It's about time I went with a Michael Jackson song for music video of the week. So let's go with his song Bad from 1987.
Kofod
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Music Video the Week April 24th
Anyone who has been watching the NFL Draft for the past two days knows they have been playing the Jay-Z, Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind constantly. It makes perfect sense with the draft in NYC. Needless to say the song is stuck in my head so that means it's the music video of the week.
Kofod
Kofod
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Players I Like and Don't Like in 2010 NFL Draft
It's almost here. Come Thursday Night the NFL Draft will begin. I can't wait! I love the NFL Draft. So I thought I would do a blog on what prospects I think will do great in the NFL (who I like), prospects I think will have trouble in the NFL either because of talent or attitude (who I don't like), and prospects I am just not sure about if they will do good or bad in the league (Eh...Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like). For the record last year the player I thought was THE BEST player available in the draft was Percy Harvin, and he went 12. In 2007 I thought Adrian Peterson was far and away THE BEST player available and he went 7. But for everyone I get right, I will get one wrong too. In 2005 I thought Reggie Bush was the next Marshall Faulk, and while he has made some spectacular plays he's nowhere near Faulk level. This year I think RB C.J. Spiller, and S Eric Berry are the two BEST players available. So here's my list (offensive lineman are not included...I'm sure some will be good, some won't be good, but I'm going to pretend I am an expert on the offensive lineman available).
QB- 2 Great, 2 okay, and 4 that stink.
Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma Like- Best overall QB available. I think he's smart and will do just fine in a pro style offense. No worries about his shoulder.
Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame Like- If Clausen is available to Buffalo at 9 I want the Bills to take him. He's got a great arm, is athletic, and I love that cocky confidence he brings. He is exactly the jolt of energy the Bills could use.
Colt McCoy QB Texas Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- I think McCoy will be ok. Clausen and Bradford will be great. McCoy? Eh, not so much. I think he will be a servicable QB. His size worries me, but Drew Brees is doing just fine as a short guy.
Tim Tebow QB Florida Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- I think Tebow can be ok if put in the right system with smart coaches. If teams like Jacksonville, Buffalo, Oakland, or Denver draft Tebow hoping for a savior they will be sorely dissapointed. But if a team like Arizona, Minnesota, Washington, or Houston drafts him and let's him develop, than down the road he can be ok, like McCoy. But not great like Bradford or Clausen.
Dan LeFevour QB Central Michigan Don't Like- I worry he's just a system QB, like Andre Ware and Danny Wuerffel were.
Tony Pike QB Cincinnati Don't Like- Kase's boy. Def. not mine. Way too inconsistent for my liking. A 3rd string QB at best.
Jevan Snead QB Mississippi Don't Like- Coming into the 2009 college football season Snead was viewed as a 1st or 2nd round pick. Then he underachieved, and instead of coming back for his senior season, he left early. Stay away from Snead.
Jonathan Crompton QB Tennessee Don't Like- Various websites have Crompton as a 3rd round pick. I have no idea why. He sucked at Tennessee.
RB- ESPN.com's Bill Simmons said that after Spiller the RB crop was very weak. I could not disagree more. I think this RB crop is a loaded as any Draft I can remember.
C.J. Spiller RB Clemson Like- Best offensive player available. Spiller dominated my Noles defense, and every other ACC defense. He can run and catch. Guy's a playmaker on special teams too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlyYj0HtY9c . He will be one of the 5 best RB's in the league within 2 years, if not sooner. If he's not taken in the Top 10 it's an absolute crime.
Jahvid Best RB California Like- He wants to make the amazing play everytime he touches the ball. Sometimes it works http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VJ3MJoYNnU . Sometimes it doesn't http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyv4du7BTOc . The fact that he is injury prone is a worry, but this guy is loaded with talent.
Toby Gerhart RB Stanford Like- I love Gerhart. He was my vote for last year's Heisman, and I think he will be a stud in the NFL. Ready for this?... A better version of Jerome Bettis. Yeah I said it.
Montario Hardesty RB Tennessee Like- This guy carried a weak Tennessee team behind a terrible o-line, and a bad set of QB's. He's tough an d had to go up against SEC teams week in and week out. He's battled tested and def. can be a starter in the NFL.
Joe McKnight RB Southern California Like- Besides the fact both went to USC, McKnight reminds me a whole lot like Reggie Bush. McKnight can make amazing plays http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGM8EhyJ7Hw , but like Bush he will not be an every down back. A team like the Colts, Patriots, Ravens, Vikings, or Chargers would benefit greatly from drafting McKnight.
James Starks RB Buffalo Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like -Made plays before his injury http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaMmHWpXwZg . But not sure if he can make it in the NFL.
LeGarrette Blount RB Oregon Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- Obviously character is an issue with this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d0jCLtHA1Y . But passed that I'm just not sure he has enough speed, and overall talent to exceed in the league.
Stafon Johnson RB Southern California Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- Look I am rooting for him after he nearly died from dropping a weight on his throat. But the fact is the guy barely got playing time at USC. Not sure he's talented enough.
Jonathan Dwyer RB Georgia Tech Don't Like- Not a fan of this guy at all. He just failed a drug test. He has consistent weight problems. And he excelled in a run-opition offense where he constantly got the ball. This will not happen in the NFL. Big stay away for this guy.
Ben Tate RB Auburn Don't Like- Scouts and NFL Draft gurus are salivating over what he did in drills. But this guy did nothing on the field at Auburn. I think he's the most overated offensive prospect in this draft.
WR- The Headline Guy is Dez Bryant. But there are a lot of other great WR's available too.
Golden Tate WR Notre Dame Like - Everyone loves Bryant. I think Tate is better. This guy just seems like a gamer, who can make plays, catch the deep ball, and not be afraid to get a little dirty.
Demaryius Thomas WR Georgia Tech Like- This guy is big, has good hands, and has great game speed. He came from a rough childhood, and has seemed to grow into a great guy. And he played at GT in a run opition offense where he never got the ball. And he never complained about it. Love this guy.
Arrelious Benn WR Illinois Like- This guys is real good. Injuries and the fact Juice Williams was his QB hampered him, But make no mistake this guy is fast and can make plays.
Dexter McCluster WR Mississippi Like- This guy can play RB or WR. He will fit perfectly in a wildcat system like he did at Ole Miss. Reminds me a lot of Percy Harvin.
Mardy Gilyard WR Cincinnati Like- The 4.61 40 time will hurt his draft stock. But everytime I watched him at Cincy he clearly possessed "football speed" on the field. In the Sugar Bowl beatdown Cincy had against Florida, Gilyard was the only guy on either side of the ball for Cincy who could have started for Florida.
Eric Decker WR Minnesota Like- Every year the NFL has a couple of white WR's who excel in the league. Add Decker to this list.
Jordan Shipley WR Texas Like- See Eric Decker.
Armanti Edwards QB/WR Appalachian State Like- Remember this guy? He was the QB who lead App State to a win over Michigan in 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mowF2nVdsMQ&feature=related . He ran a 4.43, he's an athlete, and will try to be a WR in the NFL. Why can't he be the next Antwaan Randle El?
Freddie Barnes WR Bowling Green Like- He had a NCAA record 155 catches last year for Bowling Green. However, he only ran a 4.67. So he won't go until late, but he has hands. He can make it in the NFL.
Riley Skinner WR Florida Don't Like- The one white WR I don't like. He's amazing in the NCAA Football 09, and NCAA Football 10 video games. But in real life he underachieved at Florida, and dropped many passes.
Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma State Don't Like- Kase likes him and will defend him http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/531781.html . I don't like him and won't defend him. Look I'm not saying he won't do well in the league. He probably will. But his attitude scares me to death. Too much of a diva quality for my taste. I'd much rather have Golden Tate.
Damian Williams WR USC Don't Like- Scouts and NFL Draft gurus love him. But since Keyshawn Johnson what great lengthy WR has USC produced. Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett were busts. I think the same thing will be true for Damian Williams.
Mike Williams WR Syracuse Don't Like- This guy screams red flags. Failed out of Cuse one year, then quit on the team the next year. Way too many character flaws for a team to take a chance on him.
TE- A couple of keepers, and one questionable.
Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma Like- Look the fact he missed the whole year off an ACL injurt worries you. But in a league where more TE's are making catches and plays Gresham can def. do that.
Rob Gronkowski TE Arizona Like- Best TE in college football last season. Will do well in the NFL.
Aaron Hernandez TE Florida Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- Not sure what to make of this guy. He excelled at Florida in that spread offense. In drove me nuts when he would get shuttle passes from Tebow and gain 20 yards running it. Always worked against FSU. That crap won't happen in the NFL. To me this guy screams Boom or Bust. I'd go with Bust, if I had to pick one.
DT- Some future All-Pros here.
Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska Like- It seemed for sure when the college football season ended last January Suh would go #1. Now it looks like he will go #2. A lot of hype for this guy. All of it much deserved. Sports Illustrated said he was the college football player of the decade for 2000's. I wouldn't go that far, but if the over/under for Suh's Pro Bowl is 5, I will take the over.
Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma Like- I like McCoy. He will be great as well. However, he should not be picked ahead of Suh. I think Suh is better.
Terrence Cody DT Alabama Like- I love Mount Cody. Hell, I had him in my top 4 for the Heisman last year. I know weight is a concern, but this guy is the real deal. He will draw double teams, and can stuff the line. He should be a 1st round pick, but probably won't be.
LB/DE- Talented Players Abound
Rolando McClain ILB Alabama Like- Nick Saban loved this guy. Not only did this guy constantly make takles, but he also called all plays on D, and was allowed to change them on the fly. Think Peyton Manning on defense. A top 20 talent for sure.
Sergio Kindle OLB Texas Like- This guy has an on and off switch. That's a concern, but when he's on, oh man is he on.
