Heat pick up where they left off

The Klieg lights in South Beach finally have been dimmed a little, and the Miami Heat can enter the 2012-13 regular season with a feeling of equanimity. Although the LeBron James criticism will never cool off, the argument of being great and “ringless” can be eradicated.

Miami returns back this year with much better chemistry and confidence, along with two new exceptional shooters added to their roster (like they need any more). And there isn’t a modicum of uncertainty of why the Heat think they can’t repeat last year’s script.   

Besides from having the most indomitable force in the league on their side, Miami’s ability to spread the floor is unparallel. Not only can their starting lineup consistently knock down jumpers, but their bench is replete with sharp shooters as well. The Heat are the San Antonio Spurs of the East in regards to depth, but much younger and volatile. If you’re looking for a name for their offensive approach, I’ve labeled it “get buckets.”  

Miami’s season opener against the Boston Celtics last night echoed these sentiments.

The reason why this “get buckets” system works for the Heat is because the league’s style of play has revolutionized to a faster tempo with less traditional centers. Every person above 6’7” has reverted to become a jump shooter rather than squaring up in the paint with post moves. This flair has trickled down from the pros to high-school, and has become more evident when judging the ineptitude of young forwards and centers on the block entering the league. Because of this the Heat excel.

The reason why Joel Anthony and Dexter Pittman are inactive is because they’re not needed. Anthony did occasionally spark this team on defense during their championship run last year, but ultimately was a waste of space on the offensive end. The fact that nearly 80 percent of the Heat’s roster can shoot three’s consistently is daunting for any unit to defend. Seriously though, take a look at the Heat’s “rotation” and see how many non-shooters you can find.

Furthermore, the Heat’s only weakness is interior post defense, but this simultaneously is also strength.

Whoever defends Bosh will ultimately be asked to step out to defend him foul line extended. Unless centers like Andrew Bynum and Roy Hibbert got incredibly fast over the off-season, I highly doubt they’ll be able to check Bosh along the perimeter. And deferring to zone is not the most astute decision against a sharp shooter team.

The Heat are genuinely having fun out on the hardwood, but with a serious mindset allowing no room for error.  

The only thing that would feel better than last year's diamond championship ring is adding another to the collection.

Hurricane Sandy rocks the East

My prayers go out to everyone coping with this monstrous and indelible storm.
Although my neighborhood in Pennsylvania didn't feel the full wrath of Sandy, I can't say the same about some of my friends based in NYC and my folks back home in Westchester, NY. As the picture above illustrates, there was a good amount of havoc done on my block (No one was hurt). The unfortunate and scary thing is that this is nothing compared to some of the footage and photos I've seen so far. There are still a great number of people trapped due to flooding, so I implore everyone to say a prayer for those out there cornered by H20.
Furthermore, please be safe if you've been called in for work today or need to step outside.

NBA season debut forecast

Hurricane Sandy may be escalating to be a "Perfect Storm", but the NBA's season opener is still in full effect.
Tuesday night's debut will begin with the Cavaliers and Wizards, followed by the Celtics at the World Champ Heat and ending with the much and improved Lakers at home against the Mavericks.
A lot of new faces in a lot of new places. Tune in on Tuesday for tip-off. 



My Tuesday night forecast/prediction:

Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Washington Wizards

Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat: Miami Heat

Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers: Dallas Mavericks

Dunce of the Day: DeAngelo Hall

Birds of the feather flock together, and it appears knuckleheads are common throughout the Washington Redskins locker room.
First Josh Morgan, and now this by DeAngelo Hall. Congratulations on getting ejected and for taking bonehead to a new level. Bravo.

Ochocinco launches watch line

When no NFL team throws an offer your way, become an entrepreneur.
Enter in Chad Johnson.
With an unexpected amount of free time on his hands (haha, see what I did there), the free agent wideout has decided to start his own luxury watch line, C.O.85 Timepieces. Johnson's line will be available late next month and will have options in different colors for both men and women.
As a big watch wearer myself, I'm interested to see how Johnson's business will excel. I was just telling my best friend that I was looking for a stainless steel timepiece. Hmmm...

Video: NFL MVP front-runners

1. Eli Manning
2. Matt Ryan
3. Arian Foster
4. Aaron Rodgers
5. Adrian Peterson

Dwight receives a tough welcoming (Video)

Welcome back Dwight. My name is Thomas Robinson and I just posterized you.
The name on the back of my jersey may be foreign to you because I'm a rookie, but you should get used to it. It was a pleasure doing business.
This dialogue didn't actually take place, but I'm sure the Kings rookie power forward was thinking it after this monster slam. Then again, it's only the preseason.

Sunday satires: Binders full of women

Certainly not the most vaunted moment that Mitt Romney wanted from the second presidential debate, but his "binders full of women" comment snowballed into a Democratic uproar.
Take a look at this amusing lampoonery.

Lance Armstrong: Be careful what you ask for (Video)

Lance Armstrong challenged the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to show what it had on him.  And that is exactly what they did.
From Armstrong to Joe Paterno, this year has shown us that no sports mogul is untouchable. Once again, it's not always the crime, but the cover up that bites you. 
Check out Armstrong give a speech at the 15th anniversary of his cancer-fighting charity Livestrong.

