Pierce and the "Gang Symbol"

Wizard, I love the Bobcats pick for 6th next year. Larry Brown is worth at least 7-10 wins next year. The Bobcats have good, young athletic players and all they need is a little coaching. Larry Brown will have them playing hard and playing smart. He is great at rebuilding teams and getting them to the playoffs. He did take the Clippers to the playoffs back in '93. Also, I expect Pat Riley to take the head coaching job of the Heat back right after the lottery where they a top 2 pick and can either Micheal Beasley or Derrick Rose.


Shame on the NBA for putting a unnecessary black mark on one of its top players. David Stern and the NBA has botched this whole Paul Pierce and the hand gesture story. That was the most non threatening gesture I have ever seen. Now all of the news people think Paul Pierce is in a gang. A gang. Pierce is 30 years old, about to get married, and has a kid. Now morons that know nothing think that Pierce is in gang and threatening Al Hortford. People are calling in on the radio making assumptions on Pierce. Some preacher is saying that Pierce should 50,000 dollars to a inner city youth fund. This thing is an absolute joke. Pierce does tons of charity work for inner city youths here in Boston and back in his hometown of Inglewood. Pierce does the gesture every game in the intros. He says it stands for "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" and I believe him. I see players every night do it after the hit a three. I can see if Pierce flipped Hortford the bird but not this. The way the NBA worded the fine was a sham too. They could of just said that he was fined for walking towards the Hawk bench on a timeout but they worded it saying for "showing gang related symbol". I'd like to know who in the NBA office is sitting there checking every game for which players are throwing up gang signs. Its just a damn shame. Its just a non story that people are making a story.


As for Game 5 tonight, look for the Celtics to come out with great energy and try to work KG in the post early and often. I hope KG will not settle for the fall away jumper and take it right at whoever is guarding him. Also if the Celtics get out to a big lead, I look to have the Celts keep the foot on the gas pedal. Now the team sees that the Hawks aren't going away no matter the deficit. Also the Celts have to play better defense and I think they will. Its a huge game tonight.

The Phoenix Suns, Larry Brown, Barry Zito, and Other Unnecessary Sporting Figures

I first want to appoligize once again for my moronic counterpart B Shea, even though I have agreed with most of his latest blogs. I then want to appoligize for my lack of blogging lately. Because of Final exams all week I haven't had the time, but now it's over and I can go back to being right about so many things.

B Shea's prediction of the Suns in five isn't looking good right now. However, down three to one, and clearly with a formula to beat San Antonio, I still like the Suns in seven, like I Originally predicted.

Larry Brown is on the move again, this time comming to save the Charlotte Bobcats who are currently represented by Eastern Michigan Alumni, Earl Boykins. Now a face that reaches taller than 5`5 can lead this team of young guns and poor draft picks. (Ex: Adam Morrison) The question still lies however, Does this team have a chance even with a great coach? Brown most recently couldn't save the New York Knicks who clearly had more talent then, than the Bobcats have now. The difference this time around is that Charlotte actually has people who want to be coached. Bold prediction time; I like the Bobcats to finish sixth in the east next season, pending Michael Jordan doesn't keep interfering with all their practices.

Barry Zito, Pitcher for the San Francisco Giants has been moved to the bullpen. Normally, I enjoy the Giants fail as a professional baseball team after the way the immortalized Barry Bonds* and his cheating home run chase but the way they seem to be giving up on the highest paid pitcher in baseball is sad for all baseball fans. Despite being 0-6 as a starter, his ERA is only 7.53 which means their is still hope. I'm looking for him to bounce back from this and finish the season as strong as anyone on the worst team in the National League can finish a season.

At last Pat Riley has left the Heat, and at a good time too. Other than the Knicks, no team in basketball has less of a future than the Miami Heat. I enjoy Riley leaving as coach because this way he can hire a good coach, wait for him to become succesful, fire him for no reason, then take that team to the playoffs. Good luck Wade... At least your contract is up in two years.

And finally, the Denver Nuggets. Fire George Karl, trade Carmelo Anthony before he drinks and drives his way out of Denver, and start all over through the draft, because this team will never win. To play such poor defense night in and night out and to loose a series four games to none without even caring is saddening. At least they aren't the Knicks...

Pats Draft and Suns/Spurs

The New England Patriots finally got the young linebacker they needed yesterday in the draft. Trading their 7th pick to the Saints and getting the 10th pick, the Pats drafted Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo. Everything I have read about him says that he is a smart player and that he is versatile. Being smart and versatile are two things the Pats are looking for when they acquire players. Mayo should be able to step in and contribute right away. He'll also be able to learn from Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and possibly Junior Seau if he returns. We will have to wait and see if he plays inside or outside but he will probably play both at some point during the season. Up until this point of the draft, the Pats have drafted another linebacker and 2 conerbacks. Linebacker and conerback are the two positions where we lack the most depth so its good to see those needs addressed.

It is not uncommon for a team to continually get beat by another team in the playoffs every year. It took the Pistons awhile to beat Bird and the Celtics in the 80s. Then those same Pistons frustrated Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the late 80s and early 90s. That is the same dilemma facing the Phoenix Suns now. They have been bounced by the Spurs twice in the playoffs and now they are down 0-3 to them. I picked the Suns because I thought the Spurs got old quickly. But that is clearly not the case. Phoenix blew Game 1. Came out flat in the second half of Game 2. And got smoked on their home court in Game 3. The Suns are about to get swept. One thing I would like to see is Steve Nash man up and play some damn defense on Tony Parker. Parker had some many open shots in Game 3, that its a miracle he didn't score 55. Or maybe have Mike D'Antoni put in DJ Strawberry on him but it could be too little, too late for that. This Suns team as presently constituted will probably be blown up possibly. If not, maybe a full year of Shaq will help but I think the Spurs are in their heads. I don't know if they can ever beat the Spurs.


Here is a warning to Al Hortford and the Hawks : Don't piss off Paul Pierce. He's liable to go off for 40 and I think he will.

The Other 1-2 Punch

Right now the Red Sox are on a roll. They are hitting great, the pitching has been decent to good, and their having the classic Fenway comeback wins. And this all started when Coco Crisp went down with a apparent injury and Jacoby Ellsbury has been playing full time. Jacoby seems to be on base every time he comes up. He's got a .444 OBP and he's batting around .300. Tonight against the Angels he belted 2 home runs. The kid is an absolute stud. He, along with Dustin Pedroia, have been getting on base lately and setting the table for Papi and Manny. During this great run the Sox have been on, Jacoby and Pedroia have been in the middle of it all. Tonight was a perfect example. The game game was tied at 6 in the bottom of the 8th when Jacoby led off with a perfectly placed bunt single in between the first baseman, pitcher, and second baseman. Then Pedroia smoked a ball down the 3rd base line and Ellsbury turned on the jets and scored all the way from first to give the Sox a 7-6 lead. This is just a continuation of Games 3 and 4 of last years World Series where they hit great and were all over the bases. Coco is great defensive center fielder but Theo Epstein has to find someone to take this guy soon because Jacoby is the spark plug for this team. He gives them energy. He's perfect on stealing bases. Him and Pedroia are the perfect 1-2 to start lead a line up.

Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are my two favorite players on the Red Sox and they may approach "Nomar Status" in my book. Back when I was a kid and Nomar was the best shortstop in baseball, I was absolutely obsessed with Nomar. I did his same batting stance, right down to the toe-tapping and batting glove adjustment. I collected almost every baseball card he was on, I had a bunch of t shirts that his name on it. Probably one of my greatest moments in my life when I went to Fenway and I got his autograph on a Red Sox program with Darren Bragg on the cover. I was absolutely speechless. So all in all, Nomar Status is just the select few athletes that I will serious man-love for (like the Wiz has for Brian Scalabrine). Probably the only athlete that has reached and maybe even surpass Nomar Status is Tom Brady (perhaps it should be changed to Brady Staus but Nomar came first and was my first love I guess). Larry Bird to me is just God but he was before my time, so in my book hes just God. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are approaching Nomar Status with every win. Pedroia and Ellsbury are on their way up. Its just a matter of time really.

NBA Playoffs

If we were in the Big Show right now Wiz, they would be playing the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood make believe music. Its easy to play the what if game on this type of topic. I like to live in reality my good man. The reality is that no one got hurt, thank god, and Carmelo made a mistake. I like to believe that people deserve second chances.


Now on to the NBA Playoffs. We'll start in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics- The Celtic defense is just too good. The Celtics have a much better bench and the Garden will shaking. I'm looking forward to the point guard match up between Rondo and Mike Bibby. Bibby always plays well in the playoffs and this is Rondo's first taste of playoffs action. Should be a sweep but 5 games at the most.
Phildelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons- The 76ers are better than people think and they will give the Pistons some trouble. Rasheed dosent like to go inside anymore and just hangs around the perimiter now. The 76ers will try and run and run with all those athletes but Detroit is very good at forcing a team to play the halfcourt game. Pistons in 6.
Toranto Raptors vs Orlando Magic- This is an interesting series. The Bosh/Howard match up is one of the best indivdual matchups of the first round. The Raptors are better without TJ Ford and with Jose Calderon. But now Ford is back starting and Calderon is back on the bench playing 20 minutes a game. The Raptors have a ton of shooters and they can get hot for a series but Howard and Hedo Turkaglu are just too much. Magic in 6.
Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavilaries- The best first round series in the East. The Wizards can really score and they seem better with Gilbert Arenas coming off the bench. However, as Stephen A. Smith would say, they have called out LeBron. Deshawn Stevenson has called him overrated and Gilbert has been talking on his blog. LeBron plays out of his mind and carrys his sorry supporting cast past the Wizards in 7 games.

Cavs vs Celtics
LeBron cant carry is sorry supporting cast past the Celtics. Ben Wallace cant handle KG and the Celtic bench will be a huge key. Whoever Wally Szczerbiak guards weather Pierce or Ray Allen has a feild day. Tony Allen and James Posey coming off the bench to guard LeBron will be big. LeBron still has a good series but his sorry supporting cast (I'm just gonna refer to them as SSC. Its just eaiser.) dosent do much. Celtics in 6.
Magic vs Pistons
Dwight Howard has the time of his life in this series. Sheed wants no piece of of the paint on defese. Howard will abuse him. However, Sheed draws Howard out the 3 point line and allows Billups and Hamilton to pentrate. I would not be shocked if the Magic win this series but I think the Pistons end up winning in 7.

Eastern Confernce Finals- Pistons vs Celtics
Its that 80s show all over again on this time it will be good. KG has has 3 great games vs the Pistons and has abused Sheed all year. Like I keep saying Sheed wants no part of the paint. This is going to be such a great series. Rondo took a big step in the last Celtics/Pistons matchup. He did a great job on Billups in that game. Once again the Celtic bench will be key. I look for Sam I Am to hit a big shot as well as James Posey. Celtics in 7, baby.


Western Conference
Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers- The Nuggets can be scary because they are so good at scoring the basketball but other than Marcus Cambey, they have no interest in defense. Kobe will have a crazy sereis becuase he'll be able to score at will vs the Nuggets. I think Carmelo and AI have a good series as well but the Nuggets lack of knowledge at the defensive end does them in. Tougher than people think but Lakers in 6.
Dallas Mavericks vs New Orleans Hornets- Upset special. Dirk has got that killer instcit back as he has been carrying the Mavs lately. Dont be shocked in Josh Howard gaurds Chris Paul. I would have Howard gaurd Paul and put Kidd on Morris Peterson. Howard can handle Paul and he should give him some problems with his length and it saves Kidd's legs for offense. The Hornets have little playoff expirence and those that have some were not pleasent expirences. Mavs in 6.
Phoniex Suns vs San Antonio Spurs- The Suns got Shaq just for this matchup. Shaq gives Tim Duncan trouble and Shaq can just concentrate on defense and let Amare and Nash go crazy on offense. The Spurs havent really showed their ususal championship guts this year really. Manu has to go crazy and average 30, I think. This isnt gonna be as close as people think. The Suns have been waiting for this all year and Shaq gives them championship confidence. Suns in 5.
Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets- The Jazz are so good at home and not too good on the road. The Rockets dont have Rafer Alston for the first 2 games and dont have Yao Ming at all. Tracy McGrady has to have a huge series for the Rokcets to win and he has the history of first round faliure. The second longest win streak in NBA history loses in the first round. Jazz in 6.


Jazz vs Lakers- This gonna be a great series. The key matchup is Carlos Boozer vs Pau Gasol. That should be a great matchup. If I'm not mistaken, the Lakers went into Utah and blew them out so they have that going for them. Deron Willams will have the best series out of everyone in the series. The Jazz are too shaky on the road tho so I'm gonna go with the Lakers in 6.

Mavs vs Suns- Too many weapons for the Mavs to cover. Amare will be unstopable. The Mavs did go into Pheonix and came back from 13 down to win but I dont think that will happen again. This is where the Suns get to run as opposed to in the first round where it was half court game. Suns in 6.

Western Conference Finals- Suns vs Lakers
Shaq vs Kobe. All week we'll be seeing ESPN showing all the Shaq and Kobe stories from the past. We'll see the stupid clip of Shaq giving Kobe a piggy back ride and all those stupid clips. But other than that it should be a great West Final to go with the East Final. Im going with the Lakers be cause I need and want to see a Celtic/Laker NBA Final. Lakers in 7.