Jerry Hughes OLB TCU Like- This guy was a beast at TCU. I think he has the potential to be a beast in the NFL.
Brandon Spikes ILB Florida Like- Reminds me of Rey Maulauga from USC last year. Talented guy, but people questioned if he was the reason or the talent around him was the reason. For Maulauga he proved he was the reason. I think Spikes will prove he's the real deal too, and will be pretty good in the NFL.
Dekoda Watson OLB Florida State Don't Like - Guy did nothing at FSU. Never made one big play. Overhyped, undervalued. Will not produce in the NFL.
Carlos Dunlap DE Florida Don't Like- Dunlap is ready made to start in the NFL. But his off-filed troubles are a real red flag. Seems to be a sense of entitlement around Dunlap. Don't like that.
CB- Don't Mess Up on This One
Kyle Wilson CB Boise State Like- Good player, good character. Def, worth a mid to late 1st round pick on. Will only get better.
Joe Haden CB Florida Don't Like- Look the NFL today is a game where all the rules benefit WR's and there are many more great WR's than CB's. I think there are plenty of great WR's. In think there is only two great CB's Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrelle Revis. So with Haden you have a guy who did not do well in workouts, ran an underwhelming 40 time, and was protected by a great Florida defense. So why in the world would I spend a Top 1 pick on this guy?
Patrick Robinson CB Florida State Don't Like- I've watched just about every game Robinson played at FSU. And in almost every broadcast I heard announcers say how talented he was, how he was a shut down corner, and he was the best player on FSU's defense. Yet he was constantly beat game in and game out. Now he is apparently projected as a late 1st round pick. This is beyond me! I wouldn't take Robinson in the 6th round, let alone the 1st round. By far the most overated defensive prospect in this draft. I know he's super fast. I still don't care. He sucks!
S- One for the Ages, and then Mediocrity
Eric Berry S Tennessee Like- Most talented defensive prospect in this draft. Will be the next great safety like a Ronnie Lott, Ed Reed, and Troy Polamalu. This guy owned Tim Tebow in college http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWij0BlWsD0 . He will own a lot of QB's in the NFL. If he isn't picked in the Top 10, like C.J. Spiller, it will be a crime.
Taylor Mays S USC Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like -This guy is an athletic freak. But is he a playmaker? His junior year he was unreal. He made his case in the Rose Bowl against Penn State that he was a Top 10 talent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS1Bocgpw-M . Then he came back last year for his senior year and woefully underachieved. He was a Roy Williams type in college. That's good. I'm afraid, however, he will also be a Roy Williams type in the NFL. That's not good.
Earl Thomas S Texas Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- NFL Network's Mike Mayock likes Thomas more than Berry. I think this is crazy. Yes he was great in drills, but on the field he didn't do a whole lot for Texas. Not worth a Top 10 pick in my opinion.
Myron Rolle S Florida State Don't Like- 4 years agoe the top two recruits in college football both went
to Florida schools. One was a QB, one was a safety. The QB was Tim Tebow who went to Florida, and the safety was Myron Rolle for FSU. Both represented their universities amazingly off the field. Tebow excelled for Florida, winning a Heisman, and being the starting QB for 1 National Championship. Rolle, for all his greatness with the Rhodes Scholarship, underachieved on the field. He was not ball-hawking ora hard-hitting. He was average at best. So take a guy who was only average in college, and now put him in the NFL, where he could leave at any point to be a doctor. Not worth the risk. Great man, but not a great player.
K- Two guys worth taking a 6th or 7th Round Pick On.
Leigh Tiffin K Alabama Like- All this guy did was make kicks.
Hunter Lawrence K Texas Like- He bailed out Colt McCoy make that game winning kick in the Big XII Championship to beat Nebraska http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZLxsxmBSc . That clutch, pressure kick alone is worth a 7th round pick.
Kofod
QB- 2 Great, 2 okay, and 4 that stink.
Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma Like- Best overall QB available. I think he's smart and will do just fine in a pro style offense. No worries about his shoulder.
Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame Like- If Clausen is available to Buffalo at 9 I want the Bills to take him. He's got a great arm, is athletic, and I love that cocky confidence he brings. He is exactly the jolt of energy the Bills could use.
The arm, the moxy, the looks. Clausen has it all to be the next great star QB. Hopefully he will be a Buffalo Bill by the end of the night.
Tim Tebow QB Florida Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- I think Tebow can be ok if put in the right system with smart coaches. If teams like Jacksonville, Buffalo, Oakland, or Denver draft Tebow hoping for a savior they will be sorely dissapointed. But if a team like Arizona, Minnesota, Washington, or Houston drafts him and let's him develop, than down the road he can be ok, like McCoy. But not great like Bradford or Clausen.
Dan LeFevour QB Central Michigan Don't Like- I worry he's just a system QB, like Andre Ware and Danny Wuerffel were.
Tony Pike QB Cincinnati Don't Like- Kase's boy. Def. not mine. Way too inconsistent for my liking. A 3rd string QB at best.
Jevan Snead QB Mississippi Don't Like- Coming into the 2009 college football season Snead was viewed as a 1st or 2nd round pick. Then he underachieved, and instead of coming back for his senior season, he left early. Stay away from Snead.
Jonathan Crompton QB Tennessee Don't Like- Various websites have Crompton as a 3rd round pick. I have no idea why. He sucked at Tennessee.
RB- ESPN.com's Bill Simmons said that after Spiller the RB crop was very weak. I could not disagree more. I think this RB crop is a loaded as any Draft I can remember.
C.J. Spiller RB Clemson Like- Best offensive player available. Spiller dominated my Noles defense, and every other ACC defense. He can run and catch. Guy's a playmaker on special teams too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlyYj0HtY9c . He will be one of the 5 best RB's in the league within 2 years, if not sooner. If he's not taken in the Top 10 it's an absolute crime.
He did it college, he will do it in the pros. C.J. Spiller will leave defenders in the dust.
Ryan Mathews RB Fresno State Like- This guy was a stud at Fresno State. I think he should be a Top 15 pick but he won't be. He will be the steal of the draft for someoneJahvid Best RB California Like- He wants to make the amazing play everytime he touches the ball. Sometimes it works http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VJ3MJoYNnU . Sometimes it doesn't http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyv4du7BTOc . The fact that he is injury prone is a worry, but this guy is loaded with talent.
Toby Gerhart RB Stanford Like- I love Gerhart. He was my vote for last year's Heisman, and I think he will be a stud in the NFL. Ready for this?... A better version of Jerome Bettis. Yeah I said it.
Montario Hardesty RB Tennessee Like- This guy carried a weak Tennessee team behind a terrible o-line, and a bad set of QB's. He's tough an d had to go up against SEC teams week in and week out. He's battled tested and def. can be a starter in the NFL.
Joe McKnight RB Southern California Like- Besides the fact both went to USC, McKnight reminds me a whole lot like Reggie Bush. McKnight can make amazing plays http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGM8EhyJ7Hw , but like Bush he will not be an every down back. A team like the Colts, Patriots, Ravens, Vikings, or Chargers would benefit greatly from drafting McKnight.
James Starks RB Buffalo Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like -Made plays before his injury http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaMmHWpXwZg . But not sure if he can make it in the NFL.
LeGarrette Blount RB Oregon Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- Obviously character is an issue with this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d0jCLtHA1Y . But passed that I'm just not sure he has enough speed, and overall talent to exceed in the league.
Stafon Johnson RB Southern California Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- Look I am rooting for him after he nearly died from dropping a weight on his throat. But the fact is the guy barely got playing time at USC. Not sure he's talented enough.
Jonathan Dwyer RB Georgia Tech Don't Like- Not a fan of this guy at all. He just failed a drug test. He has consistent weight problems. And he excelled in a run-opition offense where he constantly got the ball. This will not happen in the NFL. Big stay away for this guy.
Ben Tate RB Auburn Don't Like- Scouts and NFL Draft gurus are salivating over what he did in drills. But this guy did nothing on the field at Auburn. I think he's the most overated offensive prospect in this draft.
WR- The Headline Guy is Dez Bryant. But there are a lot of other great WR's available too.
Golden Tate WR Notre Dame Like - Everyone loves Bryant. I think Tate is better. This guy just seems like a gamer, who can make plays, catch the deep ball, and not be afraid to get a little dirty.
Demaryius Thomas WR Georgia Tech Like- This guy is big, has good hands, and has great game speed. He came from a rough childhood, and has seemed to grow into a great guy. And he played at GT in a run opition offense where he never got the ball. And he never complained about it. Love this guy.
Arrelious Benn WR Illinois Like- This guys is real good. Injuries and the fact Juice Williams was his QB hampered him, But make no mistake this guy is fast and can make plays.
Dexter McCluster WR Mississippi Like- This guy can play RB or WR. He will fit perfectly in a wildcat system like he did at Ole Miss. Reminds me a lot of Percy Harvin.
Mardy Gilyard WR Cincinnati Like- The 4.61 40 time will hurt his draft stock. But everytime I watched him at Cincy he clearly possessed "football speed" on the field. In the Sugar Bowl beatdown Cincy had against Florida, Gilyard was the only guy on either side of the ball for Cincy who could have started for Florida.
Eric Decker WR Minnesota Like- Every year the NFL has a couple of white WR's who excel in the league. Add Decker to this list.
Jordan Shipley WR Texas Like- See Eric Decker.
Armanti Edwards QB/WR Appalachian State Like- Remember this guy? He was the QB who lead App State to a win over Michigan in 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mowF2nVdsMQ&feature=related . He ran a 4.43, he's an athlete, and will try to be a WR in the NFL. Why can't he be the next Antwaan Randle El?
Freddie Barnes WR Bowling Green Like- He had a NCAA record 155 catches last year for Bowling Green. However, he only ran a 4.67. So he won't go until late, but he has hands. He can make it in the NFL.
