...Enter The Hibachi!

TEAM USA Or TEAM NIKE?

2008-06-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

To those wondering what happened to the days of the USA blowing teams out on their way to winning gold year-after-year, I may have an answer. It also appeals to the people that say shoe contracts and endorsements have ruined team sports. 10 of the 12 members of Team USA that we will be sending to the Olympics this year are signed to endorsements with Nike. The only members not signed to Nike is Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade. Also, the coach of the team is Mike Krzyzewski, another member of Nike. Mavs owner brought up the point that the Olympics are no longer a show of patriotism, but as a chance for shoe companies to showcase their gear on a global stage, where (surprise!) Nike is the sponsor of TEAM USA. I'm not saying the team chosen this year is full of talentless Nike people, I think this team very well might win gold. However, I was wondering how Jason Kidd made the team as their 3rd point guard after showing he's no longer the player he used to be, while the team has one true center (Howard). Where is Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, Allen Iverson, even Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose? I may be wrong, but Cuban has a point when speaking of TEAM USA.

Winners And Losers From The NBA Draft

2008-06-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Now that it looks like all the deals are probably done, we can all hate our teams GMs (Larry Bird) and the teams that ripped them off (Blazers).

And the BIGGEST WINNER from the 2008 NBA Draft is...
THE PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS!
Why: For the 2nd straight year, the Blazers had a great 1st pick, and finished with great picks later in the draft. The Blazers-Pacers trade is pretty one-sided to me and I'm still trying to figure out why the Pacers did it. Bayless can be a star in this league and fits well with B-Roy in the backcourt. Also, grabbing Nicolas Batum after trading Darrell Arthur was good, although I liked Arthur to begin with. With Oden back, Bayless, Batum, and Rudy Fernandez (who I've heard would be a top 10 pick had he entered this draft, the future is extremely bright and unfair to any other team.

Other winners:
Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat: Rose and Beasley....'Nuff said.

New Jersey Nets-Added depth to the frontcourt and made cap room for when King James decides to come to Brooklyn when the Nets move.

Seattle Sonics-With the future the Sonics have, it's easy to see why the city wants them to stay. Westbrook will be a lockdown defender and contribute scoring immediately to lighten the load for Kevin Durant. Ibaka is an athletic freak although he won't play in the NBA for a few years. And DJ White will be a solid contributor off the bench.

Los Angeles Lakers- So they traded away Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenten, and the 28th pick for Pau? Nice job Mitch Kupchak. I still would've liked to see a Odom-trade though.

Boston Celtics- Giddens is a lottery talent, if he matures this was the steal of the night. Bill Walker has a lot of potential as well.

LOSERS
...And the biggest losers of the 2008 NBA Draft is...The INDIANA PACERS
Why: First off, let me state that I love the Jermaine trade for the Pacers. He needed to go and they got a decent pick, a starter (TJ Ford), and cap relief after Nesterovic is off the books next year. But they screwed the draft up. Drafting Bayless was a genius move even if they do have too many point guards, Bayless was by far the best available. Then trading him for Brandon Rush boggled my mind. Bird said their "untouchable" players were Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger, a shooting guard and a small forward. So who do you draft? A SG/SF??? Makes no sense when you need help everywhere else, you draft your strength? Still don't get it. And Hibbert will be a decent player but nothing special.

Other losers...

Milwaukee Bucks-I liked the trade for Jefferson for both teams, but then they draft Joe Alexander who is pretty much the same player as Jefferson.

Dallas Mavericks-Traded 1st rounder in the J-Kidd trade that hurt them for the near future and killed their long-term future.

Sacramento Kings-Shouldn't have taken Jason Thompson so high when I hadn't seen his name in the lottery anywhere. There were better players available and this provided the "Renaldo Balkman-What?!?" moment of the night.

How Would You Like To Be Traded For A Dozen Staplers?

2008-05-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

A minor leaguer was traded today for 10 bats. No joke. John Odom was traded for 10 $69 maple baseball bats. Cash was offered but was considered an insult. And bats weren't? I swear I'm not making this up. Odom was signed to a team in the USA a month ago but couldn't get in the USA due to immigration problems. So his team traded him to Canada for some good wood.

