It's not time to panic...yet.

Oh man, sweet mother of Jesus, the Celtics are 0-2. The sky is falling, woe is me, insert other ridiculous season ending statement here. Are you done? Take a deep breath and think about this logically. What you've seen in the first two games are the effects of the lockout and not having your leading scorer. You were expecting the season to be all sunshine and blow jobs?

The Celtics had a week of training camp, which mostly consisted of 8-9 people with small nagging injuries to some. The significance of this? THEY COULDN'T EVEN SCRIMMAGE!

The one thing you have seen with a Doc Rivers coached team the past 5 years was fundamental defensive basketball. There is a host of new players outside of 4 of the starters. Brandon Bass, Keyon Dooling, Chris Wilcox, E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson, Michael Pietrus and Sasha Pavlovic. (Unrelated side note Pavlovic just sounds like a slang term for the male genitalia. Think, "Get your Pavlovic off my table!" In which case I'd really like to have my Pavlovic in smaller doses please) What this all means is that these players have not yet learned Doc's defensive rotations which are still the best in the league.

Doc is a weapon for the Celtics that not many other teams can match. In the game against the Heat, he once again out-coached that Eddie Haskell-looking toad on the end of the Miami bench. It was almost as if these guys had never seen a zone before and that small defensive change allowed the Celtics to come back only to have a stake driven through their heart by a rookie, Norris Cole. Who by the way scares the ever-living piss out of me.

While Ray Allen and Rondo have both elevated their games in the first two matches, Pierce's absence was certainly felt on the floor. Rondo's shot which has certainly improved is not the dynamic presence that Pierce commands on the floor. You know what I'm talking about, the one-dribble into the lane, up-fake, then fade away. Yeah that one. The Celtics could have used a few of those in the first couple games.

A Few Things I've Noticed with the C's and Around the League

• If the Celtics "Championship window" is closed than the Lakers has been, shut, locked and cemented over. They are not good.


• The defending Champion Dallas Mavericks are not better than last year. Getting rid of their two best defensive players (Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler) on an already mediocre defensive team is really going to come back and bite them.


• The Clippers are going to tear up the league. Their starting 5 can match up with any in the NBA. I really like how they constructed their team. Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Caron Butler, Deandre Jordan and Chauncey Billups...that's a title-threat.


• Is there any chance that when Dick Bavetta is on the court that his cataracts don't get in the way of his job? The guy is pushing 112 years old and looks like The Cryptkeeper's father.


• Danny Ainge is actually really smart. If you've noticed that the Celtics roster is much smaller than year's past, you would be correct. Ainge realized that he didn't need to compete with the 7-foot triumvirate in Los Angeles. He needed to get smaller and more athletic and get more scoring to come out of the East. Chicago isn't that big, nor is Miami or New York. Ainge realized this and has been adjusting his roster accordingly. Bass is a more consistent offensive player than Glen Davis. Michael Pietrus is an above average 3-point shooter. JaJuan Johnson if he can get on the floor is a big man that spreads the floor with his 18-20 foot jumper. Bravo Danny.


• I am not at all worried about Orlando, am I crazy?


• Count me in on the Sacramento Kings moving to Seattle to re-start the SuperSonics franchise for the simple fact that the public could have Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton bobblehead night's at least once per year.

For the Celtics fan's pushing the panic buttons slowly remove your hand from said button and place it back in your pocket. Let's get Pierce back in the lineup and let's see what the record is after 15 games (roughly a quarter of the schedule) and then get back to me.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Yu Would Like To Play

The Texas Rangers delivered an early Christmas gift to their fan base, they hope, by winning the Yu Darvish sweepstakes with a record bid of $51.7 million. That’s $51.7 million just to hold a formal conversation with the young Japanese phenom not including the $50-60 million it’ll take to actually get him to pitch in Arlington. If you’re a Red Sox fan you’re probably holding back laughter and pointing your finger at the Rangers front office and thinking to yourself, “nice job Texas you just won the rights to the next Daisuke Matsuzaka.” I personally though am all in on the Whirling Darvish. I think he would’ve been money well spent for the Red Sox and believe that as long as the price tag is south of $125 million the Rangers got a great deal. Allow me to explain why Darvish’s situation is the polar opposite of Matsuzaka’s.

In my eyes the major difference between the two pitchers is their personal backgrounds. Daisuke was and still is a hermit crab whereas Darvish is a peacock thirsting for the spotlight. Matsuzaka is Japanese to the core and spent his entire childhood and adult life in that culture with his trip to become a Red Sox his first foray outside his comfort zone. Darvish on the other hand is the product of an Iranian father and Japanese mother. His parents met at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida where his dad was a soccer player. His father went to high school in the United States as well and Darvish has made it known for years that he wants nothing more than to return to the land where his father went to high school and college to showcase his skills. He is also a national celebrity in Japan who is consistently seen enjoying the nightlife where Matsuzaka was a celebrity in his own right but didn’t allow his personal life into the media like Darvish does. Darvish wants to be the main attraction of the island nation. Yu Darvish isn’t only the best pitcher in the Japan Professional Leagues he’s the nations number one celebrity having achieved cult status at the ripe age of 21. The advantage in preparation for making the move from Japan to America goes to Yu Darvish.

Next lets break down Daisuke’s career in Japan with Yu’s. Daisuke spent 8 years in the NPB compiling a 108-60 record with a 2.95 ERA and 1,355 K’s. Over 7 years in the NPB Yu has compiled a 93-38 record with a 1.99 ERA and 1,259 K’s. They both won one Elji Sawamura Award as the best pitcher in Japan and two ERA titles and we’re selected to 5+ NPB All-Star Games but the difference is Darvish’s 2 Pacific League MVP Awards.  It shows just how much he means to his team that he has won 2 MVP’s over 7 years. Matsuzaka was a great pitcher in his own right but Darvish is on another level. They have both been the dominant and featured starting pitcher in Japan during their time in the NPB and we’re both the #1 pick coming out of high school. Their careers and numbers are nearly parallel though Darvish has had an ERA under 2.00 in the past 5 years with his 2011 season being the lowest at 1.44. For all the time Daisuke spent as the best kept secret in Japan, Darvish spent just as much time being the best pitcher in Japan and letting everyone know it. 

Each has an arsenal of pitches that are quite different though everything we know about Darvish’s pitch arsenal is heresay much like Matsuzaka’s was before he arrived in the Western World. Matsuzaka throws a fastball in the 90-92 MPH range, a slider/cutter in the mid-80s a changeup in the high 70s-80 range and a slow curve. There has been no gyro ball as was widely rumored but only a change up with fade into a right handed hitter. Yu throws a little harder fastball in the 92-95 MPH range, a hard slider around 80, and then an array of secondary pitches: cutter, curveball, changeup, and two seam fastball. Again most of those secondary pitches are hereseay and we’ll found out what he can really throw effectively when he gets to America. Physically Matsuzaka stands 6’0 tall and weighs 185 lbs. Yu towers over Daisuke standing at 6’5” and weighing in at 220 lbs. Physically Yu is built to succeed in the MLB’s 5-man rotation much more than Daisuke ever was. Daisuke was built for a 6 man rotation that tailored to his throwing routine, which consists of lots and lots of long toss, something that isn’t done but once every few days in America. Again I would personally favor Yu’s physical gifts more than Daisuke’s so I’ll give him the edge here too.

