Looking ahead towards the NBA Finals

There are a lot of great teams in the NBA right now and that makes it real hard to predict the outcome of this years playoffs…but I’ll give it a shot anyways. Everybody is hating on the Heat this year just because they ain’t at .500 and haven’t been there since they started the year 3-3 but let’s be realistic, that doesn’t mean anything. The playoffs are all about the segregation of the conferences and this year more than most provides us with one of the most lopsided divisions of power we have witnessed in a long time. Making a prediction for the NBA championship is more than just picking the best team in the NBA or the Suns would be my choice (they aren’t by the way), but it’s about realizing that the Western Conference has so many strong teams that it leaves every team in the conference at a serious disadvantage compared to the East.

You see, the West has the Mavs, Spurs, Suns, Lakers, Rockets and Jazz whom can all be considered among the top ten teams in the league and unfortunately for them, they all reside in the same conference. Anyone of those teams could probably easily win the entire Eastern Conference and make it easily to the NBA Finals this year…had they been in the East to begin with but now face their inevitable demise in the playoffs as only one team can come out to play for a championship. My pick for the Eastern Conference Champs are the reigning NBA champions as I honestly can’t see any East team beating them in a seven game series. The Heat will most likely be one of the top 3 seeds in the East at the end of the season as they finally have Shaq back (although he is over the hill), Wade is playing at such an unbelievable level (I mean did you see him singlehandedly beat the entire Spurs team in the 4th quarter on Sunday) and Riley will be back after the all star break that the fact that they are only 7.5 games back of the Eastern Conference lead with half a season to go must have Shaq salivating.

As for the West? Whatever team has the good fortune to come out of the conference will most likely have had to go through at least 2 grueling and tiring seven game series of which they will emerge so emotionally and physically exhausted that the the notion of having to defend Wade and Shaq for another series would simply crush their spirits. The Mavs, Suns or Spurs will most likely come out of the West but they will probably have to play each other to do it, resulting in 2 seven game series while the Heat probably won’t even have to play one.

It’s real simple, the West’s dominance is just going to cost them. I mean, can you imagine being Bowen, Bell or Howard (each teams best defender) and after having to defend the likes of Nash, Marion, Nowitzki, Howard, Parker or Genobli (depending on who comes through) throughout a combined 14 consecutive games, now you gotta go and defend a probably well rested and still very hungry Wade and Shaq for another seven games? I know Howard and the Mavs can and they didn’t like how it turned out.

NBA Champs: Miami Heat
Finals MVP: Dwyane Wade

And no I am not biased…I’m just smart.

The Phoenix Suns are the best team in the NBA because…

This may just be the most controversial post I have ever written. Many of you may not like what they hear and I can understand that but I ask you to bear with me as I present my case which I hope you will find to be very convincing, or at the very least relatively interesting. I also ask that you remember that I myself am Canadian as you read this post because it will help to better explain my opinion. I would like to argue that Steve Nash is NOT the greatest player in the league and that he is definitely NOT a two-time (pending the three-peat) MVP of the NBA (although I suppose that he is technically already a two-time MVP).

WHAAAAAAAT???

I know what your thinking…Steve Nash is so amazing, he has taken a decrepit Phoenix Suns team from absolute obscurity to an NBA Championship contender every single year in a Western Conference that is so superior to its rival East that an 8th seeded team in the West that will almost definitely lose in the first round, could easily win the Eastern Conference. I believe we all know the case for why Steve Nash is great and why he has won two MVPs so I won’t provide the other side for this argument. If you don’t know then you can just start reading any article ever written in the last 3 years on Steve Nash, it comes up eventually.

So why is Steve Nash not the greatest? Well thats an easy one. I am going to avoid the stats part of this argument because if anyone dares bring up the stats question into an MVP conversation arguing in favor of Nash, they would be committing conversational suicide. Nash’s stats are great but they are not unbelievable and over the last two years, there have been many players with similar as well as better stats than him who lost the MVP to Nash. The argument in favor of Nash is not about his stats but about what he brings to his team, therefore we can pretty much discount the stats part of this argument. The argument for Nash is the fact that he makes his teammates better in such dramatic fashion that he is deserving of two MVPs. So let’s see if thats true.

There are three all star players on the Suns and they have all been there for the last three years (if you don’t know who they are: Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudamire and Leandr…hehe jk…Steve Nash) which is when Nash’s assist average spiked from 8.8 the year before (his previous career high) to 11.5 (his first season with the Suns and his first MVP).

Lets discuss Marion First. Shawn Marion is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. This season alone he is averaging some extremely impressive statistics: 18.9 pts/game, 10.1 reb/game and 52.7% shooting. Now these stats are definitely not out of the ordinary for Marion who has averaged over 17 points per game every year since his rookie year. Last season as well as this season are his first two seasons he has shot over 50 percent however he is a fantastic career shooter averaging a career shooting percentage of 47.7%. He is also a career 10.1 reb/game rebounder. I give his career stats simply to show that Marion’s performance is in now way out of the ordinary and cannot be contributed to the addition of Steve Nash. Marion is a great offensive player but he is actually a very big defensive playmaker who has a career 1.9 steals/game and 1.3 blocks/game and changes the game every game thanks to his defense. He is one of the best small forwards in the league and definitely one of the most versatile and athletic players in the entire NBA (he even ranked himself 5th in the top 5 current dunkers in the NBA…Stoudamire was #3 lol).

Now Let’s discuss Amare. Stoudamire has been in the league for 5 years however he was injured for all but 3 games last year so its really more like four. Amare has a career average of 19.6 pts/game (excluding last season) and 8.9 reb/game, 0.9 steals/game and 1.4 blocks/game which is very good for such a young player. Definitely all star material wouldn’t you say? Not only that but he is shooting an unbelievable 60% this year and is a career 52.3% shooter! Thats absolutely amazing, even in today’s NBA. Amare Stoudamire is one of the top 10 centers in the league and I am positive many people would give him top 5. I know what your going to say…”Even without Amare, the Suns were still pretty damn good last year weren’t they?”. Very interesting point but lets look very closely at that argument. Two years ago, when Marion, Nash and Amare were all playing (remember thats three all stars) the Suns went 62-20 which is pretty amazing. The next year, without Amare the Suns went 54-28. That is an 8 game difference in record and although it made very little difference since they still won their division, we saw just how telling that absence of the big guy really was during the playoffs when the Lakers took a 3-1 game lead in the playoffs. Of course they self destructed and the Suns were able to come back and win the series but they still didn’t make it to the NBA Finals.

In fact, the Suns have never made it to the NBA Finals but I won’t hold that against Nash as I would not hold the fact that Manning has never been to the Superbowl (until now) against him. Steve Nash is a great player and definitely one of the best point guards in the league but I do not believe that a player on a team with three all stars in their starting five can really be classified as the MOST valuable player to his team. At this rate, with the requirements we have set, Nash will be getting the MVP every year for the next 10 years which is completely ridiculous. He’s great but let’s be honest, that TEAM is pretty great too.

Oh and by the way, if you even dare to say, “Well Jordan had three all stars on his team and he won back to back MVPs so why can’t Nash?” First remember who you would be talking about, the greatest basketball player who ever lived and second his stats were absolutely ridonvculous and cannot even be compared to Nash’s never mind the fact that he won the Championship both times…something Nash has yet to even challenge for. Oh yeah, and Jordan was a tenacious defender who made game changing plays on both ends of the court. Nash couldn’t defend a salt shaker.

Nash is great…he just isn’t two time MVP great.

Colts will win Superbowl…and Manning impressed me

First off, I would like to say how much Peyton Manning impressed me yesterday. I’m not talking about his play or the fact that he put his team on his shoulders after throwing an interception to Samuel for a TD that put his team down 21-3 in the first half and completed the largest comeback in AFC Title game history (because no one should be impressed that Peyton Manning was able to do it) but with the way he handled himself during the post game press conference after the most emotional and meaningful game of his career. During the press conference, Peyton was understandably asked if this game was retribution for him, if this victory against the Patriots in the AFC Title game was his revenge or vindication against Brady and Belichick. Everyone would have understood if he said yes and proceeded to explain how the giant monkey that had lived on his back for the last 4 years had been lifted but Manning was PERFECT.

