Poster of the Day

This guy had no business trying to contest this. WHY??? LOL

Youth impedes top seed

No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, youngest player ever to win MVP, NBA Coach of the Year (rookie head coach at that), Co-Executive of the Year and you ask what the Chicago Bulls franchise is hindered by: Youth and Experience.
As good as MVP Derrick Rose is, he is not dominating enough to put this team solely on his back and lead the franchise to their 1st championship in the post-MJ era. In order for the Bulls to have any chance to win the championship this year, the team must be able to function without Rose on the court and the team hasn’t consistently learned how to do this yet. Though the young bull may remind some fans of Jordan as he quickly dissects defenses in the matter of seconds, Rose, surprisingly still has a lot of wrinkles to iron out; remember he’s only 22 and the league has yet to see the young star reach his full potential. Though he’s gained much more confidence in his jumper, it is evident that he still doesn’t have enough arc in his shot hence why many of his misses are short. Don’t get me wrong, Rose is an amazing all-star athlete and arguably the best point guard in the league, but I think even he himself would agree that he can polish his game up more. 2011 won’t be the only year that we see Rose hold up the MVP trophy.
The Bulls may have history on their side with 83 percent of Game 5 winners advancing to the next round, but the Eastern Conference Championship may be a nightmare for them if they move forward. People fail to forget that the Indiana Pacers gave Chicago a run for their money in the first round with each of the first four games was determined in the final minutes. Though the Bulls won the series 4-1 which is what ultimately matters, the inexperience of the No. 1 seed was highly exposed. That is exactly what the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will do if the Bulls advance.
In order for the Bulls to have long-term success in this postseason they need the team, not just Rose to contribute. The first player that Rose could benefit the most from is summer acquisition Carlos Boozer. Due to a fractured right hand earlier in the year and a recent turf toe injury, Boozer has had difficulties getting into a groove. If Boozer shows the slightest of signs of how he played in Utah, the Bulls could actually have a chance in the next round. Boozer has come to life these past two games in the conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, but will need to do this nightly rather than once in a blue moon. With Boozer dominating in the paint, it would let a big load off of D-Rose’s back and even open shooters up like Kyle Korver and Keith Bogans.
Next up in the starting lineup is Luol Deng. Though he may not be the most aggressive player, there really isn’t anything Deng can’t do. He can defend, shoot, rebound and pass; he knows how to play the game of basketball. This is exactly what Rose needs. Deng won’t always be able to play the sidekick role as he scored 23 points in the Game 5 win over the Hawks, but he can produce a solid 15 a game while contributing on the defensive end.
The list can go on about what roles each Bulls’ player needs to fulfill, but it is apparent that the team is equipped with stars and talent to succeed. There is a reason the team is the No. 1 seed in the East regardless of what people want to think about the competition in the Eastern Conference. Though the team is fairly young and lacks in experience, they make it up with their tenacious defense and hustle. This playoff run for the team will be a learning experience and if this team is able to stay together, their scouting report will be scary in years to come. Rose isn’t the only young player on this team that has yet to maximize his talent.

2010 AFC Dissapointment

Looking back at the unpredictable 2010 NFL regular season, there are couple shocks that amaze my eye when glancing at the AFC final standings throughout each division.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could make a claim for biggest AFC disappointment as they blew an opportunity to win the AFC South division and knock Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts out the playoffs. The Cincinnati Bengals also come into the picture as they went from division winners last year (undefeated in the division last year) to being ousted out of playoff contention from the beginning of the season (2-4 division record this year). The Tennessee Titans join the ballot as well with a less than spectacular year for Chris Johnson to the drama in acquiring Randy Moss. In conclusion, the winner for biggest AFC disappointment (Drum roll please…): The San Diego “Super” Chargers!
After having a sensational 2009 season with a 13-3 record and 1st round bye, they follow up 2010 with a 9-7 record joining the all other teams that view the postseason from the couch. Their record is no indicator of how much talent their team posses or how good they are. Instead, it indicates their inconsistency throughout the whole season!
Despite the holdout by Vincent Jackson, the team had an average year record wise, but ironically led all opponents in statistics. A team that was ranked in the league’s top 3 in total offense and defense barely finishes over .500 and fails to make the postseason. Riddle me that? They can only blame themselves as they dug a deep ditch for themselves to climb out of starting the season at 2-5. Winning the AFC West for four consecutive years and making the playoffs every year since 2005, makes a team a little complacent. The AFC West is already looked at as one of the weaker NFL divisions, but that doesn’t mean the Bolts should play like it is.
Even with the rocky start, the Chargers still were in playoff contention, but canceled all hope after losing 34-20 to a decaying Bengals team in Week 16. Becoming content leads to this, you have to stay hungry at all times.
With Phillip Rivers under center as general, the Bolts future is bright. This type of adversity strengthens a team’s character. The Chargers will learn from their mistakes as many teams have in the past. Even though the Kansas City Chiefs were effortlessly eliminated out the playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens, they’ll be striving again next season to wear the AFC West crown. San Diego just has to accept the challenge and play similar to the 2009 season when they were ruthless against opponents ending the season on a 12 game winning streak.

