Posts
Heisman Race 2009
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The race for the Heisman Trophy in 2009 just got alittle more interesting.
With the underclassman deadline for declaring for the 2009 NFL Draft
passing ye...
16 years ago
Saturday, February 14, 2009
All-Star Friday Odyssey
WOW, that is all that I have to say about my All-Star Friday. It began with a flight to Phoenix and the pilot saying we had a headwind and would be arriving late, normally I would be okay with this but not this time, I was stressing out. The reason for this stress was that I was suppose to land at 6 o’clock and the Rookie Game which I was scheduled to attend started at 7 o’clock. We eventually arrived five minutes late and I was off on my All-Star odyssey. The plan was to go to the rookie game, the Playboy party, and finally the Kappa Kost to Kost party. I wanted to do all of this to give you a view inside of as many events as possible.
The Rookie game was what I expected, an All-Star game with no defense being played. If you watched you saw the sophomores beat the Rookies for the seventh consecutive time by a score of 122-116. During the first half the sophs toyed with the rooks and allowed them to maintain a lead throughout, but there was a feeling that the rooks would eventually fall as they did. The one interesting thing that I did see was Kevin Durant score a Rookie game record 46 points, the majority of them were uncontested dunks lay ups and jump shots, but there was a impressive sequence when he hit two consecutive deep jump shots with hands in his face in the second half when the Sophs were down by 10 points. Many people were saying that he is becoming one of the best players in the league, which I completely disagree with. He is an above average player at best. Durant is a good scorer but what about the other aspects of his game? Otherwise the game was truly uneventful, no amazing dunks or passes. On another note the Suns stadium is horrible, it has a sanitized dark hospital feel to it, it is one of my least favorite venues that I have ever visited. The stadium ceiling is painted completely black and just feels weird. I surveyed others in the crowd and they felt the same, it was just weird.
I next went to the Playboy party and will save that for last for obvious reasons. After the Playboy party, I went to the Kappa Kost to Kost party.
The Playboy party which was held at Barcelona in Scottsdale was a disappointment when I first entered, there were no Bunnies around except if you count the waitresses who were wearing the bent bunny ears. It was a sad sight to see. So I proceeded to walk around the crowd and into V.I.P. to see what people were saying that they paid $1200 for. It was a normal seating area in the back of the club, as I was walking through VIP the crowd began to buzz. They were there; the playmates were in the building. There were five playmates on stage and others in the crowd, the crowd. The M.C. handed out copies of the current Playboy magazine which had one of the girls on stage in it. Men and women rushed the stage to get a glimpse of Hue’s girls, who were very accommodating. The Playmates danced, talked, and posed for about a half an hour. That half an hour created so much energy for the rest of the night that it made up for any perceived short comings of the evening, which there were none. The venue, atmosphere, drinks and party in general was one of the best that I have ever attended and the Leverage Media team needs to be given props for this event, I defiantly will be attending more of their events in the future. I give this party a 10 out of 10 for energy, atmosphere, and star power.
Well, it is back to the All-Star Grind. Check back later for more updates and Playboy party pics.
Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com
The Rookie game was what I expected, an All-Star game with no defense being played. If you watched you saw the sophomores beat the Rookies for the seventh consecutive time by a score of 122-116. During the first half the sophs toyed with the rooks and allowed them to maintain a lead throughout, but there was a feeling that the rooks would eventually fall as they did. The one interesting thing that I did see was Kevin Durant score a Rookie game record 46 points, the majority of them were uncontested dunks lay ups and jump shots, but there was a impressive sequence when he hit two consecutive deep jump shots with hands in his face in the second half when the Sophs were down by 10 points. Many people were saying that he is becoming one of the best players in the league, which I completely disagree with. He is an above average player at best. Durant is a good scorer but what about the other aspects of his game? Otherwise the game was truly uneventful, no amazing dunks or passes. On another note the Suns stadium is horrible, it has a sanitized dark hospital feel to it, it is one of my least favorite venues that I have ever visited. The stadium ceiling is painted completely black and just feels weird. I surveyed others in the crowd and they felt the same, it was just weird.
