I'm sorry, but how did Shannon Sharpe not get into the Hall of Fame earlier today? I don't disagree with any of the selections, however this is rediculous. Sharpe redefined the Tight End position by being one of the first to spread out as a wide-out type Tight End. Sharpe was a leader and at the time of retirement, the all-time leader in every Tight-End meaningful statistical category. Sharpe also won 3 Super Bowls and lost none, 2 with Denver and 1 with Baltimore. This is just stupid and you have to question what Hall of Fame voters have against the Broncos. Rany Gradishar should be in and based on the average career span of a Running Back, T. D. should be in too. Canton is losing credability with me. Sharpe not going in is an absolute joke.
Picks........20-12 ATS....11-3 in my last 14.
Pittsburgh 37, Arizona 20, so Pitt covers the now 6 1/2
NBA
@Detroit + 4 1/2 Cleveland
@ Sacremento -1 1 /2 Oklahoma City
NCAA M
Virginia +23 @ Duke
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Things Change
Last night I did something that I haven't done in a very long time, I watched an NHL game from start to finish. My favorite team has always been the Toronto Maple Leafs and they were in Denver last night to face the Avalance for the first time since January, 2006.
Before the infamous lockout, a huge part of my life focused on these two teams. I was the loner, the Leaf fan while all my college friends rooted hard for the Avs because they were the local team. In the late 90's and early 2000's the Leafs and Avs flirted with meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals on several occasions, but they ended up never hooking up. Twice both teams made the Conference Finals but never got together to play for it all.
They were two very good hockey teams before the lockout. It was great when the times were like that. I never missed an NHL Playoff Game on ESPN and me and my college buddies would play hockey video games, setting up 7 game series between the Leafs and Avs. (Drew, I still Own You). There were great players on both sides. Sundin, Roberts, Cu-Jo, Belfour, Kaberle, Gillmoure, Clark, Domi, Tucker and McCabe for the Leafs. The Avs were loaded with a healthy Peter Forseberg, Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote, Chris Drury, Milan Hejduk and many others.
Fast Forward to 2009. The Leafs came to my hometown for the first time in 3 years, I was offered two great tickets and me and Drew turned them down. Granted, the game was exciting as the Leafs beat the Avs 7-4, but it just wasn't the same, in fact one of the most popular Leafs ever in Darcy Tucker was playing for Colorado. What we have now is just two bad hockey teams that have struggled to find their way every since the lockout. Colorado is currently 13th in the West, 4 points behind the #8 playoff seed while the Leafs are 11th in the East, 10 points behind the 8th and final playoff seed.
In college, the NHL and the Leafs and Avs were a huge part of me and my friends lives and now, quite frankely it is just another game. What did the the NHL and these two particular teams do to themselves? Any way, congrats Toronto with last night's win you are now only 5 games under .500.
Other Stuff
In an earlier post this week I took a cheap shot at the Austrailian Open, however last night there was a mens semifinal for the ages. It was the longest match in Austrailian Open history lasting 5 hours and 14 minutes. Rafael Nadal held off longshot Fernando Verdasco in 5 sets (6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4). This was an outstanding match as each competitor gave it his all. It was the first time I'd ever watched an entire tennis match and I was impressed. Next up Nadal/Federer for the first time ever on the hard surface in a major, should be interesting.
Why are NFL Players taking shots at their former Head Coaches? Former Buc, Simeon Rice going off on recently fired Jon Gruden, saying he was a cold blooded liar and had no respect for injured players because he released them. The guy just got fired, why do you have to go after him in the media like that? If you have a problem with the guy, tell him face to face. Also, former Broncos Quarterback Jake Plummer took a shot at the recently fired Mike Shanahan. Plummer said his firing was past due and Shanahan had his glory and his coaching style no longer motivated players.
Well Jake, I'm sure you didn't have a problem with him when he led you to the 2005 AFC Championship Game, a place you only saw that one time in your career. I'm not going to defend Shanahan because the Broncos did make the right move, however Plummer was out of line. Shanahan did a great "fill in the pieces job" in his last season as Broncos Head Coach. The defense was awful and for most of the time hurt, plus the team had to use 7 running backs and still managed to finish 8-8 when the team should have been 4-12. With that said I think Shanahan lost his mind and his cool about him. Shanahan made some of the worst decisions I've seen an NFL Head Coach make in his final season with the Broncos and ultimately that is why he lost his job.
If everything that has come out in the last 72 hours about Barry Bonds is true, dude is going to prison. Positive urine samples of steroid use and a former teammate willing to testify against him. Bye-bye Hall of Fame and hello Bubba.
The Picks........3/4 winners last night. I'm 18-12 ATS since starting this blog and have hit 9 of my last 12
Super Bowl 43
Pittsburgh -7 Arizona-Once again, Steelers 37, Cardinals 20.
NBA-A big schedule tonight, but I only would play two games.
Lakers -6 @ Minnesota
Bobcats/Nuggets OVER 193
Have a good Super Bowl weekend, I will talk to you on Monday.
Before the infamous lockout, a huge part of my life focused on these two teams. I was the loner, the Leaf fan while all my college friends rooted hard for the Avs because they were the local team. In the late 90's and early 2000's the Leafs and Avs flirted with meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals on several occasions, but they ended up never hooking up. Twice both teams made the Conference Finals but never got together to play for it all.
They were two very good hockey teams before the lockout. It was great when the times were like that. I never missed an NHL Playoff Game on ESPN and me and my college buddies would play hockey video games, setting up 7 game series between the Leafs and Avs. (Drew, I still Own You). There were great players on both sides. Sundin, Roberts, Cu-Jo, Belfour, Kaberle, Gillmoure, Clark, Domi, Tucker and McCabe for the Leafs. The Avs were loaded with a healthy Peter Forseberg, Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote, Chris Drury, Milan Hejduk and many others.
Fast Forward to 2009. The Leafs came to my hometown for the first time in 3 years, I was offered two great tickets and me and Drew turned them down. Granted, the game was exciting as the Leafs beat the Avs 7-4, but it just wasn't the same, in fact one of the most popular Leafs ever in Darcy Tucker was playing for Colorado. What we have now is just two bad hockey teams that have struggled to find their way every since the lockout. Colorado is currently 13th in the West, 4 points behind the #8 playoff seed while the Leafs are 11th in the East, 10 points behind the 8th and final playoff seed.
In college, the NHL and the Leafs and Avs were a huge part of me and my friends lives and now, quite frankely it is just another game. What did the the NHL and these two particular teams do to themselves? Any way, congrats Toronto with last night's win you are now only 5 games under .500.
Other Stuff
In an earlier post this week I took a cheap shot at the Austrailian Open, however last night there was a mens semifinal for the ages. It was the longest match in Austrailian Open history lasting 5 hours and 14 minutes. Rafael Nadal held off longshot Fernando Verdasco in 5 sets (6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4). This was an outstanding match as each competitor gave it his all. It was the first time I'd ever watched an entire tennis match and I was impressed. Next up Nadal/Federer for the first time ever on the hard surface in a major, should be interesting.
Why are NFL Players taking shots at their former Head Coaches? Former Buc, Simeon Rice going off on recently fired Jon Gruden, saying he was a cold blooded liar and had no respect for injured players because he released them. The guy just got fired, why do you have to go after him in the media like that? If you have a problem with the guy, tell him face to face. Also, former Broncos Quarterback Jake Plummer took a shot at the recently fired Mike Shanahan. Plummer said his firing was past due and Shanahan had his glory and his coaching style no longer motivated players.
Well Jake, I'm sure you didn't have a problem with him when he led you to the 2005 AFC Championship Game, a place you only saw that one time in your career. I'm not going to defend Shanahan because the Broncos did make the right move, however Plummer was out of line. Shanahan did a great "fill in the pieces job" in his last season as Broncos Head Coach. The defense was awful and for most of the time hurt, plus the team had to use 7 running backs and still managed to finish 8-8 when the team should have been 4-12. With that said I think Shanahan lost his mind and his cool about him. Shanahan made some of the worst decisions I've seen an NFL Head Coach make in his final season with the Broncos and ultimately that is why he lost his job.
If everything that has come out in the last 72 hours about Barry Bonds is true, dude is going to prison. Positive urine samples of steroid use and a former teammate willing to testify against him. Bye-bye Hall of Fame and hello Bubba.
The Picks........3/4 winners last night. I'm 18-12 ATS since starting this blog and have hit 9 of my last 12
Super Bowl 43
Pittsburgh -7 Arizona-Once again, Steelers 37, Cardinals 20.
NBA-A big schedule tonight, but I only would play two games.
Lakers -6 @ Minnesota
Bobcats/Nuggets OVER 193
Have a good Super Bowl weekend, I will talk to you on Monday.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
All Star Reserves Announced
The NBA just released their All Star Reserves. I got 10 of 14 correct. Tony Parker over Carmelo Anthony is a questionmark. Both Players have missed a chunk of games because of injury, I think Melo is having the better season. David West is deserving of an All Star Game, he and Chris Paul are the biggest reason New Orleans is winning. I had Melo and Utah's Deron Williams instead of Tony Parker and David West. In the east I am surprised that 3 Orlando Magic players got in. I had everyone on the list except for Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson. Both are deserving, I just don't think Orlando has the right to have the most players in the game. I had Ray Allen and Mo Williams instead of Lewis and Nelson. Biggest snubs this year in my opinion, Mo Williams in the east and Carmelo Anthony in the west.
West
G. Chauncey Billups
G. Brandon Roy
F. Dirk Nowitzki
F. Pau Gasol
C. Shaquille O'Neal
G. Tony Parker
F. David West
East
G. Joe Johnson
G. Devin Harris
F. Danny Granger
F. Paul Pierce
C. Chris Bosh
F. Rashard Lewis
G. Jameer Nelson
West
G. Chauncey Billups
G. Brandon Roy
F. Dirk Nowitzki
F. Pau Gasol
C. Shaquille O'Neal
G. Tony Parker
F. David West
East
G. Joe Johnson
G. Devin Harris
F. Danny Granger
F. Paul Pierce
C. Chris Bosh
F. Rashard Lewis
G. Jameer Nelson
My All-Star Reserve Picks
TNT will officially announce the NBA All-Star Game reserves tonight.
Here are the starters to refresh your memory
West.
G-Kobe Byrant
G-Chris Paul
F-Amare Stoudamire
F-Tim Duncan
C-Yao Ming
East.
G-Dwayne Wade
G-Allen Iverson
F-Lebron James
F-Kevin Garnett
C-Dwight Howard
Here are my reserve picks
West.
G-Chauncey Billips
G-Brandon Roy
F-Dirk Nowitzki
F-Carmelo Anthony
C-Shaquille O'Neal
Wild Card-Pau Gasol
Wild Card-Deron Williams
East
G-Joe Johnson
G-Ray Allen
F-Paul Pierce
F-Danny Granger
C-Chris Bosh
Wild Card-Devin Harris
Wild Card-Mo Williams
On another note, I understand that New Orleans' Guard Chris Paul is good and should be an All Star Game Starter, but he is not Michael Jordan just yet. I watched the Denver-New Orleans game last night and this guy got more calls that went his way that were questionable then any game I've seen this season. My point is the CP3 is good but not that good yet.
