What is Wrong with the Colts?

This has been a wacky season in the NFL. For one, the Pittsburgh Steelers, last year's Super Bowl Champions, are not even going to make the playoffs. The Seattle Seahawks, who played Pittsburgh last year in the playoffs, are stumbling at 8-5, having lost to the lowly Arizona Cardinals last week. Given, the Seahawks have played all but two games with two hobbled superstars in Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander, but I'm still surprised. Did you know that since December 2005, eight players on the Cincinatti Bengals team have been arrested? Those orange and black stripes are beginning to look white and black. Some other wacky things include Brett Favre and Eli Manning. Brett is almost 65, still has a rocket for an arm, and refuses to quit. Eli is still underperforming and I'm still not convinced that he'll ever come close to his brother in talent, leadership, mechanics, or making good commercials. How about the Chicago Bears? They are quite possibly the worst-best team ever. They continue to win, but the critics refuse to lay off of them. Then there is the Cowboys, finally somebody got some sense in them and realized that Drew Bledsoe is not a winner. Did Parcells forget why the Patriots won three Super Bowls after he left? Yup, it's because they benched Bledsoe. Tony Romo is turning into another Tom Brady, in talk that is. I don't think he'll ever win a Super Bowl in Dallas. It's been a while since I've sang, "When the Saints Go Marching In." Reggie Bush is the #1 decoy in NFL history, and Drew Brees is playing like a champ. I bet the Texans kick themselves everyday for having drafted Mario Williams instead of Reggie Bush. The Texans claimed that they didn't need a running back because they had Domanick Davis. Now that Domanick Davis is out for the season, the boo birds are out in Houston. Amongst all of these headlines of 2006, the wackiest thing in my mind is how the Colts cannot put together a decent defense to save their lives. Last week the Colts allowed 375 yards on the ground. 375! In one game! And that's not to mention the return yards that Jacksonville tallied, which was 178 yards! Albeit, Peyton Manning's offense only scored 17 points, but I believe that defense affects offense. The weight of the game is on the shoulders of the Colts offense every game and it is beginning to show now that they have lost 3 of their last 4 games. Maybe this is a sign that the Colts are going to win the Super Bowl. In years past, The Colts have been a totally different team during the regular season than in the playoffs. They have been awesome in the regular season and lousy choke artists in the playoffs. Hmmm.......I think Tony Dungy is on to something!

Paul Millsap NBA Rookie of the Year?

Have you ever heard of Paul Millsap? A lot of people outside of Louisiana (where he played college basketball) and Utah (where he now plays for the Jazz) have not, but he is the early selection for rookie of the year. Click here to read John Hollinger's rookie rundown on ESPN.com.

Politics Run Wild in College Football

Troy Smith is going to win the Heisman, Ohio State and Florida are playing in the National Championship game, and only one "student athlete" from a mid-major conference, Colt Brennan, is even being considered for any hardware. I find glaring problems with all of these situations, and I blame it mostly on politics. Reality is what a person's perception is. The press and media have a huge impact on peoples perception of reality, and that largely dictates the polls. The media and press have developed the whole idea of a "major conference" and a "mid-major conference." How Duke, Baylor, and North Carolina are in a major conference is beyond me.
Since week one of the season, they have told us that Troy Smith is the best quarterback in the nation. While Troy Smith has done little to dazzle, he has not disappointed. However; there are a plethora of quarterbacks in the nation who have comparable, if not better statistics than Troy Smith and they aren't even being talked about. You may say, "Well, Troy Smith and the Buckeyes played harder teams." Well, that's what they would have you think. And why is it that people made a huge deal over Reggie Bush's parents possibly receiving free housing and gifts from USC last year, yet nobody has even made mention the factual truth that Troy Smith was suspended by Ohio State for a year and has even spent time in the slammer?
I looked at a rundown of all the student athletes being considered for the postseason hardware and well over 75% of them play for schools from Texas eastward. There is somewhat of a tunnel vision where all the media sees are teams in the east, and USC. Have you ever heard of Eric Weddle? I didn't think so. He plays for the University of Utah and has been the most dominate player on defense I have seen and plays both sides of the ball. However, Eric Weddle plays for a now Urban Meyerless team, so of course nobody knows about him. What about John Beck? He is perhaps the best kept secret in the west.
So, it's going to be #1 Ohio State vs. "#2" Florida in the National Championship Game! Does this really surprise anybody? It didn't surprise me one bit, when USC lost and Florida won, it was eminent in my mind. I wanted Florida to play Ohio State, just to further prove what a load of BS the BCS is. How can a team that is #2(Michigan) after losing to #1(Ohio State) by 3 measly points, be idle for two weeks and be passed up both weeks by teams below them? It's quite simple, because the BCS voters said so. Why is it that Notre Dame (the most overrated team in the nation, just a little ahead of Rutgers) gets an automatic bid if they are in the top 8 of the BCS standings? I know they are considered by some to be "God's University," but the deal they have with the BCS is unchristian. Well, I guess there is a lot of mercy involved, which is a good Christian value.
Having a rematch with Michigan and Ohio State just couldn't happen. Firstly, if Ohio State won, then people would complain that it's ridiculous that a team has to beat another team twice in order to win the National Championship. Secondly, if Michigan would have won, then people would complain that each team won one game, but the team that won the second game is the National Champion. To add to it, Ohio State won the conference and both teams would be 12-1. So, to avoid all that mess, they opted to pit Florida against Ohio State. Florida played the "hardest schedule" in college football, and they won their conference. I hope that Florida wins, then the people in Michigan are really going to go wild, yelling shirtless in the streets of Ann Arbor, "We could have beat Florida!" Well, given they beat USC in the Rose Bowl they'll be saying that. In conclusion, college football is the greatest sport, until the season is over and politics, not the athletes or the teams, decides everything.

