November 23, 2011
Indiana @ Cleveland, Memphis @ Charlotte, Toronto @ Boston, Portland @ Detroit, LA Lakers @ Oklahoma City, Dallas @ Houston, New Jersey @ Milwaukee, Golden State @ Minnesota, Orlando @ San Antonio, Utah @ Sacramento
For the first time in about 2 weeks the negotiating tables are reopened. That's a plus. This time it is to resolve legal issues in dealing with the lawsuits filed by the players after the last group of sessions broke down. A new proposed deal could start on Christmas day and run a regular season of 66 games. I'm holding back excitement on this one. The last time they were talking about having a 72 game season and full playoffs I was sure the deal was going to get done and was even more upset than I already was when it fell apart. I'm fragile at this point NBA. Please don't mess with my emotions, just get a deal done!
As we all get ready to celebrate a holiday of stuffing our faces, one thing I have no reservations being excited about is the slate of NFL games on tomorrow. It is the best set of Turkey Day football games that we've had in a very long time. For the first time in ages the Detroit Lions are relevant, and they have a chance to give the Green Bay Packers their first loss of the season. The Dallas Cowboys are in first place and playing a red hot Miami Dolphin team. The night game is a battle of the Harbaugh's as Jim's San Francisco 49ers play John's Baltimore Ravens. Lets get to the picks! Home teams in CAPS.
DETROIT (+6) over Green Bay
The Packers are going to be playing their 3rd game in 11 days. That's crazy. They appeared to show a little fatigue against the Tampa Bay Bucs last week but were able to hold on to win (although they didn't cover). The Lions can put up points, scoring 49 last week. They also have a very stout front 4 on the defensive line. I like the upset in this one, and even if they fall a little short I'm taking the points. Detroit Lions fans can be happy for once on Thanksgiving.
Miami (+7) over DALLAS
Matt Moore is a decent quarterback. Who knew? The Dolphins have won 3 straight and are playing great football right now. Dallas escaped with a win in Washington last week and are on a little bit of a roll of their own. Tony Romo has looked fantastic over the past month, which leads me to believe he is due for a stinker. This has the feeling of a close game and I like the Dolphins on the road.
San Francisco (+3) over BALTIMORE
Did I just take all 3 underdogs on Thanksgiving? Yes, yes I did. Baltimore seems to play to the level of their competition which is a little scary in this game, but I think San Fran is the better team. Alex Smith has limited his mistakes and Jim Harbaugh has brought a toughness to the Bay area that has been lacking for several years. With a win on the road, the 49ers could wrap up a division crown already. I think Jim takes down John and might tackle him for fun instead of giving a post game hand shake.
Whatever your Thanksgiving tradition is, I hope you all have a happy day. I am blessed to have a great family and many wonderful people that I am grateful to call friends. Thank you to all of you who have read the blog so far in my first attempt at it. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I have been. I truly appreciate the feedback I've gotten. Enjoy your turkey, football, and food comas! Hopefully we'll be reporting a NBA deal in the days to follow which is something I will be extremely grateful for.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Great Hypothetical
November 22, 2011
Detroit @ Indiana, Boston @ Washington, Atlanta @ Miami, LA Lakers @ Memphis, Philadelphia @ Dallas, Chicago @ Denver, New Orleans @ Phoenix
As much as I love basketball, and my home town Denver Nuggets, sometimes early in the season something comes up that causes me to miss an entire day of NBA greatness (assuming there was no lockout, of course). Today is one of those days. I was asked a question a couple days ago by a good friend of mine and I've been thinking about it ever since. Today I decided to open the question up to the world and see if we can come up with an answer to the question that I have named "The Great Hypothetical." The friend who asked the question (for the sake of the blog, lets call him Chris) loves hypothetical questions. He asks me completely random questions all the time, mostly with no good options just to get a laugh at my answers. Every once in a while he comes up with a great one that actually takes some thought. This one nearly caused my head to explode. Here is the question: Who would win in a fight between Tim Tebow, Mike Ditka, Chuck Norris, Bill Brasky, Patrick Swayze's character Dalton in Roadhouse, and Jack Bauer (for the sake of this blog I added Jack Bauer to get an even number after it was suggested by another friend)?
BAM! Now that is a question. It seems impossible to answer (I know, I know, some of those people aren't even real so it really is impossible but just roll with me here). I've gone over Battle Royal scenarios and with that anyone can come out on top. Again for the sake of this blog, we are going to set this up as a 6 man, single elimination playoff. After deliberation with a handful of people throughout the day I have determined the top seeds, both receiving a Bye in the first round. The remaining seeds have been selected by a random generator on the Internet. Instead of an Eastern and Western, lets call the 2 "conferences" Legends and Heroes. Before we get to the actual match ups, lets become a little more familiar with our competitors.
Legends Number 1 Seed: Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka is a former NFL Tight End, playing in arguably the nastiest era in football. He has won Super bowls as both a player and coach. He was also enshrined in the pro football Hall of Fame. All of that is great, but the "Legend" of Ditka was truly brought to life by the Saturday Night Live skit called "The Super Fans." In this skit, the Super Fans determined that Ditka could win the Indianapolis 500 driving the Bear's team bus, and defeat a hurricane, even though the hurricane's name is hurricane Ditka. Who would win a fight between Ditka and God? Trick question, Ditka is God.
Legends Number 2 Seed: Road House Swayze (Dalton)
I know the character's name is Dalton, but every time I hear that name now, I think of the red-headed quarterback for the Bengals. Plus its more fun to say Road House Swayze so that's what we're going with. Road House Swayze is an expert cooler, which is a bar bouncer who can break up fights without getting killed himself. The owner of the Double Deuce in Jasper Missouri hired Road House Swayze from New York to handle nightly outbreaks of violence. He is seen doing Tai Chi, but he uses western boxing and mixed martial arts in all of the fight scenes (thank you http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098206/ for that tidbit) which makes him deadly in multiple aspects.
Legends Number 3 Seed: Tim Tebow
Fitting that Tebow landed in the Legends Conference because he is quickly becoming one. Whether or not he can actually throw a football consistently has yet to be seen, but absolutely nobody can doubt his toughness. He kind of reminds me of Rocky, which fits for this because not only is he the underdog, but he's also a "South Paw." He can be beaten up for 3 1/2 quarters, but just when you think you can knock him out for good, he finds the strength to pull out the victory.
Heroes Number 1 Seed: Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris, American Badass. That should be his legal name. CNAB was a star actor in the likes of Walker, Texas Ranger, The Way of the Dragon, The Delta Force, and Sidekicks among many other tough guys films and shows. He also actually won The National Karate Championships in 1966, and World Middleweight Championships in 1967. Yet after all that, he still looks the same now as he did then! A possible explanation for this is that Chuck Norris died 20 years ago, Death just doesn't have the courage to tell him yet.
Heroes Number 2 Seed: Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer is the main character on the television show 24. He is a top agent for the Counter Terrorist Unit and has also been known to work for the FBI. On a day to day basis Jack undermines the plots of evil people to defend the United States of America, protecting both civilians and government administrators alike. He has been known to use torture to get information he needs for there is no expense for our safety. Entertainment Weekly named Jack one of the Top 20 Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture, so he's got that going for him, which is nice.
Heroes Number 3 Seed: Bill Brasky
Bill Brasky is the only member of our elite 6 that is 100% fictional, not even played by a real person. Brasky is another product of Saturday Night Live and is almost half man, half myth. One thing is for sure, Bill Brasky is "a son of a bitch!" Some interesting things of note about Brasky: He is a ten foot tall beast man, who showers in vodka. He framed Roger Rabbit. Bill Brasky also ranked 18th in the AP college football poll.
Now that we know our competitors, let the games begin! With Norris and Ditka on a Bye, our first 2 match ups are Jack Bauer vs Bill Brasky and Road House Swayze vs Tim Tebow. To determine a fair and unbiased result for each match we are going to the AccuScore NFL Playoff Simulator. The simulator generates percentages based off 100 "times played" so I will post the winning percentages. 6 Teams make it to the NFL playoffs in each Conference with 2 receiving Bye's in the first round so this works perfectly. I did a best 2 of 3 coin toss to determine the overall number one seed and the winner of that was Ditka.
Heroes Round 1: Jack Bauer vs Bill Brasky
In a bit of an upset Bill Brasky takes down Jack Bauer 55% to 45%. A toast to Bill Brasky indeed. Brasky was not about to be tortured, and being that National security was not on the line, Bauer must not have given it his A game, and came up short. As they say, "a toast to Bill Brasky!"