Riley Skinner WR Florida Don't Like- The one white WR I don't like. He's amazing in the NCAA Football 09, and NCAA Football 10 video games. But in real life he underachieved at Florida, and dropped many passes.
Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma State Don't Like- Kase likes him and will defend him http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/531781.html . I don't like him and won't defend him. Look I'm not saying he won't do well in the league. He probably will. But his attitude scares me to death. Too much of a diva quality for my taste. I'd much rather have Golden Tate.
Is Dez Bryant worth the risk? I say no!
Mike Williams WR Syracuse Don't Like- This guy screams red flags. Failed out of Cuse one year, then quit on the team the next year. Way too many character flaws for a team to take a chance on him.
TE- A couple of keepers, and one questionable.
Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma Like- Look the fact he missed the whole year off an ACL injurt worries you. But in a league where more TE's are making catches and plays Gresham can def. do that.
Rob Gronkowski TE Arizona Like- Best TE in college football last season. Will do well in the NFL.
Aaron Hernandez TE Florida Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- Not sure what to make of this guy. He excelled at Florida in that spread offense. In drove me nuts when he would get shuttle passes from Tebow and gain 20 yards running it. Always worked against FSU. That crap won't happen in the NFL. To me this guy screams Boom or Bust. I'd go with Bust, if I had to pick one.
DT- Some future All-Pros here.
Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska Like- It seemed for sure when the college football season ended last January Suh would go #1. Now it looks like he will go #2. A lot of hype for this guy. All of it much deserved. Sports Illustrated said he was the college football player of the decade for 2000's. I wouldn't go that far, but if the over/under for Suh's Pro Bowl is 5, I will take the over.
Suh made Colt McCoy's night a living nightmare. He will make many more NFL QB's have nightmares.
Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma Like- I like McCoy. He will be great as well. However, he should not be picked ahead of Suh. I think Suh is better.
Terrence Cody DT Alabama Like- I love Mount Cody. Hell, I had him in my top 4 for the Heisman last year. I know weight is a concern, but this guy is the real deal. He will draw double teams, and can stuff the line. He should be a 1st round pick, but probably won't be.
LB/DE- Talented Players Abound
Rolando McClain ILB Alabama Like- Nick Saban loved this guy. Not only did this guy constantly make takles, but he also called all plays on D, and was allowed to change them on the fly. Think Peyton Manning on defense. A top 20 talent for sure.
Sergio Kindle OLB Texas Like- This guy has an on and off switch. That's a concern, but when he's on, oh man is he on.
Jerry Hughes OLB TCU Like- This guy was a beast at TCU. I think he has the potential to be a beast in the NFL.
Jerry Hughes aka The Beast.
Brandon Spikes ILB Florida Like- Reminds me of Rey Maulauga from USC last year. Talented guy, but people questioned if he was the reason or the talent around him was the reason. For Maulauga he proved he was the reason. I think Spikes will prove he's the real deal too, and will be pretty good in the NFL.
Dekoda Watson OLB Florida State Don't Like - Guy did nothing at FSU. Never made one big play. Overhyped, undervalued. Will not produce in the NFL.
Carlos Dunlap DE Florida Don't Like- Dunlap is ready made to start in the NFL. But his off-filed troubles are a real red flag. Seems to be a sense of entitlement around Dunlap. Don't like that.
CB- Don't Mess Up on This One
Kyle Wilson CB Boise State Like- Good player, good character. Def, worth a mid to late 1st round pick on. Will only get better.
Joe Haden CB Florida Don't Like- Look the NFL today is a game where all the rules benefit WR's and there are many more great WR's than CB's. I think there are plenty of great WR's. In think there is only two great CB's Nnamdi Asomugha and Darrelle Revis. So with Haden you have a guy who did not do well in workouts, ran an underwhelming 40 time, and was protected by a great Florida defense. So why in the world would I spend a Top 1 pick on this guy?
Patrick Robinson CB Florida State Don't Like- I've watched just about every game Robinson played at FSU. And in almost every broadcast I heard announcers say how talented he was, how he was a shut down corner, and he was the best player on FSU's defense. Yet he was constantly beat game in and game out. Now he is apparently projected as a late 1st round pick. This is beyond me! I wouldn't take Robinson in the 6th round, let alone the 1st round. By far the most overated defensive prospect in this draft. I know he's super fast. I still don't care. He sucks!
This is the story of Patrick Robinson's Career...Always Getting Beat.
S- One for the Ages, and then Mediocrity
Eric Berry S Tennessee Like- Most talented defensive prospect in this draft. Will be the next great safety like a Ronnie Lott, Ed Reed, and Troy Polamalu. This guy owned Tim Tebow in college http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWij0BlWsD0 . He will own a lot of QB's in the NFL. If he isn't picked in the Top 10, like C.J. Spiller, it will be a crime.
Eric Berry Will Be Making Plays Like This on Sundays for Years to Come.
Earl Thomas S Texas Eh Kinda Like, Kinda Don't Like- NFL Network's Mike Mayock likes Thomas more than Berry. I think this is crazy. Yes he was great in drills, but on the field he didn't do a whole lot for Texas. Not worth a Top 10 pick in my opinion.
Myron Rolle S Florida State Don't Like- 4 years agoe the top two recruits in college football both went
to Florida schools. One was a QB, one was a safety. The QB was Tim Tebow who went to Florida, and the safety was Myron Rolle for FSU. Both represented their universities amazingly off the field. Tebow excelled for Florida, winning a Heisman, and being the starting QB for 1 National Championship. Rolle, for all his greatness with the Rhodes Scholarship, underachieved on the field. He was not ball-hawking ora hard-hitting. He was average at best. So take a guy who was only average in college, and now put him in the NFL, where he could leave at any point to be a doctor. Not worth the risk. Great man, but not a great player.
K- Two guys worth taking a 6th or 7th Round Pick On.
Leigh Tiffin K Alabama Like- All this guy did was make kicks.
Hunter Lawrence K Texas Like- He bailed out Colt McCoy make that game winning kick in the Big XII Championship to beat Nebraska http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZLxsxmBSc . That clutch, pressure kick alone is worth a 7th round pick.
Kofod
Monday, April 19, 2010
The 2010 Babalicious Champion
It was close at first, but in the end Hayden Panettiere put it away. Panettiere beat Elisha Cuthbert by a comfortable voting in the Babalicious Championship. So Hayden Panettiere is the first ever winner of the Babalicious Tournament. Like N.C. State in the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament, Hayden won the tournament as a 6th seed. Frankly I still can't believe it. But the people have spoken and Panettiere is the winner.
Here are the links to the final complete bracket.
Babalicious Tournament
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=353462&tclass=Babalicious%20Tournament
If there was a "One Shining Moment" that went along with this tournament it would include the story of 14th seed Lauren Conrad making it all the way to the Sweet 16. It would also include the fact that Megan Fox was the first #1 seed to go in the tournament, losing in the Sweet 16 to Gisele Bünchen. The Elite 8 would be noted for having the last three #1 seeds all losing and failing to make the Final Four (Beyoncé, Jessica Alba, and Rihanna). The Final Four of Eva Mendes, Elisha Cuthbert, Rachel McAdams, and Hayden Panettiere would be in there. And it would end with Panettiere beating Cuthbert to take the crown.
So that's it. The tournament is done. If I learned anything is that for next year's tournament Panettiere will be no worse than a 2 seed (probably be a 1 seed) and not anywhere close to a 6th seed.
Kofod
Here are the links to the final complete bracket.
Babalicious Tournament
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=353462&tclass=Babalicious%20Tournament
If there was a "One Shining Moment" that went along with this tournament it would include the story of 14th seed Lauren Conrad making it all the way to the Sweet 16. It would also include the fact that Megan Fox was the first #1 seed to go in the tournament, losing in the Sweet 16 to Gisele Bünchen. The Elite 8 would be noted for having the last three #1 seeds all losing and failing to make the Final Four (Beyoncé, Jessica Alba, and Rihanna). The Final Four of Eva Mendes, Elisha Cuthbert, Rachel McAdams, and Hayden Panettiere would be in there. And it would end with Panettiere beating Cuthbert to take the crown.
So that's it. The tournament is done. If I learned anything is that for next year's tournament Panettiere will be no worse than a 2 seed (probably be a 1 seed) and not anywhere close to a 6th seed.
Kofod
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Music Video of the Week April 17th
In honor of all the NBA blogs we had this week (my blogs on Iverson and Lebron James), and Kase's blog on the NBA Playoffs, this week's video has a NBA flair to it. It's the Forever rap song by Drake, Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, and Eminem. Lebron James' rise through high school is shown throughout the video. The song is in a documentary about Lebron James high school team, called More Than a Game, which I really want to see at some point.
Friday, April 16, 2010
NBA Playoffs First Round Breakdown
It's almost playoff time in the NBA and it's time to predict who wins round one and why.
The East is up first, because well...it's more top heavy and just easier to predict.
Cavaliers v. Chicago
One team has Lebron, one team doesn't. The Bulls are like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, they don't stand a chance. Get the brooms out. Cavs in four. (If the Lebrons manage to allow the Bulls to win a game I wouldn't be suprised because I do think they are a bit overrated, but if they are really the overall favorite like everyone thinks then they should sweep them.)
Boston v. Miami
The Celtics are not that great. Rondo is excellent, but the rest of the crew is old. A friend once told me Rasheed Wallace was the best trade of the offseason. I said not so fast, obviously the words "not so fast" would be a great way to describe Wallace. This sums up his season nicely. Even with that, the Heat only have Wade, and while he is great, the Celtics will win, but it will take them all seven games.
Atlanta v. Milwaukee
If the Bucks had Bogut it would be a different story. Without him the Hawks win easy, five games to be precise.
