Elections Have Consequences
That’s how I feel about what is going on politically these days. They won, we lost. It’s time to suck it up and deal with it.
Yes, it looks like the current administration, with plenty of help from Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, are remaking this nation. That’s what you get when liberals, who have been waiting some 40 years to take over, finally get the keys to the car.
It will get worse before it gets better. Wait until they tackle illegal immigration, health care, entitlements (social security) and the all-important judiciary (i.e. Supreme Court openings).
The good news is we get to choose in two years (mid-terms), and again in four years (presidential election), if we like the direction the country is headed in. That’s the beauty of democracy.
The bad news is this gang (Obama & the liberals in charge of Congress) are roping in enough future voters with these freebies/giveaways, etc...that may make it next to impossible for the good guys to take control again any time soon.
DA
He’s due a $5 million roster bonus on March 5 and it looks like all you can get for him now is a second rounder at best compared to what you could have had last year if that regime had some stones to do the right thing before the 2008 season. We'll let it go now - honest. Unless ofcourse, Mangini decides to keep DA. Then, he will get on my $#@! list immediately. They have way too many holes to fill to make that silly move.
There are also several other decent quarterbacks on the market that may bring down Anderson’s value even more. Here’s hoping I’m wrong and they can get more than just a second rounder.
Regardless, adding another first day pick should help this new crew fill a need immediately. Second rounders should play right away – especially on this team.
Kurt Warner
Warner is making noise he may retire or play elsewhere. Bad bluff. He’s headed back to Arizona unless he’s lost his mind.
Arizona WRs
Speaking of the Cardinals, why shouldn’t they keep both of their stud receivers? I certainly would. That’s their identity as a franchise right now and it’s what got them to the Super Bowl in the first place – the passing game.
New England
The Patriots continue to get it right. They franchised Matt Cassel after he proved he could be a quality starting quarterback in this league. Yes, that means they will have a ton of money wrapped up in two quarterbacks, but so what? I would do the same thing until Tom Brady proves he’s healthy.
A-Rod
You have to love the media. Many of the same people who were stumbling over themselves saying how great it was when Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa were chasing history are now looking for scapegoats in this week’s new baseball steroids scandal (A-Rod).
Talk about hypocrisy. These individuals, ranging from ESPN all the way down to the local beat writer, are either hypocrites or morons. Either they suspected but kept their mouths shut or were too stupid to understand that 5-9/170 pound second basemen should not be able to take pitches down and away nearly 400 feet the other way.
NBA Trading Deadline
I don’t’ expect the Cavaliers to make a major move before tomorrow’s deadline – unless of course they do not have to disrupt their rotation all that much. Yes, I would move a combination of Andy, Hickson, Gibson and a #1 for a primetime player (i.e. A. Jamison or C. Bosh). However, I don’t expect Danny Ferry to make such a move. He’s conservative by nature. That means he may go for a second tier player (i.e. M. Camby) that fits with what this coaching staff preaches - defense.
Kobe & LeBron
Kobe going off for 61 in New York versus LJ nearly getting a triple double while scoring 50 was a clear example of the difference between these two guys. One guy thinks team first while the other "gets his" first and thinks about the rest of the guys on the floor second. How else can you explain Bryant getting all those points and not a single rebound?
Having said that, LJ better light it up if the two meet in the Finals this summer. Otherwise, this observer will rip him. If you want to be "King" you'd better play like one when it counts most.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
This & That
Lakers Over Cavaliers
Don’t panic. That’s my interpretation of the LA Lakers handing the Cleveland Cavaliers their first home loss this season.
The reasons for the Cavaliers’ loss can be explained by the old adage “No rebounds no rings,” made famous by Lakers’ Head Coach Pat Riley when he was in charge of Magic Johnson and Show Time in the 1980s.
Cleveland got manhandled on the boards in the second half, along with shooting under 30% from the field, and allowing Lamar Odom, the most physically gifted 6-11 player in the league, to go off on them.