Legends Round 1: Road House Swayze vs Tim Tebow
The 4th quarter could not help Tebow in this one as he falls to Road House Swayze 66% to 34%. Tebow got some good shots in but Road House Swayze was finally able to put him away with a massive round house kick. When asked how he felt after the fight, Road House Swayze answered, "Pain don't hurt."
Heroes Championship Round: Chuck Norris vs Bill Brasky
In an extremely close bout Chuck Norris hangs on to take down the man beast Brasky 52% to 48%. The ageless Norris was just too much to handle. Much like Road House Swayze, Norris is a master of the round house kick. Norris' edge might have come from the fact that under his beard there is not a chin, but yet, another fist. Between the 3 fists and kicks of fury Chuck Norris won his way to the Championship Round.
Legends Championship Round: Ditka vs Road House Swayze
We can't be sure if there was in fact divine intervention in this one, but Ditka holds off Swayze 58% to 42%. Road House Swayze had 3 rules: One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice. There is no being nice in this competition and he learned that the hard way.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND ANSWER TO THE GREAT HYPOTHETICAL: Ditka vs Chuck Norris
It all comes down to this. The 2 number 1 seeds have held their ground and made it to the finale. Time to leave it all on the line, there is no tomorrow, insert cliche here. The winner and champion of the world is...... (Drum Roll......................) Chuck Norris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chuck handled Ditka fairly easy in this heavy weight bout winning by a score of 60% to 40%.
Well Chris, we finally have an answer to your seemingly impossible question. Before I take too much flack, I too agree, I'm a huge dork for spending the time to write this entry. None the less, I hope you enjoyed the suspense as much as I did. More real stories and takes on actual things from here on out (I hope).
Until Next Time,
Dan
Detroit @ Indiana, Boston @ Washington, Atlanta @ Miami, LA Lakers @ Memphis, Philadelphia @ Dallas, Chicago @ Denver, New Orleans @ Phoenix
As much as I love basketball, and my home town Denver Nuggets, sometimes early in the season something comes up that causes me to miss an entire day of NBA greatness (assuming there was no lockout, of course). Today is one of those days. I was asked a question a couple days ago by a good friend of mine and I've been thinking about it ever since. Today I decided to open the question up to the world and see if we can come up with an answer to the question that I have named "The Great Hypothetical." The friend who asked the question (for the sake of the blog, lets call him Chris) loves hypothetical questions. He asks me completely random questions all the time, mostly with no good options just to get a laugh at my answers. Every once in a while he comes up with a great one that actually takes some thought. This one nearly caused my head to explode. Here is the question: Who would win in a fight between Tim Tebow, Mike Ditka, Chuck Norris, Bill Brasky, Patrick Swayze's character Dalton in Roadhouse, and Jack Bauer (for the sake of this blog I added Jack Bauer to get an even number after it was suggested by another friend)?
BAM! Now that is a question. It seems impossible to answer (I know, I know, some of those people aren't even real so it really is impossible but just roll with me here). I've gone over Battle Royal scenarios and with that anyone can come out on top. Again for the sake of this blog, we are going to set this up as a 6 man, single elimination playoff. After deliberation with a handful of people throughout the day I have determined the top seeds, both receiving a Bye in the first round. The remaining seeds have been selected by a random generator on the Internet. Instead of an Eastern and Western, lets call the 2 "conferences" Legends and Heroes. Before we get to the actual match ups, lets become a little more familiar with our competitors.
Legends Number 1 Seed: Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka is a former NFL Tight End, playing in arguably the nastiest era in football. He has won Super bowls as both a player and coach. He was also enshrined in the pro football Hall of Fame. All of that is great, but the "Legend" of Ditka was truly brought to life by the Saturday Night Live skit called "The Super Fans." In this skit, the Super Fans determined that Ditka could win the Indianapolis 500 driving the Bear's team bus, and defeat a hurricane, even though the hurricane's name is hurricane Ditka. Who would win a fight between Ditka and God? Trick question, Ditka is God.
Legends Number 2 Seed: Road House Swayze (Dalton)
I know the character's name is Dalton, but every time I hear that name now, I think of the red-headed quarterback for the Bengals. Plus its more fun to say Road House Swayze so that's what we're going with. Road House Swayze is an expert cooler, which is a bar bouncer who can break up fights without getting killed himself. The owner of the Double Deuce in Jasper Missouri hired Road House Swayze from New York to handle nightly outbreaks of violence. He is seen doing Tai Chi, but he uses western boxing and mixed martial arts in all of the fight scenes (thank you http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098206/ for that tidbit) which makes him deadly in multiple aspects.
Legends Number 3 Seed: Tim Tebow
Fitting that Tebow landed in the Legends Conference because he is quickly becoming one. Whether or not he can actually throw a football consistently has yet to be seen, but absolutely nobody can doubt his toughness. He kind of reminds me of Rocky, which fits for this because not only is he the underdog, but he's also a "South Paw." He can be beaten up for 3 1/2 quarters, but just when you think you can knock him out for good, he finds the strength to pull out the victory.
Heroes Number 1 Seed: Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris, American Badass. That should be his legal name. CNAB was a star actor in the likes of Walker, Texas Ranger, The Way of the Dragon, The Delta Force, and Sidekicks among many other tough guys films and shows. He also actually won The National Karate Championships in 1966, and World Middleweight Championships in 1967. Yet after all that, he still looks the same now as he did then! A possible explanation for this is that Chuck Norris died 20 years ago, Death just doesn't have the courage to tell him yet.
Heroes Number 2 Seed: Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer is the main character on the television show 24. He is a top agent for the Counter Terrorist Unit and has also been known to work for the FBI. On a day to day basis Jack undermines the plots of evil people to defend the United States of America, protecting both civilians and government administrators alike. He has been known to use torture to get information he needs for there is no expense for our safety. Entertainment Weekly named Jack one of the Top 20 Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture, so he's got that going for him, which is nice.
Heroes Number 3 Seed: Bill Brasky
Bill Brasky is the only member of our elite 6 that is 100% fictional, not even played by a real person. Brasky is another product of Saturday Night Live and is almost half man, half myth. One thing is for sure, Bill Brasky is "a son of a bitch!" Some interesting things of note about Brasky: He is a ten foot tall beast man, who showers in vodka. He framed Roger Rabbit. Bill Brasky also ranked 18th in the AP college football poll.
Now that we know our competitors, let the games begin! With Norris and Ditka on a Bye, our first 2 match ups are Jack Bauer vs Bill Brasky and Road House Swayze vs Tim Tebow. To determine a fair and unbiased result for each match we are going to the AccuScore NFL Playoff Simulator. The simulator generates percentages based off 100 "times played" so I will post the winning percentages. 6 Teams make it to the NFL playoffs in each Conference with 2 receiving Bye's in the first round so this works perfectly. I did a best 2 of 3 coin toss to determine the overall number one seed and the winner of that was Ditka.
Heroes Round 1: Jack Bauer vs Bill Brasky
In a bit of an upset Bill Brasky takes down Jack Bauer 55% to 45%. A toast to Bill Brasky indeed. Brasky was not about to be tortured, and being that National security was not on the line, Bauer must not have given it his A game, and came up short. As they say, "a toast to Bill Brasky!"
Legends Round 1: Road House Swayze vs Tim Tebow
The 4th quarter could not help Tebow in this one as he falls to Road House Swayze 66% to 34%. Tebow got some good shots in but Road House Swayze was finally able to put him away with a massive round house kick. When asked how he felt after the fight, Road House Swayze answered, "Pain don't hurt."
Heroes Championship Round: Chuck Norris vs Bill Brasky
In an extremely close bout Chuck Norris hangs on to take down the man beast Brasky 52% to 48%. The ageless Norris was just too much to handle. Much like Road House Swayze, Norris is a master of the round house kick. Norris' edge might have come from the fact that under his beard there is not a chin, but yet, another fist. Between the 3 fists and kicks of fury Chuck Norris won his way to the Championship Round.
Legends Championship Round: Ditka vs Road House Swayze
We can't be sure if there was in fact divine intervention in this one, but Ditka holds off Swayze 58% to 42%. Road House Swayze had 3 rules: One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice. There is no being nice in this competition and he learned that the hard way.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND ANSWER TO THE GREAT HYPOTHETICAL: Ditka vs Chuck Norris
It all comes down to this. The 2 number 1 seeds have held their ground and made it to the finale. Time to leave it all on the line, there is no tomorrow, insert cliche here. The winner and champion of the world is...... (Drum Roll......................) Chuck Norris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chuck handled Ditka fairly easy in this heavy weight bout winning by a score of 60% to 40%.