Orlando v. Charlotte
If you want to talk about a coach he doesn't get as much love as he deserves, look no further than one Larry Brown. What he has done with this Bobcats team is nothing short of remarkable. Brown takes teams with no hope and gets them to the playoffs, and he has done it for years. Unfortunately for Charlotte, Dwight Howard and the Magic are waiting for them in the first round. Had the Bobcats been one seed higher I would have had them advance because they are so tough at home. Magic in 6.
The Wild, Wild West
Lakers v. Oklahoma City
Who doesn't like Kevin Durant's game? He even has one of the best player websites in the league. However, the Zen Master, Phil Jackson did it again and alerted the league of the rarely announced fact that Durant took more free throws than anyone in the league. Expect the officials to respond (most likely by not giving Durant any calls) and tip the series one way or another. Everyone knows the NBA loves LA. Lakers in 5.
Denver v. Utah
It has been well documented that I have a man-crush on Carmelo Anthony. (Is there anything bigger than a man-crush that isn't full on homosexual? If there was, that would express my feelings for Melo.) So, my opinion on this one might be affected. The Jazz are beat up. My so called lookalike Andrei Kirlenko is hurt and Boozer is banged up so I think that any real chance Utah had is gone. (Personally I like this picture of Andrei.) Nuggets in 5.
Phoenix v. Portland
You know how Plies tries to ruin Usher's song "Hey Daddy", that's what Brandon Roy's injury does to Portland's playoff chances. Unlike Plies, Brandon Roy isn't garbage and doesn't think yelling is rapping, but either way the trails Portland is blazing will lead them right to the word Billy Madison can't spell. (Plus Phoenix is the hottest team in the NBA and not just because they are named the Suns). Suns in 5.
Dallas v. San Antonio
Does the number seven mean anything to you? That is exactly how long this beast is going. Dallas is nice, but the Spurs are good enough to draw out the series. In the end the Mavs overall talent and the Spurs age will be the difference. Mavs in 7.
The East is up first, because well...it's more top heavy and just easier to predict.
Cavaliers v. Chicago
One team has Lebron, one team doesn't. The Bulls are like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, they don't stand a chance. Get the brooms out. Cavs in four. (If the Lebrons manage to allow the Bulls to win a game I wouldn't be suprised because I do think they are a bit overrated, but if they are really the overall favorite like everyone thinks then they should sweep them.)
Boston v. Miami
The Celtics are not that great. Rondo is excellent, but the rest of the crew is old. A friend once told me Rasheed Wallace was the best trade of the offseason. I said not so fast, obviously the words "not so fast" would be a great way to describe Wallace. This sums up his season nicely. Even with that, the Heat only have Wade, and while he is great, the Celtics will win, but it will take them all seven games.
Atlanta v. Milwaukee
If the Bucks had Bogut it would be a different story. Without him the Hawks win easy, five games to be precise.
Orlando v. Charlotte
If you want to talk about a coach he doesn't get as much love as he deserves, look no further than one Larry Brown. What he has done with this Bobcats team is nothing short of remarkable. Brown takes teams with no hope and gets them to the playoffs, and he has done it for years. Unfortunately for Charlotte, Dwight Howard and the Magic are waiting for them in the first round. Had the Bobcats been one seed higher I would have had them advance because they are so tough at home. Magic in 6.
The Wild, Wild West
Lakers v. Oklahoma City
Who doesn't like Kevin Durant's game? He even has one of the best player websites in the league. However, the Zen Master, Phil Jackson did it again and alerted the league of the rarely announced fact that Durant took more free throws than anyone in the league. Expect the officials to respond (most likely by not giving Durant any calls) and tip the series one way or another. Everyone knows the NBA loves LA. Lakers in 5.
Denver v. Utah
It has been well documented that I have a man-crush on Carmelo Anthony. (Is there anything bigger than a man-crush that isn't full on homosexual? If there was, that would express my feelings for Melo.) So, my opinion on this one might be affected. The Jazz are beat up. My so called lookalike Andrei Kirlenko is hurt and Boozer is banged up so I think that any real chance Utah had is gone. (Personally I like this picture of Andrei.) Nuggets in 5.
Phoenix v. Portland
You know how Plies tries to ruin Usher's song "Hey Daddy", that's what Brandon Roy's injury does to Portland's playoff chances. Unlike Plies, Brandon Roy isn't garbage and doesn't think yelling is rapping, but either way the trails Portland is blazing will lead them right to the word Billy Madison can't spell. (Plus Phoenix is the hottest team in the NBA and not just because they are named the Suns). Suns in 5.
Dallas v. San Antonio
Does the number seven mean anything to you? That is exactly how long this beast is going. Dallas is nice, but the Spurs are good enough to draw out the series. In the end the Mavs overall talent and the Spurs age will be the difference. Mavs in 7.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Lebron James: It's His Time
This is his 7th year in the NBA. He's already won a NBA MVP (soon to get his 2nd for sure, been a 6 time NBA All-Star, and has been tabbed the best (or second best behind Kobe) player in the league. He's a veteran. Yet, we have not even seen the best of Lebron James. We are about too, though.
James is 25 years old. Old should really be replaced with "young." He's amazing and will get better. However, their are those out there who are not satisified enough with LBJ. They want more. They want a ring from James. It's without a doubt a legitimate "beef" to have with James. People scoff at the fact that he's compared to "His Airness" Michael Jordan when he's not won anything yet. It has to be said though that that the parallels between him and Jordan are legit and should be noted.
Both came into the NBA as rising stars. Jordan won a NCAA Championship for North Carolina with his game winning shot his freshman year in 1982 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Nnc_itdEc&feature=related. He was named the college basketball player of the year his junior year. He was a high flyer heading into the NBA. But the hype for Jordan paled in comparison to the hype LBJ got. Lebron rose to the heavens while at high school at St. Vincent St. Mary's. His games were on national television. NBA scouts said if Lebron could leave his junior year in high school he would be one of the 10 best players in the NBA. They were right.
Both Lebron and Jordan took over the league the minute they stepped on a NBA court. Both became stars right away. Lebron haters will say how he hasn't won though. Well neither did Jordan. I think a lot of people forget Jordan's struggles in the playoffs early on. The fact is Jordan didn't win a NBA title until his 7th season in the league. And, ahem, this is Lebron James' 7th season.
People forget, or just don't know, the struggles Jordan had early on. Jordan was on inferior Chicago Bulls teams in an era where the Celtics and Lakers dominated. Finally, in the late 1980's, and early 1990's, when the Bulls became a legit team around Jordan (Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, etc.) Jordan still had constant losses to the 'Bad Boys' of the Detroit Pistons until he finally beat the Pistons in 1991, in which Isiah Thomas and none of the Pistons shook Jordan's hand. Jordan got over the hump, beat the Lakers, and won the first of his six NBA titles.
Speaking of not shaking hands Lebron James was famous for in last year's playoffs after losing to the Orlando Magic. The Magic are just a porition of struggles Lebron has gone through the past 6 seasons. Like Jordan, Lebron has had to go through incompetent teammates. I would argue he still has incompetent teammates. Lebron is so amazing though because he's lifted these incompetent players to great heights. It's so forgettable that Lebron James actually went to the NBA Finals in 2005. His team was so bad though they stood no chance in the NBA Finals against the Spurs, in what was probably the worst NBA Finals of all time.
Jordan had to go through years of battles against the Pistons before finally getting his first ring. Lebron has had to go through teams, like the Orlando Magic, and fail before he gets his first ring.
Since then Lebron James has tried and tried to get his team back to the NBA Finals. He has had incompetent teammates, an incompetent coach in Mike Brown (you have the best athlete in the world and you run a slow down half-court offense...what?), and like MJ, has had to deal with teams like the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic (Jordan battled the Pistons in the 80's) who, up to this point, have been to much to handle. More than likely Lebron will have to deal with one or both of these teams again to move on in this year's playoffs.
He can do it, and I think he will do it. With apologies to Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and anyone else you want to throw at me Lebron James is far and away the best player in the league. It's his 7th year, and he's never been more prepared to take the lead on his shoulders to win a title.
Their are three more criticisms of Lebron people will throw at someone. 1.) He can't shoot. It's true he won't be compared to Gerry McNamara in terms of shooting anytime soon. However, Lebron has such brute strength he can just go to the lane and score anytime he wants. And he's proven when the game is on the line he can make a clutch shot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fD1MNjkPFs
The second criticism is Lebron gets so many easy calls, and would never make it in the 1970's-1990's NBA where everyone was pushed around in the "No Blood, No Foul" era. Yes, it is without a doubt true if you whisper on Lebron it's a fould. But that's the NBA we live in today. It's not going to change. However, at his size, strength, and ability I have no doubt Lebron would have flourished in any era in the NBA. He's a beast he would have taken the hits just fine. Yes Lebron whines a lot, but name me a star NBA player in any era who was not in the ref's ear. MJ did it too. They all did.
Finally, the third criticism is Lebron lacks the killer instinct needed. People look at the goofy things Lebron James does before each game. He throws chalk in the air. He does all these handshakes, chest bumps, and fake photographic poses with his teammates. He hugs and fist pounds the opponent before the game. These are all things MJ never, NEVER would have done. As soon as MJ touched the floor he wanted to rip your heart out. Don't think Lebron doesn't want to do the same thing. MJ was ready to rip the heart out in warmups. Lebron waits until tipoff. Don't mistake showmanship for not having a killer instinct. Magic Johnson was a showman. He won 5 NBA Championships. Lebron James is the showman of this era of the NBA. I will say it again. Don't think for a second that Lebron does not have Michael Jordan's killer instinct. Because he does.
