We Said That

Earl Sweatshirt and Random Thoughts

2012-02-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

First things first, Earl Sweatshirt is Home. And boy is he! I'm delighted to have him back, and it appears he hasn't lost a step in his absence. Very excited to hear some new stuff from him this year.

Ah. The Super Bowl. There's not much to say that hasn't been said, other than I really believe Chad 85 could have played a bigger impact in that game. They showed a couple of plays where Chad was one on one with a corner with no safety help. You're telling me that throwing the ball up wouldn't allow Chad to make a play or at least hope for a pass intererence? You'd rather send a crippled Gronkowski out route after route even though the Giants know he's a decoy? Chad also would have caught the game ending hailmary. One handed. So there. Congrats to the Giants.

The footage of Gronkowski dancing his ass off at the club after the Super Bowl killed me. Absolutely killed me.

As far as the reasons for Patriot hate goes, I'd go with your option #3, "Everyone is so sick of Boston sports in general that the Patriots are hated because of that." Personally, I don't hate the Patriots, but I do have a general disdain for the majority of Boston sports fans. Belichick is an easy guy to dislike, the Celtics are all dicks and the Sports Guy playing the "Woe is us! Larry Bird would have never allowed Danny Ainge to trade Kendrick Perkins. It's just a fact" card. Also, the Patriots started the run of Boston area sports good fortune so they seem to be the easiest to hate. My old man, the bandwagoner of ALL bandwagoners, even hates the Pats. The conversation below has not been altered in any way.

Pops: I hope the Patriots lose.
Me: Why?
Pops: Don't like the Patriots. Never have.
Me: Why?
Pops: I don't like Belichick and I think Tom Brady gets too much credit.
Me: Who should be getting the credit?
Pops: I don't know. Brady is pretty good...

I am extremely excited for the NFL offseason. The Bengals are coming off a good year where we made the playoffs and send 4 guys (24 years of age or younger) to the Pro Bowl. It didn't end the way I expected it to, but we have two first rounders, a lot of cap space and Mike Brown/Whoever is making decisions for Mike Brown has been somewhat competent lately. I'd love to get Trent Richardson in here to grow old with Dalton/Green, but it seems unlikely. Some O-line help, a consistent #2 WR on the other side of AJ Green (Pierre Garcon maybe?) and some help in the secondary and I think we're back in the playoff hunt next year. Really looking forward to this offseason.

It's almost time for baseball as well! I'm excited about the Reds potential as Walt Jocketty appears to be going all in. He traded for Mat Latos, Sean Marshall and signed Ryan Madson to shore up the pitching. Hopefully, we have enough out of the bullpen to allow Aroldis Chapman to get a fair chance at starting. Hopefully Scott Rolen and Zack Cozart can stay healthy this year to lock down the left side of the infield. With Albert Pujols on the Angels, Prince Fielder on your Tigers and Ryan Braun on the bench for the first third of the season, I'm really hoping the Reds can take advantage of a wide open NL Central.

A couple of random NBA thoughts.

- Ricky Rubio is legit. That jumper needs worker, but he rebounds well for his size, leads the league in steals and is a terrific passer. He has share of fancy assists, behind the back/through the legs, but the touch passes and good decision making set him apart. There's a lot of Jason Kidd there in the sense that he can really have an impact on a game without taking a shot.

-Don't look now, but I think I'm becoming a LeBron James fan. I won't be getting a #6 jersey, or rooting for the Heatles anytime soon, but he's having a remarkable season and it seems to be getting overshadowed. He's taking less three pointers than he has ever has, and is hitting them at a career high rate. It seems like he really can't win though. When Miami was losing a couple games, the story was "This will never work." Now they are second in the East, and it's "This is what they are supposed to be doing." The Heat beat the Lakers with a great game by LBJ, and the story was "This is what LeBron does. He wins the regular season games, but Kobe wins in the postseason." The guy truly can't win, and for that reason I kind of want him to do so.

-Not that anybody cares or remembers a week after they were announced, but Josh Smith was robbed as a NBA All Star. The selection of Luol Deng over him is laughable. Still, the East is rolling out a Dwight-Melo-LeBron-Wade-Rose starting lineup. Sheesh.

Super Bowl

2012-02-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

I agree with you that, if Dwight has to go, Dallas - especially Dallas with Deron Williams - would be his best option. Beyond being his best option, it would be the most fun to watch. That would suck for your Magic, but it appears to be an inevitability at this point. Sorry man. If it helps at all, the Pistons are beyond terrible to watch right now (although they have won their last 2 games). I sat down to watch one of their games earlier this week, and didn't make it through the first period. Their offense never really looks like it has a plan. It's extremely stagnant.

Here's an off phenomenon I ran into this week: I was at the UPS store, and all the employees were talking about the Super Bowl. They asked who I was rooting for. "The Patriots." I was met with disgust. A girl in a Cowboys sweatshirt said, "I'm just so sick of the Patriots," and that seemed to be the general consensus among everyone there.
But why? Why is everyone sick of the Patriots and not the Giants? They haven't won a Super Bowl since 2004 (the Giants, meanwhile, won a Super Bowl in 2007). My initial thought is that it's because everyone is sick of the media over saturation of Brady and Belichick. They do get a lot of hype and coverage. But you know who else gets a lot of coverage? Manning and Coughlin. They get just as much hype and coverage. I have three possible ideas for why people are sick of the Patriots and not the Giants:

1. Of the two New York teams, the Giants are the least obnoxious. The Jets are so loud and brash that the Giants seem likable by comparison.
2. People still hate the Patriots for "SpyGate". I've even seen a handful of articles this week asking, "Do the Patriots need this Super Bowl win to legitimize their previous Super Bowl wins?" (The answer, of course, should be a resounding "no".)
3. Everyone is so sick of Boston sports in general that the Patriots are hated because of that.

