@Boston - 8 1/2 Chicago
Dallas + 6 1/2 @San Antonio
I went 5-3 with the weekend picks, bringing the overall blog record ATS to 142-95-3. Boston will not go down 0-2 to Chicago tonight, expect them to make a statement. I expect San Antonio to pull out a close one tonight against the Mavericks, but don't be surprised if Dallas is up 2-0 at the end of the night. This particular match-up and situation is just in Dallas's favor.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
NBA Weekend Playoff Picks
After a few days of laying off the picks, the overall blog record stands at 137-92-3 against the spread.
WEEKEND NBA PLAYOFF PICKS-I picked my straight-up winners earlier in the week for the first round. Here are the weekend's first games.
SATURDAY
Chicago + 8 1/2 @ Boston
Detroit +12 @ Cleveland
Dallas +4 @ San Antonio
@Portland - 4 1/2 Houston
SUNDAY
@ L.A. Lakers -11 Utah
Philadelphia + 9 1/2 Orlando
Miami +5 Atlanta
@ Denver -6 New Orleans
I'm also happy to announce that I have been offered and accepted the 10pm-12am talk show, which will air Monday through Friday on the brand new denversportsradio.com. For more information on what this brand new company is all about visit http://www.denversportsradio.com/
WEEKEND NBA PLAYOFF PICKS-I picked my straight-up winners earlier in the week for the first round. Here are the weekend's first games.
SATURDAY
Chicago + 8 1/2 @ Boston
Detroit +12 @ Cleveland
Dallas +4 @ San Antonio
@Portland - 4 1/2 Houston
SUNDAY
@ L.A. Lakers -11 Utah
Philadelphia + 9 1/2 Orlando
Miami +5 Atlanta
@ Denver -6 New Orleans
I'm also happy to announce that I have been offered and accepted the 10pm-12am talk show, which will air Monday through Friday on the brand new denversportsradio.com. For more information on what this brand new company is all about visit http://www.denversportsradio.com/
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Madden Calls it Quits, NBA Playoff Pairings Set
John Madden has officially ended his broadcasting career. Madden announced his retirement earlier this morning, saying "it was just the right time". Madden has called NFL games since 1979 on all 4 major networks. Madden worked on both Monday Night and Sunday Night Football. Also, lets not forget, Madden coached the Raiders to a Super Bowl Title in the 70's and is also the face for perhaps the most popular sports video game of all time.
I will remember Madden for his classic breakdowns of games, his sound effects, his drawings explaining the game, his passion, his professionalism and his seriousness regarding his turkey on Thanksgiving Day games. I had only one real criticizm of Madden, often he was a little biased toward the NFC during his broadcasts.
All in all, the NFL and the broadcasting world is losing a true classic. There was nobody like Madden before and will be nobody like Madden again. The only person you can even put in the same sentence as Madden regarding color analysis is College Basketball's Dick Vitale.
It really took all 82 games and this is the way the NBA's playoff picture sets up. By the way, horrible news for the Celtics. According to Head Coach Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett will miss the entire playoffs with that bad knee.
WEST
1. L.A. Lakers
8. Utah
4. Portland
5. Houston
3. San Antonio
6. Dallas
2. Denver
7. New Orleans
EAST
1. Clevleand
8. Detroit
4. Atlanta
5. Miami
3. Orlando
6. Philadelphia
2. Boston
7. Chicago
NBA Notes..
-The NBA playoffs does not re-seed after each round, so these brackets are set.
-Houston killed themselves by losing to Dallas, with a win they would have been #2 in the West.
-Due to the injury to Garnett, Cleveland will be in the NBA Finals.
-The West may go through L.A., however it is Denver with the easiest path to the West Finals.
-Cleveland had a chance to go 40-1 at home and tie an NBA record, however the team decided to rest its main players and the Cavs lost to the Sixers, finishing 39-2 on their home court.
NBA 1st Round Picks
West
L.A. in 5
Portland in 7
Dallas in 6
Denver in 7
East
Cleveland in 4
Miami in 6
Orlando in 5
Boston in 6
NHL-Vancouver, Pittsburgh and New Jersey held home ice by winning their game 1's. The Capitals were upset by the Rangers in that opening game. Montreal/Boston, Columbus/Detroit, Calgary/Chicago, and Anaheim/San Jose get their series started tonight.
Huge Loss....
I recentely commented on Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim. I said he really cared about his players, hence telling PG Jonny Flynn to put his name in the draft, eventhough Flynn wanted to return. Ouch. Flynn has signed with an agent and will not return to Syracuse, hence killing the Orange's chances at a National Championship next season.
What do you guys think about the NBA's round one match-ups?
I will remember Madden for his classic breakdowns of games, his sound effects, his drawings explaining the game, his passion, his professionalism and his seriousness regarding his turkey on Thanksgiving Day games. I had only one real criticizm of Madden, often he was a little biased toward the NFC during his broadcasts.
All in all, the NFL and the broadcasting world is losing a true classic. There was nobody like Madden before and will be nobody like Madden again. The only person you can even put in the same sentence as Madden regarding color analysis is College Basketball's Dick Vitale.
It really took all 82 games and this is the way the NBA's playoff picture sets up. By the way, horrible news for the Celtics. According to Head Coach Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett will miss the entire playoffs with that bad knee.
WEST
1. L.A. Lakers
8. Utah
4. Portland
5. Houston
3. San Antonio
6. Dallas
2. Denver
7. New Orleans
EAST
1. Clevleand
8. Detroit
4. Atlanta
5. Miami
3. Orlando
6. Philadelphia
2. Boston
7. Chicago
NBA Notes..
-The NBA playoffs does not re-seed after each round, so these brackets are set.
-Houston killed themselves by losing to Dallas, with a win they would have been #2 in the West.
-Due to the injury to Garnett, Cleveland will be in the NBA Finals.
-The West may go through L.A., however it is Denver with the easiest path to the West Finals.