Why LeBron James Is NOT The Best Player In The Game Today

2008-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

First off, yes, this is a follow up to SpankDaddyx407's "Why Kobe Bryant Is Not The Best Player In The Game Today. After that was all about Kobe's flaws, I didn't think it was fair to point out ONLY Kobe's. I think the majority of real basketball fans agree with me when I say Kobe IS the best in the game right now. But if you've checked the link, you've already seen the argument. However, most of the arguing is circled around Kobe VS. Jordan, who obviously isn't in the game right now as a player. So here goes the Why LeBron isn't the best player right now argument. I must start out with that in 2-3 years, LeBron might very well be the best in the game and on his way to becoming one of the NBA's greatest. But the argument is for RIGHT NOW. Point number 1, he has no jump shot. Jordan's never had a great jumper, but it was much better than LeBron's ugly jump shot. I am confident that in a game of H-O-R-S-E, I could stand a shot at beating him. I can't say the same for Kobe. To be the best player in the game, I think you must be able to score in as many ways as possible and he can only score through bulling over everybody. Yes, he is dominant at that but that can be stopped. When Kobe gets the ball, he has so many options on how to score, it's near impossible to stop. With LeBron, all you have to do is sag off and give him space to shoot a jumper and hope he takes it, which many times he does, and a large majority of them end up with a CLANK. With the "LeBron has no teammates" argument many make. Yes, it's true that Kobe had Shaq for his 3 rings, but let's look at post-Shaq. Right now, Zydrunas Ilgauskas has made 2 all-star games compared to Pau Gasol's 1. Lamar Odom hasn't been dependable during his Lakers' tenure. Kobe's teammates are slightly better, but not THAT much better. Another point is that LeBron plays in the Eastern Conference. This is not his fault, but the East is like a minor league compared to the West. If the Cavs were a West team, they wouldn't have even made the playoffs and would be praying upon a ping-pong ball. In the west, there's more ball movement and teamwork involved where in the East, one player can get you to the playoffs. If Kobe would've been traded to Chicago like many thought at the beginning, he would average around 35 a game and Chicago would be a 3 seed in the playoffs. And one thing in SpankDaddy's article was off the court stuff. He says Kobe publicizes his stuff. Why would Kobe want everyone to know he was on trial for rape? He doesn't publicize his stuff, the media does. Why? Because the NBA wants LeBron to be the face of the league, not Kobe. No one talked about when LeBron went to a party with topless girls and took his toddler with him. But if Kobe did that, the media would be all over it. Kobe did not rape that girl and I can't think of any other problems he has gotten into. LeBron drives 120 mph down a freeway and isn't talked about. But back to the things that matter, on the court. Who do you want with the ball with 10 seconds left when you're team is down by 2? If you don't say Kobe, you must not like winning. LeBron is the anti-clutch. Kobe is the most clutch player in the game today. His ability to put his team on his back to win a game is unmatched. Also when you're up 2, who do you want guarding the ball, Kobe or LeBron? I'll ltake the one one with 8 All-Defensive teams. Bottom line is that right now, no one compares to Kobe. These, are why LeBron James is NOT the best in the game at this moment.

Best In The Game: Kobe or LeBron?

2008-05-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so me and and my friend at school, (Big UPS Corey) have had some pretty intense arguments about who's the best player in the NBA right now. I am on the Kobe side, as he is my favorite player and has been for as long as I can remember. He's on the LeBron side obviously. Now Corey isn't the most educated sports guy in the world, but he knows more than the average fan. So my question to you is simple: For one season and one season only, you are trying to win an NBA title this year, who do you take: Kobe, LeBron, or someone else?