It also didn’t help that LJ clanked it at a 5-for-22 click from the field. He and his teammates missed plenty of good looks in the second half.
Yes, LA went 6-0 on its East Coast trip with wins over Boston and Cleveland. The media’s love affair with Kobe and the Lakers will now be in full bloom from here on out. However, we remind everyone there is a great deal of basketball yet to be played and a lot can happen between now and June.
What we do know is that the Lakers are extremely hot right now and they are not a good defensive team. What they do have is a great player in Bryant, and a tall, long and talented front line. The bench is solid.
These guys win by outscoring you. They lead the NBA in scoring. That is not a recipe for a championship – regardless of what others tell you.
The Lakers have to prove to me come post-season they can defend well enough to win it all. If the Lakers get it done, I will be the first to say I was wrong.
Power Forward Analysis
One area of concern for the Cavaliers is the fact that they lack offense at the power forward spot. When Big Ben or Andy are on the floor, the opposing power forward can relax defensively and roam free to provide help defense elsewhere (find LeBron). We covered this ground a long time ago.
That’s one reason Lamar Odom went off on Sunday – he didn’t have to use any energy on defense. In fact, Cleveland's power forward play Sunday was atrocious. If defensive-oriented players allow a power-forward to dominate them, then what good are they?
I expect Ben and Andy to remember this debacle and learn from it. It starts by figuring out Odom wanted to go left - HE'S LEFTHANDED!
I would have had LJ guard Odom in the fourth quarter even though that would have made things easier for Kobe. Odom was the best player on the floor on this night and that issue needed to be addressed by Mike Brown and company.
You have to plug the hole that's leaking before you worry about potentially opening up another one.
This is partially why you are hearing rumors about Amare Stoudemire coming east to Cleveland before the trading deadline. Don’t expect it to happen. Cleveland is winning at nearly a .800 clip and in hot pursuit of the best record in the league.
Shaking up this kind of success is risky for a GM - especially a conservative one like Danny Ferry. Yes, Ferry and Steve Kerr, the head honcho in Phoenix, are good friends. But I don't see it happening.
Stoudemire, although extremely gifted offensively, does not defend – at all! That does not sound like Mike Brown’s kind of player.
Arrogance At Its Best
Who is the most arrogant individual in sports?
That's easy - Phil Jackson. Winning nine NBA titles will do that to you, I guess.
Recently, Jackson complained LJ gets away with murder at home when it comes to officiating. This from a guy who coached Michael Jordan. What balls.
Arizona
The Arizona Cardinals fired their defensive coordinator last week. Nice. Do you really think this move would have been made had his (Pendergast's) defense gotten a stop on the Steelers’ last drive?
Pro Bowl Moved Up
I like the idea of moving the Pro Bowl to the week prior to the Super Bowl. No, I won’t watch it. But it’s still better than playing it after the Super Bowl - when absolutely no one tunes in. This at least gives football freaks something to do while waiting for the Super Bowl.
Leigh Bodden
Yes, you can go home again. Bodden is due a large bonus and the Lions may not pay up. Yes, I would re-acquire Bodden if he becomes available. Why? Do you really have to ask after watching the Browns' corners play in 2008?
Alex Rodriguez
So A-Rod admits to taking banned substances from 2001-2003. He was second in all of baseball in home runs during that three year stretch – right behind Barry Bonds.
What does it say when the most physically gifted baseball player of all-time takes “juice” to get an extra edge? It says this “juice” was all over the place before Congress made the owners address this issue by threatening baseball’s anti-trust status several years ago.
Until all the names of those who tested positive become public, everyone will we suspect. That’s not fair to those who played by the rules, but that’s sadly the way it is.
One final note on A-Rod - Does he really expect people to believe he did not know EXACTLY what he was putting into his body? If you are going to come clean, come completely clean.
In the year 2000, we stated A-Rod was the best player we had ever seen and potentially the best player of all-time. ARod admitting taking the "juice" for a period of time would keep me from voting him into the HOF on the first ballot, but he would get the nod from me the second time around.
