It has been a weird time for me. I packed my things up and moved to the other side of the world. Here in Australia the nature of sport is quite different. The alcohol and beautiful women may be plentiful, but it can't heal the sizable wound my withdrawals from American sports has left me. My sports knowledge comes from what I read, ESPN.com, and streaming as much video as I can. Miss you Sportscenter. I'll adjust and get back to my comfort zone by getting on my blog I miss so much.
The first thing I must talk about is the latest NBA transactions. I hope people don't feel this is a bad thing for the NBA. The question I ask you is would you rather have two dominant teams and a bunch of .500 squads? Or would you rather have 6-8 teams with a legitimate shot at an NBA title and 6-8 teams that have d-league like talent. Overall, I prefer the superstars teaming up with each other. It makes it rough for the cities that dwell on the bottom each year, but with good management one day they will get their chance to combine superstars. As a Celtics fan I was worried when Carmelo came to the Knicks. I was so excited at the start of the season when the Knicks and Celtics started to have a rivalry and had the best game of the NBA season when Amare made a crazy three-pointer after time had expired. Yet, the rivalry could only last so long with the Knicks hovering around .500 for most of the season. Now, the Knicks have two starting all-stars on their team and pose quite a scare. Teams will battle in the playoffs not with only one superstar, but at times two and three. What is not to love about that? With the right chemistry it is smarter to combine stars. The Celtics trio set a trend that Lebron followed and the rest of the league will continue to do the same. Embrace it, it's exciting fans. With an uncertain future, teams made moves they would have normally made giving the NBA the most "hot stove" like feeling it has had in a long time.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
A Little Respect For Lebron
Lebron is a polarizing figure. Whether it be his on court performance or his affliction with talking in the third person there is no choice but to hate him or love him. You may respect his play, but few can truly defend a respect for the man or his recent decisions regarding locale.
On Friday night Lebron was involved in yet another "event" but this time it was not with the media, but as always in it's ever watching eye. Lebron lashed out with seconds remaining in the first quarter during a dead ball at a fan for comments allegedly made regarding Lebron's mother within earshot of his sons sitting near the Heat bench. Some may think he should be above the pointed words of a common fan but to me this represents a true example of his imperfection.
Imperfection is what gives us the opportunity to love a player. We need to recognize a quality within them that we see within ourselves and that is what this has granted us. Until we see that there is a chink in the armor we can only stand in awe but at the moment we realize there is a human being within the shells of our professional athletes they give us the opportunity to either love them or hate them.
Lebron unfortunately remained unscathed by common preconceptions until he truly exposed his own narcissism amidst "The Decision" and since there has been little but stellar performances to garner our attention. This instance however gives us a second view into the inner working of the man. We finally see an action done out of spontaneous emotion. Not a coordinated and choreographed performance engineered in a studio or the commercialized presence that he has become. We saw for a brief second a flash of human nature.
Few things are sacred in the war that is sports. If the players aren't talking trash rest assured the fans are. In this instance Lebron showed some devotion to a moral or social standard. You don't talk about a man's mother. Expletives aside the message was clear and concise, respect. Whether you believe Lebron made the right decision or not making a public spectacle of his departure from Cleveland, this is the first time we've seen a candid reaction.
In the heat of the moment he did what any of us would do in a similar circumstance and stood up for one he holds dear. Family superceeds everything. As any man can attest no one insults a wife, sister, mother, or girlfriend and gets away with it. This is something you don't let slide and neither did Lebron. He is far from deserving any celebrations in his honor but he finally may have demonstrated that he has limits and that is one step in the right direction.
On Friday night Lebron was involved in yet another "event" but this time it was not with the media, but as always in it's ever watching eye. Lebron lashed out with seconds remaining in the first quarter during a dead ball at a fan for comments allegedly made regarding Lebron's mother within earshot of his sons sitting near the Heat bench. Some may think he should be above the pointed words of a common fan but to me this represents a true example of his imperfection.
Imperfection is what gives us the opportunity to love a player. We need to recognize a quality within them that we see within ourselves and that is what this has granted us. Until we see that there is a chink in the armor we can only stand in awe but at the moment we realize there is a human being within the shells of our professional athletes they give us the opportunity to either love them or hate them.
Lebron unfortunately remained unscathed by common preconceptions until he truly exposed his own narcissism amidst "The Decision" and since there has been little but stellar performances to garner our attention. This instance however gives us a second view into the inner working of the man. We finally see an action done out of spontaneous emotion. Not a coordinated and choreographed performance engineered in a studio or the commercialized presence that he has become. We saw for a brief second a flash of human nature.