NBA routines now confined

After viewing this clip, I now understand why Kevin Durant is a bit furious with the recent rule change of 90 seconds or less for pre-tipoff after player introductions.
"I personally don't like it," Durant said of the 90-second rule according to The Oklahoman. "Every player in this league has routines they do with their teammates, rituals they do before the game and before they walk on the floor. The fans like it. The fans enjoy it. You see the fans mimicking the guys who do their stuff before the game. To cut that down really don't make no sense. Why would you do it? I really don't agree with it, but I don't make the rules."
And Durant is absolutely correct. The Thunder's routines may be a bit extensive compared to other clubs, but there are litany of celebrated rituals that players/teams do to get pumped up. These rituals aren't prolonging games that much, and this cap of 90 seconds will not expedite games drastically. It's just merely another way for the league to exercise its power.
The obvious method to fasten games are to cancel the number of television timeouts, but as you can see, common sense isn't that common or is it? Television timeouts bring in money and pregame routines don't. For short, my friends and I call that the C.R.E.A.M.
Cash Rules Everything Around Me....Dollar dollar bills yall

Saturday snickers: Fooled me once

I think it's to safe to say that POTUS and Mitt Romney won't be this bad if elected.
With that being said, the second presidential debate between President Obama and Governor Romney will take place this Tuesday Oct. 16 at 9 p.m.

Cloudy future in today's newscast

As you all may know, I have an unparalled passion for journalism and television. In other words, I eat, breathe and sleep news.
I remember when I was younger, I considered breaking news events on CNN just as important as studying for an exam. Yes, I was and still am a news junkie.
I love to know everything that's going on. Although I may not be knowledgeable of every current event, the idea of enhancing my wisdom of subjects I'm foreign to as well as familiar with is alluring. This brings me to share my most recent experience with you.
During my delightful trip back home (it's always a delight to see my family and spend time in the greatest city: NYC), I was asked an arousing question pertaining to my industry: Where do you think the future of news is heading? Sorry if you were looking for a more intriguing question, but even, Leonardo Da Vinci once said "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
So before I share my answer, let's take a look at the current plight of news.

Nearly every major newspaper outlet except for the New York Times has gone bankrupt. Not to mention that tons of publications and businesses have pay walls online, which mandates readers to pay to have more access. The obvious reason for all this taking place is the internet. With live streaming and forums such as this blog, the internet has allowed society to get their news from a variety of sources.
I, like many others, want to be informed on making the correct decisions. There are not many professions that can influence and inspire individuals on a daily basis. This being one of the main reasons I was attracted to this business; touching lives that you may never meet is beautiful thing.

With this being said, newscasts have the obligation to give society substantial information to better their lives. And a majority of  networks abide by this responsibility religiously, but I’m starting to see a rising trend in stories focusing on what I would like to call F-squared: fluff and fat. Let me explain.

Hard news is what stations and publications cover largely, but the more I tune into segments or even read online, I see a bunch of malarkey. Maybe I'm blind or a pariah, but it appears as if society has no pertinent issues happening. Everything is based off of sensationalism. Covering the same story from several different angles is asinine. This in addition to did you know Justin Bieber and Ryan Gosling are 11th cousins type of pieces goes in the category of fluff and fat. More information and less entertainment.

The reason viewers and readers attention span is so low is because everyone is tired of seeing repetition. Oversaturation will not win people over.

Don’t get me wrong, fluff and fat pieces are beneficial, but too much of it gets sickening. Reading this, I’m sure you can list three topics that you feel hasn’t received enough exposure because of these “F&F” packages.

Think of news segments and publications like a good piece of steak. Those fatty pieces hanging on side, that are trimmed off (or eaten for some folks) before a meal are the over-saturation packages and the interesting did you know pieces. But the nucleus of that steak is the actual meat in the center that is consumed. And that my friends is the hard news. 
As for my actual answer, I gave an abridged version of the above rant. I think you guys/gals get the point. 

Top NFL teams heading into Week 6 (Video)

1. Houston Texans

2. Atlanta Falcons

3. San Francisco 49ers

4. Baltimore Ravens

5. New England Patriots 

Aint nothing but a Nash thang

There's a new Showtime in town, Magic!
New city, but Steve Nash still has the same old moves. My vote still goes to Oklahoma City to come out of the West as long as James Harden doesn't go MIA, but LA can certainly give them a run for their money.

Bad blood resurfaces

The Miami Hurricanes' immense slump in the FBS rankings over the past decade has certainly been arduous for long-time "U" fans to fathom. But what better way to solve your problems than beat up on an old, and in this case, nationally ranked foe.
The bad blood from the 80's and early 90's may have diluted, but who doesn't love a classic Notre Dame vs Miami game minus the obscene t-shirts (The Catholics vs. Convicts).
It's been nearly a quarter-century since the two have met in the regular season, and I'm already replaying the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary in my head. One of the vintage rivalries in college football that transformed the way college athletes conduct themselves on and off the field. It was a storm that college football never experienced before, but it helped cultivate the NCAA in the longrun.
Since both universities don't take the field till 7:30, take a look at a snippet from my favorite 30 for 30 documentary: