Lebron's LeLeap

Lebron followed up his 48-point performance including 29 of his team's last 30 through double overtime in Detroit with another superb game in Cleveland on Saturday as the Cavs stunned the Pistons in six, advancing to the NBA Finals. Perhaps just as importantly, James has finally found his worthy sidekick in Daniel "Booby" Gibson. Let the Jordan and Pippen comparisons rain.

Speaking of MJ, even he marveled at James' performance.

It is a pity that, during this same week, Kobe has made a fool out of himself.

The Detroit Pistons are getting a lot of heat as the media speculates on the potential breakup of the team. After all, the East may be owned by James for years to come. And let us not forget about some fellows named Wade, Howard, and Bosh. But the big difference that no one is talking about between this series and last year's was Ben Wallace, or rather the lack thereof. Chris Webber was simply not as much of an inside force as Big Ben was in allowing Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, and Anderson Varejao to make plays in the inside. More significantly, Booby and Lebron were constantly penetrating and having their way in the paint.

ESPN's Bill Simmons writes:

When he passed up the game-tying dunk in Game 1 for an ill-fated pass to Donyell Marshall, in retrospect that turned out to be the most important lesson of his career. He needed to take the abuse, needed to hear the questions, needed to hear everyone call him out. Both Detroit losses hardened him, leading to his transcendent Game 3 and another focused performance in Game 4.

You could see him harnessing his considerable gifts. Every fledgling superduperstar needs one of these moments -- Jordan had the series-winning shot in Cleveland, Tiger had the '97 Masters, Magic had Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, Bird had the banker in Game 7 of the '81 Philly series -- when they can say to themselves, "I came through when it mattered, I can do it again." LeBron was one crowd-killing game in Detroit from pushing himself to another level, almost like someone completing a mission in "Grand Theft Auto.

If you care about basketball, this game immediately joined the Bird-Dominique Duel, The Flu Game, MJ's Last Shot, Magic's Sky Hook, McHale's Clothesline, the Sleepy Floyd Game, MJ's 63-Point Game, the Bernard-Isiah Duel, the '87 All-Star Game, the Suns-Celts Game, Bird's Steal, Havlicek's Steal, West's Half-Court Shot, the Miller/Spike Lee Game and every other classic over the years that can be described/remembered/rehashed in three or four words. We'll call this "LeBron's 48-Point Game" someday. 'Nuff said.

And everyone knows how much I love these types of quirky remarks:

"I love the NBA. Can you think of any other avenue in life in which a 22-year-old black kid from Akron, Ohio, would excitedly jump in the air and lovingly embrace for a good 20 seconds a 7-foot-3, 31-year-old from Lithuania?"

Twenty five years from now, every man will still remember where they were when they were a WITNESS to Lebron making his LeLeap.

LeBron

We are all witnesses.

Kobe

In case you were living under a rock yesterday, Wilt Chamberlain and Chick Hearn began rolling over in their graves due to wanna-be Jack Bauer's nonstop drama. Kobe Bryant opened the morning on ESPN Radio asking for a trade from the Lakers. He came back on the radio twice, each time further backing off his comments after speaking with Phil Jackson and Magic Johnson. A lot of analysis can and has been done on this subject, but let us make it clear that Kobe is NOT going to be traded.

Kobe simply is trying to orchestrate a Jerry West return to run the "mess" of an organization that is the Lakers, or force the current front office of Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss to make some type of trade to bring the team back to a contending status. Ironically enough, the great Seattle Sonic Ray Allen predicted this three years ago:

"He's going to be very selfish," Allen said of Bryant. "And he feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq. He can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he's going to jump out and say, 'I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team.'

"I think the point production is not going to be so much what people are going to look at because (Tracy) McGrady did it in Orlando, Allen (Iverson) did it in Philly. Can you win a championship? I think that's the question. Carrying guys on your back and making everybody better."

Allen was right about that, as it turns out, but get a load of Allen's crystal ball on this one.

"If Kobe doesn't see he needs two and a half good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship, in about a year or two he'll be calling out to Jerry Buss that 'We need some help in here,' or 'Trade me,' " Allen said. "And we'll all be saying, 'I told you so,' when he says that."

Man alive, that is some good stuff. He was almost exactly right. It took three seasons instead of two, but Kobe finally did exactly what Ray said he was going to do. Unbelievable.

- Frank Hughes, The News Tribune

Furthermore, Kobe is now claiming that he was not responsible for the departure of Shaq. While he may have never verbally asked the Lakers to rid of Shaq, let us not forget what Kobe has said before, leaving owner Jerry Buss no choice but to choose the younger attraction over the aging winner. The Big Fella has agreed, but this is after legends such as Bill Russell have adviced him to put the whole dramatic situation behind him.

Finally, another blog points out how it seems that Kobe is the type of person that strives to outshine everything else and be the main headline:

• January 22, 2006: Kobe scores 81 points against Toronto on the same day that the Steelers defeated the Broncos and the Seahawks defeated the Panthers in the NFL Conference Championships.
• December 29, 2006 and December 31, 2006: Kobe scores 58 and 35 (only 2 free throw attempts)..The final weekend of the NFL season.
• March 16, 2007 through April 3, 2007: Kobe scores 65, 50, 60, 50, 43, 23(7-26), 53, 19(6-14), and 39. The NCAA tournament started on March 15 and ended April 2nd, and MLB had it’s opening days April 1-3.
• April 6, 2007 and April 8, 2007: 24 drops 46 and 34 on The Masters which took place April 5-8. Kobe didn’t break 40 on the 8th for lack of trying. He was 14-25 from the field, but 1-5 from 3 and only got to the line 5 times.
• May 26, 2007-May 30, 2007: Kobe starts the trade demands and calls them off. Then starts them again then calls them off all while the NBA Conference Finals, Indy 500, and Stanley Cup Finals are taking place.

The End of the World

Good thing we have Jack Bauer, otherwise this may really happen someday...

Portland & Seattle win Oden & Durant

• The Pacific Northwest hit the jackpot Tuesday evening, as the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Sonics surprisingly won the draft lottery for the top two picks.
• Ohio State 7-foot 280-pound beast Greg Oden will go first to Portland while Texas phenom (6'9" 220) Kevin Durant is coming to Seattle baby!
• Portland last had the No.2 pick in 1984, selecting center Sam Bowie, a bust in comparison to the fellow who Chicago took next by the name of Michael Jordan. Deja vu anyone?
• Seattle last had the No.2 pick in 1990, selecting living legend Gary Payton. A decade of winning seasons and playoff runs followed.
Oden was bothered with a broken wrist last year, but still managed to be an effective force in the Buckeye's run to the Final Four. Scouts compare Oden to Shaq, Duncan, and Dwight Howard, all number one picks who have completely turned around NBA franchises.
Durant just won the John Wooden Award after averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds. Durant has often been compared to Carmelo Anthony, while some believe he has the marketability of a Jordan or Lebron. Look for Durant to make more of an immediate impact than the more raw Oden.
The I-5 rivalry between the Blazers and Sonics will certainly heat up next year on a national scale. Portland's Nate McMillian is the former Sonic guard and coach and Blazers owner Paul Allen has strong ties to Seattle as the co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.
Both Portland and Seattle are currently in the midst of arena problems. The Blazers are locked into a financially draining lease at the Rose Garden while the Sonics were recently sold to Clay Bennett, a businessman who is expected to move the team to Oklahoma City if the Washington government does not pay up for a new arena. Hopefully this new excitement and publicity will generate enough attention and revenue to keep basketball in these two great hotbed cities.
• Look for Seattle's Rashard Lewis to leave as a free agent this summer. The franchise's uncertainty was already going to be the driving force, but with Durant coming in with a similar game at the same position, Lewis may be better off going to, say, Orlando with Dwight Howard and company.
• Sonics President Lenny Wilkens will now turn his attention to hiring a general manager and head coach, even though he may have been the best candidate for either job. But seriously, all the GM has to do is sign Lewis and the coach just has to say, "Kevin, screen for Ray" every timeout.
• Any sudden climate changes that occurred Tuesday can be attributed to the loud cheers from the caffeinated Northwest and collective groans in Boston, where after a season of tanking, the Celtics ended up with their worst possible scenario, the fifth pick in the draft. Remember that Boston was favored to get Tim Duncan in 1997 before being similarly screwed by the ping pong balls.
• Thanks to the bounce of those balls though, the Northwest Division may suddenly be a strong one next year as the already superior Western Conference continues to add firepower. The Utah Jazz are still playing and have a bright future with Williams and Boozer while Denver has yet to play a full season with the Iverson/Carmelo combination. A nod goes to Kevin Garnett and a No.7 pick in Minnesota as Portland fans are dreaming of championships with Oden and rookie of the year Brandon Roy while Seattle's potential Ray Allen, Kevin Durant, Rashard Lewis can easily form the league's highest scoring trio...