-Cleveland had a chance to go 40-1 at home and tie an NBA record, however the team decided to rest its main players and the Cavs lost to the Sixers, finishing 39-2 on their home court.
NBA 1st Round Picks
West
L.A. in 5
Portland in 7
Dallas in 6
Denver in 7
East
Cleveland in 4
Miami in 6
Orlando in 5
Boston in 6
NHL-Vancouver, Pittsburgh and New Jersey held home ice by winning their game 1's. The Capitals were upset by the Rangers in that opening game. Montreal/Boston, Columbus/Detroit, Calgary/Chicago, and Anaheim/San Jose get their series started tonight.
Huge Loss....
I recentely commented on Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim. I said he really cared about his players, hence telling PG Jonny Flynn to put his name in the draft, eventhough Flynn wanted to return. Ouch. Flynn has signed with an agent and will not return to Syracuse, hence killing the Orange's chances at a National Championship next season.
What do you guys think about the NBA's round one match-ups?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thomas, Oscar and a Break
I have no clue what Florida International is doing by hiring Isiah Thomas as their new Head Coach. I respected Thomas as a player, but since he hung up his jersey this guy has been the worst. His stint with the Pacers was horrible and hence ruined his relationshp with Larry Bird. He was responsible for destroying the CBA, a developmental basketball league. Finally, Isiah and the Knicks. He never once won a playoff game. He drove out Larry Brown, a coach respected much around the league. He was the pinpoint of a sexual harrassment scandle. He was responsible for causing the brawl at MSG between New York and Denver. The Nuggets were smoking the Knicks and Thomas warned Carmelo Anthony to stay out of the paint. That led to a hard foul, which errupted into a fight. Since that incident, I bet 99 % of all NBA Head Coaches hate him. Finally, he killed the relationship between Steph Marbury and the Knicks. I realize Mike D'Antoni is getting all the heat for it, but it was Thomas that got the pot brewing. Thomas is a punk ass and I wouldn't hire him to coach my buddy's little league basketball team. I hope he crashes and burns once again. What a jackass.
Oscar De La Hoya retired today at the age of 36. This would be a bigger deal if boxing didn't retire ten years ago. Boxing is completely off the map and this retirement doesn't matter. If you want to watch real fighting, tune into cage brawls. I don't know who to blame for the collapse of Boxing, which was once great. Don King does come to mind though.
The NFL released the upcoming regular season schedule today. Who the hell cares? ESPN presented a 3 hour show on it and it was rediculous. Fans look at the schedule and can pick the wins and losses for their favorite teams, but lets be honest, nobody knows what will happen which makes the schedule basically just a side-bar.
PICKS-After 1-3 last night ATS, the blog overall record is now 137-92-3 ATS.
I'm going to lay off the picks until the NBA playoffs begin on Saturday. It is too hard to pick when many of the games mean nothing with seeds already clinched. On the same note, MLB games are hard to pick because the season is so young. Picks will resume on Saturday.
One again, I feel sorry for everybody affiliated with Florida International, you have a real scum bag running your men's hoops team. I hope Thomas makes things worse on himself, if that is possible.
Oscar De La Hoya retired today at the age of 36. This would be a bigger deal if boxing didn't retire ten years ago. Boxing is completely off the map and this retirement doesn't matter. If you want to watch real fighting, tune into cage brawls. I don't know who to blame for the collapse of Boxing, which was once great. Don King does come to mind though.
The NFL released the upcoming regular season schedule today. Who the hell cares? ESPN presented a 3 hour show on it and it was rediculous. Fans look at the schedule and can pick the wins and losses for their favorite teams, but lets be honest, nobody knows what will happen which makes the schedule basically just a side-bar.
PICKS-After 1-3 last night ATS, the blog overall record is now 137-92-3 ATS.
I'm going to lay off the picks until the NBA playoffs begin on Saturday. It is too hard to pick when many of the games mean nothing with seeds already clinched. On the same note, MLB games are hard to pick because the season is so young. Picks will resume on Saturday.
One again, I feel sorry for everybody affiliated with Florida International, you have a real scum bag running your men's hoops team. I hope Thomas makes things worse on himself, if that is possible.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday Sports-A Little of Everything
All in all, a very enjoyable Masters over the weekend. Congrats to Angel Cabrera who won on the 2nd playoff hole yesterday. Kenny Perry had the title all but wrapped up, but finished with a bogey on both 17 and 18. Chad Campbell was elliminated after the first playoff hole, and Cabrera ultimately got his 2nd major win against Perry on the 2nd playoff hole. Angel Cabrera battled all day after playing horrible on the front nine. Tiger and Phil put on a pretty good show, showing life until their dreams were shattered. For Mickelson, it came on 12 after knocking his tee shot in the water and making double. For Woods, it came on 17 where his tee shot again failed him, ultimately leading Tiger to a bogey-bogey finish. Mickelson played great, turning in a 30 on the front nine. Ultimately, Mickelson again choked down the stretch. I don't think Tiger's endurance is quite back to 100 % yet. Woods without question played his worst golf of the tournament on 17 and 18 throughout the weekend. Physically, Woods is in the best shape out of any PGA Golfer, but Woods has never had a lay-off like this between majors and I think the mental toughness got to him a little bit there at the end. Hopefully the U.S. Open is just as good.
The NHL Playoffs are all set, here are the match-ups
EAST
1) Boston
8) Montreal
2) Washington
7) N.Y. Rangers
3) New Jersey
6) Carolina
4) Pittsburgh
5) N.Y. Rangers
WEST
1) San Jose
8) Anaheim
2) Detroit
7) Columbus
3) Vancouver
6) St. Louis
4) Chicago
5) Calgary
Remember-The NHL re-seeds after each round, unlike the NBA. Here are my 1st round picks.
EAST
-Boston in 5
-Washington in 6
-Carolina in 6
-Pittsburgh in 6
WEST
-San Jose in 7
-Detroit in 4
-Vancouver in 6
-Calgary in 7
NHL Good Story-Congrats to Columbus on making their first ever playoff apperance. Also, congrats to Chicago on returning to the postseason for the first time in a long time.