The Great Debate:
Normally, a "LeBron's better than Kobe" statement wouldn't get on my nerves too much but when I argued, he gave me stupid reasons why he thinks LeBron is better. Here's a recap:
Corey says...
LeBron's a better defender
...better team player
...Kobe's a ballhog
...Kobe's a crybaby
...Kobe hasn't done anything without Shaq
...LeBron has 2 all-star MVP's (the most ridiculous reason, by far)
...LeBron's younger

Well, I argued Kobe has now been named to 8 all-defensive teams to LeBron' zero so there goes that point, LeBron is a better team player, I'll give him that. And NO, KOBE IS NOT A BALLHOG!!! He was a few years ago, but now that he has a TEAM, he has adjusted and does what is best for his team to win. Kobe hasn't done anything with Shaq except single handedly take his teams to the playoffs and be competitive which is all LeBron has ever done. Do I have to say anything about the all-star MVP bullcrap??? And LeBron's youth has nothing to do with this year so I disregard that argument.

I said Kobe is...
a MUCH better defender
a MUCH better shooter
not as bad as a team player as people think
more clutch
the closest thing to Jordan we'll ever see
a smarter player
more fundamental
...and on and on

So there's our argument...you're the jury, what's the verdict. LeBron or Kobe?

Patriots-Cowboys. Super Bowl Preview? Who's Gonna Win?

2007-10-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we've all been waiting for. The battle of the unbeatens. As we've all heard a million times on ESPN, this might be a game we see around February called the Super Bowl. So here's a simple question, who's going to stay unbeaten after tonight?

Me personally...I'll take Patriots 31-20.

Who Is The Best Young Running Back?

2007-10-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

A lot of questions are "Who is the best young QB in the league right now?". Well, I'm gonna show some love to the running backs. So the question is...Who is the best young running back in the NFL? To be considered "young", under my qualifications, this season must be the 3rd year of your NFL career or younger. So here are my candidates:

Reggie Bush, Saints
Joseph Addai, Colts
Laurence Maroney, Patriots
Adrian Peterson, Vikings
Marshawn Lynch, Bills
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
Cadillac Williams, Bucs
Ronnie Brown, Dolphins
Frank Gore, 49ers (Wow!, didn't know this is only his 3rd year and was a 3rd rounder)
Cedric Benson, Bears

As for my pick, I'll take Gore, Addai, and then Adrian. Gore showed he's one of the NFL's elite backs last year, Addai has been solid and was the only rookie for over 1000 rushing yards last year, and Peterson's been great so far and has such a high ceiling, but I have questions about his health so I'll take the safer picks.

If you think I'm missing a back who belongs, let me know!

Budweiser Ad Guys: Real Men Of Genius

2007-10-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today we salute you Mr. Budweiser Advertisement creator (Mr. Budweiser Advertisement cre-a-tor!). You have brought us the best commercials we have ever seen. The Real Men Of Genius Ads have been my favorite for a while now so I got a compilation of them posted right here for your viewing pleasure.

Mr. Nudist Colony Activity Coordinator

Mr. Really Really Rreally Bad Dancer

Mr. Foot Long Hot Dog Inventor

*My Personal Favorite*
Mr. Way Too Much Cologne Wearer

Mr. Grocery Store Cart Wrangler

Mr. Jean Shorts Inventor

Mr. Silent Killer Gas Passer

Mr. Overzealous Foul Ball Catcher

Jake Delhomme Is The Fresh Biscuit Protector

2007-10-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

LOL! There really isn't much else to say about Jake in this one.

Tiebreaker Games SUCK

2007-10-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

I really do hate these games. You can't tell me there isn't a better tiebreaker than to play one game to determine a team's postseason hopes. The Rockies and Padres both have had great seasons. A three-game series would be perfect, but that would mess up TV plans and hold back the other series so I doubt that's possible. I say "record versus tied team" should determine who makes it because clearly the team that played better between those teams would make it. Imagine being Jake Peavy or Josh Fogg, who have both had remarkable seasons, and having an off-game for this one game. Then all the hard work they put in the regular season doesn't matter anymore. I am an unbiased fan and don't care who wins tonight, but it just seems unfair that one of these teams will be left out because of one game.

Who's The NFL MVP So Far?