Now the final reason that I love the Darvish signing for the Rangers if they can finalize it: the market he’ll be playing in. Daisuke was thrust immediately into one of the two hardest markets, with New York being the other, in all of baseball to succeed in and asked to be an ace. He pitched quite well in his first two years going over 200 innings and 200 K’s in his first year and then racking up 18 wins with a 2.90 ERA. The past three years however have been wasted years watching his ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 skyrocket while his wins and IP have been on the decline. In true Boston fashion with each performance the expectations have been elevated leaving Matsuzaka virtually no chance of succeeding from here on out. In Texas, Darvish won’t be faced with nearly the same challenges from a media standpoint. He’ll also be helped out by the fact he’s joining an organization with the beginnings of a long-term juggernaut already in place. On the field the Rangers have a strong, fairly young starting 9 highlighted by 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton and perennial all-star 2B Ian Kinsler. The pitching staff is also strength for the Rangers even with the loss of SP C.J. Wilson. He’s being replaced in the rotation by former closer and relative flamethrower Neftali Feliz, who the Rangers are able to move due to the acquisition of rock steady CP Joe Nathan. The Rangers are coming off back-to-back AL Championships and World Series defeats. There isn’t the same amount of pressure on Darvish to be an ace like there was on Daisuke to be a savior in Boston. Darvish can come in and be a 3^rd starter on this team while he acclimates to his new surroundings and then in due time grow into the ace I think he can be.

My final analysis of the potential signing of Yu Darvish by the Rangers is that comparing it the Red Sox missteps with Daisuke Matsuzaka is like comparing Love Actually to Wedding Crashers. The two moves are/were done in completely different circumstances with different expectations in place. The Red Sox looked at Daisuke as a chance to crack the Japanese market wide open for themselves whereas the Rangers are looking at Darvish as a baseball player more than a global icon. From a baseball standpoint I also think that Darvish has a higher ceiling and, this is biased since I now know that Daisuke isn’t going to live up to the hype he came over with, is has a greater chance of reaching that potential. Darvish’s size and pedigree are going to be advantages for him during what is a major upheaval from the island of Japan to the great United States of America. In the end if the Rangers are able to sign Darvish to a 5 or 6-year deal for under $70 million dollars I think they’ve done a good job. That’s a guaranteed 5 or 6 years with 3 or 4 of those years being that of an ace at a well under market value contract. Can’t complain there if you’re the Rangers front office. Go sign Darvish, Jon Daniels and reap the benefits down the road. The Rangers are here to stay for a while. Until we cross paths again.

Geoff Jablonski

Entering the Dragon...

Alas, the National Basketball Season is over the horizon. Finally. I just want to check in with a few thoughts on the aforementioned campaign while eagerly awaiting that 12 p.m. tip from Madison Square Garden tomorrow.

How do I feel about this year's incarnation of the Boston Celtics?

Let us be realistic for a moment. I love the Celtics. I want the Celtics to win the Lawrence Francis O'Brien Jr. trophy each and every year. Having said that, I do not think the Celtics have the legs to bring home the bacon this year. If titles were won on experience and leadership, the Celtics would be in the finals every year. This will be the ultimate test of wills this year. For example, the Green will be playing six games in the first nine days of the season, that stretch ending with three games in four days, from December 30-January 1.  Those first six games opponents?

December 25: New York Knicks @ MSG

December 27: Miami Heat @ South Beach

December 28: New Orleans Hornets @Bourbon Street

December 30: Detroit Pistons on Causeway

January 1: Washington Wizards @ The Capital

January 2: Washington Wizards on Causeway

That is a GRUELING stretch on the legs of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen. Jesus Henry Christ. Expect the Big Three to skip that first Washington game altogether, and play minimal minutes against the Hornets and the Wizards (game two). They are going to have to find it in them to gut out those two tests against the Knicks and Heat.

Brandon Bass is an upgrade over Glen Davis. I was never a fan of the Large Infant. Two years ago, I attended a Celtics-Cavaliers tilt with ZHawk, and I got into an argument with Balcony Gino about how much I hated Glen and thought that he should be run out of town.

Finally, he is gone. A short, fat power forward who can't rebound? Good riddance. Gimme some Bass! He'll be a good banger along with Chris Wilcox, and give the Celtics some strength in an area where they are at least semi-soft.

Keyon Dooling is maybe the sixth or seventh best player on the Celtics this year. That is not a sentence I thought I would be uttering prior to this season.

Marquis Daniels will be the X-Factor coming off the bench this year. He will get at least 75% of the minutes that Paul Pierce leaves aside for rest days. Who knew that he would be not only back in Boston, but even playing basketball, much less walking, after that scary spinal injury last year.

JaJuan Johnson will take time to develop. Working under Garnett and (mayyyyyyyyyyybe) Jermaine O'Neal for a year will definitely help.

E'Twaun Moore and Avery Bradley will get minutes this year. I like Moore. Still need to see something from Bradley.

Lord help us if Sasha Pavlovic sees meaningful minutes.

On to the next one...

*I am increasingly excited for the Lob Angeles Clippers this year. There is a new sheriff in town out in Hollywood. That team is going to set the record for SportsCenter Top Ten spots this year.

*Chauncey Billups has got to be the most well-traveled good player in NBA history. His career stops include: Boston, Toronto, Denver, Orlando (where he never played a game), Minnesota, Detroit, Denver again, New York, and Los Angeles. He has played in eight cities. Holy hell.

*One last thought on Lob City: Thank god no one decided to use a variation of the ill-contrived Miami Heat Welcome Video.

*Mark Jackson's "Hand down, Man down" Warriors will probably suck this year.

*The true test that this season will have? The marriage of Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian. Will they stay together? Does E! have the finances for "The Kardashians Do Dallas"? There's no way she moves to Dallas right?

*I am so glad America gets to watch the Mavericks receive their rings in front of the Miami Heat on Christmas.

*I know this question has been mused several hundreds of thousands of times already, but why did Kobe decide to rock the same infidelity goatee as Tiger Woods?

*Speaking of the Mamba, you know you are one hell of a player when you have Jon Barry scoffing at the fact that you ONLY scored 23 points per game in the NBA playoffs last year.

*Ron Artest has got to be the first person in NBA history to go from the top of a team's roster page to the bottom of that same roster (Artest to World Peace).

*A last thought on the Lakers: They might have the build of an awful team this year. Their roster other than Kobe? Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, Andrew Bynum, Derrick Caracter, Devin Ebanks, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, Andrew Goudelock, Jason Kapono, Ater Majok, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Luke Walton, and Metta World Peace (Ron Artest). That's not a terrible team, but it also isn't eye opening by any stretch of the imagination.

*Next year the Brooklyn Nets will be interesting, but will they get Howard as the new face of their franchise? If they don't, Deron Williams is gone too.

*After the Knicks smooth idea of thinking they could trade for Chris Paul (WHO would they give up?), they have no backcourt. The Baron Davis signing helps a little, but not enough to make this team competitive. Oh, sure, let's pick up Chauncey's option then amnesty him. Sounds like a plan. How long before Mike D'Antoni is fired?

*As Bill Simmons has pondered before, Westbrook and Durant is the epitome of a real life Avon Barksdale/Stringer Bell scenario. Who is the best player on that team? Everyone will tell you Durant, but what about Russ West? Where's his love? Come on, man. It's getting close to being time for the Thunder to have to choose one or the other.

*"I ain't no suit wearin' bidnessman like you, I'm just a gangsta I suppose. And I want my corners" describes both of those relationships perfectly. Yin and Yang. Oil and Water. They work because they are so different. But who is the more effective to his operation?

*The Maloof Brothers need to sell. The Kings need to move to Seattle (not Anaheim), and build their own fresh brand as the new SuperSonics.

*Speaking of the Sonics, any franchise that has won an NBA title should not be allowed to move. Plus they have this:

I don't know. Might be the time I wrote this that caused me to run out of gas, but I'm exhausted. That's all I've got for you for now.

