Amnesty Clause: Who Said the Players Didn't Win?

The NBA season has been back for a month already and it seems the lockout is an after-thought.  Well, almost but when you really look at it, the players gave the owners one last "middle finger": The Amnesty Clause.  This clause, that owners saw as a "get out of jail free" card actually is for the players benefit.  Yet another example of how the owners lockout backfiring.  Free agents still will go to the big cities and collect big paychecks.  Players will take $80 million to play in Chicago, LA and New York over $85 million to play in Cleveland, Memphis and Milwaukee.  The amnesty clause is only allowed to be used on players with signed contracts under to previous CBA.  Teams that pick up amnestied players will pay a portion of that players salary.  The Clippers will pay about $2 million of the $10 million he is owed for this season.  Players like Gilbert Arenas, who will still get his $19 million salary for this shortened season.  If a team should sign Arenas, the Knicks will still have to pay out the remainder of his contract for a total of $62.4 million over 3 years.

I can see folks rolling their eyes when I mentioned Arenas but had stupidity and injury not intervened, Arenas would be playing right now.  Arenas wasn't a player who would lead your team to a championship but he could sell tickets.  Arenas was fun to watch but knee injuries and being a poor team mate changed all that.  Arenas had the potential to be mentioned in the same sentences as Kobe and LeBron but he allowed his own stupidity to get in the way.  The amount of money owed to Arenas and his diminished skills are the reasons he still isn't with a team. So I would tell Arenas to be happy and don't spend it all in one place.  Let's see if in 5 or 6 years, if he will be filing for bankruptcy.  I hope not but stupid is as stupid does.

In looking at what the Knicks look like right now, I have only one question: If Baron Davis is the answer to the Knicks problems, then why did you amnesty Chauncey Billups?  Even if you didn't like Billups, he was better then Toney Douglas.  Health wise, Billups is better the Baron Davis too.  Just ask the Clippers how good Billups still is.  PG is a problem for the Knicks but actually playing defense is the main problem.  So the Knicks amnesty Billups at $10 million this season and will wait to see if Baron Davis, owed $29 million over the next two season, will return to his Golden State days.  The good thing for the Knicks is they will pay Davis only $1.3 million and the Cavs are responsible for the rest.  I guess numbers and common sense do work at the same time in New York or maybe just not at Madison Square Garden.  The Knicks are proclaiming that they are threats to come out of the east.  Good luck with that New York.

The bottom line here is amnestied players still have to be paid.  While Orlando using the clause on Arenas was a good move, they did nothing with the $19 million they saved against the salary cap.  No wonder Dwight Howard wants out.  What the Knicks are doing, or not doing, is mind blowing.  There was no reason to get rid of Billups, none.  Regardless of whatever "reason" the Knicks front office may give, CP3 wasn't walking through that door.  There were no other PGs available except for New Jersey's Williams but the Nets don't  want who the Knicks could send them for Deron Williams.  If the Nets want to make a splash when the team moves to Brooklyn next season, then anything less then Carmelo Anthony is a waste of time.  It seems New York forgot its a big market team or they must enjoy being the doormat to the East Champions.

D!

Now What Orlando?

What a difference a week makes.  Last week I wrote a entry on why I thought Dwight Howard would stay in Orlando.  That's what I get for not letting the trade deadline get closer before I opened my mouth.  My bad!  I should have know better because Stan Van Gundy doesn't know how to use the talent he has.  They don't have a reliable PG or a consistent second scoring threat.  Yes Ryan Anderson has played well and Hedo Turkoglu has shown some signs of his old self but the Magic have been knocked around the court this past week.

The Magic are 1-3 this week, beating the Pacers.  They were blown out by 30 twice and blew a 20+ point lead against the Celtics.  Dwight Howard told his teammates after Friday nights blowout loss to the Hornets 'to stay in the locker room if they aren't going to show up' and has taken "media fire" from it.  Check out the video from SportsCenter. Bruce Bowen needs to be an analyst and not just a former player.  You shouldn't have to pull a NBA player aside and tell him to show up.  He's getting paid to play basketball, so go out there and earn your money.   I agree with Howard.  He is averaging 20 points and 15 rebounds through 19 games so far.  Even if one would say he's preforming for a long term contract, which he is, Howard is still showing up to play every night.  The same can't be said for the rest of the Magic players.  Howard has five 20/20 games already.  That's one less then he had all last season.  Howard has been leading by example on the court.  Howard asking for a trade isn't the distraction some say it is.  Players still have to show up and play.  If a guy wants out but still shows up and plays then how can that be a distraction?  The answer is its not.  Regardless of the mistakes Howard has made by speaking to the media about his pending free-agency, he has remained professional and showed up for his team mates.  The numbers don't lie.  The January 23rd beat down the Magic took at the hands of the Celtics shows this.  Howard was the only Magic player to play more then 30 minutes.  He was the only Magic player in double figures (18 pts, 14 rbs) and Boston was without Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.  There is no way blame can be placed on Howard.  What more does he have to do?