NBA Final- Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics.
The most storied rivalry in basketball gets renewd this year. On ESPN Classic and NBA TV, we will get to see all the Celtic/Laker games from years past which is phenomal. The Celtics have more offensive weapons plus the fantastic defense. KG, Pierce and Allen wont let this slip away. Posey and TA's defense on Kobe will be key. Leon Powe will be huge as will Eddie House and Sam I am. The C's swept the Lakers this year. Granted that was before the Lakers had Gasol. But let me ask you this question. Is there really much a difference bewteen the Lakers with Gasol or the Lakers with Andrew Bynum? I dont really see much a differnce. Gasol is better offensively while Bynum is better defensivly. This series will the most watched final ever. It's going to be so much fun, I'm getting goosebumbs just thinking about it. Celtics in 7 and it goes down as one of the best Finals ever.

NBA playoff results...I'm that good

East: (1)Boston & (8)Atlanta...Look for Boston to win all four games in double digits against the Mike Bibby led Hawks. (1)Boston goes on. (2)Detroit (7)Philadelphia...Very tough first round match up for Detroit as they get one of the hottest teams in basketball led by star Andre Iguodala. I just can't see the veteran leadership of Rip, Chauncy, Rasheed, and Tayshaun going down. I like (2)Detroit to move on in six. (3) Orlando & (6) Toronto... Chris Bosh has established himself as one of the elite players in the league but this young squad will not be able to contain Dwight Howard and hedo Turkoglu for long. Add the great shooting ability of Rashard Lewis who was brought to Orlando just for his three point shot to take down Toronto in five games. Finally there is the (4) Cleveland (5) Washington matchup. Alot of trash talking between the two teams, even before they knew they were playing eachother. I like Cleveland in seven games because of Lebron James. Gibert and friends will be there everygame but Gilbert and his lack of playing this season will tire him out by the end.

This leads up to (1)Boston vs (4) Cleveland. Lebron carried his team last year to the NBA finals but after Washington beats him up for seven straight games, I can't see him having anything left. Look for Boston to win in five games, at the most. Next we have (2) Detroit vs (3) Orlando. This series comes down to shooting, and since Detroit plays far better defense, I like them in six games.

(1) Boston vs (2) Detroit. The Match-up we have all been waiting for. Boston hasn't dominated Detroit all year, but they have their number. Winning the season seriers 2-1, Boston realizes Detroits weaknesses, and that is interior defense. Detroit couldn't contain Glenn Davis, so how are they going to contain KG and Perkins? Every matchup favors Boston, except at the point but with alien face Sam Cassell comming off the bench, Detroit stands no chance against a team built for a championship. I like Boston in the sweep to go to the finals...

West: (1) LA Lakers vs (8) Denver... I'd say Kobe and the Lakers in four but Denver can outshoot LA at least for one night. Lakers in five. (2) New Orleans vs (7) Dallas... Somehow as a two seed no one likes the hornets. Well I love them because of their close nit squad, and great defense. Plus MVP candidate Chris Paul who will outplay Jason Kidd up and down the court will lead to a New Orleans win. Factor in the choke artist of the playoffs, Dirk Nowitzki and you have the Hornets moving on in six games. (3) San Antonio (6) Phoenix... Big Cactus and Nash vs a team that is incapable of winning back to back championships. Still, Phoenix loves to keep it close to score high ratings and make money, so I like them in seven. (4) Utah vs (5) Houston... Since Houston lost after winning twenty two straight, has anyone heard from them? Utah has one of, if not the best point guard in the league in Deron Williams, and they are getting unreal playing from Carlos Boozer. I like Utah in five games here against the Yao-less Rockets.

(1) LA vs (4) Utah... Will LA be healthy enough down the stretch? It's a tough question, especially when your going to be up against a team like Utah who hides under the radar. In seven, look for Utah to move on. (2) New Orleans vs (6) Phoenix... Chris Paul had a great season but Steve Nash has been here to often. Every game is going to be a struggle for the Hornets but I'll give them at least one win. Phoenix in five.

(4) Utah vs (6) Phoenix... Looks like a bunch of upsets, but in the west, nothing is an upset. This will go down as the demise of Shaq. He is going to get to game seven but fail to make the finals. The most underrated team in the west, the Jazz will go to the finals making Malone and Stockton very happy.

As for the championship I'm going to make it quick. Utah can shoot, and will shoot there way to a few wins over Boston, but the Celtics will beat down the Jazz night in and night out. Boston wins big in game six to win the NBA Championship. Bold prediction, Brian Scalabrine makes the last bucket of the season.

twenty-two

So by letting Carmelo Anthony off the hook, are you saying you advocate drinking and driving B Shea? Since he said he was sorry it's ok? What if he got into an accident and killed somebody B Shea? If he said sorry would you still want him on the court in the playoffs a week later B Shea?

Other than B Shea supporting drinking and driving, baseball had an epic story last night. The Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres played twenty-two innings. The game was tied for 9th for the longest game in history, along with the longest since 1993. The longest game in MLB history was in 1984 when Chicago and Milwakee went twenty-five innings. Since both teams have to travel and play the next night, should baseball enstill a new extra innings policy? My side of the issue is no. It's something that has been around since the start of baseball and the rare twenty plus game is so rare that it doesn't need change. Coaching is generally overrated in baseball because of the long season, but in games like this it is very fun to see how they do. Lucky for the fans the teams combined for a .170 batting average while only putting up three runs. They were cursed however in the bottom of the 14th when Josh Bard singled in the game tying run, to even the score at one to one. I had a great time watching parts of the game however. Like most baseball fans we know extra innings can be as fun as any overtime in any sport, especially in the NL were pitchers have to bat. I hope that we get more pitching gems and see this more often because extra inning games are fun. My bold prediction is that Colorado goes into Cinncinatti and wins and San Diego goes into Arizona and wins.

The Time Is Upon Us

Yeah, maybe I am a little biased towards the best clutch hitter in Red Sox history and one of the 3 three most clutch players in Boston sports history. Remember 2 years ago when Manny started really slow? Granted, he wasn't as bad as Papi has been now but Manny ended the year hitting .321/35/102 and that was with him taking September off. Papi will put his usual numbers. And Wizard, you gotta take it easy on Carmelo. Yes, he made a mistake and I'm sure his press conference was sincere, but for you to call for a suspension is ridiculous. The NFL is cracking down on things like this but it is happening all over the league. Name the last NBA player to be arrested. I cant really name anyone. Melo knows the mistake he made and I think he has punished himself enough. I expect him to have a huge postseason.