R-O-C-K in the U-S-A

JLang

The Green Blueprint for Success

Seems like ages since the last time I waxed poetic to you all but with the commencement of the NBA season upon us, I thought it appropriate that I give you my Celtics blueprint for success.

For me this season is about 2 people: Rajon Rondo and Doc Rivers.

The Rondo Effect

Rondo is an electric player when he attacks the basket, partly because that is the only real way he can score, but he has proven time and time again to be a mental midget.

After his BFF (Best Friend Forever) was traded last year he went into such a funk it was hard not to see that he was sulking because he was lonely. Then his "game" was criticized by Barrack Obama (not only do we need to listen to his foreign policies, but his vast basketball knowledge *puke*). Players on his own team came out and said that negatively affected him throughout the rest of the season.

This past abridged off season Rondo had his name swirling about in trade rumors galore so it brings up one question: Is he man enough to deal with the business of basketball and how can he rebound from it?

The Celtics only real youthful impact player is Rondo so his legs are going to have to carry much of the burden of this veteran-laden team.

Rondo has made a habit of playing better against the point guards that are supposedly better than him. So hopefully he takes the trade rumors as motivation to prove all of his doubters wrong. And for the record, Chris Paul is in another class, balky knees or not, than Rajon Rondo, it's not close either.

This could be the single most difficult season Doc Rivers has to coach. He has to monitor Pierce, Garnett and Allen's minutes, while putting a couple of rookies into the rotation, with no secondary offensive play maker after his starting five is out. The Jeff Green development is a tragedy for the Celtics, but a godsend for Jeff Green the man, us here at VFC wish you a speedy recovery, but his void will be felt when the second unit is on to give the starters a blow.

Brandon Bass is a definite upgrade over Glen Davis, but can Brandon Bass be a player that can take the reigns and create his own offense, ala Paul Pierce-lite? I'm not so sure.

Doc has said that this season is "the" season. There is a very small window and a lot of things are going to have to go VERY right for the Celtics for them to sniff the Conference Finals let alone the NBA Finals.

My one suggestion for Doc would be, do not go balls to the wall for the first seed in the playoffs. The schedule certainly doesn't do the Celtics any favors, and they should play out their string in such a way to be healthy come playoff time, rather than be banged up and go for the number 1 seed.

I for the most part live my life in the Ricky Bobby school of thought, "If you ain't first, you're last." Losing is not a word or act in my repertoire, but the Celtics need to be smarter than the rest of the teams this year. They should limit the minutes of the Big Three. 25-30 minutes per night, tops. 35 if there is an overtime. These guys are old, and if you want to have any sort of chance in the playoffs they need to have legs left to give in June and July. On the back-back-back nights, one of the Big Three will have to sit and if there are any other nights along the way that they need a blow Doc has to be judicious enough to know when to do it. If this means that the Celtics get in with a 6th seed then so be it. I'd rather be healthy without home court than banged up with it.

That means the rest of the team have to step up during the rest of the time. Fundamental, defensive basketball. Rondo is going to have to log big minutes, same with Bass and Daniels. Ja'Juan Johnson for me could be the linchpin to the entire season. Ja'Juan Johnson was a joy to watch in college and his ability to consistently hit the 18-20 footer for Purdue was part of what made them a powerhouse the last two years of his college career. If that jumper comes with him to the Pro's and he can be a slightly less demonstrative KG I sort of like where there bench sits, but time will tell.

Ultimately do I think the Celtics are putting up a banner? Nope. I think the "championship window" is now a championship mouse hole that is rapidly being sheet rocked over. If they are healthy and rested going into the playoffs I'll take them to win 2 series, if they aren't, mark them down for 1 series and then a second round exit.

Stay Tuned

Norton

The Trade Winds Are Howlin'

As the Angels and Marlins get markedly better the Red Sox made an uber-blockbuster for, wait for it, Nick Punto. Oh, not what you had in mind? Let's see what the trade market has brought us:

Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland

for

Mark Melancon

I honestly really like the trade for a few reasons:

1. You didn't give up anything. Jed Lowrie is not going to be a starting infielder for the Boston Red Sox unless an injury occurs, and going into 2012 he's blocked by Marco Scutaro and Jose Iglesias at shortstop and Kevin Youkilis at 3rd base. Kyle Weiland also does not figure into your immediate or long-term plans in the rotation, so you gave away a position player that is oft injured and sub-par defensively along with a player that is a 6-7th starter at best for your club for a guy that will immediately help you in the bullpen. Point for Cherrington.



2. You dealt from a surplus. When the Red Sox acquired Mike Aviles, that was essentially Lowrie insurance for the year. Aviles is superior to Lowrie defensively and is more durable. They were able to sell high on Lowrie to obtain a bullpen piece that the Red Sox badly needed. They still had Aviles and then shortly after the deal they signed Nick Punto.



3. Cost Control. Jed Lowrie will get a slight raise from his 450K salary last year so we'll call it 500K. Weiland is going to be at the league minimum ($414,500) with under a year's service time. Melancon is under team's control through 2016. You've got a power reliever under team control for the next 5 years. Win for the Red Sox.
   

This trade is actually a win-win for both clubs and all players involved despite me dragging Lowrie and Weiland through the mud. The Astros are looking for a starting shortstop in their rebuilding mode and intend on handing the reigns to Lowrie so he'll get one more shot to carve his career.

I'll admit I liked what I saw from Weiland who didn't actually pitch poorly when he was out there. He looked like a rookie, but his stuff was there, and I think he'll be a good major league pitcher. I'm glad he'll get a shot. Ultimately I think he'll be the better player of the two for the Astros in the deal.

Melancon is a solid arm in the bullpen. I do not however endorse him for the closer role. I would have no problem with him in the 7th inning maybe even the 8th. But the Red Sox need a closer. I would be ok with Ryan Madson on a 1-year deal with one of Boras's "pillow contracts". Also I think something they need to explore is a blockbuster with the Athletics.

The Red Sox not only need to obtain Andrew Bailey, they need to look into Gio Gonzalez in the deal as well.

Right now the Red Sox have 2 established starters, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. Clay Buchholz has never thrown more than 175 innings in any season, and in a relatively small sample size, has been injured in 2 out of the last 3 seasons and missed significant time. You are inserting Daniel Bard into the rotation, which I fully endorse, but anyone that thinks he's going to throw more than 150 innings is fooling yourself. You have two starters out with Tommy John. Breaking it into lamens terms: You need an arm.

A trade for Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey is going to hurt, moreso for Gonzalez because he's a young power lefty but it's worth it. There are going to have to be 2 marquee names in this deal at least.

Will Middlebrooks is going to have to be the centerpiece. It gives the A's their 3rd baseman of the future. The Red Sox have Youkilis for the year and they have to hope he stays healthy. David Wright and he both have club options and buyouts after the year so there are options for 2012 and forward for the Hot Corner in Boston.

Anthony Ranaudo is also going to be in the deal because the A's will need a pitcher to bolster their farm system, and potentially be an impact arm of the future.If they get Gonzalez, Ranaudo would be blocked by the time he's major league ready. So if you're getting a stud pitcher Ranaudo has to go in the deal, and that's fine.

Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish are other players that the A's may want in a deal. I would hope it's Reddick because I think Kalish could be a longterm solution but is he the second coming of Roberto Clemente? No. if he's the player holding up the deal, you grit your teeth and let it go.

Lars Anderson is a player that Billy Beane has been trying to pry away from the Red Sox in past deals and nothing has come to fruition. He has almost no value for the Red Sox with Gonzo at first base for the next 7 years, so he's a throw in.