NHL Bad Story-The Colorado Avalanche sucked. Today the team fires GM Francois Giguerre. The team says that the season was "unacceptable". You think? Colorado finished dead last in the West.
A little Baseball.....
-The Red Sox and Angels brawl after Josh Beckett threw inside to an Angels batter after he had called time. Due to everything the Angels are going through right now with the death of teammate Nick Adenhart, why would Boston even go there? The Angels are full of emotion due to last week's tragedy and what happend yesterday was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
-Dodgers OF, Manny Ramirez wants to retire as an Indian. Ramirez has also contacted Jim Thome about joinig him. Both players could be free agents after next season. Leave it to Ramirez to say this before the Dodgers even play their home opener.
-A very bad start for Arizona Pitcher, Brandon Webb. Webb was placed on the DL because of shoulder problems.
NFL News....
The Steelers lock up their defensive stud. James Harrison agreed to a 6 year deal worth about 52 million.
NBA West Puzzle....
-The Nuggets clinch the Northwest with a win or a Portland loss. Denver should also lock up the #2 seed. Denver should beat Sacremento and would need Houston to lose one of their remaining two games. Denver can also go the easy route and just win their remaining games. In division winning purposes, if 2 division winners have the same record, Denver holds the tiebreaker against San Antonio, however Denver does not hold the tiebreaker against Houston.
To limit the confusion, unless there is a MAJOR UPSET, this is how the West will finish. Well, kind of.....but this is the best I can do.
1. L.A. Lakers
2. Denver/Houston
3. Denver/Houston
4. Portland/San Antonio
5. Portland/San Antonio
6. New Orleans/Dallas
7. New Orleans/Dallas
8. Utah
In the East-a little more easy.
1. Cleveland-Can clinch home court adavantage throughout entire NBA playoffs with win
2. Boston-Has clinched #2 seed
3. Orlando-Has clinched #3 seed
4. Atlanta-Has clinched #4 seed
5. Miami-Has clinched #5 seed
6-8-Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit have all clinched playoff births but not their seeds.
Very sad news as I am posting this. Longtime Phillies broadcaster, Harry Kalas has passed away at age 73. Kalas has also done work for the NFL and NFL Films. Kalas was one of the best in the business for sure. The last postseason game he called was the Phillies win to clinch the 2008 World Series against the Rays. R.I.P.
PICKS-5-3 on Friday night. The overall blog record ATS is now 136-89-3.
NBA
Cleveland -4 @Indiana
New Orleans +8 @Houston
Oklahoma City +14 @Portalnd
@Golden State + 5 1/2 San Antonio
The NHL Playoffs are all set, here are the match-ups
EAST
1) Boston
8) Montreal
2) Washington
7) N.Y. Rangers
3) New Jersey
6) Carolina
4) Pittsburgh
5) N.Y. Rangers
WEST
1) San Jose
8) Anaheim
2) Detroit
7) Columbus
3) Vancouver
6) St. Louis
4) Chicago
5) Calgary
Remember-The NHL re-seeds after each round, unlike the NBA. Here are my 1st round picks.
EAST
-Boston in 5
-Washington in 6
-Carolina in 6
-Pittsburgh in 6
WEST
-San Jose in 7
-Detroit in 4
-Vancouver in 6
-Calgary in 7
NHL Good Story-Congrats to Columbus on making their first ever playoff apperance. Also, congrats to Chicago on returning to the postseason for the first time in a long time.
NHL Bad Story-The Colorado Avalanche sucked. Today the team fires GM Francois Giguerre. The team says that the season was "unacceptable". You think? Colorado finished dead last in the West.
A little Baseball.....
-The Red Sox and Angels brawl after Josh Beckett threw inside to an Angels batter after he had called time. Due to everything the Angels are going through right now with the death of teammate Nick Adenhart, why would Boston even go there? The Angels are full of emotion due to last week's tragedy and what happend yesterday was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
-Dodgers OF, Manny Ramirez wants to retire as an Indian. Ramirez has also contacted Jim Thome about joinig him. Both players could be free agents after next season. Leave it to Ramirez to say this before the Dodgers even play their home opener.
-A very bad start for Arizona Pitcher, Brandon Webb. Webb was placed on the DL because of shoulder problems.
NFL News....
The Steelers lock up their defensive stud. James Harrison agreed to a 6 year deal worth about 52 million.
NBA West Puzzle....
-The Nuggets clinch the Northwest with a win or a Portland loss. Denver should also lock up the #2 seed. Denver should beat Sacremento and would need Houston to lose one of their remaining two games. Denver can also go the easy route and just win their remaining games. In division winning purposes, if 2 division winners have the same record, Denver holds the tiebreaker against San Antonio, however Denver does not hold the tiebreaker against Houston.
To limit the confusion, unless there is a MAJOR UPSET, this is how the West will finish. Well, kind of.....but this is the best I can do.
1. L.A. Lakers
2. Denver/Houston
3. Denver/Houston
4. Portland/San Antonio
5. Portland/San Antonio
6. New Orleans/Dallas
7. New Orleans/Dallas
8. Utah
In the East-a little more easy.
1. Cleveland-Can clinch home court adavantage throughout entire NBA playoffs with win
2. Boston-Has clinched #2 seed
3. Orlando-Has clinched #3 seed
4. Atlanta-Has clinched #4 seed
5. Miami-Has clinched #5 seed
6-8-Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit have all clinched playoff births but not their seeds.
Very sad news as I am posting this. Longtime Phillies broadcaster, Harry Kalas has passed away at age 73. Kalas has also done work for the NFL and NFL Films. Kalas was one of the best in the business for sure. The last postseason game he called was the Phillies win to clinch the 2008 World Series against the Rays. R.I.P.
PICKS-5-3 on Friday night. The overall blog record ATS is now 136-89-3.
