point for every year his grandfather lived, in West Forsyth's 2002–03 season opener. The state record was 66 points, he couldve reached it and maybe surpassed it...but im sure he will take the 61 points in honor of his grandfather. 


Chris Paul was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005, but now plays for the Los Angeles Clippers who are 4th in the Western Conference as the playoffs approach us. Also on CP3' resume is the following:
  • 5X NBA All Star
  • 3X All NBA
  • 2X All NBA Defensive team
  • 2006 Rookie of the Year
  • 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist.

Monday, April 23, 2012

METTA...WORLD...PEACE???

During the Lakers vs Thunder game yesterday, Ron Ron aka Ron Artest aka Metta World Peace lost his cool again. On a fastbreak, World Peace attacked the rim and threw down a hard left handed dunk after splitting Durant and Ibaka. So, of course you do something like that you'll get excited and show some emotion. But, this is Ron Artest we're talking about here...this is a whole different animal when it comes to emotion. After the dunk, he pounds his chest (cool), and as James Harden is walking up...BAM!!! World Peace connects with an elbow to the head. He keeps running down the court as if he doesnt know he just hit somebody. "I got really emotional and excited and it was unfortunate that James had to get hit with an unintentional elbow," World Peace said. He was hit with a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game. More than likely he will be suspended for some games. How many is uncertain, and with the playoffs starting next week..he could miss a few of those games as well. The bigger problem is, will James Harden be able to play during the playoffs. Likely to win the 6th man award this year, the Thunder will need him if they plan to make a run at a championship this year. As for World Peace...he needs to go back and continue his counseling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4cXAb3TJK4&feature=related

WILDCATS


Here we go again...the Kentucky Wildcats starting 5 is entering the NBA Draft. Marquis Teague, Michael Kid-Gilchrist, Terrance Jones, Doron Lamb, and Anthony Davis are all headed to the Association. Also, senior wingman Darius Miller will be joining the party. The Wildcats could possibly have 6 players taken in the first round. After Coach Cal won his first National Championship, we all pretty much knew what was going to happen. To rebuild at Kentucky is not a hard task for Coach Cal. The biggest task is getting freshman and sopohmores to play together, play defense, and buy into the system. Coach always knows what buttons to push and this year, it finally got him a National Championship. With another top recruiting class coming in this year, lets see if the Wildcats can reclaim their title.


100 YEARS



Michigan and Trumbull is where Tiger Stadium once stood. Now, there's nothing but grass and sidewalk. Tiger Stadium was the first stadium ive ever seen a big league game. I was just a 7 year old kid the first time I set foot in the stadium. Eyes wide open, glossy, and just in awe. I went to the stadium maybe twice after that with the same excitment...not to mention, my baseball team had just won a championship and we had seats very close to the field. Being in the ballpark reminded me of the movie "Sandlot". That was really the only thing I could relate the stadium to at the time. There were many memories at the old park, but in the last game at Tiger Stadium, Robert Fick crushed a ball to right field. Almost out of the stadium for a grand slam. Tigers would win that game 8-2. September 27, 2009 was the last game played at that park and those who were there or watched, will probably never forget it. When I think of Tiger Stadium, certain names come to mind. Sparky Anderson, Kirk Gibson, and the voice Ernie Harwell! The roar has been restored for the Tigers and are in the running for a championship almost every year. Thanks to good coaching by Jim Leyland and excellent pitching from out ace Justin Verlander...and not to mention the big bats that we have in our lineup; Cabrera, Prince Fielder (Cecil Fielder's son and former Tiger),Victor Martinez,Delmod Young, to name a few. The Tigers are gonna be in the running for a long time.Eat em up Tigers, Eat em up!!!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Legit Contender


After losing to the Lakers by 14 points 6 days agao...the Spurs decided to return the favor to the Lakers. The Spurs dominated the purple and gold, especially in the 2nd quarter. The closest the Lakers got was 43-41 with 4:54 left in the first half. After that, it was all Spurs...going on an 18-0 run to the Lakers out of there own gym. They went on to win the game 112- 91. Now, the question is...are the San Antonio Spurs a legit contender for the World Championship? I say yes, while others say they'll fall off the track because of age. The Spurs have one of the deepest benches in the west. The Spurs can go about 9 or 10 deep into their bench. Also, with younger legs on the team they can get out and push the ball more than they have in recent years. Right now, they sit in first place in the west with 6 games to go in the season and a half game up on OKC...this is gonna be a fun week to watch, as it always is in the west. The Spurs and Lakers clash one more time Friday night in San Antonio at 9:30 on ESPN.