Now, the blame lies with the coaching staff.  The Magic were in the NBA Finals in 2009.  The first mistake they made was to not keep Rafer Alston.  When Jameer Nelson went down and Alston was brought in, and Alston played very well.  But in the Finals, Jameer was put back in the lineup over Alson and the Magic lost to the Lakers in 5 games.  I don't know what Nelson had over the Magic ownership but Van Gundy, as the coach, should have not let that happen.  It seems no one in the Magic front office knows anything about basketball.  The Magic have never surrounded the great players they have had with other great players or very good players at the least and now it seems we are all going to witness another 1996 here in 2012.  Maybe the Mayans were really talking about the Magic in their prophesies.

When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong.  The Magic don't deserve Howard and unless they move him before the trade deadline or bring a few people in, Howard will be in another uniform next year.  Yeah, I said it.  Not that the Magic need any more thrown on them, Howard could sign with the Bulls in the off-season.  They could afford him and are a team playing just at the championship level.  Adding a 3-time Defensive Player of the Year to one of the best defenses in the NBA, if not the best.  How good would the Heat look then?  I could make an argument for the Lakers or the Knicks but those teams have way more holes then the Bulls do plus the Bulls have more money and flexibility.  Either way, Howard is gone.  So Orlando, enjoy having Howard give your fans one last season to cheer and enjoy all the multi-millions you will bring in from the All-Star Weekend and Game.  It will be the only celebrating the city will see.

D!

Battle LA: Part II

It has been both funny and entertaining to listen to Laker and Clipper fans go back and forth.  The season is just a quarter of the way through and folks are talking about a rivalry in Los Angeles.  These two teams have lived at the opposite ends of the NBA spectrum for so long that there has never been a rivalry.  By definition, rivals are on equal footing at some point.  These teams have had beaten each other and won on the same level that the other has or there is no rivalry.  The Lakers have won 17 world championships and almost double that in conference championships (32) as a franchise.  The Clippers have won none, including when they were the Buffalo Braves in the 1970s.  That 0 league titles, 0 conference and 0 division championships in 42 years.  I understand that not everyone can win but to not have at least competed at all is mind blowing.  The Clippers have 3 second place finishes over this time which lets us further know just how much of a non-rivalry this has been in LA.  Los Angeles has been a Laker town since the Lakers moved here in 1960.

Every time I've been inside the Staples Center, I am quickly reminded that of all the professional sports teams that call this arena "home", only the Clippers are without any type of championship banner.  The deepest the Clippers have been no further than the conference semi-final round in the playoffs in their 42 years.  They accomplished this 4 times, most recently in the 2005-06 season when they finished 47-35.  This was also the first time the Clippers went to the second round of the playoffs while in LA and second time overall.   The Clippers beat the Nuggets 4-1 and then lost to the Suns in a hard fought seven game series.  Clipper fans were looking forward to seeing how far Elton Brand and Sam Cassell would take them.  As surprising as this hope showed up, it went away even faster.  The Clippers win totals would be 40, 23, 19 and 29 over the next 4 years.   Once again, the Clippers went back to being the "PaperClips" we have always known them to be.

Now, the Clippers have added CP3 to play with Blake Griffin, even if its for 1 more season past this one, and folks are saying the Clippers are a rival to the Lakers.  Really??  I like the whole "Lob City" thing.  I can see the Clippers placing their own stamp on LA with this lob city gimmick but that will only last for so long.  Its like the big sister allow her little brother to hang with her and her hot friends.  Its cute at first but gets old rather quickly.  For arguments sake, what if the Clippers won the title this year?  It would mean that the Clippers would be the defending champs for the first time and have actual bragging rights over the Lakers but there would still be a  17-1 championship ratio and history of winning still in the Lakers favor.  I will say that we are being treated to the beginning of a rivalry but by no means are the Lakers and Clippers rivals.   At least, not yet.

When you think of rivals, Lakers/Celtics comes to mind.  Or Bulls/Pistons or Bulls/Cavs.  One could argue Spurs/Lakers or Knicks/Pacers but that is about it.  The Bulls/Heat is a more believable rivalry at this point.  No one knows what the Clippers have yet.  The Clippers don't even know what they have.  The Clippers have beaten the Lakers in the regular season before.  We can have whatever opinion on where the Lakers are and where the Clippers are going but in the end, the season will play out and either the Clippers will be who they have been or they will be who we think they are.  Either way, its put up or shut up time for the Clippers.  The bad thing for the Lakers is that they have to answer questions about themselves or the Clippers could rise past them.

