Monday, April 9, 2007
The eve of the real NBA season
The Mavericks are one win or one Phoenix loss away from locking up home court throughout the playoffs. The Mavs seem bored at this point and are taking turns at sitting out games to rest up for the postseason. The Spurs on the other hand are playing great basketball right now and look poised to make an impressive showing this Spring. I think the final four of the NBA playoffs will be Dallas and San Antonio in the West and Detroit and Miami in the East. I also believe that it will be a coin toss to see who goes to the Finals in both series. The Finals will be heavily contested but I like the winner of the Dallas San Antonio series to be hoisting the trophy at seasons end.
Gators Dominate
The Florida Gators easily handled the Ohio State Buckeyes beating them 84-75 to win their second straight state championship. Greg Oden dominated in the paint for the Buckeyes on both offense and defense, but Florida scored 32 of their first 40 points from the perimeter cancelling out the super freshman's impact.
The fallout from the game is that four of The Gators impact players are declaring early for the draft. Cory Brewer, Al Horfors, Joikem Noah, and Taurean Green are all heading for the NBA early and figure to be drafted. All except Green figure to be picked in the top 10.
The Buckeye nation is still holding their collective breath on Oden's decision to either stay or head for the NBA. My money is that he'll stay for one more year.
The fallout from the game is that four of The Gators impact players are declaring early for the draft. Cory Brewer, Al Horfors, Joikem Noah, and Taurean Green are all heading for the NBA early and figure to be drafted. All except Green figure to be picked in the top 10.
The Buckeye nation is still holding their collective breath on Oden's decision to either stay or head for the NBA. My money is that he'll stay for one more year.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Revenge!
It's time for the Buckeye nation to get their shots in, its time for revenge. The Ohio State Buckeyes have an opprtunity to avenge the football's team humiliating defeat to the Florida Gators in the National Championship, and to avenge a blowout loss in Gainsville earlier this year. Superfrosh Greg Oden was still ailing from a right wrist injury and the young OSU club (three freshman starters) was still gelling at that point. They are a different team and this is a different venue.
That being said, I still like Florida to repeat. They are just too deep and too talented. They have experience, confidence, and superior talent. The only team that can even compare with the Gators level of talent is the Buckeyes who have a ligitament shot to upset Florida.
Dont forget that OSU has won 22 straight games and have won in a variety of ways.
Either way it should be a good game. Oh by the way, I chose both of these teams to make it to the championship, with OSU beating the Gators and to cut the nets down. We'll see, it all goes down in less than an hour.
That being said, I still like Florida to repeat. They are just too deep and too talented. They have experience, confidence, and superior talent. The only team that can even compare with the Gators level of talent is the Buckeyes who have a ligitament shot to upset Florida.
Dont forget that OSU has won 22 straight games and have won in a variety of ways.
Either way it should be a good game. Oh by the way, I chose both of these teams to make it to the championship, with OSU beating the Gators and to cut the nets down. We'll see, it all goes down in less than an hour.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Final 4 is Set
There is only four teams left vying for the ultimate prize in Hotlanta. #1 Ohio State (my pick to win it all) won the South region Saturday and was the first team to secure a spot in Atlanta aftr beatin Memphis 92-67. Super freshman Greg Oden had 17 points and nine rebounds and dominated the game with his shot blocking prescence while in the game. The Buckeyes have looked vulnerable at times during the tournament but have continued to survive and advance.
Monday, March 19, 2007
March Madness???
Shhhh! Don't tell anyone but the first two rounds of March Madness were fantastic! Don't let all the one month (every March) college basketball fans fool you; the level of competition, emotion and skill level was at its highest. All that the wannabe NCAA basketball fans want (besides their picks i.e. brackets to win) is a series of underdogs to root for and favorites whos demise they see as their divine right to ridicule and laugh at. Duke is a perfect example. Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am no Blue Devil's fan, but I was surprised how quick the media were to trash their favorite school. Dickie V, whom I am a big fan of and ESPN, has never been afraid to play favorites. Duke has been their undisputed college basketball mascot for almost two decades. ESPN, always trying to feign objectivity took this opportunity to trash the Blue Devils following their humbling first round loss to VCU. It led SportScenter, it was on the front page of their website, and every radio talk show host proclaimed how this was proof that they did not love their mistress Duke.
Wow! Congratulations ESPN! You took the opportunity to kick a program (that has been the face of an enire sport and made tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars for you) while its down. What a statement. What a stand for journalism! You certainly have made your point! Jump ship and get out before it goes down and proclaim that you didnt fund the voyage. Dont look now true college basketball fans but I think Atlas has shrugged.