Lebron James is in his 7th season. His career is so parallel to Michael Jordan's that it's scary. Can he be better than Jordan? He sure can be. Will he? Only time will tell. After Tiger Wood's infidelities became public Lebron James has as good a chance as ever to overtake him as the most popular athlete in the world. He has to win a title though this year. Will he? Yes he will. It's his time.
Kofod
James is 25 years old. Old should really be replaced with "young." He's amazing and will get better. However, their are those out there who are not satisified enough with LBJ. They want more. They want a ring from James. It's without a doubt a legitimate "beef" to have with James. People scoff at the fact that he's compared to "His Airness" Michael Jordan when he's not won anything yet. It has to be said though that that the parallels between him and Jordan are legit and should be noted.
Both came into the NBA as rising stars. Jordan won a NCAA Championship for North Carolina with his game winning shot his freshman year in 1982 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Nnc_itdEc&feature=related. He was named the college basketball player of the year his junior year. He was a high flyer heading into the NBA. But the hype for Jordan paled in comparison to the hype LBJ got. Lebron rose to the heavens while at high school at St. Vincent St. Mary's. His games were on national television. NBA scouts said if Lebron could leave his junior year in high school he would be one of the 10 best players in the NBA. They were right.
Both Jordan and Lebron were stars before the NBA.
Both Lebron and Jordan took over the league the minute they stepped on a NBA court. Both became stars right away. Lebron haters will say how he hasn't won though. Well neither did Jordan. I think a lot of people forget Jordan's struggles in the playoffs early on. The fact is Jordan didn't win a NBA title until his 7th season in the league. And, ahem, this is Lebron James' 7th season.
People forget, or just don't know, the struggles Jordan had early on. Jordan was on inferior Chicago Bulls teams in an era where the Celtics and Lakers dominated. Finally, in the late 1980's, and early 1990's, when the Bulls became a legit team around Jordan (Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, etc.) Jordan still had constant losses to the 'Bad Boys' of the Detroit Pistons until he finally beat the Pistons in 1991, in which Isiah Thomas and none of the Pistons shook Jordan's hand. Jordan got over the hump, beat the Lakers, and won the first of his six NBA titles.
Jordan was reduced to tears in 1991 after 7 long seasons it took him to get that first championship. I have a feeling the same emotions will go through Lebron when finally gets his first championship.
Speaking of not shaking hands Lebron James was famous for in last year's playoffs after losing to the Orlando Magic. The Magic are just a porition of struggles Lebron has gone through the past 6 seasons. Like Jordan, Lebron has had to go through incompetent teammates. I would argue he still has incompetent teammates. Lebron is so amazing though because he's lifted these incompetent players to great heights. It's so forgettable that Lebron James actually went to the NBA Finals in 2005. His team was so bad though they stood no chance in the NBA Finals against the Spurs, in what was probably the worst NBA Finals of all time.
Since then Lebron James has tried and tried to get his team back to the NBA Finals. He has had incompetent teammates, an incompetent coach in Mike Brown (you have the best athlete in the world and you run a slow down half-court offense...what?), and like MJ, has had to deal with teams like the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic (Jordan battled the Pistons in the 80's) who, up to this point, have been to much to handle. More than likely Lebron will have to deal with one or both of these teams again to move on in this year's playoffs.
He can do it, and I think he will do it. With apologies to Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and anyone else you want to throw at me Lebron James is far and away the best player in the league. It's his 7th year, and he's never been more prepared to take the lead on his shoulders to win a title.
Their are three more criticisms of Lebron people will throw at someone. 1.) He can't shoot. It's true he won't be compared to Gerry McNamara in terms of shooting anytime soon. However, Lebron has such brute strength he can just go to the lane and score anytime he wants. And he's proven when the game is on the line he can make a clutch shot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fD1MNjkPFs
The second criticism is Lebron gets so many easy calls, and would never make it in the 1970's-1990's NBA where everyone was pushed around in the "No Blood, No Foul" era. Yes, it is without a doubt true if you whisper on Lebron it's a fould. But that's the NBA we live in today. It's not going to change. However, at his size, strength, and ability I have no doubt Lebron would have flourished in any era in the NBA. He's a beast he would have taken the hits just fine. Yes Lebron whines a lot, but name me a star NBA player in any era who was not in the ref's ear. MJ did it too. They all did.
Finally, the third criticism is Lebron lacks the killer instinct needed. People look at the goofy things Lebron James does before each game. He throws chalk in the air. He does all these handshakes, chest bumps, and fake photographic poses with his teammates. He hugs and fist pounds the opponent before the game. These are all things MJ never, NEVER would have done. As soon as MJ touched the floor he wanted to rip your heart out. Don't think Lebron doesn't want to do the same thing. MJ was ready to rip the heart out in warmups. Lebron waits until tipoff. Don't mistake showmanship for not having a killer instinct. Magic Johnson was a showman. He won 5 NBA Championships. Lebron James is the showman of this era of the NBA. I will say it again. Don't think for a second that Lebron does not have Michael Jordan's killer instinct. Because he does.
This is one thing Michael Jordan would never have done before a game. But don't think for a second that onec the game stars Lebron doesn't have the same killer instinct Jordan had.
Lebron James is in his 7th season. His career is so parallel to Michael Jordan's that it's scary. Can he be better than Jordan? He sure can be. Will he? Only time will tell. After Tiger Wood's infidelities became public Lebron James has as good a chance as ever to overtake him as the most popular athlete in the world. He has to win a title though this year. Will he? Yes he will. It's his time.
Kofod
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Rise and Fall of Allen Iverson
This man represented everything that was good and bad about the NBA for many years. Now his life is in a complete free fall. Truly a Greek tragedy.
Allen Iverson had a meteoric rise. At Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia he was a star in both football and basketball. He could have played major college football or major college basketball. Then on February 14, 1993 Iverson's world was turned upside down. On that night Iverson, and several other African Americans, were involved in a fight with a group of young white men at the local bowling alley. Iverson, and two other blacks were arrested. None of the white men were arrested or charged. Iverson was charged with as an adult of the felony charge of maiming by mob at the age of 17. He spent 4 months in a correctional facility in Virgina. His high school senior year of playing was gone. In 1995 the Virginia Court of Appeals overturned the suspension, because of lack of evidence. The whole story of this trial will be shown on a documentary tommorow. As part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series tommorow "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson" will air at 8p.m. ET on ESPN and at 11p.m. ET on ESPN2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9hezhStmrM . That incident and trial forever changed Iverson's life.
Iverson was able to get passed that incident and play college basketball. Iverson played two seasons at Georgetown. He was a star there. While Georgetown never won anything there he's famous for his performance vs. UCONN's Ray Allen in the 1996 Big East Championship Game http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awAwn5wMd7Y . It was epic and raised his profile.
Iverson was the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. In his first few seasons his crossover schooled many players including Michael Jordan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3X274lz3wY . In fact Iverson's rise to the top occured once MJ retired (the second Bulls one).
For many people who are in their 20's today (myself included) Allen Iverson was THE NBA STAR in the bridge between Michael Jordan and Lebron James/#24 Kobe Bryant. More than Shaq, more than a young #8 Kobe Bryant, more than Vince Carter, more than anyone, Allen Iverson was the star. His 2001 season was amazing. He won the NBA MVP, and carried a meidocre Philadelphia 76ers team to the NBA Finals before losing in 5 games to Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers. In fact Iverson was the player David Stern and the NBA marketed following MJ's final retirement from the Bulls. Over time, though, Stern did not like the "bling bling" look the NBA had going around, lead by Iverson, and adopted the dress code of suit and tie to games and press conferences that rull the NBA today.
Around this time, people like me, looked at Iverson as the "underdog" and the "everyman" of the league. Getting passed the tattoos, the big jeans and backwards hats, all the bling, the cornrows and the rap songs from him Iverson represented some of the same core values "Middle America" has. At 6 ft. 180 lbs. (though I have never ever believed he's 6 foot) Iverson represented the underdog role. Too small to be in the NBA, he flourished in the league. His never give up attitude on the court, diving on the floor, and fighting for every second represented the "lunch pale" work ethic "Middle America" is all about. Iverson's "me against the world" mentality is what made him great, and what made him loved. It's alos what brought his downfall.
Since that bowling lane incident on that fateful February 13, 1993 night Iverson has always looked out for himself, first and foremost. As great as Iverson was, if he could have been a more unselfish player he would have been a better player. This mindset caused his "practice" rant when he could not understand why his practice would make his team better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI&feature=related . It's that same selfishness that drove Larry Brown insane when he coached Iverson at Philly. His selfish play lead by him and Stephon Marbury was the face of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team's dissapointing bronze finish. This mindset caught up with him when his playing skills diminshed. At this point had Iverson been more unselfish he could have been a tremendous role player going for a title (like Ray Allen with Boston). Instead he fought to be the star in Denver, Detroit, and Memphis when he no longer had the skills worthy of star status.When Iverson realized this it was too late. Iverson teared up when he was given one last chance with Philadelphia earlier this past season http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8qQ9D97cIA . Iverson played a few games then left, because of turmoil in his off-court life. Part of his downfall.
Iverson's "me against the world" attitude has doomed him off the court as well. In 2002 Iverson had a domestic dispute charge on him from his wife. It was later dropped, but showed the complex life he lived. Now in 2010 Iverson is getting divorced from his wife, his 4 year old daughter is in bad health, and Iverson is reportedly broke because of alcohol and gambling problems. Was anyone suprised when they heard this? I surely wasn't. It represents who he is. "Me against the world" people turn to alcohol for comfort. And Iverson was the ultimate gambler on the court. So why would he not be one off the court? Unfortanetly professional athletes going broke is a trend on the rise http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ys-investopediamoneyloss031010&prov=yhoo&type=lgns . Iverson is just one of the casualties of players losing all/most of their money when their careers come to an end.