The Celtics will play their final regular season game tonight vs the Nets. Then Sunday the second season begins. I can not explain how excited I am. I have been waiting for the Celtics to have a legit shot at a title my whole life. I cant wait to see all the Celtic Legends to be in attendance for the games. Russell, JoJo, Parish, Hondo, Cooz, Sam Jones, KC Jones, and the list goes on and on. The Garden will be so loud and so intense. This current team is prepared for this moment. They take every game one at a time which is the perfect mindset for the playoffs. Pierce, KG, and Allen are ready and I don't think they will let this opportunity pass them up. Everyone on this team has heard all the experts saying how they can't win. Either its that Rondo cant shoot and be a championship point guard or KG cant win the big one or that Doc can't coach under pressure. They have so many things to motivate them. This team is ready to take their place in history. The fans are ready. They've been waiting 22 years for this. The time is now for everyone involved with the Celtics. I may pass out from all this excitement.

Driving Under The Influence...

The only thing worse than you being wrong all the time B Shea is that when your wrong because of your bias towards Boston Athletics. David Ortiz will bat .300, have 35 HR's, and drive in 130RBI's. Are you out of your mind. Papi will come out of his slump, but won't be what we are used to seeing. He will go .274 with 27 home runs and 106 RBI's. Fortunatly Manny is actually hitting the ball in April for the first time in years, or this team would be in serious trouble. It was also good to see alien face finally score. He will be very important in the post season but the X-factor is still Rondo.



Today Carmelo Anthony, small forward for the Denver Nuggets was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. It's four in the morning, your team just made the postseaon, and you had your worst game of the season. I'm going to bet he had been drinking too! Fortunatly no one was hurt, except his reputation. What bothers me is that he is going to get away from this without any scratches. The NFL is cracking down on things like this and I would love David Stern, commisioner of the NBA to do something. The DUI is all to familiar and is becomming a norm for professional athletes. I am sick of the athletes always getting away with this crime because they have money. Even as far back as the early 90's athletes were getting away with DUI and alcohol related accidents. All I am really trying to say is that I hope David Stern man's up like he has done with so many other things and actually comes up with a punishment.


As for tonight, Bruins win again, this time in regulation 5-2...

A Great Day

Yes, Pac has been very wacky with all that has gone on around him. Punching a girl in the face is inexcusable. Now I don't mean to be a Pacman apologist but he was not the one that fired the gun that paralyzed the man but still it was an awful situation. However, since he has been suspended he hasn't gotten into any trouble. Everyone thought that he was just going to get into more trouble by being away from football but he really hasn't. I guess that shows that he has matured a little. I think that Pacster should be allowed back into the NFL. If he messes up again then I might rethink that.


Yesterday was great day for Boston sports. The Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins all played exciting games. First the Red Sox. Beckett pitched really well but you can see that he fatigued a bit down the stretch. I chalk that up to him missing most of spring training. He will be fine. Papi continues too struggle but he'll be fine. We expect so much of this guy that we think he is slump proof. Papi will break out soon and before you know it he'll end the season with .300/35/130. Jacoby and Pedroia started the rally in the bottom of the 6th by getting back to back hits. Jacoby and Pedroia should be 1-2 in the order for the Sox for the next 5-10 years. Coco is a great defensive outfielder but this lineup is completely different when Jacoby is at the top of the order. Hopefully the Sox find a trading partner for Coco and we can get to see Jacoby full time.

The Celtics beat the Hawks yesterday in a playoff preview. With the win, they now have the third best record in franchise history. Truly phenomenal. With the starters on the bench for most of the 4th, the second unit played great defense and really shut down the Hawks down the stretch. Also Sam I Am finally came alive. He had 15 of his 20 points in the 4th and lived up to this reputation as a big time shooter. It was good to see Sam finally started to knock down shots because the Celts are gonna need that experience in the playoffs.

The Bruins nearly stole game 2 away from the Habs. They came out with a ton of energy in the first period but were still down 1-0 after 1. The second period they didn't play to well and were down 2-0. They were finally able to score with Montreal in the penalty in the 3rd period to send it to overtime. A very questionable tripping penalty in overtime really hurt. Tim Thomas made a bunch of great saves but let one slip by. Down 0-2 the Bruins come back home where the crowd is on their side. Bruins win 4-3, bold prediction baby.


Also tonight we get to hear Joe Morgan call the Sox game tonight. I will be listening intently and I'll blog about the idiotic comments he says. Always makes for great comedy.

Pacman Fever...

Good point about the Bruins needing to begin to play physical but you can't compare hockey to baseball. In baseball if you want to become physical or throw at someone, you get suspended. In hockey you sit in a box for five minutes. The risk/reward in hockey is significantly greater than in baseball. Once again though I like how your too chicken to make any real predictions about the NHL playoffs B Shea. Maybe when your older you'll become a man, and even with time, you might actually be right about something. Or maybe you'll stay in your drought like the Chicago Cubbies.

Anyway, the world is four days away from knowing if Roger Goodell is going to allow Adam (pacman) Jones, cornerback for the Tennessee Titans to return to the NFL. If I was Roger Goodell I would just tell him now instead of waiting that you are not allowed to return to the playing field. It doesn't make sense how this man has been arrested so many times and still doesn't play for the Cinncinatti Bengals. Six arrests in two years is unheard of. I thought OJ Simpson was the worlds luckiest athlete, well up until a few months ago, but Pacman's record is awful. A man is paralyzed after a triple shooting in a Las Vegas strip club because of him. Other arrests include him punching women in the face in Atlanta, starting riots at Strip Clubs, other shootings outside other clubs, and numerous traffic Violations. Last season while appealing his one year suspension in New York City to commisoner Roger Goodell, the night before he was seen in a NYC strip club. Some people just don't learn. Pacman's latest argument is that he's doing good now for the community which is rediculous. He's done charity work in an Atlanta church but with the help of his family. His other charity included buying 1500 TNA wrestling tickets for Atlanta's youth. Pacman shouldn't even have the chance to go back to the NFL because he should be in prison. Everywhere this guy goes, people get shot, riots break out because he throughs thousands of dollars on a stripers stage, or women get punched in the face. This guy is the human version of hurricane Katrina, just a disaster. Even though we all know this, why is Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys trying to get this guy? Has he been taking the short bus into Texas Stadium this past month? You already have Terrell Owens, who is the most outspoken person in the NFL, the same man who turned Quarterback Tony Romo into a girly man who will never win a playoff game. Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones would be hell on earth for the Dallas area. I have faith however because time will catch up with this man, and he will, if not Tuesday, be thrown out of football forever.

v

If somehow he is re-enstated, what is a fair trade. At first a seventh round pick for Pacman was the offer. A few years back he was picked sixth overal from, West Virginia. Tennessee thinks he's worth something and somehow Dallas thinks he is worth something. I think that perhaps a fourth round pick is fair trade value at this point. In the long run however anything is worth it because I am sick of the name Pacman Jones, the team Tennessee Titans, and the sport Football being in the same sentence.