The Lakers can only use their legacy for so long.  At some point, especially if the Clippers keep Blake and CP3 beyond next season, the Lakers will have to either rebuild by slowly getting younger while utilizing whatever Kobe has left over the next 2-3 seasons.  Laker fans can think what they want but Kobe will not be playing past 20 years and even 20 could be far fetching.  The Lakers are still contenders just not overwhelming favorites as they once were.  At the moment, the Lakers priority needs to be on getting a PG.  I can hear the some fans now, "We tried and the league cheated us!".  While I understand, the Lakers need to remember that CP3 isn't the only PG in the NBA.  More importantly, Laker fans should remember what happened the last time 2 superstars played for the Lakers.  Yes, championships were won but how many could have been had Shaq stayed?  Kobe isn't Jordan.  He may be this generation's "version" of Jordan but he can't carry a team through a season, into the playoffs and to a title.  Kobe needs to sit Bynum and Gasol down and let them know that either they both get on his level of commitment and determination or get the hell out.  The Lakers can get themselves back to the top of the west by not panicking and making moves that guts the team. Get a PG and figure out what planet World Peace is on.  I have never seen a player that has gone from they way ArtestArtest.  As is, the Lakers will make the playoffs but not much else.

With some many questions for both of these teams to answer, its not fair to the teams and a waste of time to say anything right now.  Let's talk again at the beginning of March.  By then, we all will know what changes have come and will have the best understanding of what LA has.  At some point, the Clippers will beat the Lakers when it matters.  Laker fans, you can lie to yourself all you want, but for every day we see the Lakers as LAs team, we are one day closer to the Clippers finally hanging a championship banner inside Staples Center.  Just wait, in a couple of years, OKC/Clippers could be a rivalry our grand kids will be talking about.

D!

Why Howard Will Stay in Orlando....

There has been talk of "dream lists" and possible destinations for C Dwight Howard going on since the "Decision" by LeBron.  Since the lockout ended, Howard has been mentioned in trade rumors and analysts have given arguments on why certain teams need to make the move to
get Howard.  Howard has said that he wants to win and not sure if the Magic front office really feels the same way.  Howard is a 5-time All-Star and 3-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.  The only thing missing is a ring.  Its not like Howard hasn't been the the Finals with Orlando.  They lost to the Lakers in 2009 so I'm wondering why the Magic can't get players to want to play with Howard.  Neither Howard, nor the Magic seem to know what they want but the Magic look worse overall.  Didn't the Magic learn anything from 1996?

The Magic were defending Eastern Conference Champions in 1995 and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 1996 ECF.  That off-season, the Magic let Shaquille O'Neal got to the Lakers via free agency.  They got nothing in return for Shaq leaving.  All Shaq did was win 4 titles over the next 10 years.  All the Magic did was either miss the playoffs or were first round exits.  The Magic drafted Dwight Howard in 2004 and things started to look up again for Orlando.  Another dominate big man who was averaging a double double.  The Magic won their first playoff series in 2008 but lost to the Pistons in the next round.  The next year, Howard led the Magic to the NBA Finals but lost to the Lakers in 5 games.  With all of this, why can't the Magic get someone to come play with Howard?  One would think that losing Shaq would have made the front office know without a doubt that losing Howard is not an option but here we are.  Howard is in the last year of his contract and the trade deadline a month away.

The Magic are playing quite well in this strike-shortened season.  They are 11-4 and Howard has been a beast.  He has recorded five 20 point 20 rebound games this season.  Howard is averaging 20 pts and 16 boards a game and is playing like he wants to win.  The Magic are a "player" away from being another team to stand in the way of the Bulls and the Heat playing for a championship.  Instead of entertaining offers for Howard, why not ask Howard what will it take to keep him in Orlando and be serious about it.  Yes, in business it makes sense to cut payroll and start over, to some degree but the fans are there and so is the money.  All the Magic have to do is make Howard happy.  He wants to stay but he also wants to win.  Now is not the time to live in the shadow of 1996.

All of these rumors and possible trade partners are dumb.  Bynum and Gasol will not give you what Howard does so trading with the Lakers doesn't help you.  Furthermore, the Lakers don't get better either.  Kobe can't afford to lose anymore of his advantage with height and length down low.  Howard in a Lakers uniform may look good but the Lakers have more holes to plug before they can worry about getting a true dominate big man.  I could care less for Shaq's comments about Andrew Bynum.  Bynum is very good but he is no Dwight Howard.  The same goes for the Nets.  Pairing Howard with Deron Williams sounds good but who else they got?  Kris Humphries has played well but did anyone know him before he "married" Kim K almost as fast as he divorced her?  NO!  I would be interested in seeing it but the Nets have no one else.  No bench and no depth = no championships.  Recently, the Clippers were mentioned.  As I stop laughing, Blake and Dwight on the same team will not work plus the Clippers would actually have to pay Blake, Dwight and CP3 max contracts.  Where is that money going to come from?  Sterling has never paid players so why would he do it now?  Unless the Magic are stupid, Howard will stay in Orlando.  As long as injuries don't hit this team, the Magic will be one of the top 3 teams in the east and possibly top 5 in the NBA this season.  Yeah, I said it!