Utah Jazz #1

For the first time since Karl Malone and John Stockton, I can honestly say with statistical evidence and no bias that the Utah Jazz are #1. At 15-4, the Jazz are first place in their division, first place in the Western Conference, and first place in the NBA. I wouldn't be as ecstatic if they were first place on the Eastern Conference. Bill Simmons of ESPN.com has an excellent article concerning the crappiness of the Eastern Conference, it's definitely worth a read. Did you know that 11 of the 15 teams in the East are at least two games below .500? Well, they are, and that is pathetic. This year, some people are calling the East the worst conference in sports history. I can't say that I disagree. Moving back to the Jazz, they have a team full of a bunch of "no names" that will never make good for themselves, yet they continue to win. I guess my #1 preseason prediction wasn't as far fetched as some people thought. I know how hard it is for the Jazz to earn respect, I have been a lifelong Jazz fan and can attest to that. Even tonight on TNT, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith questioned if the Jazz are legitimate. Hello? You don't go 15-4 just by getting lucky. I guess Sir Charles still has a bitter taste in his mouth after Stockton hit that game winning shot at the buzzer of the 1997 Western Conference Finals right in his face! Check out that picture, Barkley got "posterized!"

Most Underrated Rivalry in College Football?

No question about it, that rivalry would be BYU vs. Utah. This year's matchup will go down as one of the greatest rivalry games in college football history. If you missed it, you missed out. BYU won the game 33-31 on a touchdown pass from senior quarterback John Beck to senior tight end Jonny Harline with no time left on the clock. It was BYU's first win in five years and was the sixth in the last seven games between the two teams where the winner won by seven or less points. BYU moved to 10-2, having gone undefeated in the Mountain West Conference for the first time in five years as well. BYU still has one game to play in the Las Vegas Bowl, they will be playing the Oregon Ducks. The offensive coordinator for Oregon is former BYU head coach Gary Crowton. Crowton was at BYU from 2001-2004, this will be his first meeting against BYU since leaving. It should be an interesting and intense game.
Click HERE to watch highlights from the 2006 BYU-Utah game!

What's in a Uniform?

Have you ever found yourself rooting against a team because they have ugly uniforms? I have, all the time! It's just so hard to watch ugly things, that's why I don't watch Desperate Housewives, or any of the awards shows. I had a difficult time rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals for the longest time, but their uniforms have grown on me lately and now I like them. There haven't been many weeks where I've been able to cheer for the University of Oregon's football team. Nike has made sure that Oregon's jerseys are constantly the laughing stock of college football. As bad as those uniforms are year in and year out, at least Nike has never sunk as low as to put a "bib" on Oregon's jerseys like they did to BYU's uniforms in 1998. Really bright colors are horrible for jerseys; they are hard on the eyes and look...well...horrible. The WNBA can get away with it because nobody watches them anyway. Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Seattle Supersonics, and Cal's football team with their yellow uniforms, and even the Chicago Bears with their orange uniforms should feel embarrassed every time they play in those ridiculously bright uniforms. The internet pictures do not do them enough justice. With the college basketball season starting again, well over half of the schools have changed their uniforms, and well over half of that half has traded nice jerseys in for fashion nightmares. Why does Nike and Adidas continue to get paid to put out such awful uniforms? It will be a mystery to me forever more. Very few teams outfitted by Nike have been lucky enough to get decent uniforms. As for the rest, as sad as it may be, they will NEVER win in style.