Rare B Shea Hockey Talk

Like I said before, I am not a hockey expert nor do I pretend too be. I was raised on the three main sports, basketball, baseball, and football, and could never really get into hockey. I like to watch a Bruins game every now and then but hockey has never really interested me. But with the Bruins in the playoffs again, I've tried to get myself into it the Bruins. Watching the Bruins continued to get dominated by the Canadiens made me wonder a couple things. How can one team lose 12 times straight to a hated rival? and when is that losing team going to do knock someone down? By knock someone down I mean to finally stand up to someone on the other team and show that you are willing to fight. Someone on the B's has to level a Hab. Can you imagine the Red Sox losing 10 straight to the Yankees without Jeter or A-Rod getting knocked down by Beckett or someone else? It took one blowout in the 1984 NBA Finals for someone (Larry Legend) to say something about and then Mchale took out Rambis and the Lakers were stunned and the Celts won in 7 games. Like I said I am no Puck Guru so I don't know what type of hockey strategy the Bruins can use to finally beat Montreal but if anyone on the Bruins has any pride someone has to go down and go down hard on the Canadiens. Its just in the athletes code. You cant keep getting your ass kicked by a hated rival.


In some other news, if you want to read something hilarious then check out this article from Pat Jordan on what Jose Canseco's life is really like now and how he is such a scumbag. Some graphic details but thoroughly entertaining.

NHL playoff bold predictions

Billy Buckner threw out the first pitch to open the 2008 season at Fenway park. I guess Boston is trying to forget that he blew the 1986 world series. Personally, I don't see it being all his fault because the Red Sox still lost game seven. It doesn't make sense how goats like Bill Buckner are never forgotten yet hero's like Mike Jones are lost within years. Who? Mike Jones tackled Kevin Dyson in the 1999 superbowl at the one yard line to win the game. I think what Boston did yesturday was a great thing for the organization, and especially, for the Buckner family which had moved to Idaho to avoid everyone. Unfortunatly for Buckner and Red Sox fans, I think a new curse has been unleased. Hopefully the curse only lasts a couple of days though so Boston can still win the world series, and get yet another one of my predictions right. Another prediction like picking Tennessee to win the NCAAW basketball championship last night. Not so bold, but right.

Now for my NHL predictions which will be 100% accurate.

East:

1. Montreal

8. Boston

4. New Jersey

5. New York (R)

3. Washington

6. Philadelphia

2. Pittsburgh

7. Ottawa

I expect Boston to play New Jersey, and Washington to play Pittsburgh. In the eastern conference final i expect Boston and Pittsburgh. This series will be won by the Bruins. From there best player, to their worst player Boston is a very even team. There strength is Tim Thomas at goalie, who is having an amazing year. They open against a banged up Canadians squad who will be without captain Saku Koivu. I also like Pittsburgh to beat Washington and prove once and for all that Sydney Crosby is better than Alexander Ovechkin.

West:

1. Detroit

8. Nashville

4. Anaheim

5. Dallas

3. Minnesota

6. Colorado

2. San Jose

7. Calgary

In the Western Conference i like Detroit vs. Anaheim and Minnesota vs San Jose. In the conference finals i like Detroit vs San Jose but I have San Jose winning here because unlike Detroit they play the body.

In Lord Stanley's Cup I like San Jose over Boston, even though I'll be rooting for Boston all the way. The matchup of Joe Thornton verse Scott Thornton playing their old teams will be riveting and they potential return of Bruin great Patrice Bergeron to the ice will light a fire under this team. I do expect however San Jose to win in six games. At 30/1 however Boston is a great pick to win it all.

Rock Chalk Red Sox

Last nights college basketball title game was the best college basketball I have seen in a long time. It had everything you could have asked for in a championship game. Clutch plays, bonehead coaching moves, and the classic "questionable call that is not really a questionable call cause the ref had his head up his ass". Of course the call I am refereeing too is Derrick Rose's bank shot with the shot clock winding down. It should have never come to the refs checking the monitor. The ref was right behind Rose as he is taking the shot! He missed the call but luckily for Kansas and Wizard the refs made the correct call. The bonehead coaching move was Calipari not having his players foul Collins right before Chalmers' 3. Coach Cal says that they were trying to foul but on the replay you can see Rose kind of backing off Collins. I'm surprised that you don't see teams foul in that situation more often. How many times do you see a team not foul and then give up the game tying 3? I see at least 5 times every basketball season. Its too early to decide where Chalmers shot ranks in all time NCCA tourney history. It will be up there with Keith Smart, Christian Laettner, Michael Jordan, and Bryce Drew. Laettner and Drew's shot weren't in the the final but Smart and Jordan's were. The difference between Smart and Jordan was they were wide open and Chalmers had a couple hands in his face. Just an unbelievable shot in and unbelievable game. As for Bill Self, I don't think he'll go to Oklahoma State, even though it is his alma mater. Leaving a great basketball school like Kansas to go to Oklahoma State would be like leaving Notre Dame football to coach Georgia Tech. Its a step down in terms of history and tradition.

Just a beautiful day at Fenway Park today. Not only did the Sox beat the Tigers 5-0 and Dice-K pitched great but with all ring ceremonies the highlight is the pre game festivities. All the Boston sports championship trophies were together today as Bobby Orr led Bruins greats with the Stanley Cup trophy, Bill Russell was with Danny Anige, KC Jones, JoJo White, John Havlicek, and for some reason ML Carr (I was surprised that he wasn't waving a towel). The Pats were led by Tedy Bruschi, Kevin Faulk, Larry Izzo, and long snap expert Lonnie Paxton. The players with the 2004 World Series trophy were a great collection of old friends. Dave McCarty, Curtis Leskanic, and the original dirt dog Brian Daubach (who, if my memory serves me correctly, was only with the team for like the first month of 2004). It was really fun to see all the trophies together but I guess the real highlight was the vindication of Bill Buckner. Buckner came of the Monster and threw out the first pitch. You could tell on his walk to the mound that he was emotional. Buckner was the face of the whole curse business and its too bad because he was a great player and a great hitter but he is always remembered for the ground ball in 1986. People forget that the game was already tied cause the shaky Sox bullpen blew the two run lead but Buckner became the main goat. I suppose that 2 World Series later his is truly vindicated and I'm glad for him and I suppose that Red Sox Nation has forgiven him. It was a great moment to see. Maybe next year Grady Little will throw out the first pitch.

Plus I always love to see how the players interact with Johnny Pesky. Watching him and Big Papi hang up the 2007 World Series banner was great to watch. Seeing Manny give him a little kiss on the cheek and a hug was classic. The whole team just has smiles on their faces when Johnny Pesky is around and for good reason. Johnny Pesky is Mr. Red Sox and his number should be retired with all the others.

College hoops is almost over!

You know i hate agreeing with you B Shea but it's tough to say that that Dennis Johnson shouldn't be in the basketball hall of fame. Usually you are just another biased fool but after looking at the intangables that DJ brought to Boston over the 80's was unreal. I'm not entirely upset with basketball however because a great class just entered. Congrats to the electee's for your hard work and dedication to the game.