Be on the lookout for another college hoops upset tonight. I can see Michigan State going into Iowa and getting beat tonight.
The picks.....6-2 last night to put me at 15-11 ATS.
Just 2 NBA Games tonight
@Orlando -4 Cleveland
@Phoenix - 1 1/2 San Antonio
NCAAM
@Minnesota +1 Illinois
@UCLA -9 California
Here are the starters to refresh your memory
West.
G-Kobe Byrant
G-Chris Paul
F-Amare Stoudamire
F-Tim Duncan
C-Yao Ming
East.
G-Dwayne Wade
G-Allen Iverson
F-Lebron James
F-Kevin Garnett
C-Dwight Howard
Here are my reserve picks
West.
G-Chauncey Billips
G-Brandon Roy
F-Dirk Nowitzki
F-Carmelo Anthony
C-Shaquille O'Neal
Wild Card-Pau Gasol
Wild Card-Deron Williams
East
G-Joe Johnson
G-Ray Allen
F-Paul Pierce
F-Danny Granger
C-Chris Bosh
Wild Card-Devin Harris
Wild Card-Mo Williams
On another note, I understand that New Orleans' Guard Chris Paul is good and should be an All Star Game Starter, but he is not Michael Jordan just yet. I watched the Denver-New Orleans game last night and this guy got more calls that went his way that were questionable then any game I've seen this season. My point is the CP3 is good but not that good yet.
Be on the lookout for another college hoops upset tonight. I can see Michigan State going into Iowa and getting beat tonight.
The picks.....6-2 last night to put me at 15-11 ATS.
Just 2 NBA Games tonight
@Orlando -4 Cleveland
@Phoenix - 1 1/2 San Antonio
NCAAM
@Minnesota +1 Illinois
@UCLA -9 California
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Raiders Retain Cable
According to reports, the Oakland Raiders will officially name Tom Cable as the team's Head Coach. Cable took over last season for the fired Lane Kiffin.
Is Arizona the Worst Super Bowl Team Ever?
The Cardinals are the 2nd 9 win team to reach the Super Bowl, the only other team was the 1979 Los Angeles Rams who were beaten by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Arizona's 9 wins in the regular season, you have to ask the question are they the worst team ever to be playing for a championship? In terms of being underdogs, Arizona isn't even close to being the biggest dog ever. It is hard to say who the worst team to compete in a Super Bowl was, especially when you consider 1984-1996 when the NFC dominated the AFC. Leaving Arizona out, here is a list in no particular order of the 5 worst Super Bowl Teams of all time, I did not take into account blowouts in the Super Bowl as a factor.
1. The 2000 New York Giants
2. The 1985 New England Patriots
3. The 1996 New England Patriots
4. The 1979 Los Angeles Rams
5. The 1989 Denver Broncos
Arizona won their 3 playoff games to reach the Super Bowl, so give them credit. The Cardinals are 7 point underdogs to Pittsburgh on Sunday, but how would they match up to the rest of the league on a nuetral field in a fictional Super Bowl. Here is how I broke down Arizona's chances.
New England -3 1/2 Arizona
Arizona Pick-Em Miami
Arizona -2 1/2 NY Jets
Arizona -8 1/2 Buffalo
Pittsburgh -7 Arizona
Baltimore -5 1/2 Arizona
Arizona - 9 1/2 Cleveland
Arizona - 12 1/2 Cincinnati
Tennessee -5 Arizona
Indianapolis -3 Arizona
Arizona -2 Houston
Arizona -6 1/2 Jacksonville
Arizona -1 San Diego
Arizona - 3 1/2 Denver
Arizona -10 1/2 Oakland
Arizona -13 1/2 Kansas City
NY Giants -5 Arizona
Philadelphia -2 Arizona
Dallas - 2 1/2 Arizona
Arizona -1 1/2 Washington
Arizona -1 Minnesota
Arizona Pick-Em Chicago
Arizona -6 1/2 Green Bay
Arizona - 16 1/2 Detroit
Carolina -3 Arizona
Arizona Pick-Em Atlanta
Arizona -1 New Orleans
Arizona Pick-Em Tampa Bay
Arizona -11 1/2 St. Louis
Arizona - 9 1/2 Seattle
Arizona -5 1/2 San Francisco
I would have Arizona as an underdog against 9 teams and put them as a pick-em against another 4. I still think Pittsburgh wins this one 37-20 and Arizona gets added to that above list of the 5 worst teams ever to play in a Super Bowl.
Great Night of College Hoops Tonight
#1 Duke @ #4 Wake
#2 UCONN @ DePaul
#3 Pitt @ #21 Nova
#6 UNC @ Florida St.
S. Florida @ #7 Louisville
Charlotte @ #10 Xavier
#15 Cuse @ Providence
#19 Memphis @ E. Carolina
#23 G-Town @ Cincinnati
Over the last few posts the picks have been bad. After a 1-2 night last night I'm now 9-9 ATS. Tonight will be a winning night.
NBA
@Indiana -5 Milwaukee
Denver +4 @ New Orleans
Detroit +1 @ Minnesota
NCAAM
Syracuse +2 @ Providence
@Wake Forest +2 Duke
@Villanova +3 Pittsburgh
@ Florida St. +12 North Carolina
@New Mexico -16 Colorado State
With Arizona's 9 wins in the regular season, you have to ask the question are they the worst team ever to be playing for a championship? In terms of being underdogs, Arizona isn't even close to being the biggest dog ever. It is hard to say who the worst team to compete in a Super Bowl was, especially when you consider 1984-1996 when the NFC dominated the AFC. Leaving Arizona out, here is a list in no particular order of the 5 worst Super Bowl Teams of all time, I did not take into account blowouts in the Super Bowl as a factor.
1. The 2000 New York Giants
2. The 1985 New England Patriots
3. The 1996 New England Patriots
4. The 1979 Los Angeles Rams
5. The 1989 Denver Broncos
Arizona won their 3 playoff games to reach the Super Bowl, so give them credit. The Cardinals are 7 point underdogs to Pittsburgh on Sunday, but how would they match up to the rest of the league on a nuetral field in a fictional Super Bowl. Here is how I broke down Arizona's chances.
New England -3 1/2 Arizona
Arizona Pick-Em Miami
Arizona -2 1/2 NY Jets
Arizona -8 1/2 Buffalo
Pittsburgh -7 Arizona
Baltimore -5 1/2 Arizona
Arizona - 9 1/2 Cleveland
Arizona - 12 1/2 Cincinnati
Tennessee -5 Arizona
Indianapolis -3 Arizona
Arizona -2 Houston
Arizona -6 1/2 Jacksonville
Arizona -1 San Diego
Arizona - 3 1/2 Denver
Arizona -10 1/2 Oakland
Arizona -13 1/2 Kansas City
NY Giants -5 Arizona
Philadelphia -2 Arizona
Dallas - 2 1/2 Arizona
Arizona -1 1/2 Washington
Arizona -1 Minnesota
Arizona Pick-Em Chicago
Arizona -6 1/2 Green Bay
Arizona - 16 1/2 Detroit
Carolina -3 Arizona
Arizona Pick-Em Atlanta
Arizona -1 New Orleans
Arizona Pick-Em Tampa Bay
Arizona -11 1/2 St. Louis
Arizona - 9 1/2 Seattle
Arizona -5 1/2 San Francisco
I would have Arizona as an underdog against 9 teams and put them as a pick-em against another 4. I still think Pittsburgh wins this one 37-20 and Arizona gets added to that above list of the 5 worst teams ever to play in a Super Bowl.
Great Night of College Hoops Tonight
#1 Duke @ #4 Wake
#2 UCONN @ DePaul
#3 Pitt @ #21 Nova
#6 UNC @ Florida St.
S. Florida @ #7 Louisville
Charlotte @ #10 Xavier
#15 Cuse @ Providence
#19 Memphis @ E. Carolina
#23 G-Town @ Cincinnati
Over the last few posts the picks have been bad. After a 1-2 night last night I'm now 9-9 ATS. Tonight will be a winning night.
NBA
@Indiana -5 Milwaukee
Denver +4 @ New Orleans
Detroit +1 @ Minnesota
NCAAM
Syracuse +2 @ Providence
@Wake Forest +2 Duke
@Villanova +3 Pittsburgh
@ Florida St. +12 North Carolina
@New Mexico -16 Colorado State
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Good Job Craig Thompson, Stories about Stuff, Tuesday top 5's and The Picks
I never thought I would say this, but job well done Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the guy because he gave me my first interview as a sports journalist, however over the past few years he has infuriated me.
He decided to start the conference's own television network, "The Mountain". With this move, he not only allianated a lot of fans because "The Mountain is unavailable on most basic cable packages. Fans of CSU, Wyoming and Air Force living in the Denver Metro Area had no way to see any football or basketball games. The creation of "The Mountain" also killed recruiting for every school except Utah, BYU, TCU and Air Force. Before the creation of "The Mountain" the conference had an agreement with ESPN to nationally televise a Mountain West Conference game every Thursday night and the creation of "The Mountain" destroyed that. If I am a big time college recruit why would I committ to any of the Mountain West schools? You won't be on national television and you will have virtually no chance at playing for a National Championship.
BYU and Utah weren't really hurt by this because of the loyalty kids have to those schools and in part because of the Mormon religon. Air Force is a millitary school and felt little to no effect and TCU gets the left overs from one of the nation's top recruiting states, so they continued to be solid. The other schools in the conference were the ones who suffered because of this move being CSU, Wyoming, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV.
The Commissioner won me back today when he decided to meet with the BCS in order for the BCS to recognize The Mountain West Conference. He beleives the winner of the conference should receive an automatic bid to a BCS game like all the other big time conferences, and why shouldn't they? Utah, BYU and TCU were all in the BCS top 15 at some point in the season and the Utes were the only undefeated team in the land. I think the BCS accepts this and we move one step closer to a playoff system
Today marks that most annoying day of the year, Super Bowl Media Day. This is the biggest waste of time and you know every coach and player absolutely hates doing these interviews, most of the interviews which are just pointless and used as a bad side show anyway.
I recently commented on how sick I am of hearing about Pacman Jones. Well, I'm sick of hearing about baseball, steroids and HGH, in fact, this has annoyed me for quite some time. Now former MLB Players David Justice and Doc Gooden are going off on the fact that former Mets Clubhouse Attendant Kirk Radomski ratted them out for allegedly buying these products from Radomski.
Enough is enough, it has been a year since the "Mitchell Report" has came and gone. Kirk Radomski and Brian McNamee have gotten their 15 minutes of fame while many players have been humiliated. The "Mitchell Report" has served its purpose and use of performance enhancing drugs is down and legacies are ruined. Can we just stop talking about it?
So Dodgers Manager Joe Torre decided to write a book about his New York years. After the weekend there were no hard feelings between anybody, but good for Joe. In his own way he ripped the Steinbrenners', Brian Cashman and A-Rod. Good for you Joe.
The Rockies have agreed to terms with Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The deal is for 4 seasons. You are probably thinking to yourself, why I am I posting this? This kid is the real deal and once he fully matures he can become one of the best Pitchers in Baseball. He is a big reason the Rockies made their incredible run to the World Series in 2007.