Dim and Dismal Future

Disheartening. Embarrassing. Pitiful.
Honestly are there any words to describe the 55-point dismantling loss that the Cleveland Cavaliers took from the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers? The game was humiliating to watch from start to finish. The Cavs were already on a decline as they suffered their 11th loss to the Lakers, but a 112-57 loss questions a team’s pride and work ethic. Regardless of what the Cavs do after this point, this game should never sit quietly in their stomachs.
This unfathomable loss dips deeper than on the hard wood floor. It goes from Coach Byron Scott all the way to owner Dan Gilbert. Scott couldn’t have worded it better at halftime as he described his team’s effort as “flat out scared”. The Lakers played against the Cavs as if they were children. It looked like one of those games when a coach knew the other team was so bad that they would use them as a guinea pig and run new plays. A man against boys is an understatement when comparing both teams.
Additionally, correct me if I’m wrong, is this the same team that Gilbert expected Lebron James to come back to and win a championship? Granted that Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson were hurt, but how much of a difference would they really have made? “C’mon man!” as NFL analyst Chris Carter would say. It may be just one game, but this just shows what James was working with while in Cleveland. Lebron was the center of their cookie; he was their nucleus and, without him, the Cavs can do nothing more than crumble when pitted against far greater opponents.
The only good thing that can come about from this dispatching loss is an epiphany from the players and organization. Hopefully, the Cavaliers can use this as fuel to fire up their engine in actually being a contender in the Eastern conference. Teams have done it before and have made drastic improvements after the All-Star break. This could be pushing it, but never say never.
Cleveland has already faced rock bottom (literally from the departing of their Chosen One to this crushing blowout). Can it get any worse than this? Remind you that Gilbert did promise this city would win a championship before James did. However, a blind man could tell Dan that they’re heading in the opposite direction and, from the looks of Lebron’s twitter, it seems as if the King agrees:
“Crazy. Karma is a b****.. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!”

Marshawn Lynch: Beast

Just in case you missed Marshawn Lynch run over the New Orleans Saints as if they were a pee wee team, here it is. Enjoy!

Any Given Sunday

There’s no surprise that the laughingstock team of the playoffs pulled off a miraculous win over the defending Superbowl champions. It doesn’t matter that the Seattle Seahawks come from arguably the least competitive league in the NFC if not the NFL. Nor does it matter that the NFC West division champs still managed to make the playoffs despite having a sad 7-9 record and that most NFL fans hardly know any of the starters on their team. The playoffs are a new ball game and no team has any advantage or disadvantage besides home-field.
As former NY Jets coach, Herman Edwards said, “You play the game to WIN.” That’s why the Seahawks are preparing for the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints are joining me as we watch the remainder of the post season from the couch.
Seahawks quarterback, Matt Hasslebeck, may be old and washed up to some, but his senior leadership proved to be the catalyst to the win against the Saints. After just being cleared to play two days ago from a hip injury, Hasslebeck aired out four touchdowns as he torched New Orleans secondary.
The Seahawks win over the Saints was the first in the playoffs for a team with a losing record. It was a tremendous effort put on by an underdog team which is the perfect display of the “Any Given Sunday” quote. Maybe even more impressive or just as was Marshawn Lynch’s run which clinched the game up for the classic David vs. Goliath matchup. It was pathetic to watch the lack of technique and pride that the Saints displayed on this play. Lynch willed himself past every defender as if his life depended on it as the Saints nonchalantly made an effort to wrap him up. Even after the Lynch broke several tackles, Tracy Porter (the guy who got stiff armed like a child) had another change to go after him, but gave up. This play summed up the defensive effort by the whole Saints team.
Either the Saints defense didn’t eat their Wheaties that evening or just underestimated their opponent. Whichever it was, the defensive coordinator didn’t predict this outcome. When you underestimate your opponent, this is what can happen. Playoffs is where amazing can happen. No one cares that the Saints are the previous champions; it’s just a respect that is given from last year. Key word being last year.
You can’t ask too much from Drew Brees who threw over 60 passes and 400 passing yards along with two touchdowns. The offense looked pretty good despite the absence of a ground attack due to injuries. The offense put up 36 points, can you really ask for more? This is part of the game though; you can’t expect to win every game by relying on one side of the ball. You have to play both O and D. Offense wins games; defense wins champions as a wise man once said.