The madness has finally ended, yet i still feel mad. Memphis who all year could not hit free throws but got away with it this far lost the championship due to a problem that coach John Calipari stated, wasn't a big concern. Experts tried comparing them to the UConn team of recent years that couldn't hit free throws yet ran away with the title. Unfortunately John Calipari among other experts forget that they play in Conference USA. They snuck by all year without needed to hit clutch free throws as they walked through powerhouses like UAB and Tulsa. That said, even without free throws how does a team blow a nine point lead with less than two minutes left. The game turned around when Sherron Collins stole the inbound from Antonio Anderson, made a few passes, got the ball back, and hit a three to make it a four point game. From there Derrick Rose and especially Chris Douglas-Roberts failed to put the game away missing four of the last five free throws. Even with all this lack of offense, Memphis had a three point lead with under ten to go until a rediculous three pointer with two seconds left was hit by Mario Chalmers. It was only the second three pointer of the game for Kansas but as soon as it went in, everyone knew Memphis stood no chance. They ended up winning 75-68 which is twelve points less than I predicted. I did however predict Kansas would pull away in the end and that free throw shooting would kill Memphis. I also won my bracket for the first time in my life which was pretty awesome. As for the game, Memphis surprised me and played alot better than i gave them credit for. Derrick Rose showed for the most part that in the near future he will be an exellant NBA pro, and i think Mario Chalmers helped his case for the future as well. The refereeing I thought was decent, and went both ways. It was the most compelling chamionship game for the NCAAM tournament that I have ever seen. It really was a perfect ending to a great basketball season. I just hope that Kansas coach Bill Self doesn't sell his soul to the devil and take the Oklahoma State job.

Staying with college, tonight for the NCAAW basketball tournament I have Tennesee winning 73-65 over Stanford. Look for Candace Parker to be the better Candace on the court, even though Candice Wiggins spells it differently. That's it for college ball till next year.

DJ # 3

Yes, the Tigers have got off to a horrific start and yes their pitching is and has been very suspect but their line up is too good to continue to struggle. Pitching is always ahead offense early in the season. Plus once the weather heats up, I think their bats will too. I am still going to stick with the Tigers to win the division. I will not be a flip-flopper.


Today the Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 2008 inductees. The seven new members are Pat Riley, Dick Vitale, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Adrian Dantley, Cathy Rush, and William Davidson. However, there is one name that is missing. That name is Dennis Johnson. DJ, as he is known around Boston, was just as important to those 80s Celtics teams as Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. Johnson won 3 NBA titles (2 with the Celtics and 1 with the Sonics), a 5 time All Star, and was also named to an All Defensive team 9 straight years. Johnson didn't have great numbers but he had solid numbers. He averaged 14.1 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, and 5 assits but his numbers didn't speak to what kind of player he actually was. DJ was a unbelievable defender. In the 1984 NBA Finals, he shut down Magic Johnson and completely took him out of that series. When DJ retired, Magic called him "the greatest backcourt defender of all time"

DJ was also tremendously clucth and almost always came up big in the biggest games. In 1985, Johnson hit a game winner in Game 4 of those Finals against the Lakers. In 1979, Johnson was a finals MVP. In that series with the Sonics, DJ put averages of 23, 6, and 6 including 32 points in the game clinching win. He was the definition of a big time, big money player. You know, someone had to be there for Bird's steal vs the Pistons.

People also forget that DJ was a shooting guard when he was with the Sonics. He was known as a above the rim type of guy. A huge contrast compared to what he was later in his career with the Celtics.

Johnson was a very consistent player throughout his career. He was very fundamental and great player to watch. When I was growing up and learning the game, I would like to watch how Johnson played defense and would try to learn the little tricks that he was amazing at. Former Celtic teammate Danny Anige called him "one of the most underrated player of all time and one of the greatest Celtics acquisitions". In my mind he IS the most underrated player of all time.

For DJ not to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a complete and utter injustice. Joe Dumars is in the Hall and they are similar players but no way did Dumars have the career like Johnson. Dumars has 2 rings, Johnson 3. Dumars averaged 16.1, 2.2, and 4.5 compared to DJ's 14, 3, and 5. Larry Bird said that DJ was the best teammate he ever had. That is pretty much the highest praise that any player can give to any teammate never mind from the greatest player of all time. There is a reason that Bird asked that his "33" be retired next to DJ's "3". Dennis Johnson should have got in this year and hopefully he will in the coming years. Its just too bad that he is not around to see it.

The Detroit Tigers, Along With Other Jokes.

If you want to avoid always being wrong B Shea, don't set yourself up with a "Stupid Idiotic Comment To Make". Thank you to Curt Schilling for that comment. Other than that, for at least one post you didn't sound like a five year old trying to give insight into a big world. I will say about Canseco is that he needs to slow down. I'm not going to say his book is full of lies because he understands the legal side of publishing lies but I am going to say that when the going get tough, Jose get's going. Steroids are a distugsting shadow casted over the 90's over baseball but tremendous steps have been taken to clean up a dirty game. It seems odd to me that the witchhunt is still going on. My only question for Jose is, why wouldn't you just add the big names in your new book to your first one? Does he have blackmail on every player from the 90's? Something isn't right and I personally wouldn't take anything he says in his new book to seriously.

0-6 isn't the way baseball expected the $137,685,196 payroll of the Detroit tigers to start off the 2008 season. There current payroll is 2nd among baseball teams in the MLB only trailing the New York Yankees. So many moves were made this offseason by Detroit, especially picking up Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. Edgar Renteria and his ten million per year were also added. This move forced former SS Carlos Guillen to move to first base. All offseason the so called experts said that the tigers had the best offense 1-9 in baseball and most predicted them to at least make the playoffs as a wild card team. One has to imagine there hitting dillema's have to turn around at some point over the 162 game season but the problem will lie with their pitching. Justin Verlander who's no hitter a mere year ago is his only claim to fame but what is missed through his near 100 mile per hour fastball is the fact that in 2007 he led baseball in wild pitches and hit batsmen. Jeremy Bonderman has a career ERA over 4.78 which seems high but not as high as his 8.5 million per seaon he banks. Dontrelle Willis who hasn't pitched a .500 season since 2003 isn't going to hold this starting rotation together. Nate Robertson who has a career ERA of 4.63 is also one of the starting five. The startling fact about him however is the fact that he barely averages more starts than home runs allowed. You can't win games when the ball is in that pesky crowd at Comerica Park. Finally there is tv camera man hating, Dumping booze on police man pitching, eight million per year earning, 43 year young pitcher Kenny Rogers. He was the only pitcher on this team which looked good in there 0-6 start, but only for about four innings. He was lights out, pitching a no hitter threw three innings until the powerhouse Royals got to see him again. It is very tough in this day and age to win games when your starters can't get out of the 5th inning. Unfortunatly for Detroit their bullpen is even worse than there starting pitching. At the back end, closer Todd Jones who I personally guarentee gives up more warning track flyball outs than any two pitchers in baseball. He is a workhorse at 39 years old but over the stretch of an entire season will fade. Getting to Jones is the tricky part however. Fernando Rodney, Bobby Seay, Jason Grilli, Zach Minor, Denny Bautista, Yorman Bazardo, and the always injured Joel Zumaya at any given point make up the bullpen. Keep in mind that out of a 137+ million dollar pay roll, only Fernando Rodney makes over one million per season. Big names all offseason and the only addition to your bullpen is Denny Bautista!


