Wanted to check in with a few thoughts.
I'm completely burnt out on all things LeBron, but I will say that with a lot of time now passed to digest the entire "Decision" ordeal, I can't really call myself a LeBron fan anymore, and it's a shame because he was one of my two or three fave NBAers. Articles have been written ad nauseum on the move to South Beach (telling that he said "South Beach" and not "Miami" or "the Heat" by the way). The "King" cannot win on his own and at 25 had a mid-life basketball crisis, becoming so paranoid that he'd never win in Cleveland, that he had to head for greener pastures as a complementary player on Dwyane Wade's team (Wade has already delivered a championship to Miami). My main thought in the whole soap opera isn't so much whether it was right/wrong/honorable/disloyal/etc. to leave the way he did as it is how can a guy that always seemed to be media savvy and conscious botch this so badly? You cannot go on worldwide television in a one-hour special to do anything but announce you're staying in Cleveland. Even in retrospect it's hard to fathom that LBJ did what he did. I'm sick of it so I will leave it at this: just remember that Kobe will be chasing the hallowed "MJ" ring #6 and Phil will be chasing 3-peat #4 so don't hand Miami the trophy just yet. No one will be more motivated than the Black Mamba. And Boston, along with every other contender, will be sta-raight hungry to shut the Heat down. If nothing else, I did get a hearty laugh at LeBron proclaiming that the Heat would get "not six, not seven..." championships. LOL. I predict one (and only one)--if indeed any--championship in the Wade/LeBron/Bosh 6-year contract era.
On a different note, on the heels of last night's Matt Garza no-hitter, I want to give a few thoughts on the no-hitter itself and when it is actually a notable accomplishment. Garza walked only one batter, who was then wiped off the ledger with a twin killing so Garza faced the minimum 27 batters. This is a dominant pitching performance. To contrast, Edwin Jackson pitched a "no-hitter" (in sarcastic quotes) last month with 8 walks. 8 walks! Of course he didn't allow any hits, he didn't throw many strikes. So while many or most no-hitters represent good (or better) pitching performances, not all no-nos are created equal. And in speaking of no-hitters relative to quality pitching performances, Armando Galarraga is not on the list of pitchers who've thrown no-hitters with his 28 out perfect game but guys with 8-9 walk no-nos are. Go figure.
Movie review: Inception. This movie is the rare gem that lingers long after the credits roll. The concept involves multiple levels of dream manipulation and the depth of scale was incredible as the viewer gets lost in level after level after level. The performances were money from the ensemble cast and Christopher Nolan's crisp pacing was perfect. The visuals were awesome as well. One notable part was where a dream construct of a cityscape created by Ellen Page's character folded over on itself, creating a "mirrored" effect. DOPE. Probably not since The Matrix has a movie bended my mind to this degree. And the ending joins the list of greatest movie endings with the "is the top going to stop spinning?/i.e. is it real?" interpretation (which if course only makes sense if you've seen it). One small criticism is that the engineering company that was mentioned early on (I can't even recall the name since it was only obliquely mentioned) wasn't fleshed out. It was an intriguing almost shadowy company that seemed like it could've played a bigger role in the story (especially as to the characters' motivation) and could've been explained a little more, even just through a few lines of dialogue. Regardless, Nolan is the man. Easy A for me.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The Bizniz, Volume 4, Issue 1
I have not written for some time but I have recently decided to once again take up the cross… er, keyboard, and distill knowledge, humor, and fer shizzleness.
Today being July 1st, the natural topic is NBA free agency. We now enter the biggest free agent extravaganza the league has ever seen, with available superstars abounding. Clearly the crown jewel is two-time MVP LeBron James, with Dwyane Wade a close second. In my mind, those are the only maximum contract guys out there. However, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce all figure to be asking for close to max dollars and David Lee, Ray Allen, and Richard Jefferson, among others, will be seeking higher end ducats as well. (As an aside, it is humorous, and must be underscored, that, along with Carmelo Anthony who can opt out next year, 4 of the top 5 picks of the 2003 draft will all be making at or close to max money as bonafied NBA superstars. The lone exception? Darko Milicic. Good times.)
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have averaged for their careers 28/7/7 and 25/5/7, respectively. And Wade has the upper hand as a champion (although many agree that the ’05-‘06 Heat were one of the worst teams to win a title). Wade has established himself in Miami but is from Chicago, thus the Bulls beckon. It seems that Wade only has two destinations, staying in Miami or going to Chicago. However, I don’t see how a backcourt of Derrick Rose and Wade would work. Frankly I don’t see how Rose and LeBron would coexist, but more on that to come. Miami is attempting to be pluckers, rather than pluckees, by going after, among others, James, Bosh, Stoudemire, and Boozer. Pat Riley is already waiting in the wings with a freshly pressed Armani suit and a gallon of hair gel to once again patrol the sidelines, helming a Heat team with Wade, James, AND Bosh. At least, that is the fantasy. If nothing else, the Heat could obtain another superstar to complement Wade, likely one of the power forwards mentioned above. As for LeBron, his future is much hazier. Personally, I think Cleveland is the best fit in multiple ways. First, the Cavs can pay him more as the incumbent team thanks to the current CBA arrangement that favors the home team. Second, he is a native of nearby Akron. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I think he has a better chance to win in Cleveland. Back to back 60 win seasons and a solid, if unspectacular, supporting cast (Mo Williams, 16/5; Antawn Jamison 19/8 and role guys like Anderson Varejao [can someone explain to me the difference between Varejao and Joakim Noah, one of the guys inevitably mentioned as one of the key pieces for LeBron in Chicago?] and up and comer J.J. Hickson). I certainly think Cleveland can use to add (frankly anyone who does not win the championship has room to improve) but a nice nucleus is in place, a good combination of veterans and young players. You can’t tell me that the Knicks or Nets offer James a better chance to win. The Knicks haven’t won a playoff game in 10 years and have to be wondering what they’re getting for the big money they are paying Mike D’Antoni. The Nets flirted with the worst record in NBA history. I think Chicago and Miami offer LeBron a chance to win but each comes with a caveat. In Chicago, no matter what he ever does, he will NEVER surpass the level of Michael Jordan. His best hope is to be a franchises’ all-time #2. And Derrick Rose needs the ball in his hands so having another alpha dog, even if it's LeBron James, could be a problem. And word is that LeBron wasn't crazy about playing for a defensive minded coach (i.e. lacking offensive creativity) in Mike Brown, but Chicago is going to have a defensive minded coach in Tom Thibodeaux. In Miami, he would join Wade as Alex Rodriguez joined Derek Jeter, a hired mercenary that comes in to help out an extant star, both on and off the floor. That is Wade’s team and it’s hard to envision the Heat as Wade and James’ team. Other destinations have been thrown out, such as the Clippers and Mavericks, but neither is likely to happen. Basically it comes down to what LeBron really wants. If it really is the glitz and glam and global icon status he could obtain in New York (Manhattan or Brooklyn) then fine. If it’s a business decision, I understand. However, if the decision is based on basketball, then Cleveland makes the most sense. Plus he will be expected to be a franchise savior in the Big Apple, and frankly he hasn’t delivered so far in his otherwise brilliant career. New Yorkers are not the most patient fans. If The King does not deliver a championship (or more likely many championships) there will be hell to pay. Conversely, no matter what he does in Cleveland, he will be beloved as the hometown kid who stayed true to his roots. If he leaves, Cleveland (and many other NBA observers) will forever look at him as a coward who left with the job unfinished. If he stays, he will rule Ohio with love and adoration. LeBron must really decide if the allure of New York is truly worth it. So do I think James will do the right (and what is ultimately, to me, the best) thing and stay in Cleveland? I would not bet on it (but I hope he does).
In terms of the remaining free agent class, as I said before, there are many really good, All-Star caliber players, but none worth max money. Chris Bosh seems to be a lock for max money (depending on whether the Trinity unites for slightly less). He’s a good player, 20/9 career. Amare Stoudemire career: 21/9. Bosh is two years younger, which I guess is his best asset in the comparison between the two. As a Suns fan, I really like, but do not love, Amare and I do not think he is worth max money. Thus, the fact that he was not traded at last year’s deadline looms large with the thought of no compensation coming back to Phoenix (assuming, as with all deals, it is not a sign and trade scenario). But I would rather him walk than to overpay. Maybe it’s because Bosh has played his entire career in relative obscurity in the basketball hotbed of Toronto but I am just not blown away by the guy. Again, he’s a very good player. But max money for him would be hard to swallow if I’m an NBA GM (which the Suns need… and I need a job… hmmm). One rumor that’s floated around is that if Amare walks, the Suns would then target David Lee, who despite averaging only 13/10 career is coming off a 20/12 year and is only 27 (almost 6 months younger than Stoudemire), and could be had for far cheaper than Amare. Lee is your classic hustle garbage man, a position the Suns could use. (And as for Suns’ free agents, lock up Louis Amundsen and Channing Frye on the double!) It’s looking like the Hawks are going to overpay Joe Johnson (a Yahoo sports article today decried the possible signing as “the worst ever”). This is what I’m saying. It’s not worth overpaying a guy just because you’re more afraid of losing him with no compensation. Johnson is a good player (18/4/4 career) who is now a 20-a-night guy. But he’s a complementary piece, not a franchise player. The one guy that is both worth it and not worth it in terms of max money is Dirk Nowitzki. Dude is the most unique 7 footer ever. Big and physical, yet silky and clutch anywhere on the floor, Nowitzki is a fabulous player with some questions; namely, does he make you a championship team? He’s been an MVP and led his team to the Finals but somehow he hasn’t sold everyone on his status as franchise cornerstone, myself included. Basically, a max money guy to me is a guy that can deliver a championship and/or is an All-NBA first team no-brainer year in and year out. This year’s stellar crop includes many great players, but few max money guys in my estimation. That said, I foresee more guys than perhaps should walk away with max deals walking away with max deals.
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Since I did not write at the time regarding the Lost finale, I will do so now. Lost is my favorite show of all time. I did not watch season 1 when it aired. I remember seeing the commercial and thinking, "So it's a dramatic Gilligan's Island?" But prior to the beginning of season 2, I caught an hour long recap of the first season and I thought it looked incredible so, armed with the knowledge gleaned from the recap, I began watching season 2, and never missed another episode (and I subsequently watched season 1 in its entirety on dvd later that year). After a lot of thought and reading of forum boards and talking to other Lost fans, I have determined that Lost was a show broken into two main camps-1) those for whom the show was entirely based on the characters and their relationships and 2) those for whom the island's mysteries and the show's mythos was the most important thing. Obviously, most people are a combination of both camps, on some sort of sliding scale. For me, Lost was about 65% about the characters and 35% about the mythos, give or take 5%. The finale did an amazing job of wrapping up the character end of things. Absolute love letter to the fans in terms of the relationships we have come to love in 6 seasons. Very emotional. But as a big fan of the mythology side, I was rather unfulfilled. With mysterious websites and alternative reality games, among other things, the show clearly established a major aspect that was tied into the mysteries of the island itself. And these questions were left almost entirely unanswered (I do concede that this is stated with somewhat of an asterisk because there have been promises of dvd extras for season 6; here's hoping). Also, I would say that the series finale did an amazinng job of wrapping up season 6, but not the series as a whole. It was, after all, a series, not season, finale. I read an article following the finale where the author stated he "loved and hated" the finale. I think that exactly sums up my feelings. All in all, I still freaking love that show and I'm still in a bit of post partum depression now that it's no more. I own season 1-5 and will be first in line for season 6 so I can always, and believe me I will, have The Island in my life. To Jack, Locke, Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Jin, Sun, Desmond, Penny, Sayid, Charlie, Claire, Michael, Walt, Rose, Bernard, Mr Eko, Ben, Richard, Christian, Juliet, Faraday, Charlotte, Miles, Frank, Widmore, the Dharma Initiative--and especially Nikki and Paulo--etc, etc, etc (for the Danielle's, Ana Lucia's, Boone's, Shannon's, Tom's of the world), and to J.J., Carlton, and Damon, thank you for 6 years I will always cherish (make fun of me all you want... I love Lost!)