D!

What is Clutch?

If you have been watching basketball for an extended period of time, you should have a good idea of what clutch is.  When I think of clutch, I think of Magic using Kareem's "sky hook" to beat the Celtics.  I think of Rober Horry hitting that shot after the Divac tip out to beat the Sacramento Kings.  .  Even though I have many to pick from, I think of Kobe beating the Heat with a 3 and Jordan hitting "the shot" against Cleveland, twice.  Shots like these go back many years and there are many of them.  The part we forget is that fact that the great players that we remember hitting these clutch shots have also missed many of these shots but we still call them clutch.  I'm not gonna start defending LeBron James with the exception that he has made some clutch shots and he has missed as well.  There are analysts and journalist who claim LeBron isn't clutch like Kobe and that's why he still hasn't won a ring.  This is incorrect and basketball fans should know that.

LeBron hasn't hit game-winning shots like Kobe but he hasn't played as long as Kobe either.  Its the same ignorance when it comes to comparing Kobe to Jordan.  No one has done what Jordan has done and no one will.  Sure Kobe is close but still not yet on Jordan's level.  When you take away the MVPs and the rings and even the scoring totals, you are left with one question: Who do you want taking the last shot?  Fans will go to the star of their team but everyone will think of Jordan.  A clutch player is a player that is playing on a level that no one else it.  Jordan set the bar of greatness at a level that no one has reached yet.  I'm not saying this level is unattainable but so far, it hasn't been.  Kobe is close and even MJ himself is reported as saying so.  LeBron is the most "complete" player in the league today but that doesn't make him the best.  For the first time since Jordan left the game, there isn't a player that is "the best" in the NBA.  The arguments that can be made for Kobe or LeBron, I can counter with a Howard, Rose, DWade or Dirk.

When Dallas won last year, all the talk was about how the Heat failed.  No one, outside of Dallas ever said that the Mavericks were the better team.  The Mavs, as a team, played great team basketball.  Players such as Tyson Chandler and JJ Berera played up to potential on the NBAs biggest stage.  That is what wins championships.  Championships are a part of the equation of what's clutch but not the answer.  If that was the case, the Bill Russell would be considered the Greatest Of All Time and not Jordan.

Down Go the Packers........

After a blowout and a 4th quarter shoot-out on Saturday, we were treated to a very ugly Ravens win over the Texans and the Packers show they aren't who some hoped they were.  The Giants went to Green Bay, and picked a fight.  Something no one did all season, except for the Kansas City Chiefs.  Was this a case of the Packers not being able to shake off the rust of not playing since Christmas Day?  The answer is no.  The Giants are playing up to their potential.


Eli Manning has a Super Bowl ring but when the subject of "elite" QBs come up, his name isn't near the top.  Sure his numbers are mind-blowing like Brees, Brady and big brother Payton, but he has shown that if you give him a opening, he will find a way through.  While folks are throwing out MVP honors to Brees and Brady, Eli and silently kept his composure and guided his team to the NFC championship game.  A month ago, no one would have believed that possible.  All the Giants did was play "playoff" football for the last 4 games of the season and earned their way into the playoffs.  A beat down of the Falcons led to the 15-1 Packers.  The Giants didn't talk about being disrespected or under rated.  They went into the "frozen tundra" and beat the Packers.

The Packers, have no excuses and you cheese heads need to stop lying to yourselves about how good the Packers are.  Having a defense that was last or next to last all season, doesn't win championships.  The Packers enjoyed a schedule where they were able to play teams at the right time and racked up wins.  Don't forget, this same Giants team, without RB Bradshaw, and lost by 3.  So the Giants already knew they could score on the Packers coming into this game.  The only question was could they get to and rattle Aaron Rodgers.  The answer was yes and yes.  Rodgers was sacked 4 times and had a INT.  I don't want to hear about the 8 dropped passes.  Yes, there was a huge one in the endzone but what about the other 12 incomplete passes?  Who was at fault for those?  The Giants got to and hurried Rodgers, disrupting his timing and stopping the Packers pass attack.  Champs make adjustments and the Packers didn't.  The Packers are experiencing exactly what they made teams experience last year.  So for the second straight post season, the "best" QB in the NFL has gone home early.

I purposely don't want to talk about the Texans/Ravens game.  That game was so hard to watch.  It didn't seem like a playoff game but all to often, that is how the Ravens like to play.  I didn't think it was possible but TJ Yates looked worse at QB then Joe Flacco, and that's saying alot.  Yates threw 3 INTs and the Texan offense was overwhelmed by the Ravens.  Once the Ravens got the lead, that defense wasn't going to let it get away.  That is all I have to say about this game.  It was a typical Ravens football game.  Can't wait to see this defense against Brady and the Patriots.  AFC Championship Game, Sunday, January 22, 2012  3pm EST/12pm PST.