Of course, there's not one answer. I'm sure it's a combination of the three, and I know there are other issues that I didn't list. If Rex Ryan wasn't the coach of the Jets, and if the Knicks were any good, I wonder if the tables would be turned.

I'm cheering for the Patriots because my older brother is a big fan. Also, I just can't bring myself to cheer for the Giants, especially this year. I just can't do it. I'm not going to be living or dying with the Patriots, obviously. If the Giants win, I won't be torn up over it. But I really would like to see the Patriots win.

As far as the game itself, I'm picking the Patriots. I could definitely see the Giants winning this game, but for some reason I'm just feeling a Patriots win. They'll be able to establish their running game, and that will help with their passing game (even with an injured Gronkowski). And here's the angle I haven't seen written up in too many places: the Giants defense is not great. They have some good players, but they have some serious issues. If they can't generate pressure with their front four on passing plays, they have a hard time covering anyone. And, with their undersized front four, they're susceptible to runs. And the Patriots have a better running game than most people seem to think.
The Giants won't be able to get much going on the ground, but that shouldn't matter too much. They should be able to light up the Patriots secondary. Between Nicks and Cruz, they'll have their hands full.
I think Brady will come out of the gates a little slow, allowing the Giants to jump out to a bit of a lead. But Brady will improve, and they'll be able to claw their way back into the game (the Giants lack of a running game will hurt them), and there will be at least one Manning interception to help the Patriots' cause, too. I think there will be a couple huge, lead-changing drives in the fourth-quarter. And the Patriots will come out on top. Something like 31-27.

Super Bowl, Fielder and Anthony Davis

2012-02-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

Dwight Howard, quote machine: Regarding Orlando's losing streak: "It happens to everybody in the league and we just have to continue to remind ourselves that we're a good team and we're going to have rough patches. We just have to stay together and remember we can't allow anything to separate us."

Except for that trade you demanded, Dwight.

Taken from basketbawful.blogspot.com, a terrific site. Dwight, please stop saying things.

We talked about it some, but this article lays it out in great detail. "It" being the possibility of Dwight Howard and Deron Williams joining Dirk in Dallas next season. Basically, the Mavs are a couple of moves away from having enough cap space to give max contracts to Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. Deron Williams is from the Dallas area. Deron and Dwight have reportedly requested to play together. New Jersey was the original plan, but Williams appears unhappy and that team is terrible. The final move was Dwight listing Dallas as a team that he would sign an extension with. Dallas doesn't have the pieces to trade for either, but with a crafty summer they could have enough money to sign both outright. If Chicago doesn't shake for Dwight, and it appears it wont, I want this to happen.

Wow at Prince Fielder going to your Tigers. That's a lot of years and a lot of money, but a 3-4 of Cabrera/Fielder should be dynamite for the next couple of years. I'm skeptical about Cabrera going to third base, but maybe he'll show up in decent shape and play a respectable third. That's all you really need with the offensive production he figures to provide. To Fielder's credit, I have been impressed with his mobility/durability for a man of his size. Can that hold up well into his 30's? We shall see, but it should provide a great next couple of seasons for Tigers fans.

I must say that I am somewhat excited for the Super Bowl. I seem to be in the minority. Part of this stems from my delight that we avoided two weeks of Harbaugh brother stories. Part of this comes from me not counting on Joe Flacco or Alex Smith to come through with a good game in the Super Bowl. Eli potentially doubling Peyton's Super Bowl wins intrigues me, and I believe he-Brady will provide the best game so I'm happy with the outcome. I'm still undecided on who wins the game though. Eli with Nicks/Cruz/Manningham against the NE secondary favors NY in a big way. I'm not sure why NYG wouldn't just find whatever WR that Edelman is covering for the entirety of the first drive. If the Patriots ending having to double cover Cruz in the slot, Nicks should get some nice looks downfield. I imagine Bradshaw/Jacobs will be able to run enough to keep NE honest, but NY should be able to move the ball fairly easily through the air. On the flip side, Gronkowski's limitations should hinder the Patriot offense. With Welker/Gronk/Hernandez, Brady gets rid of the ball quicker which somewhat neutralizes that NYG pass rush. Without Gronk, does NE turn to a Branch/Ocho for some snaps? If so, the Giants may be able to give some more attention to Welker and make Branch/Chad beat them. I'm hoping like hell that Chad gets a ring, and has some sort of impact in this game. I thought he'd have a great season with Brady, and it just hasn't worked out. There are some questions as to if he'll even be active for the game. Here's to hoping Chad gets some playing time and makes the best of it with a big catch or two. Patriots 27, Giants 23

EDIT: I just saw this story. Wow. I hope Underwood is on the phone with Tom Coughlin now going over the Patriots plays. Kinda hoping NYG wins big now.