Also, it is reported that Rockies Pitcher Jeff Francis is still having shoulder problems and might not be ready for opening day.
Now we have no idea what is going to happen with Chargers Running Back Ladanian Tomlinson. The Chargers front office needs to show a little bit of class and be up front and talk to Tomlinson straight up. The future Hall of Fame deserves this kind of respect, not only is he a top 10 All-Time Running Back, but he is a better person. San Diego needs to get their act together.
The Denver Broncos made it official yesterday. Former San Francisco 49'er Head Coach Mike Nolan is now Denver's new Defensive Coordinator. OK, should be interesting.
Over the weekend it was reported that Steph Marbury and the Celtics had a verbal agreement that Steph would sign with Boston if he and the Knicks could come to terms to break-up that disasterous relationship. Well, Marbury is still a Knick and that train is still off the tracks heading for an absolute explosion. Marbury hasn't played a minute this season and even though he is getting paid, he deserves to be let go and play basketball. Coach D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh aren't helping matters right now by delaying everything, however if someone is to blame for all of this it is Isiah Thomas who started this mess-(It takes a whole other post to explain my feelings toward Isiah), it is too bad that this problem can't be solved.
Finally, the last few days I have woken up very early and tuned in to ESPN 2 expecting to find "Mike and Mike in the Morning" but the Austrailian Open was on, I was shocked. Did anybody else in the U.S. notice that the Australian Open is going on? I have one piece of advice for Tennis-You may want to advertise. I really believe 2/3 of the country has no clue this thing is going on right now.
Tuesday Top 5's
NBA
1.Los Angeles Lakers-Looked great against San Antonio on Sunday
2. Boston Celtics-Since the slump, this team is now 8-0
3.Cleveland Cavaliers-Going for 21-0 at home tonight
4.Orland Magic-A very good team, but struggled after coming off an amazing West Cost trip
5.Denver Nuggets-Keeping it together without Melo. Expect Melo to return on the 30th against Charlotte and this team will be even better.
NHL-Some body said there was an All-Star Game over the weekend. Can the league put that on some network channel? This league is becoming more and more close to invisible.
1.San Jose Sharks
2.Detroit Red Wings
3.Washington Capitals
4.Boston Bruins
5.Montreal Canadiens
NCAAM
1.North Carolina-Still the best team in the country
2.Oklahoma-Read below
3.UCONN-Probably the most steady in the Big East
4.Duke-I have them here just because of their record, not their talent
5.Pittsburgh-Probably the best rebounding team in the country
The ACC and Big East are so good and their regular season schedules are so brutal. Once they reach Conference Tournament time, it will get even more challenging. This could be Oklahoma's year. These conferences are going to just beat eachother down and have nothing left at the end. The Big 1o, SEC and PAC-10 are down this year and Oklahoma is the best team in the Big 12. I'm not saying Oklahoma will win the whole thing, but keep your eye on them.
NCAAW
1.UCONN
2.UCONN
3.UCONN
4.UCONN
5.UCONN
Every other team in Women's Hoops is playing for 2nd place.
And the Picks........I'm 8-7 ATS after a 1-2 Friday
Take Orlando-10 at home against Indiana-Magic are due for a big one
Take Cleveland at home - 13 against Sacremento-21-0 at home for the Cavs
Take the OVER in the Denver/Memphis game 200 1/2.
Lay off the rest of the games.
He decided to start the conference's own television network, "The Mountain". With this move, he not only allianated a lot of fans because "The Mountain is unavailable on most basic cable packages. Fans of CSU, Wyoming and Air Force living in the Denver Metro Area had no way to see any football or basketball games. The creation of "The Mountain" also killed recruiting for every school except Utah, BYU, TCU and Air Force. Before the creation of "The Mountain" the conference had an agreement with ESPN to nationally televise a Mountain West Conference game every Thursday night and the creation of "The Mountain" destroyed that. If I am a big time college recruit why would I committ to any of the Mountain West schools? You won't be on national television and you will have virtually no chance at playing for a National Championship.
BYU and Utah weren't really hurt by this because of the loyalty kids have to those schools and in part because of the Mormon religon. Air Force is a millitary school and felt little to no effect and TCU gets the left overs from one of the nation's top recruiting states, so they continued to be solid. The other schools in the conference were the ones who suffered because of this move being CSU, Wyoming, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV.
The Commissioner won me back today when he decided to meet with the BCS in order for the BCS to recognize The Mountain West Conference. He beleives the winner of the conference should receive an automatic bid to a BCS game like all the other big time conferences, and why shouldn't they? Utah, BYU and TCU were all in the BCS top 15 at some point in the season and the Utes were the only undefeated team in the land. I think the BCS accepts this and we move one step closer to a playoff system
Today marks that most annoying day of the year, Super Bowl Media Day. This is the biggest waste of time and you know every coach and player absolutely hates doing these interviews, most of the interviews which are just pointless and used as a bad side show anyway.
I recently commented on how sick I am of hearing about Pacman Jones. Well, I'm sick of hearing about baseball, steroids and HGH, in fact, this has annoyed me for quite some time. Now former MLB Players David Justice and Doc Gooden are going off on the fact that former Mets Clubhouse Attendant Kirk Radomski ratted them out for allegedly buying these products from Radomski.
Enough is enough, it has been a year since the "Mitchell Report" has came and gone. Kirk Radomski and Brian McNamee have gotten their 15 minutes of fame while many players have been humiliated. The "Mitchell Report" has served its purpose and use of performance enhancing drugs is down and legacies are ruined. Can we just stop talking about it?
So Dodgers Manager Joe Torre decided to write a book about his New York years. After the weekend there were no hard feelings between anybody, but good for Joe. In his own way he ripped the Steinbrenners', Brian Cashman and A-Rod. Good for you Joe.
The Rockies have agreed to terms with Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The deal is for 4 seasons. You are probably thinking to yourself, why I am I posting this? This kid is the real deal and once he fully matures he can become one of the best Pitchers in Baseball. He is a big reason the Rockies made their incredible run to the World Series in 2007.
Also, it is reported that Rockies Pitcher Jeff Francis is still having shoulder problems and might not be ready for opening day.
Now we have no idea what is going to happen with Chargers Running Back Ladanian Tomlinson. The Chargers front office needs to show a little bit of class and be up front and talk to Tomlinson straight up. The future Hall of Fame deserves this kind of respect, not only is he a top 10 All-Time Running Back, but he is a better person. San Diego needs to get their act together.
The Denver Broncos made it official yesterday. Former San Francisco 49'er Head Coach Mike Nolan is now Denver's new Defensive Coordinator. OK, should be interesting.
Over the weekend it was reported that Steph Marbury and the Celtics had a verbal agreement that Steph would sign with Boston if he and the Knicks could come to terms to break-up that disasterous relationship. Well, Marbury is still a Knick and that train is still off the tracks heading for an absolute explosion. Marbury hasn't played a minute this season and even though he is getting paid, he deserves to be let go and play basketball. Coach D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh aren't helping matters right now by delaying everything, however if someone is to blame for all of this it is Isiah Thomas who started this mess-(It takes a whole other post to explain my feelings toward Isiah), it is too bad that this problem can't be solved.
Finally, the last few days I have woken up very early and tuned in to ESPN 2 expecting to find "Mike and Mike in the Morning" but the Austrailian Open was on, I was shocked. Did anybody else in the U.S. notice that the Australian Open is going on? I have one piece of advice for Tennis-You may want to advertise. I really believe 2/3 of the country has no clue this thing is going on right now.
Tuesday Top 5's
NBA
1.Los Angeles Lakers-Looked great against San Antonio on Sunday
2. Boston Celtics-Since the slump, this team is now 8-0
3.Cleveland Cavaliers-Going for 21-0 at home tonight
4.Orland Magic-A very good team, but struggled after coming off an amazing West Cost trip
5.Denver Nuggets-Keeping it together without Melo. Expect Melo to return on the 30th against Charlotte and this team will be even better.
NHL-Some body said there was an All-Star Game over the weekend. Can the league put that on some network channel? This league is becoming more and more close to invisible.
1.San Jose Sharks
2.Detroit Red Wings
3.Washington Capitals
4.Boston Bruins
5.Montreal Canadiens
NCAAM
1.North Carolina-Still the best team in the country
2.Oklahoma-Read below
3.UCONN-Probably the most steady in the Big East
4.Duke-I have them here just because of their record, not their talent
5.Pittsburgh-Probably the best rebounding team in the country
The ACC and Big East are so good and their regular season schedules are so brutal. Once they reach Conference Tournament time, it will get even more challenging. This could be Oklahoma's year. These conferences are going to just beat eachother down and have nothing left at the end. The Big 1o, SEC and PAC-10 are down this year and Oklahoma is the best team in the Big 12. I'm not saying Oklahoma will win the whole thing, but keep your eye on them.
NCAAW
1.UCONN
2.UCONN
3.UCONN
4.UCONN
5.UCONN
Every other team in Women's Hoops is playing for 2nd place.
And the Picks........I'm 8-7 ATS after a 1-2 Friday
Take Orlando-10 at home against Indiana-Magic are due for a big one
Take Cleveland at home - 13 against Sacremento-21-0 at home for the Cavs
Take the OVER in the Denver/Memphis game 200 1/2.
Lay off the rest of the games.
Friday, January 23, 2009
"You Play to Win the Game"
The Kansas City Chiefs have officially fired Head Coach Herm Edwards. Edwards is still viewed by many as an elite coach, however expect him to be in the booth at least one season before returning to the field.
The Chiefs have not yet named a replacement. According to serveral sources, former Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan will be the new man in charge for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs have not yet named a replacement. According to serveral sources, former Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan will be the new man in charge for the Chiefs.
Catching Up with CU Hoops and Star North Dakota Recruit....and other Friday stuff
I was working in North Dakota as Operations Manager and Sports Director for Clear Channel Radio. During that time I ran into a Head Coach I respect almost more then any of his kind in Jeff Bzdelik. He was an assistant under Pat Riley with the Miami Heat, Head Coach of the Denver Nuggets succeeding with one of the worst rosters ever assembled and was responsible for one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA History, Coach Bzdelik was also the Head Coach of Air Force making NCAA Tournaments and going through a deep run in the NIT. Jeff Bzdelik is now the Head Coach at Colorado. I got a chance to catch up with Coach Bzdelik and one of his star recruits from Killdeer, North Dakota in Austin Dufault.
Q &A WITH CU COACH JEFF BZDELIK
Q-COACH YOU HAVE SUCH A YOUNG TEAM, RIGHT NOW YOU’RE 8-9 ARE YOU ABOUT WHERE YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON?
A-NO PREDETERMINATION…. IN SOME WAYS NOT…I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER…WITH A YOUNG TEAM I WANT MY TEAM TO GET BETTER AND I THINK THE TEAM IS GETTTING BETTER.
Q-WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON?
A-JUST TO GET BETTER…NO TURNOVERS, FINISHING PLAYS ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE…REBOUNDING.
Q-HOW LONG DO YOU BELIEVE IT WILL TAKE YOUR TEAM TO MAKE A SERIOUS TOURNAMENT RUN?
A-MY CONTACT IS FOR 4 YEARS. I WANT TO MAKE PROGRESS BY THEN, IF NOT I DON’T THINK IT WILL PLEASE ANYONE AT CU.