Monday, April 16, 2012

BATTERS UP

With baseball season in full swing, it looks to be another fun year. The hottest team in all of baseball right now, is the Los Angeles Dodgers. How fitting is it for the Dodgers to be the hottest team in baseball and it just so happened tp be Jackie Robinson day yesterday. With Magic Johnson and partners buying the team, you can certainly see some Magic so far in the early season. The Dodgers are 9-1 and Matt Kemp is just on a tear. He's batting .487, 6 homeruns, 16 RBI's, 19 hits, and an On Base Percentage of .523.I dont know how fantasy baseball works, but if you have Kemp on your team...SALUTE to you! Its a little early in the season to make any predictions, seeing that there are 152 games left. I just thought id let you know, who was one of the best players and teams out right now. In about another 50 games, ill give you an update!!


NBA PLAYOFFS 2012


With the regular season in the Association coming to an end in about a week, there are a few questions I have for the fans.
  1. Who's the best team in the East?
  2. Who's the best team in the West?
  3. Who's the sleeper team?
  4. Who's the champ?

To start off with who's the best in the East...most people would say Miami, and some would say Chicago. Can't really argue with either. I have problems with both teams as the playoffs are creeping upon us. With the team from South Beach; in their last 10 games the Heat are 6-4. The have huge loses to the emerging Boston Celtics and to the Chicago Bulls bench. The best win they've had since the All Star break is against the Knicks. Not to say the win against OKC wasn't big, but it was a home game and the Heat have basically unbeaten at home this season. If the Heat want to return to the Finals again this year and win, they need to win on the road and they need more bench production. The Bulls have played well but, they need their Superstar and last years league MVP to get back on the court with the team and get a rhythm going. The bench will not win them a championship nor will it get them to the Eastern Conference Finals. With that said, the best team in the East to me right now is...THE BOSTON CELTICS!!! They are playing at an extremely high championship level. Not saying they will win it, but with Rondo distributing the ball the way he is and KG seemingly back to his "old self", this could be a tough task for a Chicago or Miami team come 2nd or 3rd round.


*Puts on cowboy hat* Welcome to the Wild Wild West!!!! The reason I love the Western Conference, is because the playoffs actually start 2 weeks prior to the actual playoffs! Im getting straight to the point. Oklahoma City is the best team in the west, flat out. They have Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and some guy name Kevin Durant, who I believe will win the league MVP this year. But, NBA fans do not be surprised if you see the San Antonio Skips, I mean Spurs make a run at the title again. They're one of the hottest teams in the league. They can make a serious run and teams over there better respect this old veteran team.Then you have both teams from LA; The Lake Show and Lob Angeles. The Clippers are peaking at the right time, but I dont think they will go deep into the playoffs. The will be exciting to watch. So, I have OKC coming out the West.


My sleeper pick is coming from the West. The Memphis Grizzles are back at it again. 7-3 in their last 10 games. With huge wins against OKC, Dallas, and Miami. The Grizz look to make some noise again in this years playoffs. They currently are the 5th seed, and if the playoffs were to start today...they would be playing the Clippers. Lets just say, I wouldn't be surprised if they won in 6 games.

My prediction to win it all is....The Miami Heat! Im sticking to my guns for the 2nd year in a row. I have them beating OKC in 6. Home court is going to be their best friend throughout the playoffs. If they can steal a game on the road, they'll be fine. I just dont think the Bulls bench can win them a championship. They need D.Rose to be playing at a high level and with the injuries he has, I dont think he can carry them to a World Championship. No knock against the Bulls or even the Celtics, but age is gonna creep in and Rondo cant get you to the Finals. The Miami Heat will be your NBA CHAMPION.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

BACK AGAIN

My fellow bloggers, im back again for the 2nd time!!! I feel like Jordan. "When i come back, wearing the 45..it aint to play games wit you, its to aim at you" Well anyway, after a 11 month hiatus..im back on here again. Life is funny ya know...so many things can change over time. In some of my upcoming blogs, ill explain what I mean by that. Lets just say things are looking up and I cant wait to see whats to happen for myself in the near future!!!