Weekend Thoughts – 05/21/2012

NBA

-I predicted Wade would go for 30 in Game 4. Sure, after the first couple periods, I started to doubt myself. But Wade is too good to go out like this. The Heat need him to be the real Dwayne Wade if they’re going to beat this deep Pacers team. And with the series tied at 2, the Heat should be able to close the series out without Bosh. They’ll definitely need him against the winner of the Celtics/Sixers series.

-The Sixers comeback victory over the Celtics was insane. They were completely ineffective in the first half, but somehow managed to beat a Celtics team that has been playing its best basketball in a while. Still, I think this will wake them up and the Celtics will eventually win the series.

-The Spurs look like a basketball machine. Right now, they’re the best team in the NBA. Sweeping the Clippers will give them enough rest to keep up with the Thunder. Yes, that’s right, you heard it – the Thunder will beat the Lakers. (Not much going out on a limb on a 3-1 series, but I predicted this before.)

MLB

-I just can’t watch the Yankees anymore. They simply just have to be better; I don’t want to hear any excuses about injuries because it’s all a part of the game. They don’t hit. They don’t play good defense. Their rotation is underperforming. Their bullpen is struggling. Sure, losing Mariano and Robertson hurts. But a large part of the team seems to be slumping all at the same time. They didn’t take advantage and put a big gap between themselves and Boston while they were struggling. This will come back to bit them.

-How long can the Orioles and Nationals keep this up? Just… doesn’t seem… right.

-Justin Verlander almost pitched a no-hitter. This season has just been wild so far.

NHL

-The Kings finally lost a game! Before that loss, it looked like the Rangers and Devils would just be playing for 2^nd place. Nice to know they’re actually beatable…

-The Rangers are such a fundamentally sound team. Tortorella really has this team coached well. Lundqvist has been an absolute wall out there. The Devils had several chances in Game 3, but he was absolutely stellar. Brodeur was great the first 2 periods, but he continued to give up head-scratchers. Hopefully, the Devils will bounce back and take the series. It’s still anyone’s series. Let’s go Devils!

Posted 1 week ago | Comments (View)

Weekend Thoughts – 05/14/2012

Sorry, this one’s a bit late because I was away for the weekend. I still got to watch some basketball, but not much of anything else. Crazy weekend, but now back to work…

NBA

-I was very surprised to see the Grizzlies take the Clips to Game 7. The Grizzlies are a pretty good team, but I feel like the Clippers were supposed to be a better team. This  is not a good sign for them, with the Spurs coming up and coming off one of their better seasons. I think the Grizzlies big men are better than the Spurs, but the Grizzlies don’t have Manu, Parker, and Duncan. Their playoff experience will definitely help them take down the Clips in this series, if the Clippers can’t get their act together.

-OKC dismantled the Lakers. They exploited the heck out of the Lakers’ defensive weakness - and they’re probably one of the better teams with weapons to do so effectively. I don’t think they’ll sweep, but it shouldn’t go to 6 or 7 games. Unless there’s another Metta World Elbow.

-I originally expected the Hawks to beat the Celtics, and they definitely showed some flash. But in the end, the Celtics’ experience and talent overwhelmed the Hawks. Josh Smith being Josh Smith really hurt the Hawks offensively. I see something similar with the 76ers, but the 76ers are really clicking (like they did in the beginning of the season). If they can stay hot, the Celtics are in trouble. Otherwise, the poise and experience of KG, Pierce, Ray Allen and Rondo will prove to be too much for the 76ers.

-I expect the Heat to beat the Pacers without much trouble, even without Bosh. They just have to adjust and execute down the stretch. Even though the series is tied at 1 going back to Indy, I don’t think LeBron will let up. He’s a man on a mission this year. And Wade will do anything to win. Even if it involves taking a back seat to LeBron.

MLB

-The Yankees are in trouble without Robertson. I think Soriano should have been the pick to close (only because Robertson was so lights out in the setup role) and I think he’ll do fine, but the bullpen has really thinned out due to injuries. They better hope starting pitching picks it up so they can keep some of these starters as relievers.