NBA
Cleveland -4 @Indiana
New Orleans +8 @Houston
Oklahoma City +14 @Portalnd
@Golden State + 5 1/2 San Antonio
Friday, April 10, 2009
Sports Going into the Weekend
There wasn't much to post about yesterday. No sporting event was bigger than the tragedy involving Angel's Pitcher, Nick Adenhart. Adenhart was the orginization's top pitching prospect and from what everybody is saying now, a tremendous guy. It should have been the greatest night of his life after pitching 6 scoreless innings against Oakland, but instead it was his last night. From time to time things like this happen in sports, unfortunately things like this happen every day in the normal world. It is a sad thing and I feel terrible for his family, friends, teammates, and fans.
Across the country, Tiger is well positioned to make a weekend run at his 5th green jacket. Tiger heads into the weekend at -2 overall, 7 shots back. Woods should be much closer but hasn't quite put everything together quite yet. Still, I believe Tiger is in perfect shape to take down this season's first major.
It was the final Masters for both Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller. I will miss Player, as for Fuzzy, I can manage without him.
The Lakers handled the Nuggets last night. L.A. will cost to the NBA Finals right? I'm not so sure. Kenyon Martin missed last night's game and his defensive pressence can limit the production of Pau Gasol, who absolutey went off last night.
It's pretty early in the MLB season, but the Rockies are looking good. They are 3-1 having faced Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, and Cole Hamels.
Here are some picks for tonight. The overall blog record ATS is 131-86-3
NBA
@Orlando -10 1/2 New York
@Boston -6 Miami
@Atlanta - 5 1/2 Indiana
New Jersey + 8 Detroit
Charlotte @ Oklahoma City-UNDER 189 1/2
@Dallas -6 New Orleans
L.A. Lakers + 1 1/2 Portland
@Golden State + 8 Houston
Across the country, Tiger is well positioned to make a weekend run at his 5th green jacket. Tiger heads into the weekend at -2 overall, 7 shots back. Woods should be much closer but hasn't quite put everything together quite yet. Still, I believe Tiger is in perfect shape to take down this season's first major.
It was the final Masters for both Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller. I will miss Player, as for Fuzzy, I can manage without him.
The Lakers handled the Nuggets last night. L.A. will cost to the NBA Finals right? I'm not so sure. Kenyon Martin missed last night's game and his defensive pressence can limit the production of Pau Gasol, who absolutey went off last night.
It's pretty early in the MLB season, but the Rockies are looking good. They are 3-1 having faced Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, and Cole Hamels.
Here are some picks for tonight. The overall blog record ATS is 131-86-3
NBA
@Orlando -10 1/2 New York
@Boston -6 Miami
@Atlanta - 5 1/2 Indiana
New Jersey + 8 Detroit
Charlotte @ Oklahoma City-UNDER 189 1/2
@Dallas -6 New Orleans
L.A. Lakers + 1 1/2 Portland
@Golden State + 8 Houston
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday Sports
Congrats to the UCONN women, who destroyed Louisville last night to win their 6th National Championship. Was this 39-0 team the greatest in Women's College Basketball history? No. The best team was UCONN's undefeated 2002 team. This season UCONN was very talented, but nobody else in the country recruited well enough to put up a serious fight against them.
The economy has taken its toll on the MLB. Payrolls have dropped 47 million since 2008. Hopefully, many teams stay close to playoff contention so attendance can be up. If not, payrolls will be cut again after this 2009 season.
Do you believe Jose Conseco? Jose has said that he is 90 % sure that Dodgers OF Manny Ramirez is on the same list that Alex Rodriguez was on. Manny a possible cheat to? Bad news.
Hall of Fame QB John Elway's son, Jack Elway has quit football at Arizona St. Head Coach Dennis Erickson says that the younger Elway is tired of football and wants to do something else with his life. Erickson went on to say that Elway would have probably played at Arizona State. I wonder what Johnny is thinking about his only son?
Athletes are usually thrilled to be named to the Hall of Fame, well not Michael Jordan. During his Hall of Fame press conference, Jordan voiced his displeasure, saying being named to the Hall of Fame was not a good day for him because the honor solidifies the end of his playing days. Something tells me MJ thinks he can still out play 90 % of today's NBA players.
Andrew Bynum is supposed to be back in action for the Lakers tomorrow night against the Nuggets. If Bynum can pick up where he left off before the injury, L.A. should cost to the NBA Finals. If Bynum is not fully healthy and has chemistry issues after a long layoff, L.A. is no sure bet to make it through the West. Either way, tomorrow night should be a great match-up as Denver tries to prove they are for real in Los Angeles.
The Masters begins tomorrow. This will be the final one for the great Gary Player. By the way, Player had a hole-in-one today at the Par 3 competition. I will take Tiger against the field. Tiger has proved that he is back, healthy, and capable of putting together his game well enough for 4 days to win his 5th Green Jacket. If you are thinking about players other than Tiger that have a shot, here are a few.
-Justin Rose
-Henrick Stenson
-Adam Scott
-Steve Stricker
-Geoff Ogilvy
I know I didn't put the names of Phil Mickelson or Paddy Harrington in that goup. Phil is a choke and Paddy doesn't have the right type of game to win Augusta.
PICKS-3-2 ATS last night, the overall blog record ATS is 128-83-3
NBA
Washington + 16 1/2 @Cleveland
Memphis + 14 1/2 @ Orlando
@Boston -10 New Jersey
@New Orleans -2 1/2 Phoenix
@San Antonio - 2 Portland
@Dallas -3 Utah
The economy has taken its toll on the MLB. Payrolls have dropped 47 million since 2008. Hopefully, many teams stay close to playoff contention so attendance can be up. If not, payrolls will be cut again after this 2009 season.
Do you believe Jose Conseco? Jose has said that he is 90 % sure that Dodgers OF Manny Ramirez is on the same list that Alex Rodriguez was on. Manny a possible cheat to? Bad news.