The Bizniz, Volume 3, Issue 2 ARCHIVE
2/19/08
I wanted to check in with some thoughts on the just-wrapped All-Star Weekend, namely the dunk contest. I grew up as a huge fan of the dunk contest in the late 80's/early 90's-M.J., 'Nique, Grandmama, Baby Jordan Miner, Dee Brown, Ced Ceballos, J.R./Isaiah Rider, Kobe, etc. It was the ultimate spectacle event for a kid-seeing your favorite players go "Can you top this?" with amazing dunks. I remember a "Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers" tape from about 1990 (with Marv Alberts and Frank Layden), which I watched like 900 times, with, among others, all the classic Jordan/Wilkins battles (Also, note that Spud Webb in '86 was cool, being able to trick dunk at 5' 7", but let's be real: the year he won, His Airness was injured and the Human Highlight Film wasn't 100%. And, much like when Candace Parker was in the McDonald's contest, nothing 'Nique did would've been enough). Then, as any fan knows, in the late 90's we hit a dunk contest apostasy of sorts. New rules, such as doing multiple dunks in the allotted time, made the contest pretty lackluster. This was coupled with more and more stars avoiding the competition, which had been its early staple (the greatest ever, Michael Jordan, was a multi-time participant, as was Dominique Wilkins, who should be among the NBA's 50 Greatest). And then came Vinsanity. The 2000 contest finally brought the dunk contest out of mediocrity. Vince Carter was incredible (perhaps the best single dunk contest performance of all-time), but the field included Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, Ricky Davis, and Jerry Stackhouse (who all had quality dunks but were clearly overshadowed; Davis, for example, was the first to go through the legs in reverse). We then come to the Jason Richardson era of the dunk contest. He won in 2002 and 2003 and should've won in 2004 but he missed his beyond-ridiculous attempt at a 360, off the bounce, through the legs dunk. Among his dopest highlights during this run were the off the backboard, through the legs dunk (stop and think about that for a second) and the off the bounce, through the legs backwards left-handed dunk. He could've gone with the safe, sure thing and beaten Freddie Jones down, but he went for the big-time. Here was a guy that truly understood showmanship and imagination. Also worthy of note is Desmond Mason, who always took J. Rich to the max with some incredible dunks of his own. It's funny because many, like Magic Johnson, have declared in the last year or two, with Gerald Green and Dwight Howard as participants, that "the dunk contest is back!" (PTI asked the question today, "Is the dunk contest back", in fact). Folks, the dunk contest never left, at least not since the year 2000. Richardson's run vs. Des Mason, Josh Smith in '05, and Andre Iguodala in '06 (forget about Nate Robinson, kids. 14 attempts on the last dunk…come on. The "other" A.I. was amazing from beginning to end) were all awesome contests. Gerald Green's "birthday cake" dunk this year was one of the most imaginative ever (and, while less imaginative since he had just gone through the wickets, his no-sock dunk was pretty incredible). And Dwight Howard is simply not a homo sapien, or at least not from Earth (not unlike a certain "caped crusader".) His Superman "dunk" was legendary (in quotations because he literally threw the ball through the rim. If it wasn't so sick, I'd actually take a little off since it wasn't clean). However, his off the back of the backboard dunk, while cool, was a rehash of an Andre Iguodala dunk from '06 (Kenny Smith erroneously noted that we had "never seen any" of Howard's dunks). Iguodala's off the bounce, behind the back dunk is Hall of Fame, too (I'll get to that). In other words, despite popular opinion, the demise of the dunk contest prior to Green and Howard was greatly exaggerated. Like I said, I am an unabashed fan of the dunk contest, always have been. I've always loved All-Star Saturday Night, in fact, more so than the game on Sunday. It definitely went through a lull but it's better than ever now. Dudes are really thinking outside of every box and coming up with not only amazingly athletic dunks, but artistic and amazingly innovative ways of doing them. I love to see it and I hope it continues. Kudos to Dwight Howard, a superstar player/All-Star starter, for participating. I hope more stars will do likewise (Jamario Moon was nice, but I had never heard of Jamario Moon until about 30 seconds before the contest). So now, after a TON of thought and deliberation, I give you the 10 Best Dunk Contest Dunks of All-Time:
First off, some honorable mentions: Vince Carter(R) /Josh Smith (L) reverse 360 windmill; Dee Brown arm over eyes (or even better, Gerald Green same dunk, over Nate Robinson); Jordan baseline windmill; Harold Miner full pump between the legs; Dwight Howard sticker dunk; Dwight Howard off the bounce, tip off the backboard dunk; Desmond Mason through the legs left; Desmond Mason windmill with the off hand; Vince Carter two step, two feet windmill from behind the basket dunk; Nate Robinson over Spud Webb; Gerald Green birthday cake dunk; Dominique Wilkins off the backboard, jumping from the bottom of the circle dunk; J.R. Smith behind the back in air. And, even though he never got it down, J. Rich off the bounce, through the legs 360. Had he gotten that one down, that is no doubt 1 to me.
10.) Michael Jordan from the foul line, 1988. Arguably the most famous dunk of all-time (at least in terms of posters). Won the contest over Wilkins, where M.J. needed a 48 to tie and a 49 to win. He got a 50. Let the record show he first did the free throw line dunk in '85, which is the only reason it isn't higher.
9.) Josh Smith windmill in the Wilkins jersey, 2005. The homage and symbolism (old blood/new blood for the Hawks) of this dunk were awesome. But go back and watch it-Smith takes off outside the lane and gives us a smooth, full windmill; the lefty aesthetic make it sick as well.
8.) Jason Richardson off the backboard, through the legs, 2004. We'd seen dudes go through the legs many times, but no one had ever done it off the backboard. Think of how high the ball was at its apex, and the dexterity and athleticism it took to bring it through. Plus, taking it straight on looks so much cooler.
7.) Andre Iguodala off the back of the backboard, pump reverse, 2006. Again, the innovation here is unbelievable. This was the first time anyone thought to use the back of the glass. Ridiculous. Plus, to grab the ball, duck under the board, then dunk is crazy.
6.) Jason Richardson off the bounce, reverse 180 windmill, 2002. Richardson, from the left wing, goes off the bounce and catches the ball squarely facing the basket. Then in the most graceful, yet violent way, while bringing the ball down, turns 180 degrees and slams the ball backwards, and as purely as could be. This is one of the more "Cirque Du Soleil"-type of dunks I've seen. Beautiful.
5.) Dwight Howard Superman, 2008. This wasn't truly a dunk in the strictest sense, but the fun factor, imagery, and the fact that he took off from behind the bottom of the circle, make this one immortal. It's my current desktop wallpaper in fact.
4.) Vince Carter hanging off the rim, 2000. This was one of those dunks that made you laugh hysterically, wondering if you really saw what you thought you saw. To get high enough to hang off the rim by your elbow is amazing, and to pull it off cleanly on the first try puts it in the HoF. Gerald Wallace and Richard Jefferson have attempted it in competition, only VC did it.
3.) Andre Iguodala off the bounce, behind the back, 2006. I can watch this one ten times a day and never get sick of it. I kind of tune out when guys go off the bounce since it's so played out, but to go up and bring the ball around your back with the off hand--in mid-air--and dunk it-with all that timing-is incredible.
2.) Jason Richardson off the bounce, backwards through the legs, left-handed blind reverse, 2004. Several things about this dunk make it outstanding-it was from the baseline, off the bounce, and he dunked it blind with the off hand. Plus, it was a contest clincher. And having Kenny Smith go bonkers only adds to the luster.
1.) Vince Carter off the (teammate) bounce, through the legs, 2000. This dunk is now the godfather of any through the leg variation. Before this, no one had done anything but a "standard" through the legs dunk, typically from the baseline and jumping off one foot. To time it to take McGrady's bounce, and then to go off two feet, and cleanly through (from head on left lane) was sick. Carter's pointing to the sky with both hands pose only added to how sick it was. The crown jewel dunk of the crown jewel dunk contest performance. This was the resurrection of the dunk contest.
In summation, I think Jason Richardson is the 1 Dunk Contest Dunker of All-Time. Vince Carter was amazing, but he only participated once. Jordan and Dominique of course get honorable mention status, as does Desmond Mason. I suppose that would be my top 5. Shout to J. Rich, who, oh by the way, isn't exactly Craig Hodges. He's 19 a night career.
The Bizniz, Volume 3, Issue 1 ARCHIVE
2/4/08
I have had this moment in mind for a long time. That is, sitting down to record my thoughts the Monday following Super Bowl XLII. I had fully expected to spend that time discussing the greatness of the New England Patriots and how unbelievable a 19-0 season is in today's NFL. Even now, watching all the sports shows and reflecting on yesterday's game I am still in a little disbelief. New York 17, New England 14. I have a million different thoughts so I'm not exactly sure where this column will go. The New York Giants were grossly undervalued going into the game, in terms of being a double-digit underdog. I do not think their victory qualifies as earth-shattering as far as upsets go (surprising, even highly surprising yes, but doesn't everyone remember these guys played head-to-head in week 17 and it was a tight 38-35 game?). Frankly, Cinderella will never make it to the Super Bowl, it's too difficult. But to call the Patriots prohibitive favorites, at 18-0 with numerous offensive records and one of the best-ever big-game quarterbacks in Tom Brady, was a relatively easy call for me (I'd say it was about 70-30 in favor of NE in terms of predictions. Hilarious to hear the Giants say no one thought they could do it. A ton of people thought you could do it gang!) The Giants D is great, particularly their pass rush. They have been road warriors all year and have played great in the playoffs, beating the two top seeds in the NFC, the Cowboys and Packers. But if you would've told me 24 hours ago that Eli Manning would outduel Tom Brady, I would've laughed hysterically. But he did. He made all the plays, including the amazing escape and throw to David Tyree on the final drive. That play/throw and that catch should indeed go down as one of, if not the greatest, play in Super Bowl history. But remember this: it never would've happened, nor would the Giants have pulled the upset, had Asante "I Want the Big Dough Because I'm a Superstar" Samuel not let an interception bounce of his hands just a few plays earlier. When he dropped the potential game-ender, I said to the party I was watching with that if the Giants pulled it out, Samuel would have freaking nightmares. I'm not a Patriots fan, per se, but I for one was rooting heavily for them. I love Tom Brady, I'm an AFC guy, and I HATE the 1972 Miami Dolphins, among the most overrated teams in the history of sports. It's fine to be proud of one's accomplishments. But, like the classy Henry Aaron, record holders should cheer for their records to be eclipsed and celebrate the new record holders. Class-less Mercury Morris needs to go away forever, but we will all have to continue to deal with him because his Dolphins are still the only "perfect" team. I can't even imagine what he's saying today, that prick. I congratulate the Pats on equaling, and surpassing, the Dolphins' 17-0 record. Let me say that again, the 2007 Patriots surpassed the 1972 Dolphins' record of 17-0. Tom Brady has more rings than Morris (3 to 2) or anyone else on the '72 Dolphins. Don Shula is a legend but dudes like Morris were fringe pros who time will eventually forget. Tom Brady, today, is one of the best to ever play his position and he's got a lot of years left before he goes to Canton. The Pats will be back. The fact that anyone has to mention the f------ Dolphins takes away from several things: we saw perhaps the greatest Super Bowl ever and the New York Giants won the Championship. Eli Manning was amazing. Earlier this year (and this shows the ridiculously fickle nature of sports) many pundits (Mark Schlereth comes to mind) said that Eli would never be a front line QB, the type that would lead a team to a championship. Now he's the toast of the town. Instead of banishing a guy to the netherworld of stardom or putting a guy on a pedestal, how about we just give the guy credit for his singular achievement and let's see how his career plays out. Good for Eli. It's a no-win situation to be Peyton Manning's little bro and/or play in New York. Eli was money. The D was money. The Giants could've folded up when the Pats went up late in the 4th quarter. What an unbelievable game. Now, where do the 18-1 Patriots go down in history? To me, they are still one of the best teams of all-time. An undefeated regular season is amazing. And while they didn't close the deal this is still a championship team (meaning both that they were conference champs and that most of the current roster owns rings). The Patriots will almost certainly be among the favorites next year. Certainly they'll need to retool and get younger on D. They have a great front office and they own the 7th overall pick. Somehow I think they'll survive. Certainly losing the Super Bowl, and especially when a win would've sealed a perfect season, is going to sting and take along time to recover from. I don't think 18-0 will ever happen again, but then I never thought it would happen in the first place. I'm happy for the Giants and it sucks the Patriots couldn't make history. But my overarching feeling is of nausea. I HAVE AN UNNATURAL HATRED OF THE 1972 DOLPHINS AND ESPECIALLY MERCURY MORRIS. I COULD NOT POSSIBLY HOLD ANY MORE DISDAIN IN MY SOUL FOR THOSE DECREPIT AND PRETENTIOUS MEN. Here are, in my opinion, teams better than the '72 Dolphins, off the top of my head: any of the 70's Steelers championship teams, any of the 80's 49ers championship teams, any of the 90's Cowboys championship teams, any of the Patriots 00's championship teams (or this year's team), any of the four Bills teams that lost Super Bowls, the 2000 Ravens (best defense ever in my opinion), 2002 Bucs (second-best D ever), 1985 Bears, Steve Young 49ers of '95, Raiders of 2002 (one of the best SB losing squads, they'd hang 50+ easy), Peyton's Colts last year, any of those Redskins championship teams, or any Raiders championship team. There are a number of Super Bowl winners that the Dolphins would beat. I think if you determined the 50 best teams of all-time, the Dolphins would be in the 20's or 30's, possibly teens, but certainly not top-10. They played a shorter season against lame competition. God willing, someone will eventually go undefeated for an entire season. Or they'll all die (not far away for some). As you can tell, I'm not at all embittered against them. It's Mercury "Cocaine" Morris. He thinks he's God Incarnate. He rushed for 4,000 yards and 31 td's in his career. He made a few Pro Bowls. He's also a drug-dealing felon. If Shula or Bob Griese want to talk about greatness, I will listen-both are NFL Hall of Famers. Morris was a fringe player who needs to shut up. It would be like Will Perdue clogging the airwaves talking about how great the Bulls championship teams were. Props to Eli and the Giants.