Not to brag but i want to remind everyone from my post on March 28th I said the Detroit would NOT make the postseason, while my counterpart B Shea who seems to enjoy always being wrong has them winning the AL Central. Look for Detroit to finish third in the division as i said so long ago. Finally, watch Kansas tonight beat up on Memphis so I can win my first ever bracket pool. It's too easy being this right all the time!

A Little Bit of Everything

Wizard, you are an idiot. No kidding every game in every sport could come down to the final minute. Its a freaking general statement. A lot of people say it because its true. Unfortunately none of the games came down to the final minute. Memphis came out and just over powered UCLA. Derrick Rose completely took Darren Collison out of the game. CDR had a great game and put the exclamation point on it when he posterized Kevin Love. In the second game, Kansas had amazing energy in the first half and were running UNC out of the building. UNC nearly pulled off the historic comeback by pulling within 4 but all their energy was spent and Kansas hung on. Kansas matches up really well with Memphis. The Jayhawk guards can keep up with Rose and CDR. The game should be an up and down affair in the early going because of the nerves of both teams. I wouldn't be surprised if Kansas goes to a zone and force Memphis to shoot contested jumpers.

The Red Sox lost today 7-4 to the Blue Jays. Beckett looked good early on but he tired in the in the 5th inning. I thought that Beckett was left in for one batter too many. The middle relief continues to struggle. Right now, I think this team is still very tired. You can just tell that the usual spark isn't there. The Sox now return home and they should receive some energy because of the ring ceremony. Plus the Tigers are coming to town.

Last Night the Celtics locked up homecourt throughout the playoffs by beating the Bobcats. KG, Pierce, and Allen got some much needed rest. I think they will maybe miss one more game but should probably play in the final 5 games in reduced minutes to get back into a rhythm heading into the playoffs. Also they set the record for biggest turnaround ever from the previous season. This year has been amazing and I don't want it ever to end.

Jose Canseco has been everywhere lately plugging his new book. Canseco is just an absolute moron and a scumbag. He picks and chooses who is going to rat out. He openly admits to hating A-Rod and is ratting out Maggilio Ordenez for not investing on a movie with him. He was interviewed on the Big Show on WEEI the other day and hung up on them when the questions got a little tough. He calls Curt Schilling a 1 year old, weird and the strangest man he has ever seen. He is defending Roger Clemens like James Dolan backs Isiah Thomas in public but in his book he says that Clem-bag didn't look so good in front of Congress. He is contradicting himself in his own book. To be honest, I don't know who or what to believe anymore but I know that when I need the truth I'm not turning to Jose Canseco.

Kansas vs. Memphis

Despite my pre tourny pick of Memphis loosing in the sweet 16 they have played like a powerhouse all tournament. For a team that shoots under 57% from the stripe all season, they have consistantly hit there free throws thus far. They opened at 63% against the University of Texas-Arlington then shot a dismal 47% while just squeaking out a win against Mississippi St. Then in their past three games they have shot 74%, 83%, and 87% respectively, all in blow outs of decent teams. Hit your freebies and you will be successful. Unfortunatly they are running into a Kansas team which simply dominated Tyler Hansbrough and his UNC Tarheels.

In response to our new blogger, PUCK GURU, I am pretty sure watching hockey isn't time well spent. It's merely just time spent at best. Other than that however, I personally am theorally excited about the Bruins playoff push. I honestly thought it was all over twelve games ago when Zedano Chara got hurt and rookie GM Peter Chiarelli made the comment, "We are going to rest him for the playoffs" with a two point lead over the then 9th seed Sabres. There is so much wrong with that comment that I can't even comment more on it. Unfortunatly it appears as if the Bruins are going to get stuck playing Montreal whom they are 0-8 against this season, or the Washington Capitals who are the hottest team in hockey. I never thought playing Sid the kid and the rest of the Penguins was the Bruins best chance but it appears that it is. Finally, the Boston Globe reported today that Patrice Bergeron still might come back after that devestating hit from behind he suffered at the beginning of the season. That would be a rare hockey storyline I'd be excited about.

In response to B Shea and his inability to say something that makes sense, nice pick with UCLA. At least you had Kansas so i can't enjoy being 100% more right than you. You say that both games could have come down to the final minute because they are all #1 seeds. Not only was that wrong, but can't every game of every sport come down to the final minute? The lone thing I agree with you about is the storylines which proved to great. I really want to comment on you saying that these two games feature the most potentional NBA players. With the exception of Derrick Rose and maybe Kevin Love, these games don't feature any NBA starters, unless they all end up in Charlotte or Miami. I see this as a catch 22 however because all these players are great college athletes and should have made for two better games than what I witnessed today. Finally, please don't ever call Tyler Hansbrough a future "decent" pro again. I see him getting 7-10 minutes a game while averaging 3 points and 2 boards.

So this leads me to the Championship game of Kansas vs. Memphis. Pre tourny I had Kansas winning 79-73 over Texas. This has proved to be on it's way to being half right so far. To me this game is going to be very simple to predict. Kansas has a better defense, offense, bench, and starters. Memphis has the best player in the game. Coaching is about even because I still don't see Bill Self as a good coach, but at the same time I am sick of John Calipari playing the "no-respect" card. Look for Memphis to come out firing and jump out to an early lead but for Kansas to control the rest of the game. Memphis will not shoot over 60% from the stripe because they won't have the comfort of a big lead anymore. I look for Kansas in the 2nd half to take this game over. The Final score will be 86-67.

Playoff Frenzy

My beloved Bruins have clinched a playoff birth after their impressive victory over the Ottawa Senators last night. Tim Thomas made 17 saves and came within 8:14 of his third straight shutout. In my eyes he has been the MVP of the team all year and he is a savior for this surprising and young team. Milan Lucic reminds me of old friend Cam Neely by playing ferocious defense and fighting with just about everyone who stands in his way. Can you believe were in the playoffs without having injury stricken Patrice Bergeron, and most recent Marc Savard. It looks like we will be playing the Capitals or Hurricanes in the first round who are on a hell of a run and are tied with Carolina for that Third Spot in the conference with one game to go. I am so impressed with this Bruins squad this season by having a great turn around from last year's disaster. Please watch the NHL playoffs this year, its not a waste of time, its time well spent.