Hall of Fame QB John Elway's son, Jack Elway has quit football at Arizona St. Head Coach Dennis Erickson says that the younger Elway is tired of football and wants to do something else with his life. Erickson went on to say that Elway would have probably played at Arizona State. I wonder what Johnny is thinking about his only son?
Athletes are usually thrilled to be named to the Hall of Fame, well not Michael Jordan. During his Hall of Fame press conference, Jordan voiced his displeasure, saying being named to the Hall of Fame was not a good day for him because the honor solidifies the end of his playing days. Something tells me MJ thinks he can still out play 90 % of today's NBA players.
Andrew Bynum is supposed to be back in action for the Lakers tomorrow night against the Nuggets. If Bynum can pick up where he left off before the injury, L.A. should cost to the NBA Finals. If Bynum is not fully healthy and has chemistry issues after a long layoff, L.A. is no sure bet to make it through the West. Either way, tomorrow night should be a great match-up as Denver tries to prove they are for real in Los Angeles.
The Masters begins tomorrow. This will be the final one for the great Gary Player. By the way, Player had a hole-in-one today at the Par 3 competition. I will take Tiger against the field. Tiger has proved that he is back, healthy, and capable of putting together his game well enough for 4 days to win his 5th Green Jacket. If you are thinking about players other than Tiger that have a shot, here are a few.
-Justin Rose
-Henrick Stenson
-Adam Scott
-Steve Stricker
-Geoff Ogilvy
I know I didn't put the names of Phil Mickelson or Paddy Harrington in that goup. Phil is a choke and Paddy doesn't have the right type of game to win Augusta.
PICKS-3-2 ATS last night, the overall blog record ATS is 128-83-3
NBA
Washington + 16 1/2 @Cleveland
Memphis + 14 1/2 @ Orlando
@Boston -10 New Jersey
@New Orleans -2 1/2 Phoenix
@San Antonio - 2 Portland
@Dallas -3 Utah
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
A Detroit Whooping
I wasn't surprised at all by North Carolina's run away win against Michigan State last night. My thought when the bracket was released was that UNC goes out in round #2 or doesn't go out at all. This was a very talented basketball team, that when healthy was unbeatable. Credit kids like Hansborough, Lawson and Green for not declaring themselves for the NBA draft last year and coming back and getting that National Championship. North Carolina now has to rebuild for next season. We will see if Roy Williams can do next season what Bill Self did for Kansas this year.
The What if moment of the tournament? I pick 2 of them.
1. What if Ty Lawson doesn't play in the 2nd half of UNC's win over LSU, does North Carolina hold on and win that one?
2. What if Scotty Reynolds of Villanova doesn't make the game winning lay-up against Pittsburgh and that game goes to overtime with Pittsburgh winning?
Looking ahead to 2010....Right now, I think it is a 4 horse race.
1. Syracuse
2. Kansas
3. Michigan St.
4. UCLA
What a great day for Michael Jordan. He gets elected to the Hall of Fame on the same day his alma-mater wins the National Championship. Joing MJ in the Hall are David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan, and C Vivian Stringer. By the way, MJ's son, Marcus Jordan decided yesterday to play his college ball at the University of Central Florida.
Don't forget about the women tonight. Louisville takes on UCONN as the Huskies go for National Championship #6. I really wanted to see an Oklahoma/UCONN showdown, but this match-up isn't bad. Louisville was blown out by UCONN and nobody is giving them a shot in tonight's match-up. I think UCONN wins, but not by more than 20.
The NBA draft got a little more interesting today. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair have thrown their names in the mix.
Sean Miller heading to Arizona to take over the Head Coaching job, leaving Xavier. Both teams aren't all that and this will have no impact on the 2010 season.
My NCAA tournament bracket was terrible, but I did manage to pick every game against the spread. The final record was 31-30-2, I'll take it.
Opening day was OK. It was hard to get into baseball with the NCAA Championship going on. I took in the Rockies and D-Backs. Good game, lots of home runs. Aaron Cook and Brandon Webb looked terrible. Only 161 games to go. I finally got to look at my fantasy baseball roster, it sucks. Corbu, I need pitching and another 2B/SS, make me a trade proposal.
The Raiders signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia, good luck with that.
Bad news for San Antonio. Manu Ginobili is out for the year with a stress fracture in his leg. My title contenders list has shrunk again. Cleveland, L.A. Lakers, Denver and Houston are now the only teams that I think have a chance.
With the NCAA's over the focus is now on the Masters, NBA and NHL playoff races and the NFL Draft. This sports stuff never ends. I'm going to continue to pick NBA games and will get into MLB picks once I get an idea of what is going on.
PICKS-2-0 last night, overall blog record ATS is now 125-81-3
NBA
@Charlotte - 4 1/2 Philadelphia
@Miami -4 New Orleans
@Memphis +7 Portland
N.Y. Knicks +8 @Chicago
Orlando @ Houston-UNDER 188 1/2
The What if moment of the tournament? I pick 2 of them.
1. What if Ty Lawson doesn't play in the 2nd half of UNC's win over LSU, does North Carolina hold on and win that one?
2. What if Scotty Reynolds of Villanova doesn't make the game winning lay-up against Pittsburgh and that game goes to overtime with Pittsburgh winning?
Looking ahead to 2010....Right now, I think it is a 4 horse race.
1. Syracuse
2. Kansas
3. Michigan St.
4. UCLA
What a great day for Michael Jordan. He gets elected to the Hall of Fame on the same day his alma-mater wins the National Championship. Joing MJ in the Hall are David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan, and C Vivian Stringer. By the way, MJ's son, Marcus Jordan decided yesterday to play his college ball at the University of Central Florida.
Don't forget about the women tonight. Louisville takes on UCONN as the Huskies go for National Championship #6. I really wanted to see an Oklahoma/UCONN showdown, but this match-up isn't bad. Louisville was blown out by UCONN and nobody is giving them a shot in tonight's match-up. I think UCONN wins, but not by more than 20.
The NBA draft got a little more interesting today. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair have thrown their names in the mix.