Iverson's story is truly that of a Greek tragedy. The same characteristics that brought the rise, lead to his downfall which is the essence of any Greek tragedy. His selfish nature lead to the rise and fall of his NBA career. But that is not the tragic part. The fact that his off the court life is spirling downward is the real tragedy. Truly a play, a book, a story could be made of The Rise and Fall of Allen Iverson. A 21st Century Greek Tragedy.
Kofod
Running Diary of Sunday at The Masters
Inspired by ESPN.com writer Bill Simmons who does this for sports events all the time here is a running diary of yesterday's final round of The Masters. What it is I write down the time (all Eastern Standard Times) of something that is happening and then my thoughts about them. All of this is coming from a guy who has always been a huge fan of Phil Mickelson and not liked Tiger Woods (way before all the stuff of the last 5 months). So enjoy.
1:55 : Goooooooooooooooooo Phil, booooooooooooooooooo Tiger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1:56 : As a side note how great of a sports day was yesterday (Saturday the 11th). In a 5 hour span you had Lee Westwood playing steady, Fred Couples turning back father time, Tiger imploding then fighting back to get to -8, and Phil making eagles left and right. Plus you had C.C. Sabathia taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and for me personally the Florida State football spring game was online (the first one without Bobby Bowden, and the return of Christian Ponder, who looked great by the way). The previous week' Saturday of the Final Four was nice, but yesterday was 10 times better.
2:04 : Is their anything better than hearing the Masters theme music, as you see the sights of Augusta on tv? So peaceful, so beautiful, so good.
2:30 : Horrible tee shot by Tiger! Dropped his club as soon as he shot it! Good luck hitting that out of the woods. I'm suprised Tiger didn't swear.
2:32 : Speaking of swearing I heard Tiger swear at least 5 times on television yesterday. So much for Tiger changing his bad behavior on the course.
2:33 : Over/Under on Tiger swearing today? I'll put it at 5. I'm taking the over!
2:34 : Tiger hit his tee shot past the woods, onto the 9th hole. That's still a tough second shot!
2:38 : Good enough second shot by Tiger. Could have done far worse.
2:40 : Does anyone in America want Lee Westwood to win? I know I don't. It seems everyone, here in the States, would either want Phil, Tiger, or Couples to win. Sorry chap!
2:41 : Phil definitely got the loudest ovation. Loved the guy who yelled "you're an animal" right after he hit his tee shot. That's the sophisticated crowd at Augusta for ya!
2:45 : Tiger bogeys the 1st hole. Good!!!!!
2:48 : Westwood hit a branch! Oh could he implode today? This is a terrible start for him.
2:52 : Good for Westwood to escape with only a bogey on the 1st.
2:55 : David Feherty is awful! He calls every shot that hits close to the hole amazing, or fabulous before it rolls 20 feet past the hole! Please give me more Faldo and Nantz, and less Feherty!!!!
3:11 : Falling debree ruins Phil's birdie attempt! Don't tell me the Golfing Gods want Tiger to win!!!!!
3:36 : I don't know why but I really like K.J. Choi. P.S. Tiger is done!
3:47 : Tiger's mike I think is muffed. Haven't heard him swear once today. Good job by CBS.
4:00 : Tiger has his "Phil" moment with an eagle.
4:22 : May have spoken too soon. Tiger is back in it. Dammit!! Where is CBS to muff me?
4:31 : Choi, Mickelson, Woods, Couples all making huge shots! This back 9 will be unreal!
4:36 : Tiger at -9. Shame on me for doubting him.
4:44 : Huge up & down par save by Phil. Bad putting by Lee Westwood. You never want to 3 put in Augusta. Phil has the lead all alone!!!! 9 holes to go!
4:51 : K.J. Choi! Ties Phil! He's playing really well. And he's had to deal with playing with Tiger for four straight days. How can you not like this guy?!
4:57 : Tiger really needs another amazing shot. He needs to get at -10 to really put the pressure on all the other players.
4:59 : Another amazing up & down par for Phil at 10. Old Phil battling New Phil. Fascinating to watch!
5:00 : If Couples loses he can blame his putter. Can't miss gimmies at The Masters. My pick to win at 5:00? K.J. Choi.
5:03 : Seeing golf balls in all these exact spots in woods, or on greens makes me think one thing. Golf is the best sport in HD. You see every divot, leaf, bug, whatever. Football is #2, hockey is #3, and basketball is #4.
5:05 : When will K.J. Choi make a bad shot? It has to happen eventually right?
5:07 : I always hate it when Tiger says "Tiger" after a shot. Referring to yourself in the first person is so stupid and is one of the little reasons I don't like Tiger. Saying that though he made a great shot at 11.
5:09 : Anthony Kim making a run with birdies at 13 and 14. Who will win? A great couple of hours still to go!
5:29 : Phil takes the lead. Kase hates Phil and says he will blow up! I say no, he only does that at the U.S. Open. Choi is starting to make bad shots. Phil has the Masters right in his hands!
5:35 : CBS has had a real problem covering the last few shots and following the ball. Or as Brett put it "Good fucking camera work you assholes CBS!"
5:42 : 13th hole. Like I told Brett, "No one pulls shots out of his ass like Phil Mickelson!" Shot of the tournament!
5:49 : Thank God Phil made birdie at 13. Should have had eagle! But -14 after 13 is still pretty damn good.
5:51 : Tiger just had the worst 3 putt you could imagine. Tiger just putted like he's Taylor. Drunk and in a hurry.
5:54 : Just when you think he's out, he stays partially alive. Sick of Tiger. Great par by Kim at 18. -12 might be enough if Phil can bogey a couple of the last holes.
6:10 : James, Neal, Brett, and Kase played 9 holes earlier today. Neal would like to note that Kase finished 4th out of 4 people. Kase says this is only the second year he's played golf. Neal says that's B.S. that Kase was on the 7th grade Modified Golf team. Yup, these are typical arguments Cassadaga boys have!!
6:19 : Phil's got it! Now don't blow it Phil!!!!!!
6:36: Too bad Tiger you didn't win. Boo hoo. Just think about one of those times you slept with a porn star to cheer you up!
6:52 : He did it! Phil has won the 2010 Masters! At -16 that's one of the greatest performances in Masters history!
7:00 : Seeing Phil hug his children and his wife Amy....what a moment! Tears down Phil's eyes, Amy's eyes, and probably millions around the world. Seeing different Facebook status of people saying how choked up they were at that moment. Moment's like that are what make sports amazing at times.
7:05 : Phil's get his third green jacket! Puts it on! The Masters Green Jacket ceremony is one of the best traditions in all of sports!
7:10 : All the guys have noted the bad tan line Phil has on his forehead. His face is beat red, but his forehead is completely white (because he wore a hat). Everyone wondering why he did not wear a hat. I'm sure that's the last thing on Phil's mind right now.
7:30 : That's it. Phil takes the Masters. Tiger can go back to sex rehab or whatever stupid thing he's doing. That was a fun four rounds of golf, and a great Saturday and Sunday. Can't wait for the U.S. Open!
1:55 : Goooooooooooooooooo Phil, booooooooooooooooooo Tiger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1:56 : As a side note how great of a sports day was yesterday (Saturday the 11th). In a 5 hour span you had Lee Westwood playing steady, Fred Couples turning back father time, Tiger imploding then fighting back to get to -8, and Phil making eagles left and right. Plus you had C.C. Sabathia taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and for me personally the Florida State football spring game was online (the first one without Bobby Bowden, and the return of Christian Ponder, who looked great by the way). The previous week' Saturday of the Final Four was nice, but yesterday was 10 times better.
2:04 : Is their anything better than hearing the Masters theme music, as you see the sights of Augusta on tv? So peaceful, so beautiful, so good.
2:30 : Horrible tee shot by Tiger! Dropped his club as soon as he shot it! Good luck hitting that out of the woods. I'm suprised Tiger didn't swear.
2:32 : Speaking of swearing I heard Tiger swear at least 5 times on television yesterday. So much for Tiger changing his bad behavior on the course.
2:33 : Over/Under on Tiger swearing today? I'll put it at 5. I'm taking the over!
2:34 : Tiger hit his tee shot past the woods, onto the 9th hole. That's still a tough second shot!
2:38 : Good enough second shot by Tiger. Could have done far worse.
2:40 : Does anyone in America want Lee Westwood to win? I know I don't. It seems everyone, here in the States, would either want Phil, Tiger, or Couples to win. Sorry chap!
2:41 : Phil definitely got the loudest ovation. Loved the guy who yelled "you're an animal" right after he hit his tee shot. That's the sophisticated crowd at Augusta for ya!
2:45 : Tiger bogeys the 1st hole. Good!!!!!
2:48 : Westwood hit a branch! Oh could he implode today? This is a terrible start for him.
2:52 : Good for Westwood to escape with only a bogey on the 1st.
2:55 : David Feherty is awful! He calls every shot that hits close to the hole amazing, or fabulous before it rolls 20 feet past the hole! Please give me more Faldo and Nantz, and less Feherty!!!!
3:11 : Falling debree ruins Phil's birdie attempt! Don't tell me the Golfing Gods want Tiger to win!!!!!
3:36 : I don't know why but I really like K.J. Choi. P.S. Tiger is done!
3:47 : Tiger's mike I think is muffed. Haven't heard him swear once today. Good job by CBS.
4:00 : Tiger has his "Phil" moment with an eagle.
4:22 : May have spoken too soon. Tiger is back in it. Dammit!! Where is CBS to muff me?
4:31 : Choi, Mickelson, Woods, Couples all making huge shots! This back 9 will be unreal!
4:36 : Tiger at -9. Shame on me for doubting him.
4:44 : Huge up & down par save by Phil. Bad putting by Lee Westwood. You never want to 3 put in Augusta. Phil has the lead all alone!!!! 9 holes to go!