That's how I would handle his entry into baseball immortality.
Don’t panic. That’s my interpretation of the LA Lakers handing the Cleveland Cavaliers their first home loss this season.
The reasons for the Cavaliers’ loss can be explained by the old adage “No rebounds no rings,” made famous by Lakers’ Head Coach Pat Riley when he was in charge of Magic Johnson and Show Time in the 1980s.
Cleveland got manhandled on the boards in the second half, along with shooting under 30% from the field, and allowing Lamar Odom, the most physically gifted 6-11 player in the league, to go off on them.
It also didn’t help that LJ clanked it at a 5-for-22 click from the field. He and his teammates missed plenty of good looks in the second half.
Yes, LA went 6-0 on its East Coast trip with wins over Boston and Cleveland. The media’s love affair with Kobe and the Lakers will now be in full bloom from here on out. However, we remind everyone there is a great deal of basketball yet to be played and a lot can happen between now and June.
What we do know is that the Lakers are extremely hot right now and they are not a good defensive team. What they do have is a great player in Bryant, and a tall, long and talented front line. The bench is solid.
These guys win by outscoring you. They lead the NBA in scoring. That is not a recipe for a championship – regardless of what others tell you.
The Lakers have to prove to me come post-season they can defend well enough to win it all. If the Lakers get it done, I will be the first to say I was wrong.
Power Forward Analysis
One area of concern for the Cavaliers is the fact that they lack offense at the power forward spot. When Big Ben or Andy are on the floor, the opposing power forward can relax defensively and roam free to provide help defense elsewhere (find LeBron). We covered this ground a long time ago.
That’s one reason Lamar Odom went off on Sunday – he didn’t have to use any energy on defense. In fact, Cleveland's power forward play Sunday was atrocious. If defensive-oriented players allow a power-forward to dominate them, then what good are they?
I expect Ben and Andy to remember this debacle and learn from it. It starts by figuring out Odom wanted to go left - HE'S LEFTHANDED!
I would have had LJ guard Odom in the fourth quarter even though that would have made things easier for Kobe. Odom was the best player on the floor on this night and that issue needed to be addressed by Mike Brown and company.
You have to plug the hole that's leaking before you worry about potentially opening up another one.
This is partially why you are hearing rumors about Amare Stoudemire coming east to Cleveland before the trading deadline. Don’t expect it to happen. Cleveland is winning at nearly a .800 clip and in hot pursuit of the best record in the league.
Shaking up this kind of success is risky for a GM - especially a conservative one like Danny Ferry. Yes, Ferry and Steve Kerr, the head honcho in Phoenix, are good friends. But I don't see it happening.
Stoudemire, although extremely gifted offensively, does not defend – at all! That does not sound like Mike Brown’s kind of player.
Arrogance At Its Best
Who is the most arrogant individual in sports?
That's easy - Phil Jackson. Winning nine NBA titles will do that to you, I guess.
Recently, Jackson complained LJ gets away with murder at home when it comes to officiating. This from a guy who coached Michael Jordan. What balls.
Arizona
The Arizona Cardinals fired their defensive coordinator last week. Nice. Do you really think this move would have been made had his (Pendergast's) defense gotten a stop on the Steelers’ last drive?
Pro Bowl Moved Up
I like the idea of moving the Pro Bowl to the week prior to the Super Bowl. No, I won’t watch it. But it’s still better than playing it after the Super Bowl - when absolutely no one tunes in. This at least gives football freaks something to do while waiting for the Super Bowl.
Leigh Bodden
Yes, you can go home again. Bodden is due a large bonus and the Lions may not pay up. Yes, I would re-acquire Bodden if he becomes available. Why? Do you really have to ask after watching the Browns' corners play in 2008?
Alex Rodriguez
So A-Rod admits to taking banned substances from 2001-2003. He was second in all of baseball in home runs during that three year stretch – right behind Barry Bonds.