NFL Mid-Season Report - Part 2 of 2

As eight games in the season have come and gone, there have been a lot of interesting stories. In my mid-season report I will cover the five most depressing stories of the season thus far in part 1 and the five most exciting stories in part 2.

The 5 Most Exciting Stories of the 2006 NFL Season

1. Nobody has complained about the new ball yet
With all of the attention going to the new NBA ball, nobody has commented on the new NFL ball. What? You didn’t know that NFL has a new ball this year? Well, they do. This year there is a large gold NFL insignia, and it’s signed by the new commissioner Roger Goodell. While NBA players have been crying bloody murder over the new ball that isn’t consistent, and gets sticky, the NFL still continues to play in the rain and snow with their new ball. I think the volatile weather conditions on a football put the players at a larger disadvantage than NBA players when sweat gets on the basketball. The last time I checked, the “new” NBA ball is the same size and weight as the old ball, and aren’t the rims the same diameter?

2. T.O. single-handedly destroying the Dallas Cowboys
Terrell Owens is a disease that infects whatever team he is playing for. This season's victim is the Dallas Cowboys. Owens is like an amazing drug with horrible side effects. “Incredible receiver with speed and quickness! WARNING! Side effects may include: having a losing season, having more news reporters than players at practice and in the locker room, total destruction of team morale, and one more overpaid crybaby that “wants the damn ball.””

3. The Oakland Raiders being so bad
I was secretly hoping that Oakland Raiders wouldn’t win a single game this season. Then I thought about the pain and agony of seeing Adrian Peterson from Oklahoma get drafted by them next year. So, I secretly cheered for the Raiders to win at least a couple of games and now they have. Now I have a new predicament, if the Houston Texans finish last and pick first in the draft, they’re bound to screw it up and NOT pick Peterson. If that happens, the Raiders would then get Peterson. So, now I am bound to cheer for the Raiders to win at least a couple more games.

4. The resurgence of the New Orleans Saints
Was I the only one that believed in Drew Brees? The New Orleans Saints picking him up was one of the biggest free-agent signing that nobody cared about. I can’t believe that the New Orleans Saints stayed with Aaron Brooks as long as they did. The Saints have all the weapons to make a run this season. Reggie Bush is the best decoy player to ever take the field. He hasn’t had incredible stats this season, but when he takes the field he opens up so many other players for the Saints.

5. Peyton Manning working his magic yet again
He just keeps silencing the critics. Every year they say that you can’t win with a bad defense, but Peyton Manning just keeps on doing his thing. Watching Peyton run the offense is like watching somebody doing something good that looks and/or sounds good! The Indianapolis Colts are 8-0 this season, having beaten the Giants, Patriots, and Broncos, all on the road. Now the question becomes, will the Colts choke in the playoffs again? If the Colts do choke in the playoffs, Peyton can always fall back on his successful commercials, those are great.

NFL Mid-Season Report – Part 1 of 2

As eight games in the season have come and gone, there have been a lot of interesting stories. In my mid-season report I will cover the five most depressing stories of the season thus far in part 1 and the five most exciting stories in part 2.

The 5 Most Depressing Stories of the 2006 NFL Season

1. The Seahawks Playing Without Hasselbeck and Alexander
Given, the Seahawks did not look that great with Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander, but seeing both of them go down just doesn’t seem fair. Maybe this is the year where the “Super Bowl Curse” starts. That is, the two teams that go to the Super Bowl will have a downer year the next season. The Pittsburgh Steelers are sure living up to their part of the curse; the Seahawks are not going to lie down as easily though. Oh, and has anybody else ever seen such a pathetic excuse for a tight end have so much trash to talk? Ahem, Jerramy Stevens, you're not that good, and I'm glad you got kneed in the crotch.