Few things are sacred in the war that is sports. If the players aren't talking trash rest assured the fans are. In this instance Lebron showed some devotion to a moral or social standard. You don't talk about a man's mother. Expletives aside the message was clear and concise, respect. Whether you believe Lebron made the right decision or not making a public spectacle of his departure from Cleveland, this is the first time we've seen a candid reaction.
In the heat of the moment he did what any of us would do in a similar circumstance and stood up for one he holds dear. Family superceeds everything. As any man can attest no one insults a wife, sister, mother, or girlfriend and gets away with it. This is something you don't let slide and neither did Lebron. He is far from deserving any celebrations in his honor but he finally may have demonstrated that he has limits and that is one step in the right direction.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Rivalries; Keeping History Alive
When we think of sports we remember the rivalries more than anything. The legendary battles between the Celtics and Lakers in the 80's or even the Pistons and Celtics in the Eastern conference finals of old. We think of the Yankees and Red Sox or the Cowboys and 49ers in football. The games that were played between these opponents are what ingrains a hatred for each side. As the new players emerge and the old ones retire these preconceptions remain. In college football storied programs that have since fallen into irrelevance allow for the rivalry games that were once all that mattered to diminish. Michigan and Ohio State come to mind first with Michigan being without a victory in what seems like a century.
Like Vinatieri leaving New England and joining Indianapolis or Damon heading for the Bronx, these teams thirst to grab the players held in reverence by the faithful fans of each. Without these feuds we lose interest, and further more we lose hope. Would we watch these games with the same fire if both teams were bottom of the barrel and clinging to the reputation of old? (COUGH*Notre Dame*COUGH)The answer is no. That is the reason Notre Dame continues to fall short year after year. The interest is gone and the new generation faintly remembers what once was.
As a Duke fan the biggest rivalry games each year are played against the Tar Heels. The meetings between ACC opponents almost always breed the deepest of hatred especially when the conference tournament is almost a blood sport on hardwood. Tonight the Heels enter Cameron Indoor with a budding freshman guard by the name of Harrison Barnes, visited by both programs on the same night during recruitment, and settling on North Carolina as his initial stop on the way to the NBA there is more to this game than mere X's and O's. These teams hunger for the opportunity to defeat each other and tonight is no exception.
Deeper than this singular game the instance of such a rivalry is what grants a meaning to regular season games. The need for the teams involved to be perennial powerhouses (i,e. Patriots and Colts) is inarguable. Without winning teams there are no rivalries. Whether it be recruits or players lost in free agency nothing is sacred, only the games to be played. To the casual fan a Wednesday game with a ranked team playing the unknown is just a step towards March but this game is the Main Event. Whether these teams meet in the conference championship or later in the midst of Madness, this game sets the tone. The constant rumble of the fans and the squeak of rubber on the floor is the soundtrack to the opening credits of the movie that is this season in the ACC.
Once a rivalry becomes a one sided affair it is no more. With both Duke and North Carolina having won NCAA titles in the very recent past this game still rages on as the clearest representation of a pure rivalry. Undiluted by marquee contracts and players with reputations preceding them, this game is America. The clash of the titans if you will, that reminds us that competition breeds success and success breeds the will to return to the battlefield.
Like Vinatieri leaving New England and joining Indianapolis or Damon heading for the Bronx, these teams thirst to grab the players held in reverence by the faithful fans of each. Without these feuds we lose interest, and further more we lose hope. Would we watch these games with the same fire if both teams were bottom of the barrel and clinging to the reputation of old? (COUGH*Notre Dame*COUGH)The answer is no. That is the reason Notre Dame continues to fall short year after year. The interest is gone and the new generation faintly remembers what once was.
As a Duke fan the biggest rivalry games each year are played against the Tar Heels. The meetings between ACC opponents almost always breed the deepest of hatred especially when the conference tournament is almost a blood sport on hardwood. Tonight the Heels enter Cameron Indoor with a budding freshman guard by the name of Harrison Barnes, visited by both programs on the same night during recruitment, and settling on North Carolina as his initial stop on the way to the NBA there is more to this game than mere X's and O's. These teams hunger for the opportunity to defeat each other and tonight is no exception.