What does it say when the most physically gifted baseball player of all-time takes “juice” to get an extra edge? It says this “juice” was all over the place before Congress made the owners address this issue by threatening baseball’s anti-trust status several years ago.
Until all the names of those who tested positive become public, everyone will we suspect. That’s not fair to those who played by the rules, but that’s sadly the way it is.
One final note on A-Rod - Does he really expect people to believe he did not know EXACTLY what he was putting into his body? If you are going to come clean, come completely clean.
In the year 2000, we stated A-Rod was the best player we had ever seen and potentially the best player of all-time. ARod admitting taking the "juice" for a period of time would keep me from voting him into the HOF on the first ballot, but he would get the nod from me the second time around.
That's how I would handle his entry into baseball immortality.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Super Bowl & More
Super Bowl
This one lived up to the hype (which I did not watch) - especially down the stretch. Actually, I finally tuned in at 6:35 p.m.
It didn’t look that way prior to the last play of the first half. Then, "thug extraordinaire" James Harrison made like Superman, returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown to close out the first two quarters of play and turn the game around in one felt swoop.
The third quarter was rather ordinary, but the final period was anything but thanks to some outstanding quarterbacking on both sides.
Kurt Warner did everything he could to claim the MVP award as he riddled the league’s best defense with the game on the line. Unfortunately for Arizona, they couldn’t get enough pressure on Ben Roethlisberger when they needed it most - in the game’s final drive.
What did we learn from this contest?
We learned the Steelers are very good and deserving of #6.
They were STILL able to win without being able to dominate up front – like we thought they would. Warner had enough time to put up those MVP type numbers had it not been for Big Ben and Santonio Holmes’ heroics late.
Think about it. The Steelers – a team that has built a REAL identity dating back several presidents on getting a lead, running the ball and playing good defense, simply could not run out the clock on the Cardinals.
Case in point - Prior to Arizona getting the lead, the Steelers picked up four yards rushing on first down, and instead of doing what they do best – run it again, they decided to put the ball in the air. The strategy led to a sack and an eventual punt. Arizona had all but shut down the Steelers’ ground game to that point where the Silver and Black went empty backfield on second and six.
That was either a bad play call or an admission Pittsburgh’s offensive line could not push the Cardinals’ front seven around – or perhaps both.
With all that being said, the Steelers had the Cardinals right where they wanted them – up four late in the Super Bowl with the NFL’s best defense on the field and Arizona needing to go 65 yards to take the lead.
They did just that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for "my" Cardinals.
Somehow, Pittsburgh found a way to get it done – for a sixth time – even without a strong running game and a stifling defense on this day.
That’s what champions do – they find a way.
No Run To Success
Can we now put to rest the football urban myth that you have to be able to run the ball to win?
Of course it helps to have balance – but it’s not a necessity – not with today’s near-Arena Football rules that prohibit defensive backs from breathing on receivers or pass rushers being flagged for playing touch football with QBs after they release the football.
Neither the Steelers nor the Cardinals were able to establish a strong running game. In fact, neither team reached the big game because of the run.
Pittsburgh got there because of defense and Big Ben making enough plays with his arm this fall. Arizona reached nirvana on Warner’s arm, three 1,000 yard receivers and a hot defense that forced a ton of turnovers late in the season.
There Is Hope
This season's NFL playoffs once again reinforces the reality that any team can win it if you make it to the dance (playoff) in the NFL. Parity does that. The once 9-7Cardinals came within one defensive play of winning it all. This on the heels of the Giants, a #6 seed, beating arguably the greatest team of all time (the 18-0 Patriots) in 2008.
Cavaliers' Snub
A great deal has been said already about the Cavaliers having one of the game’s best records but only one all-star selection while other top teams have two or even three players going to the 2009 all star game.
Here is my take - the coaches who picked the alternates simply got it wrong. It’s either that or LeBron James is easily the best player on the planet for carrying this mediocre bunch to such a terrific record. Right?