We're talkin playoffs

In honor of the Boston Bruins making the playoffs, we here at The Great Sports Debate decided to add some hockey flavour. The Wiz and I have added our good friend, also known as the Puck Guru, to talk about hockey. I am not what you call and hockey aficionado and Wizard is too busy taking on entire nations so we do not really talk about hockey. Trust us people, the Puck Guru was raised on hockey and he knows what he is talking about. So enjoy his posts, they should be humorous as well as informative.

Looking Rosie

This years Final Four could be the most exciting Final Four in history. Having all four number 1 seeds will mean that both games could come down to the final minute. This Final Four is also full of story lines. There's Roy Williams vs his old team Kansas. There is John Calipari looking to bring the Memphis Tigers to the title game as well as Ben Howland looking to hang up the 12th NCAA championship banner in Pauly Pavilion. This Final Four also features possibly the most future pros ever in a Final Four. UNC has Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington. Kansas features Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers. UCLA has freshman center Kevin Love, Darren Collison, and Russell Westbrook. Memphis has a ton of great athletes in Joey Dorsey, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and freshman sensation Derrick Rose. Of all these players, the player that I think will have the best NBA career will be Derrick Rose. Rose is 6'3 super quick point guard. In the game against Texas, Rose skyed over everyone to grab a rebound, turned up the jets at half court, and then soared in for a lay up. He is the most NBA ready out everyone in the tournament. Rose is built like Kidd, quick like Paul, and has LeBron type athleticism. While he doesn't have the eyes-behind-his-head passing ability, he has a good court vision and has a great mid range jumper to compliment his athleticism. Lets hope he goes to possibly the Sonics where he can run along side Kevin Durant and not be banished to hell with the Knicks.

Some people think that Tyler Hansbrough will be a great pro. He'll be a good, solid pro but in no way will be a great pro. He dominates the college game because he is so much stronger than everybody. He wont be able to get away with that in the NBA. He will probably out hustle his way for rebounds and points because he has such a tremendous motor. I see him as a more offensive skilled Anderson Varejao.

Kevin Love will be a terrific pro as well. He is a big body and terrific passer. Once he enters the league, he will already be one one of the top 5 passing big men in the league. He has shown at UCLA that he can bury the outside jumper so he will be a tough match up.

Like I said before this could be one the more exciting Final Fours we will ever see. All these teams are so evenly matched and are all playing at such a high level. I am going to stay with my original pick of Kansas over UCLA. However, there is no telling what can happen in these games.

I'm not blaming China for all the problems in the world...Just most of them

I'll give you credit Brian, I'll agree with one point you made. Darren Mcfadden won't be the next Adrian Peterson. I'll tell you why though. Peterson set the single game rushing record last year, and then got hurt. You can't be the next big thing and be compared to a guy who is yet to play a full season. How in the world can you compare Mcfadden to Reggie Bush. Bush walked through a sub-par Pac-10 while Mcfadden rushed for over 300 yards in a game against South Carolina, in the best conference in the NCAAF, the SEC. Mcfadden is a true running back unlike that HB/split reciever first round bust Reggie Bush. Mcfadden is taller and heavier, with the ability to gain weight as opposed to Reggie Bush who is maybe 200 lbs soak and wet, at best!

Clones, as Jim Rome would say, what in the world is China and America doing? Apparently the USA won't partake in the opening ceremonies at this years summer Olympics and more than likely will boycott the entire summer games because of some things the Chinese government is doing. For us who lack a decent knowledge of the world and it's history let me explain briefly what China is doing. They call themselves capitalists after being communist for over 100 years yet they are still run by the CCP. ( that means the Chinese COMMUNIST party ) This shows that China is merely a wanna be capitalist country. Apparently we as Americans are boycotting the olympics because of reports that the Chinese government is randomly killing it's citizens among other things. My question is, who in the hell are we to boycott something due to a countries government actions? We start a war in Afganistan because .01% of the worlds terrorists live their. Then we go to Iraq and start fighting their because we found weapons of mass destruction??? Well we didn't find WOP's but we proved they had something to do with the terrorists group, Al Queida??? Well the Iraq citizens need a new democratic government??? I'm not a political genuis but I think it has to do with this black liquid like substance that lives in the sand. Now were trying to start a fight with countries like Iran and Yemon, while going back to Afganistan because why? If the olympics were to come to our country with our government no one would boycott us because the olympics mean so much more than government. Some athlete's in countries that win medals train athletes for their entire lives. Once every four years they get to show off what they have done and suddenly they have to wait four more years to compete. I say let the American's go over their and do their thing. Leave your ego in America and go to a country despite its government issues, whether their right or wrong and compete for the greatest honor in the world. In 1980 the Russian's came to America and competed despite all the cold war problems we had with them. In 1936 the Jewish athletes were treated very unfairly despite Adolf Hitler's plan to make the world see how German's were the perfect race. Before the athlets arrived he hired people to get rid of all the signs saying "Jews not welcome" or anything like that. Irony? These olympics showed African American, American Jesse Owens who beat German track and field heavyweight Lutz Lang in four events. After the last event Lang was the first one to shake Owens hand yet Hitler wouldn't even give Owens the Medals he clearly earned. This proves that the athletes don't care what the government does. The olympics are supposed to remind us that no matter what is happening in the world, every two years for a few weeks, it shouldn't matter. It just shouldn't matter!

Heard This Story Before

I dont know why fans and people around the NFL are drooling over Arkansas running back Darren Mcfadden. This guy reminds me so much of Reggie Bush its not even funny. All the adjectives being said by people about Mcfadden, explosive, superstar, and game changer, were the same words being said about Reggie Bush just two years ago! Their final college season stats are strikingly similar. Mcfadden had 1,830 yards on a 5.63 average with 16 touchdowns. Bush had 1,740 yards on a 8.7 average with 16 touchdowns. These two players are very similar. I have heard some people say he is the next Adrian Peterson. Are you kidding me? Peterson is built like Earl Campbell. Peterson is an everydown back becuase hes big enough to take the hits. Bush has had his succes in the NFL when he split carries with Deuce Mcallister. In college both guys were in two back systems. Bush had Lendale White at USC and Mcfadden had Felix Jones. When Mcallister went down early last year with injury, everyone expected Bush to takeover and he struggled big time. Bush is great when he can split carries with a bigger back. A guy like Bush and Chicken Legs-Mcfadden arent capable of converting the short yardage situations. At times Bush can have a jaw dropping play and Mcfadden will be the same way but no way will either of them be every down backs. They are both fantastic athletes and when they get open space in the feild they can do damage but thats about it.