Super Bowl XLVI: Two Tickets Punched.......

Some have said that the Saints/49ers games was one of the best in playoff history.  Since when does one quarter make a great game?  It doesn't.  Don't get me wrong, the 4th quarter was great.  I would even say it was one of the best 4th quarters in playoff history.  There were some great plays throughout the game but its the 4th quarter, mainly the last 5 minutes, that made this game exciting.

Throughout the coarse of the game, you got a feeling that something "magical" was going to happen.  The momentum never swung one way or the other for any extended period of time.  Coach Harbaugh out coached Sean Payton.  Harbaugh made some great play calls like the QB keeper with 2 minutes to go in the 4th where Alex Smith ran for the go-ahead touchdown.  The blocking down field was perfect and Smith ran in untouched for the 28 yard score.  Maybe the 49ers were celebrating a little too much when the Saints got the ball.  Brees made a perfect pass to Graham for a 66-yard touchdown pass.  It was Brees' 62 pass attempt (a playoff record) and it put the Saints up by 3.  But there was still time on the clock for the 49ers to, at least, tie the game.  With 40 seconds to play, on 2nd and 10, Alex Smith found Vernon Davis over the middle and Davis took the ball inside the 20.  The 49ers were in business.  Never mind a tying field goal, the 49ers were thinking touchdown and punch their ticket to the NFC championship game.  Now, 14 seconds to play.  The ball is on the Saints 19 yard line and its 3rd and 3.  Once again, Smith found Vernon Davis at the goal line.  Touchdown 49ers!  With 9 seconds to play and a 4 point lead, the 49ers took care of business and now wait for the winner of the Giants/Packers game.  For those who questioned if the 49ers were for real now realize that they are.  The 49ers are now one game away from returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994.

What was supposed to be the game of the day turned out to be just what most people, not living in Denver, thought it would be.  The Patriots were the Patriots and the Broncos were the Broncos.  I've always said that if teams don't let the game come down to the end of the game, the Tebow can't beat you.  For the second time this season, the Patriots did exactly that.  The only difference between this playoff game and the regular season game is that Brady led the Patriots to score after score and had the Broncos on their heels from the very beginning.  The Patriots game plan was simple: make Tebow match Brady, pass for pass.  The Patriots put the Broncos in a position where they had to throw the ball, which is not a strength of the Broncos.  What was most impressive was the Patriot offensive and defensive lines controlled the field the entire game.  Something the Patriots hadn't done all year.  It was almost like the Patriots "flipped a switch" and looked like the Super Bowl winning Patriots.  A very scary sight for any team.  I'm sure some "Tebow apologists" will say that the Bronco defense caused the loss but the offense could only manage 10 points on the 32nd ranked defense in the league.  Forget all the nonsense and just except the truth, the Broncos and Tebow aren't as good as some thought they were.  The Broncos didn't make the playoffs because of what they did.  They made the playoffs because of what the Raiders didn't do.  I have no sympathy for the Broncos or Tebow.  I will give Tebow another chance though.  He will now have a full training camp and pre-season to get better at the QB position.  We will see.  For the Patriots, they now wait to see if they will host the Texans or the Ravens.

Can't Wait!!

D!

Is LA Capable or Ready to Become Sports Mecca?

Los Angeles has always been a place that everyone wants to visit if not live.  Who wouldn't?  LA has great beaches, great weather and so many choices of entertainment that there wouldn't never be a person who could say LA is a boring place.  Even the police chases are exciting in LA. But is LA a sports haven?  Not like it used to be.  If you call Los Angeles home as a professional sports team, there is one rule: WIN!!   Clippers and Kings, you are on the clock!


In the 1980s, LA was the place to be.  The Raiders were contenders and the Rams weren't bad either.  The Lakers were the team of the decade winning 5 NBA championships.  The Dodgers were contenders and won 2 World Series titles.  Even the Angels had playoff teams.  If there was a down side, it would be the Clippers and the Kings (NHL) but the success of the other 5 professional sports teams were holding up their end so well, it didn't bother anyone that the Kings and Clippers just couldn't compete.


The 1990s brought about a championship drought in Los Angeles.  The Lakers lost in the 1991 NBA Finals and both the Raiders and Rams left in 1994.  There were no superstars left especially after Magic was forced to retire due to his HIV infection.   The Kings enjoyed a few good seasons, especially after acquiring Wayne Gretzky (the Michael Jordan of hockey).  The Kings won the franchises only Western Conference Title in 1993 but lost in the Stanley Cup  Finals to Montreal.   1993 also saw the LA area gain another team.  The Anaheim Ducks became the new NHL franchise.  The Angels tried to carry the load but buckled under the pressure.  The Angels blew a 13 game lead in August 1995 and lost the one game playoff to the Seattle Mariners.  If it could go wrong for LA teams, then it did.  But some hope was given when the Lakers signed Shaquille Oneal and draft day traded for Kobe Bryant.  Over the next 4 years, the Lakers would build itself into a championship team led by Shaq and Kobe.  Adding Phil Jackson as coach wasn't a bad idea either.  1997, the Women's National Basketball Association began and LA was awarded the Sparks.  The Sparks became post season mainstays from the 1999 season going forward.