The trade looks like this:

Will Middlebrooks, Anthony Ranaudo, Anderson, and Reddick/Kalish
for
Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey

If you want good players you have to give up good players in return. This would be a haul for the Athletics but it would set the Red Sox up for years to come with cost controlled players.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Chris Paul and the developing hostage situation in New Orleans

After today’s most recent Chris Paul to blank L.A. franchise deal was called off due to the NBA overstepping it’s boundaries again it’s become quite clear that in fact the NBA has no intention of Paul leaving N’Awlins and the Hornets any time soon.  The Chris Paul saga has heated up dramatically since the lockout ended on December 8, 2011 with Paul being linked to the Knicks, Clippers, and Lakers. Since the famous wedding toast of last summer when Chris Paul, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony decided they wanted to play together last summer rumors have been afloat that the three were going to meet up in New York and create a ‘Big 3’ to rival Miami’s trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. Everyone and their mother knows that Paul isn’t long for New Orleans and he won’t sign an extension with them beyond this year fully expecting to opt out after this year for greener pastures.

The acquisition of Paul had been the last piece of the trio for the Knicks after signing Stoudemire to a 5 year/$99.7 million deal and then trading all their worthwhile assets to the Rich n’ Creamies for Anthony at last year’s trade deadline. The unification of the three seemed all but inevitable until this summer’s NBA lockout and the new CBA that made it near impossible for the Knicks to acquire Paul unless he signs for one fewer year and about $40 million less than he can with his hometown Hornets or whatever team acquires him and has the cap space to spoil him. The Knicks don’t have the cap space to laud Paul in riches unless he takes $40 million less and the Knicks only roster 3 players. That meant the Knickerbockers were out of the running and it was now down to the two L.A. franchises and the Golden State Warriors to via for Paul’s services.

The race appeared over before last weekend when the Lakers struck a three-team deal with the Houston Rockets and Hornets to land the PG of their dreams: Chris Paul. The Lakers were to receive Paul, the Rockets would get C Pau Gasol, and the Hornets would receive the bounty of scorer Kevin Martin, versatile F Luis Scola, 2010-2011 Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom, young PG Goran Dragic and a 2012 first round pick. That doesn’t sound like a bad haul at all to me especially for a player who everyone knows is going to skip town next year when he can opt out his current deal but then the NBA stepped in and things went from crazy to ridiculous. Since last year when the NBA bought the Hornets from George Shinn the NBA has been in control of the franchise. This wasn’t a problem towards the end of last year when the Hornets made a few deadline deals but everyone knows its not good for anyone when the other 29 owners collectively own one team. That means that everyone gets a say in the day-to-day matters of this one team. All 29 owners have equal say in any move the Hornets make, which the league attempted to reconcile with by saying that GM Dell Demps had full power to make any basketball related move he felt was in the best interest of the team. A.k.a. trade Chris Paul for valuable longterm assets.

The main problem that none of the three teams involved in the trade foresaw was that the NBA knows it is going to have a harder time selling the money pit Hornets to a new owner without a star player like Chris Paul. Think about it if you’re a billionaire and you want to own your very own NBA franchise do you want to buy one that is devoid of a superstar or one with a marketable asset for the next 10 years in Chris Paul? Easy, you take the team with Paul on it. The NBA knows this and David Stern knows this that’s why he stepped in and did the unthinkable when the three-team blockbuster reached his desk: he vetoed it. He claimed it was for basketball reasons and indirectly cited the fact that the point of the lockout was to allow small market teams to offer more money to their stars and keep them from jumping ship a la LeChoke yet Paul has made it quite clear he has NO INTENTION of staying in New Orleans. Dell Demps knows this, as does every other GM in the league that’s why it was amazing that he was able to acquire three veteran starters and a young up and coming PG for a guy everyone knows is fleeing town after 66 games. Demps did what small franchises are supposed to do just look at the Oakland Athletics and their constant 5-year cycle. Small market teams grow talent on the cheap and once it becomes too expensive they sell it off for a new batch of young and cheap talent. Demps did this to the best of his abilities and then Stern and the NBA overstepped its boundaries and vetoed the trade.

The NBA not only screwed over Paul by forcing him to play in a city he wants nothing to do with and the Hornets who were going to be getting valuable assets in return for a man on his way out the door but the Houston Rockets were major collateral damage. The Rockets have been acquiring assets and shedding cap space for the past 3 years with a plan in mind. Acquire frontline talent at the F and C positions that can replace the retired Yao Ming and team with a good young backcourt and give them a vision for the future. Their plan was finally going to come to fruition with the acquisition of Gasol that would then allow them to sign free agent Nene to a big contract giving them a formidable frontcourt.  To create that cap space the Rockets needed to clear Scola and Martin off their payroll now they have been left with no ability to sign Nene, no Gasol, and an awkward situation with two of their better players who know they were traded and then got forced back to Houston. The Rockets are going to receive no compensation or even the courtesy of a reach around from the NBA after their plans were foiled in the NBA’s attempt to hold Paul hostage in New Orleans in an attempt to convince him to sign their long-term. That’s the best way to get him to stay of course in the NBA’s eyes. Basically break his will and eventually he’ll say yes to the money and sit in unhappiness for years.

I am by no means a Lakers fan I’m a Celtics fan and I would’ve hated nothing more than to see Paul teamed up with Kobe in L.A. but I know what is right and what is wrong. When a deal is agreed on and the pieces are finalized that’s the end of the story. It’s up to each individual team how they conduct their business and this case should be no different even though the NBA owns the Hornets. The other owners had no right to be crybabies and whine about this trade thus forcing it to be vetoed especially Dan Gilbert. He’s been crying ever since the day LeBron left his franchise a mess and he clearly doesn’t see it fit for anyone else to be able to field a winner or do business the way they want. He’s continuing to cry over spilt milk and wants everybody to know it. Yet I digress now where were we? Right, we were at the point when Paul got traded to the Lakers and then it got rescinded thus leaving him in New Orleans and the Lakers with two huge bruised egos to mend. But who cares about the Lakers let’s move onto today’s debacle by the NBA where the Clippers and Hornets agreed on a trade that would’ve netted the Hornets 3 potentially star assets and a great expiring contract to dangle to other teams only to be shot down by the NBA.

In today’s deal the Clippers agreed to send former all-star C Chris Kaman and his expiring contract, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, and either young stud Eric Gordon or Minnesota’s unprotected 2012 first round pick that appears to be destined for the top 3 (there had been no official word yet on which piece it was). A deal consisting of the three players and Minnesota’s 1^st round pick sounds like a damn good coup to me but again the NBA screwed it up by insisting the Clippers include both Gordon and the 1^st round draft pick. That’s 5 players, 4 with tremendous upside including the 2012 draft pick, all for 1 player with potentially faulty knees. If I were the Clippers I would’ve backed out too because it’s become quite obvious that the NBA and it’s other owners are content on sticking it to the Hornets and George Shinn for leaving them with a debt ridden franchise. The NBA pretends to be protecting the future of the Hornets when really all they are doing is forcing them to hang onto a player who will leave them with nothing much like James and Bosh did to the Cavs and Raptors, respectively. If the NBA truly wants to help the Hornets and the rest of it’s teams it’ll let them deal Paul to the Clippers for the previously AGREED upon package and watch as Paul and budding superstar Blake Griffin take the NBA by storm this year. A team with those two players playing in a big time market like Los Angeles would mean years of money and interest for the NBA yet they continue to shoot themselves in the foot after losing their casual fans to the NBA lockout. A team with Paul and Griffin would excite the casual fan and even draw in the passerby’s.