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 16 ARCHIVE
11/1/07
Steve Nash Kevin Durant
By the way, I could not for the life of me get this to format at all. The version I have in Word is lovely with three columns and everything looking just so. I tried fixing it all manually but that was ridiculously frustrating. MySpace has to work on that compatibility. You get the info still, however.
2007-2008 NBA Season Preview
Western Conference Eastern Conference
Northwest Division Atlantic Division
Utah Boston
Denver New Jersey
Portland Toronto
Seattle New York
Minnesota Philadelphia
Utah Boston
Denver New Jersey
Portland Toronto
Seattle New York
Minnesota Philadelphia
Pacific Division Central Division
Phoenix Detroit
Golden State Chicago
LA Clippers Cleveland
LA Lakers Milwaukee
Sacramento Indiana
Phoenix Detroit
Golden State Chicago
LA Clippers Cleveland
LA Lakers Milwaukee
Sacramento Indiana
Southwest Division Southeast Division
Dallas Washington
San Antonio Miami
Houston Orlando
New Orleans Atlanta
Memphis Charlotte
Dallas Washington
San Antonio Miami
Houston Orlando
New Orleans Atlanta
Memphis Charlotte
Playoff Seeding Playoff Seeding
1.) Phoenix 1.) Detroit
2.) Dallas 2.) Chicago
3.) San Antonio 3.) Boston
4.) Utah 4.) New Jersey
5.) Denver 5.) Washington
6.) Houston 6.) Cleveland
7.) Golden State 7.) Miami
8.) LA Clippers 8.) Toronto
1.) Phoenix 1.) Detroit
2.) Dallas 2.) Chicago
3.) San Antonio 3.) Boston
4.) Utah 4.) New Jersey
5.) Denver 5.) Washington
6.) Houston 6.) Cleveland
7.) Golden State 7.) Miami
8.) LA Clippers 8.) Toronto
Playoff Prediction
Suns over Clippers Pistons over Raptors
Mavericks overWarriors Bulls over Heat
Spurs over Rockets Celtics over Cavaliers
Jazz over Nuggets Nets over Wizards
Mavericks overWarriors Bulls over Heat
Spurs over Rockets Celtics over Cavaliers
Jazz over Nuggets Nets over Wizards
Suns over Jazz Pistons over Nets
Spurs over Mavericks Bulls over Celtics
Spurs over Mavericks Bulls over Celtics
Spurs over Suns Bulls over Pistons
NBA FINALS
SPURS OVER BULLS
Finals MVP-Tim Duncan
SPURS OVER BULLS
Finals MVP-Tim Duncan
Regular Season Awards/Honors
MVP Rookie of the Year
Steve Nash Kevin Durant
Defensive PoY 6th Man of the Year
Kobe Bryant Jason Terry
Most Improved Player Coach of the Year
Ronnie Brewer Scott Skiles
Kobe Bryant Jason Terry
Most Improved Player Coach of the Year
Ronnie Brewer Scott Skiles
All-NBA First Team All-NBA Second Team
PG Steve Nash PG Deron Williams
SG Kobe Bryant SG Dwyane Wade
SF LeBron James SF Carmelo Anthony
PF Dirk Nowitzki PF Kevin Garnett
C Yao Ming C Tim Duncan
PG Steve Nash PG Deron Williams
SG Kobe Bryant SG Dwyane Wade
SF LeBron James SF Carmelo Anthony
PF Dirk Nowitzki PF Kevin Garnett
C Yao Ming C Tim Duncan
Season Summary
Everyone concedes that the Western Conference represents the lion's share of power in the league. The Spurs, Mavs, and Suns are the top three teams, in some order, according to anyone who knows basketball. The Suns likely would've won the title last year if not for the highly controversial suspensions of Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw during their series with the eventual champion* Spurs. Will Shawn Marion be a distraction during the year in wanting to be traded? Time will tell. Can the Mavs rebound from their shocking loss to the Warriors in the first round? Repeating is extremely difficult in today's game-can the Spurs do so? The Jazz, Rockets, and Nuggets will all contend in the West. Another major wild card is Kobe. He could tip the scales for whatever squad can obtain his services-he's still the best player on planet Earth. As for the East, there are some compelling stories and teams. Obviously, Boston made the biggest splash in the offseason, acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. I think they'll be better, and fun to watch, but I'm a little less enthusiastic than many about the C's. No team with three 20 point per game scorers has ever won a title (only one team has even made it to the NBA Finals.) Detroit seems poised for another run, yet they likewise seem prone to a meltdown. New Jersey is a chic pick, provided they have a healthy Nenad Kristic. I think the Cavs will take a step back-they did nothing. Chicago has a great shot with a talented and athletic roster. Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich are one of the best duos in the league (quietly combined for 38 a night last season.) I've picked the Spurs to win it all. God willing, I'll be wrong. I'm a Suns fan and I think they have the pieces to win it all. I wonder though if last year was really their shot. The Spurs are so battle tested and experienced that it's tough to pick against them, especially when they catch the breaks they did last year. The NBA is in a little trouble with dwindling ratings and an officiating scandal. For the league's sake, here's hoping we don't see a Spurs/Pistons Finals…..
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 15 ARCHIVE
10/2/07 Here's my MLB 2007 season wrap-up and postseason preview.
American League MVP-Alex Rodriguez. This is one of the more "no-brainer" MVP's that I can think of. A-Rod had an unbelievable season (.314, 54, 156 (17 more knocked in than anyone else), 1.067 OPS) and was the key cog in a Yankees team that started slowly but really found their stride. Personally, I'd love to see A-Rod walk and stick it to N.Y. in a Red Sox number 3 next year. He's the toast of Gotham for now, but should he struggle in the playoffs then that amazing year will be all for naught.
American League Cy Young-Josh Beckett. There were a number of solid, if unspectacular, pitchers in both leagues. Beckett gets the nod here by virtue of being baseball's only 20 game winner, an increasingly rare feat. 3.27 ERA, a WHIP of 1.14, and almost a strikeout an inning is pretty good. I've been a big Beckett fan for a long time-glad to see him get it together for a full season.
National League MVP-Matt Holliday. Like last year, this is a tight race. Holliday (.340, 36, 137, 1.032 OPS) won the batting title and, thanks to an extra game, the RBI crown as well. He drove the Rockies to a 14-1 finish down the stretch and came up huge in the deciding one game playoff for the Wild Card. Jimmy Rollins (.296, 30, 94, 41 swipes, 139 runs) is likely Holliday's best competition. I'm a big proponent of teammates canceling each other out in MVP races (like it should've been last year with Morneau and Mauer), so I'll say Ryan Howard (and his Major League record for K's) and Rollins split votes (and don't sleep on Chase Utley's value for Philly.)
National League Cy Young-Jake Peavy. I think this award will be like unto AL MVP with Peavy getting all kinds of love. 19-6, an MLB best 2.54 ERA, and a 1.06 WHIP are Johan Santana type numbers. He was a big bust in the biggest game of the year, though, against Colorado. Brandon Webb could sneak in for Cy number two.
Playoff Predictions
American League Divisional Series-Yankees over Indians, Red Sox over Angels
American League Championship Series-Red Sox over Yankees
Is a Yankees/Sox ALCS not simply in the cards? Boston was the best team in baseball for most of the year and New York is riding a crest of confidence with the way they played in the second half. Seems like destiny. The Yanks still have pitching problems, though. The Red Sox, conversely, are loaded with arms, particularly dangerous in a short series. Running Beckett, Matsusaka, and Schilling out there in order is pretty killer, and having Papelbon on the back end is deadly. I like the Sox in a 7 game classic (could it go down any other way?)
National League Divisional Series-Cubs over Diamondbacks, Rockies over Phillies
National League Championship Series-Cubs over Rockies
I mulled over this one for a while. I think the Rockies will be riding high coming into the playoffs and the Phils have major pitching woes (or has everyone forgotten?) The Rocks actually have the arms to make some noise, and some thunder in the middle. The D-backs are solid all around but the Cubs have just a little more offensively and on the bump. I could go either way on my NLCS match-up. Colorado has some serious firepower and will have the Cinderella mindset working for them. If Zambrano can key the staff (and not completely melt-down, which always seems equally likely), and Derrek Lee finds his usual power stroke to compliment Alfonso Soriano, I think the Cubs.....yes, the Cubs, can make it to the World Series.
World Series
RED SOX over CUBS
Boston is really freaking good. They have three aces and a lights-out closer, and two of the top hitters in the game in Ortiz and Ramirez, not to mention J.D. Drew, Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell, etc. The Cubbies will have the entire planet pulling for them (me included) to get that almost-100-year-old monkey off their collective back. The Cubs have some really good arms and some really good bats, just not as really good as what the Red Sox have. (Also, I wonder if "just getting there" will make the Cubs lose a little of the fire along the way.; though the BoSox were in a similar setting back in '04.) Man, 1908 was the last time the Cubs won the World Series...99 years. Unfortunately, I think 99 will become 100. I like Boston in 6. MVP-David Ortiz, Mr. Big Hit.
On a television note, with all the new Fall shows debuting I want to comment on one that premiered tonight, and of which I was intrigued: Cavemen. The Geico commercials are great but, like most people, I've wondered if an entire show can stand on the narrow premise. If tonight's premiere was any indication, the answer is probably not. I'd give episode 1 a C+ grade. Any show is only as good as its writing and the writing on Cavemen is pretty pedestrian, at least judging from the debut. It showed flashes, and Nick Kroll, of Best Week Ever fame, is pretty hilarious-he's the standout. Perhaps the show will get better-I'd say I'm still rooting for it. But I'm rooting with only half-hearted enthusiasm.
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 13 ARCHIVE
Award Winners
Playoff Matchups
NFC
Wild Card Round: Seahawks over Cowboys, Saints over Eagles
Divisional Round: Saints over Bears, Seahawks over Panthers
Championship: Seahawks over Saints
Hasselbeck and Alexander lead experienced Hawks back to the Super Bowl, ending the Saints' feel-good story.
AFC
Wild Card Round: Chargers over Bengals, Ravens over Broncos
Divisional Round: Colts over Chargers, Patriots over Ravens
Championship: Patriots over Colts
Brady bests Manning and avenges last year's loss in another classic.
SUPER BOWL XLII
Patriots over Seahawks
Tom Brady solidifies himself as the best big-game quarterback of all time.