-Josh Hamilton has engaged beast mode. If Texas doesn’t lock him up to a long-term deal, it will come back to haunt them.

-This whole Clemens trial is absolute crap. Should the government really be spending all this money prosecuting a guy who played sports for a living? Not only that, they investigators are really making themselves look bad against these high-priced attorneys. I think they’ve made their point already. Move on and let the guy go.

NHL

-Man, the Kings look really sharp. I’d be surprised if they didn’t win the Cup this year. They’ve breezed through the playoffs and are really clicking.

-I’d really like the Devils to win it all (probably because I’m a Devils fan). I think the only real shot they have of retaining Parise after this season is if they win it all. If they do happen to win the Cup (and that’s a huge if), I hope it’s Brodeur’s swan song. He’s had a Hall of Fame career and pretty much holds all the records. He’s put himself in a similar category of Mariano Rivera and Jerry Rice - the greatest at their position. It’d be horrible for him to keep on playing if his skills deteriorate any more.

Posted 2 weeks ago | Comments (View)

Weekend Thoughts – 05/07/2012

NBA

-I can’t help, but think that the Heat just really didn’t care about Game 4 and wanted to bring it back to Miami for a win at home. The Knicks just can’t compete with the Heat and it’s shown all series. Definitely cannot compete with them without Iman Shumpert and without a decent point guard. I just don’t see why Mike Woodson is so against playing Toney Douglas. Mike Bibby looks like a corpse out there, offensively and defensively. Douglas can’t be worse than that, can he?

-The 76ers seem to have a stranglehold on the series. I can’t see the Bulls coming back and winning 3 in a row. The 6ers look like the team they were at the beginning of the season and the Bulls definitely need Derrick Rose. The loss of Joakim Noah really hurts them too.

-The Thunder look unstoppable. At least in the West. They just plowed right through the Mavericks. I love the way Serge Ibaka plays, and they just have too many scorers. Sweeping the Mavs will give time for Kendrick Perkins to be healthy, which is important for the Thunder.

-Based on playing styles and this year’s production, this would be my choice for the Men’s Olympic Basketball team: Guards: Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen; Forwards: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Serge Ibaka; Center: Andrew Bynum, Tyson Chandler. Left off this list, but should be mentioned: Dwight Howard (injury), Derrick Rose (injury), Blake Griffin (I just feel the other players mesh better together), Carmelo Anthony (his defense isn’t at the level where you want it to be), and Russell Westbrook (there are enough scorers on the team, we need a pass-first point guard like Rondo instead).

NHL

-The playoffs has been insanely competitive this year. Many of the games were decided by a goal, and many went to overtime. It’s really starting to pique my interest again, after losing it with the lockout. This is great for the sport and I hope they keep it up.

-The officiating has been horrible though. A lot of botched or missed calls. Many of which played a significant role in the result of the game.

NFL

-I like the power play by Roger Goodell, suspending 3 players for significant time. It certainly sends a strong message. Of course, the NFLPA is appealing and will probably reduce the suspensions. But I think the players who were suspended definitely deserve what they got.

-Regarding the whole bounty system – sure, if you look at the data empirically, you will see that the bounty didn’t really affect anything. But the idea behind the bounty system is similar to hiring hitmen. It is just wrong and football is NOT about injuring other people. If you have that intent, you should not be playing in the NFL.

MLB

-The loss of Mariano Rivera will be tough for the Yankees. The bullpen is the one strength of the Yankees. In a year where their offense has been struggling (at least recently) and their rotation is subpar, the cominbation of Robertson, Rivera and Soriano composed one of the best bullpens in the majors. Without Rivera, Robertson is the heir to the closer’s role while Soriano is the 8^th inning guy, a role he’s struggled with.

-2 no-hitters (one of them being a perfect game) and it’s only early May. Pitching has been dominant so far. And a bunch of dominant hitters are struggling, like Albert Pujols and Robinson Cano. Interesting year so far.