I next went to the Playboy party and will save that for last for obvious reasons. After the Playboy party, I went to the Kappa Kost to Kost party.
The Playboy party which was held at Barcelona in Scottsdale was a disappointment when I first entered, there were no Bunnies around except if you count the waitresses who were wearing the bent bunny ears. It was a sad sight to see. So I proceeded to walk around the crowd and into V.I.P. to see what people were saying that they paid $1200 for. It was a normal seating area in the back of the club, as I was walking through VIP the crowd began to buzz. They were there; the playmates were in the building. There were five playmates on stage and others in the crowd, the crowd. The M.C. handed out copies of the current Playboy magazine which had one of the girls on stage in it. Men and women rushed the stage to get a glimpse of Hue’s girls, who were very accommodating. The Playmates danced, talked, and posed for about a half an hour. That half an hour created so much energy for the rest of the night that it made up for any perceived short comings of the evening, which there were none. The venue, atmosphere, drinks and party in general was one of the best that I have ever attended and the Leverage Media team needs to be given props for this event, I defiantly will be attending more of their events in the future. I give this party a 10 out of 10 for energy, atmosphere, and star power.
Well, it is back to the All-Star Grind. Check back later for more updates and Playboy party pics.
Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com
Friday, February 13, 2009
Games 2 Watch (G2W) 2/13/09 to 2/16/09:
The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 2/13/09 to 2/16/09:
Friday 2/13/09 - NBA - All-Star Weekend - NBA All-Star Celebrity Game - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN - Rookie Challenge - Rookies vs. Sophomores 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on TNT
Come back to look for exclusive All-Star Weekend coverage!
Saturday - 2/14/09 - NBA - All-Star Weekend - Shooting Stars, 3-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge, H-O-R-S-E, Slam Dunk Contest - 8 pm EST / 7 pm EST on TNT
Come back to look for exclusive All-Star Weekend coverage! (But I won't fault you if you go out for Valentine's Day)
Sunday - 2/15/09 - NASCAR - Daytona 500 - 3:30 pm EST / 2:30 pm CST on Fox
Jimmie Johnson leads the race for the Sprint Cup.
Sunday - 2/15/09 - NBA - All-Star Game - East vs. West - 8 pm EST / 7 pm CST on TNT
Come back to look for exclusive All-Star Weekend coverage!
Monday - 2/16/09 - NCAAB - Pittsburgh Panthers at Connecticut Huskies - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN (*Game of the Weekend)
#1 vs. #4
We'll also end with the game results from the last G2W.
Tuesday 2/10/09 - NCAAB - Michigan State 54 Michigan 42
Wednesday - 2/11/09 - NCAAB - North Carolina 101 Duke 87 (*Game of the Mid-week)
Thursday - 2/12/09 - NCAAB - Arizona State 74 UCLA 67
DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com
Whatever happened to..... The Franchise
I caught the 2nd OT of the 2003 NBA All-Star game on NBA TV the other day. KG ultimately won the MVP, but what I found interesting was who was on the court for that overtime. The East squad had AI, Paul Pierce, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Ben Wallace. The West had KG, Kobe, Shawn Marion, Tim Duncan, and Steve Francis.
Whatever happened to The Franchise? Of the 10 players on the court, Francis is the only one not contributing to a team at a high level. As a matter of fact, he's not contributing anything, seeing that he was released from the Grizzlies last month. He hasn't played this year with the Grizzlies or the Rockets (who he was with before he got traded to the Grizzlies). The previous 3 years, he's played a total of 78 games. I know injuries (tendinitis in right knee and quad tendon surgery on left knee) had something to do with it, but did he lose it that quickly? I mean, he's only 31. You would think he'd be able to contribute something to somebody. Anybody. We'll see if a playoff team will pick up this veteran down the stretch.
DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com
NBA Power Rankings 2-12-09
1. Lakers
They have beaten the Celtics and Cavs in the last two weeks without Andrew Bynam. They are the NBA’s current team to beat even with Wednesday’s loss to the Jazz, and the trade for Adam Morrison will only add to their already potent firepower beyond the arch (Kobe).
2. Cavs AKA The Lebrons
The Lebrons are a dangerous team as long as Lebron is on top of his game, but if anything happens to LBJ I would rank them 20th at best. The question that needs to be asked is, is Lebron that good or is the talent in the NBA that diluted that one great player can make a sorry team that good? I say the talent pool is diluted.
3. Spurs
Timmy D keeps this team competitive every year, but they just won’t have enough to get over the top with a chink in their armor like Matt Bonner as their starting center. To rectify this situation the spurs need to go out and get Rasheed Wallace from the pistons, but they will have to give up a ton in draft picks to do it.
4. Celtics
Let me preference this by saying that I hate Boston, (yeah, yeah, yeah I know I am not suppose to root for or against a team. The media is supposed to stay neutral) but I love KG’s passion for the game, and I expect that passion to carry the Celtics to the finals by the end of the season. The long range shooting of Jesus Shuttlesworth AKA Ray Allen can be deadly, and Paul Pierce’s all around game can sink any opponent in the league by itself. The Cs will be too much for the Cavs or any other Eastern Conference foe to handle.
5. Nuggets
Chauncey Billups has proven that he was undervalued by the Detroit Piston’s fans who cheered his exit and the arrival of Allen Iverson. My question to these fans is how’s it working out for you now?
6. Hornets
CP3 is a legitimate MVP candidate averaging 21.5 PPG 10.9APG 2.8SPG and 5.4 RPG, but to move up in the Lakers stratospheres they are going to have to get more out of Tyson Chandler.
7. Magic
Their title hopes took a hit when they lost Jameer Nelson to a torn right labrum, and the combination of Anthony Johnson and Tyrone Lue is NOT the answer. D Howard has large shoulders but he will need a tractor trailer to carry those two to the Larry O'Brien.
8. Trail Blazers
Greg Oden is two years away from being healed enough from knee surgery and having enough maturity to catapult the Blazers into the elite category. But they are currently very good and dangerous.
9. Rockets
The Key word for this team is injuries. T Mac can not stay out of the trainer’s room and Yao has also battled injuries this season, and without those two healthy Ron Artest will continue to be a one of the best sixth men without a champion
10. Mavericks
Jason Kidd is old and this team is entering a transition phase unbeknownst to Mark Cuban. The Kidd for Devin Harris trade may go down as one of the most lopsided trades of this early century. This team has been destroyed by a meddling owner, hmm sounds familiar Dallas (Jerry Jones)
11. Jazz
This team has the potential to rocket up the chart but, it is difficult for a jump shooting team to win a championship. Okur and Williams will be a difficult tandem for anyone to handle come the post season. Do not count them out; everything depends on matchups for this group.
12. Suns
Shaq, Amare, and Nash make any team dangerous. The front office is rumored to be thinking about breaking up this threesome and I think that this could be a major mistake. With Terry Porter manning the controls of this team, you never know what could happen if they get hot in the post season. Yes they could be the dangerous spoiler come spring because of their X factor experience.
13. Pistons
This team has a lot of firepower, but it is severely flawed. They have a rookie head coach who is making rookie mistakes by constantly changing the starting line up. Allen Iverson who said he would do anything to win a championship now wants to be the focal point of the team which has never produced anything more than a scoring title and one trip to the finals. Rip Hamilton has been forced to the bench after being the go to guy for the past five seasons in favor of the newly acquired Iverson. Rasheed Wallace is not caring if he gets traded or not. Well with all of this, there is always next year for this team with $34 million of cap space from the expiring contracts of Iverson and Wallace.
14. Heat
D Wade is willing this team to respectability, but Shawn Marion is doing little to earn his $17.8 million. He is averaging a less than exciting 12.1PPG and 8.8RPG. Would you rather have him or David Lee who is the most underpaid player in the league $1.7 million he had an off night last night against the clippers and had 17 pts and 12 reb.