Well Chris, we finally have an answer to your seemingly impossible question. Before I take too much flack, I too agree, I'm a huge dork for spending the time to write this entry. None the less, I hope you enjoyed the suspense as much as I did. More real stories and takes on actual things from here on out (I hope).
Until Next Time,
Dan
Monday, November 21, 2011
MVP's, Tiger, and Football Oh My
November 21, 2011
Portland @ Charlotte, Golden State @ New Jersey, Minnesota @ Houston, Oklahoma City @ San Antonio, Chicago @ Utah, New York @ Sacramento, Denver @ LA Clippers
We are now three weeks into what would have been the regular season. At this point in the season I'm curious as to who is stepping out and becoming a star in the NBA. Every year we are surprised by someone, either a rookie or young player who is starting to make big strides. This year's rookie class wasn't particularly strong (because most players stayed in college knowing this would probably happen) but who is making an impact? OKC and San Antonio could represent a changing of the guard in the Western Conference. Tony Parker is really the Spurs' biggest trade bait, and do they try and make one more final push before Tim Duncan has to hang up his shoes? How many points are the Knicks averaging this year? 100? 120? Has Greg Oden gotten injured already for Portland? If not, will he finally be able to give them significant minutes? How is Derrick Rose in his MVP title defense? Had there been a free agency period, who did the Bulls add as a three point threat? They could set themselves up to be the favorites in the East. I wish I had some of these answers, but I do not. I just keep thinking of the latest NBA ad campaign from last year, "The NBA, where caring happens." Apparently everyone just cares about themselves because one thing that has been lacking throughout this whole lockout is any sympathy towards the fans.
I'm glad that one of the major sports has learned something in the last few months. My hat goes off to Major League Baseball. In this calender year we have seen the NFL and now the NBA lock their players out. Of course the NFL was able to get a deal done without missing any significant time, and no games were cancelled. We all know where we stand with the NBA. The MLB took a different approach. They decided not to wait until the last minute where forcing a lockout was necessary and extend their collective bargaining agreement. What a novel concept? No negative media coverage can be a positive thing for your sport. Who would have thought that to be the case? Congratulations baseball, you did a great job. We are finally distancing ourselves from the "Steroid Era" and the game is as good as its been in a long time. There was no reason for a set back, and everyone involved understood that. Spring training is a few months out but I could not be more excited to get back to the diamond.
Baseball also did another thing right today, and that was naming Justin Verlander MVP of the American League. It was the first time a starting pitcher won the award since Roger Clemens in 1986. Many people take the stance that the MVP should be reserved for position players only because the best pitcher is awarded the Cy Young. Normally, I tend to agree with that take. A starting pitcher takes the mound once every 5 days or so while position players play every day. Position players have the opportunity to affect the game both with their offense and defensive plays. However, MVP still stands for Most Valuable Player. In this case Justin Verlander was by far the most valuable to his team than any other player in the AL. He was 24-5 and lead the league in every statistical category possible for a starting pitcher. He also threw his 2nd career no hitter. He lead his team to a divisional title and the Detroit Tigers made it to the ALCS before getting knocked out by the Texas Rangers. Verlander was dominant all year long and without him, I'm not sure the Tigers make the playoffs. Pitchers don't often win the MVP, and they probably shouldn't in most years, but this year the voters got it right and Justin Verlander has another piece of hardware to add to his trophy case. He also became only the 2nd player ever to win the Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player awards.
Baseball is in its off season, and most players tend to gravitate to the links for a little golf. This weekend was big for golf as the United States team beat the World Team (minus Europe) to win the President's Cup in Australia. The win for the USA was clinched by one, Tiger Woods. While I'm slightly upset I didn't get my Caddyshack moment, I'm happy that we are talking about Tiger Woods the golfer again. As much fun as it was to make jokes about his downfall, golf needs Tiger more than any other sport needs a single person. There are some good young stars, and we still have Phil Mickelson and others, but Tiger adds something that nobody else can. When you see him wearing the red shirt on Sundays it brings an excitement to a mostly stoic sport. I enjoy the fist pumping. I don't even mind the occasional f-bomb (for those of you who golf, we all do it, don't even pretend you don't). I hope that he is finally healthy and is able to continue to play at a high level. Golf is a better sport when we are wondering not if, but when Tiger will beat Jack Nicklaus' major record.
Week 11 is in the books for the NFL, and I'm happy to report that I went 8-4-2 with my picks. The Tennessee Titans were getting smoked before I reminded them I had them +6 so they at least rallied to get me a push. The big news out of the NFL this week was Jay Cutler breaking his thumb which will require surgery and he will now miss at least the rest of the regular season. Cutler is still hated for the most part in Denver for forcing a trade out, but now I put most of the blame on Josh McDaniels. Cutler was playing the best football in his career and I can't help but wonder what the Broncos would look like if he was still here and we didn't have Tim Tebow. Oh well, I'm still happy with Football Jesus leading us to improbable wins, week after week. The Eagles upset the Giants on a forgettable Sunday Night game. Other than that, no real huge surprises this week. There have been a ton of injuries to quarterbacks this season so it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out for some teams. The only thing I don't want to hear is any Brett Favre talk. I can put up with Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Caleb Hanie, and even the likes of a Mark Bulger return, but I beg you ESPN, leave Favre out of this. I don't think I can take it anymore.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Portland @ Charlotte, Golden State @ New Jersey, Minnesota @ Houston, Oklahoma City @ San Antonio, Chicago @ Utah, New York @ Sacramento, Denver @ LA Clippers
We are now three weeks into what would have been the regular season. At this point in the season I'm curious as to who is stepping out and becoming a star in the NBA. Every year we are surprised by someone, either a rookie or young player who is starting to make big strides. This year's rookie class wasn't particularly strong (because most players stayed in college knowing this would probably happen) but who is making an impact? OKC and San Antonio could represent a changing of the guard in the Western Conference. Tony Parker is really the Spurs' biggest trade bait, and do they try and make one more final push before Tim Duncan has to hang up his shoes? How many points are the Knicks averaging this year? 100? 120? Has Greg Oden gotten injured already for Portland? If not, will he finally be able to give them significant minutes? How is Derrick Rose in his MVP title defense? Had there been a free agency period, who did the Bulls add as a three point threat? They could set themselves up to be the favorites in the East. I wish I had some of these answers, but I do not. I just keep thinking of the latest NBA ad campaign from last year, "The NBA, where caring happens." Apparently everyone just cares about themselves because one thing that has been lacking throughout this whole lockout is any sympathy towards the fans.
I'm glad that one of the major sports has learned something in the last few months. My hat goes off to Major League Baseball. In this calender year we have seen the NFL and now the NBA lock their players out. Of course the NFL was able to get a deal done without missing any significant time, and no games were cancelled. We all know where we stand with the NBA. The MLB took a different approach. They decided not to wait until the last minute where forcing a lockout was necessary and extend their collective bargaining agreement. What a novel concept? No negative media coverage can be a positive thing for your sport. Who would have thought that to be the case? Congratulations baseball, you did a great job. We are finally distancing ourselves from the "Steroid Era" and the game is as good as its been in a long time. There was no reason for a set back, and everyone involved understood that. Spring training is a few months out but I could not be more excited to get back to the diamond.
Baseball also did another thing right today, and that was naming Justin Verlander MVP of the American League. It was the first time a starting pitcher won the award since Roger Clemens in 1986. Many people take the stance that the MVP should be reserved for position players only because the best pitcher is awarded the Cy Young. Normally, I tend to agree with that take. A starting pitcher takes the mound once every 5 days or so while position players play every day. Position players have the opportunity to affect the game both with their offense and defensive plays. However, MVP still stands for Most Valuable Player. In this case Justin Verlander was by far the most valuable to his team than any other player in the AL. He was 24-5 and lead the league in every statistical category possible for a starting pitcher. He also threw his 2nd career no hitter. He lead his team to a divisional title and the Detroit Tigers made it to the ALCS before getting knocked out by the Texas Rangers. Verlander was dominant all year long and without him, I'm not sure the Tigers make the playoffs. Pitchers don't often win the MVP, and they probably shouldn't in most years, but this year the voters got it right and Justin Verlander has another piece of hardware to add to his trophy case. He also became only the 2nd player ever to win the Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player awards.