This is why Sonics Fans are hot...

Stars

Michael Wilbon checks in with yet another brilliant article, this time calling on David Stern and the NBA to reseed the playoffs after every round, forcing the best teams to play each other later on in the tournament. Wilbon also points out that basketball, more so than any other sport, is driven by its stars, most of whom have already been eliminated. With a likely San Antonio-Detroit Finals rematch looming, the most attractive star may be found on the sidelines...

UPDATE: Speaking of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria...

UPDATE TWO: Go Tony, Go!

Warriors

• The Golden State Warriors shocked the Dallas Mavericks in six games becoming the first 8 seed to upset a number 1 seed in a best of seven first round series.
• With Chicago's sweep of Miami, this means that both Finals participants were eliminated in the first round. And they say the NBA is too predictable.
• Baron Davis was the man for the Warriors, constantly penetrating and knocking down shots. Looks like Bruins finally found their NBA star to follow after the Reggie Miller era.
• Stephen Jackson stepped up big time this series, shedding his thug image in favor of a smart hard worker. We knew about the Warriors' big three of Davis, Jackson, and Jason Richardson, but who in the world saw Andris Biedris, Monte Ellis, and Mikael Pietrus turning into such ballers?
• There are several more reasons why the Warriors won this series. Don Nelson will get a lot of credit for his unique coaching style, motivating his team at the right time, promoting organized chaos on offense, throwing a variety of defenders at Dirk, and switching all screens and using zone defenses to throw the Mavs off. As the former coach of the Mavs, Nellie definitely had an advantage.
• Dallas, having clinched the top seed, were resting up and taking it easy going into April. On the flip side, Golden State caught fire and made a playoff push. Sports are all about confidence and momentum.
• But none of this would not have mattered if it were not for those crazy lunatic fans up in Oakland...
• The last time the Warriors won a series was 1991, with Avery Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Tom Tolbert. Oh, and they were coached by Don Nelson.
• The Warriors were simply a team that had the Mavericks' number. They swept Dallas 3-0 during the season, including the final meeting in which Avery Johnson rested his starters instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to knock Golden State out of the playoff race.
• I said it at the end of last year and I will say it again. Avery Johnson is not the great coach that we all think he is. A great coach does not blow a 2-0 lead in the Finals. A great coach does not fall to a lowly eight seed after such a great regular season.
• The NBA should be ashamed to have Dirk Nowitzki as its MVP. The award should be decided and voted upon at a time much deeper into the playoffs, instead of at the end of the regular season as it is now. Dirk was criticized with choking during last year's Finals, and after this miserable disappearing act, he will be under further scrutiny.
• With Dallas gone, only Phoenix and Detroit stand a chance against the San Antonio Spurs, my pick to win it all.

Indian Pride

Indians invented numbers. Irrigation. Navigation. Medicine. Hotmail. The Pentium Chip. Mahatma Gandhi. Aishwarya Rai. But this takes the cake.

2007 NFL Draft

As the amazingly entertaining NBA Playoffs rages on, the completely overhyped NFL Draft finally took place last weekend. Despite all the coverage, the draft is hard to judge until multiple seasons afterwards when the players have had adequate time to adapt and develop. Nevertheless, here are some of the main storylines:

• The Oakland Raiders took LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick, and is expected to sign a contract well over $50 million for the next six years. Good luck behind that poor offensive line.
• The Raiders traded Randy Moss to the New England Patriots for a fourth round pick. The Patriots are the unofficial offseason winners as Bill Belichick prepares for one last push for a Super Bowl run.
• The Detroit Lions could not get a satisfactory trade proposal so took freak athelete Calvin Johnson, wide receiver out of Georgia Tech.
• Notre Dame's Brady Quinn free fall was well documented, as the Cleveland Browns passed on him at No.3 for dominant left tackle Joe Thomas. The Browns later traded back into the first round for Dallas' No.22 to nab the hometown boy.
• In the biggest shock of the draft, the Miami Dolphins passed on Quinn taking the injured Ohio State receiver and returner Ted Ginn Jr. New head coach Cam Cameron, the genious behind the San Diego Chargers' powerhouse offense the last few years, was met with heavy boos at a press conference.
• NFL.com: The 10th pick was 19-year-old defensive tackle Amobi Okoye of Louisville, by Houston. He's the youngest player drafted in the first round since the merger and will join last year's No. 1 overall pick, defensive end Mario Williams, on the line.
• Teams were not afraid to draft running backs early, starting with the Minnesota Vikings selecting Adrian Peterson at No.9 and Buffalo Bills selecting Marshawn Lynch at No.12.
• Ohio State Heisman winning quarterback Troy Smith was finally selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the final pick of the fifth round. Look for Smith, who is nothing but a winner, to flourish behind Steve McNair and a scary defense.
• Sports Illustrated on the champs: Indy has lost defenders Cato June, Jason David, Nick Harper, Mike Doss and Montae Reagor this offseason. So they need to draft defenders, right? The Colts first two picks were receiver Anthony Gonzalez and offensive tackle Tony Ugoh.
• The Seattle Seahawks, without a first-round pick because of the Deion Branch trade, went with a corner and defensive tackle for their first two picks. Their big splash was trading away Darrell Jackson to divison rival San Francisco for a fourth round pick. This puts Branch as the undisputed No.1 option, with D.J. Hackett the favorite to start alongside him, and Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram rounding out the still deep receiving corps.
• Early Super Bowl pick, and note this has nothing to do with who they drafted: Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots.

The Day They Kicked God out of the Schools

Spurs, Heat to meet in NBA Finals

Amidst all the Nowitski or Nash for MVP hype as the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks both rolled through the NBA with over 60 wins each, the San Antonio Spurs quietly completed their eighth consecutive winning season. In fact, since Tim Duncan was drafted No.1 by San Antonio ten years ago, the Spurs have the best winning percentage of all four major sports. The Spurs three world championships came in spurts during that span, largely in part to the short lived Laker dynasty and numerous injuries to the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, who are usually banged up by the time the playoffs roll around. However, for the first time in five years, Tim Duncan has not missed a game the entire season. The remaining core of the team, Parker, Ginobili, Michael Finley, and Bruce Bowen all have been healthy all season long, each keeping their games missed to a single digit number.

The first round matchup against the Denver Nuggets promises to be entertaining, with two amazingly quick guards in Tony Parker and Allen Iverson going up against each other. While Denver’s improving frontline of Carmelo Anthony, Nene, and Marcus Camby may be able to slow down Duncan, look for Ginobili to have a huge series against a poor perimeter defensive team. Throw in veterans Robert Horry, Michael Finley, and Brent Barry, all of whom will step up their games come playoff time, and San Antonio will advance to the second round.

The Spurs have continuously shown that they are the only team in the NBA who can slow down the Phoenix Suns. Whether it be the ability of Tony Parker to keep pace with the quickness Steven Nash and Leandro Barbosa, Ginobili coming off the bench for an energy boost, or Tim Duncan’s post presence, the Spurs have consistently had the Suns’ number, with a 12-3 advantage in meetings over the past three years including the 4-1 western conference finals playoff series two years ago. Perhaps the only potential stumbling block for San Antonio is a motivated Amare Stoudemire, but look for the Suns, who only play seven players, coming off another brutal first round series against the Lakers, to be burned out.