I'm watching UK destroy South Carolina as I type. I love this team. Terrence Jones has been a new man since conference play started, and Anthony Davis is getting even better. He just broke Shaq's SEC freshman block record, and he has 22 points/8 rebounds/8 blocks with 7 minutes left in the second half. At first, I heard Tyson Chandler comparisons to Davis. Then it turned into Marcus Camby. Then a rich man's Marcus Camby. Now I'm hearing a lot of Kevin Garnett. I don't know if I see the intensity that makes KG what he is, but the skills are very similar. Davis really can do a touch of everything. I've seen him switch from guarding a center, to a point guard and back to a center on the same play. I've seen him grab the rebound and take it through his legs while bringing it up the court. I've seen him set the pick, step and shoot the jumper. I think Camby is his floor at this point. I have no idea what his ceiling is.

Paterno, Packers and Tigers

2012-01-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

I'm completely with you on Paterno. 100%. I know people like to talk good about a guy after he dies, and I get that. But to try to brush off these recent allegations is ridiculous.
Also, I kept hearing about how Paterno was a great leader of men, and how he graduated a high rate of kids. Maybe it's just me being cynical (based on what I saw at UK), but I don't trust graduation rates or high GPAs for athletes. I saw too many athletes skate by on minimal work. Now, maybe that's not true of all schools, and maybe that's not true of Penn State. Like I said, maybe I'm just cynical. But when I hear something like, "They graduated a high percentage of students, I just roll my eyes.

Pardon my absence, but I've been mourning the Packers loss. It was a tough one to take. I know it was a 17 point win for the Giants, but it shouldn't have been that bad. Rodgers missed some throws. The receivers dropped a lot of balls, ran some wrong routes, and dogged some other routes. And then there were the turnovers. It was a frustrating loss, and it was a terrible time for them to play their worst game. It's hard to come back from that. I keep telling myself, "You can't win the Super Bowl every year," but it doesn't really help.

So, I'm kind of not looking forward to the Super Bowl. I guess I'll root for the Patriots, since my brother likes them. Also, for obvious reasons, I can't bring myself to root for the Giants. Either way, I just can't get too excited about it.

But I do have something else to be excited about. Prince Fielder to the Tigers! It's huge contract...9 years, $214 million, with no opt-outs. That's a lot of years. But he's only 27 now (he'll be 28 in May), so the contract runs through age 37. That's old, especially for a guy with his defensive limitations. But he'll still be in his 30s at the end of the contract...he's not going to be in his 40s like Pujols.
It's tough. And logic tells me there are a lot of red flags. But I can't help but be excited. The Tigers are now in possession of two of the best hitters in baseball for their primes. That's pretty amazing. They're slow, but they can slug. I'm practically giddy. Opening Day can't get here soon enough.

NFL Final Four and Joe Pa

2012-01-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

First things first, Joe Paterno just passed away. I'm hearing a lot of talk about what a great man he was and how he was the epitome of character. I'm sorry, but that's the wrong answer. I'm sure Joe Pa was faced with many tests of his character and I'm sure he passed many of them. He failed the one involving letting the proper authorities know that preteen boys were being raped on his watch. I do feel for his wife, kids and grandkids that had nothing to do with this behavior, but let's not act like Joe Pa was a saint. Let's also give cancer it's due here. I hear a lot of "Penn State killed him when they took away what he loved." Not to make light of it, I'm pretty sure it was the cancer. And Penn State wouldn't have taken away what he loved if he did what he should have done. Now I'm certainly not surprised by this revisionist history. It happens every time someone with a "Controversy" tab on their Wikipedia page passes away, i.e. Michael Jackson. All I ask for is consistency. I'll argue that I don't believe Michael Jackson molested those kids, but I argued the same before he passed away. I'll argue that Joe Paterno was not a man of upstanding character now, the same way I would have before he passed away.

But enough with the juvenile sexual abuse talk. It's playoff time!

Baltimore at New England- It's no secret I'm an Ed Reed fan, but I can't condone his comments this past week. They were spot on, but they came off as an aging star worrying aloud about what could be his last shot at a ring more than a guy trying to fire up his teammates. Him naming a specific play put it over the top for me. Flacco doesn't seem the type to let these comments roll off of his back but maybe he doesn't have to. The Patriots defense, no matter how well they have been playing as of late, is not as good as the Texans defense. I'd look for Anquan Boldin to get a lot of work in this game. A steady diet of Boldin underneath and some short passes to Ray Rice could get Flacco in rhythm early. NE's pass rush has picked up lately, as the Great Bill Barnwell points out, but I don't think they will be on Flacco the way that Houston was. He should have slightly more time in the pocket today. I imagine NE puts extra men in the box and forces Flacco to beat them. I think he has a surprisingly good day. On the flip side, NE was slightly below average running the ball this season while Baltimore was great at stopping the run aka Brady is throwing the ball 50 times today. And why shouldn't he? You have to like the chances of Gronkowski/Hernandez getting open against anyone with the way they have been playing lately. Chad 85 had some decent days against these Ravens once upon a time. As Cousin Sal stated on Simmons' podcast this week, why not bring Chad in and have him run deep every single time? Worst case scenario: Ed Reed has to at least think about shading a couple steps in that direction which will open things up for Welker/Branch/Hernandez/Gronkowski. Best case: He actually gets free, and even more importantly catches the ball when it's thrown to him. It's worth a chance isn't it? It beats having Ed Reed roam around within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage because there is no deep threat to worry about. I imagine NE can keep Brady upright, as that Balitmore pass rush runs hot-and-cold. However, they won't be able to keep Brady from tossing three picks in front of the home crowd. My man E. Reed is going to the Super Bowl. Baltimore 28, New England 20.