Sean Miller heading to Arizona to take over the Head Coaching job, leaving Xavier. Both teams aren't all that and this will have no impact on the 2010 season.
My NCAA tournament bracket was terrible, but I did manage to pick every game against the spread. The final record was 31-30-2, I'll take it.
Opening day was OK. It was hard to get into baseball with the NCAA Championship going on. I took in the Rockies and D-Backs. Good game, lots of home runs. Aaron Cook and Brandon Webb looked terrible. Only 161 games to go. I finally got to look at my fantasy baseball roster, it sucks. Corbu, I need pitching and another 2B/SS, make me a trade proposal.
The Raiders signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia, good luck with that.
Bad news for San Antonio. Manu Ginobili is out for the year with a stress fracture in his leg. My title contenders list has shrunk again. Cleveland, L.A. Lakers, Denver and Houston are now the only teams that I think have a chance.
With the NCAA's over the focus is now on the Masters, NBA and NHL playoff races and the NFL Draft. This sports stuff never ends. I'm going to continue to pick NBA games and will get into MLB picks once I get an idea of what is going on.
PICKS-2-0 last night, overall blog record ATS is now 125-81-3
NBA
@Charlotte - 4 1/2 Philadelphia
@Miami -4 New Orleans
@Memphis +7 Portland
N.Y. Knicks +8 @Chicago
Orlando @ Houston-UNDER 188 1/2
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Game
The overall blog record ATS now stands at 123-81-3, after going 6-1 over the weekend. The blog NCAA Tournament picks ATS are now at .500 (30-30-2).
Tonight it will be North Carolina's time. Michigan State has had a great run and Tom Izzo has done a fantastic job, but in the end North Carolina has just too much talent and better players. North Carolina should run away with this game.
North Carolina - 6 1/2 Michigan State
North Carolina-Michigan State-OVER 152 1/2
Tonight it will be North Carolina's time. Michigan State has had a great run and Tom Izzo has done a fantastic job, but in the end North Carolina has just too much talent and better players. North Carolina should run away with this game.
North Carolina - 6 1/2 Michigan State
North Carolina-Michigan State-OVER 152 1/2
Friday, April 3, 2009
Weekend Picks
The overall blog record is now 117-80-3 ATS, after going 2-1 last night. Here are the picks.
NBA-Tonight
@Boston - 4 1/2 Atlanta
Cleveland @ Orlando-UNDER 188
@Phoenix -13 Sacremento
@Golden State +5 New Orleans
@L.A. Lakers - 5 1/2 Houston
NCAA-Tomorrow
Michigan State +4 UCONN
North Carolina -7 Villanova
NBA-Tonight
@Boston - 4 1/2 Atlanta
Cleveland @ Orlando-UNDER 188
@Phoenix -13 Sacremento
@Golden State +5 New Orleans
@L.A. Lakers - 5 1/2 Houston
NCAA-Tomorrow
Michigan State +4 UCONN
North Carolina -7 Villanova
2009 MLB Picks
The 2009 MLB regular season begins on Sunday night. Here is the way I see things going this season.
AL EAST
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. New York Yankees
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles
AL CENTRAL
1. Minnesota Twins
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Kansas City Royals
AL WEST
1. Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Texas Rangers
4. Seattle Mariners
NL EAST
1. New York Mets
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Florida Marlins
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Washington Nationals
NL CENTRAL
1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
NL WEST
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
AL WILDCARD-Tampa Bay Rays
NL WILDCARD-Philadelphia Phillies
AL CHAMP-Boston Red Sox
NL CHAMP-Chicago Cubs
WORLD SERIES CHAMP-Chicago Cubs
AL EAST
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. New York Yankees
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles
AL CENTRAL
1. Minnesota Twins
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Kansas City Royals
AL WEST
1. Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Texas Rangers
4. Seattle Mariners
NL EAST
1. New York Mets
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Florida Marlins
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Washington Nationals
NL CENTRAL
1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
NL WEST
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres
AL WILDCARD-Tampa Bay Rays
NL WILDCARD-Philadelphia Phillies
AL CHAMP-Boston Red Sox
NL CHAMP-Chicago Cubs
WORLD SERIES CHAMP-Chicago Cubs
Major Friday News
-The New York Giants have officially released WR Plaxico Burress.
-The Detroit Pistons have announced that G Allen Iverson will be out the rest of the season (back)
-The N.Y. Mets and Gary Sheffield have agreed to a deal.
-The Detroit Pistons have announced that G Allen Iverson will be out the rest of the season (back)
-The N.Y. Mets and Gary Sheffield have agreed to a deal.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Careers in Limbo, Cutler and Iverson
All the drama in Denver has finally ended. The Denver Broncos completed a deal with the Chicago Bears of all teams.
Chicago gets:
-QB Jay Cutler
-2009 5th Round Draft Pick
Denver gets:
-QB Kyle Orton
-2009 1st Round Draft Pick (18th overall)
-2010 1st Round Draft Pick
-2009 3rd Round Draft Pick
I will get to the deal in a minute, but what was up with last night? Jay Cutler told Foxsports.com that he didn't want to get traded and that the trade was not his idea. What is that? I respected Cutler for holding his ground against his new idiot Head Coach and GM, but why back off the trade demand? Players get screwed all the time by NFL orginizations, getting cut and let out of their deals for whatever reason. Cutler was the player that finally stood up to his orginization, saying enough is enough in the middle of his deal. Cutler had every right to be furious with Denver's lies and constant B.S., but Cutler shot himself in the mouth with his quotes last night. We may never know who was telling the truth between the Broncos and Cutler, but in the next couple years when the Broncos put up 2 to 4 wins, nobody will care.
If you look at the trade in Cutler's eyes, it's OK. He gets to play for one of his favorite teams growing up. On the other hand, Cutler is now the man leading one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Cutler will have about half the talent that he had in Denver to work with.
For the Bears, they are banking on that Cutler will be an all-time great QB. Chicago is solidified on defense and special teams, but after shipping out all those draft picks, how do the Bears plan to put weapons around Cutler?