2. The NFL Being Such Stiffs Over TD Celebration Dances
Ask any loyal NFL fan and they will tell you that last year had the best end-zone celebrations ever. So what does the NFL do this year? Yeah, if you guessed they took the fun out, then you would be correct. Where’s the fun in a spike? Marvin Harrison of the Indianapolis Colts got a penalty last week because of an errand spike that hit an opposing player. The spike just might be gone next year, stay tuned.

3. People Thinking the Chicago Bears are for Real this Year…Again!
Rex Grossman is the quarterback that fantasy football players love to hate. You never know when he might throw for 3 touchdowns, or 4 interceptions. I’m so glad that the Miami Dolphins just squashed the Bears' hopes at an undefeated season so that talks stop now. I don’t believe in the Chicago Bears, the same hype surrounded them last year when the Carolina Panthers exploited their "perhaps the best defense of all time" in the 2005 playoffs. Here’s a prediction for you, the New York Football Giants will beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and they might do it again in the playoffs if they meet.

4. Matt Leinart Getting Stuck in Arizona
Matt Leinart has so much promise as a quarterback in the NFL. He has great mechanics and poise for a rookie. He also has a lot of guts to drop back in the pocket knowing that at any second he could get smothered because the Arizona Cardinals have such a shoddy offensive line. The Cardinals spent so much money getting Edgerrin James that they forgot to get an offensive line to block for him. Sounds to me like the brain trust in Arizona will squander two more talents. And I thought that Matt Leinart would be better off than Reggie Bush...

5. Michael Vick Not Living Up to Lofty Expectations…Again!
Michael Vick is sure athletic, but he’s not a quarterback. He has some good games, has put up some good stats, but he is incapable of leading his team. I like Michael Vick, but we all need to just realize that Michael Vick will never win a Super Bowl no matter where he plays, unless he’s sitting on the bench watching.

Preferential Star Treatment

After going to the Houston Rockets/Utah Jazz game in Salt Lake, there is one thing I know for certain. The "NBA Live ’07 Curse” will not start this year. Barring some freak accident, or T-Mac not being able to cut it because he’s not conditioned enough, he won’t have a “bad” year. Last night he scored 25 points in the Rocket’s season opening loss. Not bad, considering he was 8-24 from the field and 8-13 from the free throw line. At least he made over 50% of his free throws. The fact of the matter is that any player who came close to making contact with T-Mac was called for a foul. On two instances, Matt Harpring and Andrei Kirilenko were called for fouls without even touching T-Mac. One was on an air-ball 3 point try, and the second on a layup in crunch time with five minutes remaining in the game. Ridiculous? You better believe it! And what can opposing players do about it? Absolutely nothing! With the NBA’s new “zero tolerance policy,” a player will get a technical foul for even raising an eyebrow over a questionable call. As if the officials did not have a hold on the game before, the NBA has given them more power. It’s going to be another fun-filled season; I’m looking forward to it. I think I’m going to have a heart attack when I’m 35.

NBA Preseason Rankings - Part 5 of 5

It's that time of year where everybody is releasing their NBA preseason rankings. I've never seen a preseason ranking that was indicative of how they rank at the end of the season, but I can assure you that my rankings will stay just about the same ALL year. That's because I'm ranking according to how much I respect them(1), or how little I respect them(30). In part 5 of 5, I'll rank teams 1-6.

1. Utah Jazz- Are you really surprised by this one? The Jazz may not be the greatest basketball players, but they are darn good guys. The second DeShawn Stevenson raped that girl back in 2001, I knew he was gone. Last year when Robert Whaley got into a domestic dispute, I knew he was gone too. You have to respect a team where winning is not the most important thing, and that is not something that only losers say. "How 'bout them Jazz?!"

2. Miami Heat- Dwayne Wade should be the new face of the NBA, not LeBron James, not Kobe Bryant. He has outstanding sportsmanship, is married with a kid, plays with heart, and has a very active role in his community. What a stud! Since Shaq left the Lakers, I've taken notice that he isn't that bad either. Alonzo Mourning's story is every bit as good as Jerome Bettis of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Have you seen the Lincoln Navigator commercial with Dwayne Wade where he puts up a basketball hoop in a neighborhood and then gives the coach the Navigator and the players all basketballs? I'm lead to believe that's not far from the truth in any way. Those pink and orange uniforms have got to go, though.

