NFC North Predictions

The Northern boys get their preview here and I'll admit, I'm not real high on any team. I think the division winner is the only one that will be seeing post-season action.


Chicago Bears
The Bear defense fueled a surprising season in 2005 and I think they can be just as tough this year. But being good doesn't always mean luck will be with you. I mean let's face it, with an offense that was as bad as the Bear's was last year you have to have a few breaks, even with a ferocious D. That raises the question, will the offense be better this year? Running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson should be pretty good but the Achilles heel has always been the dude behind center. Rex Grossman is going to get a shot this year (unless he just totally stinks it up in practices and the remaining pre-season games) but I still get the feeling Brian Griese will be the man by mid season either because Grossman's injured or just flat out sucks.
The Defense will save them until that point and then Griese will hold them together until the playoffs.

Division Prediction: 1st
Playoff Prediction: One and done



Minnesota Vikings
After the season Culpepper and Moss had a couple of years ago for this team you would have won a lot of bets if you had said one would be with the Dolphins now and one with the Raiders. The Vikes are in overhaul mode though and now it's up to Brad Johnson, Chester Taylor, and an O-line headlined by Steve Hutchinson to score enough points to win games. Yes I did say Chester Taylor. I know he played well enough for some in Baltimore to prefer him to Jamal Lewis when he was struggling but I still don't see him as the answer in the backfield. Look for Mewelde Moore to share time. They will beat some teams they shouldn't and lose to some teams they shouldn't. In other words they'll be a .500 team.

Division Prediction:2nd
Playoff prediction: Nope



Detroit Lions
Mooch was too soft. New Coach Rod Marinelli is a hard ass. Supposedly that alone makes them better. Maybe that's true. Maybe it's also true that GM Matt Millen is lucky he still has his job. Draft bungles, bad facial hair, and hunting down people who show up with "Millen sucks" signs are all part of his profile. He also runs a brainwashing clinic on the side which the Lions Owner successfully completed last season. Mike Martz is the new offensive coordinator and as long as they make sure he has no control over when time outs are called he should help Detroit's offense. Marinelli also needs to retain veto power on play calls if the situation calls for a more conservative approach. For example when it's third and three on the opposing team's 6 yard line, your down by 10 approaching the 4th quarter, then perhaps a reverse call using a running back that has never practiced the play might not be the correct call (Yes I'm still bitter about this from the Rams 2005 season). Anyway, Kitna or McCown should be better than Harrington at QB and perhaps Kevin Jones or rookie Brian Calhoun will keep things afloat in the running game. The defense will be aggressive but I'm really not sure how good they will be.

Division Prediction: 3rd
Playoff Prediction: Not this year


Green Bay Packers
I hope the Packers take this division but being the cynic that I am, I'm picking them last. They didn't do anything to make their team better this year except have a decent draft. I thought A.J. Hawk was a great pick. He seems in the Ray Lewis, Urlacher mold. And in case you haven't heard, Brett Favre is back. Whether he regrets that 3 months from now is yet to be seen. I would love to see Ahman Green get back to what he was a few years ago. He's always been one of my favorite running backs in the league. Maybe it's because we are both big Batman fans. Ahman and I both wear our favorite caped crusader's P.J.s to bed at night and keeping a grappling hook under our pillow...you know just in case we ever need to make a quick escape out the window..... At any rate, I will root for a good season for the Pack and hope that I'm wrong about them.

Division Prediction: Last
Playoff Prediction: It might be a while

NFC East Predictions

This is the division that many are calling the most competitive in the NFL this coming season. It's certainly a far cry from what it was a couple of years ago when the only team people weren't laughing at was the Eagles. I'm still laughing at the Cowboy's Jerry Jones but that's strictly a defense mechanism that serves to keep the image of his very creepy face out of my nightmares. Anyhoo, this also might be the toughest division to pick a winner. I mean you could legitimately make a case for any of the teams to take it. There is no way you can predict the order of finish here and not come out looking like an idiot 4 months later. Obviously it's a no-risk venture for me then, so lets get to it.

Washington Redskins
Portis is out for a bit with the shoulder injury. Unless the injury is more serious than it appears he should be back by the 2nd game of the season. But then again, he didn't want to play in the pre-season anyway. One question though--if he was a little wary of injury in the pre-season, what the hell was he doing trying to pull a Hulk Hogan on somebody during an interception return? Anyway---Mark Brunell was another QB who surprised me last year. I didn't think he had much left in the tank but he played pretty decent for most of the year and most importantly got the ball to super smurf Santana Moss. Now they've got Brandon LLoyd and Antwaan Randle El to compliment Moss plus Chris Cooley (another fellow Utah State grad....go Aggies) looks like the real deal at Tight End. If Portis can get healthy and have another great year then Washington should be just fine. Of course I'm assuming Brunell is going to stay healthy and that he won't revert back to the "what the hell was that throw" kind of QB he was two years ago.
On the Defensive side of the ball everyone knows about Sean Taylor. Thug on the streets, thug on the field. It's ok to though on the field because violence is like kinda encouraged. I think the rest of the Defense will hold up and Washington makes some noise again this year.

division Prediction: 1st
Playoff Prediction: NFC championship game

Dallas Cowboys
So Bledsoe is the "guy" but Tony Romo plays the entire freaking pre-season game this past weekend. What do we read into that? Maybe nothing. With Bledsoe's mobility, injury from a sack is a real possibility and holding him out a lot of pre-season action is not a bad call. In fact many teams like the Redskins (cough..Clinton Portis..cough) might want to think about doing the same type of thing. But then again Romo played pretty well and if Bledsoe struggles this year you wonder if he might get the hook. Parcells isn't exactly a point in his career where he is going to display huge amounts of patience. Speaking of which, his patience with Terrell Owens will of course be tested but if Owens plays to his ability Parcells blood pressure will be severely curtailed. I hate the guy but he definitely makes the Cowboy offense better. If Terry Glenn can have a season close to what he did last year (62 rec., 1136 yrds) the Cowboy's air attack will be pretty scary. As far as the running backs go, Jones and Barber are adequate but I wonder which one will really grab the job and (pardon the pun) run with it. Jones would seem to be ready to breakout but I guess we'll see.
I really look for the Dallas Defense to put on a show this year. Although Roy Jones is not the greatest cover safety, he is one of the biggest hitters in the league and sets the tone for the defense. If Ware, Spears, Ellis, Carpenter etc. can play to Parcell's expectations this is going to be a tough group to score on.


division Prediction: 2nd
Playoff Prediction: Wild Card



New York Giants
Looking at this team's offense you see the obvious. A great running game, decent receivers, and a QB who continually looks like he just crapped his pants. And oh yeah, Eli also needs to up his completion percentage and generally improve his skills. I think Manning will improve but the undersized Tiki Barber needs to stay healthy for their offense to put up points. This offensive group is talented but just a bit volatile. Are Shockey and Burress going to toe Coughlin' seriously anal line this year? Is a talented Defense going to improve with new additions (Arrington, Madison, & rookie DE Mathias Kiwanuka)?
I see them getting banged around with injuries that will hurt them down the stretch. I don't think they will be worse than last year but they have a tough schedule and that is always something that gets understated in the fortunes of teams year in and year out.


Division Prediction: 3rd
Playoff Prediction: Just miss



Philadelphia Eagles
I'm still trying to figure out why the Eagles did nothing to improve their offense from last season. They still don't have a legitimate wideout (which is inexcusable with all the good ones in the league) and I would hope that just because the last time they went out and got themselves a receiver it didn't work out so well, they wouldn't get gunshy. They just needed to get somebody that didn't have WARNING stamped on his forehead. That's not that hard. Also Brian Westbrook is a nice RB to have on your team but do you really expect him to be a go-to guy? They still need a better option at this position. McNabb is going to be left all alone again and will still try to do too much. He'll probably get hurt again as a result. I think it's a going to be a very long year for the Eagles. The part that will really hurt for them is to watch T.O. and the Cowboys go to the playoffs while they are on their couches again. And speaking of sitting at home and watching the braindead box---at least McNabb's Chunky Soup commercials have died down a bit. If they start playing them at every break in an NFL game again I may have to kill someone

Division Prediction: Last
Playoff Prediction: Nada

NFC West Predictions

As promised here are some NFL predictions. I'll start with the NFC West. Of course these predictions are based on key players from each team remaining healthy for most of the season. If Marc Bulger goes down then so do the Rams. If Shaun Alexander or Hasselbeck are out for the season then it's probably not going to be a great season for the Seahawks. You get the picture.



St. Louis Rams
I am a Ram fan so I'll start with them. Being emotionally tied to this team explains the streaks of grey in my hair and the bloodshot eyes that tend to hang around from September to December. Anyway, under the leadership of Elmer Fudd…I mean Mike Martz, the Rams did one thing I like a lot (pass the ball) and one thing I hate a lot (lose). I’m hopeful new head coach Scott Linehan will still employ a passing attack and not turn into the Baltimore Ravens. Just because they have a big back like Steven Jackson doesn't mean they need to hand it to him 30 times a game. Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Kevin Curtis are too good of receivers to be blocking all day. That said, Jackson will be used more than in the past which is good. And Linehan will protect Bulger better than Martz did, which is key because Bulger is as slow as a dial up connection to the internet. The Rams defense should be better under Jim Haslett, but still lacks a few players to truly make them a threat. I’m biased obviously, but I believe the Rams will be a better team this year and the fact that Martz won’t be around to expend all timeouts by the end of every third quarter just can’t be stressed enough.

Division Prediction: 2nd
Playoff Prediction: Wild Card game (yes the blinders are on. I told you I’m biased.)

Seattle Seahawks
Matt Hasselbeck surprised me last season. At the beginning of last season I had him pegged as an inconsistent QB who would probably never rise to the level Mr. Cheesy Mustache guy (Holmgren) thought he should. And I said so. Then about mid season, Hasselbeck said, “Armchair QB?, “Who the @#$% is he?, What the #@%* does he know” "$#@% him!!”.
Suddenly he started playing out of his mind and entered the realm of franchise QB (and I never got a thank you card or anything….bastard) . Sure he had Alexander and a good O-line which helped, but he started making plays and without his consistency and clutch throws down the stretch they never would have played in the Super Bowl. They still have the core of team from last year and they should win this division again. Hopefully not as easily as they did last year. If they are through bitching about the Super Bowl (legitmate bitching though...those calls really sucked) and are ready to concentrate on this year, they should make a run at it again.

Division Prediction: 1st
Playoff Prediction: NFC championship game


Arizona Cardinals
Last year was supposed to be the Cardinals year. Didn’t happen. Now many are saying it’s this year. I mean they have two studs at receiver in Fitzgerald and Boldin, a star running back in Edgerrin James, and a quarterback who...well... can drive you crazy. Warner can throw for 300 yards a game but he will need to cut down on his turnovers and play better when it counts. It would also help if he could fit wife Brenda with a wig so we can stop laughing when the camera pans to her. Anyway, back to the “Edge”. Will he be as good as he was in Indy? Certainly he and Manning complimented each other and things opened up in the running and passing game because of their skills. I just don’t see him as a one man show so he will need Warner to be a threat so that the play action can work effectively. I think the Cardinals will be better than last year but will miss out on the playoffs again this year.

Division Prediction: 3rd
Playoff Prediction: Not this year


San Francisco 49ers
Everyone is saying Alex Smith looks a lot more confident and poised in training camp than he did when the season ended last year. Could be that’s true. Could be true also that he resembles an elf in Lord of the Rings and he doesn’t have Brian Urlacher slamming him to the turf yet either. We’ll see how poised he really is after his first couple of big hits. I’m rooting for him though. I watched him in college at Utah and I thought he was a good guy. His O-line still sucks (although adding Larry Allen should help a little), and his receivers actually could be worse this year. 1st round draftee Vernon Davis might be a nice safety valve for Smith at TE but he still doesn’t have a great running back to take pressure off him. I see another long year for the 2nd year quarterback. The defense is still a mess as well and it will take another good draft with some free agents thrown into the mix before this ship starts to turn around.

Division Prediction: 4th
Playoff Prediciton: ummm…no

Countdown to Pigskin Heaven

Ahhh. Football is in the air. Can you smell it? At this point in the summer I am pretty much salivating like a rabid dog at the very mention of the NFL and College Football. I find myself even watching and nodding my head to Sean Salisbury on ESPN, which is troubling on all kinds of levels.

What is it about football that enables it to hold us as emotional hostages? Is it the fantasy element which has captured so many fans attention, interest, and at times cash? That certainly helps but I'll be honest, although interested in it, I have never played fantasy football (it's blasphemy I know but at another time I'll outline my reasons for this sin). No it's something about the game itself that appeals to fans and has helped it become the top sport in America. Maybe it's the violence or the fact that games are played on a weekly basis, thus ramping up the anticipation. Whatever it is, I'm hooked and so are you most likely.

So it's time for me to start talking some football. Soon I'll start posting my predictions on what I think will happen this year. In football that is. Other predictions like my end of the world theories can be found on another site entitled "We're all gonna die horrible gruesome deaths so eat lots of cheese while you can". .....Ahem. Anyway, they ought to be pretty amusing to check back on later on in the season. The football predictions, not the doomsday stuff cause that's serious business. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go make sure my Sunday NFL satellite ticket has been renewed....and check my cheese bin.

Fun in the sun

As if my posting habits aren't bad enough, I'm off to Puerto Rico for a week to work on my tan. But before I go just a couple of quick thoughts:

-Reggie Bush should remember the lesson of Cedric Benson and Philip Rivers. When you have a pretty good guy playing your position already on the team, it is a big mistake to hold out for much time in training camp. Maybe Bush will sign soon and that will be that. But if not he will only hurt himself and fans who want to see him at his best during the season. Rookies need the time to learn their position at the pro level.

-What the hell's going on with the Minnesota Twins? They are playing out of their minds the last few weeks. Wouldn't it be wild if both the Twins and Tigers made it to the post-season (one as the wild card)? That would be a bit embarrasing for the big money clubs.

-I'm pissed Harold Reynolds couldn't keep his hands to himself. Now John Kruk will have even more room on set to wiggle his fat ass and spout complete nonsense. Harold say it ain't so.

Sucker Punch

Marshall Faulk's knee surgery will take him out for the coming season and probably end his career. To put it lightly, that blows. Why don't you just give me a thousand paper cuts and then throw me in the ocean. That would be preferable to this.

Yes I know Steven Jackson is the man now and Marshall probably would have been mis-used just like he was last season when he averaged 4.5 yards every time he carried the ball. But that's not the point. I'm a Ram fan and Marshall has been the stud of that organization since he was traded from the Colts.

Excuse me, I have to go cry now.

Mark Prior and Kerry Wood: It's time to cut the cord

Poor Cub fans. I mean it's not enough that most seasons their team sucks, or that even when they're good they end up blowing chunks, but they also have to deal with a "what if" factor that never seems to end. I'm of course talking about their star pitching duo of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior that was supposed to anchor their staff for years to come. Basically these two guys have the letters DL stamped on their forehead and it's that nasty ink that takes forever to rub off.

There is no denying the talent these guys have. They've got great stuff. Tantalizing great stuff. So good that you want to keep believing that someday they'll make it an entire season healthy. Maybe it will happen. Maybe they'll eventually catch some luck. Then Cub fans will be glad they have them on their team.

But that is foolish thinking. It's a dream that will never be. What is going on now is just cruel and unusual punishment for their fans. The Cubs need to get these guys healthy and trade them as fast as they can. If they get even a whiff of a decent offer for either guy (and by decent offer I mean anyone that can hold a glove) they need to act calm, agree to the trade, and then run wildly down the corporate offices screaming, "free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last".

Prior's latest trip to the DL is proof enough that enough is enough. Sure these guys may end up on another team and never get hurt again in their careers. Jessica Alba also might give me call one of these days and tell me she has always wanted to meet me in person. It could happen.

World Cup Thoughts

I didn't watch much of the World Cup. In fact I never watched an entire game. I caught a half here and there of different matches. I watched England once, Brazil once, Portugal, Argentina, and part of the final match between Italy and France. Like many Americans I'm really not a soccer fan but I can appreciate the sport when it is played at a high level. I had a couple of thoughts while watching this year's global fiesta:

-Soccer players flop worse than former Duke star Shane Battier. It's really quite embarrassing. I mean for many of these countries where being a "macho" male is quite important, they sure act like a bunch of panzies. Sure you can call it gamesmanship intended to produce an advantage for their team. And maybe it's just part of the soccer culture. But to me it's just a buch of grown men acting like little girls. For a humorous look at this epidemic check this out: http://usa.worldcupblog.org/group-e/secret-italian-training-video.html



-Speaking of women, my wife is not allowed to watch Portugal anymore. She was drooling after a few minutes of watching their star Cristiano Ronaldo. No shocker here, but I can't compete with that. The Italian team is also off limits for her.


-another pet peeve of mine is soccer's stupid off-sides rule. I saw several goals taken away because an offensive player had gotten ahead of the defensive player too early. This game needs offensive help anyway and more goals scored. Take this rule out and things open up.

-In the matches I did watch I only saw one goal scored but it was a great one (the chest bump and kick into the net by the Argentinian. The rest of the goals I saw were from replays later on sportscenter. When they get it right it really is a thing of beauty. Here's a site that shows replays of a few of these goals: http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2006/best-world-cup-goals-so-far.html

These guys really are great athletes. And you have to appreciate how fit they are. I wonder how many miles they run in an average match? Anyone know that one?


-Overall I'm just glad the French didn't win it. I root against them just on principle.

Ben Wallace needs respect. And more money. Same thing right?

Ben Wallace a Bull. Huh. I imagine Piston fans find Big Ben full of Bull-shit right about now. The old "you don't respect me enough to pay me more than I'm worth" tune has started playing now. It's a beauty. How much is a guy like Wallace worth anyway? A lot to be sure. I mean he rebounds, plays great defense and occasionally throws down a dunk. Rebounds and defense are definitely a valued commodity. 41% at the free-throw line and 7.3 points per game---not so much. But still, you can make the case Wallace was the heart and soul of the Pistons and they would not have had the success they did without him. He's one of those guys that you don't build your team around but with some really good players around him, he can be that final missing piece that puts you over the top. Many teams never find that final piece. And that's annoying because I once spent two hours looking for a piece to my puzzle of the Golden Gate bridge and never found it. I probably shouldn't have thrown the rest of the pieces out a two story window after that and then beat my roommate senseless but that's beside the point. You want that piece.

So is a vital piece of the puzzle, one who doesn't give you any offense, worth 52-60 million (I've heard it could be both) over 4 years? I would say yes if it's your final piece. I think the Pistons showed us that even with Wallace they are still missing something. And I don't think he is the Bulls final cog in their still-being-assembled machine either. They still need a go-to guy that can score. But hey, they have cap space and their maneuvering isn't done so we'll see I guess.
This ought to be a lesson to many players out there. If you suck offensively, just play defense and rebound like a maniac and the cash will flow. The Pistons have proved that twice with Rodman and Wallace. Both ended up in Bull uniforms. Huh.

James Dolan and Isiah Thomas: Poetry in motion

---How great was yesterday's interview with Knicks owner James Dolan and Isiah Thomas? Dolan explaining how Larry Brown screwed them and how Isiah made his bed and now has to lie in it--and he better make that bed look better soon ---or else!---all with Isiah sitting right next to him, had to be one of the most fascinating and extremely comedic moments for me this summer. Isiah had a look on his face that was priceless. It was that "I can't believe your saying this with me right here, you dumbass" looks. I was drinking a coke at the time and snorted it through my nose when I laughed. That was slightly less awesome than the interview, but I digress. --anyway back to Dolan's comments on Brown. He acts shocked that Brown laid a big turd on the Knicks logo. This is akin to an interview I saw once of a pornstar who had contracted aids after shooting a gang-bang video. She was in tears and was shocked that she had gotten the disease. Yep, that came out of nowhere. I mean she had done some great stuff in the past I'm sure. How could she have know that one of the 60 guys she did that day might be HIV+ or have Aids? I mean Larry Brown had done some good stuff as well right? So what if he's fueded with stars before or changed jobs more times than I've changed my kids diapers. Oh but wait, there was that little incident in Detroit just before Larry was hired to help clean up Isiah's mess. Oh yeah, that's right Brown did sabotage the Pistons and screw his players in Detroit. And I seem to remember he did this even before the seasons was over. Then he proceeded to bend the Piston's brass over for a chunk of change he didn't deserve. It might have been just me but some alarm bells were ringing after that.
You know, I have a sister like James Dolan. Can't tell them anything. They have to learn everthing the hard way. Well James ol buddy, get the Ben-Gay out and ready because you've still got Isiah and the abusing ain't done yet.

Other random ramblings today:

----Anytime the North Carolina Tar Heels get beat is a good day for me. It doesn't matter what sport. So a championship choke job to the Oregon State Beavers in baseball calls for night out at McDonalds. I'm buying.

----The fact that the first player to be taken in the NBA draft might just be someone you have never heard of before (Andrea Bargnani) tells you all you need to know about this draft class. If the Raptors are smart they'll trade the pick.

----You know how when you were a kid and you picked favorite teams based on how cool their uniforms were? I think I'm reverting back to that trend. I found myself rooting for the Ukraine yesterday in World Cup action. Yellow shirts, yellow shorts, yellow socks (with a little tiger stripe blue thrown in for good measure). I'm guessing even their jock straps were yellow. I don't know if you'd call those unis cool but those dudes have some serious balls to be wearing what they are, and that rates high with me.

Dwyane Wade: Is he the best player in the NBA?

I was torn watching game 6 of the NBA finals last night. I really wanted a to see a 7th game but I didn't particularly relish the idea of the Mavericks (ie. Mark Cuban) winning the title if if went that far. Now I'm not a huge Heat fan (I don't like Shaq, Riley, Walker, Payton, or Haslem) but if you have read any of my previous posts this year you know I'm a Dwyane Wade fan. What happened in the finals is what happened all season for the Heat. Wade took over when it mattered. Shaq is still relevant but not to the extent that he or others think. This is Wade's team and Shaq is an accessory, albeit a rather large piece of bling. I'm feeling somewhat justified about my pick for this season's MVP now and I would think that if the Heat are contending next season Wade will be a larger part of the MVP discussion.

I notice after many people having anointed either Lebron, Kobe and amazingly even Dirk (after his pre-finals play) as the best player in the NBA, they are now jumping on the Dwyane Wade bandwagon as the best player out there. People need to just relax. I have stated before that I thought Wade was the best this season but let's see what the next couple of years have in store. I think it will be a battle between him, Lebron James, and perhaps Kobe (if he can mentally ever get it together--doubtful). Kobe's disappearance in his final game this season as well as other games where he has pouted have put him on shaky ground but I'm convinced that to be called the best you have to be like a player like Kobe that is able to dribble and create your own shot. Nowitzki and even Tim Duncan rely on others to get them the ball. Notice that one of the last plays in the game last night was one in which Nowitzki got the ball at the top of the key but couldn't break his defender down and had to pass off (a pass which Eric Dampier couldn't handle). That's just too big of a limitation for a candidate for "Best player in the NBA". Same with Tim Duncan. Many times it's Tony Parker or Ginoboli who ends up taking the big shot at the end. They can create the shot whereas Duncan (as most bigger guys are) is limited. Plus you don't want Duncan shooting free-throws at the end of the game. That right there takes him out of the discussion.