2007-09-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

OK, I know it's early, but it's never too early for MVP talk, right? The pick so far looks like some guy who dates models, has 3 rings, and wears #12 for this team called the Patriots. His stats are sick. 149 QB rating, 79% completion percentage, and his team is 3-0 so far. Those are pretty amazing numbers and if he keeps this up, he'll have the greatest QB season of all-time. However, this is where I argue (partly because I'm a HUGE Randy Moss fan). Mr. Brady was there last year. He hasn't changed, he's just as valuable as he was last year. So why are the Patriots dominating unlike any team has ever done so before? Randy Moss is a pretty big factor, the man who is making Brady's stats so wonderful. Without Moss, I seriously doubt Brady's stats are this god-ly. This is why I say the MVP should go to Randy Moss. I know I'm on the minority with this MVP-selection, but does anyone agree with me?

Waste Your First Round Fantasy Pick? You're Not Alone

2007-09-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else realized that so far, all of the top fantasy players have sucked. They're killing me and probably killing you too. Just look at the supposed "elite" fantasy players that were at the very top of the board. LT, LJ, Steven Jackson, and Frank Gore were all top 5 players in the ESPN drafts. LT is averaging 2 yards a carry, LJ has been very unimpressive, especially after his 24 carry-42 yard game in week 3, Steven Jackson has no TD's yet and is injured for at least 1 week, and Gore is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry. Luckily for me, I got rid of Steven Jackson last week for Travis Henry and I advise you to get rid of these players while they still have some value.

What We've Leaned From The First Week Of NCAA Football

2007-09-02T08:38:00.001-07:00

This had to be one of the strangest first weeks in NCAA football history. We also learned a few things from this week. Here's the main things we have found out this week.

-Michigan is a bit overrated

-This IS a rebuilding year for Notre Dame

-Texas almost fell victims of an Appalachian St-sized upset

-DeSean Jackson is a BEAST

My "Dream Team"

2007-08-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

With the US National Basketball Squad practicing and preparing for the upcoming '08 Olympics, I decided to put together my own squad that I think would be the best for the USA to regain it's dominance we used to have in international basketball. Let me make it clear that I don't think these are the top 15 players in the NBA, but the 15 that can make the best "team". Here is my Dream Team '08:

Kobe Bryant: Clear choice right here. Great shooter, scorer, and an underrated defender. Some might question his ability to play with a real team, but when he had a great team with Shaq and all the other dynasty era Lakers, he had no problems at all playing as a team. Also a veteran leader who can make the great play in the clutch.

Tim Duncan: Another obvious choice. One of the greatest big men to ever step on the court and an excellent team player. Dominant on both sides of the ball and has the fundamentals that most big men now-a-days are lacking. A true champion who knows how to win.

LeBron James: Although he's not a great shooter (or even good), he can get to the bucket at will and is just a matchup nightmare. Too fast for small forwards, and too big and strong for most guards, you can't keep him off this team.

Kevin Garnett: I always believed KG was made for teams like these. He doesn't demand the ball and that might be great for a team that can score like this one, but bad for an NBA team where he is expected to be "the man". Great passer for a big man and an excellent rebounder. Perhaps even better, he plays with heart, which has been missing since '96.

Carmelo Anthony: A very good scorer and an above-average shooter who led last year's FIBA team in scoring. For that, he has shown he can play internationally and in the FIBA's, he was determined to prove himself. If he stays determined, there's no doubt in my mind that 'Melo deserves to be on this team.

Greg Oden: A true big man who can play defense with the best and keeps defenders out of the paint. Not a tremendous scorer, but keeping other teams out of the paint and off the boards will more than make up for it.

Jason Kidd: A tremendous passer and that is much needed on this team. A streaky shooter, but knows when to shoot, and when not too. Another veteran leader who makes all of his teammates better.

Kevin Durant: This is another guy who is perfect for international basketball. He is a great shooter/scorer and his defense is good enough. His size is what sets him apart though. He's tall and long so he can get a hand in the face of those tall Dirk Nowitzki-type players who are bigs can't defend on the perimeter.