The Dallas Mavericks are the toughest hurdle for the San Antonio Spurs. In what is quickly becoming a great Texas rivalry, the most important match up is to be found on the sidelines as Avery Johnson going up against his former coach Greg Popovich, both of whom have known nothing but success as head coaches. At first glace, San Antonio appears to have the tougher route to the western finals with Denver and Phoenix. However, Dallas cannot sleep on Don Nelson’s Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz or Houston Rockets, which may turn out to be the best first round series by the way. The regular season records and games are thrown out the window here. Remember, last year these two teams came down to the final minute in overtime of Game 7 in a classic series. As basketball fans, we can only hope for a similar showdown.

The Eastern Conference will actually be decided in the second round when the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat face off. No one in the east has yet to come up with answers for Dwayne Wade and Shaq. The Detroit Pistons could not beat the Heat last year with Ben Wallace, so without him they are even worse off. The aging Big Ben has never been able to contain Shaq and scare Wade away from the paint, so the Chicago Bulls, as great as they are defensively as a team, will fall to Miami again. The Toronto Raptors have been a great story, but they simply lack the experience for a deep playoff run. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Zydrunas Igauskas wants no part of The Big Fella. Miami has been plagued by physical injuries and mental disinterest throughout the season. The players have openly admitted that they were simply playing for a playoff spot, rather than a good record and higher seed. As shown by last year’s championship run, this deep group of veterans can simply turn up the heat when it matters. Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, Eddie Jones, and Alonzo Mourning are all former all-stars who can make big plays when called upon. James Posey, Udonis Haslem, and Jason Kapono round up a deep supporting cast. As TNT’s Kenny Smith would say, the Miami Heat are built for the playoffs, not all that unlike the San Antonio Spurs.

Playoffs!?

NBA Playoff Memories 2006

NBA on NBC Memories

Madden Curse

Vince Young has the honor (horror?) of gracing the cover of Madden 08. A look at past coverboys, and how the dreaded Madden curse has affected them:

• Barry Saunders/Dorsey Levens, Madden 2000: When original co-cover boy (with John Madden himself) Barry Sanders abruptly retired just before training camp in 1999, he was replaced by fellow star NFC Central running back Levens, in subsequent releases of the game. Levens' once-stellar career with the Green Bay Packers coincidentally started to go downhill in 1999.


• Eddie George, Madden 2001: In a 2000-01 playoff game, George failed to catch a pass that was then intercepted and returned for a touchdown by the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis. His performance and durability also began to decline.


• Daunte Culpepper, Madden 2002: Culpepper's 2001 season was cut short by a knee injury and his team, the Minnesota Vikings, suffered a losing season one year after making it to the NFC Championship Game.


• Marshall Faulk, Madden 2003: Faulk injured his ankle during the 2002 season, and, after five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons heading into the cover year, never again had one.


• Michael Vick, Madden 2004: One day after the game released, Vick broke his right fibula during a 2003 preseason game, appearing in only the final five regular-season games, as the Atlanta Falcons, a 2002 playoff team with Vick starting at quarterback, went 5-11 in 2003.


• Ray Lewis, Madden 2005: Limited with a wrist injury, Lewis finished the 2004 season without an interception as the Ravens failed to make the playoffs. (In 2003 the Ravens won the AFC North division and Lewis had six interceptions.)


• Donovan McNabb, Madden 06: McNabb sustained a sports hernia and a groin injury during the 2005 season, ultimately electing to cut that season short by having surgery for the hernia - all the while engaged in a running feud with troublesome teammate Terrell Owens. All of these factors contributed to a disappointing season for the Philadelphia Eagles as they finished last in their divsion after a Super Bowl appearance the previous year.


• Shaun Alexander, Madden 07: Coming off an MVP and Super Bowl trip, Alexander suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot forcing him to miss six games and fall short of a 1,000 yard rushing season.


• Vince Young, Madden 08: No one will be surprised if a sophomore slump follows Young's impressive 8-3 record as a rookie starter. Throw in the fact that he is a scrambling quarterback, and an injury is sadly likely...

Joey Crawford vs Tim Duncan

Props to David Stern and the NBA for indefinitely suspending referee Joey Crawford after he unreasonably ejected Tim Duncan in Sunday's game in Dallas with two separate technical fouls for simply laughing while on the bench. Duncan also claimed that Crawford challenged him to a fight, in what clearly seemed to be some sort of personal outburst. In a season where the league has been cracking down on players' constant complaining, perhaps excessively, it is quite refreshing to see the NBA side with one of its icons instead, as referees are rarely disciplined by their leagues. Despite a $25,000 slap on the wrist, Tim Duncan has long been an excellent player and role model. By suspending Crawford for the rest of the year, the NBA ditched the horrid possibility of Crawford refereeing a crucial playoff game involving the San Antonio Spurs.

How Many UC Students...

How many UC students does it take to change a light bulb?

• CAL : 3. 1 to change the light bulb and 2 to debate the metaphysical state of the bulb and how it's invention has impacted human development.
• UCSD : 5. 1 to actually change it and 4 to start smoking weed.
• UCI : 11. 1 changes it while the other 10 sit around watching because honestly, what else is there to do at Irvine past 10 pm?
• UCR : 3. 1 to steal the bulb, 1 to drive the getaway car, and the other one to call up his friends to throw the celebration party Tuesday night.
• UCSB : 7. 1 to screw the light bulb and 6 to screw each other.
• UCD : 0. They don't have electricity in Davis...
• UC Merced : 2. One to hold the light bulb while the other calls his friends asking for help in figuring out this new "college thing".
• UCSC : None. Living in the forest, they see by moonlight and torches - damn hippies....
• UCLA : 2. 1 to change the bulb. 1 to call up his friends at USC and tell them how they changed it and how they did it better and for cheaper.

Dihydrogen Monoxide

2007 NFL Schedule

You know America loves the NFL when the release of the schedule is news. So without further ado, let me present to you my take on each week's best matchup:

1. New Orleans at Indianapolis (9/6 NBC) - The great tradition of having the champs host the season opener against a sexy contender continues, this time as Reggie Bush and Drew Brees come to town. Look for the banner ceremony to fire everyone up in a high scoring shootout.
2. San Diego at New England (9/16 NBC) - Chargers look to get some revenge on last year's heated playoff upset, and they have shown they can win at Foxboro before.
3. Tenessee at New Orleans (9/24 ESPN) - Monday Night Football has lost a lot of its attractiveness in the past couple of years, but Vince Young versus Reggie Bush is hot.
4. Houston at Atlanta (9/30) - Matt Schaub returns to the Georgie Dome, and after this game we should have a good feel for how well the biggest offseason gamble turned out.
5. Seattle at Pittsburgh (10/7) - Quick Super Bowl rematches are great, but this one will be more in particular because the entire state of Washington still believes the Seahawks got screwed, giving the Steelers something to prove.
6. New England at Dallas (10/14) - Tom Brady visits Tony Romo, both are against tough run-stopping 3-4 defenses. Shootout anyone?
7. Chicago at Philadephia (10/21) - These two NFC contenders' hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of their respective quarterbacks in Rex Grossman and Donovan McNabb.
8. New York Giants at Miami (10/28) - The London Bowl. Perhaps the only aspect in which the NFL is far behind the NBA, and even baseball for that matter, is that they have failed to appeal to foreign countries. This game is a good start.
9. New England at Indianapolis (11/4) - It is always Game of the Year with these two. Last year's 20-point comeback by Peyton Manning and company in the AFC championship game was the real Super Bowl, in what may have been the most amazing game ever.
10. Indianapolis at San Diego (11/11 NBC) - "Let's just say we had some, uh, protection problems." Shawn Merriman is coming for you, Peyton.
11. Chicago at Seattle (11/18 NBC) - The NFC locks to win their division meet again. Last year's overtime playoff game was awfully close, but that was in Chicago.
12. Baltimore at San Diego (11/25) - Thanksgiving weekend means two great things, food and football. The two most feared defenses against two dynamic offenses put on a show last season.
13. New England at Baltimore (12/3 ESPN) - Brady versus McNair, both backed by tough defenses.
14. Pittsburgh at New England (12/9) - Big Ben snapped Brady's record of 21 straight wins in his rookie year.
15. Arizona at New Orleans (12/16) - Matt Leinart is facing a lot of pressure entering his first full year as a starter, and by this late point in the season will be expected to impress.
16. Dallas at Carolina (12/22 NFL Network) - Time Warner, suck it up and let us watch our football please.
17. New Orleans at Chicago (12/30) - The last week always features a bunch of meaningless games, so it is hard to predict which ones will have a big impact on the playoffs. Cannot go wrong with the NFC championship rematch though.