“I don’t get into monkeys and vindication,” he said. “I don’t play that card. I know how hard I worked this season, I know how hard I worked this week.”

Thats just one of the perfect lines Manning uttered yesterday and it exemplifies just how great a person he is. Refusing to be labeled despite the fact that he had been labeled for the last 4 years and for the last 72 hours especially…he spent most of the time criticizing himself for his interception and complementing his teammates for a job well done. No monkey, no vindication, no revenge…Peyton made no excuses, gave no explanations. He’s just plain great.

Now I cannot imagine any circumstance where the Colts could possibly lose the Superbowl to the Chicago Bears. The amount of momentum the Colts and especially Peyton Manning are entering the Superbowl with is overwhelming and reminds me of a certain Red Sox team just a couple of years ago. When the Red Sox came back from 3-0 to beat the Yankees, they had so much momentum that the World Series was merely a formality. That is how I imagine this Superbowl will go. Despite the fact that the leagues best offense will face the leagues best defense, I just find it hard to imagine Peyton Manning getting to the big game (especially considering the record setting way he did it) and coming up short.

Colts win and I guarantee no matter what his stats are (although chances are they’ll be pretty good) Peyton Manning takes home the Superbowl MVP.

Heat vs. Lakers Tonight!

The Miami Heat will play the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in a rematch of the unbelievable Christmas Day game. Just want you all to watch because last time these two guys played (without the old All Star Starter??? Shaq) Wade completely dominated in a great game that the Heat won. Round 2 goes tonight and I expect Kobe to come out firing in retaliation and considering that the Heat cannot win without Wade scoring at least 30…this should be a great game. Check it out tonight at 10:00pm.

Is this the Colts’ year?

The Colts have made it to another AFC Final…unfortunately for them, so have the Patriots. To be honest, I thought the Colts were going to be eliminated in the first round of this years playoffs and when they weren’t, I attributed it to…well come on, it was just the first round. Then I thought they were definitely going to lose in the second round to the Ravens but they didn’t and now, I find myself becoming more of a believer by the second. The last couple of years, the Colts have entered the playoffs by blowing through the regular season and leaving nothing left for the playoffs. They come in as favorites to win it all but can’t seem to even make it to the big game for reasons that are probably beyond any of our comprehension (no offense).

But this year is different.

The Colts came into this year’s playoffs having completely self destructed the second half of their season, or so the media would have you believe. They come in with so many defensive issues that I’ve heard people completely dismiss them as Superbowl contenders (umm…ya, I’m talking about myself) despite the fact that they have the second best QB (but most talented) in the league (in case you were wondering, Brady is #1). The Colts are fooling us all into thinking that they are not title contenders because they want to finally be the underdog. Less pressure is better but the Colts have taken it to a whole new level. Despite all of this, I STILL think they will lose to the Patriots come this weekend because it looks like the PAts have some of that old playoff magic still with them…that interception to a fumble to a recovery reminded me of the tuck play a couple of years ago.

Fool me once Manning, shame on me…Fool me twice, shame on you.

Titans ALMOST make the playoffs…

I have to mention this simply because of how disappointed I am that the Titans didn’t win their game against the Patriots yesterday. The Tennessee Titans were one of the MANY teams still vying for a playoff berth yesterday afternoon although the odds of them claiming that last playoff spot were far greater than most teams. The Titans needed the Broncos, Bengals and Jaguars (all teams that were fighting for playoff spots as well) to lose as well as winning their game against the Patriots. They were written off as a 60-1 underdog to make the playoffs. 60-1! That’s less than a 7 percent chance!

Well, Sunday came and went and heres what happened.

First, the Steelers vs. Bengals game:

Thanks to a Willie Parker TD during the second quarter, the Steelers led the Bengals for pretty much the entire game until the 4th quarter came around and both teams started to light up the eachothers endzones like it was the fourth of July. The Bengals were down 7-3 until Chris Henry caught a 66 yard TD pass from Palmer to take the lead 10-7. Willie Parker scored with seven and a half minutes remaining to retake the lead but then with just 2:47 left, Palmer and Stewart connected on a 5 yard TD pass to give the Bengals the lead and what looked like the game. The Bengals were sitting pretty and were probably looking forward to a playoff spot and a nice post game party, that is until the Steelers marched down the field like the Bengals had replaced their starting defense with some of their cheerleaders and Jeff Reed kicked a 35 yard field goal to tie the game with just over a minute to go. Graham missed his kick for the Bengals and the game went to overtime. The Steelers won the toss and on their first possesion, Big Ben connected with Santonio Holmes for a 67 yard TD pass. Game Over…23-17.