Deeper than this singular game the instance of such a rivalry is what grants a meaning to regular season games. The need for the teams involved to be perennial powerhouses (i,e. Patriots and Colts) is inarguable. Without winning teams there are no rivalries. Whether it be recruits or players lost in free agency nothing is sacred, only the games to be played. To the casual fan a Wednesday game with a ranked team playing the unknown is just a step towards March but this game is the Main Event. Whether these teams meet in the conference championship or later in the midst of Madness, this game sets the tone. The constant rumble of the fans and the squeak of rubber on the floor is the soundtrack to the opening credits of the movie that is this season in the ACC.
Once a rivalry becomes a one sided affair it is no more. With both Duke and North Carolina having won NCAA titles in the very recent past this game still rages on as the clearest representation of a pure rivalry. Undiluted by marquee contracts and players with reputations preceding them, this game is America. The clash of the titans if you will, that reminds us that competition breeds success and success breeds the will to return to the battlefield.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Aaron Rodgers; a league of his own.
If the NFL ended today the highest quarterback rating of all-time would belong to Aaron Rodgers. What's not to love about Aaron Rodgers? He is cool, accurate, uber-talented,playing for a super bowl in his third year as a starter, and hasn't been accused of rape. Rodgers is the real deal.
I had to dedicate a column to Aaron Rodgers love after the continuous talk about the Steelers advantage from Roethlisberger's experience. His praise is well deserved, 10-2 as a playoff starter and two super bowl rings is Brady type language, but in his small playoff career Rodgers has been stellar as well. In his second season in the legendary 51-45 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Rodgers went 28 for 42 throwing for 423 yards and four touchdowns to one interception. This season he has made it clear he is going for the belt. Thus far Rodgers is 66-93 with 6 touchdowns and 2 picks and 790 yards. Those two picks came in a tough second half against a tough Bears defense. He was the first quarterback ever to throw for ten touchdowns in his first three playoff games.
Rodgers is like the young Samurai who learned from his master, His master being Brett Farve. In this case, dare I say it, Rodgers may be Zorro, and is on pace to become better than his teacher. After the 1997 super bowl win for Green Bay against San Francisco, Favre went 3-7 in his next 10 playoff games. Eli Manning won more post-season games in a 29 day span (gulp). In his last 12 post-season starts Farve only had a 77.8 passer rating. In his last five wild-card games he went 2-3 with interceptions and only seven touchdowns. Farve can't even be considered the greatest quarterback in Packers history, the most durable yes, but the greatest, not accurate. Bart Starr himself won five Superbowls and has a career post-season passer rating of 104.8. Rodgers certainly gained an advantage playing under Farve, but maybe he learned a few things not to do from Farve. There is no shadow on Aaron Rodgers, he has made his own name.
The Steelers on Sunday could be in real trouble. A true testament to Rodger's skill has been his consistency no matter the opponent. Against teams that finished in the lower half of the league in passer rating Green Bay quarterbacks posted a 109.3 quarterback rating. Against teams that finished in the upper half of the league they finished with a 100.6 rating, almost no difference. It doesn't matter who they are playing, Rodgers will finish his business.
I don't believe that you have to be a cow to know what milk is. Translation: just because Roethelisberger has won before doesn't mean he is the better quarterback. Rodgers is looking for his belt on Sunday and a place among the elite quarterbacks of all-time.
I had to dedicate a column to Aaron Rodgers love after the continuous talk about the Steelers advantage from Roethlisberger's experience. His praise is well deserved, 10-2 as a playoff starter and two super bowl rings is Brady type language, but in his small playoff career Rodgers has been stellar as well. In his second season in the legendary 51-45 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Rodgers went 28 for 42 throwing for 423 yards and four touchdowns to one interception. This season he has made it clear he is going for the belt. Thus far Rodgers is 66-93 with 6 touchdowns and 2 picks and 790 yards. Those two picks came in a tough second half against a tough Bears defense. He was the first quarterback ever to throw for ten touchdowns in his first three playoff games.
Rodgers is like the young Samurai who learned from his master, His master being Brett Farve. In this case, dare I say it, Rodgers may be Zorro, and is on pace to become better than his teacher. After the 1997 super bowl win for Green Bay against San Francisco, Favre went 3-7 in his next 10 playoff games. Eli Manning won more post-season games in a 29 day span (gulp). In his last 12 post-season starts Farve only had a 77.8 passer rating. In his last five wild-card games he went 2-3 with interceptions and only seven touchdowns. Farve can't even be considered the greatest quarterback in Packers history, the most durable yes, but the greatest, not accurate. Bart Starr himself won five Superbowls and has a career post-season passer rating of 104.8. Rodgers certainly gained an advantage playing under Farve, but maybe he learned a few things not to do from Farve. There is no shadow on Aaron Rodgers, he has made his own name.