Five months to go...

Madden Nation

ESPN's Countdown to the Cover for EA Sports' Madden 08 continues, this time with a story on Madden Nation.

EA Sports has sold over 57 million copies of Madden over the past 17 years. Madden NFL 07 sold 7.82 million units since its August 22, 2006 launch, including two million copies in its first week at retail. That made it the number one selling game in North America last year and it's the top-selling franchise in North America (lifetime).

Devin Hester

In 2006, Chicago Bears' rookie cornerback Devin Hester racked up six touchdowns on three punt returns, two kick returns and an incredible 108-yard return of a missed field goal attempt against the New York Giants. Additionally, he took the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI 92 yards for a score, making him the first player ever to open the Super Bowl with a touchdown on the very first kick. But nothing may top THIS.

Florida

The Florida Gators defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes for the NCAA national championship Monday night...again. For the uneducated, Florida also topped Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS title game in football, in what has suddenly become a heated lopsided rivalry. The Gators won their second consecutive basketball championship last night, 84-75, cementing themselves in history as one of the greatest college basketball teams ever assembled. While Florida's Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, and Al Thornton are all destined to be lottery picks in June's draft, Ohio State's Greg Oden earned the No.1 pick, stealing the show with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a dominating performace.

JibJab: What We Call The News

(Don't) Stop the Madness!

The Sweet Sixteen got off to a crazy start Thursday, as four top seeds managed to hold on and advance into the Elite Eight this weekend:

• The Kansas Jayhawks won 61-58 over Jamaal Tatum and Southern Illinois, despite being thrown out of their fast-paced offense for a large part of the game.
• Memphis topped Texas A&M 65-64 in another game that came down to the final seconds, this one being decided by a series of crucial free throws, a controversial ruling on the clock, and a blown layup from Acie Law IV.
• UCLA never trailed in their 64-55 victory over Pittsburgh, thanks to big performances by stud Bruins Arron Afflalo, Darron Collison, and Josh Shipp.
• Ohio State, led by Ron Lewis and Mike Conley, storms back from a 20-point deficit to top Tennessee 85-84, decided by Greg Oden's block of a potentially game winning shot as time expired.

Los Angeles Basketball

Forget the slumping Lakers and the lottery-bound Clippers, Los Angeles basketball fans are all hyped up about the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans in the Sweet Sixteen. While UCLA basketball has always been the class of the NCAA, winning a whopping 11 national championships, Tim Floyd is in the process of bringing the Trojans into the picture. The LA/SC basketball situation has parallels to the lopsided LA/SC football rivalry (USC football also has 11 national titles to UCLA football's one) and even the Laker/Clipper flipflop of last year. Whatever the case, everyone has something to root for come this weekend...

Cricket!?

Amar Shah (an Indian sportswriter!) throws us a special column about the Cricket World Cup. Apparently he and his wife came down to a familiar area known as 'Little India' here in Orange County. I did get a kick out of reading about a Bollywood theatre (Naz8) and Indian restaurant (Rasraj) that I have actually been to several times.

Some of the interesting excerpts:

"Less than 24 hours after Pakistan was eliminated from advancement in the World Cup, its coach, Bob Woolmer, was dead."

"We continued to wait and knock. And wait and knock. This was what we jokingly called (IST) Indian Standard Time."

"I noticed a number of movie posters from the latest film featuring Bollywood's version of Brangelina, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan"

"But before I could pick the paneer makhani and naan, the clerk behind the counter wagged his finger at my jersey and shook his head in shame."

"Wickets are like wives -- you never know which way they will turn."

Why we look the other way

ESPN The Magazine's Chuck Klosterman writes:

Shawne Merriman weighs 272 pounds.

This is six pounds less than Anthony Muñoz, probably the most dominating left tackle of all time. Shawne Merriman also runs the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds. When Jerry Rice attended the NFL draft combine in 1985, he reportedly ran a 4.60; Rice would go on to gain more than 23,000 all-purpose yards while scoring 207 career touchdowns.

You do not need Mel Kiper's hard drive to deduce what these numbers mean: As an outside linebacker, Shawne Merriman is almost as big as the best offensive tackle who ever played and almost as fast as the best wide receiver who ever played. He is a rhinoceros who moves like a deer. Common sense suggests this combination should not be possible. It isn't.

read more...

March Money

NCAA BY THE NUMBERS

• $1.5 billion: Amount of lost workplace productivity due to the tournament, according to the consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas
• $2.5 billion: FBI's estimated amount of illegal wagering in office pools and other bets
• 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 1: Odds on picking a perfect bracket according to Pregame.com
• $15,452.75: Average annual cost to attend the No. 1 seeds if you live in state
• $28,101: Average annual cost to attend the No. 1 seeds if you live out of state
• $14,469.75: Average annual cost to attend the No. 16 seeds if you live in state
• $19,734.75: Average annual cost to attend the No. 16 seeds if you live out of state
• $70,322,772: Average athletic budget at the No. 1 seeds according to Blue Ribbon
• $9,056,728.75: Average athletic budget at the No. 16 seeds according to Blue Ribbon
• $1.36: Salary you wasted your employer by reading this list

- ESPN.com

Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid...

Alright, guys. I personally would shuffle around the rankings a bit, but check it out and let me know what you think anyway...

What Scares a Man?

Free Agency

As millions of dollars are thrown at players who are now overpaid acquisitions, another one of my favorite columnists, Mike Sando of The News Tribune, warns us against the free-agency hype:

The most aggressive teams early in free agency a year ago were Cleveland, Minnesota and Washington. Arizona also drew accolades for adding Edgerrin James, cementing the Cardinals' status as a team on the rise. Drew Brees raised eyebrows when he took more money from New Orleans, a team heading nowhere, when he could have landed with a playoff contender in Miami. The Colts, meanwhile, treaded water by re-signing a few of their own guys without adding reinforcements from other teams. Losing James to Arizona also meant the Colts might have a hard time duplicating previous successes.

So much for that. Their 2006 records:

Cleveland 4-12
Minnesota 6-10
Washington 5-11
Arizona 5-11
Miami 6-10

New Orleans 10-6
Indianapolis 12-4

Basically, as intriguing as some of the moves are, keep in mind that the offseason winners rarely turn out to be the winners come fall.