Q-AUSTIN DUFAULT WAS A BIG RECRUIT OF YOURS…CAN YOU TAKE ME THROUGH YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS WHILE YOU WERE TRYING TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO RECRUIT HIM?
A-THERE WASN’T A NEGATIVE THOUGHT…. I WANTED TO RECRUIT AN INTELLIGANT, COMPETITIVE PLAYER…IT WAS A NO BRAINER. AUSTIN CAN SCORE, REBOUND AND DEFEND, HE IS FEARLESS…. HE HAS ALL THE ATRIBUTES OF A GOOD RECRUIT.
Q-YOU CAME UP TO NORTH DAKOTA TO WATCH AUSTIN PLAY NUMEROUS TIMES. WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT HIS GAME NOW COMPARED TO WHERE HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL?
HE IS LEARNING THE HARD WAY…HE NEEDS TO BE MORE ATHLETIC…HIGH SCHOOL DEFENSE IS DIFFERENT AND HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON THAT SIDE OF THE BALL
Q-AS AN INDIVIDUAL DO YOU THINK COLLEGE HAS CHANGED AUSTIN?
A-COLLEGE IS A MATURITY PROCESS AND HE IS MATURING. I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU COME FROM IT IS A CHANGE AND I THINK AUSTIN IS HANDLING IT WELL
Q-AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY YOU GUYS ARE A VERY YOUNG TEAM, AUSTIN WAS USED TO A LOT OF SUCCESS LAST YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND NOW HE IS EXPERIENCING MORE LOSSES…HAS HE REACTED OK IN YOUR OPINION FROM THAT CHANGE?
A. AUSTIN UNDERSTANDS HE IS GOING AGAINST BIG 12 COMPETITION AND IT IS MUCH MORE COMPETITVE THEN HIGH SCHOOL PLAY. I THINK HE UNDERSTANDS AND IS HANDLING IT WELL WITH GOOD COMPETITIVE PLAY.
Q-AS A COACH, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WANT AUSTIN TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS SEASON?
A-I WANT HIM IN THE GYM TO GET STRONGER AND MORE ATHLETIC. I WANT HIM TO IMPROVE HIS DEFENSE, POST MOVES, OUTSIDE SHOOTING. AS OF RIGHT NOW THOUGH I THINK HE IS DOING GREAT.
Q-COACH, RANK THE TOP 5 TEAMS IN COLLEGE BASKEBALL AS OF RIGHT NOW IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
A-WAKE FOREST, PITTSBURGH, DUKE, NORTH CAROLINA, CONNECTICUT
Q-WHO IS THE BEST TEAM IN YOUR CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW?
A-OKLAHOMA
Q-YOU WERE IN THE MIAMI HEAT ORGANIZATION…YOUR THOUGHTS ON ALONZO MOURNING’S RETIREMENT
A-HE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE COMPETITOR AND A TRUE WARRIOR OF THE GAME.
Q-DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT OR FOLLOW YOUR PRIOR TEAMS…MIAMI, DENVER OR AIR FORCE?
A-YES I DO, BUT I NEVER READ THE NEWSPAPER.
Q-FINAL QUESTION COACH…OVER THE YEAR’S YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF TALENT…. NOT ONLY IN COLLEGE, BUT THE NBA AS WELL…HOW GOOD CAN AUSTIN BE? HOW FAR CAN HE HELP TAKE YOUR TEAM? IS HE A POSSIBLE NBA TALENT?
A-HE IS VERY GOOD, HE WILL HELP LEAD OUR TEAM TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE AND IF SOME DAY HE WANTS TO GET PAID FOR PLAYING BASKETBALL I THINK HE HAS A REAL SHOT.
Q&A WITH AUSTIN DUFAULT
Q-COMPARE YOUR EMOTIONS FROM SENIOR NIGHT AT KILLDEER HIGH SCHOOL TO THE FIRST TIME YOU STEPPED ON THE COURT TO PLAY COLLEGE BALL.
A-SENIOR NIGHT WAS BITTERSWEET…IT WAS HARD TO KNOW I WOULDN’T BE PLAYING WITH THESE GUYS ANYMORE. AS FOR COLLEGE, MY FIRST GAME WAS FILLED WITH EXCITEMNENT ABOUT THE MOMENT, THE FUTURE AND THE IDEA I MADE IT THERE. I ALSO HAD A LITTLE NERVES FOR THIS FIRST TIME IN A WHILE.
Q-HOW HAS THE COLLEGE GAME CHANGED THE WAY YOU USED TO PLAY IN HIGH SCHOOL?
A-IT HAS CHANGED ME AS AN OVERALL PLAYER…I STRESS TO PLAY LOWER IN THE POST AND PLAY MORE ATHLETIC…I HAD TO WORK HARD DEFENSIVELEY AND I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO….I SHOT A LOT OF 3’S IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IT IS STRANGE NOT TO SHOOT A LOT OF 3’S AT COLORADO. I WILL GET USED TO IT.
Q-HOW BIG OF AN ADJUSTMENT HAS IT BEEN GOING FROM NORTH DAKOTA MR. BASKETBALL TO COLLEGE FRESHMAN?
A- IT HAS BEEN A HUGE DIFFERENCE. IT IS A CHALLENGE TO GO FROM TOP DOG TO LOW ON THE TOTUM POLL THIS QUICKLY.
Q-JEFF BZDELIK IS YOUR COACH….HE USED TO COACH THE NUGGETS, AIR FORCE AND WAS AN ASSISTANT FOR THE MIAMI HEAT……..HAS HE SHARED ANY STORIES WITH YOU ABOUT THAT?
A-YES, COACH HAS MENTIONED PLAYERS LIKE ALONZO MOURNING, CARMELO ANTHONY AND BRUCE BOWEN. HE SPEAKS ABOUT HOW GOOD THEY ARE AT BOTH ENDS OF THE BALL AND ENCOURAGES US TO DO THE SAME.
Q-SO FAR WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT PLAYING COLLEGE BASKETBALL?
A-TRYING TO GET INTO A ROUTINE, WITH ROAD GAMES IT IS HARD TO GET INTO A RYTHEM COMPARED TO HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE TRAVEL WASN'T VERY FAR.
Q-OUT OF ALL OF YOUR OPPONENETS SO FAR…WHO HAS BEEN YOUR TOUGHEST MATCH-UP BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A TEAM?
A-INDIVIDULALLY-LAWRENCE HILL-STANFORD-----AS FOR THE TEAMS IT WOULD BE KANSAS AND TCU.
Q-YOUR FAMILY MOVED TO COLORADO WITH YOU. HOW MUCH HAS THAT HELPED YOU OR HAS IT?
A-MY FAMILY HAS HELPED OUT A LOT. I GET TO GO HOME WHEN I WANT TO AND IT IS ONLY AN HOUR AWAY. MY PARENTS GO TO EVERY HOME GAME AND ARE GOING TO START GOING TO SOME ROAD GAMES. IT HAS MADE THE ADJUSTMENT EASIER.
Q-WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT PLAYING FOR KILLDEER AND LIVING IN THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA?
A-I MISS MY FRIENDS AND THE RIVALRIES I USED TO HAVE. I HAVE ADJUSTED WELL MOVING TO COLORADO FROM NORTH DAKOTA. I’M SURE I WILL MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND ESTABLISH NEW RIVALRIES AS MY CAREER CONTINUES.
Q-HOW DO YOU GET ALONG WITH YOUR NEW TEAMMATES AND COACH BZDELIK?
A-GREAT….OLDER GUYS SAY THAT WE COULD BE THE BEST YOUNG GROUP OF PLAYERS EVER TO COME IN AT THE SAME TIME AT THIS SCHOOL.COACH BZDELIK IS GREAT AT HIS JOB AND I HAVE MUCH RESPECT FOR HIM PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.
Q-FINAL QUESTION…DO YOU KEEP UP WITH YOUR EX-TEAMMATES AND FOLLOW WHAT KILLDEER IS DOING?
A-I TEXT AND KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MANY OF MY OLD TEAMMATES AND YOUNGER GUYS AT KILLDEER. I ALSO FOLLOW KILLDEER HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH THE DICKINSON PRESS WEBSITE. http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/
I'm not sure if Austin Dufault is NBA quality but he will help Jeff Bzdelik get a longer contract. This team will make the NCAA tourny next season. Coach Bzdelik is a great coach and that is saying a lot since I'm a CSU Ram.
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT COLORADO BASKETBALL GO TO http://www.cubuffs.com/
I WANT TO THANK ANDREW GREEN AND DAVE PLATI FROM THE CU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT FOR HELPING ME ARRANGE THESE INTERVIEWS. ALSO THANKS TO COACH BZDELIK AND AUSTIN DUFAULT FOR THEIR TIME.
Other Firday News.....
Jay McGwire must really dislike his brother Mark. It takes alot for a brother to dime another brother our about steroid and HGH use. Chances now of Mark McGwire to make the Hall .003 percent.
Coach Bzdelik got it right about Alonzo Mourning. What a great player and inspiration. The guy had a freakin kidney transplant and came back to play and it took a serious break in his leg to make him finally call it quits. Mourning came from a long list of great Centers at Georgetown but may have had the best career out of any of them with the exception of Patrick Ewing. Thanks for the memories "Zo" and good luck to you in whatever you decide to do next.
The Memphis Grizzlies have fired Head Coach Mark Iavaroni. The NBA should fire the Grizzlies from the league. Every team in the NBA hates Memphis for sending Gasol to the Lakers last season for a bag of Doritos and a Mountain Dew. The trade completely screwed up the balance of power in the Western Conference and for that I wish nothing but the worst for the Memphis Grizzlies.
NBA All Star Starters
East
G-Dwayne Wade-fine with it
G-Allen Iverson-shouldn't be there this year, even though he is my 3rd favorite player ever
F-Lebron James-fine with it
F-Kevin Garnett-fine with it
C-Dwight Howard-fine with it.....guy got the most votes in league history
West
G-Chris Paul-fine with it
G-Kobe Bryant-fine with it
F-Tim Duncan-fine with it
F-Amare Stoudamire-fine with it since the game is in Phoenix
C-Yao Ming-Good Center, ok with it, but to many Chinese are voiting online
A few players to consider...Shaq, Steve Nash, Marcus Camby, Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Nene, Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, Jameer Nelson, Mo Williams, Ray Allen, Kevin Durant, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Dirk Nowitzki, Danny Granger and Joe Johnson
A Dallas-Area Girls High School Basketball team beat another Dallas-Area High School Girls Basketball team 100-0. Thats right 100-0. It is even rumored the team pressed and shot 3's late in the game to attempt to hit the 100 point barrier. Thats just wrong, real wrong.
On the bubble already? Georgetown lost at home last night to unranked West Virginia. The Hoyas have been in a slump since beating Syracuse and they better pull out of it before the NCAA pulls them from the tournament.
Yet another black spot for the NHL. Leading vote getter Sydney Crosby will not play in the NHL All-Star Game because of a bad knee. I'll say this one more time Gary Bettman needs to renegotiate a contract with ESPN so the league is back on the map again.
Arizona Head Coach Ken Wisenhunt received a call from former Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher wishing him good luck in the upcoming Super Bowl. No surprise though Cowher told Wisenhunt his heart was with Pittsburgh to win, even though Wisenhunt used to be his Offensive Coordinator.
Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo has finally announced he will take more of a leadership role next season. Ya right, this is Jerry Jones and T.O's team and they call the shots. If Romo tries to lead this team they won't even contend for the playoffs next year. This is maybe the most talented team in the NFL but the second dumbest, no offense Oakland.
I now have a player I dislike the most in the NFL and it's Bucs QB Jeff Garcia. After your Head Coach (Jon Gruden) got canned do not throw him under the bus and say that the players didn't like him. I know for a fact that Gruden works harder at his job then 99 % of the coaches in the league. Shut your mouth Garcia you idiot, in fact retire you old bastard.
And Finally the Picks........Sorry..I was 0-2 last night bringing my overall record to 7-5. I learned a few things though. The Magic were due for a let down after their amazing and undefeated 4 game west roadtrip and Boston is not willing to lay down and made a statement in the process saying they are still the best. I also learned that Washington has about as much fight in them as my little sister's chawawa. Kobe goes for a total of 11 and if the Lakers don't put the brakes on their onslaught, the Wizards lose that game by 60. Fortunately, the Lakers spared Washington and only won by 20. The Wiz are horriffic, never make the mistake I did last night and watch one of their games.
Anyway, lets get back on track tonight
Take Phoenix -3 at Charlotte
Take Dallas + 3 at Detroit
Finally, Take New Orleans +1 at Minnesota-Lock
Q &A WITH CU COACH JEFF BZDELIK
Q-COACH YOU HAVE SUCH A YOUNG TEAM, RIGHT NOW YOU’RE 8-9 ARE YOU ABOUT WHERE YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON?
A-NO PREDETERMINATION…. IN SOME WAYS NOT…I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER…WITH A YOUNG TEAM I WANT MY TEAM TO GET BETTER AND I THINK THE TEAM IS GETTTING BETTER.
Q-WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON?
A-JUST TO GET BETTER…NO TURNOVERS, FINISHING PLAYS ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE…REBOUNDING.
Q-HOW LONG DO YOU BELIEVE IT WILL TAKE YOUR TEAM TO MAKE A SERIOUS TOURNAMENT RUN?
A-MY CONTACT IS FOR 4 YEARS. I WANT TO MAKE PROGRESS BY THEN, IF NOT I DON’T THINK IT WILL PLEASE ANYONE AT CU.
Q-AUSTIN DUFAULT WAS A BIG RECRUIT OF YOURS…CAN YOU TAKE ME THROUGH YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS WHILE YOU WERE TRYING TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO RECRUIT HIM?
A-THERE WASN’T A NEGATIVE THOUGHT…. I WANTED TO RECRUIT AN INTELLIGANT, COMPETITIVE PLAYER…IT WAS A NO BRAINER. AUSTIN CAN SCORE, REBOUND AND DEFEND, HE IS FEARLESS…. HE HAS ALL THE ATRIBUTES OF A GOOD RECRUIT.
Q-YOU CAME UP TO NORTH DAKOTA TO WATCH AUSTIN PLAY NUMEROUS TIMES. WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT HIS GAME NOW COMPARED TO WHERE HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL?
HE IS LEARNING THE HARD WAY…HE NEEDS TO BE MORE ATHLETIC…HIGH SCHOOL DEFENSE IS DIFFERENT AND HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON THAT SIDE OF THE BALL
Q-AS AN INDIVIDUAL DO YOU THINK COLLEGE HAS CHANGED AUSTIN?
A-COLLEGE IS A MATURITY PROCESS AND HE IS MATURING. I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU COME FROM IT IS A CHANGE AND I THINK AUSTIN IS HANDLING IT WELL
Q-AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY YOU GUYS ARE A VERY YOUNG TEAM, AUSTIN WAS USED TO A LOT OF SUCCESS LAST YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND NOW HE IS EXPERIENCING MORE LOSSES…HAS HE REACTED OK IN YOUR OPINION FROM THAT CHANGE?
A. AUSTIN UNDERSTANDS HE IS GOING AGAINST BIG 12 COMPETITION AND IT IS MUCH MORE COMPETITVE THEN HIGH SCHOOL PLAY. I THINK HE UNDERSTANDS AND IS HANDLING IT WELL WITH GOOD COMPETITIVE PLAY.
Q-AS A COACH, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WANT AUSTIN TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS SEASON?
A-I WANT HIM IN THE GYM TO GET STRONGER AND MORE ATHLETIC. I WANT HIM TO IMPROVE HIS DEFENSE, POST MOVES, OUTSIDE SHOOTING. AS OF RIGHT NOW THOUGH I THINK HE IS DOING GREAT.
Q-COACH, RANK THE TOP 5 TEAMS IN COLLEGE BASKEBALL AS OF RIGHT NOW IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
A-WAKE FOREST, PITTSBURGH, DUKE, NORTH CAROLINA, CONNECTICUT
Q-WHO IS THE BEST TEAM IN YOUR CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW?
A-OKLAHOMA
Q-YOU WERE IN THE MIAMI HEAT ORGANIZATION…YOUR THOUGHTS ON ALONZO MOURNING’S RETIREMENT
A-HE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE COMPETITOR AND A TRUE WARRIOR OF THE GAME.
Q-DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT OR FOLLOW YOUR PRIOR TEAMS…MIAMI, DENVER OR AIR FORCE?
A-YES I DO, BUT I NEVER READ THE NEWSPAPER.
Q-FINAL QUESTION COACH…OVER THE YEAR’S YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF TALENT…. NOT ONLY IN COLLEGE, BUT THE NBA AS WELL…HOW GOOD CAN AUSTIN BE? HOW FAR CAN HE HELP TAKE YOUR TEAM? IS HE A POSSIBLE NBA TALENT?
A-HE IS VERY GOOD, HE WILL HELP LEAD OUR TEAM TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE AND IF SOME DAY HE WANTS TO GET PAID FOR PLAYING BASKETBALL I THINK HE HAS A REAL SHOT.
Q&A WITH AUSTIN DUFAULT
Q-COMPARE YOUR EMOTIONS FROM SENIOR NIGHT AT KILLDEER HIGH SCHOOL TO THE FIRST TIME YOU STEPPED ON THE COURT TO PLAY COLLEGE BALL.
A-SENIOR NIGHT WAS BITTERSWEET…IT WAS HARD TO KNOW I WOULDN’T BE PLAYING WITH THESE GUYS ANYMORE. AS FOR COLLEGE, MY FIRST GAME WAS FILLED WITH EXCITEMNENT ABOUT THE MOMENT, THE FUTURE AND THE IDEA I MADE IT THERE. I ALSO HAD A LITTLE NERVES FOR THIS FIRST TIME IN A WHILE.
Q-HOW HAS THE COLLEGE GAME CHANGED THE WAY YOU USED TO PLAY IN HIGH SCHOOL?
A-IT HAS CHANGED ME AS AN OVERALL PLAYER…I STRESS TO PLAY LOWER IN THE POST AND PLAY MORE ATHLETIC…I HAD TO WORK HARD DEFENSIVELEY AND I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO….I SHOT A LOT OF 3’S IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IT IS STRANGE NOT TO SHOOT A LOT OF 3’S AT COLORADO. I WILL GET USED TO IT.
Q-HOW BIG OF AN ADJUSTMENT HAS IT BEEN GOING FROM NORTH DAKOTA MR. BASKETBALL TO COLLEGE FRESHMAN?
A- IT HAS BEEN A HUGE DIFFERENCE. IT IS A CHALLENGE TO GO FROM TOP DOG TO LOW ON THE TOTUM POLL THIS QUICKLY.
Q-JEFF BZDELIK IS YOUR COACH….HE USED TO COACH THE NUGGETS, AIR FORCE AND WAS AN ASSISTANT FOR THE MIAMI HEAT……..HAS HE SHARED ANY STORIES WITH YOU ABOUT THAT?
A-YES, COACH HAS MENTIONED PLAYERS LIKE ALONZO MOURNING, CARMELO ANTHONY AND BRUCE BOWEN. HE SPEAKS ABOUT HOW GOOD THEY ARE AT BOTH ENDS OF THE BALL AND ENCOURAGES US TO DO THE SAME.
Q-SO FAR WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT PLAYING COLLEGE BASKETBALL?
A-TRYING TO GET INTO A ROUTINE, WITH ROAD GAMES IT IS HARD TO GET INTO A RYTHEM COMPARED TO HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE TRAVEL WASN'T VERY FAR.
Q-OUT OF ALL OF YOUR OPPONENETS SO FAR…WHO HAS BEEN YOUR TOUGHEST MATCH-UP BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A TEAM?
A-INDIVIDULALLY-LAWRENCE HILL-STANFORD-----AS FOR THE TEAMS IT WOULD BE KANSAS AND TCU.
Q-YOUR FAMILY MOVED TO COLORADO WITH YOU. HOW MUCH HAS THAT HELPED YOU OR HAS IT?
A-MY FAMILY HAS HELPED OUT A LOT. I GET TO GO HOME WHEN I WANT TO AND IT IS ONLY AN HOUR AWAY. MY PARENTS GO TO EVERY HOME GAME AND ARE GOING TO START GOING TO SOME ROAD GAMES. IT HAS MADE THE ADJUSTMENT EASIER.
Q-WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT PLAYING FOR KILLDEER AND LIVING IN THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA?
A-I MISS MY FRIENDS AND THE RIVALRIES I USED TO HAVE. I HAVE ADJUSTED WELL MOVING TO COLORADO FROM NORTH DAKOTA. I’M SURE I WILL MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND ESTABLISH NEW RIVALRIES AS MY CAREER CONTINUES.
Q-HOW DO YOU GET ALONG WITH YOUR NEW TEAMMATES AND COACH BZDELIK?
A-GREAT….OLDER GUYS SAY THAT WE COULD BE THE BEST YOUNG GROUP OF PLAYERS EVER TO COME IN AT THE SAME TIME AT THIS SCHOOL.COACH BZDELIK IS GREAT AT HIS JOB AND I HAVE MUCH RESPECT FOR HIM PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.
Q-FINAL QUESTION…DO YOU KEEP UP WITH YOUR EX-TEAMMATES AND FOLLOW WHAT KILLDEER IS DOING?
A-I TEXT AND KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MANY OF MY OLD TEAMMATES AND YOUNGER GUYS AT KILLDEER. I ALSO FOLLOW KILLDEER HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH THE DICKINSON PRESS WEBSITE. http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/
I'm not sure if Austin Dufault is NBA quality but he will help Jeff Bzdelik get a longer contract. This team will make the NCAA tourny next season. Coach Bzdelik is a great coach and that is saying a lot since I'm a CSU Ram.
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT COLORADO BASKETBALL GO TO http://www.cubuffs.com/
I WANT TO THANK ANDREW GREEN AND DAVE PLATI FROM THE CU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT FOR HELPING ME ARRANGE THESE INTERVIEWS. ALSO THANKS TO COACH BZDELIK AND AUSTIN DUFAULT FOR THEIR TIME.
Other Firday News.....
Jay McGwire must really dislike his brother Mark. It takes alot for a brother to dime another brother our about steroid and HGH use. Chances now of Mark McGwire to make the Hall .003 percent.