4:51 : K.J. Choi! Ties Phil! He's playing really well. And he's had to deal with playing with Tiger for four straight days. How can you not like this guy?!
4:57 : Tiger really needs another amazing shot. He needs to get at -10 to really put the pressure on all the other players.
4:59 : Another amazing up & down par for Phil at 10. Old Phil battling New Phil. Fascinating to watch!
5:00 : If Couples loses he can blame his putter. Can't miss gimmies at The Masters. My pick to win at 5:00? K.J. Choi.
5:03 : Seeing golf balls in all these exact spots in woods, or on greens makes me think one thing. Golf is the best sport in HD. You see every divot, leaf, bug, whatever. Football is #2, hockey is #3, and basketball is #4.
5:05 : When will K.J. Choi make a bad shot? It has to happen eventually right?
5:07 : I always hate it when Tiger says "Tiger" after a shot. Referring to yourself in the first person is so stupid and is one of the little reasons I don't like Tiger. Saying that though he made a great shot at 11.
5:09 : Anthony Kim making a run with birdies at 13 and 14. Who will win? A great couple of hours still to go!
5:29 : Phil takes the lead. Kase hates Phil and says he will blow up! I say no, he only does that at the U.S. Open. Choi is starting to make bad shots. Phil has the Masters right in his hands!
5:35 : CBS has had a real problem covering the last few shots and following the ball. Or as Brett put it "Good fucking camera work you assholes CBS!"
5:42 : 13th hole. Like I told Brett, "No one pulls shots out of his ass like Phil Mickelson!" Shot of the tournament!
Phil's Miracle Shot at 13.
5:49 : Thank God Phil made birdie at 13. Should have had eagle! But -14 after 13 is still pretty damn good.
5:51 : Tiger just had the worst 3 putt you could imagine. Tiger just putted like he's Taylor. Drunk and in a hurry.
5:54 : Just when you think he's out, he stays partially alive. Sick of Tiger. Great par by Kim at 18. -12 might be enough if Phil can bogey a couple of the last holes.
6:10 : James, Neal, Brett, and Kase played 9 holes earlier today. Neal would like to note that Kase finished 4th out of 4 people. Kase says this is only the second year he's played golf. Neal says that's B.S. that Kase was on the 7th grade Modified Golf team. Yup, these are typical arguments Cassadaga boys have!!
6:19 : Phil's got it! Now don't blow it Phil!!!!!!
6:36: Too bad Tiger you didn't win. Boo hoo. Just think about one of those times you slept with a porn star to cheer you up!
Too Bad Tiger You Lost.
6:52 : He did it! Phil has won the 2010 Masters! At -16 that's one of the greatest performances in Masters history!
The 2010 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson!!!
7:00 : Seeing Phil hug his children and his wife Amy....what a moment! Tears down Phil's eyes, Amy's eyes, and probably millions around the world. Seeing different Facebook status of people saying how choked up they were at that moment. Moment's like that are what make sports amazing at times.
A touching moment. This was the first time Phil's wife Amy has been able to travel with and see Phil play golf since she was diagnosed with breast cancer over a year ago.
7:05 : Phil's get his third green jacket! Puts it on! The Masters Green Jacket ceremony is one of the best traditions in all of sports!
Phil gets his third Green Jacket.
7:30 : That's it. Phil takes the Masters. Tiger can go back to sex rehab or whatever stupid thing he's doing. That was a fun four rounds of golf, and a great Saturday and Sunday. Can't wait for the U.S. Open!
Go back to Sex Rehab Tiger!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Music Video of the Week April 9th
Kase had this song as his status last week. I absolutely love this song as well. It's Bulletproof by La Roux. What I like about it is that it has an 80's song feel to it. From the way the song sounds, to the hairdo of La Roux, to the way the music video is shot it just screams 80's. Love a 1980's type song to come out in 2010.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
New Tiger Woods Nike Commercial
Here is the new Tiger Woods commercial from Nike. It's Tiger Woods in black and white with the words of his deceased father Earl Woods in the background. So far it has recieved mostly negative reviews. Look I am not a Tiger Woods fan, I have always been more of a Phil Mickelson fan, but I do think the commercial is very strong (even when considering Earl was no saint considering the infidelities he had). Here's the commerical below.
It reminded me of this Nike Tiger Woods commerical that came out a few years ago right after Earl Woods passed away.
Personally I think Nike should have used this commercial haha.
Kofod
It reminded me of this Nike Tiger Woods commerical that came out a few years ago right after Earl Woods passed away.
Personally I think Nike should have used this commercial haha.
Kofod
Duke vs. Butler Ending
Alright I know it's been a few days but it's still was an amazing finish. Gordon Hayward came oh so close to pulling off what would have been the greatest shot in basketball history. However, he did not and Duke won. What really was the story (and unfortunately I could not find a good video of it) was the shot Hayward took right before that. He had the look, but in the last second Brian Zoubek of Duke (who Kase called the worst starting D-1 Center ever) made a great play by standing tall and forcing Hayward to fade away on his shot (which may have cost it to just miss). Hayward had one last chance at the end, with the help of Matt Howard, but as I said just missed it.
Kofod
Kofod
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Babalicious Championship
Alright. It's finally here. The Babalicious Championship is upon us. In the Final Four #2 seed Elisha Cuthbert defeated #2 seed Eva Mendes. In the other matchup #6 seed Hayden Panettiere continued her Cinderella run defeating #2 seed Rachel McAdams. So it's Elisha Cuthbert vs Hayden Panettiere in the Babalicious Championship. It's a regular Duke vs. Butler.
Unfortanetly I have to vote with "Duke" on this one. I'm going with Elisha Cuthbert in this one. Plain and simply I think she's hotter, more beautiful, whatever word you want to use it's Cuthbert over Panettiere for me. I know I underated Panettiere as a 6th seed, but I just don't think she's at the level of Cuthbert, or a few other celebrity women for that matter. Sorry that's just my opinion.
Here are the links to the brackets.
Babalicious Tournament
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=353462&tclass=Babalicious%20Tournament
Elisha Cutbert vs. Hayden Panettiere
Unfortanetly I have to vote with "Duke" on this one. I'm going with Elisha Cuthbert in this one. Plain and simply I think she's hotter, more beautiful, whatever word you want to use it's Cuthbert over Panettiere for me. I know I underated Panettiere as a 6th seed, but I just don't think she's at the level of Cuthbert, or a few other celebrity women for that matter. Sorry that's just my opinion.
My Vote: Elisha Cuthbert.
Here are the links to the brackets.
Babalicious Tournament
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=353462&tclass=Babalicious%20Tournament
Sunday, April 4, 2010
10 Greatest Games in NCAA Basketball Championship History
Here is my list of the 10 Greatest Championship games in the College Basketball History. I tried to keep this modern, so sorry UNC fans but the 1957 triple overtime game, in which UNC beat Kansas 54-53 is not on here. This list covers years from 1982-2008.
1.) 1983 North Carolina State 54 Houston 52: Forget George Mason, Northern Iowa, or Bucknell. This is the greatest upset of all time in the history of college basketball. 6th seed North Carolina State upset #1 Houston, lead by Akeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler 54-52 on a last second dunk by Lorenzo Charles. The greatest finish capped by a great call by Billy Packer "They won it...on the dunk!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l5N2eKdvL4
2.) 1985 Villanova 66 Georgetown 64: The second biggest upset in the history of college basketball. 8th seeded Villanova, who had lost to Georgetown three times that season, upset #1 Georgetown and center Patrick Ewing 66-64. Villanova had to play the perfect game to win. They did hitting 22 of their 28 fg attempts for an amazing 78.6% from the field. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l5N2eKdvL4
3.) 1982 North Carolina 63 Georgetown 62: James Worthy and Michael Jordan lead North Carolina over Georgetown and Patrick Ewing 63-62. Everyone remembers MJ hitting the game winning shot with 17 seconds left. People forget Georgetown than brought the ball down and Georgetown PG Fred Brown threw the ball right to James Worthy thinking he was a Georgetown players. It was one of the biggest choke jobs of all times, and an absolute heartbreaker for Georgetown fans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Nnc_itdEc&feature=channel
5.) 1987 Indiana 74 Syracuse 73: With one second left Indiana's Keith Smart hit a jumper to put Indiana up 74-73 and break the hearts of Jim Boeheim and Syracuse fans around the country. A great game and a great finish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A6-GU1NuHE
6.) 1997 Arizona 84 Kentucky 79 OT: Jason Terry, Mike Bibby and Miles Simon of Arizona lead those Wildcats to a big time upset over the defending national champion Kentucky Wildcats. Miles Simon played the game of his life leading Billy Packer to famously say "Simon says championship." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjyY0UdmlNU
7.) 1989 Michigan 80 Seton Hall 79 OT: This game is remembered for the controversial call at the end of overtime. Trailing 79-78 Michigan's Rumeal Robinson was barely touched, yet a foul was called on Seton Hall. Robinson made both his free throws and Michigan won the game 80-79. The game is also remembered for Michigan's Glen Rice having a tremendous game with 31 points. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkukr6FgzpA
8.) 1999 UCONN 77 Duke 74: These were the two best teams all year. UCONN was 33-2 heading into the game lead by Khalid El-Amin and Richard Hamilton. Duke was 36-1 heading into the game lead by Trajan Langdon, Elton Brand, William Avery, Corey Maggette, and Shane Battier. People were saying that this perhaps was the greatest college basketball team of all time, or at least the best since the John Wooden UCLA days. So despite two losses, and a number 2 ranking all season UCONN was a major underdog to Duke. Hamilton and El-Amin played great all night long. With 7 seconds left and Duke down 75-74 Trajan Langdon drove down the lane, but was called for traveling. UCONN made their free throws to go up 3. Langdon got the ball back with 5 seconds left. He went up the court to try a three, but tripped and never got a shot off. UCONN won and as Jim Nantz said "Just when people say you can't, you can, and UCONN has won the national championship." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAlB8-4Gnnk
9.) 2008 Kansas 75 Memphis 68: With 2:12 left Memphis lead Kansas 60-51. Memphis had the game in the bag. But a combination of Memphis' youth, turnovers, and most of all missed free throws opened the door for Kansas. With 10.8 seconds left, down 63-60, Kansas PG Sherron Collins drove the ball up the court. Memphis Coach John Calipari told his team to foul, to not allow a three to go up. For some reason though Memphis G Derrick Rose did not do this. He tried, instead to defend, Collins and then Kansas G Mario Chalmers, who recieved the ball from Collins. It was a mistake by Rose. With 2 seconds left Chalmers made a three and the game went into overtime. Kansas dominated the overtime and won the national championship 75-68.Jim Nantz said at the end "A Kansas comeback for the history books. Rock Chalk Championship." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3sy0oHP3LI
10.) 2003 Syracuse 81 Kansas 78: This game is remembered for a few things. One is that Syracuse, and Coach Jim Boeheim finally won a national championship. It's remembered for the six three pointers Gerry McNamara made in the first half. It's remembered for all the missed free throws Kansas had. It's remembered for the block Syracuse's Hakim Warrick had on Kansas' Michael Lee's three pointer with 1.5 seconds left. Syracuse was up 81-78 when this happened. So it would have tied the game. Also Warrick just missed two free throws at the other end that could have iced the game. So Warrick redeemed himself with that block. Kansas had one last three attempt but missed it. Syracuse won the title. And of course this game, and that tournament, is remembered for the great performance by Syracuse's freshman Carmelo Anthony. He was amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8LT2BzNGpg
1.) 1983 North Carolina State 54 Houston 52: Forget George Mason, Northern Iowa, or Bucknell. This is the greatest upset of all time in the history of college basketball. 6th seed North Carolina State upset #1 Houston, lead by Akeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler 54-52 on a last second dunk by Lorenzo Charles. The greatest finish capped by a great call by Billy Packer "They won it...on the dunk!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l5N2eKdvL4
The Dunk.