Soaring High

If there was any doubt if Blake Griffin would be able to recover after his pre-season ending injury last year, I think he’s canceled all doubt throughout this point of the season. The former College Player of the Year’s NBA debut was put on hold due to a broken left kneecap during the Los Angeles Clippers final exhibition game against the New Orleans Hornets. The question no longer stands if Griffin will be good, but how good will he be!
The Clippers currently stand at the bottom of the Western Conference record wise, but the support from their city has returned. Griffin’s electrifying above the rim play brings fans off their seat every game giving the city something else to cheer for other than the Black Mamba and Los Angeles Lakers. Griffin may be a rookie, but his quick and ferocious jumping ability puts him at an unfair advantage against his opponents. Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard may be the Superman of the NBA, but Griffin has proved that he isn’t the only one that can fly.
Not many crowds will root for a team that holds the third worst record in the Western Conference, but not many teams have a player with Griffin’s vertical leap. Every game Griffin plays is bound to be in Sportscenter Top 10. Griffin isn’t the only catalyst to the Clippers emergence as players such as Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan have attributed to the resurgence of the team. The Clippers are still extremely young squad and are building team chemistry game by game. Their record doesn’t indicate their talent level or capability to challenge any opponent. In a couple years, this team will be a force to reckon with and may be the top sheriff in Western Conference and city of Los Angeles.
Looking to be crowned Rookie of the Year, phenomenon, Blake Griffin, is well on his way. From his montage of dunk facials to his tenacity on the boards, Griffin can develop in to one of the faces of league. Griffin has already entered the top flight fraternity amongst the best dunkers in the league and will improve gradually in other aspects of the game barring injury.
The media sort of had a loss of memory of Griffin’s sensational, tough hard dunking style in college. Knock Knock… He’s back! Griffin is on a young and team and in a great city to manifest his talents. This double-double monster plays fearlessly and his engine doesn’t stop running. Be extra careful around the paint because you may end up in his poster or highlight reel. Griffin may even have the credentials to bring back the Slam Dunk Contest, a contest that had been declining tremendously year by year. Despite it only being one year, Griffin is on a journey of achievement.

Blame Game

For a team that had hopes to win the NFC East and even make a run at the Superbowl, it was hard to swallow the effort displayed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half against the New York Giants. Eagle fans weren’t only stunned that they were trailing by a wide margin, but at how much difficulty their offense had with the stingy G-men defense. The script completely flipped in the 4th quarter, though, as the Eagles showed the league why they’re so good. As we all saw, the Eagles ended up scoring a miraculous 28 points in the final 7:18 of the game with Desean Jackson scoring the game winning touchdown on a punt return as regulation expired. I’m still in awe over the performance by the Birds. It was like the scene out of Space Jam when Bugs Bunny grabbed the water bottle labeled “Michael’s Secret stuff” and the Looney Tunes started playing like beasts. The final eight minutes of the game was a total state of shock for fans on both sides as the Eagles made a stunning turnaround.
So how did this game from Hell for Giants fans take place in their very own Meadowlands? Let’s play the Blame Game. There are several candidates up for this great distinctive honor, starting with:

1. Matt Dodge
Any punter in their right mind during this situation would know not to kick the ball to Desean Jackson. The man has proved a countless number of times how fast and deadly he is with the ball in his hands. Kicking the ball to him in this scenario is asking him sincerely to score. Jackson practically is the best returner in the game right behind Devin Hester. The man loves to cross the pylon in big game situations and what better way to do it than against your NFC East rivals in a game that everyone assumed was heading into overtime.

2. Special teams
As far as NFL rules state, there must be 11 men on the field for a team. Matt dodge is one, so that means he had 10 other guys with him during Jackson’s punt return. Dodge wasn’t the only one that Jackson evaded during the play. 10 other guys attempted to catch him or missed him. Dodge shouldn’t be the blame for the whole game or even this play. One player doesn’t equal 38 points. Remember that the Eagles also recovered an onside kick which led to a score. Stressing my main point again, games aren’t judged by one play!

3. Offense
Each NFL football game has 60 minutes of regulation. The Giants offense only played 30 minutes this game against the Birds. They came out striking without fear in the first half scoring 24 points with a commanding 21 point lead into halftime. In the second half, the Giants "O" scored only seven points. Games aren’t won on by a play, drive, or in this case a half. These things may give you momentum, but they don’t win a game. You have to do the little things and keep progressing throughout a game no matter what the circumstance is. Eli may have finished with 289 passing yards and four TD’s, but it obviously wasn’t enough.

4. Defense
As previously mentioned, the Eagles scored more points on the Giants in the final 8 minutes than they did in the whole game. The Eagles offense was electrifying and couldn’t be stopped no matter what play they called. Vick got whatever he wanted and the chains kept moving play after play. No matter how good an offense is, no defense should let this amount of points be scored on them in this amount of time.
You can decide who’s to blame, but we may have found the spearhead behind this all? Drum roll please.........

The Eagles were obviously prepared and coached for this situation better than Giants, which brings about the 5th candidate, Coach Tom Coughlin. Before you yell down the throat of a rookie for a punt, you should first look at what you did wrong. All great teams know how to handle themselves in the face of adversity. The Eagles proved their resilience while the Giants showed no signs of it. As the great boxer, Mike Tyson, said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

Play of the Week

With 14 seconds left in regulation, Philadelphia Eagles Desean Jackson scored on a game winning punt return.