Jordan is held as the gold standard and haunts all other players who would be called the "best". Besides Jordan's 6 rings there are other reasons why he is the template for which guys wanting to be called the best are compared to. He had the basketball qualities that defined greatness and if a player has most or all of these characteristics he could be called the "Best player in the NBA". These charactaristics include:



1. You have to be able to dominate an entire game offensively. This doesn't mean every game is this way but you have to physically be able to do it if needed. Wade, Lebron, Kobe, Dirk, Tim, and a host of others can all do this.

2. You have to be a clutch shooter late in the game including on the free throw line. Games are won with shots both ways. Obviously Duncan is not someone you want to depend on if there were no seconds left on the clock and a free throw decides the game.

3. You have to be able to dribble the ball (including slicing and driving) and create shots against multiple defenders. This goes back to clutch shooting. You have to be able to get in position to take the clutch shots and without the ability to create that shot you are putting the ball into someone else's hands. Like Eric Dampier or Jason Terry. Dirk Nowitzki can shoot and create better than any 7 footer out there but he's just a step too slow if he has multiple defenders.

4. You have to be good defensively. I think a great defensive player obviously make this a slam dunk but if a player has all other qualities and is still "good" on the defensive end then he could still be called the best. You can't be a defensive liability though. Wade still needs to improve in this area as he is not great defensively but he is a decent defender and I think on the verge of being a good one. Nowitzki could be called decent as well but you wouldn't label him a good defender by any means and I don't think he's going to get any better. Lebron James on the other hand is really not good on the defensive end. This is a big reason why right now I would rate Wade above James. I think James physically has it in him to be good or even a great defender but he has not yet made an effort to do it. We'll see if this changes in the future. Of all the "best in the NBA" candidates, Kobe Bryant takes this category hands down. There is a reason why he makes All-defensive teams.

5. This is a big one and yet it's one that has the least amount of physical traits attached to it. You have to be able to elevate the play of your teammates and be a true team leader. It can't be a one man show all the time . Sometimes guys like Steve Kerr, Brent Barry, or even James Posey (last night) have to have the confidence to hit big shots and make a difference. Jordan learned this the hard way. But he did learn it. I think Duncan, Wade, Lebron, and even Nowitzki in varying degrees are able to do this. This is where Kobe Bryant is still lacking.


---Three players have at least 4 out of the 5 qualities here. Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant. I think Kobe physically is the best of the three but mentally his immaturity has and will keep him from assuming the mantle of "Best player in the NBA". I see Dwyane Wade and Lebron James as the two that will fight for this title (and who knows maybe the Eastern conference and NBA titles as well) in the next few years. As this season ends, Dwyane Wade in my mind holds both titles. But Lebron James may have something to say about that next year and the in the years to come. Should be fun to watch.

Mark Cuban swaps recipes with David Stern....or not.

This picture is one you won't be seeing replicated anytime soon. Cuban obviously is in full conspiracy mode right about now. Either that or he was mouthing "you complete me" to David Stern last night after the game when he was staring him down. But that's iffy at best. The rest of the Mavs are pissed too. What they should be upset about is that they aren't playing like they were the first two games. That and the fact that Dwyane Wade is killing them. He's just fun to watch isn't he? I'm interested to see how the Mavs respond in game 6. I hope this series goes 7 games just so I can watch Wade and Mark Cuban. Their entertainment value has gone through the roof! What would be really great is if Dallas loses in the last seconds of game 7 and "Cubes" goes beserk and goes into the stands after Stern. This is then followed by a court mandated counseling session with Ron Artest. I'm an optimist I know.

Dream Big: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson at the US Open

I had a dream last night that I was in the U.S. Open Golf Tourney. I was ripping drives 50 yards past Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. My short iron game was on and my putting was unbelievable. Of course I was doing it while wearing clown feet and sporting a Ben Wallace Afro. Oh and occasionally a cartoon character would give me high fives. But that aside it was a very cool dream. I made a hole in one on a par 4 and promptly told Lefty and Tiger to eat my shorts. Then I made out with Jessica Alba. Which was nice.
So what does the dream mean? I don't know and frankly I don't care. I was kicking ass and scoring with a major hottie. Does there need to be complexity here?


And speaking of no-brainers, there is the matter of the real U.S. Open and the media's wet dream of having the final day come down to Tiger and Phil. I like everyone else would like to see this happen. We've been waiting for a rival for Tiger for years. Vijay Singh gave it a run for a year or so before his putter ran away with him (Maybe he'll make another go at it starting today. Hopefully not because Vijay's a major weenie. Nobody likes him because win or lose he pisses people off with his attitude).

Anyway back to Phil. With some Majors in his pocket now he has catapulted his way into the role of legitimate Tiger rival. A duel between these two this weekend would solidify it. It's what we all want. And since I won't be staring down Tiger and Phil anytime soon and a hookup with Jessica Alba is unlikely, this is the only dream that has a shot of coming true.