For the Broncos, this is the end of them for a few seasons. Hopefully, Denver will use these draft picks to get their defense back in order. At QB, the Broncos are now left with Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. Wow, fantastic. This will give Josh McDaniels a chance to prove that he can put points on the board with anybody behind Center. Denver also has the option of packaging their two draft picks in this year's first round and move up to get QB Mathew Stafford or QB Mark Sanchez. Lord, I hope they don't go that route. Denver probably got the better of this deal long-term, however this orginization has much to do in order to make up for this debacle.
The spotlight now is on Josh McDaniels much more than Jay Cutler. McDaniel's has created this disaster and now he must prove he can win with this behind him. I don't see Orton or Simms being Denver's starting QB this season, unless Denver completely decides to pack in the upcoming season. Will Denver sign a Byron Leftwich, Jeff Garcia, or maybe even a Michael Vick? Yes, I said the dog killer. All I know, is that nothing is out of the question with the idiotic pair of Brian Xanders and Josh McDaniels running the Broncos show. I'm just glad it's finally over.
Another former Denver athlete is having his own problems. Allen Iverson has stated that he would rather retire than continue his role with the Pistons coming off the bench. A.I. may not be the most liked player in the world, but the guy leaves everything out on the floor and for that I respect him. Iverson went to the Pistons in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA History. When Iverson was shippped out to Detroit, how did any logical fan of the NBA expect this to work except for salary cap relief for the Pistons? Detroit is system oriented, while Iverson is far from that, which is not a knock on Iverson. I just hope Iverson rides out the season with the Pistons without losing his mind and gets a fresh start some place else. Iverson deserves to end his career happy. It may be impossible to put Iverson on a championship roster, but the guy has more to offer than what he currently is presenting in Detroit.
QUESTIONS
1. WHAT ARE YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BRONCOS DEBACLE AND THE TRADE OF CUTLER TO CHICAGO?
2. WHERE CAN IVERSON SIGN NEXT SEASON? ARE THERE ANY GOOD FITS FOR HIM AT ALL OUT THERE?
PICKS-2-2 last night ATS, overall blog record ATS is now 115-79-3
NBA-3 games tonight, I like all the favorites.
@Philadelphia - 7 1/2 Milwaukee
Cleveland -10 @Washington
@Denver -5 Utah
Chicago gets:
-QB Jay Cutler
-2009 5th Round Draft Pick
Denver gets:
-QB Kyle Orton
-2009 1st Round Draft Pick (18th overall)
-2010 1st Round Draft Pick
-2009 3rd Round Draft Pick
I will get to the deal in a minute, but what was up with last night? Jay Cutler told Foxsports.com that he didn't want to get traded and that the trade was not his idea. What is that? I respected Cutler for holding his ground against his new idiot Head Coach and GM, but why back off the trade demand? Players get screwed all the time by NFL orginizations, getting cut and let out of their deals for whatever reason. Cutler was the player that finally stood up to his orginization, saying enough is enough in the middle of his deal. Cutler had every right to be furious with Denver's lies and constant B.S., but Cutler shot himself in the mouth with his quotes last night. We may never know who was telling the truth between the Broncos and Cutler, but in the next couple years when the Broncos put up 2 to 4 wins, nobody will care.
If you look at the trade in Cutler's eyes, it's OK. He gets to play for one of his favorite teams growing up. On the other hand, Cutler is now the man leading one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Cutler will have about half the talent that he had in Denver to work with.
For the Bears, they are banking on that Cutler will be an all-time great QB. Chicago is solidified on defense and special teams, but after shipping out all those draft picks, how do the Bears plan to put weapons around Cutler?
For the Broncos, this is the end of them for a few seasons. Hopefully, Denver will use these draft picks to get their defense back in order. At QB, the Broncos are now left with Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. Wow, fantastic. This will give Josh McDaniels a chance to prove that he can put points on the board with anybody behind Center. Denver also has the option of packaging their two draft picks in this year's first round and move up to get QB Mathew Stafford or QB Mark Sanchez. Lord, I hope they don't go that route. Denver probably got the better of this deal long-term, however this orginization has much to do in order to make up for this debacle.
The spotlight now is on Josh McDaniels much more than Jay Cutler. McDaniel's has created this disaster and now he must prove he can win with this behind him. I don't see Orton or Simms being Denver's starting QB this season, unless Denver completely decides to pack in the upcoming season. Will Denver sign a Byron Leftwich, Jeff Garcia, or maybe even a Michael Vick? Yes, I said the dog killer. All I know, is that nothing is out of the question with the idiotic pair of Brian Xanders and Josh McDaniels running the Broncos show. I'm just glad it's finally over.
Another former Denver athlete is having his own problems. Allen Iverson has stated that he would rather retire than continue his role with the Pistons coming off the bench. A.I. may not be the most liked player in the world, but the guy leaves everything out on the floor and for that I respect him. Iverson went to the Pistons in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA History. When Iverson was shippped out to Detroit, how did any logical fan of the NBA expect this to work except for salary cap relief for the Pistons? Detroit is system oriented, while Iverson is far from that, which is not a knock on Iverson. I just hope Iverson rides out the season with the Pistons without losing his mind and gets a fresh start some place else. Iverson deserves to end his career happy. It may be impossible to put Iverson on a championship roster, but the guy has more to offer than what he currently is presenting in Detroit.
QUESTIONS
1. WHAT ARE YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BRONCOS DEBACLE AND THE TRADE OF CUTLER TO CHICAGO?
2. WHERE CAN IVERSON SIGN NEXT SEASON? ARE THERE ANY GOOD FITS FOR HIM AT ALL OUT THERE?
PICKS-2-2 last night ATS, overall blog record ATS is now 115-79-3
NBA-3 games tonight, I like all the favorites.