Second, the Chiefs vs. Jaguars game:

This game was an absolute firefight as both teams seem to score at will. A combined three TD’s in the Second Quarter and a combined four TD’s in the Third Quarter made this game very unpredictable and extremely entertaining. The Chiefs took the lead early in the game and never surrendered it as every time the Jags scored they answered back with a score of their own. Going into the Fourth Quarter, the Chiefs were up 35-23 and the Jaguars could only muster a single TD in an attempt to save their season. It wasn’t good enough. 35-30.

Third, the 49ers vs. Broncos game:

This game was really the one that gave me no hope before the start of Sunday’s games. The Denver Broncos just needed to win their game to ensure they make the playoffs and all they had to do it against was the lowly 49ers. The Broncos took an early 13-0 lead on a pair of Jason Elam field goals and a Champ Bailey (my pick for Defensive Player of the Year) 70 yard interception return for a TD. Going into halftime the Broncos were up 13-3 and looked to have a comfortable lead over San Fran…but the 49ers would not be taken for granted. In the Third Quarter, Smith threw a 32 yard TD pass to Moran Norris (who?) and Walt Harris scored on a 28 yard interception to give the 49ers their first lead of the game. Going into the Fourth it was 17-16…for the 49ers. In the Fourth, a pair of Nedney field goals gave San Francisco a seven point lead with just over 6 minutes remaining but the Broncos refused to let their dreams of a wild card berth die on New Years eve. In a four and a half minute drive, Jay Cutler marched his team 80 yards down field on just 10 plays and with only a minute and a half left, connected with Tony Scheffler for a nine yard TD pass to tie the game and send it into overtime. Unfortunately for the Broncos, that is where they fell short. After a very long overtime period where both teams failed to score, Joe Nedney kicked a 36 yard field goal with under two minutes left to win it for the 49ers and end the Broncos season. 26-23.

The Titans game actually happened before the Broncos game so I knew they were eliminated well before the Broncos game finished but the fact that pretty much everything that the Titans needed to happen (besides for them winning of course) actually happened is still pretty unbelievable. As for the Titans game…

Titans vs. Patriots game:

The Titans went into this game knowing they needed a lot of help to make the playoffs but for any of that to matter, they needed to win their game first. Vince Young had led his team to four Fourth Quarter comebacks in their last four games and that was very comforting considering they trailed the Pats going into the Fourth. One of the most entertaining parts of the game was actually watching the battle between PacMan Jones (the Titans punt returner) and Todd Sauerbrun (the Patriots punter). After PacMan returned a punt 81 yards for a TD with just 30 seconds left before halftime to put the Titans back in the game, Sauerbrun began to punt the ball several different ways in an attempt to remove PacMan’s return skills from the game…and it worked. With PacMan unable to return the ball the way the titans needed him to, the entire game was put on Vince Young’s shoulders, and he delivered…for a couple of minutes. With a minute and half remaining in the Third Quarter and the Titans down by 11, Vince Young rallied his team down the field and on a broken play, made an absolutely unbelievable 28 yard run into the endzone by breaking tackles and dodging flying Patriots to restore hope to the Titan faithful. That hope didn’t last long. Key mistakes by the Titans and Vince Young gave the Patriots the ball and they capitalized by scoring two consecutive TDs to restore their huge lead. There would be no Fourth Quarter comeback and the Titans dreams of a playoff berth remained just that…a dream. 40-23

I can’t help but wonder what could have been if only the Titans had won that game. A 60-1 underdog with perhaps the slimmest shot of making it to the NFL Playoffs in NFL History could have made it if not for just one game. The Titans got all the help they needed but couldn’t take care of the one game they had control over.

Happy New Year, Vince.