When will people get it?

I saw something on tv last fall about Kellen Winslow's motorcycle accident and Ben Roethlisberger was being interviewed about his penchant for motorcycle riding especially without a helmet. He defended himself saying he's careful. I thought to myself at the time that that was the most idiotic thing I had heard in a while. I told my wife watching with me at the time, "I hope he is around someday to regret what he is saying". I hate to be right about these things. If you've seen the news on Big Ben then you know what I'm talking about. Hopefully he turns out to be ok. If I was a Steeler fan I'd hope he never looks at a motorcycle again.

Heat vs. Mavs

I'm out of town on a work conference this week so I'll keep this short. Where can I buy the Mark Cuban voodoo doll complete with complimentary pins and matches? --Go Heat.

Wade cool. Theismann not.

---Dwyane Wade was awesome in game 4 against Detroit but I worry about his body holding up through the finals if they put away Detroit. He's taking a lot of abuse and hitting the floor way too much.



---I really hope the Suns/Mavs will go seven games. My hope is that in the final seconds of game seven Nash hits a three in the final seconds to win the series, turns aroud and makes eye contact with Mark Cuban and then rubs his fingers together as if to say, "should have showed me the cash dude". It won't happen but wouldn't that be a nice tv movment?


And although it seems I might be picking on Cuban a bit lately, I absolutely think he is a good owner for the Mavericks. I don't like the guy but I have to hand it to him; he is dedicated to making Dallas a winner and cares passionately about the game. You can't say that about all the owners out there. I still like my tv moment mentioned above but maybe the Mavs are better off without Nash. Their defense used to be atrocious. It is not great yet, but it is getting better and Nash leaving probably is one reason why. As good as Steve Nash is offensively; defensively he's a liability.


---Speaking of liabilities, how about ABC's future Monday Night color guy and broadcast liability, Joe Theismann. Joe T. criticizing Ricky Williams today was amusing. Does anyone care a damn about what Joe thinks? This is a man who can contradict himself 3 times in the span of 30 seconds while broadcasting a game. As long as he's throwing the word "disgrace" around to describe Williams he could toss the same word in to describe his brodcasting skills.

More Sports Ramblings

---Mark Cuban makes me want to root against the Mavericks even though I like most of the guys on their team.


---The Suns will lose to the Mavs because they can't play defense and Dallas finally can. Sorta.



---I have rooted against every team Shaquille O'Neal has been on since he's come into the league. I just don't like the guy that much. However I will be rooting for the Heat against the Pistons because of Dwyane Wade. I like him that much. My man-crush on Wade supersedes my one-sided feud with Shaq.

---There are some things about the Detroit Pistons that I really like. Ben Wallace for one. Who wouldn't want this guy on their team? Tayshaun Prince is also a player that I really root for. 30 pounds ago I used to be a skinny guy so I'm all for the slender types. Also, he plays tough defense and is underrated on offense. What's not to like about the Pistons? Well Rasheed Wallace is fairly annoying and for some weird reason Chauncy Billups bugs me. But what I hate most about this team is their damn homecourt announcer. Usually when you watch games on tv you don't even notice these guys. Not the Piston' dude. "Deeeetroooit Baaasketbaaaawl" This is a guy begging to be duct-taped naked to a goalpost and shaved from head to toe.



---Long live the Clippers. Let's hope owner Donald Sterling and GM Elgin Baylor don't find a way to screw this team up this summer.

---Elton Brand is awesome and I wish the Clippers hadn't matched the free agent offer sheet that the Jazz offered him a couple of years back. He is exactly what my Jazz need.



---Just like everybody else I hated to see Barbaro go down at the Preakness. The only time I tune into horseracing is when there is shot at the Triple Crown. Luckily it's been pretty regular the past decade with a lot of good horses making a run for it. I'm no prophet especially when it comes to picking a winning horse but I can predict this: the t.v. ratings for the Belmont are gonna suck.



---I wish Bonds would hit 715 already. 714 took long enough. I'm sick of the top story of news-broadcasts being that Bonds didn't hit one out. How is that news? I wish a pitcher would just serve him up a meatball so they'll quit talking about the guy.

--By the way, Albert Pujols defending Bonds just made me lose some respect for him and got me wondering if maybe he has skeletons in his closet. I'll bet I'm not the only one. The quote that really gets me by Pujols is this one: Pujols says about the coverage on Bonds, "That's why I get so angry when they talk and rag on Barry. The guy hasn't done anything and you guys are already friggin' ragging and wiping the floor with his name, which is real sad."
--So because he hasn't tested positive for the juice he never did it right Mr. Pujols? You have never tested positive either. So maybe you never did it in the past either.....hmmmm. Now I like Pujols and I would like to see him make a run on Barry's single season HR record. But even if he does I know another part of me will view it with suspicion. Not so much because of his comments but because Bonds, Mcgwire, Sosa, etc. ruined the excitement of home-run records for all of us. We can't help but be suspicious even with the testing now taking place. Barry didn't do anything ? Please. He just ruined you and every other power-hitter's credibility for years to come Albert.