@Philadelphia - 7 1/2 Milwaukee
Cleveland -10 @Washington
@Denver -5 Utah
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Syracuse, Boeheim, Doing it the Right Way
Things right now in College Basketball are a little messed up. John Calipari just up and bolted for Kentucky, while leaving a very good Memphis team in bad shape. Calipari recruited a very good class for the 2009-10 season and now these kids don't have their Head Coach. These kids who committed to Memphis are now forced to play for a coach that didn't recruit them or sit out a season and transfer. Why can a coach bolt anytime they want, while a kid can't unless they sit out a year? It just isn't right. I don't blame Calipari for bolting to his "dream job", I just blame the system put in place by the NCAA. In situations like this, a letter of intent should be taken as seriously as a Head Coach's contract, which isn't saying much. If a coach can just switch schools without sitting out a season, players should have the same freedom.
On a positive note, if you want to see a Head Coach who really cares about his players, look at Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. The Orange made a nice run at the end of the season, losing in the Big East Championship Game and in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The biggest reason for Syracuse's success was PG Jonny Flynn. The sophomore has said that he wants to be back, however Boeheim has told Flynn to put his name in the draft. Why would a Head Coach want his best player to possibly go pro? Well, because Boeheim actually cares. Boeheim has said that if Flynn is a high projection in the 1st round of the NBA draft, he should go to the NBA. Flynn right now is projected to be a late first round pick and will most likely return to Syracuse, however the fact that Jim Boeheim is actually looking out for his player's best interest is great and college basketball needs more of this.
If Flynn does return to Syracuse, watch out. The Orange are only losing one senior, F Kristof Ongenaet. Ongenaet was a good bench player and was 4th on the team in rebounding. If Flynn comes back, Syracuse will have all it's major pieces back, a good recruiting class coming in, and a key transfer from Iowa State in Wesley Johnson who had to sit out last season.
Other Notes....
-I posted the news about the Broncos and Cutler yesterday. My opinion hasn't changed regarding the situation. I'm not going to go off on it again, I've said enough on my previous posts. It is just funny how the Broncos quit their pursuit after only 10 days. A few days ago, I thought I saw Josh McDaniels smiling while displaying Cutler's throwback jersey on TV.
-The Women's Final 4 is set. L'Ville, UCONN, Stanford and Oklahoma. You can take the stars of L'Ville, Stanford and Oklahoma, put them on the same team, and UCONN would still win by double digits.
-Browns WR Donte Stallworth will be charged with manslaughter DUI, stemming from a car accident last month in which a pedestrian was killed. If convicted, Stallworth is looking at possibly 15 years in prison.
-The Nuggets have clinched a playoff spot due to their ugly 111-104 over the Knicks last night. Denver has a very favorable schedule down the stretch and should get the #2 seed out West.
-Officer Robert Powell has resigned from the Dallas Police Department, this coming after his incident with Texan's RB Ryan Moats. If you are unfamiliar with the situation, Powell detained Moats in a hospital parking lot after Moats ran a traffic light in attempt to see his dying mother-in-law. Powell went way over the line and according to reports it wasn't the first time Powell crossed the line. There are very good cops and there are cops who abuse their authority, thankfully now Dallas has one less bad cop.
PICKS
3-2 ATS last night puts the overall blog record ATS at 113-77-3
NBA
@Memphis - 2 1/2 Washington
@Dallas - 5 1/2 Miami
@Phoenix - 1 1/2 Houston
@L.A. Clippers + 3 1/2 New Orleans
On a positive note, if you want to see a Head Coach who really cares about his players, look at Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. The Orange made a nice run at the end of the season, losing in the Big East Championship Game and in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The biggest reason for Syracuse's success was PG Jonny Flynn. The sophomore has said that he wants to be back, however Boeheim has told Flynn to put his name in the draft. Why would a Head Coach want his best player to possibly go pro? Well, because Boeheim actually cares. Boeheim has said that if Flynn is a high projection in the 1st round of the NBA draft, he should go to the NBA. Flynn right now is projected to be a late first round pick and will most likely return to Syracuse, however the fact that Jim Boeheim is actually looking out for his player's best interest is great and college basketball needs more of this.
If Flynn does return to Syracuse, watch out. The Orange are only losing one senior, F Kristof Ongenaet. Ongenaet was a good bench player and was 4th on the team in rebounding. If Flynn comes back, Syracuse will have all it's major pieces back, a good recruiting class coming in, and a key transfer from Iowa State in Wesley Johnson who had to sit out last season.
Other Notes....
-I posted the news about the Broncos and Cutler yesterday. My opinion hasn't changed regarding the situation. I'm not going to go off on it again, I've said enough on my previous posts. It is just funny how the Broncos quit their pursuit after only 10 days. A few days ago, I thought I saw Josh McDaniels smiling while displaying Cutler's throwback jersey on TV.
-The Women's Final 4 is set. L'Ville, UCONN, Stanford and Oklahoma. You can take the stars of L'Ville, Stanford and Oklahoma, put them on the same team, and UCONN would still win by double digits.
-Browns WR Donte Stallworth will be charged with manslaughter DUI, stemming from a car accident last month in which a pedestrian was killed. If convicted, Stallworth is looking at possibly 15 years in prison.
-The Nuggets have clinched a playoff spot due to their ugly 111-104 over the Knicks last night. Denver has a very favorable schedule down the stretch and should get the #2 seed out West.
-Officer Robert Powell has resigned from the Dallas Police Department, this coming after his incident with Texan's RB Ryan Moats. If you are unfamiliar with the situation, Powell detained Moats in a hospital parking lot after Moats ran a traffic light in attempt to see his dying mother-in-law. Powell went way over the line and according to reports it wasn't the first time Powell crossed the line. There are very good cops and there are cops who abuse their authority, thankfully now Dallas has one less bad cop.
PICKS
3-2 ATS last night puts the overall blog record ATS at 113-77-3
NBA
@Memphis - 2 1/2 Washington
@Dallas - 5 1/2 Miami
@Phoenix - 1 1/2 Houston
@L.A. Clippers + 3 1/2 New Orleans
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)