10 Reasons why Baseball is a weird sport

Baseball has never really made much sense to me. I mean, every time I watch it I always wonder (more than during any other sport) “How in the world did anyone come up with this game?”. Not to say Baseball isn’t a great sport or that it isn’t fun to watch or play, I’m just saying that all the rules, restrictions and obligations involved in the sport are just plain weird. I mean how lazy and out of shape do you have to be to recommend during the invention of a sport that instead of forcing a player to run after he has reached base, we should allow him to come back to the bench and sit on his ass while a pinch runner runs the bases for him? In honor of Baseball’s idiocies (no offense) and the new year (why not), I found this collection of top ten reasons Baseball is a weird sport and thought it was pretty funny so here it is.

[1] If a batter fails two-thirds of the time, they’re still considered an excellent batter. It’s too bad this standard isn’t applied to everything else in life.

[2] It is legal to “steal” in this game. This is, perhaps, a questionable example for children.

[3] If you aren’t such a good hitter, you can have a pinch hitter bat for you. If you aren’t such a fast runner, you can have someone–a pinch runner–come in and run for you. At what point, you might wonder, is a team entirely comprised of “pinch” players?

[4] There’s a rule preventing pitchers from spitting on the ball. They can spit anywhere else they like, apparently.

[5] If a batter walks with the bases loaded, he is credited with an RBI (Run Batted In). That’s right: even though he didn’t hit the ball.

[6] The game is played on dirt and grass, but if the ball gets dirty, it is replaced with a new clean ball.

[7] If a batter accidentally hits the catcher when swinging, it’s the catcher’s fault, even if the catcher gets injured. The batter is awarded a base. The catcher gets an apology, if he’s lucky.

[8] The coaches and managers wear the same uniforms as the players.

[9] When a pitcher walks a batter, the batter jogs to first base. Incongruous, but it is a nice show of effort.

[10] The 7th-inning stretch makes baseball the only sport where spectators must take part in calisthenics.

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Happy New Year!

It’s the new year and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has supported me and my new blog. The Sports Fanatic has been a success so far and I hope that it only grows even larger in 2007. I wish everybody a great new year and Thank You for everything.

Sorry About the Lack of Posts

I have been on vacation in New York for the last week and haven’t had the chance to post anything on my site lately so I’m sorry for that. My vacation was fantastic but I’m back now and ready to get back to writing.

NFL Season Summary

As the NFL season comes to an end, I can’t help but imagine what next season has in store for us football fans. This season has provided us with plenty to talk about and it looks like half the teams in the NFL will have a chance to make the playoffs come next week. I have thoroughly enjoyed the excitement and entertainment that the NFL has provided all of us with this year and I think its about time I summarize this years NFL season with a couple of awards. It may be a week early but hey…just means I’ll be the only one with awards out in time for the holiday season. So lets get started.

THE UNDERACHIEVERS

[1] Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8) – I consider the Steelers underachievers for one reason and one reason only and that is because they are the defending Super bowl champs and they will most likely miss the playoffs this season. Pittsburgh’s season isn’t all that surprising to me considering they made the playoffs last year as a wildcard and this year they will just barely fall short but anytime the defending Superbowl champs fail to make the playoffs the following season, you have gotta chalk them up as underachievers because you can be sure their fans have.

[2] Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) – How can an 8-6 team on the verge of making the playoffs as a wildcard be considered a disappointment? Very easily, considering experts pick you to easily win your division and challenge for the best record in football as well as a trip to the Superbowl all while boasting one of the best and most explosive offenses in the entire NFL…and you do none of them.

[3] Indianapolis Colts (11-4) – How can an 11-4 team on the verge of finishing their season tied with the fourth best record in football be considered a disappointment? Trust me, Colts fans are not going to forgive their team for their recent collapse so neither will I. The Colts have lost 3 of their last 4 games and although that ain’t too bad, considering the losses were to teams like the Titans, the Texans (who beat them today for the first time in franchise history) and an absolute blowout by the Jaguars just two weeks ago, the Colts look tired and finished. That defense needs to be completely rebuilt. They’ll be lucky to get by the first round.

[4] New York Giants (7-8) – This is a team many picked to make it to the Superbowl but they won’t even make it to the playoffs. The Giants have had a rough season (right Plaxico?) and considering this is Tiki Barber’s last year and the Giants don’t have another RB, I’d say they are kinda lucky to have a chance to get a replacement in the draft. Better luck next year.