Larry Brown: Evil Genius

-I'm starting to think Larry Brown had a plan when he took the Knicks job that was very similar to his plan when he was kicked out of town by the Pistons: Grab the cash and move on.

See I think a couple of years ago when the Pistons won the championship, Larry looked around and said, "shit is this it? I thought I'd feel more excited about this." I think right then Brown figured out what is most important to him in life: $$$$. He knew he was done in in Detroit after the 04-05 San Antonio finals loss yet he weasled his way out of town with a huge contract buyout that enabled everyone to see just what a scumbag he is. And I just don't buy that he actually thought he could fix the Knicks. He knew how much Isiah Thomas had screwed this team up and how with the lack of draft picks in the future and crazy and untradeable contracts it wasn't going to be fixed anytime soon. Even with his Barry Bonds sized ego he knew he was no savior here. He also knew that if he came in and had a terrible season and pissed everyone off he could pull the same crap he did with the Pistons. Only this time he can escape with the cash after just one year. I read reports that he could get a buyout for at least 20 million and who knows maybe he'll get out with even 40 million. Not a bad payday for a year's work. Larry's a genius all right. Not a basketball genius but he's one hell of a player nonetheless.

This Week's Random Sports Thoughts

--Steve Nash. MVP two years in a row. It still sounds weird. - I like Nash and appreciate the fact that he is what makes the Suns tick, so he definitely should be in the MVP discussion. Hell, maybe he even deserves it, but did you see the disparity in the votes? It was a landslide. His 57 first place votes compared to Kobe's 22 and Lebron's 16 were ridiculous. The most amazing thing about Nash's MVP is not that he won it but that he crushed the competition. Are we really that desperate for a white NBA superstar again? Lord help us if Adam Morrison ever averages over 25 points a game in the next few years. He'll own this trophy.


---The Pistons are looking as good as I have ever seen a team in the postseason. Granted the competition hasn't been great yet and we will definitely get a better sense when they play the Nets or Heat; but would you bet against them?



--- I really like Johan Santana (Twins pitcher). He's just 3-3 to start the season and his ERA is higher than I expected (3.69) but every time I watch the guy pitch I'm amazed by his stuff.


--- Joe Torre got his 1,000 win with the Yankees and that is an amazing statistic. It's a testament to the genuis of this guy that he was able to be with the Yankees long enough to do that. When your working for a guy that fired Billy Martin 5 times (yes it still defies logic) and you manage to stave off the axe long enough to wrack up that many victories, then kudos need to be served. Championships help allow a grace period it's true, but can you imagaine another guy surviving the last couple of years in Yankeedom? I can't. Joe Torre is the perfect manager for New York. He's a quality person, doesn't over-react and knows how to manage personalities. People say anyone could win with the Yankees talent but I don't agree. Torre is not only baseball smart but more importantly for a team like the Yankees, he knows how to manage stars and their egos. He also knows how to manage one of the most egomanical owners in sports. I'm not a Yankee fan, but I am a Joe Torre fan.

NFL Draft Thoughts

I caught bits of the draft (does anyone truly watch this thing straight through?) and came away with a few thoughts:

-The Texans are insane. Do I need to elaborate?

-As a Rams fan I wish the they had been able to get Texas' defensive back, Michael Huff. Tye Hill is not a terrible pick though, the Rams need serious secondary help and he was a highly rated CB.

-2 offensive players who I think will will end up being steals in the draft have the same first name: Maurice Drew (RB from UCLA 60th pick to Jacksonville ) and Maurice Stovall (WR from Notre Dame 90th pick to Tampa Bay).

Next to Reggie Bush, Maurice Drew was the most dynamic player I saw play this past season. They played in the same city and Bush got all the pub but Drew was awesome. I know he's small but have you seen the thighs on this guy? They are tree trunks. He's fast, elusive and I think he's going to be really good. Notre Dame's Samardzija got most of the attention at WR last year but Stovall had some of the best catches I saw all year. I think he's got great hands and will do what Keyshawn did for Tampa before he punked out.

- The NFL network had the tip on the Vince Young pick several minutes before it happened and ESPN had no clue. Score one for the NFL network. Think they had a little help on that one? How long before the NFL tells ESPN they're not welcome at the draft and Rich Eisen and the boys will get exclusive coverage? By the way I was very impressed with Ram's Safety Corey Chavous' draft analysis skills on the NFL network. He was a natural and sounded like he had been doing tv for years.