Since 2000, the Lakers have won 5 more championships.  The Sparks won twice and were Western Conference champions for 3 straight years.  The Angels won its first in franchise history in 2002 and continued to be a playoff franchise throughout the decade.  I know, the Angels play in Anaheim but let's face it, its still the LA market.  Sports in Los Angeles was looking good in the early 2000s and the decade looked promising.  The Ducks got in on the championships with its first in 2007.  Once again, Los Angeles was a city of champions. The Dodgers started to put together teams that would once again be contenders including back to back appearances in the NLCS in 2008-09.  2009 also teased baseball fans when both the Angels and Dodgers won their respective divisions and made it as far as the Championship Series in both leagues.  They both lost but it was a great ride.  Los Angeles Galaxy of the Major League Soccer, won the MLS title 3 times (2002,2005, and 2011).


At the end of 2011, the LA sports world was rocked.  The Angels signed 3-time MLB MVP Albert Pujols and the Clippers acquired Chris Paul in a trade from the New Orleans Hornets.  For the Angels, a big bat was added for the next 10 years for $254 million.  The Angels also signed pitcher CJ Wilson and added yet another ace to a pitching staff that consists of Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana.  The Clippers, already with future superstar Blake Griffen and Deandre Jordan, brought in CP3 and veteran PG/SG Chauncey Billups.  The Clippers look to take their piece of LA by putting together a team that can now compete for championships.  The excitement is back in LA.  The Lakers are still there and the Dodgers are nearing the end of bad ownership and will return a division contending team in 2012.  I won't go as far as to say that LA teams will sweep the championships in sports but it will be fun to watch.  LA sports fans have not had this much excitement for a long time.  It feels great.  Even in this economy, expect sports bars all around LA to enjoy a great year.


By no we all know that a football stadium in being planned to be built in Los Angeles, right next to Staples Center.  What makes this so interesting is LA has no NFL team.  Many teams have been rumored to be moving here but that short list has gotten even shorter.  The real question is who does LA want here?  Not easy to answer because any team that comes to Los Angeles must understand that you have to win.  Any team that is winning doesn't have aspirations to leave the city they are in now.  That short list consists of the Raiders, Chargers and Jags.  The Jags just got a new owner who swears he isn't interested in coming to LA.  The Chargers say that they want the team to remain in San Diego, so that leaves the Raiders.  It was reported yesterday by the Associated Press that new Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie stated he is committed to getting a new stadium and will listen to the AEG group that owns the Staples Center and the proposed Farmers Field.  


So now the question is, does LA sports fans want the Raiders back?  There is no simple or easy answer.  I'm a Raiders fan and I don't know.  I do know that there are many Raider Nation members in Los Angeles.  Over the years, I have been to many sports bars and have seen the LA chapter of Raider Nation out in force, including during the 4-12 and 5-11 seasons.  The marketability is already there dispite LA technically being a secondary market for the Chargers.  There are many that feel the Raiders can't be loved in LA again.  I feel that with such a NFL drought in LA, fans would forget and forgive the last 18 years for a chance to get behind a contender.  Of the possible teams that could come to LA, the Raiders show the most promise to be a winner.  I'm including the many problems that the Raiders have being the least disciplined and most penalized team in the NFL, for starters.  Don't forget that the Raiders gave LA the only NFL title in 1983.  So there is a championship connection already.  The Raiders made the playoffs 9 times in 13 seasons in Los Angeles.


No matter what happens in the coming months and years with regard to the NFL, Los Angeles sports is poised to make a run at greatness in 2012.  Just think, the Lakers and Clippers could wind up in the Western Conference Finals and the same with the Kings and Ducks.  The Angels and Dodgers could finally meet in the World Series.  They are the only inter-market teams to never do so.  So many possibilities, so much fun to watch.


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Who Got Dwight?

The big free agent story in the NBA remains open and unfinished.  Where will Dwight Howard go?  Given how trades, all of a sudden can be vetoed for any reason, teams need to be careful. Orlando wants to drop payroll and get youth and talent in exchange for Howard.  That is fine however, how many teams that are contenders have the necessary pieces and are willing to part with said pieces still remains as the question of the day.  Howard has "released" his dream list of possible destinations: Lakers, Nets, and Dallas.  This list is crap and here's why:

The Nets are trying to sell seats for the new arena in Brooklyn.  Its no secret to anyone that the ownership does want to win championships but not more than they want to make money and fill the Amway Center.    The Nets know that by physically moving to New York, they will have to contend with the Knicks' fan base.  The only way the Nets can move in on the Knicks is to win.  If you don't believe that then go ask the Clippers.  Good luck with that!  The Nets haven't been relevant since Jason Kidd was there and really were just a team that was the healthiest at the end in the east but I digress.  Now that Lopez is hurt, the only real piece to trade with the Magic has ended any possible trade.  Looking at the rest of that roster, Howard would be better served and more of a contender if he stay in Orlando.  How are the Nets better then what he has now with just him and Deron Williams?  The answer is that they aren't.

The defending champs just don't have enough to even be in the conversation.  The Mavs could talk to another team to get involved but why would any team in the west want to help the Mavs repeat?  A better question is what team would want to help some other team land Howard?  The Mavs aren't young by any stretch and they already have a championship so why try to get Howard when you know you don't have the money to pay anyone else to come after you max out Howard?  The answer is that Howard to Dallas isn't going to happen nor is it even logistically possible.  Sorry Mavs fans.

With the Lakers, I'm not sold on them still wanting Howard as much.  Especially the way Bynum has come out of his suspension balling.  The Lakers need to be looking at the PG position and not the center position.  As much as I like Derek Fisher, he's isn't the Fisher of 2004 and earlier.  Fisher right now is a position filler who can handle the ball but asking him to guard the likes of Ty Lawson, Westbrook, and CP3 is too much.  The next guy off the bench is no better.  Please Laker fans, don't even fix your mouths to utter the name Blake or Barnes.  You may be a little eccentric but you not crazy.  The reality in Laker Land is a PG.  Someone who can run Mike Brown's offense and create their own shot.  This would take a lot of pressure off of Kobe which let's face it, isn't a spring chicken anymore.  Kobe may only be 32 but he is in his 16th year.  That is a lot a mileage especially the way Kobe brings his "A" game every night.  While bringing in Howard wouldn't be a step back statistically for the Lakers, it isn't forward movement.  Having to give up Bynum and Gasol, doesn't nothing to help you win.  Go get a PG Lakers.  That is your primary need.

You can agree or disagree but I'm not wrong.  Orlando actually needs to show Howard how much they want him to stay.  If I was Orlando owner, I would pull in Howard and tell him that the plan moving forward is to sign Deron Williams in the offseason.  That would make Howard happy and keeps him in Orlando which is where Howard wants to be anyway.  Explain to Howard that after Williams, we will get after what ever other free agent SG and SF Howard would want.  Orlando has already lost a dominate big man and we all know what Shaq did after he got out of Orlando.  If Orlando doesn't want a repeat of the summer of 1996, then they had better make Dwight Howard a happy man.  Those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. -George Santayana (1863-1952)

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NFL Playoffs 2011-2012

When you look at the teams that are in the playoffs, its easy to say who will win each game, but if this season has taught us anything its anything can and will happen.  We've seen 3rd string QBs play and RBs lost for the season.  In a season that almost wasn't, we have been treated great.  Drew Brees and Tom Brady doing their best Dan Marino impressions.  Green Bay trying to imitate the '72 Dolphins and the Raiders implode, again.  What an NFL season.

The first game on Saturday will be the Bengals visiting the Texans.  I don't know what to expect out of this game.  On paper, the Bengals should win mostly due to Houston using their 3rd string QB.  Not that Yates is not a good QB, but I have more trust in Andy Dalton.  Dalton emerged out of the Carson Palmer, take my ball on go home (retire) episode and led his team to the playoffs.  Not an easy feat considering the Bengals had to play the Ravens and Steelers twice.  Dalton also made his case for why he should be Rookie of the Year.  I love Cam Newton but Andy Dalton got his team to the playoffs when no one thought is was possible.  Sorry Cam.  The Texans have been holding on since losing Matt Shaub and Andre Johnson being in and out of the lineup.  If Houston can establish a running game and take pressure off of Yates, then expect the Texans to win this game.  The Bengals can score so keeping the Cincy off the field is the priority to win this game.  Remember the last time these teams met, it was a 20-19 Texans win.  The Bengals haven't beaten a good team all year so this games isn't just about moving on in the playoffs but whether this Cincy team is as good as they seem.  Then again, Houston isn't itself either.  My pick is a push.

The Lions have to forget that they are in the playoffs for the first time since 1999.  They must forget that loss to the Saints back on December 4th.  They have to forget that they aren't supposed to win.  Easier said then done, I know.  The bottom line, this time around, the Lions will have Ndamukong Suh.  Say what you want about him, he is a difference maker.  Suh will put pressure on Brees and possibly hurry some passes.  The key for the Lions is to limit how much time Brees and the Saints offense is on the field.  The Lions need to score touchdowns when in the red zone and not settle for field goals.  Brees and the Saints will be exactly who the are.  They are gonna throw it all over the field and dare the Lions to keep up with the scoring.  The Saints have proven over the last couple of years, that they can lose to lesser teams.  The Saints need to remember, most teams shouldn't be able to go into the Superdome and win. The Lions need to prove they belong in the playoffs.   My pick is the Lions by 3.