3. Phoenix Suns- Hallelujah! Steve Nash no longer looks like a wet sewer rat! The new hair looks good, his stock is rising now. Whoever is on the PA at Suns games has the best job ever elongating such names as Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, Eric Piatkowski, Raja Bell, and Leandro Barbosa. It's too bad they traded away the rights to Rajon Rondo. Has anybody ever seen a gorilla in Phoenix outside of US Airways Center and the zoo? Just wondering.....

4. Cleveland Cavaliers- I'm glad that Sprite changed their commercial concept with LeBron James. I remember the old commercials with Karl Malone and David Robinson, they were quite misleading. Here's how the commercials would go: Karl Malone/David Robinson are playing basketball and not playing well. Karl Malone/David Robinson go to the sideline and chug a 20 oz. Sprite. Karl Malone/David Robinson go back onto the court and dominate. Yeah, I tried that once, I ended up on the ground in the fetal position screaming of cramps. I don't drink Sprite anymore.

5. Houston Rockets- Thank goodness that the "EA Sports Madden Curse" does not hold true for the NBA. Every player that has graced the cover of a Madden game since 2001 has either ended the season injured or had a horrible season. As Tracy McGrady dons the cover of NBA Live '07, lets hope that he has his first healthy season in a long time or he just might start the "EA Sports NBA Live Curse." Who wants to make a bet on how long it takes Yao Ming to say a complete coherent sentence in English? Karl Malone still can't.....

6. Washington Wizards- Did you know that Gilbert Arenas has a huge tiger face tattooed on his chest? His belly button is on the chin of the tiger. It's one of those tattoos where you wonder if he was drunk when he got it or an alternative to putting a girlfriends name on his arm that he knew he was going dump. Regardless, Arenas is an awesome player and has single handedly lifted the Wizards to a playoff caliber team in the East. Given, it doesn't take much to make the playoffs in the East, but Arenas is good. I got a kick out of the Wizards two years ago when they had a party for advancing to the second round of the playoffs with shirts and champagne. They stooped to the levels of Major League Baseball, ugh.

NBA Preseason Rankings - Part 4 of 5

It's that time of year where everybody is releasing their NBA preseason rankings. I've never seen a preseason ranking that was indicative of how they rank at the end of the season, but I can assure you that my rankings will stay just about the same ALL year. That's because I'm ranking according to how much I respect them(1), or how little I respect them(30). In part 4 of 5, I'll rank teams 7-12.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves- Kevin Garnett is awesome. The new Gatorade Rain commercial with him hatching from a basketball scares me a little. The graphic nature of it petrified me the first time I saw it. However, the other commercial with him, Peyton Manning and Derek Jeter as little kids with big heads is Super Bowl worthy. "Shut your big head up!"

8. Seattle SuperSonics- I never liked the Sonics until they got Ray Allen. When asked what his goal was in his first season at Seattle he said, "I want to become more popular than coffee!" Funny guy. If you ever play NBA '05, be the Sonics. Ray Allen, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Rashard Lewis all shoot 75% from the 3-point line! Oh, and props to all of you Seattleites for telling the owner of the Sonics to shove it when he wanted tax payers to pay for the construction of a new arena. Talk about a millionaire cheapskate.

9. Los Angeles Clippers- The fact that the Clippers were in the dumps for so long and now are so good makes you like them. I feel it all goes back to Elton Brand, one of the few Duke players to not be a NBA bust. The only reason why the Clippers are so low is that "antman" Sam Cassell. What a coniving little fake. Here's a defense tip for anybody guarding Cassell; don't get your hands near his face or he'll drop to the floor screaming and grabbing his eye like you poked it right out!

10. Philadelphia 76ers- It's sad that Allen Iverson has never been surrounded with any talent. Well, basketballwise that is. Kyle Korver is good at looking like Ashton Kutcher. It's a shame that AI was passed over in favor of Chris Paul for the USA team at the World Championships this past summer. Iverson wasn't even allowed to tryout, lame! If AI never wins a NBA Championship, he can rest assured that Air Jordans will always take a backseat to his shoes.

11. New Jersey Nets- Was it Vince Carter that made wearing tights popular in the NBA? After dunking over that 7-2 guy from France in the 2000 Olympics, he can do whatever he wants in my mind. I really wish that New Jersey would stop choking and utilize the talent that they have.