Posted 3 weeks ago | Comments (View)

Weekend Thoughts – 04/30/2012

I was bored and a lot of stuff happened this past week in the sports world, so I decided to come up with a weekly update… like a weekly column. Hopefully I will decide to keep up with this.

NBA

-I watched part of the Heat and Knicks game – boy, was I frustrated. The Knicks could not take care of the ball at all and Carmelo Anthony’s shots just weren’t falling. The Knicks were obviously outmatched, but to make matters worse, they’ve lost Iman Shumpert for the rest of the season. Getting Jeremy Lin back will not save them. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Knicks got swept again… actually, I’m expecting it.

-Andrew Bynum had a monster game against the Nuggets, blocking 10 shots. The Lakers were just dominant defensively. Looks like losing Metta World War won’t hurt them in the post-season. They should get him back in time for the second round.

-The Bulls lost Derrick Rose to a torn ACL. I still think the Bulls are good enough to advance to the Conference Finals because their team has been winning without Rose all season. They’re a deep and a team that’s fundamentally sound. Unfortunately, that won’t matter much in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat.

-The Bobcats were horrible this season. It just doesn’t seem like Michael Jordan really cares about this team. What’s going on? Oh, and the talk that Kentucky might be good enough to beat the Bobcats should really stop. NBA players are the cream of the crop of the NCAA players (and/or international). And also, I watched Kentucky play, and I wasn’t that impressed.

-Here are my predictions for the Playoffs.

East: Bulls over 76ers in 5. Heat over Knicks in 4. Pacers over Magic in 4. Hawks over Celtics in 6.

Bulls over Pacers in 5. Heat over Hawks in 4.

Heat over Bulls in 6.

West: Spurs over Jazz in 5. Thunder over Mavs in 6. Lakers over Nuggets in 4. Clippers over Grizzlies in 6.

Thunder over Spurs in 6. Lakers over Clippers in 6.

Thunder over Lakers in 6.

Finals: Heat over Thunder in 7.

NFL Draft

The Draft was full of surprises. Lots of trades – teams moving up and down and all around. Here are some of my thoughts:

-I’m undecided on the 49ers draft thus far. It’s way too early to assess their draft, but if I HAD to give them a grade, I’d probably give them a C+ or B-. They stockpiled picks for next year, but everything is for later in the draft. In the first round, they picked up a receiver they really liked, but was probably a 2^nd round receiver. But who knows… someone else might have taken him if they didn’t grab him right away. They also reached for LaMichael James, at a position they were stacked at. But he’s an explosive player with promise and could make their team more dangerous. I liked that they got good value Joe Looney. I’m worried about the top of their draft, but the end of the draft ended pretty nicely.

-The Patriots flipped the script this year and traded up, rather than down. They really improved their defense.

-Packers too – most of the players picked were defensive players for them and the Patriots.

-Whoever played the joke on Mohamed Sanu is an absolute dick. I hope that person gets what’s coming to them. Karma’s a bitch. Props to Sanu for handling it like a professional. I think the Bengals got great value for him in the 3^rd round. I thought the Jets or Eagles would have picked him up in the 2^nd, but Stephen Hill was still available. Which brings me to my next point.

-Great pickup by the Jets in grabbing Stephen Hill. I think they made the right choice in the first round and they got pretty good value in Hill. If Hill can improve his route running, he can be Megatron-lite. Maybe we can call him Decepticon. Too bad they don’t have a QB that can hit him.

-Michael Floyd to the Cardinals will be dangerous. If he turns out to be a decent receiver, Kevin Kolb has some dangerous weapons. They just need an offensive line now.

-The Steelers probably had the best draft.

-Eagles, Redskins and Seahawks all made surprising backup QB pickups. They must be grooming back-ups so that they can trade them later on (a la Kevin Kolb, Matt Schaub, and Matt Flynn). Interesting to see if it works out for them.