15. Hawks
This is a team on the rise as long as they can get a few more years out of Mike Bibby. They could be dangerous in the spring as they were last year.
16. Knicks
The Knicks are starting to turn the ship around but they must hope that during the off-season they resign David Lee and he develops the 3 point shot that he is saying that he will work on.
17. 76ers
Elton Band killed this season for Philly and there is no way that you can convince me that they will make a serious playoff run this season with their current roster.
18. Pacers
Danny Granger is a stud that they can build around during their long climb back to relevance in the central division. But to take over the Central Division they must hope Lebron James goes to NYC in 2010 and that the Piston’s Joe Dumars does not work his old magic to revitalize the Pistons by then.
19. Bobcats
To get better, MJ must listen to Larry Brown instead of attempting to put together a fantasy team with his drafts. Has any GM done less and maintained his job in the NBA in recent time?
20. Timberwolves
This is a good team which has had a good start to the 2009 calendar year but in the past week and a half they have leveled off. They are learning to win, and will be dangerous for years to come. Their progress will take a giant step if Kevin Love continues to develop at his current pace.
21. Nets
Vince Carter is older but still dangerous, and Devin Harris is a major piece to build around and will lead this team for years to come. If they could land LBJ in 2010 they would be a championship favorite, but it’s not happening this season.
22. Bulls
The Baby bulls are truly a young team, but are they on the rise? I say yes but no one knows for sure how great Derrick Rose will end up being over time, but the one thing that we do know is that he is a stud as a rookie and that the Bulls will not be making any noise this year but will soon unless beating the Pistons is still a feat.
23. Bucks
The Bucks were well positioned to collect the seventh or eighth playoff seed in the east until Michael Redd tore up his knee, now they are just another lottery bound door mat. This could be a blessing in disguise depending on how the lottery balls fall, and who declares for the draft. The Bucks could jump start a rebuilding process quicker than was expected by anyone.
24. Warriors
This is an interesting team because of the firepower that they posses in Jamal Crawford and Monte Ellis. Even though Ellis is still recovering from ankle surgery from the training (Moped) accident this past summer he has exhibited flashes of the player which was rewarded with a huge new contract last year.
25. Wizards
Gilbert Arenas’s injury has really hamstrung the team from a player’s standpoint because; Gilbert’s teammates are continually waiting for him to come back and save the day. He also hamstrings the franchise financially because they can not do anything with his max contract on the books even if they decided to go in a different direction.
26. Raptors
The Chris Bosh experiment needs to end soon, it is a major distraction for a team who is in a weak conference who should be easily contending for the seventh or eighth playoff seeds annually with the talent that they have, to have its best player pouting and saying he wants to leave.
27. Kings
The Kings are a mess and need a major overhauling, opps that is the problem they did a major overhauling within the last year and a half and it has not worked out. I guess we can just say it is just the Kings being the Kings, just as in football we can say it is just the Lions being the Lions, and in baseball it is just the Cubs being the Cubs. They are what we thought they were, they are the Kings
28. Grizzlies
O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol are the truth, they just needs significant help around them which will continue to come as long as they are in the lottery, which they will be this year.
29. Clippers
The Barron Davis signing and Zack Randolph trade is not working out too well for this team. It may help if Barron, Zack and Chris Kaman could stay on the court.
30. Thunder
Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are good players but this team needs a playmaker to break the defense down. Until they get a true play making point guard this team will be relegated to the bottom of the standings.
They have beaten the Celtics and Cavs in the last two weeks without Andrew Bynam. They are the NBA’s current team to beat even with Wednesday’s loss to the Jazz, and the trade for Adam Morrison will only add to their already potent firepower beyond the arch (Kobe).
2. Cavs AKA The Lebrons
The Lebrons are a dangerous team as long as Lebron is on top of his game, but if anything happens to LBJ I would rank them 20th at best. The question that needs to be asked is, is Lebron that good or is the talent in the NBA that diluted that one great player can make a sorry team that good? I say the talent pool is diluted.