Baseball is in its off season, and most players tend to gravitate to the links for a little golf. This weekend was big for golf as the United States team beat the World Team (minus Europe) to win the President's Cup in Australia. The win for the USA was clinched by one, Tiger Woods. While I'm slightly upset I didn't get my Caddyshack moment, I'm happy that we are talking about Tiger Woods the golfer again. As much fun as it was to make jokes about his downfall, golf needs Tiger more than any other sport needs a single person. There are some good young stars, and we still have Phil Mickelson and others, but Tiger adds something that nobody else can. When you see him wearing the red shirt on Sundays it brings an excitement to a mostly stoic sport. I enjoy the fist pumping. I don't even mind the occasional f-bomb (for those of you who golf, we all do it, don't even pretend you don't). I hope that he is finally healthy and is able to continue to play at a high level. Golf is a better sport when we are wondering not if, but when Tiger will beat Jack Nicklaus' major record.
Week 11 is in the books for the NFL, and I'm happy to report that I went 8-4-2 with my picks. The Tennessee Titans were getting smoked before I reminded them I had them +6 so they at least rallied to get me a push. The big news out of the NFL this week was Jay Cutler breaking his thumb which will require surgery and he will now miss at least the rest of the regular season. Cutler is still hated for the most part in Denver for forcing a trade out, but now I put most of the blame on Josh McDaniels. Cutler was playing the best football in his career and I can't help but wonder what the Broncos would look like if he was still here and we didn't have Tim Tebow. Oh well, I'm still happy with Football Jesus leading us to improbable wins, week after week. The Eagles upset the Giants on a forgettable Sunday Night game. Other than that, no real huge surprises this week. There have been a ton of injuries to quarterbacks this season so it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out for some teams. The only thing I don't want to hear is any Brett Favre talk. I can put up with Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Caleb Hanie, and even the likes of a Mark Bulger return, but I beg you ESPN, leave Favre out of this. I don't think I can take it anymore.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Friday, November 18, 2011
The It Factor
November 18th, 2011
Portland @ Indiana, Charlotte @ Philadelphia, Milwaukee @ Toronto, New Jersey @ New Orleans, Miami @ Cleveland, Atlanta @ Detroit, San Antonio @ Minnesota, Denver @ Oklahoma City, Sacramento @ Dallas, LA Clippers @ Utah, Washington @ Golden State, Chicago @ Phoenix
Welcome back after a day off the blogosphere on Thursday. Friday brings us another big slate games that should have been played. New Jersey and New Orleans highlight a battle of 2 of the best point guards in the league in Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Each has their own style of play and its always entertaining to watch them go head to head. Of course, Paul might be high jacking his way out of New Orleans by now to try and joining Melo and Amare in New York so at least we aren't getting sick of that story yet. Chicago and Phoenix also highlight a great point guard battle, this one defined by the old and young with Derrick Rose and Steve Nash. Denver and OKC have a big divisional game and it'll be interesting to see if the new look Nuggets continue to gel and play as a team without a true Superstar on the squad. Miami also visits Cleveland and that should be fun to see the latest Anti-LeBron campaign. The young Clippers have a great chance to pick up a win in Utah, and who has emerged as Minnesota's point guard? There is also a great chance the Washington Golden State game has a total of close to 300 points with both of those teams lacking to play any kind of defense. These are the speculatory stories we should be talking about, but once again, we are not.
What we are talking about is Timothy Richard Tebow. With just under 6 minutes to play, the Broncos we facing a 95 yard field down by 3 to the New York Jets. Through the first 3 plus quarters, Tebow looked pedestrian at best. An interception returned for a touchdown by Andre Goodman was the only thing keeping the Broncos in the game. Now the game is on the line, and that means one thing. Its Tebow Time! With only 2 carries for 11 yards prior to this drive, Tebow once again put the game on his back (and legs). On top of completing a couple passes he ran for 57 yards capped off by the game winning touchdown on a 3rd and 4 scramble for 20 yards. The defense holds on, the Broncos win. Unbelievable. The 70,000 plus at Sports Authority Field at Mile High going bonkers. All I could do was laugh. I couldn't explain what I just saw. Tim Tebow may not be conventional, but he somehow manages to put everything we have come to learn about a NFL quarterback aside and get the job done. His team believes in him and so do the fans. The feeling of the game is never over is something we haven't felt around here since John Elway was taking the snaps. We are learning to adapt to a new style. Whatever "it" is, Tebow has "it" and lots of it. I've decided to stop trying to explain it. I have no idea what I'm going to see when the Broncos take the field. All I know is that the team will play hard and if the score is close the other team better watch out. He will have to win a couple Superbowls to dethrone the great Elway, but nobody has even come close to capturing the fan base like this since Elway retired. The Broncos are currently sitting 1/2 game out of first place behind the Raiders and are very much in the thick of things for the division crown. I'm on board, and can't wait to watch how the rest of this ride pans out.
Now onto the rest of my picks for Week 11 in the NFL. The Broncos gave me my first win of the week, I hope I can keep it up. Home teams in CAPS.
Tennessee (+6) over ATLANTA .
If I've learned anything from this NFL season is that I have no idea what's going on. I don't know if its because of the lockout or what, but there seem to be more than a few teams that confuse the hell out of me. I'm not sure either one of these teams are good. Tennessee has a chance to get back in the AFC South race with the loss of Matt Schaub for Houston and I think they are going to play inspired due to that. I just don't trust the Falcons so I'm going with Tennessee and taking the points.
MIAMI (-1.5) over Buffalo.
The Bills were a good story through the first month of the season. It was fun to talk about quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick in a Boston accent... "That guy is wicked smaht, he went to Havahd" Now the Bills are back to being the Bills. Miami is coming off a beat down they gave the Chiefs and a win at home against the Redskins. They seem to be rolling right now. Reggie Bush is showing some life in South Beach and I think the Dolphins pick up their 3rd win in a row at home.
BALTIMORE (-7) over Cincinnati.
Me, myself, and Joe Flacco. Beat the Steelers, lose to the Titans. Win 3 in a row, lose to Seattle. Which team will show up? The Bengals played the Steelers tough last week and Andy Dalton is proving to be a solid young quarterback (even being a Ginger). AJ Green is questionable and is Daltons best WR. I'm hoping the good Ravens team shows up and wins by more than a touchdown.
Jacksonville (+1) over CLEVELAND.
This has the potential of being a 9-6 game. Yippie! I'm glad I don't live in either of these markets and have the option of watching anything else. I had big expectations for the Browns and they haven't lived up to them. I'm going with the Jags, partially out of spite.
MINNESOTA (+1) over Oakland.
Carson Palmer, meet Jared Allen. Now repeat this process at least 5 times. Minnesota did get smacked last week by Green Bay, but they also played them tough a couple weeks prior. Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder looks like he can be pretty good. The Broncos ran all over the Raiders 2 weeks ago and they don't have anyone that resembles Adrian Peterson. The Vikings win this one.
DETROIT (-7) over Carolina.
Last week Matt Stafford looked AWFUL! He has a broken finger (or at least I hope that story is true the way he was throwing the ball) and it showed. This is a big game for the Lions. They are looking at the Packers on a short week on Thanksgiving so this is pretty much a must win to keep them in playoff contention. I think they are the better team, and Cam Newton will have trouble dealing with their defensive front. Take it down Detroit.
GREEN BAY (-14) over Tampa Bay.
I think 20 points is about the number I'd start thinking about taking Tampa in the battle of the Bays. Josh Freeman has regressed and so has LeGarrette Blount running the ball. Aaron Rodgers, in case you haven't heard yet by everyone who talks about football for a living, is the best quarterback in the history of quarterbacks.... I might have exaggerated a little, but the guy is good and he's going to have plenty of chances to do the "Discount Double Check" dance this week.
Dallas (-7) over WASHINGTON.
The Cowboys are starting to click, and Washington is sliding. DeMarco Murray is the steal of the draft so far rushing for over 600 yards once Felix Jones got hurt. Now they have a 1-2 punch to counter a deep receiving core. I don't know if the Redskins are going with John Beck or Rex Grossman, and I don't think it matters. Dallas rolls on the road this week.
SAN FRANCISCO (-9.5) over Arizona.
The 49ers are legit. They have defensive toughness and don't make too many mistakes on offense. Although I can't believe that John Skelton turned out to be better than Kevin Kolb for the Cards, they don't have enough to compete in this one. This game could get ugly, and out of control real quick. San Fran welcome to the winners circle, and division crown by Thanksgiving.
Seattle (+3) over ST LOUIS.
Another crappy game I'm glad I don't have to watch. Seattle is coming off a win against the Ravens and I think they can carry that momentum for one more week and pick up a win against a divisional opponent on the road. If nothing else it just makes me happy when Josh McDaniels loses.
CHICAGO (-3.5) over San Diego.
As much as it pains me to say it, Jay Cutler looks really, really good. Matt Forte would be considered a MVP candidate if Aaron Rodgers wasn't already handed the award, and their defense makes big plays at the right time. The only thing I'm having a harder time to explain than Tim Tebow is why teams still kick the ball to Devin Hester. I don't get it, but it still happens. Can we please write off the Chargers for good? Every year with this team we predict that "this will be their year" and then they suck. Da Bears take da win.
Philadelphia (+5) over NY GIANTS.
The Giants are the better team. They are playing pretty good football. The Eagles have choked away 5 leads in the 4th quarter to lose. Vince Young or Mike Kafka might be quarterback. What about this pick makes sense? I don't know either. I predict a close game, and even if the Eagles blow another 4th quarter lead at least I have the points.
NEW ENGLAND (-15) over Kansas City.
The classic Tom Brady against Tyler Palko match up. The Chiefs have had a down year and have been destroyed by injuries this season, the latest being Matt Cassell. The Patriots looked like the Pats of old last week beating the Jets 37-16 and I think they continue to roll with a chance to be the number one seed in the AFC.
That's all for now. Enjoy you're weekend and we'll be back next week.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Portland @ Indiana, Charlotte @ Philadelphia, Milwaukee @ Toronto, New Jersey @ New Orleans, Miami @ Cleveland, Atlanta @ Detroit, San Antonio @ Minnesota, Denver @ Oklahoma City, Sacramento @ Dallas, LA Clippers @ Utah, Washington @ Golden State, Chicago @ Phoenix
Welcome back after a day off the blogosphere on Thursday. Friday brings us another big slate games that should have been played. New Jersey and New Orleans highlight a battle of 2 of the best point guards in the league in Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Each has their own style of play and its always entertaining to watch them go head to head. Of course, Paul might be high jacking his way out of New Orleans by now to try and joining Melo and Amare in New York so at least we aren't getting sick of that story yet. Chicago and Phoenix also highlight a great point guard battle, this one defined by the old and young with Derrick Rose and Steve Nash. Denver and OKC have a big divisional game and it'll be interesting to see if the new look Nuggets continue to gel and play as a team without a true Superstar on the squad. Miami also visits Cleveland and that should be fun to see the latest Anti-LeBron campaign. The young Clippers have a great chance to pick up a win in Utah, and who has emerged as Minnesota's point guard? There is also a great chance the Washington Golden State game has a total of close to 300 points with both of those teams lacking to play any kind of defense. These are the speculatory stories we should be talking about, but once again, we are not.
What we are talking about is Timothy Richard Tebow. With just under 6 minutes to play, the Broncos we facing a 95 yard field down by 3 to the New York Jets. Through the first 3 plus quarters, Tebow looked pedestrian at best. An interception returned for a touchdown by Andre Goodman was the only thing keeping the Broncos in the game. Now the game is on the line, and that means one thing. Its Tebow Time! With only 2 carries for 11 yards prior to this drive, Tebow once again put the game on his back (and legs). On top of completing a couple passes he ran for 57 yards capped off by the game winning touchdown on a 3rd and 4 scramble for 20 yards. The defense holds on, the Broncos win. Unbelievable. The 70,000 plus at Sports Authority Field at Mile High going bonkers. All I could do was laugh. I couldn't explain what I just saw. Tim Tebow may not be conventional, but he somehow manages to put everything we have come to learn about a NFL quarterback aside and get the job done. His team believes in him and so do the fans. The feeling of the game is never over is something we haven't felt around here since John Elway was taking the snaps. We are learning to adapt to a new style. Whatever "it" is, Tebow has "it" and lots of it. I've decided to stop trying to explain it. I have no idea what I'm going to see when the Broncos take the field. All I know is that the team will play hard and if the score is close the other team better watch out. He will have to win a couple Superbowls to dethrone the great Elway, but nobody has even come close to capturing the fan base like this since Elway retired. The Broncos are currently sitting 1/2 game out of first place behind the Raiders and are very much in the thick of things for the division crown. I'm on board, and can't wait to watch how the rest of this ride pans out.
Now onto the rest of my picks for Week 11 in the NFL. The Broncos gave me my first win of the week, I hope I can keep it up. Home teams in CAPS.
Tennessee (+6) over ATLANTA .
If I've learned anything from this NFL season is that I have no idea what's going on. I don't know if its because of the lockout or what, but there seem to be more than a few teams that confuse the hell out of me. I'm not sure either one of these teams are good. Tennessee has a chance to get back in the AFC South race with the loss of Matt Schaub for Houston and I think they are going to play inspired due to that. I just don't trust the Falcons so I'm going with Tennessee and taking the points.
MIAMI (-1.5) over Buffalo.
The Bills were a good story through the first month of the season. It was fun to talk about quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick in a Boston accent... "That guy is wicked smaht, he went to Havahd" Now the Bills are back to being the Bills. Miami is coming off a beat down they gave the Chiefs and a win at home against the Redskins. They seem to be rolling right now. Reggie Bush is showing some life in South Beach and I think the Dolphins pick up their 3rd win in a row at home.
BALTIMORE (-7) over Cincinnati.
Me, myself, and Joe Flacco. Beat the Steelers, lose to the Titans. Win 3 in a row, lose to Seattle. Which team will show up? The Bengals played the Steelers tough last week and Andy Dalton is proving to be a solid young quarterback (even being a Ginger). AJ Green is questionable and is Daltons best WR. I'm hoping the good Ravens team shows up and wins by more than a touchdown.
Jacksonville (+1) over CLEVELAND.
This has the potential of being a 9-6 game. Yippie! I'm glad I don't live in either of these markets and have the option of watching anything else. I had big expectations for the Browns and they haven't lived up to them. I'm going with the Jags, partially out of spite.
MINNESOTA (+1) over Oakland.
Carson Palmer, meet Jared Allen. Now repeat this process at least 5 times. Minnesota did get smacked last week by Green Bay, but they also played them tough a couple weeks prior. Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder looks like he can be pretty good. The Broncos ran all over the Raiders 2 weeks ago and they don't have anyone that resembles Adrian Peterson. The Vikings win this one.
DETROIT (-7) over Carolina.
Last week Matt Stafford looked AWFUL! He has a broken finger (or at least I hope that story is true the way he was throwing the ball) and it showed. This is a big game for the Lions. They are looking at the Packers on a short week on Thanksgiving so this is pretty much a must win to keep them in playoff contention. I think they are the better team, and Cam Newton will have trouble dealing with their defensive front. Take it down Detroit.
GREEN BAY (-14) over Tampa Bay.
I think 20 points is about the number I'd start thinking about taking Tampa in the battle of the Bays. Josh Freeman has regressed and so has LeGarrette Blount running the ball. Aaron Rodgers, in case you haven't heard yet by everyone who talks about football for a living, is the best quarterback in the history of quarterbacks.... I might have exaggerated a little, but the guy is good and he's going to have plenty of chances to do the "Discount Double Check" dance this week.
Dallas (-7) over WASHINGTON.
The Cowboys are starting to click, and Washington is sliding. DeMarco Murray is the steal of the draft so far rushing for over 600 yards once Felix Jones got hurt. Now they have a 1-2 punch to counter a deep receiving core. I don't know if the Redskins are going with John Beck or Rex Grossman, and I don't think it matters. Dallas rolls on the road this week.
SAN FRANCISCO (-9.5) over Arizona.
The 49ers are legit. They have defensive toughness and don't make too many mistakes on offense. Although I can't believe that John Skelton turned out to be better than Kevin Kolb for the Cards, they don't have enough to compete in this one. This game could get ugly, and out of control real quick. San Fran welcome to the winners circle, and division crown by Thanksgiving.
Seattle (+3) over ST LOUIS.
Another crappy game I'm glad I don't have to watch. Seattle is coming off a win against the Ravens and I think they can carry that momentum for one more week and pick up a win against a divisional opponent on the road. If nothing else it just makes me happy when Josh McDaniels loses.
CHICAGO (-3.5) over San Diego.
As much as it pains me to say it, Jay Cutler looks really, really good. Matt Forte would be considered a MVP candidate if Aaron Rodgers wasn't already handed the award, and their defense makes big plays at the right time. The only thing I'm having a harder time to explain than Tim Tebow is why teams still kick the ball to Devin Hester. I don't get it, but it still happens. Can we please write off the Chargers for good? Every year with this team we predict that "this will be their year" and then they suck. Da Bears take da win.
Philadelphia (+5) over NY GIANTS.
The Giants are the better team. They are playing pretty good football. The Eagles have choked away 5 leads in the 4th quarter to lose. Vince Young or Mike Kafka might be quarterback. What about this pick makes sense? I don't know either. I predict a close game, and even if the Eagles blow another 4th quarter lead at least I have the points.
NEW ENGLAND (-15) over Kansas City.
The classic Tom Brady against Tyler Palko match up. The Chiefs have had a down year and have been destroyed by injuries this season, the latest being Matt Cassell. The Patriots looked like the Pats of old last week beating the Jets 37-16 and I think they continue to roll with a chance to be the number one seed in the AFC.
That's all for now. Enjoy you're weekend and we'll be back next week.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
No Melo Drama
November 16th, 2011
Charlotte @ Cleveland, Phoenix @ Toronto, Indiana @ Atlanta, Houston @ New Orleans, Boston @ Miami, Milwaukee @ Minnesota, New Jersey @ Oklahoma City, Dallas @ Memphis, LA Clippers @ San Antonio, Chicago @ Portland, Washington @ Sacramento, New York @ Denver, Philadelphia @ Golden State
Day 139 highlights 2 HUGE games that we are missing out on. First, Boston at Miami: The Return of The Heatles. The Celtics are a year older but they still have something to prove, and this could be their last chance at a title with the current group they have. That's the boring part of this match up. We are all watching to see the Heat. How have LeBron, DWade, and the other guy in the "big three" responded to their collapse in the NBA Finals last year? Also, doesn't MIA stand for Missing In Action? Hmmmmmmm. The second huge story of the day has got to be Charlotte at Cleveland. (Just kidding, we all know the sporting Gods hate Cleveland, but at this point I'd take it!) The second story is the New York Knicks coming to the Mile High City to play the Nuggets: The Return of Melo. I'm so mad about this I'm thinking about going to the Pepsi Center to just stand outside and "Boo" out of spite! Welcome home Chauncey Billups, and Melo I wouldn't be upset if you got another DUI. There are a slew of other games that I'm not going to spend a ton of time covering, but after 2 weeks and a full training camp I'm really curious which member of the Golden State Warriors can do the best Mark Jackson impression by saying, "Momma there goes that man!" These are the things we should be talking about on a Wednesday but alas we sadly are not...
I've been thinking about ways to get my mind off missing this Nuggets game so I decided to go watch the new Twilight movie and write a review. Then I realized I was just sad, not pathetic, so I just watched The Princess Bride on my couch. On a different note, what the hell has happened to Adam Sandler? I miss the guy from Saturday Night Live, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and even Big Daddy. Who gave him the ok to dress in drag and play his own twin sister? Is the movie industry struggling this bad for plot lines? Who is this movie for exactly? Kids? Adults? Dogs? Adam, do you really need the money that bad? I can almost guarantee if you would have waited 2 more weeks a better script would have found its way to your desk. I feel like I lost a friend and I want him back, but for the mean time I'm locking him out NBA style. Leonardo Di Caprio's new film J. Edgar looks interesting. He's reached the level for me where I will give him the benefit of the doubt until he makes enough bad movies in a row that I have to put a stop to it, ala Sandler. Also, Johnny Depp is in a movie not named Pirates... I was, however, kind of disappointed that The Rum Diaries wasn't about Captain Morgan's journal.
In other "news" Stevie Williams has officially become the most talked about Caddy since Danny Noonan (fictional character in the movie Caddyshack, which is really the only acceptable time for a caddy to be mainstream). Tonight, or tomorrow in Australia, the President's Cup (golf tournament where the USA plays heads up against players from the rest of the world minus Europe) kicks off, and by sheer coincidence (wink, wink) Tiger Woods is matched up against Adam Scott. This normally wouldn't be a big deal, but after Tiger's epic fall from grace he fired his caddy, Stevie Williams. Williams has since picked up the bag of Adam Scott and had some not so nice things to say about his former boss. When Tiger is putting, Williams better yell "Noonan....Miss it....Noonan!" Caddyshack is one of my all time favorite movies and now we have a chance to make a little bit of it come true in real life. Please Stevie, don't ruin this for me. You can go to the pool from 1:00-1:15 afterwards.
As a fans of sports or entertainment there are two things that we love, a Super Star, and a great comeback. This next gem gives us the possibility of both. It has been rumored that Chris Rock and wait for it, wait for it..... Dave Chappelle are planning a comedy tour! BAM! Again, I want to stress that this is still a rumor. Reportedly they are planning on doing a show in New York and if its successful taking it on tour. Are you effin kidding me??? How can this not be successful? If nothing else this will be a giant pay day for both of them. Chris Rock is still relevant in the comedy world and would sell out any theater himself. Dave Chappelle had one of the best runs for any comic ever before deciding to bow out. Since 2006 he's basically disappeared like LeBron in the 4th quarter. You know he's somewhere and you want him back, but it hasn't happened. I can't even describe how excited I am at the possibility of this show. With everything going on in the NBA, please don't toy with me on this one. I beg you. I'm already vulnerable and I'm not sure I'll be able to handle it emotionally if this story turns out to be completely false.
I used to think that the Thursday Night NFL game was a horrible idea (minus Thanksgiving). Football is for Sunday and Monday night, but in lieu of the lockout I'm thankful for it. In particular this week I get to go see my home team, Denver Broncos play against the New York Jets. Watching the Broncos this year has been a wild ride. Everything I thought I knew about professional football has been tossed out the window. We are up 10-0 at half time on the road... Awesome. I have as many passing yards as our starting quarterback... Not awesome. I have no idea what to expect from Tim Tebow, but as long as he keeps winning I'll be happy. The Jets have struggled to a degree this season, but since Rex Ryan took over a few years ago they have always been a defensive team. I've got to believe that we will have more of a passing attack tomorrow but I this point nothing would surprise me. The Jets are a 6 point favorite on the road and the Over/Under for the game is 40 points. If the Broncos win the Under will be in play, and opposite for the Jets. I'm a homer so what the heck, I'll take the Broncos +6 and the Under. Thank you Thursday for the chance to forget about basketball midweek.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Charlotte @ Cleveland, Phoenix @ Toronto, Indiana @ Atlanta, Houston @ New Orleans, Boston @ Miami, Milwaukee @ Minnesota, New Jersey @ Oklahoma City, Dallas @ Memphis, LA Clippers @ San Antonio, Chicago @ Portland, Washington @ Sacramento, New York @ Denver, Philadelphia @ Golden State
Day 139 highlights 2 HUGE games that we are missing out on. First, Boston at Miami: The Return of The Heatles. The Celtics are a year older but they still have something to prove, and this could be their last chance at a title with the current group they have. That's the boring part of this match up. We are all watching to see the Heat. How have LeBron, DWade, and the other guy in the "big three" responded to their collapse in the NBA Finals last year? Also, doesn't MIA stand for Missing In Action? Hmmmmmmm. The second huge story of the day has got to be Charlotte at Cleveland. (Just kidding, we all know the sporting Gods hate Cleveland, but at this point I'd take it!) The second story is the New York Knicks coming to the Mile High City to play the Nuggets: The Return of Melo. I'm so mad about this I'm thinking about going to the Pepsi Center to just stand outside and "Boo" out of spite! Welcome home Chauncey Billups, and Melo I wouldn't be upset if you got another DUI. There are a slew of other games that I'm not going to spend a ton of time covering, but after 2 weeks and a full training camp I'm really curious which member of the Golden State Warriors can do the best Mark Jackson impression by saying, "Momma there goes that man!" These are the things we should be talking about on a Wednesday but alas we sadly are not...
I've been thinking about ways to get my mind off missing this Nuggets game so I decided to go watch the new Twilight movie and write a review. Then I realized I was just sad, not pathetic, so I just watched The Princess Bride on my couch. On a different note, what the hell has happened to Adam Sandler? I miss the guy from Saturday Night Live, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and even Big Daddy. Who gave him the ok to dress in drag and play his own twin sister? Is the movie industry struggling this bad for plot lines? Who is this movie for exactly? Kids? Adults? Dogs? Adam, do you really need the money that bad? I can almost guarantee if you would have waited 2 more weeks a better script would have found its way to your desk. I feel like I lost a friend and I want him back, but for the mean time I'm locking him out NBA style. Leonardo Di Caprio's new film J. Edgar looks interesting. He's reached the level for me where I will give him the benefit of the doubt until he makes enough bad movies in a row that I have to put a stop to it, ala Sandler. Also, Johnny Depp is in a movie not named Pirates... I was, however, kind of disappointed that The Rum Diaries wasn't about Captain Morgan's journal.