-Jaguars picked up a punter in the 3^rd round, which was a shocker. Normally, punters don’t go that high. He better have an Andy Lee or Shane Lechler-type season or else the Jags will be ridiculed more than they already are. They definitely could have used that pick for some more offensive line help.

MLB

It’s too early in the season for me to really care about wins and losses so far. Still, here are some thoughts:

-It is surprising to see how much Albert Pujols has struggled thus far.

-Roy Halladay, as usual, is a beast.

-The Yanks definitely didn’t get good value for Jesus Montero. Starting pitching was supposed to be a strength for them this season… pre-season projections really don’t mean anything.

-A lot of surprising teams so far… The Nationals top my list. The Orioles are also very good. The Mets are definitely a pleasant surprise. The Cardinals were good to begin with, but I didn’t think they’d be this good. Same can be said for the Dodgers… looks like new ownership provided some “magic”.

-The Marlins are surprisingly bad. As are the Angels. And it’s always fun to see Boston wallow in mediocrity. But I guess the Yankees aren’t that much better right now.

-Matt Kemp and Josh Hamilton are certainly Triple Crown threats.

-Derek Jeter has found the Fountain of Youth.

-If the Nationals continue this hot streak and they make the playoffs, will they shut down Stephen Strasburg even if he past his innings limit?

-Phil Humber – perfect game. It’s been a long journey, but he’s certainly one of the better pitchers this year.

NHL

-So happy the Devils advanced. But I think they shoulda took Game 1 in Philly. I don’t like the way Round 2 is going.

-So happy the Bruins were knocked off. Take that, Boston!

Okay, so this was longer that anticipated. But this was my first post and there was a lot to discuss!

Posted 1 month ago | Comments (View)

Why the 49ers NEED to Sign Peyton Manning

No matter what you think about Peyton Manning, you have to admit he is a superstar. With the exception of a few (Patriots, Packers, Giants, Saints, and maybe Steelers), every team would benefit by signing him. Sure, you might argue that the Texans don’t need him because Matt Schaub is a great QB, but you can’t tell me that Manning throwing to the Texans’ receivers isn’t an instant Super Bowl team. Manning instantly makes most teams better. And this is why the 49ers absolutely need to sign Peyton Manning.

If you consider the 49ers team, you can’t argue that the weak points are on the offensive side of the ball. The 49ers defense was elite and among the top in the league. They have a strong front seven and their corners and safeties were great. The special teams was excellent (with the exception of the NFC Championship game). The running game was okay; it wasn’t great, but it isn’t the weak point of the team. The ground game’s struggles were due to a weak passing attack; teams would defend the run and dare the 49ers to throw on them. And some games, the 49ers were able to do so. Some games, they weren’t. It’s pretty safe to say that an improved passing game will open things up for Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.

So what was wrong with the passing game? Quite simply… almost everything. Not all of the blame can be placed on Alex Smith’s shoulders. He had an excellent season and did everything he was asked to do and more. The offensive line was absolutely porous at the beginning of the season, but started to gel towards the end. The receivers were sub-par though. There was no clear number one receiver and the main weapon was obviously Vernon Davis. The receiving corps totalled one catch in the NFC Championship. They just weren’t able to get open. That is absolutely unacceptable.

So this brings us to a chicken and the egg conundrum… do the receivers make the QB or does the QB make the receiver? Well, the answer is a little bit of both. As you could see with the Cardinals in the past two years, Larry Fitzgerald (arguably the best receiver in the league today) was able to put up good numbers no matter who was throwing to him. The same can be said for most other elite receivers, like Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson. Outside of the truly elite receivers, it seems the QB makes the receiver. There is a saying – a great receiver is always open. Even if there is only a small opening, an elite QB will always get his receiver the ball. This is a big difference between Peyton Manning and Alex Smith. With Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and whoever the 49ers acquire in the offseason, Manning should make those targets into absolute weapons.