Most Valuable Player-Tom Brady
Defensive Player of the Year- Shawne Merriman
Offensive Rookie of the Year- Marshawn Lynch
Defensive Rookie of the Year- Patrick Willis
Playoff Matchups
NFC
Wild Card Round: Seahawks over Cowboys, Saints over Eagles
Divisional Round: Saints over Bears, Seahawks over Panthers
Championship: Seahawks over Saints
Hasselbeck and Alexander lead experienced Hawks back to the Super Bowl, ending the Saints' feel-good story.
AFC
Wild Card Round: Chargers over Bengals, Ravens over Broncos
Divisional Round: Colts over Chargers, Patriots over Ravens
Championship: Patriots over Colts
Brady bests Manning and avenges last year's loss in another classic.
SUPER BOWL XLII
Patriots over Seahawks
Tom Brady solidifies himself as the best big-game quarterback of all time.
Most Valuable Player-Tom Brady
Defensive Player of the Year- Shawne Merriman
Offensive Rookie of the Year- Marshawn Lynch
Defensive Rookie of the Year- Patrick Willis
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 14 ARCHIVE
9/19/07
Just a couple of quick thoughts on Donovan McNabb's recent comments on race. I have written several times on the subject of race in society and sports. On some levels I think McNabb probably has some valid points in general. Specifically, however, any negativity he feels playing quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles can almost exclusively be attributed to the fact that he plays quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. The dude plays in Phila-freaking-delphia, where everyone from Mike Schmidt, to Destiny's Child, to Santa Claus has been booed and maligned. I'm the biggest McNabb fan there is. I always mention the 50 yard strike off his back foot that he threw against Rutgers as a Syracuse frosh back in the day. Love McNabb. But it's frustrating to always see the race card being played for every ill (or perceived ill) in society. The irony last week was that McNabb got outdueled by a fellow black QB, Jason Campbell. Does that constitute black on black crime? And everyone cries afoul that the NFL is upwards of 75% black and yet there are only a handful of black QB's, GM's, etc. True, those numbers don't jive with what probably "should" be as far as "minority" representation. But doesn't anyone else look at those figures and say to themselves, "Wow, there aren't enough white players in the NFL." 75-25 is quite a disparity. But alas no white person can cry about it. I forgot..."White Men Can't Jump". It is interesting what is and is not considered racism and discrimination in our glorious country...
On the subject of black and white, and so I don't seem like a Klansman, the more Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis loses (and looks completely inept in doing it), the more people are going to grumble about how Ty Willingham was shown the door after 3 solid, if unspectacular, seasons. I've gotta say, if Weis' team only wins 2 or 3 games this season, which is very realistic, and people aren't clamoring for his head, then something is up. He'd be 0-2 in bowls and not even bowl eligible in the third year. That might be a case where race is a bigger factor than anyone wants to admit. I'm rooting for Willingham at UW either way.
I haven't shouted out any commercials for a while, but there are currently a couple that have struck me in just the right way. The first is the ridiculously sick Shawne Merriman/Steven Jackson Nike Football commercial. The look and feel of the commercial is phenomenal, with the high-def visuals and the bananas Last of the Mohicans music. Dope. The second is the hilarious Domino's ad for the Oreo dessert pizza featuring the ingenious "pizza moustache". I crack up every time I see that one. A+ to both.
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 11 ARCHIVE
9/5/07
NFL, kids. The time has come for a full-blown NFL season preview.
I'll look first at the lesser of the league's two conferences, the NFC.
**-Division Winner *-Wild Card
**-Division Winner *-Wild Card
NFC East: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) Dallas (10-6)**
2.) Philadelphia (10-6)*
3.) New York G (7-9)
4.) Washington (6-10)
1.) Dallas (10-6)**
2.) Philadelphia (10-6)*
3.) New York G (7-9)
4.) Washington (6-10)
The question in this division is can Donovan McNabb stay healthy and bounce back from his season-ending knee injury last year. If he does, then Philly will be a big-time player in the NFC. Dallas' QB, Tony Romo, must also bounce back from a disappointing finish to an otherwise great season. Both teams will have good defenses (both were in the top half of NFL D's in total defense, 15th and 13th respectively last year; both should be improved this year.) I think they'll battle all year for the division crown. The Giants likely take a step back with the loss of Tiki Barber. Eli Manning is developing and they have some good weapons (Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress, etc.) but they lack something-maybe continuity and confidence in their coach, Tom Coughlin, who lives in the hot seat. Washington is still a few years away, looking for Jason Campbell to be a star (I'm big on the guy) and other young players to step up. They have an awful lot of money invested in a coaching staff that provided 5 wins last year.
NFC North: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) Chicago (11-5)**
2.) Green Bay (7-9)
3.) Minnesota (6-10)
4.) Detroit (4-12)
Chicago is clearly the class of this division. They will be money on defense again. The questions remain on the offensive side of the ball, however. Can Rex Grossman be a viable NFL starter? Can Cedric Benson provide the rushing game of Thomas Jones now that Benson is the guy? I think they'll be ok again. Brett Favre is a gamer but aren't we all sick of the guy by now? Does he really think the Packers can compete? Brad Childress was a dud in his first year at the helm in Minnie. The Vikes have talent, but it's young and unproven; they're a ways away. Detroit is Detroit. The Lions will be pretty bad again but they have some positives to look forward to for the future, namely the tandem of Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson. I still say they should've addressed other needs rather than draft receiver 1 for the 26th straight year.
NFC South: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) Panthers (11-5)**
2.) Saints (11-5)*
3.) Buccaneers (6-10)
4.) Falcons (4-12)
I had the Panthers in the Super Bowl (independent of any other source) last year and that didn't work out too well. I'm backing them again this year to make a playoff run. It seems like many people are getting off the Jake Delhomme train, but not I. I still think the guy is a leader and has the tools to get it done. Steve Smith is great and Dwayne Jarrett was a steal in the draft. Julius Peppers is still among the league's best and most versatile defenders. The Saints surprised us all but they won't sneak up on anyone this year. Drew Brees was healthy and Marques Colston was a find in round 7. Reggie Bush will only get better, too. The D was much improved and the O was numero uno. They'll be right there again, though I still think they have questions at WR. The Bucs were a big flop a year after making the playoffs in '05. Is Jeff Garcia the guy? Tampa's still built on defense and they have injected some youth into an aging corps. The offense must improve from 29th in total O, though, or it will be another long season for Chucky. Atlanta must deal with the loss of Mike Vick. Joey Harrrington is the guy. Not good. With all the off field distractions this off- and preseason, it will be amazing if the Falcons an even play at .500. The D has questions and now so does the O.
NFC West: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) Seattle (10-6)**
2.) St. Louis (8-8)
3.) San Francisco (8-8)
4.) Arizona (7-9)
This division will be a lot of fun to watch all year, both because of stellar offenses, but also because it should be extremely tight all year. The Seahawks should be right in the mix once again, as they bring back the mainstays from the last several years of playoff runs, like Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Walter Jones, and the like. They were middle of the pack in both offense and defense in '06 and they figure to improve in both areas. They have health concerns but they should be right there. The Rams are again right under the radar in terms of contention. Marc Bulger is solid and Steven Jackson's a budding star but they have some questions, particularly on D where they finished 23rd in total D last year. The 49ers have made some strides but you get the feeling that Mike Nolan's time is now to make a playoff push. Alex Smith is starting to show the promise that made him a 1 overall pick and a healthy Vernon Davis will go a long way to help this team. I'm not a big Darrell Jackson fan, but the 9ers think he can be a front line receiver. San Fran was 26th in the league in both sides of the ball last season-that simply won't cut it this year. Arizona will again be a chic pick to make some noise. Ken Whisenhunt comes in as the coach and has some serious weapons, arguably better than those any of his Pittsburgh offenses. Matt Leinart showed flashes and Edgerrin James was a solid contributor. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are the best duo in the league, apologies to Harrison and Wayne. There really aren't any excuses for the Cards not to be competitive. We'll see if they are.
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 10 ARCHIVE
9/5/07
School started this week for me which means college football season is upon us. I freaking love college football. This year should be a lot of fun to watch, with a number of phenomenal players and teams. I give you my preseason top-10, major bowl predictions, Heisman hopefuls, and players and storylines to watch. Let's take a look.
Preseason Top-10 with Record (Returning Starters Off/Def; Key Games)
1.) USC 12-0 (6/10; @ Cal, @ ASU, UCLA)
2.) Virginia Tech 11-1 (8/8; @ LSU, Florida State, Miami)
3.) LSU 11-1 (6/8, Florida; @ Alabama, Arkansas)
4.) Oklahoma 10-2 (9/6; Miami, Texas, Texas A&M)
5.) Texas 10-2 (6/6; TCU, Oklahoma, @ Texas A&M)
6.) Wisconsin 10-2 (9/7; @ Penn State, @ Ohio State,Michigan)
7.) Michigan 10-2 (6/4; Notre Dame, @ Wisconsin, Ohio State)
8.) Florida 10-2 (6/3; Tennessee, @ LSU, @ South Carolina)
9.) West Virginia 11-1 (7/8; @ South Florida, @ Rutgers, Louisville)
10.) Louisville 11-1(7/5; @ West Virginia, @ South Florida, Rutgers)
2.) Virginia Tech 11-1 (8/8; @ LSU, Florida State, Miami)
3.) LSU 11-1 (6/8, Florida; @ Alabama, Arkansas)
4.) Oklahoma 10-2 (9/6; Miami, Texas, Texas A&M)
5.) Texas 10-2 (6/6; TCU, Oklahoma, @ Texas A&M)
6.) Wisconsin 10-2 (9/7; @ Penn State, @ Ohio State,Michigan)
7.) Michigan 10-2 (6/4; Notre Dame, @ Wisconsin, Ohio State)
8.) Florida 10-2 (6/3; Tennessee, @ LSU, @ South Carolina)
9.) West Virginia 11-1 (7/8; @ South Florida, @ Rutgers, Louisville)
10.) Louisville 11-1(7/5; @ West Virginia, @ South Florida, Rutgers)
USC is absolutely loaded on both sides of the ball. Pete Carroll has said that this year's squad boasts the best defense he's had at SC. 10 starters return on D, including playmakers like Lawrence Jackson, Rey Maualuga, and Keith Rivers. With Heisman candidate John David Booty leading the offense, and with a plethora of dynamic skill position guys, the Trojans will be almost impossible to beat. I really like Va Tech this year. They'll have a lot to play for emotionally each week, in light of the horrible events of April 16th. Beyond that, they have a load of talent offensively and, as is always the case, defensively. Their LB corps are second only to USC. Everyone loves LSU and it's easy to see why. They bring back a ton of talent. They did lose JaMarcus Russell (maybe he can go back if he's never going to sign...), and both key wideouts, first rounders Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis. Oklahoma must bounce back from their Fiesta Bowl melt-down. They lose Adrian Petersen, which is huge. But they were 8-0 without him last year. Bob Stoops recruits as well as anyone and always has his dudes ready. Texas will be as good as Colt McCoy can make them, which is likely great. The frosh dynamo was amazing, but then so too was Rudy Carpenter of ASU, who had a big-time sophomore slide. McCoy's the genuine article and the 'Horns should be as well. Wisconsin benefited greatly from a soft schedule last year. Not so much this time around. Ohio State and Michigan in consecutive weeks...yikes. But P.J. Hill is money at RB and they have 16 returning starters. Michigan lost everyone, well...not quite everyone. They bring back QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart, who should both be outstanding, as should WR Mario Manningham. The D has big-time questions, though. Florida, too lost a ton of talent. Urban Meyer keeps restocking the cupboard, though. Tim Tebow gets his chance as the number one guy under center. Like Big Blue, the Gators must find some defensive playmakers. Rich Rodriguez spurned Alabama to stay at his alma mater West Virginia. He's got the dynamic duo of QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton, a thought that surely keeps Big East D coordinators up at night. Louisville got Brian Brohm to come back to school, but lost key pieces on both sides of the ball. The Mountaineers and the Cardinals both are good, but not great teams, and their soft Big East schedules may cost them in the end.
Heisman Watch (in predicted order of finish)
John David Booty, Darren McFadden, Steve Slaton,
Colt Brennan, Ian Johnson, Brian Brohm.
Colt Brennan, Ian Johnson, Brian Brohm.