12. Orlando Magic- Okay, so the Steve Francis/Tracy McGrady trade was horrendous. I'm not too sure how signing Darko Milicic will end up for them either. Going into this season he is averaging 1.5 point per game! But, they made good with the Puerto Rican community in signing Carlos Arroyo. I heard there is a petition going around Orlando to change the team name to the Orlando "Majica." If this ranking was based on their team mascot, the Magic would definitely be in the bottom five with the teams that don't even have a mascot. Their mascot looks like Gonzo on crack! What is coming out of his nose?

NBA Preseason Rankings - Part 3 of 5

It's that time of year where everybody is releasing their NBA preseason rankings. I've never seen a preseason ranking that was indicative of how they rank at the end of the season, but I can assure you that my rankings will stay just about the same ALL year. That's because I'm ranking according to how much I respect them(1), or how little I respect them(30). In part 3 of 5, I'll rank teams 13-18.

13. Milwaukee Bucks- Got to hand it to them for changing their colors and jerseys from that purple to a much sleeker red that they used to have. No matter how I hard I try, I just can't like Andrew Bogut. He really needs a decent haircut; he hasn't had one in years.

14. Memphis Grizzlies- Coach Mike Fratello hasn't aged in almost 25 years, it sure helps that he colors his hair. Pao Gasol might want to shave that nasty beard before he gets picked up by the cops as a suspected pedophile. The best thing that happened to this franchise was getting out of Canada.

15. Charlotte Bobcats- The Bobcats have seemed to assemble a team full of juniors, sophomores, and rookies, almost all of which had tremendous success in college. I just hope that none of them turn out to be NBA busts or the Bobcats are going to be screwed.

16. Golden State Warriors- I personally blame the Warriors for all of Latrell Sprewell's hard life. I wonder if he has food on the table for his kids now that he has been unemployed for a whole year. What kind of "warrior" is in their logo anyway? It looks like a member of the X-Men, he even holds lightning. Maybe he flings those things around like Zeus!

17. Toronto Raptors- Oh, Canada, the place where NBA players go to waste away. The Grizzlies were lucky to get out of Canada, will the Raptors ever be that fortunate? Here's a prediction for you, the Raptors will NEVER win a NBA championship.

18. New Orleans Hornets- Are you catching the Chris Paul fever? I'm certainly not. The only reason why he had good stats last year was because nobody else on the team could score. Chris Paul is just another Stephon Marbury. He gets his fair share of points and assists, but he will never be able to take his team deep into the postseason. Here's another prediction for you, Chris Paul will never win a championship.

Red Auerbach Passes Away at 89

Red Auerbach, legendary coach of the Boston Celtics, passed away today. Red Auerbach established the first true sports dynasty when he won 9 NBA championships, 8 in a row during the 50s and 60s. Here's to a great and legendary coach, sorry, no stogies here.

NBA Preseason Rankings - Part 2 of 5

It's that time of year where everybody is releasing their NBA preseason rankings. I've never seen a preseason ranking that was indicative of how they rank at the end of the season, but I can assure you that my rankings will stay just about the same ALL year. That's because I'm ranking according to how much I respect them(1), or how little I respect them(30). In part 2 of 5, I'll rank teams 19-24.

19. Boston Celtics- Was Sebastian Telfair connected with the shooting of that rapper last week? Probably, but rest assured that his cousin Stephon Marbury vouched that Sebastian wasn’t. I can't be so sure though, he was caught with a handgun last year on the team plane.

20. Atlanta Hawks- Ever since Lenny Wilkins left, the Hawks have been is disarray. Maybe Dominique Wilkins should come out of retirement. Or maybe they should bring back Dikembe Mutumbo and his finger wagging ways.

21. New York Knicks- Seeing Nate Robinson dunk was pretty amazing, shades of Spudd Webb. But honestly, after “attempting” his final dunk about 15 times, the excitement was gone when he finally made it and won the Dunk Contest. Isaiah Thomas is a poor excuse for a President of basketball operations, do you think that he’s running this franchise into the ground on purpose? It will be interesting to see how he does as the head coach.

22. Denver Nuggets- I really like the Nuggets jerseys. Carmelo Anthony has been growing on me after a great showing in the World Games representing the United States. I just wish that he would find a better group of “friends” that would stop leaving drugs in his car and in his bag. Can anybody else honestly believe that Reggie Evans grabbed Chris Kaman’s junk last year in the playoffs? I think somebody should really give Kenyon Martin a new nickname, does he know that K-Mart declared bankruptcy? Hmm, maybe that’s why he has been good for nothing the last couple of years.