One Nation Under God

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately (uh oh), and come to the following realizations about our great nation:

• The United States of America was founded as a Christian nation. The forefathers that we learn about in elementary school and study so extensively later on were, before anything else, simply gutsy Christians. Sure, they preached religious freedom and welcomed all, but the country was founded with Christian principles.
• The United States of America is a blessed nation, perhaps the most blessed nation in the history of the world. The fact that Christianity is the dominant religion in America is no coincidence. As of 2000, a whopping 76.5% of Americans claimed to be Christian.
• I thought about putting some sort of disclaimer here, but I do not think one is necessary. The great Roman empire was a blessed Christian nation which ruled the world in its prime. Not unlike the world's previous great nations, America's downfall will be because of its insistence on turning away from God and ethics to secularism and immorality.
• ABC's Boston Legal, one of my favorite shows because of its political statements and intelligent comedy, featured Denny Crane, played by William Shatner, declare, "I believe in God because if you are wrong, there is no harm, no foul. But if you do not believe and you turn out to be wrong, then you are screwed."
• Oscar-winning Titanic director James Cameron is currently working on a documentary discrediting Jesus' resurrection, claiming to have found his real body. Considering all the money The DaVinci Code has made, it is no surprise Hollywood continues to abuse Jesus as a cash cow.
• America has turned against its Bible-believing president, idolizing spoiled celebrities and irresponsible athletes, promoting the worship of money, legalized gay marriage and abortion, removed the Bible from its educational curriculum, threw out the Ten Commandments in courts, and had the audacity to think about pulling the words "under God" from the pledge of allegiance.
• Come quickly Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Violent Vegas

It seems that All-Star Weekend was not as much of a success as the biased media are leading us to believe. Remember, Vegas is trying to get attract an NBA team, so covering violence is simply not in their interest. Similarly, the NBA's media partners are trying to rid of the hip-hop thug culture that has been plaguing the league the past few years.

Jason Whitlock, a well known national columnist frequently seen on the wonderful Pardon the Interruption, writes that Las Vegas was filled with brawls and shootings last weekend. ESPN.com's Bill Simmons wrote yet another ridiculously lengthy but hilarious Page 2 column that, among many other things, described Vegas streets as a free-for-all danger zone.

UPDATE: Scoop Jackson has wrote another good column about this subject as well.

NBA All-Stars

• Kobe Bryant had 31 points and 6 assists as the Western All-Stars cruised to an entertaining 153-132 blowout of the Eastern All-Stars.
• The West set a couple of All-Star game records with 69 field goal and 52 assists.
• Dwight Howard is the next Shaq. In a game where the big men rarely dominate, Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds.
• The NBA's All-Star game is the best of its kind at any sport. Heck, even their halftime shows have surpassed the NFL's Super Bowl's.
• Good tickets were supposedly going for over $20,000 with the likes of Jay-Z, Beyonce, Diddy, Prince, Eva Longeria and Adam Sandler being caught on camera often.
• While having All-Star weekend in Vegas turned out to be a great idea, having an NBA team there is completely different. The chances of the NBA adding an expansion team are slim, so look for Vegas to join Oklahoma City, Anaheim, and Kansas City as the top candidates for a franchise to move to.
• Is there any player more fun than Shaq?
• Charles Barkeley comes to mind, and the race against referee Dick Bavetta was the best event of the weekend.

Dwight Howard

My favorite part of the wonderful All-Star Saturday Night was Man-Child Dwight Howard's slapping a sticker on the backboard glass TWELVE AND A HALF FEET HIGH with his left hand while dunking the ball with his right. I have yet to find a picture of this online, but the sticker was a picture of himself with the wonderful following words written on it:

All things through Christ - Phil 4:13

which refers to:

Phillippians 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

It is a shame TNT did not recognize this and give more coverage to this divine intervention.

It is a shame Howard did not go on to win the contest, not only because the dunk was deserving, but because he had the conviction to use the grand stage he was blessed with as an outlet to proclaim his faith. Agree or disagree, one must respect that.

Kudos and much respect to Dwight Howard, a man of God.

NBA Midseason Report

Even though the NBA is ten games into its second half of the season, this weekend is the All-Star Break, the perfect time to catch up as we turn our eyes to the playoff race...

• The Dallas Mavericks are the hottest team in the league, winning their last nine going into the break, standing atop the league at 44-9. It seems that they are set on a collusion course with the second seeded Phoenix Suns once again...
• Sacre bleu! What about the Frenchman Tony Parker and Timmy D in San Antonio? It is amazing how the Spurs could be a dark horse after consistently being a contender for so many years. Take this to the bank: if Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli are all healthy, the Spurs will come out of the West.
• The Utah Jazz are back folks. Remember, Jerry Sloan is one of the best playoff coaches because he can adjust during a series brilliantly, and would easily have two championships under his belts if it were not for some fellow named Mike.
• Can Tracy McGrady finally get out of the first round? The team has been coping well without Yao Ming thanks to Dikembe Mutumbo (yes, he is still alive and well). Unfortunately, it will be terribly difficult to break the top four in the west, so the Houston Rockets will have to pull up an upset on the road.
• The Denver Nuggets were expected to make a huge push with the offensive combination of A.I. and Melo, but they are still hovering around the bottom of the west because of their lack of defense under George Karl.
• The two Los Angeles teams have a problem playing away from Staples Center. The Clippers and Lakers are a combined 16 games under .500 on the road which will prevent either from doing anything but giving a top seeded a team an entertaining first round series.
• Greg Oden / Kevin Durant Sweepstakes Watch: Boston, Memphis, Philly, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Seattle!
• We know the West is superior to the East, but check this out: Detroit, No.1 in the East, would be No.5 in the West with the same record. The Lakers, No.6 in the West, would be No.2 in the East with the same record.
• The Eastern Conference will come down to the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat. As good as Washington's and Cleveland's records are, they each do not have enough firepower behind their respective superstar to make it past the second round. Look for the Orlando Magic, led by Dwight Howard (beast!), to give a top seeded team a run for their money in the first round. Ditto for New Jersey if they make the cut, especially if they make a beneficial trade. Other than that, the remaining six teams stand no chance against the top two
• Detroit is on a roll with the acquistion of Chris Webber. The Pistons will most probably hold on to the top spot in the East, making them the favorites to go to the Finals.
• The Miami Heat won seven of their last eight going into the break. The Big Fella is back and is beginning to get in shape while Pat Riley is scheduled to return to the bench as well.
• Without Ben Wallace, Detroit will have a difficult time defending Shaq in the conference finals. Throw in the fact that the veteran Miami team will turn up the Heat come playoff time, look for D-Wade and company to return to the Finals.

America Loves the NFL

• Super Bowl XLI attracted the third largest audience in American history (93.1 million viewers on average), behind Super Bowl XXX (Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17) and the M*A*S*H* series finale in 1983.


• The Colts-Patriots AFC Championship game earned a whopping 28.1 rating. This means that nearly a third of the country's televisions were on CBS.


• FOX's doubleheaders on Sundays was the most watched program in all of television, beating the likes of American Idol and the Academy Awards.


• As great as the playoffs and Super Bowl are, they do mean the season is over, and American will miss its football.


• Then again, the Pro Bowl is Saturday, the Scouting Combine begins the following weekend, free agency kicks off in March, the Draft is in April, then blink your eyes and it will be August and the preseason hype will begin.

Super Bowl XLI

Chicago Bears 17
Indianapolis Colts 29

Miami, Florida

• Perhaps the best storyline of the entire NFL season by far: “More than anything – and I’ve said it before --Lovie Smith and I not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches, showing that you can win doing it the Lord’s way, and we’re more proud of that.” - Tony Dungy, head coach of the Super Bowl XLI Champion Indianapolis Colts.


• Check that, the best thing to come out of sports. Ever.


• Peyton Manning won the MVP by default, but Dominoc Rhodes and Joseph Addai deserve credit for their combined 40 carries, 190 rushing yards (4.75yards/carry) and 11 catches for 74 yards. With the Bears playing conservative and dropping back into coverage, Manning checkout down and was able to dink and dunk his way down the field. I love to say I told you so.


• When the Bears blitzed, Manning was able to make big plays under pressure, most notably the 53 yard touchdown to Reggie Wayne while being pulled down.


• Rookie phenom Devin Hester ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown and Chris Harris picked off Peyton Manning on his first drive. Throw in the rain and a couple of fumbles and the Bears had the Colts right where they wanted them early on.

• SI's Peter King: I think that was the strangest five-play sequence I've seen in a game in a long time. Maybe ever. Weird touchdown pass by Peyton Manning to a wide-open Reggie Wayne. Flubbed extra point on a Romo-type miss by Colts holder Hunter Smith. Lost fumble on the ensuing kickoff by Bears tight end/returner Gabe Reid. Lost fumble on the next play by Joseph Addai. Thomas Jones off left guard for 52 yards. Yow. What action.