Jekyll and Hyde vs Sybil for both these teams is fitting.  With the Giants and Falcons, no one ever knew which team would show up.  Coming into this game, no one still knows what to expect.  The Giants are sounding like the Jets with all the sound bites about them winning it all and this feeling like 2007.  News Flash, this is 2012!  A win 5 years old doesn't do a thing right now.  The Giants seem to play when they want to and seldom when they need to.   Eli needs take control and not let Coughlin under coach this team.  If you really think about it, Coughlin is a Super Bowl winning coach in spite of himself.  He should thank Eli everyday for being his QB.  Eli has shown that he can make any WR a star, just ask Victor Cruz.   All teams have been saying "we need to go out and win" since the beginning of the season, since the beginning of the game itself.  Talking still has never won a game.  So shut up and show up.  For Atlanta, they are in the playoffs for the 3rd straight year.  Last year, the Falcons took a beating at the hands of the Packers.  Can Atlanta learn from their past and play like the team they are capable of being?  That is up to the Falcons.  Atlanta has under acheived on both sides of the ball.  Matt Ryan needs to use his talented WRs Jones and White and pick apart the Giant secondary.  Just when the Giants make their adjustments, Atlanta needs to give the Giants a nice healthy dose of Michael Turner.  Turner is 3rd in the NFL in rushing with 1,340 yards.  With the way Turner has performed in the last 2 Falcon playoff games, he needs to show he is a playoff back and not just a regular season one.  My pick is the Giants 42-38.  

The NFL world is split on this game.  The Steelers are banged up and a walking "MASH unit" while the Broncos backed into the playoffs.  I'm not gonna get all over Tebow at all but I will say all the wins he has been credited for was more defense and teams not having a scouting report on Tebow rather then Tebow being a good QB.  Fact is fact and if you have another take on it, then I would be happy to hear it.  Thinking about this game gives me a headache mostly because Tebow can flip the AFC on its ear and play great.  Since he took over, Tebow has won games that no one else has one with the same QB numbers.  Tebow's entire career has been about him doing things that everyone else said he couldn't, so why not this time?  The answer is the Steelers are a better team then the Broncos have played, even as banged up as they are.  The Steelers have barely stayed ahead of the emergency room.  No Mendenhall, Big Ben is 80% at best and the Ryan Clark isn't playing.  Clark's absence may not hurt as much because Troy Polamalu is playing.  Ben at 80% is still better then Tebow.  Simply, the Steelers need to "punch" the Broncos in the mouth right from the start.  If you put yourself in a position where the game won't come down to the final play then "Tebow Time" will not be a factor, not that it really is anyway.  My pick is the Steelers 28-7.

D!

The NFL Playoffs Are Here.....

Regardless of the Packers record, the Super Bowl is any one's to win.  Now, I think the Packers and the Saints will be in the NFC championship game but the 49ers and the Falcons both are capable of getting there but inconsistent play has hampered these teams all season and will ultimately cause them to not make it.  I believe in Eli Manning just not the rest of the Giants.  Besides, Eli used up his "miracle catch" against the Cowboys on a pass to Victor Cruz.

The Lions are a possible sleeper in the NFC.  They have played well all season and Stafford has been a beast at the QB position.  Being able to throw to Calvin Johnson doesn't hurt either.  I am more apt to choose the Lions over the 49ers mostly because the Lions have not yet shown that they are over-whelmed by the situation they find themselves in.  The 49ers, on the other hand, have not played well against playoff caliber teams.  Even though it was week 2, let's not forget the loss the the Cowboys.  The Lions losses were against playoff teams with the one exception being the Bears in week 10.  The 49ers didn't over-whelm the teams they should have and had issues closing out games.  That is not how to win championships.  So the question that remains for both teams is can they rise above their inexperience?

In the AFC, there is no team that anyone can say will outright win.  The Steelers are banged up, the Patroits have a terrible defense and the Ravens don't have consistent offensive play.  Who ever the Ravens play better not expect to put up many points.  Let's face it, this is still the Ravens and that defense is still vicious.  Unless you own a TV network, no one outside of Denver wants the Broncos to go any further then Wildcard weekend.  I have no issues against Tim Tebow at all.  I actually think he's not as bad as some have said.  Tebow is a raw rookie talent and if anyone takes some real time to take his natural ability and mold it with basic QB play (Are you listening John Elway?), he can become a beast in the league.  I'm tired of hearing about "prototypical" and "unnatural" QB play.  Denver will not beat the Steelers no matter how much Tebow magic is displayed.

It will be the Ravens and the Patriots in the AFC championship game.  No team will outscore the Pats and no team will run up the score on the Ravens.  The Ravens have beaten the teams they may face in the divisional round and there is no reason to think that will change going forward.  So here we go.  The playoffs are upon us, with a date to Lucas Oil Stadium waiting!  Can't Wait!!!

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