Everyone loves Darren McFadden here, and he is out of this world, no question about it. I had him as my pick last year (at the end of the season, go back and check.) But J.D. Booty should put up 3,500 yards and 30+ touchdown-type numbers on a possibly undefeated team. The Hogs should lose 2 or 3, which will hurt McFadden. Again, the dude is as electric a player as we've seen in college. He'll be right there. Steve Slaton's sick, he'll be around 1,800+ yards/15+ scores on the ground, as will Ian Johnson in that video game Boise State offense. Speaking of video game O's, who knows what Brennan will do for an encore. What, 7,000 yards and 75 td's? Brian Brohm should put up big numbers as a prelude to being a top-5 pick next year.
Major Bowl Predictions
Rose-Michigan vs. Oklahoma
Sugar-Florida vs. Virginia Tech
Fiesta-Texas vs. Louisville
Orange-West Virginia vs. Wisconsin
Sugar-Florida vs. Virginia Tech
Fiesta-Texas vs. Louisville
Orange-West Virginia vs. Wisconsin
BCS Title Game-USC vs. LSU
Interestingly, I had this same match-up in the BCS Title Game last year. I'll say LSU beats Va Tech at home and thus maintains an edge all season in the BCS algorithm, and thus wins a spot in this game. The Bayou Bengals should be firing on all cylinders at this point, coming off an SEC Championship win over Florida. But USC is just too good. The only way I see the Trojans losing at all is if they are stricken with injuries or overconfidence. The scary thing is, even with those factors USC is so deep they'd likely just plug someone else in. Pete Carroll has built a true dynasty in the City of Angels. And as a big Pac-10 guy, and someone who is consistently aggravated by the very real "East Coat bias", I love to see a West Coast team get recognized nationally. Looks like another year of "V for Victory".
One other college football note. Why in the hell are there two wack, no-name bowl games after New Year's? The International Bowl will be January 5 and the GMAC Bowl is Jan. 6. What a travesty to have any bowl game after January 1 not called Fiesta, Sugar, Rose, Orange, or the BCS Title Game. SI predicts matchups of Middle Tennessee vs. Ohio in the Internat'l, and Toledo vs. Tulsa in the GMAC. That says it all. How dare college football present such second rate forgeries of bowl games at all, especially after the once hallowed New Year's Day. Ridiculous. And they say college football has no profit motive...
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 12 ARCHIVE
9/5/07 Now a look at the AFC.
**-Division Winner *-Wild Card
**-Division Winner *-Wild Card
AFC East: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) New England (12-4)**
2.) New York J (9-7)
3.) Miami (7-9)
4.) Buffalo (6-10)
1.) New England (12-4)**
2.) New York J (9-7)
3.) Miami (7-9)
4.) Buffalo (6-10)
The Patriots made several major splashes in the offseason, most notably adding versatile defender Adalius Thomas from Baltimore. This was the ol' dual benefit addition: adding a quality player, and taking him away from a conference foe. The Pats also added some good wide outs like Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth. It will be fun to see what Tom Brady can do with quality WR's for once. They'll be scary-the Pats finished 11th and 6th in total O and D, respectively, and vastly improved in both areas. The Jets made strides in '06 under first year coach Eric Mangini, the "Manginius". Chad Pennington was healthy and had a pretty good year. Adding Thomas Jones was a fabulous move, perhaps the best of the offseason in my mind-I'm a big Jones fan. This is a talented, if under-achieving roster. Miami starts anew with coach Cam Cameron, who engineered some great offenses in San Diego. Drafting Ted Ginn at 9 was a joke, but getting John Beck in round 2 was good. The D is still good, but getting older. Mainstays like Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor know their time is now. Too bad they likely won't even sniff the playoffs in the ultra-tight AFC. Buffalo is still a mediocre football team. Is J.P. Losman the guy? I've been a big fan of his for a long time and he made strides last season (3,051, 19, 14, 85 rating.) But the Bills were still 30th on offense....yikes. I really like Marshawn Lynch-a young Edge James.
AFC North: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) Baltimore (11-5)**
2.) Cincinnati (10-6)*
3.) Pittsburgh (8-8)
4.) Cleveland (5-11)
I was sketchy on the acquisition of Steve McNair by the Ravens last year and I must admit he really came through. The D is still solid, with Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and Ed Reed, and co. Losing Adalius Thomas stings, though. They bring in Willis McGahee to replace Jamal Lewis. I'm a fan of both guys-it will be interesting to see if the Ravens are better with McGahee. But I said it last year, and I say it again: the Ravens are always one play away from putting Kyle Boller under center-not good. The Bengals were a big disappointment last year. The offense (8 in total O in '06) is money, with Carson Palmer, Rudi Johnson, Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshyamomma. The defense was 30th, however. And off the field problems still plague this team. It remains to be seen if Marvin Lewis can corral this bunch and right the ship. The Steelers are a pretty good team. Big Ben can still get it done, but he must rebound from an awful '06 (18 td's, 23 picks). I was never a Willie Parker fan (mostly when he opens his mouth), but I'm coming around to the guy. They were top 10 in both offense and defense last year. Troy Polamalu is one of my two or three favorite players-dude's nails. If Big Ben kills it, Pittsburgh could make noise. The Browns are not a good team. Lots of talent (Winslow, Edwards, etc.) but they don't get it done. Romeo Crennel is almost certainly a dead duck and the fans will likely clamor for Brady Quinn. Dead Man Walking coach and a rookie QB? Disaster in the making.
AFC South: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) Indianapolis (12-4)**
2.) Tennessee (8-8)
3.) Jacksonville (7-9)
4.) Houston (6-10)
Indy is great. Everyone knows it. Manning, Harrison, Wayne, Freeney, Sanders, etc. They'll probably rattle off another 9 or 10 game winning streak, then turn catatonic a few weeks before the playoffs start. They're a great team, but they lost some crucial pieces-we'll see how they respond. Vince Young was pretty good, though to listen to most people you'd have thought he had a phenomenal, Pro Bowl caliber season. His QB rating was 66.7 and he had more interceptions than touchdowns. That said, he injected life into a moribund franchise with his electric play. With Mike Vick gone, VY is now the face of the NFL in terms of highlight reel plays (Reggie Bush might disagree...) And as good as Vince was, Tennessee was still 27th on offense. The Titans D was even worse, in fact dead last last year. They have some off field issues to deal with as well with Moron of the Century Adam "Miss Pac Man" Jones. The Jags cut ties with Doug E. Fresh, a.k.a. Byron Leftwich. David Garrard is now the guy. I like Garrard and the Jags have some young talent on offense. But former first rounders Matt Jones and Reggie Williams really need to step up to the plate. Jacksonville is still as good on D as anyone. They could be a sleeper in the AFC if they get things clicking. The Texans are still horrible. They pass on Reggie Bush (or Vince Young if you're so inclined...I'm not as far as Houston's concerned) then cut ties with David Carr in favor of Matt Schaub. Carr was sacked 249 times in his Houston tenure and Schaub isn't exactly Vince in terms of escapability. I'm a huge Andre Johnson fan-he's one of their few bright spots. And rook Amobi Okoye has a bright future. He and Mario Williams could be a great duo. Lord knows they'll be on the field a lot.
AFC West: Predicted Order of Finish (with record)
1.) San Diego (10-6)**
2.) Denver (9-7)*
3.) Kansas City (7-9)
4.) Oakland (5-11)
The Chargers blew up their coaching staff in the offseason, losing Marty Schottenheimer, Cam Cameron, and Wade Phillips. I'm not a Norv Turner fan at all, and I'm sure many if not most Bolt fans agree with me. The guy had loads of talent in stops in Washington and Oakland and failed. He certainly seems best suited to be a coordinator. But with a developing Philip Rivers at QB, football's best player in LaDainain Tomlinson, and stars like Antonio Gates and Shawne Merriman, the Chargers will be just fine. This is a solid team on both sides of the ball. But, ugh.....Norv Turner at the helm...Denver will have Jay Cutler for a full year as the ace. He showed flashes last year and should continue to make strides. Adding Travis Henry was a great move-Shanahan has done a lot with lesser backs. They'll need to improve on middle-of-the-pack rankings on offense and defense to contend. They'll be in the mix. Kansas City was disappointing. I had them pegged a division winner last year and they flopped. Trent Green is out and Damon Huard is the guy. He played well last year and the Chiefs got Larry Johnson in. Like Denver, KC was run of the mill on both sides. Can LJ be as productive as he's been coming off a 400 carry season? I love their LB corps with Donnie Edwards, Derrick Johnson, and newcomer Napoleon Harris. Rook Dwayne Bowe is nice as well. This division will be nip and tuck all year between these three. That leaves us with, sigh, the Oakland Raiders. What can you say about a team coming off a 2 win season that can't sign a 1 overall pick? It may actually be a blessing in disguise so that JaMarcus Russell can hold a clip board and develop a la Carson Palmer. I didn't want to see him start right away anyhow. So who is the QB? Josh McCown was once the apple of Denny Green's eye in AZ, and Daunte Culpepper can be as good as anyone when he's healthy. Is he healthy? I've watched several Raiders preseason games (war NFL Network!) and I think Culpepper's won the job. LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes should be a dynamite duo, that is, if Jordan doesn't suck (508 total yards in '06) and Rhodes actually can play (he's out for the first four games for performance enhancers.) Jerry Porter is really good, as is Ron Curry. Reclamation project Mike Williams tries to salvage his career. Hey, look at Charlie Garner and Jerry Rice-both made Pro Bowls after being thrown away. Rook Zach Miller gives the Raiders their best option at TE in years. The D is great-3rd in total D, 1st against the pass, in '06. If the offense can get rolling the Silver and Black could look to make a Saints/Jets run (basement to contention.) I'm not counting on it, but the parity of the NFL amazes every year.
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 9 ARCHIVE
8/8/07 Seven. Fifty. Six.
I've pondered this moment for a long time now: the thoughts and feelings I would have when Barry Bonds inevitably broke Henry Aaron's record for most career home runs. Many consider this record to be the preeminent record in all of sports. 756 has happened. Barry Bonds is in the cross hairs of a media storm relative to steroids and performance enhancing drugs. Everyone (myself included) has speculated as to what Bonds has done to enhance his performance in such an unusual way beyond the age of 40. Bonds himself has given us a "dog ate my homework" excuse that he may have unknowingly taken something illegal, but under the auspices that it was merely flaxseed oil to repair everyday wear and tear. No one can be certain what Bonds (or any other player we may speculate about) has done in terms of performance enhancers. Certainly anyone (except Giant fans) would have a hard time swallowing the numbers Bonds has put up at an age when most players are feeble shells of themselves. Bonds has never made any friends in the media or the MLB fan base at large, which to me is the biggest reason he hasn't been embraced by the public for his chase the way Aaron was. Moreover, the lionization that occurred following Hank Aaron's retirement into private life, especially in the conflicted South, is certainly something we will never see afforded to Bonds; deservedly so. Hank Aaron played at a time and place geographically, socially, and otherwise that makes his accomplishments all the more impressive. He chased a great white record in Dixie Land itself. Set aside the fact that Aaron had almost 3,800 hits and a .305 lifetime average (neither of which Bonds can match). Barry Bonds cannot hold Hank Aaron's athletic supporter in terms of what it means to be a hero. I remember an infamous Sports Illustrated cover from my teenage years that bore the tag line, "I'm Barry Bonds and You're Not." This sentiment is quite literally the thesis statement that Bonds has portrayed his entire career. A smug, divisive person in and out of the clubhouse, Bonds surely has a very limited number of close colleagues in baseball. The irony is that for all his blustering about having no peer on the diamond, he truly does not have a peer on the diamond. Bonds was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career before jealousy overtook him in the offseason following the historic chase of Roger Maris by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998 (allegedly). Bonds couldn't bear the thought that the spotlight was shining bright upon anyone other than himself. So he made a deal with the devil to take both the single season home run record (in 2001) and the career home run record, now 756 and counting. I have made it no secret that I despise Barry Bonds for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, those mentioned previously. The guy makes it impossible to like him (again, unless you're a Giants fan or your driver's license says "Tim Kurkjian".) But an interesting thing has happened to me as Bonds has approached this hallowed record: a feeling of resignation. You know what, Barry Bonds is the home run king now, whether we like it or not. We cannot say, "Yeah, but Hammerin' Hank is still the king!" He is not. Bonds is. 756 says he is. And we can all hope and pray and cheer for Alex Rodriguez to one day take down whatever mythical number Bonds leaves on the ledger, but until he does we must, gulp!, embrace Barry Bonds as the champ. He has been convicted of nothing; he has never failed a drug test. And in spite of his ridiculous performance and physical growth in the twilight of his career, we can only speculate and postulate as to how he's gotten where he has. I hate to say it, but quite simply, to do so is unfair. Do I think Bonds is dirty? Of course. There is way too much smoke to not conclude that there is a fire somewhere. But outside of speculation, leaked testimonies, and hearsay, Barry Bonds is spotless. Barry Bonds is the All-Time Home Run King. But we can all take solace in this: he will never, ever come close to Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron as a player, or to the latter as a person. The funny thing is, I bet Bonds is just fine with that. And that tells us all we need to know about the new "King".