NY Giants at San Francisco- If nothing else, this game should be aesthetically appeasing. I think San Fran has the best uniforms in the game, and the Giants cool blue lids/silver slacks along the Candlestick backdrop won't be too shabby neither. Oh, la and la *Dameshek out*. Eli has looked terrific lately and I'm not sure there is a team out there that can cover the Nicks/Cruz/Manningham trio with the way they are playing. By the way, the "Could Eli surpass Peyton?" talks delights me to no end. If there's going to be a story that's inevitably ran into the ground during the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, I'd prefer it be this one. NYG has been running the ball better as of late, but it's in their best interests not to try here as San Fran will bottle it up. San Fran's pass rush was all over Drew Brees last week and I imagine they'll do the same to Eli, granted he will be dropping back plenty this week. I'm legitimately happy for Alex Smith. It's one thing when a draft pick busts because his attitude, work ethic or addiction to codeine. It's another when it seems like injury, constant scheme changes and inept coaching have played a noticeable part in delaying your development. It's the reason I still have hope for Jason Campbell. San Fran's o-line did a good job of keeping Smith on his feet in their last meeting, but I'm not sure that success is sustainable with the way the Giants front four is playing. Even if he is upright, I'm not sure who he is throwing to. Vernon Davis will have another good day, but asking for another performance like the one he turned in last week is a bit much. Crabtree would make a decent #2 WR for someone and Ted Ginn shouldn't be running routes under any circumstances. Those options might suffice against a terrible New Orleans defense, but not here. Frank Gore should have a solid day, provided he gets more than the 13 carries he was given last week. As much as I'd love to see a Giants-Patriots rematch, I fear we are headed for the Harbaugh Bowl and the hackneyed stories to follow. Rick Reilly is on cloud nine. San Francisco 23, Giants 17

Packers vs. Giants

2012-01-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

First of all...how amazing was the end of that 49ers/Saints game yesterday? Unreal. During the last 49ers drive, when Alex Smith was just throwing dumpoffs in the middle of the field as time clicked down, I said, "This is worse than watching Jason Campbell." He must have heard me, because his next throw was a bomb to Vernon Davis, which put the 49ers in field goal range, and, as it turned out, set them up for the game-winning touchdown. Smith still took the check-down too much throughout the game, but he got the job done at the end. I was very impressed. Extremely exciting.

Okay. As I mentioned yesterday, I rewatched the Packers/Giants game from earlier this year, paying particular attention to the defensive line of the Giants. First of all, the numbers. They sacked Rodgers twice, and hit him 6 times. That's not pretty, but it's not terrible. Pierre-Paul had two of those hits. Yes, he's a monster. But he also absolutely abused Newhouse. I can't believe that the Packers won't give him a little more help on that side, even if they're only chipping him with a back. I know they can't double-team that entire line, but I really believe that, if they can give Newhouse some help with Pierre-Paul, they'll be fine along the line.

And yes, the Giants get pressure on the QB. But, when I was watching the game, it didn't seem like they were getting consistent pressure just with their front four. Of course, they were able to get some pressure with those guys, but not as much as I would have thought, especially with how much everyone seems to talk about it. To get consistent pressure, they had to bring at least 5 guys. And Rodgers will absolutely shred a team that blitzes. Taken from Football Outsiders: "You do not want to blitz Aaron Rodgers, period. Every year, Rodgers has better numbers against the blitz than he does against a standard pass rush...[in 2001] Rodgers has 7.8 yards per play against three or four rushers, 9.2 yards per play against five, and 10.8 yards per play against six or more."

A couple more points.

As I mentioned in my last post, Clifton and Sitton were both out in their first meeting. They'll be back in this game. As much as that will help their passing game, it should help their running game even more. That doesn't mean the Packers are going to run all over the Giants, but they should have a decent running game, which will set up the play-action pass.

Also, Rodgers didn't necessarily have his best game the last time they met. Sure, he threw for 369 yards and 4 TDs, but he also threw an INT (which led to a touchdown for the Giants) and only completed 60.9% of his passes. And a lot of those misfires weren't a result of New York's rush: he just missed some throws. And his receivers dropped a number of passes (they were listed as having 6 drops, but I counted 8). Some of those were Finley, and he's been dropping quite a few, so we can't take those away. But Jennings dropped 2 easy passes (one of which was on third down), and Driver dropped at least one. Those guys don't normally drop passes, especially Jennings.

Another major point in this one is the number of takeaways by the Packers defense and the number of turnovers by the Giants offense. On the year, the Giants offense produced 24 turnovers, and their defense accounted for 31 takeaways. The Packers offense produced only 14 turnovers, while their defense accounted for 38 takeaways. So the Giants gave the ball away 10 more times than the Packers, and produced 7 less takeaways. So I can see the Packers forcing a couple huge turnovers here.

Add that to a healthy offensive line, and the Packers have the clear edge. They'll be able to get the running game going, and Rodgers will have a more accurate day this time around.