23. San Antonio Spurs- Do you remember when San Antonio used to have pink on it’s court? I do, that was pretty funny. Do you remember during Tim Duncan’s senior year at Wake Forest when San Antonio tanked their season on purpose so that they could daft him? I do, the Spurs sure cheated the system there. There’s a short route to rebuilding a team, just throw away a season or two so you can get some top draft picks. It worked for the Spurs!

24. Chicago Bulls- Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Jordan’s shadow…..I mean…..Scottie Pippen played for the Bulls, and I don’t like them. Ben Wallace now plays for the Bulls, and I don’t like him, he’s a waste of carbon. Adres Nocioni looks like Dirk Nowitzki, and I don’t like him. For all of these reasons, I’ve concluded that I don’t like the Bulls. I was all smiles for those few years after Jordan when the Bulls couldn’t buy a win.

NBA Preseason Rankings - Part 1 of 5

It's that time of year where everybody is releasing their NBA preseason rankings. I've never seen a preseason ranking that was indicative of how they rank at the end of the season, but I can assure you that my rankings will stay just about the same ALL year. That's because I'm ranking according to how much I respect them(1), or how little I respect them(30). In part 1 of 5, I'll rank teams 25-30.

25. Sacramento Kings- I don’t really have much against any of their players now that Vlade(the most notorious flopper to ever grace the hardwood floor) and crew have either retired or jumped ship, but those gold jerseys have to go. Ooh, those are hard on the eyes.

26. Indiana Pacers- The only arena in the NBA where fans AND players need to check in their weapons at the door. Ron Artest may be long gone, but Stephen Jackson is making sure that the “thug” banner is still being carried at Conseco Fieldhouse. Last week a handful of Pacers were at a night club when Jackson got in a fight and was hit by a car. Instead of taking his lickings, he pulled a gun out and fired three shots in the air. To add to the situation, marijuana was found in the car of point guard Jamaal Tinsley. He claimed it was his friend’s and was let off the hook. Right . . . Larry Bird has to do something to get this team under control. And he thought Artest was the problem . . .

27. Portland Trailblazers- Though they have cleaned up their act of late, the Trailblazers have been forever tarnished by Rasheed Wallace and Zach Randolph’s psychotic escapades. Growing up I used to call them the Jailblazers, I never thought that NBA players could go to jail. I also didn’t know that some of them pack their body’s weight of marijuana/cocaine in the trunk of their cars. What was that on Randolph’s nose the other day? He must have been eating powdered donuts before the game, which are excellent with milk.

28. Dallas Mavericks- Every generation needs its own version of ultimate fighting on the hard-court; ours comes in the form of a bunch of whiny, self-centered millionaires in Texas. A truly good matchup would be the Badboy Pistons of the 80s and early 90s and today’s Mavericks. A scene from Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy where two rival newscasting crews faceoff comes to mind. Tridents and hand grenades would litter the floor. Death everywhere. Here’s guessing that Jason Terry will punch someone below the belt this year like he did to Michael Finley of the Spurs in last year’s playoffs. That was low Jason, real low!

29. Detroit Pistons- The one melee that Ron Artest DIDN’T start! Anybody that watched the video of that game and was paying attention would have seen that Ben Wallace pushed Artest in the neck, which lead him to go sit on the scorers table. It was there that Ron Artest, calmest guy in the “Palace”, got hit by a cup of beer! BEER! If someone hits me with beer I’m running up into the stands and beating that fool with his own shoe! The only good thing is that at least ¼ of Detroit’s fans can sympathize with the Pacers that got probation. The only reason these guys aren’t #30 is because Ben Wallace went to Chicago.

30. Los Angeles Lakers- Did you hear that Kobe scored 81 points last year? Yeah, who cares, he’s an adulterer. How many shots did he take in that game? Again, don’t care, but he epitomizes everything that’s wrong with the NBA. He’s immoral, selfish, cocky, and unwilling to accept responsibility for his own actions. He deserved to be pulled from Nike ads, but not to be put back in. Kobe can buy his wife’s love, but he will never buy mine. Did I mention I’m not a big fan of Magic either? Oh, and what’s with Kobe wearing elbow pads on his shins? I guess some people just aren’t cut out for college.