• Colts' backup safety Kelvin Hayden (who?) made a name for himself picking off Rex Grossman and returning it for a 56 yard score to seal the win. I am interested to see what happens to this fellow...


• Adam Vinitieri missed half of his kicks in the Super Bowl. Yes, you read that right. One field goal and one extra point. Can you imagine the sad ironic story if those 4 points mattered?


• Tony Dungy is returning next season for the final year of his contract, and I would be in shock if the Colts organization does not break the bank in trying to extend it. With Manning, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and that tight coaching staff that has been together for so many years, the Colts are the favorites to win it all again next year.


• Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher: 23 total tackles. Yikes.


• Alright Rex Grossman, here we go. After all the attention and overhype: 20/28 for 165 yards and a short touchdown. However, two costly interceptions and two drive killing fumbled snaps is what everyone is going to remember. The Bears rarely took their signature shots downfield, and even when they did, Rex's passes were off target. Nevertheless, look for Rex to remain Chicago's starter for 2007.


• The Bears defense is still so good, great when fully healthy, that they should be in the mix for the NFC again next year. They will have to contend with the dreaded Super Bowl Loser Curse though...

Colts to Win

Who prevails when a great offense goes up against a great defense? This classic sports argument of strength versus strength will take center stage come Super Bowl XLI this Sunday in Miami. The AFC’s best offense in the Indianapolis Colts will take on the NFC’s best defense in the Chicago Bears. The last time these two teams met was 2004 in Chicago, when Colts’ quarterback and future hall of famer Peyton Manning threw four touchdowns in a 41-10 rout. Most believe that Bears’ erratic and streaky quarterback Rex Grossman stands no chance up against Manning while others point to Trent Dilfer, a similarly mediocre quarterback who led the Baltimore Ravens to a title in 2000.

Normally, Grossman’s performance is dictated by his first two drives. If Manning strikes early, Grossman will be forced to throw the ball from behind, something that normally has resulted in costly turnovers throughout the regular season, instantly crushing his confidence. The Colts want Grossman to pass, but this means Bob Saunders and the Colts defense must do what Seattle and New Orleans could not do in Chicago’s two playoff wins, stop the run in order to force Grossman to try to make plays with his arm. Considering all the fuss about the Colts’ soft run defense in the regular season, Indy has held its three playoff opponents to a solid 73.3 yards a game, shutting down the likes of Larry Johnson, Jamal Lewis, and Corey Dillon late in games. When Peyton Manning scores early and the renewed Colts defense slows down running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, look for Grossman to start to press and turn the ball over.

On the other side of the ball, Chicago’s 6’3” 300-pound defensive tackle Tommy Harris is no longer clogging the middle to stop the running game while the secondary has not been the same since the loss of Pro Bowl safety Mike Brown. The Bears defense was tremendously successful in shutting down Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints’ high octane offense in the NFC championship game, 39-14, but that was in the slippery grass field of Soldier Field in Chicago, when it was 28 degrees and snowing. While Manning and the Colts are also not going to be in the comfort of his own dome, sunny Dolphin Stadium in Miami should provide for as neutral as a field as possible.

Peyton Manning threw for 349 yards while storming back from a 21-3 deficit against the Patriots defense that supposedly had his number for the past several years. Before the AFC championship game, the Colts won on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, a team built similarly to the Bears in that they both rely on stingy defenses and turnovers to win games. Tom Moore’s pass heavy offense has seen Peyton Manning become more efficient in checking down and dumping off to his running backs, picking up short yardage and sustaining long drives. This tires out the Bears hard hitting linebackers, who will have to contend with running backs Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes, who are constantly keeping fresh by substituting for each other. Chicago is known for using the Tampa 2 defense, but will need to throw more blitzes and disguises at Manning who, with time, can easily pick apart a Cover 2 with wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. The Tampa 2 defense also relies heavily upon the middle linebacker to drop back into coverage, so look for Peyton Manning to do his signature play actions and pump fakes to get Brian Urlacher off balance, and hit tight end Dallas Clark up the middle for big completions several times as he did against the Patriots.

The Colts, coming from the clearly superior conference, have had to go through much tougher competition than the Bears have in the weaker NFC. The Colts played eight different playoff teams this year, including two wins against the Patriots, who beat the Bears earlier in the season. Throw in the fact that the AFC team has won seven of the past nine Super Bowls, and it is easy to see why Vegas has the more seasoned and experienced Indianapolis Colts as a rather large seven point favorite.

41 things to watch for at Super Bowl XLI

Hilarious article by MSNBC's Michael Ventry, especially for those who follow NFL news closely.

Some of his witty lines include:

• CBS is televising the Super Bowl. Millions of casual sports fans will tune in late because they mistakenly turned on Fox, saw a promo for “Prison Break” and assumed the Bengals were playing.
• Terrell Owens, in Florida for the week for a photo shoot, will accidentally get too close to a lagoon and will get swallowed by a crocodile. The crocodile will spit him out, then die.
• During a critical point in the fourth quarter, Peyton Manning will call a timeout so he can go make another commercial.
• The Indianapolis Colts are the visiting team, which means they’ll have to stay in a hotel and bus to the game. The Chicago Bears are the home team, meaning they get to stay at Shaq’s house.

Championship Sunday

New Orleans Saints 14

Chicago Bears 39

• The New Orleans Saints' Cinderella season came to a abrupt halt Sunday, largely impart to the conditions at Solider Field. The Saints, whose home games take place in the controlled confines of the Louisiana Superdome on artificial turf, and whose road games mostly take place in the warm south, were obviously uncomfortable in snowy 28 degree Chicago. If this game took place in New Orleans, or even on a neutral field, the Saints would have probably blown out the Bears. However, Chicago, aided by a soft schedule, earned the homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs during the regular season and cannot be faulted.
• Chicago had 196 yards rushing to New Orleans 56. In the playoffs, especially in such weather and field conditions, football games are won running the ball.
• Similar to the win against the Seahawks, Rex Grossman was aided by defense and special teams and simply had to not make mistakes. Having never trailed, Rex went a mediocre 11/26 for 144 yards, but ZERO turnovers is a rare feat that practically guarantees a Chicago victory.
• The Saints defensive coaching staff is being criticized for not being aggressive enough, and rightly so. They should have sent more blitzes and pressured Grossman into making some of his signature mistakes.
• Down 16-0, Drew Brees and the Saints offense finally got going, culminating in a dump off lob to Reggie Bush which he took to the house 88 yards later to make it 16-14. About ten yards from scoring, Bush proudly waved and taunted at the chasing Bears defenders before making his trademark somersault into the endzone. Note that the Chicago defense never let the Saints score after Bush's showy taunt and dance.

New England Patriots 34
Indianapolis Colts 38

• Football games rarely live up to the hype like this instant classic did. Brady vs Manning is this generation's Montana vs Aikman and Magic vs Bird.
• Halftime: Pats 21, Colts 6. Peyton has been picked off for a touchdown, and the Colts defense is looking soft again. The Monday mourning discussions and newspaper headlines are already being developed - Manning loses the big game...again.
• Instead, the Colts storm back quickly in the second half, with a Manning sneak into the endzone and a touchdown strike to Dan Klecko (the THIRD lineman to score a touchdown in this game!), capped off with a two point conversion to, who else, Marvin Harrison. Just like that, we are all tied up at 21. Game on.
• Brady and Manning keep on firing back at each other, trading a pair of touchdowns and field goals, until Peyton's potentially career defining 7-play 80-yard drive for the go ahead score with a minute left. Brady looks like he is poised for another comeback drive of his own before being picked off at midfield.
• Let there be no doubt Manning won this game, and he needed all 349 of his passing yards to do it. But he finally got help come championship time. Throughout this season and into the playoffs, the knocks on the Colts were 1) run defense and 2) run offense. In the second half, the Colts held the Pats to 5 carries for 8 yards. The Colts, on the other hand, had Rhodes and Addai evenly share 28 carries for 125 yards, a solid 4.5 yards/carry. In such a close game, this is an enormous difference.
• Thankfully, the game did not come down to a Vinatieri or Gostkowski missed field goal, which would have completely changed the outcome of the game and playoffs, a la 2005, and created one of the saddest storylines ever.
• Speaking of great storylines, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, two good friends and former colleagues, will now face off each other as the first two African-American head coaches in the Super Bowl. Throw in Peyton Manning's first shot at a Super Bowl title, strength versus strength in a great offense versus a great defense, and Rex Grossman and the Bears coming in as 7-point underdogs, and we are in for one heck of a game in Miami come Super Bowl XLI.