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 8 ARCHIVE
5/23/07 A few quick thoughts on tonight's NBA Draft Lottery (I'm sure I'll have more to say closer to the actual Draft as well…) I was looking forward to a quasi-consolation prize for the screw job that Stern and Co. put on the Suns in the form of a lottery pick, acquired from the ATL in the Joe Johnson deal. The one caveat to the pick was that it's lottery protected. And wouldn't you know it, the woeful Hawks caught a break and moved up from #4 to #3 and will keep the pick (PHX gets Atlanta's pick next year no matter what). I was thinking Al Horford from Florida, who many compare to Carlos Boozer, would've been a really nice addition on the interior, especially if Shawn Marion leaves. So now Suns fans get to wait and watch what happens with Kevin Garnett. For the record, there is no bigger KG fan than me anywhere. He's Tim Duncan plus jump shot range, a handle, reliable free throw shooting, and passion. But the much-speculated KG for Amare deal makes me uneasy. If it could guarantee a ring of course you do it. But there are no guarantees. We'll see.
As for God Incarnate in basketball form, Greg Oden, all I can say is, in college basketball fan fashion: Over-rated, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap, Over-rated, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap. Dude's a nice prospect, no doubt about it. But all the "best big man prospect in 20 years" has to stop! Off the top of my head here are big men that I put ahead of an even "in his prime" Greg Oden in that span (post Ewing): David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal (anyone remember him?), Tim Duncan (who I hate), maybe even Yao Ming. At Oden's peak he's Dikembe Mutombo. At his worst he's Michael Olowakandi. Let me repeat that: Greg Oden's ceiling is comparable to Dike Mutombo. Let's take a closer look in fact. I've compared Mutombo's final collegiate season with Oden' frosh season. (Remember where Mutombo would've been in his development compared to Oden.)
MPG PPG RPG BPG APG SPG FG % FT %
Dikembe Mutombo
1990-91 Georgetown 34.1 15.2 12.2 4.7 1.6 0.6 0.59 0.70
Greg Oden
2006-07 Ohio State 28.9 15.7 9.6 3.3 0.7 0.6 0.62 0.63
And here is Mutombo's first five NBA seasons, which I think provide a basis for the type of production we could see from Oden.
D. Mutombo-First Five NBA Seasons
1991-92 Denver 38.3 16.6 12.3 3.0 2.2 0.6 0.49 0.64
1992-93 Denver 36.9 13.8 13.0 3.5 1.8 0.5 0.51 0.68
1993-94 Denver 34.8 12.0 11.8 4.1 1.5 0.7 0.57 0.58
1994-95 Denver 37.8 11.5 12.5 3.9 1.4 0.5 0.56 0.65
1995-96 Denver 36.7 11.0 11.8 4.5 1.5 0.5 0.50 0.70
Solid player, great defender and shot blocker, limited offensive range and tools. (And obviously I concede that Oden is more athletic than the early Mutombo was.) Not exactly, the best of the last quarter century to me. And for all of Oden's defensive and rebounding prowess, he was OUT REBOUNDED by Kevin Durant, by almost 2 boards a game. The "only a scorer" Durant out rebounded the great Greg Oden. I am a big Durant guy-26 and 11 as a frosh in the Big 12, National Player of the Year, not too shabby. He'll be the better pro to me without a doubt. Guy can step and shoot from anywhere, put the ball on the floor and get to the rack, plus he's a better passer out of the post. And as for Oden's championship prowess (you can't watch anything on Oden without hearing about how he'll lead his team to numerous rings), didn't Durant win as many national championships in college as Oden? Zero. So how is Oden more of a "champion" than Durant? Greg Oden will be a good player, flirting with All-NBA Defense pretty much every year and maybe make a handful of All-Star appearances. Durant will do all of the following: make more All-Star appearances, be among the NBA's leaders in more categories year after year, be among MVP vote getters more often, and make more Finals appearances. 20 years from now Kevin Durant will be considered the crown jewel of this draft, not Oden. In fact, I'm more intrigued with Yi Jianlan, the Chinese big in the Dirk mold, than the 40 Year-Old-Virgin (more a knock on his ripened looks than his prowess with the ladies...), Greg Oden. And Oden's clingyness on buddy Mike Conley, Jr. is a bit disconcerting as well (teammates in high school, then in college, now word is Oden is trying to get Portland to pull strings to get Conley there also. Cut the cord, homey!) Prove me wrong, kid. Just like the Candy Man did…
As for God Incarnate in basketball form, Greg Oden, all I can say is, in college basketball fan fashion: Over-rated, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap, Over-rated, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap. Dude's a nice prospect, no doubt about it. But all the "best big man prospect in 20 years" has to stop! Off the top of my head here are big men that I put ahead of an even "in his prime" Greg Oden in that span (post Ewing): David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal (anyone remember him?), Tim Duncan (who I hate), maybe even Yao Ming. At Oden's peak he's Dikembe Mutombo. At his worst he's Michael Olowakandi. Let me repeat that: Greg Oden's ceiling is comparable to Dike Mutombo. Let's take a closer look in fact. I've compared Mutombo's final collegiate season with Oden' frosh season. (Remember where Mutombo would've been in his development compared to Oden.)
MPG PPG RPG BPG APG SPG FG % FT %
Dikembe Mutombo
1990-91 Georgetown 34.1 15.2 12.2 4.7 1.6 0.6 0.59 0.70
Greg Oden
2006-07 Ohio State 28.9 15.7 9.6 3.3 0.7 0.6 0.62 0.63
And here is Mutombo's first five NBA seasons, which I think provide a basis for the type of production we could see from Oden.
D. Mutombo-First Five NBA Seasons
1991-92 Denver 38.3 16.6 12.3 3.0 2.2 0.6 0.49 0.64
1992-93 Denver 36.9 13.8 13.0 3.5 1.8 0.5 0.51 0.68
1993-94 Denver 34.8 12.0 11.8 4.1 1.5 0.7 0.57 0.58
1994-95 Denver 37.8 11.5 12.5 3.9 1.4 0.5 0.56 0.65
1995-96 Denver 36.7 11.0 11.8 4.5 1.5 0.5 0.50 0.70
Solid player, great defender and shot blocker, limited offensive range and tools. (And obviously I concede that Oden is more athletic than the early Mutombo was.) Not exactly, the best of the last quarter century to me. And for all of Oden's defensive and rebounding prowess, he was OUT REBOUNDED by Kevin Durant, by almost 2 boards a game. The "only a scorer" Durant out rebounded the great Greg Oden. I am a big Durant guy-26 and 11 as a frosh in the Big 12, National Player of the Year, not too shabby. He'll be the better pro to me without a doubt. Guy can step and shoot from anywhere, put the ball on the floor and get to the rack, plus he's a better passer out of the post. And as for Oden's championship prowess (you can't watch anything on Oden without hearing about how he'll lead his team to numerous rings), didn't Durant win as many national championships in college as Oden? Zero. So how is Oden more of a "champion" than Durant? Greg Oden will be a good player, flirting with All-NBA Defense pretty much every year and maybe make a handful of All-Star appearances. Durant will do all of the following: make more All-Star appearances, be among the NBA's leaders in more categories year after year, be among MVP vote getters more often, and make more Finals appearances. 20 years from now Kevin Durant will be considered the crown jewel of this draft, not Oden. In fact, I'm more intrigued with Yi Jianlan, the Chinese big in the Dirk mold, than the 40 Year-Old-Virgin (more a knock on his ripened looks than his prowess with the ladies...), Greg Oden. And Oden's clingyness on buddy Mike Conley, Jr. is a bit disconcerting as well (teammates in high school, then in college, now word is Oden is trying to get Portland to pull strings to get Conley there also. Cut the cord, homey!) Prove me wrong, kid. Just like the Candy Man did…
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 7 ARCHIVE
5/16/06
I have to comment on the Suns/Spurs NBA Playoff series and its many storylines. First off, clearly San Antonio is a dirty team, as Amare Stoudemire has said publicly. Their recent play has only proved many critics right. Bruce Bowen is a filthy player. He has limited physical tools and so he's developed a specific role as a defensive stopper. That I respect-the guy is self made and has worked himself into an NBA player. But his tactics are highly questionable. He sticks his legs out under jump shooters (ask Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Reggie Miller, etc.), and just in this series he kicked Stoudemire in the achilles as he drove, and he kneed Steve Nash below the belt. Then Robert Horry gives a forearm shiver to Nash in game 4 after the game was in hand for the Suns. Horry and the Spurs blew a late 11 point lead and there was obviously frustration at losing a big lead at home with a chance to put their foot on
[UPDATE]- a la "Unsolved Mysteries". So the Spurs ended up winning game 5 and the series (winning game 6). So David Stern, the unmitigated genius of the NBA, now gets (most likely) a Finals matchup of the Spurs vs. the Pistons. The NBA...it's FANtastic! Just like in 2005, when the Finals had an all-time low rating with the same matchup. I'm bummed as a Suns fan that the league f'ed up in historically bad fashion. I'm more upset as an NBA fan because NO ONE will care about the NBA Finals, and that sucks. Kudos, Stern and Co.! Who wants ratings, popularity and buzz anyway? I Love This Game! And Commissioner Stern just once I'd like to see you admit to a mistake (any mistake) you smug prick...
The Bizniz, Volume 2, Issue 6 ARCHIVE
4/26/06 Here's my complete NFL Draft First Round breakdown, kids. I'll give you my big board, team needs, and a "what they should do/what they will do" eval. Enjoy.
Dizzle's Dirty Dozen (Top Players Available)
1.) Adrian Peterson 7.) Jamaal Anderson
2.) Calvin Johnson 8.) Dwayne Jarrett
3.) JaMarcus Russell 9.) Brady Quinn
4.) Joe Thomas 10.) LaRon Landry
5.) Amobi Okoye 11.) Patrick Willis
6.) Gaines Adams 12.) Aaron Ross
1.) Oakland-Team Needs: Everything. Specifically, QB, OT, DT, TE. What they should do: Trade out of the top pick. When you have this many needs, no one player will do it. Acquire additional picks and/or NFL contributors, especially on the O-line. Trade with, say, the Bucs at #4, take that pick, a mid rounder, and OT Jeremy Trueblood. Pick Adrian Peterson or best available at 4. Johnson makes no sense with Moss, Porter, and Curry in the fold. What they will do: They'll take Russell. He's a physical marvel with a huge arm. But 60% of 1st round QB's flop. Russell is boom or bust.
2.) Detroit-Team Needs: RB, OT, OG, OLB, QB. What they should do: Not pick Calvin Johnson. WR is not a need. Maybe, just maybe, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams have been busts because of instability, organizationally and offensively. Joe Thomas or Gaines Adams make the most sense. They have skill position talent, they just need the complimentary pieces. What they will do: Seems like they're leaning toward Adams. They have talent on D (rook Ernie Sims had 124 tackles) and Adams would give them a nice rush end.
3.) Cleveland-Team Needs: OG, DE, QB, DT. What they should do: I'm torn here. Adrian Peterson would be a great compliment to Jamal Lewis and he's my top rated player. But they could really use an impact player in the pass rush game, like Okoye or Anderson. Maybe a bit too high for them here, though. Peterson makes sense. Hometown boy Brady Quinn will get a lot of love, especially with the Romeo Crennel/Charlie Weis conection. What they will do: I'm saying they take Quinn. I'm not as big on Quinn as some and not as down on him as some. Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson are decent, but certainly not starters. Quinn has a low ceiling and a low floor. It could work.