I'm nervous. I'm excited. Can't wait for this game to get started.

Round 2 Playoff Picks and Shaq vs. Dwight Part 117

2012-01-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

NO- San Fran just kicked off and it's already 50-0...actually, it's 17-0 but it might as well be 50-0. New Orleans defense hasn't even been on the field long enough to get exposed. 3 early turnovers are killer against this San Fran defense and crowd. Not to say Drew Brees can't put up 17 points in three drives, but with a couple of TD's on the board, San Fran should be able to pad their points with FG after FG to keep their lead. I believe this one is over. I had every intention of picking NO just because I'd really like to see NO-GB go at it again. Maybe next year.

*Smash cut to New Orleans scoring 49 unanswered points*

Denver at New England- Agreed. That Pitt-Denver game was fantastic. Denver ran the ball with great success the first time around playing the Pats. Even Dan Dierdorf knows that the longer Denver has the ball/the less Tom Brady has the ball, the better Denver will fare. Denver also had a run of bad luck in that game with three second quarter turnovers. I can't see that happening again. Demaryius Thomas should be able to handle whatever Pats DB lines up across from him. Denver also caught a Pittsburgh team in the middle of a terrible run of injuries. Roethlisberger was hobbled and Mendenhall went down in Week 17 (Though Redman filled in admirably). Ryan Clark sat out due to his sickle cell condition(Love Tomlin saying that he wouldn't let his own son play, so Clark was a no go) and then lost two defensive lineman in the first quarter. And it still took overtime to get past Pittsburgh. But I've been saying New England was prime for another playoff letdown, and I'll stick to it. I think Denver has more success running the ball. I think they cut the turnovers and I think Eddie Royal getting a few more snaps because of Decker's injury is a good thing. Aaron Hernandez went wild last time, but Welker/Gronkowski were held in check. Unless Chad Johnson awakes from the dead, Denver can probably stand to keep two of those three in check again. The second quarter turnovers in the first game really seemed to be the difference, as NE got 20 points from them and Denver had to change what was working with them. I get the feeling we're getting one more week of Tebow stories. Denver 24, New England 20.

Texans at Ravens- While Joe Flacco is capable of a terrible game, and I see him having one in these playoffs, I don't think it's here though. Quite the opposite: Flacco shreds this Texans defense and really dupes people into thinking he's turned the corner. Flacco and Sanchez seem to be neck in neck in "turn the corner" performances. They could stink it up for a month straight, but one 3TD-0 INT performance means they've turned the corner. Houston's defense looked good against Cincy, but we missed a lot of opportunities. I think Yates is the one that melts down here with Suggs breathing down his neck all game. It's been a relatively quiet year for my man, E. Reed. An interception and a forced fumble bring him back on the radar. We're looking at Broncos-Ravens for the AFC championship. Eek. Baltimore 31, Texans 13.

Giants at Packers- I can see the mystique with picking the Giants for the upset, as they pass the ball well (GB's defense last in the league in passing yards allowed) and they can rush the passer (GB gave up 41 sacks this year). As you mentioned, The Pack will have a couple of offensive lineman back in the lineup tomorrow which should help tremendously. The Giants other strength, throwing the ball, is great but they're facing at team that can do that too. And they can do it better than NY can. And they get their top receiver back. The Giants run defense is middle of the pack in terms of yards allowed, so Green Bay could find moderate success there but I see a shootout in this one. NY will have Mario Manningham back and Brandon Jacobs is looking better, but I can't see Manning/Nicks/Cruz/Manningham winning a shootout with Rodgers/Jennings/Nelson/Driver/Finley. Here's to hoping Randall Cobb gets a big play or two in. Green Bay 41, New York 37

I hope you're sitting down for this one: Shaq is an idiot and he's doing all he can to ruin TNT's great work. To no one's surprise, he forces unfunny jokes, horribly overlaughs and adds no genuine analysis to the game. The other night was a treat though, as TNT had the Golden State-Orlando game. Cut to Dwight Howard warming up before the game and Charles Barkley/Kenny Smith really playing up the "Superman" nickname. Shaq is obviously bothered by it. He then goes on to say that Andrew Bynum is the best center in the league. To be fair to Shaq, Charles Barkley brought it up as he was mentioning how wrong Chris Webber was for making the same claim. To be fair to the side of logical though, Webber and Shaq are wrong. Shaq said if Dwight is an elite center averaging the 18-14 he had going into the Golden State game, then Bynum was elite with the 17-13 he was averaging. Nevermind the fact that Bynum was getting more field goal attempts and converting them at a worse percentage. Never mind the fact that Bynum has one of the best players in league history to draw attention away from him. Shaq's argument is that because Bynum is better offensively than Howard, he is the league's best center. I will give Bynum that, but Dwight's superior rebounding/defense/passing make this an easy decision. In addition to his statistical advantages at points/rebounds, Dwight averages twice as many assists and steals as Bynum. Their blocks per game are about the same, but there is no question as to who the better defender is. Surely Bynum has dominated Dwight in head to head competition, right? Wrong again. In 10 regular season games against one another, Dwight's averages are 20 ppg/12 rpg/2.4 bpg/59% FT shooting. Bynum checks in at 9 ppg/6rpg/2.5 bpg/49% FG. Well those numbers aren't fair as Dwight was getting big minutes when Bynum was still riding the LA bench. OK, let's look at the last 5 meetings then dating back to 2009: Dwight- 23 ppg/15rpg/ 2.6 bpg/59% FG. Bynum- 10.8 ppg/9 rpg/2.6 bpg/ 44% FG. Hmm, that doesn't help the either. Well those are meaningless regular season games, right? Let's check the averages of when the two met in the 2009 Finals for all the marbles. Dwight, in a series that he STILL catches criticism for his play- 15 ppg/15rpg/4bpg/49%FG. Bynum- 6 ppg/4rpg/0.6bpg/36%FG. To be fair to Bynum he only played 19 minutes per game in that season. To be fair to Dwight, it's because he constantly found himself on the bench because he couldn't guard Dwight without fouling. But back to Shaq. Shaq also mentioned that Bynum hits his free throws, unlike Howard. Touche`, O'Neal. Bynum does have the FT% advantage on Dwight this year: 55%-46%. Both are abysmal. Shaq's foolish statements were before the game. Fast forward to after the game and Dwight finishes with 45 points/23 rebounds/4 steals/3 assists/2 blocks. Shaq was unimpressed saying that Dwight to be dominant, he needs to average 28 ppg/15 rpg every season. Dominant numbers indeed...so dominant that Shaq himself never hit them.