In all seriousness, reality is somewhere in the middle. Yes, we love Moe Williams and he deserved to make it, and yes, 23 is the best player in the league. However, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.
The goal remains the same – grind it out for 82 games and earn the best record in the league and home court throughout prior to the second season starting.
It’s all about keeping your eye on the big picture and if this snub adds extra motivation for the guys from Cleveland – that’s fine with me.
This one lived up to the hype (which I did not watch) - especially down the stretch. Actually, I finally tuned in at 6:35 p.m.
It didn’t look that way prior to the last play of the first half. Then, "thug extraordinaire" James Harrison made like Superman, returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown to close out the first two quarters of play and turn the game around in one felt swoop.
The third quarter was rather ordinary, but the final period was anything but thanks to some outstanding quarterbacking on both sides.
Kurt Warner did everything he could to claim the MVP award as he riddled the league’s best defense with the game on the line. Unfortunately for Arizona, they couldn’t get enough pressure on Ben Roethlisberger when they needed it most - in the game’s final drive.
What did we learn from this contest?
We learned the Steelers are very good and deserving of #6.
They were STILL able to win without being able to dominate up front – like we thought they would. Warner had enough time to put up those MVP type numbers had it not been for Big Ben and Santonio Holmes’ heroics late.
Think about it. The Steelers – a team that has built a REAL identity dating back several presidents on getting a lead, running the ball and playing good defense, simply could not run out the clock on the Cardinals.
Case in point - Prior to Arizona getting the lead, the Steelers picked up four yards rushing on first down, and instead of doing what they do best – run it again, they decided to put the ball in the air. The strategy led to a sack and an eventual punt. Arizona had all but shut down the Steelers’ ground game to that point where the Silver and Black went empty backfield on second and six.
That was either a bad play call or an admission Pittsburgh’s offensive line could not push the Cardinals’ front seven around – or perhaps both.
With all that being said, the Steelers had the Cardinals right where they wanted them – up four late in the Super Bowl with the NFL’s best defense on the field and Arizona needing to go 65 yards to take the lead.
They did just that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for "my" Cardinals.
Somehow, Pittsburgh found a way to get it done – for a sixth time – even without a strong running game and a stifling defense on this day.
That’s what champions do – they find a way.
No Run To Success
Can we now put to rest the football urban myth that you have to be able to run the ball to win?
Of course it helps to have balance – but it’s not a necessity – not with today’s near-Arena Football rules that prohibit defensive backs from breathing on receivers or pass rushers being flagged for playing touch football with QBs after they release the football.
Neither the Steelers nor the Cardinals were able to establish a strong running game. In fact, neither team reached the big game because of the run.
Pittsburgh got there because of defense and Big Ben making enough plays with his arm this fall. Arizona reached nirvana on Warner’s arm, three 1,000 yard receivers and a hot defense that forced a ton of turnovers late in the season.
There Is Hope
This season's NFL playoffs once again reinforces the reality that any team can win it if you make it to the dance (playoff) in the NFL. Parity does that. The once 9-7Cardinals came within one defensive play of winning it all. This on the heels of the Giants, a #6 seed, beating arguably the greatest team of all time (the 18-0 Patriots) in 2008.
Cavaliers' Snub
A great deal has been said already about the Cavaliers having one of the game’s best records but only one all-star selection while other top teams have two or even three players going to the 2009 all star game.
Here is my take - the coaches who picked the alternates simply got it wrong. It’s either that or LeBron James is easily the best player on the planet for carrying this mediocre bunch to such a terrific record. Right?
In all seriousness, reality is somewhere in the middle. Yes, we love Moe Williams and he deserved to make it, and yes, 23 is the best player in the league. However, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.
The goal remains the same – grind it out for 82 games and earn the best record in the league and home court throughout prior to the second season starting.
It’s all about keeping your eye on the big picture and if this snub adds extra motivation for the guys from Cleveland – that’s fine with me.
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