It’s obvious to me that the NBA needs to step aside give GM Dell Demps the power and abilities it claims he has to swing a deal involving Paul no matter where that destination happens to be. If David Stern really wants to act in the best interests of the Hornets and the city of New Orleans he’ll allow Paul to leave while his value is highest and the Hornets can get the most bang for their buck. If they wait until the February trade deadline and Paul isn’t performing up to snuff due to his happiness then once again the Hornets will be getting screwed with the Clippers and Lakers offers off the table. Nice work NBA Commisioner’s Office you’ve done it again by overstepping your boundaries and trying to bend and contort the already written rules. If the NBA has an ounce of sense left they’ll allow Paul to be traded to the Clippers and reap the benefits of the L.A. market have two marquee franchises. Until we cross paths again.

Geoff Jablonski

Say it Ain't So, Ryan

The Report

The world of professional baseball has been sullied once again by one of its superstars. Ryan Braun, The Hebrew Hammer, has tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. All the people that say, "wait till the appeal is over", are seriously kidding themselves. No one has ever had a PED appeal overturned and everyone has had to serve his respective suspension.

Braun was tested during the playoffs, and notified in late October of his failed test. He had the "highest results of any test ever taken for performance enhancing drugs. Twice the level of the highest test ever taken." This is according to Teri Thompson of the New York Daily News. For those that don't know exactly what the "levels" are it's testosterone. He tested for insanely high levels of testosterone which is something that is a byproduct of anabolic steroids.

Braun's camp is saying there are extenuating circumstances that will prove his innocence. I'll eat my words if this gets overturned, but a second test was done to make sure this wasn't a naturally created testosterone, and I'm sorry Ryan, you're guilty until proven innocent. The Associated Press has released the following about the second test:

"ESPN cited two sources Saturday in first reporting the result, saying Braun tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, adding that a later test by the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Montreal determined the testosterone was synthetic."

For anyone that doesn't know much about the testing, the carbon-isotope testing has a nearly 100% success rate and it is nearly impossible for the test to render a false positive.

An interesting twist from the above article by Teri Thompson was that Braun immediately took a second test upon getting news of his failing of the drug test which came back with normal levels of testosterone. To which Thompson went to Victor Conte (the founder of BALCO, the center of the steroids scandal in the 2000's) and he said:

“The second test probably means nothing, depending on the method of ingestion, whether it’s injected or taken orally, it could easily be out of the system.”

(Side note: if you have not read Game of Shadows, I would implore you to do so. Gives great insight into the effect steroids have had on the game and what they actually do to the human body.)

Impact on the game

This has tarnished his own legacy probably irreparably. But this has tarnished the game and The Game's efforts (however trite they are) at cleaning the game up, even more.

Bud Selig said, in 2009, "Our minor league testing program is in its ninth year, and that means all the great young players in baseball, from Ryan Howard to Ryan Braun, have all been tested for nine years".

Also in 2009, Ryan Braun came out to speak to MLB.com about Alex Rodriguez and his involvement with steroids. "The best thing he can do is come out, admit to everything and be completely honest. The situation will die a lot faster if he tells the whole truth." When asked if he has been tempted with steroids, his response: "I would never do it because if I took steroids I would hit 60-70 home runs." Ouch. Pretty damning conjecture my Hebrew homie.

With the more stringent testing structure in place players are looking at other players more harshly than they used to because a player that is using could potentially have been taking someones spot and therefore affecting their livelihood and ability to make more money. The stench of resentment could and probably will follow Braun around baseball much like it does with Alex Rodriguez, and that's awful especially when Braun doesn't give off the narcissistic persona.

To the notion that he should be stripped of the MVP, maybe had people have known they would have voted a different way but they went by the numbers and overall team performance and was voted the Most Valuable Player in the National League. Simple as that. Back in '96 after the late Ken Caminiti came clean about his rampant use of steroids he didn't get his plaque handed to the second-place finisher and neither will Braun.

My Synopsis

It breaks my heart as a baseball fan to see one of the supposed "good guys" of the sport have his name dragged through the mud, but it is of his own accord, and he must be responsible for what he has done if in fact he has done it.

This also shows me that the game is not clean, the players have just gotten smarter. It is in an athlete's DNA to find any competitive advantage available. Whether it's seeing that a pitcher opens his front shoulder when trying to throw a curveball or sticking a needle in your ass to turn that warning track fly out into a big fly, if it's available they will take advantage of it as long as they don't think they can get caught.

I understand the rationale that players want to get back on the field, honestly I do. And if MLB would make it legal to use in order to come back from injury, I honestly wouldn't hate the notion. But if it is in the rulebook that you shouldn't take PED's than you shouldn't take PED's, plain and simple.

Unless some strange scientific anomaly comes to fruition and his appeal gets upheld he is going to be gone for essentially two months and will probably end any illusions of grandeur that Brewers fans have going into next year. The Brewers are already primed to lose Prince Fielder and will start the season without Braun.

This team could be done before the season starts and Braun needs to live with the fact that, he, in a pure act of selfishness may have cost his team a chance at a playoff berth during one of his peak years. The one thing that could potentially save the Brewers is the fact that the Cardinals won't run away with the division in this, The Year Without a Pujols.

Sadly, another one bites the dust.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Fantasy Forum Week 14: Studs/Duds

For most of your leagues across the ESPN and Yahoo! Fantasy football platforms the playoffs begin this week if you were fortunate enough to get that far. For all of you in the playoffs good luck going forward and for those of you who playing in the consolation bracket well there’s always going to be next year. Without further adieu let’s move on to your week 14 studs and duds.

STUDS

Carson Palmer QB Oakland Raiders vs. the Green Bay Packers

Palmer has actually been a pretty good starting QB for the Raiders and fantasy owners alike since being inserted in week 9. He hasn’t scored below 10 points in the 5 games posting lines of 19, 15, 16, 10, and 16, respectively. The Packers score points in bunches and force other teams to throw. Luckily for their opponents their secondary hasn’t been all that solid this year and has been giving up yardage at a record pace, luckily for the Packers the Patriots pass defense has been even worse thus they aren’t last in the league. I see the Raiders getting down early and Palmer being forced to the air early and often. It’s not going to be pretty but he’ll put up over 300 yards and a few scores.

Stats: 326 yards, 3 TDs, 2 Ints

Chris Johnson RB Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints

After sucking thru the first 8 games of the year Johnson has turned it on the past 4 weeks, minus a 2 point performance against the stout Falcons run defense, scoring above 17 points 3 times. In those three games Johnson has gone for at least 130 yards with 3 scores total. He’s always a threat to catch a few passes out of the backfield and the Saints don’t do an overly good job of stopping the run. The key for Johnson is the Titans not being forced to the air too early for him to be able to find running lanes cause they’ll be there. I’m thinking that the Johnson from the past two weeks and last season is going to show up again in week 14.

Stats: 22 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD, 4 rec, 32 yards, 0 TD

Dez Bryant WR Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants 

The Cowboys have been taking to the air in the recent weeks with Bryant and Laurent Robinson being the main beneficiaries. Tony Romo has been throwing TD passes at a pretty good clip and Bryant’s reeled in at least 1 score in 3 of the last 4 games. This week I don’t see being any different when you look at the Giants 29^th ranking against the pass. Miles Austin is returning this weekend but I only see that helping Bryant get open. I expect to see Bryant dancing in the end zone.

Stats: 6 rec, 89 yards, 1 TD

DUDS

T.J. Yates QB Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

A rookie QB without his top WR against a top 5 defense? I’ll pass thank you very much. Yates scored in double digits last week, 10 points, but that was with Andre Johnson reeling in 4 catches for 97 yards before he was forced to exit the game after he hurt his hamstring. That hamstring is going to keep him out of this week’s matchup with the stingy Bengals defense leaving Yates to lean on TE Owen Daniels who’s been a no show all year and WR Jacoby Jones who can’t seem to grab onto the reigns as a number one wideout. The Texans are going to lean heavily on RB Arian Foster and keep the ball out of Yates hands. Sit him.