Referees Don't Win and Lose Games

What happened last month (September '06) at the Oregon-Oklahoma football game and the after effects have proven what a lot of people have thought for a long time. Yup, the University of Oklahoma, its President, its coach, and its players are all a bunch of crybaby sore losers! As if no other team has ever been slighted and the result of a game changed by a call made by an official. In last month’s game, Oregon attempted an onside kick being down by a score in the fourth quarter and recovered it. In a replay, there was video evidence that an Oregon player touched the football before traveling the minimum 10 yards from the initial spot where players on the kicking team are eligible to touch the football. However; officials did not overturn the call and Oregon retained possession of the football. Oregon needed a touchdown to win the football game, and had appeared to be stopped by Oklahoma’s defense when a flag was thrown for pass interference. By NCAA football rules, if a ball is tipped at any point from the quarterback to the receiver, no pass interference can be called. In replays, it appeared that the ball was tipped, but the officials stuck with the call on the field and Oregon retained possession of the ball. A few plays after that, Oregon scored a touchdown and ended up winning the game. Oklahoma is petitioning that the game’s result be thrown out of the record books. And you wonder why I am calling them crybaby sore losers? As mentioned above, there have been countless other games that have had the results “changed” from a call an official made. What makes Oklahoma so special? Did they actually think that they could contend for a National Title this year? Okay, we all know that who goes to what bowl at the end of the year is all about politics and that the people that decide who they want to go to their bowl will not count one of Oklahoma’s losses, so what’s the problem Oklahoma? Just be good Boomer Sooners and realize that the world is not going to end because of last week’s game. As I recall, a few years ago Oklahoma was on the other side of this same situation, only in basketball. With only seconds left in a game against Texas Tech, Oklahoma inbounded the ball and went down the court to tie the game with a last second shot. The only problem was that the shot was after the clock expired AND the clock operator “forgot” to start the clock when it was inbounded. Let’s throw that game out too! Let’s go back further to 1997 and the NBA Finals, Jazz vs. Michael Jordan, I mean, the Bulls. It was game 6 in Utah. The game came down to Michael Jordan pushing off on Bryon Russell (an offensive foul not called by the official) and making a shot that won the game. However, there were two key calls that the officials missed that would have given the Jazz 6 points, leaving Jordan no opportunity to make a game winning shot. The first instance was in the first half when Ron Harper of the Bulls made a three-point shot AFTER the shot clock expired and the officials counted it. The second instance was in the second half when Howard Eisley of the Jazz made a three-point shot BEFORE the shot clock and the officials did not count it. So you see, this is nothing new. Oklahoma is just the first to make such a stink over it. And yes, those officials in the Bulls/Jazz game were suspended by the league, and even a couple were fired. There is however one huge, glaring problem that I cannot escape in all of these before-mentioned instances. That problem is that the officials may have influenced the game, but in the end, Oklahoma allowed Oregon to make that touchdown. Oklahoma could have scored points earlier so they wouldn’t have even been in the situation they were. The same goes for Texas Tech. I'm still convinced the deal with Michael Jordan and the Jazz was a conspiracy........but, I guess the same could go for the Jazz as well, as sad as it may sound to all of you Karl Malone and John Stockton fans. Officials will always be variables in games and it is up to the teams to either beat the officials (not in a literal sense, although sometimes we wish they would), or let the officials beat them.

Kenny Rogers Didn't "Cheat"

In game 2 of the 2006 World Series, Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers was accused of cheating. No, he wasn't behind the scoreboard adding runs to the Tigers score when nobody was looking. Yes, he did have some kind of substance on his hand that was affecting the balls he was pitching. Kenny was approached by the umpire after the first inning about the substance, which he claimed was dirt. Pitchers in the past have been known to cheat in a similar manner by putting pine tar in their palm and rubbing it on the ball before it is pitched to put an added spin an weight on the ball, making it more difficult to hit. In the case of Kenny Rogers, do you really think that if he did have something other than dirt on his hand that the umpire wouldn't have noticed, and secondly, that the umpire wouldn't have kicked him out of the game? A few years ago when Sammy Sosa broke his corked bat, did the umpire shake his finger at Sammy and say, "Oh Sammy, you're such a trickster."? NO! He was kicked out of the game and suspended. At an event as large as the World Series, Kenny Rogers would have been kicked out and suspended had he in fact cheated. Think about it.......