Wow! Congratulations ESPN! You took the opportunity to kick a program (that has been the face of an enire sport and made tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars for you) while its down. What a statement. What a stand for journalism! You certainly have made your point! Jump ship and get out before it goes down and proclaim that you didnt fund the voyage. Dont look now true college basketball fans but I think Atlas has shrugged.
Friday, March 16, 2007
No Worries in D-Town
Every pundit, every hater, every Spurs fan, every Suns fan, etc. has been waiting for the Mavs to lose following that 17 game win streak that was just ended by Jason Richardson and the Warriors. I heard "Warr-iors!?" all day from the haters mimicking the cult classic movie. All I could say was, "hey, if you are that excited about one loss than they must be doing something right."
That was not the cou-de- gras though; that came two days later when the Mavs let a double digit lead slip away to Super Nash and the Suns in the waning seconds of Wednesday's game. To many of the haters out there (and you know who you are), it was another sign of The Mavs inability to close out close games against tough competition. What a joke! The Mavs have the best record in the NBA, they have the best record against the elite (2-1 over Suns, 2-1 over the Spurs this year), and oh by the way they knocked both of those teams out of the playoffs last year. Don't forget the last time the Mavs and Suns hooked up Dirk hit a J in the last seconds to seal a victory.
To me it showed what a great OFFENSIVE player Nash is, and what a great competitor he is as well. To Mav fans and anyone who watches more than a handful of their hometown team's games a year it was just an aberration and maybe even a much needed wake up call for a Dallas team that has devoured the competition for much of the year...
That being said, they need to get it together and start winning again. The Mavs Maniacs are not used to losing anymore, especially not two in a row.
Look for my next post on the first weekend of March Madness. (The first round should be a national holiday!)
That was not the cou-de- gras though; that came two days later when the Mavs let a double digit lead slip away to Super Nash and the Suns in the waning seconds of Wednesday's game. To many of the haters out there (and you know who you are), it was another sign of The Mavs inability to close out close games against tough competition. What a joke! The Mavs have the best record in the NBA, they have the best record against the elite (2-1 over Suns, 2-1 over the Spurs this year), and oh by the way they knocked both of those teams out of the playoffs last year. Don't forget the last time the Mavs and Suns hooked up Dirk hit a J in the last seconds to seal a victory.
To me it showed what a great OFFENSIVE player Nash is, and what a great competitor he is as well. To Mav fans and anyone who watches more than a handful of their hometown team's games a year it was just an aberration and maybe even a much needed wake up call for a Dallas team that has devoured the competition for much of the year...
That being said, they need to get it together and start winning again. The Mavs Maniacs are not used to losing anymore, especially not two in a row.
Look for my next post on the first weekend of March Madness. (The first round should be a national holiday!)
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Teflon Coach
Why do some people seem to get breaks with the media? Why are some public figures roasted at the steak every time they step out of line while others get away with highway robbery? There may not be an answer to the question of unexplainable public perceptions. One thing is for sure, Coach K is definitely one of those public figures who always seems to come out of scandals looking clean. Why? Is he really that powerful, I think not. The latest scandal coming out of Duke is the intentional foul or flying forearm/elbow by Gerald Henderson to UNC'S Tyler Hansboro that knocked the Tar Heel to the floor, breaking his nose, and spouting blood all over his jersey and the floor. It was late in the game and was the Dukies fourth loss out of five to their hated rivals.
What's crazy is all the people who have proclaimed to have seen the replay of the mugging and have then turned around and said that it was obviously unintentional. What are they looking at? Why are they defending Duke? Does Coach K have dirty pictures on most of the media and is holding them over their heads daring them to say something negative about his program? What a joke! Coach K is like Tim Robbins character in the Shawshank Redemption, "He crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side."
I don't think Coach K is evil, or that he even runs a dirty program, but I do think that he receives preferential treatment for no reason other than the fact that a) he has been tremendously successful and b) he schmoozes the press.
His comments after the game did little to suppress the feeling that he had given out the order for the hit on Hansboro. "The game was over, or at least the outcome was, Coach K said. "I don't know why those kids were out there in the first place. I guess that's what happens, so be it."
I guess this is what happens when the media lets an individual become bigger than the game and allows him to wield too much power.
What's crazy is all the people who have proclaimed to have seen the replay of the mugging and have then turned around and said that it was obviously unintentional. What are they looking at? Why are they defending Duke? Does Coach K have dirty pictures on most of the media and is holding them over their heads daring them to say something negative about his program? What a joke! Coach K is like Tim Robbins character in the Shawshank Redemption, "He crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side."
I don't think Coach K is evil, or that he even runs a dirty program, but I do think that he receives preferential treatment for no reason other than the fact that a) he has been tremendously successful and b) he schmoozes the press.
His comments after the game did little to suppress the feeling that he had given out the order for the hit on Hansboro. "The game was over, or at least the outcome was, Coach K said. "I don't know why those kids were out there in the first place. I guess that's what happens, so be it."
I guess this is what happens when the media lets an individual become bigger than the game and allows him to wield too much power.
Mavs Win 16th Straight
The Mavs won yet again Tuesday, defeating New Jersey 102-89 at home. The win makes them the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the NBA. Point Guard Jason Terry led Dallas with 24 points. Dirk Nowitzki had another superb game with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Dirk is now considered in many circles (see www.espn.com and www.nba.com) to be the front runner for MVP of the regular season. He has led the Mavs to a NBA best51-9 record. When will the Mavericks ever lose again? Well after a four day break, they hit the road for a two-game West Coast trip that begins in L.A, against the Lakers on Sun. Then they play Golden State on the second day of a back to back. They will then hurry home to meet Phoenix on Wednesday on ESPN. The Mavs will have to play some of their best basketball of the year to win all three and keep the streak alive.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
One For The Ages
NCAA
-What a game between UT and Texas A&M Wednesday night! The Instant Classic went to double OT where the Longhorns held on to win 98-96. Kevin Durant (30 points,16 rebounds) and Acie Law (33 points, 5 assists) stole the show by carrying their teams on their backs. Seemed that every time their respective teams needed a big shot they were there to step up and drill it. I can't wait to see how these two teams perform in the NCAA Tournament. A&M looks like a two seed and could creep up on a one seed or drop to a three depending on their showing in the Big 12 Tournament. UT looks like a solid four or five seed to me...
-Hey Mavmaniac! Thanks for the comments! As far as a bracket buster, I would look at Butler as a Mid-Major in the George Mason Ilk. I would not be surprised to see them in the Final Four especially if they get a easier bracket. They won the preseason NIT Tourney and with a record of 26-5 with wins over teams such as Notre Dame, Indiana, Gonzaga, and Tennessee they are ready to take on the big boys. UNLV is another good choice as a bracket buster. They are fast and athletic! They are 24-6 this season with big wins coming against Arizona, an underrated Nevada team, My Texas Tech, and Air Force which is another team that could make some noise come March.
-What a game between UT and Texas A&M Wednesday night! The Instant Classic went to double OT where the Longhorns held on to win 98-96. Kevin Durant (30 points,16 rebounds) and Acie Law (33 points, 5 assists) stole the show by carrying their teams on their backs. Seemed that every time their respective teams needed a big shot they were there to step up and drill it. I can't wait to see how these two teams perform in the NCAA Tournament. A&M looks like a two seed and could creep up on a one seed or drop to a three depending on their showing in the Big 12 Tournament. UT looks like a solid four or five seed to me...
-Hey Mavmaniac! Thanks for the comments! As far as a bracket buster, I would look at Butler as a Mid-Major in the George Mason Ilk. I would not be surprised to see them in the Final Four especially if they get a easier bracket. They won the preseason NIT Tourney and with a record of 26-5 with wins over teams such as Notre Dame, Indiana, Gonzaga, and Tennessee they are ready to take on the big boys. UNLV is another good choice as a bracket buster. They are fast and athletic! They are 24-6 this season with big wins coming against Arizona, an underrated Nevada team, My Texas Tech, and Air Force which is another team that could make some noise come March.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Great Week End of B-Ball
NCAA
-Texas Tech held on to beat OK. State 59-57 in Lubbock Saturday. Tech did everything they could to give the game to the Cowboys. Tech had a comfortable eight point lead with about four minutes left but channeled Shaq or Ben Wallace from the charity stripe shooting under 60% for the game. All-American Jarius Jackson finally sank two ft's for the win with 14 seconds left. Tech is now tied at 7-7 in the Big 12 and close out the season against Baylor and Iowa State. After they win both games they will have won 20 games including wins over Texas A&M (twice), Kansas, and a 15 point win at Arkansas and should earn a spot in March Madness.
-Ohio State beat Wisconsin 49-48 in a match up of #1 vs. #2 to win the Big Ten championship. My pre-season pick is looking better and better as the season goes on. The Buckeyes are rolling towards March and are beginning to gel after adjusting to life with and without Greg Oden. $$$$$ Oden finished with a modest stat line (11 points, 5 rebounds, and four blocks) but had a solid game. It was teammate Mike Conley Jr. (Sr. won a gold medal in the triple jump at the '92 Summer Olympics), who won the game with a floater in the lane that dropped with 3.9 seconds left. Can you believe Oden and Conley played together in high school? No wonder they won three straight state championships at Indianapolis Lawrence North. Looks like they are going for four championships in a row. Whoever drafts Oden next year should also draft Conley Jr. when he declares... they know how to win together.
-Defending NCAA champs Florida Gators slipped again in the SEC. This time it was 66-56 to a struggling LSU Tiger squad. LSU was without their stud Glen "Big Baby" Davis but it didn't matter. LSU jumped out to an early lead and never let it go. Terry Martin and Garrett Temple stepped up in the big mans absence to combine for 35 points. Losses to Vanderbilt and a disappointing LSU in the same week? Whats wrong with the Gators?
NBA
-The mighty Dallas Mavericks continued their historic march towards their first championship beating the Nuggets in a 115-95 laugher. Dirk Nowitzki continued his brilliant play finishing with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. While so-called experts such as John Hollinger preaches to fans to ignore the win/loss column and insists that now San Antonio is the best team in the NBA despite trailing Dallas by 8.5 games and Bill Walton (among many others) fawns over the Phoenix Suns who trail Dallas by 3.5 games, the Mavs keep winning. They have won 11 in a row and 46 of their last 51 games. The Mavs are the best team in the league, I don't know why pundits hate the Mavs but it is obvious that they do. Steve Nash was underrated as a Mav and now is extremely overrated with the Suns. He's doing the same thing in Phoenix that he did in Dallas (and that includes break down and fail in the playoffs). And now there are idiots like ESPN's Hollinger who has seemingly devised a new way to rank teams instead of wins and losses. I can see it now, ESPN sat down in a meeting room after the Mavs started winning and said, "well we have to devise a way to demean what the Mavs are doing," and Hollinger raised his hand and said, "I have an idea." I will ramble on further on this subject in future blogs while the Mavs will continue doing what they do best...win!
-Texas Tech held on to beat OK. State 59-57 in Lubbock Saturday. Tech did everything they could to give the game to the Cowboys. Tech had a comfortable eight point lead with about four minutes left but channeled Shaq or Ben Wallace from the charity stripe shooting under 60% for the game. All-American Jarius Jackson finally sank two ft's for the win with 14 seconds left. Tech is now tied at 7-7 in the Big 12 and close out the season against Baylor and Iowa State. After they win both games they will have won 20 games including wins over Texas A&M (twice), Kansas, and a 15 point win at Arkansas and should earn a spot in March Madness.
-Ohio State beat Wisconsin 49-48 in a match up of #1 vs. #2 to win the Big Ten championship. My pre-season pick is looking better and better as the season goes on. The Buckeyes are rolling towards March and are beginning to gel after adjusting to life with and without Greg Oden. $$$$$ Oden finished with a modest stat line (11 points, 5 rebounds, and four blocks) but had a solid game. It was teammate Mike Conley Jr. (Sr. won a gold medal in the triple jump at the '92 Summer Olympics), who won the game with a floater in the lane that dropped with 3.9 seconds left. Can you believe Oden and Conley played together in high school? No wonder they won three straight state championships at Indianapolis Lawrence North. Looks like they are going for four championships in a row. Whoever drafts Oden next year should also draft Conley Jr. when he declares... they know how to win together.
-Defending NCAA champs Florida Gators slipped again in the SEC. This time it was 66-56 to a struggling LSU Tiger squad. LSU was without their stud Glen "Big Baby" Davis but it didn't matter. LSU jumped out to an early lead and never let it go. Terry Martin and Garrett Temple stepped up in the big mans absence to combine for 35 points. Losses to Vanderbilt and a disappointing LSU in the same week? Whats wrong with the Gators?