4.) Tampa Bay-Team Needs: WR, OLB, OT, S. What they should do: This would be Tampa's dream scenario: a shot at Calvin Johnson (who is slightly overrated to me) without having to trade up. John Gruden has 900 QB's. They'll have a stud to throw to. What they will do: If Johnson is here, this is a no brainer. Otherwise, Joe Thomas would fit.
5.) Arizona-Team Needs: OT, CB, FS, DE. What they should do: If Thomas is on the board, he's the pick. Leonard Davis was a bust but he left town. A nice bookend like Thomas would be good for the Cards. Just a thought, though, Matt Leinart's a lefty. Do you move Thomas to the right side? What they will do: If Thomas is available, he's the guy. Jamaal Anderson could also get a look here. Or Peterson.
6.) Washington-Team Needs: CB, SS, DE, DT. What they should do: Everyone says that Washington wants out of this pick, if, as is likely, the player or two they covet is gone and teams want to trade up for Quinn if he was still around. This would be a good spot to address defensive needs but any player's a bit of a reach. Landry is similar to Sean Taylor but would give them depth. Okoye, Anderson, or Adam Carriker could get a look. What they will do: If they can't trade down, they should go best available defender.
7.) -Team Needs: WR, TE, OG, DE. What they should do: Like the Skins, the players the Vikings wanted here are likely gone, and the other needs are probably reaches. If Peterson falls here, they snatch him up. If one of the key DE's falls, they'll get a look as well. What they will do: I'll say Peterson is here and he's the pick.
8.) Atlanta-Team Needs: DE, OT, FS, OG. What they should do: Provided that Okoye and Anderson are gone, Landry makes sense here. He compares favorably to Michael Huff, who went 7th last year. What they will do: They likely go with Landry. That would give the Falcons a sick young nucleus in the secondary with the likes of DeAngelo Hall and Jimmy Williams, who I'm big on.
9.) Miami-Team Needs: OT, DT, OLB, SS, CB. What they should do: Levi Brown should be on the board here. The Dolphins can get a Richmond Webb type to protect whichever QB they end up with. If Quinn falls, he could land here. What they will do: Brown is the pick. They need someone to protect the passer and open space for Ronnie Brown.
10.) Houston-Team Needs: RB, OT, CB, WR. What they should do: Based on need, the only value they can get here is CB. I like Aaron Ross more than Leon Hall, but Hall seems to be the popular choice here. TO me, though, Dwayne Jarrett would look awfully nice paired with Andre Johnson. What they will do: I think they go CB. Hall's probably the guy.
11.) San Francisco-Team Needs: WR, OLB, DE, S. What they should do: They should run to the podium and take Jarrett and pair him with Vernon Davis for the nest 10 years. Remember, Jerry Rice was considered pretty slow, too, as is the knock on Jarrett. Any other need is a reach. What they will do: They will probably reach for a DE, say Adam Carriker. They may also overlook Jarrett and look to wideouts like Robert Meacham or Dwayne Bowe (reaches.)
12.) Buffalo-Team Needs: ILB, CB, OG, FB. What they should do: They need an inside linebacker. Patrick Willis is a baller. If he's here, the Bills can't get to the podium fast enough. What they will do: Willis should be available. The Bills grab him.
13.) St. Louis-Team Needs: DL, WR, CB, P. What they should do: Again, to me, Jarrett is a premium value pick here. Alan Branch could get love to shore up the D-line. I'd go Jarrett. What they will do: They probably go with Branch. Word is they covet Ted Ginn, Jr. so he's a possibility (reach.)
14.) Carolina-Team Needs: SS, FS, ILB, WR. What they should do: They need help on D more than a tight end, as is the popular speculation. There is no value at need positions here, however. I was a bit of a Greg Olsen hater all year (only 1 td), but he looked amazing in his combine workouts. Vernon Davis-type amazing. Provided he's not Mike Mamula, he's the guy. What they will do: Given the way the board probably looks, they go Olsen.
15.) Pittsburgh-Team Needs: RB, DE, OG, RB. What they should do: They lost Joey Porter to Miami, so the Steelers could look to upgrade at LB. If they do, value suggests Paul Posluszny or Lawrence Timmons. I like Posluszny more so I'd go with him, although he's probably better suited for a 3-4. What they will do: For value at this pick, Timmons looks like the guy.
16.) Green Bay-Team Needs: RB, TE, SS, WR. What they should do: This seems to be one of the more natural marriages in round 1. They need a running back and Marshawn Lynch is on the board. I'm a big Lynch fan and he'll be a solid replacement, if not upgrade, over the departed Ahman Green. What they will do: Lynch is the guy here. He's versatile on the field, and unfortunately, off it too. Character issues may cost him in the Goodell NFL.
17.) Jacksonville-Team Needs: FS, WR, LB, OG. What they should do: Getting Matt Jones and Reggie Williams some help at wide out is a possibility. The Jags are also looking safety. Receivers represent better value at the spot. I'd go with Dwayne Bowe. What they will do: Based on availability here, indications are that the Jags will go with, say, Michael Griffin, another Huff clone.
18.) Cincinnati-Team Needs: TE, OLB, DE, CB. What they should do: The Bengals took a step back in '07. Whatever they do, they need to make sure they get a character guy. Posluszny would be a great fit in terms of character. If they look at corner, Aaron Ross and Darrelle Revis should be available. All in all, I'd go with Posluszny. Maybe he can stay out of jail. What they will do: I think they'll address corner. Word is they like Revis.
19.) Tennessee-Team Needs: WR, ILB, OG, TE. What they should do: All indications are that the Titans want a receiver to help Vince Young. Ted Ginn can address not only that need but also the hole left in the return game with the suspension of Adam Jones (he lost the right to have a nickname.) I'm just not that big on Ginn. I like Meachem or Bowe better. Go with the hometown kid, Vol Meachem. What they will do: I bet they go with Ginn.
20.) N.Y. Giants-Team Needs: OLB, OT, CB, RB. What they should do: Again, value comes into play here. Probably too high for any available OT's, which is really their biggest need. Corner here's a reach as well. If either Timmons or Posluszny is here, that would be the pick. There really aren't any value picks based on need. I'll go outside the box and say they should reach a bit and take OT Joe Staley. What they will do: This is a wild card pick. They go best available.
21.) Denver-Team Needs: CB, RB, DT, S. What they should do: Safety would be a good pick here. Brandon Meriweather and Reggie Nelson should be on the board. Neither blows me away, but both are solid; both also have off the field questions. Nelson's a little bigger, I'll go with him. What they will do: The Broncos may look foe pass rush help. If they do a Jarvis Moss or Anthony Spencer make sense.
22.) Dallas-Team Needs: C, OT, OG, FS, WR. What they should do: Terry Glenn isn't getting any younger and T.O. isn't getting any less crazy. WR makes sense, to compliment young talent like Tony Romo and Julius Jones. I'd go with whoever was still on the board betwixt Meachem and Bowe. If Jarrett's here, he's the guy. What they will do: I think Jerry Jones is looking to create some distance with T.O. Drafting a WR in the first round's a start. Word is they like Bowe here.
23.) Kansas City-Team Needs: OT, WR, DT, OG. What they should do: I think the Chiefs' biggest need is at WR. They need a compliment to Tony Gonzalez, who is still football's best tight end. The way things shake out at least one of the top 3 rated receivers should be available. This will only open things up for Larry Johnson, once teams can't load up the box. Again, I'm a big Jarrett fan. If he's here, grab the dude (41 td's in 3 years!) What they will do: Seems to me that whichever of the top 3 WR's is here (provided one is) represents great value. I think they'll go WR.
24.) New England-Team Needs: OLB, CB, ILB, WR. What they should do: The rich only get richer, as the Pats have two picks in round 1, not to mention how active they've been in free agency. I think they definitely want to address corner at some point, with the Asante Samuel soap opera. Value becomes a question if the top guys are gone by now. Daymeion Hughes could be an option, as would H.B. Blades at LB. I like both guys but neither project this high. LB David Harris could work, too, and Harris might represent better value. Either Blades or Harris could work for Belichick. What they will do: I'll go with either LB here.
25.) N.Y. Jets-Team Needs: OT, DT, CB, OG. What they should do: Acquiring Thomas Jones was the best move of the off-season in my mind. They had a good draft last year and made big-time strides toward big things. Justin Harrell could be a target but if Adrian Peterson has injury concerns then Harrell should be even more flagged. Guy was hurt every year of his career. If they look DE, I like Charles Johnson. I'd go with him, as no value exists anywhere else. What they will do: I think they do go DE, either Johnson, Harrell, or Anthony Spencer.
26.) Philadelphia-Team Needs: OLB, WR, S, CB. What they should do: Brian Dawkins is no spring chicken. With the talent the defense has, adding a young playmaker in the secondary could help. There should be one here, say Meriweather or Griffin. What they will do: They go defense, with a S or LB. Meriweather, let's say.
27.) New Orleans-Team Needs: TE, CB, DE, DT, OT. What they should do: The feel good story of '06. The Saints are a good team with young talent. They need upgrades on the D-line and at CB, as witnessed in the playoffs. No real value at corner, so they should look in the trenches. I like Victor Abiamiri as an athletic, speed rush end in the 5 or 6 technique. What they will do: They go best available defender.
28.) New England- What they should do: Pick number two in round one. They address a need at LB with the 24th pick. Here they should look first at any players who slip, and therefore represent pure value. They probably don't go corner yet. I think Chad Jackson's a star in the making, but should a WR fall here, they could pull the trigger. What they will do: I'll go off the board a bit and say they go with OG Ben Grubbs, similar to what they did in '04, picking Logan Mankins in the first round.
29.) Baltimore-Team Needs: OLB, RB, DE, S. What they should do: They lost Jamal Lewis but they will likely look at RB later. The O-line is aging so I think they can address that here and get good value. Staley, if he's here, or a Ryan Khalil or Tony Ugoh would work. What they will do: They go with the best O-lineman, I'll say Tony Ugoh.
30.) San Diego-Team Needs: WR, OG, FS, ILB. What they should do: I've said for the last several years that the Chargers need to upgrade the receiver spot. A money WR will only open things up for L.T. to run and catch and for Antonio Gates. Assuming the top 3 guys are gone, I'd go with USC's Steve Smith, a guy I like a lot. He was always second fiddle to Jarrett. He gets his chance to shine. What they will do: I see them going with Smith, a So-Cal guy, at WR.
31.) Chicago-Team Needs: OLB, CB, OG, TE, WR. What they should do: One of the Bears' glaring needs is DT. At this spot, I'll say they should go with Brandon Mebane, a classic one gap stopper. What they will do: Go best available defense, either on the line or at LB (who knows what will happen with Lance Briggs.)
32.) Indianapolis-Team Needs: LB, DE, DT, RB. What they should do: Payton finally got his ring. But he's lost some key pieces this off-season (Cato June, Dominic Rhodes, etc.) They like undersized, fast defenders, especially at LB. I'm going way off the board here: take Quincy Black from New Mexico. 6'2", 240, ran 4.4, and had a vertical of 41.5". Plus he's hungry. What they will do: If one of the WR's slips here, they pluck him. Otherwise they look at a safer defensive pick, like a Chris Houston.
Dizzle's Dirty Dozen (Top Players Available)
1.) Adrian Peterson 7.) Jamaal Anderson
2.) Calvin Johnson 8.) Dwayne Jarrett
3.) JaMarcus Russell 9.) Brady Quinn
4.) Joe Thomas 10.) LaRon Landry
5.) Amobi Okoye 11.) Patrick Willis
6.) Gaines Adams 12.) Aaron Ross
1.) Oakland-Team Needs: Everything. Specifically, QB, OT, DT, TE. What they should do: Trade out of the top pick. When you have this many needs, no one player will do it. Acquire additional picks and/or NFL contributors, especially on the O-line. Trade with, say, the Bucs at #4, take that pick, a mid rounder, and OT Jeremy Trueblood. Pick Adrian Peterson or best available at 4. Johnson makes no sense with Moss, Porter, and Curry in the fold. What they will do: They'll take Russell. He's a physical marvel with a huge arm. But 60% of 1st round QB's flop. Russell is boom or bust.