At that very moment, I decided I want Dwight to dominate for the next 10 years. He won't wipe Shaq from the record books with per game statistics, but because of his earlier start and durability, he has a chance to surpass Shaq in quantitative numbers. To do this, he will need an elite point guard. I want him to continue to dominate the Defensive Player of the Year in a way Shaq never did. To do this, he will need a great defensive coach. I want him to win 5+ titles, just so he can have one up on Shaq. To do this, he will need a great team. I want him in Chicago. Dallas would accomplish these things, but only if Deron Williams joins he and Dirk. Chicago has it all now. Derrick Rose, Tom Thibodeau's defensive scheme and the pieces they would have left behind after a potential trade (Dwight-Boozer-Turkoglu-Hamilton-Rose would be the core after Noah/Deng/Gibson/picks are presumably traded for Dwight/Turk). Of course this will never happen, as Chicago is not one of Dwight's desired destinations, the team will never he his as long as Rose is around and there are rumors that Adidas will do all they can to avoid having their two most marketable players on the same team. It's fun to dream though. Fuck Shaq.

Playoffs: Round 2

2012-01-14T13:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my absence. I don't have much of an excuse. I've been keeping up with my horror movie blog pretty regularly, and I just couldn't find the energy to do this one last week. Which is pretty ridiculous. There were 4 NFL games on last weekend. And, while I've been trying to catch NHL and NBA games here and there, I haven't really been able to watch too many. Which means I would only have been writing about the NFL last week, and I still didn't do it. That, my friend, is lazy.

In this post, I'll just do the picks. I rewatched the Packers/Giants game from earlier this year, then decided to run down some numbers of both teams throughout the season. I'll get into that a little more in tomorrow's post. But, for now, picks.

49ers over Saints

Just a feeling. Watching the Saints the last few weeks, I feel like the Saints should win, but I think the 49ers will pull it out. They'll be able to shut down the Saints running game, and they'll be able to take advantage of the Saints mistakes (I can see two Bress interceptions in this game, both of which will lead to points for the 49ers). The 49ers will struggle to score too many points, but their turnover free day will help propel them into the next round. 49ers 24, Saints 21.

Patriots over Broncos

I loved the Broncos/Steelers game. Far and away the best game of the opening round. The big talking point after this game will be how the Patriots and their last-ranked passing defense held Tebow to fewer yards than the Steelers. And why is that? Because they'll keep at least one safety deep to prevent against the big play. The Broncos will be able to run, but it won't be enough. It was a great run, but it ends here. Patriots 35, Broncos 24.

Texans over Ravens

But only because I can see Flacco having a TERRIBLE game. 45% completion, 175 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT (with one of those returned for a TD). The Texans won't have to throw much, but they'll get a couple big plays out of their passing game. Texans 28, Ravens 21.

Packers over Giants

I keep hearing that the Giants will be able to get pressure with their front 4 and be able to drop the rest into coverage. I'll get more into this tomorrow, but I don't really buy it. They're good, but they weren't able to get consistent pressure with their front four in their first meeting, and that was with the Packers missing Sitton and Clifton (both of whom will be back for the game tomorrow). The Giants front four looked great against the run, but the Packers are a passing team. They won't be able to generate enough pressure to stop the Packers. In their last meeting, Rodgers was a little off his game at the beginning, and they were still able to put up 38 points on the Giants. The Giants can win, but they would need to play a near-perfect game on both sides of the ball, while the Packers offense would have to be off. I don't see it happening. Packers 35, Giants 24.

Playoff Picks Round 1

2012-01-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

Currently watching the Magic take on the Bulls. Dwight had a great first quarter to the tune of 14 points/5 boards in the first quarter alone. Sidebar: He and Derrick Rose would be terrifying together. Joakim Noah is a solid center, but the talent gap between he and Howard is ridiculous. He's started the season as a man possessed. In the six games since a lackluster performance in the opener against OKC, he has hit 20 rebounds three times and registered at least three blocks five times. His assist numbers don't show it but he's passing the ball much better out of the post. I can't enjoy it too much because I don't know when it will end, but he's looked terrific. The charity stripe is kicking his ass though: 42% FT. Also, kudos to ESPN for letting Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy handle the announcing. Chris Mullin wasn't working as Mark Jackson's replacement, so they have decided (temporarily at least) to let Breen-JVG work games.