3. Spurs
Timmy D keeps this team competitive every year, but they just won’t have enough to get over the top with a chink in their armor like Matt Bonner as their starting center. To rectify this situation the spurs need to go out and get Rasheed Wallace from the pistons, but they will have to give up a ton in draft picks to do it.
4. Celtics
Let me preference this by saying that I hate Boston, (yeah, yeah, yeah I know I am not suppose to root for or against a team. The media is supposed to stay neutral) but I love KG’s passion for the game, and I expect that passion to carry the Celtics to the finals by the end of the season. The long range shooting of Jesus Shuttlesworth AKA Ray Allen can be deadly, and Paul Pierce’s all around game can sink any opponent in the league by itself. The Cs will be too much for the Cavs or any other Eastern Conference foe to handle.
5. Nuggets
Chauncey Billups has proven that he was undervalued by the Detroit Piston’s fans who cheered his exit and the arrival of Allen Iverson. My question to these fans is how’s it working out for you now?
6. Hornets
CP3 is a legitimate MVP candidate averaging 21.5 PPG 10.9APG 2.8SPG and 5.4 RPG, but to move up in the Lakers stratospheres they are going to have to get more out of Tyson Chandler.
7. Magic
Their title hopes took a hit when they lost Jameer Nelson to a torn right labrum, and the combination of Anthony Johnson and Tyrone Lue is NOT the answer. D Howard has large shoulders but he will need a tractor trailer to carry those two to the Larry O'Brien.
8. Trail Blazers
Greg Oden is two years away from being healed enough from knee surgery and having enough maturity to catapult the Blazers into the elite category. But they are currently very good and dangerous.
9. Rockets
The Key word for this team is injuries. T Mac can not stay out of the trainer’s room and Yao has also battled injuries this season, and without those two healthy Ron Artest will continue to be a one of the best sixth men without a champion
10. Mavericks
Jason Kidd is old and this team is entering a transition phase unbeknownst to Mark Cuban. The Kidd for Devin Harris trade may go down as one of the most lopsided trades of this early century. This team has been destroyed by a meddling owner, hmm sounds familiar Dallas (Jerry Jones)
11. Jazz
This team has the potential to rocket up the chart but, it is difficult for a jump shooting team to win a championship. Okur and Williams will be a difficult tandem for anyone to handle come the post season. Do not count them out; everything depends on matchups for this group.
12. Suns
Shaq, Amare, and Nash make any team dangerous. The front office is rumored to be thinking about breaking up this threesome and I think that this could be a major mistake. With Terry Porter manning the controls of this team, you never know what could happen if they get hot in the post season. Yes they could be the dangerous spoiler come spring because of their X factor experience.
13. Pistons
This team has a lot of firepower, but it is severely flawed. They have a rookie head coach who is making rookie mistakes by constantly changing the starting line up. Allen Iverson who said he would do anything to win a championship now wants to be the focal point of the team which has never produced anything more than a scoring title and one trip to the finals. Rip Hamilton has been forced to the bench after being the go to guy for the past five seasons in favor of the newly acquired Iverson. Rasheed Wallace is not caring if he gets traded or not. Well with all of this, there is always next year for this team with $34 million of cap space from the expiring contracts of Iverson and Wallace.
14. Heat
D Wade is willing this team to respectability, but Shawn Marion is doing little to earn his $17.8 million. He is averaging a less than exciting 12.1PPG and 8.8RPG. Would you rather have him or David Lee who is the most underpaid player in the league $1.7 million he had an off night last night against the clippers and had 17 pts and 12 reb.
15. Hawks
This is a team on the rise as long as they can get a few more years out of Mike Bibby. They could be dangerous in the spring as they were last year.
16. Knicks
The Knicks are starting to turn the ship around but they must hope that during the off-season they resign David Lee and he develops the 3 point shot that he is saying that he will work on.
17. 76ers
Elton Band killed this season for Philly and there is no way that you can convince me that they will make a serious playoff run this season with their current roster.