[5] Carolina Panthers (7-8) – It’s definitely a disappointing season when your team could be 11-4 instead of 7-8 had they just held on in the 4th quarter in four games this year. Well it’s better to give then to receive and the Panthers have demonstrated the Holiday spirit all season long.

[6] Miami Dolphins (6-8) – Can anyone remember at the start of the season when people were talking about Cullpeppers comeback year and a potential trip to the Superbowl for the Dolphins? Anyone? Guess nobody wants to admit it because EVERYBODY predicted it. Makes me wish I had started writing earlier because I had Cullpepper as my fantasy QB last year and when the Dolphins got him I was saying what a mistake it was and how the team will go nowhere with him. Maybe Joey Harrington can be the answer…ok, definitely not.

[7] Chicago Bears Offense (13-2) – The Bears offense deserves very little credit if any credit at all for the Bears 13 wins this season. Grossman has had an on and off year (where he has mostly been off) and the Bears defense has bailed this team out on more than just a few occasions. In fact, I wonder who scored more points…the Bears offense or their defense? Either way, Grossman has got to play better.

THE OVERACHIEVERS

[1] New Orleans Saints (10-5) – This team came together in the darkest of times and gave a city as well as a nation something to cheer about. This team was playing for more than themselves or their city or even their fans, they were playing for an entire country’s hopes and dreams and they did so with class, dignity and a passion that can only be described as incredible. Congratulations and thank you.

[2] Tennessee Titans (8-7) – The Tennessee Titans along with their spectacular rookie QB Vince Young have been one of the most pleasant surprises this season. The Titans have definitely overachieved this year finishing with at least a .500 record and amazing wins against teams like the Colts, Giants, Eagles, Jaguars and Bills and have the possibility of making the playoffs with a little luck (I can dream, can’t I?). Vince Young has been magnificent and PacMan Jones deserves A LOT of credit as well.

[3] New York Jets (8-6) – What are the Jets doing with a winning record and a serious shot at making the playoffs? Don’t ask me but I’ll bet it has something to do with Laveranues Coles’ 1000 yards receiving and 6 TD’s and maybe a little something to do with their team leader and starting QB Chad Pennington coming back and playing 14 games this season. Just a hunch.

[4] Baltimore Ravens (12-3) – The Ravens’ defense is back in full force and look like the team they were back when they won the Superbowl against the Giants…only this time they are younger and faster and have a MUCH better offense (McNair, Heap, Lewis…). Everyone knows how great a QB McNair is but I think we failed to realize what a great leader he truly is.

[5] Tony Romo (6-2) – 2440 yards, 16 TD’s, 10 INT’s and a 98.4 QB Rating. His stats scream overachiever and the Cowboys couldn’t be happier…after all, where would they be without him?

[6] Chicago Bears Defense (13-2) – How can a team have a spot on both lists? Their offense is that bad and their defense is that good. Like I said before, the Bears defense had to play both roles of defending and scoring on more than a few occasions and gave this team wins they did not deserve. If you don’t believe me, just ask the Arizona Cardinals.

MVP

Drew Brees – Tomlinson will no doubt win Offensive Player of the Year and he absolutely deserves it after the incredible season he has had this year however he should not win the MVP. Drew Brees has been the best offensive QB this year and has thrown for over 4200 yards, 25 TD’s, 11 INT’s, a 65.6% completion percentage and a 98.2 QB Rating on a team without a real number one receiver. But that is not why he should win. Brees has transformed rookie wideout Marques Colston into a pro bowl receiver with 1000 yards and 7 TD’s. But that is not why he should win. Brees has elevated his play and the play of everyone around him (including Colston, Bush, Mcallister…) and brought a team that went 3-13 last year to a 10-5 record and a division win…and that is only part of why he should win. Hurricane Katrina left the city of New Orleans and its people devastated and without hope after it completely destroyed everything they had known and loved. Throughout the NFL season, the Saints have truly become Saints for their city as well as their entire country as they restored hope and happiness across a country that had seen more than its fair share of disasters in the last couple of years. New Orleans is the real MVP of the NFL and their MVP is Drew Brees.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LT: 1626 yards rushing and 28 TD’s, 484 yards receiving and 3 TD’s, 2 TD passes. Anyone disagree?