Coach Bzdelik got it right about Alonzo Mourning. What a great player and inspiration. The guy had a freakin kidney transplant and came back to play and it took a serious break in his leg to make him finally call it quits. Mourning came from a long list of great Centers at Georgetown but may have had the best career out of any of them with the exception of Patrick Ewing. Thanks for the memories "Zo" and good luck to you in whatever you decide to do next.
The Memphis Grizzlies have fired Head Coach Mark Iavaroni. The NBA should fire the Grizzlies from the league. Every team in the NBA hates Memphis for sending Gasol to the Lakers last season for a bag of Doritos and a Mountain Dew. The trade completely screwed up the balance of power in the Western Conference and for that I wish nothing but the worst for the Memphis Grizzlies.
NBA All Star Starters
East
G-Dwayne Wade-fine with it
G-Allen Iverson-shouldn't be there this year, even though he is my 3rd favorite player ever
F-Lebron James-fine with it
F-Kevin Garnett-fine with it
C-Dwight Howard-fine with it.....guy got the most votes in league history
West
G-Chris Paul-fine with it
G-Kobe Bryant-fine with it
F-Tim Duncan-fine with it
F-Amare Stoudamire-fine with it since the game is in Phoenix
C-Yao Ming-Good Center, ok with it, but to many Chinese are voiting online
A few players to consider...Shaq, Steve Nash, Marcus Camby, Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Nene, Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, Jameer Nelson, Mo Williams, Ray Allen, Kevin Durant, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Dirk Nowitzki, Danny Granger and Joe Johnson
A Dallas-Area Girls High School Basketball team beat another Dallas-Area High School Girls Basketball team 100-0. Thats right 100-0. It is even rumored the team pressed and shot 3's late in the game to attempt to hit the 100 point barrier. Thats just wrong, real wrong.
On the bubble already? Georgetown lost at home last night to unranked West Virginia. The Hoyas have been in a slump since beating Syracuse and they better pull out of it before the NCAA pulls them from the tournament.
Yet another black spot for the NHL. Leading vote getter Sydney Crosby will not play in the NHL All-Star Game because of a bad knee. I'll say this one more time Gary Bettman needs to renegotiate a contract with ESPN so the league is back on the map again.
Arizona Head Coach Ken Wisenhunt received a call from former Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher wishing him good luck in the upcoming Super Bowl. No surprise though Cowher told Wisenhunt his heart was with Pittsburgh to win, even though Wisenhunt used to be his Offensive Coordinator.
Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo has finally announced he will take more of a leadership role next season. Ya right, this is Jerry Jones and T.O's team and they call the shots. If Romo tries to lead this team they won't even contend for the playoffs next year. This is maybe the most talented team in the NFL but the second dumbest, no offense Oakland.
I now have a player I dislike the most in the NFL and it's Bucs QB Jeff Garcia. After your Head Coach (Jon Gruden) got canned do not throw him under the bus and say that the players didn't like him. I know for a fact that Gruden works harder at his job then 99 % of the coaches in the league. Shut your mouth Garcia you idiot, in fact retire you old bastard.
And Finally the Picks........Sorry..I was 0-2 last night bringing my overall record to 7-5. I learned a few things though. The Magic were due for a let down after their amazing and undefeated 4 game west roadtrip and Boston is not willing to lay down and made a statement in the process saying they are still the best. I also learned that Washington has about as much fight in them as my little sister's chawawa. Kobe goes for a total of 11 and if the Lakers don't put the brakes on their onslaught, the Wizards lose that game by 60. Fortunately, the Lakers spared Washington and only won by 20. The Wiz are horriffic, never make the mistake I did last night and watch one of their games.
Anyway, lets get back on track tonight
Take Phoenix -3 at Charlotte
Take Dallas + 3 at Detroit
Finally, Take New Orleans +1 at Minnesota-Lock
Thursday, January 22, 2009
College Hoops, Ward, Detroit and the Picks
If you had nothing to do last night and took my advice to watch some college basketball you aren't waking up disapointed. I told you to check out 3 games:
1) Virginia Tech upsetting top ranked and undefeated Wake Forest
2) #3 UCONN got all it could handle but survived against #21 Villanova
3) #7 Michigan State was upset on their home court against Northwestern. That hasn't happend since I've been alive.
Now a little about Steelers Wide Receiver Hines Ward. This guy is tuff, has brass and a great winning attitude. However, with a sprained knee he insists he will play in the Super Bowl. I applaud the effort but Ward should think long term. A sprained knee is serious and can get worse, plus everything in the NFL these days boils down to a one year contract. I would hate to see a player as good and classy as Ward to suffer a career ending injury in a Super Bowl where quite frankly his team can win without him.
This story broke yesterday but I have to give credit to the Detroit Pistons. In their first game since announcing Rip Hamilton will be coming off the bench (a guy who led Detroit to a Championship and six straight East Finals apperances). The team put adversity aside and smacked Toronto by 20. I don't agree with the decision to put Iverson ahead of Hamilton but I have to admire the way the team handled it by playing the game and crushing Toronto.
Im gone all day Thursday so lets get to the picks....I'm 7/10 since the blog started and 3 points away from a 7-1-2 record. 2 NBA games on the schedule, so lets pick them both.
@Orlando -4 1/2 vs. Boston....Right now the Magic are the best team in the league and they will prove that tonight.
Washington + 15 1/2 @ L.A. Lakers-Kobe is banged up and without Bynum's 42 point performance the Lake-Show would have lost to the Clippers last night. L.A. wins the game but no way they cover this.
Talk to you later tonight or Friday.
1) Virginia Tech upsetting top ranked and undefeated Wake Forest
2) #3 UCONN got all it could handle but survived against #21 Villanova
3) #7 Michigan State was upset on their home court against Northwestern. That hasn't happend since I've been alive.
Now a little about Steelers Wide Receiver Hines Ward. This guy is tuff, has brass and a great winning attitude. However, with a sprained knee he insists he will play in the Super Bowl. I applaud the effort but Ward should think long term. A sprained knee is serious and can get worse, plus everything in the NFL these days boils down to a one year contract. I would hate to see a player as good and classy as Ward to suffer a career ending injury in a Super Bowl where quite frankly his team can win without him.
This story broke yesterday but I have to give credit to the Detroit Pistons. In their first game since announcing Rip Hamilton will be coming off the bench (a guy who led Detroit to a Championship and six straight East Finals apperances). The team put adversity aside and smacked Toronto by 20. I don't agree with the decision to put Iverson ahead of Hamilton but I have to admire the way the team handled it by playing the game and crushing Toronto.
Im gone all day Thursday so lets get to the picks....I'm 7/10 since the blog started and 3 points away from a 7-1-2 record. 2 NBA games on the schedule, so lets pick them both.
@Orlando -4 1/2 vs. Boston....Right now the Magic are the best team in the league and they will prove that tonight.
Washington + 15 1/2 @ L.A. Lakers-Kobe is banged up and without Bynum's 42 point performance the Lake-Show would have lost to the Clippers last night. L.A. wins the game but no way they cover this.
Talk to you later tonight or Friday.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Air Force Re-Ups with Football Coach
Air Force has announced that they have signed Head Football Coach Troy Calhoun to a 5 year extension.
The Falcons finished last season with a loss in the Armed Forces Bowl to Houston 34-28. Air Force is 17-9 under Calhoun's first 2 seasons.
The Falcons finished last season with a loss in the Armed Forces Bowl to Houston 34-28. Air Force is 17-9 under Calhoun's first 2 seasons.
Wednesday Wrap-Up
It's bad to be Eagles' Quarterback Donovon McNabb these days after losing the NFC Championship Game, but it really shouldn't be this bad.
Some Arizona fans are doing exactly what I thought they would do. Some, not all of them are acting out because their football team finally got out of the gutter and is going to the Super Bowl.
Yes, Arizona your team has never been to the Super Bowl before but a little class would be nice. 2 men were arrested for burning fuel on McNabb's lawn in Arizona. According to reports they burned the words "Go Cards, Go Kurt I Love AZ".
Accoding to Ladian Tomlinson's website there is no trade talk between the Chargers and any other team. The running back says he wants to remain in San Diego until told otherwise.
Dodgers 2nd Baseman Jeff Kent is offically retiring from Baseball tomorrow. Hell, I thought that guy has been out of the game for 3 or 4 years.
Enough about Pacman Jones, I'm getting sick of it. Now apparently he owes a law firm $10,000 for representing Jones and other affiliates of Jones in 18 different cases.
What has this guy done to get this much coverage? He is a trouble maker, can we just leave it at that? There are many ordinary people who get in this kind of trouble all the time and we don't have to hear about them. He is on sports channels every single day for one thing or another, who gives a damn, I'm sick of seeing it. The guy picked off a few passes and returned a few punts back for touchdowns, who cares? It's not like this guy has Hall of Fame talent. Keep Adam "Pacman" Jones off my television.
No plans tonight? Check out College Hoops for some great match-ups. Here are a few of them.
Northwestern @ #7 Michigan State
#21 Villanova @ #3 UCONN
Virginia Tech @ #1 Wake Forest
The Picks.....Last night 1-1 again but I got my guarantee with the Nuggets smoking the Kings. By the way, hand it to Denver Head Coach George Karl for getting T'd up with under a minute left with his team up 26 points. I'm now 6-3 since the blog started but have missed my last two games by a total of 3 points.
Just 1 NBA Play tonight.......
Take New York +6 at home against Phoenix -Coach D'Antoni knows his ex-team to well to be this much of dog
Finally, I would like to thank Dustin Monke, Sports Editor of the Dickinson Press for listing this blog on his blog http://www.areavoices.com/monke/?blog=39960. I hope all is well to all my old friends in North Dakota.
Some Arizona fans are doing exactly what I thought they would do. Some, not all of them are acting out because their football team finally got out of the gutter and is going to the Super Bowl.
Yes, Arizona your team has never been to the Super Bowl before but a little class would be nice. 2 men were arrested for burning fuel on McNabb's lawn in Arizona. According to reports they burned the words "Go Cards, Go Kurt I Love AZ".
Accoding to Ladian Tomlinson's website there is no trade talk between the Chargers and any other team. The running back says he wants to remain in San Diego until told otherwise.
Dodgers 2nd Baseman Jeff Kent is offically retiring from Baseball tomorrow. Hell, I thought that guy has been out of the game for 3 or 4 years.
Enough about Pacman Jones, I'm getting sick of it. Now apparently he owes a law firm $10,000 for representing Jones and other affiliates of Jones in 18 different cases.
What has this guy done to get this much coverage? He is a trouble maker, can we just leave it at that? There are many ordinary people who get in this kind of trouble all the time and we don't have to hear about them. He is on sports channels every single day for one thing or another, who gives a damn, I'm sick of seeing it. The guy picked off a few passes and returned a few punts back for touchdowns, who cares? It's not like this guy has Hall of Fame talent. Keep Adam "Pacman" Jones off my television.
No plans tonight? Check out College Hoops for some great match-ups. Here are a few of them.