18. Pacers
Danny Granger is a stud that they can build around during their long climb back to relevance in the central division. But to take over the Central Division they must hope Lebron James goes to NYC in 2010 and that the Piston’s Joe Dumars does not work his old magic to revitalize the Pistons by then.
19. Bobcats
To get better, MJ must listen to Larry Brown instead of attempting to put together a fantasy team with his drafts. Has any GM done less and maintained his job in the NBA in recent time?
20. Timberwolves
This is a good team which has had a good start to the 2009 calendar year but in the past week and a half they have leveled off. They are learning to win, and will be dangerous for years to come. Their progress will take a giant step if Kevin Love continues to develop at his current pace.
21. Nets
Vince Carter is older but still dangerous, and Devin Harris is a major piece to build around and will lead this team for years to come. If they could land LBJ in 2010 they would be a championship favorite, but it’s not happening this season.
22. Bulls
The Baby bulls are truly a young team, but are they on the rise? I say yes but no one knows for sure how great Derrick Rose will end up being over time, but the one thing that we do know is that he is a stud as a rookie and that the Bulls will not be making any noise this year but will soon unless beating the Pistons is still a feat.
23. Bucks
The Bucks were well positioned to collect the seventh or eighth playoff seed in the east until Michael Redd tore up his knee, now they are just another lottery bound door mat. This could be a blessing in disguise depending on how the lottery balls fall, and who declares for the draft. The Bucks could jump start a rebuilding process quicker than was expected by anyone.
24. Warriors
This is an interesting team because of the firepower that they posses in Jamal Crawford and Monte Ellis. Even though Ellis is still recovering from ankle surgery from the training (Moped) accident this past summer he has exhibited flashes of the player which was rewarded with a huge new contract last year.
25. Wizards
Gilbert Arenas’s injury has really hamstrung the team from a player’s standpoint because; Gilbert’s teammates are continually waiting for him to come back and save the day. He also hamstrings the franchise financially because they can not do anything with his max contract on the books even if they decided to go in a different direction.
26. Raptors
The Chris Bosh experiment needs to end soon, it is a major distraction for a team who is in a weak conference who should be easily contending for the seventh or eighth playoff seeds annually with the talent that they have, to have its best player pouting and saying he wants to leave.
27. Kings
The Kings are a mess and need a major overhauling, opps that is the problem they did a major overhauling within the last year and a half and it has not worked out. I guess we can just say it is just the Kings being the Kings, just as in football we can say it is just the Lions being the Lions, and in baseball it is just the Cubs being the Cubs. They are what we thought they were, they are the Kings
28. Grizzlies
O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol are the truth, they just needs significant help around them which will continue to come as long as they are in the lottery, which they will be this year.
29. Clippers
The Barron Davis signing and Zack Randolph trade is not working out too well for this team. It may help if Barron, Zack and Chris Kaman could stay on the court.
30. Thunder
Kevin Durant and Jeff Green are good players but this team needs a playmaker to break the defense down. Until they get a true play making point guard this team will be relegated to the bottom of the standings.
Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Why I turned off SportsCenter….
It felt way to much like Entertainment Tonight or E News. The three biggest current sports stories that are all over the national media have nothing to do with an actual game.
A-Rod admits to using steroids while playing for the Texas Rangers.
Miguel Tejada pleads guilty to lying to a grand jury.
Brett Favre retires. Again.
I get 30 seconds of highlights on a NBA game and A-Rod going on and on about how he took steroids. Guess what, I don’t care. Report it then let it go. 103 other players cheated and none of them was called out. Baseball should have had rules in place and testing set up and it got exactly what it deserved. Does anyone still think baseball was clean?
I am glad Brett Favre retired because I believe he got that last little itch out. He already got all of his retirement stuff out of the way last year so this time let’s just let him go out quietly. To me his legacy is not tarnished by the last year with the Jets or coming out of retirement last year. When you are a professional athlete you should get to decide when you give it up just like any other normal person can.