Stats: 159 yards, 1 TD, 2 Ints

Dwayne Bowe WR Kansas City Chiefs vs. New York Jets pass defense

Bowe hasn’t found the end zone in 7 straight games and he’s about to take a vacation on to Revis Island. Advantage: Revis and the Jets. Tyler Palko is also still going to be under center for the Chiefs after Kyle Orton hurt himself last week after 1 play last week against the Bears. That equals bad news for Bowe and the Chiefs. He’ll get targeted but I don’t see him reeling in too many of those targets and especially none in the red zone.

Stats: 4 rec, 45 yards, 0 TD

Pierre Garcon WR Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens

Garcon has had 3 huge games this year scoring over 24 points in each of them. The other 9 games he hasn’t been able to crack 8 points with outputs of 3, 2, 8, 3, 3, 6, 2, 4, and 3. He reeled in 2 TDs against the worst pass defense the league has ever known, the record books will confirm this at the end of the year, and racked up 150 yards on 9 catches. With Dan Orlovsky at QB attempting to become the first man to ever lead two teams to 0-16 records I don’t see Garcon repeating that success against the 7^th ranked Baltimore Ravens pass defense. The offense isn’t strong enough all around to support Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon having huge games and if I had to put my money on of them I’d take Wayne and his past success. Don’t look to either though to carry your team with a weak offensive line and Dan Orlovsky throwing the passes.

Stats: 3 rec, 36 yards, 0 TD

There you have it my faithful readers week 14 of the NFL is about to get underway and you now know who to start and who to sit. Good luck in the playoffs! Until we cross paths again.

Geoff Jablonski

Wake Up Seguin

I'd say its about time for me to take off my stirrups and cleats and lace up some skates and grab a stick. Well that didn't entirely come off exactly how I wanted it to. So I'll just say I'm going to talk about hockey for a smidge. Work for you? Let's go.

The future of the Boston Bruins, Tyler Seguin, was recently a healthy scratch for missing a team meeting. More specifically he had a 3 hour window to make an appearance at a brunch. Not an 8 o'clock wake up call after getting into Winnipeg in the wee hours of the morning, but 11 o'clock.

When Seguin was asked about the incident he made some asinine notion about his clock was set on "Boston time" not Winnipeg's. Well that's all well and good, except for the fact that Boston time is an hour ahead of Winnipeg's which would mean if you had an alarm you would have been up an hour before you had to be somewhere. Jeez man, if you're going to lie, come up with something a little bit more difficult to find out than my daily glance of the time charts around the world.

There are three things that could have possibly deterred him from being at this meeting and only two of which I will give him a pass for.

1) Alcohol- Legally he can drink in Canada. I'm sure he drinks his fair share in the US, but he is of no consequence to knocking a few LaBatt Blue's up on America's Hat. I will give him a pass because he is 19, if any 19 year old is reading this and is abstaining from alcohol, you are a far better man than I.

Speaking of abstaining...

2) Women- Look we all have our vices, it's tough being a 19 year old stud-muffin (spoken from experience, of course). If he has a little nookie lined up for himself after they touch down at 2AM good for him. Get after it. But what kind of "performance enhancer's" is this guy on if he can't get to the team hotel between 11AM and 1PM. This is worthy of another pass in my book.

3) Teammates- Let's say on the off chance he actually was in the hotel (not likely). His roommate for this trip was Jordan Caron. Theoretically he could have woke him up to go down to the meeting but that didn't happen. Which leads me to believe if this were the case that his teammates are not too fond of him and/or his antics, and decided he needed to pay the price.

For all of you saying, "We were in the middle of an amazing win-streak, what's Julien doing taking the leading scorer out of there." He's doing exactly what a good coach/mentor does. When a player/student gets out of line no matter how good that player is you need to teach him a lesson. Seguin has been a habitual offender, per Julien, and everyone needs to play by the same set of rules.

The Bruins lost, their first regulation loss in over a month. But Seguin no doubt could have helped the Bruins in that game and he knows it. The hardest thing for a player to do that loves playing their sport is to be told they can't play, especially when they are physically ready.

Ultimately, this can/should be a non-issue. Much like when Larry Bird was busted for drinking his rookie year as a Celtic, it ended up being a small misstep and Bird became synonymous with winning and the cornerstone of a dynasty. Wake up, Seguin. You have the skillset of a transcendent player, let's hope you have the mental makeup as well.

Stay Tuned

Norton

And On the Sixth Day, God Created the Heisman

On Saturday, the John W. Heisman Memorial Trophy will gaze out across a new crowd of spectators congregating at the Best Buy Theater, his right arm stiff to ward off those unworthy; his left held tightly to his body, protecting the object of his affection. This Saturday in Times Square, one of the most famous and storied trophies in the history of mankind will be bestowed upon the college football player most deserving of it's majesty, its cool bronze touch bringing the honoree to his figurative knees. Only the greatest deserve to hold the trophy and claim it as their own. Only one can be at the top of the mountain.

This years' finalists have many intriguing qualities, both similar and unique. Andrew Luck, the object of affection for many a tanking National Football League franchise, was nominated for the second time, finishing as the runner-up to Cam Newton in last year's presentation. Robert Griffin III, Baylor's first ever finalist for the trophy, and a soon to be effective leader for a team who goes to work on Sundays. Tyrann Mathieu, The Honey Badger, a do-it-all defensive back who could be the defensive player with the best chance to win the award since the first, Michigan's Charles Woodson in 1997. Trent Richardson, the second Crimson Tide nominee in the past three years, following up Mark Ingram's stellar career in Tuscaloosa. Montee Ball, the lone finalist above the Mason-Dixon Line, as well as a threat to pass Barry Sanders' NCAA touchdown record, and possibly the best running back to grace the campus up in Madison since Ron Dayne.

The Breakdown

Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford Cardinal

261-373 (70.0%), 35 Touchdowns, 9 Interceptions

By now, everyone has heard of Andrew Luck. His reputation supersedes him. He was the odds on favorite to win this years Heisman, with everyone else being written off like another page in a lost book. Luck has led the Cardinal to an 11-1 (8-1) record on the year, which is good for second in the Pac-12 North. Regardless of whether or not Luck wins the award so many covet, he will no doubt at least be available at the number one slot next spring for the Indianapolis Colts. Luck and the Cardinal will take on the (should have been in the BCS Title Game) Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 2nd.

Tyrann Mathieu, Cornerback, LSU Tigers

71 Tackles (54 Solo), 1.5 Sacks, 5 Forced Fumbles, 2 Interceptions

The consensus best defensive player in the nation, Tyrann Mathieu is the best and most likely defensive player to take home the award since current Green Bay Packer and All-Pro Charles Woodson in 1997 (as I mentioned earlier). The Honey Badger has meant more to the Bayou Bengals than his numbers can dignify, as he has produced many a game changing play to keep LSU undefeated and headed to the National Championship game. Many down in Baton Rouge hope that the Honey Badger can scratch and claw his way to the Heisman, as well as win the National Championship.

Montee Ball, Running Back, Wisconsin Badgers

275 Rushes for 1759 Yards (6.4 YPC), 32 Touchdowns

20 Receptions for 255 Yards (12.8 YPC), 6 Touchdowns

Wisconsin: Smell the Dairy Air. Montee Ball has run wild over the Big Ten this season and is one touchdown away from tying Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season touchdown record. Ball is a hard man to stop. In the long storied "grind-it-out" style of the Big Ten, a running back like Montee Ball is a HUGE asset to a program such as Wisconsin.  Ball has helped the Badgers to an 11-2 (6-2) record this season, and his 135.4 rush yards per game is good for fourth in the nation (FBS). Ball and the Badgers will take on the high-octane Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.