Northwestern @ #7 Michigan State
#21 Villanova @ #3 UCONN
Virginia Tech @ #1 Wake Forest
The Picks.....Last night 1-1 again but I got my guarantee with the Nuggets smoking the Kings. By the way, hand it to Denver Head Coach George Karl for getting T'd up with under a minute left with his team up 26 points. I'm now 6-3 since the blog started but have missed my last two games by a total of 3 points.
Just 1 NBA Play tonight.......
Take New York +6 at home against Phoenix -Coach D'Antoni knows his ex-team to well to be this much of dog
Finally, I would like to thank Dustin Monke, Sports Editor of the Dickinson Press for listing this blog on his blog http://www.areavoices.com/monke/?blog=39960. I hope all is well to all my old friends in North Dakota.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Historic Tuesday
It's a little strange to talk sports on a day of such historic importance. First and most importantly, I want to recognize the inaugurartion of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. Lets all hope he can get our country back on the right track. It is an important day not only because President Obama is the first of his kind as an African-American, however it is more important to not look at this as a race victory but to look at it as this is the best man to fix and lead our country that is in terrible, terrible shape.
Now the less important stuff....
What the Hell is Cardinals Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin thinking? Your team is heading to the Super Bowl and you are getting into it with coaches and causing distractions in the locker room and with the media. This is the last thing Arizona needs.
Big win last night for the Pittsburgh Panthers over Syracuse last night. Keep your eyes on #45 for Pitt, the guy is an absolute beast. Also big wins in the NBA by the Lakers, Rockets and Celtics.
Tuesday Top 5 Power Ranks NBA
1. Orlando Magic
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Boston Celtics
5. New Orleans Hornets
Tuesday Top 5 Power Ranks NHL
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Boston Bruins
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Montreal Canadiens
5. New Jersey Devils/Calgary Flames
I was 1-1 yesterday in NBA picks. I am now 5-2 overall, including picking both Conference Championship Games correctly since this blog began.
Here are tonights picks.
NCAA Hoops
TakeTexas Tech at home-10 against Colorado
NBA-Not to many games on the schedule but I'm very confident in one.
Take Denver at home -9 against Sacremento. The Nuggets have lost two in a row, got screwed on a bad call at the end of yesterday's game and smoked the Kings in Sacremento a few weeks back. If this spread was 20 I would take the Nuggets, fortunately it is only 9 so lay the points and take Denver in an absolute blowout.
Now the less important stuff....
What the Hell is Cardinals Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin thinking? Your team is heading to the Super Bowl and you are getting into it with coaches and causing distractions in the locker room and with the media. This is the last thing Arizona needs.
Big win last night for the Pittsburgh Panthers over Syracuse last night. Keep your eyes on #45 for Pitt, the guy is an absolute beast. Also big wins in the NBA by the Lakers, Rockets and Celtics.
Tuesday Top 5 Power Ranks NBA
1. Orlando Magic
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Boston Celtics
5. New Orleans Hornets
Tuesday Top 5 Power Ranks NHL
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Boston Bruins
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Montreal Canadiens
5. New Jersey Devils/Calgary Flames
I was 1-1 yesterday in NBA picks. I am now 5-2 overall, including picking both Conference Championship Games correctly since this blog began.
Here are tonights picks.
NCAA Hoops
TakeTexas Tech at home-10 against Colorado
NBA-Not to many games on the schedule but I'm very confident in one.
Take Denver at home -9 against Sacremento. The Nuggets have lost two in a row, got screwed on a bad call at the end of yesterday's game and smoked the Kings in Sacremento a few weeks back. If this spread was 20 I would take the Nuggets, fortunately it is only 9 so lay the points and take Denver in an absolute blowout.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Broncos Hire New Offensive Coordinator
The Denver Broncos have named Mike McCoy as the team's new Offensive Coordinator. McCoy spent last season as an offensive assistant in Carolina.
Weekend Follow-Up
I can't say that I was surprised by anything that happend in Sunday's Championship Games. Arizona got out to a fast start like I thought they would, however Philadelphia didn't put the complete second half together the way that I thought they would.
As for the AFC Championship Game, it went exactly the way I thought. 2nd year Head Coach Mike Tomlin might want to work on his end of the half time management. Throwing that over the middle pass and running out of time in the first half cost the team 3 points and it could have been a real disaster had Baltimore played a better 2nd half.
If you plan to wager on the Super Bowl get on it right away. Vegas has the line at Pittsburgh -7, I had thought the game would open at Pittsburgh -8 1/2. I think ultimately the Cards are just happy to be in the game and will be blown out. This basic core of Steelers won the Lombardi Trophey 3 years ago and will win it again in a blow out. The only X-factor could be Cardinals Head Coach Ken Wisenhunt who was previously with the Steelers during their last Super Bowl run. Something crazy could happen similar to when Jon Gruden went to Tampa from the Radiers and upset Oakland in the Super Bowl, but I doubt it..... Steelers 37, Cardinals 20.
Other notes. Ravens Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan will offically be named the next Head Coach of the New York Jets on Monday.
Good news about Ravens RB Willis McGahee. After taking that hit that forced the basic game ending fumble in the 4th quarter, it looks like he will ok. McGahee has feeling and movement in all of his limbs and just some basic neck pain. This looked a lot worse then it turned out to be.
The Orlando Magic are the real deal. After watching them on Saturday night, they will be a tuff out in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Not only do they have Dwight Howard but he has five legitimant shooters around him. Also Jameer Nelson is really developing at the point guard position. He is fast and can get to the rim at will.
College Hoops.......This week's poll has yet to be released but Wake Forest better be ranked at the top. They are the only D-1 undefeated team and beat the most talented team in North Carolina. Also UNC better come in higher then #6 this week, last week's ranking was a joke.
Finally, here are 2 NBA Plays for the day.
Take San Antiono -3 @ Charlotte and take Denver +3 1/2 @ Houston....No McGrady or Artest for the Rockets and the Nuggets rarely lose twice in a row.
As for the AFC Championship Game, it went exactly the way I thought. 2nd year Head Coach Mike Tomlin might want to work on his end of the half time management. Throwing that over the middle pass and running out of time in the first half cost the team 3 points and it could have been a real disaster had Baltimore played a better 2nd half.
If you plan to wager on the Super Bowl get on it right away. Vegas has the line at Pittsburgh -7, I had thought the game would open at Pittsburgh -8 1/2. I think ultimately the Cards are just happy to be in the game and will be blown out. This basic core of Steelers won the Lombardi Trophey 3 years ago and will win it again in a blow out. The only X-factor could be Cardinals Head Coach Ken Wisenhunt who was previously with the Steelers during their last Super Bowl run. Something crazy could happen similar to when Jon Gruden went to Tampa from the Radiers and upset Oakland in the Super Bowl, but I doubt it..... Steelers 37, Cardinals 20.
Other notes. Ravens Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan will offically be named the next Head Coach of the New York Jets on Monday.
Good news about Ravens RB Willis McGahee. After taking that hit that forced the basic game ending fumble in the 4th quarter, it looks like he will ok. McGahee has feeling and movement in all of his limbs and just some basic neck pain. This looked a lot worse then it turned out to be.
The Orlando Magic are the real deal. After watching them on Saturday night, they will be a tuff out in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Not only do they have Dwight Howard but he has five legitimant shooters around him. Also Jameer Nelson is really developing at the point guard position. He is fast and can get to the rim at will.
College Hoops.......This week's poll has yet to be released but Wake Forest better be ranked at the top. They are the only D-1 undefeated team and beat the most talented team in North Carolina. Also UNC better come in higher then #6 this week, last week's ranking was a joke.
Finally, here are 2 NBA Plays for the day.
Take San Antiono -3 @ Charlotte and take Denver +3 1/2 @ Houston....No McGrady or Artest for the Rockets and the Nuggets rarely lose twice in a row.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tampa Makes Coaching Change
The Tampa Bay Bucs have fired Head Coach Jon Gruden. Gruden spent 7 seasons with the team, winning The Super Bowl in his first season. It is not yet known who his replacement will be.
Championship Sunday
As a fan, give me Arizona or Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh. I'm not a particular fan of any one of the these teams but please spare me from the broing Baltimore Ravens. Even the so called Wishenhunt Bowl between Arizona and Pittsburgh or the Pennsylvania Bowl between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh would be better then anything involving the Ravens.
Also, why the the hell is Arizona/Philly kicking off the early game on Sunday when Pittsburgh is on the east coast. Strange.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
@Arizona + 3 1/2 Philadelphia-I believe this game will be an absolute shootout. Warner and McNabb will light it up. Here is the catch, Arizona wins the game. The crowd will be unbelievable, Arizona has never been in this position and I think the Cardinals are more hungry. Neil Rackers, the Cardinals kicker will be the difference-37-34 ARIZONA
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
@Pittsburgh -6 Baltimore-I am terrified by both of these defenses and I would hate to be any offensive player involved in this game. The difference in this game will be at the Head Coaching and Quarterback postion. Mike Tomlin is the real deal as Head Coach of the Steelers and Big Ben has proven himself. On the other end Joe Flacco is a rookie and is not prepared for this challenge and the Ravens have a rookie Head Coach in Harbaugh. I know these two teams have played two tight games this season but I really like the Steelers in this one-23-13 PITTSBURGH
Also, why the the hell is Arizona/Philly kicking off the early game on Sunday when Pittsburgh is on the east coast. Strange.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
@Arizona + 3 1/2 Philadelphia-I believe this game will be an absolute shootout. Warner and McNabb will light it up. Here is the catch, Arizona wins the game. The crowd will be unbelievable, Arizona has never been in this position and I think the Cardinals are more hungry. Neil Rackers, the Cardinals kicker will be the difference-37-34 ARIZONA
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
@Pittsburgh -6 Baltimore-I am terrified by both of these defenses and I would hate to be any offensive player involved in this game. The difference in this game will be at the Head Coaching and Quarterback postion. Mike Tomlin is the real deal as Head Coach of the Steelers and Big Ben has proven himself. On the other end Joe Flacco is a rookie and is not prepared for this challenge and the Ravens have a rookie Head Coach in Harbaugh. I know these two teams have played two tight games this season but I really like the Steelers in this one-23-13 PITTSBURGH
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Taking one thing off President-Elect Obama's plate
We all heard the interviews where President-Elect Obama says he is in favor of a playoff system for Division 1 College Football. I have come up with a plan but it is complicated, however it can work. When people think about coming up with a playoff system there are three issues that come to mind that people don't think about. 1) Money, 2)Realignment 3) Recruiting Fairness.
I am not a particular fan of Texas, Utah, USC and TCU but these schools got the raw end of what is wrong with College Football
Below is a plan I have put in place. Agree or Disagree...I don't really give a damn.
There are 120 total teams in Division 1 and I have broken it down to 10 conferences containing 12 teams.