Playoff football is among us. Delightful.

Cincinnati at Houston- Kinda sucks leading off the playoff action. If we lose this one, I'm probably done with pigskin for the weekend. I do have a good feeling about this one, despite the fact that Houston beat us in Cincy less than a month ago. First of all, Houston hasn't won a game since. They have lost three straight games, two of which at home and all were games where they appeared to have been giving effort. Cincy isn't exactly playing like world beaters, but we did win two of three to close out the season. Rhythm matters in the NFL and the Texans don't have it right now. TJ Yates got hurt and missed most of the last game. Arian Foster sat out last week. Andre Johnson still isn't 100% from his hamstring injury and has caught two passes in the past month. Second of all, all the pressure is on Houston. This is their first playoff appearance. They are the higher seed. They are at home. They have the third ranked defense facing off against a rookie QB. Third, we played a good game against Houston. Towards the end of the game, we tried to scoop up a fumble and it bounced back to Houston. Yates promptly led two 80 yard drives to win the game. That won't happen this time. Yates was sacked six times in the first meeting, and that was without Carlos Dunlap. Outside of one big run, we bottled up the running game. I think Cincy wins a close one. Cincinnati 23, Houston 19

Lions at Saints- Did you know the Saints were 6th in the league in rushing? Me neither. Detroit is in the bottom third of the league in stopping the run. The Saints have Drew Brees. The Lions are in the bottom third of the league at stopping the pass. The reason I can't get hyped over Drew Brees' passing yardage record? Matt Stafford went for 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns this season! Matt Stafford! New Orleans is horrible at stopping the pass. Besides Calvin Johnson's customer 130 yard & 2 TD day, I can see Brandon Pettigrew having a big day. Stafford goes for 350+ and 3 or 4 TD's...and Detroit still loses by double digits. Brees has a modest day, for him, as Sproles runs wild. New Orleans 48, Detroit 37

Falcons at Giants- I haven't really been impressed by the Falcons all year, yet they managed to win 10 games. In Simmons playoff podcast, Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders stated the Falcons have been the most consistent team they have ever measured. For the most part, you know what you're getting out of them week to week. It's the Giants you have to worry about. I think the good Giants show up here. I cant see Dunta Robinson/Brent Grimes keeping up with the Giants receivers. Hakeem Nicks has size advantage on Robinson and Victor Cruz has a talent advantage on Brent Grimes. Turner should have a decent enough day, but the cold weather of NY and Giants front four on his ass is no good for Matt Ryan. I do expect at least one phenomenal play from Ghoulio Jones though. He's made some outstanding catches this year...that haven't counted. I'd love to see a compilation of his best non-catches due to not getting both feet in bounds or a play getting called back because of penalty. Giants 27, Falcons 16

Steelers at Broncos- Rashard Mendenhall wasn't great but he was reasonably consistent. I think the Steelers get an early lead, but struggle to hold on to it without him. Champ Bailey seemed fired up after last week's loss, so I imagine he plays a good game...probably against Antonio Brown. I don't know what's left for Pittsburgh's offense though. Mike Wallace can always break a big one, but long plays are so inconsistent. Roethlisberger is still hobbled, but Von Miller and that Denver pass rush have been lackluster in recent weeks. I think Tebow will be able to scramble for a first down or three, but Harrison and crew will ultimately keep his rushing yards limited. The Steelers D is a terrible match up for the Broncos offense, as two Tebow interceptions will prove. Steelers 26, Broncos 10

NFL Thoughts

2012-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

I didn't make any picks before the games because I didn't have many thoughts on them. So few of the games actually mattered, so I couldn't really make any picks. I was going to pick Cincinnati to win, which obviously didn't happen. But it didn't really matter too much, because they ended up making the playoffs anyway. I'm happy that they made it (especially since they have a winnable match-up with the Texans coming up next week), but I think I'm happier that the Jets didn't make it. I'm excited for a Jets-free playoffs.

There is one game left tonight. Dallas/New York. Everything seems to be pointing to a Giants win, but I can't shake the feeling that the Cowboys are going to win tonight.

You asked me a question today about Flynn being a starting QB in the NFL. I think he could do it, but I do think he needs some work (which sounds a little ridiculous after watching him throw for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns today). He seems to struggle with pressure. He did better with it in this game, but he still seemed to get a little skittish when the Lions brought pressure.
But, from what I saw, that seemed to be his only major issue. Obviously, once there's a little more tape on him, he'll have to make adjustments. But he was decisive and accurate, which is really what most young starters seem to be missing. He'll make a lot of money this offseason, and I think he could be a solid starter for a number of teams. We were talking about what teams would probably pursue him in free agency. Here is the list of teams I think will make a run at him: Seattle, Washington, Cleveland, Miami and Jacksonville. I could see Kansas City, Buffalo, or even the Jets making a run at him, too.