2.) 1985 Villanova 66 Georgetown 64: The second biggest upset in the history of college basketball. 8th seeded Villanova, who had lost to Georgetown three times that season, upset #1 Georgetown and center Patrick Ewing 66-64. Villanova had to play the perfect game to win. They did hitting 22 of their 28 fg attempts for an amazing 78.6% from the field. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l5N2eKdvL4
3.) 1982 North Carolina 63 Georgetown 62: James Worthy and Michael Jordan lead North Carolina over Georgetown and Patrick Ewing 63-62. Everyone remembers MJ hitting the game winning shot with 17 seconds left. People forget Georgetown than brought the ball down and Georgetown PG Fred Brown threw the ball right to James Worthy thinking he was a Georgetown players. It was one of the biggest choke jobs of all times, and an absolute heartbreaker for Georgetown fans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Nnc_itdEc&feature=channel
The start of a legend.
4.) 1993 North Carolina 77 Michigan 71: 11 years earlier North Carolina won a national championship when Georgetown PG Fred Brown threw the ball right to North Carolina player James Worthy. 11 years later another "brain fart" by an opposing player lead to North Carolina cutting down the nets. Trailing 73-71 with 18 seconds left Michigan foward Chris Webber grabbed the rebound. Looking for an outlet pass he then proceeded to travel. The refs did not make the ball. So in panic Webber dribbled the basketball down the court, went to the corner, and called a timeout with 11 seconds left. Michigan, however, had no timeouts. It lead to at technical foul. UNC made free throws and put away the game winning 77-71. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn-_URq7K04&feature=related 
No timeouts left Chris!
Keith Smart is the hero.
7.) 1989 Michigan 80 Seton Hall 79 OT: This game is remembered for the controversial call at the end of overtime. Trailing 79-78 Michigan's Rumeal Robinson was barely touched, yet a foul was called on Seton Hall. Robinson made both his free throws and Michigan won the game 80-79. The game is also remembered for Michigan's Glen Rice having a tremendous game with 31 points. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkukr6FgzpA
8.) 1999 UCONN 77 Duke 74: These were the two best teams all year. UCONN was 33-2 heading into the game lead by Khalid El-Amin and Richard Hamilton. Duke was 36-1 heading into the game lead by Trajan Langdon, Elton Brand, William Avery, Corey Maggette, and Shane Battier. People were saying that this perhaps was the greatest college basketball team of all time, or at least the best since the John Wooden UCLA days. So despite two losses, and a number 2 ranking all season UCONN was a major underdog to Duke. Hamilton and El-Amin played great all night long. With 7 seconds left and Duke down 75-74 Trajan Langdon drove down the lane, but was called for traveling. UCONN made their free throws to go up 3. Langdon got the ball back with 5 seconds left. He went up the court to try a three, but tripped and never got a shot off. UCONN won and as Jim Nantz said "Just when people say you can't, you can, and UCONN has won the national championship." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAlB8-4Gnnk
9.) 2008 Kansas 75 Memphis 68: With 2:12 left Memphis lead Kansas 60-51. Memphis had the game in the bag. But a combination of Memphis' youth, turnovers, and most of all missed free throws opened the door for Kansas. With 10.8 seconds left, down 63-60, Kansas PG Sherron Collins drove the ball up the court. Memphis Coach John Calipari told his team to foul, to not allow a three to go up. For some reason though Memphis G Derrick Rose did not do this. He tried, instead to defend, Collins and then Kansas G Mario Chalmers, who recieved the ball from Collins. It was a mistake by Rose. With 2 seconds left Chalmers made a three and the game went into overtime. Kansas dominated the overtime and won the national championship 75-68.Jim Nantz said at the end "A Kansas comeback for the history books. Rock Chalk Championship." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3sy0oHP3LI
Mario's Miracle.
10.) 2003 Syracuse 81 Kansas 78: This game is remembered for a few things. One is that Syracuse, and Coach Jim Boeheim finally won a national championship. It's remembered for the six three pointers Gerry McNamara made in the first half. It's remembered for all the missed free throws Kansas had. It's remembered for the block Syracuse's Hakim Warrick had on Kansas' Michael Lee's three pointer with 1.5 seconds left. Syracuse was up 81-78 when this happened. So it would have tied the game. Also Warrick just missed two free throws at the other end that could have iced the game. So Warrick redeemed himself with that block. Kansas had one last three attempt but missed it. Syracuse won the title. And of course this game, and that tournament, is remembered for the great performance by Syracuse's freshman Carmelo Anthony. He was amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8LT2BzNGpg
The Block.
Kofod
Kofod
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Babalicious Tournament Final Four
The Final Four of the Babalicious Tournament has finally arrived. The four women left are Eva Mendes, Elisha Cuthbert, Rachel McAdams, and Hayden Panettiere. This is a Final Four where not one #1 seed is left standing.
Mendes won the Beyoncé Bracket. Cuthbert took home the Jessica Alba Bracket. McAdams won the Megan Fox Bracket. And Panettiere came away the champion of the Rihanna Bracket. So four women left. Here are my votes for the two matchups.
Panettiere has had quite a run. Don't let the seeding fool you. I would not be suprised at all if she came away with the title. Saying all that my vote goes to McAdams. Plain and simply I like her more. She has that girl next door quality that none of the other women (I know Cuthbert was in the movie The Girl Next Door, but could you realistically imagine her as your neighbor. McAdams is the only one that's really realistic) have. She's that All-American girl, and at this point with RiRi out I'll will take that as my frontrunner.
The real heavy hitting matchup of this final four. Both powerful women. I like Eva Mendes and all, but I am not as high on her as other men would be. I'd take Cuthbert over Mendes 10 out of 10 times. That's just me. So I'll take Cuthbert to move on the the Babalicious Championship.
Here are the links to the bracket. Feel free to leave a comment for who your votes are for.
Babalicious Tournament
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=353462&tclass=Babalicious%20Tournament
Kofod
Mendes won the Beyoncé Bracket. Cuthbert took home the Jessica Alba Bracket. McAdams won the Megan Fox Bracket. And Panettiere came away the champion of the Rihanna Bracket. So four women left. Here are my votes for the two matchups.
(2) Rachel McAdams vs. (6) Hayden Panettiere
Panettiere has had quite a run. Don't let the seeding fool you. I would not be suprised at all if she came away with the title. Saying all that my vote goes to McAdams. Plain and simply I like her more. She has that girl next door quality that none of the other women (I know Cuthbert was in the movie The Girl Next Door, but could you realistically imagine her as your neighbor. McAdams is the only one that's really realistic) have. She's that All-American girl, and at this point with RiRi out I'll will take that as my frontrunner.
My Vote: Rachel McAdams
(2) Eva Mendes vs. (2) Elisha Cuthbert
The real heavy hitting matchup of this final four. Both powerful women. I like Eva Mendes and all, but I am not as high on her as other men would be. I'd take Cuthbert over Mendes 10 out of 10 times. That's just me. So I'll take Cuthbert to move on the the Babalicious Championship.
My Vote: Elisha Cuthbert
Here are the links to the bracket. Feel free to leave a comment for who your votes are for.
Babalicious Tournament
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=353462&tclass=Babalicious%20Tournament
Kofod
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Music Video of the Week April 1st
While she doesn't sing the song, she stars in the music video of the song. This is Paranoid by Kanye West ft. Mr. Hudson. Rihanna is in the video acting like someone who is paranoid. I love this video, and (spoiler alert) considering my girl lost in the Elite 8 of the Babalicious Tournament I thought I would have a music video this week with her involved in it.
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