In other "news" Stevie Williams has officially become the most talked about Caddy since Danny Noonan (fictional character in the movie Caddyshack, which is really the only acceptable time for a caddy to be mainstream). Tonight, or tomorrow in Australia, the President's Cup (golf tournament where the USA plays heads up against players from the rest of the world minus Europe) kicks off, and by sheer coincidence (wink, wink) Tiger Woods is matched up against Adam Scott. This normally wouldn't be a big deal, but after Tiger's epic fall from grace he fired his caddy, Stevie Williams. Williams has since picked up the bag of Adam Scott and had some not so nice things to say about his former boss. When Tiger is putting, Williams better yell "Noonan....Miss it....Noonan!" Caddyshack is one of my all time favorite movies and now we have a chance to make a little bit of it come true in real life. Please Stevie, don't ruin this for me. You can go to the pool from 1:00-1:15 afterwards.
As a fans of sports or entertainment there are two things that we love, a Super Star, and a great comeback. This next gem gives us the possibility of both. It has been rumored that Chris Rock and wait for it, wait for it..... Dave Chappelle are planning a comedy tour! BAM! Again, I want to stress that this is still a rumor. Reportedly they are planning on doing a show in New York and if its successful taking it on tour. Are you effin kidding me??? How can this not be successful? If nothing else this will be a giant pay day for both of them. Chris Rock is still relevant in the comedy world and would sell out any theater himself. Dave Chappelle had one of the best runs for any comic ever before deciding to bow out. Since 2006 he's basically disappeared like LeBron in the 4th quarter. You know he's somewhere and you want him back, but it hasn't happened. I can't even describe how excited I am at the possibility of this show. With everything going on in the NBA, please don't toy with me on this one. I beg you. I'm already vulnerable and I'm not sure I'll be able to handle it emotionally if this story turns out to be completely false.
I used to think that the Thursday Night NFL game was a horrible idea (minus Thanksgiving). Football is for Sunday and Monday night, but in lieu of the lockout I'm thankful for it. In particular this week I get to go see my home team, Denver Broncos play against the New York Jets. Watching the Broncos this year has been a wild ride. Everything I thought I knew about professional football has been tossed out the window. We are up 10-0 at half time on the road... Awesome. I have as many passing yards as our starting quarterback... Not awesome. I have no idea what to expect from Tim Tebow, but as long as he keeps winning I'll be happy. The Jets have struggled to a degree this season, but since Rex Ryan took over a few years ago they have always been a defensive team. I've got to believe that we will have more of a passing attack tomorrow but I this point nothing would surprise me. The Jets are a 6 point favorite on the road and the Over/Under for the game is 40 points. If the Broncos win the Under will be in play, and opposite for the Jets. I'm a homer so what the heck, I'll take the Broncos +6 and the Under. Thank you Thursday for the chance to forget about basketball midweek.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
King of the Mountain
November 15th, 2011
Orlando @ Indiana, Phoenix @ Detroit, LA Clippers @ Houston, Washington @ LA Lakers
It is now day 138 of the NBA lockout, which means its only 3 days shy of being twice as long as Kim Kardashian's marriage to New Jersey (York) Net Kris Humphries (I hate knowing this stuff as a result of the lack of basketball). We are now supposed to be two weeks into the season so we are starting to get a feel for how teams are looking together. Dwight Howard's Superman cape is casting a huge shadow over Orlando as they try to figure out a way to keep him there. The only way that might be possible is if they can somehow find someone dumb enough to take Gilbert Arenas' contract off their hands. How is this going to play out? After a slow start, have trade rumors started with Steve Nash as the NBA community rallies together in support of seeing him traded to a contender? Few people know this, but Yao Ming actually retired so he wouldn't be subjected to being dunked on by Blake Griffin... And, is it clear Kobe Bryant is also coaching the Lakers now that Phil Jackson is gone? These are the things we should be talking about, but alas we are not.
I have been a basketball fan for my entire life. My father actually taught me how to read by checking box scores for his fantasy basketball league (back when people had to check the news paper because this thing called the Internet hadn't been invented by Al Gore yet). As a kid I was blessed with the opportunity to grow up watching Michael Jordan. While I have always supported my home town Denver Nuggets, I couldn't help but being drawn to his greatness. As soon as I found out he attended North Carolina for his college days, I instantly became a fan of the Tar Heels.
Being a Tar Heel fan, I was taught at a young age to hate the darker shade of blue that housed itself a few miles down Tobacco Road. Duke was just another 4 letter word that was not to be tolerated. I couldn't stand that they were always good. The Cameron Crazies jumping around, dressed up, painted faces, made me sick. They were the epitome of a rival. Even the men of Troy and Rome could appreciate the mutual despise. With all of that, there was always one thing that didn't make sense to me. How could I actually like their coach, Mike Krzyzewski? His name is actually pronounced Sha-Chef-Ski because that makes sense, but I digress...
Coach K, as he is more commonly known, is everything you want a college coach to be. Not only does he have an immense knowledge of the game of basketball but equally (if not more) importantly he is a great teacher of life. Under the guidance of Coach K, Duke has won 4 National Championships and came in second to only UCLA with a remarkable stretch of 110 consecutive weeks as the AP number 1 ranked team in college basketball. Through all of Duke's success they still always maintained a high average graduation rate for its players which can be attributed in part to Krzyewski. He has always focused on coaching the fundamentals of the game and creating a team before individual atmosphere within his teams. The name on the front of the jersey has always been more important than the name on the back because it represents something bigger. You don't play the game for yourself, and everything you do reflects the University and Coach K takes pride in that aspect. There is no doubting that he is a great leader of men both on and off the floor.
Tonight Duke takes the floor at Michigan State to not only play the Spartans, but to play for the record books. Coach K is currently tied, with his college coach, the great Bobby Knight as the winningest coach in NCAA men's college basketball history with 902 wins. Tonight has the potential to give Duke their 3rd win of the year and Coach K 903 for his career. From the outside looking in, this achievement couldn't happen to a better man.
For me, I am rooting for Coach K in a different light. We are only a week removed from being shell shocked about what happened at Penn State and have been sitting in the front row watching the deterioration of coach, Joe Paterno's legacy. Coach K represents one of the last "Good Guys." I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined ever seeing the words "Joe Paterno, fired" and more importantly I never would have thought those words to be necessary. Mike Krzyewski is held in that same regard as Paterno once was. After Penn State, we needed a great story, something for us to be excited about in a positive manner. For that I say thank you Coack K. Thank you for your many years of service. Thank you for giving me a rival I can respect. Thank you for making the game I love a better one. I pray that I never have to take those words back.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Orlando @ Indiana, Phoenix @ Detroit, LA Clippers @ Houston, Washington @ LA Lakers
It is now day 138 of the NBA lockout, which means its only 3 days shy of being twice as long as Kim Kardashian's marriage to New Jersey (York) Net Kris Humphries (I hate knowing this stuff as a result of the lack of basketball). We are now supposed to be two weeks into the season so we are starting to get a feel for how teams are looking together. Dwight Howard's Superman cape is casting a huge shadow over Orlando as they try to figure out a way to keep him there. The only way that might be possible is if they can somehow find someone dumb enough to take Gilbert Arenas' contract off their hands. How is this going to play out? After a slow start, have trade rumors started with Steve Nash as the NBA community rallies together in support of seeing him traded to a contender? Few people know this, but Yao Ming actually retired so he wouldn't be subjected to being dunked on by Blake Griffin... And, is it clear Kobe Bryant is also coaching the Lakers now that Phil Jackson is gone? These are the things we should be talking about, but alas we are not.
I have been a basketball fan for my entire life. My father actually taught me how to read by checking box scores for his fantasy basketball league (back when people had to check the news paper because this thing called the Internet hadn't been invented by Al Gore yet). As a kid I was blessed with the opportunity to grow up watching Michael Jordan. While I have always supported my home town Denver Nuggets, I couldn't help but being drawn to his greatness. As soon as I found out he attended North Carolina for his college days, I instantly became a fan of the Tar Heels.