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Champ Bailey: This is a bit of a biased pick considering I’m watching the Bengals-Broncos game right now and Bailey just picked off Palmer but I think its the most legitimate pick I can make. 75 Tackles and 8 INT’s not including todays is pretty good and considering he is the best defensive back in the league and can shutdown absolutely anyone…ya, I’d say he deserves it.

FUNNIEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Chad Johnson (aka Ocho Cinco): This pick is more because of what he did last year (like making a list of everyone who was going to cover him and ticking off who could and who couldn’t do their job against him or like when he proposed to the cheerleader as a TD celebration) than what he has done this year, mostly because of the league’s new restrictions. This year, Chad’s antics included cutting his hair into a yellow mohawk (looks even weirder than it sounds) and then a few weeks later promising to cut it off if he didn’t score in a game (I think it was just an excuse to shave it off). Can’t wait to see what he’ll have in store for us next year.

MOST WARRANTED SUSPENSION

Shawne Merriman: I’m sorry but there is no room in professional sports for steroids. No exceptions.

MOST UNSPORTSMANLIKE PLAY

Albert Haynesworth: Everyone probably expecting Terrell Owens (and he would be a legitimate choice) but we cannot forget that Albert Haynesworth stepped on an opposing player’s head, tearing his face open and requiring many stitches. No room for this in professional sports either.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Vince Young, QB: Easy choice considering his team is 8-7 and he is the reason why.

BEST COACH

Bill Belichick: Every year, only three constants on the New England Patriots remain the same, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and their winning record. What more can I say other than that Bill is the best coach in the NFL.

Happy Holidays

A Touching Story…

This is one of the most unbelievable and touching stories I have ever heard in my entire life and I really hope that you all take the time to read and watch it for yourself. The link to the original is below.

A Touching Story

Crazy Hockey Moves by a 13 year old Canadian Kid

Simply some absolutely ridiculous moves performed during a breakaway relay practice session. Wouldn’t mind seeing some of these moves done in the NHL.

Allen Iverson Traded to Denver

Well its official, Allen Iverson has been traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Denver Nuggets today. In return for the two time scoring champion, the Sixers acquire Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two Number 1 picks in the 2007 NBA draft.

Fair Trade?

Well considering that the Sixers were absolutely desperate to unload their 30 year old all star and the Nuggets have lost their franchise player and current NBA scoring leader in Carmelo Anthony to a 15 game suspension for fighting, there really is no way of saying whether or not this trade is fair…but I’ll give it a try.

Iverson will be able to easily step in and become a temporary replacement for Carmelo Anthony while he serves his suspension and when he returns, the answer can hopefully provide the answer the Nuggets are looking for in order to elevate their team to the next level. AI and CA will be a very explosive combination and personally I can’t wait to see Iverson in action with serious scoring threats and all stars on his team. Denver got the guy they wanted (an all star, two time scoring champion and currently second in scoring this year) and they didn’t even have to give up anyone serious. Andre Miller is a 30 year old PG averaging 13 points/game while Joe Smith is a bust of a first overall pick. The most valuable assets the Nuggets gave away in this deal are the two 1st Round picks in this years draft, a draft that has scouts all over the league absolutely salivating, but the Nuggets want to be great now and adding Iverson is an excellent way to accomplish that goal.

I guarantee you the Sixers made this trade because of the prospect of having three first round picks in this years NBA draft (the two they got from the Nuggets and their own). The draft is supposed to be full of talented and skilled players ready to make an immediate impact in this league including guys like Ohio State’s Greg Oden, Texas’ Kevin Durant and Florida’s Joakim Noah. The Sixers should finish close to last in the league if not last and that should give them an excellent shot at getting Greg Oden with the first overall pick. With two more picks in the first round alone, the Sixers would have the chance to surround young talented players like Korver, Dalembert and Iguodala with even more young and talented players giving them a lineup that could compete in this league for a very long time. Teams usually need a couple of years to rebuild but the Sixers will have the ability to rebuild their team in just one (especially if they get Oden). Andre Miller is a good but not great point guard who can definitely step into a larger role for Philadelphia but I really don’t think he is a main piece of the puzzle for the Sixers’ future plans.