Bruce Bowen: Exactly what the US needs, a tough/defensive forward who can guard anyone on the team and knock down the 3 consistently. This would be the key to the US winning it all.

Chris Bosh: A fundamentally sound player who can step out and make the mid-range shot. Pretty good defender and passer.

Gilbert Arenas: A great scorer who can do it all offensively. A very,very good shooter who always finds a way to stay motivated. Not a great passer, but this team could use a shooter.

Baron Davis: Athletic, great player who can play at any pace. A leader at the point and a very good passer. Not as good of a scorer as Arenas, and not as good of a a passer as Kidd, but a little bit of both.

Deron Williams: Underrated young player who doesn't have a huge weakness. Great passer. Pretty good shooter who will knock down the 3 if you give it to him. Smart player who creates plays for others and doesn't force anything.

Ray Allen: Veteran who can consistently hit a jumper with or without a man guarding him. Plays with pride.

Jason Kapono: Yeah, I know, he can't do much but shoot. But he's such a great shooter that his shooting makes up for everything else. Plays hard. And someone has to hit an open shot when the zone collapses on LeBron or Kobe or whoever.

Honorable Mentions: Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudamire, Dwight Howard, Michael Redd, Elton Brand, Paul Pierce.

(And no, I'm not anti-Suns. I love the Suns, but Amare can't play man defense and that was shown against Duncan and if I could put on a 16th man, I'd put Shawn Marion on the squad.)
I want opinions if you agree or disagree with my choices for Team USA.

Who Is The Worst Sports Personality On TV?

2007-08-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

I am on a mission to find the worst sportscaster in sports. There are more than enough candidates now that the main sports media outlets(yes, that's you ESPN) continue to get dumber and dumber. They are all trying to make a new catchphrase and none of them work. Yeah, Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott were somewhat cool 10 years ago, but now they are just annoying. They all try to buy into stupid cliches and end up sounding just dumb. Here are my nominees (feel free to add your own nominations). By the way, I am only taking major media sportscasters so that "Boom, goes the dynamite!" kid doesn't count.

-Skip Bayless
Why: He will disagree with anything and makes no sense on about 95% of his comments.

-Stuart Scott
Why: I will admit, Stu was cool back in the day, but now he is a shell of his former self. He is always trying to use terms that aren't necessary and often will try to sound "street".

-Chris Berman
Why: Some of his stuff is good, but most of it is annoying and stupid. Does every NFL player need a nickname? How many times does he say "Back, back, back" at home run derbys? It's getting old, Swami.

-Jim Rome
Why: I used to like Jim, but now he is trying to live up to the character he created. He is trying to hard to be that hard-hitting, smack talker he was when he first came up.

Screamin A. Smith
Why: I like that he actually voices his opinions but he does it too strongly. Does he always have to yell? No matter who he is talking to, he tries to be the star of the conversation and that is one of the reason his talk show got cancelled. What good is an interview if you hardly let the other person talk?

Get Ready For The Boston Era

2007-08-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

It's looking more and more like the 3 major sports could be headed towards "the Boston Era". Boston's MLB, NFL, and NBA teams are all legit contenders to win a championship in their sports. The Patriots were already among the NFL's elite, but now they are back after getting Randy Moss, Dante Stallworth, Adalius Thomas, and a healthy defense this upcoming year. We all know about how the Celtics are back at the top of the NBA. After missing out on the Greg Oden/Kevin Durant lottery, they went out and got Ray Allen and then later on the offseason, Kevin Garnett. And they did all that without giving up star swingman Paul Pierce. And then we got the Red Sox. They are the team Bostonians care the most about. They were contenders before the season and as of today, have the best record in baseball. As if Sox fans weren't already sold on the postseason hopes, they made a deal to grab Eric Gagne to bolster an already stellar bullpen. It is very possible that Boston could pull the trifecta and win all 3 championships. Bodog has the Celtics as 5-1 favorites to win it all, the Pats are 8-5, and the Sox are 7-2. Boston fans sure do have a lot to look forward to in the next few years.