NBA
-The mighty Dallas Mavericks continued their historic march towards their first championship beating the Nuggets in a 115-95 laugher. Dirk Nowitzki continued his brilliant play finishing with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. While so-called experts such as John Hollinger preaches to fans to ignore the win/loss column and insists that now San Antonio is the best team in the NBA despite trailing Dallas by 8.5 games and Bill Walton (among many others) fawns over the Phoenix Suns who trail Dallas by 3.5 games, the Mavs keep winning. They have won 11 in a row and 46 of their last 51 games. The Mavs are the best team in the league, I don't know why pundits hate the Mavs but it is obvious that they do. Steve Nash was underrated as a Mav and now is extremely overrated with the Suns. He's doing the same thing in Phoenix that he did in Dallas (and that includes break down and fail in the playoffs). And now there are idiots like ESPN's Hollinger who has seemingly devised a new way to rank teams instead of wins and losses. I can see it now, ESPN sat down in a meeting room after the Mavs started winning and said, "well we have to devise a way to demean what the Mavs are doing," and Hollinger raised his hand and said, "I have an idea." I will ramble on further on this subject in future blogs while the Mavs will continue doing what they do best...win!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Introduction to My Blog
Heymons!
Thanks for visiting my blog. This blog presents me the opportunity that no other journalist will admit; that they ARE biased. I am a HUGE Dallas Mavericks and Texas Tech fan and I will never make any apologies for my biased opinions in respect to these two basketball teams on this blog. There are biases all over the country in respect to sports journalism and I am sick of so-called journalists pretending otherwise. Whether it be the dreaded East-Coast bias, SEC football bias, or even the huge negative impact that ESPN's Sportscenter has made on my beloved sport of basketball (will explain in future blog), respected sports experts excert their will on an unsuspecting public behind the pretense of objectivity. Not me, not here... I will highlight the big games with my biased opinions supported by stats and hard core facts. I welcome all challengers and any debate regarding NCAA and NBA basketball. Furthermore, I am also an Ohio State Buckeyes fan for this season, and this basketball season only. Let me explain...
After watching Greg Oden play high school basketball for two years I was convinced that I was watching this next dominant center. Besides Shaq's glory days, which are way behind him, there has not been a real big man in the NBA for a long time. Oden is the missing link that joins players such as Mikan, Chamberlain, Russel, Jabar, Shaq etc. to future generations of game changing big men. So when I heard that Oden had signed with Ohio State, it was a no brainer. The Buckeyes will win the NCAA Championship this year and will continue to do so as long as he decides to stay in school. Even before last season was over I implored anyone I cared about to join me in putting money on OSU with Vegas to win it all in 2007. So this year I am a Buckeyes fan.
Big games this weekend in both the NBA and NCAA. Look for my breakdowns on of course the Mavs/Nuggets game and Texas Tech/Ok. State game. Also, ABC's Sunday doubleheader featuring the best of the least err East (Detroit vs. Chicago and Cleveland vs. Miami) and a huge matchup that could decide the Big Ten when #1 Winconson visits #2 Ohio State on Sunday. Big upsets including LSU over #4 Florida.
Thanks for visiting my blog. This blog presents me the opportunity that no other journalist will admit; that they ARE biased. I am a HUGE Dallas Mavericks and Texas Tech fan and I will never make any apologies for my biased opinions in respect to these two basketball teams on this blog. There are biases all over the country in respect to sports journalism and I am sick of so-called journalists pretending otherwise. Whether it be the dreaded East-Coast bias, SEC football bias, or even the huge negative impact that ESPN's Sportscenter has made on my beloved sport of basketball (will explain in future blog), respected sports experts excert their will on an unsuspecting public behind the pretense of objectivity. Not me, not here... I will highlight the big games with my biased opinions supported by stats and hard core facts. I welcome all challengers and any debate regarding NCAA and NBA basketball. Furthermore, I am also an Ohio State Buckeyes fan for this season, and this basketball season only. Let me explain...
After watching Greg Oden play high school basketball for two years I was convinced that I was watching this next dominant center. Besides Shaq's glory days, which are way behind him, there has not been a real big man in the NBA for a long time. Oden is the missing link that joins players such as Mikan, Chamberlain, Russel, Jabar, Shaq etc. to future generations of game changing big men. So when I heard that Oden had signed with Ohio State, it was a no brainer. The Buckeyes will win the NCAA Championship this year and will continue to do so as long as he decides to stay in school. Even before last season was over I implored anyone I cared about to join me in putting money on OSU with Vegas to win it all in 2007. So this year I am a Buckeyes fan.
Big games this weekend in both the NBA and NCAA. Look for my breakdowns on of course the Mavs/Nuggets game and Texas Tech/Ok. State game. Also, ABC's Sunday doubleheader featuring the best of the least err East (Detroit vs. Chicago and Cleveland vs. Miami) and a huge matchup that could decide the Big Ten when #1 Winconson visits #2 Ohio State on Sunday. Big upsets including LSU over #4 Florida.
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