Of course, that isn’t the only thing that Peyton does better than most other QBs. He’s able to read defenses very well and get the ball out very quickly. This is one of the things that makes him a truly dangerous quarterback. He will be able to control his offensive line and read defenses to avoid too much pressure. You can see the various adjustments he makes at the line of scrimmage and he rarely gets sacked. That is something that the struggling 49ers offensive line needs while they improve.

Manning’s ability is not limited to just his play. Manning can mentor Colin Kaepernick and Scott Tolzien during the next few years. Having two talented young quarterbacks learn from one of the best of all time could certainly propel them to the next level. Like Steve Young under Joe Montana, Tom Brady under Drew Bledsoe, or Aaron Rodgers under Brett Favre, one of those two promising quarterbacks could take over the reins when Manning slows down.

The 49ers are instantly a Super Bowl team with Manning. Even if they are not an elite offense with him, they will be, at the very least, a very good offense. Combine that with an elite defense and you have a team that can with multiple Super Bowls. A talented team that could help Peyton Manning win multiple championships would definitely be enticing to him. This is a potential dynasty in the making and the 49ers front office is making a huge mistake by not pursuing this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Posted 2 months ago | Comments (View)

Recap: Giants at 49ers (NFC Championship)

Disappointed. That would be my one-word open. That’s probably the best way to describe how I feel after Sunday evening’s game. Not disappointed in the season as a whole – the 49ers definitely did better than I expected coming in to the season. Not disappointed that we lost a game we had a very good chance to win, maybe something we should have won. Disappointed that we lost the way we did. The Giants are a good team (I’m not sure if they are the better team, but on Sunday night, they were). It’s a painful way to lose…

Some of my notes for this game:

·         Justin Smith was his usual self – an unstoppable monster. In a game with two great defensive lines, Smith stood out. He had 1 sack to go with his 7 tackles and made Eli Manning uncomfortable all game. Ray McDonald was also a beast, totalling 3 sacks. The defense played great; I felt they were the better defense on the field. They definitely have the best front 7 in the league.

·         The Giants d-line was also very good, sacking Alex Smith 3 times for a total of 18 yards. This is probably the best d-line in the league with Tuck, Osi, and JPP.

·         Eli didn’t have a great game, but he was still solid. The Giants run game was shut down, as expected, making them one-dimensional. It seemed Eli never had any time, but he didn’t make the bad decisions he used to be known for. With his ability to make big throws (and the willingness), his good decision making, and his pocket presence, he showed that he was an elite QB – in the same tier as Tom Brady.

·         The 49ers were horrible on 3^rd down. They only converted 1 the whole game. That’s Tim Tebow territory. It’s easy to blame Alex Smith, but I don’t think you can place the blame solely on his shoulders. The receiving corps he played with was probably one of the worst in the league – he didn’t have the luxury of Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz. He had to depend on Vernon Davis because his receivers totaled 1 catch between them. Sure, you can make the argument that the QB makes the receivers (case in point, Deion Branch, Wes Welker), but having a Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson certainly would have helped him.

·         Kyle Williams… I don’t even know what to say. It’s like nobody taught him the fundamentals of punt returning. Rule #1, if you’re not going to catch the ball, stay the hell away from the ball. Also, when the ball hit you in the knee, why did you try to play it off instead of trying to dive on the ball? Rule #2, secure the damn ball! If you were on the Giants, Tom Coughlin would have given you “the look.” The first mistake was horrible; if not for that, the 49ers could have won the game in regulation. Instead, the Giants had a short field and converted it into a score. But still, the 49ers were resilient and marched back and tied the game. The second was a dagger though… The 49ers definitely missed having Ted Ginn Jr.

·          The Ahmad Bradshaw non-fumble… I understand the ruling and this is definitely not the reason why the 49ers lost (though it may have been sealed the game for them). I think they should have given more time before calling the play dead; I didn’t even hear a whistle blowing it dead. Also, this play JUST happened in the Ravens – Patriots game, but without a fumble.

Posted 4 months ago | Comments (View)