Chargers

• As they make news for retaining head coach Marty Schottenheimer, who declined a lowball contract extension past 2007, and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron takes the head coaching vacancy in Miami, I figured now would be a good time to address the San Diego Chargers...
• As usual, there are many plays you can point to whenever a team loses double digit fourth quarter lead. The most obvious is Marlon McCree's fumble after a fourth down interception of Tom Brady's pass to Troy Brown. Instead of having the ball with an eight point lead with under seven minutes left, the reenergized Patriots were able to drive down the field for a touchdown and a two point conversion against the demoralized Chargers. This was one of those wacky plays that does seem to occur more often than one would think. Whenever its fourth down, defensive backs would be a lot better simply knocking down the ball.
• Among the many reasons why Marty was close to being fired after Sunday's game: LT only touched the ball nine times in the second half, a failed attempt on fourth and eleven that should have been a 48-yard field goal attempt, a dumb challenge on McCree's fumble that cost a valuable timeout, not running a quick pass play to the sidelines with eight seconds lift before Nick Kaeding's missed 54-yard attempt, personal foul penalties showing lack of discipline, and, finally, Marty's cursed 5-13 playoff record.
• Tom Brady may have been trailing the entire game, threw three interceptions in 51 attempts, but when it comes down to it, Captain Comeback is nothing but money in the fourth quarter. 12-1 in the playoffs and counting.

Northridge Earthquake

Exactly thirteen years ago, January 17, 1994, at 4:30am, an earthquake of 6.7 magnitude hit the San Fernando Valley, an area about twenty miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The earthquake ended up costing billions of dollars more than any other earthquake in American history, killing 51 and injuring 9000. Damage extended from as far north as the 5 and 14 freeway interchange all the way south to Orange County where the Anaheim Stadium partially collapsed.

Thirteen years later, most of us have forgotten the effects of the Northridge earthquake. The earthquake hurt and changed many peoples lives in Southern California. The economy took a dip as many moved away in fear of another large earthquake. Remember how prepared and used we all were to the aftershocks? Yet today, we have forgotten what occurred and are no longer prepared. As the rest of the country has had its share of its disasters, one cannot help but feel we are due...

Divisional Playoffs

• For all the wondering and debating we all did throughout the entire season, for all the hype that the top two seeds in Chargers and Ravens generated, how funny is it that, at the end of the day, its going to come down to Brady vs Manning, the same two who it seemingly always comes down to. Then there is Stephen Gostkowski vs Adam Vinatieri. Bilchick vs Dungy. Pats vs Colts. This weekend is the Super Bowl folks. Could it get any better?
• Despite the close loss, much props have to be given to the Philadelphia Eagles for stepping up and rallying behind Jeff Garcia when everyone thought their season was over when McNabb went down.
• The Saints won a great game, in which Brees, Bush, and McAllister all excelled in the spotlight. Great story in a great city. Now can they go on the road in the cold weather, something they are not accustumed to at all, and beat Da Bears?
• Alright, here we go finally. The Seahawks had several chances to win the game in Chicago, and I could easily go on for days pointing out certain instances in that game. I can even point to losses against San Francisco, Arizona, and Minnesota, which should have been wins resulting in Seattle earning a first-round bye and another home game instead. I can point to Hasselbeck's busted ribs, broken fingers, and knee injury, as he was far from 100%. I can point to Shaun Alexander's fractured foot. I can point to fullback Mack Strong's sprained ankle and couple of stingers. I can point to numerous injuries and shuffles amongst the offensive line; only Walter Jones started every game, and he had a strained shoulder. I can point to the lack of continuity with the wide receivers, as Bobby Engram, Darrell Jackson, and D.J. Hackett were banged up throughout the season all the way into the playoffs. Deion Branch and Nate Burleson were great, but will need an offseason to thoroughly absorb the complicated offense and develop chemistry with Hasselbeck.
• I can keep on making excuses, but the Seahawks went 9-7 to win the NFC West, won a playoff game against the annointed Cowboys, and took Da Bears to overtime in Chicago, having two drives come to a halt at midfield when the game was tied, with only one big completion away from setting up Josh Brown for another clutch game winning boot. Ten of Seattle's 18 games came down to the final drive, contributing to plenty of stress, heartbreak, and sheer joy. Even after a Super Bowl run last year, considering what happened this season, 10-8 is damn good.

24

Best. Show. Ever. Watch it!

24

Seeing as I promoted Friday Night Lights last week, I might as well continue the television suggestions with 24. If I was forced to choose to watch one television series only, it would be this one. Simply put, 24 is the best show ever. Watch it!

Random Thoughts

random thoughts...

• Soccer star and icon David Beckham has decided to leave Real Madrid for the MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy for a deal thought to be worth over a whopping $250 million including commercial endorsements. If true, it would be the most in sports history. Beckham is already worth about $169 million making about $32 million per year in salary and endorements before coming to America. The Galaxy kicks off their season in April, and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact Beckham has in popularizing the sport that is a distant number four behind football, basketball, and baseball.
• The Philadelphia 76ers and Chris Webber have agreed on a buyout for the final two years of his contract, worth $21 and $22 million respectively. Webber was the No.1 pick in the 1993 draft and has career averages of 21 points and 10 rebounds. However, his performance and health have declined recently, and many question his attitude. Because Webber is still going to be paid by Philly, look for him to sign with a contender in the next week as he could very well be a veteran role player that proves to be the missing piece in route to a playoff run. (Lakers...!?)
• I will not quit repeating myself - the Lakers will only become a championship contender when Phil Jackson starts young studs Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum.
• Now that they have Allen Iverson, the Denver Nuggets shipped tiny fan favorite Earl Boykins to the Milwaukee Bucks for Julius Hodge and Steve Blake. Denver is currently hovering around .500, but even with Melo and A.I. the division leader Utah Jazz will be tough to catch. Look for Denver to end up as one of those tough underdogs that gives a top seed a heck of a first round series.
• Yes, the Atlantic Division stinks with all five teams below .500, but the Central has four of its five above .500.
• Of course, none of this all matters as its going to come down to San Antonio and Dallas in the west with Shaq and Riley returning for Miami to spark a playoff run...again.
• Greg Oden Sweeptakes Status: Philly, Memphis, Charlotte, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, and Seattle (!) are in the running.

The Bible Experience Video

Seattle 21, Dallas 20

My heart hurts. It is not quite the typical heartache, as it is due to sheer stress of the thrilling rollercoaster ride that took place at Quest Field in Seattle on Saturday night, overshadowing all the other games on NFL Wild Card Weekend.

• Firstly, wide receivers Darrell Jackson, the team leader in touchdowns, and D.J. Hackett (from...CSUN!?), both went down with injuries. Both starting cornerbacks in Marcus Trufant and Kelly Herndon were also out, along with center Robbie Tobeck. So before anyone even thinks to compare this team to last, know that you simply cannot.
• Michael Boulware has been through a tough season, but had a forced fumble and later a potentially huge recovery for a touchdown that was reversed. This guy has been my favorite player since his rookie year.
• 6:48 remaining: Dallas 20, Seattle 13. After a pass interference penalty in the end zone, the Seahawks have the ball with first and goal at the one yard line. They fail to punch in on all four opportunities and turn it over on downs.
• 6:42: Cowboys first play of the possession at their own one yard line. Tony Romo throws a quick completion to Terry Glenn who slips to the turf in trying to make a move. Rookie cornerback Kelly Jennings strips the ball into the endzone. A number of Seahawks make a run for it, Lofa Tatupu makes an amazing athletic dive to toss the ball back into the field for Michael Boulware to recover for a touchdown. After a lenghty review, Tatupu had his toe out of bounds as he tosses the ball and it is ruled a safety. This is one of those wacky plays that must be seen to understand.
• 4:31: Here is why the safety turned out to be better than the touchdown. A touchdown would have tied it at 20 but given the ball back to the Cowboys. Instead, the safety made it 20-15 but gave the Seahawks the ball and good field position at midfield after a free kick and Nate Burleson return. Hasselbeck hits Jerramy Stevens for a 37-yard strike for his second touchdown. Here is another guy who has been through a tough season but steps up big here. A failed two point conversion attempt leaves us at 21-20.
• 1:19: Cowboys driving down the field, aided by a long Julius Jones run up the middle. Seahawks burn their timeouts hoping the stop the clock and get the ball back. Tony Romo's pass to tight end Jason Witten is complete at the one yard line for a first down. This meant that Dallas could knee it a couple of times, run down the clock, and kick the game winning field goal as time experies. However, upon the officials' review, Lofa Tatupu's tackle is found to have been made just short of the first down making it fourth and half a yard. The Cowboys line up to kick the go-ahead field goal only to have starting quarterback Tony Romo fumble the snap, make a run for the goal line before being tackled by Jordan Barbineaux.
• Sports Illustrated's Don Banks eloquently summed it up, writing, "Twenty years from now -- no, make it 30 or maybe 40 -- we'll still be asking each other, 'Where were you when Romo dropped the ball?'' Saturday night's instant classic in Seattle gave us that kind of unforgettable sports moment. The stakes and the stage were that large. The drama that exquisite."

Wild Weekend

For football fans, this is always the best weekend of the year...

Saturday

Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) @ Indianapolis Colts (12-4)

1:30pm NBC

The story: Thanks to a 49ers upset in Denver, the Chiefs snuck into the playoffs. If Trent Green struggles early, look for Herman Edwards to pull the trigger and put Damon Huard back in.

The hype: The hyped matchup here is Larry Johnson versus the soft Colts run defense.

The prediction: The Chiefs only won three road games all season, two of those being at lowly Oakland and Arizona. Look for Peyton Manning to score early and often at home in the comfort of his dome.

Dallas Cowboys (9-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

5:00pm NBC

The story: Each team entered the season as favorites to win the NFC, largely because head coaches Mike Holmgren and Bill Parcells are two living legends. Fast forward through several big injuries, a quarterback change, and a whole mess of T.O. stories, and you have each team backing into the playoffs losing three of their final four.

The hype: The story line here is THREE injured Seahawk cornerbacks, including both starters. Most expect Owens and Terry Glenn to burn the makeshift Seattle secondary, but the Cowboys may be better off running Julius Jones and Marion Barber on the road.

The prediction: Look for the 12th Man and homefield advantage to play a huge roll in another Seahawk victory at Quest Field.

Sunday

New York Jets (10-6) at New England Patriots (12-4)

10:00am CBS

The story: No one saw the Jets coming close to making the playoffs, but comeback player of the year Chad Pennington and a solid defense have managed to take advantage of a soft schedule. Each team enters the playoffs on a roll winning three in a row.

The hype: Eric Mangini comes off of Bill Bilichick's New England staff, and has shown it in two close games this year, including one win at Foxboro. The media has had a ball tracking the rocky relationship between the two.

The prediction: Even though Mangini has spent years coaching defensive practices against him, it is hard to go against Tom Brady against the playoffs.

New York Giants (8-8) at Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

1:30 FOX

The story: Anyone could have come out from the NFC East in any fashion and it would not have been a surprise. But no one saw Jeff Garcia rallying the Eagles to the division title. The Giants started off 6-2 but tallied off, largely because of Eli Manning's supposed regression.

The hype: Tom Coughlin's job is on the line in this game while Donovon McNabb and his mother wonder how he will be treated come next season.

The prediction: No one is giving the Giants a chance in this one, and that makes them dangerous. Garcia is more consistent than Manning though, so Philly gets the edge.

Monday

BCS Championship: Florida (2) versus Ohio State (1)

5:15pm FOX

The story: UCLA knocked USC out of the title picture while Florida barely edged Michigan in the BCS calculations.

The hype: Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith, perhaps the next Vince Young, is up against the tough Florida defense.

The prediction: Troy Smith makes a case for the NFL and runs all over Florida.

Friday Night Lights

It will get you pumped, make you angry, laugh, and yes, even cry. Friday Night Lights. Wednesdays 8pm on NBC. Watch it.

2006 Year in Review

I am not one who loves to dwell over the past, but I do enjoy recalling some big stories...

January 22, 2006
NFL Championship Sunday features the Seahawks and Steelers winning their respective conferences.
Sonics 152, Suns 149 (2ot) - Ray Allen's three pointer at the buzzer wins a high scoring double overtime thriller
Lakers 122, Raptors 104 - Kobe Bryant: 81 points in 42 minutes, shooting 28 for 46 including 7 of 13 three pointers, and 18 for 20 from the free throw line, along with a whopping two assists.

January
Super Bowl XL - Refere-uh, I mean, Steelers 21, Seahawks 10.
Rose Bowl - Vince Young runs all over the Trojans snapping USC's 34-game winning streak in route to a national championship

February
Germany wins 29 medals at the Winter games in Italy, which are largely overshadowed by a series of illegal substance scandals.

March
Madness ensues as George Mason rides a Cinderalla season into the Final Four. Florida handily beats UCLA to win the national championship.

April
The NFL Draft makes big news as the Houston Texans pick Mario Williams first allowing New Orleans to pick Reggie Bush. Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Devin Hester, and Maurice Jones-Drew cap out a star-studded draft.

May
Perhaps the greatest NBA Playoffs of all time featured four seven game series': Raja Bell and Kobe go at it in the first round, Lebron James takes the Detroit Pistons to seven, Dallas Mavericks upset the banged up San Antonio Spurs in a series that came down to the final minute, and the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers provide another set of seven entertaining games.

June
NHL Stanley Cup - Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Edmonton Oilers in seven. No one cares.

NBA Finals - Down 0-2 to the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat decide to turn it on winning four in a row as Dwyane Wade cements his name as a superstar.

July
The FIFA World Cup in Germany is considered a grand success but will always be remembered for Zinedine Zidane's heatbutt.

August
The excitement and anticipation for another NFL season peaks during training camp. How will Big Ben, Culpepper, Brees, and Pennington return from injuries? When will the rookie quarterbacks step in and which will be the best? Just how good are the Manning brothers? Who is not sick and tired of the T.O. circus? Will the Curses strike the Seahawks?

September
NFL kickoffs with the best moment being the Saints emotional homecoming to the New Orleans Superdome on Monday Night beating the Atlanta Falcons 23-3 in route to a surprising 10-6 season.

October
St. Louis Cardinals upset the Detroit Tigers in five games to win the World Series

November
NBA - The Utah Jazz emerge as the surprise team of the season, joining the ranks of San Antonio, Dallas, and Phoenix and reinforcing the western conference's superiority.

December
NBA - Allen Iverson is traded to the Denver Nuggets days after a New York and Denver brawl.
NFL - L.T. wins the rushing title and sets the touchdown record with 31.

The Bible Experience

It has taken me a while, but I am finally reaping the benefits of a great Christmas gift, The Bible Experience, a collection of 18 CDs featuring dramatic readings of the New Testament. While driving around in my car, I normally love to have ESPN radio or KFWB news rambling on, and I will even put up with the garbage that we call our generation's music. But I have found a new favorite in listening to the New Testament. While nothing compares to reading the good book itself, this audio blends celebrities' voices and music to bring the gospel to life in a vivid and powerful manner.