The Legend of MKG and Week 17 Picks

2011-12-31T14:50:00.001-08:00

Glad you got to take an extended look at Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist today. MKG carried the Cats through the first half and finished with 24 points and 19 rebounds. Davis sat most of the first half but scored all 18 of his points in the second half, to go along with 10 boards, 6 blocks and 3 steals. MKG-Davis are fast becoming two of my favorite Cats ever. They know what they do well and they know what they don't do well. They do a lot of what they excel at and limit the things they aren't so great at. They bust their ass every possession on both ends of the court. I love watching them play. News of a Breakfast Club within the team has made its way public. Everyday MKG would get to the gym early to stretch, hit the weights and take a few shots before breakfast and team practice. At Cal's suggestion, he invited a couple of guys and now has a majority of the team joining him every morning. I love it. It's refreshing to hear, especially when you see a guy like Terrence Jones on the same team. Jones could be the best player in the nation, if he wanted it badly enough. Instead, he checks out of games when things aren't going his way and sulks on the bench. I'm sure you saw Jones get stuffed time after time after going up weak around the bucket. Meanwhile, MKG (giving up 2 inches/20+ pounds) went up strong and either got the bucket, the foul or both. I can't say enough about this guy.

We talked about this, but I think it's worth mentioning again: Is Andrew Luck really that much better of a prospect than Robert Griffin III? I get that Luck has the ideal size and ability to pretty much run his own offense. Still, with the NFL becoming a passing league, I think the scheme/offensive coordinator a guy works with in the NFL can be just as critical to his success. Look at the early success of Cam Newton and Andy Dalton. Both have offenses that allow them to work to their strengths. Look at Tim Tebow. That offensive system was pretty much rebuilt on the fly with Tebow installed as a starter. I do think that Luck will be a nice NFL QB, but I hear rumors that the Browns are looking to trade the picks acquired in the Julio Jones trade and move up for a QB. I'm terrified that QB might be RGIII. More so than it being Luck. I just think in this evolving league, things evolve together. With quarterbacks proving to be more critical to a team's offense, pass rushers will counter and prove to be just as important to a team's defense. When you've got young guys like Jason Pierre-Paul and Aldon Smith making an impact early in their careers, you need a QB that can move. Luck can get himself out of trouble, but I don't like his chances if he goes to the Colts and has the likes of Mario Williams breathing down his neck. I just think of a top 10 team with some pieces like Miami or Kansas City getting Griffin and becoming interesting immediately, while Luck has a subpar line and an aging Reggie Wayne to throw to in Indianapolis.

Pick time.

New Orleans over Carolina- New Orleans barely beat Carolina the first time around, but NO has gotten it together since their week 5 meeting and are still trying to get the #2 seed in the NFC. Cammy Cam does have a slight chance to go over 5,000 total yards though. I think this one will be a 45-28 type of game.

New England over Buffalo- I thought New England had the #1 seed locked but no so. They lock it up here early enough to sit Brady the fourth quarter. Shoutout to CJ Spiller for picking up the pieces after Fred Jackson's injury and helping Team Drederick Tatum bring home the fantasy pigskin championship.

Minnesota over Chicago- I continue to like Christian Ponder. Chicago fans continue to hate Caleb Hanie.

Miami over NY Jets- Cincy can still get in the playoffs with a loss if the Dolphins take care of business. I think the Dolphins get the win here, against their best interest. They should be playing for a chance to get RGIII.

San Francisco over St. Louis- The 49ers are really good and I still have no interest in watching this game.

Detroit over Green Bay- Hoping to see a couple of Flynn to Cobb touchdowns here as I presume GB rests their starters for most of the game.

Philadelphia over Washington- Washington's another team that could end up with RGII, though for his sake I hope he doesn't wind up there. Cue the "Dream Team Reloaded?" offseason stories about the Eagles.

Indianapolis over Jacksonville- Do you think the Colts fans would prefer Luck and trading Manning BUT they get rid of Jim Caldwell? Or trading Luck for pieces, getting a healthy Manning but a contract extension for Caldwell?

Houston over Tennessee- For Houston's sake, I hope they get something together to end the season on. They've looked pitiful since TJ Yates made fools of the Bengals defense. If Cincy and Houston both win, we get a rematch.

Seattle over Arizona- I'll tell you who doesn't care about this game: Me.

Denver over Kansas City- If this game wasn't in Denver, I'd probably pick Kansas City. It's not. So I won't. Denver locks up the AFC West.

Atlanta over Tampa Bay- Sweet Tebow, the Falcons got drubbed against the Saints. Too bad, the Bucs get drubbed every week.

Cincinnati over Baltimore- I think we get the win for these reasons: 1- The game sold out. The fans will be rocking against a division foe with a playoff spot on the line. 2- We lost by a touchdown in Baltimore the first time we played. AJ Green missed that game. He's healthy now. 3- Andy Dalton had his worst game of the season without Green. He's had 5 TD's-1 INT since that game. Add in that Boldin will likely miss the game and Flacco hasn't been playing well. I think Cincy gets the win and the #6 seed.

Pittsburgh over Cleveland- If I'm Pittsburgh, I rest Roethlisberger for this one...but have him dress Chaz Batch can put enough points on the board to beat the Browns, and if it looks shaky in the second half bring Big Ben in.

San Diego over Oakland- Carson Palmer with the season on the line. Say no more.

Giants over Dallas- Unless Dallas has devised a plan to block Jason Pierre-Paul, or Romo's hand has miraculously healed in a week, I think NY gets the victory.