The Steelers on Sunday could be in real trouble. A true testament to Rodger's skill has been his consistency no matter the opponent. Against teams that finished in the lower half of the league in passer rating Green Bay quarterbacks posted a 109.3 quarterback rating. Against teams that finished in the upper half of the league they finished with a 100.6 rating, almost no difference. It doesn't matter who they are playing, Rodgers will finish his business.
I don't believe that you have to be a cow to know what milk is. Translation: just because Roethelisberger has won before doesn't mean he is the better quarterback. Rodgers is looking for his belt on Sunday and a place among the elite quarterbacks of all-time.
Ray Allen: A dying Breed
It takes time and dedication to become a shooter. It can be boring at times, but a shooter masters his craft. It is a sacrifice, one that Ray Allen has made. At age 35, Ray Allen is still the best shooter in the NBA, and is about to be statistically the best in history.
After going 4-7 from three on Tuesday night against Sacramento, Ray Allen has moved 9 three's away from breaking Reggie Miller's all-time record of 2,560.
Reggie Miller was renowned for his ridiculous pre-game routine. The hours he spent, arriving before the game to master his stroke proved his dedication to greatness. This type of dedication has only been mirrored by Ray Allen, but Reggie feels Ray may be the end of a dying breed and could end up as the greatest shooter who ever lived, without much competition in the future.
On a TNT broadcast, Reggie Miller commented on the art of shooting and the type of player Ray Allen is. "Shooting is boring. It takes time and you have to spend hours working on your craft. That's why I applaud Ray Allen, at 35 years old, getting ready to break my (NBA record for 3-point field goals) in the next month and a half. He's the best shooter in this league and that's sad, because there should be some young gunslinger coming up saying, I'm going to shatter Ray Allen's record. There's no one alive that's going to break his record."
Reggie Miller may have a point. As the NBA has entered the youtube highlight mixtape era, the art of shooting has gone with the wind. Every play viewed above the rim is ten more minutes a young kid spends on his hops instead of his jump shot. The NBA has become obsessed with drafting NBA type bodies and potential based on athleticism instead of pure shooters. Maybe it is fact that I can't jump over a phone book, and don't get me wrong, I get just as excited about the Blake Griffin alert as the next person, but there is nothing like watching the beauty of a shooter shoot the light's out. Ray Allen truly is miles ahead of the competition. Jason Kidd is in third place for 3 point field goals made with 1,738 making him 822 away from the current record, probably not a threat at age 37.
So when Ray inevitably breaks Miller's record, stand and cheer. Appreciate it as a basketball fan. We may be watching the best shooter who ever lived and the last of his kind.
After going 4-7 from three on Tuesday night against Sacramento, Ray Allen has moved 9 three's away from breaking Reggie Miller's all-time record of 2,560.
Reggie Miller was renowned for his ridiculous pre-game routine. The hours he spent, arriving before the game to master his stroke proved his dedication to greatness. This type of dedication has only been mirrored by Ray Allen, but Reggie feels Ray may be the end of a dying breed and could end up as the greatest shooter who ever lived, without much competition in the future.
On a TNT broadcast, Reggie Miller commented on the art of shooting and the type of player Ray Allen is. "Shooting is boring. It takes time and you have to spend hours working on your craft. That's why I applaud Ray Allen, at 35 years old, getting ready to break my (NBA record for 3-point field goals) in the next month and a half. He's the best shooter in this league and that's sad, because there should be some young gunslinger coming up saying, I'm going to shatter Ray Allen's record. There's no one alive that's going to break his record."
Reggie Miller may have a point. As the NBA has entered the youtube highlight mixtape era, the art of shooting has gone with the wind. Every play viewed above the rim is ten more minutes a young kid spends on his hops instead of his jump shot. The NBA has become obsessed with drafting NBA type bodies and potential based on athleticism instead of pure shooters. Maybe it is fact that I can't jump over a phone book, and don't get me wrong, I get just as excited about the Blake Griffin alert as the next person, but there is nothing like watching the beauty of a shooter shoot the light's out. Ray Allen truly is miles ahead of the competition. Jason Kidd is in third place for 3 point field goals made with 1,738 making him 822 away from the current record, probably not a threat at age 37.
So when Ray inevitably breaks Miller's record, stand and cheer. Appreciate it as a basketball fan. We may be watching the best shooter who ever lived and the last of his kind.
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