Trent Richardson, Running Back, Alabama Crimson Tide

263 Rushes for 1583 Yards (6.0 YPC), 20 Touchdowns

27 Receptions for 327 Yards (12.1 YPC), 3 Touchdowns

Trent Richardson is a bowling ball. This man can move for a man his size, and if you cannot tell by the picture above, has arms like redwoods. Surprisingly, the Crimson Tide are in the National Championship game against the Honey Badger and the Tigers. Unsurprisingly, Richardson is a Heisman finalist (and one of the major favorites). Don't be surprised if Richardson takes home the award.

Robert Griffin III, Quarterback, Baylor Bears

267-369 (72.4%), 3998 Yards, 36 Touchdowns, 6 Interceptions

RG3 is the best quarterback in the Big XII, if not America. He has much better numbers than Luck (save interceptions), and has led the Baylor Bears to the Alamo Bowl with a 9-3 (6-3) record. While his teams' record is a bit of a sore sight, it is no doubt that Griffin is the real deal. He was picked as the odds on favorite by America in a recent ESPN poll, Griffin III garnered 33% of the fan vote. He is the favorite amongst America, but is he the favorite of the voters? Who knows. What we do know is that RG3 has a really solid chance to take this award home.

---

After all of that, you are probably wondering who my pick is. I can tell you one thing: I believe it will be the man to make the biggest difference to his team and showcase his strengths to the best of his abilities over the course of this season (diplomatic answer). On the real note, who do I have?

Rock on,

JLang

No Matter How You Slice It Oklahoma State Got Screwed

On Sunday night the final BCS standings were released and as everyone assumed would happen LSU was 1 and Alabama was 2. My question to you is why was this the outcome that everyone assumed would come to fruition? Is it because Alabama is one of college footballs 4 or 5 “golden” programs from yesteryear and today? Is it because Oklahoma State doesn’t play much more than ole defense and runs its high-octane offense in the notoriously offensive heavy big 12? Or is it the reason that I think it is that Alabama and LSU both come from the perceived best conference in college football the SEC?

Regardless of the answers to these questions one thing is obvious: Oklahoma State got screwed out of a chance to play for the national championship of January 9^th in New Orleans. Instead of turning this into a rant and rave about the inadequacies of the BCS I’m going to state the case for why Oklahoma State deserves a shot at knocking off undefeated LSU.

First things first lets debunk the myth that most voters tend to hold onto when filling out their ballots, which is that the SEC is worlds better than the Big 12. According to the final BCS standings, I’m going to use the final BCS standings when talking about Oklahoma State and Alabama’s opponent’s ranks, the SEC parked 6 teams in the top 25 while the Big 12 placed 5 teams in the top 25 (7 if you count next year’s arrivals TCU and West Virginia).  Out of the 6 SEC teams in the BCS top 25 Alabama went 2-1, If you include their showdown with Penn State in week 2 the Tide went 3-1 overall, against their opponents (somehow Auburn managed to wrap up the 25^th spot in the final BCS standings even after a 42-14 drubbing in the Iron Bowl). Oklahoma State went 4-0 against their 4 BCS final 25 opponents and 5-0 if you include their week 4 matchup with Texas A&M who at the time was a top 10 team. Edge: Oklahoma State.

Second reason I think O.K. State got jobbed: Alabama had the weekend off due to not qualifying for their championship game while Oklahoma State had to play another game against a top ranked opponent. This past Saturday, Championship Saturday across the country, Alabama was sitting home watching LSU tussle with Georgia and the Battle of Bedlam between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. In those two games, LSU shook off a slow start and beat down #13 Georgia 42-10 to claim the SEC crown while Oklahoma State did them one better and shellacked #10 and preseason title favorite Oklahoma 44-10. Funny that by sitting home and watching the #1 and #3 ranked teams in the Nation play for and win their conference titles Alabama managed to hold onto their #2 ranking ahead of Big 12 champion Oklahoma State Cowboys. Oklahoma State played a top 10 opponent and made an example of them whooping up on their hated rival the Sooner Schooner’s like it was going out of style. They earned that number 2 spot in the polls behind LSU. Edge: Oklahoma State.

The final reason I think that the O.K. Corral got a raw deal is the most obvious one: Alabama had it’s chance to knock off #1 LSU and secure it’s right to play for the national championship down the road and failed, AT HOME NO LESS! Nice try Alabama you took your best shot and fell just short in OT, 9-6. It’s time for someone else to take a shot at the undisputed #1 LSU. I’m not arguing the idea that Alabama might be the second best team in the nation I’m arguing the point that Oklahoma State did enough during the regular season to earn a chance to challenge LSU for it’s crown. Alabama got their shot during the regular season at home in Tuscaloosa and they tripped up now I want to see if the Big 12 has presented a champion worthy of being crowned national champion. If Alabama beats LSU on January 9^th why does that make them national champion? It actually would put the season series at 1-1 with LSU winning one on the road in a hostile environment and Alabama winning one on at a neutral site (though it’s going to be more like a road game since they are playing in the heart of the Bayou Bengals home turf). Sounds like we would need a tiebreaking 3^rd game to decide our national champion. I’ve already seen Alabama try to take out LSU I want to see the high flying offense of Oklahoma State led by gunslinger QB Brandon Weeden and all world WR Justin Blackmon, who according to many draft analysis is better than current Cowboys #1 WR Dez Bryant, which says a lot about his talents. I know that Oklahoma State has 1 loss themselves and it came at the hands of a subpar Iowa State team but that game was on the road in a hostile conference environment. Do I think they should’ve lost? No but they beat more quality opponents than Alabama and deserve their first shot at LSU before Alabama deserves a second turn at the buffet line.

There you have it folks that’s why I’m firmly in the camp of seeing Oklahoma State vs. LSU in the Superdome on January 9^th as opposed to a rematch of two SEC West powerhouses. I think Oklahoma State got screwed and if you have a compelling argument as to why I should be subjected to seeing a game that I watched play out in LSU’s favor just a month earlier I’d love to engage in a debate with you. For the last time I’ll say for good measure that I’m not saying Oklahoma State is a better team than Alabama I just believe that a rematch of a regular season conference game we’ve already seen isn’t the best national championship matchup in the 2012 BCS National Championship. If you’re a fan of dominant defense than Alabama/LSU is the matchup for you but if you want to see the best defense in the nation try to slow down the most explosive offense in the nation than you’re in the same time zone as me wishing that Oklahoma State had been given the chance to try and pass against the staunch LSU defense. Finally I’d like to commend Mike Gundy on a great job of leading the Oklahoma State Cowboys into a position to be in the national championship debate and not letting himself go down in history as the, “I’m a man!” guy. If you don’t know what I’m talking about take a look at the video linked above and enjoy.

I’ll say it one more time but don’t forget to tune to see LSU take on Alabama January 9^th, 2012 in the Mercedes Superdome in New Orleans if you’re a college football fan. It’s going to be a defensive battle. Until we cross paths again…

Geoff Jablonski

Hoop and the Harm: Jimmy V Week

Finally pulled a name out of my ass for my college basketblog. I have decided to go with the 'Hoop and the Harm' moniker. We'll keep rollin' with the punches ... here we go.

The Week that Was...

I really struggled with the picks last week. I had visions of grandeur that were not the best picks, but I figured I'd shoot at it regardless.