The trade gives both teams the pieces they need to better their teams and really, isn’t that what the holiday seas…I mean fair trades are all about?

Happy Holidays!

Stern too harsh? No way. Too Lenient…?

By now everyone has seen the huge fight that took place at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (and if you haven’t just check it out here in the NBA section) and hopefully everyone has heard of the strict punishments Darth Stern has handed out this week to all those involved. A total of seven players (out of ten who were actually ejected from the game, if that makes sense) were suspended and each team was actually fined $500,000 in an effort to hopefully avoid further similar “events” and preserve the NBA’s already decaying image.

So Stern got the opportunity to dish out some pain this week and honestly, I don’t think he took full advantage. We all know that Stern has been trying to turn the NBA’s players into little 12 year old boy scouts who can do no wrong and after the massive fight Saturday night, I really thought that Carmelo Anthony would be reported as missing and Nate Robinson would wind up in a crate on a cargo plane on its way to somewhere in Nicaragua. Hey, it could happen. The lucky winner to receive Stern’s largest suspension of 15 games was none other than Carmelo (no surprise there) while Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith got 10 games each. I don’t know about you, but personally I think I would have given Anthony way more games because when the fight looked to be over and everyone was starting to calm down, he comes over and punches a Knick player in the face and starts the fight up all over again. I’m not saying Stern dropped the ball because his punishments were definitely reasonable but considering the response from writers and analysts, like Wilbon and Kornheiser, he could have gotten away with much more.

Has TO taken ALL the headlines?

I am going to make this short and sweet…well maybe not so sweet (and maybe not so short either). Terrell Owens continues to provide us with someone we love (and I mean LOVE) to hate this NFL season and I think we should all thank him because without him and his antics (his most recent being him spitting on DeAngelo Hall during a game Saturday night) we might have actually spent more time talking about more compelling and entertaining stories such as (in no particular order):

[1] Tomlinson breaking Alexander’s TD record.

[2] The Steelers collapse just a year after winning the Superbowl.

[3] Vick no longer being considered an elite QB in the NFL.

[4] Vince Young being hailed as Rookie of the Year after starting his NFL career 7-4 despite having awful passing stats (I love him but 1700+ passing, 10 TDs, 11 INTs and a 65.7 QB Rating!!!).

[5] Dallas’ resurgence thanks to Tony Romo replacing a statue that looked an awful lot like Drew Bledsoe.

[6] Drew Brees being the best QB in the NFL this year! (4000+ yards, 25 TDs, 10 INTs and a 101.2 QB Rating)

[7] Giants going from projected Superbowl favorites to a potential wild card…if they’re lucky.

[8] Tiki RETIRING!?!?

[9] Reggie Bush and Mario Williams…Wait, Mario Who?

[10] Absolutely no one noticing how Chad Johnson pushed his game into overdrive after the Bengals looked like they were out of it and pretty much single handedly (with some help from TJ) brought them back to respectability and a potential wild card spot (765 yards receiving and 5 TDs in his last 5 games and the Bengals went 4-1 in that span).

[11] Carolina just plain being bad, just really bad.

[12] Dolphins’ rollercoaster of a season and Joey Harrington’s resurgence. I know I cant believe I said it either.

[13] Patriots winning their Division…again.

[14] Detroit Lions being the best 2-12 team in the league. Roy Williams can at least be proud of that, right?

[15] People actually saying Manning may never get to the Super Bowl despite the fact that the Colts are 10-3 and have won their division for a fourth straight year.

[16] Mcnabb getting injured…again.

So thanks Terrell because without you, we might have actually paid more attention to more serious and interesting stories surrounding the NFL this season but hey, I guess you spitting on a guy is kinda cool too. Although I must admit that I did enjoy watching Michael Irvin defend you and even select you as a Gamebreaker every week on NFL Sunday Countdown. It quickly became my Sunday morning ritual; wake up, watch Irvin defend you, watch you completely embarrass yourself by dropping a pass or saying/doing something completely immature and detrimental to your team, then wait till next Sunday to see how Michael would defend you. It was pretty entertaining.