ACC
-Boston College
-Clemson
-Florida State
-Maryland
-NC State
-Wake Forest
-Duke
-Georgia Tech
-Miami, FL
-North Carolina
-Virginia
-Virginia Tech
BIG 12
-Colorado
-Iowa State
-Kansas
-Kansas State
-Missouri
-Nebraska
-Baylor
-Oklahoma
-Oklahoma State
-Texas
-Texas A&M
-Texas Tech
CONFERENCE USA
-Eastern Carolina
-Marshall
-Memphis
-Southern Mississippe
-UAB
-Central Florida
-Houston
-Rice
-SMU
-Tulane
-Tulsa
-Utep
SEC
-Florida
-Georgia
-Kentucky
-South Carolina
-Tennessee
-Vanderbilt
-Alabama
-Arkansas
-Auburn
-LSU
-Mississippi
-Mississippi State
PAC 12
-Arizona
-Arizona State
-California
-Oregon
-Oregon State
-Stanford
-UCLA
-USC
-Washington
-Washington State
-Fresno State
-Hawaii
BIG 10 +2
-Illinois
-Indiana
-Iowa
-Michigan
-Michigan State
-Minnesota
-Northwestern
-Ohio State
-Penn State
-Purdue
-Wisconsin
-Notre Dame
BIG EAST
-Cincinnatti
-UCONN
-Louisville
-Pittsburgh
-Rutgers
-South Florida
-Syracuse
-West Virginia
-Buffalo
-Army
-Navy
-Florida Atlantic
MAC
-Akron
-Bowling Green
-Kent State
-Miami, OH
-Ohio
-Temple
-Ball State
-Central Michigan
-Eastern Michigan
-Northern Illinois
-Toledo
-Western Michigan
WAC
-Boise St.
-Idaho
-Nevada
-San Jose State
-Utah State
-BYU
-Utah
-UNLV
-San Diego State
-Air Force
-Wyoming
-Colorado State
SUN BELT
-Western Kentucky
-Arkansas State
-Florida International
-Louisiana-Lafayette
-Louisiana-Monroe
-Louisiana Tech
-Middle Tennessee State
-North Texas
-Troy
-New Mexico
-New Mexico State
-TCU
Geographically this realignment makes the most sense even though I had to elliminate some conferences. However, this is an equal 10 division 12 team format.
Here are the catches.
-No Conference Championship Games
-The 10 division winners will automatically quailify for the playoffs(Every undefeated team should win their division)
-Using the current BCS computer system the top 1-loss teams ranked in the BCS top 15 will qualify for the playoffs.
-Playoff seedings will be based on the current BCS standings within teams that qualify. If there ends up being an unbalanced amount of teams concurrent to a playoff, there will be play in games based on your BCS standing, with the better seed hosting the playoff.
-Teams that finish with a record over .500 will qualify for a bowl and play in a bowl outside the playoff system
-There are currently 5 BCS games including the National Championship. Let the final 8 teams in the playoffs play in BCS titled games to play their way to a true National Championship.
Utah, Texas and USC I got your back because you were screwed. If this doesn't work, nothing will.
This system will create equal recruiting because every Division-1 school will have a chance. Everyone will still make their money. However, most importantly it will determine a true National Champion without an end of the season controversy.
I am not a particular fan of Texas, Utah, USC and TCU but these schools got the raw end of what is wrong with College Football
Below is a plan I have put in place. Agree or Disagree...I don't really give a damn.
There are 120 total teams in Division 1 and I have broken it down to 10 conferences containing 12 teams.
ACC
-Boston College
-Clemson
-Florida State
-Maryland
-NC State
-Wake Forest
-Duke
-Georgia Tech
-Miami, FL
-North Carolina
-Virginia
-Virginia Tech
BIG 12
-Colorado
-Iowa State
-Kansas
-Kansas State
-Missouri
-Nebraska
-Baylor
-Oklahoma
-Oklahoma State
-Texas
-Texas A&M
-Texas Tech
CONFERENCE USA
-Eastern Carolina
-Marshall
-Memphis
-Southern Mississippe
-UAB
-Central Florida
-Houston
-Rice
-SMU
-Tulane
-Tulsa
-Utep
SEC
-Florida
-Georgia
-Kentucky
-South Carolina
-Tennessee
-Vanderbilt
-Alabama
-Arkansas
-Auburn
-LSU
-Mississippi
-Mississippi State
PAC 12
-Arizona
-Arizona State
-California
-Oregon
-Oregon State
-Stanford
-UCLA
-USC
-Washington
-Washington State
-Fresno State
-Hawaii
BIG 10 +2
-Illinois
-Indiana
-Iowa
-Michigan
-Michigan State
-Minnesota
-Northwestern
-Ohio State
-Penn State
-Purdue
-Wisconsin
-Notre Dame
BIG EAST
-Cincinnatti
-UCONN
-Louisville
-Pittsburgh
-Rutgers
-South Florida
-Syracuse
-West Virginia
-Buffalo
-Army
-Navy
-Florida Atlantic
MAC
-Akron
-Bowling Green
-Kent State
-Miami, OH
-Ohio
-Temple
-Ball State
-Central Michigan
-Eastern Michigan
-Northern Illinois
-Toledo
-Western Michigan
WAC
-Boise St.
-Idaho
-Nevada
-San Jose State
-Utah State
-BYU
-Utah
-UNLV
-San Diego State
-Air Force
-Wyoming
-Colorado State
SUN BELT
-Western Kentucky
-Arkansas State
-Florida International
-Louisiana-Lafayette
-Louisiana-Monroe
-Louisiana Tech
-Middle Tennessee State
-North Texas
-Troy
-New Mexico
-New Mexico State
-TCU
Geographically this realignment makes the most sense even though I had to elliminate some conferences. However, this is an equal 10 division 12 team format.
Here are the catches.
-No Conference Championship Games
-The 10 division winners will automatically quailify for the playoffs(Every undefeated team should win their division)
-Using the current BCS computer system the top 1-loss teams ranked in the BCS top 15 will qualify for the playoffs.
-Playoff seedings will be based on the current BCS standings within teams that qualify. If there ends up being an unbalanced amount of teams concurrent to a playoff, there will be play in games based on your BCS standing, with the better seed hosting the playoff.
-Teams that finish with a record over .500 will qualify for a bowl and play in a bowl outside the playoff system
-There are currently 5 BCS games including the National Championship. Let the final 8 teams in the playoffs play in BCS titled games to play their way to a true National Championship.
Utah, Texas and USC I got your back because you were screwed. If this doesn't work, nothing will.
This system will create equal recruiting because every Division-1 school will have a chance. Everyone will still make their money. However, most importantly it will determine a true National Champion without an end of the season controversy.
Thursday Night Hoops-The Picks
Tonight, just 3 total NBA games. A slow schedule but not a bad night to make a few plays
NBA
@NJ +2 POR-The Blazers looked horrific in their last road performance and this team is still a little inexperienced to handle road games they should win on the east coast. Take the Nets with the points.
@CHI +8 CLE-The Cavs are clearly the better team and if the game was in Cleveland I would take them in an absolute blow out, however this game is in Chicago and 8 is just to many points. Take the Bulls with the points.
@DEN -1 1/2 PHX-Denver is winding down a 7 game homestand and there is a chance they can be a little sluggish. The Nuggets also have no Carmelo Anthony but the team has proved it can win without him. As for the Suns, Shaq has looked as good as of late as he did during his championship run with the Heat. During this homestand Denver has gotten off to huge leads and have let their opponnents creap back into games. Look for Denver to get out fast tonight and put an older Suns team away. Lay the easy 1 1/2 and take Denver.
Other News. ...USC QB Mark Sanchez declares himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Goodbye Southern California and hello to The Motor City and the 0-16 Lions. Sanchez will be the top pick in April's draft.
NBA
@NJ +2 POR-The Blazers looked horrific in their last road performance and this team is still a little inexperienced to handle road games they should win on the east coast. Take the Nets with the points.
@CHI +8 CLE-The Cavs are clearly the better team and if the game was in Cleveland I would take them in an absolute blow out, however this game is in Chicago and 8 is just to many points. Take the Bulls with the points.
@DEN -1 1/2 PHX-Denver is winding down a 7 game homestand and there is a chance they can be a little sluggish. The Nuggets also have no Carmelo Anthony but the team has proved it can win without him. As for the Suns, Shaq has looked as good as of late as he did during his championship run with the Heat. During this homestand Denver has gotten off to huge leads and have let their opponnents creap back into games. Look for Denver to get out fast tonight and put an older Suns team away. Lay the easy 1 1/2 and take Denver.
Other News. ...USC QB Mark Sanchez declares himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Goodbye Southern California and hello to The Motor City and the 0-16 Lions. Sanchez will be the top pick in April's draft.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Best Wishes Tony Dungy
To say that the news that Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy decided to retire shocked me would be a lie. Coach Dungy was a great coach, man of faith and most importantly a fantastic human being.
Looking at the statistics, Dungy coached the Colts to six 12-plus win seasons in a row. Dungy only missed the postseason and had a losing season only one time in his 13 year career and that was when he took over an awful Tampa Bay franchise. Finally, to top things off Dungy and the Colts also won Super Bowl 41.
It's the kind of man that Tony Dungy will be remembered for. He never cursed his players and always conducted himself in an even-keiled manner. During the Colt's attempt at a perfect season in 2005, Dungy's son committed suicide and Dungy kept plugging away at his season after experiencing the kind of hurt nobody could ever imagine.
Tony Dungy has everything to coach for. Possibly the best quarterback in NFL history in Peyton Manning, a great wide-receiving core in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzales. Dungy has Joseph Addai running the ball and a good defense led by Dwyte Freeney and Bob Sanders. However, Dungy has decided to walk away from that to focus on doing other things in the world.
Tony Dungy is a great man of faith and is one of few people in the world who actually cares about the well-being of others. Coach Dungy is going make the switch from coaching football to coaching life and true youth.
The Colts will be fine with the talent that they have. Indianapolis may go on to win another Super Bowl or two while Peyton Manning is still there. However, that will just be a note in history, Tony Dungy's work will stand out. He is a great human being who was able to walk away on his own terms with a plan, a plan to help others. He was the first African-American Head Coach to win a Super Bowl and has paved the ways for others to follow in his footsteps. I applaud your decison Mr. Dungy and thank you for your future contributions to the world.
Looking at the statistics, Dungy coached the Colts to six 12-plus win seasons in a row. Dungy only missed the postseason and had a losing season only one time in his 13 year career and that was when he took over an awful Tampa Bay franchise. Finally, to top things off Dungy and the Colts also won Super Bowl 41.
It's the kind of man that Tony Dungy will be remembered for. He never cursed his players and always conducted himself in an even-keiled manner. During the Colt's attempt at a perfect season in 2005, Dungy's son committed suicide and Dungy kept plugging away at his season after experiencing the kind of hurt nobody could ever imagine.
Tony Dungy has everything to coach for. Possibly the best quarterback in NFL history in Peyton Manning, a great wide-receiving core in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzales. Dungy has Joseph Addai running the ball and a good defense led by Dwyte Freeney and Bob Sanders. However, Dungy has decided to walk away from that to focus on doing other things in the world.
Tony Dungy is a great man of faith and is one of few people in the world who actually cares about the well-being of others. Coach Dungy is going make the switch from coaching football to coaching life and true youth.
The Colts will be fine with the talent that they have. Indianapolis may go on to win another Super Bowl or two while Peyton Manning is still there. However, that will just be a note in history, Tony Dungy's work will stand out. He is a great human being who was able to walk away on his own terms with a plan, a plan to help others. He was the first African-American Head Coach to win a Super Bowl and has paved the ways for others to follow in his footsteps. I applaud your decison Mr. Dungy and thank you for your future contributions to the world.
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