First off, Duke did not look like they should be in the same gym as Ohio State. Jared Sullinger paced the Buckeyes with 21 points and eight boards, William Buford chipped in with 20, DeShaun Thomas poured in 18, and 'The Surgeon' Aaron Craft rounded out the high-scoring Buckeyes with 17 points. For the record. The final score of this game read like this:

Ohio State 85, Duke 63

The quadrio of Sullinger, Buford, Thomas, and Craft combined for 76 of those points. Four guys outscored the high-powered Duke offense. Who didn't show up? Ryan Kelly, Maui Invite MVP. DeShaun Thomas did everything except undress Kelly and make him wear his shorts as a hat. It was a defensive nightmare to match up with the Buckeyes in this game, and Kelly didn't help that. After playing 14 minutes in the first half, Thomas came out in the second and eyeballed Kelly on a three-ball and Coach K had apparently seen enough. Kelly finished the game with zero points in 15 minutes of action. What should come as a surprise to no one, Austin Rivers paced the scoring for the Blue Devils with 22 points on 8-18 shooting in 37 minutes. One player to watch on the rise from tOSU: Aaron Craft, Sophomore point guard.

The scout on Craft: Hell of a point guard; "Surgeon" with his passing and defense; always in control; the epitome of John Wooden's famous quote "Be quick but don't hurry"; Smart, heady basketball player; High School Class Valedictorian; Definitely one of the better point guards in the Big Ten; Young; Good offensive player with a strong ability to get to the basket.

Keep an eye on Aaron Craft.

One final thought on this game: Watch Mason Plumlee (the blonde one) every time he gets the ball. That guy shuffles his feet more than the residents of an old folks home. He doesn't always get called for it either. It's astonishing to see. His receiving the ball to traveling ratio is 2:1 at the highest peak.

You don't expect the Dukies to play this way all the time. Coach K is a hell of a basketball coach. These guys will be back with a vengeance.

The consensus game of the week between North Carolina and Kentucky was exactly that. Kentucky by a hair at 73-72. Cannot get much better than that. I am not discriminating against this game, there just isn't much to say. Just one hell of a collegiate basketball game.

Other picks: UNC 50, Wisconsin 47 (Correct); Kentucky 81, St. John's 59 (Way off the mark); Syracuse 72, Florida 68 (Correct); Harvard 55, Vermont 48 (Correct).

Now on to this week...

Games to Watch

(1) Kentucky at Indiana (Saturday December 10 5:15pm): Two of the most storied programs in NCAA history meet on Saturday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. If you think of basketball, the two most prevalent states you think of are? Kentucky and Indiana. The number one Wildcats, fresh off a week in which they defeated St. John's handily, and staved off the clutches of defeat from another storied basketball state (North Carolina), come into the game looking to keep their spot atop the coach's poll. Led by 6'9" sophomore forward Terrence Jones (15 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and sophomore guard Doron Lamb (14.4 ppg), Calipari's Crew comes into the game 15th in the nation in scoring output per game (82.4) and third in rebounds per game (43.5).  Indiana, coming off of several years of rebuilding after the Kelvin Sampson fiasco, will waltz into the game at a perfect 8-0 clip, with the only opponents of national prevalence they have faced being two-time reigning national runner-up Butler (4-4) and North Carolina State (5-3). However, the Hoosiers do boast their eighth in the nation scoring (85.0 per game) and 30th in the nation assists per game (16.1), showing that Tom Crean and his boys know how to move the ball. Led by 6'11" freshmen Cody Zeller (brother of Tar Heel senior center Tyler Zeller) at 15.5 points per game to go along with his team leading 7.5 boards, and sophomore guard Victor Olapido (12.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg), the Hoosiers could provide a formidable opponent for the Wildcats. However, I feel that the Kitties will put away Indiana rather soundly. The Pick: Kentucky

(2) Ohio State at (13) Kansas (Saturday December 10, 3:15 pm): Another battle of heavyweights. Due to the lack of "Huge Games" this week, I believe Ohio State and Kansas will be my Game of the Week pick for this coming week. Buckeye big man Jared Sullinger - provided he has recovered from the back spasms that kept him out of tOSU's last game against Texas-Pan American - should have quite the match-up in the post with the Jayhawks' junior power forward Thomas Robinson, who has shown that he can PLAY (16 and 15 against Duke at the Maui; 16.1 and 12.1 overall) and could potentially be one of the nation's premier post players this year. Along with senior guard Tyshawn Taylor, who is averaging 17.4 points this season, Robinson and the Jayhawks could give the Buckeyes headaches. I believe the X-Factor in this game will be the play of DeShaun Thomas, who exploded against Duke last week and will need to have an equally good game against the Jayhawks at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in order to put Rock Chalk to sleep. With all that said, I still think this game will give Ohio State headaches, and possibly knock them from their perch just behind Kentucky. The Pick: Kansas


(10) Missouri vs. Villanova (Tuesday December 6, 7:00pm - Madison Square Garden; ESPN): This is the first game of the Jimmy V Classic Doubleheader. Frank Haith's team is really really really good this year. Villanova hasn't played anyone this year really, and sports losses to Saint Louis (a really good team in the Atlantic 10 this year - Watch out for Rick Majerus' bunch), and Santa Clara (not a bad mid-major out in the West Coast Conference - For those unfamiliar with that conference, it is the one Gonzaga has dominated for the past decade). The Pick: Missouri

Washington vs. (11) Marquette (Tuesday December 6, 9:00pm - Madison Square Garden; ESPN): This is the night cap of the Jimmy V Classic Doubleheader. Buzz Williams' Golden Eagles should be a contender to take the Big East crown this year. If not the champions, at least the top four (the others being Syracuse, Connecticut, and Pittsburgh). Washington should receive some play in the watered-down Pac-12. I don't think they match up with Marquette well enough to be able to win this game, but never sleep on a coach as good as Lorenzo Romar. That man knows how to strategize to win his program some basketball games. The Pick: Marquette


Upset Watch

(24) Harvard at (9) Connecticut (Thursday December 8, 7:00pm - Gampel Pavilion; ESPN2): In what could've been their second match-up this year (had Marcus Jordan and Central Florida not upset the Huskies in the Bahamas), the Crimson roll into Storrs with something to prove. This team is GOOD. They would've won the Ivy last year if not for the last-second jumper to send Sydney Johnson's Princeton Tigers to the dance. Connecticut, getting off to a 7-1 start, is no slouch mind you. This well oiled machine sports pieces such as Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb, Andre Drummond, Alex Oriakhi, and Ryan Boatright amongst others. If Harvard can get this victory, it will not only launch them up in the polls, it will also make them a serious contender for one of the top ten spots in America. Something about this game tickles my fancy. The Pick: Harvard


Mid-Major GOTW


(8) Xavier at Butler (Wednesday December 7, 9:00pm - Hinkle Fieldhouse, ESPN): I don't care how prevalent these two teams have become over the past few years, they still sit in what can be considered a mid-major conference. The Atlantic 10 versus the Horizon League. These two teams are fighting for what could be the top billing for a mid-major team in America this year, and Xavier has the number eight ranking that Butler wants to slap them in the face with. I think this will be one of those gritty, grind-it-out games to start off, but Tu Holloway will be too strong for the Bulldogs to hold in check for the entire game. The man is a beast, and with Shelvin Mack sporting Wizards' colors starting on Thursday, Holloway will most likely spell H-O-R-S-E for Butler. The Pick: Xavier

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Well that's what I have for you this week for my freshly named "Hoop and the Harm" basketblog. I have some faith that this will be a pretty solid piece for you to enjoy, and I think I have a pretty good grasp on the movers and shakers of Division I college basketball. And remember, it is Jimmy V week. Make donations a www.jimmyv.org, and here's one last thing for your pleasure. I know I posted it last week, but this just never gets old no matter how many times you watch it...

Rock on,

JLang