I don’t know if it is just me but when I was a kid all you heard about was what happened on the field and not all this other stuff. I long for those days again. I don’t need a feel good story or a police blotter to enjoy sports. I am not naïve enough to believe that athletes don’t cause trouble or do charity work just like any non-professional athlete. I just want to root for my favorite teams and athletes and I need every detail of their private life.
JD is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at jdthesportsguy@gmail.com
A-Rod admits to using steroids while playing for the Texas Rangers.
Miguel Tejada pleads guilty to lying to a grand jury.
Brett Favre retires. Again.
I get 30 seconds of highlights on a NBA game and A-Rod going on and on about how he took steroids. Guess what, I don’t care. Report it then let it go. 103 other players cheated and none of them was called out. Baseball should have had rules in place and testing set up and it got exactly what it deserved. Does anyone still think baseball was clean?
I am glad Brett Favre retired because I believe he got that last little itch out. He already got all of his retirement stuff out of the way last year so this time let’s just let him go out quietly. To me his legacy is not tarnished by the last year with the Jets or coming out of retirement last year. When you are a professional athlete you should get to decide when you give it up just like any other normal person can.
I don’t know if it is just me but when I was a kid all you heard about was what happened on the field and not all this other stuff. I long for those days again. I don’t need a feel good story or a police blotter to enjoy sports. I am not naïve enough to believe that athletes don’t cause trouble or do charity work just like any non-professional athlete. I just want to root for my favorite teams and athletes and I need every detail of their private life.
JD is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at jdthesportsguy@gmail.com
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Fantasy Basketball - Pick-up of the Week (Update from 1/27)
I hope you heeded my advice in my Fantasy Advice Pick-up of the Week on 1/27. I suggested that you immediately pick-up Ramon Sessions due to the injury to Michael Redd. In the five games that he played without Redd, he averaged 16.2 points, 2.8 boards, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steals a game.
I also said that his numbers would be even better if he took over the point guard duty from Luke Ridnour. Well, Ridnour is now out 3-5 weeks with a broken thumb. In the two games without both Redd and Ridnour, he's averaged 35.0 points, 4.5 boards, 9.5 assists, 2.0 steal a game. That will make a big difference for the playoff stretch. What's amazing to me is that in Yahoo! leagues, he's only owned in 68% of leagues. He should be owned universally in all leagues and all formats! If you're in one of the 32% of the leagues that he's not owned in, please do yourself a favor.
DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com
Random Grammy Thoughts
I'm not all that into award shows, but I did get a chance to watch the Grammy's on Sunday. The lasting image I have is the VERY PREGNANT (as in, due date was that same day pregnant) M.I.A. performing T.I.'s Swagga Like Us along with Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne. Wow, what is she wearing???? It was good to see Jennifer Hudson win the first Grammy of the telecast for Best R&B album. She returned to the national spotlight by singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Let's hope there is more good news for the singer, that lost her mother, brother, and nephew a few months ago.
DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com
Games 2 Watch (G2W) 2/10/09 to 2/12/09:
The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 2/10/09 to 2/12/09:
Tuesday 2/10/09 - NCAAB - Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN
In a strange Big Ten scheduling quirk, the only meeting of the season for these rivals.
Wednesday - 2/11/09 - NCAAB - North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils - 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on ESPN (*Game of the Mid-week)
Carolina vs. Duke is the best college basketball rivalry.
Thursday - 2/12/09 - NCAAB - UCLA Bruins at Arizona State Sun Devils - 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on ESPN
Watch one of the best nationally unknown players in the country in James Harden of ASU.
We'll also end with the game results from the last G2W.
Friday 2/6/09 - NBA - Suns 115 Warriors 105
Saturday 2/7/09 - NCAAB - Memphis 68 Gonzaga 50
Sunday 2/8/09 - NBA - Lakers 101 Cavs 91 (*Game of the Weekend - Cavs suffer 1st home loss of the season)
Monday 2/9/09 - 24
DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com
DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com
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