Being a Tar Heel fan, I was taught at a young age to hate the darker shade of blue that housed itself a few miles down Tobacco Road. Duke was just another 4 letter word that was not to be tolerated. I couldn't stand that they were always good. The Cameron Crazies jumping around, dressed up, painted faces, made me sick. They were the epitome of a rival. Even the men of Troy and Rome could appreciate the mutual despise. With all of that, there was always one thing that didn't make sense to me. How could I actually like their coach, Mike Krzyzewski? His name is actually pronounced Sha-Chef-Ski because that makes sense, but I digress...
Coach K, as he is more commonly known, is everything you want a college coach to be. Not only does he have an immense knowledge of the game of basketball but equally (if not more) importantly he is a great teacher of life. Under the guidance of Coach K, Duke has won 4 National Championships and came in second to only UCLA with a remarkable stretch of 110 consecutive weeks as the AP number 1 ranked team in college basketball. Through all of Duke's success they still always maintained a high average graduation rate for its players which can be attributed in part to Krzyewski. He has always focused on coaching the fundamentals of the game and creating a team before individual atmosphere within his teams. The name on the front of the jersey has always been more important than the name on the back because it represents something bigger. You don't play the game for yourself, and everything you do reflects the University and Coach K takes pride in that aspect. There is no doubting that he is a great leader of men both on and off the floor.
Tonight Duke takes the floor at Michigan State to not only play the Spartans, but to play for the record books. Coach K is currently tied, with his college coach, the great Bobby Knight as the winningest coach in NCAA men's college basketball history with 902 wins. Tonight has the potential to give Duke their 3rd win of the year and Coach K 903 for his career. From the outside looking in, this achievement couldn't happen to a better man.
For me, I am rooting for Coach K in a different light. We are only a week removed from being shell shocked about what happened at Penn State and have been sitting in the front row watching the deterioration of coach, Joe Paterno's legacy. Coach K represents one of the last "Good Guys." I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined ever seeing the words "Joe Paterno, fired" and more importantly I never would have thought those words to be necessary. Mike Krzyewski is held in that same regard as Paterno once was. After Penn State, we needed a great story, something for us to be excited about in a positive manner. For that I say thank you Coack K. Thank you for your many years of service. Thank you for giving me a rival I can respect. Thank you for making the game I love a better one. I pray that I never have to take those words back.
Until Next Time,
Dan
Monday, November 14, 2011
Nuclear Winter
In honor (dishonor) of the NBA lockout I have decided to start a blog to replace the time I would normally spend on watching, attending, reading about, and listening to pro basketball games. I'm going to try and cover a wide range of topics while questioning what we would have expected to see in the NBA on that current day. I hope you all enjoy it and I'd love to hear your feedback. Without further adu, lets do it up!
November 14th, 2011
OKC @ Charlotte, Sacramento @ Memphis, Golden State @ Dallas, New York @ Utah, and Philly @ Portland.
5 games on the Monday slate, and while no real marquee matchups, there still are some interesting story lines to look forward to. Kevin Durant has officially turned into 'Must See TV' and after a full training camp, how is the young nucleus in OKC looking after adding Kendrick Perkins from Boston? Can Memphis repeat its playoff run of a year ago? Is Dallas still rolling after their championship run? Also, has Mark Cuban stopped grinning from his ring ceremony? How are Carmelo and Amare looking together? What is Brandon Roy going to look like this year? These are things we should be talking and reading about, but alas we are not...
The big news today is obviously the NBA Players Association rejecting the owner's latest proposal and promptly doing the Dikembe Mutombo finger wave as they left the negotiating session. David Stern (the NBA Commissioner for those of you living under a rock) has since gone on Sports Center to plead the case of the owners and putting the blame on Billy Hunter (the head of the NBPA). An already ugly "business" deal had already gone south so why not make it personal, right?
After the rejection, the players are now planning on filing an anti-trust case against the NBA effectively ending the 2011-2012 Season by taking basketball to a different court. As well all know our legal system likes to act swiftly and is completely understanding of our own time constraints... If we are lucky this will only take months and not years.
It was also a busy day outside the arena of basketball. The Green Bay Packers continued their dominance on the rest of the NFL, and I actually had flashbacks of John Madden giving ridiculous amounts of praise to Brett Favre hearing all the great/amazing/unbelievable things that Aaron Rodgers can do by the current Monday Night Football crew. Rex Ryan, allegedly (he totally did), got caught cursing out a fan. And, in case you haven't heard, Tim Tebow is still a winner! For the first time since 1947 a team won in which its quarterback had more rushing attempts than passing attempts. There may or may not have been winds up to 40 mph that day in 1947, but I don't know for sure since I wasn't born yet...
Jerry Sandusky, on top of making other great decisions, decided to go on national television with Bob Costas and give his first public interview since he has been charged with over 40 counts of sexual assault for his role in the widely covered Penn State scandal. Joe Paterno's name has also been removed from the Big 10 Championship Trophy, further tarnishing his legacy. To add another crazy wrinkle in this mess, it has been reported that Sandusky's attorney impregnated a teenage girl over a decade ago (legal, but gross he was 49). Here is a link to a New York Post article http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_lawyer_impregnated_teenage_7jKwQMCeBlm9RSdr9zeutK
A lot has been said and I'm going to leave it at that for now with Penn State until more disgusting information surfaces later on (it will).
I've been trying to decide all day if I'm more angry or sad about the NBA situation and I think I'm leaning towards angry. Hell, I never would have considered starting a blog before, but here we are... Passports have been updated and get ready for an exodus of sorts to Europe and other countries that aren't in Europe or the US. There will be no basketball in the foreseeable future, but as the commercials say "basketball never sleeps" so they gotta find somewhere to play.
Until Next Time,
Dan
November 14th, 2011
OKC @ Charlotte, Sacramento @ Memphis, Golden State @ Dallas, New York @ Utah, and Philly @ Portland.
5 games on the Monday slate, and while no real marquee matchups, there still are some interesting story lines to look forward to. Kevin Durant has officially turned into 'Must See TV' and after a full training camp, how is the young nucleus in OKC looking after adding Kendrick Perkins from Boston? Can Memphis repeat its playoff run of a year ago? Is Dallas still rolling after their championship run? Also, has Mark Cuban stopped grinning from his ring ceremony? How are Carmelo and Amare looking together? What is Brandon Roy going to look like this year? These are things we should be talking and reading about, but alas we are not...
The big news today is obviously the NBA Players Association rejecting the owner's latest proposal and promptly doing the Dikembe Mutombo finger wave as they left the negotiating session. David Stern (the NBA Commissioner for those of you living under a rock) has since gone on Sports Center to plead the case of the owners and putting the blame on Billy Hunter (the head of the NBPA). An already ugly "business" deal had already gone south so why not make it personal, right?
After the rejection, the players are now planning on filing an anti-trust case against the NBA effectively ending the 2011-2012 Season by taking basketball to a different court. As well all know our legal system likes to act swiftly and is completely understanding of our own time constraints... If we are lucky this will only take months and not years.
It was also a busy day outside the arena of basketball. The Green Bay Packers continued their dominance on the rest of the NFL, and I actually had flashbacks of John Madden giving ridiculous amounts of praise to Brett Favre hearing all the great/amazing/unbelievable things that Aaron Rodgers can do by the current Monday Night Football crew. Rex Ryan, allegedly (he totally did), got caught cursing out a fan. And, in case you haven't heard, Tim Tebow is still a winner! For the first time since 1947 a team won in which its quarterback had more rushing attempts than passing attempts. There may or may not have been winds up to 40 mph that day in 1947, but I don't know for sure since I wasn't born yet...
Jerry Sandusky, on top of making other great decisions, decided to go on national television with Bob Costas and give his first public interview since he has been charged with over 40 counts of sexual assault for his role in the widely covered Penn State scandal. Joe Paterno's name has also been removed from the Big 10 Championship Trophy, further tarnishing his legacy. To add another crazy wrinkle in this mess, it has been reported that Sandusky's attorney impregnated a teenage girl over a decade ago (legal, but gross he was 49). Here is a link to a New York Post article http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_lawyer_impregnated_teenage_7jKwQMCeBlm9RSdr9zeutK
A lot has been said and I'm going to leave it at that for now with Penn State until more disgusting information surfaces later on (it will).
I've been trying to decide all day if I'm more angry or sad about the NBA situation and I think I'm leaning towards angry. Hell, I never would have considered starting a blog before, but here we are... Passports have been updated and get ready for an exodus of sorts to Europe and other countries that aren't in Europe or the US. There will be no basketball in the foreseeable future, but as the commercials say "basketball never sleeps" so they gotta find somewhere to play.
Until Next Time,
Dan
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