2.) Detroit-Team Needs: RB, OT, OG, OLB, QB. What they should do: Not pick Calvin Johnson. WR is not a need. Maybe, just maybe, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams have been busts because of instability, organizationally and offensively. Joe Thomas or Gaines Adams make the most sense. They have skill position talent, they just need the complimentary pieces. What they will do: Seems like they're leaning toward Adams. They have talent on D (rook Ernie Sims had 124 tackles) and Adams would give them a nice rush end.
3.) Cleveland-Team Needs: OG, DE, QB, DT. What they should do: I'm torn here. Adrian Peterson would be a great compliment to Jamal Lewis and he's my top rated player. But they could really use an impact player in the pass rush game, like Okoye or Anderson. Maybe a bit too high for them here, though. Peterson makes sense. Hometown boy Brady Quinn will get a lot of love, especially with the Romeo Crennel/Charlie Weis conection. What they will do: I'm saying they take Quinn. I'm not as big on Quinn as some and not as down on him as some. Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson are decent, but certainly not starters. Quinn has a low ceiling and a low floor. It could work.
4.) Tampa Bay-Team Needs: WR, OLB, OT, S. What they should do: This would be Tampa's dream scenario: a shot at Calvin Johnson (who is slightly overrated to me) without having to trade up. John Gruden has 900 QB's. They'll have a stud to throw to. What they will do: If Johnson is here, this is a no brainer. Otherwise, Joe Thomas would fit.
5.) Arizona-Team Needs: OT, CB, FS, DE. What they should do: If Thomas is on the board, he's the pick. Leonard Davis was a bust but he left town. A nice bookend like Thomas would be good for the Cards. Just a thought, though, Matt Leinart's a lefty. Do you move Thomas to the right side? What they will do: If Thomas is available, he's the guy. Jamaal Anderson could also get a look here. Or Peterson.
6.) Washington-Team Needs: CB, SS, DE, DT. What they should do: Everyone says that Washington wants out of this pick, if, as is likely, the player or two they covet is gone and teams want to trade up for Quinn if he was still around. This would be a good spot to address defensive needs but any player's a bit of a reach. Landry is similar to Sean Taylor but would give them depth. Okoye, Anderson, or Adam Carriker could get a look. What they will do: If they can't trade down, they should go best available defender.
7.) -Team Needs: WR, TE, OG, DE. What they should do: Like the Skins, the players the Vikings wanted here are likely gone, and the other needs are probably reaches. If Peterson falls here, they snatch him up. If one of the key DE's falls, they'll get a look as well. What they will do: I'll say Peterson is here and he's the pick.
8.) Atlanta-Team Needs: DE, OT, FS, OG. What they should do: Provided that Okoye and Anderson are gone, Landry makes sense here. He compares favorably to Michael Huff, who went 7th last year. What they will do: They likely go with Landry. That would give the Falcons a sick young nucleus in the secondary with the likes of DeAngelo Hall and Jimmy Williams, who I'm big on.
9.) Miami-Team Needs: OT, DT, OLB, SS, CB. What they should do: Levi Brown should be on the board here. The Dolphins can get a Richmond Webb type to protect whichever QB they end up with. If Quinn falls, he could land here. What they will do: Brown is the pick. They need someone to protect the passer and open space for Ronnie Brown.
10.) Houston-Team Needs: RB, OT, CB, WR. What they should do: Based on need, the only value they can get here is CB. I like Aaron Ross more than Leon Hall, but Hall seems to be the popular choice here. TO me, though, Dwayne Jarrett would look awfully nice paired with Andre Johnson. What they will do: I think they go CB. Hall's probably the guy.
11.) San Francisco-Team Needs: WR, OLB, DE, S. What they should do: They should run to the podium and take Jarrett and pair him with Vernon Davis for the nest 10 years. Remember, Jerry Rice was considered pretty slow, too, as is the knock on Jarrett. Any other need is a reach. What they will do: They will probably reach for a DE, say Adam Carriker. They may also overlook Jarrett and look to wideouts like Robert Meacham or Dwayne Bowe (reaches.)
12.) Buffalo-Team Needs: ILB, CB, OG, FB. What they should do: They need an inside linebacker. Patrick Willis is a baller. If he's here, the Bills can't get to the podium fast enough. What they will do: Willis should be available. The Bills grab him.
13.) St. Louis-Team Needs: DL, WR, CB, P. What they should do: Again, to me, Jarrett is a premium value pick here. Alan Branch could get love to shore up the D-line. I'd go Jarrett. What they will do: They probably go with Branch. Word is they covet Ted Ginn, Jr. so he's a possibility (reach.)
14.) Carolina-Team Needs: SS, FS, ILB, WR. What they should do: They need help on D more than a tight end, as is the popular speculation. There is no value at need positions here, however. I was a bit of a Greg Olsen hater all year (only 1 td), but he looked amazing in his combine workouts. Vernon Davis-type amazing. Provided he's not Mike Mamula, he's the guy. What they will do: Given the way the board probably looks, they go Olsen.
15.) Pittsburgh-Team Needs: RB, DE, OG, RB. What they should do: They lost Joey Porter to Miami, so the Steelers could look to upgrade at LB. If they do, value suggests Paul Posluszny or Lawrence Timmons. I like Posluszny more so I'd go with him, although he's probably better suited for a 3-4. What they will do: For value at this pick, Timmons looks like the guy.
16.) Green Bay-Team Needs: RB, TE, SS, WR. What they should do: This seems to be one of the more natural marriages in round 1. They need a running back and Marshawn Lynch is on the board. I'm a big Lynch fan and he'll be a solid replacement, if not upgrade, over the departed Ahman Green. What they will do: Lynch is the guy here. He's versatile on the field, and unfortunately, off it too. Character issues may cost him in the Goodell NFL.
17.) Jacksonville-Team Needs: FS, WR, LB, OG. What they should do: Getting Matt Jones and Reggie Williams some help at wide out is a possibility. The Jags are also looking safety. Receivers represent better value at the spot. I'd go with Dwayne Bowe. What they will do: Based on availability here, indications are that the Jags will go with, say, Michael Griffin, another Huff clone.
18.) Cincinnati-Team Needs: TE, OLB, DE, CB. What they should do: The Bengals took a step back in '07. Whatever they do, they need to make sure they get a character guy. Posluszny would be a great fit in terms of character. If they look at corner, Aaron Ross and Darrelle Revis should be available. All in all, I'd go with Posluszny. Maybe he can stay out of jail. What they will do: I think they'll address corner. Word is they like Revis.
19.) Tennessee-Team Needs: WR, ILB, OG, TE. What they should do: All indications are that the Titans want a receiver to help Vince Young. Ted Ginn can address not only that need but also the hole left in the return game with the suspension of Adam Jones (he lost the right to have a nickname.) I'm just not that big on Ginn. I like Meachem or Bowe better. Go with the hometown kid, Vol Meachem. What they will do: I bet they go with Ginn.
20.) N.Y. Giants-Team Needs: OLB, OT, CB, RB. What they should do: Again, value comes into play here. Probably too high for any available OT's, which is really their biggest need. Corner here's a reach as well. If either Timmons or Posluszny is here, that would be the pick. There really aren't any value picks based on need. I'll go outside the box and say they should reach a bit and take OT Joe Staley. What they will do: This is a wild card pick. They go best available.
21.) Denver-Team Needs: CB, RB, DT, S. What they should do: Safety would be a good pick here. Brandon Meriweather and Reggie Nelson should be on the board. Neither blows me away, but both are solid; both also have off the field questions. Nelson's a little bigger, I'll go with him. What they will do: The Broncos may look foe pass rush help. If they do a Jarvis Moss or Anthony Spencer make sense.
22.) Dallas-Team Needs: C, OT, OG, FS, WR. What they should do: Terry Glenn isn't getting any younger and T.O. isn't getting any less crazy. WR makes sense, to compliment young talent like Tony Romo and Julius Jones. I'd go with whoever was still on the board betwixt Meachem and Bowe. If Jarrett's here, he's the guy. What they will do: I think Jerry Jones is looking to create some distance with T.O. Drafting a WR in the first round's a start. Word is they like Bowe here.
23.) Kansas City-Team Needs: OT, WR, DT, OG. What they should do: I think the Chiefs' biggest need is at WR. They need a compliment to Tony Gonzalez, who is still football's best tight end. The way things shake out at least one of the top 3 rated receivers should be available. This will only open things up for Larry Johnson, once teams can't load up the box. Again, I'm a big Jarrett fan. If he's here, grab the dude (41 td's in 3 years!) What they will do: Seems to me that whichever of the top 3 WR's is here (provided one is) represents great value. I think they'll go WR.
24.) New England-Team Needs: OLB, CB, ILB, WR. What they should do: The rich only get richer, as the Pats have two picks in round 1, not to mention how active they've been in free agency. I think they definitely want to address corner at some point, with the Asante Samuel soap opera. Value becomes a question if the top guys are gone by now. Daymeion Hughes could be an option, as would H.B. Blades at LB. I like both guys but neither project this high. LB David Harris could work, too, and Harris might represent better value. Either Blades or Harris could work for Belichick. What they will do: I'll go with either LB here.
25.) N.Y. Jets-Team Needs: OT, DT, CB, OG. What they should do: Acquiring Thomas Jones was the best move of the off-season in my mind. They had a good draft last year and made big-time strides toward big things. Justin Harrell could be a target but if Adrian Peterson has injury concerns then Harrell should be even more flagged. Guy was hurt every year of his career. If they look DE, I like Charles Johnson. I'd go with him, as no value exists anywhere else. What they will do: I think they do go DE, either Johnson, Harrell, or Anthony Spencer.
26.) Philadelphia-Team Needs: OLB, WR, S, CB. What they should do: Brian Dawkins is no spring chicken. With the talent the defense has, adding a young playmaker in the secondary could help. There should be one here, say Meriweather or Griffin. What they will do: They go defense, with a S or LB. Meriweather, let's say.
27.) New Orleans-Team Needs: TE, CB, DE, DT, OT. What they should do: The feel good story of '06. The Saints are a good team with young talent. They need upgrades on the D-line and at CB, as witnessed in the playoffs. No real value at corner, so they should look in the trenches. I like Victor Abiamiri as an athletic, speed rush end in the 5 or 6 technique. What they will do: They go best available defender.
28.) New England- What they should do: Pick number two in round one. They address a need at LB with the 24th pick. Here they should look first at any players who slip, and therefore represent pure value. They probably don't go corner yet. I think Chad Jackson's a star in the making, but should a WR fall here, they could pull the trigger. What they will do: I'll go off the board a bit and say they go with OG Ben Grubbs, similar to what they did in '04, picking Logan Mankins in the first round.
29.) Baltimore-Team Needs: OLB, RB, DE, S. What they should do: They lost Jamal Lewis but they will likely look at RB later. The O-line is aging so I think they can address that here and get good value. Staley, if he's here, or a Ryan Khalil or Tony Ugoh would work. What they will do: They go with the best O-lineman, I'll say Tony Ugoh.
30.) San Diego-Team Needs: WR, OG, FS, ILB. What they should do: I've said for the last several years that the Chargers need to upgrade the receiver spot. A money WR will only open things up for L.T. to run and catch and for Antonio Gates. Assuming the top 3 guys are gone, I'd go with USC's Steve Smith, a guy I like a lot. He was always second fiddle to Jarrett. He gets his chance to shine. What they will do: I see them going with Smith, a So-Cal guy, at WR.
31.) Chicago-Team Needs: OLB, CB, OG, TE, WR. What they should do: One of the Bears' glaring needs is DT. At this spot, I'll say they should go with Brandon Mebane, a classic one gap stopper. What they will do: Go best available defense, either on the line or at LB (who knows what will happen with Lance Briggs.)
32.) Indianapolis-Team Needs: LB, DE, DT, RB. What they should do: Payton finally got his ring. But he's lost some key pieces this off-season (Cato June, Dominic Rhodes, etc.) They like undersized, fast defenders, especially at LB. I'm going way off the board here: take Quincy Black from New Mexico. 6'2", 240, ran 4.4, and had a vertical of 41.5". Plus he's hungry. What they will do: If one of the WR's slips here, they pluck him. Otherwise they look at a safer defensive pick, like a Chris Houston.
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